by Jaci Burton
Anticipation and dread mixed within her. She was almost too afraid to ask the question, yet too curious not to. "What's that?"
"Kiss you."
Her breath caught as he leaned in and covered her lips. A strange heat soared through her body, both calm and feverish at the same time. His mouth teasing hers felt so right, so perfect, so incredible.
His tongue dipped between her lips and tangled with hers, stealing what was left of her ability to think. He licked inside her mouth gently at first, then harder as she let him know without words that she accepted him. How could she not? Despite the fact this wild-woman behavior wasn't at all like her, she couldn't help the roaring attraction she felt to Dax. His touch, his kiss, his body pressed so intimately against her was like coming home, as if she stood exactly in the place she was meant to be.
Part of her wanted to object, to push him away. She needed some distance, time to clear her head. Too much had happened and she couldn't think straight right now.
The other part of her wanted to live in this fantasy for as long as she could. She didn't understand her reaction to Dax, but she couldn't deny that at least that part was real. She wanted him and if she knew anything at all about biology, he wanted her, too.
The fact she didn't really know a damn thing about him should have given her reason enough to put a skidding halt to his deep kiss, but for the life of her she couldn't dredge up enough strength to stop his tender assault on her body.
"Let's go," he said, pulling away from her only long enough to grab her hand and lead her out the door of the hotel.
"Where are we going?" The humid night surrounded her, the scent of gardenias tingeing the air with the sultry, tropical sense she loved so much.
"I don't know. I don't care. Somewhere away from other people."
"I have a little golf cart we can drive back to the bungalow in."
He didn't answer, just dragged her along. She really should object, but she couldn't help the excited thrill at the thought of heading into the dark rainforest alone with Dax.
Good thing he had hold of her hand because they weaved back and forth, in and out of the lighted path. She'd have been lost without his lead. It seemed as if he knew where he was going. She'd already given up trying to guess at who or what he was. She'd given up trying to figure out why someone who'd always had her head screwed on straight had suddenly popped one of those screws loose. She was heading into a dark forest with a complete stranger.
Too many questions, too many emotions and physical sensations running through her body. She threw out the logical and focused on the thrilling adventure before her. As far as questioning Dax about who he was, there was plenty of time for that later.
They'd traveled deep into the dense rainforest. No lights shone on the path he took.
"Trust me?" he asked over his shoulder, his voice tight with what she could only assume was tension.
Trust him? That was a helluva question to ask since he'd just taken her into the jungle where no one could see or hear them. Did she?
Without hesitation, she knew the answer. Yes. She did trust him. She didn't know why, but she instinctively knew she'd come to no harm as long as she was with Dax. And that feeling she refused to analyze right now. She just went with her instincts and said, "Yes, I trust you."
"Good." He stopped abruptly in a clearing. The moonlit night shone overhead in the space between the dense palm fronds, shining on a small grassy area clear of bushes and trees.
Before she had a chance to ask why he'd stopped, he swung around and grabbed her roughly around the waist, pushing her back against one of the thick tree trunks.
The look of intense desire in his eyes froze her to the spot. His gaze was so heated it was almost tangible, as if she could reach out and touch his passion. Her breathing quickened, knowing what was on his mind. She wondered if she was ready for this. Her attraction to Dax had been instantaneous, almost combustible. Could she do this and survive it with her heart intact?
Dax's warm breath caressed her face and she inhaled his fresh, ocean-like scent as if she couldn't breathe without it. He rested his hands on either side of her, palming the trunk of the tree and trapping her between his arms.
Vibrations of energy surrounded them, heightening her awareness of her surroundings and the barely coiled tension inside the man who held her trapped between his outstretched arms.
"Tell me to stop and I will," he said, his voice dark and dangerous and thrilling as hell. "Tell me you don't want this and I'll walk away."
Did she want this? Confusion reigned supreme. She still didn't have the answers she sought. Did it matter?
