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Body of Water Ch. 01

By: MugsyB



So along with my usual fare, I've managed to find time for this story. I started it ages ago and then I let it sit. Recently, I got back to it, tweaked it and did what I could to it. Now it's ready for posting.

This story is a bit different for me. It's a genre I've never tried and honestly, choosing which genre to put it in was a challenge because it's not a typical fantasy or non-human story. In any case, I hope you enjoy it and as always, take care and happy reading!

M. ;)

****

The dream was always the same.

The tide pushing, pulsing with need and then ebbing. My body felt the tug and rolled with it, like a piece of driftwood cast away. I didn't fight the feeling. I was limp, empty of the strength to swim, or even float.

The water pulled me under and there were flashes of light, and bright color. They might have been fish, maybe the reflection of the sun off the shallows.

I didn't know, didn't care to know.

The water eased over and around me, tugging with infinite gentleness. I soared, shifting, sliding, sinking deeper into it until my senses left me.

Then, for a long time, nothing.

****

Like every morning, the urgent bleating of my alarm clock woke me and shook the dream from my mind. I yawned, stretched and smacked my hand down on the 'off' button.

"Shut up." I rolled over to bury my face in my pillow. I indulged myself for only a minute before throwing my covers back.

Shower first, then clothes, and after that, I hurried downstairs for breakfast. The house was quiet; usual since I'm the last one to rise every morning. My two roommates worked odd shifts - both of them nurses - and were the first ones up, or the last ones home in the morning. My job was less taxing; I worked as a designer for a new home builder. I worked Monday to Friday, had weekends and holidays off and rarely worked overtime.

As I scanned the newspaper, I munched on a piece of toast. After licking my fingers clean, I glanced at my wristwatch. The time showed half past five. I scowled and looked up at the digital clock on the stove. 7:34.

Dammit. I undid the clasp of my watch. Another one.

I have terrible luck with watches. I buy them, I wear them and they die. I used to try to replace the batteries, but that never worked. The watch would run for a few weeks and then die. No amount of battery replacing would change it. Someone once suggested that I spend a little more on a watch; her theory being that I bought crappy watches for twenty bucks, and that's why they never worked for longer than a year. I refused to spend a hundred or more dollars on something when I couldn't be guaranteed of success.

So I'm a cynic; sue me.

With a sigh, I tossed this latest bit of machinery in the garbage and scooped my purse up from the counter. I drew my jacket on and slid my feet into shoes. In minutes, I was driving through rush hour to my office in the industrial quadrant of the city I lived in. Calgary was a booming hub in the western prairie.

The company I work for, Landbourne Homes, has been a fixture in the homebuilding market for over twenty years. They're family-owned and operated but occasionally, an outsider could rise through the ranks. I didn't hold onto to such an ambition but it was a pleasant place to work. The managers were strict but fair and overall the company was run like a well-oiled machine.

I'd worked for them for five years, starting as a temporary receptionist. They'd worked around my school hours as I got my degree in interior design and offered me a job in their design center when I finished. I'd been doing that job for almost two years now and, while it didn't fill me with a complete sense of joy, it was a good job; low stress, well-paying, and it afforded me the chance to meet new people every day.

Today passed much the same as all my other days. I organized my files and started seeing customers at nine. A break at noon - lunch and a book at the picnic table out front - then back to another client meeting at one. I drove home through afternoon rush hour again at five and started making dinner.

As I was browning the chicken, my roommate, Angela, strode into the kitchen and inhaled deeply.

"Oh, thank God, you're cooking!"

I returned her smile and opened my arms for a hug. Angela was the most affectionate of the three of us, undoubtably the reason she was such a fantastic nurse. She towered over my five-foot-three frame by six inches but she was lithe and willowy instead of robust. She kept her dark blond hair short, cropped close to her head, and it liked to stick out in every direction. Her eyes were a bright blue, almost always crinkled at the corners as she smiled or laughed.

She released me from the embrace and turned to the stove. "Mmm, smells fantastic. What is it?"

I laughed and bumped her hip - or rather, the muscle below her hip - with mine. "It's chicken and garlic right now. In about a half hour, it'll be a stir fry with veggies."

"Awesome!" Angela took another deep sniff before leaving me alone in the kitchen again.

I resumed dinner preparation and was just dishing it out when my second roommate, Harlowe walked into the house. His name was Isaac Harlowe, but he refused to answer to his given name. So, Harlowe it was. He shuffled into the kitchen and one glance told me he'd just come off of a double shift. Harlowe worked as an ER nurse and he was exhausted most days.

He smiled a greeting at me and slumped at the kitchen table, folding his arms under his head for support. His dark hair was messy, the normal curls flat and dull. His dark, long lashes swept his cheek as he blinked and yawned. I carried the first plateful of rice and chicken stir-fry to the table, setting it down in front of him.

"Eat."

He snapped upright, as though I'd just woken him from a deep sleep. He blinked at the food in front of him and blew his breath out. "Thanks, Nerina."

As always, his smile - weak or not - was enough to give me a few butterflies. I smiled back and started serving up a second plate. Angela blew into the kitchen, dressed now in her pajamas and bright pink fuzzy slippers. She chattered away at about a mile a minute and it was all Harlowe and I could do to keep from bursting into laughter.

We sat together around the small kitchen table and ate. We shared what happened during our days and relaxed in the living room afterward.

I sat on the couch with Harlowe stretched out beside me, his feet against my thigh. Every now and then, I glanced over at him to see his eyes drooping and his chin dropping to his chest.

He really was a very handsome man; I'd already admitted that he gave me a fluttery feeling in my stomach on occasion. Nothing so grand as full-on jitters, but I could easily admit that he was good-looking. Dark hair, dark eyes, tall, broad-shouldered, kind, a good sense of humor - when he's not fighting sleep after two twelve hour shifts.

"Jeez, Harlowe, why don't you just go to bed?" Angela's exclamation startled him so badly he kicked me.

"Oh shit. Sorry, Rina," he mumbled as he sat up and swung his long legs off the couch.

"It's all right." I lowered my eyes to the book in my lap.

"You scared me, Ang." Harlowe turned to our roommate.

"I know," she replied from her spot on the floor in front of her chair. "I meant to. You've been up for almost thirty hours. Go to bed."

"It's not even eight o'clock yet."

"You're going to sleep until morning, trust me."

Harlowe glared at her for a minute before grunting and pushing himself up from the couch. "Fine. I'm going to bed."

"Good night, Harlowe," I called as he walked away.

As he passed by Angela, he nudged her with his foot. She toppled over, distracted by the show on TV and shrieked with laughter as he hurried away.

"You'll pay for that!" she hollered.

I giggled and hid my face behind my book as Angela turned my way. I felt her weight hit the couch beside me and laughed when she tried to yank the book out of my hands. We struggled for a few minutes before she conceded, relaxing back on her end of the couch.

"I don't know how you can even focus on a book while the TV's on."

I raised my eyebrows at her and smirked. "I guess my brain hasn't been rotted as much by television as yours."

Ang snorted and rolled onto her side to watch the rest of her show. I smiled and turned my attention back to my book. It wasn't the first time her or Harlowe had mentioned my habit of reading while we all sat in front of the television. I had always been able to read and comprehend my book with all kinds of background noise.

At the moment, I wasn't focusing on the words before my eyes. I heard and felt Angela's warmth next to me and listened to the distant sounds of Harlowe getting ready for bed. My eyes grew heavy and I yawned the next time a commercial came on.

"I'm beat," I groaned around another yawn. "I think I'm going to go have a bath and then read in bed."

"You really know how to live it up, Rina."

It was a running joke in the house that I was the boring one, in spite of my less demanding job. Angela had often ordered me out of the house on a Saturday night, practically begging me to have a social life that she could be envious of. I just wasn't that type of person. At twenty-seven years old, I was done, if I had ever really lived, that is.

I chose to ignore the jibe this time and stood up. "What's your shift for the rest of the week?"

"I'm on mornings until Wednesday and then afternoons. I might even get Saturday night off." Her eyes widened and she looked up at me. "We should go out!"

"Oh God, no," I groaned and tried to move past her.

"Please, Rina." She grabbed hold of my arm before I'd moved beyond her reach. "When was the last time you had a night out?"

"Last Thursday."

"Drinks with your cousins? That doesn't count. You were home before eight!"

"I think it counts."

"You're coming out with me on Saturday. We'll go to the Firehall and pick up some hot guys."

I couldn't help but laugh at her. "Pick up some hot guys?"

"Yes! When was the last time you got some?"

The question threw me and I didn't have a ready response. I gaped at her and felt the heat creep up my neck.

"I figured it'd been a while." She gave a knowing nod and patted my hand. "Go have your bath and we'll talk tomorrow."

"Oh...OK" I hurried from the room without even saying good night.

Angela meant well. We'd been friends for a long time and roommates for even longer but there were things about myself that I kept private from everyone, including her.

I didn't sleep around but it hadn't been ages since I'd been with a man.

****

I love the bathroom in our house. It was large for such a small house but then, it was the only bathroom. The bathtub was deep, with a sloped back, one of those fantastic soaker tubs. Whenever I have bath, which was nearly every night, I made it hot and I pulled the heavy, opaque curtain across so it felt like I was in my own little cave. It also allowed my two roommates the option of coming in to use the washroom, without having the embarrassing seeing-the-roommate-naked-in-the-tub incident.

It had only taken us three such incidents to bundle our finances and splurge on the high-quality, thick shower curtain.

As always, a bath relaxed me. Sometimes to a dangerous level; dangerous for my books, that is. I don't know how many have ended up doused in bath water because they slipped from my sleeping fingers. Suffice it to say that I need a second bookcase just for my bloated paperbacks.

Tonight, I felt the fatigue coming and tossed my book on the bathroom floor before closing my eyes. Then I just sank down, letting the water swirl through my hair and warm every part of me except my face. The heat and buoyancy of the water relaxed me even further and my lips parted on a deep sigh. A ripple went through the water as I inhaled again and I felt the blood slide through my body.

Another slow breath. Another rocking swish of water and blood.

The faint noise of the television downstairs faded and I listened to the thrum of my heartbeat instead. The water carried the steady bump of the organ to my ears.

Another breath.

In.

Out.

A heartbeat, slower this time.

The water stilled. Then my body stilled.

There was no more steady hum of blood pumping or air filtering through lungs. The water pulsed instead, pressing in and then pushing out. It met the resistance of porcelain and sighed, a painful rush of longing.

The air whooshed from my lungs and I jerked awake, sloshing water over the side of the tub. I blinked my eyes open and felt disoriented by the dimness of my cave. I sucked in another deep breath and felt a shiver run through my body. The water was cold.

Jesus. I sat up. I ran a hand up my face and through my hair, wringing some of the cool moisture from my hair. How long was I asleep?

Shivering, I reached down and unplugged the stopper. As I got to my feet, I pushed the heavy curtain aside and reached for a towel. A few minutes later, I shuffled across the hall to my room. The rest of the house was silent, dark. I sighed as I climbed naked into my bed, rubbing my forehead.

I didn't like falling asleep in the bathtub. No matter how often it happened, it made me uneasy. Not because I feared drowning myself. It was more that the dream came faster when I soaked. Maybe it was something about the water slapping the bathtub that brought it on but whatever the reason, it was unsettling.

I had only been lying in my bed for five minutes when I heard a soft tapping at my bedroom door.

"Come in, Harlowe."

My door opened and my tall, dark roommate closed it behind him and made his way over to my bed.

He leaned over me. "Can I sleep with you?"

We both knew that he wasn't asking to 'sleep.' We also both knew I wouldn't say no. I shimmied aside and made room for him.

His hands found me beneath the covers. "You're naked."

"I was in the bath." I didn't resist as he pulled me towards him.

His soft chuckle brushed my naked shoulder and I turned my head, blinking until his dark outline came into focus. "For four hours?"

I glanced over his shoulder at my clock and, sure enough, it was past midnight. I had been in the tub for roughly four hours. I wondered if Angela or Harlowe had come into the bathroom while I slept in the tub. Then Harlowe's next exhalation was warmer and I dropped my chin to look into his dark eyes.

"You're cold." His lips were so close they brushed against my cheek.

"Warm me up."

He did. His hands were sure, skilled, as they slid over my skin. I was soft and probably a little wrinkly from my long sojourn in the tub, but he didn't care. It was one of the things I loved about Harlowe; he never judged, never criticized me when I wasn't the epitome of femininity. He came to me as a man and I accepted him as a woman.

We never asked for more than a few hours in each other's arms. It was understood. We were free to date elsewhere, though he had no time for that and I had no inclination; not because I was in love with Harlowe. I just didn't feel the need to 'play the field,' as Angela would put it. Instead, Harlowe and I found comfort in each other's embrace, in each other's warm breath and honest, physical responses. Maybe if he stirred something deeper inside me, I'd feel more. I didn't. I loved him, but I wasn't in love with him.

Still, I'm a woman and he's a man, and his lips were very soft against mine.

I parted my lips for him, tasted the tang of several hours of sleep on his tongue as it swept into my mouth. He pressed his hot palms into my skin, pressing down as they slid over my back. I could feel the warmth of his touch even after his hand moved on. He touched my back, cradled the sides of my breasts and parted my thighs with his knee.

I was wet when he cupped me and some distant part of my mind ordered me to respond as he fondled my soft folds. My body was reacting as it was supposed to, I knew that as well. So I sighed into Harlowe's mouth and rose to his touch as he knelt between my legs.

The covers were thrown back in another moment and Harlowe kissed a path from my mouth to my stomach. I knew where he was going to end up and my body responded. I arched off the bed, pretending to stifle a moan. His tongue slid between the swollen lips below my waist and he drank my wetness. I felt the bed rocking as he moved, trying less than gracefully to remove his boxers.

Then I opened my arms as he rose back over me. I could feel the hardness of him sliding against my thigh. He was breathing hard and his body was tense where I touched him, gripping his shoulders.

"You're so beautiful." He dropped hot, moist kisses on my throat. "I love how you taste."

I smiled because he was so kind, such a considerate lover. Then he was cupping me, thrusting fingers inside of me and I jerked against him. I was unprepared for his touch that time and it gave me an unexpected jolt. I think I enjoyed it.

After that, I was ready. He fingered me, sliding thick fingers in and out, as he whispered in my ear, telling me all that he longed to do to me. I held on to his shoulders, lifting my hips off the bed and I moaned as he replaced his fingers with his rigid organ. He eased into me, always so slow, the perfect gentleman, even when caught up with passion. I felt him stretching me, felt my body shifting and sliding to accommodate him.

There was a rush of sensation as he stroked me just above our joining. I moaned and he clamped his lips over mine, taking my cry into his mouth. I made more noises as we rocked together. I dug my fingers into his shoulders, squeezed my thighs around his hips and thrust in response to his movements.

It felt nice, it always felt nice, and I wished that it felt more than nice.

I wanted fireworks.

I forced out a cry as my body rocked with an ordinary orgasm and then he released himself a minute later. For a short while, we lay entangled together. That, I didn't mind. He was warm and I had indeed been chilled after falling asleep in the bathtub.

"I hope you don't have to work early." I was always the first to break the comfortable silence between us.

I felt his chuckle and smiled at the sensation of him still softening within me. I may not react as I longed to, but I was still a woman and I could appreciate Harlowe's essential maleness.

"I don't."

He kissed me again. His tongue slid between my lips to dance around mine and I let him, enjoying the kiss for what it was. Then he eased out of me and relaxed on his back.

I snuggled against his warm body and fell asleep.

****

The dream came slower this time. It was as if my slumber in the tub, however brief, had somehow delayed it. Still, it came. Minutes, or hours, after I climaxed in Harlowe's arms, the dream slipped over me.

I wasn't on the water to begin with this time. I stood on a smooth, white, sandy beach. I was aware of the fine grains of sand beneath my toes and I had the fleeting thought that it felt familiar. It was impossible of course. All the beaches I'd ever been to had been rocky or rusty red.

The thought was gone as quickly as it came and I felt my body start to float. Somehow I'd gone into the water. It swished around my outstretched limbs and I sliced a hand through it. The motion tilted me on my side and I sucked in a mouthful of water. I didn't feel it filter through my system. You know that feeling; a cold swallow of water on an empty stomach, sliding down your throat and coating your insides. Instead, I absorbed the water.

That was when I noticed the waves rolling over my head. I started turning, spinning with the water.

Cold familiarity washed over me. Now the dream was the same as it always was.

My body stopped struggling as the water swirled around me. It pushed and pulled, rolled me until I didn't know where the surface was. My heartbeat slowed. My eyes closed.


Body of Water Ch. 01



Then nothing.

****

"God, your alarm is deadly." Harlowe's deep voice startled me awake in the morning.

For a moment, I was furious with him for invading my privacy in such a way. Then the memory of his familiar love-making washed over me and I recalled that we'd fallen asleep together. It didn't happen often; in fact, Angela and I were more likely to sleep together than me and Harlowe.

"Good morning, Nerina." He rolled over and curved his body behind mine as I reached for the 'off' button on my alarm.

I rubbed my eyes. "Good morning."

I liked that he was one of the few people to call me by my full name. Most everyone else I knew called me 'Rina.' Neither bothered me, but it was just one more example of what a gentleman Harlowe was.

From the way he was moving his hand up my side, I guessed that his thoughts were less than gentlemanly at the moment. I smiled and reached for him.

Fireworks or not, he was there and so was I.

****

It turned out that I wasn't all that late for work. Harlowe felt bad when I showered and raced from the house at half past eight. I didn't have an appointment until after nine that day and I called home later to tell him it was fine.

The rest of the week was uneventful. Although Harlowe didn't work another double, he was gone for the evenings the rest of the week and I didn't see him again. Angela was around for dinner every night and every night, she reminded me about how we were going to go out on Saturday. On Friday night I relented, just so she'd let me get back to my book.

Soon enough, it was Saturday night. Angela refused to even let me wear jeans. She forced me into a small black skirt and a silky, very tight, electric red top that revealed far too much skin. My opinion mattered little to Angela, as she ignored my protests and continued shellacking my hair into place.

As I stood in front of the mirror with her, studying my appearance, I couldn't help but be impressed. My chocolate brown hair had been tamed and styled in one of those messy-on-purpose looks; like I'd just rolled out of bed. She'd done something to my eyes, making them look even more green than their usual dull brownish-green. They looked smoky and alluring. She'd even sprinkled some kind of sparkly dust on my bare skin, making it look like I shimmered as I moved.

"You look fantastic!" Angela threw her arm around my shoulders.

I touched a fingertip to my dark red lips. "I don't even look like me." I pulled the finger away and looked at it; not a speck of lipstick on it. Whatever Angela had done, my face and hair weren't going to move all night, I bet.

"That's the idea."

"What? Looking like someone else all night?"

"Yes! Stepping outside the box. Being different, living dangerously."

I snorted and turned away from the mirror, unable to continue looking at our side-by-side reflections.

Angela was the gorgeous, dangerous-looking one, and she didn't have to put as much effort into it. She was tall to my short, willowy to my voluptuous, and devilishly witty to my dull shyness. Tonight, she'd put on black faux-leather pants that made her legs look a mile long, a rich lavender halter top that stopped just over her bellybutton, showing off her fantastic abdomen. Her hair, being as short as it was, took little effort. She'd rubbed some sculpting mousse into it, making the ends stand up all over in patches. The sparkly dust she'd sprinkled on me, she'd applied to herself, including her hair. Together, we looked like the odd couple of pixies.

"Come on."

I followed her out of my room, grabbing my small clutch purse from my dresser as I passed by. We went downstairs and picked shoes out from the overflowing closet. Of course, most of them belonged to Angela. A couple were mine, and thankfully, I had a pair of black heels that I'd worn to my last work Christmas party. It was now mid-June and I hadn't worn anything but flats since.

This is going to be an interesting night, I thought as I teetered out of the house behind Angela.

She'd called a cab earlier to pick us up, meaning she wanted to drink a boatload tonight. She chattered away at the cab driver, who smiled and nodded along while I just sat back, shaking my head. It was amazing to me how Angela was able to make friends with anyone and everyone. By the time we got downtown to the Firehall - an old fire station that had been converted to a dance club - the cabbie was going to call Angela about family dinner next week.

A slight breeze slipped over us as we left the cab and I shivered, wishing we'd brought more than just our skin to keep warm. Then Angela slid her arm through the crook in mine and we walked up to the night club doors.

The giant bouncer gave us a once-over, making me feel objectified and incredibly sexy all at once, then he nodded, letting us pass. Angela squealed with excitement and hauled me inside.

Here I go.

Inside, the club was full, but not packed. People lined the bars, filled the open areas and writhed on the dance floor. I looked around, taking in the sights and acknowledging that we were dressed no different than the rest of the women. It gave me a small measure of relief, this dissolving back into anonymity. I hadn't realized until that moment how exposed I'd felt.

"Come on." Angela tugged on my arm. "I'll buy the first round."

We made our way through the crowd to a bar along the back wall and Angela wedged herself between two scantily clad women. I stood back, my eyes scanning the people lining the bar. I fingered the metal clasp of my small purse and felt awkward as I waited behind Angela.

The club was large, with a high ceiling. There was a second level, a loft that overlooked the main part of the bar and I knew pool tables filled the loft area. It was quieter up there, allowing for more conversation or game playing. There was even the old fire pole in place near the balcony; inaccessible by the public, of course. The bar we were at was the largest, stretching almost the entire length of the back wall. At the far end of the bar were the restrooms and down two steps in the center of everything was the dance floor. Around the open space were tall tables, chairs and stools lining a half bar along another wall. Lights flashed at the dance floor and around, catching me right in the eye every time I looked over, it seemed.

As I squinted and tried to blink away the spots from the latest flash of lights, I felt a tingling start at the base of my spine. I straightened, and looked around myself, certain someone was watching me. The people at the bar alongside Angela were talking, laughing and trying to get the bartenders' attention. Those behind them all waited for an opening along the bar to get their own drinks. The dance floor was a jumping, sliding mass of bodies, made eerie by the silver strobe lights.

Still, the tingling persisted and I felt sweat bead between my shoulder blades. It made me nervous, this sensation, and the sweat. I hardly ever sweated. My body temperature always seemed to run cooler than everyone else, somehow without making me feel cold. I swung my head back and forth, my eyes darting from head to head and as I started to lift my face to the second floor balcony, Angela bumped my left elbow.

"Here's your drink." She handed me a highball glass filled with electric blue liquid.

"Oh, for the love of God." I eyed the drink suspiciously, distracted from the tingling feeling. "What the hell is this?"

"It's an Electric Popsicle." Angela held up something similar in her left hand. Then she held up her right hand, clutching a bottle of Kokanee.

I quirked an eyebrow at her. "Double-fisting it tonight?"

"Hey, you only live once, right?"

Do we? The thought came unbidden and I blinked, my smile slipping. Then the tingling was back and I felt more sweat gather on my back. I looked around again, still finding no one even looking in our direction.

What is that?

"You all right, Rina?"

I nodded just as we were jostled by someone trying to get to the bar. Angela sent the man a dirty look before closing her hand around my elbow. She guided me away from the cluster in front of the bar and we moved to the railing surrounding the sunken dance floor.

"Well, here's to another week won." Angela held her blue drink towards me.

"Won? Was there a victory this week?"

"Every time I make it out of the hospital with my sanity intact, it's a victory." As she said this, I noticed some of the light fade from her perpetually sunny face.

I admit, I don't often give Angela credit for her life choices. She had a difficult job, working as a nurse in the burn unit at the Foothills Hospital and I know there must be days when she just wanted to pull her hair out.

"You're a wonderful person, Ang."

Instead of returning the compliment with something more flattering, she just nodded and clinked her glass against mine. "Thanks, Rina."

I grinned and lifted the blue drink to my lips. As I threw it back, I glimpsed movement on the second level. My eyes stayed up as I swallowed the tart alcoholic drink and I watched a dark shape move through the bodies along the balcony. Then he disappeared into the crowd. Just like that, the tingling sensation was gone.

