Taken By Storm (23 page)

Like the woman at the door, each of these women was with child. Filaments of energy connected Joon and the women. Tal didn’t understand what he sensed but the connection was unmistakable. Was this the reason for Joon’s restraint? He could easily incapacitate them with a thought. But not without pain and damage.

Tal recognized the growing intensity in Joon’s turquoise gaze. He was near the end of his tolerance.

If they continued their assault, he would retaliate Mystically, despite whatever concern was holding him back.

Quickly collapsing the vortex, Tal shouted, “Out, all of you.”

Joon’s softly glowing gaze clashed with his. Tal waited for the women to retreat before he continued the confrontation. Gently touching Charlotte’s mind, he found her frightened but coherent.

Kill him
! she ordered.

Definitely coherent.

The corridor quickly filled with Mystics. Vee stood at his right, countless others surrounding them. They became a physical and Mystic barrier preventing Joon’s escape.

“Release her,” Tal demanded.

“Or what?” Joon taunted as his brilliant turquoise gaze moved from one Mystic to the next, assessing the situation.

“Or die,” Tal responded.

Joon laughed. “I overestimated you,
seyati
. I thought you’d be ready for my next move by now but clearly you’re not. Play with her a while longer. I’ll be in touch.”

The force of Joon’s shove sent Charlotte slamming into Tal. He stumbled back and watched in helpless horror as Joon shifted out of sight.

“Find him,” Vee ordered.

This was Fortress Joon, Dez’s personal playground.

Did they really stand a chance of trapping the rabbit in his own warren? The only alternative was retreat and that was unthinkable. They couldn’t squander this opportunity.

Vee organized the Mystics with sharp mental commands and shielded directives so Tal turned his attention to Charlotte. She clutched his robes, her body trembling, her face buried against his throat.

Sweeping her into his arms, he opened a vortex and transported with her to his private chamber.

He set her on his bed. She immediately sprang to her feet.

“I can still smell him. I can see his mind.” She tore off her tunic. “I have to get his smell off my skin.” She rid herself of the rest of her clothing by the time she found his utility room. Not bothering to close the privacy panel, she stood beneath the mist, frantically scrubbing herself.

“Charlotte.” Tal approached cautiously, not wanting to escalate her upset.

She continued scrubbing, oblivious to his presence.

“Charlotte, try to calm down.”

A low, anguished moan escaped her just before her legs collapsed. Tal shifted out of his clothing and caught her. He lowered them to the warm, softly giving floor of the shower stall, cradling Charlotte in his arms like a child. Increasing the mist to a steady stream, Tal let it flow over them, caressing them.

She wept and clutched his shoulders, tangling one hand in his hair.

He stroked her back and did his best to ignore the slick slide of her naked flesh against his. Long minutes passed while she released her pent-up emotions. The clutching of her hands gradually relaxed and her sobs subsided.

“Do you ever run out of hot water?” she murmured against his throat.

“The liquid isn’t water, and in its natural state, it’s warm, so the heat will continue until I turn off the spray.”

She pushed away from him far enough to see his face. “Will Vee find him?”

He wanted to lie, to convince her that it was over, that she was safe. “It’s possible. Fortress Joon has been searched before but not with so great a force.”

“You’ve tried to find him before and failed?” she cried, her throat working awkwardly. “Even the Mystics are powerless against this creature?”

“We’re not powerless. But we don’t understand the source of his power. He has accomplished things we thought impossible.”

Her body stiffened against him and fury ignited within her eyes. “If that’s all it will take to best him, consider it done. He’s been sucking the life out of pregnant women.”

“Can you tell me what happened?”

Tal’s voice wrapped around her, a velvety persuasion, but Charlotte shook her head. “Not tonight. I don’t want to talk about it. I don’t want to think about it. For just tonight I want to pretend it never happened.”

He smiled and handed her a bright red mug. “I think you’re entitled to a few hours of rest. But I must know one thing—is there any possibility there are other captives?”

“I don’t think so.” She shuddered, wrapping both hands around the mug. “The women themselves told me they’re the only ones. He’ll waste no time replacing them, but until he does, his powers will be limited, restrained.”

