Their Mating Illusion [Paranormal Protection Unit 2] (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Honor James

  “I know that it is, but really all that matters is that I’m here with you. All that matters is that we are together as one.” Taking a deep breath, she then looked up at him. “I don’t want to talk about that right now. Right now I just want to focus on being with you, my love. Right now you are all that I need and want,” she admitted. “I know Talon will likely want to talk to you again, but for now do you think we can just spend some time together, just us?”

  “Absolutely,” he said softly to her. Brushing a kiss to her neck, he breathed her in slowly. “Let’s go and take a shower.” He wanted to get the smell out of his nose. Leaning back slightly, he touched her cheek. “Will you come and shower with me, Maya?”

  “I would love to come shower with you.” Mostly because she honestly didn’t think that she would be able to stand up on her own feet without him there and she had to get that smell out of her nose. “Lots of smelly, fragrant soaps, please?”

  Nodding in full agreement, he helped her off his lap and then stood to strip down. Tossing everything into the laundry basket except his jacket, he took her hand and helped her into the bathroom. She was shaky. He could feel it in the fine vibrations of her muscles. Turning on the water, he stepped into the shower and pulled her in with him.

  Maya wrapped her arms around Quincy’s shoulders and laid her head on his chest. “I feel as if I’m falling apart inside,” she whispered. “Not because of anything other than the fact that I just simply feel as if I’m falling apart. I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” she admitted. “I just feel like I’m missing something so important that it isn’t even funny.”

  Holding her to him tight, he breathed her in. “It will come to you, sweetness,” he murmured softly. Stroking her back gently, Quincy rocked her back and forth. “Just let it, darling. It will, in time, come to you. But don’t push, my love. You’ll just shove it back further.”

  “I know.” She took in deep breaths and then pushed out. “I will let it out just so that we can get past all of this. We will make sure that we take it one day at a time,” she told him with another kiss to his chest. “For now I only want to feel you. For now I only want to love you, Quincy.”

  “Well I definitely love you, darling,” he said softly and smiled as she kept kissing his chest. Licking his lips, he tipped his head to get a look at her. “What are you doing, darling?” he asked her curiously to see just what her answer might be.

  “Well I’m very hopeful that you will soon decide that you want to do something about me kissing your chest. I’m really hopeful that you will maybe want to do something other than wash in the shower.” She looked up and teasingly added, “If you are up to it, that is.”

  “Babe, you touch me and I’m up and at attention every time,” he told her honestly. “If you want to do something a little more exciting and risqué I’m all for it.” He grinned. Cupping her bottom, he squeezed and backed her to the wall. “Do you want up or turned around with me behind you?”

  “I think with you behind me. Sounds like the safest option that we have, darling,” she murmured happily. “Yep, definitely. Me with my hands on the tile and back to you and you with your big, wonderful hands all over my body. Yep, perfect. What do you think?”

  “Best option,” he agreed quietly with a grin. Spinning her around, he took her hands and pressed them to the tiles as he pressed in close to her. Pressing a kiss to her shoulder, he breathed her in. Sliding a hand down her belly, he cupped her gently and stroked her.

  Maya spread her legs for him and whimpered. “So good.” Leaning back, she arched against him and smiled happily. “Do you know how much I love this? Feeling you touching me like you are, it’s perfect and amazing.”

  “Because you are mine and I’m yours, it’s a unity,” he whispered, rubbing his nose lightly to her skin. He loved how she smelled. Her scent was something he wanted to bottle and carry everywhere if he could. Rubbing his finger against her wet core, he cupped and squeezed her breasts. “You’re so responsive. I love how you are when we are together, so perfect in every way.”

  “Always. I will always be yours,” she told him honestly. “We belong together forever, and we will always come back to each other.”

  “She might have started us on our path”—with a swift kick to his groin—“but it’s our love for each other that makes it rock solid, darling. Not just because Gaia had demands it either.” Shifting her a little more he pressed into her heat even as he stroked her wet pussy.