If there was one thing Isabelle did, it was think before she did something. Acting on impulse wasn't in her nature.
If she said the word, he'd stop. Which was exactly what she should do, and right now before things got out of hand. She should tell him to stop, she should tell him they had to talk about who he was and where he came from. He could be the biological find of a lifetime...she'd want to study him, write papers. The impact of his presence would make news around the world.
That's what she should be concentrating on. Not his rigid body, not the moisture of desperate desire between her legs, not the realization that if he didn't put his hands on her in the next thirty seconds she might just self-combust. She shouldn't think about any of that.
But she did. And that was all she thought about.
"I don't want you to stop," she admitted.
He nodded, leaned in and took her mouth in a kiss that seared her senses.
Chapter Five
It had been so long since he'd touched a woman. Dax gathered Isabelle in his arms and pulled her against him. Their bodies molded together and his cock rose, pressing insistently against his shorts.
Damn clothes, anyway. If they were both naked he'd be inside her by now. Her tongue slipped feverishly inside his mouth and he sucked it in, tasting her sweet flavor in a way that made him eager to sample her juices elsewhere.
Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew what he was doing was wrong, that he shouldn't have revealed himself to her, shouldn't touch her, shouldn't do what he knew they were going to do...hoped they were going to do. But he couldn't help himself. It was if he'd known her for years, since that first time she'd waved at him from the beach. He'd waited for her to grow up, hoping he'd some day catch a glimpse of her again.
And now that she'd reappeared in his life, he took it as a sign of destiny. Foolish, he knew, because they were not destined to be mated. He could have her, but he couldn't keep her. She didn't belong in his world, and he couldn't live in hers.
But right now, she was his for the taking. And he was damn well going to take her.
Dax pulled away from the embrace and held her at arms length, devouring her with his gaze. A light breeze blew her hair away from her face. She stood still like a siren with her dark hair flowing behind her, her amber eyes glowing like a jungle beast in the darkness of night. Her breasts rose and fell with every panting breath.
He reached for her, trailing his fingers along the soft skin of her shoulder and collarbone. He circled the swell of one breast visible from the top of her dress. His cock jumped at the sound of her indrawn breath.
Go slower. You have time. Don't rush this. Yeah right. It was like trying to slow down a tsunami after an underwater earthquake. He closed his eyes for a second and inhaled deeply, forcing restraint when all he really wanted to do was step between her legs and drive his shaft deep inside her.
"I've wanted this for a long time," he said, pulling her against him.
He shouldn't have said it, but he couldn't stop the revelations any more than he could stop his need for her. Before she could respond, he dipped his head and captured her mouth in a deep kiss that left them both breathless and shaking.
Never before had it been like this with a woman, any woman--neither from the sea nor on land. His dalliances had been quick fucks to release the tension and nothing more. The wo
men he'd been with had been after the same thing as he--a sexual release with no entanglements. There had never been emotion in his sex life.
Until now. Now one woman, one promise of pleasure with sable hair and eyes the color of gold, took his breath away.
"That dress touches you where I want to touch you," he whispered, reaching for the thin straps on her shoulders and slipping his fingers underneath them. While he slowly slid them down her arms, her gaze remained fixed on his face. She licked her lips and inhaled deeply, her breasts straining against the barely-there material of her flowery red dress.
Dax paused midway down, waiting for her reaction.
"Please," she murmured, her husky, desire-laden voice tightening his balls painfully. Going slow was going to kill him, he was certain of it.
Was she begging him to hurry, or begging for him to stop? He waited and counted to ten, hoping he wouldn't hear the words that would put an end to their dance. The words didn't come.
Breathing a sigh of relief, he pulled the dress down to her waist, revealing full, high breasts with thrusting nipples that puckered and hardened. No longer content with just looking, he slipped his hands underneath her breasts, lifting them. When his thumbs grazed the tightened peaks, she gasped.
