Over time dirt and seed had fallen into the cavern below. Water trickled in from the southern wall. There was no crack to give the cavern away. Isai wouldn’t have found it if not for Blue and his avid curiosity. The cat kept pawing at the dirt and uncovered one of the larger peepholes. The crack was there, running on top of the rock, rather than on the side. That was unusual. Isai had instantly investigated and discovered the small little paradise beneath.
It wasn’t unusual to find trees and brush in some of the larger caverns, especially the ones with plenty of water and a way to get sun. This was very small on the scale of the ones he’d seen in his lifetime, but he’d take it. Julija needed to feel safe. For just a few hours she needed to have a place to sleep and relax. He wanted time with the cats, so all of them could build a stronger bond. It was also necessary for the cats to practice adhering to skin without tearing them up. He didn’t want a single scratch on Julija, but if she had the cats on her the way Ivory Malinov and her lifemate, Razvan, wore their wolves, they would watch her back and be an asset in any situation.
Carpathians shared information. Ivory and Razvan were notoriously private, but most Carpathians were aware they had a wolf pack that rode on them as tattoos or a fur coat. He doubted if he would do the same—make a coat of panther fur—but the tattoos would be an advantage.
The cavern opened up to three rooms, each going deeper into the mountain. A small stream ran from where the water poured down the wall to the first basin and then over the sides of the rock into the brook. Rocks lined the sides and bottom, so the water tumbled over them, smoothing and rounding them into shiny pebbles.
“This is really pretty, Isai.”
He watched her as she made a little circuit of the sanctuary he’d found for them. There was a note of happiness in her voice. He liked that. He even needed it. She’d been broadcasting fear ever since they’d talked about Barnabas and the possibility that he might be Xaviero’s son. No, she’d been fearful every time the man’s name was mentioned. More fearful even than when talking about Anatolie. She seemed to take Anatolie’s cruelty in stride, which gave him pause. If she was that afraid of Barnabas, he had to be a force to be reckoned with.
“It is, isn’t it? Blue scratched at the dirt and uncovered a small hole. Above us, the rock has formed a very thick roof. The holes are tiny. I doubt anyone would have realized they go all the way through the rock. The crack was faint, but it was there.”
She touched a very green and healthy bush, rubbing the leaves between her finger and thumb in a kind of fascination. The foliage was lush, very dense, and all kinds of wildflowers grew along the slopes. Vines wound their way up the tree trunks. There were nettles with delicate pink and blue flowers.
Isai watched his woman through half-closed eyes, absorbing her. Feeling her. She was beautiful to him. Every movement. He noticed what she touched, the way she smiled down at the two females pacing along beside her. Phaedra and Belle moved with her every step. She could have found them annoying. They were big cats, and they kept getting in her way, but rather than pushing at them or snapping, she laughed softly and ruffled their ears.
“What do you think, girls? Did the boys do us proud?” She swung around to look at him and then flung her arms wide to encompass their little paradise. “I love this, Isai. We could live here.”
He found himself smiling just because there was joy on her face. She was living in the moment, something she had probably learned to do for survival. “Yes, we could.”
“No neighbors. No family to bug us,” she went on. “When we decide to come up for air, we have a beautiful backyard. The Sierras are amazing. So much to explore.” She looked around the cave. “I could do a lot with this. Make it a home.”
He folded his arms across his chest. She was already turning away again, following the stream into the next chamber.
“Isai. Have you seen this? The soil is so rich with minerals. It’s a gold mine for Carpathians.” She flung herself down into the soft earth, uncaring that she was wearing clothes and getting them dirty. Stretching out her arms and legs, she made an earth angel, instead of a snow angel. He thought it was very appropriate.
“What are you doing?” Amusement crept into his voice.
He leaned one hip against the curving rock wall and watched her. Belle rolled around beside her like a kitten. Phaedra took a few minutes to join her and then, at last, Sable made her way stealthily to them. She stood on the edge of the expanse of soil that was centuries old and had never been touched. The nutrients were still intact, as powerful and potent as possible.
