Her nipples hardened further, poking through her top. She wanted to cross her arms and hide the traitors, but that would draw his eyes for sure. Instead she programmed Marius’ coordinates and turned her upper body as if looking out of her window, giving him more of her back.
She swallowed. Doubts and fears, excitement and anticipation all jumbled through her. For some reason she’d never imagined herself as a target. She’d never thought past O’Clare taking the case and finding Sydney.
She was no longer alone in her battle to discover what was going on. The relief of that alone made her feel light enough to float. But now she depended on a Vampire and her own acting skills to not only rescue Sydney but also keep herself safe.
Talk about jumping without looking.
Duncan still felt the sting from her words earlier. He knew Naemas looked down on Vampires, but it had been a kick in the balls when she told him only one of his kind would sink so low and take her case. Talk about tarring every Vampire with the same brush. Duncan needed to alleviate some of his annoyance. In his eyes, the best way was to play some more with the pretty little Naema that set him off.
She actually thought she could turn her back on him? He wanted an acknowledgement of their chemistry from her that went beyond her body’s responses. He wanted her to say it out loud.
He moved his left hand and used the back of his finger to stroke her naked forearm. She tensed but didn’t move. Duncan continued. Her pulse beat faster. He wanted to sink his fangs into that sensitive bend where neck turned to shoulder.
His body became infused with a different kind of tension.
“What will be your first step in this investigation?” Tanasha asked, her voice husky.
Duncan tried to drag himself away from her creamy skin and another fantasy. “I don’t have any plans yet, it’ll depend on Marius and how he behaves.” And I’ll have to figure out if there’s an actual case or just an overemotional, paranoid Naema, he thought, half his mind still caught up in how they could burn up the sheets together.
Tanasha’s whole body stiffened and she twisted out of her seat until she sat across from him. “Why the hell did you take the job, if you think I’m a paranoid freak?” She pressed the stop button on the transport. As soon as it halted, she pushed outside. Duncan, cursing his wayward thoughts, climbed after her. It appeared they’d stopped in the middle of nowhere. The road between Districts was empty, surrounded by fields and a small forest farther back.
Tanasha looked magnificent.
Her cheeks were flushed and gold streaks flashed in her black eyes.
And her wings. The mythical Naema wings that outsiders so rarely caught sight of. He’d heard descriptions, but they didn’t match what he saw before him.
Her wings were spread out. Beautiful black shadows with golden highlights mirroring her eyes framed her petite stature. They were a little higher than her head and went all the way to her knees. His cock hardened.
His fingers itched to touch those beauties.
“By Jade, pay attention to me and not to my body, you oversexed orangutan!” she shouted, bringing him back to the present.
Whoa, where did this come from? Gone was the blushing, wary woman. In her stead stood a Valkyrie with enough fire to supernova a star.
“What was the question?” he asked.
She screamed, her fists tightly balled.
Duncan had trouble breathing. His cock hardened to the point of pain and his balls drew up. He wanted to use the passion sparkling around Tanasha and push it into an encounter that would blow both their brains out of their heads.
But first he had to fix this.
Tanasha wanted to kill him. Tears of frustration and humiliation leaked out of her eyes. This overgrown ape had made her believe he would be on her side and help her. For the first time since Sydney’s disappearance she’d thought she was no longer alone. For a moment she’d believed she would save her best friend in time.
And then he touched her skin and she was back in his mind.
And it was all a lie.
He thought her a freak. A freak he wanted to fuck, but a freak nonetheless.
“Tanasha, I am sorry. I do believe there is something to what you’ve described to me, but you have to admit yourself how obscure and out there it sounds. Seeing Marius will give me a better picture. Then I can decide what needs to be done next.”
She turned her back on him and tried to find some sort of control over her emotions. Part of her realized she overreacted, but her instant connection to him, the fact that for the first time she caught a glimpse of what any Naema could do, made her think there was more between them than her money.
She really should have learned her lesson by now.
She exhaled. Fine, he took you for a comet ride. Now that you know he just wants your money you can deal with him and his bloody sex appeal.
Tanasha bit her lip and spread her wings. They covered her as she rubbed her eyes and attempted to stop more tears from falling. She had no idea why the betrayal of a Vampire she met less than an hour ago hit her this hard.
Calling herself three types of fool she struggled for her center.
She saw his sexy—no lurid—fantasy of her earlier without even trying to connect to him. Now he tried to persuade her he was trustworthy. Well he could talk until the Kemi Cows came home. There was only one way for her to be certain.
Tanasha swallowed and closed her eyes. No idea how she linked with him earlier, she just tried to empty her mind, to find herself back in his head, creepy as it was. She’d never heard others speak of knowing a person’s inner thoughts.
And she sure as Jade didn’t want to read his inner thoughts.
Cautiously and with a great deal of hesitation she stopped focusing on anything. Instead she let herself float.
His picture formed in her mind. And she saw something that made her eyes flash open. She whirled around and faced him. “There is a link between us. Like a rope, a¼a see-through rope. What kind of Vampire magic is this?”