"You're so beautiful in the moonlight. Your body shines like a golden angel." And he wanted more.
But before he could pull her dress off, she stopped him and reached for his shirt, smiling seductively at him. "It's only fair," she said, then pulled the shirt over his head. She threaded her fingers through the fine hairs of his chest and sought out his nipples, mimicking his earlier movements on hers. When she caressed the flat nubs with her thumbs, he sucked in a breath and his erection lengthened, drawing his balls up tight until he ached with the need for release.
Isabelle glanced down at his shorts and then back up at him, offering a half-smile. "We need to undress, Dax, and quickly."
And he thought she'd want it slow and easy. After all, to her they were strangers and he didn't want to frighten her. Still amazed that she'd even want to be anywhere near him after everything he'd revealed earlier, he nodded. "I couldn't agree more."
He sat on the grassy hill and pulled Isabelle down next to him, laying her gently on the soft ground. Her flat stomach quivered under his touch when he splayed his hand over her bare flesh. Leaning in a little, he moved his mouth over one hardened nipple and blew gently, watching it stand up further as if begging for more.
Tasting her was heaven. He'd waited an eternity to see her again, to touch her. And now that she lay before him, her bronzed body open to his touch, he knew he'd never be able to get enough of her.
When his lips covered one bud, she whimpered and threaded her fingers into his hair, pulling him closer. He moved his other hand over her hip, loving the feel of her curved woman's body, her skin like the silky water of the ocean.
He closed his eyes and sailed through the water, her skin the glistening ocean in the daylight, her sighs the mournful cries of the sirens. His senses tuned in to every breath, every rasping moan. Each of her reactions mirrored the need he had to groan out loud with the joy of discovering her.
This woman is mine. Always has been, always will be.
That smell of peaches assailed him and he licked ravenously at her nipple. First one, then the other, until she gasped and writhed against him, lifting her hips against his aching hard-on.
Slow down. But he couldn't make his body listen to his mind. He'd waited so long for this moment, and the fact she was eager and ready for him only made the wait that much more difficult.
Her scent drove him crazy, calling to him, demanding he taste her arousal. He shifted, pulling her dress over her hips and over her legs as he made his descent down her body. Her colorful panties gleamed bright in the moonlight. She bit her lower lip but didn't say a word as he knelt between her legs and grasped her panties, dragging them off.
The image of her spread out on the grass would stay with him forever. Naked and gloriously bronzed, her knees bent and her gorgeous pussy lay open to his perusal. Her mound was covered in a tiny thatch of dark hair, but her outer lips were bare, glistening with moisture.
He threaded his fingers over her stomach, watching her tensed reaction as he trailed slowly over the dark curls and lower. Tiny pants and moans escaped her throat and her pupils darkened as his fingers slid against her swollen pussy lips. He dipped one finger over the moisture gathered there and licked her juices off.
"Oh God," she whispered, shifting to sit up, her arms reaching out to him.
"Not yet," he said, gently nudging her back down and spreading her legs further apart. He flipped over onto his stomach and nestled between her legs. Inhaling her sweet scent, he licked and nibbled his way up her thighs. She clutched the grass around her, her body tight in anticipation of his next move.
What he'd wanted for hours was within his reach. He licked her outer lips, shuddering at the sweet taste of her nectar and drinking in her cries of delight. He slipped a finger inside her cavern and moved rhythmically in and out. With every sexy movement she made, his body responded with painful throbbing. Isabelle was amazingly responsive to his tongue and fingers. Her desire spurred him on, her sweet flavor making his entire body tighten with a painful need. His balls filled to the point of bursting.
He searched and found the hard nub of her clit, covering the hood with his mouth and gently sucking it in his mouth. She cried out as her orgasm hit, her cunt clenching tightly around his finger. A rush of juices poured onto his hand.
