He came awake suddenly, surrounded by utter darkness. A heavy weight pushed on his chest, his face, his entire body. The smell of earth permeated his senses, but he couldn't inhale or exhale, turn his head or move at all in order to decipher any other scents.

He lay in his earthbound prison, trapped and waiting to be released. Long ago he'd trained himself not to panic at the suffocating sensation that always overwhelmed him when he awoke. Soon the earth would expel him, the same way it sucked him in, no matter where he stood, no matter how far he ran. When his hour to feed was up, he ceased to exist, to breathe, to live for another year.

He lay there, counting slowly, waiting for the ground to begin to move. When he'd ticked off the allotted time and the dirt still filled his nostrils and ears-unmoving, encroaching, unforgiving-rage sliced through him. What new torture had The Morrigan decided to inflict on him?

He summoned every bit of power he'd managed to save before the earth came to claim him and he lost consciousness a year before. The force of his anger made the earth shake and the dirt shift, and then he was suddenly expelled from his grave to land hard on his side next to a tree.

He gulped deep, life-giving breaths of air while unforgiving, cold rain lashed down on him. After a few more breaths, the scents all around him grabbed his attention. He pulled his long hair out of his eyes and wiped the caked mud from his face and beard as he jerked his head up to the sky. His gaze gravitated to the leaves on the trees. Then he slowly lowered his head to inhale close to the ground.

Spring.

He wasn't due to come out until the fall.

His eyes narrowed as he deciphered what that knowledge meant. Then a cold, ruthless smile spread across his face.

Rose stared at the paper. One side read D5431571380F, and on the other 4NAKBONTANST6. What did it mean? Intuitively, she knew it was some kind of code, but what?

She put her necklace back on and took the paper over to the desk near the kitchen. Rummaging through the drawers, she tried to find a pen and paper.

Rose found a notepad in the drawer, but she was unsuccessful in locating a pen or pencil. "Does the man never have a need to write anything?" she grumbled as she continued to search. Nothing.

Her gaze scanned the room, looking for a place Duncan might keep a pen. When her line of vision landed on the piano, she strode over to it with purposeful steps.

Disappointment rode through her as she stared at the blank stand. Empty and not a speck of dust either.

She was about to turn away and an idea hit her. Lifting the piano's bench seat, she grinned at the plethora of papers crammed in there. As she rifled through the stacks of music sheets, she noted many of them had been manually filled in, yet no song titles graced the tops. Duncan composed music? Why didn't he name the songs?

Still pondering the puzzle that was Duncan Mordoor, she grabbed the first pencil she came to and shut the bench lid. She'd contemplate Duncan later. Right now she had another puzzle to figure out.

Duncan landed on his feet as he shifted from a raven back to his human form. Covered in sweat, his entire body shook with the need to feed. He'd only made it about a mile from the secluded property before the realization hit him that James could very well use transers to continue to look for Rose during the day while he rested at night. Gritting his teeth, he'd turned back to the property and sat vigil up in a tree near his house.

As he sat there, waiting until nightfall when he'd be forced to remain inside with Rose in order to protect her, he felt every single emotion that rolled through her. He'd felt her disillusionment as he departed and his heart contracted in guilt. But when he returned, he'd been curious to discover her in deep concentration about something, excitement pumping through her.

Jealous at the thoughts of what might have caught and held her rapt attention for hours, he'd stewed and thought up all kinds of scenarios. Damn, he wished he could read her mind. But at least the brief glimpse he'd seen had marked a path to her emotions-a path he could ignore if he chose, but he didn't. He couldn't. It was his only connection to Rose. "Sharing" what Rose experienced felt right to him.

He had to admit to himself that was one of the reasons he couldn't leave to feed. The farther away he got from her, the fainter their connection became. When he could no longer feel her, hear her heart beating, he couldn't leave, not while James still presented a very real threat to her.

So he'd waited and listened to her heart, her breathing, heard her humming as she cooked herself dinner. All the while, her blood rushed through her veins. Sweet-tasting, life-giving blood. Blood he wanted desperately to savor on his tongue. By the time he'd listened to the inviting whoosh-whoosh sound of her blood thrumming through her body for hours on end, he wanted to bite the bark right off the tree he'd perched in.

His hands shook as he swiped up the clothes he'd left at the back of the house before he'd shifted. His cell phone's red message waiting light blinked like a beacon in the night, causing him to pause.

