by Brenda Trim
“You smell like a beach. And I can see how wet and ready you are for me.” She almost smiled at the masculine pride she heard in his voice.
“I didn’t realize you needed your ego stroked. Who wouldn’t be aroused? I mean, look at you?” He gave her a wickedly sensual grin that made her smile. She reached up and cupped his cheek, drawing his gaze while she lifted her hips, pressing against them his palm.
“It’s my turn.” His chest vibrated close to her core, making her writhe.
Ignoring him, she continued grinding and rubbing, seeking friction between her legs. “Damelo,” she begged.
He shook his head like a flag flying in the breeze as he pressed her back into the mattress with his palm across her stomach. “Patience, mi alma.”
Her eyes slid closed when he finally pressed his finger on her clit. “I have none, and it’s all your fault.” The admission fell from her lips on a moan.
He pressed harder as those gorgeous chocolate-brown eyes skimmed her body, making electricity spark through her bloodstream. They looked as if they had a light behind them. “Where to start?”
He seemed to answer his own question as he lowered his head to her breast and teased first one hardened tip and then the other. Her back arched of its own accord, pushing more of the sensitive skin into his greedy mouth. He growled as he devoured her flesh. The vibration adding a delicious sensation to the erotic mix. It only pushed her desire further up the hill. She needed to get to the top and jump off already. She couldn’t take much more of the buildup.
Hayden levered himself over her lower half. She was mesmerized by the way his muscles moved under his skin. It reminded her that he could turn into a wild animal on a moment’s notice. At times she swore she saw something more glittering in his eyes, and it turned her on. He was a predator and she wasn’t afraid or disgusted by him. On the contrary, she enjoyed the glimpses of his true nature and didn’t have the desire to know more about his DNA. At least, not for the reasons she had been before.
His finger slid through her slit to her opening and back to her clit, spreading moisture along the way. Thoughts splintered as he licked south of her breasts, his rough tongue caressing her flesh. His breath puffed against the curls at the juncture of her legs. Excitement sped her heart when his shoulders nudged her thighs apart. Wanting to share more of herself with him, she spread them wide.
He parted her with his fingers, revealing her completely to his gaze. Her legs jerked and tried to close, but he held them firm and shook his head to the side once, telling her not to move. She nodded her understanding and had to look away. The moment was too intimate. She had no idea what to do with this level of closeness to a guy.
Without hesitation, he lowered his head and licked a path straight to her clit. He licked and sucked her while his fingers teased her opening. Inserting first one finger and then another, he gently stroked in and out of her body in rhythm with his tongue.
Her abdomen quivered and her body tensed. “Don’t stop. I’m close.”
“Not a chance. I want you to come in my mouth.” His eyes glowed brightly when he looked at her.
His words vibrated against the engorged nub as a mini orgasm exploded through her body. Her pussy clamped down on his fingers and she shuddered. But it wasn’t nearly enough. Her hips began moving as fast as his tongue. She’d never taken her own pleasure during sex before. Usually, she was left wanting after her partner was done.
He ravaged her feminine flesh with as much hunger as he had her breasts. When his finger pressed on a spot inside as he sucked on her clit, she closed her eyes and stars burst behind her lids.
She shouted his name. Pleasure drenching the syllables. Hayden never stopped what he was doing to her. Eventually she became so sensitive she didn’t think she could take any more while at the same time she needed to be filled.
It made her squeeze his head between her thighs, holding him in place while her body rode the intense orgasm. He finally responded to her sensitivity and kissed his way north. He stopped to pay homage to her breasts, igniting her desire all over again.
Hayden knelt between her thighs and pulled her toward him until her drenched core nudged the head of his shaft. She glanced down and saw his cock hard and ready to plunge into her.
“Are you sure you want this Millie? You won’t be able to experiment on me after we do this.”
“I want this,” she answered without hesitation. “I never want to cause you harm, nunca.”
The head of his erection rubbed against her clit, arousing her further. “I’m not so sure this is a good idea. I thought to use you then make you pay…” His voice ended on a deep groan that rattled every cell of her body. He was talking himself through something, so she didn’t respond.
She needed him to accept her fully, or they would never have a hope of getting past what she’d done. He ran the tip through her slick channel. The underside of his cock slid against her flesh, using her moisture to lubricate his long shaft.
She moaned when he hit a particularly sensitive spot and sucked in a breath when he positioned his hard length at her opening. Looking down, she followed his movement as he entered her welcoming body in slow measures. Every sensation was heightened by watching the sensual act. Looking up, she saw his eyes were focused on her face.
Time stood still in that moment. The past disappeared. All that mattered was the pleasure they shared. Glowing brown eyes pierced her soul and wrapped it in arms that refused to let go. She tried not to read too much into his expression. He was eager to fuck her, nothing more. He grabbed her hips, pushing deeper into her body, never once looking away from her eyes.
”Goddess. You feel so fucking good. Never felt better.” His hips began moving in earnest as he propelled her arousal to the top of that cliff again in seconds. She couldn’t believe she’d had one orgasm with a guy, let alone approaching a second.
