The Stone Prince i-1 Read online

  How sad if they had not.

  Her arms moved over Jorlan’s muscled chest, feeling his skin, jagged in some places, smooth in others, but hot all over. She jerked the spatula from his waist and tossed it aside. His tongue continued to caress her mouth, bold and passionate. She pushed him down until he lay flat on his back. Her knees braced his sides, spreading her legs wide, and she arched her hips, thrusting slightly against his erection.

  “Aye, just like that,” he praised. “Again.”

  She arched once more. This time, the contact caused a ragged moan to slip from her throat because he arched, too, making the impact deeper. Stronger. Over and over they continued the motion. Then in one fluid motion, he tumbled her over, taking control and pressing himself between her open thighs. He trailed kisses of fire along her cheek. He swirled his tongue around her ear, dipped inside, pulled out, and dipped again. Had he stripped her naked just then, had he plunged into her body and buried his cock to the hilt, she would not have protested.

  She would have thanked him.

  This is the wild, wanton woman I’ve always longed to be, Katie realized. She felt utterly alive. So free. But reason tried to insert itself. You’re lying on the bathroom floor. You’ve only known this man a few days. You wanted only one kiss.

  Yes, she’d asked for only one kiss, and he was taking far more. In fact, he was ravishing her. The thought caused hot, heady moisture to pool between her thighs. How easily she pictured him holding her down and forcing her to face her desires. How easily she pictured…and how easily she wanted the fantasy to come true.

  She wanted to be ravished.

  “We have to stop kissing,” she said, breathless. “We shouldn’t be doing this.”

  “When you stop wanting my kisses, katya, then will I stop.”

  Oh, yes, my barbarian warrior. You’re in control.

  He pulled back a little, gazed down at her, his eyes smoldering to a fiery blue. He reached under her shirt, kneaded her breast, and decided the contact wasn’t enough. He shoved her bra up, let his fingers roll her nipple, and then, suddenly, he froze. His growl echoed loud and long off the walls.

  “With much regret do I recall our bargain.” Dark emotion etched his expression. “I cannot give you pleasure unless you ask nicely. Or beg very prettily.”

  No, no, no. She wasn’t supposed to beg for anything except mercy, and he wasn’t supposed to be chivalrous! That wasn’t how a man ravished a woman. He was supposed to take her, seduce her completely, damn the consequences. At this point she’d even settle for a “I know what’s best for you, katya. I’m only doing this for you.”

  “This time, however,” he half snarled, half moaned, “I will make an exception.”

  Oh, thank you. Thank you. She almost smiled. She did tighten her hold on his neck, ready for another mind-blowing kiss. Her elation was short-lived, however.

  “You do not have to beg,” he said. “You do not even have to ask. You only have to push me away if you wish me to stop. I will give you time to decide.”

  She didn’t want time, damn it. She wanted his tongue in her mouth. Wanted his hands on her breasts. Now. But he was the ravisher, and she was the ravishee, and the fantasy wouldn’t work if she forced herself on him.

  “One, two three,” he counted. “Time is up.”

  His mouth smothered hers.

  Relieved, excited, she leaned up for his kiss. The silky heat of his tongue danced with hers. His body pushed against hers. He smelled so hot, so masculine. So delicious.

  “What do you want me to do to you?” he demanded.

  “I have no control over you,” she breathed. “You’ll do whatever you want, no matter what I say.”

  He jerked back, confused. “No, I—” Suddenly, comprehension dawned. He smiled wickedly. “That’s right,” he said, his tone heavy with authority. “I’ll do whatever I want to you. Your protests mean nothing.”

  Hallelujah.

  For what seemed hours, but could have only been minutes, he worked his hands over her body, learning her every curve, teasing her, tempting her, making her beg.

  “Who is in control, katya?”

  “You are,” she whispered. “Only you.”

  “Do not forget.”

  “Never.”

  His big hands closed over her breasts. Intense pleasure rocked through her. He pinched her nipple at the exact moment he pressed his erection against her clitoris. Their clothes added to the friction, and she shot off like a Fourth of July rocket. Her moans became wild cries, a building crescendo, the force of which made her almost incoherent.