“Don’t be such a stodgy old man. I know you’re like a million years or something and think you have to be dignified, but no one can see you but me. This is the greatest feeling. Even the cats know.” Her eyes were on the cathedral-like ceiling.
On the walls were narrow ledges running around the room like stepping-stones—or bookcases—from the floor to that massive ceiling. Already, Blue had found his way to the top where he could oversee the space and still peer into the first chamber through the open archway.
Isai took a few minutes to pull the designs from Julija’s head he’d noticed when he was merged with her. Each time he put a bed or a chair in a room for her, there would be the briefest flash of a memory. That memory seemed to soothe her and yet she never brought it up. He copied the chairs and rug, placing the furniture exactly as he noticed in her memories. The room always appeared to be a sitting room, one that she thought of often.
“You do know you are supposed to have your clothes off. The earth heals and rejuvenates you through your skin.” He positioned a third chair, so he could watch her antics with the cats. He sprawled out, legs in front of him, ankles crossed, his arms folded as he watched his woman making her ridiculous shapes in the soil. She made him want to smile every time he looked at her.
“Seriously, Isai? Are you just a little crazy right now? If I was completely naked, I would get dirt in places ladies prefer not to have dirt.”
Her snippy tone sent fingers of desire dancing up his thighs. She had lifted her head just inches, her dark eyes meeting his. There was laughter in her dark chocolate gaze—an invitation for him to join in her silly fun. He would have, but just watching her gave him a feeling he’d never had. It was sharp and terrible and wonderful all at the same time. The intensity of his joy—and he identified the emotion as that, even though he’d never known it—was nearly overwhelming. He could sit there forever and just watch her play.
“If you were naked, as you should be, the soil would take away your exhaustion.”
“You just want me naked rolling around in the dirt. You’re probably one of those weird men who would enjoy mud wrestling.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Mud wrestling?”
He couldn’t help joining in the fun his own way. He lifted one finger and gently directed air toward her. Just the lightest of touches, unfelt by her. She had exchanged tees for a pale mint green blouse with tiny pearl buttons. It was impractical for where they were, but he hadn’t said a word to her because she looked beautiful in it, and she could control the temperature of her body.
She raised up on her elbows. The action emphasized her breasts beneath the mint green fabric. “You don’t know what mud wrestling is?” She gave a little pretend shudder. “It is something I would never do.”
“And yet you make snow angels in the soil.”
The little puffs of wind had done their job. Her blouse slid open, exposing soft skin. She wore a lacy green bra, a little darker than the mint. His body stirred.
“It’s way different.”
There was that snippy tone that kept those fingers dancing over his body, stroking his cock and making him think all kinds of impure thoughts that had nothing whatsoever to do with mud wrestling.
He lifted another finger as Phaedra distracted her, rolling close and pawing at her hair. Julija laughed and rubbed her belly. Her jeans slid open. Julija caught the band with one hand. “What are you doing?�
�� Suspicion edged her voice.
“I am merely watching my woman lose her mind a little bit.” He sounded as innocent as possible.
As she sat up, her blouse slid off her shoulders. When she let go of her jeans to catch at the two sides of her blouse, the denim began to slip off her hips. Even the soil beneath her cooperated with him, scooping out just enough room so the material could slide out from under her bottom. Her eyes widened, and she made a desperate grab for her jeans, trying not to laugh as her blouse once more began to slide from her body.
“You can’t get the blouse off my arms, silly. Stop being such a guy.”
Isai didn’t respond. He simply flicked his finger at the blouse as she tried to lift herself to pull the jeans back over her bottom. She paused, noticing his finger flicks, trying to determine what he was doing. Her blouse fell apart at each seam, the separate pieces of material floating off her, dancing to an unfelt breeze. Once off her completely, the blouse mended itself, the pieces going back together, but then the entire thing floated into the other chamber. She watched it go.
