Mesmerized

by Sahara Kelly

  She turned to face him, her breath catching in her throat. His gorgeous hazel eyes were full of such love and happiness, it almost hurt to look in them. He made the first move, lifting his hand and smoothing a strand of hair from her face. His fingertips just barely brushed her cheek before he lowered his hand back to his side, but her knees grew weak at the small contact. His voice was soft as he spoke. “Do you have any idea how happy I am for you? You did it, baby.”

  Elaine kept her gaze locked on his. “No. We did it. Together. I couldn’t have done it without you.” She swallowed deeply, completely opening her heart to him once more, hoping he still felt the same. “I don’t want to be without you anymore. I never want to be without you again.”

  He smiled. “Thank God I’m not your boss anymore. Working with you was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done.” Elaine’s heart jumped anxiously and she opened her mouth to ask him what he meant, when he continued. “We’ll be on separate floors, doing separate things. When I’m with you, I don’t want to work. I can’t think about work. All I can think about is getting you naked. This week has been hell, baby. You were everywhere for me.” He took her hand in his, his fingers teasing across her wrist. There was that look in his eyes again. The one that conjured images of a hotel room and passion beyond her wildest dreams. The one where she swore he wanted to kiss her.

  “And now?”

  “Now Greenlight is in your capable hands where it belongs.” Mark’s grin widened. “And my work productivity should increase because I won’t be staring at you all the time.”

  Elaine wrapped her arms around him, pressing her face against his chest. His arms circled her and she sighed. This was what she’d needed—to be back in Mark’s arms again. “I don’t think your productivity will increase right away.”

  His hands ran through her hair and down her body. “What do you mean?”

  She pulled her face away from his chest and met his hungry stare. “We’ve got a week’s worth of time to make up for. I doubt we’ll be getting much sleep for awhile.”

  “I don’t need sleep.”

  “Me either.”

  Mark’s lips crashed down on hers, taking her breath away. Their tongues mated, all the desperation and loneliness from the last week disappearing in the frantic need to take everything the other was willing to give.

  How had she ever thought she could live without this man? Why had she thought one weekend with him would be enough? He filled her soul, her heart, completed her in ways nothing else ever could.

  Mark’s hands swept down her body, grabbing her ass, lifting her until she was grinding against his engorged cock. His lips broke from hers and he growled, “Elaine, I need you now. I can’t wait.”

  Elaine shot a quick glance at the closed door. Mark answered her unasked question. “It’s locked. I asked Briana to lock it when she left.”

  “What?” Elaine’s eyes widened. “What reason did you give her?”

  Mark grinned. “I told her we had to discuss the future and couldn’t be interrupted.”

  Elaine laughed. “Oh…you’re good.”

  She took a step away from him and his eyes narrowed. “Where do you think you’re going, Elaine?”

  Elaine reached behind her, unzipped her skirt, lowering it plus her nylons and panties to the floor. “Laying down my terms for our future.” Her fingers seemed to fly over the buttons of her blouse until it, too, joined her other clothing on the floor. She decided to keep her creamy lace bra on. If the look in Mark’s eyes was anything to go by, it wouldn’t last long.

  “I like your terms, but I have a few of my own.” Mark approached her, a wicked gleam in his eyes.

  A wanton thrill rocketed through her body and Elaine retreated from Mark’s approach until her ass bumped against the oak table. Her voice was low and husky as she spoke. “And just what would your terms be?”

  Mark moved forward until he had her pinned against the cool, polished wood of the oak table, his fingertips hot flames against her hips. He lifted her, setting her on the very edge of the table. “I want you. All the time, everywhere, I want you. Say you’ll be mine forever, live with me, marry me. Those are my terms.”

  Elaine lifted her face and met the eyes of the man she loved more than anything. “Yes.”

  Mark grinned, lowering his mouth to hers. “Thank God.” This time the kiss was sweeter, gentler.

  The start of forever.

