Slow Burn Read online

  It hit him then, the pressure of all he kept buried inside. Swamped with that weight, he staggered forward, reached out for the couch, and found the warmth of Sonja’s body wrapped around his.

  Her sweet voice echoed in his ear. “You’re…missing something.”

  Inside, Derrick’s mind went on high alert. She’d hit a trigger but his training kept him from showing any emotion other than what he wanted her to see.

  Rob coughed.

  Derrick looked to see Rob standing, Sonja glaring at him. Her brows furrowed, lips pursed together in a thin line. “Brother, please.”

  Derrick stiffened and narrowed his eyes at Rob. “Brother? You didn’t tell me that, Rob.”

  Rob sighed and nodded. “Yes, I did. Night before last.”

  Derrick frowned.

  Sonya wrapped her arms around Derrick’s waist and pulled him into softness that complimented each hard bit of his body.

  He felt right sitting awkwardly in Sonja’s lap, but had to ask about the tears. He wasn’t a total cad, though his body’s reaction certainly made itself known. “So the tears were a reaction to the crowd?”

  She nodded and spoke in a whisper, “The crowd in this genre of music is so lonely, so angry, so displaced. Add in a few shifters and it becomes burdensome when mixed with all the normal pent-up aggression metal heads carry around. Sadly—or not, some say—I absorb that burden in the music, with my voice.”

  His heart felt heavier.

  Her hand pressed harder against his chest.

  Derrick felt a weight lift off his shoulders. “It’s not—”

  Two slender fingers pressed against his lips. Eyelashes batted enticingly at him.

  Derrick groaned. He wanted to stretch her out on the couch and spread her legs apart while exploring her with his tongue and lips. Her scent, sweat mixed with heady heat, wafted past his nose. Yet he couldn’t make another move.

  She was a goddess. His nerves felt unsteady, his body was on fire.

  Sonja adjusted herself on the couch, pressing herself deeper between his spread thighs.

  “I’d hate to be confused for a groupie.” He went for humor, letting his natural sarcasm come through.

  She chuckled. “I haven’t any groupies.”

  Derrick arched a brow. He wouldn’t point out the obvious to her yet, figuring she’d heard it all the time. Instead, he went for subtle. “You’re a beautiful death metal singer. Surely you have groupies.”

  “Nope.” She shook her head and leaned against the couch, pushing her breasts into his chest. “None. I mean there are boys and girls who have a silly attraction to me, but it’s not returned.”

  “Good to know.” He couldn’t keep the growl from his voice.

  “Ahem.” Rob coughed again. “I should leave you two alone.” He glared hard at Derrick. “Be nice to my sister. She’s rather special, puma.”

  The unmentioned threat hung in the air. Not that it mattered, Derrick was hired to do a job, not to fraternize with the severely attractive client. He smiled. “I understand.”

  Rob glowered and backed out of the room, shutting the door.

  Sonja slid one leg from beneath her, giving Derrick a view of very creamy skin and shapely thigh. She tilted her head slightly. “He’s very protective. I’m sorry.”

  He shrugged again. “I would be, too. You’re an attractive woman, and I may be a shifter but I’m still a man. I was…”

  “Dying to meet me?” Her eyes twinkled with something that looked like lust.

  He shrugged and grinned. “Yeah. Sort of.”

  “How do you know my brother?”

  “Friends from school.” Derrick leaned back while not breaking the physical contact.

  A brow quirked. “I see. Funny, he never mentioned you.”

  “Yeah, we lost touch after graduation. I had a thing overseas. Real hush-hush.” Half-truth.

  Sonja stretched her other leg out from beneath her and shifted in her seat, giving Derrick a fabulous view of her contours.

  Instantly, he wondered why she was practically nude after the show. “Are you that hot and sweaty up there on stage?”

  She rolled her shoulders and shook out her hands. “A little, yes. But the problem I have is that not only do I pick up the feelings, they mold to my clothing. Especially with the previous band pushing a message of hatred, I picked up a lot of negative rage. When I came back here, I stripped off the clothes.”

