by Marie Harte
She released a pent-up breath, hearing him confirm his identity. He really did work here. Unfortunately, her evil twin, the sexual imp dwelling inside her, lamented that he wasn’t a sexual lunatic bent on ravishing her. She cursed her treacherous imagination and the blush that inexplicably stole over her cheeks and focused on the here and now.
His left eyebrow rose, clearly telling her he’d noticed the blush. “I wasn’t expecting you tonight. Gerry mentioned you’d arrive sometime this weekend.” He leaned closer to her, his arm moving around her and she tensed. He smelled of rain and spice, a scent she couldn’t place but one that made her want to kiss the arrogance from his lips.
Instead of grabbing her, as he appeared ready to do, he pulled his hand from behind her back and handed her a towel with a smirk. “You’re soaking wet.”
Irritated that he made her nervous and that he knew it, she released her satchel and grabbed the towel from his hands, stifling a breath when her fingers touched his. A flare of heat raced up her arm from the contact and she couldn’t help the shiver that passed through her.
He frowned. “You must be freezing.” Moving swiftly, he wrapped her in his arms, much more gently than he had earlier.
“Hey! What the hell—” She paused as heat radiated through her. “Ah,” she moaned, warmed by his unnaturally hot body. Hot in more ways than one, she amended.
With tenderness she wouldn’t have credited him, he pressed her face against his chest. She could feel his heart beating rapidly against her cheek and wondered if she wasn’t the only one affected by their proximity. But he made no other move than to hold her while her shivers passed.
Belatedly, she realised her hair and jeans were drenching him. “I’m sorry,” she said in a voice more husky than she’d like. “I’m getting you all wet.”
He rubbed his hand over her back in slow swirls, making her melt into his rock solid frame. Then he shifted slightly, making her aware of something else rock-hard against her belly.
My, oh my, was all she could think of the ridge that seemed to grow as he held her. Before she could say or do anything, however, he released his hold on her, putting some distance between them.
“You should feel better now.” His eyes blazed, a strange hint of colour seeming to swirl within the black depths. Then he blinked and the oddness vanished.
“I feel much better, thanks.” Samantha couldn’t stop staring at him, now understanding Gerry’s comments about females visiting the club in droves.
In less than ten minutes in Darius’ presence, she wanted to jump his bones. Her nipples ached and her loins throbbed, and he’d done little more than hold her.
Time to go, right now.
She frowned and scooped up her bag and jacket, containing a shudder as the coat soaked through the sleeve of her shirt. “Well, sorry to have disturbed you. I see you’re still busy so I’ll just be on my way.” She looked around for a phone. “I just need to call a cab.”
“I’m about finished here. I’ll take you home.” He made the suggestion sound like a command.
“No.” She must have said it too forcefully for he raised a brow. “That’s nice of you, but I don’t want to put you to too much trouble. Just point me to a phone and I’ll be out of your hair.”
He pointed her to a phone and watched her as he finished cleaning the tables in the club. “Do I scare you?” His mouth twisted into a wry smile.
She bristled. “No. But I’m quite capable of taking care of myself.”
“I’m sure you are,” he said with a suggestive grin, his eyes focused on her stiff nipples. “But I’m more than willing to give you a ride…home. After all, it’s probably my fault you’re all wet.” He paused and stared hungrily at her body, resting on her groin.
She couldn’t believe his nerve, but when she opened her mouth to blast him, he added oh-so-innocently, “Had I been upstairs when you first arrived, I could have spared you the rain and told you to come inside.” His eyes gleamed, knowing full well she’d understood his sexual undertones.
The jerk! Unfortunately, his words stoked her imagination into almost forgetting her self-imposed celibacy. Despite his comments and his arrogance, she sensed he’d make her forget any man she’d ever been with before. It was all she could do not to run for the door when the taxi finally blared its horn.
“I’ll deal with you tomorrow,” she called over her shoulder in a warning, intending to adjust his attitude once she collected her thoughts after a good night’s rest.
