The Crystal Warriors Series Bundle

by Maree Anderson

  She groaned, afraid that this was going to take more willpower than she might possess, afraid that she wouldn’t be able to resist him if he tried to seduce her again. Non-metaphysically, this time. And, dammit all, her skin was tingling with excited anticipation at the prospect.

  ~~~

  Chapter Eleven

  The walk to Sam’s inner-city apartment building took about half an hour—enough of a walk that by the time she arrived, Chalcey couldn’t think of anything better than crawling into bed. Alone. No surprises after what had gone down this evening.

  Add to that, she was pretty darned pissed that she had to walk in the first place. The joys of being too broke to justify a taxi.

  The good thing was that whenever she got overly tired and pissed off, the last thing on her mind was sex. She figured that put her in the perfect state of mind to resist Wulf’s considerable charms. This time, no amount of gorgeous male physique or cajolery was going to have an effect on her. Nyuh uh.

  She pushed through the revolving door and entered the lobby. It was all very posh. Heaps of marble and dark wood festooned with fancy designer pot plants. In complete contrast to all the studied opulence, Chalcey was aware she resembled something a cat had dragged in. Even if she hadn’t been aware, it became patently obvious that she lowered the tone of the place from the way the young guy at the front desk eyed her.

  Since he was new and didn’t know her, Chalcey half expected to be informed the tradesmen’s entrance was at the rear. Lucky for him, he was too well-trained for that. “Samantha Greenwood, please,” she said.

  “And you would be?”

  “Chalcedony Laureano. Ms.”

  He made a point of glancing at his watch.

  “She’ll see me. Make the call.” Belatedly she added, “Please.”

  Being an ultra-polite sort himself, his only reaction to her blatant insincerity was a slight flaring of his nostrils. “Just one moment, Ms Laureano.” Pause. “Please.”

  “Touché.” Chalcey grinned at him to show she appreciated his sally, and there were no hard feelings. She drummed her fingers on the counter while he consulted his computer screen and keyed in Sam’s extension. A brief conversation consisting mainly of “Yes, ma’am” ensued.

  “You can go on up, Ms Laureano.” He escorted her to the elevator and keyed in the PIN to give her access to the penthouse level.

  She wondered how he’d have reacted if she’d leaned over and keyed in the PIN herself. Probably wouldn’t have blinked an eye. Unlike the stuffy older guy who had the day shift. He would have thrown a fit, and then gone on and on about security protocols. “Thanks,” she said.

  “You’re welcome, ma’am.”

  She hid a grimace at the oh-so polite exchange. And the whole security thing. Sam might pretend otherwise but she did secretly enjoy at least some of the privileges that accompanied vast wealth.

  The elevator doors smoothed shut while Chalcey brooded over how to apologize to Sam for being such a jealous bitch, and then get Sam out of the way while she had a heart-to-heart with Wulf. She wanted—needed—to talk with him alone. The subject matter was just too delicate to have an audience, even if that audience did happen to be her best friend. Or at least, her hopefully still best friend.

  Crap. Maybe high-tailing it over here hadn’t been the best idea she’d ever had.

  The elevator pinged confirmation that she’d arrived and it was too late to slink back home. Not when she’d already woken Sam.

  She crossed the few steps to the massive double doors and had lifted her hand to punch the doorbell, when someone yanked the door open.

  Sam stood in the doorway, swathed in a barely-there silk robe. “It’s about time,” she hissed from the darkened room. “Did the elevator break down or something? You took long enough!” She grabbed Chalcey’s arm and dragged her inside, pushing her toward the nearest guest bedroom. “He’s in there,” she whispered, heading back to her own master suite.

  “Sam, I’m so—”

  “What’s taking so long, babe?” a muffled male voice demanded.

  “Coming!” she called.

  “Sure wish I was!” the man groused. “Get your ass in here and finish what you started.”

  Eeuuuw! That was so much more than Chalcey needed to know. Sounded like Marcus was still on the outer. She wondered who Sam had waiting in her bed. And how come she’d broken one of her personal rules by inviting the guy back to her apartment. Cripes. The world sure was changing. And not necessarily in a good way.

