Chapter: A Burning Hunger

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Footsteps thundered across the woods floors, searching the whole house until the last room. The attic door burst open causing Nayla to shoot awake in her spot sitting against the wall with a thin blanket. Brace stood in the doorway, panting as he stared at Nayla with wild eyes.

"It's James."

Nayla threw the blanket off of her and pushed past Brace, running downstairs where Brace called to her that James was in the sitting room.

The sun was beginning to raise outside and was casting small light into the gloomy, poorly lit sitting room. Leaning up against the fireplace mantle was James in one of his nightshirts, clenching his side with gritted teeth.

"I knew it." Nayla whispered to herself as she saw the blood soaking through his nightshirt.

Last night's prediction came true.

James eyes landed on her as he saw her coming closer to him. But he also heard what she said. He knew that she was right about her warnings to him yesterday, but he was too stubborn to listen.

"Let me see."

Seeing Brace hanging around in the background with concern in his eyes, James let his eyes fall away from Brace to stare at Nayla. Her hands hovering around his side, but she was not doing anything without his approval.

"Upstairs."

"I don't think you should be walking up steps."

"I walked home." James moved by her as he limped his way toward the staircase.

Nayla bit her cheek to not make a snarky comment in reply. She knew that whatever she said, James will brush it off or make an ass of a comment back.

James led her to the attic where he staggered forward. Nayla dashed forward to press her left hand against his chest and her other arm went around his waist, not touching his injured side.

His eyes shot down to her hands then they were on her.

"I am helping." Nayla simply told him.

A grunt from James and he was led toward a chair.

Nayla let James go, watching him wince as he plopped himself down into the seat that creaked underneath the force of dropping onto it.

"Do something."

"Has anyone ever told you that you are blunt in a jackass type of way?"

James felt one of his eyebrows raise at the comment. He made no comment, simply amused by Nayla getting flustered over his condition and him not replying to her. Instead, she mumbled about going to ask Brace for herbs to begin treating James.

With Nayla gone, James moved off the chair as he felt that slouching in the chair was bending the injury on his side causing pain to spread throughout the rest of his body. He could admit that he has a high tolerance for pain, but this hurt way more than usual as he was caught off guard by an assassin that was sent to kill him last night.

Lying down on the ground, a sigh escaped him as his body stretched out. James shut his eyes as he continue to put pressure on the stitched up injury that the American doctor, Dumbarton did. James knew that this was yet another injury that will be another scar amongst others that littered on his body.

The time that Nayla came back, she was carrying herbs in her arms. She knelt down beside James and she set everything down. James stayed quiet as he observe Nayla as she went to work with grinding herbs with a concentrating look.

When she went to lift up his night shirt, James waited for her to blush as he was completely nude underneath, but there was nothing. She made no comment as she pushed his night shirt high up his body to assess the injury on his side.

James watched as Nayla seem to be thinking as she stared at the items that she had beside her. He had a feeling that there were items missing for her to perform her duty, but by her reaching out to grab the bowl with the salve she made, James knew that Nayla had enough items to help him.

His eyes flutter shut as he felt the coolness of the salve carefully slide around his stitched side then came closer to the stitches, but not on them. There was low mumbling that made James to crack open his eyes to stare at Nayla hovering her salve cover hands over his side while speaking in another tongue in a low tone. It was as if she was almost singing the words as she made up, down, side to side motions with her hands over his injury.

When she stop speaking, she pulled a soaked bandages out of a bowl.

"Sit up."

James grunted as he pushed himself up onto his hands and watch her lean very close to him, almost pressing chest to chest as she brought the bandages around and around his body. He felt stinging against his injury at the bandages, but he could smell the various herbs soaked in the bandages.

"Keep this on for as long as possible. I will prepare more salve when it is time." Nayla told him as she sat back on her legs with her hands clasped together on her lap.

The sight of Nayla taking care of him with her customs brought a tidal wave to roll around inside him. The careful acts of taking care of him, her skills were becoming a craving that James needs to have a taste of every day.

Those full breasts that brushed against his chest when Nayla lean against him to get the bandages around his broad frame made him to twitch. A small arousal on his part as he continue to watch her clean up, bent over in her nightgown that hugged her behind.

The ideas of snatching Nayla away from what she was doing and to strip her bare ran through his mind. His eyes clamped shut, trying to shake away such dirty thoughts.

"I am dangerous."

Nayla stood up from her spot with items in her hands to bring back downstairs. Her eyes looked over at James, not responding to him as she could not understand why he would say something like this in the first place.

"Tread lightly around me."

