Imprisoned by Desire Page 7

  It was heaven and exactly what I’d wanted. I let my head fall back against the door, spread my legs even wider and lost myself in the best damn orgasm I’d ever had.

  It was so good I almost missed Cass’s shout as he came inside me.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Cass

  “We need to talk.”

  Shit. I sounded like a girl.

  Still holding Sara between my chest and the door, I felt every ragged breath she took.

  They still wore shirts, but the boxer shorts she’d been wearing were in two pieces on the floor and my pants had slid down around my ankles. If I tried to move, I’d fall. I wouldn’t drop Sara, though. I’d break every bone in my body before I let her get hurt. But as tightly as she held me, I wasn’t going down without her.

  What the hell had just happened?

  Before I’d arrived, I told myself they’d talk first. I’d explain everything. Tell her who and what I was and everything I knew about Daniel Bonnini being Malandante. I’d lay all my cards on the table and let her come to her own conclusions. If she told me to take a flying leap, I’d do it and watch over her from the shadows.

  Then I’d seen her and all I wanted was one kiss. Damn, I really was a sap.

  I’d tried to take it slow, unthreatening. Just a simple kiss. But she’d devoured me as if I was a banquet and she was starving. Okay, stupid analogy but, blessed Goddess, when she’d dropped to her knees, I’d thought I might have a heart attack.

  She still hadn’t said anything, and I hoped that was because she was recovering rather than because she regretted what had happened.

  As if she’d read my mind, Sara sighed, the motion flattening her breasts even more against my chest. Was that contentment? Or regret?

  Her hands started tracing lazy patterns on my shoulders, moving upward until her fingers wove into the longer hair at my nape.

  “You know this hair should make you look feminine. It’s almost too pretty.”

  I didn’t know what to say to that or if I was supposed to say anything. I really didn’t want to say anything that might piss her off. With my cock still lodged inside her, I could feel every move she made and when she spoke, her sex clenched around me. I really loved that.

  Her nails scratched my scalp, sending a shiver of pleasure through me. But her hands were getting dangerously close to my ears. I forced myself not to move away, to let her make this discovery on her own.

  “It’s so soft,” she continued, her hands reaching my earlobes. “And too long—”

  Her entire body froze, except for her hands. With her index fingers, she traced the outline of my ears, my very pointed, very nonhuman ears.

  She traced them from tip to lobe several times before she shifted away, just far enough to see the side of my head. Sliding her fingers into my hair again, she pulled the strands back, leaving my ears exposed.

  I heard her swallow, felt the motion ripple along her whole body.

  “I think…you should put me down now.”

  Heart pounding, I pulled out of her as her legs unlaced from around my waist.

  The nervous fear in the pit of my stomach was a new, embarrassing experience. Normally I didn’t do nerves—or fear or embarrassment. Nerves were for the unworthy. Fear was for the weak and embarrassment was for those poor deluded wannabes on the first few weeks of American Idol.

  I was none of those things—not normally. But now with the woman I’d been waiting more than a hundred years to find, well…

  Her feet now on the ground, Sara moved as far from me as she could get. Since she was already up against the door, it wasn’t far.

  I stood my ground, kept my arms loose and my hands unclenched at my side. I wasn’t some freak to be gawked at. My ears were part of my heritage, an integral part of who I was.

  Her eyes narrowed as she stared at first one ear then the other, moving my head side to side to get a better look. I’d never had anyone look at them so intently, had never let anyone stare at them like Sara was now.

  Nothing showed in her expression, no hint of what she was thinking. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Then she met my gaze. “I’m guessing those aren’t your way of lightening the mood?”

  “No.”

  “They’re real?”

  “Yeah.”

  “And you’re probably not just a huge Lord of the Rings fan, huh?”

  That tight vise in my chest started to loosen. At least she wasn’t running in the opposite direction. Yet. “I’ve seen the first movie. Couldn’t get past the fact they got the ears wrong.”

