Eternally Bound: Paranormal Romance Boxed Set

by T. J. Michaels

  “Hello, love,” Rahn whispered. A quick kiss on Chrys’ cheek was followed by a steel-laced, “Eden, how nice to see you again.”

  Both occupants were doing a hell of a job schooling their features. Chrys’ mouth hadn’t fallen open nor had her eyes widened to the size of tea saucers. And Eden’s distinct deep golden features were a blank mask. But this time, when the older man started to rise, Rahn moved smoothly with a gesture of conciliation.

  “Please don’t get up on my account. I’m not staying.” And neither are you, he thought, taking in the display of Chrys’ luscious curves, courtesy of a dazzling deep purple spaghetti strap dress. “Chrys, would you step outside with me for a moment. I called into the office today and I have a message for you.” Well, it was true, just not in that order.

  Ah, what a dazzling smile, Rahn grunted. He didn’t appreciate she was giving it to the wrong man as she rose gracefully from the table, telling Eden she’d be right back. Rahn motioned toward the exit door not five paces from her chair.

  The second she was over the threshold, he grasped her by the forearm, pulled her into the nearest alcove and completely lost his mind.

  Chrys rounded on him, and hissed, “I was just about to have dinner, Rahn. This had better be important, damn it. So, what’s the message?”

  Angry didn’t begin to describe her current mood, but he sensed she was more upset about her deepened breathing and the inability to suppress the flush of her skin. He inhaled deeply and was rewarded with the scent of her arousal. Mmm, the unique fragrance of her sex was just beginning to waft up from between her thighs. He grinned. The smell hadn’t been there while she sat at the table, so at least she wasn’t creaming for the Eden creep.

  She’d asked him a question, but there was no way he could respond. Not now. Not when her sweet pussy called his name with its honeyed aroma. Not when his fingers itched to slide over her bare arms, the skin so smooth and soft, like endless candied silk stretched over sleek muscle. He almost cried out for God to help him when the tips of her nipples beaded and plumped under his gaze. His eyes followed the movement of her strong, slender fingers as they knotted into a fist and settled over her hip. And such a lovely hip—lush, full, wide and connected to a succulent, spankable ass that he wanted to grip, and then guide to his quickly rising erection.

  “Rahn?” she asked grumpily. Now her left foot tapped on the floor of the alcove. Her perfectly polished nails peeked out of the tip of her strappy sandals. Painted to match the royal purple of her evening dress. Damn, even her feet were pretty. Each little digit looked just ripe for sucking. The image of his lips wrapped around each one made him look away and out toward the deck. The lacquered wood was awash in bright starlight, while the deep waters of the ocean reflected the bright moon like an endless sapphire pool. Definitely a night for lovers.

  He remained silent. Her toe tapped faster.

  “Rahn, I asked you a question.”

  Aw, hell.

  “What’s the message from Geri…mmmphff!”

  It was moments like this when he was grateful he’d only asked Mahpiya to lend him her senses. If he’d asked for her supernatural strength, the rough way he’d grabbed Chrys might have bruised her tender skin. But damn, he needed to touch and he needed to touch her now. Smashed against his chest, her nipples tightened into teasing little treats hidden by the top of her dress. The sensual stab of the swollen points rasped against his skin through his linen shirt. Teased and tormented him because of his enhanced senses. His hands traveled the length of her back, following the curve of her spine as he dipped his head and took her mouth in a kiss so hot it singed the tips of his ears.

  Her flavor burst upon his tongue. She tasted so good. Felt so good. As her apprehension melted away, her lips softened underneath his. Strong fingers sank into the front of his shirt and held on as she gave herself up to the kiss and let him feast as his tongue twisted and twined around hers.

  He groaned into her mouth. His hand wandered up over her ribs and confirmed a niggling suspicion—she wasn’t wearing a bra. The firm breast filling his palm was all her. God, such a curvy little thing. Perfect, pleasingly plump. And his.

  Rahn left a trail of heated nips over the shell of her ear and down the slope of her neck. Her breathing deepened and he reveled in every rise and fall of her chest, the slight flush under her skin, the fullness of her kiss-swollen cherry lips.

