Caress The Dark God [Scions of the Ankh 2] (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Toni L. Meilleur

  “Unbraid your hair for me.” he ordered, his voice husky as he watched her. Of their own accord, Tessa’s fingers moved to unbraid her hair. “Toss it for me.” Tessa obeyed, tossing her head lightly side-to-side, shaking out the ringlets until they hung wild around her face. “Now, undress me,” he commanded.

  Chapter Six

  He could see the flight or fight instinct kick in. Tessa’s scent was one of arousal, her demeanor that of frightened prey. However, the steel that ran down her spine was intriguing. Despite her ambiguous feelings, she stayed rooted to the spot.

  Anubis rose from the bed, never breaking their locked gazes. “Well, if you’re just going to stand there, I will undress myself.” He undid the leather belt around his waist. “Don’t say I didn’t give you the opportunity for retribution.” His shoes came off and her eyes tracked his movements with sharp scrutiny. “I have had a long night and I need to bathe before I tackle the problem at hand.”

  She snapped her attention back to his face. “Has there been any more news?”

  Anubis laid the now discarded belt neatly across the bed. Deliberately, he took his time answering. He had to word his answer carefully. He and Thoth had been trying to piece together the mystery. As of yet, he couldn’t figure out where that strange source of power he’d felt earlier had come from. It was raw power, evil. Thoth had gotten right into investigating it.

  “A few hours ago, there was an incident at a casino. Several hundred people were found dead. They exhibited the same traits as the people in my hospice. Whatever the cause of the illness, it is no longer giving people a few hours to live. It’s killing them instantly.”

  “You mean the virus has mutated?” Tessa shook her head. “What the hell could it be?” She seemed to ask the last question more to herself. Anubis kept undressing. He made sure his next comment garnered her attention.

  “Surely you’ve seen a naked man before, doctor?” He watched as her eyes traveled all over his body. A flush came to her face, as well as raw desire. He couldn’t resist reading her thoughts. She wanted him. Thought him beautiful. Her arousal climbed until he could smell nothing else. He could hear the rhythm of her breathing. Her reaction heightened his own. In response, his manhood reacted, and her eyes grew round as she watched.

  “Wh–, what do you think you’re doing?” her strong voice belied the panic in her eyes.

  “Undressing in my room. I don’t know about you, but I have a nasty habit of bathing in the nude. Care to join me?” he whispered, careful not to put a compulsion into his words. “We’re adults, Tessa.” He held out his hand in invitation. “It’s been a long night. Let me take care of you. I promise I won’t do anything you don’t want me to do.”

  But I want you to do everything. He plucked the thought from her mind as it surfaced. He grinned and made his way towards her. Her eyes watched his cock as it bobbed. If possible, he got even more aroused. “I’ll behave,” he promised. He watched as she wrestled with her thoughts. Gently, he took the edges of her tank top and began to pull it up, slowly revealing part of her smooth, toned belly. “Tell me to stop and I’ll stop.”

  She swallowed, but held her arms up so he could remove the top. His breath hitched as he stared at the average-sized, but tempting globes before him. The pink nipples were hard, enticing him to bend down and suck one into his mouth. He let the top fall from his hand and he wished he could just think her clothes away instantly, but that would frighten her. Besides, there was something very erotic about seeing her form being revealed before him so slowly.

  “We’ll simply have a nice, hot, well-deserved shower together.” He murmured as his hands undid the button, then the zipper on her jeans. Her soft skin against his was heavenly. He paused to feel her belly and watched as her abs contracted in reaction to his touch. He tugged gently at the form-fitting jeans, bending low as he worked them past her hips and down her long legs. He stopped as he found his mouth directly in front of the juncture of her thighs. The womanly scent of her washed over him and he swallowed hard before he could speak. “I intend to help ease whatever aches you have.” Not able to resist, he blew softly at the soft curls, directing the small thermal draft to her clitoris. Tessa shivered.

