Passion Ignites (20 page)

“Hello,” Lexi said.

Ian wore a friendly smile. “I wish we could chat longer, but it's our turn to get back out there and kill some assholes.”

“Honey,” Dani said with a frown.

Laura laughed. “Oh, Dani. Ian's right. They are assholes.”

They waved to Lexi as the four made their way out the door. When they departed, the flat seemed suddenly too quiet.

There was no one to talk to, leaving Lexi with her troubled thoughts that centered on one person—Thorn.

 

CHAPTER

TWENTY-FIVE

Thorn stood in the warehouse long after Lexi left. His mind was spinning with possibilities of how her memories had returned.

He put a hand on the wall, his chest constricting with the thought of Lexi in the city at such a dangerous time. Thorn shouted Guy's name through their mental link.

Guy answered instantly. “
What is it?
”

“
Are you sure you took all of Lexi's memories?
”

“
Of course.
”

“
You must have left something,
” Thorn insisted.

Guy sighed loudly through the link. “
I didna. I got all of them. Why? What's going on?
”

“
Lexi. She's here. And she remembers everything.
”

“
Impossible,
” Guy stated in confusion.

Thorn ran a hand down his face and looked to where he had seen her sitting on the table when he walked in. “
Ask Darius. He spoke with her as well.
”

“
No one has ever had their memories returned after I took them. I doona understand.
”

“
I doona either. I wanted to make sure you didna do something so she would get them back.
”

“
You asked for a favor, Thorn. I knew the reasons, and I'd never do such a thing to you.
”

Shite. He was in real trouble now.

“
What are you going to do?
” Guy asked.

“
The only thing I can. I'll protect Lexi until I can get her out of the city once and for all.
”

“
Is she angry?
”

Thorn rubbed his face where her hand had connected with his cheek. “
You could say that.
”

He severed the link and closed his eyes. The only way to ensure Lexi remained safe was to board her up at the flat and stand guard over her.

That wouldn't work for several reasons. The main one was that he couldn't leave Darius alone to fight the Dark. Even with the Warriors and Druids, he was needed. Then there was Lexi. She wouldn't appreciate being held captive for any reason.

Thorn slammed his hand into the wall. “Fuck!”

“She knows the threats out on the streets,” Darius said as he walked into the warehouse carrying more dead Dark. “I followed her to make sure she arrived without incident.”

Thorn nodded, feeling numb and frozen at the same time. “How did this happen?” When Darius didn't respond, Thorn turned to him, his hands clenched at his sides. “Did she tell you?”

“She doesna know,” Darius said and tossed down the two bodies.

“But you do?”

Darius let out a slow breath. “I have my suspicions.”

Thorn threw out his hands in agitation. “I'm all ears.”

“I was there with Guy. He took her memories. Lexi walked away without having any idea who we were.” Darius ran a hand down his face. “Perhaps she's meant to stay here. With you.”

Thorn shook his head. “Nay. Nay! She can no'. If she does, the chances of her getting caught in the middle of this war rise each day she's here.”

“Something triggered her memories. It was strong enough to wipe away Guy's dragon magic, and we both know that's never happened before.”

“She thinks I left her defenseless,” Thorn said. “I would never do such a thing.”

Darius crossed his arms over his chest. “What did you do?”

“I put a Fae knife in the lining of her purse so she would always have a weapon.”

“That shouldna be enough to break through Guy's magic.”

Thorn rubbed the back of his neck. “Nay, it shouldna.”

“You should tell Lexi it was you.”

Thorn wasn't sure it would do any good. She was too upset. “Scotland is the last place she should be now.”

“So tell her that as well. Go to her. Whether she wants to admit it or not, she needs you. And I've got everything covered for the night.” Darius pointed to the door and urged, “Go.”

If Thorn went to her, he knew he would kiss her again. If he kissed her again, he would want so much more. And if he made love to Lexi?

