by Aubrey Ross
His features locked in a grimace. “I have to go.”
“Of course you do.” With an exasperated sound she stomped to the front door and held it open. “You want me, but you won’t take me. There’s some horrible secret you need me to understand, but you’re unable to talk right now.” She shook her head. “I hate games, Ray.”
He paused at her side. “I’m not playing games. There are things you need to understand before I make love to you. I want you to --” Another cramp interrupted his plea.
Concern melted the anger in her eyes. “Should I call the clinic? You really don’t look well.”
“I’ll be fine. Will you see me tomorrow?”
She glanced at the setting sun, then back at him. “Have Aurora call me when you get to your bungalow. I’ll sleep better knowing you’re not crumpled in the bushes somewhere, but I don’t want to see you again until you’re willing to explain this deep, dark secret.”
Chapter Seven
“What are you waiting for?” Ray snapped. “You said the Discernment was successful. Why are you avoiding her? She’s starting to think I’m a nut case. I don’t want to make love to her until she’s accepted you too, but you’re leaving me no choice!”
Delano turned from the window and glared at his twin. “Don’t threaten me. We may only have a week on this island, but we have the rest of our lives to form this bond.”
Silence stretched between them, crackling with tension. “You’re afraid.” Delano laughed, a short, sharp sound. “Of Chelsea?” “Of failing. You think she’ll sense the darkness and reject you.” Delano didn’t reply. He turned back to the window and waited for time to run its
course. They both knew nocturnal Dichotomies were rejected more often than day-dwellers. Nocturnal Dichotomies tended to be brooding and aggressive, stubborn and argumentative. The corners of Delano’s mouth curved. He was the exception, of course.
Ray was patiently seducing Chelsea with gentle touches and slow, deep kisses. If she were to become their true mate, she would have to enjoy the dark side of passion too, the fierce, uninhibited side.
Their encounter in the kitchen gave him hope, but she was far from complete surrender.
* * *
Chelsea stood on the moonlit beach, the waves lapping at her calves. It wouldn’t be much of a tropical vacation if she didn’t at least put her feet in the water. Crushed shells created the pink tinted sand that mixed with the tiny white grains. Ray had taught her so much about the island. She had no idea where he got his information. It
hadn’t mattered as he pointed out the dormant volcano head and listed the names of birds and flowers.
The bikini moved against her skin, making her long for Ray’s touch. She’d never been this aware of her own body, this susceptible to the slightest stimulation. Why had he given her such a provocative garment if he didn’t want to be her lover?
“Am I intruding?”
Her nipples peaked and desire gathered low in her belly. After three long, lonely nights her dark-haired stranger had returned. “Are you lost?” She turned to face him. The night breeze ruffled his hair. Moonlight flashed in his gaze. She knew his eyes were blue, but at the moment they appeared black, liquid, endless. He’d rolled his pant legs to just below his knees and his shirt had short sleeves this time. He still looked overdressed, though elegant and commanding.
“I’m right where I want to be,” he told her.
“Are you?” She turned back to the water. A stray wave reached her thighs. “I wasn’t sure you’d return. The week is almost over.”
“Did you miss me?”
His voice came from much closer. She continued to face the sea. “Why do you keep coming here? What do you want from me?”
“I want you naked and writhing beneath me. I want to do wicked, inappropriate things to your luscious body until you’re incapable of thought.” His warm hands cupped her shoulders.
Chelsea closed her eyes. Why did he have to show up right after Ray rejected her? Well, Ray hadn’t rejected her exactly, he’d just -- claimed he wasn’t human. “You won’t even tell me your name.”
“Your body doesn’t care what my name is.”
She twisted away, stepping back into the surf. “Leave me alone. I’m no longer amused.”
“You’ve wanted me inside you since the moment our eyes first met.” He pulled her out of the water and into his arms. “I felt the connection, the longing.”
“If you say I’m your soul mate, I’ll slap you.”
He chuckled, tracing her jaw line with his index finger. “I don’t know about soul mates. I only know I want you as badly as you want me.”
With no further warning, his mouth settled over hers, his tongue parting her lips, stroking, tasting. Uncertainty twisted through Chelsea. Could she really do this? Make love with a perfect stranger? And he was perfect.
But Ray was perfect too. Could she reward his patience by giving herself to another man? Turmoil banded her chest and pounded in her temples.
Lifting her into his arms, her mysterious stranger carried her into the bungalow. Light revealed his true coloring. She studied his expression. Thick lashes framed his midnight blue eyes and his mouth pressed into a stern line.
Like the velvet embrace of night, his mystique surrounded her. Ray had hinted that mystic beings existed in reality. This man was dark and elemental. “Are you a Vampire?” The question was out before she could stop it.
His gaze flew to hers, one dark eyebrow cocked. “What makes you think I’m a Vampire?”
“I’ve only seen you at night and… Forget I said anything.”
He set her down in front of the sofa. His hands lingered on her hips. “I’m not a Vampire, but I am nocturnal. Does that frighten you?”
She licked her lips and remembered the last three nights. All she could think about was how he’d made her feel. “I’m not afraid of you.”