  “Sam, I’m sorry about the other day. With Wulf. I was a bitch. Forgive me?”

  “Nothing to forgive.”

  Sam gave her a hug that threatened to crack her ribs, and headed into her room, leaving Chalcey standing all on her lonesome in dark. Huh. Grossness and TMI aside, at least she didn’t need to worry about Sam eavesdropping on her little tête-à-tête with Wulf. She would be way too busy, uh, finishing what she’d started.

  Chalcey eased open the door to the guest bedroom and peeked inside. The super-king-sized bed sported a Wulf-sized lump in the middle. She ventured closer. In the dim light offered by the partially opened shutters on the windows, she could see that he lay on his side, facing away from her, with the sheet draped across his hips. Asleep.

  She padded over to the edge of the bed, content to stand motionless until her eyesight adjusted enough that she could drink in the long lines of his heavily muscled back. He stirred as though sensing her regard. She sucked in a startled breath as he rolled over on to his back and flung an arm out toward her. Thankfully, he slumbered on, so she grasped the rare opportunity to look all she liked with impunity, without having to resist the lure of his brilliantly blue eyes. Wanting her.

  He was beautiful. A superbly fit male in the prime of his life.

  She bent toward him, leaning closer to brush a stray lock of his hair back from his face.

  His eyelids fluttered and opened. His gaze locked with hers. His lips curved in a gentle smile. “Chalcedony,” he murmured. “I hope you are real, and not just a fantasy.”

  A wave of sexual hunger slammed her, stealing her ability to breathe. She backed away as he sat up, and the sheet fell away. He was naked. And obviously pleased to see her. Very pleased indeed.

  She ran her tongue over suddenly dry lips, and then quickly closed her mouth. The gesture might be construed as overtly sexual. An invitation.

  Wulf’s eyes had darkened. His lids lowered slightly, mouth parting to show his perfect white teeth. He ran his tongue over his upper lip.

  She didn’t know whether he consciously intended to mimic her gesture, or was sizing her up and deciding exactly where to take a bite out of her. Anticipation fluttered in her belly. “That was you in my dream, wasn’t it? Making love to me even though you weren’t physically there. How’d you do that, Wulf? It was as though you were there with me, touching me. Just how is it possible for you to mind-fuck me like that?”

  “I do not know. I imagined you so clearly that it seemed you were truly here with me. I enjoyed thinking of how best to pleasure you, Chalcedony, and imagining you reacting to my touch.” He smiled at her, the feral smile of a predator. He crawled across the mattress toward her, slowly and gracefully, like some big jungle cat.

  He was dangerous. If she wanted her heart to stay in one piece, she should run hell for leather. She knew this unequivocally, and yet she wasn’t moving. She’d backed herself against the wall without even realizing.

  She squeezed her eyelids shut in an attempt to banish him from her senses so that she could think. This was not what she’d planned. She’d only wanted to talk, to thrash out some of the worries churning in her head, and discover what sort of a man he really was.

  His big hands spanned her waist, tugging her just far enough away from the wall to slide his hands behind her and cup her butt. She sensed him lowering his head, slowly, torturously slowly. His breath caressed her face with warmth and promise. She didn’t dare open her eyes but she knew his lips ho
vered just above hers. She quivered with the effort to hold still, and not close the slight distance between them. And when he possessed her lips, she gave a ragged whimper of relief. All thought of flight or self-preservation dissolved.

  His kiss was tender, soft. It teased her senses, tantalized, made her want more. It took all the will she possessed not to thrust her tongue into his mouth and take what she wanted.

  When his lips finally moved away from her mouth, she opened her eyes. Seeing the desire in his gaze, the desperate hunger written on his features…. She had to mentally slap herself, and sternly remind herself just what a bad idea it’d be to give in, before she could establish any sort of brain function. “Wulf—”

  He nibbled her neck, sending pleasurably shivery frissons skittering over her skin.

  “Wulf.”

