SEVENTEEN
Aiden watched the bathroom door close behind her. He’d just missed another perfect opportunity to tell her the truth. Why hadn’t he come clean? Was it because for tonight it wouldn’t matter anyway since she had no choice but to allow him to touch her while they both slept? Because during sleep, only his touch could cloak a human. But explaining that to Leila would have invited too many questions in her inquisitive mind. And he was too tired to play twenty questions right now. And not ready to face her wrath for his earlier deception. He’d explain everything to her tomorrow.
When he heard the bathroom door open, his head snapped in its direction. Leila stepped out gingerly, her eyes downcast, half her face hidden by her long hair. But his eyes weren’t focusing on that. They were already traveling up and down her body, or what he could see of it.
Why had she dressed in the most shapeless PJs she could find in that closet? He was sure Coralee kept a good selection of nightgowns and negligees in there. Yet Leila had decided on oversized flannel pajamas that hid all her curves. The thick material didn’t even hint at the sensual woman underneath.
Was she trying to hide from him? Without a word, he brushed past her and headed for the bathroom. He let the door snap in behind him.
The urge to touch her had never been stronger than now. Knowing that in a few minutes she would be sleeping in his arms, made his desire for her spike. He knew he shouldn’t want this, because it was wrong: she was his charge, not his lover. Besides, Leila didn’t want him—no woman wanting to be seduced wore flannel pajamas.
He let his last conversation with her replay in his mind. Maybe he’d said things she didn’t want to hear. Finding out that he would eliminate her should she be seduced to the demons’ side probably didn’t exactly endear him to her. Maybe he should have refused to answer that question or told her a lie instead.
As he got ready for bed and undressed, he felt the events of the last few hours take their toll. Exhaustion overwhelmed him, even though nights like these were the norm. He shouldn’t feel tired, not the way he did right now. Maybe it was better this way: perhaps his sexual drive would be wiped out by his tiredness and stop him from doing something stupid.
Dressed only in his boxer briefs, his cock semi-erect, he walked back into the bedroom, finding only the nightlight next to the door illuminated. He dropped his clothes on one of the chairs to have them close in an emergency.
Under the covers, Leila’s shape was visible, the sheets covering her up to her neck. She’d turned toward the opposite wall, and he could only assume that she was already asleep.
Aiden glanced at the clock on the bedside table. In less than an hour the sun would rise. It was best to get a few hours of sleep before deciding on the next course of action. On bare feet, he walked to the bed and lifted the covers, silently sliding under them.
He felt the warmth of her body and moved closer when he noticed her holding her breath. She wasn’t asleep as he’d assumed.
With slow movements, he reached for her. “Just so you’re cloaked,” he whispered.
“Yes.” Her husky voice was barely audible.
Snaking an arm around her waist, he drew her into the curve of his body. When her sweet backside connected with his groin, he clenched his jaw shut to prevent himself from moaning out loud.
F*ck! He’d never survive this night. It was better if he told her the truth now and didn’t continue this deception.
“Leila,” he started.
But her next action stopped him: she placed her hand over his, pressing it firmer against her torso. In three heartbeats, his body pumped more blood into his cock, making him as hard as he’d ever been.
“I’m scared.”
“You’re safe for now.” He pressed a soft kiss in her hair.
Leila’s breath hitched, her body tensing for a moment.
“I’m sorry, you have nothing to fear from me. I won’t do anything you don’t want me to do,” he said hastily.
Yeah, where had he heard that before? As if he would be able to stop once he started.
Then don’t start anything, his mind warned him.
“Aiden . . . ”
Did her voice sound just a little bit aroused, or was this simply wishful thinking on his part? And was her sweet behind pressing itself closer to him?
“Leila, there’s something you should know,” he tried again, his guilty conscience rearing its head.
“I don’t want to talk anymore,” she whispered. “I just want to forget everything that’s happened.”
“There’s no way to make you forget. I don’t have those kinds of powers.”
“Just for a while,” she begged.
“I wish I could help you.” He pressed another soft kiss on her hair, but this time she turned her head toward him.
Even in the dark, he could see her eyes study him. When her lips moved, her breath ghosted against his face. Without thinking, he moved his head closer to hers. Her lashed fluttered.
“We shouldn’t,” he murmured even as his lips hovered less than an inch over hers.
“But it feels so good.”
