Sequoia grinned. "It"s about time."
Rose gave her a blank look. "I don"t know what you"re talking about."
"Yeah, right."
As Brand joined them, his heated glance brushed Rose with an intimacy that sent heat to her cheeks.
Sequoia chuckled. "Sure, nothing happened," she said. Her smile faded as she glanced behind Brand. "Good morning, Ewan."
Rose frowned when she saw the faery beside Brand. "Where were you when we needed you last night?"
"Busy." Ewan"s gaze locked on Sequoia. "I was told to go away."
"You should have known I didn"t mean it," Sequoia said.
"I never know what to believe with you."
Brand clapped Ewan on the back. "Welcome to the real world. Come on. Carter is holding a table for us."
They sat and ordered with casual slowness that had Rose tapping her toe beneath the table. What was going on? An announcement of some kind was pending. But what?
Brand reached beneath the table to run his hand along her leg. When she glanced at him in surprise, he only smiled. Oh, yeah, something was definitely up.
Finally, after the coffee and juice had arrived, Carter spoke. "We held off loading the bus last night in case Brand needed more time here."
Sequoia nodded as if she"d expected as much while Rose waited not so patiently. "So?"
"I"m glad they didn"t pack," Brand added. "I intend to offer another show tonight for those folks who had to leave early last night." "We have a couple of extra days before we have to be in Vegas, so I"ve already cleared it with the theater," Carter said. "It"s a go." "No." The word burst from Rose without thought. She couldn"t watch Brand do his water escape again.
"Yes." Brand spoke quietly, his gaze holding hers. "I know what I"m doing, Rose."
"But-"
"What happened last night was a freak accident. It won"t happen again. I guarantee it."
She bit her lip. True, her leaky magic caused his near demise last night, but other things could go wrong. "Brand-"
"Those folks paid money to see a complete show. They deserve their money"s worth."
"But you almost died. Surely they can understand that."
"So you"d prefer them to spread the word that I"m a failure? I don"t." The conviction in his voice convinced Rose she couldn"t talk him out of this. He directed his gaze at Sequoia. "How about you?" "I donTlike it, but I"ll do it," she said. "Good. Then we"ll meet this afternoon to run through things. Carter is arranging for the backup water tank to be brought in." Rose scowled and only picked at her breakfast when it arrived. She"d found it bad enough to watch the water escape before this. How could she possibly sit during it now? What if her magic still leaked?
True, Ewan had said that if she used her power again, the leaking would stop. But how could she be sure? Perhaps she could experiment with Sequoia later, though with the sidelong glances Sequoia and Ewan sent each other throughout the meal, Rose suspected her cousin might have other plans.
Of course, she could use her magic to save him if she had to. If it worked when she needed it.
Unable to eat, Rose pushed back her chair. "I"m not hungry after all. Excuse me, please."
Brand hurried after her and caught her arm before she could leave the restaurant. "It"ll be all right, Rose. I know what I"m doing. Trust me."
She trusted him. It was her magic she didn"t trust.
By the time the evening show was set to begin, Rose couldn"t stay seated. She paced the rear of the theater, eyeing the closed curtains. Part of her had debated staying away entirely while another part insisted she be there in case she was needed.
So she was here, her stomach filled with rocks, her chest wrapped in invisible bands of steel. How was she ever going to survive an entire show?
What good was having magic when it didn"t ease the tension within her?
The lights dimmed and her heart jumped into her throat. The curtains opened and Brand took the stage.
"Welcome once again. I apologize for the abrupt dismissal of last night"s show, but we experienced some technical difficulties." His charming smile invited the audience to laugh with him, to shake off the fact that he could have died, and they did. Within moments he owned them and their belief.
He seduced them with his humor and charm, mingling with the audience, pulling members onstage to partic.i.p.ate in different illusions. No one watching him would guess how close he"d come to losing his life, how deadly this game of illusion could be.
Rose remained standing at the back, watching him. To see him make a small object disappear, then reappear through sleight of hand reminded her of the way he"d touched her throughout the day. Slight touches-a hand on her back, a caress along her arm, a brief lingering touch-had built her blood to a fever pitch, which remained unsatisfied when he"d set off for the theater to rehea.r.s.e.
