WinterSolsticeMOBI

WinterSolstice:CelestialSeductions,Book1



Love with a beautiful stranger isn’t so strange—if you believe in destiny.

Celestial Seductions, Book 1

Clinical psychologist Destiny Walker considers herself far too logical for any of that “soul mate” nonsense. Even if her beloved, dearly departed Nana insisted she was going to meet hers someday. When a sudden downpour sends her ducking into a psychic reader’s storefront—and the woman confirms everything her grandmother said—doubt begins to sneak into the corners of her mind.
A chance meeting—more like a collision—with Superman look-alike Reece Kellan sets off a sexual chemistry reaction the likes of which she’s never felt. She isn’t prone to falling into bed with strangers, but he does things to her body that leave her breathless…and unsure where her pleasure ends and his begins.
And that’s the part that scares the hell out of her…

This book has been previously published and has been revised and expanded from its original release.

Warning: Dirty sex with a stranger, a little anal play, more dirty sex, sex on the kitchen table, more dirty sex (because really, can you ever get enough?) and even love at first sight—shocking!

eBooks are not transferable.

They cannot be sold, shared or given away as it is an infringement on the copyright of this work.

This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.

Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
577 Mulberry Street, Suite 1520
Macon GA 31201

Winter Solstice
Copyright © 2009 by Eden Bradley
ISBN: 978-1-60504-847-5
Edited by Bethany Morgan
Cover by Angela Waters

All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

First Samhain Publishing, Ltd. electronic publication: December 2009

www.samhainpublishing.com

Winter Solstice

Eden Bradley

Dedication

To R.G. Alexander, who always points me in the right direction and cheers me on, mercilessly, until I do what’s best for me.

Chapter One
Destiny ran for cover under the closest awning as the sky opened up and rain splashed down around her. Her clothes were wet through already, her hair dripping. She wiped a damp curl from her face, thinking that the thunderous gray sky matched her mood. It was her first Christmas without family, and she was feeling as gloomy on the inside as the weather was outside.
She watched as other holiday shoppers ducked into the colorful shops and cafés all along the street in the hip North Hollywood theater district. They were as unprepared for this sudden storm as she was. Even in December rain was rare in Los Angeles, especially when it had been balmy and clear only minutes earlier.
Since her car was parked a good six blocks away and she had no intention of ruining a brand new pair of suede boots, she was stuck here in front of…what? She turned around to read a neon sign stating “Psychic Readings”.
Why couldn’t she have been stranded in front of a Starbucks? She could use a nice hot latte about now. The cold was starting to creep through to her skin already. But when she peered into the windows of the storefronts on either side, she saw that one housed a law office and the other was vacant; it wasn’t as though she had another easy option. And as the rain came down harder and she began to shiver in her damp clothes, going inside didn’t seem like such a bad idea, if only to escape the rain until it had a chance to clear up. The whole psychic thing was completely counter to her usual logical self, but several of her friends had consulted psychics. It might be interesting. And it was certainly better than standing out in the downpour.
The bright blue wooden door had a square pane of glass set into it, and she leaned closer to look inside. It was too dark to see anything. But as she pulled away she caught her reflection.
Or was it? The face in the glass was hers, yet not hers.

Nana?

A pain in her chest, the one that never seemed to quite go away these days, thinking of Nana. But yes, she was the spitting image of her grandmother, or how her grandmother must have looked at this age—the wild red curls, the pointed chin, the mouth that had always seemed too full to her. Perhaps this was a message from Nana telling her to go inside? Not that she actually believe in such things, but with her darling Nana so recently passed, she could allow herself a moment of sentimental foolishness.
The sky thundered and the rain came down harder, pounding the sidewalk, splashing her boots. With a sigh of resignation she pulled on the brass handle of the blue door and slipped through.
It took a few moments for her eyes to adjust to the dim light. She found herself in a small foyer with a hardwood floor and a curtained doorway to her left. The place smelled of amber and sandalwood. It was silent.
“Hello?”
No answer. She tried again. “Is anybody here?”
She had just decided that this was a bad idea after all when she heard a crisp rustling to her left and the curtain was pulled aside. She didn’t know exactly what she’d expected, but the woman holding the curtain didn’t fit any idea she might have had of a fortune-teller. Maybe a dark-haired gypsy in flowing skirts and dangly gold jewelry. But instead a short, plump woman with rosy cheeks stood in the doorway, her silvery hair a soft cloud around her face. She wore loose linen pants and a silk tunic the color of new grass. A simple crescent moon studded with amethyst swung from a long silver chain around her neck as she moved into the foyer. Pale blue eyes hid behind small wire-framed glasses. She looked like somebody’s grandmother. Like Destiny’s grandmother.
Why was she thinking so much about Nana today? It had been a year already since she’d passed. Yes, a year this month. What was the date? December twenty-first. A year ago today.
“Ah, you’re here,” the older woman said. “Welcome. I’m Madame Anna. Right this way.”
She turned and disappeared through the curtain, and Destiny had no option but to follow her into a small room that looked exactly as a fortune-teller’s lair should. The walls were painted a dark shade of red that was barely discernable in the dim light cast by a Tiffany-style lamp and flickering candles. The woman led her to a round, red-draped table in the center of the room where a cone of incense burned on a small plate, a tendril of gray smoke snaking its way into the air. She sat in one padded, velvet-covered chair and gestured Destiny into the other.
“What would you like, my dear? A palm reading? Tarot cards? Tea leaves?”
“You’re the psychic, you tell me,” Destiny quipped, then was immediately remorseful. Why was she being rude to this nice woman?
But Madame Anna simply nodded, the same warm smile on her face. “Give me your palm then.”
Destiny hesitated. She didn’t even know why. This was all simply for fun, wasn’t it? What was there to be afraid of? She was being uncharacteristically silly.
“Come on. I won’t bite.” The woman smiled again, her small blue eyes twinkling.
The tiny hairs at the back of Destiny’s neck prickled as she laid her hand, palm up, on the table. Madame Anna held it in hers lightly, traced soft fingers over the lines, closed her eyes. The silence almost seemed to resonate through the room. Destiny took a moment to glance around and noticed for the first time a large gray cat curled up on a footstool in one corner, half-hidden by a potted palm tree. The cat’s eyes glowed golden in the reflected light of the candles, and she had the uncomfortable feeling that the animal was watching her.
Madame Anna squeezed her hand, and a shiver raced up Destiny’s spine. “Ah. Yes, I see it.”
“What?” Destiny had to force herself not to pull her hand back.
“You have come to me on a most portentous day.”
“Have I?” she asked, certain the woman said the same thing to all her customers.
“Do you know what today is? It’s the Winter Solstice. A time for new beginnings.”
That sounded vague. But what else could she have expected?
A few strokes of fingertips across her palm. “You’re naturally analytical, organized. A place for everything and everything in its place. It serves you well in work, but perhaps not as well in your personal life.”
“Well…”
Destiny thought about the arguments she’d always seemed to get into with her last two boyfriends. They’d both told her she needed to loosen up. Maybe she did like everything in its place, but she couldn’t understand why anyone wanted to live surrounded by chaos. And anyway, it seemed the sort of thing you could say to almost anyone, a generic remark. As a psychologist, analysis was the definition of her job, but this woman had no way of knowing that.
“And you have a great love for designer shoes.”
Destiny gave a small snorting laugh. “You can tell that from looking at my hand?”
Madame Anna glanced up. “You’re boots are Prada. I spotted them when you came in.”
The twinkle in her eye made Destiny relax a bit and she smiled, her shoulders loosening.
“Look here.” Madame Anna brushed her finger over a spot on Destiny’s palm, and she could have sworn heat from the woman’s fingertip burrowed into her hand and spread up her arm. “This is your love line. And this is your fate line. They converge right here.”
“And that means…?”
“It means you are going to meet your soul mate.”
“There’s no such thing as soul mates.”
“Ah, but this isn’t news to you, is it?”
The woman’s eyes met hers, and Destiny had a flash of Nana’s sweet, lined face, of her grandmother telling her the same thing only days before she died. She’d said she felt fine leaving this earth because she knew her granddaughter was going to be happy.
Destiny blinked back the tears that stung her eyes. Of course, Nana had been lucky enough to have one of those marriages. Her husband had been the great love of her life, and her passing had been bittersweet because all she’d really wanted was to be with her husband, who had passed five years before her. But Destiny had never for a moment thought she would find that kind of love. Her Nana had been lucky. Just luck, plain and simple.
“All this talk of soul mates…it’s nothing more than a fantasy. I’m the kind of person who lives my life grounded in reality.”
Why had she even come in here? This was ridiculous.
Madame Anna’s gaze locked on hers. Her voice was gentle. “She told you, didn’t she? If you can’t believe me, believe her.”
The woman’s words seemed to come to her from very far away, carried on a whiff of lilacs.

Nana.

Destiny yanked her hand back.
Fumbling for her wallet, she pulled out a few twenties and tossed them on the table. “I think I’m done here. Thank you all the same.”
Why did she feel so jangled? She had to get out of there. The smoke from the incense, or whatever it was, was making her eyes water.
The older woman stood and held the crumpled bills out to her. “I can’t take your money. You haven’t had a full reading. There’s more to tell.”
“I don’t think I want to know any more. All of this soul-mate stuff…I don’t believe it. And even if I did, how does anyone know? A person can talk themselves into believing anyone they’re attracted to is their soul mate. It’s a combination of transference and a sort of delusional denial.”
Madame Anna took Destiny’s shaking hand and held it in her warm grasp, tucking the bills back into her palm. “Attraction and the merging of two destined souls are entirely different things. It always starts with attraction, doesn’t it? But this goes far beyond that. You’ll know. It will be unmistakable. And it will be soon.”
“This is silly.”
But why was every hair on her body standing on end? And why couldn’t she get that last conversation with her Nana out of her mind?
She was facing her second Christmas without her grandmother, that was all. A classic case of separation anxiety. Which must also explain why she could still smell the lilacs, her grandmother’s favorite scent. Her mind was playing tricks on her. “I have to go.”
“Yes.” The woman smiled again, her blue eyes lighting up. “Yes, you do, Miss Walker.”
Destiny had already opened the blue door to the street before she realized she’d never told the woman her name.

Outside the rain pelted the sidewalk with a drumming force. So much for waiting the storm out. She would have to make a run for her car if she was ever going to get home. Her new boots would be ruined. Still, she hesitated. The damp air had her shivering from her earlier soaking.

How did she know my name?

She shook her head, pushed her damp hair from her face, watching the rain for several moments. It was still coming down in buckets, but standing there thinking about it wouldn’t get her home. She pulled in a deep breath, ducked her head and dashed into the downpour. And was met by a brick wall.
She landed on the wet sidewalk. When she looked up she had to blink through the rain to see what she’d run into. A man with broad shoulders, dark hair and wire-rimmed glasses. She would have called him clean cut—he had those square, defined features—but his dark, too-long hair looked as though he’d run his hands through it. When he pulled his glasses off his face to reveal a pair of startling blue eyes, she had a quick flash of Superman.
Lord, his eyes were blue, the bluest eyes she’d ever seen. Mesmerizing. Several moments passed before she realized he was apologizing and offering his hand to help her up.
She blinked as he grabbed her by the elbows and pulled her to her feet and back beneath the awning. My God, he was beautiful. Beautiful in the way men could be sometimes, but rarely, as though his features had been carved from fine marble. And those remarkable eyes…
She could smell the lilacs again, sharp and clear in the air.
She swayed, and he slid an arm around her waist to steady her. His touch hummed like the soft echo of an electric current running through her body, lighting her up with need.
“Are you okay?”
She heard a faint hint of an accent there. Irish, maybe?

Nice. Nice face. Nice, broad shoulders. Shoulders to lean on.

