Allister, J. Rose - Immortal Menage [Immortal Paradise 4] (Siren Publishing PolyAmour)
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Immortal Paradise 4
Immortal Menage
Lexie knows it's crazy to fly to the Bahamas in search of the mystery lover who has been heating up her dreams, but she can’t shake the nagging feeling that he truly exists.
Grayel is a god among gods, ready to claim the mortal who awaits him in the earth realm--except that a single touch of his power will kill her. Though his father is convinced Grayel’s choice of mate will throw the entire realm into chaos, Grayel enlists demigods Love and Lust to aid in a sexual ritual that will transform Lexie into a goddess.
Even if she agrees to the unabashed, immortal ménage under the watchful eye of a witness, plots in the twelfth realm and mounting emotional attachment of one of the demigods threatens the union's success. How can they overcome Love, Lust, and the will of a kingdom to consummate an explosive immortal ménage?
Genre: Contemporary, Fantasy, Ménage a Trois/Quatre
Length: 58,682 words
IMMORTAL MENAGE
Immortal Paradise 4
J. Rose Allister
POLYAMOUR
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: PolyAmour
IMMORTAL MENAGE
Copyright © 2011 by J. Rose Allister
E-book ISBN: 1-61034-105-8
First E-book Publication: February 2011
Cover design by Jinger Heaston
All cover art and logo copyright © 2011 by Siren Publishing, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.
All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.
PUBLISHER
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
Letter to Readers
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DEDICATION
For everyone who has ever had a dream that they longed to have come true, and for those who know firsthand that it’s possible.
IMMORTAL MENAGE
Immortal Paradise 4
J. ROSE ALLISTER
Copyright © 2011
Chapter One
The bump of turbulence was the first thing Lexie Porter had any awareness of for several hours. The ding of the seat belt sign followed, and soon she heard the rustling of other passengers in the cabin. Sleeping on an airplane didn’t come naturally to her, but she’d been determined to catch forty winks on this flight for a couple of reasons. The first reason was practical. The other was completely ridiculous.
It was the completely ridiculous reason that weighed heavy on her sleep-numbed brain while she sat her seat back upright and ignored the drone of about-to-land instructions over the intercom. She’d craved sleep so she would find confirmation that she was on the right path. That she hadn’t lost her mind when she’d emptied her savings and cashed a couple of bonds in order to chase after a dream—literally. Yet in a stroke of irony, as soon as she’d gone after the dream that had consumed her for months, it disappeared.
She clicked her seat belt into place with a sigh and smoothed hair she had little doubt had suffered mightily during her nap quest. Of all the times for her faith to get shaken, two minutes from touchdown on a private-owned Bahamas island was the least convenient for it. She’d gone out on a limb to trust her instincts and answer the call, and now the call had fallen silent. His call.
While the plane made its final descent, Lexie shut her eyes and conjured up an image of the reason for her wildly spontaneous, utterly unaffordable journey to paradise. Blazing green eyes shot straight through her, fitness-magazine muscles gleamed as though oiled to perfection, and the curve of smoldering lips brought back hot memories of the many times he’d driven her to the edge of sexual frenzy. In her dreams, at least.
Pathetic though it may sound, Lexie was in love with a specter. A mystery man whose name she didn’t even know, whose rich chestnut hair fell in flowing waves to powerful shoulders. His face bore the carved perfection of someone a step above movie star quality, the kind of face a giddy admirer would gush over in a fan magazine. His male beauty was so startling she could only stand to stare for a few seconds at a time before having to turn away in a heated flush. Lexie had sought that face in endless films and music magazines, certain that her fantasy man must be someone she’d seen in an underwear ad or action movie. Surely her memory had filed that image away for later replay in nocturnal X-rated features, ones where she co-starred as the romantic lead he could never get his fill of.
The wheels of the jetliner hit runway in the tropics, and the image of her mystery lover vanished. For months on end she had dreamed of this man, simple dreams at first that progressed to vivid sexual encounters that left her wet and aching when she awoke. Then her erotic god began calling to her, urging her to find him where they could be united in the flesh. For a time she’d wondered whether her relentless, attentive paramour could be an incubus, a being come to drain her sexual energies until she perished from tragic, fatal ecstasy. Yet how could he be, when she felt more vibrant after their dream world couplings than she ever felt in real life?
