Seduced by Danger

by Stephanie Julian

  “You’re going to need our help getting to Bennett, Michael,” Teo continued. “Cara’s told us everything, about how you got her out, how you made plans to go back for Lacey before she got out on her own. How you searched for her.”

  He should have known Cara would fill in her family. Before, it might have pissed him off, might have made him tell everyone in the room to go to hell before he left to do what he wanted. By himself.

  But with Aron on his lap and Cara’s hand on his arm, her thumb stroking along his skin, he didn’t want to leave. But he also knew these men wouldn’t hesitate to separate his head from his body if he threatened their women.

  He looked Teo in the eyes. “Don’t forget that I led the Mal right to her.”

  Teo shook his head. “No one blames you for that. They might have been tracking Lacey and could have taken us by surprise.”

  Possible but unlikely. Instead of answering, he watched Aron devour the chocolate chip cookie. His hair was a dark shade of auburn that would probably turn as dark as Michael’s later in his life and his eyes were the same dark brown. But his features were all Cara.

  When the boy was done, he looked up at Michael, cocked his head to the side and blinked those innocent eyes at him. “More?” And then he smiled.

  Michael felt his own mouth curve in a grin and he bent to kiss Aron’s temple. He smelled like baby powder and sunshine. “One more.”

  He looked up to find Cara giving him a wry look that said he’d been suckered. He didn’t care.

  “And a glass of milk,” Cara said. “Then it’s back to bed, little man.”

  And back to the firing squad for Michael.

  * * * * *

  Aron chose Lacey and Rosie to take him back to bed after Cara gave him a glass of milk.

  Aron loved stories and Rosie, a children’s librarian, knew the best. And since Rosie was just learning how to control her powers as a salvanelli, another rare Fata offspring that the Mal would pay a fortune to capture and study, she took any opportunity to practice casting spells. She loved to illustrate her stories with moving pictures that appeared in the air and delighted Aron to no end.

  But Aron’s departure left a hole in the conversation big enough to drive a car through as the de Feo brothers stared at Michael and Michael stared back at them.

  Cara worried they’d never start to talk and she had no idea what to say.

  She was also more than a little embarrassed by her blatant lust this morning. She didn’t want to be like that. She wanted to be normal. Not a freak.

  Sal sighed, breaking the silence, and clomped over to the cabinet on the far wall. “I see we’re in for a long night. Might as well break out the booze now. Maybe it’ll loosen a few tongues.”

  He grabbed four bottles from the cabinet and set them on the table before going back for glasses. “Help yourselves. You,” he pointed at Michael, “you get juice. Don’t know what alcohol will do to your system yet.”

  “Sal told us about the spell.” Cam, the eldest de Feo, finally spoke. “Effective. But since I figure you don’t want to kill yourself again, we have some options you might want to consider. We each have skills you may want to utilize.”

  “And I want in on the kill,” Teo said.

  Cara shivered a little at the cold in Teo’s voice. She’d spent some time with her sister’s mate during the past year and she’d found him hard to get close to in the beginning. Not that he wasn’t nice to her. Just that he was quiet. At first, she’d thought him aloof. But he worshipped her sister to the point where sometimes it was almost embarrassing to watch the heat between the two of them.

  But Teo didn’t care who saw what. He loved Lacey and she felt the same.

  All the de Feo brothers obviously loved their mates and Cara wanted that with Michael. But she wanted him to want it just as much.

  She wanted him to want her more than he wanted to avenge her.

  She wanted him to accept help from the de Feos. She wanted—

  “I think we can work something out.”

  Cara’s gaze flew back to Michael’s. Had she missed something? Or had he just agreed to accept help?

  His gaze caught and held hers, his expression lightening enough to make her heart pound. Then he reached for her hand and brought it to his mouth. He laid his lips on her palm and kissed it, never breaking their eye contact.

  Heat, sleek and sinuous, pumped through her veins, stroking along her arus. He knew exactly what he was doing to her, exactly what to do to completely scramble her brain.

