“Have you had some sort of seizure?” Lilt asked when Dez didn’t respond to his first question. He rose and approached Dez, caution clear in his gaze.
Four years his junior, Lilt had always treated Dez with a combination of fascination and fear.
“I’ve been a damn fool,” he muttered, waving Lilt away.
A violent disturbance in the metaphysical plane had snatched him into a trance moments before. It could only mean one thing. She was alive.
Lilt returned to his chair but Dez could feel his gaze searching.
“What happened to you just now?” Lilt asked.
Dez rolled his shoulders, relaxing against the chair’s high back. Firestones cast warm light throughout the small chamber. Though the rest of the palace was ostentatious, Dez preferred his private quarters neat and organized.
“It seems accepting my failure was premature. Charlotte is alive.”
“How can that be? You said—”
“I know what I said. Obviously, I was deceived.”
Taking a moment to savor his velterberry wine, Lilt dared to ask, “Why didn’t you sense her presence before now?”
“I underestimated my opponent,” Dez grumbled. “It will not happen again. If she is on Ontariese, they have taken her to the Conservatory. The Mystic shields are impenetrable even for me. But she cannot stay there forever.”
“What shall you do?”
“Bide my time, see if I can learn what they know and what they only suspect.”
“Why won’t you tell me what is so important about this woman?”
Lilt sounded petulant and Dez laughed. “Because what you know, they can learn. If she will not join us, this secret will follow Charlotte Layton to the grave.”
Feeling somewhat weakened by the disruption, Dez sent Lilt away. He needed an energy transfer and not even his brother knew the true source of his power.
* * *
Pain dragged Charlotte back from the peaceful abyss. Her breath caught on a ragged gasp as she tried to move. Every muscle in her body ached as if it had been cramping for hours.
“Tal?” she whispered without opening her eyes.
“I am here.” His warm fingers closed around her hand.
“Did it work? Did Vee figure out what Joon wants?”
“I believe so.”
He didn’t sound very enthusiastic. Ignoring the pounding in her head, she forced her eyes to open. She lay on a bed in a strange chamber. Tal sat beside her on a chair. Furrows creased his brow, his lips pressed into a thin line and his nostrils flared with each breath he took. Charlotte felt his fingers gently squeeze hers and her heart lurched.
“What’s the matter?”
“You need energy desperately and I’m not sure you can absorb it.” His voice sounded hushed, choked.
I’m dying. Dear God, I’m dying!
“No.” He moved to the bed beside her. “It’s a simple skill. Vee destroyed the shield within your mind so I will teach you.”
She tried to sit but her body trembled in protest. “If it’s so simple, why do you look terrified?”
He didn’t respond to the question. “Try to relax.”
Charlotte laughed. “If I were any more relaxed, I’d be unconscious.”
Stroking her hair away from her face, he smiled, a sad, tender smile that made Charlotte panic all over again. Despite his reassurances, Tal didn’t think she’d survive this.
“Can you visualize the metaphysical plane?”
“Yes,” she answered immediately, but this was no time for bravado. “No. I don’t know what you mean.”
“Close your eyes. It’s easier to form images if your mind is not processing physical signals.”
That made sense. She closed her eyes.
“Form the image of a place, somewhere safe and familiar.”
Her cabin in Aspen immediately materialized within the void. It was her sanctuary from the world, her haven, her refuge—and thanks to Tal, it only existed within her mind.
“Stay focused, Charlotte. You can punish me later.”
He was already in her mind, awaiting her on the metaphysical plane.
“Go to the food preparation area. Visualize the hot beverage dispenser.”
She heard the urgency in his voice and moved as quickly as she could. Again he waited for her, a large mug of coffee in his hand. He handed her the mug and motioned toward her mouth.
“Drink the beverage and accept the nourishment into your body.”
The rich aroma of coffee filled her nose and heat radiated from the mug. Nothing she ever imagined had been this realistic. She drank the coffee, but Tal’s image within her mind remained tense and agitated.
“Why isn’t it working?” she asked.
Strength seeped from Charlotte. Her muscles felt weighted; her thoughts became muddled.
“You know this isn’t how it’s done. Your mind won’t accept the representation.”
The image fluctuated, swelling in and out of focus with sickening irregularity. Her life force ebbed even more and she cried out. She was not going to die!
Throwing her arms around his neck, she sealed her mouth over his, just as he had done on the mountain. Her image followed suit, and soon she saw their embrace as well as felt it. His lips pressed to hers, firm and warm. She opened, inviting the exchange. Hot, prickly sensations crept into her body. She opened further, surrendering to her hunger. The tingling intensified. She could see the energy flow in sparkling, skittering waves.
Tal pulled back with a ragged gasp. “Greedy little thing,” he murmured, his tone light with amusement.
Charlotte opened her eyes and laughed out loud. “That was unbelievable. Keep your ginseng. I feel incredible.”
He laughed too then exhaled loudly.
They sat hip to hip, facing each other. “You’re an adept pupil. Vee will be pleased.”
“Vee? Where is Vee? What happened before? I only remember bits and pieces.”
