Finding Her A-Muse-Ment

by Rebecca Royce

“The women in my family are demanding. They insisted I go into the family business. There wasn’t any choice, and I’ve been doing it for a long time. Most of the time I find the work to be fine, not particularly good or bad. But my last assignment? I felt like I was doing something special, enjoying the person I worked with. Only for some reason, I was failing.” He took a deep breath. “Coming here seemed a good idea.”

  He hadn’t lied. Absence of truth wasn’t much better and he knew that. But she wanted proof of magic and of other creatures besides humans before she would believe. Somehow he’d have to give her that.

  They were halfway up the hill they were climbing before she spoke again. “I know all about failure. It scares me to death.”

  “You’re not a failure.”

  How on earth could she feel that way?

  “Well, I guess not, but I’m stuck. And it makes me feel like a one trick pony.” She took a loud breath. “The longer I felt that way, the more it started to roll over other things. Fear became my daily emotion.”

  “Why didn’t you ask someone for help?” He pictured her in that apartment the last year. So much less vivacious than she seemed right then, such a dull comparison to who she had always been.

  “And say what? ‘Poor little successful girl needs help because she peaked too early?’ How selfish does that sound?” She shook her head. “Anyway, I don’t know what the magic of this place is, if you’ll excuse the phrase considering this is called the Wiccan Haus, but my mind is feeling like I can come up with ideas again. New ones.”

  “Like what?” He had to know.

  She bent forward to take a pebble out of her shoe. “You’ll just laugh. It’s romance. Men always make fun. Or maybe not.” She emptied her shoe and placed it back on. She stared up at him before she winked. “Since you obviously know my work, considering that you admitted to knowing what genres I’ve worked in. And you were so vague about what it is that you do.”

  “I promise to be more detailed once I figure some things out.” They started walking again. “Tell me, please. What is your idea?”

  “Pool sharks.”

  His mind whirled with the possibilities. She could do a whole series of them if she wanted to. Different locations. Maybe a murder…

  He stopped walking as she abruptly ceased. Up in front of them was hot springs. They bubbled, looking inviting and soothing.

  Susie dropped his hand. “Isyllus.” She stepped forward before turning to look at him again. “I want to do something right now I would never have dreamed of doing before today.”

  “What’s that?”

  She looked like she’d stepped right out of ancient Greece, an ancient mystic come to taunt him with her sexual beauty in the moonlight.

  “My heroines do this all the time.” She raised one shoulder. “Why not me?”

  As he watched, his mouth hanging open at the sheer unbelievable sweetness of the moment, she shed her clothes. If he’d thought her goddess-like before, now she looked like she’d been ripped from the heavens.

  “Coming in with me?”

  Chapter Four

  Susan couldn’t believe she’d been so bold. Even as she walked totally naked into the natural hot springs, part of her mind remained in awe that she had dropped her clothes in front of that man. Just because she’d dreamed about him getting her off didn’t mean they’d been lovers. This level of comfort between a man and a woman only came after multiple sexual experiences together.

  Her behavior constituted lunacy. Yet she couldn’t stop her giggle—had she made that sound?—when she stepped into the warm waters. Her body immediately relaxed from the heated temperature of the springs and the gentle spray the bubbles let off into the air.

  Isyllus stood with his mouth open like a landed fish, staring at her. The anxiety that had been gone since she’d played pool earlier came rushing back, making her stomach clench. Had she misread the situation? Was there something else going on?

  Could he be gay?

  A second later, he shed his own clothes and joined her in the water. He yelped when he got inside and moved around as if the heat startled him.

  “First time in a hot tub? Of sorts?”

  He grinned from ear to ear. “Yes. Is it that obvious? Oh, Susie. Everything here on this island is so amazing. How could so many incredible things be real?”

  She couldn’t make sense of half of what he said, yet she found herself joining his infectious laughter. How could she not when he seemed so happy?

  Finally, when they both stopped laughing, the mood of the moment changed. Seriousness crept in around them, making it hard to breathe.

  “Susan.” The way he said her name sounded more like a prayer.

  She didn’t want to play a role, to assume the identity of one of her heroines, and yet she had to admit that those stories had come from her. Deep inside her psyche, somewhere she could hardly reach sometimes, part of her must be as sexually confident as her characters were.

  Maybe it had just been a matter of not having anyone to live those moments with, of not having a hero to play her heroine to. Under the stars, with him by his side, she could live out her dream.

  “Lean back against the rocks.”

  He nodded, doing just as she asked. Isyllus seemed so open, so happy, so willing to do what she wanted. Where was his game playing? Why didn’t he have any machismo? She couldn’t believe he was just so genuine. Should she be thanking the universe for finally sending a wonderful guy her way?

  Once he’d moved over to where she wanted him, she surged forward through the water and climbed on top of him. His cock jumped. Moving even farther up his body, she wrapped her legs around his waist. Yes, he wanted her as much as her dream fantasy of him had desired her.

  A thought dawned on her. “I don’t have a condom. I don’t suppose you have one, do you?”

  “No.” He leaned his head back against the rock. “I don’t.”

