A Perfect Storm

by Dane, Cameron

With a nod, Magnus plunged two fingers into Emma’s pussy, all the way to the webbing. Emma screamed that high-pitched screech that had originally captured Sophie’s attention. Obviously not in pain at all, Emma immediately began jerking her hips back and forth over Magnus’s embedded fingers, working herself off on his digits as if afraid he would take them away.

  Her upper body was pitched forward, and her legs were spread so wide her cunt almost drove Magnus’s hand into the bedding. Emma only remained upright with the aid of Cale holding her. With Emma’s head turned down, presumably watching what Magnus did to her, her long hair flowed around her face like a shiny auburn curtain, and Sophie couldn’t see her features. It didn’t matter. The woman’s moans and the way her body moved in response to Magnus’s digits manipulating her body conveyed her pure, unadulterated physical pleasure.

  Just then, Emma jerked and looked up. “Oh God, Magnus.” She gasped and pumped herself onto Magnus’s fingers with faster thrusts. “Right there. Right there.” Red-faced now, she appeared so far into the clutches of pleasure that it might be inching into the realm of pain. “Ohhh fuck, fuck, fuck.” She clenched her teeth and rode Magnus’s hand as if she straddled a cock. “Give me more.”

  Rather than Magnus shoving another digit into Emma’s sex, Cale sucked on his blunt middle finger and then slowly pushed it into Emma’s ass. Groaning, Emma went stock-still as Cale did it; her skin went a deeper red with every inch of digit Cale forced into her rear channel. Once he had fully seated the length in her ass, he ordered her to relax and accept the extra penetration. It took a moment, but amazingly, Sophie watched the tension drain right out of Emma as quickly as it had briefly taken her over.

  Cale praised Emma and pecked a kiss to her hair. He then pulled his finger almost all the way out of her ass. Sophie saw Magnus slip his digits from Emma’s pussy too. As Cale eased his finger back into Emma’s back passage, he said, “Now let it all go and come for me, baby.”

  His fingers drenched in Emma’s juices, Magnus filled her sex again. His wrist flicked, doing something inside Emma that Sophie could not see. Just as he did, Cale twisted his finger in Emma’s rectum and sent the redhead soaring. Emma shouted and jammed her cunt onto Magnus’s fingers again and again and then shook uncontrollably as female ejaculate gushed from her body.

  Sophie moaned softly as Emma reached this deeper orgasm, something she’d read about but had never experienced, seen, or heard about firsthand from any of her female friends. Behind Sophie, Lucien moaned and rubbed his cock into her back through their clothes. He did it a second time, and this time pushed his hand down to the hem of the short dress she wore. As he tucked his face against her neck and inhaled, Lucien gathered the material in his fist. His knuckles grazed Sophie’s leg as he lifted the fabric, exposing her thighs up to her crotch. He then slid his fingers over the thin material covering her mound. Lucien murmured something about Sophie’s scent, rocked his cock against her back again, pushed two fingers under the elastic band of her underwear and then did not stop until those long fingers delved along her wet slit, right to her entrance. Oh God. Oh God. Stunned at her complete arousal, Sophie shivered under Lucien’s intimate touch; she gasped as he pressed against her entrance, her breathing terribly unsteady.

  The second Sophie made that little sound, Lucien cursed, the words harsh and low. He immediately removed his hand from her panties, stepped away from her and, without a word, strode down the hall.

  Shoot. Her sex pulsing wildly, Sophie mistakenly looked up into the room again, needing to take one more quick peek. Sophie glanced in and found Emma now on the bed on her side with Cale holding her. Sophie slid her gaze to the right and came to a dead stop. Double shoot. Magnus stared straight at her, as intimidating a sight as she’d ever witnessed, and it had nothing to do with the birthmark covering half his face, a mark she now knew covered half his chest, arm, and back too. Sophie gulped. She glanced down the hall for Lucien, but he’d already disappeared into the darkness. Dang it. She should have immediately run after him. Instead, she’d been caught by one of the men she’d peeped on and would now never be able to convince Lucien she wasn’t snooping for some kind of salacious information about him or Ravenstoke that she could turn in to a story for her network.

