by Linda Wisdom
“While the idea of dancing naked with you in the moonlight seems better all the time, I think we’re kind of out in the open here,” he said in a ragged voice. “No use giving anyone else a show.”
Her face looked a little darker. Was it possible she was blushing?
“This isn’t normally me.”
He smiled at her soft-voiced admission. “Me either.” He looked around and noticed one of the beach cabanas a short distance away for those who wanted to enjoy the beach without the sun. Right now, it offered them the kind of privacy they required. “That’s why I thought we could look for a nice retreat.”
Catching the direction of his gaze, she smiled. “What a lovely idea.” Pulling herself out of his arms, she spun around and ran toward the cabana. A flash of white momentarily covered her back as he realized she had shed her dress along the way.
Before Brady could blink, she was inside the beach shelter. “Fuck me,” he muttered.
“Only if you get in here!” Her laughter easily carried to him.
He didn’t need to be told twice. By the time he ducked inside the covering flaps, a very naked Raven was stretched out on the double chaise. He left one flap partially open to allow moonlight inside.
“You’re very overdressed for this venture, Brady.” She lay back on the cushion, stretching her arms over her head that thrust her breasts up into two pleasurable mounds. The blue stone in her navel winked in the darkness.
He didn’t miss that the lady was a natural blonde. As he walked toward her, he pulled his shirt over his head then dropped his pants in one easy motion. He was grateful that it was too dark for her to see the mark on his butt. He had an idea it would be an instant mood killer.
Raven sat up, one leg extended, the other bent at the knee in a seductive manner. But it wasn’t his rampant dick her attention was centered on.
“Oh Brady,” she murmured, reaching forward to trace her fingertip along the scar on his leg. The newly healed area was usually sensitive to touch in a painful way but the throbbing he felt from Raven’s touch was pure pleasure. It was as if she was healing him from the inside out. She leaned over closer and pressed her lips against the wound, sending that same electric shock throughout his system. “When I saw you this afternoon I wondered where the scar ended.” Her fingers danced along his bare hip where the red and puckered skin gave way to smooth and tanned. She laved the wound with her tongue then looked up with mischief in her eyes. “It appears something else is requiring my attention. My, you’re a big man all over, aren’t you?”
Before he could say a word, she had her lips covering the head of his cock, her throat muscles relaxing as she took all of him in. Brady hissed a curse as he cradled the back of her head with his hands, steadying her as she slowly moved her head up and down, using her teeth to add a pleasurable friction to her action.
He closed his eyes and just allowed himself to savor the warm wet feel of her mouth on him. When she lifted her lips, the tip of her tongue swiped across the slit at the top of his cock then started down again. He felt his balls tighten to the point of pain and he knew he didn’t want the first time to be like this. He gently urged her away and pressed her back against the chaise, following her down.
“I’d like nothing more than to return the favor, but I don’t think I can wait. I need to be inside you,” he muttered, nudging her thighs apart. He still tested her readiness, feeling her dampness before he settled between them. With one thrust, he was buried to the hilt. Her vaginal muscles contracted tightly around him, moving in a countermotion to his thrusts. He looked down at her face, watching her eyes glow with an unearthly blue light as she raised her hips to meet him. He’d never been with a woman who was his equal in passion.
He bent his head and fastened his mouth over one nipple, grazing the tight pink bud with his teeth just as she’d done with his cock. Raven arched upward and wrapped her legs around his hips. As he felt her muscles tighten even more around him, he reached down and flicked his thumb against her clit.
Her eyes widened to saucer-size as the tremors raced through her body. “Brady,” she whispered in his ear just before she came apart in his arms.
He was positive the whole damn interior of the cabana glowed the same blue light he’d seen in her eyes.
Chapter Three
“I hope you don’t think I’m normally that easy.” Brady pulled on his shirt and shorts. There were times when it was a good idea to go commando. That way there was one less piece of clothing to find.
A naked Raven was curled up on the chaise looking like a sleepy contented cat. He swore she was even purring. He was tempted to pull off his clothes and have a repeat of the last couple hours. But if he wasn’t mistaken, he heard members of the security staff walking along the beach probably making sure the guests weren’t making use of the cabana the way he and Raven just did.
He looked down at the woman he likened to a work of art. He learned that her skin was tanned all over and that some kind of small shock wave occurred when she stroked his dick. Not that he was complaining. The woman had magic hands and he wouldn’t mind them stroking him all the time.
“While I’d like nothing better than for us to stay here and watch the sunrise together, I think the resort’s security people are making their rounds,” he murmured, glancing at his watch and surprised to find it was after three a.m., which meant they’d been out here for about five hours. He walked out to the cabana’s opening and picked up her dress.
Raven released a soft sigh and rose up onto her knees. The blue stones in her navel and in her ears seemed to wink at him.
“You are incredible,” she said, slipping the dress over her head and smoothing it into place.
Brady’s hands itched to do the smoothing for her, but he knew it would lead to a repeat of what had been going on for the past few hours.
While he hadn’t been a sex hound since his early twenties, he hadn’t been a monk either. But he could truthfully say, he’d never been with a woman like Raven.