He nodded.

She inhaled the tangy scent of blish and absorbed the mug’s warmth with her hands. He’d found her a fluffy robe and shifted back into his clothing. Her hair clung in damp tendrils to her neck while his flowed smoothly around his shoulders and down his back.

Shape-shifting definitely had its advantages.

His room was much larger than hers and more interestingly decorated. The pattern along the ceiling reminded Charlotte of the tribal tattoos so popular on Earth. The same nearly geometric pattern had been carved into the furniture. At a glance, it looked like wood, but she had learned that appearances could be deceiving on Ontariese.

Dragging her meandering thoughts back to the present, she said, “I know reality will return tomorrow. I know there’s still a lot to explain. I know there are things we need to resolve but—”

“Not tonight.”

Nodding her agreement, she took a long sip of blish and let the spicy-sweet taste roll across her tongue. She was growing fond of the warm beverage.

“Are you hungry?” His sensual smile hinted at other appetites. “Transferring energy is still new to you. You may require conventional sustenance for some time yet.”

Watching him over the rim of the mug, she flirted.

“I usually get hungry—after.”

“After?” He started toward her. “I like the sound of that.”

“We have a social alliance, after all. Doesn’t that obligate you to take care of me?”

He chuckled, sending his hair flying over his shoulders with a thought. “It obligates us to take care of each other.”

His hair continued to flutter and flow. Charlotte set down her mug and stood, burying one hand in the flurry of ebony strands. “I love it when you lose control of your hair.” The soft tendrils wrapped around her wrist and stroked her forearm.

“There are a number of things I cannot control when I’m near you.”

“Let’s go outside,” she suggested as tingles spread up her arm then sank into her belly. “I want to make love under the stars and feel the breeze across my skin as you make me all sweaty.”

He laughed again. “You have the most unusual way of expressing yourself. This is your night. I’m yours to command.”

He opened a vortex with the wave of his hand and Charlotte shuddered. “Can’t we just walk outside?”

“There’s nothing to fear.” He stroked her face with the back of his fingers. “Joon is weak and you’ve liberated his power source.”

She wrapped her arms around Tal’s waist and buried her face against his throat. The floor disintegrated beneath her feet. She clutched him, shaking. With her eyes tightly shut, she couldn’t see the rapid spinning of the transport conduit or the sizzling streaks of lightning that sped them on their way, but she could hear the roar. Nothing could block out the roar.

Suddenly, Tal’s body jarred and thick grass tickled her bare feet. The vortex closed behind them and Charlotte exhaled.

“Has the vortex always frightened you or does it make you think of him?” Tal asked when she didn’t release her hold on his body.

“A little of both, I guess. I don’t even like to fly in airplanes.”

She raised her head, trying to smile, but he wasn’t convinced by her effort. His fingers stroked her cheek, tenderness apparent in every move he made.

“I want to make love to you. I will make love to you, but I must understand why his shadow still haunts you. We arrived as quickly as possible. Did he hurt you? Did he have time—”

“No, it isn’t that.” She swallowed and glanced away from the compassion in his eyes. “I looked into his mind. I saw him as he really is and I can’t seem to get… No matter how hard I try, he’s still there. I’ll explain it all tomorrow, but I can’t think about it now.

I need to feel safe and protected. I need…” He lowered his mouth as her words trailed away.

His lips pressed and slid, caressing her gently. “I apologize. I’ll say nothing more tonight.” She arched an eyebrow at that. “Nothing at all?”

“If you like. This night is for your pleasure.” Words any woman loved to hear.

She turned to inspect their surroundings, inhaling the verdant air while her eyes swept the secluded valley.

“Oh, this is amazing,” she whispered the praise.

Anything louder would have been an affront. High cliff walls painted mauve by the gathering twilight surrounded the grassy glen in which they stood. Twin waterfalls crashed into a pool from at least a hundred feet above. The force of the water hitting the pool churned up frothy white spray and random scatterings of miniature rainbows. Reflecting the violet tint of the Ontarian sky, each rainbow displayed a deeper range of color than Charlotte had ever seen.

