He groaned, closed his eyes for a moment and when they opened they burned hot with a tint of green in them. “When you touch me like this I lose all control, Chance. I don’t understand what’s happenin’.”
“Neither do I.” At least she was being honest. “I figure we don’t need to understand it, just roll with it.”
The peculiar green in his eyes flared. He reached out, gripped the bottom of her shirt and ripped it up and over her head. Next he reached around her back and released the clasp on her bra, tugging down the straps. Cool air brushed against her nipples, making the hard peaks ache. When his large hand cupped her swollen flesh, she sighed.
“I have a need to take you hard, bury myself inside you until I don’t know where you end and I begin.”
“Yes.” She wiggled her pants down over her hips until they slid freely to the floor.
Hayes growled deep in his throat before dropping to his knees, pushing the material aside and lifting her leg over his shoulder. “I’m gonna eat you ’til you come,” he told her.
Chance shivered with delight and anticipation. She gripped the back of the couch and held on as his mouth sealed around her clit. He sucked, licked and probed her tunnel until she squirmed. Before she knew it, her hips were moving in time with his delicious tongue.
“You taste so sweet,” he mumbled. “Like freedom. Come on my lips, Chance. Let me taste all of you.”
His words triggered her orgasm. As his tongue pierced her tender opening, she exploded. The pleasure rolled like huge waves from the top of her head to the tip of her toes and back again. He lapped, groaned and devoured her as a starving man would a prime piece of steak. When her orgasm ceased he pulled back. Chance urged him to stand, helped him out of his jeans and led him toward the front of the couch.
Once she had him gloriously naked and seated, she knelt between his thighs. “My turn,” she purred. Eager, she plunged his cock to the back of her throat and began a fast pace of sucking and torment. Hayes worked his hips in rhythm, lifting and lowering to feed her his hard flesh. His hands gripped her hair, tugging her scalp, and she loved it. All of it.
“Stop,” he snapped, holding her head back. “Climb up here, darlin’. Ride me.”
“Your wish is my command.” Chance positioned her knees on either side of his thighs and gripped his cock. “First things first. Condom.” Before the word left her lips she could feel the latex between her hand and his cock. Satisfied, she lowered. They both moaned as her sopping wet pussy stretched to accommodate him.
“I like that you’re so tight,” he groaned between clenched teeth. “And wet.”
Chance grinned before easing up. “You said it shouldn’t happen again.” She impaled herself again, taking all of him.
Hayes howled as his head fell back against the couch. “I’m a weak man.”
She rode him hard, the inside of her thighs slapping against his. Every few minutes she’d stop, swirl her hips and draw a long groan from him before resuming her maddening rhythm. She couldn’t get enough of how he felt inside her. His cock touched every nerve ending, stroking it until her spine tingled and her clit throbbed. Even her toes curled.
Hayes lifted his head, buried his face between her breasts and then captured a nipple between his lips. He held it there, sucking and tugging. The thrilling pleasure rocketed her over the edge. She thought he’d come with her. Instead he clenched his jaw, stared intently at her face and growled as her body clenched and released him.
Chance cried out as the intense rapture consumed her body over and over again. Her fingers dug into his shoulders, biting the flesh. Hayes didn’t even flinch, only let her writhe and gyrate to milk out every last bit of ecstasy she could. Before her last spasm eased away he lifted her off his body, slid from the couch and pushed her forward so he had her ass.
She gripped the back of the couch as he pulled her ass into the air. As soon as she felt the head of his cock nudge between her thighs, she pushed back. He impaled her with one hard, quick stroke.
“Hayes!” It was all she could manage as he drove himself deep, withdrew and returned.
Hayes fisted her hair, tugged and rode her so intensely her body jolted back and forth. She’d never been taken this way. The position caused his cock to rub new, untried spots that made her mewl with delight.
He fucked her hard and long until another orgasm began to build. She could feel her body tightening and apparently so could he. A low rumble rolled from his chest seconds before he reached around, tucked his hand between her legs and massaged her clit.
