Unending Desire: Outlawed Realm, Book 1 (3 page)

Regina knew she was staring openly but couldn’t help herself. She guessed him to be in his mid-thirties and of foreign descent, possibly Greek or Middle Eastern ancestry.

Did he work in this building? Where? What floor? Who was he? Why hadn’t she ever noticed him?

He certainly wasn’t a man a woman could ignore.

The barista who’d waited on Regina delivered his order with a suggestive smile, clearly interested in him. He seemed not to notice her flirting as he handed over a twenty. Regarding him closely, Regina saw that the shoulders of his coat weren’t damp from the rain. Neither was his hair. Had he bought the coffee to take on his drive home? Did a wife and children await him in one of Seattle’s countless suburbs?

Chewing her lower lip, Regina checked out his large hands and long fingers. Naked. No ring.

She was unbelievably pleased, an obviously crazy reaction. It was possible his culture didn’t believe in the men wearing wedding bands. Even if he was single, she didn’t know him. Other than being in this coffeehouse at the same time, their paths would probably never cross again. They would never speak or touch.

To Regina’s surprise, brutal reality didn’t stop her. Fevered and wanting, she considered going up to him and starting a conversation. About what? With lightning speed, her mind considered and rejected numerous topics—the delicious pastry in the display case, the depressing weather, what films currently played. Through it all, persistent warmth engulfed Regina, a curious sensation of desire and well-being that continued to grow and draw her to him.

With his order in hand, he turned, looking directly at her. No one else.

Regina’s body softened with a rush of delight…an invisible connection between them. The psychologist in her knew it was ridiculous to consider such a thing. The woman in her didn’t care. She held his gaze, as dark as his hair, his irises sparkling in the tame lighting.

A whimper of pleasure bubbled in Regina’s throat.

Behind him, a middle-aged woman knocked his arm as she moved past to place her order. His focus remained on Regina, his manner composed yet commanding, his expression unguarded, filled with what appeared to be wonder.

Around them, people laughed and spoke, lights blinked, rain tapped the windows, the sounds resembling drumming fingernails. An instrumental piece flowed from the sound system, a tenor sax wailing sensuously.

Locking her knees, Regina leaned against her table for support.

He didn’t break their unspoken attachment. With an easy stride, he approached her table.

A current of expectation tore through Regina, tightening her nipples. She lifted her face, helpless in his presence.

He smiled.

At its comfort and beauty, her heart turned over.

He gestured toward her table. “Do you mind if I join you?” Regarding the area past her, he added, “It’s very crowded tonight.”

In his smooth, deep baritone, Regina caught the trace of an accent. Not Greek or Middle Eastern as she’d suspected but from some unknown locale. Managing a swallow, she cleared her throat and murmured, “Not at all. Please do.”
Really, please.

Again, he focused on her. Only her. As if no one else existed.

Something inside Regina shifted, magnifying her sense of sight and sound, her pressing need to be close. She ached to touch him, wondering if he suspected as much and had noticed how her words caught. She had no doubt he saw her desire.

“Thanks.” He rested his cup on the table.

Unwilling to stop herself, Regina offered her hand, their fingertips nearly touching. “Hi. I’m Regina Page.”

Tell me who you are.

Nikoli glanced at Regina’s hand, chiding himself for having followed her here, for wanting to be near her before Sazaar arrived. A foolhardy act that wouldn’t change anything. It wasn’t as though he could tell Regina what to expect. A horror she wouldn’t believe until it unfolded before her.

Fearful of behaving inappropriately, of running her off and losing his only chance to be this close, Nikoli lifted his hand. After weeks of fantasizing about touching her, he cautioned himself to temper his reaction.

The warning did little good.

Longing he’d never experienced stole his breath as he clasped her exquisitely soft fingers, his thumb stroking hers.

Lids sliding down, Regina parted her lips on a quiet sigh. Color rose to her cheeks, the same as it had this morning in her bath when he’d watched her, hungering to touch and taste every inch of her flesh. To smell it. A pleasure unknown in his dimension.

On E2, sterile air replaced all fragrances, a matter deemed necessary to keep the populace disease-free. Here, the scent of food, drink and muggy rain bombarded Nikoli. Even so, it wasn’t enough to keep him from catching Regina’s fragrance. Light and faintly sweet, it reminded him of what her people called vanilla and peaches.

