by Noree Cosper
Coldness filled the space he'd just occupied, and I yearned for his heat. I yanked his face back down and seized his mouth, pressing my tongue between his lips and savoring the succulent spice. He met it with his own and his fingers fumbled at the elevator buttons. The doors slid shut, but we stayed still. I tensed, expecting an alarm to go off, but nothing happened.
"Just us," he whispered as planted tiny kisses on my jawline.
I grinned and hooked a knee over his hip, thrusting my pelvis against his hardness. He gave a shuddering moan as he rubbed his cheek against mine. His lips captured mine again as his hand squeezed my breast with his thumb stroking my aching nipples. I unbuttoned his shirt and slid it off him, revealing those hardened abs that I'd only been teased with until now. Did they taste as good as I'd imagine?
Yep. That saltiness filled my mouth as I dropped to my knees and outlined each of those hard edges with my mouth as I unbuckled his belt and unzipped his pants. His long, turgid cock sprang from that confining clothing, ready and waiting for my attention. I trailed my tongue down his stomach and along the shaft until I reached the tip. My tongue flicked back and forth, twirling around his throbbing head as I raised my gaze to his face. He groaned, and his darkened green eyes locked with mine. With a grin, I swallowed him to the hilt, letting his length push against the back of my throat. My panties were dripping from my aching nub at the thought of him thrusting into me and my fingers crept under my skirt to press against my mound. He gave a quaking gasp and thrust his hips forward as I swirled my tongue along the base of him and sucked.
He pulled me up with a husky laugh. "As amazing as you are at that, I want to fuck you. Now."
Oh, Hell yes. Heat burst from my loins and spread through my body, leaving me trembling in anticipation of having him inside of me. He slid my skirt up and slipped his hand under my silk panties to rub his fingers along my wet slit. I moaned, leaning my head against the elevator wall, and pushed my hip forward to meet his probing.
"I thought you wanted to fuck me," I gasped.
"Do you want me to?" His thumb flicked my clit, sending a jolt through me.
My fingernails dug into his shoulders. "Yes."
"Tell me what you want."
"I want you to ram your cock in me."
He grinned, lifted me up, and granted my wish. I gripped his hips with my knees and met each of his forceful drive with my own bucking thrusts. His hands cupped my ass and his warm breath sent a shudder through me as he leaned forward to kiss the hollow part of my neck. The mirrored walls of the elevator fogged over and the passion poured out of our union and into the air. I dug my nails in his shoulders and arched my back as his forceful pounding sent tremors through me.
"I'm gonna come," I cried.
I writhed as the tremors became an earthquake that consumed my entire being and the whole heaviness of the day drifted as I began to float on a cloud of euphoria. His mouth covered mine and absorbed the scream that burst from me. With one more powerful thrust he pulsed within me, and his own cry joined mine. We stood, panting, and wrapped in each other for a while as we came back to Earth.
"My room is just a few feet away." His breath tickled my ear. "Lots more space in there."
15
Sunlight bathed my face, flashing through the dark of my closed eyelids. I squinted, rolled to the side, and flopped my arm down on cool satin sheets. My eyes fluttered open as I patted the empty spot. Hmm, I'd lost Mercer.
I sat up with a yawn, blinking away the bleariness as I scanned the room. His shirt, hanging over the big screen television, was the only article of clothing that made it into the bedroom. One of the lamps had been overturned. Otherwise the room looked normal. I wasn't so sure about the rest of the suite. We'd managed to get as far as the couch in the front room of the suite before we'd continued. After the floor, and the hot tub, we'd finally ended up in the bed in the early morning.
I pulled the thick white comforter up with a shiver as the air conditioner clicked on and began blasting a cool breeze through the vents. I chewed the inside of my cheek. I could get up and go look for him, but that meant I would have to leave the nice warm bed and put some sort of clothes on. The growl of my stomach echoed through the room, making the final decision.
With a sigh, I threw off the covers, hopped out of bed, and pulled on Mercer's shirt, wrapping it around me. Mercer stood in the living room with his back to me and his cell phone at this ear.
