A cursed warrior crosses paths with a woman

unlucky in love in this sizzling, significantly

updated classic from New York Times bestselling
author Gena Showalter, originally published as The
Stone Prince in 2004.
A statuesque beauty unlucky in love…

With five older brothers, Katie James grew up a tomboy. Now, the six-foot-
tall home renovator has never made it past a first date. When she begins
restoration on an old Victorian, she never dreamed the gorgeous marble
statue in the garden would come to life with a kiss. But, suddenly, a very
real, very naked warrior is standing before her, demanding she surrender her
heart.

A cursed alien prince with everything to lose…

Jorlan en Sarr hails from the distant planet Imperia. Thanks to his brother’s
curse, he’s been entombed in stone for centuries, awaiting a fair maiden to
set him free. Yet the goddess-like female with a will of iron and kisses like
flame is nothing like the subservient damsels of his homeland. And though
Katie affects him as no other, Jorlan must guard his heart while winning
hers—all in two weeks! If he fails, he’ll be turned back to stone… forever.

Originally published in 2004

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Prince of Stone

Gena Showalter

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Dear Reader,

As I write this, I’m in total shock. I mean, I’m seriously reeling! I just
looked at the original publication date of PRINCE OF STONE, my very
first published book (formerly titled THE STONE PRINCE). Guys. It came
out in 2004. That is SIXTEEN FREAKING YEARS AGO.

Let’s face it. If the book were my real-life child rather than my page baby,
it’d be driving my car, stealing cash from my purse, and telling me I’m the
worst mom in the history of ever.

In the years since my first release—did I mention this happened 16 years

ago???—I’ve published around 70 books. Uh-oh. I’m reeling again. The
girl rightfully voted “Worst Employee Ever” at her own mother’s business
wrote SEVENTY books? I think I just fell in love with myself.

Over the years, I’ve learned a ton about the craft of writing (though “lay”
and “lie” still get me). I couldn’t wait to dive back into this book, update the
pop culture references, add to the scenes and the world-building, nix
extraneous text, and do the occasional, uh, tweak (i.e. rewrite a ton of stuff).
I hope you enjoy the end result!

For all of you who have been on this journey with me since the beginning—
thank you! For all of you who have read and loved any of my books over
the years—thank you! For all of you trying my books out for the first time
—thank you! I am blessed beyond measure. I appreciate you, and all you do
to help spread the word about my books.

Wishing you the very best,

Gena Showalter

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 CONTENTS

Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Epilogue

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 CHAPTER ONE

KATIE JAMES COASTED her fingertips across the muscular chest before her.
Mmm. Cool to the touch and wonderfully rigid. Warmth tingled in her
veins, more intoxicating than a moonlit kiss. Not that she’d ever
experienced a moonlit kiss, but she’d seen one in a movie, so, same thing.
Right? Right. Anyway. Images of silk sheets, entwined bodies and slow
caresses filled her mind, a wispy catch of breath parting her lips.
How could this man affect her so powerfully? How could he affect her
at all when he’d never spoken a word to her? Or anyone!
Because he was beauty personified? How shallow of her. In the game of
life, physical beauty was a momentary blip, there and gone; it meant
nothing.
To maintain a romantic relationship, a couple, any couple needed
something beyond a stunning outward appearance. But…
Even knowing the absolute foolishness of this forbidden attraction, she
couldn’t think past this guy’s incredible physique.
Her wild side whisper, So why not embrace it?
Katie moved her gaze over him slooowly. He was tall and cut with
muscle, his shoulders broad and his abdomen ridged in sinew. A thick mane
of hair framed the face of a warrior-angel.
Though he stood outside, surrounded by a brilliant bouquet of pink and
blue azaleas, he was the absolute essence of masculinity, and she could not
get enough. Gimme!
He belonged in a gladiator arena, with an arsenal of weapons at his
disposal. Or a bed with an arsenal of toys.
With a dreamy sigh, she rested her cheek against his shoulder. She could
almost imagine his breath fanning her crown. “If only you were real…”
 But he wasn’t real. He was formed entirely of smooth, gray stone. A
beautiful statue, nothing more. And what an irony of fate. The first man to
captivate her belonged in a museum, not her life.
Straightening reluctantly, she traced his bottom lip with the pad of her
thumb. His eyes of stone seemed to project a message: Kiss me.
Yes, yes. No!
Gah! Maybe she had a previously unrealized statue fetish? Why was she
surprised by her infatuation with a beautiful, silent, unreal man, anyway?
Having grown up with five older brothers, she knew just how annoying real
men could be. Forget how they drank out of communal cartons, burped and
scratched their junk, their derogatory jokes and irritating bro code. How
many men enjoyed charming the pants off an unsuspecting conquest, then
lost interest and moved on?
Too many! It didn’t help that the few men who’d asked Katie out on a
date had quickly proven to be uninterested in getting to know her outside of
her likes and dislikes in the bedroom. Of course, they’d stopped caring
about bedding her as soon as they’d gotten a taste of her abrasive
personality, all spice without sugar, and her “no sex until we’re in love”
policy.
So. Yeah. She’d never actually been in love, which meant she’d never
actually had sex. And she hadn’t been—wasn’t—keen on waiting, either.
She just wanted to know the guy she chose would be willing to stick
around.
The current tally? Zero. She liked to imagine she was a comic book
superheroine, with anti-dating superpowers. It’s not a bird. It’s not a plane.
It’s Cock Block Katie, able to deflate a man’s erection in ten seconds flat!
A wave of depression crashed over Katie. “Why can’t you be real?” she
asked the statue. Unlike her dates, he wouldn’t ditch her, hoping to find
someone better. He couldn’t. He was permanently mounted to a marble base
in her garden. “I’d date you so hard.”
Kiss him. Kiss him now.
The thought whispered through her mind, as tempting as a pot of gold.
Fighting a primitive urge to surrender to temptation, just one time, she
expelled another sigh. Maybe, for a little while, she could pretend she’d
found someone of quality, who made her feel cherished.
I want to feel cherished.
Kiss him.
 “Well. Someone has a one-track mind, and it’s me,” she muttered.
The chilly Dallas breeze failed to cool her ardor, and with each passing
second the stone warrior’s unwavering stare unraveled more of her
resistance. Why not kiss him?
What would it hurt?
Would she look like a (bigger) fool and a weird pervert? Only if
someone lurked nearby and watched. In this spot, she was hidden by walls
of foliage.
Katie caressed his jawbone, marveling. The artist deserved an award.
His jaw had a rough exterior, like sandpaper, to mimic morning beard
stubble.
Next, she traced the outline of his ears, his neck…shoulders…chest and
even his small, puckered nipples. Fiery heat rippled across her nerve
endings and—nope, no way. He had not uttered a soft moan. Her grade A
imagination was running wild, that was all.
Deep breath in, out. Good, that was good. She—
Gravel crunched in the distance, jolting her from her thoughts. Someone
had just driven up her driveway.
Katie scrambled off the dais and darted past the foliage just in time to
watch a black sedan park in front of her dilapidated Victorian-style
mansion. Her eldest brother’s sedan.
Though her cheeks burned with mortification, she marched across the
“pleasure garden.” Naked sculptures littered the entire enclosure, similar to
the warrior she wasn’t going to think about ever again.
As her brother emerged from the car, the cool breeze died down, the sun
glaring with more vigor. Those bright golden rays loved him, turning his
pale hair platinum, making his blue eyes sparkle and his tanned skin glisten.
She called, “Dam—darn it, Gray. What are you doing here?” Ugh.
Gross. Had she really just gone fully granny and used the word darn? What
was next? Drats?
“Still working on our cussing, I see.” Grinning, not the least put out by
her brusque tone, he kicked the car door shut. Guess he’d gotten used to the
tone over the years. “Well, bad news, Kit Kat. You owe me thirteen cents.”
“I do not!” Because of a chronic potty mouth Katie gave a quarter to
anyone who caught her saying a curse word. If alone, she put the quarter in
a jar. “I stopped myself from finishing the curse.”
“You did, yes. After you’d uttered the first half of the word.”
 “Fine!” Every morning she rounded up four quarters, just to be safe.
Now she dug one from her pocket to lob at him. “Keep the change. Happy
now? Why are you here, anyway? You never said.”
He laughed. “I’m here to tour your newest acquisition. And earn a little
extra cash.”
“Ha-ha.” He’d come here to check on her, as usual. All five of her
brothers considered her a delicate flower in need of twenty-four-hour,
seven-days-a-week protection. So what that she was six feet tall and in top
physical condition. So what that she’d attended numerous self-defense
classes. So she’d taken self-defense classes and ran her own business. So
what. “What’s the real reason you’re here? I already know the answer, but
I’d like to hear you say it. Be honest.”
“You know I’m always honest…when it suits me. Unfortunately for
you, there’s only one truth I’m willing to admit at the moment. Your house
is a massive dump.”
“You’re a massive dump,” she retorted. For the past four years, she’d
kicked butt flipping houses. A job she adored. She had an instinct for real
estate, and she always made a profit.
Again, Gray laughed. “You caught me. There’s another reason I’m here.
Steven Harris is a new detective in my unit, and everyone likes him. He—”
She groaned. Her brother meant well, he did, but she wasn’t going out
with any more of his friends. It never worked out, and always ruined his
relationship with the guy. “Not this again.”
“He saw your picture on my desk and asked if you were single,” Gray
continued despite her protest.
“The last cop I dated spent the entire night discussing the way a bullet
once pierced his chest cavity in minute detail. I’d rather be staked to an
anthill while wearing a bologna bikini than endure such an experience
again.”
Her brother remained undeterred. “Are you seeing someone?”
“You know I’m not. You also know I suffer from a severe case of First
Date Syndrome.” No one had ever asked her out on a second one. The
reasons varied. She was too tall, too brash, too prudish, too paranoid, too
pushy—too everything.
Katie did nothing halfway.
“You’ve told me you want a guy who is trustworthy, loyal and kind,
who won’t abuse kids, animals, the sick or the elderly. Or anyone!” Gray
said, spreading his arms. “That’s what I’m giving you.”
“Pass!” The fact that she had to add not abusive to a list of desired
qualities in a mate was a sad commentary on the state of humanity.
“Are you holding out for perfection?” he asked.
“Please. My brothers taught me perfection is a myth.”
“Smart-ass.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “So, do I get the
official tour or not?”
“You do…as soon as you pay for your ticket.” After blowing him a kiss
with her middle finger.
“Do I get the usual friends and family discount?”
“You mean beer and pizza? Yes.”
Grinning again, he opened the passenger door of his car to reveal a box
of pizza and a six-pack of beer.
Excitement bubbled up. She waved him over. “Come on. Since we’re
outside, I’ll show you the garden first.” My pride and joy.
They walked over while playfully arguing about whose morning had
been worse. When they reached the first row of statues, three males and
three females in different stages of self-gratification, Katie splayed her arms
wide.
“Welcome to my playground.”
“Those statues are—” His eyes widened with a little shock and a lot of
awe. “They’re getting off.”
“I know,” she replied, trying not to snicker.
Her favorite statue was just around the lush green thicket, unobservable
from where they stood. He was the only one not positioned in a sexual pose.
No doubt he was chosen because of his hard-on.
What he offered a woman could not be covered by a fig leaf.
Why am I thinking about him? Stop!
“I take back my comment. This house is anything but a dump,” Gray
said, approaching a female sculpture. He ran a hand along the curve of her
spine. “I’d like to put in an offer to buy. A hundred million invisible
dollars.”
Katie’s chuckle floated across the daylight, a herald for her brother’s
cell phone.
He checked the screen. In a heartbeat of time, his shoulders tensed and
his facial features hardened. Her teasing older brother morphed into a
seasoned detective. He was distanced and in control.
 Tone sardonic and hinting at terrible secrets, he said, “I’ve got to go. I’ll
visit later this week, and you can give me the grand tour then.”
They power-walked to his car, where he handed her the pizza and
balanced the beer on top of the box. She barely had time to say thanks
before he placed a swift kiss on her cheek, climbed behind the wheel and
sped off.
“Alone again,” Katie muttered.
The scent of bread, cheese and tomato made her mouth water. Rather
than return to the garden to eat close to her stone warrior, she strolled into
the house. Thick cobwebs stretched from one corner to another. Dirt stained
every wall, along with chipped paint and peeling wallpaper.
As she moved into the kitchen, her shoes crunched on the broken
remains of a once-magnificent chandelier. So much to repair and replace.
The sheer enormity of the job threatened to overwhelm her.
One task at a time. Earlier, she’d finished tiling the bathroom walls,
leaving only one chore on today’s to-do list—stripping the kitchen floor.
First she had to remove the carpet. Yes, someone had put carpet in the
kitchen, on top of linoleum, which might cover hardwood.
After two slices of pizza and just as many beers, Katie jabbed a button
on her iPod dock. The soundtrack to a Jill Shalvis rom-com filled the room.
Two hours ticked by, an ache in her back intensifying. By the halfway
mark, she hated her body and the world.
She hobbled to the crate she used as a table, situated in front of a large
bay window, and dug inside her purse. Where was the Tylenol…there! She
shook two pills in her hand. From this spot, she had a perfect view of the
pleasure garden. For a moment, she couldn’t shake the feeling that someone
watched her.
Creeped out, she got back to work. But she had trouble concentrating
and had to stop, again, before she cut off a finger. She packed up her gear
and drove home.
One day passed. Two. Three. Every morning she returned to the
Victorian to work, but she kept her distance from the garden. Even though
the need to see her warrior continued to strengthen.
On day four, her resistance broke.
Once she’d completed her daily tasks, she ambled into the moonlit
garden. Crickets sang and fireflies flickered, a chilly April breeze dancing
strands of pale hair in front of her face.
 Should have worn a sweater. You never knew what kind of weather
you’d get in Texas, the state with ten seasons. Winter, Fool’s Spring, Spring,
Second Winter, First Summer, Seven Levels of Hell Summer, Premature
Fall, Summer Redo, Fall and Summer’s Vengeance.
The sucky thing? You could experience all ten seasons in a single day.
The closer she came to the stone warrior, the faster her heart raced and
the more her blood overheated. Up ahead, paper lanterns twinkled, their
interior bulbs giving the illusion of actual flames. Crickets chirped a lazy
tune. Colorful flowers bloomed in every corner, saturating the air with a
sweet, floral fragrance.
When she faced the object of her torment, she drew in a relieved breath.
At last.
He towered over her, making Katie feel wonderfully small in
comparison. A sensation she’d craved for years, ever since her eighth-grade
crush called her Stilts.
He was so blatantly masculine, every little aspect of his form expertly
detailed. His eyes seemed heavy lidded and sleepy, as if they forever
beckoned a woman to bed. His mouthwatering lips were parted, as if
forever begging for a kiss. There was a slight tracery of veins beneath the
surface of his “skin.”
If he were real…
Would he have dark or light hair? What color were his eyes? Would he
tell the truth, or lie? Was he kind? Did he have a temper? Did he love ’em
and leave ’em or did he have staying power?
“You have invaded every aspect of my life,” she told him. “My dreams.
My work. And yeah, okay, I thought there’d be more than two things in a
list about my life, but apparently not. I’m a workaholic. Anyway. How can I
want to spend so much time with a freaking statue?”
Oh, look at that. She’d just used the word freaking without having to
correct herself. Gold star for me!
Kiss him.
Gah! Not this again. But…the desire plagued her. Should she just kiss
him and get it over with? Maybe the desire would ebb, then.
“Nope. Doesn’t matter. I can’t do it,” she said, even as she traced the
cold, hard ridges of his abdomen.
A masculine moan seemed to reverberate in her ears, just as before. This
time, she didn’t jump away.
 Kiss me, Katie.
Statues were not real, and they couldn’t project messages with their
eyes. Yet, the urge to obey besieged her.
“No,” she said, shaking her head. “No, no, no.”
But her resistance was already beginning to crumble. With the garden in
the backyard, twilight and foliage offered a shadowy protection. No one
would ever know what transpired here.
When she dropped her gaze to his deliciously plump lips, the remaining
resistance took a bullet to the heart. She would do it. She would give him a
kiss. But only one! It would be short and sweet. A G-rated peck. There
would be absolutely nothing sexual about it. Seriously, on a sizzle scale,
he’d only get one star from her.
Who are you trying to convince?
Fine! “I’m going to end up with a stone statue groom and pebble
children, aren’t I?” she muttered.
Katie cradled his cheeks with her hands and leaned closer…closer still.
Contact, her lips meeting his. An electrical current lanced her. Her eyes slid
shut of their own volition, ribbons of heat wrapping around her.
Her every thought tapered off except one: This is what a kiss should be
like.
She glided her hands into his thick, silky hair, then sank her nails into
his scalp, holding him captive. His lips were so much softer than she
imagined. Warmer, too. Almost lifelike. Okay, definitely lifelike.
Heaving a breath and detecting a hint of sandalwood, she broke the kiss
to rest her head upon his shoulder. A clean, male scent wafted to her nose as
she imagined his arms banding around her. He would run his hands down
the ridges of her spine, cup her butt and ease her closer. Imagined she could
feel his breath fanning against her nape, every beat of his heart racing in
time to hers.
“I truly am insane,” she whispered. “If you were real, I’d gobble you up
in one tasty bite.”
Wait. She’d combed her fingers through his silky hair? What’s more, his
arms had banded around her.
“I assure you I’m very real,” a deep voice proclaimed, “and I look
forward to your devouring. You have my permission to proceed.”

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 CHAPTER TWO

THE MAN’S VOICE was pure unadulterated sin. All smoke, gravel and sex.
Plus, he had a panty-melting accent. Another gold star from me!
Shocked and confused by the turn of events, she snapped to attention,
staring up at a flesh-and-blood man with dark hair and blue eyes that
glowed with wicked promise. The most beautiful eyes she’d ever seen. But,
but…
Where was the freaking stone?
Expression bewildered, he stretched his arms overhead, then rolled his
neck, leaned left and right, and shook out each of his legs.
Rapture replaced the bewilderment, a slow smile lifting the corners of
his lips, revealing straight white teeth.
Just like that, liquid heat pooled between her legs. He moved with grace
and innate sensuality; she could watch him forever and never get bored.
Except he wasn’t real. He couldn’t be real. Dizzy, she closed her eyelids
and counted to ten, expecting him to be back to normal by the time she
refocused.
Please, Lord, let him go back to normal.
Four. Three. Two. She cracked open her eyelids an-n-nd her shoulders
sagged. The warrior’s image remained the same: human. And hard.
Her heart thudded against her ribs, panic razing her calm. How could a
stone man become a flesh-and-blood one, with bronzed, kissable skin? How
could he hold her in his embrace? Or move? How could she feel the heat of
his body seeping through her clothes?
“You’re…you’re…” As mystified as she was, she struggled to form a
coherent sentence. “Wait. Maybe you aren’t.”
“I have no idea what you are saying, katya.”
Katya? Tentative, she poked at his shoulder.
 Contact. Heat. He was real. He wasn’t a figment of an overactive
imagination. And he was still hard. Not that she was looking down. Well,
not anymore.
There had to be some kind of explanation for this. A thousand questions
whirled inside her head, all complex. What she ended up asking? “H-how? I
bought this property several weeks ago, and I’ve walked through this
garden almost every single day since. You’ve been right here, hard and cold
and stone. You’re a statue,” she babbled. “I know you’re a statue.”
“Nay, katya. I was a statue.” His eyes widened with awe and disbelief,
reminding her of a little kid who’d just discovered Santa had visited. “Now
I am free!”
“Free?” Her confusion amped up. But so did her attraction. He was a
total snack. “Free from what?”
Ignoring her newest question, he closed his eyes and muttered
something in a language she’d never before heard, his tone urgent. Then he
refocused and scanned the area. Fierce disappointment eradicated his smile.
What the frick is going on? “Explain how this is possible,” she said, a
pleading quality in her voice. “How were you stone seconds ago, yet a man
now? Were you pretending to be a statue to punk me? Maybe you’re a
hallucination and my mind is tricking me into thinking you’re tangible. That
makes sense, right?”
“Nay.” His features softened as he reached out to touch her cheekbone.
“You are beyond lovely.”
“Really?” He was the first guy to ever say so.
He says one nice thing and you forget the situation?
Her wits finally sparked to life, shouting, Danger, danger! She didn’t
know this very real, very muscle-y man, and she certainly didn’t know what
he planned to do with her.
Icy fingers of fear crept down her spine. Ready to dart to her truck and
speed away, she stepped back and spun. A huge mistake. She’d forgotten
she stood upon a dais, several feet above the grassy foundation. Now she
hurtled toward the ground.
The man could have caught her, but he didn’t even try. He was too busy
stretching. All she could do was twist midair so she landed on her butt
rather than her face. The ensuing thwack hurt, impact knocking the air from
her lungs and whisking locks of hair over her eyes.
 Once she regained her breath, she jumped to her feet. But she didn’t run
as she’d first intended. Be it shock or fascination, she remained firmly
rooted in place, staring up at him.
He stepped off the dais and landed on his feet, his erection bobbing. Not
that she was looking down. Gaze heating, he perused her curves.
Katie gulped. He was so tall, taller than anyone she’d ever met, and she
had to look up, up, up to meet his stare. His shoulders were so broad and his
muscle mass so stacked, she felt breathtakingly feminine and surprisingly
vulnerable for the first time in her life. A total dream come true, and dam—
dang it! The longer she peered at him, the faster her common sense
evaporated.
“I…you…” Come on! Open mouth, speak words.
He took a step toward her.
No, no. Retreat! “Stay where you are,” she commanded as she inched
away.
He raised his chin. “I mean only to ascertain that you are unharmed.
Women are weak, delicate creatures, and you collided quite forcefully with
the ground.”
Wait, wait, wait. Did he say “weak” and “delicate” and reference her?
She narrowed her eyes, a lightbulb going off inside her mind. Her brothers
must have paid this man to paint his skin and linger nearby, then position
himself on the dais anytime she neared.
That was a ridiculous amount of effort for a prank, but no one except
her family spouted that “women are weak” nonsense.
How the guy had gone from silver to bronze in a split second, she didn’t
know. “Gray, Nick, Erik, Denver.” No need to shout for Brian, the fifth
brother, who lived elsewhere. “Come out, come out, wherever you are,” she
called, spinning to make sure her voice carried in every direction. “I know
you’re here. Don’t be afraid. I’ll only kill you twice.”
Mr. Stone crouched down in an attack position and scrutinized the
garden. His muscles bulged with tension. “Your enemies lurk nearby?”
“Not enemies. Idiots.” Katie shouted for her brothers again. “The joke is
getting old. Come out. I know this is an actor.” She rammed an index finger
into his hard chest.
“I am not called Anactor.”
A small kernel of unease infiltrated her mind, like a pebble in her shoe
or a thorn in her paw. “I mean it,” she yelled, sharper than before, “come
out or I’ll give this guy the Kick of Death you taught me.”
“So there is no danger to you?” the man asked.
Only to my sanity. “No danger.” And no brothers, apparently.
He relaxed his stance.
“What’s your name?” she asked.
“I am Jorlan, and you are Katie.”
Jorlan. Had he…was it possible…could his transformation have
happened maybe possibly…supernaturally?
She’d never been a big believer in vampires, werewolves, aliens or
zombies but…maybe.
No, no, no. What are you doing? Looking for the spectacular rather than
the probable got people into trouble. This guy, he was just a man. A man
who had a lot of explaining to do. Namely, was he a psycho killer or a
practical jokester sent by her brothers?
She chewed on her bottom lip. With her luck, she’d gotten the psycho
killer. “Maybe I should go,” she said, trying for breezy but getting stormy.
When she inched backward once again, he didn’t act as if he cared one
way or another. Would a psycho killer really let her go without a fight? She
halted.
Curiosity battled pragmatism as she observed the man who’d appeared
from nowhere, taking in every detail, searching for answers. He was just
so…big. One flick of his wrist could snap her neck like a twig. Yet, he’d
touched her so gently, belying any menacing intentions.
Hello, walking contradiction.
She must have blinked or lost focus, because she didn’t notice any
movement, yet suddenly he was just in front of her, looking at her, into her.
He traced a fingertip along the bridge of her nose, saying, “I thank you
for breaking the curse. But now we must find a sorcerer. Come.” He said no
more, just slipped around her and strode off, expecting her to follow.
Heartbeat, heartbeat, heartbeat. She watched him, mesmerized by his,
well, butt. What? It was the truth. He had hot buttered buns, baby, and she
wanted a bite.
Wait. Curse? Sorcerer? “Where are you going to find a sorcerer?” The
man had materialized in her garden, wearing nothing but a smile, and he
thought he could spew nonsense and leave without offering an explanation?
Oh, that ticked her off, eradicating any lingering fears. Was he big
enough to hurt her? Yes, no question. Was she mad enough to inflict some
major damage of her own? Try me.
“I demand you tell me why you’re here and how you transformed from
stone to man,” she called.
In a graceful motion at odds with his size, he spun to face her. A wistful
glint appeared in his eyes, yet his body radiated potent fury. He is the
human equivalent of a fire that blazes across a night sky, somehow both hot
and cold at the same time.
Instinct shouted: Run.
Her temper bellowed: Bring it on!
Like a vengeful hunter inspecting cornered prey, he walked around her
and snapped, “A woman like you has no right to issue such a demand to a
warrior like me.”
Excuse me? “This woman has every right to do whatever the hell she
pleases. I own this land, which means I own you!” Wait. That sounded bad.
“I mean, I own you when you’re a stone statue.
“Obviously, your brain is still a hunk of stone, so I won’t waste my time
explaining all the reasons why you are a misogynistic douchebag.” She
closed the distance and latched on to his arm to keep him rooted there.
“Sorcerer hunting or not, you can’t go around naked.”
He arched a brow, an insolent salute, and glared at the hand on his bicep
before meeting her gaze. “You know not your place, female.”
“My place? My place!” His words had expressed displeasure, while his
voice had been husky, rich and carnal, his eyes heavy lidded and erotically
inviting. Which made her think he’d just suggested her “place” was his bed.
“I do what I want, take what I want, say what I want and stay where I
want,” she snapped.
“And what do you want to take next, then?”
Gah! He’d used the carnal tone again, causing her nerve endings to
spark to new life. If she gave him the slightest encouragement, he would
strip her down and ravish her, wouldn’t he?
Ravish. What an underappreciated word. And action. “I want to take…
this opportunity to tell you I’m not interested in you romantically.”
Far from offended, he offered her a patronizing smile. “I am confident
you fell in love with me at first sight. Why else would you walk these
gardens multiple times a day for several weeks, staring at me? Why else
would you kiss me?”
Heat blistered her cheeks. “I’m not in love with you.”
 “Maybe, maybe not—yet—but you still wish to sleep with me.”
“I will not be sleeping with you.” Maybe. Probably. “I’ll only sleep with
the man I love. Like I said, you don’t qualify.”
He frowned. “I don’t qualify—yet. But, my philosophy differs from
yours. I do not think I can fall in love with a woman unless I sleep with
her.”
“That is…that…argh!”
“My freedom is only temporary. To forever break my curse, I must win
your heart. Something I know I can do—in bed.”
Was she alarmed or excited by the thought of his seduction?
Whatever the emotion, she’d already lost all claims to sanity. Any other
woman would have run screaming for help already.
“In the meantime,” he continued, as if he hadn’t rocked her world, “I
must find a sorcerer who wields magic powerful enough to open a vortex.”
That was his second mention of a sorcerer. And what did he mean,
magic and a vortex? “Are you on drugs or something?”
“Nay, I am on grass.” He crossed his arms over his chest, a stubborn
stance that told her he was used to receiving instant compliance.
“Grass, like marijuana?” she asked.
He motioned to the ground. “Like grass.”
Okay, clearly they had some kind of communication barrier. “Let’s
backtrack a little. I know of no, uh, sorcerers. As for the bedding, I give you
permission to find another partner. Have fun. Bye.” She waved him off.
An invisible mask seemed to evaporate, revealing immense pain and
fury, but also desolation. With one glimpse, he tied her stomach into a
thousand knots.
“We do have psychics,” she rushed out, willing to say anything to wipe
away that desolation. Too bad all psychics were fake.
His brow knitted together. “Psychics?”
Was he purposely acting perplexed or did he truly not know? “Psychics
claim they can predict the future, but they can’t. Not really. No one can.”
He paused as he considered her words. “Magic is real. As I seek
someone who wields it, aye, your psychic will do nicely.” Despite his now
amiable tone, cold determination tightened the line of his jaw. “As for the
bedding,” he added, mocking her. “It will be spectacular.”
Mmm. Agreed.
Argh! She might as well send him an STD for the big event.
 Crap! STD. She’d meant “save the date,” not “sexually transmitted
disease.” “Let’s drop this subject,” she grated. “I’m not having sex with
you, and that’s that.”
His blue, blue eyes iced over—the only warning she received before he
advanced. His long stride forced her to walk backward, until she bumped
into a statue. She expected a surge of fear but…she experienced a storm of
lust.
Unacceptable! She didn’t know this man. Not the big things, and
certainly not the little things. Like, did he prefer tea or coffee? Fact: tea
drinkers thought they were better than coffeenians like Katie. Did he only
make decisions based on his astrological sign? Annoying! It removed any
kind of personal blame for a person’s decisions. Did he get tired of women
as soon as he slept with them? Probably. Because he had a penis, the
world’s permission stick for bad behavior. Yet…
Her lust refused to fade, her long-ignored body hungry for pleasure. Her
nipples puckered, and her core ached. Next thing she knew, she was arching
her back to push her hips forward and grind against his erection.
Shivers plagued her, as if she’d been horny for eighty-four years, and
she sucked in a breath. At the moment, sleeping with him didn’t seem like
such a bad idea.
“Tell me you do not want me, katya, and mean it. Do it without gyrating
on my rod. Only then will I believe you.”
The low timbre of his voice held the steely edge of a sword, and even
that was an aphrodisiac.
Crappity, crap, crap. The man oozed power and authority, challenge and
charisma, and she was one hundred percent into it.
No, no. Fight his appeal! Breathless she said, “About the psychic.” She
flattened her palms on his chest and pushed, but he didn’t budge. In fact, his
irises seemed to harden back into stone. “All business establishments are
closed until tomorrow morning.”
Hold up. Had she truly thought the word back? So she believed he’d
been stone, and what? He’d changed into a man, à la the movie Mannequin?
Nope. No way.
“When the sun rises, you will take me to see a sorcerer. Promise me.”
His lips parted as he awaited her response, giving a hint of the pearly whites
beneath. “Now, let’s backtrack again.”
 “Mention sex one more time,” she said, “and I won’t take you to see a
psychic. Why can’t you take yourself, anyway?”
He ground his teeth, anger seething just below the surface of his skin.
“You know this world. I do not.”
Wow. She hadn’t expected the threat to work. Now that it had… “I’m
going to ask some questions, and you’re going to answer me or…” She let
him fill in the blank.
Which he did. Accurately. His expression darkened, and he barked,
“Ask.”
Where to begin? “How did you make the stone disappear in a snap of
time?” She snapped her fingers for emphasis.
As she waited for a response, the fine lines around his mouth pulled
taut. Would she hear phrases like “new next-door neighbor,” “trap door”
and “silver paint”?
One minute bled into another, silence reigning.
Her sense of unease intensified. When she could stand it no longer, she
blurted out, “Make the impossible make sense. And don’t tell me magic is
responsible.” Nerves more frazzled by the second, she peeked at him
through the thick shield of her lashes. “Be honest.”
His eyes glittered with hints of silver as he snaked her arms around her
waist. “Magic is responsible, and I would be lying if I said otherwise.”
Her body reacted of its own volition, heedless of her will, melting into
him. Her mind followed suit, crafting images of naughty kisses, roaming
hands and wet panties. New shivers racked her.
Okay, she needed to escape this man soon…ish and think, think, think
before she did something crazy. Like throw herself at him and demand he
“put her in her place.”
When she moved to extract herself from his embrace, however, he
tightened his hold.
Annoyed, she commanded, “Let me go.”
An-n-nd he tightened his hold again. “I am not finished proving my
point. Little girls like you should not play with big warriors like me.”
Little? Little! That had to be the absolute sweetest thing anyone had
ever said to her.
Do not soften. Must stay mad. “I’m warning you, Muscles. Let me go
before I show you the skills of Mr. Lee’s best student.” Well, second best.
Fine! If you factored in other students, she’d been last best.
 “I know not this Mr. Lee, but I am certain that he and his students are no
match for me.” With a single yank, Jorlan fit Katie more snugly against
him. Hardness to softness. Cool cotton to heated flesh.
Far from cowed or charmed, she let her anger jack straight into fury.
Eyes narrowed, she bit out, “We’ll see about that, won’t we?”
Katie prepared to knee him in the groin.
Then he squeezed her butt, kicked her ankles apart and fit one of his
legs between hers. “Allow me to demonstrate my skills of persuasion,” he
all but purred.
The beautiful jerk rocked his knee against her core, and those damp
panties she’d imagined became a reality.
Pleasure shot through her. Mmm. Yes, yes! More! Her blood became
molten lava, an inferno setting her ablaze. Still rocking… The bliss!
He palmed one of her breasts, startling her. But also electrifying her.
Her knees weakened, right along with her will to resist.
She prayed he didn’t notice her mounting desire.
A dark brow rose, taunting her. Oh, he’d noticed all right. Rolling her
distended nipple between his fingers, he said, “Have you, mayhap, changed
your mind about the bedding?”
Yes! “No,” she forced out. “Let me go, Jorlan. Now.”
“You wish to be free of me? Very well.” As if he were the last sane man
in the universe, he held his hands up in surrender and stepped back.
Though disappointed by his compliance, she darted out of range while
she had the chance. Disappointed? Seriously? “Touch me again, and you’ll
be sorry,” she said, her teeth gritted.
Was she more angry with him…or herself?
A husky chuckle rumbled from him. “Perhaps I’ll be sorry, but I’ll be
the only one. You’ll be euphoric. Arousal still burns bright in your eyes,
sweet katya, and your body trembles anytime I near you.”
“How dare you.” Yeah. How dare he speak the truth. “There’s a fine line
between arousal and hatred. Guess which way I’m leaning. And I’m
trembling from cold. Definitely cold.” Despite the midseventies
temperature.
“Is freezing what your world calls a desire to tup nowadays?”
“Tup?” she asked, though she had a sinking suspicion she already knew
the answer.
 First, he unveiled a half grin. Then, a full-fledged one. So gorgeous. He
freaking stole her freaking breath.
Voice like sin, he told her, “To tup is to have sex. Make love. Have
intercourse.”
“Thanks for clarification,” she replied, tone as dry as the desert. Wait.
He’d asked her a question. What, what? Oh, yeah. Freezing. “Go tup
yourself.”
He laughed. “I plan to. Often.” Emboldened, he raked his gaze over her,
making her feel as if he’d removed every stitch of her clothing in the
process. “Wishing I had ignored your command and continued to touch
you, katya?”
Yes. No. Maybe? She scowled. Maybe he was some type of incubus,
who emitted a powerful pheromone able to seduce anyone in seconds. “My
name is Katie, not Katya.”
“You are a katya to me. A—” he paused, as though searching for the
right description “—little witch.”
Her jaw went slack, then closed with a snap. Instead of being pleased
that the endearment didn’t mean “pleasure slave” or “easy lay,” she was
kind of insulted. Witch, as in massive bitch? “Would you like it if I called
you Giant Bastard?” Great! Now she had to remember to drop a quarter in
the swear jar.
“Call me whatever you wish.” His grin returned with an indulgent slant,
his eyes glittering seductively. “But be warned. Utter a sharp sobriquet, and
I will make you kiss the sting away. After all, it is a woman’s duty to
pleasure her man.”
A woman’s duty? “I’m being punked, aren’t I?” If he was serious…
He would learn soon enough. She was a woman, yes, but she was not a
doormat.
“Look,” she told him, “I’d appreciate it if you’d nix the pleasure talk.
I’m a lot of things, but a one-nine-hundred number isn’t one of them.
Unless you’re willing to pay a thousand dollars a second. No? Anyway.
Help me understand what happened to the stone or…” Once again she left a
threat open-ended, allowing his imagination to fill in the blank.
“What is there to understand?” He closed the distance, using a steady,
predatory pace, as if he couldn’t tolerate another moment without human
contact. “You broke the first part of my curse, katya, setting me free. To
break the rest of the curse, you must give me your heart.”
 Her mind tossed out a single thought: Naked man approaching, naked
man approaching! She darted to the left. He followed.
“I warned you not to touch me.” Now she darted to the right. Again, he
followed.
By the time she stopped, a prickly bush pressing against her back, they
were only a whisper apart. His body heat enveloped her.
“Don’t worry,” he said softly. “I’ll wait until you beg me for it.”
Gulping, she gazed up at him. Beg him? Never!
Probably never.
Maybe under certain circumstances.
As she debated inside her head, the scent of sandalwood and raw, male
virility penetrated her awareness. If this continues, I will for sure beg.
“How kind of you,” she mocked. “In return, I’ll extend you the same
courtesy. If I start beating you up, I’ll stop just as soon as you beg me.
M’kay?”
“You beat up me?” He threw back his head and laughed. “Good luck
with—”
She hooked her foot behind his knee. Heart racing, she yanked. As he
collapsed, she twisted and latched on to his arm, then shoved him. When he
hit the ground, he hit hard, all that muscle and brawn weighing him down.
What he didn’t do? Pause to take a breath.
In an instant, he jumped to his feet and fronted on her, menace radiating
from his pores. “Obviously, you have what I have heard your people refer to
as beginner’s luck. If you tried such a move again—”
Hook. Yank. Shove.
Katie grinned down at Jorlan, who lay flat on his back. “You were
saying?”
He stood, everything from his expression to his tone broadcasting his
wish to retaliate somehow. Yet he merely glared and huffed. “Do not strike
at me again. Next time I won’t be surprised. However, I will respond with a
kiss.”
So…he wanted her to do it again? “Just maintain your distance, and we
won’t have a problem.”
Even as his lips thinned with displeasure, he gave a stiff nod. Another
surprise—easy compliance. “How did you learn such a trick?” he asked.
“Hard work.” Inhale, exhale. Her heartbeat began to slow at last. Good,
that was good. Forcing herself to peer somewhere, anywhere, else was
another matter entirely.
Thick scars formed a random pattern across his abdomen, and damn—
dang if they didn’t add to his appeal. A dark whorl of hair surrounded his
navel, and pointed down, leading to his jutting shaft.
Do not look down. Not again.
Oops. She looked down, drooled and prayed he didn’t notice.
He gave her another slow, knowing perusal in return. Oh, yeah. He’d
noticed.
Katie cleared her throat and did her best to ignore the newest burn of
embarrassment in her cheeks. “Tell me more about this supposed curse.”
Bitterness hardened his features, and she felt a twinge of guilt for
mentioning a painful subject.
“That need not concern you,” he said.
Oh, really? “Do you want my help with the psychic or not?” A girl had
to use the cards she had in hand.
He narrowed his eyes. “Percen de Locke is my brother and a powerful
sorcerer. He cursed me, trapping me inside a stone casing. I could hear, see
and feel everything around me, yet I was unable to respond…until a fair
maiden’s kiss set me free. Temporarily.”
Yeah, right. That kind of thing occurred in fairy tales, books, movies
and mythology, not reality. But…
What if he had told the truth?
No, no. Absolutely not. It was make-believe, nothing more, nothing
less. Because, bottom line? Katie Isabella James was no Princess Charming.
She drummed her fingers over her arms and said, “You wouldn’t, by
chance, have powers of your own? You know, to prove your story.”
He did the whole brow arching thing, all, You’re staring at the magic
right now, baby doll. “What of my instantaneous transformation?”
Yeah, what about it? “That could have been faked. I’m gonna need
something more.”
“You’ll think anything I do is faked.” Still, he thought for a moment,
evincing a sense of mounting irritation.
“Can you prove your story or not?” she insisted.
His irritation only sharpened, and maybe acquired a tagalong:
frustration. He heaved a heavy breath. “My statue has moved from one
garden to another for centuries. Though this one is remote, I have
encountered a wide variety of mortals. You are a species that relies on logic,
rejecting anything you cannot rationalize, never understanding your limited
life experiences do not paint a full story.” A pitying light entered his
incredible eyes. “Your people fear magic because they do not understand it
and therefore cannot control it. Where I hail, both great lord and peasants
laud mystical abilities, though only those in the upper classes wield it. So
aye, I wield magic, and I can prove it.”
So much info to unpack. No doubt Jorlan had a position in the “upper
classes,” which explained his air of entitlement.
Was “great lord” another title for a king?
“You are right,” she admitted. “I’m often guilty about reshaping a truth
to fit my narrative, rather than accepting I don’t see all, don’t know all,
don’t comprehend all.”
Her easy agreement put a look of astonishment on his face, and she—
Hold up! Something he’d said chose that moment to reverberate in her
mind. A sense of impending doom slithered down her spine. Ice branched
through her veins, and she frowned. “You, uh, mentioned studying my
world. You meant another state, country or continent, right?”
“Nay. To me, world means celestial body, planet or star.” As he spoke, a
glaze of sadness spread over his irises. He appeared…vulnerable.
Jorlan, vulnerable? Please! So why had her chest constricted with
sympathy?
“For me,” he added, “world means Imperia, my home.”
Imperia. Em-peer-ee-ah. “Never heard of it. Is it Eastern European or
something?” Granted, geography had never been her greatest talent. Nor
had math, science or history. The only subjects she’d aced had been
English, PE and home economics. The only subjects that mattered, yo!
“Mayhap I can show you Imperia.” He held up a hand and closed his
eyes, intense concentration etching his features. As she watched, a small
colorful globe materialized above his palm, spinning slowly. Around it,
three smaller globes formed a half-moon. Every inch was exquisitely
detailed, and each orb somehow appeared solid but also translucent. “Touch
it.”
Tentative, she reached out to trace her fingertips over the largest globe.
It was solid and amazingly warm.
A second later, vivid pictures flashed in her mind, boom, boom, boom,
one after the other as if she were flipping through an album on a cell phone,
and she gasped. She saw crystal castles and a violet skyline, with dragon-
like creatures soaring through pink clouds. Trees towered in every direction,
limbs bowed by bejeweled fruit. Blankets of white grass billowed in a
gentle, dew-kissed breeze.
His expression tightened, making her suspect he was using every ounce
of his strength to create the globes. First, they wavered, then they vanished
altogether, and he dropped his arm to his side.
Duuuude. He’d told the truth. Imperia wasn’t a country but a planet, and
magic legit existed. No mortal could conjure such a wondrous, tangible
apparition.
“You have magic powers, and you’re an alien.” She blinked, then
blinked again, now seeing images of spaceships and bedlam in her head.
“You’re an alien, and you have magic powers. Alien, magic. Magic, alien.”
She thought, hoped, if she said it a thousand times, her shock would finally
fade, but…nope. “You don’t look like a creature from another planet.”
“Just what does a creature from another planet look like, then?”
“Green skin. Large black eyes that look at you as if you should be flat
on a table, naked and spread-eagle for a probe. A long, slimy body, with
extra-long, lanky limbs.”
“I have encountered only one race who looks as you describe.” He
shrugged. “They travel from world to world, on the hunt for knowledge and
enlightenment.”
And butts to probe. What? Truth was truth. “Speaking of traveling to
different worlds. How did you get here?” Katie mentally patted herself on
the back. Here she was, conversing with an alien instead of curling into a
fetal ball, and drinking white wine from a baby bottle.
He flicked his tongue over an incisor. “Hoping to aid me, my mother
opened a vortex between my world and yours.”
A vortex. Another word for portal or wormhole?
Eyes widening, she looked from one statue to another. At the moment,
there were seven males and three females within her sightline. Were they
from Imperia, too, just waiting for a kiss to come alive?
Jorlan’s husky chuckle filled the space between them.
Uh-oh. Had she inadvertently spoken aloud? Totally possible. To be
honest, Katie was too discombobulated to keep track of her actions, beliefs,
words or thoughts.
“I am the only one,” he assured her. “The others are merely stone.”
 Relief caused her shoulders to slump. No way she would survive
awakening another male like Jorlan. “What’s your last name?”
“Imperians do not have last names. We have designations and titles. I
am Jorlan en Sarr, first in command of great lord Gui en Sarr’s army.”
En Sarr must be a military designation, since he led an army. “Well, I do
have a last name. I am Katie James, first in command of James Real
Estate.”
“Kaay-tee.” Though he’d spoken her name long before this, he dragged
out the vowels, as if saying it for the first time. He nodded with approval.
“Similar to katya. Such a name suits you well.”
Okay. Maybe “little witch” wasn’t an insult where he was from?
A night wind drifted by as she said, “Look. Now that I know you’re not
planning to harm me…” He’d had ample time to try to harm her, but hadn’t.
“You’re not, are you?”
“I am not,” he replied, offended. “I swear to Elliea.”
Elliea. The Imperian word for God? “Then I’d like to extend an
invitation to you. Come inside the house, and we’ll continue our
conversation there.” Where she could cover his erection with a sheet.
Was he still hard? She looked down.
Still hard as steel. Her cheeks blistered with mortification…and
stronger arousal.
“I would be happy to go inside with you…after you vow to help me
locate a sorcerer tomorrow.”
So he thought he could use her own tricks against her?
Another breeze blew by. “Well?” Jorlan asked. Obviously, patience was
not one of his skills.
“It’s hard to concentrate when you’re—” she searched her mind for a
proper description “—waving around like a flag. For goodness’ sake, cover
yourself with a leaf or something.”
He looked at his shaft, then her, and arched a brow, all, Hide this? Then
he shrugged, unabashed. “I think we can also agree you love looking at my
body. And don’t try to deny it, katya. You’re staring at it even now.”
Oh, crap! She was. Jerking her gaze up, she told him, “It’s just that the
men of my world are so much…bigger.” This little witch would make him
regret teasing her.
He gave a rough growl, and she swallowed a laugh. “No one is bigger!”
he grated.
 Score: Katie—1, Jorlan—0. “I’ll take you to a psychic tomorrow. You
have my word. Happy now?”
“Nay.” He canted his head and worried a hand over his jawbone, his
gaze guarded. “I am unsure why I requested such a vow from you. Women
cannot be trusted to honor their word.”
Katie rolled her eyes. “You’re lucky I’m feeling gracious, Jordie. I’m
going to allow you to live despite your chauvinistic remark. Now, come on.
Let’s hustle inside.” She batted her lashes at him and twirled a lock of hair
around her finger. “Unless you plan to break your word.”
“I will never break my word,” he ground out, his tone iron hard. “Not
now, not ever. My honor is too important to me.”
Easy to say, difficult to prove. “After you, then.” She waved him on,
partly because she didn’t trust him behind her, partly to watch his butt as he
walked.
He strode ahead and threw a glance over his shoulder, his irises a smoky
blue. “Mayhap next time you can return the favor and stroll naked in front
of me, aye?”
“Not even if you’re dying and it’s the only way to save you.”
“Tsk, tsk,” he said, and winked. “Someone is telling a lie.”
She would flip him off, but what was the point? He wouldn’t know what
it meant. And oh, shi—poop! She’d kissed this man and set him free, which
meant the burden of his care fell upon her shoulders.
Inside, she watched as Jorlan darted about. He inspected the splintered
wood floor, the peeling wallpaper on the walls and the tools she’d left
scattered about.
Meanwhile, Katie snatched a paint-splattered sheet from the floor and
wrapped it around his shoulders. He didn’t thank her, but he didn’t protest
either, so, win!
Unfortunately, the colorful linen did little to detract from his potent
allure. He looked like a toga-wearing god of sex and strength.
“If we’re from different worlds,” she said, “how do you know my
language?”
Sounding angry, offended and amused all at once, he said, “Think you I
could not conquer your primitive language whilst I whiled away the
centuries?”
The anger…she hadn’t doubted his intelligence. She’d merely wondered
if he’d learned through magic. “Let’s see if I’ve clocked this correctly.
You’re smart enough to learn an entire language, but not smart enough to
learn about women’s liberation?”
“You do not believe the strong should guide the weak?”
“I don’t believe all men are strong and all women are weak. I believe
everyone has strengths and everyone has weaknesses, and gender doesn’t
matter.” Her fists clenched. “If you need another hands-on instruction, I’m
thrilled to demonstrate my female empowerment.”
“Will you be naked during this demonstration?”
Okay, change of plans before she burst into flames. “Forget the
demonstration. Are you thirsty? Of course you are. You’ve been unable to
drink since the Stone Age. Stone Age. Get it? Anyway, I’ll get you
something. There’s a cooler in my truck.” Not waiting for his response, she
raced toward the front door.
He uttered a soft chuckle and called, “Like it or not, katya, we are in
this together.”

