by Tina Moss
“Because,” he said, taking her hand covered in strawberry juice to his mouth and licking each finger clean, “the anticipation is half the fun.”
FIVE
Rafe fed the flames of desire, moving from her fingers to plant a kiss on the inside of her wrist. Zoey’s soft moan ignited the fire deep within his gut. He’d wanted to take her right there, without any preamble, to rid him of this longing. It’d been his plan all along in this picnic surprise, but now he held back. The emotions surged inside of him, thrusting him past anything he’d felt before. The girl deserved romance and weeks of passion. He wanted to spend a day on her neck alone, another on her breasts, and yet another on the hot bud between her thighs. And still he feared it wouldn’t be enough to satiate his need.
“Try this,” he ceased his ministrations to uncork the wine bottle and fill a glass for her. As she swallowed the sweet nectar, he imagined her tasting guilty pleasures of another sort.
“What you do to me.” He hadn’t meant to say it aloud. Yet, the words ripened the air.
She put the glass aside. “It’s the same you’re doing to me.” Running a finger down his bare chest, she rose to her knees and whispered in his ear, “Why fight it?”
Why indeed? He had no reason to. This was the core of him. Desire, lust, and passion rolled into flesh. He took what he wanted, when he wanted, and from whom he wanted without apology. He wasn’t good or pure. His fall proved that, and besides which, he didn’t want to be. However, here, sitting beside Zoey, he desired something he never had before. He wanted to be more, better, hell maybe even decent…for her.
“I don’t understand this.” The truth and the most honest sentiment he’d spoken in his long life.
“Neither do I.” Her beautiful brown eyes searched his for the answer. She wouldn’t find one there.
“Then,” he began, swigging the wine without his usual decorum and tossing the bottle over his shoulder, “to hell with it.” He grabbed her hips and hauled her against his chest. “Let’s be lost together.”
***
Liquid fire rushed through her veins with every inch of her body that connected to his. Her breasts pressed into him and the tips ached for attention behind the cotton fabric. Her legs tickled as the skin rubbed along his denim-clad thighs. When the bulge in his jeans positioned exactly at the spot she needed it most, she dug her nails into his arms. “Yes!”
Rafe’s tongue trailed a wicked path from her neck to her breasts. She extended her arms skyward and he stopped long enough to tug her t-shirt over her head. His thumbs outlined the top of her bra, sending small electric shocks that went all the way to her core. Zoey moaned and smoothed her hands down his lithe back, delighting in the play of muscles under her palms. He pushed her bra down and his mouth found one tightened peak. As he licked and nipped at her, his hand cupped her neglected breast. Capturing her gaze, Rafe gently took the taut bud between his teeth and flicked his tongue over it. Zoey gasped and clung to him tighter.
When he halted his ministrations, Zoey barely had time to take a breath before he claimed her in a kiss of pure passion. She didn’t even notice his hand sliding down, past the shorts, to the heat of her, to the most intimate part that scorched with wetness and begged for release. Rafe gently laid her down and pried her knees apart with his. She lifted her hips to push his finger inside of her. His smile of approval inflamed her senses.
As he traced his way down her body, exploring what made her jump and moan, every spot he touched burned with sensual fire. When his tongue reached her sensitive bud, she screamed. His fingers moved at the same time as he tasted her, causing her thoughts to fracture.
Her chest rose and fell in shallow gasps. The demanding pressure of Rafe’s tongue increased, keeping in time with his fingers. Zoey let go and cried out. Her body bucked as she exploded in unadulterated ecstasy.
As she swam in a wave of blissful contentment, Rafe’s words somehow fed the flames again, “I want you to taste how amazing you are.”
He licked the edges of her lips until she opened her mouth to let him in. She tasted the sweetness that Rafe delighted in. Nothing in her life had been more erotic or made her feel more in awe of her feminine power.
