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This is what she wanted, wasn't it?
All she had to do was reach up and knock.
And she would.
In a minute.
As soon as she found her missing courage.
Chapter Nine
Aidan pulled the cork from the bottle of wine and poured a hefty amount into his glass. On his way into the living room he flipped the switch on the CD player. Mellow jazz sounds filled the room, soft and...
Shit. Soft and sexy and made him think of Melissa. He stepped to the window and stared out at the cloud-covered skies, the restlessness and power of the coming storm stirring him.
Taking a slow swallow of wine, he closed his eyes, wondering where Melissa was right now. Seeing her dressed as she was before she went out on the town with his sisters nearly weakened the resolve he'd struggled to work up for the past several days.
She certainly hadn't made it any easier. For five days he'd acted more the uninterested party than he ever had before. Never had it been so difficult to pretend he had no interest in someone.
Especially someone like Melissa, who he had some weird, magical connection to. Every time her thoughts drifted toward him the magic would take over, sucking him into her world no matter where he was, no matter how much he fought the connection.
And it was getting damn hard to fight it. Actually, he was just getting damn hard. All the time. So hard it was painful. He hadn't even gotten himself off the past couple days for fear he'd connect with her.
He threaded his hand through his hair and blew out a frustrated sigh. Thunder rolled ominously in the distance. Something was going to happen tonight. He could feel it in the air--the tension of the coming storm, the fierce power amassing all around him. Maintaining control over the magic would be paramount. He couldn't afford to lose it right now.
Maybe the wine and soft strains of jazz would calm the ferocity of emotions swirling inside him.
A soft knock sounded at the door. As he headed over he glanced at the clock. After ten. Who would come over this time of night? He threw open the door and a gust of wind blew inside, swirling around him and squeezing the magic to near bursting.
Melissa.
The shock rolled through him and he found himself unable to speak.
"It's windy out here. Can I come in?"
He shook off the mesmerizing sight of her and nodded. "Sorry."
She stepped in and smoothed her hair, then did something he'd never seen her do. She pulled the clip holding it back in a ponytail and shook it free. His breath stopped as she pulled her fingers through it.
Long and satiny, falling over her shoulders and breasts, just as he'd imagined. He dug his fingers into his palms to keep from reaching out and sliding his hands into the silken mass and dragging her forward so he could capture her mouth.
The pain of resistance was near unbearable. The semi-darkened room lit up with a lightning strike.
"It's fierce out there," she said.
It was about to get fierce in here. "Would you like a glass of wine?"
She nodded, attempting a smile. "I'd love one. Thank you."
He poured another for himself and one for her, then directed her to the sofa in front of the window. She sat and crossed her legs, giving Aidan a view of bare, sexy limbs. He breathed hard to force down the erection already straining against his jeans.
"You have a beautiful home, Aidan."
He sat and surveyed the living room. He'd always liked the earth tones. They calmed him, made him feel connected to the elements. The soft leather sofa gave way easily under his weight as he shifted.
"Thanks."
"Did you decorate it yourself?"
"Yes." Why was she here? Certainly not to view his decorating skills.
"You did a great job." She looked around the room. "I love the dark fireplace."
Aidan followed her gaze to the mahogany mantle he'd made himself. "Me too."
"I usually don't like decorating that's so dark. But yours is rich. I really like the--"
"Why did you come, Lissa?" he interrupted.
He watched her slender throat as she swallowed, aching to press his lips to her erratically beating pulse.
"I wanted to talk to you."
Her nearness distracted him so much he barely heard her response. Aidan inhaled her scent, the essence of lavender that slipped inside his senses making coherence a near impossibility. Already, visions of them naked and entwined on various pieces of furniture in the house had entered his stream of consciousness.
She felt it too, because damn if he wasn't connecting with her. His eyes briefly closed, long enough to merge with her wants and needs, to feel the storm that raged inside her, its potency matching his.
Then he opened his eyes and looked at her, watching as she licked her lips and studied him. The shot to his groin was painful, yet filled with promise. "Talk to me? About what?"
Her eyes opened wide and he drowned in a sea of green.
"About us."
Thunder sounded, growing ever closer.
"What about us, Lissa?" He would not touch her. Wouldn't go through the
ball-busting feeling of rejection if she pushed him away again.
She stood and walked to the window. He stood and followed, waiting patiently while she turned and met his gaze.
"There's...there's something I've been trying to tell you for the past few days."
"Tell me? Tell me what?"
Her lashes fluttered down against her cheeks for a few seconds, then she tilted her head up again. "Not really tell you. Show you is more like it."
The flash of lightning seared the room in a bright glow, followed by the low growl of thunder. It was coming closer.
"Show me what?"
Her chest rose and fell with her labored breaths, her nipples already puckering under the flimsy top she wore. But still, he wouldn't touch her.
"Aidan, I think you know."
"Maybe I do. Then again, maybe I don't. It's up to you to tell me what you want, Lissa."
She let out a shaky sigh. "I don't know if I can."
At least there was honesty in her statement. He felt the same way--both the intense need to possess her and the reluctance to take that next step. "Try me."
Hesitation crossed her face before she squared her shoulders and said, "I want you, Aidan."
The wind lashed tree limbs against the window as he let the magic free. No longer able to control his powers where Melissa was concerned, he took a step forward and pulled her into his arms, his mouth descending on hers.
She tasted wild and fierce like the elements outside. Like him. Raging passion spun out of control. She wound her fingers into his hair, tugging his head down to hold him in place.
As if he'd go anywhere. She was his, this was meant to be, and no amount of denial on his part was going to make it go away. Briefly his mind registered the destiny his mother often spoke of, but he pushed it aside.
"Destiny be damned," he murmured against her lips.
"What?" she asked, her voice breathless.
"Nothing. Give me your mouth, Lissa. Open for me."
She did, and it was heaven. Hot, rolling fire seared his tongue as it met hers. He thirsted for her, needed the sweet rain of her juices to quench the burning desire she'd stoked inside him.
Nudging her legs apart with his knee, he stepped between them and pressed his erection against her mound, rewarded with her whimper.
"I need you Aidan."
"I know, cher. It's long past time for us." Recapturing her mouth, he lightly nipped at her bottom lip, trying to hold back the forces of nature threatening to take over. The lights flickered inside, then power went out completely.
He'd lit candles earlier, instinctively knowing what was coming. They bathed the living room in an amber glow, casting an ethereal light on Lissa's face.
"You take my breath away," he said, tracing her cheekbones with his fingertips. "So beautiful, so full of passion."
"I've wanted this f
rom the moment I saw you," she said, her fingertips lightly traveling down his neck and over his shoulders. His body heated to boiling.
"You took too damn long deciding to tell me this. Now I don't think I can control it."
Melissa sucked in a gasp at the maelstrom of sensations, almost more than she could process at one time. Aidan's eyes darkened, their warm depths flaming with his desire. His erection pressed roughly against her and she fought to breathe. "Control what?"
"This. Everything. Never mind. This just won't be...I can't promise that I'll--"
