Fate's Wish (3 page)

“How am I supposed to protect you if I can’t touch you?”

“Figure it out, Einstein. Second, the minute whatever it is that’s coming my way is over, you’re out of here.”

“Fine.” It would kill him, but he’d let her go again if it was best for her. She’d loved him and had never asked for anything in return. He would ensure she was safe.

“And third, I don’t want any references to the past.” Pain shone in her eyes.

“You can’t hide from the past.”

“Yeah? Well you’re great at it, so I’m taking a page from your book. Those are my rules. Agree or get the hell out.”

He stared at her for a few long moments and sensed her internal battle.

“I will only do anything per your request.”

She frowned, but nodded. “Good. I have work I need to do, so do whatever you have to do quietly.”

He sensed the danger before he saw it and made his way to her in a few short strides. She was headed to the desk by the windows when the glass shattered. Large shards of glass turned into daggers and moved directly toward her.

In a quick move, he wrapped one arm around her waist and lifted his other hand to stop the glass in its tracks. The jagged pieces stopped in midair about a foot away from them. He flicked his hand in a circle and the glass shuffled into one pile in front of them, making their way to the floor as he lowered his hand.

He turned to look into her eyes. Their faces were inches apart. Her harsh breaths caressed his skin. Each time she took a breath, warm puffs of chocolate-scented air kissed the side of his face. She had looped her arms around his neck, and their bodies were plastered together. Lust coursed through him, and he thought of the taste of her lips.

He moved his mouth to latch on to her soft lips in a fervent kiss. Devouring the sweet depths of her mouth, he explored and feasted with his tongue. She whimpered and rubbed her tongue over his lips. The kiss turned ferocious and demanding. She sucked on his tongue, and he knew they had to stop before things got out of control.

Passion sparkled in her eyes, and the urge to kiss her again raged inside him. She might want him, but she didn’t trust him. He wanted her, but she wasn’t ready to open herself to him. There was too much mistrust in her heart. He let go of her and took a couple of steps back.

Arousal deepened his voice to a near growl. “This is why you need me.”

The heat in her eyes cooled. She looked so lost. His steely resolve to wait wavered. He wanted to kiss her worries away and tell her he’d take care of her, but he knew she’d rather take a bullet than ask him for help.

An angry rumble escaped him. Had he not been there, she would have been hurt.

“Thanks. Nothing like that has happened to me before. I’m not sure why it did now.” A small quiver sounded in her voice. “I’d like to get my hands on the asshole that did that.” A flush darkened her skin, and her golden eyes flashed.

“Don’t worry. We’ll find whoever is doing this soon.”

* * *

“So? Where is he?”

Shar looked up from the counter to gaze at her mother’s smiling face as she walked in the door. Her mother’s skin was flawless, not a single wrinkle in sight. Her blonde hair was cut in a short bob that graced her ears. Her hazel eyes twinkled with vitality.

Shar rolled her eyes and sighed. “I was able to talk him into leaving me alone because I told him you were coming to say goodbye before your trip. He said he’ll be back in an hour.”

He’d rarely left her alone in the past few days. And twice she’d been glad he was around. First, the issue with the windows—she had no idea who was set on bothering her, but it was turning into a nuisance. Then her car died in the middle of the road late one night. Of course, she’d tried to get the stupid thing to work, but it was as if something had frozen the entire electrical system, keeping it from moving.

“Are you sure things are OK? I know this isn’t the ideal situation, but is he keeping his hands to himself?”

“Yes. He’s kept his hands to himself.” And that was the damn problem. Every time she looked at him, her body craved his touch. He was at an arm’s reach, but just out of her range.

“This is bothering you?” Her mother gave her one of her curious stares.

“Yes! I’m so angry and confused.” The urge to scream profanities at fate was interrupted by a customer picking up an order.

Shar watched her mother make small talk with the recurring client while she retrieved the lotions and soaps. When the woman walked out the door, Shar wondered out loud if she should just tell Zahir to go. Nothing new had happened to endanger her.

“No. He stays. Now, not that it’s any of my business, but if you still want the man, why not go for it? It’s not like this time he could hurt you.”

