Dark Tide (A Mated by Magic Novel) (7 page)

Josh grabbed two full champagne flutes and made his way back through the swirling mist and onto the deck.

“Where’ve you been?” Alex trailed her fingers down his silk sleeve when he handed her one of the glasses. “I was starting to think you ran off on me.”

“I’m a little embarrassed, but I’m starting to feel a bit sea sick.” He leaned over the railing and searched the night, hoping for a sign that Maya had made it safely back to her boat.

Perfectly sculpted red lips pouted. “You’re not going to abandon me, are you? The party is just starting. And I still want to introduce you to some people.”

Was she aware of who owned the yacht? At this point, nothing would surprise him. The woman was a viper, a cougar, and should be kept close. And, if she was working with Gregor, Josh had to find out their plans before night’s end.

He turned, sipping the excellent Dom, and tried not to flinch when her hand dipped low to cup his balls.

“Stay and I’ll make it worth your while.” With a wink and a Cheshire grin, she squeezed hard.

He gasped, saw stars, and choked back a retort that surely would’ve given him away.

Thankfully, before he could create a thought, let alone a coherent sentence, a robust, middle-aged man arrived and turned to Josh, “My apologies.”

With an imperial wave, he signaled for her to follow. “Dr. Williams, can I borrow you for a moment?”

Alex dropped her hand, paled, then stammered, “Of c-c-course.” She glanced over a bare shoulder at Josh. “Don’t leave yet. I won’t be long.”

He gave a noncommittal nod.

Alex disappeared inside, leaving him alone.

He took a quick survey of the well-dressed crowd. There didn’t seem to be any connection other than dirty money among the attendees. Witches mingled among humans and half-breeds. He recognized a few faces, and by the occasional raised eyebrows in his direction, they knew of him as well.

Maya was right, he was in danger. His family name could only protect him so far. He didn’t know what game Alex was playing, but he figured it was one of two things. Either the woman was using him as leverage or as bait.

Neither option sat well.

Angry voices drew his attention to the far side of the ship, where the lights were dim.

“…I didn’t hire her, sir. I’m not sure how–”

A deeper voice interrupted the treble. “I want her found. Someone said they saw the little water witch snooping around below deck.”

Fuck
. He had no doubt they were talking about Maya.

When the men walked past, he moved to the railing, keeping his head down.

The reckless, stubborn woman was going to get herself killed, or worse.

Another crewmember ran up from below deck and joined the other two. “We’ve searched the ship. She’s gone.”

The heavy voice growled, “How can she be gone? We’re in the middle of the goddamn ocean.”

“I don’t know, sir.”

Josh exhaled the breath he’d been holding. She had luck on her side, he’d give her that.

“Send the surveillance tapes to Anton. I want the witch identified and brought to me. Understood?”

“Yes, sir.” The man scurried away.

Damn
. That luck may have just run out.

He needed to get off the boat, warn Maya and her family. Gregor’s men would have her image pulled off the internet and identified within the hour. She stepped in some serious shit, and he had a feeling he was about to be dragged into it with her.

Maya paced between the widescreen TV and leather recliner in Josh’s rental. On the wall, the backlit clock ticked loudly, hands pointing to half past three.
Damn
. He still wasn’t back.

Her stomach turned, having a pretty good idea of what he was doing and who he was doing it with.

She wouldn’t even be here if she hadn’t found something on that yacht. Something he had to see. Maybe she should’ve brought it to her father, told him the truth of where she’d been, but her gut feelings had brought her here.

But then, when had her gut feelings ever been right?

A floodlight broke through the blinds, creating white lines that drifted across the dark room. She jumped, leaned over the back of the sectional, and gazed out the back window.

Willy barked beside her.

“Stop it.”

He gave a small snort and crouched down at her feet, bright eyes expectant.

How pathetic did she look, sitting there, waiting for Josh in the dark? But she couldn’t take any chances of someone else seeing her there.

She continued to peer through the slats as Josh tied the boat to the dock and sauntered up the dock.

Hell, even his walk was sexy. 

She stood and hissed when the door opened, “Where’ve you been?”

A huge red ball of flames shot up out of his right palm, bathing the open rooms in orange light.

“Shit, Maya.” He shut his fist and the room went dark. “You don’t sneak up on someone like that.”

