Stone Romance (Stone Passion #2) Read online

  “I intend to make you forget everything, all of your worries, your doubts,” he vowed provocatively. “I’m going to pleasure you so well and so hard you won’t be able to walk once we arrive back home and I’ll get to carry you everywhere we go.”

  She quirked a smile knowing that he would be able to carry her but doubting that it would be necessary. And his words only proved her earlier point: he was going to be ridiculously easy to seduce. “I’ll be able to walk, Rhys.”

  “Sweetheart,” he growled, trailing a line of kisses along her jaw and to an exquisitely sensitive spot just beneath her ear. “I’ve got you to myself for a couple of weeks; you won’t be able to walk.”

  “I’ll be able to recuperate during the day.”

  “You do recall that I can move as a gargoyle, don’t you?” he taunted deliciously, his eyes darkening to pools of rich brown. When she half nodded her head, his grin grew wicked, “While my gargoyle cock may be too big for your luscious body, my gargoyle fingers are the perfect size. I’ll be able to do things to you that will make you blush and then make you scream. After all, I have ten fingers. Now, do you really think you’ll be able to walk in a few weeks?”

  “All I hear is a lot of talk,” she murmured breathlessly, her eyes languid and heavy with arousal as she ran her fingers through the short, silken strands of his hair; she was mesmerized by the color, the texture. He was so finely sculpted; what if he took one look at her with his human eyes and realized she had stretch marks and small boobs and she wasn’t as beautiful as a fairy or a succubus or a Siren. Maybe it would be better if she waited to strip off her clothes until he was a gargoyle and could only see in black and white.

  He put a finger beneath her chin and tilted her head up, “Jenna, you have no idea how fucking sexy you are, do you?”

  She wasn’t sure how to answer that; he made her feel sexy but it had been so long since she had even wanted to be sexy. But what would he think of her if he knew the difficulties she had when she became a mother? The months of darkness followed by the long, arduous struggle back into the light? What if he discovered how relieved she had been when Melanie gave up everything to stay at home and help out with Ferris, how selfish she had been to relinquish her role as mother for so long?

  Rhys’s arm squeezed her closer and he kissed the top of her head, “Thank you.”

  Startled, she looked at him, catching the flare of desire still burning in his eyes. “For what?”

  “I’m flying in a steel trap and I’m able to breathe,” he grinned, his color still a bit pale but not as bad as it had been before. “I’m going to have to keep you.”

  Everything could change in a heartbeat and Jenna knew she was a fool; by the end of the trip she was going to be madly in love with Rhys and she was powerless to stop it.

  Resting her head against Rhys’s warm shoulder, she stared at nothing in particular, not paying attention to the two pixies that made sure everyone on the jet was comfortable. Her lids were getting heavy and even though she wanted to stay awake for Rhys’s sake, she couldn’t keep her eyes from closing.

  “Rhys?” she said, her brain losing its lucidness, allowing random thoughts to pop into her head. “Why is the incubus even travelling with us? He could pass as a human without any sort of glamor.”

  He chuckled; she loved the sound of his laugh. “Passengers tend to sleep on these trans-Atlantic flights, including female passengers. And when confronted with a sleeping woman an incubus cannot help but to seduce her; it’s their nature.”

  “Uh huh,” she mumbled, her forehead crinkling. “But he can’t seduce me, not with you here, right?”

  “Right.” She felt him kiss the top of her head, heard the softly rumbled, “You’re safe with me.”

  Chapter 9

  When the plane landed there had been a large SUV waiting for the passengers, ready to take them wherever they needed to go. But since they were all heading to the same destination it made things easy. And with less than forty-five minutes until sunrise, they hadn’t a lot of time to spare. Still half asleep, Jenna was dismayed to discover she couldn’t see anything as the cars sped through the nearly empty, pre-morning, fog-enshrouded streets. Any light was diffused and made the areas they were trying to brighten appear even darker. So she settled back against Rhys’s chest and tried to keep her eyes open.

  The minotaur shook his head and snorted before saying, “It will be good to return home; it has been too long.”

