by Myla Jackson
Kate’s mouth twisted in a wicked grin. “I wish you’d go to hell.”
Will sucked in his breath, his glance bouncing off the corners of the cave. When the thunder and lightning didn’t happen, he let out a long sigh. “Yeehaw! No more trips to hell!” He grabbed Kate around the waist and twirled her around. “Now that we’re back on equal footing, you and I have to set a few ground rules if we’re going to spend the rest of our lives together.”
“Who said we were going to spend the rest of our lives together?” A tremulous smile spread across Kate’s face. “Is that a proposal? Or are you teasing me again?”
Will dropped to one knee and took Kate’s hand in his. “Kate, will you marry me?”
“Marry you?” For a moment, Mitch thought she’d tell Will what to do with his proposal. Instead, her face softened. “As you put it so eloquently… Yeehaw!” She threw her arms around his neck and nearly knocked him over in the dirt. “Yes!”
Edie stood, shaking her arms and smiling. “Looks like our wishes are over.” Her gaze locked with Harry. “I don’t know about you, but even without the Stone of Azhi, my greatest wishes have come true.”
Harry pulled her into his arms. “And what wishes were those?”
“To find the love of my life and live my life with him.” Her arms wrapped around his neck and she pulled his mouth toward his. “I don’t need any more wishes. I have everything I ever wanted.”
“Me too.” Harry crushed her lips with his.
Mitch stared over the top of Danorah’s head to Amira. “Seems like I have the wrong woman in my arms.”
“I’d say.” Amira frowned down at the naked woman draped over Mitch. “It’s over, Danorah. My ancestor, Princess Vashti will be laid to rest once and for all.”
“Your ancestor?” Danorah snorted. “Impossible.”
“No. Now that I’m here, it all makes sense. My father told me the stories for a reason. This was my destiny.”
“Then you’re a fool to throw it all away. You don’t know what you’re missing.”
“Nothing. I’ll be missing nothing.” Amira stared across at Mitch.
“But the power…” Danorah sobbed.
“Is inside me. I’m powerful without the wishes. I just had to see it for myself.” She smiled at Mitch. “I can stand up for myself. I don’t need a magical stone or bottle to make my own luck.”
“No, you don’t,” Mitch let go of Danorah and reached for Amira.
“Wait.” Amira held up a hand. “I haven’t finished here.”
“I won’t let you do it.” Danorah dove for the bottles in the sarcophagus.
“I wish the stone and the bottles to all disappear forever.” Amira threw the stone. The stone sailed through the air, crashing into the bottles, shattering them. Then the stone rose above the sarcophagus and hovered out of reach.
Amira climbed down from the sarcophagus and stared back toward it, her eyes widening. “Look, Mitch, it’s her.”
Mitch pulled Amira into his arms and held her close, unsure as to what would happen next, but not willing to lose Amira to chance. “Who?”
“Princess Vashti.”
The pale image of a woman rose into the air, wispy as a cloud of mist. She reached for the stone and held it to her heart. A man appeared beside her, equally as unreal and ethereal. He reached out to clasp her hand. When their fingers touched, brilliant light filled the chamber, blinding all who witnessed the reunion of a woman dead for a thousand years and the lover she’d lost.
When the light faded, all that was left was the dim glow from the flashlights. The stone, the bottles and the mummy had disappeared.
Mitch let out a long sigh. “Whew! I’m glad it’s all over.”
Amira pulled away. “All?”
“Okay, all except the part where you tell me you love me.”
“You first.”
“I already did. What part of I love you didn’t you understand when I kissed you?” He gripped her hands and pulled her close. “Which reminds me…don’t you ever do as you’re told?”
She leaned up on her toes and kissed his lips. “Not anymore.” When he opened his mouth to protest, she pressed a finger to his lips. “Unless I want to.”
“Okay. Well then, is there anything you want to do?” Mitch waggled his brows. “Now would be a good time for you to wish us out of here and somewhere,” he glanced around at his friends, “more private, preferably.”
“I wish I could.” Amira sighed and snuggled in Mitch’s arms. “There were certain advantages to travel by wishes.”
“Yeah, like not needing a plane, train or automobile.” Mitch frowned. “That reminds me. How the heck are we getting back to the States without passports?”
“Good question,” Edie agreed.
“We could be in trouble without them,” Kate interjected.
