Darkest Risings (25 page)

“Holy
cow! That must have been uncomfortable finding out the man you had a
one-nighter with was your friend’s brother-in-law.”

“Yeah,
but…hey! I never said I had a one-nighter with him!”

“You
did now. You really need to work on that little stuttering thing if you want to
lie to me.” Lindsey laughed.

“I
swear, you are the one who should have been the journalist. You’re sneaky.”

“Nyah.
I just know how to pull my sister’s strings. You aren’t bad at it either, hun.”

“Okay.”
Wilhemina sighed. “Yes. I slept with him at Drake’s. Kind of anyway,” she
muttered under her breath.

“How
can you
kind
of sleep with someone?
You either did or didn’t.”

“Welllll,
he wasn’t happy when he discovered I was a virgin.”

“O-M-G!
You had a one-nighter with a man while you were still a virgin? You were still
a virgin!”

“It
was a stupid idea, but you know what happens once I get something in my head.”

“Yep.
Trouble most of the time. Why do I have the feeling there’s so much more?”
          

“There
is, but it’s complicated.”

“Wait.”
Lindsey sat close and scrutinized Wilhemina before her eyelids flew wide. “You
are in love with him.”

Wilhemina
didn’t answer.

“You
are. Aren’t you?”

“It
doesn’t matter.” Wilhemina stood. “How can I be with someone whose mother is
responsible for kidnapping my sister?”

“Really,
Wilhemina. Aldin isn’t the one who kidnapped me. He didn’t know anything about
it until recently. It’s not his fault.”

“I
guess I know that, but still. I can’t be connected to him. After we leave here,
I don’t want to subject you to any of them any longer. It’ll only bring back
bad memories. Besides, how can I be with someone who supports kidnapping? After
all, he wouldn’t let me turn Marilena in to the police, and I highly doubt they
are planning on punishing her in any way.”
    
“Sit back down, Wilhemina.” Lindsey
waited for her to sit before continuing. “Listen to me carefully. I will always
be pissed as hell that I was taken from you, that I missed all those years with
you, that I missed Nana’s funeral. But the thing I’m most upset about? The
thing that I cannot ever forgive? What you went through because of my
disappearance.”

“Lindsey—”

“No.
Let me finish. Please.”

Wilhemina
nodded.

“At
first I was so scared, Willy. All I did was cry for you. For Nana. Then I just
felt sorry for myself.
 
But after awhile,
I adjusted. It’s funny how you can do that when you have no other choice.
Marilena gave me the best of everything. And she talked to me. A lot. I don’t
know why. I got the feeling that she was scared and alone. I can never pretend
to agree with or condone what she did, but I do understand. She was trying to
protect her family. And as far as the nonsense about Aldin supporting her
actions by not turning her in to the police like you wanted? What would be the
point? No jail would ever hold Marilena, and they can’t risk others finding out
what they are.”

“I
understand that she was trying to protect her family, but I hate her for taking
you from me.”

“I
hate her for that as well. She couldn’t see that, no matter what she did, she
could not change Fate. And you know what I think?”

“What?”

“I
think deep down she knew what she was trying to do would never work, but she
refused to acknowledge that little fact. By the time she realized she had
messed up big time, things had spiraled completely out of control. At that
point, she’d dug herself into a hole so deep she kept up the charade until it
became impossible to do so any longer.”

“It’s
no excuse. She deserves to pay for what she’s done.”

Lindsey
sighed. “While I agree, I can’t help but think that she has paid dearly
already, and will most likely continue to pay for the rest of her life.”

“What
do you mean?”

“It’s
obvious that Marilena’s family means everything to her. She would not have gone
to the lengths she did to keep her children safe otherwise. Can you imagine the
hell she is going through knowing that her own misguided actions have altered
the way her sons, her whole family, now sees her? She’s probably lost Uriah
forever. I can’t imagine he will ever be able to forgive her for what she’s
done to him. And Aldin, Ashe, Aiston? She lied to them for years. She kept
their brother from them. She kept their father from them. She also
inadvertently hurt Aldin by hurting you when she kidnapped me. I don’t know
about you, but that sounds like a living hell to me. Believe me, I’m not
making, nor will I ever make excuses for Marilena. I’ve just had a really,
really, really long time to think about things.”

“I
guess I have to agree with that. It still makes me no less angry. And I can’t
believe you are Uriah’s life mate.”

“As
far as Uriah is concerned? She never divulged that particular information to me
until now. Besides, I don’t think much of him, especially after he hit you.
Accident or not. He’s an overbearing, over-confident, pompous ass, and a bully.
That’s not a good first impression.”

She
told Lindsey about how Uriah flirted with her in the kitchen and how she
assumed he had done so because they were sisters. “And in case you didn’t
notice, most of the Aleksandrov men seem overbearing. You have to admit that
they are all delicious, though.” Wilhemina smiled.

“Oh,
I’m not blind, sister. They are all yummy indeed, but that’s beside the point.
What are you going to do about Aldin? I don’t want you to give up your
happiness because of me. If you love him, you fight for him.”

She
did love him, but could she really get over what his family had done to
Lindsey? Lindsey held most of her grudge toward Marilena because of how
Wilhemina had suffered. Wilhemina felt the same way toward Marilena about Lindsey’s
suffering. She could come to terms with all of it eventually, but the fact that
her sister had been upset and hurt emotionally? While it seemed Lindsey had
been treated like a princess, that didn’t alleviate the mental suffering they
had both endured from being separated.

