Tame the Storm: 2 (Cinder Mated) (11 page)

“If only.” Griff frowned and halted the pleasure she’d never imagined could exist. “I want my mouth. Right here.”

Slowly, he squeezed her then lightly pinched both nipples.

She trashed, bucking up and panted, unbelievably aroused. “More. I need more.”

So much. She needed.

He gave her more. He manipulated her. Drove her to near incoherency with the urgency riding her. All the while, his frown deepened. His hair dampened at his temples. A crease of strain tightened his gorgeous mouth.

Light rain floated from the ceiling and misted her body. His rain. His power. He surrounded her.

Those miraculous hands pressed, stroking with a firm pressure down her belly. Her nipples beaded beneath the collecting water from the inside storm.

His gaze intensified. “You’re beautiful.”

Her mouth parted and she nearly cried out when his fingers tightened on her hips. She was beautiful? Nothing was as glorious as Griffin Cinder kneeling between her legs, gripping her thighs and staring with absolute lust at her exposed and vulnerable pussy.

His cheeks darkened with a hint of red. His own mouth parted and his chest moved in obvious panting. He let go of her, leaving behind the heat of his grasp, and yanked his shirt from the waistband of his jeans. Gripping it, he slowly lifted it, exposing his honed muscles and tanned skin from working outside.

“Much as I enjoy seeing you.” And boy did she. “Shouldn’t you be keeping that barrier on?”

“I’m going to touch you. After you have an orgasm.” He smirked at her and lightly skimmed up her legs. She shook in response and her hips undulated. “I’ll control it. My storm. Our touch. But I will do it. I will touch you. I will make you mine.”

She wanted it, so badly, but sanity insisted she be smart. They’d ruin each other.

“Why? It’s a bad idea. We’re counter powers. And it feels too good. Anything that feels this good must be wrong.”

“It feels good, huh?” He flashed a grin that she wanted to return, but his handsome face was too precious to allow her to risk him and enjoy what he planned.

“Yes,” she gasped. His fingers slipped to the seam just to the outside of her pussy. Teasing the sensitive area of her legs, drawing a line down toward her ass and back up, he didn’t touch her eager folds and never quite went where she instinctively needed him. Her core clenched hard and she jerked her legs.

“You like this?” He raised that brow and she nodded. “Why do you think we’d be so drawn to one another? I know why. You know why too, if you’d stop denying it. What happens when perfect counter powers join in partnership? Their talents merge. Become stronger. The signs are all there. Our powers want to join.”

“No. Impossible.” Her body tightened all over, tugging on the restraints.

With his glove-covered fingers he traced the outer lips of her pussy and the sensation rocketed straight through her. A tug tightened her belly at the same time a ball of heat coalesced in her chest.

“Not only possible, but I want it. Don’t you?”

She was ensnared by those dark eyes as completely as the bonds holding her to the bed. With gentleness at complete odds with the tenseness across his shoulders, cording his neck and straining the frown on his face, he parted her and traced a light stroke over her clit.

She whimpered.

“I think you do.”

“Don’t,” she growled and strained. “Don’t make my decisions for me.”

The heat curled in her chest tightened around her heart and burned hotter.

“No. Not that decision.” His brows slanted farther and he dipped a finger in her wetness. He pushed inside slowly and her hips thrust up, seeking more. “You have to accept me. Deep down. No faking it, is there?”

“It has to be my decision.” Her body relaxed back on the bed. That’s why she hadn’t partnered Neil yet. Not after an entire year. Deep down she’d never consented. Her power wouldn’t accept him. She didn’t either. But her power sought Griff and hungered for him.

He stroked her. His palm pressed rhythmically against her mound, putting pressure on her clit as his finger delved. Slow and teasing, his petting kept a controlled pace. The need built, growing thicker and more desperate. She jerked against her restraints.

“Griff. You need to get on with it.” Her voice was gravelly and demanding. She’d never given orders before, but she knew what she wanted.

“I’ll give you more when you’re ready.” The casualness of his reply made her want to throttle him.

“I am ready. Now. Griffin.” The strength in that command grew, adding to the boiling cauldron inside her chest. The raging passion expanded, pulsing beneath her skin as if to escape its cage.

“That’s it. Tell me what you need.” His smile was all predator and teeth. He slipped another finger in her and thrust hard.

Her pussy stretched around him, but the pressure wasn’t enough.