  He wedged one of his knees between her thighs, nudging her legs apart and pressing closer—so close that his erect cock pressed against her stomach. She fought to stop herself from thrusting her hips. Someone groaned, a needy, yearning sound. And she realized it was her.

  His large hand cupped her breast, squeezing her nipple through her t-shirt. His lips found the wildly beating pulse at her throat. She wanted to abandon herself to the sensations pouring over her, to sheath his cock in her hand and make him groan for her, as she’d groaned for him. But if she did that, she would be lost. They needed to talk. Now. Before her willpower completely dissolved.

  He insinuated one hand beneath the hem of her t-shirt and spread his palm over her bare stomach. Heat flared beneath his hand. It rippled over her skin, flashing outward, enveloping her in delicious warmth.

  “Wulf!” It took all her strength to push him away.

  He blinked down at her, surprised. “What is the problem, Chalcedony? Do you not want me to bed you? Your body’s responses tell me otherwise.”

  He leaned toward her again but she flung up her hand. “No. Stay away from me. We need to talk.”

  “No? You tell me, no?”

  “That’s right. I’m not one of your willing bed-slaves. I can choose to say no. And when I say no, you don’t get to force me into your bed. You don’t have the right.”

  “Force you?” He stepped back from her like he’d just discovered she was contagious. “I never forced you, Chalcedony. You wanted me—there could be no mistake about that fact. And I wanted you. So I took you.”

  “That’s just my point, Wulf. You took me, just as you were about to again. I have some say in this, too, you know. What about what I want?”

  He stared at her, a deep frown etched between his brows. “Did I not give you pleasure in the shower?”

  “Yes—lots. To be honest, it was the best sex I’ve ever had. But that’s not the point.”

  “Then if I gave you pleasure, what is the issue? We have no other partners we are beholden to. We will join again and pleasure each other, as has been the way of men and their women since time immemorial.”

  She gusted a sigh, scrubbed her fingers through her hair, tugging on the ends, hoping the sharp little pains would help her find the right words. How on earth did she explain this to a man whose entire culture was based around taking women for whatever purposes they desired? “Look, it would take more time than I have right now to explain a sexually emancipated woman to you. So I’m not going to even try. Suffice it to say, things are vastly different between men and women of my world.”

  The poor guy looked even more confused, if that was at all possible. Confusion didn’t sit well on his handsome features. Chalcey got the unsettling impression that Wulf was a man who’d never ever been confused about anything in his entire life.

  Hah. Sorry babe, you’d best get used to it.

  The sex-starved part of her was saying “Hurry up already! Get naked and let’s have fabulously mind-blowing sex with Wulf again.” While the other part, the supposedly rational, intelligent part, wanted to insist Wulf put his clothes on right now, so they could talk things to death and kill the passion. It was like having Jekyll and Hyde arguing in her head.

  “How about you put some clothes on?”

  “I think not. This time, you have invaded my space, Chalcedony. This time, you do not get to dictate the terms.”

  “Oh. Okay. I guess I can manage.” Sure, they had to talk, but they could still talk if he was naked, right? And he looked good naked. So very very good. Looking was still manageable. So long as she didn’t touch, everything would be peachy and she’d remain in control. So long as she didn’t reveal how much she wanted to jump him right now….

  Steeling herself to put on the act of a lifetime, she edged around him to perch on the edge of the bed. She patted the mattress beside her. “Okay, Wulf. Take a load off and let’s talk this out. I’ve learned some stuff from my mother that I think you should hear about before we— Ah, before anything else happens between us.”

  He sprawled on the mattress beside her, leaning back on his elbows in a position that made a certain very much awake, and very distracting portion of his anatomy, very obvious. “Very well, Chalcedony. First, we will talk.”

  For the time being she ignored the implications of that “first”, loaded with the promise of what might come second though it was. She tore her gaze from his groin, thanked God the dim light hid her flushed face, and got down to business. “Why exactly do you think you’re so attracted to me, Wulf? Don’t you think it was unusual to feel so strongly the first time you saw me? Or is it that you just can’t resist big breasts?”