"Wow, I'd forgotten how tart those drinks are." Angela pursed her lips as I dropped my eyes.

"Yeah." I made a face. In truth, I hadn't even tasted it. I smacked my lips together and ran my tongue over my bottom lip, trying to taste the remnants but it was already gone. I must have looked disappointed because Angela laughed and lifted the glass from my hand.

"I'll get you another one!"

"No, Ang, it's fine!" I tried to stop her but she was gone, weaving her way through the crowd to the busy bar.

I watched her go and shook my head with a smile. I turned around and leaned my forearms on the railing as I watched the dancers below. The beat was infectious and I started to sway my hips in time with the music. It had been so long since I'd last been to a club that I didn't recognize the music. Dance music was always fundamentally the same; deep bass, even beats and soaring vocals or high-pitched synthesized noise.

It was nice to know that some things would never change.

Zing!

There was that tingling, back even stronger than before and my spine snapped upright.

What is that?

I scanned the blurry faces on the dance floor. I was sweating again, the moisture beading between my shoulder blades and sliding over my skin as I shifted from foot-to-foot. I licked my lips, tasting the salty tang of sweat on my upper lip. Without thinking, I lifted my clutch and started to fan my face with it.

I felt the presence of someone at my right elbow before I turned and the tingling became an almost unbearable jolt. A sound must have escaped my lips because a woman on my left side looked over. Her eyes widened as they slid past my face and I turned my head, thinking it was Angela, back with our drinks. She was the stunning one after all.

It wasn't Angela.

He was someone I'd never seen before in my life. As the tingling up and down my spine intensified, I had the oddest feeling that I'd been waiting to see him; that I already knew him, somehow.

He absolutely towered over me, probably standing six-foot three. He was broad shouldered and the hand he wrapped around the railing in front of me was large enough to circle my neck. I registered his body's dimensions without looking away from his face. His eyes were intent on mine and I looked back and forth between their shimmering golden brown irises. His hair appeared dark under the lights but I knew that he had light, reddish-brown hair. It was cut short but not short enough to hide a natural wave. A single curl tickled his forehead and I knew without touching him that it curled over the collar of his shirt as well.

"I've been waiting for you." His voice was as deep and as intense as his eyes. It crackled through me, raising the hair at the back of my neck. I was sweating there too, a trickle dripping from my nape to my shoulders.

I felt parched and felt like I could have downed a gallon of water without taking a single breath. "Have we met?"

He cocked his head to one side, his eyes at last moving away from mine. I sucked in a breath, unaware until then that I hadn't been breathing. The sensation at my spine was no longer contained. As his golden eyes slid over the contours of my face, I felt the tingling turn to trembling and I couldn't stand still. The trembling turned to a vibration that I felt to the soles of my feet.

"Calm down." He shifted closer. I felt his hot breath on my cheek and I gasped as sweat beaded on my forehead. "Please, you must calm down."

"I...I'm f-fine."

As I stared, his lips parted and I felt the hot wash of his breath against my skin again.

"You're not. You must control yourself, please. For me."

At his words, my eyes snapped back to his. He was running those golden eyes over my forehead and down my cheek where I felt a bead of sweat trickle from my hairline to my chin.

Gasping, I lifted a hand to wipe at my skin and my fingers came away covered with concealer and sparkles. "I don't...what's happening to me?"

His eyes met mine again and he looked upset. Very upset, like I'd just told him something terrible and life-altering, like he was an orphan.

"Please, Ryujin."

The strange word broke through my muddled thoughts and I frowned. "That's not my name."

He blinked, taken aback by my sharp tone. Then he smiled and I felt my knees begin to shake.

Oh, how many women have fallen prey to that smile? I wondered and tightened my grip on the railing to hold myself upright.

"Nar?"

My frown deepened, some of the vibrations in my body dimming. I shook my head, somehow knowing he was still trying to guess my name, even though it didn't sound like any name I'd ever heard before.

"Sedna? Atlana? Naunet?"

As I shook my head, he paused and pursed his lips, considering. His eyes bored into mine and I swallowed, uneasy with his perusal. His eyes moved from mine, looking up at my hair again, all along the contours of my face and down to the revealing neckline of my top. As he exhaled, he lifted a hand and his palm hovered over my shoulder.

The vibration returned full force and I knew my knees were about to give out.

I didn't fall. I did almost faint from the searing heat that coursed through my body as this man slid an arm around my waist. I could feel the sweat soaking through my top and dampening my underwear.

Oh! I gasped and met his gaze again. That's not sweat, is it?

That dangerous smile spread across his lips and I felt the pulse deep in my gut. I recognized it this time. It was the same feeling I got whenever Harlowe made love to me. Only intensified about a hundred times over.

This is how it's supposed to feel?

His smile dipped and a line appeared between his eyebrows. As is he could hear my thoughts, he nodded. His fingers moved against my body, over the silky fabric of my red top and I was terrified that he was going to touch my skin. I didn't think I could handle the contact.

"Undine?" he whispered.

I shook my head.

He blew out a soft breath and I realized then how close his face was to mine. If I were to lift onto my tiptoes and tilt my chin up, we'd be kissing. The thought made me smile. Then he smiled in response and I sucked in a sharp breath when he shifted closer. I hadn't thought there was any more space to lose between us but I was wrong.

I felt him then, long and lean from knees all the way to where our chests touched. I was very hot.

"Talise?" His eyes flickering from my eyes to scan my hair and features again, as if my appearance would tell him what my name was. I had nondescript dark hair and dull eyes, made up for the night, but even under the sparkles and glaring strobe lights, my skin was slightly olive in color. Like a permanent tan, as Angela, the snow white princess, often lamented.

"No," I whispered. "My name is-"

"Nerina."

I gasped. "How did you know?"

"It's not one you've had before."

His eyes kept moving over my face. I felt his gaze like a current of electricity. Everywhere his eyes touched, I tingled.

I shook my head, confused by his words, unsettled by his nearness. I was aware of the sweat soaking through my shirt where he clutched me and I was embarrassed by the different moisture soaking through my panties.

"Don't."

I felt his cheek, bristly with whiskers, against mine and his hot breath stirred the hair hanging over my left ear.

"Don't what?" I tried to sound less confused than I was.

"Don't be embarrassed. This is how we are."

I shook my head, shuddering as his whiskers scratched my overly sensitive skin. Sweat trickled down my back and I knew that there'd be a terrible wet spot on my shirt when he released me.

"Then I won't release you."

I laughed, a weak, breathless sound. "Stop that."

"I can't help it. Neither can you."

"I can't help letting you read my mind?"

This is ridiculous! I added silently and realized I was only on my feet by the strength of his arm.

"No. Nor can I keep you from mine."

I shook my head. "I can't read your mind"

He moved then and I no longer felt his whiskers against my skin. Our eyes met and he smiled.

My lovely. It's been too long.

"How has it been too long?" I wasn't surprised that his lips hadn't moved. "We've just met."

He shook his head, never taking his eyes from mine. I became aware then of the club surrounding us, the slow pulse of bodies shifting and the low hum of music and voices. It all seemed distant and slow.

"Nerina." As he whispered my name he lowered his head. When he spoke my name again, I felt his kiss, the barest contact of our lips.

A moan escaped my throat and I sagged against him, the heat overwhelming me. I blinked my eyes, looking over his shoulder and could have sworn I saw steam rising from his back.

"I can't stay," he whispered.

"Why?" I thought I sounded upset.

His smile was brilliant, turning up the vibrations in my body to an almost painful degree. "We'll see each other again, Nerina."

God help me, but I loved how he said my name. He had some kind of accent that I couldn't place and it turned the syllables of my name into a caress. I had the distant thought that my underwear would dissolve if this kept up.

His smile turned wicked and he chuckled. Since he still held me plastered against his body, I felt that laugh everywhere. I sucked in a breath, feeling far too hot.

"Tell me I didn't say that out loud." My cheeks burned with a different kind of heat now.

"You didn't." You didn't have to.

I shuddered and squeezed my eyes shut. I felt his breath whisper over my lips and there was contact a second later. Then I felt his hold loosening and the music and noise of the club started to intrude on our bubble.

"No." I clutched his arms. "Don't."

"I have to."

His reply was gentle and his hand gone from my back. He held me at the waist, his touch still scorching.

"Promise me I'll see you again." So help me, I didn't care about begging at this point.

I promise. The words were firm and the look in his eyes hardened. I knew he meant it.

Then his hand fell from my side and the rest of the club came back into focus. In the space of a breath, he moved so that we were no longer touching anywhere. A cool breeze wafted over me and I inhaled. The sweat cooled against my skin and I was no longer overheated. I kept my eyes on his face as he took another deliberate step away from me.

I couldn't be sure, but the look on his face was almost one of pain. He smiled and it was heartbreaking.

It is painful, I heard inside my head. And my heart aches. It has been too long.




Body of Water Ch. 01



Then why do you leave me? I felt out of sorts.

He shook his head and turned away from me, hiding his face, but not before I saw the wounded expression cross his striking features.

I watched the crowd swallow him up, everyone around him hardly moving, holding an eerie tableau. Then something was yanked loose deep inside my gut and the crowd jerked into motion. The noise of the music and shouting filled my ears again. I shuddered, still feeling the inexplicable heat tingling over every inch of my skin.

"Rina!" Angela appeared at my side, making me jump. She eyed me with a smirk and handed me a fresh blue drink. "What's wrong? You look like you've just run a marathon."

I touched my forehead and cringed as my fingers came away damp. Not a marathon. More like a sprint; a sprint away from rolling, spitting magma.



Body of Water Ch. 02



We burst into the house later that night and I struggled to quiet Angela's shrill laughter. I wrapped an arm around her waist when she stumbled while trying to remove her stilettos. She sagged against me and I managed to drag her as far as the living room. I left her on the couch with a blanket pulled over her body.

I walked upstairs and my pulse pounded as I recalled the strange events of the night. After meeting that stranger in the bar, I'd cooled down in seconds. Within an hour, I'd convinced myself I'd imagined the whole thing.

He was just some guy who bumped into me. He held onto me to keep me from falling over. I was unbalanced on those ridiculous shoes.

It sounded reasonable and so I accepted it.

As I reached the second floor, I was aware of a second heartbeat down the hall. I bit my lip and tiptoed to Harlowe's door. I'd never gone to him in his room but I told myself he wouldn't mind. Something had been roiling within me all night and I couldn't put my finger on it. An hour in Harlowe's arms would help.

I slipped into his dark room after tapping on the door. As I made my way to his bed, I removed the tight red top and the little black skirt. I shook my hair loose, ignoring the pins falling like rain against my shoulders. Then I removed my underwear, shuddering as I peeled the damp fabric from my swollen and sensitive skin. I reached for his bed covers and knelt on the edge of the bed, leaning over him.

"Harlowe." I ran my hand up his arm. I tickled the skin behind his ear, where I knew he was most sensitive.

He came awake with a jolt and I giggled behind my hand as he looked up at me in surprise. "Nerina? What are you doing here?"

I stretched out next to him. "I wanted to see you."

"I thought you and Ang went out."

"We just got home. You want me to let you to sleep?" This I asked as I ran a hand through the coarse hair covering his chest. I felt him shiver as my palm slipped lower, teasing the crisp hair above his burgeoning member.

"No," he ground out in a hoarse tone as his hands closed around my waist.

His surprise over my late night appearance was short-lived. He responded to my touch and pressed his head back against his pillow as I followed my touch with kisses. When I took him into my mouth, he groaned.

"Nerina," he hissed my name from behind clenched teeth.

I felt his hands tunnel into my hair, yanking the few pins I'd missed. The sting was minimal and I was too intent on my task to notice. I licked him, tasting his salty essence as I cupped his testicles and massaged them. He thrust into my mouth and I took him in deeper, sucking on him. I didn't usually enjoy this but it seemed I was not myself tonight.

I was more than aware of his pounding heartbeat, the twitching of his muscles as he held himself back from spewing into my mouth. He wanted what I wanted, to empty himself inside of my body.

So I did something else I didn't normally do.

I released him from my mouth with a final suction of my lips, making him gasp in surprise. Then I knelt above him, straddling his thighs. His hands closed on my hips, lifting me. He was such an experienced lover, he knew what I wanted. I was more aware than ever of my body's responses. It was less forced, more intense, even though it still didn't reach quite deep enough to make me ignite.

I lifted myself at his urging and circled his engorged member with my fingers. I rubbed my swollen flesh against the tip, wetting it, and gave a happy sigh as I brushed it over my sensitive nub. Then he was hauling me down, forcing himself up and into me. I rocked on him, taking him deep inside and moaned, as I should, as he thrust up into me.

Harlowe groaned, his fingers digging into my hips and I felt his thighs lift against my bottom as he moved. He was frantic for me and I sensed that he wouldn't last long. I touched myself, holding my fingers on either side of his plunging member. His eyes snapped open and he watched my hand between us. His breathing was ragged as I squeezed his cock every time he pulled out of me.

When my fingers were coated with my juices, I moved higher, circling that hub of nerves above our joining. I stroked, biting my lip as my own touch brought more sensations up from deep inside. I tipped my head back and closed my eyes, conjuring an unfamiliar face to mind.

Sweat dotted my upper lip and I pushed down hard on Harlowe. He grunted from the impact but continued to thrust into me. I drifted from the present as I called up images of golden eyes and overwhelming heat. I rocked against his cock, rubbed myself furiously and gasped as I ran headlong into a climax.

I wasn't certain but I think I cried out. A moment later, Harlowe's hands squeezed and I felt the warm slosh as he emptied himself inside of me.

You'd better be using birth control, a deep, masculine voice intruded through my orgasmic haze.

Of course I am. I was too annoyed at the intrusion to realize that I was speaking to myself. I'm a modern woman. I've been on the pill for years.

Later, as I drifted to sleep with Harlowe snoring against my shoulder, I told myself inner conversations were ridiculous.

No one reads minds. I yawned. Or talks to themselves during sex.

****

This time the dream made me uncomfortable.

I was drowning, instead of flowing with the current. I opened my mouth, sucking in more water, and my arms flailed on either side of me.

This isn't right.

Always before, the water had just become part of me, and I of it. We'd roll together, pushing and floating like a breeze.

This time, unseen hands clutched my ankles, yanking hard. I bobbed with my head above water, sucking in hot, sticky fumes. My eyes blinked open but I caught only the barest glimpse of rolling steam before being hauled under again.

I kicked, frantic for another breath of air and opened my mouth on a cry as my foot kicked a rock.

I was in the shallows, ground just beneath me. I stopped struggling and flattened my feet, touching down. As I straightened, my head rose above the surface. I sucked in air and blinked the water out of my eyes. This time I saw more of the spreading steam crossing the water.

You mustn't. A familiar voice rolled towards me from the cloud of steam.

What?

But I wasn't to be given an answer.

I was upended and fell beneath the water. The ground dropped away this time as I tried to stand up and I was left waving my arms like a shipwrecked human.

Something had me in a firm hold and I could no longer kick my legs. The water rushed into my mouth and up my nose. My ears exploded as water filled them and I felt panic, real, unadulterated panic settle in.

This isn't right. I'm not supposed to drown. It shouldn't be possible.

Strange thoughts, adding to my panic.

Black waves closed around me and then, for a long time, nothing.

****

In the morning, Angela was the first to wake. Then, as the saying goes, the cat was out of the bag. When she didn't find me in my own room, she hurried to Harlowe's in a panic, thinking I'd gone out again, or perhaps not come home with her. She found us wrapped naked together, breathing hard from our early morning session and screamed before running out of the room.

Harlowe and I shared a guilty laugh before I got up and crossed the hall to my own room. I was working a brush through the tangled mass of hair when Angela burst into my room.

"All right." She scowled at me as she slammed the door behind her. "Explain."

"What's to explain?" I gave her a weak smile in the mirror. "Harlowe and I slept together."

"You've got to be kidding me. I find you guys naked and sweaty and that's all you can say?" She crossed her arms over her chest and glared. She had dark circles under her eyes from the mascara she hadn't washed off last night. To be fair, I looked much the same, just with messy hair thrown in for good measure. "How long has this been going on?"

"What makes you think it's been going on for longer than one night?"

"Oh, please," she scoffed and waved a hand in my direction. "You hardly had anything to drink last night, Rina. You're not the type of girl to fuck the nearest available man."

I winced at her crass words. "Why are you so upset?"

She didn't answer and I turned to face her. She'd moved from the doorway to sit on the edge of my bed. When her face lifted, I saw a wounded look in her eyes.

"I thought we were friends, Rina."

"You know we are." I walked over and sat down beside her.

"Then why didn't you tell me you were in a relationship? I wouldn't have dragged you out last night if I'd known you were already spoken for."

I laughed before I could help it. "First of all, I'm not spoken for. What Harlowe and I have...it's not what you think. We're just..." I paused, waving a hand in front of me as I searched for the right word. Lovers? No, too intimate. Fuck buddies? Too cold. "Consenting adults. Second, even if I was taken, I'd still be able to go out with my best friend."

Angela didn't look convinced but she didn't seem as upset as before. "I just don't know why you guys didn't tell me."

I shrugged. Perhaps we should have but it had been going on for so long, neither of us considered it an issue. At first, there'd been some awkwardness over him sneaking to and from my room. Then the awkwardness had passed and it had just become part of a routine. Maybe I'd feel guilty if it was more than it was. That I didn't love him made our relationship inconsequential.

"We didn't want to make you feel uncomfortable." Discussing my unattached feelings for Harlowe wouldn't change things at this point.

"Hmm, you were probably right to keep it a secret." Angela turned to me with a smile. "If I'd known you guys were sneaking around, I might have felt compelled to chaperone more strictly."

I smiled, glad she was making a joke.

"Anyway, I should be relieved it's not serious."

"Why?"

"Well, I saw you talking to that guy last night and when I saw you with Harlowe this morning, my first thought was 'how could she flirt with another man while she's with Harlowe?'"

I started at her mention of a guy at the club and the memories washed over me. I felt heat suffuse my face and neck as I called his face to mind.

"I still can't believe he was there," Angela said, bringing me back to the present."

"What?" I felt confused and more than a little off-balance. "What do you mean?"

Angela gave me a funny look. "That guy you were talking to? He's the owner of the Firehall."

My eyes widened and I gaped at her. "You're kidding. Do you know what his name is?"

"Of course. You mean he didn't tell you himself?"

No, but he pulled my name from my mind. I shook my head.

"Well, he was only talking to you for a minute."

Again, I was dumbfounded. A minute? It had felt like hours. "What's his name?"

Angela grinned at me. "You really don't know?"

"No. Tell me."

"How funny. You were talking to him and you don't even know who he is."

"Ang! Please, just tell me his name."

Her smile drooped but she obliged. "Aedan McKay. He owns several nightclubs downtown but I've heard he spends most of his time at the Firehall."

I didn't hear anything else she said. I heard his name and the rest of her words faded, becoming background noise.

Aedan. Aedan McKay. I know you, Aedan.

You do.

The responding words sent a shiver up my spine and I must have made some noise because Angela stopped talking to give me a strange look.

"Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," I whispered, afraid that if I spoke any louder, I'd forget it all again. "I think I just...I'm just tired."

Angela grinned and nodded as she patted my leg. "I'll bet. Harlowe must have tuckered you out last night."

Harlowe? Who the hell cares about Harlowe? Then I felt ashamed. No matter what I felt, or however strange I felt, Harlowe was a dear friend. He deserved better than me.

"I don't think I can keep sleeping with Harlowe."

Angela's eyebrows lifted in surprise. "Why not?"

"It's not fair to him." As I said it, I realized it was the truth. "Or me. We both deserve the chance to be with people we truly care for."

"You don't care for Harlowe?"

"Not in that way. He's a great guy and good in bed, but I don't love him."

Angela nodded like she understood. Then her mouth turned down in a frown and she stood up from the bed. "I hope things don't get awkward if you hurt him."

I smiled. "I won't hurt him. This was only a convenience thing for both of us. Especially him. It's easier to come home to a warm body than to seek one out."

Interesting choice of words.

The thought pushed into my head and I frowned, aware of the fact that it wasn't mine.

"All the same, I'd hate to see either of you get hurt." Angela paused as she opened my bedroom door. "I think I'm hungry. You want to go out for breakfast? I'll see if Harlowe wants to come too."

I smiled at her effort to keep us together, the same happy family we'd been for years. "I'm up for breakfast. Let me shower and I'll be ready in half an hour."

"Sounds good." She left me alone.

Aedan. I rolled the name over and over in my head. It was familiar and yet it wasn't. I'd never heard his name before this morning but I felt as if I knew it.

Aedan.

Don't summon me unless you mean it.

I shuddered and told myself it was only my imagination. Then I got up and went to shower.

****

Monday rolled around all too soon and it didn't launch me into a productive week as it normally did. I walked into my office on time and tried to start my computer. It whirred and loaded and then died, with the screen going white.

"What the hell...?" I reached down to push the restart button. The tower was on a little wooden stand on the floor and my leg rested against it.

I waited and sipped my coffee as the computer shut down, then clicked back on. My desktop came on screen and as I moved the mouse to open my email, it froze. Scowling, I hit 'escape' and 'control, alt, delete.' Still nothing. Another few seconds passed and the screen went white again.

"Oh, for crying out loud."

I picked up the phone and dialed the IT department. No one answered but I left a message, urging someone to come to my office as soon as possible.

With a sigh, I wandered out to the showroom, deciding to get a jump on samples for my first client that morning. I went to the kitchen section first, pulling down rows of countertop sample chips and a board filled with brass and pewter handles. As I arranged the samples on the large table in the center of the showroom, the main door opened and in walked the most exotic looking man I'd ever seen.

He was tall and lithe, moving with an almost feline grace. His skin was the dark mocha of the Middle East and his hair was black. Without seeing him close up, I knew his eyes were dark brown, like muddy waters. As he came closer, I saw that his charcoal suit was custom made, tailored to his lean form. He wore no tie, only a crisp green shirt that complimented his skin tone perfectly. He grinned at me when he was only a few feet away and I rocked back on my heels.

It was the same sort of smile Aedan had given me the other night and it unsettled me. Instead of feeling hot, and feeling sweat trail down my back, I felt my chest squeeze. I tried to draw in air and couldn't. It brought the memory of my dream back in a rush and I paled, feeling the panic rise in my throat.

Just as suddenly as the feeling had come, it was gone. Air rushed into my lungs and I made a choking noise as I resumed breathing.

"Are you all right?" the man asked, his voice faintly accented. It was a raspy voice, like sand washing over rocks and I shivered. "I hope I'm not intruding."

"Of course not." I was glad when my voice didn't crack. "Welcome to Landbourne's design center. Did you have a meeting with someone today?" I knew the receptionist out front was often late and sometimes people came into the showroom for assistance.

"No. No meeting," he replied. "I came to see you."

"Me? Why? Do we know each other?"

He moved closer to me, circling the sample table and stopping a few feet from my left side. "We've not been introduced." He gave me a crooked smile. "Recently, that is."

Something in his tone stirred something inside of me. I swallowed, feeling my mouth go dry. I didn't thirst, not like I had with Aedan, but it was a strange feeling, nonetheless.

"I-I'm s-sorry," I stuttered and flinched as he moved closer. It was the same sort of non-movement Aedan had done the other night. If this guy had not been of Middle-Eastern descent, I'd have thought they were related.

The open smile on his face dimmed and I had the sense that perhaps he knew my thoughts, as Aedan had.

"Not in the same way," he murmured, standing practically on top on me now.

How did he get so close? I swallowed around the thickness in my throat. Then I frowned, recalling his words. "What do you mean?"

"I am not the same as he is."

I sucked in a breath and clenched my hands into fists. This can't be happening. This isn't real. No way can he read my mind like Aedan.

Then he was touching me, his dark hand cupping my cheek and I smelled something on him; something musky and heavy. It was intoxicating. Aedan's nearness had made me burn, but this man's close proximity made me feel wondrously full and heavy.

"Yes." His breath stirred against my cheek. The smell was overpowering then, thick and moist like a rainforest. "You can feel it, can't you, my nymph."

