by Bianca D’Arc
Leaving Diana with her grandmother.
Her thoughts of the past were interrupted by the sound of fabric and the metallic clank of a belt buckle. She still didn’t want to open her eyes, but it sounded like Stone was being chivalrous and putting on his pants before he came back over to her. She could feel his energy now, moving across the space to join her once again. It was funny how she was now hyper-aware of his movements. It was as if a sixth sense where he was concerned had been awakened, and she wondered idly if she would always be this aware of him from now on.
“Are you okay?”
His deep voice came from nearby. Was he kneeling at the side of her chair? She pried open her eyelids. Yes. Yes, he was.
“I just got really dizzy. I think I blacked out for a moment.”
She shut her eyelids again, against the visual stimuli that hurt her eyes. For some reason, everything was shining and golden. Especially Stone. He was outlined in shiny gold and green. What the heck?
“If you did, it was only for a split second,” he told her.
She was glad to hear it. From the way she’d felt when she’d come back—as if she’d been gone a long time and a great distance—she was reassured to hear it had been a lot quicker than it had felt. She decided to level with him. Maybe he knew more about what had just happened. He seemed to have a lot of arcane knowledge that she didn’t. Maybe the blacking out and the funky vision was a shifter thing.
“It felt a lot longer,” she admitted. “And when I open my eyes now, everything’s shiny. You have a gold-green glow around you.”
“I do?” He seemed surprised. Hmm. Maybe he didn’t know what was up with her, after all.
“Yeah.” She nodded.
“Some people can see auras,” he offered in a contemplative tone. “Many priestesses have that gift, from what I understand. And shifters generally see in the way of their animals when in shifted form. I have a problem with color perception in wolf form, but things don’t exactly glow. I wonder if…” She heard him move slightly, then she heard the sound of a cell phone being used. “I’m going to call on an expert. Hold on a minute, okay, Diana?”
“Yeah. I’ll be right here,” she told him, feeling tired all of a sudden. “No problem.”
She heard the call connect as Stone moved away from her. His voice was a low murmur that was somehow soothing to her senses, though she couldn’t understand what he said to the person on the other end of the call.
A few minutes later, he was back. “Do you see everything in shades of gold, red and orange, or just living things?” he asked out of the blue.
“I’m not sure,” she replied, curious as to what that might mean.
“Try it. Open one eyelid and look around,” he coaxed her.
Taking a deep breath, she did as he asked. One eyelid, then two opened. It wasn’t as painful this time, but it was disorienting. Stone was a huge gold-green presence in front of her, but as she let her eyes adjust, she realized the only certain things in the room were glowing. Him. The plants scattered all around. Everything else was just there. Normal. Not glowing.
She turned to the big windows and looked outside. The desert crawled with glowing life, but the sand was just…sand. And now, she could see moving spots of warm color moving—no, loping—along in the distance. Wolves. Running and walking. Near and far. Shifters in the wilderness she hadn’t been able to see before.
There were a lot of them.
“I see wolves,” she told him. “Bright golden wolves. And insects. Red and yellow and golden brown. And plants. Green-gold plants. But the rest is normal.”
“Did you hear that?”
She looked up at him, but he was clearly talking to the person who was still on the other end of the phone. He nodded a few times and made agreement sounds, then ended the call with thanks and farewells.
“He says it sounds very familiar. That’s how he sees when he’s the phoenix.”
Chapter Fourteen
“Do you really believe I’m going to become…” She couldn’t even finish the sentence.
Her hands were trembling, and something inside her suddenly couldn’t cope. She shut her eyes again, this time against tears.
Whether they were tears of fear or of joy, even she wasn’t sure.
“Hey, hey now.” Stone was at her side again, taking her shaking hands in his.
He was closer this time than he’d been before, kneeling at the side of her chair. He put one arm around her shoulders, and she couldn’t help herself. She leaned into his strength.
She felt like she was coming apart at the seams, but he was solid. Sure. Safe. He seemed so confident that he knew what was going on. Maybe he did. Maybe she really was turning into a bird…shifter. It sounded so insane, but she knew, deep in her heart, that it wasn’t.
“Shh.” He crooned to her as he took her into his arms, comforting her.
How long they stayed there, she didn’t know, but she welcomed it when he stood, taking her up into his strong arms. He carried her straight to the wide couch she’d seen in passing before, when she’d entered. He sat down, keeping her on his lap, cuddling her close.
He felt so good, and not just in the physical sense. She sensed his innate goodness now. It was as if the change to her vision had changed a lot more about her, as well. Her senses were operating on a whole new level.
She chanced opening her eyes again, and was met with a much more mundane scene than before. There were still glowing spots here and there—plants and the occasional spider—but she felt better able to deal with it now. The desert, and seeing the wolf Pack roaming there, had been overwhelming. This plainer scene was a bit easier to take.
Of course, Stone was still the brightest light in view, but his aura—if that’s what it was she was seeing—was pure and bright. Comforting. Good to the core.
