Rage to Adore (5 page)

Lies

Hours later, the flicker of excitement that had bubbled so
joyously earlier in the day had subsided, leaving a churning unease that sat
defiantly in Tani’s chest, refusing to go away. The afternoon’s events had
opened a Pandora’s Box of questions to which she could find no immediate
answers.

Morana had acted strangely on Tani’s return to the mansion,
her actions all the more unnerving when Tani reflected on the startled guilty
expression that had crossed her face when Tani came upon her in the library.
She had been standing by the bookshelf, reaching for a book, when Tani walked
in and had jumped in surprise, dropping it to the floor where it landed with a
loud thud. The expression of guilt in her eyes quickly morphed into anger but
then subsided into mild annoyance when she ascertained that it was Tani and not
one of her own servants who had interrupted her.

“Tanith, you’re back!” she purred silkily. “How was your
visit to the bazaar? Did you come upon anything of interest?”

It was Tani’s turn to look guilty as a flush of color heated
her cheeks in remembrance of the desire Lorcan had engendered. Oh yes! She had
definitely been interested! Morana’s eyes narrowed and her lips curled into a
knowing smile. “I see you did,” she laughed, walking toward her. “I wonder what
it was you found that’s making you blush. Or should I ask who?” It was clear
that Morana wanted Tani out of the room as she swept past her, hooking her arm
and pulling her toward the courtyard garden.

“You might find more to interest you here, though. We have a
guest coming for lunch. I think you’ll be pleased with me, Tani. I’ve been very
busy on your behalf.”

Morana continued to flirt and tease until Lorcan’s arrival.
They were seated on the terrace that led to a courtyard garden beyond which was
a gate that opened into an orchard. Tani was sitting with her back to the house
when Lorcan was announced by the servant. Her heart speeded up at the sound of
his voice as he greeted Morana with reserved politeness, his refined tones in
keeping with the present company and his status. Tani was immediately conscious
of the disparity between his current persona and his appearance that morning,
realizing that Lorcan must be adept at hiding his true nature.

Glancing up as he rounded the table, she met gray eyes that
appraised her with cool regard. Morana invited him to sit and Tani noted the
change from the casual clothing of the bazaar into the formal attire of
stiff-necked shirt and dark jacket, the typical daywear of a wealthy Ophiuchi
male.

The afternoon passed pleasantly enough. A couple of other
male guests arrived, and Morana playing the part of a perfect hostess,
supplying delicious food, then tactfully retreating, taking the other men with
her. This left Tani and Lorcan alone to while away the afternoon in the cool
shadows of the orchard, a protective shield from the intense glare of the three
Ophiuchi suns.

And now Lorcan had gone and Tani was left with the
disquieting suspicion that something had been missing. The connection that felt
so tangible and vital in the bazaar had not hummed with the same energy during
the afternoon, but rather seemed a faded echo of itself, almost as if a barrier
had been erected between them. Initially Tani thought Morana’s presence had
perhaps been the cause of the suppression but even when they were alone the
connection remained just out of reach.

At a loss to explain the difference, Tani had held back from
Lorcan, deciding it was too early in their acquaintance for her to lay all her
cards on the table. She needed to get to know the man, to understand his
motivations before she could reveal the truth of their connection. Just because
he appeared to hold values at variance with the majority of wealthy Ophiuchi
didn’t necessarily mean he would sympathize with the Eunomi cause. So instead
she spent the afternoon watching and listening, trying to make sense of the
contrast between the polite civil reserve of the man she was with and the
earthy compassion of the man she had seen earlier that day.

Lorcan had been courteous, willing to please and his actions
made it clear he found her attractive. In fact he had taken the opportunity to
kiss her as they meandered between the trees. Tani had been trying to direct
their discussion toward the poverty she had seen that morning by mentioning the
bazaar, the homeless children and the number of brothels that occupied that
area of town. She thought if he realized she was in sympathy with his
motivations that perhaps he might open up to her, particularly if he was also
experiencing the hum of energy between them.

But then he kissed her.

It was almost as if he kissed her to distract her from those
issues as he cupped her face in his palms, pressing warm lips to hers with a
gentleness she found surprising. If she was correct about him, the long-awaited
kiss would spark into being Taijitu marks on their skin, twin brands of their Esseni
status, but it was a strange experience. He immediately apologized, drawing
back, restraining the passion he then professed to feel for her. He realized it
was too soon, that they’d only just met but then confessed that his attraction
to her had been instantaneous. Like a bolt of lightning, he’d said. He was
anxious not to lose control, he had told her, his feelings for her ran too
deep.

