A.O.E.M.: Finding Magic

by Katherine A. Moore

  “Sure is. Really slippery.”

  He canted a hip close and she ran her hand along his flank. He could have been naked, the silk was so sheer, though she couldn’t see through it. She could, however, feel every muscle and tendon.

  Amanda laughed. “I need to get me one of those. Actually, let me rephrase that. I need to get me a man in one of those.” She winked at Lester. “A man who’s interested in me. In the meantime, do you want some coffee?”

  Lester nodded. “I’ll get it.” He grabbed her cup for a refill, leaned over and gave Amanda a quick peck on the cheek.

  She watched him walk into the bungalow, his muscular buttocks perfectly outlined in dark silk, his calves rippling below the hem. Even knowing he wasn’t for her, she couldn’t help but sigh.

  Almost perfect.

  A minute later, Les walked back outside and handed Amanda’s cup back to her. She took a sip of the strong brew and practically purred. “So, what did you do last night, Les?”

  He turned a sly smile on her. “You’ll never guess.” Then he laughed. “You tell me what you did first.”

  Amanda grinned. Les was hiding something -- or someone. This was a side of him she’d not seen before. “Well… I went for a walk, enjoyed the world’s most gorgeous sunset and managed to get free of a sleazy pick-up artist.”

  That caught Les’s attention. “Was some dude hassling you?”

  She shook her head. “No. Just the typical guy who thinks he’s God’s gift to the feminine race. I get enough of that in LA. I’m certainly not interested in it here. Now, tell me about your night?”

  Les stared down at his bare toes for a moment, then looked up at Amanda and flashed her a dazzling smile. “I met someone. He’s… special. Don’t know how to explain it. We’re meeting again tonight.”

  “Oh, Les.” Amanda grabbed his hand. “I’m glad. You haven’t seen anyone as long as I’ve known you. It’s not right to be alone for so long. Just be careful, okay?”

  Les nodded his head. “I will. What are you up to today?”

  Amanda thought about the hours stretching ahead of her and realized she had absolutely nothing planned. “I’m going to slap sunscreen all over my body and go lie on the beach. I’m going to wade in the ocean and think of nothing important. I might even take a walk. What about you?”

  “I think I’ll explore a bit. The island is beautiful and it’s supposed to be very mysterious. We are in the midst of the Bermuda Triangle, you know.”

  “Well, be careful. Don’t get sucked up by any aliens, okay?”

  Les leaned over and kissed her full on the mouth. “Well, you watch out for Dragons.”

  Dragons. Now why would Les mention Dragons?

  Last night’s dream spun its way through Amanda’s mind, then the thread disappeared. She sipped her coffee and watched the sea birds fly along the coast.

  * * *

  Les stuck a water bottle in a fold of his sarong and headed out along the beach. He’d expected to wake up to scratchy, itchy balls as his hair started growing back, but he was still as slick and cleanly shaved as he’d been last night.

  Smooth balls, smooth ass, slick as a newborn and twice as sensitive. Damn.

  Smooth skin sliding under a silk sarong was going to keep him hard all day long. He’d had to tie the silk extra tight across his groin to keep from showing off his damned cock, but the way the fabric slipped and slithered over his slick butt and balls was making him crazy.

  What did Tady have planned for tonight? Last night had certainly been a surprise. Les hardly noticed the thick foliage along the narrow path he followed away from the beach. His mind was full of Tady, of the emotional as well as physical reaction he’d had to the little man.

  There was no denying the fact Tady was his physical opposite. Blond hair, fair skin, twinkling blue eyes, a tiny elf of a man… except where it counted.

  Swish, swish, swish… Les groaned. All he’d done was picture that perfect package between Tady’s legs and all his blood rushed to his damned cock. The silk rode over his sensitive skin like… shit. Just like silk.

  Les paused, unwilling to take another step until he got his wayward libido under control. How the hell was he going to last until tonight?

  The leaves around him rustled, as if a strong wind blew past. Shadow darkened the trail, then all was once again quiet. Had a plane flown over? No, he would have heard the engine. Les glanced overhead at the thick, green canopy of luxuriant jungle. Maybe folks were hang gliding off the mountaintop. That must be what caused the wind. He’d always wanted to try that.

