Moontide

by Amanda V. Shane

  He shook his head slowly, his dark hair wet against his skin.

  “I could hold you forever,” he said but he set her down in front of him, keeping his hands on her waist.

  “Where are we?” She asked, looking around the cave.

  “The Isle of Gades. Welcome to my home, cara.”

  His voice sounded deeper in the confines of the cave and that vibrate-y thing it did to her was even more pronounced. With so many impossible things spinning through her mind, she needed one believable truth to put it all in focus. Right then all she could come up with was how badly she wanted him. All on their own, her hips canted back and his fingers lowered sinking into her flesh there. When she looked at him over her shoulder, he caught her mouth in a kiss and she leaned against him, her back to his front. His arms snaked around and held her to him. He grew hard behind her and she arched her lower back even more, wringing a growl from his throat. He squeezed her tighter right before he pulled his mouth away.

  “Shhh,” he said when she started to protest, giving her one last soft kiss on the lips. Then he took her hand and tugged her toward the entrance of the cave.

  “Come, I’ll show you the island.”

  He picked now to be a tease? She started to scowl but he was already pulling her behind him, leading her beyond the waterfall to a path that led down the side of it. Sunshine warmed her skin as soon as they stepped out from behind the water and Cindy halted as her eyes beheld the sight before her.

  “Wow,” she let out.

  It was beautiful, a tropical paradise that took her breath away. It put every landscape picture she’d ever seen to shame. This was the kind of place you’d have to dream to visit.

  The sun shone down on a crystal pool at the base of the waterfall where tropical plant life abounded. Huge, brightly colored flowers grew in bushes along the water’s edge and a silvery mist rose up to create a hazy rainbow. Ronan led her down the path around the water.

  “It’s amazing,” she murmured.

  “Yes,” Ronan said. “Poseidon created Atlantis to appeal to the senses as well as to house his powers.”

  “This is Atlantis?” Cindy asked. Was he serious? “It’s real?”

  He laughed at her reaction.

  “Very real,” he said.

  Freaking Atlantis – she couldn’t believe it! She could have stayed there all day in that one spot, marveling, but Ronan tugged her into motion again. She followed him under a canopy of trees and sat beside him when he pulled her down onto the soft grass there.

  “It’s safe to rest here,” he said. “Nothing undesirable ever enters this place.”

  “Thank god,” she said letting out a deep breath.

  He laughed again, then stretched out and rolled to his side facing her. He looked so good relaxed. Another shock wave raced through her body.

  “This island is only a fragment of what it once was, so I’ve been told,” he said. “Atlantis was a giant nation before the gods destroyed it.”

  The story was fascinating. Cindy wasn’t looking at the land though. Her eyes were entirely on him. Not only did he look good leaning back in the grass, but it was obvious that this was his place. Even though a god had created it, Ronan Garring was master of this island and that was so hot.

  She couldn’t hide her distraction and she could tell he knew. He grinned as his look changed from regal captain to handsome devil in the blink of an eye. It made her want to tackle him.

  “So what do you think cara?” He asked ambiguously.

  What did she think? She thought she’d like the taste of his skin on her tongue!

  His eyes twinkled and she swore he could read her mind.

  “Of the island,” he prodded.

  “Oh,” Cindy said shaking her head to clear it, “right, it’s incredible.”

  Her eyes wandered to his pecs, hard and bare where his shirt gaped open, then back up to his face. She cleared her throat.

  “I-is it like this all over, the whole place I mean?”

  Ronan shook his head, keeping his gaze on her.

  “No, it has many different terrains, many lovely spots, and many dangerous ones as well,” he reached up to stroke the side of her cheek. She got the feeling they weren’t just talking about the island. “This is one of my favorite places. I come here to be alone.”

  She swallowed.

  “I can see how this would make a nice little hide out.”

