Annie frowned, foreboding heavy in her stomach. “Waiting for what?”
“To leave.” Miranda floated down until she sat across from Annie. “When you called Dunley, the presence left, too.”
Oh God. A darker let loose on the Earth. Annie stood, strength flowing into her limbs as resolve steadied her shaky nerves. “We must get to work, Miranda. If we don’t find the darker, he will use his energies to harm, maybe to kill. With each evil act, he will grow stronger.”
Miranda paled, though it shouldn’t have been possible given her ghostly complexion. “Dunley! You have to call him back. Now.”
“No. His task is important and we don’t need him to find the darker. I know what to do.”
Chapter Five
“Take this, you bitch,” he roared, stuffing his cock into her virginal ass. His companion laughed, but enjoying her defilement wasn’t enough. While the man above her heaved and shoved, damaging tissues and ripping open her flesh, causing pain to spike up her spine and into her head, his fetid breath making her gag, the other guy managed to stick his dick into her mouth.
His mistake.
She bit it, her teeth ripping into the soft flesh.
His screams ended the rape, but started the beating. The hitting, punching, and kicking didn’t last long. Bleeding and cursing and limping away, the second man couldn’t afford to finish the job, and his buddy left with him, both of them believing they’d left her for dead.
Neither one of them had a gun, just raw nerve and good timing. She had fought, struggled, begged…it hadn’t done any good, hadn’t bought her any mercy. After they left, she stared at the ceiling, her eyes open and glassy, trying to fade from the physical world, beseeching God for death. Then Ben walked in, terror and panic in his voice as he shouted her name…
“Nooooooo!” Sarah struggled out of the covers and landed feet first on the floor, her heart pounding erratically. Sweat dripped down her neck and her body felt cold and clammy. She shoved herself into the robe at the end of the bed and hurried out to the deck, hoping the friendly breeze would clear away the nightmare.
She’d slept in. By the angle of the sun, she guessed it was past noon. She shivered, caught in the brutal memories she had mistakenly thought could be conquered. Her phone sex with Ben had given him hope…had given her hope. What would he say when he arrived tomorrow and found his wife as frigid as ever? Tears fell, but goddammit, she was tired of crying. She wiped away the moisture, but couldn’t stop sobbing, and disgusted with herself, she turned and went inside.
Her tear-blurred gaze lit on the table. Brunch. It was like magic the way the food appeared without her ever seeing a single person. Hell, she hadn’t left the room since she’d arrived yesterday. She’d slept more in the last twenty-four hours than she had in the last twelve months. But the nightmares had returned.
The contentment she’d owned since coming to the resort slipped away like sand clutched too tightly in a fist. The creeping depression she knew too well replaced it, the dark poison piercing her happiness like a scorpion sting.
The mango was juicy and sweet, the kiwi with an edge of tart. She ate mechanically, drinking the mimosa and nibbling the Danish with little enthusiasm. Feeling tired and weepy, she took a long, hot shower. She decided against makeup, pulled her hair into a ponytail, and dressed in knee-length summer dress the color of tangerines. She wandered aimlessly around the room, debating the merit of taking a walk on the beach. She didn’t want to stay in the room, but she didn’t want to leave it, either.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Startled, Sarah whirled around and stared at the door, her heart stalling. “Oh crap.” Shaking off her silly overreaction, she hurried to the door and cracked it open. “Yes?”
“I’m your tour guide, Mrs. Slatterly.”
She opened the door wider and gasped. The man was tall and rangy, dressed in a pair of khaki shorts and an outrageous shirt sporting blue and red flowers. His shaggy brown hair was topped by a backward-worn blue baseball cap and his brown eyes twinkled with humor. He looked at her, his lips tilting into a familiar smile. “Hi! I’m Dunley.”
* * * * *
The dark soul who’d escaped Limbo watched the one called Dunley. The night the darker left the mortal world, he carried his evil into the car with the handsome man and pretty, pretty woman. He wanted the woman, to hear her scream and beg, to give her the pain that brought him joy. But he had no hands to grab her, no cock to fuck her, no mouth to bite her tender flesh. In his rage, he used the last of his energy to increase the vehicle’s speed, make the brakes fail, and wrench the wheel from the man’s grasp.
