If Volcan had not been immaterial, he would already have been as hard as stone for a long time by now. He yearned to touch her, and only his iron will prevented him from inadvertently materialising.
Coreena’s hands moved over her perfectly rounded body. Her dressing gown opened up and one of her hands slipped between her thighs. Full of suspense, Volcan watched as she spread her legs further to get easier access. She parted her wet lips and put one finger briefly into her opening, then searched her outer flesh until she touched the hidden pearl, where her yearning was at its strongest. How much Volcan would have now liked to relieve her. He wanted to replace her fingers with his own and then use his tongue – to taste her nectar and suck on her little pearl. Coreena was now groaning quietly, whilst rubbing her point of desire. First slowly, stimulating – then more quickly, more urgently. Her body writhed as the spasms of the orgasm shook her and a name slipped from her lips.
“Volcan!”
*
Coreena lay on the sofa, breathing heavily. Her heart was still beating wildly and irregularly. She could not believe what she had just done in the frenzy of passion. Had she actually called out his name? It was true that she had been thinking of him whilst she had pleasured herself. She had imagined his hands on her body, bringing her to a climax. But the fact that she had also called out his name showed her very clearly how very much she was under the spell of her exciting client. Perhaps it would be safer to reject his contract. No! That would be unprofessional. But she would keep him in his place. He had truly gone too far. And she had let him go too far. It would be better to be realistic than to dream of something that could never be. There were two types of men: the good and faithful men, who were, however, boring – or the passionate, erotic crème de la crème who could indeed sort you out with mega orgasms in bed, but who quickly moved to the next woman at the slightest mention of the word marriage. Volcan Custos clearly belongs in the second category. It was better not to get involved with him, and so avoid a broken heart.
Coreena got up from the sofa and tied her dressing gown again properly. She had made a firm decision. She would never again allow herself to be talked into a date with Volcan, and every discussion between them would take place either in her office or on the telephone. She would give him no further opportunity to unsettle her with his charm and sex appeal.
She went into the bathroom and opened the medicine cabinet. It took a while for her to find what she was looking for. She told herself that she would tidy up the cabinet soon. Most of the medicines had probably already gone passed their use by date. She took a look at the packet of sleeping tablets that she had taken out of the cupboard and realised that these had also long since exceeded their minimum use by date.
“Shit!” she said and took a tablet out of the packet, swallowing it down with tap water.
She hoped that the tablet would quickly help her into a dreamless sleep. She brushed her teeth and went to bed.
*
Volcan did not materialise again until he was at the door to his penthouse suite. He could move more quickly when he was immaterial, and anyway, he did not intend to walk through the streets of New York with a hard-on. She had called out his name. This fact had almost made him lose his mind. It had briefly occurred to him to materialise and to take her, hard and fast, so that he could hear her cry out his name again. It had cost him a lot of energy to maintain his immaterial form, as his whole body had fought against it – yet more evidence that the brain and the cock do not function together. Volcan smiled cynically. It did not really help that all guardians were endowed with a bigger than average sex drive. He would soon relieve himself. He had never before had to relieve himself, but since he had met Coreena, he would not consider any other woman.
Volcan did not waste time taking the key out of his pocket, but opened the door with a sweep of his hand. When he entered his apartment, he knew straight away that he was not alone. He swore inside – so much for quickly relieving himself. He closed the door, took off his jacket and pulled off his shoes. Slowly, he moved into the lounge. The smell of fresh blood shot into his nostrils.
“What have you done now?” he asked, and he crossed the room to get to the bar, without even glancing at the man sitting in the armchair.
“Don’t ask,” came the miserable response.
Volcan poured two glasses and went back to the leather seats. He gave Aerios one of the glasses and sat in the seat opposite.
Aerios took the blood-soaked cloth from his face and took a sip. The whisky burnt his cut lip.
“Ow!”
Volcan drank his whisky calmly and waited. Aerios had a bad cut over his right eye, a cut lip and a broken nose. Volcan could tell by his bloody knuckles that his opponent must have been injured, too. It looked as if his friend had been involved in a fight. It was bound to be over a woman again.
“Was she at least worth it?” he asked after a while.
Aerios grinned crookedly.
“Oh, yes! That woman had the best tits that I have ever seen.”
“Hm. And?” asked Volcan, unimpressed.
“Well, I wasn’t to know that the woman belonged to one of those Hell’s Angels.”
“How many?”
Aerios shrugged his shoulders.
“At first it was only two – then more came along – maybe eight – it may have been nine. They’re damned hard blokes. When the first blue lights appeared, the cowardly bastards fled.” He snorted.
Now it was Volcans turn to shrug his shoulders.
“Tomorrow you’ll look good again, but today you don’t need to go out looking for girls any more.”
“No problem, my urge has gone for today.” Aerios looked at Volcan searchingly. “And how did your date go?”
Volcan forced a smile.
“She’s very cautious. The chemistry between us is perfect. It’s just that she’s already been hurt and she doesn’t trust me at all.”
