Lawked Flame (14 page)

“
Late?” he drawled, the bass in
his voice doing ridiculous things to her stomach.

Seriously
? No man had ever twisted her in knots like this. How
could
he
affect
her this way? For crying aloud, she’d just met the man. Crossing
her arms, she tilted her head and searched his face. “I want
answers. You and Lorenzo refuse to give them to me. So yeah...it’s
late.” She turned and marched to her front porch, pleased to have
the final word.

Mentally, she placed a tab in her column for
gauntlets thrown and waited as she fumbled for her key.

“
Do you want me to leave?” Lorenzo
asked from behind her.

Keys in hand, she was about to say yes when Khayden
interrupted her from behind. “Now is not the time for this
discussion, go inside.”

Swinging around, she glared at
him, ready to blast him for giving her orders. Instead, she jumped
backward with a squeak as the first fat drop of rain hit her
forehead. Her keys slipped from her fingers and landed in the
remains of her brother’s flower bed. Khayden stepped closer, his
jacket covering her from the rain while Lorenzo fished the keys
from the mud and handed them to her.

Shaking off the brown water, she murmured, “Thanks,”
as she placed the key into the lock and pushed it open.

Both men followed her.

Chapter 11

Khayden moved forward, sending
Lorenzo another telepathic warning.
“Do
not offer to leave her unprotected again. She is not ready to
accept me, until then she will not be alone.
”

Lorenzo’s face reddened as he
replied through their mental link.
“Yes,
Master Lawke.
” He turned into a corridor,
picked up a bag, and walked toward a room Khayden could not
see.

“
Lorenzo?” Alayna
called.

“
Yes?”

“
I want to talk to you.” There was
that cute pout in her voice again.

Khayden looked around the open room with multiple
chairs and a big fireplace. He stopped at a picture of her and two
small children. She seemed so happy. Pleasure filled him that the
day would come when she would be round with his sons and
daughters.

“
I must use the bathroom. Would
you rather I wait?” Even at a distance, Khayden heard the teasing
quality in Lorenzo’s voice and knew Alayna picked up on it as
well.

“
Can you?” she asked
sweetly.

“
Yes, but it is on
you.”

She laughed. “Eww, that’s nasty.”

Lorenzo joined her. “You asked. I need a moment of
privacy please.”

There was a teasing glint in her eye as she looked
at Khayden. Silently, he counted to three, by then the smile had
disappeared, morphing into something else. Something he could not
yet define but would. By the time he reached four, her hands rubbed
against her pants leg and he could no longer see her eyes. They
searched everywhere in the room as though she had commanded herself
not to see him, the elephant in the room.

She is afraid and
confused
.

He thought of her reaction to
protect Lorenzo outside the restaurant. That she would give so much
of herself even when she did not fully understand why, amazed and
humbled him. Despite, or perhaps because she was human, he was no
longer sure which, the connection between them was solid without
the use of Lawkmerian vows or chants.

Although she had not unlocked him,
he
had
grown
stronger since they'd met. So had she. Mere human eyes could not
have seen the Geleet spies or understood their alien language. He
had missed most of their conversation because he had been focused
on keeping them all hidden.

He frowned. How did they know of her existence so
quickly? Were they able to detect human Kees? The thought sent him
into a cold sweat as he gazed at his Kee. Something primitive
unfurled flicked with razor-sharp intensity. Its power filled him
with an unshakable resolve to protect this woman and those like
her. In one day, she had become his sun and he delighted in the
warmth of her familiar glare.

He reflected on the earlier jolt of power outside
the restaurant when she had grabbed his arm. Her anger hot and
twisting, demanded action. The shove of her energy into his system
had transmitted to all of his people.

In that split second, he'd felt their wonderment and
approval. Everything sharpened, came into focus. For the first time
in centuries, the tides turned against the Geleets as he took the
offense and destroyed those sent after his Kee.

No doubt, the demise of the two spies sent an alarm
through the Geleet rank. Reinforcements would be sent to
investigate. Benicke and Royce were on their way to meet with him
and discuss what had happened at the restaurant. But that was
before she decided to stay home. He sent them a message canceling
until he called them later. Everyone now understood Alayna’s
importance. She could not be harmed for any reason.

“
Are you afraid of me?” He asked
to get the conversation started, although he wished they could do
this another time. But if this was what she needed to feel
comfortable with him, so be it.

“
Afraid?” She appeared to roll the
word around in her mouth a second or two. “I don’t think I’m scared
of you per se. It’s more I don’t understand a lot of things and you
won’t explain.”

He pointed to the chair in front of the sofa where
she sat. “May I?”

She nodded, perched on the edge of her seat. “Yes.
Of course.”

He sat, laced his fingers and
placed his elbows on his knees. “How can I make you more
comfortable with me?”

Her eyes widened for a split second, and then
narrowed as she stared at him. Each second crawled as she stared at
his chest. “Why me? I mean we just met yesterday and now you’re
talking serious stuff. Like a lifetime of monogamy, even though I
said I wasn’t ready for a relationship.”

Khayden tested the weight of her question for a
moment, looking for hidden meanings or nuances in the words.
English was not his native tongue and could be tricky.

“
How can I explain the immediate
attraction between a man and a woman? The minute I saw you in the
store I knew. There was something about you which compelled me to
move closer and ask for an introduction. I am no callow youth who
plays games of chance when it comes to such a serious matter. That
is why I am in pursuit.” He waited, noting the perplexed look on
her features. So far, everything he had spoken had been true, not
the total truth, but still true. Lying was not an option. However,
subtle evasions had their place.