At one point she"d been tempted to transport him from rehearsal to her room to ease the longing that he had created, but she"d managed to resist. Barely. And watching him now-so confident, so smooth, so handsome-didn"t help at all. She had been better off not knowing how wonderful s.e.x could be, for now she wanted with a fierceness that startled her.
When he looked at her, finding her unerringly through the dim light in the theater, his gaze filled with pa.s.sion, her senses leaped to attention. How could he make her feel this way when she was worried about him? How dare she want the feel of him inside her when she feared for his very survival?
No logic, no reason.
Only feeling.
Lord help her.
Throughout the night he sent glances her way, each one filled with the intimacy of a caress. He delivered promises and kisses without a touch, only a motion of his hand, a smile, a heated gaze.
When he flew, he darted near her, blowing a kiss that had women in the audience sighing and Rose nearly swooning. What was he doing to her? Her insides twisted from longing and worry, aching so badly she had to wrap her arms around herself. She wished they were his arms, holding her close to the beat of his heart. Then, perhaps, her tension would ease.
He faltered once during an illusion in which he transformed a cat into a tiger. She noticed the hesitation only because she"d seen the act several times. Maintaining his smile, Brand waved his hand once again at the cage. In a flash the cat vanished and the tiger appeared. Success.
When the water tank was wheeled onto the stage, Rose sucked in her breath, sensing an equal tension among the audience. Brand had saved this for last-a grand finale to prove he was capable of completing this escape.
He climbed into the tank with a merry wave, twisting her gut into further turmoil. The moment the curtain was drawn across, Rose counted the seconds. Thirty seconds. One minute. Hadn"t it been long enough?
She could tell by the waver of Sequoia"s smile that her cousin had reservations as well. Ninety seconds. Rose stepped forward. He"d had long enough.
Brand suddenly appeared on the platform center stage his smile broad, his hair and clothing wet. He located Rose and winked.
Her knees weakened and she sagged against the wall. d.a.m.n him. He was going to drive her crazy.
The crowd stood, showering him with thunderous applause. Obviously he"d achieved his goal. They believed in him.
As the show ended, Rose* hurried backstage to find Brand surrounded by his stage crew. The first words she heard didn"t comfort her.
"... broken, I tell you," one crew man said.
"Stuck, perhaps," Brand said. "After all, it worked, didn"t it?"
"That"s just it. After looking at this latch, it shouldn"t have worked. The trap wasn"t going to open."
"Look, Stan, it worked, so something went right in the end."
Carter shook his head. "Then where"s the cat?"
Brand frowned. "What do you mean?"
"I mean the cat wasn"t below the trap. Where is it?"
"She has to be here somewhere. Look around. You know how good she is at finding hiding places." Spotting Rose, Brand smiled and eased away. "Great show, guys. Thanks."
"What was that about?" she asked, struggling to keep her tone even. "Something did go wrong?"
"Nothing major." Brand paused before her. "According to Stan, the latch on the trap in the cat-tiger exchange broke. He"s saying the trap couldn"t have opened, but the illusion worked. That"s good enough for me."
He drew one finger along the curve of her jaw. "Are you okay? I swear I could feel you throughout the entire show, worrying about me."
"And I could feel you trying to seduce me."
He grinned. "Did it work?"
She allowed the pa.s.sion she"d struggled to keep banked rise. "Far too well."
His eyes lit from within and he pulled her close, his arousal evident. "Take us to the hotel."
"That would require magic. Don"t you want to wait for a cab?"
"No. Take us now." He kissed her with such fierce pa.s.sion that Rose could barely concentrate enough to get them transported to his hotel room, but by the time the erotic kiss ended, they"d arrived. "Your wish is my command," she murmured when he raised his head. "Is it?" Fire blazed in his eyes as a slow smile crossed his face. "I"ve thought of you all day, of touching you, being inside you. You"ve turned me into a s.e.x-starved idiot, Rose." Her insides clenched. She wanted him just as badly. "I don"t necessarily see that as a bad thing." She ran her hand over the hard bulge in his pants, felt it jerk against her touch. Brand growled low in his throat and seized her mouth to plunder and pleasure, using his tongue, lips, and teeth to accelerate the desire coiling within her. Would she ever get enough of this? Enough of him? When he found her breast, tweaking her already hard nipple, she moaned, aching, wanting, needing. He left her lips and nuzzled a tender spot behind her ear. "You aren"t wearing a bra."
