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"Well, she has to love you of her own free will, Aidan. You can't manipulate or coerce her into feeling the way you want her to. And you can't use your powers on her. It's wrong."
He knew that, and the thought had never occurred to him to use magic in any way to coerce Lissa into loving him. She either did or she didn't. And he had to tell her, he had to find out one way or the other.
"What will you do if she says no?" Angelina asked.
He shrugged. "Go on with my life as it was before I met her, I guess." Although the thought stabbed him in the gut. What if he laid his heart out and she said she didn't feel the same way?
Even scarier, what if she said she loved him, too?
*
Melissa gripped the edges of the tiny sink in the bathroom, trying to quell her body's tremors.
She shouldn't have eavesdropped on Aidan and his mother, shouldn't have listened in. But she had, and what she heard chilled her.
Granted, they had been whispering, but she'd managed to pick up at least part of their conversation, and it had been about her. Aidan and his mother were talking about his feelings toward her. First, her heart soared, hoping Aidan would tell his mother he had deep feelings for her. But then she heard the words that sent dread plummeting her heart into her stomach.
Free will. Manipulation. Feelings. Powers.
She shivered as the goosebumps rose on her skin. Surely Aidan wouldn't do that to her, wouldn't use his magic to make her feel things she ordinarily wouldn't feel.
How could she trust her emotions now? Was she really in love with Aidan, did she really have the kind of passion they'd experienced, or was it all some kind of dream? Had he used his magic to make her feel these things for him?
Damn him for doing this to her, just when she'd thought she had it all figured out. She was in love with him, he was everything she'd ever dreamed of--virile, passionate, fun loving, intelligent, professional--or was he? Was he all those things she wanted in a man, or had Aidan somehow picked the perfect man out of her mind and transformed himself?
Ridiculous. This was reality, not fantasy and he couldn't make her feel anything she didn't want to feel, right?
She stepped out of the bathroom and plopped onto the bed, cradling her head in her hands. Tears burned her eyes, but she refused to give in to them. Right now she needed logic and common sense, not an emotional tantrum.
Grabbing for her clothes, she quickly dressed and ran a comb through her hair, binding it back with a clip. She searched out her shoes. She had to get out of there and sort out what happened. But how would she get past Aidan?
There was no way she could handle a confrontation with him right now. Not until she could get her feelings under control. After last night's lovemaking, her heart soaring with emotion for him, she'd thought this morning would be easy. She was going to tell him she loved him, put her heart on the line, and see where it led.
But now? Now she couldn't even speak to him. What would she say? How would she ask the questions she needed to ask? And more importantly, would she even be able to believe his answers?
She tiptoed up the stairs quietly and peeked out the porthole in the door, spotting Aidan and his mother on the dock. Angelina gestured to something in the wooded area, and the two of them set off away from the house.
Now was her chance to make an escape before he came back. She swallowed the guilt pounding her heart and flew through the doorway, climbing off the boat and streaking toward the front of the house. Thankfully she'd found her purse on board and dug for her car keys, slipping as quietly as possible into the front seat.
She would talk to him, she thought as she drove off the Storm property. They had to get things settled between them. But not now, not when her every thought was screaming that he'd lied to her, used her, manipulated her.
Right now she needed to be alone--it was time to think.
*
Three days later and she still had no answers. Three days later and she still couldn't talk to Aidan, afraid of what he'd say, and more afraid of what he wouldn't.
What if he put thoughts in her head she didn't want there? What if he let her believe he loved her, that he wanted her to stay? What if she wanted to believe him so badly she'd let him?
She twisted and turned under the covers, completely exhausted. Throwing the soft sheets aside, she rose and padded over to the window, looking out on yet another gray, cloud covered day. The weather had been this way since that day she'd awakened on the boat and heard Aidan talking to his mother.
He'd tried to call her, to see her, but she wouldn't let him in, and quickly hung up whenever he called. She'd conducted business via email, since their project was nearly completed anyway. The brochures and plan had been designed and decided upon and the wheels were already in motion. She was flying back to Boston tomorrow.
She crossed her arms to ward off the chill in the room. Inside, she felt empty, as if all the passionate emotion she'd carried around for nearly a month had fled the moment she realized Aidan had put those feelings there.
