Book Read Free

Tall, Dark and Paranormal: 10 Thrilling Tales of Sexy Alpha Bad Boys

Page 138

by Opal Carew

Further down the walkway, she caught sight of a lone figure stepping out of the mist. She watched as he strolled closer. He wore a long, black overcoat and his water-soaked hair laid flat against his head, swept back from his face.

  He stopped a few feet from her. Droplets of rain traced lines across his face and plastered his dark lashes into a spiky fringe.

  Nyte.

  She pushed a stone along the wet pavement with her toe. “How did you find me?” she asked.

  “I’m getting to know how your mind works.”

  She nodded. She knew the comment should bother her, but it didn’t. She didn’t have to worry about Nyte knowing her too well, or trying to control her anymore. He was Clarissa’s problem now.

  “I didn’t feel you coming,” she said quietly, her words dissipating in the mists of the night. She pushed her dripping wet hair back from her face.

  “I masked my presence. I didn’t want you to run away again.”

  Her eyebrows arched upward. “Are you going to stop me if I try?”

  “No.” He leaned against a lamppost, looking like a lost soul searching for the light. “But I will ask that you stay. Or, rather, come somewhere with me.”

  He offered his hand. “Somewhere warm. You look cold.”

  For the first time, she became aware of the shivers rippling through her. She was cold, but a warm place wouldn’t change that.

  She stared at his outstretched hand for a long moment before she finally sighed and laid her hand in his.

  She had to talk to him, one more time. To allow closure, so they could put this whole thing behind them. And allow him to return to Clarissa with a clear conscience.

  He deserved that. So many years had been stolen from him.

  He helped her to her feet. “Where would you like to go?”

  She shrugged. “My place, I guess.”

  She couldn’t stand the thought of returning to his house by the ocean. The memory of their ardent, soul-fulfilling lovemaking was still too fresh in her mind. It would only bring back memories too poignant to endure.

  Nyte swept his arms wide and teleported them. She barely noticed the pull of space and time on her body. Once they materialized in her living room, he swung his arm toward the fireplace and a second later a bright, cheery fire blazed warmly. He wrapped a blanket snugly around her and she realized somewhere along the way he’d dried her clothes and hair.

  The shivers coursed through her constantly now and her teeth chattered. He slid his arm around her waist and guided her to the couch. She sat down and soaked in the warmth of the fire. Her gaze slid to the hearth and she realized she had expected to see Merlin curled up in front of the blaze.

  But, of course, he wasn’t. And he never would be again.

  A spark of pain ignited in the pit of her stomach, and blazed through her like a flash fire. She might not have had a close relationship with Merlin, but he’d always been there for her. He’d kept her company through many long, lonely nights.

  It was too much. Tears, which had been prickling her eyes for hours, finally broke free and streamed down her face. She tipped her head forward with the weight of her loneliness.

  “Lucinda?”

  She felt Nyte’s arms encircle her and, as he drew her against his strong, solid chest, she curled her arms around him and clung, like a lost child seeking solace. Deep, soulful sobs quivered through her.

  “Tell me what’s wrong,” he urged.

  “I miss... .” She snuffled several times then drew in a deep breath. “I miss my cat,” she wailed.

  He drew back to stare at her in amazement. “What? Your cat?”

  She nodded. “I-I miss Merlin.” She rested her head against him. “But he never really was my cat. He wasn’t a cat at all. And Rand never really was my mentor.” She gazed at him and more tears welled up. “And you... .” Her voice broke on a sob.

  His mouth flattened into a grim line. “Wait a minute.” Gently, he grasped her upper arms and eased her back. His midnight eyes stared into her. “If you’re saying you and I aren’t really bonded, you’re wrong.”

  He tipped up her chin and lowered his mouth to hers. The first light brush of his lips sent her heart quivering. His hands cupped her cheeks as he nibbled her lower lip, then he mated his mouth firmly with hers. The tip of his tongue trailed the inside of her mouth, sending ripples of pleasure lapping through her. He slid his arms around her and drew her tight against his body.

  She could barely think, but she knew she had to keep control, to fight this irresistible attraction. She stiffened and flattened her hands on his chest. He drew away an inch, no more, and locked gazes with her. The intensity of his coal black eyes staring into hers kept her blood circulating like water in a hot tub. And just as steamy.

