Threshold

by Treva Harte

  Tim didn't move either, other than to sigh and sweep his hands along her spine in a gentle massage. He rested his chin on top of her head, then rubbed his cheek against her hair. “I just want to hold you like this, feel myself inside you.” His whisper ruffled her hair and she felt his words vibrating in his chest.

  She clenched her vaginal muscles in response.

  His cock jumped, so she did it again, holding the contraction longer this time. Tim's arms around her shoulders tightened, but he kept his hips completely still. She pressed down on his erection, settling her buttocks as close against his muscled thighs as she could.

  He swelled inside her and she continued to tighten and release her inner muscles, holding her body still, yet finding a completely internal rhythm. She glanced shyly at Tim, curious as to how he was dealing with such subtle love play, and the dreamy, sensual expression on his face was almost her undoing.

  Slowly he leaned forward to kiss her mouth, but the touch of his lips on hers was light and much too brief. He trailed teasing kisses along her throat, bending her back so that he could nip lightly at her breast. He kissed all around her erect nipple, then finally drew it into his mouth, suckling greedily at her flesh, his tongue flicking the hard tip, his lips compressing the full areola.

  Carly's pussy found its own rhythm now, clenching and releasing with an increasing pace. She slowly tilted her hips forward to bring her clit into direct contact with the base of his cock and bowed her back, thrusting her breast against Tim's lips.

  He abandoned her right breast and moved to the left. Her heart was pounding so hard she knew he must feel it beneath his lips as he drew the nipple deeply into his mouth. There was no gentleness in him now—he suckled hard, his tongue pressing her sensitive nipple against the hard ridges at the roof of his mouth, suckling in perfect time with her rhythm.

  Suddenly, his teeth replaced his tongue and he bit down, sucking and biting at the same time as her clit pressed hard against the base of his cock. She cried out, a harsh shout of release. Spasms of pleasure rippled through her pussy and she tightened around his cock. He clutched at Carly's hips, binding her to him.

  She felt the pulse and throb of his release, heard his rasping groan against her breast, then collapsed into his embrace. His chest rumbled under her cheek and she realized he was laughing.

  She giggled in return, shocked by what they had done—reached a mutual climax without moving their hips, without the thrusting, surging, slapping sexual moves she associated with lovemaking. “My goodness. That was different.” She glanced up at the suddenly serious look on Tim's face.

  “It's all different.” He brushed her hair back from her eyes. “Every time is new.” He sucked his lips between his teeth, then made a self-conscious little smacking noise as he blew out a rush of breath. His smile was full of wonder and he stared deep into her eyes for a long moment.

  “What?” Carly tilted her head and frowned at his odd expression.

  He took a deep breath, sighed and rested his forearms on her shoulders. “It's embarrassing. I didn't want you to know because it seemed so…well, hard to explain at the time but…” He swept his long hair back over his shoulder in an unconscious move. “Carly, you're my first. I've never made love to a woman before you.” He laughed, a short, humorless bark that ended in a sad smile. “If I'd known how wonderful it could be, believe me, I doubt I would have waited this long.”

  “I don't believe you.” His first? She'd just had mind-blowing sex with a virgin? “I mean…Tim. You. We. Sheesh.” At a total loss for words, she stared at him. “Wow. It's absolutely mind-boggling to think what sex will be like once you figure out what you're doing!”

  He wrapped his arms around her and held on as if he was afraid she'd try to escape. Laughter bubbled up out of Carly and she hugged him back, raising her legs to wrap them around his waist and her arms round his neck. “How did you manage to go this long without sex? My God, Tim…you're…well, hell. You're so damned sexy. You're handsome and sensual and you make love like you've been doing it forever. How come you haven't been snagged by some predatory female by now?”

  “Kinetics.” He reached between their legs, managing to fondle her sensitive clit on the way to grabbing the edges of the condom so he could hold it in place. Then he lifted Carly with the power of his mind and set her gently on her feet beside the kitchen chair. She was vaguely aware of the subtle link of his mind with hers during the move, now that she knew what to sense for.

