by Piper Rayne
The darkness in Xander is the fruit of a hard life. I kiss my way down his chest, exploring the terrain of his body with my tongue. His nipples, his navel, and I see his manhood up close. I jerk in my direction and I look up at Xander.
Have you seen one before? He asks with a smile on his face.
In books. I stare at it. The thickness, the length. How did he get it inside me? The human body is truly a masterpiece. His cock jumps in my direction. I reach for it, then stop myself.
Can I touch it? I ask.
My body is your body. Touch and taste as you please.
Taste?
The way I devoured you.
Heat burns my cheeks and I know I’m blushing. But I grab it and Xander gasps. I cup my hands around it and run them up and down. Feeling the ridges rippling against my hands, and the veins pulsating because of my touch.
Then I kiss it. Xander groan tells me I did something right. I try it again this time taking the head into the depths of my mouth and he cups my head thrusting deeper.
The sounds of his pleasure and racing of our hearts have me wet and the moment I pop Xander out of my mouth, he lays me on my stomach and fills me from behind. Deep with one thrust and we both exhale. I’m caged between his arms. His long, deep strokes have me crying out his name, begging for more.
The more I beg, the faster he goes until all I hear is the slapping of his body against mine.
“It’s happening again… Xander…”
“Hold on princess, I’m coming with you.”
Blue light radiates through my skin and I’m so near completion that I can’t marvel at the glow of my powers. He grips my shoulders, and my ass is bouncing off his hips. His strokes hurt so good, bringing tears to my eyes.
I explode, throwing my head back. Xander holds my hips.
“Fuck!”
We tumble to the bed. Huffing and puffing. I look over at him. Words can’t express how I feel right now.
Happy to have him. Satisfied with our lovemaking. But I’m terrified of what happens next. I close my eyes tight. Tomorrow is up to the Creator.
Xander pulls me against his chest and right before I let sleep take me, he whispers, “You’ll always me mine.”
I am. Forever and always.
10
Tungsten handcuffs hold my wrists in front of my body. Xander lifts me, sitting me on the cold leather seat. I’m overly aware of everything.
The possessive hand Xander leaves on my lower back.
The edge of danger in Gunner’s eyes.
The utter silence.
Death is in the air.
Xander warned me he’d have to work behind his shield to keep the plans to himself. I asked for the plan and he merely said, “When I say dive, dive and never look back.”
I slide over, making room for him on the seat. He stands outside the vehicle dressed in all black. The love in my heart races, but my uncertainty to the outcome of today has me almost willing to back out.
Gunner is the last to walk out of the hotel. He’s throwing on a light jacket and I see his double holster. The terse exchange between them has me sitting near the edge of the seat.
Focus, Talia. I remind myself. I sit back in the seat, trying to collect any details to share with the Walker.
There is Gunner and four fae. Weapons? I check them as best I can from this position. The sun is setting, and it’s hard to see. But I’m certain they’re each wearing similar holsters and each fae is armed. Thanks to the little piece of brown leather that’s visible near the base of their necks.
Now to catalogue his troop. I scan their faces to find any distinguishing details. One Black guy, three White guys, including Gunner. One Asian guy. I write the list in my journal. The magical ink transcribes the details I send about each man.
“Hugon, what’s the ETA on Leesa?” The only Black man with the troop calls over his shoulder.
“She’s in Paradise Falls. She’ll get here before the Walker.” Hugo, a White guy with red hair and extremely broad shoulders.
Leesa? The name sounds like a female, but I’ve only seen men. I add the name to my notes too. The inside of the SUV falls silent while Gunner and Xander talk outside the vehicle.
He made love to me all night and stayed with me until the drunk troops returned early this morning. Then he had a private conversation with Gunner. He slipped in my room, told me to be ready by seven o’clock, then he added, Bring everything with you.
I had a million questions. Will I see Colt and Adan? Will Xander leave with me? Will he really let me swim away? But the question that rises to the service is what will happen to Xander when I leave?
Minutes later, Colt and Adan climb in the SUV. Colt looks the same. His eyes seem to take in every feature of my face as if relieved to see me.
I train my face and call to Colt, How are you?
Good. Protocol. He sits on the front row with a fae on each side.
Adan sits in the middle row with three fae. He appears healthier than before. The passenger seat remains empty. I plan to check in with him until I’m surprised by the appearance of Jude.
He’s walking freely without cuffs and stops to talk with Gunner. The exchange looks awful, chummy. Then he climbs into the passenger seat as if he’s one of them.
I stiffen. You did this. Didn’t you?
Jude spins around and smiles at me. “Nice to see you too, Princess Talia.”
Rage renders me blind. We are all in this situation because he couldn’t follow protocol. He wouldn’t follow the rules. All he had to do was keep his mouth shut. My mother could have died, and he’s walking around like he’s on vacation.
Calm down.
My head snaps to Xander. He’s folded over walking until he sits next to me. He takes my hand. I hold on tight and notice sapphire blue pulses through my skin. My mouth drops open. Streaks of light flick like shooting stars. I stare at Xander, shocked.
