Josh had turned and handpicked most of the ladies of the house himself. Before his pardon, Josh had even invited Jonas to accompany him here on occasion. He watched Rupert’s finger depress the yellow buzzer. Jonas recognized the melodious voice of Helena coming through the little box.
“I’m here with Jonas. We’re here to see…”
Before he could finish, the gate began to open with a loud clanging. Inside the large rose garden, frosted in moonlight, the delicate scent of the flowers usually relaxed him, but tonight Jonas was tense. He knew he wasn’t going to like whomever he’d been brought here to meet.
“I’ve been told you’ve spent some serious time here,” Rupert whispered.
“Want me to tell you who I preferred?”
“Would it surprise you to know I am a married man?” Rupert’s chest extended with the bravado of his words. “Just wait. You’ll see what I mean.”
“I’m not a man easily surprised,” Jonas lied. He was getting more itchy to be back outside with his men, ready to do battle, rather than trapped in a glorified cathouse.
Rupert laughed and Jonas saw he was trying not to. They mounted the wooden porch steps. Several couples were seated or lying outside in the night air on wicker furniture that squeaked as their bodies moved. Whispers enveloped the two men as Jonas asked the question he’d wanted to since they started their walk.
“So who are we seeing?”
“She’s my wife, recently turned and staying here for a few days while I make suitable arrangements.” Rupert smiled. “What?”
Jonas could see he was having way too much fun toying with him.
“Just how to you get that we’re related, if I may ask?”
“Well, perhaps you and I being blood-related was a bit of a stretch.”
Jonas was still reeling from Rupert’s comment when they opened the front door and he looked at the beautiful black-haired woman who stood at the bottom of the stairs. Her face looked oddly familiar. Her dark eyes grilled him with a hatred spewing from deep within her soul.
“I finally meet you at last,” she said with a slight accent. She did not offer her hand. Jonas looked over at Rupert, feeling a coldness creep up his loins, all the way along his spine to the bottom of his skull.
“Jonas Starling, I would like you to meet your twenty times great granddaughter, Catarina Blade.”
Chapter 13
Carl lay in bed naked and alone. The smell of fresh coffee, that succulent wonderful smell, warmed his soul. He closed his eyes and willed for it to come to him, held by a red-haired nymph who was completely naked, blowing on the top to cool the mixture swirling with real cream. He opened his eyes and saw such a vision. Her green gaze raked the length of his naked body, modestly covered with a sheet, tenting around his mid section. Her eyebrows rose.
“Oh, Professor. Time for another lesson, n’est pas?” she said in mock French accent.
“I am so grateful you are such a slow learner. I just have to keep teaching you over and over again.” He matched the grin on her pink lips, sitting up to accept the steaming mug of caramel-colored fresh brew. She snuggled in next to him, playing with the hairs on his chest and then reached below.
“Molly, you are not letting me have my coffee.”
“I’ll wait until you’re finished.”
He leaned back, sighed and smiled. His fingers laced through her flaming hair as she lay against his chest. “I think I have died and gone to heaven.”
“Don’t say that, Prof. Carl.”
“Why?” He looked down at her. “That’s not a bad thing. Could you imagine us living forever in heaven, waking up naked and drinking coffee in bed on a sunny Saturday morning?”
“Yes. But isn’t there something wrong with that? I mean, angels don’t have sex, do they?”
“If we were there, we would. I don’t know nor do I care about anybody else.”
She sat up on her knees, removed the mug from his fingers, setting it down on the bedside table. “I don’t care about anybody else either. It’s just you and me here, in this bed, all day.” She straddled him and leaned her breasts into his chest, rubbing them back and forth. His hands gripped her little ass and then tickled up her spine, barely touching her flesh. He let her consume his lips, let her match her opening with the end of his stiff cock and angle her peach so he could slide in. Her sex was hot and slick. He felt her vibrate as the full length of him slowly separated her folds and stirred her insides.
She did have the look of an angel, an angel in lust, he thought. Her pink skin gave off a rosy aura, casting a golden shadow across his own. Her red hair glistened in the morning sunlight, framing her face like a halo. As if she was some ancient fairy queen and he the explorer who discovered her in the forest, he felt utterly enchanted. He was ageless. Time stopped.
I am completely, hopelessly in love.
Her green eyes focused down on her breasts and she squeezed them together, and then raised her gaze to look at him. He bent his knees and raised himself up to penetrate deeper. She arched backward in response, hands clasped over her head. He brushed her long curls aside, uncovering her nipples, pinching them. Her slim body writhed over him, letting him see the ecstasy on her face from multiple angles.
Carl could not believe what his life had become now that Molly was in it. He looked at her smooth creamy skin, the delicate shading inside her belly button as her lower part undulated, pleasuring him. He could watch her face forever. Her eyes would close and then open again with a sultry smile, the green reminding him of fields of fresh grasses in spring. She spun a web he was gladly caught in, something that fulfilled a lifetime of looking for someone he wasn’t sure existed. His fantasy life took a back stage to the reality of the goddess riding his cock this morning in his big bed. And he knew, the more he filled her the more he wanted.