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER THREE

JORLAN EN SARR FELT the corners of his mouth kick up in a smile as he

watched the little witch scamper off. And she was a witch. She’d heard his
pleas for a kiss and sensed his urgency, something no one else had done
during his millennia of confinement on Earth.
Once, he’d cursed the lack of awareness. Now? He celebrated, thrilled
Katie James had been the one to save him.
The one he would bed.
He was a healthy, lusty male, and too much time had passed since his
last tupping. While he should have craved anyone, he hungered for Katie
alone.
Katie, with her mass of pale waves, big amber eyes and a “touch
me/don’t touch me” demeanor.
His amusement faded fast. He couldn’t allow an attraction to Katie to
overshadow his primary goals: eternal freedom and cold-blooded
vengeance against Percen de Locke.
Jorlan needed to punish Percen, the most powerful sorcerer in the
history of Imperia, and he needed to do it in the most painful way possible,
finally ridding the galaxies of his brother’s existence. Hatred had festered
over the centuries, becoming a bone-deep wound.
Vengeance would be his.
Over the spans, Jorlan had stroked the wound like a lover, embracing
his darker urges with single-minded intent. He didn’t care why his brother
had cursed him to a life of misery and desolation. He only cared about
striking the bastard down.
Did Percen still live? He must. Under the right circumstances, magic
could sustain a sorcerer for eternity. Jorlan’s own mother had lived more
than fourteen centuries as a priestess of the Druinn, the magic-wielders.
Besides that, time flowed differently upon each world.
A thousand years had passed here, but he had no idea if an equal amount
of time had passed on Imperia.
Either way, I will make him scream and beg for mercy.
Once Jorlan’s curse was eradicated completely, he could return home.
Once he returned home, he could deal with Percen.
Home. Anticipation overtook him. In the woodlands of Imperia,
majestic scents layered the air, no matter the season. Flowers bloomed all
year, and trees never shed their leaves. Magic was lauded, and male
domination expected. And accepted!
By Elliea, he wanted to return home more than anything else in the
world.
The second he’d realized the stone shell had dissipated, Jorlan had
given in to the homesickness and attempted a vortex-opening spell. But his
powers had always been unstable, and he’d failed. A good thing. He had yet
to accomplish the second requirement for breaking his brother’s spell.
Unless and until he made the one who’d freed him fall in love with him,
he would only taste of freedom for fourteen days. A cruelty on his brother’s
part. A way to taunt and torture from afar.
I will never return to stone. He would do whatever proved necessary to
maintain his freedom, even seduce and leave the beautiful Katie James.
He would seduce her.
He would give her the greatest pleasure she’d ever known.
He would win her heart.
The very same three steps he’d once used to win Maylyn, his first love.
Of course, loving her had been the biggest mistake of his life. Heartless
wench.
Already huffing and puffing with fury, Jorlan forced his mind back to
Katie. Just like that, tension drained from him. A genuine surprise. Prickly
Katie, a beauty he longed to tame, had the power to calm his mood. Why?
Longing for her sizzled hotter than lightning. How to intrigue her best?
She had responded to his nakedness, so, he would stay naked.
With a flick of his wrist, he dropped the cloth she’d draped around his
shoulders. The soft material whooshed to the floor. Then, he worked the
lingering stiffness from his limbs, stretching his arms overhead and twisting
this way and that. Blood rushed to his muscles; it hurt, but it hurt good.
 “I’m back,” Katie called. She marched into the unfurnished chamber
holding two red containers.
Lids hooded, he watched her cross the room. She had the legs of a
warrior maiden: long, slender and firm. The kind he loved having wrapped
around his waist. Or his head.
Katie’s legs wrapped around me… His shaft throbbed. He’d been denied
human contact for so long. Too long. He craved contact with every fiber of
his being.
The first time Katie had sauntered through the garden, he’d tried to
ignore her; he hadn’t wanted his hopes to soar, only to crash. How many
females had passed by him over the centuries? Countless. How many had
touched or kissed him? Zero.
Unlike the others, Katie hadn’t simply passed by him. Now something
long forgotten stirred within him. Something infinitely tender.
A curse blasted through his mind. No. No! He would not soften for this
woman, would not allow himself to feel anything deeper than arousal.
Would not open himself up to hurt and betrayal. He’d just gotten a second
chance at life. He would enjoy it.
Looking nervous and unsure, Katie anchored her hair mane into a
ponytail. The grace of her movements enthralled him. The way she’d tossed
him to the ground as if he were an insignificant pest, well, it was a feat no
one else had ever managed.
He was unwillingly proud. What skill she possessed! What strength.
Once he had all that energy beneath him…or above him…beside or around
him…
The throbbing worsened. She had the sweetest curves, the succulent
swells of her breasts and the generous flare of her waist the perfect fit for
her unusual height.
Her seduction, and subsequent avowal of love, would be a much-needed
challenge. Not just for his freedom and his vengeance, but for his mind.
What man could think clearly when his cock begged for attention?
She came to a halt in front of him. “My eyes! The sheet! And stop
staring at me like I’m a candy bar and you haven’t eaten in years.”
“I haven’t eaten in years.” Right now she wore a thin top and a pair of
cropped drocs—jean shorts, he thought they were called. Her neck,
collarbone and limbs were uncovered for his perusal. And peruse her he did.
He counted eighteen freckles atop one shoulder, and twenty-three on the
other.
Did she have freckles hidden elsewhere?
Must find out. Her features were not beautiful in the traditional sense.
Nay, they were better. Arresting, sensual and bold. She had high
cheekbones, a pert nose and sensual eyes framed by a fan of thick, sooty
lashes. Those eyes possessed a slight upward slant, giving her a permanent
take-me-to-bed expression. And her lips! By Elliea, the more he studied
them the more he yearned to have them all over his body. Her lips were so
lush, pink and full, she could launch an army into war with the promise of a
single kiss.
He would kill for another kiss.
Expression a comical etching of incredulity, awe and embarrassment,
she said, “I thought you understood that you absolutely must wear the
sheet.” Even her voice appealed to him, sweet and husky. “You can’t just go
around naked. You’ll be arrested for indecent exposure.”
“You mean magnificent exposure.” The woman seemed to think it was
her right, nay, her duty, to snap retorts and issue orders. While he applauded
her spirit, he was a warrior first and foremost, and warriors did not take
orders from anyone but the great lord. This particular warrior did not take
orders from anyone. “I’m waiting to hear the word please.”
“Just wear the sheet before I drop you on the ground a third time!”
He scowled at her. Best she learn with whom she dealt! “You will ask
me nicely, woman, and mayhap I will be gracious enough to comply,
perhaps not. But you will not know if you do not ask, for I will do nothing
until you do.” ’Twas not the way to seduce a woman, he knew, but it was
becoming more and more clear that this woman was in dire need of
guidance—his guidance—before the actual loving could begin.
He would tame her, and later the males of her world would thank him.
She bared her teeth. “I will not ask nicely. You will bend down, pick up
the sheet and wrap it around yourself because it’s the polite thing to do, or
you will leave my property.”
“You think you have the skill to kick me out?”
“I do. If I’m wrong, I have the skill to call my brothers and watch them
toss you out.”
The females of Imperia were docile and never spoke out of turn. How
was he supposed to react to a tyrant like Katie? “I hope you enjoy the view,
katya, for you will be seeing it all night.”
He gripped his erection at the base. Aye, he remained hard in her
presence. He stroked up…down…
Her breath caught. “Please,” she ground out.
Do not laugh. Who would have thought an inability to manage him
would make this warriorlike female pout? Here, now, she amused him
greatly. “With such a sweet concession, how can I refuse?”
He retrieved the linen and secured it low on his hips—low enough to
see the tip of his penis. Pre-come beaded there.
Mutinous, she tossed him a container she’d retrieved from the truck.
“Just drink your strawberry soda and shut up all right?”
He caught the can with crisp, swift reflexes, his gaze remaining locked
on hers. Perhaps, if they were to interact successfully, he should explain her
behavioral deficiencies? “You are a woman. The weaker sex. I am a man,
the stronger sex. In conclusion, I issue orders and you obey.”
She laughed. Laughed! “Yeah, okay. I hope you’re cool with the idea of
living and dying alone, because that’s the future in store for you, caveman.”
Caveman? “Are you a psychic, then?”
She threw her arms up and exclaimed, “Why do I bother?”
He stroked his chin, enjoying the prickle of stubble. “Mayhap I handled
this the wrong way. Maybe I should silence you…with my tongue.”
Her amusement tanked in a flash. “I don’t know who you think you are
—”
“I do not think I am anyone. I know I am Jorlan en Sarr, one of only
three regius.”
Her jaw clenched, the muscles jumping, and her breathing turned
shallow. “I don’t know what a regius is, but I have a couple guesses. One,
an asshole.” She dug four small round coins from her pocket and tossed one
into a glass jar set in the far corner. A clink rang out. “Two. A bastard.”
Toss. Clink. “Three. A piece of shit.” Clink. “Four. A fuckwad.” Clink.
“Had you been halfway nice, I might have welcomed that tongue-lashing
you mentioned. Now? Try to kiss me, and I’ll bite off your tongue.”
Such animosity, all because he’d fulfilled his role as head of household
and explained the ins and outs of their association? But…he was a prince
and the most coveted male in all of Imperia. Not to brag, but females
fawned over him, fought for his attention, and dreamed of winning his
heart. Why didn’t Katie?
 And why did he want her more now than before?
Rather than chastising or threatening her—again—he pressed his tongue
to the roof of his mouth, remaining quiet. But this was the last time he
allowed her to speak so insolently without punishment.
Anticipation fizzed in his veins. He would punish her with an entire
night of orgasm denial. She would scream his name, curse his existence and
plead for mercy he would not show. Only when the sun rose would he allow
her to come, and she would thank him.
A slow, wicked grin spread, the anticipation intensifying, consuming
him.
“What is this look?” she demanded, wagging a finger in front of his
face.
Your downfall, little witch. “Give me another order and you will find
out.”
Seconds passed as she floundered for a response.
As he waited, he scrutinized his “soda” from every angle. Made of a
shiny metal alloy unfamiliar to him. How was he supposed to remove the
liquid? Poke a hole somewhere? There was a tiny hook flattened against the
lid. To help rip it off?
In the end, he decided to test his magical ability. He’d had success
outside. Would he have success again? Waving his hand above the
container, he uttered a spell. “Open now, this you will. Open now, and be
unsealed.”
Boom! The can exploded, red liquid raining over them both.
With a scream, Katie leaped backward and clasped a hand over her
heart. “Why did you do that?” she asked, wiping her eyes.
Droplets clung to Jorlan’s lashes and dripped from the tip of his nose. “I
was thirsty.”
All of his life, he’d possessed a great well of magic. No matter how
much he’d practiced or studied, he’d lacked control. A fact that sorely
bruised his pride.
“Next time ask me to help you, okay?” Katie popped the top of her
container, using the little hook, then handed the beverage to him. “Here.
Drink mine. I’m not really thirsty, anyway. And let’s make this a magic-free
zone. My poor heart can’t take another scare.”
He accepted what she offered and took a tentative sip. His eyes
widened. Sweet. Fizzy. Delicious. “’Tis worthy of a king’s table,” he said,
awed. “What other culinary wonders does this cursed world offer?”
“I’d argue the word cursed—nah, never mind. We’re talking about
modern America here, which means cursed fits.” She hooked errant strands
of hair behind her ear. “I have a feeling you’ll go gaga for high fructose
corn syrup. And chocolate. And fries. Oh! And cheesecake.”
Jorlan’s empty stomach rumbled. He knew nothing about the foods
she’d named, but he’d bet they were ambrosial. “You will prepare each item
for me.”
Her sandy-colored eyebrows drew together. “Oh, I will, will I?”
Was she about to earn a punishment? Excitement mounted. “Aye. ’Tis
so.” He nodded to assure her he meant what he said. “Woman, I am
starved.”
“Trust me. You do not want me shopping or baking for you. In my
current mood, I’m certain my saliva will be the number one ingredient in
everything you eat.”
He preferred to get his saliva a different way, thank you very much. “In
Imperia, seeing to a man’s needs is a woman’s only purpose in life.”
“Well, you aren’t in Imperia anymore. Lions and tigers and bears, oh
my.”
What did animals have to do with anything? I—”
“Furthermore,” she interjected. “You, Jordie, are not—”
“Jorlan.” Every time she shortened his name, he felt like a bothersome
child.
“—God’s gift to mankind.”
“Or I am.”
“Or you’re not. Do your muscles make smart girls stupid? Yes. Are you
handsome? There’s no denying it without lying. But. Every time you open
your mouth, your douchery knocks another point off your Not to Hot scale.
Besides, if I want to get with an entitled prick, I role-play Tinderella and
swipe right. Jordie.”
Entitled prick? And what did she mean, Tinderella and swipe right?
“What I gather from your speech is…you consider me handsome.”
“That’s your takeaway?”
“Why? Were you trying to make a different point?”
Glaring now, she said, “If you’re hungry, you have an appetite. If you
have an appetite, your body needs food to survive. How did you eat as a
statue?”
 “I didn’t. Magic sustained me.”
“Okay, great! You can cast another spell. There’s no way I’m cooking.
I’d like us both to survive the night.”
“You will provide me with a weapon to hunt our food, or you will
provide me with your world’s cuisine. No other option is acceptable.” He
leaned toward her and said, “Refuse and you’ll earn a punishment. And,
Katie? I truly hope you earn a punishment.”
Anyone else would have rushed to comply, either afraid of his wrath—
or excited. Not his Katie.
My Katie? Well, aye. Eternal freedom, remember?
“You’re pretty close to earning a punishment yourself,” she muttered,
playing nonchalant. She couldn’t mask her body’s reaction to his words, her
breaths quickening, and the color returning to her cheeks.
Passion-fever? Katie…denying him an orgasm…aye. Sign me up.
The urge shocked him. Never, in the whole of his existence, had he
craved such a thing. He’d always relished his role as a warrior prince,
refusing to relinquish a single microcosm of control or power.
Going without pleasure for all these centuries must have rotted my
brain.
“Very well,” he said, and nodded. “I will allow you to punish me. Take
off your clothes.”
“Take off my— How do Imperians such as yourself punish others?”
“Orgasm denial.”
Her mouth opened, snapped closed. Opened, closed. Goose bumps
spread over her skin. “Everyone keeps their clothes on. In a few minutes,
we’ll drive to my home and—”
“This isn’t your home?” he asked, spreading his arms.
“Nope. I work here. Anyway. There’s food at home, and a comfortable
guest room with a private bathroom. However, before we go, we’re going
over the rules.”
Her lips were plump and red and when she spoke of intimate things, he
wanted them wrapped around his shaft. “Do continue.”
No nonsense, she held up a finger. “Number one. You might be a ‘give
orders’ kind of guy, but I’m a ‘take your orders and shove them’ kind of
girl. That isn’t productive. You will obey me in all ways, and never tell me
what to do. This is not negotiable.”
Oh, really? “Counteroffer. I’ll do whatever I please.”
 Katie shook her head, hardened her expression, and lifted a second
finger. “Two. Gain permission before touching.”
A rule he liked even less than the first. “Those are your edicts?”
“There’s one more.” She extended another finger. “Three. Always wear
clothes.”
Jorlan crossed his arms over his chest. The warrior in him rebelled, for
not even the great lord had dictated his actions to such a stunning degree.
How did one deal with such a brazen female?
The answer came to him in a flash, and he smirked.
“Well?” she prompted, anchoring her hands to her hips.
“I agree to your terms, katya.”
“Then you can get the heck— What?”
“I agree to your terms,” he repeated.
“You do?” Relief and happiness pulsed from her, her features suddenly
bright and radiant. “I mean, thank you.”
Air hitched in his lungs, and his blood heated. He did his best to remain
impenetrably guarded against her appeal. “I agree to your terms,” he
repeated a second time, “with a few minor adjustments.”
She narrowed her eyes to slits. “To make a counteroffer, you need
leverage. You have no leverage, Jorlan.”
“Do I not, then?” Since his nakedness had disconcerted her earlier,
Jorlan unwound the cloth he’d secured to his waist, the material pooling on
the floor.
Her cheeks flamed. “Okay, so, you have some leverage.”
“Number one. I will give you no unreasonable demands, as long as you
do the same for me.”
She humphed and lifted her chin. “I’m certain our definitions of
unreasonable are vastly different, but do go on.”
“Excellent point. I change my first adjustment. Neither one of us will
issue any commands, then.” With purposeful strides, he closed the distance
between them. “Number two…”
She raised her hand as if warding him off, and he stopped a heartbeat
away. Her body heat enveloped him, her intoxicating scent fogging his
brain.
Enjoying himself, he propped his arm on the wall and leaned closer. “I
can touch you, but only if you touch me first, or beg for it.”
 She snorted. Then she raked her gaze over him and gulped. “I’ll
maintain my distance,” she said, averting her gaze, “because there’s no way
I’ll beg for anyone’s touch, much less yours.”
Ignore the insult. Push your advantage. “Number three. Clothing is
optional—for us both.”
At first, she didn’t respond. Thick, oppressive silence reigned.
Stubborn woman. “If my adjustments are not acceptable…” He
purposely trailed off his voice, just as she’d done to him, letting her draw
her own conclusion. “Break them. Earn that punishment. You know you
want to. Or do you hope I’ll break yours?”
A sigh of annoyance pushed past her lips, creating a sweet ripple of air
that caressed his cheeks. “Who says I’ll deny you an orgasm? Maybe I
prefer to cut off the appendage responsible for your behavior.”
Meaning his shaft? “Please. You admire that particular appendage more
than I do.”
“I…you…gah! But fine. Whatever. Your rules aren’t terrible. No
commands. No touching unless asked. Sometimes clothing optional. Happy
now?”
“Not nearly as happy as I’d like to be.” He reached out, intending to
smooth a lock of her hair back, only to pause before contact. He had to seek
permission. So, he waited.
She remained silent, no doubt testing him.
With a muttered curse, he dropped his hand to his side.
She looked both relieved and disappointed, but only for a moment.
Seconds later, she blanked her expression. After bending down to grab the
sheet from the floor, she thrust the material at him. “This situation warrants
clothing. Since you know nothing of my planet’s customs, you’ll just have
to take me at my word.”
“Ah. I understand now,” he said, accepting the offering and covering his
lower body once again.
She jolted as if he’d pushed her. “What do you understand?”
“You require me to wear clothes because you cannot control your
desires when you see me unclothed.”
“That’s not—” She pinched the bridge of her nose. “Never mind.
Doesn’t matter. I just thank the good Lord we only have to put up with each
other until tomorrow morning.”
 More amused than irritated, he said, “Are you usually this surly with a
guest?”
She rocked a hand back and forth. “It’s fifty-fifty.”
He liked her honesty.
“Are you usually this much of a chauvinistic pig?” she asked then, and
he decided he wasn’t such a fan, after all.
But, he owed her honesty right back, so… “Aye. But this chauvinistic
pig is nice enough to offer the perfect solution to your surly-not surly
problem. Beg me to bed you, and I will ensure you are too sated to bicker
with me.”
She waved her fingers in front of his face. “Trust me, I can ensure all
my myself that I’m too sated to bicker. You are not needed.”
If he hadn’t been as hard as steel already, her comment would have
pushed him over the edge. “How intriguing. Mayhap I should watch you
sate yourself. For educational purposes, of course. After all, every male
should know how to tame a shrew.” He deadpanned the insult, even as he
thrilled; no doubt the remark had revved her up.
“Men!” She tossed up her arms, and he tried not to grin. “Every guy
I’ve ever known has had a one-track mind, and you are no exception. What
a shocker.” She turned on her heel and headed toward the door, calling,
“Come on. I’m too tired to deal with you tonight. It’s time to go home.”
Home. Aye. He was keen to see where and how a female like Katie
lived. There, he would seduce Katie from her bad temper. She would fall in
love, thus breaking the curse completely. Then, first thing tomorrow, he
would speak with the psychic and buy a vortex. Then he would say goodbye
to Katie and her strange world.
His chest tightened, and he frowned. A part of him didn’t want to say
goodbye to Katie?
Doesn’t matter. Jorlan would do whatever proved necessary to reclaim
his life and his title. Finally, he would dish his vengeance.

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER FOUR

I’M IN SO MUCH trouble.

Katie settled inside her truck, but didn’t start the ignition. Clutching the
steering wheel so tightly that color leached from her knuckles, she
contemplated the pros and cons of proceeding. Well, she tried to
contemplate, but Jorlan occupied the passenger seat, and his nearness made
mincemeat out of her ability to concentrate.
The guy possessed the best seduction-arsenal of all time, and she had no
defenses. First, he lured you in with his powerful physique and electric
gaze. Then he took things up a notch with his smoky voice, sending shivers
of delight coursing through your body. Then he sealed the deal when he
strode with the gait of a hunter and the grace of a panther.
Bottom line? Everything about him screamed, I need to be inside you.
Her resolve to resist wavered. What if her continued refusal merely
postponed the inevitable? Honestly, the thought of getting naked with him
appealed more than the thought of swimming in a giant vat of melted
Hershey’s Kisses, the best candy on the planet. Orgasm denial…tongue-
lashings…
Yes, please, and thank you. Already she was breathless, achy and…
desperate?
While his “you will do this” and “you will do that” attitude did irritate
the crap out of her, that irritation did nothing to blunt her attraction to him.
Why, why, why did she respond to him in a way she’d never responded
to another? Yes, he was wickedly carnal. Yes, he was unabashedly male.
Yes, he was the first guy to make her feel so wonderfully feminine. But,
what seemed a lifetime ago, she’d told herself that outward appearance
meant nothing.
Had she changed her mind? No way, no how!
 So. Maybe he produced pheromones or hormones or chemicals,
something that blended with his sandalwood scent to create maximum
arousal in everyone around him? Every time she inhaled, she got lost in a
sensual fog and never wanted to be found.
“How do you force this vehicle into motion?” He opened and closed the
door, the hinges squeaking.
“Keep trying it that way,” she muttered.
What if she did it? What if she slept with Jorlan and sent him on his way
tomorrow morning? Just wham, bam, thank you, sir, for the grand slam.
And afterward? What would happen then? He walked away smug
because he’d nailed a “shrew”?
I’m a necessary burden, remember? No, I’m a momentary convenience.
Never forget.
Her first time would be with someone who admired and respected her.
Dang it, she deserved hearts and candy, flowers and music. Words of praise
and acceptance. Maybe a whispered, I have to have you. I can’t live without
you. If I don’t get inside you soon I’ll die. Please. I’m begging you.
Okay, so, maybe that was a bit extreme. But she knew, knew she wanted
more than Jorlan would give her.
Well. The cons won. Despite his “lose yourself in me” eyes and his to-
die-for muscles, Jorlan would be nothing more than a boarder to Katie. A
nonpaying boarder, at that.
“Shut the door and buckle up. Please,” she added, recalling their
bargain. “I’ll start the vehicle now.”
He closed the passenger door with a final snap. She keyed the ignition
and maneuvered onto the main road.
“How do you travel on Imperia?” she asked.
“Atop horned stags, like your world’s horses. This is my first time
inside the belly of your enchanted transportation, so I know not of what you
speak. Buckle up?”
“Like this.” She redid her seat belt, and he followed her example.
Frowning, he tried to scoot left and right, yet the belt hindered each
motion. “I will not trap myself inside your transportation,” he barked,
ripping himself free.
This man. “The seat belt is there for your protection,” she explained,
then fluttered her lashes the exact way that made her brothers crumble.
Jorlan didn’t even blink.
 “If I come to an abrupt stop and you aren’t wearing it, you’ll fly into the
windshield, crack your head and die.” A little extreme, she knew, but she
could think of no other way to make him listen.
His frown deepened, but at least he rebuckled.
A horn blasted. Startled, she scanned the highway. Just a few spots
ahead, a driver swerved from one side of the road to the other. She
accelerated to pass him, entering a construction zone.
The faster she drove, the more Jorlan relaxed his stiff posture. “’Tis
exhilarating, this speed.” His chuckle wafted to her ears, warm, husky and
’tis, oh, so inviting.
This man annoys me, she reminded herself.
They lapsed into silence. Unfortunately, that silence worked against her.
Instead of concentrating on the oncoming traffic and orange cones that lined
the median, she focused on her insatiable curiosity about her guest. “How
long were you imprisoned in the stone?”
“Nine hundred spans, seventy-two days and twenty-four minutes.”
Had he spent the entire time counting? “A span is…”
“A year.”
“Wow.” Mind boggled. “You were imprisoned for almost a thousand
years.” He should be buying Depends, drinking Ensure and worrying about
osteoporosis. “Are you…immortal?”
“Yes and no. I am part sorcerer, so it is more difficult to kill me than,
say, a normal human, but I can die.”
“But that’s imposs—” Wrong! Nothing was impossible. Not anymore.
Magic? Yep. Curses? Of course. A thousand-year-old alien warrior
handsome enough to be a model, who would live forever? Why not?
“Oftentimes the myths and legends of one world are the facts of another.
Over the spans,” he said, “many people wandered through the garden. Some
were vampires and some were werewolves, the boogeymen of my world.”
Vampires and werewolves were real, too? Goodness gracious! “You said
you’re only part sorcerer. What’s your other half?”
“Mortal.”
“How long will you live, if you are never injured?”
The corner of his eye twitched. “That does not concern you.”
Had she struck a nerve? “I can drive you back to the garden, if you’d
like.” To make a point, she jerked the steering wheel to the left.
 Tone stilted, he said, “I am the second son of a great lord and a
priestess. Two people who were never supposed to wed. My path is
uncharted. Mayhap I will live forever. Mayhap not.” He paused. “Now it is
your turn to answer a question for me.”
“Okay. Shoot.”
“Are you for or against falling in love?”
She blinked at the odd subject change. “I’m not sure I understand your
question. Do you want to know what I think about any man and any woman
falling in love with each other?” Or us falling for each other?
“Aye.”
“I’m for it. Love is powerful. Wonderful. Necessary.” But it was also
unobtainable for her. “Why do you want to know?”
Instead of answering, he smiled with satisfaction and shifted to face the
window. Though slight, the movement caused his sheet to part, revealing a
portion of his thigh.
Katie snapped her chin forward. Watch the road, slag. But it wasn’t long
before her gaze returned to Jorlan, her mouth watering for a nibble of that
golden flesh.
She’d seen every inch of him, yes, but she hadn’t let herself stare.
Now…
He shifted in his seat, exposing more. More. Please, please, please. Yes!
The sheet split the rest of the way, revealing the entire length of his leg.
Am I drooling?
“What are you thinking about?” he asked. “In seconds, your face
flushed and your eyes turned ravenous.”
Shi—crap! No cursing. She’d already used up today’s quarters.
Anyway. Katie jerked her attention to where it belonged. “I’m not going to
sleep with you, okay, so turn down the sizzle.”
The second the words escaped her mouth, she wished she could snatch
them back. She might as well have asked if he wanted to finger paint her
naked body with chocolate ice cream and lick it off.
A knowing, masculine chuckle filled the small cab. Thankfully, he
didn’t reply—What could he say, really?—and the rest of the ride passed in
silence.
About ten minutes later, she parked in her garage. Her nerves kicked up.
What would he think about her house? A one-story abode with two
thousand square feet, brand-new everything and modern furnishings. A
show piece she didn’t actually like, but used to lure new clients.
Once inside, she whisked Jorlan to the guest bedroom, where she dug
out a Dallas PD T-shirt and a pair of sweatpants that Gray had left behind.
While Gray had always looked relaxed and cozy in the clothing, Jorlan
looked eatable, his rock-solid build stretching the material to showcase his
brawn. Seriously. He sent her hormones into overdrive. Had any other man
ever looked so indecent in a pair of too-tight sweatpants?
Note to self: write Hanes a very stern letter about appropriate leisure
wear.
PS: burn the rest of Gray’s clothes. The garments are obscene!
“What do you think?” Jorlan asked, spinning slowly.
“You are—” glorious “—passable.” The understatement of the year, but
she couldn’t let his ego grow.
His shoulders rolled in true man-pout fashion.
Do not laugh. Or melt. “What do the people of Imperia wear?”
“More formal attire.”
Meaning prom gear? Ick! Katie adored her comforts. “Come on. I’ll
show you the rest of the house.” She ambled into the living room, her newly
clothed alien not far behind, his gaze scalding her back.
Heat percolated underneath the surface of her skin. She stopped,
whipped around, ready to demand he glance away.
She froze instead. The sparkle in his eyes…
He planned to do something naughty, no doubt about it, and her heart
leaped with excitement. Dang him! The man was too appealing for his own
good, and he was standing way too close for her peace of mind.
I want that orgasm he promised me.
Okay. Clearly she needed space and some sort of brain enema.
Chin up, shoulders back, she stepped away from him.
He followed.
Their gazes were locked, the space between them crackling with
awareness. “Whatever thoughts are currently rolling through your mind,
whatever your body desires, tell me, and I’ll do it. With me, nothing will be
taboo.”
Shivers plagued her, their bodies generating enough electricity to light
the entire state of Texas. She peered at his hands. Blunt and callused, clean
yet well worked. The hands of a warrior. Under the right circumstances,
those hands were probably capable of extreme gentleness, even tenderness.
Under other circumstances, those hands were definitely capable of extreme
violence.
“N-no thank you,” she managed to squeak out. She would never ask
him for an orgasm.
Fine! Never was a strong word. She probably wouldn’t ask him for an
orgasm. No, that didn’t work, either. She might not ask him for an orgasm.
Argh!
Jorlan inclined his head, one dark eyebrow arched, his mouth curled in
that knowing grin she’d begun to despise. “My poor katya. Your pride and
stubbornness will not make you scream with pleasure or keep you warm at
night.”
His raspy tone had more sex appeal than the Kama Sutra, and she
almost shouted, Screw it! Let’s get naked. Should she, though?
She’d never before dealt with such a sex-minded, eager man, or such
blatant, in-your-face masculinity. What’s more, she just didn’t possess the
soft, angelic beauty that usually inspired this type of ardor.
Maybe that was why he affected her so strongly? He was the first man
ever to look at her as if she were a succulent morsel to be devoured in one
tasty bite.
And what if she never stumbled upon this kind of consuming chemistry
again? If she didn’t grab on to Jorlan while she had the chance—
Whoa! Hold up. What the heck was she thinking? She needed to douse
the budding fire within them both before the flames spread and became
unstoppable.
“You’re right,” she finally replied. “Thank goodness I have two hands
and a blanket.”
His jaw went slack, and she blew him a kiss.
After she gave him the tour, she made him a peanut butter sandwich and
escorted him back to the living room and motioned to the couch. “So, what
did you think?”
“Your home is…quaint.”
Ouch. “What’s your home like?”
“I believe you would call it a castle or palace.”
So he led the royal army? “Whatever. Time for Spending the Night with
Katie Orientation. Have a seat.”
“Is that a command?” he asked pointedly.
 Their deal would bring about her demise, wouldn’t it? “Would you
please sit down?”
“Of course.” He sat, grinning all the while. Why hadn’t he taken a bite
of his sandwich?
“Now,” she began. “You will have your own bedroom, and you are not
to enter mine. Just so we’re clear, mine is the only one I didn’t show you
and dang it, I thought you were starving. Why aren’t you eating?”
He studied the PB and J. Smelled it. Wrinkled his nose. “What is it?”
In lieu of an explanation, she asked, “What do you usually eat?”
“Not this…dark paste smeared and smashed between two white
sponges.”
“You might love it.”
He took a tentative bite, chewed, and his eyes lit up. “I do!” In seconds,
he devoured every crumb.
Score one for Katie’s nonculinary talents! “Back to our bedroom
arrangements.” She had to make sure he understood.
“Why do you think to keep me out of yours?”
She wouldn’t disrespect him with a lie but she wouldn’t be admitting
the truth, either. Nights were tough for Katie. Alone in the darkness, she
desperately desired a warm body, soft skin and strong arms wrapped around
her, holding her close.
Know your weakness, and mount a defense. “Did you ever consider the
fact that I could have a boyfriend?” A question wasn’t a lie. “Someone I’m
in love with and committed to?”
His pupils enlarged and crackled with fury—for a moment. In a snap, he
masked his features with indifference. A skill she wished she possessed. “If
you have a man,” he grated, “you should not have touched me as you did.
You should not have kissed me.”
“At the time, you were stone, not a man.” Guilt settled over her, and she
averted her gaze. The cell phone in her pocket vibrated, signaling a text had
come in.
“Do you have a man, Katie?” His pleasant tone suggested he’d asked
something as innocent as, This jelly doughnut is delicious, would you like a
bite?
A lock of hair escaped confinement, and she smoothed the strands
behind her ear, her motions jerky. Finally, she told him, “No, Jorlan. I do
not have a man. Not currently,” she rushed to add. “One day, I will have a
boyfriend, and I choose to be faithful to him now.”
Perfectly reasonable, right? But okay, yeah, her tone suggested she’d
said something incendiary, like, You ate my doughnut, you dirty bastard.
“You wish to remain faithful to a male you’ve never met, even though
you desire me, and I desire you. Even though I can give you the greatest
pleasure you’ve ever known, and you can give me your love.”
Gross! “Are you one of those losers who tells a woman he loves her
simply to get in her pants?”
He closed his eyes for a moment, as if praying for patience. “I did not
mean I would be falling in love with you, katya.” He offered the rejection
gently, tension thrumming from him. “My honor is all I have, and I would
never dishonor myself by lying about my emotions. I refuse to fall for
anyone. But. Women are—”
“If you tell me women are the weaker sex one more time, I will rip off
your penis and stuff it down your mouth. Also, when you add the word but,
you negate everything you said previously. You need to get hip to the times,
old man. And now I’m done with this conversation.”
He cupped both of his knees, the color draining from his knuckles. “I
am not old.”
Had she hit a nerve? “You’re right. Ancient is a better descriptor for
you.” Katie withdrew her cell and jabbed the touch screen until a
computerized voice began to read the text.
“Hey, sis, it’s Gray. I’m going out of town for a few days and need to
borrow your iPad to—”
The message jammed to a halt when Jorlan leaped across the room,
grabbed and dropped the phone, then stomped it into a thousand tiny pieces.
She watched, baffled. What the heck? “Jo-or-lann,” she said, drawing
out the syllables. “Why did you do that?” Having spent most of her extra
cash on Jorlan’s house, she’d have to go back to using her old phone, with
its janky battery. Basically, the battery experienced the technological
equivalent of premature ejaculation, draining way too fast.
“I sensed no magic from the device and yet it spoke.” He stared down at
the shattered cell as if expecting the pieces to somehow reattach themselves
and attack. “Must be mighty indeed to hide such power.”
“A voice recording isn’t magical.” She massaged the back of her neck.
“From now on, if you don’t understand something, ask me about it.”
 Now he gave her a “you silly little girl” frown. “Taking time to ask
questions will only give my enemies an opportunity to attack me.”
“My cell phone is not your enemy!”
“Not anymore,” he answered, smug.
“Dam—dang it, Jorlan. You can’t just destroy my things.”
Remembering she owed a quarter for an earlier curse, she stalked to the
bookshelf beside the fireplace, dug a coin out of a bowl, and tossed it in one
of the designated jars.
Yeah, she needed more than one jar.
At his questioning eyebrow lift, she explained her quest to speak more
ladylike.
He chuckled, the sound low, husky and wonderfully carnal. “Do you
have a kissing jar? I’m interested in making a deposit.”
Don’t you dare think about his last kiss. “Anything I did in the garden
doesn’t count. I was in the middle of a crisis.” Kind of.
“Crisis or not, I recall your words to me, just before you wrapped your
palm around my—”
“That’s enough.” Before he could add anything else, she said, “Look
how late it’s gotten.” Katie pretended to study an invisible wristwatch. “Are
you ready for bed?”
“I have been ready for weeks.” His gaze raked over her with enough
heat to incinerate her. “Since the first moment I saw you.”
Her cheeks overheated, and not due to embarrassment. That was, hands
down, the sexiest thing anyone had ever said to her.
Red alert! Red alert! In danger of melting. Back away from the
situation, and the man.
Maybe he experienced the same internal warning. He said, “Yes, let us
part. Before I…sleep, I would like to bathe.”
He hesitated over the word sleep long enough to make her anticipate
“make love to you.”
Katie gulped and led Jorlan to the bathroom, where she showed him
how to work the knobs. “Place a small dollop of shampoo into your hands
and work it through your hair. There will be suds. If you get any in your
eyes…” Her voice tapered off as Jorlan gripped the hem of his T-shirt,
pulled the material over his head, and let the garment whoosh to the floor.
“So hot.”
 Realizing she’d called him hot, she rushed to add, “I mean your eyes
will burn so hot!”
She’d seen his chest before. Mmm, mmm, mmm, had she seen it. Yet,
those previous glimpses hardly mattered. Each time she saw his sun-kissed
skin, she had the same reaction. Fiery heat that erupted into flames and
torched her inhibitions to ash.
“I would willingly place these suds in my eyes,” he said, his voice as
tantalizing as warm honey, “if I knew you would kiss away the pain.”
“And I will forcefully put suds in your eyes if you keep flirting.”
Another chuckle, this one an internal caress. “I might allow you to put
suds in my eyes, if you pressed your body against mine while you did it.”
She ignored the delicious flutters in her stomach, as well as his teasing
comment. “When you’re finished, turn the knobs to shut off the water. Also,
do not leave this bathroom without re-dressing.” With all the basics
covered, she raced to the door before he removed his sweats.
Behind her, he said, “You cannot leave, witch.” All stealth and training,
he moved in front of her, halting her just before escape.
She stopped. Her back went ramrod straight and her shoulders squared.
“Excuse me?”
“In Imperia, it is customary for two people to kiss before they part.” His
long, spiky lashes swept down in a slow, alluring appraisal of her curves,
and she lost her train of thought. “Anything less is rude.”
“Then it’s a good thing we aren’t in Imperia.”
Frustration pulsed from him, and she almost—almost!—laughed. The
poor guy had no idea how to deal with a non-Imperian female—Imperial?
Imperialish?—who did not seek his approval in any way, shape or form.
“Perhaps you would like the privilege of washing my back, then?” he
asked.
Privilege? “Let’s save that particular privilege for my birthday. A girl’s
gotta have something to look forward to, amiright?” Katie pushed past him
and shut the door firmly behind her.
Alone in the hall, she locked her knees to prevent a fall. That man and
his sex appeal…lethal to her peace of mind. And body.
The girl who’d (once) put no stake in physical appearance now
hungered for a handsome face and muscular physique. And yeah, okay, she
liked his personality, too, when he wasn’t issuing orders or mansplaining
about womanly weaknesses, of course.
 He was smart, no doubt about it, but also adorably clueless about
modern society. He was curious about the world around him, everything
new and exciting. And he was strong. Brave. After all, the man had faced a
cell phone without flinching.
Katie pressed a hand against her mouth to silence a giggle. Deciding to
stay put, just in case he needed her, she leaned against the wall and tried not
to imagine all that glorious golden skin covered with glistening soap
bubbles. She failed.
By the time he emerged half an hour later, enveloped by a vanilla-
scented cloud of steam, she trembled with arousal.
He rubbed a towel through his wet hair. He’d donned the sweatpants,
but not the shirt, his eight-pack on spectacular display. He is one hundred
percent pure Imperian beef. Droplets of water trickled down his rippled
chest, pooling in his navel. The moisture in her mouth dried. I want to lick
him up.
When had she become such a sexual creature?
As soon as he spotted her, he smiled. “Couldn’t stay away?”
“Didn’t want you to drown.”
The smile ebbed. “I would like more peanut butter. Please,” he added as
an afterthought.
Make a man a sandwich, and you satisfied his hunger. Teach a man to
make his own sandwich, and you saved him from a beating for getting on
your nerves.
“Come on.”
On the way to the kitchen, Katie cooled her desires, doing subtle deep-
breathing exercises. She gathered the necessary items, then put the
sandwich together, explaining every step. From twisting off a lid to cross
contamination by using the same utensil for both the peanut butter and the
jelly.
“Are all Earth meals prepared this way?” he asked.
“Let me guess. You have an entire kitchen staff, and they work hours
every day?”
“Aye. Exactly.”
Maybe I should move in with him. “This is what I consider an on-the-go
meal. Easy and fast to prepare, filling, and somewhat nutritious.”
She hadn’t cooked an actual meal since she’d left home at the age of
eighteen. A small rebellion, she supposed, for all the years she had slaved
over breakfast, lunch and dinner for the men of the house.
After passing the finished sandwich to him, she poured a glass of milk
for him and said, “Now you make a sandwich.”
First, he ate the one she’d prepared, somehow turning the simple act of
chewing into an aphrodisiac. His strong jaw moved quickly. Potent and
intense.
When would she find something unappealing about him? Seriously, she
preferred First Date Syndrome to Obsession Disease.
Jorlan fixed three more sandwiches.
“Tell me more about your world,” she said as they sat at the counter.
He spoke in between bites, his eyes aglow. “For our homes, colorful
stones are used, and most chambers are without doors.”
“Even bedrooms?”
“Even bedrooms,” he confirmed.
“But why? Anyone can walk in at any time, even if the occupants are
midsexual marathon.”
“Doors are considered a sign of mistrust. For intimate moments,
occupants use magic to block any and all entrances.”
“Well, consider me mistrustful, because I’m keeping my doors.”
“I suddenly see their appeal.” He finished off the food and drained the
milk, then leaned back in his chair with a satisfied grunt. “Thank you,
Katie. For everything.”
“My pleasure. Jorlan.” Mmm. Pleasure. Give me—nothing. “All right.
Let’s get you tucked into bed. Alone.”
“Your continued rejection humbles me.” The wry comment was
delivered with an equally wry grin.
“You know what? I’m strangely okay with that,” she told him after
blowing him a kiss.
In the hall, sweet vanilla still scented the air, blending with his innate
sandalwood fragrance. Her head fogged. Goose bumps spread over her
arms.
“I must admit,” he said, “I did not expect your home to be furnished in
such a way. These things do not suit you.”
In that, she agreed. Decorated with a contemporary slant, the interior
was too bold for her tastes. Too modern, the walls trimmed with metal.
Instead of wood paneling or carpet, mosaic tile covered the floors. Every
light fixture boasted some sort of chrome finish. Plus, the furnishings
lacked character.
Katie preferred shabby chic antiques and urban farmhouse.
When she’d first bought the house, she’d intended to fix it up and sell it.
Her very first project! Then her dad had come over.
Back then, he hadn’t known her career goals. He’d thought she planned
to live here, and had barked orders like a drill sergeant, expecting total
compliance.
You will not live here on your own. You are too young, and the
neighborhood is not safe. You will sell this place, and you will come home.
Understand?
Everyone who knew Ryan James referred to him as old-school. He
firmly believed a man should work to provide for his family, and a woman
should bake, raise their kids and devote her entire life to pleasing her
husband. Very much Jorlan en Sarr’s way of life, too, no doubt.
She’d reacted to her father’s demand the same way she’d reacted to
Jorlan’s. With attitude. Just to be contrary, she’d moved into the house, and
nixed any plans to sell.
Yeah, she was someone who would walk into a sword…as long as she
could impale her nemesis, too.
The blowup had taken place about three years ago, and her father hadn’t
spoken to her since. And that was fine. Whatever. So her chest clenched
with regret. So what. So she sometimes cried for hours about what could
have—should have—been. Again, so what?
If her dad didn’t want a relationship with her, he wouldn’t get one. At
least she had her brothers.
All throughout her childhood, they’d protected her from their father’s
skewed viewpoint. They’d made her one of the boys, encouraging her to
shed her lacy dresses and don jeans. She’d trailed their every step, helping
them catch frogs, fishing in a nearby pond, climbing trees and wrestling in
the mud. Experiences she wouldn’t trade for anything, even a father’s
approval.
Be yourself or be miserable. Words her mother had spoken just a few
days before she’d died of blood cancer. A horrendous death young Katie
had been ill prepared for.
Now, her chest tightened with more force. I miss you, Mom. So much.
 They reached the guest bedroom, and Katie had to blink back a well of
tears. Pasting on a (brittle) smile, she flipped on the light switch and said,
“Welcome to your room, sir. Here at Hotel James the service is terrible but
the laughs are plentiful.” The room brightened in an instant, light chasing
away shadows. “I’m sure you recall the bathroom, or chamber pot, or
whatever word your people use, is through the side door. It’s nothing as
grand as what you described, but it’s comfortable and private and you won’t
need magic to keep me out. You won’t even need the doors. Your
chauvinism is the best block on the market.”
“I’m sure I would offer an appropriate reaction if I understood half of
what you said.” Entranced by the origin of light, Jorlan lowered the switch.
Darkness flooded the small area. With a flick of his wrist, light sprang from
the overhead source once again.
“Still I sense no magic, and yet…” Up. Down. Up-down. Updown. “I
would not have guessed your world capable of such things. First a flat
talking box and now instant lighting.”
Katie chuckled, charmed by his bedazzlement. “What do your people
use for light?”
“Lamori gems.”
Lah-more-ee. “Are the gems magic?”
“In a way. They are alive.”
Living stones. Wow! “Are they alive like people or more like, say,
trees?”
“Trees. A living organism able to absorb light and reflect it back. When
they are well loved, they cast light for eons. When they are treated poorly,
they cease glowing altogether and eventually die.”
Great! Now Katie wanted to invade Imperia and steal all of their lamori
gems. She would love and care for every single stone! In fact, she already
had names for the first two she found. Mr. Rockington and Ms. Pebbles.
He flipped the light switch several more times. “How is this possible?”
How best to explain? “One sec.” She rushed to her bedroom, grabbed
her laptop, keyed up an online dictionary and returned to Jorlan. “Electricity
is a fundamental entity of nature, consisting of negative and positive kinds,
composed respectively of electrons and protons. This is observable in the
attraction and repulsion of bodies electrified by friction and in natural
phenomena.” That, she understood, since wires and power circuits were part
of her business.
 On and off the light went. “Amazing.”
“Does the room meet with your approval?” she asked.
“Indeed. It will suffice for one night.”

***

JORLAN RELEASED THE light switch and surveyed his temporary chamber.
The room was small, too small for a male of his massive size, but he now
had a bed, one of the important items in his life right now.
The thought of sleeping flat on his back rather than standing up…
A moan slipped from him.
Now all he needed was sexual release, Katie’s heart, another plate of
sandwiches and a talon or sword. Any weapon really. He’d learned the hard
way: to survive, a warrior had to be prepared for battle anytime, anyplace.
“If I vow to keep my hands to myself,” he said, “would you cuddle
me?” He’d been without human contact for far too long.
He knew he would be miserable every second he spooned Katie, the
urge to mate with her nigh overwhelming, but he also knew he would be
more miserable without her nearby.
When she’d left him to retrieve…whatever the thin silver device was,
he’d missed her body heat and her scent more than he would miss…
anything.
Though he’d only known her a short while, she was currently the most
important person in his life.
Her eyes went wide. “Cuddle? You and me?” She chewed on her bottom
lip. “Half of me is ready to pencil you in for a ten-hour session, but the
other half of me is smarter and knows I’m not ready.”
Frustration sparked and intensified. He’d meant what he’d said. He’d
planned to climax on his own before crawling into bed with her and, no
matter how painful, keeping his hands to himself. But, he could not win
Katie’s love without her cooperation and attention.
Time was not on his side.
Fear honed his frustration into a blade, slashing his already fragile inner
calm to ribbons. If he pushed this, or cajoled in any way, he would only
deepen Katie’s resistance to lust. And lust for him she did. She couldn’t
hide her enlarged pupils, the rosy color in her cheeks or the quickening of
her breath.
 Mayhap he could use the time apart to plan an irresistible seduction.
Yes, yes. That. Because, what he absolutely could not do? Fail to win her
love.
Or, instead of romantic love, what if he focused on friendship love?
Then, when he returned to Imperia, he could choose a bevy of females to
tend to his body. But…
He wanted this woman, from this world. This night. Having all of
Katie’s warriorlike passion at his disposal would nigh burn him alive.
Jorlan longed to burn all…night…long.
Even still, he stepped inside the room and pivoted on his heel, facing the
gorgeous Katie once again.
How did she get more beautiful every time he gazed at her?
In the chamber’s glorious light, her creamy skin glowed with health and
vitality. “Good eve to you. May your dreams be sweet.” And your body on
fire for mine.
She peered up at him, silent and unsure.
If he went the friendship route with her, he could not win her with sex.
He’d have to use his…mind? A first for Jorlan. Since his fourteenth season,
females had flocked to his bed, with little effort on his part. Many had
offered a declaration of love, which he’d humbly accepted without giving
one in return. Until Maylyn.
He’d given Maylyn everything he had, utterly entranced by her
mesmerizing beauty and willingness to please. Later, he learned she’d
merely used him—at his brother’s bidding.
For Jorlan, love was not worth the risk. If the woman actually loved you
back, what did you get in return really? A faithful partner? Maybe, maybe
not. A lifetime of happiness? Not even close. A confidante who would never
share your secrets with another? Never. Everyone always blabbed.
On a personal level, he didn’t want Katie to fall in love with him, didn’t
want her hurting when he left. And leave he would. Problem was, he needed
her to fall in love with him. His future hinged on her emotions.
Why did she grow more skittish every time he drew near? A former
unpleasant lover? Misplaced modesty? A need for commitment first?
The more he knew about her, the better his chances of success,
whichever route he ultimately chose. What he knew beyond any doubt? He
could not return to Imperia tomorrow. Maybe not the next day, either. He
could not return until he’d won Katie’s heart.
 And he would. I must.
He still wished to meet the psychic, however, and ascertain whether or
not their powers were real or faked. And it gave him an excuse to spend
more time with his hostess.
He had two weeks to accomplish the deed. His earlier anticipation
sparked anew. He suspected Katie would make him sweat every day of
those two weeks. Mostly, he suspected those two weeks would be the most
nerve-racking—and exciting—of his life.
He arched a dark brow in challenge. “Katie?” he prompted. “This is the
part where you wish me a good night, as well.”
“I’m thinking,” she said. “Maybe you should, uh, sleep in my bedroom,
after all. On the floor, I mean. If you vow to stay put. That way, if
something wonky happens because of your curse or whatever, I’ll know and
I can help.”
He had to bite the inside of his cheek to stop a grin from spreading. He
hadn’t pushed, and she’d decided to reward him! “I vow that I will not
climb into your bed tonight…which doesn’t preclude you from joining me
on the floor.”

***

SHOULD SHE, OR shouldn’t she?

Katie didn’t know Jorlan, not really, so she couldn’t trust him. A vow
only mattered to those with a moral compass. What if he’d lost his?
What if he hadn’t?
The thought of him nearby, radiating body heat, the soft whoosh of his
breath filling her ears, his sandalwood scent in her nose…shivers raced
down her spine.
What if her control shattered and she did in fact join him on the floor?
Her brother Erik liked to say, Do not feed your temptation. Starve it.
If she let Jorlan sleep on her floor, she would be feeding her greatest
temptation. But I’m still going to do it, aren’t I?
Yeah. Decision made. She wanted him close, dang it, so, close he would
be. Plus, she’d meant what she’d said. What if he began to return to stone?
She needed to know, so she could maybe hopefully possibly do something
to halt the transformation.
 “Just in case you get any ideas,” she said, “I’ll be sleeping with a can of
Mace in one hand and stun gun in the other.”
He winked at her. “Just in case you get any ideas, I’ll be sleeping with a
feather in one hand and massage oil in the other.”
A laugh burst from her. A second later, a laugh burst from him. They
were both crying happy tears, their bodies shaking. And it was nice. Beyond
nice. His face was lit up, and oh, had any man ever been so beautiful?
When had she ever enjoyed a man’s company like this?
Without thought, Katie reached out and clasped Jorlan’s hand to lead
him to her bedroom. As soon as their fingers linked, they ceased laughing at
last. Her nipples puckered, her belly quivered and heat pooled between her
legs.
In that moment, Katie knew she wouldn’t be getting much sleep that
night.
With her free hand, she rubbed her temples in a vain effort to ward off
an oncoming ache. I’m in more trouble than I realized.