Charlotte shifted, leaning her back against the smooth headboard. The chamber was not large but it felt spacious after the continual confinement of Trey’s ship.
Tal spoke a word she didn’t recognize and the room filled with light.
“What are those?” Charlotte crawled over Tal and off the bed. Transparent boxes protruded from the wall at regular intervals, several feet above Charlotte’s head. Within each box rested an egg-shaped, translucent rock or perhaps a crystal. Tal’s simple command had set the stones to glowing, providing the illumination.
“Firestones. They can provide heat as well as light when it’s needed.”
“Are they hard to control? Are they used on the entire planet or just by the Mystics? Are they—”
“Charlotte,” he said in exasperation. “Your education begins tomorrow.”
She smiled. “I’m sorry. I just feel so alive. I can hardly contain it.”
“I’m relieved.”
He sounded tired. Charlotte walked back to him, studying his face. His expression had relaxed but creases branched out from his mouth and purple shadows circled his eyes. “Are you all right?”
“We nearly lost you.”
She stood before him, her knees brushing against his as he sat on the bed. Hesitantly, she traced the stress lines in his skin. She had wanted to touch him for so long, needed him to touch her.
His hands came to rest against her hips and Charlotte fought the urge to topple him backward and climb on board.
“You’re broadcasting.” A sensual smile curved just the corners of his lips.
“What did Vee find once the shield was lowered?” She continued to follow the contours of his face with her fingertips.
“Vee will have to explain it to you because I don’t fully understand.”
He parted his legs and pulled her between them, his hands curving around to cup her bottom.
“My education begins tomorrow,” she said. “So what should we do with tonight?”
Desire ignited within Tal’s gaze at her th
roaty question. “The image in your mind a moment ago is agreeable to me.”
Her tongue darted out to wet her lower lip. She’d never been with anyone but Victor. And even with Victor it had been—tame. Was she betraying Victor’s memory by wanting Tal this badly? She would always love Victor, treasure the years they’d spent together, but Tal was here and now, alive and so incredibly exciting.
“Touch me,” she whispered. “Please.”
Tal transformed his hand into a pair of scissors and snipped the drawstring supporting her uniform bottom. The material obediently pooled around her ankles and she gasped.
“How did you do that?” she cried.
She was still covered to mid-thigh but Tal couldn’t resist the temptation of knowing she was naked beneath. He cupped her bottom again and groaned. The heated softness of her flesh invited a much more intimate exploration.
Without explaining the technique, Tal sliced the sash circling her waist and snipped through her undergarments, leaving only the tunic in place. She slipped off her shoes and scooted the pile aside as he reached past her and took a goblet from the small table beside the bed. He’d intended to use the potent beverage to help calm her if she didn’t accept the energy exchange. Taking a long sip, he passed the cup to her.
“Drink,” he urged.
“What is it?”
Ever suspicious. Tal smiled. “It is called blish. I drank first to assure you it’s not harmful.”
She drank, her expression turning distant as she worked to identify the taste. “It’s nice. Sort of citrusy and spicy. Is it alcoholic?”
“It has properties similar to alcohol.”
She glanced away, both hands wrapped around the goblet. “You don’t have to get me drunk. I’ve wanted to jump your bones for days.”
He hoped that meant what he thought it did. “Why haven’t you?” He repeated the question Dro Tar interrupted hours before.
“I wasn’t sure how… I’ve never had to…”
He took the goblet from her hands and set it aside. She stayed between his thighs but made no move to touch him. Despite her words, Tal had to know she wanted him—really wanted him. The last woman to share his bed paid for the choice with her life.
“Are you thinking about Flur?” she asked.
Her perceptiveness surprised him. Had lowering the shield released other latent abilities? “Yes. She died because she was my lover.”
“She died because an evil man chose to experiment with the extent of his power. Besides, Joon already wants me dead, so I have nothing to lose.”
“That’s not much to commend a relationship.”
“Do you want a relationship?” Her voice sounded hushed, tentative. “Or is this just about sex?”
“Any male on Ontariese who is fortunate enough to have a woman tends to become totally devoted to her. I know you declared our social alliance because you were pressured by Trey to do so, but I have wanted to be with you since you allowed me to touch you back on Earth.”
Charlotte smiled. This was ridiculous. One of them had to make the first move. “How do Ontarians prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases?”
“Sexually transmitted diseases are very rare. Any healer can easily eradicate the microorganisms.”
“And pregnancies?”
“With our current crisis, pregnancies are encouraged not prevented.”
Charlotte went cold. She tried to step back. His hands caught her hips, stopping her retreat. “I don’t want a baby right now. If abstinence is the only form of contraception on Ontariese, then—”
“I didn’t say that. I can control each strand of my hair, Charlotte. Do you think preventing conception is beyond my power?”
“Will you?” she persisted. “Will you make sure I don’t get pregnant?”
“For now.”
“Not good enough.”
“I give my solemn vow that I will not get you pregnant until a child is something we both want.”
Still she hesitated. What choice did she have but to trust him? He had done everything in his power to protect her, even if she didn’t always agree with his means. Tal wouldn’t intentionally hurt her.
