Misfortune Cookie (15 page)

“Please. Don’t run away from me.” Underneath the calm request there was a slight quaver in his voice, a crack in his careful demeanor.

That hitch, that hesitance, nearly undid me. “Luca. I . . .”

The hairs on the back of my neck rose from his closeness. Heat from his body beckoned me. One step backward and his chest would be pressed against my spine.

“I know you feel it. The ache. The burning desire to touch my body.”

I held my breath, squeezed my eyes shut, and dug my nails into my palms, all while my body screamed,
yes!

His lips touched the side of my neck. Velvety petals, barely a whisper. “I feel that way about you.”

That feather-light touch beaded my nipples. The kimono’s silky fabric enhanced the sensation. My fingers fumbled at the robe’s ties. Luca spun me around, hands on my shoulders, before I could unfasten the knot I’d made.

“Do you know why I brought you here?”

I shook my head no.

“So you would understand what we fight for. To know that there are good things in the universe, not only death and suffering. Not everyone is a betrayer.” His thumbs stroked the sensitive spot behind my ears. “There is love. Hope.”

“And peace?” I leaned toward him, the rhythm of his touch too much to resist. His hands slipped from my face to my neck. My arms remained frozen at my sides. I couldn’t touch him. If I did, I wouldn’t be able to stop.

“Yes. Radiance, look at me.”

At his gentle request, I complied. The air squeezed from my lungs in one slow burst. God, he was so damn beautiful. His eyes, no longer black, had lightened to a soft silver color like the Hereafter illuminated his soul.

My control in tatters, I made one final attempt to change the direction of the conversation. “Your eyes…”

“Yes. Yours look the same. It means we are capable of bonding to each other.”

“Wha...at? But, I’m human. Aren’t you another species?”

Laughter peeled, light and merry. “Not exactly. You are more like me than you realize. You’re no longer part of the human realm.
Alkhari
means to serve. I started life much like you. When I joined the ranks, I was reborn as what I am today.”

He bent down and kissed the tip of my nose, his gaze fixed on mine.

A suffocating sense of need slammed into my body. Oh yes, I
wanted
him.
Needed
him was more accurate. I didn’t trust the feeling. “How do you know what you feel is real, Luca? How?” I shouted, surprised by the heat in my voice.

His expression went neutral, like that day in the library before he shot me. I backed up, stopping when I banged into the fireplace mantle. Luca caged me with his arms on either side of me, yet not touching me. “Why do you continue to believe that I have no choice in the matter of my feelings for you?”

“How can you care so much for me? We barely know each other.”

“That’s where you’re wrong.” He cocked his head sideways, lips in a thin smile. “I’ve been in your life longer than you know.”

“You were spying on me?” I sputtered, unsure if I should be freaked out or pissed off.

“Hardly.” He narrowed the space between us, his body still not touching mine. “I was curious about you.”

“Curious in a creepy stalker sort of way?” I thought back to all those times in recent months when I thought someone was watching me. I’d chalked it up to Julian or sheer paranoia. Even though I’d made an exit from the trust-fund-baby lifestyle didn’t mean there still weren’t tabloids interested in me, hoping I’d slip up and do something stupid.

A low chuckle rumbled in his chest. “Never.”

The intensity of his gaze raked over my body like tiny fingertips. I swallowed thickly. My tongue seemed to be stuck at the roof of my mouth.

He hissed out a slow, measured breath. “Am I not pleasing to you,
annwyl
?”

Hell yes. He was sexy, gorgeous, and could be all mine. I gripped the sides of my robe, fingers aching from the strain. All I had to do was move forward, not even an inch, and that silken flesh would be mine for the tasting.

Luca shifted. His lips hovered over mine, beckoning me.

Fuck. Who was I to argue with destiny? With one swift motion, I captured his lips and tangled my fingers in his hair. Luca eagerly devoured my kiss, sending shivers of lust right to my center.

