Slow Burn (13 page)

She looked through the steamy haze and saw passion pouring
from Derrick’s purple eyes, the way his mouth opened until he latched on her
and sent her flesh trembling with his skilled tongue. Suddenly, she felt her
ass against the soft rug. Automatically, she spread her legs for Derrick.

He loomed over her, larger than life; she saw the puma-like
features in Derrick’s face. His eyes narrowed, glowed a bright purple. His lips
curled upwards, teeth bared.

In the back of her mind, she knew she should be scared.
Instead, she soared, the hormonal rage rushing through her only adding to the
intensity of things. The beast in Derrick clearly wanted a mistress and she
could do that for the time being.

His grip on her ass tightened. Derrick’s pace increased. His
breath came in rapid pants.

Each time he slammed into her, her pulse sped and breath
came out harshly. Her heart raced. She smelled the wilderness in him, felt the
ferocity of his emotions all over her like a second skin. It’d be perfect if
she could allow herself to be loved. It’d be soothing if she could allow
herself the comfort. Luckily, his body distracted her from the thought. Orgasm
hovered near. She clenched her muscles around Derrick’s cock.

He bent down to kiss her, capturing her lips with hunger,
taking her, claiming her.

Hands dug into her hips, spread her cheeks for more depth.

She felt all of him inside her, reveled in the sensation of
her body opening up to the warmth of ecstasy spreading throughout her limbs.
The slow buildup became a tumultuous downpour as Derrick’s mouth rained down
kisses on her neck, her chin. His lips suckled pointed nipples, soothing the
ache of her flesh.

Power spilled around her and suddenly she saw the puma in
Derrick fucking her. Claws sunk into her flesh, drawing blood that ran down her
thighs.

She’d heal, not that it mattered.

Part of her wanted this. She needed to burn the excess off,
make herself an empty vessel again. Her body bucked against Derrick’s in
response. The sound of skin slapping against skin echoed throughout the
bathroom. Sweat covered her body, as did the heat from Derrick.

She had to be hallucinating. He couldn’t fuck her like this;
that was…

It didn’t matter. Her body’s reaction to him driving into
her pulled need from her like tape off an open wound. She screamed his name,
clutched at the strong arms holding her in place, and felt the tidal wave of
pleasure spill through her.

Grunts became growls. Her unwavering need became a call to
Derrick through her own vocal groans while power flowed between them. She
clenched around him, wrapped her arms around his muscular back as he drove
himself into her with what appeared to be much thicker powerful muscles.

“Spill into me,” she called out. “Please,” her voice heavy
with urgency.

Strong fingers shifted, a hand caught her breast, a tongue
flicked over her sensitive nipple, pulling another orgasm from her.

She screamed, creamed over his cock, and fought to retain
consciousness against the wash of contentment that filled the space between
silence and chaos.

Then he stiffened, and the image above her returned to the
familiar Derrick, his silky wet hair spilling down both sides of his face. The
intensity in his eyes diminished only slightly as he came.

He growled her name and pistoned into her until he climaxed.

Then he remained quiet above her, the strain on his arms an
intense one, obvious from the bulging muscles in his biceps and forearms.

Energy flowed from her to him and back to her in a steady
stream that made her feel rejuvenated. All the negativity had left, been
cleansed or forced out.

She closed her eyes, unable to hold back a smile.

* * *

Fingers stroked her hair while an arm held her around her
waist. She’d slept peacefully—that much she remembered. Sonja opened her eyes
to see Max sitting at the table, cigar in hand, a cup of what was probably
Cuban coffee, and several papers spread out before him.

“We’ve got to make a move tonight if we’re going to lure
them out and push them back.” He took a puff off the smoke, filling the air
with the delicate scent of earth, cocoa, and sweetness. Max wore the same black
pants and suit coat he met her in last night, along with black shoes that held
an impeccable polish.

Speaking of Derrick…

Fingers continued to stroke strands of her hair. She liked
the touch, wanted to revel in it.

“Yeah, we do. But…” He yawned behind her, blowing hot air
against her cool skin. “Have we heard from Big Mo yet?”

