When she’d awakened, Ava had done her best to fall back asleep, hoping the dream demon would come back to her. As crazy as it sounded, she wanted more from him. So very much more. Now, as she stared at the nameless stranger with eyes that seemed to look through her, Ava wanted to go to him and let him fill the void the demon from her dream had left.
Gunter looked from the blond man to her and then back again. “Donatus, are you feeling okay? You don’t look so good.”
“Pfft, you’d think he’d be well-rested after being close to three hours late today.” Kal clapped the newcomer’s back. “If I didn’t know better, Don, I’d say you got lucky last night.”
Gunter reached across and smacked Kal upside the head. “Show some respect.” He glanced at Ava and pasted an embarrassed smile his face. “Sorry, we aren’t used to refraining from very male behavior. Kal might be incapable of it, we’re not sure yet. So far, we’ve ruled out that he never progressed past the point of being a Neanderthal but beyond that it’s fuzzy.”
Ava laughed. The sight of the three godlike men all staring at her with wide-eyed expressions was too much. “Please tell me I’m not the first woman they’ve had instructing courses here.”
The man in the middle tripped over nothing, all while standing completely still. It was something that took a great deal of skill—or a total lack of coordination. She hoped it was the first but was willing to accept the second reason as well. “You…you’re…umm, er…” he stammered.
Kal snickered. “Ava Fenaly, this tongue-tied semi-mute is Donatus Manlian. He’s head of the religion and mythology departments here at Commiliton and teaches Comprehensive Mythology this semester. I believe he was doing his best to greet you but the poor boy couldn’t get it out. Should make for one hell of a meeting today. Anyone want to record that for me? I’d love to sit around and laugh my ass off at him.”
“Donatus, Kallimoch and Gunter. Those aren’t names one hears every day,” she remarked, sensing there was something different about these men, this place. When Chloe had said she’d fit right in, that her service would be needed in all areas, she may have been more on the mark than Ava had first believed.
“His name is Gunterius but he goes by Gunter. I prefer Kal and Donatus answers to just about anything. Though Don seems to be the only variation we don’t get smacked for. Feel free to take your chances. When I get a chance, I’ll introduce you to the rest of the faculty. I’ll warn you, they’ve had the same water and had parents as into unique baby names as ours were.”
Ava nodded, giving Kal a soft smile as she brushed her hair over her shoulder. Donatus seemed to watch her every move carefully as if he were memorizing it. “Well, it’s nice to meet you all. I’m excited to be here. Even though it does appear I’m the first female teacher this school has had. That’s surprising to an extent.”
“Commiliton only opened its doors to female students twenty-five years ago,” Kallimoch explained, “so in truth it’s in its infant state of growth.”
Gunter snorted and held his gut as laugher erupted from him. “Kal, you should use that spiel every time someone asks why you teach women’s studies.”
Arching a brow, Ava glanced at the tall brown-haired man, doing her best to keep from laughing at him. To Kal, she said, “You teach women’s studies. Hmm, that’s…umm…interesting.”
“You mean disturbing,” Gunter suggested.
Ava shrugged as she bit her lower lip. “Nothing odd about that, I guess. Nothing at all.”
Kal smiled and glanced toward the books on the desk. “You mentioned that you had more in your car. What do you say I help you get those in? My next class is in an hour so we should be able to chunk a good deal of this away.”
Ava tried to take her eyes off Donatus but they refused to move. Scanning the edge of his stubble-covered jawline, she marveled at how blond the hair there was as well. Not one to normally find blonds attractive, Ava had never really took the time to notice details about one before. His sandy eyebrows drew inward and for a moment she thought he might actually say something to her.
“You okay, Don?” Gunter asked again but got no response.
Ava finally tore her gaze from Donatus and shook her head. “Umm, I’m sorry, Kal. You asked me something and I can’t seem to recall what it was.”
“I offered to help get the books from your car.”
