by Rebecca York
When Zach started to step in the way, Anna warned him with a mental shout to stop, then turned her attention back to San Donato.
But he must know the fire had never been real. That was why he had stayed in the enclosure when all of his followers had run.
She had turned his body into what looked like a flaming torch, but she was new at this, and she hadn’t made him feel the pain of the fire. Realizing her mistake, she struggled to add that sensation—using the power that Zach lent her and the power of the man and woman who had come here with Zach.
They were there—in the back of her mind. They had conjured up the fire in the first place, and now they helped her make it as deadly as it looked.
And someone else was here, too. A man she didn’t know. But he wanted to help them.
She knew she had succeeded in her goal when San Donato screamed and staggered back, dropping the knife and rolling across the ground as he beat at his body with his hands.
His anguished shrieks rose into the night as he rolled over and over, trying to put out the fire. But there was no way he could do it, because the flames had come from her mind.
He stopped rolling. His body jerked and twitched.
Finally, he lay still and lifeless. His body untouched but his chest no longer rising and falling.
As quickly as the inferno had engulfed him, it faded away.
Zach folded her into his arms.
“Thank God,” he breathed.
She clung to him, relieved yet hardly calm. With her focus off of San Donato, she felt the full force of the terrible arousal that she had banked.
“I need…oh, Lord, Zach…I need.”
“I know, love. I know,” he murmured. And he did know, because his mind was tuned to hers now, and he felt the terrible heat burning her from the inside out.
They were still out in the open, and he bent over her, shielding her body with his own as his hand pressed between her legs.
She should feel abashed at the intimacy. Yet she was incapable of stopping him. Incapable of doing anything besides responding.
She needed his touch. Burned for it.
As he rubbed his fingers against her clit, her hips surged upward, rocking frantically against him. It didn’t take much to send her over the edge.
She climaxed in a great welling burst of sensation, pressing her mouth against his shoulder to keep from screaming as aftershocks zinged through her.
Thank you, Zach. Oh, Lord, thank you for rescuing me. Thank you for being the one to do that.
Do you feel better? I…
She did feel a little better. But she knew the terrible wave of arousal wasn’t over. Even as relief left her weak, she felt strong needs gathering again.
He caught all of that in her mind. Reaching down, he picked up the cloth and wrapped it around her, then lifted her into his arms. “We’re getting out of here,” he muttered.
The embarrassment broke through when she sensed two other people beside them. She had just reached orgasm, and the thought of sharing such a private moment with anyone besides Zach made her cringe.
Of course, in the back of her mind she knew that San Donato had wanted to share it with scores of his followers.
A voice spoke softly in her head—the woman who had contacted them earlier. On the island. The woman who had been with them when the plane went down.
Lindsay…West. The name came to her as the silent voice began to offer reassurances.
It’s okay. It’s not your fault. I know this is horrible for you. But can you hang on a little while longer?
I guess I have to.
We’re going to get you out of here.
Okay.
The flames licking at the walls of the enclosure had died down. But their remnants remained, still bathing the area in an eerie light.
As they turned toward the entrance, a figure stepped out of the shadows.
Zach stopped short, but the man rushed past him and knelt beside San Donato.
Who is that? Anna asked.
The priest who came here to stop San Donato. But we did it for him.
“He’s dead,” the man whispered.
“Then you’re free to get your people back.”
“I hope I can.” He swept his hand around the enclosure. “I can’t offer them anything like this.”
“You can take over this place. And make it into something a lot better,” Zach said.
Anna couldn’t focus on the conversation, because one phrase kept running through her head. I killed him.
With our help, Zach, Lindsay and Jordan instantly answered. It’s no more on you than on us.
She knew they were trying to comfort her. But in reality, she didn’t have any regrets about killing San Donato. He had planned to take over her mind, and his death had been the only way to free herself from him.
Zach spoke again to the priest, who was standing again and looking around the empty compound.
“I guess the ceremony was too much for him. But maybe you’d better get out of here, before they blame you.”
“I stayed here to bear witness.” He turned and walked away, with his shoulders straight and his head held high.
Silently, Zach carried Anna toward the dock.
Outside the enclosure, the night was dark. Around them she sensed people watching. But nobody approached, and she thought that perhaps Jordan and Lindsay had put up some kind of shield around them. Or maybe the people understood their power and were afraid to mess with them.
She didn’t know. And she was losing her focus on anything external. Her body had heated up again.
I can feel it inside me. So hot. Too hot.
Soon. We’ll be alone soon. Just hold on. I’m right here. I’ll take care of you soon.
The crunch of gravel under his feet changed to the sound of his shoes crossing wooden boards.
Where are we?
On the dock.
Zach was walking quickly now—practically running.
The stars above her swayed. And the solid surface seemed to sway below her.
No, that was a boat rocking. They were on a boat.