  The tight area buzzed with desire and it made every cell in Cindy’s body strain with anticipation, waiting for his touch. A bird called out, startling her as it flew overhead and she looked up. Without warning, Ronan pulled her to him, claiming her lips again. Her mouth met his eagerly, hungrily…finally!

  She’d been tense with waiting, had wanted him ever since they’d kissed in the cave behind the waterfall… and back in Miami on the beach, and in her hotel room, and at the lighthouse. She figured she was pretty much a powder keg of lust by now.

  Both of her hands pushed on his chest and a low sound came from deep within him. Then he lifted himself up and brought her underneath him all in one movement. Cindy shivered.

  He’d been throwing kinks in all of her best laid plans since the moment she’d first set eyes on him. She’d had no control over anything since he’d stalked out of that rock wall two nights ago, not even in her dreams.

  As they kissed, something warm and liquid flowed through her. His tongue plunged into the recesses of her mouth, bringing on a flood of need that made every part of her thrum with heightened sensitivity. The rough pads of his fingers caressed her neck then her chest and she shivered again.

  He pulled up just enough to focus on her face.

  “Are you cold, cara?”

  He didn’t wait for her answer before covering her body with his own then he seared her with another kiss that left her feeling anything but cold. In fact, everywhere they touched she burned. She drove her fingers into his hair and wriggled underneath him trying to get…what? More contact…less? She didn’t know but she needed something to quell the ache that was building inside of her.

  She pulled at the bottom of his shirt until it came free of his pants then drove her hands underneath to glide them over all the muscles of his back. They danced down to his rock hard ass and she pulled him against her. He answered her silent demand, pressing his hard staff against her softness.

  More skin. Clothing between them felt like torture. She brought her hands around to the front of his body, over his abs, pulling his shirt up as she went.

  Ronan broke their kiss and rose up onto his knees to straddle her thighs.

  “For never having done this before,” he said to her, his tone taunting, “you certainly are eager to have me unclothed.”

  “Mmhmm,” she said, not even feigning denial. She’d waited too long to feel this kind of desire to play coy now.

  He whisked his shirt up over his head and flung it to a destination unknown. He’d denied being a god but, looking up at his tanned torso, she was ready to worship at his altar, sing his praises…whatever. The man made all those Greek statues she’d seen in pictures look like a bunch of dweebs!

  She barely finished that irreverent thought before his hands were on her again, pulling her top off of her and sending it to keep his shirt company. Next, he pulled her jean shorts off of her hips and down her thighs, binding her legs. Then he leaned forward and nipped at the front of her lacy pink panties right directly over her sensitive little nub.

  “Ah,” she yelped.

  The sharp contact had been placed precisely where she wanted to feel him most and her body jerked but he had her pinned. Lips closed, he moved his head side to side, slowly skimming over her secret spot and abrading her tender flesh with the lace of her own underwear. She arched and moaned, trying to pry her legs apart.

  Finally, he slid her shorts the rest of the way off and threw them aside. He smiled his devil’s smile again then lowered himself on all fours and crawled up the length of her. She tensed, trying to an
ticipate what he would do next.

  His gaze captured hers and she held her breath. Then, leaning forward, he placed a kiss on the end of her nose.

  She let out a breath and Ronan chuckled, teasing her obviously amused him. He dipped his head down and kissed where her breasts spilled out of the top of her bra then his hand came up to knead her breast and she arched her back up. With a soft tug of his finger, the clasp in the middle popped open and the girls sprang free. He pulled in a deep breath through his nose.

  “You’re breathtaking,” he said to her chest, admiring her before he ducked his head to suck a rosy tip into his mouth. Cindy’s back left the ground as a white hot sensation shot from her nipple all the way down to her womb. Ronan brought one big hand underneath her, holding her up so that he could continue feasting on her.

  He administered to the other breast just as thoroughly, squeezing and suckling. She held his head to her body as wetness pooled between her legs, soaking her panties and dampening her thighs. Writhing underneath him, she angled for more contact, sure that if she could just get her hips to move enough against him, it would ease the incredible ache that was building inside of her.