  Anubis stood and stared down at her. Her luxurious locks wound over her breasts and shoulders, and he imagined what they’d feel like as they grazing against his chest as she rode him hard. He tried to clear the image from his mind as his cock relayed that it quite liked that notion. “Allow me.” He turned so that her glorious firm ass was for his viewing pleasure. Slowly he began to gather her hair until nothing but beautiful curls hung to the middle of her back. He stepped up to her, his arousal between them, nestling against her backside. His hands traveled lightly up and down her arms, simply loving the texture of her skin. “Stop me at any time, Tessa,” he said lightly into her ear.

  She didn’t respond and that was enough encouragement for him. He picked her up and carried her to the bathroom. It was a lavish room, with black glossy tiles on the floor and walls. A large, two-person shower with sliding doors lined in pure gold took up only a small portion of the area. An elegantly styled sink with an hourglass pedestal that was made of pure marble was matched in beauty with the large, sunken tub. It boasted clawed feet with the claws tipped in pure gold. Normally the beauty of the dark room would arrest his attention, but this time he was focused purely on Tessa.

  He set her down and again resisted the urge to turn on the spigots mentally. After adjusting the water to a comfortable temperature, he beckoned her to join him. For a split second, she faltered, then followed him inside. His cock continued to surprise him, becoming even more aroused as he watched the water sluice down her body. Ribbons of water snaked their way around her waist and between her thighs. He stood transfixed, watching the water as it traveled down her long, smooth legs. He was suddenly thirsty, wanting to lick every drop of water from her body, and lick her wantonly between her legs.

  “Are you just going to stare at me?” she lightly teased. “You promised to soothe my aches.” She turned until he could see her wet curls plastered to her back as water ran through them and over her backside. She was the most tempting woman he’d ever seen in his very long life. He made the soap appear in his hand, knowing she couldn’t see him. Soaping his own hands generously, he set the bar down and began to run his hands slowly over her shoulders, making the slippery substance a lubricant to massage her muscles. She moaned in pleasure as he kneaded the muscles at the back of her neck. He found everything about her fascinating.

  Anubis began to rethink his promise of simply taking a shower with Tessa. He had no idea what gave him the idea that he could just shower with such a tempting creature and not want to push her against the wall and enter her — repeatedly — giving them both so much pleasure that neither could stay standing. He stepped in closer, loving the feel of his cock against her wet, slick body. He cupped a breast in each hand as he gently manipulated the globes. Tessa laid her head against his chest, just under his chin. Timidly at first, her nails gently raked his thighs. He closed his eyes at the touch as he ran one hand down her stomach until it stopped at her core. He paused, waiting for a protest, then his fingers gently worked their way into her folds. Her moan was loud.

  His heart raced as he felt the difference between the water and her own cream. His fingers circled her clitoris as it budded for him. Her body became tense with pleasure as he placed kisses along the side of her neck, his other hand still caressing her breast. As her hips began to move in rhythm to his stimulation, her ass pressed against his cock, sending waves of pleasure through him, and it was his turn to moan. She was close to climaxing as he stealthily entered her mind, wanting to experience her orgasm with her. She was on the cusp, seconds away from falling into an abyss of ecstasy and he wanted to fall with her.

  Anubis, I think I might have found something. Come quickly. Thoth’s words instantly cauterized the impending climax. He pulled from Tessa’s mind quickly, but he knew it was
too late. Because he had been in her mind when Thoth summoned him, more than likely she had heard it too.

  “What?” The word came out confused and she turned her head to look at him. “Did you hear something? I thought I heard someone talking.”

  Anubis knew his frustration must be palpable and Tessa stepped away from him breathing heavily. “We should probably…” She let the sentence trail off as she found the soap and began lathering herself.

  “This isn’t over, Tessa.”

  “I didn’t come here for a tryst.” Her movements became jerky and he knew she was frustrated as well.

