by Cara Lake
And now Lorcan had gone and Tani was left with the disquieting suspicion that something had been missing. The connection that felt so tangible and vital in the bazaar had not hummed with the same energy during the afternoon, but rather seemed a faded echo of itself, almost as if a barrier had been erected between them. Initially Tani thought Morana’s presence had perhaps been the cause of the suppression but even when they were alone the connection remained just out of reach.
At a loss to explain the difference, Tani had held back from Lorcan, deciding it was too early in their acquaintance for her to lay all her cards on the table. She needed to get to know the man, to understand his motivations before she could reveal the truth of their connection. Just because he appeared to hold values at variance with the majority of wealthy Ophiuchi didn’t necessarily mean he would sympathize with the Eunomi cause. So instead she spent the afternoon watching and listening, trying to make sense of the contrast between the polite civil reserve of the man she was with and the earthy compassion of the man she had seen earlier that day.
Lorcan had been courteous, willing to please and his actions made it clear he found her attractive. In fact he had taken the opportunity to kiss her as they meandered between the trees. Tani had been trying to direct their discussion toward the poverty she had seen that morning by mentioning the bazaar, the homeless children and the number of brothels that occupied that area of town. She thought if he realized she was in sympathy with his motivations that perhaps he might open up to her, particularly if he was also experiencing the hum of energy between them.
But then he kissed her.
It was almost as if he kissed her to distract her from those issues as he cupped her face in his palms, pressing warm lips to hers with a gentleness she found surprising. If she was correct about him, the long-awaited kiss would spark into being Taijitu marks on their skin, twin brands of their Esseni status, but it was a strange experience. He immediately apologized, drawing back, restraining the passion he then professed to feel for her. He realized it was too soon, that they’d only just met but then confessed that his attraction to her had been instantaneous. Like a bolt of lightning, he’d said. He was anxious not to lose control, he had told her, his feelings for her ran too deep.
And the kiss. His kiss. Tani considered it, now hours after he had gone and the three suns had dipped below the horizon. His kiss had been just that. A kiss, similar to many of the kisses she had received during the one hundred and two years of her existence. Lorcan’s kiss had been nice and that was all. Not heart stopping or earth shattering. Not the cause of her melting into a puddle or reducing her to a blubbery mess of need and desire. But did she really want that? Wasn’t it better that she was in control of her emotions so that she could view Lorcan objectively? She found him very attractive. His dark looks and gray eyes were a pleasing combination. He had a charming smile. And if his smile didn’t quite reach his eyes, and if she sensed he was holding something back, perhaps that was a consequence of being on this particular planet where keeping secrets could mean the difference between life and death.
Tani found herself in the library, her thoughts so tangled she wasn’t focusing on where her feet had taken her. Morana had gone out, stating some business she needed to attend to and had urged Tani to spend a couple of hours relaxing before they went out again that evening. They were due to attend the opening of a new club, Alpha Beta, which Morana swore was an event not to be missed. The added attraction was that Lorcan would be present, as would all of Serpens’s nobility and the thought of seeing him again so soon went some way to assuaging Tani’s confusion. She would have another opportunity to talk to him, be with him and get to know him. Her heart beat faster. Perhaps tonight she would also see the visible evidence that they were a pairing in the form of the Taijitu mark. She was finding it difficult to resist the urge to go to her room and check her body again to see if hers had materialized. She had already checked herself seven times since Lorcan left an hour ago.
Torn between picking out a book or returning to her room, Tani paused in her tracks on hearing a faint groaning sound followed by scratching. Muffled by the wall of bookshelves, it continued and she stood still, trying to ascertain the source of the noise, hearing what sounded like garbled words in amongst the low moans. Tani walked slowly around the edges of the room and finally found herself stopping at the very same spot at which she had surprised Morana earlier. With her ear to the wall, the sound was stronger. There was something behind these shelves and now she knew why Morana had acted so suspiciously. She was hiding something.