"I understand," he said in a somber voice. "This is a tragedy. I sympathize with all of your students are suffering."
I plopped down on the couch and brought my knees up to my chest. He smiled and winked at me as he tilted his head closer to the phone. The collar of his shirt brushed against my nose, and I inhaled his scent. Underneath the patchouli lay something subtle. Olive trees?
"I don't think we have to go that far. I think the project can be a positive way to help them cope." He glanced in my direction again. "Can we discuss this further, say over lunch?"
He laughed. "I will see you then."
He pocketed his phone, sat beside me, and pulled me into his arms, nuzzling the nape of my neck. I shuddered as his hot breath blew across my skin and a heat began to build up between my legs. I rested my head on his shoulder and lay my hands over his.
"Problems?" I tried to keep my voice level.
"The college is considering canceling the program," he said.
I sat up and turn to look at him with my eyes wide. "But...that would screw all our credits."
He pulled me back to him. "I'll handle it."
He buried his face in my hair and breathed deeply. I closed my eyes, allowing my muscles to relax. In this moment, we were the only two that existed on this Earth. For the first time since I'd seen my aunt, the tension in between my shoulders eased. I'd soon have to return to my problems, but in Mercer's arms, they seemed so far away.
The knock on the door ended our moment of peace. Mercer gently pushed me away and headed to the door.
"This would be breakfast," he said. "You're probably hungry."
My growling stomach answered him, and I grinned apologetically. He swung the door open and allowed the cart to be pushed in. Mercer thanked the server and palmed a bill in his hand before shutting the door. I rushed to the cart and pulled off the cover from the first plate I could reach. Steam rose up with the sweet smell of maple. Sinful little triangles of fried bread lay in stacks of three with a cup of syrup between them.
"I love French toast," I said
"At this point, you look like you'll love anything." He chuckled.
I snatched up the plate along with a fork and headed back to the couch. I was halfway through the toast before the gnawing in my stomach abated. I blinked and looked up to find Mercer beside me with a cup of coffee in hand and a plate of sausage and eggs on the table beside him. He watched me with a raised eyebrow and slight smile on his face. I wiped my mouth with a napkin.
"Sorry," I said. "I don't think I ate much yesterday." Or at all.
"No, go ahead." He waved a hand at me. "I appreciate a woman with an appetite."
I took another bite and relished the warm sweetness that danced across my taste buds. It didn't take long for me to empty the plate, and I leaned back on the couch, rubbing my stomach and licking the last of the sticky drops of syrup from my lips. Mercer set his fork on his plate of mostly eaten food and drained his coffee cup.
"You seem in a better mood from last night," Mercer said.
"Oh?"
He chuckled. "Don't get me wrong. Last night was hot, but you seemed almost frantic. Like you were trying to forget."
I looked down at my hands as they twisted in my lap. "Yesterday was a nightmare."
He placed a hand over my agitated ones and squeezed gently. "I'm sorry about James."
I swallowed the lump in my throat. "It's my fault. I should have seen the signs."
"How could you have seen that? I didn't think you two were that close."
"Not like tha
t," I whispered. "Something was influencing him. You felt it, too. On the roof."
He narrowed his eyes at me. Then his body relaxed and he chuckled. "I didn't take you as someone who believed in the supernatural."
"A lot in this world hasn't been explained by science," I said. "At least not yet."
"Humanity doesn't have the right tools," he said. "As for James, what could you have done?"
"I don't know. Paid more attention, I guess." I rubbed the bandage covering my tattoo. "Yesterday was just a bad day."
He squeezed my hand. "Let me check on the burn. I had room service bring up some new bandages."
"They do that?"
"If you're paying enough."
I chuckled. "Right. I'm in the great Mercer Chaplin's room."
"You weren't complaining when you were screaming my name last night."