“You are totally crazy,” she accused.
She lay on the ground, two huge panthers stretched out beside her, in her dark green bra with her jeans halfway to her knees. She looked a completely sensual creature. His entire focus was on her, noting everything about her. The least little detail. The way she continually shoved at her hair told him she was a little nervous. She wasn’t afraid of him. He knew his little mage wasn’t afraid too much, but it was enough that her emotional reaction to sexual play would heighten her pleasure in the end.
Her laughter was musical. He could only look at her as she threw herself backward in the rich soil, shaking her head and clutching her stomach as if just laughing that much could hurt. His cock hardened more, a savage, relentless ache demanding relief. He was going to have his woman do something about that very soon, but playing was what she needed. Not to think. Not to worry. Just this, a place where she was safe and she could just be her.
Deliberately, to draw her attention, he lifted his hand slightly, just enough so she would see he was still in command and up to something. He flicked at the hooks on her bra; one at a time they opened for him.
She gasped and caught the material, holding it over her breasts, trying to glare accusingly. “What are you doing? You’d better stop, Isai. I’m warning you.”
It was going to take some doing to remove her jeans. She had a death grip on the waist band, although they were off her hips now and had settled around her thighs. She kept trying to tug them up with one hand while she held the bra to her with the other.
He flicked wind at her and one side of the bra lifted so that her breast peeked out at him. Full. Round. Her nipple erect and pink. The sight took his breath. He hadn’t expected to react to the sight of her body, all that bare skin. His. He loved that she was his.
“Isai!” she wailed, somewhere between laughter and feigned anger. “You’d better stop.”
The moment she tried to stop the bra from lifting up, he tugged the jeans down below her knees. For one second, she threw her arms into the air in exasperation. Instantly, the bra floated away, following the blouse into the first chamber. The jeans slipped down to her ankles, one leg sliding off completely.
“Oh no you don’t.” She sat up again, catching the jeans in a death grip. She tried to pull them back up, but the material wouldn’t budge. She looked up until her eyes met his. “What have you done?”
Deliberately, he smirked at her, her breasts drawing his attention as they bounced a little, two perfect spheres that made him all the hungrier for her. His cock screamed for attention, throbbing painfully.
She wore only a pair of lacy dark-green panties. Abandoning the jeans, she put both hands over the underwear, silently daring him to try to take them from her. He first took the jeans, sending the denim into the other chamber, leaving her beautiful legs bare. He loved looking at her and he loved that she liked to play.
Julija shrugged, holding her panties tight. “Fine, you’ve got the others, but there is no way you’ll manage to get these from me.”
The way she positioned her arms, pushed her breasts together, it looked almost as though she was offering herself to him. He dropped both hands to his lap and she followed that downward motion suspiciously with her gaze.
He heard the swift intake of her breath and that made him want to smile, but he didn’t. Very slowly he unbuttoned the jeans, each movement measured and precise. She didn’t take her eyes off him and very slowly she loosened her hold on her underwear. He slipped them down her body and had them to her ankles before she stopped staring at his hands and realized she was going to be entirely naked.
She started laughing again. This time the sound was low and sultry. Sexy. “You can have them.”
“Do you surrender to me?”
She regarded him suspiciously, reaching down to try to get the panties off her calves. “I don’t know, what does that entail?”
Her panties stayed right where they were. She let go of them and turned her complete attention back to him.
“Everything. You give everything to me. Complete surrender.” He used his nonnegotiable voice. He wanted her to concentrate entirely on him—everything else in the world to fall away so she was totally free from worry and fear.
Her lashes fluttered. She swallowed hard and her gaze dropped to the thick shaft he drew out into the open air. His heavy erection pulsed with life. With need. He knew he looked intimidating sitting there. He had pushed the jeans down just enough to release his cock and overheated sac.
“What is total surrender?”