What a strange endearment. I rested my head in his hand.

His other hand came up to rest on my other cheek and his scent swirled all around me. I fell my body sag and slouch closer to him. The blood in my veins slowed and I felt light-headed, still not pulling enough air into my lungs.

I want to feel you around me. His thoughts washed through me, unbidden. As with Aedan, I didn't try to listen; they just came to me. I yearn for your moisture, your sweet dew.

The words, so intimately sexual, should have made me blush. I felt so full, like he was already invading my body.

Yesss...

His mouth touched mine and I felt my chest constrict. I panicked. Lifting my hands, I shoved against his chest, hard. He stumbled back a step, shocked and for a moment, I saw something darker cross his chocolate-colored eyes. Then the calm exterior was back and he was smiling at me.

"I'm sorry if I startled you."

"Who are you?" My voice sounded harsh even to my own ears.

He cocked his head to one side as he studied me, the smile playing around his full lips. They'd felt odd against my own. I pushed the thought away as I tried to focus on him.

"You know me."

I laughed, the sound ragged in the empty showroom. "I wish I did."

His eyes narrowed and I felt more than a little uncomfortable under his gaze. He was standing very close to me again, his musky scent permeating my senses. "You know me."

I ordered breathlessly, struggling to keep from pressing myself against his firm body. And it was firm; I'd felt the solidity of his chest and familiar moisture dotted my panties the longer he stood before me. "Tell me your name."

"Which one?"

I gaped at him. Was he serious? "The one you answer to."

"In this life, I'm called Avanindra."

"Ava- I'm sorry, what was it?"

He chuckled and my body pulsed with sudden, aching need. As if he knew what he'd just done to me, he moved closer. His arms closed around my back and I felt him open a palm over the swell of my bottom. I shuddered and braced myself against his chest.

This is all happening way too fast.

I turned my head to avoid his kiss. I don't know how I knew he was going to kiss me again. I just knew his lips were descending and I wanted to not feel that choking sensation again.




Body of Water Ch. 02



You want my kiss. I can feel your longing.

Longing. That was a good word for what I felt. Longing, and a desperate curiosity.

Again, he chuckled and this time the sound vibrated through both of us. A moan escaped from my lips and he opened his mouth on my neck. His musky, spicy scent filled my nose and his tongue rasped over my throat. Moisture gathered between my thighs and I moaned again.

I wasn't choking this time but his scent, his presence under my hands and around my body was cloying. Somehow, it didn't frighten me. I wanted to feel him close around me and I wanted to close my body around his. Desperate, passionate need flared and my knees quivered.

Yesss... the hissing thought slid through my mind and I shuddered, biting down hard on my lower lip.

I want...I will have you...

Please. This time it was my mind crying out with desire. I'd never begged in my life but this man, this exotic, dark-skinned man was wearing me down with a suddenness that should have terrified me.

His laughter turned wicked and I felt his arms tighten around me. Before I knew what was happening, he lifted me, resting me on the sample table. He was just tall enough that his groin pushed against my crotch as I balanced on the edge. I slapped a hand back to brace myself as his mouth glided down my throat to my collarbone. Countertop and paint samples scattered to the floor, the sound dulled by the steady, slow thud of blood in my ears.

What is this? How are you doing this to me? I gave up on denying the connection between our minds.

I know what it is you want. I can give you what you desire, what you've always desired.

What is that? I don't even know what's missing.

And I didn't. I wasn't a slut, sleeping with a different guy every week, but I also wasn't a lily-white virgin. I'd had lovers before Harlowe. Though all of them had drawn forth the appropriate physical reactions, I'd never been...wowed.

Now, twice in three days, I was being turned inside out by two complete strangers.

Avanindra lifted his head and his dark eyes bored into mine. I gasped, sucking in more of his deep, sweet scent. It made my throat feel tight but I couldn't stop inhaling him. It was exhilarating.

I'm no stranger to you, Nerina.

Aren't you? We've never met.

Yes, we have. You will remember.

How?

His slow exhalation was coupled with the push of his hips against mine. You must give yourself to me. Then you will know.

We don't know each other this way. The thought startled me and from the scowl that sullied his features, it displeased him as well.

Then he dropped his head and his teeth scraped over my collarbone before he began to suck. His scent swirled up around me and I gasped for breath, inhaling and exhaling in short bursts. The lack of oxygen heightened my awareness of what was happening and I moaned as he pushed his hand up my skirt.

In the next second, he was shoving the crotch of my panties aside and I felt his strong fingers parting my folds. I was soaking, aching for his touch and came with stars bursting behind my eyelids as he stroked me. He stroked again, faster, and thrust his fingers inside of me.

Still, I couldn't get quite enough air. My vision was swimming with stars and I gazed down in a stupor as his dark head lowered. He gripped my knees and yanked my legs apart. His head dipped between my thighs and I felt his thick tongue pushing at my entrance, pulsing against me. I came hard again, shoving more countertop samples to the floor as I flopped back, rocking with need.

Just as suddenly as he'd stirred my body, he was moving back.

His hands straightened my skirt and his lips hovered for the barest of seconds over my mouth, drowning me in his earthy scent again. Then he was moving away, giving me space and my breath back. I dropped my feet to the floor and tried to stand upright.

"I must go." His mouth was curled into a smirk and as I watched, the tip of his pink tongue darted out, lapping a spot of moisture at the corner of his mouth.

I felt the motion like a tug deep in my gut. I took a step towards him before I was even aware I'd wanted to move. But he was backing away from me.

"Wait. Why are you going?"

"Your co-workers are approaching. I didn't think you'd want to be caught with a client between your legs."

"A client?" I was confused and thought that I could care less what anyone thought about him being between my legs.

"Yes, client. I've just bought a house from Landbourne Homes. I can't wait until our first appointment."

Then he was gone. I was left standing next to the messy sample table for a long time, wondering what in the hell had just happened. I shook my head, feeling the absence of the exotic man like a missing finger. I swallowed, my throat no longer feeling thick and constricted. I felt his love bites on my skin and I felt the twitching remnants of the orgasms he'd just given me.

Finally, a blush stained my cheeks, cold reality stealing back over me.

Had I really been willing to fuck a stranger in the middle of the showroom? When, at any time, one of my colleagues could have walked in and found us?

Yes...

The word echoed in my head and I squeezed my thighs together. I hurried from the open space and rushed to the restroom to fix myself; if such a thing were even possible anymore.

****

The dream altered entirely and irrevocably.

I was in a dark, dank forest. I could hear water rushing over rocks in the distance but as I rotated in place, I couldn't get any sense of direction.

The shrub in front of me stirred and I froze on the spot, my blood running cold. I was aware then of how cold I was, how naked. I shifted on my feet and longed to feel the tingle of sweat under my arms so that I'd know warmth again.

I felt something strange brush against me then and knew it was a finger of steam. I turned towards it but it vanished, dissipated as quickly as it had formed. I felt it disappear and sobbed, the sound a harsh echo in the jungle.

Then the bushes stirred again, coupled with a menacing rumble.

I whirled, tried to run but couldn't. My legs didn't obey, couldn't work in this place. I felt my panic rising in my throat like bile and I fought it down. Panic would not get me to the stream I heard.

I wanted water like nothing I'd ever wanted before.

The rumble sounded behind me and I looked back - why did I look back? - stumbling over a root that appeared in front of me. I felt a heavy weight descend upon me, a familiar, dizzying scent of musky spices sweeping over me. I rolled, felt fur brush my thighs and opened my mouth on a silent scream as I met the yellow eyes of a tiger.

It growled and its pink tongue rasped against my neck. The stroke lifted my top layer of skin. I shrieked in pain and tried to get away. The tiger was too heavy and I felt its claws pierce the skin of my hips. I froze, less than eager to have the beast rip me apart.

Again, that deep rumble that I now recognized as a laugh.

You want me to rip you apart. And I shall.

As the thoughts whispered through my panicked mind, the tiger's pink tongue scraped over my body. It moved lower, its claws pushing in and out of me as it moved. I felt his tongue on my breasts, tightening my nipples to hard little nubs. Then he tasted my stomach, tickling my belly button, before moving lower. My legs parted and then he was tasting me.

Yesss...

The hiss had me arching my back and I felt searing pain as the tiger tongued me. It ripped more and more skin with each pass of his tongue and I felt no pleasure.

The sound of running water intruded on my senses and I twisted my neck, straining to see.

Then I did.

There, through the thick, dark foliage, the brightest glimpse of a waterfall. My eyes filled with tears and the scraping of the tiger's tongue and teeth over my tender flesh faded.

As always, the water seeped into me, became one with me and then, nothing.

****

When I woke on Tuesday morning, I felt like I hadn't slept at all. My body felt raw, abused. I feared for the first time that the dream had been real.

Throwing my covers back, I came to a decision. There was one person who might be able to answer some questions and I might know where to find him. My stomach lurched at the thought of standing in Aedan's presence again but when I thought of the alternative, waiting for Avanindra to spring himself on me again, a little sweat was a welcome choice.

I showered, ran fingers through my wet hair and dressed in jeans and a T-shirt. I hurried from the house, unsure if I disturbed my roommates. Indeed, I cared little if they were even home. Too much was happening in my head to worry about waking my roommates.

I drove through the early morning rush and thanked the heavens for giving me a parking lot to park in at the Firehall. The front door was locked, of course, leaving me standing like a jerk on the sidewalk.

Aedan? I sent his name out as a question, wondering if I was too far gone for saving. After all, sane people don't try to communicate telepathically with complete strangers.

We aren't strangers, came the responding thought.

I just about collapsed with relief when the heavy deadbolt on the club door slid open. Then Aedan was standing before me, making me feel that aching tingle all over in an instant.

"Aedan." I reached for him without thinking.

But he backed away from me, a startled and frightened look on his handsome face. I let my hands fall to my sides, stung more than I had a right to be.

"I'm sorry."

"Oh, Nerina." His hand closed on my shoulder and heat exploded from that point outward. "I'm sorry. You just caught me by surprise, that's all."

He pulled me inside. Before he closed and locked the big door, he glanced outside, up and down either side of the street. Then I was alone inside the Firehall with him, sweating profusely.

He turned to face me. "Why are you here?"

Again, I felt the sting of rejection and tears clogged my throat. "I don't know."

"I'm sorry. Come with me." He took me by the elbow and led me through the dim, silent club.

We climbed the stairs to an office tucked in the back corner of the second floor loft. He shut the office door behind us and guided me to a chair, sitting down in front of me.

"Are you well?"

I didn't know what to say at first. This concern was at odds with his earlier rejection. He shook his head and reached for my hand. I let him take it, savoring the warmth that spread through my entire body from that one point of contact. "Forgive me, Nerina, for making you think I don't want to see you. I'm shocked. You didn't seem to know me the other night and I didn't want to rush you."

"Rush me?" I laughed. "I don't even know what you're talking about."

He watched me with warm golden eyes and I felt some of the tension drain from my body.

"Before I met you, I'd never felt this way." My stark honesty startled me. "Then I was at work yesterday and this man came in." I recalled a brown face with dark eyes and a shudder rippled through my body.

Aedan's hand tightened on mine and I was drawn back to the present, to his office. At the fierce look in his eyes, I felt my muscles tense in fear.

"No, don't be afraid," he whispered. "You've never feared me and you won't start now."

His words were firm and I believed him no matter how confused I was over his familiar use of the past tense.

"Tell me."

"Tell you what?"

I shook my head and shrugged one shoulder. What, indeed. "Everything. I'm so confused and I feel like I'm not myself anymore."

"And you think I can tell you who you are?"

"You seem to know me. You make me feel like I know you."

He smirked, the smile drawing more sweat to the surface of my skin. I swallowed and shifted closer to him. I inhaled, curious if his scent was anything like Avanindra's. It wasn't, not quite. The effect was similar, dissolving me into heady lust and making my blood pound.

No. That's different. Aedan makes my blood rush, not slow.

"That's true," he murmured.

I blinked, surprised but I didn't pull away. He sighed, more of his scent washing over me. I shuddered and closed my eyes, savoring it. It was tangy, acidic instead of spicy. It singed my skin and left a strange taste on my tongue.

He smells like a match being struck. I wrinkled my nose as his deep chuckle rolled between us.

"You used to tell me you liked the smell."

I opened my eyes to see his amused expression.

"I told you I liked the smell of a lit match?"

"Not just a lit match. Steel on flint, wood smoke, brimstone. You used to tell me how much you loved the taste." His scent wafted back and forth with each breath he took. "You said you could drink me in for hours."

His words stirred something deep inside of me. I didn't know if it was lust or remembrance but it didn't hurt.

"So we did know each other. Like, in a past life?"

He frowned and straightened. The look on his face was one of distress and he shook his head, his fingers flexing around mine. "I wish you knew how much this hurts."

"What? What hurts?"

"You, being so close. I can't do anything unless you remember."

"Why?" The question that was really burning a hole through my mind was, what do you want to do to me?

His eyes flashed back to my face and that devilish grin had me sucking in a breath. I would do to you whatever you asked of me.

"How do you do that?" I felt sweat trickle down between my shoulder blades.

"Do what?"

"Read my mind. Speak to my mind."

"It's just something we can do. It's like...an involuntary action, like breathing or blinking."

"Who is we? You and I?"

There was the barest hesitation before he answered me, enough that I felt doubt form heavy in my gut. "Yes. We can read each other's minds, speak internally."

I shook my head. "This is so surreal. I just met you."

His fingers squeezed my hand. "You know me. Please, Nerina, try to remember."

"I don't know what I'm supposed to remember. I'm sorry but this doesn't make any sense."

"You feel that you do know me, don't you?"

"Yes." My eyes flicked back and forth across his face. His features, so handsome, looked as familiar to me as my own. I just couldn't place them. I knew I should be able to figure out when and where we'd met before but it was impossible. It was like I hit a wall each time I tried.

"I know you, Nerina." He leaned close enough that he was all I could see; his strong, masculine features, his fiery, golden eyes. I inhaled his scent again and found that I did indeed like it; the musky, acidic taste stirred something inside of me.

"Please, remember me."

I did try then, really tried. I strained, sweat dripping down the sides of my face as I stared into his eyes. I felt resistance, felt pinpricks behind my eyes as I pushed harder. I just couldn't connect.

I gasped, all but falling into his arms. "I'm so sorry."

Aedan held me, his lips burning a path across my forehead. I clung to him, my weak arms circling his broad shoulders. I breathed him in, gasping as his arms tightened around me. I felt myself drawn into his lap and his mouth opened over mine.

As his tongue slid along the seam of my lips, I shuddered, recalling my encounter at work the previous morning.

"What is it?"

"A man came to me at work yesterday." I looked up into Aedan's face. "He said he knew me as well."

His arms tensed around my body and his eyes turned cold. "Did you know him?"

I blinked and started to shake my head 'no,' when something occurred to me. "I knew him, like I know you. I...he felt familiar, but I couldn't think of when I'd met him."

He relaxed a bit but I could still see the tension in his eyes. "What did he tell you?"

"He said that I would remember him." I wondered if I should blush at my next words. "He was going to make love to me and he said that then I'd know him."

Aedan tipped his head back and let out a bellow of rage. I scrambled off his lap and watched in stunned disbelief as his eyes turned a blazing red, whites and all. I put my hands to my face as I watched his hair burst into flames.

This isn't real. I backed away, sweat beading all over my skin. It's so hot in here. So hot...

I was panting, my body pulsing as Aedan flared up in front of me. I peeked through my fingers, entranced by the transformation taking place.

I should be frightened. I gasped and winced as the hot air in the room singed my throat. But I'm not.

You should be! Aedan's voice in my head was angry and I pressed myself against the wall.

I'm not. How can I be?

I met his burning gaze and my knees quivered. I saw a mist rising up from my feet and glanced down with a gasp.

I was steaming.

It was painless, not making me feel afraid.

You should be afraid! Aedan's tormented, angry voice broke through again and I shook my head.

My body was pulsing with each wave of heat that rolled off of Aedan. I looked into his red eyes and bit back a moan.

I'm not afraid.

The steam rose from my feet, licked at my core and rose to block my view of Aedan. I could still feel him.

I remember...



Body of Water Ch. 03



Over seventy percent of the earth's surface is covered by water. Its forms are numerous; ocean, sea, river, lake, ice, vapor in the air. Even humans are seventy-five percent water. Curious fact for some perhaps, but not me.

A giggle bubbled up from somewhere inside of me, rooting me back in my mortal form. After all, I had nowhere else to go.

Aedan glowed before me, no longer blazing but still emitting a heat that would have killed any human.

Luckily I was not human.

Instead of melting or incinerating, I began to turn to steam. My outer layers of skin sloughed off first. I grinned at Aedan and he stared back at me.

Aren't you glad to see me? I laughed, a laugh full of mirth.

"You have no idea." His voice crackled with flames that I knew he kept bottled up.

Then tell me, I urged as I glided closer to him.

The heat was fading from the room already. I pouted at him as I approached and he gave me a wry smile.

"I must, my lovely." He drew in a breath.

I felt the rush of warm air against my skin, and then I began to cool. Mist settled around me and the steam solidified, forming my skin again. I looked down at my outstretched arms and admired the smoothness of this mortal form.

I miss your fire already, Aedan. I turned my pouting face up to him.

The corner of his mouth twitched on a barely contained smile and I giggled. Taking another step, I pressed against his warm body. His arms came up to hold me and I sighed, in contentment. I pressed my cheek to his chest and allowed his natural warmth seep into me. Once more, the top layer of my skin began to turn to vapor.

You heat me even when you struggle not to. I snuggled closer, pressing my body against his at every point that I could. I sensed his tension and knew he was holding himself under very firm control. Why are you keeping your true form contained?

"It would kill you."

I laughed, my breath turning to steam as it left my body. I cannot die.

"You can in this form."

Then let us take our natural forms. I want to be with you.

"You are with me, Nerina." His warm breath stirred the hair at my temple.

No, I'm not. You won't even speak to my mind. You speak out loud, like a mortal.

"I must. You're already drifting dangerously."

Drifting? I'm not drifting. I'm here, in your arms. I turned my head and raised myself to my toes until my lips could touch his whiskery chin. Love me, Aedan. I long for you.

With a strangled groan, he gripped my arms and pushed me away from his body. I felt the absence of his warmth like a missing limb and tears welled in my eyes.

"I don't understand."

My spoken words seemed to bring him some measure of comfort but he still didn't reach for me. He moved across his office until he leaned back against his desk. "You don't remember everything." It wasn't a question, just a statement of fact.

"I remember." I took a step closer to him. I longed to feel his heat consume me. I trembled with the memory of how he'd make love to me. I wanted that feeling again. "I remember you, Aedan. I remember how we met."

He lifted his eyes to meet mine. I smiled, willing him to sink into the memory with me. His tight smile let me know that he remembered, but it brought him pain.

"Not pain," he whispered. "It was the greatest moment of my existence."

I sighed and then he let a burst of heat out. It pulsed against me, licking at my skin and lifting another layer of steam from me. I gasped, wrapping my arms around my stomach in an effort to hold on to it. As quickly as he'd let it go, he drew it back in and I was room temperature again.

"Tell me why you don't love me anymore." My voice cracked on the last word.

In an instant, Aedan was on his feet, clutching my arms, his fingers sinking right through my skin as he melted me. "I do love you, Nerina." His face hovered over mine. "But you must remember. I can't help you unless you remember everything!"

"Tell me what I don't remember then."

I gasped as another pulse of his heat stroked my body. Moisture exploded between my legs and I trembled harder. I longed to feel his heat deep inside of me. I thrust the thought at him and he groaned, his eyes turning red.

I watched him, weak with his fire burning through my arms. Glancing down, I saw that my hands were turning blue and rising as vapor in the air around us. Aedan's eyes followed my gaze and he bellowed with some sound I'd never heard before.

He sounded...afraid.

He dropped his hands. "No!" He crossed the room to stand in the corner furthest away from me and I felt the heat rush around the room. He drew all the warmth into himself, leaving me standing alone, vapor settling around me.

Tears started to fall unchecked from my eyes. "Why are you doing this?"

The eyes he turned to me were tortured. "You mustn't change here."

I longed to cross the room and give him comfort but our bodies touching only seemed to bring him great pain.

"Nerina, please." He straightened, his breathing slow and controlled as he stared at me. "Try to remember."

"I am!" I sobbed and fell to my knees.

I remembered everything. I remembered my existence as water; salty ocean water, cold arctic ice, gentle rain over flowing rivers. It was all there. I remembered the ability to take a human form and I remembered meeting Aedan.

We'd met somewhere in the world that no longer existed. It had been a fiery, unstable region where he'd chosen to spend most of his time. The volcanos were dear to him and I enjoyed the warmth around the shores. At his first caress, I'd turned to steam, without my consent. I'd been furious at first, pounding the land and his precious volcanos with arctic rain until at last, he'd begged for forgiveness. Then we grew curious about each other, circling one another at first, wary as wolves. When he grazed me with his molten tongue a second time, I consented and our joining was spectacular.

All this, I remembered, though it was eons ago. I remembered it like it was only yesterday.

"I remember it, too," he whispered. "But there's so much more that you're forgetting."

"Can't you tell me what it is?"

"I wish I could, my lovely. But it isn't permitted."

I frowned in confusion. "I don't understand."

He exhaled and nodded, moving out of the corner. He didn't come to me again. Instead, he pulled out his desk chair and sat down, resting his elbows on the wooden surface. I watched him run slender fingers through his messy reddish-brown hair and felt the motion inside of me.

Swallowing hard, I settled into a chair across from him. "All right. We'll do this your way. Hands off, civilized like every other boring mortal in this realm."

"I'm sorry, Nerina." He lifted his beautiful eyes to my face. "I didn't want it to be this way. I'd hoped you truly would remember if I revealed myself to you." He paused, shook his head and glared at his desktop. "I was foolish to think it would be so easy." Then his face lifted again and his eyes bored into mine. "You have to want to remember."

"I do! I don't know what you think I'm not remembering." I shook my head, casting my mind back through the ages for anything else. "I see you in all my memories, Aedan, you loving me. I think I remember the world shifting and changing with time but that was never my focus."

Aedan's eyes grew sharper as I spoke about the shifting world. He leaned forward, his powerful forearms bunching as he moved. "You remember the world did change though?"

"Of course." I gave him a weak smile. "It was different..." I broke off and frowned, my eyes narrowing. "It was...I can see it change if I try..."

"Try, Nerina. Please."

There was a great land mass in my distant memory. I recalled circling it, dancing across it as rain, and carving rivulets in its face as rivers. Then there was a great cracking noise and a...

I gasped, curling forward as a horrifying pain gripped my head. I felt Aedan drop at my side, his radiating warmth an instant salve for my pain.

"Are you all right?"

"I'm fine." I lifted my eyes to his dear face. "I'm sorry, Aedan. I tried."

"I know you did." He rose to his knees to press his lips to my forehead.

I sighed, leaning into his kiss, aching for more. He sensed my desire and I saw a flicker in his beautiful eyes. The hand on my arm warmed but we didn't look away from one another's face while my form rose between us in a fog. It swirled and shifted with our combined breathing and I felt his temperature kick up another degree. I felt the changes in him like a beat of my heart, liquid and insubstantial as it was.

"Nerina." My name was a moan falling from his lips.

I love you, Aedan.

"I know."

Tell me you love me.

His eyes widened and his mouth set into a flat line. I watched his face scrunch into an agonized frown and I caught my breath on a sob.

"I'm sorry!" I threw my arms around him and fell to my knees. "I'm so sorry. Please don't be sad. I won't ever say it again if it gives you pain!"

Aedan closed his strong arms around my back and held me to him. I was sweating and misting around us but I didn't care. I wanted to take away his pain, even if it meant never telling him how I felt.

"Don't ever be sorry for loving me, Nerina." His lips moved against my hair. It curled into crisps as he spoke, smoking and turning to mist like the rest of me.

"I don't want to cause you pain."

