Tuesday - Oldie But Goodie Day

Jewel of the Sun's BLOOD DESTINY - available at Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, and a few other places. - sizzling romantic paranormal

“Elan, please. Can we talk?”

           He looked through the camera at her as he spoke, “It’s not personal. It’s a means.”

“A means to what? I don’t—”

“The end.”

“Damn it, don’t talk in riddles,” she said, realizing he was taking photos. Too bad, if they come out crappy, if he’d be straight with her, she wouldn’t have to disrupt his play.

“No riddles. A means to the end. We follow the path of the visions and they’re over.”

Follow the path of the visions. Suddenly, she felt as if she’d been knocked down and found herself sitting on the bench, her hands gripping it for support. Her mind tried to wrap around his words.

No, he couldn’t mean it the way she took it. They were strangers. Sure she wanted him, but it was her mind’s game. Shudders swept through her. “I don’t understand,” she said.

“Cross your legs.”

His words barely registered, but she crossed her legs and her hands shook so much she couldn’t straighten the skirt. Before she knew he’d moved, he was there, kneeling. He stopped her hands with his.

“Look at me!” he commanded with a quietness she had to obey.

She had to look at him. “You can’t mean…this can’t…I can’t…”

He brought her hands to his lips, caressing them. “When the time’s right, there will be no fear.”

“I’m not scared. Practical. I don’t go to bed with anyone, especially if we’re strangers.”

“You’ve been thinking of it.”

“Yes, but it was the dreams, being here…it’s like déjà vu. It’s natural I would.” She tried to free her hands, but he wouldn’t let go.

“It’s not our will. We use our will to break a binding.” He played with the ring. “Bound by the jewel of the sun.”

“How?”

“We must talk tomorrow. Time is slipping away. We deviate long, it will not work.”

“You want me to sleep with you without knowing why.”

He touched her trembling lips. “For now. Trust me.”

Right, the first thing her grandfather told her about boys was to never trust one who says ‘trust me’. He let her other hand go and fixed the skirt around her legs. His warm fingers straightened the anklet, and then he studied her with his infamous eye.

“Close your eyes. Breathe. Relax.”

Cassandra closed her eyes and breathed, but she didn’t relax. How could she? He wants to use her.

“Let it happen. Let it consume as before.” He tipped her chin enough to tilt her head. “Want me like you saw.”

“I do,” she whispered. “I burn for completion.” She did and maybe that’s why she felt herself giving in without much hesitance.

“Yes…yes…yes,” he whispered.

He returned to the camera and her leg bounced as she relaxed with her hands on the bench. She stopped the movement, because not only could it ruin his photos, but also the rocking of flesh against flesh fueled the smoldering ache between her thighs.

When he’d done as many shots with the still as he wanted, he picked up the digital and came in closer with each click. Though he never deviated from his work, she sensed a change in him. Who knows, it’s possible the discussion they’d had changed things between them. Maybe her admission of wanting to get her hands on him excited him. For herself, she found the instructions he gave easier to do and fun.

Some eight, ten shots later, he told her, “Walk around the bench toward the wall of ivy and give me an over the shoulder look.”

Cassandra took a few steps, looked over her shoulder and saw he’d lowered the camera. “Did I do it wrong?”

“No.” He brought the camera up and shot. “Needed you to relax into in to it.”

“Oh.” She smiled and turned looked over her other shoulder, while telling him, “You’re being easy on me, I think.”

“For now.” His words, the husky sound of his voice sent tingling sensations through her body. “I’m changing the scene,” he said, setting the camera down a few minutes later.

For now. What did he mean? She watched him walk past her and raise the screens to reveal white-paned French doors. There was darkness beyond the panes. She looked around for a clock and wondered why she’d never noticed it before. It set over the doorway and told her it was eight thirty. Had they been at it for almost two hours?

The butterflies returned to her stomach, but not from worry. The way all this was playing out was responsible. The trickle of information she had to pull from him like a splinter under the skin raised many more questions.

Elan finished with the screens and before he could tell her what she was to do next, she had to try to get more answers. “You obviously know more than I do. Tell me what you know. How did this happen? Who would do this to two strangers?”

He stood before her and caressed her forehead with the pad of his thumb, smoothing a frown she supposed. “It’s complicated.”

He scanned her face making her feel as if he was memorizing her features, her bone structure, but then he focused on her mouth. His eyes didn’t falter. He simply saw, caressed without touching. Cassandra parted her lips in anticipation, he came closer his breath fanning her face. She raised her chin wanting him to close the distance, her eyes searching brown circles intent on her mouth. Her breasts rose and fell. Her tongue ran over her lips and a groan slipped from him. His lips brushed hers, left her, touched again and then covered them completely. She moaned as she leaned in for a deeper connection, feeling like she was slipping down wet, grassy hill. Unable to stop herself, she sank into him and when she started to wind her arms round his neck, his mouth left hers.

“Answers will come,” he said. “Now we follow through.”

Have a Great Day!

Bekki Lynn