Secret Fantasies Read online

  She broke away, panting heavily. She wriggled her bound hands, “I want to touch your chest,” she pleaded, and smiling wickedly, he held her hands a moment longer, but then released her.

  She laughed breathlessly, reached out to hold his shoulders and raised herself, moaning at the friction their movements caused.

  “I never thought having my hands bound could be sexy,” she panted.

  They both moaned as she began lowering herself back down. Gavreel reached out and angled her hips, pulled her down faster, needing the extra stimulation.

  “We’ll get to that another time, maybe on the trip back,” he promised huskily. “We have an awful lot of things to experience and experiment with together.”

  He felt as if he were covered in sunshine as she smiled at him, radiant in her pleasure.

  “I need to come,” she said, her voice rough with its urgent need.

  Gavreel bent and captured one of her nipples in his mouth, pushing and pulling her hips to have her move on him in short, sharp bursts of speed. Gavreel held onto himself, fiercely keeping his own orgasm in check until he could feel her rushing up the peak to climax. When the wave crashed over her, she unconsciously projected her pleasure to him, forcing him into his own climax, rushing them both over the edge and into oblivion.

  He came in hot bursts inside her, shooting load after load of his seed deep inside her body. When she collapsed against his chest, he wrapped his arms around her without even thinking about it. Wanting to hold her near his heart, wanting to keep her safe and protected.

  Wanting to keep her with him forever.

  As they both came down from the ecstatic high, he felt her shift uncomfortably on the slim chair.

  “Bet they didn’t think of this when making the pilot seats,” she said with a laugh in her voice.

  “If it was a man, I bet he did,” he replied sexily, a glimmer of knowing, masculine laughter in his tone.

  He released Chandra as she lifted herself from him and turned to stare at the controls.

  “We have five minutes to clean up and get dressed again, then we need to start landing procedures,” she said easily, ducking across the cabin into the instant cleansing chamber.

  Gavreel stood up and crossed to the chamber more leisurely. Even though he knew the chamber could only be activated for a maximum of three minutes at a time, he still figured it safer for them to cleanse themselves separately.

  Three minutes wasn’t even nearly enough time for him to kiss and touch Chandra like he wanted. And when one started with steam and water, one needed to keep the cocoon of wet warmth until the end. There was no sense in getting himself all worked up and then leaving himself high and dry, figuratively and literally.

  He grinned and kissed Chandra lightly on the lips as she exited the cubicle.

  “I’ll grab you a new suit,” she said, laughter and complete understanding shining in her eyes.

  “That would be lovely, thanks,” he said as he entered the cubicle. He forced his mind back onto the task at hand, knowing he would need all his brain cells to focus on the rune, not how and when he could next have mind-blowing sex with his mate.

  As he cleansed himself, he breathed deeply, clearing his mind of everything but the task ahead.

  Chapter Eight

  Michael sat back in his seat and sighed. John Brownridge had loaned him a console to do his research on, placing it next to Phoebe’s on her desk, cluttering it some, but making life far easier for them both as they performed their research.

  Michael had worried for a short time as they had received some odd looks from her cubicle-mates, but when no one had said or suggested anything, both he and Phoebe had been able to easily settle into a routine and both get their work done.

  Michael rubbed the back of his neck, surprised at the crick that had formed over the last hour or so. It had been a long time since he’d been so single-minded and focused on anything like this.

  He hit the close key in frustration, the zip of the holo-screen going blank catching Phoebe’s attention. He ran a hand through his hair in agitation, not wanting to really let loose in front of the sexy woman. Unfortunately for him, his annoyance at the documents he’d been reading welled inside him, too great to be ignored.

  “From what I can tell,” he started, his voice heavy with anger, “this damned place, Klampor, is more than two days hard journey away from us.”

  He felt his agitation begin to trickle away as Phoebe laid down her stuff and turned in her seat to give her full attention to him. She had unconsciously taken her hair out of the braid, fiddling with the strands and running her hands through them as she researched and thought.

  Michael had been entranced for a full minute initially—he had simply had to watch the long tresses fall halfway down her back in light blonde waves, as if he were under some sort of compulsion. Phoebe, however, had been completely oblivious, her eyes scrolling through the data, busy in her own little world, the unconscious gesture of toying with her hair perfectly natural for her.

  Now, however, her deep violet eyes watched him, taking him seriously, and he felt the heat of his soul-deep need for her return, replacing the frustration he had been experiencing mere minutes before.

  He smiled at her, enjoying the brightness of the smile she returned to him. Michael had no idea why she didn’t feel the same frustration he did, but it soothed him to feel her presence, her eyes and her smile upon him.

  “Even if we jumped on a ship right now,” he continued with far less heat, “there is no way we’d be certain to catch up with them. I think it’s a fairly safe bet that once Gav and Chandra get this rune they’re after, they’ll simply turn around and head back home here.”

  “There might be another way,” Phoebe said slowly. Michael turned and gave her his full attention. Over the last hour or so he had not only appreciated her beauty, but come to appreciate her mind. She had a sharp intellect, and an analytical way of thinking of things that, though not the same manner he approached things, was nevertheless clever.

