Ride the Stars/once Bitten (4 page)

Others might not be so scrupulous.

His fangs ached. That rarely happened, and he was used to the most sensual of women. Taking it as the warning it was, he eased her off his chest, but he didn’t release her. Arms locked around her back, he enjoyed the mellow arousal flowing between them. "What are you doing tomorrow?"

"I ... hadn’t decided." Her answer was faint, matching her unfocused expression.

Glancing upward to conceal his smile, he casually suggested, "Spend the day with me. It’s been some time since I shared the sights with anyone."

Tension edged out boneless submission. Bali took a deep breath. "I wouldn’t want to put you out."

"Good, then you’ll go with me. I’ll pick you up at nine. Where are you staying?"

She wasn’t sure how, but Domino convinced her to agree. Then he had handed her into a transport, smiled, and wished her pleasant dreams. Now she paced her elegant room and analyzed his motives.

Why, was the main question. If asked to bet, she would lay odds he wasn’t wildly excited by her.

Curious, maybe. Perhaps he was simply doing a favor for Icki? That she could believe.

When analyzing Domino’s motives proved fruitless, she flopped on the bed, clicked on the radio, and called Icki.

The phone rang five times before he answered. "Icki," he said shortly.

"It’s me." Bali heard a woman’s sleepy murmur in the background.

His voice husky, Icki assured whoever it was, "It’s my sister." There was a rustle, then Icky yawned.

"What’s up?"

Bali’s lips quirked. "The dressing room attendant?"

"Not tonight. How was your day?"

Suction released, jars rattled, and there came the sound of glass scraping over a grid. She could almost see the insides of his fridge. Icki was snacking, which meant he was settling in for a long chat. She hugged a pillow under her chin and leisurely kicked her heels in the air. "Where do I start? The guy at the spaceport took one look at my leather and accused me of being a hooker. I fainted outside Domino’s club, had water thrown in my face, then got hauled to his table by his bouncer. You didn’t warn me that Tantalus was a steam bath, Icki."

He was laughing and choking on his drink. "Mercy, girl! Why didn’t you just waltz in naked? Talk about making an impression." The coughing died down, but he still sounded amused. "Was he interested?"

Reluctant to admit anything, she let the moment drag out. "He danced with me, but I think it was because he was bored."

"Oh?" There was a wealth of interest in that one word.

"Mm. He’s picking me up to go sightseeing tomorrow." Just the thought of it made her blush. It wasn’t a real date, but it felt like one.

Icki crowed. "Hah! I knew you’d hit it off. You’re just his type."

He sounded so smug she wanted to hit him. "He’s just doing you some kind of favor." She sounded petulant and hated it. "There’s no real interest there."

Icki’s silence sounded thoughtful. "No reason why he should. Tell me the truth--can you see yourself kissing him?"

Heat flashed through her insides, making her breathless. "The subject didn’t come up." Bali winced at the difference in her voice. No way would Icki miss it.

She could almost see his deep, knowing smile.

"Don’t expect him to ask first," Icki warned. "Dracs don’t. Domino’s a conqueror to his core. Keep that in mind when you get involved. For him, ‘possessive’ and ‘women’ go together. He’s not going to want to let you go."

Uneasy, she sat up, still hugging the pillow. "You’re jumping way ahead. We don’t know that’s ever going to happen. Right now I’m a curiosity, a friend of a friend. And you can’t tell me he’s in the habit of keeping women around long. He’s too much like you."

"This is different." He sounded annoyed. "Under the circumstances, he’s not going to play with you, and that’s what we want. Dracs don’t go around biting just anybody."

Afraid to ask, she let it go. Guilt already rode her hard over this biting thing. Maybe it was the necessary intimacy involved. It was scary enough without walking through a play-by-play of what might happen.

Her voice flat, she said, "I’d better get some sleep."

Gently, he said, "Don’t stay up worrying, hon. He’s not going to break your heart." He disconnected.

She sat there, holding the phone, and prayed he was right.

Domino walked into the cool hotel and sucked in his breath. Bali was waiting for him, and she was a vision to still a man’s heart.

A beaded blue slip with matching fringe at the bottom hugged her body from bust to mid-thigh. Strappy sandals laced up her calves, enhancing their delicate curves.

