PassionsPoison (24 page)

He turned her face toward him. “Maybe you can make it up to
me by getting in the same position from that photo. Then we could erase your
memory of that particular episode.”

His kind features warmed her soul. She wanted nothing more
than to leave everything as it was. But she couldn’t. He had to know if they
had any chance of a relationship, which she still wasn’t sure was physically
possible. She played with the blanket in her hand.

He stopped her hands with his own. “Bea, what’s wrong?”

She sighed. “I have to tell you about how I’m able to live
with the poison in my body.”

He shook his head. “Oh, that can wait. After all, like your
grandmother said, we have some time alone right now.” He raised his brows at
her in imitation of her grandmother.

She tried to smile, but failed.

His face turned serious, but worse, his body tensed as if
expecting a rejection. “Why not?”

She pulled her hands from his and laid one on his arm to
soothe him and keep him there. “What my grandmother said was correct. If I
don’t have sex soon, I won’t be able to leave this hospital.”

Zach’s brow furrowed. “I don’t understand, I mean I’m more
than willing, but why do you have to?”

She took a deep breath. “Because intercourse is how I’m able
to expel my toxins and keep them at levels low enough for my body to tolerate.
I have to orgasm with a cock inside me to release the bad stuff.”

Zach pondered that. “So the men from your past, you were
using to survive?”

“Yes.”

“Why? Why not simply keep one man and have him at your beck
and call?”

Bea touched his cheek. “Because when my poison leaves my
body, it soaks into yours. Remember getting sick that morning after we made
love all night?”

“How can I forget, but that was only once. We made love many
times and I didn’t get sick.”

“Because the other times, I was careful. I made sure I
didn’t come with you inside me more than once. Don’t forget you were sick the
night after we ate dinner at Mom’s because you had been inside me when I
orgasmed, not because of the marijuana like we thought. But the night at your house,
I talked myself into believing you might be immune. I let you take control and
it was amazing, but then you suffered for my selfishness. I have no control
with you, Zach.”

Zach made to stand, but she hung on. He stared at her hand
on his arm. “So you poisoned other men until you met me.”

“Yes.” She desperately looked for a clue to his feelings.
His face remained unreadable.

He looked her in the eyes. “Do you know how many times you
need to do this to stay healthy?”

“I do. At least three times a week. Less than three orgasms
a week and the poison builds too high. That’s why my mom sent for Phillip. When
you wouldn’t see me, I couldn’t stand the thought of another man touching me.
My body became toxic to itself. Phillip supposedly found an antidote, but I
guess that didn’t work.”

Zach pulled out of her grip and she swallowed a whimper at
the loss. She couldn’t lose him. He had her heart.

He stood and began to pace. “So that’s why you have six
possible fathers.”

Bea’s answer was soft. “Yes.”

“Your mom handles the problem by sleeping with the same
group of men so no one man gets too sick.”

She nodded.

He kept pacing. “Does coming in other ways, like we did,
help?”

Bea shook her head. “A little, but not much.”

Zach stopped and put his hands in his pockets and stared at
Bea. “In other words, for us to have a relationship, the only way to keep you
alive would be for me to get sick.”

Bea nodded again.

“Holy hell.” He’d finally saved a woman he loved, a woman
who had put her own life at risk to remain faithful to him, but for it to work,
they would have to trade off being sick. He looked at the ceiling. “You have a
sick sense of humor.”

Bea sat forward. “What?”

He looked back at her. “Not you, fate.”

She raised her eyebrow, but he didn’t elaborate.

He leaned against the wall opposite the bed. “There has to
be a way we can make this work.”

Bea’s face brightened. But when a tear rolled down her
cheek, he crossed to her bed and pulled her into his embrace. “Beautiful,
what’s wrong?”

She spoke to his chest. “Nothing. I’m just so happy. I
thought you wouldn’t want me anymore and I’d have to live that other existence.
Honestly,” she pulled back to look at him, “now that I love you, I don’t think
I could do it.”

His heart twisted at the depth of her feelings. She would
rather die, literally, than face life without him. Humbled, unable to speak, he
brought her back into his embrace, catching her lips to show her how he felt.

Her body, so soft against his, made him want to strip and
crawl into the bed with her. Why not? They had privacy. One orgasm wouldn’t
make him that sick, and she needed him if they hoped to check her out of the
hospital and back to his place.

His mind made up, Zach pulled away, grinning at her groan.
He pulled the t-shirt Josh had given him over his head and threw it on the
other bed in the room. Then he unzipped his jeans.

Bea’s voice halted him. “Zach, what are you doing?”

“What do you think I’m doing? I’m making love to you.”