  “So … You’re an elf?”

  “I’m linchetto.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “Which means… Wait, you know what?” She held up one hand and shook her head. “Hold that thought. I think I need clothes for this conversation.”

  Now that she said it, I felt kind of foolish standing there with my pants around my ankles. Stepping back, I pulled them up as she slipped by me. I couldn’t help but watch. She was still wearing my t-shirt, which covered most but not all of her ass, and if I had my way, I’d be seeing a lot more of it.

  I watched her walk to the small chest by the double bed then grab a pair of denim shorts from the drawer. They covered much less than my boxer shorts and she didn’t bother with underwear, just wriggled into them. My blood pressure skyrocketed, desire making my balls ache. I figured that was my punishment for lying to her.

  When she turned to me again, she pointed to the table near the kitchen and they sat down.

  Sara stared at me for at least a minute, as if gathering her thoughts, getting all her questions in line. Everything I’d learned about her pointed to a meticulous, detail-oriented woman.

  “It’s been a while since I studied Roman mythology—”

  “Not Roman. I’m Fata, one of the Etruscan magical races.”

  Her eyelids shot skyward. “One of?”

  “There are Fata and there are Enu. I believe you’re Enu.”

  Her eyes went wide as half-dollars. “I’m magical, too? I’ve never heard these terms before, so forgive me if I ask too many questions. Explain the difference between the two.”

  Sarcasm laced her tone. She was having trouble with all of this. I understood her unwillingness to believe. But there were things she needed to know. “The Fata are the spirits of the air, forest and water. Linchetti, folletti, salbinelli and so on. The Enu are humans who still have arus, magic, in their blood. People like you.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Sara

  I considered my next question carefully, because I was either dealing with a highly delusional lunatic…or a man who could answer questions I’d had my entire life. Questions like how I could will myself from one place to another. Why I could become invisible. Why my mother had been able to do the same. And more.

  “Are you human?”

  When Cass’s chin shot up as if I’d hit him, I figured that maybe I should have thought that question through a little more. But his expression didn’t change.

  “We’re not animals, if that’s what you’re asking—”

  I held up a hand in front of my chest. “No, wait. That didn’t come out right. And I didn’t mean to imply that you were… But you said those words, Fata and Enu, as if they mean something different than human.”

  “We believe the eteri, humans without magic, are simply a more recent evolutionary branch on the same tree.”

  That made sense…somehow. I got the distinct feeling that Cass thought humans were a little lower on the food chain than the Enu and Fata.

  After seeing what he could do, I couldn’t disagree. “Why do you think I’m…Enu?” My tongue tripped on the unfamiliar word. “Because of what I can do?”

  “Yes, and because your mother’s family came from Italy, which is where the Enu originated, long before the Romans wrestled control of the country from the Etruscans and assimilated them into their culture.”

  I blinked, my brain trying to take it all in. “Sounds
like I should have paid a little more attention in history.”

  “You wouldn’t have learned this in any college course.” Was that a smile I saw trying to lift the corners of his mouth? “We’ve hidden ourselves from humans for centuries. What do you think humans would do if they knew there were people like us in the world? You think they’d welcome us with open arms? Humans are never not at war over something somewhere. Can you imagine what would happen if they discovered magic truly exists? And that they can’t control it?”

  Okay, he definitely had a point there. God knew what would happen if the rest of the world discovered some people could control magic. It’d be complete chaos.

  “But why would my parents keep something like this from me? It doesn’t make any sense. Were they ashamed? Afraid? Did my mom not know about this?” Or did they choose not to tell me? Maybe they’d planned to tell me when I was older. But what else hadn’t they disclosed? And what about the rest of my family? I voiced that question. “What about Uncle Daniel?”

  Cass stiffened a little, as if he was worried about how to tell me something I didn’t want to hear. And maybe I didn’t.