“It’s more fun, anyway, if you have to make an effort,” said Aerios, emptying his glass. “If they just fall into your lap, then it’s usually boring after the first shag. But now, don’t make me drag everything out of you. Did you at least kiss her?”
Volcan grinned.
“A gentleman enjoys and remains silent!”
“Spoil sport!” complained Aerios. “So you did kiss her, didn’t you? And now you’re pissed off because she’s turned you on so much that you’ve got a build-up of sperm and you want me to piss off so that you can finally relieve yourself.”
“Exactly! So get lost and get someone else to give you sympathy for your wounds. You only have yourself to blame, anyway.”
Aerios gave Volcan an accusatory look and snorted.
“Puh! And you call yourself a friend!”
Volcan cast a cross glance at him.
“OK!” Aerios defended himself. “I know when I’m not wanted.”
The Guardian of Wind got up and chucked the blood-smeared cloth at Volcan. Then he grinned and immaterialised. A little later, only the sudden fluttering of the curtains showed that Aerios had left through the open window.
Volcan threw the towel onto the floor and allowed his thoughts to wander back to Coreena. He recalled the erotic scene in her apartment and set about relieving himself. At least he would be able to sleep now.
Chapter 5
Coreena was engrossed in Volcan’s campaign when the phone rang. She pressed on the loudspeaker.
“What is it?” she asked, irritated.
“Mr. Custos on line two,” said her secretary.
Coreena’s heart beat accelerated. She should have declined this job. This man went one step too far for her. Never had a man made it so clear to her that he wanted to go to bed with her. The fact that he did not mince his words set her on edge, and it bothered her even more that she wanted it as much as he did. That was not the way she was. What should she do now? She could not get rid of him – that was highly unprofessional. She sighed.
“Put him through,
Phil.”
Soon after, there was a click on the line, and then came the sound of the erotic voice of her new client.
“Good morning, Coreena. I’ve booked a table for midday today at the Seoul. You like Korean food, don’t you?”
And there it was again, that tingling and aching in her lower regions. Just the sound of his voice was enough to put her into a state of expectant arousal. She had to do something about this. He must absolutely not realise the extent to which he had her in the palm of his hand.
“Mr. Custos,” she said, emphatically negative. “That is very friendly of you, but I will not be going to lunch with you.” I have a lot to do. Find a woman who will appreciate your attention!”
She heard him laugh quietly and she became angry. This man was just not taking her seriously. The problem was, perhaps, that she was not really convinced by what she was saying, either. She wanted much more than to just have lunch with him. She wanted him naked and passionate in her bed. She wanted him to do outrageous things with her…
‘Damn it! No wonder he can’t take you seriously. Pull yourself together, Coreena!’
“Ow! Now you’ve done it. Now my only option is to throw myself off the Brooklyn Bridge. Can your conscience deal with that?”
“Have a lot of fundoing that!” she said coolly.
“Miss Heartless!” moaned Volcan, pretending to be insulted. “I’ll pick you up at twelve,” he added, after a pause.
“Oh, no! You won’t…” She was interrupted by a beeping sound that showed that Volcan had hung up.
‘This arrogant bastard!’
*
Nervously, Coreena looked at the clock. It was quarter to twelve. What should she do if this man turned up here? She would prefer not to see him again until the job was completed. For goodness’ sake! The way this man made her lose all self-control! She was not herself when she was with him. And even when he was not near her, he made her lose her mind. It was driving her mad. Why did she have to get precisely this sort of client? Until recently her life was perfectly organised and safe. ‘And boring!’ her inner voice pointed out.
Coreena could not concentrate on her work any more. She jumped restlessly out of her office seat and went to the huge panoramic window. Her office was on the twelfth floor. A person walking along the street would not be able to see her. Or would they? Nervously, she took a step back. Just in case. She did not want this arrogant man to think she was just waiting for him.
‘But aren’t you doing precisely that?’ interjected her inner voice.
But she did not need to show him, too. He was already very sure of himself. She did not need to feed his ego still more. Decisively, Coreena turned away from the window and went over to the huge fish tank. Fish were calming, weren’t they? She stared at a swarm of neon fish and waited for calm to return to her agitated insides. No go! Her pulse was still racing as if she had just run a marathon and the butterflies in her belly were having a party.
“Damn it!”
Frustrated, she walked up and down the room until she ended up next to the window again. She stared at the masses of cars pushing through the streets. A black Hummer stopped in front of the building and a man got out. Coreena’s heart leapt. Volcan!
‘A macho-man like him suits that car,’ she thought miserably. ‘Now I’ll stand him up good and properly, in a way he’s never experienced before. He thinks that every woman is going to fall submissively into his arms. Hah! Not me!’
Coreena rushed behind her desk again and picked up the plans for the campaign. She was ready to look very busy. She simply did not have time to go out with clients. And anyway, that was not her style. And she certainly was not going to have anything to do with this smug macho-man.
‘Lier!’
When the door to her room opened she had to pull herself together to stop herself jumping up like a startled deer. Phil appeared with a transfigured smile on her face – evidence that Volcan had already bewitched her secretary, too. Coreena was seething inside. Not through jealousy, of course. She was not at all interested in the man.
