Damned and Desired (16 page)

“She’s guided by her highest good and has divine protection.”

“Protection from what?” asked a young woman sitting at a table with a man wearing a cowboy hat.

Ambros shrugged. “Could be physical harm or psychic attacks.”

Haley beamed. “Do Brad next,” Haley ran over to Brad, grabbing his arm and dragging him toward the wall.

“No, let someone else.”

“They have already.”

“Go ahead, Brad,” Sakari said.

“It’s painless,” Ambros said. “I won’t say anything too personal.”

Now he couldn’t say no without looking like a jerk. He wondered if Ambros was going to detect a color that said he was a sex maniac.

87

Kathy Kulig

“Lean your back against the wall,” Haley said. “The white color makes it easier to read the aura.”

Ambros studied Brad for several moments and the room got quiet. Brad glanced at Dante who was watching Haley. Interesting.

“A very unique aura you have, Brad,” Ambros said. “But I have some concerns.”

“Don’t keep me in suspense.” He tried keeping the sarcasm out of his voice.

Frowning, Ambros stalled for affect, while the room waited for his interpretation.

Was the guy a fake? Just good at putting on a show? But the guy hadn’t asked for any money. Probably made his money with his teaching. Not necessarily a bad thing.

“What do you see?” Sakari asked.

Ambros nodded. “The outstanding colors are orange-yellow, telling me Brad is an intelligent, detail-oriented person.”

Brad couldn’t argue with that. “That’s not so bad.”

“No, that’s good. And so is the green mixed in with the orange-yellow. You’re a natural healer and have a gift with animals. Are you in the medical field?”

Brad nodded.

“Wow,” Haley said. “See what he can pick up?”

Brad wasn’t convinced. The guy could’ve found that out somehow, or overheard Sakari talking.

“What else?” Haley asked.

Ambros frowned again.
Here it comes.

“The dark muddy blue can represent fear of the future, not facing a difficult problem because you fear the outcome.”

“I have to disagree,” Brad said, stuffing his hands in his jeans pockets. “I’m not afraid of anything.” How did he get suckered into this? He walked away from the wall.

“Who’s next?”

“Sakari,” Haley announced.

Shaking her head, Sakari took a step back. “No, I’ll pass.”

“Come now,” Ambros said. “It’s painless.”

She shot a glance to Dante who was leaning up against a table observing with quiet intent. It was almost as if she was asking his permission. He didn’t move. Sakari stepped to the wall and leaned her back to it. Again she looked at Dante with a worried expression and this time Brad noticed a slight nod.

What the hell was going on with these two?

“Wow!” Ambros said almost instantly.

“What? What is it?” Sakari looked worried.

“You have a lot of black space in your aura.”

“Is that bad?”

88

Damned and Desired

Ambros rubbed his chin. “It could mean a couple of things. Black draws or pulls energy to it.”

She gave Dante a frightened look and started walking away.

“No, stay,” Ambros held up a hand. “Don’t be worried. This could be you’ve not forgiven yourself for something or have unreleased grief. If you meditate on that, the blackness should fade.”

Sakari nodded somewhat relieved. “I’ll do that.”

Ambros brightened. “You do have an amazing amount of pure white light, surprising considering the black spaces. White is a highly spiritual color. Despite your darkness, you remain grounded. Whatever you’re doing keep it up and work on releasing your grief.”

Dante laughed at that. Brad’s hands tightened into fists. The guy really knew how to get under his skin.

“Dante’s next,” Haley announced.

“No thanks.”

“Another time perhaps,” Ambros said. Even he didn’t want to challenge Dante.

“Tomorrow,” Haley quickly added. “At the Cathedral Rock vortex. We’re doing a meditation there tomorrow by the river. Please come.” She was asking Dante.

“It’s one of the strongest vortexes in the area,” Ambros said. “It’s an interdimensional doorway.”

“What is that?” Sakari asked, stepping closer to stand beside Dante. Those two had a history. Brad knew it. Sooner or later he’d figure out what it was about.