“Yes, you will,” came his definite reply.
* * * *
Darius watched the woman go with blazing eyes. Arousal, strong and true, flared within him, surprising him at the sheer scope of need flooding his system.
In the endless days spent in this tedious world, he’d not once felt such intensity about a female as he did this one. And he didn’t even know her. Obviously his body recognised their perfect chemistry.
He shook his head as he cleaned the rest of the club. Perhaps fortune finally smiled upon him. What else but fate could be responsible for his decision to switch clean-up shifts with Michelle then to stay late so Mike could leave early to be with his girlfriend?
Darius had thought to leave a half-hour ago but for some reason had delayed returning ‘home’. He grinned, recalling the full breasts he’d recently felt against his chest.
Returning the large trash bins to their places, he threw all the cleaning supplies back in storage and locked the door behind him as he left.
As the cold rain pounded from the heavens, he walked to his truck. Once inside the ‘89 Chevy Blazer, he quickly radiated enough heat from his body to warm the entire truck and melt the ice from the windshield.
Couldn’t Arim have sent them to a place where the weather was at least comparable to Tanselm’s warm temperatures? In the miserable year he’d been in this Seattle, he had yet to see a day’s temperature near that of Tanselm’s growing season. He sighed and pulled out from the parking lot. Heading for the house that he shared with his brothers, he felt another bout of homesickness coming.
In his mind’s eye he breathed the pure air of his homeland, saw amidst the clear blue sky canopies of the western territory’s legendary rilk trees. Funny, but the glorious leaves dotting Tanselm’s sky were the same shade as Samantha Brooks’ eyes.
His thoughts took a swift turn as he drove towards Greenlake. At this rate, Tanselm would be all but destroyed before they returned. Not for lack of trying, but because not one of them could find a woman with the fortitude or mindset to accept their way of life.
In the beginning, Darius had figured to use sex as a means to find a mate. Unfortunately, his many couplings left him physically sated but spiritually drained. At least in Tanselm the women he slept with fed that natural part of him needing a deeper contact, an awareness of life around them.
Here on this plane, the women he’d joined for sex had given him physical pleasure and little more. And truth be told, the sex hadn’t been that great. There had been no mental stimulation, just games and more games, especially once they realised he had three identical brothers.
Grimacing, he pulled into the drive of a monstrous house overlooking the lake, an abode barely befitting the Royal Four, but it seemed the best they could hope for in this world.
He parked his truck behind Cadmus’ Jeep and next to Marcus’ BMW. Aerolus had yet to purchase a vehicle, and considering his new penchant for teleportation, Darius didn’t see his oddball brother buying one.
Much as he was glad for the respite from the rain, he couldn’t help glaring at the insides of his truck—a mechanical monstrosity shielding him from nature. What he wouldn’t give for a horse.
Climbing down from the bulky vehicle, he headed for the front door. He entered to find the house dark and made his way quietly to his bedroom on the second floor. Having lived his first few months in this realm in the wilderness, living off the land, he freely admitted to liking the comfort of this house, as small and feebly constru
cted as it was.
Not made of rock or steel, the house had been built of wood and brick, all substances that would melt under his blistering touch. In fact, nothing here could withstand a sorcerer’s attack, save him and his brothers. They never used the odd security device previously installed in the house. As if four Storm Lords needed protection from any of these inhabitants.
In his room, he discarded his clothing, draping his coat on a chair but dumping the rest on the floor. Moving into the adjoining bathroom, he gratefully removed the contacts clouding his vision. Setting the brown lenses in solution, he looked up at his reflection, glad to see himself once again.
His hair and face looked the same, his crimson irises dull with fatigue. His body however, had begun to thin. With critical eyes he perused his upper body. The heavy muscle that he’d exercised daily at the castle had disappeared, leaving him leaner than a true warrior of Tanselm should ever be.
His legs, however, had gained some muscle due to the amount of walking he did here. Without a horse for transportation, Darius often walked around town, not wanting to remain cooped up in his relic of a conveyance.
