Vision of Darkness (D.I.E. Squadron Book 1)

by Tonya Burrows

  “Alex?”

  He froze for an instant before sending another rock into a wave. “Are you sure you want to be out here with me?”

  “I’m sure. You wouldn’t hurt me.”

  “I just pummeled my best friend.”

  “That wasn’t you.”

  He scoffed and threw another rock, then turned toward her, his face a solemn mask. Nick had gotten in at least one good blow. The side of his jaw was starting to bruise. “What, you think I was possessed?”

  “Something like that. It wasn’t you,” she insisted and draped the blanket over his shoulders. “I don’t know what it was, but it wasn’t you. You wouldn’t hurt me.”

  She reached for him, but he shrugged off the embrace and faced the cliff. His eyes scanned the rocky crag, the dark tree line overhead, the strip of narrow beach.

  “It all looks so familiar,” he said.

  Familiar.

  Goosebumps prickled along her spine. “Of course it does. You’ve been here for a while now. You can see the beach out your window.”

  “No, it’s—never mind.” He stared up at the lighthouse and watched its beam twist around as it had for over a hundred and sixty years. “I keep picturing a woman standing on this beach, waiting for me. She’s like a mirage. Every time I try to recall her image, all I can see is the outline of her hair and dress.”

  So much uncertainty in his voice. Confusion, pain, sorrow. Pru wanted to make it all fade for him, chase his demons off the same way he did hers. She stepped forward and circled her arms around his waist.

  He opened his eyes and met her gaze. “I’m so sorry.”

  “It wasn’t you, Alex.”

  He gathered her up in his arms, cocooning them inside the blanket, and brushed his lips over hers. The thrill shot straight through her core. She opened her mouth in acceptance, but this time wasn’t like the intense, plundering kisses she’d experienced before with him. The sweet, slow, drugging kiss melted her resistance and sparked a burn low in her belly.

  Alex rested his forehead against hers. “I…need you tonight, Pru.”

  She bit down on her lower lip and tasted his kiss again. Alex was a man who didn’t need anyone. She knew it, had known it from the first time she laid eyes on him. And yet his gaze, those solemn gray eyes, verged on desperation. He did need her, even if it was only for one night.

  She nodded and pressed her body to his, breasts to chest, hips to hips. “All right.”

  ***

  Alex had expected her to turn him down and braced for it, steeled his heart against the hurt of rejection. It took a long moment before he realized she hadn’t.

  The flood of relief was as potent as a shot of hundred-proof liquor, only sweeter. He banded his arms around her, crushing her against his chest, feeling her heart thundering just as hard as his own.

  “Pru.” Her name came out somewhere between a moan and a prayer.

  She lifted her head and a lovely pink blush colored her cheeks. “We can’t go up to the house. Miranda and Nick …”

  “We’ll go to our spot.” He wanted to scoop her up into his arms and whisk her away, but thought better of trying to carry her over the slippery rocks. Falling on his ass would kill the moment. He draped the blanket over her, gave her a quick kiss, and entwined their fingers.

  Pru laughed and let him drag her further up the beach, out of sight of the lighthouse. “We have a spot?”

  Did they? He knew right where he wanted to take her, pictured it in his mind. Maybe he’d seen it from his window. Or his dreams. “We will.”

  The rocks got larger and flattened out. He climbed atop one outcropping and reached down to help her up. Her body scraped along the length of his as he lifted her.

  “I want you,” she whispered, lips inches from his mouth. “But we can’t do this out here. We’ll freeze to death.”

  Alex drew the blanket tighter around her, gave her nose a light peck. “I’ll build a fire. It’s not much farther.” He felt it, almost like a tether yanking him toward the spot where the rocks formed into a natural lean-to. “Here we are.”

  Pru gasped as he helped her under the overhang. “How’d you know this was here?”

  “I just … did. Watch your head.”

  She sat down and watched him root around for some dry pieces of driftwood.

