“What about me, Armand. What am I?”
He leaned closer. “You are my salvation.” His lips grazed hers. Gentle at first, then demanding. He hungered for every part of her and ran his tongue along the seam of her mouth, which she parted to allow him entry. A burst of strawberries coated his tongue and sent his senses reeling. He broke off and stared into her pools of brown.
“I need you. Do you still trust me, querida?”
He waited for her to answer. Fought the urge to kiss her again, to drink in her coolness. She had to need him as well, but most of all he desired her trust.
She placed a hand on his cheek. “Some would think I'm crazy, but I do trust you and God knows I need you as well.”
Chapter Eleven
Makayla was fast asleep with her head on Armand's chest and her arm flung across his waist. He'd taken her three more times before they'd finally come to bed. She'd fallen asleep as soon as he laid her on the mattress, and he felt a little guilty for having worn her out. He stared up at the ceiling recalling every moment of the evening.
Making love to her had done something to him. Not since his curse had his magic stirred, but tonight when he had entered her for the first time it had beat at him like a caged animal. He'd lost control and shifted in front of her.
This unsettled him.
Tomorrow, Crone would be coming for his allowed visit and he would have to make sure to tell him what had happened. It meant something, but what he had no clue. Was the curse wearing off? Armand tried to conjure his magic but to no avail. He thought of his internal fire and prayed to shift into smoke, but again nothing happened. He stroked Kayla's hair, enjoying the softness against his hand. His cock came to life, but he pushed back his desire. He had to remind himself she was mortal—another thing that perplexed him. He had never fucked the same human more than once, didn't want to chance getting attached to one. Yet he had made love to her four times and still desired more. He wondered if it was her coolness that soothed him. Could that have been what freed him last night? There was definitely a connection between her and his shifting. She'd also said something about being cold and how he warmed her.
He could have mentioned his thoughts, but for some reason kept them to himself. Somehow he had to figure out how she fit into breaking his curse while still maintaining his emotional distance. The last thing he needed was to fall in love with her.
He closed his eyes and tried to sleep, but realized dawn was approaching. Crone would be here as soon as the sun rose above the horizon. Armand tossed the covers aside then slipped from Kayla's grip.
She stirred, her eyes fluttered open. “Where are you going?”
He leaned over and kissed her head. “I need to shower. I have a meeting in a couple of hours that will keep me all day. You're welcome to stay or I can see you home.” He wasn't ready to tell her about his brother coming.
She sat up and stretched. “Mmm. I should go home, I have some things I need to get done.” She rolled out of bed. “Do I have time for coffee?”
“Help yourself to anything you find, and please don't rush on my account.” Gazing at her naked body had him all jacked up. “Querida, the things going through my mind right now. If—” He almost slipped and said if she wasn't human. “If I had more time I'd … ”
She strolled around the bed and came up beside him. “I know exactly what I'd do, but the day brings things that need to be done.” She touched his cheek and her lips twisted into a smile that lit the entire room. “We have time later. I'll find my clothes then make some coffee.” She was out the door before he could say another word. He raced to the shower to hurry and wash up so he had time to join her before they had to part for the day.
*****
Kayla had insisted she walk home, stating the fresh air would help clear her mind and get the creative gears turning. She was positive there was a story brewing in her head and after last night, Armand was sure she'd have no trouble with her muse.
“She's a pretty thing.”
Armand turned from the window where he watched Kayla walk away and faced his brother, Crone. “Yes she is.”
“I wouldn't mind having a go with her myself. Think she'd—”
Armand flew at his brother and pinned him to the wall. “You fucking touch her and I will kill you.”
Crone arched a brow. “Really? Have you forgotten you are powerless?” To prove his point, he flicked his wrist and his magic sent Armand flying into the air, stopping his descent inches from crashing into an expensive wooden table. “I'd hate to destroy the furniture.” He lowered Armand to his feet.
Armand growled. His arms pinned to his side and his feet firmly planted on the floor. “Release me!”
Crone crossed his arms over his chest. Amusement danced in his eyes. “Not until you behave. I was only joking, but it would seem you are infatuated with this human.” Crone gave a sigh. “You have been on earth too long.” He released Armand from his magical hold.
Armand crossed back to the window, hoping to catch a glimpse of Kayla descending the hill into town. Her small form could be seen in the distance. He turned around. “Something peculiar happened last night.”
Crone picked up a billiard from the table and tossed it in the air. “Such as?”
“While having sex I felt my magic stir. I shifted right in front of Kayla. I had no control over it.”
His brother left the pool ball hanging mid-air.
“Have you tried calling it again?” Crone tapped his foot on the floor.
Armand moved to the bar, deciding he needed something stronger than coffee. He grabbed a bottle of whiskey and two glasses then headed for the chair. Crone joined him.
“I have and nothing.”
Crone scratched his chin. “Hmm, perhaps the curse is wearing off?”
Armand filled both glasses to half-full and handed one to his brother before sipping from his own. “I wondered the same thing. However, there is more to it.” He went on to retell how Kayla had cooled him and it seemed she was warmed by him.
“This is interesting. How do you feel right now?” Crone asked.
