Broken Promises (The Brianna Lane Series)

by Belinda Boring

  “Yes.” Ruth released her own breath of resignation at the sound of Michelle’s gasp. “There is only one reason for this change in the portals, and it isn’t in our favor. The last time they came, it took everything the Order had to fight against them.”

  “Is there anything else we can do?” Ruth heard the plea in Michelle’s voice—the need for a positive answer.

  “All I’ve read and been taught has shown us being victorious but only after a long and bloody battle. I have the records handed down from High Priestess to High Priestess I can review.” The authority rang through her voice as she spoke with the power of her office. “Take aside those you can trust and give them the assignment to dig deeper into the archives. Tell them to talk with no one but you, and keep me informed. We have tried and tested methods; let’s look for any forgotten advantage.”

  “Yes, my Lady,” Michelle formally replied, her tone lined with newly found determination. “I know who to ask, and hopefully by the end of today we’ll have learned something helpful.”

  As the conversation came to a close, a feeling crashed over Ruth and she knew it couldn’t be ignored. “As gently as you can, have everyone talk with their families to warn them. If things worsen, events will move quickly, and there may not be much time later. It’s important they don’t panic, so do what you can to ease their fears. It’s only as a precaution, but when the Spirit whispers . . . it’s necessary.”

  “I’ll see to it straight away,” Michelle responded. She made plans to check in later and hung up.

  Ruth stood briefly with the receiver in her hand, hearing the beeping dial tone. It was official—the order given—Michelle the last of the sisters to call. They were all aware now, starting preparations, and the only thing left to do was pray they’d be ready for the threat approaching.

  She sighed and braced herself for what she needed to do next. Ruth lifted the receiver back to her ear and began dialing a new number. This call was being made with great reluctance because she knew she was about to changes someone’s world—a person she loved and cherished above all else.

  Please let me say the right words, she silently chanted, waiting for the other end to pick up. And please, forgive me for the promise I’m about to break.

  Chapter One

  “Argh!”

  It was unavoidable—no one could bump and grind with such enthusiasm and not end up doing themselves some serious damage. It could happen on a crowded, strobe pulsating, dance floor. Or for those blessed with the clumsy gene, it could occur in a death trap of a shower. I was part of the latter group.

  I had actually been succeeding in washing away the day’s stress. My muscles were slowly releasing their built up tension as jets of steaming hot water pounded away at them. I wanted to kiss whoever designed the multi-headed showerhead I’d recently bought, because after the drama-filled week I’d experienced, it had seemed an impossible feat.

  That was before a near fatal twist almost sent me sprawling on the shower’s floor, drowning in sudsy water.

  “Smart move, Bri. Great way to start the weekend.” Sarcasm coated my words as I scolded myself for not thinking things through. “Sorry, Quinn, I’m cancelling our hot date tonight. Why you ask? Well, I did this dance step, you see, and just about knocked myself out. Am I okay? Uh yeah, just a little embarrassed. You want to come kiss it better?” I paused long enough from my mini rant to smile at the possibilities.

  Being kissed by Quinn was my definition of ultimate bliss. It was well worth any teasing he’d give me, especially when it meant I’d spend the rest of the night in bed getting doctored by him. The thought elicited an excited shiver.

  I was getting tired of hurting myself, whether it was small or emergency room worthy. I tipped my head back under the steady stream letting the water pour down my face and through my suds-filled hair, momentarily offering me relief. It wasn’t long, however, before my fingers scrambled and I scrubbed my eyes.

  “Argh!” I screamed again.

  The attempt was futile. The soap burned like it was aflame, causing me to scrunch my eyes tighter in the hope of protecting them. I scooped up handfuls of water to soothe the searing pain and groaned as it slowly began to ebb.

  I pulled the slick curtain aside and began feeling around for the towel I knew was there. My fingers felt the soft, fluffy material and I used one hand to grip onto the shower railing as I leaned forward.

  It should have been an easy task—completely manageable, but with my eyes still tightly closed, I couldn’t see how far forward I was leaning. Losing my balance, I slipped and grasped onto the wet plastic curtain.

