Twilight War (4 page)

“The man stole
my best friend’s wife
and
his fiancé. Surely you can
understand my concern.”

“I do, but I am
not those women. I am skilled and have been raised in an
environment where men are the enemy. They are a means to an end,
never to be trusted unless that trust is earned,” she blurted out,
then covered her mouth with one hand in sudden regret of her being
too blunt.

“Is that all I
am to you? A tool? What will you do with me when I’ve fulfilled my
purpose to you? Turn me over to Naami for breeding?”

“No! It’s not
like that with you. I have feelings for you.”

“But?”

“I can’t allow
them to cloud my thinking. Not yet, not now.”

“Then when?” He
stared into her. “What must I do to earn your trust?”

“Trust me,” she
replied in a soft tone. “That is all I ask, that you trust me until
this fight I must fight is over.”

“Trust.” He
scoffed. “I trusted a woman long ago and that didn’t turn out very
well. Ian trusted Cassie and that got him dead. And you won’t even
tell me your last name, so clearly I have not earned your trust
according to what you told Cooper O’Toole. Yet here you are asking
me to trust you when you can’t even return the favor.”

Suddenly at a
loss for words, she simply stared back at him.

“No rebuttal?”
he pressed.

“No…you’re
right. Maybe you shouldn’t trust me.” She eased from his grip. “I’m
very tired. Would you rather I sleep in a hotel?”

“Don’t be
ridiculous, of course not.” A pained look flooded his eyes.
“Please, Flame…stay. Obviously, we’re both on edge.”

“You didn’t
mention how Cooper took the news about Ian? Wasn’t Ian his second
in command?”

Raef’s demeanor
intensified. He shifted his weight. “Another puzzling aspect to
this entire ordeal, Coop didn’t seem upset at all over losing Ian.
He shrugged it off and muttered something about another casualty of
war. Any idea what he meant by that?”

Flame buried
her emotions instantly. “No, none. Maybe Coop isn’t the great guy
that his followers think he is.”

“Maybe not,” he
said with a skeptical look.

She could see
him trying to piece things together. Raef was sharp, this she
knew.

“Perhaps I
should sleep in the guest room tonight. I can see how tense you
are.”

“No, angel,
I’ll be fine.” He pulled her close and placed a tender kiss on her
lips. “We’ll get through this. Why don’t you go ahead up and settle
in. I’ll unwind with a few drinks then I’ll join you. You look
stressed, I’ll be careful not to wake you.”

“Thank you. I
really could use a good night of uninterrupted sleep.” She touched
her lips to his. “I’ll keep the bed warm.”

“I’m sure by
morning we’ll both feel better. We can talk more then, if you
want.”

“Okay.” She
offered him a warm smile, grabbed her backpack, then headed up the
spiral staircase to the second floor. A warm shower and a soft bed
would be wonderful.

Hopefully,
we’ll both be less irritable in the morning.

* * * *

Raef grabbed a
bottle of bourbon and a crystal tumbler from his built-in bar. A
cool breeze floated in off the waves. He loved living on the West
Coast with the warmer climate and sunnier days. He was glad Hatch
preferred life in the Big Apple. New York City offered plenty of
excitement but LA did not lack for fun either. The biggest perk was
the three thousand miles of American soil between him and Hatch,
yet the prick was still hopping a plane to come and make another
play for Flame.

He sighed while
plopping into a lounge chair on the patio facing the beach. Waves
tumbled ashore, leaving behind white froth as they rolled back out
to sea. The moon had slid toward the west, indicating the hour had
grown late. Sounds coming from upstairs faded, making him realize
that Flame had settled in and had probably fallen into a
much-needed slumber. Her evasiveness troubled him but not enough to
give up.

Though his
plans for a romantic reunion followed by steamy sex had been
shattered, he understood her calling better than she realized.
Though he longed to re-establish their physical connection before
Hatch came breezing back into their lives, he’d gladly wait for
Flame to unwind and hoped that she’d open up to him about her
obvious concerns. His animosity toward Hatch grew with each passing
moment. Why he couldn’t simply accept Flame’s decision and let her
go infuriated him.