She was caught up in little spasms, her head bent back, showing the delicate muscles of her extended neck. He felt her orgasm come on as his cock swelled and responded. She stopped, shuddered and looked down on him again with rosy cheeks. He quickly flipped her onto her stomach, raising her tummy with one hand and re-seated himself firmly inside her pink opening. He pumped her little body as she moaned and shook. Her muscles twitched and he exploded inside her, holding her tight to him as he covered her neck and shoulders with kisses.
He collapsed on top of her and she giggled.
She made him scrambled eggs, adding some cheese and sour cream she found in the refrigerator. Sitting on his lap, wearing his discarded shirt from last night, she fed him. Each mouthful was followed by a kiss. By the time he was done, he was rock hard again.
Then he remembered his appointment this morning.
“Molly, I totally forgot. I have to meet someone downtown in less than an hour. The person who asked me to do the research on Jonas Starling.”
Molly pouted. “How long will you be gone?”
“You could come with me. Wait until I’m done.”
“I’d rather wait here in your bed.”
“Well, I don’t think it will take too long, maybe a half hour.”
“You going to your office?”
“No, why?”
“I just thought maybe you were meeting him at your office, is all.”
He traced the outline of her pink lower lip with his index finger. “I’m meeting her at Café Contada at ten o’clock.”
“Her?”
“Yes.”
“What’s her name?”
“I…I…can’t remember—a Linda something, She’s doing some historical research for a book she’s writing.” he said with a chuckle. He could see Molly was getting concerned. “Love, she’s already paid me—in cash. I didn’t get anything in writing.”
“Okay. I’m going then.”
Carl held her face in his hands and kissed her again. “You are such a wonder. What would I ever do without you looking after me?”
“Well, Professor,” she said as she kissed his eyes one at a time, then his cheeks and n
ibbled a way to his lips, “You would be uptight, still wearing bow ties,” she kissed his neck under his jaw, “and trying to hide that wonderful body of yours from all the females around you who want to rip your clothes off.”
That was something he never expected. “Really?” He was serious.
Molly nodded her head, smoothing over his face with her fingers. “Have you ever had a red-haired girlfriend?”
“No. I’ve only had two friends. I wouldn’t even call them girlfriends.”
“See? You were saving yourself for me.”
In a way, it was true.
“Although I would have never known that,” she whispered in his ear.
“What?”
“Professor, you are very good in bed. You seem very experienced.”
His initial smile was wiped from his face when he thought about how much experience she had. She was his first love. Did it matter what order he was, as long as he was the last?
“That’s because, my beautiful Molly, I’m totally inspired. You have brought me to life.”
Carl parked the car and put quarters into the meter. He let Molly go in ahead and order his cappuccino, since they were running five minutes late. The shower took way too long.
Inside Café Contada it was dark, but there was no mistaking the black-haired woman who looked up with hungry eyes just as he walked in the room. She smiled, acknowledging his recognition of her. He didn’t see Molly at first, so he went over to the table, greeted his client and sat.
“Good morning,” he said stiffly. He looked around the room.
“Your little friend is in the ladies room.” The woman’s eyes scanned his face and paused at a place under his left ear. “You might want to pull up your collar.” She motioned with her forefinger to a similar spot on her own neck.
Carl did as he was told, remembering the hickey Molly had placed there in the shower this morning. His pants were a little tight and he felt his shoulders tense so he rolled his head and winced.
“Too much sleep always gives me a stiff neck,” she said.
He felt like she was trying to draw something out of him. Actually, I’ve had very little sleep the last two nights. He smiled. “It’s a common ailment for researchers and writers. Too much time in front of the computer, you know.”
“Oh, that must be it, then.” She looked him squarely in the eyes, showing off the odd violet hue that seemed to change colors as he stared. He wondered if she possessed some special power, and he felt dizzy.
Molly made her way from the ladies room, walked up to the counter, picking up Carl’s cappuccino and an Italian soda for herself, and came over to the table.
“Here you go.” She placed the mug in front of Carl, touching him on the shoulder afterwards.
“Thanks. Molly, I’d like to introduce you—and forgive me, but I don’t remember your name.”
“Glenda Sisted.” She held out her hand and Molly gave a brief shake, quickly retracting it.
“Nice to meet you, Glenda.” She looked at Carl. “I’ll just be over there.” She pointed to a dark corner across the room.
Carl wasn’t sure why, but he felt the chemistry between these two women wasn’t healthy.
“She’s very lovely, Professor. Is she one of your students?”
He shuddered. “No. That is not something I would ever do.”
Glenda gave him a sultry catlike smile, obviously pleased with herself.
“You’d be surprised what some people will do in the name of love.”
Carl noticed her lip color matched her eyes, deep violet. He thought he’d remembered her eyes as blue or hazel. Her very pale skin was as translucent as Molly’s. But her dark hair and her demeanor were completely different. Fear was having its way with his body. He shrugged it off and picked up his folder with the research he’d done for her.