I could feel each of his exhalations and with every breath, another part of my mortal body melted away. I knew that soon I'd be little more than a puddle on the floor. Something tugged at my mind then, something warned me that I mustn't allow myself to melt altogether.

As if he recalled at the same moment, I felt Aedan inhale, struggling to draw all his heat back into himself.

I pulled away and looked into his eyes. "Can you kiss me before I go?"

My body pulsed with need. I wanted so much more than a simple kiss but anything more seemed to bring him pain. Something else tickled the back of my mind and I knew that making love would cause us both untold pain.

"Kiss me, please." I said the words quickly, afraid that he would refuse even this small act.

"I want so much more." He stroked his hot palm over my cheek. Sweat followed his touch, dripping from my hairline. He stroked me again and this time part of my eyelid melted at his touch.

"I know you do," I whispered, blinking and reforming my eye.

"You are so beautiful."

A breathless laugh escaped me and I shook my head.

You are. I gasped to hear his voice in my head.

I want to stay with you, Aedan.

We'll be together soon, my lovely.

Promise? The words echoed inside my head, reminding me of our conversation from the other night. Had it only been three days? It felt like lifetimes ago.

I promise, Nerina. His eyes held mine, caressing every inch of my face. His fire pulsed against me and I moaned as flames licked between my thighs. I love you.

Then he kissed me, parting my lips with his fiery tongue and sliding inside my mouth. I took him in, moaning and drinking his magma.

Suddenly the floor rocked and groaned beneath us. Fire ignited all over Aedan's skin as he thrust me away from him. I fell back with a gasp, weakness sinking into my limbs. Turning my head, I saw my arm liquefying against the hardwood floor. Then the building rocked again, coupled with a great groaning noise, like the very ground lifting up.

An earthquake?

I licked my lips and tasted ocean salt. Aedan's red eyes met mine and I felt something crack inside my head. I gasped, my mouth falling open, and water started to bubble up from my lungs.

This isn't right. I opened and closed my mouth around the spewing water. I'm too far away.

Aedan nodded, his face a mixture of rage and frantic worry.

The earth rumbled, groaning in fury at us and the building began to crumble. Again I thought it curious. I didn't think it was possible to have an earthquake in Alberta.

The thought broke apart the wall in my memory and I groaned, tens of thousands of years washing against me in an instant.

I remembered everything.

Blackness consumed me as Aedan's bellow of rage echoed in my ears.

Then...nothing.

****

My alarm clock howled at me and I swatted it off, then moaned as a headache throbbed behind my eyes. I covered my face with my hands, breathing through the pain. I tried to put my hands down a few seconds later and squinted against the sunlight filtering through my blinds. With a groan, I pulled a pillow over my face and continued to focus on breathing.

After a while, I decided to get up. As I rolled to the side and dropped my bare feet to the floor, I wanted to reconsider. Every part of me ached. I hadn't felt this awful since catching the flu last winter.

Maybe I should call in sick today. I winced as I pushed myself to my feet. What day is it anyway? I looked around. My bare bedroom walls had no reply. It's Tuesday, right? I had no idea who I was asking and the thought made me smile. 

I shuffled to the bathroom across the hall and managed to get the hot water running. As the steam wafted out of the bathtub, I inhaled, curious about the tingling at the base of my spine. Shaking it off, I undressed and climbed into the tub, sighing in appreciation as the hot water pelted my skin.

When my aches and headache didn't fade following the shower, I gave up hope of going to work. There was no way I could focus on work while I felt like this. I went downstairs to find the phone.

In the kitchen, there were signs that my roommates had been up and gone before me this morning. I started to clear the dishes and put the condiments away. I loved Angela and Harlowe like my own family but they were terrible at picking up after themselves. After tidying the kitchen and putting some bread into the toaster for myself, I picked up the phone and called Landbourne.

"Can you reschedule my clients for today?" I asked Lindsay, the showroom assistant.

I heard her flipping through our appointment book. "Hmm, looks like you only had one appointment for today: Mr. Mahisa."

"Mahisa?" I wrinkled my nose. "I don't recall making an appointment with him. Is he a new client?"

"Yeah, it says here that he just called in yesterday."

I laughed and then started to cough. As I cleared my throat, I could hear Lindsay grumbling about breathing germs through the phone.

I ignored her. "I can't believe we got this guy in for a next day appointment."

"Do you want me to push it to next week? In case you're not feeling better?"

"Uh, do I have any afternoon appointments tomorrow?"

"No."

"Move him to tomorrow afternoon and then at least if I don't make it, he's not there first thing waiting for me."

"I can do that," Lindsay agreed. "You get some rest."

"I can do that."

She laughed and we confirmed a few other notes before handing up.

I buttered my toast and choked it down with some ice water as I sat in front of the TV. I managed to sit there for another few minutes before deciding to go back upstairs. I always preferred reading, even when sick as a dog. So I settled in bed with my latest bodice ripper. I didn't restrict myself to one genre of books but for some reason, when I felt like crap, I preferred good, unadulterated, naughty romance.

I think I drifted off somewhere around the time Rodrigo was cutting through the laces on Lenore's corset.

****

The dream was strange, not the familiar dissolving into water. It felt more real, like a memory.

Voices intruded on my dreaming mind and I blinked my eyes open to find myself lying in a heap, my back against a fallen tree trunk. Ahead of me, I saw nothing but a thick forest over uneven ground and wondered where the ocean was.

"Stop playing games!" a familiar voice roared.

Blinking, I moved my focus towards my feet and saw a wall of fire. No, not a wall, a pillar, with moving appendages, like a human's arms and legs.

"This is no game," another voice replied, also familiar, though I didn't understand why I should know them. But then, this was a dream. I supposed they were voices belonging to old boyfriends or colleagues.

"Don't lie to me." The pillar of flames throbbed, growing in size for a split second before settling again.

"I don't lie but you can choose to believe what you like." That speaker I couldn't see. I strained for a moment, struggling to lift my head to see over the rise of my hip; I was lying on my side and couldn't move at all. "You always did."

"I knew the truth, Ki." I could tell that the flames were speaking. "I know it now. You can't conceal it from me."

"It matters little what you know."

"Don't remind me!" The fire flared a blinding white for a moment. Then it settled, dimming almost to a dull red, the definite shape of a human forming beneath the fluttering flames. "Your little games aren't going to work forever, Ki. She's growing stronger."

I saw a shadow move in front of the fire. The flames shot higher and I blinked as the shadow came closer. I could just make it out now but it didn't seem right. It was a mountain, capped with ice with a forest on one side. I blinked and frowned as the mountain shrank, reducing in size until it matched the height and width of the tower of fire.

"You know nothing." This time I saw the mountain move as it spoke. "You both don't know anything." Ki laughed, the sound rumbling all around, shaking the limbs of the trees surrounding me. "Your time is almost up and you're no closer than you were a million years ago."

"Time has no meaning for us."

The mountain crumbled to nothing as he spoke but the voice was as strong as before. "It will. Now get out of my sight before I snuff you out."

I was blinded as the fire burst from its contained shape. I blinked, seeing spots, and when I opened my eyes again, it was gone. I sighed and laid my head on the mossy ground, thinking I'd wake up any moment now.

As I got a better look at my surroundings, the trees shimmered. I blinked, squinting as the trees fluttered again, turning almost transparent. Underneath the green and brown layers, something familiar popped up, wood-paneled walls and bookcases lined with ledgers and manuals. I stared, the trees solidifying and then shimmering again. Under my cheek, I felt cold hardwood instead of damp moss and watched the ripple go through the wall, adding a desk in front of it.

Then the forest was back and silence surrounded me.

No, not complete silence.

There, in the distance, I heard the trickle of water over rocks. I could move then, sliding over the dank forest floor until I reached the stream. It wasn't deep enough to swim in, or even to float in, but just putting my bare feet into the current comforted me. I slid off the bank and lay down on my back over the rocks. The water lifted my hair and I felt it dissolve into the stream.

Ah yes. This I know.

It washed over me, rocking me against the rocks. I turned my head and drank the water as it swept down into me. It filled my body, seeping into my ears, nose and eyes. Gradually it deepened and I knew then that I was out of the stream, stretching my reach until I tasted the tang of salt.

I poured into the delta, giggled as the sand tickled me in delicate places. The shoreline receded and I sank, rolled, became weightless.

Then nothing.

****

"Wake up, sweetie," a gentle voice stirred me from the dream.

I smacked my lips, tasting salt, and cracked my eyelids open to see Angela's smiling face looming over me. "Hey."

She grinned. "You are alive!"

"Of course I am." I rolled my eyes and wriggled out from under my numerous covers until I could sit up. My paperback was crushed into something unrecognizable and I groaned at the sight.




Body of Water Ch. 03



Angela laughed at me. "You can get a new one."

"I'm not going to buy a new book just because I squished this one. That's hardly practical."

"You don't always have to be practical. Sometimes it's fun to just be unreasonable, emotional."

I rolled my eyes again and tossed the book to the foot of my bed. "What time is it?"

"Almost four. When did you go to sleep?"

"I don't know. Maybe ten this morning?"

"Wow, you must be really sick."

I nodded, recalling how I'd felt when I first got up in the morning. "I was." I took stock of my body as I spoke. I felt better, no aches, no pain, no headache. "I feel better."

"Sleep does amazing things." Angela stood up and stretched her arms out on either side of her. "You want something for dinner? I can't do fancy meals like you, but I could manage some soup and grilled cheese sandwiches, if you want."

"Sounds great." I grinned. Soup and sandwiches sounded gourmet to my empty stomach. "Give me a few minutes to change and I'll meet you downstairs."

"Cool." She left me alone.

I and changed into sweats and a loose tank top. Downstairs in the kitchen, I found Angela dancing at the stove with a spatula in her hand and Harlowe at the table, reading a newspaper.

"Hey, sickie," Harlowe greeted me with a smile. "Angela told me you slept all day. How are you feeling?"

"I feel great. Whatever it was, it was over quickly."

Harlowe pulled me close and kissed my cheek. I flushed as I straightened, uncomfortable with this display of affection. I recalled Sunday morning and our 'outing,' as it were. He must think that since Angela knew about us sleeping together, he could kiss me whenever he wanted.

Then I recalled my conversation with Angela later on Sunday morning and knew I had to talk to him.

For now, I moved away with a weak smile, sitting across from him at the table. A few minutes later, Angela had dinner set in front of us and we chatted as we dug in. Later, I found myself yawning and fighting to stay awake at nine o'clock. I said goodnight to my roommates and went to bed.

It was pitch black when I heard my door open. My heart lurched in my chest as I was woken up. For a moment I panicked, thinking someone was breaking in. Then I heard Harlowe's familiar tread and relaxed. He slipped beneath my covers and I allowed him to pull me close. I felt his erection poking my backside and couldn't help my body's response. I was glad I'd worn pajamas to bed.

"We need to talk, Harlowe," I blurted before he could do anything.

"Do we?" He nuzzled the hair covering my neck.

Shivering, I nodded and managed to roll over in his arms until we were nose-to-nose. "I don't think I can do this anymore."

I could hear my conversation with Angela replaying in my mind and I knew it was the right thing to do, but I couldn't remember why I thought so. I frowned as I tried to pin down the reason. It's not as though I was dating someone else, or even had someone in my sights.

Did I?

"You can't do this?" I knew I'd caught him by surprise and I felt bad for blindsiding him. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No, of course not. You're a great guy, Harlowe."

"Is it because Angela found out?"

"No. It doesn't bother me that she knows."

"I'm confused." He didn't sound hurt and he wasn't pulling away from me. His erection didn't seem to be diminishing either. If anything, I felt him throb against me as he spoke. "Don't we have fun together?"

"All the time." He was a wonderful lover and he did all the right things to get me to climax every time.

"Then why can't we keep doing this? Is there someone else you'd rather be with?" Now he sounded a little hurt.

"There's no one else."

Not yet.

The thought surprised me and I shook my head to clear it. That wasn't like me.

For a long moment, Harlowe stared into my eyes and I stared back. It was as if he was trying to figure me out. I saw the emotions cross his face; confusion, worry, pain, and finally, disappointment.

"Well, I can't force you to keep doing this."

"No."

"I'm sorry you don't want to."

"I'm sorry, too. I never meant to hurt you."

"I'm all right." He didn't look all right but I figured he would be, given time.

Another silence fell over us. He was still hard against my belly and I felt the tingling response in my own body continue. His eyes narrowed and I bit my lip. He felt it too and I knew we'd do this one last time.

"For old time's sake." He brought our lips together.

"OK."

It was familiar and sweet and I knew there would be times when I missed his touch. He was gentle when I wanted it and rough when I needed it.

Like now.

He stripped me and threw the covers back, positioning me as he wanted me. I didn't have to say anything for him to know this was what I needed right now. I also knew that part of him wanted to have me this way, roughly, leaving marks so that I'd remember how it was with him.

It was always wonderful, stimulating and it was true, he could make me come. None of it had ever been enough. I think, as he sank into me, his cock hard and going deep, he realized at last why I couldn't remain his lover.

Still, I moaned as he pinched my nipples and jerked as he plunged deeper. He held my legs up, propping them over his arms so he could angle himself to hit me deep inside. I looked into his eyes and felt the twitching approach of my orgasm. Not breaking eye contact, I licked my finger and reached between us, stroking myself as he thrust into me. I came, making the noises I knew he wanted to hear and he started to move faster, ramming into me with more force.

I held onto his arms where he held my legs in the air and didn't take my eyes from his as he fucked me. And it was fucking. He wasn't making love to me, not this time. I could see it in his face that he wanted to make me regret my decision. It wasn't like Harlowe to act this way and part of my heart broke with the knowledge that I'd done this to him.

Then he was coming, emptying himself into me with a coarse growl. He pumped his hips against me until he felt he'd had enough and only then did he release my legs.

As he caught his breath, he didn't relax beside me as he usually did. Instead, he got up, pulled his boxers on and walked away. He paused at the doorway and I turned onto my side to look at him.

"See you tomorrow, Rina," he whispered and left.

Well, that did it. Hearing him call me Rina, not Nerina, brought tears to my eyes. I clamped my lips together and buried myself under the covers. My body was still warm from the sex, but not hot, and I slept naked, not caring if I felt chilled later.

****

In the morning, I felt one hundred percent again. As I got ready for my day, I ignored my misgivings about Harlowe. I figured things in the house might be awkward for a short while but we'd get through it. After all, we were all adults and we could handle this like adults.

So I packed a lunch, checked the time and headed out. When I got to the office, it was quiet at the reception desk but Lindsay was wandering around the showroom when I walked in.

"Morning, Rina." She waved from the bathroom section.

"Good morning, Lindsay."

I walked through to the back offices. I was relieved to see a new computer in place and put my things away as it powered up. I pulled a few files from my cabinet and looked through the appointment book to see if anything drastic had been rearranged due to my absence the day before. When the computer came to life in front of me, I started my email first, guessing that there would be a mass of them.

I clicked on the first email, a notice about the summer family picnic from the social committee. As I scanned the details, I wondered if they'd allow me to bring one of my roommates again. I didn't have a boyfriend, let alone a spouse or children, but sometimes they chose to be very particular about guests for these functions. I was still pondering my social situation when the computer screen blinked off.

"What the hell?" I reached down to restart it. As my finger brushed the restart button, a jolt of electricity zapped me and I jerked my hand back. "Holy crap!"

"Everything all right?" Lindsay came into my office at just that moment.

"I'm fine." I waved my hand around to dissipate the sting of the shock. "My computer just bit me, that's all."

Lindsay laughed and came over to have a look. She was a genius when it came to computers, though she'd never admit it. She preferred to work in the showroom, not the IT department. "There. Now talk nicely to it so it doesn't bite you again."

I narrowed my eyes at her and stuck my tongue out. She laughed and moved away, leaving me a couple new files. I looked over everything as I waited for the computer to start again. I felt the whirring against my leg where it rested against the tower.

Picking up one folder, I flipped through it, finding preliminary information on my morning appointment: Mr. and Mrs. Hopewell. They were an older couple, building one of our larger models and that told me they were settling into this house for the rest of their lives. It also meant they'd be very particular about their selections, most likely going back and forth on options before making any decisions.

I sighed. This is going to be a long day. No wonder I'd left my afternoon free. People like the Hopewells tended to take up more time than the usual four hour appointment.

That reminded me that I had changed Mr. Mahisa's appointment to this afternoon and I set down the Hopewell file to pick up the next one. Mr. Mahisa was purchasing a smaller model but it was one of the most popular mid-market house plans. He was single, according to the file, meaning he'd be the shorter of my two appointments today.

I made some notes in both the files before turning my attention back to the computer. "Let's try this again." I wriggled the mouse on my desk.

This time, it didn't even allow me to start my email. It even made an angry fizzing noise and made me jump back in surprise as the tower heated to an alarming degree against my leg.

"You've got to be kidding me!"

I watched the screen flash white and then vertical grey pinstripes appeared over the white. I scowled and banged my hand down on my desk in frustration.

After a less than friendly discussion with the IT department - they were convinced I was using my computer as a jack for my car or something - I swept the client files into my arms and stalked out to the showroom to prepare samples for the Hopewells instead.

Another half hour passed and then I greeted the middle-aged couple as they came in for their appointment.

The Hopewells weren't as bad as I thought they'd be. They were friendly and joked around with me and each other the entire time. Even though the four hours were up before they'd finished all their selections, they'd done a lot better than I'd suspected.

I saw them out after we were done for the day. "We'll make a follow-up appointment for next week. I'll have Lindsay call you with details."

I walked back to my office to see if I had a new computer yet. I'd seen an IT guy come in while I was with the Hopewells and he hadn't been carrying a computer. Sure enough, when I walked into my office, I saw my monitor, mouse and keyboard, all their wires dangling uselessly from the desktop.

"Damn."

Without a computer, I'd have to hand-write all the details and input them later. It meant more work now and later. I was less than pleased. I sighed and went to the staff room for my lunch. Dwelling on it wouldn't help matters.

As always, my lunch passed by too fast and soon I was gathering preliminary samples for Mr. Mahisa. I didn't notice the showroom door open and it wasn't until someone cleared their throat near the big sample table that I looked up.

I felt my chest constrict when I looked into chocolate brown eyes in a handsome brown face. His black hair was styled and his suit was tailored to fit his lithe, lean form. My mouth went dry and I swallowed around the thickness in my throat as he smiled at me.

"Nerina?" His voice was accented, making my name sound entirely different coming from him.

I'm pretty sure I liked it.

"Yes. Are you Mr. Mahisa?"

"Please, call me Avanindra." He grinned, his teeth very white next to his dark skin. "Or Avan, if you prefer."

"Avan." I shook my head, trying to clear it and to think where I'd heard his name before. Probably just read it in the file. "Pleased to meet you, Avan." I moved around the table and shook his hand.

As his warm fingers closed around my hand, I shivered, my mouth falling open in surprise. His hand was warm and made me feel warm, but in a heavy sort of way, like having too many blankets piled on your body or having a scarf pulled too tightly around your neck. As I inhaled, I caught the scent of his cologne, some unique mixture of musky earthiness and spices.

"I'm very pleased to meet you as well." His voice was very deep and had a slight rasp to it.

I tilted my head to one side as I studied him. He dropped my hand and smiled back at me. "I'm sorry, I can't place your accent. It sounds almost...British."

He chuckled and I bit the inside of my cheek when the sound shivered through my body. "I was raised in Manchester but I've been in Canada for most of my life now."

Fingers of pleasure tickled between my thighs and I was glad that I'd chosen a pantsuit that morning. An image of me spread across the sample table with my skirt up around my waist flashed through my mind and I sucked in a shocked breath. Avan quirked an eyebrow at me and I blushed, something I rarely did.

I moved a few steps away and flipped open his file as I gathered my thoughts. I ignored the flush lower in my body, telling myself I was just imagining things.

"Uh, so I...understand you've decided to build in Evergreen. That's a very nice area."

"It is. I enjoy the views."

I nodded as I looked down at his lot plan. His back porch - once it was built - would overlook the mountains in the west. "I can see why." I looked up with a smile.

He'd moved closer and I felt short of breath.

"You...uh, you...also picked a...very nice floor plan." I was trying not to sound out of breath, which I was.

"I think so." He smiled, revealing those white teeth to me again.

This time I had to look away and ordered my body to calm down. My thighs were quivering and I knew, without having to see or touch them, that my panties were wet. Focus on your job.

"Well, I don't know if you've ever done this sort of thing before or not-" At least the words came out when I opened my mouth, words I'd said a hundred times over. "-But we're a full service showroom. You'll be able to select everything from your railings to your appliances here."

"Sounds great."

"Great." I risked another look at him. My body throbbed in time to his next smile and I wondered if I'd make it through the afternoon.

I reminded myself to stick to my usual routine with clients. There was comfort in familiarity.

So I took Avan to the kitchen area first. I showed him the selections of cabinetry, talking about the finish, the edging and the colors. He asked a few questions, always standing very close to me - it was like he knew he set me on edge. After cabinets, we looked at handles, then countertop samples, and so on.

I became so used to his close presence that I didn't even think about the answering throb between my legs whenever he spoke or flashed those perfect white teeth. At last, we reached the last selection of the day and I was almost sad that our time was almost over. He'd been one of my better clients, making quick, definitive selections and not 'hemming' and 'hawing' if we needed to go back to something.

"I can't believe we're done already," he said as we stood at the large sample table in the middle.

I glanced up from making notes in his file. "It does tend to make the afternoon fly by."

"You must enjoy this work."

"I do, for the most part." I ticked off a few selection boxes.

He chuckled and my hand slipped, dragging a streak of ink across the edge of the page. I bit my lip and stared down at my blunder, almost missing his next words as he spoke.

"I suppose you must have some people who require more time than four hours."

"Yes, some." I looked up. "You've definitely been one of my easier customers."

His dark brows rose and the corner of his mouth lifted in a smirk that was too attractive for my own good.

"Uh...all right. Let me just make a few copies and then I'll be right back with yours to take home," I said, thankful for the excuse to get away from him for even a few minutes. Then I walked away without waiting for his acknowledgement.

In the back offices, I stood in a daze over the copier as it spat out the numerous duplicates of his selection file. Someone walked past and laughed at my expression, bringing me out of my contemplation.

"You look like you've had a rough day, Rina." Natasha, one of the architects paused and leaned a hip against the copier. "Did you get another couple unable to make a decision?"

I gave her a weak smile and shook my head. "No. The couple this morning was kind of like that but not too bad. The guy this afternoon was way easier."

Natasha frowned. "You were in there with someone?"

"Yeah. Where else would I be?"

"Maybe you were in the back corner or something. I popped my head in to see if you wanted coffee when I was going to Starbucks, but you weren't there. I didn't even hear your voice."

"That's odd. I don't think we were in the back corner at all." I pictured the layout of the showroom and there were a few spots out of sight from the main door, but Avan had made all his selections from other sample collections.

"Weird. Well, anyway, at least he was an easy one. Are you done here?"

"Oh, yeah." I scooped my paperwork out from the copier tray. "I'll see you later. Have a good evening if I don't see you before we're gone."

"Thanks. You too!"

I drew in a deep breath as I headed back to the showroom to brace myself for Avan's magnetic personality. It did little to help. There he stood, almost in the same spot. He was facing away from me, his suit jacket slung across the table by his elbow - he'd taken it off somewhere around the time we'd been discussing lighting fixtures.

My shoes made no sound as I crossed the carpeted floor but he turned before I got within ten steps of him, as if he knew I was there.

"I was beginning to think you'd left me here to perish," he joked with that sexy grin.

I gave a nervous laugh and shook my head. "Well, there were quite a few pages to copy."

I laid the file out for him to see. I explained it to him, pointing out a few important sections. "If you change your mind about anything, or decide you want to see something again, just call and make another appointment."

When I glanced up, I was surprised to see his dark eyes watching me and I felt the twinge in my stomach renew itself.

"I don't know if I can wait that long."

"That... long?" I felt very confused. His scent was all around me and making it very hard for me to think. It was a heady mixture and there was a sudden weight pressing on my chest, making it difficult to breathe.

