“Chrys, love, are you all right?”
She just nodded jerkily between lung-wrenching hacks as Mahpiya’s smug and totally self-satisfied image faded from behind her eyes.
*Excuse me, young Chrys. Adonei is calling to me.* With a wink, the damned cat was gone.
Chrys, on the other hand, blushed furiously. With a croaked “I’m all right”, she left a concerned Rahn staring after her and hurried to change her coffee-stained t-shirt.
* * * * *
Exactly thirty minutes after Chrys’ breakfast, Rahn took his still-grumbling woman down to the fitness area. He’d purposely avoided her questions last night when she’d asked him about heading into port. Most of the owners had gone ashore for an overnight excursion in Athens.
Vacation or not, she needed to keep her skills honed and sharp. The gym was usually reserved for basketball and volleyball, but today the place was all but deserted. They could spar and, if she wished, talk about the case with relative privacy.
Rahn looked her up and down. He loved the way her workout pants hugged her hips and that lovely, lush ass. The sweatshirt covered up just about everything else, but he knew good and well what was under it—a little gray sports bra. And nothing else.
Before his body could react to the thought of stripping her bare and nibbling on her candy nipples, he pushed the temptation away and focused on the task at hand—sparring.
He dragged her fully into the gym, dropped his gear bag by the nearest wall and squatted to unzip it. Chrys was a petite little thing, but strong in body and character. And he wouldn’t go easy on her, knowing the woman would go for blood from the second he signaled “go”.
“Name your weapon.”
With a roll of her eyes and a sigh, she finally said, “Give me the Japanese bo. For starters.”
Her glare spoke volumes. Guess she really wasn’t a morning person. Keeping her up half the night exploring every sexual position known to man couldn’t possibly have anything to do with her grumpiness.
Rahn dug a pair of bokken out of the bag, tossed her one and walked to the middle of the floor. “On your mark.”
Chrys gave a short bow, and it was on.
And damn, the woman was good with the thing. The slim sword-shaped piece of smooth wood sliced through the air with a hiss. A loud clack echoed through the wide-open space as their weapons met. He countered a blow to his upper thigh, but her strike was so hard and solid that the vibration traveled up his arm and settled in the joint between shoulder and collarbone.
A loud “yaaaahhhh” erupted from deep in her being, as if she’d gathered all her chi, all her life force, just for this moment. Three swift kendo blocks warded off his attack, then she flowed into a high diagonal cut, followed by a half-cut, full-cut combination that nearly took his head off.
Chrys signaled a break and took just long enough to strip off her sweatshirt. Then she jumped back into the fray with skill, grace and undisguised intent. Next came a good solid bout of exchanged blows. They both landed several good whacks. No doubt a good soak in the hot tub would be in order later.
With a step back, slightly winded with exertion, Chrys signaled that she was dropping her weapon. But if he thought she was giving in, he was quickly disabused of the notion. Chrys? Quit? Not bloody likely.
The second their weapons clattered to the floor, Chrys left the ground with a flying kick to the torso and landed lightly on her feet. He stumbled backward, quickly regaining his balance. Time to change tactics.
Then again, considering how much had happened in so little time, Chrys must be up to her eyebrows with frustration. Why not let her use this practice time to work it out on him? But he’d better remain focused or she’d pound him into a big greasy spot on the floor.
Chrys stood cool-headed and composed in a perfect horse stance. The perfect fit of her stretchy pants outlined the muscle of strong thighs. Sleek thighs. Delicious thighs. Damn, the woman was hot.
Moving in close, she engaged him in hand to hand with a strange combination of Aikijutsu and Krav Maga. And she gave everything she had, and then some.
Just then he inhaled deeply, trying to catch his breath. And got a whiff of Chrys in all her sweaty glory.
The way the perspiration glistened on her skin called his tongue, urging it to lick a path through it. The ferocity with which she defended and attacked turned him on like nothing else.
