“What’s your plan with Grison?” Cael asked from the door.
“At this moment, my priority is making certain he keeps his distance. I’ll develop a plan in a short time, I assure you.”
“Thad, you won’t survive another attack like tonight, and it’ll only be a matter of time before he sends his men to you in retaliation for killing nine of his men. Have you considered returning to Faery? You can bring?—”
“I’m not welcome in Faery.”The corner of his mouth lifted in a cold grin. He caught Cael’s concerned gaze. “Should Grison wish to cull his men when he’s already run thin, I eagerly await the chance to squander his wee bloody cult. As for surviving”—his mouth fell as he turned away from Cael to hide the war waging within his soul. A war that intensified the moment his gaze lowered to Rori—“’tis the least of my concerns. Any further discussion of Grison will be continued on the morrow.”
Cael understood his dismissal, closing the door behind him as he left Thaddeus alone with Rori. A significant action, considering only a day prior, his brother didn’t trust him with her. Now, he couldn’t take his eyes off the delicate woman curled tight in the bed, her expression pained and torturedeven in sleep. He gazed upon her without the preemptive bias of the mortal shortcomings he’d desperately held to until this eve. All his efforts were put to waste the moment he witnessed a seductive dance between Rori and her friend that escalated toward a kiss, had he not interrupted.
Jealousy. That vile darkness. It caused him to react recklessly, showing himself when he had no intention of revealing his presence. He’d followed the woman to ensure Grison kept his men away after overhearing his command that put a death stamp on Rori.
Never could he have anticipated the turn of events that shattered all the barriers he’d placed against the redheaded beauty.
Aye, for she was beautiful. So utterly, heartbreakingly beautiful, and she had felt delightful in his arms, against his body, sending his more primitive desires wild. The feel of her soft skin, the yield of her pouty lips, her brazen taunt and her self-conscious modesty. ’Twas a split-second switch, a circuit overpowering the resistance he’d held tightly to that finally connected in an explosive turn of events.
Silencing his steps and cushioning his weight as he settled on the edge of the bed, he traced the delicate angle of her jaw. Soft, smooth skin, clean of blood spatter. He gathered a thick wave of her hair, allowing it to slide across his palm like cool satin until it fell to the pillow. His fingers burned to sink into her hair as they had earlier. Goddess, his entire body seethed with untempered desire. How he craved the idea of slipping beneath the sheet, drawing her into his arms, and delivering her peace in sleep. He could hold her for the rest of the eve, keeping her in a sleep state until morn.
Alas, he doubted she’d find solace in his embrace. Not after all he’d done to her thus far. A single eve of healing simply wouldn’t be enough to reconciliate for his wrongs.
“’Tis better this way,storín. To hold such contempt toward me. Protect your heart so you suffer no more hurt. I’ll bear it for us both.”
’Twas the least he could do after the suffering he’d put her through.
15
Sunlight dappled across her eyelids, drawing her from sleep. She rolled onto her back and stretched her arms over her head, bowing off the bed as every muscle and joint pulled, then relaxed.
Relaxed.
A faint grin touched her mouth as she opened her eyes. When was the last time she’d slept so well, waking with no memory of dreams or nightmares, no restless tossing and turning? When did she last sleep so deeply and felt so refreshed upon waking, rather than the dread of facing another day?
She pushed herself upright, the bulky sleeves of the thermal shirt she’d borrowed from Cael pooling around her hands. He’d lent her his shirt and a pair of Cassy’s shorts after she showered to get the bloodstains off her skin and out of her hair. To wash away the horrors of the night before climbing into bed and casting reality to darkness.
But not before she returned to Thaddeus.
