VoodooMoon (18 page)

“Cheating and manipulating using their necromantic and clairvoyant powers was a way of life going back generations, centuries even. The fact is, using those powers is what got the Barroes family through the Cataclysm. Doesn’t make it right, just makes it fact. As much as I hold my father accountable for his own actions, I also know that it was how he was raised. There was no love lost between us. He made a lot of people’s lives hell with his lies and cheating, and taught me, forced me, to do the same from the moment he realized I had power and just how strong I was.”

“When I as sixteen there were charges against my family for fraud, theft, grave robbing, and smuggling. My father had forced me to confess and take the rap for the family. Sam Harrison offered me a deal. The deal was go to the academy and work freelance with the Blades, or go to a work farm for ten years. I took it. My father considered me a traitor to the family. He never spoke to me again.” Ian watched Fiona’s face carefully for signs of pity or sympathy, he wanted neither and saw neither. What he saw was a slow dawning of understanding.

“That sucks,” she said.

Ian grinned. “Yes, that is one way to put it. When my father died I used a large portion of my inheritance to establish the Necromancer’s Guild as a way to give back to the community and to stop not just my family, but others as well. But, in doing so I decimated their way of life. I have a couple of cousins that have taken on legal necromancy work and have even registered with the guild, but for the most part I’m considered the ruination of the Barroes family. So, I have an overseer that is in charge of the inheritance and using it for the upkeep of the Barroes compound, and out of my own sense of familial duty the my cousins and their families have lifelong rights to live there, and I live miles away in the city.”

“I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but, here goes. I was wrong to judge you by your family’s reputation. It doesn’t mean I’m pro-necromancer,” she said hastily. “But, I do concede that you’ve done a lot to make up for some of the bad seeds.”

Had he heard right? Had Fiona Moon just admitted to being wrong? He tried his best to make his tone nonchalant, but his heart was singing out. He’d just scored a minor victory.“I suppose that if that is as good as I can get, I’ll take it. A mage cannot control what powers they are born with, only how they choose to use them.”

“I will grant you that,” Fiona conceded. Then she swept her arm around to indicate the large studio apartment. “So, tell me, what pays for all of this luxury if not your inheritance from your father. Granted this apartment is much smaller than what I would have thought, it is comfortably furnished and you do own the entire building.”

“Along with a couple of others, a several factories and few farming compounds outside of the city,” Ian replied, a grin tilting his lips. “I do, like most people, have two sides to my family tree. Both my mother’s father and grandfather were inventors. Very successful inventors.”

Fiona let out a low whistle. “Wow, I didn’t know you were so well endowed,” she laughed. “So, what did they invent?”

Ian tried to focus on her question and not on the extreme rise in blood pressure, among other things, her innuendo had incited. He forced himself to breath and answered her question. “Quite a few things, actually. They both worked a lot with Mateo Corsini.”

“I know Carly’s husband is an inventor and invented that the printing press that is used by the newspapers and bookmakers. Your grandfathers helped with that?” Fiona asked, not even trying to hide her interest and curiosity.

“Among other things. Great-Grandpap was on the first Senate Council with both of the Corsinis back at the very beginning of the reconstruction. Though books are still expensive now, they are available, back then the only books that existed were in the private libraries of those families that had been able to hoard a few and keep them safe. That included the Corsinis. The City Archive Library was their home, though they still live there now, in an apartment, at the time the entire building was their private home. It had been a public library before the cataclysm, and the Corsinis lived there to protect the books from vandalism and to keep as much knowledge of the previous society intact as they could. They kept it private, not to keep the knowledge from the general public, but to preserve it until it could be reproduced.”

“Yeah, I do know that much. I spent a lot of time at the library as a kid. Carly is the closest thing to an aunt Anya, River and I have. She tried to keep us out of trouble during the day while Pinky slept,” she told him.

“Ah, yet another thing I didn’t know about you, my mysterious Miss Moon.” He laughed and ducked the pillow she threw at him. “Okay, so no need to give you a history lesson. My great-grandfather and grandfather worked with Matt on several projects to help reconstruct some of the technological conveniences of the pre-Cataclysm era using crystal technology and renewable resources, including processes for making ink out of hemp and flax seed oils, paper making, the printing press, and other manufacturing machines.”

Fiona looked skeptical. “That’s great, but it doesn’t seem like you would get rich off of that. Especially not since the Corsinis aren’t that rich.”

Ian laughed, “They do okay. But no, it was one of my grandfather’s individual inventions that built the empire. His only lone invention, actually, he spent almost his entire life on it.”

Fiona rolled her eyes. “The suspense is killing me. So tell me already.”