  Alex wanted to say something witty to ease the tension. Nothing came to mind, so he set up a teepee, stuffing dry leaves and smaller branches underneath for kindling, and struck a flame with the magnesium fire starter he always carried on a keychain next to his multi-tool. He sat down beside her and waited, suddenly unsure of himself. He’d never waited for a woman before in his life. Never had to. Never wanted to.

  Until now. He wanted to do this right.

  The fire blasted his face and arms and the rock wall behind them acted like a mirror, reflecting the heat. Soon the crevasse was warm, even cozy, and Pru let the blanket drop off her shoulders. She looped her arms around his waist and gave him a squeeze.

  “This is nicer than I expected.”

  “Not really what I had in mind for the first time,” he admitted and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “But we won’t be interrupted out here.”

  She scooted closer and lifted her face up in invitation. He took it, giving her lower lip a little nibble before indulging in a soft, slow kiss.

  Threading his fingers through her hair, he angled her head, deepening the kiss, breaking contact only to pull her shirt off over her head. Her nipples peaked in the chill of the air, poking through the simple cotton of her bra. He broke the kiss again to free her breasts and taste one of those peaks, circling the pale peach bud with his tongue. Her chest rose and fell with a soft moan, her hands tugging his shirt up his back. He ducked to kiss her belly and let her pull it off over his head. Whether the beading of his own nipples was from the cold or from her lips caressing his bare skin, he didn’t know. Heat coalesced along his spine, settling into his lower back, his erection straining to break free of his jeans. When her fingers fluttered over the bulge and pressed, it was all he could do not to come in his boxers.

  Pru let out a soft giggle and kissed his ear as he scooped her up, splayed the blanket on the ground underneath them as best he could one-handed, then laid her back and worked her pants down. Cotton panties as plain as her bra came next, and he pushed her knees apart, exposing her flower, the puffy pink petals dewy from her desire.

  “Gorgeous.” He dragged a finger along her slit and loved the shudder that jiggled her breasts and made her mouth open in a small O. “Ah, babe. Every last inch of you, gorgeous.”

  He met her wide eyes, lifted his finger to his mouth to sample her taste, and watched a flush dapple the skin of her breasts and neck. Was it embarrassment or arousal? He wanted to taste more of her sweetness, all but craved it, but didn’t want to push her into something she found uncomfortable. He so looked forward to learning her likes and dislikes, to finding all her sweet spots, to discovering all sorts of sensual experiences together. Plenty of time for that later. Tonight, he’d take it easy, take her slow.

  Alex dropped a kiss to the silky hair of her mound then worked his way up her stomach, loving the softness, the give of her tender flesh under his lips. No hard planes, sharp angles, or ropes of muscle. So feminine, the antithesis of his own body, and he worshiped the differences with his mouth and hands. As he moved over her navel, dipping his tongue inside before continuing north, her body bowed upward. She caught the ridge of his erection between her thighs and squeezed. Air exploded out of his lungs.

  “Babe—”

  “What? You’re the only one who’s allowed to play?” She squeezed him again, then worked her hand down between their bodies to unsnap his fly. Using her feet, she pushed the jeans down his legs, each wiggle rubbing her hot sex against his stomach.

  When she stroked a finger over the creamy tear seeping from the head of his dick, then raised that finger to her mouth, her tongue snaking out to lick the bead away, he
groaned. The move reminded him of their first encounter in the diner, when she licked the tip of her pen. No doubt about it now—she’d done it on purpose to make him hard. Whodda thunk it? The friendly waitress was actually a closet sex kitten.

  Pru wiggled down his body, brushing her parted lips over his tip, then taking him into her mouth, enveloping his shaft all the way to his balls. He gripped her shoulder, had to brace his other hand flat on the rock underneath them to keep from collapsing in pure bliss. His hips surged into her mouth, so tight and soft he imagined it was her body and a spasm worked through his muscles.

  With long, hard pulls of her sweet, hot mouth, she drove him almost to the edge of madness. Just when he thought he couldn’t take another second, she shimmied underneath him, kissing her way up his body to his mouth.

  “I need you inside me, Alex. Now. Please.”

