A Necessary Evil (Book 1)

Chapter 21

When I returned with our tea, Elijah was sprawled out on my bed in a rather suggestive manner. My idea was not to receive him in my room, but I was feeling rebellious. Still, I narrowed my eyes at him as I placed the cups down on the table surrounded by couches that were in my room. Elijah started laughing and got up to take a seat on one of them. “I just wanted to see your reaction, Lana. It’s priceless, I have to say.”

I didn’t find him so funny anymore. I forced a smile and sat down next to him to be polite. He reached out and grabbed a cup of tea and started drinking it, slowly. My wariness grew stronger as I felt his eyes on every inch of my body when I leaned forward to pick up my own cup. Was I being paranoid? Seeing signs of something that wasn’t really there? Get it together, Lana! I mentally slapped myself. Elijah isn’t the bad guy here!

Never judge a person so quickly, my lady. I chocked on my tea when I heard Kalen’s voice drift through my mind. It wasn’t possible. I was imaging his voice. He couldn’t possibly be in my head. I was going insane! This house was driving me mad.

Even with that revelation, warning bells were sounding in my head, threatening to overwhelm me. I decided it was a good time to bid adieu to Elijah and see him another time. He couldn’t be the reason that my instincts were screaming for me to run. If he was, wouldn’t I have felt this earlier while I had been spending the day with him? My whole being felt anxious. I needed a warm bath; it was all that could think to cure this feeling.

I got up and walked over to the door. “I’m weary, today has been a very nice, but long day. We should do this again sometime, but for right now I will ask you to leave so that I may get some rest,” I said in the sweetest and most polite voice I could conjure up.

Elijah gulped down the last bit of his tea and made all the motions to leave, but instead of walking through the door, his pushed it closed behind my back, pinning me between it and him. “But the night has just started. I wager we could find something more to do before I take my leave.”

I ducked out under his arm and started backing away further into my room. “I really am exhausted, it would be better if we met again at another time,” I replied, a slight edge to my tone now. Why wouldn’t he just go? Wasn’t that what nice men did? Leave when you asked them to?

He closed the distance between us. “I know what will make you feel more awake.” There was a mischievous glint in his eyes that I couldn’t believe I hadn’t seen before. His hands went around my waist and he pulled me closer to him, his lips crushing mine in the same movement. His tongue poked at my lips, but I refused to give him access. I pushed him off me, surprised that I was actually able to.

“I think you need to leave. Now,” I said, all traces of politeness gone from my voice. He was still standing very close and didn’t make a move to leave.

He pulled me closer to him again and I used my hands to try to keep our bodies apart, but his strength was greater than mine. “I don’t think so. We were just getting started.”

My hand slipped and his lips were once again on mine. How I had gotten myself into a situation like this again was beyond me. As soon as the thought settled in, I became paralyzed, the memory of John taking over. Although nothing had happened then, the event still had a great effect on me. It was a shadow that clung to me and refused to let go. And now, I was sure there wouldn’t be someone to barge in at the right moment to save me.

He pushed me onto the bed, but didn’t leave me time to roll away before he climbed on top of me, a malicious glint in his eyes that even the self-proclaimed “evil” sorcerer didn’t have. I cursed myself. How could I have missed this? It was painfully obvious now.