Midnight's Temptation

CHAPTER NINETEEN

It was the birds singing that woke her. Aisley opened her eyes to see a pretty bunting sitting on the sill of the open window. It gave another chirp before it flew away in a flurry of yellow feathers.

Aisley snuggled against the pillow she had her arms wrapped around as she lay on her stomach. The memories of the night before brought a smile to her face.

Phelan wasn’t just a superb lover, he had given her things she hadn’t known she needed. Things like a warm smile, a comforting squeeze of his hand, and the safety of his arms. She still couldn’t believe she had told him of her daughter.

That time of her life she never shared with anyone. Jason had somehow found out, but no matter what he asked, she never gave Jason details.

It had been different with Phelan. He hadn’t pressed her for anything.

She lifted her head and found the clock on the bedside table. “Oh,” she cried and sat up as she saw it was almost noon.

Aisley tossed off the covers and grabbed the first piece of clothing she found as she rushed out of the bedroom and into the kitchen.

After a quick look for Phelan, she tugged on the shirt and saw the front door open and his bare feet crossed at the ankle on the porch railing. She smiled and walked to the doorway to see him wearing a pair of jeans and a smile.

He held out his mug of tea. “Did you sleep well?”

“Thanks, and I did,” she said and took the mug. “You should’ve woken me.”

“Why?”

She sipped the tea as she stepped to the side of the door and leaned back against the house. “There wasn’t a need for me to sleep so long.”

“Exhaustion had nothing to do with it, right?”

She ignored his pointed look and continued drinking the tea.

“That shirt looks better on you than me.”

Startled, she looked from him down to the shirt she wore. Aisley bit her lip when she saw the black tee with a large Celtic emblem on it. It came down to her thighs and smelled of Phelan—all man, wind, and pine.

The fact she was enjoying wearing his shirt made her realize how attached she was becoming. She’d wanted a night in his arms, and she had gotten it.

Now, it was time for the next step in her plan. It wasn’t that she was afraid to die. Oh, she was terrified of Hell, but death was a certain kind of freedom from Jason. But first, she had to stop Jason.

“Is there a town near?” she asked.

Phelan’s forehead puckered as he lowered his feet to the porch and sat up. A breeze off the loch ruffled his dark hair, making her want to slide her fingers into the cool, wavy locks. “Do you need something?”

“I thought we might go to dinner.” When she saw he didn’t immediately take the bait, she added, “And I’ve so little in my duffle, that I’d like to pick up a few more things.”

“Do you always pack so light?”

She shifted her gaze to the loch. Aisley couldn’t stand to look into Phelan’s blue-gray eyes and lie. “I’ve never been on the run before. I packed what I could as quickly as I could. Turns out I brought things I didn’t need.”

“And left things you did,” he finished.

“Precisely. Apparently there’s a fine art to packing when you’re running for your life.”

She glanced over to find Phelan watching her intently. She knew his mind was processing what she said and trying to come up with a way to ask her who it was she feared.

All too soon she would tell him everything. The desire in his gaze would vanish, replaced with fury and retribution. She wasn’t ready for that. Not yet at least.

So Aisley decided to turn the conversation. In a manner. “You said evil was still out there.”

“It is.”

“Am I taking you away from something?”

He rose to his feet and stood in front of her. Aisley had to tilt her head back to look into his face. He gently moved her hair behind her left ear. “I’m here because I want to be.”

Damn, but the man knew just what to say to make her melt. Which made her feel even worse because of her deceit.

Jason had wanted to kill all the Warriors fighting him, but she knew Phelan was a good man, a man needed in this world to keep the balance of right and wrong.

Aisley swallowed to moisten her suddenly dry mouth. As much as she wanted him with her, she also knew how important his work was—and what she needed to do. “Phelan, I don’t want to be responsible for any more deaths.”

As soon as the words left her lips, she inwardly cringed while she waited for him to demand to know what lives she was talking about.

“You can no’ be responsible for your daughter’s death,” he said. “But you’re right. After lunch, I’ll take a look around.”

He walked into the house, and Aisley released a breath she hadn’t known she was holding. She looked down at the mug and saw the scars on her wrists. How Phelan hadn’t noticed those last night she didn’t know.

It was better if she told him the truth before he could ask. She had already lied enough. He deserved better. Yet, she couldn’t feel too badly because the hours she spent with him had been some of the happiest of her life.

She followed him into the house and set the mug on the island, careful to keep her hands from view. He moved about the kitchen wasting little movement as he got out the makings for sandwiches.

Her stomach rumbled loudly, and they shared a smile.

“The dark circles under your eyes are almost gone. You should sleep more,” he said as he began cutting a tomato.

Aisley shrugged, recalling the awful need that consumed her to get as far from Jason and his evil as she could. “You don’t fear anything. You don’t know what it’s like.”

“I recollect fear all too well, beauty.” He paused in his cutting to look at her. “It’s true I’ve no’ feared anything in some time, but I do remember it.”