I trailed my palms down his neck and over the muscles of his smooth back. Luca broke away and nipped the flesh along my throat, his fingers buried in my hair. The world spun for a moment as he shifted his other arm around my waist.

Hot, wet, and needy, I pressed against Luca. His low throaty growl and rock-hard erection told me he was as aroused as I was. When I fumbled with the robe’s knotted tie, instead of tearing it off of me, he stilled my hands.

“No,” he said to himself, his voice gruff. “I won’t ravage you.”

My mind screamed,
Why the hell not
! Every part of me craved him like a junkie, ready to implode if he didn’t give me what I needed. “Luca, don’t make me beg.”

He shook his head. “You will never have to beg me to love you.” He angled his mouth over mine. His kiss, fierce and urgent, deepened, his tongue teasing my mouth open.

I eagerly accepted and threw my arms around his neck. With one fluid motion, he hoisted me up, arms supporting my ass. The robe split open and I circled my legs around his waist. The fabric of his jeans bit into my thighs briefly before he deposited us on the cushions.

“Your beauty intoxicates me,” he breathed against my neck, his lips and tongue trailing down my collarbone.

Air brushed against my inner thighs, ratcheting up my desire for his hands on my skin.

“Please. Luca.” I squirmed closer, hands pulling up his T-shirt, anything to get his bare flesh against mine. Stupid robe. Why had I knotted the tie?

“No fretting.” Luca calmed my hands and yanked the T-shirt over his head, depositing in on the ground.

Now that’s what I’m talking about. Forget the damn bathrobe. Instead, I dragged my fingernails lightly down his back, then circled toward the front of his pants. He ran his hands under the robe’s collar, fingers flat against my breast. His lips followed with a slow, hot drag while I fumbled to undo the top button of his jeans.

He tongued my hard nipple through the fabric while he teased the other one with his thumb and forefinger. Button finally undone, I stroked the tip of his erection. He moaned and leaned closer, sucking and pulling on me harder.

I loved it. The mix of pleasure and the slight sting of pain caught in my throat. There was a rip. The robe’s tie gone, Luca pushed the silky fabric away from my shoulders. Through hooded eyes, he looked up at my face.

“Don’t stop.” I groaned at the absence of his mouth. Urging him forward, my hand slid lower onto his shaft, massaging the satiny, yet hard skin.

“Easy, sweet,” he said, shifting out of my reach. “My control is in tatters.”

“Concerned about stamina issues?” I smiled.

“Don’t you worry about that.”

He kissed me, stoking the heat between us even higher. Luca’s tongue twined with mine and I stopped thinking.

My only world was the sensation of his mouth, his touch, his skin on my skin. Somewhere along the line, the robe came off and his pants became a memory. He carried me under the canopy and set me onto the bed. The drapes flapped in time with the wind. The cool air was refreshing but not cold enough to distract from the heat sizzling between us.

When he lowered himself next to me, I luxuriated in the lush feel of his velvet skin against mine. His fingertips dragged lightly down my abdomen headed south.

“God, yes,” I moaned, primed for him to ease the throbbing ache between my legs.

At the first touch of his fingers, my hips bucked. He circled my clitoris with firm, masterful strokes. I cried out, my back arching, when he slipped one finger, then two inside of me. The things he did with those fingers. In and out, dipping and stroking inside me, the pressure so intense I thought I’d fly apart.

With a soft sigh, he withdrew his fingers and I whimpered.

“So wet,” Luca said, lips trailing down my inner thigh.

A firm stroke of the tongue rendered me speechless. The next, more insistent lick undid me further. Waves of bliss cascaded over me. When his teeth grazed my clit, pure lightning shot through me. He added his thumb, stroking around my center.

“More . . . please,” I panted. Cold air blasted over me. Goosebumps rose on my arms and legs. I ignored the darkening sky, the scent of rain in the air.

Luca explored every inch of me with relentless intensity. Barely able to think, I moaned, a bundle of need, release on the horizon. When his fingers delved back inside me, the delicious friction started a chain reaction. From far away, I heard myself chant, “
Harder, more, please
.”