She
couldn’t deny the fact that she wanted Aldin, would always want him, but could
she get past what his mother had done? Before she could contemplate that
further, a knock sounded on the door, and she was surprised to find the object
of her thoughts on the other side.

“I
need to talk to you, Wilhemina.”

He
looked pale to her, and worry gnawed at her stomach. “Are you okay?”

“Yes.
Just a bit shaky still.”

“I
think it is time I got to know the house I will be
staying
in. I also think it’s time for me to have a little chat
with Uriah,” Lindsey said from behind her.

“You
don’t have to leave,” Wilhemina said.

Lindsey
hugged her and whispered into her ear, “I think I do. You two need to talk. And
take your time
talking
. I won’t be
back for awhile.”

Wilhemina’s
face blazed with heat as Lindsey turned to Aldin and patted him on the chest.

“I
know you heard what I just said even though I whispered it. My advice is to
take advantage of it.”

If
Wilhemina’s nerves weren’t jumping all over the place, she might find Aldin’s
dazed response to Lindsey’s comments funny. Lindsey brushed past him and
disappeared down the hallway.

She
knew they would have to talk at some point. She guessed now was as good of time
as any. She opened the door wider to let him inside before closing it behind
him.

No
sooner had she turned to face him, he was crowding her back against the wall
with his big frame. His mouth came down on hers hot and demanding. Her knees
weakened along with her resolve when his tongue dipped past her lips and began
a slow, erotic dance with her own.

They
were both panting by the time he broke the kiss and rested his forehead against
hers. The hand he’d brought up to cup her nape while they’d kissed was warm,
and his long fingers massaged her lightly.

“I
know we have to talk about everything at some point, but I need you right now,
Wilhemina.”

She
looked up into turbulent eyes and nearly forgot how to breathe. He was
beautiful when he was angry. And damn, he was pissed, but that anger was not
directed toward her. His desire for her mingled with the anger, and it was
evident that his body cried out for her…for comfort. She knew this because she
felt the same way.

No
matter how upset she was about everything that had happened, about everything
that was still happening, she wanted him. His touch soothed her. When his mouth
and hands were on her, all the problems, all the rest of the world, disappeared
for awhile. When they were together, only they existed.

“I
need you too, Aldin.” But she stopped him before his lips could claim hers
again. “But I need you to be you. I don’t want gentle. I don’t want you to hold
back. I need
you. The real you
.”

His
eyes instantly turned black, and she gasped.

“I
don’t want to hurt you.” He placed his palms flat against the wall on either
side of her head.

“I
promise I will tell you if you hurt me or if you do anything that makes me
uncomfortable. Now take me. I need you.”

He
trailed the backs of his fingers down her cheek to her neck and stopped just
above the slope of her breast over her heart. “This is mine,” he said quietly.
His fingers continued the journey over her nipple, along her ribcage, over her
stomach, then slid between her legs. “And this is mine also. No one else but I
will ever slide inside your pretty pink pussy again. You are mine, Wilhemina.
No matter what. From now on. You are mine.”

She
groaned when he rubbed his fingers against her. Her body rocked against him,
and wetness rushed between her thighs. How could he make her this hot this
fast?

Because you love him.

“Don’t ever forget that. We can get
through anything together.”

“It’s still weird to me when we talk
like this, but strangely comforting at the same time.”

His
laughter slid through her brain, and he rubbed his finger against her clit
again. “
It’s only weird because you’ve
never talked to anyone like this. It’s comforting because it is meant to be.
You reside in my mind now, Wilhemina. You are an addiction I never want to
kick. You are embedded in my soul forever.”

He
still hadn’t said he loved her, and while she couldn’t deny she ached to hear
him say those words, the ones he’d just spoken were nearly as good.

The
way he was touching her heated her body with every caress and brought out her
naughty wanton side with abandon. She writhed hard against him and thought the
words she would probably never find the nerve to speak out loud.

“
I need you inside me right now, Aldin. I
want you to fuck me.”

She
waited for embarrassment to flood her, but when his black eyes seared her with
need, she felt free and wicked and wanted to do things she’d only thought about
in her deepest, darkest fantasies, wanted to do them with him and only him.

His
mouth slammed down on hers, and both of them frantically tore at each others’
clothing. Within moments, she was naked, and he was left only wearing jeans and
boots. He picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist as he pushed
her hard against the wall before wedging his hips between her thighs. She
moaned as his tongue dipped inside her mouth and she dug her nails into his
broad back while arching hard against him.

When
he dipped his head toward her breasts, she cupped one and guided the tightened
nipple to his mouth. His tongue curled around the tight peak then flicked
before his teeth nipped her. She reached between them and tugged impatiently on
the buttons of his jeans. After they finally popped open, he sprang free into
her hand.

He
groaned when she wrapped her fingers around his cock and stroked him firmly.
She was mindless with need for him. She worked him while he tortured her
nipples with his tongue and mouth, and when he scraped his teeth along her
sensitive skin, fireworks shot off behind her eyelids. She wanted more. She
needed more. She wanted all of him.

“
Do it, Aldin.”
She guided him to the
drenched opening that wept for him. “
Do
it now!”

His
teeth popped through her skin as his hips arched up and he pushed his cock deep
inside her. The suction of his mouth made her inner muscles clench hard around
him, and he froze.

“
You’re going to fucking kill me, Wilhemina.
When you clench around my cock like that, I can’t think straight.”

“I’m not thinking too clearly myself
right now. It feels so good, almost too good, when you are inside me. I had no
idea you drinking my blood could arouse me to the point where I could come from
it.”
She pushed her fingers through his
short, dark hair and strained against him. “
Fuck
me while you take my blood.”