by Sam Cheever
I started to open my mouth to tell him we could go back. But he looked so intense I knew he wouldn’t hear me or listen if he did. So I sat back to wait for him to calm down.
From the look on his hard, beautiful face I figured that could take a while.
*
I woke up when the car stopped. I must have dozed off during the endless flight down the highway to gods knew where. I sat up and looked around. We were standing in front of a small cottage deep in the woods. In the distance I could hear water lapping against a shoreline.
Damian got out and walked around to my side of the car, opening the door for me. I gave him my hand and allowed him to help me out of the car. “Where are we?”
“Somewhere safe.”
He led me inside and flipped on the lights. The interior of the house was charming. The floor was a light, polished wood with scattered, brightly colored rag rugs. The walls were painted a clean, crisp white. The main floor was open, with the kitchen and living area side by side under a high ceiling.
In front of a stone fireplace that ran from floor to ceiling in the middle of one wall, a comfortable-looking sofa and two matching loveseats created a cozy seating area.
A fire burned softly in the fireplace.
It looked as if somebody had known we were coming.
Damian went directly to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. He glanced over the door at me. “Beer or wine?”
“Beer.”
He pulled two icy bottles out of the large refrigerator and handed one to me.
“Thanks.”
Damian gave me a brisk nod and put a hand on the small of my back, guiding me into the living area. He sat down on the sofa and I sat down next to him. We stared into the fire for a few moments in silence.
Finally I turned to him, intending to tell him I wanted to go back. The words died in my throat. His profile was perfection. In the soft firelight his eyes sparked with animation and his jaw looked as if it was made of stone. His hair rested against the tops of his shoulders, the strands glowing like gold and silver in the firelight.
He sat with his legs spread, the beer resting on one long thigh, wrapped in a large, strong hand.
A wave of pure lust swamped me. Before I knew what I was doing I’d laid my hand over his, which was resting on his other thigh and was clenched with obvious tension.
He turned to me and I fell into the dark pools of his beautiful blue eyes.
Feeling as if I should say something, I opened my mouth. “I…” I gulped. My brain melted. I had no idea what I’d been about to say.
He stared at me for a long moment. Then he leaned forward and set his beer down on the table in front of us. He reached for mine and took it out of my hand, setting it next to his.
He reached for me and my body clenched with need, my heart stuttering in my chest.
He dragged me gently across the couch, settling me on his lap. His hand lifted and touched my face, sliding like warm satin across my cheek, over my lips and down to my throat.
I stopped breathing.
His perfect lips followed the path his fingers had initiated. I gasped at the first electric touch of his lips. When his mouth settled over mine all thought stopped. Sensation started where our flesh touched and our breath mingled softly, flowing through me like blood through my veins. The sensual wave drove out all awareness of anything outside the small sphere where we existed.
Damian’s hands circled my throat, his thumbs rubbing sensual circles in the sensitized skin of my throat. I dropped my head back and his lips forged a trail over my chin, down my throat, setting fire to the skin he’d already warmed with his caresses.
His hands slid from my throat and over my shoulders, pushing aside the soft cotton of my blouse and his head dipped farther, to press kisses into the tender spot where my neck met my shoulder.
He nipped me gently and I shivered.
The small buttons of my blouse let loose and the fabric slid off my arms.
Damian’s mouth found the quivering mounds of my breasts and his tongue came out to slide along the edge of my bra, dipping beneath to taste the puckered edge of each brown nipple.
Warm wetness flooded my panties. My legs spread of their own volition and I moaned and arched my back in silent entreaty.
Damian suddenly slid one arm under my shoulders and one behind my knees and stood. I wrapped my arms around his neck and found his soft lips, drinking in the sensual musk of his warm breath as he carried me to another part of the house, where I prayed he intended to continue what we’d started.
We entered a cool, dark place that smelled of roses and Damian laid me down on the softest bed I’d ever felt. He bent over me and removed my skirt, pulling it over my hips and off and leaving me dressed only in my matching lace bra and panties.
I watched hungrily as he pulled the chest-hugging dark blue t-shirt off over his head and unbuttoned his well-worn jeans. My tongue came out to swipe over my lips as he unzipped those jeans and dragged them down, over his narrow hips.
He was wearing dark silk boxers that were tented in a truly impressive way.
I scooted backward on the bed as he approached, anticipation creating ripples of lust that had my stomach fluttering and my thighs clenching against a flood of warm cream.
Damian’s dark, intense gaze held mine as he grabbed one of my ankles and pulled me back to the edge of the bed, so that my legs dangled toward the floor. His eyes never left mine as he dropped to his knees and, grabbing both legs behind the knees, pulled me close and buried his face between my thighs.
I screamed, throwing back my head as he sucked gently on the tender mound at the juncture of my thighs. My body convulsed almost immediately into climax. Before the last incredible wave of pleasure finished rolling over me, Damian slid his tongue past the soaked edge of my panties and drove it into my hot, wet pussy.
He licked upward, caressing the tender bud of my clitoris with his strong, talented tongue, before pulling it into the heated cave of his mouth and sucking gently, bringing me closer and closer toward another bone-shattering release.