He sucked my clitoris, and I lost it. My hips rocked against his teeth and tongue and my body took on a life of its own. Pleasure shot through my veins, racing throughout my body like a firestorm. I had never come before. Not like this. Like my mind would shatter and my heart with burst from pure erotic pleasure.

The world went white for a moment. All my senses tangled into a ball of bliss. Luca nuzzled me, tracing hot kisses around my belly button. Tiny spasms continued to quake through me.

“You look beautiful,” he purred. “So very lovely.”

All I could do was nod while I tried to steady my breathing. Slowly, the world around me re-focused. The light had changed. No longer warm and welcoming, the sky had gone gray, almost menacing.

A cacophony of cat howls and high-pitched dog yaps came from inside the house.

Blue streaks of lightning lit the sky. Thunder rumbled. My pulse raced. I really hated storms. Luca peered over his shoulder. Another flash of lightning, brighter than before, cast eerie shadows over the bed. Wispy tendrils of blackened vines snaked their way up the gazebo.

Another crack. I flinched as a vine wrapped around my ankle, sharp thorns dug into my flesh. My vision warped and faded, distorting everything. In a moment of clarity, I started when the shadow of wings appeared behind Luca, extending from behind his shoulders.

“
Annywl
?” He cocked his head to the side, concern in his eyes. Didn’t he hear the thunder?

Lightning struck the gazebo’s metal frame. Streaks of electricity shot through the tent. Luca’s hair changed from black to that luminous silver color. His eyes burned black. The wings, sporting a sharp barb at each tip, flapped over me like black drapes.

Primal fear raced through me. A voice spoke in my head.

Kill him
.

My eyes widened. I tried to move my limbs, except they lay limp by my side. In slow motion, Luca leaned over me. His mouth opened. Fangs elongated in place of his teeth. A serpent’s tongue flicked outward and extended toward me.

Another loud crack of thunder jolted me.

Kill him. Now
.

Cold metal landed in my palm. I lolled my head sideways and saw that I clutched a slender, stiletto-type dagger. The vine released my ankle. Suddenly, as if a weight had been lifted, I was free to move. Luca continued his slow descent toward me. Menacing claws protruded from his fingers, his face contorted in a lethal grimace.

End his life
, the oily voice goaded me. It would be so easy. I was faster, stronger. Better. The weapon driven into his heart would free me.

Yes,
it hissed, satisfied.

No! This was all wrong. Every instinct in me fired at once. Not Luca. I would never hurt him. Certainty cleared my mind. I screamed and flung down the dagger.

The voice shrieked in anger.
Stupid bitch. Suffer
! The pain of my re-birth seared my skin. I was there again, in that nameless void of unending agony. A thousand knives sliced into me. Fire burned and melted my skin. I couldn’t go through it all again. Hysteria welled inside me, a whirlpool of despair ready to suck me down.

Strong hands gripped my shoulders, pinning me to the bed. Luca’s worried face filled my vision. No longer a monster, he shouted for me, his voice muffled and far away. Another wave of pain wracked my body. My gaze latched on to Luca’s face. His lips moved with measured precision, his palms rubbed my temples. A different sort of power washed over me, erasing the vile influence.

Tears pooled in my eyes, blurring my sight. “Luca!” I wailed.

He moved away. There was a terrible rending sound, followed by an unholy scream. The vine withered and then crumbled into to dust.

In the distance, I heard his comforting voice. “You are safe. Let go now.”

So I did.

Chapter 9

A human being is a deciding being.

For two days, I lay in bed, shrouded in an uneasy funk. Immediately after I was attacked, Luca had transported us to the mansion. Angry and sullen, he raved at Julian the moment we arrived. From the tone of the conversation, it became clear that Luca blamed Julian. And, I gathered, that the Hereafter was supposed to be a safe haven.

However the Jiang Shi infiltrated its godly defenses, I left to the Higher Power to figure out. I was content to sleep and ignore everything.