  “So good.” Maya’s whole body was completely and totally in tune with his and she found herself moving with him. “Does this feel half as good to you as it does to me, love? Please tell me, darling mine, that this feels just as good to you as it does me.”

  “Why should I tell you when I can show you,” he whispered softly. Opening to her mentally, he let her feel all he was feeling. He let her feel what he did as he slid into her, the feel of her wet pussy in his hand as he stroked her. His pleasure and joy at being joined with her as one.

  Maya’s whole body shivered and shook. “More, show me more,” she begged even as she opened herself to him to allow him to feel everything that she was feeling. She wanted, she needed him to feel everything just as he was showing her how he felt.

  “I’ll show you anything and everything you want,” he whispered softly. “You are mine and you can see anything you wish whenever you want. I will always be an open book to you, sweet.” Thrusting harder, he pinched her clitoris between two fingers lightly.

  “And you will always be able to read every single emotion and feeling that I have now or ever will have,” she assured him happily. “Together we will always share.” She placed her hand on his and rubbed their combined fingers harder and faster over her clitoris. “There, so close, baby.” Just needed bit more, needed him.

  Thrusting in harder, he lifted his other hand and squeezed her nipple, twisting lightly and plucking at it. Brushing his lips to her shoulder, he knew what she wanted, what she needed. Just that little hint of pain to give her full and absolute pleasure as she came. Scraping his teeth lightly, he felt the first stirrings of her orgasm and, thrusting deep once more, he pinched her nipple and clitoris as he put pressure on her shoulder with his teeth and bit her.

  That was all Maya needed. As soon as that small bite of pain hit her like a sledgehammer, she came in such a blinding rush that it was truly stunning. Crying out, she screamed his name and let him feel everything she felt, needing his orgasm right along with hers.

  Grunting, he came with her as she squeezed him tight, his entire body jerking. Groaning, he held her tight as she milked him over and over again. Gods, the rippling of her tight sheath was killing him and had him jerking again as a second orgasm hit him.

  Maya’s hands fell from the tiles, and she pressed her face against the wall. Amazing, the word the softest whisper in his mind and, he couldn’t be sure, but he’d bet there was a smile to go with it.

  Panting, he shifted his head to rest his cheek on her shoulder. I think you killed me, he moaned out softly as his cock jerked inside her again. Groaning, he let out a shaky breath. “I may never be able to walk straight again.”

  “Same here, baby, but I honestly don’t care. I’m totally down with never again walking straight as long as it means that you are always going to come back to me, darling mine. That’s the Gods’ honest truth.” She would die a happy, happy woman with him inside of her, the thought loud and clear for Quincy to hear.

  “You’re my mate, love,” he murmured softly, rubbing a finger over her pussy. “I will always come home to you. You are the only woman that could and will love me.” The only woman he’d ever want to love him.

  Maya smiled. “I will always love you. I am yours for now and for the rest of time. We are forever one,” she agreed, honesty and faith in them clear in her tone. “I am your mate, and you are mine. We are the only ones that will ever, ever belong to the other and that is just as it should be.”

  “Damn fucking right, wom
an,” he said, lightly petting her clitoris. Grinning at her soft moan, he pressed a kiss to her neck. “We should wash up and then crawl into bed. I’m feeling the need to snuggle with you, sweetheart.” It had been a rough day.

  “I think that sounds like a wonderful idea because I really want to be able to snuggle with you as well.” She was desperate to just simply feel him holding her, to know that he was right there with her in everything, sleep as well as everything else.

  Wrapping his arm around her waist to keep her from crumpling, he turned her around. Kissing her lips lightly, he breathed her in. “I love you, Maya. I’m never leaving you, sweetheart, never.”

  Maya smiled. “Good,” she whispered. “Because I’m never leaving you, either. We are a unit and we are forever one. Never will we leave the other, because we are meant to be one. Period.” Standing on her shaky legs, she licked her lips. “All right. Cleaned up, darling, and then we will worry about everything else, all right?”

