Interra (Awakened Series Book 5)

by Harley Austin

  “This is where you live?”

  “No, this is where the car lives. I live upstairs,” he smiled pointing his finger upward.

  They walked arm-in-arm into an all glass foyer that seemed to exist for no other reason than to show off the display of expensive vehicles parked all around it. Tall mirrored elevator doors opened as they approached, leading them into a mostly glass elevator. Rion waved his phone over an RF sensor. A light glowed blue as the glass-walled elevator smoothly rocketed them skyward. Their windowed elevator emerged from the garage levels into a ten-story atrium so filled with potted trees and tropical plants that it looked like a park inside the building. They continued upward past the atrium and into the core of the building where someone had elegantly lit the elevator shaft with accent lighting and more of the hewn stone tiles. They quickly passed floor after floor while Serena marveled at the passing stonework. After nearly a minute, elevator came to a stop with the uppermost button on the panel remaining lit.

  “You—live on the top floor?” She glanced at the long rows of buttons. She had never seen such opulence in a building before, and now Rion had taken her to the top of the building. Rion pulled her closer. “Don’t worry, Angel. It’s time you knew a little bit more about me.”

  The doors opened into what looked like a small lobby of fine hotel. But as Serena and Rion entered, it was suddenly clear that this wasn’t a lobby at all—but someone’s living room! Rion set his keys, phone and wallet on a table next to the elevator doors. Serena set her bag-like purse with her things next to his. He took a few steps inside, turned and then watched her for a moment. “You can come in. This is where I live.”

  Serena’s mind dazed for a moment. “Rion!” she said, her hand moving to her mouth in astonishment as she slowly walked further into the huge open home. The space took the entire floor with the kitchen, dining, living and even the bedroom, viewable to the whole of the expansive space. But the apartment was hardly industrial or office-looking. The tall, ornately pillared space was well decorated with much more exotic finishes, smooth wood and stone floors, fine thick white carpet and furniture, classic art, even some larger-than-life-size statuary and massive potted indoor palms. In the middle of the living room was a gleaming grand piano, its top board propped open wide. As hugely tall and open as the massive space was, the opulent décor made it feel very cozy. The fine home looked like it belonged on the front of a fine home magazine, but at the same time felt wonderfully inviting.

  What really caught Serena’s attention were the seamless floor to ceiling windows and the view of the night city skyline beyond them. The night views through the windows were breathtaking. Both walked to the seamless windowed wall and looked out over the city and down at the busy streets far below. The snow had begun falling in thicker and thicker flakes now. The city below looked beautiful with the snow collecting on everything.

  “Rion,” Serena spoke softly. “I—I would never in a million years have imagined that you lived in a place like this.”

  “It’s my favorite home,” he said, his arm moving around her, pulling her close.

  “Your favorite? You have more than one?”

  She watched him nodding while looking out at the skyline. “I like the views from here. It’s quiet. During the day you can see for miles. Well, when it’s not snowing. That’s a little odd.”

  She turned from the window to look at the expansive room of rooms, still holding onto his arm. “So I take it your family owns the internet security company you work for?”

  “We do.”

  “I had no idea. Maybe I need to be in network security.” She grinned.

  He smiled back. “We do a lot things, Hon. Security is sort of my gig. But we also do mining around the globe. It’s all very old money, Serena. Would you like something to drink before dinner?”

  “Sure.”

  Serena roamed among the various open-area rooms while Rion poured something from a tall glass decanter in the living room. He handed her a square beveled glass, the bottom filled with a cool, blue liquid.

  “What’s this?” she sniffed. Rion should have already known that she didn’t like alcohol.

  “My family label, so to speak,” he said taking a drink.

  It didn’t smell like a liqueur. She tasted it cautiously. The blue drink was indescribable, wonderful, in fact. Something about it sent her senses to tingling as a small wave of sensation rippled softly through her head. Not unpleasant; but definitely unexpected. It had the most unusual flavor. Not like alcohol at all. Rion watched her reaction, a short smirk crossing his face.