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER FIVE

“KATYA?” JORLAN SAID. His husky voice felt like a rasp of silk against her
skin. Sleek and honeyed, finding her in the darkness, leaving a sultry haven
in its wake.
For the past hour, he’d tossed and turned atop his pallet on the floor, and
she’d tossed and turned on the bed. Everything she’d wanted—his heat, his
scent, the rasp of his breath—she’d gotten. Now she wanted more. All
because she’d acted the fool and fed her temptation.
“I’m imagining everything I long to do to you,” he whispered. “Are you
imagining what you long to do to me?”
Oh, yes. Her imagination was fully engaged. “Tell me what you see.”
He did not hesitate to obey. “In my mind, my hands cup your breasts
and gently squeeze while I trace a path from one waiting nipple to the other
—with my tongue.”
Toasty warm under a thick, downy comforter, Katie tried to recall why
she was so determined to resist this man. She did have reasons, right? She
just didn’t know anymore, and she wasn’t sure how much more she could
take before she locked caution in her panty drawer and invited her alien to
her bed.
“Would you want me to lave them or suck them?”
The more he spoke, the faster he eradicated what remained of her
defenses.
“Suck,” she croaked.
“Mmm, yes. I suck them, hard. Your back arches and your legs spread,”
he continued mercilessly. “But I do not penetrate your entrance with my
fingers. Not yet. I kiss my way down and taste you with my mouth first.
You’re sweet, so incredibly sweet. I can’t get enough.”
 She pressed her palms against her ears to muffle his voice, then faked a
snore and ended up sounding like an old man with a foghorn stuck in his
throat. All the while she pictured bathroom tile and drying grout—anything
to keep her mind from thinking about naked bodies and potent pleasures.
You never give me what I want, her body complained, and I want
Jorlan.
Shut up, her mind demanded. You’ve gotten us in enough trouble!
Tile. Grout. Tile. Grout. Slowly, her overly sensitized nerves calmed,
and tingles of anticipation faded. Then and only then did she taper off her
snores and remove her hands from her ears.
Blessed silence greeted her.
Then, as if he remained acutely attuned to her every action, emotion and
thought, Jorlan said, “Just say the words, katya. Say the words, and I will
give us both a release.”
“I’ve never slept with a stranger or had a one-night stand, and I won’t
start now?” Gah! She’d asked a question when she’d meant to utter a
statement. “Plus, you’re kind of a bad bet. I mean, you’re going home soon.
Very soon. I think it’ll be better if we are friends, nothing more.”
A pause. Then he admitted, “I’ve never had a female friend before.
What would we discuss, if not sex?”
“Our lives, I guess. Did you have a girlfriend, wife or significant other
before you were cursed?”
“Nay. I enjoyed—” He pressed his lips together.
“It’s okay. You can say it. You enjoyed variety.” Typical male, just like
her brothers. Always looking for someone “better.” So why was she
relieved about Jorlan’s singlehood? “What are your hobbies?”
“War and training for war. And yours?”
“First, that’s kind of sad. You need fun. Second, I love reading home
improvement guides and going antiques shopping.” Crap! Talking to him
like this was just as arousing as his fantasy. Maybe more so! “We have to
get up early if we’re going to visit a psychic, because I have a list of daily
tasks to complete. We should rest.”
One minute bled into another. He didn’t speak again, but he did evince
extreme disappointment.
Or maybe the disappointment came from her?
What the heck is wrong with me? This emotional tug-of-war was
exhausting. So why did she toss and turn another hour?
 Finally, Katie’s eyelids grew heavy and drooped. She rolled to her side,
a final thought drifting through her mind before she succumbed to the
thickening darkness. Maybe I should make him fall in love with me…

***

MORNING DAWNED BRIGHT and early. “Way too early,” Katie muttered. Her
eyes burned, and her head throbbed. A cup of coffee wouldn’t help; she
needed a caffeine IV.
What had happened last night? Bad dreams she couldn’t remember? Her
normal five-mile jog would not be happening this morning.
Bathroom. She needed a bathroom. Her overfull bladder demanded
assistance.
Sheets and blankets tangled around her, making her feel trapped inside a
cocoon. She grumbled under her breath as she worked to extract herself.
Something thudded to the floor. Whatever it was, too bad, so sad. She didn’t
care enough to search for it. Rubbing her eyes, she stood and tripped her
way into the bathroom.
She washed her face, brushed her teeth and took a hot, steamy shower.
By the time she emerged and tugged on a robe Gray had given her last
Christmas, she felt less groggy. Maybe now she would be alert enough to
deal with Jorlan.
Jorlan! The man her unconscious mind wanted to make fall in love with
her.
Katie’s eyes widened with dismay. How could she have forgotten about
the sexy, six-foot-six-inch horny alien sleeping in her room?
Heart pounding, cupcake-print robe flying, she darted out of the
bathroom; her gaze scanned the floor, but she saw only a can of hairspray.
Ah. So her “Mace” had caused the earlier thud.
Where was Jorlan? The only reminder of his presence? The rumpled
pillow and blanket tangled together in a heap at the foot of her bed. She
grabbed some clothes from the closet and dressed as she raced out of the
room. Entering the living room, she zipped her jeans. No sign of her alien
here, either.
Had he left her? What if the mother ship had beamed him up or
something? Or worse, what if he was still here, in her house, going through
her things? Katie’s stomach knotted as she envisioned laundry strewn
across the floor and broken knickknacks scattered about. Through the
dining room she went, as if hot coals simmered under her feet.
Then she saw him.
He stood in the kitchen, his back to her as he rifled through the fridge
and hummed a song she didn’t recognize. A relieved sigh burst from her.
And okay, yeah, her gaze dropped to his butt. Sue her. He looked good.
Really good. She perked up big-time. Except… She frowned. The sweats
were saggy today; they hadn’t been saggy yesterday. They hung low on his
waist, teasing her, tantalizing her, because a slight brush of air might slip
them to the floor…
She inched forward, closing in. Upon closer inspection, she noticed
something lumpy under his shirt. What the heck?
Katie cleared her throat.
Jorlan whipped around, unsheathing a butter knife he’d stored
somewhere underneath his clothes, ready to strike. He moved too swiftly
for her to track each individual motion, and she nearly jumped out of her
skin.
He must not have found the blades sharp enough to cut through bone.
Heart pounding faster, she blinked up at him. Running away wasn’t an
option; her legs trembled, and her knees threatened to buckle. Gorgeous.
Hooded eyelids, mussed dark hair and a stubble-shadowed jaw.
He possessed the deadly aura of a man who knew how to fight dirty,
how to savagely maim and brutally kill; he was more terrifying than any
weapon…and so hot he turned her blood to lava.
The second he realized who stood nearby, he relaxed his stance and
returned the knife to its holder—an oven mitt he’d anchored to the waist of
his pants. Clinking sounds rang out, telling her other “weapons” were
strapped to his body. No wonder the garment bagged.
She wanted to laugh. She wanted to jump into his arms. She wanted…
everything and nothing, here but there, now but later, always but never.
Face it. The man had tied her brain into knots.
“Good dawning, katya.” He slowly unveiled a half grin. “Did you sleep
well?”
“Nope. I woke up a thousand times more tired.” Motioning to the cache
of weapons, she said, “What are you planning to do with those?”
“Kill my enemies.”
“And who are your enemies?”
 With a negligent shrug, he refocused on the refrigerator. “’Tis of no
concern to you.”
“It is when you’re wearing what has to be twenty pounds of my
silverware.”
The muscles in his back balled with tension. “If you must know,
everyone I encounter has the potential to become my enemy. If I wish to
survive, and I do, I can trust no one.” He shot a wicked glance over his
shoulder. “Except you.”
“Let me guess. You do your best trusting when you and the other person
are naked.”
“Oh, good. You agree.”
With a snort, she perched at the kitchen counter. “Do you still wish to
meet with a psychic?”
“Aye. Though I will not be traveling home this day. I must wait until
after I’ve—” He stiffened and went quiet.
“What? After you’ve slept with me?”
“Aye. Nay.” He scrubbed a hand down his face. “After you’ve fallen in
love with me.”
The love thing. Right. “Why do you want my love?”
“’Tis part of the curse. You are the one who freed me, so you must be
the one to offer your love in two weeks, or I will return to stone forever.”
“You’re kidding, right? Trying to get me into bed again?” She offered a
weak, unsure laugh.
“I would never tease you about my freedom.” The absolute conviction
in his voice convinced her more than the words. “When my brother issued
the curse, he planned for another female to kiss and free me. A woman I
despise with every fiber of my being. He thought ’twould be amusing were
I forced to pursue someone I loathed, but I escaped Imperia and ’twas you,
you and not she, who became my savior.” Jorlan pushed out a breath. “I
have no desire to pressure you, katya, and if the circumstances were
different…but they aren’t.”
The enormity of the situation hit her like a jackhammer. If he’d told the
truth, and she believed he had, his fate rested in her hands.
He needed her love, but he’d have an easier time of shaving her head
and weaving her hair into fourteen-karat gold.
He shut the fridge door and took a step in her direction. “For women,
bodily pleasure often leads to love.”
 “Hate to break it to you, but anyone, no matter their gender, can bang
and bail. Happens all the time.”
“Not with me.”
“You mean every woman you’ve slept with has proclaimed her love for
you?”
“Aye,” he said with a nod. And it wasn’t a smug nod, either. He’d stated
a fact rather than a brag.
“So, either you have a magic penis, or a lot of money. Which is it?”
He winged up a brow. “Why can’t it be both?”
Fair enough.
Tone guarded, he asked, “Did you not fall for any of your past lovers?”
Uh-oh. Was he leading up to The Talk about how many people they’d
slept with?
Surprise! My big number is zero because the few men who asked me out
had hoped to brag about banging the she-giant or they were too afraid of
my brothers. Talk about humiliating! No, thanks.
“’Tis not your concern,” she said, mocking him. “Besides, I’m not
interested in falling in love with you, only to say goodbye when you return
home later that same day.”
“I can make the pleasure worth it.”
Could he really? No, no. Don’t go there. “Nevertheless.”
“I can’t give up,” he croaked.
“I understand.” And she did. Truly. “You know,” she said, deciding to
change the subject to lighten the mounting tension, “you’re going to need a
little bit of magic to sharpen that knife you stole. It’s used for cooking not
combat.”
“It was not used for combat before. And I did not steal from you. I
borrowed the blades and…other things.”
Cold fingers of dread crept down her spine. “What else did you
borrow?”
He showed off a pair of Gray’s shoes, a pair of scissors he’d strapped to
his left ankle, a steak knife he’d strapped to his right ankle, a metal spatula
tucked inside his sweats, alongside a rolling pin.
“What are you going to do with all that?” She motioned to the rolling
pin with a wave of her hand. “Chop someone up for a nice human stew?”
“If the talons fail me, I will beat my enemy into submission.”
 Lord help us. “You can’t just go beating people here, or you’ll get
arrested and locked inside a cell. Just…put everything back.”
“Nay.” A hard glint sparked to life in his eyes, and he shook his head.
“In this I will not relent. When entering an unknown situation, a warrior is
always prepared for the worst.”
He wasn’t wrong. “You can carry everything but the blades.” To be
honest, letting him carry the other kitchen utensils wasn’t any kind of
worst-case scenario. One, she never used them. And two, he was an alien in
an unfamiliar world. If a spatula made him feel safer, great.
Silence filled the room as he considered her proposal. Finally, he
nodded. “I will heed your wishes.”
“Thank you.”
“Do you not see how reasonable I can be, little witch?”
She almost laughed. So predictable, her Jorlan.
My Jorlan?
Well, yeah. She’d kissed him and set him free. Mine.
Anyway. He’d just revealed his plan. Seduce her with kindness.
“Mmm,” she purred. “Your reasonableness makes me want to do things…”
He perked up.
“Like give you a hearty handshake and a pat on the back,” she finished,
and he man-pouted. “Did you find anything good to eat?”
“Some good, some bad.” He opened the fridge and withdrew a bottle of
mustard and a bottle of mayo, both with a shattered cap. “Bad.” Next, he
withdrew a Ziploc bag that used to be stuffed with shredded cheese and
now had only remnants. “Good.”
Katie stood and padded to his side, put the condiments back in the
fridge and claimed the bag. Their palms brushed, just for a second, but a jolt
of electricity shot up her arm. Shaky now, she tossed the plastic in the trash.
“If you’re still hungry, I’ll take you to my favorite café. It’s only fifteen
minutes away, so we can be in and out in less than an hour.”
“Afterward we will visit a psychic? I am eager to meet the one who will
take me home.”
“If we succeed, you’ll go home today? Even though I haven’t fallen in
love with you?”
“Nay. I will wait until I’ve won you. And I will win you, katya. Doubt it
not.” His tone possessed an ominous edge, daring her to contradict him. “I
will stop at nothing.”
 Her pulse fluttered, and her belly quivered. If he kept up this smolder,
yeah, he’d win no problem.
“Give me a few minutes.” Grumbling under her breath, she retrieved the
old cell phone she’d charged overnight, then returned to the kitchen to
google. “You know, there’s a chance you could give me a million orgasms
and I still wouldn’t fall in love with you. For your own sake, you might
want to rethink your strategy.”
“The only way to know for sure is to let me give you one million
orgasms.”
Shivers. Heat. Without glancing up, she answered, “I’ll think about it.”
Truth. She doubted she’d be able to think about anything else. It wasn’t like
she had to part with her virginity to get those orgasms. They could pleasure
each other in different ways, do things she’d longed to try for an eternity.
“Thank you, Katie.” He rushed over to plant a swift kiss on her cheek.
They both stilled.
Air caught in her throat. He ceased breathing mid-inhale.
Awareness arced between them, crisp and hot.
Little aches and pangs spread throughout her body. She wanted…she
needed… Strip him. Taste him. Make him come. Let him strip and taste you.
No. No! She would not be humped and dumped, and that’s all Jorlan
promised.
“We have time to visit one psychic,” she told him, looking away. But
not before she caught a glimpse of abject disappointment. “If this one isn’t
legit, you’re out of luck until tomorrow. I have work to do.”

***

ONCE UPON A TIME, Jorlan considered challenges fun. Here, now, with Katie?
Challenges were the worst! Her continued rejection had made mincemeat of
his ego, and he’d begun to wonder if the women of his world had only
pretended to love him because of his wealth and title, just as the human had
suggested.
Would he actually have to improve his personality to succeed without
wealth or a title?
Mayhap he wasn’t as perfect as his mother used to tell him?
Nonsense! He had many, many great qualities. Or some. A handful. Or a
few. Possibly only two. His strength, and his… So he had one great quality,
but it might be enough to win. For a moment, Katie had been entranced by
him, her eyes soft, her lips parted—ready.
He clung to hope.
If only he wanted her simply because of the curse. But the more time he
spent in her presence, the more he liked her as a woman. No, as a person.
She was unlike any woman—or man!—he’d ever known. Smart, witty,
strong in her own right, sometimes sweet, sometimes stern. Mysterious.
Fun. He could not predict what she would do or say.
Did she wield some sort of seduction magic he could not sense?
Mayhap. Aye, mayhap. ’Twould explain many of his feelings for her.
Curse it, he’d thought his defenses were firmly in place, both magically
and emotionally. Yet here he stood, hungry for her and her alone, needing
her as he’d never needed another.
He could not let himself soften any more. But how could he fight
against her allure and win her over?
“Here’s one,” Katie said, her honey-rich voice cutting into his thoughts.
“The House of Mysticism, where one’s deepest desires are realized.” She
paused. “Sounds like a hoax to me, but you’re the expert. It’s only five
miles away, and the ad says the owner possesses the ancient power of the
Druids.”
“Druids?” Jorlan’s back straightened in a snap. “Are they related to the
Druinn?”
“I don’t—”
He snatched the small black device from her hand and searched the
screen. While he had not learned to read Katie’s language, the letters were
similar to the ones used in Imperia.
How was this possible? Unless…
What if Imperians and Earthlings were related? One group could have
left their world to populate another.
He noticed the swirling symbols next to the word Druid, and sucked in
a breath, excited. “This.” He pointed. “This means magic in Druinn.”
“What are Druinn?”
“My mother’s people,” he replied, fighting the urge to hug the device
and the symbol to his chest.
Katie peered up at him through the thick shield of her lashes, her
features softening, tension melting away. “You must miss your family.”
 “I do. More than I can ever articulate,” he said, his voice ragged. A
sense of urgency settled over him. “Let us waste no more time. We will
leave immediately and postpone the…” What had she called it? Oh, aye.
“The calf-fay.”
“Oh, we will, will we?” she asked, drumming her nails against the
counter. “You’re one hundred percent in charge now?”
She isn’t like other females, remember? What was more, she’d saved his
life. Because of Katie, he’d shed centuries of despair and gained the most
glorious hope.
He owed her, something he’d forgotten amid the excitement of gaining
his freedom.
Well, well. What was this? Looked like his personality had gotten
tweaked already. Now that he’d acclimated to his new circumstances, he
could see past his desperation to finally break the curse—somewhat—and
admit a harsh truth.
As he’d watched the world around him, unable to participate, he’d seen
wonders and horrors. Acts of love and acts of hate. Genuine kindnesses and
great selfishness. He’d realized the Jorlan pre-curse had been more selfish
than anyone he’d observed. He’d been self-involved, the contributions of
others unimportant to him.
He’d realized he’d always selected lovers based on outward appearance,
nothing more. In fact, he’d fallen for Maylyn’s face rather than Maylyn
herself. Never again.
His future would be different from his past. And Katie…she would be,
what? The woman he’d pleasured and abandoned after she’d saved him, or
would she be—could she be—something more?

***

KATIE THREW IN the towel, waved the white flag, caved. Whatever the
saying, she accepted that the day was only going to get worse.
Currently, she stood in front of an old, crumbly building with a neon
pink sign that read YES, I KNEW YOU WERE COMING.
Sunlight glared at the peeling yellow, blue and gold paint that covered
the splintered wood. Parts of the roof were shingle-less, and weeds filled
the front lawn. Such an atrocity!
 Given enough time and cash, she could flip this place into a dream, and
rid the world of a visual blemish.
“Maybe we should pick a different shop?” she said to Jorlan, who
towered at her side. She loved standing next to him so freaking much. “Or
do you sense magic?”
He scanned the perimeter, no doubt taking in every detail. “No, but the
most powerful of the Druinn can disguise and hide their power.”
Great! “All right, then. Inside we go,” she said, pushing open the door.
A bell tinkled.
He hesitated, different emotions playing over his features. Hope. Doubt.
Determination. Worry.
Now she released the door, letting it close with a whoosh. What worried
Jorlan most? Failure—or success? He probably feared his family’s reaction
to his return. Would they welcome him with open arms or look upon as a
stranger? What if they’d all died during his absence?
How much time had passed on Imperia? How many of his friends had
passed away? How many still lived?
Her chest tightened with sympathy. Poor Jorlan. He wanted to go home,
and she couldn’t blame him. Were the situation reversed, she’d want the
same thing, would do anything, use anyone, to get it.
“I’ll be with you the entire time,” Katie told him. “If this psychic isn’t
able to get you home, we’ll find another one, I promise. We won’t stop until
we succeed.”
He met her gaze and shared a warm half smile. “A man could get lost in
the sensual web you weave, witch, forgetting he has any troubles.”
That was…that…he… That was the sweetest thing anyone had ever said
to her and dang him, if he’d said it simply to get into her pants, she would
reach into his mouth and rip out his tongue.
“Jorlan.” What to say? What to do?
He shifted from one foot to the other and muttered, “Mayhap I’ll take
you with me, and make love to you while we are enveloped by the mystical
mists of Imperia.” As soon as the words left him, he frowned. Hadn’t meant
to speak out loud, huh?
She recognized the words for what they were—an easily dismissible
thought. An idea he would entertain and discard. So, she wouldn’t let
herself ponder it.
 “I will never leave my brothers,” she said. They were bastards to be
sure, but they were her bastards. “Let’s do this.”
Once again, she pushed open the door. The bell tinkled again. When she
took a step inside, Jorlan latched on to her arm, stopping her.
“I will go first and ensure you are not walking into danger.” He didn’t
give her time to argue. He marched inside.
She knew she wore a stupid grin as she followed him. Instead of
portraits or sconces, the walls boasted incense holders. Jasmine-tinged
smoke curled from one of them, scenting the air. Soft, lyrical music played
in the background.
Plush burgundy carpet cushioned her sandaled feet. Katie had never
been a fan of carpet, but even she had to admit this was a major luxury
when compared to the shop’s exterior.
Jorlan prowled through the small, dim lobby. There were a couple
chairs, and a coffee table scattered with magazines and crystals. No other
furnishings, and zero clients. No receptionist, either. No one rushed out to
greet them.
Finally, an attractive woman in her midfifties, with hazel eyes and
prominent cheekbones, stepped beyond an entrance covered with decorative
fringe. She wore black slacks and a tailored white blouse nothing like Katie
had imagined.
“Hello,” the woman said. “I am Hollybeth. Welcome to my
establishment.” She had the cultured accent of an English gentlewoman.
“How may I help you?”
Hollybeth ignored her, remaining focused on Jorlan.
He dispensed with pleasantries. “Do you possess the power to—”
Katie slammed a hand over Jorlan’s mouth. “Why don’t you tell us why
we’re here.” Surely a self-professed “seer” could answer so simple a
question.
Jorlan pried her hand from his mouth, but didn’t release his grip. He
kept her palm captured in the warmth of his own. “Next time you wish to
silence me, katya,” he growled softly, the words meant only for her, “use
your tongue.”
“Ah, young love,” Hollybeth said with a sigh.
He grinned. Katie frowned, her doubts increasing.
The older woman gave her a faint smile, deepening the crinkles at the
corners of her eyes. “You do not believe in the supernatural, do you, dear?”
 “I believe in facts,” Katie replied, doing her best to ignore the rightness
of holding hands with Jorlan. There was just something so gratifying about
having her fingers linked with his, a subtle reassurance and a tangible show
of affection. Even though he felt nothing substantial for her, this made her
feel needed.
“I believe in facts, as well,” Hollybeth answered with a nod.
“Then you’ll understand why I demand proof of your abilities.” Her
alien knew nothing about Earth, or the scams people often attempted on
unsuspecting, vulnerable individuals. If this woman truly was the kind of
sorceress he sought, she was going to have to prove it.
“Of course I understand. Sit, sit.” With a delicate wave of her hand, the
Englishwoman waved them past the beads and into a bigger room with a
table in back. “Would you like something to drink? Coffee? Tea? I even
have a wonderful herbal elixir that promotes mental clarity.”
Such as weed? “No, thanks,” Katie answered, shaking her head. She
would not be consuming anything that had the power to screw with her
head.
Jorlan ushered her to the table. They sat side by side, even though he
had to squeeze the long length of his legs underneath the too-short surface.
Hollybeth claimed the seat just in front of them. “Give me your palm,”
she said to Jorlan.
He sliced his gaze to Katie. “Do all the women here command a warrior
thusly?”
“Oh, yeah. Now give her your hand, Jordie.”
With the sigh of a man who carried all the world’s burdens, he did as
instructed, offering his free hand while maintaining a tight hold on Katie.
As Hollybeth hunched over his palm, she traced each line with a long,
oval-tipped nail. “You wish to find a way home, but you cannot do it alone
Am I correct?”
The observation surprised Katie. Until she recalled the things she’d said
outside, before entering the shop. If Hollybeth had mics out there, she could
have listened to every word.
“Aye,” Jorlan said, squeezing her fingers.
“All you need is…a guide. Yes. Someone to guide you.” Hollybeth
peeked over at him. “Do I still speak the truth?”
A muscle ticked beneath his eye. “Aye.” The hardness of his tone made
his voice an audible hammer, the single word like a physical blow. And yet,
Katie’s toes curled. Such intensity. She imagined him poised above her,
totally focused on her pleasure…
Enough!
As Jorlan and Hollybeth continued to interact, Katie forced herself to
focus on the situation and not the man. Every time the Englishwoman
spoke, Jorlan shifted uncomfortably in his chair and appeared both furious
and sad. He’d already accepted that this wasn’t going to work, hadn’t he,
but he was holding on anyway, just in case a miracle occurred.
“There is someone who can help you,” Hollybeth said next. “Someone
who will help you. Someone whose name is… I’m getting an impression of
the letter K. Yes, yes. Someone whose name begins with the letter K. A
woman. She will guide you home. Do you know someone whose name
begins with K?”
“Aye.” Hammer strike. Chair shift.
Another thing the woman could have overheard, since Jorlan had called
Katie katya.
“Good, good.” The self-touted psychic continued to study his hand. “I
predict much—”
“I do not need your predictions.” His irritation overcame his sadness
and obliterated his hope. “I need to know if you can open a vortex into
another world.”
Hollybeth’s brows furrowed together. “Why do you need someone else
to open a vortex? You have the power within yourself to go wherever you
wish.”
Huh. The fact that the woman had responded as if Jorlan wasn’t a total
whack job, well, she had to be the real deal. Or super committed to her
persona.
I’m leaning toward committed.
Jorlan glared at her. “The power I have is unstable. Unusable. Try
again.”
“You are wrong. If properly nourished, can gain control.”
His hope revived, glowing in his eyes once again. “How do I nourish
my power?”
“I have a powerful elixir able to—”
“Let me stop you there.” Katie had heard enough. There was no way
Jorlan would be drinking anything this con woman had prepared. “What
you’re looking for isn’t here, Jorlan. Trust me. Please.”
 His only answer was a slight, almost undetectable nod.
“Now, wait a sec—” Hollybeth began.
Katie smacked the table, the loud boom silencing her. “I’ve had enough
bull shi—crap, thanks. You’re a fake. A phony. You can’t help him any
more than a Keebler Elf could. Just admit it.” Katie didn’t mean to sound so
harsh, but damn it, she hated that Jorlan was so upset.
Hollybeth’s lips thinned, the upper one curling in. Her weathered cheeks
bloomed with color. From embarrassment or anger, Katie didn’t know.
“Everything I said is true,” the psychic ground out. “Only the heart can
guide a man home. With the help of my potion, of course.”
Argh! Katie jolted up, fist clutched tightly. “You can take your potion
and stuff it.”
Another sigh from Jorlan. “We are done here.”
Katie and Hollybeth quieted. Never had he used such a sad tone.
Head high, he pushed to his feet and strode out of the room, out of the
building, the bell tinkling.
Tossing a twenty on the table, Katie said, “Thanks for nothing.”
Hollybeth shrugged, unconcerned. “The price is usually fifty, but I’m
feeling generous.” Holly tucked the bill inside her bra. “So generous I’ll
even give you a freebie. It doesn’t take a seer to know that one is a
heartbreak waiting to happen. If I were you, I’d run and never look back.”

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER SIX

FEAR HAD NO PREJUDICE. It attacked male and female, young and old,
without distinction. Today, it attacked Jorlan. He felt as if he stood at the
brink of madness. If he failed to break the cure, if he failed to find a way
home, he would be trapped in stone, trapped in this world—forever. He’d
known the possibility existed, aye, but now it seemed likely.
He had a mere thirteen days of freedom left, which meant he was free
but imprisoned.
The sun warmed his face as he stood outside the “psychic’s” dwelling,
his legs braced apart, his arms locked behind his back and his muscles
clenched. The stance of a warrior before battle, as plans and strategies were
cemented.
This was the greatest battle of his life.
His first instinct had been correct. No magic had resided in the House of
Mysticism. Yet he’d foolishly clung to hope with the vise-grip of a
desperate man. He’d clung all the way to the end, when Hollybeth had
offered the elixir. The Druinn did not use elixirs. Nor did they use potions,
toxins or poisons. Unlike sorcerers, who did, the Druinn preferred to derive
their power from the stars.
Now the truth could not be denied. All Earth psychics might be as fake
as Katie suspected.
The irony was that the fraud inside this shabby building had actually
spoken a kernel of truth. He should have the power to go home. Magic
dwelled inside him, so much magic, but how could he tame it after all this
time?
Curse this world! And curse himself! He need only cast a simple spell
anyone with magic tendencies learned as a child.
 As he waited for Katie, Jorlan decided to try to open a portal. Mayhap
this particular skill had been honed over time?
He closed his eyes, raised his arms, and uttered the necessary words. Air
swirled around him, faster and faster. It was working! Just a few more—
The wind died down, and his hopes crashed. Still, he tried again.
Nothing. Again. Nothing.
Each of his failures—with Katie, the psychic and his own powers—
weighed heavily upon his shoulders. So heavily he dropped his arms to his
sides. Why did magic and spells come so easily to others yet prove so
difficult and disastrous for him?
He ground his teeth. White-hot breath scalded his nasal passages. Pride
demanded he do as he’d set out to do, break the curse and return home, and
kill Percen, avenging lost time, lack of companionship and unending
misery.
Pride demanded…and yet Jorlan could do nothing.
He uttered a dark, humorless laugh, frustration eating him up inside.
One minute stretched to another as he fought for some kind of inner peace.
A fruitless battle. He needed an outlet, something, anything to soothe the
razor-sharp edges of his emotions.
A soft, gentle hand touched his shoulder. “Are you okay?” Katie’s voice
caressed his ears and…aye, soothed him. “I know that didn’t go the way
you planned,” she said, “but we’ll find someone else. Someone legit. I
mean, before you appeared in my life, I considered magic a myth. Now here
you are. So, there has to be a real psychic out there and I promise we’ll visit
another place in the morning.”
He gazed down at her blunt-tipped nails, at her pale skin against his
own deeply tanned. For one raw moment, that touch made him feel as if
he’d harbored his hate and resentment for far too long, and he should
forgive and move on. As if he had nothing to fear. That everything would
work out for his good. Yet still he required an outlet, and she had just
provided him with one.
He drank in her loveliness. Intoxicating. “I like this softer side of yours,
katya.”
She snatched her hand back. “Oh, uh. I wasn’t making a pass or
anything.”
“This, I know.” He clasped her forearms and hauled her to him. Chest to
chest. Hardness to softness. “There’s still time to do so.”
 Twin pink circles painted her cheeks. “Why? Are you wanting to kiss
me?” she asked, breathless, sinking more snugly into him. What had
changed?
“I always want to kiss you.” This was the most encouragement she’d
given him. Though he knew he should wait until they were away from
prying eyes, eagerness got the better of him. He wanted to hold her so
tightly against him she could only part her lips and cry out his name.
“Jorlan,” she whispered.
Her carnal fragrance filled his head. He slid his hands up, up, and
combed his fingers through her hair, fisting the strands at her nape. Drawn
to her in a way he’d never been drawn to another, he tugged her closer until
nothing separated their bodies.
Her pupils expanded, and her color deepened.
Can’t stop this. He lifted her to her toes and lowered his head. Their lips
pressed together. She gasped, and he rolled his tongue against hers. So
incredibly sweet.
He hardened to the point of pain, every cell sizzling with lust. He
burned for more. For everything.
For her, and her alone.
She would be just as sweet when he feasted between her legs, he knew
it. Cannot wait.
Uttering a low, needy moan, she thrust her tongue against his. Like
throwing kindling on a fire.
He palmed and kneaded one of her breasts, rolling the nipple between
his fingers. “This is what I long to do to you every time I see you. Hear you.
Sense you,” he whispered. “This is what I craved as I lay upon your floor.
What I imagined as I stroked myself off while you slept.”
She whimpered, the sound one of pure need. That need played havoc
with his pace. Been without passion for far too long. Missed it. Need it.
Need more.
Frantic, frenzied, he moved his grip to her buttocks and lifted, allowing
her to wrap her legs around his waist. With a spin, he pinned her against the
brick wall.
The apex of her thighs cradled his erection, both tantalizing and
tormenting. The sensations… He’d never experienced anything so intense,
but he instinctively knew he would need it forevermore.
 No, no. This didn’t matter. Nothing mattered but the pressure building
inside him. Unable to remain still, he rolled his hips and ground against her.
A mimic of sex.
She shivered, plaintive moans leaving her faster and faster. Increasingly
ragged whimpers, too. More moans. Groans. Sighs. Mewls and purrs. He
marveled. With a simple kiss—liar! there’s nothing simple about it—he’d
destroyed her inhibitions.
“How wet are you?” How much do you want me, little witch?
“No talking.” She ran his bottom lip between her teeth. “Feels so good.
Don’t stop. Please, don’t stop.”
Pride swelled his chest. As she dragged her nails down his back, he
ached to rip off her drocs, free his throbbing shaft and plunge deep inside
her. He craved the clench of her inner walls as she chased her release.
He would give anything, pay any price, to feel her erupt with pleasure,
to watch her face light with wonder, to hear her scream his name as she
hurled over the edge.
I will give her one peak after another.
The heated thought torched what remained of his control. Get her to the
car. Get inside her.
Aye! He wrenched his mouth from hers and unhooked her legs from his
waist. Panting, every inhalation singeing his airways, he released her and
stepped back. Surely the most difficult task he’d ever completed.
At least she panted just as forcefully. Lust crackled in her irises, and
passion-fever bloomed in her cheeks.
Was she flushed beneath her clothing?
“Wasn’t ready to stop,” she muttered, reaching for him.
“Not stopping. Only pausing.” He took her hand and hauled her toward
the car.
A tactical error he would not make again. By the time they arrived at
their destination, she’d gone cold.
“Jorlan, I—” Katie closed her eyes. Opened them.
In an instant, the passionate haze that enveloped them evaporated, and
her expression changed. From Take me now to I’d rather burn in the fires of
Hel la Fir than be with you.
“I’m sorry,” she croaked.
“Did I frighten you?” Sweat beaded on his brow. He’d never begged for
anything; he hadn’t even begged Percen for mercy. But right now, Jorlan
was perilously close to hitting his knees and pleading for one more kiss.
“No, no. Nothing like that.” This time, she wrenched away from him.
She stood several feet away, awash in golden sunlight. “I just…I want to be
in love when I have sex.”
“And I want you to love me, so I don’t see a problem.”
She snapped, “I want the man to love me back. I want to know he
respects me, and that he’ll stick around.”
Tension stole through him. She wanted everything he couldn’t give her.
I might…fail. “Katie—”
“Being intimate will only complicate our relationship. I have no idea
how I’ll react afterward. I haven’t…I mean I can’t…I mean I don’t know
you well enough.”
“From now on, I will gladly tell you whatever you wish to know about
me.” As a young lad, he’d learned to keep certain information private.
Anything you revealed to others could be used against you at a later date.
Since he would only be here another thirteen days, if that, “a later date”
hardly mattered.
“No, you don’t understand.” Crisscrossing her arms across her middle,
she said, “Right now, you want to share personal details because you think
it’ll help you get into my pants. But I want a man who wants to share those
kinds of details because he likes me. And he’ll want to learn more about
me, too.”
Jorlan could not fault her reasoning. “I like you very much when you
kiss me.” Truth. “I like you when you make me sandwiches. I like you
when you smile and laugh.”
She began to soften, only to give a savage shake of her head.
Disappointment clawed at him. “Why do you fight so hard against what
you feel, katya?” Another lesson he’d received as a young lad—women
were fragile creatures, and they could not handle the rougher truths about a
warrior’s life. He’d never questioned the validity of such a mindset, until
now.
The woman had proven her strength every minute they’d spent together.
She wouldn’t be a pretty decoration in some man’s bed; she would be a
partner at his side.
A concept Jorlan had never entertained before but…
I am intrigued.
 Now she glanced away. To hide the emotion now glinting in her eyes?
Because she feared whether or not he could handle the truth?
Chest tightening, Jorlan settled two fingers beneath her chin and turned
her head so that she faced him once again.
In the amber of her eyes, he saw sadness, and it tore him up inside, guilt
spreading through him like wildfire. She had saved him, yet he had brought
her nothing but grief.
“Let’s forget this ever happened and go eat breakfast, okay?” she said,
rubbing her temples. “After work, I’ll do some research so we won’t end up
visiting another fraud.”
Forget? The image of her passion-glazed features had been seared into
his mind. Long would the sweet taste of her linger in his mouth. If the little
witch could easily push him from her thoughts…
I must find a way to brand myself there.

***

UNTIL I’M ALONE, I will not think about our kiss. I won’t!
Katie made her way through the café, chanting under her breath. The
enticing aroma of fresh gourmet coffee enveloped her. Lights were dimmed
for effect, the perfect contrast for the toffee-brown walls. A good-size crowd
filled the tables and chairs, multiple conversations blending together.
She’d discovered this place the same day she’d closed on Jorlan’s
Victorian, and she’d come here every morning since. The food was good,
the drinks divine and the employees entertaining.
Frances, the middle-aged owner with frizzy gray curls and a wealth of
freckles liked to bash the male species with anyone willing (or unwilling) to
listen. She’d been married three times, and now swore she’d die single.
Katie adored her.
“Hey, doll,” Frances called from behind the counter. “Have a seat, and
I’ll be right with you.”
Katie slid into the only available booth, the shiny purple vinyl
squeaking. Jorlan folded his long legs in the spot beside her, ensuring their
sides touched. His spatula/weapon had to be digging into his skin, but he
seemed too entranced with the goings-on around him to notice any
discomfort.
 A family of four sat to their right, arguing about consuming chocolate
this early in the morning. Katie agreed with the kids; there was never a bad
time for chocolate.
To the left, an older gentleman ate an omelet while reading a newspaper.
Next to him was a pretty businesswoman Katie had seen every visit; a
redhead in her early twenties, short, no more than five-one or -two, with
dimples in her cheeks, curves for days, and breasts the size of watermelons
that strained the buttons of her snow-white blouse. Katie’s sun-ripe
tomatoes paled in comparison, and she resisted the urge to slump her
shoulders.
As if sensing her scrutiny, Red glanced in Katie’s direction…before
noticing Jorlan and staring, wide-eyed and openmouthed.
Would the alien want the redhead?
Something dark and hot surged through Katie. And it wasn’t jealousy or
even pre-jealousy, just in case. Nope. Jorlan was her responsibility, that was
all, and she had to look out for his best interests. He had a ton of work to do
and couldn’t afford to be distracted by a beautiful redhead.
Still, Katie unconsciously fisted her hands as she fought the urge to
launch over the table, a catapult of kicking legs and swinging arms.
Deep breath in; deep breath out.
“Do you know her?” Jorlan asked, motioning to the redhead.
“No. Why do you ask?” Hoping for an introduction?
Jorlan scratched a hand over the dark stubble that shadowed his jaw.
“You look as though you are on the verge of committing cold-blooded
murder.”
Katie sputtered for a moment. “Who? What? Murder? Me?” She faked a
laugh, but it was too brittle to be believable.
Intrigued, Jorlan looked from the girl to Katie, once, twice. “She
reminds me of the females in Imperia,” he said, continuing to stroke his
chin, all evil villainesque. “Delicate. Fragile, even, as if she will shatter at
any second.”
“Nothing like Katie the she-beast, huh?” she muttered.
Jorlan frowned. “You think I prefer tempering my strength, never able
to lose myself in the female for fear I will cause lasting harm? You think I
am happy walking away only marginally satisfied?”
Her heart thudded against her ribs, and her mind whirled. Had he lied,
hoping to further Katie’s seduction, or had he told the truth?
 “You want your usual, doll?” The gruff female voice shattered the
moment.
Katie forced her gaze to leave Jorlan and focus on Frances, who stood
beside the table with a notebook in hand. “Yes, thank you. I’ll have my
usual.”
Another waitress came over and set two glasses of water on the table,
then raced away, never saying a word.
“What about the big guy?” Frances asked. “He wants an egg white
omelet and apple slices, too?”
“The big guy can speak for himself,” Jorlan said, his tone snippy.
“Well, la-di-da to you.” Frances rolled her eyes and gave Katie a
“what’s his problem” look. “So? What’ll it be? I’m just dying to hear what
you want.”
Frowning, he raised the menu and studied the words. A minute passed,
then another.
Francis tapped her shoe. She had a big heart for anyone in need, and
little patience for everyone else. “Sometime today, big guy. I got other
tables.”
With a kingly air, he dropped the menu onto the table. “I will have what
Katie is having.”
“No, he won’t,” Katie said with a shake of her head. He’d said warriors
like him ate meat, so, she’d get him meat. Let’s see, let’s see. Besides mayo
and mustard, what would an extra-large alien enjoy having for breakfast?
“He’ll have the meat lovers skillet with a double portion of bacon, a bagel
with strawberry cream cheese, biscuits and sausage gravy, cheesy grits and
three blueberry tarts.”
Frances looked up from her notepad, her expression incredulous.
“Anything else?”
“Yes. A pecan waffle.”
After making the notation in the notepad, Frances said, “You know
you’re gonna have to roll him out of here, right?” A devilish light appeared
in her dark eyes, and she smiled, the skin around her eyes crinkling.
Uh-oh. Katie sensed an incoming joke. Frances always had a new one.
“The night of their wedding, a young couple started making out in their
honeymoon suite,” Frances began. “As they undressed, the husband, a big,
burly man—” she leveled a pointed glance to Jorlan “—tossed his pants to
his bride, and said, ‘Here, put these on.’ Though confused by his request,
the wife did it. The waist of the pants could have looped around her twice,
that’s how big they were. So she told her hubby that she couldn’t wear his
pants, they were big. He told her that she was right, and to never forget it,
that he was the man and he wore the pants in their family.”
“I’m liking where this is headed,” Katie said with a grin. No doubt the
wife put the man “in his place.” Just not the place a guy like Jorlan would
expect.
Speaking of Jorlan, he nodded as if Frances had just spoken the gospel
truth.
“Oh, yeah. Just you wait. It gets better.” Frances took a deep breath
before continuing. “Irritated by her husband’s stupidity, the wife whipped
off her panties and tossed them at her husband, telling him to try them on.
Thinking to pacify her so he could still get lucky, he complied. When he
couldn’t get the little scrap of material past his thighs, he told his wife he
couldn’t get into her panties, after all. He was gloating, so she told him that
was the way it was gonna be until he changed his attitude.’”
Katie chuckled. “A modern-day superheroine. I can’t wait to share this
one with my brothers.”
Jorlan leaned back in his seat, pensive.
“I thought you’d like it,” Frances said. “Anyway, I thought a joke would
be the perfect icebreaker to give you my news. I’m sorry, doll face, but I’ll
be closing the café next month.”
“What! No, no, no,” Katie said, shaking her head.
“I’m gettin’ too old to run this place. But I still got bills to pay, so I’ll be
looking for a part-time job somewhere, if you know anyone hiring.”
“I do know someone—me!” Katie bounced in her seat while clapping.
“I’m in the process of restoring the old house on Gossamer Lane, and I
could use the help. And the entertainment. And the snacks.”
Frances looked between her and Jorlan, as if she feared she was getting
punked. “Really? Seriously? It wouldn’t be charity?”
Katie kind of hated when people acted as if charity was a bad thing. It
wasn’t. Help someone now, and they could help someone else later. And
one day, when you needed help, you’d have enough karma to cash in. It was
a beautiful cycle, not an embarrassing one.
“I seriously need the help.” Katie usually hired outside help for
renovations and restorations. For some reason, she’d been reluctant to hire
anyone for the Victorian, wanting instead to do the work herself.
 Lie! Not for “some reason.” Because of Jorlan. She hadn’t wanted
anyone else viewing his statue. Even then, she’d been proprietary toward
him.
“When would you need me to start?” Frances asked.
“Soonish.”
Beaming, the other woman said, “Let me think about it tonight and get
back with you. Okay?” With another meaningful glance at Jorlan, she
sauntered away, whistling happily.
Jorlan studied Katie, all curiosity and—dare she think it—admiration.
“You were kind to her.”
“You expected me to be rude?”
“Nay. You are usually so prickly—”
“What! No, I’m not,” she said…prickly. “Fine. I’m prickly. I’ll try to do
better.”
“I do not think you should change, Katie. I made a simple observation
about something I like.”
Yeah, right. “You’re saying you like when I’m prickly?”
“I’m saying there are many facets to you and I’m determined to learn
them all.”
She gulped. There’d been a note of challenge in his voice. Challenge…
and eagerness. She’d told him she wouldn’t sleep with him because she
didn’t know him, and he didn’t know her. The fact that he was taking the
time and making the effort to change that…
She shivered wildly. I’m in big trouble.

***

JORLAN TRIED TO focus on the people around him. During every minute of
his confinement, he’d dreamed of the day he would interact with other
living beings. And, the more he learned about Earth’s people and customs,
the better off he’d be. Yet…
As strong as he was, he did not have the strength to look away from
Katie. The more time he spent with her, the more she obsessed him.
Everything he learned about her, he liked.
“You’re staring,” she said.
“I know,” he replied, without looking away. “You make my eyes
happy.”
 Roses bloomed in her cheeks. He would have said more, but a
wondrous aroma drifted to his nostrils.
Frances, the aging servant, placed numerous dishes on the table, then
pushed them in his direction. His stomach rumbled.
Ravenous, he made short work of the entrées, devouring every crumb.
So good! He relished the different tastes and textures. Some items were
sweet, others savory. The light brown squares filled with dark blue spheres
were his favorite.
When he finished, Katie was only halfway done. A blessing. With each
gulp, she closed her eyes and uttered a wordless exclamation of ecstasy.
Considering dumping the food all over his body and playing the role of
all-you-can-eat buffet, he settled back in his seat to watch her.
Her next bite, she moaned louder, and he shot hard as steel.
Needing a distraction, he speared a piece of her…what had Frances
called it? Oh, aye. An omelet. He speared a piece to try.
“Well?” Katie asked. “What do you think?”
“Now that one need is satisfied, I need only a nice, leisurely pummeling
to feel complete,” he said. “Mayhap the redhead would be interested.”
Earlier, he’d gotten the distinct impression that Katie had been jealous.
Even the thought thrilled him.
Katie scowled, and he almost laughed. Whether she denied it or not, she
was jealous. ’Twas the action of a possessive woman, and one that filled
him with hope. Soon, I will have her.
Oh, aye, soon Katie’s body and heart would belong to him.
“Keep in mind,” she bit out, “that you have no money. Some women
only sleep with rich men.”
“I have an abundance of riches.”
“Maybe in Imperia, but not on Earth. And I don’t see how you’ll get any
without stealing it. No one but me will hire you, and really, any money you
make belongs to me. You know, to reimburse me for your food and shelter.
News flash. I’m not a woman who supports a man while he does nothing
except watch TV, lie on the couch and drink beer.”
“So you wish to hire me?” Interesting.
After a moment’s hesitation, she nodded. “Why not? The last house I
renovated didn’t sell right away, so I couldn’t buy my next property right
away, and my usual employees had to take other jobs. I could use the
muscle.”
 “Do you, by chance, wish me to labor in the bedchamber?” he teased.
“You wish.”
“I do. I really do.”
The corners of her mouth twitched. “Well, the work I’m offering has
nothing to do with being naked, getting naked or getting each other naked.”
He leaned toward her, his heavy eyelids sinking low. “Your dictate
leaves many wonderful possibilities, for at times, clothing offers just as
much, if not more, stimulation as flesh.” Aye, he could very well imagine
her with a long, shimmery blue gown draped over her curves, covering
every inch of her. Slowly he would raise the gown’s hem. Higher. Higher
still, slowly revealing her succulent calves, then her thighs and finally her—
“You march yourself out of that gutter, buddy.” He thought she
whispered, “Before I join you,” but couldn’t be sure. She slapped the table,
glasses clanging together. “You’ll paint, put up siding, lay tile, shingle or
whatever I happen to need done. Without complaint!”
Complain about physical labor? When his body hummed with
excitement and vibrated with too much energy? “After spending so much
time in inertia, exercise holds great appeal. I will happily do whatever you
require of me.”
“Thank you,” she said with a half grin.
A half grin he cherished. It was genuine and sweet, unlike any grin he’d
ever gotten from another woman. Perhaps because she was the first one
he’d treated as an equal versus a servant?
“The work I will do. You have done the same tasks in the past?” he
asked.
“Oh, yes. Restoring homes is one of my passions. There’s just
something so satisfying about breathing new life into an old building.”
His chest did that clenching thing again. The fact that she enjoyed
working with her hands, something females were forbidden to do in
Imperia, that she fixed what was broken rather than discarding it in favor of
something new, well, it told so much about her character. What man
wouldn’t want one so loyal at his side?
“Come on.” She placed a small green sheet of paper onto the table
surface. “We’ve got a lot of work to do today.” She slid across the seat and
stood.
He picked up the paper, and she said, “This is money. The way we pay
for things here.”
 After putting the money back, he pushed to his feet. Their gazes locked
for one heartbeat before she turned away and headed for the exit. Jorlan had
only taken four steps when someone said, “Excuse me,” and grabbed his
forearm from behind.
He spun, clutching the spatula hilt, ready to unsheathe it at a moment’s
notice. The redhead smiled up at him.
He relaxed his warrior stance. “Do you require aid, female?”
“Require…oh. No, I just wanted to say hello,” she said, her voice
throaty and seductive. “I’m Heather.”
’Twas exactly the type of reception he usually received from the fairer
sex—zero prickle. If he showed the slightest interest, she might do
whatever he asked. Yet he felt nothing, not even a faint stirring of lust.
And, now that he thought about it, he remembered being bored by the
females of his world. There’d been no challenge. No excitement.
To be polite, he returned her smile. “’Tis my pleasure to meet you,
Heather. I am called—”
“Oh, I know who you are. You’re Hunter Rains, the self-help guy.
Twelve steps to a better you, and all that. I recognized you the moment I
saw you.” She looked down at her feet, suddenly shy. “Anyway, what I’m
trying to say is that I’ve read your book and I know you’re from overseas.
I’d be glad to show you around Dallas.”
Katie moved to Jorlan’s side, wearing a blank expression. “You going
with Heather or staying with me, Hunter? ’Cause I’m leaving in three…
two…bye.” She waved and skipped away, as if she hadn’t a care.
He called, “Wait for me, Katie.” Was he smiling? He thought he was
smiling. Her jealousy was delicious.
She didn’t slow and she didn’t face him. She just raised her hand and
extended her middle finger. An affirmation? A symbol she would wait one
minute, but no longer?
Heather never even glanced Katie’s way; she just blinked up at Jorlan.
“You should totally come with me. We’ll have fun, I promise.”
Jorlan faced the little redhead again—and marveled. He, a man who had
been without bodily contact for more than nine hundred spans, was unable
to summon a single shred of awareness for any woman save Katie since
obtaining his freedom.
“I thank you for your interest,” he said, “but I want the blonde.” More
than he’d ever wanted another.
 The truth hit him, and he jolted. He did. He wanted Katie, not just
because of the curse, but because of Katie herself.
“But she’s so…tall. And plain!”
“Plain?” He chuckled. “Her beauty leaves me breathless.”
Heather released a disappointed sigh. “It was worth a try, I guess.”
With nothing left to say, he followed the path Katie had taken. She had
indeed waited for him inside the car.
She glared at him. He smiled at her.
“Look,” she grumbled. “If you want her—”
“I do not want her, and I told her so.”
“Oh.” Katie’s shoulders wilted. “Okay, then. That’s good—okay news
that doesn’t affect my emotions in the slightest. But, uh, why did you reject
her?”
“I want you.” And I will have you.

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER SEVEN

Imperia

PERCEN DE LOCKE HOBBLED across the ancient sands of the Druinn

stronghold, a haven situated in the heart of Imperia, invisible to mortal
trespassers. Moonlight spilled upon the crystal grains, creating an
illuminating sphere of mystique. The fragrance of gartina and elsment
infused a cool, moist breeze, ruffling his dark locks of hair. Stars twinkled
from their perch in the heavens, so close he had only to reach out to hold
their essence in his hands.
What a mockery this beautiful refuge made of his emotions.
His limbs shook with hatred and rage. He was barely able to move his
legs one after the other as he paced. Only yestereve he had cursed Jorlan en
Sarr inside an impenetrable wall of stone. The warrior had stood here, the
centerpiece of the Druinn sands, yet now he was gone.
Gone!
Percen sensed his mother’s magic, smelled the flowery scent of her
perfume, and knew beyond a doubt she was responsible, that she had either
set Jorlan free or sent him away.
Hands balled into fists, he closed his eyes. Using his mind’s mystical
foresight, he searched through the lingering magic for answers. Energy
coated the air in layers, each layer a different color, depending on the spell
or magic used at a particular time. The most recent spell churned on top,
giving off a reddish hue. ’Twas not a spell that worked beside another, but a
spell that created and drew on other energies—a spell that opened a vortex.
He knew the truth then. His mother had sent Jorlan away in an attempt
to save the cursed warrior from Percen’s wrath. The knowledge smoldered
inside him, blistering his organs.
 “Why do you torment yourself so?” a soft, feminine voice said from
behind him.
Percen halted midstride. Tiny white crystals scattered around his feet as
he whipped around. A dark-haired beauty stood proudly before him, a
cerulean-colored amulet at her throat. The center of the jewel pulsed with
the life of an ocean. The woman’s regal shoulders were squared with
concern. Feigned concern, he knew, for she cared nothing about him.
“Did you come to gloat?” he snapped. “Your actions have delayed my
vengeance.”
“Nay. I do not gloat.” Her expression remained unreadable as she
reached out to touch his shoulder. His simmering glare stopped her. She
waited a whisper of time, then dropped her hand to her side. “It does not
give me joy to see you hurting.”
“Do not act as if you care about me. I know where your affections lie.
The golden child. The perfect one.”
Her eyes, pale blue just like his own, darkened with sadness. “I am your
mother. Why do you believe I care for one of my sons but not the other? I
have the same devotion for you that I have for Jorlan. Before, now, and
always.”
“Liar!” He closed the distance, his rage hungry. With no real warning,
he struck her, hard, putting all his strength behind the blow. Her head
snapped to the side, and a small trickle of blood flowed from the corner of
her lip. “You know better than to lie to me, Mother.” He spoke slowly,
softly. Harshly.
His ears rang in the ensuing silence as he watched her cheek redden and
swell. He had put that mark there, and the knowledge cut deeply,
shamefully.
He turned then, no longer able to look upon her, and held his breath, his
chest burning, agonized. Better that than breathing in her sweet perfume.
She sniffled, and he knew tears pooled in her eyes. His shame
redoubled.
“I am devoted to you,” she said, her voice trembling. “You are my son.
A piece of me. I love you, Percen. So very much.”
How long had he waited to hear such a wondrous declaration? Forever,
it seemed. Yet, her words meant nothing. Less than nothing! “Your actions
belie your words, Mother.”
“’Tis not true. I’m fighting to save your soul.”
 “Too late!” Percen had thrilled as he’d turned Jorlan to stone…just as
his own heart had been turned to stone ages ago. “When my father died, and
you wed the mortal king, you took Jorlan with you and deserted me as if I
were garbage.”
She flinched. “I left you with the Druinn because I love you. How can
you not see that? I could not take you from them, knowing you were
destined to become their high priest.”
“What does power or sovereignty matter without love? All I’ve ever
desired is the feel of your arms around me, comforting me. The sound of
your voice soothing me to sleep. But you denied me those things as surely
as you granted them to Jorlan.”
Jorlan, who could do no wrong in her eyes.
Jorlan, who had never known a moment of pain or suffering. Until now.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, her voice as broken and disjointed as the
winds of third season. “I thought I was doing what was best. What was right
for all involved.”
“No.” He cut her off, scowling. “You did what was easiest for you.”
“Percen, please stop this. I love you. I love you, son.”
Again, those words. How they cut into his soul, making him bleed
inside, leaving a hollow ache where his heart had once resided. “As I said,
your actions belie your words. You claim to love me now, and yet you sent
Jorlan away, preventing me from obtaining my greatest desire.”
Her eyes closed; her lips pressed together. “Aye. ’Twas I who sent him
away.”
A long silence stretched.
“Tell me, Mother,” Percen said. “If I give you another chance, will you
at last prove your love for me?”
A pause heavy with tension. Then, “Whatever you wish, ’tis yours,” she
whispered.
He dared not hope. “Prove it. Give me the statue. You never should have
taken him from me. Never should have denied me my vengeance.”
“I will give you anything…except that.” A shudder nearly rocked her off
her feet. “Never that.”
“Curse you!”
At last, she met his gaze. He pierced her with the full force of his fury,
but she continued to hold his stare with a proud tilt of her chin. “Jorlan is
my son, just as you are, and I would not see him suffer for my sins.”
 For his most hated enemy to receive such words of devotion…it cut
deeper than a double-edged talon. “By sending him to another world, you
punished me. Does it please you to see me suffer?”
“I cherish your happiness, just as I cherish his. I cannot allow you to
sentence your brother to a life of imprisonment.” A dark angel amid white
sands, she sank to her knees and scooped a handful, letting the grains sift
between her fingers. Tears rained upon the crystal grains, creating mud.
“Had I the power to break his curse, I would have done so instead of
sending him away.”
Percen’s nostrils flared. Throughout his childhood, he had prayed for
this woman’s attention, had craved it with every fiber of his being. But she
had not returned for him. Not one time.
He supposed he shouldn’t blame Alana for abandoning him among her
people. What mother could adore a son so hideous to gaze upon? He knew
his scarred, haggard exterior was, at times, too much to bear.
’Twas another reason he despised Jorlan so passionately. His brother
possessed the beauty and strength of a warrior. A brawny, handsome giant
who felled his enemies with a masterful skill few possessed. Jorlan received
praise for his every action; Percen received rebukes.
“He is your family, Percen,” she said softly. “Set aside your animosity
and free him.”
“He is my greatest foe, Mother. I will find him and I will bring him back
on my own. He will spend the rest of his eternity only able to watch me as I
destroy everything he’s built.”
She hung her head as if ashamed. “You need a mate.” Absently, she
scooped another handful of sand. “Someone to heal the hurts within you.”
“What woman would have me?” He laughed, the sound harsh and bitter
in his ears. “What woman would have a man whose skin is marred with so
many scars and his body twisted and bent?”
She answered without hesitation. “What does appearance matter? You
have the potential to be a wonderful man, if only you change course.”
“You lecture me about potential? You, who dared to—”
“Do not say it.” She jerked up her chin. “Do not voice your next
words.”
“You mean do not dare to speak of your sins for all the Druinn to hear? I
know what you did, Mother. I know what you did to the mortals—”
 “Percen,” she barked, once again cutting him off. She stood, her spine
ramrod straight. “That is enough.”
Aye. Enough—for now. When the perfect opportunity presented itself,
then. That moment. He would tell everyone.
He lifted his head to gaze at the heavens. Twin moons glowed, casting
beams of violet light. The third moon was hidden by clouds. Why could life
not be simple? A man lived, loved and died. No more, no less. Instead, he
lived, he suffered and he continued suffering.
“I will keep your secrets,” he said, “if you tell me where you sent
Jorlan.”
Her eyelids fluttered close, as if she prayed for patience. “I sent him far
away where a loving maiden will one day set him free.”
“No, Mother.” Percen slammed his fist against his palm. “You
condemned him to a more painful death. Because, if some lovely maid does
free him, I will kill her while he watches.”
She studied his features, shadows dancing in her irises. “How can you
be this way?” she asked gently. “You are using your own hurts as an excuse
to hurt others.”
“You are right. I am hurting others due to my own hurts. And I’m not
finished. Mayhap I’ll use the stone spell…on you.”
Aye. Oh, aye. As stone, she would not hurt him with words. Could not
leave him alone and destitute. Could not choose Jorlan over him once again.
The color drained from her cheeks as she backed away. “Percen, do not
do this.” When she clasped the amulet around her neck, intending to portal
to another plane, he curled and waved his fingers to release a stream of
magic, stopping her.
His powers far exceeded hers, all because she’d left him with the
Druinn. “I will give you time to think about your past actions and choices.
Mayhap then you will begin to understand the damage you have caused.”
Panic glazed her features. “Percen—”
“Just remember,” he interjected with a grin. “’Tis I, and I alone, who
has the power to free you from this spell. One of life’s greatest ironies, I
suppose—the same person who has harmed you is the very one who can
save you.”
Tremors shook her. “Percen—”
“Be silent!” Not allowing himself to consider the ramifications, he held
out his hand and summoned his scepter. The weapon appeared in his grip.
He lifted it high in the air, the jeweled hilt glistening in the moonlight,
casting shafts of colored light onto the sand.
“Flesh and blood thou may be,” he intoned, focusing his energy onto his
mother, “but stone is all eyes shall see.”
“Do not do this,” she rushed out, her tone laced with horror.
He shut his ears to her pleas. Had she listened to his pleas all those
spans ago? Nay. She had been eager to leave him. Scowling, he finished the
curse. “Cold as marble, hard as rock, with this curse I thee lock. The Stone
Queen you shall forever be, until my life’s blood sets you free.”
Wind burst forth, as if a prince of darkness had huffed and puffed to
blow the Druinn temple down. Because there was no roof, he saw every
lightning strike that erupted in the sky before crashing the sands. Bit by bit,
Alana’s flesh hardened into silver stone. There. ’Twas done. A beautiful
stone enchantress.
Her expression seemed to proclaim: You are my greatest
disappointment.
I know, Mother. I know.
He did not feel the ease of suffering he’d expected. Nay, he felt a new
tide of shame, now mixed with sorrow and regret. For so long, he’d yearned
for this woman’s love. Now, after this? He would never get it.
Sometimes sacrifices had to be made.
His shoulders slumped. Overhead, storm clouds gathered, stars slowly
disappeared. A roll of thunder echoed. It was almost as if his emotions had
changed the weather.
“Time passes differently from one world to the next,” he told his
mother. “One day has passed in Imperia, but how many days have passed
for Jorlan? Was he ever freed? Was the curse fully broken? Either way, I
will bring him home. If need be, I will curse him again. He will spend
eternity at your side. Just the way you wished, eh?”
Leaving Imperia, even for a short time, was not wise for sorcerers like
Percen. He drew the bulk of his power from the land itself. What’s more, he
knew something dark hovered just over the horizon. Something the citizens
were not prepared to face. He did not know what it was, a war, mayhap, but
he knew many lives would be lost soon.
Even still, he would leave. His vengeance meant more than the safety of
his world.
 Raindrops fell, gently at first, but gaining in intensity. Droplets ran
down his mother’s cheeks like tears.
Percen dropped to his knees and pressed his forehead against her
midriff, wishing she could wrap her arms around him.
“Do not worry, Mother. You will not be alone for long. I will search the
galaxies, if need be, and I will find him. Then, I will bring him back to
you.” Broken and destroyed. “You have my word.”

