Heart Of Stone

by Cynthia Eden

  “Second time,” she whispered. “We’ll go slowly then, okay?”

  He wasn’t going to argue. His cock pushed harder at the entrance to her body, Sabrina rocked her hips against him, and then he was inside her.

  Fucking heaven. She was tight and so hot and wet. He lost a bit of his sanity at that first plunge into her, and Adam feared he might never get it back. The ferocious need burst out of his control then, and he was driving into her and withdrawing. Thrust. Withdraw. Thrust. Again and again. No control was left. There was just a wild battle for pleasure.

  And she was still with him. Arching up against him. Moaning. Urging him on. Her legs had wrapped around his waist. Her sex was totally open to him. He sank into her, going as deep as he could, and then pulling back, making sure to stroke over her clit with each thrust.

  Her body tensed beneath his and Adam knew her climax was close. His own was barreling at him, full speed. He put his mouth on her neck. Sucked the skin, bit lightly, even as his fingers plucked her nipple. He rocked back down against her, plunging—if possible—even deeper into her. He felt her sex clench around him, holding him so fucking tight, and then she was calling out his name, her voice rich with pleasure and passion.

  She came for him, and he had to watch her—she was such a thing of beauty. Her eyes went blind with pleasure. Going even brighter than before. Her lips parted as she said his name, and her hips pushed hard up against him. He wanted to stay still, to keep watching her, but her sensual movements pushed him over the edge. Adam drove into her once more and erupted. The wave of release burned through his whole body. So much pleasure that the beast inside of him was howling and snarling with joy. So fucking good.

  The best he’d ever had.

  The drumbeat of his heart slowly eased. Sweat covered his body, and Adam realized that he’d locked his hands around her wrists, pinning her hands to the bed. He didn’t quite remember doing that.

  His breath heaved out as he gazed at her. Worry nagged at him. Too late. I should have used care before. “Sabrina…?”

  Her eyes had closed, but at his voice, they opened. Still so bright. Still shining with pleasure. “That was fun.” She smiled at him. “Let’s do it again.”

  Oh, the hell, yes.

  And his own mouth curled into a smile. A real one. He hadn’t smiled and actually meant that shit in longer than he could remember. But suddenly, his heart wasn’t feeling quite so heavy. The stone wasn’t weighing on him. The beast that he kept inside was quiet, content, and Adam had to lean forward and kiss Sabrina. His tongue licked over her bottom lip, then swept inside the sweetness of her mouth.

  His cock was rising again. Thickening eagerly inside of her. Her hips squirmed against him.

  Wish I’d found her sooner. The thought, unbidden, slipped through his mind.

  His head rose.

  And her smile was back. “I’m guessing that’s a yes on the second round?”

  He let go of her wrists. Her hands flew up to immediately curl around his shoulders.

  “A definite yes.” He withdrew, then thrust slowly into her. He wanted to think that—since he’d taken the edge off—he would have more control this time.

  But that was probably just bullshit. When it came to Sabrina, he was a desperate, starving man. He knew his hunger for her would soon grow to be just as voracious as before. To try and hold onto his control a little longer, he curled his hands around her hips and rolled them over so that she was on top. She gave a sexy little gasp at the movement. Hell, I think everything she does is sexy at this point. He was beneath her on the bed, and his view was phenomenal. She pushed back her long hair and stared at him, her eyes wide. “Oh, this is nice.” Her knees were on either side of him, and she pressed them down—sending her body up—only to slide back along the length of his cock a moment later. “Very nice.” She gave him a wicked smile. “How did you know I liked a bit of control?”

  His hold tightened on her. “Something we have in common.” He fucking loved being in command. And to show her, he lifted her with his grip, then brought her down even as he surged his hips up in a hard thrust.

  Her lips parted. “Did I say nice?”

  He did the move again. Again. And this time, he brought one of his hands to the front of her body. He found her clit and stroked her even as he thrust inside of her.

  “Way…way better than nice…” Her head tipped back. Her breasts thrust forward. Her nipples were tight.

  He had to lick and taste them.

