Nexus

by C. L. Parker

  “I see no reason to believe you wouldn’t be able to do exactly that, yes.”

  Thinking back on the times Dante had taken his father into his sanctuary during some of his many training sessions, something clicked. “Wait a minute. You’ve been in my sanctuary on more than one occasion.”

  “And a beautiful sight it is, too,” Drew acknowledged.

  “But you’ve never told me this bit of information before.”

  A devilish grin spread across his father’s face. “Indeed, I have not. How do you think I knew when you were up to something?” He laughed heartily. “Honestly, Dante, did you think I was psychic?”

  “More like I thought you really did have eyes in the back of your head. I was confounded by how you always knew things that you couldn’t possibly have known.”

  Drew sat back in his oversized chair, laughing even harder, and Dante shook his head. “That was bloody foul of you, you know that?”

  “Oh, give your old man a break. Raising a teenager is hard business. So, I took some liberties with my gift? Kept you from making some pretty horrendous mistakes, as I recall.”

  Dante couldn’t argue that. It had. And maybe, just maybe, his new knowledge could benefit Tori as well.

  “Thanks, Father. I do believe you’ve solved my dilemma.”

  Dante stood to leave, but Drew stopped him.

  “A word to the wise?” Drew started, and Dante turned to face him. “Although you might find the answers you’re seeking, be careful it doesn’t blow up in your face.”

  “How do you mean?”

  “By not disclosing your intent to Tori before you take her there, she may very well see it as an invasion of her privacy, which would be a betrayal of her trust. Best be prepared for the fallout if she ever figures it out.”

  His father’s words were very much worthy of taking note, but if this move gave Dante the advantage he needed to help Tori, then the reward would be worth the risk. Now, how to convince her to explore his world?

  At the fairy mound, Dante lay on his back atop the feather tick that covered the bed of foliage he had constructed by hand with a little help from his gift of the Light. Tori’s head rested on his bare chest—bare because that’s how she preferred him lately. The more of his skin she had access to, the better. Even at dinner she had somehow always managed to either entwine her fingers with his under the table, or when the moment required both of his hands to be on top of the table, she’d slip her fingers under the hem of his shirt for the slightest of touches.

  His heart beat rhythmically under her ear, a soothing sound that made her feel at ease and comforted, while she ran her nails through the soft trail of hair on his abdomen. With each pass, she inched closer to the waistband of his pants, trying to get up the nerve to ask him to shed those as well. More skin, more skin, more skin . . . Maybe if she got rid of her own clothes he would follow suit and they’d have one hell of a make-out session, or perhaps more.

  Whatever it took to be closer to him.

  Since the episodes at the cemetery and park, she had managed to avoid any more frightening occurrences by, well, avoiding people. Her reasoning was simple: If she couldn’t see them, they couldn’t morph into visions of evil incarnate or even death. Alone, she had lost all touch with reality, but Dante was her saving grace, the one thing that kept her grounded and helped her know the difference between what was real and what was a horrific, waking nightmare.

  “Do you want to talk about it?”

  Tori sighed. Again with the questioning. “I keep telling you there’s nothing to talk about, Dante. I’m fine.”

  “You’re a terrible liar.” She angled her face toward him and Dante touched her cheek, letting his fingertips drift down her jaw to trace its soft line to her chin. “But beautiful, besides.”

  Tori ducked her head and kissed the tip of his finger. “Flattery will get you nowhere. I promise I’m fine.”

  Dante sat up, propping himself up on his elbow and forcing Tori to roll onto her back. “I want to take you somewhere.”

  She huffed. “I don’t want to go anywhere, Dante. Can’t we just stay here and maybe make out?”

  Dante looked her over and bit down on his bottom lip. “Tempting, but I really think you’re going to love the place I have in mind. What would you say if I told you I can take you to a tropical paradise without even leaving this very spot?”

  Tori quirked a suspicious eyebrow. There was only one way for a Guardian to do that.

  “You wouldn’t happen to be referring to your sanctuary, would you?”