  Les stood a moment on the quiet trail and imagined himself flying, held aloft by nothing more than a flimsy kite… with the wind whistling up inside his silk sarong.

  Gentle wind. Caressing his smooth balls and baby-smooth butt, caressing him with the same tenderness as Tady’s fingers, as his talented lips, his warm, moist tongue.

  Ah, shit.

  The sarong tented out in front. Lester glanced up the trail and saw light where the jungle thinned on high ground. He’d heard this was an ancient volcano. From the jagged rock outcroppings he saw above, it looked as if there was at least some sort of old lava bed. Maybe a little island exploration would take his mind off the long hours between now and his date with Tady O’Shea.

  * * *

  Tady, resplendent in clan form, preened in the morning sunlight, straightening each iridescent scale in order to catch as much of the morning warmth upon his long Dragon’s back as he possibly could. From this high point on the island, he had a full view of the pristine beach, the tiny bungalows scattered about the water’s edge, and the thick wall of green jungle between the shoreline and the western shoulder of the volcano.

  The ground here was warm, heated from within by the slumbering molten core, from above by the full rays of the sun. Tady stretched one huge wing, flexed his claws and scratched his belly. It had been much too long since he’d last shifted.

  Damn, it felt good to be a Dragon the morning after a good fuck.

  He glanced up as a dark shadow obscured his sunlight.

  Lorcan?

  Now what on earth would bring the Prince of the Northern Realm out this early in the day?

  Lorcan pulled off a perfect landing on the small patch of bare ground next to Tady. His huge wings swept back, throwing up swirling dust devils. His thick legs came forward and clawed feet caught the rough ground and held.

  Lorcan’s green eyes swirled in the morning light, his nostrils flared, and he settled himself on the warm ground next to Tady. “G’mornin’, Tady. You’re up early.”

  “I was about to say the same of you, milord.” Tady dipped his head in a habitual sign of respect for his prince. “Did you sleep well?”

  “No.” Lorcan’s throaty growl hinted at a bit of a hangover along with a sleepless night. “No, I did not sleep well. You?”

  “Like the proverbial dead, milord.”

  “Umph.” Lorcan shifted, found a position that appeared to please him more and laid his scaly chin down on his forelegs.

  “Is there something I can do, milord?” Tady sighed quietly… it had been so nice up here, reliving the touch and taste of Lester’s magic. He’d rarely thought of Lorcan as an intrusion… at least not until today.

  Lorcan’s deep sigh stirred the dust. “You can tell me if I’ve lost my touch.”

  “Your touch, milord?”

  “With women.”

  “Ah… the island appears to be filled with beautiful women, milord.”

  “Hrumph.”

  “What of the two you went in pursuit of last night, if I might ask?”

  “They were willing. I wasn’t.”

  Tady’s head came up. Lorcan not interested? In two gorgeous blondes? “Milord?”

  “Cut the milord crap, Tady. I could have had both of them if I’d wanted. I didn’t want.” Lorcan raised his head, the princely hauteur even more evident in his Dragon form.

  Finally accepting the fact his peaceful morni
ng had come completely to an end, Tady turned and sat up. “You, milord, did not want two gorgeous blondes? Are you ill?”

  “It’s all her fault.”

  “Her?”

  “Mandy.”

  “Mandy? Who is Mandy?”

  “A woman I met on the beach last night. She caught my interest. I didn’t catch hers.”

  “I find that hard to believe, milord. I’ve never seen a woman who wasn’t interested in you.” Or a man, for that matter…

  “Well, this one wasn’t. I need to figure out why.”

  Tady hadn’t seen this side of the prince before. Generally Lorcan was so cocky, so terribly self-assured. Generally, of course, he had women falling all over him… women well aware of his princely status.

  “How did you approach her, this… Mandy?” Tady tapped one clawed nail against his cheek as he watched his prince.

  Lorcan had the good grace to look sheepish. “In my usual fashion. It always works at home.”

