Chapter 10

Upset after leaving the office, Nina eyed Brett balefully as he fell into step beside her. She wasn’t in the mood to hear his bs. She amended that thought immediately. He didn’t spout bs, but she wasn’t in the mood for any of his teasing.

‘That was better. His crap makes me forget things. Important things.’ She mused, eyeing him sideways.

He startled when he glanced her way, to find her glaring back at him. Giving her a questioning look, he stopped when he registered how she was eyeing him.

“What?”

When she kept on walking without answering, he grabbed her hand to bring her to a stop. Her hand tingled where he gripped it.

She shook him off.

He let go without making an issue of it, but his eyes were determined.

He stepped in front of her. Halting, she glared at him.

“What did I do now?”

His voice was like steel.

“Nothing. Just thinking.” She answered, as she started to walk around him.

“Then why do I have the feeling it was about me.”

He didn’t sound convinced. In her peripheral view, she watched him turn to follow. As he caught up to her, she grew angrier.

“It is about you.” She blurted in an angry tone.

“But that doesn’t mean I will tell you.”

“You just did.”

The look of glee on his face was enough to make her want to slap him.

No. She had almost broken her hand when she had punched him before.

She was proud of herself when her self-control won. She walked on.

He knew her struggle.

The grin on his face challenged her anew.

But she wasn’t going to let him have that satisfaction.

Or hurt her hand again.

“Okay…” She agreed sourly.

The train ride back home was spent in quiet contemplation. Not sure what she was going to do yet, she tried to relax. Ignoring her just as quiet companion was hard when she still could not ignore her awareness of his presence.

Her mind exploded when a faint voice intruded.

It was her cousin Semi’s voice, but he didn’t sound like himself.

“Please cuz, Help us…”

The scared, sorrowful tone of his voice opened her heart, and made it heart bleed again.

She gulped back tears when his fading voice continued.

“I don’t know what’s happening. But I’m fading. My spirit seems to be growing weaker. There was the death of my body, but now it’s different. It is like the death of my spirit, I think…”

A dull ache blossomed between her eyes; the nagging ache made her eyes squint.

She closed her eyes as she massaged the spot.

A hand took hers, as Brett’s voice sounded in her ears.

“Are you okay?”

There was more than concern in his voice. She wasn’t a hundred percent positive, but it sounded like fear.

‘Now why would an angel feel fear.’ She wondered. She ignored the ache in her temples, and in her heart, for a second as she contemplated that.

Wasn’t fear alien to his nature?

What could scare him?

“I’m okay. But what’s wrong with you?”

She had to have an answer to the nagging insistent need to know. Even though her headache was intensifying. She had to squint her eyes with the growing pain. The suns glare made it worse. She had to close them. Listening intently for his reply, she had to open them again at his continued silence.

She found him staring at her with speculation. The unfathomable look in his eyes made her wonder what he was thinking.

‘Probably debating on how to answer without giving away too much, I suppose.’

The cynical thought was beneath her, but she just couldn’t help, but think it.

‘Anyway, I don’t care though. My head feels like it’s going to split.’

All of this wasn’t making her feel any better.

She closed her eyes again in protest of the glare. Her head felt like it was expanding, ready to explode. Scared, she grabbed blindly for Brett, needing an anchor. Something to ground her. Right now, he was it. Her hand met his chest. He grabbed her when she reached out and pulled her all the way into his embrace. She realized he must have moved to the seat in front and turned it to face her.

“He’s in my head.” She stammered out.

He gave a ferocious growl.

Then she felt him cup her temples in the palms of his hands. First, there was a mild burning sensation. She moved restlessly trying to push his hands away.

“Hush…” He soothed her, his hands remaining in place, despite her frantic efforts to push him away.

Then she quieted, then stilled, as the burning turned to a soothing warmth.

The pain eased its grip on her head.

She gulped in air, then released it in relief when she felt no pain.

He had eased it from her.

Opening her eyes, she encountered his gorgeous ones close to her own. The deep sparkle in them dazzled her. Mesmerized, she sat without moving. She watched his lips descend inch by agonizing inch towards hers.

As they touched hers, her body reacted with a jerk, as if hit by a bolt of lightning.

Then all faded into background whiteness as her thirsty lips sought to drink sustenance from his. The fact that they were on a moving trainload of people fell into the misty corners of her mind, as her voracious lips drank from the fountain of bliss.

She was insatiable.

Nothing could satisfy this thirst inside her, but him.

All of him.

He was just as voracious as her. He groaned as his lips devoured hers. The shudder that went through him reverberated in her body.

She needed this like a parched ground needed rain.

She went for it. If this was all she would have of him, then she was going to take every bit of what he allowed her to take.

Blind to her surroundings, her mind was in a fog as she gripped his shirt to pull it over his head. He allowed it, not skipping a beat.

This was not enough.

His whole body naked against her was what she craved now.

His hands were just as busy as hers.

Pulling her top off, he threw it into a corner of the room.

‘A corner of the room? What room?’

Her foggy brain tried to assimilate her surroundings, as she reached for the belt on his jeans. His hands reached for her uniform pants at the same time.

“Wait…“Her brain came out of the fog like someone had doused her with icy water.

He paused, staring down at her.

“What…?” His hoarse voice grumbled; his eyes were slumberous with arousal.

His body was the most magnificent she had ever seen, but her one track mind was on other things right then, to appreciate his beauty.

“My goodness we were on the train in full view of everyone…”

Mortified, she hid her face in her hands.

“Yes.” His voice was terse.

He was still fully aroused. “I got us out of there, before anyone saw anything.”