Inside, I felt violated. That thing had been in my head, controlling me. Bad enough, it had almost crushed me and Luca to death in the car. Now I had to worry about it fucking with my mind, too?

Worse, I was torn about Luca. There was no denying that physically we fit together. Heck, I’d even argue that emotionally, I wanted him. But the nagging doubt about the bond ate at me. And, what if I found a way to break the family curse? Would that sever the tie between us permanently? Could I live without him?

To top it all off, Julian’s earlier disclosure that Grace was the next heir was too horrible to bear. I’d purposely shoved it to the back shelf, but now, with nothing but time and no distractions, that was the horror cycling through my brain.

I had to stay alive forever. Or at least long enough to end the family curse. Sebastian must have had some record of the bargain somewhere. He’d never be so sloppy with any business dealing. Especially something of this magnitude. He had to have paperwork.

Unless . . .

No. No. I couldn’t stand to even think it. Unless, he wasn’t the one to make the bargain. If that was true, then I really had my work cut out for me.
Motherfucker.

Too many questions and no answers hurt my head. It was so much easier to sleep and let it all go away.

Problem was, that only worked for about 48 hours. Brody didn’t take kindly to me lazing about in bed all day. Apparently, cats are the only ones who can lie about doing nothing for hours on end. To show his displeasure, he meowed in my face or bounced across my bladder like a trampoline.

And then there was Meadows . . .

“Please, ma’am. Won’t you get up today?” Mr. Meadows wrung his hands over me like a worried nanny goat.

“Maybe later,” I mumbled and rolled over, trying to ignore the sticky feeling at the roof of mouth.

“I’ve brought you lemonade.”

Saliva pooled in my mouth at the thought of the tart, tangy beverage sliding down my throat. It was the first time in days that I’d craved anything other than sleep. “I’ll take it in my study.”

Once Meadows was gone, I stumbled out of bed, my body dull. Other than occasional trips to the bathroom, I hadn’t moved all that much. Neither Julian nor Luca had been to see me in days. I hadn’t cared at the time.

Now it pissed me off. I thought they were supposed to be friends or the very least guardians. And Luca. I think we’d crossed the line past friendship. A shiver of heat coursed over me, and my cheeks flushed thinking about his skilled fingers and tongue.

I opened the heavy mahogany door that led to my private study. Cozy antique armchairs and a dainty lacquered table were arranged in front of a fireplace. Probably treasures acquired by one my Ashworth relatives. Toward the back of the room sat an uncluttered desk where I kept my laptop and other personal papers. I could have had Sebastian’s massive library office but this is where I felt most comfortable.

The lemonade sat on a tray. Beads of sweat pearled against the tall, clear glass. Square ice cubes hung in the liquid as if in suspended animation. Nestled nearby, a pitcher and a plate of small finger sandwiches. But it was the drink that I wanted. The pale yellow liquid glowed, a shiny beacon to my thirst.

My palm curled around the glass. Coldness permeated my fingertips. The first gulp slid down my throat with ease, tart citrus tickling my tongue. The fog that had permeated my brain dissipated like a ray of sunshine cutting through the clouds.

“Radiance.”

“Luca?” I swirled around the room, searching. No one was there. I slumped into the wing-backed armchair. Christ. I was losing my mind.

“Drink more lemonade.”

I laughed with a slight tinge of hysteria. “I’m Alice. What’s next? A white rabbit?”

“Hurry.”

“No. The last time I listened to a voice in my head, I almost killed you.” Nausea cramped my stomach just thinking about it.

“Please,
cariad
.”

His urgent tone and heartfelt
please
decided it. I swallowed down the entire thing so fast I ended up slightly dizzy. I refilled it, eyes tracking the golden stream. As the liquid filled the glass, an image appeared on the surface.

“Luca! What are you doing in there?” Giddiness simmered inside my chest, leaving me ridiculously euphoric. “And what the heck is in this lemonade?”

