by Hazel Hunter
“Are you all right?” asked Mathias.
She managed a slight smile for him.
“How embarrassing,” she muttered, wiping at her red and swollen eyes. “All of this over a dream.”
Mathias looked thoughtful. “Dreams are strange things.”
Gillian realized he wasn’t looking at her, but at Shayne. When she turned to look at Shayne, she found him frowning.
“You’ve had bad dreams since I’ve known you–” he started, but Gillian shook her head.
“They’re not bad dreams,” she said firmly. “They’re…intense. It’s like being in a movie. There are all of these emotions and feelings that don’t belong to me, But sometimes, they follow me out of the dream.”
“Did you have them before we met?” Shayne asked.
“Before we met,” she murmured, thinking. “No. I had bad dreams then. Some of them were things I saw happen to other people, some of them happened…but these aren’t like those dreams.”
“If we were back in the states,” he said. “I’d take you to someone who can read minds or decipher dreams.”
“But we’re here now and we need to continue,” Gillian said. “I’m sorry. I’ve put us behind schedule. Can we get back on the road?”
Mathias nodded.
“We’re just about an hour away for Göreme. I know a snug, little bolt hole where we can stay.”
Back on the road, Gillian was afraid to sleep. She didn’t know who she would wake up as, or what kind of state she would be in. Then she wondered if she was actually frightened about just being able to wake up at all.
CHAPTER FOUR
AS GILLIAN WATCHED the miles roll by, the landscape changed. Cappadocia was like a different planet. The mountains were sharp and worn by the winds. What greenery there was clung to underground waterways. Istanbul was a modern city, colorful, bright and loud. Cappadocia had a waiting stillness that seemed somehow to be eternal. The sun was just setting when they pulled into the outskirts of Göreme, a few city lights visible in the mid-distance. But Mathias pulled off on a dirt road, stopping in front of a stone hut.
“It isn’t much, but it’s ours for as long as we need it,” he said, getting out.
Gillian got out as well, followed by Shayne.
He slammed his door. “Could it be any more exposed?” he said, his voice rising.
“A friend owns it,” Mathias said, ignoring him. “But he’s away, and he won’t mind.”
Shayne scowled. “So we’re squatting?” he asked, almost yelling. “That’s your plan?”
Mathias looked like he was going to reply, but Gillian beat him too it.
“It’s fine,” she said. “I don’t mind. Let’s just get in and settled. I want to get an early start tomorrow.”
Though the cottage looked positively medieval from the outside, indoors it was fairly modern. But it was nearly as chilly as outside. Mathias promised that it would be fine once he got the generator going. He went to tend to that, and Gillian turned to Shayne.
“You need to tell me what’s going on.”
“Going on? What do you mean?”
“Between you and Mathias. You’re always about half a moment away from tearing his throat out. He seems to think you’re hilarious. What’s going on?”
Shayne looked like he was going to stalk out, but then he sighed. He leaned against the wall, rubbing his hands over his eyes.
“Do you remember when you asked me if I had ever been in love before?”
“Yes,” she said cautiously. In his roundabout way, in that conversation that seemed so long ago, he’d implied he’d loved her.
“Well, put it this way,” he said, “Mathias and I made mistakes with each other, and then we kept making them, off and on, for literally centuries.”
Gillian slowly blinked. It wasn’t a surprise, she realized. Somewhere down deep, she’d sensed it. Even so, she’d never met two men who seemed more opposite.
Shayne grimaced a little. “Are you having a difficult time believing his bad taste or mine?”
“Neither!” Gillian said. “I mean, neither of you has bad taste.”
Shayne laughed a little. “It didn’t even start out well. Over the years, we’ve learned to keep a good distance. But when it comes to people who can push my buttons, well, he holds a special place. Let’s just say that.”
Gillian deflated a little. Once, she had thought she held a special place.
Shayne moved close and touched her shoulder.
“He’s not the only one,” he said quietly.
Gillian had thought that she’d be angry if Shayne touched her again. Instead, it was too much like coming home. Relief and hurt welled up together, the surge of emotions warring within her. She wavered, swaying as though caught in an unseen breeze. Then suddenly she was in his arms. But unlike their embraces of the past, Shayne held her lightly, almost as though she might break. In that moment, she thought she might.
Just then Mathias came back in. He took in the scene at once, how close they were standing, how Shayne’s arms were wrapped around her. She couldn’t be certain of any of the emotions that flashed across his face, but he ended with an easy smile.
“If you try the lights, they should work now,” he said.
Shayne let her go, and Gillian backed up.
“I’ll get the heat on,” Shayne said.
Mathias flicked on the lights in the front room and hallway.
“Maybe I’ll take a shower,” Gillian said, to no one in particular, picking up her backpack from next to the door.
“First door to the right,” Mathias said. “There are three bedrooms, so just pick an empty one when you’re done.”
She was aware of Mathias’s eyes on her back as she ducked into the bathroom. Perhaps it should have made her nervous, but there was something so familiar about it. Somehow, she knew that look. Somehow, she knew what it meant.
Or maybe I’m just going crazy, she thought, heading into the bathroom. Because it certainly felt like that.
