Witch Heart

CHAPTER ELEVEN

"Adam."

Claire moaned and her eyelids fluttered open. One muscled arm was thrown over the side of the bed above her head. She couldn't see any more of Adam's body.

That was a good thing.

She closed her eyes again and slid her hand between her thighs, where the erotically charged dream she'd just woken from still made her warm and achy.

Never had she had a dream like that.

He'd hovered over her, his big body pressing hers into the mattress, breath hot on her collarbone, belly button, inner thigh… His spiky blond hair had brushed her skin as he'd drunk from the center of her, driving her fast and hard toward a shattering climax with his lips and tongue.

She'd never even known such acts were possible. They didn't do that on Eudae as far as she knew.

Claire fisted the sheets in her hand remembering how, after he'd brought her to climax with his mouth, he'd held her wrists above her head, spread her thighs apart with his knee, pinned her down with his hips and thrust his cock deep inside her.

It had been so real.

And her climax had almost been real, too. It had fallen just tantalizingly short, leaving her slick and wanting between her thighs. The dream had made her nipples sensitive and her mouth wanting to be kissed again like he'd kissed her last night.

Clare brushed her nipple with her fingers, sending a shock wave of pleasure through her body that made her gasp. Under the pad of her index finger, her clit felt swollen, needy.

She groaned in frustration.

He'd really come on to her the night before, had tried his best to seduce her. She'd gone for it, too. She'd fallen at his feet like some stupid virgin female desperate for a tumble. Houses, she'd admitted that she wanted sex from him and had practically thrown herself at him to get it. If he'd worked her pants off and done all those erotic things that had been reflected in his eyes, she would have let him and moaned for more.

But instead he'd abruptly cut short their liaison — that excuse he'd used had been abominable — and had barely looked at her twice since then, even though she was sleeping in the same room with him. All he'd done when it was time to sleep was mutter good night and snap off the light.

Bastard. He was playing some game and she didn't know the rules. So she simply wasn't going to play.

Yes, she still wanted him. Her body ached for more of the touch he'd teased her with, for the caresses he'd given her in her dreams. But she wasn't going to be tempted and then ignored. Damn him if he thought she was that desperate.

If he wanted her, which it appeared he didn't, he was going to have to work for it now.

ADAM WOKE WITH A GASP AND THE BIGGEST GODDAMN hard-on he'd ever had.

He took a labored breath and rolled over, careful of his painfully erect cock. Claire's bed was empty, the sheets and blankets neatly tucked in around the mattress they'd put on the floor for her. Her voice came from the other room, where she talked to Theo.

What the hell!

He hadn't had a dream like that since he'd been a preteen and at least back then he'd come in his sleep and received some kind of relief.

He ground his palm into his eye socket and let out a shuddering breath. Just the sound of her voice right now made his body tight with desire.

"Fuck," he swore low and rolled out of bed. He needed a shower — a cold one.

As he crossed the floor near her mattress, he caught a whiff of Claire — that unique scent of her which was a combination of soap and some kind of flower he couldn't place. It made his knees go weak with desire. It made him want to collapse onto her bed and roll around in it like a feline in cat-nip.

He double-timed it to the bathroom and ran the water in the shower while he chuffed off his sweatpants and tossed them to the floor in a wad. Then he climbed into the shower and let the lukewarm water sluice down his body, pound on his shoulders and head.

Adam leaned one hand against the tiled bathroom wall and closed his eyes, trying to banish the memory of the dream and failing. He hit the cold water on the faucet big-time, but not even that helped.

The soft brush of her inner thigh against his cheek, the taste and scent of her filling his senses and making him crazy with the need to fuck her. The sweet feel of her clit against his tongue and the way she shuddered and moaned as he brought her to a hard and fast orgasm by sucking that sweet little bit of flesh into his mouth.

Afterward, the delicious give of her thighs against his knee and the feel of her wrists under his hands. The hot, velvet snare of her sex around his hard cock, so sticky sweet and perfect. How he'd fucked her hard and fast — flesh slapping on flesh — until she'd shattered a second time, the muscles of her pretty, perfect sex milking his shaft…

He had his hand around the base of his cock before he even knew he was doing it. Adam stroked himself from root to tip, harder and faster, just the way he wanted to thrust deep into Claire. He fisted his hand against the wall as he came, pleasure rising up from his balls and exploding. Claire's name tumbled from his lips as it washed over him.

When it was finished, he leaned his head against the wall and let the water run down his body.

What was it about this woman that had him so goddamned torqued up? He had lots of women in his life. Witches were lucky in that they didn't have to worry about catching diseases. Adam had made damn sure he'd taken advantage of that benefit since Eliza's death.