  Jenna was surprised by the polished tones of his voice, finding it oddly compelling. Still half asleep, she murmured, “Where is home?”

  He smirked, “Crete.”

  “Of course,” she blushed. “It’s just that I’ve never met a minotaur before.”

  He smiled, the effect very extraordinary coming from the face of a bull. “You never know; when I go out in public I wear my human face.”

  And with those words, he shook his head and gone was the bull, to be replaced by a very ordinary face with light brown hair and light brown eyes. He looked like a fellow accountant, with bland features and a thin mouth. It was fascinating. Reaching across the space, he held out his hand, “The name’s Maury.”

  Fascinated by his average looks and non-exotic name, she shook his hand, the grip firm. “Jenna.”

  “Yes,” he smiled a dazzling smile, which was surprisingly beautiful and weirdly mesmerizing since he was so very ordinary looking. She wondered why he didn’t morph into something flashier but figured being a minotaur was exotic enough. Unless he didn’t have a choice and his human face was the only one he had. “All of us know about you and your sister; it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

  “You, too,” she said, feeling the heat in her cheeks at the infamy she and her sister shared.

  “I didn’t get a chance to formally introduce myself last night,” the golden incubus said, leaning forward and taking her hand. “I am known as Kilthiira of the Thousand Nights but my friends and close associates call me Kiltes; it is truly an honor to meet you, human, though it would have been a very pleasurable night had you let me into your dreams.”

  Jenna yanked her hand out of his, her eyes widening in bewilderment even as the man laughed, a low and sexy sound that shouldn’t have affected her but did. Ignoring the not unpleasant feeling, she turned to the satyr, “And you are Rahan?”

  “I am,” the satyr beamed, his facial hair giving him a slightly demonic look. But his eyes danced with laughter and she found herself returning his smile. “You should ignore the incubus; he’s all hot air and bluster. A satyr, on the other hand, ensures his lover’s pleasure and once you’ve gone satyr you never go back.”

  “Oh, please,” Kiltes snorted, waving his hand through the air in dramatic fashion. “Everyone knows incubi are the better lovers.”

  “If you don’t mind flash and burn,” Rahan returned. “Your kind is always so eager to get to the finale that you ignore the pleasure of anticipation.”

  “I’ve never had any complaints.”

  Rahan snorted, “Because all of your lovers sleep through your efforts.”

  Rhys’s arm came around her shoulder and he laughed, “You two should just get a room and get it over with; I swear, you guys bicker more than anyone I know.”

  The satyr and the incubus abruptly stopped arguing and glared at Rhys in equal parts hostility and amusement. Kiltes broke the silence first, “An incubus prefers the ladies, rock-man.”

  “And the ladies prefer a satyr,” Rahan shot out.

  With a smile, she leaned further into Rhys’s embrace and enjoyed the back and forth between the mythological creatures. She caught Maury’s eyes and they exchanged a smile; she had the feeling that the minotaur would be the better lover, making sure his mate was well pleasured and cared for. He winked at her as if confirming her suspicions before returning his attention to the verbal foreplay of Rahan and Kiltes.

  The rest of the ride flew by and with less than fifteen minutes before the sun was due to rise, the car pulled up in f
ront of a fantastical building in the middle of London, oddly similar to the castle in St. Paul where Rhys and his brothers lived. There was no need to disguise the old world charm in London but it still managed to stand out in a sea of gorgeous architecture. It wasn’t as tall as the apartment building back home but it was easily twice as wide, taking up the entire city block, if not more.

  The small group piled out of the car, Rahan less hairy with his knees bending the normal way and Maury still in his human disguise. The Incubus was as golden and glorious as ever, the London fog making him almost ethereal, dream-like. As if aware of her scrutiny, he struck a theatrical pose and she had to laugh; he was so dramatic and amusing, not how she imagined an incubus would be. Not that she ever imagined incubi at all. With a wink and a smile, he took her hand in his, bending his head and kissing her knuckles, “It was truly a pleasure, Jenna.”

  The others took their leave as well, disappearing into the massive structure without any fanfare. Rhys inhaled deeply, beaming at the building. “It’s good to be back in London.”