“Remembering and experiencing it aren’t the same thing.”

“Who do you fear? Tell me his name, and I’ll put an end to your fear today,” he said and pointed the knife to where his motorbike sat.

For a split second Aisley almost told him everything right there. She wanted to share it all. Then she recalled how he’d looked at this place with love.

His home was a paradise for her—one she wanted to leave as she had found it.

She already tainted the place by being there, but that he could get over. Staining the ground with her blood could well ruin it for him.

Or help him get over what you’ve done to him.

Aisley hated her conscience.

“What will it take for you to tell me?” Phelan demanded.

She covered his hand that held the large knife with hers. “I will tell you, Phelan. I promise.”

“When?”

“Take me to dinner tonight. I’ll tell you then.”

He placed his hands flat on the counter and dropped his chin to his chest. “I can cook here. And you can tell me now.”

“I shared my body and part of my past with you last night. I’m asking for just a few more hours.” She needed them to gather all the essentials she required to fight Jason.

His head jerked up to pin her with his gaze. “You make it sound as if I’ll be angry when you tell me. Are you married?”

“No,” she said with a soft smile. “I’m not married.”

“But I’ll be angry.”

“The truth is rarely what we want it to be.”

“That’s no’ an answer, beauty.”

“Don’t make me lie. Please,” she begged. She was so tired of lying.

He picked the knife up and finished slicing the tomato. Aisley sighed and wondered if she made a mistake in not telling him right then.

Phelan admitted to killing droughs. What would make him stay his hand against her? The fact they’d shared their bodies? She doubted it.

After what Deirdre and Isla had done to him, she knew exactly how he would react to her betrayal. And how swiftly he’d bring death to her.

She couldn’t take her eyes off him. His muscles moved, bunched, and shifted as he made their lunch. The easiness from earlier was gone, and Aisley found she missed it.

“I’m sorry,” she said.

He threw the knife into the sink and glared at her. “Have I given you any reason no’ to trust me?”

“No.”

“They why do you no’?”

“Because I like you.”

He gave a loud snort. “That’s no’ an answer.”

“Give me today. I’ll tell you everything over dinner in town.”

“Why does it have to be in town?”

“It’s my tale to tell. I get to choose where.”

He shrugged and grabbed the sandwiches. “All right.”

Aisley was almost giddy with relief. If he pressed harder, she might tell him. It was such a burden to bear. And she did like him. More than he realized probably.

It was the attraction, the pull, which drew her to him that told her she was getting too close. But she didn’t care. Her life was about to be over. There would be no heartache for her, no tears or wondering why he had left her.

By the time lunch was finished, things were almost back to normal. Phelan left to do a patrol, and she promised to be there when he returned.

“Where would I go?” she asked as she watched him drive away.

She couldn’t believe there’d been a time she hated him chasing her. Besides Dale, Phelan had been the only man to be there for her without wanting something in return.

“Too bad I didn’t meet you sooner, Phelan.”

When he was out of sight, she shut the door and walked into the bathroom. Her body was deliciously sore from their lovemaking. Just thinking of the previous night made her burn for his touch.

Aisley stepped into the shower and sighed as the hot water ran over her. She began to hum, something she hadn’t done since she was pregnant. Phelan had changed her in ways he couldn’t possibly understand.

She smiled and lathered the shampoo in her hair. As she leaned her head back to rinse it the steam around her changed, morphed.

Into Jason’s face.

Aisley screamed and stepped to the side. Her foot slipped on the soap pooling at the drain, and she fell, slamming her shoulder against the floor of the shower.

She looked up with her heart in her throat, but the steam had shifted. No longer could she see Jason’s face.

“Stop it!” she screamed. “Do you hear me? Leave me alone!”

She slapped her hand against the shower floor but couldn’t stop the tears that came. For a few minutes she let herself wallow in pity, then she climbed to her feet and finished her shower.

Aisley was still shaking when she stepped out of the shower and reached for the towel. She expected Jason to jump out at her at any moment.

That’s when she got angry.

“No,” she said aloud. “I refuse to live the last few hours of my life scared witless. You’ve done that to me enough. I’m going to stop you!”

She took a deep breath and refused to give her bastard of a cousin the satisfaction of her fear. Aisley toweled off and walked back to the bedroom for a fresh change of clothes when she spotted Phelan’s mobile phone. Had he left it on purpose?

It suddenly rang, flashing CHARON across the screen. She stared at the phone. Her time was running out in more ways than one.

Tonight. Everything would end that night.

She glanced at the clock to find it was half past one. A few hours was all she had left. There was relief, but also remorse that she’d have to leave Phelan.

More than that, guilt weighed on her for deceiving him. He was a ladies’ man. She knew without a doubt he would find a new woman quickly enough.

A stab of jealousy ran through her. What else did she expect from him? It wasn’t as if they were falling in love.

She was the enemy—his enemy.

And he would bring her death.