by Eden Laroux
He moaned, and it drove her wild. After how reserved he had been in all the time they were together, she thought she had never heard anything sexier in her life.
He slipped off her slacks and panties as she unfastened his belt and slipped the rest of his clothing off him. In the faint moonlight coming through the window, his body had a smooth white glow. He looked so beautiful to her-so whole and alive, and she saw in his eyes that he was taking the same delight in seeing her, too.
He slid her further onto the bed and climbed in after her, his mouth exploring all of her body now, searing a trail from her neck down to her nipples, making them hard as little diamonds. He didn't stop there, but made his way down her stomach and between her eager thighs. January caught her breath as he parted the precious folds that hid her pleasure source and began to flick it diligently with the tip of his tongue.
She stretched her hands over her head and arched her back to push hard against him, grinding her ass to his mouth, loving the way his lips probed and suckled, his tongue tip circling and flicking her pleasure button. Like a little cock, his tongue would take turns sliding inside her, in and out, and then sucking her clit, sending tiny electric shocks through her muscles, melting her bones.
Two of his fingers then slid inside her sex's cleft as his mouth gave more attention to her tiny, now swollen clit. She started to pant heavily. She could feel tiny quivers starting on her inner walls, her muscles gripping his fingers. She could feel ecstasy approaching but she didn't want it now, alone.
She wanted it with him.
"Ash-!" January started to tug on him so that he would stop. She pulled him back up to her.
He moved back up her body and kissed her deeply once more. January could taste herself on him and it sent a jolt of pure, raw excitement through her body. She could feel his hard cock straining against her, and felt an urgent wetness between her thighs. She couldn't wait any longer. She needed to feel him inside her.
Spreading her thighs apart, she wrapped her legs around his back and guided him into her.
When he pushed his way inside, she greeted him with a sigh of welcome and arched her back to take him deeper.
"Oh, Ash, that feels so good...!" she breathed.
"You can say that again," he replied in a tight voice. His eyes were closed, and she could tell he was beginning his climb toward joy along with her.
Their kiss was wild and deep as he plunged in over and over again, grinding his hip after every few thrusts, filling her with the solid thickness of him.. Each savage thrust and grind teased her aching clit, bringing her closer and closer to the point of no return.
In a blinding flash, she lost herself. She felt his cock grow impossibly hard in the first throes of his climax. They both cried out as they hit their pleasure peaks at the same time.
The waves of their ecstasy finally crested and they came down on the other side. Their cries turned into kisses and then faded away. She could feel him twitching inside her. It felt glorious, wonderful.
Finally, they caught their breath and lay together on the bed, locked in each other's embrace, their sweat slick and smelling clean on their naked, entwined bodies.
Minutes later- or hours, Jan couldn't tell- she felt him stir against her. "I knew I wanted you when I saw you staring at that ridiculous painting at the hotel," he said.
She smiled into his shoulder. "You could have fooled me, Mr. Poker Face."
"Ah, you'll figure me out before too long. I'm not that complicated."
She looked at him with a coy grin. "Does that mean we'll be seeing each other again?"
"I hope so." He gave her such an earnest look, that she almost laughed. "...I mean, if that's what you want."
"Of course it's what I want," she said, and kissed him.
"You know, this may not be the time to bring this up, but there is actually a special section of the FBI for people with your abilities," he said.
"There is?" she said. He nodded.
"You mean, we could work together again?"
"Sure. You'd probably have to work with other agents, too, but very few of them are as attractive as I am. I'd say not more than about 10%."
She pinched him. "I think we make a pretty good team, no? It's something to think about," she said.
"Good. Hm. You think about it while I pass out."
"Okay" she giggled, "sounds like a plan."
She lay in the dark, holding him in her arms and listening to his breathing grow deep and even.
Soon, she tumbled into sleep herself.
JANUARY WOKE A little before dawn. The light coming from the window was still purple-blue, and she could hear quiet morning sounds beginning outside.
She looked over at Ash lying in the bed next to her. He was still asleep. She reached out and moved his hair out of his eyes. He didn't move. She wondered how long it had been since he had had a decent night's sleep.
She slipped out of bed and went to the window that looked out into her backyard. For once she didn't shudder to look at it, even though it was the same as it always was. Something about it looked different this morning. Maybe it was the light. She was not used to being up at this hour.
Maybe I could finally plant something this year, she thought, and for once, the thought did not fill her with dread. Maybe some eglantines. Ha.
She stepped away from the window. As she moved to get back into bed, her eyes fell on the sand dollar necklace hanging on her dresser mirror.
She stared at it for a second, as if seeing it for the first time. It had hung there in the same place for so long that she had stopped really seeing it. She had taken its place in her life for granted.
She walked over to the mirror and lifted the necklace off the corner. The sparkle of the sand dollars was completely gone now. They were barely recognizable as anything other than lumps of white rock on a cord that had probably once been white, but had no color at all anymore.
