Can Milla finally settle down and have a family of her own or will the carnival be her life…forever?
Milla leaves the carnival where she made her living for twenty years, with visions of finding the perfect town where she could make a new life for herself. At forty-five years old, it’s too late to hope for children, but happiness is still within her reach. However, the owner of the carnival doesn’t want to lose his best fortuneteller. When he and his carnival follow Milla to Paradise, he discovers that his people aren’t the only ones with secrets.
Being bond mates never crossed Jonas’ and Mel’s minds. Hell, they don’t even like each other and barely get along. However, when they find a woman frightened and alone, they put their differences aside to help her secure the most basic of human, or shifter, rights—the freedom to choose.
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Visions Of Paradise
Copyright © 2014 Tianna Xander
ISBN: 978-1-4874-0026-2
Cover art by Carmen Waters
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.
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Devine Destinies, an imprint of eXtasy Books Inc
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Visions Of Paradise
Paradise 16
By
Tianna Xander
Dedication
To my readers. Thank you so much for asking for more of the Paradise series. I love writing them as much as you love reading them.
Chapter One
Milla stared at the tarot card and sighed. This was the fifth day in a row that she’d turned over the death card in her tarot spread. The storm outside grew fierce, the wind buffeting the walls of the small hotel. She resigned herself to the fact that she would have to leave this place.
“On the winds of change,” she said with a sigh.
Death never meant a physical death like so many people thought. It stood for change. Usually, it meant the death of something old and the birth of something new. In her case, it meant that she had to move…again. It wasn’t surprising. Had she thought she’d be able to stay, she would have rented a house instead of a hotel room. She would pack up her things today and head out in the morning.
For now, though, she wanted to hike up the mountain and look down at the town one last time. She had grown fond of Mason. Not as fond as she’d hoped, but, so far, this town had been the closest to what she’d been looking for in a place to finally put down some roots. It was too damned bad the cards had just told her to move on.
The storm over, the early morning sun broke through the clouds, the rays shining like a beacon, lighting up the spot on the mountain where she wanted to go. It was another sign. One that she interpreted as an indication that she’d made the right decision.
After hiking up the side of the mountain, Milla sat down on a fallen log. Moisture seeped through the seat of her pants, but she didn’t care. Closing her eyes, she leaned back and took a deep breath. “Now, that’s what I’m talking about,” she said with a sigh.
There was nothing like clean, crisp air to do a body good. There was just something about a fresh mountain breeze after a cleansing summer rain.
Mason was close to what she wanted in a hometown but not quite. Maybe that was why the cards indicated she should leave. Milla wanted a small town with small-town values. She wanted to see men open the doors for women. She wanted common courtesy and chivalry. Maybe, just maybe, she wanted the impossible.
“I was born in the wrong time. That’s my problem.” She gave the picturesque town one last look and headed back to her hotel. It was time to leave—today. Something told her that it was time to go. Now. It was the same strange foreboding that preceded the arrival of the carnies sent out to look for her. Why couldn’t they just leave her alone? It wasn’t as though she owed them money. In fact, they owed her. It was one of the reasons why she left in the first place. There was nothing like working for peanuts.
She hurried down the side of the mountain, the feeling of urgency growing stronger. They were close. It was only a matter of time before they caught up to her. She’d have to take the time to stop at the hotel, pick up her things and hit the grocery store for some sandwich stuff on her way out of town.
After that, she’d head west again. Sooner or later she would run into a town that suited her old-fashioned standards…she hoped.
Until then, she would just keep looking. Milla had been on the road for nearly a year searching for her vision of paradise. She knew the town of her dreams was out there somewhere. It was just a matter of finding it.
After packing, she began lugging her belongings from the room. The worst part of not having a home was living out of her SUV. She carried everything she needed with her, but loading the vehicle was a pain in the butt and growing more painful with every stop.
Every time she moved, she gathered a little more stuff for her dream home. Dish towels here, bath towels there. If she wasn’t careful, she’d fill her truck soon, and then where would she be? She’d have to buy a trailer and haul that around with her, too. Then what?
Out of breath, her heart pounding with exertion, she hauled her suitcase out to the SUV and attempted to lift it into the back.
“Here, let me help you with that.” A muscled arm reached around her, grasped the handle of her bag and easily lifted it into the vehicle. “There you go. Do you have more? I don’t mind helping.”
Milla spun around to thank him, the words dying in her throat. She stared up and up at the man who was kind enough to lend her a hand. She only hoped he wasn’t one of the carnies. Psychically, he didn’t feel like one, but she would have to touch him to be sure. Her mouth went dry at the thought of making contact.