  Nodding, he smiled at her and kissed her gently. “Absolutely,” he whispered against her mouth. Grabbing the soap he gave it to her and let her loose so she could wash up. “Quick, darling. I’m feeling the need to sleep for about a week starting to kick in here.”

  “We will only be able to sleep about a day, darling, before we have to get our bodies out of here and into talking to freaking Talon. He will have questions, lots and lots of questions.” More than they wanted to answer, she was sure, but they would answer them, just as they should.

  Sighing, he nodded. “I know,” he murmured, taking the soap when she was done with it. Washing down quickly, he set it aside and rinsed off. Turning the water off, he slicked his hands through his hair to get rid of some of the water. Stepping out, he grabbed them both towels and handed her one as she joined him on the mat. “I just don’t know if I can answer everything. Some of what happened was pure instinct. How do I explain that to him?” he asked her as he dried his hair.

  “Just tell him that, love. If anyone would understand, it’s a Dragon. He would understand that you were reacting to the situation far more than anything else, love. Believe me.” That was one thing she had learned about Dragons. They reacted, went on instinct, interacted, and behaved generally as they should because there was no other way to live other than as a reaction. It was nature, and that happened with Dragons, to be sure.

  “He expects me to have answers,” he muttered softly. Shaking it off, he smiled at her. “That’s for tomorrow at some point. Right now is about us getting some sleep wrapped up in one another. We’ll worry about Talon and his scaly ass tomorrow when we have to, not one moment sooner.”

  “Agreed,” she stated and dried off as quickly as she could. “Let’s get ourselves into bed because I am in massive need of bedtime loving with my man and then sleep. I’m totally exhausted, darling, and think that you and I both need to have us some serious sleep.”

  Grinning at her, he hung up his towel and took hers to do the same. Taking her hand, he led her into their bedroom, killing the lights as they went. Pulling back the covers, he let her climb in first and followed. “What did you have in mind, love?” he asked as he settled in next to her, slipping his arms around her sleek form.

  “At first I was all about more loving, but honestly”—Maya shrugged—“right now, now that I’m lying in a bed with you, right now all I can think of is sleep, darling. Would you mind terribly if we just had us a wee bit of a nap before we made love, my darling man?”

  “Of course I don’t mind. I’m beyond tired.” Pulling her in closer to him, he hugged her. “Sleep, little love,” he murmured. Pressing a kiss to the top of her head, he breathed her in slowly. “I love you, Maya.”

  “Love you, too,” she whispered and was sound asleep before the words finished dripping from her lips.

  Chapter Twelve

  Maya looked at Talon and frowned. “Yes, I knew that Michael could do that spell. I just never dreamed that he would ever toss the flesh-eating spell at anyone,” she whispered. “Mostly because of the feedback that is given to the Magic User who uses such a dark spell. If not for that, well…” She shrugged. “I fully expected him to toss fire, but never, ever that one.”

  “And you warned Quincy of the intentions you believed he had at the time?” Talon asked, tapping his pen lightly to the desk. “That you fully expected Michael to throw fire at one or all of the Council members.”

  “Yes, I warned Q that there was every possibility that he would attempt to toss something at the Council Members, fire or his ever favorite, ice.” She shivered. “Nothing like having your ass frozen to a chair for hours on end to make you pissy.”

  Squeezing her hand gently, Quincy looked to Talon. “She gave me the warning and advised I should throw up a shield. I prepared one and waited, trying not to let him know I was doing it, that I was actually aware of his plans. When I felt the draw from him signalling his launch, I threw up the shield and added a twist to turn whatever it was back on him.” He swallowed and looked at Maya. “Had I known what he was actually using, I wouldn’t have added that last part,” he whispered in pain for her.

  “Had I known that he would have done that, I would have warned you as well,” she whispered. “Because this really and truly sucks. No one should die the way that he did, no one,” she murmured. “And a sister should never see her brother die as he did. No, we were nowhere near close at all, but that’s besides the point. No one should pass like that.”

