Healing Fire (10 page)

He gave a chuckle. "A pleasure to
be of service to you, my lady." Again he bent and took her lips, but the
brief kiss quickly turned heated, carnal. The sweet flavor of her mouth and the
softness of her lips threw fuel on his already simmering fire. He wanted her
more desperately than a man dying of thirst in the
San-ra
Desert
.

Giggling behind them brought Melor
back to awareness. They were in a public place surrounded by children and
families. He pulled back and turned to a grinning Blossom.

Behind her a woman came carrying trays
filled with delightful smelling foods. Blossom wriggled into the booth beside
him. The serving woman set the foods down, her gaze filled with lust, as she
looked him over.

"Anything I can get for you,
sugar?"

Melor paid her no heed. No other woman
on earth could compare to his Summer; he wanted no other than her.

"I have all I desire here,"
he stated with his arm possessively around Summer's waist. The waitress huffed
and flounced away.

"It seems she did not take too
kindly to my rejection."

Summer gave a snort. "I don't
care."

Melor felt his grin widening at Summer's
jealous tone.

"Are you going to marry my mom?"

He
and Summer both stared at Blossom. He liked the girl more with each passing
moment.

"Blossom! It's not polite to ask
such things," Summer scolded, her face flushed red.

He simply chuckled in amusement. "I
would like to be your mother's protector. I even have this." He tugged the
bracelet out of his back pocket.

"It was once my mother's, and I
want you to have it now. If you wear it, it states to everyone you have
promised to be mine, and I am your protector."

Even though her gaze never left the
bracelet, she shook her head. Melor knew she wanted it.

"I'm not sure what that means,
but it is far too valuable. You can't give me something like that."

"It would give me great joy for
you to accept." He would persist until his claim was formally upon her. "It
brings great offence in my land not to accept." It was a half lie; women
were free to reject their suitors, but she did not have to know that.

"Go on mom, it's so pretty."

"Well, I wouldn't want to bring
anyone offence, especially the people of Kell."

Melor took Summer's right wrist and
with the small key unlocked the bracelet and snapped it around her wrist.
 
A surge of pride and possession gripped him;
at last, he had a protected. Summer now truly belonged to him, even if she was
not fully aware of it yet. She would be soon enough.

"It looks very pretty on you mom.
If we go to Kell, can I have one?"

Blossom turned her bright blue eyes on
Melor, and he knew many a Kell man would be seeking a promise for her hand when
she came of age. He shook his head. "In time you may."
Not for
another fifteen years would he allow anyone near her.

He'd just taken on the roll of
protector and father. While there was breath in his body, he would always
protect his family.

Chapter
Eight

"Stop the car!"

Melor's sudden outburst made Summer
slam on the brakes. The car came to a skidding halt. Blossom would have jerked
forward against the seatbelt if not for Melor's secure grip around her.

"What's wrong?" Summer
peered out into the dark forest surrounding them, before glancing down at her
daughter unaffected by the sudden stop. Gently, he shifted her over to Summer's
shoulder, unbuckled his seat belt and opened the car door.

"Please wait here. I saw
something I need to investigate."

He vanished into the darkness. Summer
worried what he was up to. She realized this was the exact same spot she'd
first hit him four nights ago.

The motor vibrated as she put it into
park and waited. Blossom stirred slightly before nestling into her shoulder.

"Thank the twin moons."

Summer jumped in fright as Melor
re-appeared, sliding back into the passenger seat.

"What did you find?"

"This." He opened the palm
of his hand. Sitting in the center sat a tear shaped swirling blue Sapphire
gem. It caught and drew the light at every angle he moved it. It had to be
worth a fortune, along with the bracelet adorning her wrist.

She watched as he tucked it into his
pocket.

"It is the Portal Gem I lost when
I fell through. It can take me home to Kell."

Pain sliced through her chest. He
wanted to leave her already? Not that she still believed this Kell stuff but
was more open to listening to his stories.

She licked her lips nervously and met
his dark gaze. "Why don't you use it? Why don't you go home now?" She
gritted her teeth hoping she didn't sound as bitter as she felt.

"Firstly, I will not return to
Kell without you both by my side. Secondly, I am uncertain it is stable to use.
I would not wish for us to end up in any place."

His words calmed and comforted her
pounding heart; he didn't want to leave them. How had she become so attached to
him in such a short time? She was just as crazy as he was. But hell, she didn't
care.