"Until I can see you again."

A breathless laugh fell from my lips and I blinked a few times. "You want to see me again?"

He cocked his head to one side, his eyes slipping from mine to trail across my face. I felt his gaze like a caress; a smooth, pulsating touch over my skin. "Is that so hard to believe?"

"A little."

He moved then - at least, I think he moved - coming so close that he blocked out the rest of the room. All I could see was him, his scent filled my nostrils and I could swear that his voice spoke to my very mind.

"You are like no one else, Nerina. I'd like very much to see more of you after today." He paused and his full lips curled up into a wicked smile. "I'd very much like to see all of you."




Body of Water Ch. 03



It took a moment for his words to sink in and, at first, I thought I'd imagined them. But his eyes were still hot on my face, and he was waiting for a response. I couldn't tell him that all I could see was him between my legs as I lay on the table beside us. I'd been worried about professionalism before and I think he'd shattered that line altogether.

Now what?

I wasn't sure if that thought was generated by my mind, or if that was his seductive voice reaching inside of me again. Then I gave myself a mental shake. Don't be stupid. He can't speak to my mind.

"What are you suggesting?" I said it with a smile, to show him I wasn't offended by his words. I had the brief thought that I should be offended, but then he spoke and I forgot why.

"Dinner, for a start." He straightened and allowed daylight back into my vision. "Then...who knows?"

Dinner was always a necessity. The 'who knows?' left the rest of the night open to interpretation. I chose to think that he was leaving the decision in my hands, making him a gentleman. However, he had also suggested seeing me naked, and I wasn't certain how many gentleman marks he lost for that one.

Did I care?

"I'm off in another half hour."

"Excellent. I'll see you then." As he spoke, it took all my strength to still the trembling in my legs.

I wanted him with a desire I'd never felt before. I knew, without a doubt, that I wanted him between my legs before the night was through.

The smile he threw me before he walked away made me think he knew it, too.



Body of Water Ch. 04



All through dinner, I couldn't concentrate on a word he said. It took all my focus and energy just to aim my fork in the right direction so I could eat.

Sustenance, I kept reminding myself. I have to eat if I'm going to get lucky tonight.

As the thought ran through my head for the tenth time, his dark eyes met mine, twinkling in the candlelight of the romantic restaurant. I worried, not for the first time, if he knew what I was thinking.

"So how long have you worked at Landbourne?"

"Oh, gosh, it's been so long." I blushed, another repeat offense that I was not enjoying tonight. "Five years. Six, come November."

"That's quite a while. Do you ever feel that you'd go somewhere else?"

"I don't know. I'd never really given it much thought. They're a good company to work for and I love this city."

"Really?" He sounded so surprised, that I had to smile.

"Why does that shock you?"

"I don't know." He shrugged and lifted his wine glass to his lips. He'd selected the wine for the night, since I knew nothing about them. This one he'd said he enjoyed because it was a bold, earthy flavor. It was red and sweet to me, but I wasn't complaining. "I guess I figured you for an ocean lover."

"Really?" I gave a light laugh and took a sip of my wine. "I've visited the coast but I don't know that I'd ever consider relocating."

"Never?"

The single word was so intent that it caught me by surprise. I studied him over the rim of my wine glass, my smile slipping. Then he grinned, lightening the moment and putting me at ease.

"It would take the right inducement, I suppose."

"That's interesting."

He cut a piece of his steak and lifted the fork to his mouth. I watched the motion, transfixed as he chewed the meat and licked his lips.

I'm sure a gasp fell from my lips as I watched his pink tongue slide across his full bottom lip. The tickle between my legs disappeared to be replaced in an instant by a much stronger sensation. It felt like someone was kneeling between my thighs, with his head shoved in my crotch. If I hadn't been in the middle of a restaurant, on a date with a gentleman, I'd think I was getting oral service from a skilled, thick tongue.

"Are you all right, Nerina?" His tone was soft but carried to my ears.

I managed a nod, stifling an all-out moan as the invisible tongue licked my privates again.

"Because you look...out of sorts."

Avan leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table as his eyes searched my face. There was a glint in the dark orbs that made my nipples start to tingle and I wondered if I was having some sort of seizure. Then he chuckled and I came apart, sagging in my chair and vibrating all over as a tiny orgasm rocked me.

"Perhaps it's time I get you out of here."

I couldn't do anything but nod in agreement. I'd agree to almost anything if I could have what I wanted later.

Again, it was as if he was reading my mind. His tongue flicked out to slide up the corner of his mouth and the moan left my lips this time. I flared red in the face and wondered if anyone was looking our direction.

It's all right. It was a soft voice, probably my subconscious telling me to chill out.

It had been a long time since I'd been on a first date. Being out with a handsome, well-off man was having a greater effect on me than I'd anticipated.

"Waiter?" Avan raised a hand as our server passed by. "I think we're about done here. Would you mind bringing over the bill?"

"Of course, sir." The waiter scooped up our half-eaten dinners before hurrying away.

"Please, excuse me." I was trembling from head to toe and I wasn't sure if I'd make it, but I needed to get to the ladies room.

"I'll wait for you here, Nerina." Avan watched me scramble from the table.

I hurried away without stumbling too much. Once inside the cold silence of the ladies room, I braced my hands against a sink and bowed my head. I sucked in deep breath after deep breath, ordering myself to get a grip. I knew my panties were soaked through and I was horrified to think that my pants might now have a wet spot in the crotch. I turned and went into a stall, locking it behind me as I bent to check. It looked all right but I was trembling so much, I almost couldn't do my zipper and belt up again.

Away from Avan's presence, I found it easier to think. After another few minutes, my breathing returned to normal and my color faded. I left the stall and walked over to stare at my reflection in the mirror. I looked normal: dark hair pulled back into a practical ponytail, eyes devoid of make-up. I frowned as I studied my appearance.

What's so attractive about me? Why is Avan paying so much attention to me? I'm nothing special. How can a man like him even want to look twice at me?

They were silly, insecure thoughts and even though I knew I wasn't the most attractive woman around, it wasn't like me to question myself. I'd never questioned why Harlowe desired me and he was the best-looking guy I knew.

"What's happening to me?"

There was no answer, of course. I sighed as I reached for the taps. I took my time washing my hands, letting the cool water run over my hands. It brought me a measure of comfort and made me feel more confident. By the time I was ready to walk out of the ladies room, I felt that I was back in control. I saw that the dining room was still filled to capacity and as I approached our table, Avan rose to his feet.

"Are you ready to go?" He reached for my arm with one slender, dark hand.

I'd thought I could handle him now. The time away from him had cleared my head, steadied my breathing. Now, with him looming over me, his scent wafting up my nose, I felt my control sliding. My breathing grew shallow and it felt like a great hand was squeezing my chest.

"Nerina?" His warm, spicy breath washed across my cheek.

I stared up at him, taking in his dark eyes, the knowing smile on his full lips, and the careful styling of his glossy black hair. He looked harmless and yet, I was being pulled under by lust.

Lust.

The word was spoken into my mind in a tone that was almost mocking. I continued to stare at Avan, glad that I still had enough control to keep any reaction to the voice from showing on my face. He smiled, his eyes moving across my face.

"Would you like me to take you home?" This time, the question was different. I felt it; he wasn't dropping hidden innuendos or insisting that I would enjoy time alone with him. He was simply offering to ensure I got home all right.

Maybe I looked worse than I thought.

"Yeah. I'm ready to go." I left it at that, not offering anything more, and not answering his polite question.

He escorted me out of the building and helped me into his car in the parking lot. I'd left my car at Landbourne when he'd picked me up for dinner.

We said little on the drive back to the Landbourne office. I gazed out the window, concentrating on making myself breathe at a regular pace. My eyes went up to the sky and I saw how dark it was. Still, I found the moon, full and silvery grey, as always. I didn't tell anyone about this quirk of mine and I wasn't going to bring it up with my potential new boyfriend. He didn't need to know that I saw the moon every single night and it was always full and bright.

He pulled into the deserted parking lot and rolled to a stop next to my little VW Golf. He didn't say anything as we stopped, just reached down and shut the engine off.

I cleared my throat and risked a glance at him. "I had a lovely time."

He smiled, most of his face hidden in shadow. "I'm glad. I'd like to do this again sometime."

I met his gaze and found myself nodding. "I'd like that."

"Would you?" He tilted his head to one side. "I got the impression you were a little uncomfortable at the restaurant."

"I wasn't uncomfortable." I'd been turned on, not uncomfortable, stroked to climax by an unseen mouth that reminded me of Avan.

His mouth curved up at the corners and his thick eyelashes swept low over his eyes. "I'm glad. I'd like to make you very comfortable around me."

"Would you?"

Then he moved closer, sliding an arm around my shoulders and I let him. His scent, his musky warmth was all around me and I swallowed, telling myself not to panic at the thickness I felt in my throat.

"Are you comfortable now, Nerina?" I noticed his breath was coming shorter as well and it gave me a small measure of satisfaction.

Whatever my misgivings at the restaurant had been, it was obvious that he was attracted to me on some level. At the moment, the tingling low in my belly was telling me I should take physical lust for now.

His eyebrows flew up and his eyes opened wide as the thought crossed my mind and I wondered if I'd spoken out loud. Then I threw caution to the wind and put my hand behind his head, drawing his lips down to mine.

At first, Avan didn't kiss me back. I sensed his surprise at my move and, even though I longed to shove my tongue down his throat, I held back. I breathed hard through my nose, inhaling his heady musk with every indrawn breath. It sank into my senses, making my head reel. I let my eyes fall shut and as they did, I felt him shift around me.

His arms closed around my body, hauling me against him. His mouth opened over mine and I felt the push of his tongue against my lips. I parted my lips, welcoming him inside and acknowledging that I wanted more of him inside more of me.

Lord, but he tasted just as he smelled: deep, spicy and so masculine my breasts began to ache. They felt heavy and I knew without looking down that my nipples had hardened. His hands moved up and down my back. Then one of his hands lifted and it was minutes - or maybe hours - later when I realized the buttons on the front of my shirt were popping open.

With a gasp, I managed to wrench my lips from his and look down. Avan allowed me a brief glimpse of his dark hand pulling my shirt open before he gripped my chin in his other hand. He kissed me again, no hesitation in the pressure of his lips on mine. His tongue snaked into my mouth and stroked the underside of mine. I moaned and let him lead the kiss, let him drive me mad.

His hand finished working the buttons of my shirt free and he laid his palm flat on my belly. I jerked against him, feeling the touch all the way down to my toes. His fingers flexed against my skin and more moisture gathered between my thighs. I heard him inhale through his nose, as if smelling my arousal. Heat flamed in my cheeks at the thought that he could smell me.

I tried to pull my mouth from his but he wouldn't let me. His hand moved from my chin to the back of my head. He tangled his fingers through my ponytail and gripped the back of my head with a surprisingly strong hold. His assault on my mouth turned much more intense. I felt the suction of his lips and tried to keep up with the twisting dance of his tongue.

So intense was his kiss that I almost didn't notice his hand moving across my bared skin. He stroked my belly a few times and then his fingertips danced over my ribs. All the sensations he raised in my body were focused in one spot, several inches below where he now touched me.

He cupped my breast, gently bouncing the generous weight in his palm before shoving the cup of my bra down. When his fingers closed over my breast - warm, calloused skin to sensitive flesh - I groaned and arched into his grasp. He released his hold on my head and slid his hand to my back. Our lips parted at last and I sucked in air like it was going out of style. All the while, his mouth didn't move from my body.

He trailed kisses down the exposed column of my throat until he reached raised ridge of my collarbone. There, he lifted his lips and licked me, leaving a moist track on my skin. I shuddered, digging my fingers into his firm biceps, unaware until that point that I'd even been holding him. My senses felt very far away from me. I felt very far away from myself.

This doesn't seem real. I was breathing hard and making mewling sex noises as Avan continued to explore my body. How does he know what makes me hot? How is he even getting me this worked up?

No other man in my past had produced this kind of response from me. My mind flittered back to my most recent lover, Harlowe, and I compared my body's response to him. He'd been great, making me come every time.

Avan was not great. He was earth shattering and there was a roaring in my ears as he closed his lips around one taut nipple.

I could feel his fingers firm against my back where he held me and his other hand was holding my breast up to his mouth. His lips clamped down on the puckered skin surrounding my nipple and his tongue flicked back and forth over the very tip. It was almost taunting, never touching quite enough to satisfy. I rocked and groaned in his arms, helpless to even articulate my desires.

As it turned out, I didn't need to. Even as the thought crossed my mind, his tongue flattened against my nipple, giving it a slow, sensuous stroke before returning to the flicking motion. I gasped, pressing more of myself into his mouth. His hand tightened on my breast and he lifted his head, his dark eyes hooded as they bored into mine.

Nerina...

My eyes widened and I parted my lips to speak but Avan leaned close, thrusting his tongue into my mouth. It kept me silent and I shut my eyes, feeling light-headed again. I tried to draw in air through my nose but I couldn't get enough. The sharp edge of panic tickled at my brain but it was hard to grasp as Avan's lips moved over mine.

Then his mouth was on my neck again and I was able to breathe. His tongue slicked a path from my chin to my exposed breast and his hand was yanking at the other cup of my bra. This time he wasn't so gentle. He bit down on my nipple and I howled as the sensation sent a frisson of electricity to my groin. I knew I must be soaked through my pants as well as my panties now. What surprised me was that I didn't care.

Yes, Nerina...

The hissing voice filled my ears and I squeezed my eyelids shut, giving my head a feeble shake.

Avan's tongue worked against the nipple he'd just bitten, soothing the sting. He lapped at it with wide, wet strokes and short flicks. By the time he moved on, I couldn't have said what my own name was.

He hasn't even taken my pants off yet, I thought, my mind hazy with lust.

He chuckled, startling me out of my daze. I tilted my chin down and met his eyes. He was stroking my stomach, below my bellybutton but above the flat button of my dress pants. I let my gaze slip to watch the teasing caress and didn't feel the usual twinge of embarrassment over having my round body exposed to a new man for the first time.

You're beautiful.

The thought should have come from myself but I knew that it hadn't. I met Avan's dark gaze again and blinked. He was no longer beside me. Somehow, he'd laid me onto my back and I saw that we were in the back seat of his car. It was more spacious than I'd suspected.

There's more space to enjoy your luscious gifts.

This time, I knew I wasn't imagining things. It was his voice I heard in my head, rough and accented by some unfamiliar lilt.

'Luscious gifts,' he'd whispered to my mind. Something tickled the back of my brain because of his words and I couldn't shake the feeling. Even when he snapped open my pants and slipped his hands inside.

He didn't waste time teasing me over my panties. He simply pushed in, shoving my pants and underwear out of the way as he caressed me. My eyelids grew heavy and I fought the urge to close them, to give in to what Avan was offering me.

How does he know what to do? I bit down on my lip as he parted my folds and shoved a finger inside. I was so wet that it was nothing but an exquisite sensation.

Two thoughts warred in my mind now; how did he know me and my body so well and, good God, how long is he going to make me wait?

Then his hands were yanking on my pants, fighting to pull them down my legs. I squirmed, responding automatically since my brain was half-gone with desire for the same thing. But I was clumsy in my assistance, like that confused part of me still had some control.

Nerina!

It was a shout and I gasped, startled by the intruding thought. My eyes snapped open wide and I knew Avan must think it was in response to his mouth so low on my abdomen.

God, yes...Please...I want...his tongue...my lips...

NERINA! Remember yourself!

The feeling washed over me then, that this was wrong. All wrong.

Avan's tongue slipped over my engorged flesh and I choked back a sob, wanting to stop this somehow. It was so confusing, wanting him to lick me, to fuck me, and knowing somehow that it just wasn't right.

Avan was no longer listening to me, if in fact he'd ever been listening to my scattered thoughts. I twisted under his hands, struggling to get away from him but he seemed to take it as a sign of response. His tongue pushed inside me and a strangled moan pushed out from my lips.

Yes...

The hissing thought was different from the shout but I don't know how I knew that.

Tears gathered in my eyes and I wanted to cry. This confusion, this fog settling into my brain as Avan tongued my insides, was bringing me pain. My mind tried to sort it out but it was like banging my head against a brick wall. Pain pulsed behind my eyes as the tears spilled out over my cheeks and I started to struggle again.

No matter how Avan made me feel, no matter that I was seconds away from coming against his face, I had to stop it.

Help, I begged, not knowing if anyone would hear my silent cry; not knowing if I was so far gone to have hallucinated the shouted voice in my head. I can't do this alone.

A roaring crunch broke through the foggy interior of the car and Avan's head lifted from between my thighs. Both of us sat upright and watched in shock as a car crashed through the fence lining Landbourne's property. It careened through the low wooden posts and right into the corner of the building. Before either of us could move, it burst into flames that rolled into an enormous ball and burst upward into the night sky.

"Oh my God!" I gaped at the spectacle.

I don't know how long it was before I reacted. Then I was reaching into the front seat, seeking my purse while keeping my eyes glued to the disaster unfolding before me. I found my purse and dug out my phone to call 911. Beside me, Avan shifted and a quick glance showed me the deep scowl on his face. It transformed his appearance and he looked angry, which didn't make any sense.

What could he have to be angry about? Upset, sure. Shocked and maybe scared, but angry...that seems a little extreme.

I spoke to the woman on the other end of the phone, detailing my location and what had happened. Beside me, Avan moved, straightening his clothes and pushing open the door on his side. I remembered my state of half-dress and flushed as I tucked my phone between my ear and my shoulder. As I continued to speak to the 911 operator, I covered my breasts and pulled my shirt closed. I fumbled with the buttons, making them uneven but at this point, it didn't matter. I was certain that when the authorities arrived, I'd be facing all sorts of invasive questions.

'What were you doing here so late at night?'

'Why is your car parked here?'

'How do you know Mr. Mahisa?'

I shuddered at the thought of explaining my conduct and I could only hope that word wouldn't get back to my superiors about what I'd been doing. With any luck, I could disappear before the owners or managers showed up to survey the damage. I wondered if I could swear the cops to secrecy.

Yeah, that wouldn't make me look suspicious at all.

At last I had myself dressed and looking less tumbled. I clambered out of the car, still speaking to the dispatcher. I looked around for Avan and saw him standing too close to the fire.




Body of Water Ch. 04



"Avan!" I started running towards him.

I could feel the heat of the blaze against my skin, growing hotter the closer I got. I stopped about fifty feet away, feeling the waves of heat wash over me.

Avan was shouting at the fire, waving a fist at it and I couldn't do anything but watch in horror as the fire pulsed in his direction. Flames shot out and looked like they were brushing his body. I gasped as a flame wrapped around his wrist and yanked him so that he stumbled a half-step.

"Avan." I whispered, my voice hoarse. What the hell is happening?

Then something brushed against my face, soft as a lover's touch. An impossibly warm hand caressed my cheek, cupping my chin and then searing heat made my lips tingle. I inhaled, startled by the sensation and drew in a lungful of hot, tangy air. I gasped again, sucking in more of the molten heat and wondering if it was possible to die from inhaling imaginary scents.

"Miss? Are you there?" The voice of 911 dispatcher broke through my thoughts and drew me back into the present.

My eyes stayed on Avan as the sounds of sirens grew louder. I knew they'd be there in another minute and acknowledged the noise to the woman on the other end of the phone. I took another step towards Avan, intending to get him away from the fire but something prevented me from moving. There was a wall before me, a wall of hazy warmth, smelling of tangy musk and sulfur.

"Avan!" I was confused but still aware that I needed to get him away from the accident before there was another explosion.

"You'll pay for this!" he shouted. He glanced over his shoulder at me and his eyes grew wide for a moment. He threw one more look at the fire before retreating and running towards me.

Only when he reached my side, did I sense the wall falling away. Then Avan was there, holding me, his strong arms slipping around my waist as his familiar scent wafted around us both. I inhaled again, searching for that other scent, but found nothing.

A second later, the emergency vehicles appeared and a fireman hurried over, urging us to back away. We obeyed and I let the lady on the phone know that they'd arrived. We spoke for a few minutes longer before she let me go. Then there was nothing to do but stand back and watch the firefighters struggle with the blaze.

****

It was very late when I got home and I called the office before I went to bed. I knew I wouldn't be able to make it to work at my usual time. It was close to four a.m. when I walked in the front door and I would have had to have been up in two hours. So I called and left a message with Lindsay, asking her to reschedule my morning appointments.

Angela was waiting up for me because she knew it was unusual for me to not be home by six. She'd been off for most of the afternoon and worried that I didn't even come home before dark. I checked my cell and saw that she'd called me several times. I'd had my phone on silent for the evening.

In a tired voice, I explained what happened, starting with the date. After that, she almost wouldn't let me out of her sight. I snapped at her, telling her I needed a shower to wash the stench of burning gasoline from my hair. She agreed and then ordered me to sleep in her bed that night. I refused and she was on the verge of inviting herself into my bed. I told her I was fine, the house was fine and there was no need to share a bed.

After that, I stalked off, stripped out of my soiled clothes and got in the shower. I turned the water on as hot as I could stand it and let it pound against my back and shoulders for a long while. Then I washed my hair, shampooing twice and soaping my body three times. I told myself it was because of the strange accident, not the intimacy I'd shared with Avan.

I like Avan, I told myself as I rinsed the soap from my body the last time. He's handsome, gainfully employed and he's a great kisser.

I knew my standards should be higher but I was making excuses. I didn't want to face the reality of what had happened. It was too strange, too...fantastical to be real. I wasn't hearing voices and almost making love with Avan had freaked me out only because we've just met.

I finished in the shower and wrapped a towel around myself. I crossed to my room, relieved that Angela wasn't waiting in my bed. In spite of my firm words, Angela could be stubborn and I'd half-expected to see her in my room.

I fell naked into bed and let the dream take me away.

****

I was floating, sitting up in the middle of a turquoise sea. It was warm to the touch, which struck me as unusual. Even in the middle of a tropical ocean, the deep waters should still be cool.

Then a wave dipped me and rolled me face down in the water.

I flapped above the surface and sputtered with laughter. Another wave rolled against my body and this time it felt like a caress. I sighed, spinning to my back and gazing up at the sky. I blinked and focused on a full moon in a black sky that was punctured all over with stars. The light surrounding me, however, was almost full daylight.

I thought you liked the contrast.

I smiled, recognizing the cadence of the thought, and looked around for the owner. He wasn't showing himself and then I realized that the daylight, and the warmth surrounding me, was all him. He was there, just not in human form as I was.

I love the contrast, I replied. I love it even more when you're inside of me.

A deep vibration stirred my body and I shuddered. The warmth intensified and I spread my legs, inviting him to tease me there. He obliged. I lifted my head as a ribbon of heat shimmered below my feet. It coalesced into something more solid, something I could almost see. His fingers danced up my calves and spread my legs further. Then I felt the deep searching plunge of his molten tongue and dropped my head below the water to keep from burning up.

You don't burn up. There was laughter in his tone.

When I looked up again, bringing my head back into the cool air, I saw his laughing face above mine. He kissed me, sending sparks up around us. I laughed and watched them settle on my skin and in my hair where it swirled on the water's surface.

I blinked, noticing the space around us had grown dark. We were glowing, of course, his nature making it so.

I cupped his cheek in my palm. You make me want to burn up.

I stared into his eyes, his beautiful irises dimmed enough that I could see the actual color; golden-brown. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw my hand melting and ordered it to remain solid. I wanted to be whole when he took me.

Do you want me so badly? He gave me a playful smirk and his eyes danced at me.

I laughed and reached for him, pulling his hot body down onto mine. We bobbed beneath the surface, and I heard the hiss as he turned part of me to steam. Laughing, we floated back up and he blew a stream of heat at my face, drying me just enough. Then he kissed me, a soft touch, so soft that I almost couldn't feel it.

But I did feel it, as I always felt him. I closed my eyes and knew without seeing that he was reaching up to run his fingers through my hair. I heard the crackle and he snickered, repeating the motion. This time, I felt the hair singe from my head and pushed him off as I reformed it around my scalp, even as he laughed again in playfulness.