Blinking repeatedly to remove the streak burned into her retina, she said, “Sorry. I’ve been waiting–”

“Do you have any idea how much trouble you’re in?” The loose bow tie tore away from his neck and he tossed it on the kitchen counter.

With open palms, she inched forward. “Listen. I know I shouldn’t have gone there, but when you hear what I found–”

“I’ve spent the last three hours trying to track you down.” His hand raked over the stubble on his chin, and worried eyes regarded her.

“I’ve been here.”

He grabbed a bottle of Perrier out of the fridge, guzzled it down, and turned with furrowed brows. “And you don’t answer your phone?”

Her right hand went to the empty back pocket of her jeans. “I must’ve left it in my boat.”

“A boat that’s supposed to have a tracking device?” He put the bottle down, and her neck strained in order to meet his dark expression.

“I turned it off. Hid it in the mangroves. Wait. How did you know that?”

“Your father and I have–”

“My father? You told him?” A moan escaped.

“Yeah.” He took another step toward her, fire returned, this time blazing in his eyes. “When one of the most notorious Russian clan leaders is after his daughter, I thought it was a good idea to let him know.”

“What’re you talking about? No one saw me.” To reassure herself, she retraced the night in her mind’s eye. She was certain.

“Cameras. Maya. They’ve got you on video sneaking around below deck. If they haven’t identified you yet, they will soon.”

Cold fear prickled her skin.

She sat and mumbled, “I was wearing a hat.”

It sounded lame, even to her own ears.

He sat beside her on the sectional, making her bounce. “It’s not a matter of if, but when they come after you. You need to get somewhere safe.”

“No.” She shook her head. “I’m the next in line to become clan leader. I can’t run.”

“You can’t
fight
, either. These guys are strong.” His hand shot to her knee.

She ignored the sexual heat and countered, “So am I.”

He wouldn’t be able to imagine her strength, and she wasn’t about to tell him. Not now.

“So you’re going to fight the Russians alone?” Josh sighed, as fingers tightened around her leg.

“No. I’m going to fight them with you.”

He lowered his chin and narrowed his eyes. “You’re incorrigible, you know that?”

“I don’t know what that means, but I’ll take it as a compliment.”

“It wasn’t meant as one,” he grumbled and thankfully removed his hand.

She shrugged. “When I was below deck, I found a room where papers were scattered on a large desk and pinned on the wall. Most of it looked like gibberish. Russian probably. But there were diagrams. Maps. Bios. Hundreds of them.”

“That doesn’t tell us anything.”

When he rose and started to leave, she held him in place by his shirt tail. “Wait. But I recognized one of the profiles. Abigail Skinner. She’s a half-breed water witch. Her father is a member of my clan. Mother is human. I think I can get her to talk.”

A frown followed by a negative shake of his head indicated he didn’t buy anything of what she was selling. “If she’s hooked up with Gregor, she can’t be trusted.”

“I know her. She’s a good kid.”
What is it with this bloke?

Josh’s lips tightened, then he nodded and sighed. “All right. We’ll go talk to her tomorrow. But right now I need to call your father and let him know you’re safe.”

He walked over to the counter where he dropped his bag, and pulled out a phone.

“I can do that from the boat.” She stood, snapped for Willy, and his ears perked. Then he padded to the sliding glass door, waiting expectantly.

“You’re not going anywhere.” Josh followed, blocking the door.

With brows raised, she turned and asked, “Excuse me?”

“I promised your father I would protect you until we figured things out. That means you stay here, with me.” He gripped her chin, forcing her to look up at him. “Plus, I think we need to have a little conversation about what happened tonight.”

At his touch, her knees went weak, her body trembled, and she stuttered, “Th-There’s nothing to discuss.”

Damn him.

“I’m not looking for a mate.” Wide eyes, almost black, bore a hole into her.

“I didn’t say you were,” she snapped.
This again?
She jerked her chin away and took an unsteady step back.

“No, but your body says something different.” He stood so close that his radiating heat warmed her and his masculine scent intoxicated.

She practically melted.

No, she couldn’t deny what he said was true. Her body did crave him, and not just for sex, for something deeper. And there was nothing deeper than the mating bond.

