Born of Fire

He felt so good that she couldn’t believe it was real.

They’d been through so much in such a short amount of time. Yet it seemed like she’d known him forever. She could barely recall her life before they met. It seemed like some vague, lonely nightmare.

And the last thing she wanted was to return to it.

But what if he didn’t feel the same way?

He’d never told her that he loved her, that he cared for her as anything more than . . .

Her heart stopped.

He hadn’t even called her a friend. Could it really be that he was only using her for sex?

No. He wasn’t like her brother—a manwhore always on the prowl. She couldn’t imagine him being like this with anyone else. He was too guarded for that.

Syn scowled at her. “Is something wrong?”

“No.” She offered him a smile and refused to think about it anymore. She didn’t want to spoil this time with him. And if it was just a moment fate had set aside for her, then the last thing she wanted was for it to end.

If this was all there was for them, then she would enjoy it while it lasted.

He took her right breast into his mouth. Shahara leaned her head back, and moaned at the pleasure of his tongue flicking across her nipple as wave after wave of pleasure crashed through her. She rocked her hips against his, drawing him deep inside.

Suddenly, he leaned her back against the tub, sending waves of water over the rim to splash against the floor.

His strokes became faster as he pressed himself deeper and deeper inside her. Shahara dug her nails into his back, delighting in his intensifying pace. Her body began a needful throb that kept beat with his rhythm. Just as she thought she’d scream out for him to stop torturing her so, her body erupted into waves of blissful release.

“Shahara,” he groaned a moment before she felt him shudder as well.

Her breathing labored, she held him against her and stroked the wet strands of his hair. “I love you, Syn,” she said before she could stop herself.

He withdrew from her so fast that it left her feeling empty. “What?”

She swallowed in sudden trepidation and anger as she realized he wasn’t happy about her stupid declaration.

Why did I say it? I’m such an idiot!

She wanted him to return her words, not look at her with such panic in his eyes. But she wasn’t a coward and she would stand by her slip because it was the truth. “I said I love you.”

Syn stared at her in disbelief. No one had said those words to him since the night he’d proposed to Mara. Never had he expected them to come from another female.

Especially not a seax.

He wanted to tell her he loved her, too, but the words lodged themselves painfully in his throat and for the sake of his soul, he couldn’t bring them out.

C’mon, say it.

Don’t you dare!

His common sense and his heart warred with each other as he saw the expectant look on her face. I have to say something . . .

And before he could stop himself, he spoke the first thing that came to his mind. “That’s nice.”

You lame moron. What a stupid thing to say. She tells you she loves you and you come back with “That’s nice?” Gods! You might as well tell her that her ass is fat and go ahead and get the groin kick.

This time you deserve it.

Hurt flickered across her face an instant before rage. “That’s nice!” she spat. “That’s all you have to say?”

Say it. Tell her you love her.

I can’t. I can’t love her. It would destroy her career and her family.

Let her go so that she can live.

Bullshit. You’re not that altruistic and you know it.

And with that, he knew why he couldn’t return the words. He finally understood the truth behind his stupidity.

He was afraid. Shahara had been right when she’d said he was afraid to let people get close to him. Because if he trusted her and she betrayed him, it would kill him. He couldn’t go through that again.

I’m so sorry, Shahara . . .

Angrily, she left the tub and grabbed a towel. “You know what I think C.I. stands for?” she raged. “Completely Insensitive!”

“Shahara, wait.” He moved toward her.

“Stay away from me.”

He left the tub and pulled her into his arms before she could make it to the door. “Don’t be like this. I do care for you.”

Her gaze turned even more frigid. “But you don’t love me.”

“No,” he lied.

She clenched her teeth and fought against his hold. Tears welled in her eyes, and Syn damned himself for the bastard he was.

He deserved to live his life alone. Isolated. I can’t believe I’m hurting the only woman I’ve ever really loved . . .

Her or you, boy. Her or you.