  It was a painful mistake. I lost my grip and tripped as my feet lifted over the ledge to step out of the shower. In a move that imitated the stunt that had started the whole mess, I thudded onto the cold floor—hard. The elusive towel slipped from the rack above and landed squarely on my head.

  "Just great,” I complained, flinching from the pain. “Can’t wait to see what I do next.” I sat for a moment, softly groaning while I tested my body for which part hurt the most. My inspection was interrupted by the sound of my front door slamming closed.

  I slumped in defeat. I knew who’d entered my apartment and the reaction I’d receive if he found me like this. My clumsiness was a constant source of amusement for him, a real sore point that irked me.

  Taking a deep breath, I blew the strand of wet hair from my eyes, and tried hard not to look pitiful. I could hear Quinn walking through the rooms and imagined him draping his jacket over the couch before seeking me out. It wouldn’t be long until he discovered my awkward position.

  “Bri, where are you? I can see your stuff in the kitchen so I’m assuming you’re in here somewhere . . . hopefully naked.” I heard him mutter the last part softly, finishing the sentence with a chuckle.

  Loud footsteps paused outside the bedroom door, and I could only imagine his disappointed look at finding my bed empty. I wasn’t too worried because sometime tonight, he’d get me there, hopefully kissing away the still present pain.

  “Baby, if I yell out Marco, can you give me a Polo in return?” He was inside the bedroom now, and I made one last-ditch effort to lift myself up from the floor. I was halfway there, bent at the waist, when I heard a low whistle of appreciation.

  “Let me guess . . . Clumsiness 101 strikes again.” Quinn stood at the doorway wearing a cheeky grin, his eyebrows raised in amusement. My predicament was temporarily forgotten at the sight—the man looked sexy as hell.

  With dark hair that always fell across his forehead, he flicked the annoying strands to the side, revealing his heart melting brown eyes. I loved looking into them, finding something new to adore each time, and I would tease him about how long his eyelashes were. He had a perfectly shaped face—chiseled jawline and high cheekbones. He was pure masculinity and when he smiled at me with his full lips, I wanted to drop everything I was doing so I could touch him. He was dangerous to my heart, he was beautiful, and he was all mine.

  I stumbled forward, wanting to hit him for being insensitive, but my body was still sluggish. Concern replaced his cocky smirk and he scooped me up into his arms. Trembling against his strong chest, I knew I was wetting his shirt with the lingering water from my shower, but I didn’t feel guilty—it felt too good.

  My head nuzzled into his neck, relaxing as I let his quiet strength wash over me—his subtle scent mingled with cologne. I snuggled even closer, taking a deep breath, and without thinking, gently nipped at his flesh. Heat washed over my body, causing it to tingle with excitement. Maybe instead of going to the movies tonight, I could convince him to stay home.

  I slid my free hand in between his shirt buttons, popping them open, eager to touch his skin. My sigh was a little louder as the material parted and my fingers travelled further down his chest to his abdomen. I loved how he felt—all contoured ridges.

  He seized my hand, quickly stopping my impromptu exploration—his focus elsewhere. He gently lowered me and then crouched bes
ide the bed as his gaze began darting over my slender frame. He looked pensive as he estimated my possible injuries and I relaxed under his silent scrutiny.

  Tenderly turning me from left to right, he inspected me for any damage. His fingers gently probed at my skin, his eyes never leaving my face as he measured whether I was in pain. I tried hard not to wince but lost the battle when he pushed a little too hard for my liking at the base of my spine. I couldn’t hide my flinch. Judging from his frown, he’d noticed.

  “What am I going to do with you, sweetheart?” he whispered, pushing to his feet. Grabbing my sleep shirt, he carefully helped me cover up. “Let me get you something to ice it with, okay?”

  Moments later he was rummaging around in the freezer, and I settled myself back into the bed. Things were definitely not going the way I’d initially planned.