  Ronan knew what she was about though. He kept her pinned to the ground with his much stronger hips and legs so she couldn’t gain enough play to grind herself against him, the way her body was demanding.

  She bucked and let out a testy cry. He just nipped her on the side of the neck.

  “Not yet, cara mine,” he said, his voice a hot husky whisper against her skin. Then he warned, “don’t try to rush ahead of me.”

  Cindy bit her lip, swallowing the sassy retort that she had on her tongue as he trailed a path of hot wet kisses down her rib cage and belly. She whimpered at his edict, sure that she’d die from the sweet torment he was inflicting on her. Who knew he’d be even bossier when he was making love?

  She was so ready for him she was sopping, but she was helpless to do anything except endure the path of fire he was creating down her midline. Ronan ran his tongue along the crevice of her navel, then dipped his head to lick her lower belly in a straight line from where her seam began up to just under her belly button. Cindy moaned, her frustration making him laugh all the more.

  “You’re killing me!” she said, certain it was true, that he really was a death-by-sex murderer.

  “Shhh,” was all he had to say for himself. Then his dark head moved lower and he nipped at the hollow of her hip making her buck. He lifted his head to gauge her reaction and a roguish glint lit his eyes. Cindy just let her head drop back into the ground and resigned herself to more of his torment. He gave a sinister laugh as she acquiesced then nipped at the other hip.

  Coming back down to her, he slid his hands over her skin until they cupped her bottom. Then he squeezed, lifting her hips up off the ground and leaning over to snap the waistband of her panties with his teeth. She nearly choked in surprise then a raspy breath escaped her as he lowered his mouth over her, covering her.

  “Oh, God,” she moaned.

  He grazed his bottom teeth over her lower lips in an upward motion, once again creating a rough friction through the delicate triangle of lace at the vee of her thighs.

  “Don’t confuse me with one of them, love,” he said.

  She agreed. He was most undeniably a man, spectacularly flesh and blood.

  Lifting himself up, he hooked his finger under the top of her panties then pulled, exposing her to the open air and his hungry gaze. He admired what he’d revealed for a moment then closed his mouth on her again and she was completely lost. There was nothing between them now. Ronan lapped at her, grazing her clit with the flat of his tongue before swirling around it until she thought she’d die. He held his mouth in place on her as he dragged her panties the rest of the way down her legs, discarding them with a flick of his wrist.

  “Oh please,” she begged, unable to say more.

  He kissed her throbbing skin then spread her legs with his hands, opening her. He consumed her, licking and sucking, bringing her desire to a fever pitch, then finally drawing on her hard until she couldn’t take any more. She came apart in his mouth, her hips shooting up off the ground as a ball of pleasure burst in her center. Every muscle in her body contracted as she rode out the waves of the orgasm he’d orchestrated then slowly drifted into a pool of delicious ecstasy.

  He lowered her bottom back down, still holding her in his mouth. Then he growled on her, effectively sending one last thrill of sensation through her throbbing flesh before he released her.

  “Devil,” Cindy gasped.

  “Quite possibly,” he admitted.

  Then he stood.

  Weakly, she raised herself up on her elbows. Still panting a little, she watched him unlace the front of his pants. Her tongue darted out over her lips. Next he pulled off his boots, then peeled the breeches off and threw them away. Holy Striptease! Take notes Channing. Finally he stood before her, completely and gloriously naked.

  Glassy-eyed, her gaze wandered up the lines of his legs, over his defined thighs then stopped and widened at the sight of his erection. It pressed up against his rock hard belly and her mouth went dry at the thought of how sizeable he was. She swallowed hard, unable to pull her eyes away. She’d never made it this far with another man before ─ not even close ─ and the sight before her was intimidating and arousing all at the same time. She could feel him watching her as she stared at him. Finally, she brought her eyes up to his.

  “Will I do cara?” he asked, knowing full well that he was a vision.

  She nodded.

