Heart and Soul (30 page)

“Besides, I am not blind, Kelsey.” A stupid jackass, perhaps, but not blind.

Hell. Even a blind man could sense a difference here. He opened his mouth to say something else, but his voice cut off abruptly as the stereo came on. The hard, driving sounds of classic Aerosmith came screeching out of the speakers, and three of them had to bite back a grin as the blonde clapped her hands over her ears and stumbled away from the stereo like it had bitten her.

Vax rounded the couch and turned down the volume before turning the radio off.

In a bland voice, Mal said, “Like I was saying, I can see something has changed.”

Vax wrapped a hand around the woman’s elbow, guiding her away from the stereo and over to the couch. “What a bloody loud nuisance,” she muttered, flicking a look back at the stereo like she hadn’t ever seen one.

As she sat down, Vax handed her a magazine, and she stared at the glossy pages with wide eyes.

She didn’t even seem to hear the other witch as she reached out and touched the pictures in the magazine reverently. “How lovely.”

Yeah, something had changed. He even understood what. The how of it, he had no clue. And why she was acting so damn odd, almost normal one moment and then startled by a damned stereo the next, that was a complete puzzle.

But it wasn’t one he had time for. Looking back at Vax, he said flatly, “Find Kelsey a shirt, and you two get out of here.”

“Well . . . you see, I don’t think that’s the best way to handle it, big guy,” Vax drawled. “And don’t come after me again. I’m getting damned tired of it, and it’s pissing me off.”

“Then I suggest you get your head out of your arse and listen to me,” Malachi replied silkily.

Vax just cocked a brow. “I can take care of her, sure. But the Council isn’t going to listen to me as well as they would you. That’s assuming they listen to me at all. And they won’t hurt Kelsey, especially if she isn’t in their way.”

“I am not willing to take that chance.”

“Once you tell them what has happened, they will let it go.”

“I don’t completely understand what has happened,” Malachi snapped.

Shoving away from the wall, Vax laughed. “Like hell you don’t know what’s going on. You may not be ready to admit you understand it, but you do know.” He nodded toward Kelsey. “You two go back to England. Trust her, Malachi. The two of you deal with the Council. I’ll take Goldilocks here. I can avoid the Select for a while. We’ll hole up somewhere with lots of shiny electronics, and she can push buttons to her heart’s content.”

The blonde stilled and looked up at Vax with narrowed eyes. She pursed her lips and said coolly, “That mouth of yours has gotten you in trouble with me before.”

A shiver ran down Mal’s spine at that voice. He looked up at the witch, and once more, it was like staring back into time. Her eyes were a cool, focused blue as she stared at Vax. The smile dancing on her lips was one Malachi had seen a thousand times before.

Vax looked a little bit wary as he added, “The Select, I can handle. Her, I’m not so sure about.”

Nessa laughed.

Once more, power came thundering down around them, and Vax scowled. “Dawn’s enlisted some help. Whether or not you’re ready to believe it, we don’t have time for this. That’s Selene’s power I feel, and she’ll break through in half the time it would take Dawn.”

 

 

SHE DIDN’T EVER WANT TO FEEL LIKE THIS AGAIN. Kelsey stumbled away from Vax and slapped at his hands as he tried to help her to the huge bed under a wide window. “I can do it,” she muttered, her voice hoarse and raspy. But she really wasn’t so sure. Her legs felt watery and weak, and her head felt like it was jammed full of cotton.

What was it about being injured by any kind of magickal attack that completely drained a person?

She’d been hurt through magick before, but she hadn’t ever literally had a wall fall down on top of her.

With a thankful groan, she collapsed onto the bed. The scent of vanilla filled her head as she drew in a deep breath before turning her head and meeting Vax’s eyes. “Thank you.”

Vax’s lean, dark face was grim as he shook his head. “Don’t thank me. You look like hell. I did an awful job of watching that nice ass of yours.”

“I’m alive,” Kelsey said as she forced a smile. “I feel awful, but it doesn’t matter. We did what we set out to do. She’s safe. I’m alive. We bought some time. That means pretty much everything went according to plan. Now you just keep her safe, and Malachi and I will deal with things here.”

“You’re going to be useless for the rest of the day.”

“Only one day?” she muttered. Hugging her pillow, she nestled deeper into the blankets. “Malachi can deal with them for a little while.”

Of course if he had listened to her in the first place . . . That was the last thought in her head before she escaped back into sleep.

That was how Malachi found her when he materialized in her room moments later. She was sprawled on her belly, hugging her pillow to her chest, the long red-gold skeins of hair tangled over her back. A soft black fleece hid the fading scars on her back, but in his mind’s eye, he could still see them.

Outside the window, twilight was settling over the land. The significance of the twilight wasn’t lost on him. They had less than twenty-four hours now, but he wasn’t worried about the Council. He only needed a few minutes with Tobias. He could convince the shifter they needed to recall the order. Three of the Council members would be enough. Temporarily, at least—long enough to convince the rest of them.

Of course, Kelsey presented a different problem.

And he couldn’t even begin to figure out how to start dealing with it.

He needed to leave the room, needed to find Tobias and call the Select off. But Malachi couldn’t leave. Drawn to the bed, he settled on the side, staring down at her profile. A long, thick lock of red-gold hair lay across her cheek, and Mal reached out, brushing it aside. She muttered a little in her sleep as he touched her. Lightly, he swept his fingers down the satiny skin of her cheek.

Kelsey sighed and turned her face into his touch. The temptation was too strong to deny. He stretched out on the bed next to her and laid his palm on her neck. His thumb rested in the hollow of her throat, and under the silky barrier of her skin, he could feel the slow, steady beat of her pulse.

