Chapter 3

Chapter 3

“I need to get out of these clothes,” Lacey said, glancing down at the cocktail dress she was still wearing. The dress had been really pretty when she’d first put it on, but after the frightening night she’d had, it was dirty and actually ripped in a couple of places where she’d been pierced by those demon strands.

A shockwave of intense sexual need hit her hard and Lacey snapped her startled gaze back up to Ren's stone faced expression. Had that come from her… or him? She hadn’t been thinking about sex when she’d mentioned taking her clothes off but damn if it wasn't on her mind now.

“And obviously another ice cold shower is in order,” she added, placing the palm of her hand against the tightening of her stomach muscles. She’d never been shy when it came to talking about sex and she wasn't going to start biting her lip now. “Am I leeching this sexual need from you?”

Ren had practically stopped breathing when he’d 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. She’d 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 wouldn’t 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.

“This castle is full of paranormals with heightened emotions,” he informed her, trying to get his own under control. Sensing she was in need right now wasn’t helping and it was causing a boomerang affect between them. “Paranormals have emotions just like humans. The difference is… they feel each emotion much stronger than a normal human ever would… and you’re tapping in to that overload.”

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.

“Their 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.” 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. “And their carnal lust is so hot it burns.”

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. “Their bodies must also be hypersensitive to touch because your breath against my neck feels way too good to be anywhere near normal.”

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 Witch’s 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. She’d 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 he’d been listening in on her thoughts.

Well, she didn’t have a death threat hanging over her head anymore thanks to him, so he couldn’t 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.

“Since you’re 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,” she asked, remembering the sting of his last rejection.

Ren tightened his grip on the desk when the rush of heat he’d 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 throu gh 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.

“I 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,” 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 she’d been secretly craving since she’d 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 couldn’t 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.

“What the hell was that for,” Lacey demanded, glaring over at Ren with murder in her eyes.

“Lesson number one,” Ren growled, leaning toward her for emphasis, “don’t let siphoned sexual heat get to you so bad that you would sleep with just anyone to get a fix.”

Lacey’s glare didn’t lessen as her teeth chattered. “You’re right. What the hell was I thinking asking you? I promise, next time I’ll choose who I ask a little wiser.” She waited for a comeback from him but was met with complete silence that made her a bit nervous, and the fact that she couldn’t 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 wouldn’t 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 Ren’s 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 she’d just informed him that she would ask for someone else’s help the next time she got horny. Throwing her in the cold shower had been his temper’s 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 wouldn’t 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. He’d 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 heaven’s sake, he hadn’t 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 was obvious.

Ren slowly turned his gaze toward the lightly frosted glass that separated them. His eyesight was way too good for him to be hanging out in here.

With a frustrated sigh, he spun on his heels and left the bathroom in quick strides. He needed to distance himself from her nakedness so he could think clearly. He came to a stop in the middle of his bedroom when he noticed Storm, who was casually leaning against the bed post with a couple of shopping bags at his feet.

“I’ll make this quick because in just a few minutes, she is going to come out of there butt naked and blaming you.” Storm smirked, knowing his friend was having a hard time. It seemed neither one of them was having a good day but Ren's was about to get a lot shorter.

“Then by all means hurry up before I teleport your slow ass out of here myself,” Ren stated, returning the smirk, which quickly died on his lips when he realized just how Storm would know that Lacey would emerge naked. He tilted his head seeing the blood pooling in Storm's ear when the Time Walker looked away from him.

“She will need these,” Storm said, indicating the bags before vanishing.

Knowing Storm was evading the tongue lashing he’d been about to give him didn’t help Ren's mood in the least. What the hell was Storm doing that was making him bleed? He stalked over to glare down at the bags seeing the clothing inside. The sight made him remember the fact that she was at the moment wearing only water.

He slowly glanced back at the door that separated them wondering if he shouldn’t just leave the clothes right where they were.

Lacey's heartbeat was still racing as she lathered up and scrubbed at her fevered skin in quick, almost painful movements. She was mad as hell and, oddly enough, still highly aroused, which was just pissing her off more. Hell… the pain from scrubbing too hard was even feeling good.

This was Ren’s fault. She was positive that it had been his sexual need that she’d been leeching off of in the office just then. The craving had been so strong that she could taste it. There was also no mistaking the fact that he’d been turned on when he’d backed her up against the desk like that… the huge bulge in his pants made it undeniable.

How dare he preach control to her when she’d just watched him lose control at The Witch’s Brew only a little while ago? She closed her eyes and bit her bottom lip trying to suppress a moan when that little memory sent a bolt of white hot heat straight down her abs to thump hard against her core.

Damn him. She wished it worked both ways so she could pay him back for the sexual frustration she was experiencing. The soapy rag paused just under her breasts, as she stilled. Maybe it was a two way street. He siphoned on others emotions so who was to say he wouldn’t feel her arousal right now… especially if she magnified it on purpose. No hot blooded woman in her right mind was above masturbation if left without any other options.

Her shoulders slumped wondering why she was trying to pick a fight with the man that had saved her life just a couple hours ago. Granted, he was bossy and could be a real jerk but that wasn't all there was to him and she knew it. She slowly reached out and turned the cold water on, raising her face to meet the chilly spray.

Ren opened his eyes when he felt her arousal fade, only to find himself with his hand already gripping the bathroom doorknob. He knew damn well he would lose this little battle of wills with her if she emerged naked as Storm had suggested. He swung around and glared at the bags of clothing Storm had brought for her.

Lacey shivered and turned the water off before glancing up at the wet dress Storm had given her. No way was she wiggling back into that thing. The way she looked at it, only two things could happen if she walked out of here in the buff… she’d either get laid or he would sling some oversized clothes at her.

She could already imagine his expression and smirked, wondering why it was that every time she decided to be a good girl, fate would present the perfect opportunity for her to be very bad.

Stepping out of the shower, she frowned seeing several shopping bags sitting on the long marble sink. It only took a moment to shift through the contents and come to the conclusion that this was exactly what she would have bought if she’d done the shopping herself.

Her lips parted as it dawned on her just who had stopped her from preforming the streak in front of Ren. She hurriedly stepped into her clothes figuring if Storm wanted her dressed then there was probably a very good reason for it. Finally dressed and feeling a little more in control, she glanced in the mirror seeing the door behind her and her thoughts instantly went back to the man who was waiting just on the other side.

She really needed to stop pressing his buttons like that. Besides, it wasn’t a whole lot of fun since he had a way of winning every single argument. The sudden cold shower had been a little heavy-handed but she wasn’t stupid… she’d felt the heat of his anger as soon as she’d teased him. She thought back to her exact words.

“Since you’re 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.”

She’d only said it that way in self-defense since he’d turned her down the first time she’d wanted to have sex with him. But in all honesty… she had also been half joking, hoping he would agree to be her firefighter. Vincent had always taken her teasing in stride and even teased back, but she understood it was because they were friends more than true lovers… she would have to keep that in mind.

Ren had given her a part of himself to save her life and she could feel the strong bond that now tethered them together… closer than she and Vincent had ever been. She wanted only Ren and she could tell he wanted her too… his possessiveness of her had made that loud and clear. She took a deep breath then fluffed her hair up deciding if she wanted him then she would just have to seduce him until he couldn’t take it anymore. Blowing herself a kiss in the mirror, she turned and headed for the room that had the big bed in it.

Her theory of needing to be fully clothed was proven right when she stepped out of the bathroom only to see Ren's bedroom disappear from around her.