  He licked his lips. “So your underwear doesn’t pick things up? I’m very much enjoying the physical contact.”

  She smirked. “All clothing I wear picks up some semblance of emotion, it’s part of my nature. But I’m not a slut. And that clothing is hot. I mean, we wear all black.”

  He chuckled. “I’d never think that of you. I can only imagine what it’s like to be in the limelight and need the break. And I’ll mention again, I’m certainly enjoying the view.”

  Sonja flipped her hair off to one side, showing the pale curve of her neck. “I figured you would. I sort of sought you out.” A light blush crept up her cheeks.

  “Oh?” He cocked a brow. If she knew his purpose, she hadn’t let on yet. “Why?”

  She leaned forward, giving him an even better view of ample cleavage. “I don’t know. You felt…safe.” She closed her eyes, puckered her lips, and made a popping sound before returning her focus on him.

  “Honey, I’m anything but.” He let his voice drop, watching her expression slowly change.

  The deep-blue shade of her eyes intensified, the silver irises appeared to swirl. Energy poured out from her so fast that it slammed into Derrick like a freight train.

  Memories, screams, visceral images all bombarded him. The instant message his mind received had only one thing: bleak blackness so heavy, so dark it made the winter night sky look like the middle of a sunny summer day.

  He slid off the couch, stumbled back. Hands at his sides, he tried to brace himself for the next wave but it hit him too fast. Nausea settled in his stomach and all of those Manhattans he’d drunk earlier threatened to come up, bringing bile with them.

  The sensation dizzied him, brought him to his knees.

  All the agony he kept buried and all the trepidation the puma had about killing—even though nature said otherwise—made him howl out. He opened his eyes and saw the sight of himself being forced to burn a village because some government jackass was breathing orders to eliminate the warlords of that village by whatever means necessary down his neck.

  That meant force. A lot of force because the villagers had been trained in guerilla warfare and wouldn’t hesitate to shoot the foreign shifter menace.

  Derrick had no idea what was waiting for him or his brother once they arrived.

  Max hadn’t slept any more soundly than Derrick since their return, and Derrick left that mission in the past with all the other ghosts that haunted him.

  Or at least he thought he’d buried the dead. He opened his mouth to scream but nothing came out. Not even a puma cry.

  Just then, soft arms surrounded him and forced him back to reality. Sonja held him to her, whispering sweet words while the energy pulled back from him. “I’m sorry. I’m so very sorry. Relax, please. Calm down, babe. Let me help you.” Her hand caressed the small of his back, ran up his spine. Fingers crept on his neck, teasing little hairs to attention along with other things.

  He shook with a fear so dark it threatened to pull him over the edge into a bottomless abyss. Behind tightly closed eyes, he saw his puma standing at the edge of that cliff, overlooking the canyon while the hordes of victims he’d mindlessly executed with the click of a button slowly slipped away.

  Derrick shook his head.

  Sweet sounds of feminine laughter fluttered over his ears like the day’s fresh breeze.

  The puma shook its muzzle, and Derrick saw creamy flesh eager for tasting.

  He lifted his head, met her heated gaze, and pressed his lips to hers. Unthinking, his mind went on autopilot and led his body int
o hers. The energy around them charged with a different heat, one filled with promises of lust and darker, sensual fun.

  Just the briefest of touches against her lips threatened to steal his control. Was this her magic or the pure attraction the two obviously shared?

  Hands gripped his shoulders, nails dug into his flesh.

  Derrick caught her arms, caressed them. Felt waning strength in them and vowed to support her if she felt even an ounce of the heat between them that he did.

  Soft, full lips kissed him, parted for his tongue, curled upward in a smile when he swept his tongue over her bottom lip. Fingers tangled in his hair, in hers, too, caressing her while he ate at her mouth, then pulled back, met her fierce stare, saw the power in those eyes.

  Knew she’d play with his beast.

  The puma in him wagged its tail.