“We’ve been locked out of the mansion.”

“What do you mean ‘locked out’?”

“The wards are preventing us from entering.”

Huh?

“Don’t gape, my sweet. You blocked us out. You need to let us back in.”

I scrubbed my face. I had no idea what he was talking about. “Luca, I’m sitting here tripping the light fantastic. How do I fix this?”

He chuckled, his lemony avatar amused. “Go to the library.”

“Do I have to?” I hated it in there.

“Take the glass of lemonade with you. Quickly, before the spell fades.”

I didn’t wait to be told twice. I hustled down the hallway and took the elevator to the main floor. Normally, I used the stairs, but this time I didn’t want to chance tripping and dumping the contents.

“When I get you back inside, you will explain all this to me, yes?” I asked, thankful no one could see me talking to a glass of lemonade. The elevator deposited me two doors down from the library. Once inside, I set the glass on Sebastian’s mammoth desk. I carefully avoided looking at his painting. My skin crawled. The room held too many unpleasant memories of being shot and tortured.

“Go to the fireplace mantle. See that fancy carving of the family crest?”

“Let me guess. Press the center.” Or some such nonsense. Even though I had mostly eschewed my family’s company, I knew my heritage. The crest had been around for at least a century. I’d heard rumors that the old man incorporated the symbols of royal European families. I didn’t buy it. The crest was too damned weird. The creature on the front was a winged beast unlike anything I’d ever seen before.

Looking at it again, I wondered. It looked a lot like –

“Radiance. Hey. Pay attention. Don’t touch the center. Feel underneath the bottom. There is a button flush with the surface. Press it.”

I ran my fingers along the carved surface. And there it was. With a soft
snick
, the button pushed in. The floor rumbled, shooting vibrations through the soles of my feet. I stepped back, expecting the fireplace to swing open.

“Now what?” I called over to the glass.

“Go to last bookcase on the left. No, the one on your
other
left.”

Yeah, direction was never my strong point. I picked up the glass and circled the perimeter of the library to my left side. There it was. A shelf that was no longer flush with the wall. I gave a small headshake. Really, why was I surprised that Sebastian had his own
sancto sanctorum
? Selene and I had always suspected. Turns out we were right.

“Once you go inside, there is a panel to your immediate right. You can’t miss it. The stone is like the one Joanna brought to your house.” Luca’s avatar said, noticeably faded.

I shoved the shelf open. Excessive use of force wasn’t necessary. It swung open easily. I stumbled forward, holding the glass upright. The liquid sloshed against the sides but didn’t spill. The lighting system must have been tied to the door because I didn’t have to fumble around for a switch.

“I see the stone.” I hovered my palm over surface. “And?”

“Touch it like you’re going to read from it and will it to allow us to pass the wards.”

I hesitated. I hated touching Sebastian’s artifacts. The results could be unpredictable. I squared my shoulders. Luca wouldn’t ask for shits and giggles. The stone was surprisingly warm under my skin. Power hummed underneath it.

“Open sesame,” I said with feeling. Itchy sensations spiked through the brand, a thousand tiny tickles, then something shifted. Or rearranged would be more accurate.

“Seriously, woman,” Luca laughed from behind me. “You never cease to surprise me.”

I turned to face him. “Is that really you this time?”

He closed the distance between us. “Feel for yourself.” His kiss was deep and fierce, like he couldn’t get enough of me.

There was a polite cough. “Sorry to interrupt, but we have business to take care of.”

Luca broke the kiss. “Sod off, Julian.”

Fuzz gone from my brain, I glanced down at my clothes. Ugh, dirty PJs worn for the last several days. I gave myself a sniff. Not exactly roses. Lord knew what my hair looked like. Rat’s nest was probably a generous description. I covered my mouth with my hand. Poor Luca. I’d kissed him with dragon breath.

He chuckled. “You’re always beautiful to me.”

For some reason, that sentiment mortified me even more. “Be right back.”

