“Why is that a problem?” Varrik’s tone was hesitant and he looked only at Lyrik.
“Echo is a valuable covert operative. If that fact became public knowledge, her usefulness is obliterated. Trey would have my bal— er, head on a plate if I let that happen.”
Varrik fidgeted, tension knitting his brow. “What is the alternative?”
“If you will testify, I’m prepared to arrange amnesty.”
“What about the kidnappings?” Charlotte snapped.
“He’s not a hunter,” Echo said before Varrik could incriminate himself. “His responsibilities began when the women were scheduled to be released.”
“Lyrik,” Tal used the overlord’s name to emphasize his own authority, “you cannot possibly mean to exonerate this man of all charges. He held Echo against her will and—”
“Varrik’s method of negotiation was unconventional, but it was a negotiation.” Echo scooted to the edge of her seat and met her father’s gaze. “I was not forced to do anything, and I will challenge any charge that implies otherwise.”
“You don’t know what you’re saying,” Charlotte cried.
“That seemed pretty clear to me,” Lyrik disagreed. “I also have sworn statements from my wife and a woman named Aila confirming Varrik’s honorable nature.”
Tal stood, shoving his chair back so forcefully it smacked against the wall. “You might need Varrik’s testimony to make your case against the elders. However, if he comes anywhere near my daughter again, I will not be responsible for my actions.”
Chapter Thirteen
Echo stayed away from Varrik for almost a lunar cycle. It was the longest three weeks of her life. Even their torrid dream sharing couldn’t alleviate her loneliness. Saebin encouraged her to give her parents time to calm down and accept that she was a woman, not a little girl. Echo did her best to follow the advice, but her heart ached for Varrik.
He was in protective custody in an undisclosed villa on the Day Moon. The House of Joon had threatened his life when Lilt was arrested. Some of the more fanatical squadron leaders considered him a traitor and vowed to avenge the elders. So, Trey insisted that he remain in hiding until after the trial.
According to Saebin, Varrik was taking it all in stride, basking in his newfound freedom. Protective custody was still worlds away from the life he had known before. Echo appreciated Saebin’s reports, knowing her parents were being less than gracious about Saebin’s role in the events.
Echo searched the Conservatory’s records, uncovering everything she could about the child who had been found in Mystic Valley. Shaellee was a Farseer, with mild telekinetic abilities. If Shaelee was Varrik’s niece, which Echo suspected she was, he would be relieved to learn she was happy and well-adjusted.
After spending the day working out with Saebin and preparing for their next mission, Echo retired to her private suite earlier than usual. She took a long, hot bath, while her mind filled with images of Varrik. Rather than relaxing her, it escalated her frustration, so she dried off and crawled into bed. The situation was simply intolerable. She refused to pretend anymore. If her parents couldn’t accept her life choices, then she would strike out on her own.
She materialized in his bedroom, naked and tingling. He stood at the open window, his naked body bathed in moonlight. One of his arms rested against the windowsill as he gazed out across the steep valley that housed the City of Tears. She couldn’t see his other hand, but the rhythmic pulling motion left no doubt what he was doing.
“Why did you start without me?”
He spun to face her and lowered his hand, his eyes gleaming in the moonlight. “This has to stop. I thought these fantasies would be enough, but they’re just making the days longer. I want to share your life, not just your dreams.”
Smiling sweetly, she closed the distance between them. “I couldn’t agree with you more. I came to the same conclusion as I was soaking in my bathtub.”
He chuckled and pressed a kiss to the top of each hand. “We both know the sorts of thoughts you have while you’re soaking in your bathtub.”
“I can’t imagine why.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and gently kissed his mouth. “I’ll speak with my parents in the morning. We will be together as soon as this trial ends, even if we have to leave Ontariese to make it happen.”
He hugged her to him and stroked her hair as his gaze caressed her face. “I hope it won’t come to that. The overlord seems to think there’s a place for me at the COT.”
“He just inherited four thousand soldiers with unusual abilities. He needs a strong leader to keep them in line.”
“Four thousand men who have never tasted freedom are going to require guidance if they hope to adjust to the world above.”
“Isn’t that what I just said?” She playfully nipped his lower lip. “Now, no more talk of others. These dreams are meant for us.”
“I’m entirely at your disposal.”
“Glad to hear it.” With a wicked chuckle, she moved his hands to the windowsill behind him and lowered herself to her knees. His shaft rose thick and long from a dark nest of wiry curls. Using only her mouth, she took up where he’d left off when she appeared.
For a long time, she concentrated on the flared head, licking, sucking, and even nibbling at his sensitive flesh. He arched his back, lifted his face to the moonlight, and let her play. It was so seldom that he allowed her to be the aggressor. She took full advantage of the opportunity.
She sucked him deeper and deeper into her mouth, moving her hands to his tight ass. He groaned. His chest heaved as the tension built. Sliding her lips up and down his thick shaft, she drove him toward climax, determined to watch him lose control, to feel him twitch against her tongue, and taste him as he so often tasted her.
“Stop or I’ll…” She moved faster, sucked harder, demanding his release. He cried out, thrusting to the back of her mouth as he spilled his seed. He shuddered and shuddered, his fingers pushing into her hair. She swallowed and licked until he finally stopped shaking.
