by T. M. Cromer
Because his urges were animalistic in nature, Zane forced himself to pull back. The space below her ear required his utmost attention, and his lips caressed the sensitive skin there. He could feel her rapid-fire pulse, and he smiled against her throat.
“God, Winnie, you don’t know what you do to me,” he whispered.
She froze, and it was no guess as to why. Word for word, he’d uttered the exact phrase he’d said the first time they’d made love.
Winnie put her hands between them and eased back. “This is a bad idea.”
“Why?” He asked the question, knowing she couldn’t reveal the truth. Knowing if she did, she’d unleash a maelstrom she had no way of containing.
“Because I like you too much,” she said, a repeat of his earlier words.
Faced with a choice, Zane had no idea which way to go. He could let go of his anger and see where a relationship could lead, or he could exact payback for her duplicitous behavior.
Winnie, the woman who he’d always dreamed of one day marrying and who just confessed to her attraction to him, was also the instigator of a dirty trick played against him. A man didn’t get over that easily, if at all.
His gaze dropped to her swollen mouth. Those succulent lips made him want to continue to kiss her for days without end. But he couldn’t trust her to be truthful. She was an expert at games and manipulation. Not once, in all the years he’d known her, had she given any indication they’d been together. She had lied by omission the rare times they’d come in contact. And for that, he decided he couldn’t forgive.
“Okay.”
Her jaw dropped. Her squeaked “What?” almost caused him to laugh.
“I said, okay. I get it. We like each other too much to chase this thing between us. With both of us desiring to remain free agents, it would be foolish to start something.”
“It would?”
He bit the inside of his cheek to hold back his amusement. “Yep.”
Her angry scowl forced him to turn and hide his grin.
“Who said I wanted to be a free agent?” she muttered behind his back.
“Maybe it would be better if someone else trained me.”
“Why?”
Zane toyed with a candle holder atop a nearby cabinet. “Because we’d find it difficult to keep our hands off each other.”
“Well, I can if you can, Mr. Sex God.”
The sarcastic edge in her voice caught his attention. He pivoted back around. With her hands on her hips and a fire flashing in her blue eyes, Winnie was magnificent.
“I’m not sure I can,” he admitted truthfully.
He almost swallowed his tongue when she said, “I need you.”
Screw it, he was going to cave and give her whatever she wanted. Any position she wanted for however long she wanted.
“I need you to go to Egypt with me,” she said.
Okay, so that wasn’t the need he’d been expecting. Zane managed to clear away his muddled sexual thoughts to ask, “What’s in Egypt?”
“An Egyptian Uterine amulet that Alastair says can revive my mother.”
White-hot rage flooded him. He was a sucker. No doubt about it. In her attempt to manipulate him, she’d almost made Zane believe she wanted him.
He shook his head, moved to the attic window, and stared out toward the glen without speaking. If he shut his eyes, he could recall in technicolored detail the entire few weeks they’d dated. Every moment was now branded in his brain.
God, how he had adored her! The sun had risen and set on all things Winter Thorne. He would’ve cut off his left nut to have her forever. He snorted. What a blind fool he’d been.
“Zane?”
Her tentative voice caused his heart to contract and harden. He was done playing the fool. “Yes.”
“Yes, you’ll go?”
“Yes, I’ll go.” He didn’t bother to turn around. “Call my receptionist, Penny, and determine the schedule that suits you.”
“Thank you.”
Her sweet, choked words would have stirred another person. But they left Zane cold. When the timing was right, he’d switch the tables, and Winnie would see what it was like to lose something she cared about. But in the meantime, he planned to seduce the hell out of her. After all, he had a lot to prove this time around.
7
“What’s the plan, boss?” Penny snapped her gum in rapid-fire succession. “Are you really going to leave the business to go jetting off around the world?”
“I’m going to one location—Egypt. It’s a scouting mission to see if we can find an artifact.”
“We, as in you and Miss Winter Thorne?” she teased.
“Yes.”
“I could go with you and pave the way, book hotels, set up rental cars, that sort of thing.”
Penny appeared hopeful.
Zane hated to squelch her excitement, but the situation required him to remain secretive. That meant limiting social interactions with non-magical beings and staying mum on the subject of magical artifacts.
“I need you to hold down the fort here, Pen.”
“There’s nothing here to hold down but musty, old misfiled papers.”
“You can’t go,” Zane stated, infusing steel into his tone.
Penny ignored his dictate.
“Are you worried I’ll screw up your game with Winnie? If anything, I can help.”
“I am not worried. Believe me, my game will be perfectly fine.”
She scoffed before popping her gum again. “Dude, you are so far from having game.”
He glared. “You, too? Seriously? What is with the women of this town?”
Penny’s eyes flew wide. “Did Winnie reject you?”
“I’m not discussing this,” Zane snapped. Since when had he lost control? Why did the women in his world feel it was all right to discuss his romantic life? Was nothing sacred anymore?
“Do you need pointers?”
“No, Pen. I don’t need any damned pointers! If I want to seduce Winnie Thorne, I can damned well do it without any help.”
“Am I interrupting?” Humor laced the voice of the man behind him.