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER EIGHT

WHILE KATIE MANEUVERED the enchanted transportation along winding

roads, Jorlan fought the urge to whisper sweet, seductive somethings in her
ear. Sunlight streamed through the window to paint her in a golden glow.
Her pale locks appeared as soft and smooth as silk. He found his curiosity
about her life, her hopes and dreams, likes and dislikes, was just as strong
as his lust.
“What kind of male did you prefer before my arrival?” he asked. As
soon as he spoke, he wished to snatch back his words. The thought of her
with another male caused a dark, primitive blaze of jealousy-tinged
possessiveness to uncurl deep inside him.
She shifted in her seat and tightened her grip on the wheel. “That’s a
difficult question to answer.”
“It is difficult to describe appearances and personality traits?”
Another shift. “Well, I never liked any of them enough. If that makes
any sense.”
Aye, it made sense. It also doused the blaze. “You have never been in
love.”
“Never. What about you? And what were your dates like?”
“I was in love only once, but I was a foolish youth who did not see past
the woman’s pretty face.” But not even Maylyn had affected him as
strongly as Katie.
He’d thought of Maylyn often, but not constantly. He’d wanted her, but
not obsessively. His emotions for her had been as gentle as their
lovemaking. Afterward, he’d entertained no urge to cherish her, or share
anything more than his bed. Katie never left his mind. He wanted to cherish
her. And ravish her. Hard. He felt anything but gentle. Nay, he wished to
dominate her.
 Own her.
He simply had to have her. Her lips were so sweet, her scent so
delectable and her body a perfect fit for his.
If he’d had the time, he thought he would have taken things as slowly as
she preferred. Thought he would have waited forever to have her—however
long she required. But he couldn’t take things slowly, and he couldn’t wait.
He could have a right-now with her, or he could have a forever without
her.
Only a fool would choose now over long term.
Or, perhaps his mindset needed adjusting? Perhaps only a fool would
choose long term over the present, as no one was ever guaranteed a
tomorrow.
“To be honest,” he said, “I never took the time to get to know the
women I wanted.”
“Because their place was in your bed, and not your life?”
“Such was my mindset, aye.”
“And now?”
“Now I crave more.” Everything she had to give? “You mentioned
having brothers.”
“Yep. I have five, and they are all older than me. They are rough, crude,
sometimes rude, but they’ve always got my back, and I love them dearly.
What about you?”
“I have one brother. He is older than me as well as the one who cursed
me into stone.”
“Ouch. That’ll certainly make family barbecues interesting, though,
huh?”
Barbecues? “We were still lads when our father died in battle. Our
mother soon remarried. She took me to her new home, but left Percen
behind to train with the Druinn. From then on, he wanted nothing to do with
me.”
“I’m sorry. That sucks.”
“To this day, he does not understand that he got the better end of the
bargain. Our mother’s new family was not kind.” Whippings had been the
norm. Until Jorlan started fighting back.
To his shock, and delight, she reached over to pat his hand. “I lost my
mother at a young age, too, and I’m sorry for your pain.”
 “I…thank you.” He liked this. Liked sharing his life and learning more
about hers. Liked the give-and-take. Liked knowing someone understood
him. Truly a first.
They reached their destination: the house with the garden. The only
home he’d known for centuries. He both missed it and despised it.
Katie parked in front of the home, emerged, and he followed suit. The
sun heated the land to a boil. Sweat beaded all over him, quickly dampening
his clothes.
They rushed to the porch and entered the much cooler domicile side by
side.
When he caught himself staring at Katie as she gathered certain tools,
he realized he had work of his own to do. Not on the house, but himself. If
he did not rid himself of his fascination with her, he would experience one
of two fates.
1. He returned to stone, and had to watch her live her life without him.
2. He returned home, free of the curse, and had to live without her.
Wait. There was a third and fourth possibility.
3. He returned to stone, and she left him, wherever he happened to be.
4. He returned home, and took Katie with him.
Despite the chill in the air, he began to sweat more profusely. Katie…in
Imperia… Would she agree to leave her family behind? Probably not, and
he couldn’t blame her. Would his people accept her? Again, probably not.
They would expect her to act as other females, keeping her head bowed, her
eyes downcast, never speaking unless spoken to. A fate worse than death for
one such as Katie.
Now he had only to figure out which fate he desired.

***

KATIE SERIOUSLY CONSIDERED drop-kicking herself. Again and again today,

she’d softened toward Jorlan. So much so she’d decided to throw caution to
the wind and kiss the air from his lungs.
He’d been so charming. So interested in her life. He’d experienced
highs, and he’d experienced lows. For both, she’d wanted to hug him close
and never let go.
Finally, she allowed herself to dissect the kiss. Not fully. Not yet. That
would come later, when she was alone. For now, she let herself consider the
end result.
Drumroll please…
Five gold stars! Expert skill (of course). Amazingly soft lips. And out-
of-this-world taste! As sweet as cotton candy.
Her body had ached so desperately, she’d considered shoving him into a
shadowed corner, ripping off their clothes and gifting him with her
virginity.
Thank goodness they’d stopped! She never should have kissed him in
the first place. If you didn’t take the first hit, you wouldn’t crave the drug; it
was as simple as that.
But she had taken that first hit. She knew he could make her feel good.
No, great. No, amazing. She yearned for more.
“What thoughts roll through your mind, katya? You seem out of sorts.”
Jorlan leaned his massive frame against the wall and crossed his arms.
Heat scorched her cheeks. “Oh, uh…nothing.” Truth! Right this second,
her thoughts revolved around nothing but panic.
He straightened, intrigued, and closed the distance. When he stood
before her, he clasped a lock of her air and brushed the strands against her
lips. “Now I really must know.”
Shivers plagued her. “I just…I like this new side of you.” He’d shown
her kindness and consideration, he’d displayed curiosity about her life, and
he’d respected her wishes anytime she’d voiced a want, even when he’d
hoped for something different.
His gaze locked with hers, and a long, protracted moment passed in
silence, the air around them crackling with electricity.
She stayed exactly as she was, afraid to sever the tentative bond that
was growing between them, but also afraid not to sever it. She didn’t know
which would be better for her, couldn’t think straight.
Her cell phone beeped, shattering the moment. Jorlan stiffened and
stepped back, then clasped his hands together, brisk and formal, as if they’d
never shared such an intimate moment.
She checked the screen and pursed her lips. The battery needed to be
charged. Of course.
“What labor would you have me do?” Jorlan asked. “I am eager to
begin.”
“And I’m eager to watch you.” Crap! What an admission to make. An
admission he hopefully did not understand…even though his eyelids had
just dipped to half-mast. “I mean, yep, I’m ready to work, too. Let’s see,
let’s see. Oh! I know. I will lo—like you forever if you move the large rocks
that line the edge of the driveway to the back fence. It’s a tedious and
backbreaking chore, and I hate to ask you to do it—okay, that’s a lie. I love
asking you to do it because it means I won’t have to do it later. Sorry.” She
shrugged, all, What are you gonna do?
The blue depths of his eyes seemed to ripple like the surface of an
ocean, whenever a rock skipped over the surface. “It will be my pleasure to
do this for you, katya.” He strode to the door, purring his next words. “I’m
certain it will be your pleasure to watch me.”
With the teasing taunt lingering in the air, Katie found herself alone.
Alone.
Just like that, her lungs opened up and she sucked in a mouthful of air.
Until this moment, she hadn’t realized she’d held her breath as he’d exited,
already mesmerized by his fluid grace. And yeah, okay, his butt. What?
That thing was a work of art.
I’m in trouble, aren’t I?
She sank onto a pile of floor tiles, rested her chin upon her upraised
knees and finally let herself relive their kiss in all its shining glory. Gah!
How had she gone from not thinking about it, to pondering the end result, to
performing a mental autopsy?
Did the answer really matter? Her brain chanted, Kiss, kiss, kiss!
With a sigh, Katie let her thoughts descend into her memory gutter. No,
gutter wasn’t the right word. Her memory playhouse? Yeah. Better.
When Jorlan had wrapped his arms around her waist, his sandalwood
scent seducing her senses, she hadn’t wanted to run, as she’d done before. A
shocker. She’d wanted to feel and touch him…wanted him to feel and touch
her, too. And oh, how he had touched her.
He’d stroked his tongue against hers, sending scalding heat through
every inch of her. The world had faded to black, her awareness centered on
Jorlan, and only Jorlan. Desire had coiled deep in her belly, tightened her
nipples and pooled between her legs. She’d been completely lost for him.
Lost, as if she no longer existed as a separate being. She’d reveled in every
moment and hungered for more. More of the glorious sensations, the
consuming ache, the unwavering need. Her every cell had come alive, each
nerve ending aching for a climax.
 She’d been kissed before. Of course she’d been kissed. For some reason
she didn’t want to ponder, this one had been different from any of the others
and far more than a simple meeting of lips. This had struck her as a
communion of souls, as if the chemistry had been exactly right for the first
time ever.
If a kiss had affected her so strongly, how much more would sex affect
her?
I’m going to sleep with him, aren’t I?
No longer could she deny the inevitable. If she continued to resist him,
she would spend the rest of her days wondering about what could have
been. Besides, she’d played things safe with Jorlan so far and look where
that had gotten her. Frustrated and unsure. Confused. Needy. Desperate.
Why not experience the ultimate pleasure while she had the chance?
Though a virgin, she’d done her research. Maybe a little too much
research. She’d read books, both fiction and nonfiction, and watched a ton
of porn. But only the classy ones!
Fine! She’d also watched the ones with excellent plots. And those with
no plot. What’s more, she had a mental list of sexual positions she longed to
try. Every single position left her vulnerable and at the mercy of her lover.
Pinned. Suspended. Tied. She kinda sorta suspected she had the traits of a
submissive, but only in bed.
To Katie, there was just something incredibly sexy about a powerful
man taking charge of her pleasure. Not that she would do anything and
everything her lover said. No, oh, no. He’d have to work for her
capitulation.
Just the thought caused her mouth to curve in a languid smile, carnal
shivers raining down her spine.
Her phone beeped, a bomb blast in the silence; startled, she nearly
screamed. A whole hour had passed, and all she’d done was think?
Goodness gracious.
I should fire myself. And yet, she felt more lighthearted than she had in
weeks. Months. Years? Katie grabbed everything she’d need to remove
linoleum in the upstairs bathroom. A floor scraper, a chisel, a hammer, a
pair of pliers, a utility knife, a putty knife, a flat pry bar and a heat gun.
Next up, safety gear. Gloves, knee pads and a clear face mask.
Two hours later, Jorlan joined her. “I have finished my task,” he said,
his pride in his accomplishment evident.
 Only halfway done herself, she removed her mask and focused on him.
Someone save me. Her knees went weak. He’d removed his shirt, sweat
glistening on his ripped bronzed chest. Multiple scratches marred his arms
and abdomen while actual gashes covered his hands. Those sharp-edged
rocks had not been kind to him. Dirt streaked his brow. He looked like a
primitive mythological god, strong and confident and oh, so tempting.
Soon, she would have all that strength above her…or behind her…as he
surged deep, deep inside her feminine core.
Her mouth watered.
“What would you have me do next?” he asked.
“Why don’t you cut up the bigger pieces of linoleum and stuff them in
the trash bag over there?” she suggested, suddenly nervous. “As you work,
we can…talk.” Maybe she’d mention the sex thing, maybe she wouldn’t.
He canted his head to the side, watching her for a protracted moment.
Then he said, “I will do exactly as you have suggested.”
His tone…so satisfied, as if he’d read her mind.
Wait. Could he? Panic sparked. “Can you read my mind?”
He frowned. “I wish, but no.” Arching a brow, satisfaction deepening,
he said, “However, your enlarged pupils give you away.”
Stupid pupils!
As he stacked the linoleum and sat before the pile to cut, she said, “Tell
me about your family. And your past. Tell me everything!”
For a moment, he stared at the wall just above her shoulder, perhaps
seeing through the obstacle, through the passage of time and galaxies to his
“other” life.
“My father, Gui en Sarr, was once the great lord of Imperia.”
“What’s a Great Lord?”
“The equivalent of a king.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold up. Your father was a king?” Well. No
wonder Jorlan expected his every command to be instantly obeyed. He was
freaking royalty.
“Aye, but the throne will never be mine.”
“Because it belongs to your older brother?”
“Nay. Where I am from, the eldest son does not always inherit his
father’s title. Anyone, from any family, any land, may be selected.”
Her brow puckered with confusion. “Does the father choose who will
inherit before he dies? What if the father died suddenly, before he’d
chosen?”
“A great lord isn’t chosen by a human at all, but by the Kyi en Tra
Crystal,” he explained. “Upon the death of a great lord, the crystal
summons specific males. Usually a hundred or so. The males who heed the
summons journey to the palace to touch the ancient stone, for whoever
causes the crystal to burn bright with crimson becomes the one true king
until his death.”
She could just imagine the impatient hopefuls standing in line, waiting
for their turn with the stone. “So you didn’t give the crystal color?”
He chuckled. “Do not look so sad for me, katya. My uncle, Challann,
took the throne upon my father’s death. He is a good and just man. The
people adore him, as did—do—I. I often wonder if he still lives.”
A pang lanced through her chest. He’d been without his family for so
long. Too long. “You would have made a spectacular king, I know it.”
A negligent shrug lifted his shoulders. “The people would not agree
with you. A great lord must wield control in all ways, yet I have always
struggled with my magic.”
Using the scraper on a strip of dried glue, she said, “The magic thing
bothers you.”
“Aye. I inadvertently blow things up, and I don’t know why. No one
knows why.” He shrugged again. “In Imperia, I may not be a great lord, but
I am a man of consequence, a warrior of great ability and strength. Here I
am only a man who must rely on a woman to see to my needs.”
Ahh. The circumstances must eat away at his pride.
Stretching out her long legs, Katie kneaded the muscles in her lower
back then leaned against the wall. Cool tile seeped through the thin material
of her shirt. “What was your favorite thing to do in Imperia? Besides
bedding all the subservient wenches, that is.”
“Training with my army.”
Yeah, that would have been Katie’s favorite thing, too. Not the training,
but watching the training. Hello, beefcake.
“If you return and there’s an awful king in power, could you challenge
him for the crown,” she asked, “even without the crystal’s approval?”
“I could kill him, aye, but I could not take the throne. No one would
serve me.” How sad he looked.
He wanted to be king; she’d bet her last dollar on it. “Have you ever
thought about, oh, I don’t know, staying here in Texas and starting your
own royal family here?” She asked the question with zero inflection in her
voice, while she pretended to toy with a power tool. Meanwhile, her heart
raced.
“I haven’t…until today.”

***

HOPE SHIMMERED IN Katie’s gaze, warming Jorlan. She wanted him to stay!
Oh, she hadn’t admitted it aloud or anything like that, but that was okay.
The desire shone in her eyes.
He had stepped inside this chamber, certain he would face another
rejection, another disappointment. Instead, they’d continued sharing details
about their lives, a bond solidifying between them. A tentative bond they’d
created with their kiss.
“Tell me about your brother,” she said, veering toward a safer topic.
He let her do it—for now. “Percen is the most powerful sorcerer in
Imperia, which is why he leads the Druinn.” Percen… His image flashed in
Jorlan’s mind. They were the same height, possessed the same black hair
and blue eyes. That was where their similarities ended.
A wealth of facial scars caused Percen’s left eye to droop lower than the
right. His nose was bent at an odd angle, his body broken and twisted.
Injuries he’d received as a child, when he’d saved Jorlan from a fire in the
stables. They’d decided to ride in the middle of the night, had snuck out of
the palace. Jorlan accidentally knocked over a torch and within minutes, the
flames had spread into an inferno.
Jorlan had rushed around, doing everything in his power to save the
animals. A wood beam engulfed in flames had fallen on him, pinning him in
place. Percen had used every drop of his magic to free and heal Jorlan and
passed out. Jorlan managed to drag him to safety, and tried using his magic
to heal his brother.
He caused permanent damage instead.
Guilt and shame rose like a tide inside him. He’d loved the boy, and
he’d ruined his life.
Next had come their father’s death, then their mother’s move.
He told the story to Katie, taking comfort in her reactions. Soft puffs of
air. Watering eyes. Sniffles. A hand pressed over her head.
 “You were a child, and probably frantic,” she said, “yet it’s obvious you
still blame yourself for something you did in the heat of a moment.”
“I do blame myself. As I should. Because even then, I knew better. I
should have fetched our mother, or another sorcerer.”
“If Percen’s magic had caused permanent damage in you, would you
have forgiven him?”
“Of course,” he offered without hesitation.
“So why can’t you forgive yourself?”
He had no answer for her, so he continued with the story. “On the eve of
my eighth span, I missed Percen so much, I decided to visit the Druinn
without our mother’s permission. She’d been too busy planning some kind
of celebration to notice when I snuck away from the palace. For three hours
I traveled, imagining the blessed reunion with every step. How Percen’s
face would light with happiness, how he would take me in his arms and
swing me around with joyful abandon.”
Then Jorlan entered the white sands of the Druinn.
“What happened?” she asked.
“Instead of happiness, Percen evinced a dark cloud of hatred. He
pushed, kicked and ridiculed me in front of the other Druinn, even spit in
my face.”
Jorlan had left then, and had never gone back, because he hadn’t wanted
to cause his brother any more distress.
“I’m sorry, Jorlan. That must have hurt terribly,” Katie said, sympathy
thickening her voice. “You both lost so much.”
Loss he knew Katie understood. “When did you lose your mother?”
“Shortly after my ninth birthday.” Trembling, she wiped away a single
tear with the back of her hand. “I still miss her. I don’t know what I would
have done if she’d left me willingly.”
That Katie could hurt for someone she’d never met—no matter that the
person was his greatest enemy—touched Jorlan to the very core of his
being. Not many people developed and embraced their empathic side in
such a way. While his Katie strove for a hard, warriorlike demeanor, she
possessed the soft, caring heart of a woman.
The rest of the world faded. He longed to explore this side of her.
Her lips began moving again, words escaping, but he missed them all.
You’re staring at her lips, those lush pink lips. Stop.
 Images filled his mind. Katie, sucking his shaft like candy, her pale hair
spilling over his legs. Need uncurled inside him, reminding him of a lion
awakening from an afternoon nap. His muscles clenched. If he did not
distract himself soon…now…he would be ripping off her clothes.
“Tell me more about your life,” he barked.
She frowned and tilted her head to the side, studying him. Whatever she
saw caused her gaze to heat. A slow, seductive smile nearly stopped his
heart.
What had provoked this change in her? What thoughts consumed her
beautiful mind?
After maneuvering to her hands and knees she crawled toward him. He
expected her to stop halfway…she kept going. Expected her to stop out of
range…she kept going. He did not expect her to stop directly in front of him
and brush her nose against his…but she did, and he hardened in an instant.
“I was born November 16,” she said. “Blue is now my favorite color,
and when I die, I want it to be from pleasure.” That said, she slanted her
mouth over his and sucked on his tongue.
He jolted, then he groaned and took charge, rolling his tongue against
her.
When she eased back, severing contact, he wanted to howl. But she
wasn’t done with him. As she licked the seam of his mouth, he shackled his
arms around her and yanked her closer.
Problem was, he could not get her close enough.
“What brought this on?” he asked, only somewhat embarrassed by his
breathless tone.
Eyes downcast, long lashes leaving shadows on the rise of her
cheekbones, she said, “I just…I see how hard you’re trying. You’re getting
to know me and helping me get to know you. More than that, you’ve
stopped treating me like a second-class citizen. And you’re hot.”

***

KATIE’S HEART FLUTTERED as Jorlan’s features brightened.

“Do you want me to give you another kiss?” So badly she wanted to get
naked with Jorlan. She couldn’t think of anything else, could only feel.
Leaning into him, she pressed her body more fully against his. Her nipples
hardened, as if reaching for him.
 “Nay,” he breathed.
“Good because—” Wait. What? “Nay?” She’d finally relented, and he
didn’t want her anymore?
“This time,” he said, “I want to do it to you.”
Ohh. As she sagged with relief, he licked her lips, a thorough tasting.
She twined her fingers in his hair, gasping when he shifted to nibble on her
earlobe. “I want more.” I need more. “But just one more kiss,” she
whispered, recalling where they were. “One kiss and then we’ll stop. Later,
we can maybe, possibly—” hopefully “—start again. If you want, I mean.”
“I want you now. I will want you later. I will want you tomorrow and
the day after.”
Wait again. Was Jorlan maybe…falling for her?
She remembered entertaining a desire to win his heart, but by morning,
she’d basically discarded the idea. Part of her hadn’t believed it possible.
“I will give you one kiss, just as you asked,” he rasped. “Do not worry
if it lasts several hours.”
Before she had a chance to reply, he reclaimed her mouth. With a mewl
of pleasure, she opened for him.
With every flick and foray of his tongue, desire punched her. Tremors
rocked her, a savage hunger overtook her. Stars twinkled behind her eyelids.
He kissed her with passion. He kissed her with heat and ferocity. He
kissed her, and he owned her.
While the first meeting of lips had been fiery and wonderful, this kiss
was a soul-searing, erotic dream. It made up for every second date she’d
ever missed, every time she’d cried over a rejection and every night she’d
spent alone, wishing for someone, anyone, to love her.
Lost in his sandalwood scent, his irresistible body, his everything, she
reveled. She luxuriated. Had others ever experienced such bliss? The kind
movies and books lauded, because it eclipsed reason and time.
How sad if they had not.
She raked her nails over Jorlan’s muscled chest. His skin burned hot, so
hot. He moaned into her mouth, the erotic sound as potent as a caress. With
a push, she urged him to lie flat on his back. As soon as he complied, she
braced her knees at his sides, spreading her legs wide, and arched her hips.
Her core rubbed against his erection, sending a lance of sensation careening
through her entire body.
“Aye, just like that,” he praised. “Again, katya.”
 Getting drunk on pleasure, on Jorlan, she arched once more. Then again.
A ragged moan slipped from her.
He tumbled her over, pressing his bulging length between her open
thighs. Mmm. Yes! In the new position, his weight pinned her to the floor.
Never want this to end!
He trailed kisses of fire along her cheek. Swirled his tongue around her
ear. Had he stripped her naked just then and plunged into her drenched
channel, she would not have protested.
No, she would have thanked him.
I think…I think this is the wild, wanton woman I’ve always longed to be.
Never had she felt more alive or free.
Lifting his head, gazing down at her with eyes of smoldering blue, he
reached under her shirt, kneaded her breast, and must have decided the
contact wasn’t enough. He shoved her bra up, strummed one of her nipples.
She cried out, the pleasure too much, too much, but also somehow not
enough. Then, suddenly, he froze, his growl echoing loud and long off the
walls.
“We should stop.” Tension etched his features. “You had your one kiss,
and I hover at the edge of my control.”
No, no, no. “Just one more. Please.” She tightened her grip on him,
achy, needy. “If you want to build up your control, you’ve got to exercise it.
You know, push it over the edge.”
He tangled his fingers in her hair and fisted the strands. Something he’d
done before and dang, she loved it more each time. “You are sure?”
Ugh. Why were they still talking? “Beyond sure. Please.”
“What my katya wants, my katya gets.” Once again, he slanted his
mouth over her, the silky heat of his tongue dancing with hers. He worked
his hands over her body, learning every curve, teasing and tempting her.
“Who controls your desires, katya?”
You! “Me, myself and I, of course,” she whispered raggedly.
“Are you sure about that?” His big hands closed over her breasts.
Intense pleasure rocked through her.
“Yes! No. I don’t know anymore.”
“Then you require a demonstration.” He pinched her nipple at the exact
moment he thrust his erection against her clitoris. Once, twice. Again and
again. Their clothes added to the friction.
 Pressure built inside her; her cells acted as kindling, turning her blood to
lava.
“I’m…I’m…Jorlan!” She shot off like a Fourth of July rocket, her
moans morphing into wild cries, finally reaching a crescendo.
When she quieted and sagged against the floor, Jorlan rolled to his side
and cradled her against him. His shallow breaths came quickly, fanning her
ear. “Katie,” he said softly, “you have already—”
“I know,” she said between panting breaths. “I’m sorry.” How
embarrassing. She ducked her head into the hollow of his neck, her cheeks
burning. While he was primed and ready, she was done. But dang it, she
hadn’t been able to stop it. She hadn’t wanted to stop it.
My first orgasm with a partner.
Going to need one of those every single day!
“Do not apologize.” He seemed to push the words through an obstacle
course, his tone gruff but reverent. “Simply do it again.”
A smile bloomed. “Again? Really?”
“Most definitely. A single example means nothing. You require a second
to prove who controls your desires.” His rolled atop her once again, and
claimed her lips in another sizzling kiss.
She wound her arms around his neck and locked her ankles around his
waist, holding him captive. He reached between them, grasped the neck of
her shirt and yanked.
The cotton split down the middle, cool air kissing her heated flesh. She
had to bite her bottom lip to stop a shout of excitement.
He reached for her shorts, and she arched her back to give him better
access.
Suddenly, a male spoke from the doorway, saying, “Am I interrupting
something?”

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER NINE

“NICK!”
Cheeks flaming, stomach filling with a sickening combination of dread,
embarrassment and horror, Katie disengaged from Jorlan and jumped to her
feet. Or she tried to disengage and jump. He jolted to a battle position first,
his feet braced apart and his fists clenched, all while glaring at her brother
with a promise of pain and death.
Popping up at last, she hurried to tie the torn folds of her T-shirt
together, barely managing to cover her pink lacy bra.
“Stay behind me, Katie. I will eliminate this threat.” Jorlan quickly
thrust her behind him, acting as her shield.
He thought he was protecting her from a threat. She grinned, overjoyed.
What an adorable man.
Reaching up, she moved her fingertips over his bare back. She loved his
strength, his heat. Loved his ferocity. Loved…him? No, no. Way too soon
for that. But dang. No wonder she’d decided to be with him fully, nothing
held back.
Whoa. I did?
Think about it later. Deal with Nick now.
Her brother looked amused by Jorlan. He arched a brow and peeked at
Katie over Jorlan’s shoulder. “Little Kit Kat,” he said, and clicked under his
tongue. “I’m going to need a bottle of bleach, a scrub pad and a total
memory wipe. STAT.”
Inwardly cringing—what had he seen? heard?—Katie placed her hands
atop Jorlan’s shoulders and rose to her tiptoes to meet Nick’s gaze. “Nick,”
she repeated with a bit more calm. “What the hel—heck are you doing
here?”
Nick chuckled. “Is that any way to greet your favorite brother?”
 “You forgot a word, you little shit.” She pulled a quarter from her
pocket and tossed. “Currently, you are the least favorite.”
Jorlan’s muscles relaxed, going slack beneath her palms. “You are
family,” he said.
“Yes.” Hiking her thumb in Nick’s direction, she said, “The man
standing just out of strangling distance is my voyeuristic brother Nick.”
“As he is part of your family,” Jorlan announced, “I shall allow him to
live.”
“Well, do us both a favor and reconsider that,” Katie said, sweetly
batting her lashes.
The sarcasm flew right over Jorlan’s head. “Done and done.” He
withdrew the spatula and prepared to attack.
“I was kidding, only kidding,” she said, gripping his bicep. His very big,
very hard bicep. So powerful!
Nick snickered. “No reason to be so sensitive, little lovebird. Tile burn
is a bitch. Anyway.” He waved at Jorlan, his tawny eyes filled with
amusement one second, and savage determination the next. “I’d like an
introduction to your guest.”
“I am Jorlan and I—”
“The grilling can wait,” she rushed to interject. No telling what kind of
details Jorlan would reveal. The whole “from another planet” thing? The
existence of magic and curses? Better not to take any chances. “He’s my
date, and that’s all you need to know. Besides, we’re a little busy at the
moment. Hint, hint.”
Nick blew her a kiss. “Nah. I think I’ll stay. There’s nothing more
important than family bonding time, amiright? So where are you from,
Jorlan? I can’t place your accent.”
“He’s from somewhere far away, but it’s a sensitive and painful subject
right now,” she rushed out before Jorlan had a chance to respond.
“I feel you, man,” Nick said, somewhat somber. A mere twelve months
her senior, he and Katie had always been close. And yeah, okay, he might
be her favorite.
He was the family comedian, and he enjoyed teasing and tormenting his
loved ones just for the fun of it.
Anytime she’d gotten a bruise, he had laughed and called it a “button,”
then repeatedly jabbed his index finger at it, chanting, Reset. He made life a
game, and she adored him for it. With Nick, she usually laughed so hard she
peed a little. Never a dull moment.
Of all her brothers, he was the most protective of her. Anytime a boy
had hurt her feelings, Nick had hurt the jerk’s face. The only time his
temper came out to play.
Grinning now, Jorlan lowered the makeshift weapon. “Your
appearances, mannerisms and vernacular are so similar.”
“No, they aren’t,” she and Nick said at the same time.
They mock scowled at each other, and Jorlan laughed outright.
“Fine. Almost everyone we meet assumes we’re twins.” 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.
While she had curves, he had hard planes and sharp angles.
Mischievousness permanently etched his expression, yet she possessed
more of a serious edge, usually all work and no play.
Until Jorlan.
“Well? What are you doing here?” she repeated.
Nick crossed his arms over his chest. “Can’t a guy visit his one and only
sister out of love?”
“Not this particular brother. What gives?”
“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. I handle all of Katie’s social media accounts. Well,
for her business, not her life. Were I posting about her life, I’d break my
own heart.”
“Ha-ha, very funny.” She flipped him off. “He only charges me a once a
month wingwoman duty,” she said, her tone as dry as the desert.
“I am Jorlan en Sarr. I handle…Katie.”
Nick’s jaw went slack, and Katie had to smother a giggle.
“If I knew what a wingwoman was,” her…boyfriend continued, “I’m
certain I would be properly impressed.” Frowning, he regarded Nick’s
proffered hand, as if he had no idea what to do with it.
“Shake it,” she whispered in his ear.
“Ah, ’tis a form of greeting. While in the garden, I observed many
people who performed such a task.” He took Nick’s hand and pumped up
and down with way too much force.
 Through narrowed eyes, Nick studied Jorlan more intently. “You look
familiar. Have we met before?”
Katie swallowed a moan. What if her brother recognized Jorlan…as the
statue that had once stood in her garden?
If anyone could make the connection, it was Nick. He was the cocreator
of Slip through Time, a virtual reality game. He had a high-concept
imagination.
No, no. No way. No one would ever put two and two together. She
barely believed Jorlan had once been encased in stone, and she’d witnessed
his emergence. Otherworldly aliens, mystical curses and magic spells went
beyond the realm of perceived truth.
Still, she wouldn’t take any chances. She couldn’t tell the truth, but she
refused to lie to someone she loved. What if she simply implied he was…
who? Oh! The self-help guru, Hunter something. The redhead at the café
had mentioned the two looked just alike.
No, no one famous. With a quick internet search, Nick could easily
disprove the notion. So, she’d have to go with something else. But what?
“Hey.” Nick wagged a finger in Jorlan’s direction. “You’re that guy on
the cover of those romance novels Katie likes to read.”
Oh, perfect! “You can’t tell anyone,” she said, doing her best to appear
worried. “Jorlan doesn’t want the world knowing who or what he is. He just
wants to be a normal guy for a bit.” All true.
Nick gave an understanding nod. “Do the women pose naked with
you?”
“I have no woman save Katie.” He reached around to wind his arm
around her waist…and gently squeeze her butt.
Heat whisked through her, her body ready for another orgasm. Fighting
a moan, she slapped his hand and moved to stand beside him, slanting him a
halfhearted glare that said, Behave. But only a little.
Fully absorbed in the conversation—because of course he was,
considering they were discussing naked ladies—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.” He patted his own cheek. “You’ve seen this face,
right?”
 She rolled her eyes. “Jorlan will not be giving you modeling tips, and
that’s that.” Another truth. He couldn’t give any tips, because he wasn’t a
model.
“I must do as my woman says,” Jorlan said, clearly amused. “Her
temper nigh flays her opponents alive.”
“Very true, very true.” Nick shoved his hands in his slack pockets and
jingled change. “So how’d you two meet?”
“I told you this wasn’t the time for a grilling.” Katie linked her fingers
with Jorlan’s. “Let’s go to the kitchen. You can explain whatever it is you’re
wanting from me while we eat lunch.”
Jorlan perked up. “Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches?”
“As many as you want.” With that, she led him around her brother.
Behind them, 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 all entered the
kitchen together, the boys chuckling over something Jorlan had said. She
was fairly certain that something involved breasts and thighs, and not the
chicken variety.
As soon as she released Jorlan’s hand, Nick slung his arm around
Jorlan’s shoulders and fired off a round of questions centered around
Jorlan’s make-believe 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 now, Katie hurled a bottled water at each man’s stomach.
Jorlan moved with lightning-quick reflexes, catching the thing midair; Nick
wasn’t so skilled. The plastic knocked the air from his lungs.
She smiled, smug. “Oops. My bad.”
He blew her another kiss before unscrewing the top and taking a long
swig. When he finally lowered the bottle, he said, “I thought you were
dating Steve Harris, that detective from Gray’s unit.”
Katie had just tipped her bottle to her mouth. She spewed every last
drop onto the floor. “What was that?”
“Steve Harris. The future Mr. Katie James.” Nick practically sang the
words to the melody of Katie and Steven sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G.
Jorlan stiffened. “Does this Steve want to die?”
 She slammed her water onto the countertop. “Steve isn’t my boyfriend.
He expressed interest in me, but I turned him down.”
“The way Gray talked,” Nick said, “you and Stevie boy were already
planning the wedding.”
Mouth agape, she skipped her gaze 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 grew
stiffer and stiffer by the second.
The water bottle crunched in her too-tight grip. Just what kind of
woman did Jorlan consider her? Only moments before, she’d kissed him,
touched him and contemplated making love to him. Now he thought her so
lacking in honor that she would marry another man?
Men were idiots!
“I’ve never even met the guy,” she grated to both her brother and Jorlan.
“And I have no interest in meeting him, either.”
Jorlan relaxed. Barely.
“Good. That’s actually why I came to see you.” Nick worried a hand
over his clean-shaven jaw. “I wanted to tell you to stay away from Steve.”
Something about his too-slick tone made her suspicious of his
intensions. She planted her fists on the widest flare of her hips. “Why warn
me away from him? Gray says he’s a good man.”
“Because I want—wanted—you to go out with a buddy of mine instead.
He just struck it rich selling a video game, so he can easily provide for you
and any kids—”
“’Tis enough!” Narrowed gaze locked on Nick, Jorlan advanced.

***

I WILL RIP Nick’s tongue out!

A wild mix of emotion pummeled Jorlan. Disappointment. Fury. Even
fear. Katie and her brother spoke so blithely of her marriage to another man,
and Jorlan did not like it!
He did not believe her capable of making love with one man while
being promised to another, yet the knowledge made no difference to his
fury.
 He would allow no other man to touch her. She belonged to him, and he
belonged to her. He would not share!
Jorlan had almost reached Katie’s brother, his intent to pulverize shining
brightly in his eyes.
To his surprise, Nick grinned and held up his hands in a sign of
surrender. “Okay, okay. I’ve changed my mind about the other guy. You’re
perfect for our Kit Kat. Honest. My buddy pales in comparison.”
Jorlan stilled. Nick’s retraction mollified him somewhat, yet it wasn’t
the reason he’d stopped. A startling revelation stabbed him. He did not
simply lust for Katie, and he did not need her simply because she had the
power to save him. No. He…cared for her. He cared deeply for her.
They’d shared painful moments from their pasts. They’d kissed and
touched. He’d watched her writhe with pleasure and break apart as she
came. Now he was under her spell.
The knowledge blistered him, but all he could do was curse his own
stupidity. 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 Katie—yet.
From now on, he needed to be more careful. He could still fight to win her
heart, but he had to also guard his own. Unless…
Before, he’d considered taking her home to Imperia with him. He’d
discarded the idea but for the life of him he could not remember what his
reasons had been.
What if he did it? What if he wed her and took her to his homeland? He
wouldn’t break her heart when he left, so he wouldn’t have to live with a
lifetime of guilt. He could make love to her again and again, could watch
her reach her peak again and again. When they tired of each other—
everyone always tired of each other at some point—he could return her to
Earth.
You will willingly part with your wife?
Of course! He could not imagine being this possessive for the rest of
eternity.
Jorlan grinned, his good humor restored.
Katie gave him a strange look.
Nick settled in a stool on the other side of the speckled counter. “You do
anything besides modeling, Jordie? Like security work? Or military
intelligence? I swear you’ve got the same guarded look in your eyes that
Gray and Erik have.”
“You do not get to call him Jordie,” Katie said, and he grinned again.
She is as possessive of me as I am of her.
“Who is this Erik?” he demanded, his fury bursting forth anew.
Katie slapped him on the shoulder. “Your jealous fits are cute and all,
but Erik is my brother.”
Another one? “Just how many brothers do you have?”
“Five in total. Four are scattered across Texas, and one lives in New
Orleans.”
“Well?” Nick interjected, obviously not liking that his question had
been ignored. “How did you guys meet?”
He looked to Katie. So far, she’d kept her answers vague, always
misleading Nick away from the truth.
She nibbled on her bottom lip before saying, “I needed a handyman, and
he fit the bill. He agreed to be my temporary employee.”
“You’re paying him to work for you?” Her brother tsked under his
tongue. “What else are you paying for?”
Katie slapped her brother’s shoulder this time. Unlike Jorlan, who had
given no reaction, Nick winced.
“Ow!”
“Say another word along those lines,” she snarled, “and I will
personally kick your ass into next week.”
Jorlan grinned, glad such threats were not reserved for him alone.
“You owe me another quarter.” Nick’s brown eyes glistened
mischievously. “I have a feeling I’m going to leave here a rich man.”
Katie punched him in the same spot she’d slapped him. “You’re not
getting any money from me. You earned your curse.”
Enjoying their easy banter and amusing byplay, Jorlan settled against
the wall, getting comfortable. Although, a twinge of regret and
homesickness did wash through him. Regret because he’d never thought to
tease his half-sister in such a way.
Corrine was his father’s first and only child with the first queen, the
woman he’d wed before Jorlan’s mother, Alana. When the first queen died
and Alana had moved in, Corrine had been only two. Nannies had raised
her, Alana wanting nothing to do with her. As she’d grown older, Jorlan and
Percen had followed their mother’s lead, a great shame to him now.
 Corrine had grown to be skittish of everyone, especially men.
If Jorlan could go back, he would shower her with affection and teasing.
“Jorlan?” Katie asked.
Both siblings were regarding him expectantly. He must have missed
some of the conversation. “I am staying in Katie’s house,” he said, hoping
that answered whatever question had been placed before him.
Katie’s jaw dropped.
Nick lost his grin. “That’s good to know. But for the third time, are you
up for pool later? After work, of course. We certainly wouldn’t want to piss
off the dragon lady.”
Why could these people not speak plainly? Jorlan recognized all of the
words Nick had used, but not their meaning when strung together. Up for
pool? Dragon lady? However, he knew enough to deuce an invitation had
been issued. “I thank you for the offer, yet I must decline. What time I have
left on your world will be spent with Katie.”
Nick’s gaze sharpened. “You’re going back to wherever you’re from?”
“Aye.” He gave a single nod. “Soon.”
“How soon?” Nick pressed.
“Twelve—no, thirteen days.” If Katie breaks my curse.
Katie turned away, hiding her features from him.
“I see.” For some reason, the topic had roused Nick’s temper. “Well, the
invitation is open all night if you change your mind and want to meet the
other brothers. Katie has my number. Call if you want a ride.”
Call? By shouting? Jorlan nodded.
“Well, my work here is done.” Nick hopped from the counter and kissed
Katie on the cheek. “Don’t forget the family luncheon next Saturday. And
bring your date. Dad’ll love him. Love to hate him, that is.” With that, he
tossed a wink over his shoulder and disappeared out the door.
“Wait! Please!” Katie called. Then she told Jorlan, “Stay here. Pretty
please with a cherry on top. I’d like to talk to my brother alone for a
moment.” Without waiting for his reply, she raced away, leaving Jorlan
alone.
The truly sad thing? He already missed her.
I’m in trouble.

***
“NICK!” THE SUN glared at Katie as she exited the front door to chase after
her brother.
He stood in the driveway, at the driver side door of his dark blue sedan,
with a key remote in hand, sunglasses in place.
With his light-colored hair and deeply tanned skin, he looked every inch
a modern sun god.
Hand shielding her eyes, she jumped off the porch. A warm breeze
gusted past, spitting grains of dirt on every inch of exposed skin. “I have a
question for you,” she told him.
“Uh-oh. This looks serious.” He stopped what he was doing to walk
around the car and meet her halfway. “You know you can ask me anything,
Kit Kat.”
Could she really? They were about to find out.
Gah! I can’t believe I’m doing this. But she had so little experience with
dating and expectations, and her brother was an expert. Or so he liked to
claim. She just wanted, needed, to have certain information at her disposal,
just in case—when—she slept with Jorlan. After their explosive encounter
in the bathroom, she suspected it was only a matter of when and where.
Though she was a novice, she wanted his pleasure to be just as explosive as
hers.
“What’s going on?” Nick asked, suddenly serious. “You look like
you’re about to vomit.”
“Promise me you won’t tell anyone about what I ask you.”
Concerned, he pocketed the key remote and took her hands. “You know
you can trust me with anything.”
Just blurt it out. Come on, come on. “Jorlan and I are getting serious
now and—”
“How long have you known him?”
Two days. And oh, wow. That little? Why did it seem like two months?
“Long enough,” she finally said. “Anyway. We’re going to take our
relationship to the next level—”
“Even though he’s going home in two weeks?”
“Even though,” she grated. “Can you not interrupt every time I’m—”
“No.” He released her to scrub a hand over his face. “I have a feeling
I’ll be better off if I beat feet before you can finish saying what I think
you’re going to say. But I love you, so, shoot. Let’s hear this.”
 She ground her molars. Brothers! “Be honest. Do guys like it when a
girl—”
“Yes. Always. Now, I should go.”
Gah! “Okay, let’s try this lightning-round style. Sexy lingerie or skin?”
He pursed his lips but said, “Skin.”
Good! At six foot, she had more skin than most. “Dirty words or
moans?”
He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Dirty words.”
Just to be cruel, because why not, she said, “Missionary or—”
“I love you, bye,” he said, then kissed her cheek.
“I love you, too.” Before he could climb into the car, she threw her arms
around him and hugged him with all of her might. “Now get lost. I’ve got
work to do.”
Taking her by the shoulders, he gave a little shake. Never had he
appeared so intense or grave. “You better protect yourself, okay? Yes?
Please? And I’m not talking emotional protection. Use condoms. Not one,
but two. Seriously. Double bag that bitch. And if Jorlan gives you any shit
about not needing a rubber, punch him in the nuts and run.”
“I’m a big girl, Nick. Literally and figuratively. Have a little faith.” But
she hadn’t given condoms or safety a second’s thought while lying on top of
Jorlan on the bathroom floor.
What if Jorlan got her pregnant with an alien baby? Like, if she ended
up with an Alien or Predator situation… She shuddered. Did otherworldly
guys have STDs?
“I’ll be careful next time,” she vowed.
“Next time!” Nick squeezed his eyes shut as if praying for patience. He
breathed deeply before refocusing, hazel irises glittering. “If we never have
another conversation like this…I still won’t be able to die happy because
I’ll remember this one.” Muttering under his breath, he returned to the car,
threw open the door and dropped inside with a heavy thump. “She’s just a
baby, and she’s talking about having sex.”
Katie rolled her eyes. “She is only a year younger than you, moron,” she
called.
Nick, being Nick, rolled down the window and flipped her off while
reversing. That was how he left every family get-together. As he sped away,
his tires flung gravel. A plume of dark smoke remained behind.
 She strolled back into the kitchen, a little surprised to find Jorlan in the
same spot she’d left him.
The sight of him spurred her heart into a too-fast rhythm.
“Let’s grab something for lunch.” She didn’t want to talk about their
kiss, and she didn’t want to talk about their encounter with Nick. She just
wanted to think, to plan. Tonight, she would sleep with Jorlan. “You’re
hungry, right?”
He all but licked his lips. “I am always hungry.”
The words for you hung in the air unsaid.

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER TEN

PERCEN DE LOCKE had scoured the galaxies. Was Jorlan still frozen inside
the stone, or a free man? That he did not know…
Frustration clawed at his insides, yet he also felt a faint stirring of hope.
So far, he had been unable to locate his half brother, but he knew he was on
the right track, because he could sense Jorlan’s presence.
Aye, he was close, and he would find the male any day now. Which
meant Jorlan was days away from experiencing the worst pain of his life.
Percen grinned. Enjoy your last moments of freedom, brother.
Vengeance cometh.