  “Guess we know what you’ll be coming back for, huh?”

  Rio’s teasing tone made Cara smile and even Michael’s lips curved up.

  “I always wanted to come back to you,” Michael said as his smile disappeared. But the heat in his eyes didn’t abate. “I only ever wanted you to be safe. You and Aron.”

  “I know. Then please don’t do anything as stupid as a suicide spell again.”

  “I won’t.”

  “Glad to hear it,” Cam said, drawing their attention. “Now let’s talk strategy.”

  * * * * *

  The sun was beginning to rise by the time the de Feo brothers and their women left.

  Michael wasn’t completely satisfied with their plan but it was a start.

  And for the moment, Cara didn’t look like she was going to hyperventilate or throw up or both.

  Sal told them to get some sleep.

  “When the kid wakes, I’ll take care of him,” Sal said as he waved them up the stairs. “We can share some quality cartoon time. The kid and I have the same sense of humor. That Sesame Street cracks me up every time. Love those Muppets.”

  Cara took his hand, drawing him up the stairs after her. By the time they reached his room and he pushed the door shut behind him, she’d already grabbed the hem of his t-shirt to pull it up and over his head. As she dropped it to the floor, he reached for hers.

  They said nothing as they hurried to strip each other.

  Michael didn’t need words to know how Cara felt or what she wanted. All she had to do was look at him a certain way and he knew exactly what was coming.

  So when they were naked, he reached for her, but she shocked him by pushing him away, back toward the bed. His expression must have shown his confusion because the slight upward tilt of her lips blossomed into a full-fledged sexy smile that promised so much pleasure.

  He sat on the bed, expecting her to come to him, then letting him lay her on the bed and put his mouth between her legs. He wanted to make her wild, make her writhe beneath him. He wanted to take her mind off what was coming, make her forget and just feel.

  But Cara had other plans.

  Before she reached him, she stared down at him for several seconds, letting her gaze roam over his entire body, lingering for several seconds on his cock. His body pumped even more blood to the organ, making it throb.

  Michael struggled to draw in a deep breath as she let her gaze continue upward until she met his. Her river-blue eyes caught and held his, let him sink into their depths until he thought he might actually drown.

  Then she sank to her knees in front of him and put her hands on his legs, spreading them so she could settle between them. His breath caught and held until her head dipped down and she wrapped her mouth around his cock.

  He sucked in air as if she’d punched him in the gut but the sensations she evoked weren’t painful. Pleasure surged through him, making his balls tighten and his muscles clench. His eyes closed and his hands latched onto the edge of the mattress as she sucked on the tip as if it were a lollipop.

  “Cara…”

  Her tongue stroked over the tiny slit then swirled around the top, bathing it in wet fire. He struggled not to move, not to thrust into her mouth and force her to take him all the way to her throat.

  Her hands stroked along his thighs, moving closer and closer to his cock and balls with each upward glide. And each time her hands moved, her mouth slid farther down his shaft.

  He
r fingernails scraped lightly at his skin, making his skin tighten until it felt too small for his body. His balls ached and he wanted to beg her to put him out of his misery. His lungs worked furiously as she took her time, making sure each centimeter of his hard flesh was soaking wet before moving down to the next few centimeters.

  With an effort, he forced his eyes to open and looked down. Her sable hair flowed down her back and over his thighs, the texture like silk against his skin.

  Her head sank farther, her lips finally reaching the base of his cock. She increased the suction, making him moan as heat flashed through his body, making his cock jump in her mouth. Before he could do it himself, she pulled back just enough to get her fingers around the base to ring him, tightening until he eased back from the edge of orgasm.

  But she still didn’t release him from her mouth. Instead, she let his shaft slide out completely then went back down in one fast slide. She tortured him for several minutes as he hung onto his control by a thread until she finally lifted her head.

  And smiled at him.

