Shouldn’t have gone after her, he told himself darkly. Shouldn’t have tasted her juices.
Yet he hadn’t been able to help himself—licking and sucking her fingers had felt almost like a compulsion—he had to know what she tasted like. And the sweet, salty taste of her still lingered on his tongue, despite the strange food they’d been given for dinner. Now all he wanted to do was taste her honey again—this time from the source.
Yet every time they got too close, she shied away. Did she desire him or not? He could smell the heat on her but did she want him, or were the two of them actually affected by the mysterious “Skin Hunger” as Monk Taroni had claimed?
She’s too good for you, a part of him insisted. She’s fucking gorgeous—an elite. Why would she want you?
But she reacts to me—her body responds to mine, Tark argued with his insecurity. Was it really too much to hope that she might be attracted to him—might want him the way he wanted her? Yet when he’d told her point-blank that he wanted her, she had turned pale and started stumbling and stuttering almost as badly as he did himself. Clearly his admission had upset her. Still…
“You think everyone’s asleep?” Chloe whispered, breaking his train of thought.
“P-pretty sure,” he murmured. “C-come on.” He climbed out of the bed pit and waited for her to follow but then he saw her feeling around the edge of it like a blind woman. “Ch-Chloe?” he asked, frowning. “Y-you all right?”
“Are you already out of the pit?” she asked, her voice sounding tight. “Sorry, I just can’t see a thing in here.”
“H-here.” Tark held out a hand to her, then realized she couldn’t see him at all. Well, it was pitch-black in their chamber, but he had no problem seeing. Kindred had excellent night vision. Apparently humans didn’t.
“Tark?” she asked. “Where are you?”
“R-right here. B-but I can just g-go by myself,” he offered. After all, it wasn’t her quest.
Chloe’s response was immediate.
“And leave me here all alone in this creepy bed-pit in the pitch black? Uh-uh—I don’t think so,” she exclaimed. “Besides, how will it look if you’re caught sneaking around without me? Like you’re trying to rob the place—that’s what. Whereas, if we’re together and we get caught, we can claim we were, I don’t know, looking for the sexy-meditation grotto together or something.”
“The s-sexy meditation grotto?” Tark couldn’t keep the humor out of his voice. That was another thing he liked about the sexy little Elite—she made him laugh and the Goddess knew he’d had precious little laughter in his life before he’d met her.
“Well, if you can think up something better you’re welcome to,” she grumbled, but he could see one corner of her mouth twitching. It seemed when he laughed, she couldn’t help but join in. “But whatever you do, just don’t leave me here alone in the dark.” She reached for him. “Please.”
“Are y-you sc-scared of the dark?” Tark asked, crouching by the pit to take her outstretched hand.
Chloe bit her lip.
“No…not exactly. But I don’t like being in a strange place by myself and not being able to see,” she admitted. “Oh, there you are.” She clasped his hand gratefully.
“I’m g-going to l-lift you out,” Tark told her. “S-so you d-don’t st-stumble.”
“Okay, just don’t hurt your back.” She sounded doubtful. “I’m not exactly a lightweight, you know.”
“Y-you’re perfect,” Tark assured her, meaning it. “C-could carry you all d-day.”
“Well, you are really strong,” she conceded as he lifted her easily out of the pit. He put her down gently but she tripped almost at once over some irregularity of the ground. “Whoa!”
Tark caught her quickly and swung her into his arms.
“Hey,” she protested, frowning up at him though it was clear she couldn’t see him. “I can walk.”
“N-not without t-tripping,” he pointed out. “You c-can’t see and I can.”
She grumbled a little more but finally put her arms around his neck and let him hold her, which Tark enjoyed immensely. He loved cradling her to his chest and feeling her lush curves pressed against him. Of course the fact that the right side of her robe-gown melted wherever it was pressed against him didn’t hurt either.
“You Kindred must have really good night vision,” she remarked in a whisper as he carried her out the door, turning carefully sideways so she didn’t bump her head.