  Adam shot up. He kept his hand on the center of her need and he took one breast into his mouth. He bit her lightly, scoring her with his teeth and then his tongue rasped over her nipple.

  “Adam…Adam!”

  She was coming again. Already. Hell, yes. Her sex was squeezing his cock, contracting all along his length, and he loved the way she felt when she climaxed. Her body shuddered. Her breath trembled out.

  He’d never seen a more beautiful woman.

  He let go. He thrust fast and hard, driving into her as she came. Then he was with her, his climax erupting as his cock jerked deep inside of her.

  He held her tightly. He kissed her while they both climaxed.

  And knew that he would be wanting so much more from her.

  ***

  Okay, that had been intense.

  Adam had closed the blinds and turned off all the lights. Even though day had finally come, they were in total darkness in the bedroom. Sabrina was grateful for the dark. After that last climax, she was pretty much in pieces. Pleasurable pieces but…still, pieces.

  More than sex. Way more. Something is happening between us.

  And she wasn’t exactly sure what that something was. Sabrina just knew that she was…scared.

  She didn’t want him to see her fear.

  He pressed a kiss to her shoulder. She was still naked. So was he. Dressing when the sex was so good just seemed pointless. But they needed to rest. She was pretty sure she hadn’t slept in twenty-four hours. Probably more than that.

  “I see why they get obsessed.”

  His voice was a low rasp in the dark. Sexy. Deep. But…she frowned at his words. “I don’t understand.” The fear she felt? It got a little worse.

  “Having you in his bed…you’d obsess any man.”

  She didn’t want obsession. She never had. Sabrina didn’t want a lover who was so caught by her power that he couldn’t let go. Sabrina had to blink right then. Several times, real fast. Because…maybe…tears were filling her eyes.

  “Is the sex with you always that good? Is it…part of the inspiration deal?”

  What. The. Actual. Fuck? “Stop talking.”

  Silence.

  No, him just being quiet—that wasn’t good enough.

  His bedroom had made her feel safe before, but right then, she felt as if she were suffocating. She needed to get out of there. She needed to get away from him.

  “I…meant that as a compliment.” His voice was halting. “You’re fantastic in bed. You’ve got to know that.”

  “Stop the talking!” His voice had been halting, and hers was angry. Coldly, furiously angry. “This isn’t what I —”

  “You don’t want to know that you’re great in bed?” Now he sounded confused.

  Sabrina pulled in a slow, deep breath. Then she rolled to face him. In the dark, he was a big shadow. “Do you know what I have been for most of my life?”

  “Inspiration.”

  No, he didn’t get it. “I don’t think you quite understand just how long I have been roaming this earth.” Probably because she looked down right incredible for her age. “Let’s just say, I was born into a time of savagery, a world of blood and power. To the men of that time, I wasn’t inspiration. I was a trophy.”

  “Sabrina…”

  “Powerful rulers wanted me at their side. Warriors wanted me close when they were battling. Sailors heading out on the high seas? They wanted me there showing them the course to take. I was a tool for them. I was kidnapped,
I was held captive, I was given no choice. They wanted my magic, and they would do anything to possess me.” Her breath whispered out. “I didn’t want to be an obsession for any of those men. I don’t want to be an obsession for anyone. It’s not a choice I have. And it’s not a fucking joke. It’s my life. So it’s not exactly a compliment for you to talk obsession right after we’re intimate. The last thing I ever want to do is obsess a man again.” They were still dealing with the fallout from her last obsession.

  The slightly calloused tips of his fingers stroked her cheek. “I’m sorry.”

  His apology caught her off guard.

  “I don’t exactly have a lot of experience talking to a lover.” His voice was gruff. “I didn’t mean to hurt you. I would never want to do that. I only meant…”

  She waited, but he didn’t continue. Seriously, the guy was going to leave her hanging? No, not happening. “You meant what?”

  “I’ve never had sex that good. It was almost too good.”

  Was that some kind of insult? Sabrina wasn’t sure.

  “The pleasure was the best I’ve ever had. You are the best lover I’ve ever had.”