  The second round was all Sonja, all control, all feminine power. Her arms wrapped around his neck, fingers locked behind his head while she moved him how she wanted him. Her body pressed into his, making the kiss a full-on affair, rather than the chaste kiss he’d given her earlier.

  Then she pulled back and he swore he heard a growl that didn’t come from him.

  Low, the sound vibrated and made him even more eager to taste her. But he remembered her earlier, trembling and afraid in the corner of the couch, curled up in a ball. So he did the sweet thing, shut his libido down, and took his cue from the rational thinking part of his brain that still had some blood flow.

  When he kissed her, her perfect mouth kissed back, then pulled away. She kissed his nose, then moved to kiss his forehead. Desire still danced in her eyes all while a sweeter side of this woman emerged—something Derrick had never expected, not after seeing her onstage.

  Then she leaned in again, smiled into the deepening kiss. Her mouth continued to work with his, while her tongue licked his lower lip.

  Her arousal, along with the taste of fine brandy, filled his nostrils, surrounded him. Hardened him further. Quickly, he realized if he didn’t stop this train he’d either have her naked and owe her a new bra and panty set—not a problem—or just fuck it and shove the damn things aside while he ravished her.

  Slowly the pressure on his mouth eased up. His mouth felt empty from the loss of contact.

  She moved back and frowned.

  Her expression confused him. “What? Was I too forward? I thought—”

  She rose, shook, and wrapped her arms around her body. Turning, she headed back to the couch and curled up against the corner.

  Derrick stood and stepped back. He didn’t know what had just happened, but he needed to get Rob. His client was going to be more difficult to watch if she couldn’t control her magic.

  He never took his eyes off her as he backed into the door with a thud.

  Sonja looked up with tears in her eyes. She sniffled, brushed strands of deep red hair away from her face, and mouthed, “Please stay.”

  Something heavy coated the air and filled his lungs. The scent he couldn’t place was wet, humid. Then it became arid before disappearing completely. Odd, Derrick had never had that experience before. He shrugged, leaned back against the doorframe. Crossing his arms over his chest, he eyed her with wariness usually reserved for an opponent. “Are you sure? I can get Rob.”

  “No!” She covered her mouth with her hand. The noise came out as a growl and made the puma inside Derrick take notice, almost as if it had found a mate in Sonja.

  He didn’t understand her. The weight she carried pressed down on his shoulders with steadily increasing tension. Derrick had no intention of letting it best him. “What can I do?”

  “Just…” Her voice shook with fear. “Hold me please.”

  “Are you sure?” As he took a tentative step toward her, he prepared himself for another bout of energy to come flailing at him, but after that first step, none came. Then he took another. His body ached to come to her, to comfort her even though they’d barely met. Sex consumed his brain, definitely. His cock hardened painfully. He’d already sampled the sweetness of her lips, but the way her eyes opened wide with shock and anger, then fear, bothered him and did little to shut down his libido.

  The puma wanted to claim her. It had been too long since he’d been with another. The human mind knew better.

  Slowly, he stepped toward the couch and knelt before her. He reached for her, touched her, and felt tranquility wash over him like a warm blanket on a cool evening.

  That was the best way he could describe it. “How did you do that?”

  She lifted her head, spoke low, “I have to readjust to the larger crowds. It’s becoming tougher to control my emotional outpouring and what I take in. I told you, you’re calming.”

  He laughed again, then met her stare. Realized she believed what she said. He sighed. “Fine. I’m calming. But if that’s the case, what’s going on?” When she didn’t reply, Derrick moved to the couch and wrapped his arms around her body. Somehow he knew she’d fit perfectly with the way he sat. “Like this?”

  She scooted against him, pressed her perfectly round and panty-clad backside into his crotch. Her head rested on his shoulder. “Yeah, just like that.”

  He looked up, then back at her. He caressed her hair, enjoying the feel of silky smooth strands fluttering through his fingers. Puma senses picked up her scent, lush and of the forest, wet moss and pine. Oak and earth undertones reminded him of the peace he used to find as a child playing with his sibling.