Damn! She thrashed around having the longest orgasm he'd ever watched. Her slick fluids drenched his fingers as he continued to pump inside her core, taking her up the long hill again until she bucked her hips against him and he bent down to lick her quickly.
"Oh, Dax, oh, I'm coming again!" This time she did scream. Loud and long as another intense climax tore through her.
He'd never seen anything like it. He pulled her close and held her shuddering body, gently pushing her sweat dampened hair away from her face, ignoring the intense pounding between his legs.
This was her moment, her release, and he wanted to experience every second of it with her.
He held her like that until her breathing became regular again, until the little whimpers in the back of her throat subsided. Those sounds she made, knowing he'd given her pleasure, pleased him more than he thought possible. In fact, he wouldn't mind hearing them again. And again. And then again. Because he wanted to pleasure her. Over and over and over until she screamed his name into the night.
"You haven't come in awhile, have you?" he asked, stroking her breasts with his fingertips, enjoying the way her nipples tightened at his slightest touch.
She didn't respond for a few seconds, finally answering with a soft whisper. "Was it that obvious?"
Drawing her against his side, he pressed a soft kiss to her lips. "I'll say it was. You came like a flash flood."
She went quiet.
"Hey," he said, wondering if he'd somehow hurt her feelings. Land humans were difficult to interpret sometimes, and Isabelle was a woman, which doubled his confusion factor.
"Yeah?"
"Are you all right?"
"Yeah."
"Something bothering you?"
"I'm a little embarrassed."
Dax sat and pulled Isabelle up with him, then turned to face her. "About what?"
"I was loud."
He grinned. "I know."
"I screamed."
"Hell yeah you did." Just the thought of her cries of pleasure made his shaft throb again.
Her eyes widened, amber pools of liquid warmth that mesmerized him. "That's not a bad thing?"
"No, not at all. It means you enjoyed what I was doing to you. I take it as a compliment."
She exhaled in a rush, as if she'd been holding her breath waiting for his approval. "Trust me, it was. No one has made me come like that before. I haven't even made myself come like that."
Now she
was stepping into territory that got him hotter than a week without the ocean. Mental visuals of Isabelle lying spread-eagled on her bed flashed before him. Would she thrum her clit and fuck herself with her fingers or would she use a toy? Thoughts like that had his erection firing up hot and ready to go. And he knew just where he wanted it to go.
"How often do you make yourself come?" he asked.
"Not nearly often enough, obviously."
He laughed and pulled her up, brushing the grass off her body. "Let's go."
Isabelle stared at him when he handed her dress over. "Where?"
"I need to get back in the water."
"Oh. Of course." She put on her dress and followed him through the forest.
Dax led her back to the beach in front of the bungalows.
"I guess this is goodnight, then?" she asked.
"Huh? No, it's not goodnight. Come with me."
"Into the water?"
"Yeah."
She stood there indecisively for a few seconds, then shrugged and pulled her dress over her head. He sucked in a breath at her magnificent body, tanned golden-brown and glowing with an ethereal light under the full moon. "You take my breath away, Isabelle."
In that same moonlight, he saw her blush.
He quickly took off his shorts and stood before her, pleased when her gaze roamed over his body. Her eyes widened when it settled on his erection, which had now decided to remain damned painfully hard.
"And you take my breath away, Dax."
He planned to do just that. And then some. But not tonight. Not yet. Tonight was for making love with the bronzed beauty before him. There'd be time later to...
To what? To take her to his world, tell her everything about him? Not likely. Ronan would have his head, or more, if another land human found out about them.
Pushing those thoughts aside, he held out his hand, intent on taking a dip to refresh his body, and that was it. Tonight he'd forget about the complexities of their situation, and focus on enjoying the woman he'd wanted for what seemed like a lifetime.
*
Isabelle let Dax lead her into the waves, the cool water lapping against her skin and refreshing her overheated body.
He'd been amazing, licking and stroking her nonstop. It had seemed as if he hadn't even stopped to breathe.