“But—”

“No buts about it. I’m making love to you. I’m going to
slide this cock,” he pulled his cock from his jeans to show her, “into your
wet, swollen folds and find nirvana as you convulse around me. And there’s
nothing you can do about it.”

Bea’s bright eyes revealed her desire and his cock hardened.
Not needing any more encouragement than that, he bent to untie his boots.

“But, Zach.”

He stood back up and slid his boots off, shaking his head at
her. “I told you, no buts.”

She pointed behind him and raised her brow. “I just thought
you might want to close the curtain over the window to the hallway.”

He turned, thankful he hadn’t dropped his jeans yet, though
his cock, hard and upright, hung out. Stepping to the curtain, he closed it and
turned, a mock frown on his face. “Are you happy now?”

Bea giggled. “No. Not until you stop teasing me and bring
that gorgeous piece of man-meat over here. My pussy is already wet and oh so
empty. Want to see?” She spread her legs beneath the sheet.

In a second his pants were off and the sheet tossed as he
climbed into the bed. “Let’s see exactly how wet you are.” With those words, he
positioned himself between her legs and pushed into her in one long stroke. Her
slick moistness enveloping his cock made him feel as if he’d come home.

Her squeal of delight hardened him further. He held her
still, her head between his hands as he waited for her to open her eyes.

When he didn’t move, she looked at him.

“I love you, Bea. We will figure this out.”

Her mouth opened and he stopped any words with a deep kiss.
He didn’t want to think. He wanted to feel, and this lady could make that
happen. There would be time for thinking later, though his gut told him it
might not do them any good. With determination, he pumped into the woman he
loved, showing her with his body how much she meant to him.

Bea paced before the great windows in Zach’s living room. If
she bothered to stop and look, she could enjoy the budding of the maple trees,
but she couldn’t stand still. The weather continued to grow warmer and Zach
worked on the finishing touches of the carving. The completed birch tree
appeared alive, but the two “critters” as Zach called them, had yet to be
finished.

She went back into his kitchen and opened the refrigerator.
Kayla said Josh had called and asked her to arrive around three. Should she
take the cheese out yet? They could be late. Deciding to leave it, she popped a
chunk into her mouth and closed the fridge. Maybe she should let Zach know the
time. He needed to shower before coming upstairs.

Ugh. She walked back into the living room. Ever since
yesterday when they received the call, she’d been a bundle of energy. What
could Dr. Josh have found? Four days had gone by since she’d come back to
Zach’s to recover. Though still weak, she had already gained a little weight
back, but her toxins were building. And Zach couldn’t afford to get sick with
the carving due. The radio said Ice-Out could be any day with the plane flying
over the lake every two hours now.

The door closed downstairs, startling her. “Zach?”

“Yeah, it’s me. I’ll be right up.”

His baritone voice alone softened the edges of her
over-sensitized nerves. She strode back into the kitchen and pulled out the
cheese. Grabbing the cracker tray, she brought them both into the living room.
She walked back to the kitchen to open a bottle of wine. As she tried to dig
the bottle opener into the cork, she noticed her hands were shaking.

Zach’s arms came around her.

She calmed and dropped the corkscrew. Somehow his presence
made everything feel possible. She sighed. “Can you help me with this?”

He turned her around.

He was stark naked. “Zach, they’ll be here any—”

He pressed her into the counter as his tongue sought entry
between her lips and his hard cock begged for entry to her pussy. The hot
sensation of pure desire made her knees weak. She wrapped her arms around his
neck, crushing her hardening nipples against his wet chest.

He broke their kiss. “Did that help?”

She pulled out of his arms, smiling. “Yes, it did. But you
better get some clothes on. Kayla won’t mind, but I doubt Dr. Josh will be
happy.”

“He’s just Josh to me.”

“I know, but it’s fun to tease him. Now go.”

He turned to leave but she squeezed his ass cheek. “Think
they’ll mind waiting?”

He spun around so fast, he caught her off guard. Picking her
up, he set her on the counter island, away from the wine. “Who says they’ll
have to wait?” Throwing up her long denim skirt, he pulled her thong off and
held it up. “Did you ever think of going without these? I’d prefer it.”

Bea giggled as Zach wiggled his eyebrows. He had taught her so
much, how fun sex could be and what it felt like to have someone to love. “I’ll
have to think about it.”

He growled. “You think too much as it is. You need to feel.”

Zach pushed her shoulders down, forcing her to lie back.
Then he pulled her butt to the edge of the counter. “Hmm, I never realized what
a perfect level this counter is.”

She linked her hands behind her head. “I did.”

He looked at her. “Really? What a sexually active mind you
have.”

She smirked. “No more than yours.”

