He grabbed the silk sarong he’d tossed over a towel rack and carefully wound it about his waist and hips, folding the top under the way he’d learned, to keep it from falling off.
Les’s sensitivity to the air currents alone was enough to keep him turned on, much less the relentless slip and slide of that blasted silk sarong. He hitched it as tight as he could, but there was still an obvious protrusion in the front. Sighing, he reached for his razor and the shaving cream.
What a day. The image of that Dragon, or whatever he’d seen coasting over the treetops, slipped into his mind. Les had never seen anything remotely like it, more beautiful than any bird, unimaginably graceful, almost sensual, in flight.
Chimera was supposed to be special. Maybe it was one of the indigenous life forms, something that lived here and nowhere else? As the razor swept over his jaw, Les let his mind fly free. What would it be like, to be a Dragon? To fly free and far, to have the power of those huge muscles, those scythe-like teeth?
Rubbing his hands across his smooth jaw and shaved skull, Les caught himself grinning. He’d have to ask Tady what he thought of Dragons. For some reason, they’d always fascinated Les.
Until today, he’d considered them figments of imagination. Maybe the Dragon was a sign…
Light sparkled through the ferns and palms separating his bungalow from Amanda’s. Les put his razor away and headed in her direction. It was a bit too early to meet Tady… the least he could do was check in and see how Ms. Carlisle’s day had gone.
“Sweetie, you in there?” Les rapped softly on the door.
“That you, Les? C’mon in.”
She sat in a wicker chair, her hair all undone and falling free, a light robe covering her sun-kissed skin. As usual, Les caught his breath at Amanda’s natural beauty. She might be almost forty, but the experience in her eyes and the glow that was a part of her nature merely added to the image of perfection.
He leaned over and kissed her cheek. Her hand slid over his shoulder and stayed, a fiery brand against his left biceps.
Obviously something was not right.
“What’s up, sweetie? Something bothering you?”
She shook her head. “Dreams, maybe? I saw something today I still can’t quite reconcile…”
“So did I!” Les sat on the edge of the rumpled bed. “I hiked up the hills toward the volcano and by damn, I think I saw a Dragon!”
Amanda’s head came up. She stared at him with a tiny frown marring the smooth skin between her eyebrows. “A Dragon?”
“Yep. It must have been sunning itself on a ledge above me… I saw it gliding down over the jungle, then it disappeared into the trees and I lost it, but the damned thing was huge. Way bigger than a lizard… wings about twenty feet from tip to tip, a long tail with a spike at the end, shiny scales that reflected the sun, it…”
Caught up in his description, Les hadn’t noticed how pale Amanda had suddenly grown. “Sweetie, are you okay?”
She nodded, then licked her lips. “I’m fine, Les. Really. I…” She glanced around, grabbed a sheet of notepaper off the table beside her. “I need to get going, love. I’m meeting someone for dinner.”
“Anyone I should know about?”
This time the color returned to her face full force. “Uhm, not yet, okay? He’s definitely someone interesting, though. I’ll tell you about him later.” She glanced up and seemed to truly see Les for the first time. “I do love that sarong, Les. You look absolutely marvelous. Going somewhere?”
He laughed. “You could say that. I’ve got a date tonight, too. What say we get together tomorrow and compare notes?”
Amanda’s smile lit up her face. “Works for me.” She leaned over and kissed him full on the mouth. “Have a wonderful night. Be careful.”
Les kissed her back, then headed out the door. The silk swished back and forth across his swollen cock, swept over his smooth butt. The cool evening air found his naked balls and he walked a little faster, heading toward Tady’s secluded bungalow.
* * *
Amanda squinted into the mirror and applied a touch-up coat of lipstick. The entire day had an almost dreamlike quality about it, but as sore as she was between her legs she knew at least part of it was real.
It was that last, final moment, that shimmery, foggy, almost believable image of Lorcan standing tall in front of her, announcing he was an Elf of royal blood, then turning himself into a Dragon that went way beyond credibility.