After a moment, she broke their connection and pulled back so she could look at him. “I want you, Rafe. I want all of you. I want you inside me like I never wanted anything in the world.”
The desire overwhelmed her, terrifying and exciting at the same time in its potential.
Rafe was not smirking anymore. The playboy disguise fell away. Wonder and passion rolled off him as tangible as the salt air. He got to his knees and her hands flew to the waistband of his jeans. He pulled them off with impatience, flinging them half across the beach. Zoey took in the perfect maleness of him. She ran her hand along the silky hardness of him. This man, this fallen, needed to be hers.
“You’ll undo me with your touch.” A guttural groan escaped Rafe. “I’ve never felt so on the edge.” In one smooth swift movement, he took both her hands and pinned them above her head. “I want to lose myself, bury myself inside you.”
“Yes! Please!” Zoey didn’t recognize her own hoarse voice.
And then he was inside, his flesh stretching her ready and welcoming opening, filling her up to the deepest core.
She cried out again. “More!”
Rafe pulled out and plunged in again to the hilt. She wrapped her legs around his waist, trying to hold him to her. He drove her to near madness every time he withdrew and ignited her senses to new heights with each stroke. Gentleness disappeared, replaced by their driving mutual need. Sweet abandonment waited. They both rushed to meet it.
They reached the top at the same time and jumped together, the energy of their ecstasy entangling with the supernatural currents around them. Zoey couldn’t tell where it all ended and she began. And for the first time, the paranormal power didn’t frighten her, but enveloped her in a cocoon of bliss.
SIX
As Zoey rested beside Rafe and the calm evening breeze blew across their bodies, the connection to this fallen seared her soul. She knew it would remain ever engraved there, and the hidden words she’d buried so deep inside, started to spill forth. “I have a picture in my mind that haunts me sometimes.”
He rolled to his side and rose on his elbow, staring into her face. The intimacy they’d shared begged to be repeated, but instead he gave her the courage to open up in another way, “Go on.”
“The picture is of a girl and her grandmother. And it happens the same way every time.” She folded and unfolded her hands seeking the story she’d denied for so long. “The girl stands by a mansion of a house and helps her grandmother stretch while waiting for the driver to take her to school. When the huge town car pulls from the driveway, her grandmother hands her a dollar, and tells her, ‘Have a good day at school. I love you, honey.’ And off the girl goes.”
His long fingers curled through her hair, tugging lightly before drifting down her cheek. “The little girl is you.”
“Yes.” Her hand met his and held on. “My family wasn’t what you’d call the caring type, except for my grandmother. And when she died, I thought there was nothing worse that could possibly happen. Then, I met Cassie and she filled some of that loss.” A ghost of a grin played on her lips as she remembered the first time they’d met. “She was so sweet, and fragile in a way, I just wanted to protect her. I never had a sister and Cassie was it.”
“You were lucky to have a friend like that.” Rafe brought their joined hands to his chest and held fast.
“But, when she was in such terrible pain with all these things wrong, and no one could figure out what it was, I thought, ‘well, nothing could be worse’.” A shuttered breath ran through her and her stomach knotted as she prepared for the next admission. “Then, of course, I was kidnapped, taken away and…all that happened.”
The silence that followed penetrated her. She needed to know Rafe’s feelings. Heat filtered off him, and when she braved h
is glance, the steely anger in the depths of his eyes warmed her. No one had ever cared enough to feel such emotions on her behalf, not someone of the male equation anyway. She touched his face, her unspoken thank you.
***
The blaze beat at him, worse than any natural or manmade flames. He asked what had to be asked, although he knew the answer. He needed to hear the words from her. “Did they hurt you?”
“It could have been worse.”
Her bravery sliced at him. Her tender smile broke him. “Tell me.”
“Val wouldn’t let them…do things to me.” She shrugged as if it were of little consequence. “Just ruff me up mostly, beat me, and starve me.” Her pause said it all. “It could have been much worse.”