“More.”

His breath hissed and he slipped another finger into her—stretching and filling. His arm moved in harsh jerks, thrusting faster, deeper. His intense gaze stayed on her body where he penetrated her with only his fingers. The pressure of his hand on her mound intensified the sensitivity of her clit.

She grew dizzy and could barely keep him in focus.

As it did when he’d only taken her with his power, the burn in her core went molten, spreading out, down her legs and throbbing.

The pleasure crested, unable to stay contained, it was messy and hungry. It was an animal unleashed and it bowed her body off the bed. She opened her mouth to a silent scream and shuddered. Her pussy flooded with heat and the fingers inside her slid in her increasing wetness. The strokes intensified her sensitive flesh until another wave crested.

White flashed behind her eyes.

Floating on bliss, a smile worked itself over her mouth and into her heart.

A dim crackle brought her out of her pleasured haze.

Jutting cock in hand, looking virile, hot and demanding, Griff knelt between her legs. His long fingers rolled a condom on and the action fascinated her. She couldn’t look away. His jeans were pushed down enough to expose his groin and his dark expression looked as if he might hate her instead of want to have sex with her, which was clearly what he intended.

“You can’t do that.” But oh, how she wanted it. So much her body trembled.

“I’ll control it. Be still,” his command came as an insistent growl.

His hands framed her sensitive pussy, parting her. Her hips lurched instinctively. He knelt closer and slid the tip of his protected cock into her. Unbelievably, she stretched even farther. The joy of what he’d done before fled and an unfamiliar fullness replaced it.

Fear edged into her lax body and she tensed.

“Shh. I’ll make sure.” Drops from his face splashed onto her stomach. The blunt head of his cock slowly entered her, pushing, making way. The sensation immobilized her as much as the restraints did.

She stared down her body. His gloved hands covered her mound and parted her sex. The latex of the condom provided further protection and so far, they hadn’t touched skin to skin. She shivered. Entering her, barely giving more than the head of his cock, he stopped and rolled his hips. He shuddered and pressed deeper. Instinctively, she clenched tight around his cock.

The pressure mounted slowly but insistently.

So intent on being sure he didn’t get hurt, she didn’t notice he’d nearly fully entered her until he grunted and pressed down on her hip. Used to her handy vibrator, she hadn’t felt pain, only that unusual fullness.

“Is it good?” His face hadn’t lost the frown. He still appeared angry.

“I’m not sure.”

“Relax.”

“You don’t look relaxed.”

“My storm is wanting to go nuts. I’m having to harness it and be careful of what I’m doing here.” His arms shook.

His jeans rubbed between her legs as he jerked, thrusting, pulling out in a slow motion and shoving back in with short movements. The purposeful intent on his face, on what he did, slowly eased her. Sounds filled the room—huffing, fabric rustling, the wet slide of her body’s response. The creases of Griff’s frown relaxed and a strangled moan left him.

That proof of his pleasure washed heat over her. Her body went warm and relaxed. The tightness left his face and her eagerness built again. The way his hands moved over her folds, tightening in time to his thrusts, pressing on her clit, brought her back to the edge again.

“That’s good, my storm. Let it go. Let it go. Give it to me.” The words rolled from her in a seductive way she’d never experienced before.

Griff thrust faster. The tension morphed to a determination that was pure sex, more intoxicating, less careful. His head fell back and he groaned. His body jerked. He grew harder and hotter inside her. She tensed around him and in a sudden rush, the pleasure claimed her again. The bliss of her orgasm dimmed everything around her except for him. Tears gathered in her eyes and light flashed as she moaned.

Thunder rolled through the room. Griff froze. His muscles went rigid and his neck corded. The familiar tightening of his features was the most beautiful sight she’d ever seen as he raised above her, his head falling back yelled to the ceiling. His cock hardened and held still as the heat of his come filled the condom inside her.

White light crashed and the scent of ozone sped through the room. Her body went loose and sagged into the bed as he fell heavy against her for a fleeting moment.

Then he slowly withdrew and left emptiness behind. She closed her eyes at the loss and couldn’t open her eyes or speak, the lassitude was so heady.

“Better,” Griff mumbled in a scratchy rumble. “Better than I imagined.”

“Hmm,” she managed.