Duncan raised his hands as if to pacify her. “I did nothing. I just noticed it for the first time myself.”
Tanasha narrowed her eyes. How can I trust a word he says? Desperate for the truth she followed the link shimmering between them.
And found herself in a luxurious bedroom. No, bedroom wasn’t right, a boudoir came closer.
Lush fabrics and paintings covered the walls. On closer study Tanasha realized the latter showed acts of sexual intimacy. She quickly averted her eyes but couldn’t stop her heart rate from increasing. A huge four-poster bed covered in red silk and velvet dominated the room. Tufted wing chairs sat in a corner and antique lighting gave the room a soft glow.
The room made her uncomfortable but also aroused her curiosity. She wanted a closer look at those paintings.
As she thought that the paintings grew in size and detail.
“Your wish is my command.”
Tanasha whirled around to find Duncan lounging on the bed. Shirtless. “Where the Jade did you come from?”
He rolled onto his side on his elbow and rested his head in his hand.
She swallowed at the sinuous movement.
“We have a problem, Honorable Omeiko. We can share each other’s thoughts and emotions if we so desire. I thought it would be good to have a spot between our two minds, neutral territory so to speak.”
Tanasha gaped. “You can read my thoughts?”
He waved his free hand in a so-so gesture. “I gather more emotions from you unless you send words directly to me. Your curiosity about the paintings arrowed straight to me, so I adjusted them.”
She sank into a conveniently placed chair behind her. “How the Jade did this happen?”
He shrugged. “I don’t think either of us wants the other running around in their head. I have increased my mind shield and would suggest you do the same. Put everything you don’t want me to catch stray glimpses of behind a closed door.”
“Can’t we just stay
out of each other’s minds?”
Duncan sat up and wrapped his arm around his raised knee. “As far as I can tell we can’t control it, so I believe precaution is better.”
Tanasha agreed.
“Now, back to what brought us here. I am sorry for my unthinking words, Tanasha. I see now that your friend’s disappearance is deadly serious to you. I am a strong believer in instincts. You think your friend is in danger and I trust that. Can we return to the real world and continue on to see this villain of yours?”
She bit her lower lip as she studied him.
Even before this weird link had sprung to life—and she’d have to spend a considerable amount of time figuring out how she felt about it—she’d believed he was the solution to Sydney’s problem.
Time was of the essence. The ticking clock in the back of her head had not abated. On the contrary, it had sped up.
She needed him. Now that she knew his stance she would protect herself.
Tanasha nodded.
He jumped off the bed with a smile. “Excellent.” He took her hand and kissed its back, only to turn it over and kiss her racing pulse. “Next time we meet here we should spend some time exploring.”
She didn’t know what to say but didn’t have to as she found herself beside the paused transport.
Most of the irrational hurt flowed out of her body. Her wings drooped.
Something tickled the outside of her left wing. She shook it but the tickle didn’t go away. She looked over her shoulder and saw the Vampire gently, teasingly stroke along her feathers. Tanasha was just about to shake them again when she caught the look in his eyes.
Eyes that had taken on the now familiar silver tint.
But not with anger.
“What are you doing?” She had to clear her throat a couple of times before she could actually form a sentence. Having him stroke her outer wing feathers had the same impact on her as his caressing her breast would. The closer to the center of the wings the touch went, the more sensitive they became.
He didn’t look at her but focused solely on her wings. Duncan ruffled the feathers, going against the grain only to stroke them back down.
Her heart skipped a beat and her simmering arousal sprang to life full force. She grew wet. Jade, did he have any idea what he did to her?
Tanasha shook her wings again but he wouldn’t be deterred. Duncan actually held on to a number of feathers. It would hurt to pull them out. She had no option but to wait until he let go.
“I’ve always wondered what Naema wings felt like. They are even more amazing than I’d imagined.”
His reverence and focus relaxed something inside Tanasha she hadn’t known was tightly clenched. Unused to her emotions seesawing like this she held still.
Duncan looked up, still caressing her, but at least he moved back to the outer side of her wings. “Why can’t I see them all the time? Why do you hide them?”
This wasn’t something that should be discussed with outsiders, but despite being an idiot sometimes, Duncan made her feel as if he really saw her. For the first time in her life she wasn’t her father’s daughter or the “Naema without Gift” or the short, fat one. He had fantasized about her and now seemed happy to stand there touching her.
“Wings are an expression of our emotions,” she explained. “When our society moved further and further away from emotions and worked at finding that perfect balance, we began to hide our wings. The better your control, the better a Naema is at hiding the wings.
“Over time it has become so ingrained that we developed a mechanism to hide them in another dimension. They’re still there, but they’re insubstantial, meaning that if you touch my back when they are hidden, you’d be unable to feel them.” She shook her head. “It has become very bad form to show your wings, unless you’re with family or a lover.”
His gaze pinned her. “Lover? Why lover?”
Tanasha blushed. She cleared her throat. “Under the right circumstances, touching wings during intercourse can heighten the feelings for both participants.” He let go for a second and she tried to snap her wings back, but he was too fast for her.