If not for the large interior, which fit his frame, and the fact that his job was too far to reach by foot each day, he would never have bought it. But working at Outpour meant constant exposure to potential brides, and he had to continue his exploration until he found his affai.
Sighing, he left the bathroom and slid between the sheets in his king-sized bed. The rustle of satin over his body made him uncomfortably aware of how long it had been since he’d last had a woman and how very attractive he found Ms. Samantha Brooks.
His cock stirred, the memory of her nipples peaking under his hands, of her curvy form locked against him making him hard and throbbing in an instant. Cursing her timing and his tiredness, he rolled onto his stomach and tried to find rest. But throughout the night dreams of her tantalised him, to the point where he woke up in a sweat, his body begging for completion.
Imagining Samantha’s hands trailing his body, he reached for his cock and began stroking, all the while visualising Samantha on her knees, sucking him deep down her throat. His breath grew ragged and he increased the tempo, growing unbearably aroused at thoughts of her swallowing him, of shooting deep in her mouth. He varied the fantasy, picturing her bent over to receive his cock, riding him with her breasts thrust out, begging for his touch. He felt again the weight of those globes in his hands, the pert nipples standing at attention, spiking in him a powerful lust.
In his mind’s eye he could see her deep green eyes rich with yearning, her swollen breasts begging to be sucked. The petals of her womanly softness would be plump, her clitoris rosy with need for him and him alone.
With a sudden groan he climaxed, spending into his fist again and again while thoughts of Samantha filled him with ecstasy. Stunned at the depth of his need, he couldn’t help wondering about Samantha and the strange fascination he felt for her. It had been ages since he’d felt so aroused by the mere sight of a woman, and even longer since he’d felt the need to take care of his own urges.
After cleaning himself with a nearby towel, he settled into a precarious state of rest, his body humming with satisfaction while his mind raged with the need to reason out this newest puzzle.
He found it hard to believe a woman of this world could be his affai. Attraction and lust he understood. Hell, he freely admitted to wanting Samantha’s body. But to find an affai here on this plane? A woman to complete his spirit, to join with him into unending life? Despite Arim’s and his mother’s claims to the contrary, Darius doubted he would find a true mate in a world devoid of magic.
As his mind tired and he drifted into sleep, he realised he would see Samantha again tonight. And when he did, he would set the rules and the stage for seduction, and praise be, get the sexy vixen out of his blood for good.
Chapter Three
Samantha moaned and thrashed her head from side to side, needing relief. Darius, however, wouldn’t let her go. His silky black hair brushed her inner thighs as his tongue danced over her folds and sank deeper, seeking her ripe clitoris.
Again and again he took her to peak, only to leave her dangling perilously close to the edge.
“Tell me, affai, how much you want me,” he said thickly, the rumble of his voice stirring her to new heights.
“I want you, I want you.” She reached for his head, running her fingers through his hair as she brought his mouth closer to her centre. “Please.”
She felt him grin before his mouth completely closed over her. With a small shriek she arched into his touch, completely enthralled by the heady licks and nipping bites that brought her to the verge of climax.
He sucked hard on her clit and thrust a thick finger inside her, increasing the friction on her swollen nub. A second finger entered her, stretching her, preparing her, and she couldn’t wait any longer.
“Darius,” she groaned, a hot gush of desire drenching his fingers. “I can’t stop it. Oh yes, yes,” she cried and came, her orgasm explosive as he continued to suckle her.
He mounted her then, the feel of his thick penis like living heat at the entrance of her core. Waiting until she stared into his eyes, eyes that shone a fiery, inhuman red, he slowly eased inside…
“Everything okay in there?” A woman’s voice asked from outside the door at the same time the doorknob rattled.
Shaken and confused, it took Samantha a minute to understand what had happened. Thoroughly embarrassed, she cleared her throat and spoke loudly enough to be heard through the door. “Yeah, sorry. Just a bad dream.”