This was fucking ridiculous. Even in a fight, he wanted to make love with her. He backed up, trying to ignore the uncomfortable ridge pushing at the front of his sweats. Good thing he wasn’t wearing boxers or he’d have a tent in his pants.
A surge of plain old lust swept him from toes to nose. When Chrys let a punch fly for his jaw, he caught her little fist in his larger one and yanked her to his chest, then flipped her around.
His cock pressed into the crack of her ass. She tilted her head and tried to look back at him.
“Rahn?” The way his name rolled off her lips held just a hint of confusion with a splash of arousal. Enough to push him right over the edge.
An open-mouthed lick across the back of her sweaty neck reduced them both to panting, horny-assed agents.
Turning slightly, whatever she was going to say was cut off in the ferocity of Rahn’s kiss. A kiss so blatantly carnal, hell, he even shocked himself by the urgency with which his mouth moved over hers.
In seconds, she was squirming, trying to turn around to circle her arms around his waist and grind the flat of her belly against his hardening cock. Peeling the bottom of her damp sports bra up, her lovely breasts spilled into his hands. He teased, palmed and stroked them until she wriggled. She broke the kiss on a groan, whispering her need.
“Mmmm, oooh…” she panted. Her head rolled to the side and he couldn’t resist biting and laving the ultra-sensitive spot where neck met shoulders. A series of wild shudders racked her body and her pants became desperate moans.
“Rahn, baby, I need it. Please…”
And he wanted nothing more than to give it to her. But there was no way in hell they’d make it all the way back to their apartment.
Instead, he straightened her bra, tossed her sweatshirt into his gear bag, then scooped her up in his arms. Headed out of the gym, he didn’t set her on her feet until they reached the room he’d spotted at the end of the hall on an earlier trip down here.
From this day forward, whenever Chrys thought about aerobics, her face would blush a shade of caramel apple red every time. He would see to it.
The man’s kiss was like rich dark chocolate, potent, rich, a pure aphrodisiac. Better than the best cup of hot cocoa in the morning. Better than fine aged port wine. Better than…than peach preserves!
And it only took ten seconds of his delicious mouth on hers to make her want him so bad she ached with it. Her pussy bloomed, swelled and moistened in anticipation of his lovely cock spreading her open and sinking deep.
A moment of concern intruded when she saw where he carried her. It was the damned aerobics room. Obviously, no one was scheduled to use it today since the shades were all down and most folks had gone to Athens. But still, it was a public-use room.
“Rahn, wait. No way.” But her body screamed yes when he set her on her feet and a broad palm kneaded her tingling breasts through her sports bra. Her nipples peaked and stiffened, wanting more. More of his touch. More of his cock pressing against her ass cheeks. More of everything.
The click of the door lock echoed around the room. It was just the two of them. In a room with mirror-covered walls.
Care melted like snow underneath a hot July sun. Chrys didn’t think she’d ever seen a human being strip so fast. In seconds, Rahn’s clothes sat piled at his feet. The raw, hard glint of his whiskey brown eyes reached through her soul and pulled. Hard. Speaking of hard, the man was that, and then some. The muscled peak of one biceps rose and fell as his hand stroked the mouth-watering length of his cock. The other arm reached for and caught her.
From between clenched teeth,
his desire spilled from his lips.
“Chrys, damn, I want you so much I’m almost crazy with it. Even without asking Mahpiya to lend me her keen sense of smell, your scent reaches out and grabs me by the gut. I need to fuck you.”
Dayum!
What the hell could she say to that, other than “Jump me, now”!
But first, she had to taste him.
Dropping to the floor, her knees landed on the soft pile of clothing. Her lips opened in anticipation of his unique flavor. Mouth wide, eyes closed, Chrys leaned forward, so ready to feel him bumping the back of her throat.
With a squeak, her lids flew upward as her hands grabbed for whatever she could get a hold of. Flipped onto her hands and knees, palms flat on the floor, a stream of cool air flowed against her skin as her pants and a pair of skimpy underwear were peeled down and off. Rahn’s warm breath came out in a rush against her ear.