  “Your uncle is Malandante. The Mal are born evil, it’s in their blood. They want to control the world, bend it to their will and they don’t care who or how many they hurt to achieve their goals.” Cass took a deep breath then continued, “Our plan was to kidnap you and hold you as collateral until Bonnini traded himself for you.” His mouth tightened but he didn’t look away. “I never would’ve hurt you, Sara. We don’t operate that way. But your uncle has already tried twice to capture a Fata. He’s probably tried many times before that we don’t know about. We’re not sure what he’s planning but, a few months ago, he kidnapped my brother’s mate and held her until Tonio rescued her.”

  My mouth dropped open. “Whoa, wait. I know my uncle’s no saint, but I can’t believe he’d resort to kidnapping…unlike you.” At the last two words, my tone turned haughty.

  Cass flinched. I was right on that account. He had planned to kidnap me. Then the plan had turned into…something else entirely. But I had to know the truth about my uncle.

  “Last year, he set fire to a large part of the forest not far from here and tried to take a group of children from their mothers.”

  “Oh, now hold on.” I flew out of my chair and started to pace. “There’s no way Uncle Daniel would do that.”

  “You don’t know what your uncle’s capable of.”

  “I know he wouldn’t deliberately hurt anyone.”

  Cass’s expression never changed. He was deadly serious, and it rocked my confidence. Uncle Daniel would never do that. Would he?

  I shook my head. “No, Cass, you’re wrong.” He had to be. But…

  My heart pounded, and my stomach rolled. I remembered a conversation I’d overheard last year. My uncle had been on the phone in his home office, talking to someone about the subjects they’d lost. Something about a fire.

  Then four months ago, he’d taken an unexpected business trip in the middle of the week. It was unusual, because he hadn’t told me where he was going and for how long.

  I grabbed the chair as my head began to spin.

  Cass had me in his arms before my ass hit the seat.

  “Sara.” He sat back on his chair, holding me on his lap. “Are you okay? Are you going to faint? Do you have any alcohol in this place?”

  With me in his arms, he stood and headed toward the three cabinets hanging on the wall over the old stainless-steel sink and ancient white enamel stove.

  Wrapping my arms around his neck, I clung to him, completely unembarrassed. Hell, I deserved a medal for not passing out.

  I stuck my nose in the soft cotton of his t-shirt and breathed deeply. His scent helped to steady me. Everything he’d told me was the truth as he knew it. That much was clear. Given the danger he believed his people to be in, he was right in trying to protect them. I couldn’t help but forgive him for his deception.

  “Cabinet on the left. Bottle of Jack Daniel’s,” I mumbled.

  My dad had always kept a bottle of whiskey there. I’d actually developed a taste for it and made sure to keep a fresh bottle here all the time. I reached for it, because he had his hands full of me.

  “Glasses?”

  I shrugged. “Why bother?”

  “My kind of girl.”

  My gaze shot to his face at the tone of his voice. “And what kind would that be?”

  He didn’t answer me as he went back to the table and sat with me on his lap.

  “Cass?”

  His expression didn’t reveal anything. But his eyes blazed. “Yeah?”

  Hell, did I really want an answer to my question? I’d had a lot thrown at me today. A lot of information, a lot of surprises, a lot of turmoil. And mind-blowing sex.

  Maybe I should stick to finding out more about this secret magical world he lived in before I mucked it up with a morass of conflicting emotions. I took a deep breath. “I think I need that drink now.” I unscrewed the cap, lifted the bottle to my mouth and took a swallow. It burned all the way down and, oh God, did it feel good.

  Offering the bottle to Cass, I watched him tilt it back, his throat working as he swallowed. Damn, he was so beautiful in all the ways men could be. And those ears… I turned my head and raised my hand to push his hair out of the way.

  He stiffened, and I realized he was worried about what I thought of them. They were so unusual, in the angle and the shape, but they were just as gorgeous as the rest of him. They made him look…young. I wanted to lick them.