“Good. Fear isn’t what I’m trying to inspire.”
His voice was its own form of seduction. Deep and evocative, the faintest hint of an accent occasionally bled through. She had so many questions. She had to concentrate. “Have you been to Chimera before?”
“No. Why is that important?”
“I’ve seen some strange things. I was hoping you could explain them to me.”
He traced the edge of her bikini top. “Take this off and I’ll answer two questions.”
The bikini left little to the imagination as it was and she certainly wanted him to undress. Reaching behind her, she unfastened the bottom strap. She had to make the most of her questions, ask nothing that could be answered with yes or no. “What sort of beings are Yamir and Bianca?”
He held out his hand expectantly. She finished untying the top and handed it to him. His gaze moved over her breasts. Her nipples hardened and her skin flushed. Soon his hands would follow his gaze, and his lips would follow his hands.
“Yamir and Bianca are Faeries. Bianca is of the Seleighe court, Yamir of the Unseleighe. I can’t remember their clan affiliations. I don’t know them as well as Evette.”
She crossed her arms over her breasts. Light and dark Faeries? Was he insane? “You honestly believe they’re Faeries?”
“That’s basically the same question you asked before. Your breasts are spectacular. Are you sure you wouldn’t rather ask something more relevant?”
Ray had said he wasn’t human. Was it possible he wasn’t just toying with her? Covering her breasts with one arm, she raised the other to keep her companion at bay. “Let me think this through.”
“I don’t want you to think. I want you to feel me moving inside you.”
Desire slammed into her. She wanted that too, oh God how she wanted it. But why? Why was she so attracted to this man? The only other person who affected her this way was Ray.
If Ray hadn’t been playing games, if he honestly wasn’t human, then what in creation was he? And why did this man ignite the same explosive longings? He had appeared the same night Ray’s
brother arrived on the island. She studied his features, searching for a fraternal resemblance. “Are you Ray’s twin, Delano?”
“Are you sure that’s what you want to ask?”
He was guiding her, steering her toward the information he wanted to share. Tension gripped her chest. This was no longer a game. Okay, if he was Ray’s twin and Ray wasn’t human… It was so ridiculous she couldn’t complete the thought.
“What sort of beings are you and Ray?” She whispered the question, dreading his answer.
“Our people are called the Dichotomy. We came to Earth so long ago the true reason for our arrival is now highly debated. Some say we were forced to flee our home world because of persecution, some say our home world became uninhabitable. Some believe Earth was a carefully selected destination, others believe it was simply the closest planet on which we could survive.”
For a long moment she couldn’t bring herself to speak. She was not only highly educated, she was an educator. Her analytical mind refused to consider the possibility. “You’re from outer space?”
He chuckled. “My family has lived in Virginia for the past two hundred years. Before that we lived in Ireland.”
“But you’re not human?”
“We are obviously humanoid, yet we are not Homo sapiens. You’ve seen Ray naked. The body of a Dichotomy is nearly identical to --”
She gasped. “Ray told you about… What exactly did Ray tell you?”
He dragged her arm away from her breasts and pulled it behind her back. “I don’t want to talk about Ray. In fact, I don’t want to talk.”
His warm hand cupped her breast and Chelsea frantically reached for her scattering thoughts. “Why do I feel like this? Are you creating this frenzy?”
“Not intentionally.” He circled her nipple with his thumb, his gaze fixed on the hardening crest. “Few of your kind can successfully mate with our kind. Some Dichotomies spend their entire lives searching for a compatible mate.”
Each pass of his thumb sent darts of sensation into her chest and down her spine. She needed his touch, his kiss. Did the details really matter? They could talk after they made love. She gave herself a mental shake. “That didn’t answer my question. Are you unintentionally creating these feelings, this urgency?”
“Yes. When a female is compatible with our biology, her body responds to certain chemicals we exude, similar to pheromones, only much more potent. Are you feeling that now? Do you need to come before we continue?”
Hot tingles sped along her nerve endings. Her core pulsed with demanding need. “Do you promise to continue the conversation once we bring each other release?”
Delano suppressed a grin. She expected him to gently finger her clit until she came. Well, he wasn’t Ray and she’d soon learn the extent of their differences. “I promise we’ll talk when we’re both satisfied.”
Before she could agree or argue, he covered her mouth with his. He drew her other arm behind her back and secured them both in one hand. She didn’t resist his kiss or his firm grip. His free hand wandered over her breasts while his tongue explored her mouth. After working her nipples into tight little peaks, he untied her swimsuit bottom and tossed it aside.
“Part your thighs. I want to touch you.” It was a command.
She dragged her mouth away from his, panting softly. “Maybe I want to lie down.”
“Maybe you’ll do as you’re told.” He nudged her thighs apart with his knee. Easing his middle finger between her folds, he brushed against her clit in a teasing hint of a caress. “Make room for my hand.”
“Or what?” Defiance joined the passion in her gaze.
“I walk out the door and you miss out on pleasure like you’ve never imagined.”