He leaned over, trapping her between his arms, as he slowly and thoroughly kissed her. She smothered a low laugh as her tongue darted into his mouth, coaxing his out to play.
“Okay, minx.” He playfully slapped her on the butt and hauled her off the chaise. “We gotta get out of here before we get busted by Security for having cabana sex.”
“Won’t happen.” She looked smug, as she looped her arm through his.
“Why? You gonna smile and charm your way out of a lecture.” He grinned since he so badly wanted to point out the sated sleepy look on her face would be more than enough proof they weren’t out here stargazing. They slipped through the cabana’s opening and stood outside, breathing in the night air sharp with the scent of the sea.
“Sometimes people don’t notice me.” Raven slid her hand down to curl her fingers through his.
“Baby, there is no way people wouldn’t notice you.” He allowed her to take the lead.
She lifted her head, listening as two male voices sounded closer. She looked back at the cabana with a faint hint of sorrow on her face as if she was mentally recording an important memory. “No, really, you’ll see.” She tugged on his hand.
As they retraced their steps at the water’s edge where the gentle swells rolled up to cover their bare feet, they soon saw the faint outline of two men walking in their direction along the upper part of the beach.
“Just watch,” she whispered.
Brady was ready for at least an inquiry if they were staying at the resort and a request for proof, but the two men didn’t look their way. They continued talking in low voices and walked past them as if they didn’t exist.
He knew he was good at slipping unnoticed in and out of dangerous situations, but there was no way he could have walked past someone the way they just had and not be acknowledged even if it was nothing more than a nod of the head. He and Raven might as well have been invisible for all the notice they were given.
“I get it. You’ve
got super powers,” he teased. Considering her family tree, he was positive she had way more than super powers, but since he wasn’t supposed to know exactly what she was, he had to play it cool.
“If you don’t want someone to notice you, they won’t,” she pointed out.
”As a soldier aren’t there times where you need to hide from the enemy?”
“I don’t quite think of hotel Security as the enemy, but yeah, there’s been few times.” Give or take several thousand. “So what do you do when you hide from Security?” he whispered in her ear, punctuating the words with a quick flick of the tongue. She shivered under his caress.
“Take more than five items into a store dressing room, have more than fifteen items in my shopping cart at the grocery store. It’s the little things. “ She bumped her shoulder against him.
“Cutting in front of someone in line?”
“Oh no! That would be just rude!” She released the soft throaty giggle that shot a line of heat along his spine. He’d always thought giggling women were annoying. Raven was proving to be the exception. But then, Raven was proving the exception to a lot of things.
Guilt wormed its way through him. He didn’t like that he had to lie to her when in many ways she’d been so open with him. He hadn’t expected her to confess that her stepbrother was a dark lord Below, but over dinner he still felt he got to know her pretty well. While she was sexy as hell, she didn’t flaunt it and her conversation didn’t center on her hair, nails, clothes or what she did that day. Considering he’d been on many dates with women like that, no wonder he’d rather go overseas for a good battle than have dinner with a woman.
Raven was proving to be the exception all the way around. So much so, he even considered returning Shar’s very nice fee since the head demon was already paying for his stay at the resort. He quickly banished that thought. A man had to make a living and if it involved spending time with a beautiful woman, who was he to turn it down?
They made their way past the reception area and to the elevator with smiles that refused to quit.
“What floor?” Brady asked as a matter of courtesy even thought he already knew exactly where her room was.
“Fourteen.” She issued a small smile that held a few secrets.
“Same as me.” He punched the button and leaned against the wall, watching her.
She couldn’t help but notice his scrutiny. “What?”
“How can someone look as fresh and gorgeous at three o’clock in the morning as they did at two in the afternoon?”
She beamed. “It’s all magic.” She held up her hands and wiggled her fingers.
“Magic, huh?” He grinned, pretending to play along.
She leaned forward and whispered, “Yes, lots of special girl magic. It’s called concealer and highlighter that I lay on with a putty knife.”
He reached out and gently rubbed his thumb across her cheek and down to the corner of her lips. He leaned over more and followed the same path with his lips. “I don’t taste a speck of makeup on you. I didn’t earlier either.“ The elevator stopped and the door slowly slid open.
Raven pulled her room keycard out of a hidden pocket in her dress and indicated which door was hers.
“I’m down that way.” He cocked his thumb in that direction before taking the keycard from her and inserting it in the slot until the light turned green.
“Thank you for a lovely evening,” Raven said softly, the smile on her lips telling him just what she was thanking him for.
“Meet me for breakfast.”
“I usually go surfing around five.”
He grinned. “You’re not going to make it easy for me, are you?”
Raven tapped her forefinger against her chin in thought. “Yes. And I’m not acting coy. I meant what I said earlier. This isn’t normally like me.”
Brady easily read the hidden words. “I didn’t think you were, Rae. What I felt was an intense attraction that you also felt. We acted on it tonight. I’m asking for you to meet me for coffee, orange juice, eggs, bacon, and toast or your choice of muffin,” he gently teased. “Maybe we could take a drive around the island. I heard there’s a waterfall on the other side of the island that’s worth seeing. Or we could check out the tennis court, play a round of golf if you’d prefer that, although I should warn you that the last time I tried golf I broke more than my share of windows. I want to spend time with you even if we do nothing more than lay out on the beach,” he said seriously, knowing he meant every word.