“What do you mean?” Her entire life she’d been used to her mom’s quirks, but for her to suggest using Zahir just for sex was just way too weird.

“Well, if you purposely go into a purely sexual relationship with him, there’s no way you can end up hurt. He can’t break your heart if you don’t let your feelings into the equation.”

Shar stared at her desk and nibbled on her lip.

“Think about it, darling. If anything at all happens and you need me, you know how to reach me. I’m not leaving for another day, so you can call on me.” She hugged her tight, kissed her forehead, and then looked down into her eyes “Don’t pass up the opportunity to get some answers. Even if it hurts, it’s best to know the truth.”

After her mother left, Shar sat at her desk and stared into space. Why did Zahir leave her in the first place? She’d tried not to think of the question before, but it had begun to grow into an incessant nag in the back of her head. She would ask him the minute he walked in the door. She paced behind the register waiting for him to finally show his face.

When Zahir walked in the door, her resolve pushed her to ask the question. She opened her mouth and a lightning bolt hit the floor a foot away from her. A large wall of fire rose until she was surrounded by a circle of flames. Jumping back, she screamed. Zahir walked through the flames to reach her. No burns or injuries were visible on him.

Flames pushed their way toward her, but Zahir drove them back. He wrapped an arm around her, and she clung to the safety of his hold. She felt the heat of the flames, but nothing in the store caught fire. The sprinklers were not turning on, and the circle was closing in on them.

“What do we do?” She tried to keep the panic from her voice, but it was hard. What the hell was happening? Why was someone out to get her? She’d never done anything to anyone. OK, she was no angel, but she’d never hurt anyone purposely.

“Don’t worry. I have this under control.”

The flames lowered in a whoosh to the ground. The driving wind tossed her hair around her face. Zahir lowered one arm until the flames completely disappeared as if they’d never been there.

Lifting a trembling hand to move her hair away from her face, she peered around the store. “For crying out loud. What the fuck is going on? I’m putting an end to this.”

The phone rang just when she pulled it out of her pocket.

“Hello?”

“Sharmila. Your mother asked me to look into your decrease in magic.”

“Oh, Luthian. How are you?”

Tension radiated off Zahir’s rigid posture. He threw a fierce glare at her phone.

She half-listened to Luthian and stared at Zahir’s face. His eyes turned full-on black. Her nipples hardened when she remembered the last time his eyes had turned that dark. They’d been in the middle of having sex.

Moisture gathered in her cunt. Holding back a whimper, she squeezed her thighs together to relieve some of the pressure on her throbbing sex. The glare transformed into the look of a man ready to immerse himself in her passion.

“Sharmila?”

The voice in her ear jerked her back to reality.

“Oh, um, yes. What can I do for you?”

“I was going to suggest for you to try something. To see if it helps with your magic.”

Laughter came across from his side. Could he tell what was going on? It was very possible, considering he was a powerful warlock.

“OK, what do you suggest I do?”

“Have sex with Darkrath.”

“What?” Images of them making love flooded her brain and made her temperature rise until she was sure the fire was back, only this time, right on her skin.

Chapter Five

Zahir smiled at Shar’s response to his look. He craved her, and he intended to have her—tonight. No matter what she said, he knew the truth of her body’s desires. She wanted him. Maybe not with the desperation he wanted her, but it was close. He could feel it. If the hungry flare in her pupils was any indication, she wanted him right now. He heard the conversation, knew what Luthian was suggesting, and was in full agreement with the test.

“That, um, was Luthian. I’m sure you’ve heard of him. He was just calling to give me a suggestion. Nothing important.” She looked everywhere but at him.

Shar had never been shy before, and it bothered him that she was acting as though he’d reject her if he knew of her problem.

“What’s wrong with your magic?”

She snapped her gaze up to meet his. The sadness in her eyes made his heart clench.

“I don’t know. Nobody knows really. Luthian is trying to find out. Something seems to have created some kind of hole that’s made it slowly leak away. I’m at the point that I can’t even make the smallest of objects move. That day you showed up was the first time I had a burst of power. After that, it decreased again.” Her sadness gutted him. He had to fix this for her.