You are so amazing, Ryujin. He stretched out beside me, running his fingers up the center of my belly. He splayed his hand flat between my breasts, tickling the nipples.

The name he used startled me and his golden eyes swept up to my face.

Am I?

It's the one I thought you preferred. He sounded cautious for the first time.

Is it? I hardly know what I prefer anymore.

My sleeping mind stirred, jostling the dream and making it waver.

As the vision settled, I looked up and saw my handsome lover hovering over me, his eyes glowing molten red again. His face was sad, resigned even, but in their depths, I thought I saw something else; hope.

I wish for so many things, Ryujin.

So do I.

Do you? Do you remember what you used to wish for?

I thought about it, strained against a strange pressure in my mind. The water lapped over my body, sucking my limbs down below the glossy surface.

I don't know.

You will. He sounded confident. I'll keep coming to you until you do.

Promise? I didn't mean to sound needy or whining and he didn't care.

His smile was brilliant and I watched the beauty of him as he burst apart into white hot fire.

I promise.

I sank beneath the water then, his words echoing in my mind. The water cooled, seeping into my pores and dragging me under. For the first time, I fought it, not because the submergence worried me, but because I didn't want to go.

I want you!

You have me. I promise you'll always have me. Try to remember that when you wake up.

I was no longer warm and the world was black as I sank deeper. Wake up? I don't sleep.

I twisted, diving deep, spreading far and wide. Then...nothing.

****

"These fucked up dreams are going to be the death of me," I groaned aloud as my alarm blared on my nightstand.

Try to remember when you wake up...

The words drifted through my mind and I rolled onto my back, glaring at my blank ceiling. Like I said, fucked up.

With a sigh, I pushed it from my mind, writing it off as too much excitement last night. I got up, startled when I saw the time on my clock and then recalled how late I'd arrived home. That reminded my that I'd only had about six hours of sleep.

It didn't help that the dream always felt like physical activity.

I darted naked across the hall to the bathroom. I showered, dressed and made a quick brunch of toast and grapefruit. Then I headed out to my car.

As I drove to Landbourne, I reviewed the events of the previous night. I hadn't managed to escape the authorities before my bosses had shown up, but the owners had been so upset about the damage, that they hadn't even bothered to acknowledge my presence. I'd slunk away a short while after their arrival and driven home unscathed.

My good-bye with Avan had been awkward as well. He'd still looked angry, which I couldn't figure out, and barely patted me on the hand. It was a stunning change from earlier in the night, when he'd been moments away from burying his penis inside of me.

That thought made me cringe. Then I wondered why it bothered me.

Hadn't I been attracted to him? He'd certainly seemed interested in me.

As I pulled into the parking lot at Landbourne, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was missing something; forgetting something vital about last night, and I didn't think it had to do with the accident itself.

Shaking it off, I walked toward the building, steeling myself for the questions. Luckily, no one seemed to know I'd been here last night. Maybe the policemen or fire inspectors weren't required to reveal any of that information to the company.

The corner of the building that had been hit was badly damaged on the outside, as was evident from all the tape and makeshift patching I'd seen on my way in. Inside, however, there was minimal damage. The walls in that corner had caved partially in, but only on the main level. The offices on the second floor weren't affected, except for cracks in one window. The entire corner of the building, first and second floors, was taped off, for everyone's safety.

As I walked through the lobby and eyed the mess of crumbled drywall and dust, I wondered at the lack of damage. It had certainly seemed last night as though the wreck of the car would have caused extensive damage to the building. Landbourne was a fantastic builder, but I didn't think even they were capable of making buildings fireproof.

I shook my head and paused by the reception desk to pick up any messages. The receptionist, Penny, handed over a couple slips of paper and a file that Lindsay had left for me before leaving for the rest of the day.

"She had an appointment with her dentist or something," Penny explained in a bored tone.

Smiling, I took the items and continued walking towards the showroom. Inside, I looked around for Bianca, the other designer. She was supposed to be returning from holidays today but I saw no sign of her. I headed to my office in the back and scowled at the continued absence of a computer from my desk.

Can't anything go right?

Ignoring the empty space under my desk where my computer should be, I organized myself without it. I arranged my file for my afternoon appointment, returned phone calls and started making notes on the files from the previous day. I'm not sure what time it was when I at last rose from my desk and went out to get some water.

I paused in the main foyer, staring at the damage in the corner. It was hidden from sight now behind a sheet of plastic that had been hung. I couldn't see through it, except for colored shapes moving back and forth - workers already working on repairing the damage. I watched the shadows and colored blobs move back and forth before moving on towards the stairs.

I smiled and said 'hello' to a few people as I made my way down the hall to the lunchroom. At the moment, no one else was in the room. I walked over to the water cooler in the corner and yanked out a paper cup from the dispenser attached to the side.

"Hey, Nerina," Kyle greeted me as he walked into the room.

I straightened and smiled at him before downing my water in one long swallow. He was a nice, older man, a little overweight, and had been with Landbourne Homes in the accounting department for about ten years.

Kyle moved around to grab his lunch from the fridge. "That's pretty crazy downstairs, isn't it?"

That's when I noticed the time; nearly one in the afternoon. It shouldn't have come as a surprise since I'd come to work so late that morning. I just didn't think I'd been working on my files for that long. I filled my water cup again and walked across the room.

"You're not taking a lunch today?" Kyle asked as I passed him.

"No, I was in late." I paused in the doorway and looked back at him. "And yeah, that is pretty crazy. I'll see you around."

I hurried back downstairs and through the showroom. I couldn't believe I'd let the time get away from me. I had my usual afternoon appointment today, and I'd almost forgotten all about it.

Just as I was heading back out to the main showroom from my office, the big doors opened and in walked my clients; a younger couple buying their first home.

The rest of the afternoon passed by in a blur. I did my best to concentrate but I was so tired, I couldn't tell the difference between chocolate and mahogany. In the end, the couple couldn't make any final decisions so we had to reschedule for next week. 

By the time I was alone in the showroom again, I was exhausted. I sat down at my desk, eyeing my full cup of water with a scowl. I hadn't even touched it since I'd spoken with Kyle at one. It was after four now. With a sigh, I folded my arms on my desk and rested my head on top of my arms.

I'll just sit here for a minute. I blinked and squeezed my eyes shut as a yawn snuck out. Then I'll gather my files and take my work home tonight.

As much as I hated to do that, I couldn't deny that I needed to. So I gave myself a minute, letting my eyes stay closed and relaxing until my breathing evened out. The dream licked at the edges of my mind but I refused to sink into it. I rested without really resting, my mind turning to different things. As always, sleep, and the dream, pushed in without my consent.

I felt my slumbering awareness reach out and slide over my surroundings. The smooth desk under my chin, my warm arms cushioning my head, the full glass of water...

Oh, heavenly...

The words shivered through my mind and I wondered what was so wonderful about a glass of water. I watched, through my sleep, as the cup tipped and the clear fluid washed across the desk surface towards me. It soaked the sleeve of my shirt and tickled the ends of my hair. I sighed, sending a ripple across the surface of the spilled puddle and it responded to my caress.

I sank down, letting the miniscule amount of water sweep me away and I slept.

****

You must be stronger, Ryujin.

The voice was familiar and it didn't shock me that I heard it in my head at the same moment that the ocean rose around me. I rolled to my side, floating lazily along with the current. Heat singed my liquid skin and I sat up, glaring around myself.

Don't be angry.

Show yourself, I insisted and felt the warmth of him seep into my form, turning my errant hair to mist.

I'm sorry, Ryujin. I can only be strong if you are.

His words confused me, as did the panicked look in his flashing eyes. He wasn't solid before me, instead forming only a half-human, half-beast shape that was still familiar to me. His warmth licked at my skin and I smiled, remembering our last encounter. His eyes flared bright red and he slid further away.

You can't give in every time. He drifted further away and took with him all his heat. It's what he wants.

Who?

He looked so sad then, and my puddly heart ached for him, as much as it could. I swam towards him and he slid further away.

Why do you flee? I would hold you, make you feel better.

His face softened and his eyes dimmed, glowing a golden amber instead of fiery red. I would have you hold me as well, love, but you must wake.

I laughed. His words always amused me.

Trust me, love, and find the strength you must have.

His words lapped at my legs, my arms, swirled through my hair and sank into my ears, giving me a sensation of euphoria.

Then...nothing.

****

"Lord, Nerina, if you're that tired, go home."

I jerked upright so hard and fast that I cracked my elbow on the edge of my desk.

"Whoa, calm down."

I looked over and saw Penny giving me a strange look. I frowned, wondering how she came to be swimming in my ocean and the thought frightened me. Shaking my head, I put a hand to my forehead and that was when I felt the dampness on my sleeve. My eyes followed the trickle of water across my desk to the paper cup, tipped on its side. Some vague memory of my dream, a gentle deep voice urging me to wake up, washed over me and I stared at Penny.

"Are you all right, Rina?" Penny's look changed from surprise worry.

I nodded and brushed at the damp spot on my sleeve. "I'm just tired. I...it was a weird night."

She nodded and handed me a file. "Go home and get some rest. Tomorrow's Friday and then you can cut loose over the weekend." She grinned and walked away, leaving me alone with the echo of her words.

Cut loose. I blinked, brushing a hand over my hair. A vague memory of 'cutting loose' with Angela the previous weekend went through my mind. It had been a night out at a club but nothing eventful had happened.

Had it?

With a heavy sigh, I pushed all the irrational thoughts from my head and cleaned up the spilled water. After sorting through my files and arranging things for the following day, I grabbed my purse and walked out of the building.



Body of Water Ch. 05



Avan called me during the day on Friday, catching me between clients. I laughed when I answered the phone, joking that he must have ESP, knowing when to call me. He chuckled and I had to clamp my thighs together to keep the fluid my body generated from spilling out.

How is it possible for any man to make a woman react this way?

"Nerina?" When he said my name, I realized I hadn't answered him.

"I'm sorry. Someone came by and...said something to me. What did you say?"

"Are you busy tonight? I'd like to make you dinner."

"Make me dinner?" I laughed. "Sounds intriguing."

"Intriguing enough for you to say yes?"

"Hmm, it is Friday night and I don't have to work in the morning."

Again he chuckled and the sound reached through the phone, stroking my body from head to toe. I bit my lip to keep from moaning. Avan didn't need any more indications of my desire for him.

"Neither do I."

I chewed my lip as I considered. Did I really want to risk being alone with him in his house? Would I be able to resist if he performed an encore of the other night's activities?

"I promise to be a perfect gentleman, Nerina."

I laughed. Again he surprised me by knowing what was on my mind. "I believe you, Avan. All right. I'll come for dinner."

"Excellent!"

I was flattered that he sounded so excited. He gave me directions to his place and his home phone number in case I got lost. We agreed to meet at seven, leaving me plenty of time to get ready before the date.

The prospect of an actual date made me feel strange. I didn't know why the idea of going to Avan's house made me feel so nervous but I chalked it up to my lack of control the other night. If it hadn't been for that horrible accident in the parking lot, I would have gladly given myself to Avan. He must know that. I had an awful premonition that he was only inviting me over to get into my pants after the other night's disappointment but I shoved it away.

He told me he'd be a gentleman. I finished my lunch break and waited for my next clients to arrive. I believe him.

Whether or not I should was up for debate but I couldn't allow negative feelings to sway me now. It'd be rude to cancel at the last minute.

So I finished up my day and even managed to leave the office early. I considered going home first to change but decided not to tempt fate by making myself any more appealing. As that thought occurred to me, I gave myself a wry look in my car's rearview mirror and told myself to stop being absurd.

Avan's directions to his house were simple. He lived in a part of town that was close to Landbourne. It took me less time than I thought it would to get there so I drove past his street to a nearby strip mall. I hit a bank, wandered through a few stores and then made my way to his house.

I couldn't say for sure why I was dawdling. I told myself it was because I didn't want to seem too eager. He already knew I'd lay down for him at the slightest provocation. Perhaps this was my way of regaining some control over my own actions.

There were butterflies in my stomach as I parked across the street from his modest bungalow that evening. I scowled at my reflection in the rearview mirror for a moment before getting out of the car. The closer I got to his house, the more confused I felt.

There was no reason for me to feel so conflicted. There was nothing wrong with being attracted to him. So why all this tension inside me at the thought of getting closer to him?

That familiar close, cloying sensation stole over me as I stopped on his front step. I clawed at my shirt, yanking the top button of my blouse until it popped loose and then sucked in a deep breath.

Avan opened the door, greeting me with a wide smile that stirred my female parts like they had no business being stirred.

It's just a smile, for Pete's sake.

Steeling myself, I walked into his house and chastely turned my cheek when he bent to kiss me. He gave me a strange look but I reminded myself of my efforts to keep from begging him to take me. When he put his warm hand at the small of my back to guide me through the house, I wondered if I could keep it up all night.

"The kitchen is just through here." He led the way down the hall to his large, open kitchen.

"It's very nice." I paused and inhaled. "Mm, and something smells wonderful."

I turned in time to see him flash that devastating smile again and my stomach coiled with need. I swallowed and tried to force my eyes somewhere else, anywhere but at his face and eyes, dark with the same desire I was feeling.

He began to speak and I didn't know what he was saying. His deep, accented voice slid through me and increased the spike of lust I felt in my belly. He was saying something about dinner I think but it didn't matter. Just the sound of his voice and the vibration of his tenor in the air made me feel very aroused. That damp pressure returned a hundredfold and I rubbed my palm up the side of my throat, feeling lightheaded.

"Would you like a drink?"

I risked a glance in his direction and nodded. He smiled and moved away to pour some wine. I watched him and the knot inside me loosened. The pressure eased up and I drew in a deep breath.

I could do this. I could get through one night with him without clawing my clothes off.

"Here you go." He handed me a glass of fragrant red wine and clinked his glass against mine.

"What are we toasting?" I was surprised that I managed a complete sentence. My knees were still shaking and I was struggling not to think about the pool of moisture between my thighs.

Avan cocked his head to one side as he looked at me. "How about...destiny?"

"Destiny?" I would have laughed had he not looked so serious.

"Yes. It was destiny that brought us together and it is destiny that shall keep us moving forward."

"Together?" The word came out as a squeak.

His grin turned wicked and I stifled a moan as my blood pressure spiked. He moved closer to me and one strong arm went around my waist. The heavy pressure was back and I almost dropped the wine glass. When Avan spoke again, his lips were so close to my own that I felt them brush against my mouth.

"As one, Nerina. Isn't that what you've always wanted?"

His voice was silky and I tilted my chin up to meet his dark gaze. He still had a grin on his face but it had altered somehow. Instead of looking sexy, he looked...menacing.

The thought sent a chill up my spine, cooling my overheated body in an instant. The tight pressure remained, making me feel claustrophobic even in this wide open kitchen.

As if sensing the change in my body, he let me go and stepped back. The expression on his face changed again and he looked almost disappointed. He took a large gulp of wine with his eyes on my face and then turned away.

"I must check dinner."

I nodded and moved around the kitchen island to sit on one of the stools. I felt heavy and disoriented, like I'd just woken from a long nap. I wiped a hand across my brow, not surprised to feel the damp sheen of sweat on my hand.

In another minute or two, the tension in the kitchen lifted and Avan began to talk to me. He asked about my day, inquired about the repairs to the building and asked what my plans for the weekend were. I thought it was his cute way of asking me out for the next night so I teased and said I might have plans.

"As long as you don't intend to go clubbing, I don't mind."

I raised my eyebrows at his response. My immediate instinct was to remind him, in no uncertain terms, that he had no claim over me. As the words rose in my throat, I felt something squeeze and I couldn't speak.

Avan turned from the stove and walked towards me, a dark look on his face. He circled around the island and came right up to my stool. His hands came down on my hips and he squeezed. That mossy smell swirled in my nostrils and I moaned as lust licked through my insides. Avan tilted his head and opened his mouth on my throat. The tight feeling returned and I felt like I was under a pile of damp earth.

"You don't want to go out, do you?"

I shook my head, unable to speak actual words.

Avan licked my skin and I arched, my breasts tingling and aching to be touched. I was gasping for air around the weight I felt pressing on me.

"You want to stay with me, don't you? You want to fill me up and you want me to make you mine."

His words sank through the fog of my brain and I wanted to protest. I didn't want to be owned or possessed by anyone. I was an independent woman who didn't need a man telling her what to do.

The pressure increased and then I was getting no air. I tried to inhale but there was no air filling my mouth, filtering into my lungs. My eyes flew open to see Avan's face hovering very close over mine.

His eyes were no longer warm or sensual. His mouth was a hard line and his nostrils flared as he stared down at my frightened face. I felt his hands move from my hips to push my knees apart. I knew what was coming next, as surely as I knew I'd die if I didn't get some air soon.

"You want me to touch you, Nerina." It wasn't a question.

I wanted him to let me go so I could breathe. But he wasn't even holding me; he wasn't squeezing my chest and keeping me from inhaling.

Who else could it be?

His hand slid up under my skirt and cupped my sex. I felt a brief flash of embarrassment as we both acknowledged how damp I was. His fingers pushed aside the crotch of my panties and slid deep inside.

The moment his thumb brushed over my clit, I arched and sucked in a deep gasping breath. He clamped his mouth down on my neck and sucked hard, as if he were a vampire aching to get at my blood. His fingers moved inside me as he sucked and I didn't care. I kept gasping, drawing in great lungfuls of air.

Then he pinched me and I came in a great, thundering wave. It did not feel good.

The weight holding me down kept me from drawing in enough air and Avan's hold was coarse and rough, not the gentle touch I recalled from the other night. He was forcing my climax and my next breath of air rushed out on a weak sob.

He lifted his head and his eyes glinted at me. The color flashed a brilliant green and gold before sliding back into rich brown.

"You are mine, Nerina."

I shook my head, denying him as my body continued to convulse around his hand. He continued to stroke me, drawing out the terrible sensations until I slid off the stool into his arms. He held me up for a second before we sank down to the floor.

I didn't feel him tearing his own clothing away because I was too occupied with breathing. It was the most difficult thing I've ever had to do. All the while, my body undulated with the continuing waves of the awful orgasm Avan was making me experience. I wanted to cry but that required too much air, air I wasn't getting enough of. I begged and pleaded in silence for the strength to get through this.

"You are mine!" Avan growled in my ear and that was when I felt his hot bare flesh pulsing against my thigh.

"No..."

He swallowed my strangled protest with a burning kiss. His tongue snaked into my mouth and swept under mine until I was forced to respond to the kiss.

This was horrible and I wanted out but I felt so weak with not enough air coming into my lungs. Avan put his hand at my crotch again and thrust two fingers inside with a rough motion. I bucked against him in a vain effort to get away. His malicious smile told me that he thought I was getting into it.

He shifted over me and his vicious fingers left my body. A moment later, I felt the thick head of his penis rubbing against me. I shook my head but his hand clamped down on my jaw, his tongue caressing my lips.

"You want me, you've always wanted me."

We just met! I wanted to scream but barely managed to suck in another breath. I tasted the damp earth now and the inside of my mouth felt like it was being coated with moss. I swallowed, aching for more air, desperate for the strength to make Avan stop.

He pushed his hips and his cock eased between my swollen lips. I bucked hard, trying with every ounce of my strength to throw him off of me. He growled - a frightening sound - and that weight on my body returned. All oxygen was cut off again and I opened my mouth on a silent cry.

I felt Avan push, his hard length sliding further into me. Stars burst behind my eyelids as I squeezed my eyes shut and I prayed for it to end.

In a flash, Avan pulled out of me and the damp, earthy pressure all around me disappeared. I felt sweat break out on my upper lip and between my breasts. Air swept back into my lungs and I coughed from the sudden rush. I rolled to my side and gasped, sucking in air until my heart rate began to calm.

A crashing noise and bellow of rage came from behind me. I struggled to my knees and turned around.

Avan was standing in the middle of his dining room struggling with another man.

Has someone broken in? I shook my head, trying to clear it of the strange fog.

Avan threw off the other man and he flew into the far wall with an agonizing crunch. Avan advanced with a snarl marring his handsome face, his hands clenched into fists. The house began to shake and I whimpered.

Not another earthquake! Impossible.

Another one?

I shook my head again. Where had that come from?

And still the house shook, as if the very ground beneath it were about to break apart. The air I dragged into my lungs over and over was dry and the heat in the house began to scorch my insides. I struggled to sit up and brushed hair off my sweaty face. My eyes went to Avan and the strange man.

The man across the room sprang to his feet as Avan approached and they locked arms again. They struggled, tossing each other this way and that, the room growing hotter and less stable with each passing second.

After a minute, I realized they were yelling at each other. Through the haze of my confusion, I heard what they were saying.

"You have no right to be here."

"I am trying to save her!"

Avan gave a harsh laugh and threw the other man to the floor. He leapt back to his feet and hurled his body at Avan's midsection.

"You are weak!" Avan cried with another laugh. "She wants me because I am strong. She already gave herself to me. You are too late!"

The man kept pushing Avan back until he slammed into the wall. Then he let go and took a step back. He turned to face me and a blast of heat washed over my body.

I arched with a moan, feeling an intense desire that even Avan hadn't stirred in me. I met the flashing orange eyes of the stranger and he looked familiar to me.

He turned back to Avan with a fierce scowl. "You lie."

Avan returned his look. "You can see for yourself that she has accepted me. She let go with my body inside of hers. She welcomed me."

The stranger sneered and took another step back. "It is not a true welcome if she doesn't will it."

Avan roared and lunged at him but the stranger disappeared.

No, it was like he turned to vapor. I saw his body as it was, solid and large and light compared to Avan. Then he twisted and expanded, becoming larger and yet insubstantial at the same time. I felt burning heat wash over me and I moaned again, welcoming that warmth like I hadn't ever welcomed a caress before in my life.

Then he was gone and I passed out.

****

There was no dream this time. I remained aware and realized for the first time that it was not a dream.

"You betrayed me, brother."

"No. You deceived yourself."

A long silence. I blinked and turned my head. I was lying on the ground, a thick-rooted tree cradling my body like human arms. Instead of feeling cold and damp, I felt warm. I could feel the heat radiating from a spot to my left. I looked in that direction and smiled when I saw two great figures standing side-by-side.

As if sensing my awareness, they both turned to face me and I sighed out a welcome.

"You cannot have us both." It was a defiant tone and petulant, like a small child.

I frowned as the other shook his wavering head with a sad smile.

"Then you will never understand, brother."

The heat disappeared and the tree squeezed me until I cried out.

My vision went dark again and then there was nothing.

****

I woke up slowly, coming back to myself in pieces. I recalled the dream that was not a dream and it brought with it all the memories of my other dreams.

It didn't make sense and I wanted to cry for the confusion I felt.

"Don't be upset, beautiful."

It was Avan's smooth, rich voice that spoke to me and I blinked my eyes open to find him sitting beside me. I was in a bed in an unfamiliar room and wondered how I got there. Vague memories of meeting Avan for dinner returned and the dreams that were not dreams faded in a rush.

I lifted a hand as if to grab them and keep them from retreating but Avan leaned over me and they were gone. I started to weep then, knowing I'd lost something vital, something that had been so close. I'd been right on the cusp of figuring it all out and I was sinking back into this reality of not knowing there was anything to figure out.

Avan lifted me up into his arms and held me close. His spicy scent surrounded me and I sniffed when the earthy smell joined the others. The pressure wrapped around my torso along with his arms and I drew in a deep breath, distant memories of being suffocated surfacing.

"Don't cry, Nerina. I've got you."

As he spoke, I felt a welling of lust swirl up from my core. I gasped as my nipples hardened and my thighs softened. Avan shifted beside me and I felt the rigid length of his erection against my thigh.

Wrong!

I jerked away from Avan. I sprang to my feet on the floor and rushed across the room. I reached for the door knob, whipping the door open so hard and fast that it banged against the wall.

"Nerina! Where are you going?"

