Craved (20 page)

Micah pulled out his cell phone and
rambled off the address to one of his co-workers. If the
distribution team showed up, the FPD would catch them. I walked
over to where I had seen Bridget’s body and sat gently on the cot.
I placed my hand on the pillow that had absorbed her tears and my
own eyes welled up from the sadness. I’d never had experience with
junkies, but I had heard that they would do anything for their next
fix, even kill innocent witches. It was an entirely different
matter when the drug in question ran through my veins. Magic was a
truly fantastic element that no one completely understood; but what
separated us from the other supernatural species, could also get me
killed.

“Ready to head back?” Micah
asked.

I nodded my head. “Yeah.”

The ride back to Flora was quiet.
Micah was either embarrassed or pissed at what occurred between us.
I knew a small part of my heart would always be occupied by Micah
but it was more of a fossil from my history, than a sore
spot.

Once back at Micah’s house, I thanked him for
going with me and got into the driver’s seat to head back to my
apartment, leaving what had happened between us in the rearview
mirror.

Spending the day with Micah had left
me exhausted, the effects of Ms. Ozland’s tea having worn off. I
was happy with the fact that I was able to lead Micah to the
warehouse where Amy and Bridget had been drained. If the bastards
stepped foot in there, they’d be ambushed by the FPD. I smiled at I
thought of the case finally coming to an end.

I was curled up on the couch watching
reruns of I Love Lucy when Fiona…and Ian, walked into our
apartment. What the hell was she doing with him? I must have dozed
off during Lucy because I hadn’t even realized it was nightfall.
Fiona messed around in the kitchen while Ian made his way into the
living room. He was dressed in jeans, a navy thermal, and a black
leather jacket. His blonde hair was perfectly gelled and his blue
eyes sparkled against the faint glow of the lamplight.

He sat on the arm of the couch and
after observing what I was watching, smiled down at me.

“Good evening, Gwen,” he said, his
tone light and a grin on his lips. I quashed the attraction I felt
towards him and gave him a tight-lipped smile.

“What are you doing here?” I asked,
sounding ruder than I’d intended. He hadn’t done anything to me,
per se, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that everything wasn’t all
it seemed with Ian Despereaux.

“Do you fault me for wanting to see
you again?” he asked in a low voice so that Fiona wouldn’t hear. I
wondered what exactly was going on between him and my best friend,
especially since he was showing interest in me. I made a note to
track down Aiden later on and ask him about his so-called friend,
even if he had been ignoring my calls and texts.

“And why did you want to see me
again?” I asked with indifference. There was a glint in his eyes
that sent butterflies erupting into a whirlwind throughout my
stomach. Whether I trusted him or not, he was hot! Vampires aren’t
gorgeous like some ridiculous books portray them to be. In reality,
they look just like they did before vampirism. Aiden and Ian had
been dealt a generous hand when it came to the looks department,
although I preferred Aiden to Ian.

“How serious are things with Aiden?”
Ian asked out of left field.

“How serious are things between you
and Fiona?” I retorted, reminding him that he had come waltzing
through the door with my best friend. It was obvious enough that
Fiona liked Ian, too much for him not to notice. I didn’t
appreciate him leading her on if he didn’t share her feelings. I
mentally wondered what Ian had said to Fiona about our kiss.
Thinking about the kiss left me feeling cheap. In the day I’d been
away from Aiden, I had kissed two different guys. I cringed
internally at the thought of Aiden thinking I was a whore. The
butterflies Ian had figuratively placed in my stomach disappeared
into a cloud of nausea.

“Fiona is a wonderful woman but we’re
friends. I find myself enamored with her roommate.” He winked and I
wanted to throw up. I was spared having to come up with a witty
comment because Fiona walked into the living room and stood next to
Ian as if she were struck with anxiety from being away from his
side for even a few minutes.

“What’s going on?” she asked, looking
between Ian and me. I shrugged my shoulders and nodded toward the
television.

“Watching I Love Lucy,” I said. “What
are you two up to?” My voice held a curious edge that I hoped Fiona
wouldn’t decipher as jealousy. I wanted to know if Ian had led
Fiona on into thinking that they were more than friends, and then,
when her back was turned, planned to start making advances on me. I
had enough to deal with, I didn’t need a vampire playboy stomping
all over my and Fiona’s friendship.

“Ian and I were on our way to Vain. I
just needed to pick something up,” Fiona said, giving Ian a
lingering glance that worried me. I felt like an old mother hen as
I watched my best friend crush on the wrong guy. I wanted to forbid
her from seeing him, but unless I wanted Fiona pissed at me for who
knows how long, I couldn’t exactly stop her from seeing Ian. What I
could do, was act as a chaperone.

“Oh, that sounds like fun! Care if I
join you?” I asked with a wide smile. I could see the hesitation in
Fiona’s eyes, whereas Ian’s held nothing but amusement.

Fiona began to speak, but Ian
interrupted her before she could politely tell me that she
preferred to be alone with Ian tonight.

“That would be lovely,” Ian said with
a smile. I beamed at Fiona, not Ian, so that she would see that I
had no interest in spending time with him. The only thing I wanted
from Ian was information on who he really was and why he was so
interested in fooling my best friend.

I felt the familiar tingle of my magic
as I switched out of my pajamas and into a black ruffled mini
skirt, purple halter top and matching purple stilettos.

“All ready!”

“Can I speak to you for a minute?”
Fiona all but forced out. I hopped off the couch and followed her
back to her bedroom. I knew exactly what she was going to say but
that wouldn’t change my mind.