“Same as I have my entire existence on earth. Powerless.”
His brother's gaze moved to the window across the room. “So the only difference now is the girl.”
Armand had racked his brain all night looking for anything he had done differently down to the food he'd eaten. He concluded it had to be Makayla, had known she was somehow special the first time he laid eyes on her, but how he had no idea. “It's beginning to look that way.”
“Well then, I can see why she makes you testy. I'll dive into the scripts when I get home.”
Armand nodded then tipped his glass back and drained it. Somehow, he had to keep Kayla close to him. Maybe he could get his Jinn to release. “There's only one problem.”
Crone arched a brow. “That is?”
“Kayla will be gone from here and back home before you return again.”
Crone swirled the liquid in his glass then took a swig. “I don't see that as a problem. If I discover she is the key, then I will find her and bring her back to you. Well, as close as I can anyway.” He smiled. “However, it might be to your benefit to try and keep her here. Turn up your charm and make her fall in love with you.”
That was the problem. He didn't want to break Kayla's heart. The old Armand, who had been left here a thousand years ago, wouldn't care. That Armand would have taken whatever he wanted. However, time had taught him many things. He'd watched so many people he had come to love pass on to the next world. Then he'd watched their children die. Generation after generation of people he tried not to care for had left him with a gaping hole in his heart.
He was going to have to face a hard truth. If she really did hold the key to unlock his freedom, would he use her to get it? He'd been ready to earlier, but something had changed since the other day. Things were moving too fast.
“Brother?”
He met Crone's narrowed gaze. “Yes?”
“You w
ill do whatever is necessary to get home. Your family needs you and it is past time to take your rightful place.”
He nodded. “I will do what I must.” In his heart, he knew he had no choice.
*****
Kayla stepped through the door to her villa and could swear she had floated all the way home. Last night had been like a dream, and she had to keep pinching herself to make sure it was real. She'd had sex with one of the most gorgeous men ever and to top it off it had been amazing. Her muscles ached in the best way.
She was still having a difficult time wrapping her head around the fact he was a Jinn. However, more memories of her nana's stories about the Jinn were starting to return. Nana had said there was another path Kayla could choose. One that would lead her to a love so strong nothing could break it. It would come at a cost though. Everything did.
She shook her head, desperate to remember everything and make sense of it. Hopefully, it would come back to her. Maybe Armand would come up with something as well and tonight they could compare notes.
Kayla stepped into the bathroom and looked at her reflection in the mirror. Yep, she had a rosy glow. It was amazing what sex could do for a gal's outlook. Nikki had been right to send her here in the hopes she'd loosen up. A quick shower then she'd hit the laptop for some writing.
She turned on the water then stripped and stepped into the warm spray and let it cascade over her. She filled the bath scrunchie with coconut-scented wash then lathered her skin. After a rinse, she filled her hand with shampoo then stopped short of scrubbing it through her hair. Instead she pushed open the glass doors and stuck her head out. She could have sworn she heard a noise.
“Hello?”
Quiet.
She shrugged, shut the door and went back to washing her hair. She was both tired and still in a mental state of shock from last night. Perhaps a nap before she started writing so she could start with a fresh mind.
Kayla exited the shower and wrapped one towel around her head and dried off with the other before she headed to the bedroom. She grabbed a clean pair of shorts and a tank and slipped them on. It dawned on her to go grab a glass of water before hitting the sack. She strolled into the kitchen and stopped short.
“Oh no! No. No.”
Her laptop lay in pieces on the floor. She swallowed her fear and glanced around the room. Nothing else broken. The front door was closed and nothing else appeared missing.
Her skin crawled with the feeling that someone was watching her.
“Hello? W—Whose here?”
No reply except a cold breeze that snaked across her and caused her skin to pebble. Her throat tightened like she hadn't drunk in days, she was so parched. She licked her lips.
The cold wrapped around her again, but this time pain followed.
She yelled out.
Something warm trickled down her arm and she glanced where the pain was to find three deep scratches dripping blood. She slapped her hand over the wounds and headed for the sink, but was pushed by an invisible force.
Kayla skidded across the tile floor straight into the kitchen knocking a chair over. The skin on her scalp went tight and an immense force jammed her head into the oak cabinet.
Stars circled around her eyes and she could already feel the right side of her face swelling.
She sucked in a breath through the pain. Stay awake, Kayla. Something told her if she passed out she might never wake up. Whatever attacked her was pissed. She wished she knew why. With one thought in mind, she pushed herself to her feet, her hands clutching the counter for support. Bile rose to the back of her throat and her breaths came so fast she feared hyperventilating.
She scanned the room through hazy vision, but saw nothing.
Time to make a run for it.
Kayla sprinted to the bedroom. Her common sense said she should've headed for the front door, but her memories reminded her of Nana and the pendant she'd given her as a child. She could hear the elderly woman's voice telling her to run.
She made it to the door when once again she was shoved with such force she flew across the room and landed in a heap in the corner. Through the fog in her head, an image formed in the doorway. A woman dressed in a black strapless top and a flimsy skirt flashed violet eyes at her. If Kayla hadn't been so beaten and frightened, she might have taken a moment to admire the female's beauty. Black, silky hair flowed down her back and intricate branching tattoos covered one side of her midriff.