“Yes, I’m fine,” she managed to say while pushing her curls out of her face.
Had the fall shaken her up, or was it him?
“Lord, I’m sorry.” Yes, definitely Irish. “I was trying to get out of this rain and you ran out right in front of me…not that I’m saying it’s your fault.”
“No, of course not.”
“You sure you’re all right then?”
“I think I am. Yes.”
The truth was, she was feeling a little light headed. The whole world seemed blurry, as though she were seeing everything through the rain. Everything except his face.
Did she know him from somewhere? But no, she’d never seen him before, she was sure of it.
Wasn’t she?
The lilacs were dissipating, just that faint whiff at the edge of her senses.
“You do seem a bit shaken up.” He paused, looked around. “The least I can do is buy you a coffee. There’s a café across the street. Unless you’d rather get home? I promise not to knock you over again.”
“No, I don’t want to go home.” She shook her head, tried again. “I mean, I’d love some coffee.”
Actually, she would love to go home with him, but she wasn’t about to say so. When was the last time a man had made her feel like this? This exquisite sense of anticipation simply standing next to him. This buzz of desire running sharp and hot through her body.
He took her arm, an old-fashioned gesture she loved immediately. She felt steadier with her arm in his. Steadier, and yet that current was still there, lighting her up inside.
“Shall we make a run for it, then?” He smiled, a dazzling flash of perfect white teeth.
Destiny nodded, smiled back.
They ran through the rain. By the time they reached the other side of the street she was wet through her light cotton wrap sweater and even her jeans. She was surprised to feel a surge of disappointment when he let go of her arm to open the door of the café for her, letting her pass through before him.
The café was done in a cozy ’50s diner style, with red vinyl booths, black-and-white tiled floors and shining chrome accents. It was blissfully warm inside. An aproned waitress led them to a booth and immediately brought them coffee.
Her polite stranger stirred some cream into his cup. “I just realized I don’t even know your name.”
“It’s Destiny. Destiny Walker.”
“I like that, your name.”
“Thank you.”
Her cheeks heated, her pulse fluttering. She felt like a schoolgirl with her first crush, but she couldn’t help her response to him. He was too good-looking. Still, that didn’t explain why his approval pleased her the way it did. Glancing away, she concentrated for a moment on straightening her silverware until it lined up evenly on her white paper napkin, trying to ignore the pulse of need between her thighs.

Beautiful man. Beautiful, wide shoulders. What would he look like under his dark gray shirt?

“I’m Reece Kellan.”
He pulled her hand into his, gave it a small shake, and again she felt that strangely familiar rush of warmth along with the sting of pleasure. And something else…what was it? She could swear she saw herself mirrored in his eyes. Must be a trick of the light, the rain.
“It’s very nice to meet you, Destiny. Very nice. Although…have we met before? I don’t mean that as a line. But I have this odd feeling.” He shook his head. “Never mind. You’re going to think I’m crazy. I’m not, I promise you.”
When he smiled she felt it in the pit of her stomach before it spread lower. She’d been so distracted by his blue eyes earlier she’d failed to notice his lush mouth. A man shouldn’t have lips that full, that kissable. And the tiny scar at one corner…that small imperfection in his otherwise perfect face only made him sexier.
She curled her hands around her cup to warm them, and maybe to keep herself from reaching out and running her fingers over that plush lower lip. She could imagine the silken feel of his mouth beneath her fingertips, the wet tip of his tongue…

Stop it. Talk to him like a normal person.

She cleared her throat, crossed her thighs beneath the table. It didn’t help, the seam of her jeans pressing on the aching need there. “So, where are you from, Reece?”
“I live a few blocks from here.”
“No, I meant your accent.”
“Do I have an accent?”
He grinned, a dimple creasing one cheek, and Destiny felt it like a shock to her system. His too-blue eyes gleamed with amusement, that beautiful gaze surging through her as though he’d reached out and stroked her skin, making her sex pulse, her blood hum with heat.
What in the world was wrong with her?
She took a moment to pull in a breath. “Well, you’re not from around here, and I doubt that brogue is from Texas. I’m assuming it’s either Irish or Scottish.”
“A little bit of both, actually. I was raised in Ireland, then went to university in Edinburgh. But I’ve been here for nine years. I was pretty certain I sounded like a native Californian by now.”
“Almost.” She grinned at him. She couldn’t help it. His smile was warm, and his friendly banter put her at ease despite the raging desire she was finding harder and harder to ignore. And the accent coming out of that mouth, a little bit of the exotic, made her think again about touching him, pressing her fingertips to his lips until he sucked them into his mouth.
Her sex went warm, wet.

Pull yourself together Destiny. He’s just another guy.

But it didn’t feel like it, with every nerve in her body on full alert simply sitting there making small talk with him.
She didn’t want to talk anymore. She wanted to take him home, to strip him down, to touch him.
To fuck him.
When had she become this impulsive?
He pulled his glasses out of his shirt pocket somewhere and grabbed a menu. “Are you hungry?” he asked her, sliding the glasses onto his face.
She had another image of Superman as Clark Kent and wondered if his naked body would be as powerful as it looked beneath his shirt and jeans. She would love to find out. Now. A small quiver ran down her spine, arrowing deep into her belly.
“Um, maybe. What looks good?”
Reece raised his gaze to hers and held it there for a long moment. A corner of his mouth quirked. He shook his head a little and glanced back at the menu. “How about cherry pie?”
Had she imagined the look he’d given her? A look that danced with the same heat that roared through her, and distracted her so she could barely keep track of what they were talking about.
“Pie?”
“It’s very American, you know.”
He was definitely flirting with her. And she was liking it. Loving it.
“Is it? Well, then I suppose we’ll have to have some.”
She lifted her cup with a shaking hand and sipped her coffee, letting the smooth heat of it slide down her throat. She licked a drop off her lip and watched him follow the motion with his gaze.
Oh yes, there was some heavy chemistry going on, and it wasn’t one-sided.
Their gazes locked. She recognized the heat there, naked heat. She wanted to feel the scorch of it on her skin. Wanted to feel him all over.
Forget pie. Forget everything.
She wanted to take this man home with her, do every wicked thing to his body she had ever imagined. She didn’t want to think about why he felt so oddly familiar. Didn’t want to think about the fact that they’d just met. It didn’t seem to matter with him. All that mattered was the driving need to touch him, taste his skin, feel him pushing inside her. She had to clench her hands to keep from reaching out toward him. And as that thought passed through her mind, Reece lifted his hand, moved it toward her, paused before brushing a stray curl from her cheek.
Confusion in his eyes, his dark brows drawn together.
“Destiny…this is so strange. You’re certain we’ve never met? But no, I’d have remembered you. Still…you’re familiar to me. And so beautiful.”
His hand was resting on her cheek, and she felt a surge of emotion she didn’t understand along with the desire shimmering over her skin like liquid fire.
She shook her head. She couldn’t think.
“And your name is Destiny,” he said, his voice a low murmur. “Hard to believe, this whole thing. But yes, maybe destiny, after all.”

Chapter Two
“What’ll you have?”
The nasal tone of the waitress broke through the haze of desire, and Reece turned to the woman to order the pie. Destiny took a moment to collect herself. What was she thinking? She’d just met this man. But her whole body sang with lust, every pulsing note about sex. Hard and fast and primal. His cock pushing into her, her sex wet, clenching. His hips pistoning, driving deep, deeper…
She drew in a long breath and tried to swallow the moan that nearly escaped.
“Only one piece, I think,” Reece said. “We’ll share it. And plenty of whipped cream.”

Whipped cream.
Oh yes, pure sex, this man. He seemed nice, too, a rarity in Los Angeles, where every other guy she’d dated since moving there had turned out to be an actor. They were all incredibly self-involved, and not one had shown the least sign of gallantry. Reece seemed different from all of them. In fact, he seemed altogether too good to be true. Too handsome, too kind. Lord help her if he was an actor.
Better to know now, before she did something she’d regret. Although she was fairly certain she wouldn’t regret anything with him.
“What do you do, Reece?”
“I’m in the tech industry.”
He removed his glasses and tucked them away. She had to suppress a sigh. That Superman thing again. She ran one finger around the edge of her coffee cup.
Reece’s gaze drifted toward her finger for a moment, and he licked his lips before he continued. “I write software. Have my own company, actually. And you?”
“I’m a clinical psychologist.”
“Does that mean you spend your days in a lab wearing a white coat?
“I have a private practice, actually.”
“Ah, too bad. I rather liked the image of you in a lab coat.” That lush mouth of his quirked in a grin, his dimple flashing.
Her cheeks warmed and she squeezed her thighs tighter, pleasure a small, scalding thrum between them. An image formed in her mind, Reece undressing her, pulling white cotton from her shoulders, baring her breasts, her nipples hard, ready…
She watched as he lifted his cup and took a sip of his coffee. He had great hands. Large, strong looking. Something about the way they were built, the way the flesh lay over bone and muscle, made her want to touch them. To feel them on her body.
Reece leaned forward, and she caught his scent, fresh and clean with just a hint of something earthy.

Nice.

“I like you, Destiny Walker.”
Reaching across the table, he traced his fingers over the back of her hand. A small whisper of pleasure followed the path of his touch and spread, settling in the damp vee between her thighs, almost as though he’d touched her there. She shifted in her seat, trying to ease the ache, but it was growing worse by the moment.
The pie arrived, and he withdrew his hand.
“You first,” he offered.
Yes, a gentleman. She liked that. But she really couldn’t eat. Not with him sitting across from her, making her system hum with a nearly unbearable need.
“I’m not very hungry. You go ahead.”
“You have to have some, it looks too good not to eat. Here, try a bite.”
He speared a small piece and lifted his fork to her lips. She took it into her mouth. Sweet and tart at the same time—delicious. Juice dripped over her lip, and before she could raise her napkin he reached out and wiped it away with his thumb. Her body simmered at his touch, and her tongue darted out of its own accord to taste the heat he left behind. And as she watched him he put his thumb to his lips and licked the juice off.
Her sex went hot and soaking wet all at once, her whole body melting. She wanted that mouth on her. Anywhere. Everywhere.

God.

She had to stop thinking like this. Like a hormone-driven teenager. She was someone who tended to be sensible about things, logical. But the moment she’d met Reece Kellan, logic had gone out the window.
Even his name running through her mind made her hot.

Just keep talking. Try to act like a normal person. You cannot fuck him here on the table.

“Tell me, how did you end up with your own software company, Reece?”
“I started at a big Silicon Valley firm and quickly discovered I didn’t like the whole corporate thing. I think it’s cultural. Where I was raised people are more relaxed in their day-to-day lives. Friendlier. There, it seemed like everyone would do whatever they could to advance the corporate ladder. No matter who they hurt on the way up.” He glanced away.
Ah, something deeper there. She was trained to read people’s body language, and it was clear some story lay behind that evasive glance. But she hardly knew him well enough to press the issue.
Instead she changed the subject. “Tell me how you ended up in the States.”
He paused, took a bite of the pie, and lick a bit of whipped cream from the tip of his fork before answering. Again, she felt that lancing heat in her sex as his tongue darted out.

Yes, his mouth on my skin… No. Focus.