He stepped toward her, grabbed her by the forearms, and pulled her into him. Her eyes flared gold with arousal when his lips came crashing down on her. A burst of sweetness invaded his senses. Every time they kissed, her taste seeped through him until he was surrounded by it.

The light flutter of her magic caressed his restless darkness and soothed the loneliness inside. She moaned and lifted her hands to rake her nails on the back of his neck. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly to him. His erection throbbed, grew, and became painful in the tight confines of his jeans.

Hunger roared in his veins. With single-minded focus, he squeezed her ass and ground his stiff cock into her. His sole purpose became to thrust into the hot, slick confines of her wet cunt. He flicked a hand, and the door locked and the shades lowered. He became bolder and more aggressive in his touches, and she whimpered. Her soft kisses drove his desperation up several notches.

The leak of his power surrounded them, and lust gave his vision a dark haze. A single thought pushed through his hunger: calm. His control was slipping, almost to the point of destroying something. He had to pull it together quickly or he’d end up with a pile of rubble around them. Harsh breaths pummeled his chest when his gaze latched on to her flushed face.

“Fuck me, Zahir.”

The soft, husky words pushed away any attempts at calm. Filled with frantic need, he watched while his mental order made the material of her top tear off her body. She moaned and leaned back into the counter. The move pushed her breasts out to him in offering. Another mental order and the bra tore in two and her soft pale breasts were available for his view. Her nipples tightened into small cherry buds.

Lust blazed through him. He glided his hands to cup her breasts. Her whimpers urged him on. He moved his mouth to the soft curve of her neck while he squeezed and tweaked her nipples. She dug her nails dug into his shoulders and wiggled her hips, making his already hard cock throb in his pants.

Passion buzzed in his head. He grabbed her by the waist and hauled her up onto the counter. Her sandals landed with a small clatter on the wood floor. She gave him a low-lidded gaze, licked her lips, and watched him lift her loose skirt up to her waist. Her skin glowed gold; it always did when she became highly aroused. A small smile played on his lips. Her eyes become unfocused while he fingered her pussy over the wet panties.

“Oh, yes.”

The soft sigh was enough to send him over the edge. He curled his fingers around the wispy material and pulled. She widened her thighs to give him better access. He wound his arms around her legs, lifted, and pushed until her wet cunt was on display for his view. She whimpered, threw her head back, and braced her arms on the back of the counter.

“Fuck, baby. I missed seeing you like this—so wet and hot for me.” It was an admission he didn’t want to think about.

She glanced down to watch as he lowered his head between her thighs. Warms puffs of breath kissed her swollen pussy lips. He zeroed his lips on her clit and lashed his tongue at the sensitive nerve. Her orgasm slammed through her. Waves of near painful pleasure washed over her.

She heard a scream in the distance and knew it was her own. Zahir continued the frenzied suckling of her sensitive cunt, lapping at the cream dripping from her core. Each lick made her jerk when the direct contact pressed her into climbing near the edge all over again.

She grabbed at his hair and pulled roughly. He growled.

“Fuck me, Zahir. I want you inside me. I want to feel your hard cock filling me over and over until I come again.”

Air whipped around her as his power leaked. His clothes tore off his body. His massive erection made her throat dry and her pussy clench in excitement. Had her memory failed her? She had no recollection of him being that big before. Wolfish, his smile made him look like a dangerous predator. Moisture drenched the outside of her thighs and dripped down to her ass.

He latched his mouth on to a nipple and sucked and bit the small nub. She cried out at the glorious feel of his teeth on her sensitive breast. He licked, laved, and made the puckered tip swollen with his love bites. Then he moved on to the other to offer the same delectable treatment.

His cock pierced and stretched her pussy as he drove into her. Her legs curled around his muscled ass and linked, pulling him deeper into her. Every nerve ending in her pussy was stretched taut. The steely length of his shaft rubbed on her sleek vaginal walls until he was fully embedded in her. Friction drove her pleasure.