Passionate Desire

Passionate Desire

Book Two of the Vespian Way

Barbara Donlon Bradley

This is an explicit and erotic novel

intended for the enjoyment

of adult readers. Please keep

out of the hands of children.

www.Phaze.com

Passionate Desire

Copyright © 2012 by Barbara Donlon Bradley

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Edited by Adrienne Jones

Cover Art © 2012 by Niki Browning

First Edition March 2012

ISBN-13:
978-1-60659-653-1

Published by:

Phaze Books

An imprint of Mundania Press LLC

6457 Glenway Ave., #109

Cincinnati, OH 45211

All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher, Mundania Press LLC, 6457 Glenway Avenue, #109, Cincinnati, Ohio 45211, [email protected].

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

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Chapter 1

Heather found her way blocked by a huge set of shoulders. Storm. Sometimes their mind link really got in her way. He had to know what she was up to and was going to try to stop her.

“And where do you think you’re going?”

“Please tell me you’re not going to start being overprotective already.” She looked up into her mate’s determined face.

“The doctor did just release you from the medlab. You have been through a lot, from your kidnapping two months ago to your pregnancy. I’m not being over protective, just concerned for my mate’s welfare.”

“Storm, I’m fine.” She tried to move around him, but he wouldn’t allow that. A sigh escaped her. “I bet if I were to drag you into that bedroom you wouldn’t be worried about me just being released from the medlab.”

A spark entered his eyes. “I didn’t hear you complaining earlier.”

He was right. She enjoyed every moment she was in his arms. Heather gave him a sultry smile. “You didn’t have any complaints either.”

“No I didn’t.” He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close. “My heart, bringing you to ecstasy is what I live for. To have you fall apart because of what I do to your body arouses me. It’s why I never tire of you and always want you.”

Desire started to unfurl inside. She slid her hand up his shirt, hoping she could talk him into letting her out. “So do you want to come with me?”

“You haven’t told me where you were going.” His grip was strong on her waist. He dipped his head so he could work his magic on her throat.

Where was she going? The moment his lips touched her skin she forgot everything but the feel of his mouth on her neck. “Can’t think.”

“Then it wasn’t important.” His tongue slid up over her mark and she felt it to her toes.

“I just want to get out.” Her voice came out breathless. “Feel the sun on my face.”

“Where did you want to go?” He continued to nibble in the one spot he knew would make her knees weak.

“The gardens?”

“We’ve never done it there before.” He captured her lips, easing her mouth open so his tongue could tease hers. She melted just a little more in his arms. “We can go, but if I find we can’t make it back here before I need you again…”

“Storm.”

“I can take you back into that room and make you forget about the gardens altogether.” He ran his fingers against her jawline in his gentle manner. “I don’t need to walk.”

“You promise to be discreet?” She knew he would get his way. One way or another. And this was the only way she could get hers.

He adjusted his arm around her waist and guided her outside. “Of course.”

“As discreet as your mother was with that tent?” She referred to when she had first come to Vespia. He had been away on a mission and she wanted to be there when he arrived home. His mother had brought half of the palace guards with her so Heather could greet him when his ship landed, including a giant tent no one could miss.

“We did have a few moments together so I could see the gift you made me.” He squeezed her waist. “That red outfit is still my favorite.”

She smiled up at him. “I know.” Heather looked around and found them being followed by guards as well as a few of the news people with their cameras aimed at them. A sigh escaped her. “I see we’ve got our entourage.”

“Ignore them.” He took her hand in his and let her set the pace for their walk.

Heather took her time, enjoying the leisurely stroll. She stopped whenever she felt like it to smell a flower or touch a leaf.

“Thank you.” She rested her head against his chest.

“For what? Spending time with my heart?” He stopped walking and tugged on her hand. She looked up at him, then in the direction he nodded in.

Not too far in front of them was a young girl clutching a well loved stuffed animal. She stared at them. Her eyes filled with a touch of awe and fear. The child knew who they were.

Heather crouched down so she could be closer to the child’s level. “It’s okay.”

The little girl looked up at her mother for a moment before she took a few steps toward them. “I have a present for you.”

“Really?” How did the child know she was going to be here? Storm had given in a little too easily. Did he plan this so the news people could get some footage they wanted? This way the media would leave them alone? Heather knew they had been hounding him for an interview with his mate and he kept putting them off.

The small girl pulled a bunch of wilted flowers from behind her back. Poor thing had been waiting a while to give them to her. “Wait. They were much prettier before.”

