Under His Skin

by Jennifer Blackstream

  Nu crossed his arms, his eyes looking sad despite his defiant posture. “I’ve sworn not to reveal their location.”

  Furious, Brec swiped at the pixie, growling as the little fey darted further out of his reach. “You little pest,” he hissed. “You could end a lot of misery and you choose instead to align yourself with a thief who just barely escapes the label of murderer. How could you leave those people to suffer?”

  “Keep looking, Brec,” Nu said quietly. “You don’t know the whole story. When you discover the truth of the situation, you won’t judge Ana so harshly.”

  “There is nothing that would excuse what she’s done,” Brec insisted, struggling to speak through his anger. “I’ve experienced the loss of my skin. Any longer and I would have gone mad.”

  “You would have done anything to get it back?”

  “Anything.”

  The pixie paused as if waiting for Brec to say more, but he could think of nothing more to say. The miserable insect wouldn’t budge and he didn’t have time to waste interrogating him.

  Whirling away from the source of his agitation, Brec stalked through the living room and down the short staircase to the lower split level. When his foot hit the thinly carpeted floor, his gaze locked on the left side of the room and he froze. Surprise raised his eyebrows as he stared at a large circular area completely surrounded by candles, incense, and rows of herbs. The scent of chamomile teased his senses, soothing away some of his anger, and he slowly walked closer to what looked like a magic circle.

  Two large pots on either side of the circle contained aloe vera and red geraniums. He recognized other herbs around the circle as well. Chamomile, gotu kola, chaparral, tea tree oil, oats, plantain, and tamanu oil, some in dried form, some sealed in small vials with neatly printed labels. A simple silver knife glinted beside some of the herbs along with long matchsticks, and a mortar and pestle. Brec shook his head in disbelief.

  “She’s a witch.”

  “Not necessarily,” Nu spoke up, flying over to the circle and landing in the geranium pot. “Look at all this stuff. Name one thing here that you don’t use for healing.”

  “You’re trying to tell me she’s a healer?” Brec sneered. “Bullshit. No healer would do the kind of harm she’s doing by stealing those skins. A black witch, however, might steal skins to use in shapeshifting rituals.”

  “You think she’s a witch?” Nu echoed.

  Brec pressed his lips into a thin grim line. “Only one way to find out.”

  Chapter 9

  The morning sun was an unwelcome sight. Ana glowered at the light shining in her window and tried to turn away. The little slack Brec had allowed her to help her sleep wasn’t enough to let her properly avoid greeting the new day. The mattress creaked beneath her and Ana cursed to herself as footsteps echoed on the floor outside her bedroom.

  Great, he knows I’m awake.

  Ana fought to keep her face impassive as Brec entered her bedroom again. The selkie had a determined set to his shoulders and his gaze seemed shaper, more alert. He glanced around her room as he approached the bed. Was it her imagination or did his gaze linger on her dresser and the little bowl with her waiting spell? Her pulse quickened. Now he was looking at the row of books on the shelf just above the dresser. Get away from there!

  “What I said earlier about being lonely wasn’t a lie,” she spoke up, desperately hoping to distract him from his examination of her things.

  Brec’s gaze immediately ceased its perusal to fix her with a withering glance of annoyance. “Don’t even try that one again. The whole ‘I just stole your skin because I wanted a selkie husband’ ship has sailed.”

  Despite his obvious rancor with her, Ana felt a small wave of relief when Brec stepped closer to the bed, her spell on the dresser clearly forgotten. As he moved, she couldn’t help but notice that he’d removed his jacket. The green shirt she’d spotted under the coat earlier turned out to be a long-sleeved thick cotton garment that hugged his muscles. Momentarily distracted from her spell, her mind spun over her earlier thoughts about seducing the selkie. Warmth wove through her muscles as she pictured running her hands over the muscles under that shirt, feeling the strength that lay underneath.

  It had been a long time since she’d taken a lover. Her misery had been complete and all consuming. She’d had no time for anything that didn’t put her closer to regaining her skin, no time for relationships with people who would never know the real her. Now, looking at Brec while her naked body squirmed underneath the blanket, she couldn’t help but feel an ache between her legs that reminded her of how much she missed that one basic human need.

  The feeling intensified as Brec stepped up to the bed and began working at her bonds. Surprise raised her eyebrows even as she found herself staring at the snug fit of his jeans, so close to her face. She could feel the heat from his body and the sensation fed the fantasy building in her mind. Images of his body without the restrictions of his clothing filled her mind, teasing her with thoughts of holding the heat of that body between her legs and pressing her breasts to that muscled chest.

  Tingles danced over her skin at the thought and she quickly warmed to her new plan. He was untying her for some reason, it was the perfect time to begin the seduction. The fact that she was already naked made it seem too easy. She smiled, reveling in the satisfaction that came with the confidence she’d gained through years of watching desire light men’s eyes when they saw her. In no time at all she would have him eating from her hand.

