Nolan's Evolution (34 page)

"How did we get out?” Her voice was soft and rough with emotion. She blushed when he gave her that special smile.

He looked so relaxed, It was as if he didn’t have a worry in the world.

"Would you like some coffee, Aelan? Or maybe a good morning kiss?" His voice dipped low and he couldn't have looked more devastating.

It affected her but she still wanted answers. “How did we get out?” she repeated the question.

"We're here, that's all that matters. You don't need details." He rose from the chair and came to her side of the bed, kneeling down on the carpet. He took one of her hands into his and lifted her fingers to his lips.

He was distraction at its best. His lips were velvety, and his breath warm against her skin.

She fought the thoughts assaulting her, as she looked down at him. "I don't need details? Do you even know me?" She attempted to tease. Her voice trembled, though she fought to keep it steady.

He chuckled softly and dipped his chin to kiss her knuckles again.

Raina held her breath and then shook her head. "I want answers, Nolan."

"I rescued you, end of story." Again his voice was pure distraction.

She brushed her fingertips across his stubbled chin and wondered for the thousandth time how one man could be so magnificent. “The last thing I remember is you telling me to wake up.” Her brows rose. "Wake-up you said. You know how I hate those dirty words and that dirty little trick."

Nolan’s silver eyes gentled over her. There was a guilty gleam there too. "I didn't want you to go through the fear. I didn't want you to see the violence that had to take place. I didn’t want you to have any more trauma than you've already been through."

She frowned. "Nolan I didn't want you to have to go through what you went through alone," she whispered. "What did you do? Throw me over your shoulder and carry me out? How did you get past the guards? Did you have a car waiting?"

He promptly silenced her by touching a fingertip to her lips. "Are you always this chatty in the morning?" He grinned.

"This is not my first morning with you," she laughed.

He tugged on her fingers so that she leaned in closer to him. "But it's the first morning after a long stretch of mornings without you." His gaze never left hers.

Raina felt warmth all over when he looked at her that way. She bumped her nose gently against his. "Well maybe that's why I'm such chatty Cathy! I have missed our little talks!"

He frowned beautifully. Yes, Nolan could make a frown look beautiful. "Well, maybe if you could turn off the chatting I could get a good morning kiss?" He bumped her nose gently back with his own. "Or a hello kiss?" He brushed his lips just slightly against hers. "Or a thank you kiss?" His fingers firmly gripped her chin. "I don't care what you call it as long as I get a kiss."

He did not have to press her anymore she was already leaning in. She had been leaning in ever since the appearance of his frown. That gorgeous frowny face! Her eyes were closing and her breath was bated. She could feel the warmth of his own breath against her lips and now she wanted nothing more than what he was promising. She was nearly there she felt the softness of his lips and then he pulled back abruptly.

Her eyes flew open, and she inhaled on a protest.

"Unless you want to talk instead? If you missed it so much I most certainly can abstain and continue talking. There is a lot for us to talk about after all!" His eyes twinkled wickedly.

Raina giggled and threw her arms around his neck. She buried her face against his shoulder. She had missed him so much. She breathed in his scent now. "I don't want to talk," she said shyly.

He squeezed her tightly against himself. "I don't want to talk either, Aelan." His lips touched her temple. “Look at me,” he ordered affectionately. His breathing accelerated when she did, and his eyes sought hers. “I stayed up all night just to watch you.”

“Nolan, you didn’t,” she protested softly. “You need your rest too!” She slid out of the bed, tugging at his arm. “You should rest!”

“I have a high tolerance to a lack of sleep,” he said with a grin, rising to his feet before her.

She tipped her face up, now that he stood at his full height. “Crazy immortal strength!”

He lifted her into his arms with no effort, demonstrating just how strong he was, and laid her back against the bed.

She gave no protest, just admired the way he moved.

He looked down at her now with such gentleness.

“I can’t believe you are here,” she sighed, and felt tears gather.

Nolan’s smile disappeared, and he captured a tear with one long finger. "I dreamt of you every night. I dreamt of seeing your smile and hearing your laugh." His fingers traced her jaw and then trailed down her neck. The mattress gave into his weight, as he laid down next to her…over her.

“You did?” She felt a trembling start inside, as he shifted nearer.

He nodded. "I dreamt of touching you, remembering how soft and warm you are." His hand slid down her arm and he twined his fingers with hers. He leaned down and kissed her ever so delicately. He pulled away, but just barely. "I tried not to allow myself more than that. I didn't want to torture myself." He grinned with mischief. "And I failed miserably." A flush covered his cheeks.

"I failed over and over Raina. And each time I felt guilty for allowing myself to want that.” His eyes caressed her now. “Because achieving that would mean pain, or maybe even death to you." He pulled her hand against his chest where she could feel the beat that showed he was vulnerable to her.

She moved her hand and tenderly unbuttoned the top few buttons of his shirt so that she could slip her hand inside and feel the warm skin over the place where his heart beat so sporadically. She felt the well-honed muscles tense and relax.

“That feels incredible,” he whispered, distracted from his train of thought now.

She slipped her hand along his chest to his collar, and then up his neck, so she could sink her fingers into the hair she loved so much. She saw the reaction he had, as his silvers darkened to a slate grey.

He swallowed hard and gave her another diminutive smile. "And then to find I didn't have to feel guilty?" He blushed again. "I'm not ashamed to say that….when I found out…that night and every night after it, I dreamt of making love to you."

Raina forgot how to breathe.

