Deadly Attraction (3 page)

Her body responded to Michael’s kisses and the way he
caressed her bare breasts, kneading them gently before sweeping the pads of his
thumbs over her puckered nipples.

She desperately wanted to feel him inside her and when he
broke their kiss, she whispered, “Make love to me.”

“Yes,” he murmured back. Though it wasn’t Michael’s voice
she heard.

The dream took a wayward turn as a thick shaft filled her
aching pussy. Jade’s body moved with the stranger’s as he filled and stretched
her. His features changed, from Michael’s athletic physique to an even more
muscular one. Wider shoulders, larger biceps, stronger back.

He was a mammoth of a man, in every way. Jade’s cunt
clenched his hard cock as their hips undulated in a slow, sexy rhythm. Her
palms moved over his sinewy backside and cupped his ass cheeks, as much as her
hands could manage, because he was huge from head to toe.

She couldn’t see his face, given that it was buried in the
crook of her neck. His mouth was on her throat and he nipped softly at her
sensitive flesh, then soothed the love bites with his teasing tongue and warm
lips. Jade moaned and it seemed to encourage him. He thrust into her, driving
deep, hitting all the right spots along the way.

Her body bowed off the bed in her need to get closer to him.
She shifted one hand from his backside and wove her fingers through his thick,
obsidian-colored hair. The tension mounted within her and mixed with the desire
flooding her veins.

“You feel so good,” she told him.

His low groan resonated in the quiet room and within her.
“I’ve wanted you for so long.”

“I’ve
needed
you for so long,” she admitted.

Though she had no idea who he was. In her dream, it didn’t
matter. He was strapping and powerful and that turned her on. He was also a
skilled lover, with confidence and an uncanny familiarity of what she craved.
Her clit tingled and her heart hungered for a kiss she knew would be passionate
and all-consuming.

As his full, deep thrusts pushed her closer to the edge, she
begged, “Kiss me.”

His mouth crashed over hers. There was nothing tentative
about his searing liplock. No uncertainty. No holding back. As his tongue
delved into her mouth while his cock continued to stroke her inner walls, Jade
felt the erotic sensations inside her soar to all-new heights.

She was desperate for the glorious release she knew he’d
give her, but did not want to let go of the fiery sensations burning within
her. Nor did she want to relinquish her hold on him or end their impassioned
kiss. Everything about her phantom lover sparked her desire and she wanted to
stop time and simply savor the most stimulating, exciting and stirring moment
of her life.

But he continued to plunge into her slick, wet depths, and
as his strokes became shorter and more forceful and his kiss turned aggressive
and demanding, Jade lost herself in the magnificent sensations swelling within
her until they reached a breaking point and burst wide open.

She tore her mouth from his as a sharp cry wrenched from her
lips and echoed in her ears. She held her lover to her as her body quaked and
her pussy clutched him tight.

Astonishingly, over the thundering of her heart and the
raging of her pulse, she was able to hear four words whispered in a strained
tone.

“Jade, I want you.”

And then he came inside her, flooding her cunt with his hot
seed as his body convulsed.

Another earth-shattering orgasm rocked Jade so hard, she
snapped awake, her eyes flying open. The sensation between her legs was vibrant
and her pussy throbbed from both the release and the need to feel in reality
what she’d experienced in her dream. She stared at the ceiling, her breath
coming in heavy pulls.

The climax slowly ebbed, but her breathing remained ragged.
She sat up and glanced around the room, almost certain she’d find her mystery
lover lounging in the chair in the corner or stoking the fire in all his naked
glory. As though he were real.

But, no. Jade was alone in her cottage in the north woods.
As always.

Or was she?

A sharp grunt from outside drew her attention. Untangling
herself from the covers that she’d mangled in her restless sleep, she shoved
her feet into her worn slippers and raced to the double doors in her bedroom
that led to a covered patio overlooking the river. She threw open one door and
stepped out onto the cobblestones, lightly sprinkled with snow that had blown in
from the sides.

Jade gripped a stone column. Her body shivered from not only
her fantasy and the orgasm that had transcended it, but also because she knew
someone had been close to her house while she’d slept. Her eyes scoured the
area with the help of the glittery rays from a near-full moon that hung in the
now-cloudless sky. The snow had stopped falling, but the storm had left behind
a good two feet of powder, as she’d suspected it would earlier.