When the car crashed into the tree, their souls left the bloodied and broken bodies, rising toward a place of light that repelled the darker. But they turned away from the horrible glow and he followed them, skirting the edge of the place known as Limbo, and waited. Dunley was called and the darker followed, an invisible wisp of malevolence slithering out of the witch’s lair and into the mortal world.
The darker looked at the woman and hissed in recognition. Her! Hate and hunger ravaged him. Alive. Alive when he was not. Still beautiful, the only scars left on her were invisible to the human eye. That pale, fragile beauty drew him before, made him watch her, follow her, wait for the perfect moment.
He floated near the ceiling, watching Dunley charm her. She laughed and nodded, then grabbed a large floppy hat. As they left the room, he remembered the pain he’d caused her and savored the memories of it. Hmmm. She had begged and screamed and fought. Pleasure shuddered through him. Oh yes. He would have the woman again. And this time…she would not escape her fate.
* * * * *
“I have a confession.”
Sarah turned from watching the waves hit the beach to look at Dunley. She felt oddly at ease around him. He was the only man besides Ben that she felt comfortable enough to be alone with. The depression threatening her just minutes earlier drifting away like the clouds lazily moving through the sky above.
“Sins, Dunley?” She closed her eyes and dug her toes into the warm, wet sand. “I’m not a priest.”
“I’m part of your anniversary gift.”
Her eyes flew open and she stared at him. She had yet to figure out how she’d managed to have dream sex with a man she hadn’t met. It boggled her mind. He was so charming, so kind. She hated to admit it, but there was a sexual awareness between them. She tried to quell the attraction because, damn it, Ben deserved better from her.
“The resort is a lovely place. I’m glad Ben arranged it.”
Dunley’s lopsided grin held a hint of embarrassment. “Not the resort, Sarah. Me.”
“You?” She frowned. “What are you trying to say?”
He enfolded her hand into his own and lifted it, palm up, for a kiss. “I’m here to pleasure you. To give you what Ben wants to give you.”
Her pulse leapt at the forbidden and tempting thought of having sex with Dunley. No. She snatched away her hand, anger zipping up her spine. “You’re insane. Ben would never, never… God, I don’t even know what to call it. He wouldn’t rent a man for me.”
“A husband who loves his wife wants only what is best for her.”
“And that’s you? Hah!” She turned and marched closer to the waves, sucking in a breath when the cold water surrounded her feet.
He followed, and when she looked over her shoulder to glare at him, he waved a piece of paper at her. “From Ben.”
She whirled, snatched it out of his grasp, and opened it.
Dear Sarah,
I love you so much. This anniversary may be the most important one we ever celebrate. Please understand when I tell you that sending you to the resort is more than just a getaway.
I want you to have fun and to learn how to enjoy sex again. I’ve been promised that Dunley knows what he’s doing and I trust that what unfolds between the two of you will only make our loving better. Remember, you are my life.
I will see you soon, baby. If all goes we
ll, you will have the best weekend of your life.
Love always,
Ben
Sarah licked her dry lips, desire fluttering in her belly. Ben wanted her to—to fuck Dunley? Why? She pressed the note against her chest and closed her eyes. Did her husband think it was his fault she was frigid now? That if he couldn’t rouse her desire, another man, a stranger, could? It’s true. You made love to Dunley, somehow, someway, in that dream…and you were able to imagine sex with Ben afterwards.
“It doesn’t feel right,” she said, opening her eyes and looking at Dunley. “How can I sleep with you when I can’t bear the touch of the man I love?”
“You will, Sarah.” He brushed her cheek with a calloused thumb. “And when Ben arrives, you’ll have us both.”
Fear and desire clashed. Two men? No goddamned way. It would be too much like the rape. She heaved a breath, terror trapping the air in her lungs. Was Ben crazy? She sucked in calming breaths until her body stopped trembling. Her thoughts jumbled together, but one pushed to the forefront.