• • • • •
Though the water only became lukewarm, Gillian took a shower anyway, hoping it would help clear her head––except it didn’t. Her thoughts were jumbled. The dream in the car had left a lingering dread. Shayne had left a hole in her heart. Mathias somehow played into both. There were undercurrents she couldn’t see, but she could definitely feel. They pulled in her every direction. With a sigh, she turned off the water.
She dried off with one of the coarse, linen towels hanging from a wood towel rack. Instead of changing back into her clothes, however, she simply wrapped the towel around her. She picked up her clothes, including Max, and stepped into the hall. She nearly bumped into Mathias. They both backed up.
“I was just coming to find you,” he said, staring at her bare legs.
“You were?” she said, surprised he’d just say it.
She glanced behind him in the hallway. There were three closed doors.
“Shayne is walking the perimeter,” he said. “He didn’t want to lose the light.”
Somehow, that was exactly what she’d been wondering.
His gaze drifted over her bare shoulders, before he abruptly looked away. Though the evening was cool, her skin seemed on fire.
“I should let you get to bed.”
“I am tired,” she said, though it was far from the truth.
She sidestepped past him in the narrow corridor, intensely aware of how close he was. She opened the first door and was about to step through.
“Gillian?” he said.
She closed her eyes, afraid to turn to him––afraid of what she might see in his gaze.
“Yes?” she said lowly.
“If I’m going to plan a course for us tomorrow, I’m going to need your notes.”
For a moment, she wasn’t sure she’d heard right.
“Oh!” she said, when she finally understood. “Oh, of course. Let me get them!”
She hurried into the bedroom, turning on the light.
Of course he needed her notes. They wouldn’t be following road signs to Tenebris. She set her clothes on a chair, and her backpack on a small dresser. She removed the leather portfolio and started to shuffle through the xeroxes, when she heard the door close softly behind her.
Though one part of her mind said she should be alarmed, the other felt as though the other shoe had dropped. She set the papers down. Mathias had stopped just inside the door. His green eyes locked onto hers with an intensity that rocked her back on her heels.
“Who are you?” he said lowly.
“I know you,” she said, her voice cracking a little. “Don’t I?”
“Like a memory that never happened.”
“Yes,” she whispered. “It was you, but it wasn’t…”
Mathias straightened to his full height. It was as if he had come to a decision. When he moved, it was with a quickness she hadn’t seen him use before. He crossed the space between them. His mouth was on hers, kissing her with a passion that seemed to come from nowhere.
For a moment, Gillian only fell into the kiss. Something about it felt right. It felt wild and perfect. It was so good that it took her a few moments to remember. She pulled back.
“Wait, wait, my hands!”
At her cry, Mathias took a step back.
“What’s the matter with them?”
Gillian clasped them together.
“I need my gloves. I…I can’t touch you with my hands, otherwise I’m going to… Well, something bad might happen.”
Mathias looked like he wanted to ask more about that, but only nodded. Gillian crossed to the chair, found her gloves, and slipped them on. She breathed a sigh of relief.
“All right now?”
“Yes.”
They stood awkwardly for a moment. Gillian bit her lower lip. He cocked his head and smiled. Silently, he held out his arms. Without a moment’s hesitation, she padded across the room. She slid into his embrace as though she’d been meant to fit there. His lips were on hers again, as though they’d never separated. His fingers wound into her damp hair. They traced the nape of her neck, then her collar bone, until he held the top of the towel. With a clinging, gentle kiss, he drew back and looked down. With a subtle movement she could barely feel, he slowly opened the towel.
Fire raced up her belly and tightened her nipples. Mathias sucked in a breath.
“Gods, you’re lovely,” he whispered hoarsely. “Just like…”
He paused, shaking his head, but Gillian knew. “Just like you remember.”
“Yes and no at the same time. I know you, but I don’t.”
Gillian thought of black eyes and white hair. A picture was coming together in her head.
Mathias led her to the narrow bed, and laid her down. He knelt between her legs, running his hands down her body. He caressed each breast, smoothed his hands down her flat tummy, then spread them wide around her hips.
“You’re still too dressed,” she murmured.
“Am I?” he said dreamily.
When she had been with Shayne, there had been a rush of animal heat, piercing and almost brutal. Now with Mathias, it was more like a dance. As she watched, he stood and stripped his clothes with a calm surety that made her shiver. But like Shayne, his body reminded her of a marble sculpture. His muscles were clear and defined, but there was something gracefully elegant to him as well. Her eyes dropped down, taking in the hard cock that jutted toward her.
“You are quite beautiful,” she murmured.
Mathias’s smile was quick. “I will never get tired of being told that.”
His vanity made her laugh. Mathias was so unlike Shayne. But as her thoughts returned to him, her laugh faded as did her smile. As she was coming to expect though, Mathias understood.
“He wouldn’t begrudge us this,” he said lowly. A mischievous smile spread across his full lips. “Besides, there’ll be time for him later.”
Gillian barely had time to register the thought, when Mathias came to her, lay down at her side, and slid his hand from her shoulder to her hip. Shyly, she touched him with her gloved fingers, brushing them over his dark nipples until they hardened.