Both relieved and reluctant to check his messages, he dressed first then finally hit the button to call his voice mail.

"Duncan, it's Sabryn. James has been secured. He was caught trying to break into Eamon's estate. The summit will be over day after tomorrow. I've elevated the extent of his actions. His fate will be decided by the council during the summit. Just thought I'd let you know."

Duncan dialed Sabryn's voice mail.

"I want to be informed when he's exterminated," he said in a curt tone, then hit the End button as a sense of frustration washed over him. I should be relieved, he told himself. Now I can move on. But as he came around the front of the house and caught a whiff of Rose's scent, his groin tightened and his fangs started to lengthen.

Grinding his teeth at his body's reaction and the total loss of control that seemed to sweep over him whenever he came within fifty feet of this woman, Duncan stilled himself after he took the stairs in one leap and unlocked the front door.

Rose looked up from her position on the couch, pencil poised above her paper. "How'd it go?"

James is secured. Collect your things. After I shower, I'm taking you home, he spoke in her mind. He didn't want her to see his fangs, nor did he want to acknowledge the hurt look that crossed her face as he started to walk past her with purposeful strides.

"It's late. You can take me home in the morning," came her calm reply as she looked back down at her paper.

He stopped and stared at her, shocked she'd dare defy him in the dangerous mood he was in. His gaze dropped to the notepad in her lap. What had engrossed her so? he wondered. He stared at her face once more, noted the hank of red hair she'd tucked behind her ear as she bit the end of the pencil in obvious concentration.

"I haven't fed," he warned her, hoping to scare her into following his wishes.

"Then go eat." She waved her hand dismissively without looking up. "I'm in no danger now."

The hell if she wasn't. Angered by her disregard for his black mood, he flipped his hand dousing the room in darkness and growled, "When I get out of the shower, it would be best if you stayed upstairs."

He heard her intake of breath and heart rate jump up several notches. A dark, satisfied smile spread across his face before he turned on his heel and leapt to the second level.

Rose shivered at the rough edge lacing Duncan's tone. He sounded dangerous, barely in control. As far as she knew, he hadn't eaten in two days. The hunger had to be gnawing at him mercilessly. Her desire to have him father a child waned compared to her desire for him to look at her the way he had before he'd discovered her past. She wanted to see hunger in his gaze, not just for satiation, but for her.

Setting the notepad aside, she turned on the light and put the folded piece of paper back in her locket, turning the trinity knot to close the clasp. Let him think she heeded his warning, but she owed him for keeping her safe and she'd always paid all debts.

Turning the light back off, she made her way upstairs in the dark. As she pulled open one of the dresser drawers, she heard the water hitting the tile floor in the shower. When her hands landed on something smooth, she paused and drew out the silk shirt. She put the shirt to her nose and inhaled, surprised she didn't smell anything. It was as if the shirt had never been worn.

A little disappointed she wouldn't be sleeping with Duncan's masculine scent surrounding her, she tugged off all her clothes and pulled on the button-down silk shirt.

The smooth material brushed against her nipples, the soft whisper arousing her. What would it feel like for Duncan to put his mouth on her nipple through the expensive material? She bit her lip. Decadent, erotic, sheer blissful torture.

She crawled in the bed and pulled the covers over her, thinking about Duncan's naked body in the shower. She'd love to run her hands down his chest, soaping the hard planes, memorizing every ridge and hollow.

Thoughts of hot water pounding down on them, Duncan's hands clasping her waist while he bent to kiss her jaw. He'd yank her close to press his lips to her neck. His hard chest would press against soft breasts...then the soap would cause their bodies to slide against one another, setting them both on fire...

Rose bit back a moan at the vivid fantasy. Her sex throbbed in keen awareness. She turned on her side, tucked her hand under the pillow, and stared at the closed bathroom door. She'd never fantasized like this.

Her heart jumped at the sound of the shower shutting off. She closed her eyes, pretending to sleep when the door opened and the bathroom light flooded the room.

Duncan's gaze weighed on her, heavy and brooding. Then the light turned off, dousing the room in darkness once more.

She held her breath and waited as his footfalls approached the bed.

"Oiche mhaith," he whispered before she heard him move away.

Rose squeezed her eyes shut to hold back the tears as rejection slammed through her. She'd never felt more alone than she did at this moment.

