Darkest Flame

He remained still, not wanting to spook her.

 

After a moment, Denae let out a breath as her face crumpled. She covered her face with her hands, but no sobs could be heard, and there didn’t seem to be any tears. Then she slowly sat up and ran a hand through her long tresses, moving the strands so that they hung to one side.

 

Her hand lifted and reached for the bottle of medicine. Kellan knew there was some drug called codeine in the pills that would diminish the pain. Yet, Denae’s hand hovered over the bottle for several seconds, shaking, before she dropped her hand to her leg.

 

Suddenly her head lifted and she looked at him. Kellan didn’t say anything, mostly because he wasn’t sure what he should say. Obviously Denae was struggling with pain, and there had to be a good reason for her not to take the pills.

 

“Do you often have nightmares?”

 

She drew in a shaky breath. “They return when I’m stressed.”

 

Kellan watched her closely as he asked, “Who’s Renee?”

 

“My sister.” Denae’s eyes slid closed as she swallowed. “She died because of me.”

 

When her eyes opened, Kellan held her gaze, waiting for her to continue. He hadn’t expected her to open up, but now that she had, he wanted to know why she blamed herself for her sister’s death.

 

“Renee was just a year older, and we were close. She had been dating an older boy in secret from my parents. Everything was going well until it suddenly wasn’t. She suggested we go to the beach one afternoon where she told me she called things off with the guy but he wouldn’t leave her alone.”

 

He remained still as Denae lightly placed her hand over her wound and took a deep breath.

 

“I thought she was joking. I had no idea the guy had turned into a stalker and followed us. She was such a strong swimmer, stronger than I was. But when she wouldn’t take him back, he drowned her. I can still hear her screaming my name while I stood in line for ice cream.”

 

“How old were you?”

 

She blinked as if pulling herself out of her memories. “Fourteen.”

 

“Where were your parents?”

 

“They were walking along the beach.”

 

He couldn’t believe he was about to comfort her—a mortal. Kellan looked into her eyes and said, “It’s no more their fault than it is yours.”

 

“Perhaps,” she replied in a whisper.

 

“Would you like some food?” he asked to break the silence.

 

Her shoulders sagged as if a great weight had been lifted. “That would be nice.”

 

“I’ll see it done.” Kellan stood and walked to the door. He paused as he opened it. “You may no’ like to hear this, but you’re weak. If you need help, doona be foolish and no’ ask for it.”

 

“You want me to ask you?” she asked with suspicion.

 

He looked into her whisky-colored eyes and wished to hell she didn’t look so good rumpled from sleep, as if she had spent a night being made love to.

 

His need was great, and she was looking more tempting and alluring the more he was around her. It had to be just his body’s need for release and nothing more. Kellan fisted his hand as he imagined sliding it through the cool locks of her hair so he could hold her head as he plundered her mouth in a savage kiss.

 

“Me or someone else,” he said after he cleared his throat. “I can have Cassie come up if you like.”

 

“I’ll manage on my own.”

 

She was as stubborn as they came. Despite trying to look away, he couldn’t stop his gaze from sliding up her long, lean legs as she stood, or from watching the way the shorts stopped just short of him seeing the delectable bottom curve of her ass.

 

His gaze continued up to the shirt that hung loose, hiding her hips and waist from him, but there was no hiding the soft bounce of her breasts or the way her nipples were puckered and pushing against the fabric.

 

With his body already in need, his cock was hard and aching in an instant. The overwhelming, devastating craving to relieve his need was magnified tenfold just by looking at Denae.

 

Long slim fingers grabbed ahold of the bathroom door, and her whisky gaze turned to him. “I didn’t lie last night. I can take a lot of pain. You can leave me alone for a little while.”

 

Damn if his body wasn’t fighting him to go to her. It was infuriating, even if he knew it was just the fact that she was a female in close proximity to a man who desperately needed to ease his body. He didn’t want to be attracted to her, no matter what the reasoning.

 

Kellan left the room and shut the door behind him before the head between his legs ruled him instead of the head atop his body.

 

“How is she?” Rhys asked as he ascended the last few stairs to the second-floor landing.

 

Kellan couldn’t get the image of her breasts swaying beneath her shirt out of his head. How easy it would be to rip that flimsy shirt in half and feast his eyes upon her.

 

He also couldn’t stop thinking of her story about Renee. There had been true remorse and guilt in her eyes. The pain of her sister’s death haunted her.