Stone Passions Trilogy (72 page)

“I want to give you the world,” he breathed, kissing her softly. “Even if it’s only for seventy-five years but I will always hope for an eternity. If Jeremy loved you as much as I love you he would want you to be happy and I will spend the rest of our time together making sure there are no more regrets. No matter what.”

She choked on a sob as she wrapped her arms around him, holding him to her and burying her face against the curve of his neck. His broad palm slowly caressed her back as he murmured comforting words against her ear, silently giving her the permission she craved to finally let go. Silently, he let her know that he would be there to catch her as she fell, that he would be her stalwart haven in whatever storm came their way, no matter which path she chose.

Clinging to him, feeling the tears burn away the years of bitterness and loneliness, she vowed to return the promise and in the end she let herself fall in love. Life was too short to be buried alive and Rhys was too vital to not love completely.

“I love you,” she rasped, her throat tight with fear and love.

“Ah, Jenna,” he murmured, kissing the top of her head. “I love you, too. More than you’ll ever know.”

“Rhys,” she breathed, pressing her lips against the strong column of his throat, breathing in the scent of his clean, fresh skin. Running her hands along his sides, tracing the ridges of muscles that bracketed his ribs, she felt the shattering emotional shift, racing from the depths of grief to a torrent of lust. Sliding a leg over the thrust of his hip, she pulled her groin closer to his, “No matter what happens, Rhys, I love you.”

With a few deft maneuvers of his hands, they were naked from the waist down and then he was in her, sealing their bond until eternity.

Chapter 16

Jenna looked out over the barren and desolate island fifty feet in front of her, at the scattered remnants of a once enormous temple and the scraggly trees, and her heart ached for the pain Rhys had to be experiencing, seeing his mother’s island in ruin. The setting sun burned the air around her making it difficult to breathe and she couldn’t imagine how much worse it would be when the sun was directly overhead. Despite being surrounded by water the island was a desert in the middle of the sea. There was no dock, only jagged rocks that looked like they ate boats that got too close. She could imagine a siren sitting in the middle of the island luring weary sailors to their death with her seductive song.

Turning her head, she saw Rhys staring at the island but it was impossible to determine what he was thinking when he was in his gargoyle form. He had a satchel slung across his chest that held a change of clothes since there was nothing that fit his statue form. It wouldn’t be a good idea to show up on his mother’s doorstep without a stitch of clothing on, though Jenna had to admit that she wouldn’t mind a naked Rhys. After having explored every inch of his defined and toned body, she was eager to do it all again and again and again, as many times as it took until she knew every inch of him by heart.

But he was here to visit his mother so she shouldn’t be picturing him naked, especially when she wasn’t sure how he felt upon seeing the bleakness of the island. Sliding her hand into his, she smiled encouragingly up at him when he looked down at her, “It’s quite… interesting.”

His face crinkled up with a smile, and he asked in his gravelly voice, “It does look inhospitable, doesn’t it?”

Her lips parted in surprise – it was meant to look so hostile? She supposed it made sense, considering what she knew about magic and enchantments, but why couldn’t she see the reality beneath the veil, like she could see Rhys or the castle?

Before she could contemplate further, large stone arms scooped her up against a hard stone body and the two of them were flung into the air, Rhys’s wings fully extended. Automatically, she wrapped her arms around his thick neck, holding on even though she knew that he would never let her go. “Had we arrived any later we would have had to sail around to the other side where there is a hidden dock.”

“I imagine it’s very well hidden?” she asked, enjoying the breeze against her heated skin.

“Not so well hidden that sailors haven’t found their way to this island,” he grinned. “But the few that managed to dock there had many more difficulties reaching mother’s home. This way is much more direct.”

“Well, since only her sons seem to have the ability to fly from an anchored boat that would make sense,” she teased, her fingers gently caressing the base of Rhys’s jagged skull. Despite being a hulking stone monkey he was still Rhys and when she looked at him Rhys was all she saw and she adored both of his forms. Not only was he unutterably gorgeous, he was a natural optimist and his zest for life was contagious. He pushed her beyond her comfort zone, holding her hand until she could stand on her own, helping her grow at an exhilarating pace. She seriously enjoyed the things he did to her both as a gargoyle and as a man.

She had to squeeze her thighs together when she remembered some of those things….

“She must get lonely out here all by herself,” Jenna mused, looking at the island as they got closer and closer.

“Mother is rarely alone,” Rhys said softly, the words thick with hidden meaning. “She has… companions. She also has a room that allows her to observe anything she wants to of the world, from her children to the latest fashions in Paris to revolutions in the remotest places on earth. She can see whatever she wants and interact to a certain extent but she is bound to the island and she cannot leave.”

“I’m assuming it’s magic?” she asked, her heart going out to Rhys’s mother.

“Something like that,” he murmured, a hint of sorrow in his voice.

“Why don’t you or your brothers visit more often?”

He shook his head, “I wish that we could but the timing has to be right so we don’t interrupt her while she has a guest. Omari has assured me that she is between companions.”

“So she’s not lonely?”

“She’s lonely,” he said softly, flying over the deadly looking rocks. Jenna tightened her hold on him and he chuckled, “Do you think I’d let you fall?”

“Of course not,” she scoffed. “I just like holding you close.”

He laughed and Jenna thought that he had such a wonderful laugh, so full of joy. She also thought that she was turning into some sappy, love-drunk fool but she didn’t care. There would be plenty of time to be cynical when she returned to the real world. Her lips quirked up into a wry smile at the thought because she didn’t think she had the heart to be cynical any longer. Of course there was still room for being a realist, the slightly less cynical cynic, but she no longer had the temperament to be a pessimist. Unfortunately, she never had the personality to be an outright optimist, either.