  “Why would I not be strongly attracted to a beautiful woman?”

  A reluctant smile curled her lips. That was a really superb answer. The silver-tongued devil sure knew just how to flatter a girl.

  As if he’d read her thoughts, he asked, “Do you not consider yourself beautiful, Chalcedony?”

  “Me? Nah. I’m too tall and except for these—” she pointed to her breasts “—I’m not at all curvy in the right places. If I didn’t have my double Ds, you wouldn’t even give me a second look. Plus my hair is an untamable disaster, and my mouth is too big.”

  “You are beautiful to me, Chalcedony.”

  Oooh, he was good. Really good. “It’s sweet of you to say so. But I suspect the real reason you’re attracted to me is because I’ve been chosen as your potential life-mate by the Crystal Guardian. I think neither of us has much of a choice about our attraction to each other because of this curse-thingy. And I don’t know about you but—”

  He grabbed her forearms and shook her to silence. “Curse? What curse?”

  “You know, Pieter’s curse. The one that bound you and your men to the crystals.”

  He stared at her, nostrils flared and lips pressed tightly shut, like she’d suddenly grown two heads. “Repeat this curse to me, Chalcedony.”

  His terse tone and bruising grip on her arms brooked no denial. She sucked in a shaky breath, determined not to let the fear creeping into her heart prevent her from seeing this through to the end. “Okay. Let’s see if I can remember. Um, verily the crystal for which thee be named, er, shalt form the… the… prison in which thee be bound. Yep, that was it.”

  He shook her again, but more gently this time.

  “Hey! Thinking, here! Quit doing that or I’ll stuff it up.” She closed her eyes against the intensity of his tightly reined fury, and recited the first part silently again. “Okay, got it. Verily the crystal for which thee be named, shalt form the prison in which thee be bound, to atone the sins for which thee be blamed, ’til thee be blessed and thy true love be found. Corny, I know. Whoever made it up was no Shakespeare, but those are the exact words I heard him say in my dream-vision-thingy.”

  He released her and she rubbed the circulation back into her arms. “So. Do you want to hear what else I know, or would you rather try to seduce me again?” It was meant as sarcasm, a defensive measure against the anger she could sense in him. But it came out as a breathy plea. The plea of a woman who wanted a man in the worst way.

  His gaze lingered a
t her mouth, lowered to her breasts, lingered there again. Desire flared in her heart, in her needy body. She dug her nails into her palms to keep from reaching out to touch him.

  “Seducing you is always foremost in my thoughts, Chalcedony. But this once, I think it prudent for me to control my desires—difficult though that may prove for me with you so near.”

  Ohhh my. He was such a charmer.

  “Please, Chalcedony, tell me everything you know.”

  She scooted across the mattress and wedged a couple of pillows against the headboard before stretching out and making herself comfortable. “Brace yourself. This is gonna blow your mind.”

  ~~~

  Chalcey watched the planes of Wulf’s face turn to uncompromising stone, his kissable lips compress into a tight uncompromising line. She no longer feared his reaction to her revelations. Now, uppermost in her mind was dealing with her horror for everything he’d suffered, her empathy for his frustration over having so little control over his fate.

  She understood a little of how he must feel. It’d been so much easier when she hadn’t known about the spell, when she hadn’t understood the stakes. Then it’d just been him and her. A man and a woman who lusted after each other. Just sex—if it could ever be “just sex” of course—and possibly, maybe, some sort of a relationship which would inevitably follow its own course.

  Now, everything they felt, or might feel for each other, was tainted, overshadowed by the strong possibility that their attraction was not of their own making, and they were being manipulated by supernatural forces.

  If she chose to complete the bond, it might not be because of any true feelings she might have for him. It might not truly be her choice. She knew it. Wulf knew it, too. She hated that everything she believed she felt for him might be false. Words could not describe how much that knowledge sucked. It was too cruel.