He then kissed her sweetly, and he lingered there, just enjoying the soft exchange. His mouth feathered tiny kisses against hers. He fought hard against the passion that urged him to take more. He knew if he gave into those passions he could not control the out- come. And he didn’t want a quick romp with his girl! They had waited too long to rush through anything.

His body was betraying him though, and the kiss deepened. His arms wrapped around her waist and she was against his chest. He rolled onto his back, taking her with him, so that her weight was now above him. He growled at the pleasure of the new contact. His fingers dug gently into her hips, pulling her nearer.

Raina gasped in surprise, but never broke the kiss. Her other hand came up to also burrow into his dark hair once more. She tugged gently and allowed her tongue to gently tease his lower lip.

Nolan then forced himself to draw back, pulling away from the temptation. His hands moved up to her shoulders, holding her back.

He wanted to laugh when she growled impatiently. Her blue eyes were hazy and unfocused. He liked that.

“Nolan…”

He rolled her gently back on her back and loomed over her. "Did you do the same, Aelan?" He murmured gruffly. “Did you dream of making love to me?”

It was Raina's turn to blush. She looked up at him and shyly gave a nod. If he had not been an immortal with impeccable, vision he may have missed the nod... it was that small.

“I knew you did.” His words shook.

"Let’s stop talking about it," she dared breathlessly.

"Not now," he purred softly. It took a great effort to get those words passed his lips.

"What do you mean?" Her cheeks flushed. Her voice and her eyes were filled with vulnerability.

"Aelan, how many times do I have to say it? I require you...everything about you. I want you!  I've wanted you from the beginning and I'll want you to the end. Right now it's not our time. Not for that. We both just went through a lot. We have a lot more ahead of us. And I don't want this tainted by that. There are going to be things that come up in the days ahead that may make you regret giving yourself me right now."

"I would never regret being with you, Nolan." Her brow furrowed and she shook her head. "Why would you say that?"

Nolan gently nipped at her thumb that still unconsciously played at his mouth. "I say it because you may regret it. There are things that you don't know, Aelan. Things that I've kept from you, and it may come to surface." He sat up taking himself out of temptations path.

"So tell me now and get it out in the open. It's not going to matter, Nolan. There's nothing that you could have done, or said, or been that's going to keep me from wanting you." Her blue eyes followed him as he sat up and turned his back to her, sitting on edge of the bed.

"I don't know if I can," he said barely over whisper.

"It can't be that bad." She crawled across the comforter and came up behind him. Her arms wrapped around his neck and her weight pressed against his back. "I love you, Nolan," she said softly into his ear.

"I know you do. And I love you."

"So no secrets. Just tell me, my love and I promise I will understand. I won't be angry!"

"You say that now." Nolan detached her arms from around his neck and stood to his feet. "I'm not going to tell you until it's absolutely necessary."

She watched him as he moved to the window and peaked out the blinds. The muscles in his shoulders were stiff and unmoving. She wanted her relaxed Nolan back. "Nolan?"

"There's someone from the past."

Her immediate thought was there was another woman but she quickly tossed that aside. Not only had Nolan told her she was the only female in his life but everyone around her that knew him had told her the same. No, it was not a woman.

"He was involved with the planning in your kidnapping. I believe he had plans of blackmailing me so that I would use my gift for the benefit of his group. He has the capability of ruining everything." Nolan rubbed the back of his neck in agitation. "Ruining everything that you and I have."

"That's not possible, Nolan. He can't hurt you because that's against the laws of the immortal. He can't take how you and I feel about each other. That's a safety that I'm sure of."

Nolan shook his head sadly. "My feelings will never change for you. But when you meet with him your feelings for me may change. He won't have to say a word and you'll know what a liar I've been." He sank down into the chair with his head in his hands.

Raina's heart broke as she watched his broad shoulders lift and fall as he attempted to control himself. Her Nolan was crying. What would cause him to break down like this?

"You're scaring me. Nolan, please tell me."

She hurried over to him and knelt before him.

He groaned in response.

"Please look at me." She couldn't make him move his hands from his face so she laid her head in his lap and allowed him to weep. Everything must've just been catching up with him. The fear, the anxiety, the lack of sleep, and the relief of freedom. He'd taken so much on him and now he was breaking.

"Who is this person? What could he possibly hold over you?"

He pulled in a breath but still did not uncover his face. "I can't talk about this now," he answered.

“Then we won’t talk of it.”

He drew in another breath, and his weeping ceased. He hated being so vulnerable.

“It’s me,” she whispered. “It’s okay to be like this with me.”

Nolan gave half a laugh. “I promise you I am not weak.”

“You think that I find you weak?” Raina crawled up into his lap and used all her little mortal strength to take his hands down. She didn't even allow him to respond. She leaned in and kissed him with all the strength that she had. She held nothing back and offered everything bit of comfort that she had. She tasted his tears and his suffering.

Nolan accepted her distraction, wrapping his arms around her. He let his desperation out. The frustration and agitation of this whole situation was released into the kiss. He found himself calming down and coming back down to earth. It was more like coming back down to heaven for Nolan. He tried to forget that he may lose this once more, and enjoyed the moment.

“Aelan," he breathed. "Please say that after all this, no matter what, you'll still be able to forgive me."

Raina smiled as she sat back and looked into his anguished face. She wiped his tears away with her fingers. The silver eyes glistened still and made them even more stunning. "I could never hate you. It's just not possible, Nolan."

His hands contracted where they rested on her waist. "Maybe you won't hate me but you certainly will be disappointed in me.”

She felt true disbelief at the words he was saying. "Not a chance, Mr. Gregor. Sad to say, you're stuck with me."