A silent debate on the prudence of this topic was sliding through Ian’s head. He had to tell her now, but he hated the thought of losing the progress they had made so far. Oh well, nothing ventured, nothing gained. “My grandfather was Russell Hughes, the inventor of the…”

Fiona cut him off with a laugh, “The crystal and water powered engine for magic-motorized vehicles. I’ll be damned! Well that explains a lot.”

Not the reaction he’d expected, but he wasn’t complaining. “Like what?”

“Well,” she giggled, actually giggled. “For one, why you have so many magic vehicles.”

“I only have a two-seater rickshaw and a surrey,” he said defensively.

“Which is more than normal people, who don’t even have one rickshaw. I thought it was because you were pretentious and all along you just own the company. Hell, if I owned the engine company I’d probably have a magic vehicle of every color.” She let out another hoot of laughter.

Okay, her laughter was getting a little annoying, yet infectious. “I thought you disapproved of magic vehicles on principal.”

She took a deep breath and quit laughing, but was still smiling when she said, “No, I think magic motors are a great invention. Especially when they are put into freight carriages. Rickshaws and surreys are not practical for travel anywhere but inside the city, but they are great for that. My biggest problem is that they cost so damned much. Oh, and the snotty people who drive around in the surreys as if they are better than anyone who can’t afford the damned things.”

“I can agree with you on the cost. They are expensive to manufacture, and the factory is only capable of producing a couple of engines a week. I have science mages researching and working on the problem, but with the cost of some of the raw materials, a large price drop and increased availability just is not in the foreseeable future. And, unfortunately, there isn’t anything I can do about snotty people,” he said, flashing his most charming grin.

“Damn, it Barroes, I don’t like this a bit,” she said, her words had a serious edge but her tone still light and joking.

“What?” he asked, a little confused.

She flashed a bright, shining smile at him. “I might actually have to start liking you.”

“Oh, the horror,” he mocked. Oh, yes, progress had been made. It might not be tonight, but he was definitely one step closer to having her in his bed.

Fiona lifted her glass for a drink and stopped short when she realized it was empty. “Crap,” she said, her eyes flitting from the glass to the empty wine bottle, then his empty glass and back to the bottle. “Who drank all the wine?”

“I think we did,” Ian laughed.

“Figures,” she said, flippantly. “I’d ask if you had a bottle of something else, but it probably wouldn’t be attractive if I had to crawl two miles home on my hands and knees.”

A vision of Fiona on her hands and knees flashed into his brain.

Before he could think of a coherent response, she asked, “Where’s your bathroom?”

In addition to the front door that led to the hall and the rest of the building, there were only two doors in the apartment. Both doors, one that led to the bathroom and one that led to a large walk-in closet where Ian kept his clothes and various items, were against the far wall. The rest of the apartment that took half of the top floor of the building, was an open space that was split into distinct areas with the strategic placement of furniture and rugs. The center of the room, against wall opposite the door was the sitting area, a grouping of a sofa and two chairs, all upholstered with a soft brown fabric, and grouped around a low wooden table in front of a stone lined fireplace. Next to the sitting area was an eating area with a small round table. The sitting and eating areas separated Ian’s home office area with his desk, a comfortable chair in the corner, and several book cases occupying the end with the large windows that overlooked the river and his sleeping area which consisted of a large feather bed on a wooden frame flanked by two wood tables next to the bathroom and closet.

Ian pointed out the bathroom door to Fiona and watched her sashay across to it. Her stride was smooth and graceful with no stumbling to indicate she was impaired by the three glasses of extremely strong wine she’d consumed. Once she disappeared behind the door he stood and took the empty bottle and wine glasses to the counter behind the dining table so that his housekeeper, Mrs. Gary, would be able to find them in the morning.

He shook his head as if he could shake loose the memory of the way Fiona’s thin shorts clung to her rounded ass out of his mind. “Take it easy, Barroes,” he mumbled to himself low enough that only he could hear.

He glanced at the mantle clock and saw they had been talking for nearly two hours. He considered the fact that Fiona Moon had been in his apartment for two hours and wasn’t yet in his bed a tragedy. He would have to be happy that they had been in the same room together, alone for two hours and hadn’t argued or strangled each other. That was actually amazing progress.

He poured himself a glass of water from a pitcher on the counter and was resigning himself to the fact that the only way he’d sleep tonight was if he dipped himself in a tub full of cold water after Fiona left, when she opened the door and exited the bathroom.

“Wow, that’s a huge bathroom,” she said. “I was a little disappointed by your apartment when I first came in.”

Ian furrowed his eyebrows, “What did you expect?”

She laughed, “I don’t know. More, I guess. I mean, it’s decorated nice enough, but I really expected something larger.”

“I don’t really need any more space. This is actually more than I really need, to be completely honest.” He waved his arm to indicate the large, open expanse.

