Calm Before the Storm

by Cara Lake

  Tyr watched her in amazement. She was so small, so fragile and delicate, but her slightest touch was a smoldering brand against his skin. His hands wandered down to the place he’d been dying to go. He hesitated, although desperate to go further. “I want to see all of you,” he said, his eyes searching hers for permission. Tyr’s body relaxed, heart in his throat as Irina nodded biting her lip. She was so unbelievably seductive at that moment, his whole body groaned for mercy. What was she doing to him? Chocolate brown curls splayed wildly across the pillows, inviting his fingers to play. And her lips! Lush red cherries topping smooth, creamy satin cheeks dusted with freckles. He intended to kiss every single one of them.

  Unable to wait any longer, he gently opened the fly of her jeans and slid them off, his body gliding down hers, keeping contact with the warmth of her skin. Irina was gazing down at him, one arm above her head and the other stroking through strands of his hair and he reveled in each caress as she played in the dark waves, stoking the flames burning in his chest.

  Tyr’s eyes soaked in the glory of Irina, her nearly naked body a feast of lush curves that made his heart sing, her breasts two taut peaks of sensuous perfection. Pink nipples like tiny rosebuds waiting to be plucked. His hand skimmed one perfect bud and something in his soul shattered as Irina gasped in pleasure at his touch. He had never been so attuned to a lover’s body, most of his conquests easy lays, merely eager in their willingness to have sex with a celebrity. He had given them his body but never the secret part of himself that he kept in reserve. But with Irina everything was different. He was amazed that his touch could give her such rapture, that he wanted to give her more than he had ever given to anyone.

  Lowering his gaze toward the apex of her thighs, Tyr thought he had never seen a more breathtaking sight, the lacy triangle of her black panties an invitation impossible to resist. He pulled the scrap of silk away and the view was simply sublime. Heart turning somersaults, he could find no words as he began to adore the most feminine, mouthwatering part of her. Hearing her cries of pleasure, Tyr continued to lave the ambrosia and honey of her sweet flesh, encouraging her with words of praise.

  Irina had been stunned by the revelations she had always known. But hearing them from his lips at last! Her family’s murder had not been a random act just as she had always suspected. The image of Tyr as a boy had sustained her through the grief of that loss, the connection that had been forged in those moments, her one lifeline. A lifeline she was compelled to grab and hold on to for dear life. And that kiss! The branding, scorching kiss that sent her spinning out of control. And then he’d told her she was perfect! There was such reverence in his tone it caused her heart to stutter in near surrender, her body waving a white flag.

  Fingers caressing her sex, Tyr lightly brushed the tip of his thumb across her clitoris. Irina’s murmurs became whimpers of need as electrical pulses shot tingling sensations spiraling through her core. Her whole body turned weightless. She was floating, the fire of ecstasy rampaging through every cell, every part of her flesh. He began to press harder, circling the sensitive nerves and rubbing them until the pressure was almost too much to bear, her body shivering with every warm breath that stroked her soft folds.

  When his tongue began a soft invasion, licking and sucking the evidence of her desire, Irina succumbed to the bliss that was driving her to climax. “Tyr! Please, I need more!”

  “You taste so good, Irina! Come for me baby. I want to hear you scream my name as you come!” His praises singing to her soul, her body shuddered beneath him.

  Tyr carefully pushed two fingers into her core, gently delving, probing, and enticing every nerve to a frenzy. The white flag abandoned, her body a total capitulation, his fingers became more urgent as they worked a magical miracle. Irina arched her back as the spasms of not just one but a multiple of orgasms flooded through her leaving her senseless and gasping, the rippling sensations unlike anything she had ever experienced before.

  “Tyr! Oh my god!” she cried, clinging to him in helpless desperation as the last tremors dissipated, leaving her liquid and melting into the sheets.

  Still caressing the soft curls between her legs Tyr slid up her body until his eyes were level with hers. He wore a self-satisfied grin. “I’ve been waiting to do that forever,” he said, “and I can say without doubt it was worth the wait.” Irina gazed into those stormy black eyes that would forever be imprinted on her soul.

