Master of Ecstasy

by Nina Bangs

  Grasping her beneath her arms, he lifted her to her feet. Driven completely by his senses now, Darach backed her against the tower wall.

  "Now!" Her one-word command was whipped away by the wind, but he heard it.

  As she spread her legs, he cupped her slick buttocks and lifted her to meet his thrust. Shouting his triumph, he buried himself in her, felt her muscles clench around him, and shuddered as the heat of their joining flowed to every part of his tensed body.

  With a growl that would have done credit to the fiercest vampire, Blythe clasped his shoulders and wrapped her legs around his waist.

  Darach braced her against the wall and plunged into her again and again. Her cries grew more frenzied with each thrust. As she gripped his shoulders, she lifted her body so that she could drive herself down on him, forcing him deeper when deeper wasn't possible.

  He felt the power of his release building, and when it slammed into him, every muscle in his body seemed to lock. In that moment of stillness, Blythe found her own climax, clenching around him so tightly that he cried out with almost unbearable pleasure. Spasm after spasm rocked him, and there was no thought, only the desire for it to never end.

  When he returned to his body, he was slumped against the wall with Blythe clinging to him limply.

  She looked at him but said nothing. Was that good or bad? But words could be left for later, because now that he did not have sexual excitement to warm him, the cold rain pouring over his bare body made him shiver. Blythe must feel the same.

  Quickly gathering their clothes, he guided her back to their room. The bittyfluffs had piled into a huge pink mound beside the door and were all sleeping. "Will they feel cold out here?"

  "Nope. Bittyfluffs are tough. They come from a cold planet. All that pink fur keeps them warm." She hesitated at the door. "What about Thrain? I need to put my clothes back—"

  Darach pushed open the door. "Thrain is asleep and will continue to sleep for the rest of this night and all day tomorrow. His body needs time to find its balance."

  Once inside, Blythe dried herself and then scrambled into her bed. He knew that she watched him as he built up the fire for the night; then she patted the bed beside her. "We'll have to share my bed tonight."

  He climbed under the covers with her and lay on his back. She rested her head against his shoulder, and he felt strangely content. He had felt many things with women, but contentment was not one of them.

  "It's funny, but I always thought I needed lots of foreplay to get me excited enough to feel that I'd had a WOW sexual experience. You've shot down that theory." She snuggled against him, and he put his arm under her shoulder and pulled her closer.

  "Foreplay?" Darach frowned. Whenever she used a word he did not understand, it reminded him that she was from another time and would soon return there.

  "It's the erotic stimulation that comes before sex. You know, the touching and kissing." She smiled. "We were so crazy out there that we didn't even have a meeting of lips."

  He laughed softly. "Ye dinna understand, Blythe. Every moment we spend with each other, no matter what we are doing, is erotic stimulation… foreplay."

  "You're right. I never thought about it that way." She looked away from him. "Tonight was the greatest love-making I've ever shared. Why does it get better each time I'm with you?"

  Shared? Did sharing have anything to do with it? Mayhap. They had come together tonight out of a shared pain, a need to forget if only for a few moments. But beyond that, each time he made love to her he wanted her more, because… he cared for her. And the caring frightened him more than an attack by a hundred berserkers. It was his turn to look away.

  "I think the satisfaction grows because we know more about each other, are more at ease with each other's bodies." That was only part of the truth for him, but it was all he was willing to tell her, because there was no future in his caring.

  He could gift her, though, with something she would prize. "I enjoy speaking with ye, and I feel safe telling ye things I have never told another. Ye can make me laugh, and I feel happy when ye're with me. 'Twill sadden me when ye leave." Darach closed his eyes. There. That was as close as he would ever come to telling her that he cared.

  Darach felt the butterfly touch of her lips on his cheek and the warm skim of her breath. He felt her smile. "Thank you."