His weight shifted. The sheet fluttered over her and she tried to smile but she couldn’t even move that much. Then the bed dipped. Heat snuggled into her side. He carefully wrapped around her. The familiar scent of rain surrounded her. His hard body was so enveloping, welcoming.

But something wasn’t right. Much as she loved being held for the first time, she knew she shouldn’t be snuggled with a lover.

“Wait.” Her smile slipped.

A tickling ran over her cheek and she forced her heavy lids open.

Griff stared down at her then his head dipped.

Before she understood his intent, his warm lips covered hers. The sensation—short and abrupt tenderness—brought tears to her eyes. Then her heart lurched.

No
. The word formed in her head but she couldn’t utter it. Her power surged. The ball of heat in her chest leaped out and flowed from her.

Griff jerked, but he deepened the kiss. The pleasure and taste of him was indescribable. The room grew dark and the thunder crashed. His mouth opened and his tongue teased her lips. She never wanted it to end.

She needed a breath, just a small one, before tasting him again. Jerking away, she turned her head. Sanity returned and her eyes flew open.

“Griffin. Stop!”

“Taste so good,” he whispered. His tongue trailed along her cheek and then fell away. She craned her neck to see him. He’d paled. His eyes closed, but instead of pulling away, his skin remained in contact. His cheek rested against her arm.

She tugged, but she was still bound to the bed. She couldn’t get away from him.

Her heart pounded, rushing in her ears.

“Griffin!”

He didn’t stir.

“Wake up. You have to move!”

He still didn’t respond and if anything, he grew more pale.

The storm abruptly died and the sun streamed in the windows.

Fear cascaded through her. She’d suck him dry. And she couldn’t move. Couldn’t wake him. Couldn’t save him.

She screamed.

Griffin groaned.

A breeze brushed against his cheek and he turned to snuggle into the pillow. The clean scent of Astrid surrounded him and he smiled into the fabric. It caught on his stubble and he nuzzled farther in.

“What the hell were you thinking?” roared in his ear.

He jerked and spun in the bed. Fists up in front of his face, he poised, ready to attack.

Hands on hips, Ray glared at him.

Griffin let his arms relax and glared at his brother.

The door behind Ray hung half off its hinges. A chair lay on its side. And the room was full of the wrong people. No Astrid, but Ray, Clarissa and Susan all stared down at him.

A quick, self-conscious glance down reassured him. He’d tucked his cock back in before he’d…”I passed out?”

“For a few minutes.” Ray took a deep breath, obviously about to start one of his lectures.

“I’ll go check on Vince.” Susan gave Griffin a weak smile and left.

“Where’s Astrid?” Griffin’s question came out gravelly and hoarse.

Clarissa moved forward and leaned over the bed to peer into his face. “She’s getting dressed in her room. Your color is better.”

“Yeah? It was off?” He glanced at the empty restraints at the end of the bedrails.

“You were as white as those sheets. Back away from him, Clarissa.” Ray crossed his arms. “And put your shirt on, brother.”

Griffin smiled at Ray’s tone. It wasn’t as if anyone thought Clarissa would ever look at Griffin that way, but Ray couldn’t face the truth. He refused to admit to being jealous of every male within three miles of the water mage. One day he would. Just like Griffin had finally faced his truth. He gulped. That truth blared in his brain louder than a hurricane warning.

Griffin stumbled off the bed and nearly fell on his face. His legs were jelly. He grabbed his shirt off the floor, combatting the dizziness from bending, and managed to pull it on.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Ray was distinctly pissed, with that slightly mulish voice he got when things didn’t go his way.

“To find my partner.”

Shocked expressions and silence answered him. Turning away, he determined to do exactly what he said. Immediately. He swayed. Leaning on the door, he took a deep breath and grappled control.

“You can’t have her as a partner. She’ll kill you.” Ray grabbed Griffin’s arm. Griffin yanked but couldn’t disentangle himself. He really was weak.

“She is mine. I know it. Deep in my bones.”

“Listen to Griff.” Clarissa crowded in and jerked Ray by the chin to face her. “And look at me. You know it. We all know it. Partners are strongest when their talents are opposites.”

The fire mage’s eyes flashed red as he stared at the cool blue of the water mage. The absolute truth of that was completely blatant. They’d all known the inevitability of the sound mage and the deaf telepath merging talents. Only Ray refused to believe that fire and water belonged together.

Now, weather and syphon.

Griffin laughed. Long and hard. Ray finally turned away from the heated staring contest with Clarissa.

