He didn't like the idea of sticking around another microsecond but her point was well taken. "All right. We can shower and have a meal here but then we head back to where we hopped in to get some sleep. It won't take long with the scooter."
She rose on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. "Thank you."
His hands moved to bring her closer but she spun away too quickly.
"Clean clothes!" she said exuberantly. "I must have clean clothes."
"I'd suggest we wear the tunics until we're ready to leave—just in case we run into one of the neighbors unexpectedly."
She grimaced. "All right. I'll wash it while I shower."
Not certain he could keep his hands off her if they showered together, he suggested she go first while he found something for them to eat.
She reentered the lodge a short time later, feeling much better for having scrubbed from head to toe. Her tunic was still wet, but at least it was clean.
Gabriel's stomach did a somersault as he watched her walk toward him. The way the damp cloth clung to her curves was more alluring than if she had been nude. He cursed his body's instant response, knowing the urge had to go unsatisfied until her fever began to rise again. For a moment he considered telling her his fever was mounting to gain her cooperation, but as soon as she touched his cool flesh, she'd know he was lying. Without a word, he headed for the shower.
By the time he returned to her, he had his thoughts and his body back under control. They filled up on cold meat, bread and fruit juice, and Shara wrapped up some extra food to take along before they put everything away.
He noticed that she didn't seem to feel any more talkative than he did and he was curious about what sort of thoughts were occupying her mind.
As they prepared to go, he received a shock. His degrav was missing! He had another stowed inside his satchel but it bothered him to know that someone had purposefully taken it and that an object from the future would be left in the past.
It took some improvising but he managed to secure their bags to the steering column of the scooter using his spare degrav and a length of rope.
His nerves would have begun to calm as soon as they started away from the commune, if it hadn't been for his heightened awareness of Shara's voluptuous curves pressing into his back. Within seconds he was back to being unbearably aroused. Quickly he calculated how long he might have to wait for relief. The periods between the fever's peaks were now twenty-three, nineteen and seventeen hours. Even if this stretch were reduced by several hours, he still had a long, long time to restrain himself.
Unless she could be convinced to see the logic of not waiting for the fever to strike again before taking the cure.
Surely she would understand the rationale of preventative treatment. He realized that he was once again preoccupied with thoughts of Shara but it no longer stirred resentment. He told himself he wasn't losing sight of his priorities. He was simply accepting what he had no control over—a reasonable attitude that he desperately wished Shara could adopt as well.
He hoped this torture would be ended in a few more hours. They would be back in their own time, receive medical treatment for their condition and he could get on with his work... and his solitary life.
Rather than giving him a sense of relief, that knowledge clenched a fist around his heart again and he wondered if he was developing another disturbing side effect to the fever.
Night came as they rode but a clear, full moon lit their path. As he stopped the scooter and dismounted, he felt the strength ebb from his body. Shara had been right to suggest they get some rest before attempting the return time-hop. He was exhausted. After removing their bags from the scooter, he pulled out the sleeping pouch. The sooner they took a nap, the sooner they could be on their way.
All things considered, Shara felt pretty good. She had survived a terrifying chain of events and, though her mission was not yet accomplished, it could be soon. If one of the many hair samples she'd collected that morning was a match to Khameira's. And if she could sneak away from Gabriel long enough to arrange a brief meeting with the Ruling Tribunal.
Gabriel was already tired and she knew one sure way to wear him down even further. It no longer seemed immoral to consider sharing her body with him. He was certainly not a stranger anymore and they had established a bond of sorts. She was acutely aware of the personal danger of freely coupling with him but she reminded herself that sometimes the reward is worth the risk.
As fatigued as she was, somehow she would force herself to stay awake a few more hours and accomplish her primary goal.
She inhaled the fragrance of night-blooming flowers and scanned the star-filled sky. It was a warm, beautiful night and she was with a handsome, desirable man who wanted her badly enough for her to take advantage of him.
The situation could be a lot worse.
Chapter 14
As Gabriel spread the pouch on the ground, he felt the wind lift the skirt of his tunic... only there was no wind. He smoothed the material back down over his buttocks and bent over to straighten the pouch. Again the tunic blew up and bared him from the waist down.
Shara's giggle gave her mischief away. He whirled around to find that she was standing too far away to have lifted the material by hand. He started to question her when she touched a finger to her lips. He didn't understand until he felt a tug on the braided rope around his waist. Looking down he saw it untie itself then slither down his stomach and between his legs. He held very still as it coiled around one thigh and snaked its way down to the ground, tickling his genitals in the most extraordinary way. Next, his paralyzer rod left its sheath and traveled to the ground on its own.
Normally he would have been angry that she was using her mind to toy with him but what she was doing was far too erotic to be infuriating. Smiling seductively, she eyed the front hem of his draped tunic and it began to gather together. Ever so slowly, it slipped between his thighs, teased its way up his back, over his bare shoulder then floated through the air to land at her.