Tani held some wiccani magick and as a child had mastered a few simple spells and incantations taught to her by her father, a strong wiccani mage. Fortunately she had paid attention to those that related to unlocking barriers and made great use of that as a teenager whenever she wanted to escape the stifling atmosphere of her family’s expectations. She realized there must be a switch and spoke an incantation that would reveal the switch in her mind’s eye. A flash of light sparked her vision and she had her answer. A book on the sixth shelf, three from the left, was the trigger. Tani reached up to pull it when a low voice interrupted her movements.
“Lady Morana has returned and requests your presence upstairs, Lady Tanith.” Tani jumped, aware of being caught in a similar position to Morana that afternoon. The servant’s dark eyes remained blank, giving no indication that he thought anything of her actions. The noises she had heard had faded but her curiosity was strong. What was Morana hiding? She had to know. She would have to come back. Tani stored the knowledge in her mind as she followed the servant from the room.
Upstairs, Morana appeared to have scattered the whole contents of her wardrobe onto the floor and she was standing in front of the mirror, frowning at the image of herself in a silver sheath dress that hugged her lithe figure, leaving little to the imagination. “Tanith,” she wailed, “there you are at last! I need your help. I can’t find a thing to wear.”
“You have plenty of choices,” said Tani dryly, eyebrows raised at the devastation of fabric surrounding her feet. “What’s wrong with that one?”
“This old thing?” Morana’s eyes rolled skyward. “It’s two years old! I need something stunning for tonight.”
“Why’s that?”
Morana shrugged. “Oh, you know—men and women to torture and tempt. I need to be irresistible!”
Tani’s brows creased into a frown. She had never seen Morana like this before. Although her words were brash, Morana was biting her lip, and Tani could sense a vulnerability that was not in keeping with the air of self-assured confidence that usually surrounded her hostess. Morana twisted to face the mirror, piling her hair onto her head, debating which style might suit best. Tani couldn’t help but notice fresh puncture marks on her neck. The mystery continued. She was now sure Morana was hiding something in the library. Perhaps a secret lover or maybe she had a whole harem of slaves to service her needs? That would certainly not be unusual on this planet. So why would Morana hide it?
“You can wear this.” Morana’s voice cut across her thoughts and she refocused on the dress Morana was holding out to her. If you could call it a dress. It was a slip of fabric, a thin film of gauze that looked more like underwear. Wearing a dress like that would leave her feeling practically naked.
“I can’t wear that!” Tani was at once horrified and confused. A bubble of excited anticipation rose in her chest at the thought of Lorcan Rodach’s expression should he see her in that dress.
“Try it.” Morana smiled, holding it out to her. “I know you want to.”
An hour and a half later, not knowing how it had happened, Tani found herself arriving at the Alpha Beta club, wearing nothing but the flimsy green dress, six-inch heels and a nervous smile.
Inside, the club was heaving. Wealthy Ophiuchi set apart from the masses on the upper levels mostly kept to themselves in their private areas. Watching from above, they could call on those below, if they wished, to join them fo
r a spell. Those who were selected were expected to feel privileged beyond measure, or if they didn’t, they would certainly not want to offend.
Tani watched with disgust and pity from her seat in Morana’s booth as many young male and female revelers were summoned to partake in whatever activities their overlords wished to pursue. She realized very quickly that the Alpha Beta club was just another kind of brothel, except that money didn’t change hands quite so blatantly. Those picked were probably hoping for some kind of permanent position as mistresses or escorts to a person of power. For those chosen the rewards would be great. Her thoughts flashed to Sitri. Tani wondered how she had inveigled herself into possibly the highest position of that kind in Serpens as Phenex’s mistress and what Lorcan thought of it. Lorcan. A sudden wave of electricity sparked beneath her skin. He was here. She could feel it.
Chapter Seven
Arousal
Morana was occupied with a young man she had picked up from the dance floor. Tani could see where that conversation was headed and decided she should give them some privacy. Or was that just an excuse? Shaking off that thought, she moved down the stairs to the main dance floor. The compulsion to find Lorcan so strong she felt as if she were already tied irrevocably to his side. Did he feel it too? She would soon find out.