He acknowledges the moment with a discreet smile, then faces forward. He can’t speak to me without the others hearing. Which leaves me to wonder if Colt and Adan will join me? And what will happen to Jude?
Instead of worrying, I clear my mind and sit back in the seat.
Gunner climbs in the SUV, sitting behind the steering wheel. It’s after eight o’clock and the nightlife on the pier shifts from families to adults bar hopping.
Xander’s hand covers mine and his soft squeeze sends my eyes in search of his. His face is stoic. Not a trace of the man who loved me so tenderly last night.
The ride doesn’t take long.
Gunner parks, and Xander opens the door.
“You have two hours.” Gunner opens the door.
“I’ll call you when we’re ready." Xander responds, helping me out of the SUV. I thought their interactions were tense before, but today takes it to a new level.
Gunner turns his deadly gaze on me, and I freeze. “Must be some good pussy. Step out of line once, princess, and I’ll shoot a bullet between your blue eyes.”
Blue eyes… Gunner threat falls on death ears because this is what mother wanted. He can see my blue eyes and I’m not even trying. But apparently Xander heard him and doesn’t appreciate it one bit.
“Gunner, the bullet you’ve reserved for me will be the one that will end your life,” I say.
The smug smile drops as Xander grips him by the throat, slamming him against the SUV.
“Strike two. Speak to her like that again, and we’ll both draw our last breath on this pier. Because I won’t stop until you’re dead.”
Gunner pulls at Xander’s hand, gasping. I place a hand on Xander’s shoulder, and he releases Gunner.
“Kaden ordered us to keep our hands off of you. But that’s the last time you put your hands on me.” Gunner looks up and I know Xander has made another enemy. “Princess, your guards will remain at gunpoint. One suspicious move and they’re dead too.”
I turn to follow Xander’s lead. Gunner’s time is coming. You can’t dish out evil and expect good to
come your way. Xander places a hand on my lower back.
Gunner slams the door shut and rounds the vehicle.
“Princess.” The caress of my name makes me turn around. Xander motions to the pier.
“It’s better from this angle.” I smile, not knowing where to look first. Restaurants, games, crowds of people. Large yachts float in the distance. I smile up at Xander and I’m met with his stern expression.
The pier extends from the land for as far as I can see, ending with the gigantic Ferris wheel. It’s the one I saw outside my room, and it’s the one central to Xander’s plan for my escape.
I inhale the salty air. The sea calls to me. After a week in a bathtub, I’m ready to stretch out in the open water.
Xander glances around before removing the handcuffs.
Hold tight until I give the signal.
Xander…
This is our only shot. Don’t blow this. Your men are on their own. You are my only concern.
I look back at Colt. He mouths, Protocol. I give a discreet nod. I can’t leave them to die, and I can’t help them either. But the royal security plan demands I get away at any cost and the royal guard will take it from there.
Princess, your people are depending on you.
It’s just hard.
This is the first of many hard decisions. But there will be no queen of Malawi if we don’t get you out of here. Remember that and the good of your tribe.
I look up at Xander and nod.
“Ice cream first.” He places the cuffs in his back pocket, guiding me away.
We walk with purposeful strides as my eyes dart around the area. It is a perfect fall evening. The chill in the air means we’ll have a cold winter. This may be the last trip to land for our kingdom until late spring—especially after the obvious breach of security. I plan to submit a proposal to mother to repair the issues I experienced on this trip, starting with the gateway to our kingdom. There will be some major changes when I return home.
If I return home.
Xander opens the door to the ice cream parlor. In all my trips, I’ve never had ice cream. I revealed this to him last night, and he thought it was a fatal error by my previous tour guides.
I feel like a kid. The bright pink walls with pictures of cakes, cookies, and ice cream. I smash my face to the glass with tubs of ice cream and Xander chuckles.
“This is her first time. She’d like to sample them all.” Xander says, taking my hand in his. He lifts it and kisses the back before positioning my body in front of his.
The kid behind the counter smiles and lifts the glass on his side. The pink and green and candy filled treats have my mind racing.
“What does it feel like?” I ask no one in particular.
“You’re about to see. Soft, creamy, cold, and sweet.” Then he lowers his mouth to my ear. “It’s like your trip to heaven except it’s on a cone.”
“Nothing feels that good.” I turn and kiss him. Kissing him is at the top of my list. Because I don’t know if this will be the last time.
“Stop worrying.” He kisses my neck.
“Okay. I’ll try. What am I doing here?” I ask.
“Start at the end and try them all. Then you’ll pick one and we’ll add it to a cone.”
“Only one?”
“Yes. You’ll die of a sugar rush after you try them all. Now move it, you have work to do.” Xander kisses my lips. I wiggle closer, deepening our kiss until I’m lost in the way we feel together.
What if this doesn’t work? I ask.
It will.
How will I see you again?
You won’t.
I pull away, looking up into his eyes. “What do you mean–”
“Your ice cream…”
Xander points to the waiting server. How does he expect me to concentrate?
You have to or I won’t be able to part with you, Xander says.
I know the second Xander lifts his shield. The raw ache in my chest is strong enough to bring me to my knees.
I don’t want to leave you.