She tried to picture Lori's face, but all she came up with was the outline of a face already lost, a portrait etched in sand, long stolen away by the sea.. Lianna's face swam up to replace it-a warm, loving face full of laughter and possibility.
She held the necklace for a moment longer, then took it to her closet. She emptied a shoebox and placed the necklace gently inside. Then she buried the shoebox under a pile of other boxes.
She climbed back into the bed and slipped under the covers, turning her back to Ash and molding herself to his warm body. He slipped an arm around her.
"Sorry, did I wake you?" she whispered.
"No, I was awake," he said. "What was that on the mirror?"
She turned to face him and smiled. "Something I can finally put away now," she said. Then after a sigh, she sighed. "It was Lori's."
After a moment, he kissed her. Gently. Lovingly. He held her tighter to him.
He understood.
***
Next in the JANUARY MORRISON FILES, Psychic Series:
THE MATCHMAKER'S STRINGS
January is once again called in by the FBI to help in another case of saving innocent victims, this time from the clutches of a criminal known as 'The Matchmaker'.
But it isn't as simple as just calling a victim's ghost for information. The notorious gangster who preys on innocent young Russian women and brings them to America to become sex slaves also happens to be very dangerous.
Will January be able to save lives again this time? Will ghosts be able to help her?
And after finally finding the one man who can truly love her for what she is, does she have to endure seeing him die? Because the gift that helps her save lives is also the one thing that will surely drive Ash to his grave.
***
THE VAMPIRE AND THE NIGHTWALKER: IN THE BLOOD 1
by Sandra Ross
CHAPTER ONE
LOOKING INTENSELY AT the spread of cards on the table in front of her, Secret Lavalle pondered what to say to her young client. There was no easy way to tell a girl in love that she was being cheat
ed on by the object of her affections. She was stalling for time, but she knew it wouldn't make any difference in the end.
"Ok, Sharla. Do you see these two cards right here? This is the Queen of Pentacles and here's the Three of Swords. In between these cards is the King of Wands. Now, remember, we said that the King of Wands represents Dion. The Queen of Pentacles is showing us a new woman that seems to be in Dion's life. The Three of Swords right here shows heartbreak and disappointment."
"But what does that mean, Secret?"
"It means, sweetheart, that Dion is seeing another woman."
"I knew it!" Sharla yelped as she slammed her hand down on the table. "That bastard has been lying to me for months! I could feel it, Secret! It's just that I didn't want to believe it, you know? But he's gonna get what's coming to him now!"
"I know it's hard when men do these things," Secret said, trying to offer comfort where there wasn't any to actually be had. "But let's look at this to see what's ahead for you after you get rid of this worthless piece of waste."
"I don't care what's ahead! I don't want any other man ever! This is it for me!"
Shaking her head, Secret waited for Sharla to calm down. It was rarely ever the end for a 19-year-old woman. Sure, Sharla was hurt and angry now, but once she was able to get Dion out of her life, there would be another man. Apparently, there would be more than just one other man coming up in Sharla's future.
"Oh well," Secret sighed. No matter what I say, these girls never listen.
"Sharla, you're going to make it through this. It's pretty clear that you and Dion aren't meant to be together, but there will be someone else for you in the future. However, if you stay stuck in this situation, you'll just delay finding that man."
"I don't care about finding any other man!" Sharla's big brown eyes got even wider as she shook her head full of long, curly, dark hair in denial. "Dion has proved to me that no man's worth it."
"Sharla, you're going to be fine, sweetheart," Secret said calmly. "There is someone else for you. It doesn't matter if you believe me or not. He's there and he's waiting for you. You're going to deal with this Dion mess, grieve a little because of the time you wasted with him, and then you're going to move on. Your heart will heal. I promise."
Sharla was still glaring at the cards as if she could make them change their meanings if she just got mad enough. Secret hoped that her anger would hold for a little while. It would sustain her and keep her from feeling all of the pain that was also in her very near future.
"I should have known," Sharla finally said in a quieter tone. "My Mama told me not to mess with him. I just couldn't listen to her for once."
"It's okay, Sharla," Secret responded. "Do you want to know about the next man who's coming into your life?"
THIRTY MINUTES LATER, Sharla left Secret's house in a marginally better mood. It had helped her to hear about this upcoming man, just as Secret had known it would. There was no reason to tell her that it wouldn't last, either, though. She would find that out on her own, when she was meant to know it.
Secret went to the back of her house where her cozy, country blue and yellow kitchen was located and put on some water for tea. The only time she preferred hot tea was when she needed to replenish her energy after a reading. Iced tea was her favorite the rest of the time.
Sharla was easy to read, though. So Secret's energy level wasn't too depleted. The reason for the rejuvenating tea was because of her next client, who would be there within an hour. Adele Dubois was a psychic vampire in every sense of the phrase. Her husband had divorced her two years ago and married a lovely young woman, who was now pregnant with his child. Even these small details did nothing to deter Adele from her firm belief that her ex-husband still loved her and would be realizing that fact any day now. Secret wasn't even sure why the woman kept coming to see her, because all she did was argue about everything the cards turned up.