“I’m sure you’re anxious to see what I’ve come up with.” He didn’t look at her but poured over his notes and copies. He could tell she was eyeing the top of his head. “I found his bio very interesting. In my studies, I had not run across him before, and I’m a little surprised, frankly.” He looked up at her. She had placed her chin in the cup of her hand, resting her elbow on the table, smiling.
“Go on.”
“Well you wanted to know if there was any evidence that he lived beyond his years in the Caribbean, or if he had family, and I can’t find any trace of it. The trail ends with his death on Antigua. Now,” he looked up at Glenda and felt a pull, like she had willed him to move toward her face. He felt her hunger for his kiss.
Carl shook himself. Glenda sat up and peered out the window at the street and people passing by the coffee house. “As far as I can tell, he never married, or had a family, although he was betrothed.”
“To Anne Mackenzie.”
“Yes. So you know his story?”
“A little. But no evidence he became a father?”
Carl was unsure whether she knew the particulars of Jonas Starling’s tale, so started to tell her with care. “Well, he was asked to help the king and queen father a child, hopefully a son. But the king died before the child could be born. It is said it was Jonas’ child. But no one ever writes about it. Now, I would guess the child died as did all of her other thirteen offspring.”
“Yes, the queen was cursed. Isn’t that obvious?”
Carl laughed and drew an icy response from Glenda. “I don’t believe in such things. Surely you don’t either…” But Carl could see she did. He inhaled deeply and decided to ask the question that had been festering in his mind. “What exactly is your interest in this person, Jonas Starling?”
“I’ll tell you after you answer my questions, but only if you have the answers.” She looked at her violet nail polish. “Is Jonas Starling still alive?”
“No. Absolutely no. I mean, how could he be?”
“Are you sure?”
“Well, I haven’t seen the body, if that’s what you mean. But he is said to have died and been buried in the Caribbean nearly three hundred years ago. It would be impossible he would still be alive today. Perhaps a distant offspring—”
“Then perhaps you should do further research.”
“Well, I think I’ve researched everything. I was very thorough.”
“I’m sure you were, Professor.” She turned around and smiled at Molly sitting at the bar.
Carl didn’t like the feeling he was getting from the woman. He didn’t like getting Molly involved as well. He looked over to her in the corner. She gave him a little wave, but her face looked concerned.
“Excuse me, but I must go.” He stood. “Look, I will leave you all my notes here. We’re done. I can’t help you further. If you like, I will find someone else to help you and refund part of your generous fee. But I’m afraid I’m done here.”
Glenda took a very long time to stand, and Carl saw her work to keep her composure in order. He stared at her, trying to figure out what it was he was feeling. The pull between them, like a magnetic field, became very strong, but he held himself back. And all of a sudden she released him.
“You are not done, Professor. Sit down. I insist. I don’t want anybody else. I want you.”
Chapter 14
Jonas wondered if they would follow him to the human world for his scheduled rendezvous with Audray. He circled down back streets and visited a couple of watering holes, pretending to be settling in for the night. But his insides were burning to see Audray, and tell her about the danger they were in. He didn’t dare trust the phones to relay this information. He needed to tell her in person. That meant he had to make it to the transport to the human world without being detected.
He thought about the black-haired woman who was his many times great granddaughter, and what she told him this afternoon.
“I am the direct descendent of your son, the Earl of Devonshire.” She produced a locket with a hand-painted bust of a man Jonas did not recognize. But then he didn’t want to get too physically close to her.
&n
bsp; “I don’t believe you. How can you know this?” Jonas returned. He stepped aside to allow a patron of Helena’s house weave past him in the lobby and begin the staircase, with his chosen woman doing all the heavy lifting. Staircase to Heaven, Josh had called it. Jonas wondered why, of all times, he would think about that.
“Search your soul, grandfather…”
“I am not your grandfather!”
“True enough.” She nodded, slipping her arm around Rupert’s waist as he came to stand beside her. “But look deep inside and see if you don’t recognize, don’t smell the blood of the queen you pleasured, impregnated.”
Jonas didn’t want to look at her, but finally he did, and he saw it there. Catherine’s face looked back at him with the same evil smile just as it looked three hundred years ago.
“So what is it I’ve been summoned for? You want something, that’s obvious,” he said.
“I want the throne that was mine, that was taken from my family.”
“I cannot give that to you. You say I have fathered a son that should have been king, but that has nothing whatsoever to do with the Underworld or how succession is handled here. I have no standing. You know this. I’ve lived here for 300 years.”
“Jonas, many generations of our family have heard of you and how you somehow survived your ordeals in the Caribbean. We have searched for you for over two hundred years. You led us to this place, Jonas. To the Underworld.”
Jonas’ stomach lurched as he sucked in a quick breath. He cursed his lack of care that caused his former safe haven in the Underworld to now become anything but safe. And now he’d exposed Audray to this danger through their very public relationship.
“You are the escort of the new Director. I believe you refer to her as your queen.”
“But I have no authority. I am her paramour, surely you understand that.”
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