“Yes,” Tark said simply. He knew he probably ought to try and talk more—to practice his speech, as Chloe had told him. But a lifetime of keeping silent whenever he could was hard to overcome—even if he was speaking better than he had in years. Oh, he still had his stutter but somehow when he talked to Chloe it seemed to grow better. Maybe because she addressed his stutter head-on without trying to pretend it wasn’t there.
How many times in his life had he seen people’s eyes slide away from him in discomfort or boredom when he struggled to get the words out? How often had his own father told him he would never amount to anything or find a mate if he couldn’t at least learn to talk properly?
But Chloe was different. She was direct but also supportive. She had expressed outrage when he’d explained why he hadn’t gotten any help for his halting speech and had even spoken of how a person with his problem needed understanding and love, not reproach or anger.
She was special, Tark thought—perfect. Gods, if only he could hold her in his arms forever and never let her go!
“Hey, do you have any idea where we’re going?” she breathed, obviously trying to keep her voice low.
“C-closer to the center of th-the r-resort is my g-guess,” Tark murmured back. “If they k-keep precious th-things here, they’ll want t-to have it someplace s-s-secure.”
She nodded. “That makes sense. Okay, well as long as you can find the way back to our room again—I still can’t see a thing.”
“I can f-find it,” Tark said confidently. He was never lost—in the dark or otherwise. “J-just hold on to me. I’ll keep you safe.”
“I know you will.” She sighed and snuggled against his chest. “Thanks, Tark. I do feel really safe with you.”
Tark felt his heart swell. He didn’t answer with words but dropped a gentle kiss on top of her head. Her hair smelled sweet and her warm, feminine fragrance made him wish he could kiss her more but he knew he couldn’t.
Chloe was silent for a moment and then she whispered, “Hey, I see a light! Do you think that’s it?”
“C-could be,” he acknowledged. “L-let’s check it out.”
They were out of the curving corridors now and into a larger space—a vast cavern which must be some kind of general assembly area. Maybe the dining hall they had been forbidden to visit? The fact that they were walking past low tables with cushions placed around them for seats seemed to confirm this. Tark was especially careful to walk quietly—every little noise echoed in the enormous chamber.
The light was past the dining area, up a steep ramp with no railing on either side. Tark climbed carefully, aware that he held a precious bundle in his arms.
“Hey,” Chloe whispered when he was halfway up. “Are we going uphill or something?”
“Yes.” Tark nodded though he knew she couldn’t see him.
“Well, do you want to put me down and let me climb myself?” she asked. “Like I said, I’m not exactly as light as a feather—this is probably quite a cardio workout for you.”
“I’m fine,” Tark answered honestly. “Rather k-keep carrying you.” He didn’t like the idea of Chloe trying to navigate the narrow pathway blind in the dark. They were high up now—about the height of a two-story building. A fall from up here could be fatal. He held her closer to his chest, not liking the thought.
“Well…okay.” Chloe sighed and relaxed against him again. “If you insist.”
“I do,” Tark said firmly. They were finally reaching the end of the stone ramp and he was glad to get back on solid ground. He gave
an inward sigh of relief when they came out to a broad platform near the roof of the cavern. It led inward to a door made of some thick metal. Over the door, in flowing script someone had painted the words, Precious Treasures.
Well, they had found it—now how did they get in? Tark wondered uneasily if he could possibly break down the metal door or cut through it with some of the tools on his gauntlet.
Either option had problems—if he tried to break into the room the loud booming sound of his fist hitting the door would be sure to rouse the monks. Whereas cutting through it with the laser-tool on his gauntlet would probably take too long. They needed a way to get in quickly, get the jewel, and get out again before anyone knew what they were doing.
Suddenly a side door which he hadn’t seen, maybe because it was concealed behind an outcropping of the rock wall, opened and a Monk came out.
Surprised, Tark growled a curse and took a step back. Chloe clutched at his shoulder.
“Oh—what is it?” she whispered, sounding anxious.
“Well, hello my children,” the Monk, who was the oldest they had yet met, came forward to greet them. He had gray in the red spikes of his hair and his face was seamed with wrinkles.