  “Glad you enjoyed it,” she said shyly. “I wonder what I can do now to oblige you.”

  “You don’t have to do anything; just this, being here with you is enough.” Such gentle words that warmed her body as she realized there was no pressure from him to do more. He kissed her again, deep and wet, inciting the warmth that licked across her flesh to a flaming to heat. The burn magnified. Could she ever get enough of this?

  Irina thought of her few sexual encounters at university. She had made out, had a couple of boyfriends but had never felt the urge to go all the way. Nothing had ever prepared her for the intensity of the feelings she was experiencing with Tyr. None of her previous boyfriends had ever gone down on her and it was something she had never done for them. The compulsion to touch and caress Tyr in the same way, to do for him what he had done for her was overwhelming. She would do it for him. Another imperative. Irina pushed against his shoulders to roll him over.

  “You’re overdressed,” she said straddling him, hands skimming his erection as it pushed against the fabric of his jeans. “Take them off!” His erection sprang free and her heart stuttered at the beauty of his male form. She took him in her hands and lowered her mouth.

  Irina could not believe her first taste of Tyr. The salty tang of the little beads of moisture at his head, the satiny texture of his skin over a rock-hard shaft and the sheer size of him almost had her coming again from pure shock, his erection a visual feast of masculine virility. She gave in to the adrenaline that sent her heart racing, wanting to give the same ecstasy to him as he had given her.

  Her hand clasped his erection, gripping as much as she could of it whilst continuing to suck and lick. Pumping the soft flesh up and down reveling in the solid strength, Irina wriggled up to rub his shaft between her breasts and over her nipples. It was her turn to play.

  Tyr fumbled to oblige when she ordered him to strip, staring up at her in awe. He couldn’t believe his little dove was taking control. And was she really going to? Yes…yes she was! Christ almighty!

  His whole body shuddered as she practically ripped his jeans off, cupped his balls in both hands and lowered the sweet perfection of her warm, wet mouth to cover completely the head of his cock, causing twitches of anticipation as Irina sucked and licked, her tongue a revelation that sent the blood pumping through his veins. He groaned for mercy as her wicked tongue began to tease up and down the length of his shaft, little flicks of pleasure sending tremors from base to tip. Her small hands continued to fondle and work his heavy sac as it tightened in expectation. She had him so wound up he felt like a coiled spring moments away from unraveling.

  The frantic friction had Tyr’s whole body jolting in abandonment. She returned her warm mouth to encircle the tip her tongue wild and hungry as she continued to suck, working Tyr to a climax that threatened to consume his whole body.

  “Irina… Christ, baby! I can’t hold on.” He bucked again. Tyr tried to hold back, not wanting to come in her mouth but she was insistent and his orgasm burst forth a torrent of semen that gushed into her throat and had her lapping it up greedily.

  Irina felt such elation as Tyr’s large frame shuddered finally into stillness and the last spasms of his orgasm ceased. She had loved watching him break apart because of her, loved the taste of him so much that she could easily become addicted. Loving the texture of his skin against hers, she continued to caress his shaft which remained semi-erect. Her boy had good recovery time. Her boy?

  God! Irina could not put into words how she felt about him at this moment. Tyr had hijacked her soul and
it felt as if her whole existence would be called into question if this man were not by her side. As she lay sated and happy against the smooth hardness of his torso and wondered again at the glory of this man she couldn’t help but adore, his arms enclosed her, inching her up closer so he could rest his cheek against her hair. “My god, Irina.” His voice was a throaty rumble dripping with sex and passion. “That was…” He appeared dazed. “I have no words,” he finally said, “but this should tell you everything that’s in my heart.” Tyr’s mouth closed over hers in another kiss of such scorching intensity that Irina thought she would never breathe again. Just as she was about to confess what was in her own heart, the bedside phone burst into life with a shrill tone that shattered the bubble that had surrounded them for that brief moment in time.

