by Leah Brooke
Amazed that the voices dimmed again, Serena wrapped her arms around his waist, leaning back to smile up at him. “You know, even your scowl is sexy.”
With a sigh, she dropped her forehead against his chest. “Hell. This can’t be because of you. Damn it, nothing else makes sense.” Lifting her head, she smiled at the satisfaction shining in his eyes. “Are you going to tell me what you do to make it go away like that?”
Smiling faintly, Alastair swept her hair back from her face, bending toward her. “Is the noise gone?”
Flattening her hands on his chest, she took her time smoothing her palms over it, stilling when she felt his cock press against her belly.
Digging her fingers into the hard muscle, she smiled, her heart racing at the thrill of being in his arms. “Almost. They’re hardly noticeable. How did you do that?”
Cupping her jaw, he ran his thumb over her bottom lip, making it tingle. “I’m not sure. It’s something I seem to do naturally with you, and I…I don’t know how to explain it other than to say I wrapped you in it. We’re going to have to work on teaching you how to do it yourself.”
She touched her tongue to his finger without meaning to, her face burning when she realized what she’d done. Her stomach fluttered at the flare of heat in his eyes. “I would love to be able to do that. I could go out. I could have a showing.”
Trying not to get her hopes up, she took a deep breath and blew it out in a rush. “I could have a normal life.”
Taking her hand in his, Alastair turned toward the mall, his smile falling. His eyes cooled and became flat as he scanned their surroundings. “I don’t think there’s anything normal about the life we’re going to have. Come on, darling. Let’s do some shopping.”
* * * *
She waited for her change, unable to stop glancing at Alastair, who stood frowning next to her, his hand on her back. His eyes remained alert and always moving, surveying the crowd as if always looking for a threat.
Suddenly a vision appeared, one of her standing on the beach behind her home, with tears streaming down her face.
Blinking back tears, she took a shuddering breath as the vision faded, the implication knotting her stomach and forcing her to choke back a sob before it escaped.
When this ended, she would be leaving and going back home. Her tears told her just how heartbroken she would be when she did.
She couldn’t let that happen. She couldn’t let herself care about them so much that she would be devastated when she left.
Fate, though, couldn’t be denied.
* * * *
With her hand in Alastair’s, Serena walked wide-eyed through the mall. “I can’t believe this! So many stores. They sell everything here.”
Alastair smiled again. “Just about. I planned to pay for your clothes and art supplies, you know.”
Uneasy at the stares of the people around them, Serena edged closer to him. “I pay my own way. Why the hell are all these people staring at us?”
Chuckling softly, he pulled her closer, clearly amused, but she had no idea why.
“They’re staring at you. New York is filled with beautiful women, but you stand out. You’re not even wearing a speck of makeup and you’re stunning.” He gestured toward the crowd. “These women are probably trying to figure out how you do it, and the men are pissing me off by imagining you in their beds.”
Serena snorted inelegantly. “It’s you. You’re too damned handsome for your own good. I saw those women looking at your brother at the reception, and the women here can’t keep their eyes off of you.”
Looking up, she watched in fascination as he gave a man approaching them a look, a cold look that had the man hurriedly looking away. “Besides, my looks have nothing to do with me. I inherited them. Same as you. But, that’s only part of the reason women stare at you.”
“Really? Such as…”
Serena glared up at him, aware of the women staring. “It’s the way you move. You do it on purpose. It makes women wonder if you move the same way in bed. I mean, just look at you. Look at the way you walk.”
She couldn’t blame the women passing by for staring at him, especially when she couldn’t take her eyes off of him herself.
Dressed in jeans that molded his tight butt to perfection, and a plain dark shirt that emphasized his muscular chest and arms, he looked rich, sophisticated, arrogant, and sexy as hell.
He’d left his hair loose, giving him a wild, untamed look, one that matched the primitive hunger in his eyes.
He was a man who could never go unnoticed.
At well over six feet tall, he towered over everyone. The combination of his size and the kind of powerful presence she’d never even heard of before made him an imposing figure, one that would always draw attention.
A sense of pride filled her—pride that such a man could want her—but she knew that it had nothing to do with her.
Both Ian and Alastair seemed fascinated by her looks, her psychic abilities, and the chemistry between them that couldn’t be ignored.
They didn’t even know her. Few in her life had even tried.
Disappointed, she looked up into his twinkling eyes.
He touched her hair, brushing it back with a possessive gesture that made her stomach quiver. “Really? Now I’m intrigued. How would you know that if you didn’t feel the same way?” His arrogant grin and the gleam of hunger shining in his eyes made her heart beat faster.
“You can find out how I move in bed anytime you want, Serena.”
He led her to a nearby bench and sat with her, keeping one arm around her and rubbing her shoulder. Leaning close, he reached for the hand she held fisted on her thigh, forcing her fingers open to trace a pattern on her palm. His eyes narrowed, holding hers.
Keeping his voice low, he moved close, and even though he remained alert to everything going on around them, she had the feeling that he focused most of his attention on her.
