Whisper Cape

by Regan Walsh Susan Griscom

  He cupped her breast in his hand and covered her mouth again with his. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she moaned, and he scooped her up, cradling her in his arms as he carried her upstairs.

  He laid her on the bed and stretched out on top of her, kissing her lips then her neck, grazing her throat with his teeth, his tongue tasting the salt from the ocean breeze still lingering on her skin.

  “You’re making me crazy. I can’t breathe, Cael.” Her breath warm on his neck, she ran her nails down his back, trembling beneath him.

  He started to move away, fearful of crushing her. “Am I hurting you?”

  “No, don’t move, stay. I want to feel your body on mine.” She pulled him tight, her heart pounding against his, as need had his breath catching in his lungs.

  Sliding his tongue down her neck to her breast, he teased her nipple with his teeth before taking it in his mouth. His tongue flicked at it repeatedly while his fingers teased the other.

  Moving his hand down across her stomach to her pants, he pulled down the zipper and tugged them off. “God, you’re beautiful,” he whispered and felt his eyes widen at the glorious site of her naked body. Her perfect breasts and those long slender legs overwhelmed him. Catching his breath, he returned to her breast, tasting first one, then the other. His hands roamed over her body, relishing every curve, his fingers teasing as her body quivered under him.

  All his life he knew there had to be someone he could be himself with, and now he knew it was Addison. He delighted in the thought of not having any secrets from her. Addison had to be his. She was suddenly the most important thing in his life and he was determined to make her want him as much as he wanted her.

  He reached down between her silky thighs, his long fingers taking pleasure in her wet satiny skin.

  ***

  Cael was sending her into ecstasy; Addie jerked her hips up, accepting, needing, and pulled his face to hers, the spell of his kisses rendering her helpless. His hands were so sure and knowledgeable, so possessive. She loved the way they felt on her skin. He knew what he was doing, where he was taking her, and she let him. Her body tingled and roared from deep inside, pulsing, pounding with pleasure. She felt hot and sexy for the first time in her life.

  “Do you know what you’re doing to me?” she whispered.

  “Tell me baby, what am I doing to you?”

  “You’re making me hot, so hot. I can’t breathe.”

  “You’re breathing just fine,” he groaned, crushing her mouth with his as she arched her body up against him.

  She felt his hard erection on her thigh and reached for it, feeling him shudder. She struggled with his belt and tugged at his pants. “Help me, I can’t get it undone.”

  He reached for his belt, unbuckled it, then shimmied out of his pants and kicked them off the bed. “Touch me, Addison, now. I can’t wait to have your hands on me, around me.”

  She took him in her hands and felt the heat. Caressing her fingers around him and slipping her thumb over the slick tip, she felt him tense and quiver.

  “I want to be inside you now.” His voice was husky, his breath hot against her neck.

  “Do you have something?”

  “Hmmm … I do.” He reached into the drawer at the side of the bed, pulled out a packet, tore it open and slipped a condom on. He let her guide him in and she pulled him down, wrapping her legs around him as she raised her hips to meet his. Deeper and deeper she took him in. Never before had anyone made her feel so beautiful, so free of inhibitions, so filled with jubilation and lust. She thought she would explode. They moved in harmony, his eyes holding hers as pleasure ignited them. He pulled up and out slowly, teasing her with his tip until she begged for more. His strokes slow and deep, she shivered under him until his movements intensified and she erupted with wave after wave of orgasmic pleasure as he exploded with her.

  They lay side by side, drained, their legs tangled, his arm across her as if he didn’t want to let her go. Her rapid heartbeat slowly returned to normal as she sighed and curled her body closer into him. They stayed that way, silent, for a while.

  Addie finally broke the spell. “You don’t scare me anymore.”

  “You were scared of me? Why? Was I too rough? Jesus, I would never want to hurt you.”