“You’re a stubborn man.” Griffin yanked his arm from his brother’s slackened hold.

“I come by it honestly, younger brother. You’re no better.”

“You’re wrong.” He hitched his chin toward Clarissa. “She knows how wrong. I do know who I want to merge talents with. And now I know, I’m not going to waste any time claiming her.”

“You have to both want it.” Ray’s tone went bleak.

Clarissa brushed past them both and left the room.

“I do. Don’t you want yours?” Griffin put a hand on his brother’s shoulder. Not understanding why Ray didn’t make his move, he’d never talked with Ray about it. Now he grappled that pull in his gut, he truly couldn’t understand why Ray had resisted for so long.

Ray ignored the question. “Have you asked her if she wants to take the chance to join? One of you could die. Likely, you. You already passed out. My guess from the way she was trussed up—”

“You better have closed your eyes,” Griffin growled and punched Ray’s shoulder.

“Oh, shove it.” Ray glared, the red returning in his irises. “She’d obviously been intimate with you. Think I’d poach?”

Griffin punched Ray’s shoulder again. “Same question. Why do you always get bristly when Clarissa’s around me? Think I’d poach?”

“I don’t bristle. And it’s not poaching. We work together and—”

“Shut the fuck up. We’ll talk about you later. For now, it’s time for me to ask a woman to marry me.”

Ray groaned. He let his head fall back and he stared at the ceiling. “Listen. Do me one last favor on this. I know what I’m talking about. Trust me. Get away for the day. Give her some space. Give your blood time to cool. Think about the risks. Then come back and ask her. Nicely. It has to be a calm decision for you both.”

The word
decision
slammed into Griffin. Astrid needed to do that for herself. She couldn’t be taken. She had to give herself of her own will. Her own decision.

And from what he’d learned of her, her family had always told her what to do. This was too important. She had to be the one to decide for herself.

“Damn,” he whispered. “I think you’re right.”

“Of course I am.” Ray smirked.

Griffin punched him in the same spot on the shoulder.

“That hurts, you know.” Ray shoved Griffin back into the room.

In his weakened state, he stumbled. “That was the point.”

“Go. Get a room somewhere. Stay out of the way. I still haven’t questioned her about what Vince has been up to.”

“About that.” Griffin shoved his hands in his pockets and gave Ray his most earnest look. “Let me handle that. You’ll have to trust me on this.”

Ray stared at him, searching his face. Then he nodded. “You’re trusting me. Giving her a little time and space. I’ll give you a little time and space. But not long. We have to know if there’s anyone out there who thinks they can kidnap our banshee. Or you. Or…” Ray frowned. He didn’t say Clarissa, but Griffin heard it. “But I don’t think there’s anyone else to worry about. We got everyone there. They’re cooperating.”

“We don’t have everyone.” Quickly, Griffin filled Ray in on what he’d learned about Vince’s plans to put them out of commission for good, and his plans to make his own group. “So, we have to locate Neil and Mrs. Collins.”

“I’ll send Susan with Daisy and Sean to pick up Mrs. Collins.”

“Sure they’ll come out of their room?”

Ray almost smiled, but not quite. “They’ll have to. At least, they do when they want food. Don’t worry. You know they’d be eager to follow up on anyone else involved in the plot, enough to stop honeymooning.”

“I think that’s the extent of the plot. Astrid wasn’t hiding anything else.”

“I’ll hold off talking with her for now.”

Griffin clapped Ray on the shoulder, right where he’d been hitting him. Ray grunted and Griffin smiled. “Thanks for trusting me, big brother.”

“Get out of here, brat.”

He did. Finding his truck and driving away, he refused to search the windows to see if she watched for him.

He didn’t know what frightened him more, that she’d accept him then bleed him dry—he still had a nagging lethargy dogging him from the energy drain earlier—or that she’d say no.

Deep down, he knew the truth. She was his. They had to find a way around the power drain. Because whether or not it killed him—and all signs said it would—he had to touch that syphon again.

* * * * *

After a quiet dinner where Astrid blushed every time she shifted in her chair, remembering why she was sore, she retrieved her torn clothes from the clinic. The bed made her blush farther—the restraints sending her mind back to where it wanted to go, to mapping where she wanted to touch Griff. Not that she could. He’d been insane to try it. She could’ve killed him if her screams hadn’t brought Ray running.