  One hand slid down over her hip and around to the plump globes of her ass. And he did exactly what he’d been thinking moments before. He pulled her hard against his groin and ground his hips forward. She looked surprised, thunderstruck and just a bit wary of her reaction to him. The woman seemed unsure whether to kiss him again or run like hell. His mouth kicked up into an irrepressible grin. He wanted to preen like Mahpiya did after a successful hunt. Why? The unflappable Chrysalyn Geyer was completely out of sorts and it was all his fault.

  “Uh, so…my goodness,” she said on a rush of breath. It took her a second to get it together. Then she let her artificial career agent’s face slide into place.

  She took a half-step back and said, “So, what’s the message from work?”

  She was too quick to recover. He’d have to work on that.

  A rough edge he’d never experienced before with a woman rode him hard. The need to mark her, mate her was like a vise wrapped around his lungs that he’d never be free of until the deed was done. He’d never felt so predatory, so dangerous. Ever.

  “First, I said I called in today. However, I did not say the message was from work.”

  “What?”

  “Our boss says hi and enjoy your vacation. But the message, Chrys, is from me.”

  “Rahn, I don’t understand. What message?” she said curtly, brows knitted with irritation. He knew what that meant. She wanted to know what was up. Right damned now. And Rahn wanted nothing more than to oblige.

  “The message, love, is this—lose the Eden guy and meet me in our apartment in ten minutes. Or else.”

  “Or else? Really?” she said as the fist slammed back onto her hip. She couldn’t tap her foot because he stood too close. “And what’s the or else, asshole?”

  One strong arm under her bottom lifted her clean off the floor, the other held her firmly, but gently, by the nape as he covered her mouth once again. Her legs automatically wrapped around his waist, causing her dress to ride up in a bunch around her hips. A single step had her back flush against the alcove wall as he kissed her hard, hungry. Miles and miles of gorgeous thigh and ass were bare to his questing fingers. And the scrap of cloth she called underwear was no barrier at all. A fingertip skimmed her left butt cheek. The nerves underneath her skin quivered clear down to the slit of her pussy. So he followed that quiver with his hands and allowed himself to play. Mmm, what a wonderland her body was.

  Burning with need for this woman, Rahn poured the energy from the fire in his blood into the kiss, into each touch. God, he was going up in smoke. The ragged moans rising up in her throat told him she wasn’t immune.

  He eased away a bit and let her down. Her feet touched the ground and she wobbled. Well, maybe she didn’t quite wobble, but it was an excuse to keep his hands on her a while longer. Unable to keep the rasp from his voice, he spoke through gritted teeth.

  “Ten minutes, Chrys. Don’t make me come looking for you.”

  Chest heaving, he backed away and disappeared out onto the deck. He didn’t wait for a yes or no, didn’t plan to give her a choice. And by the time he was done with her, she would only want to make one decision. Him.

  The man was too damned bossy, but he sure had a talented tongue. Never mind the fact her heart had belonged to him for too many years to count. Even after he’d broken it, the bastard. She’d forgiven long before he’d ever apologized, so why did her heart and her head have such a hard time agreeing? One said he was the one for her. Even her spirit guide approved of the man. But the other said no way, that he would just hurt her again. She really needed some help here.
She looked down at her watch. Seven minutes left to make up her mind.

  ‘Adonei, come to me.’

  Immediately, the semi-transparent image of her spirit guide’s regal form appeared behind her eyes as she made her way back to the table where Eden waited. Other than Rahn, Chrys didn’t think she’d ever met a more handsome man. And from Egypt, of all places, his home was just outside Alexandria, one of the ports of call on this trip. Maybe he would give her a personal tour of the Lighthouse of Pharos once they reached port?

  A muted snuffle sounded in her mind as Adonei shook his maned head. *Your mate would not approve,woman.*

  ‘But I haven’t accepted him as my mate. I’m not sure I even want to.’ Now why the hell had she bothered to say those words? Even if she tried to lie to herself, lying to Adonei was just plain impossible.