“Touché.” Zach winked before bending over and spreading her
thighs.

He planned to make love to her pussy as she had first
imagined and her folds slickened with the knowledge.

His tongue found her opening and he licked away at her
juice, sliding in between her labia. When he moved his sensuous kiss to her
clit and circled it with his tongue, her excitement rose, building where he
feasted. Her body weak, yet taut, arched toward him of its own accord.

Leisurely, he inserted a finger into her swollen pussy. She
bucked, wanting more as her need pulsed. He pulled his finger out just as
slowly while his tongue continued its constant tease.

She moaned. Knowing Zach loved her added a new dimension to
their lovemaking. They were connected now and she trusted him with his own
safety. Even if she lost control, he would be careful, knowing she didn’t want
to poison him. That knowledge alone freed her to enjoy without guilt this time.
The issue of the number of times and his reactions to her still loomed large,
but she put it aside to enjoy his touch.

He didn’t change his rhythm, but his other hand opened a
drawer beneath her.

What was he doing?

She heard metal. He must have pulled out a cooking utensil.
The soft strokes around her clit slowed, keeping her on edge, but the
anticipation of what she would feel next made her blood race.

Something cool and blunt touched her opening. She didn’t
know what it was, nor did she care as the cool, hard metal pushed into her
pussy’s entrance. She grabbed on to the edge of the counter above her head and
tried to thrust her hips forward, but Zach was in complete control and kept the
object from going deeper. She panted, tightening inside, craving the
fulfillment he could give her. Settling her hips back to the hard counter, she
gave herself up to his power. The unknown utensil caused tingles to suffuse her
entire body.

Zach pulled his tongue away.

She whimpered before she lifted her head to look at him.

He absently stroked the inside of her thigh as he met her
gaze. “Do you trust me?”

“Completely.”

Grinning, he gradually pushed the object into her, spreading
her, filling her until she feared to move an inch. It touched her cervix and
she melted, her head falling back to the counter as her body registered she was
at his mercy, under his care, loved.

Zach used his other hand to burrow under her sweater and pop
her breast out above her bra. He rolled her nipple between his fingers. Her
need to arch into his hand was strong, but she resisted, though her pussy
tightened around the object as his fingers produced sharp cravings. Then he
lowered his head and stroked his tongue along her clit, upward and back.

Her pulse beat hard where his tongue played her, each
sensation building on the next. She struggled to keep her hips still like he
wanted, but the pleasure encompassed her. She tried to relax into it, even as
the sensations increased.

He kept her core filled, but with no movement. She was
speared, taken. Her body’s excitement gained momentum, filling every fiber from
wrist to calf until her orgasm burst upon her, filling her limbs and psyche
with sweet satisfaction.

Zach removed the utensil and lowered his head to lick her
clean, but she guessed his intention and grabbed his hair, fear slicing through
her euphoria. “Don’t.”

He lifted his head as she let go. “I forgot.”

She sat up, pushing her breast back within her bra cup. “I
know. I’m sorry. I just don’t want you sick.”

He sighed. “I better get dressed.”

The fun of the episode melted away. Deflated, she jumped
down from the counter. Turning back to the wine, she found her thong looped
over the neck of the bottle. The humor of the image lightened her spirits a
little, and she opened the wine with a slow and steady hand. After pouring
herself a glass, she took a seat on the couch. This time, she focused on
enjoying the scenery. Zach was right. It was a balm for the soul.

Footsteps on the deck stairs had her placing her wineglass
on the table.

Zach appeared in the living room in a dark denim button-down
shirt and black jeans, which made him appear sexy as hell. He pointed at her.
“You sit, I’ll let them in. But you better stop eating me with your eyes, or
they’re going to know what you’re thinking about.”

She gave him the hint of a smile. “You mean if they notice
anyone else in the room besides each other?”

Zach shook his head and opened the door to their guests.

Bea stood and Kayla practically knocked her over with a bear
hug. “How are you holding up?”

She looked past her friend to Josh, and at her raised
eyebrow, he nodded. Kayla knew. The two of them had been talking on the phone
every day. Now Bea knew part of what they found to talk about. She squeezed
Kayla before pulling away. “I’m fine right now.”

Kayla gazed at her with pitying eyes. Bea couldn’t stand it.
She stepped around her to give Josh a brief hug. “I’m very interested in what
you discovered. Please have a seat. I’ll get the wine.”

Josh raised his hand to stop her. “If you don’t mind, I’ll
have a beer.” He turned to Zach. “Do you have any decent beer?”

Zach motioned her to sit and headed to the kitchen with Josh
right behind him. “Yeah, Bud Light, but I think I have some snooty beer in here
just for you.”