And Zach was climbing down the stairs, still holding her in his arms as he stepped into a cabin and slammed the door closed with his foot.
“Please,” she moaned.
He came down beside her on the bed.
“What the hell did he do to you?”
“The women washed me with something called…called fire soap.” She gulped. “As soon as it touched my skin, I started getting hot. And it must have sunk into me.”
“I’ll kill him!”
She managed a laugh. “I think he’s already dead.”
“Already rotting in hell.”
She lifted her head, hardly able to focus on her surroundings. Her body was clamoring for release again. But she needed to know that it was okay to let herself go. “Where are we? Are we safe?”
“Jordan and Lindsay rescued me after that guy hit me over the head. They saved my life.”
“Thank God.”
“We’re in a cabin on the boat they chartered in Grand Fernandino. They paid a captain to get me and then come here.”
“Wasn’t he afraid of San Donato?”
“Not everybody loved him. Maybe the guy was hoping they’d get rid of him.”
As he spoke, she felt the engines surge to life, and the boat headed out to sea.
“Thank God,” she whispered again. They were safe.
But she was still on the verge of madness.
Zach eased the covering off of her.
“I…need…”
“Anything. Just tell me.”
I’ve got to come again. Now.
With shaky fingers, she grabbed his hand, pressed it between her legs, rocking frantically against the pressure of his palm. He bent his head, closing his lips around one nipple, sucking strongly while he slipped two fingers inside her, stroking in and out as he used the other hand on her clit.
She couldn’t hold back a scream as she cam
e, lifted up on wave after wave of release that slammed through her system like a hit of some exotic drug.
For long moments she gave herself over to the roiling climax. When the sharp sensations ebbed, she lifted her hand and touched Zach’s face.
It’s you. Thank God it’s you.
Thank God, he echoed.
He’s gone. I can feel he’s really gone. I mean, he’s not trying to horn in on…us.
He nodded against her hand.
“But it’s hard to have you see me like this,” she whispered.
“It’s okay. You’re okay,” he murmured, easing down beside her on the mattress.
“No…I’m still out of control…” she sobbed out. “I can feel it coming back. I’m going to need to come again.”
“I’m here. I’ll take care of you.”
“I need…”
She didn’t have to tell him. He could read it in her mind. More than read it. He felt it as keenly as she did.
Standing, he stripped off his shirt and pants, taking his briefs along with them so that she could see his erection jutting toward her.
He came down beside her again. Gathering her to him, he stroked her tenderly but firmly, his fingers tightening on her swollen nipples. She found his mouth with hers, drawing on him for a long, greedy kiss as she reached down and clasped her hand around his erection.
In me. I need this in me.
Oh, yeah.
He rolled her to her back, and when he had buried himself inside her, she sobbed out her relief and joy.
She knew it was the same relief and joy he felt. Knew without his having to say a word.
He began to move, his strokes coordinated with her rising need—and his own. She wanted it to last. Wanted to wrap herself in this time together. But she was still too far gone for the luxury of long, leisurely lovemaking.
Next time. We’ll make it last longer next time, he whispered in her mind.
Before the words faded, orgasm took her, sending her spinning out of control and into an altered state of consciousness where release became the center of the universe.
When it was over, she lay panting on the bunk, her skin slick with perspiration.
He eased off of her, then cradled her against him, stroking her hair. When his fingers encountered the orchids, he plucked one out. “What the hell is this?”
“They wanted me to look pretty for the ceremony.”
“Christ.”
“They were going to have an orgy after they watched him…rape me. I could feel their arousal. Smell it.”
He made an angry sound. “Too bad they can’t burn in hell with San Donato.”
“They’re poor, and he offered them hope.”
“Don’t make excuses for them.”
“I understand how it happened.”
“You’re too…tender. They’re not stray cats. They can think for themselves.”
“Let’s not argue about it.”
“Right. We have more important things to do.”
She curled her body against his, her breath still jerky. “Thank you for being here.”
He knit his fingers with hers and held on tight.
“I’m a little better. But I know it’s coming back soon. That terrible need. How many times am I going to need to come?”
I don’t know. But I’ll be right here with you. His lips stroked against her cheek, slid to her mouth. Maybe this time, we’ll take control.
How?
We’ll ride the wave up, not get caught in the undertow.
He kissed her deeply, bringing his lips and teeth and tongue into the discussion.
What a good idea.
And when she was still vibrating from the kiss, he slid his mouth to her throat.
She arched against his lips, barely catching her breath before he slipped lower, rubbing his face against the inside curve of her breasts, then nibbling and licking his way to one nipple.
And as she caught the sensations swirling in his mind, she knew he was as aroused as she.
He had already brought the heat back to her body, and she cried out as he sucked her nipple into his mouth while teasing its mate with his thumb and finger.
My turn, she breathed, reversing their positions so that she could play with his broad chest.
Her teeth on his nipple wrung a cry from him, and she smiled. It was good to feel like she was the one in control again, and she meant to make the most of it.