  She lay still for a while, but he knew she did not sleep. There was one thing he would ask her before she slept. "While I was enjoying our short but verra exciting foreplay, ye wiggled your tongue against the root of my cock. Where did ye learn such things?" Darach braced himself for her tale of a talented lover who had taught her well. He would listen stoically, but if he ever had the man within his power, he would tear him apart. Darach had never felt jealousy before Blythe. 'Twas truly a violent emotion.

  "Sparkle told me about that." Blythe laughed. "I wouldn't listen to the other things she wanted to tell me."

  The tension drained from his body. "Ye might wish to make a list of Sparkle's ideas."

  "Mmm. Will do." She turned into his arms, and a few minutes later her even breathing told him she slept.

  Darach lay the rest of the night watching her. He tried to make sense of what he felt for Blythe, then told himself it did not matter. She would not wish to stay in his time, and he could not blame her for that. And he would not abandon his duty so that he might follow her to her time. The fact that he was even thinking in terms of her time and his time told him he was in serious trouble.

  Darach had thought himself happy in his world before Blythe burst into it. But now? He had not recognized the loneliness of his life until he was no longer lonely. He had not understood that sex could be even more intense when it involved his emotions, and his emotions were very much involved with Blythe.

  As the gray light of dawn shone through the arrow slit, he still did not know what he was going to do with his feelings for this strong and caring woman from a future time. And in the end, what he felt meant nothing if she did not feel the same way.

  Reaching out, he fingered the talisman she still wore. Darach resisted his urge to melt it into an unrecognizable blob of metal; he wanted nothing associated with Ecstasy Incorporated touching her. He wanted to be the only ecstasy in her life. And the power of his wish surprised him.

  Darach smiled as Blythe slowly wakened. His smile faded, though, as he remembered his duty, a duty to keep Thrain safe and to find those who were destroying his clan. After what Thrain had told him, he must look with suspicion on any women he did not know.

  He must ask Blythe to see what she could find out about the women who worked in the castle. He had expected the women who hunted his clan to turn their attention to him eventually because of his power, but he had not realized that they had become so voracious.

  He had grown careless, thinking himself safe from them because he assumed they could not gather a force large enough to attack him here, and arrogant because he had considered a group of women too weak to defeat him. If not for his constant thoughts of Blythe, he might have suspected the servants sooner. When he woke this eve, he would search out their thoughts, but for now he must rely on Blythe.

  Darach clenched his fist around the talisman at the thought of his own greatest fear—being bound and helpless—then jerked his hand away as his voice poured from the talisman.

  Blythe sat up, her eyes wide and still confused by sleep. "Who turned that on?"

  "What is this? How are my words coming from it?" His heart pounded madly, and anger built as he realized that these were the words he had said when he told Blythe she had made him happy.

  Fully awake now, she bit her lip as she touched the talisman and the words stopped. "This is a machine that can record sounds. I recorded what you said because I needed to give Textron proof that I'd done my job."

  He felt he would explode with anger, and she did not even look guilty. "Who gave ye the right to steal my voice to share with Textron? Did ye also save what I said during our lovemaking to
prove how much joy your body brought me?"

  Blythe narrowed her gaze on him. "That's really cold, MacKenzie. No, I didn't record our lovemaking. I only recorded what I needed as proof." She sat up, yanked the cover off them, and wrapped it around herself. Then she climbed from her bed. "I can't believe you're so bent out of shape about it."

  "Mayhap ye're used to machines such as this, but to me 'tis like a stranger listening to something that should be private." He felt betrayed. Why?

  Still clutching the cover to her, Blythe raked her fingers through her hair. "All right. I'm sorry if the recording upset you. What else can I say?"

  Calm yourself. It doesna matter. He lied to himself. It mattered because he had let himself care for her and had forgotten that all she cared for was Ecstasy Incorporated. But he needed to regain his control; control was what had allowed him to survive for so many centuries when others had not.

  Blythe watched the coldness settle into his gaze and shivered. Was this the same warm man she'd laughed with last night?

  "I had forgotten that ye're here only for Ecstasy. 'Twas foolish of me to think it anything more. Ye may use my words so that ye dinna have to return to casperwyoming." Each word was a cold chip of ice.