  “Damnit.” She bit down on her lip until she tasted blood.

  So much for under the stars fantasies.

  On the other side of the pool, sitting on the rocks, was a metal basket. It glistened in the moonlight. Even though it seemed ridiculous to go investigate what it was at that particular moment, she backed off Isyllus and swam for the other side.

  In the metal container she found a box of condoms, towels and a robe. On top of them, a sticky note read:

  S&I, the cards said you needed these tonight.

  Myron.

  She grinned. Whatever the deal turned out to be with this woman and her cards, she was glad for the box of condoms and she would be glad for the towel and the robe later. Of course, she had to hope the woman hadn’t played the odds and left a package of condoms in all possible spots with their initials on it. That would be horribly embarrassing.

  At the moment, however, she didn’t care. She swam back to where Isyllus waited.

  “What was over there?”

  His eyes sparkled in the moonlight and flashed a bright light in their center. She sucked in her breath and shook her head to clear it. For a moment, he’d looked almost non-human as if he were somehow not quite of her world.

  Okay. Time to let her writer’s mind take a break.

  All that talk earlier about paranormal beings and believing in things had played havoc on her imagination.

  “These.” She held up the condoms. “I don’t know how Myron knew but I’m glad she did.”

  “That woman could be a Fate.”

  She climbed up on top of him again. His cock, already hard from before, tempted her like water to a person walking out of the desert. “We need to get you nice and wrapped up.”

  He adjusted himself until he’d moved enough out of the water that he could get the condom on.

  “Let me finish doing it.”
Her muscles clenched at the thought of finally touching his hard cock.

  He was smooth under her fingers while she rolled the condom down his erection. His penis was wide and throbbed beneath her fingers. He hissed in his breath.

  “Thank you.” His voice had lowered two octaves. She grinned. The change in his voice was audible proof of the effect she had on him.

  This time she’d actually get to do the things she’d imagined doing. Isyllus reached out, stroking one of her nipples until it beaded.

  “Your body. I never imagined it would feel like this.” He bit down lightly on her collarbone. Her whole body clenched. “You like that?”

  “Yes.” She gulped. “I do.”

  Up until that moment, she’d had no idea she would like to be nipped right there. But oh, now that he’d done it, she wanted him to do it again.

  “More.”

  “Is your neck sensitive?”

  He licked it and she shuddered. “I guess so.”

  Isyllus’s grin contained pure male satisfaction. “I want to touch you like I’ve been dreaming about doing.”

  His fingers pressed inside of her. She waited for the fumbling about she’d grown used to over the years. Instead, he found her clit immediately and tweaked it.

  He pressed and fondled her with his fingers until she panted, unable to catch her breath.

  “Please.” She begged. “Come inside of me. I need you.”

  Her words might have shocked her if she hadn’t meant them so sincerely. If he didn’t put his penis inside of her she might break apart at the seams.

  Isyllus pushed himself into her warmth. She cried out. He filled her completely, until she felt certain that should be he any bigger he wouldn’t fit at all. Closing her eyes, she dove into the sensations overtaking her body. The slickness of the water trapped between their bodies added to the friction of their bodies locked together.

  “Open your eyes and look at me.” He commanded and she did as he asked.

  Isyllus’s eyes bore into her own. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t swallow. He captured her in his gaze, keeping her locked in a place where only the two of them under the stars existed in the universe.

  Finally, when the pressure building up inside of her couldn’t be borne any longer, she exploded around him. Her core creamed and her muscles spasmed around his cock. She cried into his shoulder, and as he came he whispered her name against her ear.

  They sat together in silence, only the sounds of the hot springs and an owl in the distance filling her ears. Eventually she lifted her head to look at him.

  She moved a strand of his hair off his forehead. “Hi.”

  He grinned. “Hello.”

  “That was…well, I’m at a loss for words.”

  “Me too. Why don’t we just say something like—” he sighed “—once in a lifetime kind of event.”

  She hoped it wasn’t a once kind of thing. “Are you saying you’d rather not do it again?”

  She shouldn’t be surprised. She’d initiated the whole thing. He might see her as some kind of one night stand. And how could she be more than a one-week stand at best?

  She didn’t even know where he was from.

  He smiled. “I’d love to do it again. And again. And again. But I didn’t want to be too hopeful about it. You might have other interests besides feeding my sexual appetites.”

  Heat infused her cheeks. “I can’t think of anything I’d like more. But I would like to get out of here. Can we take this back to my room?”

  “Do you think they’ll let me in your room?” He pulled out of her. She immediately missed having him inside of her.

  “What is this—high school? I can have anyone in my room I want. We’re consenting adults. Myron isn’t going to stand by the door with a gun and keep you out.”

  “Right.” He twisted his mouth to the left.

  What is he thinking about?

  They both got out of the springs and used the towels and robes that Myron had provided. Truth was, she didn’t intend to stay dressed very long.

  Walking hand in hand, they headed down the hill in the direction of the Haus. Up ahead she heard a noise—like leaves rustling—nothing that concerned her. Perhaps another couple had come to enjoy the springs.