Catching sight of him through a break in the crowd, Tani waved in his direction. And there it was again. Her knees nearly buckled, an intense pulse of arousal punching her gut as his dark, too-handsome face met her gaze. Why was it happening now when it hadn’t earlier? Was it the atmosphere in the club? The pounding bass invading the rhythmic beat of her heart and causing it to race?
A shudder ran through every cell in her body, a lick of flame bursting to life in her chest. Oh dear Gaia! How she wanted this man. Right here, right now! She wanted to strip him naked and do all sorts of wicked things to that sinful body. No one should look that good.
Tani drew in a breath, absorbing the raging undercurrents that surged toward her from the man who claimed all her focus. A flash of fire reciprocated in his eyes as they walked toward each other, a sense of inevitability urging her closer. She was dangling on the end of a line, well and truly hooked and he was reeling her in.
As she closed the distance, Tani registered the soft curl of inky blue-black hair brushing the taut muscles of his neck, the softness an anathema to the rock-solid frame that was inviting her touch. The tips of her fingers itched with desire to tangle in the darkness of those curls, ached to play over the bronze skin of his throat where a vein throbbed close to his jaw. Her eyes were drawn to the fabric of his shirt where it stretched tight, highlighting pectorals so ripped they should be outlawed. Tani licked her lips, the sight of him a red rag that held her mesmerized, so much that she could not have stopped the forward motion even if she had wanted to.
Within moments she was up against him, jostled by the ocean of the crowd, a wave dashed onto the rocks. And he was granite. Her eyes locked on to his as they flared in surprise. Gray turned to molten mercury encircled by indigo. Her breasts melded to his angular torso, chiseled abdominals fused against her belly, every undulation a hotwire of sensation. She felt him rise to attention. His shaft like an arrow at her hip.
Reciprocating his enthusiasm, Tani felt her nipples harden in response, rubbing against his chest, swelling with undisguised desire. She should have been embarrassed by her obvious lust and the knowledge that he could feel every shifting nuance of her body’s reaction to him through the thin fabric of the dress. Instead her mind was too full of sensation, her body too out of control.
She gazed up at him, her head barely level with his neck. The urge to press her lips to his skin was an imperative. She lifted on her toes and let her mouth caress his flesh. Tremors ripped through Tani’s spine as she tasted the salty tang of his throat, the musky scent of him fogging all brain activity. His hands found her hips, suddenly creating a space between them.
When she looked up now, Tani saw a change in his expression. Surprise had turned to desire, reflecting the arousal in hers. She had seen that look from men before but never had it been so welcome. He wanted her. No thought of the consequences, Tani grabbed his hand, the heat of his palm a sizzling brand that melded him to her. As fire continued to lick and burn its way up her arms, she led him toward the nearest exit. What she needed to say could not be said here. What she needed to do would get her arrested.
Outside, the cool chill of the night air crashed over her but failed to quench the heat of her skin as she turned back to face him. Tani found herself slammed against the wall. A rough hand tugged at her hair, another clamped around her waist, a rock-solid body rubbed hard against hers, fingers laced through the red strands, forcing her neck down as warm breath suffused her skin. She groaned as heat rolled off him.
He was a burning flame, searing her flesh, his lips hard at her neck, the pressure on her throat a blatant marking. She tried to push against him, hands on his shoulders, this claiming coming too soon for her liking. She shoved to get his attention. His response was immediate. He pushed her hard back against the cold stone and then his mouth crashed over hers.
Devouring.
Consuming.
Furious.
The intensity of his kiss was like nothing she had ever experienced before. It was so totally different from the previous kiss they had shared. The first kiss in the orchard had been tentative. This…this was a frenzy! She could feel her own flesh responding with passionate abandon, matching the wildness of his assault. Every cell, every nerve, every fiber leapt to echo the erotic fury of his attack. Her heart hammering madly, Tani fused into him, unable to resist the electrical current that blazed between them.
