The pain he was now forced to endure was a fitting punishment for his stupidity.
~~~
Chapter Seven
Wulf had never in his life been beholden to anyone, let alone a woman. It did not sit well with him that he must rely on Samantha, despite her insistence that it mattered not, and she was glad of his company.
He didn’t like to admit it, but he’d been glad of her company, also. The two days since she had taken him into her home had proven to be a series of most discomfiting revelations. From the instant he’d been freed from the crystal, he had stubbornly refused to be overwhelmed by this world’s many wonders. Magic, he had no control over. To his way of thinking, there was little point concerning himself with it—what would be, would be.
Anything non-magical was a different matter. From the age of five, as soon as he was strong enough to lift a sword, Wulf had spent his life proving that little could prevail against wily tactics, consummate skill with weaponry, and, if all else failed, brute force. He had been confident he would cope with anything non-magical this world tossed in his path. Mere hours with Samantha had proven him a fool many times over for that deeply held belief.
The metallic box—the elevator—that had flown them to the top floor of the building had been but the first of many rude shocks. He’d not been at all appreciative of Samantha’s pealing laughter when, as the elevator had begun to move, he’d plastered himself against one side and held on for dear life. He cared not what she swore in that bantering tone of hers. He had absolutely not turned “chalk-white” and been on the brink of “tossing his cookies”. He had merely been… surprised by the novelty of such an apparatus. As he’d continued to be “surprised” by televisions, sound systems, lap-tops and all manner of other seemingly magical electronic appliances.
His prowess with a sword, and ability to lead men through strength of will alone, had ill prepared him for coping with such contraptions. But at least the effort of coping with the constant barrage of alien-ness freed his mind from dwelling upon the physical agony of being parted from the woman who haunted him, mind, body and soul.
Compared with Chalcedony’s cramped living space, Samantha’s penthouse apartment, as she’d informed him the abode was called, seemed a veritable palace. And careful questioning of Samantha revealed that while she lived a life of luxury, her every whim catered for, it was not so for every inhabitant of this world. And very much not so for Chalcedony, who was struggling to build a life for herself. Moreover, that she was far too stubborn to accept assistance was a source of much frustration for Samantha.
Wulf admired that about Chalcedony. Especially as it was abundantly clear to him that Samantha—generous to a fault, and possessing more wealth than she could hope to spend in a lifetime—would have showered Chalcedony with gifts if Chalcedony had permitted it.
Samantha loved Chalcedony like a sister, and their disagreement pained her heart. Wulf knew nothing of love. But whatever he felt for Chalcedony, it wasn’t at all sisterly.
He’d come to believe implicitly that she had been placed in his path as a test. And, as with all tests, doubtless it was one with a scorpion’s sting hidden in its tail. Perhaps the secret to passing this test was that he not fall into the trap of treating Chalcedony as he would any other desirable female. Rather than wooing her to his bed, perhaps his role was to assist her to attain her dream of self-sufficiency. But how? He understood now that he would be hard-pressed to make his own way in this word, where “cash” and “money” were valued over physical prowess. He had much to learn before he himself would be self-sufficient, let alone capable of supporting a woman.
Furthermore, like Chalcedony, he was far too proud to allow Samantha to do anything more but feed him, and provide him with clothing more suited to this clime. And speaking of clothing, the vast market Samantha had taken him to had almost overwhelmed him with its raucous music and eye-searingly bright lights and noisy crowds. He’d watched carefully as Samantha handed over a shiny silver card to pay for her purchases, signed a slip of paper, and took possession of the card again. He could not fathom how such an exchange benefited the sellers, but from their fawning deference, he guessed that Samantha had impressed them. And Samantha had seemed bound and determined to impress him, by providing him with more sets of clothing than he could ever need. He’d been forced to put his foot down. She was a generous woman, Samantha. Too generous. It would be easy to take advantage of her largesse.
Just as it would be easy to become inured to the luxury of lounging in the back seat of a taxi rather than walking, or spending countless hours in the saddle.