“Come with me,” he snarled and then gave her throbbing little bud a pinch.
That’s all it took. She shattered and he exploded. The feel of his pulsing cock added to the pleasure. Sounds filled the room. His mystical, deep roars mixed with her high-pitched cries and still he continued to pound away at her.
“Annie,” he whispered and crumpled over her back.
That name again. She had that odd feeling that she knew exactly who he meant and why. Through the haze of post-orgasm she tried to grasp and hold that feeling for later so she could analyze it, but it slipped away rapidly.
Hayes panted, his warm breath washing across her spine, and kissed her flesh tenderly. “I’m sorry,” he whispered with a touch of sadness in his tone.
“Why?”
“Did I hurt you?”
That surprised her. “Not at all.” She pushed back, forcing him to stand and then crumpled to the couch. Hayes plopped down next to her and like earlier, they both simply sat there, too exhausted to move or talk.
When her heart rate settled, she broke the silence. “We did it again.”
“I know.”
“You’ve turned me into a nymphomaniac.”
“Is that what I’ve done?”
She heard the humor in his voice and relaxed a little. For a moment she feared he’d jump up and run. “It’s the only thing I can come up with to explain all this. I haven’t had much to do with men over the years. Now I can’t keep my damn clothes on around you.”
Hayes made a humph sound. “I seem to have the same problem. Maybe you’ve turned me into a nymphomaniac.”
Chance frowned. “It’s possible, I suppose.” She was more than willing to take the credit or blame, but something told her neither of them had much say in any of this. “Who’s Annie?”
Hayes bolted up, wiggled his fingers and was dressed in a split second. “I don’t know.” He grabbed a blanket hanging over the back of the couch and gently draped it over her naked body.
“You’ve called me that several times now. Is she from your past?” Chance tossed the blanket aside. Her body still burned from all the exertion and the blanket made her feel as though she would combust.
Hayes let his gaze roam over her a few seconds. “I don’t remember my past, Chance. I told ya that. I don’t know who Annie is and we should try hard not to do this again.”
“That bad?” she asked as he walked away from her.
Hayes paused, fisted his hands at his side. “No, that good. I’m gonna go for a walk.”
All she could do was watch him leave even as her body screamed for him to stay. He didn’t use his genie skills either. No, he walked to the door and stepped out like any other man. Because he is a man. People forgot that, didn’t they? Chance jumped off the couch, gathered her clothes and slipped into them before snatching up her laptop. She wanted to do more research on how to free a genie. Something had to be listed somewhere on the subject. Once she had the computer up and running, she plunged headfirst into the world of inquiries.
Chapter Eight
Hayes stood in the darkness, staring at Chance’s flickering likeness. How could he have forgotten he knew how to carve? All he knew was he wanted to make her something special, a picture of how he saw her, and his fingers went to work. He sat down on the cold ground, pulled his knees up to his chest and rested his arms on them.
He didn’t ever want to forget this night. Not like he did the pas
t. If he sat here long enough, let her image burn into his brain like the flame burning the soft inside of the pumpkin he would never, ever forget the sound of her laughter. Her beautiful smile or how she made him forget that his only purpose in life was to make others happy.
Chance made him feel like a man again. The way she talked to him, wanted him to sit and take a meal with her, let him help her with work, it all made him feel alive. And when she turned those blistering-hot eyes on him and touched, it both heated his blood and broke his heart.
He was truly weak when it came to her. Chance commanded him like no other master could. And the weird thing was she didn’t actually command him. Not one wish had been granted, she didn’t even talk about them. It was as if she couldn’t care less he was a genie with the ability to give her what her heart desired. To her he was Hayes.
Frustrated and feeling as if he sat on a cliff of crumbling rock, he pushed his hand through his hair. Centuries of loneliness taught him to push aside the need to belong to someone, to feel wanted and loved, until he existed as an empty shell.
