Temptation's Kiss (2 page)

“That’s right,” Ambrose said, his tone making it clear the order wasn’t up for debate.

Kane wasn’t surprised when Scarlet kept quiet. Ambrose was the only one who could quiet the outspoken woman. Even Rowen, bigger and fiercer than any of the warriors of the Shadowguard, didn’t intimidate her.

Kane nodded at Ambrose. “I’ll see it done.”

He turned to go, not sure what was worse: the fact that they were no closer to discovering who had planted the Shadowguard glaive, or the fact that he had to work with Ivan, who was a royal pain in the ass on a good day.

Four

She was in her room, cutting the tags off the purple bra and panties—plus a matching robe that she’d splurged on when she’d discovered it was part of the set—when a voice startled her from behind.

“Lily?”

She jumped, holding a hand to her chest. “Kane! You scared me half to death!”

But that’s not why her heart was racing. It was him, every male inch of him, filling the doorway, his eyes fixed on her with that intensity she found alternately arousing and unsettling.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “Your door was open.”

“It was?”

He nodded, stepping into the room. “I was on my way to the kitchen to see if you knew where Ivan was, but then I passed your room, so …” His eyes drifted to the silk and lace on the dresser. “Doing some shopping?”

Her cheeks caught fire, and she bit her lip, trying to shove the bra and panties underneath the shopping bag. “It’s nothing.”

“It doesn’t look like nothing.”

When she looked up, she was surprised to see a playful smirk on his face, a suggestive gleam in his eye. Was he
flirting
with her?

She was so flustered, so surprised by this turn of events, that it was all she could do to sweep the lingerie into her top drawer. When she turned back around, he had stepped closer, so close she could have put a hand against his broad chest, could have felt the beat of his heart against her palm. His scent was intoxicating, an earthy mix of moss and cedar that made her think of clear streams and dark, mysterious forests.

“I … I have to go,” she stuttered, scrambling for an excuse to get away before her body further betrayed her. “To the farmer’s market.”

“Well, Ivan doesn’t seem to be around. Want some company?”

She swallowed hard. Kane had been with her to the farmer’s market a hundred times, and it had never been uncomfortable or awkward. Sure, the physical attraction she felt for him had been there. But it was manageable. She could laugh and talk with him and tell herself it was nice just to have a guy friend.

But that was suddenly a lot harder to believe. Whether due to his presence in her bedroom—her big, curtain-ensconced bed only feet away—or the innuendo in his eyes when he’d seen the lingerie. The room suddenly felt ten degrees hotter.

“Of course.” She forced her voice steady. “If you’re sure I won’t be keeping you from anything.”

He shook his head as they headed for the door. “Not at all. Your father has assigned me to work with Ivan, but since I can’t seem to find him, I’m completely available.”

“You’re not on patrol today?” Lily asked as they descended the staircase.

When the Shadowguard warriors didn’t have special assignments, they were tasked with walking the streets in pairs, eyes trained to notice members of the Legion who were violating the Treaty by targeting mortals too aggressively.

Of course, mankind had a choice. They always had. But the Legion was prohibited from unduly using their influence to sway the mortals to their dark side. It was all about balance, and the Treaty was designed to make sure both sides kept it that way.

Lily grabbed her market bags, and Kane followed her through the door.

“I’m on assignment,” he said. “It’s in flux right now, so I’m not on the patrol schedule for the foreseeable future.”

“That sounds mysterious.”

His expression grew more solemn, a line forming on the bridge of his nose. She had the sudden desire to touch him, to reach up and kiss his full mouth until the worry disappeared from his eyes.

But of course, that job would fall to someone else someday. Someone who could give Kane Dawson everything he deserved.

Five

They took their usual route, past the upscale bistros and boutiques surrounding the house. As they got closer to the farmer’s market, Clifton’s provenance as an old railroad hub became more obvious. Revitalization efforts hadn’t reached this part of town, and the fancy restaurants and stores slowly gave way to pawn shops and dive bars.