  When she quieted, Jorlan held her for a long while, his shallow breaths in her ear. He pulled back, searching her face. “Katie,” he said softly, “you have already—”

  “I know. I’m sorry.” How embarrassing. He was still primed and ready; she was all finished. But damn it, she hadn’t been able to stop it, hadn’t wanted to stop it. Her body had raced toward completion, heedless of anything else. “I truly am sorry. I just couldn’t help myself.”

  “Do not apologize.” His tone was reverent. “Simply do it again.”

  She slowly smiled. “Again? Really?”

  “Most definitely. I command you.” His lips claimed hers once more.

  Her arms wound around his neck, holding him captive. Her ankles locked around his waist. He reached between them, grasped the neck of her shirt, and gave a sharp tug. The cotton split down the middle. She bit her bottom lip to keep from shouting her renewed excitement.

  Jorlan was just reaching for her shorts, and she was just arching her back to give him better access, when a voice said from the doorway, “Uh, am I interrupting something?”

  NINE

  “NICK!”

  Cheeks flaming, stomach filling with a sickening combination of dread, embarrassment and horror, Katie attempted to jump to her feet and disengage from Jorlan at the same time. Before she succeeded, he jolted to a battle position, his feet squared apart, his fists clenched, facing her brother with an expression that clearly read, “Prepare to die.” The swift motion caused her alien’s legs to pound against her knees.

  She collapsed with a shriek.

  Neither man spared her a glance.

  Popping up, she hurriedly tied the torn folds of her shirt together—which barely managed to cover her pink, lacy bra—then shoved her hair back from her face. Jorlan quickly thrust her behind him.

  If she hadn’t known better, she would have suspected he was actually trying to protect her. From her own brother! The idea was simply too ridiculous to contemplate, and she decided he was simply being his chauvinistic self. Something along the lines of get-thee-behind-me-oh-weak-one.

  Then he said, “Stay behind me, Katie. I will eliminate this threat.”

  Oh, he really is protecting me, she thought, melting. She should have been angry. After all, she’d proven her ability to drop an opponent to the ground. But Lord, this made her feel dainty and cherished.

  Reaching up, she moved her fingertips over Jorlan’s bare back. She loved the hardness of him, the heat. Her teeth ground together. She’d finally decided to go all the way—Wait! Not wanting to ruin the fantasy she’d created in her mind, she corrected herself: A man had finally been strong enough to ravish her, and a family member showed up to bear witness. If her heart hadn’t been racing with desire and her limbs hadn’t been trembling with mortification, she would have leapt across the room and slapped Nick upside the head with a flanged plunger.

  Men!

  Her brother, who seemed more amused by Jorlan’s words than concerned, gazed over the giant’s left shoulder. “Katie, Katie, Katie,” he clicked under his tongue. “I walked through the pleasure garden before coming inside the house—you’re missing a statue, by the way—and thought to give my hormones a break. But what do I find? Live porn.”

  Inwardly cringing, Katie placed her hands atop Jorlan’s shoulders and peeked over him. She actually had to stand on her tiptoes! “Nick,” she said again, this
time more calmly. “First of all, I sold that statue,” she lied. “And second of all, just what the hell are you doing here?”

  Nick chuckled. “I’ll collect my quarter later. ‘Hell’ is still a naughty word, isn’t it?”

  Jorlan’s muscles relaxed, going slack beneath her palms. “The two of you are familiar with each other,” he said.

  “Yes.” Her tone managed to convey every ounce of her disgust. “The man standing just out of strangling distance is my voyeuristic brother.”

  “As he is part of your family,” Jorlan announced, “I shall allow him to live.”

  “Please reconsider,” Katie said sweetly.

  Nick’s chuckle grew to body-shaking laughter. “No reason to be so sensitive, little lovebird. I did you both a favor. The bathroom floor is a killer on the back. Anyway—” he waved one hand through the air, his eyes going from tawny-colored amusement to dark brown steel in less than a snap “—I’d like an introduction.”

  “The introduction can wait,” she grumbled. “I’m too upset with you right now. A loving brother would have left without saying a word.”