Ping
Gabriel removed Beauty and tossed it on the ground. He didn't need some stupid device to tell him his temperature was rising. Shara slipped out of her sandals, so he did the same, but otherwise he held still for fear any movement on his part would cause her to change her mind about playing with him.
Stepping toward him, she said, "I think it's time for me to demonstrate that I am the reasonable person I have claimed to be. Whatever this is between us, I'm done fighting it."
As he stood there, naked and more than ready, yet waiting for her direction, a heady power rushed through her. Surely Zeus's nectar would be no match for the exhilaration she was feeling. Letting the power flood her body and fuel her purpose, she handed Gabriel the end of her rope belt. He untied it then, imitating what she had done to him, he dragged the material of her tunic over her body as if he were in no hurry to reveal what she was finally willingly offering, with no coercion whatsoever.
When he tossed the barrier aside, she stepped into his arms. "Let's find out what we've been missing," she whispered and rising on tiptoes, she pressed her lips to his.
With the first taste of his mouth, she forgot her ulterior motive for this seduction, forgot why she had been fighting him for so long. Later, when it was absolutely necessary, she would remember her sensible reasons for not wanting to fully share herself with this man. But for now, and as long as they had no choice in the matter, she would enjoy every kiss, every touch, every exciting moment he could give her.
She couldn't tell if it was her fever reigniting or his talented hands roaming over her, but her flesh had begun to tingle and she felt the stirring of her sexual pulse. Her hands held his hips in place as she deepened the kiss and moved against him to relay her wish to please him, for a change. He had been ready when she removed his tunic but she wanted him more than ready.
Slipping her fingers through his golden chest hair, she teased his nipples until they puckered for her. Then she continued dragging her nails
slightly down his abdomen while she lowered herself to her knees before him.
Gabriel groaned aloud as she took his erection into her mouth and continued to use her nails to tease the rest of his sensitive flesh. It took an incredible amount of strength to remain standing as she pulled him closer to the edge of his control. With every ounce of willpower he possessed, he brought her back up to her feet to face him.
Rather than entwining their bodies more intimately however, he stepped back from her and took a deep breath. Shara reached for that part of him that was straining to return to her but he took both her hands in his before she could touch him.
His tongue caressed each of her wrists then he dipped his head forward to give her a light kiss on her mouth. Still holding her hands, he said, "You wanted to find out what we've been missing. So do I. There's no need for another frantic coupling as long as the fever isn't in control."
He brought her hand to his cheek then touched hers. "We're both a little warm but nowhere near delirium. Nothing in life is supposed to be as pleasurable as foreplay and coupling during one's mating fever. Consider this a rare opportunity to experiment with something you may have had to wait decades for. Close your eyes, Shara, and don't think about anything except what you're feeling. Let's see just how long we can make the pleasure last."
Shara's attempts to drive him to distraction had taken its toll on her. She almost demanded that he satisfy her immediately but his words had now aroused her curiosity as much as her body. She obediently closed her eyes.
"Hold your arms out to your sides," he instructed, positioning them as he wanted. "Palms up and head tipped back as if you're a goddess beckoning to the moon to increase your power over me. Spread your feet a little farther apart... to keep your balance."
From the teasing tone of his voice, she guessed her balance was not quite what he had on his mind. The pose left every part of her body exposed to him. It might have been somewhat embarrassing but with her eyes closed and her temperature creeping higher, she had little problem ignoring her usual modesty.
"Can you guess what I'm doing?" he asked from behind her. She turned her head toward his voice. "How about now?" he said at her side. "Or now?" He was back in front of her. "I'm tempting myself by looking without touching. Don't you feel my eyes on you, devouring you, committing every sexy, feminine part of you to memory?"
Her breasts tightened in response.
"I was once asked to describe what I considered the perfect female body. My answer then was long and lush, with full breasts and hips ample enough to offer comfort to a body as large as mine. I might have added hair like black silk, soft, full lips made for kissing and eyes that would tell me exactly what she's feeling when I touch her. My answer now would be only one word." His breath was hot against her ear as he whispered that word.
"Shara."
He stepped to her side and was gratified to see her head automatically turn to follow his movement. "You are the beautiful Goddess of the Moon and I am your devoted servant, here to worship at your temple."
A shiver slipped down her spine and into her core. He had claimed to be tempting himself but his words were playing havoc with her patience. She closed her thighs to try to relieve the throbbing.
"Don't do that," he said, noting the movement. "You wouldn't want to lose your balance when there's so much more to come. All I've done so far is look. Now I'm going to touch. Is there any place in particular you'd like me to start?"
The smile she heard in his voice prompted her to shake her head rather than reply. Whatever he had in mind was probably better than any suggestion she might make.
"No preference? Then I think I'll start here." His fingertips tickled the palm of her left hand then slipped in and out of her fingers.
As lightly as a butterfly's caress he grazed his way up one side of her arm and down the other. The mild tingling she had been feeling grew more intense wherever he touched and when his fingers trickled over her shoulders to her other arm, smoldering trails of sparks were left behind. His hands sensitized every inch of the back of her body, from shoulders to heels. And when she was about to scream at him to be done with it, he came around to her front and began working his way back up from her toes.