Her lashes swept down; hiding the eyes he enjoyed looking into. “I guess I could miss surfing one morning. I’ll meet you at the lanai restaurant at eight. “
Brady brushed his lips across her forehead. “If I don’t leave now, I won’t leave at all,” he whispered. “Good night, beautiful Rae. I’ll see you at eight. Don’t forget to use the security lock.”
“Good night, Brady,” she whispered back and then slipped inside her room.
He waited until he heard the quick click of the security lock then moved down to his own room. Out of habit, he checked the traps he’d laid to make sure no one uninvited entered his room then stripped down for a quick shower. Just as he got ready to step into the shower, he inhaled the scent of Raven’s perfume on his skin. He reached in, turned off the water, and walked back into the bedroom. He decided he’d rather sleep with her scent surrounding him.
*****
Raven’s smile disappeared as she crossed the room. She wrinkled her nose against the pungent aroma filling the parlor.
“Not again.” She retrieved her case from the closet and pulled out the vial of gray dust to sprinkle over the Astay flower that lay on the coffee table in the same spot the first one had been. “If I’d known this was going to happen I would have brought more dust.” Within moments, the reeking purple flower from the depths of her realm was gone but a wine colored envelope with her name written on the front appeared in its place. Without caring about the contents, she sprinkled dust over that too.
She opened the balcony door to let in the fresh sea air and release the smell of burned flower and envelope.
She paused and walked out onto the terrace to view the ocean that looked a deep navy rimmed with white foam in the darkness. She leaned on the railing, enjoying the quiet of the night.
She had come up here to find a way to escape family duties. To find the kind of life she could never have Below. The last thing she expected was to meet someone like Brady.
When she had dinner with him, she hadn’t expected their evening to end the way it did. She thought they might have a few after dinner drinks; flirt some more and that would be it. But it felt so right. He felt so right. The pleasurable ache between her thighs was testimony of that. Brady was a large man all over and while he admitted he couldn’t wait, he still made sure she could accommodate him without discomfort. After that first time, they couldn’t get enough of each other. She could smell his musk on her skin, the taste of his cock on her lips and the feel of his heavy body against hers. Her breasts even tingled from the rasp of his beard when he nuzzled them. Males where she came from didn’t have beards, so it was a new sensation for her. One she liked very much. Actually, she liked everything about Brady. And she knew Brady liked her as well as desired her. Raven felt something warm settle deep inside her as she courted the idea of something more than a vacation romance.
Her smile disappeared as quickly as it appeared. Her family. Especially Shar. He wasn’t fond of humans. He wouldn’t care if she fucked a human’s brains out then threw him down Below. But he would care if she felt emotion for one and not with the idea of keeping one as a pet. Then there was Brady. What would he think if he knew about her origins? She was lucky she didn’t resemble her family members. She was considered a rarity among her kind. One that came along only every ten thousand years or so which was why Shar wanted her to go along with his plans for a family alliance with Pahso’s clan. She was highly prized and her wishes were ignored.
“Not in t
his millennium or the next,” she murmured, pushing herself away from the railing and returning to her room.
She slid naked between the sheets and snuggled down among the pile of pillows she kept around her.
She had a month to plan a permanent escape since there was no way she was returning Below. Thirty daysto ensure that Pahso realized there was no way she would become his mate and bear his ugly spawn. She knew ignoring his flowers and notes wouldn’t do the trick, but she needed some time to make sure she worded everything just right so there would be no discussion on the matter.
Meeting Brady was proof her initial decision was correct. She didn’t belong Below. She belonged right here.
She fell asleep with a smile on her lips and a mental note to wake up at seven.
*****
“You can leave the whole pot, darlin’, “ Brady told the waitress as she filled his cup. She gifted him with a flirtatious smile and promised to return with a filled coffee carafe along with a second cup.
He swore a shift in the air alerted him to Raven’s presence. He looked toward the entrance to the patio-dining restaurant to see he was right.
Raven wore a bright pink vest-like top that bared her arms and flat belly and matching shorts with cargo pockets. She smiled and headed straight for him. He noticed a glint of gold on one toe. Damn, he always had a thing for a woman wearing a toe ring.
As he watched her make her way between tables, he noticed not one person, meaning male, looked up as she passed by. He refused to believe that not one man noticed someone looking that good. When he saw the glint in her eye he knew the reason.
“Good morning,” she chirped, sliding into the chair across from him. “Ooh, coffee! Please, say you don’t mind.” She reached across the table and picked up his cup.
“I take it black and strong,” he warned her. “And careful, that’s hot. It was just made.”
She lifted an eyebrow. “So do I.” She sipped without a wince. “Just what I needed.”
“Here, you go, hon.” The waitress left a second cup and filled it with a smile at both of them. She flashed Raven one filled with envy. “You know what you want?” After taking their orders, she rushed off.