  Elaine kissed him back, her hands making quick work of Mark’s pants and briefs. His cock was velvet steel in her hand. She stroked him, marveling in his strength, his size. It had only been one week since she’d been with him, but her body ached from missing him. She angled her hips, ready for his entrance. Pulling her lips from his, she whispered, “Now, Mark. I need you now.”

  With deliberate intent, the man she loved slowly thrust inside her, filling her the way only he could. Elaine cried out as she wrapped her legs around his hips, fitting him tightly to her. They moved together, finding their matching rhythm.

  Mark nuzzled her neck. “Oh, baby, I’ve missed you. I don’t think I can last long.”

  Elaine moaned, already at the edge. “Mark, that’s where you’re wrong. This will last forever.”

  The sounds of moans and sighs filled the boardroom well into the night.

  Epilogue

  Six months later

  Bill Brentwood’s voice filled the Starlight lounge with his enthusiasm as the show began.

  Elaine smiled up at Mark. “You just couldn’t stay away, could you?” She settled herself into their booth in the back corner. “I’m not going on stage this time though. We both know what happens when we’re hypnotized.”

  Mark grinned. “And this is a problem, why?”

  “Because I don’t want us to get arrested for having sex on stage.” Elaine laughed at Mark’s disappointed expression. “You know the possibility is there. We couldn’t keep our hands off each other last time, and we don’t have the same inhibitions anymore.”

  Mark sighed dramatically, but his eyes sparked mischief. “You’ve got a point. Although hearing that a Vice-President of AdLive and the Vice-President of its overwhelmingly successful subsidiary company, Greenlight, were arrested in Las Vegas during their honeymoon for fornicating onstage could be interesting advertising.”

  Elaine smirked. “Probably not the type of advertising we’re looking for.”

  Mark placed his hand on the bare skin of her thigh below where the hem of her skirt fell. “Yes, Madam Vice-President.”

  Elaine cuddled against her husband’s shoulder and watched the antics on stage. She couldn’t help but smile at the memories the show brought back. Although hypnotism hadn’t technically brought them together, it had sure eased the way for their relationship to begin. Which is why they’d decided to stop in Las Vegas for one night of their honeymoon before they continued on for a two-week stay in Europe.

  Elaine stared at the ring that had been placed on her finger only yesterday. Mrs. Elaine Ranzetti, Vice-President of Greenlight. She couldn’t imagine a much better title to go by.

  They’d gotten married in a small ceremony in Napa Valley at his parents’ vineyard. At the heart of the property, hundred-year-old rose vines bloomed up through the gazebo and around the picket fence, filling the air with their sweet perfume. The giant Victorian house his parents were having restored made the perfect backdrop for their wedding photos.

  Her parents had flown in from Boston a week before the wedding to help with the final arrangements. Everything turned out perfectly. Jen had agreed to be her Matron of Honor, and Bryan stood in as one of the groomsmen. Mark’s sister, Lindsey, made a beautiful bridesmaid, and his niece, Chelsea, an adorable flower girl.

  Elaine had fallen in love with the two of them instantly. Lindsey was a gorgeous blue-eyed blonde, a spunky reporter who covered the music and club scene in San Francisco. Chelsea was a precocious seven-year-old who looked nothing like her mother. Dark brown hair with matching deep brown eyes rin
ged with long black lashes, apparently a dead ringer for the absentee father. Both of them instantly accepted her into their family.

  Mark and Elaine even invited Larry, Jack and Tom. But Tom hadn’t been able to make it. He’d gone back to school after he’d left Greenlight, and was working on a degree in Anthropology. It was exactly the fresh start he needed.

  Larry and Jack had surprisingly come and seemed to enjoy themselves…as much as they ever did at least. Larry had even given her a small hug, and then proceeded to tell her that he’d be waiting if Mark ever screwed up.

  Thank God Mark would never screw up. The love she felt for him had only continued to grow, completing her in ways she’d never thought possible. He kept her happy, smiling and sated, and she couldn’t imagine a life without him in it.