Now she was convinced of it. And somehow he knew that she knew. Not that he'd told her, because she couldn't face him--didn't want to look at his beautiful face when he lied to her.
A knock on the door had her grabbing for a robe. She glanced at the clock and knew it had to be room service because she'd sent in her breakfast order last night for delivery now.
She threw open the door and her heart plummeted to the ground.
"Aidan," she whispered.
Without asking, he walked past her and into the room. Irritated, she stood there with the door open, but knew she wasn't going to be able to throw him out.
Besides, she wasn't a coward. Never had been before, but she'd sure been one lately. It was time she faced him and told him what she really thought about him. She shut the door and stepped into the living room, ignoring how fine he looked this morning. Other than the shadow of dark circles under his eyes, he looked gorgeous. Tanned, dressed in a simple white polo shirt and jeans that fit snug against his rear.
Visions of digging her heels into that fine ass as he thrust his cock inside her moistened her instantly. She shook the images aside and asked, "What are you doing here?"
"Looking for answers."
He faced her head on, his dark gaze holding her. Was he using magic on her at this moment? He had to be, because her heart ached at the very sight of him, and she could almost believe the pain she saw on his face.
Almost.
"I don't have any answers for you." She swept past him, but he grabbed her arm.
"Oh, I think you do."
She wouldn't let him do this to her. Wrenching her arm away, she said, "We have nothing to discuss. I heard you and your mother talking on the boat the other day."
He arched a brow. "So?"
Typical of him to think nothing was untoward. "So, I heard you two."
"And?"
Fury blazed a heated trail through her veins. "How could you manipulate me like that, Aidan?"
He frowned. "What the hell are you talking about?"
She didn't believe his look of confusion. "You know exactly what I'm talking about, so don't play innocent with me. My feelings for you, my emotions, everything that's happened between us this month has all been your doing."
"My doing? Lissa, you don't make sense. Explain."
"Why should I?" She turned her back on him, not wanting to see the pain on his face, knowing it was all a lie. "You already know everything. And now, so do I. We're finished, Aidan. You've had your fun with me and now it's over. Our business is through, and we are, too."
"I don't get it."
She whirled around, unable to believe he'd still hold on to the lie. "Your magic. You used it make me feel things for you, to make me--" She'd almost said love you. But she didn't love him, wouldn't love him, not like this. When she fell in love it would be by her own choice, and without any magic.
"I would never do that to you, Lissa. Hell, I can't do that. Our magic doesn't manipulate emotions, only the weather."
"Please leave, Aidan. I've emailed you the final changes on the marketing plan and I'm going back to Boston tomorrow. Don't make this any more painful for the both of us than it already is."
He hesitated, jammed his fingers through his hair and paced the room for a few seconds. Then he turned back to her. "I'd never do anything to hurt you, Lissa. I love you."
Her heart stopped at his quietly spoken words. Words that had sounded so sincere they pierced her soul. This was the ultimate torture, like he'd just stabbed her dead center where it would hurt the most. "Don't say that," she whispered.
"It's true. I love you and I don't want to lose you. Stay with me."
She refused to believe his words were true. He couldn't love her. He just didn't want to lose because her leaving wasn't his idea. Maybe in his sick and twisted mind he wanted to be the one to end the game.
And that's all she was to him--a game.
"You're doing this to protect yourself," he said, his jaw clenched tight.
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me. You're so afraid to love that you've concocted this whole magic as manipulation thing to make it easier for you to leave."
"That's ridiculous." How dare he turn this around so it was her fault?
"Do you believe I love you?"
"No." She couldn't, wouldn't, give in to the emotion sucking her under. Aidan's charms were powerful, but she had her own inner strength. She would not fall for his pull.
"I do love you, you know." He reached for her, but she stepped back, knowing if he touched her she'd be lost. As it was, she felt herself weakening, aching to throw her arms around him and kiss him until she couldn't think anymore.
He dropped his hand to his side and sucked in a quick breath. "You really don't believe I'm telling you the truth."
"No, I don't."
"Then I don't have anything else to say. I'm sorry you don't know me as well as I thought you did. Or my family. Or the magic."
"I don't want to know the magic any more than I do now."
"You've made that clear." He lifted his chin and walked to the door, then turned back to her and said, "You're making a mistake, Lissa. You're walking out on us, on what we could have together, and someday you'll be sorry you did."