Her eyes shut to hide the fact that she was falling for him. He stretched and filled her almost to the point of pain, but it was an exquisite pain that she craved. She wanted this feeling to last forever.
There was no doubt reality would soon return and what she’d done would become a problem between them once more. She was going to get everything she could out of this moment.
She memorized every detail about him. The ink covering his muscular body and how the animals seemed to move as he towered over her. He caressed her body making her experience things she didn’t know were possible outside of romance novels. Those captivating eyes and his ruggedly handsome face were exquisite. His sinful smile that told her he knew exactly how he made her feel.
His masculine groan called her away from her musings as his hands explored her body. He latched on to her breasts as he pounded harder against her flesh. She arched into him as her hips met his thrusts with a claiming of their own. She wanted him to join her on this flight.
Grabbing his ass, she pulled him tight against her sex and she latched onto his nipple, sucking hard. Her climax hit at the same time he grunted. She felt fuller as her muscles clamped down.
Releasing his nipple, she gazed up at him. She swore he was getting even bigger inside her. He could hardly move any more. His eyes were wide and reflected surprise and pleasure. So much pleasure.
The discomfort from his swelling was lost as pleasure took her under like a tidal wave. She was more than willing to drown from pleasure. She felt his shaft pulse inside her as his release took him under, too. A split-second his face contorted as if he was in pain.
She tried to sit up, but she couldn’t move. It was as if his cock refused to let her go. He grabbed his side. An angry look crossing his face. Looking down, she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. There was a red mark burned into his rib cage. She couldn’t see the entire thing, only caught jagged edges like those on his tribal tats. What the fork was going on?
She pushed against his chest, trying to get him off her. “Stop, mi alma. I can’t separate our bodies yet. Not until the swelling goes down.” He
growled the words through clenched teeth.
“What’s going on? Why is, uh, your, uh, dick swollen and how’d you get burned?”
“Fuck!” She flinched at his harsh curse. “Shifters swell when they have sex with their Fated Mates. The mating brand is part of that, as well.”
Chills raced down her back. She wasn’t entirely certain what the hell was going on or what he meant by Fated Mate, but she had learned enough to guess it was something like a marriage. “Are we, like married now?”
He remained silent for several long moments before he responded. “It has to be a mistake.”
The swelling eased enough for him to pull out, and she jumped up, separating their bodies. She had to get away from him. Embarrassment made her skin flush. All she wanted to do was find a hole and crawl in. Rejection sucked.
Not that she blamed him. She hadn’t exactly treated him nice. Just because she had fallen for the guy, didn’t mean he would feel anything but hatred toward her. He wouldn’t be in this mess if she hadn’t kidnapped him then tortured him for days.
She snatched the leggings she had found before her shower and pulled them on over the semen dripping like a cold reminder of what they’d just done. Talk about a walk of shame. The sweater was over her head and she was running out the door a heartbeat later.
“Stop, Millie.” Had Hayden called after her because he liked her? Was he going to explain anything? “We need to talk about this.”
“Why? It’s clear you want nothing to do with me and are pissed that this mating or whatever happened. I’d go so far as to say you wish there was a way to make it and me go away.”
Millie continued on her way out of the room, wanting to escape the pain searing her chest. It was clear something significant just happened and Hayden was horrified by the fact that he might be tied to her in any way.
Chapter 12
Blaine looked away from the blue and gold light between the powerful High Priestesses hands. He wished he could erase the image he’d seen there. It was confirmation that Troy was working with Cyril or, if they were lucky, had been enthralled by the Unseelie King.
The tension in the throne room had hit mach one-billion when they saw Cyril hand Troy the vial of black goo. When had this occurred? Did he have something to do with the explosion at Raynah Beach? They’d solved that case, but Blaine couldn’t help but ask if Troy played a hand in this incident.
The question hung heavy in the air about whether or not this potion had something to do with the Unseelie King carrying out his vendetta against the Cuelebre dragons.
“How the fuck did we miss this?” Angus’s roar rattled the walls and made Blaine’s dragon bow in response. He had no doubt the entire city could feel the King’s rage.
Legette shook his shoulders and clenched his hands into fists. “There was no way to know he was collaborating with that bastard.”
Kiera held up one hand while thrusting the other on her hip. “We can’t know that’s what was going on for sure. You and I know precisely the evil that Cyril is capable of. We should not assume one of our own was helping him. My guess is that Cyril is behind Troy’s bizarre behavior. It is possible your initial assessment is right that he designed this to kill us from the inside out.”
Pema shook her head from side to side. “It’s not a destructive potion. We discovered that from the spell. When we tried to learn the secrets of the liquid, I got the sense it was meant to maintain.”
“I think Kiera was right and Cyril was manipulating Troy and using this to keep his influence active. He would need to have something close, so his spell didn’t lose its potency.” At least Isis was calmer as she spoke now.
Isis turned to her sister. “I have an idea. I’m going to cast an unravel spell while you do a reveal spell on the ingredients that are isolated before my energy destroys it completely.”
“Good idea. Can you get me a vial or cup?” Pema asked a maid.
“Right away, ma’am.” The maid was gone in a rustle of skirts. Blaine’s eyes remained glued to the female’s ass as it swayed beneath the fabric. He didn’t think he had slept with her yet.