  Also, he had recognized Phoebe had a canny knack of putting a dozen different, seemingly unrelated pieces of a puzzle perfectly together and making a big picture out of it, surprising the shit out of him and making him inordinately proud of her.

  He had a feeling from the slow, thoughtful way she spoke that there might be another way. He felt certain she was thinking furiously whether it was a viable option or not.

  Michael waited patiently, not wanting to push or rush her, knowing she would let him in on her thoughts when she was ready. He waited while Phoebe simply gnawed on her lower lip. After a minute, then another few passed and she still sat there staring at him in deep thought, he nudged her gently.

  “Yes? Another way? I’m perfectly willing to indulge in a seemingly stupid idea at this point. My brothers might have given up on chasing our father, but I have a feeling he’ll need some help with taking this rune back from the Goddess Adedenious.”

  He felt his gut clench as Phoebe turned more closely to him, looking around them both to make sure no one else paid undue attention. She lowered her voice for privacy, her purple eyes seeming dark and solemn suddenly.

  “How much do you know about this Goddess Adedenious?” she asked quietly.

  Michael frowned, perplexed at the surprising shift in mental thought.

  “Not much really, why? What have you found?”

  When Phoebe shrugged and looked around, many of the cubicles surrounding them still dotted with people, he nodded understandingly. He stood up, held out a hand gallantly.

  “Shall we retire back to my place?” Remembering both his brothers, as well as Vasili, Lea and his brother’s partners, were all more than likely scattered throughout the large lodgings, Michael smiled wryly. “Or maybe, come to think of it, we should head back to your place?”

  He felt his stomach twist when she smiled and began quickly closing down both of their terminals without a single word. In less than a minute she was taking his hand
and standing back up next to him.

  “My place might be better,” she said teasingly. Michael felt the heat grow inside him, weighing heavily in his chest, but somehow simultaneously making him feel lighter and happier than he had ever known.

  He struggled, but managed to get himself back under control. He had gone through heat more than a couple of times, and so he felt confident in his ability to keep it under control and manage it this time around.

  Sure, he would have to lose himself inside Phoebe sooner or later, but at the moment he still could manage to keep himself from jumping her like a randy youth.

  He followed docilely as she led him out of the office building and down into the street below. He raised an eyebrow as she led him to an underground parking garage, and over to a cruiser.

  While the machine was admittedly a slightly older model, cruisers, regardless of age, were still not cheap to come by as long as they simply ran.

  “I take it Miss July made a mint as a model?”

  “Miss July certainly did well enough for herself,” Phoebe replied easily but vaguely, unlocking the car with a beep. They both climbed in and Michael watched Phoebe lovingly and professionally steer the car.

  He found himself entranced with her movements, the easy, fluid way she maneuvered the car around the busy streets. The unconscious grace she revealed was yet another piece of the puzzle he enjoyed collecting and piecing together. Hopefully the end product would be a final, deeply accurate view of the big picture of who Phoebe Blenti was.

  He also felt a faint amusement, wondering if she had driven professionally some time in her illustrious career. Right now he would believe almost anything of her—supermodel, merc for hire, adventurer extraordinaire. Who was he to say she couldn’t possibly have also been a professional driver?

  “So are you going to tell me more about the Goddess Adedenious?” Michael asked curiously, breaking the easy silence between them after a minute or two of comfortable driving silence.

  He smiled charmingly as Phoebe shot him a curious glance and then went back to concentrating on the road.

  “Legend has it that Adedenious, back near the dawn of time, was the lover of Dante, the God of all Vampires. They completed each other’s Soul Circle, as they were not only compatible, but irrevocably in love. Over the years, they became totally inseparable, incomparable lovers and friends. But slowly, the God of Vampires began to investigate the meaning of life. Over a long period of time, he became obsessed by his need to discover the Truth, as it were. Adedenious became frustrated as her lover slowly began to cast her aside, forgetting her existence.”

  Michael felt his eyes widen. This sounded like a tale Gavreel would love and study, and it also held that ring of truth Michael knew from his own studies. Often it was the simplest and oldest of tales, which held the greatest truths and meanings. He nodded, waited for Phoebe to park the cruiser and continue her story.

  “As time passed on, the Goddess Adedenious became despondent with her partner and lover, and after even more time, she finally became truly angry. ‘Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned’ is also a saying as old as the ages, but in this instance it has particular truth. And a wrathful goddess is not a happy or easy beast to tame.”

  Michael nodded, having a sinking sensation where this story was headed, but still needing to hear it. He felt a measure of pity for Dante, but also could see where Adedenious was coming from. He kept his own council, however, as Phoebe continued.

  “The Goddess Adedenious slept with Dante one last time, and stole the Rune of Knowledge from him. Dante had only recently discovered the Rune, but it had driven every other thought from his head and in essence been the crux of the problems between them. And so Adedenious stole it and gave it to the eldest of their twelve children, their daughter Glorina. Adedenious explained what had occurred in brutally truthful detail, and explained that she was going to take both herself and Dante far away and create constellations in their stead. She cautioned her eldest child to hide the Rune, protect it from all the galaxy, as it drove all thoughts from the head of anyone who possessed it, creating nothing but heartache and destruction.”