“If you touch me, I’ll blow. I’m so hot and hard for you, I just need to get inside. Are you ready, love?”
Boy, was she ever!
No man had ever wanted her so much, needed her so badly. The knowledge alone had her soaking wet, swollen and achy.
The tip of his cock nudged her weeping folds apart. Damn, he was so hot the velvety skin stretched taut over the fat head practically scalded and sent her own temperature soaring. With one surge, he was seated to the hilt with his chest plastered against her back, panting like he’d run a marathon.
Chrys’ adrenaline ran so high, it barely registered that she held them both off the floor. The only thing she cared about was…more. Hips squirming uncontrollably, she silently begged for him to put out the fire he’d kindled in her womb. Her flesh tried to hold him inside as he slowly, deliberately withdrew.
“Unggh,” came his ragged cry as he slammed back inside. His breath whooshed out of his lungs while hers felt corked up in her chest.
Out.
“Rahn, oh my god.”
In.
“Oh, yes!”
Out. Too damned slow.
“Rahn, fuck me, damn it.”
Chrys felt her lion rise up and push against the surface of her thoughts like never before. It was more than Adonei’s consciousness. It was Adonei in pursuit of Mahpiya.
The entire length of Rahn’s rock-hard staff disappeared into her body and triggered an explosion of stars. Light streaked across the back of Chrys’ mind as the two majestic beasts pounced and came together like the swirling vortex of a summer storm. Both were hunters. Neither was prey. And the mating of spirits was fierce and beautiful, echoing the maelstrom of emotions streaking along the bond to surround Chrys and her mate.
They cried out together, both caught up and caught off guard by the intense rush of sensation.
“Shit!” came their echoed cries.
Then the man became a literal fucking machine.
Eager for every inch, Chrys’ body took over and instinct ruled. Her chest hit the floor, leaving just her ass in the air as she clawed frantically for anything to anchor her. Rahn’s fingers dug into her flesh, pulling her hips back to meet each stroke.
“Yes, baby. Give it to me,” she gasped.
He moved deeper, harder.
“Is this what you want, Chrys?” The words were gravelly, harsh.
She yelled her response. “Yes!”
“My cock and only mine?”
“God, yes!”
“Then come around my cock, love. Let me feel that sweet pussy milk me. Touch yourself, sweet.”
Just as she began to stroke her slick, swollen clit, Chrys turned her head and caught their reflection in the mirror. Hell, she didn’t think it was possible to get any more turned on than she already was.
She was wrong.
The sight of Rahn’s marble hard girth sinking into her willing flesh, along with the fingers plucking and rubbing her slick, swollen clit sent her out of her mind.
Orgasm gathered low and tingled at the base of her spine. It burst through her entire being—mind, soul and body. Chrys came on a loud wail, with Rahn’s roar echoing in her ears.
* * * * *
Eden plopped into the nearest living room chair, panting from the morning’s activities. He surveyed the room and sighed. Perhaps he’d taken it a bit too far. A slew of porcelain arms and legs littered the floor in front of the specialized curio cabinet. The beveled panes of glass lay shattered into fine pieces amidst the array of special-ordered shirts, kilts, blouses and trousers. He admired the hand-sewn moccasin still on a dislocated foot.
No. There was no way he’d accept the meaning of the cards. She had to be mistaken. Everyone made mistakes. Even pharaohs, right? Yes, even pharaohs. And like everyone else, pharaohs passed from this plane to the next. And many went before their appointed time. Like this one.
And now who would give him direction?
Perhaps he could guide himself? He’d never possessed the level of skill with the tarot as his harem mistresses. Especially this last one. But now he’d ripped her and all her males to pieces in fury as her words echoed in his head.
She’d claimed the upside-down Empress hadn’t meant Chrys was losing interest in the Rahn asshole. In fact, his pharaoh had left important information out of her first readings of the damned card and neglected to tell him that the reading was accurate…if the person who’d consulted the cards was a woman.