  “Let me finish giving you pleasure.”

  She paused in her ministrations and he picked up on the bolt of desire that went through her. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I don’t know you and yet here I am.” She did a quick glance at the shower. “You must think I’m some sort of slut.” She mumbled the last part to herself.

  “I think very highly of you, Tessa.” Anubis frowned, not liking the idea that she feared he thought her any less than a beautiful and intriguing woman.

  “Here’s what you know about me.” Tessa looked at him. “Within a very short space of time from the moment of meeting you, I was seduced like that,” she snapped her fingers, “into letting you almost kiss me. The very next day I’m naked and in the shower with you. Yes, Torian, I could see why you think so highly of me.” She turned away, washing the soap from her body.

  “That’s your version.” He turned her around to face him. “My version goes like this. A beautiful woman, a doctor, no less, comes halfway around the world to help out a friend she thinks is in need. This same woman volunteers to slave the night away trying to help people in a foreign land where she barely knows anyone. I’m willing to bet, beautiful lady, that you don’t take the time to relax and enjoy what life has to offer.” As he said the words, he thought how ironic it was that he had not appreciated his own life. He had grown weary of it, exhausted from living it alone. He saw in her a reluctance to reach out, and knew it stemmed from a relationship that had been very negative. “I’m not asking you to make promises, just enjoy yourself. With me.”

  “Torian, I have nothing to offer you. I will stay and help with this medical emergency, but then I’m leaving. I can’t be anyone’s plaything ever again.” Anubis was shocked at the hurt that echoed in her words. She exited the shower, grabbing a towel and wrapping it around herself. “I don’t know what I was thinking.” She grabbed another towel and began to blot at her hair. “This shouldn’t have happened.”

  “I don’t think of you as a plaything.” Anubis was out of the shower as quickly as he could without causing her alarm. He wasn’t letting her get away from him this easily. “I want to—”

  “I want to stop this before it goes any further.”

  Anubis? Jonathan’s voice entered his mind again.

  I will be but a moment. He laid a hand on Tessa’s shoulder. “Fair enough. I need you here right now, Tessa. But I am warning you, this isn’t over. You want me and yet you try to deny it.”

  “I don’t need this in my life right now.” She backed away to the door. “I can’t deal with entanglements right now. Even casual ones.”

  She left the bathroom and Anubis let her go. For now. Casual, indeed, he thought as he mentally dressed. Nothing he did was casual. Every move had a purpose. Tessa had awakened something in him that had been dead a long time: The desire to enjoy what life had to offer. Once he set his sights on prey, it was as good as caught. Tessa just didn’t know it yet.

  * * * *

  “What have you found?” Anubis was still frustrated from the incident in his shower. He hoped Thoth had a good reason for interrupting him. Thoth raised an eyebrow at his agitated tone, but didn’t comment on it.

  “While going over records, I found a possibility.” Thoth picked up a heavy tome filled with records from ancient times to present. “From what you described to me, it reminded me of Apep’s power somewhat.”

  “He’s been imprisoned for thousands of years.” Anubis wrinkled his brow in curiosity. “He’s no longer able to feed off anything.”

  “Correct. The priests who perform the ritual believe it keeps him just outside their realm. They are usually very dependable. This year however I received no confirmation from my sources that the ritual had been completed. I did not think it that important and thought to look into it at a later date. However I became otherwise distracted by Ralabos and his reawakening.”

  “Yes, but the humans don’t have the power to hold him at bay. It’s just a ritual that we gave the people to make them feel safe and empowered. He caused them great harm.”

  “Are you aware that humans today join cults that cause them harm?” Jonathan ran a hand through his hair.

  Anubis stroked his chin in thought. “It is one of the oddities I have found among the race. What is your point?”

  “The priests that usually perform the rituals have a website.” Jonathan retrieved his laptop and set it on the desk in front of Anubis. “Instead of keeping him at bay, a cult has developed to worship him. The priests decided to try another approach at controlling Apep. According to this website, they offered him a gift instead of trying to imprison him.”