  Looking at Rhys, Jenna arched an eyebrow making him chuckle. Looping an arm around her waist, he bent his head so his lips were next to her ear, “We’re staying with my older brothers for a few days before we head off to Greece.”

  The eyebrow arched higher and he planted a quick kiss on her lips, hastening her through the door as the sky began to lighten with imminent dawn. “Come.”

  She barely had time to take in the soaring ceilings of the atrium as he rushed through the entrance and up ten flights of stairs. She understood the rush but she was not in quite as good of shape as she could have been to take that many stairs in that short of time. By the time she reached the top, she was wheezing. Pressing her hand against her chest, her lungs tight as they tried to draw in more oxygen, she breathlessly laughed, “I need to rev up my exercise routine.”

  “You’re doing just fine, sweetheart,” he laughed, not at all out of breath, as he threw open the door to his brothers’ rooms. With her hand in his, he led her deeper into the luxurious suite until they stumbled upon his brothers. And the half dozen women with them. And their lack of clothes. Everyone was excessively gorgeous and she had the feeling that she was the only human in the room.

  The scent of sex and alcohol hung in the air as the group blearily looked up at the new comers and Jenna felt her jaw drop. She had never, ever, imagined walking into an orgy – or rather, the after-effects of an orgy, and she desperately tried to look anywhere but the naked parts that were hanging out for the world to see. Wine bottles littered the floor and she counted the limbs of three well-formed men and seven, no eight, exquisite females.

  Releasing her hand, Rhys stepped into the middle of the room, a huge smile lighting up his face as he took in the chaos. Clearing his throat, he boomed, “Is this any way to greet your brother?”

  A devastatingly gorgeous man with short red hair was the first to his feet, his handsome face melting into a stunning smile as he rushed towards Rhys with his arms out, “Welcome to our humble abode, Rousseau! Father said that you were coming but we did not expect you until tomorrow.”

  “Rowan,” Rhys grinned, hugging his red-headed brother, seemingly unconcerned by the man’s nudity. “Everything came together much sooner than expected and so here we are.”

  “Rousseau,” another nauseatingly perfect man said, clamoring to his feet and grinning. His hair was to the middle of his back and black with vibrant blue streaks. He reminded her of a less uptight Armand, with his pale eyes and flawless lines. He joined in on the hugging, taking Rhys in a warm embrace. “It’s good to see you.”

  “You too, Artaire,” Rhys said, his voice becoming tight with emotion.

  “Rousseau,” the third brother managed to say through a tangle of slender limbs. Kissing a blond-headed beauty on the lips, he gently nudged her off his body before standing up. His hair was slightly shorter than Artaire’s and light brown, almost blond. He was just as gorgeous as his brothers and the four of them together was really quite… yummy.

  “Bar,” Rhys returned, hugging him as well.

  “Come,” Artaire said, clapping Rhys on the back and guiding him away from Jenna. “We’ve much to discuss and the sun is about to rise.”

  “I want you all to meet someone first,” Rhys said, coming to a halt and forcing his brothers to stop as well. As one, the four men turned and saw Jenna standing in the doorway, three of them wearing similarly wary expressions as they took her in. They were unquestionably brothers, despite the minor differences of hair style and eye color. The London brothers had a certain ennui about them that was lacking in Rhys, a certain weariness that more closely matched Armand. And like Armand they were absurdly, perfectly beautiful.

  Rhys held out his hand and with only the slightest hesitation, Jenna picked her way through the naked bodies on the floor and slid her palm into his. Bringing her hand up to his mouth, he pressed a kiss to the back of her fingers, his eyes glittering brightly in the dim light. “Brothers, this is Jenna. She is the sister of Vaughn’s mate.”

  The three of them simply stared at her before Rowan finally stepped forward and bowed over her hand, “It’s a pleasure, Jenna.”

  Almost reluctantly, the other two followed suit, perfectly polite but distant. She felt like an intruder and if Rhys hadn’t been standing there looking at her with his heart in his eyes she would have bolted. “It’s an honor to meet all of you.”