In that case, the upside-down card could represent that woman and indicate a partial success in an important area of her life.
But if the person consulting the cards was a man, it could indicate a weakening of the figure of his beloved, either because the man experienced sentiments less intensely, because the sentiments of the woman had weakened or because she felt physically or psychologically distant.
But he’d been operating under the presumption that Chrys was losing interest in the Rahn asshole, not feeling physically distant from Eden himself. Not to mention he’d been feeling distant from his harem mistress for some time now. The cards could have easily meant his disintegrating tie with his now-in-many-pieces beloved.
But then again…
Damn it, he just wasn’t sure. And he’d become so enraged when his porcelain beauty revealed the other possibilities of the card’s meaning, he’d snapped her neck like a chicken before she could finish the explanation. And now she was gone. Still, her absence was not his concern as much as the possibility that he’d missed something in her interpretation or misunderstood what she had been trying to say.
Sigh.
And it would be months before his next pharaoh was completed. He’d just have to make do until then.
Chapter Thirteen
“I can’t believe you’re not ready to go,” Chrys teased, moving into the kitchen to turn off the lights.
As she passed, Rahn eased up behind her. He pulled her into his arms, planted a loud smack against her temple and held her tight.
“Not my fault. When Captain Laurens ran into us on the way back from our workout, he said he wanted to speak with me for a few minutes. I couldn’t possibly cut the man off mid-sentence when he had such important information to share.”
“Mid-sentence?”
A fist balled up on her hip while a foot tapped out a cadence on the hardwood floor. And that foot was dressed in the sexiest damned high-heeled, ankle-wrap sandals he’d ever seen. And her dress? Shit, she was going to dinner in that? A black backless halter affair that molded perfectly to her luscious curves until it hit her waist. From there, it flared out with a little flip that made him want to peek underneath it. Surely it was designed for a midnight interlude on a private deck…with her leaning over the railing with it hiked up over her hips as she wiggled her ass at him.
God, at this rate, he’d never make it to dinner. He shook his head to clear it and returned to a safer, less freaky subject.
“So, the good captain’s few minutes turned into almost an hour. But the details he passed to me were good ones. Someone got a decent look at our suspect.”
“What? That’s great news.” She turned in his arms and hugged him around the waist. Pushing away, she headed into the dining room and snapped off the light. Rahn trailed behind her, watching her check and double-check that each light was turned off.
“Still annoyed I’m not ready and dressed for our dinner date?”
“Me? Annoyed? Never,” Chrys laughed playfully. “Now hurry up and shower already. Every owner I’ve spoken to has complained about how hard it is to get reservations for this place, and we own the whole damned boat. Our seating time is 8:00 p.m.”
“What time is it now?”
The roll of her eyes should have answered the question clearly. “It’s 7:58 p.m., sir.”
“Well, why don’t you go on ahead? I’ll meet you downstairs at the restaurant. The fancy highfalutin Japanese one, right?”
“Yep, that’s the one.” She still moved around the apartment in an endless stride. Now she was checking the locks on the glass doors that led to the deck.
“Hey, I turned on the shower for you already. Move it, handsome,” Chrys called from across the expanse of the den and disappeared into his old bedroom, now termed the “guestroom”, to complete the security check. He couldn’t blame her. If she hadn’t done it, he would have. In their line of work, it became second nature after a while, almost a nightly ritual of sorts.
Shucking his clothes on the way to the master bath, Rahn couldn’t ignore the sense of foreboding that rode him like a damned cowboy rode a bucking bronco. He simply couldn’t shake it.
*Mah, go with Chrys and your mate to the restaurant. I’ll shower quickly and meet you in about ten minutes.*
Mahpiya’s presence dimmed. Chrys’ giggle from the living room told him that she and Mah were probably teasing the hell out of poor Adonei about something or another.
Males. They just couldn’t get a break. And god help them when the two women got together and ganged up on them. Witty, smart. Damned merciless. And he wouldn’t have them any other way.
Eternally Bound: Paranormal Romance Boxed Set Page 28