  “No, not scared of this. I was scared of you before, the other day. I thought I’d killed you with my truck. You just disappeared and I didn’t see you, couldn’t find you. You were always frowning and glaring at me. And you know, the whole hit-and-run thing. I really did think you were going to have me arrested.”

  Cael burst out laughing. “I’m so sorry, baby. I wasn’t frowning at you because I wanted to have you arrested.”

  “Stop laughing.” She punched him lightly on the arm. “Then why?”

  “I was frowning because I could sense you were the one in the truck and I didn’t want you to find out my secret. Then, I found myself infatuated with you, and couldn’t stay away, but the thought of getting together with you seemed impossible, considering why I’m here and what I need to do. Besides, I usually try to stay clear of relationships.”

  “Why is that?” She propped herself up on her elbow and twirled her finger around his hair before she pushed it behind his ear.

  “The few I’ve ever attempted have always gone badly for me. Women don’t care for men with secrets and I have many.”

  “But now ...?”

  “Well, you’re different ... like me. I don’t have to keep secrets from you.” Using his hand to support his head he faced her and played with the long silky brown curl of hair draping over her nipple. Then his hand went to the locket she always wore.

  “This is unusual. Do you wear it all the time?”

  “Yes, my dad gave it to me for my twenty-first birthday.”

  “Hmmm. Addison, what happened to your mother? You said she died when you were a baby.”

  “She died right after I was born, I never knew her.”

  “Where did you grow up? I mean, if your father was gone all the time, and kept you hidden from the society all these years, who took care of you?”

  “My aunt lived with us. My dad wasn’t gone all the time, especially when I was a baby. Maia, my aunt, was only eleven years old when I was born, so my dad couldn’t leave us both alone. I think we had a nanny or someone who came to watch us while he went to work, or I guess to the Sectory.” The thought of her father lying to her all those years made her cringe and she felt a stabbing in her heart.

  “I think when Maia was about fourteen or so he started spending more and more time away. We lived in New York, moving to a different town every couple of years. After my dad died, Maia and I moved out here to start a new life. They grew up here and she thought it would be a good place for us to live. Then she met Gerry, they hit it off, and Gerry gave me a job. It’s strange, now that I think about it, the whole time I was growing up, Maia never dated anyone.”

  “Didn’t you ever question why you moved so much?”

  “Not really. I was always told we needed to move because of my dad’s work, and then when I was older they said we needed to keep moving because of a man—a past boyfriend of Maia’s—who had stalked her in college and she didn’t want him to find her. I guess maybe they lied about that considering she never dated anyone.”

  “You guess?”

  “I suppose I was too trusting. I just never thought about it, you know. It’s not as if I had any suspicions of strange things going on. We seemed normal. Why would I question anything?”

  “Makes sense.”

  Addie sat up abruptly, “Cael, I just had a horrible thought.”

  “What?”

  “You said my dad was like a father to you. You said he helped raise you.”

  “Right.”

  “Did my father and your mother have a relationship—I mean a romantic relationship?”

  “Not that I’m aware of.”

  “Who is your real father? Oh God, Cael, what if ...”

  “
Not a chance, Addison, what a sickening thought. Don’t worry, you’re not my sister. What kind of man do you take me for, anyway? Your father and my mother knew each other, but to my knowledge, they were never intimate. Even if they had been, it would’ve been years after both of us were born. I knew your father because he was my teacher. He taught me to fight and he showed me how to strengthen my abilities.”

  Cael reached for a bottle of water and handed it to her so she could have a drink before taking a sip himself.

  “I knew my father. He left my mother when I was ten. He came around at holidays to visit, sent the yearly birthday presents, but he was a man full of his own pride, and could never accept my mother’s abilities. He tried to forbid her to use them, or even to associate with anyone from the Sectorium.”

  “Sounds like you don’t think much of him.”

  “I don’t, and that might be another reason I’ve always stayed clear of relationships. I saw the hurt he caused my mother and ... I guess I’ve been cautious. I never wanted to go through that.”