He polished off
the last of the bourbon and headed inside. Just the thought of
sliding in beside the fiery woman in his bed aroused him. Even if
they didn’t engage in sex tonight, breathing in her sweet scent and
curling up behind her soft body would be heaven enough. A knock on
the door sounded as he approached the staircase.

“Damn it all to
hell,” he growled. “That better not be Hatch or I will kick his ass
out the door this time.” He padded to the door and quietly opened
it. “Whoa, Naami, what are you doing here? And at this hour?”

“Hello, Raef.
I’m sorry for barging in so late but I don’t know this area very
well and didn’t know which hotel would be a good choice.”

He did a quick
once over then let her inside, surprised she’d made it safely all
this way dressed like that. Her sheer blouse and flimsy skirt
weren’t exactly subtle. “Sshh, Flame has gone up to bed, she was
exhausted. How did you find my house?”

She batted long
lashes and stared at him with those memorable warm brown eyes
flecked with gold. “I’m sorry, but I stole a peek into Flame’s cell
phone during your visit and memorized your number. Then I used GPS
to find your house.”

He swayed a
little as the liquor went to his head. “A little sneaky, don’t you
think?”

“I couldn’t
help myself.” She unbraided her long auburn hair and fluffed it
around bare shoulders. “I am fertile for just a little longer this
month and I just had to try one more time.”

“Uh…I believe
we already had this conversation. I’m not interested in becoming a
sire.”

“Do you realize
what a noble deed you’d be performing by breeding a queen? Your
offspring would be royalty and start a new line of rich
heritage.”

“Babe, I’m not
actually sober right now, so perhaps you should take one of the
guest rooms. I can’t exactly toss you onto the street but I’ve
already got the woman I want in my bed for the night.”

She unbuttoned
her blouse to expose a pair of lovely, high, firm breasts. “We
don’t need a bed. You saw how we live. Luxury is not something we
allow ourselves to embrace.”

“I’m going
upstairs now. As tempting as you are, this is not right.”

“There is no
need for protocol.” She blocked his way up the stairs with
surprising grace and speed. “I want your seed, nothing more.”

Her scent
floated over him and he found it unusually enticing, like a
powerful aphrodisiac. His jeans grew painfully tight as his arousal
mounted at an alarming rate. He couldn’t deny that her youthful
body was very appealing. He recalled Flame mentioning that Naami
was only in her twenties. Their first encounter had been somewhat
tense with the young queen seeking a mating and Flame telling her
no
. His thoughts began to blur as she pushed his shirt away
and rubbed her bare skin against his.

“Naami,” he
protested. “No…please, we shouldn’t be doing this.” Yet the
peculiar bouquet of her perfume made it hard to think. Strange lust
coursed through him.

“Flame will get
over it.” She began nibbling at his ear and circling it with her
tongue.

Raef felt
self-control slipping away under the effect of too much liquor, not
enough sleep, and a feeling he couldn’t explain. She pushed him
down to a sitting position on the bottom step. When he didn’t fight
her, she nudged him to lay back.

“No,” he
muttered. “I don’t want to get rough with you, now please stop.”
But his words came out much weaker than he had planned.

Her soft lips
left a trail of kisses from his neck to his waist as she deftly
worked open the fly to his jeans. All the while, he was shouting
no, no, no
inside but his body defied him by responding
positively to her tantalizing touch. The sisterhood women
definitely possessed a higher level of skill in the art of
seduction than any women he’d known. He silently cursed the
erection in her hand as she went down on him. His mind wanted her
to stop because he knew this would lead to trouble but his body
ached for relief from the fire she ignited.

“Relax,” she
purred upon sliding back up his body. “Nobody will know. I’ll be
gone before Flame wakes.” She lifted a white gauze skirt and
straddled his waist.

He inwardly
groaned as her moist heat engulfed his entire length. She rode him
hard and fast as if afraid he’d regain control and halt this blur
of madness. Every muscle in his body tensed. Any sense of morality
he had dissipated beneath her potent spell. She was young, tight,
and uncannily hot. He doubted any man could or would want to resist
this alluring vixen.

“Yesss…” she
breathed out her response as he exploded inside, spilling his full
release in her wanton body.