Except, Les saw a Dragon today… She didn’t doubt for a moment what he’d seen. Somehow, the impossible seemed merely improbable on Chimera.
Which meant, if Les had seen a Dragon, maybe she’d seen one too.
The slip of paper with directions to the restaurant caught Amanda’s eye. She glanced at her watch. Lorcan should be there by now. Would he have an explanation for what she had or had not witnessed?
He did have the most delightfully sexy pointed ears…
Amanda grabbed her small clutch bag and wrapped a pale blue silk shawl around her shoulders. Knowing she would see Lorcan in less than five minutes gave her a wonderfully warm ache between her thighs, a hollow, hungry sense of expectation in her womb.
She mentally replayed the last few minutes she’d spent with Lorcan on the beach. He’d said he was a prince, an Elven prince.
Well, he certainly has the ears.
He’d called her his Chosen One, as if it were some sort of ritual, binding them together.
The way her heart felt tied to his made that all too believable.
Then he’d shimmered, wavered and sort of… shifted… from human to Dragon.
Amanda shook her head. That was pushing it just a bit too far.
I did not see Lorcan turn into a Dragon.
Lester saw a Dragon today.
She laughed out loud. Magic. It was all about the magic.
Light spilled across the wooden veranda at the edge of the seaside bar and grill. A few couples chatted at small tables, their faces lit by flickering candles. One man sat alone at the bar.
Lorcan!
His back was to her, but Amanda knew she’d recognize those broad shoulders and narrow waist anywhere. She paused a moment, drinking in the sight of him, the sense her destiny waited mere steps across the teak floor. What had she seen today?
An Elven prince who shifted from sexy male into fierce Dragon before her eyes?
Amanda took a deep breath. There was only one way to find out.
Two blondes swept by her, headed directly for the bar.
Directly for Lorcan. He looked up, smiling, as first one then the other planted a wet kiss directly on his mouth.
“Lola! Lila… how nice to see you!” Lorcan gave each woman a very familiar hug.
Lola, or was it Lila, slipped her hand in the back of his loose-fitting chinos. The other blonde thrust her full breasts forward and stepped between Lorcan’s widespread thighs.
They were obviously already very well acquainted.
Amanda felt her skin go hot, then icy cold. Her blood pressure rose way beyond the explosion point. She stalked across the small space and planted herself directly in front of Lorcan.
“Looks like you’re already busy tonight, dear.”
Lorcan’s chin snapped up. His eyes went wide. “Mandy!”
“You rotten, lying, two-timing, pointy-eared lizard. How dare you!”
“You don’t un…” He rose to his feet, dumping one clinging blonde to the deck, shoving the other aside.
“You’re damned right I don’t. After what we… how we… oh hell!”
Her vision blurred and Amanda frantically blinked back the unwelcome tears, but her voice was low and ragged when she finally cleared her throat. “Why did I believe anything you said? You bastard.” Spinning on her heel, Amanda charged out of the bar.
She thought she heard Lorcan behind her and walked faster. When she finally looked back, there was no one there.
A large man loomed up, out of the darkness. At first she tho
ught it was Les. Amanda gave a sigh of relief.
A complete stranger stepped into the light. “Do you need any help?”
Amanda shook her head. “No, I…” Then she took a closer look. Damn, he was beautiful. Weren’t there any homely guys on this island? As tall as Lester, with short, spiky blond hair and broad shoulders of the sort that sent a woman’s heart into overdrive, he carried himself with the kind of presence that turned any woman’s heart.
“Actually, I’d love a drink. Would you care to join me?”
He hesitated a moment and glanced toward the bar, then held his arm out to her. Amanda took it. She hoped Lorcan noticed. Damn, she was not going to cry. How could he do this to her? They’d made love all day long. He’d acted as if it meant something to him. He said he wanted to court her, damn him, like some otherworldly prince! Then he’d pulled that damned trick and scared her half to death… and now he was in there crawling all over a couple of sexy blondes.
Amanda smiled up at the blond giant beside her.
