Lover Enraptured: Thieves of Aurion, Book 2 (6 page)

She bit back a growl, more than a little miffed that he was dead-on with his assessment of Roger. “I hope this
training
involves whacking you with a paddle.”

“Only if you promise to give it to me hard.” His chuckle infuriatingly smoky enough to stir up provocative scenarios in her head, Jerrick ducked through the doorway and disappeared from sight.

For the next several hours she busied herself shelving the new shipment of handcrafted soaps while attempting to distract herself from the arresting visual of a
hard
Jerrick. Unfortunately, that line of thinking only led to her mentally dressing him in the tight leather chaps that’d been featured on the flyer from Club Rapture. Without question, he’d look mouthwateringly scrumptious in the outfit. Especially if he was kneeling at her feet.

Or better yet,
kissing
her feet. Considering the humiliation he put her through, commanding him to do it would be immeasurably satisfying and deserved.

“Hmm, I wonder if sex slaves actually kiss their masters’ feet.” Fetching the last fairy rose soap from the nearby box, she stacked the bar with its mates on the shelf. “Screw it, he’s kissing mine regardless.”

“Kissing your what?” an amused female voice inquired.

Jerking her head, Avily blinked at the woman approaching her. She took in the green eyes so like her own, and a dull roar pounded in her ears. “
Leena?
”

“Hey, baby sis. How’ve you been?”

Nearly fifteen years ago Leena took off after spinning a web of lies and deceit that broke up not only their family, but Jerrick’s family, and the best she could come up with was
how’ve you been?

“What are you doing here?” Thank the gods Jerrick had left when he did. Who knew how he would have reacted to seeing his treacherous ex.

“I’ve missed you.”

“Really?” Avily hugged the basket to her chest. “Because I’ve been here all along. Wouldn’t have been too difficult stopping in and saying hello.”

Regret flickered across Leena’s face. Shoulders drooping, she picked at the split ends on her long blonde braid, her fingers restless. The bell sleeve of her olive-green top fell back, revealing a nasty bruise near her wrist.

“How did you get that?” The words blurted from Avily before she could corral them.

“It’s nothing.” Leena stuffed her hand in the pocket of her pants, a misguided attempt to hide the bruise. “I banged into my kitchen cupboard.”

Avily stared hard at her sister. She knew a flaming pile of dragon crap when she smelled it.

“Looks like you’ve done well for yourself, baby sis.” Leena reached for one of the fairy soaps and sniffed it. “I’m glad one of us has made something of ourselves.” Faint bitterness underscored her tone.

Don’t ask. Don’t ask. Don’t—
“Everything okay with you?”
Ugh, I’ll never learn.

Leena cupped the soap against her chest. “Well, since you asked, I was wondering if you might be able to float me some merca. Just for a month or two. Until I find a job.”

A twinge of pain lanced Avily’s heart. She wasn’t surprised that Leena’s sole reason for returning was based on finances. To say they’d never been close was an understatement. But it didn’t make it hurt any less knowing she was nothing more than a walking bank to Leena. “I don’t have a lot I can give you. Most of my merca is tied up in the shop.”

“Whatever you have is fine by me.”

Of course it is.
Avily straddled the fine line between anger and guilt. In the end, guilt won out. Leena was obviously going through tough times, and family was family. “I’ll see what I can do.”

“Thanks.” Leena started to back up. “I’ll stop by again in a couple of days, okay?”

Avily maneuvered to block the aisle’s exit. “Have you seen our mother?”

Leena’s gaze skittered sideways. “Not yet. I was planning to go by the house later in the week.”

Sure.
Not bothering to hide her skepticism, Avily stared her sister down. “It’d destroy her if you disappeared again without at least making one token appearance.”

“Sis, I said I’d stop by, all right?” Apparently realizing the shrillness of her voice outed her true colors, Leena tugged on a quick smile. “I don’t want her to see me like this. Not looking my best.”