His voice was full of emotion.

“Now, can we get back to what we were doing?”

His voice sounded exasperated. His eyes challenged her. He must have sensed her wavering.

Nope, she was not going to quit. That was just a momentary lapse.

He was not going to win this one, because she was all in. She wasn’t going to give up this golden opportunity.

“Oh yes. Indeed. We shall.”

Raising her arms she wrapped them around his neck, pulling him down to her.

She felt the shock go through his body.

She smiled.

‘Gotcha!’

The elation was temporary, before her craving for him took over. It needed to be appeased right now.

Her brain was working when her lips touched his.

Right up until he took over, then everything became fuzzy.

She didn’t actually blank out, but it was pretty close to it. Being with him was everything she dreamed of, and much, much more.

Her fuzzy brain was excited and elated. He was her paradise. He opened doors, she never thought she would go through. He changed her perspective on what dwelt behind those doors. Not being open to relationships after being on the run all these years, she desperately wanted one with him. But despite knowing that he wasn’t open to one with her, she was willing to risk it all right now. She just hoped she would be satisfied with the titbits he deigned to hand her.

She was greedy! She wanted so much more from him. Now she would take what she could.

‘Damn the consequences. Let them come…’

She was lucid enough to think that thought, before diving in.

She had nothing to complain about later when she surfaced. Brett had transported her to heaven and back. When she opened her eyes, she found his stormy ones gazing down into hers with a deep intensity. she had not seen in them before.

Twining her arms around his neck, she watched his eyes darken even more with some unnamable emotion.

“I know we shouldn’t have done this, but I, for one, am not sorry.”

She rushed to allay his mind.

“I don’t regret this for even a second.” She admitted. “Even if this is all we will have.”

He went to speak, but she covered his mouth with the palm of her hand, beseeching him with her eyes. “No, don’t spoil it with regrets. Just leave it the way it is.”

Gripping her wrist, he pulled it away from his face, holding it down by her side.

“Am I allowed to speak now?”

The twinkle had come back into his eyes, although the dark look had not dissipated.

She nodded.

“All I wanted to say was, I am not sorry either. Although this may impair my judgment as to your safety somewhere down the line. But no, I do not regret a thing.”

There was a somber note in his voice. His eyes had turned a deep dark green, like jade.

She watched, fascinated.

He fascinated her. He was all she ever wanted.

He was all she would ever need.

But he would never be hers.

He could never be hers.

She never dreamed someone like him would look her way, let alone give her so much pleasure. It had been overwhelming, just plain glorious.

He was an angel.

Which made it all the more unbelievable that he found her attractive.

She knew her limitations.

So, she could only be grateful for these moments he had given her.

He had shown her what it could be like to be loved by someone. He had shown her more love than anyone ever had in her entire lifetime.

For that alone she was thankful!

She would not hanker for more.

Nor ask for more.

“This changes the whole ballgame, you understand?”

He asked, his look unfathomable.

Puzzled, she stared up at him.

They were still in each other’s arms.

Naked. Glued together.

He was stirring deep within her.

Her body awakened. She couldn’t concentrate on what he was imparting, as her thoughts had gone to their nether regions.

“You are opening up that channel in your mind. I want to know what you’re doing, or where you will be at all times, from now on.”

Stiffening, all amorous feelings ebbed, as ire took over.

He made her so mad. Dictating again.

Laying out his rules without consulting her.

How like an angel.

“Now who died, and made you God?” She fumed.

Irked, she started struggling to get out from under him.

He didn’t move. He kept her pinned under him, as he stared down at her in all his arrogance.

In her bid for independence, she had forgotten her feelings of gratefulness just a few seconds before. He had completely eradicated that moment.

“I am going to keep you safe at any cost. Even if that means I go against you. You are not going to stop me from doing my duty. Now. We’re lovers, but I’m still your protector.”

“Who said we were lovers?”

She was biting off her nose to spite her face, but she wasn’t going to go meekly off into the night. She would fight dirty if she had to get her point across.

“Hmm…” He ruminated.

“Then what would you call what we’re doing here?”

Embarrassed, she tried to hide her face from him. He used his free hand to keep her face in the open. Feeling trapped, naked, she had to brazen it out.

By turning the tables back on him.

“What would You call it?”

She went on the attack.

Demanding an answer from him that she knew she wouldn’t get, she was stunned when he answered with no hesitation.

“I call this making love.”

Then he moved.

She felt every inch of him. He rendered her speechless as sensations overtook her.

She capitulated.

‘Well, he won that round.’ She noted with detachment.

Her body screamed with satisfaction.

As she saw the slumberous triumph in his eyes, she was too satisfied to get mad.

‘I will get even later.’

“How?”

His breath tickled her ear, giving her shivers as he whispered against it.

‘Oh, effing hell…’

“You heard that?’ Confused, she stared at him.

He chuckled. “Yes. You’re wide open to me.”

“But. How?”

She had closed that channel, hadn’t she?

“Because we have bonded.” His voice dripped sexuality with a lot of satisfaction.

She was effed.

No way to hide from him now.

‘Then prepare for a lot of traffic to invade your thoughts.”

‘Now that will force him to close the channel himself.”

She grinned, entertained at the thought of the inane ramblings she usually conducted with herself, invading his thoughts.

He laughed out loud.

When he could speak, he informed her in a haughty tone.

“Oh, I won’t mind. I love listening to you rambling. It’s highly entertaining.”

Grinning, he rolled over with her. Looking down at him she saw the sexy gleam in his eyes, just before he pulled her down to his mouth.

She was lost.

Again.