  “Which is why they didn’t report the ritual.” Anubis got a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.

  “Correct, and look at when it took place.”

  Quickly Anubis scanned the screen. “They did it during the one time of year when the veils separating the different realms are at their weakest.”

  “It’s possible that with the right knowledge they could have let something out, or in.” Thoth plopped in a nearby leather chair. “It’s worth investigating. I’m leaving within the hour. The priests know enough about the old ways to have stumbled upon something.”

  “I will never understand many of the things humans do.” Anubis shook his head. “I will investigate the casino deaths.”

  “And what do you plan to do with Dr. Michaels?” Thoth grinned.

  “Everything I can,” Anubis answered as he phased out of the office.

  Chapter Seven

  He crawled out of the hole, his tongue darting out to scent the air. The sun was not at its strongest, which was good, for he had no intention of sleeping the day away. There was too much to be done, lots of preparation. Teremun stretched his tall frame as hunger pains gnawed at him. It was time to feed. Feeding him took all of his strength and then some. It would not be too much longer, however, before the Great One would have enough energy to arrive, and Teremun would have enough to usher him into this world.

  He detected the familiar coppery-sweet scent of human blood. Just to be sure, his tongue shot out again, and this time it was bathed in even more of the intoxicating scent. Teremun began to follow the trail. In a short time, it led him to a small family of three, picnicking. How sweet, Teremun thought mockingly to himself as a dark-haired toddler ran after the disk the human male threw. It landed at Teremun’s feet and he picked it up. The child stopped just short of him and reached out her chubby arms for the disk. Teremun picked her up as well and began to walk towards the child’s parents. The mother smiled. The smile wavered as he got closer. “Thank you, I’ll take Femi now,” she said nervously.

  Teremun looked at the mother, mildly surprised that her human intuition had targeted him for the danger that he was. It didn’t matter. “No, I think I’ll keep her,” he responded with a dark smile.

  * * * *

  She jumped at the sharp rap on the door, even though she’d been expecting his knock. Tessa smoothed her sweaty palms on the skirt of the long summer cotton dress. The lavender color of the dress meshed well against her skin tone. Her hair was drawn back in a high ponytail. This was her all-business hairdo. She kept saying that to herself as she went to answer the door.

  There he stood, every bit of tall, dark and gorgeous. This time he was dressed in dark linen pants and a crisp white shirt. His hair was combed back, giving him a b
arely tamed look. She had the sudden desire to muss up his hair and see what he looked like all the way wild.

  “Are you ready?” His thick exotic accent wound around her, and she had to mentally add two more beams of steal to her spine. Tessa stepped quickly out of the room, almost pushing him back. She’d already ascertained that enclosed private environments were not conducive with her will not to let him further seduce her.

  “I am. Where are we going?”

  “Casino.”

  It was the last answered she expected. Tessa looked at him sharply. “Why the casino?”

  Torian put his hand at the small of her back and began to steer her toward, well, she didn’t know where. The warmth of his hand was seeping through the cotton dress. She wanted to arch her back like a cat and have him rub her all over.

  “The latest victims were at the casino. Because the local hospitals and my hospice are filled, triage had to be set up at the casino. There is a shortage of medical help. I’ve already called the person in charge and they are expecting you. Just so you know, Cairo has been quarantined. There is no projected time when the quarantine will be lifted.”

  Tessa figured as much. It was just her luck to get caught in some sort of epidemic. Quickly she counted her blessings, as all the people affected by the illness surely were having a tougher time. She was determined to find out what was going on. “I’m not worried about that for now. I had vacation leave piled up high anyway.”

  “It is a shame you are spending your vacation in this manner.”

  “I would say it could be worse, but I won’t.” Tessa laughed.

  “Perhaps later, time will permit me to show you Egypt has much in the way of pleasure to offer.”