by Milly Taiden
“Damn baby,” he grunted, his voice rough and deep. “You’re so tight on my cock. Fuck, I don’t think I can hold out long.” He reared back and rocked hard against her. She bit on her lip, trying to stop the scream rushing up her throat. He kissed her jaw. “Come for me, baby. I want to hear you scream.”
“Oh God!” she screamed, her focus on his mouth. What if someone heard her? Was that really what she was going to worry about in the middle of the best sex of here life? Who cared? Her body tensed, signaling her oncoming orgasm.
“Fuck, you’re making this…impossible,” he rumbled, gripping her hip with one hand and thrusting faster and deeper. Every plunge turned animalistic and forceful. Dear God, she loved every second of it.
“Ash,” she gulped, “I can’t…oh my God. I’m so close…”
“Come for me, sweetheart. Squeeze my cock with your sweet pussy.”
The harder thrusts took her over the edge. A scream rushed up through her throat, only to be silenced by his lips. He immediately fucked her with his tongue at the same time he did with his dick. She let the wave of pleasure drag her under and fill her to the core. Her pussy gripped his length and squeezed.
“You’re so fucking perfect, Val. So perfect,” he groaned, his cock thickening inside her. A loud roar sounded from him when he came. Valentina could barely cling to him. Her pussy burned with the speed of his thrusts. Then he tensed and spurts of heat shot up her channel.
After the storm of orgasms, she somehow ended up on top of him with his arms holding her tightly to him. “Okay. I wasn’t expecting that.” He gently ran his lips against her ear, trailing down her lips. “I thought I’d set up something more romantic for us.” He nibbled on her jaw. “But damn, you’re irresistible and I couldn’t wait any longer.”
“That wasn’t what I expected either. I’m not a spontaneous person at all. I certainly don’t regret it, except,” she raised her head off his shoulder and met his gaze, her heart thudding wildly and her stomach instantly in knots. “Oh my God, everyone probably heard us.”
She shot up, trying to get off him in a panic. “This is so not good. Nothing like getting fired before I even have my first full day at work. What if the big boss hears about this indiscretion.” She pushed his hands away and searched for her clothes. “I’m going to be fired for having sex in an office.” Shocked, she stared at Ash. “I’ve never been fired in my life.” She blinked. “I’ve never had sex in an office either.”
“I have a feeling that the big boss, as you call him, will be okay with this,” he said with a grin. She was busy putting her clothes on in a rush while he took his sweet time dressing. “I bet he’s done this kind of thing once.”
She rolled her eyes and glared at him. “This isn’t funny.”
He grinned wider. “I know. It’s so serious.” Then he laughed. “I’m sorry, love. Your panic is cute.”
She frowned. “Whatever… I’m in trouble.” A gasp fell from her lips. “Oh, crap. I think we missed the meeting. I can’t believe I let my hormones lead me into this mess.”
Ash marched up to her and pulled her into his arms, his head dropping down for a kiss that instantly calmed her. When he pulled back, his eyes were full of warmth. “It’ll be okay. I promise.”
Taking her hand, Ash led her out of the office and down the hall. She heard voices, then they entered a conference room with a stunning view of the water and mountain peak. She could stare out for hours and never get bored with the landscape.
Ash rolled out a chair for her, and she sat facing Kristin, Isadora, and a man she hadn’t seen yet. A couple of other women sat along their side of the table. Ash took his seat and pushed it against hers. He reached over and took her hand out of her lap. Her cheeks burned. He wasn’t serious, was he? They were in a professional setting. Didn’t they have a policy against this kind of thing?
Isadora nodded to Ash and her. Oh God, here it was. The strict, proper old lady was going to scold them. She tensed, ready to hear the yelling. “Good morning, Ash, Valentina. Nice to see you. You know each other, I’m guessing?” The woman winked at her then turned to the ladies she didn’t know at the table.