Thorn wasn't sure he could even think of that right now. He'd known from the moment he first made contact with Lexi that she was dangerous to him.

If there was trouble, Darius would let him know. Thorn looked down at his torn shirt and jeans that were covered with blood. He quickly changed, and without another word to Darius, left the warehouse.

*   *   *

Lexi stood at the window, but it wasn't the city she saw. It was memories of Thorn. She ran her thumb over the hilt of the knife she found in her purse.

She had seen it used before by Thorn. Had he put it in her purse? It sounded like something he would do.

The darker the evening became, the more people filled the streets. She blinked and looked down when music grew louder. It was coming from a pub at the corner where people could be seen laughing and dancing.

More and more jack-o'-lanterns popped up all along the street. Even more troubling was the number of Dark Fae. Very few were now using glamour, and it seemed to only spur the humans to gravitate to them even faster.

The door to the flat opened and heat spread over her. Thorn. She saw him through the glass of the window, but she didn't turn around. Lexi didn't trust herself not to blurt out how happy she was he was there.

He came to stand behind her, silent and powerful as he gazed out the window. “Things are getting worse.”

“Why can't they tell what the Dark are? We look like cattle being led to slaughter.”

“It's their appeal,” he murmured.

Lexi swallowed past her emotion. “I'm scared for what's to come.”

“In all my years, there was only one time I felt fear. That's when I had to send my Clarets away. I never experienced it again. Until you.”

She was so shocked at his words that she turned to him. Thorn scared? Surely she misheard him. A man like Thorn would never feel such an emotion.

“When I saw you'd been hit with Dark magic, it was like watching my dragons leave all over again.”

Lexi couldn't hear such words. They made her want him even more, and he had made it clear that there could be nothing. Aside from that one kiss.

“You were no' meant to come back.” His voice was barely above a whisper as his dark brown eyes searched her face. “I was prepared for that. I wasna prepared to see you again.”

He was close enough she could feel the heat from him. His eyes looked haunted, as if he were trying to come to grips with something.

“When I walked into the warehouse and saw you, I was angry because I knew you were still in the thick of all the peril. But I've never been so happy to see you,” he said softly.

Her gaze silently begged him to kiss her, to make her feel like she was being scorched from the inside out.

He slid his hand around the back of her neck and held her as he covered her mouth with his. His kiss stole her breath, seized her soul. Lexi clung to him as their passion collided. And burned. He held her tight, his kiss deepening as their desire mingled and came together in a tangle of need and yearning so great she was drowning in it.

Lexi jumped up, wrapping her legs around his waist as they continued their frantic, heated kissing. The next thing she knew, she was lying on the coffee table with Thorn's wonderful lips trailing kisses down her neck.

She sighed and ran her hands over his back. Thorn sat up long enough to unbuckle his pants. Lexi took the opportunity to throw off her sweater to have one less obstacle between her flesh and his.

He was leaning over her again. His head lowered as he brushed his nose against hers. “Tell me to stop. Please, Lexi, because I can no' do it on my own.”

She put her hands on each side of his face. “Don't ever stop.”

He issued a groan before he took her mouth again.

*   *   *

Guy walked into Con's office to find him poring over some files. Guy tapped his knuckles on the opened door. Con glanced up and waved him in as he wrote something on a paper and closed the file, setting it off to the side.

Con sat back in his chair and took one look at him. “You look worried. What is it?”

Guy closed the door and leaned back against it. “Perhaps nothing.”

“Or something.” Con tossed his Montblanc pen on the desk. “Tell me.”

“I went to Edinburgh earlier.”

Con nodded his head of blond hair. “Aye. Hal was looking for you. Elena told us where you went.”

“Did she tell you why?” Guy asked.

“Nay.”

Guy let out a deep breath. “Thorn asked me to come. There was an American woman who he and Darius saved from the Dark. She had been following the Dark after they killed her friend.”

“And?” Con asked as he sat up, resting his arms on the desk.