“Why? She wouldn’t care about that.”

“But I do. I don’t want her to think I’ve become a complete failure. Even if I have.”

“Don’t talk about yourself like that.”

Leena dropped the soap back onto the shelf and sighed. “You don’t have to defend me. Especially to myself. I’ve not always been a good person, Avi. Maybe this is all my penance.”

Before an automatic denial could spring to her lips, Avily’s thoughts shifted to Jerrick and the pain and turmoil her sister had inflicted on him with her lies and cheating. If Leena was paying some penance, it would never equal the level of her betrayal.

Leena returned to fidgeting with the end of her braid. “I have to get going, or I’ll be late for my next job interview. But I’ll be back in a few days.”

“I’ll try to get you some money. I can’t promise anything, though.”

“I know you’ll come through for me, baby sis. You always have.”

Nothing like shoveling the pressure on extra thick. Avily escorted her sister to the front door and watched Leena vanish into the crowds, her chest heavy. Despite how frustrating Leena could be, it didn’t sit well on Avily to see her sister this downtrodden. Leena had always been beautiful and radiant. No small wonder Jerrick had fallen hard for her. What male with functioning vision wouldn’t lose his heart to Leena?

Yeah, but she also stomped on his heart and left it to wither and die.
Reminded of that fact, another twinge of guilt shuttled through her for her previous irritable thoughts regarding Jerrick. Until she remembered the cruel way he’d laughed at her virginity offering.

It’d taken almost a full case of Larry the Fairy to screw up enough tipsy courage to invite him over that night. Nerves and queasiness had nearly gotten the better of her, but the instant he’d strode through the door, looking like her every dream brought to life, her resolve had been sealed. There was no other for her. Jerrick was her everything, and no one else stood a chance of measuring up. For gods’ sake, she’d inked herself with his fae symbol, essentially branding herself as his.

Squeezing back tears, she pressed trembling fingers to her lips. If she closed her eyes, she could pretend the phantom remembrance of his long-ago kiss still lingered, along with the sweet warmth of his breath and the intoxicating graze of his tongue along hers. She could even fool herself that for one blissful, shining second in time he’d been swept up in the moment too.

The fantasy lasted a millisecond, before she crashed back to reality with a harsh jolt.

He’d pushed her away. Both physically and emotionally. Because she’d been a virgin. The precious gift she’d saved for him, he’d viewed as nothing but a terrible anvil around his neck. She’d stupidly envisioned a happily ever after that he wanted no part of.

The true curse in that picture was her own, for being young, naïve and foolishly in love with someone who didn’t want her and never would.

She was far from being that girl anymore. She’d learned her lesson the hard way. Once they were done with this job, she’d tell him goodbye. For good.

Jerrick Hunter wouldn’t be the thief of her heart. Never again.

Chapter Six

Liquid lust competing with the trickle of foreboding crawling along his spine, Jerrick surveyed the provocative garments hanging on the end rack in the back room of Passion’s Pleasures. The outfits left little to the imagination. Considering his imagination was already fully stocked with raw, explicitly raunchy thoughts of Avi, his sanity held no prayer of surviving the sight of her in any of the alluring getups displayed in front of him.

“Gotta admit, I wouldn’t have taken you for a member of the lifestyle. Or is this for business?”

He tore his attention from the garments and glanced at the male beside him. Torrance Passion had assisted Jerrick a time or two with certain jobs requiring a specialized look. Overall, Jerrick trusted the man as much as he did anyone within his close circle of contacts. Given the sinister nature of this particular assignment, keeping with his cover was the only option. “The scene has always intrigued me, and I’ve recently met a woman who’s game for giving it a go.”

“Lucky lady.”

Choosing to ignore the appreciative glint in Torrance’s eyes, Jerrick snatched the closest outfit. It consisted of a series of shiny black leather strips that banded over a female’s breasts and pussy, leaving a whole lot of the rest of her completely bare. He immediately hooked the ensemble back on the rod. No amount of wheedling would coax Avily into the getup. Just as well. It’d save his brain from detonating.