  “When I use my kinetic abilities, I lose any interest in sex. My sexual drive is all tied up in my kinetic power and we've had seven years of war, seven years of straining my ability to the max. Before that, I was in hiding with my mom and sister. There was never an opportunity.”

  He stood up. “Don't move,” he said, heading for the bathroom to dispose of the condom. He returned with a warm, wet washcloth for Carly. “Nor was there a handy little Synergist to boost my power and tantalize me with her body.” He sat back down in the chair and proceeded to gently cleanse Carly between her legs. The warm cloth was soothing—his touch anything but. She sighed, amazed that, after so many orgasms in one morning she still wanted more of Tim and his lovemaking.

  He finished bathing her all too soon, leaned over and kissed her belly then stood up. “It's not something I've accepted gracefully, believe me. I've been resentful a lot of the time. When Malachi asked me to come up here, knowing he was asking me to max out my kinetics to bring you forward, I was angry. I knew you were beautiful, knew I wanted you, but I also knew, from experience, I wouldn't be able to do a thing about it. Luckily I was wrong.” He flashed her another killer smile, then carried the damp cloth back to the bathroom.

  Carly turned around and plopped her naked butt down on the hard wooden seat of the kitchen chair. Unbelievable. The most amazing, mind-blowing sex in her entire life, and the guy was a virgin.

  She giggled and clapped her hand over her mouth.

  Emphasis on was. Good God!

  She hadn't been kidding. There was no telling what he'd be like once he got a little more practice. She sat there, staring at the bathroom door, waiting for him to come back to her. She knew just the woman to help him with his education.

  Chapter 7

  He'd never spent a night sleeping with a woman, but Tim decided it was something he could get used to really fast. A couple of times he'd awakened to the soft tickle of Carly's hair around his face or the unfamiliar sensation of a warm and wonderful body snuggled tightly against his chest, one leg thrown over his thigh.

  He liked the sound of her breathing, the sense that, for the first time in his life, he could turn to another person in the night and not feel alone. More than once, they made love. Slow, sweet love in the silent darkness, the only sounds her sighs and quiet moans of pleasure, his own harsh intake of breath when she'd come apart in his arms.

  She'd whispered things in his ear, things she'd like to do with him, to him. Just thinking of all she had planned made him hard. Thank the gods he'd told her the truth, that he was a virgin. Otherwise, she might not have been so concerned with his education.

  That was something he hadn't thought about with their age difference. Experience. Carly knew what she liked and obviously didn't have a problem asking for it. Of course he still didn't know how old she was, but she had to be at least thirty. Hell, she could be fifty for all he cared, so long as she loved him. He lay there for awhile, thinking of all the possibilities. Then he fell back asleep, his arms wrapped around the warm and willing body of the woman he loved.

  * * * * *

  A faint shimmer of light preceded sunrise. Tim stretched his arms overhead just as Carly rolled into his embrace and nuzzled her lips against his chest. Barely awake, he almost laughed aloud at his suddenly erect cock, at the wonderful novelty of a woman in his bed…a woman he'd made love to throughout most of the night. Mentally fumbling for the box of condoms he'd left on the nightstand, he opened the packet and sheathed himself kinetically.

&n
bsp; Carly sat back and watched as the transparent film rolled itself over his erection. “You're getting pretty good at that, aren't you? I was going to offer to do it myself, but…”

  “Hmm?” Watching her though half-lidded eyes, Tim thought he'd never seen anything more beautiful than Carly Harris in his bed. Her blonde hair fell in a love-tangled mass around her shoulders. Her lips were swollen from a night of kisses, her breasts beckoned to him, begging for his mouth. Heat coiled, sharp and insistent from his gut to his cock as her slim fingers smoothed the condom over him. She gently traced the length of his penis, her touch moving lower to fondle his balls.

  She turned and slipped along his body, nipping him with lips and teeth, sweeping her tongue in a swirl around his navel before finally settling her mouth on his cock. With a deep groan, Tim buried his face between her legs, inhaling her scent, tasting her sweet flavors. He drew her clit between his lips, suckling on it as if he'd find sustenance there. She moaned. The sound vibrated against his cock.