  “What is this?” she continued studying the glass and its contents.

  “That’s a family secret.”

  The sensations in her head faded. Serena drew a small drink instead of just a taste this time. Whatever it was—the drink was really good and this time the expected wave of sensation filled her senses. It wasn’t the typical brain-buzz one got from a high-proof liquor. Just the opposite in fact. It was more like something that clarified instead of dulled. The colors of the room seemed to sharpen, she noticed the faintness of Rion’s cologne. She felt suddenly more, aware.

  “You drink this all the time?”

  He drew another drink shaking his head. “Usually only for celebrations and when I need to think. It clears my mind; helps me focus on what’s important.”

  “You should bottle this. You’d make a fortu—” Serena stopped herself with a light chuckle. “Never mind.” Clearly, Rion’s family already had what looked to be several fortunes already well in hand.

  Rion gave Serena the official tour of the apartment and then took her outside to the garden terrace that filled the rest of the building’s rooftop floor. Like inside, there were several massive potted trees, a small lawn and an infinity pool that gave the illusion of water pouring off the side of the building. Right next to the pool, a large stone hot tub whiffed steam while a multitude of snowflakes pelted the water. It was all beautifully lit. However, everything on the rooftop garden was now covered in a little more than an inch of white-fluffy snow. Serena could tell that the wind was also blowing cold, but tall glass walls all around the garden kept the cold gusts blowing well above them.

  * * * * *

  Dinner had been amazing. Serena learned quickly that Rion was well at home in the kitchen preparing food like he was a commercial chef. Now both relaxed in the living room watching the snow fall. Serena stretched out on the sofa opposite the very hunky Rion, her legs entwined with his over the cushions. Seeing him in Levis and a snug mock turtleneck added up to an alluring image she wanted to just playfully dive into, but she resisted the impulse and decided on another plan of attack instead. “So is your hot tub warm enough to use?”

  “It’s pretty cold outside, Hon. Are you sure you want to brave the snow?” he grinned.

  “I lived in North Dakota.” She bounced up from the couch. “I know what cold is and this isn’t it. Shall we try it out?”

  A thick white towel now draped around his neck, Rion had already changed in the open bedroom while he waited for Serena to emerge from the bathroom. Unable to hide his surprise, he felt overcome with a new sense of awe as Serena emerged from changing. She had put her hair up and now sported a French-cut, white string bikini.

  Rion already knew Serena was unimaginably well curved, but seeing her dressed in the next-to-nothing swimsuit made his heart momentarily stop. Serena was much more busty than he had expected, and her bikini top seemed only barely able to contain her.

  Still, Rion wasn’t the only one whose heart had just skipped a few beats. Dressed in the same dark, workout shorts she had seen him wearing the day they had met at the park, the semi-loose stretch nylon fabric that not so modestly wrapped his front made her toes want to curl. And this was the first time she had seen Rion actually shirtless. His body out of clothes was really well defined and hairless. His cut chest and shoulders looked bigger somehow without a shirt. But Rion’s abs were what Serena was having a hard tim
e tearing her eyes away from. His tall, perfect washboard dove straight past a cute navel into his not so loose shorts.

  “Oh. Wow.” She stared for just a moment.

  “Serena—” Rion failed to look unimpressed. “You look—fantastic.”

  She smiled coyly, walking past him. “It’s just a bikini.” She purposely touched him, sliding her fingers over his abs and giving him the ‘rear view’ of her swimsuit while heading for the patio doors.

  He grinned, following behind. “I wasn’t talking about the bikini.”

  Outside it was getting colder. Both Rion and Serena walked barefoot through the patio snow and quickly stepped down into the steaming water. The contrast of the tub’s lit warm water from the near frigid air of the outside now lifted huge wafts of steam from the still surface of the water and made getting in the tub almost unbearable at first. Both quickly dipped into the steaming tub to escape the cold air.

  Serena sighed heavily, “Oh, God, Rion, this feels so nice. There’s just one problem now.”