It took a ton of will power to try to sound uninterested. “I can’t control that urge to mate. Trust me, if I could, you’d be the last person I’d choose.”

He snorted. The man was so arrogant.

She pushed on his chest. “Bugger this. I shouldn’t’ve come here.”

“No you shouldn’t’ve.” One large arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her toward his hard body. His mouth crashed down on hers. Consuming her until she lost all form of thought.

When he pulled back his eyes were dark, dangerous, wanting.

Her brain turned to mush, her body vibrating with need. She wanted to struggle against him, but his pull left her weak. She needed to get the hell out of there. Clear her mind.

“I thought you said you didn’t want me,” she whispered, closing her eyes.

“I said I don’t want to mate with you. There’s a difference. It’s not solstice. There’s no chance of our powers merging.”

Her brain slowly registered what he was saying. “You want to have sex?”

His lips quirked up in a sexy grin. “Yes.”

“With me?”

He chuckled darkly, then lowered his lips to her neck, raking his teeth across the sensitive flesh.

“Yes, with you.”

Maya’s heart raced, slamming hard against her chest, as slick, wet heat dampened her thighs.

“We shouldn’t,” she said breathlessly.

“No, we shouldn’t,” he agreed, his hands roaming over her body, setting her skin on fire.

Traitorous hormones raged within her body. She’d had sex many times with different partners, but his touch was different. It ignited something within her, something she’d lost hope of ever finding.

“Just sex?”

His fingers pulled at her shirt hem, lifting it over her head.

“Just sex,” he murmured into the flesh by her ear.

She exhaled an unsteady breath. It could never be just sex. At least not for her. Their powers were too in tune, their bond undeniable.

Was she willing to risk losing her heart for carnal pleasure?

Brown eyes glimmered in the darkness, watching her, waiting for her consent.

Overwhelming craving won out over common sense. She gave a small nod, and it was all he needed.

His hands dove into her hair, his mouth crashed against hers, in a desperate kiss. Lips and tongues merged. His taste, his essence, traveled through her system like a potent drug, stripping away all self-control.

Their clothes lay discarded in a trail across the floor, leading to the bedroom.

The heat of his touch was unlike anything she’d ever experienced.

Even though it wasn’t solstice and their powers wouldn’t merge, his fire power raged inside her, aching to join.

By the time they made it to the bed, she was a trembling mess of arousal and lust.

“Lay back for me,” he said, his voice husky, and rough.

The soft satin of the bedspread cooled her skin, a sharp comparison to the heat that radiated off his mouth as he licked and kissed a trail down her breasts, stomach, hips and thighs. 

He cupped her breast, teasing the hard nipple. His other hand spread her thighs, while his mouth teased and tormented the sensitive flesh between her legs.

Her fingers dug into his shoulders, her clit throbbing in need. His gaze was on her, dark with intent, as his tongue began to tease the tortured little nub, sucking, licking, until she threw her head back and cried out his name, arching into the pleasure of it, riding the waves of her orgasm.

He moved over her, spreading her thighs with his knees. In the dim light, she could see the cocky grin on his face.

Hell, he had every reason to be smug.

When he entered her in one swift motion, his mouth collided with hers, devouring her breathless moan.

He filled her completely, and the sensation overpowered her. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move. It was so good.

“Maya.” He moaned her name on his lips like a prayer.

His hips rocked against hers and each stroke of his cock brought her to a new point of ecstasy. The tension continued to build with every thrust, until her body once again screamed for release.

“That’s it, Maya.” His voice was harsh, thick, filled with a desperation that matched hers. “Come for me.”

Her mouth opened in a soundless cry and her body convulsed, spasmed around the thick length of him. Suddenly, a storm of sensations exploded.

His own shuddering release spilled inside her, and intensified the last waves of her pleasure.

For a long moment, neither of them moved. She wasn’t sure she could even if she wanted to. Finally, with a heavy sigh, Josh rolled onto his back, pulling her against his side.

The gesture was more intimate than she’d hoped for, but she knew the rules. He’d made them clear.

Sex. That’s all this was. In a few weeks’ time he’d be gone, and she’d have to resume her life without him.

Fully satiated, she fell into a deep sleep, wondering if she would survive the heartbreak she knew was sure to come.