Drowning his sorrow in pussy. That's what Jack called it.

The point was, he'd never been hurting for women, so why was this particular one affecting him this way? Like he was some thirteen-year-old kid who just found his dad's stack of Penthouse magazines under the bed?

Damn it, he couldn't wait until their magicks found a balance and he could relax.

After he'd showered, dressed, and gulped down a cup of black coffee, he filled up another mug and found Claire and Theo out in the backyard.

He was the only one who hadn't dressed in a winter coat and gloves. All he had to do was tap a little magick and he stayed warm. Just like his own private furnace. Adam guessed Claire could do it, too.

"Now, push it," Claire directed.

Earth magick pulsed as Theo pulled up about twenty little sprouts from the frozen earth in the backyard. His breath showed in the crisp morning air with his exertion. Green stalks lifted their sleepy heads and unfurled their leaves.

"Shit." Adam stood beside Claire. He studied the new growth that had sprung from the ice-covered ground. "Have you ever been able to do that before, Theo?"

Theo took a break from staring at the new plants to glance at Adam. Awe had transformed his face. He blinked. "No."

You didn't get awe from Theo very often. Disdain. Anger. Silence. Not awe. It was jarring.

"That's crazy." Adam turned to Claire. "And incredible."

Claire shrugged. "These were some of the first tricks that Rue taught me once I became his handmaiden. My magick was stronger in days." She frowned. "Magick is harder to wield here on Earth, though. It feels heavier here."

"Do you know tricks for fire magick?" Adam used a little power to heat the cooling cup of coffee he carried.

"Yes, of course. I can't do for you what Rue did for me because I'm not a daaeman, but I can help you both improve your elemental skills."

Theo turned toward her. "How did Rue give you the other three elements?"

Theo had been fascinated with her ever since she'd freed her unique power, and it wasn't for Claire's sparkling personality or beautiful face. Theo was a power hound; there could be no doubt about that. He was an already highly skilled witch and was enthralled with her because she was even more highly skilled.

"He did it with daaeman magick." She pursed her lips. "Honestly, I'm not sure how. It was a progressive thing, over years. He would augment my power at certain times of the year, day, hour. Grafting spells onto it, twisting it and molding it. Sometimes even in the middle of the night. It seemed complex and, until recently, I suspected I was very valuable to him because he'd managed it. Then he bounced the elium into me and sent me tumbling down the rabbit hole with two Atrika on my tail."

"Not that I want to defend Rue or anything," Adam said, "but it sounds like his hand was forced. He's probably coming after you as soon he can. Of course, if I have anything to say about it, he's not getting you back."

Adam took a drink of his coffee to mask the flash of protectiveness he felt over her. It made his hands clench and his jaw lock.

Claire might have Stockholm syndrome or whatever for Eudae and Rue, but Adam was going to do what he could to break it. It was like a crust of ice coating her and it would kill her eventually.

Claire glanced at him, anger sparking in her eyes. "Yes, well, Rue has been my companion and protector for many years. If he can take the elium from me, I'll let him."

"Do you plan to return to Eudae?" Theo asked.

She gazed up at him. "I don't know if I'll have a choice."

"You're not a slave," Theo answered in a forceful voice. "You are a free person. You can make your own decisions, Claire."

Her laugh sounded harsh in the quiet air. "I think you are naive, Theo." She glanced at Adam. "Both of you. You have no idea what you are up against in the Atrika or the Ytrayi. The aeamon of this place have been lucky so far that the Ytrayi have ignored them. If they ever set their sights on taking this place, Houses help you all. Choice!" She snorted. "In the face of Rue's will, I would have little."

Theo fixed her with a gimlet glare, his jaw locked. He opened his mouth to reply, but his cell phone vibrated. Theo took it from his pocket and walked into the house, answering the call.

Adam unlocked his jaw enough to speak. "If they ever come after us, Claire, you'll see just how resourceful we can be." He knew his eyes glittered with anger, belying his smile. "Don't underestimate us."

"I'm sorry if I wounded your pride. So far the Coven witches seem to be strong. I would hope they would be able to defeat the Ytrayi or the Atrika if it came down to it. I just—"

He rounded on her, coming so close he could smell her skin, feel the heat of her body. Adam hesitated, feeling a little drunk all of a sudden. Damn good thing he'd found relief in the shower. "They, Claire? Why do you always draw a line between us and them and put yourself on the demon side? You're a witch. You're one of us."

She shook her head, looking away.

He grasped her upper arms, the mask he always carefully kept in place was in danger of slipping from his expression but he couldn't help it. "How can I make you see that you belong to us, Claire?"