And the kiss. His kiss. Tani considered it, now hours after
he had gone and the three suns had dipped below the horizon. His kiss had been
just that. A kiss, similar to many of the kisses she had received during the
one hundred and two years of her existence. Lorcan’s kiss had been nice and
that was all. Not heart stopping or earth shattering. Not the cause of her
melting into a puddle or reducing her to a blubbery mess of need and desire.
But did she really want that? Wasn’t it better that she was in control of her
emotions so that she could view Lorcan objectively? She found him very attractive.
His dark looks and gray eyes were a pleasing combination. He had a charming
smile. And if his smile didn’t quite reach his eyes, and if she sensed he was
holding something back, perhaps that was a consequence of being on this
particular planet where keeping secrets could mean the difference between life
and death.

Tani found herself in the library, her thoughts so tangled
she wasn’t focusing on where her feet had taken her. Morana had gone out,
stating some business she needed to attend to and had urged Tani to spend a
couple of hours relaxing before they went out again that evening. They were due
to attend the opening of a new club, Alpha Beta, which Morana swore was an
event not to be missed. The added attraction was that Lorcan would be present,
as would all of Serpens’s nobility and the thought of seeing him again so soon
went some way to assuaging Tani’s confusion. She would have another opportunity
to talk to him, be with him and get to know him. Her heart beat faster. Perhaps
tonight she would also see the visible evidence that they were a pairing in the
form of the Taijitu mark. She was finding it difficult to resist the urge to go
to her room and check her body again to see if hers had materialized. She had
already checked herself seven times since Lorcan left an hour ago.

Torn between picking out a book or returning to her room,
Tani paused in her tracks on hearing a faint groaning sound followed by
scratching. Muffled by the wall of bookshelves, it continued and she stood
still, trying to ascertain the source of the noise, hearing what sounded like
garbled words in amongst the low moans. Tani walked slowly around the edges of
the room and finally found herself stopping at the very same spot at which she
had surprised Morana earlier. With her ear to the wall, the sound was stronger.
There was something behind these shelves and now she knew why Morana had acted
so suspiciously. She
was
hiding something.

Tani held some wiccani magick and as a child had mastered a
few simple spells and incantations taught to her by her father, a strong
wiccani mage. Fortunately she had paid attention to those that related to
unlocking barriers and made great use of that as a teenager whenever she wanted
to escape the stifling atmosphere of her family’s expectations. She realized
there must be a switch and spoke an incantation that would reveal the switch in
her mind’s eye. A flash of light sparked her vision and she had her answer. A
book on the sixth shelf, three from the left, was the trigger. Tani reached up
to pull it when a low voice interrupted her movements.

“Lady Morana has returned and requests your presence
upstairs, Lady Tanith.” Tani jumped, aware of being caught in a similar
position to Morana that afternoon. The servant’s dark eyes remained blank,
giving no indication that he thought anything of her actions. The noises she
had heard had faded but her curiosity was strong. What was Morana hiding? She
had to know. She would have to come back. Tani stored the knowledge in her mind
as she followed the servant from the room.

Upstairs, Morana appeared to have scattered the whole
contents of her wardrobe onto the floor and she was standing in front of the
mirror, frowning at the image of herself in a silver sheath dress that hugged
her lithe figure, leaving little to the imagination. “Tanith,” she wailed, “there
you are at last! I need your help. I can’t find a thing to wear.”

“You have plenty of choices,” said Tani dryly, eyebrows
raised at the devastation of fabric surrounding her feet. “What’s wrong with
that one?”

“This old thing?” Morana’s eyes rolled skyward. “It’s two
years old! I need something stunning for tonight.”

“Why’s that?”

Morana shrugged. “Oh, you know—men and women to torture and
tempt. I need to be irresistible!”

Tani’s brows creased into a frown. She had never seen Morana
like this before. Although her words were brash, Morana was biting her lip, and
Tani could sense a vulnerability that was not in keeping with the air of self-assured
confidence that usually surrounded her hostess. Morana twisted to face the
mirror, piling her hair onto her head, debating which style might suit best.
Tani couldn’t help but notice fresh puncture marks on her neck. The mystery
continued. She was now sure Morana was hiding something in the library. Perhaps
a secret lover or maybe she had a whole harem of slaves to service her needs?
That would certainly not be unusual on this planet. So why would Morana hide
it?

“You can wear this.” Morana’s voice cut across her thoughts
and she refocused on the dress Morana was holding out to her. If you could call
it a dress. It was a slip of fabric, a thin film of gauze that looked more like
underwear. Wearing a dress like that would leave her feeling practically naked.