  Rion chuckled. “Yea, getting out.”

  Serena laughed in agreement.

  Above them, the snow blew so hard overhead and against the tall outdoor glass as it moved in small drifts against it. But on the patio side, the water was warm and the air almost calm. That was how Rion made Serena feel, she mused. Always warm, secure, and calm.

  Rion adjusted the tub’s controls that brought some massaging bubbling water jets to life. Both relaxed near each other as warm water jetted in massaging patterns against them.

  “I think I’m going to melt,” Serena sighed, her eyes closing in utter relaxation.

  Rion pushed away from his own jets and took a seat under Serena’s feet. He lifted her foot and began massaging it lightly under the water.

  “Oh. Ooh. Wow. Rion,” she melted even more. “What are you doing to me?”

  “Relaxing you.”

  “Oooh, that’s—you are so going to spoil me.”

  Rion intentionally set his fingers into a pressure point on her foot he knew she would like.

  “Ohhh! That—feels amazing.”

  “Glad you like it,” he grinned, watching her enjoy the sensations. He smoothed his hands over her long legs.

  “You should sit next to me,” she suggested, pulling her legs away and sitting up to stretch her arms across the semi-smooth fine stone edges of the tub. Rion wasn’t sure if sitting right next to Serena was going to be the best idea. He was already trying to ignore their natural attraction and he was pretty sure—she wasn’t.

  “I don’t know that I can be trusted sitting next to you,” he teased, but still moved beside her anyway in the softly bubbling water. His dimples and smile were completely disarming. She felt the smooth skin of his bare legs move next to hers and his arm move around her under the water. Serena was obviously in a playful mood. She slipped herself onto Rion’s lap making him cradle her in the water while her hand slid back and forth gently over his chest.

  “You know you are impossibly beautiful,” he complimented, gently moving her skin against his under the bubbles.

  “I’m not the only ‘beautiful’ one here,” she flirted, her tone becoming more serious. Serena moved her fingers along his strong cheekbones and touched his dimpled smile. She moved her fingers next to and then over his full lips as he continued to look warmly into her eyes. Serena moved her face cautiously closer to his. Rion pulled her gently closer still, their lips softly meeting in a gentle first kiss. Serena’s lips were sweet as Rion deliberately toyed with her pout, feeling just how she liked to be kissed.

  Serena’s pulse jumped. Oh, my God. She drank in his lips softly, warmly. The guy could kiss!

  After long moments, both drew back, having to take deep breaths, the sides of their faces still touching. Their lips met again, this time with a new embrace as each softly, eagerly, chased and tasted the lips of the other.

  Rion’s hands slid over Serena’s smooth skin and thighs as Serena’s palms moved over his chest. Their lip play wasn’t taking long to become intense. Neither of them could help but hungrily kiss now. Serena drank in Rion’s affectionate lips while he tasted her mouth and pulled her warm wet skin next to his under the bubbles.

  Serena then felt Rion unexpectedly retreat from their kiss. He slipped quickly away from her moving to the center of the pool, leaving her by herself in the seat.

  “Wow,” he breathed heavily. Their kissing had jumped his pulse up more than just a few notches. “This could get dangerous; the two of us together like this,” he warned.

  Serena breathed just as heavily with a smile, “I think it’s already dangerous.”

  But Rion wasn’t kidding about her being dangerous. He drew another deep breath of the cool, cold air and let it out, his breath visible. He moved back to the far edge of the tub away from her and slipped out of the water up to his abs, with the rest of him below the bubbles. Serena’s attraction was really intense. Their kissing had left him fully thick, tall, and throbbing hard under the water and he wasn’t exactly decent to look at covered only in the thin wet material of his shorts at the moment.

  Serena stood up and waded the bubbles toward him watching the steam rise from his muscularly-cut skin.

  “A little too hot for you?” she asked smirking, pushing the snow aside and then lifting herself out of the steaming water to sit next to him. He caught the obvious double entendre. Rion’s eyes glided hungrily over her, watching the steam rise from her overheated wet skin as well. He nodded.

