Connected (Twists of Fate #1)

by Jolyn Palliata

  in the top of his hand, jumping to his feet and then quickly covering his nakedness with an uncharacteristic flush to his cheeks.

  “You were actual y shy about flashing the nurses,” she said with a little snort.

  “Hey. I’m a one-woman kinda man, and I’m spoken for.” He took her hand and slid it down, grinding his hardening length into her palm. “No one but you gets to see the goods from now on.”

  Addison’s breath caught at the connect, then groaned along with Rhys as she wrapped her fingers around him, giving a light tug. Every cel in her body sparked to life, her blood rol ing into a steady simmer.

  Wait a minute. Wait a minute. She shook her head and forced her hand open.

  Rhys moaned. “Come on, baby. I need you.”

  She moved her hand to grasp his hip, hoping that would help maintain some sort of restraint on her end. “And you’l have me. As many times as you want. I just want to wrap my mind around this first.” She nuzzled her face into his neck.

  “You died, Rhys. You must’ve. Otherwise we never would have met.”

  “The hospital said some locals from the Daintree Rainforest brought me in. Somehow we crashed in Australia, not New Guinea.” He shrugged. “Anyway, I did die, but they brought me back. Wel , they brought my body back. The rest of me was with you.” His hand ran up her ribs slowly, purposeful y. She slapped hers over his to stop its progress.

  “But they found a body…”

  “It must have been Masamba’s,” he murmured, wiggling his hand out from under hers.

  The pieces snapped into place. The hippy-guy in the plane.

  “Yeah, him.” Rhys fingers circled his target, trailing across the side of her breast, teasing her.

  She gave over to the feel of him next to her, touching her, on her body and in her head.

  Yesss. Now you’re with me, he growled, rol ing them so he pinned her down with his broad body, his rock hard erection pressing against her bel y.

  Addison made a purring sound as she latched onto his throat, her hands circling around to his ass. She thrust up against him, savoring the sound of his gasp.

  “I’m never letting you go, Rhys. Never again.” Tilting her head, she sought out his mouth, and ignited with pure pleasure as his lips met hers.

  My Addison. My heart. Body and mind, you’re mine. I’m going to love you for the rest of my life, baby. And every moment thereafter.

  ###

  Coming soon…

  TWISTED

  a Twists of Fate novel (Book 2)

  I'm going to tell you a story about two polar opposites—

  cynical versus optimistic, edgy versus conservative—

  coming together and changing the other in ways they couldn’t have imagined possible, despite the cards stacked against them.

  All right. So, admittedly, I was the one doing the stacking, but what can I say? I can’t seem to keep my nose out of…

  well, anything. But you can point all those accusing fingers at my mothers for this particular personality defect.

  Bloody hell, they nurtured it!

  I suppose now would be the perfect opportunity for me to introduce myself, wouldn’t you agree?

  Fate’s the name. Some call me Fate, some call me Destiny, but if you could refrain from utilizing the second moniker, I’d much appreciate it. It tends to piss off my sister—the one who is truly endowed with that namesake.

  We are the bastard twins of the Moirae. And we grew up to become tinkerers of the heart and screwers of the destinies.

  Our mothers must be so proud.

  In all honesty—and I’m nothing if not honest—I tend to enjoy our endeavors moreso than my sister. I see my role as paramount in the lives of the people around me. In the clutches of my vicarious whims (my sister’s words, not mine), I make their lives a helluva lot more interesting than it would be otherwise. I am not a god or a deity; there is only so much control I have. But I’ll always take the risk on their behalf, and compel them to follow my lead.

  Destiny says I partake of too many indulgences, that I enjoy having fun at another’s expense, that I am simply seeking ways to spice up my eternal existence. And you know what I have to say to that?

  Well…perhaps.

  However, in my defense, I am also spicing up the lives of those around me. And that truth, no mortal (nor irritating entity) can deny. Not even my tenacious sister.

  I would love to keep my sister’s involvement out of this, but it was her interest in the band’s success—their destinies, as it were—triggering my involvement in the first place.