“We’ll be okay,” Amira assured them. “My father has relatives here in Iraq and also in Saudi Arabia.”
“I thought you were going to be all independent and rely on yourself.” Mitch hugged her close to his side. “Not that I’m knocking a little help about now.”
“I said I could fend for myself, not do everything myself.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “I have a brain and I intend to use it.”
“Spoken like a true descendent of the Princess Vashti.” Mitch grinned at her.
“Damn right.” Amira glanced around at the others. “If we’re finished here, I need to make a few phone calls. We can use Danorah’s satellite phone.”
“What about me?” Danorah stood in the middle of the tomb, her once strong facial features looking older and less threatening.
Amira gave the woman a fierce frown. “If you behave yourself, I’ll let you live.”
“You gave up the power when you destroyed the stone and bottles.”
“I don’t need power to leave you naked and alone in the desert. And there are more than enough scorpions to kill a woman out here. Especially a naked woman.” Amira’s brows rose. “Which is it to be?”
As if suddenly aware of her vulnerability, Danorah covered her naked breasts with one arm and the thatch of hair at the juncture of her thighs with her other hand.
“No way. Let me have her,” Kate said. “I’m still mad as hell at what she had Will doing to her.” Kate shot Will a deadly glance. “And don’t think you’re getting off scot-free. You looked like you were having a little too much fun.”
“Did you like that?” Will asked. “You know I was acting, don’t you. I had to make it appear as if I was enjoying making love to another woman.” He puffed out his chest. “And that it got you jealous was a bonus.”
“We’ll definitely be having words over that particular incident. After I take care of this bitch.” Kate pushed the sleeves back on her blouse and advanced on Danorah.
Danorah backed away, her eyes wide. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know what I was doing. Really. The power went to my head.” Her glance shot to Amira. “Okay, I’ll behave,” she insisted. “Just don’t let her have me.”
“Done.” Amira grimaced at Kate. “Sorry. Can’t let you rip her to shreds today. But if she gives us any more trouble, she’s yours.”
“Deal.” Kate glared at Danorah. “Letting her live is more than she deserves for all the trouble she’s caused us. Just take one step out of line and… Bam!”
Danorah scurried toward her clothing. Once she’d grabbed it, she cast a quick glance back at the group of people standing in the chamber. “Fools! You’ll never catch me.” Then she raced out of the cave.
Kate lunged after her, but Will’s hand snagged her elbow, jerking her to a stop. “Let her go.”
“Are you kidding? After all she did to us, she deserves to die.” Kate slapped at Will’s handhold. “Let me go, you idiot!”
“Are you trying to start a fight?” Will grinned. “Because you know I love a good fight with you.”
“She’s not important.” Amira slipped her arm through Mitch’s. “What’s important
is to get out of here ourselves and leave this tomb in peace…”
“She’s getting away with probably the last vehicle. How are we supposed to get out of here?” Kate demanded.
Edie stepped forward. “And she took the satellite phone with her.”
Amira’s lips twitched. “I’m not concerned.”
“Not concerned about being stuck out in the middle of the desert with no transportation or means of communication?” Harry’s brows drew together.
Amira shook her head. “No.” Her smile spread across her face. “You see, I lied to Danorah. Did I mention that I’m the great-great-great-whatever Princess Vashti’s ancestor, and I inherited the power her father buried her with. I still have the ability to make wishes.”
Mitch frowned. “I’m not sure I’m all that happy about that.”
Amira’s brows rose. “I’m betting you will be.” Her hand roved over his chest and downward to his crotch.
Mitch gulped. “Try me.”
Oh she’d try him all right. “You’re on.”
“What about us? Can you still get the rest of us out of here?”
Amira tipped her head to the side. “Didn’t you hear Danorah? Whoever has the power of the Stone of Azhi has the power to impact anyone and everyone. You say Sand City is a good place to be?”
“Yeah,” Kate’s eyes narrowed. “But it’s a long walk.”
“I wish we were all in Sand City.” Amira crossed her arms over her chest and prayed her father’s bedtime stories were right. When thunder shook the sides of the cave, she let out the breath she’d been holding. Light shone and faded and the group of adventurers stood in the arched corridors of Sand City. “How’s that?”
“Perfect.” Will tugged Kate’s hand. “See you guys later.” He took off at a jog away from them.
Kate argued at his side all the way out of earshot. “Did you think to ask if I wanted to go?”