He continued when she did not speak. “I am aware you
have been in a serious relationship before.” She stiffened and
glanced away. His hands shook with the need to comfort her; he
commanded his body to remain still.

His Kee was not ready. She had no idea why she
responded to him the way she did. He refused to add to her
confusion.

“
That
relationship did not end well. I do not know how long you knew him
before your heart engaged, and now you are leery of men and
relationships. See, I did hear you. But I also meant what I said. I
want to know you better and there
is
a connection between us. When I
am near you, I want more of you. When I am not in your presence, I
grieve our time apart.”

“
Lust.” She glanced at him and
then looked away. “This thing you feel, it’s called
lust.”

His stomach dropped as she trivialized his feelings.
It was an alien feeling for him and one he did not enjoy. “Lust is
easily fed. A tasty appetizer, but not the main course. You know
that.” His voice chided in reprimand.

Leaning forward, his elbows still rested on his
knees and took his weight. “Do you feel it? This connection between
us?” he whispered, watching her face intently. She looked away.
“Are you denying the smoldering heat coiled in your belly right
now?”

She whimpered, but would not look at him.

“
Alayna.” She jumped at the sound
of her name and flicked a glance at him before turning away. He
waited until she returned his gaze. His heart boomed in his chest,
drowning his thoughts as she searched his face.

His voice lowered as he watched her. “Do you really
believe this is simple lust?”

“
Why do I feel anything for you at
all? It’s too soon. I just met you yesterday.”

The exasperation in her voice concerned him. That
emotion did not bode well for the urgency of this situation.

The Geleets were aware of her existence and would
try to destroy her before she could unlock him. Somehow, he needed
to convince her to move to a more secure location, take on added
security, and most importantly, bind with him to release his
powers. All of those things required she trust him to some degree
and right now did not seem likely to happen.

In desperation, he searched for the right words.
Words that would not send her running out the front door into the
hands of his enemies. “I have asked myself that question, over and
over. I do not know the answer. As far as it being too soon, who
can say when it is too soon or too late? Talk to me, hear me, know
that I mean what I say.”

She licked her lips while checking out the patterns
in the carpet. His cock jumped beneath his constraining pants.

After releasing a long breath, she looked up at him
again. “Okay, so there’s this chemistry between us. It doesn’t
change the fact I’m not ready for a relationship and you are.
That’s not a good thing.” She shook her head. “I can’t see how
we’ll compromise.”

Delight blossomed in his chest at
her inner strength. That was a good trait in a Master Kee. Hope
surged to the forefront at her acknowledgment of their connection.
As far as he was concerned, everything else she said was window
dressing.

“
I will take whatever you give me
for now on the hope you will eventually desire more with me.” It
was not a lie. He knew the more time they spent together, the
deeper, stronger their connection would become and she would unlock
him.

Frowning, she searched his face. “Why? You’re
straight, good-looking, have a good job, why would you want
take-out when you could meet someone who’d give you the full
courses?”

He stared at her lips until they stopped moving. Her
words made no sense. “I am sorry. I did not understand what you
just said. In English please.”

She laughed. “That was English. I just want to know
why you would settle for pieces of my time and affection, when you
could meet someone else. Someone who’d give you everything you want
now.”

“
I guess you
forgot our discussion on attraction and me wanting to be
only
with you. In that
case let me make it plain. I do not crave anyone else. I
crave
you
. Your
smile, your funny words, your kind heart and spirit. No one else is
you.” He warmed at her wide-eyed, unhinged jaw
response.

She sputtered. “But, but…you can’t say that.”

“
I believe I just did.” He
straightened as a myriad of expressions chased across her face.
Pleasure was too tame a word to express his satisfaction with his
Kee.

Alayna stood and walked into the
kitchen, returning a few minutes later with two bottles of water.
She offered him one, which he took to replenish himself. He groaned
as he watched her drink from her bottle of water. Eyes closed, her
full lips wrapped around the top, her throat worked as she
swallowed.

His need for her increased tenfold. Unable to turn
away, he re-adjusted his hardness, wishing on any star or moon she
would place those succulent lips around his aching rod.

Finished, she placed the bottle on the table and did
a double take at him. “What’s wrong with you?” Her voice quavered
as she studied his face.

“
I need you.” The scratchiness in
his voice could not be avoided. Beneath his tightening skin, the
membrane warmed in preparation to receive his Kee. The twisting in
his chest would have buckled his knees had he been standing. Her
scent, a blend of flowers and something else unknown to him, filled
his nostrils weakening him further.

A part of his mind rebelled at the capitulation of
his will to bind the human Kee. He feared this overwhelming need
for her rendered him defenseless. When had he abandoned his
stalwart position of accepting her, since it was expected and
nothing more? No wonder Clotho had laughed at him.

She straightened, although he did not sense she was
afraid or offended. More like a cat, filled with curiosity.

“
Is that why your eyes are so
dark? They look navy blue.” She leaned forward, studying him. Her
lips seemed ripe, even as she pulled the lower one with her
teeth.

“
Perhaps. I do not know.” Unable
to resist her siren’s allure, he leaned forward and touched her
lips with his. An aching neediness raced through him. His palm
cupped her cheek as he kissed her again. This time she drew him in.
The tiny sounds emanating from the back of her throat stoked the
smoldering flames inside him. Thinking suspended, he wrapped his
arms around her, and picked her up.

“
Easy, easy now,” he whispered at
her yelp of surprise. She quieted as he retook her mouth, while
settling her on his lap. Somewhat appeased, he took his time,
deepening the kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling
him closer, her tongue dueling with his.