  Like he was going to say no. He was so hard his dick wept in exquisite pain, and the only way to ease the ache was to cocoon himself in her softness. He kicked his jeans off his ankles, and stretched out over top her. Soft thighs parted and cushioned his hips. His head prodded her opening, found her soaked in honey, and slid inside. She lifted her hips to hurry his slow advance, taking every last inch of him with a hard thrust and a moan of pure female satisfaction.

  Alex let out a groan at the feeling and dropped his weight to his elbows as his arms quivered. Oh God, she was even better than he imagined. She fit him like a tight, hot, silk glove and his first impulse was to plow into her, hard, fast, deep, and come so hard he saw stars. Fill the empty space inside her with his seed. Brand her as his. But, no, he had to be gentle. This was Pru, not another slam, bam, thank you ma’am. So much more emotion bubbled behind the sex, feelings he couldn’t begin to articulate into words. Feelings he’d show her with his body.

  Gently, he slid an arm around her waist and sat up so that she straddled his lap. She made a humming sound in her throat and clenched his shoulders as gravity did its work and impaled her on his full length.

  And, like that, she shattered. He felt every rolling wave of the orgasm as her muscles tightened and relaxed, and he had to grit his teeth to keep from coming while the spasms of her body milked his. Nose to nose, he watched her every facial expression. Her eyes squeezed shut, her teeth sunk deep into her trembling lower lip. Yeah, he liked that expression.

  As she shuddered with the aftermath, Alex moved just a little, pressing up into her. So hot, she made sweat pop out on his skin. So wet, her lube dripped onto his thighs. Oh, yeah, he really liked that.

  Alex pumped his hips, surging deeper, bringing about another round of shudders. Her lips parted and her head dropped back to show the smooth, white curve of her neck. Leaning over, he tasted the indent at her collar and felt her throat vibrate with every sound she made. Her hands linked around his head and guided his mouth to her breasts as she took over his slow, seductive rhythm. He obliged her happily, sucking each nipple to a point before blowing his hot breath over them.

  “Alex.”

  Breath ragged, he looked up into searing blue eyes. Her body clenched around his shaft every time she came down and his hands tingled as they massaged her breasts. Close to the point of no return, he knew, but didn’t want it to end yet. Not yet. It was too good. Too … damn … good.

  “Wait.” He clamped his hands around her hips to still her movements. Drew a breath, then another, and tried to think of anything but her for a moment to calm down. Hard to do when she laughed and sent pulses straight down his cock into his balls.

  “Alex, let go.” Her body clasped around him, dragging a strangled sound from his throat. He again stilled her hips.

  “God, you’re killing me, baby. You gotta give me a minute or I’m gonna lose control.”

  “I want you to lose control. Gentle is nice, but it isn’t your style. I want you.” Her hands cupped his face and she leaned down to feather her lips over his. The movement pressed him deeper into her core. “All that bottled up pain and anger I saw in your eyes after the séance—that’s you. I want you to let it go.”

  A lump rose up out of nowhere and lodged in his throat. His heart felt like it was breaking and tears burned behind his eyes. He blinked them back, buried his face against her shoulder.

  Oh, baby, I’ve missed you.

  Wait. That was stupid. How could he miss her? This was their first time together. He shook off the irrational thought and inhaled her vanilla and strawberry scent.

  “Are you sure?” he asked.

  “Let it go, Alex.”

  He needed no more encouragement. Without leaving her, he shifted so that she lay on her back on the blanket. She giggled, but the sound soon morphed into gasps then choked off shrieks as he surged and retreated, building up a hard, fast rhythm. Higher thought shut down, giving way to the animalistic instinct to mate, but the small part of his brain still functioning appreciated the sounds and craved more. Her legs curled up around his ribs and he hooked them over his shoulders, scooped his hands under her hips and raised her to meet his every thrust.

  The fire cracked and snapped, accompanied by the carnal beat of slick flesh against flesh. He pushed her higher and higher, took her to the precipice, but wouldn’t let her go over. Not yet. He wanted—needed more of her. He’d missed her so much, all these years … he thought he’d lost her, only to find her again like this, in this place.