"No." The spaghetti straps of this dress made that awkward.
"What are you wearing beneath there?" If anything, his voice grew more hoa.r.s.e.
"Not much." String bikini panties were it.
"Oh, G.o.d." His groan echoed her own. "I can"t be gentle this time."
"Then don"t." She seized his mouth, demanding more.
As his lips responded, he felt beneath her short dress and tore her panties in a sharp movement that only fueled her need. As his fingers explored, she rocked against his hand. "I want you," she said, fumbling for the zipper on his pants. "Now."
He sprang free, hard, full, and ready, and she caressed the long silkiness that promised such exquisite pleasure.
With another growl he lifted her so that she could wrap her legs around his waist as he dived deep inside her. The fullness of him, the sense of completion drove her into an instant eruption, but he gave her no time to recover, holding her bottom in his hands as he took her, demanded more. More that she was eager to give.
She clung to his shoulders, her head thrown back, her breath in gasps. This was what she wanted for the rest of eternity. Brand. Only Brand.
Her next climax coincided with his. She pulsated around him, reveling in the thick steel of him. Nothing she"d encountered in her entire life equaled this.
Opening her eyes, struggling to breath, she gasped. They were floating above the floor. "We"re flying."
He grinned, the pa.s.sion still evident in his gaze. "Seems appropriate, doesn"t it?"
"Very." She felt in no danger of falling with her legs around his waist and her arms linked behind his neck. Was this how the Fae made love? Somehow, she doubted it. No, this would be uniquely Brand. "How do we get down?"
"What"s the hurry?" He cradled her bottom, trapping him inside her even deeper, if that were possible. "Will you remove our clothing?"
"Now you ask, after you"d ripped my panties?" But she complied. He was magnificent naked, his chest sprinkled with dark hair, his muscles clearly defined.
His response was to lay claim to her revealed breast with his all too clever mouth. His tongue and teeth against her sensitive peak soon had her writhing against him, the ache building again, the need never ceasing.
By the time he turned his attention to her other breast, he had swelled once more inside her, filling her completely as if made for her. She gasped in surprise when he lowered them to the bed. She found herself lying flat, Brand over her as he continued his slow, intimate torture, driving her to the brink of explosion.
"Brand..."
He lifted his head and grinned. "Now for the slow version."
"I can"t." The tension in her gut was already too much.
"Oh, you can." He withdrew from her and she cried out in protest, but he merely grabbed one of the few remaining roses and returned to straddle her hips. With deliberate slowness he ran the soft petals over her skin, her too sensitive nipples, every inch of her body until she could no longer think, could only want. She bucked against him, begging, pleading for the feel of him inside her. But he used exquisite slowness to heighten her senses, her desire, until their final joining left her exhausted. She rested within his embrace, her breathing ragged, her pulse still racing.
"You"re going to kill me," she murmured.
He nuzzled her ear. "But what a way to go."
She had to smile. What a way to go indeed.
For once Brand was nearly late arriving at the bus the morning after their midway stop. Rose grinned as he suffered good-natured teasing from Carter and Sequoia. After all, it had been his own fault that they"d been delayed.
Not that she"d complained when he"d interrupted their packing with a joyous sharing of their bodies.
As the bus departed for Las Vegas, she sat opposite him in the comfortable chairs, longing to snuggle close. Yet the heat of his gaze felt every bit as erotic as his touch until she had to avoid looking at him in order to control the sensations invading her body.
Maybe she ought to transport them both ahead of the bus to the new hotel. With the way Sequoia and Ewan cuddled together on the couch, they wouldn"t mind.
Explaining it to Carter would be more difficult.
She sighed and Brand grinned. "Think you"ll make it?" he asked.
"I doubt it." She drew her feet up under her to keep from jumping onto his lap.
Extending his hand to touch her leg, Brand leaned forward, a wicked gleam in his eyes. "Good." He ran his thumb lightly along her inner thigh and Rose sucked in a deep breath, her desire building.
"You"re an evil man," she muttered.
He laughed. "It"s going to be a long trip for both of us."