Ray had kicked down that door and Astrid was so worried for Griff, she’d forgotten to be embarrassed she only wore a sheet. Then nobody cared what she did. All concern had been for the weather mage.

They said their good nights and Astrid swallowed her questions.

Clarissa led Astrid to Griff’s room. “You’ll be more comfortable here while Griffin is away. Have a good night.”

The water mage left.

Astrid had asked, but they didn’t know where Griff had gone. They assured her he was okay. Astrid hadn’t permanently damaged him.

If she had, she didn’t know how she could go on. Already he’d burrowed in and the thought of hurting him was worse than hurting herself. She’d do anything to help him, to make sure he was safe, even from her, but she had to see he was okay with her own eyes. So she waited for him.

For long moments, she sat on the edge of his bed and revisited what they’d done together. Outside, a small cloud hung low at the window. That same cloud still followed her about.

She nearly leaped out of her skin when a ringtone shrilled. Her heart sped until she realized who it could be—then it pounded. Fishing her phone out of the holster still attached to her sheared-in-half pants, she answered, blushing as if Neil could see through the phone and knew exactly how those pants had gotten ruined.

“Let me in the patio door. Kitchen.”

He hung up.

The world slowed to a crawl.

Maybe she should knock on Ray’s door or call Griff—his number had been left on the table. She could warn them about Neil and they could surprise the treacherous mage. Neil would expect she’d taken Ray’s and Griffin’s talents.

But she couldn’t. She had to face Neil herself.

Standing, she moved sluggishly but without pausing. She barely breathed as she tip-toed past Ray’s door. In the kitchen, she stared at the table where she’d played Monopoly, then felt guilt for the first time for cheating. This was the place where a family had welcomed her without judging her every move and her every thought.

The sliding glass doors were dark as the night outside.

Thought whirled in her head. Of her mother, whom she hadn’t trusted since she hit puberty and her mother started to give her the cold shoulder. Nothing she did from that time on, would ever earn praise, a smile, a hug. Neil—who not only had she never really liked enough to date, much less consider marriage with, had never opened to her. He’d never shown a reason to trust. Vince, who proved without doubt that all of them had played her.

Then inside this house, the Cinders who had welcomed her, the talents that they protected and nurtured, and proof that a family cared, not coerced. But she couldn’t just turn away at this point. If she kept the door closed, asked for help, raised an alarm, then Neil could get away. They’d never find him. After all, they didn’t even know he existed, if Ray’s reaction to Vince having a son was any indication. Or worse, Neil could decide to attack, burn this house down before anyone had a chance to evacuate. It was best to go out there to distract him then decide what to do.

She could handle this.

Straightening her shoulders, she opened the door.

* * * * *

Griffin couldn’t stay away. He’d told himself that as long as Astrid didn’t know he was near, that he’d still be giving her the space to make up her mind. No matter what Ray said, Griffin didn’t need time to cool down. He’d come to that realization as soon as he left and his skin itched, his chest tightened and his legs wanted to walk right back home. His mind wandered to when he’d finally held her, entered her.

Just from thinking of her, his cock hardened and for the hundredth time, he nearly broke down and went inside to claim her.

She’d been absolute heaven. The way her face had twisted with passion, how she’d looked blissed out with pleasure when she came, and her body’s sated decadence, as he’d succumbed to exhaustion.

Or, passed out. But that was mincing words and he didn’t care to tease apart the difference. He’d known she was his, deep in his bones, and had no choice but claim her as partner—no matter the consequences.

The way she had that innate honor even though she’d been led to believe lies. She’d been fair, listened to their side and been eager to know the truth. She cared about para-talents. She was smart. She was perfect.

Staring at the back of the house, he reclined in the lawn furniture. Since he spent so much time outside, he’d outfitted the patio with the best money could buy.

Dispersing the thin, nearly invisible fog he’d sent into the house for recon, he settled back. Astrid was in his room. Where she belonged.

The stars shone above in a clear sky. After the weather he’d been dumping on the house, the grass could use a break from the drizzle he’d produced for two days straight.

He dozed in the still night, but couldn’t fully fall into slumber with the urges needling him to go inside and take the woman in his bed.

The light in the kitchen flickered on. Heart pounding, he jerked up.

A shadow lurked near the sliders only twelve feet away. Clearly unable to detect Griffin, the intruder never hesitated.