“I’ll always be with you.” He kisses the top of my head. “It’s best we talk to give you as much lead time as possible. All the background noise makes it hard for them to hear.”
I lay my head over his heart, fighting tears.
“Let’s enjoy the time we have. I’ll start with mint chocolate chip.” Xander points at the green ice cream with brown specks.
It takes a while for me to ignore the melancholy feeling. By the time I sample forty flavors of ice cream I acknowledge, Xander is right. Ice cream helps. The cookie, candy, creamy, deliciousness overwhelms my tongue and numb the voices in my head.
“We have to get this. The children will love it.” I say holding a double scoop of Xander’s favorite flavor, black walnut.
“Underwater? How?”
“Who cares?” I laugh.
The sun has set by the time we reach the doors.
“It’s almost time.” He slips his hand in mine, leading me down the pier.
The closer we near the Ferris wheel, the less I taste the ice cream. Xander glances back. Then we stand in line for our ride.
“Gunner’s on the hood of the SUV.”
“Can he reach us?” I ask, trying to make out his image from so far away.
“Gunner can’t but a bullet can. He’s an excellent shot, used to be a Marine.”
Xander places a finger beneath my chin, turning my face until I’m staring into his eyes.
Eyes that I categorized as cold and distant. I know now are thoughtful and loyal. He’s risking his life to give me back mine and I’ll never forget him.
“Stick with the plan. Dive deep to steer clear of bullets.”
I lift to my tiptoes and kiss the man who has made me believe in fated mates. Fate crossed tribal lines, land, lake, and found us. Here. Right now.
“I love you, Xander.”
“I love you too, Talia.”
Xander wraps his arms around my waist. The drum of our hearts beats as one, and I wonder if I can do this. Can I swim away from my heart?
“Ready for the best view in Imperial Bay?” The attendant asks with a jovial smile. “You’re taking a ride on the best night of the year. Tonight, is the Blue Moon. So, you’ll get four turns instead of the usual two.”
“Thank you,” I mumble.
“Ladies first,” Xander offers.
I slip in the bucket seat. The attendant checks our belts before closing the cage covering.
Xander extends an arm behind me, and I lean into his body.
My mind searches for solutions to the point that I can’t concentrate.
“Talia, love, stop. Look at this view. Isn’t that your mountain?”
I look over the treetops, and just on the other side of the forest is my mountain. The Ferris wheel sweeps back up again.
Today’s the night of The Blue Moon Festival. To think I’ll ruin it by showing up with such awful news.
“How soon can you send the signal?”
“The moment I hit the water.”
“Will they hear from this distance?”
“Yeah. Our signal travels faster through the water.”
I visually map out my journey to the lake. I’ve never made the swim alone, but I trust in my ability to make it home.
“This is the last round, get ready. Remember, deep and far. Don’t look back.”
Fear grips me. “Kiss me, Xander.”
He holds my face, moving his mouth over mine. The gentleness of his kiss feels like goodbye. I tell him I love him over and over and over to keep from backing out. Because I want to return home, but I don’t want to leave him.
The rotation ends, and the attendant steps forward to help us out.
“One more ride.”
“Talia…”
“Please…” I won’t beg, but I’m not ready to say goodbye.
“One more ride.” He gives the attendant tickets and we’re closed inside.
I lean my back aga
inst this chest, and we stare at the blue moon.
“Thank you. I can do this.”
“You can. I have complete faith in you.” His lips brush my neck.
I glance over my shoulder. “Maybe, we can meet again in three years at the next blue moon.”
He opens his mouth to respond and I stop him.
“Pretend…”
Xander nods, kissing my fingertips. “I love you, Talia.”
“I love you more.”
He latches on to my neck, slipping his hand under my waistband.
“What are you…”
“I want to take the edge off and give you a trip to heaven.”
He lifts my leg, wiggles past my folds and slips a finger inside. I gasp, dropping my head back to his shoulder. Moist kisses line my shoulder, pumping in and out of me.
Every time you stare at the sky, I want you to remember me loving you. How I gave you pleasure? How I fucked you, ate you, loved you. Do you hear me, princess?
Yes, Xander…
Then open wider and thank the Creator by screaming my name.
I cry out until I’m hoarse.
I’m weak, and if my count’s right, we have a last turn. Xander helps me put on my backpack.
“I can’t see the vehicle from here. Gunner could be anywhere. It’s hard to scan for him with all these people.”
“Okay.”
“Dive—”
“—deep to steer clear of bullets. I know Xander. I know.” I take a deep breath, searching for my mother’s voice, and instead focus on the mountain. My powers won’t fail me. I’ll signal the guards and get back to Xander.
I can do this.
Don’t worry about me. I’ve been responsible for myself most of my life.
Not anymore. We’re fated. Right?
Fate means I’m meant to love you, Talia. It doesn’t mean we’ll have forever.
But I’ll love you forever, Xander.
Don’t Talia. I’m not worth it.
“You are.” I smile, knowing my heart is full and breaking at the same time. “Because if you’re meant to love me, then I was meant to love you. So, I’ll give you my love forever.”
This kiss isn’t gentle, and it isn’t soft. This kiss demands everything, and I give it all because I don’t know how not to.