His sex jerked
with force as she took him all the way, draining every last drop
until he was utterly spent. A wave of regret washed over him
followed by a torrent of guilt. With the burning lust in his
treacherous body slaked, rational thought returned to his mind and
he felt suddenly sober.

“What have I
done?” He groaned and rolled away.

“With any luck
and if my timing is accurate, you’ve just sired the next ruler of
our colony if the child is a girl.”

He looked up in
shock. “And if it’s a boy?”

“I’m sure that
Flame told you the male children are placed in homes until they are
raised. Let’s just hope this one is a girl. If not, I will be
back.” She pulled herself together and straightened her clothes.
“Either way, this is good. A male sired by you will be an excellent
breeding prospect and that is the purpose of all women in the
village, to produce more of our kind.” She flashed him a haughty
grin. “Flame is a warrior. She cannot comprehend my desires.”

As the alcohol
wore off and reality settled in, Raef realized he’d made a
disastrous mistake. This woman had an agenda. He sprung to his feet
and zipped his jeans, then braced one arm over the door before she
slipped away.

“This isn’t
about you wanting a child. You cunningly orchestrated this entire
night to strike back at her. You’re jealous.”

“Doesn’t really
matter now, does it?” She laughed softly. “You had your guard down
and I took what I wanted.”

“Why would you
do this to her? I thought the women in your sect were pure and
kind-hearted?”

“We do what it
takes to survive and ensure the future of our elite nation. When it
comes to men, there are no rules unless that man is bound, which
you are not. We are free to use men as we see fit so get over
yourself.”

He shook his
head in dismay. “That’s the second time tonight I’ve heard
something along those lines. I refuse to believe that Flame is
anything like you. She is loyal and everything I want in a woman.
Now I’ve gone and ruined any chance of a future with her.”

“Don’t be such
a fool. You’ve done nothing more than give me your seed. The child
will never know you. We do not release paternal information to
offspring unless absolutely necessary. You can still play house
with your precious warrior woman.”

“I can’t live
behind a lie.”

Naami quickly
plaited her hair then tossed the long braid behind her back. “Why
not?” She stared up at him with those captivating eyes. “Flame
does.”

“What?”

“Oops.” She
sounded anything but sincere. “I guess you’ll have to ask her.”

He pushed on
the door when she tried to squeeze past. “Ask her what?”

Chapter
Three

Flame woke to
voices coming from downstairs. She glanced at the clock and
groaned.
Who would be here at this hour? It’s almost dawn.
She rolled over and tried falling back asleep but curiosity denied
her slumber so she sighed and slid out of bed. After pulling on a
t-shirt and comfort shorts, she tiptoed to the top of the
staircase. Her eyes flew open upon seeing Naami leaning against the
front door and Raef boxing her in with both hands braced on the
doorjambs.

“What the hell
is going on?” She trotted down the steps.

Raef spun
around, bare to the waist with guilt painted all over his face.
“Naami was just leaving.”

“Naami…what are
you doing here?” Flame made a quick visual assessment of the
situation. “You just couldn’t let it go, could you?”

“Let what go?”
Raef asked.

Flame let out a
frustrated sigh. “She has a shadow complex. She wants everything I
have. I was offered the title of queen before her but I turned it
down. Naami, here, wants it all. She wants to be queen and warrior,
wield the Sai, birth a prodigy…everything. Isn’t that right?” Flame
shot her a hot look.

“It’s not fair
that you have it all. Everyone wants you. You are the prodigy, the
infamous warrior, and the only one who can fight with Sai daggers.
Even the title of queen was offered to you by the Supreme Lioness.
You get everything you want. I’m sick of it. Therefore, I took what
I wanted and the only thing you cannot have—Raef’s offspring. You
aren’t the only lioness who can seduce a man!”

She glanced at
Raef again, taking a closer look at his disheveled appearance. “I
see.”

“Flame, I—”

“I don’t need
to hear it.” She faced her palm toward him and looked away. “Get
out, Naami. You got what you came for.”

Raef stepped
away from the door. “I’m so sorry, angel. I drank too much. She
knocked on the door. I thought it was Hatch. She came on hot and
heavy. I…I…oh hell, there’s no excuse for what I’ve done. I was
weak and foolish.”