“That’s a sad story, and one I don’t tell often. But I’ll tell you. I came here to marry an American girl.”
“What happened?” she asked quietly, curious, but hesitant to pry where she might not be welcome.
He shrugged, making her notice again the breadth of his shoulders, the way the rounded muscle lay beneath his sweater. “I married the wrong woman. We worked in the same industry. For the same company, in fact. She was smart, ambitious. Too ambitious. She chose her career over our marriage.” He shrugged again. “That’s when I decided to get out and moved down here. That was almost three years ago.”
“Why L.A.?”
“I like the weather. And I can write software from anywhere on the planet, as long as I have my laptop. What about you? Why did you become a psychologist?”
“I’m nosy about people, I guess.”
He laughed, a deep, husky sound that made her think of sex. Everything about him made her think of sex.
“I’m serious,” she went on. “I’ve always been curious about what makes people tick. It’s fascinating. And I like to figure things out, figure people out.”
“I suppose you have me figured out already?” He forked another bite of pie, the cherries glistening red before they disappeared between his lips.
His mouth would be all sugary sweetness if he kissed her now.
She cleared her throat. “Maybe a little. I think we’re both people who like to figure things out, analyze, find a solution.”
“Sure, you’re right there.” His dark blue gaze steadied on hers once more and his voice lowered. “I’d like to find out what else we have in common.”
She was burning all over, heat and need and a craving she couldn’t describe, even to herself. She’d like to find out, too. And not only in bed, although her body wouldn’t let her forget the intense chemistry buzzing between them for a moment. But she liked this man. Felt comfortable with him in a way she never had with a man she was attracted to. Attraction usually made her edgy, defensive. But being with Reece, wanting him, felt natural, even this overwhelming lust. For once, she didn’t want to analyze things too closely. He made her feel good in every way, and she just wanted to feel it for a while.
They talked then, while the rain continued to cascade in a steady downpour outside. They talked about everything—movies, literature, art, travel, all of the things that interested her and which seemed to interest him, as well. He made her laugh, with his accent and his relaxed, humorous take on life. She found herself wishing she were a bit more like him, had that attitude of easy acceptance. And the whole time her body yearned for him. She found herself leaning into the table, her ribs pressed into the hard edge, her legs crossing and uncrossing until her pussy ached so hard with need she could barely stand it.
She had no idea how much time had passed when the waitress interrupted them by slapping their check on the table.
“Sorry, but we’re only open until five.”
Reece reached for his wallet, scowled at Destiny when she pulled some cash from her purse.
“Call me old-fashioned, but I couldn’t possibly let you pay.”
Her Nana would have called him a gentleman. She would have liked him. And there was Nana, popping into her head again. She put her money away. They both stood.
“Well, I guess this means—”
Reece interrupted her. “I don’t want our afternoon to end.”
“I don’t either.”
He grasped her hand, turned it palm up, and laid a gentle kiss in the center. His lips were burning hot against her skin, and she had an odd flash of…what? A darkened room, a big bed, a lamp casting amber light over bare skin. Pleasure lancing into her body as he pushed into her, filling her, the scent of his skin all around her, the sharp scent of sex. Her legs wobbled.
“Let me make dinner for you.” His voice was low, rich.
“I…”
“I know. I wouldn’t normally presume to ask a woman to my house the very day I’ve met her, and truthfully, I’m a terrible cook, but this…feels different. I can’t stand to see you go. Say you’ll come with me. Say yes.”
It wasn’t like her to be this spontaneous. She’d slept with a fair number of men, but never so quickly. She felt safe with Reece, and there was that strange sense of familiarity about him. Maybe it was some sort of wishful thinking on her part because she’d been feeling lonely lately, with the holidays coming. Or maybe it was simply the taut pull of attraction. She couldn’t explain it, the intensity of it. But she was tired of questioning her motives. Maybe, for once, she would loosen up and go where her instincts led her, rather than trying to rationalize everything.
“Yes. I’ll come with you. Yes.”
They ran the three blocks through the downpour with folded newspapers over their heads. They were both soaked to the skin by the time they reached Reece’s house, a small, low-built Mediterranean style surrounded by a stucco wall. He opened the cast-iron gate and they slipped inside, passing through a terra cotta tiled courtyard edged in ornamental grasses and enormous pots overflowing with rosemary. A blooming bougainvillea climbed one wall, its coral-colored blossoms making a bright carpet on the ground. Destiny loved the place immediately.
Reece guided her up a few steps to a pair of French doors and led her inside.
“Wait here. I’ll get towels.”
He disappeared through an archway to their left, leaving her in the tiled foyer. The living room lay beyond another archway. An expanse of dark gleaming hardwood showed in the dimming light filtering through another pair of French doors that appeared to lead to a garden at the back of the house. The furnishings were heavy, masculine pieces with ethnic accents here and there: a Balinese mask, Moroccan rugs, Mexican pottery. She melted inside looking at it all. This place looked like her dream house come to life. One she could well afford, but refused to buy just for herself. Instead, she’d furnished her apartment with similar pieces she’d found at import stores and on some of her travels. How odd that he should be interested in the same sort of things.
Reece returned with a large, cream-colored towel. Wrapping it around her shoulders, he rubbed her arms with the soft terry cloth.
She warmed immediately, despite the fact that she’d been shivering only moments before. The second he touched her, every tender spot on her body heated as though a furnace had been lit deep inside her.
God, she needed his hands on her skin.
As though reading her mind, he dropped the towel. She looked up, into those endlessly deep blue eyes, and saw naked desire there. He burned as she did. She could feel it. Could almost feel the press of his big body even though he was several inches away.
“Reece…”
“I know.”
He leaned in, closer, until his mouth closed over hers. His lips were warm, so warm and sweet. And when he parted them and drove his tongue into her mouth, pleasure drove in with it, lancing deep into her body. A long shudder went through her, and her legs went weak. But he held her tight, crushed against him. She could feel every taut muscle in his body, his heart hammering in his chest, pounding against her breasts, making her nipples harden.
He deepened the kiss, and she closed her eyes. Again that flood of images in her mind: the bed, the softly diffused golden light, and somehow she knew his bedroom would look just like that.
But his hands roaming her body distracted her. He was kissing her hard, their mouths fused together, tongues twining. Primal. Animalistic. He gave her no time to think about it as he pushed her up hard against the door.
She could feel the planes of his chest, and God, his erection pressing into her thigh, big, warm, pulsing. She’d never wanted anything so desperately in her life.
He tore his mouth from hers, bent over her neck and left a trail of kisses, burning her flesh.
“Reece, I have to…let me…” She was panting as she fumbled to undo the buttons of his shirt.
“Here, darlin’.” In moments he slipped his shirt from his shoulders and she took in the smooth expanse of his wide, muscled chest.

Yes, Superman indeed.

His skin was a light gold, as though he’d recently been in the sun. His nipples were brown and hard, with a bit of dark hair sprinkled between and around them. When she ran her fingers over the tips, he groaned.
He pulled her sweater off in an instant and then very quickly her bra. He stood back for a moment, watching her, exploring her bare flesh with his eyes. Her nipples went harder beneath his searching gaze.
“Ah, beautiful,” he murmured, his accent thicker, his tone reverent. “You look like… I don’t know. But I know your body, as though I’ve touched you before. Maybe I have, if only in my dreams. Ah, but this is no dream.”
“Touch me, Reece.”
Then he was on her, his big hands cupping her breasts. She arched, pushing into him, into the pleasure of his touch, his smooth, dry palms. When he thumbed her nipples she gasped, the sensation shooting straight to her sex, making her ache.
It was even better when he snaked one hand down and cupped her mound through her jeans. Almost too much. She was trembling with need.
She could not get the misty image of the bed out of her mind. His bed. Their naked bodies pressed together. Reece fucking her…
“Please, Reece.”
“All right, that’s enough of these damn clothes.” His voice was a ragged growl.
He unbuttoned and unzipped her jeans, then yanked them off, her lace panties coming with them.

Yes, to be naked in front of him. Open to his touch, thighs spread for him.

His pants were gone just as quickly. His erect cock sprouted from a nest of dark curls, the silky head already glistening with pre-come. Her mouth watered.
Then he was on her again, sliding to his knees on the floor, kissing her stomach. Holding on to her hips in a tight grasp, he pressed her back against the door again. And then he put his mouth on her.
There was nothing gentle or exploratory about his mouth. He dove right into her, licking her swollen pussy lips, lowering his hands to spread them wide, opening her up to his hot, invading tongue as he plunged into her. She trembled all over, her body shivering with pleasure. Waves of it, hot and hard, driving into her along with his wet tongue. She could come at any moment.
Then he swept his tongue upward, licked across her clit, and a shock lanced through her, pure ecstasy. He sucked the swollen nub of her clitoris into his mouth and sensation drove through her body. He worked her with his mouth: lips, teeth and tongue. Licking and sucking, harder and harder. And she came, a stabbing pleasure so sharp she shook with the force of it.
She was moaning, shivering, coming harder than she ever had in her life. And just when the tremors began to subside, he pushed his fingers into her, curving them until he caught her G-spot with his fingertips, and suddenly she was coming again. Coming all over his fingers and his hot, sucking, beautiful mouth.
Before the last ripples of orgasm had left her body, he rose to his feet and pressed against her once more.
She ran her hands over his shoulders, across his wide back, down to fill her hand with the rigid length of his cock. Oh yes, he was big, his cock a solid shaft of velvet in her palm. She could feel the blood pulsing beneath his flesh. The desire.
“Lord, you feel good, Destiny. As good as you taste.” He groaned when she tightened her grip. “Condom, damn it.”
He swept her into his arms, carried her though the house as though she were no larger than a doll. And even that embrace felt familiar to her.

This is where I belong.

But she was overwhelmed by the sexual connection. Yes that was it. Wasn’t it? She couldn’t think, desire still raging through her body.
He kicked open a door, and she wasn’t surprised to find herself being laid on a big bed in a half-darkened room. A room lit by the golden glow of an amber-tinted glass lamp on the nightstand.
Leaning over her, he kissed her lips, her cheek, trailed down her neck and drew one stiff nipple into his mouth. She arched off the bed, wanting more of him, pushing into his mouth. He swirled his tongue over the rigid peak and pleasure was electric, shocking, making her need to come again. When he began to suck she thought she would, from nothing more than his hot, wet mouth on her breast.
Reaching down to grasp his cock in her hand, she stroked the long, hard shaft. Her own sensations intensified.
He moaned, sucked harder before letting her nipple go to rasp out, “If you keep doing that, my darlin’, I’ll come right now in your hot little hand. Not that I wouldn’t love to. But I need to be inside you. And I want you to come again first.”
He slid his hand between her thighs. Two fingers pressed into her while he used his thumb to stroke her clit. He went back to work with his mouth again, licking her nipples, first one, then the other.
It was almost too much—his mouth on her, his clever fingers working her clit, pushing deep inside her. She wrapped her hand once more around his thick, pulsing cock, like satin-sheathed steel in her palm. Writhing beneath him, she knew she was going to come again any moment. She wanted him to come with her. Wanted to feel the power of his cock in her hand, the power of making him come.

Yes…

She grasped his cock, stroked hard and fast, and his hand matched hers in speed and rhythm until there was no difference between his hand and hers, between his throbbing cock and her own body. A strange sensation, something new, but she could hardly think about it. His fingers drove in and out of her, his thumb pressed onto her clitoris, and she exploded.
Hot shards of pleasure knifed into her. Intense. Too intense. She called his name, exactly as she’d imagined earlier, over and over. And then he was coming, too, his fire-hot come spurting through her fingers, onto her stomach. Like liquid silk on her skin.
“Ah, God, Destiny!”
He fell onto her with a groan. She still shook with the aftermath of her climax. Weak, spent, but suffused with a pleasure she’d never known. And a strangely impossible sense of rightness she couldn’t understand.
It didn’t take long for Reece to recover. While Destiny lay bathed in the lambent glow of three earth-shattering orgasms, he propped himself up on one elbow and grinned down at her while he wiped her stomach with a corner of the sheet, then pulled it off and tossed it onto the floor.
“I’ll have to ask your forgiveness. I don’t usually come like a teenage boy in a woman’s hand.” His dark hair was mussed. So damn sexy she could hardly stand it.
“Nothing to apologize for. I wanted you to.”
Oh yes, she had wanted him to come. Needed him to.
“This time we’ll do it right.”
She arched an eyebrow at him. “Already? You must be joking.”
“Sex is no laughing matter to an Irishman, darlin’.” His accent seemed more pronounced than ever. “But I intend to make you come again, and by that time I’ll be good and ready.”
“I’m not sure I can…”
“Not to worry, I’ll help.”
She laughed. “I’m sure you will.”
“Let’s start here.”
He drew a few fingers languorously up the inside of her thigh, and she could swear she felt him tremble beside her. Or was that her own body shivering?
“I’d like to taste you again, but I want to watch you come even more. I want to make you come with my hand and watch your lovely face. I’ll bet you’re wet for me already.”
He was right; she was soaked. Wanting. Needing. She could hardly believe she could still want more. But she did. The more he touched her, the more she needed him to touch her. What was it about this man? She couldn’t get enough.
And she knew this time he would fuck her.