From Samantha’s lack of pointed comments, he believed that he’d successfully hidden his disquiet when she had bundled him into back seat of the taxi to take him “shopping”. Unlike his first journey in a taxi, when he’d been too caught up in the maelstrom of his own thoughts to truly register the experience, his second journey had been unnerving in the extreme. It had not been easy for Wulf to put his life in the hands of an elderly driver he wouldn’t have trusted to hold the reins of his mount. But Samantha had shown so little concern when she joined him in the back seat that Wulf felt compelled to trust her judgment. He’d bitten his tongue and not questioned the man’s ability to operate such a complex apparatus. And, as the taxi careened around a corner, closed his eyes and wished fervently for a horse. Now, he sprawled at his ease in the back seat of a taxi and barely batted an eyelid as the world careened past in a blur.
A sharp elbow nudged him in the ribs, thrusting him into the here and now. He turned to Samantha, his eyebrows raised. “What is it?”
“We’re nearly there. Want me to walk you up?” She nibbled her lower lip, gazing at him like a mother concerned for her child. “Chalce isn’t gonna make it easy for you. She’s probably been torturing herself, imagining you and me screwing each other senseless.”
Samantha’s tone was sharp. He rather thought that when the two next confronted each other, it would be Samantha who wouldn’t be “making it easy” for Chalcedony. He hid a smile at the thought of the two women bickering. An entertaining spectacle, indeed.
He patted Samantha’s hand. “I thank you for your concern, but in case it has escaped your notice, I am a man grown.”
Samantha puffed out a breath and rolled her eyes most comically. “Yeah, I’d kind of noticed you were all grown up.”
He grinned at her. “So long as all you do is notice, there is no harm in it. And I will make Chalcedony understand that we have not broken her trust, and that she owes you an apology for her unkind words.”
“Yeah. Good luck with that, Champ. I thought she’d have caved by now.”
The taxi pulled over to the curb outside the studio, and Wulf opened the door. Before he got out, he turned to Samantha. “I do not like the idea of you being out alone at night, unescorted. You should attend Chalcedony’s celebration with me. I would see you both on speaking terms again for your sake, as much as hers.”
Samantha only grinned at him and waggled her eyebrows in an insinuating fashion. “I don’t plan on being alone for long.”
He scowled at her, believing her carefree attitude foolish. Women might hold the power in this world, but there were still predators about. Scum such as Ray, who’d tried to impose himself on Chalcedony against her will. “Be cautious with your choice of bed-partners, then. I do not believe you would appreciate me teaching whomever you choose a lesson he will never forget.”
“Aw, it’s so sweet that you care, Wulf. Muwah.” She pressed her lips to his cheek, and then rubbed at the sticky mark her lip-rouge had left with her thumb. “You look hot, by the way. She won’t be able to resist you. And I have impeccable taste in clothing. Not that you need to thank me again or anything. I’m just sayin’.”
He rolled his eyes in what he hoped was a fair imitation of her most favored gesture. “Thank you.”
“Now get your fine ass up there and show Chalcey Laureano who’s boss, okay?”
He st
ood at the curb, and lifted a hand in farewell as the taxi sped off. The booming of loud music provoked him to glance up at Chalcedony’s studio and to envision the woman herself. She’d drifted through his dreams and his every waking moment since he’d left her. His yearning to lay eyes on her again had become so strong, so compelling, that he’d awoken in the dead of night with his palms pushing on the locked door as if to escape Samantha’s apartment, and no recollection of leaving his bed.
He pressed a fist to the dull throb pulsing in his belly. Unsurprisingly, the pain had eased the nearer he drew to Chalcedony’s studio. This magical link he had to her was a cleverly designed torment, indeed, but the constant physical pain of being parted from her had been nothing compared to the mental torment he’d endured. It had taken all his considerable will not to go to her. But when it came to dealing with what Samantha termed a modern-day woman, he deferred to Samantha’s opinion. Chalcedony was as strong-willed and stubborn as himself. It would not help his cause to present himself at her studio merely hours after he’d departed, and thus concede her the upper hand.
