Wicked Wings (Lizzie Grace 5)

“That’s still treating your kids as an asset, and I can’t abide that.”

“Neither can I, but not all witches can marry for love, Aiden. Not when there are only six bloodlines.”

“A strange statement, considering what happened to you.”

I shrugged. “My situation isn’t common—”

“It seriously wouldn’t want to be, given forced marriages are against the law.”

Only if those doing the forcing are caught. There’d never been much hope of that happening in my case—not when my father and Clayton were so well respected in Canberra. I swallowed the bitterness that rose in my throat and tried not to think about what I’d do—how I’d react—when they finally caught up with us. Because they would, and sooner rather than later. I shivered.

Aiden immediately switched up the heating. “Did your sister make such a marriage before she was murdered?”

I nodded and rubbed my arms. My sister’s killer had never been caught, and most believed his soul had been claimed by the dark entities he’d dealt with. And yet, for some reason, the prophetic part of me thought otherwise—though, as often was the case with such things, it gave no reason why.

“She was engaged, and while it was an advantageous match, she also loved him.”

Not that it would have mattered if she hadn’t. Cat had always been determined to get a firm hold on the wheels of power—something she’d been well on the way to doing when she’d been the first nineteen-year-old to ever be named successor to a seat on the high council. I presumed that position had instead gone to Juli, as my father certainly wouldn’t ever consider me an option.

Aiden didn’t comment, and for that I was grateful. I wanted to speak about my family about as much as he wanted to speak about his. In that, we were well matched.

He pulled to a halt in front of the café, then jumped out and ran around to open my door. Once I’d shed his blanket, he helped me down, but he didn’t immediately release me. Instead, he wrapped his arms tightly around my body and kissed me with so much passion and heat that my pulse raced, my body ached, and my heart just about shattered. Rain dripped onto my head and dribbled down my neck, but it didn’t matter. Nothing did. Nothing except this man and this kiss and the time we still had together.

I had a long habit of falling for inappropriate men, and history was definitely repeating itself here, but at least this time I’d gone into our relationship with my eyes wide open. As much as my heart might hanker for more, that could never be our fate. I simply had to settle for what I had and enjoy it while I could.

He broke off with a soft groan and then stepped back. “Are you sure you won’t consider coming back with me? I can google the recipe for a hot toddy easily enough.”

I hesitated and then shook my head. “While I’d like nothing more, I’m dead on my feet, Aiden. Can we make it tomorrow night?”

“Of course we can.” He brushed his fingers down my cheek, then swung around and offered me his arm. “The least I can do is ensure you get to the front door without being attacked by flesh strippers or White Ladies.”

I smiled and slipped my arm through his. “Let’s hope both are silent tonight. I need the rest.”

“Amen to that.”

I dug my keys out of my bag; he took them from me and opened the door. I kissed him goodbye, and it once again turned into something hot and heavy. Perhaps Katie’s words had impacted more than I’d suspected, even if he’d rather live for the moment than worry about the future.

He groaned again and pulled away. “You’d better get inside before I’m tempted to do something that’ll get me arrested.”

“You’re the head ranger—no one would be game enough to arrest you.”

“Maybe not, but report me for inappropriate actions? Hell yeah. I’ve been in the job long enough to have made a few enemies, and they’d love nothing more than to see me gone.”

He brushed his fingers across my lips, creating trailing spots of heat that had my insides quivering. “Get some rest. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

I kissed his fingertips, resisted the urge to do more, and then stepped inside. He spun on a heel and walked quickly away. I watched until he’d climbed into his truck and then closed the door and wearily climbed the stairs to our apartment.

Once I’d kicked off my shoes and dumped them in the nearest waste bin, I ran a bath, tossed in a mix of lavender, bergamot, and chamomile bath salts, then made a hot toddy to help warm the chill within. The combination of both did at least go some way to easing the fatigue.

Belle returned home just as the bathwater was beginning to cool. “Hey, I thought you were spending the night at Aiden’s?”

“I was, but the glow of expectation was somewhat diminished when the surprise date turned out to be a meeting with his mother.”

“Who obviously wasn’t happy about your position in Aiden’s life and who told you so in no uncertain terms.” She crossed her arms and leaned against the doorframe. “What was Aiden’s response?”

“That his relationships are none of her business.”

“Then you’ve nothing to worry about.” Her gaze narrowed. “But you’re not actually worrying about that, are you?”