There
. Her gaze locked on a patch of snow. Across the
river and to the west, she saw the indentation of horse hooves. The tracks led
from the northern edge of the narrow river—the opposite bank from hers—into the
wide, thick stretch of forest that lined the base of the ridge where the Demon
King’s castle stood.

An icy breeze blew across the land, ruffling her hair and
billowing the skirt of her nightgown. And carried with it the neigh of a horse.

Chapter Three

Around nine a.m., a very disturbed Jade headed toward the
village library, carefully carrying two mugs of piping hot coffee from the shop
on the corner. Extra large, since she’d gotten little sleep after her intense
dream and the discovery of the tracks outside her house. Even the release from
her orgasms hadn’t calmed her enough to help her relax.

She pushed the unlatched door open with her shoulder and
entered the small building.

Lisette Bordeaux sat at a desk made of pine and glanced up
from the book she’d been reading. ”You’re early.”

“I was tired of pacing the cottage. I nearly wore the
floorboards out.” She set the cups on the desk and slipped out of her jacket.

Lisette asked, “What are you so pensive about? You look as
though you’ve seen a ghost.”

“Not
seen
,” Jade deadpanned as she sank into the
comfy chair across from her friend. “Followed by.”

Lisette’s homely face fell. “A wraith? One of the king’s?”

“Do you know of any others that would haunt our woods?”

“Oh dear,” the older woman said as she patted her gray bun
and then placed her hand over her fleshy neck, as though in distress.

Lisette was pushing seventy but was still agile and quite
healthy. She’d been in her mid-thirties when the demon wars had erupted and
she’d regaled Jade on numerous occasions with stories of pre-war life.

Aside from the technology that sounded too good to be true,
there had been automobiles and airplanes. Movie theaters, concert halls,
casinos, resorts, restaurants, cruise ships—all of which she’d discussed and
described in great detail.

Most of all, there’d been freedom. Something Lisette had
lost more so than anyone else in the village, including the other elders who’d
lived in the time of the mortals’ reign.

With the Demon King restricting her reading materials and
legally binding her use of magical powers, Lisette was nothing more than a
caretaker of historical books and the narrator of a world it seemed impossible
to rebuild.

What Jade found most interesting about Lisette’s wealth of
information was that very few people in the village took advantage of the ideas
and innovations of which she spoke or those contained within the pages of the
resource volumes on the shelves. As though no one wanted to remember, or
believe in, the way humans had lived not more than thirty-five years ago.

Had this been a bookstore, Lisette would have surely been
out of business her first week.

“Tell me why you would be followed,” she demanded, her
shrewd, light-brown eyes narrowing on Jade. “Have you done anything wrong?”

“Of course not,” Jade replied, indignant. “I do what
everyone else does. I get up in the morning, I do some chores, wash myself and
my clothes, eat a meal or two and then go to work. I come home, I go to sleep
and repeat the process the next day. On my day off, I read books. Pretty simple
stuff.”

Naturally, she refrained from adding fantasizing to her
agenda. She didn’t want to think of the dream she’d had last night. It had been
too real, too potent. The emotional and physical pull had been too strong not
to give in to it. One of the reasons she’d lost so much sleep the previous
evening.

“Have you
said
anything?” Lisette leaned toward her,
eyeing her curiously.

“What could I possibly have to say that hasn’t already been
said by someone in this village?” She threw her hands up in the air. “Let’s
face it, there’s very little left to talk about, except to debate how best to
grow vegetables and herbs inside during the winter months.”

They canned and pickled the majority of necessities. Meat
had been scarce, she’d heard, in the early years, but had become more abundant
with the return of wildlife.

“Hmm.” Lisette shifted in her chair, settling more
comfortably before reaching for her coffee. She took a sip, then said, “How
many demons had you crossed paths with before you realized you were being
followed?”

Jade thought back a month or two. “I’ve yet to see a
vampire, that I’m aware of, since they reportedly keep to the castle where
there’s plenty of human blood stored up from the wars.”

She shuddered to think the preserved blood of her ancestors
fed them.