Resting back against his restraining arm, she widened her stance and parted her thighs.
Delano closed his eyes, unwilling to show her how thrilling he found her surrender. Her pussy was drenched, hot, welcoming. Pushing two fingers deep, he found her clit with his thumb and stroked her to the very edge of orgasm. When her inner muscles fluttered rhythmically, he dragged his fingers out.
She moaned. “You’re cruel.”
“You have no idea.” He grinned. “Up on the sofa. Sit on the back and put your feet on the seat.” Her brow furrowed at his instructions, but she climbed onto the couch, leaning against the wall. “Hold yourself open. I need to see what I’m doing.” She gradually spread her legs, then her hands descended along her sides. “That’s right.”
After a moment’s hesitation, she parted her folds, exposing her dusky core and her swollen clit. He knelt on the floor and drank in the beauty of her naked body. “You’re magnificent.” Cream appeared at her opening. He leaned in and licked it away. “So sweet.” He licked again, stabbing deep into her cunt, savoring her essence.
Her hips tossed, her thighs trembled. Ray had done this for her repeatedly. She needed more than teasing strokes of a tender tongue. She needed firm pressure, thrusting fullness. Hovering over her clit, he pushed two fingers into her passage.
“Yes!” She clenched her inner muscles.
He looked up, covering her clit with his thumb. “You like that?” He impaled her again.
“Yes.”
“Look at me.” Passion-drugged, her heavy lids raised and her gaze found his. “Tell me what you want.”
“I want to feel you moving inside me.”
He thrust his fingers hard and deep. “Like this?”
“Yes.” She canted her hips, taking him deeper. “No, use your thumb, too.”
Circling her clit with his thumb, he soon had her crying out with each thrust. The rhythmic ripple of her inner walls told him she was close. He pulled out again.
“Why do you keep doing that?” She kicked at him, but he easily caught her ankle and dragged her down from the couch.
They would take her together at dawn. But the night was still young. He must prepare her for what would follow, make her crave both halves of the Dichotomy.
Chapter Eight
Delano was still fully clothed. As the latest wave of passion ebbed, Chelsea narrowed her gaze. “Is this some perverted game to you?”
“Ray lets you come over and over. I’m teaching you the value of patience.”
Heat infused her face and she looked away from his knowing stare. “Does Ray tell you everything?”
“He doesn’t have to tell me anything. We share a telepathic link. I know everything he does and he knows everything I do. It happens during what we call the transition. He comes out of his slumber state and I go into mine.”
She nodded, though she didn’t understand half of what he’d said. “That’s what you meant about being nocturnal. You sleep during the day.”
“Yes.”
“This is all so strange.” She sat on the sofa naked and aching while he knelt between her legs fully dressed.
“The first night we met, you told me you’d just survived the most stressful year of your life. Tell me about it.”
She challenged him with her eyes. “I thought we were going to talk after.”
He wrapped his fingers around the back of her neck and sealed his mouth over hers. She stiffened at first, surprised by the odd taste in his mouth, and the demand with which he kissed her. A shiver coursed down her spine. This was the salty-sweet flavor of her passion.
“We came to you once in a sort of dream.” He whispered the words against her damp lips. “Do you remember any of it?”
She dragged her mouth away and stared at him. “I remember everything. Is that how you made me want you?”
“We haven’t forced anything on you. If you hadn’t wanted us, your mind would have rejected us and you would have remembered nothing.” She didn’t understand the sudden sparkle in his eyes until he said, “The stronger the potential bond, the more vivid the images seem. If you remember everything, this is going to be amazing.”
Staring into his glistening gaze, she let the memories wash over her. Their hands moved together, car
essing, stimulating. It had felt so natural to be with both of them. Her eyes drifted shut as her body responded to the images, thrusting, filling her as she had never imagined being filled.
“Are you thinking about what we did during the dream?” He stumbled over the last word, as if he were about to say something else.
“I’ve never had a man touch me like that.”
Encouraging her with a sexy smile, he took her by the wrist and pulled her to her feet. “The Dichotomy always mate in pairs. You’ll understand why when Ray arrives at dawn.”
“Ray is going to --”
“Ray didn’t want to become more intimately involved with you until he was certain you would accept me too.”
Ray and Delano together. Just the thought left her shaky and breathless. It was wicked, far more adventurous than anything she’d ever done before.
He led her to the high, padded arm of the sofa. Standing behind her, he stroked her breasts and belly. “I’m going to touch you like I did before. I don’t want to hurt you when we join.”
The vivid image of him thrusting his finger in and out of her ass flashed through her mind. “Is that how you’ll take me, when Ray arrives?”
“Yes. And I want to make sure your body is ready for me.”
Before she could decide if she wanted to protest, he bent her over the arm of the sofa. Cool leather pressed against her heated skin, abrading her sensitive nipples. He rubbed her back and stroked her hips, moving ever closer to his target.
“Relax. I’m not going to hurt you. If you behave, I’ll even let you come.” He eased her legs apart and thrust into her pussy with two fingers. She moaned. “We know you like this. Now I’ll show you another way to find pleasure.”