"I belong nowhere, Adam. I belong to no one. My mother ensured that when she dragged me from this place when I was six and gave me to the Ytrayi."

His grip tightened for a moment and his mouth opened, then closed. He released her. "Damn your mother, then."

She turned and walked away. "Too late."

He grabbed her arm and swung her around to face him before she could leave. His gaze searched hers for some trace of what she might be feeling.

"I'm fine, Adam." Then she turned and walked into the house.

"That makes one of us," he whispered before she disappeared within.

She hesitated, but kept walking.

While they waited, Claire kept her air magick open as much as possible to alert her if the Atrika came near the house, but after four days the Atrika hadn't showed. That was good. It was bad that Micah had made little headway on her problem, and Claire grew even more restless for a way to rid herself of the elium.

On the couch opposite her, Adam lay with his powerful body spread out, taking up every inch of available space. His eyes were closed, but Claire knew he wasn't sleeping. By now she could recognize the changes in his breathing pattern that signaled true slumber. She'd lain awake the last three nights listening to every move he made.

He wore a pair of well-loved jeans that — not that she was paying much attention — defined his thighs and rear really well. Claire liked blue jeans, a garment they didn't have on Eudae. She especially liked them on Adam when they were well-worn in all the right places.

She shifted uneasily on her chair, jostling the heavy book in her lap. The dream, even after three days, still clung to her memory. It still made her shiver when she thought about it.

And Adam still hadn't touched her.

The fact that Adam hadn't touched her bothered her a lot less than the fact that she really, really wanted him to.

Irritated, she flipped the book of photography she'd been thumbing through closed. The heavy thump startled Adam, making him jump.

She sighed. "If I could just get to the Coven and work with Micah, maybe together we could figure it out. I need to take a look at the texts he's got, but I can't do anything to help him from way over here."

Adam relaxed again and closed his eyes. "Too dangerous. If the Atrika can't track you magickally — which it appears they can't — logic says they're staking out the Coven somehow, watching for some clue about where you are."

She tossed the book to the cushion beside her. "I dislike having a weapon inside me."

"Have you learned how to use the elium yet? Maybe if you learn to tap it and direct it, you'll feel less hostile toward it."

"I'm still trying. I can only poke at it so much during the day before it starts making me feel ill. It's like having a cancer inside me."

"Cancer?" Adam opened his eyes, swung his long legs to the floor and crossed the room to her. The air fire attraction that hit them both powerfully four days ago by now should have faded. They'd spent much time together, even sleeping in the same room. By all rights, their magicks should have found a balance and ceased in the incessant brush-and-hum, the give-and-take that was so sexual in nature.

Not to mention the fact that not only did she have air magick inside her, she had water magick. Fire and water were natural repellants and should have cancelled out the air/fire thing.

But, no, it didn't.

Now, even days later, when Adam reached out and she took his offered hand, sparks and shivers of awareness curled through her. With Theo, even though they also shared an earth water attraction, she felt little, and even that bit of little had disappeared two days ago.

It was Adam who had woken her body from its self-imposed sexual coma. It was Adam who intrigued every inch of her body.

Yet, he'd made no move in her direction since that afternoon. Nothing more than a heated glance had passed between them, or the occasional brush of bodies in the hallway that made her knees weak.

Clearly, she was the only one feeling the attraction and it stung her pride.

After all, it wasn't like they didn't have the time or opportunity. All they did all day was practice magick. She taught Theo and Adam tricks to make them stronger, to prepare them for any confrontation with the Atrika. The Atrika possessed natural shields against elemental magick, but that didn't mean it couldn't be used as a weapon when wielded a certain way. Put a little twist on a bolt of elemental power and it could be quite effective against a daaeman.

When she wasn't giving magick lessons she was poking at the elium. Unfortunately, most of the time it made her sick to touch it.

Adam came to a halt in front of her, hesitated, then pulled her up flush against his chest.

She stiffened and tried to pull away. "What in Houses are you doing, Adam?" Her jostling only made him hold her tighter. Her air crushed out against his hard chest and her hands clenched on his broad shoulders.

She went still and desperately tried to ignore her body's responses to his proximity. The last thing she wanted was to give him the satisfaction of knowing how he affected her. Not when he'd teased her and then rejected her so thoroughly. Despite his words, Adam didn't find her attractive after all. That was fine. Houses knew she should be used to being found unattractive by now.

He grasped her hand, his opposite arm curling around her waist. Claire fought the urge to pull away from him and bolt from the room. Where was Theo, anyway? The man disappeared so often. Too often. Right now it was damned inconvenient.

Adam flipped her hand over and stroked her palm with the pad of his thumb. It shouldn't have felt erotic, such an innocent thing… but it did. "Let me touch it."