He draped their joined hands on the arms of the chairs. She tried to tug away, but he smiled at her and squeezed her fingers. All right. This wasn’t her fault if he got yelled at or fired for inappropriateness in the office. Why was he here in the first place?
She still didn’t know what his job on the island was. Maybe he was head of security. That would make sense with his gorgeous build. Then in her mind popped the image of another gorgeous body she’d promised to spend time with.
Fuck. This was turning into a full time job. Two guys. That would be so awkward. Her heart knew that Ash was the best man she’d ever met. Maybe she should cancel her time with Smoke. She didn’t even know how to contact him.
Kristin stopped talking to the unknown man and turned to them. “Valentina, this is Dr. Ishman. He’s a volcanologist from the University of Hawaii.” She reached out to shake his hand. Ash let her fingers go free. Finally, maybe nobody saw it. When she drew back, he snatched it again but kept their hands under the table. Safer, at least.
“It’s nice to be here. Just so you know,” he said to Ash, “I asked Mr. Price to analyze the volcano’s crater for gasses or any sign of rising lava. I’d rather not get caught in an explosion.”
Her mind whirled while the doctor talked. Oh God. Ash stroked her thigh under the table. She cleared her throat, trying to stop from squirming, but he kept on. He inched farther up, getting closer and closer to the split of her legs. She lost track of what was being said. All she could think of was the couch they’d been on not long ago and how he’d rocked her world. Thinking about it made her flush and squeeze her legs together. She needed help. How could she be thinking of sex in the middle of a meeting? Focus, Valentina. Focus.
Ash gave her one of those sinful smiles that made her want to strip right then and there. She blushed and glanced down. He squeezed her thigh. She glanced up, and he winked at her. The bastard knew she was embarrassed and was actually enjoying it.
Dr. Ishman closed the folder on the table. “That’s about it.”
Dammit. She’d missed almost everything he’d said. She hoped it wasn’t important for her job.
He continued. “I’ll visit the crater shortly.”
Crater? Oh shit. He meant the crater in the volcano. That was what Mark was talking about. He’d found a coin in the crater of the volcano. Wait, how the hell could that happen? Who would put coins way up there?
Everyone stood after Kristin called the meeting over. If she was going to ask a question, now was the time. She may not get the chance to see him before he went back to his island.
“Dr. Ishman,” she called out. He turned back toward them. Since Ash still hadn’t let go of her hand, she dragged him around the table with her. “Sir, may I ask you a question?”
“Absolutely, young lady. What can I help you with?”
She thought about how to phrase her question without sounding like a complete idiot. “One of my friends recently found an old gold coin in the volcano crater. Gold as in real gold and not the normal size of a quarter or nickel. How is that possible?
The doctor pulled his brows down and laid the folder in his hand on the table. “Very interesting. Do you know where in the caldera he found it?”
Great, he was using scientific jargon. Now she felt stupid. Ash would think she was a moron.
She shook her head. “No.”
Dr. Ishman tapped a finger on his mushed lips, tilting his head back to stare at the ceiling, and Ash snuggled up behind her. Hard cock and all. It almost took her breath away, knowing that was intended for her.
But they were in the damn office. So, she stuck her butt out and pushed him back. There, that should show him. Not only did Ash step back, but he slid his hand down the side of her thigh.
With a jerk, she straightened, sucking her ass back in. Goosebumps crawled down her
leg where he touched her. The doctor still stared at the ceiling, humming to himself.
Next, he cupped her ass cheek. She slapped his hand as the good doctor pulled his head from the sky. Quickly, she clasped her hands in front of her.
“The only reasonable thing I can think of,” Ishman said, “is a blowhole.”
Ash leaned forward against her. “A blowhole?” She jabbed back an elbow into his stomach. She knew exactly what he was thinking. This had nothing to do with blowing or a hole. Though she could go for that idea.