  I felt a smile lift the corners of my mouth. “They’re beautiful. You know that, right?”

  Cass took another pull from the bottle then shrugged. “Those Fata who choose to blend, to live among the eteri, get good at hiding in plain sight. It’s easier for us linchetti since we only have to worry about the ears. The folletti can camouflage their wings but the salbin—”

  “Wings. Did you really just say wings?”

  He handed the bottle back to me, one side of his mouth kicking up in a lopsided grin. “Yeah, I did. But it’s harder for the salbinelli to hide their hooves.”

  I blinked. “Huh?”

  “Think satyrs.”

  I took another swallow of Jack Daniel’s, wondering if this day could possibly get any stranger.

  Someone knocked on the door.

  * * * * *

  Cass

  “Are you expecting anyone?”

  I asked the question though I knew what her answer would be.

  Eyes wide, Sara shook her head, confirming my suspicion. Damn, what the hell else was I supposed to deal with today?

  Placing a finger over her lips, I slid her onto the seat as I stood then leaned down to whisper in her ear. “I’m going to literally disappear in a second. Don’t move or make a sound. I’ll be right here, you just won’t be able to see me. Okay?”

  She blinked once before nodding then I turned and dissolved my body into shadow. I thought I heard a small squeak from her, but it wasn’t loud enough for any human outside to hear it. Except… I knew there were a lot more than humans beyond the cabin. They were close to Hawk Mountain and the Fata enclave hidden there. But this close to the Appalachian Mountains, there were other beings as well…

  When I reached the door, I wasn’t surprised by what I saw. Par for the course today.

  Still, I had to wonder why the hell a North Atlantic mountain troll was standing on Sara’s doorstep, knocking on the door as if I were an invited guest

  A cousin to the Fata orcuili, the mountain troll was short, squat and butt-ugly. Small beady eyes peered out from beneath long scraggly hair. He had a crooked hooked nose, an elongated chin and sharp pointed teeth, the better to rip apart the small animals they liked to eat.

  He lifted one, three-fingered, hand—the better to dig with—and pounded on the door again.

  Sighing, Cass rematerialized. Trolls didn’t come out of the mountains for no reason and they certainly did
n’t knock on the doors of random cabins. The indigenous creatures weren’t social. They lived in the mountains, they dug metals and jewels from the earth and they stayed the hell away from humans.

  This one had a definite purpose for being here.

  Cass opened the door. “Can I help you?”

  The troll looked up, a frown on his face. “Who the hell are you?”

  “Someone you don’t want to fuck with, troll. What’s your name and what do you want?”

  Beady eyes narrowed even further. “My name’s none of your business, Fata.” Gravel filled his voice. “What the hell are you doing here? This ain’t your house.”

  Cass stepped onto the porch, pulling the door closed behind me. “So whose house is it?”

  “Where’s the girl?” the troll snarled. “Is she here? Did you hurt her? You’ll be bear meat if you did.”

  I couldn’t hide my surprise. The troll was talking about Sara. I had no doubt about that. But how I knew Sara and why the hell I sounded so protective of her was confounding.

  “I don’t know what girl you’re talking about. And I wouldn’t give you information if I did, because you still haven’t told me who you are.”

  The troll grunted. “Name’s Edgart. And you?”

  “Cassian Graziano. Do you know who owns this cabin?”

  “Course I do. And I know you don’t, so what the hell are you doing here?”

  Since trolls weren’t known to be liars, unlike the orcuili, and they were carefully neutral when it came to fights between the other nonhuman creatures of the world, Cass figured Edgart wasn’t here to harm Sara. The real question was why he was here at all. “I’m helping a friend.”

  The troll cocked his head to the side. “And who would that be?”

  “Sara Prescott.”

  An odd look of concern crossed the little man’s ugly face. “Is the girl okay?”

  “She’s fine.”

  “I want to see her. None of your business why.”