But Ava was staring into Donatus’ green eyes once more. Doing her best to push and keep her gaze off Donatus, she turned just a bit and focused on what Kal was saying. “I’m so sorry. I missed that again.”
Kal and Gunter stared at one another for a moment. Knowing looks passed over their faces. Gun stepped slowly toward her. “If you want we can bring the stuff in for you. You can check out your room, learn the layout, whatever you need to do. Maybe the two of you could get a leg up on that meeting you’re supposed to have later today.”
Unsure why she was attracted to Donatus as much as she was, Ava thought it best to separate herself from him for a bit. “Thanks but I’ll get it.”
Not waiting for their response, she headed quickly for the door, taking a wide swerve around them to avoid touching Donatus.
Donatus watched as Ava walked out of the room, still unable to form a complete sentence, let alone think clearly. “She’s real.”
“Of course she’s real, dumbass.” Gunter sighed in disgust.
Kal shook his head. “Man, did you ever blow that one. I put out all the Kallimoch charm and all she could do was stare at you. So what do you do? Trip over thin air and forget how to speak. Smooth, buddy. Smooth.”
“Well, I think we can safely say the Kallimoch charm repels women.” Gunter made an attempt to swat Kal’s head again, only to find Donatus grabbing his wrist and holding it tight.
“I dreamed of her last night.” His cock twitched at the mere thought of the erotic dream. Being in her had been the closest to heaven that he would ever get. Even the demon within understood that.
“Huh?”
“I was in mixed demon form, shifted fully and…and she was in my dream.” He stopped short of describing the details. The last thing he wanted was the group knowing intimate details about Ava.
“Right,” Gunter offered sarcastically.
Kallimoch snorted as he shook his head. “I’d believe a lot of shit out of you, Donatus, but this is too much for even me to swallow. Though, I’m impressed with your newfound imagination. I’ve always thought you were a bit too serious, too anal. Hell, I’m surprised you aren’t throwing up because you’re late.”
The idea of missing two of his classes didn’t sit well with him. He wasn’t one who flew by the seat of his pants. Donatus was a planner. Dreaming of a temptress, a woman so beautiful that simply looking upon her made his chest tight and binding her to him wasn’t anything he had planned out. In fact, it was as far off from his ideas for the future as possible.
On the drive in, he’d thought of nothing else but the mysterious woman from his dream. When he’d entered the building and heard Kallimoch and Gunterius talking he’d run into the room, frantic to let them know he was there. The moment he looked up and found the woman from his dream standing before him, her baby-blue floor-length skirt hugging her slightly curved hips, he couldn’t breathe. Seeing the tops of her olive-colored breasts peeking above the scoop neck of her white silk shirt had made him come close to seizing her and burying himself inside her right there on school grounds.
She’s real.
Instantly, he felt as though he’d been punched in the gut. Leaning forward, Donatus held his stomach and fought hard to take a full breath. The reality of the situation had hit him full force, leaving his mind racing and his loins burning for another taste of her.
“Did I ever really have a first taste of her or was the dream just that, a dream—a premonition, maybe?” He clenched his fists and shook his head. “Oh gods, if it was real then she’s not only my wife but she could be carrying my child.”
“Carrying your ch—your
wife?”
Donatus stood tall and stared at Kallimoch, unaware that he’d spoken aloud. “It’s nothing.”
Gunter took hold of his upper arm and squeezed it firmly. “No, Donatus. From what you just spouted off, I’d say this is far from nothing. When Kal touched her, she radiated some sort of power. I wanted to discuss it with him and then you came in. I think she’s human but something was up for a moment there, so I can’t be sure. Now, are you saying that you dreamed of mating with Ava?”
Donatus nodded reluctantly. His friends gasped and took a step back as though he was contagious. Maybe he was. Whatever the cause of it, he had to find out if the dream was real or not. Walking up and flat out asking her if she had dreamed she’d had sex with a demonic-looking creature who’d bitten her and promised to impregnate her didn’t really seem like a wise choice. His luck, Ava would go the authorities and file sexual harassment charges on him. Or worse yet, if the dream was real, she could end up going to the authorities and the media, testifying that demons walked the earth.
