Finding the Jewel

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

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

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

  But it was Tark who stopped the action.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  Why was she having such a hard time controlling herself?

  * * * * *

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  Gods damn it!

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

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

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

  Gods!

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

  “Chloe…Chloe!”

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

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

  Chapter Eleven

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

  Beside her, the big Kindred stirred restlessly.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  It was the most unintentionally sexy thing she had ever seen—watch
ing the big Kindred stroke himself. When she parted the lips of her pussy and stroked herself in time with him, she had to bite her lip to keep from moaning. God, when had she ever felt so hot…so needy?

  Chloe couldn’t remember a time. Maybe part of it had to do with the fact that she hadn’t gotten off in well over a month. That was mostly because she was too depressed to feel like touching herself in the weight-loss house. But she was also afraid the Commercians might be recording her. What if they took a video of her and used it in their marketing materials? See how horny and willing Earth girls are? How horrible would that be?

  So she hadn’t touched herself for a long, long time. But even the backlog of sexual tension she felt couldn’t explain the deep desire she felt when she was near Tark…or how close she suddenly was to the edge when she stroked herself in time with his pumping rhythm. She shouldn’t be watching this…shouldn’t be doing this. And yet she couldn’t seem to stop.

  Close, she thought, trying to pant quietly as her eyes stayed glued to the big Kindred and the sensual way he was stroking himself. So…close…

  And then Tark had groaned her name—Chloe—as spurt after spurt of seed erupted from the tip of his cock.

  God, it was hot to see him pleasuring himself and know he was thinking of her while he did it! Biting her lip to hold back a moan, Chloe knew she was right on the brink too. Just a few more strokes…

  That was when he opened his eyes and looked right at her.

  Oh my God!

  For a moment that felt like a life time she froze. Then Chloe ducked away from the crack in the door, which had somehow become wider while she watched him, and ran to the other side of the room. Her heart was racing with a mixture of mortification and shame. What was wrong with her acting like this?

  First she had been so unprofessional in her “treatment” of the big Kindred that she had apparently given him the need to relieve himself. Then she had spied on him during a very private act and had used that act to fuel her own lust.

  I’m not this kind of person—I don’t behave like this! Chloe told herself.

  And yet she just had.

  Had he seen her?

  Well, yes, she had to reluctantly admit. Their eyes had met and locked. He had definitely seen her watching him.

  Yes, but did he see what you were doing? Did he see you touching yourself? demanded the little voice in her head. Oh my God, if he did…

  Just then, Tark had come striding out of the bathroom, headed right for her.

  Chloe’s heart pounded and she had looked down at herself anxiously, trying to rearrange her rumpled robe-dress, wondering what she could do…what she could say. There was no coming back from something like this. It was so embarrassing…so awful. There was just no excuse.

  “Tark,” she began in a low voice. “I’m just…I’m so sorry, I—”

  He silenced her without a word by taking her hand—the one she’d been touching herself with. Lifting it to his face, he sucked her first two fingers into his mouth, as though he wanted to taste her juices.

  “Oh,” Chloe whispered, looking up at him. His golden eyes were half-lidded and it seemed that every muscle in his big body was rock-hard with tension. She could feel the sharp edges of his bright, white teeth against her fingers but he was gentle, only sucking her, as though trying to get every last drop of her essence.

  At last he released her hand and stepped back. Still, he said nothing, only looked at her.

  “Tark,” she tried again, her voice a weak whisper. “Tark, please, I—”

  Finally, he spoke.

  “I c-can taste your desire.” His words were delivered in a low growl and he hardly stuttered at all but somehow Chloe had a hard time paying attention to that. She felt lost—adrift in those burning golden eyes which were demanding something of her…something she didn’t feel ready to give…

  Just then there was a quick knock at the sliding stone door at the entrance to the cavern. Before either of them could say anything, a monk who looked like a much younger version of Taroni came in pushing a floating cart.

  “Dinner for the two of you,” he said cheerfully as he pushed his way in. “If you’re in the bed pit feeding your Skin Hunger, never fear—I’ve seen it all before. You can just—”

  He stopped abruptly when he saw the two of them just standing there at the far wall of the cavern.

  “Here now, what are the two of you doing? My elder, Monk Taroni, told me I would probably need to get out fast after I delivered this lest I disturb your coupling!”

  “I…we…” Chloe couldn’t think of a thing to say. “Is that dinner?” she asked at last, brightly, trying to change the subject. “Yummy—it smells delicious!”

  “Well…yes. Yes, it is. Fukkin-lots cakin—served up hot, just for you and your mate!”

  “I’m sorry—what kind of cake did you say?” Chloe asked, wondering if her ears were playing tricks on her.