Passengers began a frenzy of grabbing overhead bags and stepping over each other to get to the exit the second the plane came to rest at the gate, which was comprised of a portable stairwell leading down into the damp heat of the Bahamas. Several transports lin
ed up nearby to whisk guests to the one and only destination—the Amante del Mar resort.
Content to let others make fools of themselves while trying to force rolling carry-ons through the crowded aisles, she stayed in her seat and let the cacophony of tourism rush past. I did it, she called out in her mind as though he could hear her. As though utter madness hadn’t propelled her into the most ludicrous, rash thing she’d ever done.
When at last the aisles were clear enough to make her escape, she stretched cramped muscles and got to her feet. With her one bag in hand she exited the plane, feeling like a heel when she shook her head at the attendant’s offer of a fresh island lei. It would be a nice gesture if she wasn’t allergic. She must be out of her mind to bring her nose to a lush, tropical island.
Multiple forms of transport waited on the tarmac. Some guests rode limousines, town cars, or even a stretch Humvee in to the resort proper, but her ride was a communal shuttle shared with several other people. The gleaming brass and supple, new leather brought this vehicle a step up from typical airport shuttles, but this was still considered the absolute low end, economy transport here. She smiled at the others aboard, four of whom were paired up and appeared to be getting a head start on a honeymoon, if not the next big porno awards. Then there was a tall blond guy who was attractive enough to look like he should have some kind of beach bimbo permanently grafted to each muscled arm. The nod and smile he offered in return held the special solidarity of those who were the odd ones out at the orgy, though to her relief he didn’t try to make any overtures to change this.
Lexie did her best to ignore soft moans and smooching sounds while they made the short drive from the airstrip to the hotel, and when she got her first glimpse some minutes later, she gasped aloud. The resort was a thing of shining beauty, her dream come to life. She almost wanted to shake the get-a-room people out of their sexual reverie and make them experience the amazing view.
The shuttle wound around a massive fountain-slash-wave machine featuring a bronze sculpture of the sea god Poseidon. His arms were outstretched while he watched over frolicking bronze creatures, people, mer-beings posed on rocks or sticking out of the fountain’s “surf.” Her heart pounded at seeing this vision in real live, three-dimensional glory. She recognized the water feature right away, the same one that prompted her to whip out an already abused credit card and put down a four-figure deposit on an island she’d never heard of. The same fountain she’d seen in her dreams, where her fantasy lover had stood whispering promises to her that they would be together in paradise soon.
She craned her neck to stare at it as long as she could until the palm-lined drive curved and barred her view. The landscaping was lush and decadent, with all manner of bowl-sized flowers and leaves the size of placemats. Allergies, here I come, she thought as the transport pulled into a long portico in front of the main entrance.
No sooner had she stepped from the transport into sea air than a porter grabbed the bag from her hand and escorted her through the double doors. The lobby stopped her short. Gleaming marble shone with afternoon sun, courtesy of skylight windows a good two stories high. Numerous groupings of wicker furniture invited guests to linger in the splendor. A massive waterfall spilled down three tiers of rock, surrounded with dense foliage and bird-of-paradise and the sounds of tropical birds she wasn’t sure were real or recorded. A bar and several shops spanned one side of the lobby, while the main desk stood near the back by a bank of elevators.
It was some time before she realized she’d lost her porter, and looking around the bustle she spotted him waiting near the desk. With a flicker of guilt she rushed over and took care of her check-in. Fifteen minutes, a plastic keycard, and a smoking credit card later, Lexie was on the second floor standing inside her room. She had begged and negotiated her way down to what was allegedly the cheapest room rate, located in an area of the resort where construction was supposedly underway. None was evident when she plopped down her bag and tested out the springy queen bed. A pillow-top mattress, no less. Heaven, sheer heaven. For one thousand dollars a night, she’d damn well expected the “budget” room to be more Four Seasons than Best Western, and this didn’t disappoint. The room was larger than her apartment, decorated in muted cream tones featuring lush, thick carpet she immediately tested out by kicking off her shoes. There was a mini bar and kitchenette, and a walk-in closet she would kill to smuggle home. The bathroom contained flawless, shimmering marble and the fluffiest, largest towels she’d ever seen. What she wouldn’t give to have a Jacuzzi tub and walk-in double shower like these at her place. Not that she’d had anyone to shower with in quite some time.