“I want to tell you something, something that I’m sure you’re not ready to hear, but maybe it’ll help convince you that I’m not coming on to you as part of my job.”
Intrigued, Serena glanced up at him, surprised to see a muscle working in his jaw. “What is it?”
He met her look briefly, his eyes hooded and unreadable, before he looked away again. “I don’t invite many people into my home, but you seem to fit there. The house feels different with you there.” He paused, and after several tense seconds, sighed. “I like having you there.”
Surprised at his admission, and at his obvious difficulty in making it, Serena couldn’t hold back a smile. “You kidnapped me, you know?”
He didn’t smile as she’d meant him to. Instead, he inclined his head, gesturing toward one of the guards walking by. “We’ve passed four guards since we’ve been here, and you haven’t given any of them a second glance. You haven’t tried to talk to any of them, and you haven’t attempted to escape.”
Turning in his seat, he faced her, his eyes intense and searching. “You trust us. I didn’t realize how much I’d needed that.”
Serena blinked, surprised at that. “So, this was a test?”
With a shrug, he turned away again, leaning back in his seat to watch the crowd. “In a way. An unplanned one. I realized it when I kept waiting for you to try to escape.”
He turned his head, meeting her gaze again. “You feel it, too. We’ve been forced by life to be alone. I was fine with that—at least I thought I was. After meeting you, and seeing how it could be with someone who knows about us, I’m not so sure anymore.”
Her heart pounded furiously, her voice a breathless whisper. “What are you saying?”
Turning away again, he sighed. “I just wanted you to understand. There’s something between us, Serena, something that I’d like to explore.”
Turning toward her again, he cupped her jaw.
“I want you in bed. I want to move over you, covering your body with mine. I want to feel your soft pussy hug my cock as I move inside you.�
��
Her head fell back against his arm, her body leaning into his of its own volition. Her nipples beaded tight, the need for his touch almost unbearable. Looking into his eyes, she had to swallow heavily before she could speak. “I can’t believe you just said that.”
“A little too blunt for you? I see no reason to beat around the bush. Since I met you, the thought of being inside you has driven me crazy. I want you, Serena, and I don’t see any reason to pretend otherwise.”
Tearing her gaze from his, she tried to focus on the people walking past them on both sides, but her mind had conjured an image of reaching for Alastair as his body covered hers, her hands gripping his wide shoulders as he took her.
“It’s not that. It’s the way you talk. You’re a very sexual man. Instead of saying that you want to screw me, you talk about moving inside me.”
He had to know what his words would do to her. He had to know that she would be imagining his cock filling her—and the effect that would have on her body.
Turning back, he kept his arm around her shoulder as he, too, watched the people passing by. “That’s the way I think about it. I’m not in a hurry to take you and be done with it. When I get you naked and under me, I’m going to take my time and enjoy it to the fullest. I want to hear the sounds you make when you’re pleasured. I want to hear your cries and whimpers, and see what it would take to get you to scream.”
Desire ran hot through her veins, the image so real she could almost feel his naked body against hers. “Stop.” Her pussy clenched in anticipation, the thought of him filling her there, stroking her pussy with his cock, sending her pulse racing. “Don’t say things like that to me anymore.”
Chuckling softly, Alastair ran his fingers over her shoulder. “Oh, I’ll say them again, but talking about it in a crowded mall wasn’t the smartest thing to do. Damned uncomfortable, in fact.”
Sliding his hand over her thigh, he leaned toward her, keeping his voice low. “Do you know that my cock is so hard now that it’s almost painful? Every time I think about the things I want to do to you, my cock jumps to attention. Feeling your arousal along with my own doesn’t help any.”
He smiled when she jolted. “I can, you know? After feeling your pain, I couldn’t resist knowing, and it’s torture to know there’s nothing I can do about it.”
He shrugged again. “But, that’s my fault. I can’t resist arousing you, and feeling your arousal along with my own is becoming highly addictive.”
The heat from his hand spread, sending a sizzling sensation to her slit to layer over the heated awareness already centered there. “Is that what excites you? How do you know you feel my arousal?”
His wicked grin sent another wave of lust over her. “I just do. I guess it’s a good thing you can’t feel mine. If you did, you wouldn’t even be able to sit still. Perhaps it’s better that we talk about something else before I burst my zipper. Tell me about that woman over there.”
Serena grimaced, her stomach knotting. “If you want to meet her, why don’t you just go over there? Leave me out of your perverted games.”
Alastair laughed, his eyes darkening. “Darling, you haven’t even experienced my perverted games. Now, get your mind out of the gutter and tell me something about that woman. Reach out and use your abilities.”
Panicking when he moved his hand on her shoulder, she grabbed it, scared that he would release her. “I don’t want to do this. If you want to talk to her, you’re going to have to do it by yourself. Just take me outside first. If you let go of my hand, I won’t be able to stand it, not with all these people around.”
Leaning forward, Alastair slid his arm from around her and took both of her hands in his. “Don’t look at me that way. I’m not deserting you, but I want you to try something. Close your eyes.”