  I am so never getting this exclusive Raven Island story now. Good going, Sophie. And all to indulge a curiosity about the sexual goings-on at Raven Island that she never would have shared with anyone or pitched to put on the news anyway. She didn’t even care about that right now, though. It worried her more that she might have offended Lucien or his employees by spying. Darn. Darn. Darn.

  Sophie stepped back into the darkness of the hallway but didn’t leave. As she’d hoped, Magnus, wearing an unbuttoned long-sleeved shirt and his jeans now back around his waist, exited the room. He gave her a cursory look and then started down the hall without a word.

  Jogging to catch up to him, Sophie quickly fell into step at his side. “I apologize. I not only shouldn’t have snooped in general, but I also shouldn’t have stood there and watched you with Emma and Cale.”

  Magnus raised a light-colored brow. “Is that why you think I glared at you?”

  Sophie scrambled to keep up. “Umm…yes.” She turned on her flashlight app again. Magnus clearly had owl eyes, but now that they’d left the lit room, Sophie could barely see. “At least I did until a second ago.”

  “You should have chased after him,” Magnus said, his strides still huge.

  “What?” Sophie took three steps for his every one.

  “Lucien,” Magnus stated. “You should not have let him get away. You missed an opportunity, and now he’ll dig even deeper into his intractable ways tomorrow.”

  Reaching the meeting area, Sophie suddenly whispered a rare swear word and grabbed Magnus’s arm. After spinning him to face her, she held the light between them so she could see his face. “I don’t understand.”

  Sighing, Magnus switched on a lamp and shoved Sophie’s bluish cell light out of his face. “He was vulnerable just now. Open. For just a few seconds. I saw it when I looked up, but it has certainly passed by now. He will severely chastise himself for allowing that small crack in his armor. By tomorrow, he will have suppressed what he so briefly let himself feel for you.”

  Even as Sophie’s mind spun too fast, her stomach competed for top billing with its sudden roller coaster act. He felt something? For me? “I don’t think you saw what you think you did.” Sophie could still feel Lucien’s mouth pressed against her neck and his erection against her back, though, and absently rubbed the now sensitive skin. “Lucien doesn’t even know me.”

  “He needs to, though.” Magnus’s voice held urgency. The odd violet shade of his gaze intensified to a pure, royal purple. “You need to let him in. You can’t put any walls up. Open yourself to him every chance you get. It’s the only way.”

  “The only way to what?”

  “To save him.” Not a bit of humor or teasing lived in Magnus’s demeanor. “And in the process, save yourself.”

  Sophie’s jaw went slack. The roller coaster in her stomach crested its highest peak, and she suddenly felt light-headed. What?

  Magnus closed her mouth for her. “Good night, Sophie.” He pressed a kiss to her cheek. “I’ve said what I can. From here on out, you’re on your own.” With that, Magnus strode down the grand staircase, leaving her alone.

  Long after Magnus had disappeared, Sophie stood in the shadows of the meeting room, her mouth agape once more. Rooted in place, she could not move.

  What?

  Lucien’s behavior mingled with Magnus’s vague, strange comments—words that sounded like nothing so much as a hope-filled warning. Her mind spun with one word over and over again.

  What?

  She had not answered if for herself in the slightest by the morning.

  Chapter Four

  The morning brought bone-shivering cold temperatures, deep gray skies, and a constant mist hovering in the air. Still silently chastising
himself for slipping into his need with Sophie last night, Lucien welcomed the vigorous physical activity that came with beginning the cleanup of Raven Island.

  He swung an ax over his shoulder and grunted with satisfaction at the thwack of razor-sharp metal slicing through the thickness of a fallen tree branch. Cale and Jade gathered debris into piles across the expansive front lawn of Ravenstoke. They would later transfer it to the compost shed. Magnus stood at the edge of a sharp cliff that dropped down to Raven Island’s stony beach, binoculars held up to his eyes.

  “I don’t see her,” Magnus said as he scanned the open water. “I had prepared myself to tell Ms. Emerson a lie about a lack of transportation back to the mainland, but I won’t have to now. The Maiden’s Voyage is gone.” Lowering the binoculars, Magnus looked back at Lucien. “At least for now.”

