His instincts started to hum. He tipped back the cognac and set the drink aside. “What are you up to, Cee Cee?”

She smiled, the sight slightly lopsided. “Nothing for once. Just that I’m glad we’re working together. I’ll send you the file I have on Rudger. I hope it helps.” She sauntered over and poured him another glass of the cognac. “I should’ve given you the name earlier.”

His ears pricked. Numbness settled in his belly and spread out to be quickly quashed. Temper swirled through him and then blew out in heat. “Son of a bitch.” He jumped to his feet and grabbed her forearms. “You drugged me. Again.”

She winced. “I know. I’m sorry.”

His knees wobbled.

She shoved him back into his chair. “I really like you, Daire. I do.”

He tilted his head to the side, noting the rapid pulse in her neck. “What the fuck?”

She sighed. “I just put a little in the drink, I promise. You won’t be out for long.”

He wouldn’t be out at all, actually. “Where the hell was it?” he ground out, trying to focus as his vision fuzzed.

“I’ve had a vial in my boot. Figured I might need it.”

His hold loosened on her arms.

She set his hands down and patted his knuckles. “Like I said, I’m so sorry. But there’s no reason for you to accompany me on the mission since you now have Rudger’s name and should probably run him down. Believe me, you don’t want the conflict of interest.”

What conflict of interest? Daire frowned as he sent antibodies to the poison in his gut. None of this was making sense, but he needed his faculties to cure himself before she got outside. She turned and quickly made her way to the door and opened it. Rain splashed inside.

He’d been so ensconced in the sense of comfy domestication, he hadn’t even noticed it had started raining. Man, a woman cooked for him once, and he turned into a moron.

He shoved himself to his feet. “Felicity.”

She slowly turned around, her eyes widening. “Wh-what?”

“You should probably know something about witches,” he said, his legs strengthening.

Her chin lifted and her hand went to the doorknob. “What is that?”

“We can create antibodies for a drug if we survive the first injection,” he said, gauging the distance between them and her ability to kick him in the face. “It’s a gift we’re hoping will be useful in dealing with Apollo.”

She swallowed. “Well, crap.” Quick as any cougar, she pivoted and ran into the rain.

He smiled, his muscles bunching. Oh, the race was on. He cleared the front porch without hitting one step and landed in the mud, his boots spraying. Rain mashed down, coating his face. A blur of white crossed his vision toward the river, and he turned to follow. With that blond hair, she’d be easy to spot. His blood thrummed in his veins, and his breath evened out.

The rain carried her scent toward him—woman and hyacinth. Even through the storm, he could smell her clean scent tinged with both fear and arousal. He loped into a jog, winding around trees, avoiding stumps. Every inch of the property was familiar to him, and he wasn’t surprised when she found the barely there trail to the river’s edge.

He reached the bank in time to see her bounding across the massive rocks he’d placed in the middle. The rain matted her hair down her back, but she fought against the wind and reached the rocky shore, as graceful as any doe. Her soaked clothing clung to her, showing every inch of her spectacular body.

The drug tried to cling to his system, and he burned it away, temper alighting anew. She had drugged him after making him such a nice dinner and getting him to relax. The idea that she still didn’t trust him bunched his fingers into a fist, and he ducked his head as he ran for the rocks and made it across the rushing river in record time.

Small footprints showed her way, but he didn’t need to glance down, so strong was her scent. Or maybe he just recognized her smell, because he knew exactly which way to run.

Lightning flashed across the dark sky. Unlike his brother Kellach, Daire loved the rain of Seattle and enjoyed the storms. It pounded in his blood, spurring him on.

Ahead of him, she slipped and scrambled to her feet, her arms flailing. Tree limbs fell down and she ducked to avoid them.

Enough. The storm had turned dangerous, and it was time to catch her. So he turned to the north and backtracked along the trail, ready for the moment when she barreled into his arms.

She bounced back, her eyes wide, her cheeks flushed.

He bent his head, absolute on his task this time. “Why did you drug me yet again?”

She gulped in air, her pale hand wiping rain from her face. “I don’t need help with the bank robberies.”

“Try again.” He crossed his arms, raising his voice above the storm.

She settled her stance. The wind whipped around, shoving her hair, no match for the wildness in her eyes. “No.”

He wanted that wildness, needed it set free and alive around him. Nothing in him, not one inch, wanted to tame that. He just wanted to ride it, be a part of it. “Why?” he asked.

Drops of rain danced on her full eyelashes. “I don’t like you.”

He grinned. Wild as hell and a shitty liar. “Aye, you do. Tell me the truth, Felicity.”

Her slight turn of foot gave away her intention, so when she turned to run, he smoothly stepped in front of her. She smacked into him again, and this time, he didn’t let her go.

Grabbing her biceps, he lifted her a foot off the ground and set her against a massive pine tree. The brand on his hand pulsed in angry pain. His brother had mated his cop out in the forest by the cabin, and Daire kept in mind the warning. He wouldn’t mate Felicity by accident, and he’d have to be careful. But the woman had pushed him enough.

He planted his mouth over hers and swept his tongue inside, taking what he wanted. Sensations bombarded him, stronger than before. Hunger. Need. Craving. Possessiveness. Protectiveness. He consumed her, feasting at her mouth like a starving man.

She returned the kiss, nipping and licking, her tongue playing with his.

The flavor of wine and woman exploded on his taste buds and rocketed through his body. He shoved his groin between her legs, rubbing against her. She gasped and reached down to unzip his jeans, sliding her hand inside.

Her smooth skin almost sent him over the edge. He groaned into her mouth. She stroked him and he growled, reaching down to shove her pants to the ground. When freed, she immediately clasped his shoulders and wrapped her legs around his waist.

He kicked out of his jeans, needing more than anything else in the world to be inside her. He grabbed her nape and her butt, plunging inside her with one ferocious thrust. She arched against him, a hoarse cry of need echoing from her throat. Her nails bit into his skin, and the sharp pain almost snapped his control. He was right where he wanted to be in the world, and suddenly, the fog cleared from his brain. This woman was meant to be his, and it was time she leveled with him.

Drawing on control he hadn’t thought he’d have, he held her tight and stopped moving. “Now you talk, Felicity.”

Chapter 16

Felicity blinked, her body gyrating with a hunger so great it hurt. The tree bracketed her back, surrounding her with the scent of pine. Rain dripped down around them, plopping on the wet earth. “What?” she breathed, trying to get Daire to move inside her again.

He leaned down, and his breath heated her face. “Now you tell me why you drugged me yet again. What are you afraid of?”

She shook her head, spraying water. “I’m not afraid. I just don’t want you in the way.” Even as she said the words, she could hear the hollowness in them. “Trust me, Daire. You want to be out of what’s going to happen.” She had to protect him, somehow. “I’m sorry.”