  The sound of Bill’s voice brought her out of her thoughts. “We’re gonna sleep together tonight right here on stage.”

  Mark slid his hand even higher up Elaine’s inner thigh. He nuzzled her neck before whispering into her ear, “Sleep together, huh?”

  Elaine smiled, remembering their first night together just as he was. “And just what exactly should we do with our sleepless night ahead of us?” she asked, then answered by spreading her legs a little wider to give Mark better access. Thank God the lights had dimmed over the audience when the show had started.

  He slid his hand under her skirt, letting out a sharp exhale when he discovered her surprise—no panties. His fingers stroked the bare flesh of her pussy, already wet with arousal. “I’m going to fuck my new wife all night long, that’s what I’m going to do.”

  “That sounds like a plan I can get on top of,” Elaine said through her quiet moans.

  “Sweetheart, you will be on top, and underneath, and against the wall…” Mark delved between her folds, slowly thrusting one finger inside her cunt. He fucked her with his finger, pressing the spot that always made her squirm. The walls of her channel spasmed, tightening around his finger. He added a second finger to his thrusting.

  Elaine bit her lip to keep from crying out. Her orgasm wracked her body with silent shudders.

  Mark kissed her lingeringly as he removed his fingers from her pussy. “I love you, Elaine.”

  “I love you, Mark. And, you know, I remember how this show ends. So can we just skip the hypnotism and go straight to the fucking?”

  Without a word, Mark swiftly helped her out of the booth. In a rush they left the lounge, Elaine prepared with keycard in hand.

  About the author:

  Sometimes two people meet, become good friends, and share a lot in common. When you're really lucky, you meet someone who understands you, who thinks like you, who can finish your sentences for you, and together the both of you can create whole new worlds.

  Ashleigh Raine is the pen name for two best friends, Jennifer and Lisa, who share a passion for strong alpha males that succumb to the women they fall in love with. These two met in junior high where they were band geeks (but they swear they really were cool…they were percussionists after all!) Yet love of the arts didn't end with band. By high school, the two had a small following of fans for their stories and the characters they created…characters that would become the inspiration for their Talisman Bay series. They want to thank those fans for their continued support and interest. They couldn't have done it without them!

  Both Lisa and Jennifer are married to their soul mates, who are their best support and inspiration. As Ashleigh Raine, this duo has many stories to tell, as their collective mind never stops creating fantasies that must be written down. They write larger than life stories, with adventures, hot sex, peril, hot sex, mystery, and more hot sex…but most assuredly they have a happy ending, usually with hot sex. Watch for many titles coming soon from this duo who are glad to have found their niche in writing erotic romances.

  Ashleigh Raine welcomes mail from readers. You can write to her c/o Ellora’s Cave Publishing at P.O. Box 787, Hudson, Ohio 44236-0787.

  Also by Ashleigh Raine:

  Love In Pictures 1: Acting On Impulse

  Talisman Bay 1: Lover’s Talisman

  True Lies

  By Jaci Burton

  Dedication

  To my wonderful editor, Briana St. James, who believed in my ability to write a futuristic. I will never be able to thank you enough for your confidence in me.

  To Sahara Kelly and Ashleigh Raine – I’m honored to be in the company of such wonderful authors. Thank you for letting me play!

  And to Charlie, for your never ending support of me and for helping me brainstorm and plot this book. I’m so lucky to have found you. With all my love, babe.

  Chapter One

  “M’Slork ju kusor Soljilskilon m’nor glusun limsok frr!”

  UlRic Lor spit out a stream of curses as he approached the watery planet’s atmosphere.

  “Of all the cluster fucks in the galaxies, this one has to happen on Earth,” Ric mumbled again, this time mentally converting from his native M’Loran to English. Might as well acclimate to the correct language mode before he landed. Although humans were polite enough to aliens, M’Lorans weren’t their favorites right now with all the rebel warrior K’Mor running loose on their planet.