  Ah, the bands…

  There are two of them, ya know. Persevere and Black Codex. They drew Destiny to their side to work her magic, and the byproduct of that was…little ole me.

  Curiosity at her uncharacteristic focus brought me forth, and there I found ten men. Each truly alone when it came to matters of the heart, each having their own steadfast reasoning behind it, and each providing me a mouth-watering challenge I hadn’t seen in centuries.

  I simply could not walk away.

  Now this brings me back around to the story at hand; the one I began telling you about.

  You see, the beauty of me being the one to tell the story, rather than you following their day-to-day lives, is I can skip all the transient in-between moments—ya know, the boring crap—and focus on the ones that truly mattered, the ones that lead to the click and fall at the end of their journey. And what a journey it was. So many missed chances, so many slips of judgment, so many leaps of faith; it's a miracle I got them together at all.

  I like to title my little stories when I tell them and this one I call Star-Crossed Lovers . I crack myself up with that one, and I’ll tell you why: the woman is a best-selling author and the man is—you guessed it—the lead singer of a multi-platinum-selling rock band.

  See the irony? They're both stars...get it?

  All right, so maybe humor isn’t my forte, in the traditional sense, but I manage to amuse myself which, I suppose, is all that matters in the end.

  Well, to me, at least.

  So, let's get started shall we?

  Once upon a time...

  No, wait. That's not the proper way to start this story—too predictable, too safe, and not the proper representation for what’s to come.

  I'll tell you right now, this is not your typical fairytale with a happily-ever-after ending. It's a true story which means there's pain, remorse, and regrets to go along with everything else.

  And you'll have to bear with me for it's the first time I've ever shared this particular journey with anyone else. I might bumble it, I might not explain it correctly, but I guarantee it's worth the listen, as all my tales are known to be.

  What? You don’t think Fate can be poetic? Dramatic?

  Whimsical, even? Guess again, mortal.

  They met in a bookstore; just a bustling New-York-minute grabbing them each by the throat and knocking them together. Windblown from the crisp autumn air, Devan breezed into the store and swept right into Tavion’s life, altering it completely. Of course he didn't know it at the time—people rarely do in moments like these. But he did remember being annoyed with her…

  Also coming soon…

  IMPENDING REPRISALS

  The spirited woman danced just out of Kael's reach, and he simply grasped air.

  “Anya, you know I wil marry you when we are of age,” he solemnly told her, stepping closer stil .

  “Perhaps.”

  “You doubt my intentions?” He reached for her again; a tentative motion as if sudden movements would spook her away, and yet decisive, clearly displaying his eagerness to hold her in his arms.

  “No, I do not doubt,” she replied as a wicked gleam shown in her emerald green eyes—a gleam he knew al too wel .

  “But you wil have to catch me first.” Kael smiled as he watched Anya sprint down the hil side, her bare feet hardly touching the ground during her flight. She was a vision indeed as her white dress bil owed
behind her, a deep contrast to the flow of auburn hair cascading down her back, curling with the humidity of the day.

  “Get her, Tajvek,” Kael ordered to the massive white tiger, sprawled further up the hil . The animal perked its ears, then bunched its muscles and leapt after her; a single bound closing the distance to Kael, and another halving the remaining distance between him and Anya.

  Kael sprinted forward as wel , closing fast on the beautiful woman who had been slowed by the animal standing in her path.

  “Move, Taj!” she yel ed, glancing over her shoulder with wide eyes, her already bronzed skin blushing a deeper shade. Seeing Kael right behind her, she let out an anticipatory laugh and tried to dodge to the side.

  Kael wrapped an arm around her waist before she could complete the maneuver and pul ed her to him, twisting around as they fel to the ground and cushioning her fal with his body.

  Anya looked to the white tiger now comfortably curling at the base of a tree, watching the events unfold with lazy, sleepy eyes.

