He walked away from the dazed woman, ignoring The Mamas’ stares as he pushed through the guests surging forward to congratulate the happy couple. All his attention was focused on one thing: getting to Bethany.
An image popped into his head, an image so real that for a moment he was some other place. Another time. A young woman was crying, racing from his room. He’d just woken up to realize there was a naked woman in his bed. A woman who hadn’t been there when he’d fallen asleep.
He’d raced after her but it was too late. She’d never believe him. And maybe that was for the best. Maybe Isabel was better off without him.
“
No
.” Bone Daddy shook his head angrily, coming back to the present and quickening his stride. He didn’t know where these visions were coming from, but if they were trying to tell him he had to give Bethany up, they could go to Hell. He still had time. And he was going to spend it with her.
SHE WASN’T GOING TO CRY. SO WHAT IF HE WAS MOVING ON
to a new conquest? She still looked good, and there were plenty of men out there, most of them actually human, who would still be there for breakfast in the morning.
Maybe it was a blessing in disguise. She was starting to fall for the Loa, and Michelle was right, she wasn’t being careful.
She walked up the stairs, heading to Isabel’s room—her room—needing a moment to get her game face on. He’d no doubt leave with his new woman in tow, and she’d be able to go back down and be there for her friends, maybe even witness the mambo’s ritual.
She started to close the door, but something was blocking her way. Something big and beautiful and angry. What right did he have to be angry?
“Done with her already? She must be easier than she looked.”
He pushed through the door and slammed it shut behind him, turning the lock with a firm click. “You look beautiful in that dress, Blue Eyes.”
She took a step back, her body heating from the determined look in his eyes. “Thank you. But this is a dancing dress. I think I’ll go back downstairs and see if anyone wants to dance with me.”
Bethany tried to move past him toward the door, but he was having none of it. He bent his knees, throwing her over his shoulder and heading toward the bed. He tossed her on the mattress and grabbed her before she could scramble away, pulling her facedown onto his lap.
Her mouth went dry. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“Dancing.” He lifted her skirt, making a disapproving noise as he noticed her sensible underwear. “This was not what I imagined you would have under here.”
“If you recall, my other pair was shredded before I had a chance to buy it.” When she remembered why, her breathing grew shallow. His grip on her body tightened, and she knew he was remembering, too.
The sound of tearing fabric filled the room, and Bethany felt the air hit her bare skin. He groaned above her. “Oh, baby, I love your ass. I truly do. But I think it needs something.”
Her gasp of indignation turned into one of total shock as she heard the crack of his palm across her left cheek, sending a stinging heat blooming across her backside. He spanked the other cheek, humming in satisfaction at her body’s reaction.
“Pink. So pretty.”
“What was that for?” She was gasping for air, unsure how she felt about the tingling sensations. Her body knew. She was wet, her limbs trembling, her clit pulsing with her racing heart.
“Let’s see. You questioned my manhood and said I was too pretty.”
Smack
. “You ran away from me not once.”
Smack.
“Not twice.”
Smack
. “But three times.” She wiggled in his embrace, lifting her ass into the air, craving his touch, and he growled, spanking her again. “Don’t distract me. Spread your legs a little.”
She shuddered, unable to believe she was so aroused by this, that she wanted more. She spread her legs and felt the air hit her soaking sex. She knew he could see, that he knew how much she wanted him, in spite of her ire.
“Oh,
cher
.”
“No.”
“No?”
“Don’t call me that. You call everyone that.” She wanted to be special. She didn’t want him to forget her.
“Bethany, you are the only one I see. The only one I want.” He slid his hand between her legs, groaning as her arousal coated his fingers. “This is all I want. I can still taste you on my tongue, but I need more. I’m hungry, love.” He lifted his hand and lowered it swiftly, spanking the lips of her sex, sending sparks of carnal fire through her body.
“Oh my God.”