“They are beautiful. Thank you very much.” Heather took them and smiled.

The big happy grin was worth her little white lie.

She stood and slipped the flowers into Storm’s waist band. “You planned this, didn’t you?” She said it softly and kept her face averted so the cameras trained on them wouldn’t pick up what she said.

“I swear I didn’t.” He looked at the flowers sticking out of his waist band. “You’re not going to leave them there, are you?”

“Don’t have any pockets.” She winked at the young girl who stared in awe for a moment before wrapping herself around Storm’s leg for a quick hug. The child then dashed to her mother’s side.

Heather stood. She smiled at Storm, waiting to see what he would do next.

He gave her his ‘I’m not happy with you’ look before he passed the flowers to one of the guards. In seconds, they had been set into a device that revitalized the flowers and placed them in a small vase. “They look much better there than in my waist band.”

“I know, but did you see her face when I did that?” Heather looked at him, her eyes sparkling. “I think I made you a hero in her eyes.”

“Because you stuck those pitiful things in my pants?”

“Because you didn’t growl at me or become angry at what I did. You showed her honor by allowing me to put them someplace safe. That’s why she hugged you.”

“I’m not sure I understand.” He slipped his arm around her waist once more.

“You are destined to be the next leader, right?” At his nod she continued. “And as leader your job will be to protect the people and the planet of Vespia. She knows that. Those flowers were very special to her. I could tell by the way she held them. You treated her flowers with care. You might not have liked what I did, but you didn’t fight me.”

“What makes you think I didn’t like it?”

“That look of yours.”

He pulled her up against his body, lifting her just enough so her feet wouldn’t touch the ground. “Which look is that?”

“Your brows drop and your eyes narrow at me.”

“So that one is called ‘that look’?” He grinned. Storm lowered his mouth to hers. “I’m going to have to remember that one.”

Heather wrapped her arms around his neck. “I have lots of names for your different faces.”

“Which one is the ‘I want you now’ look?” he said, his lips still inches from hers. Desire danced in the depths of his eyes. He finally closed the distance between their mouths, his tongue delving, searching for hers.

She found want filling her body. Too bad they were out in public.

It didn’t seem to bother him at all. His lips left hers and worked their way to her neck. “I know of a nice secluded spot.”

“Now?” Her modesty warred against her growing desire.

“You promised to go along with me if I couldn’t make it back to our rooms.” He looked down at her. The longing in his eyes held such promise. “It will be discreet, I promise.”

He led her to a simple bench surrounded by shrubbery and flowers. The bushes were tall and sculpted, sealing the bench in so no one would be able to inadvertently see anything. On top of that they were surrounded by their guards.

Storm sat first. He never lost contact with her so she couldn’t back out on him. Pulling her onto his lap, he had her straddle him. Her face showed her fear. “You okay?”

“This isn’t something I think I’m ready for.” She let out a pent up breath.

“I would never make you do anything you don’t feel comfortable with.” He touched her face with such tenderness. “I see such strength from you I sometimes forget that a lot of our ways are foreign to you.”

His honesty filled her with determination. He believed she could do this or he wouldn’t suggest it. She stood and straightened her skirts so it wouldn’t hamper them. Once she had them out of the way she eased herself back down on his lap.

Storm pulled her close, capturing her lips with his. He drew her into a vortex of passion with the swirl of his tongue. She felt it in the heat of the kiss, in the heat of his mouth on her mark. It made her blood boil.

“I need you.” Her voice was barely a whisper.

Storm didn’t need any more prompting. He freed himself from his trouser and helped her slide down his hardened length. He buried himself deep inside her. They both shuddered at the intimate contact. “I need to feel your skin against mine.”

She removed his shirt and he opened the top portion of her dress. Slipping it from her shoulders, the gown pooled around her waist. His hands slid up her back, holding her close and right where he wanted her.

“Now, let’s see if I can make you forget about everything else but us.” His fingers worked their way into her folds, finding the one spot that made her desire spiral out of control.

She sucked in her breath as his fingers brushed against her most sensitive spot. Her muscles rippled against him, making him wonder if they could reach their releases without either making a move. Every time her muscles constricted on him like that he felt it deep inside.

He continued to stroke her body and it continued to sing for him. She was caught up in the maelstrom of sensations flooding her. Heather’s sheath tightened around him like a vise. Her breath came out in soft pants. Head tilted back, her eyes were not quite closed and her mouth was slightly open. This was what he wanted. She looked so beautiful when she hit her release.