  “I’ll say,” was the only reply she could dredge up.

  He laughed outright then and his stomach flexed, making his huge cock wave at her. But he sobered soon enough and was all business again. Like a panther, he padded towards her. Then, in a lunging motion, he brought his body down over hers, capturing her. He leaned into her, lowering her back down to the ground. Locked on hers, his eyes darkened with desire.

  “You’re certain?” He asked.

  Cindy blinked, not understanding for a second, as though he was speaking another language again. Then it dawned on her through the haze, that he was making sure that she really wanted to give herself to him ─ completely.

  “Yes,” she breathed, nodding eagerly.

  That was all the encouragement he needed. He crushed her mouth with his, no longer toying with her. Her body strained at the seams and, even though this was her first time, she was more than ready.

  She grabbed his shoulders and pulled him to her then drug her fingernails down his back, lightly scraping him. His hips thrust forward at this and he ground against her soft slick flesh. She moved underneath him, spreading her legs wide and bringing her knees up on either side of his hips, opening for him. He didn’t hesitate but pressed the head of himself to her entrance. Cindy reached down between their bodies and wrapped her hand around him.

  Ronan sucked in a breath and she smiled, pleased with herself for making him squirm a little for a change, but he didn’t let her gloat for long. He pushed himself just inside of her, his eyes on her face the whole time. She stilled and removed her hand as her body adjusted to the invasion and he waited until she let out the breath she was holding.

  “It’s better if I go quickly now,” he explained in a tight voice. She could tell he was holding back for her.

  At her nod, he surged into her.

  “Ahh,” she gasped in surprise at the pain as he pushed past her thin barrier.

  She stopped breathing as the sharp burning sensation of his entry reached its peak and then slowly ebbed. He held completely still, waiting. Finally she exhaled, her eyelids lowering as her body relaxed by degrees then an incredible warmth flooded her as she softened around him. He took her release of tension as a signal to start moving again. This time when he pushed inside of her she threw her head back at the exquisite feel. Ronan pulled back a small bit then started to glide forward again, stretching her further than before, until she was completel
y filled. Her body opened, accepting him in until all remnants of emptiness were gone.

  “Ronan.”

  She moaned his name like she was calling him.

  His head came down and his mouth closed on her bared throat as he started to drive into her with slow, rhythmic movements that wound her up all over again. Sliding her hands up and down his back as he moved, Cindy urged him deeper inside her. In an unspoken response, he quickened his pace, stroking in and out.

  When he pushed himself up on his hands and pulled his length back all the way, she knew she wouldn’t last any longer. Then he thrust into her one last time. His mouth broke away from hers and they both cried out as they climaxed together. His seed splashed the walls of her channel just as she broke apart into a million tiny pieces all over again. Finally, Ronan brought his torso down with a big exhale.

  They lay intertwined in the grass for a long time afterward, joined but not saying anything. Beyond the trees and bushes of their hiding spot, they could hear the steady rush of the waterfall. It was the perfect accompaniment to the rapid beatings of their hearts as they recovered. The rhythm of their bodies and the drone of the living paradise that surrounded them lulled them like a lullaby and, as the sun outside the hidden enclosure started to set, they slept.

  Chapter Twenty-five

  A crunching sound came from outside the bushes and Ronan rose up. He looked down at the woman sleeping beside him. Her cropped blonde curls were spread out against the grass, forming a halo around her head as a soft smile touched her lips. Her cheeks were pink from the shared warmth of their bodies and her skin glowed from the residual effects of their love making. She was beautiful, luminous, just like the first time he’d seen her.

  They’d slept through the night by the falls. Now sunlight fell like rain through the trees and Cindy stretched beneath him. He rolled with her in his arms until she was lying on top of him. She tucked her head under his chin instinctively, snuggling against his chest and trying not to wake.

  “Mmmm,” she murmured, her eyes still closed, “I was having the most wonderful dream about a forest and water and…” her eyes flew open.