  “Ah.” Tady nodded and almost bit his lip to keep from chuckling. “At home, milord, if I may be so bold, the women know you are a prince. Maybe your approach, as a simple man, needs help.” Tady took a deep breath and put his future employment at risk. “Do you really want my opinion, man to man?”

  Lorcan stared long and hard at Tady, then he nodded. “You are my manservant, Tady O’Shea, but before that I have always considered you my friend. In many ways, my only friend. I would welcome the truth from you.”

  Tady nodded. Lorcan’s words touched him deeply. At the same time, he wondered if it was the woman who intrigued his prince, or the mere fact she’d turned him down.

  “I imagine, milord, you approached her as if you were her better, as if she should be thrilled to have you pay her the least bit of attention. Knowing your aversion to commitment, you probably managed to inject something in the first words of conversation to let her know you do not involve yourself romantically for more than a night. Essentially, you probably met the young woman, flirted outrageously, then in your less than subtle manner, let her know you were looking for a good fuck.”

  Lorcan’s glittering eyes told Tady he was very close to the truth, if not literally tripping all over it.

  “In other words, Prince Lorcan, you behaved in your usual boorish manner, a man much too full of himself to ever romance a woman in the proper manner.”

  “I could have you shot for that.” Lorcan canted a sideways glance in Tady’s direction.

  Tady laughed. Coming from the mouth of a Dragon, it was more of a snort. Still, he knew he’d gotten his point across. “But you won’t, milord, because I have just given you a truth you need to hear if you’re ever to find a woman interested in you, not your crown. Go to her. Apologize. Ask for a second chance to get to know her, and try, for once in your life, to put someone else’s pleasure before your own.”

  Lorcan nodded slowly, then turned his huge, scaled head and took a close look at Tady. His lip curled, showing just a hint of ivory. “You’re certainly ballsy this morning, I’ll give you that. What did you end up doing last night?”

  Tady glanced down at his feet and studied the huge claws at the end of each elongated toe. He wasn’t ready to share anything specific about Lester. Not yet. His feelings were too new. Too fresh.

  Too special and definitely too confused.

  “I had a nice dinner. Met a chap of the same persuasion. We’re planning to get together tonight.”

  Lorcan blinked, as if surprised. Then he grinned, fully exposing his six-inch fangs. “Good. I’m glad you’ve met someone. At least one of us might get laid…” He looked away and sighed dramatically.

  Tady wondered if, for once in his privileged life, Lorcan felt as lonely as Tady often did.

  “I’m going back to the bungalow, Tady. Thought I’d try snorkeling, maybe spend some time on the beach. Maybe I’ll even follow your advice.”

  Before Tady could reply, Lorcan launched himself off the narrow shelf and disappeared in a swirl of wings and reflected light, skimming low over the jungle to avoid detection.

  It wasn’t that the various and sundry beings who visited Chimera couldn’t be who and what they were while on the island, but it was never a good idea -- or good manners -- to startle the human guests.

  Tady prepared to settle back in the sunlight when a rustling in the jungle just below his rocky perch caught his attention. Holding perfectly still, tilting his scales to avoid as much shine and reflection as possible, Tady went into chameleon mode, hoping against hope he’d blend into the background.

  Lester burst out of the forest. Wrapped in a shimmering, darkly patterned sarong wrapped low on his narrow hips, he strode up the rocky trail, picking his way quickly yet carefully over the ground in bare feet. His chest was bare. Sweat glistened off his broad shoulders and sunlight caught the single gold ring in his left ear.

  Lord almighty, he was wearing a sarong, just as Tady had ordered. A gorgeous silk sarong over that perfect, dark-as-night, freshly shorn body.

  Picking his way along the trail, dressed in native garb, Les might have been an island god, a powerful, perfect entity born of the heat and fire of the volcano. Tady swallowed back a greeting. The last thing he wanted was for Lester to see him like this, nothing more than a big shiny lizard lying on a rock in the sun. That would take more explanation than any Elf wanted to tackle, especially one hoping to get laid in a few hours.

  No, not merely get laid. Last night was so much more than sex. Tady’s heart rate sped up as images of Lester’s big, strong body tied to the bed in Tady’s bungalow suddenly popped into his mind’s eye. He shivered. His scales rattled.

