by Nina Bangs
CRITICS RAVE ABOUT NINA BANGS!
THE PLEASURE MASTER
“An irreverent, sexy and hilarious romp . . . Nina Bangs has done a fabulous job of creating a funny, sexy off-beat romance that time-travel aficionados will absolutely relish.”
—Writers Write
“Sizzling! . . . Witty eroticism reaches new heights in . . . this erotically intense, wildly imaginative romp.”
—Wordweaving
“Plenty of laugh-out-loud moments . . . if you’re looking for fun and fantasy, you will find it here!”
—Romantic Times
AN ORIGINAL SIN
“Ms. Bangs has written a fun comedy of people out of time. It is a romp and should be enjoyed in large gulps.”
—CompuServe Romance Reviews
“If you’re looking for a funny, heart-wrenching and truly lovely romance to read, try this one. You won’t be disappointed.”
—All About Romance
“Nina Bangs has come up with a completely new and unique twist on the time-travel theme and has delivered a story that is both humorous and captivating.”
—Romantic Times
TEMPTATION
She had to look up a long way. Past firm calves with a light sprinkling of damp hair clinging to them. Past thighs roped with wet gleaming muscles. She paused to stare at his most riveting feature, because no matter how horrified she was, the corner of her mind in charge of recording historical life events insisted she take note. Like a five-hundred-year flood, or Haley’s Comet, you only lived to see some things once.
Yes! She could die a fulfilled woman.
She moved on. If staring at the sun could blind you, Ally didn’t even want to consider what staring at Brian’s assets would do.
She skimmed over his flat, hard stomach and strongly muscled chest with its damp whorls of hair adhering darkly to his flesh.
Her inspection at last reached his eyes. No shame there. They were bright with amusement. But as she watched, the amusement changed to something else. Something hot, hungry. Dangerous.
“You tempt me greatly, woman.”
OTHER LOVE SPELL BOOKS BY NINA BANGS:
THE PLEASURE MASTER
AN ORIGINAL SIN
NINA
BANGS
Night Games
DORCHESTER PUBLISHING
Published by
Dorchester Publishing Co., Inc.
200 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10016
Copyright © 2002 by Nina Bangs
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, without the written permission of the publisher, except where permitted by law. The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Trade ISBN: 13: 978-1-4285-1654-0
E-book ISBN: 978-1-4285-1655-7
First Dorchester Publishing, Co., Inc. edition: May 2002
The “DP” logo is the property of Dorchester Publishing Co., Inc.
Printed in the United States of America.
Visit us online at www.dorchesterpub.com.
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
For Barb,
Here’s to our Dublin years, a magical time of freedom and infinite possibilities. And woven through all our memories of Ireland is its music. May the music and our memories never fade.
Night Games
Prologue
Sex. Rules of the game: play hard, play to win, and play with a passion for the game, never for the woman.
Brian Byrne stood in the center of the packed stadium, lifted his face to the artificially generated breeze that cooled his bare body, and saluted the thousands of fans who screamed his name. In the future, experts would agree that 2502 was his year.
Why didn’t he care more?
Striding away from the women he’d just brought to completion, Brian fought his way through back-pounding teammates, then pushed past the hundreds of robotic reporters hovering around, wanting a piece of him. With a sense of relief, he entered his undressing room.
Alone. Well, not quite. Jupe slipped in as the door slid shut.
He tried to ignore his agent, but it was tough ignoring five feet five inches of lean, mean selling machine. Brian stepped under the cleansing spray and closed his eyes as the liquid sluiced over his body, washing away the sweat and smell of sex.
“You were incredible out there. Wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it. You know, I still think you should try a mask. Add to the dangerous image.”
Brian leveled a dark stare at him.
“Okay, okay, so you don’t need the mask. But a few chains wrapped around you would play into a lot of women’s fantasies.”
Brian stepped out of the spray, then rubbed himself dry with a towel. It would’ve been easier to use the Air Scrubber and Evapo-drier, but he enjoyed the old-fashioned feel of liquid flowing over him and the rough towel on his body. Tactile in all things. If he couldn’t touch it, it wasn’t worth his time. “I don’t need to play into women’s fantasies.”
“Right. You are every woman’s fantasy. You know why? Because women love the you-can-touch-my-body-but-never-my-heart image. You’re a challenge. Women love challenges.”
Jupe would never understand. “It’s no image. That’s me. Take it or leave it.”
Jupe ignored him. “I wish you’d let me leak this thing you do for those kids to the Cosmic Network. Soften your image. Let people know you care about something.”
Brian shook his head. “You just got through saying that women love the untouchable image. Tell them about the kids and I won’t be untouchable anymore.” He’d never use the homeless children he supported for public relations purposes. They were a part of who he was, where he’d come from. He didn’t have career choices when he entered the league, but he kept playing so his kids would have choices. They were a part of himself he shared with no one, not even Jupe.