That desolate feeling diminished considerably over the last two days. Her laughter, her unassuming kindness, it cracked him. The way she gave herself to him, allowed him to take his pleasure as she took hers, it boggled his mind. Even the way she looked at him, as if he were perfect, was all a man could ask for. She was all a man could ask for. And there’s where the broken heart came into play.
It would be so easy to fall in love with her. Hell, he wasn’t sure he hadn’t. It was as if something drew them together and for what, so they could both be ripped apart when he was sucked back into that miserable prison of glass? Fate was a true bitch, giving him everything he ever wanted only to snatch it away. Hell, maybe he should just ride out his time with her, take this little slice of heaven and make the most of it and let himself vanish into oblivion. It would be better than going on and continuing this empty existence.
The invisible shackles around his wrists tightened, burned slightly and flooded his mind with the consequences of that particular action. Chance would be sucked into the bottle and cursed to finish his destiny. That he couldn’t stomach. Even in the empty, dark space of nothing he would continue to be tortured with the knowledge of being responsible for her imprisonment.
“Why don’t you kill me?” he whispered, looking down at his wrists. “I’ve been doin’ this long enough. I don’t have it in me anymore.”
Hayes looked around the darkness and then back to the house. A single light shone through the window. Chance hadn’t gone to bed yet and he didn’t think he could go back inside without putting both their hearts in danger. Instead he pushed to his feet and strolled to the wood pile. He picked up a nice, thick log, inspected it and decided to occupy his time and mind with a little more work.
Huddled in the barn with a dim light above him, Hayes worked the wood, peeled away layers until he could see an image in the curve of the grain. With his attention locked on the emerging form, he carved, forgetting about the loneliness facing him. Each cut of the blade ensured he wouldn’t forget how she managed to remind him of who he was.
Slivers of fresh, moist wood fell to the floor at his feet. The tip of the knife pricked his fingertips twice as he rushed to manifest his vision before it too slipped away. He didn’t want to forget her. Two times he had to stop and heal the minor wounds so blood wouldn’t mar his creation. It wouldn’t do to soil this figurine.
Hours passed. The once thick chunk of lumber had taken on a new life, demanding to be finished. Every detail had to be perfect. He couldn’t forget her and, like watching the flame in the pumpkin, this would also help to cement her memory in his brain.
Suddenly his hands stopped. He inspected the carving. Every element had been seen to, yet something was missing. He’d left something crucial out. What? Hayes set the wooden figurine down, stared at it helplessly and sighed. It didn’t look as though he would finish it tonight. It wouldn’t be gifted to her until he had it perfect. Hayes found a rag, wrapped it up and hid it in the barn so she wouldn’t find it.
Sure Chance would be tucked soundly in her bed, he returned to the house with a mere thought. To his surprise the light still burned in the kitchen. He glanced around and found her sound asleep on the couch with that computer teetering on her legs. Unable to stop himself, Hayes made his way over and gently lifted the small, thin box and placed it on the chair.
Chance didn’t move so he took a few moments to study her face. Her high cheekbones curved gently up toward her eyes where thick, dark lashes fanned against her flesh. Asleep, she looked so elegant and fragile. Awake, she bore a more sturdy appearance. A testament to how difficult life had been, yet how determined she was to take what she had and enjoy it.
He wanted her again. It seemed the hunger for her couldn’t be satisfied. He didn’t understand it, he only knew that if he could stay he’d be with her forever and make her laugh, help ease her way through difficult times and share the basic joys. A sudden flash of memory hit hard.
“Annie.”
That name again. Hayes clung to the scrap of his past, gripped it tight and right before his eyes Chance seemed to change slightly. Her features changed from high cheekbones to a more round face. Her lips thinned slightly and even her hair lightened. He saw Chance but he also saw someone else. Annie.
Who the hell was Annie? Could she be a woman he once loved? Did that miserable bottle jerk him from a happy, loving life with a woman? A few shreds of something familiar filtered through the fog only to be lost when Chance made a tiny mewling sound. She stirred, thrusting her breasts out before relaxing back into the cushions.