Lacing her tea with plenty of honey, Secret stirred it thoroughly and went out onto the deck off of her kitchen. This was a wonderful place to her; a place of calm and peacefulness. She had added the deck just after buying the house. With such an incredible back yard, she just knew the house needed a small deck so that she could enjoy it.
She sat down at the round table, sheltered from the sun's heat by a large umbrella. The Louisiana sun showered down on the grass in her yard, as well as her large plants and flower garden. A green water hose snaked out into the yard from an outside water spigot that Secret used on the days that the heat wasn't broken by a rain shower.
Not today, though, she thought. It's going to rain within a couple of hours.
It never occurred to her to wonder how she knew those things. But she had no doubt that it was going to be raining by the time she was able to close her door in relief on the departing back of Adele Dubois.
At the moment, she felt completely at peace and would enjoy that for now. Adele would arrive soon enough to drain her of both solace and energy.
Secret wished that there was some way to convince the woman that she needed to move forward rather than staying mired in the past. It seemed that there was no moving Adele from fixating on her ex-husband. Secret almost felt sorry for the man.
Checking her watch, she realized that she only had about fifteen minutes before Adele arrived. Finishing the last of her tea, she stood and went back into the kitchen. Rinsing out her cup, she placed it into the dish drain beside the sink and headed into her bedroom to freshen up a little.
By the time Adele was ringing her doorbell, Secret was ready for her.
Well, at least as ready as she would ever be for someone like Adele.
Secret opened the door.
"Hi, Adele. Please come in," she said.
"Hi, Secret. I sure hope you have some good news for me today," Adele began her monologue that wouldn't end the entire time she was here.
Just as Secret was closing her door, she felt that familiar chill down her spine. Glancing out at the street, she saw no one, but was positive that someone was watching her.
"I've just had the most awful week," Adele continued to whine in the background. "You just won't believe what Sam's wife has done to me now. I called Sam only because I needed to ask him a very important question and... Secret! Are you listening to me?"
"Hmm?" Secret asked, continuing to scan the street for whoever was focused on her. "Oh yes! Of course, Adele. Certainly. Please, let's go get started, shall we?"
Looking once more, she closed the door and walked with Adele back to her reading room.
SHE FELT ME watching her! That's nearly all the proof I need that she's the one.
From his concealed perch in one of the many trees lining the street, Kane Broussard knew that the woman hadn't spotted him. But he knew when she had sensed him. He could feel her as she searched for him both visually and psychically.
He had first noticed her a week ago when she and some women were exiting a bar in the French Quarter. Her scent was intoxicating and immediately caught his attention. He had surreptitiously followed them that night, watching the woman and trying to figure out what was so unique about her.
Sure, she was quite beautiful. Her black hair hung straight and thick to the middle of her back. She had almond shaped eyes, the color of whiskey, with what seemed to be green flecks in them. High cheekbones and a full mouth gave her a somewhat exotic appearance. She was tall; probably around 5'10" with a model's body.
Eventually, he was able to get her name out of a bartender that she seemed to be rather friendly with. That was how he had discovered that Secret Lavalle was one of the best psychics in a town of psychics. It seemed that she used to do readings on Bourbon Street as well as the French Quarter, but she had moved into a small house just outside of New Orleans. Clients still found her with no problem.
Kane had been watching her ever since that night. He wanted to know more about her. No, that wasn't right. He needed to know more about her; as much as he could discover. It was too soon to approach her and
it would help his cause if he knew a few key things that would draw her in.
It wouldn't be difficult for him to gather information on her. In a matter of just a few minutes, he had discovered all sorts of details about her. Now, he only needed to find out if what he believed was true.
Obviously, the fastest way to find out what he needed to know was to meet this woman in person. He wasn't ready for a face-to-face meeting just yet, however. She might very well see him for what he was, and that couldn't happen until he was more prepared.
So, he would continue to keep an eye on her for the time being. For now, he must rest for awhile; and then he would be ready to resume his watch tonight.
With that thought, he took his leave.
CHAPTER TWO
AFTER A GRUELING hour, Secret bid Adele goodbye and closed her door in relief.
Why do I even keep her on as a client? she wondered. Do I really need her money that badly?
Oh, she knew it wasn't actually the money that made her continue allowing Adele to come to her. It was Secret's uncontrollable empathy; especially for those in pain. Adele's pain was so strong that it was almost tangible; and Secret simply couldn't turn her back on the woman, no matter how much she might want to do just that.
She found it frustrating and infuriating trying to help Adele because she categorically refused to see the truth. At first, Secret had entertained the thought that Adele might just be hiding the truth from herself because she couldn't cope otherwise. In the many months of reading for her, though, it had become clear that the way Adele saw things was actually what she truly believed.
Adele saw that Sam's new wife was holding him almost against his will and was preventing Sam from coming back to her. How Sam's pregnant wife was able to hold a man the size of Sam, in place against his will, was something that Secret hadn't been able to figure out, and Adele glossed over that little point anytime she was presented with it.