"I know danger when I see it, James. I do know that you are dangerous. But there is something attractive about the bad ones." Nayla innocently said as she began to step backwards toward the door.

James grunted as he sat up with his hands behind him. His eyes wide as he unblinkingly stared at her with a rush of a burning sensation of desire spreading throughout his body.

"Don't get too excited James. You show." Nayla nod her head down toward his lap before she quickly turn on the heels of her feet to leave the room.

A few seconds of astoundingly staring at the spot that Nayla once stood, James eyes flicker down to his lap to see that indeed he was showing the arouse he got for Nayla.

"You have been warned." James gruffly said to no one.

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When James left the Chamber House with Brace in tow, Nayla felt herself a bit upset that he did not bring her along, but she swallowed that feeling down.

Nayla roamed around the house. Without James around or Brace breathing down her neck, Nayla explored every room. She came to a door that Brace told her was James' mother's bedroom. He informed Nayla to not go inside the bedroom without James permission.

Right hand hovering over the doorknob, Nayla knew she should not even open the door. She knew that it was not right. That James will know right away that someone dare to open the door without his approval.

Knowing it will upset James, her hand fell away and she took a step back. Her pale green eyes flicker away from the doorknob to look up at the dull color door where the surface appear to be moving. It was as if the door surface was moving similar to the way someone touches the surface of still water.

Emerging out of the door was the familiar face of the woman with a painted face, screeching and reaching out with sharp fingernails.

Nayla waved her right hand across the door where a screech escaped the woman. Nayla backed away before quickly made way down the hallway and to the stairs to get away from that particular bedroom.

She soon found herself sitting in the large armchair with the fire blazing in the fireplace in front of her. Her eyes staring at the fire dancing around while ignoring the whispers that went around the room. There was an uneasy feeling of looking over her shoulder to see that haunting woman again. Nayla continue to stare at the fire, not wanting to be startled anymore today.

The front door open up where the familiar voice of Brace scowling James welcome Nayla's ears. She did not look away from the fireplace even when the two men stepped into the sitting room. Staying quiet as the men went back and forth before their conversation came to an end.

James appeared by the fireplace where he grabbed the bourbon off the small end table near the fireplace. He poured himself a glass then brought it to his lips where he took a few large gulps with his eyes staring at her. But Nayla did not look up at him.

Eyebrows scrunching toward the middle of his forehead, James showed he was becoming curious by her emotionlessly staring forward, not even acknowledging his presence nearby her.

"Are you mad?"

"No."

"Then why are you emotionless?"

"I am simply in a daze."

"Why a daze?"

"Who is asking a lot of questions now, James." Nayla eyes pulled away from the fireplace to stare up at him with a small incline of her left eyebrow.

A snort escaped James. He brought the glass up to his lips again, taking a few sips. He pulled his top hat off, tossing it onto the loveseat then he sat himself down in the other armchair that was beside the armchair Nayla sat in.

"Something has you off kilter."

"I am fine."

"Look at me."

"No."

"Fucking look at me, Nayla." James growled.

Turning her head to face James, her pale green eyes flashed shock at him cursing toward her. His eyes shined as they reflected the fire dancing in the fireplace. Nayla could only stare at him, unable to find a comment to reply back to James.

"What is wrong?"

"Nothing. I am fine." Nayla stood up from her seat, not in the mood to discuss anything.

There were times where Nayla could talk about her problems and express them then there were the other times where she did not want to talk about it. She did not want to think about the problem anymore and to let it go.

But that wasn't what James wanted.

A hand around her wrist and she was tugged back, whirling around in her spot, Nayla gasped as she found herself staring up into those stormy blue eyes. Her eyes searched James eyes as she could see that he was studying her as much as she was toward him.

"You cannot stare into my soul, James."

"I can seen many things that will surprise you."

"I believe so. But I will not let you in by a snap of the fingers."

His forehead bumped against hers.

The feel of his fingers poking the side of her head got Nayla to narrow her eyes.

"I will see inside here."

Nayla pushed her face closer against his own that their nose slid side by side, her eyes still staring into his and her mouth a hair away from brushing against his own.

"Have fun."

Shoving James back, Nayla walked away with long strides.

Staying behind, James stared after her with jaw flexing and a tense body, holding himself back from charging after her and showing her how he will get inside her in many ways.

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Hi Everyone,

Here was a new chapter.

As a pre warning, the reason why this story was rated M was due to the language, but also, the mature contents that will be appearing, such as, next chapter or the one following that. I will post a warning at the beginning of chapters if there will be certain rated M contents.

Enjoy the Story.

Thank You!