Someone must have told her about the social rule of braided hair--on Tantalus women were judged promiscuous if they refused to wear braids. The bare minimum of two braids tipped with azure beads fell to her shoulders in front of her ears. The rest of her hair was twisted up and secured with sapphire crystal hair sticks. Most provocative of all was the cerulean gauze cape that floated around her body like a mystical cloud. The throat clasp was formed of sequined, blue lace motif frogs. A matching motif adorned the top of her hood, which was pulled over her luscious hair. He stood cemented to the floor, staring with a rising hunger.

Bali laughed self-consciously and twirled her sunglasses in her hand. "It’s a little much, I know, but it is cooler than leather."

Domino blinked. "Turn around," he managed hoarsely. It was worse than he thought. The fringe drew attention to the sweet curves just above it, and the cape’s swirling folds excited with the glimpse of the coyly visible body beneath. She was going to cause a riot, and he would have his hands full.

Aware of her questioning, vulnerable look, he cleared his throat. His voice came out an octave lower than usual. "Beautiful. You should have warned me. I’d have come armed." At her puzzled look, he explained, "Men are going to rush us."

Pink whispered across her cheeks, and he felt his heart lurch. In self-defense, he placed a light hand at her back and escorted her to the door. "You’ve challenged me. A dress like that deserves an unforgettable day. Let’s see what I can do to live up to it."

He took her to an amusement park surrounded with a carefully maintained jungle of exotic fruit and spice trees. When her pink, full lips parted in wonder at the glorious scents and riotous colors, he quickly plucked a berry from a hedge and popped it in her mouth. It was either that or tip up her chin and slip his tongue between her lips.

That gown was killing him.

Laughing, she chewed the berry, then licked her lips, staining them an inviting red. Suppressing a silent groan, he quickly offered her another. To his surprise, she plucked it from his fingers and pressed it to his mouth. Slowly, he took the fruit between his teeth, trapping her fingers within his hot mouth for long seconds. Her eyes flared, and her chest began to rise a little too fast.

"Um, your eyes are glowing," she said skittishly.

He didn’t doubt it. He sucked lightly on her fingers, then reluctantly let them go. "Small wonder. We’d better move on." Before he led her off into the trees and explored the unconscious invitation in hers.

Elegant and whimsical shops and concession stands lined the cobbled street. Domino let her browse, then escorted her to a building labeled, "The Crystal Gardens" in three languages. He slipped a token in the collection box and opened the door for her, his eyes on her face.

Bali gasped. It was like a cave. Pastel lights illuminated an enchanted garden of hand blown glass and crystal. Fully detailed trees in colored glass lined the smooth path, and flowers on stems so fine she marveled that they didn’t break supported blooms of breathtaking design. Tiny lights like stars twinkled above their heads, and a yellow crystal half-moon slowly traced the sky. As they watched, the brilliant colors of dawn chased away the moon, followed quickly by a fuchsia sunset. Chords from a hidden symphony switched from the light, ethereal music of their entrance to wild chords mimicking nature’s power.

Suddenly fire engulfed their feet and the path they walked. Bali screamed and backed into Domino, who wrapped his arms around her protectively. She felt him shaking, and whipped her head around to glare.

"You could have warned me about the hologram, you slug!"

He grinned wolfishly. "And ruin the effect? Watch." The flames slowly died and the path seemed to fall away, leaving racing clouds beneath their feet and a dizzying expanse of blue. She swayed with vertigo, and his arm tightened around her.

The clouds transformed into a pink mist that curled around their legs and slowly colored the air. Tiny pink and lavender butterflies fluttered about them, joined by red hummingbirds. The music turned dreamy....

Domino slowly turned her, smiling faintly as his eyes brushed her mouth. He tilted his head slightly, met her gaze.

Icki was wrong; they do ask, Bali thought faintly. But was she ready?

No. Abashed, she looked away and swallowed. Shame washed over her, and she didn’t understand why.

His hand gently cupped her jaw. Respectful of her privacy, he didn’t force her to look at him, only offered comfort. "Easy, love. I’m not here to force your hand. I don’t mind when you tell me no."