It was almost painful for Kane to walk beside her. He couldn’t get the lacy purple lingerie out of his head. More specifically, he couldn’t get the image of Lily in the lacy purple lingerie out of his head. As soon as he had spotted it, he had a flash of her, so real it was almost memory, her pale skin against the deep purple, her breasts straining against the lace bra. And had that been a bow at the back of the thong?

Damn. He broke out into a cold sweat just thinking about it.

They approached the parking lot of the old train depot, people milling around the stands of organic fruit and vegetables, locally harvested honey, and cheese aged at area farms.

He looked down at her, trying to get the image of her almost naked body out of his head. Trying to summon the friendship they shared and banish the other stuff.

“So what’s on the list today?”

She consulted her phone. “Let’s see … greens, tomatoes, and fresh basil. I also want to get some of that buffalo mozzarella they had last time. Oh! And some berries!”

He nodded, following her through the throng of people. She stopped at her favorite stands, chatting up the owners, every one of them charmed by her.

Because who wouldn’t be, Kane thought. She was so damn nice. So
good.

And sexy as hell.

He didn’t get it. He wasn’t exactly a college boy. He was a fucking warrior, for God’s sake. A member of the Shadowguard. He wasn’t oblivious to the appeal. There were plenty of women who would go to bed with him without complication. Hell, he could go down to the Anti-Chamber with the guys tonight, slam back a few beers, and find someone to take home without any effort at all.

Except he’d never been into the whole one night stand thing. And it’s not that he wasn’t into sex. He was very into sex. Especially the idea of sex with someone like Lily. Someone who made his heart race. Who made him want to do more than bed her. Who made him want to worship every inch of her perfect body, to protect her and cherish her, to come home to her every night.

To call her his.

None of which was what he was supposed to be thinking about as they continued through the aisles, Lily testing and buying, adding things to the bags as they went.

When her list was fulfilled, they headed back, stopping for ice cream at the old creamery. It had become a tradition, and they sat on their favorite bench in the old park near the depot, Lily licking her strawberry ice cream while Kane worked on his pistachio-filled cone.

The silence between them was comfortable, even if the magnetic pull of her body was anything but. It was one of the things he liked most about her. They could be walking or shopping or just sitting and having coffee, and Lily felt no compulsion to fill the space with chatter.

He watched her eat with single-minded concentration, her tongue darting out to catch the ice cream dripping onto the cone. He wanted to lean over, touch his mouth to hers, feel her soft lips against his, her cold tongue tasting of strawberries and sugar. Her thigh, bare in a short flowered skirt, fell against his, and the beginnings of arousal stirred in his groin.

He looked away. That was the last thing he needed.

“I realize I’ve never thanked you,” she said softly.

He couldn’t hide his surprise. “Thank me? For what?”

She seemed to consider her words. “For being my friend. I don’t have many of them.”

The vulnerability in her voice, as if the confession were some kind of strike against her character, made him want to take her in his arms then and there, shield her from anything that made her think she was less than perfect exactly as she was.

“That’s only because you’re so busy taking care of everyone else,” Kane said. “Don’t you ever think about making another life? A life of your own?”

“I like taking care of people,” she said softly. “Although …”

“What?” he prodded.

She ducked her head a little, her cheeks turning pink. “Well, I’ve always thought I might like to have a bakery. Nothing big or fancy. Just a little place where people could escape real life for a minute or two. A place that was warm and smelled liked vanilla and coffee.” She laughed. “It sounds silly.”

He was hit with a rush of tenderness. He could see it; Lily making small talk with the customers, a couple of cherub-cheeked kids running around, squealing with delight when Kane stepped through the door.

It was a pipe dream. For him, at least.

He forced a smile. “It doesn’t sound silly. It sounds perfect. And you’d be just the person to do it.”

Her eyes lit up. “You really think so?”

“Without a doubt. One taste of your lemon cookies, and the place would be packed to the gills every day of the week.”

She met his eyes, and her smile ran right through him.

Six

“Hands off!” Lily smacked Scarlet’s hand away from the pan of cookies cooling on the counter.

“Ow!” Scarlet rubbed her hand. “So much for not liking violence.”