God.

She could imagine his thick cock entering her body, ramming her hard. She could almost feel it already. But it was just his fingers sliding into her wet cleft, pushing inside.
So good. So damn good. She bucked against his probing fingers as pleasure shot through her system, numbing her mind.
“Yes, you like that, don’t you, darlin’?” he said quietly, his lips close to her ear. She could feel his breath, warm and sweet, on her cheek. “You’re soaking wet. Ready for me. You’ll come fast. I can feel it already. Especially if I do this.”
He shifted until he knelt over her, so he could use both hands on her. And with one hand still pumping his fingers inside her, he used the other to roll her clit between finger and thumb. It was electrical, roaring white heat that centered in her aching pussy and spread, into her belly, her breasts.
Her hips moved in time with his hands, pumping, taking his fingers deeper. The first wave of climax bore down on her, but she didn’t want it to end too quickly. She bit her lip, tried to hold back.
“Come on, Destiny. Come for me.”
“It’s too fast. I want… I want it to last. I need more.”
“Come for me, Destiny. Come hard. And then I’ll fuck you until you come again.”

Oh God, yes!

She let the waves overtake her as he worked her clit, gave it a hard pinch that sent her plummeting over the edge. She yelled his name, shattered, broke apart in a splintering kaleidoscope of heat and sensation.
And while she still shivered with the receding waves, he sheathed himself with a condom and pressed his cock into her. He was big, her still-clenching pussy could barely accommodate him. But in a moment he pushed into her slick juices, filling her completely.
“Ah, Reece…”
She wrapped her legs around him and her mind and her body exploded. She was filled by him, and filling herself, all at the same time. The sensation was doubled, almost unbearable, pleasure upon pleasure. He pumped into her, and she felt the sensation of a cock being sheathed in velvet tightness. His cock, as though she were inside his body, experiencing what he was experiencing.
What was this?
Reece pushed himself up onto his arms, held himself over her, looked down into her face. And she saw herself. Saw herself through his eyes!

Impossible!

But there she was, her red hair a wild mass of curls, her green eyes wide with shock, her face and neck flushed. Her lower lip trembling.

Impossible, impossible!

Her mind was screaming. But it was a full minute before she could respond. Everything had been too good until that moment, too perfect. But this was…bizarre. Terrifying.

Get out!

She had to get out of there. Now.

Chapter Three
She tried to push him off her.
“Reece, please. You have to stop!”
As he pulled out of her body she felt that dual sensation of pussy and cock. And as incredible as it felt, it scared the hell out of her.

She had to go.

“Destiny. Did I hurt you? My God, I’m sorry.”
She could hear the confusion in his voice. Well, she was damn confused, too. How could she feel what he felt? See what he saw? She flashed back to her earlier images of his bedroom, that intense sense of familiarity that had allowed her to abandon her usually cautious self to have sex with a stranger.

Except he’s not a stranger.

Impossible.

She ran through the dark house, into the front hall, and threw her damp clothes on as quickly as she could. Her heart was thundering as she yanked her purse up off the floor. Her lipstick clattered out onto the hardwood, followed by her hairbrush and her wallet. She gathered them and stuffed them back into her bag.
“Destiny, please don’t go.”
Reece appeared behind her. He tried to wrap an arm around her shoulder, but she shook him off.
“I don’t know what’s going on here, but I’m leaving. Now.”
Hurt clouded his blue eyes. But he didn’t try to stop her. He was standing in the entryway, naked and beautiful, when she glanced over her shoulder one last time. She ran out the front door, into the night and the storm, a whisper of lilacs following her.

She was panting hard by the time she reached her baby blue VW bug. Her lungs burned and her heart hammered in her chest, as much from panic as from her eight-block sprint through the rain. She fumbled for her keys. They slipped, fell, and she searched frantically until her half-numb fingers curled around the cold metal. She opened the car door and slumped into the seat, slammed the door and locked it.
Her body was a mass of confused sensations. Still shuddering with the buzz of orgasm after orgasm, she shivered with shock and cold. Reaching out, she turned on the engine, then switched on the heat. The rain clattered onto the roof of the car in a static cacophony, so loud she could hardly think.
What the hell had just happened to her? She tried to go over it in her mind, but it was too damn weird. Why had she felt so instantly comfortable with Reece? Even though she’d never been this deeply attracted to anyone in her life, and simply looking at him made her pulse race with lust. That wasn’t enough to explain it. And how had he known how to touch her just right, as though he’d anticipated her every need? Could it really be just a collection of coincidences? And then that last moment, when he’d slid into her body…
She groaned. She’d never felt anything this intense before, this excruciatingly pleasurable. And so frightening.
Maybe she’d been so out of her head with lust she’d imagined the whole thing?
No, the event played like a movie in her mind, crystal clear. And thinking about it made her want to cry, for reasons she couldn’t comprehend.
Shaking her head, she shifted into gear and pulled out onto the street. She would go home, have a nice long bath, maybe a cup of tea to clear her mind. No, a glass of wine was called for after the night she’d had. Hell, a vodka martini. Not that she had any vodka. A good Cabernet would have to do.
She had every intention of going home. She really did. But something made her drive past Reece’s house.
Through the delicate pattern of the wrought-iron gate she could see the glow of lights in the house. What was he thinking? What was he doing? Slowing down, she let the engine idle for a moment. She shook her head once more. What the hell was she doing stalking his house? God, she really had to get a grip.
Gunning the engine, she drove down the wet street. The white glare of streetlights shone on the slick surface, reflecting off the puddles of water. It hardly ever rained in L.A., and the city was poorly prepared for a storm. When it did rain, the streets always flooded. The intersections were the worst, and the one two blocks from Reece’s house was a perfect example.
As Destiny tried to round the corner she realized, too late, that her tiny car was no match for the small pond that had accumulated there. She made it through to the other side before the engine sputtered and died.

Great.

She turned the key. The engine whirred, but wouldn’t turn over. She tried again. And again. Nothing.
She leaned her head on the steering wheel while her whole body slowly grew numb. What was she going to do now? It was almost midnight. Who could she call to help her?
Triple A. She rummaged in her purse, dug through her wallet and found her card. The emergency road service number was on the back. Good. Now for her cell phone. But a five full minutes of digging in her big purse didn’t turn it up. She felt around her car seat with her hand, but didn’t find it there, either.
Leaning back in her seat, she let out a frustrated sigh. She knew exactly where her phone was. On Reece Kellan’s entry hall floor.
She pounded her fist on the steering wheel.

Damn it.

Either she’d have to go back there and get it, or she’d have to sit in her car, soaking wet in the middle of a storm, freezing and shivering, until morning.
She didn’t know which option was worse.
She did not want to go back to his house. At least, that’s what she told herself, even as her stomach, her pulse, fluttered simply thinking about him. But either she was crazy, or something very weird had happened with him. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know which.
Leaning her head back, she closed her eyes. God, what a night she was having.
Thunder rumbled in the distance, and a few moments later a flash of lightning illuminated the darkness behind her closed lids. The face of Madame Anna came into her mind’s eye, as clear as though she stood before her.

…you are going to meet your soul mate… It always starts with attraction, doesn’t it? But this goes far beyond that. You’ll know. It will be unmistakable.

Impossible. Psychic-babble. Destiny was very much grounded in reality, and things like that did not happen in her world. It was silly to even think about it. And she had more important things to think about right now. Like how to get her cell phone so she could get out of this mess.
Damn it.
She ran the two blocks back to Reece’s house, telling herself she would just get her cell phone, then leave. End of story.

“Destiny. Lord, you’re soaked through. Here.” Reece stood in the doorway in a pair of blue and white striped pajama bottoms, his dark hair tousled, looking too damn beautiful. His chest was bare, his skin golden in the soft light of the entryway. Gorgeous. Sexy. He held up a towel and draped it over her shoulders carefully, as though he knew it was a good idea not to try to touch her. “Are you all right?”
“I only came to get my cell phone. It must have dropped out of my purse.”
She knew she sounded sullen, rude. She could almost hear her Nana tsk-tsking in the background at her poor behavior. And he was being too nice. Not a word of recrimination for her running out in the middle of sex, for God’s sake.
“Yeah, I saw it on the floor and picked it up. Let me get it for you. Come in.”
He was gone for several moments and she took the opportunity to ruffle her hair dry with the towel. The house was warm, cozy. It smelled like him. Fresh and earthy and sexy as hell.

Stop it.

He returned quickly with her phone and held it out to her. She made a grab for it, trying not to come into contact with his hand.
“Can I make you a cup of tea?”
“I only came to get my phone. I need to get going. I have to call Triple A.”
“You weren’t in an accident, were you? Come and sit down.”
Why was he being so nice to her? She could see the sincere concern in his eyes.

God, his eyes were blue. Like the sky in summer.