The scent of her surrounded him, and he could feel the warmth of her body even though inches separated them. So close—

Malachi braced himself for the vicious punch of lust that always hit him when he was this close to her. But it didn’t come. Instead, there was a slow, steady rise of need, something that was gentler than anything he’d ever felt for her. Yes, he wanted to strip her naked and mount her, wanted to feel the silky wet clasp of her pussy around his cock.

But he was satisfied to simply lie there, listening to her breathe, hearing the soft cadence of her heart.

CHAPTER SIX

Waking alone was something Kelsey was used to. But she wasn’t alone right now. No, she was sprawled atop Malachi, her legs all but wrapped around his hips. She could feel the thick, hard length of his cock pressed against her, and each slow pulse made her sex clench with need. A whimper rose in her throat, but she managed to swallow it before it escaped.

Malachi had his arms wrapped around her, one hand resting low on her spine, just above the curve of her bottom. His other arm was banded around her torso, holding tight.

And she had one of her arms wrapped around his neck. The other hand was fisted in his shirt. His chest was under her cheek, and judging by the warmth of his body, they’d been sleeping pretty damn close for a while.

Licking her lips, she tried to squirm away from him, but his arms didn’t loosen. Kelsey lifted her head as much as she could and glanced at his face. Still asleep. Good—that was good. Now she just had to get away from him before he woke up.

And before she melted.

Which she expected was going to be in the next few seconds. Less. His hand slid down, cupping her ass, and that moan she’d been biting back slipped free. His hips rolled upward, bringing his cock more firmly against her sex. His other hand fisted in her shirt, and he lifted his head, nuzzling her neck.

“Too many clothes, lass,” he muttered, his voice low and rough, thick with the brogue that made her knees melt.

The arm around her torso loosened, but rolling away was the last thing on her mind. Malachi shifted upward, suddenly, spilling her onto her back.

“Malachi?”

“Hmmm . . .” His head lowered, and he raked his fangs across her neck. As he reached for the hem of her shirt, Kelsey closed a hand around his wrist, but she couldn’t find the strength to try to stop him. Instead, as he shoved the loose, baggy fleece up, she arched, trying to help him strip it away. He didn’t though, he just stopped once he’d bared her breasts, leaving the fleece caught under her arms.

Malachi took one nipple in his mouth, sucking deep and then releasing her flesh only to catch it between his teeth and bite it gently. The sensation streaked through her veins, turning her blood to liquid fire, hunger pooling low in her belly. Involuntarily, she pressed her knees together, trying to ease the ache deep inside.

“Hurt, does it?” Malachi muttered, trailing a hand up the outside of her thigh. “Open for me, love . . .”

The low, rough purr of his voice seemed to stroke over her skin like a velvet glove, hypnotizing her. A needy whimper escaped from her tight throat as he started to push her thighs apart with slow, inexorable strength.

Then he touched her, slowly rubbing the heel of his hand against her. The light pressure of his hand was electric. Kelsey clenched her hands around his biceps, digging her nails into thick muscle. Arching her hips up, she rubbed herself against his hand, desperate for a fuller, more complete touch.

His hand left her, and Kelsey groaned. But he just went to the waistband of her jeans, unzipping them and stripping them down her thighs with quick, rough motions. Cool air kissed her flesh but did nothing to cool the burning inside. Her sex throbbed. Pressing her knees together once more, she reached for him.

Malachi rolled atop her, using his knee to force her thighs to part. This time, when he touched her, she screamed. Kelsey bit her lip to silence the sound, unaware of the pain as she bit through her lip. The sharp, salty taste of her own blood flooded her mouth, but she barely noticed.

Two thick fingers pushed inside her pussy. She climaxed with a harsh cry.

The sound of that hungry, female cry broke through the powerful, erotic dream that had wrapped itself around Malachi. He came awake with the scent of Kelsey’s blood and hunger flooding his head, and the hot silk of her sex convulsing around his fingers.

There was a fat crimson drop of blood on her lower lip. Hunger ripped through him, and he lowered his head, catching the blood with his tongue and then taking her lip between his teeth and sucking, laving the small wound until it started to close. Malachi fisted a hand in her hair, arching her head and taking her mouth.

The driving hunger rode him, and the sweet, almost lazy heat of his dream erupted into something hot as lava and ferocious. Reaching between them, he tore at the fastening of his jeans and shoved them down until the aching length of his cock sprang free. Kelsey was arching under him, rocking her hips, her long, slender body shivering.

Her taut body was damned tight, already clenching with another climax, and she thrashed under him so hard, Malachi ended up catching her wrists in one hand and pinning them over her head. He used his other hand to draw her thigh up, holding it clutched against his hip as he pressed against her. He felt the hot kiss of her ragged breath against his face. “Look at me,” he muttered against her lips, lifting his head just a little so he could see the glow of her eyes. In the heat of her need, they gleamed gold.

Their gazes held as he pushed inside. He had to work against the tightening of her pussy, using short, shallow thrusts, pushing just a little deeper each time. Before he was even halfway inside her, she arched up with a scream, climaxing. The rippling caresses shot what little patience he had left straight to hell, and he reared back, plunging deep, carving his way through the tight, slick tissues, burying his length inside her.

Her body strained furiously under his as she bucked and shunddered through her climax. Letting go of her wrists, he hooked his arms under her, bracing her at the shoulders as he drove into her. The hard-driving hunger never eased as he rode her roughly, and each whimpering cry seemed to make him burn hotter.

Kelsey was trapped in a climax that wouldn’t end, clenching around him again and again, her sex hot and slick and swollen. He could feel the hard little points of her nipples pressing into his chest. The harsh sounds of their breathing filled the air, and the scent of sex and blood surrounded them. That aroma was like a siren’s call to Malachi, and each breath of it seemed to go straight to his cock.