Aiden slid his lips over hers, even though he knew it was wrong. Somewhere in the Stealth Guardian rule book it was written, but for some reason, the rules didn’t mean anything to him at that moment.
Perhaps this was how Manus seduced his charges: with sweet words and tender caresses. Whispering sweet nothings into her ear involved no deception, because the things he wanted to tell her felt real, good, and right.
She sighed and relaxed against him, her lips parting under his. He only gave her the softest of kisses, before he withdrew.
“Leila, do you remember what you did earlier tonight when you were in your own bed?”
A gasp escaped her, but she didn’t move away from him. “Yes.”
“It was beautiful watching you.”
He planted kisses along the graceful column of her neck. Then he allowed his hand to move. His fingers found the waistband of her PJs and slipped underneath.
“I wanted to join in earlier. You excite me.” In snail’s pace, his hand traveled lower. “Let me pleasure you now. Say yes,” he urged as his fingers dove lower and delved into the nest of curls guarding her sex.
“Aiden. . . ” she stammered at the same time as her hips tilted toward his hand.
“Say yes, and I’ll help you forget.”
Just like he needed to forget what danger she’d escaped tonight. Only feeling her shudder in his arms would make him forget. What he wanted to confess only moments earlier was forgotten.
“Yes, forget,” she repeated.
He didn’t lose a second in capturing her lips and searing them with a passionate kiss. He turned her on her back and stroked his fingers against her moist cleft, nearly lifting her off the bed in the process.
“Easy, baby,” he cautioned. “I’ll give you what you need.”
His moist finger trailed upwards and met with her engorged *. He circled it, then stroked over it lightly.
“Oh!”
He didn’t dare switch on the light. Under cover of darkness, she seemed to feel safe with him. At least his superior night vision gave him a glimpse of the aroused expression on her face without her being aware of it.
“Did you fantasize about me when you touched yourself earlier?”
Aiden swiped his thumb over her sensitive flesh and moved his finger lower to where moisture oozed from her.
“Tell me.” He underscored his demand by sliding one thick finger into her tight channel.
She pushed against his hand, taking him deep. “Yes,” she admitted finally. “I was thinking about you.”
“Tell me more.”
He heard her swallow hard as if she was embarrassed to tell him. But he knew how to coax those words from her. His thumb worked harder, painting small circles over her *, stroking her with more pressure, increasing his tempo.
“Now, baby, tell me.”
“I imagined you touching me, like this . . . and your mouth on me.”
God, yes, he wanted that, wanted to eat her beautiful p-ssy and drink her nectar. “You want my mouth on your p-ssy?”
He thrust his finger deeper into her, f*cking her in earnest now. In and out while his thumb stroked her * without interruption.
“Yes,” she cried out.
“Good, because when we’re done here, when I’ve made you come with my fingers, I’ll have you come in my mouth.”
“Oh, God!”
“Was there anything else you were fantasizing about?” Would she want his cock in her? Would she want him to ride her hard until she collapsed underneath him?
Her breath hitched. “I . . . I want . . . ” Harsh breathing turned her sentence into a list of single words.
“What, Leila, what do you want?” He needed to know.
“Your . . . your cock . . . inside . . . ” Her voice died as her body tensed.
“Aiden!”
Shock made him still his movements. The voice that had called for him wasn’t Leila’s. And it hadn’t come from within the room.
“Aiden!”
“Shit!” he hissed when he recognized Manus’s voice.
Next to him, Leila scrambled away.
He reached for her. “It’s okay. He’s a friend.”
When he switched on the light a second later, he saw that she avoided looking at him and pulled the covers up to her neck. He didn’t need to be a genius to figure out that she was embarrassed.
“Are you letting me in or not?” Manus’s voice came again.
He jumped from the bed and opened the door. His second instantly ran his eyes over Aiden’s half-nude body, resting them on the noticeable bulge in his boxer briefs. A raised eyebrow and a smirk around Manus’s lips confirmed that the state of Aiden’s cock hadn’t escaped his notice.
“Well, hope I’m not interrupting anything.” He grinned and stepped past him to enter the bedroom.
Aiden shut the door behind him, deciding not to answer Manus’s question. He noticed his second peruse the bed with Leila in it for longer than necessary.
“So, it looks like you’ve finally decided to cloak your charge by touching her and give your mind a rest.”
“Manus, you—”
“What did he say?” Leila, sitting upright in the bed now, the covers pressed to her chest, glared at him.
Oh, shit! Manus and his big blabbermouth!