Ben and Dunley stretched out beside her, their hands stroking her flesh, their mouths kissing and suckling…
“Oh my God.” Lust gathered, pushing thorny need into her cunt. Was it possible she was getting turned on by the scenario of fucking two men? After the rape…no, Sarah. Time to heal. Time to let go.
Could she find pleasure with Ben and Dunley together? If they would pamper and coddle and indulge her until she found only ecstasy…would that act replace the ugly memories of being tortured and hurt by two evil men? Would being taken in joy and in love by two beautiful, kindhearted lovers mean her salvation?
“Dunley…”
He slipped his hands under her dress, his fingers sliding up her thighs, lifting the dress until her thong underwear was revealed. His fingers looped under the band and drew them down. “I’m hard for you now,” he said. “I want to take you from behind, okay? You’ll feel me, but you won’t see me. It’s a good way to start. Remember, just say the word and I’ll stop.”
She’d lost the ability to speak. Her mind fogged with desire, its heat prickling her skin. God, she was so wet. It wasn’t possible…shouldn’t be possible…
“For you.” Dunley produced a finger-shaped vibrator. It was pink, made of soft plastic, with spikes on the tip. “Control your pleasure.” He winked. “Control me.” He tucked it into his pocket. “When you’re ready…”
He waited, demanding nothing. His tender patience released her from lingering doubts. Ben’s note fluttered away in the wind as she let it go, and with it, her inhibitions.
Sarah unbuttoned the top of her dress. Her breasts were small, like grapefruits, and didn’t need the annoying harness of a bra. Dunley’s eyes darkened as he watched her reveal them, cup them, and offer them. “I love it when Ben plays with my breasts.”
Leaning forward, he suckled the hardening nipple of the left tit, the pressure of his mouth, the swirl of his tongue, shooting fire down to her groin. She moaned, arching back to offer him more. He switched to her right breast, lavishing attention on the aching peak. “That feels good.”
He sucked, kissed, licked for endless, wonderful moments…then he used his hands to knead the sweet flesh, pinching and tugging the nipples until Sarah panted and moaned and wiggled.
She needed something…something more…she looked down at Dunley, watched him pleasure her tits with hands and mouth. Her knees quaked, threatening to buckle. She pulled Dunley’s head away from her chest, and stared at him, knowing her eyes had the glazed look of someone on the edge of orgasm. Her body shivered with terrible need.
Words wouldn’t come so she lifted her dress, holding its edge, and got on her hands and knees. She offered her ass to him, her breathing reedy, her heart thumping fiercely, as she waited to feel his cock slid into her cunt. Smells of the ocean’s brine, the sweet grasses in the dunes to her left, assailed her. The air smelled fresh and clean, the scents of hope and desire as heady as those of ocean. The sand was soft and warm under her palms and knees, nature’s silky bedding.
She heard Dunley’s shorts hit the beach, felt him kneel behind her. The thick length of his cock slid between her thighs and rubbed her sensitive clit. She swallowed the knot of cold fear lodged in her throat. Go away, Fear. I’m tired of being scared.
Dunley moved between her thighs, his cock sliding in and out to tease her pussy lips open, to bump the clit. Little waves of bliss rolled through her. Soon, she relaxed and simply enjoyed the pseudo-fucking. The sway of their bodies, the smack of flesh on flesh, oh yes. Joy shuddered through her, its heat melting away the cold terror that tried to hold her hostage.
He was waiting for her again, waiting for her permission.
“Take me,” she said. “Please.”
An eternity passed before she heard the tiny whirr of the vibrator. He bent over her, wrapped an arm around her stomach, and slipped the tiny pink device against her pussy, in the perfect spot along her clit. The heavenly vibrations kept her panic at bay when he edged the tip of his dick into her. It felt too good, too delicious to deny. Dunley pushed inside, inch by inch, until he filled her.
She breathed deeply, feeling the nearness of her orgasm. God, she was turned on. She bumped him with her ass, and he took the hint, starting a slow rhythm. His cock’s tender pumping brought tears to her eyes. It felt good. Having a man’s penis inside her felt good.