She told herself she could wait, that she should appreciate the steady building of her need, that the release would be that much better when it finally happened. But when his fingers moved from her thighs to her stomach, avoiding the neediest part of her, she couldn't hold back the disappointed sigh. "Gabriel, please, I'm dying."
His hands eased up her sides and cupped her breasts. "No, you're not. You're hot, but you're in no danger." She gasped as he scraped his palms over her nipples. "Let me assure you, my Moon Goddess, I'm hot too. But I'm not ready to finish it yet, because I've been waiting to do this for too long."
She felt him lift and knead her breasts and then his firm, wet mouth closed over one peak. Slow, controlled actions were discarded as he covered each breast with eating kisses that became more demanding by the second.
"Please!" she cried, clutching his shoulders. He raised his head to take her mouth while he urged her down to lie on the pouch.
She parted her legs, anticipating his immediate entrance, but he stretched out beside her instead. When she tried to turn toward him, he pressed her back again and broke the kiss to say, "Just a bit longer. There is something I wish to learn while I'm still able."
She was beyond understanding. His mouth was hard and hungry when it returned to hers. His fingers were no longer gentle as they raked over her stomach and into the curls between her legs. With a desperate moan, she arched into his hand. As he used her own dampness to stroke her, she grasped his shaft and moved her hand to the steady rhythm he set.
His tortured groan let her know his need was no less than hers and yet he seemed intent on giving her a release without coupling. She didn't care how it came, only that it should. But wanting it to happen didn't make it so. Simultaneously, their movements became more hurried as they strived to help each other escape the rampaging fever.
Breathing heavily, Gabriel abruptly stopped his efforts and raised himself over her. "It has to be this," he said in a strained voice and plunged into her body.
Her cry this time was of relief and pleasure combined, but it was only momentary, for now that his fire had joined with hers, the blaze of passion burned even hotter. She wrapped her legs around him and lifted her hips with each of his powerful thrusts so that he was embedded as deeply as possible. Though the need to climax was overwhelming, she didn't want the delicious torment to stop.
Higher and higher into the heavens she rode the spiraling sensations, until there was no heaven, no ground, no bodies. Only pleasure and the raging inferno demanding its tribute.
As it had been in her dream the other night, she was suddenly at the base of an erupting volcano and scaled her way up to its mouth. A tongue of fire shot up from the bubbling cauldron of lava and shaped itself into a man.
Shara! he called and held out his arms.
In a panic she looked behind her for an escape route but the path through the flowing lava was no longer there. The only escape from the volcano was through its fiery heart. Leaping off the rim into the man's arms, she spoke his name in return. Gabriel!
He caught her as the eruption rocked through them and held her securely against him in the rippling aftermath. It was like nothing she had ever imagined, yet it was no less incredible than she had known sharing herself with Gabriel would be.
Shara knew everything had returned to normal when she recognized the feel of the sleeping pouch beneath her and the weight of the man above and inside her. She opened her eyes and gave him a shy smile. "An experiment, huh? Did we learn anything?"
He gave her a dimpled grin and rolled them both onto their sides without separating their bodies. "I think so. First of all, we've confirmed that only coupling will cool the fever. No substitutions. Second, either passion can trigger the fever or the period of relief just took a
drastic drop. It's only been about four hours since the last peak."
She didn't want to think about that, so she revealed a different concern. "I saw the volcano again. Only this time I knew it was you."
"Yes," he said, picking up her bewilderment. "I saw it also, and I heard you say my name this time, but it was more like a hallucination than a dream. So now it's certain. We're not only sharing the fever, there's a mental connection of some kind, in spite of my jammer and without being formally joined."
Shara had a strong feeling that the vision had a deeper meaning than the obvious but it made her uncomfortable to think about that also, so she pushed it to the back of her mind.
She felt him flex within her body and her muscles hugged him in return. Having decided to momentarily shelve her personal codes of propriety, she could admit that she liked feeling him inside her. Bending her knee, she drew one leg up to his hip to bring him even deeper.
"There is one more thing we learned," he said in a husky voice. "They were right."
Shara wrinkled her forehead. "They who?" He laughed and a spear of pleasure darted through her.
"Whoever they are who said, nothing in life is as pleasurable as coupling during the mating fever." Instead of agreeing with him, she lowered her lashes and he experienced a very strange feeling in the pit of his stomach. "Shara? What's wrong?"
She shook her head but kept her eyes averted.
"Please look at me." As she complied, he noticed her eyes were still the delicious shade of chocolate he liked so much and his hunger for her returned full force. But there was something he hungered for even more—assurance that she had enjoyed the foreplay and coupling as greatly as he. "Am I mistaken? Was that not the most incredible physical experience you've ever had?"
She heard the insecurity in his voice and had to tell the truth. "I could count the number of experiences I've had on one hand and none of them could be described as incredible. I didn't know it could be like that for me. It was really quite... wonderful."
GABRIEL (The Innerworld Affairs Series, Book 4) Page 19