Shea cried out as his teeth sank deep, as his body surged into hers, as the friction grew and colors danced. Her tongue stroked across his chest, and she caught at him for an anchor as he took them soaring into the night. Jacques’ arms wrapped her tightly, his body penetrated hers deeply, his muscles welded to hers so perfectly, minds and hearts met like halves of the same whole. It was impossible to tell where one started and the other left off.
He caught her mouth in his, sharing their life force as they fell over the edge and tumbled through time and space.
Shea lay spent in his arms, aware of nothing but the beauty and peace of their surroundings. The earth beneath her felt welcoming and soft, the curving tunnel above like a sanctuary for them. Jacques’ body, muscled and hard, was a welcome anchor in the turbulent storm of their lovemaking. For once, her hunger was sated. In the heat of the moment she had fed well, taking what Jacques so freely offered. She realized this was what he had meant when he told her that there were ways to get around her dislike of their feeding habits. She brushed a hand lovingly over the well-defined muscles of his back, inhaled their combined scents. For the first time in days, she felt real peace.
Jacques held her close, grateful that the urgency and painful ache had left his body. He lifted his head and stroked back her hair in a tender caress. “We did not make it to the pools.”
“What pools?”
Her voice was drowsy and sensual from his lovemaking. His heart turned over, and his body tightened in anticipation. “The tunnel leads to hot springs, a beautiful spot where we can rest for a time. I was taking you there when you seduced me.”
Shea laughed softly. “Is that what I did? If all it takes is opening your shirt, we’re in for a wild time together.”
Jacques nuzzled the warmth of her neck, lazily slid his attentions lower to the invitation of her full breasts. “Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?”
“No, but you can tell me if you want,” she encouraged, circling his neck with her slender arms. She closed her eyes, savoring the feeling he was inducing with his tongue caressing her nipple.
“I do love you.” He said it suddenly, raising his head so his black eyes could meet her startled green ones. “I mean it, Shea. I do not just need you, I love you. I know everything about you, I have been in your head, shared your memories, shared your dreams and your ideas. I know you think I need you and that is why I am with you, but it is much more than that. I love you.” He grinned unexpectedly, traced her lower lip with the tip of a finger. “What is more, I know you love me. You hide it from yourself, but I found it in a little corner, tucked away in your mind.”
Shea stared up at the teasing smile on his face, then pushed at the solid wall of his chest. “You’re making that up.”
Jacques moved off her, then reached down to pull her to her feet. His clothes were scattered everywhere, and he made no move to retrieve them. Shea’s shirt was still hanging open, and her jeans were down around her ankles. Blushing, she pulled them up. His hands stayed hers, preventing her from fastening them. “Do not bother, Shea. The pools are just ahead.” He walked a few feet, then looked back over his shoulder. “I did not make it up, and I know you are staring at my backside.”
Shea tossed her mane of red hair so that it flew in all directions. “Any woman in her right mind would stare at your particular backside, so you don’t need to add that to your arrogant list of virtues. And stay out of my mind unless you’re invited.” She was staring, but she couldn’t help it. He was so beautifully masculine.
Jacques reached behind him and captured her hand, lacing their fingers together. “But I find the most interesting things in your mind, my love. Things you do not have any intention of telling me.”
Shea could hear a sound now. Not the drip of water seeping from the earth into the tunnel, but a dull roar that began to boom louder with every step they took. She looked carefully around her, afraid the roof of the cave might come crashing down. Jacques tugged on her hand, urging her forward.
Around the next bend he ducked into a small entrance, and Shea reluctantly followed him. The moment she straightened again, the sight nearly took her breath away. The room was huge, with rock crystals lining the walls, sparkling in the steamy chamber. Pools tiered one another, separated only by symmetrical rock walls. Steam rose from the various pools, giving the chamber an ethereal appearance. A long, steady fall of frothy water tumbled down the far wall into the deepest pool. Large boulders and long, flat rocks divided the pools, forming natural berths for sitting or lying down.
Shea stared at the underground paradise in awe. “This is so beautiful. How come no one knows about it?”
Jacques laughed softly. “You mean humans?” He turned to her, cupped the back of her neck, and bent to take possession of her mouth because he had to do it. She was far too tempting with her disheveled clothes, wild hair, and look of bemusement.
Shea’s body instantly went pliant and soft, melding with his harder, more muscular frame. Her mouth was hot and inviting, her breasts pressing into his bare stomach. Jacques lifted his head, his thumb trailing over her lip, her throat, to the tip of her right breast. “These caves are deep and go on for miles. It is easy to get lost and simply disappear. Few humans come near this place. It has a reputation of being dangerous.” His hand caressed her soft skin. “Take off your jeans.”
She smiled up at him. “I can see it is dangerous. Now, why would I want to do something that is obviously going to get me in big trouble?”
His hand stroked her waist, traced each rib under her satin skin. He could feel her tremble in answer.
“Because I want you to. Because you want to please me.”
Shea laughed out loud, her eyebrows winging upward. “Oh, really? That’s what I want to do?” He nodded solemnly. “Above all else.”
She moved away from him, deliberately enticing him. “I see. I didn’t know that. Thank you for pointing it out.”
“You are welcome,” he countered gravely, his eyes following her every movement. Shea was graceful and seductive, a siren beckoning him to follow. His body stirred, and ruefully he decided the pools might be a safer place to watch her. He entered the nearest hot springs, wincing as the bubbles added to the sensation of fingers stroking his sensitive skin.
Her taunting laughter followed him, brushing provocatively at his nerve endings with the very tip of a flame. Shea felt an unexpected rush of power. Jacques was such an invincible being, yet she could see his body trembling, hear his heart beating even over the roar of the falls. All for her. Deliberately she slid her jeans low, exposing her slender body, the fiery red triangle beckoning him, teasing him. Her shirt floated to the ground, and she lifted her arms skyward, a seductress tempting the heavens.
Jacques’ body tightened in anticipation. His black gaze didn’t miss one graceful sway, not one rhythmic movement of her shapely form. Shea waded into the pool slowly, allowed the bubbling water to lap at her body like a sensuous tongue. She moved out into the middle of the water and finally slipped under the surface like a sleek, gleaming otter. Jacques sat on the edge of a rock, his legs under the water, bubbles lapping around his hips. He watched her swim toward him, away, her body flashing in the water, breaking the surface, disappearing once again.
Shea’s head emerged, her green eyes enormous as they moved over his body. He was utterly still, as if carved from the very stone itself. His muscles were etched and defined, and his body was ready and aggressive. A small smile touched the corners of her mouth. She swam toward him slowly. “So you think I want to please you.”
“Definitely.” The word came out a low growl. He was finding it hard to breathe.
She smiled at him, a sexy, provocative, very feminine promise. “You’re right, I do want to please you. But how do I know you haven’t done your hypnotic thing on me, and it’s all your idea, not mine?”