Sonja glanced down, realizing that she and Derrick were
still naked and in Max’s bed. “Guys,” she spoke weakly.

Max turned toward her. “Yes. We know. Well…” He sighed. “I
know. You two get a room. After this is all over. And, fucking Derrick, you owe
me a new bed. Bathroom rug and fuck all, get me a new shower…it smells of you
two in there.”

Derrick chuckled. “Hey, consider it payback.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Max looked away
scornfully.

Sonja looked past Max, saw the setting sun in the windows.
Then something dawned on her. “Wait. What about my band’s performance? We’re
supposed to play in—”

Fingers pressed against her lips that made her want him
again instantly. She hated how she reacted, but her body didn’t seem to care.

“We’ve taken care of that. Your band mates are safe in
hiding and the shows have been rescheduled. The fans will be okay.” Derrick’s
gentle voice held all the warmth and consideration she’d look for in her
brother, only it lacked the coldness of a tour manager with the desire for more
money.

She could only shake her head.

“How did you set that up? What about the other shows on the
tour? We’re booked back-to-back for several gigs with only a day in between
to—”

Derrick’s fingers pressed into her mouth again, but this
time she drew them in and sucked, earning a groan of satisfaction from him and
a look of disdain from Max.

Finally, Derrick pulled his fingers out of her mouth and
returned his hand to her side. “Let’s just leave it at we have ways and means
of accomplishing things. Besides, this will add a little bit of mystery to your
performances and make the fans even more excited to see you.”

Dammit, but he had a good idea. She wasn’t about to ask
further questions, the details wouldn’t be relevant anyway. Besides, if she
went out now, her entire band and possibly members of the audience might be in
danger because of the threats on her life. Who knew what level her assailant
would stoop to.

Derrick held her closer to him so she could feel his
arousal.

Hard as a rock, like always. She rubbed her ass against his
erection and vowed to pay him back for the inconvenience he caused her with
this abduction. “So,” she huffed. “What’s our next move?”

Derrick rubbed her belly, instilling ease with his actions.
“You and I are to follow Max. We’ll set up shop with a sniper to back us up
while I act as emissary for your interests. We’ll negotiate terms that state
you’ll be brought out. At this point, Max will have a trained gun on the kingpin’s
head so that once they lead you away, he can take a clear shot, topple the
leader. And in the meantime, the cops will be on their way to take down these
ruffians.”

“Dude.” Max took another puff off his cigar. “No one says
ruffians.”

Derrick scowled. “Bite me.”

Unable to resist, Sonja crooked her neck and bit Derrick’s
jaw.

He growled, a happy sound.

Max grunted. “I think after this is over, I’ll move.”

Derrick rolled his shoulders. “Oh come on, it’s not that
bad. She’s—”

Max tossed him a cigar.

Derrick slid out of bed and padded naked to the chair beside
the table, grabbed his pants, and pulled them on while the cigar hung from his
mouth.

Max waved a hand dismissively. “…to blame also, I know. You
two are inseparable.”

That got her ire up. “I have not been the one responsible
for this entire mess. You two came after me, remember that.”

“Yeah, and if we hadn’t come after you, what else would have
gone on, aside from the massacre?” Max pointed the cigar at her to punctuate
his point.

She started to respond but instead looked away. She wanted
to run from that memory. “It was an accident,” she barely said in a soft
whisper.

Fingers tugged gently at the knot forming at the base of her
neck, irritating her. The man was always trying, always prodding her toward
balance. Why couldn’t she be angry? She glared at Derrick.

He only shrugged, his expression remaining unchanged. “It
doesn’t matter what happened, only that we prevented something worse from
potentially happening.”

She wanted to feel that fury but couldn’t find an impetus.
They had protected her—which by the way Derrick’s emotions rubbed her, she knew
he would do again in a heartbeat and without question.

Why? Who would willingly drag himself into a fight that
didn’t involve him?

She shifted to face him, unconcerned with the fact that the
sheet fell and exposed her. She scanned the room for her clothes. She saw only
the pile of clothes from last night. Sheesh, one would think being a witch, she
could conjure up clothes. She had no problem removing them earlier.