“You like that don’t you?” She heard the smile in his voice, and the passion. “My bad girl. I knew you would. You are full of fire for me.” He picked her up and lowered her onto her back on the bed, then his hands went immediately to his pants. “Only for me.”
“Wait.” She started to roll off the bed but he caught her, his eyes going dark.
“Do I have to spank you again?”
She shivered. “You can if you want to. I was just going to see if there was a condom in the bathroom.”
He smiled, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a handful to lay across the bed. “Ben already made sure I was prepared.”
“Ben’s a good man.”
He laughed at her breathless statement. “Yes. But I’m better.”
She couldn’t resist his cocky grin. She leaned forward, kissing him with all the pent-up passion she’d been holding in, loving the feel of his lips beneath hers. He opened her mouth with his tongue, dominating her mouth while he covered her body.
She reached between them and their hands tangled in their struggle to undo his pants. She pushed them past his perfect ass, gripping it in her hands to pull him closer, and he shouted into her mouth.
Tearing his lips from hers, he looked into her eyes. “You’re trying to distract me again. You drive me insane, Blue Eyes.”
She wrapped her legs around his waist. “Good. Then we’re even.”
The tearing of foil broke through her daze, and she couldn’t help but feel a pang of disappointment that anything would be between them, keeping them apart. But then she was there, helping him roll it onto his thick erection and loving the way he bit down on his lip at her touch.
He slipped his shirt, still buttoned, over his head and looked down at her dress. “I want you to keep it on this first time, love. Want to see your face as you come, wearing the dress I picked for you.”
She used her feet to push his pants down past his ankles and to the floor. “As long as you’re naked, I’m good.”
His chuckle turned into a groan as she took him in her hand. “Bethany, please, baby. I don’t want it to be over before it’s begun.”
“I can’t wait, BD.
Please
. I want you now.”
He was kissing her again. Kissing her as she guided him inside. He was so big, so thick. Her body was stretching for him, pulling him in greedily. She wanted everything, wanted to burn every sensation, every thrust, every breath into her brain. So she’d never forget.
As if she could.
He leaned on his elbow, wrapping her hair in his fist. “I love your hair, Bethany. Like black silk in my hands. That’s right, love, lock your legs around me.
Tighter
. Take it all. Take all of me.”
When she thought he was in her as far as he could go, he rolled onto his back, taking her with him. “Ride me, baby.”
With her dress floating around their hips and his hands still in her hair, she leaned down to kiss him, suddenly unsure. “I don’t think I’ve ever done this before. I thought you were the ‘rider.’”
His smile tightened at her reference to what he was, but he shook his head. “Not this time. It’s your turn, Bethany. Lift your skirts and ride me.”
She sat up, crying out as the position pushed him even deeper inside her. “Good lord.” She lifted her skirt, gathering the flouncing folds in her arms so he could see where they were joined, and rocked experimentally. “Oh my.”
“That’s right, Blue Eyes. Take me. I’ve got you.” He let go of her hair and gripped her hips with his hands, his neck muscles straining as he watched her take him inside her again and again. “I wish you could see this, love. See your hungry little pussy take me deep. It’s beautiful.”
He lifted and lowered her against him, helping her find the perfect rhythm. She threw her head back, crying out as each thrust sent a new current of pleasure through her body. She placed her hands on his chest, fingers curling as she rocked against him, her body wild as her need grew.
“Fuck, yeah. That’s right, love. It’s never been like this. Never. I need . . .” His grip turned bruising and she felt his hips arch off the bed as he lost control. Over and over again he brought her down against him, his thrusts so powerful that they rocked the bed.
They came together, their shouts mingling, rising over the din of the music and laughter down below.
Bethany collapsed on his chest, her body shuddering as she tried to catch her breath. Her shallow pants turned to giggles. She tried to hold them back but she couldn’t. Each giggle made him groan as her inner muscles clenched around his still-hard cock.
“Are you by any chance wanting another spanking?” His voice sounded curious, husky.