I ignored Avan's imploring voice and ran through his house. It was daylight outside, bright and hot and my feet were singed by the concrete walkway when I hit it. I shrieked and jumped off onto the grass beside it and that was when I noticed the familiar figure at the end of the walkway.

"Hurry," was all he said and I didn't hesitate.

I rushed across the lawn and felt the grass reaching for me, which was ridiculous. But these thoughts and images in my head were confusing me and suddenly it didn't seem so ridiculous that the grass and the earth beneath it would be trying to contain me. 

"Hurry." The man spoke again just as I hit the sidewalk beside him and he reached out a hand.

I slapped my palm against his and he pulled me with him. We ran down the road, my bare feet slapping on the fiery asphalt. His hand was hot and sweat gathered between our joined fingers. I didn't pull my hand away and was glad I didn't when the road lifted beneath us.

"Nerina!"

It was a cry of outrage and desperate longing and the road split in a jagged line between my feet as the word echoed in the street.

I looked around, hoping to find someone, anyone, nearby who could help us.

"We can't be outside!" I yelled, my mind torn between fleeing and finding safe cover from this freak earthquake.

"We can't go in." The man stopped and turned to me with a sober expression. "Do you trust me?"

I shouldn't. I didn't know this man. Sure, he had a familiar face and I could breathe easy around him but I didn't know him.

I nodded.

He gave me a gentle smile that loosened something inside me and brought memories surging forward in my mind. Then he stepped forward, his hot, hard arms going around my body. Sweat was pouring from everywhere on my body now. It all but liquefied my clothes but I didn't let go of this man.

I love you.

I didn't know if he said it or if I thought it, but the words were there as the ground lifted under our feet and I dissolved into nothing.




Body of Water Ch. 05



****

I think I was screaming but silken warmth and sharp tang of sulfur surrounded me and it was familiar enough that I began to relax.

"I told you that you could trust me."

I turned my head - I had a head and body again - and there he was. Broad and tall and emanating a heat that made my pulse pound. I was about to open my mouth to ask just who he was when it came to me.

"You're Aedan McKay."

The corners of his golden brown eyes wrinkled and he smiled at me. It didn't occur to me to wonder where we were or how we'd ended up there because he was smiling at me. I felt something shift inside me and I slid closer to Aedan. His smile widened and the temperature increased as his arms came up around my body.

"How do I know you?"

His smile drooped at the corners and he let out a slow breath. He lowered his face until our foreheads touched and we held that pose for a long moment.

"He did it again, didn't he?"

I leaned back to look into his face. "Who did what again?"

He released me and took a step back. In a rush, our surroundings took shape - or was it just that I hadn't noticed them before?

I looked around and recognized the interior of the Firehall. It was still early in the evening and there were a few people moving around, getting ready for the night's business. I watched them for a minute before bringing my eyes back to Aedan. He was watching me with an unreadable expression and I stepped close to him.

"What is it?"

"How do you know my name?"

I blinked as I tried to recall. "My friend, Angela, she told me after we'd been here."

"When was that?"

"Last Saturday."

Had it only been a week ago? It felt much longer and I still felt like there was something missing, something that I wasn't getting.

Aedan blew out a breath and gave me a weak smile. He reached a hand out and I slid my fingers into his without hesitation. "Come with me."

The warmth of his hand and the deep tone of his voice made me shiver but it was pleasant. I nodded and followed as he led the way out of his club.

We walked down the street and I wasn't aware of what direction we went in. A few minutes later, we walked into the lobby of an apartment building. Aedan headed straight for the elevator and we rode up to the top floor.

I gaped at the penthouse apartment as we entered and glanced at Aedan. "Is this where you live?"

Aedan frowned and shrugged. He moved away from me, dropping my hand as he did. I felt the loss of his warm palm and wrapped my arms around my torso, wanting to hold the warmth close for as long as I could.

I didn't know why he was so upset with my questions, why he seemed disappointed that I didn't know him, even though every fiber of my being told me that I did.

Well, there was only one way to find out.

"OK. It's time you told me some things." I hoped my voice sounded more certain than I felt.

Aedan met my gaze from across the giant living room. He crossed his arms over his chest and lifted his eyebrows. "What kind of things?"

"For starters, how did we get here?"

"We walked from the Firehall."

I narrowed my eyes and he mirrored the look. A lick of heat tickled the insides of my thighs and a gasp slipped out of my lips. "D-don't try to distract me."

He chuckled and the sound reached across the room to caress my face like he'd touched me. I drew in a fortifying breath and tried again.

"You know what I meant. How did we get to the Firehall? I remember being..." I trailed off as I tried to recall where I'd been.

It was Friday, right? I had been at work, then running errands, then...

"Why can't I remember?"

Aedan's expression saddened and he rubbed a hand over his face. "It's a power he has over you."

"What? Who?"

"You must know."

I threw my hands up in the air and shook my head. "I wouldn't be asking if I did. The last thing I remember is running down the street by Avan's house and-"

Aedan crossed the room in three long strides and caught me up in his arms. My words died on my lips and I moaned when his warm arms closed around my body. I felt his mouth open on my neck and the hot breath he exhaled warmed me throughout my entire body. 

"You do remember."

I didn't remember my own name at the moment and I didn't care.

Aedan pulled back and cupped my face in his palms. "Nerina, love. Tell me you remember what happened?"

Under his intense golden gaze, I felt memories creep into my consciousness. "We were running down the road because I'd been at Avan's house. He was..." I paused and frowned as a cold feeling washed over me. "He was hurting me?" That didn't make any sense. Ever since meeting Avan, he'd been nothing but kind and considerate.

"No!" Aedan roared and a blast of heat from his body rocked me back on my heels.

"Why are you so mad at me?"

"I'm not mad at you, Nerina." He dropped his hands and straightened with a deep breath. "You can't know how frustrating this is for me."

I laughed and clapped a hand over my mouth to stop it from turning hysterical. "For you? Please, I'm trying to figure things out too." I spun away from him and began to pace across his apartment, noticing that I had bare feet.

"Talk to me, love." Aedan watched me from where he stood. "We can figure it out together."

I threw him an arch look and he offered me a weak smile. "All right. No more distracting me with your body heat."

Aedan smiled then, a real smile and I had to look away before I melted into a puddle on the floor.

"I make no promises, Nerina."

I ignored the way my body reacted to his voice and the pulsing heat radiating from his section of the room. I cleared my throat and focused my attention on pacing; one foot in front of the other.

"You don't like Avan." It wasn't a question and Aedan didn't answer. His response was a low growl that I took as acknowledgment. "How do you even know each other?"

Aedan stiffened. "We are brothers."

I froze and turned to face him. "Don't lie to me."

"I'm not lying." The look on his face was pure innocence but I didn't believe him. How could I?

"You're white. Avan's obviously not."

"Doesn't make it less true."

"So what, are you...blood brothers or something? Like, you swore to each other or something?" It sounded ridiculous and I was drawing on memories of cheesy war movies and the like where men made blood oaths and became brothers in spite of differences in race, background or age.

Aedan laughed but there was no humor in it. "I suppose brothers might be the wrong term but by today's standards, it's what we are."

"Today's standards?" I shook my head and gave a dismissive wave. "Whatever. Fine. You know him. And you don't like him, brothers or not?"

"He took something that didn't belong to him."

It was on the tip of my tongue to ask what but the look in Aedan's eyes told me before I could voice the question.

"I am not a belonging."

"I never said you were."

"Then why would you say he took me when I didn't belong to him?"

"It's true, isn't it?" Aedan began to pace now. "You didn't belong to him and you still don't."

"Is that what this is about? You want me and so does he?"

Aedan didn't even look at me as he nodded.

"Well, I have news for you: I belong to no one!"

"I know that. I never wanted you for a possession." Aedan stopped to face me and I saw how close his pacing had come to where I stood. I could feel the waves of heat emanating from him with every heartbeat.

Whoa. Heartbeat? Is that what that is?

"We've always been connected, Nerina, in a way that you and Avan could never be. It's always made him angry and jealous."

I shook my head, confused by his nearness, by his body heat and by the very conversation. It felt unreal and familiar all at the same time.

"I'm so confused."

Aedan came towards me with slow steps until he was close enough to touch. He didn't touch me, even as my knees began to tremble from the sensations jangling everywhere in my body.

"I know, love. I wish I could make it easier for you."

I looked up at him through a sheen of tears. "You can. Just tell me what's going on."

"I can't."

"Why not?" I hated that I sounded so whiny, that I was all but begging him to talk to me, to tell me what was going on. I hadn't felt sure of myself in a long time and here I was, with someone who seemed to know everything about what was happening to me. 

And he wouldn't tell me anything.

When I met Aedan's gaze again, he looked tortured, as if my being upset caused him physical pain. With a choked sob, I reached for him. His arms came around my waist to hold me against his body and I clung to him. I buried my nose in his neck and cried, mindless of my tears soaking his skin. He held me close, his hot hands sliding up and down my back.

"I'm s-so confused," I bawled.

"I know." His voice sounded choked, as if he were holding back tears. "I'm so sorry, love."

I cried into his neck and on his shoulder for a long time. I didn't notice him moving to sit down on his couch until my tears began to recede. I sniffled and caught the scent that Aedan was giving off. It was achingly familiar and stung my nostrils even as it affected me on a much more primal level.

Aedan's arms tensed where he held me and I realized I was sitting in his lap, all his hard, hot muscles surrounding me, protecting me. I turned my head and pressed my lips to the salty wetness I'd left on his skin from my tears. Then I opened my mouth and licked the spot I'd been crying on and smiled when I felt his entire body shudder at the contact.

"My love, please."

"Please what?" My tone was innocent but I didn't stop licking him.

Along with the tang of my tears, there was his flavor. It was acidic and tangy and I couldn't get enough. It was like sipping my favorite drink or lapping up my favorite ice cream before it melted and ran down my chin. I made a sound like a cat purring and Aedan responded with a deep groan that vibrated through my body.

"Nerina, you test my strength."

"Me? But you are so much bigger and stronger than me." The words, so cliched, would normally have made me cringe to hear, never mind say. Somehow they seemed right and Aedan's body heat cranked up several degrees until I felt sweat break out between my shoulder blades.

"I have little strength to resist you."

I pulled back and looked into his eyes. He still looked upset and torn. I smiled as I lifted a hand to his chin. "Why are you resisting me?"

He opened his mouth to reply then stopped, as if the words he'd been about to use weren't right.

"Don't you want me?" I coupled this question with a feminine batting of the eyelashes and was gratified to feel the pulse of his burgeoning member beneath my thigh. I bit my lip and shifted a little so he could feel the warmth he generated between my thighs.

"I want you so much, love."

My breath left my lungs in a relieved sigh and I nuzzled his neck again. "Then take me."

"I can't."

"Why?"

He drew in a deep, shuddering breath and I felt his fingers flex against my lower back. "You must take me into yourself willingly."

I could have laughed if his tone hadn't been so serious. Instead I eased myself off his lap and began to undress before him. He watched me with that same tortured expression as I peeled my shirt and bra off before sliding my skirt and panties down my legs. Even as I blushed and struggled to control the wild thumping of my heart, I didn't feel that I was doing anything wrong. Everything felt very right.

Before I settled back onto his lap, I undid the snap of his jeans and pushed the zipper down. As I straddled his thighs, I shivered at the heat rising from his body. He didn't hold me but his eyes didn't move from my face and I settled myself against his body.

"I'm very willing, Aedan." I leaned close and licked the side of his neck, now dry from my tears. "And so are you, I think."

I slid my hand into his pants and stifled a moan when I found him, sans underwear. He was hot, burning my palm but I closed my fingers around his hard length and squeezed. His head rolled back onto the couch and he let out a long, low groan.

"Don't make me beg, Aedan."

His hands came up and I grinned, ready to be taken by him, to be swallowed by his intense heat. But he didn't take me. He was hot and I was sweating everywhere but he didn't take me.

He grasped me by the waist and rolled me onto the couch beside him. Then he leapt to his feet and strode across the room away from me so fast I thought I imagined it.

"Aedan?"

"I can't!" His cry was anguished and he thrust his hands through his hair. I heard a sound like the crackling of a fire but there was no fireplace in his apartment.

"I don't understand."

"That's just it, don't you see?"

"No!" I was beyond frustrated now. I leapt to my feet and fumbled as I tried to gather my clothing together. My face burned from his heat and from the humiliation now swamping me. "I don't understand. I don't see why you don't want me."

"I do want you, more than anything. It's why I'm here."

I faced him and hugged my stomach, my clothes dangling from my hands. I could feel tears clogging my throat but I didn't want to cry in front of him again.

"You know that something isn't right, don't you? You remember Avan but not what he did to you, or why we ran from his house?"

I nodded and rubbed my arms. Why did we run from Avan's house? Did we run all the way downtown from his suburb?

"We didn't run. You know we didn't."

I scowled. "How did you know what I was thinking?"

"It's part of our bond."

"What bond? I just met you last week!"

"Only in this lifetime."

"Stop speaking in circles!" I started to walk towards him but he gave off a blast of heat that stopped me in the middle of the room. "I want answers."

"You remember meeting me?" He sounded amazed and hopeful.

"Of course I remember meeting you. It's not every day I meet an interesting, eligible, handsome man."

"Do you remember seeing me after that?"

I started to nod but stopped myself. "No. We only met the one time. Until tonight, I mean." Even as I said it, it felt wrong. There was something else there, just tickling the edge of my mind. I tried to latch onto it but it slithered away and I made a frustrated noise. "None of this makes any sense."

"It will, Nerina. Please, you have to try to understand."

"I am trying," I snapped and whirled away from him. I went and sat down on the couch, still holding myself. Being inside this small space with Aedan made it hard to concentrate. His unique scent was all around me, coating my body. The temperature jacked up for a moment and a physical yearning coiled deep in my belly.

"God, Aedan. I want you. I just want you to make love to me." I didn't care anymore about begging or sounding needy. I wanted him. No, it was more than that. I needed him. Everything about him called out to me, made me forget the independent woman I was. 

He crossed the room and knelt at my feet before I could draw another breath. His hands closed over mine and pulled them away from my torso. My clothes fell forgotten to the floor from my numb fingers. Aedan drew me down and cradled me against his body. I inhaled and his warm scent filtered into my body as his body heat soothed me.

"I want to make love to you, Nerina, so much that this hurts me to be this close and not do it. I know you don't understand why we can't but you are so close to remembering."

"Remembering what?"

"Who you are. Who I am. What we are to each other."

"I'm Nerina. You're Aedan. What else is there?"

Aedan's eyes glimmered with unshed tears. "So much more, my lovely."

His words, and that endearment, cracked something inside of me. It felt it like a bubble popping under a pointed finger. I sagged against Aedan's body as my vision went dark.



Body of Water Ch. 06



I didn't dream.

I came to in Aedan's arms as he was stroking my face with one warm hand. I didn't need to open my eyes to know it was Aedan holding me. He felt so warm and his unique scent swirled around me like a comforting blanket. I realized that we were lying down and no longer in the living room of his grand penthouse apartment.

"Nerina?"

I didn't speak or open my eyes. I lifted my hands to his where he held me at waist and shoulder. I teased my fingers over the coarse hairs on his arms and up over his thick biceps. I held his face on either side and drew him down.

He resisted the pull. "Please, Nerina. Let me know you're OK."

I'm OK.

His breath washed across my lips a second before I tasted him. It was like coming home after a long absence. He was the warm comfort of a well-used blanket and my downy pillow. He was the gentle light of dawn and the fading beauty of sunset. How I'd ever managed even a few decades without him was beyond me. It was no wonder I'd felt so lost, so aimless. He was what I'd been missing.

"You remember?" He pulled his head up long enough to ask me.

I opened my eyes to meet his golden gaze. They were so warm, so caring and concerned. I wanted to the see them dancing with laughter and flickering with desire again. Even as I looked at him, recalling all that we'd shared, his pupils shot wide and dark and heat blossomed all over my body.

Oh yes.

"Nerina, my lovely. I've wanted you for so long."

"Take me, please!" I, who never begged, clutched at Aedan's shirt and pleaded with my body and eyes.

I didn't ever want to forget him again. I couldn't survive it.

"Oh, please, Nerina." His voice broke on a sob.

I felt the tears well up in my eyes when I saw the look of despair on his face.

"You still don't remember everything, do you?"

I looked back and forth between his eyes and frowned. "I remember you. What else matters?"

"Do you remember how we were separated?"

I searched through the recesses of my mind and winced when I came up against a blockage. I squeezed my eyes shut, determined to get past this block. It was unbelievable that there was anything keeping me from my own memories

"Don't hurt yourself, my lovely. Please, stop pushing." He let his breath out in a slow exhale that enticed my senses.

Again, I felt my body stirring and my thoughts turned back to the present. "No more talk of memories, Aedan. I want you."

He groaned as I drew his mouth back to mine. At first, he kissed me back and it was just as I remembered it; hot, tangy and it melted my insides. His tongue was slippery in my mouth and I teased it with my own until I felt his fingers dig into my sides. I arched against him, rubbing my body on his like a cat.

Mmm, more...

I felt him withdraw, easing out of the kiss and rolling me onto my back before he sat up out of my reach. I stared at his back and wanted to scream in frustration. I knew there was something wrong still. I may remember and know what I am, but anything that kept me from Aedan kept me from half of myself.

"I don't understand." Even to me, my voice sounded weak and insignificant.

"I know you don't."

"And you can't explain it to me?

Aedan hesitated before giving a slow nod.

I chewed on my lower lip and propped myself up on my elbows. "Is that...a rule?"

I saw Aedan's shoulders stiffen and he nodded again. So I was getting closer. We used to play games, the lot of us. Perhaps this is another one. Though why I would have allowed my own memories to be blocked, I didn't know. It was beyond frustrating.

"So this is all a game?"

When Aedan didn't answer me, I crawled towards him and laid a palm on his shoulder. He was still clothed and I was naked, not that it bothered me. Clothing was a mortal entrapment that I never had any use for.

"We're playing a game?"

His eyes were sad and he gave me a weak smile before he put his hand over mine. "It's not a game anymore, my lovely."

I nodded. It was beginning to make sense, as much as it could. I pushed aside the logical, human part of my brain and tried to focus on my instincts. It had been a long time for me, I knew that much, even if I didn't know exactly how much time.

"I'm tired, Aedan."

"I know you are."

"Can I sleep?"

He smiled, like a parent indulging a child. "Do you think it'll help?"

I shrugged, another remnant of my mortal life. Would I ever be completely free of it?

"All in good time, Nerina."

I glanced at Aedan and smiled as he moved to settle on the bed beside me. I liked having him close. He was warm, so warm, and I began to relax.

"Why do you still call me by that name?"

"You were always the one to choose your mortal name." He settled us both on the pillows and let me snuggle up against his side. "And since you haven't completely shed this life, I think it's appropriate."

I didn't argue. I felt lost even as I knew I'd recovered a vital part of myself. I could feel the mortal life of Nerina inside me and I could feel my true self. It was disorienting and adding to all that was this confusion over Aedan and Avan.

"Stop thinking of it. You do need to rest, my lovely." I felt his lips brush my forehead and a warm breeze rippled over my naked skin. "I'll keep watch. Sleep."

So I did.

****

I dreamt.

For the first time in my existence, I dreamt as the mortals do.

Instead of frightening me, it soothed me and lifted me from the state of confusion I'd fallen asleep in.

I was the Mediterranean and Aedan was there, warming the flowing parts of myself. I rippled and then lay flat as he slid away.

Where are you going?

His deep laughter bounced inside my waves and I rolled after him. He took human form on a beach and I followed. We could make love in our natural shapes but since the birth of mankind, we enjoyed dallying in their world and in their forms.

A wave crashed onto the beach behind me and I shuddered. The separation always gave me a moment's pause but with Aedan ahead of me, glowing and throwing off molten heat, I didn't hesitate. I raced after him and laughter gurgled up from my watery lungs.

You think you can catch me?

I know I can.

His hot laughter trailed back across the beach towards me. I narrowed my eyes, not to be outdone, and cheated. His laughter only increased when I coalesced before him, stopping him in his tracks.

You can't run from me.

He reached for me, his scorching hands taking me down to the ground with a groan. I went under him, stretching this mortal body and spreading my legs as he touched me. As always, it was a struggle to keep from melting away. I drew in deep breaths of moist air and concentrated while Aedan did his best to distract me.

Before I could gain full control of this mortal shape, he pushed my legs wide and his molten tongue scored the insides of my thighs. I cried out, arching off the ground and panting when he did it again.

Is this punishment for cheating?

He made a low noise, a crackling rumble like a log splitting within hot flames, and I shuddered. For a moment, my grip on the human body slipped. Aedan lifted his head and watched with flashing eyes as I reformed. Then he lowered his head and sucked my nipple into his mouth. The sensation ripped through my body and I grew damp.

Stop making me lose focus. Do you want me to puddle beneath you?

Without lifting his head, he shifted and thrust a hand between my thighs, his searing fingers finding and spreading my feminine folds.

I want this part of you wet always.

I moaned and lifted my knees to give him better access to my body. He thrust his fingers inside and started to pump them back and forth. I wanted to tell him to stop that, to replace his thick fingers with the thick rod between his legs but I couldn't manage anything beyond inarticulate cries.

He continued, suckling and nipping at my puckered nipples as he pumped his hand into me over and over again. For a moment, he slowed and that was when I felt the tickle deep inside.

Now he was cheating, using his considerable powers to tease and draw out an orgasm that sent the waves of the sea splashing into each other.

I screamed and dug my nails into his skin, only to have them melt away. I growled as he hooked his fingers inside me and scratched him again. He lifted his head from my chest with a laugh and pumped his fingers hard and fast. I moaned and bucked and clutched at his wrist.

Do you want me to stop?

I whipped my head back and forth, the tendrils of my hair liquefying and reforming in erratic ripples. No, don't stop. I don't ever want you to stop touching me.

Then I never will.

He lowered his head again, this time to kiss me on the mouth.

In all my existence, in all the phases of the world, there had never been anything like his kiss. It slid into me, replacing the liquid in my veins with magma. I rolled my body back and forth, undulating with the waves of lava that singed my very being.

His tongue danced around mine and his fingers pulsed within me. I felt myself grow even more slick and his hand moved just right so that another orgasm began to gather steam.

No.

He withdrew from me and my eyes flashed open to see him holding his body over mine.

You don't want me now? I was swimming in the sensations he'd stirred within me and I wasn't thinking clearly, an effect he had on me all too often.

He grinned, a hot, wicked grin that had me biting my lip. Then he moved against me and I felt the scorching length of his arousal sliding between my legs. I arched up, desperate to have him slide right into me. He teased and taunted, as he always does. He slid up and pressed down before dragging his cock back down. It rasped over me and my eyes fluttered shut.

My lips parted and I panted, sucking in air mingled with his acidic scent. I think I pleaded out loud for to take me and I know I was screaming at him with my mind. Still he held off, tormenting me with slow gyrations that had me losing my hold on my human body.

Just when I thought I couldn't take it anymore, when I thought I might dissolve into the sand and back into my sea, Aedan gave a low growl and fitted the head of his hard cock to my opening.

I whimpered, unashamed in my desperate need. I planted my feet on the ground and struggled to lift my hips. I wanted to take him all the way in, deep inside where I could feel his pulsing member like a part of me.

You try my patience, my lovely.

His words were rough with desire and I laughed because all I could do was laugh. Then he moved in me and my laughter turned to frantic moans.

He moved at a slow, easy pace for a long while, heedless of my cries aloud and in his head. He dragged his tongue up the side of my neck and down the other, pausing to taste the hollow of my throat. I tilted my chin up and scraped my nails over his shoulders. As I did that, he opened his mouth on the juncture of my neck and shoulder and he bit down.

The shock of it made me jerk sideways, away from his mouth. His big hand came down on my chin and held me in place. Then he licked my skin, swirling his tongue in circles that felt like a brand. And, oh, how I wanted him to mark me. I felt myself, for the first time ever, longing for this human body to remain so that I could bear his mark with pride and love.