Zane closed his eyes and hung his head. Of course, Alastair Thorne would enter the law office at the precise time Zane was discussing the scary man’s niece. Such was Zane’s luck.
“Mr. Thorne,” he said in acknowledgment.
“Mr. Carlyle.” Alastair strolled farther into the room and gave his surroundings a cursory glance. “Nice place you have here.” The tone stated he meant the exact opposite.
“We’re in the takeover process. It needs work.”
“Hmm.” The noncommittal word expressed Alastair’s opinion in spades.
“How can I help you?” Zane asked through gritted teeth.
The other man cast a pointed look in Penny’s direction.
“Pen, go grab some lunch and bring me a sandwich on your way back, please,” Zane suggested. As a courtesy, he asked Alastair if he would like something. The cold stare he received in return was answer enough. “Okay, then. That should do it, Pen. Be sure to take your full hour.”
After his assistant grudgingly grabbed the thirty dollars from his hand and headed out the door, Zane turned to Winnie’s uncle. “What you heard, I wasn’t planning… that’s to say, I didn’t…”
One of Alastair’s dark, arrogant brows lifted. “I have no problem with you seducing my niece. I do, however, have a problem with you breaking her heart.” The second brow joined the first, and his dark-blue eyes hardened. “You don’t intend to break her heart, do you, boy?”
“Uh…” How would he know if her heart would be broken if he seduced her? In his experience, Winnie didn’t have a heart. She was a cold, unfeeling—
“You still with me, son, or did you take a side trip?” Alastair mocked, not bothering to disguise his amusement.
“Yeah, sorry. What can I do for you, Mr. Thorne?”
“I thought we might discuss your journey to Egypt.”
&nbs
p; “What about it?”
Alastair toyed with a dragonfly paperweight on the corner of Penny’s desk. “How much do you know about Isis?”
“The Goddess?”
“The very one.”
Zane shrugged. “Some, not much. But I have a laptop and the ability to google.”
“The last documented whereabouts of the Uterine amulet you’ll be searching for was in Isis’s temple. Not the temple in Philae. It’s in Saqqara, buried.” Alastair set the paperweight down and focused his attention on Zane. “The amulet is made of Jasper and had a Tjet—that’s a knot of Isis—engraved on the front side. You’ll know it’s the one when you feel the power. It’s like no other.”
“How do you propose we find a buried temple?” Zane asked impatiently. It wasn’t as if he had an excavation team at his disposal.
“I expect you to apply what you’ve learned. There will be signs and symbols that guide you to the temple’s location. I’ll provide what intel I can find. Then, it is a simple matter of Winnie using her power to clear away the sands and debris.”
“If it’s so easy, why aren’t you going after it?”
“Son, are you trying to piss me off?”
Alastair’s anger vibrated between them.
“Nope.” Zane in no way wanted to upset him. Since finding out Alastair was one of the most powerful men in existence, Zane had developed a healthy respect for the guy. He shook his head and sighed. “I just don’t understand why I have to be the one to go when you seem to have a handle on where and what you are after.”
The stern expression on the other man’s face gave way to a half-smile. “You’ll understand soon enough. In the meantime, if you break my niece’s heart a second time, I will destroy you.” So saying, Alastair slapped Zane on the back and teleported away.
A second time? Alastair had to be mistaken. Winnie hadn’t cared about Zane in the least. If she had, she never would’ve done what she did. Never played him for an idiot and laughed behind his back with her family.
In that moment, Zane came close to hating all the Thornes.
With a deep sigh, he lowered his large frame into Penny’s office chair. Placing his elbows on the armrest, he steepled his fingers—his standard thinking pose.
That’s how Winnie found him when she sailed through his front door. As she cast him a tentative smile, he caught his breath. With her windblown hair and color high on her cheeks, she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.
Without tearing his gaze from hers, Zane stood and ambled to her. He took his time studying her flushed face. With a sweep of one finger, he cleared the unruly hair from where it clung to her left cheek. Dipping his head, he brushed his lips against hers. As her mouth moved in response, he possessed her more fully, sweeping his tongue into the warmth of her mouth. She mewled in response—a soft, sexy sound that shot straight to his ‘nads—and dug her fingers into the muscles of his upper arms.
Zane drew back and nipped her lower lip. The dazed, passionate look she sported satisfied him to the extreme. “Ah, Walinda, those delicious lips of yours make me wonder what other wondrous things they can do. My office is empty if you’d like to show me.”
The crack of Winnie’s palm against his cheek echoed around the reception area. Zane’s head snapped to the side from the sheer force. Holy hell, that woman packed a helluva wallop! He flexed his jaw and faced her.
“You’re an ass,” she hissed.
“What did I say? I thought I was paying you a compliment.”
“By suggesting I give you a blow job?” she screeched.
He flared his eyes wide. “What? I never suggested such a thing! You have a dirty mind, Wanda.”
“It’s Winnie, and you know damned well you did.”
Her eyes flashed silver; her irises altered by her fury. He’d learned that sort of color change was a witch’s tell.