“My name’s Amanda. And you are…”
“Roar. My name is Roar.” He handed a glass of sparkling wine to Amanda. “Is everything okay? You looked distressed.”
Only because the jerk inside ripped my heart out… well, okay. That’s a little melodramatic… “I’m okay. I was a little upset over, well, nothing.” She looked up at the huge man and smiled brightly. “I’m fine. Thank you.”
He found a table for the two of them, well within view of Lorcan and his twin bombshells. Amanda tried not to look in their direction, but her eyes seemed to have a mind of their own… When she stole another glance, Lorcan was alone at the bar, his back to her, a row of empty glasses in front of him.
Good. It served him right. She smiled at Roar. He smiled back. His teeth were very white, perfect, in fact. Everything about him was perfect.
Everything except the fact he wasn’t Lorcan. Amanda sipped her wine and tried to answer his friendly questions appropriately. Inside, she felt as if her heart were breaking.
It was almost a relief when, an hour later, two equally gorgeous hunks appeared at their table. Obviously, they were close to Roar. Very close. One of them leaned over and whispered in Roar’s ear. The other smiled sympathetically at Amanda.
Roar nodded, shrugged his shoulders and gave Amanda an apologetic smile. “I have to leave. May we walk you home?”
She shook her head. As brush-offs went, this one had been pretty painless. “I’m fine. Thank you, though, for the company. For helping me out.”
Roar dipped his head. “My pleasure.” He reached across the table and covered Amanda’s hand. “Thank you. May all your dreams come true.”
Amanda watched the three men walk away. There was something about them, something not quite what she would have expected… she thought of Roar’s wish… May all your dreams come true.
Of their own volition, her eyes focused on the bar where Lorcan had been sitting.
The stool was empty. All that remained was an empty row of glasses.
Chapter 6
Les paused just outside Tady’s bungalow. Soft lights glowed through the open windows, along with some absolutely mouth-watering scents. The air about him was alive, the soft chirp of crickets awakening, the twittering, clicking sounds of birds settling in to sleep.
Caught on the bridge between day and night, Les experienced a sense of enchantment, an awareness of both his body and his surroundings unlike anything he’d known before.
He tried to picture himself as he must appear to Tady. Large and muscular, his skin was an overall deep, coffee brown that added size to an already over-sized man. With his shaved head, amber eyes and one big, gold earring, Les knew he easily intimidated most people he met for the first time.
Not Tady. No, that little guy had balls. He’d sized Lester up and not found him fearful or wanting.
Les sighed. Not found him wanting at all… to the contrary. Tady found him desirable.
Just as Les found Tady. He grinned and stepped forward to knock on the door. It swung open as he raised his fist.
Tady stood in the open doorway, his blond hair slightly ruffled, his perfectly formed body hidden beneath a soft blue silk shirt and white cotton drawstring pants. He smiled at Les without speaking a word, then stepped back and waved him through the door.
“You’re just in time. Dinner’s ready.” Tady pointed to a chair and handed Les a glass of sparkling wine. Bubbles danced in the golden depths. The table was set with fine china, linen napkins, sterling silver. A bouquet of exotic flowers decorated one end, placed so as not to interfere with conversation.
Les took the fragile crystal glass and stood awkwardly by his chair. He felt like a bull in a china shop, horribly big and awkward next to such a petite and obviously stylish man. Damn, he hoped he remembered which fork to use!
“Sit, Lester. Relax.” Tady raised up on his toes and kissed Les’s cheek. “I have a full night planned for us. I want you well fed and comfortable, not looking as if you’re afraid to touch anything.”
Lester glanced at Tady out of the corner of his eye, then tipped his wine glass and finished the whole thing in a couple of swallows.
Tady laughed and refilled Les’s glass. He set a huge plate laden with all kinds of succulent morsels on the table. “Well, it doesn’t have the kick of those little numbers you scarfed down last night, but whatever works…”
Les sat down the moment Tady did. He took a serving of the baked fish and some of the vegetables, then followed Tady’s lead on the proper utensils to grab.