Chloe gave a little scream at the monk’s greeting.
“Tark—is someone there?” she asked breathlessly.
“Only me.” The old monk came closer so that she could see his glowing orange eyes. “I am Monk Aaroni, the founder of the Resort of Resonant Oneness. And I perceive that you two pilgrims are lost. Pray tell me, what are you doing so far from your chambers in the middle of the night?”
Tark opened his mouth, uncertain what to say but afraid that whatever it was, it would be stuttered. Anxiety always made speech harder and how in the Seven Hells were they going to explain sneaking around in the darkness? As usual, however, Chloe jumped in.
“Oh, Monk Aaroni, we’re so honored to meet the founder of the Resort,” she said quickly. “We heard there was a special seminar up here tonight.” She gave a little laugh. “But I guess we were wrong—or else maybe we’re the only ones attending?” She made it a question as though she honestly wanted to know.
“Ah, no my dear. You must be thinking of the special class on Couple Oneness which will be held here tomorrow evening just before lights out,” Monk Aaroni said, smiling in a kindly way. “I’m afraid it’s only for very advanced pilgrims, though. Do you think you and your mate are up to it?”
“Yes, absolutely,” Chloe said at once. “Can you put us down for it? I mean, are there a limited number of spots or something? Because Tark and I really want to attend and work on our Oneness. Don’t we, honey?” She snuggled closer to Tark and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek.
“Y-y-yes,” he said shortly, not daring to say any more. His stutter might be getting better when he and Chloe were alone together but speaking with other people was still a struggle.
“Very good, then—if you think you’re up for it I will add your names to the class roster. You are…?”
“Chloe and Tark,” Chloe said promptly. “Thank you so much—we’re really looking forward to it.”
“Very well. You’d better get back to your chamber for now.” Aaroni made a shooing gesture with one wrinkled hand. “You’ll need your sleep if you’re going to do well in a class like Couple Oneness.”
“All right. Thank you, again! And it was an honor to meet you,” Chloe said, smiling at him. “Good night.”
“Good night.” The old monk waved at them benignly and Tark thought with admiration that Chloe really had handled the entire situation very well—Monk Aaroni didn’t seem to suspect a thing.
He was silent on the climb down the ramp and the trip through the dining area and the twisting passages that led back to their room. Chloe was quiet as well—both of them were aware of the way whispers were magnified by the natural echo-chamber of rock.
But finally, when they were safely back in their room and Tark had put her back down in the bed pit and climbed in after her, she spoke.
“Whew! That was a close one, huh?”
“T-too close,” Tark admitted. “Y-you saved us though.”
“Me? I just said the first thing that popped into my mind.” She sounded anxious. “You think Aaroni bought it?”
“I th-think so,” Tark said. He scooted a little closer to her in the dark and took her hand. “I’m s-s-sorry we have to stay another d-day. I kn-know you’re only here to h-help me out,” he told her.
“Oh, that’s okay! I owe you,” she exclaimed. “Besides, I really don’t mind.”
“R-really?” Tark asked doubtfully. “After s-some of the th-things we’ve had to do, I thought—”
“It’s okay.” She looked away, biting her lip. “Honestly. I…I know we’re just doing…doing what we have to do.”
Tark felt his heart sink.
“Right,” he said flatly. “Just d-doing what we have to d-d-do.”
“Well…” Chloe yawned and stretched. “I, uh, guess we’d better get some sleep. Sounds like we’re going to have a long day tomorrow. Uh…” She hesitated. “What kind of class do you think it is we signed ourselves up for, anyway? That Couple Oneness thing?”
Tark shrugged. “D-don’t know,” he said. “C-could be anything.”
“Well, I guess we’ll find out.” Chloe settled down in the covers. “Oh, uh, I’ve been told I’m kind of a restless sleeper—my little sister, Sarah, always used to complain that I kicked her all night when we had to share a bed on vacation. So I’m sorry in advance if I hurt you.”