Ambros crossed his arms and raised his chin in his wise sage stance. “A place of heightened energy where the fifth, fourth and third dimensions are joined through a corridor of energy with the second dimension. You can travel to these dimensions through visions or meditations.”

“What about physically? Can you travel to these dimensions physically?” Dante asked.

“It’s a possibility if your broader view and experience coincides with the energies of the area,” Ambros said.

“Wow. Isn’t that amazing?” Haley beamed.

“Maybe I’ll check it out. Haley can give us directions,” Dante said.

The other couple left money on the table for their bill and left.

“I can close up tonight,” Haley said to Sakari. “You stayed late the other night. Why don’t you leave early?”

Sakari shrugged and agreed. Brad saw his opening.

“Feel like taking a bike ride?”

Sakari glanced at Haley then at Dante, hesitating.

89

Kathy Kulig

“There’s only room on the bike for one,” Brad said. He jerked his chin. “Will Dante have an issue about you coming with me?”

“No, of course not,” she tried laughing it off, a nervous laugh.

“I won’t keep you late. There’s something odd about the place where you first found me and I’d like to check it out.”

Her eyes widened. What was she afraid of, he wondered. Dante or the place where they found him?

“So how do you two know each other?” Brad angled his head toward Sakari. If this dude was competition or his enemy he was going to size him up right away.

Dante gave him a sidelong glance. His hair was long and dark like Sakari’s, his skin tanned but his eyes were brown. “Are you two related?” Brad asked when Dante didn’t answer his question.

Dante mouth quirked in a hint of a smile. “No but we’ve known each other for a long time.”

Brad decided not to push down that road yet. He didn’t think Dante would go into details on their relationship yet. “Where are you from? Or where did you live before you came here? I get the impression you’re not from Sedona originally.”

“You’re sharp.” But Dante didn’t answer the question.

90

Damned and Desired

He was glad to get out of the bar. Getting into a brawl with Dante wasn’t the best way to impress Sakari. He hadn’t figured out where the dude fit into her life so antagonizing him wouldn’t be smart. Even if the guy was asking for it. Thing was, he didn’t know why. They weren’t dating, they weren’t related, then what? Instincts told him, the guy was trouble.

When they got to his bike, Brad smoothed his leopard fur on the seat then showed Sakari how to put on the helmet. “Ever been on a bike before?”

She shook her head.

“Wrap your arms around my waist. Hold on tightly. The bike will tilt as we go around curves, don’t be alarmed, just lean as I do and don’t make any sudden movements.”

“Got it.” She climbed on the bike and rubbed the fur beneath her. “Oh, this is nice.”

“It’s kind of an heirloom. Belonged to my dad.”

“Then it’s special.” She stroked it between her legs. His cock woke up.

“I won’t go fast.” He was going to behave.
Don’t need a panicked rider.

“Take it however you like.”

“That’s a girl.”

He turned up the throttle, released the clutch and eased onto the road. On Route 89

he picked up speed. “You okay?” he hollered over his shoulder.

“Yes, this is wonderful.” She tightened her grip around his waist and he felt her breasts pressing against his back.
Watch the road.

“Where are we going?” she asked.

“That place where you found me.”

She was silent for a long time.

“Okay?”

“Yes.” Then her hand slipped down toward his crotch and thoughts of her going down on him entered his mind.

Shit.
What was it with this woman? She was insatiable.

Her hand went lower, her fingers outlining his bulging cock. He groaned inwardly.

“Feels great but not a great idea to distract the driver.”

“We could go to your house.”

“Sure. After I check this place.”

91

Kathy Kulig

He felt her chest rise and fall in a sigh. Damn, was she that horny? Just the way he liked his women.

Reaching around, he gave her leg a reassuring squeeze.

Turning off the highway, she whooped and laughed as the ride got bumpy. “This is fun.”

He loved the sound of her laugh. Something told him she didn’t do enough of that.

He pulled the bike around the same clump of trees as he had before. He helped her off the bike and got a flashlight out of his tool compartment and clicked it on.

“Why did you want to come here?” She seemed hesitant about being there.

“I’m trying to figure out what happened when I was here last. It was more than an attack from a coyote.”