I cleared my throat, ducking my head to hide my pink cheeks, and walked to my dress, which lay in a small pile in the corner. Mercer's shirt fluttered to the floor and I slipped the dress over my head. A small box of bandages sat on the cart with Q-tips and antibiotic ointment. Mercer came up behind me, wrapping one arm around my waist while grabbing the bandages with his other hand. He kissed my cheek, causing my stomach to flutter.
"I'll do it," he said. "I want to take a look and make sure it's not too bad."
"It's fine." I pulled away from him. "Just a few small burns."
He turned me to face him and began unwrapping the gauze on my arm. "I have two free hands."
I bit my lip as the last of it slipped away, revealing the bright red, oval burns around my tattoo and the nickel sized thumb on the tail of the fox. As Mercer turned my wrist to inspect the wounds, my tattoo shimmered in the light, giving a rainbow haze like sunlight on oil. He sucked in his breath with a small whistle and glanced at me with raised eyebrows.
"How did you get these burns?" he asked.
I shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. "Scalding hot water."
"Uh huh." He unscrewed the tube of ointment and spread some on a Q-tip. "Interesting pattern."
I really needed to work on my lying. "Yeah."
The gelled liquid felt cool against my skin for all of second before my body temperature warmed it. I stiffened as a strange tingling passed through my flesh where Mercer's fingers touched and set my teeth on edge. He pulled my wrist closed to his face and studied my tattoo with a furrowed brow.
"Interesting," he said.
His fingers brushed against the face of the fox and the buzz turned into a jolt of electricity. My whole arm vibrated and burned. My tailbone slammed into the cart, knocking it over as I flew backward and was stopped by the wall. My shoulders and head bounced against it, and I landed on the floor with a soft thud.
I groaned, trying wave away the dancing lights around my face. My whole body was humming so hard my teeth were on edge. Shit. I got to my feet and braced myself against the wall with a pant. Mercer stood from the opposite side of the couch with his jaw set. His gaze found mine.
My laugh held a hysterical hint to it. "It figures. I meet a seemingly normal guy, and he turns out to be a god."
"A pandoran." He gave a ghost of his old smile. "I knew there was something special about you."
I took a few faltering steps forward and raised my hands in fists. "Let's just get this over with."
He lifted his hands in the air. "I don't want to fight you, Cassi."
A pressure built up in my chest, and everything from yesterday crashed down around me. Tears pricked at my eyes as my throat closed up. I couldn't do this.
I stumbled back, pulled open the door, and ran toward the stairwell at the end of the hall.
Had I just slept with the god responsible for James's death?
16
The sidewalk burned the soles of my feet as I wandered the streets of downtown Dallas. The glass high rises towered over me, and the sound of purring engines filled the air all around me. Even after I had left, Mercer's scent seemed to drift with me, giving a hint of patchouli and olive.
I squeezed my eyes shut as my chest tightened and a lump formed in my throat. How could I have been so stupid? I'd been too blinded by my own lust to see. We knew each other now, in more ways than one. I needed to go home, to change and regroup.
I patted my dress and came up empty. The blood in my veins froze in me. My wallet, my phone, everything was still in Mercer's hotel room.
"Fuck."
My shout echoed through the air, causing the people around me to jump with startled looks. One woman looked at my rumbled clothing, tussled hair, and bare feet with a wrinkled nose and a sneer. Of all the walk of shames I'd traveled, this had to be the worst. Still, I'm sure not many could say they'd had a night with a god. A hysterical laugh burst from my lips and took hold of my entire body. I leaned against the nearest building and doubled over, laughing and sobbing until my breath came in short wheezing gasps. What the hell was wrong with me? James's betrayal hadn't even hurt this much.
"Are you all right?" A man in a suit jacket stepped in front of me.
"I'm...fine." I managed to choke out.
"Do you need me to call anyone?"
I straightened, wiping the tears from my face. "Actually, could you call me a cab?"
He raised an eyebrow. "You sure you don't need me to call you a doctor? Maybe your sponsor?"
I glared at him. "No, thanks. Just the taxi."