***

AFTER KATIE AND JORLAN dined on more fried chicken, mashed potatoes and
butter biscuits than should have been humanly possible, they worked
several more hours at the Victorian. By then, her muscles burned with
fatigue.
Not surprising. In an effort to subdue her nervousness about the coming
night, she’d worked longer and harder than usual. Now, as she drove to the
store, her stomach churned with anticipation and her nerves buzzed with a
confusing mixture of certainty and uncertainty, both tinged with lust.
Should she be with Jorlan? Should she avoid Jorlan?
Cool air blasted from the truck’s vents, yet still she sweated. Am I going
to let fear win? No! Do I want to be with Jorlan? Yes. Is my body primed,
demanding total satisfaction? Every second.
Decision made. She would be with Jorlan. Now, to figure out when and
where. As soon as they got home, or when they went to bed?
Ugh. Getting nervous again.
 At the supercenter, she parked and said, “I need to run in and grab some
clothes for you.” Among other things…sexual things. “Stay in the car,
okay?”
Frowning, he said, “Why can I not stay with you?”
“Because you tend to attack and destroy inanimate objects, and I’ll have
to pay for any damage you cause.” When he stared at her stonily, making it
clear he would be joining her anyway, she added, “Also because I need you
to guard my car. Do not let anyone inside it.”
That did the trick. He nodded, eager, and unsheathed his plethora of
weapons. “I will not let you down.”
Could he be any cuter?
Katie exited into the evening’s warmth and marched into the store.
Pushing a cart, she grabbed multiple pairs of men’s sweatpants, two pairs of
slacks and a pair of jeans. Next came a mix of T-shirts. She picked out the
largest ones, praying they’d fit a WWE wrestler–type frame.
When she reached the underwear aisle, she blushed. Would he prefer
boxers or briefs? Before she overheated, she threw a packet of each in the
basket and headed to the personal care section.
There were so many condom brands. Textured. Untextured. Flavored.
Colored. Warming. Lubed. Edible. Tingling. Glow in the dark. Which one
was she supposed to choose?
She jerked her chin left and right to make sure no one hovered nearby,
maybe taking video with their phone. All clear. Heart racing, she grabbed
one of everything. A tube of spermicide and vaginal lubricant wouldn’t hurt,
either.
Beyond a doubt, Jorlan had been with a boatload of women. Why not
err on the side of caution, you know?
Oh! He’d once mentioned massage oil and feathers. A fantasy of his?
She tossed a bottle of oil into the cart and set off to find a feather duster.
At the register, a scorching blush spread across her cheeks like wildfire.
A tall, gangly boy of no more than twenty, the salesclerk lifted a box of
condoms and grinned. “Stocking up for the year?”
“For the weekend.” After paying, she carried her bags to the car…crap!
Jorlan stood outside it, glaring at anyone who passed.
Spotting her, he relaxed his stance and proudly lifted his chin. “No one
dared approach the car.
“Good job,” she told him as he helped her load the bags in the backseat.
 They made the drive home in silence, her nerves acting up again. How
would he react to her purchases?
She parked in the driveway. Dusk’s fading light framed her house,
making the white stucco, stained glass windows and crenellated rooftop
glow.
Jorlan hefted the bags from the passenger seat, his biceps bulging. She
tried not to drool as she claimed the sacks with the condoms, then rushed
ahead of him to open the front door.
“You can put the bags on the couch,” she told him.
He complied, only to frown and extend his index finger, a silent request
for her to wait. Palming the spatula, he stalked into the kitchen, as stealthy
as a shadow, disappearing from view.
Her stomach flip-flopped. When glass shattered and a man grunted, she
hurried to take the same path, the bags she refused to relinquish swinging.
When she saw the source of the commotion, her jaw nearly dropped to
the floor. “Stop! Please, Jorlan. The man you’re holding down about to
punch is my brother. Denver, meet Jorlan. Jorlan, meet Denver.”
The two males sprang apart.
“My apologies,” Jorlan grated.
“Hey, Kates,” Denver called happily. Blood trickled from his nose. He
plopped onto the bar stool at the counter, where an open beer waited. “Did
you come to join the party?”
The back door opened and her three more brothers entered the kitchen.
“Look who finally got here,” Nick said.
“What’s going on?” She eyed her siblings through narrowed eyes. “And
where are your cars?”
“We took an Uber,” Erik explained. “Didn’t want you seeing our cars
and running for the hills.” His sandy-colored hair stuck out in spikes, and
lines of stress branched around his eyes. “And you know, no drunk driving
and shit.”
Nick spread his arms, all, I’m king of the world. “When I informed the
boys about our earlier conversation, they suggested we bring the party to
Jorlan.”
Katie stomped her foot and growled, “You gossip! You promised not to
tell!”
He shrugged. “I promised not to tell…anyone but family. It’s an
unspoken caveat, and you know it.”
 “We wanted to meet Jordie boy,” Grayson—Gray—piped in, his voice
slightly slurred. Grinning, wavering on his feet, he thrust a beer in Jorlan’s
direction. “So nice to meet you, buddy. Drink this. Liquor good.”
“Beer isn’t actually liquor,” she muttered. How was she the only sane
person in the room?
“Lick her?” Jorlan brightened, his mispronunciation too adorable to
correct.
“Drink!” Gray repeated. “Want to go out back and work out some
tension. Spoiler alert. That wasn’t a question.”
Mimicking her, Jorlan said, “Bottoms up,” then chugged.
When her synapsis started firing again, she shouted, “No!” and rushed
over to swipe the beer from his grip. He was from another freaking planet.
No telling how alcohol would affect him.
“Want to work out some tension,” he said, slurring worse than Gray. He
nodded, swayed. Nodded again. “Aye.”
“You’re already drunk?” Her incredulity echoed off the walls. “Okay,
that’s it. The party is over. Everyone order another Uber.”
“How about…” Nick swaggered to her side and planted a kiss on the
end of her nose. Before she could slap him, he darted away. Laughing, he
finished, “We don’t. We gotta teach Jorlan a couple lessons first.”
Save me. “What do you just gotta teach him, hmm? Give me the
highlights.”
Denver: “How to treat our baby sister, for one.”
Erik: “The consequences of hurting a James.”
Nick: “The consequences of leaving a James.”
Gray: “How to hold his beer.”
“You’re kidding me, right? Please tell me you’re kidding.” She gave her
foot another stomp, the shopping bags banging into her thigh. “Besides
using Jorlan as a punching bag, what else are you planning?”
“Nothing.” Erik held up his left hand in a facsimile of the Boy Scout
salute. “Honest.”
Jorlan moaned and clasped a hand to his head. “The chamber is
spinning. Make it stop.” His golden complexion had taken on a green cast.
Concerned he might have a concussion, Katie dropped the bags and
raced to his side.
“He’s had a single beer.” Gray held up two fingers. “He’s fine.
Probably.”
 “He’s never had alcohol before, you idiot.” She hadn’t meant to scream
the words, but come on!
Jorlan swayed and would have fallen if she hadn’t propped him up with
her hip. “Kat-ya,” he said, carefully articulating each syllable. “I think I am
dying.”
“You’re not dying.” What if he’s dying? Acting as his crutch, she led
him to the living room couch, removed the bags with a single leg-swipe,
and helped him ease down. Every motion drew another moan from him.
Sitting at his side, she smoothed her fingertips over his forehead, the way
her mother used to do for her anytime she’d been sick. “By morning, you
might wish you were dead, but I’m 90…80…70 percent sure you’ll survive
this.”
He closed his eyes and muttered something in a language she didn’t
understand.
“I’m sorry, baby,” she told him softly, still smoothing the tension from
his brow, around his eyes, his mouth. “I don’t know what you’re saying.”
He leaned into her touch, and she mused she wanted to stay right here,
with him, forever.
“What the hell is this?”
Nick’s shout broke through her dreamy reverie, and she whipped
around, expecting to find…what? A decapitated body, maybe. Or a ticking
time bomb set to explode. What she found? Nick stomped into the living
room holding a bag, scowling as he rifled through the contents. Her other
brothers trailed him.
Katie jolted up so quickly Jorlan bounced on the couch springs. He
swung his arms, grappling to find a firm foundation.
He bounced again as she launched at her brother. “Put that down this
instant!”
A split second before they collided, Nick tossed the bag to Gray. Who
missed. The contents spilled across the floor.
Time seemed to pause, and yet she heard ticktock in the back of her
mind. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. All eyes fastened on the items scattered across
her floor. Though she wanted to dive down and snatch everything up, Katie
straightened and angled her chin, opting to act like a mature, rational adult.
Acting was the key word.
Did she blush? Oh, yeah. Hard-core. Did she care? Kind of. Would she
back down? Never! She kind of felt like a great warrior of old, about to face
down her worst enemy.
“Eight boxes of condoms?” Gray blurted out.
“Lube?” Erik spat.
“Massage oil and a feather duster?” Denver yelled, incredulous. “What
kind of weird shit are you into, sis?”
To stick with the warrior of old mindset, or throw the biggest childlike
tantrum ever?
Easy. Tantrum. “Get out! Get out right now. All of you.” She jerked a
finger to the door. “You’re the worst best brothers in the world, and I’m not
speaking to any of you ever again. Except to say I shudder to think about
the things you’ve done with your girlfriends.”
“Gross.” Gray wrinkled his nose. “You think about us with our
girlfriends?”
The others nodded, peering at her expectantly, not the least contrite. Not
a single man made a move toward the exit.
Gray waved to the now unconscious Jorlan. “You told me you weren’t
seeing anyone. The next thing I know, Nick is calling me and going on and
on about your adventures on the bathroom floor with a romance cover
model from overseas.”
She shot a narrowed glance to Nick, the world’s greatest tattletale.
He shrugged, all, What else is a brother supposed to do? “Hey, do you
mind if I pluck some of those feathers from the duster? The girl I’m seeing
is really into—”
“Out!” This time, she did a foot stomp and pointed at the door at the
same time, letting them know she meant business.
“You can’t be mad,” Erik said, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “We
love you, and we will do anything to protect you.”
“‘You can’t be mad,’” she mocked. “That’s such a James thing to say.”
How many times had she heard those same words from her father?
You can’t be mad, Katie Kat, because I have your best interests at heart.
You can’t be mad. I did the best I could.
You can’t be mad. I did nothing wrong.
“Actually,” she said. “That’s such a douche thing to say, and you can’t
be mad about it, because it’s the truth.”
Gray punched Erik’s shoulder. Denver laughed and Nick snorted.
Erik offered a sheepish grin. “Okay. You got me there.” He was the
peacemaker, a former army ranger who’d received an honorable discharge
after sustaining a life-threatening injury. “Be as mad as you wish.”
“Thank you. I will,” she said, but he’d taken the wind out of her sails.
She sighed. “I will get you guys back for this, you know that, right?”
“Oh, yeah. We know. You always do.” Denver crossed the room to dig
his knuckles into her crown. “Jorlan is the first man you’ve shown an
interest in. To our knowledge, that is. We wanted him to know we have your
back. Always.”
“Mistreating you is the same as mistreating us,” Gray said with a nod.
Despite herself, Katie softened. Even though they drove her crazy and
made her wish she was an only child, she loved her brothers with every
fiber of her being. There’d never been a day, hour or minute that the five
handsome, wonderful men hadn’t cared for and protected her in some way.
“So,” she said. “What do you think of Jorlan? He makes an impression,
right?”
“Big-time,” Gray replied.
“He’s different. In a good way,” Denver added. “I never knew a man
could fight with a spatula.”
Katie smiled. A polite way of saying Jorlan was weird as crap. “He may
be different, but he’s mine.” For now, at least.
Erik nodded. “Why don’t you bring him to Dad’s on Saturday? Give us
a chance to make up for our behavior tonight.”
“We promise we’ll be good.” Nick pressed his hands together, pleading,
while displaying his infamous “if you believe that it’s time for a mental
evaluation” grin.
“How do we share the same parents?” she muttered, and he laughed
outright.
“I know, right?” He slung an arm around her shoulders. “It’s not fair
that I got all the good genes and you got what was left over.”
Loud guffaws rang out, until even Katie was grinning.
“I’ll think about attending Saturday, okay?” Her time with Jorlan was
limited, though, and she kind of wanted to keep him all to herself. “We have
a lot to do before he leaves.”
Jorlan…gone forever…
Her chest tightened, panic surging through her, but she pasted on a
happy smile.
“The minivan is here,” Nick announced.
 They must have ordered an Uber before bringing the bag of condoms
into the living room.
Her brothers stretched out in front of her, back to chest. In assembly line
fashion, they kissed her on the cheek one by one and moved to the door.
“Love you,” she called as they exited.
A chorus of “I love you, too,” fired off.
Alone with Jorlan at last, Katie locked all of the doors to keep related
and nonrelated predators out. Jorlan never woke. He didn’t even rouse when
she settled at his side and leaned in to get a hit of his sandalwood scent.
Sleep had relaxed his features, giving him a boyish aura she’d never
before associated with him.
Boyish. The word echoed in her mind. Though she tried, she couldn’t
imagine this hard, strong (drunk) warrior as a boy. He was just so larger-
than-life. His innate sensuality and commanding demeanor were so potent,
as if they’d marinated inside him for eons. Often he evinced the patent
stillness of a predator, as if he were more animal than man.
She’d have an easier time believing some ancient mythological god had
created him fully formed from a mix of blood, iron and the essence of
seduction.
He was life. He was war. He was sex.
Yeah, a mythological god. Yessss. The description fit Jorlan to a T. His
physical attributes were beyond exceptional, everything from the dark
shadow that covered his jaw to the muscles and sinew that corded his entire
body. The way he smelled. The way he tasted. The huskiness of his voice.
Katie glided her fingers over his jaw, loving the rough texture. And oh,
hadn’t she wished to slip her hands over warm flesh instead of cold stone
only two days ago, when she’d stood before Jorlan’s statue?
Sighing, she fit a downy blanket over him and kissed his brow. “What
am I going to do with you, Jorlan en Sarr?”

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER ELEVEN

JORLAN AWOKE SUDDENLY.

Sunlight streamed over him, scorching his eyes. He squeezed his lids
tightly shut. Sunlight meant morning had arrived, yet he did not recall what
had happened the evening before.
Deep breath in, out. He opened his lids. Again, his irises got scorched,
forcing him to squint. Why was the light so much brighter than usual? Why
did his head pound so sharply he feared it might explode? And why did his
tongue feel dry and parched, as if some creature had crawled inside and
died?
Was he dying, mayhap? Had he been ill?
Slowly, the details hazy, his head began to fill with memories. Working
for Katie, the trip to the store…drinking “lick her” offered by her brothers,
and immediately regretting it as the world spun round and round.
Ah. The four were responsible for his torment.
Jorlan jerked upright. A mistake. His vision swam, and his stomach
lurched. Slow and easy, he lay back down.
“Lick her” was obviously a poison of some sort. There were many such
poisons on his world and all were used for different reasons. Though he’d
inhabited Katie’s world for centuries, he remained unfamiliar with its
toxins. He suspected the delicious concoction was used for incapacitating
an enemy.
Next time, he would be more careful. His warrior instincts told him the
four males would be his toughest adversaries to date. Even the weakest
soldier could prove stronger than the mightiest when guarding something he
loved, and those four loved their sister; the emotion had glimmered in their
eyes every time they’d looked her way.
 A sharp pain lanced through his head, and Jorlan grimaced. He needed
to get up and fight this sickness. He had much to do this day.
As he stumbled from the couch, his stomach gurgled and lurched. He
fought it, but soon realized it was a losing battle and raced to the bathing
chamber, where he heaved into the toilet.
After he’d emptied his stomach, flushed the toilet and scrubbed his
mouth clean using a minty paste, he rinsed his teeth and tongue with some
kind of green liquid Katie liked to use. He swallowed and grimaced. The
burn! He nearly vomited.
Rubbing the center of his chest, where the burn blazed hottest, he went
searching for Katie, his steps slow and careful as he uttered a prayer that
she possessed some sort of antidote. If not, the pain in his stomach and head
might kill him before the day ended.
He found her perched at the kitchen counter, tapping the device known
as a “cell phone,” while sipping green liquid from a mug. Even with his
senses dulled from pain, she was an incredible sight to behold. Sunlight
poured through a nearby window, bathing her with an angelic glow.
Breathtaking. Today she wore short, tight drocs and a blue top with thin
straps, her shoulders bared. Both garments fit her curves like a second skin.
He could gaze upon her exquisite loveliness forever.
She nibbled on her bottom lip, drawing his gaze to her lush lips. A shaft
of pleasure shot through him. This woman possessed a splendor beyond any
he’d ever known.
Beside her, a soft melody hummed from a black box. A magical box?
His first instinct: attack. Then he noticed the way her foot tapped, keeping
time with the melody, and he stood down.
He must have made a sound, a groan of need, something, because she
swiveled and met his gaze.
“Jorlan! Good morning.” She raked her gaze over him, her expression
clouding with concern. “Not feeling so well, huh?”
He scowled at the reminder. “I long to impale your siblings onto a pike
and watch as hundreds of ravenous animals gnaw upon their flesh.”
“Why are you willing to go so easy on them?”
She delivered the question with a deadpan expression, and he laughed.
Of course, he immediately winced, his head pounding harder.
After flashing her teeth in a wide smile, she said, “Call me morbid, but I
like seeing you like this. You’re not quite so intimidating.”
 He leaned against the frame. “When have I ever intimidated you?”
“Uh, how about every second of our acquaintance? Now have a seat
before you topple over. I’ll get you some coffee and aspirin. They’re
miracle cures that have saved my life every time I’ve overindulged.” She
hopped to her feet.
Fast losing strength, he sank into the proffered chair. “Did those devils
poison you, as well?”
“No.” She chuckled, sending a ripple of pleasure along his nerve
endings. “I did it to myself.”
“Why would you purposefully poison yourself?”
She poured steaming black liquid inside a cup and handed it to him.
“It’s hot, okay? Just sip.” With deft movements, she opened cabinet after
cabinet, searching inside. “The first time I got drunk, I was mostly curious
and didn’t know when to stop. The few times after that, I made the mistake
of drinking on an empty stomach.”
He rested his chin in his hand. “I had no idea you were such a
masochist, katya.”
“You know, you have a big vocabulary for an otherworlder.”
“Aye. Many spans ago, a woman and her lover came to the garden every
weekend for years. They would make love, then she would spend hours
teaching him how to read.”
“That’s wonderful.” She threw open the last cabinet and screeched. “I’m
going to kill Nick.”
“Not if I kill him first,” Jorlan muttered darkly. “But what did he do to
you?”
“Every time he comes over, he rearranges my cabinets so I can’t find
anything the next day. I can’t find the aspirin or the sugar. I planned to give
you a second cup of coffee with cream and sugar so you could do a taste
test and figure out what you like.” She banged her fist into the counter.
“Next time I see him, I’m gonna double kick his family jewels. Or rather,
his cubic zirconias.”
Jorlan almost laughed. The things this woman said sometimes failed to
compute in his mind, but he thought he grasped her meaning now. And he
was instantly glad he was not Nick James. A woman’s wrath was one thing;
the wrath of Katie James was quite another.
“Wait!” she exclaimed. “Found them.” She whipped around, clutching a
small white bottle and a pink bag. Once she’d popped the top of the bottle,
she shook two pink tablets onto her hand. “Here.” Palm outstretched, she
offered him the pills. “Swallow them. Don’t chew.”
He weighed the two in his hand, unsure how they could help him. Then,
with a shrug, he tossed the tablets into his mouth and washed them down
with a big gulp of coffee.
Hot! Bitter! He swallowed, his tongue tingling, his throat blistering.
Surely! “You drink this?”
“I do.” She grinned and gave him a second cup. “Try this one. But sip
this time, okay?”
Sullen, he did as requested, expecting to hate it. The sugar had tempered
the bitterness and the cool cream had lowered the temperature. This, he
liked. He took another drink and realized it came with an instant jolt of
energy.
She took her place at the table and leaned in his direction, resting her
elbows on the table. A dazed, dreamy look entered her eyes, as if she were
lost in some sort of mental fantasy. Mayhap what she pictured was naked
bodies and heart-pounding kisses?
A fire kindled in Jorlan’s veins. He and Katie had come so close to
coupling only yestereve. Did she crave more?
His muscles knotted with eagerness. Yestereve, if he’d had two more
minutes, he would have had her naked. Three more minutes, and he would
have been inside her. Four plus an extra fifteen—because why rush a job
you enjoyed?—and she would have shouted his name as wave after wave of
pleasure hit her.
He’d treasured the sight of her climax. In fact, his delight had been so
powerful, he’d nearly spilled his seed like some untried youth. He’d never
witnessed anything quite so sensual.
Curse Nick James!
In the next instant, Katie shook her head, wiping away her dreamy
expression. Jorlan fought the urge to rail at the heavens.
Earnest now, she slid a single sheet of paper his way. “Look here,” she
said, oblivious to the riotous needs crashing through his body. Her fingertip
brushed the side of his hand, and he sucked in a breath. “I made a list of
every psychic in Texas, and read every posted review. I’ve called most of
them and crossed off the ones that seemed duplicitous. We have time to
visit three, maybe four this morning, before work.”
 Only one day ago, he would have snatched up the list and demanded
they visit each location until they found exactly what he needed. Right now,
he couldn’t think past bedding Katie. When did he not think about bedding
her? Today, however, thoughts of bedding her led to another—worse—idea:
making her his life mate.
Married. To Katie. Excitement bloomed. Nervousness, intrigue and
hope, too. Was this the answer to his problems?
After Maylyn, he’d thought to remain mateless forever. Or, if he had to
wed on behalf of his kingdom, he’d thought to pick a nice, biddable
princess who would embrace an open relationship. Why settle for one
woman when you could have all women? But…
Such a life no longer appealed. Too well did he enjoy Katie’s jealousy,
spirit and zest. If they bonded, they would feel each other’s emotions, and
get to know each other faster. Which meant she would fall for him faster.
Mayhap. Probably.
They could live in Imperia and visit Earth anytime they wished.
Together, they could have the best of both worlds. A business arrangement,
with benefits.
And when they tired of each other, an inevitable happenstance? What
then? Mystical bonds were eternal, with few exceptions. Husband and wife
could not live without the other. So, he would not be able to simply return
her to her home-world, as previously planned.
A worry for another day. Just how would she respond to the idea of
getting married and relocating to another planet, anyway? Would she hate
giving up her job? In Imperia, females were not permitted to work.
Maybe the time had come to change the laws? Who ruled the land
nowadays?
Jorlan observed Katie, hoping to predict her response to a proposal.
Instead, he got snagged by her beauty. Her hair cascaded down her back,
thick and glossy, a crown of brilliance usually reserved for celestial
creatures.
Her expression was guarded as she observed him in turn.
Slowly, so as not to alarm her, he pushed to his feet, and closed the
distance. The closer he came, the wider her eyes. He positioned himself
behind her, brought tendrils of her hair to his nose, sniffed. A hint of roses.
As he caressed the strands along his cheek, he closed his eyes, savoring.
“Katya?”
 “Hmm?” Tilting her head to the side, granting him access to her neck,
she melted into him.
Such flawless, silken skin. He kissed the hollow of her neck, then
dabbed his tongue over her racing pulse.
Little mewling sounds escaped her, delighting his ears.
“I would like—” kiss “—you to go—” kiss “—to Imperia—” kiss “—
with me.”
“Mmm, yes. I—” She stiffened and swung around, gasping out, “What
did you say?”
If the outcome of their conversation had been less important, her
incredulity would have been amusing. “Stay with me. Live with me in
Imperia.”
“But, but…”
“I want to be with you. Do you want to be with me?”

***

KATIE REELED, A COMMON occurrence in Jorlan’s presence. He’d asked her to

move to Imperia with him—to live with him—so matter-of-factly. As if
hopping from one galaxy to another was the most natural thing in the world.
More time with Jorlan…oh, the temptation. Plus, she’d get to explore
alien homes, eat alien food and, best of all, sleep with Jorlan on his turf.
Could she abandon her work, though, for such a vacation?
“How long would you want me to stay?” she asked.
His features shuttered, hiding his emotions. “However long you like.”
Why hide his emotions?
He propped his hip against the counter, then pinned her with his cool
blue stare. “Weeks. Months. Years. The choice is yours.”
“Years?” Breathe. Just breathe. “You told me time passes differently on
different worlds. What if I returned and my brothers were dead from old
age? What if you turn back to stone while we’re there? How would I get
home?”
A muscle ticked in his jaw. “I will not return to stone. You are already
falling in love with me.”
“I’m not.” I might be. Oh…crap. How did he feel about her? He must be
falling, too, right? Why else would he invite her to his home?
 He arched his brows, his expression saying, Honey, please. “I’m afraid I
can offer you no reassurances about the time difference.”
So, she had to choose between being with Jorlan, whom she might be
falling in love with, and her brothers, whom she already loved.
If she did it, if she said yes, she might never see Nick’s mischievous
grin. Never feel the warmth of Erik’s and Denver’s hugs. Never again know
the comforting haze of Gray’s presence. Or hear Brian’s husky laugh over
the phone. All to stay with Jorlan for a time.
“Maybe I could go for half a day?” she hedged. “A sort of test run.”
“We could do a test run, aye. We could also…wed.”
First a visit home, now a wedding? What had gotten into him? “Why
would you—oh. I get it. You’re still drunk from yesterday’s beer,” she said.
Of course!
“I am not drunk. I am serious.”
“But, you can’t want to marry me.” And she shouldn’t want to marry
him, even though he wasn’t the domineering chauvinist she’d first
considered him. He’d turned out to be so much more than a dictatorial
tyrant who liked to put women “in their place.” He was a total Prince
Charming.
“I can. I do.”
“But why?” she insisted. A marriage made no sense. Unless he was
attempting to manipulate her emotions, so that she would fall in love the
rest of the way, freeing him from the curse?
No, he wasn’t the type to manipulate. He was the type to issue
commands and expect complete obedience. The fact that he’d asked rather
than demanded spoke volumes. Unlike so many others, he had the capacity
to learn from his mistakes.
Finally he said, “Because I want you.”
“But, you’ve wanted hundreds, maybe thousands of others and you’ve
never married them.” She sucked in a breath. “Do you have other wives?”
“Nay, I do not.”
“Are multiple wives a thing on Imperia?”
He ran his tongue over his teeth before giving a stiff nod. “For some,
aye, but I am not one of them. I will remain true to you, and you will
remain true to me.”
See! Commands. “I still don’t understand why you want to marry me.
I’m not saying no, though.” When he brightened, she rushed to add, “I’m
not saying yes, either. Not yet. I need time to think. And I know, I know.
Time isn’t your friend right now. I’ll hurry, promise.”
Though he projected disappointment, he nodded.
Meanwhile, her mind went into Teen Girl mode. Mrs. Katie en Sarr.
Wife. Mother? Or maybe she’d be known as Princess Katie en Sarr. Did an
Imperian woman take the names of her husband. Dude. What if she was
dealing with an Ofjorlan situation?
“Right now,” she continued, her voice breaking at the edges, “I’m going
on my jog. That’s a type of exercise where you run a far length.” She
needed to jog. “While I’m gone, you can shower and change into your new
clothes. When I get back, we’ll visit the locations on my list.”
“I would rather jog with you.”
At first, she thought to refuse him. Then she realized that getting higher
levels of oxygen into his brain might actually do them both some good.
She gave him a pair of Gray’s shorts and running shoes. As he changed,
she kept her back to him and asked, “Are you sure you can keep up? I run
most mornings, and you’re battling a mighty hangover.”
An air of challenge radiated from him. “I will do more than keep up,
katya, I will pass you. Twice.”
Oh là là. Competition! “Prove it, then. If you can.”
He stalked in front of her, his eyelids hooded. “What is my prize?”
Her heart began to race as if she’d already run a marathon. “How about
another night of free room and board?” she said with a sugary-sweet smile.
“Nay. I want something else,” he said, giving her a languid once-over.
Do not shiver—or reveal how happy you are that he’s insisting on
something else. “How about a kiss, then?”
A beat of silence. Then, “That is acceptable.” He took a step closer,
leaned down and whispered in her ear, “If you win, I will give you a kiss, as
well. Between your legs.”
Air snagged in her lungs. As she sputtered for a response, he prepared
for the run and strode outside. Her heart thudded as she followed, the
morning cooler than usual.
Did she want to win, or lose?
They started off at an easy pace, side by side. Twenty minutes ticked by,
and she held her own. They didn’t speak as they ran down a zigzag path
about a mile from her home. The path circled a park designated specifically
for runners. Strategically placed trees kept them shaded. Dew kissed the
leaves, and flowers perfumed the air.
They picked up the pace, and another ten minutes passed. Without
slowing, Jorlan removed his shirt and draped the garment over his
shoulders. She opened her mouth to complain that he now had an advantage
because she was overheated, too, but she couldn’t remove her clothes
without getting arrested for indecent exposure. That was a thing, right?
Anyway. The words froze in her throat.
So tan. So muscular. Mmm, mmm, mmm. Sweat glistened on his skin
and caught in the ridges of his abdomen. The sight distracted her so much,
she stumbled over a pebble.
He chuckled and increased his speed, jetting ahead of her. Katie glared
at his back. He’d distracted her on purpose, the cheater.
I might get that kiss…
Goose bumps spread over her limbs. She wanted that kiss. Needed it.
But pride demanded she win their contest, dang it. Though her muscles
burned and shook with every step, she, too, quickened her steps, soon
catching up with him.
Another ten minutes passed. Fatigue pitched a tent inside her, but still
she didn’t slow. Unfortunately, Jorlan showed no signs of slowing, either.
Huffing and puffing and hating herself for it, she said, “Are we going to
run forever?”
“I can,” was his casual reply. “Can you not?”
“I totally can,” she growled, calling forth every ounce of stamina she
possessed. This man was not going to beat her! If she lost, she’d only
reinforce the “women are weak” rhetoric. But dang it all to heck and back,
there had to be a way to end this.
An idea formed at lightning speed, and she wasn’t the least bit
surprised. With all the oxygen pumping through her, she could have
calculated the atomic mass of oxygen while devising a plan to end world
hunger.
“Better luck next time, Jordie.” With that, she kicked into a mad sprint.
“Oh, no you don’t.” He tried to pass her left side, but she veered in front
of him, blocking his way. He moved to the right, but she anticipated the
action and swerved to cut him off once again.
In the end, Katie beat him to the door by half a second and nearly
tripped over a newspaper on the top step of the porch. “I did it! I won.” The
words left her riding short, choppy waves of breath. She would have
laughed in his face, but her chest felt like a volcano spewing lava.
“You should collect your prize right away, katya.”
His suggestive tone made her heart and stomach flutter at the same time.
“I—”
A car eased up her driveway, the tires spitting gravel.
Jorlan tensed and withdrew a small pair of sewing scissors from his
pocket. Should have known he carried some type of weapon. At least he’d
stayed true to his word and left the blades behind.
The car parked behind her truck, Gray emerging from the driver’s side.
Only then did Jorlan relax and sheathe the blade. But maybe he shouldn’t
have? Her brother looked ready to commit murder.
Her growing smile of welcome evaporated. “Is everything all right,
Gray?”
He remained quiet as another man exited the car. The two spoke in
hushed, angry tones.
“Do you know the other male?” Jorlan asked her.
“No.” Whomever he was, he stood an inch or two shorter than Gray.
Which meant he would only be an inch or so taller than Katie. He had dark
brown hair and big puppy-dog-brown eyes.
Women probably went crazy for him. Had Katie met him a couple days
ago, she might have gone crazy for him, too. Now, her body wanted Jorlan,
and only Jorlan.
At last Gray moved to the porch. He didn’t make any introductions, just
got straight to the point. “I did a reverse image search of his face, among
other things, and learned Jorlan is not a romance novel cover model. He
isn’t a model at all. I’m not sure what he is.” Though he directed his words
to Katie, he watched Jorlan.
Uh-oh. “He’s mine,” she said simply.
Jorlan’s chest puffed up with pride. “I am hers.”
“So you know what he is, but you won’t tell me?” Gray griped. “That
has to mean he’s a drug dealer, or a pimp. Something illegal, and you fear
I’ll arrest him.”
“He hasn’t done anything illegal.” Probably. “You’ll just have to trust
me when I say he’s not dangerous. Not to me, anyway. Or anyone I love.
And now that that’s settled, you have exactly five seconds to apologize for
your behavior, or I’m going to snap your neck like a twig.”
 The handsome stranger at Gray’s side snickered. “You said she was
spunky, man. You didn’t say she was homicidal.”
All piss and vinegar, as her grandma used to say, Gray said, “Katie,
Jorlan, this is Steve Harris. Steve, this is my sister, Katie, and her friend
Jorlan.”
This was Steve? Katie thought, surprised.

***

THIS WAS STEVE? Jorlan thought darkly. The man Katie’s brothers wanted
her to date?
“Nice to meet you,” Steve said with a wave.
“You, too.” Katie’s eyes were as wide as saucers.
If she had interest in the male…
Seething, Jorlan crossed his arms and chose to remain silent, letting his
glare speak for him. It said, If you touch her, you will die screaming. Just in
case Steve failed to get the hint, Jorlan draped an arm around Katie’s waist.
A possessive and protective hold.
She didn’t try to shake Steve’s hand, and Steve didn’t even try to shake
hers. Therefore, Steve could live a little longer.
“I can’t believe you’re so calm about this.” Gray rested his hand on the
porch rail. “Do you never follow my advice, Katie? What am I always
telling you?”
Her brow furrowed as she pondered her response. Then she brightened.
“Oh! Expect the worst of everyone, and I’ll never be disappointed when
they fail me.”
Gray scowled at her. “Not that.”
“Watch your tone,” Jorlan snapped at him. Careful. Katie loved her
brothers; she didn’t love Jorlan yet. Only a matter of time.
Katie rested her head on his shoulder, telling Gray, “Are you referring to
your ‘buckle up or die’ speech?”
“Not that, either,” he said, pushing the words through gritted teeth.
“Always carry Mace?”
Mace?
“Never get in a stranger’s van, even if said stranger has puppies or
candy?” she continued. “When I’m in a physical fight, turn off the little
voice in my head that says it’s wrong to hurt people and start hurting
people?”
Free hand fisting, Gray snapped, “That you should—”
Jorlan took a step toward him, snapping back, “Tone.”
“Yeah, Gray. Tone.” Katie wore a big grin.
The male drew in a deep breath, then slowly released it. At a much
softer volume, he said, “If you meet a guy, and he tells you he will only be
in town for a week or two, he’s probably married and definitely lying to get
in your pants faster.”
“Jorlan isn’t lying, I promise,” Katie told him softly, sweetly. “Now get
out of here. I’ve got things to do.”
“I’ll go,” Gray replied, “but we’re not finished with this conversation.”
He gazed over her shoulder and pinned Jorlan with an expectant stare. “I’ll
talk to you later.”
Jorlan nodded, but Katie called, “No, you will not talk to him later.”
Gray and Steve pretended not to hear, piling into their car and speeding
away.
Jorlan clasped Katie’s wrist and tugged her back to his side. “I do not
like him.”
“Who? Gray?”
“Steve.”
A laugh bubbled from her. “Your raging jealousy is cute but there’s no
need for it. I’m only interested in a sexy otherworldly alien.”
Relief crashed over him, bringing pride along for the ride. “A sexy
otherworldly alien you will marry?”
Her good humor faded fast. “I’m still not sure.”
“Whether yes or no, whenever you are certain of your answer, you can
collect your prize for winning our race.”

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER TWELVE

I AM HOLDING her orgasm ransom, and getting nowhere fast.

Three days passed since Gray’s visit, and Jorlan had yet to give Katie
her prize. Every morning she told him, I’m still thinking about your
semiproposal weighing the pros and cons, I just haven’t come up with a
concrete answer yet. I’m sorry.
Moving to Imperia might be a moot point, anyway. They’d met with
twelve more psychics, all frauds. He’d begun to wonder if he’d have to
spend his remaining days on Earth.
The prospect should have frustrated him. Alas. Parts of him celebrated
the chance to stay. Anything to keep Katie.
They’d developed a routine.
Morning: jog, then visit with four psychics.
Afternoon: eat lunch, work at the Victorian.
Evening: eat dinner, talk and watch television.
Twilight: sleep, with Katie in the bed and Jorlan on the floor, and
fantasize.
Though his body and mind screamed that he tup her at last, he resisted.
What was the Earth saying? Oh, aye. If she wanted the milk, she had to buy
the cow.
Something like that. He’d done his best to win her over with
pleasantries and courtesies. But…his solicitous manners seemed to have the
wrong effect on Katie. Rather than becoming desperate for his touch, she
had retreated emotionally each day.
The continued failure with Katie and the psychics had taken a toll, his
calm demeanor nothing but a fragile veneer.
Only nine short days remained until the curse turned him into a statue
once again.
 He had to make Katie love him. Had to make her fall by whatever
means necessary. But what could he try that he had not already tried?
Pursue her sexually—done. Rouse her jealousy—done. Share his past
with her, give her time, pursue a friendship—done, done, done. Yet, his
efforts had gotten him nothing but disappointment.
Curse the situation, and curse her! He’d offered her more than he’d ever
offered another. What did she want from him? What was he missing?
If only this day had not seemed destined for failure, as well. This
morning, they were involved in a minor car crash. She’d clipped a
stationary pole because “it came out of nowhere!” After meeting with the
false psychics, they’d gone through a “drive in” to order food. He’d eaten
some kid of breakfast sandwich, and promptly gotten sick. Plus, the new
clothing he wore—the item Katie called “underwear”—was nigh smashing
his man parts.
He was not in a good mood.
Worst of all, there’d been only two names left on their list of psychics.
One had been nearby, the other about four hours away. An eight-hour trip in
total. They’d decided to visit the close one today, putting their daily total at
five rather than the usual four.
Now they exited the building, into the too hot sunlight. Birds soared
high above him, circling and searching for food. A soft wind danced about,
carrying a gentle floral scent.
“Well, that’s all of the close ones,” Katie said, shielding her eyes by
pressing the side of a hand against her brow. “We have officially visited
every psychic with halfway decent reviews. After we complete our work at
the Victorian, I’ll put together another list tonight. Maybe we should visit
the ones I discarded, just in case? Then, we can hit the out-of-town one over
the weekend.”
An ache erupted in the center of his chest. He’d endured too much
misery for too long to continue down this path of failure. He needed a win.
He needed a win today.
“I would like to visit the out-of-town one today,” he stated. “I am
willing to take your transportation and drive myself.”
“Oh, you are, are you?” She rolled her eyes. “Too bad, so sad.”
Before she realized his intension, he reached inside the pocket of her
beige shorts. The innocent touch set off a chain reaction of sensation. His
blood heated. His shaft hardened. All of him ached.
 “Hey! What are you doing?” She batted at his hand.
He held up the key remote. “I will visit this location, and then I will
return to you.” That said, he pivoted and stalked toward the parking lot.

***

KATIE PICTURED JORLAN crashing the car. Or being stranded on some

isolated road, or worse, a populated town demanding everyone to obey his
every command. Someone would take offense, there would be a fight,
Jorlan would win—because, spatula—and the other person would die. Then
Jorlan would be hauled to prison, where he would await trial. The
government would find out that he came from another planet and all hell
would break loose.
She couldn’t let that happen.
Katie raced behind him, swiped out her foot and tripped him. He
crashed to the ground, collapsing like a condemned home. She moved
quickly, rushing to snatch the fob while he righted himself. When she tried
to dart out of reach, however, he gripped her ankle and yanked. She toppled,
only to land atop Jorlan. How he’d managed to arrange that, she didn’t
know.
He flipped her over. Hovering above her, he smiled. Smiled! Then, he
stood and walked away. Again!
She pushed to an upright position, then climbed to her feet just as he
reached the truck. “Wait!” She raced over and latched on to his arm. “Let’s
work up a satisfactory compromise, okay?”
“Warriors do not compromise.” He shook off her hold and strode to the
driver side door.
Not this again. She dashed in front of the vehicle, arms splayed wide.
“You compromised with the weapons. You compromised with our sleeping
arrangements.”
He remained beside the open door, his expression unreadable. What had
brought about this change in him?
Finally he said, “I am sorry, katya, but I must do this.”
Was he that eager to escape her world? Or her? Maybe he regretted his
proposal? She had yet to give him an answer because she feared what
would happen if she said yes.
 He didn’t love her. What would happen if they wed, then he met the
love of his life? Would he grow to despise Katie?
“You don’t know how to drive or which way to go,” she reminded him.
“I will figure it out and find my way. While you have slept these past
nights, I have studied your driving and your world’s maps.”
So, he’d planned to ditch her all along? Ouch. “I’ll turn you in to the
police for stealing my car.”
He thought for a moment. Then, a wicked smile lifted the corners of his
mouth. “I suppose I’ll have to use force, katya.”
A lump grew in her throat. “Force?”
His eyes darkened as he lowered his chin, his gaze narrowing on her.
The only warning she had. A second later, he seemed to take a step, only
one, but he stood directly in front of her. She marveled at his speed.
With only a minimal protest from her, he scooped her into his arms. She
could have struggled or fought, but she didn’t want to injure him. His
wicked grin returned as he dumped her into the passenger seat and resettled
behind the wheel.
“Now you will go with me,” he said confidently.
Well, why not? Katie got comfortable, trying not to laugh as he keyed
the ignition and started pushing pedals. The car jerked. Stopped. Jerked.
Stopped.
“Here. Let me.” She leaned over to take control of the wheel and maybe
kinda sorta push him out of the seat, but he held fast, remaining in place.
He managed to drive out of the parking lot without crashing.
“If I see one car, even one, headed toward us,” she said, “I’m going to
shove you out the door, no matter how many injuries you’ll sustain.” Or,
maybe she’d press his carotid artery until he passed out. A little trick Gray
had taught her. For now, they were alone on the road and she had time to
gently make him rethink this. “By the way, you’re giving me whiplash.”
Unconcerned, he continued on.
“We’re going to spend eight hours in the car, and we don’t even have
snacks and drinks,” she whined. “I have way too much work to do on the
Victorian. In fact, I’m on the clock, and you’re going to pay me for my
time!”
“Are you trying to make me wish I’d cut off my ears and left them
behind?” he said, not sparing her a glance.
“Yes! Or aye. Whatever!”
 The truck inched along the road, doing no more than five miles per
hour. Color leached from his knuckles.
“I could walk faster than this, grandpa.”
“Truly?” he asked. “Then get out and prove it.”
“Ohh. Look who’s grown a pair of titanium balls. Also, you’re going the
wrong freaking way!” The words echoed inside Katie’s head, and she
cringed. He didn’t deserve this. He just wanted to go home. “I’m sorry,” she
said, and sighed. “Pull over.”
“Nay.” One word, both a bark and a bite. He reminded her of a caged
animal.
“Pull over. I’ll drive us to the psychic.”
His chin snapped around. He faced her hopefully. “You speak true?”
“Yes, now watch the road and pull over.” She pointed.
“I wish I could stop right here in the middle of the road, so great is my
relief.” He followed the line of her finger.
Once at a halt, they quickly switched places. “You really owe me for
this,” she muttered.
“I can very easily pay you once we arrive. I need only a bed and five…
ten…sixty minutes of your time.” The teasing sparkle returned to his eyes.
Oh, how she’d missed that sparkle. “You don’t get an hour of my time
until you’ve paid your previous debt.”
Now he grinned. “Noted.”
As she maneuvered the car in the right direction, she told him, “You’re
incorrigible, you know that?”
“Aye. I know it.”
And dang it, she liked him that way.
For the first twenty miles, they didn’t speak, just listened to the soft
hum of the radio. Katie felt Jorlan’s body heat, and it kept her mind firmly
in the gutter.
Or perhaps she was, by nature, more sexual than she’d ever realized.
Perhaps she was addicted to Jorlan. Ribbons of fantasy wove through her
mind. She saw it all so clearly. Jorlan would scoot closer to her and trail his
hand up her thigh, making her shiver and ache for more. His eyes would
devour her as he whispered a provocation she could not ignore. I dare you
to experience your pleasure, katya. And she would. Oh, she would. The hot
tips of his fingers would push aside her panties and slip inside her soaked
core. He would stroke her, first leisurely, then with unstoppable ferocity.
 Perhaps he would take his fingers from her just to lick them because he
couldn’t live another moment without learning the taste of her.
“Katie?”
The voice was real, not part of her fantasy, and she jolted into
awareness, her cheeks burning. “What!”
“Do you purposefully drive like this?”
“Crap!” Amid honks and flashing middle fingers, she jerked the truck
from the median and into the proper lane. She took a moment to collect her
wits, slow her breathing and control her shaking. Shaking that had nothing
to do with bad driving.
How she yearned to explore every inch of his body, to exalt as he
explored hers in turn. She wanted to feel the hard ripples of his muscles and
the smooth silkiness of his skin.
“What were you thinking about?” he asked.
Swallowing, she forced her attention to remain on the road. “I just can’t
believe we’re doing this. Have you always been this impulsive, or is this a
new development?”
“New development. Usually I think for weeks or months, working out
all angles before taking action.” He offered no more information. “Tell me
about this town we are visiting?”
“Lubbock is known as Hub City. There’s not really much more to tell.”
She had to keep him talking, had to keep herself distracted. “Now that
you’ve seen more of Earth, have you noticed any surprising differences
between our worlds?”
“Aye. Here, females are equal with your males.”
Well. Not quite equal—not yet. “Are women not allowed to venture into
public places?”
“Only with an escort.”
“And that is where you’d like me to live?” she asked softly.
He sat up straighter in his seat, a clear indication he didn’t like the
direction of their conversation. He opened his mouth. Closed it.
Before he could settle on a rebuttal, a loud pop rang out and the truck
swerved. Heart racing, Katie pulled over to the side of the road.
“What is wrong?” Jorlan asked with a frown.
“Flat tire, I think.”
Yep. Good call. Took her a while, but she managed to remove the flat.
She could have done it in half the time if Jorlan had stayed inside the truck.
But noooo. The barbarian stood over her shoulder, offering his opinion
about everything!
“Are you sure that goes there?” he asked. “I would put it here.”
“I’m sure.”
“Are you positive the truck will not flip over? That metal object is
holding it at an incline. I would raise the truck from the middle.”
“I’m sure you would.”
“Are you turning the—”
“I’m sure! I’m sure! I’m sure!”
He chanted something under his breath an-n-nd the flat tire exploded, a
strong blast of air shoving her backward.
As soon as she stilled, bits of rubber raining down, Jorlan was there,
looming over her. He didn’t look concerned for her, though. No, he was
frowning down at the remains of the tire as if it were deadly poison.
“What did you do?” Katie demanded, jumping to her feet.
“A spell,” he admitted grudgingly. “I’d hoped to help you.”
“I think we can agree I’m forever a magic-free zone.”
“You are an adorable zone. You have black soot on your face.”
They climbed back in the truck, her nerves on edge. She was dirty,
sweaty and hungry. Worse, she was dismayed. Katie didn’t like that Jorlan
had watched her do yet another “warriorlike” task. First her work on the
Victorian, now this. If this kept up, she might end up in the friend zone.
Plenty of men thought of her as “just one of the boys.” She didn’t want
Jorlan thinking of her that way, too. Which was a bit contradictory, she
supposed, since she wanted him to see her as independent and capable.
One of the reasons she’d continued to resist his appeal—he was so
freaking sexy, and she…wasn’t. He had experience, and she didn’t. He’d
lived forever, and she’d barely lived at all. The scale was unbalanced. How
was she supposed to keep a man like him interested for the long haul?
Her hands clenched on the wheel. What kind of women had Jorlan dated
before her? Short, dark-haired women who wore dresses and lace and spoke
with soft, angelic voices? Everything I’m not.
Was that the real reason he hadn’t tried to win her heart or get into her
pants? Did he not want her anymore?
If only he’d tried to seduce her once in the last three days. Just once.
She wouldn’t feel so forgotten.
 Well, fine. Whatever. Somewhere out there was a man who was her
equal. They’d be a little awkward together, but only at first. They’d quickly
find their footing.
As quickly as I found my footing with Jorlan?
Forget Jorlan! Her very human man would find her fascinating.
Like Jorlan finds you fascinating?
She ground her molars. Jorlan might find her fascinating now, but it
wouldn’t last.
Anyway. Her human boyfriend would play basketball with her, and take
her to football games. So what that she hadn’t expression an interest in
playing basketball with Jorlan, or attending games at his side. So what that
neither of those things mattered to her.
Every moment they spent together, he would look at her as if she were
God’s most beautiful creation. Her brothers would love—
Oh, no! Her brothers. She cut off a groan. Her family worried more than
most. If she didn’t make it home tonight, they would send out a search
party.
“Hand me the phone in the glove box, will ya?” she asked Jorlan. Her
shorts had no pockets, so she’d left the cell in the truck when they’d visited
the psychics.
“What is this glove box?” he asked.
She pointed and he complied.
Instead of trying to drive and dial, she handed the cell to Jorlan and told
him which numbers to push. She decided to call Erik, the most easygoing of
the group, who’d ask the fewest questions.
“Now push the speaker button,” she said. “And say nothing! Please.”
Erik answered after the third ring. “Hey, sis. What’s up?”
“Listen, I’m staying in Lubbock tonight. Maybe. Probably.” She didn’t
waste any time with pleasantries. “Depends on how long my errand takes.
I’ll let you know, though.”
“What are you doing in Lubbock?” Erik asked, already suspicious.
“Hold on. I’m checking my records to see if the reason is any of your
business. Drats! It’s not,” she told him with a dry tone.
“What for?” he insisted.
“Maybe I needed a break.”
Silence crackled over the line. Then, “You going by yourself?”
“No,” she grated.
 “So you’re going with Jorlan. Why not just admit it?”
“Because you gossip like a high school queen of mean. Because I didn’t
want you or the others to worry. Because—”
“We won’t worry. Well, I won’t,” he added with a laugh. “I saw the way
Jorlan looks at you. That man will take a bullet to keep you safe.”
Would he really? Delicious warmth tingled along her collarbone, then
spread down her arms.
When Jorlan nodded, enthusiastically agreeing with Erik, the warmth
intensified until she felt as if she were melting into the seat. While she had
no trouble taking care of herself, whatever the situation, she welcomed
backup. In fact, she’d never understood why people in books and movies
protested bodyguards or any kind of police escort. The world sucked, and
man-born disasters happened every day.
“Thank you, Erik,” she said. An eighteen-wheeler whizzed beside them.
The driver blew his horn and waved. Katie ignored him. “I love you, and
I’ll talk to you later, okay?”
“Don’t hang up yet. Let me speak with Jorlan first.”
What! No way, no how. “What—you—static,” she said. “Must—be…”
She reached out to disconnect the call, and the line went dead. As she
pictured Erik sputtering with indignation, she grinned.
“That went well,” Jorlan said.
Up ahead, a billboard advertised the last gas station in a twenty-mile
radius. She checked the truck’s gauge. Almost empty, dang it.
By the time they pulled into the lot, the truck puttered on fumes. She
made Jorlan get out with her so she could teach him how to properly fill a
tank. At the halfway point, she stopped, paid, then had him start again, all
on his own. Which he did without any problems. Smart man, faster learner.
After she paid the second bill, both charges coming to forty-seven hard-
earned dollars, she hustled Jorlan to his seat and strode inside the store to
gather a few necessary items. Chocolate. An energy drink. Condoms. What?
She’d left her other thousand boxes at home.
A few minutes later, they were back on the road and eating up the miles.
Thanks to traffic, the usually five-hour trip to Lubbock took a little over
seven.
She and Jorlan got burgers at a drive-through and sat in the parking lot
to eat and research the psychic. Dining inside would have been nice; she
would have had a chance to stretch her legs. Her rear end hurt like crazy!
But, better she experience discomfort than an audience of strangers
listening to their conversation.
Jorlan polished off three burgers and fries in record time.
She nibbled on her food while scrolling on her phone. “Well, crap. The
shop closes in five minutes, and walk-ins are not welcome. We’ll have to
wait till morning,” she told him. “I’m sorry.”
Tension radiated from him. “Not your fault.”
No, but his pain hurt her.
Thick gray clouds shifted across the sky, covering the sun. A handful of
raindrops splattered on the windshield. The wipers created perfect arches on
the glass.
They found a nearby motel to rent a room. A little run-down, but clean.
Once they got situated inside, Jorlan picked up the TV control and
pushed buttons. “What does this do?”
Images flooded the small black screen. Old reruns of Baywatch.
“Not going to destroy the TV the way you destroyed my phone? Okay.”
If he heard her, he offered zero reaction. He was too busy getting
comfortable on the bed, lying on his stomach, crossing his arms and resting
his chin on his wrist.
Before Katie could relax as well, a little girl screamed, “That’s my
hamburger.” Her high-pitched voice blasted through the walls.
Then, another girl shouted, “Mom, Carrie isn’t sharing.”
Soon, a sharp ache pounded in Katie’s temples.
“Want to go to the bar down the street?” she asked Jorlan.
He didn’t spare her a glance, just muttered, “Bar. Street.”
“Or we could stay in and have sex.” Half joke, half plea.
“Stay. Sex,” he echoed. Then he hissed air between his teeth and jerked
his attention her way. “Yes. That. Let’s do that. After we wed.”
Her heart raced at warp speed as he stood and closed the distance. His
sandalwood scent engulfed her, his body throwing off grenades of sexual
heat. “Let’s have sex then discuss getting married.”
He thought for a moment. “That is…” He leaned down, letting his
mouth hover over hers. “Acceptable.”
Her heart beat faster, harder as she rose to her tiptoes. Their lips met.
Moaning, he swept his tongue against hers, the kiss hot and demanding
right from the start.
 As she wound her arms around him, he cupped her breasts and ground
his erection between her legs. Pure ecstasy shot through her body.
“I want to see you,” he whispered. He tugged on the straps of her tank
top.
“I want to see you, too.” She pulled his gray T-shirt from his jeans, and
then…
“Mom. Momma. Mommy. Mom, mom, mom. Carrie took my shoes.”
Once again, the little girl’s voice penetrated the walls. “Give those back,
butthead. Mom! Make Carrie give me back my shoes.”
Breath ragged, Katie ended the kiss and pressed her brow against
Jorlan’s. Her first time wasn’t going to be in a rented room, with the devil’s
spawn complaining nearby. “About that bar…”
Weary sigh. “What is a bar?”
“A place where people drink and dance as foreplay.”
Electric blues lit up. “Aye. Let’s go.”
A ten-minute drive and they reached their destination. As they rushed
through the parking lot, headed for the door, a crack of thunder boomed and
the skies opened up, pouring rain. In seconds every inch of her was soaked.
Rather than running faster to escape the storm, she slowed and stopped.
With a laugh, she spread her arms and spun. Jorlan paused to glance over
his shoulder. As soon as he spotted her, he stilled and grinned. That grin
shaved ten years off his appearance, not to mention ten thousand pounds of
stress. For a moment, he looked so young and boyish, a man without cares,
only pleasures. Her chest constricted, and for a moment, she saw stars.
The rain soaked him, too, and oh, wow. He didn’t just look young and
carefree. He looked like a water god, and she shivered.
Mistakenly assuming she was cold, he backtracked, took her hand and
lead her inside the building.
He shook out his hair, water droplets flinging in every direction, and she
laughed again.
A growl rumbled from his chest. “No more laughing, woman, or I will
have a hard-on all night.”
All innocence, she batted her lashes. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”
“It is. Earth drocs—pants—already strangle him.”
“Your penis is a him?” Now she howled.
Jorlan donned a stern expression for all of ten seconds, before
chuckling.
 In that moment, Katie realized a startling truth. At some point between
freeing Jorlan from stone and agreeing to think about marrying him, he’d
become her best friend. She liked him, trusted him and enjoyed him. He had
her back, and she had his.
It had happened so fast, it must have been…fated. Like soul mates.
Fated. Soul mates. Meant to be. The words echoed inside her head,
butterflies taking flight inside her stomach. Were they fated?
“Hey! Watch it,” a man said when her shoulder brushed his.
“Sorry,” she rushed out. She’d gotten so lost in her head, she hadn’t
realized Jorlan had taken her hand and ushered her through the bar. Stay out
of your head. Focus.
Jorlan released her and stood in front of the man, menace pouring off
him. “You do not speak to ladies in such a manner. You do not speak to my
lady in such a manner. Ever. Do it again, and I’ll hack you into little pieces
to feed to your family and friends.”
The man paled, muttered, “Sorry, ma’am,” and hurried off.
“Ma’am? Why don’t you cut the heart you’ve broken out of my chest,”
she called.
“You would like his heart?” Jorlan asked, vibrating with eagerness.
Her mother used to say, It’s the thought that counts, honey, anytime
Katie had given her a piece-of-crap gift she’d made at school. If she
believed the claim, Jorlan had just proven to be the sweetest man ever. But,
uh, she’d have to be more careful about what she said. “Thank you, but no.”
Though no one was smoking, the air contained a pungent trace of nicotine.
Tumultuous rock music assaulted her ears as she and Jorlan meandered
across a concrete floor in search of a table.
All around, bodies gyrated in time to the fast-paced beat. Jorlan did a
double take, clearly shocked by the public displays of affection.
Finally, a booth opened up and they hurried to snag it.
“So. What do you think of an Earth bar?” Katie had to shout to be heard
over the music.
He wrinkled his nose. “’Tis…interesting.”
Somehow, she subdued a grin. What a kind way of saying he hated it.
“Stay here, and I’ll grab us a couple drinks.” Nonalcoholic for Jorlan.
He clasped her hand as she stood, then tugged, bringing her face down
to his, the tips of their noses brushing together. “If any male asks you to
dance, he forfeits his life.”
 “You are so cute when you’re jealous.” She kissed his brow, and for
some reason he flinched, then worked her way to the bar.
She purchased rum and Coke for herself and a 7Up for Jorlan. By the
time she returned to the table, Jorlan had attracted a small crowd of
admirers. Her fingers tightened on the glasses. They stood around him,
blocking her way.
“—can’t believe I’m speaking with Mike Calman, the best lineman ever
to play for the NFL. Will you sign this for me?”
Katie pushed her way closer just as a man slid a napkin Jorlan’s way.
At the name Mike Calman the rest of the audience twittered excitedly.
An avid sports fan, Katie had watched Mike Calman lead his team to
victory countless times, and she didn’t think Jorlan looked anything like the
famed football star.
“Where’s your Super Bowl ring?”
“Who’s going to replace your coach?”
“Are you thinking of playing for the Cowboys?”
Katie had no idea how Jorlan answered, but whatever he said charmed
the pants off everyone. (Thankfully not literally.) They oohed and aahed.
Apparently, Jorlan was the night’s VIP. Very irresistible playboy.
“I didn’t know you had an accent,” some girl said. “I love it!”
Finally she reached the front of the crowd. Jorlan sat in the same chair
as before, but his posture was much more relaxed. A pretty purple-haired
woman occupied Katie’s seat, eyeing the otherworlder like the last fillet at
the market.
“I’ve never met a professional ballplayer in here, but give me a chance,
and I’m certain I can come up with something to do with you,” Purple said,
leaning into him.
Enough! “Mr. Calman just wants to relax. In private.”
Jorlan didn’t react in any way, telling Katie he’d sensed her presence, he
just hadn’t acknowledged it. Why? Gauging her reaction? Well, news flash,
he was seconds away from having to surgically remove his testicles from
his throat.
Unlike so many others, Katie did not blame the woman for flirting with
a taken man; she blamed the man.
Purple toyed with the ends of his hair, snipping at Katie, “Are you his
bodyguard or something?”
 “Maybe. Let’s play two truths and a lie,” Katie said, settling into the
empty seat beside her. “I’m either his bodyguard, the mother of his three
sons, or the woman who broke a magic curse, turning our Jo—Calman into
a real boy instead of a stone statue.” No one in their right mind would
believe that last one, the honest-to-goodness truth.
The crowd burst into another round of laughter.
“Whatever you are, you’re getting on my nerves.” Focusing on Jorlan,
Purple said, “Is she the mother of your sons?”
At last Jorlan slid his gaze her way. “No,” he replied to Purple while
staring at Katie. “She is not.”
Was this punishment for refusing to give him an answer?
The woman got real smug real fast. “Why don’t you ditch the tagalong,
then, and go home with me? I’m super-good with balls.”
“Yes, Jorlan. Why don’t you ditch me, your landlord, chauffer and
moneybag, and go home with her?” What had gotten into the man? Had
something happened while she’d fetched drinks?
“I must stay,” he told Purple, who pouted but didn’t shuffle away.
For the next hour, Jorlan talked and laughed with everyone but Katie,
soaking up attention as if it was oxygen he needed for life support. Purple
eventually left, allowing Katie to return to her original chair. But other
women came over, one after the other.
She downed the rum and Coke. Then another and another. Every once in
a while a brave man approached Katie to drop a flirtatious line, but her
snappy retorts sent the would-be hookups scurrying away. Or maybe
Jorlan’s prepare-to-die glares caused the retreats? But anytime she found
herself alone again, Jorlan would turn back to whatever woman he was
flirting with and ignore her.
What kind of lesson was he hoping she’d learn here? That she needed to
snatch him up before someone else did?
When the fourth man beat feet, she leaned into Jorlan, even though
another girl had come over to get his autograph.
Katie whispered, “What lesson are you trying to teach me here? That
my choices are you or no one? That there are plenty of women for you to
marry if I say no? That you’re a douche and I’m better off without you?”
He didn’t look away from the woman who stood before him, even as he
directed his response to Katie. “If I knew what a douche was, I’m sure I
would be properly chastised.”
 Jerk! “Men were leering at me? That’s so…wonderful.” She fluffed her
hair. “Which ones? I should probably go say hi.”
The girl had just launched into a rambling speech about her great love
for football when Jorlan turned away from her to peer at Katie.
“Say hi, and they die!”
Do not grin. “And now you’re jealous again.” She tossed up her arms as
if exasperated. “That’s just great.”
He narrowed his eyes and worked his jaw. “You called me jealous
earlier, too. And, as you strolled to the bar, I had to watch different males
leer at you. I wanted to murder each one. I was jealous, I admit it. Then and
now. But by Elliea, I will not be the only one.”
The girl glanced between them before backing away, leaving them alone
at last.
“You’ve ignored me because you were man-pouting?” Katie demanded.
“Yes!” he roared. “And you let me. You never once tried to send the
females away, which means I want you more than you want me.”
“I sent Purple away.”
“Did you, though? Or did she walk away of her own volition? Listen,”
he said before she could respond. “Our relationship is more unbalanced
than either of us realized, just not the way you feared.”
Many people turned to stare at them.
Both relieved and annoyed, Katie stood and extended her hand. The
tempo of the music had slowed; there was no better time to couple up. “I’ve
been jealous, too, okay? So let’s stop trying to balance things out and just
enjoy each other’s company. Will you please honor me with a dance,
Jorlan?”
At first, he revealed no hint of his thoughts. Just peered from her hand
to her face. Then, a wicked glint shone in his eyes. “I will so honor you,
Katie.” He accepted her hand and stood. Side by side, they strode to the
dance floor.
As he wrapped his strong arms around her, the building seemed to tilt.
She rested her head on his shoulder, relaxing against him.
Had anything ever felt so right?
“That was quite a display, warrior woman,” he said.
“Well, you’re important to me. And handsome. And sexy. Did you know
that?” Wait. Why had she admitted that aloud?
 His husky chuckle reverberated along her nerve endings. “Tell me more.
What do you like about me?”
For some reason, answering honestly sounded like the best idea in the
history of ideas. “Well, if we’re talking outward appearance only, I love
how tall you are. Your muscles make my mouth water. And your butt! I just
want to squeeze it!”
“Hmm.” He caressed the ridges of her spine. “What else?”
So much! “The first time I saw you, you were naked. Remember? I kept
looking down, and all I could think about was how big your penis is and
how wonderful you’d probably feel buried deep inside me.”
He jolted, then he stilled, his inhalations turning ragged. “’Tis very
intriguing, that desire of yours. If you wanted me so badly in the beginning,
why did you deny me?”
“’Cause I didn’t know you, and I was afraid of developing feelings for
you. Duh.”
With one hand, he continued to stroke her spine. With the other, he
squeezed her butt the way she’d hoped to squeeze his. “What do you like
about my personality now that you’ve gotten to know me better?”
Why was the room spinning? “You’re courageous. And stubborn. A lot
of people consider stubbornness a bad trait, but not me. You won’t give up
when things get tough. You’re honest. Oh! You aren’t affected by my
disease.”
“Disease?” The word lashed like a cat-o’-nine-tails, but she didn’t mind.
His irises had darkened to the color of a starless night, blue and black and
the perfect midnight fantasy. “Why did you not tell me you are sick? You
must come to Imperia. I will pay a healer, and she will make you well.”
“A healer can’t help me.” Hooking her fingers into the waist of his new
jeans, she said, “My disease is fatal.”
He went rigid. “You are not allowed to die! Whether you want to or no,
you are going to my world, katya. As soon as possible.” He tightened his
hold, until she lost her breath. “I will listen to no protests.”
“You don’t want me to die before I fall in love with you. But what if I
fall in love, but you don’t? What if your desire for me centers around your
desire to be free of the curse?” The words surprised her. She’d thought
she’d conquered that particular fear, but obviously not.
“I am not concerned with love right now, only your health.”
 Another sweet gesture on Jorlan’s part. The guy was checking her
boxes, one after the other tonight.
“What is the name of your disease?” he asked, a slight tremor in his
voice.
“First Date Syndrome.”
“You are dying from First Date Syndrome?” he asked, incredulous.
“I am, and it’s awful. The worst!” Spinning, spinning, around and
around.
He growled low in her ear. “Do not ever do that again, woman. I
thought you were truly sick.”
“I am. I’m sick in the head. I’ve never made it past a first date. I’m
magnificent, yet no one ever notices.”
“I noticed,” he said, and ran her earlobe between his teeth.
When the song ended and fast-beat hard rock spilled from the speakers,
he eased her into a slow, rocking motion.
Gently stroking her hands up and down his back, she explained some of
the horrid evenings she’d endured. Once she thought he chuckled, but she
knew she was mistaken. They were discussing something very serious here,
something that affected her entire life. But all too soon the spinning
worsened, and she forgot what she wanted to tell him.
“Jorlan,” she whispered. “I think I’m going to pass out.” A second later,
she crashed into a liquor-soaked darkness.