  She shook against him.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s…not your fault.” The faint whisper of her voice indicated just how strained she’d been. “Okay. Just try to steady your mind. In the morning I can do it for you, but until then…” Her sentence drifted off. Her chest rose and fell above his forearms, indicating she’d drifted off to sleep.

  It took a moment, but Derrick cleared his mind of all the day’s events. In a few breaths, he allowed his focus to center on Sonja’s steady breathing. He stretched his legs and wrapped himself around the sexy little death metal singer who took on the weight of the world and made it her own. Oh, and somehow found a liking by his puma.

  Rob would have to explain more to him in the morning. For now, he wondered where the rest of the band mates were and why no one had bothered to check on her.

  She was their front man after all.

  Only a day ago, Rob had come to Derrick asking for protection for his sister. He paid a portion in cash and offered Derrick free drinks if he’d show up.

  “You can’t go to the police with this? They’re better equipped—”

  “No.” Rob cut him off. “They lack experience with this sort of thing. Plus, you’re not the only one the Anti-Shifter League has a grudge against. They’re not a fan of witches, and Sonja is one of the strongest out there. At least that we know of.”

  “Her magic can’t keep her safe?”

  “No.” Rob had shaken his head. “No one else’s can. She needs a bodyguard, a protector and champion who will support her.”

  “Sounds like you’re trying to set us up.” Derrick crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. He’d slid his sunglasses on, started to stand, but Rob put his hand out, grabbed him.

  “She’s so very important. She’s lonely, and anything I do to bring this to her attention is simply going to make her worry more but be more reckless with her power. She’s…” His eyes pleaded.

  Derrick couldn’t stand it. “The weak and underprivileged. There are others out there who can deal with terror threats like this. What do they want?”

  “Control of her power. But I know you can keep her safe.”

  Again, Derrick sighed. He had no idea how this man could put that much faith in someone he’d just met. Even as a spy, Derrick knew most people—most creatures—were liars. Not on purpose usually, but that’s just the condition of life.

  “Please?”

  How Rob found Derrick puzzled him. There were a few spooks still doing side jobs in between operations
and whatnot, but Derrick was most certainly on the do-not-touch list.

  He’d never discussed the secret agent stuff with anyone but Max. Then Rob showed up asking for a favor that sounded like something a former spy could do.

  Being a spy had privileges, but after a while, it became difficult to tell who the real enemy was and what he truly fought for.

  The second he had the chance to escape that nonsense and move to California, he took it.

  And he ended up here, on a leather couch holding a beautiful woman, the lead singer of the most famous death metal band around.

  She wasn’t just a witch, she was an empath, but how far did her powers extend?

  Now that he’d seen her power firsthand, he understood why people would easily target her and try to use her. If she could knock him down by just lessening control over her thoughts and the crap she’d taken in, she could be a violent weapon. She was the one who calmed him down when the night terrors hit him full force.

  She took those visions away much faster than the drinks and pills ever could.

  Others could use her to do great damage to the world. He had to prevent that. That’s why Rob hired him.

  He’d detected no threats in the crowd. No rogues, no black ops teams, no nut jobs nuttier than the usual religious freaks who protested and promoted a religious agenda safe from supposed persecution and damnation.

  For the time being, she would be safe here.

  Chapter Two

  Sonja stirred, sat up, and opened her eyes, letting them adjust to the lack of any other light source but the window.

  She rubbed her aching head, stretched a leg, and felt leather caress her thigh. “What happened?”

  “Who—” She picked up the soft leather and memories of a tall man filled her mind. The image of a puma roaming through the forest, looking, hunting melted into another image of a man sitting in a lounge cigar in hand with smoke wafting around him.

  Intrigued, Sonja focused harder on the figures, but they disappeared.

  The mental fog started to clear. She recalled the events from last night. Derrick had come to meet her, they almost slept together, then he curled up with her on the couch while she slept.