All that Donatus and the others had done to create a safe haven for others like them, outsiders, a group that couldn’t claim to be either good or evil, would be destroyed if the media caught wind of them.
Donatus blinked as Kal smacked him in the back of the head. “Hey, jackass, spill the story now.”
Chapter Three
Ava stood before the large wall of mythological relics and statues, still unable to get over how many of them Professor Donatus Manlian had. It was his collection of Valkyrie figurines that continued to draw her attention. They were exquisite, done in cast iron. Each held swords and shields as they faced whatever enemy they stood against that day. Beside them, Donatus had large collection of demon figures as well, each more monstrous than the next.
Opening her hand, she looked down at the protective charm she’d had such a tight grip on and thought of Donatus’ emerald green eyes. The moment she’d first walked into his office per Kal’s instructions, her gut had clenched at the sight of all the relics. Some were rumored to draw evil to the beholder and since Donatus possessed little to no positive energy pieces, she’d gone out to her car and brought something to help protect him. Why she felt the need to bother was beyond her but she did.
More curious was why she felt the need to give him this charm in particular. It had been with her all her life and had belonged to her father. The urge to find it and give it to Donatus was like nothing she’d ever experienced before. Knowing that fighting her gut was foolish, Ava had rushed to retrieve it for him. It was all she could do to finish unloading her car and putting her personal belongings in her room before rushing to Donatus’ office.
Looking around, Ava couldn’t find a spot where the charm wouldn’t be obvious. As she looked back at his mahogany partner’s desk with an ebony inlay an idea came to her. She glanced at the door and decided to make her move. Slowly, she walked to his desk, smiling at the sight of an ornate Viking drinking horn lying on the corner of it. It looked a bit out of place. Her guess was that Donatus had pulled it out to show it to the new professor of Norse mythology—her.
Ava leaned far over his desk to the point her feet left the ground. Sliding out his center drawer a tiny bit, she dropped the charm in and closed it. As she stood, she felt someone watching her. Her entire body lit with need. Exhaling, Ava did her best to get herself under control before glancing over her shoulder.
Professor Donatus Manlian stood in the doorway, staring at her with a questioning look on his face.
Dropping her head down, Ava sighed. “I swear that this isn’t as bad as it looks. I wasn’t rifling through your drawers. I, umm.” The thought of telling him the truth didn’t sit any better than that of lying. “I’m going to stand up now. Then I’m not sure if I’m going to die of embarrassment or not.”
She followed Donatus’ hot gaze. It centered on her upturned ass. His brows arched and his jaw tightened. Was he aroused? She was. The very sight of the man did things to her that she’d never realized seeing a man could do.
Ava’s arm caught the drinking horn. The second she realized she was about to knock it off his desk, she gasped and reached for it. A large, warm hand clasped over hers as a solid body pressed her against the desktop.
Donatus’ thick, throbbing cock nestled into the globes of her ass. The thin skirt she wore provided little in the way of a barrier. His zipper dug into her while his erection attempted to burrow into her. The thought of having it deep within her caused a torrent of cream to flow from her pussy.
Donatus laced his fingers in hers, clasping the horn and pulling it away from the edge. Ava went to stand, only to find that she was left rubbing her ass against his erect penis and her mound against the edge of his desk. Biting back a moan, she turned her head slightly, accidentally brushing her lips past his.
For a moment, Ava was sure that a spark of power had passed between them. She stood sandwiched between him and the desk, her breathing choppy, her panties wet and her body demanding to be satisfied.
“I’m sorry,” she said, pulling the drinking horn closer to her body. “I didn’t mean to—”
“Shhh.” His hot breath blew over her cheek, leaving her legs shaking faintly and her chest thumping madly. “It’s okay. I pulled it out for you. I thought you might like to have it.”