But she wasn’t supposed to be noticing that. She was supposed to get her phone and get the hell out of there. Away from him. Away from the strangeness that had occurred in his bed.
Her body surged with yearning, both physical and…something else. Her head began to spin.
And then he was touching her, making her head spin harder. He slipped a strong arm around her waist and guided her to the kitchen. She followed him mutely, feeling numb and exhausted.
“Come on now, darlin’,” Reece was saying. “Let’s sit you down and have a cup of tea. You need to get dry and warm. Then we’ll talk.”
He settled her into a wooden chair at a granite-topped table, filled a teapot with water and put it on the stove. Destiny stared down at the striations running through the sandstone and amber-colored granite. She couldn’t look at him. It was too confusing.
Reece settled his big body down in a chair across from hers. “Now, tell me what happened.”
“I went through this huge puddle and my engine stalled. I couldn’t get it to start again. And it’s raining so hard, everything is flooding…”
“Where’s your car?”
“A few blocks from here. I managed to pull it pretty close into the curb. It’s not in the middle of the street.”
“Good, it’s safe enough. I think you’d better stay here until morning. The storm should pass by then. We’ll call a tow truck tomorrow.”
“I should take care of it now. I should go.”
“Destiny, you’re shivering with cold. It’s ridiculous for you to go back out into the rain and wait for them. You can stay here.”
She looked up at him and said quietly. “I want to go home.”
Why did that feel like a lie?
He nodded. “Aye, I can see that.” He ran a hand back through his already mussed hair, blew out a breath. “Look, stay here tonight. I won’t touch you, I promise. I didn’t mean to scare you earlier. I don’t know… I don’t quite know what happened, but I understand why you left the way you did. I was fairly freaked out myself. But, you know, I’m a man. I tried to ignore it in light of what else was going on. But it won’t happen again. I won’t touch you. I’ll sleep on the couch.”
“It did happen…” Her heart was beating at a thousand miles an hour.
His dark brows creased. “Yeah. Something happened, though I’ll be damned if I know what.”
“I thought… I thought it was you who did it, Reece. Or that I was crazy.”
“Well, if you’re crazy, then I am, too. But I didn’t do it, whatever the hell it was.” His features relaxed, softened. “All I know is that up until that moment, this was the most incredible night of my life. And I didn’t want you to leave.”
His words warmed her through, and she hardly even felt her cold, wet clothes against her skin any longer. Something inside her loosened.
“Reece, what happened to us?”
“I’ve no idea. Not even a theory, which is odd for me.”
“Do you think it’s possible for people to…manifest things? To manifest their thoughts?”
“You’re the psychologist. You know a lot more about the powers of the mind than I do.”
Their conversation was helping to calm her, to quiet the confusion whirling like the wind outside in her head. This sort of problem-solving dialogue was something she was used to. And she found sitting in the warm kitchen comfortably reassuring, with his big, solid body across the table from her. Yes, something about him…his face, his hands, even, so familiar…
The kettle whistled, and Reece got up to make tea. Destiny watched the muscles ripple in his bare back before glancing away to look around the kitchen. It wasn’t large, but well designed, with state of the art brushed-steel appliances and granite counters that matched the tabletop. Wood cabinets in a maple finish gave the kitchen an earthy warmth. She loved the look and feel of the room. A kitchen to really cook in.
She hadn’t had anyone to cook for in a long time. A quick flash of herself standing at the stove over a pot of something fragrant with steam blazed across her mind’s eye like a movie. Reece coming up behind her as she stood there. Her sinking back into his big, warm body while his hands slipped around her waist…
What was she thinking?
Reece set a steaming cup down in front of her. “We really should get you out of those wet clothes.”
“I haven’t agreed to stay here yet,” she answered, wrapping her hands around the heat of the cup.
“Shall I beg you then?” His eyes twinkled, more blue than ever.
The corners of her mouth twitched. She couldn’t help it. “I can’t say I’d mind seeing that.”
“Ah, there’s that lovely smile, however grudgingly.”
“Just as long as you know it’s grudging.”
He nodded, grinned. Reece Kellan was the kindest man she’d met in a very long while. Warm and funny, caring and considerate. Nana would have loved him. And God help her, he was the hottest piece of male flesh she’d ever laid her eyes on. She had to repress the girlish sigh that wanted to well up in her. He was too close to perfect. Except for that truly bizarre, frightening moment.
But maybe it wasn’t him. Maybe it was her. Or maybe they’d both lost their minds. Either way, she was tempted to try it again, despite her scare.
Yes, his clever hands on her, his lovely, wet mouth, his body poised over hers for one exquisite moment before he slid his big cock inside her…
She groaned.
“Is your tea too hot?”
“What? No, it’s fine, wonderful.” She took another sip to hide the flush of desire she knew was creeping over her face.
“You should get out of those wet clothes before you catch your death, as my Nan used to say.”
“You were close with your grandmother?”
“Aye, she helped raised me. She’s the only reason I didn’t grow up to be a total hellion. Her and the willow switch she kept in the pantry.”
“In Ireland?”
“In County Clare. I grew up in a small fishing village called Quilty.”
“Quilty?” A strange knot began to form in her stomach.
“Yeah, why? You’ve heard of it?”
“My Nana grew up there.”
“Did she now? A small world. What was her family name? Perhaps my family knows her people. Everyone in Quilty knows each other.”
“It’s Gallagher. Rose Gallagher. Well, I guess she was known as Rosheen in Ireland—”
“Rosheen Gallagher? You’re sure?”
“Yes, of course I’m sure.”
“That was the very name of my Nan’s best friend growing up as a girl. She moved away to marry an American and her whole family followed.”
Goose bumps sprouted along Destiny’s spine. “Your Nan was Brighid O’Ryan?”
“The same!” His brows furrowed and he brushed a hand through his hair. “A small world, indeed. And you are the descendant of Rosheen…” he trailed off.
She waited for him to finish his sentence, but he just sat there looking confused.
“What? What is it?”
“Destiny, did your grandmother never tell you of the vow they made between them when she left the country? That some day their two families would be joined together again.”
“Of course she did, but I always wrote it off as nothing more than some silly sentimental—”
“Apparently not so silly after all.”
She set her teacup down and dropped her hands to her lap, her fingers twisting together. “It’s a coincidence. That’s all. A small world, like you said.” She tried to shrug it off, but the tiny hairs at the back of her neck stood straight up and the chill she was feeling was more than her wet clothes. And somewhere at the edge of her senses she could swear she smelled lilacs again.
“You’ve spent too many years analyzing things, perhaps,” he said quietly.
“And why do you find this stuff so easy to believe?”
“It’s an Irish thing, I suppose, to accept the strangeness in the world. We’re a superstitious lot. And when we make a vow, we keep it. Even if it’s others who must keep it for us.”
He was silent for a moment, as though he were waiting for her to argue. But she couldn’t. In her mind she saw again her Nana’s face, remembered the stories about her girlhood in Ireland, her best friend who was like a sister to her. She remembered the letters with the foreign postmarks that had fascinated her as a child, letters talking about Brighid’s daughter, about her grandson who had moved to the States.
She could not believe this was happening. And yet, it was.
Reece shrugged, smiling a little, and she felt a flutter of heat in her stomach. “Come on then, let’s get you into something warm and dry.”
She followed him down the hallway to the bedroom, thinking of her superstitious Nana talking to her about the inescapable power of fate.
What did all this connectedness mean? Dissecting her feelings was second nature, but for the first time in her life, she didn’t want to question it, to analyze. It was too complicated, too surreal. She knew she didn’t have an answer.
In his bedroom she couldn’t help but eye the rumpled sheets. The room still reeked of the musky scent of sex. She closed her eyes, inhaled, savored. Her body began to heat up. And when she opened them again, Reece stood before her with another of those big, fluffy towels in his hands. The pale lamplight made his smooth chest gleam, golden skin over hard muscle. She knew the feel of him beneath her hands. She wanted to touch him now. Needed to. And when he laid the towel over her hair and began to rub, that sexual urge was joined by the hungry beat of her heart.
She’d been lonely, she realized, even though she’d never thought of herself that way before. She had her friends, her work, her hobbies. But it all seemed a bit empty when she stopped to think about it.
Reece smoothed the towel over her hair. She held very still, a strange series of sensations and emotions washing over her. The rain came down hard outside, the storm not letting up for a moment. In the distance was the muffled rumble of thunder. But here, with Reece, she was warm and safe. When was the last time she’d felt cared for this way? Could it all be an act to get her back into bed?
No. A man who looked like Reece Kellan had no need of such machinations. She was ashamed for even thinking it. He was simply a good man.
Good for her, perhaps?
Reece withdrew the towel, dropped it on the floor. Very carefully, giving her time to back away, he curled his fingers around her face, cupping it in his big hands. Warmth suffused her entire being. Her body trembled with need, lust and emotion.
His voice was soft. “I’d really like to kiss you, Destiny. Just kiss you. But I won’t unless you tell me it’s okay.”
His hand heated her skin, reminding her of what the rest of his body felt like pressed against hers. But she felt something else in his touch, something more. Something she didn’t want to fight.
The hell with it. She would figure it all out later.
“Kiss me, Reece.”

Chapter Four
Reece’s lips met hers, a soft caress. He pulled back. “So sweet,” he whispered, before leaning in and kissing her again.
The kiss was tender, careful. She wrapped a hand behind his neck and pulled him closer. He deepened the kiss, using his tongue to make a soft exploration of her mouth, and the heat was on her again, but different this time. Yes, it was desire, a fierce, burning lust. But it was also the warmth of comfort and trust.
Reece pulled away. “Come on. Let’s get these wet clothes off you, darlin’.” He spoke quietly, as though he didn’t dare ruin the moment.
He ran his hands lightly down her arms before he helped her slip out of her wet sweater. Next were her jeans. They were plastered to her skin, but together they peeled them off and he tossed them on the floor. He stopped, leaving her in bra and panties, and picked up the towel again. He rubbed it over her skin, carefully. Caringly. She shivered.
“You’re cold.”
She didn’t bother to correct him. He stood close enough that she could breathe in the male scent of him, clean and masculine and sexy as hell. She moved closer.
That was all the signal he needed. He swept her up into his arms, then laid her on the bed, brushed his fingertips over her face, her neck, her shoulders, before he slid one bra strap down, then the other. She trembled at his touch, fire blossoming between her thighs. Her breasts ached for his touch, and once more, as though he knew instantly what she needed, he drew his fingertips over the edge of her bra, undid the clasp in the front, and cupped her breasts in his hands. She moaned, her nipples coming up hard beneath his palms.
God, his hands felt good on her, but she wanted more. He paused long enough to strip away his pajama bottoms and get into bed with her. But not before she’d caught sight of his erect cock. Big and full, the head of it swollen, and God, she needed to touch him. Needed him inside her.
She ran her hands down the length of his body, loving the solid muscle she felt everywhere. Like iron sheathed in smooth, golden skin. When she feathered her fingers over the darkening head of his cock, he groaned. And the feel of him, that lovely velvet softness, hearing his gasping breath, made her wet. Soaking.
He worked her panties over her hips, her legs. And then he kissed his way down the front of her body, his mouth hot on her skin, leaving a trail of fire, of desire scalding her skin. When he reached the damp vee between her thighs, she opened her legs and arched into him.
He gave her curls a few teasing sweeps of his lips, then laid a soft kiss on the tip of her clit. A long shiver of desire rippled through her. She thought she’d go wild if he didn’t start working her in earnest.
“Reece… I can’t take it. I can’t wait.”
“I have you, darlin’. I’m right here. You’re so wet for me. Do you know what that does to me? Seeing you like this… Lord.”
Using his fingers, he caressed the seam of her pussy lips, a maddeningly gentle touch. And the small kisses that followed, over her swollen lips, her hard and aching clit. One soft kiss after another, making her crazy with need, never quite slaking the keen edge of desire.
“Reece, please,” she breathed. “Now. I need you now.”
“Your wish is my command, my darlin’.”
He spread the lips of her sex wide with his hands, took her clit into his eager mouth and sucked hard. At the same time, his thumbs entered her, pushing deep inside her pussy. In moments she was coming, fierce spasms of pleasure wracking her body, making her writhe while he sucked and stroked her. She shook with the force of it, ran her fingers through his thatch of dark hair, held on.
“Reece, I need you inside me.”
He snaked his way up her body to face her. His blue gaze burned into her. “You know it might happen again. I think it will.”
“I know. But I need to feel you. I won’t be afraid this time.”
He nodded, leaned over and pulled a condom from the nightstand drawer, quickly rolled it on. Then he was on top of her, and she opened her thighs for him. He kissed her mouth, his salty with the ocean scent of her juices.
“We’ll take it slow,” he whispered.
He raised himself up on his arms and she looked into his face, stunned once more by the pure male beauty of his features. She locked onto his fevered blue gaze as he pushed into her.
The first moment was a shock of molten pleasure that reverberated through her body. He inched further in, and she had that odd surge again of doubled sensation, of both cock and pussy, sheathed and filled. She saw his blue eyes go wide, saw her own green ones answer in kind, as he must see her. But she concentrated on the sensation, focused.
“Incredible.” His voice was ragged with pleasure and wonder. He thrust a little deeper, watching her face. “Are you all right?”
“It’s okay, Reece. I want it all.”
He groaned as he rammed in to the hilt. His thick shaft filled her, stretched her, made her shiver and clamp around him. And when he pulled almost all the way out and thrust home again, it was even better. For her, for him, it was all the same. Pussy and cock, skin and skin. Pleasure and pleasure.
He fell on her, kissed her neck, licked the sensitive skin there, moved his hips again. He began to pump in a rhythmic motion, and the sensation was overwhelming, flooding her mind with incomprehensible images and her body with a nearly painful pleasure. His thick cock pulled at her insides, he was sheathed and squeezed by her hot, velvet pussy. His balls contracted, pulled tight. And she felt it all as though it were her own male body. As though she were male and female at the same time. Two bodies, two sets of sensations.
Impossible, but she no longer cared. It was too good.
“Harder, Reece.”
“I want to take you from behind.”
“Yes. Do it.”
He flipped her over, wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her up onto her knees until her ass arched high in the air. She felt open, exposed. Lovely.
The tip of his cock brushed her opening, then pushed inside. One hand caressed her breast, teasing the nipple again, rolling it between his fingers, pinching. He reached down and teased her clit in the same way. When he began to move, sliding in and out of her, she was in his head again, feeling and seeing it all—her hard, tight nipple in his fingers, the swollen nub of her clit. And the sliding sensation. Moving in and out of her pussy. Even the sight of her own rounded ass was thrilling through his eyes.
She rocked back against him, wanting to come again, taking him deeper.
“Harder, Reece. Please…”
“Anything you want, Destiny. Anything for you.”
He rammed into her, his cock a solid shaft driving pleasure deep into her pussy, into her system.
Two bodies. Two sets of sensation. Cock and pussy and him. In her body. In her head.
“Reece!”
She came in a torrent, her sex grabbing hard around his cock. Pulsing. Electric. And all the time she could feel him holding back, on the brink himself, making her own orgasm more intense, stunning her.
Suddenly, he flipped her over, plunged into her again before she had a chance to think about it.
“I need to see your face when I come,” he rasped out. “I need to feel you. Be with you.”
“Yes. Please.”
And while her body still shuddered with climax, he thrust into her, bringing new waves of sensation. His gaze was hard on hers, those blue, blue eyes looking into hers, seeing her. And her heart swelled, reached out to him. Connected.
He pounded into her, each sharp motion of his hips bringing her exquisitely close to the edge once more. He was close himself. She could feel every lance of sensation as though it were her own. Still he held back, waited for her to reach again for her own peak.
And when she came once more, he was coming, too. Body to body, mind to mind. Her pleasure, his, it didn’t matter. It was all the same, rolling over them both in a hot and powerful tide. It went on and on, a relentless wave that reached deep into her body. Into her being. Into her soul.