“Yeah, guess you’re right.” Jupe glanced at the Experience-the-Thrill pressure pad with a scene of Brian holding aloft the Universal trophy the team had won three months ago. He had only to touch the pad to be drawn into a virtual world where he could relive the glory of his most famous client. He didn’t touch it. “I never asked why you chose the name Brian. Great name. Sounds primitive. Women like primitive.”
“It’s my real name.” One of his only links to the parents he’d barely known. Even after so many years he felt the anger, and took it out on Jupe. Jupe who’d seen talent in a raw teen and over the course of twelve years molded him into a face and body recognized on even the farthest explored planet. “At least I’m not named after a big ball of gas.”
Jupe paused to study him. “So? Lots of people are named Jupiter. And what’s the matter with you? You just won it all. You’re the king.”
Brian exhaled wearily. “Sorry for the crack about your name. Guess the game took a lot out of me.”
Mollified, Jupe rambled on. “Yep, you’re every woman’s fantasy man.” Jupe was practically rubbing his hands together at the thought of how much that fantasy was worth. “This win makes you tops in the universe. When your new contract comes up, infinity’s the limit. And the endorsements—”
“I’m tired. Think I’ll take a vacation.” Brian dropped the towel and started to dress.
Jupe ignored him. “Take a look at this.” He motioned, and the image of a cereal container formed in the middle of the room. “ENJOY THE BEST. I like that in big letters at the top. It was a stroke of genius to show you naked with all those women.”
Brian narrowed his gaze on the container. “My eyes aren’t that green. And my hair’s black, plain black. No gold streaks.” He lowered his glance. “I’m not that big. What’s with the enhancements?”
“Enhancements are good. Keeps you larger than life.” He chuckled. “The whole concept’s genius, pure genius. Gives you lots of exposure.”
“Right. Lots of exposure. Not much dignity, though. Maybe they should lose the women and show me dressed. Fans never get a chance to see me in clothes.” Brian was used to Jupe ignoring him when profit was on his mind. And profit was always on his mind.
Brian motioned, and the cereal container was replaced by the scene of a grassy hill with a few chunks of stone hinting at an ancient building.
“Uh-uh. Females across the galaxy will relate with the ones on the container. See, it’s all about marketing.” Jupe moved around Brian to get a closer view of the scene. “And you’re not the king of dignity, you’re the king of sex.” He pointed at the scene. “What’s this all about?”
Brian huffed in resignation. “Look, Jupe, Monday Night Sex is a team sport, and I’m a team player. The Sex Super Bowl was a team win. They should put all the guys on the container.”
“Give me a break, Byrne. You were the MVP of the series. Who was it that brought four women at once to screaming orgasms in the final minute of regulation time to win it for the Sex Monarchs? Huh? I still can’t believe it. A fourplay. Never been done before. You’re a galactic hero.” Jupe swung his arms wide to demonstrate the scope of Brian’s greatness.
“Sure, sure.” Brian tried to refocus on the scene. “But that’s what the Old One paid for. Capricorn Wilson offered me a lot to stay with the Testosterone Titans another year, but I was a free agent and the Old One offered an incredible package. Plus you negotiate the best contract in the sport. I make more than the world president. More than ten world presidents.” He grinned at Jupe. “Remind me to tell you what a great agent you are.”
“I get my cut.” Jupe’s attention returned to the scene. “A vacation? A vacation? You’ve never taken a vacation.”
“Never had the chance. Had to keep busy promoting myself so I could earn more. It takes a lot to support all those kids. Now that I’m on top, I can take a little break.” He pointed at an airchair, and it glided over to him. Sinking into it, he allowed himself to relax. So many women drained him in more ways than one.
“You can’t leave now. The Old One has appearances booked solid until the start of training camp. She figures to make a fortune off you.”
Brian laughed. “The Old One already has enough fortunes to buy the universe. She just wants to piss off the other team owners.”
“You can’t—”
“Yes, I can.” Brian turned from the scene. “I need to get away for about a month—from the fans, the responsibilities, the sex.” He stretched. “I think I’ll take a trip back to the ancestral castle. About five hundred years back.”
“Five hundred years?” Jupe’s expression hinted that Brian might as well be dodging dinosaurs. “Why five hundred years?”
“Something interesting happened between 2002 and 2010.” Brian raked his fingers through his still-damp hair. Sometimes he wished it didn’t hang past his shoulders, but it was part of his mystique in a society where everyone shaved, polished, and hired artists to paint pictures on their heads. “History’s a little vague, but during that time period the whole castle collapsed. Why would a building that had stood for centuries just fall down? I’m curious. I figure it was probably still standing in 2002. Might even use the Constructor to shore it up.” He’d rather use his hands. The Constructor made it too easy. Everything in life was too easy. That’s why most men had turned into useless Morwin blobs who couldn’t even get off their butts to have sex. They’d rather watch it. Viewers not doers. He felt sorry for them. No matter how hard his past had been, it had given him drive.