***

SOMEHOW, JORLAN MANAGED to drive Katie to their lodging without getting

either of them killed. The transportation was not easy to manage, but neither
was the softly snoring Katie.
As he carried her to their room, she moaned and muttered, “Oranges not
bananas.” Whatever that meant.
He blamed himself for her condition. He’d watched her consume glass
after glass of “lick her” yet he’d done nothing to stop her. He’d wanted her
to drink them. Too well did he recall the effects of the liquid, a type of truth
serum.
He couldn’t resist an opportunity to question her and discover the truth
of her feelings for him. Only, she had fainted before he’d the chance to
delve too deeply.
 He had learned some interesting facts, however. The woman considered
him her property, and the knowledge proved more potent than…anything.
He smiled as he recalled how she’d reacted to other women who’d admired
him. Not even Maylyn had been so possessive. No, Maylyn had been
content with what time he could give her, unconcerned if he spent time with
another female.
The more he considered Katie’s possessiveness and jealousy, the more it
thrilled him. Anytime he’d glanced her way, need had smoldered in his
blood. He’d wanted to strip her down and plunge his shaft to the hilt, right
there in the bar, while music blared and the smoke billowed from a
machine.
Such thoughts could do him no good now. The hour was late, and they
had much to do on the morrow. Inside their small, private chamber, he
stripped Katie of every garment save for the black material that guarded her
feminine core. Pretty.
Nay, not a strong enough word. Exquisite. Ethereal. The dark fabric was
the perfect contrast for her pale skin.
As he gazed down at her, the air in his lungs heated. Pert breasts.
Narrow waist. Heart-shaped hips. Toned legs.
He’d once noticed the freckles on her shoulders and wondered if she
had any elsewhere. He now knew she did. A handful of freckles dotted her
stomach, the sight tantalizing. He hardened all over again.
No doubt the twilight hours would offer the sweetest kind of torture.
Carefully he placed her in the bed. After stripping down to skin, he
climbed in beside her.
He smiled the entire night.

***

HMM. THIS PILLOW. It was the warmest one she’d ever owned. And the
softest. But oddly enough, also the hardest.
Katie snuggled closer to it, and even skimmed her leg up, up, until she
found something hard and hot to prop her knee. A contented sigh escaped.
Her head ached a bit, but other than that she felt wonderful.
Deep breath in. Double hmm. Sandalwood, a little taste of heaven.
Here, now, she felt safe and secure, and she wanted to stay in this warm
refuge forever.
 Somewhere in her conscious mind, she heard a loud crack of thunder.
Rain beat against the window. Instead of luring her to sleep, however, the
pitter-patter helped clear the sleepy fog from her mind.
Time to get up. She stretched. Smiled. Stretched again. If Jorlan were
here—
Jorlan!
Hard?
Delicious?
Katie popped open her eyes. She wore a bra and panties, but nothing
else. Jorlan lay underneath her, and he was completely naked.
It was one hundred percent obvious his body liked the contact.
Just what had happened last night? Not sex. Her body felt the same as
always. She thought back. They’d danced at the bar and then…what?
She studied his sleeping form. Once again, he looked boyish and
carefree. A smile graced his expression.
Maybe because I told him I liked his penis?
Oh, crap. She had, hadn’t she?
“Good dawning, katya.” His sexy rumble sent shivers coursing down
her spine.
Double crap! He was awake, and he might want to talk about what
they’d talked about last night. Trying not to panic, she jerked to her feet,
taking the sheet with her, leaving his nakedness in full view. She gasped.
She tried not to look; she really did. But wow! Bigger than I remember.
“What happened after I passed out?”
Cozy as a kitchen, he stretched, his mouth curling in a lazy smile. The
kind of smile that always preceded trouble. “Nothing. Unfortunately.”
“How did we get here?” She’d been in no condition to drive, but she
was the only designated drive. Jorlan didn’t have a license, and there was
no way he’d navigated the roads at night without crashing.
Eyeing her through half-lowered lids, he said, “What do you recall
about our time at the bar?”
“Not much—” Wrong. Memories flooded her. How he’d flirted, and
she’d gotten lippy with Purple. How they’d fought, and only moments later
she’d plastered herself against Jorlan to dance. How she’d admitted his
sexiness, and wondered if they were fated to be together.
Were they?
 Now, her cheeks warmed. “Please excuse me. I need to use the
bathroom.” And bury my head in mental sand for a bit.
She didn’t wait for his response, just rushed into the bathroom, shut and
locked the door. Leaning against it, she slid to her butt and pulled her knees
to her chest.
Gazing into the mirror, she watched her lips lift in a smile. Then she
sighed. Obviously, she had feelings for Jorlan. Strong ones. She needed to
decide one way or the other. Be with him or not. Marry him or not. Travel
to his planet with him or not. No more stringing him along with her
indecision. It wasn’t fair to him, and it wasn’t fair to herself.
So, what was she going to do?

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER THIRTEEN

THE NEW DAWNING had begun so sweetly. Jorlan had awoken with Katie in
his arms. Now he resented the fact that they had to leave the rented chamber
to visit the psychic. He would prefer to coax her back into bed.
He stroked his throbbing erection. One day soon, they were going to
make love.
She would say yes to his proposal. He knew it, felt it. After all, the
woman wanted him as much as he wanted her, and they both hated the
thought of the other with anyone else.
When she emerged from the bathroom, she would not look his way, and
did not speak. He figured the truth about her feelings had frightened her,
and he decided to give her time to accept it.
She had to accept it.
As he’d held her in his arms last night, he’d never wanted to let go. He
needed more from her. More time, more everything.
He cleaned up and dressed, and they took off. At the new psychic’s
abode, he finally, at long last discovered what he had been searching for
since first awakening to Katie’s kiss. Magic.
Magic enveloped him the moment he stepped inside the shop. He
paused a moment, breathing in the sweet, dew-kissed essence so like the air
of his homeland. Yet, as he stood with the wondrous scent in his nostrils, he
had trouble believing this much-anticipated moment was upon him. How
long had he prayed for this? How long had he wished?
Too long.
Squaring his shoulders, he took in every detail. Beige carpet and walls.
No frivolous knickknacks for sale. There was only a couch, ten chairs and a
side table.
 Several people loitered about, talking, but Jorlan paid them no heed. He
was too intent on the lone man behind a built-in counter. Short, with
thinning brown hair, eye spectacles and high bladelike cheekbones sharp
enough to cut glass.
“This is it, isn’t it?” Katie asked, at his side. Those were the first words
she’d spoken to him since emerging from the bathroom.
A weaker male might have viewed her silence a sign of pending
rejection. Not Jorlan. Katie was a warrior woman. In the end, fear would
not dissuade her.
“This is it,” she repeated, her tone laden with a strange pitch he couldn’t
identify. “It feels different than the others.”
Her observation amazed him, considering she had no magic. She was
not a child of the Druinn, nor did she possess the soul of the ancients. Yet
she knew, just as he did, that true power crackled within these walls.
“’Tis the magic you feel.”
“The kind of magic able to take you home?”
“Aye. The vibration is very strong, the essence quite unique, and
somehow familiar. Whomever this sorcerer is, he is very powerful.”
She darted her gaze around the room, lines of strain etching her
features. Strain caused by what, though? “I’m happy for you, Jorlan. This is
what you’ve waited for. You deserve to return home to your family, and live
the life of your dreams. But…”
Foreboding swept him up, up and away. “Say it,” he commanded.
“I won’t be coming with you,” she whisper-croaked. “I’m sorry.”
Finally, an answer. Just not the one he’d expected. “Why reject me
now?” he demanded, tasting sickness at the back of his throat. He imagined
he felt cold, liquid stone coursing through his veins, the curse preparing to
imprison him again. For eternity this time, with no hope of escape.
He forced himself to adopt a calm and rational manner. Because,
whether Katie denied it or not, he was making progress with her, and he
would continue to do so, even if he had to double—triple—his efforts.
“If I fall in love with you, I fall in love with you. I won’t fight it
anymore, and I’ll deal with the emotional fallout when the time comes. I
will keep you company every day, and sleep with you every night. But…”
He should rejoice. The foreboding sharpened, slashing at the calm
facade. “Tell me.”
 Peering down at her feet, she kicked at nothing. “When the time comes,
you will go home, and I will stay here.”
Jorlan experienced a windfall of conflicting emotion. Furious elation.
Happiness tinged with sadness. Confused understanding. She had just
offered everything he’d ever wanted her to give. Love, sex and freedom.
Yet, they weren’t enough. He needed more. All. Everything. Nothing less
would do.
But why? Why push for more when he, too, had viewed their
relationship as a temporary arrangement with an inevitable end?
Mayhap he would stay on Earth. Just until they tired of each other. Of
course, that would mean postponing his blood vendetta against Percen and
willingly abandoning his people. Were they being mistreated by the current
great lord, whomever the male happened to be?
Guilt wound around his neck and squeezed. If Jorlan visited Imperia to
find out, and the passage of time between worlds differed enough, he might
return to Earth to find Katie had died of old age a century ago.
He swallowed. “Is it because of your brothers?”
“They are part of the reason, yes.”
“And the other reasons?” he grated, wishing he could just flip a switch
and change her mind.
She flinched at his ragged tone. “My job and my independence. You
told me women aren’t allowed to work or to go anywhere without a male
escort.”
Both valid reasons, curse her!
Voice soft, she said, “Come on. The line has dwindled. Let’s see if we
can score an appointment with the psychic.”
There was a tension-laden pause as he killed every protest to grace his
tongue. He may have lost a battle, but he hadn’t lost the war. With a new
plan of action, he could win this—win her.
Finally, his impatience got the message and quieted. They would finish
this line of conversation at home.
Realization: he’d just referred to her house as his home.
Sweat trickled down his nape as he said, “Aye. Let’s.” He took her
hand, noted a slight tremor in her grip and stepped to the counter, where a
man waited.
“I welcome you,” the male said, beckoning them closer.
Chin up, shoulder back, he said, “I have come for—”
 “I know why you are here. You seek passage elsewhere.”
“You are the psychic, then?” Katie asked.
“No. I am the assistant. Mon Graig is not here.” The man pushed his
glasses higher on his nose. “I am unable to help you.”
Another duo of conflicting emotions. Dread wound around hope and
squeezed. “Someone here can and will help me. I am not leaving until I
speak with your boss.”
“There is no need to wait. If he desires to aid you, he will find you.”
Jorlan’s teeth gnashed. Would nothing go right this day?
Katie gave his fingers a comforting squeeze. “Where is this Mon
Graig?”
“Here, there.” Glasses shrugged. “Everywhere and nowhere.”
Jorlan gripped the edge of the counter so tightly, he feared the bones of
his knuckles would tear through his skin. “Where. Is. He?”
Now Glasses blanched. “Do you think you’re the only one who desires
a trip home? Mon Graig has many dwellings throughout this world and
takes many patrons through a vortex. Sometimes he is gone a few days,
sometimes years, but no one, and I do mean no one knows exactly where he
is at any given moment or when he will return.”
Exactly like the sorcerers of Imperia.
I did it. I found a way home. Jorlan waited for a surge of excitement…
urgency…something, anything. All he felt? Stress. When the psychic
returned, he had to make a choice one way or another.
With her free hand, Katie hooked a lock of hair behind her ear. Then she
caressed the spot between his shoulder blades, where tension pooled. “How
long ago did he leave for this newest trip?”
“Nine weeks or so.”
“And which world did he visit?” Jorlan asked.
Glasses observed him for several beats, thoughtful. “Imperia.”
Surprise punched Jorlan. This. This was the very reason he struggled to
decide about going or staying. The time. He had to decide: home or Katie?
At some point, he might have to craft a list of reasons for and against
each option.
She lifted their twined fingers to kiss the heel of his palm, and much of
his tension drained. How did she soothe him so easily?
“Use this time to raise some cash,” Glasses suggested. “These trips
aren’t cheap.”
 The first reason to return home as soon as possible presented itself:
Jorlan had no riches here, no way to pay his way. “How much is needed?”
“Mon Graig will tell you when—if—he comes for you.”
“Very well. Until then.” Jorlan nodded, satisfied he’d done all he could
do. He wrapped an arm around Katie’s waist and ushered her out the door.

***

DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY, Katie glanced over at Jorlan. He hadn’t spoken
a word since they’d left the psychic’s place, and she hadn’t tried to force
him.
She knew he needed time to accept her refusal to marry him as well as
the possibility of the psychic’s prolonged absence. Meanwhile, his upset
broke her heart.
Who was she kidding? She’d had a broken heart ever since she’d
politely turned down his proposal. Their days together were numbered, their
paths soon to diverge.
Tears singed her eyes, and she blinked until they cleared.
Silence continued the rest of the trip, her nerves on edge by the time she
parked in the Victorian’s winding driveway, next to a rusty, unfamiliar
Dodge Dart.
“We have a visitor.” But who? There was no one inside the car, and she
saw no one loitering on the lawn. “I wasn’t expecting anyone.”
They emerged into the afternoon heat. Jorlan sniffed around, some of
his tension easing. “I think you will be both pleased and displeased with the
visitors’ identity.”
He could tell by scent alone? And had he said “visitors,” as in more than
one?
Marveling, she dashed to the porch…where she found Frances, the
owner of the café. A second woman—the redheaded Heather—stood at her
side, looking as bored and contemptuous as ever.
Katie grinned at Frances and pulled her in for a bear hug. She felt as if
ages had passed since she’d last seen her…friend? “It’s wonderful to see
you outside of the café.” Heather, she ignored. Why had Frances brought
the girl? “Does this mean you’ve decided to work here?”
Wringing her hands, France said, “Yes. I’d like to take you up on your
offer. If you’re still interested in hiring me, that is.”
 Katie didn’t hesitate with her answer. “Absolutely.”
Frances smiled so brightly, a youthful glow seemed to eradicate a
decade of wrinkles. “I can’t thank you enough for this, Katie. I mean Ms.
James. I owe you.”
“Yeah, thanks bunches,” Heather said, her tone dripping with disdain.
Then she focused on Jorlan and smiled. “Hey, handsome. I’ve missed you.”
He nodded in acknowledgment, displaying none of his usual charm.
Fury stormed through her, rousing a heat wave.
Slapping a hand over the girl’s mouth, Frances said, “May I talk with
you in private, Ms. James?”
“Please, call me Katie.” Curiosity rising, she ushered Frances to a
shadowed area at the side of the house. She only glanced back at Jorlan
twice.
If Heather made a move on him, Katie would—
Nothing. Her shoulders wilted, rolling in. Thanks to her, they were not
in a committed relationship. She had zero rights.
“Heather is my daughter,” the café owner blurted.
Shock reverberated through her, rendering her immobile. “Your
daughter? Seriously?”
“I’m afraid so,” came the sighed reply. “She means well, though, she
really does.”
Means well. Two words, each great on its own. When strung together,
Katie despised them. Her brothers used to say something similar about her
father, yet most people never actually cared about someone else’s well-
being, only their own.
He’s hard on you because he loves you, Kit Kat. Wrong! Tough love
should absolutely be utilized when needed. Had a little girl who’d done
everything in her power to make her father love, adore and accept her truly
been deserving of it?
He shouts at you because he wants the best for you. Wrong again. He’d
shouted because she hadn’t fit his idea of right and wrong.
“I was in the café almost every morning for three weeks and so was
she,” Katie said, “but the two of you never spoke.”
“She’s had a really tough life, and blames me.” Shame flushed Frances’s
cheeks as she shifted from one foot to the other. “Her father, my ex, was a
bad, bad man. He…did things. She tried to tell me, but I…I was such a fool.
So blinded by what I thought was love. When she turned twelve, she ran
away from home. I searched for clues about where she might have gone,
and I found…I saw…she’d been telling the truth.” Her chin trembled. “I
didn’t hear from her for years. We only reconnected a few months ago. She
hates me, as she should, but she needs a place to stay, and my door is
always open for her. We’re short on cash, and I—I thought,” she
stammered, “I hoped if you needed another worker, she’d be a great hire. I
swear on my ex’s grave, may he forever burn in Hell, that we’ll never be
late, never call in sick, never miss a day for any reason. If you need us,
we’ll work seven days a week, holidays, it doesn’t matter.”
Most of Katie’s Heather-centered animosity evaporated in a blink. She
ached for the frightened little girl who’d been forced to endure years of
abuse. And yeah, okay, she kind of appreciated her dad a bit more. He’d
been a tyrant, but he’d never hit or molested her.
What a sad commentary on the state of the world. Just because a man
didn’t punch or rape someone, he was a prize? Way to set the bar high.
“Why does Heather dislike me?” Katie asked.
Frances sucked in her lips, creating a thin line of pink. “She’s never
spoken of it, but I can guess. You’ve got everything she’s ever wanted.
Success. Security. A loving family and the adoration of a good man.”
A pang cut through her, nearly rending her in two. Jorlan, adoring? Not
at the moment.
Frances patted her shoulder. “If you don’t want her around, I’ll
understand. And I’d still like the job.”
Katie would probably regret this, but still she said, “It’s yours, Frances.
And Heather, too.”
Another glorious smile lit the woman’s face. “Really? You mean it?”
“Really. I’d have you start today, but Jorlan and I had a rough morning.
You could start tomorrow, if you wanted?”
“Oh, Katie, thank you! You won’t regret this. Heather’s real good with
anything creative. She has a green thumb, and she’s strong. I’m a real fast
learner. Whatever you want me to do, I’ll do.”
They discussed what time Frances and Heather should arrive, what sort
of things they would be doing and how much money they would earn.
“I mean it. I can never thank you enough, doll.” Frances shook with
delight as they walked back to the porch.
Katie missed a step, her attention laser focused on Jorlan and Heather.
They stood far too close for comfort, chuckling about something Heather
had said.
I’m going to regret my decision to proceed full steam ahead, aren’t I?
Well, so what? She wouldn’t base her decisions on what might happen
later, only what was right. Heather had taken enough knocks in life; Katie
wouldn’t add to them, no matter how much the girl’s attitude grated.
Frances ran over and threw her arms around her daughter. “We got the
job,” she sang happily, swinging them both around.
Heather threw back her head and laughed. Until she remembered she
hated her mother, Katie and life in general. Scowling, she jerked out of her
mother’s embrace. “Whatever. I didn’t care one way or another.”
Eyes wide, Frances flattened a hand over her chest. “I’m sorry, Katie.
She didn’t mean it. She’s grateful.”
Katie didn’t believe her, but forged ahead anyway. “I have ten rules. The
first is never attempt to fix anything without checking with me first.”
Frances nodded; Heather stared.
Jorlan crossed his arms.
“Two, you must make sure a room is properly ventilated before you
paint. Three through ten, Jorlan is permanently off-limits.”
“Jorlan?” Heather’s nose crinkled up. “What’s a jorlan?”
“He is.” She pointed at her alien. “He isn’t Hunter Rains, self-help guru.
His name is Jorlan en Sarr, and he’s mine.” For now.
Jorlan did not react as she’d hoped. He didn’t react at all.
Frances, on the other hand, shuddered with revulsion. “You don’t have
to worry about me making a move on your man. I considered the opposite
sex the equivalent of a Black Plague, so why would I want one?”
Curling a lock of hair around her finger, Heather regarded Jorlan
thoughtfully. “All right, then.” She brushed her hands together in a job well
done. “We’ll see you guys tomorrow.”
Francis kissed Katie’s cheek but didn’t head for her car. “Before I go,
I’ve got a joke for you. A husband told his wife that he was in the mood to
try a new position later that night, something he’d never done before. The
wife gave him a flirty eyelash flutter and told him a new position sounded
wonderful, and she had the perfect one in mind. He would do the ironing
and she would stretch out on the couch, drink beer and fart. Get it? The new
position is a change in roles.”
Everyone chuckled except for Jorlan, who whipped out one of his
weapons and scanned the surrounding area. “I sense trouble.”
 Katie lost her smile. She scanned the area, too, but saw nothing out of
the ordinary. “Will you guys excuse us for a moment?” Their guests were
busy looking between them, gazes darting back and forth.
“Certainly,” Frances replied.
With his palm cupping her elbow, Jorlan steered Katie to the side of the
house. The second they were out of range, he said, “A sorcerer is here.”
“Are you sure?” This morning, she’d felt a faint stirring of something,
the fine hairs on her body standing at attention. Here, now, she felt nothing.
But she had to ask. “Do you think it’s that Mon Graig guy?”
“Nay. ’Tis a different kind of magic.” Jorlan drew in a long, deep
breath. “I will scour your property for the culprit.” He replaced the rolling
pin with the spatula and circled the house.
Katie returned to the porch.
“Jorlan just walked by,” Frances said, her brows drawn together. “Is he
carting around a spatula?”
“Yes,” Katie answered as if it were perfectly normal for a giant of a man
to wield a cooking utensil as though it was a lethal blade. “Yes, it was.”

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER FOURTEEN

PERCEN DE LOCKE GRINNED.

At last, after a seemingly endless search, he had found his brother.
He had found Jorlan! Of course, his brother had shed the stone casing,
returning to flesh and blood.
At first, Percen experienced a tsunami of fury. As he watched Jorlan
interact with the mortal women, however, that fury had dulled. Jorlan was
free, but only recently. The spell had not been broken completely, its
shackles still wrapped tightly around the warrior.
What a wondrous turn of events! With the deadline fast approaching,
Jorlan must be desperate to win his savior’s love.
Percen resisted the urge to dance upon the grassy plain. His good humor
fled. He couldn’t dance, not without excruciating pain in his twisted legs.
He couldn’t release a victory shout, not if he wished to keep his identity
hidden. And he did. For the time being. Although, to his astonishment,
Jorlan had already sensed him.
The cursed warrior strode around the outside of the house, then marched
along the two-acre perimeter, determined to discover who watched him and
why. He even passed Percen once, twice, yet he never detected the truth—
magic cloaked Percen in invisibility.
Percen could not contain a small chuckle. You can’t catch me, he
inwardly taunted, imitating the children he’d heard playing earlier that day.
They’d been so carefree, he’d cast a spell of understanding simply to learn
the words of their song. You can’t catch me, I’m the gingerbread man.
Percen had not been allowed to play games as a child. To undignified
for the son of a great lord. Plus, there’d always been a new spell to learn or
an incantation to perform. Punishments to endure and sorcerers to entertain.
 A future high priest must be properly groomed in all facets of life. His
tutor’s stern voice resonated inside his head.
A voice that still caused him to shudder with horror.
While Percen had suffered at the hands of the Druinn, Jorlan had
flourished at court. He’d led a charmed life, pampered by their father and
all of his servants, coddled by their mother, and revered by males and
females alike. Until the curse, Jorlan had known nothing about pain and
suffering. Nothing! He’d known nothing of the desperate need to love and
be loved in return.
But I am teaching him, Percen thought, his smile widening.
His brother rounded another corner, returning to the three mortal
women, who waited on the porch. A frown-scowl combo marred the perfect
warrior’s perfect face.
Which of the three women had kissed the statue? Percen would begin
the second part of Jorlan’s punishment with her.
He eyed the youngest one; his gaze had been continually drawn to her.
With glorious red hair, big brown eyes, and flawless pale skin, she was
beyond beautiful, like a painting come to life. The next woman was old
enough to be Jorlan’s mother, but faintly resembled the redhead. The last
female was too tall and plain.
Percen meant to study each one more closely, to gauge their reactions to
Jorlan and Jorlan’s reaction to them, but he couldn’t force his gaze away
from the redheaded beauty. She was the kind of woman he had always
longed to possess. To hold. To love. To cherish.
He balled his hands into fists. Her kind never desired him in return.
Even still, need churned inside him, hot and driving. He watched her
smooth a tendril of hair from her brow, and his blood blazed. His body
hardened. Though her every move was like living passion, there was
something almost vulnerable about her. Something sad. Something that
pulled at his deepest yearnings.
As if she could sense his scrutiny, she glanced around, up, down. Then
she pivoted slightly and met his gaze. Blue to brown, desire to confusion.
For a moment, he forgot his reason for being there.
Did she see him?
Longing devoured him, and he nearly dropped to his knees. She held his
stare and even gifted him with a smile.
 He sucked in a breath. She did. She saw him. Then she shifted, her
shoulders sagging, her smile fading.
He’d been mistaken. She did not see him.
Had his brother planted himself firmly between her thighs? Percen
ground his molars. Of course his brother had tupped her. What man would
ignore such loveliness? Not Jorlan, a connoisseur of female flesh. Well,
’twas reason enough for Percen to have her himself.
He tapped a finger against his chin. Just how should he go about
winning this girl? His ugliness frightened…everyone. Magic, mayhap?
Aye, he could use the same spell he’d used all his life to lure women to
his bed. A spell that made others see him as the man he wanted to be, not
the man he truly was.
When the object of his fancy brushed her fingertip against Jorlan’s arm,
Percen narrowed his eyes.
The plain woman noticed the interaction, her body going rigid.
His brother glared at her before smiling at the redhead.
Percen flicked his tongue over an incisor. Oh, this was going to be fun.

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER FIFTEEN

THE DAY PROGRESSED quickly for Jorlan. He worked much, talked little and
remained alert, expecting some sort of attack. Only when he and Katie
returned to her home was he able to relax, the sensation of being watched
finally abating. Needing time alone to ponder everything that had happened,
he headed for the bathing chamber.
“Jorlan?” Katie called.
Silent, he shut and locked the door, fiddled with the water knobs as
Katie had taught him. After stripping, he stepped inside the shower stall.
Warm water rained liquid heat over his naked body, but did little to ease his
strain.
The presence he had felt today…familiar yet not familiar. He pressed
his forehead against the cool, damp tile. At first he’d thought Percen had
found him. But, as strong as Percen had once been, he hadn’t been this
strong.
Unless his power had grown? Always a possibility.
Even as Katie’s feelings for him deepened, the curse had definitely
grown stronger. Liquid stone still seemed to rush through his veins.
Could he win her heart in time?
He let his mind drift over the day’s events. After Frances and Heather
had said their goodbyes, he and Katie had worked inside the old house for
many hours. Though he still reeled from her rejection, he’d enjoyed their
time together; her gaze had repeatedly glided over him with longing.
I’m still in the game.
She’d even expressed more curiosity about his past.
“How did the curse come about?” she’d asked.
“I was in bed, and I was…not alone.” He’d been with Maylyn. “The
guards knocked on the mystical door to tell me a male had arrived who
claimed to have news about my father, who had been slain years before. I’d
searched for his killer for so long, with no results, and I welcomed any
information, from anyone, at any time.”
He’d vaulted from the bed and dressed, then drew the bed’s canopy
closed, so that no one would see his sleeping lover.
When the magic door-block vanished, Percen had materialized in the
bedchamber.
Maylyn had used magic to move the canopy. She’d remained splayed
across the mattress, gloriously naked. With a smile, she’d oh so sweetly
uttered a spell to lock Jorlan’s feet in place and purred, “Hello, Percen.
You’re late.”
In that moment, Jorlan had known the truth. She’d been Percen’s ally all
along, just as rumors had suggested. Jorlan had reached for a weapon,
intending to kill them both, when his brother cast the stone spell. Jorlan’s
flesh had hardened between one blink and another, yet he’d still heard, felt
and seen everything around him.
Percen had limped around the statue, studying Jorlan from every angle.
He’d laughed with glee. “I know you hear me,” he’d said, trailing a
fingertip down Jorlan’s chest. “There was a male here, brother, and he did
have information about Father’s death. So I killed him. Now you’ll never
know the truth.”
As Jorlan had screamed and cursed inside the stone, Percen had laughed
again, the sound reminding him of glass shards grinding together. “Do not
worry, my brother. There’s hope for your freedom yet. When I think you’ve
suffered long enough, I will allow Maylyn to kiss you. The stone will
vanish, and you will have two cycles to win her heart. Just imagine. She
betrayed you, yet you must court her or lose your freedom forevermore.”
Katie had listened intently, had even hugged him close afterward, a
gesture of support and comfort. But when he’d questioned her about her
past, hoping to learn more about her, she’d turned away, suddenly busy.
He thought he understood her reasoning, even if he didn’t like it.
Sharing oneself created a bond all on its own, opening wounds once thought
healed. But she would learn, just as he had, that they could not deny their
pasts and move forward.
Would she learn in time?
Would he win her heart?
Would she choose to part with him even if she did, in fact, love him?
 ***

WHILE JORLAN BATHED, Katie set the stage for his seduction.
Her fingers shook, her nerves on edge as she lit a cluster of jasmine-
scented candles on her dresser. The flames flickered in the darkness, lazily
twining darkness and light together, casting lacy shadows over the room.
The atmosphere evoked a mood of sublime promises and carnal need,
hinting about the pleasure to come.
True to Nick’s advice, she wore nothing beneath her robe. Condoms,
lubricants and other purchases were piled on the nightstand beside the bed.
Just a few more finishing touches to go.
The flowing water quit sooner than she’d anticipated. Katie froze.
One minute ticked by, then another and another. From the far corner, she
watched as Jorlan emerged from the bathroom, a white cotton towel secured
around his waist. Tendrils of steam wafted around him.
She gulped, steeling herself for what happened next. Ever since she’d
turned down his marriage proposal, things had been so uncertain between
them. With every fiber of her being, she missed the ease they’d shared
before.
This would either turn out wonderfully or terribly.
I can do this. I can. “Jorlan?”
Thumping footsteps resounded as he approached. He stopped a few feet
away, candlelight bathing him, his bronzed skin glowing.
He raked his gaze over her slowly, deliciously. She waited for his
reaction, silent, but he said nothing. Did nothing. But, when she played with
the robe’s tie, he inhaled sharply.
“I have been thinking,” he said smoothly.
She wiggled her eyebrows. “About all the sexual positions we should
try?”
He blinked, surprised. “The sexual positions we should try are always
on my mind. But about your life. We have talked about mine, but not
yours.”
“Oh?” Today, she’d shut him down every time he’d asked about her
past, certain he would ask about past lovers, and she’d have to admit to
being a virgin. How would he react? “Can we discuss my life tomorrow? I
thought we could try out one of those positions tonight.”
 She expected a reaction. Excitement. Urgency. Nervousness. What she
got? A big fat bowl of nothing. He evinced a grand total of zero emotion.
Until his erection tented the towel.
Oh, thank goodness! He wants me.
Ultimately, he said, “Nay. We will discuss your life now.”
“Is that so?” I’m ready to sleep with him, and he wants to know about
my future husband? But…she deserved this, she really did. Every time he’d
wanted to bed her, she’d stopped him. “What do you want to know, then?”
A pause as he pondered. Then, “What qualities you desire in your life
mate.”
Her breath caught, her gaze snapping back to his. “Are you asking me to
marry you again, because I—”
“Nay. I am curious, nothing more.”
Well. That was good. Great. No, wonderful. I’m not disappointed at all.
Whatever. He wanted to know? Very well. She would tell the truth, even
though he wouldn’t like it. “I will choose a man who loves me for who I
am, not the woman he wants me to be.” Hint, hint. How many times had he
complained about her assertive nature?
If they were to go to Imperia, he would grow to hate her, no question.
He would remember how much he adored subservient dates, and regret
wedding Katie. She knew it, felt it, hence the rejection of his proposal.
“I see,” he said, his tone gruff.
Did he? “What about you? What are you looking for in a wife?”
“A woman with spirit and courage, who fascinates me and makes my
body throb with unquenchable need. Someone who makes me forget the
centuries of imprisonment.”
Cords of jealousy slithered down her spine. Which was ridiculous! The
woman was nameless, faceless and might not exist. “Can we move on to
phase two of the evening now?”
His brows arched. “Phase two?”
“Sex. Intercourse. Making love.” She held out her arm and crooked her
finger, beckoning him over. “I want you, Jorlan.”
He laughed without humor, his irises deepening to a cool slate. “You
wish to bed me, but not wed me. Just as I have wished to bed but not wed
others. I have heard your people refer to this type of situation as karma.”
Realization: her rejection hurt him deeply. This wasn’t a man-pout
because he hadn’t gotten his way; she thought he might actually…care
about her.
“Jorlan,” she rasped.
He gave a slight shake of his head, sending several strands of dark hair
over his brow.
“Please come here.” She beckoned him over a second time. “Don’t be
afraid.”
That did the trick. He barked, “I fear nothing,” then trudged over,
dragging his feet. He stopped out of range, choosing to sit at the edge of the
bed, just in front of the side table. The scent of soap and sandalwood wafted
to her nose, filled her lungs and teased her cells. Her heart raced faster than
ever before. Her nails itched to sink into his back, and her toes curled.
He looked anywhere but Katie, his gaze finally settling on a box of
condoms. “What is this?”
“Condoms. Also known as rubbers, raincoats, love gloves, insurance
policies, cock socks, shrink-wrap and happy hats.”
When his brow puckered in confusion, she explained the consequence
of unprotected sex.
He listened, intent. “I can only impregnate if we were life-joined, katya.
The bond is what makes both Imperians fertile. And I have no sexually
transmitted diseases.”
Sweet! Fighting a sudden rush of nerves, she moved directly in front of
him, standing between his spread knees. She brushed the inky locks from
his eyes and fought a rush of nervousness. “I’m clean, too.”
He did not acknowledge her words, just swept the box to the floor and
raised the tube of lubricant. “And this?”
“It helps—” Nope. That explanation was more embarrassing than
informative. “It eases—” Nope, that wasn’t the best way to explain, either.
“It makes a woman wet, for easier penetration.”
His grin faded, disappearing altogether. “What a ridiculous product! I
make a woman wet, katya. This—” he tossed the tube over his shoulder “—
is not necessary.”
Her heart nearly bust out of her chest. “Are you sure you make women
wet? Perhaps you should check me, just to be sure?”
He stiffened. He ran his tongue over his teeth. He gripped his knees and
squeezed. Never had a man appeared more at war with himself.
Filled with a heady mixture of need and anticipation, she wondered
about her next move. So many options! Her top two favorites: lead his hand
to her core or play with herself while he watched, then slide her damp
fingers into his mouth.
In the end, he took over. With a ragged moan, he clasped her by the
waist and eased her closer. Close enough that he was able to kiss the
sensitive spot between her breasts, where the robe veed. His warm breath
smelled of sweet mint and sent ripples of pleasure through her veins.
He lifted her then, and settled her on his lap, her legs straddling his. The
new position left the sides of her robe gaping open, revealing more of her
breasts and all of her thighs. Cool air stroked her overheated skin, and she
gasped.
His erection rested against her soaked core, his towel the only thing that
separated them, and oh, he was huge! Thick and as hard as granite. Because
of me. Feminine power intoxicated Katie.
Voice all smoke and gravel, he said, “I might have been in a hurry to get
to this moment, but now that it has arrived, I am going to take my time with
you, savor every touch, every sound.” His eyes burned with arousal but also
iced with determination. “I will give you what you want, katya, but you will
give me more than you’ve ever given another.”
“Yes, yes. More.”
A heartbeat passed, a mere whisper of time. The room crackled with
electricity, his every exhalation rougher than the last. Anticipation built
until she shook with it.
Then and only then did he fist the hair at her nape and yank her face to
his. Their lips met in a sizzling kiss.
Rolling her tongue against his, Katie wound her arms around him. So
good. So right.
But all too soon, he pulled back to pant and watch her through the thick
shield of his lashes. “Do you know that ’twas not vengeance or home that I
first craved when I felt the stone dissipate? ’Twas you.”
Beautiful words. Wonderful. Beguiling. The urge to cling to him poked
and prodded her, and she didn’t have the strength to resist. “I wanted you,
too.” She kissed his cheek, his brow, his other cheek and his chin. “Can we
end the conversation now and focus on the good stuff?”
His soft chuckle heated her skin another thousand degrees. “Getting to
know you is the good stuff. Everything I learn makes me desire you more.”
That was, hands down, the sweetest thing anyone had ever said to her.
Moaning, she claimed his mouth in an explosive kiss. Their tongues dueled,
wild and wanton.
Jorlan reached beneath the robe to cup her breast and lightly pinch her
puckered nipple. The intimate contact drove her mad, her body aching,
desperate for more. The calluses on his hands evoked the most delicious
friction.
If he would touch her intimately, just one little brush of his fingers…or
his tongue, she would shoot off like a rocket.
He traced an exquisitely torturous path down the middle of her robe,
and she thought, Yes! This is it. He’s going to strip me. Instead of removing
the robe, he traced the seam back up.
She bit the cord of his neck and said, “Please.” The past few days, she’d
been aroused one too many times.
He blazed the same unhurried path down her robe. This time, he went
lower. Came back up slower. Went back down, once again going lower than
before. His knuckles brushed the small tuft of hair between her legs, and
she rolled her hips, chasing those fingers.
Too much, too much. Not enough. “Jorlan?” She beat at his shoulders.
“You’re killing me.”
Wicked amusement curved his lips. “Did you not say you wished to die
of pleasure?”
“I didn’t mean it literally.” I might have meant it literally.
“Do you crave more of me?”
“More…all…please!”
“Hmm,” he said, running his fingers down the robe again. Through the
tuft of pale curls. Almost where she ached the most…
Nope. Back up he went. “Not just yet, I think.”
Argh! He would pay for this later.
He licked and sucked different spots on her neck and chest. He kneaded
her butt. She writhed, and she pressed against him. She tried to place his
hands where she needed them most, but he ruined her efforts by pinning her
arms behind her back.
“I’m seriously considering tying you up and taking over, Jorlan!”
His laugh was a low purr. Then—finally!—he dipped his free hand
inside her robe. Instead of cupping and squeezing her breast as she so
desperately craved, he traced her areola, the action only increasing her
frustration.
“Tell me what I do to you,” he commanded softly.
 “You make me ache.” She meant the words as a complaint, but they
sounded more like a plea.
“Where exactly do I make you ache, katya?”
“Everywhere.”
“Where specifically? Here?” He grazed the tip of her nipple.
Her hips jerked, and she almost came right then. “Yes, there.” He
dipped his head and licked. Sucked. “Yes! Do that again. Please.”
He gave her other nipple the same treatment, a light grazing, followed
by the heat of his tongue. She arched her lower body, ready for more. Just
one more touch should propel her over the edge.
“Where else do I make you ache?” he demanded.
All she could do? Moan and shimmy against him.
Her robe parted, and he sucked in a sharp breath. “You are magnificent,
katya.”
His words washed over her, as sensual as a caress, and she squirmed
against him, freeing her arms. Beyond desperate now, she reached between
them to yank at his towel.
He caught her hand and brought it to his lips. “I asked you a question.
Where else do you ache?”
She was too aroused to be embarrassed, liquid warmth whirling in her
stomach. “Between my legs,” she said, and groaned. “I ache between my
legs. And everywhere else.”
Watching her face intently, he slipped a finger through her pale curls.
Just when she rocked forward, he darted away. She followed. Each time, he
edged closer to the heart of her need.
Over and over he teased her that way, giving her a glimpse of pleasure,
only to stop.
When he brushed her swollen clitoris, she let her head fall back as she
cried, “Yes. Right there.” But he retreated again. “No, come back.”
Returned. “Oh, yes, there.” Retreated. “No!” As the dance continued, her
breaths came in short, erratic pants. “Enough,” she managed to croak.
“Are you sure?” He was beginning to lose his playful air. In fact, the
teasing light had completely abandoned his eyes, and now he watched her
with deep intensity. “Shall I leave?”
“No, no! Give me more. Give me everything. And hurry!”
His eyes darkened to a deep sapphire blue. “I will hurry…our second
time.”
 Hoping her brother’s advice would not lead her astray, she maneuvered
out of her robe. “How about I take my time with you?”
His pupils expanded. “I’ll hurry now.”
In the next instant, she found herself flat on her back. While on his
knees, Jorlan jerked her to the edge of the bed, spread her legs and kissed
between her thighs.
The pleasure! The bliss! She exploded in a rush. Fire, joy, pleasure all
rocked her, sending thousands of twinkling lights through her mind. She
lost touch with where she was, who she was, only feeling an incredible
shiver race through her again and again. And when she thought she might
die from the sensation, Jorlan kissed her again with his heavenly tongue
until she could only gasp his name. He tasted her, sucked her, and made her
want him all over again. He expertly worked his tongue and fingers in a
way that made her every fantasies pale in comparison.
When she came a second time, he moved to stand over her. His hair was
darker than the night sky that framed her window, and his eyes…his eyes
were blazing with passion, bright and crystalline. He gazed down at her
spread legs and wet arousal.
In that moment, she realized a wonderful truth. She’d wanted a
dominant man, and she’d gotten one. He controlled their lovemaking and it
was spectacular.
“I hope you are ready, katya,” he said, his voice strained. “We are just
getting started.”

***

NEVER HAD JORLAN seen so beautiful a sight before. Nor would he again.
Not without Katie. Her cheeks were flushed and rosy. Her hazel eyes were
brilliant and wide, her lips swollen and parted from his kisses. Her nipples
were as ripe and pink as berries, and her woman’s flesh was damp with
arousal he had caused.
Muscles bunching, he crawled over her. As skin met heated skin, they
both cried out. He’d wanted to prolong the moment, to prolong their
pleasure, but he wasn’t sure how much longer he could last. He rocked
himself against her, careful not to enter her yet.
“Just like that,” she panted.
 So he did it again, gliding back and forth in the slick V of her thighs
while she rubbed herself wantonly against him. Finally, Jorlan had pushed
himself to the edge of his control. He wanted this woman too desperately
and for too long to stop now.
He kissed her breasts, dragged his teeth over her nipples and positioned
himself for entry, but he didn’t push inside immediately, just teased her
opening. “Before I go any further, I need to hear your assent once more.”
She had been so bold about everything else; he yearned for her boldness
in this, as well. Her eyes were the warm color of honey, and passion misted
in their depths. Yet they had been so glazed before. When he took her, he
wanted it to be with her cries of rapture in his ears, not regret.
Another heart-stopping pause. “I want you, Jorlan. Now,” she
commanded, a vixen aroused to the point of pain. “Do it now.”
“My pleasure.” He grinned slowly, wickedly. She was a warrioress
through and through, even in lovemaking, and that fueled his desire as
never before. “’Tis indeed my pleasure.”
He plunged inside her.
She cried out as her virginity gave way, her sleek tightness engulfing
him. He stilled. Her nails deeply scored his back as she uttered expletive
after expletive.
“Katya,” he gritted against her ear, struggling not to go over the edge.
Struggling even more to give her time to adjust. This bold, passionate
woman was—nay, had been—untouched. He was the first, the only man to
fill her, and the knowledge threatened to fell him.
How had this enchanting creature gone so long without knowing a
man’s touch?
Were the men of her world fools? Jorlan shook his head in wonder, for
aye, they were. For what manner of man left such a prize without a fight?
Delight, wonder and awe wound through him. He was no fool. He had
wanted her, needed her, and so he had won her. He alone had seen Katie
flushed like this. He alone had heard his name on her lips as she came.
What a sweet gift she had given him, a gift he would cherish all the days of
his life.
“We’re not done, are we, Jorlan?” she asked hesitantly. She chewed on
her bottom lip.
He gave a strained chuckle. “Nay, my katya. We will not be finished for
a long while yet.”
 “Oh.” Her legs wrapped around his waist, sending him deeper inside of
her. She winced. “I’m not sure if I’m ultraexcited or a little bummed.”
She winced, aye, yet he groaned at the exquisite sensation. “You will
enjoy it soon, I swear it.” He would move heaven and earth. “How bad did I
hurt you?”
“Not too bad,” she hedged.
“Wish you told me.” Why hadn’t she told him? “Never taken a virgin
before, so I do not know exactly how long I should wait to move.” Not
long, he hoped, for sweat was already beading on his forehead. His muscles
were already clamoring for more. But he was determined to finish as slowly
as he’d begun. “Tell me when you are ready.” His restraint was quickly
breaking, and he was fast losing his control.
Her breath fanned across his cheek. She moved her leg experimentally,
sending him even deeper inside. The movement nearly drove him mad with
need. If she pulled back now, if she said no more, he would stop, but he
would want to die first.
“Jorlan?” The firm tone of her voice did not bode well for him.
“Aye.”
“Move,” she said.
Dread speared through him, desperate and achy. “I will move away if
you want me to, but I think you’ll like it if you’ll just give it more time.
You’ll feel better and become used to me.”
“No.” Voice as thick and sweet as honey, she told him, “I don’t want
you to move away. I want you to move inside me.”
Comprehension dawned, spurring him into action. He pulled out and
sank deep, then did it again. And again. Such pleasure. Indescribable! He
gave thanks to Percen. Without his brother, he would not have experienced
this moment.
Jorlan hooked Katie’s knees over his elbows, spreading her wider,
pressing against her center. She purred like a sweet little kitten.
He reached between their bodies to circle the center of her desire with
his thumb. She gasped, cried out. He felt her inner walls tighten and spasm
against him, and he moved faster. Harder. Deeper. Only when he heard his
name rip from her throat did he spill inside her.
When the last pulse subsided, he remained as he was, surrounded by her
essence. Silently, he gazed down at her. Katie’s eyes were closed, and she
appeared to be asleep.
 That had been the most intense, satisfying experience of his life, but he
didn’t have the strength to examine why just yet. By Elliea, he was not sure
he would be able to move ever again. Still, he didn’t want to crush Katie
during the night.
Careful not to wake her, he leaned to the side. After a while, he grew
drowsy, the sound of their combined breaths a tranquil kind of music.
This is the life.
How am I supposed to give this up?

***

“JORLAN?” KATIE ASKED a while later.

“Hmm?”
She opened her mouth to ask for praise. Or comments and suggestions.
“Nothing. Never mind.”
Gah! She lay still, exhausted but unable to sleep as she waited for him
to say something, even though she hadn’t asked him anything.
Minute after minute dragged by, and he remained quiet.
“Jorlan?” she repeated.
“Aye, katya.”
Again, she paused. “Nothing.”
His warm, silky breath fanned her ear, and he sat up, suddenly wide-
awake. For some reason, he grinned. “Say what is on your mind or neither
of us will sleep this eve.”
Maybe she should praise him first? “That was wonderful, Jorlan.”
The corners of his lips faded to a frown of disappointment.
Her blood flash freezing, she gazed up at him with wide eyes. “You
didn’t think it was wonderful?”
“’Tis not that.” He settled at her side. “I had thought you were about to
profess your love for me.”
“Oh.”
A long sigh escaped him. “Mayhap you still need some persuasion,
which I will most happily provide once you are not so sore.”
She waited for him to say more. When he didn’t speak again for a long
while, she asked, “Is there anything else you want to say to me?”
“Aye. Good eve.”
 She jolted upright, hitting his chin with the top of her head in the
process. “Good eve? Good eve! Well, you can shove your good eve right up
your as—”
In the next heartbeat she found herself flipped over and pinned to the
bed. Jorlan loomed over her. “Did you wish to hear something from me,
little witch?”
Mutinous, she glared up at him.
“You were more than I could have ever dreamed,” he said softly.
Well, that was better. “And?”
“And what?”
She slapped his chest.
He chuckled. “You owe me money, katya. I should like to collect my
payment now.”
She gasped. “I’m not paying you for sex, you—you gigolo. In fact, I
was so good, you should pay me.”
He blinked. “You misunderstand. You owe me a quarter for every time
you spoke a foul word.” His lips stretched in a grin. “The closer you came
to your peak, the more profanities you uttered. And I—” he kissed her softly
“—loved every moment of it.”
Her features softened. “How much do I owe?”
“Too much. I fear I must allow you to pay me in trade.”
That sounded intriguing. “What sort of trade?”
“You will listen to my next words without comment.”
Curious at his sudden seriousness, she nodded. “All right. Deal.”
He waited a moment to assure himself she listened. “Never have I
experienced a joining like ours. You captivated me, amazed me and stole
the breath from my lungs. Had I known you tasted so sweet, I would have
sampled you that very first night, and every moment since, even without
your approval.”
Katie didn’t know what to say. His confession was more than she’d ever
dreamed, headier than a kiss. Then he began touching her once again and
the added sensation made her purr.
Oh. Oh, my. Oh, yes.