  “I would, indeed.”

  Just as she was about to protest, Dante leaned over and cut her off with a heated kiss to her full lips. He pulled back far sooner than she would have liked, but hovered teasingly close.

  “Imagine a world where only you and I exist, a million miles away from anyone or anything else, where all sensibilities are heightened.”

  “I have my own sanctuary, Dante, and I can go there any time I want. I’m perfectly aware of the selling points.”

  “Yes, but I’m not in your sanctuary. And I’m not asking you to take me into yours with you; I’m asking you to come into mine. Let me share my world with you, Angel. Say yes. I promise to make it worth your while.”

  She was curious what it would be like in Dante’s sanctuary; if he would have a wall in his as well. Somehow she knew he wouldn’t because the one in hers definitely didn’t feel like it belonged there. Apparently believing she needed further coercion, Dante dipped his head and began kissing her neck while his hand traveled down her stomach to cup her fully between the legs.

  Oh, sweet Jesus. The man knew how to talk her into anything. She was going to have to find a way to combat that, but today was not going to be the day. More, more, more . . . whatever it took to be closer to him.

  “Yes.” The single word came out as a breathless whisper to his ear.

  Dante stopped what he was doing and looked up at her. “Yes?” he asked, wanting to be sure of what he heard.

  Tori nodded. “Yes,” she said, taking his face in her hands and kissing him deeply.

  Dante rolled them onto their sides so that they were facing each other and broke the kiss long enough to say, “Concentrate, Angel. Concentrate on that vibration we feel when we touch one another. Close your eyes and let me take you away from here.”

  Tori did as he said, and then she felt his forehead press to hers. In a fraction of a second, she felt herself flying, like an invisible force had sucked her into a tractor beam and all sense of gravity had been ripped away. She clung to Dante, her fingers pressing into the skin of his face, neck, and head where she still held him.

  And then everything came to an abrupt stop.

  She was still trying to gather her wits about her when Dante’s lips gently pressed to hers. He took her hands and pulled them down by their sides. With another kiss to the tip of her nose, he whispered, “You can open your eyes now.”

  Tori’s eyes fluttered open and then widened in awe. Dante wasn’t kidding when he said his sanctuary was a tropical paradise. They were standing on a patch of the whitest sand, warm and baby soft under her bare feet, before a pool of azure blue water. The lagoon was surrounded by a mountain of green vegetation and rocks, worn smooth by five trickling waterfalls that almost seemed to be falling from the sky. Thick vines hung from the canopy of trees overhead, and in the center, beams of the sun’s rays cast a spotlight on the pool, its soft waves casting a reflection that made the water look as if it were full of shimmering blue diamonds. Although sparse, tropical flowers of vibrant oranges, reds, pinks, and purples dotted the landscape, their blooms emitting a fragrance that, if she could, she’d bottle to save as a perfume, becoming the envy of women everywhere.

  Tori could hear the crash of waves in the distance, so she turned, finding a sprawling beach untouched and unsoiled by man. Unlike the lagoon, the ocean’s water was a deep turquoise that darkened as the water deepened. Palm trees, heavy with their full he
ads of fruit, leaned toward the ground with a natural curve to their trunks, providing an abundance of shade. Between two hung a soft white hammock that swayed back and forth in the ocean breeze. Farther off, there was a range of more mountains, their peaks partially hidden by the low-lying clouds that hovered around them like scarves.

  Dante stood behind Tori and pushed her long hair off her shoulder to kiss her softly on the neck. It sent a pleasant shiver through her body and she smiled like a fool. His hands went to her hips and he pressed his cheek next to hers.

  “Welcome to my paradise, Angel. Now that you’re here, it’s finally complete.”

  “Wow . . . I should’ve had a bigger imagination.”

  Dante chuckled and took her hand. “Come on. I have something I want to show you.”

  “There’s more?”

  Tori followed along, but she couldn’t fathom anything more special than what she saw before her eyes. She loved her sanctuary; it was her home away from home; but Dante’s sanctuary . . . it just had a different feel to it. There was no wall stifling the natural beauty of his making, no black ooze, and no foliage dying from the poisonous touch of something that had no business being there.