“The light is nearly gone. During the day, the rainbows are countless.”

“On Earth, this wouldn’t be enough sunlight to produce even one. At times, I forget I’m actually on another planet.” She dragged her gaze away from the falls. “How did you find this place? Is it only accessible to those who can teleport?”

“Vee brought me here. It was his private haven. He said the rushing of the falls helped him think. He refuses to explain what happened but unhappy memories are associated with it now.”

“No one else knows?”

He shook his head. Gesturing to the setting, he asked, “Does it please you?”

Rugged cliffs encircled the glen completely, only a wedge-shaped crevice at one end allowed the water to escape. They were alone. No possibility of interruption or distractions.

“It pleases me very much.”

“What else would please you? You have only to speak the word. I can be anyone—anything—you want me to be.”

An undeniable tingle swept through her. Victor had discouraged her imagination. He told her couples who resorted to sexual fantasies were well on their way to infidelity.

“I don’t know. Your natural form is pretty exotic for me.”

“Then what about someone less exotic?”

His form changed and Charlotte’s eyes flew open wide. Johnny Depp stood before her, a smirk curving one corner of his mouth.

“The periodical in your cabin pronounced this man the sexiest man alive.”

She laughed nervously. This could be interesting.

“They do that every year. He’s got fabulous eyes but he’s a little too pretty for me.” His shape changed again. Charlotte faced a perfect likeness of Trey Aune.

“If I’d wanted your brother, I’d be with him. He has a nice body but I prefer tall, dark and mysterious.” Clearly enjoying the game, Tal shifted into a creature more cat than man. Though he stood upright, fur covered his entire body and she even spotted a tail as he stalked toward her.

“No way. I’m not nearly ready for interspecies mating.”

He growled softly as he chose the next shape.

Michael Pierce, the “baddest” boy in her high school, complete with perpetual sneer and black leather jacket. Charlotte’s chuckle ended in a shiver.

She’d never admitted she was attracted to him, not even to herself, but why else would his image be so vivid within her mind?

He ambled toward her, his hands tucked into the pockets of his jeans, but the sensual grace in his movements belonged to Tal.

“Tall, dark and mysterious?” he asked.

She laughed and shook her head. “No, he’s tall, dark and
dangerous
. I heard he’s doing time for armed robbery or something.” She sighed, no longer amused by the game. “He’s part of my past. I don’t even feel like that person anymore. So much has happened. So much has changed.”

Tal’s natural shape reemerged.

She smiled and stepped closer to him. “This is my home now and you’re my future. You’re my hope and my stability. You’re my anchor in this stormy world.

I’d be lost without you.”

He crushed her against his chest, capturing her mouth with his. The kiss was urgent and demanding.

She tried to respond but he seemed bent on conquest.

“I have never been so frightened in my life,” he ground out against her mouth. “I don’t know what I would have done if I lost you.”

Tal frantically searched for the belt securing her robe, desperate for the warmth of her naked skin. He shifted out of his clothes, his mouth devouring hers.

Opening her robe, he rubbed against her, gasping as his aching erection found her heat. It was too soon, it was much too soon, but he was lost.

He laid her down in the thick grass and covered her with his body. She opened to him, cradling him between her legs. Desire tore through him, making his hands shake and his insides clench. He needed to touch her, to share her breath and feel her climaxing around him.

With a trembling hand, he found the heart of her sex and groaned. She was wet and willing, but he knew that wasn’t enough. He wouldn’t last long enough to carry her with him.

She arched in silent invitation. Tal cursed his weakness and sank into her. His whole body shuddered at the ecstasy.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered as he thrust. “I’m sorry.” She moved with him, accepting him, grasping him, holding him. Tal released his last pretense of restraint and raised her legs to his shoulders. Grasping her hips tightly, he drove into her over and over, deeper and deeper. He threw his head back in a silent roar as hard pulsations shook his body.

“I’m so sorry,” he muttered one last time while he lowered her legs to the ground.

Charlotte stared up at him, awed by his primal beauty and the significance of what had just occurred.