“Right, well, I’ll come back later then.” Footsteps and a squeaky wheel faded into silence before a door down the hall opened and banged shut.
Samantha glanced at the alarm clock on the bedstand. Eleven o’clock. Wiping her sweaty forehead, she threw the heavy comforter off her and swung her legs to the floor. She grimaced when she stood, uncomfortably aware of the moisture between her legs.
I had an erotic dream. Big deal. Except one of the maids had heard her scream.
Samantha felt her face heat and tried to shrug off the embarrassment as she headed into the bathroom. But she still couldn’t believe how real the dream had felt. As she stood under the shower’s warm stream, she could easily recall every detail about Darius Storm, what he looked like, what he smelled like, what he tasted like.
She stilled. She hadn’t had one of those dreams in months.
Then a detail of her dream flashed before her. Darius Storm had stared down at her with red eyes. She immediately relaxed, relieved her dream was nothing but her horny subconscious screaming for sex.
Just a dream, not a vision. Nothing to worry over.
Shaking her head to escape her fanciful thoughts, she forced herself to focus on the here and now.
“Mundane details,” she muttered as the water massaged her scalp. “Find an apartment, check on storage, and forget about gorgeous dream men and their amazingly skilled mouths.” She ran her fingers through her hair, rinsing out the shampoo as if rinsing away the pleasure she’d recently felt. “And no more orgasms.”
Orgasms led to needs and desires she’d been working hard to suppress. Hell, she didn’t even touch herself anymore.
After a year with Josh-the-Asshole, she’d thoroughly finished searching for Mr. Right. The fact of the matter was she kept settling for Mr. Right Now, despite her desire not to lower her standards.
Samantha didn’t understand her inability to find someone worthy of her affections. She didn’t ask for much. A man to love her, to respect her, and most importantly, she wanted someone in whom she could trust. She thought about her needs and secrets, the deepest core of herself she’d never shown anyone.
Only a man that truly shared her spirit would understand that which drove her. A strong, intelligent partner to comprehend the oddities that made up the woman who saw things others didn’t.
She turned off the water and shivered while she sought a fres
h towel. Drying herself, she couldn’t help pondering whether Darius Storm had any hidden depths. On the surface he seemed a lewd playboy too confident of his desirability. Sure, he was beautiful with a body to match, but was there anything more beneath his perfect face?
At thoughts of him her body tingled and she cursed as she dressed in jeans and a heavy sweater. The man had taken advantage of her last night, coming on to her after scaring her half to death in the basement. So what that she’d felt exceedingly needy. It made sense considering how long she’d been without sex. Adding a man like Darius Storm to the mix was like adding a match to a pile of kindling drenched in kerosene.
No, she would do better to live on her own devoid of men, building a secure life for herself both financially and emotionally before she even thought about dating again. Shrugging on a thin parka designed to keep out the cold and wrapping her neck in a scarf, she exited the room with a fresh outlook.
She had returned to Seattle to begin anew. New client, new apartment, new attitude. Smiling, Samantha descended to the ground floor and left the hotel with a spring in her step, despite the wintry weather.
Avoiding several patches of ice, she made her way towards a small but trendy restaurant and ordered a large coffee and a late breakfast.
She sat by the window as she ate, hungry not only for food but also for the familiar sight of the city she’d missed for the last year. At the time of her break-up, distance had seemed just the cure for her battered heart. But now that she’d returned, she realised how much she’d missed her adopted home.
Raised in the Northeast, she’d grown accustomed to harsh winters and clustered traffic. Seattle had plenty of snow and traffic jams, yet the spacious outdoors and clear, crisp air made up for the growing population.
She would never regret the job that had taken her from Philadelphia. It had been exciting to travel across the country to Washington. And Seattle’s bright mix of artistic temperament and lucrative marketing concerns had made her transition to the West Coast remarkably easy. After three years with J. Applet Financial, however, she’d moved onwards and upwards.