  She couldn't believe this was happening, and she didn't know why his anger was bringing her close to tears. "If I didn't have to use the latrine so badly, we'd have it out right now, vampire. Don't you dare leave before I get back, and you'd better not be asleep either."

  Blythe didn't bother to dress, just wrapped the cover more tightly around herself and rushed from the room. With the whole herd of bright-eyed bittyfluffs running behind her, she raced to answer Mother Nature's call. She didn't even take the time for her usual curses aimed at the pitiful excuse for a toilet. Blythe didn't know when flush toilets were invented, but if she decided to stay… Whoa, where had that come from? She didn't have time now for deep, life-altering thoughts.

  As she hurried back to her room with bittyfluffs in tow, she composed brilliant and biting sarcasm to fling at Darach's stubborn head. Okay, so she was being a little stubborn, too. Blythe refused to give him the satisfaction of knowing that she'd already decided to erase the recording, because with what she had on Textron, she wouldn't need to use Darach's words. She just hadn't gotten around to erasing them. He was so arrogant that he'd think she was doing it for him. Of course she was, but she'd eat dirt before telling him. If their friendship couldn't survive this bump in the road, then the whole journey didn't stand much of a chance.

  Blythe flung wide the door to her room and opened her mouth to let him have it. She shut her mouth with a snap. What the… ? He was gone. His bed was gone, too, and Thrain with it. She peered into every corner just in case. Yep, it was gone.

  She looked at the ceiling. No holes. If he thought she'd just meekly let him go, then he didn't know Blythe 56-2310 very well. Quickly she pulled on a dress, then rushed from her room, not bothering to close the door behind her.

  Pure anger propelled her up the stairs to his room. She pounded on the door with both fists. "Come out and fight like a man, MacKenzie."

  The door swung slowly open, and Darach stared wearily at her. "I'm not a man, so I canna fight like one."

  She strode past him, trailing bittyfluffs behind her, and glanced around. Amazing. His bed rested in the middle of the room, and Thrain was still soundly asleep in it. "You said you couldn't move your bed back to your room."

  "I lied." Darach shrugged. "Now say what ye must and leave. 'Tis past time I slept." He turned back toward some furs he'd piled in front of the hearth.

  Blythe followed him. "Look, I know you're upset about what I did, but I promise you I didn't do it to deceive you. Ecstasy's company policy always demands some kind of hard proof that we completed the job, either a recording or signed affidavit. It's in the contracts clients sign. I thought you'd understand that."

  She frowned. He probably didn't care about the legal stuff.

  He turned and speared her with his hard gaze. "I signed no contract with Ecstasy. I didna ask ye to make me happy. And if I had signed your affidavit, I would now demand that ye destroy it, because I am no longer happy."

  Darach was right, and she was wrong. Somehow knowing that made her even madder. She hated being wrong, but admitting it was the right thing to do. "Fine. So I was wrong." Was that gracious or what? "Here, I'll give you the recorder, and you can stomp on it." She started to remove the charm from around her neck.

  He placed his hand over hers, and she drew in her breath at the potency of that simple touch.

  "I dinna wish ye to destroy it, Blythe. Ye need it for your job, and I wouldna deny ye that." He rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. "I have ever been logical. It has been a source of pride with me. And my mind tells me that I'm foolish to fash myself over this recording, that I always knew your job must come before all else. Ye told me so." He offered her a smile that never reached his eyes. "But ye did your job too well. Ye taught me to listen to my emotions, and they dinna want to understand. They insist that what we shared was a caring that had nothing to do with Ecstasy. My emotions pay no attention to logic. I must have time to think about this."

  "I…" What could she say? I care enough to be thinking about not going back with Ganymede? What place could she have in Darach's life? She didn't really know much about his life when he wasn't on duty. They needed to have a long talk, but not now when emotions were running high on both sides.

  "Ye need say nothing." Darach guided her toward the door. "I will protect my room today, so ye willna be able to enter." He stopped when they reached the door. "I would like ye to watch…" As though thinking better of what he'd been about to say, he shrugged. " 'Tis not important right now."