  I love you.

  She gasped his name, her fingers digging into the muscle of his shoulders. A second before he exploded, he felt her shatter too.

  CHAPTER 22

  Alex collapsed and buried his face in the silk of her hair, brain still a little hazy, working on processing the primitive need to fill the empty space within Pru back into civilized, coherent thought. Difficult transition. Coated in sweat, every inch of his skin felt on fire and every nerve ending tingled. His bad knee ached but, basking in the afterglow of not just one, but two rounds of mind-bending sex, he hardly noticed.

  His primal brain considered a round three and he took a second to visualize all the positions they had yet to try. She was a wonderfully flexible woman.

  Hah. Nice fantasy, but when he shifted to lift his weight off her, his muscles protested the movement. His bones had melted to the consistency of gelatin.

  “Ah, God,” he muttered. “I don’t think I’ll be able to move again for days.”

  “Well, I hope so.” Tugging on his ear, she grinned and pulled his mouth over to hers. “You don’t think I’m through with you yet, do you?”

  Flexible and insatiable. He’d hit paydirt.

  Alex caught her lower lip between his teeth. “I hope not. But I do think I’m gonna need an intermission.”

  “That’s too bad. I have plans for you.” With amazing agility, she had him on his back and was straddling his stomach, her nipples puckered against the cold air. Eyes closed, she dragged her hands up and down his chest, tracing the lines of his body as if savoring the feel.

  He shivered. “Jesus, your hands are freezing. Let’s get under the blanket.”

  “It’s okay.” She pushed him back as he tried to sit up, and rubbed herself against his stomach. Wet, ready, and willing. Her hand drifted down to cup his balls and he sucked a surprised breath through his teeth. He didn’t know how it was possible so soon after the second time, but he was already hard again, wanting her even worse than before.

  Relaxing, he let his own eyes drift shut and enjoyed the massaging caress of her body against his. “God, baby, you feel so good.”

  “Mm, so do you.” Her fingers walked up his chest, traced his collarbone. “So why did you leave me?”

  “Leave you?” He clamped his hands around her hips to still her. Her skin was ice and the first fissure of reality cracked his lusty daze, the first inkling that something was not quite right. He stared up in bewilderment, but she kept her eyes shut tight.

  Not right! his inner cynic shouted. Not Pru!

  Alex glanced around as panic bubbled. The ragged, sea swept landsca
pe looked the same and yet … somehow … it twisted grotesquely out of focus.

  “Wait. Pru, stop. Look at me. Wh—” Her hand curled around his neck, squeezed hard, and cut off his breath. “Pru—”

  He tore at her fingers but they cut into his flesh. Choking him. Crushing him.

  Her lids opened and if he had any air in his burning lungs, he would have screamed. Empty sockets gaped at him, nothing but dark, soulless pits where she should have eyes. She grinned and the skin around her soft mouth split, peeled back, and disintegrated, leaving glossy white bone.

  “Do I look like Pru?”

  Laughter echoed. Alex bucked and twisted, tried to wiggle away from the demonic thing straddling him. It let go of his throat and he scrambled backward crab-like, gasping in giant gulps of air.

  “Alex!”

  A pale hand touched his face. The scream that had lodged in his throat during the dream came out a dry croak.

  “Alex.” Pru framed his face in her hands and held him still. “Breathe! You’re okay. You had a nightmare.”

  In the back of his mind, he knew she was telling the truth, but God, it didn’t feel like a dream, not like the others. It was different. For a moment, it had been real.

  “It was a nightmare,” she whispered, stroking his face.

  “Yeah. A nightmare. Hell.” He pulled her into his arms and held her close, touching her all over to make sure she was the real Pru and not another grotesque figure of his imagination. Warm and supple, she melted in his arms and returned his affections with enthusiasm that was not in any way strange. He felt everything from the flutter of her lips against his skin to the power of the climax he drove her to with his hand, and contented himself that he was indeed awake again.

  What was wrong with him? He’d always had disturbing dreams, as far back as he could remember, but never anything like the ones he’d been having lately.