Dark, nearly black, hair fell over his forehead as he stared down at her, unmistakable appreciation in his coffee-colored eyes. His thick-muscled arms looked capable of lifting everything she owned in one go. Why not take him up on his offer to help if he wasn’t here to drag her back to Perry?
Milla swallowed thickly, deciding to trust her instincts without touching him. “I, um, I could really use your help if you don’t mind.” Besides, if he stayed and helped load her truck, she could watch all of those glorious muscles work beneath the tight t-shirt he wore.
“I’m Jonas, by the way.” He held out his hand.
Milla expected a handshake. In fact, she’d counted on one. She needed to know if Perry sent him or not. As much as she would have hated to leave her things, she would do so to escape Perry’s thugs.
She didn’t expect him to lift her hand to his mouth and kiss the back of it. Her face heated and he grinned when the goose bumps broke out on her arms.
“Just tell me what to do. I’m at your disposal.”
Oh, he shouldn’t have said that! Those words sent all kind
s of thoughts racing through her head and not one of them had anything to do with his packing her things into her SUV and everything to do with what they could do in her hotel room.
It didn’t help that what she read in him was a genuine desire to help her with her things and a healthy dose of lust. The lust she could handle. That was something she understood. In fact, she had a difficult time keeping herself from leaning over and licking the man’s bicep.
Reaching up, she lifted her hair from the back of her neck. “Hoo! Is it warm out here?” She knew it was. If it wasn’t and it was just her, the man wouldn’t have been glistening like someone had rubbed baby oil all over him.
Stop it! The man is half your age. You should be ashamed of yourself. She almost groaned at the thought that he was only helping her with her things because it was the right thing to do for an older lady.
“It’s a little warm, yes.” He grinned at her as though he was the one who could read minds. “Would you like me to help you with the rest of your things, or is this it?” He glanced into the back of her truck, his expression clearly showing that he thought her luggage was the extent of her belongings.
“I have more. In fact,” she said, biting her lip with a grimace. “I have a lot more in the room. You might be sorry that you offered to help.”
“Never.” He flashed his perfect white teeth at her again. “I would love to help you move your things, even if you have enough to fill the truck.” He glanced back over his shoulder as though looking for someone. “I can stick around for a while. I have some time to kill. Shall we get started, then?”
“Sure.” She led him into her hotel room, unable to forget that she’d read his sexual interest when he’d taken her hand in his. He might like older women, but she drew the line at making it with boys half her age. The man was twenty-five years old at the most. “Everything goes but the TV, the bed, desk, lamp and the chair at the desk.” She pressed her lips together, waiting for him to remember that he had something to do across town. “Are you still sure you want to help?” she asked, half joking.
“I’m certain. In fact, I’m glad I asked you now. Loading this into your vehicle would have taken you the better part of the day and something tells me you’re in a hurry to get out of town.”
“That obvious, huh?” She gave him a rueful smile. “I didn’t think it showed.” In fact, she had hoped it wasn’t noticeable. A nervous woman or someone on the run would always stick out in the minds of strangers. Milla couldn’t afford to be conspicuous—now, more than ever.
Chapter Two
Jonas stared at the beauty before him. The woman was a goddess, no doubt about it. Glossy black hair framed her face, her dark eyes beckoned him like a lover and her dark-caramel skin glowed in the morning light. He’d never seen a more beautiful woman in his seventy-five years of existence.
It didn’t matter to him that it appeared as though she had reached middle age for a human. Age was never a factor for their people. With their longevity, a human could look much older when they were young enough to be a grandchild.
He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but there was something about her that caught his attention. He wasn’t sure if it was her soft curves or her impressive height. Whatever it was, it didn’t matter. That he wanted her did. It had been a long time since any woman attracted him on such a visceral level.
Tall for a woman, she exuded self-confidence like one who was comfortable in their own skin. That alone was an aphrodisiac. Most women today had body issues. This woman didn’t. She walked toward her room and turned to smile back at him over her shoulder. Her wide hips swayed, drawing his gaze like the proverbial magnet. Her classic hourglass figure wasn’t small and thin, but full and curvy. He loved that about her. She was no fragile female he need fear harming while making love to her. This woman wouldn’t break if he lost control. That alone was an aphrodisiac.