  Dante held her hand, keeping her steady as they climbed over rocks to a gently worn path through the trees. Hearing movement from above, Tori looked up, seeing tropical birds in every shape and size peering back down at her. Their joy at seeing their master was palpable, and it made her feel even more special to be in his company.

  When the trees parted, the path opened up to another beach where a wooden pier stretched out over the ocean. At the end of the pier was an open hut with a thatched roof of palm green and no walls. In the center, a singular chaise lounge with a thick, pristine white cushion sat on the ground.

  “What’s this?” Tori asked as Dante motioned for her to stretch out.

  “Sometimes, when I just want to get away from it all and the fairy mound isn’t quite doing the trick, I come here.” He sat beside her and took her hand while resting his head against the back of the chaise. “There’s something about a panoramic view of blue waters and nothing else that really does the trick. Sort of like being lost at sea, only I’m completely all right with it. Out here, there’s nothing but me and my thoughts, and when I can no longer endure them either, I just shut it all off and imagine I’m drifting away on the waves.”

  He turned his head to look at her. His eyes searched her face for a long moment, and then narrowed as if he was confused.

  “What?” Tori asked.

  Dante shook his head. “Nothing. So, what do you think?”

  “I’ve never seen anything like it, and I’m glad you shared it with me, but . . .”

  As beautiful as Dante’s sanctuary was, and as safe as she felt, Tori’s thoughts only managed to come back around to more, more, more. She wanted him, needed to feel his touch, to be as close to him as two human beings could possibly be. So she curled her legs to get on her knees, and then straddled his lap. He looked at her inquisitively, biting down on his lip when she lifted the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head in one smooth motion.

  For the first time she was grateful for Gabe’s obsession with all things women’s lingerie and his compulsive need to shop. The matching hunter green silk bra and panty set was a gift from Gabe. Not that she actually thought Dante would be seeing them at the time she put them on, but still. Gabe had always said that something pretty against the girly bits made a woman feel more confident, even if she never intended for anyone else to see them.

  He was right.

  Dante’s drop-dead gorgeous smirk made an appearance when he registered her intent and he put his hands on her waist. “Are you quite sure you know what you’re doing?”

  As he spoke, his fingers moved up her sides and over her ribs. Expertly, he popped the front clasp of her bra, his eyes never leaving hers as he lifted the straps and slowly pulled them down her arms. Once it had fallen away completely, Tori inched back on his thighs. Her hands roamed over the expanse of his chest and stomach—her interest in that part of his anatomy was beginning to border on obsession.

  She cocked her head to the side and met his eyes while unbuttoning his pants. When she grabbed the zipper and began to pull it down, he watched, his hands moving to knead the flesh of her thighs.

  “And what exactly do you intend to do with my cock once you’ve unleashed it?”

  Heat flooded Tori’s cheeks. She had no idea what she was doing. A need for more had taken the driver’s seat, and there was no turning back. His baby blues flashed with the same hunger she felt, and the skin of her breasts tightened. She remembered his words that day during their first training.

  “Only one way to put the beast back to sleep once it’s been awakened,” she reminded him.

  Dante chuckled. “Oh, I really don’t think you’re ready for that.” He took her hands in his and kissed her knuckles before resting them on his stomach. “You’re letting something else lead you, Angel. You may not want to tell me what that is, but I know something’s wrong. Talk to me.”

  Tori looked down at his stomach and watched as the muscles of his abdomen flexed under the gentle scrape of her nails over his skin.

  “I just want to be close to you.”

  “Ah, Angel, sweeter words have never been spoken. But if it’s closeness you want, we can do that without risking your virtue. And if your hands stray any further toward my cock, your virtue will most certainly be at risk.”

  As if accepting the challenge, her fingertips dipped under the band of his underwear and moved back and forth, teasingly.

  “I want to make you feel good.”

