Lona reached behind her back, unclasped the bra and let it fall down her arms. She shifted her weight onto Rafi’s stomach, conscious of his lengthening cock nudging her stomach as he stared up at her.
What was he thinking?
“You’re gorgeous…you know that?”
Lona couldn’t respond as he lifted his hands to palm the heavy weight of her breasts. Her panties were soaked now as he stroked the rough pads of his thumbs back and forth across her sensitive nipples. Rafi gently tugged on the tips of her breasts, making her arch her back as she placed her hands on his chest. He abruptly grabbed her hips and rolled her to the side, covering her body with his own. His mouth latched on to her breast and Lona grabbed hold of his head, running her fingers through the thick strands of his hair as he teased her with his tongue and teeth. Only when both breasts had been given the same amount of wet kisses did he move lower, pressing his mouth to her belly and on the top of her panties.
“I’m so wet for you, Rafi.”
Her admission made something wild flare in his eyes.
“Show me.”
Rafi shifted his weight off her, settling on his knees as Lona lifted her bottom to take off the damp lingerie. He helped her pull them off from around her ankles, bringing the lace to his face, where he pressed the fabric to his nose and inhaled deeply.
Lona studied him beneath hooded eyelids, her body temperature sky-rocketing as he pinned her with a serious stare.
“I’m waiting, Lona.”
Her legs trembled as she parted them, offering him a front row seat to her blatant arousal.
“Wider.”
Lona spread her thighs as far as she could and was rewarded with a kiss on her engorged clit. She whimpered with pleasure as Rafi lapped at the erect bud while gently gliding two fingers inside her. He pumped his fingers in and out of her slippery sheath as he kissed her pussy over and over again.
“You are very wet for me.”
Rafi nipped the inside of her thigh as he slipped his fingers from her body. He held his hand up in the sunlight as if admiring the glistening wetness on his fingers, before licking them clean.
“Keep your legs open,” Rafi instructed as he stood and untied his linen pants. They fell to the blanket along with his underwear and Lona stared at his cock.
“I want it.”
“I know.”
Rafi came to her, his hard length bobbing as he dropped back down onto his knees between her legs.
She didn’t think she could stand any more teasing or foreplay. When the head of his cock slipped into her, she cried out, grateful that he was of the same accord. She grabbed hold of his forearms as he filled her, holding his dark gaze until he was fully seated within her.
“Ready?”
Lona could see the other question in his eyes—Are you okay?
She answered him by moving her hips beneath him. A gasp escaped her lips as her body adjusted to the exquisite feel of him so deep inside her. Her eyes widened as he began to move in slow, delicious strokes.
“Rafi!”
He kissed her again, cutting her off as he withdrew his cock from her slick heat. Dazed and hungry, Lona reached for him, but he shifted his weight to lie on his back, carrying her with him so that she was lying on top of him with his thick, wet cock sandwiched between them.
“Put me back inside you.”
Rafi’s desire was her own.
She sat up, taking his cock in her hand, loving the way his eyes closed as she touched him. The tip of his erection bumped against her belly button as she lifted her hips and guided him back into her. She shuddered, lowering herself all the way onto his lap as Rafi groaned. Her hair fluttered in the breeze against her back as she looked down at him.
“You feel so good inside of me, Rafi.”
Lona moved her bottom and he exhaled sharply as she began to slowly bounce on him. She closed her eyes as he slipped his hands beneath her ass, lifting her faster and higher, increasing the erotic sensations engulfing every cell in her being. The wind teased her, whipping over the sheen of sweat covering her skin as she fought to keep her rhythm. Her breathless pants became wilder and wilder as the impending climax roared forward, sweeping through her with the force of the water surging next to them. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out as her body broke apart into a million blissful pieces.
Rafi held on to Lona as he shifted their positions again so that he was on top. He stared down at her face, flushed from her climax, as he picked up the pace.
This is heaven.
Lona was his angel. He stared at her, lost in her beauty and the feel of her tight sheath convulsing around his dick. The pleasure overtook his ability to see anything but the stars flashing in his eyes as he lost control, coming with a force that elicited a rough moan. Rafi was certain the heat of his orgasm eclipsed the sun. He withdrew from Lona’s body to lie beside her, wrapping an arm around her waist.
“Now I remember…”
Rafi lifted a long lock of her hair and circled it around his finger.
“Remember what?”
Lona turned her body and face towards him, tears sparkling in her eyes. “Now I remember what it feels like to make love.”
Rafi was speechless, unprepared for the crazy hammering rhythm of his heart that had nothing to do with his climax.
Lona smiled at him, lifting her hand to touch his cheek.
“Let’s swim.”
Rafi blinked, trying to switch gears in his head as Lona got to her feet. The sight of her naked body against nature’s prettiest backdrop made her look almost ethereal.
Tingling heat racing up his arms tore his gaze from Lona, down to the carbide bracelets around his wrists.
Damn!
He was being summoned by the High Council.
Rafi cursed under his breath.
“Are you coming?” Lona asked, dipping her toes in the water.