“Yes, blowhole,” the doctor repeated. “On Oahu, there is a place known as the Halona Blowhole. There, ocean water is sucked into a lava tube. Then, when the pressure gets just right, the water travels up and out a hole, shooting like a geyser into the air. The smaller the tube gets as the water moves up, the more powerful the burst.”
“Then what happens?” she asked.
“The cycle starts over. Water is sucked up until the pressure is right.”
“Let’s say there’s something in the water near the lava tube opening. Could it be sucked up too?”
“Absolutely. In point of fact, the occurrence of the cycle could depend on how much water can go in. If the opening is small and water comes in on a trickle, then it would take a lot longer than, say, a wide tube that could suck it up like a straw.”
“How does that relate to things being sucked up into the tube.”
“Oh, sorry,” the volcanologist said, “I get going on the inner workings, and I could go on all day about how fabulously nature works.”
Yeah, maybe someone she wouldn’t hang out at the bar with.
“Anyway,” he continued, “rocks are frequently sucked in and, if small enough, shoot out the top. But anything too big or heavy would get stuck in the tube where it starts to narrow on its way up. Those then just fall back to the bottom and either roll away or keep getting sucked up until the rock wears down enough for them to go on through.
“Also a few years back, a paleontologist found a full skeleton of an extinct fish. I forget what it was, but it was buried close to the top of an inactive volcano. A blowhole situation is the only logical explanation for something so strange.”
Kristin’s head popped in from the hallway. “Doctor? You coming?”
Dr. Ishman gathered up his papers then turned to Valentina. “Keep me updated on your friend’s findings.” He smiled, then headed into the hallway.
“Thank you, doctor,” Valentina called out. So much for her trying to be sneaky. She’d always been a bad liar.
“What was that all about?” Ash whispered into her ear as he nuzzled her neck.
“I overheard Isadora’s grandson say that he found a gold coin in the crater. I didn’t know how that was possible. Thought I’d ask.”
Hmm, Ash hummed. “Beautiful and smart. You’re perfect.”
Shock rolled through her at his words. She stepped away and stared at him.
“What?” he questioned. “Did I say something to offend you? If I did, I’m so—”
“No. It’s just that no one has said that to me before.” She held back sudden tears. Why was he so perfect? How did someone like him exist? What if…what if there was something really wrong with him?
“Hey, guys,” Kristin popped back in, “sorry to interrupt, but Ash, you need to work with the doctor on the crater and whatever he needs for the rest of the day.”
Ash frowned then pulled her in for a hot, deep kiss. When she couldn’t feel her toes anymore, he pulled back, placing his forehead on hers.
“Are you going to be okay while I’m working?” he asked.
She smiled at how sweetly he asked and the real concern in his eyes. He truly cared. “I’ll be fine. There’s lots of things I can and need to do.”
“I’ll walk you home.”
“I’d rather you get to work and get done so you can come back to me sooner.” Her face flushed hot. Damn, had she just said those words to him? What if he said he didn’t want to see her that night? She was being so dumb, letting herself get hooked so deep and quick emotionally.
“You’ve got a deal. Tonight, we spend it at my place. There’s something important you need to know.”
“Oh?” Worry filled her. Was he going to tell her he was married or had a girlfriend? Was he going to tell her he had a whole family?
He chuckled. “Don’t concern yourself with it. It’s a good thing.”
“Okay,” she swallowed and hoped he was right.
Kristin’s voice carried down the hall. “Ash, any time now would be good.”
He growled low and deep. “I’m going to become an only child by the time this is done.”
Valentina laughed, and they went their separate ways. Outside on the sidewalk to her bungalow, she wondered what he had to tell her. Things like that were seldom good news. But he said it would be okay.
When she grabbed the knob to her front door, it swung open. She froze. She had definitely closed the door when she left. She pushed it the rest of the way and gasped at what she saw.
Chapter Fifteen
Smoke parked the golf cart at the base of the volcano and walked up to the cave entrance used for the volcano tour. Snaking back through the cave where tourists weren’t allowed, he unbuttoned his shirt and shorts to prepare to shift.
