âAnd obviously another ice cold shower is in order,â she added, placing the palm of her hand against the tightening of her stomach muscles. Sheâd never been shy when it came to talking about sex and she wasn't going to start biting her lip now. âAm I leeching this sexual need from you?â
Ren had practically stopped breathing when heâd imagined removing her dress for her in one fluid movement, then lifting her naked body up on the desk behind her. He blinked as the bluntness of her question sank in. The answer was a resounding YES. Sheâd known exactly what Nick and Gypsy had been up to in the bomb shelter, but it never dawned on him that she would also be able to tap into his emotions or desires.
Hopefully she had only received a fraction of that ability or she wouldnât last very long in this castle. He made a mental note to ask Guy if he could create some kind of spell or charm for her to wear that would tone the ability down but, for now, he could at least give her the truth.
âThis castle is full of paranormals with heightened emotions,â he informed her, trying to get his own under control. Sensing she was in need right now wasnât helping and it was causing a boomerang affect between them. âParanormals have emotions just like humans. The difference is⦠they feel each emotion much stronger than a normal human ever would⦠and youâre tapping in to that overload.â
He started towards her feeling much like a predator stalking its prey. Ren felt a satisfied smirk try to tug at his lips when she backed up against the desk right in the same spot he had envisioned lifting her from.
âTheir anger could cause a normal human to go on a killing spree⦠and their brand of love is what we would call a dangerous obsession.â He suddenly leaned forward, placing his hands against the desk on each side of her to trap her beneath him. He then dipped his lips very close to her ear. âAnd their carnal lust is so hot it burns.â
Lacey closed her eyes as she felt his breath touch her neck. Yeah, he was right about burning because she was on fire. Her lips parted as her breathing sped up. âTheir bodies must also be hypersensitive to touch because your breath against my neck feels way too good to be anywhere near normal.â
The growl next to her ear was her only reply but the sound was so seductive that Lacey heard the answer within it. He was so close to her⦠yet he wasn't touching her anywhere. It was as if he had complete control while she was left swimming in a whirlpool of passion, waiting for the slightest tug to pull her under. She really wanted to experiment with this yummy little side effect⦠right now, if he was game.
Mentally deleting the seduction at the Witchâs Brew less than an hour ago⦠since it had happened under duress, Lacey thought about the last time they had touched one another. It had happened right here in this office. Sheâd believed that she would be dead by dawn and had wanted to spend the last remaining hours lost in sensual pleasure with him. Ren had been the one to put a stop to it because heâd been listening in on her thoughts.
Well, she didnât have a death threat hanging over her head anymore thanks to him, so he couldnât hold that against her. If she had her way, he would hold something else against her very soon and, with the mood she was in, she hoped it was big and throbbing.
âSince youâre the one who gave me the power to accidently set myself on fire like this⦠do you want to be the one to help me extinguish the flame, or do I need to find someone else who is willing to be my firefighter,â she asked, remembering the sting of his last rejection.
Ren tightened his grip on the desk when the rush of heat heâd been feeling quickly morphed into hot as hell anger. Had she really just threatened to go find someone else to quench her desire? The image of her and Vincent making love in the not so distant past seared through his head like a locomotive.
He should have also warned her about extreme jealousy but it was a moot point, since he seemed to be the only one feeling that particular emotion.
âI will teach you not only how to use the powers that have been awakened inside you, but how to control the ones that will put others in danger,â he whispered deceptively, before taking her in his arms.
Lacey blinked when Ren pulled her close and she noticed the office fading into the distance. Within seconds, she found herself in the same bedroom she had woken up in⦠his. Her gaze strayed to the bed hoping she was finally going to get what sheâd been secretly craving since sheâd met him. Instead, he gripped her arm and pulled her past the bed, making her frown in confusion.
Being propelled into a connecting bathroom, she couldnât suppress the shocked scream when she suddenly found herself in the shower with icy cold water cascading down on the top of her head. Shivering, she reached out and turned the water off realizing she was still fully dressed. She was now seeing her sensitive skin statement in a whole new light. That was freakin colder than cold ever thought about being.
âWhat the hell was that for,â Lacey demanded, glaring over at Ren with murder in her eyes.
âLesson number one,â Ren growled, leaning toward her for emphasis, âdonât let siphoned sexual heat get to you so bad that you would sleep with just anyone to get a fix.â
Laceyâs glare didnât lessen as her teeth chattered. âYouâre right. What the hell was I thinking asking you? I promise, next time Iâll choose who I ask a little wiser.â She waited for a comeback from him but was met with complete silence that made her a bit nervous, and the fact that she couldnât see his eyes for the stupid sunglasses wasn't helping.
She wondered where the desire Ren had been feeling a moment ago went and why the hell it had suddenly been replaced by rage. The emotion was so strong that she struggled to contain it. She had spent the last year guarding her thoughts and emotions from dangerous people and now she was almost a pro at it⦠except around him for some damn reason.
Instead of hitting the big jerk like she wanted to, she grabbed the frosted shower door and slammed it in his face so she wouldnât have to look at him. Taking the dress off, she threw the sodden thing over the shower door and smirked when the sound of slung water hitting something reached her ears. She hoped the cold rain from it got him right in the face. He so deserved it and much more.
Glancing back towards the frosted glass, Lacey wanted to do a happy dance when she saw the distorted shape of Renâs body and could tell that he was taking his sunglasses off to dry them. The small taste of revenge cooled her anger for the moment. Turning on the hot water, Lacey stepped under it and groaned in ecstasy as it warmed her chilled flesh.
Ren gritted his teeth, still seething over the easy way sheâd just informed him that she would ask for someone elseâs help the next time she got horny. Throwing her in the cold shower had been his temperâs idea and his temper had never been that smart. He would have to fix the mistake before she attempted to make good on the threat⦠attempt being the operative word because he would never allow someone else to touch her in such a way.
His lips parted to warn her that she would be giving a death sentence to anyone she tried to seduce but he gritted his teeth to keep the angry words from forming. She would only take it as a challenge anyway and probably run straight to her lover boy, since killing the idiot wouldnât matter.
Ren ran a hand through his bangs to get them out of his eyes and started pacing back and forth as his mind raced. It was true that he would have to test her limits on how much of the world around her she was ciphering. The last thing they needed was for her to go into a blood rage just because the demon beside her was in a bad mood. Heâd been practicing at this a lot longer than her⦠and he would be the one that would teach her how to deal with it.
His pacing slowed realizing she wasn't the only one who needed to get a handle on new things. For heavenâs sake, he hadnât even left the bathroom so she could take a shower in peace. Was he that afraid to let her out of his sight? Again⦠the answer to that question