Within minutes their conversation flowed, along with the wine.
“… and I told the prince he’d better quit acting so full of himself if he wanted to attract a woman. I’m amazed I had the nerve to say that, but the poor boy’s needed to hear it for years.”
“Any idea who he’s trying to impress?” Lester took another serving of fish. Tady really had outdone himself.
“Some woman he met here on the island. Her name’s Mandy. Do you know her?”
Les shook his head. “No one I know, but then I’ve hardly met anyone. I went hiking today… saw the most amazing thing.”
Tady looked up from his meal. “What was that?”
“I could swear I saw a Dragon.” Les laughed out loud. Tady’d think he was nuts. “I hiked up the western flank of the volcano and it took off from one of the ledges up there. Coasted down over the jungle and disappeared.”
“A Dragon?” Tady nodded his head. “Could be. The island is known for the unusual. What did you think of it? Did it scare you?”
Les shook his head. “Scare me? Are you kidding? It was gorgeous… absolutely gorgeous. Wish I could have gotten closer. There is something magical about a creature that big, that unbelievable, flying. The sun glinted off the scales like fire over ice… I’ll tell you, Tady, it was the most thrilling thing I’ve ever seen.”
Tady nodded. “I’m glad.”
He stood up abruptly and began clearing away the dishes. Les helped stack them in the dishwasher, sensing the building awareness between the two of them each time their arms brushed or their hips touched. By the time the small kitchen area was clean, Les felt as if he were ready to explode.
Tady went around the room, dousing the lights until only a couple of candles burned. He reached into the dresser drawer and withdrew a black scarf, the same he’d tied over Les’s eyes the night before.
Without waiting for instructions, Les leaned over so Tady could blindfold him. The small man still had to stretch to place it securely over Les’s eyes. Les straightened up once more, held in thrall by the darkness, caught in an erotic world of Tady’s design.
He’d spent the last twenty-four hours in a state of arousal. His groin cleanly shaved and sensitive to every draft of cool air, every wisp of fabric that made contact. He’d not touched himself, not found relief no matter how strong the urge.
No, Lester had stuck to Tady’s directions as if they’d been carved in stone.
He sensed Tady’s nearness as he stepped close to Lester and brushed his wide palm down the front of Les’s sarong. Les sucked in his breath, his body went rigid, and he closed his eyes behind the silk, silently begging for control.
“Have ye found release since last we met?” Tady’s brogue was suddenly more pronounced, his voice deeper.
“No, I’ve not. I wanted to, though.” Les grinned nervously and shifted beneath Tady’s slowly moving fingers.
“Answer the question only. No speaking, unless you feel the need to tell me Enough. You’re mine tonight, Lester Ondáge. Mine to do with as I wish. This is my cock…”
He lightly squeezed Lester’s full erection. Lester bit back the whimper in his throat.
“These are my balls…”
Tady’s fingers stroked Les’s testicles through the shimmering silk. A tiny drop of fluid escaped the end of his cock and soaked into the material. The damp spot felt cold against flesh that had to be nearing combustion.
Tady’s hand slipped around Les’s thigh. Thick fingers traced the crease in his buttocks through the silk. “This is my ass… I might screw it. I might spank it… I will do whatever I want with it. It’s mine, is it not, Lester?”
“Yes, Tady.” Les’s voice cracked.
“I am pleased with the sarong. Has it been comfortable? Do you like the way the fabric slips over your smooth ass, the way it sucks up so close to your perfectly shaved balls?”
“Yes, Tady.”
Tady stripped the sarong from Les’s hips in one smooth maneuver. The silk whispered as it slipped over his bare skin.
Les shivered from the nape of his neck to his toes, a jolt of pure energy that left him covered in goose bumps.
“I want you to lean over and place your palms on the edge of the bed.” Tady guided Les as he spoke, bending him over the bed so that his butt stuck out behind him.
A.O.E.M.: Finding Magic Page 6
