She traced his cheeks, going to his lips. He licked her fingertips, and she jerked away. It had caused a zing of pleasure to her groin.
“Pull over, Iroida. We need relief.” He commanded, and she heard more than that, an erotic demand.
She nodded once and took the next exit. Her mind swirled with possibilities. She found a place in a forested area and pushed the Jeep further into the wooded darkness. As soon as she put the Jeep in park, he jumped out, stalked around the vehicle, holding her eyes the whole time. She couldn’t breathe, knowing how prey felt. He was hunting, and damn, it was good to be prey at the moment. He jerked her door open, reached over and undid her belt.
“Tell me yes or no,” he was close, nose to nose, his eyes searching hers. “I will do nothing without your permission.”
She tried to speak, tried to say a word, but nothing came out. His blue eyes, always so clear, became dark and murky, and she drowned. He pulled back, his face calm. “It’s okay. I’m …” he started. She grabbed his forearm, “Yes, damn it. I couldn’t speak. Yes. Whatever it is, yes.”
She didn’t see him move, only knew she was in the Jeep one minute, and wrapped around him the next, his mouth on hers. He set her on the hood of the vehicle, crossed his arms in front, grabbed the bottom of his shirt, and with a smooth motion, it was off. She stared, blinking. All his muscles stood in sharp relief. She didn’t stop the initial need to touch him. Her hand flat against his breastbone, a strong heartbeat beneath it.
A change happened, one she didn’t expect. Her rational thought fled, and an instinct took over. Taking off the hoodie she wore, she grabbed his beltloops and pulled. Her jean clad ass slid forward, and at the contact, her head went back, and every inch of skin was flooded with pleasure, and a desperate need for fulfillment.
His hand pushed into her thick hair, and he yanked her head back. She’d been tense before, but the minute he took control, and put his lips on the sensitive skin of her neck, her knees went wide, and a moan left her lips.
“Want, but don’t know what, do you, Iroida?” he nibbled, scraping his teeth along the side of her neck, the hand in her hair holding her still, the other moving up the skin of her back. “I know what you need, and damn it, I’m going to watch you enjoy it.”
He took handfuls of the soft fabric and yanked it up. Her breasts popped free, and he pulled her down. She lay across the hood, watching him. She shook his hand out of her hair, and didn’t take her eyes off him. He nibbled and kissed a hot path from her neck to each breast. Her knees came up, silently begging. She heard whimpers coming from somewhere. His hand disappeared to the front of his pants, and she could see his arm muscles bunch and relax with the sounds of a zipper.
He straightened, and she gasped. He was fully erect, and without a thought, she reached for it, grasping the girth and sliding her hand up and down. It was steel under the smoothness. He fell forward, his hands flat against the hood, his arms tense. As she continued her ministrations, his hips moved, and he groaned.
Boone straightened, and took her face in his hands, kissing her hard. Every thrust of his hips he mimicked with his tongue. It became faster, harder, and he jerked away.
“No. I will not until I know you are satisfied.” He stared at her, his eyes jewel bright. Something shone in the back, almost alive, almost another soul.
“I don’t know what that is?” she whispered.
Chapter Twenty-One
Boone
Goddamn. He was holding on by a thin thread, wanting to bury himself deep inside of her, and pound until they both screamed.
But the very ability that took over and helped him do his job, was holding him in check because their woman was not satisfied and sensed a little fear. She might not know it, but he could see it.
“I’m going to help you for a moment, but the minute we find a hotel that is suitable, I’m finishing this.” He pushed her until she lay flat, gently undoing her pants, and pulling them down.
The sight of her black panties nearly undid him. He could smell the musk of her arousal, and as he lifted her ass, putting his shirt under her and pulling her panties down.
“Oh, yeah. Fuck yes. Beautiful,” he moaned into her stomach, and a hand hesitantly lay on his head. “I want you to enjoy this, I want you to look forward to my face between your thighs, tasting. Tell me what you like and don’t, okay? Guessing won’t train me to make sure you are satisfied.”
He kissed lower, his hands under her knees and lifting them. He eased them to the side, holding her gaze. She was excited and watching him. She was exposed, and he stared, panting, and swallowing against the instinct to simply devour her.
He kissed the inside of her left thigh, and leaned forward, her pants keeping her knees bent and apart. Using his fingers, he traced the path his mouth was going to take. He nipped, and licked the small sting, all the way to the place he wanted to be. She was wet, and he slid a finger into the folds, pleased with the sounds she made. Teasing her, he continued to lick and nibble and kiss, until she had his head in her hands, and trying to guide him to where he wanted to be.
The first taste made her yell out, and his eyes rolled in his head. The second made his hips buck against the fender of the vehicle. The third and he was lost to the smell and taste of Iroida.
“Don’t come yet. Hold on for a moment more, love,” he groaned into her slick folds. He pushed a finger into the entrance, and her back bowed up. “Hold on, almost.”
Taking her clit between his lips, he slid a finger deep inside, and sucked.
She nearly came off the hood, her body convulsing around him. He held her down, not letting her tap out. He counted seven orgasms, her body giving them up, one after another.