When the piano's first notes sounded, she jerked her eyes open. Rose sat up and listened to Duncan pour his heart into the song. She felt the loneliness, the desperation, the fierce emotions in each stroke of the piano keys. It wasn't a song she recognized. From the intense up and down play she realized it had to be one of Duncan's own compositions being played in the here and now.

Her heart leapt as her hopes rose. He did feel something. His music told her so. She made her way over to the banister and stared down at him.

Once again, Duncan sat in the spotlight. This time he wore nothing but a pair of black silk lounge pants. She looked down at her shirt and smiled, wondering if she had on the other half of his pajamas. Turning, she quietly made her way down the stairs.

Duncan's eyes were closed as he played with a fierce intensity she hadn't heard the night before. Rose ran her hand across the piano top's smooth surface until she stood in front of him. She saw Duncan's shoulders tense and knew he was aware of her presence.

But he kept his eyes closed and continued to play as if she weren't there.

Pride straightened her spine. She refused to be ignored. Carefully, she hopped up on the piano top. Her silk shirt easily slid across the smooth surface as she moved to the center of the piano. Lying on her belly facing Duncan, Rose propped her chin in her palms and kicked her feet in the air. "I can't sleep. Sing me a lullaby," she said in a voice she hoped sounded seductive.

Duncan opened his eyes and the hunger she saw there before he adopted a neutral look made her stomach flip-flop, taking her breath away.

"I don't sing," he replied in a terse tone as he stopped playing.

The sudden silence in the room hung between them like a heavy curtain blocking each of their emotions from the other.

She tilted her head to the side, hoping to draw him out. "Really? I'll bet you have a beautiful voice."

He clamped his lips together while his gaze slid down the shirt she wore.

She glanced at his silk pants and grinned. "We make a complete set."

Duncan's amber eyes flared and his jaw muscle ticced. His fingers began to move across the keys once more.

She saw him fighting his desire and the knowledge made her smile. The melody Duncan played sounded so familiar, she began to hum the tune at first, trying hard to remember the lyrics. As he neared the end of the song, the words finally came to her and she sang the last verse in Irish. Then she repeated the lyrics in English with a small smile on her lips.

"Sleep, my sweet darling Knowing your guardian will come Make wise your decision to call him, Above all else, his protection will be done."

Duncan let the last notes trail off. "I thought you didn't know any Irish?"

She shrugged, surprised that she remembered. It must've been a popular lullaby in Ireland. "Do you know the name of it? I'd forgotten that song until I heard you play the tune. My mother used to sing it to me sometimes at night before bed."

When he shook his head, she rolled over on her back and used her feet to turn her body until she was parallel with the keyboard. She let her head fall to the side and met his intense gaze. "Play something soothing for me."

Rose shut her eyes and waited for a long breathless moment. Once her eyes were closed, her other senses kicked in during the silence that ensued. The masculine scent of his soap teased her senses, enticing a physical reaction all the way to her bones. She had to inhale just so she could take in his scent. Yet the silence still lingered. Her entire body tensed until she felt the first notes start to play underneath her.

Duncan chose a beautiful, poignant song, slow and seductive.

With the sound right below her, she felt as if she'd become his music, not only his inspiration but a true part of him.

When fingers lightly grazed across her silk top, right over her nipple, she jumped at the contact. Goose bumps formed on her skin as the caress slid down the curve of her breast. Her gaze met Duncan's.

The look on his face was one she'd never forget-dark, intense...insatiable-sheer inevitable seduction flickered in those golden depths.

Her heart jerked in excitement when she realized he was touching her mentally, for his fingers still flew across the keys, seducing her with music. It was almost as if he were afraid to physically touch her. The thought made her heart melt.

Rose slowly closed her eyes as his invisible fingers trailed down her belly. She arched her back, unable to keep the moan from escaping her lips at the sensations he elicited within her. Her stomach tensed when a cool breeze hit her breasts. He'd unbuttoned her top and was making his way down the rest of the buttons.

The music continued to play while his touch grew bolder. His hand slid up her rib cage and cupped her breast. When he plucked at her nipple, she bent her knees and put her feet flat on the piano, keening out her pleasure.

At the same time her skin blushed in heated response, her juices flowed south, adding to the frustrating throb within her core. Duncan's presence entered her mind, fierce, dominant, demanding her surrender in body and mind.

I want to hear what you feel, a stor, he purred. Let me in. A mutual sharing is far more pleasurable.

His seductive words lured her. Her willpower slipped down a few notches when she felt his warm hand palm her inner thigh.