It was an aching whisper, a reassurance she’d never heard. Fighting the hitch in her breath, she nodded and hid her face in his hand, just for a moment. Slow heat flowed into her from the point of contact. Her reaction shook her. How could she want him mere seconds after fearing his kiss? Yet his scent, male, elemental, wreathed her head and made her dizzy. There was nothing coercing about the calloused hand cradling her cheek, and the knowledge intoxicated. No force, no pressure, just his fingers stroking lightly, encouraging without words.

It went to her heart. Helpless to fight it, she turned her face and brushed her lips over his palm. Again.

Emboldened by his low rumble, she let passion grab her hand and run. Greatly daring, she opened her lips and touched her tongue to his palm.

Domino exhaled as if he’d been punched. Murmuring something in a foreign tongue, he bent his head--brilliant shades of red and pink flared around them, and suddenly vanished. While they’d been talking, the program had run its course. Now they faced a fish-eye shaped door. It spiraled open, prompting action.

Domino’s sigh held regret. "Another time, sweetheart."

He wasn’t as sanguine as he sounded. This thing between them was dangerous. Her vulnerability and shy sensuality were a lodestone to his protective instincts. When she looked at him with the eyes of a lost child, he wanted ... too much. It was time he got back his perspective. She wasn’t here for that.

They stepped through the door. Seconds later, his fine resolution was shot all to pieces.

Bali took one look at the tunnel under the water and froze. Moments later, she was trying to back out a sealed door with surprising strength, her eyes wide with horror. He got in the way, braced with effort against her retreat. The amusements didn’t allow people to go back, just forward.

"It’s green." She was panting with fear. Sweat stood out on her skin.

He glanced at the water on the other side of the glass tunnel. Fish swam harmlessly by, uninterested in the drama inside. "It’s blue, love. Clear blue. Look again."

She shuddered and waited long moments before opening her eyes a slit. They slammed shut again.

Her fear hurt and dragged him back in time to Itara’s lab. Rage swamped him, and he wanted to kill her father.

"Blue, you say?" Bali’s question wavered, though she infused it with a humor that was endearing. "My mistake." She drew in a shuddering breath and looked again. "I can do blue." It was clear she was fighting to believe that as she calmed by force of will.

A pride he had no business feeling swept him, and he tightened his arms before slowly releasing her.

Pretending as if nothing had happened, as if she hadn’t suffered a panic attack moments before, she squared her shoulders and looked around with determination. "Nice fish. How long is this tunnel?" She started walking at a rapid clip.

He caught up and threaded his arm through hers, slowing them both. Running away from her fears would never slay them, and this tunnel was as good a place to start as any. "You’re missing the coral. See that pretty formation over there? It reminds me of a cluster of pink cactus."

She spared it a brief glance. "Very nice." Then she did a double take. "What the...?" Beyond the glass a figure was swimming closer. It took only moments to realize it was no fish. Domino looked away from the glass and watched the emotions play across Bali’s face. Shock, then a wariness settled in.

He’d known who they would see here. The mer was a decent sort, and he often frequented the club. He was also a biologist, and well paid to care for the aquarium’s diverse life forms. Sometimes Domino thought he enjoyed being a merman, though nobody questioned his feelings about Itara and the mutation process.

Rabid hate was a pretty transparent emotion.

Domino would never tell Bali, but this was a test. He knew she was a mutant, but did she accept others of her kind? Or had Itara poisoned her mind against them?

The merman swam closer. Handsome, with the tanned torso of someone who spent plenty of time in the sun, he had diamond in one ear and a military cut. His eyes were bright and sharp as he looked her over, mere inches from the glass. Recognition set his face to stone. Baring sharp teeth at her, he flipped her the bird.

Her head came back slightly, and her eyes narrowed. Coldly, she mimed a kiss.

"His name’s Sirocco, one of--" Domino began.

"I know who he is. Mutant 347, one of my father’s military specimens, though our government denies involvement. I bought his ticket here. Obviously, he’s decided on a new career as a circus freak." Her tone was clipped. "I see he still adores me."

"--many of the mutants who relocated here," Domino gritted out. He hated being cut off. "Not one of your fans, obviously, but not out for blood, either."

Bali turned her back on him, barely glancing at the blond mermaid who joined Sirocco at the glass.