  Dante put his hand on top of Tori’s, stopping her yet again, and then he lifted her chin to gaze into her eyes.

  “Every day that you allow me to be in your presence, every night that you let me hold you in my arms, every second that you look at me like there’s no place you’d rather be . . . that’s how you make me feel good. Before you, I never really felt anything at all. I was numb, going through the motions and simply functioning by necessity alone. But now, with every beat of your heart, with every breath from your lips, I feel alive for the first time. And you’re here, in the most sacred of places I have, leaving a permanent imprint on my soul. I feel you, Angel—all around me, through me, to my very core—and it feels very good.”

  “Beautiful words from a beautiful man. Why can’t you see that I want this? I want you, Dante.”

  Tori leaned forward and kissed him tantalizingly slow while rocking back and forth to distract him. When she felt his hands fall away and begin to stroke her thighs, she pulled back. Every ounce of lust and need she felt coursing through her body was poured into the look she gave him, and a whispered plea fell from her lips. “Please . . .”

  Dante’s eyes closed and his head fell back, his jaw clenching with restraint. “What do you want from me, Angel?”

  His resolve was weakening, and Tori took full advantage. She pressed her naked chest to his, pausing to savor the delicious current that passed between their Guardian skin with a seductive hum of appreciation. Leaning in, her mouth ghosted over his as she pressed her core to the straining bulge of his cock.

  “More . . . I want more.”

  She lightly nipped his bottom lip, grinding against him with a need she had never felt before.

  Dante exhaled, his warm breath coming out in a gush. Something cracked inside him. Something primal and animalistic. And then one of his hands ensnared itself in her hair and his lips met hers fully in a sinful kiss that fueled her need for anything he was willing to give. His other arm wrapped around her waist and he rolled them so that Tori was on her back and he was the one in control.

  His hands and mouth were a flurry of activity as he kissed and touched her all over. Swept away by his maddening skills, Tori barely even registered the fact that he had rid her of her shorts and underwear until she was left writhing and completely naked beneath him.

  When he
pulled back and made an agonizingly slow sweep over her body, Tori could’ve sworn she felt hands where there were none.

  “You are so beautiful, Angel.”

  His fingertips whispered over the gentle slope of her breast to its peak and then down the flat plane of her stomach until he reached the soft curls at her center.

  “I’ve wanted to taste you since I first undressed you in my mound, but I will not be denied what I want while in my sanctuary.”

  Without further warning, Dante positioned himself between her thighs. Instinct compelled Tori to lock her knees together, but his presence there sort of made that impossible. She was embarrassed for him to be so close to her private parts, but he looked at her almost reverently, like he couldn’t wait to put his beautiful mouth on her.

  Oh, God . . . he was going to put his mouth on her.

  As if reading her thoughts, Dante licked his lips and dipped his head to lightly kiss her—down there. Her body jerked and a tingling sensation of pleasure rippled through her, making every nerve in her body come alive like they had been awakened from a long slumber. Again, he kissed her, but with an open mouth this time, and she could feel his tongue slowly make a pass over her most sensitive spot, eliciting an involuntary moan.

  Dante lifted his head and licked his lips as he looked into her eyes. “Forbidden fruit is so sinfully delicious.”

  He went in for another taste and her back arched, but she was too enthralled by what he was doing to look away. He kept his eyes on her glistening center, watching as he kissed, licked, and sucked at her. When his mouth latched on and his tongue began to flick back and forth over her clit, his lids closed and he hummed like she was the best damn thing he had ever tasted in his life.

  Tori’s head fell back and she rolled her hips against him even as he placed a forearm over her abdomen to keep her in place. More, more, more.

  His mouth was hot, the manipulations of his tongue and lips, unrelenting. And then she felt something warm and thick inside her—his tongue—and jolts of that familiar sensation she had felt by his exploring hands before flowed through her. She no longer had control of her breathing, but she didn’t care. What Dante was doing felt too good for her to be concerned with required bodily functions, and any sense of modesty was long forgotten. All that mattered, all that she craved was being provided by the masterful man between her legs.