CHAPTER SEVEN #4
“Like hell,” Brie cried softly. She already had the basin and linen and soap. His face hardened, but she ignored it, gently going for his raw chest. His body tightened as she tried to wash it, but he didn’t make a sound.
She knew it hurt. She slowly and methodically washed the area. Suddenly she heard Will snicker. Brie glanced at him and he shrugged. “The Wolf will live,” he said, and walked out.
Brie turned back and realized why Will was so amused. “How can you be aroused now?” Clearly he was shielding himself from her, because she couldn’t feel the desire, just as she couldn’t feel his pain.
His eyes blazed. “I want ye to leave—now.”
She went still.
“I need power,” he said softly. “I can heal myself, mayhap because I was a Master once an’ the gods are confused, but I’ll heal quicker if I take power.”
And she understood why he was aroused. “You would never hurt me—you swore that you wouldn’t.”
He breathed hard. “I am hurt as I haven’t been hurt in my entire life, an’ I am tired, very tired…. Ye need to leave.”
He dropped the block on his emotions. Thick lust swirled and filled her. It was hot and ravenous, dark and predatory, indifferent to everything but itself and intent on self-gratification. But with it, she felt desire.
She tensed, aware of the incredible difference between his passions.
“I will never believe that you commit pleasure crimes.” Was she deluding herself?
She’d felt this lust before, when they’d first met after her rescue from the gang.
“Hold still,” she said, and she poured what looked like scotch over his raw torso.
The lust was making her ill, but the desire made her heart race.
He grunted. “Are ye jealous of the women I’ll take to my bed tonight?”
Oh, that hurt. She did not look up, trembling. “You have this huge reputation as a great lover, and I don’t think that would be the case if you left your lovers dead.” She seized his left hand and started washing his raw arm with water, swiftly this time because she was so upset.
I am going to take power, Brianna, but I willna hurt ye.
She stiffened as his words washed through her mind. She looked up. He was staring at her.
“I don’t believe it,” she whispered.
“I leave the women alive,” he said harshly.
It was so hard to grapple with what he was telling her. Yet that lust for power was unmistakable.
“Ah, ye’ve finally lost yer faith. Do ye fear me now, too?” He shrugged her off. “Dinna touch me.”
She backed away. He met her stare. “No, Aidan,” she finally said.
“I don’t fear you. And I guess I was right—you haven’t left a trail of dead Innocents in your wake.
” But she was terse. He was the son of a demon.
Demons lusted for power and took it at will.
Demons destroyed. But he hadn’t used her, taken power from her or destroyed her.
And while history accused him of many bloody deeds, he was admitting to leaving his lovers alive.
Dinna touch me.
Brie tensed, suddenly recalling her hands on his hard chest, his trembling, taut body, his spiking desire and hers. “What happened in that dream?”
Aidan looked at her with surprise. “Ye can fight my powers o’ enchantment?”
“You came to me to take power,” she said slowly, struggling to remember. “But you didn’t, did you?”
He stood, reaching behind him without turning, taking a plaid and wrapping it around his waist. “Yer a fierce, annoyin’ woman,” he said, eyes hard. But his gaze moved to her mouth.
It was déjà vu. He had looked at her mouth with so much hunger…but he hadn’t kissed her. She had kissed him—and then he had kissed her back. “You kissed me.”
“Ye recall the dream?” He was disbelieving.
“Just bits and pieces of it.” She shook. “Oh my God. That kiss—it was huge.” Her eyes widened as she recalled the explosion of passion. “It was desire, not lust! Did we make love?”
“Yer still a virgin,” he snapped, his anger blazing. “It was a damned dream!” He reached for a bottle of wine sitting on the portable desk and popped the cork with his fingers.
Bracing against the anger, Brie whispered, “Then why are you so upset?”
His mouth curled. “I’m hardly distraught over a dream. I haven’t thought about it, not until now.”
He was lying. She felt the lie quivering between them, just the way she felt the desire cowering behind the lust for power. “Take the spell off me.”
He looked coolly at her. “So ye can relive the dream?”
“You came to me in a dream,” she whispered. Her heart lurched. What had happened?
His eyes widened. Then, savagely, he replied, “I came to use ye, Brianna, but ye refuse to ken the truth.”
She hugged herself. “No. Because I recall that kiss, and it was filled with passion.”
“I need power,” Aidan said, his gaze brilliant with sudden fury. “I want power. I went to ye to take power!” He whirled. “Ye want sex? Ye want pleasure? Find a lover, but it won’t be me.”
His fury caused Brie to collapse on the bed. She looked up at him. He was livid, but the memories started rushing over her, through her. “Making love won’t doom you, Aidan. It will heal you.”
“Ye canna heal me, Brianna. I willna allow it.” His teeth bared, he stormed from the tent.