“I can’t wear that!” Tani was at once horrified and confused.
A bubble of excited anticipation rose in her chest at the thought of Lorcan
Rodach’s expression should he see her in that dress.

“Try it.” Morana smiled, holding it out to her. “I know you
want to.”

An hour and a half later, not knowing how it had happened,
Tani found herself arriving at the Alpha Beta club, wearing nothing but the
flimsy green dress, six-inch heels and a nervous smile.

Inside, the club was heaving. Wealthy Ophiuchi set apart
from the masses on the upper levels mostly kept to themselves in their private
areas. Watching from above, they could call on those below, if they wished, to
join them for a spell. Those who were selected were expected to feel privileged
beyond measure, or if they didn’t, they would certainly not want to offend.

Tani watched with disgust and pity from her seat in Morana’s
booth as many young male and female revelers were summoned to partake in
whatever activities their overlords wished to pursue. She realized very quickly
that the Alpha Beta club was just another kind of brothel, except that money
didn’t change hands quite so blatantly. Those picked were probably hoping for
some kind of permanent position as mistresses or escorts to a person of power. For
those chosen the rewards would be great. Her thoughts flashed to Sitri. Tani
wondered how she had inveigled herself into possibly the highest position of
that kind in Serpens as Phenex’s mistress and what Lorcan thought of it.
Lorcan. A sudden wave of electricity sparked beneath her skin. He was here. She
could feel it.

Arousal

Morana was occupied with a young man she had picked up from
the dance floor. Tani could see where that conversation was headed and decided
she should give them some privacy. Or was that just an excuse? Shaking off that
thought, she moved down the stairs to the main dance floor. The compulsion to
find Lorcan so strong she felt as if she were already tied irrevocably to his
side. Did he feel it too? She would soon find out.

Catching sight of him through a break in the crowd, Tani
waved in his direction. And there it was again. Her knees nearly buckled, an intense
pulse of arousal punching her gut as his dark, too-handsome face met her gaze.
Why was it happening now when it hadn’t earlier? Was it the atmosphere in the
club? The pounding bass invading the rhythmic beat of her heart and causing it
to race?

A shudder ran through every cell in her body, a lick of
flame bursting to life in her chest. Oh dear Gaia! How she wanted this man.
Right here, right now! She wanted to strip him naked and do all sorts of wicked
things to that sinful body. No one should look that good.

Tani drew in a breath, absorbing the raging undercurrents
that surged toward her from the man who claimed all her focus. A flash of fire
reciprocated in his eyes as they walked toward each other, a sense of
inevitability urging her closer. She was dangling on the end of a line, well
and truly hooked and he was reeling her in.

As she closed the distance, Tani registered the soft curl of
inky blue-black hair brushing the taut muscles of his neck, the softness an
anathema to the rock-solid frame that was inviting her touch. The tips of her
fingers itched with desire to tangle in the darkness of those curls, ached to
play over the bronze skin of his throat where a vein throbbed close to his jaw.
Her eyes were drawn to the fabric of his shirt where it stretched tight,
highlighting pectorals so ripped they should be outlawed. Tani licked her lips,
the sight of him a red rag that held her mesmerized, so much that she could not
have stopped the forward motion even if she had wanted to.

Within moments she was up against him, jostled by the ocean
of the crowd, a wave dashed onto the rocks. And he was granite. Her eyes locked
on to his as they flared in surprise. Gray turned to molten mercury encircled
by indigo. Her breasts melded to his angular torso, chiseled abdominals fused
against her belly, every undulation a hotwire of sensation. She felt him rise
to attention. His shaft like an arrow at her hip.

Reciprocating his enthusiasm, Tani felt her nipples harden
in response, rubbing against his chest, swelling with undisguised desire. She
should have been embarrassed by her obvious lust and the knowledge that he
could feel every shifting nuance of her body’s reaction to him through the thin
fabric of the dress. Instead her mind was too full of sensation, her body too
out of control.

She gazed up at him, her head barely level with his neck. The
urge to press her lips to his skin was an imperative. She lifted on her toes
and let her mouth caress his flesh. Tremors ripped through Tani’s spine as she
tasted the salty tang of his throat, the musky scent of him fogging all brain
activity. His hands found her hips, suddenly creating a space between them.

When she looked up now, Tani saw a change in his expression.
Surprise had turned to desire, reflecting the arousal in hers. She had seen
that look from men before but never had it been so welcome. He wanted her. No
thought of the consequences, Tani grabbed his hand, the heat of his palm a
sizzling brand that melded him to her. As fire continued to lick and burn its
way up her arms, she led him toward the nearest exit. What she needed to say
could not be said here. What she needed to do would get her arrested.

