Free Tame the Storm: 2 (Cinder Mated) by Ella Drake Page B

strictly hands-off. No surprise she’d never had an orgasm with a man. Until today. She shoved that memory aside, fast. Any thought of Griffin blew her concentration and she forgot why she was here and what she was doing. What she needed to do was find the office and sneak a peek into the files for all the names and addresses of CTF mages.
    “There you are.”
    Astrid startled and gripped her waistband, leery of her pants sliding down without the button. She must look a fright, the way the wind had blown her this way and that. Brought her to orgasm.
    Heat washed her cheeks and she turned to face Ray Cinder.
    “Went outside for fresh air,” she rushed to reassure him.
    “Looks like you got caught in some wind.” He raised a brow and frowned.
    Silence answered him because she sure wasn’t going to say what blurted in her head, I had orgasm by tornado .
    “If you’re rested now…” He paused again for her explanation but she clamped her mouth shut. “Then it’s time we talked about what happened on that mountain. There were a lot of innocent para-talents endangered.”
    That got her mouth un-stuck. “We never did anything to hurt anyone.”
    “Are you sure about that?”
    “Yes. Absolutely.” She nodded and squared her shoulders. The CTF were the ones who took powers and hurt others. Neil’s group hadn’t done anything—except plan to talk the banshee into joining them before moving on to the rest of CTF. The other plans, the Cinders didn’t know those yet. And the para-talents from the camp were innocent of any of those details.
    A woman interrupted by sliding into the room. Astrid went rigid. The short, curvy para-talent stopped in her tracks and frowned at Astrid. She spoke to Ray but never took her hard stare from Astrid.
    “What’s wrong with Griffin? He growled at me the whole way back, yesterday. Almost wouldn’t get in the car. I know he has a problem with—”
    “Susan, meet Astrid.” Ray interrupted. “And don’t worry. I’m sure what’s wrong with him is the same as what’s wrong with us all. Vince betrayed us.”
    “I’m not so positive that’s what’s got Griffin in a stir.” Susan gave Astrid an up-and-down assessment and said slowly, “I think it might be another syphon in the house.”
    “So you’re the one.” Weak-kneed, Astrid stumbled back. Fear rocketed through her and for the first time, she understood. A bone-deep chill unsettled her. This kindly sounding woman looked as if she’d just come home from a PTA meeting, but if she were more powerful than Astrid, she could render her powerless for the rest of her life.
    Astrid put the nearest couch between them. “Don’t come any closer.”
    Susan glanced at Ray and then frowned at Astrid. “I wouldn’t hurt you.”
    “I don’t know that.”
    “Susan.” Ray stepped between them and turned his back on Astrid to face his CTF agent. That body language spoke volumes. Susan was the more powerful syphon. Shivers rocked Astrid and her teeth chattered. She clamped them together. Ray spoke softly. “Why don’t you head home for the day? We didn’t rescue anyone who is showing loss of control and Astrid is here of her own will. There’s no rogue to endanger anyone.”
    Ray hadn’t really meant that for Susan. That had been for Astrid.
    “I’m not sure if that’s true for Griffin.” Susan’s eyes flashed.
    She didn’t miss the other syphon’s threat nor her own surge of jealousy in response. It was irrational. It didn’t matter if Griffin and this woman had an affair—and nothing for her to be envious over. She was being stupid. Of course Griffin hadn’t had sex with Susan. He couldn’t touch a syphon. Unless he’d done the wind thing.
    She halted that line of thinking as Susan quit the room.
    “You must be hungry. Let’s go to the kitchen and you can tell me what you were doing up in those mountains.” Ray made the effort to sound persuasive and nonthreatening, and Astrid let his efforts calm her reaction