  “Where is your food?” he called out. I could hear the freezer door closing and the fridge being pulled open. “There’s hardly anything in here. When’s the last time you went shopping?” I could hear him now hunting through my cupboards.

  “I don’t know, last week, I think?” I hollered back. “Stuff came up, and I haven’t had a chance to run to the grocery store. I planned on getting up early tomorrow morning.”

  He didn’t reply. I studied my fingernails, noticing I desperately needed a manicure. Just another thing on my to-do list, I sighed, lowering my hand. I worked all week at a busy law firm so it didn’t leave much time to run necessary errands. The huge pile of dirty clothes on the floor caught my attention next and in frustration, I stared back up at the ceiling. At this rate I wouldn’t have any spare time tomorrow, my chore list growing longer and longer by the second.

  I looked at my floor to ceiling mirror, studying my tired features. My red hair lay limp against the pillow, still damp from my interrupted shower. I traced my cheekbones, brushing my fingers over the smattering of freckles. I cringed when they’d surfaced during my childhood but Quinn loved them, telling me I was sun kissed to perfection. I told him he was blind, but it didn’t change his opinion. He cherished everything about me from my small nose, which he loved tweaking, to my pouty lips he nibbled on. I let out a tired sigh—there was nothing desirable about me at the moment.

  His voice broke through my thoughts and I closed my eyes.

  “Well, make sure you do because the only thing worth eating in here is the take out we ate three nights ago. But even that looks like it wants to sprout legs and walk itself to the trash bin.” The fridge door slammed shut and I heard him retracing the path back to the bedroom.

  He appeared holding a towel dripping with water. I raised my eyebrows at him, sending him a curious look.

  “You had no frozen vegetables so I scraped some of the ice from the freezer’s walls.” He came closer, signaled for me to flip over onto my side. “Here, hold this on your lower back and tell me what happened.”

  I let out a soft hiss of pain when the icy cloth connected with my skin. It didn’t take long, however, before I began to relax, the cold numbing my throbbing muscles.

  “I really don’t want to talk about it,” I groaned as I hid my face beneath one of my pillows. Now that all the excitement was over, I was mortified and wanted to move on.

  “Dancing in the shower again? Or a dramatic finish to the song you were singing?” he asked gently, trying to disguise the smile in his voice. He lifted the towel and tenderly touched my skin. “My guess is dancing in the shower. Must have been some move.” He lifted my hand and held the towel to my back himself.

  This was the problem with being in love with someone as observant as Quinn, he knew me—well enough that he’d guessed what I’d been doing.

  I mumbled into the pillow, hoping my attempted answer would satisfy him. There was a pause, but deep down I knew it wouldn’t. “Fine, I was dancing in the shower again,” I replied, pulling the cushion away from my face and replacing it with my hand. “I put a little too much bump in my grind. One thing led to another and then you found me.”

  I groaned again, this time more from embarrassment than pain and was answered with silence. I peered at him and saw a huge smile on his face.

  “What?” I asked. He had this look in his eye and I couldn’t resist cupping his face. I loved touching his jawline late in the day, my fingers rubbing softly over the stubble on his cheeks.

  He grabbed my hand and turned it so he could graze my palm with his mouth. His breath tickled my skin—his lips brushing back and forth as he quickly kissed me once more.

  “I love you, Bri, even when you’re clumsy.” He chuckled faintly as he leaned in, his brown eyes soft and voice slightly serious. He kissed my mouth this time and as he pulled away, his fingers trailed through my hair. “What am I going to do with you?”

  If he’d been paying attention, he would’ve seen the move coming from a mile away. It wasn’t often I could get one up on him so when an opportunity presented itself, I knew I had to take it.

  Ignoring the throbbing pain, I flipped him onto his back and then threw myself on top of him. I looked down with a triumphant look as I straddled his body.

  “Clumsy, huh?” I questioned, tilting close enough to take his bottom lip between my teeth and tug gently. A sense of empowerment washed over me, and when I finally released him, I couldn’t help but smirk.