  Her cheeks began to warm. You’re the best, too, and—

  “So I just wondered, if you being that good, it was part of—”

  Sabrina put her fingertips over his lips. “No, it’s not part of the muse deal. Just so we’re clear. That’s just me, and that’s just you. It is not always this way with a lover.”

  His tongue lightly licked her fingertip.

  Her heart jerked in her chest.

  “Good to know. Because…the idea of some other lucky bastard being with you that way…it really pisses me off.”

  She opened her mouth to reply, but then stopped. Sabrina paused for a moment, and considered how she would feel if another woman enjoyed that much pleasure with her gargoyle.

  I’d want to claw her eyes out.

  This was new. This was jealousy. This was possessiveness. This wasn’t her usual M.O. Confused, Sabrina didn’t speak again. Her heartbeat slowed, and her breathing evened out. Her lashes drifted shut, and she was almost asleep when she heard him say…

  “I promise, no one will hold you captive again. You won’t be a trophy any longer. This time, I won’t make the same mistake. I won’t stand by while you suffer. I swear, I won’t.”

  This time? What an odd word choice…

  ***

  Sabrina was back at the high-rise on the beach with her stone freak. Eric stared at the computer screen. He’d traced her movements. She’d gone to the hospital, then returned to the fucking impenetrable mystery building. His team had worked and worked there until dawn, but they hadn’t been able to get inside the place.

  Magic. He knew some kind of spell was keeping his team out. Eric hadn’t even known about magic, not until Sabrina. Or rather, not until Sabrina’s disappearance. He hated magic. He hated the paranormal monsters out there. He hated everything that defied the natural order.

  Science. Technology. The future lay in his hands. The paranormals? They were the past. He was working to eliminate them. All of them.

  Except Sabrina. He would never eliminate her.

  He hadn’t thought she’d return to the high-rise building. Raymond should have gotten her at the hospital. Raymond was his best damn man. Raymond should have killed the stone freak, and immediately reported back to Eric. Only he hadn’t. It had been hours, and Raymond still hadn’t checked in. Did that mean the guy was dead?

  Probably. “Where the hell are you, Raymond?” Eric muttered. He had a tracker on Raymond’s car. He had a tracker on the cars of all his inner security team members. Paranoid? Yes, but it was also smart.

  “I’m right here.”

  Eric’s head whipped up. Raymond, sporting dark bruises all over his face, stood in the doorway. He was wearing mismatched clothing that was far too tight. As Eric stared, Raymond let out a long, rough sigh. “It was one hell of a night.”

  Eric jumped to his feet. “Did you kill him?”

  “No, but the target nearly killed me.” He shuffled wearily inside. “I think you’re right, though. About his vulnerability. When he’s human—or at least, in human form—the guy can be hurt.”

  Excitement heated Eric’s blood. “You hurt him? Did you shoot him? Did you see him bleed? Did you—”

  “Your Sabrina was afraid.”

  His excitement dimmed. A snaking cold took its place.

  “Your lady was so worried about me shooting him while the dude was in human form that she stepped between him and my gun.”

  Eric shook his head. No, that wasn’t right. Sabrina hadn’t been protecting the freak. “You’re lying.” He reached into his desk and pulled out the loaded gun that he kept in the top drawer. Eric aimed that gun at Raymond. “Why would you lie about her?”

  Raymond lifted his hands. “Easy there, boss. I’m on your side. You know that. Haven’t I always followed orders? I’ve never given you any reason to doubt me.” He kept his hands up even as his face paled. The darkening bruises were in sharp contrast to his stark white skin. “I’m not lying to you now. Sabrina wanted to protect him. She was willing to risk her life for him. And the reason my face is smashed to hell and back? It’s because of the big bruiser. He was furious that she’d been in danger.”

  “So the fuck am I. Sabrina is never to be hurt. You know that rule. It’s my number one rule. Rule number two? You don’t get close to her. None of my guards get close to her. Because if you get close to her, then she can get in your head.” His breath was ragged. His heart was racing. Sabrina had been in front of a gun? What if she had been shot? What if she’d been killed?