Her voice was soft, trembling. The idea appealed to her, he could see it in her eyes, but she still had trust issues as much as she didn’t want them.
“Give yourself to me, Julija. Let yourself go. Think only of me. Of my pleasure. Serve me. Trust that if you do that, I will give you everything.” If she did focus so completely on him there would be no room for doubt. For fear. There would be nothing of the outside world in their little new-found paradise.
The tip of her tongue touched her upper lip. “You want me to think only of your pleasure?”
She was a little minx. He could hear speculation in her voice. She wanted it as much as he did, but there was a part of her that feared letting go.
“Julija. This is Isai. Your lifemate. Do you really think I could hurt you?” He brushed his voice with velvet, stroking at the insides of her mind. Shamelessly he did the same to her nipples, teasing them with his mind, nothing else. Concentrating on bringing her the most pleasure possible when he wasn’t touching her with hands or mouth.
She gasped, arched her back and brought both hands up to cup her breasts. “Yes then. I surrender.”
The moment she agreed, her panties slid completely off her legs, leaving her totally bare. He sent her underwear sailing into the next room. The moment she’d whispered her agreement, every cell in his body had tuned to her.
He closed his fist around his shaft, his thumb smearing the seed dripping in anticipation. “Come here, little mage.” His fist squeezed down on his cock, slowly pumping, his eyes on hers, compelling her to obey.
Her gaze jumped to his face then dropped once more to his cock. She looked mesmerized. She was only a few feet away from him, and rather than stand, she knelt up, threw back her hair, waving her hand down her body to ensure she was totally free of all particles of the soil from her hair to her feet.
Isai couldn’t take his eyes off her. She looked a dangerous, sensual creature, as wild as any of the shadow cats. Her eyes seemed to burn over him, her breasts swaying temptingly, her sex glistening as she came to him, moving every bit as gracefully as a leopard in the wild. Her body had reacted to his teasing. He could smell her arousal, her spicy call to him.
He spread his legs to allow her to crawl right between his thighs. The chair was at a slightly higher elevation, so when she knelt up, she was at the perfect height. He reached out and tilted he
r head up, one finger under her chin. “I dream of your lips stretched wide around me. Your hands on my thighs while you suck me off. Draining me while you look at me. When I am supposed to sleep in silence, no thought whatsoever, you are there.”
He kept his voice low, watching her face. Watching her elevated breathing, the rise and fall of her breasts. He kept stroking his cock, but this time, he smeared the leaking droplets using his thumb. “Are you hungry for me, little mage? For my seed? My blood? Do you crave me the way I crave you?”
He brought his thumb to her mouth and she automatically opened for him, leaning almost eagerly toward him. He made her reach. Her lips closed around his thumb, tongue stroking slowly, as if she was really savoring his taste. Her eyelids fell to half-mast, a slumberous, sexy look that poured more hot blood into his cock. She was a sensual creature and it showed in every line of her body, every move she made.
This would be her hardest moment. The most difficult thing of all to give was trust. Real trust between two people, especially when one had been so brutally deceived, was always difficult. They had to know absolutely they could depend on each other for anything and through anything.
“I want to chain your breasts.” He flicked her left nipple and then rubbed and tugged at her right one. “Put a rein on you to draw you to me when I desire.”
Her gaze jumped to his face and her breath hitched. Automatically she shook her head, but he was already stroking her breasts gently, adding the sensation of his mouth on her. She arched a little, her breasts swaying invitingly.
“So beautiful, Julija. So mine. All of you. I can barely comprehend some risings that you really exist.” He continued pumping his cock, using a slow, mesmerizing motion.
“What would you do?” Her gaze was back to his cock.
“My desire, remember, sívamet. Total surrender. My pleasure.” More than anything he wanted to give her this freedom. She tried. She wanted it, but it eluded her. She had to take the step. He could only offer. He could only set up the scene for her, but she had to take the necessary step to get there.
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