  This loving brother arched a sandy brow, managing to retain his intense air, yet somehow appearing amused, as well. “And miss all the fun?”

  She loved this man, but geez! Nick, just two years her senior, had always been the comic, the teaser and tormentor. Her tormentor, more specifically. As children, most people had mistaken them for twins. Not only for his constant ribbing of her, but also because they looked so similar. They were both tall, possessed the same straight, silvery-blond locks, and the same light brown eyes that tilted up at the corners. That, to Katie, was where the similarities ended.

  Where she was curvy, he was all planes and angles. Where she was soft, he was hard. His expression was permanently etched with a mischievous quality usually reserved for small children and cartoon characters. She possessed more of a serious edge, all work and no play. Or so she’d been told.

  “What are you doing here?” she demanded for the third time. “I gave you the grand tour last week.”

  “Can’t a guy visit his one and only sister out of love?”

  “No.”

  “You know me too well.” Grinning, he switched his attention to Jorlan and held out a hand. “Since Katie refuses to be polite, allow me to introduce myself. I’m Nick James. Katie’s favorite brother.”

  She snorted at that.

  “Jorlan en Sarr.” Jorlan regarded Nick’s proffered hand.

  “Shake it,” Katie whispered in his ear.

  “Ah, ’tis a form of greeting.” He took Nick’s hand and pumped up and down with the force of a level eight earthquake. “While in the garden, I watched many perform just such a task.”

  Nick regarded him strangely, studied his facial features for a moment. His eyes narrowed. “You look familiar.”

  Katie inwardly moaned. Then she paused. Relaxed. What were the chances of her brother linking Jorlan to the missing statue? Her guess: slim to none. Nick, the co-creator of Slip Through Time, a virtual reality game, might have a very high-concept imagination, but aliens, curses and magic spells went beyond the realm of perceived truth.

  Still, she wasn’t going to take any chances. The redhead at the café had thought Jorlan looked like a self-help guru, but Katie knew her brother would never buy that. So, she opened her mouth to weave an elaborate lie involving an automobile accident, amnesia and psychotropic medication, but Nick’s next words stopped her.

  “Hey.” He pointed to Jorlan’s chest. “You’re that guy on the cover of those romance novels.”

  Ahh, even better! “That’s right,” she assured her brother with a nod. “Jorlan poses naked on book covers.”

  Suddenly very intent on the conversation, Nick leaned against the door frame. “Do the women pose naked with you?”

  Like Nick, Jorlan perked up at the mention of naked women. “Aye,” he said. “My women pose naked.” As he spoke, there was a hint of longing in his tone. He reached around and circled his hand over Katie’s waist. That strong hand slid lower and gently squeezed her butt.

  The action sent another round of heat through her. Fighting a moan, she slapped his hand and moved to stand beside him. She slanted him a halfhearted glare that said, Behave—but only a little.

  Nick barely spared her a glance. “How does a guy go about getting a job like that?”

  “You love computers too much to switch jobs,” she reminded him.

  “Who says I can’t do both?” her brother shot back. “Naked modeling and creating VR games.”

  She frowned. “I do and that’s final.”

  “I would do what the woman says,” Jorlan interjected. His gaze traveled from brother to sister. “She has a temper that nigh flays her opponent alive.”

  “Very true, very true.” Nick shoved his hands in his slack pockets and jingled change. “Where you from, Jordie? I can’t place your accent.”

  “Anguilla,” Katie rushed out before Jorlan could answer. “He’s from Anguilla.” Surely her brother knew nothing about the place.

  “That’s an island in the British West Indies, right?” Nick asked.

  “That’s right.” Katie decided then to nip all questions concerning geography. “Let’s go to the kitchen,” she said. “You can explain whatever it is you want from me over a bottled water.” With that, she stepped around Jorlan and pushed past her brother.

  Behind her, Nick erupted into laughter. “Katie,” he called, “you’ve got a piece of linoleum glued to your ass.”

  Of course, the two men were best friends after that. They entered the kitchen chuckling over something Jorlan had said. She was fairly certain that something involved breasts and thighs—and not the chicken variety. Nick had one of his arms around Jorlan’s shoulders. When their laughter subsided, her brother fired off a round of questions about Jorlan’s job.