Outside, the cool chill of the night air crashed over her
but failed to quench the heat of her skin as she turned back to face him. Tani
found herself slammed against the wall. A rough hand tugged at her hair,
another clamped around her waist, a rock-solid body rubbed hard against hers,
fingers laced through the red strands, forcing her neck down as warm breath
suffused her skin. She groaned as heat rolled off him.

He was a burning flame, searing her flesh, his lips hard at
her neck, the pressure on her throat a blatant marking. She tried to push
against him, hands on his shoulders, this claiming coming too soon for her
liking. She shoved to get his attention. His response was immediate. He pushed
her hard back against the cold stone and then his mouth crashed over hers.

Devouring.

Consuming.

Furious.

The intensity of his kiss was like nothing she had ever
experienced before. It was so totally different from the previous kiss they had
shared. The first kiss in the orchard had been tentative.
This
…this was
a frenzy! She could feel her own flesh responding with passionate abandon,
matching the wildness of his assault. Every cell, every nerve, every fiber
leapt to echo the erotic fury of his attack. Her heart hammering madly, Tani
fused into him, unable to resist the electrical current that blazed between
them.

He was a raging whirlwind at her mouth as he nipped and
sucked, his tongue searching, exploring, claiming her essence with the force of
his lips. His hard body demanded her submission, the granite length of him
relaxing into her curves, his erection a blatant challenge.

She gasped as his hand roamed downward, sending sparks that
skittered across her skin, leaving goose bumps in their wake. He delved beneath
the flimsy gauze of her dress, his fingers stroking her thighs in a quest to
reach her core. She quivered beneath his touch as he skimmed the elastic of her
panties, caressing the thin fabric until his palm was pressed against her
mound. One finger drew a line down her slit and suddenly she was moist. As if
sensing her arousal, he bypassed the fabric and Tani gasped as he slid a finger
inside, the heat of his touch igniting every nerve she possessed to a shivering
wreck.

All the while, he had been kissing her breathless. She had
never been kissed with so much wild abandon and his touch! It was all she could
do to remain standing. His lips left hers and homed in on her neck, sucking the
exact spot that made her pelvic muscles clench with anticipation. She was so
close she might just orgasm from the slip-sliding caress of his finger and the
heat of his lips on her pulse point.

“Lorcan…” she managed to moan.

He tensed. His grip on her hair tightened. Every muscle
froze.

His lips withdrew and he forced her head up, rough hands
tangled in her hair. Her eyes locked onto his. Gray turned to mercury silver. His
irises swirled into vision, the outer ring of indigo blue darkening with
vicious anger. “Fuck!” he snarled again, nails digging into her flesh so hard
she thought he would draw blood.

Tani’s brows furrowed in confusion, every atom in her body
still thrumming with sensation. She sought for reassurance by raising her hand
to his cheek. He grabbed her wrist, pain shooting up her arm.

“Lorcan?” Her bewilderment increased. What was wrong with
him? Why had he stopped? Why was he angry? Oh yeah—he’s Hate…probably…most
definitely. Her thoughts were a tumble of incoherence.

He let go of her wrist and loosened the grip around her
waist, pushing her away. She stumbled backward, nearly falling. Paying no
attention, he merely turned on his heel and stalked off into the deserted
alley.

Tani pulled herself together. “Lorcan! What’s wrong?” she
called, eyes smarting from the pain of the grazes on her hand that had caught
the rough stone wall as she fell. But he kept going, disappearing into the
darkness without a backward glance.

* * * * *

So…that fucker was back! Lorcan. Jaro Rodach gritted teeth
as he wrenched his protesting body away from the scantily clad female. Just
hearing that name sent daggers shooting into his back, fracturing his spine as
if it wasn’t already broken and bleeding. He had no more blood to give.

Jaro ran his arm across his mouth in a desperate attempt to
wipe the taste of her from his lips. Chaos in hell! She had tasted so sweet.

Dark chocolate and strawberries.

Decadence and innocence.

The sensations lingered on his tongue, refusing to
dissipate. How fucking typical! Lorcan’s latest bitch, coming on to him and he’d
actually felt something for a change, other than the usual vicious rage that
was his constant companion. For one small moment as his tongue delved into the
moist berry wine of her lips, their mouths fused in a wild tangle of passion,
he’d experience an overwhelming sensation of…something…in his chest.

The emotion fizzed like a sparkler, bursting with pinpricks
of heat, bubbling in the usually hollow empty space that others called their
heart. The sound of that name had been enough to extinguish any life-giving
oxygen to that flame. Out it petered, suffocated in an instant.