  Artaire turned away from her, dismissing her as he grinned at Rhys, putting his arm around Rhys’s shoulders and leading him away from her. “Come, the sun is about to rise; we can converse on the roof.”

  Without hesitation, Rhys came to a stop and waited for her to join him, once again holding his hand out to her. Bar put his hand out, effectively stopping her, and looked at her with pity, “I fear we do not allow humans on the roof as we change. Trixie, show the hum… show Jenna to the guest chambers.

  “I suggest a nap and then you may explore London at your leisure while the sun is in the sky,” he continued, talking to her once again. “Trixie will show you to your room; she has promised to behave so you have nothing to fear from her. Of course a fairy’s promises are contingent on whether or not she wishes to keep them.”

  Jenna’s eyes widened and flew to Rhys, who stared at her with longing and resignation. Stepping forward, he wrapped his arms around her and leaned his forehead against hers, “I promise to come to you the moment the sun sets.”

  “Okay,” she managed, accepting his kiss, wishing it could last longer even as she felt the subtle shift in his body as the sun began to rise. Forcing a smile to her frozen lips, she watched as the four of them made their way to the roof, their taut butts perfectly matched. As they went, Rhys pulled the clothes from his body and she couldn’t help but stare. Unfortunately, he disappeared from her sight before he removed much more than his jacket.

  “Come,” a seductively beautiful voice murmured from the side. Turning her head, Jenna saw the blond Trixie standing next to her, the woman’s smoky topaz eyes compelling and striking. And for the first time, she noticed the delicate wings that sprouted from her back; from all of the naked ladies’ backs. They were finer than the succubus’s wings in the elevator, finer and more intricate; they were an extension of the fairy’s body. Jenna now realized that the succubus’s wings hadn’t quite fit properly; they were too delicate for the much bolder woman.

  The fairy named Trixie smiled, the expression dazzling and terrifying for the lack of warmth in her jeweled eyes. “Because Artaire is a generous and inventive lover I shall be kind. Besides, it is not as if I can harm your pretty little head beneath the Guardians’ noses, now, can I? However, if you were to step foot outside the boundaries of their protection I would be able to have some fun. Now come, let us get you to your room so I may join my sisters and return home.”

  “Of course,” Jenna managed, following the lithe beauty through the maze of rooms and halls, paying partial attention to where she was goin
g, getting distracted by the amazing artwork on the walls and fervently praying the fairy didn’t take to the notion of causing mischief.

  “We have heard about your sister,” Trixie said conversationally, startling Jenna out of her silent prayers. “It is a pity she failed to arrive on time.”

  “Well, we hope to remedy that,” Jenna muttered, her eyes growing wider with each priceless work of art she passed. They were most likely originals from some of the world’s most famous as well as its most obscure artists; all of them were perfectly suited for the rooms.

  The fairy laughed, cold and delighted, “We wish you luck with that, human, but you must know you are destined to fail; Vaughn will not be returned to your sister and we shall enjoy comforting him when he wakes.”

  Jenna sucked in a painful breath, knowing the fairy only spoke what she believed to be true; the woman obviously didn’t know how stubborn Melanie could be or how determined Jenna was to fix things. “Perhaps.”

  As they stopped in front of a closed door, Trixie turned around and faced her head on, capturing her with those stony topaz eyes, “You must forgive the boys; they have all fallen prey to the lures of a human at some point in their lives and I fear they do not trust your kind very much.”

  “Why are you being so kind to me?” Jenna asked, taking the fairy’s words as genuine concern. “I mean, Altiare can’t be that fantastic of a lover.”

  Trixie smiled slightly as she shrugged her slender shoulders, her wings shimmering in the low light, “Perhaps I know what lies in store for you and wish to offer some comfort before your heart is torn from your chest.”

  Frowning, Jenna stepped through the door to her quarters. Before she could think better of it, she turned and faced Trixie, “Literally or metaphorically?”

  The corners of Trixie’s full mouth tilted upwards in an enigmatic smile but she did not answer. And Jenna was okay with that.