I stood with my arms crossed and foot tapping for ten minutes until the taxi arrived. The man waited next to me with his hands in his pocket and an occasional glance at my legs and ass. I thanked him and hopped into back of the car with a long sigh.
After what seemed like an excruciatingly long drive of fifteen minutes, I was back at my apartment with the cab driver paid from my emergency stash. I stood in front of Serenity's shut door with my hand hovering over the handle. Did she know about Mercer? Was she a god as well?
With a long sigh, I tromped into my room and flopped on my bed, staring up at the ceiling. The tightness on the chest rose to my throat, releasing that lump, and the tears came bubbling back up. I couldn't stay here alone, lost in my thoughts. I grabbed a pair of jeans and a t-shirt and headed to the shower. Afterwards, I dialed Aunt Jo's number.
She answered on the third ring. "Who's this?"
My voice shook. "I shouldn't have left like that."
She let out a long sigh. "No, no. Ya were upset. I should have seen it. I'm sorry."
"Can we meet somewhere?"
"Sure, just gimme a couple of hours. Where ya wanna meet?"
"The Tin Cup." I had to pick my car up anyway.
"Ya and yer coffee."
"I'll be waiting." I hung up the phone and headed out the door.
The late morning sun beat down on my head, drying my hair as I walked to the coffee shop with my spare keys tucked in my pocket. Most of my stuff could be replaced, but he had access to my, well, everything. I would have to get new locks for my car and apartment, which meant explaining things to Serenity. Of course, she had her own explaining to do.
I stepped into the coffee shop and let the cool air conditioning blast against me. I collapsed on the purple velvet couch by the bookcase full of mismatched paperbacks and lay my head back with a sigh.
The barista set an iced mocha on the table beside me, and I waved my hand listlessly. I came in here enough they knew my order by heart. Surrounded by the buzz of conversation and the smell of coffee, chocolate, and cinnamon, the ache receded, and I started drifting away into a dreamless sleep.
I jumped awake at a tap on my elbow and stared blearily at my aunt.
"Don't ya have a bed?" Aunt Jo asked.
I rubbed my eyes. "I didn't really use it last night."
"So, ya wanted to meet."
"Uh, yeah. I thought we could brainstorm on this." I sat up and took a deep drink of my coffee from the straw.
She raised an eyebrow. "So now yer interested?"
I shrugged. "We have to stop them, and I don't se
e you hopping out of that chair."
She snorted and crossed her arms. "Ya think ya can take them?"
I pulled the bandage away from my tattoo and let the light shine on it. "Thanks for the boost."
She studied it with her lips pressed together in a thin line. "May not be enough. Don't even know what we're facin'."
"With James..." I swallowed the lump in my throat and took a deep breath. "The whole building seemed to be under a spell. Like they were asleep. And the roof had this depressing cloud."
"Mmm, did you feel anything like that when you thought you were being followed?"
"No. What kind of god could do that?"
She watched me with narrowed eyes. "What makes you think it's a god?"
"Today, my tattoo...reacted to someone."
"So, could still be a daimon."
"Not the burning. I remember that, and this, too, from Mom."
She inhaled sharply. "It's not her, Cassi. Madison took care of it."
"I know," I snapped. "He's a different one."
"So who is he?"
I opened my mouth when the bell above the coffee shop's door jingled. My eyes widened, and I froze as my heart dropped in my stomach. It was as if someone had dumped a bucket of artic water all over me.
Sheridan stepped inside with her arm interlocked with Mercer's. Our gazes met, and once again, every nerve in my body became alive with a hum of electricity. He stiffened and glanced away, nodding to a table in the corner to Sheridan. Of all the coffee shops they had to pick this one. I was beginning to think the Fates were playing with me now.
Why was she touching him?
A knot started to form between my shoulder blades as I watched them laugh together. What the hell was I thinking? He was the enemy. Besides, last night had just been physical, a stress reliever. Mercer glanced up at me, and I quickly tore my gaze from them to find Aunt Jo staring at him. I cleared my throat and stood.
"We should go," I said. "I'll drive you home."