  “I don’t know how you can deny our love.” He tightened his embrace. “We are meant to be together.”

  “Oh, Nyte.” She cradled his cheeks in her hands and lost herself in the darkness of his eyes. “I wish we were meant to be together. I really do.” She ran her hands across his shoulders, cherishing the feel of him. He was the first man she’d ever loved.

  And he would be the last, too. She knew deep in her heart she would never love another.

  She eased away from him, knowing she had no right to be in his arms.

  “But you and I are too different. You and Clarissa are a much better match.”

  “Clarissa? Is that what this is about?”

  “She’s one of your own kind. I’m not.”

  “My own kind?” His eyebrows lowered in a look of puzzlement.

  “You and she are from the same place, so I assume her powers match yours,” Lucinda clarified.

  Understanding crossed his face. “Lucinda, it doesn’t matter that you and I are from different worlds.” He stroked her hair behind her ear, the tender touch quivering through her. “We are very compatible,” he murmured. He stared into her eyes for several moments, his intense gaze tunneling through her and undermining her resolve.

  “And as for Clarissa, she is not from my home world. She was the first wizard born on Earth. She and I became mates, and produced a child, but we both knew it wouldn’t last forever.”

  He slid his hands to her shoulders, and gripped them firmly. “Because, as I told you before, Clarissa and I are not bonded. We both knew we would eventually find our soul mates.”

  He tipped up her chin. “And I did. I found you.” He brought his lips to hers in a delicate whisper of a kiss that left her wanting more. Oh, so much more. “It is you I love.”

  The sincerity of his words enfolded her in warmth, and the heat cascaded through her in gentle waves of need.

  Could it be true? Did she and Nyte share a bond of love that would last forever?

  But as strong as her feelings for him were, how could she love a man who would overpower her?

  She shoved her hair back from her face. The heat from his eyes made it difficult to think.

  “Lucinda, tell me what’s still bothering you.”

  She stared at his chest and toyed with one of the twists in the cable pattern of his sweater. “You’re so much more powerful than I am.”

  His hands slid across her shoulders. “That doesn’t matter, Lucinda.” His words were gentle and coaxing. “In human relationships, the man is usually physically stronger than the woman, but she has other strengths that more than compensate. It would be no different with us.”

  He took her hands in his. “Sweetheart, I promised I would never overpower you.”

  She drew away from him. “And you’ve already proven you can’t keep that promise.”

  He sighed and raked his hand through his hair, sending black waves tumbling over his shoulder. “I know you’re angry about the fact I confined you in the bubble, but I did it to protect you.”

  Protect. The word sliced through her. She slumped against the back of the couch. “Why do you insist I need protecting?”

  “In this case, you did. The spell to send Randalph to my home worl
d--several hundred light years away--required a significant amount of energy. If you had gotten in the way of it... .”

  He trailed off, leaving it to her imagination. And she could well imagine. The energy for such a spell would probably disintegrate her, body and soul, leaving behind nothing but a few sparks of light and a memory.

  Her cheeks flushed and she averted her gaze. She certainly wouldn’t argue the point that she’d needed protecting in this case, but she didn’t know how to accept the fact.

  She had learned long ago to stand alone. Needing protection meant weakness.

  “Sweetheart, protect isn’t a bad word. Would it be wrong to pull someone out of the way of an approaching train? Would it mean you don’t respect him, or believe he is a capable, independent person?”

  He stroked her cheek. “Lucinda, if I hadn’t stopped you, you would have been killed. You know I couldn’t have let that happen.”

  She met his gaze for the first time. Was it wrong that he wanted to protect her? Did it make her weaker in his eyes?

  “But how can I trust you if you break promises--”

  “Lucinda, what about your promise?”

  “What promise?” She hadn’t fled when he’d released her from the bubble. At least, not right away.

  “When I left you at my house to search for Randalph, you promised you’d stay there.”

  “Yes, but Remlin showed up. I thought he’d make you believe he’d taken me prisoner again. I couldn’t let you believe that. I knew you’d be vulnerable if you did.”