She sighed. “You don’t need to protect me, Derrick. I’m not
a child.”

“I know.” He slid a shirt over his head and retrieved the
cutter from the table. Clipping the end of his cigar, he discarded the cap and
strode, lighter and cigar in hand, across the distance to stand before her. “I
don’t need to protect you. You’re more than capable of doing that on your own.”

“That’s right.” She placed her hands on her hips.

Derrick blocked Max’s view. “And I don’t need to play
bodyguard because you’ve dealt with this before.”

“That’s also right.” She nodded. Then she realized he was
prodding her again, looking for a reaction. She wouldn’t give him the
satisfaction.

“And I don’t need to be there if you should get in over your
head. You’re a powerful witch, not a shifter.”

She started to agree, but stopped short. Her mouth did link
to a rational, thinking brain. “No.” She balled her fists together. “I am not a
shifter.” He was leading her. And dammit, he was right. But she couldn’t let
him get involved on her behalf. “You can’t. I…”

She couldn’t think of a reason with him standing so close
that she smelled the wilderness on him, even over the cigar he just lit. When
did he do that?

She had to be losing her mind. Letting Derrick get further
involved would only put him in harm’s way. The only power he possessed belonged
to the beast inside him, not anything more than that. No moon controlled his
magic. But…

Now he towered over her and bent forward to meet her gaze.
“And I’m not going to let you sacrifice yourself. You’re too important to your
family.”

She read the expression in his face, the way his eyes begged
her to consider the fact that she’d become family to him. Bah. She had no
family to speak of. Well, aside from Rob, but he only understood most of what
she went through up until she hit a certain age.Then she went off and found
music.

He’d remained at home after their parents died. He’d raised
the funds through hard work to get her singing gigs and ultimately own his own
bar.

She understood hard work and knew he had a firm grasp of the
concept. “You don’t have to. I can go back to Rob. My brother will—”

“Doesn’t even know where you are. We kept that information
from him so we would have bargaining power. If our enemies knew where he was,
they’d use him to get to you if he knew anything. Trust me on this one; you
don’t want to tell him.” Max’s voice boomed in the space between thought and
speech.

Her mouth hung open.

Max lifted a hand defensively. “We were in contact while you
were out last night. He knows you’re safe.”

She lifted her head and looked defiantly at Max. The
blackness in his eyes didn’t give away any emotion; neither did his aura. It
unnerved her. She could still take a defensive position. “My brother isn’t the
trusting one. Like me, he’s pretty powerful.” She left out the bit about his
control; they didn’t need to know he was much stronger and that his magic
differed. Or how his control had been slipping over the years.

Derrick set the cigar down in the ashtray beside him and
took both her hands in his. His gentle tone emphasized the tranquility in his
energy. “I know. That’s why I talked to him. Why do you think he led me in to
meet you a few nights ago?”

Had he read her mind and figured out her lust for Derrick
earlier? She didn’t know, didn’t need to ask. “I don’t know. You’ve both told
me because he was hiding new threats from me.”

“That, too. But Rob knew what I used to do before I retired.
If we go in together, then we can get you out together. Trust me?” An eyebrow
rose and he cocked his head.

Of course, he let the words hang between them on purpose.
Sonja watched his eyes move from side to side, the wheels in his mind spinning
fast. How could anyone not know what he was going to say next? He broadcasted
without talking about his feelings for her and their nonexistent relationship.

“We can’t have a relationship outside of sex, Derrick.”

He stiffened, his grip on her hands loosened. “I wasn’t
going to suggest that.”

She smirked. “I saw it on your face.”

“Look.” Max coughed. “You two can figure that out after we
get a handle on who exactly is trying to kidnap you and what they’re attempting
to gain, preferably away from me where I don’t have to deal with the obvious
aftermath.”

Sonja scoffed. She ran a hand through her hair and started
to face Max but Derrick’s large body blocked him from view. She didn’t want to
deal with any of this now. Not two overbearing children, not puma aggression.
None of it.