  “Fukkin-lots cakin,” the young monk repeated patiently. It’s our specialty here at the Resort of Resonant Oneness. Haven’t you ever had fukkin-lots cakin before?”

  “Well…no.” Chloe had to restrain a semi-hysterical giggle. “I can’t say I’ve ever had that kind of cake, er, cakin before.”

  “Well, it’s delicious—take it from me.” He gave Chloe and Tark a sharp look. “If you’d like, I’ll stay and cut it into flavor sections for you. Seeing as how you’re not yet feeding your Skin Hunger.”

  “Oh, that would be great—thank you so much,” Chloe said. She ignored the comment about the Skin Hunger, hoping if she made a good enough impression the junior monk wouldn’t mention how she and Tark had been caught out of bed instead of humping each other’s brains out as they had been ordered to do.

  Like you would mind obeying orders, whispered a sneering little voice in her head. After the way you’ve been acting I wouldn’t doubt that you’d much rather be in bed with Tark right now than talking about ‘fukkin a lot cakin’ or whatever the hell is on the menu with Monk Junior here.

  “So this cart will serve as your table—it lowers to be accessible,” The monk was saying. “And the cakin will take whatever flavors you like according to how I cut it.”

  He whipped a huge oval dome off the table, exposing a jiggling cream-colored mass about four feet long and two feet wide.

  Goodness! Chloe thought. It’s bigger than two large laptops put together! How are we supposed to eat all that?

  “So?” the junior monk asked her, raising flame-red eyebrows that matched his spiky hair. “How shall I cut it? For savory or sweet?”

  “S-savory,” Tark said at the same time Chloe said, “Sweet!”

  “You disagree?” The junior monk frowned at them. “Looks like you have a long way to go before you reach Oneness.”

  Chloe was beginning to get sick of his sass.

  “Look, it’s a really big fucking cake, uh, fukkin cakin,” she pointed out. “Can’t you cut it so it’s half savory and half sweet?”

  The junior monk shrugged. “Of course I can. You just have to say so. Here.”

  He whipped out a serrated knife that was at least three feet long and a measuring stick that was even longer. He began making careful measurements with the stick, slicing tiny indentations is the jiggling crust of the cakin until it appeared to be to his satisfaction. Then he began to cut the huge confection with long, sure strokes of the serrated knife.

  To Chloe’s surprise, the cakin began to change colors as the junior monk cut it. One corner of it turned rich brown, like chocolate. Another piece turned pistachio green. Another became tomato red. Almost before she knew it, the entire huge confection was a patchwork of all different colors in a variety of shapes and sizes.

  The junior monk finished the last cut with a flourish and then stood back.

  “Very well. My job here is done. Please enjoy your dinner and don’t forget to feed your Skin Hunger afterwards.”

  He nodded pleasantly enough to them both but Chloe was still afraid he was go
ing to run right back to Monk Taroni and tell on them. She wished she had a tip to give him, to bribe him not to say anything. But she had no money and even if she had, she was pretty sure Earth money wouldn’t be worth anything here.

  Instead, she followed him to the door and thanked him once more.

  “And don’t worry that you didn’t find us, uh, following orders,” she said, feeling her cheeks get hot as she spoke. “We fully intend to do everything Monk Taroni ordered us to do, uh, after we finish dinner.”

  Instead of looking at her eyes to see if she was serious, the junior monk seemed to be paying attention to the trim of her gown—which had turned black again for some reason.

  “Uh-huh,” he said shortly. “I’ll be sure to let the monk know what you said…and what you meant.”

  This seemed ominous to Chloe but she couldn’t think of anything else to say.

  “All right,” she said lamely. “Um, thank you, I guess.”

  “Oh—almost forgot!” The junior monk snapped his fingers and reached into his black and white robes. He pulled out what appeared to be two long-handled spoons—very long-handled, Chloe saw. The handle of each was a meter long, at least.

  “What in the world?” she exclaimed when she took the spoons from him. “There’s no way we’ll be able to use these. My arm isn’t nearly long enough—look.”

  She took one of the spoons by the end and tried to bring the bowl end of it around to her mouth, Naturally she couldn’t—she couldn’t hold the spoon far enough away to reach her own lips.

  “They’re not meant for feeding yourself,” The junior monk frowned disapprovingly. “You’re supposed to sit across the fukkin-lots cakin and feed each other.” He shook his head. “You’d know that if you were anywhere near Oneness—which you’re clearly not.”

  “Hey,” Chloe snapped, finally losing patience. “You need to watch it with that attitude, buddy! Tark and I have never been here before—so how would we know about your freaky-long couple spoons? And also our, uh, ‘oneness’ is our own business. So I’ll thank you to stop making snarky remarks about our relationship and stick to your job which is apparently serving people weird, giant cakes with obscene names and spying for the other monks.”