“Really? Now isn’t that interesting.” He moved his touch from the outside of her wings farther to the middle and his strokes grew firmer.
Tanasha clenched her teeth, trying to contain the fire rushing through her. Why the Jade had she told him? With the sensations shooting from her nipples to her stomach to the heat between her legs and the sensitive clit and back, it was impossible to concentrate on dematerializing her wings.
“Tell me more,” he whispered, his breath teasing the outline of her ear.
Her head dropped back on her neck and her eyes closed. Duncan had a gift for finding her most sensitive spots. She needed him to put at least one hand on her body before she went insane.
Her clit throbbed with a need she had never felt before.
His lips whispered across the sensitive curve where neck met chin, across her cheek until they finally settled on her lips for a kiss. Small, biting kisses, when all she wanted was for him to kiss her with everything he had.
Tanasha forced her eyes open and tried to capture his lips, but he continued to evade her. In the end she had enough. She summoned the strength to lift her arms and frame his face in her hands. He allowed it and leaned close when she pulled him forward.
Her lips pressed against his. When his parted she thrust her tongue inside and devoured him with a kiss that stole her sanity. He took over and the kiss turned into a full-blown sex act, their tongues thrusting back and forth, rubbing against each other in a manner that drove Tanasha crazy, while at the same time making things better.
Finally, he let go of her wing and stepped in front of her, dragging her against his chest. His heat scorched her even through her layers of clothing. She rubbed her hardened nipples against him.
Then she felt his hands on her wings again. The same hands that gripped her behind and pressed her against his arousal. Tanasha moaned when she realized he used his power to stimulate her back. The sensations flooded her, doubling and tripling with every stroke across her feathers.
Duncan pushed one leg between hers, rubbing her most sensitive area. Then he lifted one of her legs around his hip. The fat stalk of his member pressed against her and she moaned in relief. She was so close. All she needed was that one little push.
Duncan felt as if he’d stepped into one of his hottest daydreams. Touching her black-gold wings, their texture like the richest silk and the softest angora, had need spiraling tighter and tighter inside him. Having her tell him that her wings were an extension of her body and could drive her even higher? Talk about fulfilling a fantasy.
He’d purposely given her the upper hand, needing her to make the decision to take that next step. He hadn’t expected the roof of his head to blow off and for him to be one step away from coming in his pants.
Again.
Her response to his telekinetic touch of her wings flashed through him. He only stroked them with his mind, but their texture and amazing feel were ingrained in him until the end of his days. Desperate arousal clenched every muscle in his body.
They’d both decided breathing was overrated, keeping their lips glued to each other. Her taste of cinnamon and spice went straight to his head. He tried to find skin, but she seemed to wear more clothes than a quartet of Old Earth actors.
Duncan grappled with the smock she wore over her pants, trying to find the bottom so he could pull it up, but bending his knees resulted in her pussy rubbing across his cock, causing a maelstrom of pleasure. He had to close his eyes for a moment.
Tanasha began to pant and rub up and down his dick. Deep, throaty sounds escaped her as she came closer to her orgasm. Duncan gave up on finding skin, pulled her leg higher around his hip so she fit more snugly against him.
His free hand went to her back, to her wings in addition to his mind touch. As soon as he focused on the center of her back she screamed. The middle was more sensitive.
Duncan thrust against her clothed pussy and rubbed the palm of his hand up and down her feathers while teasing her strong outer feathers with his power.
He clenched his teeth against his own need, but somehow watching her climb to the peak filled him with satisfaction, despite the pain in his groin.
Tanasha clenched her leg around his hip, pulling him tightly against her wet pussy. Her hands gripped his shirt like a lifeline and her lids dropped shut. Duncan caught the scream of her release with his mouth.
She slumped against him, her pulse a temptation at the base of her throat, her eyes still closed. He wanted to see what color they turned in the throes of passion. He gently let down her leg and tightened his embrace.
Duncan couldn’t remember ever feeling this sense of contentment before. His balls were about to fall off and his cock would forever wear the impressions of the insides of his trousers, but it didn’t matter. Holding this woman, this Naema, in his arms gave him more satisfaction than any previous night of passion.
And an invisible strand of energy connected them.
That made no sense at all. In the back of his mind childhood memories wanted to jump up and grab him, but he wouldn’t allow it.
The thought was pure myth and he wouldn’t spend any more time worrying about it. Finding the second half of your soul was as likely as winning the Galactic Lottery. Those odds were actually better. He’d searched for his lifemate as a young Vampire, tried to figure out if Fate had a system by talking to countless pairs, but came up empty every time.
Tanasha stirred against him, her long lashes fluttering, her black eyes slumberous. For the first time he saw behind her composure, the mask she wore in public. Gratification filled her smile.
At least until she blinked a few times and began to focus on his face. As expected, the little Naema turned bright red and tried to pull back from him, but Duncan had no intention of letting her put distance between them. He wasn’t sure what was going on, but he knew he wanted her like no other woman before. Naema or not.
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