The lazy aftermath of sex had never felt so good. Her limbs were liquid, tingling. And the sex itself…well, it was incomparable. That final moment when he’d locked gazes with her she’d been so much a part of him, and he’d been a part of her, in a way she’d never experienced before. She’d never had this odd intensity of connection, this exchange of body, heart. Soul. She knew she never would again, not with anyone else. And she wasn’t scared this time, because he was right there with her.

Reece.

He wasn’t a stranger to her now. Maybe he never really had been. The idea fought against every ounce of logic in her. But despite what logic was telling her, she’d been right there. She’d felt it. And she knew the truth.
He lay stretched out on his side next to her, one arm looped over her hip. She noticed for the first time how the muted glow of lamplight tipped the dark hair on his forearms in auburn. Turning, she took in his face, his features relaxed, his eyes closed. Reaching out, she traced the tender skin of his eyelid with her fingertip. Stirring, his eyes fluttered open, and her stomach quivered as that bright blue gaze caught hers. The quiver turned into a warm rolling wave that spread throughout her body when he smiled.
“Hi, darlin’.”
“Hi.”
He reached up and stroked the tip of her breast with one finger. Her nipples sprang to attention.
“Randy little thing, are you?” he teased.
“Only with you. A lot of things are different with you.”
“Yeah, aren’t they? Do you want to talk about it?”
She shook her head, her curls brushing her bare shoulders. She was hyper-aware of everything, as though being with Reece made her nerve endings more raw, more open to touch. “Not now. Not yet.”
“There’ll be plenty of time to figure it out later.”
“I was hoping you’d say that.” She snuggled into his chest and breathed him in. He smelled of the earth, but also faintly of the rain still falling outside. And he smelled of sex. Of come, his and her own.
She smoothed a hand over his chest. His heart drummed a steady beat beneath her palm.
“This is real,” she said quietly.
“Yes.”
“That’s all I need to know right now.”
“Come here.”
He used his arm to gather her close, pulling her tight against him. His body was long, strong lines, hard-packed muscle. And his cock was hard again. She arched her hips against his heavy erection, felt it jerk and pulse in return.
“And you call me the randy one. And where on earth did you get the term ‘randy’, anyway?”
“From my Nan.”
“Ah, it’s back to the grandmothers again. It feels totally inappropriate to discuss anyone’s grandmother at the moment.”
“You asked.”
“Sometimes I need to shut up.”
“I know just the trick.”
Reece leaned in and crushed his lips to hers, those lush lips of his, so soft and warm they made her melt inside. The melting turned into a simmering liquid as he thrust his tongue into her mouth. And when he slipped a hand between her legs and found her damp cleft, she went soaking wet.
“I like that you’re always ready for me, darlin’.”
He slipped a few fingers inside her, and her inner walls clenched around them. Using his thumb, he massaged her clit in lazy circles. Pleasure was like lightning in her system, hot and sharp. She was ready to explode almost instantly. But she wanted him with her, inside her, when she came.
Again, he seemed to read her mind.
“Not yet, my darlin’ girl. But I am going to fuck you.”
“Yes!”
“And we’ll have to make it a little dirty because of that grandmother comment.”
She laughed at his wicked grin. And her sex gave an anticipatory squeeze.
Reece grabbed her around the waist and rolled until she was on top of him. He sheathed himself in a condom, then encircled her waist with his hands. Raising her up, he impaled her on his thick shaft.
She groaned with the heat and the size of his hard cock. With the dual sensations of her own pleasure and his. He used his hands to guide her, up, then down again, filling her almost to bursting. Shivers raced through her, up her spine, deep inside her.
“Oh…”
“Not yet,” he commanded, and pulled her up, his cock slipping out of her.
Using his hands again, he held her still while he slid down until his face was beneath her open and aching pussy. Her thighs quivered simply thinking about what he was going to do to her.
Reece used his fingers to spread her pussy lips apart. She’d never felt so open, so exposed. And his fingers on her were too good. If only he’d move them an inch or two higher…
“You’re eager, are you?” he teased, massaging her swollen lips, manipulating them, sliding inward, teasing at the edges of her opening.
She shivered, wanting to come simply from having him look at her this way, being open to him. She let her head fall back, closed her eyes. And almost jumped when his tongue shot out and flicked against her hole. But it was too good, and she surged down, wanting his whole mouth on her.
“Not yet,” he said once more.
He licked again, then shoved his tongue into her.
“God, Reece…”
Her thighs shook as he used his tongue to thrust in and out of her like a small, wet cock. And she swore she could taste the flavor of her own juices.
She angled her hips, wanting his mouth on her aching clit. She found if she concentrated, she could feel the pulsing beat of his cock as if it were her own, heavy between her thighs. Wanting, filling, growing thick with the same aching need that thrummed in her clitoris, throughout her body.
“More.” The demand slipped from her lips.
He laughed, then sat up, picked her up bodily and carried her through the house.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and held on. “Where are we going?”
“The bedroom isn’t nearly dirty enough. And I did promise you dirty.”
He carried her down the hallway and into the kitchen, where a light over the stove illuminated the room in a faint glow.
“What to do with you?” Reece muttered, making her sex throb at the thought.
“Anything. Everything.” She bit his neck.
God, he smelled good. Tasted even better. Like man and sex and him.
He deposited her on the top of the kitchen table. The granite was a shock of cold against her skin.
“Reece! This thing is freezing.”
“I’ll warm you up.”
He pushed her down on her back, encircled her waist with his hands and slid her to the edge. Then he seated himself in a chair between her legs and parted her thighs, draping her legs over his shoulders.
“I’ve never seen a lovelier sight,” he said in hushed tones.
She felt completely open to him in every way. She would have done anything he wanted. But at this moment she wanted this, too. Wanted him to see her. Wanted even more for him to touch her.
He brushed his fingers over her cleft, used them to spread her pussy lips open. Her whole body shuddered, and her sex flooded once more with a new wave of soaking wet heat.
“You’re all smooth and glistening.” He used his thumbs to delve inside. “And so damn hot.”
“Please, Reece…”
He leaned in and started in with his mouth, licking and sucking on her clit. Everything felt too good. Even his fingers holding her open felt good. And the cold, hard granite against her back added to the sensation.
She was wet, throbbing, on the edge of orgasm right away. And he didn’t stop, just kept working her, quickly, expertly, pausing only long enough to reach up and push a finger into her mouth.
“Yes, that’s it, darlin’. Take it in, suck on it. Yes.”
He withdrew his finger, and with his mouth on her clit again, he slid that damp finger between her ass cheeks, seeking out her other hole. Yes, she wanted that, too. She moaned, bore downward, opening herself to him in any way she could. Exquisite sensation as he pushed the tip of his finger into her ass, moving it slowly in and out, in rhythm with his hot, sucking mouth.
Her climax rolled over her, crushing in its intensity. Her pussy clenched, her hips thrust into his mouth and she cried out as pleasure shook her, stabbed through her, blinding her.
She was shaking when he stood up, held her thighs wide and slid into her. One smooth motion, slippery and thick, his cock went into her, right to the hilt.
“Ah, God, Reece. Yes. Fuck me.”
He grunted in answer, closed his eyes, let his head fall back. He took a deep lungful of air. She watched his smooth chest expand with it. When he let it out he opened his eyes and pinned her with his gaze.
That’s how she felt—pinned. Impaled. By his pulsing cock. By his eyes, that deep blue gaze hot with lust and something else…
Even as new waves of pleasure swept through her body, her heart surged. There was so much in his eyes. Raw desire, the hot sizzle of pleasure, all of it swimming in that stunning blue.
Impossible to think when he pulled out and surged slowly into her again, driving pleasure deep into her body. Leaning in, he kissed her. And she knew that in the last few moments something had changed.
His lips were velvet soft. Soft and pliant. He deepened the kiss, but it was sweeter than it had been before. Beneath the animal lust between them was something more.
She reveled in his kiss, in everything it made her feel. Her body hummed with pleasure, with the sensation of his cock buried deep, filling her, with the faint impressions of being inside his body. But his kiss, his presence, filled her, too.
When he pulled his mouth away, he murmured against her lips, “Ah, Destiny, what is this?” He pulled back a bit more and looked into her eyes.
“Reece…”
She reached out and laid her hand over his heart. Felt the heavy drum of it beneath her fingertips. And once more she was in his head. There was something different this time, though. She could still feel his body as though she were a part of him, but there was also an unfamiliar rush of rough emotion. It was several moments before she realized she was feeling what was in his heart.
Warmth suffused her body. Her being. And she knew he could feel it, too.
“Destiny.” His voice was low.
“I know.” But did she? What was this exactly?
“I don’t want this to stop here. I want us to be together.” His voice was rough.
“I want that, too. I want you. I want to see what this is between us.”
“There has to be a reason.”
“It’s all just impossible—”
“But it’s not. It’s happening. It’s real.”
He moved inside her to emphasize his point. And again she felt that strange sensation, body to body, pleasure upon pleasure, multiplied.
“I don’t understand it,” he went on. “I don’t have to. All I know is we were meant to be together like this.”

…the merging of two destined souls.

Yes. Perhaps it was exactly as Madame Anna had said. As impossible as it seemed, maybe she was right. The irrefutable evidence was right before her. Inside her. A part of her.
“I need to feel you, Reece.”
He groaned and pushed deeper into her body. Over and over. The pressure built, her body trembled with the sheer pleasure of dual sensation, dual emotions. She let it happen, let it all go finally, until they were two beings so thoroughly entwined she couldn’t tell where one left off and the other began.

It was meant to be like this.

That was her last thought before he tensed inside her, and she tumbled with him over the edge. Body. Heart. Soul.