I ran out of there and didn’t speak to either of them until I’d showered and brushed my teeth. Twice.

All that grooming turned out to be productive in more ways than one. It had given me a chance to assess the situation. First off, I decided to deal with the more immediate issue—the Jiang Shi. Second, Luca—I’d wait and watch. And lastly, the legacy would be my long-term project. The Ashworth fortune was mine, and all of the personal property, too. In my spare time, I’d start hunting through Sebastian’s secret lair.

“All right, gentlemen. I’ve done some thinking.”

Julian and Luca looked up when I entered the library. They were, notably, sitting across from each other, as if a truce had been struck, but neither of them would be singing campfire songs together anytime soon.

Whatever. As long as they quit sniping like teenage girls, I didn’t care what deal they’d negotiated.

“Julian, you’re off of my shit list for the moment. I have bigger and badder things to worry about than what you haven’t been telling me.” I seated myself behind Sebastian’s desk, the thick leather-bound chair nearly swallowing me.

Looking visibly relieved, he nodded. “I appreciate that. Truly, I am sorry for my silence.”

I pursed my lips and kept the snarky comment I wanted to make trapped between my teeth. I’d decided to move forward. Telling Julian that I thought he was full of shit wouldn’t be helpful.

Luca snapped the book he was eyeballing shut. He projected a disaffected air that I was pretty sure was an act. I nibbled my bottom lip, thinking about our intimate moment in the Hereafter. Those skilled fingers. That soft mouth. Heat suffused my cheeks. He gave me a small, knowing smile.

I cleared my throat. No way was I discussing my relationship, or whatever it was we had going, with Julian there.

First, I needed one nagging question answered. “How did the Jiang Shi attack me in the Hereafter?”

Luca frowned and crossed his arms. “Sneaky bastard slipped a thorn either into your clothes or shoes. Once you arrived, it planted itself and stayed undercover until the right moment presented itself. I have alerted the realm’s guardians of the hole in their defenses.”

“I imagine they weren’t pleased,” Julian said.

“No. That is an understatement.” He stared at Julian for a moment as if he wanted to say more.

I balled my fists, nails digging into my palms. Not only had that thing slipped me a supernatural Trojan horse, it nearly succeeded in using me to kill Luca. “Any ideas why the Jiang Shi keeps attacking us?”

“Perhaps. While you were otherwise occupied, I took the liberty of searching available records. We already know that the Jiang Shi is someone’s vengeful ancestor. The Chinese believe that homage must be paid to the deceased, otherwise they will be displeased and haunt you in this life,” Luca said.

“So, fail to bury Aunt Pearl properly and she will come back to eat you?” I tapped my fingers on the desk. Something nagged at the back of my mind. That day in Tien Shaw’s office.

“Exactly like that. Or forget to honor your ancestors each year with proper respect and ritual. There are several ways to insult them.”

Several things didn’t add up for me. “Could someone purposely summon an ancestor?”

“And more importantly,” Julian added, “could that person control it?”

Luca shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m no expert here. But it does seem like the victims were targeted.”

“Ya think? The red fortune cookies seem like a big ‘come get me’ sign.”

“I agree.” Luca paced in front of the fireplace. Sebastian’s portrait seemed to follow him with disapproving eyes. That thing had to go. It creeped me out. Luca stopped, pivoted, and faced me. “One more thing. Unlike many of the spirits we deal with, they are anchored to an object.”

“What kind of object?” Julian asked.

“It could be anything, but I believe it’s related to burial.”

An alarm rang in my head. “Like an urn?” I sprang out of the chair. “We have to go. I know where we can find one.”

Timing is like location in real estate—all important.

I couldn’t help but wonder if I’d spent less time sulking in bed and more time paying attention, we could have saved Tien Shaw from being shredded.

“This is awful,” I said, sidestepping the pool of blood haloed around his torso. The only reason I hadn’t completely lost it and run from the room was Luca’s firm grip on my elbow. As it was, cold sweat coated my skin along with the ever-present urge to puke.