Playing with Passion Theta Series Book 1 (28 page)

He’d be lost if she turned away today,
left with only his skin and bones, his heart wrenched out of his
undeserving body by the female who’d trusted him with hers. He had
to make this right again.

"I'm sorry. I treated you very badly.
I said things I shouldn't have said, things you may not be able to
forgive me for saying. I was an asshole." Mack moved two steps
closer, reaching out to cradle her hands in his. She didn't pull
away, but her bottom lip was trembling with emotion. God, he didn't
want her to start crying again. Hoping she’d see his vulnerability,
Mack took in a breath and knelt in front of her, wrapping his arms
around her body, leaning his head against her stomach. “I’m a
jealous idiot.”

Ingrid urged Mack’s arms away and
knelt beside him, tilting forward to rest her head on his shoulder,
her hand on his chest. “I only want you, even when you’re
idiotic.”

"You were right when you
said I don't understand what it is to be an ingénue. I got my first
taste with Giovanni, and it wasn’t pretty. For you and Gene, it's
always the hardest. It's just..." He raked his fingers through his
hair and sighed.
God, this was so
hard.

“Tell me.”

Mack reached across to tuck a stray
clump of chestnut hair behind her delicate ear, the small motion
striking his heart like a ton of bricks. How would he ever be able
to give her up? She was somehow embedded in each of his
cells.

"Do you think...is there a way you can
give me some time? My head gets it. It's my heart that wants to
chain you to the bed."

The corners of her mouth twitched—a
hopeful sign for a desperate male. "It’s not your heart that wants
me in your bed.”

“My heart wants you with me, wherever
we are.” He rubbed his face, seeming frustrated by his inability to
communicate how he felt. “Give me a little time. It's all come on
so fast, and I don't really understand these raging feelings of
possession.”

“Raging?”

“Full-out-raging.”

“Everything’s building to a peak. You,
Gene, and I have to work harder, figure out what we’re capable of
accomplishing with our energy. Work out a plan. And we have to
start soon.”

“You’ve discussed this with
Gene?”

“I need you both.” That determined
chin was pointing at Mack’s chest, the fire in her eyes sending
blood rushing to his groin. There was no arguing with this
enchantress.

“The same way you can't turn your back
on Gene, I can't turn my back on any of the troupe. We can’t take
off and leave them behind. Any plans you make have to include
everyone.”

“Plans
we
make.”

“Yes. We.”

She stared at Mack for a long time,
without speaking. "Do you love me?"

Mack rose, bringing her up with him,
surprised by the husky sound of his reply. "Forever. Even if we're
never together again, there won't be anyone else." He pressed her
hand against his heart, which brought her body close enough to
kiss.

Ingrid’s expression turned cynical.
"How much time do you need? I won't hang around like some stupid
groupie, waiting for a smile or a kiss on the cheek or—"

Mack shut her up with his lips on her
mouth, his tongue pushing inside to explore her sweetness,
cushioning her body tightly against his own. She responded with
passion, but after a delicious minute, she pushed away.

"I'm going to be with Gene when he
needs me. Can you deal with that?"

"All I can say is that I’ll try."
Ingrid frowned, so he quickly explained. "Look, I'm a fucking cave
man, what can I tell you?” He paced nervously. “Making you cry in
the bathroom was the worst feeling in the world, and I never want
to hurt you like that again."

Suddenly she was laughing
and the tension was broken. She stuck out her hip and folded her
arms in the classic pose of irritated female. "Great. I'm in love
with a cave man. I should name you
Grunt
or
Ugg
or some other troll name." She
grabbed Mack’s shirt by the collar and pulled him closer. "I won't
wait forever, Trogg, so you'd better get over yourself, fast." She
stepped with determination toward the door leading to the
hallway.

"Wait. I'll drive you to the house.
I'm going to the gym. You should take a nap when you get
home."

"Thanks.” Still walking, she glanced
around the room. “Let me know if you find my blue panties. They’ve
disappeared.”

Mack looked up her lovely
bare legs to the hem of her short dress and then at her ass swaying
seductively as she walked toward the door.
"Salome."

Ingrid giggled.

CHAPTER
TWENTY-SEVEN

Ingrid woke up smiling. Her dreams
had been peppered with memories of what she and Mack had been up to
the night before, particularly the super sex event and the results
of their experiment. She was on the right path, she was sure of
it.

Gene had made an appearance before
she’d collapsed for her nap, bringing her pancakes and orange
juice. “Can’t do a show on an empty stomach.” Wearing an impish
expression, he’d made himself comfortable, stretching out in an
armchair with his feet on a footstool. “How’d it go,
darlin’?”

“We’ve discovered a new skill.” She
explained about the psychic communication she and Mack had shared,
along with the info regarding their sharper eyesight. Because he'd
already participated in an experiment, Ingrid asked Gene if it
would be okay with him if she tried to send him a mental
message.

"Sure, but I'm beginning to feel a bit
like a lab rat." He granted her a half-hearted grin, still
appearing slightly nervous.

“Thank you.” She kissed
his cheek, grateful for his capacity to trust her with his mind,
although it was a bit unnerving. Unfortunately, he heard nothing of
what she sent to him, even though she was using her energy the way
she had with Mack. "Try to send
me
something. Give it a boost with your
psy."

"You owe me a
drink."
His message was clear as a
bell.

"And dinner, too." She smiled
smugly.

He jumped up. "Holy shit."

"Do it again," she urged.

"I don't know whether to
be scared or turned on
."

Ingrid laughed. "You should be happy.
Now that Mack and I've gone loopy with our powers, we might be able
to learn to kick demon ass together. And don't worry about me
hearing things you don't want me to hear. You can control what you
send out by keeping your shields strong."