When they landed, Rhys gently set her on her feet but stopped her from taking any steps. Spinning her around, he slid the satchel off his body and then wrapped his heavy arms around her waist. She had to tilt her head way back to look up at him and when she did he motioned towards the setting sun, “There is something you really need to experience after the sun sets, which will only be a few more minutes.”

Resting her hands on the massive muscles of his arms, she was once again amazed by the sheer size of him, of his body. She tried imagining the maneuvering it would take to impale herself on his giant stone cock but it was impossible. No human in her right mind would ever attempt such a thing. Plus, it would be a waste of the luscious fluid that oozed from the tip.

The mere thought of the liquid bliss was enough to make her wet and she had to lock her knees to keep from dipping her head and devouring him where he stood. A finger beneath her chin lifted her head and she found herself staring into a face that was regaining its color, “It’s almost time.”

“Uh huh,” she murmured, watching in fascination as the gargoyle became the man, the transformation never getting old. She loved watching the color leech back into his skin, the auburn hair sprout from his head, his face morph from monkey to man, the way he lost nearly two feet of height and became comfortably human-sized, albeit one with generous proportions. Running her fingers over the smooth line of his jaw, his full lips, she sighed in perfect pleasure because he was hers.

“Turn around and watch,” he chuckled, maneuvering her so she was facing the ruins. As the sun set, there was the briefest moment when the ruins appeared in all of their true splendor and glory: glowing white columns that soared upwards towards the heavens and solid marble walls that gleamed in perfection.

But the image vanished as the sun disappeared and the illusion of ruins was back in place. Jenna could only stare at the crumbling temple in disbelief as Rhys grabbed a pair of pants from the satchel and stepped into them. Quietly, she breathed, “It’s magnificent.”

He stood behind her, drawing her back against his chest as he rested his hands on her shoulders and kissed the top of her head. “When we enter the temple you have to remember that it is very important…”

“That I not let go of your hand,” she finished with a smile, the familiar words of caution seared into her brain. The temple had various traps that lured men to their doom – and occasionally their salvation. Turning, she lightly trailed her fingers over his still-naked chest and grinned, “I have no intention of ever letting go.”

His eyes darkened and he hesitated a moment before grabbing his clothes and getting dressed. It was a pity that he had to wear clothes at all, including the shoes that covered his sexy feet. As soon as he was decent, the gravity had disappeared from his beloved face and his familiar smile was back in place. Capturing her hand in his once more, he grinned, looking like any college-aged boy going to his first kegger.

“Are you ready?” He practically vibrated with excitement, bouncing as he squeezed her hand and started walking towards the center of the ruined temple. Jenna had to quicken her pace to keep up, laughing with him at his enthusiasm.

He slowed down slightly and she wrapped both of her arms around one of his. Glancing down at her, he smiled, his chocolate brown eyes sparkling in the evening light. Taking a deep breath, his grin widening, they took one more step and the illusion shattered as torches blazed to life, illuminating a lavishly decorated Ancient Grecian temple. Pillars soared upwards towards a ceiling that was inlaid with precious metals and etched images.

“My God,” she breathed, her eyes wide as she tried to take everything in at once. Her grip loosened just a bit but Rhys put his hand over her arms, holding her in place. She gave him a sheepish smile as she squeezed his arm, “I’m not letting go.”

Slowly, they walked past the pillars and the deeper into the temple they went, the tighter Jenna’s grip on Rhys’s arm got. Statues of naked men dotted the ground, the details exquisite and lifelike, down to the veins on their stone erections to the hair covering their bodies. Gleaming golden artifacts and priceless gem-encrusted urns decorated the alcoves and Jenna felt as if she had stepped back into another time, another world. The artist in her was in heaven and she wanted to sketch a few of the statues and artifacts. Perhaps during the day while Rhys was a gargoyle she would be able to do some drawings.

Coming to a stop, she studied an ornately detailed urn, the scene one of a satyr spying on a beautiful nymph as she bathed. She could almost imagine it in her head: a coquettish nymph aware of being observed decides to torment her uninvited audience by exaggerating her movements. She slowly draws the wet sponge over her naked flesh, thrusting her breasts out as the water dribbles over the hard peaks….

“It’s extraordinary, Rhys,” she whispered reverentially, not wanting to break the peacefulness that imbued the temple. When he didn’t answer, she turned her head to look at him and gasped in alarm – she was holding onto the stone arm of a statue and Rhys was gone. “Rhys!”

Urgently pulling away from the statue, she stared in horrified shock. She hadn’t let go of him!! She had promised to hold on and she had so where was he? How did she end up clasping a statue when she never let go of Rhys? Keeping her eyes on the evil statue, she cried out, “RHYS!!”

Frantic with fear, she started walking back the way they had come, except nothing looked familiar anymore. The statues were all different, a hundred statues of a hundred naked men and none of them were Rhys. To top it off, the walls seemed to shift right before her eyes: passages would close while new ones appeared and the ever-changing architecture made her head spin.

Panicking, she came to a dead stop, her thoughts burning and churning in her head, all muddled and confused. She was looking for something…. No, someone. She was searching for someone important and… and…. Squeezing her eyes shut, she grabbed her head in her hands, trying to drown out the static that was screaming inside her skull. As she stood there the world around her spun in a kaleidoscope of color and she was going to be sick. Only, her eyes were still tightly pressed shut.

Slowly, she opened her eyes and saw through the canopy of trees that the sky over head was clear but she knew that the sun was about to set. Catching a glimpse of a small, dark haired girl child out of the corner of her eye, she startled as she tried to remember what she had been doing, where she had been going. A little girl’s giggle wended itself through her and she turned on her heel to follow the sound, the child. There was something so familiar about the girl but Jenna couldn’t quite place it. All she knew was that she was late….