Continuing, she added, “I’ve noticed three shifters in the
woods, on different occasions—one bobcat, two wolves. Abnormally sized, so they
were easy to spot. And I’ve seen horned demons in the village. Several of them,
again during varying intervals. Never more than two at a time. I’m not good at
identifying their exact species.”

Lisette seemed to take this all under consideration, then
asked, “Any interactions with them?”

“No, but…they always watch me closely. Even if I’m just
passing by.” She thought of the horned demons in particular and added, “They
seem curious. Almost skeptical of me.”

“Questioning something about you,” the witch mumbled as her
eyelids drifted closed.

Instantly alarmed, Jade said, “Lisette! No magic!”

Her eyes snapped open and she sighed dramatically. “How else
do you expect me to tap into their mystical realm and find out what motivation
there would be to keep tabs on you?”

“Do not use your magic, Lisette,” Jade said in a slow,
measured tone. “If the Demon King were to find out—”

“Oh pish-posh.” She gave a dismissive wave of her wrinkled
and age spot-riddled hand. “I’m not getting any younger. Let him punish me. He
can’t strip my powers from me.”

“But he can imprison you, damn it, so lay off.” Crossing her
arms over her chest, Jade added, “Besides, I don’t want you getting into
trouble because of me. Something’s brewing and I’m going to start snooping
around myself to find out what.”

Concern crossed the older woman’s face. “Now, Jade, don’t go
doing anything—”

The door to the library suddenly swung open with force and
made a resounding thud as it slammed into the wall.

Jade jumped to her feet and faced the intruder—Max Wilkins,
the butcher. A flurry of snow followed him in as he said, in a terse voice,
“Come to the town hall, immediately. Something terrible has happened.”

He was out the door in the next moment, not bothering to
close it. Jade turned back to a stricken Lisette. “What do you suppose that’s
all about?”

“I don’t know,” the witch said. “But something tells me it
will eventually come around to involving you.”

Jade’s stomach coiled. “Please don’t say that.”

Lisette stood. She rounded her desk and moved toward the
coat rack in the corner. After bundling up, she added, “We don’t have a lot of
coincidences or intrigues as a rule in this village. If you’re being tracked,
it probably has something to do with whatever Max is spouting off about.”

Jade instantly thought of Michael. Her stalker had seen them
together, in a potentially compromising position. What if he’d gone after
Michael and that was why she hadn’t sensed the predator’s presence until much
later, after her dream?

Her heart hammered in her chest. She raced outside and
rushed toward the hall, which doubled as a spiritual gathering place on
Sundays. She left Lisette behind, knowing her friend would have ample company
as the villagers closed their shops and filled the sidewalks, making their way
to the meeting place.

Jade stormed into the entryway with apologies as she nudged
past the small conglomeration and then burst into the open common area.
Mismatched chairs were always set to receive the populace of a hundred or so
and Jade hurried down the main aisle. In front of the classroom setup was a
long table with two upholstered chairs. The slayers sat there, arms folded over
their chests as they waited for the others to take their seats.

Moving forward, Jade planted her hands on the sturdy wooden
table and leaned toward them, demanding, “What’s happened?”

“Now, Jade,” Walker Marks said in a strained tone, his
scarred face stoic. “You’ll have to wait to hear the news when we announce it.”

Frayed nerves urged her on. “This has something to do with
the demons, doesn’t it?”

“Jade,” Tanner Monroe, the younger of the two slayers, said
in a clipped voice. “Don’t create mass hysteria. Sit. Wait. Listen.” When she
didn’t budge, he added, “Please?”

Agitated, she straightened and whirled around. Her gaze
landed on Michael and she sighed with relief. Hurrying over to him, she grabbed
him by the hands and said, “Thank God you’re okay. I was thinking you might
have been under further surveillance last night.”

“Not that I’m aware of,” he told her. His expression was as
grave as hers likely was. “We don’t have impromptu community meetings unless
something tragic has happened. What do you know?”

“Nothing. Neither Walker nor Tanner will tell me anything.”

She was probably the only one in the village who could
insist they share their information with her, given the fact she was the
daughter of the man designated leader of Ryleigh when he’d established the
village of survivors. After her father’s death, however, the slayers—at that
time being Walker, along with Tanner’s uncle—had stepped in to govern the
community.

