The Darkness of Sable

by Faith Bicknell

  “I don’t think that at all,” she whispered.

  “I want you, Sable. I not only want the pleasure of your body but also your mind, your laughter, the way you glance over your shoulder at me with those big, dark eyes.” He sighed and seemed to finally get a grip on himself. “You’ll never stop intriguing me, Sable. You’re an enigma. You keep me guessing, keep me coming back for more.” He drew in a deep breath then released it slowly. “I think we’d better stop this now while we can.”

  She tucked her head into his neck and listened to the steady thrum of his pulse. She didn’t care what happened anymore as long as she could be with Thomas. She wanted him body and soul, and in return, she was prepared to offer him hers. Finally, she leaned back, pulled her sash loose, and let her robe fall open. His gaze met hers. He pushed the robe over her shoulders where it fell around her waist.

  Thomas stood and allowed his robe to drop to the floor. He hooked his thumbs into the waistband of his briefs and tugged them down his muscled legs, stepping out of them. His body, honed by exercise gyms, appeared chiseled in the dim lighting. His cock, large, hard, and eager, bumped at his navel. Sable gulped, wondering if she could handle him and knowing she sure as hell was going to give it her best shot.

  He leaned over her, one knee parting her thighs.

  Her heart pounded in anticipation, and molten need spread through her abdomen. “I’ve never felt this way before,” she whispered.

  “I like that.” His voice rumbled through the suite and vibrated every nerve ending in her body. “Now, let’s see how long it takes me to make you scream. Maybe you’ll forget the past few days for a while, too.”

  His lips met hers and demanded a response that Sable met with fervor. The roughness of his beard, the teasing maneuvers of his tongue, and his roving hands stoked a fire in her abdomen that spread throughout her limbs. Her nipples turned into erect buds that Thomas sampled as if they were delicate candies. She moaned, tracing the muscles of his back, and arched her hips, wanting him, needing him to make her forget her troubles, her worries, but most of all, she needed him to make her his woman.

  “Please,” she whispered.

  “Patience, baby girl.”

  “I don’t have any patience tonight.”

  His low chuckle served to fan the flames of her yearnings. “I’ve waited too long to be with you just to squander our time with a quick roll under the sheets.”

  “Please, make love to me.” She wiggled beneath Thomas in an attempt to entice him into her body, but he kept his knee planted firmly at her pussy and lowered his head to sample her breasts once more.

  Fire sped along the Autobahn of her nervous system, the feelings pure euphoria. Rick may have made her crazy with lust, but Thomas wielded her body as if it were a weapon, a weapon used against her, and she welcomed it. Being with Thomas felt right. It was meant to be. With Thomas, she felt special, whole and content. She wanted to belong to him.

  He rose, took her by the hands, and drew her to her feet. “Come here. This couch just isn’t able to accommodate us.”

  He gripped her hips and lifted Sable. Surprised, she instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist.

  “I’m going to make love to you in the bed,” he murmured.

  Heat raced along her skin. Gently, she bit his trap muscle, flicking her tongue over the skin there. He paused in mid-stride, breath hitching, body tensing. She bit a little harder and sucked on the muscle.

  “Damn, woman!”

  He let her slide down along his form until her feet reached the floor. In an instant, he swept her to the carpet, his body covering hers. Simultaneously thrilled and startled, Sable spread her legs for him, her need for him so intense she almost believed she’d burst into flames.

  “I want you,” he growled, “and I’m going to take you now. Last chance to tell me no, baby girl.”

  “Yes!” She arched her hips, her pussy grazing the head of his cock.

  With a low growl, Thomas slid into her. Sable gasped, stiffening. The range of sensations and emotions that flowed through her was both beautiful and mind-blowing.

  His cock filled her, stretching her to the limit, and the head of it bumped the opening to her womb. An insane heat built within Sable’s core.

  She wriggled beneath Thomas, trying to arch her hips, but his weight pinned her.

  “Please,” she cried out in ecstasy. “Please, Thomas!”