Rafi grabbed her sundress as he stood, wishing he didn’t have to leave her as he went to her side.
“I have to go.”
He glanced down at the subtle glow emanating from his bracelets and Lona followed his gaze.
“Genie stuff?”
“Actually, the High Council wants to see me.”
Lona took her dress from his hands and pulled it over her head.
“Do you think it’s about me?”
“I don’t know. Will you be able to find your way back to Niri’s?”
Her hair caught the sun and gleamed in the light as she nodded her head.
“It’s a straight shot. I’ll be fine.”
Rafi smiled. “I shouldn’t be long.”
He leant down to kiss her, only pulling away when the burning sensation around his wrists increased.
“Later,” Lona said, stepping away from him.
“We’ll have coffee when I come back.”
Rafi returned Lona’s grin as he focused his energy and his body shimmered into a ball of light.
The next thing he saw was Maurelle waiting for him.
“I’m sorry to have summoned you at a most inconvenient time.”
Rafi frowned, wondering why the female Djinn was avoiding his gaze, until he glanced down.
With a low curse, he raised his hands, already emanating light, and within seconds he was fully clothed in dark jeans, a white T-shirt and leather sandals.
“I apologise for my appearance.”
Maurelle cleared her throat, the blush on her cheeks fading as she stared at him. She looked every bit the regal Djinn queen in a sea-green, diaphanous gown that seemed to flow in waves around her.
“I trust your new appointment is going well?”
The implication of him sleeping with her was clear, but Rafi had no intentions of discussing that with Maurelle.
“She lost her baby because of Rue.”
Maurelle sighed. “The High Council is aware of her loss.”
“Are you also aware of the psychic connection he has with her? That’s the reason she staye
d with him as long as she did. She wasn’t to blame for any of his treasonous acts against the Djinn Brotherhood.”
“I called you here today because of this new information that has come to light about Rue’s manipulations.”
“He must be forced to break his hold over her.”
“I agree.”
Maurelle broke eye contact for a second to glance down at the marble flooring.
“But the High Council must vote on such a decision. We will convene later tonight and a decision will be made on the best course of action to take.”
“The best course of action for the High Council, or for Lona?” Rafi couldn’t keep the hard edge out of his tone.
“Both.”
He wasn’t sure he could believe that, but speaking further to Maurelle about it wouldn’t help Lona at this point.
“After tonight, Lona will be appointed the ward over whatever estate and monies Rue has. We will no longer require you to keep her in your care.”
Rafi gritted his teeth, averting his face from the female Djinn.
No longer in his care?
Why did hearing those words make his heart turn to stone?
“Rafi?”
He lifted his gaze from the floor to meet Maurelle’s intense stare.
“I can see you’ve taken a personal interest in this whole thing. You do understand you must reclaim your Djinn duties… Have you considered how this will affect Lona? You will hardly have the time to indulge in the type of relationship she truly desires.”
Rafi remained silent until he was certain he wouldn’t pop off a few choice expletives in the presence of an elder.
“Why did you offer me the choice to become a genie when you knew my relationship with my wife would never withstand it?”
Maurelle looked shocked by his question.
“You saved Sharon’s and my daughter’s life and I was so grateful…until I realised I could never be what they needed or wanted.”
“Rafi—”
“I’ve wanted to hate you, but I can’t. I’ll always be thankful that you saved them. That they got to make a life—to live life—even if it was without me.”
The tears shining in Maurelle’s eyes surprised Rafi.
“Your pain was so great. I truly wanted to help you…to ease your emotional turmoil. I never anticipated the outcome.” Maurelle’s voice dropped to a whisper. “Please know I never meant for you to suffer more because of what I did to try to help.”
“I believe you.”
But it still doesn’t change what I’ve endured.
The words were unspoken, but Rafi was certain Maurelle had heard them loud and clear.
“I would never allow Lona to think anything between us could be more than what it is.”
Maurelle nodded, her dainty features flushed. “I will summon you back here tonight to render the decision made regarding Rue.”
Rafi waited until Maurelle’s form shimmered and disappeared before leaving the hall in a streak of light himself.
He expected to see Lona the moment he reappeared in Niri’s guest room where she was staying.
“Lona?”
A quick check in the bathroom confirmed she was not around.
Rafi strode to the door, following the sound of Niri’s laughter into the kitchen. He found her sitting at the table, sipping tea with Karis, Vander’s wife. He went over to Karis and kissed her on the cheek.
“Rafi, you’re back. Karis decided to come by and check on Lona.”
“Good to see you, Rafi,” Karis said, her exotic green eyes flashing with merriment.
“And you. Have either of you seen Lona?”
Niri frowned. “I thought you two would be enjoying my muffins…possibly on your way back to get more.”
Something about the way the elf said ‘enjoying’ caught his attention, but he was more concerned about Lona’s whereabouts.
She definitely should’ve been back by now.
“I was summoned by Maurelle, so I had to leave her by the lake. She seemed confident about getting back here on her own.”