Melor closed the door, and Summer
shifted Blossom back over to Melor. Summer changed gears and put her foot on
the gas pedal to get them rolling again.

"You really have magic healing
gems?"

"Aye. When you are ready, we will
journey to L.A. They keep the gems there."

Summer kept her eyes trained on the
road. Yes, she really was crazy to be even thinking about believing he could cure
the pain in her leg. She was a sensible, practical woman; seeing was believing.
Mystical healing gems; she shook her head. She might as well stamp hippy on her
forehead, dance around a camp fire and chant.

Melor already told her he was willing
to stay with them if she didn't want to go. Perhaps she was being selfish, but
she wanted him to stay.

"I'll think about it; it's a long
trip to L.A by road."

Melor's response was to gently brush
the side of her face with his hand, before moving Blossom off her shoulder and
into his arms in a more comfortable position for her to sleep.

The rest of the trip was made in
silence. The closer to home they got, the higher the sexual tension in the air
grew. She could feel the damp juices between her thighs. Her breasts felt
heavy, her nipples hard, needing attention. She knew Melor would prove an
exceptional lover from the small taste of his talent the other night in the
kitchen. The thought of him thrusting into her neglected pussy made it clench
and her clit pulse.

Goodness, get a grip woman; he hasn't
even touched you yet. What about your scars?

Melor carried Blossom into the house
and laid her on the bed, leaving Summer to strip her and get her into her night
clothes before tucking her in.

She emerged from Blossom's bedroom to
find him putting the last of the groceries into the cupboards.

"I have already locked the house."

The
deep gruff tone of his voice both startled her and sent a tingling down her
spine. She stood at the end of the kitchen bench not quite knowing what to do
or say.

Please touch me, love me and don't be
revolted by my scars.

It took every ounce of courage to stop
her from turning and running. Still she wanted him, needed him.

"You tremble like a leaf in the
breeze." He set aside the paper shopping bag; within two strides he stood
before her.

She licked her suddenly dry lips. "I
want you, but I'm frightened…I have…scars. They…they are ugly."

He cupped her face, brushing his thumb
along her bottom lip. "I have scars too, but they are a part of me as
yours are of you. I find everything about you beautiful, so why don't you let
me be the judge of what is ugly or not. Do you trust me to do that?"

Did she? Trust this strange yet
breathtaking man? Opening herself to him in every way made her vulnerable.
There was every chance he could take it and crush it with his large hands.
Still, her gut instinct told her he would never do such a thing.

It was now or never. "I trust
you."

His smile devastated her defenses. He
bent down; she closed her eyes expecting his kiss but found her world tilted as
he lifted her off her feet. She hooked her arms around his neck. Burrowing her
nose into his neck, she licked at his salty skin. Oh goodness, he tasted good.
She licked again; he gave a deep needy groan.

"By the twin moons woman, what
you do to me."

She almost laughed as he set her on
the bed, her feet hanging over the side. Quickly he closed the door. She
tracked the movement of his fingers as he grabbed at the hem of his shirt and peeled
it off, revealing all the hard muscles and delicious, caramel skin. She giggled
at the sight of the fairy band aids. He paused to lean back against the door
while he tugged off his boots, leaving him in nothing but the dark leather
pants he always wore. It wasn't hard to miss the large straining bulge at the
front of his pants.

Again she licked her lips, wondering
how one man could ooze so much raw sexuality. His dark eyes smoldered as he
held her gaze. Her clothes suddenly felt restrictive and hot; her fingers
trembled as she reached for the hem of her own top.

In two steps he stood before her. Sinking
to his knees, he brushed aside her hands and took over. He lifted off her top,
tossing it carelessly over his shoulder.
 
The edge of his fingers grazed her stomach along the top of her pants.
Warm hands explored her waist front to back before tunneling up to trace her
spine to the clasp of her bra.

"I may need some help with this."

She inhaled and arched her back as his
magical touch sent shivers of delight dancing through her body. The rough
callused pads of his fingers were surprisingly gentle against her sensitized
skin.

Her chest heaved, making her breasts
move in her simple white satin bra.

"There are two small clasps at
the back." She leaned in closer. Her hands itched to touch him.

Heat pierced her fingertips as they
climbed the smooth muscles of his six-pack. Oh god, he felt so good to touch.

Along the top of her shoulder running
down the side of her arm, he saw the first of her scars. He leaned forward
kissing from the tip of her scar down her arm.