Holding on to his hands, Serena searched his golden eyes, once again struck by his good looks, and the absolute solidness of his presence. He would be a strong and steady lover, a man a woman could rely on. The steadiness in his gaze now gave her the confidence to nod and close her eyes.
“Now what?”
The feel of his warm breath against her cheek sent a shiver through her.
Letting go of one hand, he kept the other one held between his. “I want you to concentrate. Yes, I know it’s hard to when you’re thinking about us making love, but you—”
Serena gasped, her eyes flying open. “How did you know that? Can you read my mind?”
He smiled, a smile of pure seduction. “No, darling, but I can read your body. I can hear the catch in your breath and those beaded nipples are making my mouth water to taste them.”
She would swear she could actually feel his mouth on her nipples, the hot flush of it spreading from her breasts to her face. “I, uh…” She couldn’t think of a damned thing to say to that, her mind too filled with images of the two of them rolling naked on a bed.
His smile gentled. “This isn’t the time or the place to discuss this, but we will be discussing it later. In the meantime, close your eyes and do what I tell you.”
Serena glared at him before closing her eyes, bristling at his arrogance, but curious to see what he had planned. “There, I closed my eyes, but you’re wrong about that other stuff. I have no desire to start something with you when I plan to leave as soon as possible.”
“I’ve got news for you, darling, it’s already begun. Now, I want you to picture a blanket, a nice, soft, thick blanket.” His voice lowered, his tone soft and mesmerizing. “I want you to picture wrapping it around yourself. It’s thick, thick enough to keep all those thoughts and voices of the people around you out, but it’s comfortable and soft. No one can get in unless you let them. Can you feel it?”
Lulled by his tone, Serena relaxed and tried to imagine it. She had a soft blanket at home that she often wrapped around her shoulders on cool evenings when she went out to sit on her deck.
She pictured sitting there now, not at all surprised to see both Alastair and Ian with her. One of them held her in his lap while the other sat next to her, rubbing her feet as they moved back and forth on the swing.
Startled to realize that what she saw now was a vision, not an imagined scene, she stiffened.
She’d never had visions like this before. She’d only been able to see things in her dreams. She knew things while awake, but she couldn’t see them.
As the vision faded, she couldn’t help but wonder if Alastair had something to do with that, too. She knew she would be going back home, but she hadn’t known that Ian and Alastair would be there with her. Her breath caught at the implication. Both of them had looked at her with hunger burning in their eyes.
Had it been a vision, or just wishful thinking on her part?
She could only imagine what kind of turmoil it would cause to even think about getting involved in a physical relationship with either one of them.
God, she wanted them both so much!
“Serena?”
With a start, she opened her eyes, her face burning as she met Alastair’s look of concern. “What?”
As one, the voices all around her slammed into her, and she realized that he’d let go of her hand. With it also came another realization, one that had her reaching for him in alarm.
Spinning in her seat, she gulped, searching the crowd for the evil coming toward them, her heart beating so fast she could hardly speak. “Evil. They’re here. They see us. They’re coming for me. They have orders to kill you and take me.”
Alastair’s eyes hardened, his face turning to stone. Grabbing her hand, he thrust the bags at her.
“Hold these and move.”
She knew why he needed a hand free when he reached into his jacket, closing his hand over the butt of the gun he wore.
“Where are they?”
Struggling to keep up with him, Serena glanced over her shoulder. “Behind us. I don’t know who they are. I just feel the evil.”
“I see them. Keep moving.”
Alastair rac
ed through the mall toward the exit, but since he stood much taller than the people around them, Serena didn’t think he would lose the two men chasing them.
Before she knew it, they were out the door and heading across the crowded parking lot, the bags she held bumping against her leg with every step.
As they neared the car, Serena looked over her shoulder again, getting a good look at the men chasing them, alarmed to see how close they’d gotten.
“Alastair!”
“Get in!” He opened the car door and practically threw her inside, bags and all.
His tone, like ice, held a frantic edge that she knew wouldn’t normally be there.
He was scared for her!
Once outside, the men ran full-out for the car, holding the edges of their jackets over the guns they held. Both had dark hair and eyes, the sinister looks on their faces matching the evil pouring off of them.
Too scared to even scream, Serena couldn’t take her eyes off of them, even as one of them pointed a gun at her.
The powerful engine came to life as Alastair pushed her down in the seat. “Get down!”
She screamed as her window shattered, shards of glass raining down all over her.
Alastair cursed as he threw the car in gear and took off in a squeal of tires, the force of his burst of speed throwing her against her car door and onto the floor of the car.
She stared up at him and tried to hold on as he made several sharp turns in rapid succession, stunned by the look of cold concentration on his face as he kept glancing at the rearview mirror.
He was in his element here, almost reveling in the challenge of outwitting the other men.
She had a feeling that the only thing that marred his excitement was his fear for her.
It seemed to take forever, but he eventually eased back on the accelerator, and glanced down at her, some of the tension leaving his body.
“You can get up now. We lost them.” He grabbed for one of the bags on the floor and set it on her seat. “Sit on that. There’s glass all over your seat. Be careful.”