He fished through the rack until he came to a short red leather dress with an eye-popping slit up the thigh. Heavy boning lined the strapless bust, and the low cut ensured maximum plumpage of the wearer’s breasts. He stroked the supple leather, imagining it molded to Avily’s creamy, delicate flesh. Desire fired his blood to the boiling point. Despite knowing the torture he’d be putting himself through, he draped the dress over his arm and searched for his contribution to their cover. He located a pair of breeches fashioned from the same red leather as the dress.

Torrance strode to a nearby bin and began pawing through its contents. A moment later he came up with a black leather crisscrossing harness. “And for the lucky lady…” He held up a matching collar and leash.

Realizing he’d be the one wearing the damn leash, Jerrick smothered a grimace.

He’d known Avily wouldn’t give in to his request without finding a way to make his life miserable in the process, but he’d never expected her to stoop so low. Her diabolical evilness was scarier than shit. Still, a part of him couldn’t help admiring the creative lengths she’d go to in order to make him suffer. Avi’s mind in the wrong hands…hell, talk about a terrifying prospect. He resisted a shudder.

“Interested in adding any toys to your playtime?”

That went without saying. Intrigue getting the better of him, he followed Torrance to the adjacent room where the racier products were kept out of sight of the few customers possessing delicate sensibilities. Sex toys of every type and purpose lined the shelves. There were also edible oils, body paints and candles designed to provide a wicked edge to intimate encounters.

“Does your lady care for a bit of pain with her pleasure?”

Jerrick eyed the crop in Torrance’s hand. No way in hell he’d let that anywhere near Avi. Resisting the urge to rub his ass, Jerrick surveyed the other implements on display. A small flogger with ultrafine leather strips and toggles nabbed his attention. He freed the loop from its hook and tested the whip with a sharp flick against his arm. The resulting sensation was more enticing tingle than sting. Promising. He shifted his focus to the collection of furred mitts nestled in a nearby basket. He picked up the black one and inspected it.

“When she’s been on her best behavior. Or needs to be tormented beyond reason,” Torrance said with a chuckle.

It was too easy to picture Avi tied to his bed, desperate pleas pouring from her while he ran the mitt over her quivering skin. He could practically feel the hard little nubs of her nipples pebbling under his tongue, the muscles of her belly tensing the closer the silky fur drifted toward her weeping center. One stroke over her slippery clit and her back would bow, the desperation in her eyes begging him to take her. Claim her.

Fingers tightening on the mitt, he dragged in a labored breath. Although he suspected it’d be the death of him, he stashed the kinky item with his growing pile of purchases and followed Torrance to the checkout.

For the millionth time in the past hour, Avily peered at the compu-clock on the wall opposite the checkout counter. She was doing a piss-poor job holding firm to her resolve to not dwell on Jerrick and his damnable promise of stopping by tonight.

It was already half past seven. Clearly he’d found something more important to do than begin their
training
.

Fine by her. No,
fantastic
, to be precise. He was doing her a huge favor not showing up. Saved her the trouble of having to endure even a second stuck with the one individual who drove her mad with lust and just plain mad, period. Although it would have been nice to yell his ear off for being such a rude ass for stiffing her without a token apology thrown in for good measure.

If she really had been forced to cancel a date because of him, there’d be no place on Aurion he could safely hide from her wrath. Grumping beneath her breath, she trekked to the entrance of the shop and flipped the sign to
Closed
. A couple paused in front of the window, their eyes only for each other while they held hands. The man cupped the female’s cheek before leaning forward and kissing her sweetly.

A sharp, wistful tug cinched Avily’s heart. Feeling like a loveless loser
and
a peeping Tom, she tore her attention from the adoring pair and jerked away from the glass pane. Yeah, she’d never felt more alone in her life, but was she going to curl into a pathetic ball and sob over it?