If she’d had any doubts about him before, they were shattered now that she could see the goodness shining out of him. No way could anyone fake that sort of Light. She believed she was seeing the Light of his soul, and it was untainted by any darkness.
Yes. He was definitely one of the good guys, and she found that both calming…and incredibly sexy.
“Hey, you’re looking at me,” he said in a gentle voice as he looked downward to meet her gaze. “You feeling better now?”
“A little. You’re still all golden, but it’s not as blinding now. It’s easier in here where there’s not as many things that are alive,” she admitted.
“Maybe you just need time to adjust,” he murmured, leaning close to place a gentle kiss on her brow.
The move touched her deeply. It was a sign of care that went far beyond the few hours of their acquaintance. But things Oma had told Diana about shifter mating came back to her. She’d always thought the idea that they knew their mates almost on sight was incredibly romantic.
Then again, she’d felt a near-instant connection with Stone. If she truly was a shifter, would she recognize her mate so quickly? And if so, could Stone be the one? The one being in all the universe meant solely for her?
Suddenly, she wanted that. She wanted him. Forever.
She wasn’t sure about anything anymore, but she knew she wanted more than just a few kisses and a cuddle. No. She wanted to know what it felt like to be Stone’s lover. She’d wanted that from almost the first moment they’d met, and if she had anything to say about it, she wouldn’t let another sun set before she took him into her body. The memory of his lovemaking into her soul.
Decision made, she lifted her head, meeting his intense gaze. “Make love to me,” she whispered, being bolder than she ever had before.
“What?” His eyes widened then took on a dazed, hopeful expression.
“You heard me. I have a few more hours before duty calls me back. I want to spend them with you. Naked. In bed. Or on this couch.” She looked around, a smile touching her lips. “Wherever.”
“Seriously?” He drew her gaze back to his by placing both hands on her cheeks and gently
turning her face. His touch was so careful. As if he cherished her already. As if he was afraid to harm her in any way.
“I’m very serious about this, Adam.” She used his first name deliberately, trying it on for size. If she was going to take him into her body, she sure as hell was going to call him by his first name.
He’d said nobody called him Adam, which was perfect as far as she was concerned. It would be her special name for him. An intimacy shared.
She could actually see the spark of desire light in his eyes this time. Her new vision was something entirely different but very useful in evaluating what was really going on with the living beings around her. She couldn’t think of a better person to learn about her new talents with than Adam Stone. He was both wild and gentle, and she wanted to experience everything he had to offer.
He swallowed hard and then leaned his forehead against hers. “I want you to know that I’m serious too.” His voice had deepened, taking on the growl of his wolf side. She found it utterly compelling in the sexiest possible way. “I knew you were special when you walked onto the car lot. That’s why I’ve been hounding you.”
She smiled. “You’re a werewolf. Can you hound people?”
He smiled back, and it lit her world. “I wanted to know everything about you,” he admitted, moving in for a quick peck on the lips. “That’s why I prowled around your condo last night. I never expected to get caught at it.” He kissed her again, with a little more pressure.
“Oma’s pretty sharp. She saw you. Or, should I say, she foresaw you. It’s hard to get anything past her when she’s got visions coming in.” This time, Diana reached out to touch her lips to his, darting her tongue along the seam of his lips until he let her in.
The kiss lasted considerably longer as she wound her arms around his neck. He hadn’t put his shirt back on. Just the pants, which were only buttoned and zipped. The belt hadn’t been fastened. And his feet were bare. He probably hadn’t taken time to put on his underwear either. Hot damn. He was going commando.
She moved one of her hands to his chest, wanting to learn the feel of him, but he broke the kiss and stood from the couch with her still in his arms. The sheer strength of the man nearly stole her breath.
“Where are we going?” she asked as he began walking, carrying her as if she weighed no more than a feather.
“I liked your first choice for location,” he told her with a wicked grin. “Let’s try the bed first, then we can explore other options.”
Stone could hardly believe he had her in his arms and was taking her to his bedroom. They’d only met the day before, but in his heart, he knew without doubt. She was the one. The mate he’d waited all his life to find.
More powerful than he’d expected, she was a phoenix shifter who hadn’t yet shifted. It was a dangerous time for her—and for him. If she shifted before their bond was formed, he could very well lose her to the sun. She would fly away and die. Burning up, only to be reborn. But her next incarnation wouldn’t be his mate. He would live his life alone and lonely if he lost her.
He had to do all in his power to bind her to him now, before she shifted. Maybe the mating bond would be strong enough to call her back when she made her first flight. He had to believe it would work. For without her, his life would be empty. Devoid of joy. And love.
He carried her into his bedroom and laid her gently on the bed. He had never taken a woman to this room. If he slept overnight with a female, it was usually in her territory. In her bed. This room he’d kept as his inner sanctum ever since he’d finished building the house. It was the one place in his life where no one intruded.