“You little hellion.” He panted, easing out of her mouth. “How long have you wanted to do that?” He pulled her to her feet and swung her toward the windowsill.
“Ever since I first saw you naked. You let me touch you. What I really wanted was to put you in my mouth.”
“Gods, woman. You’re going to be the death of me.”
She laughed. “I thought I already was.”
He positioned her body much as she’d positioned his. “It’s your turn.” Kneeling before her, he parted her folds with his thumbs and flicked his tongue against her clit. No mercy, just a silent command to come and come hard. Already halfway there, her body was only too happy to obey. She clutched the windowsill as her inner muscles clenched and her womb fluttered.
“Now fill me!” Instead of lifting her to the ledge, he turned her again and crossed her wrists at the small of her back. She arched and lifted her hips, her legs parted—waiting. “Now, please, now.” He pushed between her thighs, teasing her folds with the head of his cock. She whimpered. So good, but not nearly enough.
Holding her wrists with one hand, he touched her breasts and stroked her belly. All the while his shaft pressed against her without pushing inside. He nipped her earlobe and found her clit with his middle finger.
“Come again, or I won’t give you this.” He slid forward and back so she could feel the hot, hard length waiting for her.
“I need you inside me. I can’t come like this.”
“Sure you can.” His finger circled her clit with a featherlight touch. Her nipples tingled, and her core throbbed, demanding penetration. She thought about his expression as he abandoned himself to the pleasure of her mouth, remembered his shaft sliding against her tongue, and heard his cries of release.
Sensations burst within her, wild and elemental. Each time Varrik touched her, the pleasure was more intense. While her body pulsed with aftershocks of her orgasm, he swept her into his arms and carried her to the bed
.
Wrapping her arms around his neck, she snuggled against his chest. He covered her mouth with his and lowered her legs to the bed. She knelt on the mattress while he stood on the floor, neither willing to abandon the sweet intimacy of their kiss. She slid her tongue against his, drawing in his breath. Her fingers combed through his hair.
He stroked up and down her back, cupping her bottom, as he rocked his hips against her. She’d had enough teasing. She needed his weight pressing her down and his thick cock filling her aching passage.
She dragged her mouth away from his and lay back across the bed, her gaze locked with his. He stared down at her, passion glowing in his eyes. She raised her arms and slowly parted her legs, showing him exactly how much she wanted him.
With a ravenous growl, he climbed onto the bed and slipped his hands beneath her bottom. He lifted her hips as he thrust to the hilt, filling her completely. He didn’t pause, didn’t gentle her with words or sweet caresses.
She raised her legs high against his sides and squeezed her inner muscles around him. Varrik. Her love. Her life. She reveled in his abandon, matching his aggression stroke for stroke. Arching and twisting, she took him as surely as he took her.
They shattered together, their bodies pulsing in perfect synchronicity. Their hearts beat as one, and their energy merged, swelling, swirling, as they rode out the waves. She whispered his name. He captured the sound with his open mouth.
Sensations slipped, fading with the pleasure. Echo reached for him and he dissolved beneath her touch, evaporating like mist. The room skewed, spun, then reshaped, transforming into her bedroom.
She sat up in her own bed, her heart breaking. No more. It ended now. She wouldn’t pass another night without him.
* * * * *
Charlotte had just climbed into bed beside her life mate when someone pounded on their privacy panel.
“It’s Echo,” Tal said.
“I know. I can sense her…unrest.” It was a ridiculous word to describe the emotions pelting her mind.
Tal allowed the panel to open, and Echo stepped into the room.
“I love Varrik, and I will not live without him. If you cannot accept my soul’s mate, then I’ll find somewhere else to live.”
Charlotte looked at Tal, torn between disappointment and admiration. Echo had always had a mind of her own. How could they combat such vehemence?
“What makes you believe he’s your soul’s mate?” he asked in a nonconfrontational tone.
“I don’t believe, I know. The first night we were separated we shared a dream. Dream sharing has never been among my abilities before. Our souls refuse to be parted. What other explanation can there be?”
“You know nothing about this man. He is from a world—”
“I shared his memories, Father. I know him far better than you knew Mother when you bound your souls together.” She squared her shoulders and raised her chin. “I don’t want to destroy our relationship. But I will not give him up.” Without another word, she turned and left the room.
“Well, that was unexpected.” Charlotte couldn’t help but smile.
Tal looked at her and shook his head. “I saw it in their eyes clear back on the Day Moon. I had begun to wonder what was taking her so long.”
“If you knew they were soul mates, why did you threaten Varrik?”
“I’m her father.” He smiled. “It’s my job to make him squirm.”
* * * * *
Varrik hurried across the villa and activated the security viewer. A cloaked woman stood on the front porch, her features lost in shadow. How had she gotten past the guards? He knew who it was. Gods, he hoped he knew. Holding his breath, he moved across the foyer and scanned open the door.
“Did you miss me?” Echo asked.