  “They beat me to the roof, okay? When I got up there, the guy looked like a freaking statue. Sabrina jumped in front of me. I think she was trying to buy him some time. The guy literally had to break out of the stone. When he came out, he was a man. That’s when I could’ve shot him. That’s when she was so desperate to protect him.” Raymond’s face was grim. “You’re not going to want to hear this, but I think they’re involved. Intimate, you know?”

  He fucking knew what intimate was.

  Raymond slowly lowered his hands. “They left me on the roof. Unconscious. By the time I was able to get back inside the hospital, they were long gone. And so was Margaret Lacy. Only none of the staff there remembered exactly how Margaret Lacy had left. They were running around like crazy, desperately searching for her. It was as if she’d just vanished into thin air.”

  Another problem. Eric put the gun back in the desk drawer. “I know where Sabrina is, and I know where her new…lover is, too.” The trick was getting to them. They were using magic to keep him out. He began to think and to plan. “I made her leave before, and I can do it again.” He just had to find the right motivation. Something that would make her care.

  “He’s going to come after you,” Raymond warned quietly. “I mean, he’s already come after you once. You were lucky to escape him at the warehouse. The guy is hunting you, and now we know why. He’s taking your place at her side. A possessive lover, a protective lover, and he wants to eliminate any threat to Sabrina.”

  Eric blinked in surprise. “I’m no threat to Sabrina.”

  “You ran her off the road yesterday,” Raymond reminded him, eyes narrowed and face hard. “You don’t see that as a threat?”

  He straightened his shoulders. “I was playing, just reminding her how close I was. I wasn’t going to kill her. That has never been my intention.” He would not live in a world that didn’t include her, he couldn’t. Eric looked down and realized that his hands were shaking. They did that sometimes. Kind of made him feel like a drug addict who’d missed his fix.

  Is Sabrina my fix?

  “Well, maybe the new guy doesn’t understand your intention.” Raymond took a step toward him. “Look at the timeline, man. You force her off the road, and he immediately attacks your warehouse. He comes gunning for you. It’s obvious he’s not gonna deal with your shit.
He wants to take you out.”

  Eric realized exactly what he needed to do. This new man, this new lover of Sabrina’s—Eric had to discover all of his secrets. He had to learn everything that he could about the stone freak. He sat back down at his desk. His fingers started to type.

  “Uh, boss?” Raymond cleared his throat. “What are we going to do now? If magic is keeping us out of that building, you want me to use magic to get us in?”

  Because Raymond had been the man who introduced Eric to the paranormal world. Raymond had a step-brother who was a witch. Or a warlock. Whatever the hell it was supposed to be. Interesting family dynamics. The witch—a guy named Kevin—had scryed to find Sabrina. The scrying itself had given Eric an idea for tracking Sabrina…for always knowing where to find her.

  I made his magic into my science. He’d also taken the liberty of getting the guy to run a protection spell on him…a spell that was supposed to block Eric from any outside influences. Because I don’t want Sabrina in my head. Even as he’d performed the spell, though, Kevin had been telling him that it probably wouldn’t hold. That someone like Sabrina would eventually break through the spell…

  And that’s why I don’t get too close to her. It’s why I’ve stayed physically away. Even though keeping his distance was fucking hard.

  “Want me to call Kevin?” Raymond pushed. “And see what he can do?”

  Because for the right price, Kevin would use his magic for anything.

  Eric’s fingers had stilled over the keyboard.

  “I know you don’t like magic,” Raymond continued as he rocked back on his heels. “But this is different. I mean, he’s made of stone. Kevin can tell us more about him—or, if he can’t, then I’m betting he knows who to talk with in order to get information.”

  Eric didn’t think there was goodness in Kevin’s heart. “See what the witch knows and report back to me immediately. If the intel is good, I’ll pay you.”

  “Just how much will you pay?”

  Eric glanced at him. “What do you want?”

  “If the info pans out, fifty grand.”

  Greedy bastard. But Eric just inclined his head. “If the information pans out.”