‘Lying again! Don’t try to fool yourself, darling. You’ve completely fallen for this man.’
“Mr. Custos is here,” hummed Phil, with lightly reddened cheeks.
Volcan appeared behind her, and before entering the room he bent over Phil’s hand and kissed it.
Coreena’s blood reached boiling point. She simply could not bear watching the way this man conducted himself, as if all the women of the world would fall at his feet.
“You’re the most delightful receptionist that I’ve ever met,” he flattered her, and Phil giggled like a school girl.
“Mr. Custos. You’re the most charming client that we’ve ever had.“
Volcan glanced mischievously at the secretary, and then entered the office.
“Coreena. How much I have been looking forward to seeing you again. Are you ready for our lunch?”
‘Womaniser! Heart-breaker! I’ll give you what for!’
“Mr. Custos! I already told you on the phone that I will not be going to lunch with you. As you can see, I’m in the middle of working. My secretary’s on lunch soon. Perhaps you should…”
“I wanted to go to lunch with you, not with your secretary.”
“I’m not hungry anyway,” she snapped.
“You have to eat!” insisted Volcan.
“I’ve already eaten,” lied Coreena.
“I can hear your stomach rumbling from here,” said Volcan, smiling. “Why don’t you just admit that you’re afraid to go to lunch with me?”
“I’m not afraid!” she protested.
“Fine! So let’s go,” beamed Volcan.
“I have too much…”
Volcan stopped her speaking by pulling her back into his arms. Coreena’s heart beat wildly. His smell, of aftershave and leather, went to her head and, half in panic and half in longing, she expected him to kiss her.
“If you don’t come to lunch with me, then I’ll kiss you,” he threatened teasingly.
Shocked, she looked up at him. Could he read thoughts? Was she so easy to see through? His look was a little mischievous but she could also see the longing behind it. Heat made her pussy tingle and she wished that he would do exactly what he had threatened to do.
“So? Are you coming with me now?”
“I… I really do have a lot to do and…”
Without warning he pulled her to him. Her cry of shock was muffled by his lips, as he pressed his mouth to hers.
“I warned you,” he murmured onto her lips.
He pressed her closely to his body and she felt his arousal. Her own body reacted promptly and hot juice soaked her panties. His tongue demanded access to her mouth. She put her head slightly to the side and opened her lips. The first touch on her tongue sent a lightening flash to her lower regions and she groaned quietly. What else could she do but give herself over to this man. She was powerless against the effect that he had on her. He was like a drug that turned her brain to mush.
Without taking his mouth off hers he lifted her into his arms and put her onto the desk. He pushed himself between her legs and deepened his kiss. Coreena was on fire. She had never desired a man as much as she desired Volcan. She could not pretend any longer. Her hands moved over his strong upper arms and touched his broad shoulders.
They were both breathing heavily. Volcan moved his hands over her body. He opened her blouse and held her breasts, covered in a mint-coloured, lace bra. Coreena gasped as he touched her aroused nipples which were, almost painfully, pushing against the lace of the bra. Skilfully, he opened the clasp between her breasts and laid her full bosom bare.
He looked at her longingly.
“By the elements! How beautiful you are,” he murmured, and he leant over to take a pink bud between his lips.
Coreena gasped as he sucked on her nipple and she threw her head back. Volcan put a hand under her skirt and moved it up between her legs. She quivered.
�
��You should have gone to lunch with me,” he murmured.
She stiffened as she became aware of what she was about to do. Her secretary could come in at any moment and see them. And anyway, she was not the type of woman to have a quickie with a man that she hardly knew.
“We can’t… we can’t… not here…,” she stammered, and tried to push him away.
He groaned and stopped.
“By the elements. Coreena, you know how to torment a man. Now I’ll have to go and sort myself out again in the toilets,” he said hoarsely.
“I’m… I’m sorry. I…”
“No! No need to be sorry. I’ve practically attacked you. I must apologise. I lost my head.” He laughed huskily. “That seems to be happening to me a lot at the moment – at least, since I met you.”
Embarrassed, Coreena tried to button up her blouse again with trembling fingers. Blood pulsated through her ears, and she felt torn between the wish to pull him to her again, and the panic about losing her heart to him. Just the way he flirted with her secretary clearly showed what sort of man he was. A charming seducer, without doubt with huge lover’s qualities, but not the marrying type. He would perhaps sleep with her a few times and then move to the next challenge. She must not forget that.
“Let me help you,” he said quietly, and with skilful fingers he had done up the buttons in no time.
He kissed her gently on the tip of her nose and pulled her to him, so that her cheek was on his chest and she could hear his rapid heartbeat.
“You can’t imagine how much I long to make love to you. I want to taste you – everywhere – I don’t want to miss one inch of your soft skin. I want to make you feel desire like you’ve never felt before,” he whispered into her ear. “And I want to make you call out my name when you come,” he added hoarsely.
Volcan's Fire (Guardians of The Elements #1) Page 4