  Without a word, Lucien took another whack at the fallen tree and welcomed the strain on his shoulders, arms, and back. Not yet ten in the morning and he had already put in two hours of physical labor. Still, as with last night after leaving Sophie, his mind would not rest. His anger at himself that he had possibly pushed Sophie too far too fast and disgusted her right out of her natural curiosity about the sexual goings-on at Ravenstoke had not allowed him even an hour’s worth of sleep. You should not have put your hand between her legs. Lucien punished himself with judgment he’d already shouted in his head a hundred times. Touching her sex so intimately so quickly was far too aggressive a move.

  Lucien snarled, tossed a disc of wood into a rapidly growing pile, and took another swing with full force. Sweat trickled down his back under his oiled slicker and sweater, chilling his skin, but he welcomed the discomfort. It reminded him he was at least still alive to feel it, and in doing so poured the fuel of guilt into his wounds, reminding him of his task.

  Right then, a breeze, something almost balmy in comparison to what they’d experience in the last twenty-four hours, shimmered over Raven Island, gently rustling and lifting everything in its brief wake.

  Jade lifted her face to the sky. The tail end of the breeze played with the choppy length of her waiflike pixie haircut, a style that somehow beautifully complemented her tall, lithe frame and strong jaw. Her black tresses, height, and porcelain skin could have allowed Lucien to pass Jade off as his sister if he’d wanted to, but creating a sibling bond with anyone at Ravenstoke didn’t fit into Lucien’s plan. He rubbed at the sudden sting in his chest; he wouldn’t have been able to pull off the sibling relationship without cracking and giving himself away anyway.

  Glancing at Lucien, Jade flashed a turquoise gaze full of empathy. “That warmer breeze is a good sign of the second phase of this storm,” she shared. “You should not have any trouble making Sophie believe the weather will keep her on Raven Island for at least a week. Maybe more.”

  “Good,” Lucien muttered. “I might need the extra time to recover from my fuckup.”

  When Lucien went to bring down the ax again, Magnus grabbed the handle and wrested it out of his grip. Lucien spun and got in his friend’s face, but Magnus didn’t back off one inch.

  “What in the hell is the matter with you?” Magnus hissed softly, clearly keeping his comment for their ears only. “You were successful last night. Sophie is more curious than she ever was. I don’t know why you’re swinging this ax like it’s a guillotine and looking dark enough to make me think it’s your own head you’re fantasizing about chopping off.”

  Lucien couldn’t keep the tightness out of his mouth. “I moved too fast with her.” Admitting he’d screwed up on day one choked in his throat. “It was a rookie mistake. Maybe one that ends this before it begins.”

  Shaking his head, Magnus put the ax on the ground. “She’s a real person, Lucien, and so are you. You got caught up in her for a minute and lost yourself. It’s human. You can’t have thought you could do this completely devoid of feelings.”

  Heat crept up Lucien’s neck. He couldn’t stand Magnus’s scrutiny.

  “Son of a bitch,” Magnus murmured. “You did think that.” He whistled soft and low in a way that worked Lucien’s last nerve. “That’s shockingly shortsighted on your part, my friend. Not like you at all.”

  Lucien gritted his teeth. “I have to think quickly and course correct.”

  “Or you could give it all up and recognize how terribly destructive a plan this is,” Magnus offered instead.

  There were days Lucien had to remind himself repeatedly that he wasn’t actually a violent person. Right now, he barely held his clenched fist at his side. “If you don’t have anything legitimate to contribute, friend”—he snatched the ax back into hand—“then you are welcome to swim your goddamn way back to the mainland and never set foot on Raven Island again.”

  Magnus leaned in and bared his teeth right back. “If you’re not careful, you will bring to fruition that solitary, brooding vision you have of yourself wandering this damn castle alone. Your revenge and Josh’s ghost won’t keep you nearly as warm as you think.” His gaze slid over Lucien’s shoulder, and his pupils suddenly dilated. “Now you’d better fucking figure out your next move in about thirty seconds, because our guest of honor just stepped out the front door.” Magnus jerked his head, and Lucien looked up to find Sophie traipsing across the soggy lawn.

  Jesus. Lucien swallowed thickly. Back in her own clothing, Sophie was covered from top to bottom. Blonde tresses rioted wildly around her face. Her blue eyes glinted as if they were the ocean filled with crystals, and her freshly scrubbed pink cheeks, makeup-free face, and easy smile arrested Lucien in place. Rays of sunlight seemed to beam from within her, and Lucien wanted nothing so much as to sink into her and lose himself in her warmth.