He increased the pace, his chest rubbing against her back, thinly protected by the dress. His groans made her pussy clench and pulsate. How he managed to rub the vibrator in the right spot and keep his perfect fuck rhythm was beyond her, but damned if she cared.
“Oh God. Yes. Yes!” Bliss threatened, spikes of pleasure piercing her, then she came, hard, her screams echoing down the beach. Her clit was too sensitive for the vibrator’s ceaseless movements, but Dunley was merciless. He pounded into her now, his cock plunging into her come-slick cunt, and kept that vibrator rubbing and moving until another orgasm rolled through her.
Dunley dropped the vibrator and shoved away from her. She flipped to her back, still shuddering from the intensity of her orgasms, and watched him stroke his cock. His gaze held hers, dark with desire, glazed with passion. He stroked hard and fast, his hips moving, groans turning to cries as he came, his seed jetting out onto the wet sand.
Chapter Six
On Friday morning, Ben arrived at Dunley’s Beach Resort. The weather-beaten Victorian three-story stirred a longing in him he couldn’t name. It was quiet here. Only the wind greeted him, bringing along the smells of ocean and sweet grass. Freedom. Yes, it felt like freedom, standing on the porch as he stared at the waves lapping the shore and thought about Sarah. This place feels just like Sarah.
He entered the tidy, sparse lobby and saw a large, black woman tending the registration desk. Her wide smile was filled with perfect white teeth, and her brown eyes twinkled with mischief.
“Well, now, ain’t you a pretty one?”
Her accent was faint…Jamaican? He placed the single bag onto the floor and leaned on the shining cherrywood counter. “So are you,” he said, giving her a wink.
She laughed. “Oh you smooth, all right. Miss Sarah is waitin‘ for you. Told me to send you right on up.” She passed him a big gold metal key. “Room Thirty. First door you see on the third floor.”
“Thanks.”
“Don’t worry about your suitcase. The bellboy will take it up.” She made shooing motions. “Go see your woman, Ben Slatterly.”
* * * * *
“I can’t do this.” Sarah paced the floor, the white lace robe fluttering as she walked back and forth across the room. “He won’t understand. Oh my God. What if—what if he hates me for…” She waved a hand. “You know.”
She spun and faced Dunley who lounged, naked…really, really naked….on the bed. He flipped through a women’s magazine, one of the many she’d brought with her thinking she’d need a distraction.
Hah!
“It says here that a
man likes it when a woman sticks her tongue in his ear and breathes heavy.” He looked at her with brows raised. “Just for the record, tongues and heavy breathing are better enjoyed at cock level.”
Sarah rounded the bed, snatched the magazine out of his hand, and tossed it to the floor. “My husband is on his way up here and I have to tell him I’ve had sex with you. You! When I haven’t been able to—”
“Sarah!” Dunley pulled her onto his lap and held her by the waist. “Take a deep breath.”
She sucked in a deep breath and blew it out.
“Have I told you that a cupless bra and matching thong are obscenely sexy?” He dipped a finger into robe and swiped her nipple. “Red is somehow so…sinful.”
“Dunley, you are impossible.”
“I know.”
The key rattled in the lock, and Sarah nearly jumped out of her skin. She tried to clamber off Dunley, but his strong hands held her in place. She sat across his thighs, his cock nestled against her crotch, thick and hard and ready. He twitched it against her pussy, causing trembles of need. Then the door swung open and Ben entered, the grin on his face fading as his gaze took in Sarah and Dunley.
Sarah’s throat closed, knotted with guilt and sorrow. “Ben. I can exp—”
“Join us, Ben.” Dunley patted the bed. “I was just getting ready to make love to your wife.”
Sarah felt the blood rush out of her face. “Stop it!”
“This is…the session Annie talked about?” Ben crossed the room, and Sarah wanted to smooth away the furrows in his brow, talk to him until the pain left his eyes.
“Yes, Ben. It’s for her. It’s all for Sarah.”
“I understand.”
Two Men and a Lady Page 21
