your eyes, Mina,” he ordered, his voice husky.
She opened them to find his face mere inches from hers. She saw the golden flecks in his brown eyes and watched them darken. Her body responded with a shudder of…she couldn’t put a name to it, but whatever it was, it affected her deeply.
“Know the truth that I speak. Your beauty outshines that of Theresa. She has told you those lies for her benefit. Listen to them no more.” Her gaze left his eyes and drifted to his firm mouth. His words were spoken softly but with conviction, as if he believed every syllable.
As suddenly as his hands had touched her, they left. She gasped at the loss and raised her head. He had leaned back in his chair. She spotted the muscle in his jaw ticking and what she could have sworn was a flash of pain.
“Go to your brother,” he said.
She didn’t know what she had done, but she wanted to take it back. She yearned to hear his words again, to feel his touch, his heat.
“Now.”
She jerked and would have fallen when her feet became twisted had he not caught her. Her eyes closed when his hands touched her again.
He groaned and set her away from him. “Go, Mina. You know not what you tangle with.”
She gripped the arms of the chair to keep from falling against him. What was wrong with her that his simple touch could affect her so? Had she been so hungry for kind words that they addled her wits when she heard them?
Not that she minded hearing them from someone as gorgeous as he, but she had never been one to fool herself. She squared her shoulders as she stood, took a deep breath, and went to Bernard.
Hugh gripped the chair arms until he heard the wood crack. By God, he had almost taken her right then. Her inviting pink lips had been but a breath away and the tantalizing shadow of her cleavage had beckoned him.
She had wanted him. Her body had opened for him with just words and a touch on her lips. He shifted to relieve the throbbing between his legs, but it only grew. There was only one thing that would ease the ache.
Mina.
__
He hadn’t lied to her. She was more beautiful than even Rufina, the Fae Queen, who was the most striking creature he had ever laid eyes upon.
At first, he had thought Mina used a ploy, but she honestly thought herself ugly.
And he could understand why. After hearing, day after day, how repulsive someone thinks you are, one could start to believe it.
Theresa wasn’t homely either. But it was the hatred festering within her that made her beauty fade. Aye, Mina outshone Theresa in every way.
He shut his eyes and pictured Mina with her eyes closed and lips parted on a sigh.
All he would have to do was lean down and taste her, but he had made a point to stay away from the people he helped.
It made for a lonely life, but it was even worse when he had to leave them to hunt the next monster. Besides, in all the years he had led The Shields he had never returned to the same place twice, and likely never would.
He would just stay as far away from her as possible. For sanity’s sake, he had to.
With that resolved, he rose to his feet and turned to face his men and Mina.
She stood at the foot of Bernard’s bed, watching her brother closely. Her hands were clasped in front of her and every time he moaned she flinched.
Aye, he already regretted allowing her to stay. He tried to lean against the wall, but his back was apparently worse than he had thought. He couldn’t see to it because he couldn’t leave the chamber, and he wanted Gabriel to concentrate on Bernard right now.
----
It was in the hour of midnight, but Hugh couldn’t sleep, not with Mina in the chamber with him and his back throbbing with pain. Gabriel hadn’t left Bernard’s side, and even now as he dozed, he sat by the baron’s bed.
Mina had taken the chair on the other side of the bed and had fallen asleep with her arms cradling her head on the bed. Cole and Darrick sat on either side of the door to make sure no
She opened them to find his face mere inches from hers. She saw the golden flecks in his brown eyes and watched them darken. Her body responded with a shudder of…she couldn’t put a name to it, but whatever it was, it affected her deeply.
“Know the truth that I speak. Your beauty outshines that of Theresa. She has told you those lies for her benefit. Listen to them no more.” Her gaze left his eyes and drifted to his firm mouth. His words were spoken softly but with conviction, as if he believed every syllable.
As suddenly as his hands had touched her, they left. She gasped at the loss and raised her head. He had leaned back in his chair. She spotted the muscle in his jaw ticking and what she could have sworn was a flash of pain.
“Go to your brother,” he said.
She didn’t know what she had done, but she wanted to take it back. She yearned to hear his words again, to feel his touch, his heat.
“Now.”
She jerked and would have fallen when her feet became twisted had he not caught her. Her eyes closed when his hands touched her again.
He groaned and set her away from him. “Go, Mina. You know not what you tangle with.”
She gripped the arms of the chair to keep from falling against him. What was wrong with her that his simple touch could affect her so? Had she been so hungry for kind words that they addled her wits when she heard them?
Not that she minded hearing them from someone as gorgeous as he, but she had never been one to fool herself. She squared her shoulders as she stood, took a deep breath, and went to Bernard.
Hugh gripped the chair arms until he heard the wood crack. By God, he had almost taken her right then. Her inviting pink lips had been but a breath away and the tantalizing shadow of her cleavage had beckoned him.
She had wanted him. Her body had opened for him with just words and a touch on her lips. He shifted to relieve the throbbing between his legs, but it only grew. There was only one thing that would ease the ache.
Mina.
__
He hadn’t lied to her. She was more beautiful than even Rufina, the Fae Queen, who was the most striking creature he had ever laid eyes upon.
At first, he had thought Mina used a ploy, but she honestly thought herself ugly.
And he could understand why. After hearing, day after day, how repulsive someone thinks you are, one could start to believe it.
Theresa wasn’t homely either. But it was the hatred festering within her that made her beauty fade. Aye, Mina outshone Theresa in every way.
He shut his eyes and pictured Mina with her eyes closed and lips parted on a sigh.
All he would have to do was lean down and taste her, but he had made a point to stay away from the people he helped.
It made for a lonely life, but it was even worse when he had to leave them to hunt the next monster. Besides, in all the years he had led The Shields he had never returned to the same place twice, and likely never would.
He would just stay as far away from her as possible. For sanity’s sake, he had to.
With that resolved, he rose to his feet and turned to face his men and Mina.
She stood at the foot of Bernard’s bed, watching her brother closely. Her hands were clasped in front of her and every time he moaned she flinched.
Aye, he already regretted allowing her to stay. He tried to lean against the wall, but his back was apparently worse than he had thought. He couldn’t see to it because he couldn’t leave the chamber, and he wanted Gabriel to concentrate on Bernard right now.
----
It was in the hour of midnight, but Hugh couldn’t sleep, not with Mina in the chamber with him and his back throbbing with pain. Gabriel hadn’t left Bernard’s side, and even now as he dozed, he sat by the baron’s bed.
Mina had taken the chair on the other side of the bed and had fallen asleep with her arms cradling her head on the bed. Cole and Darrick sat on either side of the door to make sure no
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