  Another growl burst from Thomas. He thrusted, his movements slow at first but growing firmer. With each stroke, a spring wound tighter deep within Sable. She clasped his shoulders, her legs around his waist. Thomas’s drove so hard, he scooted her across the carpet. Her breasts tingled where his torso brushed against hers, and the explosive sensation in her body kept mounting…climbing…reaching higher…

  The coil broke.

  Sable screamed as wave after wave of the orgasm crashed through her. She bucked her hips and clutched Thomas to her breasts so tightly she momentarily wondered if she was squeezing the breath from him.

  Thomas grunted, pumping faster. He stiffened, moaning into her neck. He throbbed inside her, and liquid warmth followed the sensation. Stroking a few more times, Thomas relaxed. Slowly, he withdrew from her body. Together, they shook, panting, chests heaving.

  “More,” she whispered breathlessly.

  He laughed. “Give me a few minutes, my minx, and I’ll be happy to oblige.”

  They lay there on the floor, alabaster limbs entwined with mocha ones, and stroked one another’s skin. Sable relished the afterglow and prayed she hadn’t made a mistake. If Thomas changed his mind about her, it would rip her to pieces. She realized, too, that what she’d felt once upon a time with Hal was nothing in comparison to her feelings for Thomas. She’d lay down her life for Thomas and smile as she did so.

  The love for him rushed into her heart, nearly sweeping her away. She clung to him, the feeling so amazing tears flooded her eyes.

  Thomas kissed her temple. “Come on, baby girl. Let’s move to the bed.”

  He rose and helped her to her feet. She tried to look away, but not before he spotted the tears in her eyes.

  “Hey, what’s wrong?” He pulled her next to his naked form. “Are you regretting this already?”

  She snuggled her head on his shoulder. “No, not at all. I’m just…”

  He leaned back, forcing her to look him in the eyes, worry settling over his face. “What?”

  “For the first time in years, I’m truly happy.”

  The radiance of his smile felt as though the sun shone upon her after several days of rain. She couldn’t help but grin back. Shyness crept over her, though, shyness that she’d inadvertently allowed him a peek into her soul.

  Hardness poked at her belly, and she palmed his cock, squeezing it. He’s such an amazing man and lover, but how do I tell him I love him?

  A chuckle escaped Thomas. “Let’s make you happy even more,” he whispered. He grazed her lips with a kiss as he walked her backward a few feet and pressed her to the wall. He grabbed her ass, and, in one sudden motion, lifted her off the floor, penetrating her body.

  She threw her head back, banging it against the wall. A soft “Oh, Thomas!” fled her lips. With her legs around his waist, Sable could only arch her hips slightly to meet each of Thomas’s thrusts.

  “Damn,” he grunted and palmed her ass. “You feel incredible.”

  She kissed him, their tongues dueling, breaths mingling. She rode languidly on his cock, Thomas guiding her, driving his hips upward to meet her movements. Dimly, she was aware of a picture jiggling on the wall from their movements. Each of Thomas’s thrusts sent a lightning bolt of sensation to her core. His breathing grew more ragged. He tipped his head back, eyes closed, lips slightly parted, and murmured in pleasure, pumping into her.

  She whimpered, the spring within her tightening, tightening… He filled her up, the sensation overwhelming. Sable groaned and slowed her rhythm. She ground her hips against his, his cock bumping her
deep, special place. The dam within her broke, and intense sensation washed through Sable on a storm of ecstasy. She cried out and rode the feeling. Thomas sucked in a breath, stiffening. Warmth coated Sable’s passage, and a second, briefer orgasm seized her. She gasped and turned lax in Thomas’s arms. He gripped her tighter, panting with exertion.

  Still inside her, he strode to the bed, his dark, dreamy gaze never leaving hers. He leaned over with her until her back touched the spread, their bodies separating only briefly. Climbing onto the bed with her, Thomas slipped into her again, his cock still hard.

  “I’m not done with you yet,” he said softly and seized one of her nipples between his teeth.

  Sable gasped, arching into him, the need to come already building within her body. For the first time, she was allowing change into her life, and she welcomed it.