“I suppose it’s enough for one person, but I still expected something a bit larger, and I guess, more lavish. But, that bathroom, wow! I could put my bed in there and still have plenty of room. And hot and cold running water in the sink basin and the tub. Now that’s living.” She laughed heartily.

Heat zinged through Ian. He’d heard her laugh before, but it was a rare treat, and this was different. She was usually laughing at him, often cynically, but this was a relaxed, joyous laugh full of humor. And it was sexy as hell.

He couldn’t help but laugh with her. “There are a few perks to being rich, I suppose.” She was so beautiful when she smiled. He almost said as much, but stopped himself. Better to leave that to another time. Instead he said, “I know you are a big, bad Blade and can take care of yourself, and I’m risking your wrath by saying this, but in light of the earlier events of the evening, I don’t think you should walk home alone. You probably shouldn’t have been out by yourself earlier. Let me take you home in my rickshaw. Or, I can have Danielson drive you.”

He braced himself for the oncoming storm of temper, but it never came. Instead, Fiona just leaned back against the wall between the bathroom and closet doors, one foot against the wall so that her knee jutted out.

“Normally that would piss me off, but I actually agree with you. Wow, I’ve never seen a jaw drop open so fast. Close your mouth, Ian, I can be reasonable. Sometimes. Until we know more about what’s-his-name everyone in that alley tonight should be careful and not be out alone. I just needed air tonight and acted on impulse.” She said, mouth quirking up at one corner.

“You acted impulsively?” Ian quipped.

She laughed. “I know. Hard to believe isn’t it? But I don’t want you or your guard to drive me home. I have a better idea, actually.” Her grin faded away and her expression took on a sensual quality. “Instead of going home, how about I stay here with you tonight and then I can take a hot bath in that gorgeous tub in the morning?”

The moment the word “stay” passed her lips Ian started moving. He was across the room in fewer strides than it had ever taken him before and she had barely finished uttering the word “morning” when his lips came down on hers.

He pushed her against the wall, nudging her leg to the side so that he nestled against her, their bodies touching from hip to shoulder. The kiss was hot and intense. She tasted like blackberry wine and that unique Fiona flavor that had haunted him since their first kiss on the dance floor.

He forced himself to pull his head back, give them both a moment to catch their breath. He framed her face with his hands and gazed down at her. She was flushed, her lips pink and swollen and her eyes were glazed with heated passion. So damned beautiful.

“Should I be concerned that you only want me for my hot water and bathtub?” he asked, breathless.

Her sexy grin melted him into a puddle. “Oh, I wouldn’t say that’s all I want you for,” she said, running her hands over his back.

He bent down to taste the curve of her neck into her shoulder. It was hot and sweet and her shivery moan made his blood boil. He pressed his hips into her, feeling the heat of her body through their clothes. He wanted her so fucking much. But he needed to make one thing very clear, first.

“Fiona, if you stay tonight it’s not just a one night stand. This isn’t like your other no-strings flings.” He said, nipping at her shoulder.

“Mmm, whatever you say,” she half moaned, slipping both of her hands under his shirt to caress the bare skin of his back.

It took every ounce of Ian’s strength to pull himself back, but he did it. Reaching around, he grasped her wrists and pulled them away from his body, pinning them against the wall on either side of her head. He inched his body back enough that they weren’t touching anymore, but he was still close enough to feel the heat radiating off her body.

“I’m serious Fiona. Before we go any further things need to be clear between us. I’m not interested in just having sex with you. I know all about your aversion to relationships and complications, but that is exactly what I want from you. I won’t be like any of your past flings, a few good fucks then an amiable adios. I think there is something between us, could be something, more than sex. I want to explore that. If you aren’t willing, you need to go.” He let go of her wrists and then did the hardest thing he’d ever done in his life. He stepped back and away from her, out of her path to the door.

For a long moment they were still, their heavy breathing the only thing breaking the silence in the room. Fiona pushed away from the wall and Ian’s heart plummeted, then skipped a beat when she went to stand next to the bed. She turned and looked at him, her gaze steady.

“I knew what I was getting into when I walked into the building tonight.” She laughed nervously. “Well, maybe I don’t know exactly, this is uncharted territory for me. I’m not ready to make any long-term promises, but I’m willing to be open and see where it goes. And don’t give me that look. I’m not so drunk that I don’t know what I’m doing or that I will regret it in the morning.”

Ian watched, his heart pounding in his ears, as she peeled her clothing off, piece by piece. As the shorts hit the floor he realized her feet were already bare. She must have taken them off in the bathroom. While he’d been resigning himself to a cold bath, she’d been preparing for something quite different. The woman amazed him.

He had planned to wait until this case was over then go about convincing her they were meant to be together. He’d planned on a slow, methodical seduction. He should have known better. Fiona was a force of nature and she rarely did the expected and never fit her life to someone else’s schedule.