  She reached for him, pulling his face to hers. Her lips grazed over his with a soft tenderness, stirring him to arousal again.

  He rolled over on top of her.

  “Wait a minute, let me grab another condom.”

  “Well, I’m on the pill. Are you … I mean, okay?”

  “You can trust me when I say I'm safe.”

  “I do trust you.”

  He slipped back inside, slowly, watching her as she moved with him. She’d had sex before, but it was only sex. This was something more, something that reached deep down into her soul, latched on, and wouldn’t let go. She’d never felt anything like this, so powerful, so passionate. “It seems I haven’t had enough of you yet.”

  She didn’t think she’d ever get her fill of him either. He kept the pace slow, the pressure deep.

  “You’re so beautiful, Addison.”

  Tension heightened as heat speared into her. Her breath quickened and she arched, gasping with pleasure. His eyes were on hers as she trembled beneath him. Addie moved with him as he sank deeper. A feral hunger in his eyes intensified. The muscles strained in his neck and he groaned, emptying himself as waves of ecstasy rippled through her body.

  Chapter 19

  Addie sank back against the pillow and closed her eyes, unable to suppress the smile on her face—not really wanting to—as she thought of the tender, yet passionate way Cael touched her. He made her feel as beautiful as he claimed she was.

  Someone’s stomach growled. Hers or his, she couldn’t tell, as their bodies lay interlaced, stomach to stomach.

  Lovemaking made them hungry and Cael had promised to cook dinner. With his arm wrapped tightly around her, they walked down the stairs together. It was comforting having his warm body next to her. Once they were downstairs, Addie scooped up his shirts and pulled it on. She felt sexy wearing it with nothing on underneath while he wore just his pants. The sun had set and the moon was barely high enough to cast any light in the room. He picked up his gun and placed it on the mantle, before lighting the two candles on either side of it.

  Her tangled hair hung down around her shoulders as she motioned toward the fireplace where the fire had died out. The room had grown cold and Cael put a couple of logs on and started to strike a match when Addie sent out a few sparks bringing the fire to a roar, making them both jump back a bit.

  “Whoa, you’re a little heavy on the sparks there, baby. You need more practice.”

  He lit some more candles and pulled out a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon from the wine rack to go with the steaks he put on the grill.

  “Is there something I can do to help?” Addie asked.

  “Sure, you can open the wine … glasses are over there.” He gestured toward the corner cabinet.

  “I’m an expert at opening wine bottles.”

  “Yes, I suppose it goes with the job. Bring the wine in here and you can help chop up some veggies for a salad.”

  They ate their dinner in front of the fireplace, sitting on pillows on the floor with their legs crossed under the coffee table. It had been a long time since Addie had the pleasure of eating a steak. As she took the last bite, she looked up at Cael who was leaning back against the sofa watching her, a sexy smile on his face.

  “What?”

  “I think I like watching you eat.”

  “Yeah?” She took a sip of the wine.

  “Yes. You do it with a great amount of ... passion.”

  “Maybe I was just hungry ...”

  “Maybe.”

  “... and because the steak was perfect and each bite melted on my tongue. You’re a really good cook.”

  “Thanks.” He sipped his wine then rubbed his finger over the dimple at the corner of her mouth that he mentioned he liked, before leaning in and covering the little dent with his lips.

  They took the rest of the wine upstairs and Cael turned on the faucets in the large oval tub while Addie added some bath salts she had remembered to grab that morning from her apartment. They sat in the water foaming with the scent of pomegranate and blackberry, his legs straddling hers as he washed her back. The flickering candle and the moonlight filtering through the window gave the room a warm amber glow. He picked up her arm to run the soap over it.

  “Holy mother of God, Addison, your arm’s all bruised. Did I do this to you?” He picked up the other arm, noticing more bruising.

  “What?”