The rage turned to an inferno, firing every nerve ending hotter than hellfire. “I swear I’ll kill them all for it.”
“That’s…Thank you. But that still wasn’t the worst. It wasn’t the worst thing that’s ever happened.” Tears formed on her lashes. He’d give anything to wipe them away, but he stayed his hand, urging her to continue. “The worst thing that’s ever happened is not waking up from this nightmare, from always having them watching me, coming for me. I can’t escape it.”
“You’re safe here.” He drew her into his embrace, keeping her close, wanting her there.
“For a while,” she sniffed, “but how long?”
“As long as you want.” His touch slid down her back, desperate to comfort her. “Nothing else matters anymore.” And it was true. This woman had crept under his skin, danced around his heart, and taken up residence in his soul. To hell with the world, it was her happiness that mattered.
She laughed and swiped at the dampness on her cheeks. “You know, the things they say about you, maybe they’re not all true.”
He caressed her face, helping her dry the remaining moisture. “Oh no, doll, they’re ALL true.”
“Then, why are you doing this?” Her head cocked to the side, her eyes searching his for understanding. “Why are you being so nice to me? It can’t just be about my power or hot sex. We’ve had the latter—”
“And I hope to again very soon.”
She continued unabashed, “And you could’ve had the former when we first met. There are other ways to get what you want.”
“I know there are other ways.” He scowled, thinking of how the demons would attempt such other methods. “And you’re right. I do want your power. Whatever it is, whatever you have inside of you, I want it.” He gritted his teeth, knowing it to still be the case. Yet, his desire had grown into something more valuable, something real. “But, it’s more than that. It’s become more than that.”
“What?” She looked genuinely puzzled.
In a way, he was too. How could it all happen so fast? Yet, there it was, deep in his soul, the undeniable truth. He would fight for her, kill for her, and perhaps even die for her. The woman he’d known for so short a time; for this human with power beyond her understanding, he would become more, better. Dare say it, angelic.
Nah, maybe not that far. He smiled as she stared at him. “I won’t promise you the world, Zoey, but know this,” he kissed her hard and fast, so she couldn’t catch her breath, and then pulled back, “you’re mine now and no one, demon or otherwise, will hurt you ever again. When we leave here, we leave together.”
Her slow exhale put him on edge until she dove at him, planted the same kiss he’d given her, and said, “Okay, Rafe. Then here’s to one helluva ride.”
Dear Reader,
Thank you for reading! Buy the prequel novel, Book 1, featuring Cassie and Gabe, in a steamy urban fantasy: A TOUCH OF DARKNESS!
he next book in the Key series, A KISS OF SHADOWS, will be available in 2016! Pre-order now at: City Owl Press. Until then, catch the included special excerpt.
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A TOUCH OF DARKNESS
Discover the origins of the Key, Cassie, and the beginning of Zoey’s unique abilities with the first book in the Key series: A TOUCH OF DARKNESS. Buy now and read an excerpt below.
Blurb
Cassie Durrett dreams of the darkness. And lives the nightmare. She's working for a tightwad boss at a pretentious NYC diner, dealing with paralyzing pain that doctors can’t diagnose, and trying to hide her hands that glow purple whenever she ...well, whenever.
So, when mystery man, Gabe, walks out of her dreams and into her life to spout some nonsense about her being a mythical creature, she chalks it up to one more crazy thing to add to her it’s-a-crappy-life list. Yet, when his predictions start to come true, she'll need his help to beat back the darkness-spawned creatures invading her reality.
Pretty soon Gabe has her running half way across the country in search of answers. As a bond grows between them, Cassie worries not about losing her mind to the paranormal madness, nor her life to hellish monsters. Rather her deepest fear is surrendering her heart to a powerful man fallen from grace.
Awards
FIRST PLACE in 2014 Readers' Crown Award for urban fantasy.
FIRST PLACE in Central Florida RWA's Touch of Magic contest for paranormal romance.