Jupe paced in a frenzy of denial. “You can’t. What if you get hurt where it counts? Whatta we do then, huh? And how’re you going to keep your edge without Nebula?”
“I don’t need a trainer. I don’t think I’ll lose any conditioning in three weeks. And don’t worry, no sex on this trip. By the time I get back I’ll be ready for the season opener.” He raised his hand to still Jupe’s list of possible dangers. “Look, I’m going to a safe time and a safe part of Earth. I’ll go at night so no one will see me arrive, and I’ll have the time-travel agent give me authentic identification and plenty of the currency in use. I’ll even bone up on a speech pattern that’s close to the one I use.”
Jupe didn’t look convinced. “You want a great vacation? Why not a Canthian Retreat? I hear you come out a new man.”
“I don’t think you want a new man.” Jupe wasn’t going to let this go. “I’d guess that five hundred years ago the ancestral castle was already looking pretty grim. Maybe I’ll fix the old place up without the Constructor’s help.” It would feel good to use his hands for something besides touching female bodies.
Jupe blanched. “Use your hands? Primitive tools? What if—?”
“That’s it. I’m going and no one can stop me.”
Brian watched the white stag move through the trees ahead of him. The thick mist hid much of his surroundings, and it was hard to believe the stag was leading him back in time.
Ironic. Humans had conquered space, disease, and everything else imaginable, but time remained a mystery. Only these magical stags from Sirleen held the secret of traveling through time. Intelligent, willing, and scarce, their services couldn’t be afforded by most. He would enjoy himself for a few weeks, but when the stag returned to take him home, he’d probably be glad to go.
He frowned as the castle came into sight. What a mess. Only the keep was still standing. The outer walls and towers lay in ruin. Not much shelter there. Good thing the travel agent had packed him some survival gear. It was dark and rainy; not a great way to start his vacation.
At least he wouldn’t have to worry about any females. No woman would be stupid enough to come here on a night like this.
Chapter One
“Horse pooky. Every red-blooded woman would want to meet Black Liam Byrne, the most evil vampire to ever bite a virgin. Bet he’s tall, dark, and horny. Heck, at my age, that sounds pretty good.” Katy pulled the collar of her all-weather coat more tightly around her ears. “Had a reading done by Mary Jo Clark two years ago. The cards said in 2002 I’d meet a sexy man from far away. Ireland’s far away. Black Liam could be the one.”
Ally hated to stomp on her great-aunt’s vision of sensual nirvana. “Sorry, Katy. From the books I’ve read, I’d say we’re dealing with the dullahan here. Black-robed, headless horseman. Harbinger of death. Vampires aren’t big in Ireland, and they don’t have discriminating taste buds.” She had to shout to be heard above the waves pounding at the base of the cliff. Building a castle with one side backed up to a cliff that dropped hundreds of feet to the sea might make it safe from invaders, but it didn’t bode well for sleepwalkers or the chronically clumsy.
“The dullahan?” Katy cast her a scathing gla
nce. “Dull is right. What good would a headless man be?”
“None. I know because I married one. All Dave’s brains were in his—”
“Can it, Ally. You’re a disgrace to the O’Neills. The O’Neills don’t give up on romance because they pulled one wormy apple out of the basket. Don’t know why the ghosts of your ancestors don’t rise up and kick you out of Ireland.” Katy peered into a darkened doorway of the ruined keep.
“I’m open to new experiences, but I really don’t expect to see any ancestral ghosts rising to defend love. Our family history says most of the O’Neills spent their lives fighting and drinking. That didn’t leave much time for anything else.” Ally flinched as a large drop of water from a lowhanging branch splattered against her cheek.
“You’re here, aren’t you? So they must have done something else. Ever since that rotten exhusband of yours took off with another woman, you’ve been reading too many books. The wrong books.” Katy peered further into the doorway. “Want to take a look?”
“I’d rather eat dirt. Look, it’s cold, wet, and dark. Let’s go back to the wagon.” And away from comments about my “perfect” marriage. Dave had been a mistake, but the experience had toughened her. Strength was part of her new persona. “I still don’t know why we didn’t hire a car to get around Ireland.”
“When I was a kid, I always dreamed about living in Ireland. I used to pretend I was one of the traveling people, driving my gypsy wagon from village to village. Used to picture a dark gypsy kidnapping me and having his way with me. Exciting stuff.” Katy grinned at her. “Could still happen, you know.”
“Katy, we have a horse that’s so laid-back I have to keep checking to see if he’s dead.” Ally smiled. She’d had her own fantasies as a kid. “Excitement is a black stallion, a masked man wearing a black cape. Zorro.” Instead she’d settled for plain Dave who’d morphed into rotten Dave.