  Tyr rolled over to answer. “Okay. See you then.” He turned back to Irina. “Cassi’s almost here, ten minutes she said. Do you want to freshen up?”

  Irina nodded, grabbed her clothes and made a dash for the bathroom. Moments later, staring into the mirror, Irina was confronted by an unknown reflection gazing back at her. Cheeks flushed, eyes sparkling. Who is this person? It isn’t really me. I can’t believe what just happened! Did I really just do that?

  An overwhelming wave of panic engulfed her. A near-death experience can induce wild behavior. Perhaps what had happened was a reaction against the circumstances of the last two days. What did she really know about Tyr anyway? Yes, she conceded, he had saved her life as a child, but he had still been there, with them, a gang of murderers. He was involved with Abrasax and those creepy aliens she had somehow pushed to the back of her mind. What the hell were they? What the hell was going on? Tyr had said that Merak and Cassi would have some answers, so she would reserve judgment for now. And him? What about Tyr? His motives and actions were still questionable.

  Irina couldn’t deny the insane attraction she felt toward him and oh god did he make her feel good! But that was just physical. Wasn’t it? He was wickedly gorgeous after all. Who wouldn’t be attracted by him? But she didn’t know yet if she could trust him with her heart, a fragile heart that already had pieces missing because of her family. But what if she couldn’t resist? The truth was she had already started to fall for him in a big way, and if she let herself fall any further, she didn’t think there would be a safety net.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Irina had no time to discuss with Tyr what had happened between them. As soon as she exited the bathroom there was a sharp rap on the door. Tyr, still shirtless moved stealthily over to stand behind it, proving to her that he was taking no chances where her safety was concerned. She couldn’t help but stare in fascination at the honed beauty of the muscles that flexed with tensile strength as he stalked into position.

  “Irina, it’s me, Cassi. Are you in there?” a muffled voice said. Tyr lifted an eyebrow and Irina nodded toward him. “It’s her,” she said. He opened the door, remaining behind it as Cassi all but charged into the small space. She hugged Irina to her chest. “Thank goodness you’re okay!” she cried. “I was so worried!”

  Before Irina had time to notice what was happening, Tyr had pounced on the lean figure following Cassi blithely into the room, and her eyes widened in alarm as she realized Tyr’s hands were practically choking Luc to death. She had no time to respond as he rammed Luc face first into the wall, grabbing one arm behind his back. Luc tried to fight back, kicking his legs backward but Tyr just intensified his grip. “Who’s this?” he growled, his voice vibrating with anger. “I thought you were alone.”

  Irina struggled from Cassi’s embrace. “Let go of him!” she cried, panicking as Luc fought for breath. “That’s Luc. He’s a friend!” Pulling Tyr off him, Irina put herself in front of Luc who was coughing and gasping for air. Pushing Tyr away, she turned to Luc, her arms going around him as she soothed, “Luc, are you okay?” She brushed a lock of his hair away from his eyes. “Do you want some water?” Luc waved his hand in a gesture that said, “give me a minute.” Turning back, she faced Tyr, not hiding the anger in her voice. “Do you always act before thinking?” she cried. “This is not a boxing ring, you know!”

  Tyr stood back, bristling with barely contained rage, held immobile by the fiery glint in her eyes. He didn’t usually jump in at the deep end, and during his career had always been respected as a clearheaded fighter of great tactical skill who used strategy over brute force. Boxing clever as Sal used to say. His greatest asset was his innate ability to size up his opponents and prey on their weaknesses. He never charged in like a reckless hothead. This overwhelming compulsion to protect Irina had him losing focus, muddling his thought processes, tying his brain up in knots.

  As Irina continued to hold Luc, Tyr’s blood heated, seething with the need to claim her and announce she was his and his alone. He was still feeling the effects of the time they had spent together and the primitive urge to possess, to own, couldn’t bear to see her so close to another man. Those urges viewed Luc as a possible threat and every fiber of his being screamed a warning. He began to understand how he could be War. He certainly wanted to declare it here and now on Irina’s friend.