Epilogue
Destiny stood at the kitchen window watching the rain come down. The drops splattered against the glass, turning into liquid rivulets that reflected the silvery light of the full moon.
“What are you thinking, my darlin’?”
Reece slid his arms around her waist and she turned to him, as charmed as ever by his accent, the fresh, earthy scent of him. He kissed her cheek, then nudged his way down to her neck. A warm shiver ran through her as his lips brushed the sensitive skin there.
“I was thinking how odd it is to be raining in June. And the rain made me think about the day we met.”
“A most amazing day,” he murmured against her throat. “What else?”
“I can’t believe it’s been six months. It’s like I’ve always been here.” But hadn’t it felt like that since the first time she was in Reece’s house? Their house now. “I remember seeing your kitchen for the first time. I had this image…”
“Tell me,” he demanded, trailing his lips up her neck.
“Mmm…you’re very distracting.”
“Tell me anyway.”
His palms slid over her body, cupping her breasts through her cotton sundress. Her nipples hardened, desire a sudden, steady beat between her thighs.
“I’m going to burn dinner.”
He pulled away, grinning at her, and his smile dazzled her, as always. She’d never gotten over his smile, his blue, blue eyes.
“Dinner can wait, woman. I can’t.”
She laughed as he backed her toward the stove and reached behind her to turn off the pasta that had been boiling, sending steam into the air.
“Neither can I. Ever.”
“Come here then. And tell me.”
He pulled her close, brushed her hair from her face. She saw desire in his eyes. And love.
“That first night I sort of…saw myself here, in the kitchen. Cooking. Happy. And here I am.”
“Are you happy, Destiny? Happy here with me?”
She stood on her toes to kiss him, a soft press of her lips on his, the flavor of him lingering as she pulled away. “You know I am.”
“Ah, a challenge then.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ll have to find a way to make you happier still.”
He grinned a little wickedly, making her smile, making her melt into him. His erection was a solid shaft against her stomach.
“What do you have in mind?”
“I seem to remember putting the kitchen table to certain uses. It’s been too long. What do you say?”
“Yes. To anything.”
He smiled once more, kissed her hard. His tongue slid between her lips, hot and sweet, leaving her breathless, her sex damp, needy.
He pulled back to murmur, “I was hoping you’d say that.”
Taking her hand, he led her to the table. There, he kissed her shoulders before turning her around and bending her over the granite surface and lifting her dress. She was shivering with desire, with anticipation, as he pulled her lace panties down and smoothed his hands over her bare ass. When he slipped one hand between her thighs and brushed her wet cleft, she sighed.
“Always ready for me, darlin’.”
“Yes…”
He massaged her pussy lips with his fingers and they filled, swelled, ached with need. She tried to arch back into his hand, but he pulled away.
“Please, Reece.”
He bent over her, kissed the back of her neck. “Stay here, don’t move,” he said quietly.
Goose bumps rose on her skin, and she braced her hands against the table, the surface cool on her heated palms. She heard the whisper of his zipper as he undid his jeans. One arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her body close to his. She loved when he held her like this, body to body, making her feel safe. Loved. And she loved the solid weight of his cock against her buttocks, knowing he would be inside her soon.
He leaned over her once more, and she felt his breath in her hair, a ragged pant of desire.
He whispered, “I need you so much. I can barely hold back. Are you ready for me?”
Before she could gather enough breath to answer, he slipped his hand down her stomach and between her thighs, his fingers sunk into her wet heat.
“Oh…God, Reece.”
“So wet for me, darlin’. My beautiful girl.”
He pumped his fingers into her, pleasure arcing through her like an electric current, making her moan. Then he slid his fingers out and used them to press against her clit.
“Reece…I’m going to come.”
“Not yet. Wait until I’m inside you.”
“Yes…”
She bit her lip against the pure pleasure making her sex pulse, throb with the first edges of her climax.
He shifted, using his other hand to spread her pussy lips, and she felt the head of his cock at her entrance. Then he was in, one silken thrust, buried deep inside her.
“Oh!”
And instantly, he was there with her, inside her head, seeing through her eyes, and she through his. Pleasure multiplied, sensation upon sensation. Cock and pussy and warm, scented breath. His cock pushing into her, the velvet clench of her sex around him as he thrust, over and over.
Pleasure built, spiraled. His lips on the back of her neck, kissing, licking, biting gently. She pushed back against him, taking him deeper.
“More, Reece…”
He shifted again, stroked her ass with his hand, and she spread wider, knowing what was coming. Then his fingers spreading her cheeks, slipped between them to press at that tight hole. He rubbed there with one hand, the other pressing on the hard nub of her clit as his hard cock plunged into her.
“Please, Reece,” she gasped. “I need…”
“Ah, I know what you need, darlin’.”
His finger slid into her ass, and she pressed back against him, loving the sensation. She was filled everywhere, pleasure racing over her skin, deep inside her pussy, her ass. And she knew the sensation of his cock inside her, the taste of her own skin on his tongue. Too much sensation, too much to take. She came, hard, her climax and his shattering her, a million stars going off in her head, in his, their bodies exploding together.
“Ah, Destiny!”
He kept pumping into her, drawing it out for them both. And her mind was filled with the softness of her hair on his cheek as he bent over her, the shivering weakness of his legs, and her own, the primal scent of sex.
Slipping from her body, he turned her in his arms, his mouth finding hers. He kissed her, hard at first, then more tenderly. She sank into him, into his arms, the soft touch of his mouth on hers.
Finally he pulled away. His eyes were that brilliant, Superman blue. His face the one she’d loved since the day they’d met.
“I love you, Destiny,” he told her, as though reading her mind. Perhaps he could.
“I love you. So much I can hardly believe it sometimes.”
“Still the skeptic, my darlin’?”
Was that lilacs she smelled in the air? She couldn’t be sure. But she couldn’t be sure it wasn’t, either.
She smiled and kissed him hard in answer. She’d learned to believe in the impossible, in things she never would have thought to be true before she’d met him. She’d learned that her very name was a truth in itself. He was her destiny, just as she was his.

About the Author
The author of a number of novels, novellas and short stories, Eden Bradley writes dark, edgy erotic fiction. Her work has been called “elegant, intelligent and sensual”. One erotic novel was recently profiled in Cosmopolitan.
Eden appears regularly on Playboy Radio’s Night Calls and conducts workshops on writing sex. When she’s not writing, you can find her wandering museums, shopping for shoes and reading everything she can get her hands on. A California native, Eden currently lives in Los Angeles. You can visit her website: www.edenbradley.com

Look for these titles by Eden Bradley

Now Available:

Tempt Me Twice
The Seeking Kiss

Coming Soon:

Spring Equinox

One hot man is good. Two’s double the fun…until your heart gets involved.

Tempt Me Twice

© 2009 Eden Bradley

Jessie has been in love with her bisexual best friend, Paul, since their college days. He’s never made a move on her, though, and at this point she values his friendship too much to risk revealing her feelings. Especially since now he has a new male lover and seems so happy.
Paul and Noah have only Jessie’s rest and relaxation in mind when they invite her along on a camping trip to Lake Tahoe. She’s been pretty stressed out preparing to show her art at a major New York gallery. A weekend getaway will do her a world of good—and they won’t take no for an answer.
Jesse thought she’d be nothing more than a third wheel on this trip. But Noah is as sweet and hot as Paul, and their first night turns into a heated tangle of bodies in the dark tent by the lake.
It’s an erotic, intense experience that must come to an end. And when it does, will she still have her best friend?

Enjoy the following excerpt for Tempt Me Twice:
Somehow they all got their clothes off, the men helping her to wriggle out of her damp panties. A hand slipped between her thighs, brushing her mound, making her cry out. She didn’t even know which one of them it was until Paul said, “I always knew you would be like this. Wet. Ready. Christ, Jess. I need to fuck you soon. I can hardly wait.”
“I need to fuck you both,” Noah said, laughing.
They laid her on her back, came together over her body, and the two men leaned in, closer, closer, until their lips met. It went through her like a shock, seeing them kiss. Male lips on male lips, and then they opened to each other, and she could just make out the wet flesh of tongues, heard their quiet moans. Her pussy was absolutely aching with need, and the longer she watched them kiss, the hotter she became. Just when she was sure she couldn’t stand it any longer, Noah reached down and cupped one of her breasts, used his fingers to tease the nipple. And Paul slipped one hand between her thighs.
“Oh! God…”
“Is that good, Jess?” Paul asked. “I want it to be good for you.”
“Oh, yes. It’s good.” She could hardly speak through the desire lancing into her body. Her pussy throbbed. She needed him to really touch her, to push his fingers inside her.
She arched her hips into Paul’s hand, her breast into Noah’s.
“Our girl is needy,” Noah said, humor in his voice, but it was rough with lust too.
“Let’s give her what she needs then,” Paul said. “Do you want us to go down on you, Jess? I’ve fantasized about that for years. I need to know what you taste like.”
“Just do it. Please.”
Was that her voice, so weak with desire? But she didn’t have a chance to think about it. Paul leaned in and spread her thighs wide, lowered his mouth. His breath was warm on her mound for one moment, then he used his fingers to massage the lips of her sex. Desire, hot, intense, danced over her skin. Then he spread her pussy until she was wide open and planted his mouth between her thighs.
“God, Paul!”
His mouth was wet, hot, his tongue diving into her, into that needy hole, and she was gasping. Noah’s hands were still on her breasts, kneading, tugging on her nipples.
“Noah…please…”
“Please what, Jessie?”
“I need…I need it harder.”
“Like this?”
He pinched her nipples between his fingers, and she gasped.
“Yes!”
It was almost too much, her nipples burning with sensation, her pussy dripping and Paul lapping up her juices with his tongue. Pleasure upon pleasure, her body on fire. She squirmed, on the edge already. But it was too good to come just yet. She bit her lip, held back.
Paul paused, lifting his head for one moment. “Come on, baby. Come for us.”

For us.

Oh, she was going to come any moment, despite her best efforts. She’d never felt anything like this. And she wanted to see them kiss again. She wanted them to fuck her, first one, then the other. She wanted to see them fuck each other. She wanted it all.
“Come, Jessie. I want to hear you moan,” Noah said. “I want to hear you scream.”
He twisted her nipples in his fingers, bent and took her mouth with his, his tongue pushing inside. And Paul was licking her, his tongue diving inside her pussy, then flicking at her clit. She arched into his face. She could barely stand it. And when he pulled her clit into his mouth, sucking, sucking, she came in a torrent of sensation. Exploding. Burning, fire spreading through her body in sharp currents.
“Oh God!”
She kept coming, sensation overload. She couldn’t stop. Paul’s hot mouth worked mercilessly between her thighs, Noah’s clever hands worked her nipples. She shuddered, pleasure pouring through her, until she was drowning in it, helpless.
When it was over, they both held her, stroking her skin. She could smell desire in the air. Hers. Theirs. She wanted more.
“I need to see you,” she told them. “I need to see you two together.”
“Not a problem.” She could make out Noah’s slow, wicked grin in the dim light from the full moon shining outside the tent. Just enough light to see them, and it was the hottest thing she’d ever seen, Noah’s head falling back as Paul leaned in to kiss his throat. Paul moved lower, drew one of Noah’s small, dark nipples into his mouth and sucked. Noah groaned, and Jessie’s sex filled, swelled, needy and wet once more. A small moan escaped her.
“You like to watch, Jessie,” Noah said, his voice rough.
“Yes.”
“Will you touch yourself while you watch? I’d really love to see that. To see what makes you feel good.”
“Oh God.”
Paul lifted his head, smiled at her, reached out and stroked her cheek. “I’d love to see you touch yourself, Jess. Do you know how often I’ve imagined that? Do it, Jess. Do it for me.”
His words went through her like a hot storm, and she nodded, sat up, knelt on the hard ground, her knees spread wide.
“Just do it,” she said.
They both smiled at her, watched with glittering eyes as she slipped a hand between her aching thighs. She was soaking wet again. Her fingers went right to her hard clit, stroking, sending pleasure through her in small waves. The two men turned back to each other, and Noah put his hands on Paul’s chest, pushed him down onto his back. He straddled Paul’s body, bent until his head was inches from Paul’s cock. And as he slid the swollen tip into his mouth, Paul reached out and grasped Jessie’s thigh, his hand like a brand on her skin.
She watched, fascinated, as Noah took his own cock in his hand and began to stroke. Then he lowered his mouth, Paul’s cock sliding between his lips. He came back up, and Paul’s cock was wet with Noah’s saliva, gleaming. Jessie slipped her hand between her pussy lips, slick with her juices.
“Come on, Noah,” Paul whispered. “Really suck it.”
A small laugh from Noah, then he went to work, drawing Paul’s cock in between his lips, his mouth sliding, lowering, until Jessie imagined the head of Paul’s cock hitting the back of his throat. She shivered as she watched, wanting to do the same, to taste him herself.
Paul moaned, and she plunged two fingers deep inside her pussy. Her juices dripped down her spread thighs, and desire was like a furnace in her system, heat on her skin, deep inside her as she thrust her fingers in and out.
Paul’s hips were pumping into Noah’s mouth, his hand gripping Jessie’s thigh. She arched her hips, needing his touch.
“Come closer, Jess,” he told her.
She moved until her knees were pressed against Paul’s side, and he slid his hand up her thigh.
“God, I need to touch you. Spread for me.”
She could hear the strain in Paul’s voice, the wet sounds of Noah sucking his cock. The scent of sex was heavy in the air. And she could see Noah stroking his own hard cock, thrusting into his fisted hand. Then Paul’s fingers were pushing in between her pussy lips, sliding into that needy hole.
“Ah, Paul!”
“Is that good, baby? I want it to be good for you.”
“It’s good…so good.”
His fingers pushed deeper inside and his thumb went to her clit, pressing, rubbing.
“I’m going to…I’m going to come again.”
“Yeah, come for me. Come for us, Jess. I want to come with you.”
She could hear the strain in his voice and knew he didn’t have long. Neither did she. It was all too intense, Paul’s hand working her mercilessly, fucking her with his fingers, pressing on her clit. And the sight of their two beautiful male bodies—Noah stroking his rigid shaft faster and faster, going down on Paul, imagining how their cocks would feel in her mouth—was making her shake all over.
Heat pooled in her sex, her stomach, spread. She arched her hips into Paul’s hand.
“Harder…please.”
“Anything for you, Jess.”
He added another finger, filling her wet pussy, pushing hard into her, grating against her G-spot.
“Paul!”
“Come, baby. I’m coming…coming…”
He gasped, groaned, and her entire body clenched in pleasure, her climax shattering her, sharp and blinding.
“Oh…”
She could smell the acrid scent of Paul’s come, the scent of her own slick juices as her sex convulsed hard around his fingers. Noah’s moans joined theirs as he came, the sound driving her on.
Finally, the last edges of her orgasm faded away, and Paul pulled his fingers from her, drew her to him until she lay against his chest. Noah was on his other side, stroking Jessie’s hair. And it felt so good, so incredible. Her body was buzzing, her mind clouded. And her heart was thundering with spent desire and emotion. She couldn’t believe she was here with Paul. And sweet Noah. Sweet and dirty. She’d never felt like this in her life.