She’d sat on the bed beside him for an hour, her mind in turmoil, her soul in pieces. He created such conflict insideher and she didn’t know how to face it. The way he filled that void in the recesses of her spirit, the secure understanding that he alone completed her while he alone infuriated her. The emotional rollercoaster was one she didn’t have the energy to embark on, while it was the only thing she desired most. She traced the lightened areas of skin over his heart, the two marks that were the width of arrow shafts. Two scars that occasionally sputtered with smoky magic before it sucked into the depths of his skin. Reciprocal magic, from what Cael had explained. The curse entwined with his healing.
Last night, he’d kissed her. He’d kissed her the way she’d imagined a man would kiss a woman who fed him life he needed to survive. He fought to protect her like he would die beside her if she perished. He had provided her modesty while healing her with hands so gentle she almost forgot how cold and cruel he had been only days before.
Last night, something changed between them, and the reality of how it made her feel frightened her more than crossing paths with Rich. The furthest thing from her mind after all she’d suffered with her ex was wanting anything from another man. And yet, she found herself craving Thaddeus’s touch, his presence, his kiss. A kiss that had wrapped her in righteousness. Sparked something warm and bright from the depths of her chest.
She climbed from the bed and haphazardly pulled her hair up in a ponytail, waves cast over her cheeks. As she came to the door, she listened, heard soft conversation, words unintelligible but the pitch of one person sounded very similar to Cassy. A faint sense of relief swept through her, knowing her friend was here. Things were getting more awkward between herself and Cael with all these damn secrets and sudden one-on-one time. Normalcy was what she needed right now, andthere was no better way of obtaining that than seeing Cassy and Cael all lovey-dovey while she played the third wheel.
When she opened the door, she was greeted by Cassy beelining toward her, a small toiletry bag in her hand and a huge smile on her face. She looked happier than ever, refreshed, with a spring in her step that Rori often envied. Her closest friend found true happiness with Cael, despite not knowing what he really looked like, or his true age, or that he wasn’t human. Trivial details that could be overlooked, she supposed.
“God, girl. You’re fucking stunning with that bedhead of yours.” Cassy nudged her with her shoulder. “Sexy siren.” With a snigger, she leaned in close. “Saw and heard your siren’s call caught the attention of Steve’s brother. Who, may I add, I had no clue even existed.” She held out the bag. “Figured you’d be wanting these. Go freshen up so you can give me all the details, because the way he swooped in and ran off with you?” Cassy fanned herself with exaggerated fervor. “Heaven help me, I thought I’d swoon.AfterI panicked and almost rained hell down on him.”
Rori smiled, her face on fire as she took the bag and hugged it to her chest. She cast Cael a curious glance around Cassy’s arm. Cael minutely shook his head. Rori turned her attention back to Cassy.
“There’s nothing between us. I’m still a little confused by what happened.” A partial truth. She tapped the bag. “Thanks.”
After taking her time freshening up, she found Cassy and Cael on the balcony, sharing conversation over coffee and pastries. Despite her attempt to refrain, Rori found herself scanning the condo, her heart doing an annoying flutter as she searched for Thaddeus. It irked her that she felt even a bit compelled to seek him out. When she realized he wasn’tpresent—no confusing sensations indicated he was nearby either—a hollowness weighed in her gut. It made her slightly nauseous, like a significant rush of vitality fled her suddenly.
“Good morning, Rori,” Cael greeted from where he leaned against the railing.
Cassy twisted, a smile beaming across her face. She waved Rori over, picking up an untouched mug of steaming coffee from the bistro table and handing it to her as she joined them. She made it a point to keep to Cassy’s side, but found it hard to avoid Cael’s watchful gaze. When she finally relented and looked up at him, he made a slight motion with his eyes to the beach below. She instinctively scanned the empty expanse of sand, the swaying seagrass barriers, and the clump of trees close to the pathway from the building to the beach. No one. Nothing. Just the soothing sound of the calm waves lapping at the water-hardened sand and the seagulls squawking as they perused the beach for scraps of food.
“Steve was filling me in on the deets about Ryan. Said he came for a surprise visit the other day, saw you and lost his ever-loving mind, head-over-heels madly in love.”