  *I cannot assist you if you are not willing to be honest.*

  ‘Yes, I know, Adonei,’ she admitted with a sigh. She’d known the second Rahn laid down his little ultimatum what she would do. Would he always get his way? Hell no. After all, she was no punk bitch. But tonight, the man looked like a hunter after her hide, and she wanted to give it to him. She’d never felt such an innate need to submit before. Even when she’d been engaged to Sean, she would have laughed in his face if he’d ordered her to be somewhere. The difference was she wanted to be exactly where Rahn asked—no, told—her to be. In five more minutes.

  “Hi, Eden. Sorry about the interruption,” she said with the brightest smile she could muster. She didn’t bother to sit down.

  “Is something wrong, Chrysalyn?” he asked pointedly, but politely.

  Honestly, she replied, “No, nothing’s wrong.” Adonei’s rumble of approval resonated down their bond. “But I have to go. My coworker called into the office today.” Which was true. “Something’s come up.” Yeah, Rahn’s king of the jungle act, along with his thick cock. “I’m sorry, but I won’t be able to stay for the dinner show. Maybe another time?”

  *There will be no other time, woman,* Adonei shot down the bond. But she couldn’t take the words back now and would just have to deal with it later.

  Eden stood, graciously took her hand and kissed it gently. “Another time, then. Do you require an escort?” he asked sweetly.

  Adonei growled.

  “No, thanks. I’ll be fine. Goodnight, Eden.”

  She was sure he responded in kind, but she’d already made for the door.

  Their condo was close now. If she hurried, she’d make it at exactly ten minutes. But running for any man was out of the question. Oh, she’d be there all right, honest enough with herself to admit she couldn’t resist Rahn’s call to her body, and had no desire to. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t take her time. Besides, she wore a formfitting dress and high heels, right?

  *Woman, if you were dressed in fitness wear and tennis shoes, you would still manage to be late, if only to prove a point.*

  ‘Adonei!’

  But that was as far as her outrage carried, since the big cat was right.

  Chapter Seven

  The woman would choose now to be stubborn. Her ten minutes had come and gone. Rahn wished he could say the same for his Rock of Gibraltar erection. Walking over to the front door for the fifth time in as many minutes, he kicked his shoes off and paced back across the apartment.

  Hands on hips, he stared out the sliding glass doors and past the private deck to the dark rolling ocean. He fisted his fingers in the thick drapes just to give his hands something to do. He wanted to play in her soft hair. Wanted to cup her firm ass and lift her against his throbbing cock. Fuck, he was going absolutely nuts.

  Damned woman.

  ‘Mah, where the hell is she?’ Rahn growled silently.

  *I do not know, hoksila. There has yet to be an established bond between you and Chrysalyn, so I cannot yet touch her mind.*

  ‘Well, what about Adonei?’ he snapped. ‘Can’t you just ask him?’ He tore his hands away from the curtains, only to run them roughly through his own hair. The insistent need gnawing at his belly for this woman bordered on insane. If it was this bad now, how would it be after they established a relationship? She was five minutes late and he was practically out of his mind. Not something he was familiar with where a female was concerned. With the exception of Mahpiya’s occasional absence from his head, Rahn had never been so impatiently alone.

  He almost thrust his fingers down to his scalp again, but stopped himself, knowing what Chrys would see when she arrived—a wild-haired, crazed crackpot from the worst B movie he could imagine.

  ‘Damn it, this is ridiculous, Mah. Why do I feel so out of control?’

  *It is the mating instinct. The need to claim your mate. Trust me, this is natural.*

  ‘How the hell would you know what’s natural? First off, I’m a human, and second, I’m a male.’

  *Yes, which only makes you more irrational, cub. I suggest you calm yourself before your mate arrives.*

  Cub? Had she called him a cub? Rahn rolled his eyes. The lioness would choose this moment to remind him that he was no more than a child in her eyes. Her endless years and, of course, endless knowledge of dealing with humans gave her just a bit more of an edge in this situation.

  He took a deep breath, closed his eyes and reached out for his guide, silently calling her onto this plane. Her big muscular body materialized, stretched out on the living room floor between the glass coffee table and the overstuffed couch. Rahn walked over and sat down on the floor next to her.