  “I love you, Carly…love you more than you can imagine.” He lapped at her swollen lips until he felt the first tiny quivers of climax, then gently turned her around and positioned her so he could enter from behind. She hugged her arms around the pillow and took him deep inside. He buried himself in her heat, held still for a moment, then slowly withdrew. He reached around her waist and found her sensitive clit with his fingers, stroking in counterpoint to each measured thrust of his hips.

  He felt her stiffen, knew her climax was once again upon her, and pulled out. “Not yet,” he whispered. “Not yet.” She brushed her buttocks against his belly, silently begging. Kneeling behind her, he grabbed her breasts, stroking each nipple to a taut point. His rigid cock settled between the two globes of her butt, slipping and sliding up and down, just enough to tease.

  He trapped her legs between his thighs, gliding back and forth against her ass until she whimpered into the pillow. His fingers tugged at her nipples with an occasional foray between her legs, but he stopped each time he felt her body stiffen.

  Opening his mind to Carly's, he sensed her laughter, her frustration, her need to come and the fact she was loving every minute of his torment. He nipped at her shoulder and she bucked against him until he grabbed her hips in both hands and entered her hot, wet center.

  She raised her hips, inviting him deeper, her body quivering with the need to find release. She raised her hand to touch herself, but he trapped it in his own. “Not yet,” he said, maintaining a slow, even pace that was obviously driving her wild. “Not yet.”

  “Damn you!” Laughing, Carly jerked her hips in a frantic attempt to control the pace, to bring herself to climax. Tim trapped her wrists against the mattress, slipping in and out of her slowly, drawing on Carly's power as he tested his limits and pushed hers. Once more he brought her to peak, held her there, teasing, tantalizing, practically gloating over her growing frustration.

  Suddenly she slipped her hand free of his, reached between her legs and cupped him with her fingers, gently squeezing his balls as she thrust her hips tightly against him, her muscles clamping down on his sensitive cock like a molten vise. He opened his mouth in a soundless cry, tried holding himself immobile and failed miserably.

  Hips thrusting, cock so sensitive he felt each ripple and pulse within Carly's hot passage, Tim gave up control. Everything he was, all he felt, centered in his cock, his balls, the need to drive deeper, thrust harder. Lungs bursting, he groaned when she tightened around him, cried out with each clenching, pulsing ripple of her climax as she dragged him over the edge with her. Her body stiffened beneath his and she collapsed against the mattress. Almost sobbing, Tim lowered himself on shaking arms to lie atop her back.

  After a minute, he felt her body shaking. “Carly? Are you okay? Are you crying? “

  “No.” He heard her snort, a distinctly unsexy sound. She was laughing, her face buried in the pillow to muffle the sound. He decided she sounded vaguely triumphant.

  “You're trying to kill me, aren't you? I was sound asleep and you woke me up just to kill me.” He rolled over on his back, bringing Carly with him. She sprawled, face up, giggling.

  “Not kill you, precisely…maybe just remind you not to tease? You need a lesson on how not to piss off a woman in bed.”

  He growled and nipped her shoulder. What else could he do? She owned him, body and soul. Owned his heart, owned his mind…hell, she even owned his damn cock. “I imagine I'll need lots of lessons.” Tim smiled into the tangled mass of her hair spread over his throat and chest, thinking of all the lessons he was going to need.

  * * * * *

  While Carly showered, Tim stripped the bed, packed up the leftover food and cleaned up the dishes, hardly aware of the chores. Love. They'd both realized from the beginning they had something special.

  He'd known it from the first time he'd seen her, in Malachi's vision.

  Did Malachi know? Was that why he'd insisted Tim come alone to the cabin?

  Tim held the last dish he was drying and listened to the sound of water beating against the shower stall. Picturing Carly naked, her sleek body glistening with soap and her dark blonde hair streaming over her shoulders, his body quickened once again. Sighing, he quickly brought himself under control.

  Gods, would he ever get enough of her?