He was a raging whirlwind at her mouth as he nipped and sucked, his tongue searching, exploring, claiming her essence with the force of his lips. His hard body demanded her submission, the granite length of him relaxing into her curves, his erection a blatant challenge.
She gasped as his hand roamed downward, sending sparks that skittered across her skin, leaving goose bumps in their wake. He delved beneath the flimsy gauze of her dress, his fingers stroking her thighs in a quest to reach her core. She quivered beneath his touch as he skimmed the elastic of her panties, caressing the thin fabric until his palm was pressed against her mound. One finger drew a line down her slit and suddenly she was moist. As if sensing her arousal, he bypassed the fabric and Tani gasped as he slid a finger inside, the heat of his touch igniting every nerve she possessed to a shivering wreck.
All the while, he had been kissing her breathless. She had never been kissed with so much wild abandon and his touch! It was all she could do to remain standing. His lips left hers and homed in on her neck, sucking the exact spot that made her pelvic muscles clench with anticipation. She was so close she might just orgasm from the slip-sliding caress of his finger and the heat of his lips on her pulse point.
“Lorcan…” she managed to moan.
He tensed. His grip on her hair tightened. Every muscle froze.
His lips withdrew and he forced her head up, rough hands tangled in her hair. Her eyes locked onto his. Gray turned to mercury silver. His irises swirled into vision, the outer ring of indigo blue darkening with vicious anger. “Fuck!” he snarled again, nails digging into her flesh so hard she thought he would draw blood.
Tani’s brows furrowed in confusion, every atom in her body still thrumming with sensation. She sought for reassurance by raising her hand to his cheek. He grabbed her wrist, pain shooting up her arm.
“Lorcan?” Her bewilderment increased. What was wrong with him? Why had he stopped? Why was he angry? Oh yeah—he’s Hate…probably…most definitely. Her thoughts were a tumble of incoherence.
He let go of her wrist and loosened the grip around her waist, pushing her away. She stumbled backward, nearly falling. Paying no attention, he merely turned on his heel and stalked off into the deserted alley.
Tani pulled herself together. “Lorcan! What’s wrong?” she called
, eyes smarting from the pain of the grazes on her hand that had caught the rough stone wall as she fell. But he kept going, disappearing into the darkness without a backward glance.
* * * * *
So…that fucker was back! Lorcan. Jaro Rodach gritted teeth as he wrenched his protesting body away from the scantily clad female. Just hearing that name sent daggers shooting into his back, fracturing his spine as if it wasn’t already broken and bleeding. He had no more blood to give.
Jaro ran his arm across his mouth in a desperate attempt to wipe the taste of her from his lips. Chaos in hell! She had tasted so sweet.
Dark chocolate and strawberries.
Decadence and innocence.
The sensations lingered on his tongue, refusing to dissipate. How fucking typical! Lorcan’s latest bitch, coming on to him and he’d actually felt something for a change, other than the usual vicious rage that was his constant companion. For one small moment as his tongue delved into the moist berry wine of her lips, their mouths fused in a wild tangle of passion, he’d experience an overwhelming sensation of…something…in his chest.
The emotion fizzed like a sparkler, bursting with pinpricks of heat, bubbling in the usually hollow empty space that others called their heart. The sound of that name had been enough to extinguish any life-giving oxygen to that flame. Out it petered, suffocated in an instant.
Just like he had been.
Just like his life.
But her. Chaos save him! She was a forest fire setting light to a drought-ridden land. She burned so brightly. He remembered his first glimpse of her in the club. The way she had stood on the stairs radiating such confidence, legs up to heaven ready to send him to hell. Her eyes had locked on to his, full luscious lips curving into a perfect smile as their gazes connected. So damn sexy! The green of her barely there dress accentuating the blazing red flame of her hair that glowed in the darkness, a beacon of danger too hot to ignore. He had to touch and who cared if he burned! Then she had waved at him and he had responded without thought, his brain in his dick.