“Thorn and Darius had to tell her of the Dark to let her realize the danger. However, she followed them to the warehouse and saw them dispose of the Dark.”

“I'm guessing they wanted you to wipe her memories?”

Guy gave a small shake of his head. “While she followed Thorn and Darius, the Dark were trailing her. When she saw Darius shift, so did the Dark. They took her and tried to kill her. Thorn saved her.”

“I know Thorn and Darius. There's no way those Dark lived,” Con stated.

“Nay, they didna. Lexi was wounded with Dark magic though.”

Con's forehead frowned. “Thorn didna ask for my help.”

“He didna think you would give it.”

Con's face lost all emotion. “Is that so?”

Guy gave him a hard look. It was never good when Con closed himself off in such a manner. “Do you blame him after the things you said?”

“Did the woman die?”

“The Druids healed her,” Guy explained. “That's when Thorn asked me to erase her memories.”

Con shrugged and once more reclined in his chair. “It was the smart thing to do.”

“Except I'm no' sure it was.” Guy rubbed his temple with his right hand. “You know I see the memories I'm erasing.”

“Aye.”

“I saw Thorn and Lexi kiss right before he realized she was injured by the Dark.”

“So?”

Guy dropped his hand. “It was no mere kiss, Con. It affected Lexi deeply, and based on the fact that Thorn refused to bring her to the airport, it did him as well.”

“You think she's his mate?” Con asked.

Guy began to pace. “It's a possibility. Or it could be just an attraction that willna be denied. I took her memories, even though I had a feeling it was the wrong thing to do.”

“I doona see the problem,” Con stated in a firm voice. “Thorn made the right call, and you did as he asked.”

“Except Lexi's memories returned.” Guy threw up his hands as he paced. “I've been over it and over it ever since Thorn told me. She has no magic. There was no magic preventing me from taking her memories or anything that would allow them to return.” Guy stopped and turned to Con. “Something or someone returned her memories.”

Con slowly rose to his feet. “That's impossible.”

“Lexi was waiting for Thorn at the warehouse. She told him she remembered me taking her memories.”

“Where is she now?”

“At Darcy's flat.”

“I think it's time I paid her a visit,” Con said, walking around his desk.

Guy blocked his way. “Ah … if I guess right, you might want to wait until morning.”

 

CHAPTER

TWENTY-SIX

With every kiss, every sigh, Thorn was falling. It wasn't just desire. He knew the taste of desire. What he felt for Lexi was so much more. It's what had kept him from her for as long as he had been able.

His palms caressed down her sides. Her flesh was warm, soft, and inviting. The sound of her ragged breathing shattered his will to go slow.

He held himself over her with his arms while she tugged his shirt up and over his head. Need, sharp and true, burned through him, demanding he fill her body.

Lexi sat up with him when he straightened. Her hands roamed seductively over his chest as she kissed his stomach.

Thorn hissed in a breath when her fingers grazed the head of his cock. With his pants already unbuckled, she merely tugged them down his hips.

He looked at her, watching as she slowly kissed her way to his aching rod. She wrapped her hand around his arousal and slowly slid her lips over him.

Thorn grasped her head as his fingers sank into the cool strands of her long hair. He held her there while she took him deep into her mouth.

Lexi let her hand trail down Thorn's magnificent chest and his tight abdomen. She wanted to look closer at his dragon tat. The ink wasn't just black. It had a mixture of red in it as well.

But her attention was pulled away by his thick member. He was impossibly hard. Lexi ran her hands up and down his length along with her mouth. She was normally never this brazen with a lover, but Thorn brought out something wanton in her, something primal and urgent.

She didn't fight it. That never entered her mind. All she wanted was to give him pleasure so he might know a little of how she felt when he kissed her.

Lexi glanced up at him to see his eyes closed with a look of utter joy visible for all to see. The muscles in his arms moved as he held her. She knew in that instant that she had made the right decision in following her heart—and her body.