  “I’m sorry, Mah,” he said softly, reaching out a hand to rub her thick muscled shoulder. “I didn’t mean to disrespect you. Forgive me?”

  *Of course, hoksila. As I said, you are less than rational. It is the mating heat and will ease once you claim your female. She is quite the prize. A strong hunter, though Adonei does not approve of her choice of casual companions.*

  “Her choice of what?”

  But there was no answer. Without warning, Mahpiya’s pelt shimmered and shifted. Her body faded until nothing but a faint dusting of her essence floated on the still air before disappearing all together.

  “Mah?” All was quiet. Even the small, constantly occupied place in the corner of his mind was silent. It had only happened once before—this morning in the hot tub. He knew exactly what Mahpiya’s sudden absence meant.

  His cock twitched in anticipation as he sat there cross-legged on the floor, waiting for Chrys to turn the knob on the front door to their apartment.

  * * * * *

  Why did she feel like she was sneaking into her own place? Couldn’t possibly have anything to do with the fact she was practically tiptoeing into her own foyer with her shoes in one hand and easing open the door with the other.

  Rahn sat on the floor in the dark with a strange light in his eyes. Drapes pulled back, the wide glass panes allowed the evening light to flood into the room. The angle with which the beams reflected off his light amber orbs made him look like a cat caught by a flash of light.

  He rose slowly, all sinewy grace and barely leashed power. Damned sexy.

  Even the movement of his long legs and wide muscular torso reminded her of one of the big cats out hunting on the Serengeti. So entranced was she by the easy sway of his lean hips, the slight flex of biceps and pecs as he moved, Chrys didn’t realize he was practically on top of her until they were toe to toe.

  Then he had to go and open his fat mouth and ruin the moment.

  “You’re late. Where the hell have you been? And why didn’t you check in with me earlier like I asked you to?”

  Well, somebody wasn’t happy, she mused sarcastically. At that exact moment, Adonei’s presence diminished in her mind until he was barely a speck on the radar. Obviously backing off to leave her to deal with the miffed male towering over her.

  ‘Traitor,’ she hissed along the link. Good thing she didn’t expect a response because she received none.

  “Chrys, I asked you a question, woman.”

  She snapp
ed her neck to the side, knowing her eyes were wide with incredulity. Talk about a pissy attitude, the man was almost unbearable. The way he snarled down at her, she half expected him to start thumping his chest before tossing her over his shoulder while doing the Tarzan yodel.

  Was this Rahn? The same Rahn she’d worked with for years? Cool, level-headed agent, laid-back, easy-going? Puh. Obviously not.

  “You didn’t ask me a question, Rahn, you asked me two,” she snapped back, refusing to be treated like a damned child. Then again, she didn’t recognize such behavior from this man, so she wasn’t sure what he saw her as. Well, sizzling kisses and hot tub action aside, of course.

  “Yeah, and you haven’t answered either one of them.”

  The urge to submit to him while he’d held her up by her backside in a dark alcove just a little while ago faded as completely as Adonei had from her head. Challenge was the new word of the day.

  “You’re the one working here, Rahn. I’m on vacation. I’m playing.”

  “If you play with anyone, it sure as hell better be me!”

  “What?” She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Who the hell do you think you are? I am not accountable to you and owe you no explanations. I’ll do what the hell I want, when I want. You’re not my man, Rahn. Not anymore, if you ever were in the first place.”

  She was as hot as a Hawaiian volcano, and not with lust. Anger kindled so fast and high she expected his eyebrows to singe away any second now.

  She dropped her shoes on the tiles next to his in the foyer, stepped around him with a humph and headed for her bedroom.

  Who the hell did he think he was, anyway? She didn’t have to take this macho crap from anyone, damn it. Even if you need a strong man to handle your stubborn female self? She couldn’t even scold Adonei for the comment because he hadn’t made it. Damned conscience. It would choose this moment to show up.

  Rahn was so close on her heels she’d swear she felt him breathing rough and hard down the back of her neck. Her arm froze in mid-reach for her doorknob when a firm, but gentle, hand teased her shoulder.