“You will die before you take him from me!” The woman screeched at her. Sparks shot from her fingertips
Kayla trembled and wondered, if she closed her eyes and opened them again, would she wake up and find this had only been one helluva nightmare? She dared not try. Her mind focused on one thing.
The pendant.
It was located on the nightstand on the other side of the bed. She only needed to jump from the corner, across the bed and claim it.
What if Nana was wrong? The old woman had been sharp as a tack until the day she died. She'd always told Kayla the pendant would help protect her, but there was a chant that went with using it and that came with a price.
If she spoke the words, she'd not only send the intended into purgatory, she'd gain their power and lose her mortality. She had almost laughed out loud when she heard the story. The whole idea had been ludicrous but in her current situation she'd try anything. Trouble was, she didn't remember the words and the woman descended on her fast.
Kayla sucked in a breath, focused on her prize and leapt for the bed. She heard a loud snap right before pain went shooting through her mid-section. She cried out as she landed on the bed, her muscles refusing to obey. She looked out of the corner of her eye. The woman had to be Cyndel. Who else would want to harm her?
The woman moved closer. “Prepare to die. Human.”
Kayla refused to give up. No way in hell she was letting this bitch win. The silver chain dangled over the edge of the nightstand. She willed her arm to stretch out in front of her and could hear the loud pops of electrical current behind her as her fingers made contact with the metal.
She gritted her teeth against the pain and pulled. The pendant broke free and she rolled off the bed just in the nick of time. Smoke rose off the mattress. Kayla pulled the necklace over her head and let the stone settle between her breasts. The woman screeched and vanished in a swirl of smoke. Kayla sat huddled on the floor. Her body shivered and white-hot pain racked her gut. She spotted her phone on the nightstand and reached for it. Her limbs so weak she dropped it, but luckily it fell right into her lap.
With shaking hands, she pressed the screen and tried to scroll for Armand's name. She didn't know who else to call and could feel herself slipping away. She managed to bring his number into view and pressed dial. After two rings he picked up.
“Makayla?”
“Armand, help me.”
Chapter Twelve
Armand nearly dropped his phone as he turned to Crone. “Kayla's in trouble.” Before his brother could respond, he headed for the door. When he jumped in the car, Crone was already waiting for him. He squealed out of the garage and headed into the valley.
He ran his fingers through his hair. “Fuck!” Then slammed his fist into the steering wheel. “If not for Cyndel, I'd be there by now. Why can't I call my magic again?”
Crone tapped his fingers on his knee. “If not for Cyndel, you'd not be here at all.”
This was true, and for a brief second he wondered what life would be like if he'd not met Kayla. The woman had touched something inside him and he wasn't sure yet how he felt about it.
He whipped into her driveway and they exited the car. Armand tried the front door.
“Fucking locked!”
Crone shoved him aside and touched the handle, unlocking then pushing it open. Armand ran inside.
“Kayla?” He saw what looked to be her computer in pieces on the floor and a busted chair in the kitchen. There had been a struggle. Blood spotted the floor and cabinet. “Dear gods. Ka
yla?” His heart skipped several beats as he prayed to the gods and ran toward the bedroom. Please let her be all right.
When he entered the room with Crone on his heels, he heard a moan coming from the other side of the bed.
“Kayla!”
In a flash he was there and the sight of Kayla's broken and bruised body caused his blood to boil. He was down on the floor beside her in a second. He reached out to pull her into his arms.
“Wait,” Crone yelled and knelt beside him. “Brother, she needs medical attention. I sense several broken ribs, a concussion. Damn, whoever did this meant business. She has internal injuries as well.”
Armand clenched his fists and pulled back, afraid to cause her further pain. Instead he leaned in and brushed her forehead with a light kiss. It was then he realized he was falling in love with her. “Querida, who did this to you? I will find them and have them hanged.”
“Armand,” Kayla whispered through busted lips. She reached out to touch his hand. “It was the genie.” Her head tipped to the side and he feared the worst. He touched her chest and felt the slight intake of air. Thank god she was still breathing, but for how much longer?
“Genie?” Crone asked.
“We only know one who would do this,” Armand ground out through gritted teeth.
“Shit.”
Armand gently kissed Kayla on the lips then stood. “Crone, you have to take her home to heal. It's the only place where Cyndel won't be able to reach her.”
Crone reached out to touch her. “Agreed, but you know what this means?”
“It means I may not see her until you can return.” He was releasing Kayla into the care of his brother. His heart shattered knowing it would be Crone who would care for her and not him. His eyes stung. “You will protect her as if she belonged to you.”
Crone nodded. “With my life.”
Armand watched as Crone turned to mist and disappeared with Kayla. He'd been cursed to this earth for centuries, and yet he had never felt more alone then he did at this moment. He should be the one to care for her, be the first one her beautiful brown eyes gazed upon when she woke. He clenched his fists. “Cyndel! I command you to show yourself.” His chest heaved with anger, but the room remained silent. “I swear to the gods, I will kill you with my bare hands.”
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