“You can talk.” She’d meant to make a joke but the breathy sigh that accompanied it sort of turned it into a phone sex operator line rather than a mood lightener.
He chuckled. “Yes. I can talk.”
The sound of his deep voice only served to excite her more. It was familiar and erotic. Ava offered him a soft smile but wanted to give so very much more. Her fingers skated over the edges of the drinking horn. “I can’t accept this. It’s old, very old.”
Donatus ground his hips slightly against her ass. “I thought of you when I walked back into my office this morning and knew—er—thought you’d like it.”
“Professor Manlian, you don’t have to—”
“Donatus.”
Ava nodded. “Donatus, thank you but I can’t accept it.”
“You mean you won’t.” He pressed harder into her. “Yet you expect me to accept a protection charm that is as old, if not older, than the drinking horn. That hardly seems fair.”
“No, I don’t expect you to accept it. I expected you to never notice you had it. That’s why I put it in your desk…” She stopped talking the instant she realized just how much she’d revealed to him. “You know it’s a protection charm?”
“Yes.” Using his free hand, Donatus reached over her, pressing harder against her, leaving Ava holding her breath. The very idea of moving enough to draw in air scared her. She was so close to coming already. He opened the desk drawer and pulled out the silver charm. Running his fingers over it, he gasped. “Mrs. M—Fenaly, it’s amazing. I haven’t seen one of these since,” he coughed slightly, “since I was visiting a friend of mine years ago.”
Part of Ava wanted to point out that he still had her bent over his desk. The other half, the one winning out by leaps and bounds, said to let him pin her all he wanted. “Call me Ava and I’m not married.”
He blinked for a second, as if he didn’t know what she was talking about. Then he smirked. “Are you sure?” he asked, as if he knew something she didn’t.
What kind of question is that? She let out a shaky laugh. “Yes. I’m sure. I’d remember that. Unless Vegas and large amounts of alcohol were involved.”
“Why did you put this in my desk drawer?” he asked, sounding more curious than upset.
“When Kal let me into your office to wait for you, I noticed your collection of mythological things. You…umm…you were running behind for our meeting so I went to grab it. I just thought you should have it.”
Donatus ran a finger over the charm again. “Is there a reason you think I need protection from evil?”
Ava sucked in a quick breath, shocked that he knew what the charm was for. “Do you think you c
ould stand up now? One, this is awkward. Two, you’re kind of heavy. And three, please see one again.”
“Oh, sorry,” he said, moving off her quickly. “I didn’t realize I was on you.”
“Funny, your cock figured it out just fine.”
Donatus made a choking sound. “What?”
Ava stood slowly, stretching her back as she went. As she faced Donatus, she found him staring at her with wide green eyes. She glanced around. “What?”
“You said that my,” he arched a brow, “cock figured out that I, um…”
Ava felt the blood rushing from her face as she covered her mouth quickly. Shaking her head, she tried to back away from him, only to bump into Donatus’ desk. “I didn’t mean to say that out loud. I lose control of my brain when I’m nervous.”
He chuckled. The sound wrapped around her as he moved in closer, leaving her going to her elbows on his desk. “But you did mean it, Ava.”
“Yes.” She closed her eyes and could clearly see him sinking deep into her wet core as she clung to him. The image was so detailed and so arousing the she had to shake her head to come back to reality. “I mean, no. I did not mean it.”
Donatus folded his arms as he watched Ava’s olive skin tinge with red almost instantly. She averted her gaze and he wanted to use that moment to steal a kiss from her lush mouth. When he’d walked in and found her ass being offered up to him, he almost took it. The dream he’d had of her had haunted him all day. He could almost feel her tight ass gripping him, holding him to her as he filled her with his seed.
She licked her lip and watched him through obviously lust-filled eyes. He leaned over her more, placing his palms on the desk and arched his brows. “You didn’t answer me about the protection charm. Why would I need it?”
Sizzling Hot Alpha Male Paranormal Romance Box Set Page 13