But she was in no shape to hide her intentions. As she slid down his body, she could feel him tense in anticipation.
Without using her hands, she maneuvered her mouth to the head of his cock, circling it with her tongue, then sucking him partway into her mouth, sliding lower, then withdrawing, gratified by the response she felt.
You don’t have to do that.
I want to. I need to feel like I’m taking charge.
By turning me into a basket case?
Uh-huh.
She punctuated the observation by sucking on him as though he were a delicious lollipop, then switching to the ice cream cone method—little licks, working her way around so that no side melted before the others.
“Jesus!”
She knew he liked it. Not just from his exclamation. She could feel what he felt, the exquisite sensation of her mouth on his penis. What she did to him was making her hot, and this time it felt like it was really her, not the damn fire soap.
Good!
She knew he was commenting on the thought—and the sensations.
And she knew he was close to climax. She could hear it inside his head and in the sound of his harsh breathing.
Come up here.
As she read his mind, she knew what he wanted most. And she straddled his body, coming down on his cock with an exclamation of triumph.
She had made herself hot. And him, too. And now she rode him like the magnificent being he was. Her man. Her lover. Her soul mate.
She grinned when she felt his control slipping. Grinned again when he climaxed.
After she followed him, they collapsed in a tangle of arms and legs. When she could move, she shifted off of him and slid onto the mattress.
He cradled her close. “I love you.”
She nodded against his sweat-slick chest. “Loving you was the only thing that kept me alive when he had me.”
“Anna!”
“The idea of his…invading me was terrible.”
“For me, too.”
She tightened her hand on his. “I know.”
By mutual agreement, they stopped talking aloud.
I feel…
So close to you…
Yes…
What does it mean for us?
I guess we can talk to Jordan and Lindsay.
She felt her face go hot. I didn’t exactly meet them under ideal circumstances.
Neither did I. I thought Lindsay had something to do with kidnapping you. And I tried to strangle her.
Anna gripped his hand.
He gave her a mental summary of the past few hours, and she winced.
You had a bad time.
Not as bad as you.
Then, swiftly, as only they could through mind-to-mind communication, he relayed what Jordan and Lindsay had told him about the Remington Clinic, about Jim Swift, about the couple who had discovered their powers a few months earlier.
They can help us figure out where we go from here. And they can help us figure out what powers we have—and how to develop them.
Yes.
Did we really loosen my bonds?
Yes.
She dragged in a breath and let it out.
Will we have to hide from Jim Swift—or whatever he calls himself—now?
I’m afraid so—until we figure out where he is and…get rid of him.
Is that what we’ve turned into? Killers?
CHAPTER
TWENTY-NINE
NOT IF WE’REleft alone to live our lives, Zach answered. That’s all I’m asking.
Her lif
e. And his. They had found each other, after years of being apart. But she hated the direction fate had swept them in. It was so sudden. So unexpected. So frightening.
Including the part with me? Zach silently asked, the question like a flame burning in her mind.
No. You’re my touchstone.
The look on his face told her he wasn’t sure she was telling the truth.
You don’t think I’m lying, do you?
Before he could answer, she opened her mind and her heart, making herself totally vulnerable to him, letting him know everything inside her.
He didn’t have to speak for her to know he’d understood her heart and her mind.
Anna!
I love you. I’d be in hell by now without you.
I was in hell when he had you.
He reached for her, and they held each other tightly for long minutes.
It’s hard for me to trust, he whispered in her mind.
I know. But I wouldn’t be here in your arms if we didn’t have something extraordinary together. She felt him absorb that truth, and felt him settle into the miracle of their bond.
They were warm and close for a long time. Finally, he moved his hands to her shoulders.
We need to talk to Jordan and Lindsay.
I know.
We can’t hide down here forever.
You weren’t naked and spread-eagle on an altar when they first saw you.
No, I was lying on the ground, almost dead. Then I attacked them. He gripped her shoulders more tightly. They’re good people. They understand what you’ve been through.
It’s still hard to face them.
I’ll be right beside you. And I’ll punch Jordan out if he’s stupid enough to…think…anything you don’t want to hear.
She laughed, feeling a little better. But she was still hesitant, and she knew Zach had caught her thoughts when he said, “Want to take a shower before you go up?”
“Yes. Thanks.”
She disappeared into the head attached to the cabin. And when she came out, she found that Zach had ducked down the companionway and taken a quick shower in another head. He was dressed in the jeans and T-shirt he’d been wearing. And he’d laid out clothing for her—a man’s long-sleeved shirt and a pair of sweatpants—which she donned.
Finally, she couldn’t stall any longer. With her insides jumping, she walked hand-in-hand with Zach to the main deck.
Jordan and Lindsay were standing at the rail, looking toward land. But Anna could tell from the way they stood that they were very aware that she and Zach had arrived.