  He maneuvered the craft through Earth’s atmosphere, the directionals guiding him toward the west coast of North America. New California, specifically the northern section. At least that was the information they’d passed on when he’d received the message from Earth’s Alien Crime Enforcement Unit.

  The message he’d received when he was, literally, inches away from getting good and fucked by a prime M’Loran Pleasure Aide. But did he get the relief he so desperately needed? Well, yes, and no, he thought wryly, aligning the craft to dock at the Unit’s headquarters. He’d gotten fucked all right, but not in a good way.

  So much for his recreation period. The time he’d been looking forward to for months after chasing K’Mor rebels through the galaxies. He hadn’t had sex in a very long time, needed it damn badly, and had been just about to get it when the Commander notified him he’d have to return to Earth immediately.

  Earth. Where the women were too short and too ugly to even fantasize about. Not like M’Loran women, whose large bodies could accommodate his natural form. He’d fucked Earth women before, and swore he’d never do it again. They bored him.

  He stepped out of the craft and into the wide tunnel leading to the enforcement unit, his lungs filling with the atmosphere that was, at times, too oxygen rich for him. But he dealt with it, like everything else in his job.

  The unit was busy today. Crime was up in New California, as he’d learned on his last visit. Some of that had to do with M’Lorans, but not all of it. Earth was a prime place for anyone to hide out with its mix of cultures and differing laws. Bad enough M’Lora had two distinct species that barely saw eye to eye. On Earth it was anything goes.

  He nodded to the Unit Enforcement Officer on guard near the entrance to the interrogation center. The guard motioned Ric to the DNA testing sphere. A low hum began and within seconds he was cleared to proceed through the protection grid, his identity registered.

  He stopped at a counter and reported in.

  “They’re waiting for you in Room Three,” the officer informed him.

  Ric nodded, headed down the brightly lit hallway and stepped into the anteroom.

  “Sorry you had to come back so soon but the shit has really hit the grid this time.” Lou Maxwell rose to greet him. Lou was one of the best enforcement officers with the unit and Ric had worked many cases with this human. More than a Co’Lal older than Ric, Lou still had the balls and guts of Earth’s old time detectives, and had long ago earned Ric’s respect.

  Ric shrugged. “What happened? I thought you had Vad well imprisoned.”

  “Beats me,” Lou explained. “The hypnotist gave us the code, but when the guard tried to use it to subdue him, it didn’t work. He killed two of our facility guards before he escaped.”

  Ric jammed hi
s fingers through his hair. Just what they didn’t need—more negative feelings among the human population about M’Lorans. Could this day get any worse?

  “I have more bad news,” Lou said, motioning Ric to the wide window where he could see a woman interrogating a M’Loran prisoner in another room.

  “I can’t wait. Tell me.”

  “You have to take the hypnotist back with you.”

  “Bullshit. No, I don’t.” Ric never took human interrogators to M’Lora.

  “Yeah, you do. Commander says she’s the only one who can control him and demands you take her along.”

  “Kusor!” Ric bit back the string of other curses that hovered on his lips. The worst part of his job as a hunter was having to deal with other cultures’ laws. “I can control Vad without anyone’s help.”

  “Sorry.” Lou grinned sheepishly. “You know how they get about their goddamn rules around here. If the hypnocode doesn’t work, the hypnotist must accompany the hunt for the escapee.”

  Ric silenced his anger and turned to watch the action in process. Instead of the stark interrogation rooms of Earth’s past, this one had brightly colored walls and comfortable, soft furniture. Ric spotted Mal Vor, a M’Loran one of the other hunters had spent months searching for. His friend, Sev, would be glad to know that Mal Vor had been captured.

  “Is that the woman who must accompany me?” Ric asked, motioning to the woman seated in the room beyond the mirror.

  “Yeah. Mia Logan.”

  Ric knew that hypnosis was Earth’s prime method of subduing both alien and human suspects. Each unit now had expert hypnotists as part of their police force. They were an advanced breed of mental enforcers, with a very high success rate in maintaining control over prisoners, as well as extracting criminal confessions.