Zane was perverted enough to take pleasure in her anger. In fact, it aroused him to no end. All he wanted to do was get her behind closed doors and ravish her. “Has anyone ever told you that you’re stunning in your anger?” he asked huskily.
* * *
Zane’s question brought Winnie up short. What type of man was he that he found her anger a turn on? And what did it say about her that the idea of him turned on aroused her? She was as twisted as he was.
When his hot gaze raked her body, she wanted to jump him. But because her desire for him was mind-melting and nearly overwhelmed her in its intensity, she shoved aside the urge and shifted away. “I’m here to discuss Egypt.”
“Of course you are.” She heard his heavy sigh behind her. “What’s the plan?”
“I figured we would spend one more week in training and then head to Cairo to see what we can find.”
“Your uncle paid me a visit. He believes the amulet is located in Saqqara.”
Alastair had visited him? When had the two become as thick as thieves? The idea that they might be in cahoots made Winnie uneasy.
She faced him. “Does he know exactly where?”
“He has an idea.”
“Tell me.”
“Why? So you can run off half-cocked by yourself? It’s not happening.”
Irritated because Zane had guessed her intent, Winnie shrugged. “It was worth a try.”
Fire flared to life in his eyes. “You aren’t going to bother denying that was your goal?”
“No.”
“I swear to all that’s holy, you and I are going to have a day of reckoning very soon, Win.”
His tone, the use of the nickname, and his anger all spoke of a deeper meaning. If she didn’t know any better, she’d believe he knew about the past. But how could he? She’d done nothing to alter the spell or reverse it.
As Winnie opened her mouth to ask, Penny sailed through the door with a paper bag in hand.
“I got your sandwi—oh! Uh, hey, Ms. Thorne. I thought I’d given the boss enough time, but I can head back out.”
“No, Penny. Please enjoy your lunch with Zane. I’ll catch him another time,” Winnie said with a graceful nod of her head, or what she hoped was one. Appearing cool under Zane’s intent regard wasn’t easy. She gave him a slight nod. “Zane.”
“Wenelle.”
She gritted her teeth but didn’t correct him. She had no doubt he knew her name. It had become obvious that he was playing a twisted game; one where only he knew the rules.
Winnie had taken two steps toward the exit when the undeniable truth hit her. She spun back around to stare. “You know,” she whispered. Her heart hammered at what felt like a thousand beats per minute.
“I know,” he agreed, expression stony.
“Can we discuss it?” Not that she wanted to, but they needed to clear the air before their trip. Nothing good would come if they weren’t on the same page when they went after the amulet.
“All in good time,” he answered silkily.
Winnie cast a nervous glance in Penny’s direction. Though her confusion was obvious, Penny wisely kept silent. Something Winnie herself should’ve done.
Leaving him to stew in his anger didn’t sit well. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry.”
He snorted his disbelief.
“It’s true, Zane.” She walked back and placed her palm flat over his heart. The heat building in his body caused her to jerk back. Unsure if his body temperature was normal for a fire-element warlock, Winnie backed away. She’d need to discuss this with her father or Alastair. Because if it wasn’t the norm, they needed to determine what was the root cause of Zane’s overheating and find a way to neutralize it before it caused him—or someone else—injury.
“I’ll send you a text with a time and location to discuss it. Be there,” he ordered.
She bit her lip and nodded.
She’d barely closed her car door when his message dinged her phone.
6 p.m. at the clearing. You know the place.
Winnie had roughly four hours to kill and didn’t think she could stand the wait
. Nerves on edge, she cranked her vehicle and headed home.
On the drive, she toyed with leaving the country no less than fifteen different times. Australia was probably the farthest she could go. Since it was on the other side of the planet, they would be experiencing nice weather and not the cold temperatures of winter.
Anything would be better than facing Zane with the truth of her actions.
Despondent, Winnie pulled into the drive of the Thorne estate and berated herself for her foolishness. The fun, flirty side of Zane was gone. In its place was an enraged dupe. His anger was justified, and yet, hers had been at the time, too.
How could she prove she was remorseful?
8
At 5:59 p.m., Winnie almost chickened out for the hundredth time. Closing her eyes, she breathed in and teleported to the glen.
Zane was waiting. He stood staring at the old, gnarled oak on the edge of the clearing. When Zane shifted slightly, Winnie saw what he’d been so intent on: their carved initials. How she’d never noticed them before was beyond her, but the darkness of the grooves said they’d been there for some time.
“Why?” One word, that’s all he asked. Yet, the wealth of feeling behind it couldn’t be mistaken. He felt betrayed by her actions.
Winnie couldn’t blame him.
“You said you wished we’d never gotten together. I was giving you what you wanted.”
His head dropped back, and he loosed a long, guttural yell. It screamed of his frustration and pain.
Winnie wanted to go to him. Wanted to hold him and beg his forgiveness. But she didn’t know how. Nothing had changed, and she’d done what she thought was best at the time.
“For what it’s worth, Zane, I’m sorry.”
He stormed to where she stood. “You’re sorry? You played God and removed my memories, and you’re sorry? That’s all I get?”
Her own anger came into play. “What more can I do or say? You acted like I was the dirt beneath your feet. You practically called me a whore. And you insulted my family.”