She’s a rock star, he’s not. That doesn’t stop them from making beautiful music…

Love Song

© 2009 S. L. Carpenter

The lights, the crowds, the shows—the success that comes with topping the rock charts seems bright and glittering. For Ami, lead singer of the mega-hot band Haunted, it’s anything but. She’s tired of being “on” every waking second. There’s never any time to breathe, and the pressure is driving her toward becoming a dangerous cliché—the drunken musician.
Desperate to regain control of her life, she runs, looking for space. For peace. For herself. What she finds is Edward.
Having a famous rock star staying in his home, Edward is enchanted and stunned. How could a woman like her be drawn to his simple, down-to-earth lifestyle? There’s only one thing he can offer her: a willingness to help with no strings attached.
Slowly, in Edward’s arms, Ami gets back in touch with the woman she remembers. The one who loves music. Laughter. The touch of a lover’s hands on her body.
But the real world won’t let her hide forever. The consequences could cost her her hard-won peace…and her muse.

Enjoy the following excerpt for Love Song:
The next morning Ami woke up and stumbled down the hallway, her hair a matted mess and the baggy shirt hanging loose over her small frame. She yawned and scratched under her breasts as she walked into the kitchen. On the small table was a note.

Have a few errands to run. Be back soon,

Edward

Ami rubbed her eyes. She couldn’t remember the last time she slept that good. She decided to peek around a little. Not to be nosey but just look around a bit to get the lay of the house.
There were photos on the wall of a couple with a few kids. She assumed it was Edward’s parents and the family. Beside them was a photo of Edward with a pretty woman at a park or something. Smiling, Ami saw that they looked happy.
She didn’t see any kid’s toys or anything like that so she figured there weren’t any around. She found the little kitchenette area and a coffeemaker. “Thank God.”
She made a small pot of coffee and grabbed a small laptop computer she saw resting on an end table. Hopefully, they have the Internet.
Ami sat with her legs pulled against her chest sipping a cup of coffee. The sun shone through the kitchen window across the table. Warmth crept through the room, and Ami sighed with pleasure.
As she opened the computer and did a little surfing she saw a small flashing icon at the bottom. It was a pop-up.
Clicking it, she found herself at a porn site.
“Aha, somebody has been naughty.”
Edward must have still been logged on because it read, “Welcome back Eddie Z”.
She browsed around a little and laughed at the photos and streaming porn.
“What do men see in all this… Holy shit! That guy is deformed.” She sat up a little to get a better look. “That can’t be… I guess it is.”
“Knock, knock. Anyone home?” Ami looked up and saw an elderly woman at the door. She was the woman she had seen in the photos.
“Come on in.”
Startled the woman looked around. “Um, Edward isn’t back yet?”
“He said he was running some errands. I’m Ami, his, um, friend.” Ami figured she was probably quite an odd sight, wearing not much clothing and sitting in a man’s kitchen.
“Hello, I’m Ellen, Edward’s mom. He mentioned he had a guest this morning. He had to run into town to get some groceries for me. I come over every now and then to give Edward some breakfast. He can’t cook an egg without messing it up. Just like his father.”
“Yeah, I got his note.”
“You are his, ummm, how do I put this?”
“I’m just a friend. He let me stay here last night. I apologize. He offered me a place to crash for a couple days. I can leave if you want.”
“Well if my little Eddie said you can stay it’s fine with me. It’ll be nice to have someone around to chat with instead of just Eddie and his dad.”
Ami nodded. “Thank you.”
“You hungry?”
Ami shrugged. “I’m okay. I usually just have an energy bar and some cappuccino in the morning.”
“Don’t be silly. You’ll wither away without a decent breakfast. I brought over some muffins I’d made for his father. Help yourself.” Ellen put a small basket on the table and the fresh smell of the muffins filled the room.
“Oh wow. Okay, thank you.” She took a warm muffin and broke it in half. Taking a bite she smiled ear to ear. Ami was used to people waiting on her but this was a genuine act of kindness. It felt great to have someone be nice with no ulterior motive, no other reason than to be kind.
Ellen stood and walked to the sink. “Well I’ll let you get ready. I’ll be next door if you… Jesus Christ, look at the size of that man’s penis!”
Ellen stepped back. “I haven’t seen anything that big since we took the horses out to stud.”
Ami laughed. “I was just surfing and this silly porn site popped up. I saw this and wanted to, um, do a little research.”
“Well, ahem, have fun with your research. I need to go cock some—I mean cook some stew.” Laughing, Ellen walked out the back door.

There’s only one man she needs to believe in. Him.

If You Believe

© 2009 Crystal Jordan

Unbelievable, Book One

When it comes to her love life, the name of Aubrey Mathison’s coffee shop says it all: “Bean There, Done That”. There’s only one harmless man in her life right now—the homeless one parked outside the shop. Except the crazy things he says keep coming true.
She has to laugh at “You'll meet your soul mate today”, though. Divorce taught her that men as gorgeous as sexy police chief Price Delacroix are not to be trusted. She’s totally up for a one-night stand, but more than that? No, thanks.
Price bears his own scars from the past, but he knows instantly that Aubrey is his. How to convince her he wants more than to be her personal jungle gym? Cut her off. That means no more mattress gymnastics—until she starts seeing things his way.
Aubrey is just as determined Price’s campaign to wear down her resistance is going to fail, no matter how wickedly determined he is. Until her resident prophet spouts a new prediction: her soul mate’s life is in danger…

Enjoy the following excerpt for If You Believe:
Mr. Crazy Man was back. He hummed a little before speaking again. “Dogs are bad luck for you today.”
Shit. She hunched her shoulder and spun away. “Thanks.”
If she went her normal route home, she’d have to pass by the dog park that made up a corner of the town square. Maybe she would try a different way. Just for the change of scenery. Change was good for the soul, wasn’t it? If she went by the dog park, it just seemed like too much self-fulfilling prophecy.
Taking a left off the main path where she usually took a right, she wandered into the older district of town that had great Victorian houses. She’d always loved that style of architecture, but Scott had wanted modern. Now that she lived alone, it just seemed like too much upkeep. And maybe it was because she was afraid it would put her one step away from crazy cat lady to rattle around in a big old house like that. She turned the corner onto her street. She had four blocks left to go.
“Woof.” Her blood ran cold at the deep bark that came from behind her. A lot of people walked these streets in the evening. And took their dogs with them.
A kid of about twelve had lost the leash on his Great Dane. The air went whistling out of her in what might have been a high-pitched squeak.
It wasn’t that she believed Jericho or anything, but the fire thing had kind of creeped her out. Watching that pony-sized excuse for a dog running at her made her blood run cold. Anyone would freak out. It had nothing to do with Jericho’s warning. Nope. Not a thing.
She backpedaled as fast as her legs could carry her just the same. The back of her ankles hit something that yelped and the next thing she knew she was going down hard on the pavement. Her back arched when her tailbone made sharp contact with the ground and all the breath rushed out of her lungs. Curling into a fetal position on her side, she wrapped her arms around her knees and tried to remember why she didn’t want to die right then.
When she opened her eyes, a pointy little muzzle snapped in her face as a dachshund yapped. Dog breath, blech. She groaned and pushed into a sitting position. A strong arm wrapped around her back to cradle her against a wide chest. Price Delacroix.
“Don’t move, Aubrey.” His deep voice rumbled, and that was all it took to get her hot and bothered. Her sex dampened at the sound of his rich, deep tones. The way he smelled. The hardness of his muscles against her body. Thank you, Jesus.
“I’m fine.” She tried to pretend the breathiness of her voice was just from having the wind knocked out of her. The way her nipples tightened and her muscles softened told her it was a lie.
“You took a hard fall. Stay there.” His words were almost harsh, but his touch was gentle when he brushed her hair away from her face. She fought the urge to lean her cheek into his palm. Everything about this man made her react.
Her original assessment that the two of them were destined to burn up the sheets was dead on. She really wanted to try him on for size. She’d bet he fit just fine. “I’m really all right, Chief.”
“Price. You’ll call me Price.” His other arm slid under her bent knees and lifted her as he stood.
She squeaked and clutched his shoulders. His soft T-shirt bunched in her fingers as she held on tight. “Don’t drop me.”
A wicked grin flashed over his face before he focused on her eyes. Some of her panic must have shown because he cuddled her closer. “Not a chance, sugar.”
“Is she all right, Chief Delacroix?” Mrs. Chambers, the biggest gossip in town, reined in her wiener dog and stared at the two of them.
“Oh, she’s fine. Ma’am.” He dipped his head in a nod, dismissing the older woman while he turned to walk up the driveway in front of the big Victorian on the corner. She sighed in envy when she saw it.
She glanced over his shoulder at Mrs. Chambers. An avid gleam entered the older woman’s eyes as he mounted the porch. Pitching her voice low, Aubrey had to warn him. “Look, I know you’re new in town, but Mrs. Chambers—”
He nudged the front door of his house open, and then kicked it shut behind them. “Will spread it all over town that I carried you into my house? And will probably embellish it by saying that I practically stripped you on the sidewalk and fucked you against the street lamp.”

Samhain Publishing, Ltd.

It’s all about the story…

Action/Adventure
Fantasy
Historical
Horror
Mainstream
Mystery/Suspense
Non-Fiction
Paranormal
Red Hots!
Romance
Science Fiction
Western
Young Adult

www.samhainpublishing.com

Wyszukiwarka

Podobne podstrony:
winter crosswords
Winterm
Winter Storms
Gra Memory Ubrania na zimę (Winter clothing)
Hayden Thorne – The Winter Garden
Heine Deutschland Ein Wintermärchen

więcej podobnych podstron