  “A little. You kiss really well,” he complimented. “A little too well.”

  “Yea, well, you’re not exactly amateur yourself, mister,” she smiled, kicking her feet playfully in the water. “I don’t bite. You could come out and sit next to me to cool off.”

  “Thanks.” He brandished a demure grin. “But the way you kiss, I’m—a little, indecent at the moment,” he admitted.

  “It’s just the two of us here. Besides, I was sitting on your lap. Did you think I didn’t already notice?” she grinned.

  “I just—well.”

  “You’re not going to scare me off.”

  Rion winced a little and then slowly slipped up out of the water to sit right next to her. She bumped her shoulder playfully into his with a great smile of her own to make him feel comfortable, even with the front of his shorts thickly bulging huge and tall, as if the thin wet material were barely able to contain him. Although still a virgin, Serena wasn’t exactly Miss Innocent; she had seen pictures of hot guys online and had even seen her former boyfriend unclothed before. But none of them were the size of Rion. Sitting next to her, Rion looked huge, quite a bit more well-built in the ‘guy department’ than anyone she had seen. He was nearly pushing out of the thin wet stretch material.

  “I think you look nice.” She complimented. “Maybe I’ll have to kiss you more often—”

  Rion leaned back onto his thick arms to let the steam rise from his wet skin. “I—just didn’t want you to feel uncomfortable. I really like our friendship. I think I sort of messed things up earlier in the week and I don’t want to ruin what we have.”

  “We got off to a bit of a rocky start, but I think you and I click.”

  “Yea,” he chuckled. “You can say that again.”

  “Honestly, you have a lot more self-control than most of the people—make that any––of the other people I’ve dated.”

  “No, Angel, I have only a little more self-control. But if you looked any more beautiful I’m not sure I would have any. I’m not—exactly a saint, Serena. You’re not the first woman I’ve had in my life.”

  “That makes two of us,” she admitted.

  Rion grinned looking at her, and empathic feeling rising within him from her. “Oh? So you’ve had other women in your life too, huh?” he teased her.

  “Hmm, I have, actually.” She half grinned.

  “Was she a beautiful as you?”

  Serena smiled at the compliment. But Rion could feel an interesting reticen
ce within her.

  “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to pry.”

  “No, it’s fine. Truth be told, I’m actually off men at the moment.”

  “You’re off men—?” Rion’s eyebrow lifted slightly with his grin.

  She nodded. “I’m serious. Guy relationships never work. You ‘guys’ are way too complicated.”

  “We’re too complicated?” Rion chuckled at the thought. “You know you’re hot-tubbing with a guy, right?”

  “Believe me, I know. I’m breaking my own rules dating you.”

  “You’re not the only one,” Rion rolled his eyes. “I broke some of my own rules to date you as well, believe it or not.”

  “Don’t tell me you only date guys?”

  “No. Never dated a guy. But I usually don’t date. Period. Way too complicated for my life right now.”

  “You know you’re dating someone, right?” she mocked his own words with a grin.

  “Believe me, I know.” He nodded, his eyebrows flashing.

  Serena now felt the chill of the air as larger snowflakes melted on her skin. “I think I need to warm up.” But as she slipped back into the water Rion’s fingers caught one of the loose lower strings of her bikini top. Serena slipped into the water with her top’s back suddenly untied.

  “Hey!” she grinned, sinking under the bubbles to keep from being exposed, then turning around to look at him. “What happened to self-control?”

  He slipped back into the water with her. “I have self-control,” he assured her. “I never said I wasn’t going to be naughty,” he grinned, moving up to her. He kissed her lightly again. With her suit’s back untied, Serena’s chest floated voluptuously in the bubbling water. The sensation of Serena’s bare breasts felt really nice against his pecs. Apparently Serena liked the feeling as well because she loosened the other tie of her top and let it float away over the bubbles while still kissing Rion softly.