Be Careful What You Wish For Read online

  “What are you saying? That I’m supposed to be some kind of sacrifice?” Cass scooted away from him, her heart suddenly pounding in her throat.

  He shook his head impatiently.

  “No, of course not. I’m saying that by virtue of your blood, you can’t help feeling pleasure when I touch you, especially when I am working magic. In fact, it is the pleasure that you feel which actually heals you, which is why your voice was as good as new after I nearly brought you to completion the last time I worked my magic on you.”

  “Brought me to completion?” Cass stared at him stupidly.

  “Made you come, Cassandra.” His deep voice was a sensual growl. “I nearly made you come last time when I held you on my lap and healed you. And if you would have admitted it to me instead of dancing around the issue I would have known exactly what I had to do to heal you of the soul-sucker bite.”

  “What do you mean? I’m nearly healed already.” Cass held up her hand which looked almost normal except for a few faint puncture marks on the palm.

  “No, you’re not.” Jake took her hand and pointed to reddish streaks still running up her wrist and forearm. “Until those are completely gone you’re not out of danger. I have to get rid of them completely and now I know how. Cassandra…” He leaned forward and cupped her cheek in his palm, looking into her eyes. “I need to make you come,” he murmured. “It’s the only way to be sure.”

  Seventeen

  “What…what are you saying?” Cass felt like her heart was pounding in every part of her body at once. “I don’t understand why…why you have to do that.”

  “It’s for your own good.” Jake frowned at her. “I would be very remiss in my duties as your protector if I allowed you to become soul-poisoned.”

  “Oh, sure, right, you’re just doing this because it’s your job,” Cass scoffed, trying to ignore the rising tide of desire that threatened to drown her. Jake O’Shea was irritating and arrogant and there was no way she ought to want to let him touch her—especially not touch her until she came.

  And yet…the way he looked at her with an almost animal intensity did strange things to her insides. No one had ever stared at her with such desire, such need. No matter what he said about just doing his job, the way he was looking at her told a different story.

  One corner of his narrow but sensual mouth quirked up in a sarcastic smile and he shook his head as though reading her thoughts.

  “I won’t try to pretend that I won’t enjoy it, Cassandra. You have a very beautiful body. Stroking your ripe breasts and caressing your soft little cunt until you come for me is certainly not going to be a hardship.”

  Again the dirty words in that crisp, almost-British accent made her feel like she was melting but Cass refused to show it.

  “Why…why do you have to do that?” she demanded. “Touch me, I mean? I was feeling enough, uh, pleasure before when you were just doing your magic and barely touching my arm. Nothing else should be…should be necessary. Should it?”

  He shook his head again.

  “I’m afraid it is necessary, Cassandra. You see, if magical pleasure was enough in and of itself, you’d already be healed. But in order to be sure, absolutely certain beyond the shadow of a doubt that you’re cured of the soul-sucker’s venom, I have to touch you both physically and magically. I have to feel you coming in my arms and see the venom fade from your skin to know I’ve done my job and there’s no chance that the poisoning may return once I leave you alone in the human world again.”

  “But…but I…” Cass shook her head, at a loss for words. What he was proposing—no, determined to do to her made her mouth go dry and her heart was trying to pound its way out from between her ribs. “But you said you wouldn’t…that you didn’t want to touch me that way,” she protested at last. “You said because I was a client and human and um, bound to another man—”

  Jake frowned. “Ah, yes, I had forgotten your lover. I am sorry about that but it can’t be helped. I can’t take the chance that you’ll wind up with permanent soul poisoning just to spare his feelings.”

  “What about my feelings?” Cass demanded. “I don’t…I barely know you. And you’re asking me to believe that this is the only way to cure me. I mean, if a doctor in my world fed me that line I’d be suing his ass. And even if I wasn’t, I’d sure as hell be looking for a second opinion.”

  His face was suddenly grave.

  “As to that, I regret that there is no time for you to seek a second opinion. But already the venom is spreading again—it must be contained and eliminated very shortly or you risk permanent damage.”

  Looking down, Cass saw that he was right. The reddish streaks were marching up her arm again. Already they were past her elbow and creeping towards her shoulder like snakes determined to strangle her. The sight made her stomach do a slow forward roll. Deep down she knew that Jake was right—both about her imminent danger and the way to cure her. But she just couldn’t give in without a fight—that wasn’t her, damn it!

  “How do I even know you’re qualified to do this?” she asked, glaring at him stubbornly. “I mean, you’re trained as a lawyer, not a doctor, right?”

  “It’s true, I trained in the legal profession. But healing is in my blood—in the blood of all my people. It’s not a learned skill but an inherent one. And I have already healed you once, as you may recall.” He sighed heavily. “I am sorry that you find my touch so distasteful. I will try to be as brief and professional as I can although I know the situation we find ourselves in is well beyond the usual province of the counselor/client relationship.”

  Cass ran a hand through her wild black curls and sighed.

  “Look, it’s not that. I mean you’re actually really incredibly attractive in a stern, disciplinarian kind of way.”

  One corner of his mouth quirked up.

  “Is that so?”

  “Don’t get a big head,” Cass warned him. “You’re also incredibly arrogant and bossy. I feel like you’ve been pushing me around from the first minute I met you. And I don’t like to be pushed.”

  “I can see that.” He reached out to take her unhurt hand gently. “And I’m sorry you feel that way, Cassandra. But I have been charged with your wellbeing and protection and I don’t take those responsibilities lightly. If I have to push you in order to protect or heal you then I’ll do it. Which is exactly what I’m doing now.” His deep voice grew stern. “Come here now and let me heal you or I’ll put a stasis spell on you and do it by force.”

  “Why you…you…” Cass sputtered angrily, yanking her hand away from his. For a moment she’d been feeling like they were making a connection, like she was finally getting through to the big elf. And now here he was, ordering her around again as though he had every right.

  “Come here. Now.” Jake had spread his legs and now he patted the area between them firmly. “I mean it, Cassandra. Don’t make me force you.”

  Cass thought of jumping up and running, but running where? Outside his house? She didn’t even know where she was—only when. And knowing that it was seven thirty in the evening didn’t exactly give her an edge on getting home.

  “You don’t have a choice in this.” Jake’s deep voice was marginally softer. “Look at your arm.”

  Unwillingly, Cass did as he said and saw that the red streaks were past her shoulder and almost to her collarbone. Jake was right—she really didn’t have a choice about letting him heal her. But damn it—it really pissed her off. She hated to be backed into a corner.

  “You know what I’m saying is true.” Jake’s words were more urgent now. “I can’t wait for you to come to me much longer, Cassandra. Please, I don’t want to force you but if you won’t come on your own…”

  “Fine.” Taking a deep breath, Cass scooted across the couch and into his arms. She tried to hold herself stiff and unwilling against him but already he was turning her so that her back was to his front and pulling her toward him so that her head rested against his broad, muscular chest.