  As the last of her bonds fell away, she took a deep breath, preparing herself for her performance. She shook her hair back, letting the natural wave in the silvery blonde strands bounce her hair against her bare shoulders. The caress of the silky strands added a feeling of sensuality to her movements. Her sensitized skin tickled as she slowly drew her legs closer to her body, enjoying the slide of the soft comforter against her flesh. She raised her eyes to Brec’s face, watching him from underneath a layer of thick lashes. Slowly, she swung her legs over the bed and stood.

  “Thank you,” she said softly. She raised her wrists, using her arms to press against her breasts, pushing them together and up. Brec’s gaze flicked down and then shot back up to her face. She smothered a smirk. Typical.

  She opened her mouth to say something suggestive, but the scowl on Brec’s face froze the words on her tongue.

  “Seducing me isn’t going to work either. I don’t find thieves who take pleasure out of destroying lives the least bit attractive.”

  Shock pulled her jaw down before she could compose herself. Cursing Brec with every fiber of her being, she quickly rallied as best she could. “I am not the least bit interested in seducing you,” she hissed, letting her anger feed the image of indignation. She glared at him. “I was just going to ask you if I could use the bathroom, now that you’ve been kind enough to untie me.” She narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest, refusing to give in to the embarrassment trying to burn the skin from her cheeks. “But thank you so much for the insinuation. After all, what woman doesn’t like being called a whore?”

  She took a moment to treasure the startled expression on Brec’s face. His eyebrows rose slightly and his lips parted. If he was the considerate gentlemanly healer she thought he was, that comment should have put him on the defensive. No gentleman could just brush off the insinuation that his behavior was so offensive as to give the impression he’d unwittingly made a woman feel like a whore. Disappointment pulled down her spirits when suspicion colored his face. Either he’s not quite the gentleman I thought he was or he’s not as gullible as I hoped.

  He stepped back without taking his eyes off her. When he was about five feet away, nearly pressed against the wall beside the bathroom door, he glanced into the bathroom. He didn’t look for too long, his gaze flickering back and forth between her and the interior of the harmless looking room. Ana rolled her eyes. The bastard was no doubt checking to makes sure she couldn’t escape through a window.
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  “As you have no doubt noticed, there is no window in the bathroom,” she snarled. “Now if you don’t mind, I have to pee.”

  Brec raised an eyebrow and waved her in, throwing his arm out like a gentleman ushering a lady into her opera box. Ana narrowed her eyes. Arrogant bastard.

  Just to piss of her cocky captor, Ana locked the bathroom door behind her. After relieving herself, she stalked over to the shower and turned on the hot water. As long as he was going to be an ass, he could damn well wait until she was good and ready to be tied up again.

  A sigh escaped her lips as she stepped under the soothing spray. Her arms and legs ached from the position they’d been tied in and the hot water was a glorious relief to her sore muscles. She put her face in the spray, relishing the heat for a moment before turning to wet her hair.

  A loud crash shattered the peace of the small room and Ana shrieked as her heart seized in her chest. All the nerves in her arms spasmed at the same time, sending waves of pain over her skin. She jerked the curtain aside and stared in outrage at Brec.

  The selkie stood in the doorway, the look on his face a strange combination of anger and confusion. The bathroom door lay flush against the wall and Ana had a moment to seethe over the likelihood that the doorknob was probably lodged in the plaster. The doorframe was splintered, broken when her captor used brute force to overcome the lock.

  “What the fuck is wrong with you?” she ground out. The anger burning inside her felt good, a welcome distraction from the embarrassment that had been eating at her minutes before. She put the full force of her ire into her eyes as she glared at him. “My reference to myself as a whore was merely a way to point out your less than gentlemanly behavior,” she snapped. “It wasn’t an offer to join me in the shower.”

  “You said you were going to pee, you never said anything about a shower.”

  Despite his strong entrance, she was savagely pleased to hear a note of hesitation in his voice. He stared into her eyes. The tension in his face suggested he was fighting to keep his gaze from wandering to other areas. A small smile crept over her lips. Apparently, the selkie wasn’t as comfortable breaking in on a woman in the shower as he would have her believe.

  “Is a naked woman in the shower so different that a naked woman tied to the bed?” she asked sweetly, batting her eyes at him. She opened the curtain a little wider, exposing the water sluicing over her curves and dripping from the curls between her legs. He blushed and she laughed with delight. “Promise you’ll let me go and you can join me.”

  Something dark flickered in his eyes, desire or something close to it. For a split second, Ana caught a glimpse of the healer’s libido—and it looked hungry. Her breath fluttered in her throat, her confidence wavering as her own arousal rose. It seemed that with this selkie, seduction would be a double-edged sword.

  Brec took a step closer to the shower and a thrill ran between her thighs. Every inch that vanished between them heightened her temperature until her flesh burned. He wanted her, she could see it in the way his gaze hungrily traveled over her body, the way his eyes darkened when he looked at her. She would coax him into her arms and use every charm the gods had given her to bend him to her will. An answering hunger howled to life inside her. And she would enjoy it.

