Wishful Thinking (3 page)

She buried her fingers in his silky hair, smelled his earthy, sun-warmed sand scent, and forgot about the tension. Softly teasing, his lips feathered over hers, tickling, nibbling, tasting faintly of the spices she caught in the blue smoke. When she invited him inside, his tongue slid along hers in a rush of heated silk. He searched out all of her secrets and demanded more than she knew she had.

A low-grade fever began in her brain and shoved outward through her veins. She pushed herself closer to the hard wall of his body, felt her soft curves meet with the unyielding strength of his chest, but he set her aside before she could become more intimately acquainted.

A whimper flew from her chest. “I thought you were enjoying yourself.” Because heaven knew she was—and she wanted to explore more. She never thought madness would feel so electrifying.

“Oh, I am, my goddess. However, there is work to be done. I must attend to it before we can play.”

The gentle inflection of the last word caused liquid heat to tickle between her thighs. She shivered, glad for the suit jacket that hid her nipples, hardening from her arousal. “Tell me what to do.”

If this was a dream, she might as well go along with it to the best of her ability. If it wasn’t, simple curiosity demanded she find out where else it would go before she returned to the stressful grind of keeping her job.

Chapter Three

“Ah, first we must discuss payment.” He grabbed one of her hands and pulled her away from the catering cart. Slowly circling around her, his gaze raked up and down her form. “Even you must know nothing comes for free. That is how America works, yes?”

"I guess." Apprehension coiled in her stomach like a snake, eating away at the temporary insanity his touch created. “Do you want money? I don’t have much in my checking account but—”

“Hush.” He let go of her hand in order to lay a finger on her lips. “Keep your money, love. I desire baubles, material objects that can bring enjoyment.”

“Oh.” Her mind raced over the things she owned. She backed up a few steps, unable to form coherent thoughts with him so close. “I know! What about my earrings?” One hand flew to an earlobe. She’d chosen to wear diamond stud earrings, each just under one carat, a gift to herself on her last birthday. “Will they be enough?”

As incongruous as the situation appeared, she desperately wanted him to accept her offering. The common sense part of her brain knew it was impossible for anyone to turn simple paperwork into gold bars, but the hidden, tiny part of her brain wanted to believe in this man, believe in the very fairy tale-ness of the fantasy, even if she really were dreaming. Self-preservation mechanism? Maybe it was a way to cope, but what did he mean about accepting consequences? "Hello, genie-man?"

“From you, they are the perfect thing.” He flashed a disarming grin. “Now, come to me so I may remove them from your flawless lobes.”

Another wash of warmth stole across Jovie’s cheeks at the blatant flattery. “Why do you do that?” As if compelled by an outside force, she stepped close to him once more.

“Do what?” He reached up and, with a gentleness that belied his build, separated one earring from its back then slipped it into a front pocket of his jeans.

“Call me by endearments you can’t possibly mean and compliment me at every turn.” She shivered when he did the same to her other ear. The heat from his fingers seeped into her skin and sent a wave of longing crashing through her body.

He lifted a dark brow while depositing the earring with its mate. “You deserve every endearment I bestow. Trust me when I say I mean them all. Never have I met a woman of your beauty.” He lifted her chin with a forefinger. “Don’t sell yourself short because every other man in your life has treated you with less than respect.”

The flush spread to her neck and chest. No one had ever paid such attention to her before. “What should I call you? I need a name.”

His expression darkened and his eyes grew hooded. “A name is a powerful thing and can be used against a person or being.” He drew himself up and crossed his powerful arms over his chest.

An involuntary gasp escaped from Jovie’s throat. Regardless of his flirting, she was painfully aware of her situation. Instead of the sexy genie-like being, he now resembled a darkly mysterious man capable of virtually anything. “I’m sorry if I offended you. I just want to say your name."

"What's in a name? You can call me anything and I would come running."

Jovie rolled her eyes. "Okay. ‘Hey you’ doesn’t seem appropriate. Neither does ‘sex on legs.’”

“You have a point.” As suddenly as it came, the anger vanished and a smile took its place, giving light and life to his chiseled face. “Please, call me Rand, if you must utter a moniker. Otherwise, I would accept beloved or any other variation of the word.”

