Read Born of Fire for Free Online

and your games restricted to your own time.”
    Fiach laughed, a deep sound that warmed Cilia to her core. He seemed genuinely amused by the warning and Ms. Dalme’s curt assessment of him. He waited until he and Cilia rounded the side of the first cubicle before taking her hand in his. He hummed a little, as if he enjoyed the warmth, or maybe he was just happy to hold her hand.
    She led him to a cubbyhole that held barely more than a battered desk topped with a mountain of files and a tattered chair that had seen better days at least a decade ago. She swept the space with her arm. “Here you go. You can start with the files in the short stack and work your way over. I’m four cubicles down and one across if you need anything.”
    She leaned over and wrote her extension on a sticky note. “Or you can pick up the phone and dial me in if you have a question.”
    “Thank you, Cilia. You won’t be disappointed in me.” His face was earnest.
    She was startled. “Why does it matter what I think of you?”
    “I don’t know,” he answered. “It’s never mattered before.”
    Not wanting to get into his feelings while hers were so scattered, she started back to her cubicle where she didn’t have to think about things like hot sex with an even hotter man. The worst thing was that she understood perfectly what he meant. Something about Fiach called to her, made her ache and want. The image of him leaving Regina hovered in her mind. The rumpled clothes, tousled hair, and the knowledge another woman had touched him, had taken him inside of her. It just hurt too badly to dwell on.
    Cilia took two steps away from him before a shooting pain in her skull dropped her to her knees. Ice-cold shards stabbed behind her eyes until she was blinded from it as a fragmented memory assaulted her. Anguish swelled in her heart and whispered through her mind. She had the fleeting impression of Fiach clasping her hand in his as silver chains were draped across them. It was a ceremony of some kind. Cilia lowered her head to the floor and breathed in the dirt and grime ground into the threadbare carpet. Then warm arms were circling her, lifting her away from the stale odor, and carrying her outside into the fresh air.
    Fiach settled on the sidewalk with Cilia draped across his lap. They were in full sun and the rays of energy danced along her skin and helped her lock away the agony triggered by her latest remembrance. The pain receded and her head cleared. He stroked his long fingers down her back and held her close.
    “Are you all right?” he asked finally.
    Cilia pushed away and sat upright. For once her Phoenix was silent. “I think so. I don’t know exactly what happened back there.”
    “The sun makes it better though?”
    She answered thoughtlessly. “Yes, the sun helps.” The color bled from her face as she realized what she had admitted. Fiach seemed lost to his own sunbathing, his face upturned and eyes closed as he basked in the bright light. So she kept the explanations and remarks to herself. If he didn’t see the significance of her words, she would be a fool to highlight them for him.
    He seemed to notice the polite amount of time for holding her had passed, because he stood and set her carefully on her feet then hooked an arm around her shoulders and walked her back inside to her cubicle. He sat her down then returned with a thin paper cup full of water and ice chips. Cilia took the cup gratefully and sipped as he watched her. Being the sole focus of his attention was unnerving. She wondered if sex with him would be the same way. She snuck another look in his dark eyes and knew it would be.
    He leaned against the flimsy wall of her cubicle. It groaned against his weight and inched backwards. The lady next door popped out of her chair and looked around to see what had happened. He gave her a little wave. “Sorry. I’m still getting the hang of these things.” She smiled shyly and ducked back into her cubbyhole.
    Fiach