  “You are meant to obey my wil , Taj, not his.” Kael rol ed Anya so he was lying against her side. He looked down at her as one hand came to rest on her hip while the other kept his weight from crushing her. “He senses that in which you desire most.” A mischievous grin spread across his face. “He knew you wanted to be caught.”

  “Hmm. That he does.” Anya gazed into the Kael's deep blue eyes, lost in the endless pools of desire they always immersed her in. “And now that you have me, what are your intentions?” The corner of her mouth twitched as she tried to contain her smile, fairly confident as to what his motives were.

  Kael locked eyes with hers and began rubbing his hand across her hip. Anya's mirth faded into serious contemplation as her breath held and her stomach fluttered from the contact. Easing down, he brushed his lips gently against hers, teasing her as his hand caressed up her ribs.

  Anya sighed as his lips met hers again, and she weaved her hands in his thick dark hair, drawing him close. She could feel his hot, firm hand pressing on her body, feeling as if it might burn through the thin fabric of the bodice separating them, and wishing it would. But the material was as impenetrable as a mortar wal , a solid barrier between his skin and hers.

  Kael was powerless against the temptations she held for him as their kiss deepened, their tongues twirling as their mouths pressed hard together, their breath coming in shal ower, quicker intakes. He lost himself in the sensations of Anya, the heave of her breasts against his chest, her hands tangled in his hair, her flushed body pressed against his. He was barely aware of his own hand's movements as he grazed the swel of her breast, but the intimate contact was not missed by the girl.

  How Anya had longed for his tender touch, for him to explore her body and revel in the seductions she had to offer. So long had he teased and tempted her to the point of frustration, al the while stating it to be improper and disrespectful to partake in such pleasures.

  The same time Anya issued a soft whimper, Kael became aware of his hand's placement, but her reaction stopped him from pul ing back. The intense hunger she always brought out in him caused his whole body to ache, indicating the point in which he would always retreat. Only this time, his strength faltered.

  Anya sensed his hesitation and bowed her back, pressing her breast again his hand, literal y putting temptation within reach. And deny it, he could not.

  A guttural moan slipped from deep within his chest as his hand cupped her breast, his fingers curling around, stroking and caressing the soft mound. Their kiss escalated into a frenzy of emotions—passion versus lust, want versus need

  —as they pressed their bodies tight together in desperate longing.

  Kael suddenly broke away with a great gasp of air and moved his busy hand to Anya's hip, knotting his fist in the fabric of her dress in an act of frustration. Anya slumped back in defeat, her lip slipping out into a pout after she let loose a heavy sigh. He released her garment from his clenched fist and began tracing her mouth with his finger, issuing a husky laugh as she pleaded at him with disheartened eyes. “You know we cannot, Anya.”

  “I know.” And, despite her own actions, she was wel aware of his honorable morals. They would wait until she was of age to choose her own partner, her love, when she alone was able to decide without the approval of her father. And yet, twenty-three years of age seemed like a lifetime away at that particular moment.

  “I wil wait til the proper time to have you. Three years is not such a long time, considering as long as we have waited thus far.”

  “You are a patient man, Kael. Far more patient than I.” She scowled, and he grinned at her irritation as he took on a more serious tone. “I did not yet have a chance to tel you...” Anya arched an eyebrow as she looked up at him, donning an inquisitive expression. He began stroking the long, shiny locks curled across her bare shoulder.

  “You were a vision last night, near impossible to resist.” Anya smiled at the compliment, and bowed her head in a humble gesture. As much as she had just braved the first step in their physical relationship, she was just as shy in other aspects.

  “As were you.” And he was handsome indeed as her escort to the masquerade bal , hosted by a visiting lordship and the talk of their smal vil age in the days preceding it. “I can barely believe my father had suggested we go together. I feared he would arrange for some dreadful y boring man to accompany me.”

  “As did I fear such an arrangement as wel .” Both Kael and Anya had been riddled with surprise at her father's request, but, of course, neither one issued a single word of protest at the pairing. The only qualm the evening held for the young couple was they were unable to spend every moment together. But, as was custom, they were expected to switch partners during the various dances.