“Not right this minute. I can’t help it—I think its endorphins. You know I read about some very interesting reactions to the release of neuro-hormo—”
He covered her lips with his fingers and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “You are an adorable and sexy bookworm. But if you giggle anymore you won’t get a chance to catch your breath and enjoy your endorphins before I have to have you again.”
She giggled.
He sighed against her temple. “Work. Work. Work.” He sat up, lifting her off his lap with a groan. He slid off the bed, giving her a wonderful view of his rear end before turning to gather her in his arms.
“Where are we going?”
“To the shower. Grab one of those condoms for me, love. There’s a good girl.”
She stood silently, watching as he moved about the bathroom removing his condom, turning on the water, and pulling the shower curtain closed. All the while she was studying every finely sculpted inch of his body. Flawless, but for that one jagged scar on his side. “How old are you?”
He didn’t turn around. “It’s rude to ask an older person his age.”
“Only women.” She was dying of curiosity. “You look about twenty-three.”
“I remember the First and Second World Wars, so I’m fairly certain I’m older than that.”
She gasped. “That’s amazing. So Loas are immortal then?”
“I think so.”
There was a strange note in his voice. She frowned. “You
think
so? You aren’t sure how old you are, and you don’t know if you’re immortal or not. How can you not know?”
He shrugged. “I just don’t. I know only that I come when I’m called, and I help those in need of my particular talents.”
“Your sex talents.”
He turned around and put his hands on his hips, his patience obviously at an end. “Yes, my sex talents, as you call them. Without good sex, there would be no romantic weddings or welcome babies. Without good sex, women would be miserable and men would be more barbaric than they are.”
She held up her hands. “I’m not against sex, BD, in case you hadn’t noticed. I’m just curious about you. I want—I want to know you.”
He ran a hand through his hair. “I should not be so sensitive. He said I needed to be wary of human emotions today.”
“He?”
“My mentor. The Loa who met me at the crossroads when I first arrived. Who told me what would be expected of me. And no, I don’t know when that was. Only that he was there for me.”
The crossroads. She’d read about that, but before she could open her mouth to ask another question, he was kissing her into submission. Into silence.
He unhooked her dress and lowered it to the bathroom floor, then made short work of the front clasp of her bra. She heard the clang of the locket against the tile as he threw her bra on the floor but she was too wrapped up in his kiss to care.
He helped her into the large tub, unwilling to lift his mouth from hers for a moment until they were beneath the hot spray. “No more questions now, Bethany. They’ll come looking for you soon, come to take you away from me. And I need you again.”
She felt tears building up behind her eyes at his words. No. It was him who was going to be taken away from her. She was the one running out of time. She pressed her bare breasts against his chest, reaching up to wrap her arms around his neck.
He moaned, lowering his head to kiss her throat, her shoulder, anywhere he could reach. “I am addicted to you, love. The feel of you against me, your taste. I can’t seem to get enough.”
Hearing the lost tone in his voice, she looked up at him and melted. He needed her. For whatever reason, for tonight, he needed her.
“Speaking of tasting.” She let go of his neck and slid down his body, her breasts caressing his smooth torso as she dropped to her knees. “I think it’s my turn.”
His broad shoulders blocked the water’s spray and he looked down at her upturned face, surprise tensing his muscles. “Sweet heaven.”
“You took the words right out of my mouth.” She leaned closer, breathing in the scent of him. He smelled amazing. Soap and sin and pure, animal male. A shiver ran through her as she knelt in front of him. The position was potent. Powerful.
She’d never wanted to do this before. Never had any desire. But as she stared at his long, thick shaft, the head dark and flushed with passion, her mouth watered.
“You’ve decided to torture me?” His gruff voice brought her gaze back up to his. His hands slid into her hair, thumbs caressing her temples.
“I’m just admiring the view.”
He grunted. “Admire it from a little closer,
merci
. I find I haven’t the patience for teasing. Not with you.”