“You’ll see,” he said playfully.

I didn’t want to wait and see. I wanted him to take me now. With an annoyed huff, I concentrated on my magic and conjured the items he listed. Items conjured were never permanent, they eventually would wither into nothingness—nothing was free. I just hoped he’d get around to using them before that happened. Granted those items lasted for at least a day, but I was feeling a bit impatient.

The flicking of the blanket being spread on the floor echoed in the small room. Without my vision everything seemed more heightened.

Aiden clasped my hand. “Lay on the floor.”

I did as I was told and stretched out on the blanket. He got to work at tying each one of my wrist with the strips of fabric to the legs of the sofa. After he was certain my arms weren’t going anywhere, he got up. The ceiling offered little light, but I could make out him bending over and placing the candles around the room.

“Would you mind lighting these?”

Closing my eyes, I envisioned the wicks catching on fire. It took a moment, but the room was cast in the glow of firelight. Aiden walked back over to me and knelt between my legs. The look on his face was stunning. His features were a masterpiece of love, desire and respect, everything you’d want to see in the face of your significant other. We stayed for a few moments just staring at each other.

Aiden snaked a hand around my neck and unbuttoned my dress. With gentle hands, he slowly peeled the black fabric down my body. I eyed the bucket of ice with unease. He leaned over, our lips meeting and parting. The kiss erupted a fire in my stomach. I tried to reach for him, forgetting my arms were bound.

He leaned back, his hands trailing over my breasts, down my stomach, and lifting my leg. His mouth got to work pressing kisses along my skin. A giggle escaped me—my inner thighs were very ticklish. My laughter caught in my throat when Aiden paused at my center, his breath warm against the dark curls. Ignoring the one spot demanding attention, Aiden focused on covering my other leg in kisses. I groaned in frustration, making Aiden laugh. Living for over six hundred years had given him patience. I, on the other hand, was like a petulant child who wanted it now!

“How about you untie me?” I cooed.

“I’m very much enjoying the look of you tied up.” His tongue darted out and licked my skin.

“You know, I could just use magic to break free.” I lifted my head to look at him.

“But you won’t, you’re too curious what I’m going to do next.”

My head dropped to the floor, and I blew a breath out. He was right, I was curious, but sexual torture had to be the worst/best kind of torture. My body was ready for action the moment we stepped onto the dance floor.

With slow, calculated movements, Aiden’s hands grasped the bottom of his shirt and tugged it over his head. His chest and stomach were absolute perfection. My eyes devoured his sculpted pecs and traveled lower to his rippling six pack abs.

Tearing a strip off his shirt, he tied it around my eyes. “Without your vision, your other senses will be stronger.” I could just make out the shadow of him once the makeshift blindfold was firmly in place. The thought of what I must look like brought a giggle to my lips. Naked and tied to the legs of a sofa with a torn shirt covering my eyes—priceless.

My breath caught in my throat when I felt Aiden’s lips on my breasts. His tongue darted out and circled my excited nipple while his hand massaged the other. If he was trying to make me spontaneously combust, he was very close to succeeding.

Moans escaped my lips while my chest rose and fell in an excited pant. I couldn’t use my hands to touch him, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t use my legs, maybe that’d excite him enough he’d grow inpatient as well.

Lifting my legs, I curled them around his waist and gyrated my hips against his erection. A deep grunt echoed through the room while I worked on teasing him into submission. With a hard thrust, Aiden grinded into my center. Sometime during the temptation he removed his jeans, and the thin cotton of his underwear was the only barrier between me and paradise.

“Aiden,” I breathed, hoping calling his name would alert him to my need. My lips lifted into a smile when he released a deep breath. It seemed he was having trouble being patient as well—good.

“You tricky minx. How dare you use my weakness for you against me?” Aiden snorted and withdrew from my body. I bit my lip to keep from laughing. I’d come so close.

“Just for that,” Aiden teased as a cold, wet chunk of ice was trailed down my body, beginning in between my breasts and traveling south. The sensation of the coldness on my hot flesh was a exhilarating. I was sure if I could see, steam would be rising from my skin.

He withdrew the ice from my body. I choked out a gasp when his mouth continued licking and delving my folds, the ice now in his mouth. My back arched, a moan dancing on my lips as his mouth worked at driving me over the edge. His fingers replaced his tongue, the friction warmed the coolness the ice cube left. I tugged against my restraints as he buried his long fingers within me and wiggled them.