  “Let me see . . . since you love it so much, maybe I should show you step by step what happened in the shower.” I pretended I was deep in thought before glancing at him. He lay watching with an amused smile as his fingers reached under my shirt and caressed the skin at my waist. His touch sent a tingling flare through my body, heightening my awareness of him.

  I grabbed his hands and placed them beside his head, giving it an extra push to show him this was where I wanted them to stay.

  “Now keep still,” I gently scolded. “If you don't, I’m going to get distracted, and I’ll never be able to show you. Now, where were we?” I settled on his hips, enjoying myself. Feigning a puzzled expression, my eyes widened as I continued. “Oh, I remember. I was about to reenact the shower scene. Are you ready?”

  His only answer was a brief nod as he moved into a more comfortable position. Just that small movement created friction and my mouth went dry for a moment. If I didn’t keep focused, I wouldn’t be able to continue this fun—the craving I had for him slowly building.

  “I think it began when I did this.” With my weight pressed down on his body, I gyrated and a small grunt escaped his lips. I smiled with satisfaction, enjoying the look of surprise on his face as I continued. “Next I did something that looked a lot like . . .” I rotated my hips in a tight circle. “Or maybe it was this?” I smirked, shaking my head in mock confusion. I swiveled the other way, wiggling in his lap for extra emphasis. “No, it was definitely this.”

  Repeating the first motion, he groaned out my name and reached to pull me closer. I could feel how aroused he was, but I wasn’t completely done yet. I leaned forward and pushed his hands by his head again, softly rebuking his impatience. Satisfied he’d obey, I continued.

  “I kind of did this move then where I shook my behind,” I drawled lazily, my movements matching what I was saying. “And then . . .”

  “Enough!” Quinn roared, his patience snapping. He grabbed my hips and it took all my strength to stop him from flipping me onto my back. I ground myself into him and finished unbuttoning his shirt, sliding my hands over his body. “Want to know what I did next?” I whispered as I held myself still, waiting for his response.

  The look he gave me seared my insides, and I knew right then I had him. Kissing his chest, I looked him straight in the eyes—the picture of seduction. Little did he know, I was about to strike.

  Brief annoyance flared through me as I beat my palms on him. “I found myself lying on the bed naked, my boyfriend complaining there wasn’t any food, and I’m wondering why he won’t touch me!”

  I lifted my leg up, dragging it across his hardened body as I pulled away. I didn’t get far
, however, before I found myself securely underneath him, his body molding with mine.

  “My turn,” Quinn whispered as he adjusted his weight. “You’ve had your fun, now it’s my turn.” He brushed his lips over my cheek.

  “But what about the movie?” I murmured as he kissed the side of my mouth. I couldn’t care less about our date—I just didn’t want to start something and have to abruptly stop.

  “Movie?” he replied, distracted. His whole attention was focused on me as he slowly sucked on my bottom lip. My body arched into his and releasing me, he grinned. “Does it look like I care right now?”

  I tried to respond but was cut off when he attacked, pressing me down firmly. His kiss was now hard and demanding—the time for holding back over. I was in heaven.

  Quinn was a master at seduction and always knew the right buttons to push. I couldn’t keep my arms from wrapping around his neck as he deepened his assault on my mouth, his tongue probing and dancing with mine. He tasted so good, and I could feel myself straining against him. Everything else was forgotten as he changed the pace—alternating between the rapid bursts of penetrating hunger and the slow casualness of a man who had all the time in the world. It didn’t matter how he kissed me, each second left me breathless and eager for more. I would never be able to get enough.

  Somewhere in the intensity of the moment my phone rang, but it melted away with the rest of the world. I ignored it when it stopped, but it instantly resumed its ringing. Whoever it was would call back, and hooking my leg around Quinn’s, I gave myself over—to both him and passion.

  Chapter Two

  Quinn stood by the door waiting, the keys to my car jingling against the side of his pant leg. I threw him an apologetic look before turning back and continuing the search for my purse.

  “Just give me another second. It can’t have gone too far. I know I tossed it over here, and it’s not like it grew wings and flew off.”