“Oh, I’m sure you just frightened the animal or it had young nearby. There could be lots of reasons for an animal to attack you.”

“Come on,” he took her hand. “I seem to remember a couple was having sex out here right before the coyote attacked me.”

She resisted. “I don’t like it here. Let’s go.”

“We will. I want to take a look.”

Reluctantly, she followed him. What was she so nervous about?

“Okay but we shouldn’t walk around too much. What if that animal comes back and attacks again?”

“Don’t worry. You were here with Dante and you weren’t attacked.”

Her hand tightened her grip. She didn’t say anymore.

“What is he to you, Sakari?”

“A friend.”

“Ah, huh. He seems possessive of you, almost controlling. Do you have a past you want to tell me about?”

“No.”

He laughed. “No, you don’t have a past or no, you don’t want to talk about it?”

“Please, Brad. This is something we shouldn’t talk about. Let’s just go.”

Stopping, he took her in his arms and drew her close, enclosing her in his warmth and protection. Her body was shaking. Stroking her hair, he kissed the top of her head.

“It’s okay. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

“Nothing will happen to me.”

“Are you on the run or hiding from something? You can tell me.” Maybe she was running from the law or in witness protection. Maybe Dante was involved with the Mob. He’d never met a woman who didn’t want to give him their life history upon first meeting. This one was terrified whenever he brought her past up.

92

Damned and Desired

“Don’t worry about it.” She kissed him hard, her tongue dipping into his mouth, a sensual kiss full of invitation for more. But she released him. “Are you ready to go?”

“In a bit. When I was here last something strange happened besides you disappearing, which you don’t want to talk about. But I felt something odd. I want to go check around where I saw that couple.”

She studied him for a long time. “What did you sense?”

He couldn’t tell her yet that it was his animal senses that had sensed the disturbance. “It felt electrical or magnetic as if I was made of metal and had just walked in the center of giant magnets. Then I saw the couple having sex.”

“Do you feel that energy now?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Maybe it was static from an approaching thunderstorm.”

“Possibly.” He wasn’t convinced.

She grabbed his hand and pulled him over by the bike. “Come on. I have a better idea.”

Taking her in his arms, he stroked her hair. “I promise we’ll leave soon. Just need to have a look around first.” Images of what they could be doing, like lying naked in his bed, were suddenly much more interesting than wandering around in the desert at night. He hesitated. This time an image surfaced in his mind that was so real, he closed his eyes. He had her on his motorcycle, her legs spread and hooked over his shoulder, while he licked her pussy. The taste of her juices was on his tongue. She was wet and slick, ready for him to fuck her. His cock hardened at the fantasy.

“Brad,” she whispered his name. Was it from his fantasy or real?

“Ready?”

“Okay. Let’s go,” he said, barely audibly.

Back at the motorcycle he grabbed the two helmets and turned to hand her one.

Sakari was fingering her pendant. The way she was touching the stone made him think of her stroking her clit the same way.

Her other hand went to his chest, then slid behind his head and pulled him down in a bruising kiss, her tongue twined with his.
God, woman.

Dropping both helmets on the ground, he roughly drew her against his body.

Hands roamed over her heated skin, to her breasts, her ass.

She moaned under her breath, grabbed his hips, then went right for his pants zipper.

“Holy smokes.” He thought she was in a rush to leave. Maybe this was why. The swiftness of her undoing his zipper nearly gave him a heart attack but she managed not to maim him.

The next moment she had his engorged cock out and she was stroking him.

“Here? Now?” he asked, then answered his own questions. “Okay.”

93

Kathy Kulig

Her mouth was hot on his neck, as her hand gripped him. He grasped her face between his hands and parted his lips, taking her mouth hard. She released his cock and slipped her arms around his neck, clinging to him with intense passion.

Opening his mouth, he deepened the kiss and drew a moan from her. Something hungry, wild and unrestrained spun out of control. He couldn’t stop it, didn’t want to stop it.

Wrapping his arms around her, he pressed her close. Moans of pleasure came between breaths. He ground his cock against her mound but he didn’t want to break the kiss. The heat between them was too good.

She took a breath and stepped back.