  “In other words, you did it to protect me.”

  “I--”

  She paused, letting the truth sink in. The urge to save him from Remlin had been so strong she hadn’t even thought about her promise. And even if she had, it wouldn’t have stopped her. She would have hoped Nyte would understand she couldn’t let Remlin have power over him. She’d had to do what she could to save Nyte.

  To protect him.

  “I might have been angry that you’d left, Lucinda, but I understood. I knew it was because you love me.”

  He slid his hands to her shoulders and gazed deeply into her eyes. “Please, do the same for me. Don’t let this stand in the way of our love.”

  She stared into his eyes and felt her resolve melting away. Of course, he was right. He had saved her. Because he loved her.

  He cupped her face in his hands. “And besides, you must realize by now that, although I may be stronger in physical and magical power, it is you who wields the ultimate power over me. Because I love you.”

  He loved her.

  And she loved him. It burned through her like a fire ball. She couldn’t deny it any longer.

  She loved him.

  She took his hands in hers and, for the first time, really opened herself to his energy. It mingled with hers in a gentle wave of warmth, cascading through every part of her.

  “You really do love me, don’t you?” she said, slightly in awe.

  He cradled her face in his hands, his eyes glittering, and he kissed her with a poignant tenderness. As their lips parted, he murmured, “How could you ever have doubted it?”

  Happiness bolted through her, but the impish side of her suppressed the smile pressing at her lips.

  She decided she’d test his theory about her wielding the ultimate power over him. If she was going to admit she loved him, she wanted total commitment.

  “Well, if that’s true I want you to prove it.”

  He smiled and slid his arms around her. His lips approached hers again as he drew her closer, but she could tell he intended something far more passionate than the kiss they’d just shared. Her insides quivered at the thought, but she gave him a quick peck then ducked out of his arms.

  “No, that’s not what I mean.”

  His expression turned serious again. “What is it, Lucinda? I’ll do whatever it takes to prove my love.”

  She gave in to the smile. “What does any man do when he loves a woman?”

  His mouth turned up on one side in a sexy half-grin and he tangled his fingers in her hair. “I just tried that, but you turned me down.”

  “Nyte,” she said through gritted teeth. “When a man loves a woman, he wants to prove he’ll be by her side forever.”

  He sat back and rubbed his chin. “You’re not going to make this easy, are you?”

  She sighed. Was it such a huge leap to understand what she wanted? Why did men always shy away from the ‘M’ word?

  “Do you really not understand what I want?” She slumped back on the couch. “It’s not very hard, you know.”

  He gazed into her eyes, clearly trying to decipher what outrageous plan she must have in store for him.

  Men! They always had to make everything so complicated.

  He smiled. “I tell you what. Let me ask you a question first, then I’ll continue the guessing game.”

  She folded her arms across her chest, trying hard not to pout. “Fine. What is it?”

  “Just this.” He stood up and drew his hand in a semi-circle around them. Flowers appeared all over the room.

  Long stemmed red roses. Huge white orchids. Dramatic sprays of gladiolas. Aromatic gardenias. And more.

  Also, the light dimmed, replaced by the illumination of dozens of tall, tapered candles around the room, and soft music filled the air.

  Shivers flickered down her spine as he knelt down in front of her and took her hand. Her heart started spinning like a top.

  “Lucinda.” He kissed the back of her hand, the feel of his lips like velvet. “My love.” He stared deep into her eyes. “Will you marry me?”

  Her heart toppled over. Tears welled again, and she felt her cheeks blooming with a pink flush of happiness.

  “You’re asking me to marry you?”

  “I think if we’re going to spend eternity together marriage is a good idea, don’t you?”

  He’d been teasing her the whole time, but she didn’t care.

  Love. The happily-ever-after kind. It was finally within reach.

  So she reached out.

  And flung her arms around his neck, her lips finding his in a blaze of passion. His hands stroked up her back, pulling her close against him. Her body blossomed with heat as his breath tickled the fine hairs on the side of her neck and his hand stroked up under her hair and cupped the back of her head. She pressed tighter against him, her breasts pressing into him and he eased back and captured her gaze with quiet intensity, then he brought his lips to hers in a sweet, gentle seduction.