  That was all it took to break him. With a groan, he reached for her, pulling her up and twisting to lay her flat on her back on the bed. He sealed his mouth over hers and thrust his aching cock into her wet pussy.

  They broke the kiss to draw in shuddering breaths, but he couldn’t stop to absorb the sensation. He started to pump, slow and deep, even though his body wanted to nail her to the bed.

  Yes, she was wet and ready for him but he planned to repay her for some of the torment she’d inflicted on him.

  He pulled back out, slowly, making her moan. Making his lips curl back from his teeth in pure male aggression. He wanted more of that sound. Wanted her to make it only for him.

  And he wanted to watch her.

  After his next inward thrust, he lifted his upper body until he could sit back on his heels, his hands on her hips making sure he kept his shaft lodged firmly inside her.

  She stayed on her back, arms over her head, looking like any man’s hottest wet dream. Her breasts, larger than he remembered, now filled his palms to overflowing. He cupped them, squeezing, rubbing his thumbs over the tight nipples then pinching them until she moaned. Her lips remained parted and her eyes narrowed down to slits to watch him.

  He played with her breasts until her hips started to move in a circular motion on his cock, trying to get some clitoral stimulation. He ran his hands down the sides of her body to her hips, holding her still.

  “Not yet, Cara. Don’t move, baby. I swear I’ll take care of you.”

  “Then do it, Michael. I want you to move.”

  Instead, he moved her, sliding her away from his body until the tip of his cock pulled free, springing up. Instead of diving right back in, he rubbed his cock on her labia, letting her moisture coat it, letting the head bump against her clit. She moaned again and tried to squirm closer but he held her too tightly.

  After a few more passes, he finally took his cock in hand and aimed it back into her body, pulling her forward again until he was seated tight. The angle allowed a deeper penetration but not enough clit action for her.

  So he pulled her off and flipped their positions, him on his back and her on her knees above him. He nearly came at the smile on her face.

  She took her time repositioning herself over him, straddling his waist and setting her hands low on his chest to steady herself. Or just torment him as her nails dug into his sensitized skin.

  When she had her knees set on either side of his hips, she trailed one hand down his stomach to wrap around his cock and pull it straight into the air. With her gaze on his, she stroked him, slow and tight, rubbing her thumb over the tip and spreading the moisture seeping from it.

  Heat flashed through his body and he grabbed for her hips as he reached his breaking point.

  “If you don’t fuck me soon, Cara, I’m gonna lose it.”

  “So lose it.” She shrugged one shoulder, the sexy motion making her breasts bounce and his tongue nearly fall out of his mouth. “Haven’t you figured out that’s what I want?”

  She wanted him to lose control? Wanted him to become an animal only interested in sex?

  “Cara—”

  She placed her fingers on his lips, stopping his words as she positioned her body over his and began the slow, teasing slide down his shaft.

  The urge to grab her hips and control her movements nearly overwhelmed him as she encased him in the sleek warmth of her body. She sank down onto him, let gravity join them.

  Gods, she felt incredible. She was the only woman he’d ever felt anything for except lust. Her scent sank into his lungs and lust tore into his gut as she rose up then settled back down. Next time, she did it a little harder, a little faster.

  And he felt his control slip away. His hands grabbed for her hips on their next downward slide, jerking her down harder, making them both gasp at the rush of sensation that tore through them.

  “Harder, Michael,” she sobbed. “I need you to do me harder.”

  The last string on his sanity snapped.

  Grabbing her hips, he fucked her hard and fast, controlling her movements.

  She gasped in pleasure, her head falling back until her hair brushed along his thighs, winding him higher. And it still wasn’t enough.

  “Bend over, baby,” he rasped. “Let me suck on you.”

  Her expression one of bliss, she did exactly what he wanted, leaning forward to put her hands on his shoulders, bringing her breasts close enough to get his lips on, her hair enclosing them like a curtain.