She often wondered if it was her destiny to fill her
father’s empty shoes. But then she questioned what the point would be, given
the tyranny under which they lived.

Michael directed her to the chairs they traditionally
occupied in the second row on the left, behind the eldest members of the
community. She stripped off her jacket, knowing the bodies filling the hall and
the blaze in the two fireplaces would be sufficient to warm her. Maybe too
much, since she wore a thick sweater, leather pants and boots, all in black.

Lisette joined them, as always, despite the fact she could
have sat with the elders. There weren’t many of them left and they were, on
whole, a stodgy group. Jade knew Lisette preferred the vitality of youth and
therefore hunkered down with her and Michael.

With her knee bouncing from nervous anxiety, Jade said, “The
suspense is going to kill me.”

Michael draped an arm over the back of her chair, an
unexpected move. He placed his other hand on her vibrating knee to still it.
“Relax, will you?” His placating tone sounded forced. He was as disturbed as
she was, but apparently he fought to control his emotions while hers ran
rampant. “It could be something as minimal as a new curfew.”

The friendly touch on her leg and his soothing voice did
little to calm her. “Yeah, and post-war children believe in the ridiculous
notion of the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny.”

“Hey, I remember when your dad had you sold on Santa Claus.”

She winced. They didn’t speak of their families as a rule.
Neither one enjoyed rehashing the travesties of the past. Though admittedly,
Michael had her on this one.

“How can you not love the idea of a jolly old man who washes
down sugar cookies with a big glass of milk and has a belly that shakes like a
bowl full of jelly?”

Michael chuckled, low and deep. She liked the sound. It made
her less preoccupied with all the dark drama of late, including that
scorching-hot dream she’d had about a man she’d never seen. One she didn’t even
know.

Once the villagers had all filed in and taken their places,
both of the slayers at the front of the room stood.

The noise, however, didn’t dissipate. Seemed the concern
over an emergency meeting had gotten the best of everyone, not just Jade. The
speculation and anticipation filled the room, creating a loud din Walker Marks
wasn’t able to contain with the mere gesturing of his hand for silence. Several
moments slid by and Jade jumped to her feet.

“Stop!” she cried out. “Everyone stop talking!”

The conversations instantly died. Jade glanced around the
cavernous room, the people gathered about staring expectantly at her. As though
she truly were the leader of the village.

“Thank you,” she said. Then returned to her chair.

“Nice work, Jade,” Tanner mumbled.

Walker said, “We’re here this morning because there’s been
an accident. I don’t want you to read anything into it. Just let us share the
facts with you and please don’t interrupt.”

He gave Jade a pointed look. She shrugged her shoulder.
No
promises
.

Tanner said, “I found a body on my patrol early this
morning.”

This created an instant uproar. Jade shot to her feet again
as voices erupted around her. Her mere presence managed to quell the noise.

Turning to Tanner, she demanded, “Human or demon?”

“Human.”

Again with the public outburst, until Jade lifted her hand
to quiet them.

“Who?”

Walker shifted uncomfortably on his booted feet. “Jinx.”

Jade’s heart stammered. She couldn’t speak for several tense
moments. Then, on a sharp breath of air, she whispered, “No.”

“I’m afraid so,” Walker continued. “We found him in the
south woods. I immediately spoke to King Darien about it.”

“You said it was an accident,” Jade commented, her voice
shaky as she waded through muddled thoughts and her shocked disbelief. Tears
stung the backs of her eyes. “Why would the king need to know about this?”

“Because,” Tanner said, a pained look on his face, “it was a
demon who accidentally killed him.”

This had the entire room up in arms once more.

Jade’s head spun. Her body quaked. She reached for Michael
and he was suddenly on his feet, his hand on her arm to help steady her.

Walker and Tanner tried to control the instantly horrified
crowd. Jade barely heard anything over the pounding of her pulse in her ears. And
her heartbreak over losing Jinx. He’d been like a grandfather to her. A funny,
carefree spirit who told zany fortunes when one felt blue and always had a
smile on his face, no matter how grim things seemed.

Jade fought back her tears and tamped down her emotions, as
she always did when her feelings became unbearable.