His nose detected a touch of fear about her. Not of him, but of something else—something that had had her frowning when he first approached her and offered his help. The cloying scent of fear hovering around her made her even more attractive. Combined with the scent of her courage and determination, it turned him on in ways he had never been aroused. Every male of his kind wanted an alpha female to mate and this one was as alpha as they came. She feared, yet she functioned anyway. Alone, with no one to protect her, she managed to do for herself when others would have cowered in a corner.
Whatever it was that drew him to her and held his attention, brought out the predator in him. It was all he could do to keep his leopard under control. If he didn’t know better, he would have thought it was the el calor but this was nothing like the way the others had described that affliction.
No. This was different. It was an itch more than a burn and Jonas wanted nothing more than to follow the woman into her room, throw her down onto the bed, settle between her succulent thighs and scratch that itch.
He followed her into her room, his eyes going wide when he saw her things. “Have you been on a shopping spree?”
“What?” She glanced around then gave him a lopsided smile that he wanted nothing more than to kiss from her face. “Oh, no. I’ve been gathering this stuff for some time. I’m saving up for when I finally get a place of my own.”
She moved to the counter next to a door he assumed led to the bathroom. A hot plate sat on the counter, a clean pan sitting next to it. A small refrigerator sat on the floor beneath the sink and her laundry hung everywhere. He smiled when she yanked down her lacy underwear and held it behind her.
“Leave it there if it’s still wet.” It was the only reason he could think of that would explain why the clothes weren’t packed in the bags he’d just settled in her vehicle.
“It’s okay. I’ll just go put these in the truck,” she said before she pushed past him and hurried from the room.
Resting his hands on his hips, he grinned after her. She’d been embarrassed. He could see the telltale darkening of her cheeks and smell her discomfort. He glanced around the small room. She was a trusting woman. He could be going through her things instead of standing here wondering where to start.
“I guess we should leave the fridge for last. I have a few things that need to stay cold and my power port won’t work if the truck isn’t running.”
Okay. So now he knew what not to take out first. “What if I start carrying boxes out to the truck? When we get there, you can tell me whether to put it in the truck or to set it on the ground to go in later.”
She grabbed two bags, one a purse, the other a laptop bag and hiked them up on her shoulders. She pointed at two boxes near the door. “The ones closest to the door should go out first. I left them staged just in case…” She let her words trail off.
Jonas mentally finished her sentence. Just in case she had to leave in a hurry. What’s going on, beautiful, and who frightens you?
He wanted nothing more than to find out what or who had this intriguing woman on the run. Where he came from, no one treated a woman poorly. Where he came from, he could protect her from whatever it was she feared. No one would succeed in harming her in his town. Not anymore.
The men in Paradise respected and treasured their women. Mate or not, attached or not. Every male committed himself to the protection and wellbeing of every female under their protection.
He still didn’t know what it was, but there was something about Milla that struck a protective chord in him. Something about her made him want to drag her back to Paradise where he could keep her until her fears were no more.
After that, he might keep her longer. He wanted her, lusted for her and nothing, no one, had stirred his senses so thoroughly in over thirty years.
Picking up the first few boxes by the door, he tried to ignore her wide eyes and the way her lips glistened a dark mauve when her tongue darted along the seam of her mouth.
His cock pulsed, grew hard, as he loaded the boxes into her vehicle. Every inhalation drove him hig
her, making his cock throb with every beat of his heart until he felt ready to explode.
Jonas wanted nothing more than to pull her into this room, close the door and rip the clothes from her tempting body. What stopped him was the way she kept treating him like a child.
“I’m not a boy,” he said with a growl when she gave him another of her smiles and a pat when he passed. “I am a man.” He flashed her a glare as he passed. “Stop treating me like a child.”
“You’re just a kid compared to me. It’s difficult to think of you as anything else,” she said and turned to walk away.
“To hell with this.” Jonas dropped the box labeled blankets and towels onto the ground behind the SUV, grabbed Milla’s arm and yanked her around. “I’ll show you how much of a child I am,” he said before he thrust his hand into her hair, pulled her head back and covered her mouth with his.
The result was an explosion of sensation that he hadn’t expected. His head spun, his ears rang and every cell in his body stood at attention. This was a woman who could mean so much more to him than a helpless female. This woman stirred things in him that no one had ever awoken before.
Blood rushed to his groin, making him harder than he already was, if that was even possible. A fire started in his lower abdomen, spreading out through his blood, encompassing his entire body until he couldn’t think. He could only back her against the SUV, pinning her between him and the taillight as he continued to ravage her mouth with his.
The feel of her lips drove him mad with a need to make her his own. It was at that moment that Jonas realized that Milla, recently of the Mason hotel, could be his mate.
Chapter Three
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