Samantha had convinced him that this celebration was the perfect opportunity to present himself to Chalcedony with the expectation that she would, gods willing, be distracted by the other guests and prepared to be reasonable. He intended to spirit her away somewhere private to discuss what the future might hold for them both. And this time, he would restrain his urges—provided that he did not lay his hands upon her and lose himself in her scent, and her body. Her.
He pictured her yearning for him, wondering about him, dreaming of him… as he yearned and wondered and dreamt of her. Gods almighty. He had set himself a difficult task.
He could delay no longer. The lure of her was too forceful to deny.
The street door was propped open to admit guests. Wulf strode inside and took the stairs three at a time.
~~~
A remixed version of Kaoma’s Lambada echoed throughout the room. The opening night party was in full swing and Chalcey’s studio was packed. Even better, her scheduled classes for the weeks ahead were already filling fast. Jai, her dance partner and fellow teacher, was thrilled to itty bitty pieces. He was already rubbing his well-manicured hands with glee, mentally calculating his share of the class fees, and, if Chalcey knew him as well as she thought she did, planning an expedition to the mall.
She should have been dancing with joy. Instead, she felt completely gutted, like a huge part of her was missing. She’d not heard a peep from her so-called best friend for two whole days. And as for her so-called best friend’s new houseguest….
It was because of him that she’d hardly slept. Her nights had been spent lying awake, chewing over every conversation she’d had with Wulf, examining it for every little nuance. And every time she closed her eyes, she relived the best sex she’d had in her life. Her appetite had run for cover, too. Pathetic really. Anyone would think she was pining for a lover instead of a one-shower-stand.
If all that wasn’t bad enough, she’d been hounded by random phone calls all hours of the day and night. Whenever she picked up, there was silence. She knew someone was there. She could hear them breathing, but he or she never spoke. The caller ID was blocked so she finally resorted to turning down the phone’s ringer and letting the answering machine pick up. She knew she’d have to do something about the harassment at some stage, but right now, prank calls were the least of her worries.
“What’s up with you, doll?” Jai insinuated his knee between her thighs and arched her backward in a deep, slow-motion arc that swept her hair across the floor.
Once he’d pulled her up till they were groin to groin, nose to nose again, she said, “I’m fine.”
He curled his lip. “Yeah, babe, you’re completely fine. You’ve barely got your mind on this demo and that’s not like you at all. What gives? You look like you’re fretting over a man. Either that or you’ve lost your best friend.”
She pondered his prophetic words as she wiggled atop his thigh and pretended to gaze lustfully into his worried brown eyes. “I fucked a guy on Friday night, Jai. A complete stranger who followed me home from a nightclub.” His eyes widened in shock but before he could respond further, she shimmied off to do the split part of the routine.
Jai came up behind her and grabbed her hips, grinding himself into her nether regions, and sliding his hands down the sides of her breasts. Lambada is a blatantly sexy dance, especially when performed while wearing a short, flirty, ass-skimming skirt and a midriff-baring top. There was nothing personal between her and Jai. Impression was everything when performing a demo, and both Chalcey and Jai liked to impress.
“Go, Chalce!” Jai murmured into her ear. “Was he good?”
“Mmmhmm. Very good.”
“Are you going to see him again?” He twirled her a few times before they settled into the groin-grind again.
“I don’t know. He’s staying with Sam at the moment.”
“Oh noes!” He rolled his eyes before burying his face in her neck and pretending to nuzzle her. “You can kiss his sweet ass goodbye, then. If he’s got a cock and can get it up, he’s history. She won’t be able to keep her hands off him. Ready for another dip?”
“Always.”
“How about the Nutcracker?” That was Jai’s pet name for a move that ended with Chalcey clasping both legs around his waist, and arching backward with her arms outstretched.