  Blythe stepped into the hall, then turned to him. "We'll talk tonight." She wouldn't phrase it as a question, because that would give him a chance to say no.

  He nodded, and she breathed a relieved sigh. At least he wasn't banishing her completely.

  Before closing his door, he smiled. This time there was no anger in his smile, but there wasn't much of anything else either. Automatically she scanned his emotions. Nothing. The MacKenzie wall was up again.

  "Mayhap ye'll keep the recording. Years from now ye can play it and remember this adventure while your Autotempregulator warms ye." He closed his door as the last bittyfluff made its escape.

  The hell with her adventure. She'd remember him. Only him. Blythe rushed down the steps to her room before she disgraced herself by bawling in front of his closed door. Once in her room, she threw herself on her bed and did some heavy blinking and rapid breathing to force back the tears.

  She hadn't closed her door quickly enough to keep all the bittyfluffs out, but she didn't even look to see where they were. Who cared?

  Once she felt calm enough, she took off her dress, washed, and then dressed again. She peered at herself in her makeup mirror. Ach. Red-rimmed eyes and swollen eyelids. She'd better avoid both Textron and Sparkle today. She'd probably haul off and sock Textron just for the joy of it if he asked her what had happened. And Sparkle would probably try to solve Blythe's problem by suggesting she join the Sex-toy-of-the-month club.

  As she walked down the tower steps, she tried to keep from tripping over the bittyfluffs. It would not bode well for her day if Ganymede found her broken body at the bottom of the stairs. But then, her day was already a bust. "Okay, guys. I'm going to take you outside so you can do your duty, then we'll see what we can scrounge up to feed you."

  The bittyfluffs chittered their joy at hearing her voice.

  "Oh, and let's try to keep a low profile. We have to avoid all servants. Hysterical servants are not a good thing. Hysterical servants might quit, and then who would cook our 'wondrous' meals?" She paused for thought. "You were introduced to Earth in 2295, so we probably don't want to meet up with a few of the guests who came from an earlier time. I know, I know. Your planet is very proud of your impact on the pet market. But these people?" She made
a dismissive gesture. "They wouldn't appreciate you for the national treasures you are."

  Once at the bottom of the steps, she slipped out to the courtyard. She was thankful that it was still so early. No one was up yet. Rubbing her arms to keep warm in the chill Scottish morning, she waited for the bittyfluffs to do their thing, then herded them back inside.

  "Okay, here's the day's itinerary. Listen up." The bittyfluffs watched her intently. "Feed you. Feed me. Avoid everyone we can. Wait for night. Feed you again. Wait for night. Potty break for all of us. Wait for night. Feed me again." She frowned. "Night should be here by then. Make up with Darach. Have hot sex with Darach. And no, you're not invited to that. Discuss possibility of a future together. Celebrate wildly if answer is yes. Slit throat if answer is no." She stared down at her wide-eyed admirers. "How's that sound to you?"

  The bittyfluffs chittered their happiness.

  "Yeah, sounds good to me, too."

  * * *

  Chapter Fourteen

  « ^ »

  "Baby-sitting, Mede?" Sparkle looked down disdainfully from her perch atop the fireplace mantel. "Blythe sure saw you coming."

  Ganymede stood beside the mantel, gazing across his room with a bemused expression. Furry pink bodies occupied every surface except the mantel. "Hey, she's a customer, and if you want to stay in business, you keep your customers happy. It's not like I'm stuck with them forever. Blythe said she'd get them on her way up to her room for the night." He turned to glance at the arrow slit. "It's almost dark now, so she should be here any minute."

  "Uh-huh. Sure." Sparkle knew she was cynical, but sometimes she thought she understood life and people a lot better than Mede. "The little pink guys do have a wow factor, though. I mean, Blythe told you they were her greatest fear, and Darach was able to make them real. That kind of talent blows me away." She glanced at Mede's sulky expression. "What's your greatest fear, Mede?"