  A sound penetrated Sable’s mind. At first, she couldn’t pinpoint what it was, but it grew more insistent and more irritating. The warmth beneath her cheek shifted. Little by little, awareness invaded the darkness in which Sable slumbered.

  “Hey, the phone’s ringing.”

  “Hmm?” She fought to open her eyes.

  “Answer the phone.” Thomas’s voice sliced through her heavy shroud of sleep.

  She roused, moving her still-damp tresses out of the way. She rose from where she and Thomas had fallen asleep in bed and stumbled over to the writing desk, her crotch and inner thigh muscles sore from all their lovemaking. The phone continued to jangle on the desktop and on her nerves.

  Sable snatched up the portable phone. “Yes?”

  “Sable, this is Goldie. You said to call any time.”

  The last vestiges of slumber fell away from her mind like broken roofing tiles. “Of course! Did you find out where my daughter is?” Happiness rushed into her heart.

  “Yes, but she’s mixed up with people who will never let her go,” Goldie said. A sigh wafted over the line. “I don’t think you want to go any further with this, Sable. Cheyenne’s not the person she used to be.”

  “What do you mean?” Silence followed. Worry roared in behind Sable’s happiness. “Goldie?”

  Finally, The Golden answered. “I can take you to your daughter—”

  “Yes, please! When can I—?”

  “Sable, listen to me.”

  Startled by Goldie’s harsh, abrupt tone, Sable clamped her lips together.

  “I can take you to Cheyenne, but you need to prepare yourself for the change in her. She doesn’t want you to see her in her current state, but she understands and sympathizes with your need to find her.” She paused, allowing her words to sink in. “After I take you to her, you have to sever all ties with Cheyenne forever. Do you understand? You can never see her again after this.”

  “Why? Is she involved in drugs? Has she been sold into slavery?”

  “No, it’s nothing like that.”

  “Then what’s going on? Should I call the police?”

  “NO! Don’t do that. That’s the worst thing you could do, and if you call the authorities, they will know, and you’ll never get to see your daughter this one last time. Don’t bring anyone else with you.”

  “Who will know?” An icy sensation spread through Sable’s veins and crept up over the back of her skull. “Goldie, what kind of trouble has my daughter fallen into?”

  “Don’t ask any more questions. Just be ready in an hour. My grandmother and I will pick you up downstairs, okay?”

  “All right, but what about Hal, Cheyenne’s father?” She gripped the phone so hard her knuckles protested. “He’ll want to see Cheyenne, too.”

  “I don’t know…” Something disrupted the line, and Sable realized Goldie had covered the receiver. A minute passed, followed by another. Moments later, the muffled effect ended, and Goldie said, “Okay, make sure Hal is downstairs with you. We only have a small slot of time, so if he’s late, we leave without him. And no one else is to come, Sable, do you understand? No one!”

  Sable glanced at the clock on the bedside table: 3:03. She looked over at the balcony doors. Darkness cloaked them, the suite’s lights reflecting back at her in the glass. She felt like she’d been asleep for a week when it had only been a few hours.

  “Sable?”

  “Uh…yes, okay. I’ll only bring Hal, and I’ll call him as soon as I hang up.”

  “Good. We’ll see you in an hour.”

  The line clicked.

  In a daze, she set the portable down.

  “I take it that The Golden found out where Cheyenne is?” Thomas said. His arms slipped around her waist.

  With a sigh, she leaned back against his naked body and drew comfort from his warmth. “Yes, but I’m worried about what Cheyenne has gotten herself into. It doesn’t sound good.” Checking the clock again, she realized she’d better hurry and lunged out of his arms. She grabbed a clean pair of slacks and a T-shirt with NYC stenciled on it. “Would you call Hal for me? Tell him we’re going to go see Cheyenne and for him to meet me downstairs no later than four a.m.” She recited his cell number.

  “Sure, but I’m going with you.” He picked up the portable and dialed the number.

  “No, I don’t think that would be a good idea.” Sable offered him a quick rundown of what The Golden had told her and then hurried into the bathroom to brush her teeth.

  Thomas followed her. “I said I’m going with you.”

  She spun on her heel. “You can’t. Goldie was adamant that only Hal accompanies me, no one else. She said it would put Cheyenne in danger.”