  He sucked her nipple into his mouth, not bothering to be too careful because she showed every sign of liking it rough, something he’d never allowed himself to be with her. He let his teeth graze the tip as he pulled away, letting her moan fire his blood even more.

  He was burning from the inside out, his cock so hard it felt like iron. But he knew he was about to explode.

  And he wanted her to go first.

  Slipping one hand from her thigh, he slid two fingers against her clit and tweaked it. She moaned again and convulsed around him, her orgasm causing her to cry out his name.

  And sending him over the edge in a blaze of heat so fierce, he thought he felt flames along his skin.

  Chapter Four

  A hazy gray light outlined the shades in the bedroom when Cara woke.

  She didn’t move, didn’t want to wake Michael. He needed the sleep.

  The sex last night and again this morning had been amazing but probably ill-advised. The poor man had died and been revived only two days ago. They should’ve taken it a little easier.

  But a year without him, without any sex at all, had made her burn for him even more. Did he think that’s all she wanted from him? Just sex?

  She really needed to get out of bed before she decided to turn him over and start again.

  Aron had to be awake and was probably running Sal ragged. Then again, she didn’t think anything fazed Sal. Who was apparently having an affair with a goddess.

  At least that was the undertone she’d picked up. Now, she could be wrong but…

  Sliding out from under the arm Michael had wrapped around her waist, Cara managed to get off the bed without disturbing him. She stood for a moment, staring at him, tracing every harsh line of his face, every sleek line of his body.

  She loved him and last night he’d taken the first step toward making a future with her and Aron by agreeing to accept help.

  A querciola and a Mal. Her parents were probably wringing their hands in Aitás. Was she fooling herself? Would there be a happily-ever-after for them? Or would this all explode in their faces?

  Since she had no answers, she slipped on yoga capris and a t-shirt, not bothering with underwear. She’d spent so much of her life without it, she’d gotten used to going commando. Which really was a stupid saying…

  Walking down the stairs, she heard the high-pitched voice of Elmo and the giggle of her son along with the lower, huskier laugh of a woman.


  Another female voice said something and finally she heard Sal laugh, which set off Aron again.

  Since one of the female voices sounded like Hinthial, she immediately dropped into a curtsy when she reached the TV room.

  And nearly fell over in shock when she realized Hinthial wasn’t the only goddess in the room.

  The living Barbie doll curled up on the couch with Cara’s son on her lap gave a wry laugh as Cara’s knees nearly brushed the floor.

  “Ladies, welcome. I…”

  Hell, what did you say to goddesses besides beg their assistance?

  Nortia, Etruscan Goddess of Fate, sat on the couch holding her son. The blonde bombshell waved off anything else Cara might have said with a careless hand. “Don’t just stand there, hon. Come on in. Sit down. We’re learning about colors today, aren’t we, Aron?”

  Hinthial glanced up at her from the floor where she was working the crossword puzzle in the local daily paper. Sal sat on the chair behind her, a cup of coffee in his hand, reading the sports section.

  If she hadn’t known who each of the players were, Cara might have thought she’d dropped into a Norman Rockwell painting, albeit one from another dimension.

  “There’s fresh coffee, babe.” Sal barely gave her a glance before returning to his paper. “Fresh-baked muffins in the warming drawer in the oven.”

  “Definitely try the apple cinnamon,” Nortia encouraged. “Those were yummy. You need to give me that recipe, Sal.”

  “Yeah, like you’re gonna bake.” Sal snorted. “Just put in an order, Norty, you know I’ll make them for you.”

  Okay, now she’d fallen into the Twilight Zone.

  “I’ll just go get some coffee,” she said, stopping only briefly to brush a kiss on Aron’s head. She didn’t linger because she didn’t want to obstruct Nortia’s view of the TV.

  The little goddess had clear blue eyes, golden-blonde hair and features worthy of a movie star, not to mention the body of a hot twenty-year-old. And she was giggling over Snuffleupagus and talking to Aron as if they were best buddies.