He bit down again with a growl and I wanted so badly to keep that mark. I felt the tremble in his body as he moved over me, inside me. I knew he wanted me too; he wanted me marked as his. Watery blood erupted under his lips and I felt the trickle down my neck.

Gasping, I clung to him and rocked my hips up and down as he plunged harder and faster. His fingers dug into my hips and steam rose from our joined bodies as his tempo increased. He licked my neck, moving away from the mark he'd made and he sank his tongue into my mouth. I kissed him back, drinking his essence and relishing the burn of his heat inside me.

Our bodies moved without rhythm now. We rocked and bucked and I screamed as a pounding orgasm ripped through me. Aedan sank the tips of his fingers into my upper thighs and pushed hard before coming apart a moment after me. Then we rode the crest of sensation for what felt like an age.

Gradually, I returned to myself and felt Aedan nuzzling my neck. He kissed the line of my jaw, nibbled my throat and clamped his mouth over the mark he'd just made.

I groaned and skimmed my palms up over his broad back. I want it to stay.

I felt his grin against my throat and shuddered when he sucked on me. Mortal blood seeped from the wound and it felt warm on my skin. I thought it was because Aedan had just filled me with his hot seed. I'd cool in another moment, reverting to my natural state.

He licked me again and I shivered. I felt the responding pulse of his cock inside me and smiled. Perhaps we could do this again, right now.

I'd like that, my lovely. I'd like it very much.

I sank my fingers into the silky hair at the back of his head and lifted his head. This mortal heart pumped more blood from the mark he'd made and a niggling thought tickled the edge of my mind.

Then Aedan began to move inside me again. I forgot about the blood sliding over my skin and gave myself up to the immediate physical pleasure of Aedan.

I forgot that my blood, while in human form or not, had always been cool and watery. I forgot that my mortal heart never pumped that cold water from the body. I forgot for a long time that there had ever been anything other than Aedan's body moving inside mine.

****

I opened my eyes. Aedan lay beside me, his eyes wide and glowing like a banked fire.

"It was a dream."

He shook his head.

I squeezed my eyes shut. He was warm, the true nature of him barely contained. Me, I wasn't an ocean or river or even a drop of rain. I was trapped in this mortal form and the pain in my chest was the mortal emotion of sadness.

"I wish it had been a dream."

Aedan's arms slipped around my body and he pulled me close. I sighed as the tang of his fiery essence surrounded me and gave me comfort. No spell, no power or force in the world would keep Aedan from giving me this, from being my calm in the storm.

"You understand now?"

"I'm beginning to."

"I can explain."

I tensed and lifted myself to look into his face. "What do you mean? You can explain now? Why didn't you tell me everything when I asked?"

He brushed my hair back over my shoulder and stroked the spot on my neck that had always borne a strange birthmark. Every mortal life, it was there, like a faded sunburn. Even before he answered, I knew what he would say.

"It was against the rules."

"I don't remember a clear set of rules."

Aedan looked angry then. His eyes turned the red of roiling volcanic lava and heat burst from his mouth when he exhaled in frustration.

"There weren't any." He blinked, the fire in his eyes dimming and then he continued. "We were cheated of any real chance."

"Cheated? By who?"

The anger flared again and I sat up. He wasn't usually this volatile. In all our time together, he was the calm one.

"You know who."

I started to disagree when I realized that I did know. I didn't know until then just how deep the deception had gone, how profound the betrayal.

I swallowed the sudden thickness in my throat and met Aedan's flickering gaze. "Perhaps you'd better explain."

The anger faded from his expression and he did as I asked.

He told me about the way we'd been deceived and overpowered that day on the beach. Our mutual desire to hold the mortal bodies, along with the mark Aedan had made on my skin, became the means for our entrapment. The mark, the blood, our desire, all of it came together and we were taken advantage of in a moment of great weakness.

Ever since then, I'd passed in and out of mortal lives, living as humans through the ages. Somehow, my memories of what we'd been had been erased. For centuries, I didn't even dream of the past. Aedan explained that over time, I grew stronger and it became harder and harder to conceal the truth from me. He, on the other hand, had always lived with the knowledge of what we were. He'd spent thousands of lifetimes trying to get to me. Again, over time, he'd come ever closer.

"Until now."

He looked at me as I spoke and nodded. "Until now."

There was more that he hadn't explained but I felt so tired. I pushed against the blockage in my mind again and again but it changed nothing. Not enough of my power had returned. I was still locked in this human body. The part of me that was still human felt a measure of relief at finally finding out why I'd been different. Why I'd never been able to really find satisfaction in another man's arms. Why my watches never worked, and the computers - indeed, all electronics were not my friends.

And the moon. Always full. Always brilliant.

"It's because you can see it from everywhere in the world at once." Aedan's eyes glimmered at me and I smiled, tucking my body close to his.

"So what now?"

"Now..." He drew in a deep breath and let it out. "Now, I need to get you to the ocean."

I giggled and lifted my head. "You have to know how strange that sounds."

He smiled back. "What?"

"You need to get me to the ocean? I am the ocean."

He chuckled and pulled me down on him. "Not right now, you're not. Right now you're just a beautiful naked woman."

I shivered as he smoothed a palm over my bare back. He stopped before reaching my bottom and I wriggled in his arms, trying to move under his hand. A burst of warm air made me stop and I looked into his eyes. They were white hot, like glowing coals at the base of a fire. His tongue slid between his lips to run along the lower curve of his mouth and I felt that caress all over my body.

"Aedan..."

"Hmm?"

I felt my skin growing warm and tight and I itched to rub every bit of myself along his strong body. "There's nothing stopping us now, is there?"

His eyebrows lifted and light flared in his eyes. "You mean other than the fact that I'm still dressed?"

My eyes lowered to the plain grey shirt and dark blue jeans he wore. My gaze stopped on the button fly of his jeans. And on the growing ridge beneath.

I swallowed with some difficulty. "Take them off." My voice was hoarse and my tone demanding. "Now."

"As you wish."

He began to warm up. His eyes glowed red and I gasped when a wave of dry heat pulsed from his body. Then he flashed and with a muted roar, his clothes burned away from his body, leaving him naked and very, very aroused.

"Better?"

I couldn't speak. Other than in my dreams, I hadn't seen his naked form. And yet, it was so familiar; the curves of his biceps, the hair on his chest narrowing to a thin line between the ridges of his abdomen. And there, proudly erect, his manhood waited, all but begging me for a touch.

I licked my lips and reached for him, only to have his hand clamp down on my wrist to stop me. My gaze flickered up to his and I frowned.

"Nerina, there's a chance I won't be able to control myself."

A slow smile spread across my face. "Maybe I don't want you to."

The glow in his eyes went white hot again and I purred at the tickle of heat sliding up my arm.

"Listen to me, please." His voice caught on the last word and I stopped smiling.

"What?"

"You're still very weak in this form. You aren't the same as you recall."

I rolled my eyes and jerked my arm from his hand. "Don't remind me."

"I don't mean it as a criticism, my lovely. It's just our reality right now." He propped himself up on his elbows. I swept his form with my eyes and bit my lower lip as desire flared in the pit of my stomach.

He'd always been magnificent, in human form or otherwise.

Because he could hear my thoughts, and see my imagination gathering steam, he made a low sound like a growl and my eyes went back to his face.




Body of Water Ch. 06



"Please."

I exhaled and nodded. I could control my desire for a minute or two.

"You're amazing, my lovely. I lose control around you all the time, you know that." As he spoke, he reached for me, sliding his fingers through my loose hair. "You may not have your powers, but as you can tell, I have mine."

I nodded, wondering why he didn't just go back to his natural state of being.

He cocked his head to one side and gave me a mock-wounded smile. You think I could just leave you behind?

I shook my head. I knew that. From the moment we'd first encountered each other, we'd always been together.

Until we hadn't been.

"Don't think about it now, my lovely." He cupped his palm around my cheek and I leaned my head into his comforting hold. "I want to make love to you and I want to taste your beauty."

"Then do it." I didn't care that I sounded like I was begging again.

"I have my powers, you don't. If I can't control myself, you could be hurt. Or worse."

"So? If I die, won't I just start another life cycle in another human body?"

He shook his head. "It's not that simple. You've never actually died in a human body."

I frowned. "Then how do I go from one life to the next?"

"I'm not sure. Whatever power he's managed to wield, it keeps you alive until he moves you to a new life cycle."

"What about you?"

"I'm the same as I ever was."

I stared down at him and felt the heat fade from my skin. Oh, I knew Aedan was still generating warmth like he always did, but I could no longer feel it.

"He's kept me in these bodies? For thousands of years? And you're not?"

Aedan nodded. "Once I realized what he'd done, I stayed in this shape until I could find you."

The devotion and love in his eyes and voice barely touched me. I knew it was there, and I loved him too, but my vision was becoming clouded over with rage.

"Nerina, calm down."

"How can I?" Even to my own ears, I sounded dangerously unsteady. "All this time you've been searching for me and I didn't know? Because he wouldn't let me know?"

"But you know now. Isn't that enough?"

I narrowed my eyes. "We've lost so much time together."

Aedan scoffed and reclined back on the pillows. "What are a few millennia to us, my lovely?"

OK. He had a point there. We were eternal.

But so was he.

"So he kept me trapped for all this time, without me knowing who I am, and you searching for me all this time." I tried to wrap my head around it all. "Why didn't he just strip my powers from me entirely and keep me with him? He's been seeking me out every time too, hasn't he?"

Aedan nodded. "He had to look for you each time you took a human body."

"Why?"

"His powers are very different from yours and mine. Yes, he stole enough of your essence from you to keep you trapped indefinitely and to block a lot of your memories, but he couldn't just take over completely."

I stared at Aedan as I considered his words. Everything he said made sense and made me even angrier.

"He did what he could to keep you unaware," Aedan went on. "He would find you every time, and he manipulated you over and over. Eventually he managed to get you into a life here, close to the mountains."

The ramifications of that sank in and my eyes widened as I gaped at Aedan. "No..."

He nodded, his expression sober. "Away from any significant body of water."

"And no connection to the sea."

"Well, the rivers are connected but in your weakened state, you wouldn't escape before he'd catch up with you."

My mind was reeling. "I can't believe it."

"Oh, Nerina." Aedan pulled me down next to him and stroked my arms to warm me. "You're in control again. You needn't fear him."

"But you just warned me that I don't have the same level of power that I did! You're afraid if we make love, you'll lose control and hurt me, aren't you?"

He hesitated before answering but I didn't need to hear him say it to know the truth.

"If he finds me, he'll put me in a new life cycle and I'll lose you all over again." My breath caught and I choked back a sob.

Aedan's grip hardened and I gasped when I felt the hair on my arms crackling under his heat.

"You will never lose me, do you hear?"

I met his gaze and saw the flickering light deep inside.

"I will always come for you and I will find you."

I knew he meant it and I knew he would keep looking for me. I know he'd told me that with every passing life I gained back more of my powers. I wondered now if the amount of time passing meant I lost some as well. One step forward, two back.

Aedan's eyes flashed. In a swift move, he rolled me onto my back and covered my body with his. He was still naked and his hot erection brushed the skin of my abdomen.

"You're going to take me?" I sounded weak and needy.

"I will, and damn the consequences."

I laughed, just shy of hysterical. "You just said you don't want to hurt me."

His eyes darkened and he lowered his body so that we touched everywhere. His heat infused my skin and I was soon panting with need. I spread my legs and cradled his hips between my thighs, ready to take him inside of me.

"If I hurt you, it'll be up to you to stop me."

He lowered his head and clamped his lips over the faded spot on my neck. I shuddered, arching off the bed as he kissed and caressed the spot. His hands sank into my hair and his lips met mine in a hot kiss that stole my breath clean away. I shifted my hips under him as his tongue invaded my mouth. I wanted him inside me with a desperation that I hadn't felt in eons.

He moved his mouth to my ear to growl at me. "Not until I say so."

I whimpered, completely at his mercy. I'd never been the weak one but it felt so right with Aedan, not frightening as it had with him.

Because he could hear my thoughts, Aedan knew when my mind turned to the other and he didn't like it.

With a flash of scalding heat, he thrust into me, taking me hard and deep in a single move.

Instead of feeling invaded, I welcomed him with all my being. I wrapped my arms and legs around him with a joyful laugh as he pulled back and thrust again. His lips found the spot on my neck again and we rocked together in a rhythm that was long forgotten and achingly familiar at the same time.

"Aedan...Aedan, look at me..."

He didn't stop moving but he turned his head and met my gaze. His eyes were roiling orbs of flame, like miniature suns. His lips brushed my mouth and his breath mingled with mine, his unique tangy scent singeing my throat. He slowed his movements to a more controlled pace but he still burned me inside and out.

I wouldn't change this.

He grinned and kissed me again, our eyes never leaving each other's. His tongue danced around mine and drew forth whimpers of desire from me.

I would have you like this for eternity.

He acknowledged my words by sinking deep in a forceful move that stole my breath away. His movements lost their controlled edge and I felt him slip towards oblivion with me. We gazed into each other's eyes and kissed and rocked together until I felt an orgasm bubbling to the surface.

I threw my head back with a cry as I came and Aedan roared as he went with me. The bellow of his cry scorched me and I felt the hot gush of him deep inside my body.

I want this...

I couldn't even finish the thought.

The building shook and toppled over, like a toy tower built of plastic blocks. The human part of me denied the possibility of it ever happening but my true self screamed in denial.

He'd found me.

"NO!"

Aedan's cry echoed my own and I felt him rip us into nothing before the building crushed us beneath concrete and dirt below the city. When I took form again, I was alone, naked, up to my knees in an icy cold river.

I was disoriented at first and my body still vibrated from the pleasure Aedan had awoken in me. I blinked and rubbed my eyes as I tried to sort out what had happened. The water felt cold but so good that I recovered myself in seconds. I lifted my head and looked across at the cityscape. It was still there, no giant cloud of dust and debris announcing the implosion of a high-rise apartment building.

Had it been an illusion?

Even as the thought occurred to me, the rocks beneath my feet shifted and made me stumble. I fell face first into the water and gasped in shock at the bracing cold. Even in the middle of summer, the Bow River ran ice-cold.

The rocks moved under my hands and I fell under, the rushing water closing over my head. I didn't panic. Instead, I let it wash over me. The rocks tried to tug on me again and a swirl of cloudy mud rose in my vision to stop me.

But I was myself again, even if there were still a few holes in my memory. He couldn't hold me captive, not here.

I slid away, flowing against my current. The rocks and mud lay still, letting me go. I thought I heard a condescending laugh but I ignored it.

The relief and joy of finding myself again overruled all other thought processes. I wanted to find Aedan, wanted to share my joy with him. We would make love again, in our natural forms and give thanks that we were together again.

Except we weren't together. Aedan was nowhere near me. My river was ice cold because he was not warming me. Again the laughter sounded and I jettisoned myself further away.

I traveled upstream, away from the blocky metropolis and the thrum of millions of human bodies. I splashed up rapids and falls and dodged rising boulders and clinging tree roots until I felt a familiar tickle.

I stopped and rose, taking watery human form in the middle of a vast mountain range.

It was the wrong thing to do.

All at once, the water receded from me and I was human again. The shadows grew larger and wider as the mountains closed in all around me. I felt my breath catch and a heavy weight settled on my shoulders and around my chest. In another second, I couldn't breathe.

That was when he showed himself.

He stepped out of the mountain and took shape before me. Rock and gravel scraped together and dirt shuddered from his form until he towered before me. He was a grotesque formation with two legs and arms like a human but he was the least human thing I'd ever seen.

"You thought you could escape me?"

Gone was the sexy accent and sensual dark eyes that had almost won me over. He was no longer a sexy man who'd found the quiet, unassuming Nerina attractive. Here was the being that'd enslaved me and kept me from my true love for far too long.

Anger bubbled in my chest and he laughed, clenching one boulder-sized hand into a fist. I fell to my knees in the empty river bed, cursing him the entire time.

"Spare me your empty threats, Aqua. We both know you have no power here."

He was right. Damn him, but he was right. And damn him for using that diminutive name. I was so much more than that.

"Right now you're nothing, Aqua. You're mine to do with as I please." His craggy brows lowered and the rocks of his eyes ground so hard against the brows they spewed dust. "And I am pleased to claim you at last."

I shook my head. Sparks dotted my vision and the human remnants of me knew I was dying. I thought back to what Aedan had told me, about dying as a human.

Grinding rocks and shuddering dirt drew my gaze back to him. "You would become my plaything. Even more than you have been. Although, I must admit, your previous incarnations were never as...responsive as this Nerina."

I recoiled at the memory he thrust into my mind, of a handsome, dark-skinned man going down on my human body. His silky dark head was buried between my thighs and the thick, mossy tongue was tickling my insides until I was begging in silence for him to finish. For some reason, as the memory washed over us both, the hold he had on my chest loosened. Air, glorious air filtered into my lungs and I sucked it gratefully.

"Alas, we were interrupted before you could properly take me." The memory was cut short with an avalanche of gravel sliding down the mountain slope.

The pebbles washed against my feet and legs and I held my position. I eased my chest wide to take in more air and that was when I tasted the acidic tang.

A rumble shook the ground and I looked up to see him advancing towards me. With every step he took, more of his rocky shape fell away until I was faced with a more human-sized formation of rocks, like a crude Greek sculpture.

"Now, you will take me into yourself and I will have what is owed to me."

Owed?

"Yes!" Dirt and shards of rock splattered my face and head as he bellowed at me. "Owed. For an age you ignored me in favor of your changing lover. You had no idea how wide and powerful I was growing."

I groaned as something parted in my mind. I watched the creation of the world in a series of flashes until the first great continent was fully formed. By that point in the world's history, I'd known Aedan for eons already. He was right. I hadn't noticed him growing and becoming stronger.

It had turned out to be my downfall.

"It doesn't matter what you remember, Aqua."

I bristled at the name and drew more air into my lungs without letting him see it. I recalled Aedan's words about knowing what I was now, about remembering my power. I wavered when I sent out feelers for more of my essence but I was far from any source of water. His power had grown enough that he'd drained this entire region of any moisture; river, stream, rain and even snow.

At the grinding of rock on rock, I looked up and felt my face caught in his sharp grasp. I felt the slick warmth of blood pour over my cheeks and down my neck. My eyes lowered to follow the drops to the parched earth and I wanted to weep.

"You don't know despair, Aqua. I will teach it to you."

The images he showed me then horrified me. My human shape was ripped apart by his brutal rock penis and I was left to die on the mountainside. My mortal blood poured over the ground and he soaked it up. Eventually this body decomposed and became part of the dirt and plants and empty riverbeds. He had me then, essence and power absorbed through my mortal death.

Tears pooled in my eyes as he repeated the images over and over. His grip never loosened on my face and I felt the hot sting of tears mingle with my blood. I lowered my lashes again but couldn't see anything except his rape of me. By the fifth replay of his deepest desire, he was laughing. It was a horrid, grating rasp and I cried more.

Through the eighth and ninth replay, I caught a flicker of my present reality. My tears and blood had pooled near my right hand on the ground. I stared at it, felt sadness and hopelessness welling inside me.

Then the mixed pool of salty blood began to bubble.

I blinked, the image of that mingling with the horrifying rape he kept showing to me. The milky pool of red began to spread, the bubbles bursting in wider and wider arcs until it coated the ground all around me.

All of a sudden, the vision of my ultimate death cut off and an iron fist closed around my throat.

"Don't bother," he hissed at me and I shut my eyes against the thick scent of his breath. "You are mine."

Steam shot up behind him and he whirled around, his hand falling from my jaw. He jerked me to my feet as he turned and I was forced around with a whimper. Another bolt of steam cracked the ground beside us and with this geyser, I smelled something familiar in the air.

"What is this?"

I lifted my eyes to meet the unpolished orbs of his eyes and I saw something there. Fear, maybe?

He shook me and I dangled helplessly in his grasp. "What are you doing?"

I needed another blast of steam. I knew with a direct shot of this sulphuric steam, I could slip away.

And he would never get hold of me again.

The tip of the mountain over his shoulder crumbled and he dropped me with a cry of pain. I stumbled to my feet and sucked in air. As my strength returned, I scrambled towards the fissure in the ground where the first geyser had broken through. I put my face over the gap and inhaled. There he was, my love. There also was a trickle of myself, in vapor form.

I lifted my head and watched him stumble towards his mountain. He grew larger but pieces of him broke away even as he tried to reconstruct himself. He put one foot down and it shattered. He wailed in pain and shock and I had to cover my human ears to block out the terrible noise.

Then the mountain split open, right down the middle, as if it were a log being split by an ax along a perfect fault line.

I gaped, my hands still over my ears and he reacted faster than I would have thought possible.

He turned and leapt on me, taking shape and curling into a great boulder.

With me inside.

For a second, just a second, panic held me immobile. Then I felt all heat disappear. I shrank, as it was in my nature to do so when frozen. His entire being tightened as I shrank and I let it happen. He had panicked and trapped me like this, but if he'd thought it through, he'd have known it was the wrong thing to do.

At last, we both gave a last gasp and settled. I don't know how long we remained that way. Perhaps a thousand years, perhaps only a few mortal hours.

I waited.

Then I pushed a bit.

He didn't feel it. So I pushed again. When I knew he still hadn't felt it, I drew inward before pushing the last time. He groaned but couldn't stop the nature of us both from happening.

The boulder split apart in a ragged line and lay in two halves on the bank of the river. I stepped out, my feet splashing the dry ground around us. The second I stepped into the riverbed, it flooded with clear, clean water.

I sighed and slipped into it.

I didn't leave the boulder laying there, in two dangerous pieces. Even stunned and wounded like that, he could cause me pain.

I rolled one half of the boulder into myself and shoved him far downstream until he lodged in a bare cliff that was perpetually battered by wind. I turned back to take care of the other half but a geyser shot up beneath it and, because he was weakened so much already, he shattered to a thousand pieces.

I splashed up over the banks and capped the geyser. It pulsed again, shooting pleasure through me.

Oh yes. Let's.

So we made love, there on a mountaintop where he no longer had any dominion.

****

It was long gone, but I bobbed in the cool water where we'd first met. In the distance, I could see a shoreline that had once created a smooth edge from one tip of the globe to the other. Now I was somewhere along the path Australia had taken before reaching its final destination. There was a lot of seismic activity in this part of the world, and many volcanoes.

I loved them all.

I thought you'd never come back to me.

I twisted and rippled in pleasure when I felt the hot lick of him sliding through me. I drew myself together to one spot and he surrounded me with a warm pulse.

I miss this place.

In our joined minds, images of our first meeting rose and everything that followed in those first few centuries.

I gave a contented sigh that rippled away from us in a gentle wave. I wish there was a beach here, just for us.

Human beings had taken over much of the world but we were still the greater forces. Undiminished with time.

His warm laughter was a caress deep inside of me. I can make one.

Before I could protest, I felt the shifting beneath me. I laughed, bigger and bigger waves rolling away from where we mingled. In the blink of a human eye, and yet hidden from their view, a tiny island sprang up. He rolled up and outward until it grew a little wider and a little higher.

I curled over the edge and stood up on human legs. Nerina's legs.

Even after everything that had happened, and after all the knowledge of my human cycles had returned to me, I still most closely identified with Nerina.




Body of Water Ch. 06



You are Nerina, my lovely.

I giggled and swept water away from my face. It settled in dark, wet ringlets over a bare shoulder. The cooling lava smoothed out before me and he stepped into view.

You look like Aedan.

He shrugged, an utterly human gesture. Oh, how I adored him.

I am me and you are you. I would know you anywhere, in any shape.

He had known me anywhere, in every shape. Human tears spilled over my cheeks and I welcomed the vestiges of my time among the mortals. Every decade, it faded still more and I worried that I would forget about what had happened.

Then I will remind you. Just like I reminded you of what we were when you still were Nerina.

His arms closed around me and I shuddered. Part of me melted away before I reformed. He lowered his head to drag his scorching tongue up my neck.

Yes. Oh, yes.

I did forget then. I forgot everything but how it felt to be made love to.

It was a good feeling.