  “Agreed,” Talon said and sighed. He was a Dragon. He knew just what fire did to the human body and how damaging it really could be. “You saved the Council. All the members are extremely grateful and will likely be calling to pass their own thanks along in their own way. Kat did ask that you two pop by her place when you have a moment. She has a place for you two to stay if you wanted to stick around for the night. But mainly I think she just needs to be here and gush and likely sob and so forth.”

  “He was so surprised that the Ear of Truth was there,” Maya whispered. “He had tried to lie and by doing so that sealed his fate more than anything else he could have done. He was seriously, seriously crazy for lying at all.” She sighed. “I’m totally fine with going to visit The Fae Queen and her bond-mates if you are?” she asked Quincy.

  Shrugging, he smiled. “Kat’s all right, Trey’s a little off his rocker, but the bears are good eggs as long as they don’t get into a pissing match with one another. Then it just goes downhill.” He chuckled as he stood up. “Tell the other Council peeps that they can keep their thanks. I mostly did it to save my bond-mate.” I’d do anything for her, absolutely anything.

  And I would do anything for you as well, Q. Absolutely anything at all, Maya told him in her mind as well. “All right then, we will go and we will meet with the Fae Queen. Hopefully I will start to feel more together soon.” She still felt out of sorts, like she was missing something, and that bothered her, a lot. Maya didn’t typically “miss” anything.

  Grinning at her, Quincy stood and pulled her in close to him. “Anything else, Bulldog, or can we bolt for awhile?” he asked.

  “Just one thing.” He turned his computer screen around. “It keeps yelling at me and I don’t know why.”

  Staring at the pop-up warnings, Quincy broke out in a sweat. “By the Gods, what the hell did you do!” He let Maya go and moved in closer, shooing Talon off. “Jesus H. Talon, you practically fried the bloody things. What the hell did you do!”

  “I honestly have no clue. I was working on my reports, something popped up, and I ignored it. Something else popped up a minute later and, completely through no fault of my own, I may have clicked on it,” he said, glowering right back when Quincy shot him a lethal look. “It was in my way and I was already clicking. Those fucking things are supposed to stay in their little corner and I stay in mine. They should not be invading my work space, damn it.”

  “You shouldn’t be getting fucking pop-ups anyway,” Quincy muttered, sitting down to run a diagnostic and see what the f
uck was going on. “What have you been doing on this thing, Bulldog, and don’t lie. I will find out.”

  “I was doing some mapping searches for a few upcoming missions, as I always do,” Talon growled at him.

  “This is not from map searches,” Quincy grumbled and then started talking to himself as he tried to figure out what was going on.

  Tipping his head, Talon walked out into the hall and waited for Maya to join him. Easing the door shut a little, he kept an eye on Quincy, who looked fit to be tied. “How are you really doing?” he asked softly. He knew she was still shaken, had to be, given the look in her eyes every now and again when she thought no one was looking.

  “I’m…” She took a breath. “No, my brother and I never, ever really were close at all. He hated me and that was fine, because after I figured out what he did to our father, I hated him, but no one should ever die like that,” she admitted. “He brought it on himself. I know that, but it was tough to be there. I also hate, really and truly hate, that Q had to toss up that shield. He feels so very guilty but shouldn’t because it’s not his fault.”

  “No, it’s not his fault. He saved a lot of lives,” Talon commented softly as he watched her. “But you shouldn’t feel guilty, either, Maya. You helped save those same lives by giving him that warning,” he pointed out. “Michael was blood, your blood, so being upset, angry, and sad are all more than acceptable feelings, little one. Just don’t let it poison what you and Q have together.” He smiled at her and tipped his head at the language coming from his office. Chuckling, he leaned in. “He should get what I did fixed in a few more minutes, but you may want to wait out here. He’s got a nasty vocabulary when electronics don’t play by his rules.”

  Maya frowned. “You ensured that you and I would have some alone time while Q was busy trying to fix some of his babies, didn’t you?” She smiled and shook her head. “You are a dangerous man, Talon, not just because of your size and the fact that you are a Dragon, but because you can scheme and connive better than any being that I’ve ever met before. Get people to do what you want them to do without them realizing that you are driving the train, so to speak.”