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER SIXTEEN

WHAT WAS I THINKING, Katie wondered dreamily, to deny this man so long?
So the wait had only been a couple of days. Her thought still stood. She
should have jumped him at moment one.
Most of the candles on her dresser had long since extinguished. She lay
atop Jorlan, her head cradled protectively in the hollow of his neck. The rest
of her was draped over his body like a winter quilt. They had just made
love. Again.
She could not get enough.
Right now, he was absentmindedly caressing the curve of her spine, and
she was shivering with delight. She might not ever let him out of bed.
Never had she felt so wonderful. The things she’d done, the things she’d
said, didn’t embarrass her. She reveled in them and the power she had over
such a dominating man.
Outside her window the stars twinkled brightly, like little diamonds
scattered across black velvet. The world seemed to have slowed down.
Everything, including the air and the softly chirping crickets, was quiet with
the reverence of the moment.
She stroked Jorlan’s chest. On each side of his ribs, four parallel welts
slashed downward. She liked that she had put them there, a subtle reminder
of her presence.
While that particular reminder would fade, her memory of this night
would last for the rest of her life. She had a feeling she would recall every
sound, every scent and every sensation every freaking night. Already she
craved another orgasm, the intimacy and the afterglow everything she’d
never known she needed.
What man could ever compare?
 Forget First Date Syndrome. She now suffered from Comparison
Disease.
Katie couldn’t summon the energy needed to worry about it, though.
Lying in his arms, sleep called to her and she could not resist. Jorlan’s heat
seeped into her bones, drugging, comforting.
She’d just closed her eyes when Jorlan said, “Now, little witch, we will
talk.”
Uh, what now? “About what?” she asked, raspy and lethargic.
He rolled her onto her back and stared down at her. “Why did you not
mention your untried state?”
Crap! Her eyelids popped open. She absolutely did not want to have this
conversation, but he seemed so intent, she knew he would not leave her
alone until she confessed. “At what moment was I supposed to blurt out that
I was a virgin?”
“After our first kiss. After we almost made love on the bathing chamber
floor. During our trip to see Mon Graig.”
“Okay, so I had the opportunity.”
“Aye, you did.”
“I guess I just didn’t want to seem inexperienced,” she said with a
shrug.
He nodded his understanding. “But why did you choose me to be your
first—and if I have my way, your only?”
Do it. Say it. Admit it. “I’d just…I’d never met the right man until you.”
His expression became thoughtful. “That is part of the answer, I think,
but not the whole.”
He was too perceptive. How annoying.
“Has no man of your world ever truly courted you?” he asked. “I know
you mentioned having First Date Syndrome, but surely someone has fought
for your attention.”
“Well, yeah. Some have tried.”
“And failed—until me.” Pure masculine pride laced his tone. “Were
they lacking in some way?”
He meant the question to be rhetorical, she could tell, but she answered
him anyway. “The problem wasn’t with the men I dated. The problem was
with me. I told you I’m sick in the head, but that’s only part of it. They
didn’t check my boxes. I guess because there’s something lacking inside
me.”
 His brows smoothed as he pondered her words. “What was lacking?”
Well. “Interest.”
Slowly, he smiled with pure happiness. “Is that so?”
“I just…well…for starters, I wanted a man who was taller than me.”
That smile of his continued to grow. “I am much taller than you.”
His happiness was contagious. “And a man who makes me feel like a
desirable woman, not just one of the boys.”
He kissed her eyelid as softly as a butterfly wing. “I do that, aye?”
“Aye. I mean yes, you do.” But she wasn’t finished. “I wanted a man
who desired me despite my flaws. And before you say I have no flaws—”
“But you do not. You have zero flaws.”
She rolled her eyes, even as she mewled inside. “Anyway. My biggest
flaw is probably my temper, as small as it is.”
He pressed his lips to hers in a light kiss. “I desire you because of who
you are. Not just my savior, but my…everything.”
Her heart flip-flopped. “Am I really?”
“How can you doubt me?” He planted his elbows on either side of her
head, his erection pressed between her naked thighs.
Despite being sore, she responded in an instant, heating up. Melting.
Blood rushed through her like an awakened river. But he did not ease inside
her, didn’t touch her more intimately. He became pensive.
“I will not give you another orgasm, not until you tell me more about
your life.”
She pursed her lips. “I’m tired. Why don’t we continue this
conversation in the morn—”
“Nay. You will speak of what I wish. You wanted sex, you got sex. I
want conversation. I get conversation.”
“Oh, I wanted sex and you were just humoring me to be kind?” Her
challenging air quickly became breathless arousal. The feel of him so near
her entrance proved both exciting and frustrating. Then he brought his
fingers into play, teasing her in a way that guaranteed driving her to a
mindless state.
He nibbled on her ear and purred, “You claim you desire a man who
truly sees you, but how can I see you if you will not share your life with
me?”
After all the pleasure he’d given her, how could she deny him anything?
She sighed. “What do you want to know?”
 “Everything,” he said, mimicking her response to the very same
question.
So Katie told him about her life. He listened intently and chuckled every
so often at her childhood antics. She told him about her fears, her hopes and
dreams. At one point, he became quiet and serious, and she almost ended
the conversation, but she decided to confess the worst of it before she lost
her nerve.
“I don’t like hair ribbons, or frilly dresses with bows. I don’t like long
fingernails because they’re a nuisance. I do like tools and football games,
fast cars and sweatpants. I will eat chicken wings with the guys while
tossing back beers.” She drew in a deep breath. “When my truck breaks
down, I don’t have to take it to a mechanic. I do the repairs myself.”
There. Now he knew all of her “unfeminine” attributes. Well, the
Imperian idea of feminine and unfeminine anyway. And yeah, Earth, too.
She waited for him to laugh, to crack a joke at her expense.
He didn’t.
“Come closer,” he said. He tugged her to her feet and ushered her to the
body-length mirror on her right wall. He moved behind her, his palms on
her shoulders.
Blushing, she tried to pull away. He held her firmly in place.
“Look, katya. See what I see.”
She didn’t want to look. How embarrassing! She didn’t want to study
her flaws while he watched. “No.”
“Look,” he beseeched. “Look.”
Because he’d asked so sweetly, she did.
“Do you see how graceful your legs are? How pink and pretty your
nipples are? The curve of your hips excites me every time I gaze at you.”
Each place he named, he touched. A featherlight touch that caused her
breath to hitch, her belly to quiver and her legs to shake. He whispered all
sorts of things in her ear. Hot things that made her ache. Erotic things that
made her blush. Sweet endearments that almost made her weep.
Then he began speaking in his native tongue. A lilting language that
flowed over her, arousing her to a fever pitch. He explored her cures,
cupping her breasts, circling her navel and playing at the apex of her thighs.
Things he’d done before, but this time she got to watch.
I’m officially a voyeur now.
“What do you feel when I touch you?” he asked, pinching her nipples.
 “Fire,” she said, panting. “Need. Ecstasy.”
“’Tis the same for me. Why would learning about you change this for
me?” He lightly kicked one of her ankles, forcing her legs to part. With a
hand on her nape, he urged her to lean forward and grip the sides of the
mirror.
“Are we having sex?” she asked, breathless.
In lieu of an answer, he dropped to his knees, gripped her hips, and
tongued her clitoris, making her cry out in bliss.
I am falling deeply and irrevocably in love with this man…and I’m days
away from losing him.
What was she going to do?
How was she supposed to live without him?

***

HEATHER MERCER LAY on a small twin bed, frozen to the bone and
shivering. The thin, ragged blanket that covered her did little to warm her
up. Enveloped by tepid night air laden with summery scents, there was no
reason for her to feel so chilled. But lately, nothing warmed her. Not coffee
or hot chicken noodle soup. Not thick flannel jackets or leather gloves. The
coldness came from too deep within her.
Trying to distract herself from the discomfort, she concentrated on her
new job. Tomorrow she would begin working for Katie James, a prospect
Heather loathed almost as much as she celebrated. She needed the money,
but the thought of spending hour after hour with the too-perfect woman
who’d experience no real hardships in life made her stomach knot, wringing
out acid.
Some people were blessed with happy, normal lives. Some people were
not.
Katie’s success made Heather feel dirty, like a cheap piece of furniture
in a room full of glorious antiques. The bitch had everything. Money.
Talent. Love. Jorlan looked at her as if she were a pot of gold. Plus, Katie
had brothers—bodyguards—who considered her a treasure.
Perhaps if Heather had ever had a brother, he would have protected her
from her father. Would have protected her from the long string of men
who’d used her over the years as she searched for someone, anyone, to
make her whole again.
 Rolling to her side, she hugged a pillow, pretending the soft down was a
loving man who lived and breathed for her happiness. To him, she was
more important than the portal to sexual release between her legs.
After a while, darkness descended over her mind. She drifted off…
Wake up!
The shout came from her deepest self-perseveration instincts. Heather
blinked open her eyes. Though she was toasty warm at last, panic set in. A
male’s voice penetrated her awareness. He chanted quietly in her ear.
Her first thought: not again.
Her second: he isn’t my father, and I’m not a child. Who is he, and why
is he here?
He stood at the side of the bed, bathed in shadows, yet she had no
problem cataloging his features. He was so beautiful, his features strong and
chiseled. Classic perfection had always unnerved her; she didn’t like
perfect. Outward beauty tended to mask inner ugliness.
Her panic spiked into pure terror. She tried to kick him and roll away,
tried to cry out, but he chanted something else, and a sense of relaxation
stole through her, everything around her becoming hazy and distant. Like a
new, wondrous reality. Peace settled over her, her breathing slowing.
“You are dreaming,” he whispered. “Only dreaming.”
Yes, of course. She was dreaming. A glorious dream she never wanted
to end. Hadn’t she just wished for a loving man to warm her? And here he
was. An apparition strangely familiar to her.
Was he the source of her peace?
“Who are you?” she asked, and she sounded drugged.
“I am Percen.” The low timbre of his voice made her shiver with
feminine awareness. But his accent…a match for Jorlan’s.
“Percen,” she repeated. A name she’d never heard before. Percy, yes.
Percen, no. “Why are you here?”
“I have come for you, Heather.”
“Me?” Her eyes widened with surprise. “I don’t understand.”
“You belong to me.” His blue eyes bored into her, sending new currents
of heat racing inside her veins. “Only me. Never again will you belong to
Jorlan. Say it.”
“Never again,” she parroted. Yes, she’d wanted Jorlan at first, maybe to
hurt Katie, or maybe because she’d thought Jorlan was someone who could
help her overcome her past. But she felt nothing for him, and she certainly
didn’t belong to him. But this man…
She might not mind belonging to him. She’d been many things in her
twenty-four years, but never a woman who belonged with another. A
companion. A comforter, supporter and provider.
“What do you want to do with me?” she found herself asking.
He remained silent for a long while, as if debating the best answer
within himself. “Tonight, I will simply hold you. Do you want me to hold
you?”
“Oh, yes. Please. Hold me and never let me go.” She could trust a
dream man not to harm her.
In a blink, he lay at her side, her head resting in the hollow of his neck,
one of her legs already draped across his thighs. His arm rested against her
nape. Warmth inundated her.
“Soon we will make love,” he said, somehow confident and nervous at
the same time. “What think you of that?”
“I think… I’ve never been happier,” she said, and it was the truth. The
peace, she’d never experienced anything like it.
He reached out to reverently trace the curve of her cheek, then slid his
finger up and over her eyebrow. She didn’t cringe as she usually did upon
contact with another person. Nightmares didn’t plague her. No, she felt
cherished. Worshipped.
“Promise me you’ll stay with me forever,” she whispered. “Please.” She
rested her head on his chest, praying this heavenly dream would last all
through the night. “I need you.”
“Worry not, angel. I will stay you. Anyone who attempts to take you
from me will die screaming.”

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

MIDMORNING SUNLIGHT FILTERED through the curtains, bright and

luminescent. Jorlan lay flat on his back, one hand bracing his neck as he
stared up at the ceiling. Katie was asleep, nestled deep in the crook of his
arm. He’d meant to leave her alone this dawning, giving her body time to
heal, but she’d had other ideas. She’d reminded him of their conversation
about orgasm denial, and he’d heard the wanting in her voice.
He grinned. Hearing her beg for release…
Pride puffed his chest. My katya loves her pleasures.
And I love giving her those pleasures.
Never had a tupping been so fun and playful. Or so moving. So intense.
He’d taken her gently, and he’d taken her fiercely. He’d felt raw inside but
better than ever. He felt wholly carnal, wrapped up in sensation….and
wholly grounded, wrapped up in logic. He’d felt complete and incomplete,
hungry and sated, certain and uncertain.
What he’d experienced with Katie had been as all-consuming as a third-
season wind whirl. Unstoppable! And by Elliea, he yearned to experience it
again and again.
The pleasure he felt with her was staggering, and no sooner had his
pulse calmed than he’d gone back to war with the nagging, constant need to
possess her again. He hadn’t known he could get that hard that often or that
quickly.
He knew how rare and special his encounter with Katie was. Did she?
His little witch had no basis for comparison. And he wasn’t complaining.
The knowledge that no other man had possessed her body awed and
humbled him. His possessiveness defied reason, for virginity was not prized
or expected in Imperia. Females reveled in their lovers just as males. In
fact, the more lovers a female took, the more prized she became, her
knowledge of heightening a partner’s pleasure greatly increased.
Before Katie, everyone he’d ever tupped had years of experience. Some,
like Maylyn, had even possessed more experience than Jorlan.
Katie was so different from anyone he’d ever known. His desire for her
went beyond the physical, and now, more than ever, he wanted her to
belong to him, with him. Forever my bride.
He could deny her importance to him no longer. Importance that did not
stem from her role in the curse. It might have started that way, but things
had changed.
He had changed.
Once, he’d wanted her on a temporary basis. An idea he now found
abhorrent. Aye, she was mortal and he had the blood of sorcerers; they
would age at different speeds…unless they wed and bonded, as he’d
considered doing. He could not tolerate life without Katie at his side.
He cared for her far more than he’d previously realized. He admired her
greatly. The way she stood her ground. The way she raised her chin before
forging ahead to complete a difficult task. The way she overcame every
challenge thrown at her. The way her convictions never wavered; the way
she fought for what she wanted. Her courage. She always faced him head-
on, and never flinched. She was strong, capable and courageous. The
woman had a backbone of steel. Her bravery far surpassed that of any
warrior he’d battled against or beside. She did not need a keeper, protector
or a man to find her happiness; she was independent. She stayed with Jorlan
because she wanted him, a much better reason.
Careful not to disturb her, he shifted and propped himself up on his
elbow to gaze down at his bedmate. So beautiful. She was naked, her pale,
glossy locks tangled and splayed over the pillow.
As he stroked the curve of her cheekbone, she muttered something
unintelligible. Contentment filled him, so subtle yet so compelling and a
long time in coming.
What were her feelings for him, now that they’d spent a night making
love?
He’d thought he could win her heart in bed, but he’d come closer to
relinquishing his own. Had her feelings for him deepened at all? He prayed
that it was so. He had a week to win her, or he would return to stone.
 Fighting panic, he focused on her lips. Pink, pretty and slightly swollen
from his kisses. The tension drained from him. His beard stubble had left
scratches on her breasts, stomach and thighs. He hadn’t been able to get
enough of her, just as she hadn’t gotten enough of him. One seductive touch
would ignite a blaze inside her.
As if she knew the direction of his thoughts, she stirred in his arms,
slowly cracking open her eyes. Magnificent gold, rimmed with bronze.
Seconds ticked by before the sleepy mist in her irises evaporated. Rosy
color bloomed in her cheeks, memories most likely flooding her mind.
She looked well-loved and tousled, as though she’d just experienced a
vigorous bout of loving. Which she had. It was a look he hoped she wore at
every new dawning.
And afternoon.
And evening.
Even now, he wanted her again. Having a woman had never felt so
important. So necessary. But he needed a declaration of love versus a
showing of it. Would he get one?
“Good morning,” she said, her voice raspier than usual.
“Aye.” He smiled at her, hopeful but also dreading what was to come.
“’Tis indeed a good dawning.” With the capacity to be better. Or worse.
“Are you hungry?” she asked. “I can make breakfast.”
His heart drummed in his chest. “Unless death is imminent, I would
rather stay here with you awhile longer.”
“Okay. What should we do, then?” She traced a fingertip up his chest.
“Have anything in mind?”
He studied her sparkling gaze t through her fan of thick, spiky lashes.
“You are too sore for penetration, but we can do other things.”
“I’m sore, but never too sore. I doubt I’ll be able to jog today, so I gotta
have some sort of workout. And I’ve been wondering…” Sweet and
innocent, she blinked up at him. “How crazy can I make you with orgasm
denial?”
“Beyond.”
“Yeah, that’s what I thought.” A wicked glint lit her eyes. “So let’s get
started, shall we?”

***
AN HOUR LATER, Katie sat at her kitchen counter, drinking a protein shake to
recharge. I’m a wildcat, she thought happily. If she and Jorlan hadn’t been
making love last night, they’d been cuddling or chatting.
A secretive grin curved her lips as she shifted in her seat. Ow! She
grimaced. Muscles she hadn’t known she possessed were sore after the
night of excess. But she didn’t regret a single experience. No, she rejoiced.
She’d plunged headlong into an odyssey of bliss.
She took another sip of the shake, closing her eyes in surrender. Perhaps
the constant orgasms had chased away a fog, the world suddenly clearer.
Her senses suddenly stronger. Food had never tasted so sweet, and the air
had never smelled so delectable. Her clothing had never felt so soft.
If only she could have spent the entire day abed, making memories with
Jorlan. A pang cut through her chest. What kind of life would she lead once
Jorlan returned to Imperia?
Inner shake. No lazing abed, and no mooning about what could, would
or should be. She had way too much to do. The Victorian needed to be
painted inside and out, well, yesterday. Yet she hadn’t even begun.
Jorlan sauntered into the kitchen, shirtless, his only garment a pair of
sweatpants.
He looked good. Better than good. He also looked magnificently horny,
an erection tenting the pants.
If Earth men had been so lusty, women would never want to leave the
bedroom. Or the kitchen. Or the living room.
“Something smells wonderful, and I’m hungry for her,” he said,
winking at her.
Her heart fluttered. He’d taken a shower, his hair damp. “Good thing.
Breakfast is ready, and I don’t just mean the buffet of feminine delights I
cart around every second of every day.”
For the first time in years, she’d cooked for a man. Something she’d
sworn never to do again. In the past, when she’d cooked three freaking
meals a day for her dad and brothers, she’d felt like an unpaid servant. With
Jorlan, she’d felt like a woman taking care of her man, and she’d loved it.
He moved behind her, leaned down and nuzzled his cheek against hers.
The tickle of stubble made her laugh. “Perhaps the first course can be that
buffet of feminine delights you mentioned, and the second course can
be….”
“Pancakes, eggs over medium, hash browns and cinnamon rolls.”
 “A feast for a king. I thank you, katya. Perhaps the buffet of feminine
delights could be the second course instead?”
She preened, a wave of tenderness sweeping through her. Her father had
never thanked her. Her brothers had thanked her occasionally, but only in
passing and only after mentioning what she needed to do better next time.
Needs more salt, Kit Kat. Oh, and thanks for the grub.
Can you make my eggs less runny? Thanks, K, appreciate it.
Don’t worry, Kat, I can cut the burnt parts off my toast. Thanks!
She swiveled her chair, facing Jorlan. “I have something for you to
taste.”
“Very well. You changed my mind again. Buffet first, food second.” He
leaned down to nibble on her earlobe.
She laughed and swatted him away. “Open your mouth.”
Though he hesitated, he did as she’d instructed. While cooking, she’d
found a Hershey’s bar. Now she snapped off a square and placed it onto his
tongue.
“Close,” she said.
He did. Only a second later, his eyes widened, the sweetness registering.
“Katya,” he breathed, his tone reverent. “We must cover your entire body
with this magnificent concoction.”
“Agreed.”
Three hours, much chocolate and loving, breakfast and a shower later,
they drove to the Victorian. Frances and Heather were already there,
waiting on the porch. Had she known the pair planned to start early, she
wouldn’t have allowed Jorlan to seduce her again. Well, she wouldn’t have
allowed him to seduce her so slowly.
“Good afternoon,” she said.
Frances gave her an eager smile, shaving ten years off her age. “Good
afternoon, yourself.”
“I hope you haven’t been waiting long. Jorlan and I were…
unexpectedly delayed.” As she spoke, she blushed, telling them exactly
what she’d been busy doing.
Frances patted her shoulder, as if she’d just lost a loved one. “Maybe
you’ll have a better day tomorrow.” She patted Heather’s shoulder next.
“We’re ready to start, right, baby?”
Heather leaned against the porch wall, her eyes faraway and dreamy.
The tension she’d carried around only yesterday had vanished. She looked
like an ad for tranquility.
Something had happened. Maybe she’d spent a night similar to Katie’s?
Her skin glowed with satisfaction.
“Heather?” Frances prompted.
“Huh? What?” The girl snapped to attention, straightening and shaking
her head. She glanced at Jorlan, then looked away, pretending he didn’t
exist. “Sorry. Yep. Ready to work.”
How odd. What thoughts spun the wheels inside Heather’s brain?
Katie led the group inside.
Behind her, Frances gasped. “Oh, this place is lovely, Katie.” She
paused. “Or it will be when everything is fixed, but I can already picture it.”
“Katie will make this a spectacular residence,” Jorlan said, prideful. He
gazed at her with awe. “She is good at everything she does.”
The café owner gave him a strange look, as if she’d never heard such
praise spill from a man’s lips.
“Heather,” Katie said, “your mother mentioned that you have a talent
for gardening.”
Heather nodded, hesitant. “I guess I do.”
“Great. The backyard is a mess. There are statues everywhere, and they
are, uh, in suggestive positions. Just ignore them—if you can. Pull weeds
and fertilize the garden today, and you can plant whatever flowers you want
tomorrow.”
Rich brown eyes stared up at her with a fragile optimism that struck
Katie as fresh and new. “I’d like that. Thank you.”
Pang. “What tools do you need?”
“Gloves, a hoe and a shovel.”
“Perfect. Everything you need is in the backyard shed.”
Heather bounded off, whistling under her breath, and Katie turned her
attention to Frances. “I’d like you to work in the front yard, if that’s okay.”
“Absolutely!” Frances clapped and jumped with excitement. “What do
you think of morning glory, lilies and lavender all around the porch? And
maybe a trellis by the north wall?”
“I think that sounds wonderful. In fact, grab Heather and you guys take
my truck to buy whatever you need at Garden Warehouse. Put everything
on my account. Or, if Heather prefers to stay, get a list of wants and needs
from her.”
 Beaming, Frances said, “I can never thank you enough for this, Katie.”
With that, she accepted the truck keys and skipped out the door.
“What shall I do this day?” Jorlan asked.
Katie’s first impulse was to say, Do me! Do me! In his jeans and too-
tight T-shirt, he was so dangerously appealing, he should be arrested.
Chores first. mooning second. Maybe. “Why don’t you go with Frances
and Heather?” she suggested. “You can help them carry the heavy items.”
His brow creased, as if he was in pain. “If I have to listen to one more
man joke, I will not be responsible for my reaction.”
Katie chuckled. “For every man joke you’re forced to endure, I’ll give
you a reward.”
“Goodbye,” he blurted, then he kissed her cheek and raced to the door.
Had a more perfect man ever been created? Laughing, she called,
“Don’t mention that you’re from another planet, okay? You do, and we’ll
both be locked away.”
At the words “locked away” he paused. “I would love to be locked
away with you.”
“That’s great, but we wouldn’t be together. Men are kept separated from
women,” she explained, still grinning. “Now get out of here.”
His features hardened, his expression suddenly ferocious. “I do not wish
to be parted from you…ever, Katie James.” That said, he strode out of the
house, leaving her reeling.

***

KATIE TAPED UP the baseboards and upper trim of the main bedroom walls,
preparing them for painting. After completing one small section, she
decided not to use the paint sprayer. She wanted a more personal touch for
this house, kind of like the signature artists left on their canvases.
Her mom had been an artist, who’d specialized in landscapes.
Sometimes Katie had contributed to her work.
A well of tears burned her eyes, surprising her. Tears? Now? Well, yeah.
She missed her mom so much, she tended to shy away from thoughts of the
woman or her art.
But, for the first time in forever, Katie had a desire to paint again, a
design or mural rather than a single color.
 Murals were a big no-no for most house flippers. The more generic you
made the house, the more people could see themselves living in it. Besides,
everything was subjective. What one person loved, another would hate, and
vice versa. But…
I’m still gonna do it.
Forty-five minutes later, she had an array of colors ready for her use.
She was popping the top of the taupe paint when Jorlan trudged up the
stairs and entered the room on a scented cloud of lavender and lilies.
“Frances would like to know what you think of these,” he said, skipping
pleasantries. He looked exasperated but determined. “By the way, you owe
me three rewards.”
A laugh burst from her. This man, oh, this man. He was adorable, and he
was hers.
Her heart flip-flopped, and she realized with the speed of a bolt of
lightning and the intensity of a clasp of thunder that she didn’t just want
him to be her man. She wanted him to be her man permanently. Wanted him
to stay on Earth, and never return to Imperia, his home.
Lord help me. What had she done? What the hell had she done? Had she
fallen in love with him?
The moment she fell in love with him, his only reason to remain on
Earth would dissipate. He’d only need to find Mon Graig or another
sorcerer.
Katie fought a wave of rising panic. I haven’t done anything. Everything
will be all right. While she cared for Jorlan, and desired him with every
fiber of her being, she hadn’t fallen in love with him. Nope. Not even a
little. Which meant he had to stay here with her a while longer. He couldn’t
leave her—yet.
Her shoulders rolled in, a weight lifting from them. See! Everything will
be all right. She ignored the twinge—avalanche—of guilt that accompanied
her thoughts.
“Jorlan—” she began.
He must have caught the trembling in her voice. He set the flower tray
on the floor, his gaze remaining on her. “What has placed that look of terror
in your eyes, katya?”
You! “I just—I don’t…”
He arched a brow and crossed his arms over his chest, his stubborn
streak coming out to play. The very streak that had irritated her at their first
meeting. Now? It filled her with calm.
“What are you trying to say?” He came to her then, glided a fingertip
across her cheekbone. His touch was so gentle, so reassuring. “Whatever
the problem, I will do everything in my power to help you.”
Yeah, she knew he would. And it was one of the reasons she lo—liked
him so much. She took him by the shoulders, her nails digging deep. “Just
kiss me. Kiss me now and make me forget.”
Without a word, he lowered his lips to hers.

***

PERCEN GLARED DOWN at the embracing couple, both enraged and joyous.
Joyous because Jorlan did not desire Heather. Enraged because Jorlan
would not suffer now that Percen had claimed the redheaded temptress as
his own.
For the moment, he concentrated on the joy, a completely foreign
emotion to him. An emotion he attributed to Heather. Since leaving her this
dawning, he’d thought of little else. And he’d wondered…could she be the
one his mother had spoken of? The sole woman who could see past his
scars to the man he truly was?
Yestereve, Heather hadn’t seemed all that impressed with his mystical
beauty. The mask he’d donned using magic. Nay, she’d craved only his
warmth, his presence. Two things he could give her, whether ugly or
gloriously handsome.
Percen gazed up at the ceiling, pensive. Did he possess the courage to
try and win Heather’s heart? Did he even want to, now that she played no
part in Jorlan’s punishment?
The answer came swiftly and unequivocally. Aye. He wanted her more
than he wanted his leg untwisted.
He’d spent only one night with her, yet she’d stirred feelings inside him
that he’d never thought to experience. Happiness, aye, but also
contentment. ’Twas ironic, really, that he felt so deeply for a mortal when
he’d often hated his mother for doing the same with his stepfather.
Would Heather want him when she saw his true face?
At the moment, the answer didn’t, couldn’t, matter. As long as Jorlan
lived, Percen would never have lasting happiness with Heather or anyone.
 ’Twas past time he ended the war between him and Jorlan. But how? He
didn’t want Katie, and could not stomach the thought of doing everything in
his power to win her affections. And it wouldn’t do just to turn Jorlan into
stone again, before the curse could take effect again. Mayhap…
Oh, aye, he thought, his eyes narrowing. Mayhap the pain he sought for
his brother was not the jealous rage that he himself constantly battled.
Mayhap what he should do, must do, would do, was physically hurt the
woman who so clearly claimed Jorlan’s affections.
Percen’s lips twisted into a cruel smile. Aye. He had a plan. Now to
execute it…

***

JORLAN JERKED AWAY from Katie, abruptly ending their kiss. Magic was
enveloping him, crackling against his skin. He had not cast a spell, yet
power hummed around him just the same.
“What’s wrong?” Katie asked, concerned. Her lips were parted with
desire, puffy and red. Kissable.
Focus. He scanned the room. There was no one save he and Katie in the
chamber. There was no furniture, either, where someone might hide. Only
paint tins and brushes were scattered about, and some sort of transparent
material that covered the floor.
Katie gripped his forearm. “Jorlan? Tell me.”
“There is…” His words tapered off, for the magic evaporated as quickly
as it had appeared. Curse it, what was going on? Was he being watched? By
whom? And why?
Or, was the curse getting stronger as it prepared to overtake him?
Desperation twisted his belly, and a cold sweat broke out across his
brow. He pierced Katie with a glare. “Do you love me?” The words
exploded from his mouth.
“I—I can’t…I shouldn’t…” She shook her head, her eyes filled with
sorrow and regret. “No, not yet. I’m sorry.”
More panic. More desperation. There had to be a way to gain her
affection quickly. “Your brother mentioned a family gathering on Saturday.”
She nodded, flowing with the subject change. “Yes. It’s tomorrow.”
“I would like to go.” He could prove his worth to her family. Surely
Katie would love him for it.
 Slowly, his muscles relaxed.
Her eyes widened, and her jaw went slack. “You’re eager to meet my
dad?”
“Aye.” Very much so.
“Well, are you sure?” she asked. Even still, hope danced in her beautiful
hazels. “He’s bossier than I am, and he’s arrogant. He throws tantrums upon
occasion.”
“I would still like to meet him.”
A pause. Then she said, “I’ll think about it,” but she was smiling
brighter than the sun.
That smile proved to be his undoing.
Jorlan pulled her back into his arms and didn’t let her go until they were
both panting with desire.

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

KATIE DIDN’T HAVE TO think long about whether to take Jorlan to the
luncheon or leave him behind. The answer screamed inside her head. Yes,
yes, yes! So she’d never before introduced a boyfriend to her father, and she
had no idea how he’d react. So what. So she wanted Dad to meet and love
Jorlan. To approve of her life. Finally! So what. If Dad didn’t love Jorlan
and didn’t approve of Katie, no big deal. A want wasn’t a need, and she
would survive either way.
Right? Right. At the moment, she and her sexy alien were seated in her
truck speeding along the highway. Jorlan had no idea what he’d gotten
himself into, of course, but she’d tried to warn him. His determination to
spend the day with her family remained unwavering. And yeah, okay, it
made her care for him all the more.
“Will there be ‘lick her’ at this gathering?” he asked. He tugged at his
seat belt, still uncomfortable with being locked down. Another trait she
found endearing.
“Oh, yes. There’s always lick-her at a James family gathering. Anyone
who has too much just stays the night. I even thought about spiking their
drinks. After all, they need to pay for what they did to us. In the end, I went
a different direction with our revenge.” Smug, she patted the bag at her side.
Before long, her father’s house came into view. While the redbrick
structure was larger than most homes in the neighborhood, it had an off-
putting bomb shelter appearance. Which kind of described her father, too.
Anyway.
Five cars occupied the winding driveway, each a different make and
model, depending on the owner. Katie parked her truck as close to the
driveway’s exit as possible, not wanting to be blocked in without an escape
hatch.
 “Are you ready for this?” she asked Jorlan.
“Aye. Ready. Eager.”
That makes one of us. “I just want to warn you again. My dad is a
very…opinionated man.”
“I wonder how his daughter became so pliable, then,” Jorlan teased.
“Ha-ha. Very funny.” Instead of leading him to the porch, she grabbed
the plastic bag she’d brought and strode directly to the sedan owned by
Nick, her first victim of the day.
She raised the hood. Jorlan peered over her shoulder, casting a shadow
over the engine. “What are you doing?”
“Ruining his day.” With that, she dumped baby powder scented with
deer urine into the ventilation system. She did the same to all of her
brothers’ vehicles. “When they turn on their air conditioners to cool off,
they’ll be blasted with the urine-doused powder.”
Jorlan grinned. “Remind me never to make you angry.”
“But why? I’m just a sweet, innocent girl.” She batted her lashes and he
laughed.
They walked hand in hand to the porch. The front doors were oak and
had elongated silver handles in the shape of the number eight. Music blared
from speakers, fast-paced and raucous without a noticeable rhythm. Not
bothering to ring the bell, since no one would hear her anyway, she led
Jorlan through the house. From the floral print ottoman to the cream-
colored lace curtains, every decoration remained positioned exactly how her
mother had liked them.
Everyone congregated in the backyard to play basketball. Even her dad
had donned shorts and a bandana for the festive occasion.
The dark blue bandana wrapped around his head, making him look like
a slightly older version of her brothers instead of an aging heart-attack
patient in waiting. Sunlight streamed down, hot and dry; unfortunately, no
breeze meandered by to cool them off. Weeds dominated the yard, the roses
and azaleas that had once lined the fence withered.
“Katie,” her dad called when he saw her.
As one, her brothers halted in different stages of play to glance over at
her.
Nick raced to the patio table to turn down the music.
Her dad hesitated a moment, before striding over, his long legs closing
the distance quickly. He tentatively kissed her cheek. “Hi. Hello. It’s nice to
see you, Katie. How have you been, girl?”
Just peachy. I’m sleeping with an alien and a curse hangs over our
heads. “Can’t complain.” The circumstances might suck, but she’d gotten a
prize out of the deal, so, win. And how odd was it to see and speak with her
dad after all this time?
“Good, good.” His golden-brown eyes lit on Jorlan and narrowed. “You
brought a friend?”
Heart racing, she said, “Dad, this is Jorlan en Sarr. Jorlan, this is Ryan
James, my father.”
The two shook hands. “I’ve heard about you,” Dad said, and judging by
his tone, the information hadn’t been good. “You may call me Detective
James.”
“Dad, you’re no longer on the force,” she reminded him. Not that a
reminder would do any good. He made everyone call him detective, even
his sons.
“Doesn’t matter.” He wiped his sweaty cheek with the back of his wrist.
“I earned the title and deserve the respect that comes with it. Boys, say
hello to our guest so we can finish our game.”
Jorlan had been officially dismissed.
Yikes. It was safe to say things were not off to a good start.
None of her brothers had expected her arrival, obviously, because they
now stood in a row, shoulder to shoulder, staring at her, as if uncertain how
they would be received by her. Also, they wore equal expressions of guilt
and shame. Well, except for Nick, who grinned as if he was having the time
of his life.
“Hey, Jorlan,” Erik finally said, deciding to ignore her altogether, the
jerk.
“Hey,” the others called. Gray even gave Jorlan a stiff nod. Sweet
progress.
Here’s praying everyone walks away from this.

***

“GOOD DAWNING TO YOU,” Jorlan responded to Katie’s brothers.

Gray extended his middle finger.
“Thank you for admitting you are my number one supporter,” Jorlan
told him, earning a chuckle from Katie, and a growl from Gray.
 Gray was the most like Katie, Jorlan decided. Which might be the
reason he liked Gray the best. The man had a way of making his presence
known, no matter the situation. A fine skill for any warrior to possess. Plus,
Gray had the bearing of a soldier, and the weariness of someone who’d
been forced to kill. But his best quality? He loved Katie and recognized her
worth. Every time he glanced at his sister, the hard lines around his eyes
and mouth softened, ruining his “I’m about to kill you” vibe.
His best quality, aye, but also a pathetic one. What? Jorlan believed in
being honest always. Couldn’t the man remain outwardly unaffected while
dealing with the opposite sex?
Katie chose that moment to glance at Jorlan. A half smile bloomed,
warm and intimate and only for him. He knew those lips felt like heated
satin against his skin and tasted like the sweetest gartina petal.
An-n-nd Jorlan lost his warrior vibe.
I’m worse than Gray, and happier for it.
While the James men were hard and golden, Katie was soft and fair.
Each male could easily pass for an Imperian warrior. Katie, though, would
not blend with Imperian men or women. She was too opinionated, too
commanding. Too reactive. If he introduced her to his comrades, they
would surely string him up for fear such a spitfire would embolden their
women. But ah, what fun he and Katie would have!
“Are you having fun yet?” Katie whispered.
“I am,” he replied, whispering, too. “Knowing your brothers will soon
be drenched with your stinking concoction has put me in a very forgiving
mood.”
Another smile bloomed, this one full wattage. Then she faced her
siblings. “Well.” She placed her hands on her hips. “Are you going to greet
me or not?”
In a snap, they rushed over, enfolding her in one sweaty embrace after
another until she laughed and cried, “Enough.”
“Glad you came,” Gray told her before kissing her cheek.
“Don’t smother the girl,” her father barked. “No wonder she lives alone
and refuses to marry a decent man. You’ve taught her to expect the worst.
Also, you smell like a locker room!”
“Now, now. Don’t go getting worked up about my unofficial
singleness.” Katie wagged a finger in the direction of his chest. “It’s not
good for your bum ticker.”
 “Well,” the detective blustered.
“Besides,” she said, fluffing her hair, “the James brothers can’t help
themselves. I’m irresistible.”
“That you are,” Jorlan whispered, then he nipped her earlobe.
In the sudden silence, everyone overheard his proclamation. Gray rolled
his eyes and Nick chuckled.
Her father watched them with something akin to irritation. “Who’s
ready to finish the game?” He collected the ball from the ground. “Katie, go
sit by Denver. He brought a friend, too. You gals can cheer for me. Jorland,
why don’t you be on Nick’s team?”
“It’s Jorlan, without a d,” Katie told him. “Pronounced Jore-lane.”
For the first time, Jorlan noticed the lone woman perched beneath a
bright yellow umbrella. Dark brown hair spilled around her shoulders. She
wore a strappy dress made of light blue fabric, and seemed unaffected by
the crackling heat.
“Jorlan doesn’t know how to play basketball.” Katie swiped her sweat-
beaded brow with the back of her hand.
“What red-blooded American doesn’t know how to play basketball?”
her father roared.
“He’s not American.”
“Doesn’t matter. He’s red-blooded, isn’t he?”
“Um….” Katie peered at Jorlan with wide eyes.
“He is,” Jorlan said. “And he knows the game. Over the spans I have
observed many such events. I am happy to play, as long as Katie plays, as
well.”
“No way. She could get hurt.” This was, of course, said by her father.
Anger sparked. How dare anyone exclude her from anything!
He expected fury from her. She shocked him, simply arching a brow
and deadpanning, “I’m your sixth son, Detective Dad. I can take anything
you dish.”
“Fine.” Ryan threw his arms in the air, as if he’d been pushed past his
tolerance. “But we won’t play a typical game. We’ll take turns shooting
from the line.”
“Oh, I like that.” Nick rubbed his hands together. “Miss a shot, and you
have to tell everyone your best pickup line. Maybe this way, Gray will
finally learn how to approach women.”
Gray slugged Nick’s shoulder. “I do just fine.”
 Katie rolled her eyes. “First, pickup lines are the only way to win a
woman’s attention. Always use them. Second, I think I’ll sit this game out.
I’d rather watch Jorlan get sweaty.” She skipped to the table under the
umbrella’s shade and introduced herself to Denver’s guest. “Hi. I’m Katie.
The one and only sister.”
“I’m Madison.” The female wore big sunglasses that covered half her
face. She had dark hair, flawless pale skin and the delicate beauty Jorlan
had once preferred. Until Katie. She had changed him in a thousand
different ways.
“Come on, Jorleigh,” Gray called. “I’m ready to kick your ass. All I ask
is that you stop yourself from curling into a fetal ball and sobbing for your
mother.”
“You gonna trash-talk or play?” Katie called back.
“Why can’t I do both?” Gray replied.
As her brothers summoned him over with more “trash talk,” Jorlan
considered his tasks for the day. Win over her family. Win Katie’s heart.
Figure out how to be with her, live on two different worlds with two different
passages of time and live happily ever after.

***

SHADING HER EYES with her hand, Katie plopped into the seat next to
Madison. “So, how long have you and Denver been dating?”
“A few weeks.” Madison used a frosty tone and offered no more
information.
Hint taken. Katie also realized that Madison was the usual type of
female Denver dated. Someone who needed icicles surgically removed from
her veins. When would her brother find someone at least partially thawed?
Without another word, she turned her attention to the men. They lined
up in front of the goal, then took turns shooting the ball. When Jorlan’s turn
arrived, he studied the goal and weighed the ball in his hands before
shooting.
The ball swooshed through the net, and Katie jumped up to cheer. The
exuberant reaction pleased him, she could tell.
Five rounds later, Nick was the first to miss.
“Let’s hear your best pickup line. You guys were right. I need to learn…
what not to say,” Gray finished with a laugh.
 Nick snickered. “I prefer a direct approach. Something like this.”
Waggling his brows, he said, “Nice legs. What time do they open?”
Madison gasped, scandalized.
Katie chuckled, appreciative.
Everyone else burst into laughter, Jorlan included. Her heart warmed at
the sight. Why, why, why couldn’t she keep him and her family and her
home?
Her amusement drained in an instant. Life was so unfair.
The game resumed, with Erik being the next to miss a shot. His line?
“You’ve got two hundred bones in your body. How about one more?”
Again, Madison gasped. “That’s gross,” she said, her nose scrunched
with distaste.
“That’s hilarious.” Katie tipped an invisible hat to Erik.
On and on the game went. Jorlan had yet to miss. But he did get to hear
gems like “I’d love to see how you look when I’m naked.” And “If I were
you, I’d totally have sex with me.” And “Wanna play army? I’ll lie down,
and you can blow the hell out of me.”
Madison spewed her glass of water over that one.
Finally, Jorlan missed a shot. Everyone stared at him in expectation.
Just what constituted an Imperian come-on?
His eyes crinkled at the sides, his irises merry. He was having fun.
Spreading his arms, he said, “Here I am. What are your other two magic
wishes?”
Chuckles abounded, some a deep tenor, others a husky baritone. No one
but Katie knew he meant “magic wishes” literally.
“I’m starved,” Gray announced. He dropped the ball, letting it roll onto
the grass. “Someone get into the kitchen and make me a sandwich.”
Half a dozen sets of eyes shifted to her and Madison. “I am not fixing
anyone anything,” Katie retorted, popping to her feet.
“Don’t look at me,” Madison said, raising her hands, palms out.
“Katie,” her father began. “While we’ve been working up a sweat,
you’ve been sitting, enjoying your day. Fixing us lunch is the least you can
do.”
Words she’d heard throughout her entire life. “I was invited to a
luncheon, not invited to prepare a luncheon. And guess what? We have this
argument every time I come over. It’s one of the reasons I don’t come over.”
When her mother had been alive, hamburgers, hotdogs, casseroles and fresh
fruit punch had been served at every gathering. “You’re a big boy, and
you’re well able to cook for us or order a pizza—and pay for it. The choice
is yours.”
Jorlan came to her and wound an arm around her waist. His sandalwood
scent filled her nostrils, and her body reacted accordingly. Her blood heated,
raw and primal need pooling between her legs.
“No woman of mine serves others, much less ingrates,” he announced.
Everyone stilled, awaiting an explosion from the detective. Katie
grinned.
“Ingrates!” Ryan roared. “I’ll have you know—”
“I’ll order that pizza,” Erik interrupted, clasping his dad’s shoulder.
Katie barely acknowledged her brother. She was too busy reeling over
Jorlan’s pronouncement. He wasn’t demanding she obey or stick to her
place; he was supporting her, helping her. Caring for her. An undeniable
sense of peace and rightness settled deep inside her.

***

JORLAN READ THE disbelief on Katie’s face, and felt shamed. Only days ago,
he had expected her to see to his every need, catering to his every whim.
Now these males were doing the same and…
He. Did. Not. Like. It.
Her family acted as if she were a second-class citizen, less important
than everyone else. Did they not see she possessed the fire of a warrior?
The courage? The boldness? She belonged at a man’s side, not at his back.
“Can I speak with you a moment?” Ryan locked his hands behind his
back and braced his feet apart. A battle position. He set his mouth in a firm
but grim line. “In private.”
Jorlan nodded in agreement. Katie opened her mouth to protest, but he
gave her a slight shake of his head. “I will speak with him.” Would the male
warn him away, or show his support?
She hugged him, rising on her tiptoes to whisper, “His health isn’t great,
so try not to make him mad, okay?”
“For you…anything.” Words he meant. He lifted her arm and placed a
soft kiss upon the sensitive skin of her wrist, then followed the older man
inside the house. A cool blast of air enveloped him, welcoming him and
drying his sweat.
 They entered a small room with dark wood walls, a desk and
bookshelves. As soon as Jorlan shut the door, Ryan rounded on him, saying,
“Just what are your intentions toward my daughter? The boys tell me you’re
leaving her soon.” His eyes were the same light amber-brown as Katie’s,
but lacked her teasing warmth.
Jorlan crossed his arms over his chest. “Katie asked me to be gentle
with you, thus I will ignore the disrespectful tone you continue to use while
addressing me.”
Ryan stared at him in stunned disbelief. However, his expression
eventually softened. He settled on the couch with a loud plop. “Are you still
set on leaving or what?”
“Mayhap.” He knew he wanted to stay with Katie; he could not abide
the thought of being without her. But staying on Earth meant never seeing
his mother again, never becoming king, if that was his destiny, and never
aiding his people. Never studying with the Druinn to learn to control his
magic. Never using magic, period.
Ryan nodded. “Well. Make up your mind. There’s nothing worse than
indecision.”
“There is more to the decision than you understand.”
“Son, there’s nothing to understand. You either do what it takes to stay,
or you leave. Me personally? I hope you stay. You’re just what she needs.
She runs roughshod over everyone else, but you, I think, will have a chance
of corralling her.”
“She needs no corralling.”
Ryan smiled faintly. “She’s my only daughter, you know. My baby.”
“Aye. I know.”
“Looks just like her mother. A bit taller, though. She gets that from me.”
Proud tone. Proud bearing.
Jorlan chose not to respond. He remained quiet, thereby encouraging
Ryan to get lost in his memories. Only when the male’s eyes glazed over
did he say, “Tell me about young Katie.” Imagining her with chubby pink
cheeks and pale hair wild and tangled as she chased after her brothers, he
grinned. And ached with some mysterious emotion.
“Katie’s always been such a stubborn girl. Likes to keep me on my
toes.” The detective launched into a tale about a time Katie collected a
family of frogs in a lunch box to sneak them inside her room. “Her mother
had died only weeks before, and she hoped to ensure the frogs stayed
together forever.”
Little Katie, sad and lonely. Pang. “Why do you treat her as a servant?”
Ryan lost his soft edge. “I have never mistreated my baby girl.”
“Oh, but you do. You command her to serve you.”
A lengthy pause ensued. Then, Ryan expelled a deep breath. “Maybe
you’re right, but my intensions are good. I only wish to protect her. Women
are gentle creatures and in need of protection, even from themselves.”
Once, Jorlan would have agreed with him. After spending time with
Katie, he readily admitted the wrongness of such a mindset. Gender had
nothing to do with strength of mind or body.
Jorlan decided to answer the detective’s initial question. “My intentions
toward your daughter are honorable. I asked her to wed me, but she said
no.”
Ryan blinked with surprise. “Did she give you a reason for the refusal?”
“Aye, but ’tis between Katie and me.”
“Well, I recommend you keep asking until she changes her mind. That
girl is crazy about you.” He pushed to his feet and slapped Jorlan on the
shoulder. “Good luck, son. You’re going to need it.” He strolled off, only to
pause in the doorway to say, “Oh, one last thing. If you hurt her, I will kill
you and no one will ever find your body.”