Josh chuckled, his voice carrying into the living room.
“Hey, you have any ice cream left?”

Zach coughed. “Maybe, but it’s all for me.”

Ice cream? Why would Josh think they had ice cream? They
hadn’t eaten anything all afternoon. The only time they had been in the kitchen
was when… Oh. Her entire body filled with heat.

Zach strolled back into the living room. “Bea, didn’t I call
dibs on all the ice cream?”

She gave him an exasperated look. The ice-cream scoop had
been her dildo not thirty minutes ago, which caused her pussy to moisten again.
Zach must have left it in the sink.

He winked.

She looked away before Kayla caught on.

Kayla sat on the facing couch. Josh handed her a glass of
wine before sitting next to her. Bea wished her and Zach’s relationship could
be as carefree. What was it with her that she always wanted what she couldn’t
have? She sat stiffly and took a sip of wine as Zach joined her and linked
their hands together.

After a large swallow of beer, he spoke. “Okay, Josh, spill
it. What did you find out and can it help us?”

At Zach’s use of the word “us”, Bea relaxed into him, the
warmth in her heart calming her limbs.

Josh grinned. “Do you want the good news or the bad news
first?”

Zach put his beer bottle down hard. “Josh, this isn’t funny.
Tell us.”

Bea squeezed Zach’s hand in gratitude. She’d been on pins
and needles all day and had been about to strangle the good doctor, not a smart
move considering he was her only hope, or at least a possible hope.

Josh turned serious. “I know, Zach. It’s just that Bea looks
as if she’s about to shatter. I thought a little levity would help, but I guess
not. All right, I’ll give it to you straight.”

Bea glanced at Kayla and the sadness in her eyes almost
undid the tight hold Bea had on her emotions.

Josh leaned forward and captured her gaze. “I discovered the
antidote for your poison is exactly that, a cure.”

Bea couldn’t help the sigh that escaped at the news. Could
her days as a poisonous lover be over? It was too much to contemplate. She
ruthlessly stifled the feeling of joy before it spread. Josh’s face said all
was not as good as it appeared.

She cocked her head. “How come I feel a ‘but’ coming?”

Josh nodded and turned his attention to Zach. “The problem
is the antidote attacks all the poison. That means for Bea to survive the
antidote, we need to bring her poison levels low enough to prevent the drug
from killing her like it almost did before.”

Her stomach dropped as her mind processed Josh’s words. She
managed to hold back her tears, but couldn’t control the shaking of her head.

Zach looked between her and Josh, his brow wrinkled in
puzzlement.

She begged Josh with her eyes, imploring him to tell Zach.
She wouldn’t be able to without crying.

Josh sighed and took a swig of beer. “What that means,
buddy, is Bea has to orgasm many, many times on a man to lower those levels.”

Zach shrugged. “That’s fine. I’m able and willing. You know
that.”

“I’m afraid the amount of poison she needs to release would
kill you. Besides, even you couldn’t have sex that long without Viagra.”

Zach glanced at her and she could tell he still hadn’t
realized the extent of the cure.

He turned his attention back to his friend. “How many
times?”

Josh didn’t bat an eyelash. “My best guess is nine orgasms
should do it.”

She moaned. “Nine?”

Zach tensed beside her and released her hand. He stood and
put his hands in his pockets. “So, you’re telling me in order to save Bea, I
have to let her have sex with other men?”

Kayla jumped in. “But it doesn’t have to be a lot of other
men, Zach. I’m sure Bea could do it with say, three plus you. Don’t you think,
Bea?”

She should answer, but the thought of another man touching
her had her frozen. Her stomach formed a familiar knot, but this time nausea
took hold.

Kayla continued. “You need to look at it as a medical
procedure, right, honey?”

Josh stared at Zach. “Listen, I could set it up at my
hospital. I can recruit three men from the local area for a ‘study’ and let
them know they will be having sex with a beautiful woman who they have to make
orgasm at least twice. You could be first and last.”

Zack turned his back on them all and strode to the sliding
glass door. He opened it and let the warm spring air flow into the room.

Kayla touched Bea’s knee. “It could save your life.” Kayla
wiggled her eyebrows. “Think of it as another sexual adventure.”

Bea shook her head. “I don’t think I could stand another
man’s hands on me. I’d be more apt to vomit than come.”

Zach turned at her statement, his love for her visible in
his eyes. She held his gaze.

Josh stood. “I could give you a hallucinogenic. You could
believe every damn guy was Zach. I would also have to monitor your vitals and
keep nutritional fluids pumped into you. That much sex will take a lot out of
you. You’d have to do it as fast as possible to bring those toxins low enough.”