"I've been told dozens of
times there's not much going on up there, anyway."
She knew he wasn't kidding. Gene was gorgeous,
the dream date of every female he encountered, but no one, other
than the troupe, had ever taken him seriously.

"I know better."

"Oh, no. You've discovered that I'm an
evil genius trying to take over the world. Now I'll have to blast
you with my neuro-ray." He made some silly noises, yanking
playfully on her ponytail.

Ingrid glanced out the window,
remembering how she’d burned those sorcerers in Atlanta using only
her mind. She dreaded telling her two guys the whole story, but
knew she’d have to come clean soon. "You can laugh, but we have no
idea what our minds are capable of."

Gene’s hand rested on Ingrid’s chin,
forcing her to meet his gaze. "Hey. What made you serious all of a
sudden?"

“I’m not ready…I can’t talk about it
yet.”

“Well, I’m here when you
are.”

"Thanks, evil gen—”

He held up a hand to stop her. “I’ll
lose half my fans if you squeal on me. They like dumb blondes.
Why’d you come back so soon? You should still be at
Mack's."

“I was beat.”

He arched an eyebrow. "Uh huh. And
pigs fly. You had a fight, right? After you ended our call?" She
tried to keep her expression blank, but his intuitive powers had
already kicked in. "It's because of me, right? Mack can't handle
it."

"He says he needs some time." Ingrid
wrapped her arms around her gut, trying to hold back the sob
burning her throat.

"He's a fucking moron." Gene declared,
his irritation narrowing his eyes.

"I love him—really. I know what I'm
feeling. He told me he loves me."

Gene pulled Ingrid in for a hug,
rubbing her back. Craving the compassion, she relaxed into his
comforting arms. "Love, huh?” He sighed. “Maybe you guys did
evolve. Maybe we can all fall in love. It gives me some hope." He
pulled away, searching Ingrid’s face for answers. "You can't split
because of me. I'll find another way to reboot."

"Shut up." She pushed on his chest.
"He'll have to learn to deal with it, because there's no way I'm
not going to be here for you when you need me. If he really loves
me like he says, he'll come around."

"Mack's pretty stubborn."

"So am I."

"Believe me, darlin', I noticed."
Ingrid attempted to poke him in the stomach but Gene scooted
quickly to the doorway. ”You need a nap, grumpy.” He closed the
door behind him.

Maybe he’s
right
. Ingrid sank back onto the bed,
dozing off after only a few heartbeats.

After her nap, she spent the rest of
the afternoon researching other theta troupes, trying to discover
any mention of the aftereffects of looping energy. She had no luck,
but wasn't about to give up. When she noticed the time, she jumped
in the shower. They’d be leaving for the show in ninety
minutes.

The troupe arrived in their respective
limos, right on time. For this particular performance, the
higher-ups were allowed to meet with the actors backstage before
the show. They weren't permitted to touch any of the thetas, but
the six alpha wolves crowding close to Ingrid and Diane were
already showing signs of arousal, lusting over their bodies as if
they were cuts of beef. Each one talked about the party, asking for
a few minutes alone. In their fantasies, those few minutes would
turn to more, since wolves had inflated egos along with a taste for
violence. Beating the crap out of your date before you raped her
took longer than one might imagine.

The head alpha of the Tri State
Region, Joseph Herron, lingered after the others had left, his eyes
fixated on Ingrid. "I'm looking forward to your performance in
particular, Miss Hudson. The Director tells me you always satisfy
your audience and this evening will be unforgettable. He charged us
an exorbitant amount for the seats, but after meeting you
personally, I believe I may have gotten a bargain."

Ingrid smiled shyly, fervently hoping
he wouldn't think she was being coy. "I hope my performance lives
up to all of your expectations, Mr. Herron.”

He circled her, a master predator in
hunting mode. "I'm sure it will, Ingrid."

Ingrid’s queasy stomach faded as she
watched him leave. Mr. Herron was a powerful force of nature, a
mover and shaker, often in the public eye. But there was something
dark about him that disturbed her down to her bones.

Before they’d left the troupe house,
Mack had taken Ingrid aside to tell her The Director had insisted
she give Mr. Herron some special, individual attention at the
party. He was allowed to take her to his room and play with her
until dawn.

Mack had tried to reassure her,
telling her he and Gene would come up with some way to keep her out
of the alpha’s room, but Ingrid knew she’d have to go. The real
question was, could she handle a wolf as powerful as Joseph Herron,
tricking him into believing he’d been satisfied the way Mack had
handled Giovanni and Paulo?

This info had come as a blow,
especially since she was so close to achieving her dream. The only
thing that helped was having Mack and Gene’s solid
support.

Unfortunately, Mack couldn’t help by
morphing into her doppelganger as he had done with the vampires. He
had a meeting with the Elder Fae Council, and you didn’t ever want
to cancel on those kooks. Some of them were five thousand years old
and as dangerous as The Director, although they’d sooner turn you
into a sentient tree and throw a picnic beneath your branches, than
see you executed in front of millions of viewers. The fae tended to
think long-term when it came to revenge.

Ingrid would have to stick close to
Gene for as long as possible, and then, when she was alone with
Joseph Herron, throw the alpha a hot fantasy and sneak away.
Fingers crossed.

Alan poked his head into the dressing
room to give his twenty-minute warning. A few moments later, Staci
gasped. "Did you feel that?" she asked.

"The power dropped.” Ingrid jumped to
her feet. “C’mon. Mack must already know."

They collected the men on the way.
Mack held up his hand before anyone could speak. “A block's been
established, cutting off a percentage of the power."

“Why, exactly?” Diane looked as
bewildered as the rest of the troupe.

Sam spoke up first, “If it’s The
Director’s idea to restrict us, we’ll probably never know the
reason.” Ingrid looked at Mack for confirmation, but he only
shrugged.