Heat curled through his abdomen and his pulse kicked up a notch. Echo was here. Somehow she was really here. Despite the physical pleasure, their shared dream had left him feeling empty and discontent. He needed to hold her as they slept and wake up to her smile. He took her hand and drew her into the villa.
“You shouldn’t be here. It’s dangerous.”
She lowered the hood and met his gaze, her expression inscrutable. “I’m not afraid of the danger. Are you?” Challenge flashed through her gaze before a smile softened her expression. “The trial is only four days away. We’ll stay away from the windows. I promise.”
“I was just—”
“Unless you don’t want me here.” Uncertainty drew her delicate brows together.
“I want nothing more.” Capturing both her hands, he pulled her into a loose embrace. “Half of this planet is pissed off at me. I couldn’t bear it if anything happened to you.”
“Won’t I be easier to protect if I’m under your roof?”
He smiled and brushed her lips with his. “I think I can sell myself on that reasoning.”
“I brought you a present.”
Reaching down, he squeezed her bottom. “And I can’t wait to unwrap it.”
She reached into the pocket of her cloak and held out a crystal disk.
“What’s this?” He took the disk from her hand and turned it over, admiring the intricate pattern etched into both sides.
“Hold it up to the light and look through it.”
As light passed through the crystal the decoration gave way to an image. A young woman stared back at him, faint blue rings in her soft brown eyes. “Is this…” He couldn’t bring himself to complete the question. It was too much to hope that Sekall’s daughter was still alive.
“Her name is Shaelee. She doesn’t remember much about the mountain cottage, but she told my mother a kind man, with blue rings in his eyes, used to visit her when she was very young.”
He rubbed his thumb over the surface of the disk, joy clogging his throat. She is beautiful, Sekall. Your daughter is alive and beautiful.
She stroked his cheek with the backs of her fingers. “You still look so sad. I thought this would please you.”
Moved beyond words, he drew her fully into his arms and kissed her with all the tenderness in his heart. She melted into his embrace, returning his kiss with equal fervor.
“Does this mean I can stay?” she whispered against his kiss-dampened lips.
“Always and forever.” He parted her cloak and felt his mouth gape. She was naked beneath the garment.
“I left in a hurry.” She offered him a wicked grin that perfectly matched her outfit.
He swept her up in his arms and claimed her mouth with his. Oh, my love. Never stop surprising me. You are truly a wonder.
They kissed for a long moment, content to be in each other’s arms.
Does your father know where you are? Should I fear for my life?
Only if you don’t love me as much as I love you.
That will never be a problem.
Read on for a taste of
Cyndi Friberg’s Rebel Angel series
Rage and Redemption
When the couple gets together, wow. I am looking forward to seeing what Cyndi Friberg comes up with for her next story; she is definitely an author to watch.
-- Angel, Romance Junkies 5 stars!
Rebel Angels, Book One: Proud and rebellious, Gideon is banished from the Light. His own words define his punishment, transforming bloodlust into literal hunger. Living by his sword, he wanders the land of mortals, embittered and alone.
Naomi works in secret, illuminating manuscripts for the Knights of St. John. Gideon is drawn to her beauty and fascinated by her innocence. She stirs the shattered remnants of his nobility, intensifying the conflict already raging within him.
Gideon is unlike anyone Naomi has ever encountered before. His passionate kisses and intoxicating caresses leave her restless and wanting. Still, she senses the bleak loneliness he tries so hard to deny. Responding to his seduction with tenderness, she is determined to help him rediscover the beauty in life.
The battle lines are drawn. Gideon must seek redemption or Fall. Naomi must l
ead her Rebel Angel back into the light before the forces of darkness destroy them both.
From Cyndi: The concept of angels and demons has always fascinated me. I couldn't help wondering how the angels felt when they were ordered to throw one third of their ranks out of Heaven. Obviously they obeyed, but how did it make them feel? I've been a fan of Historical romance for years, so I chose the Crusades as a backdrop for this exploration. I originally set out to capture the emotional struggles of an angel left behind by the rebellion. But, as usual, my muse decided to twist my concept. I don't want to say too much, but suddenly my angel had fangs and I was powerless to stop the influx of paranormal elements. I hope you'll find the resulting love story as entertaining as I did. I learned long ago not to argue with my muse. Enjoy!
Chapter One
Krak des Chevaliers
County of Tripoli, Palestine
March 1148
Fidgeting upon the wooden stool, Naomi pushed a lock of long hair behind her ear and concentrated on the manuscript page spread before her. Dust motes danced playfully in the rapidly fading sunlight but she couldn’t allow herself to be distracted. The familiar scent of ink and sandalwood soothed her, helping her focus. She shifted the precious vellum folio to a slightly different angle, catching what was left of the light.
To achieve true illumination, a scribe must release light from within the text, not just decorate the margins. Her design was intricate and interesting, but there was no spark or inspiration. No illumination.
Naomi focused on the entwined figures centered on the page and set her quill aside. Eve’s long hair concealed everything but her slender limbs. Adam, on the other hand, had only a strategically placed fig leaf to protect his modesty.
“Perhaps without the leaf I could find illumination,” Naomi muttered with a mischievous smile.
“I’d be willing to serve as your model.”
Royal Obsession Page 17