Excerpt: Chapter One
The primal scream died in his throat, a foreign sound he couldn’t set free. The surrounding quiet enfolded him, thick as oil. Air hissed through his gritted teeth as he struggled for control.
He knelt at the edge of a dark lake, watching his muscles contract beneath smooth skin. With a shaking hand, he reached back to touch the empty space by his shoulder blades. He grunted at the contact, an alien noise in the absolute silence of the night.
City lights shimmered in the distance, the sole signs of life. No creature stirred in this desolate place. It was as if humans and animals alike felt the dangerous current in the air and chose to stay away. Only the full moon reflected in the water, an indifferent observer to his torment.
As his thoughts unraveled, he caught his image through the water’s ripples and stilled. The face staring back at him, usually so stoic, now contorted in agony. His eyes held wildness, framed by a mess of disheveled black hair and topped by a forehead damp with perspiration. Nothing remained of the control, of the precious order that had been the pinnacle of his existence.
The light autumn breeze cooled his naked body but offered little relief. His blood burned from the inside out. The scorching fire threatened to consume him. Every inch of his skin, from the tips of his nails to the ends of his hair, buzzed with soft electric blue energy.
He reached back once more and ran his fingers along the ridge of a burn scar, first on the right side and then on the left. A jumble of images flashed through his mind in chaos. Pain. Pain was everything to him now, his lone reality. He had nothing more to hold him to the ground.
The scream returned, ripping past his lips and into the night. He had arrived.
***
“What you want to know, niña? You have questions about your love life? Your career?” The woman’s thick Spanish accent caressed each word. Her dark eyes bore into Cassie as her hands shuffled a colorful pack of Tarot cards. Swift fingers travelled over the tops, never losing their place, like a Las Vegas dealer.
Cassie glanced over her shoulder at the tall woman behind her. Her best friend, Zoey, had been the one to find this psychic
and insist on the visit.
“You sure about this?” Cassie mumbled under her breath.
Zoey nodded, twisting a strand of her golden curls around a slender finger.
Lord, save me. Cassie faced the psychic, plastered on a straight face and adapted a business like tone. “Well, actually I was hoping you could tell me about all the weird stuff. You see… I’m a total freak.” She said it without any reserve whatsoever. The paralyzing headaches, the shadows emerging from nothing, the purple energy consuming her life, all of it warranted the freak label. Now, this strange vision to top it off. She sighed, eyeing the room. Crystal skulls, long tapered candles, and navy colored drapes with stars filled the space.
I do belong here.
“Weird? Freak?” Luna stopped shuffling her Tarot deck in the middle. She plopped the cards on the table and inclined her head to one side.
Cassie would have laughed at the thought if the situation weren’t already so strange. Instead, she rested her elbows on the table and let her head fall into her hands.
“Where to begin?” She tapped her fingers, enjoying the swishing noise they made against the velvet. “How about my hands? I get flares of purple energy around them. Want to take a stab at explaining it?”
Luna’s grin faltered for a split second, then snapped back into place. She put her hands palm up on the rich cloth. “Lemme see your hands, niña.” She leaned forward. “Don’t be afraid.”
Cassie complied without protest, allowing her hands to fall into the older woman’s warm moist palms. Luna closed her eyes and mumbled something in Spanish. Cassie took the opportunity to give Zoey a well-deserved eye roll. Her friend slapped the chair’s back and pouted her bottom lip, a small line furrowing her brow. Cassie resisted the urge to stick out her tongue.
As the minutes ticked by with Luna studying her hands and mumbling as if in a trance, Cassie observed the psychic in more detail. The modest wrinkles in her forehead and dyed auburn hair could have placed her anywhere between forty and fifty. Her sharp nose and beady eyes against a round face gave her a wild off putting look. Couple it with her black gypsy style skirt, flowery peasant top and red headscarf and she had the whole psychic image packaged just right.