  Kael's strong jaw flexed as he thought of the previous night's activities, and his tone turned sour. “Although one man surely took more than his fair share of your time.” However, as unwil ing as he was to share her presence, Kael could not very wel deny the pleasure of Anya's company, especial y from the visiting lord, the host of the party.

  “Why, Kael...are you jealous?” Anya smirked at his response, and tilted her head to the side as she regarded him. “And yet you wil not take what I would wil ingly give you?” He looked into her al uring green eyes—the lightest part of her entire being and a vivid contrast to her darkened skin and mahogany hair, now altered to auburn as the summer sun took its tol . And he suddenly realized if he did not avert his gaze, he would once again be compel ed to embrace her. Glancing away, he groaned, “Do not tempt me, Anya.” Tajvek began making a low humming sound in his chest, a clear warning, drawing their attention and causing them to tense.

  “What is it, Taj?” Anya asked.

  “Anya!” Her father's resonant voice bel owed through the expansive meadow, echoing off the air itself with a commanding presence.

  Kael scrambled away from Anya's side as he held out his hand to assist her to her feet. But the flustered young man was not able to stand before her father, Chiberus, an imposing hulk of a man, crested the hil . Staring at the flow of the white dress in front of him, Kael pinched the fabric between his fingers and pretended to be examining a grass stain, brushing at it with his fingertips.

  “What is the meaning of this?” Chiberus demanded as he came to a stop beside them and looked down to her dress.

  Anya gave him a sheepish grin as she shrugged. “I fel .”

  “Kaelestis, you are to wel protect my daughter, even if it is from herself.” He crossed his arms as his brow creased.

  “I apologize, Weapons Master of Liberwood, for not having a quicker steadying hand.” Kael bowed his head respectful y as he released her dress.

  “Bah! She appears no worse for the wear.” Chiberus clapped his large hand hard on Kael's shoulder as the mirth touched his eyes only. “And how many times must I insist you cal me Chiberus?”

  Kael stood as he and Anya exchanged a curious expression. Although her father had entrust
ed her safety to Kael for many years now, he had never before shown a personal interest in getting to know the budding young warrior.

  “Sedalene has dinner ready, Anya, and she is upset by your tardiness.” He paused and then muttered, “Wel , as upset as she ever gets.”

  Anya smiled at his description of her nanny's reaction, for nothing ever seemed to anger Sedalene. The only overt emotion she has ever known Sedalene to display was annoyance with Anya's father over his blind eye towards her affections.

  “And I need to speak to you, Kaelestis, about an urgent matter.” Chiberus' already dark eyes looked even darker as he nodded to the young man.

  “Is there cause for concern, Weapons Mas—” Kael quickly corrected himself as the much tal er, and bigger, man glowered at him. “Pardon me...Chiberus.”

  “No, no, my son,” he assured while Kael and Anya once again glanced to each other over the 'my son' reference.

  “But we must act with haste.”

  “Very wel .” Kael bowed his head in a slow, respectful motion.

  “Now come along you two.” Chiberus ordered as he smoothed down his neatly-trimmed, black beard and looked pointedly at Kael. “I wil meet you in the sparring room.”

  “As you wish.”

  Chiberus turned and walked away, his long strides moving him at a brisk pace.

  Tajvek crept to Anya's side and nudged her waist, no doubt sensing her confusion and wondering as to the cause. She reached down and stroked the huge cat's head as she stared at her father's retreating figure. “You may go now, Taj. I wil see you later.” The white tiger leaned into her briefly before fading into a spectral state and then disappearing altogether. Anya glanced at Kael and tipped her head towards her father. “What was al that about?” she whispered as they began fol owing Chiberus.

  Kael simply shrugged.

  “Maybe I shal ask Sedalene. She may know something.”

  “That is a thought, but I imagine I wil find out soon enough.”

  “Do you suppose Father is arranging for...” Anya trailed off, not daring to say her greatest desire out loud, afraid to hope her father would arrange a pairing between Kael and herself.