She framed his face with her hands and looked directly into his eyes. “Then make love to me.”
His hands grasped her bare behind, dragging her against him. Their mouths met in the middle, clinging, parting, consuming.
Charlotte’s body ignited like dry tinder. She crawled onto his lap, straddling his hips while he pulled the tunic off over her head. When or how he had banished his clothing, she didn’t know or care, but her thighs moved against his lean hips and her breasts and belly rubbed his torso skin to skin.
She delved into his mouth with her tongue, savoring the traces of blish and Tal’s unique flavor. He smelled like cinnamon and tasted like spiced apple cider. She could get used to this.
Wrapping her arms around his back, she explored his hard muscles and smooth skin. She didn’t want to think about Victor, didn’t want anything to distract her from the wonder of discovery, but the comparisons came unbidden. Making love with Victor had been gentle, orderly. Tal made her wild.
Tal pulled back and demanded, “Open your eyes.”
Apparently she’d been broadcasting again. She opened her eyes.
“I will not tolerate a ghost in my bed. I want to share my body with you, but if the memory of Victor is still too strong—”
“It isn’t.” She took off the disk-shaped necklace and placed it on the table beside the bed. “I want this. I want you.” She pulled his hand to her breast, escalating the intimacy and allowing him to feel the frantic pounding of her heart.
His hair slid across her skin, tickling and caressing her. He bent to taste her nipple and Charlotte arched her back. His cock jerked against her feminine mound, obviously anxious to proceed. Charlotte grasped his shoulders and spread her thighs, pressing herself more intimately against his erection.
He sucked firmly, moving from one breast to the other and back again. His palms supported her back, allowing her to relax in her arched position and feel the heated throb of his body against hers.
One of his arms suddenly circled her hips and he turned, laying her back across the bed. Her legs still straddled his hips but he slid down along her body and knelt on the floor. Charlotte reached for him, wanting him inside her, needing him to fill the aching void.
His hair caressed her torso, teasing her nipples. She arched and whimpered, knowing what he intended to do. Victor had occasionally used his mouth to give her pleasure but he preferred conventional sex.
Charlotte cried out as Tal’s fingers suddenly thrust into her throbbing core.
“Say my name,” he commanded.
The unexpected penetration pushed her over the edge. She cried out his name while her body tightened around his fingers.
“Say my name,” he whispered as he parted her gently and found the nerve center of her body with the tip of his tongue.
“Tal,” she said softly.
His fingers remained inside her and each flick of his tongue made her body pulse and burn. Tension gathered low in her belly, tightening in time to the rhythm of his tongue.
“Tal, please.” She tossed her head, her legs shaking.
“Say my name.”
“Tal,” she cried.
He pulled his hand back, dragging his fingers nearly out of her as he circled her clit over and over. His lips closed around the swollen nub at the same instant he thrust back in and Charlotte screamed. Pleasure exploded inside her, coursing through her, electrifying her nerves and contracting her muscles.
Tal felt her body drench his fingers and grinned against her softness. Giving a woman pleasure was nearly as thrilling as finding release. He stroked her one last time with his tongue then slowly withdrew his fingers, loving the way her core clung as if to prevent his departure.
“Maybe I won’t join my body with yours,” he whispered. “Maybe I’ll touch you and taste you over and over
until you must have me inside you or die.”
Her throaty laugh rippled through his entire body.
She rose to her elbows, her breasts quivering with each ragged breath. “Is that supposed to frighten me? It’s not much of a threat.”
He arched his brow and offered her a wicked smile. “Would this be more of a threat?” He mystically stimulated her nipple, creating the sensation of greedy lips and a wet tongue.
Her eyes flew wide and she gasped. “How did you do that?”
He repeated the mental caress, sinking one teasing finger between her silken folds. She clamped her thighs together and shook her head.
“Don’t do that.”
Fear flickered to life within her gaze and Tal fought back his need to dominate, to claim. “I would never hurt you.” Pulling her up until she sat on the edge of the bed, he kissed her brow and pressed her warm body against his. “I didn’t mean to frighten you.”
He held her tenderly and she relaxed into his embrace. Slowly as his smoky gaze caressed her face, he stood and lowered her back to the bed. Then he moved her legs farther apart and positioned himself at her entrance. She tensed and closed her eyes.
“No. Watch me. Watch me coming into you. Know who takes you. Know who fills you.”
She pushed back to her elbows and looked down along their bodies. Tal watched as his shaft sank slowly into her moist center and they groaned in unison. Her heat caressed him, rippled around him, and he could no longer suppress the need to move. She arched into each downward thrust. He drove harder, deeper, dragging her hips to the very edge of the bed. He didn’t want to hurt her but it had been so long and it felt so incredibly good.
Hooking her legs over his arms, he spread her thighs wide, filling her completely with each forceful thrust. He shoved back his building climax. It was too soon. This felt too good!
Charlotte cried out and her body grasped his, hurling him toward the stars. Colors burst behind his eyes and his body shook with the force of his release.
Taken by Storm V3 Page 14