“What are you doing?” Fiona whirled
around to face me with ire in her eyes. My own eyes shot wide at
her tone, not realizing my tagging along would make her so
pissed.

“What do you mean?” I asked, feigning
innocence.

“Why are you going after Ian when you
know that I like him?” Whoa, I hadn’t seen that one coming. My eyes
roamed her small bedroom as I tried to think of a way to tell her
that the only interest I had in Ian was keeping him away from her.
I didn’t think she’d swallow that pill easily.

“You have Aiden and obviously Micah
stills loves you; are two men not enough?” she asked. “Who do I
have? Liam?” She let out a sarcastic laugh. Fiona had always been
perceptive, able to read people easily. So why weren’t her warning
bells chiming when she was around Ian?

I let out a sigh. “Fiona, I have no
romantic interest in Ian. I just…don’t trust him,” I finally said,
ready for her to blow up. When she was too quiet for my liking, I
said, “I also wanted to go to Vain because I haven’t heard from
Aiden.” She gave me a look that said she wasn’t buying it and I
resisted the urge to literally shake some sense into her. Why did
she think that I was after Ian? The kiss! I had forgotten, thanks
to my drama- filled day that Fiona had seen Ian kiss me. I still
didn’t know what he had told her, or if he had told her
anything

. “Ian kissed me, I didn’t want it,
that’s why I slapped him. The only vampire that’ll be kissing me is
Aiden.” At least, that’s what I hoped. He might not want anything
to do with me after finding out Ian and Micah had kissed
me.

A sharp stinging sensation erupted
across my cheek, sending me whirling into dizziness for a few
moments. I placed a hand on the side of my face and realized that
Fiona had slapped me! My mouth hung open and my eyes shot wide as I
looked at my best friend full of anger and hatred directed at
me.

“What the hell, Fiona?” I asked,
flabbergasted.

“My father warned me that you were
trash and it seems he was right! Stay away from Ian and me. I’ll
get my things out of your crappy apartment tomorrow.”

Tears instantly filled my eyes,
causing my vision to go blurry. I was so confused by what was
happening, all I could do was gape at Fiona, as if I’d never met
her before.

“Why?” I managed to get out. Fiona
turned around and sneered with disgust, like I was clothing from
the Goodwill.

“You kiss the guy I’m
dating and then ask me why I’m pissed?” I shook my head with
denial; hadn’t I just told her Ian kissed
me
? Furthermore, she had seen the
kiss, I knew with absolute certainty she had, so why was she acting
like this was the first she’d heard of it? I didn’t get a chance to
respond because Fiona stomped out of her bedroom and within
seconds, I heard the door slamming. Tears cascaded down my cheeks
like graceful waterfalls as reality slammed into my brain. Fiona
hated me and wanted to move out.

Anger slowly replaced my hurt as I
thought about how things had been fine until Ian Despereaux showed
up. If it were the last thing I did, I’d expose the façade he was
parading all over town.

*************

I pulled into Aiden’s driveway and
marched up to his door, slamming my fist against the expensive
timbered door. Aiden would know what to do where Ian was concerned
and I was going to make him talk to me.

The door opened to show Aiden
half-dressed, his hair disheveled and a drop of blood along the
side of his mouth. I swallowed the bile that threatened to escape
my lips.

“Well, hello, my Gwen,” he said in a
sultry voice. He stepped onto his porch and wrapped his arms around
my waist while his nose roamed up and down the length of my neck. A
shudder flowed through my entire body as his breath tickled my
skin. I leaned into him, not realizing that I needed his comfort so
much. Before I could blink my eyes, he had picked me up and carried
me into his house, setting me on his sofa.

“What the hell has gotten into you?” I
asked, half turned on and half scared. Aiden was always flirtatious
but gentle in his actions; this was a side of him I hadn’t seen
before.

“I find myself craving you.” His eyes
gobbled up my short mini skirt, halter top and stilettos which I
formed when I thought I was spending the night at Vain. The
reason

I was not there slammed into the
forefront of my mind and erased any ounce of lust I
possessed.

I stood up from the couch, but Aiden
slid up behind me, his erection straining through his pants and
pressing against my backside. He drew my hair to one side to expose
my throat and began trailing kisses down the nape of my neck. My
eyes closed with pleasure as he began to grind against the back of
me. This certainly hadn’t been the welcome I anticipated, but I
wasn’t complaining. His hand caressed the bare skin of my legs,
disappearing underneath my skirt. When his fingers trailed between
my legs and pushed on my center, a moan escaped my lips, which he
echoed. He bent me over and ripped away my panties in one quick
motion, his fingers sliding into my wetness. I grabbed the sofa as
the friction from Aiden’s fingers sent me over the edge.

When he withdrew his fingers from me,
I silently pouted. He turned me around and pushed me back onto the
sofa, edging himself between my legs with a sexy glint in his eyes.
His head disappeared under my skirt and I bucked up as his tongue
discovered a different set of lips. With sheer desire, I arched my
back against the sofa and moaned with delight; the boy could do
wonders with his tongue!

All of my euphoria was squashed as
soon as I heard footsteps on the stairs. I turned my head and froze
with anger, seeing a woman as naked as the day she was born descend
to the first floor. Her hair was auburn and hit just below her
shoulders and her breasts were as fake as Aiden’s feelings for me.
She gave me a smile but I could see a hint of jealousy as she
watched Aiden between my legs. My chest heaved with anger rather
than pleasure and my breath seemed to fail me as I gasped for
understanding.