Free Aaron's Revenge by Kelly Ilebode

should be wringing your little neck right now. Is Dragan with you?”
    Amira slammed the teakettle on the stove angrily. Aaron watched her hand shaking as she shook her head. He felt bad he frightened her so much.
    “ I needed to be alone for a while, Aaron.”
    Stepping behind her, he placed his hands gently on her hips, pulling her back so that she was leaning against his chest. She stiffened but did not pull away.
    He wished that she would relax around him more. There was always some kind of tension between the two of them. Resting his cheek against the top of her head, he absorbed her heat as neither moved.
    “ I didn’t mean to frighten you. But you should not be here.”
    “ I know. I didn’t know where else to go.”
    Reluctantly, he let her go, walking over to take a seat at the table, while she continued to prepare the tea and a plate of food.
    “ You could have come to me, Amira.”
    Aaron’s eyes roamed her figure, liking her curves. She was so beautiful with her dark hair, now braided, falling down her back. Tiny strands had loosened, accenting her features even more. He liked it better when it was left to flow freely down her back. Amira’s green eyes locked with his, as she placed a mug in front of him. She inhaled sharply as his hand snaked out, grabbing her wrist.
    It was always a cat-and-mouse game with Aaron. Her pulse beat wildly in her chest as he pressed his thumb against her skin, feeling the blood rapidly flowing through her. The corner of his eyes turned red as his fangs started to release and he knew she noticed while her eyes widened slightly and darkened.
    “ You are not afraid.”
    “ Of you? Of course not, Aaron.”
    Her voice was breathless as she spoke. Tugging gently, he pulled her closer to him.
    “ Aaron, please.”
    Reaching behind her, he pulled the band off that was holding her hair together, unbraiding the strands deftly. She made no protest as he cupped her face, before pushing his fingers through the silky thickness.
    “ Please what, Amira?”
    “ Please don’t do this. Please stop.”
    Aaron seemed to contemplate her words for a few moments before he slowly pulled away, allowing her to move to a seat at the table. Gripping the mug tightly in his hands, he waited for the guilt to come, but it didn’t come. It never did. He would never apologize for loving her.
    “ What are you thinking about, Aaron?”
    “ How did we get here?”
    Cocking her head to one side, she hesitated to answer. That was a loaded question, considering the electricity that was so prevalent in the room. Silently, she braided her hair, pondering her answer, really wanting to say something but nothing made sense anymore to her.
    “ To be on the same page as you, you need to be more specific than that, Aaron.”
    “ Before there was an Amira Coulter, life was so much simpler.”
    Horrified, Aaron reached for her hand as he felt her recoil at his words.
    “ That is not what I meant, and you know it, Amira.”
    “ Well, now you are in the hot seat and have to clarify what you meant.”
    Her body tensed as she stared into her tea. His words stung more than she wanted them to. Internally groaning, Aaron struggled for something to say to soothe her spirit.
    “ I love you, Amira.”
    Amira’s head snapped up. Whatever he expected, it was not the lost look on her face.
    “ Why would you say that?”
    “ Because I do. I love you, and if I didn’t love my brother more, he would be having a hard time keeping you.”
    “ Aaron, you mustn’t say such things. You know that I love Dragan.”
    Grabbing one side of her face, he held her tightly. “Tell me you feel absolutely nothing for me.”
    Pulling on his arm, she shook her head. “Please, let go of me.”
    He released her and she jumped to her feet. Aaron was too quick and blocked her path. He slowly walked towards her; she stepped back until she felt the wall against her body. There was nowhere for her to go.
    “ I am not leaving here until you