“Oh, yes,” I moaned as desire built. Just as I was reaching orgasm, he withdrew his fingers. I grumbled in annoyance, finally understanding the term blue balls.

Two hard knocks sounded on the door. “Occupied,” Aiden called.

“Mr. La’rue would like to speak with you and your companion,” a woman’s voice answered. Aiden closed his eyes and muttered something in Italian. “Tell him we’ll be right there.” Whoever this Mr. La’rue was guys was, Aiden didn’t seem happy to see him.

“Don’t make him wait,” the woman warned.

“What’s going on?” I asked. Aiden untied my blindfold and with a hard pull, ripped the material binding my wrists.

“Aaron La’rue is here and has requested a meeting with us.” His voice sounded almost nervous—Aiden didn’t get nervous easily.

“Who is he?” I sat up and wrapped my arms around my legs. I was more bummed my libido hadn’t been sated than worried about meeting the mysterious interrupter.

“He’s on the council,” Aiden paused. “Did you ask Holly about the meeting?”

“They’re going to discuss it. What’s he doing in Washington; I thought the VC was housed in New York?”

“It is, but they’re here to settle things with the witches.” Aiden looked down at me, his eyes raking over my exposed skin. “While you look ravishing, you may want to get dressed.”

I frowned. I didn’t want to get dressed. I wanted to continue where we’d left off and the hell with keeping Mr. La’rue waiting. Deciding I probably wouldn’t get my way, I shimmied back into my dress. “So, I guess I’ll talk to you later?”

“You’re coming with me, Aaron wants to meet you.”

“Yes, but I don’t want to meet him.”

“Gwen, please. He may have information about Ian.”

That one little sentence changed my mind. Running my fingers through my hair and letting out a grumble, Aiden and I left the little room to find Aaron La’rue.

12

Aaron La’rue turned out to be a young boy with jet black hair and a dangerous glint in his brown eyes. He sat with his arms draped across the back of the velvet couch as two women snuggled against him. One of the women had long red hair and matching red bite marks on her neck. Her skin was pale and her eyes had a glazed over expression. The other woman was a dark skinned girl with long wavy black hair and the same dazed look.

“Please, sit,” Aaron extended an arm, and a man pulled out a chair for me. Glancing at Aiden to make sure I should, he nodded and I sat on the edge of the chair. Aiden bowed towards the man-boy then took a seat next to me.

“So, this is Gwen Sparks?” Aaron asked with a smile that sent chills dancing up my spine. I knew everything I needed to know about him from just being in his presence for ten minutes. He was dangerous.

“Yes, sir,” Aiden replied with a stiff tone.

Aaron spoke in Italian, to keep me from understanding. Aiden replied in Italian, the words rolling off his tongue like butter. Aiden was from Florence and still had a slight accent, but the time I heard him speak his native tongue was when he was ticked.

Morte. My head snapped up when the word left Aaron’s lips. I didn’t know a lot of Italian, but I knew that word—death.

“Egli merita di morire,” Aiden replied.

“Si, si,” Aaron said. “Sorry for our rudeness.” His gaze traveled back to me. Lifting a cocktail glass full of red liquid, he took a slow drink, his eyes watching me over the rim.

“Gwen Sparks, Aiden tells me you wish for us to take care of your bond with Ian Despereaux. Is this true?” He set the glass back on the table, the movement causing one of his groupies to shift uncomfortably.

“Are they okay?” I asked, watching the two women. I didn’t sense anything supernatural about them which meant they were human. A lot of vampires treated humans with acceptable etiquette, but there were those who didn’t. I had a sneaking suspicion Aaron was one of latter.

“Yes, yes, they are fine, just hypnotized.” He looked down at the dark skinned girl and then back at me. “I prefer my meetings to be private.”

If I wasn’t afraid to, I would have laughed. We were surrounded by a club full of vampires with exceptional hearing, a private conversation was impossible. “So, Ian Despereaux?”

“Um…Y-yes, I would like to break the bond.” I frowned that I stumbled over my words. When you’re near a predator, it’s not smart to show weakness. Everything about Aaron Walker screamed predator, even though he looked like a teenager, he was probably the most dangerous person I had ever been in a room with.

What are you up to, little witch?

Speak of the devil. Leave. Me. Alone. I thought back to Ian.

Why would I want to do that when playing with you is so much fun?

“Ms. Sparks?” Aaron asked.

I looked up at him through my eyelashes, embarrassed I had tuned out whatever he said. “Sorry, did you say something?”