  The pipes rattled when she shut off the water. He fought an almost overwhelming impulse to go to her. Shaking his head over his powerful weakness for one very lovely woman, Tim put the dish in the cupboard and wiped down the counter.

  A few minutes later, Carly padded barefoot out of the bathroom. She was wrapped in a soft cotton towel that covered her from breast to thigh. She'd towel-dried her hair and combed it straight back from her face. Once more Tim was taken with her beauty, the classic line of her jaw, the twinkle in her dark brown eyes.

  She stopped just in front of him, unwrapped the towel, pressed her shower-damp body close against his and rubbed like a cat in heat. “We need to get going,” she said. “Didn't you tell your friends we'd be there before noon?”

  He enfolded her in his arms and held her tightly enough to still her motion, rested his chin on top of her head and sighed. “Yeah, but I don't want to go back. I want to take you to bed and fuck like bunnies for the rest of the day.” He leaned back so he could see her from top to bottom. “Damn, woman. This is not helping a bit.”

  Ignoring him, she pressed closer, wriggled her hips against him and kissed his throat. “Fuck like bunnies, eh? Ya wanna know the truth? I'm not trying to help.” She tilted her head and looked up at him. “I kept thinking about you when I was in the shower, wondering why you didn't join me. There was plenty of room. It was hot and steamy and I was so ready…but, I guess if you're not interested…”

  He groaned. The image was much too inviting. Carly turned away. “Witch,” he said, laughing. Without thinking, he swatted her soundly on the bottom, harder than he intended. The contact stung his palm. “Oh shit. Carly, I'm sorry—”

  She turned and smiled seductively over her shoulder at him. “Hmm, I'm not. Hold that idea for later.”

  Idea? What idea? A print of his palm on her white buttock slowly appeared. It practically glowed, each finger defined in hot, cherry pink skin. He couldn't stop staring at it, the perfect shape of his hand marking that wonderfully smooth expanse of flesh.

  He thought about it all the way down the trail to the Institute. Wondered if the mark he'd put on her still showed beneath the skinsuit covering Carly's delectable ass. It made his palm tingle. Made his cock hard. Made him think of all kinds of things he'd not thought of before.

  It also took his mind off the meeting facing them once he introduced Carly to Thom, Malachi and Sheyna.

  * * * * *

  Carly tried really hard not to stare, but Sheyna was so unbelievably gorgeous, so unique…so alien. Everyone else appeared just as normal as dirt.

  Handsome dirt, but still dirt.

  Thom Antoon, the lanky general, had to be at le
ast fifty, but he looked like an overgrown teenager with his shock of dark hair, slow, southern drawl and ready grin. More reserved, Malachi Franklin was, without a doubt, the best looking doctor Carly'd ever seen.

  Though not nearly so handsome as Tim. Every time she glanced at him, the band around her chest tightened. She couldn't love him, not after one day, but how else could she explain his effect on her? They'd made love so often over the past twenty-four hours she'd actually lost count. If they hadn't run out of condoms, they might still be up at the cabin.

  There were a dozen in the box. Ohmygod… She blinked and bit her lip to keep from giggling out loud. No wonder her crotch hurt!

  Fucking like bunnies.

  Tim's assessment had been pretty darned close to the truth. She turned and glanced at Tim just as Sheyna handed him a tall glass of chilled juice. The lioness curled her lip briefly in semblance of a smile. Carly noticed her canines, every bit as sharp and long as her wild counterpart's fangs.

  She was amazing. More cat than human, her creamy coat looked soft as mink. Her coffee-colored mane flowed over her shoulders in silken waves. She had perfectly formed cat's ears showing through the thick mane, and a surprisingly sensual, feminine look in spite of her elongated muzzle and the stiff little whiskers at either side of her nose.

  Tall and slim, she moved with the elegance and grace of a dancer.

  Or a cat.

  She'd grasped Carly's hand when they were introduced, her ebony nails carefully retracted, her gaze open and somewhat amused. Carly wondered if Sheyna read minds. Tim had explained the many types of Talent among the members of the Institute. Thom Antoon was kinetic, like Tim, and Malachi was a healer with precognitive abilities.