“She’s probably still sunbathing by the water. It’s so beautiful over there.”
Rafi hoped Karis was right, but had a feeling something was wrong.
“You’re concerned?” Niri asked, setting down her tea cup.
I’m more than concerned.
“I’m going to go check and see if she’s there.”
Niri and Karis exchanged a glance as Rafi pushed back the increasing feelings of dread.
“We can meet you there—”
“No, you two stay here. I’m sure she’s fine.”
He smiled at the two women and hoped his senses were wrong as he disappeared from their sight.
Chapter Eleven
The sun was slipping behind the dense foliage of the forest and Lona vaguely wondered how much time had gone by. A branch brushed against her leg, snagging the material of her sundress, but she kept walking.
There was somewhere she had to be.
Lona shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts.
What was she doing out here in the woods all alone?
Never mind, there’s some place I have to be.
She kept walking, one foot in front of the other, weaving through the trees with a sense
of purpose and direction she didn’t understand.
Think, Lona…remember.
She’d been staring at the lake, thinking about Rafi’s reaction to her ‘Now I remember what
it feels like to make love’ comment, wishing she hadn’t said it out loud. The admission had caught her off guard, too, and her suggestion to swim had been the perfect way to break up the heavy silence that had followed. Once Rafi had left, she’d been lulled by the beauty of the spot to sit down and watch the water ripple towards her. She’d been replaying every single erotic detail of making love to Rafi with the birds singing in her ear, when…
Lona frowned.
Why couldn’t she remember?
Twilight had taken over and a hush had fallen over the woods. She felt like she was the
only person around for miles. Her head ached, the throbbing amplified with each step she took. Finally the trees thinned, revealing the back of the huge estate where the High Council convened.
What am I doing here?
Lona walked forward, unconcerned.
This was where she was supposed to be.
She waited behind a large oak tree for the tall guard to stride by. When he was out of eyesight, she ran to the wooden door she knew would be unlocked. Her hand closed around the metal handle and she pulled it forward. She froze as the old door creaked, waiting to see if someone would appear.
I’m alone. I’m supposed to be here. Reassured, she stepped inside the dim hallway, absent-mindedly noticing the doors with bars for windows as she strode steadily forward.
She was in the prison quarters, not the holding cell floor where she’d been kept.
A frisson of fear snaked around her heart.
This is so very wrong.
And yet she couldn’t stop walking—she was compelled to keep moving to the last door on the right. A sheen of sweat broke out on her brow, but she wasn’t hot…no, she was ice cold as she stopped in front of her final destination.
Don’t, Lona…
She couldn’t stop herself from stretching on her tiptoes to peer between the bars into the cell. Her heart began to race as two rings of purple light grew brighter and the shadows within the small space grew smaller. She knew whose face would be illuminated as the lazy smile she’d seen in her nightmares came into view.
Rue!
“Hello, Lona. It’s so nice to see you. It’s been a long time.”
Rue laughed and the crazed sound echoed within the tiny chamber where he was being held.
No, dear God, no! I hate you!
Her lips moved, but she couldn’t give voice to the thought racing through her mind.
Rue flexed his hands with a hiss of pain.
“How I wish I could just touch your hand. I’ve missed the softness of your skin.”
Lona’s blood recoiled in her veins as she stared at him. She shuddered, imagining his lips pressed to her palm. He looked so haggard and run-down she hardly recognised him as the man of power and wealth he’d once been, but his eyes… Those cold, calculating eyes were exactly the same.
“Do you know why you’re here, Lona?”
“To help you escape.”
A parrot.
She sounded like a parrot, but trying to say anything else tightened the mind-numbing vice around her head.
“Yes, to help me escape. Do you know how you’re going to do that?”
Lona blinked and nodded as Rue’s plan unfolded in her mind. She lifted both hands and stuck them through the bars, her palms facing in Rue’s direction. He needed her to help him break free of the magical bonds around his wrists.
“I want you to concentrate now, Lona. Concentrate on me…on giving me all of your energy.”
Please, someone has to help me.
The guard.
She could hear the sound of heavy footsteps getting closer.
“Do it now, Lona. Just relax your mind to the sound of my voice…that’s it. Let me take complete control.”
His rough voice invaded her mind, clouding her judgement and making it hard to hear her own thoughts.
She couldn’t remember why what Rue requested was a bad idea.
It was what she was supposed to do.
No!
Her soul cried out against the evil claiming her, draining her of her strength. Lona resisted him with everything she had within her and was rewarded with the sound of Rue’s sharp groan of pain.
Her eyes widened as a crimson rivulet of blood dribbled from Rue’s nose.
He’s weak and I’ve just hurt him.
The comforting thought was short-lived as razor sharp tendrils of pain squirrelled into her cranium.
“You will do this.”
Lona moaned as the knives poking at her temples dug in a little deeper.
She would do this.
The heavy footsteps in the hallway grew louder as she focused all her thoughts and energy on Rue’s escape. A whimper of relief escaped her lips as the agony in her head lessened.
She was so tired.
There wasn’t much more to give.
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