  Control, idiot. Get control! Tady thought of shifting, but then he’d have to explain what he was doing up here, naked. Damnation and Dragons, why in the hell hadn’t he thought to bring a pair of pants?

  Les passed on the trail below him without noticing the huge Dragon tucked back against the cliff face just a few feet away. Tady watched Les move on down the trail, his strong, ebony back glinting in the sun, his perfect butt tightly wrapped in silk.

  He ran his forked tongue across his lips, imagining the taste of all that skin -- sun-heated, slightly sweaty. Imagined Lester beneath him, knowing it was the Dragon that licked his ass and balls, knowing Tady’s true self when they made love.

  Tady imagined what Les must be feeling now -- the shimmer of warm silk against a smoothly shaved ass and the hot sun beating down on his back. His balls smooth and ultra-sensitive, brushing between his slick thighs with each step. Tady wondered if Les’s beautiful cock was hard, if he was aware of it as well with each step he took.

  Tady felt his own cock grow in response.

  Les disappeared around a large lava outcropping. Tady didn’t hesitate. He launched himself into the air, iridescent wings outspread and tail streaming behind like a long, scaled rudder, and coasted low on warm air currents, heading for the beach.

  He heard a shout behind him. Reacting quickly, Tady dove beneath the canopy of the trees and made the rest of the journey on foot. So much for a relaxing morning as his Dragon self. Smiling grimly, Tady raced through the jungle, a rather small, naked Elf with huge plans for tonight.

  Chapter 4

  Amanda adjusted her floppy straw hat against the noonday sun, spread her lightly woven caftan to protect her legs from the tropical heat and took a sip of her iced tea. The mystery she’d been reading had almost succeeded in putting her to sleep, so she set the book down beside her on her lounge chair and laid her head back on the soft pillow.

  Her dreams of Dragons and Elves and strange, sensual acts had made her restless all morning long, but now Amanda’s body felt loose and languid, the tension draining away with each beat of her heart, each soft breath she took. Lester was right. She definitely needed this vacation. She couldn’t recall ever being this relaxed, ever feeling so carefree.

  She’d never been so bored in her life.

  Less than twenty-four hours on this perfect island and she was
already wondering about her next script, thinking of excuses to contact her agent and praying for something, anything, to bring a little excitement into her life.

  “Good morning, my lovely Mandy. How are you this fine day?”

  Anything but him.

  Lorcan squatted down on the sand beside her. He was shirtless, hatless, wearing only faded shorts and a gorgeous light tan over his perfectly sculpted torso.

  Amanda tipped the brim of her hat up and glared at him over the tops of her dark glasses. “What are you doing here?”

  She couldn’t make her annoyance much clearer than that.

  “Looking for you.” Lorcan did just the opposite -- he looked away, shielding his eyes against the glare of sun on the turquoise bay in front of them. “I owe you an apology for my boorish behavior last night.” He turned back to her and grinned. His green eyes twinkled merrily. “According to my personal assistant, I occasionally act a bit too full of myself.”

  “Your assistant is right. Thank you. I accept your apology. Now, go away.”

  Lorcan slapped his hand over his heart. A heart on the left side of the most beautiful chest Amanda had ever seen, now covered with a smattering of dark, curly hair and the hand of an artist… long fingers, nicely trimmed nails… A man could do amazing things with a hand like that -- if he knew how to use it.

  “Mandy, you wound me. I have apologized, something that comes neither easily or naturally to me. I beg of you, a second chance to redeem myself in your lovely gray eyes.”

  “I’m not interested.” Amanda turned away and lay back down on her lounger. Her heart raced, her blood pounded in her veins. He might be a bore, but he was a gorgeous bore.

  Strangely enough, she no longer felt bored.

  Lorcan didn’t go. He merely grinned at her, spread his long legs out in the sand and kicked his sandals off. How could such a jerk look so damned good? Lorcan rivaled any of Hollywood’s leading men. His face on the cover of People would break every sales record ever set for any magazine.

  Amanda studied him surreptitiously, checking out the long, lean length of him, peering at his perfect profile from beneath the rim of her hat, behind her dark glasses.