“Th-that’s all right.” Tark couldn’t help smiling at the idea that the curvy little Elite could hurt him. “I th-think I’ll b-be okay.”
He settled down beside her, careful not to touch her, though he could smell her warm, feminine scent which made him ache to take her in his arms. Still, he knew he couldn’t overstep the invisible boundaries between them. Unless Chloe came to him or asked him to come to her, he was going to stay on his side of the bed pit.
But Gods, how he wished she would come to him. He wanted to hold her close, to kiss her and feel her soft, lush body pressed against his own.
So thinking, he drifted off to sleep with Chloe beside him, and dreamed of holding her in his arms.
Chapter Thirteen
Chloe was having a wonderful dream. Someone she loved was holding her in his arms. She was pressed right against his side—flank to flank—with her cheek pillowed on the flat planes of his chest and one leg thrown possessively over his much longer ones. In the dream, they had been together for a long time and she felt perfectly comfortable with him, even though she seemed to be mostly naked. He loved her curves and accepted her for who she was—just as she accepted and loved him.
“Mmmm,” she hummed happily, rubbing her cheek against his warm skin. The air was chilly but down here, under the furs sleeping naked with her man, she was deliciously toasty. Plus, he smelled amazing.
Chloe had had boyfriends in college and grad school that really needed a morning shower, but not her new man—he seemed to smell even better after a night’s sleep. It was as though his deliciously enticing scent had had time to intensify, making her want him even more.
Wonder if he wants me too? Chloe thought sleepily. Without stopping to consider the consequences of her actions, she let her hand drift down her lover’s sculpted abdominals until she found his shaft.
He seemed to be wearing some kind of pajama bottoms but they conveniently melted away when she touched them, leaving the way clear for her to stroke the hard ridge of flesh between his legs.
Wow, he’s really big, Chloe thought, feeling a little more awake. She couldn’t quite encircle his girth with her fingers, though she tried. When she stroked him from root to tip, he gave a low groan.
“Chloe?” asked a deep, sleepy voice. “W-whu-what are you d-doing?”
Hmm, that’s a bad stutter, she thought, still hazy with sleep herself. Ought to give him some therapy…
Wait a minu
te…stutter? Therapy?
Tark!
Suddenly the big Kindred and everything they had been through together leaped back to her mind and she was wide awake. She remembered everything she had done—the unprofessional way she’d acted during their one therapy session, watching him while he jerked off, and then touching herself too, kissing him and grinding against him…
And now you’re practically jerking him off! shouted a panicked little voice in the back of her brain. What are you doing, Chloe?
“Chloe? W-what are y-you doing?” Tark’s deep voice asked again, echoing her question.
“Oh my God!” she gasped. Dropping his shaft like it was a red-hot poker, she sat straight up in the bed pit.
“Chloe?” Tark was looking up at her with a frown on his chiseled features. His robe-trousers had reformed now that she was no longer touching him but they were a deep red color and there was a definite tent in the crotch where his massive shaft was still rock-hard. “Wh-what was that all a-about?” he demanded.
“I…I’m so sorry!” Chloe babbled, feeling like a fool. “I…I was having a dream. I thought you were…were…”
He frowned. “You th-thought I was s-s-someone else?”
Guiltily, she nodded.
“But I th-thought you said you h-h-had no other male in y-your life.”
“I don’t,” Chloe said quickly. “I guess I wasn’t so much dreaming you were someone else as I was dreaming we were, uh, together. You know—like together together?”
He nodded slowly. “I see. I h-had that same d-dream.” His golden eyes were filled with some emotion Chloe couldn’t understand.
“I’m really, really sorry,” she said again lamely. “I know it’s completely inexcusable.”
“Well, you d-did say you might k-k-kick me in your sleep,” he remarked.
“Yes, but I didn’t say anything about groping you.” She could feel how hot her cheeks were getting. “God, I just keep on putting my foot in it! You must think I’m awful.”
“Of c-course not.” He sat up beside her and took her hands in his much larger ones. “I th-think you’re beautiful,” he murmured.