Blood rushed to his groin, pooling in his cock. Another word from her realm. A language Nikoli had learned over the years as he’d monitored the spontaneously occurring portals, never realizing he’d someday cross through one he had created into a dimension more electrifying than he could have ever imagined.

Time passed more swiftly here than it did on his plane. As people moved about, their bodies seemed to blur. The vibrant colors dazzled when compared to his realm’s somber hues, making Nikoli slightly dizzy, the same as touching her.

“Regina,” he repeated, enjoying the sound of her name. He glanced at her fiery red hair, gold earrings—the color of stars on his side—soft gray sweater and black pants.

Gently, she squeezed his hand, her expression soft with arousal. “And you are?”

There was no need to lie. Tonight would be their only time together. Tomorrow, Regina would be safe, and he would surely be dead. Even if he escaped harm from Sazaar, Andris and the others, death awaited him on his return to E2. Fear or sorrow should have overwhelmed Nikoli. Instead, gratitude for this small slice of time, this moment of unrestricted joy, quickened his answer. “Nikoli Zorr.”

Regina moved her lips as though testing his name. Her resultant smile said she liked it. “Nikoli.” Her iris’s green tint was darker now, lushly verdant in the room’s scant light. She studied his features. “It sounds Russian. Were you born there?”

Prepared for her questions, he continued to lie. “My parents emigrated from a small isolated village in Romania. They brought me over when I was twelve. I’m afraid our accent is quite unique.”

“It fits you,” she said. “Do you work here?” She glimpsed at his shoulders. “Are you on your way home?”

“Sir?”

Nikoli glanced over at the young woman who had waited on him. She regarded Regina’s hand in his, then flashed him a hungry smile.

Unmoved by her seduction, growing cautious, he said, “Yes?”

“You forgot your change.” She rested a series of bills and circular coins near his cup, then regarded him, her expression expectant.

Nikoli wasn’t certain how to respond. Of the currency he’d stolen, he hadn’t known how much to offer for the drink. Overwhelmed at seeing Regina, at being close enough to hear her speak, he’d watched her hand over a bill for her order but hadn’t noticed if she’d received anything back.

“Thank you,” he said.

Brows drawn together, the girl glanced at the bills.

Nikoli sensed she wanted them back. Why, he didn’t know. Taking a chance, he slid the one on top toward her to see what would happen.

“Thank
you,”
she said, pocketing it. Ponytail swinging, she hurried back to her station.

“Wow. You’re a good tipper,” Regina said, arching one brow.

Nikoli wasn’t certain what she meant. His only answer was the truth. “I wanted her to leave.” He smiled. “It was the only way I knew to get rid of her.”

Regina laughed.

The carefree, tinkling sound stroked Nikoli’s soul. With great care, he squeezed her fingers.

Regina’s expression grew distracted, her smile fading as she glanced at their hands, her fingers hugging his. Not caring if he acted recklessly, Nikoli held on to her for a few seconds more.

After he released her, Regina wrapped her fingers around her cup. She asked again, “Do you work in this building?”

“On the third floor,” he offered, lying easily, giving her the name of one of the companies he’d passed on the way down here.

Nodding, Regina captured a bit of the drink’s whipped cream on her fingertip, then brought it to her mouth, licking it off.

The back of his neck tingled.

“Do you own the company?” she asked.

His attention remained on her mouth, the promise of its wet heat beyond her plump bottom lip. He imagined his tongue stroking her lips, parting them, seeking entrance. Once claimed, he pictured Regina offering even more of herself. On her knees, she’d take his cock into her velvety palms, lifting it to her mouth, drawing it inside, providing shelter, elation, completion. Sounding distracted, he said, “Yes.”

“What business are you in, Nikoli?”

The shameless images in his mind evaporated with her question. Stalling for an answer, his knowledge of this realm, he peeled off the white circular cover on the top of his cup and placed it to the side. A word popped in his mind, one he’d seen quite a few times on this plane. “Consulting.”

“On what?”

His pulse pounded. He thought back to things he’d seen here. “Computer software designs.”

