vacation
in a tranquil resort with the most delicious, seductive lover at her every beck
and call. She giggled and his arms tightened a bit. She snuggled deeper, enjoying
the lick of the sun on her skin, the thrum of his heart against her cheek.
“Tell me about this place.”
He stiffened at her request but then he sighed and the
tightness dissolved. “It is my prison.”
Aimalee glanced up at him. Dear heavens. What a handsome
face. Though pain etched every line. “Your prison?” She offered a smile but he
didn’t respond in kind. Her heart contracted and she nestled her head back into
his shoulder. “What did you do to deserve prison?”
He pressed his lips tight. At long last he sighed and said,
“I angered a very powerful man.”
“So he sent you here?”
“He condemned me to this place, yes.”
She grinned. “It is rather lavish for a prison.”
Keeshan’s laugh was harsh. “There are many kinds of torment.
The least of them is austerity. In truth, I would have preferred a short stay
in a wretched dungeon or a quick end to a miserable life.”
“Have you been here very long?”
He made a little sound in his throat, a growl perhaps, and
bent his head to capture the sensitive flesh of her neck between his lips. He
sucked and a twang of arousal shot through her. She wriggled against him in
protest—which was really something less than an objection—so he made his way up
her abdomen to cup her breast, thumb a nipple. “I don’t want to talk about this.”
She captured his hand with her own. “I do. How long have you
been here?”
He buried his nose in her hair and breathed deeply. “Too
long.” His lips trailed over her shoulder to the back of her neck. Shivers of
delight skittered down her spine.
“How long?”
“Aimalee. Please do not ask about this.”
She could sense his resolve, see it in his lips, his eyes.
Still, she scooted out of reach and frowned at him determinedly. “I want to
know.”
He followed. “Aimalee, I want you. I need you. I’ve been
without a woman for far too long.”
She blew out a laugh and edged away again. “You just had a
woman. Just a little while ago. Remember?”
“Oh, I remember.” Again he followed her, pursuing her around
the fountain. “But the spell…it rides me. As long as you are near, I am compelled
to want you.”
A sudden hard and heavy ball dropped into her gut and the
game lost all its appeal. Aimalee stood, stepped away and glared at him.
Why did he have to be so handsome? Why did she have to want
him like this? All his enticing words and tempting seductions served but one
purpose.
His release.
Nothing more.
Nothing romantic or meaningful or lasting. They certainly
didn’t spring from some soul-deep connection. She was an idiot for even
imagining that.
His brow, that beautiful brow, furrowed. He stood as well
and stepped closer.
She placed a palm on his chest—ignoring the wicked warmth of
his slick skin—and pushed. He was far stronger than she, could easily have
overpowered her pathetic resistance. But he didn’t. He stepped back the length
of her arm but only that far.
She choked back something suspiciously like a sob.
“Aimalee? What is it?”
“It’s not really me you want, Keeshan.” The truth of the
matter was—no matter how wanted he managed to make her feel—he didn’t
really want her . It was all the damn spell. He just needed a female to
ease his hunger. Any female would do. She should have known. She should have
seen it.
“What?”
“You said as much yourself. The spell makes you want me. I
could be any woman.” She strolled to the balustrade but it was more to create
distance than to enjoy the view. He trailed in her wake. “You would want any
woman so long as she was here.”
“Not like this!” His frown darkened. “I have never wanted a
woman like this.”
“Liar.”
He reeled back as though she’d slapped him. “I’ve done many
things in my life, Aimalee, of which I am ashamed. But
in a tranquil resort with the most delicious, seductive lover at her every beck
and call. She giggled and his arms tightened a bit. She snuggled deeper, enjoying
the lick of the sun on her skin, the thrum of his heart against her cheek.
“Tell me about this place.”
He stiffened at her request but then he sighed and the
tightness dissolved. “It is my prison.”
Aimalee glanced up at him. Dear heavens. What a handsome
face. Though pain etched every line. “Your prison?” She offered a smile but he
didn’t respond in kind. Her heart contracted and she nestled her head back into
his shoulder. “What did you do to deserve prison?”
He pressed his lips tight. At long last he sighed and said,
“I angered a very powerful man.”
“So he sent you here?”
“He condemned me to this place, yes.”
She grinned. “It is rather lavish for a prison.”
Keeshan’s laugh was harsh. “There are many kinds of torment.
The least of them is austerity. In truth, I would have preferred a short stay
in a wretched dungeon or a quick end to a miserable life.”
“Have you been here very long?”
He made a little sound in his throat, a growl perhaps, and
bent his head to capture the sensitive flesh of her neck between his lips. He
sucked and a twang of arousal shot through her. She wriggled against him in
protest—which was really something less than an objection—so he made his way up
her abdomen to cup her breast, thumb a nipple. “I don’t want to talk about this.”
She captured his hand with her own. “I do. How long have you
been here?”
He buried his nose in her hair and breathed deeply. “Too
long.” His lips trailed over her shoulder to the back of her neck. Shivers of
delight skittered down her spine.
“How long?”
“Aimalee. Please do not ask about this.”
She could sense his resolve, see it in his lips, his eyes.
Still, she scooted out of reach and frowned at him determinedly. “I want to
know.”
He followed. “Aimalee, I want you. I need you. I’ve been
without a woman for far too long.”
She blew out a laugh and edged away again. “You just had a
woman. Just a little while ago. Remember?”
“Oh, I remember.” Again he followed her, pursuing her around
the fountain. “But the spell…it rides me. As long as you are near, I am compelled
to want you.”
A sudden hard and heavy ball dropped into her gut and the
game lost all its appeal. Aimalee stood, stepped away and glared at him.
Why did he have to be so handsome? Why did she have to want
him like this? All his enticing words and tempting seductions served but one
purpose.
His release.
Nothing more.
Nothing romantic or meaningful or lasting. They certainly
didn’t spring from some soul-deep connection. She was an idiot for even
imagining that.
His brow, that beautiful brow, furrowed. He stood as well
and stepped closer.
She placed a palm on his chest—ignoring the wicked warmth of
his slick skin—and pushed. He was far stronger than she, could easily have
overpowered her pathetic resistance. But he didn’t. He stepped back the length
of her arm but only that far.
She choked back something suspiciously like a sob.
“Aimalee? What is it?”
“It’s not really me you want, Keeshan.” The truth of the
matter was—no matter how wanted he managed to make her feel—he didn’t
really want her . It was all the damn spell. He just needed a female to
ease his hunger. Any female would do. She should have known. She should have
seen it.
“What?”
“You said as much yourself. The spell makes you want me. I
could be any woman.” She strolled to the balustrade but it was more to create
distance than to enjoy the view. He trailed in her wake. “You would want any
woman so long as she was here.”
“Not like this!” His frown darkened. “I have never wanted a
woman like this.”
“Liar.”
He reeled back as though she’d slapped him. “I’ve done many
things in my life, Aimalee, of which I am ashamed. But
Similar Books