The last bit of cloth fell and he stood there, dry mouthed, taking in every inch of her smooth, silky skin from the curve of her shoulder, down to the heavy fullness of her lush breasts, down over her belly to the curve of her hip down to her creamy thighs and the ebony curls that rested between them.

He wanted to move, to reach out and touch her, to press his body into hers, but he couldn’t move his feet. He stood there, rooted to the spot, frozen despite the hot lava flowing through his veins. Obviously aware of the effect she was having on him, she shot him a sexy, seductive smile- no, it was a smirk, a sexy, seductive, self-satisfied smirk- then slowly crawled into the center of his bed. She carefully, almost demurely, arranged herself on the bed so that she was sitting on one hip, resting her weight on one outstretched arm. Her legs, modestly closed, were stretched out to the side and bent slightly at the knee so they hooked behind her a bit.

“Are you going to stand there and stare all night?” she asked, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

“Not staring,” Ian replied, his voice hoarse, “just admiring the view. You look like a Goddess sitting upon a cloud surveying her domain.”

Her seductive smile took on a triumphant air, “I am a Goddess. And I command you to worship me.”

His brain sputtered trying to come up with a witty retort, but since all of the blood had rushed south, he was coming up blank. Just this once, he decided, he would do her bidding without argument or complaint. Yes, worshiping Fiona Moon was something he had no objections to what-so-ever.

He stripped his shirt off as he moved, crossing the expanse of floor separating them and kneeling on the bed beside her in two fluid motions. He stared into her eyes as he wordlessly began roaming her body with his hands. He started with light touches to either side her temple with just the tips of his index fingers. Then he traced lazy circles down her cheeks, down her throat to her shoulders. He gazed into her eyes while he touched, watching the humor slide away, replaced by hot, smoldering desire that he knew matched his own. Still, he took his time, letting just his finger tips slide over her smooth skin, down her arms, then back up again, over her collar bone.

The gasp she let out when his fingers grazed the underside of her breast sent fire through his veins and he almost lost control. He sucked in his breath and forced himself to focus. As much as he wanted to just push her back and bury himself in her, he wanted more to make this moment memorable, for them both. He’d waited so long to have her here, naked and trembling in his bed, and now that she was, he was going to take full advantage.

Still, he wasn’t sure how much more of this teasing he could take. He lingered for a moment more on her breasts, tracing hearts and flowers up over her chest, then back up her neck. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but he silenced her by placing his fingers over her lips.

Leaning in, he reached behind her and pulled her braid around so that he could see the end. He pulled the string holding the strands together off and tossed it aside. He began running his fingers through the braid, slowly pulling it apart, careful not to pull or tangle her hair. Once it was all loose around her shoulders he pressed her backwards. He hovered over her, using one hand to hold her as he lowered her to a supine position. He dropped her hair, letting it flow over the pillow like a dark cloud.

“Perfect. More beautiful than I imagined,” he whispered against her lips, then captured them in a deep probing kiss that he didn’t break until they were both breathless.

“You imagined this? Me in your bed?” She asked, as she gasped in air.

“Oh, yes. In great detail.” He sucked her bottom lip into his mouth, tugged gently with his teeth, then let go. “Every day since the day I met you.”

Her arms tightened around him, pulling him closer as her body arched up against him. “Show me what else you imagined,” she purred.

He wordlessly lowered his mouth to the hollow of her throat and, as before, began doing as she had commanded. He trailed his mouth down her body, alternately licking, sucking, and gently nipping as tasted every inch of her soft, silky skin. She tasted like warm honeyed vanilla and something deeper, spicier, something uniquely Fiona. She moaned and clutched him tighter as he sampled each of her breasts in turn, spending time on each nipple licking and sucking them into hard little peaks before continuing down.

“Ian..” She gasped as he dipped his tongue into her navel. “I want you. Now.” Her breathing was ragged and the words came out clipped.

He smiled against the smooth skin of her belly. “Not yet,” he said as he continued to lick and kiss across her body in a zigzag pattern.

If he had his way he would have Fiona in his bed like this every minute of every day until the end of time, or at least every night for the rest of his life. And he would do everything in his power to make that happen, but there were no guarantees in life. There were no guarantees in life. But it was just as likely that she would walk away from him the second they were both sated. Just in case, he fully intended to draw this moment out, to give them both every ounce of pleasure possible.

He went slowly, making sure his lips and tongue touched every bit of exposed skin, working his way down until he reached the top of the apex of her thighs. He changed course to kiss down her hip. Fiona whimpered in protest, thrust her hands into his hair and tried to move his mouth back to the original course. He resisted and continued to use his tongue to trace the curve of her hip and thigh.

“Ian. Please. Now.”

“Shhh. I’m worshiping you,” he murmured lazily against the silky skin of her inner thigh.