  Mortification made her stomach clench. What if someone else had come while they were enjoying the springs? Public exhibition didn’t make her hot. She looked at Isyllus. He stared straight ahead, his brow now furrowed.

  “Something wrong?” Perhaps it had just occurred to him as well how close they could have come to being witnessed.

  “I’m not sure. I just have the funniest feeling in my head. It’s almost like—”

  The arrival of the pale couple she had been with earlier cut off whatever he would have said.

  “Hello.” She raised her hand in greeting. “How are you guys? Going to see the hot spring?”

  The woman licked her lips, which was starting to become odd, and the man grinned. Finally, he spoke. “No, we’re looking for an after dinner snack.”

  Isyllus pushed her behind his back. “Not from here you’re not.”

  “Is there food around?” She tried to see around Isyllus but he held her steady. Gone was the soft, gentle lover of earlier, and in his place stood a fierce man she wouldn’t want to mess with. What had happened to set him off this way? All the couple had said was that they were hungry.

  “If you come near her, I’ll rip your head off.”

  “Isyllus.”

  Enough was enough. Maybe he’d come here to work out some kind of anger problem, but she could speak with whomever she liked. Just because they’d had the best sex of her life didn’t mean he now got to control her.

  The pale man walked forward. “Shall we see if you can?”

  He grinned, and her insides turned to jelly. Maybe Isyllus’s instincts were better than hers. Perhaps these two were dangerous.

  “Susan.” Isyllus didn’t look at her. “You’re going to run. As fast as you can until you find Rekkus. If you can’t find him, tell one of the Rowans you’re in trouble. Tell them there’s a feeding problem up here. Don’t argue or question me. Just. Go.”

  Susan had never run for her life before. Yet as she turned and fled, she knew that was exactly what she was doing.

  Isyllus clenched his fists. Those vamps could bite him all they wanted. One of the benefits of being immortal meant he couldn’t die. He assumed that although he looked like a human on the island, his immortality would remain the same here. If not, at least he’d had a good run.

  And Susan would be safe. The Fates would send her a new Muse and…

  The thought fueled him forward. He did not want her to have a new Muse. Ever.

  “We will feed on you and then I will eat you before she can ever call for help.” The female vamp let her large canine teeth become visible for the first time. These two vampires were tricky. They must have seemed like they needed help to be allowed on the island. Still, the Rowans had made a mistake. These vampires didn’t need help. They needed to be put down.

  He rushed the male vampire, knocking him backward, but only just a bit.

  “You’re strong for a human.”

  “I’ve got news for you, blood sucker. I’m not exactly a human.”

  The vamp lunged at him, and they both fell back onto the ground. They managed to get into some kind of wrestling position the likes of which Isyllus had never seen before. Each time the vamp tried to get a bite of him, Isyllus managed to kick him off or move.

  Minutes passed and they struggled. No one would ever claim that a Muse had been made to be a fighter. Still, he had motivation on his side. If he could give Susan enough time to get help, then at least he’d know she was safe.

  Finally, the vampire overtook
him. He leaned back, baring his neck. If the creature wanted to bite, maybe it was time to let him have one. His opponent took the opening and bit down. Isyllus shouted out, the feel of teeth on his neck causing pain to slide through his already worn out body.

  The leech started to suck, but then reared back, screaming. “What are you?”

  Isyllus’s blood dripped down the creature’s face.

  Sitting up on his elbows, Isyllus regarded the creature. “Never claimed to be human.”

  That was when he saw that Rekkus, Cemil, another man he didn’t recognize, and Susan were staring at him from across the clearing. Rekkus had his hands on his hips. “If I’d known all it took to end this argument was to let the fucker bite you; I wouldn’t have rushed here quite so fast.”

  Cemil moved to the side, putting his arm around Susan.

  Damn! How much did she see? How much did she hear?

  Her eyes were huge and one hand covered her throat as if to protect herself.

  “We haven’t met.” The unknown man moved forward. He had black hair and icy blue eyes and was dressed in all black, making his blue eyes stand out even more. “My name is Cyrus Rowan. You haven’t met me yet, Isyllus. But these two have.”

  The vampires took two steps back. Rekkus seemed pretty threatening to Isyllus, but clearly they were more fearful of Cyrus.

  Cyrus looked at the vampires. “I told you what would happen if this happened again.”

  The woman dropped to her knees. “I just can’t control myself. Neither can he. We’re not animals, but we just can’t stop ourselves.”

  “You have had ample opportunity to learn how to do so. We even took you back after what happened the last time you came, because you assured us seven ways from Sunday that you were serious about getting better.” He shook his head. “Rekkus. Would you mind helping me?”

  “No. Please.” The man dropped to his knees. “If we go back not fixed this time I don’t know what they’ll do to us.”

  “Not. My. Problem.” Rekkus grinned, lifting the vampire over his shoulder. “You and I are going to a holding cell until the portal can be opened. Damned pain in the ass blood suckers.” He stared at the woman. “Are you coming too, or am I going to have to drag you?”