“It’s hardly a Lambada move.”
“So? It’ll really get the crowd going.”
“You’re the lead.”
He twirled her out until their arms were fully extended, and as he tugged her back toward him, she launched herself into the air. The idea was that she ended up with her hands on Jai’s shoulders, and him grasping her waist, holding her high in the air. Then he would let her slide down his body until she was positioned right, and she would wrap her legs around his hips and lean backward. They’d christened the move the Nutcracker because the first few times they tried it, she kept kneeing Jai in the crotch. He swore blind that she bruised his family jewels so bad they’d never been the same.
Jai’s previous dance partner had been a diminutive little thing who was easy to sling around, so it took a while for him to adjust to Chalcey’s height and much bigger boobs. Chalcey knew from experience that it was seriously off-putting for a guy to cop a face full of breasts when he was seriously trying to dance. Thankfully, the Nutcracker went off without living up to its name and Jai’s ’nads remained intact for another night. Plus, she didn’t smother him with her cleavage. All in all, a raging success.
As she arched backward, she opened her eyes and glimpsed Wulf watching her. He was dressed in unfamiliar clothes—jeans and a light silky sweater—but even upside down, she’d have recognized him anywhere. Or to be accurate, her body recognized and responded to him. Some unseen link that’d been forged between them snapped into place and surged with such yearning, such desire, that Chalcey thrummed with the need to lift his sweater and run her hands across the bare skin of his back. She wanted to throw herself at him, cling to him and beg him to fuck her senseless.
Her world tilted again but all she could see was Wulf. She didn’t even register Jai bringing her back up to a standing position. She didn’t even notice him spinning her out, and then winding her in to his side to perform the closing move of the demo.
The crowd clapped and whistled.
Blinking like a myopic owl, she snapped from her trance and glanced up. Her arm was fully extended upward, hand angled, fingers elegantly spread, exactly the same as when she’d practiced this final move with Jai. She didn’t remember performing the actions. Complete auto-pilot. Just went to show what lots and lots of practice could achieve.
Her gaze sought Wulf’s again.
Smart man that he was, Jai took mere seconds to conclude that she was too distracted to get her shit together. He announced that the next demo would be in a half-hour, and encouraged everyone to get up and dance.
; “Chalcey, doll, what—?” He absorbed the expression on her face, and then followed the direction of her gaze. “Wahoo, baby! That hunky dude eyeing you with blind lust is your casual fuck-buddy? Somehow don’t think he’s too interested in what the lovely Samantha has on offer. Poor chicky. She must be losing her touch. And I gotta give you full marks for your choice of man, Chalcey. I’d go for him myself if I thought he’d be interested. Pity he’s so… so… obviously hetero.” Jai detached himself from Chalcey and sauntered toward Wulf.
She fought free of the shroud of raw sensuality that had mantled her and hurried after him. For some reason it was vitally important to her that Wulf understood Jai was her dance partner. That they were employer and employee. Friends, yes, but nothing more. And it was even more imperative that she confirmed whether or not Wulf had succumbed to Sam’s wiles. She had to look him right in the eye to know for sure.
Some best friend she was. She loved Sam to bits and beyond, and she knew damn well the feeling was mutual. She trusted Sam implicitly. Didn’t she?
Yes! Huh. Usually. Maybe not in this case. Heck, Sam was only human. How could she resist a guy like Wulf? Plus Chalcey had insisted she wasn’t interested in him, even tried to fob him off onto Sam. So if they had gotten together, she only had herself to blame.
If they had gotten together, she would back off, pretend she didn’t care. She’d even go so far as to congratulate Sam. With any luck she would be totally convincing, too. Only trouble with that stellar plan was the nearer she got to Wulf, the more uncertainty gripped her. All her staunch resolve twittered around the room and flitted out the metaphorical window. There was a reason people claimed that ignorance was bliss. Did she really want to—?
The Crystal Warriors Series Bundle Page 11