I lay helpless with pleasure, my hands wrapped within the silken strands of his long hair and my head thrashing from side to side as my delight built to near uncomfortable levels and just as I found the top of that sensual wave, teetering on the micro-edge of release, Damian’s head came away and he stood.
I whimpered and grabbed for him.
He dropped the boxers and I gasped. He was a gorgeous specimen, tall and perfectly formed, with broad shoulders, a narrow waist and a long, thick cock that hung rigid and dusky with need before me. I couldn’t wait to have him inside me.
Damian bent over and pulled me into the center of the bed, dropping onto me with a gentle groan as his hard cock pressed against my fluttering belly.
Reaching down, he grabbed the side of my flimsy panties and wrenched them away. He drove into me, hard and deep, and I went over, screaming his name to the sky.
Damian held himself perfectly still, his teeth clamped gently on my bottom lip and the sweet musk of his breath flooding my face, until my pussy stopped milking his thick cock and settled into the aftermath of my orgasm.
Then he licked the lip he’d been biting and covered my mouth with his as his body moved into a more deliberate, sensual rhythm.
My toes curled at the incredible feeling of his hard flesh scraping across the highly sensitized skin between my thighs. He lifted and moved forward, so that the tip of his cock brushed against my G-spot with every stroke.
It didn’t take long for me to fall screaming over that edge again. This time Damian couldn’t withstand the insistent pull of my body against his.
He stiffened, groaned and buried his face in my hair as he pulsed within me. He held his weight on his forearms and rotated his hips to pull the last ounce of pleasure from our bodies.
I placed my hands on his firm, round buttocks and held him tightly against my body, desperate to hold on to the pleasure forever.
It felt as if he were thanking me.
I pulled a deep, shuddering breath into my lungs. Sadness rolled off him in waves I could almost taste. My eyes filled with tears and I blinked them determinedly away.
Damian sighed and lifted his head, feathering kisses from my ear to my nose and over to the other side. Then he moved to the über-sensitive spot at the juncture of my neck and shoulders and I stiffened slightly, giggling.
He lifted his head and he was smiling. “Ticklish?”
I laughed again and shook my head. “Not a bit.”
His grin widened. “That’s good. Then you won’t mind if I do this…” He lowered his head and blew softly on the same spot.
I shrieked and clamped my shoulder to my ear so he couldn’t get to it.
Damian laughed and quickly found the other side. I was laughing so hard I was having trouble breathing. “Stop!”
Like a true gentleman he did stop. He lowered his smiling lips toward mine. “Then I guess I’ll just have to do this instead.”
And his lips were on mine again, his body began to harden within me and his hips arched back into that gentle rhythm.
And the wave of pleasure started to build again.
Chapter Six
Finally, the Brother
We dragged ourselves out of bed a couple of hours later and wandered toward the kitchen for some food. I opened the refrigerator door and stood staring at the contents with awe. It was overflowing with food.
Damian came up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and settling his chin on top of my head. “Eggs would be nice.”
I nodded and was reaching for them when a voice from the dark living area caused me to squeal and jump.
“I’d like some eggs too please.”
We turned and a tall, dark god of a man walked into the light. If it wasn’t Peter Leandar it certainly should have been.
Damian smiled and walked over to hug his brother. “You’re okay?”
Peter nodded, slapping his brother on the back and winking at me over Damian’s shoulder. “I’m good.”
Damian pulled away. “What about the…” he glanced at me, “package…you’ve been keeping for me?”
Peter walked over to the refrigerator, sliding an interested gaze over me as he reached for the door. His dark blue eyes were shaped the same as his brother’s but were totally different. His gaze was playful, where Damian’s was intense and serious. “She’s right where you left her.”
I peaked an eyebrow, deciding this was as good a time as any for the brothers to tell me what the hell was going on. “She?”
Damian took the beer Peter handed him and they walked into the living area together, ignoring me.
Apparently they didn’t agree.
I grabbed a beer and followed, determined to get some answers.
They settled on the couch and propped their feet on the coffee table, crossing their legs at the ankles in identical fashion.
I settled into the corner of one of the loveseats, tucking my legs under me. I pulled the hem of Damian’s t-shirt down over my legs, happy that I’d pulled it on before coming out of the bedroom.
The firelight flickered over the two men across from me. It caught silver highlights in Damian’s dark gold hair and painted Peter’s light brown hair, cut military short, with red-gold sparks.
Damian’s face looked dark and sensual, with heavy eyebrows over deep-set blue eyes and full, well-shaped lips.
By contrast Peter’s face was animated and playful, despite the dark circles under his eyes that the firelight was accentuating. His features were very similar to Damian’s but not quite as strong, except for his jawline, which was square and very masculine like his brother’s.
He was tall, leanly muscled like Damian but had slightly less broad shoulders.
I hadn’t noticed if he had the sexy double slash of dimples.
“So what’s going on here, guys?”
Peter turned to his brother with a grin.
Oh! There they were.
Damian continued to stare into the fire, lifting the beer to his lips.