  Stop it! Lucien went rigid. He could not afford to forget himself. He had never let himself get lost in sexual attraction or a lively, pretty woman in the past, and he had no intention of losing his way and doing so now. Sweet Miss Emerson needed some prepping for the next stage of this game, and no one had yet to best Lucien in the subtle art of manipulation. He would not let an innocent become the first.

  As Sophie joined the group on the front lawn, she tried to control her blush. But gosh, she’d seen the cocks of two of the three men in front of her and swore she could still feel the imprint of the third against her spine right this second. She couldn’t get the sensation of that same man’s fingers off her mound either. Her channel still pulsed with the feel of his hand pressing between her thighs. She remained unnaturally slick in his presence too. Her immediate response to him was as much a mystery to her as the secrets still hidden on this island. Darn it.

  Sophie bounded—with a little too much bounce, jeez—to Lucien and Magnus. “Someone should have woken me,” she said. “I’d have been happy to help with the cleanup.”

  “With all the extra research”—Lucien landed a pointed stare on her—“you took upon yourself for your story last night, I thought it best to let you get some rest.”

  Sophie blushed even hotter under Lucien’s scrutiny. She had on her own clothing again, in addition to the extra layer of Emma’s hoodie, yet she felt as naked and on display right now as Emma had been in actuality last night. Whoa. Sophie rubbed her arms. The mere thought dotted her skin with goose bumps under her clothes.

  Her savior once more, Magnus glared at Lucien and gave Sophie’s shoulder a quick squeeze. “Ignore him. He doesn’t mean to be an ass, particularly since it looks like you’ll be stuck with his company for at least another day, maybe longer.” Magnus shared the news about the Maiden’s Voyage having slipped its mooring, as well as the damage done to the smaller boat they sometimes used for transportation. Magnus also explained that the official cleanup was focused on the mainland, and that as long as Raven Island had functioning generators and enough food to sustain its residents, rescue workers would not put getting Sophie back home at the top of their list.

  “So let me just say that we”—Magnus beckoned to Cale and a stunning, dark-haired beauty—“would appreciate any help you’r
e willing to offer.”

  The statuesque woman stuck her hand out in Sophie’s direction. “I’m Jade.” They exchanged a firm handshake. “I heard Ravenstoke had a guest. It’s nice to meet you.”

  After murmuring “Likewise,” to Jade, Sophie clasped Cale’s waiting hand.

  “Cale.” The man’s fingers closed tightly around Sophie’s, and she immediately sensed that if he didn’t maintain control, he could easily crush her hand and break bones. “I’m the groundskeeper, and I gladly accept your offer of assistance.”

  His smile reached his eyes, and Sophie automatically grinned back. “It’s nice to meet you both,” she replied. Officially, anyway. She’d never forget Cale plowing his thick penis into Emma’s pussy or the gleam of joy in his milk chocolate stare as he fucked her. Shaking herself mentally—stop thinking about sex, darn it—Sophie plastered an even bigger grin on her face. “Just put me where you want me, show me what you want done, and I’ll do my best.”

  Right then her stomach churned and grumbled. Very loudly.

  Lucien chuckled, the sound a strange mix of indulgent and superior. “You are welcome to help out with the cleaning as much as you’d like”—he held up a hand when Sophie parted her lips—“provided you get yourself to the kitchen for some breakfast first. I don’t need you passing out and pitching over the cliffs.”

  To the left, waves crashed against the cliff’s rock-face. Sophie envisioned the tide swallowing the cry of a victim and the frigid water clutching a body as it pulled a helpless being to its death.

  “You won’t get a fight out of me.” Sophie shivered but not against the cold. “I’ll go find something to eat right away.” She took an automatic step toward the castle, even though she wasn’t anywhere close to the cliffs.

  “And, Sophie?” Lucien’s bourbon-smooth tone snared Sophie at the foot of the stone steps.

  She turned in a slow half circle and found Lucien’s gaze. “Yes?”

  An unnatural glint sparked in Lucien’s eyes. “If you are overcome by the urge to explore my home again, please request an escort. Either I or any of my employees would be happy to give you the official tour again.” His dark brow raised in prominence against his silvery-pale features. “Understood?”