Regina’s quick nod told Nikoli he hadn’t said anything strange.

She smiled. “My system could certainly use some expert help. Carly’s always complaining about how we need to move my accounting and other files into the twenty-first century. Sad to say, I’ve let her whine without really doing anything to fix the problem. I figured she could just live with it since she’s my only employee, kind of a combination bookkeeper-receptionist-secretary. But hey, if you know software, maybe you can give me a couple of tips on what I need to do.”

Sweat trickled down Nikoli’s back. He had no idea what to suggest. The systems on this side were centuries behind the advancements on his. “Of course, but I generally work with large firms with hundreds of employees.” To take the focus off himself, he asked, “What business are you in, Regina?”

“I’m a psychologist.” She ran her fingertip over the food she’d been eating. Small, delicate flakes fell from it onto the countertop. “I deal with anxiety disorders.”

He offered a nod of encouragement. “I admire anyone who helps others with their problems. Your work must be very rewarding.”

Appreciation for his comment radiated from her. “I certainly try to help all that I can. Unfortunately, I’m not always successful.”

He thought of Sazaar and was careful to keep himself from sounding worried. “It’s understandable that some can’t be helped.”

Regina offered a rueful smile. “I’ll have to remember that when I’m feeling badly about a failure. Now that I know you work here, perhaps I can ask you for a pep talk from time to time.”

He spoke without thinking. “A pep talk?”

“A word of support,” she amended.

“Of course.” With his full attention on her, he spoke from the heart, offering a future they didn’t have. “Always.”

A soft heat emanated from her, the kind a woman on this side showed when she wanted a man. “Are you on your way home, Nikoli?”

Surprised at her question, not knowing why she asked, he shook his head.

She glanced at his coat, confusion sparking in her expression as though she’d expected him to leave.

“There’s a matter I have to attend to,” he said, being deliberately vague, “but I still have work to do and planned to return shortly.”

Naked pleasure shone on her face.

It pleased him as nothing else ever had. “Are you going home?” he asked.

“I have one last patient in a few minutes.” She nibbled on the edge of her food, then returned it to the white square it had rested on—what her people called a napkin. Brushing crumbs from the side of her mouth, she said, “The appointment will be over in an hour. If you don’t have to work past seven fifteen or so, would you care to have dinner with me?” She lowered her hand to the table, waiting for his answer.

His mouth had already gone dry. Her words rang in his mind.

I have one last patient.

Sazaar. For weeks, he’d watched his mate arrive at Regina’s office, then struggle to disclose her abominable secrets. Thus far, Sazaar hadn’t revealed anything about Andris and the others. Tonight, she would. Nikoli sensed it. Feared it.

Once Regina learned what no human was meant to know, Sazaar would destroy her. She’d have no other choice. And then Regina would die, or she’d become—

“It’s okay,” she said, cutting into his thoughts, sounding both embarrassed and disappointed. “If you’re busy, I understand. I’m sure you’ve already made other plans. I realize we’re strangers. I just thought…” At last, her words faded away.

A mixture of sorrow and desire buffeted Nikoli. He spoke without pause. “I’d enjoy having dinner with you, Regina. I can’t imagine anything more pleasurable or a better way to stop being strangers.”

Her brows lifted in obvious surprise, and then the corners of her eyes crinkled slightly with her wide smile. “Wonderful. Then it’s a date.”

One they’d never experience. Denying sadness, caught up in the wonder of her joy, he also smiled. “Yes. A date.”

She reached past him for the metal container containing the napkins.

“Allow me,” he said. Pulling several free, Nikoli handed them over, his fingers touching, lingering on hers. Regina’s color heightened. Heat poured through him.

“Would you like me to meet you at your office, or do you want to come to mine?” she asked.

The warmth receded. His mind raced, struggling for an appropriate answer. “My office is behind a secured entrance.” He continued to describe his laboratory on E2. “You couldn’t get past the hall without proper access. I wouldn’t want to ask you to wait outside the door for me. Nor would I want to embarrass your patient by showing up if the individual hadn’t yet left. Perhaps meeting down here would be best, at the inside entrance near the elevators.”

She balled up the napkins and placed them on the table. “Seven fifteen, then, here.”