  She melted against him.

  “Nyte, I want you to prove it the other way now.”

  His brilliant smile dazzled her. “My pleasure.”

  Slowly, he rolled the hem of her sweater up over her torso, freeing her breasts, then tugged it over her head. She fumbled with his belt, then slid his zipper down. She stroked inside, thrilled at the feel of his briefs beneath her fingers, but even more thrilled at the feel of the large package steadily stretching the fabric to its limits. She dropped his pants to the floor, then drew his huge penis from its plush encasement. Nyte unhooked her bra as she stroked his shaft with her fingers. She sat down on the couch, placing his lovely erection at eye level, and wrapped one hand around him, then cupped his testicles in her other hand. He stroked her shoulders and back as she circled her lips around him and laved the head of his penis with her tongue. He sucked in a breath at her tender treatment.

  “Lucinda, I love what you’re doing, but I want to pleasure you, too.”

  He eased her back onto the couch and stripped off her jeans, then her lacy panties. He climbed over her, his erection over her face and his face over her sex. He leaned forward and treated her damp slit to a tender stroke of his fingers. She opened her legs in eager anticipation. As his tongue nudged her clit, she grasped his rod in both hands and swallowed as much as she could, squeezing it between the roof of her mouth and her tongue. He licked and squeezed her bud between his lips, then dabbed in a steady rhythm. The sensations shot th
rough her in a continuous stream of jolting delight. She sucked on him, trying desperately to concentrate, but failing miserably. How could she pay attention to him when he was distracting her with so much pleasure?

  His cock twitched in her hands. His long, thick, beautiful, pleasure-rendering cock. She licked it like a popsicle, then drew it deep into her mouth then glided off the end again. His tongued continued to lave her clit, then she felt his finger slide inside her and he stroked the inside of her vagina. She sucked on him, then swirled her lips around the shaft, right under the head, lapping her tongue over the tip. He exhaled sharply, sending a chill through her as his breath whooshed across her clit.

  As he stroked inside her vagina, she felt a pleasure storm building inside her. Relaxing the muscles of her throat and opening wide, she took his whole penis inside. The pleasure storm built into a wild tornado, spiraling through her vagina in a steadily increasing cataclysm of bliss. He sucked on her clit, then nudged it in a rapid rhythm. She slid her mouth up and down on his cock, trying to match his rhythm.

  A cry rumbled through her throat as the pleasure washed over her in tumultuous waves. Her hands tightened around the base of his erection and she slipped to the end of his penis, only the head within her mouth. She tapped her tongue under the head. He continued to stroke her inside and dab at her clit as his balls tightened. She felt warm liquid spurt into her mouth just as liquid heat melted from her insides as the overwhelming pleasure drove her to a powerful orgasm.

  As ecstasy subsided, leaving her in a deep glow of satisfaction, she slumped back on the couch.

  “That was incredible.” She stroked his still rigid member, concerned she’d lost attention too soon. “Is everything good with you?”

  “Good doesn’t begin to describe it.” He climbed to his feet, then shifted her to a sitting position. He pressed her knees apart and knelt before her.

  He hooked one hand around the nape of her neck and drew her forward for a kiss. His tongue plunged deep into her mouth and suddenly she felt his cock plunge deep inside her still slick opening.

  The sudden feeling of his rigid length penetrating her, thrusting into her wet, slick vagina, sent her into immediate orgasm. She clutched him close to her body and rode the wave as he thrust into her again and again. As ecstasy blinked around her like a million twinkling stars, he slowed his pace, allowing her to draw in much needed air, but only for a minute, then he thrust sharply again, zinging her into yet another orgasm. When she flopped against him, he stroked her breast, the nipple peaking into his hand, then he squeezed the nub between his thumb and index finger. She gasped and churned into him at the exciting jolt it triggered between her legs. He tweaked again, then slowly and deliberately propelled his rock-hard cock into her. An orgasm swept her away again. As it started to ebb, he grasped her buttocks and drove into her deep and hard and she started to scream as the biggest, most forceful orgasm she’d ever experienced stormed through her. The intensity of the pleasure overwhelmed her and, with a smile on her face, she lost consciousness.

 

‹ Prev