She nodded, thrilled at his compliance. “Okay. Rand. It’s different. I like it. Short for Randall?”

Mild panic sprang into his eyes, gone as quickly. "Rand will suffice."

Obviously, he had name issues. Maybe creamer-pot genies got uncomfortable talking about personal things. No big thing. "All right." She relaxed when he lowered his arms. “Uh, how do you plan to clean this up?” A wave of her hand encompassed the paper avalanche on the table and floor.

“Don’t worry your pretty head about such trivial things, my dove.” With his English accent, his pet name sounded hard-core dirty. “Come. Sit. Let me tell you of life in a creamer pot, so you will be prepared.”

"For what?"

He didn't answer but pulled out one of the chairs and beckoned to it. “After watching you all this time, it is nice to be able to talk with my goddess in the flesh.”

An uncomfortable feeling crept along her spine. “Actually, could you limit the sweet nothings? I don’t know you well enough to accept them in the faith you offer.”

“That is because you are unused to such attention.” When she made no move to join him, he crossed the room, his long legs eating up the space. “You are stressed, which is not good for mental or physical health. There can be no doubts when you move on.”

Move on to what? “What are you doing?” She jumped when he undid the three buttons on her suit jacket. “I thought you were going to transform those papers?”

“Oh, I will, but in good time. It’s child’s play for me.” He moved behind her and slid the jacket from her shoulders, slipping it off her arms and throwing it over the back of a chair. “I’m more interested in giving you pleasure. It is the least I can do after fanaticizing about this very moment from my prison.”

Prickles of sensation lifted the tiny hairs at her nape. “This isn't the time or place—”

“Hush, my peach. Let me show you what you’ve been missing.”

Curious in spite of the strangeness of the situation, she allowed him to draw her to the chair. She sank into it, opened her mouth to ask another question but was derailed when he spun her around so her back was to him. “Rand, what are you—”

“Shh. You are not allowed to talk. Only listen and feel. Now, close your eyes and I will begin.”

Jovie did as instructed and concentrated on him. She felt his hands gather her hair and lift it. Seconds later the warmth of his lips on her neck caught her by surprise. She flinched then calmed as the deep rumble of his laughter sounded at her ear. “What do you do in the nether world?” She stifled a sigh while he made abstract patterns on her skin with his tongue. “I mean, surely you don’t float around and wait for the off-chance that someone might rub whatever kitchen gadget you’re stuck in.”

“Mmm, not quite.” He blew on the spot where his tongue had just been. “You taste like wildflowers and honey.”

Conflicting sensations of heat and cold collided in her chest while he alternately teased her with his tongue and his breath. “It’s probably my shampoo.”

“I wonder if the rest of you is the same flavor.”

He let her hair fall. She felt his hands on her shoulders as he massaged her muscles. “What do you do all day?” Her head slumped forward while she focused on his fingers kneading into her skin.

“All beings like me who have been stranded into the nothingness can go one of two ways. We can do good works and reward those who deserve them, as if we were partially guardian angels, or we can cause havoc and menace, much like demons I suppose.”

“Why?”

“There is nothing else we can do as we wait for freedom, and believe me, we long for it.” He moved his fingers over her shoulders to caress the skin above the vee of her blouse. “The legends say there is one human for every nether being. If someone else were to clean the cream container, I would not have been freed. You finally found me. I belong to you just as you belong to me. I could go a step farther and say you and I are interchangeable.”

Interesting theory, but highly unbelievable. She couldn't think clearly with him as a distraction. “What do I do with you now that you’re here?” Her eyes flew open when his fingers dipped beneath the blouse to trace the lacy edge of her bra. The goosebumps on her skin fled in the face of fires erupting in her bloodstream. Maybe it wasn't all that unbelievable after all. God, he'd morph her into pudding before too long.

“Nothing you don’t wish to do. I am here to make your life better.” He pressed his lips to her neck, sucking gently. “I am yours to command and will do whatever you ask. When you have no more need of me, I will return to my prison for another hundred years.”

She shivered, from his attention or his words she couldn't determine. “How sad.”