Lily waved the wooden spoon she was holding in the air. “There’s a big difference between stopping you from devouring all the cookies and killing people with the glaive.”

“They’re not people,” Scarlet said.

“Okay, demons, then. Whatever.”

“I’m hungry,” Scarlet said, opening the fridge. “I took a beating from Braden in the training room before I finally brought him down.”

Lily pulled a chair out from the kitchen table. “Sit. I’ll make you something.” She started assembling the ingredients for Scarlet’s favorite veggie sandwich. “How did Rowen feel about you taking a beating?”

“He hasn’t watched since he almost killed Kane for knocking me out. I told him if he was going to watch me spar, he’d have to keep his temper under control. He hasn’t been back since.” Scarlet laughed. “Says he doesn’t trust himself.”

Lily smiled. She had never expected Scarlet to find such a perfect match in Rowen Black. It wasn’t that her sister wasn't pretty. In fact, she was gorgeous, her eyes a darker green than Lily’s, her long dark hair falling to a small waist. Her determination to keep up with the men of the Guard—and her ceaseless training—had given her strong, supple curves.

But before Rowen Black arrived at Guard headquarters, Scarlet had been a self-avowed bachelorette, claiming that her duty to the Guard—and the possibility she would be named as successor to their ailing father—superseded any desire for a personal life.

Rowen had softened her. In a good way. She was still fierce. Still a warrior. But she seemed somehow
more
than she was before. Like Rowen had brought out all the other parts of her that had been buried to make room for the all-consuming drive that had ruled her for so long.

Lily couldn’t help wondering if there were buried parts of herself, too. Parts that would only reveal themselves when she found someone who could love her for all she was.

And all she wasn’t.

She finished Scarlet’s sandwich and put it in front of her with a glass of water. “There. Now eat. And stay away from my cookies until after dinner.”

Scarlet took a bite and closed her eyes, savoring the taste. “I swear,” she said, her mouth still full. “You make the best sandwiches. And I’m guessing I’m not the only one who thinks so.” She grinned around the bite.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Lily asked her.

Scarlet swallowed and took a drink of water. “Just that I think Kane really likes your, um,
sandwiches,
too.”

“Seriously?” Lily tipped her head. This was new, too. This silly, teasing Scarlet. “What are you, five years old again?”

Scarlet grinned. “If I were five years old, I’d be singing, ‘Lily and Ka-ayne sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G.’ I’m just saying, he’s obviously into you, so what are you waiting for?”

Lily rubbed her finger against a mark on the wood of the table. “Come on, Scarlet. You know what. And why.”

“I literally have no idea what you’re talking about.” Either Scarlet was a great actress or she was genuinely confused.

“Someone like Kane wouldn’t want to be with someone like me. Not if he knew.”

Scarlet shook her head. “Knew what?”

Lily was surprised to feel her throat close against the threat of tears. She swallowed around them. “Kane is a member of the Guard. His family name goes back as far as ours. He’ll want to pass that down someday. And I don’t blame him.” She stood, hurrying to the pot of soup on the stove and stirring it, grateful to have something to keep her hands busy.

“Wait a minute … This is about,” Scarlet looked around to make sure no one was listening and then lowered her voice anyway, “the
thing?
The thing you don’t want anyone to know?”

“I’m just saying,” Lily said, “the only reason Kane’s interested in me now—if he even is—is because he doesn’t know. Trust me, that would put a damper on things real fast.”

Scarlet leaned against the sink next to her. “I really don’t think you’re giving Kane enough credit. This isn’t the freaking 1800s. Not every guy wants kids. And even if Kane does, you guys could adopt. Or get a surrogate. There are all kinds of ways to have children now.”

“It’s not the same,” Lily choked the words out.

“Well, no,” Scarlet said. “It’s not the same. But that doesn’t mean it’s bad. It’s just different.”

Lily couldn’t find the words to tell her sister that she couldn’t risk it. That she couldn’t risk revealing herself to Kane—revealing her feelings for him—only to have him reject her.

As it was, she hadn't lost anything. And that’s how she wanted it to stay.

“I just don’t want to go there, Scarlet. Okay? Can we just drop it?”