“We’ll leave you two alone,” Harry said, leading Edie in another direction, his hand sliding beneath her shirt before they’d gone more than five steps.
Which left Mitch and Amira alone in the corridor.
“Any idea where we can go?” Amira asked.
Mitch’s hand slipped beneath the filmy dress she wore. “Not a clue.”
“I wish we were in a quiet room all alone.”
As the thunder rumbled, Mitch pressed his nose to hers. “I’m beginning to see this power you have has merit.”
“Wait until you see what else I can do.” She clasped her hands around his neck as the white light filled the corridor and faded to reveal a softly lit room, with high ceilings and filmy curtains draped over a king-sized bed.
Amira shrugged out of the borrowed dress, letting it slide down her body to the floor. Beneath it, she was completely naked. “Seems to me you’re a little overdressed.”
“I can fix that.” He fumbled with the buttons on his shirt, cursing when he couldn’t get out of his clothes fast enough.
Amira slid a hand inside the waistband of his trousers and touched his rock-hard cock. She couldn’t wait for him to finish disrobing. “I wish you were naked.”
A moment later, Mitch stood before her naked, his hands on his hips. “Whatever happened to foreplay?”
She advanced on him and grabbed his cock. “It’s overrated.” She ran her calf up the back of his thigh and hooked it on his hip, pressing his dick to her warm, wet opening. “Are you going to fuck me, or do I have to wish it?”
“Saints preserve us. We’ve created a monster.” He hooked his arms beneath her knees and raised her high enough that he could slip inside her. “You might be all-powerful and everything, but when we’re through here, I want to give you a few lessons on foreplay. You have no idea what you’re missing.”
“Then show me.”
Mitch groaned, backed her against the wall and drove into her, his hunger equaling hers. His fingers trailed down her throat to her breasts, where one after the other, he tweaked the tips of her nipples into hardened peaks.
He pulled his cock out of her and positioned it at her entrance, the bulbous tip nudging her.
Amira squirmed against him, her legs tight around his middle, trying to force herself down over him. “Please.”
He held her above him, keeping her from sheathing him. “Please what?”
“Please make love to me.” Her fingers dug into his shoulders. She leaned into his throat, moaning, her teeth clamping down on his earlobe. “Please.”
“Ouch!” he jerked back, laughter dancing in his eyes. “That hurt!”
“Then quit stalling and fuck me.” He let her slide down over him until she cried out, her head thrown back, her hair spilling down her back.
“As the lady wishes.” Mitch pumped in and out of her, until her back arched and she cried out, her body going rigid.
Her orgasm fueled his and he shot over the edge with her, driving into her one last time as deep as he could go. When their bodies cooled, Amira smoothed a lock of hair from Mitch’s face. “I wish—”
Mitch tapped a finger to her lips. “Think before you wish.”
She frowned until Mitch lowered his finger. “I was only going to say, I wish you’d show me some more of that foreplay you mentioned.”
Laughter bubbled up in his chest and flowed over the room. He carried her across to the bed and laid her down. Then one kiss at a time, he worked his way down her body until his lips poised over her pulsing clitoris. “Your wish is my command.”
The End
About the Author
I’ve written for Ellora’s Cave since September of 2006 when my first release, Trouble with Harry, came out. Since then, I’ve expanded from reluctant genies to werewolves, chameleons, vampires and witches. For me, reading and writing gives me the freedom to explore strange new worlds and write the characters and creatures clamoring to escape my mind. I like writing everything from romantic comedy to dark and sexy suspense. Mostly I like to escape into other worlds, whether grounded in reality or complete fantasy. Come…escape with me!
Myla welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website and e-mail address on her author bio page at www.ellorascave.com.
Tell Us What You Think
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Also by Myla Jackson
Cat Scratch Fever
Ellora’s Cavemen: Dreams of the Oasis I anthology
Fit to Be Tied
Jacq’s Warlord with Delilah Devlin
Naked Prey
Sex, Lies & Vampire Hunters
Shewolf
Thorn’s Kiss
Trouble With Harry
Trouble With Will
Witch’s Curse
Discover for yourself why readers can’t get enough of the multiple award-winning publisher Ellora’s Cave. Whether you prefer e-books or paperbacks, be sure to visit EC on the web at www.ellorascave.com for an erotic reading experience that will leave you breathless.
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