She opened her eyes, locking gazes with him. Though the music still played, the hand on her thigh was very real. The realization he was working the piano mentally-that he couldn't resist touching her-made her libido skyrocket. The predatory look in his eyes stole her breath to the point she thought it might never return. His grip on her leg tightened as he slowly turned her body toward him.

Rose's heart jumped to a full gallop and her breathing came in shallow pants when he clasped her hips and pulled her rear end to the edge of the piano. She barely had time to put her heels on his shoulders before he lowered his head to her body and swiped his tongue across her sex.

His intimate act caused her heart to stutter, intensifying the ache in her body. It felt so right, so incredibly erotic. Her fingers moved to tangle in his damp hair. The scent of his shampoo invaded her senses as she pulled him closer. She welcomed the thrust of his tongue deep into her core, his primal tasting of her body.

Duncan's fingers tightened on her buttocks and she felt him suck her essence. If the tension in his muscular shoulders didn't tell her how much he liked the way she tasted, the sharp pricks of his fangs brushing against her sex certainly did.

Rose stiffened at the sensation while the idea of Duncan taking her blood filled her mind. What would it feel like? Would it hurt?

I want to know your thoughts. His husky rasp entered her mind at the same time he ran his tongue along her clitoris. His stubble scraped the insides of her thighs, making her shiver in response.

Rose tightened her fingers in his soft hair, rocking closer to him. "Ohmigod, Duncan."

He circled his tongue around her clit, his movements slow, deliberate, purposeful. Then he placed an openmouthed kiss on her body before he let his lips hover above her clit. He bathed her throbbing nub in moist warmth, close, but not touching. I want in, he demanded.

Rose tried to rock against him to release the gnawing tension that had built in her body, but Duncan held firm to her rear, not letting her move.

She felt him in her mind, dangerous, ruthless, waiting.

Tears filled her eyes and her heart raced out of control. She began to shake all over but couldn't get the two words out that ran through her mind-Please, Duncan.

She felt his body jerk as if in surprise and then he lowered his mouth and began to suck hard on her clit. At the same time he slid two fingers into her aching core. Her heartbeat echoed in her ears, deafening her, drowning out the music. She welcomed the thrust of his fingers in her channel. His presence remained in her head, hovering, waiting, searching for a crack inside her mind, one he could slide into as easily as he did her body.

If he made her feel so out of control when he didn't know her thoughts... God, what would it be like if he walked inside her head, seducing her mentally as well?

She shivered at the idea right before her body began to spasm around his fingers. Rose cried out his name as she climaxed, rocking against his mouth, accepting the relentless thrust of his fingers deep inside her...wishing for more.

As the waves of her desire dissipated, Duncan withdrew his fingers only to replace them with his tongue. He delved deep inside her, his low groan causing goose bumps to form on her skin. Butterflies darted in her stomach when she heard him swallow then press closer, seeking more.

Her heart rate began to pick up once more as he continued to lave at her sex. But she didn't get a chance to say a word before Duncan stood and grabbed her around the waist, lifting her off the piano.

He let her slide to the floor, but kept a firm grip on her waist as he walked her backward where he set her shoulders against the cool glass window. Rose slid her hands from his shoulders to his hard chest while Duncan pressed his hands on the glass on either side of her, blocking her in.

The sight of his hard erection jutting against the silk pants combined with the dark, hungry look in his amber eyes, made her legs tremble and a lump form in her throat. His light brown hair was tousled from her fingers running through it and his angular jaw sported the sexiest five o'clock shadow she'd ever seen. He was such a seductive man, he literally stole her breath.

Duncan's silk nightshirt hung from her shoulders leaving her body bare, open to him. He lowered his head and circled her nipple with his tongue, urging the pink tip to an even tighter bud. Blood rushed to her sex once more, flooding it in intense waves of almost painful throbbing.

She whimpered at the sensation, but gasped at the fierce desire that swept through her when he sucked her nipple deep in his mouth and bit down.

Duncan lifted his head, then stepped close, heat emanating off his body. She placed her hands on his hard chest as he pressed his erection against her lower belly and sex. When he took a deep inhaling breath near her neck, she caught the smell of her own scent on him. It was a sexy, lingering reminder of how much he seemed to enjoy pleasuring her. The thought turned her on even more. Duncan made her forget her fears. All she felt when she was with him was sheer, unadulterated desire.