Hayes let his gaze drift along the lush curve, remembering how soft her flesh felt in his calloused hands and deliciously sweet her hard nipples tasted. His mouth watered as his addiction to her warm juices flared to life. How could he go on knowing what he left behind? Jesus, it was like their bodies were made for each other.
Chance gave a sigh, the tip of her tongue darting out and moistening her bottom lip. Hayes stifled a moan, remembering how hot and incredible her tongue felt on his cock. He froze in place for long minutes, reminding himself that pushing this any further would only result in heartache for them. She needed a constant in her life and he was anything but.
He could allow himself the pleasure of feeling her body against his if only for a few short steps to her bedroom. What harm could that do? Slipping one arm beneath her legs and gently tucking the other behind her back, he lifted her light body off the couch. Chance circled both arms around his neck.
“What are you doing?” she asked, snuggling her head against his chest.
“Taking you to bed. You fell asleep on the couch,” he whispered and walked toward her door.
“I was looking for a way to free you,” she muttered. One hand dropped down to his chest and rested over his heart.
He felt her heat penetrate the muscle and bone, wrap around the all-but-dead muscle and squeeze. “It’s not your concern, Chance. Let it go.” The words clogged his throat. Knowing she cared enough to think about freeing him, it brought on a sad joy.
Hayes stepped to the side of her bed, made the covers pull back and then gently laid her down. As he pulled back, her hand slid down his arm and gripped his wrist. He gazed at her face in the dark, barely able to see her features.
“Stay with me.”
Those words rocked him back slightly on his heels. His body instantly responded to her request, hardening and ready to please his only true master.
“Please.”
Before he could comprehend what his body was doing, he toed off his boots, slid in the bed and stretched out next to her. Chance rested one hand on his chest, tossed her leg over his and nestled her head on his shoulder. Her breasts cushioned against his side as his arm wrapped around her back.
“Relax. I won’t hurt you,” she whispered with a touch of humor in her voice.
Hayes realized he lay there stiff as a damn board, like a fright
ened child afraid of monsters beneath his bed. After a few deep breaths, each muscle relaxed until he lay nestled comfortably on an actual bed.
“See, isn’t that better?”
“More than you know,” he replied in a thick, deep voice.
“Sleep, Hayes. For one night don’t worry about anything and enjoy being a man.”
Without thought, he hugged her tiny form to him, turned his head and kissed her crown. A strange burning sensation filled his eyes, prickled his sinuses. It took a moment to realize he wanted to cry. He couldn’t remember the last time teardrops actually fell from his eyes. Perhaps as a child?
Well, it wouldn’t happen tonight either. Through pure determination, he fought them back. This was a wish come true for him. He wouldn’t tarnish it with sadness. Putting his hand over hers on his chest, he closed his eyes and committed to memory the feel of this wonderful woman against his body.
* * * * *
The beep of her alarm brought Chance from a deep, comfortable sleep. Freeing one arm from beneath the covers, she slapped at the small box until it stopped its annoying sound, stretched and was greeted with a tight squeeze around her middle. Hayes pressed against her back, nuzzled his face in her neck and then went still.
Honestly, she couldn’t believe he stayed. When she drifted off to sleep she half expected to wake up alone. Running seemed to be his favorite sport but last night he didn’t argue about sharing a bed. After hours of digging and reading about the mythical genies, she found herself depressed and sad for Hayes. She didn’t know how much was true but if even a tiny bit were, what a sad existence he had to endure.
The thing she couldn’t understand was how he hadn’t become a bitter, hateful man through it all. At least, he didn’t appear that way around her. Chance reached down and lifted his arm off her hip gently so she wouldn’t wake him. After repositioning it, she carefully slid away until she almost rolled onto the floor. He needed sleep, genie or not, the man in him needed proper rest. She had a few hours before leaving for the shop, he could sleep until then.
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