It was an exploration, as though they were learning––or relearning––each other’s bodies. This time, it was Gillian’s turn to kiss Mathias. She tangled her fingers in his dark hair and pulled his head down to hers. She felt the quick swipe of his tongue across her lower lip. It made her gasp in surprise, so he did it again. When he bit her lower lip, gently tugging, she moaned in pleasure and pressed herself against him.
“Pretty, pretty Gillian,” Mathias growled.
His hands grew rougher. His fingers plucked at her nipples, making her groan.
“Harder?” he asked.
She nodded, gasping when he tweaked one sharply. The small bit of pain sent an instant flash of heat through her body.
“Yes,” she whispered.
He took her breast in his hand, dipped his head, and closed his lips around her nipple. A wild and unexpected thrill burst through her. It was as though he knew what would pleasure her before she did. His tongue fluttered across the tip of her breast. She quivered uncontrollably as a harsh whimper escaped her. He gave her a final tug before letting go, sending a new jolt of pleasure through her.
“Good?” he asked.
Unable to find her voice, she could only nod.
“Here then,” he said. “Let me.”
She opened her eyes just in time to see a violet light dancing at his fingertips. Before she could react, he ran them gently along her upper arm.
“Oh my god!” she yelped.
The electricity was pins and needles. It wasn’t enough to be painful, but it was far more than a simple, static shock.
“Yes?” Mathias asked.
He grinned when she nodded eagerly. His dossier had said that he commanded electricity, but this was far from what she had imagined. As she watched with wide eyes, he summoned sparks of violet light to dance on his palms. Slowly, he lowered them to her body, just an inch from her pale skin. The small shocks made her shudder convulsively, gasping over and over. He passed his hands over her belly, her hips and down to her thighs. Then he walked them back up, the skin still sensitive from the first pass.
“Get ready.”
She wanted to ask for what, but then a spark hit her already tender, wet nipple. She nearly came off the bed. He shocked her there again and again, the sizzling jolts of pleasure spreading over her breast and into her core. No matter how she writhed, his hand followed her, connected with her, until she could barely breathe. Finally, she twisted away, panting.
“What…” she gasped when she could get her breath back, “what should I do for you?”
“You have no idea what this is doing for me,” Mathias murmured.
He brought her hand to his cock, which was rock hard.
As she gripped him, he ran the maddening sparks down her belly. This time, however, instead of traveling down one thigh or the other, his hand hovered over the soft mound of hair between her legs.
“Oh god,” Gillian whispered, squirming.
“Are you trying to say no?” Mathias asked.
She bit her lip. “I don’t know,” she admitted. “I want it, or I want to want it, but…I think it’ll hurt.”
She felt foolish for saying it. She wondered if Mathias would roll his eyes out of impatience, but instead his smile was so sweet.
“It is going to hurt,” he said. “But it’s also going to feel good. Keep your hand on my cock, just like that. When you need it to stop, just let go. Otherwise,” he said, bringing his forehead to hers, “I’m going to shock the hell out of you.” His words made her shiver. She tightened her trembling hand on him. “Ready?”
She nodded, the combination of fear and arousal so potent that she felt she could come right then.
He began on her belly, the flesh there already warm. She writhed under his touch, her hips convulsing with every shock. Slowly, he moved lower, the electricity pulsi
ng and snapping against her. Her body pressed itself into the bed, trying to escape, but Mathias was relentless. Suddenly he was at her mound and immediately over the edge.
The shocks at her entrance made her arch and cry out. The pain was ecstasy, taking her breath away. Her shoulders dug into the mattress as her back arched impossibly high. She was dimly aware of her name on his lips. Her hand tightened on him. Wildly, she knew she wanted more, even if it hurt, even if it was so intense. She spread her legs and his response was swift. He shocked her clit.
Gillian sucked in a lungful of air.
The buzzing and crackling sent her hips into a paroxysm of violent shudders. She convulsed so hard, she couldn’t scream. Wave after wave of pulsing, punishing pleasure rocked her, until she simply couldn’t take any more. She let go of his shaft.
Mathias instantly wrapped her up in his arms.
“Are you all right?” he said hoarsely, his voice thick. “Was it too much?”
“Almost,” Gillian managed to get out, between harsh breaths. “Almost.”
“Almost is a wonderful place to be,” he said, stroking her languid body. “By all the gods, you were glorious.”
He kissed each of her breasts, and gently suckled each nipple. His languorous kisses worked their way down her warm belly, until he lapped gingerly along her slit. Gillian’s eyes fluttered open, still trying to catch her breath. Then he kissed his way back up.
“That was just the beginning,” he whispered against her throat. “I could open your lips down there. I could send electricity so deep that–”
Gillian was already shaking her head wildly.
“I can’t,” she gasped. “I can’t right now. That’s too much.”
“Not now,” he said, muffling his own words by kissing her.
The warmth of his hand slid down to her mound and gently cupped her. She’d tensed, readying herself for electricity, but there was none. His touch was unbearably gentle, so unlike what he’d just done. Despite herself, she couldn’t help but raise her hips to meet him. His lips smiled against hers.