He let his breath out slowly, trying not to let her see him begin to breathe hard again. Oh, man, this woman had almost made him hit the vanishing point by himself. If she kept messing with him, he'd turn her tonight, just so she could go there with him. They had to stop.
"Can you actually turn into mist... or anything else?"
He looked at the sly expression on her face and tried to ward off the shudder the question produced. She had no idea what he could do to her. "Don't even go there," he said, his voice low and husky. "If I shape-shift on you, by tomorrow night you'll drop fangs."
She got on her knees and leaned against his chest. "Teach me everything you know," she whispered, her voice like raw silk.
"Can't do that in one night," he murmured with a smile, his finger tracing her cheek. Sheeit... he had centuries of knowledge at his disposal. She needed to stop playing with this.
"Then I'll take my lessons in nightly installments." Her gaze raked down his body and lingered where it shouldn't have if they were going to leave. "Why don't we start with what you'd really want me to do to you right now?" She kissed his chest, then nipped his stomach and looked up, eyes smoldering. "Talk me through it, just how you like it - so next time I'll know."
She rubbed her cheek against his lower belly, dragging it up his torso, and slowly pulled one of his ni**les into her mouth then bit down gently, grazing it with her teeth before she suckled it hard. "Like that? Right there... or lower?" His grip tightened on her shoulders. "Lower?" Her hand slid down his shaft and caressed him in a slow, pumping motion.
She nipped his belly, and darted her tongue into his navel, making him gasp, then looked up at him. "You don't want me to go home, do you?" Her voice was a throaty whisper, as he shook his head no. "Want me to stay to kiss it and make it better?"
He nodded yes, unable to speak for a moment, as her mouth became a wet, hot pulsing sheath around him. His breathing instantly synched up to her rhythm - that's when he knew he was done. She won. Against his better judgment his hand touched her hair and against his capacity to stop himself, his eyes slid shut. Damn she was a quick study. "You ain't fighting fair, D."
"Want me to go upstairs to get you a refill from the fridge?" she asked in a seductive voice, now on her knees on the bed, leaning against his stomach, her breath hot against it. "The night is young, and I figured we could maybe try plenty of stuff together... for the first time?"
Why was she taking him there? But he wasn't about to argue. Baby needed to stop talking and go back to what she'd been doing. "Okay..." His voice was on autopilot. The ceding of power was one word that came out fast on a hoarse breath. Fuck control. What was that around her, anyway?
"All right. Don't move; I'll be right back." She gathered up the rough cotton sheets and swathed herself in them with a giggle.
The bolt on the door slid back. Instant reflex. Yeah, don't go home. Not yet. The night was young. He sat very still, not moving like she'd told him to, just breathing with his eyes closed, willing her to hurry back, por favor. Oh, shit, they were gonna smoke him for sure, if she didn't first.
"How many bags you want?"
"Bring down a case - I don't want to accidentally kill you."
"Uh, Father Patrick," Padre Lopez said, folding his arms against the chilly night air. "It's almost dawn, and uh, do you think we should check on our Neteru? See how the talks are going? She's been in there a long time."
The old seer shook his head. Asula and Lin joined him with a yawn.
"We can only hope that an agreement can be reached by dawn," Monk Lin said.
"I am going to have much to explain to guardian Marlene." Father Patrick sighed.
"I just heard the refrigerator open and close. That must be a good sign," Asula said gently. "He's still taking cold packs."
"She must be all right," Padre Lopez insisted. "If he attacked her, then we would have heard her cry out, si?"
"That's just it," the eldest cleric grumbled. "It was too quiet... means the lair was soundproofed." He held up his hand when Padre Lopez would have spoken. "Which means the talks are going well."
The young man let his breath out in reluctant relief and sat back down. "Then all is well?"
"Uhmmm-hmmm. And Marlene Stone is gonna kill me."
Chapter Nine
"Baby, please ... no mas, por favor." Carlos dropped his head to his pillow, his lungs battling for air in the sex-sweetened, post-dawn atmosphere. "What time is it?" He groaned. "I have to get some sleep."
Damali laughed and glanced around the barren room that was still sealed shut. There were no windows, clocks, or anything that would give her a sense of time, and there were no mirrors so she could see how disheveled she knew she had to be.
"I dunno," she shrugged, "but okay." Pouting, she stood up to look for her dress and panties. "I promise to be careful when I open the door. I'll just crack it and slip out."
"Uh, huh," Carlos said, still breathing hard, his eyes closed, losing consciousness fast.
"But you have to throw the bolt - you did that with kinetic energy, and I don't think I can move it. Last night you had it sealed so tight SWAT couldn't get in here."