Just like he had been.

Just like his life.

But her. Chaos save him! She was a forest fire setting light
to a drought-ridden land. She burned so brightly. He remembered his first
glimpse of her in the club. The way she had stood on the stairs radiating such
confidence, legs up to heaven ready to send him to hell. Her eyes had locked on
to his, full luscious lips curving into a perfect smile as their gazes
connected. So damn sexy! The green of her barely there dress accentuating the
blazing red flame of her hair that glowed in the darkness, a beacon of danger
too hot to ignore. He had to touch and who cared if he burned! Then she had
waved at him and he had responded without thought, his brain in his dick.

Fuck! He’d followed her outside like some kind of dog on a
leash. And then, Chaos be damned! He’d been all over her. She hadn’t even
spoken before he had her pushed up against the wall, ready to fuck her brains
out. And he would have too.

If she hadn’t said his name.

That fucking name.

Fucking Lorcan.

His fingers tingled with sensation. He lifted his hand to
inhale her scent that still clung there. He breathed in deeply, savoring her
fragrance. Chaos be damned! His palm could still feel the slide of soft silken
strands of that fiery red hair and those eyes! Crystal amethyst pools framed by
long dark lashes. Chaos, the bewildered look on her face! Of course she wasn’t
to know that Lorcan was his brother.

His twin brother.

His fucking bastard of a twin brother.

He hated him and now he hated her.

What really burned him most was not how she had responded so
passionately to his kiss all the while believing him to be Lorcan, but how
he
had ignited for
her
.

“Fuck!”

His body had responded to hers in a way he’d never
experienced with any woman before. And he’d fucked lots of women. When he’d
touched her, he couldn’t explain it, but his whole body had seemed to recognize
hers. He felt as if he knew her on an elemental level with every bone in his
body. He knew her and he wanted her. She was his! She damn well wasn’t his—she
was Lorcan’s. She was a bitch and right now he hated her even more than he
hated Lorcan, if that was possible.

No one was going to make him feel that way. Not ever. Rage
was his alma mater, his BFF and no bitch whore of his brother’s was going to
change that.

* * * * *

Tani stood at a loss, wretched, dazed and confused as Lorcan
strode away, ignoring her calls. What the… He’d kissed her like that and now he
was leaving! Gah! She was so horny—how could he do this to her? She knew he had
desired her; he’d practically devoured her, almost given her what would
probably have been the best orgasm of her life and now he was walking away! She
could barely stand! The throbbing ache between her thighs wept at the loss of
his attention.

Her hand found the cold stone as she steadied herself, heart
still racing wildly. What had made him walk away? It was as if he’d had a
moment of sudden enlightenment or maybe, horror of horrors, he hadn’t actually
enjoyed the kiss. Maybe she repulsed him? No! No way!

That kiss had been a riot, a volcanic eruption. Forget
fireworks, she had experienced a nuclear explosion, and now she was left
sizzling. Lorcan had lit a fuse that he really needed to ignite.

“Tani!” Morana’s voice cut through the chill of the night. “I’ve
been looking for you everywhere. What are you doing out here?”

“N-nothing.” Tani could hear the tremor in her own voice,
her legs still unsteady beneath her. She tried to mask her emotions. “Just
getting some air.”

Morana’s catlike eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Lorcan was
looking for you.”

“He found me,” Tani replied as evenly as she could. “He just
left.”

“Oh!” Morana’s expression turned to one of surprise. Tani
straightened her stance. “Morana, I’d like to go now if that’s okay? It’s been
a long day.”

“Sure,” said Morana. “But are you all right? Did something
happen?”

“I’m fine.” A blatant lie. “I’m very tired. I think the
excitement of the last few days is catching up with me. I just need to sleep.”
To sleep. But not to dream. Tani returned to Morana’s, knowing that the minute
she closed her eyes, his face, his arms, his lips would be all she could see.
All she could feel. His imprint so strong it was tangible even now, seeping
right through to the core of her being. He had branded her with his kiss and
now its fire was burning out of control.

* * * * *

“So. Has the Taijitu materialized yet?” Lorcan Rodach’s
voice growled across the room at his hostess. They were in Morana’s library,
Lorcan having arrived at the townhouse moments earlier after missing Tanith at
the club. His excuse to the tired servant who opened the door in the early hours
was that he was returning an item of jewelry Morana had accidentally left
behind. His profuse apologies had led the servant to show him into the library
where Morana, still awake, sat perusing a book by the fire. And if she appeared
rather flustered and disheveled, he made no comment, his mind luckily for her
more focused on the other female who occupied this building.