She snatched up resort brochures and the room service menu off a nearby round table and flopped down on the cushy bed. The flight from San Diego had been exhausting even though she’d slept through most of it, and she didn’t feel up to strolling around the grounds in search of dine-out cuisine. She’d get her bearings by reading the printed materials and have something light sent up. At least, it was a solid plan until she got a look at the prices. Then she swung her legs around and sat straight up.
Holy hell. The price of a glass of orange juice here could buy her an entire night on the town back home. Well, as an unexpected bonus she’d apparently be losing a few pounds while she was here looking for Prince Charming. She could consider this a very swanky, expensive diet spa.
With a sigh she dropped the menu, and then dug through her bag for her toiletry kit and a change of clothes. So, she’d be checking out the resort tonight after all. That suited her just fine. She’d come here to find the man of her dreams, not sit around an outrageously priced suite alone. The sooner she began her hunt, the sooner she could lay to rest the question of who he was, how he was able to appear to her in dreams, and most important, prove to herself that he was more than a pathetic delusion drummed up by a lonely, unbalanced mind.
Tonight, everything would change.
Chapter Two
“Impossible. Absolutely out of the question.”
Grayel watched his father stalk back and forth, figuring that the steam not escaping the man’s red ears right now must be fueling the man’s rapid pace.
“It is entirely possible, Father,” Grayel said. “And it cannot be out of the question if I never asked one.”
“Don’t toy with my words,” Tolel said. “I tire of your frequent attempts to shock your mother and me with your foolish ideas.”
Grayel moved toward the portal threshold, but his father took hold of his arm. “No. I will not allow it.”
“You cannot stop me. I am well of age and come into my full powers. The will of a god cannot be overwritten by your displeasure over my actions.”
Dark eyes simmered with a fire Grayel knew only too well. It was dangerous business, treading on the toes of the ruler of the twelfth realm. Unless the one doing the treading was a god of equal power—or happened to be Tolel’s son. Grayel was both.
His father’s face flamed under his close-cropped, dark beard, and he dropped Grayel’s arm. “You will abide our decision, or face my wrath. Do not challenge me on this, boy. I have allowed far too many of your ludicrous whims.”
Grayel folded his arms. “Ludicrous whims? Since when is claiming a mate to ensure our bloodline spans into the next generation either of these?”
“When my son decides to ignore what is best for the realm and plucks his bride off the human meat market.”
“What is best for you, you mean.”
“The decision for you to wed Lucreda was set when you were still in changing cloths.”
“The betrothal was never witnessed. No official papers were ever signed.”
Tolel waved a massive hand. “Formality should not be necessary between families in honorable, high standing. My word as a god is stronger than a signature in blood.” He shot Grayel a harsh stare. “And yet you would dare dishonor my name and see our realm in shambles by ignoring the wish of its leaders.”
“As I am to become a lea
der, is not my wish also to be counted?”
His father growled. “You are not a leader yet. And if this is a foretelling of your ability to sacrifice for your people, I fear the realm will suffer greatly by your hand.”
Grayel took his father’s cue and began pacing. “Marrying a mortal will not destroy the realm.”
“Marrying a mortal will divide the realm, son, which in many ways is the same thing.” The man stopped. “A merging of our two families will keep prosperity and strong blood with the highest ruling immortals in the land. Surely you understand the importance of that in securing the future?”
“The wealth Lucreda brings to the family coffers does not secure anything but a better-fed ass for others to kiss.”
His father stepped in front of him, halting his pacing. “You will wed Lucreda in the month of the double full moon.”
“Or what?”
“Tolel!”
Grayel stifled a groan at the gruff voice behind him. My, how news traveled when a god sought to step through a simple portal.
“Malanon,” Tolel said. He flashed a warning gaze at Grayel. “Glad to see you, old friend, but I’m afraid this is a private family discussion.”
“Not when it involves your treachery,” the man said. He stalked forward, flashing yellow-gray eyes back and forth between father and son.
“There’s no need for words you may regret,” Grayel said.