Before the meeting this morning at the office, he and Ash had planned how to tell their lady they were shifters, and she was their mate. He hoped that went over well. It could be the last time they saw her if she freaked out and left.
Dropping his clothes at the opening of the extinct lava tube, Smoke shifted and clawed his way up the shaft, digging his talons into the rock. It would have been so much easier to fly, but in daylight, someone besides his clan might see him, and that would not be good for keeping their identity under the radar.
After several minutes of hiking his massive body through the hole, he reached the top and crawled out. The bowl of the volcano looked pretty much as it had for a hundred years—solid rock and dusty. Tourists weren’t allowed to come down this far. The liability for allowing that would cost a fortune.
Although things looked the same, they didn’t smell the same. He followed his nose to the ocean side of the cone, where he found two things he shouldn’t have: wet ground and footprints.
The moist ground scented highly of saltwater. That was strange. How did saltwater get up there when the moisture under the volcano was fresh water from inside the earth? The steam he’d seen yesterday morning with the rumbling of the ground wasn’t what he thought.
Dr. Ishman wanted to know if any gasses were escaping from cracks in the caldera. He didn’t note any sulfur smell or other vapors. No breaks in the rock that would indicate the base of the bowl being pushed up by magma. He did find a hole where the rock was the wettest. That must have been where the steam or water had come from.
Strange how it just started doing this. But Isa had said it was because the island’s magic was weakening. Hopefully, now, with their mate on the island, they could shore up the problem and get on with their lives.
Convinced that the volcano was safe for the doctor to test with his equipment, he made his way to the top backside of the cone and dove off the two hundred foot high wall overlooking the cove with the sunken pirate ship. He free-fell as far as he could before spreading his large black wings with the red stripe running across them. He glided low, skimming across the top of the water.
He stared intently at the water, making sure no dark shadows lingered where he was. Last thing he needed was for some massive shark to jump from the water and try to eat him. Even though his dragon skin was tough, he didn’t want to find out if a shark could tear through it. He’d thought himself and Ash as invincible, but anybody could die in a freak accident.
Zipping over the top of the water, he took in the salty air and cool breeze across his scales. He circled low below the tree line, landing close to the opening at the base of the mountain. He retrieved his clothes, dressed, and returned to th
e golf cart. The meeting with the volcanologist should be over by now. He wondered if their mate would be at her bungalow. Only one way to find out.
Excitement raced through him and he drove a little too fast toward the office and her home. When he parked on the back road that led to the employee beach and marina he saw her walking the sidewalk. He jogged to reach her about the same time she arrived at her home. She disappeared from his sight at the moment he crossed from the road onto the resort. Then he saw her again, standing at her front door. But she wasn’t going inside, which seemed strange.
A bad feeling rolled through him. What was she staring at? He came up behind her and looked past her into her home. Either she was a really messy person or someone had ransacked her place. By her shocked expression, he’d go for the latter. He dragged his feet along the ground so she would hear him.
She turned toward him, eyes frightened. That look scared him. What was going on? Why would someone do this? He wrapped his arms around her and held her close, hoping to ease her fear.
“Hey, I’ve got you. Nobody’s going to hurt you.” He rocked her gently, breathing in deeply to take in her smell and the aromas coming from the inside. He should be able to tell who had been in her place once he picked up that person’s scent. “You okay?”
She sighed against his chest. “I don’t know. Why would someone trash my place? I’ve only been here a couple of days.”
That was a good question. “Do you want to go inside and have a look to see if anything’s missing?” He doubted it was a robbery. The clan wasn’t like that. Besides, what would she have that a dragon on the island would want? They were all paid extremely well and could purchase anything they wanted or needed.
Valentina turned in his arms, and he followed her in. With his first breath, he realized whoever had done this knew what they were doing. The air had been heavily sprayed with sanitizers and deodorizers that destroyed any scent he’d be able to pick up. Not to mention irritate the shit out of his nose.