“Please, no more,” she begged in husky tones, pushing against his head.
He reached down, licking at her, and with two strokes he finished, letting it jet onto the tires.
Done, he lay his cheek against her thigh. “I want to do that for hours on end, to show you more, to give you more.”
She chuckled, “We’ll need to rest in Salt Lake City anyway. I’m thinking a hotel, and you can show me the rest.”
Kissing her soft skin, he began to put them both to rights. He couldn’t wear the shirt in public, though he wanted to sleep with it close. It smelled of her, and it might make him a sick bastard, but damn it, he wanted more and if all he got was her smell, he’d take it.
He found wipes in the back in a bag and used it to clean his face and hands. Taking a second hoodie out, he donned it and wondered if he could take her immortality and be able to deal with the aftermath of it. She’d be vulnerable, like his Naomi. Though something else was up, since Pruella was alive. Three thousand years later and having had a lot of kids. A lot of questions, and no answers. Whatever he’d found scared Marcus to the point he refused to give any other information.
She stood at the front of the SUV, and he approached her. She was tense, and he suspected she wasn’t sure what was going to happen next. He pulled her back to his front, and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. She tensed, and then relaxed into him.
“It’s okay. I’m sorry if I became … too intense.” He nuzzled her neck, loving the smell of Italy in the summer, her intrinsic scent.
“Don’t, I want more, I need more, I enjoyed every moment of it.” A shudder ran through her, and he smiled. “And I can’t seem to stop doing that.”
“Then I accomplished something.” He squeezed briefly, before letting go. “Do you want me to drive for a little bit?”
She shook her head, “No. Let’s go.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Iroida
Her body hummed, every muscle relaxed, and all tension gone. Life looked great. It seemed to be a side effect of what he’d done to her. Over and over. And over a few more times. Thinking of it made her want more, and she knew if they did more, and completed it, she’d forever be changed. Not because he’d stuck his dick inside of her, handsome though it was, but because she would se
e the world differently. A marker in her life crossed. Different to the creature her parents created.
Though his cock deep inside of her would change a few things, and she was willing to find out what it was.
Her phone dinged several times, and she handed it to Boone, “Read these. PIN eight-two-two-zero.”
He followed directions, and as he pulled up the text messages, he whispered, “Oh, shit.”
“Read them aloud, silly.” Her own ability woke, and she knew something was amiss.
“Heather is in Salt Lake City, but she is using her ability. Use caution. She was on the news, and it looks like she is enjoying the chaos. She’s gone full rogue.”
Iroida closed her eyes tight and steeled herself. Heather had given in to the needs, to the ability. More than likely Veritatis were going to try and kill her now, especially since she’d done something publicly. But her ability meant normal hunting techniques wouldn’t work. She’d simply enmesh them in a hallucination and walk away.
Two figures appeared in the middle of the interstate, and Iroida stood on the brakes. The SUV fishtailed back and forth. They came to a full stop, and she frowned.
Naomi, the nurse from Showtime, stood next to a tall redheaded woman. Neither looked human, or mortal, and in fact, looked ethereal in the waning sunlight.
Putting it in park, and shutting it down, she got out, Boone mirroring it on the other side.
“Iroida, you must let her have the chaos.” The redhead spoke with a heavy Roman accent, voice husky and familiar.
Iroida’s world spun. Words couldn’t form coherent sentences.
Boone rushed around the SUV, and pulled her into his side, holding her up. She was grateful, a mere breath away from falling over.
“Pruella?” she murmured.
Pruella smiled. “It has been a long time, and you’ve grown into the beautiful woman your childhood promised.” She walked forward and lay a hand on Iroida’s shoulder. “I’ve missed you. But there is much you don’t know or understand. Will you trust me, three millennia later? Will you come with me, and let this all play out?”
Iroida stared at Prunella’s outstretched hand. “Only if Boone is allowed to stay with me.”
She spoke in the ancient Latin they grew up speaking, “My dearest sister, he is as much a part of this as you. For a war is starting, one in which the gods and their creations will decide the fates of the mortals. You will need your man, as I need my General.”
Iroida took her hand, “Are we going to save my other sisters?”
Pruella and Naomi looked at each other and smiled. “Oh, Iroida, I’m counting on the Praesidio and the Iudex to do as they have always done, so we can save us all.”
Never letting go of Boone, she took the outstretched hand, noting it was strong, graceful, and hot.
It told Iroida many things. Her sister was indeed alive. It also spoke of a soul, which she’d thought they couldn’t have.
Pruella had regained her immortality.
How Naomi fit into all of it was something else. The way she stared at Boone said it was something between the two of them, a secret the woman was keeping to herself.
As she looked around, the sense of destiny wove itself into the air, and she glimpsed that much was on the horizon, and her family had decisions to make. She looked at Boone, and grinned. She’d made hers.
About the Author
Berlin Rhodes is the author of paranormal romance, and new to the scene. This novella is the prequel to the Invicta Series, and look for Book One, Bellatore, to be released Spring 2019.