  “The bruises here on your arms, did I do this to you while we were making love, baby? God, they’re huge.”

  “No, I’m sure you didn’t. I think they must have happened this morning. My arms took the brunt of your kicks. You never did get through, you know.”

  “Well, good. I’m not in the habit of hitting women. I’m sorry. Do they hurt?”

  “No, not really.”

  He brushed his fingers softly over the bruises.

  “Well, a little, now that you’re touching them, but are you saying you didn’t even try to get through one of my blocks?”

  “Um … no, of course I tried. But most of the time I was defending myself. You’re a very aggressive opponent. Your father trained you well. Now we need to work on your powers. You'll need more than martial arts to go against Eidolon. I just hope your bruises go away quickly. I never meant for you to get hurt.”

  “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. You know, this has been a perfect day.” She leaned back, resting her head on his chest.

  “Yes, it has. I can’t remember ever having had such a good time with a woman. We sound like a couple of people in a romance novel.” He chuckled, closed his eyes and leaned his head back on the tub.

  “You read romance novels?”

  “Let’s just say I enjoy a good mystery once in a while and if there happens to be a little sex and romance in it, so much the better.”

  She laughed and he slipped his hand down between her thighs; soon her laughter changed to moans of delight. He lifted Addie up and turned her toward him as she wrapped her legs around his waist, lowering herself onto him. She quivered at the pleasure of having Cael inside her again as he moved deep within her.

  How did he stir such erotic emotions in her? All those desires, somehow missing from her soul, now came to the surface. His possessive hands on her slick hips guided her slowly as he went deeper and deeper, until the rhythm intensified.

  He pulled her close, his chest against hers, buried his face in her hair and whispered, “Addison.” The sweet sound of her name spoken in a voice so soft and husky sent an erotic shudder through her body.

  They moved together, water sloshing about as they both exploded in a swirl of ecstasy.

  She sat against him, resting her head on his shoulder, neither one of them wanting to think about what horrors tomorrow might bring.

  ***

  Down in the brush, Eidolon stood looking up at the low light trickling out the window of Addie’s apartment. He had ventured out to this town on a hunch about Ristéard’s sister. Disc
overing Maia MacKenna had a niece was indeed an unexpected bonus. When he witnessed her using that pathetic little power of hers he was overjoyed, realizing she must be the offspring of Ristéard, once his close friend, then over time, his greatest adversary. Ristéard had refused to recognize any of his plans and ideas for the future of the Sectorium, leaving Eidolon no choice. Ristéard had to die. Together, they could have had it all.

  Addison MacKenna, a secret daughter hidden away all these years. She must have the crystal and the journal hidden somewhere. But now Cael Sheridan was here in his way. He'd take care of him. Patience, he thought. They’ll slip up and when they do, I’ll destroy them. He didn’t see her come or go from her apartment at all last night. Her truck was here—but he was no fool, and soon figured out they’d tricked him. He'll find them and then the fun will begin.

  ***

  Addison’s arms flung out and the lamp went flying across the room waking Cael up from a most pleasant dream after a night of intense sexual gratification. They hadn’t fallen asleep until just before dawn. His eyes shot open. A small fire burned on the floor next to the dresser. She screamed and he tried to grab her arms but her legs kicked out and he went flying off the bed, landing on the floor. He got up, pulled the blanket off the bed, and threw it over the fire, stomping his foot on it. He jumped back on the bed, pinning her arms down before she did anymore damage.

  He shook her shoulders. “Addison, Addison, wake up.”

  “No, please, stop you’re killing him,” she sobbed.

  “No, baby, it’s me, Cael. Wake up, you’re having a nightmare.”

  Addison opened her eyes and flung her arms around him. Cael scooped her up in his arms and she curled into him as he cradled her.

  “Oh, God.”

  “It’s okay, you’re safe. Nothing’s going to harm you.”

  “Not me, not me. You ... he was killing you.”