  “And my father is trying to find this Rune,” Michael stated in shock, his mind freezing over with potential ramifications and outcomes.

  “Yes,” Phoebe said softly, “but with a noticeable difference from Dante. Glorina, Dante and Adedenious’ eldest child, set up a temple, and a priestesshood of mainly women, but with a few men, who would guard and protect the Rune. Over the millennium the teachings and stories have sifted down, to only a few scattered, largely unknowing temples.”

  Michael raised an eyebrow, a sudden flash of insight blindsiding him. How could Phoebe know all this…unless…? Before he could ask any questions, Phoebe was continuing.

  “Before she passed on, my father’s aunt, my great-aunt, was one of the last priestesses in this temple. I thought the whole story was just a fairy tale, and had completely forgotten all about it. But when you told me you were looking for Klampor, I knew I’d heard of it from somewhere, I just couldn’t place where. As we did more research though, we discovered it’s where an original temple of one of the ancient goddesses stands, who we now know was Adedenious.”

  Michael watched as Phoebe removed her safety harness and prepared to climb from the cruiser, and he unconsciously followed suit, his mind whizzed with the possibilities. They both climbed out of the cruiser in silence, and Michael realized they were not at Phoebe’s lodgings, but outside a small, sand-colored temple.

  As they slowly walked toward the temple entrance Michael followed along behind Phoebe, dazed by the seemingly hesitant, new side to her he’d never seen before.

  “When I was a girl,” she began to explain, “my parents would leave me here with my great-aunt and two other aunts. My father was a well-known adventurer in his time. My mother also a well-known explorer. They believed uncharted territory was no place for a child, so they left me here with my only other relatives.”

  Michael felt a surprisingly swift and painful pang for Phoebe. No wonder she’d followed the beat of her own drum at such a young age, and entered the modeling world. Without really having her parents’ love, or the support of siblings, she must have felt lost and alone.

  When Phoebe smiled at him, her eyes easily saying she had known love and held no regrets, Michael smiled back, but still felt a small shaft of pity for her.

  “My aunt loved telling me the ancient tales,” she continued, “passed on down through the novices and priestesses. Her favorite was what I called the tale of true love. It was a much sanitized, watered-down version of what I suspect was the real tale I told you earlier. My aunt used to say how there were two star constellations, Dante and Adedenious, the lovers. But Dante went on a journey, leaving Adedenious all alone, only to find the Gift of Knowledge. When he held it in his hand, he didn’t become the smartest star of all, but his realization was love was the greatest gift of all, the most powerful force of knowledge of all kind.”

  Michael pursed his lips, but nodded. Very sanitized, he realized, but still with that truth that had rung throughout the entire tale she’d been telling him.

  “When I grew older I researched everything I could in the temple about Dante and Adedenious. Something compelling which I never did fully understand, pushed my thirst for knowledge about this particular story.”

  They stared a brief second at each other and Phoebe continued.

  “I reached a few conclusions, all of which seemed interlinked and none of which could be fully justified. But I believe aside from his mania about knowledge, and the neglect of Adedenious, Dante must have discovered for himself the Rune had twisted his life. Sadly, I think it was only after he realized just how badly the Rune had screwed with how his life should have been, did Dante fully appreciate the perfection of his love with Adedenious and he allowed her to turn them both into the constellations.”

  She paused for a moment and Michael kept silent, waited for her to fini
sh.

  “Dante held plenty of power himself—in most ways he and Adedenious were true equals. He should have been able to prevent Adedenious from doing so much damage to them both if that had truly been his wish.”

  Michael stood at the entrance of the temple, paused and waited respectfully for Phoebe to lead him inside. She turned to face him, reached up and cupped his face.

  He easily met her lips with his as she gently pulled him toward her, and enjoyed her spicy taste.

  “The High Priestess might say some odd things,” she warned him softly, making him smile, “so don’t be offended by her.” Michael smiled at the worried expression on Phoebe’s face.

  “I seriously doubt anything she could say would offend me, but I will keep your caution in mind, Phoebe.” He bent down and lightly brushed her lips with his once again, cherishing her. “You’re amazing, you know that, right?” He laughed at her cocky grin.

  “Of course I’m amazing.” She laughed as she opened the doors. Michael smiled, enjoying her laughter, and followed where she led.

  Chapter Nine

  Michael walked inside the temple, the same muted hush pervading the inside that he had experienced inside every temple. The sand-colored stone the temple was built with was different from anything he had ever seen before. It looked gritty and soft, but had obviously withstood centuries of wars, battles and weather, so it was indeed much stronger than it appeared.

  The interesting analogy, much the same to how he viewed Phoebe, made him smile and want to reach out and touch it. He resisted the impulse, unsure what those who lived and worshiped here would deem offensive.

  Intricate carvings ran up and down all the available wall space he could see. Visions of forests, deserts, men and women everywhere eating, drinking and enjoying life to the fullest. Flowers were carved into the corners and across the ceilings. All manner of man and beast, as well as many of the other races scattered across the galaxy, were represented.