  “What the fuck was that for?” cried Luc, finally able to speak. “I think you need to keep a leash on him. Does he always attack innocent bystanders? Maybe you want to take it outside and we can do this properly!” Luc’s blue eyes flashed with anger as he glared at Tyr and forced his way past Irina to confront him.

  “Now, now, boys, time enough for you to play fight later, let’s not go to the dark side yet, Luc. And you,” warned Cassi, pulling Luc back and eyeing Tyr censoriously, “try to play nice for a moment. You can check out who’s got the biggest toy in the sandbox later.”

  Irina stood by, ignoring Tyr and turned to Cassi. “The boys,” she stressed the word, sarcasm evident in her tone, “can attack each other later. Right now I want to know what this is all about, Cass, because I think I’m going completely crazy and I’m not sure I can handle much more.”

  Tyr tried to relax as Cassi smirked, appearing to take delight in the situation. “How to begin?” she mused. “Well, let’s see, first off how about this. I’m not from Earth, there are other worlds that exist in the universe, bad alien creatures want to cause chaos, I and others of my kind try to stop them and you three are chosen Esseni, which basically means you have to help.”

  She looked around at the three of them with a grin of satisfaction. “There you go. You’re all up to speed now and we can get on with saving the universe.”

  Irina’s expression was furious. “You call that an explanation?” she said. “I’ve been through a bomb blast, kidnapping, near rape by huge monsters with claws and fangs, broken up a fight between two rutting stags,” her eyes darted between Tyr and Luc, “and that’s all I get? ‘Irina I’m an alien and you’ve got to help save the world!’ Well excuse me for being just a little pissed off!”

  “Let’s just all calm down and take a breath,” said Cassi placatingly. “Think happy thoughts. I can see it’s going to be a long night.”

  “Cassi,” said Tyr, trying to clear his head and ignore the fact that Irina still had her hand on that bastard Luc’s arm, and that Luc was glaring at him with open hostility. “Abrasax told me some story about me being an Esseni. Are you saying that Irina is one too?”

  “Yes, and Luc is one also, so this is like an Esseni convention.”

  “And Esseni are containers of particular essences that are important?” Cassi nodded that he was correct. “So which essence does Irina contain? Abrasax told me I’m War. Is that right?”

  “That’s right.” Cassi raised her eyebrows as if impressed. “Top marks to Abrasax. He’s obviously been doing his homework.”

  “And Irina?” Tyr was insistent.

  “Look it doesn’t really matter at the moment. We basically need to get moving and get you somewhere safe. Abrasax will be looking for you and because your auras are now visible, the shielding we had in place is not fool-proof protection.”<
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  “Our auras…what do you mean by that?” Tyr asked with a frown of confusion.

  “Every Esseni has an aura that is a manifestation of their essence. That’s how you are identified although it’s not always strongly visible but now yours and Irina’s are.”

  “What does it look like?” asked Luc. “I can’t see anything around them.”

  “It’s hard to explain. It’s like a glow of light that leaves a signature trail but only trained beings can see or sense it.”

  Irina’s anger was dissipating. She was still confused with all the revelations Cassi was throwing at her, but one thing had hit her with awful clarity. “Have you and Merak been shielding me since my parents died?” Cassi inclined her head. “And…and is that why they died? Abrasax was looking for me because I’m this…Esseni thingy?” Cassi nodded again. “Did my parents know?”

  “They must have,” said Cassi. “When we found you in the orphanage we found traces of shielding protection over you. You are half Lyrani, Irina. We know your father was Earthani but we were unable to trace your mother. She probably changed her name but we believe she was a very powerful wiccani, what you would consider a witch. She had powers drawn from light magick but somehow the protections she put in place were breached.”

  Irina felt her legs nearly give way and she had to sit down on the bed to stop herself from falling over. It was true then. Just as she had always suspected. It was her fault that her family had died. The guilt sat heavily on her shoulders, hot tears burning her eyes. She couldn’t even begin to comprehend the other stuff Cassi had mentioned—other planets, witches, aliens and Esseni. Her whole family was dead because of her.