  Finally he stood close enough that the mist from the shower dampened his shirt. She stared into his eyes from underneath lids gone heavy with desire. He raised an arm toward her. Her heart beat in her chest like a trapped animal as his hand closed over the back of her neck. All too willingly she tilted her head to the side as he pulled her closer for a kiss.

  She’d expected a sweet brush of the lips. Something that reflected the gentle nature of a healer. In no way was she prepared for the demanding passion that met her lips as his mouth crashed down over hers.

  A sharp intake of breath brought his sea-kissed scent to her nose as his mouth plundered hers. His lips were soft, but insistent, plying hers with a hunger that wouldn’t be denied. A liquid hotter than the water from the shower pooled between her thighs and she moaned when his tongue caressed her lips, demanding entrance.

  Pleasure curled around her spine as she opened her mouth willingly. Their tongues danced together in an erotic expression of desire. He tasted wild and distinctly masculine. She moaned as his other hand rose to cup her naked hip. His mouth left hers and trailed over her jaw before drawing a hot line down her neck. He lapped at the water on her skin, giving her just a hint of teeth as he nibbled her flesh.

  “Brec,” she breathed, her head swimming with the dizzying sensations his talented mouth brought her. She tugged impatiently at his shirt. “Take your clothes off and get in here.”

  “Tell me where the skins are.”

  His words shot through the fog that his attentions and the heat of the shower water had built around her, straightening her spine and shattering the pleasure building inside her.

  “What did you say?”

  The bastard had the nerve to lay another searing kiss on her neck, his tongue tracing over her collarbone between words. “Tell me where the skins are.”

  A grunt of surprise escaped his mouth as she shoved him away from her and he nearly slipped on the shower-kissed tiles. Still breathing heavily from their erotic encounter, he met her eyes with a dark gaze that even now threatened to reawaken her passion and steal her anger. She clenched her teeth, steeling herself against the allure that had driven so many human women to the shore in search of selkie lovers.

  “You asshole,” she seethed. “Do you really think seducing me will make me bend to your single-minded will?”

  He narrowed his eyes, not a hint of apology on his face. “Isn’t that precisely what you were trying to do to me?” He straightened to his full height, regarding her with a strange combination of arousal and scorn. “ At least I’ve shown you respect in my attempts to get back the skins you’ve stolen.”

  “You tied me to the bed—naked!” she screeched, the world tinged with red.

  “I tied you up because I believe you are a threat—after you stole my skin,” he countered evenly. “The fact that you were naked is a result of your own inclinations.”

  Her eyes widened, her anger burning into an inferno. “My own inclinations? What the fuck is that sup—”

  “And I have been nothing but a gentleman as far as your nudity has been concerned,” Brec continued loudly, not letting her interruption destroy his tirade. “You were the one who decided to taunt me with your body, trying to use the lure of your flesh to get me to change my mind.” He smirked and crossed his arms over his chest. “You have no one to blame, but yourself that you fell into your own trap.”

  “Fuck you, I didn’t fall into any trap,” she hissed. “You don’t know where those skins are—and I will never tell you!”

  The selkie moved so fast it tore a gasp from her throat. Suddenly he was standing only an inch in front of her, his black eyes boring into her own. Fear and arousal warred within her as she stared up into the determined anger radiating from his body.

  “Understand me now, Ana. With or without you, I will find those skins. And when I do, you will answer for your crimes.”

  He whirled on his heel and stalked out the door, leaving it stuck in the wall so that nothing stood between the bathroom and the bedroom. Ana stared after him, too pissed and befuddled to speak. Her breasts throbbed, feeling heavier in the aftermath of his kisses. She cursed her reaction to him, cursed even more the fact that her mind insisted on replaying the kiss in her head like some insane video loop.

  “Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck,” she swore, jerking the curtain closed before burying her face in the hot spray. She pressed her hands over her face. At least it had been a hot shower. Now it felt lukewarm at best, shamed by the heat of the arrogant selkie’s kiss.

  She snatched the shampoo bottle from the corner of the tub and poured a generous helping onto her hand. Working it into a lather, she breathed deeply, taking in the sweet scent of strawberry. Her brain teas
ed her with the sea scent that had clung to Brec’s skin and she stifled a howl of frustration. What would it take to get rid of him?

  Chapter 10

  Brec took a deep breath and rubbed a hand over his face. His heart beat so hard he could feel each pulse of blood flooding through the painful stiffness of his manhood. Every beat of his heart sent another wave of pressure, an insistent reminder of the pleasure he’d found in the taste of Ana’s sinful mouth.

  What were you thinking?

  Hadn’t he told Nu, in no uncertain terms, that he would not resort to sexual manipulation? That he would not tread the line between a gentler persuasion and rape? He pressed a fist to his forehead as the sounds of the shower threw up images of Ana’s naked body, her skin glistening with water as if she’d just rose from the sea. He could still see the water dripping from the hardened buds of her nipples, begging him to lower his head and drink from the rosy peaks. His erection grew more painful in the strict confines of his jeans and he clenched his hands into fists.