“What’s that for?” Kiera’s question made Blaine look away. By the time he turned back the maid was gone.
“To pour some of the potion into a separate container so we don’t destroy it all. Right now, this is our only link between Cyril and Troy,” Pema explained.
Blaine bobbed his head. “Makes sense.”
The maid returned holding a small glass which she extended to Pema like an offering on the palm of her hand. “Here you are ma’am.”
Pema smiled and picked it up. “Thank you.”
“You move fast,” Blaine told the maid as he sidled up to her and lifted a lock of her sandy blonde hair. “I was going to offer to go for you, but you were gone before I could open my mouth. Not that I didn’t enjoy the sight of you walking away.”
The maid giggled and her cheeks turned pink. Blaine gave her one of his smiles and leaned closer.
Isis popped him on the back of the head. “Stop trying to get into her pants.”
“She’s not wearing pants,” Blaine pointed out.
Isis shook her head as she flipped the lid open and poured some goo into the cup then handed the original vial to Angus. “It’ll be easier to keep it in that. I have no idea what will happen if Cyril inserted a booby trap in this, so you guys might want to take a few steps back.”
Blaine didn’t need to be told twice. He moved away along with everyone else. When they were about ten feet away the witches resumed the position that they were in moments ago when they used their magic to learn more.
Braeden and Ronan stood sentinel behind the witches as they wielded their powers for the third time in the past hour. “Live and learn, learn and live,” both witches chanted at the same time.
“I endeavor to break the potion within down to its base components.” Isis spoke the words at the same time her sister said a second later, “I endeavor to identify the ingredients that combined to create this potion.”
“Do my bidding,” Isis demanded.
Pema didn’t hesitate to add her part. “Bring to me, the knowledge true. Shine a light to illuminate each piece.”
“By the Power of Three, so mote it be,” the witches called out in unison.
For the third time that day mist gathered at their feet and built to surround them. The electrical current stung this time and carried a hot wind. The heat blew through the area as the black liquid rose from the container into the air. It spread out and resembled a black sheet of rice paper.
Blue and gold light formed a frame around the rice paper. In the center images started to pop up and disappear in rapid succession. Blaine had no idea what he was looking at. He recognized plants but nothing else. The images stopped along with the wind and lights, leaving the room silent as a grave.
“Shite,” Angus cursed. “That looked complex. Were you able to determine anything from all that?”
Isis and Pema shared a look before Isis bobbed her head. “It was designed to maintain form, not eat away at a being’s essence. I have no idea why he was using it with Troy. Perhaps he was cutting off his ability to shift?”
The King ran a hand through his hair. “I guess it’s possible, but it isna the best way to torture us.”
“It’s not even efficient,” Legette added, voicing the thoughts running through Blaine’s head. He suppressed his dragon anytime he was intimate with a female that wasn’t Cuelebre. His eyes tended to go slitted when he got excited and he learned at a young age that often ruined the mood for the female and ended the encounter rather abruptly.
“I hate that arsehole.” It was a common statement from the King and was echoed by most inhabitants of the realm. “We need a way to get our hands on him.”
Kiera chuckled and patted Angus’s arm. “I’d settle for getting close enough to place the tracking spell Isis and Pema created on him.”
“Problem is he’s a slimy fucker,” Blaine
blurted. “How are we supposed to beat a phantom?”
Angus crossed to the bookcase set along the wall behind the table and grabbed a large leather-bound tome. He set it on the table and started flipping through the pages. Blaine moved closer and peered at the book, seeing the pictures and words on each sheet upside down.
He recognized buggane, powries, barghests, pixies and so many other Fae creatures. The paper was yellowed and worn. They had referred to it often throughout the years. Most of the population of Khoth were familiar with buggane because they fought them often but had little knowledge of the other creatures.
Angus stopped when he reached a page that had a diaphanous form drawn on the page in dark grey. It looked like a male. It had a nose and thin lips along with arms, legs, and a torso. Blaine guessed it could have been female, but his special power was identifying anything of the female persuasion.
Shivers took over Blaine as he stared at the sheet. It seemed as if the dark eyes started right into his soul. Angus tapped the image with his finger. “Perhaps Troy was possessed by a phantom. It would make sense. They invade a body and force the host to do their bidding.”
“But it would need permission from Troy to inhabit his body. Nothing could take control over our dragons,” Dyson pointed out. “I had a hard time believing Theo’s son would try to force Izzy like that. No way can I see him allowing such a creature to take over his body.” Blaine had to agree with the court physician. Not to mention even if he wanted to say yes, his dragon would assert its dominance and force the phantom out.
“And why would Troy be taking that potion?” Kiera asked.
Pema stood up from where she had been bent over the book. “Perhaps that’s what the potion was for. Maybe he gave it to him to maintain the phantom’s possession.”
“Anything is possible,” Isis barked.
The floor rumbled and rolled beneath their feet, making Blaine curse silently. Isis’s anger caused destruction when it got out of control. They’d only just finished rebuilding the west wing of the castle after her son was arrested. They needed to keep her calm, so they didn’t lose the center of the building thus destroying the entire thing.