He belonged to the Pack everywhere else, but this house—and especially this room—was his private place, where he went to unwind and just be Adam for a little while. He liked that she had called him by his first name. Nobody did nowadays. Not since his folks had left this realm. It felt right that Diana call him that. A name just for the two of them.
Her eyes were filled with the flame of the stars—or one star in particular—but he didn’t tell her. She would change soon, but before that, he had to make her his in every way possible. It was almost a race against time. A race against the sun and its claim on her. He had to claim a part of her heart first, before he could let her answer that call to the sun. Only then might he have a chance of her returning back to Earth. To him.
It was a risk, but there was no other choice left to them. Lance had come back and continued to return to his mate. Stone needed Diana to return to him…for the rest of their lives.
He stood at the side of the bed and unzipped his pants, letting them drop to the floor. Then, he joined her on the bed, moving gently to her side, trying not to startle her.
He shouldn’t have worried, though. When he got close enough, her little hands were all over him, as if she was as hungry to touch him as he was for her. Damn, that felt good. She touched him as if…as if she truly cared.
Love was something outside his experience with sex. He hadn’t dated human women, even in his youth, knowing they were all too apt to fall in love with him. A love which he couldn’t reciprocate. He’d always known his mate would be a shifter. A shaman had told him so long ago. He’d limited his partners to shifter females ever since, knowing the unions were born of need. Not love.
Not until now.
That’s when it hit him. If she was his mate, then this time would be about love. A first for him.
He almost laughed. At his age and experience, Diana was making everything new. Who’d have ever thought it possible? Certainly not him.
When her hands left him, he grew concerned. Had he done something wrong? He broke off the kiss that had filled his mind with steam and realized she was tugging at the little black dress she had worn to lunch. A hot little number, she’d looked good enough to eat.
Which reminded him…
Stone took her hands in his, stilling them as he slid down her body. He settled between her knees, liking the way she shivered when he showed a little bit of dominance. He’d have to explore that later, but for now, he had other things in mind.
Settling her hands on his shoulders, he used his own to push the hem of her dress higher. She’d worn stockings, but he was amazed to find that they were actual stockings—with sexy black garters and little bows. Frilly underwear he hadn’t expected, but that set his body burning.
“Oh, honey. Did you think of me when you put these on this morning?” He lifted his gaze to meet her eyes, and the shy smile she sent him confirmed his suspicions even before she answered.
“Do you like it?”
“Like it?” He had to chuckle. “If I liked it any more, this would already be over before it got going. Of course, I recover fast, so you wouldn’t have to wait long before I could show you how much I adore what you did to prepare for our lunch date. Do you have any other surprises for me to uncover?”
“Unwrap your present and find out,” she taunted him, surprising him again, with her boldness. Damn. His woman was frisky. He liked that.
“I like the way you think,” he told her, returning his attention to her uncovered legs.
He could just see the tops of her creamy thighs above the sheer black stockings. He pushed the stretchy fabric of her dress higher to uncover the elastic strings of the garter and the matching frilly black panties she wore underneath. His mouth went dry when he saw the bows on the side.
“They untie,” she told him unnecessarily.
Holy shit. She’d come dressed for seduction. If he’d known she was wearing this get up under the relatively conservative dress, he wouldn’t have made it through lunch without coming in his pants. Repeatedly.
He needed to see more before he unwrapped that particular present. He wanted her to explode first, then he would join her. Especially this first time, he wanted to show her how it would be if they spent their lives together. He would always put her welfare, her pleasure, her needs, above his own. Always.
He was going to prove that to her n
ow, and every day they were blessed to be together from here on out. He prayed silently that they would be many, but he wasn’t taking anything for granted. He needed to show her how much he cared for her. How much he needed her. How he burned for her.
He had to make her burn for him.
And then, maybe, when she went up in flames surrounded by her phoenix fire, she would remember the man who could make her burn without dying in the sun. Maybe she’d remember…and come back to him.
Impatient now, he pushed the dress higher and uncovered a shapely waist. His fingers trailed over her skin, raising goose flesh wherever he touched. She was responsive to him. Good.
Satisfaction filled him as he pushed the clingy dress over her breasts, revealing the black bra that matched the set below. Fuck. He had never seen anything sexier.
He pushed the dress up over her head, removing it completely so he could see all of her in the sexy black lingerie she had chosen to wear for him. Humbled by the thought that she’d already made up her mind—at least on some level—that if the opportunity presented itself, she’d be ready for him to claim her, he lowered his lips to hers.
Chapter Fifteen
His kiss was gentler than she’d expected. Almost reverent. She’d wanted to drive him wild, but instead, she seemed to have touched him on some other level. A deeper level, if she could believe the feelings she could sense coming off him in waves.
Care. Surprise. Appreciation. A feeling of being deeply moved.
She hadn’t expected that. She figured he’d be horny when he saw her undies. Instead, he was touched. She wasn’t sure what it meant, but his reaction touched her, as well.