“Indeed, but it is more than worth it to be able to touch you after waiting for you to find me all this time. Of course, the consequences of your actions will likely come into play before that happens. Again I ask, do you agree to abide by them?”

An answer died in her throat, forced away by a squeak. Instead, she nodded, anything to see what else he'd do to her. Another chuckle heated her ear. Rand slid his hands beneath her blouse, under the confining lace of her bra to cup her breasts in his big, warm hands. Jovie sat straighter in the chair. His touch electrified her, awakened dormant need. Slowly, he moved his palms until his fingertips brushed her nipples, teasing, tormenting the buds until they hardened from his play.

“Rand, stop.”

“Is that what you truly desire?” He pinched the distended tips, rolling them between his thumbs and forefingers, tugging lightly.

“No.” Her voice was low and breathy. She couldn’t think about anything but his hands on her body.

“Then I will continue.” He came around the chair and knelt on the floor before her. With mischief in his eyes and a smile on his lips, he worked the buttons of her shirt, not pausing until every one of them was undone and the blouse spread open. “You are a beautiful woman, Jovie. You need a man to tell you this many times a day. I will do this many times before we part.”

She said nothing, only looked deep into his vivid eyes, watching in fascination as he freed a breast from its lacy confines. When he did the same with the other and held them in his hands as if weighing them, she gripped the arm rests of the chair. Her nails dug into the leather.

“Oh, my sweet, if you only knew what you do to me.” He took one rosy tip into his mouth and suckled.

Her back arched of its own violation. A cry of pleasure tore from her throat as he teased with his teeth, swept his tongue back and forth over the tender puckered flesh. She barely had time to catch her breath before he gave the same treatment to the other one, biting and tormenting as moisture dampened her panties.

Never had a man’s touch set her on fire as his did now. Her eyelids fluttered closed and her lips tugged upward with a pleased smile. She wondered if she’d lose every ounce of restraint she owned as he kissed and fondled her breasts. It was a minor issue, and one she couldn’t spare the effort to think about now. She slid down in the chair as white hot energy spiraled through her body, zipped low through her belly to lodge between her thighs.

The ache he’d awakened deep inside grew and blossomed into a voracious entity. She wanted more. A feeling of delicious drowsiness overcame her, so light and drugging she imagined herself flying through the nether world he'd spoken of. Time to take things to the next level. She struggled into a seated position, opening her eyes.

Rand had disappeared.

She glanced down at herself. No longer was she a disheveled mess. The bra respectfully covered her breasts that still tingled from his attention. The buttons of her blouse were once more in place as if they’d never been touched. Darting a glance to the table, her jaw dropped. Instead of the massive pile of scattered paperwork, a pyramid of six gold blocks waited at the end of the polished surface. Near her elbow, a list of potential clients rested, the words in golden ink with tentative dates for upcoming future events trailing over the page.

The task had been completed, but her dream lover from another realm had vanished without a word or chance to say goodbye. Was this the consequence he hinted about?

Chapter Four

Her throat dry, Jovie dragged herself out of the chair and over to the catering cart, picked up her untouched teacup and swallowed several gulps of the nearly cold liquid. Had she imagined the whole incident? Stress over Clinton's stunt could have done that to her, yet it had seemed so real. Gingerly touching a fingertip to a breast, she frowned at the tenderness and her nipple’s instant response. It wasn’t possible that she’d blacked out or fallen asleep. She remembered every teasing caress Rand had given her. Even now the recollection caused her insides to heat.

So where the hell did he go? And what did she do now that she'd created a whole fairy tale incident, a fantasy dream that had left her on edge?

Feeling ten kinds of foolish, she removed the small lid from the creamer pot and peered inside. Nothing but milk met her gaze.
What did you expect, Jovie? A sexy guy floating around on a tiny inner tube?
Replacing the top, she drained the rest of the tea from her cup and had barely rested the piece of porcelain on the tray when a firm knock sounded and the door swung open.

Clinton stood in the frame. “I came to offer you another chance at freedom…” His words trailed away as his gaze landed on the six gold bars at the end of the table. Astonishment spread over his face. His eyes widened with shock. “Damn, Jovie. I had no idea you could really get the job done.”