Twilight Rising
Psychic Justice Book 2
Erin Richards
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About the Story
After Juliana Westwood decides to join the Psychics Guild, she dreams of a murder and butts heads with them as they investigate...and warn her to stay away. Someone's threatening Guild psychics, fueling her detective fiancé's dislike of the exclusive club and urging her to investigate from the depths of her mind.
Detective Alex MacKenzie’s jealous of Guild PI Jake McAllister who’s developed a telepathic connection to Juliana, battling Alex’s ability to protect her. But Jake has enigma Lily Falbrooke on his mind when she returns home to attend her father’s funeral...and receives a cryptic message from the grave from Juliana. Will Alex ever accept the Guild in Juliana’s life? Or will her psychic talents destroy their hard won relationship?
Praise for Chasing Shadows
Psychic Justice Book 1
“A whirlwind of emotions, twists, turns and rediscovered love will keep you breathless! Equally suspenseful and sweet, CHASING SHADOWS is a book that is well worth your time. You will be caught up in the story instantly and will not want to stop reading until the exciting and jaw dropping conclusion. I promise!” ~Fresh Fiction
“Make sure you have a couple hours of free time to yourself before reading CHASING SHADOWS, because you won't be able to put the book down. This is the first book I've read from Erin Richards, but it definitely won't be the last. I can guarantee I will be giving this another read real soon, that's how much I loved CHASING SHADOWS! 5 stars all the way!” ~The Romance Reviews (Top-Pick)
“I loved this book and it never faltered from its action and suspense. Each chapter pulls you into Juliana’s world. Here is a woman who just wants to live normal but has a unique power in her.... The story line not only kept my attention but each chapter was suspenseful trying to find out what the kidnapper was going to do and how Juliana would deal with it. Great book and can’t wait for more from Erin Richards." ~Night Owl Reviews (5-Star Top Pick) Night Owl Reviews Readers Choice Award Nominee for best romance in Mystery and Suspense
Chapter One
Fog drifted through Juliana’s mind, thickening into a smothering cloud. Weightless, she plummeted down an ensnaring hollow. Lightning flashed in quick succession in her skull, revealing the fractured thoughts of another.
Subtle gunfire crackled the air like a firecracker dud.
The driver of the car ogled a man standing under a canopy of trees on the right side of the road ahead. The moving car faltered from the front end, swerved away from the solitary figure. Tires screeched and metal crashed into steel, scraping and tumbling down a hillside dotted with boulders and trees.
The man’s head slammed the car’s roof, his horrified cries inside the vehicle wafting on the wind. The car rolled over and over until it landed on all four wheels. Slashes of moonlight illuminated the black vehicle through tree branches, dappled light reflecting off the shattered windshield. A splintered rearview mirror caught the ghostly image of a tall, muscular man watching from the cliffside above, a handgun engulfed in his large hand, his long dark hair streaming in the breeze.
“Twilight’s yours. Don’t let them steal your Twilight, flower child,” his ragged voice intoned.
Death claimed his last breath.
The vision dissolved, and diffused light stabbed Juliana’s eyes. “No, no, no,” she cried out, reaching to stop the car from losing control, catching her sheer bed scarves in her fist.
“Juliana, babe.” Alex cupped her cheeks, and she opened her frantic eyes. “Dream?” He held his breath, waiting for the inevitable answer he didn’t want to hear.
A lone tear slipped down her right cheek. “Vision,” she croaked out, mouth thick from sleep. Anxiety tingled in her chest. Her first telepathic vision since she’d almost died when a lunatic kidnapper had sucked her into his own telepathic mind. Was it happening again? Another psychic to psychic connection? Confusion fogged her brain as her anxiety spread. No. Not again. She rubbed her forehead, but it only served to spread her fear.
Alex’s steely embrace held her close to the solid, safe planes of his body. Skin met skin, but the vision refused to allow her to focus on his nakedness. Only four weeks had sped by since they’d rescued Alex
’s young niece from the kidnapper. After twelve long years of separation following high school, they’d refused to waste any more time living apart, and he immediately became a fixture in her house and in her life again. She loved every moment, and most of all, she loved his calming presence in her bed, where she felt safe sleeping for the first time in her life, even when the monsters merely lingered in her head.
“Are you sick? Need soda, aspirin?” he asked, knowing how her visions affected her at times. She shook her head. “How bad?”
“A car accident…murder.”
“Murder? Are you sure?” He tugged the sheet over them. “Have you ever dreamed of plain accidents which aren’t crimes?”
Eyes bugged out, she asked, “Must I buy you a clue?”
A flush worked up his neck, his heat warming her face. “Sorry. Forgot about prom night.”
High school prom night had been the last night Juliana and Alex had spoken to each other until she’d returned to San Jose and dreamed about the kidnapping. The accident ten years ago had critically injured his twin sister and killed his best friend. The accident had also precipitated the near destruction of Juliana’s life—the first time she’d ever had a vision go horribly wrong.
“In San Jose?” he continued.
“I think I saw the Lick Observatory’s white domes on top of Mt. Hamilton in the background. We had a near full moon last night, and there was a large moon behind the largest dome, illuminating it.”
Moonlight Mist: A Limited Edition Collection of Fantasy & Paranormal) Page 124