  He sighed, and she watched as a myriad of emotions played over his features.

  “Don’t worry. Hal will be with me, and so will Goldie. I’ll be fine.”

  “I trust Goldie to protect you more than Hal will,” he retorted. “The only person Hal cares to protect is himself.”

  She strode into the bathroom.

  “Sable, I don’t like this.” Thomas stepped just inside the doorway, his gaze meeting hers in the mirror. “You have no idea what you might encounter. How will you protect yourself if things go bad?”

  “I have to see my daughter,” she mumbled around a mouthful of toothpaste. She spat, rinsed, wiped her mouth, and hurried past him to the bed where she drew on the jeans and the T-shirt she’d laid out. “Please give Hal a call for me.”

  With a disapproving sigh, Thomas dialed the number. Moments later, he whacked the phone down.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked.

  “Nothing. Just Hal being his usual jackass self.”

  “Is he going with me?”

  “Yeah, but all he did was bitch about me waking him up.”

  She frowned and shook her head. Once she found her loafers and set them next to the bed, she sat on the rumpled spread to comb the snarls from her hair.

  Thomas crossed the room and placed his hands on her shoulders. “Be careful,” he said. “I don’t like the idea of you going to meet Cheyenne without knowing where or who is involved. I can’t protect you from here. I could follow you, hang back and watch from a distance.”

  “I don’t know where we’re going, Thomas.” If she were honest with him, she was uneasy about going without him, too, but she had to see Cheyenne and figure out how to get her back. “You might not be able to follow us.”

  He squeezed her shoulders, his fingers massaging the muscles. “I have a bad feeling about this, baby girl.”

  She looked up into his eyes. The worry there touched her heart.

  “I’ll be fine,” she promised.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Den

  “I still don’t see why we couldn’t have waited until after breakfast to go see Cheyenne,” Hal said. He tapped the bowl of his pipe against the heel of his left hand. Ashes rained down on the concrete. “It’s barely four in the morning!”

  Sable gritted her teeth and drew in a deep, steadying breath. “Hal, we’ve been searching for our daughter for five years, and you’re bitching because you have to get up early? Thi
s is Cheyenne we’re talking about.” Patting her back jeans pocket, she reassured herself that her I.D. and debit card were secure.

  “I just don’t understand why we have to meet her now.” He rummaged into one jacket pocket, then the other. After retrieving his lighter, he flipped open his Zippo. Schlink. “The only people who get up at this ungodly hour are shift workers and dairy farmers.”

  “Why do you always have to be such an ass?” She gritted her teeth harder. Looking at her ex-husband only intensified the feeling of failure. At that moment, she missed Thomas so badly it hurt. If he had been the one to accompany her, she knew everything would have been okay. Memories of their lovemaking flowed through her mind. Heat coursed into her body, centering in her lower belly.

  Focus, Sable, focus!

  She couldn’t help it. Regardless of her concern for Cheyenne, she just couldn’t keep her mind off of Thomas. The way he’d felt thrusting into her, the kisses he’d trailed along her most intimate regions, the… I need something to snap me out of this sexual haze.

  Sable glanced at Hal again. Yeah, does it every time.

  She’d wasted years with Hal. The only good thing that had come out of their marriage was Cheyenne, and now even her daughter might be lost to her forever.

  “What?” Hal said, meeting her gaze. “Am I wrong?”

  “I admit it’s odd.”

  She blinked. Across the street, next to a lamppost, the black dog sat watching them. Even from a distance, she couldn’t miss the amber glow of its eyes. What did its presence mean? Why was it following her, watching her?

  A limo eased onto the carport and stopped.

  The back door opened, and Goldie’s voice drifted out. “Get in. Hurry.”

  Sable clambered into the car, followed by Hal sliding in beside her and shutting the door. The limo pulled away and drove out into the street.

  With her back to the driver, Sable glanced out the window.

  The dog was gone.

  “Good morning, Sable,” Isa said.

  She quickly introduced Goldie and her grandmother to Hal, then asked, “What’s Cheyenne mixed up in?”