  “Do you get to hold them against you or are you put together digitally?”

  “Do you undress in the same room?”

  “Of all the models you’ve worked with, who has the biggest rack?”

  Scowling, Katie hurled a bottled water at each man. Jorlan moved with lightning-quick reflexes and managed to catch the thing midair; Nick wasn’t so lucky. The plastic thumped against his stomach, hard, and he sucked in a breath. She sent him a smug smile.

  He unscrewed the top and took a long swig. All the while, he gave her a brotherly, time-for-payback glare. Lowering the bottle, he said, “I thought you were dating Steve Harris, the detective from Gray’s unit.”

  Katie had just taken a mouthful of the clear liquid; she spewed every last drop onto the floor. “What?”

  “Steve Harris. Your boyfriend.” Nick practically sang the words to the melody of Katie and Steven sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G.

  She slammed her water onto the countertop. “He’s not my boyfriend. Our brother would like me to date his friend, but I said no.”

  “Oh, really?”

  “Yes, really.”

  “The way Gray talked,” Nick continued, “you and Stevie boy were already planning the wedding.”

  Mouth agape, her gaze skidded to Jorlan.

  He crossed his arms over his chest, a storm cloud of fury brewing in his expression. Nick continued talking, saying something about flowers and churches, but she barely heard him. She continued to watch Jorlan. He looked ready to pounce on someone—namely her—and he was soaking up every word Nick uttered as if it were gospel.

  Her fists clenched, crushing the bottle. Just what kind of woman did Jorlan think her to be? Only moments before, she had kissed him, touched him, almost made love to him, and now he thought her capable of marrying another man?

  Did he actually think her so lacking in honor? Obviously. Hadn’t he thought her capable of wanting him so that he could make her a queen?

  Men were idiots!

  “I’ve never even met the guy,” she told both her brother and Jorlan stiffly. “And I have no interest in meeting him, ei
ther.”

  “Good. That’s why I came to see you.” Nick worried a hand over his clean-shaven jaw. “I wanted to tell you to keep away from Steve. I don’t want you to hook up with a cop.”

  His tone made her suspicious. She placed her hands at her hips. “And just who do you want me to hook up with?”

  “I was going to recommend a buddy of mine. Nice guy. Girls go wild for him.”

  “’Tis enough!” Scowling, Jorlan advanced on Nick, willing to rip out the man’s tongue to keep him from saying another word. He felt…disbelief? Mayhap. Fury? Most definitely. Katie and her brother spoke so blithely of another man—of her marriage to another man—and he did not like it! In fact, the thought nearly drove him mad. He did not believe her capable of making love with one man while being promised to another, yet his fury did not lessen.

  He needed her, and he would allow no other man to touch her. Not because the thought of another man feasting from Katie’s sweetness sent a cold rage storming through him, but because she belonged to him now, her time, her body, and her heart, and he would not share!

  Jorlan had almost reached Katie’s brother, his intent to pulverize shining brightly in his eyes. Grinning, Nick held up his hands to ward off the oncoming attack. “I’ve since changed my mind, Jordie. You’re perfect for her. Honest. My buddy pales in comparison.”

  Jorlan stilled. Nick’s retraction mollified him somewhat. Yet that wasn’t the reason he had stopped. He had just come to a startling revelation. He did not simply lust for Katie, did not simply need her to save him. He cared for her. Despite his efforts to prevent such a thing from happening, it had taken only a few hours for his obsession to deepen. He’d shared his life with her, had watched her writhe as he gave her body the ultimate pleasure, and now he had sunk deeper under her spell. The knowledge blistered through him, and he cursed his own stupidity. Why? Why had he allowed himself to care about this woman? Had he learned nothing from Maylyn?

  At least he hadn’t been foolish enough to fall in love with her. Still, he cared for Katie and wanted her with him. If only for a time. He’d thought before of taking her home with him. He had discarded the idea because he had not wanted to make her his life-mate. But now, the idea held merit. He could wed her, not permanently, of course, but a temporary joining of mutual benefit.