“What my big brother means,” Peter offered with a chuckle, “is that, if we tell you we’ll have to kill you.” He nudged Damian with an elbow. “Isn’t that right, Demon?”
Damian just turned his head and glared at his brother. Peter laughed, tilting back his head and gulping his beer with gusto.
“Demon?”
Peter laughed again. “Don’t look so dire, Athena. It’s just a nickname. I’ve called him that ever since we were kids, when he used to torture me relentlessly.”
Damian’s dark blue gaze swiveled toward me and I fought the urge to shiver. All the heat he and I had so easily generated in the bedroom had fled from Damian’s gaze and the cold sadness I was growing to hate had replaced it. “What can you tell me about the woman who visited you today?”
I blinked. Now that I hadn’t been expecting. “Megan Megara? Other than that she’s totally crazy? She was watching the building, you know. She saw you drop me off.”
Damian and Peter shared a look.
All traces of joviality fled from Peter’s expressive face. “Did she try to follow him?”
I shook my head, sipping my beer. “She was mad because I couldn’t tell her where he’d gone.”
“She didn’t hurt you, did she?” Damian’s face darkened with emotion, his blue eyes flashing.
I shook my head. “I pressed the emergency button on my desk and two male Cu…” I caught myself just in time, “um, coworkers and a security guard came into the room.” I looked at the two men on the couch. “It was strange. She changed just like that…” I snapped my fingers, “when they came into the room. Suddenly she was all sweet and harmless. They escorted her out.”
The brothers shared another look.
“I’ve never heard of an ability to change like that.” Peter was frowning.
I nodded. “Yeah, it was strange.”
They looked at me like I was simple-minded and then turned away again, ignoring me.
“It’s got to be her though.” Damian stared hard at his brother until Peter sighed.
“You’re right.”
I lost all patience at that moment. Standing up, I stomped over and shook a finger at them. Unfortunately the other four digits were wrapped around a beer bottle and the beer sloshed out and landed on Peter’s jeans. “Oops. Sorry.” My hand reached toward his lap before my brain inserted common sense and I stopped just a hair away from brushing at the spilled beer on Peter’s crotch.
Peter grinned up at me.
Damian scowled.
I jerked my hand back with a flustered, “Oh!”
“Dammit!” I screamed, making them jump. “You’re about to witness an enraged female if you don’t start talking right now. I want to know what’s going on!”
Peter looked at Damian. “You’d better tell her, Demon. I hate the enraged female thing.”
Damian smiled and jerked his head toward my beer. “I’ll tell you if you’ll take your weapon back over there and sit down.”
Peter chuckled.
I showed him my teeth. “These are my weapon, buddy. Don’t you forget it!”
He smiled at me and I retreated before those dimples turned me into a Cupid puddle in the middle of the floor.
When I was settled safely into my corner again, Damian told me a truly astounding story, which I only half believed.
“When you came to visit me the first time, Athena, I sensed something about you…”
“He’s a seer,” Peter added helpfully.
I frowned. “A seer?”
Damian twisted his lips. “Kind of, yes. I know things. Things there should be no way for me to know.”
Okay, I told myself, this is so not what I’d expected to hear.
“With this particular…” he glanced at Peter, “skill, I have been asked to
help guard a certain…creature.”
“What kind of creature?”
He sighed. “It’s nothing you’ve ever encountered before, I’m sure.”
“It’s the product of a horrible genetic experiment.”
Damian threw a glare at his brother. Peter just grinned.
“Something like that,” Damian said. “Anyway, there are those who would like to get their hands on this…”
“Experiment.” Peter’s grin widened. He seemed to be having a lot of fun, despite his brother’s obvious discomfort with the story.
Or maybe because of it.
“Yes.”
The story had more gaps in it than a Britney Spears outfit.
I tried a recap, hoping that would help clear things up for me. “So…because of this…ability…you have to see things, you’re guarding this poor creature?”
Damian winced as if he was fully aware of how lame his explanation sounded. But he appeared unwilling, or unable, to explain more clearly.
“Is it dangerous?”
“Extremely.”
Peter nodded. “You need to stay away from the thing, Athena. Damian is right about that.”
I bit my lip. “How does this ability to see things make it safe for you to be around it, Damian?”
The brothers shared another look. Peter shrugged as if they’d had a silent communication of some sort.
Damian slid his intense gaze back my way. “Obviously I have other skills, Athena.”
“Obviously,” I responded, frowning. “But you aren’t going to tell me what they are. Are you?”
He just shrugged.
“So how does Megan Megara fit into this story?”
Damian stared into the fire, shaking his head. “I’m not sure. But she fits somehow.”
Shaking my head in frustration, I stood up. “I’m going to bed.”
I stomped off, knowing almost less than I’d known before. Questions swirled around in my mind. Whatever Damian Leandar was involved in, it was something the Fates didn’t like. And I still didn’t know if Damian was involved with the whole gorgon thing. He’d never mentioned magic during the telling of his holey story. But I had to wonder if magic didn’t have something to do with Damian and his brother. Too many things just didn’t fit.