Finding the Jewel Read online

  “That’s good. That’s so good, Tark,” she breathed in his ear. “Do you feel how good that is? When you take deep breaths and relax? Do you feel where the sound is coming from?” She allowed her hands to stroke up and down his flat, muscular abdomen as she spoke, touching him in the way she so desperately craved to do.

  Inside her head a little voice was screaming at her that she was being bad—that what she was doing was wrong and completely unprofessional. Plus, what kind of girl was Tark going to think she was? Chloe was a free spirit in a lot of ways—she liked having pink hair and she had a tattoo and she pretty much did what she wanted—but she’d been raised in a pretty strict household when it came to sex. Though she had tried to shake off some of her childhood beliefs, she couldn’t quite get rid of them all.

  This is wrong. I’m going to stop now, she told herself. I’m going to stop, I swear I am.

  But it was Tark who stopped the action.

  He pulled her hands abruptly away from his torso and turned to face her. Looking up into his face, Chloe saw that his golden eyes were blazing.

  “Chloe,” he growled, stroking one big hand over her hot cheek. “N-nuh-need to stop. C-can’t help it. I want you.”

  “I…um…” Chloe found she was suddenly tongue-tied. His intense gaze felt like it was burning her up and his big hand on her face was so gentle…yet so needy. His scent surrounded her and she wished with all her heart she could tell him she wanted him too…but she knew where that would lead—straight to bed.

  It wasn’t that Chloe thought sex was wrong or bad, but to her, it had to mean something. Otherwise she would have happily jumped the big Kindred’s bones and marked it up as a one-night stand. Her friend Amanda would have done that in a heartbeat.

  But Chloe was different—she couldn’t give her body without giving her heart. And besides, she reminded herself, she barely knew Tark—they hadn’t even been together twenty-four hours yet! What was wrong with her, acting like this?

  “I…Tark, I just…” she began and then stopped, unable to go on.

  He searched her face for a long moment and didn’t seem to see what he wanted. Silently he rose and went into the small chamber within their chamber which Chloe assumed was the bathroom.

  She let out a breath and slumped down onto the furry blanket.

  “God, what is wrong with me?” she groaned under her breath. “I just met him—why am I acting like this?” It was like someone had given her a shot of aphrodisiac when she wasn’t looking. Ever since they’d kissed in Monk Taroni’s chamber, all she seemed to want to do was finish what they had started.

  Have to stop this—have to stop acting like this, she told herself sternly. But no matter how much she promised herself she wouldn’t do it again, she knew she couldn’t be sure she would keep her word. She seemed to lose all reason and decency around the big Kindred.

  Why was she having such a hard time controlling herself?

  * * * * *

  Gods, get hold of yourself! You nearly lost control out there!

  Tark gripped the marble countertop and squeezed it until cracks appeared under his right hand—the one with the metal gauntlet.

  Seeing the damage he had done brought him back to himself a little. This was wrong—he couldn’t feel like this, especially not for a female who didn’t care for him.

  But Gods, the mixed-signals Chloe was sending him were about to drive him fucking crazy.

  She had said what had happened between them at the monk’s chambers was all pretend—just acting a part. But then she had proceeded to run her soft, small hands all over his chest and abdomen while she talked about breathing and told him to stroke her name with his tongue…

  That’s not the only thing I want to stroke with my tongue, he thought and then told himself to stop it.

  But he couldn’t help it—no matter what she said, he could smell the heat on her. He’d been able to smell it in the monk’s chambers as well, after they’d been kissing and grinding against each other. But then she had denied that it meant anything…

  Damn it, he couldn’t make sense of it! All his senses told him she wanted him as badly as he wanted her. But Tark had had a lifetime of rejection—a lifetime of pain and shame and anger and hurt that told him he wasn’t good enough for the gorgeous little Elite. Back on Twin Moons, he was a nobody—the shameful secret his powerful father wanted to hide. And Chloe could have had her pick of any of the Twin Moons males. They would have been falling all over themselves to woo her—what made Tark think she would want him?

  Gods damn it!

  He wanted to punch something in frustration but he knew there was a better way to relieve some of the tension. Ripping down the resonite trousers, he fisted his achingly hard shaft and began to stroke. Pleasure rippled down his spine and he groaned, low in his throat, and threw his head back, eyes tightly closed as he pumped himself.

  Chloe…Gods, wish it was your soft little hand wrapped around me! Wish I had my face between your thighs right now, lapping your sweet pussy!

  Just the thought of that—the thought of going to his knees before her to lick her and taste her salty-sweet honey—had him nearly to the edge. He stroked a few more times, imagining how her soft thighs would feel pressed against the sides of his face…hearing her desperate moans and cries…feeling her quiver under him as she pulled his hair and came hard all over his face as he lapped her sweet juices…

  Gods!

  Suddenly, he was there—jet after jet of hot come shooting from the tip of his cock as his mating fist swelled and ached with each spurt. Tark couldn’t help himself—without meaning to, her name came from his lips.

  “Chloe…Chloe!”

  He spoke it without a single stutter but he barely noticed. All he could think of was how much he wanted her…and how he could never have her.

  Then he opened his eyes…and saw her watching him.

  Chapter Eleven

  “Do you think everyone’s asleep yet? Is it safe to go look for the Cavern of Precious Treasures?” Chloe whispered into the darkness.

  Beside her, the big Kindred stirred restlessly.

  “D-don’t kn-know,” he muttered back. Though he stuttered when he spoke, it was probably better than singing—his voice carried too well when he sang with that sonorous baritone of his. Not that Chloe thought anyone was watching them, but…

  You mean the way you were watching Tark earlier? whispered an accusing little voice in the back of her head.

  Chloe bit her lip in mingled shame and desire at the memory. She’d only wanted to be certain he was okay—or that was what she told herself. But when she’d opened the sliding stone door of the bathroom just a crack to ask if Tark was all right, the sight that had met her eyes had been mesmerizing…unforgettable…

  Tark had been standing in the bathroom, leaning against the counter at an angle which gave her a clear view of what he was doing. One big hand was wrapped around his long, thick shaft and he was pumping slowly, his head thrown back, his golden eyes squeezed tightly shut. There was a look of almost painful pleasure on his sharp features, his arched brows drawn down in concentration as a low groan left his lips.

  It seemed to go on forever—that slow stroking—and Chloe had been able to see exactly how big he was. She’d even gotten a glimpse of the swelling around the base of his cock—that part that only Beast Kindred had, or so said gossip and rumor.

  Watching him stroke himself, Chloe had felt hot and wet between her own thighs. She’d had a boyfriend in college who thought it was sexy to have her watch him beat off but this was different—Tark didn’t know she was watching. He wasn’t putting on a show or trying to impress her—he was just tending to a need. A need Chloe felt growing inside herself as well.

  Without even knowing what she was doing, she slipped her fingers downward. Magically, the resonite robe melted beneath her seeking fingers, opening the way for her to touch herself.

  It was the most unintentionally sexy thing she had ever seen—watch