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER NINETEEN

HEATHER WENT TO BED early that night, as she had the last two nights, hoping
for another visit from her dream man. She didn’t have to wait long. Just as
he had the other times, Percen materialized at her side as soon as she
flipped off the bedside lamp, as if he couldn’t wait to see her.
She snuggled against him, his body heat enveloping her, and she could
not deny the truth. She was wide-awake; she wasn’t dreaming, yet here he
was. She’d suspected he was more than a figment of her imagination, but
now she knew for sure.
He was real.
The realization should have frightened her, but didn’t. He was real, yes,
but he was also peace.
How could he—what was the word? Oh, yeah. Teleport.
Whomever he was, whatever he was—a ghost? vampire?—she loved
spending time with him.
He’d told her she belonged to him, and Heather wanted those words to
be true. She wanted to be his, totally and completely. He hadn’t made love
to her yet, or touched her in a sexual way.
Silently, she studied this man she’d known only a short time, who’d
become one of the most important people in her life. As she took in each of
his features, he frowned and stiffened.
Wait a sec. His face…why did he look like he wore a mask? His usually
flawless skin, up-tilted eyes and straight, even nose appeared…too perfect?
He was as beautiful as ever, his skin wonderfully tanned, his muscles hard
as stone, but something wasn’t right.
Maybe he’d always looked this way, and she was only just noticing. Or
maybe she’d never seen his true face? But…how was that possible? How
was any of this possible?
 His gaze met hers before darting away, but not before she caught a
glimpse of mortification and deeply ingrained vulnerability. In that moment,
he reminded her of herself, wounded and weary, and she wondered if he
possessed the same bone-deep hurts as her.
“I’m glad you came back,” she whispered into the darkness.
“As am I. I cannot stay away.”
Happiness set in. “I can’t get you out of my mind,” she admitted.
“Every moment I worked, every moment I breathed I thought about you,
wishing you were next to me.”
He paused, hope radiating from his pores. Each syllable emerged stilted
and hesitant, he asked, “What were your thoughts?”
“I thought of the way you hold me, and the way you warm me. How
much I enjoy both.”
At first, he didn’t respond. Nervousness got the better of her. What if he
preferred hard-to-get women and liked the challenge of a chase? What if her
easy surrender drove him away?
Then he spoke. “I like that you think of me, angel, I truly do, but
mayhap you should not. I am not a good man.” The admission came
reluctantly, and she noticed that every muscle in his body was tense, as if he
was prepared to bolt. “What’s more, you have never seen my true
countenance. I am…not a handsome man.”
Though she trembled, she reached up to trace the line of his jaw. He felt
real. “I don’t understand.”
“What you perceive me to be is merely a mirage. A mask of the man I
can never be.” His dark, gritty tone had an accusatory edge. “I cast a spell
that causes you to see only what I want you to see.”
Spell? “You’re a witch? I mean, a warlock?” Was that the correct term?
“They refer to beings who use magic. Fictional beings. I used to believe
magic was real but…”
“Oh, magic is real, and I most definitely wield it. I am a sorcerer. The
Druinn high priest.”
As a teenager, she’d dabbled in the supernatural arts, hoping to escape
the terror of her life. But nothing and no one had ever helped her. “I have
never met a handsome man I liked, until you. I don’t care about your
outward appearance. Whatever you are and whatever you can do, I feel safe
with you. You’ve been good and decent to me.”
 He didn’t comment, just caressed her cheek. While his hand appeared
smooth and unblemished, it felt rough with calluses and scars. Another
mask? Either way, the sensation elicited tingles at the back of her neck.
“Percen?”
“Aye, Heather.”
“Is a spell responsible for my reaction to you?”
He seemed to stop breathing. “What is your reaction to me?”
To tell the truth or keep quiet? In the end, she admitted, “Lust.”
His eyes widened with astonishment. “Nay. The magic is not
responsible.”
“Then it is you and you alone who makes me feel so alive.” And I want
to keep him. Not just at night, but during the days, as well. Every day. Every
week, every month. How could she give up this warmth, now that she knew
it existed?
“I—I do not know what to say, angel.”
Angel. Her all-time favorite endearment. “Say you’ll stay with me.” She
cupped his cheek to urge his gaze to her face. “Say you will stay with me
always.”
Pain flittered over his expression. “Heather, I am… I cannot…” He
punched the mattress. “You will not understand.”
She fought a wave of panic. He was withdrawing from her mentally and
emotionally. She needed him in her life; somehow, in only these three
nights, he’d become the center of her existence. She wanted them to have a
normal life together.
Funny. Her one shot at a normal life was a sorcerer and high priest of
the…Druid? Whatever he was, he was her first and only ticket to the
storybook life she’d always desired, but had yet achieved.
“At least give me a chance to understand. Please,” she added, desperate.
Before he could respond, a knock sounded at the door.
“Heather?” her mother called.
Before she could react to the interruption, Percen vanished. She had to
swallow a protest as desolation struck her.
Heather stared down at the bedsheets where he’d lain, at the indentation
and wrinkled cotton. Her stomach lurched, cold chills raking her from head
to toe. Tears burned her eyes, blurring her vision.
He was gone. Would he be coming back? He’d been angry with her for
a reason she still didn’t understand. She had pushed him too far, perhaps. Or
asked too much of him.
Another knock, this one louder and more intense, jolted her into
awareness. “Are you okay? All I need is a response, and I’ll leave you
alone. Stay quiet, and I’ll take the hinges from your door.”
“I’m tired, okay? Just leave me alone.” Heather liked her mother, but
could not forget their past. When Heather had finally gathered the courage
to admit what her father had been doing, her mom called her a liar.
A pause. Muffled footsteps as her mother shuffled away.
The tears spilled over, streaming down Heather’s cheeks. A quiet sob
tore from her throat. It was the kind of noise a wounded animal would
make, deep and gut-wrenching.
“Why do you cry?”
Percen! “You came back.” She wiped her eyes with the back of her
hand. First, she detected a blurred silhouette a few feet away. Then, her
vision cleared.
He’d adapted the same position as before, when he’d first visited.
“Thank you for coming back!” She jumped from the bed to wrap her
arms around his neck, clinging to him. “Don’t ever leave me again,” she
sobbed. “Just…don’t ever leave me again.”
How long she held him like that, while she cried in his arms, she didn’t
know. She lost track of time. She only knew that being with him had
become necessary for her survival. She didn’t care if it was magic or
chemistry that linked them together. The feelings were there and genuine,
crackling beneath the surface of her skin.
“Look at me, Heather,” he beseeched. His tone was softer than she’d
ever heard it. “Look at me. Really see the man I am.”
Slowly, keeping herself firmly pressed against him, she pulled back to
gaze up at his face. A gasp congealed in her throat. No longer did Percen
have the flawless skin and features she’d come to know. A wealth of scars
marred his face. His left eye drooped a little lower than his right, and his
nose was bent at an odd angle, the same as his body.
Though this man looked nothing like the other, Heather didn’t doubt his
identity. He possessed the same blue eyes with the same glint of
vulnerability as her Percen.
For him to feel as if she would abandon him because of his
appearance… How many women had abandoned him because of his
appearance? How many rejections had he faced? Compassion squeezed at
her chest. Heather would take an “ugly” kind man over a “beautiful” cruel
man any day, any hour, any minute.
At her continued silence, rage darkened his features. “I tried to warn
you, tried to make you understand that you would not want me. Go ahead.
Tell me you no longer wish to stay with me.”
He didn’t understand. Her father had been a very handsome man, yet his
beauty had hidden the beast within. Besides, beauty faded. The only way to
escape the consequences of aging? Or hell, even living. Death.
“I meant what I said. I don’t care about your appearance.” She took his
hand and drew him closer, urging him to bend down and rest his head upon
her shoulder.
Shock, disbelief and incredulity blasted from him. “You are not
frightened by me?”
“You haven’t hurt me. Why would I fear you?”
With a grunt, he burrowed his face in the hollow of her neck. She held
him, clinging to him as fervently as he clung to her. His twisted body shook
with his effort to control his emotions. Or perhaps the shaking came from
her.
What would he think of her when he learned about her past? Her
father’s abuse only scratched the surface of her disgraces. In junior high and
high school, she’d slept with any and every boy who’d expressed interest in
her. Interest from others meant she had value. Value meant she wasn’t
tainted by her father’s abuse. But…
Because rumors about her easiness had abounded, a lot of boys had
been interested in her. Funny thing, though. That interest had waned as soon
as the boys had nutted, making her feel worthless, disgusting and unlovable.
So she’d needed another boy to make her feel better. A toxic cycle, all
because she’d wanted someone, anyone, to like her.
Bottom line: she’d craved acceptance. Also, she’d felt a constant driving
need to control a sexual situation. When girls and boys had started calling
her “slut” and “whore,” her already low self-esteem had taken a beating…
which led to even more boys. Eventually, she’d run away and shacked up
with a guy who’d sold her body to others for money.
I’m not telling you this to be mean, sweetheart, but you’re not smart
enough to go to college or hold a real job, and you need to contribute to
rent.
 When the guy started hitting her on top of everything else, she’d finally
wised up and returned home to live with her mother.
Though she felt dirty and disgusting, though her self-esteem remained at
an all-time low, she hadn’t slept with anyone for over six months.
“Of the two of us,” she told Percen, “I am the ugly one. If you knew
half the things I’ve done…”
Percen raised his head, the gleam of reverence in his eyes nearly felled
her. When their gazes met, hunger overtook and overwhelmed her.
He croaked, “You speak as if our actions dictate our level of
attractiveness, not our outward appearance.”
“Uh, because our actions do dictate our level of attractiveness. Think
about it. You can look at someone, and they’ll be plain at first glance. But
the more you get to know them, the hotter they get. Actions determines
personality. Personality determines beauty.”
The reverence deepened, infiltrating the rest of his features. “You are
correct. But there’s nothing you could do to make yourself less attractive in
my eyes.”
“You don’t know my past. The things I’ve done. The men I’ve slept
with.” Guilt and shame spread through her like a virus, infecting
everything.
He didn’t miss a beat. “Your past made you who you are. Why would
they make me like you less?”
Tears gathered at the corners of her eyes, threatening to spill over. “You
don’t think badly of me?”
Frowning, he glided the pad of his thumb along her lashes. “I do not.
But I don’t like that this makes you sad, either.”
“I’m not sad. I’m happy.”
Blink, blink. “Happy?”
Maybe…maybe it was time to try sex again? Not because she wanted to
feel better about herself, or because she hoped to keep a guy interested in
her, but because she desired a deeper connection with this man.
“Kiss me, Percen. Please.”
He wrenched with shock, but the moment she parted her lips in
invitation, he bent his head…he slanted his mouth over hers.
The kiss started slow, a sensual exploration. But he tasted so sweet and
felt so good against her, pressure built, the need for more, more, more
intensifying. Soon, she couldn’t stay still, only thrash.
 He removed her clothes, then his own, and eased her back atop the bed.
The kiss ended, but she couldn’t complain. He worked his way down,
kissing other parts of her, worshipping her breasts, her belly and her thighs.
Had she ever experienced pleasure like this?
Had she ever experienced pleasure at all? Until now, she meant.
When he entered her at last, she was wet and ready.
Afterward, he didn’t jump up to dress and leave as so many others had
done. No, he held her, as if he was right where he wanted to be.
She tried to catch her breath, but failed. That was…he…wow! Pure
ecstasy had led to pure satisfaction for the first time in her life.
Snuggled into his side, she asked, “Was I…was that good for you?”
“Good?” He shook his head. “Nay. Amazing? Beyond.”
Oh, thank goodness! “I want to know more about you. Tell me
everything.”
He told her about his life, his childhood, how he’d been abandoned and
forgotten by his mother, and Heather felt a deep kinship with him. Although
her father had not abandoned her, he and her mother had betrayed her.
Maybe, just maybe, she and Percen could comfort and support each
other and finally heal.
Then he told her about his hatred for Jorlan and his plans to ruin the
man’s life, and her stomach bottomed out.
“Jorlan did nothing to you, Percen,” she said as gently as she could
manage. “Why do you wish to make him miserable?”
Percen jolted up, glaring at her, the soft dreamlike haze destroyed. “He
took everything from me! I was not hideous until he used his magic on me.
He was beloved by our parents, our people, but I was merely tolerated. He
stopped our mother from visiting me.”
“No.” Heather shook her head sadly. “Your mother made her choice.
Jorlan was a child, while she was an adult.”
“Why are you hurting me like this?” He slammed his fist against his
hand, then quickly began to reclaim his clothing. “I thought you accepted
me, wanted me with you always.”
“I do want you with me. I do accept you. Can’t you see I’m trying to
help you?” Words her mother had spoken a thousand times during the past
six months. “If you kill Jorlan, you’ll be punished, right? Maybe locked
inside a cell. I’ll never see you again.”
 “No mortal cell could hold me, and no one from Imperia will know
what I did.”
“All right. What about your soul? If you think you can murder your
brother and feel nothing, you’re a fool. Just…please rethink this, Percen.”
“I have thought and rethought and thought again. I will not reverse my
decision.”
Inside, she withered. “Katie has done nothing to you, yet you’re willing
to destroy her life, too. And mine!” If Jorlan died, Katie would mourn and
Heather would lose her job. No way she could face the woman knowing
she’d slept with the man responsible.
Something cold, hard and sharp glittered in Percen’s eyes. This was not
the man who’d just made love to her. This was a stranger she’d never met.
“I won’t hesitate to hurt Katie in order to hurt Jorlan…and aye, I will hurt
you, too.”
If her happiness were a human, he’d just sliced its throat, leaving it to
bleed out. And yet, still she clung to hope. Percen would realize his mistake.
He would!
“I’ll tell him,” she vowed. “I’ll warn Jorlan about your intensions.”
Percen narrowed his eyes to slits and cupped her chin in his hands. “If
you tell him anything, you are just as bad as my mother and we are over. I
will never trust you, speak to you or make love to you again. Do you
comprehend what I am saying?”
Tears welled in her eyes once again, but this time they had nothing to do
with happiness. Her heart was breaking. She’d thought him better than other
men, but she’d been mistaken.
Not knowing what else to do at the moment—try to convince him to see
things her way, dump him or accept this side of him—she nodded.
“Try to understand.” He softened his tone. “I cannot have the life I
dream of until Jorlan is destroyed. A life you can share with me.” He
pushed to his feet to dress. “Stay away from Katie’s home. Do you hear
me?”
Again, Heather nodded. An empty sensation left her dazed.
Satisfied by her capitulation, he waved his arm in the air and
disappeared.

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER TWENTY

KATIE BURROWED INTO Jorlan’s side, her mind too active to sleep, her body
too sated to abandon the bed. Twilight filtered through a crack in the
window curtains, casting a luminous spell over her sleeping companion.
She’d enjoyed watching him interact with her family today. More than
once, he’d swooped in to her defense.
A girl could get used to that.
How can I give him up…ever?
She wished she could go back and say yes to his proposal. Wished she
was selfish enough to ask him to wed her, giving up his family and his
home to be with her.
She wondered what dreams played inside his mind right now. After
they’d made love—twice!—he’d lapsed into silence and quickly drifted off,
but hadn’t relaxed. Even asleep right now, tension radiated from him.
With a sigh, she lightly traced a heart on his chest.
He caught her wrist a split second before he opened his eyes, his fully
alert gaze clashing with hers. Not a hint of fatigue on his part. “I want you
as my life mate, Katie.” Raspy voice, agonized tone. “Not temporarily, but
forever.”
What the what? Had he read her mind? Surely he hadn’t just said…
Surely he didn’t mean… “What?”
“When I asked you to wed me before, I didn’t know you, not really.
Now I do. Now I know beyond any doubt that I want you in my life
always.” He tightened his grip, locking her in place. As if there was
anywhere else she’d like to be. “I don’t care where we live as long as we
are together.”
He would live on Earth, just to be with her? Joy burst through her, only
to fizzle. How could she allow him to give up his family and his home, two
things he’d missed with every fiber of his being, just so she could keep her
family and home?
How could she not? “Are you sure you wish to pledge your life to
mine?”
“Aye. I am sure.” His absolute conviction made the blue appear deeper
and darker. “You have become the most important part of my life. I crave
you constantly. When we are separated, I feel incomplete. You are the best
part of my days and the favorite part of my nights. You make me laugh and
plan and hope.”
His praise all but scattered rose petals inside her heart. “What if you
grow to resent me? I mean, you’ll be giving up a lot just to be with me.”
“Giving up a lot, aye, but gaining so much more in return.”
“Jor-lan,” she said, drawing out the syllables. Her fears? Alleviated. Her
insecurities? Gone. She hadn’t asked him to give up anything; he’d offered
of his own free will.
If he was wrong and later grew to resent her…
No! He knew his mind, and he’d meant what he’d said.
Brimming with happiness, she laughed and shouted, “Yes, yes, a
thousand times yes!”
He heaved a long sigh of relief, then readjusted their positions so that he
gazed down at her. His glorious weight pinned her to the mattress, his
hardening shaft cradled against her core.
“I feared you would say nay again.”
“I didn’t say no to you the first time, I said no to giving up my family
for a man who was certain he would get tired of me.”
“I was a fool.”
“I won’t argue with you.” She laughed again, more carefree than she’d
been in…ever? “Do you want a big or small wedding? Local or destination?
Should we elope? Gah! I’m still in shock, my mind sprinting from one
thought to another.”
“Say it again.” He combed his fingers through her hair, fisted the locks
at her nape and angled her head so that she had nowhere to look but him.
“Tell me your answer again.”
“Yes. Aye. I will. I do.”
His awed expression returned. “I will wed you any day, in any way you
wish.” Now he laced his fingers with hers and lifted their joined hands
beside her temples, pinning them there. “You will not regret this decision,
katya. I will devote my life to your happiness.”
“Just as I will devote myself to your happiness.”
Jorlan kissed her lips softly. As he lifted his head, an unexpected strain
pulsed from him. “Tell me you love me. I need to hear the words.”
“I—” Wait, wait, wait. That strain… Suspicions dawned, leaving her
cold and bereft. Had he proposed just so she would break his curse? The
deadline neared. Would he simply go home when freed, leaving her behind?
Desperate people often did desperate things. “Do you love me?” He’d
praised her, but he’d never even hinted at love. Foolish girl.
For a long while, he hesitated, some sort of war brewing behind his
expression. Finally he said, “Aye. I do. I love you.” He grumbled the words,
as if he already resented her for everything he’d given up on her behalf.
Why else would he hesitate? Why else would he go to war with his
thoughts?
Had he just…lied to her?
Her stomach turned over, flipping and flopping. Guess her fears hadn’t
been alleviated, after all.
Unable to look at him a moment more, she shut her eyes. Her chin
trembled. Part of her suspected she’d seized any opportunity to retreat. The
other part of her didn’t care, only wanted to be saved from future
heartbreak.
“I’m sorry, Jorlan. I…I realize it’ll be best for everyone involved if we
don’t get married. I’m sorry,” she repeated. “My answer has to be no.”

***

FROM THE HIGHEST of highs to the lowest of lows. Jorlan sat before a small,
picturesque window, nestled in a private alcove within Katie’s bedchamber,
gazing out at a moonlit yard. Stars twinkled overhead, brighter than the
jewels in a king’s crown. The kind of jewels he’d longed to lay at Katie’s
feet the second she’d accepted his proposal.
What had changed her mind? Oh, he knew fear was the culprit, but what
did she fear, exactly? He’d asked if she loved him and boom! Happy Katie
had morphed into panicked Katie, almost as if she could not—nay, would
not—abide the idea of trusting him with her heart. And if she did not trust
him, she did not know him. If she did not know him, she shouldn’t wed him.
 When she’d asked if he loved her, his first thought had been, Me? Love
her? I care for her, fantasize about her constantly, admire her greatly, but
love? Am I capable of such an emotion?
What he felt for Katie did not resemble what he’d felt for Maylyn.
Mayhap that was why he’d taken so long to discover the truth? That he’d
never loved Maylyn. He’d only lusted for her. Katie, on the other hand…
As he’d peered down at her, the truth had hit him, a culmination of
victory and defeat, yet so undeniably true it had pounded nails in the coffin
of his relationshipless state. He did. He loved her. He loved Katie James.
Yet, she hadn’t returned the sentiment. She couldn’t, considering she’d
gone from an exuberant aye to a gut-wrenching nay. Her refusal had cut
deeper than the sharpest talon.
Was he right? Did she not trust him with her heart?
An ache lanced his chest. How could he prove himself?
At the moment, she lay on the bed, sleeping fitfully. Pale locks spilled
over the pillow, forming a halo above her head. When awake and aroused,
she was anything but celestial. Nay, she was carnal, like the very devil,
taunting and tempting him. Teasing him with a future he craved but had not
yet obtained.
After she’d turned him down, he hadn’t let himself wallow. He’d
seduced her, hoping to prove just how much she needed him.
He’d only proved how much he needed her.
Winning Katie James was proving to be the greatest challenge of his
life, and he knew not what to do next.
For the first time, he knew not how to win.

***

A SORCERER KNOWN only as Mon Graig had just arrived on this world.
Percen sensed him the moment he used magic to teleport.
With a little magic of his own, Percen discerned the male planned to
find Jorlan and escort him home.
That, I cannot allow.
Percen needed more time with Heather, who’d seemed to emotionally
withdraw from him. She claimed she disagreed with his treatment of Jorlan,
but Percen knew better. She’d seen his face and latched on to any excuse to
part with him. But he would win her back. He would!
 Just need more time, he thought again. Another day. Maybe two—
twelve.
He followed Mon Graig’s magical trail, quickly finding his dwelling.
No sign of Mon Graig—yet. Very well. Percen hid in the shadows to wait.
By the new dawning, Mon Graig would be trapped inside a stone casing
of his own.

***

“HEATHER ISN’T FEELING any better.”

Katie lowered her paint roller, careful to keep the thick mauve liquid
from dripping onto the plastic floor covering. She gazed over at Frances,
who stood at the Victorian’s threshold. Midday sunlight streamed around
her, giving her a golden aura. “Is she okay? She’s been so sick.”
“I hope so.” Concern darkened Frances’s features. “I can’t help but
worry about her. She lies in bed all day and night and doesn’t want to eat or
sleep, just stares up at the ceiling. A few times, I’ve caught her talking to
herself.”
“If there’s anything I can do,” Katie said, “just let me know, okay?”
“I will. And thank you for understanding.” With a shaky smile, Frances
left to continue her work outside in the gardens.
Katie checked the clock on her phone and jolted. Wow. Half of the day
had passed already. Frowning, she dropped her roller into the proper tin.
The muscles in her arms ached from hours of painting.
How did Jorlan fare upstairs? Had he finished painting the bedroom?
At the dawn of each new day, he’d been more restless than the day
before, and far more reserved. He no longer smiled or teased her. He almost
seemed…sad.
Pang. Every day he told her he loved her, and every day he asked her if
she loved him back. She had yet to reply. How could she love a man who
might leave her the second she said those three little words? Who might be
tricking her just to get what he wanted?
Although, part of her did believe he loved her. It was the other part of
her; that part couldn’t shake her fears and suspicions.
Time was running out, though, and she knew she wouldn’t, couldn’t,
shouldn’t allow him to return to stone. Never had she felt so torn in two.
Like the rope in a game of tug-of-war.
 What was she going to do?
All she knew right now? She needed to see him and assure herself that
he was still here, that he was still the flesh-and-blood warrior who held her
each night.
She marched up the stairs, her tennis shoes squeaking with every step.
Mental note: wedge a few nails between the plank seams and end the
infernal squeaking at last.
As soon as she entered the bedroom, she spotted Jorlan. Hello,
gorgeous. Natural light flooded through the unadorned window and
caressed his bare upper body. His sun-kissed golden skin seemed to glow.
Her nerve endings hummed to life as he stroked a paint roller up and
down. He knew she was here, yet he refused to acknowledge her.
Steps clipped, she closed the remaining distance, jerked the tool from
his grasp—and pressed it against his face. Ha! Ignore that, Jordie.
At first, he remained completely still.
He said nothing. Instead of punishing her, he wiped his eyes clean and
picked up an unused paintbrush at their feet and got back to work. He
dipped the bristles into the paint tin and smeared the pale yellow liquid onto
the walls. Up. Down. Up. His muscles strained and flexed.
Even while ignoring her, the man struck her as passion incarnate. Since
his physique came from years spent on the battlefield, she should have
envisioned blood and gore every time she looked at him. Here, now, she
only thought of silk sheets and sweaty bodies.
He’d trained her body to want him, and want him, it did. No matter how
many protests her mind issued!
“I need more paint,” he said, without glancing her way.
“Why?” She worked her brows up and down, up and down. “Do you
hope to paint me?”
The sides of his jaw tensed. “To finish painting the wall.”
Wait. What? She snapped out of her lustful haze. “I gave you enough to
paint the world.”
“And yet my tin is empty.”
Not sure what to expect, Katie studied the walls before her. They looked
perfectly fine, nothing amiss. Then she rotated to survey the wall behind
her. Her gasp echoed. “You opened and used every can of paint in the
house, the attic and my truck?”
 “Aye. I thought we needed more color. Thought to complete everything
in record time, so we could spend the day together. I used my magic and…
you see the results,” he reluctantly admitted.
“But, but…” The wall looked horrible, though. Absolutely hideous.
Different colors of paint dripped from the ceiling, trickling down the wall in
thick clumps. As the shades mixed, they created a supershade: puke. She
stifled a groan. “You have to follow my instructions,” she squeaked.
“Do not paint the floor, you said. Do not paint the side trim, you said.
Do not use circular motions, you said. Well, I did none of those things.”
“You’re right.” He was right, and she couldn’t chastise him for her own
mistake. How was she going to fix this? “You’re, uh, doing fine.”
“I will hear your thanks, then,” he said, his expression mutinous. And
comical, thanks to the streaks of yellow paint that ran down his cheeks.
Uh, he would hear her thanks? Her thanks? A red cloud descended over
Katie’s eyes. He had ignored her all day, had ruined her wall, and now he
would hear her thanks? “Why should I thank you when you missed a spot?”
With a sweet smile, she dragged the roller down his nose.
He paused for a brief moment—then he returned the favor.
She gasped as the cold liquid coated her skin. “Do not do that again,”
she mock growled. Even as she said the words, she reached out to smear
him with another fresh coat.
He grabbed her wrist, stopping her, looking like the playful, teasing
lover she’d come to lo—like and know. “Think you can paint me at your
leisure?”
She chuckled. “Yes, actually, I do.”
“Then let us see who wields the mightier brush.” In a heartbeat of time,
he had her pinned to the floor, her hands shackled behind her back. Slowly,
very slowly, he painted her hair, her collarbone and her legs, and she
laughed too hard to rebuke him.
After he tossed his brush aside, he stared down at her with a serious
glint in his pale blue eyes. His breathing quickened. Hers, too. Their
amusement died.
The next thing she knew, he leaned down to kiss her. A languid kiss that
went on and on, making her wet with arousal. Just as she began to squirm
for more, he pulled away. Without a word, he swiped up his brush and went
back to painting the wall.
 Okay, she deserved this, she really did. But would she stand for it? No,
thanks. She stood, grabbed the paint can and dumped the remaining liquid
over his head.
He stood stunned as yellow rivulets soaked his hair and dripped onto his
face. The look he gave her…probably the same look a hunter gave a deer
just before pulling the trigger. “You will pay for that, katya.”
“You have to catch me first,” she taunted, darting away.
“Oh, I will catch you. Doubt it not.”
Smothering her laughter with her hand so she wouldn’t give away her
location, Katie slipped into the next room. A plank cracked beneath her feet.
She froze, her heart racing. Had Jorlan heard?
Footsteps sounded. Crap! He most certainly had.
She swallowed a laugh and darted behind the door. Only, the foundation
at her feet gave way and she fell past the floor. Wrong. There was no floor,
not anymore; the floorboards had snapped.
She tumbled down, screaming as she anticipated impact.
When she hit, she hit hard. Searing agony overtook her. Blood filled her
mouth, coating her tongue. She grasped for a breath she couldn’t catch.
From a distance, she heard Jorlan shout her name, the sound anguished
and desperate.
Though she used every ounce of her remaining strength to shout for
him, no sound emerged. Then darkness swallowed her whole.

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

JORLAN RUSHED DOWN the steps, taking three at a time as the horrifying
scene replayed in his mind on repeat. Only seconds ago he had watched
Katie tumble through the floor. He could not get to her in time. Now he
stood closer to where she’d been, peering through a hole in the upstairs
floor. Her body had twisted on impact. She lay still and broken, trickles of
blood flowing from her mouth, pieces of wood protruding from different
parts of her body.
Time ceased to exist for Jorlan, yet an eternity seemed to pass before he
reached her. He skidded to a halt, bent down and gently folded her into his
arms. She didn’t make a sound, didn’t move. Didn’t flutter her eyes.
“Katie. Sweet katya. Please open your eyes.”
No response.
Jorlan fought a roar of despair. He knew this was no accident, knew that
the wood had not splintered from natural causes. Magic coated the air.
His magic? Because he’d attempted to paint the wall with his powers,
only to cause the thick, gooey liquid to explode? Had he weakened the
house’s flooring?
By Elliea, his woman was hurt, in danger of dying, and every
protective, primitive instinct he possessed surfaced, fueled by fear, anger
and impotence.
First his limbs went cold, then the rest of him. He needed this woman
too desperately to lose her. Saving her wasn’t an obligation, or even an
effort to save his freedom; it was necessary for his sanity.
Desperation clawed and gnawed at him. He needed to use magic. She
would not heal without it; that, he knew beyond a doubt. As many injuries
as he’d seen on the battlefield, he’d learned to recognize fatal versus
nonfatal. Individually, Katie had multiple fatal wounds. Altogether?
 He cut off a roar. If he used his magic to help her, he might cause her
more harm than good.
There was a chance he would help her. A chance was better than
nothing.
Please work. Please. I will do anything to save her.
Closing his stinging eyes, he harnessed every ounce of power he
possessed. He’d never attempted anything like this, shouldn’t be attempting
it now, yet he could not sit idle, helpless. He had to try.
“Help me, my Druinn ancestors,” he muttered. “Please. I beg you. Help
me, and I will help you in some way.” He’d heard Percen speak to the
Druinn like this. Had heard his mother, too. Jorlan had tried a couple times,
before stopping. He’d felt foolish, and he’d never gotten a response.
“Please,” he repeated.
A door opened and slammed shut. Footsteps resounded. A woman
gasped.
“What happened?” Frances demanded.
He did not expend any energy speaking to her or even facing her. He
simply kept his eyes closed, concentrating on Katie, on his magic. Soon, a
burn spread through his hands. He thought he felt…nay, surely not. But
maybe? He thought he felt someone else’s power mingling with his own.
But whose?
Did it matter? The power built and built and built inside him.
When he reached optimum levels, he opened his eyes, gently returned
Katie to the floor, and ran each of his palms down her body, from the top of
her head to the bottom of her feet. Magic seeped from his hands and
absorbed into her skin.
He had control. He actually had control. Mayhap ’twas his desperation
responsible. Mayhap ’twas his love for Katie. Or mayhap ’twas whomever
helped him. Whatever the reason, Katie had to survive.
Very distantly, as if she stood in a tunnel, he heard Frances shrilly
demand, “What are you doing?”
Still, he ignored her.
“Your hands are glowing,” Frances continued, her shock unparalleled.
“Now Katie is glowing.”
A loud thump sounded next. A sound he now knew all too well. She’d
just passed out.
 Jorlan continued to run his hands over Katie, feeding her more and more
magic. His power was waning however, his strength dwindling.
His head began to swim. His lungs burned, as if he wasn’t getting
enough oxygen. He shook. Ultimately, he collapsed, barely able to breathe.
Had he saved her?
With much effort, he pried open his eyes. The first thing he noticed—
Katie was unmoving and completely oblivious to the world around her.
Next he spotted Frances a few feet away, her body also sprawled on the
floor.
One heartbeat passed, then another. Katie moaned, her eyelids fluttering
open. “Jorlan?” Her voice lacked substance, but still he rejoiced.
She was alive. She was well. Nothing else mattered.
Gathering what little strength he’d managed to retain, he forced himself
into an upright position and said, “Aye, katya.”
She found him with her gaze and grimaced. “What happened? You’re
so…splotchy. I mean, don’t take this the wrong way, but you look terrible.”
He gave a weak chuckle. He’d almost lost her. That she was healthy and
whole did little to dissuade his horror. He wasn’t sure when the curse had
ceased to matter, or when Katie had become the most important part of his
life, but it had, and she had; he only knew that his freedom meant nothing
without her…and he might not be able to keep her.
A wave of dizziness assaulted him, and he closed his eyes once again.
“Are you okay?” she asked, the words trembling with concern. “Do you
need a doctor?”
“I am fine.” Was he, though? He’d never felt so weak or irreparable, as
if he would never again regain his strength.
Gingerly she sat up. “Ouch. One part of my anatomy hurts more than
the rest.”
“Which part?” Had he missed a wound?
“My butt.”
Only bruised, then. He hadn’t touched that particular area because it had
not appeared injured, and he’d wanted the magic to go where the magic was
needed most. “When I regain my energy, I will massage away the
soreness.”
“Sweet! Sign me up for an appointment with Dr. Jordie at energy
o’clock. But, uh, what happened to you?” Concern dripped from her voice,
and she glanced to her right. “What happened to Frances?”
 “She fainted. I collapsed.”
“But why?” Her eyes widened. “Was there a gas leak or something?”
So, she didn’t remember falling through the floor? He managed a shrug.
Frances moaned and shifted, slowly coming to consciousness. “Wh-
what happened?” She must have remembered a second later because she
jerked upright, and stared at Jorlan with morbid fascination, and then Katie,
then Jorlan again. “He, he—” Her gaze continued to flicker between them
as she pushed with her heels and scooted backward, widening the distance
between them. She looked so frightened, so shocked, and she began
babbling about lights.
Jorlan lost the ability to speak, his jaw frozen. He could not reassure or
comfort her. Not that she would have believed anything he said.
“Frances?” Katie’s brows furrowed with confusion. “What’s going on?”
Grimacing, she eased to her feet. Bloodstained wood chips formed chaotic
piles around her. As she picked up a shard, her grimace became a frown.
She focused on the other woman.
With a shriek, Frances sprinted out the door.
A cacophony of noises erupted. Thumping footsteps. Squeaking hinges.
Crunching gravel. The roar of an engine. Squealing tires.
The scent of burning rubber wafted through the home. In her haste to
exit, Frances must have forgotten to shut the front door, allowing outside
scents to travel through the chambers. A seemingly unimportant
observation, yet deep down he suspected it meant something bad.
Kate threw Jorlan a wide-eyed glance over her shoulder. “I’m on the
verge of a major freak-out. Stop being secretive and tell me what’s going
on.”
He fought to speak, fought harder to stay awake as darkness threatened
to overtake him. What if Katie had a relapse and required his magic?
In the end, however, the darkness won. He closed his eyes and drifted
off…

***

BREATHING DEEPLY OF sweetly perfumed air, Percen hobbled across

Heather’s bedchamber. His feet sank into the threadbare carpet. Well, one of
his feet. The twisted one dragged behind him, the muscles painfully
knotted.
 He’d overworked his limbs this day and now paid the price. He’d
overused his magic, too, all to render his first strike against Jorlan and
Katie.
And what had he received for his efforts? Failure.
He should have gone somewhere solitary to lick his wounds and plan
his next move, but he’d wanted, needed Heather. She was his only source of
peace.
“Percen? What happened? What’s wrong?” She sat at the edge of her
bed, a thick blanket draped her shoulders.
He longed to sink to his knees, press his cheek against her stomach and
tell her all of his troubles. She would listen. She would understand.
Mayhap. If she had not booted him from her life after their argument. Of
course, if she did listen and understand, she would only reiterate how badly
he needed to forget the past and forgive his brother.
That would happen, oh, never.
“Percen,” she repeated. This time, she opened her arms to him.
Her allure proved too heady. He dropped to his knees before her and
cupped her face in his hands. “When this is over, angel, I wish to begin a
new life with you.”
“I…yes. I would like that.” Her sensual lips curled in a bright smile. “I
would like that a lot.”
Despite his poor physical condition, he returned the smile, happiness
stirring for the first time in…ever? “I need only two, maybe three more
days, then I will be pleased to offer you my blood oath. We will be together.
Forever.”
“Why wait? We can—” She pressed her lips together, the sparkle in her
eyes dimmed. “This is about Jorlan. Why can’t you let go of your vendetta?
Please, Percen. Put me first. Put us first.”
“Don’t you see? He is a poison in my blood, and vengeance is the only
antidote.”
“Vengeance will not heal you. Trust me, I know. I was just a child when
my father began…he…he did things. Awful things. I was not the only one
he hurt. When his crimes finally came to light and he was hauled to prison,
I thought I would feel better. I expected my healing to begin, and when it
didn’t, I only felt worse.”
A bomb of fury detonated inside him. “Your father harmed you? He will
die screaming!”
 “I didn’t tell you so you would take care of him for me. I like that he is
suffering in jail. Death would be a kindness. I told you so you would realize
you aren’t going to feel better when Jorlan is dead.”
“Jorlan and Katie.” He would feel better, knowing his dream had come
to fruition at long last. “She escaped my scheme once, but she will not do so
again.”
Air hissed between Heather’s teeth. “What did you do to Katie? You
said nothing about hurting her!”
“She is Jorlan’s chosen partner. Therefore, she must share his fate. ’Tis
the only way.”
“No.” She shook her head so forcefully, locks of hair slapped her
cheeks. “No!”
But… “You hate her as much as I do.”
“I did. Once. But I don’t want her harmed. She’s been good to me and
my mom.”
“Good or no, she is Jorlan’s lover and that makes her my enemy. Yours,
as well.”
Tremors rocked her against him. From cold? Or disappointment? Was
he losing her already? The one woman in all the worlds who’d found him
attractive.
“You were right when you said I don’t know you,” she told him with a
soft tone. “I don’t know how you can make me feel so warm inside, yet
speak so casually of cold-blooded murder.” Tears wet her lashes. “How can
you be so cruel?”
His fury resurfaced. “Are doctors cruel for removing poison from their
patients? Nay. They are heroes. Because of Jorlan, I am nothing but hate.”
“That’s a lie, Percen, and somewhere deep down you know it.” She
looked past him, past the window. “You don’t know this, but you saved my
life. You gave me a reason to keep going. Leave with me now, and I swear I
will do everything in my power to save yours.”
Percen wanted so desperately to believe they could live happily ever
after and shed the horrors of the past. Until the hatred brutally slayed the
hope.
The door swung open, Heather’s mother rushing inside. “Heather,” she
said between panting breaths, “you’ll never believe—”
She spotted Percen. He waved his hand, unleashing a wave of magic,
and teleported himself back to Katie’s abode to finish what he’d started.
 ***

HEATHER WATCHED, HELPLESS, as Percen vanished and her mother dropped in

a dead faint to the floor.
She dove to the floor to gather her mother into her arms. “Mother.
Mom.” She patted the sleeping woman’s cheeks. “Please wake up.”
Percen materialized a few feet away, startling a gasp from her. “Fine! If
it will distress you, I will not kill Katie. But I will use her.”
Not good enough. “If you do this—”
“Aye. I will do this.” With another wave of his hand, he disappeared.
“—we are done,” she finished, dejected.

***

JORLAN SLEPT FOR an entire day. He had yet to stir, yet he had only a day or
two until the curse took effect. The poor guy hadn’t even moaned. Or
moved. Such stillness frightened Katie to the bone.
He was the sleeping dead.
What if this was the reemergence of the curse?
Horror sliced at her calm. No, no, no. This wasn’t part of the curse. This
was…something else.
She’d stayed right by his side, leaving only to use the bathroom or eat.
To keep him hydrated, she worked streams of water down his throat
multiple times a day. She’d even given him sponge baths and somehow
managed to change his clothes.
What she hadn’t done? Lug him to a bed. Or called her brothers to lug
him to a bed. He remained on the hardwood floor of the Victorian. Well, on
a pallet of blankets she’d shoved underneath his body.
Gah! She needed some sort of affirmation that he was alive and well. If
she didn’t get one soon, she would call 9-1-1. But what would the
paramedics say to her? Your alien is ailing? No telling how Jorlan was
fashioned inside. His heart might be in his ass. Who knew?
Maybe she should call her brother Brian first. He worked in the medical
field. He’d fly in and examine Jorlan. He’d also demand answers she
couldn’t give him. But he wouldn’t turn the alien over to the government, as
other doctors would do.
 Katie rubbed her temples. One more hour. She’d give Jorlan one more
hour before calling in reinforcements.
She ran her palms over his chest, picking up previously missed details.
The man had a wealth of scars, evidence of the difficult life he’d led. No
telling how many battles and wars he’d fought. And yet, despite his many
hardships, always he’d been so tender with her. So gentle.
The clamor of her heart echoed in the quiet of the room as she toyed
with a lock of his hair. The midnight strands tickling her skin.
She wasn’t exactly sure what had happened before she’d woken up on
the floor. Oh, she knew she’d fallen through a hole in the wood, then woken
up with Jorlan cradling her head in his lap, his eyes dark with fear. Now
there was a gaping hole in the living room ceiling.
Had Jorlan caught her before she’d hit bottom? Why wasn’t she
injured?
The fresh blood splattered on the wood matched the blood on her shirt.
A torn short. She must have gotten stabbed on the way down. So again, why
wasn’t she injured?
The answer hit, and hit hard. Jorlan had used magic to heal her. He must
have. That was why Frances had run away as if the IRS was after her.
Suddenly, everything but Jorlan’s continued slumber made sense.
Once the hour ended, his condition unchanged, Katie caressed his
cheekbones, his jaw, letting him know she hadn’t left. “I’m going to do it,”
she told him. “I’m going to call Brian.”
A soft, almost undetectable moan escaped him.
Finally! Hope warmed her better than sunshine.
Determined to wake him by any means necessary now, she strode to the
kitchen, snatched a cup, and filled it with ice and water. Then, she returned
to his side, intending to toss the contents in his face.
He woke up on his own, blinking open his eyes. “Katie,” he said, slowly
smiling as if he hadn’t scared ten years off her life.
“Glory hallelujah.” Her knees went weak, and she just sort of crumpled
to the floor beside him. “Welcome back, Jorlan. Welcome back.” With each
second that passed, he looked stronger, healthier, the color returning to his
cheeks. She drank in his masculine beauty and told him, “Don’t ever pass
out on me again. You hear? You scared me to death.”
“Then I must make amends.” Never taking his eyes from her, he
stretched out his arms. “Come to me.”
 Dropping the cup, water splashing everywhere, she threw herself into
his waiting embrace. He was alive, and nothing else mattered.
“I need you, katya. I need you now.” He breathed the words into her
neck. “Do you have the strength?”
“I do.” She needed to reaffirm that they both lived, that they were still
together, so she would find the strength. She captured his face in her hands.
“I want you inside me, right here, right now.”
“Then take me,” he rasped.
Katie did just that. She removed her clothing, then his, straddled him,
and shimmed down, until her mouth hovered just over the object of her
fascination. “Jorlan?”
“Hmm?” His breath emerged unsteadily.
“I’m going to taste you.”
He arched a brow. “You think I will stop you?”
She took the bulbous head into her mouth, tasting a hint of salt. Then,
she took in the rest of his massive length, as much of him as possible. He
hit the back of her throat and though she gagged, she continued sucking him
up and down, savoring the thickness, the heat.
Getting the hang of this! And getting turned on in the process. As soon
as she found the perfect rhythm, she brought her hands in to play. One aided
her mouth, and the other rubbed her clitoris.
Voice hoarse, he called, “Katie. Katie!” When he could take no more of
her sweet torment, he grabbed her by the shoulders and wrenched her up.
He kissed her then and positioned the tip of his shaft at her entrance, and
oh!
He entered her in one thrust.
On top, she controlled the depth of his penetration. Love! At first, she
rode him slowly, and not quite taking the full length of him.
“Take me deeper,” he commanded. Sweat beaded his brow, and tension
creased the corners of his eyes.
“No, I want—” Oh! There! She continued to take only part of him,
riding the waves of sensation.
Jorlan clasped her hips to urge her on. “Faster. Please, katya. Deeper.”
He made a sound in the back of his throat, a low moan full of need and
promise and desperation. “Aye, just like that.”
“Yes, yes.”
“By Elliea, you are mine. My woman.”
 She bent down to flick her tongue against his nipple and…yes! He
released another of those needy moans. A siren’s song.
“Say it,” he commanded. “Say you are mine.”
She tried. She did. But she could only groan and gasp with pleasure.
Rolling her over, he pinned her against the cold hardwood. She exhaled
a light breath, an exclamation of wonder really, until she realized he had
stopped moving. He remained still, gazing down at her, his expression soft
but unflinching.
“What are you doing?” She tried to move, to finish what they had
begun, but his weight ensured she remained immobile.
“I want to hear you say the words that bind you to me. You are mine. No
exceptions. Say it.”
No exceptions? If she were one hundred percent sure of his feelings for
her, she would tell him anything and everything he wanted to hear. But, as
she’d recently learned, trust didn’t come easy for her. She was a creature
who demanded proof in all things. So far, he’d only managed to prove he
needed her, not that he loved her.
“I—I can’t say what you want to hear, Jorlan.”
“You can. If you think I will let another male have you, you are sorely
mistaken.”
“You’re right. I can, but I shouldn’t.” But I might do it anyway. The
words poised at the tip of her tongue.
His eyes narrowed with stubbornness. “You will say the words, Katie,
and thus we will be life mates forevermore. I almost lost you, and I never
wish to experience such a fright again. I’ve run out of time, and we belong
together.”
We belong together.
How she longed to believe him. How she yearned to give him
everything he desired, in every situation. Still, a part of her held back,
unsure. “I’m sorry,” she told him. “I refuse to pledge my life to yours until I
know you’re sincere.”
“Curse you!” He pumped into her once, twice, again and again, harder
each time. “Say you are mine. You want to, need to, I can see it in your
eyes.”
“No! I won’t set myself up for heartbreak.” She arched her back,
chasing his length, taking all of him that he would give. Oh, he felt so good.
“I won’t,” she said again, more for her benefit than for his. “I won’t, I
won’t, I won’t.”
He slipped his hand between their bodies and pressed against the core of
her desire. She groaned in pleasure, and exquisite pain. “So you reject me
yet again?”
Only so I can survive emotionally. “Not a rejection. I want you. I’ll
always want you. Now. Too much talking, not enough sex. Faster! Harder!”
He didn’t give her harder or faster. He slowed down. “Mayhap, my little
witch, I will have to do something to convince you otherwise.” His voice
was a husky ripple that stroked her skin, but the wicked gleam in his eyes
did not bode well for her sanity.
“What—what do you mean to do?”
He flexed and surged inside her, his fingers circling her little bundle of
nerves. Again. Again. Her breath grew ragged, the pleasure too much. Not
enough. She lifted her head to bite his collarbone.
His ragged moan echoed in her ears. “Again. Bite me again.”
She did.
He roared his approval, still slamming inside her. Bliss. Rapture.
Torment. She thrashed her head, too aroused to stay still.
“That’s right, Katie. Your body requires mine. Do you feel yourself
tightening around my shaft? Can you feel how your body responds to mine,
and mine alone?”
“Yes,” she shouted. “Oh, yes.”
“Say the words, then. You know what your body wants. Now listen to
your heart.”
Yes, yes. “No!” Stay quiet and keep him a little longer. Obey, and lose
him sooner than later.
“I accept not your answer, katya. You belong to me, and soon I will
make you realize just how much.”
The words were a promise.
The words were a challenge.
What scared her most? He was a man of his word.

***

JORLAN STOOD UNDER the darkening sky in the Victorian’s backyard. A storm
brewed in the distance, the scent of coming rain saturating the air. The
garden where he’d spent so many spans loomed up ahead, but he did not
enter. ’Twas a place he would just as soon forget existed.
A phantom breeze swirled around him, there one second, gone the next.
He should be inside with Katie, who’d fallen asleep shortly after reaching
her peak, but an odd sensation had driven him here. For the first time in his
life, he felt at one with the magic inside him, as if he’d at last unlocked the
door to his true abilities.
Already he’d opened and closed three vortexes to Imperia. The first
time he’d been shocked. The second, he’d been afraid to hope. The third,
he’d accepted the truth. He was stronger than ever. At last, he could go
home. And yet…
He would not leave Katie, even though she had, in fact, rejected him
again.
At the reminder, he balled his hands into fists.
Part of her still believed he only wished to use her as a ticket to
freedom. A woman who believed the worst of him was not in love with him,
and would not be falling any time soon.
He should go home to Imperia and spend his last hours with his loved
ones. But…
He wouldn’t.
He should pick her up and carry her to his world, no matter her protests.
Again, he wouldn’t.
He’d told her he would convince her to wed him, and he’d meant it. A
warrior to his core, he did not give up just because things had gotten tough.
If he had minutes left on the clock, he had hope.
While part of Katie believed the worst of him, the other part believed
the worst of herself. That good, lasting things did not happen to her. Which
was understandable. She’d lost her mother at a young age and had never felt
worthy in her father’s eyes.
How did you help someone else see past the darkness of their own fears,
and into the light of love? You didn’t. You couldn’t. You could only ever
control your own actions.
No matter what, whether he won her heart or not, whether the curse
took effect or not, he wanted to wed Katie James. If ever she needed
protection, she would be entitled to the use of his army. She would have
access to his riches. And, if he were to get her pregnant, the baby would
have a place to learn how to wield magic.
 Longing consumed him. Katie, pregnant…
Perhaps he needed to trick her into wedding him? She would never have
to know. She could merely enjoy the benefits of their joining.
Aye. The perfect plan.
Determined, he strode inside the house and stopped beside her pallet.
Murky light bathed her sleeping form, like fairy dust illuminating a magic
circle.
Gently, he shook her awake. “This is very important, Katie. Awaken.”
Her eyelids fluttered open, her irises unfocused. “What is it? Did
something happen?”
“I need you to repeat after me,” he told her.
“Not now,” she yawned, and closed her eyes again. “I’m too sleepy.”
“Katie.” He shook her a little harder. “This is very important.”
“Why?”
“Please, Katie.”
She uttered a sigh and faced him. “Okay. I’m awake.”
“Repeat after me.” He uttered a string of words in Imperian, a language
she didn’t understand. The English equivalent: I pledge my life to you, now
and forever. I am blood of your blood, bone of your bone, heart of your
heart.
She repeated them exactly. “Why—”
He pressed a finger to her lips. Part one was done. That simple, and that
complex. Guilt and shame surged, but he ignored them.
Before she woke up enough to get serious about questioning him, he
removed his clothing and slid under the covers. “Now I will make love to
you.” Thereby completing the process.
She might notice her deepening feelings for him as she dreamed his
memories, but she would not know why.
All would be well.

***

ALL WOULD NOT BE WELL.

The evening came upon them with a vengeance. Katie napped as rain
clinked against the windows. Wind whistled, bringing to mind banshees and
demons coming to take their chosen to Hell.
 The curse would take effect at any moment. Jorlan knew it, felt it. Cold
crept through his veins. He needed to speak with Katie a final time, and tell
her what he’d done, how he’d tricked her into wedding him. Leaving her in
the dark would do no good. To make use of his title and riches for any
reason, she needed to know she had one, as well.
Finally, Katie stirred beside him and yawned. Oh, how he’d both
anticipated and dreaded this moment.
“Good morning. I mean, good evening.” Her eyes were heavy-lidded,
slumberous. She gave him a sweet smile, the yawn clinging to the edges. “I
had the most amazingly vivid dreams about you. You were a little boy and
you wanted so badly to give your mother a present, so you picked her a
bouquet of flowers, but they were poisonous, and you broke out in a
horrible rash.”
Aye. He remembered the day well, not to mention the weeks of itching.
“We must talk.” His expression grave, almost desperate, he helped her to a
sitting position.
She frowned and furrowed her brows. “Okay. What’s going on?”
“Hours ago—” his heart drummed erratically “—I made you my life
mate.”
She froze, all traces of sleep abandoning her features. “You did what
now?”
“I spoke the words of binding, and you repeated them. We had sex, and
I came inside you, completing the ceremony.”
“No, no, no. I did not get married without knowing it.”

***

DID I? KATIE FLOUNDERED. Jorlan’s eyes were a dark slate, no longer light
and twinkling. Her stomach twisted and churned, dread clamping around
her like a shackle. “I told you no.”
“I told you aye, and I meant it.”
“No, you told me you’d convince me.” She popped her jaw. “Did you
think I’d vow to love you forever after being tricked?”
“Nay, I did not. I have accepted that you do not love me, and that we
will part.”
The color in her cheeks disappeared in an instant.
 “I am prepared for the fate that will soon befall me. What I did, I did for
you. It doesn’t excuse my actions, but I am okay with that. You are a
princess now, and the title will protect you when I return to stone.”
Fury seethed inside her. “I’ve heard a similar rationale my entire life. I
know what’s best for you, Kit Kat. You’re a girl. Weak. I’m a man. Strong. I
expected better from you. This changes nothing.”
“Nevertheless. ’Tis done.”
“Well, undo it! I won’t stay married to a man who doesn’t really love
me.”
“How can you say such a thing? I love you with all of my heart.”
“Oh, really? How can I believe that now? You enforced your will over
mine.” The last word escaped on a wispy catch of breath as hurt joined her
fury.
“What you believe doesn’t matter, katya. You will not have to deal with
me much longer.”
She went still, his words reverberating in her head. Will not have to deal
with me much longer. Had the time come?
Fear choked her. Let go of fear, and grab hold of love. One ruins your
life, the other improves it.
Love the man who’d tricked her? The man she’d imagined him as a
little boy—
She gasped as the truth dawned. She hadn’t imagined anything. “The
dream. I dreamed of your past. Because we’re wed.”
“Aye.” Tense nod. “Just as I will dream of you, if ever I sleep.”
Fighting through a vat of conflicting emotion, Katie thought back to the
day she first stumbled upon Jorlan’s statue. She had already decided not to
buy the house; it needed too many renovations to be profitable. Besides,
she’d hoped for a smaller summer project. Then she’d spotted Jorlan’s
statue. Then. That moment. She’d known beyond any doubt the house had
to belong to her.
Despite everything, she believed she did, in fact, belong with Jorlan.
That he was home, rather than the house. But. That didn’t mean he’d had a
right to marry her without her consent.
“I didn’t mean to hurt you, Katie, or take away your choice. As a young
soldier I learned to prepare for the worst even when you hope for the best,
so that is what I did. I planned for your protection because I love you with
all my heart. You will realize this truth, I know it…but I suspect it will be
too late.”

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

KATIE STOOD IN the kitchen, drinking from a glass of water. I’m married.
Married. Already starbursts of delight were working to disable her anger.
Only took a few minutes to realize she kind of liked the thought of being
Jorlan’s wife. A few minutes after that, she decided she loved knowing he
belonged to her. My husband.
Mr. Katie James.
Mrs. Princess Katie en Sarr.
Ugh. What was she going to do? Forgive him, tell him she loved him
and move to Imperia so he wouldn’t grow to resent her later?
Would she grow to resent him?
Doubtful. His happiness meant too much to her.
She had only to speak words of love…and yet something still she kept
quiet. Why? What was the worst that would happen if she admitted the truth
to him—and herself?
He died and left her behind, the way her mom had done?
Or, he realized he’d made a mistake, that Katie wasn’t the type of
woman he wanted forever, only for a season?
Or, they lived happily ever after?
She’d never considered herself a person who sabotaged her own success
but…maybe she was. Would she really allow him to return to stone, just
because she feared what would happen if he remained a man?
What if she didn’t love him, and he turned back to stone even though
she’d said the words?
“Katie,” he said now, breaking into her musings. He stood before the
bay window, staring out. “Someone comes.”
The front door swung open, rain misting the living room. He went quiet
as Heather and Frances raced inside, then closed the door with a snap.
 Startled, Katie remained in front of the kitchen sink, water glass
positioned midair. Jorlan had finally explained what had happened, how
Katie had tumbled through the ceiling and crashed into the floor, and he had
used his magic to heal her. Frances had seen it all go down.
Frances approached, careful to walk a wide circle around Jorlan, who
stood in the corner, ready to act if Katie had need of him. “Heather
convinced me to return and speak with you. I…I don’t know what happened
earlier, and I don’t want you to tell me. I’m just going to finish the work I
had left, okay, and never ever talk about what happened here.”
Katie nodded and set her glass aside. “Thank you.”
That settled, Frances strode out the door and into the back garden.
Going to pull weeds during a storm? All right, then.
Heather remained in place, wringing her hands together. “Katie, I…
you… How are you doing?”
“I’m fine, thank you.” Katie looked her over and frowned. “How are
you?” The girl radiated stress, half-moon bruises under her eyes, as if she
hadn’t slept in years.
“I’m better.” Heather gave a half smile, hesitant but authentic. “I’ve
spent the last few days thinking about my life, and I—” She pressed a hand
over her heart. “Never mind. I’m rambling, and you have work to complete.
It’s fine. I’m fine. I’ll be fine.”
“So, I gather that you are…fine?” Something had changed about
Heather. Despite the stress, she seemed to have shed a thousand pounds of
emotional baggage. “I just woke up from a nap, but I could use a break.
Maybe we could sit at the table and talk?”
Heather shook her head. “Rain check? I’d like to help my mother out
back. All of this—” she lifted her hand, palm down, and made a circular
motion to encompass life in general rather than the kitchen “—has been
hard on her.”
“I understand.” Just how much did Frances and Heather know?
Actually, what did they think they knew?
Heather gave her a hug, another surprise. “Oh, hey.” She glanced over
her shoulder. When she refocused on Katie, she lowered her volume. “We
walked through the garden before coming into the house. The new statue is
an odd addition.”
New statue? “I didn’t get a new statue,” she said, brows drawn.
“But, there’s one on the only empty pedestal. Well, formerly empty.”
 Formerly empty— Ohhh. Jorlan’s pedestal. “Are you sure you’re not
thinking of a different section of the garden altogether?”
“I’m sure. The new statue is different than any of the others, because it
brings torment to mind, not pleasure.”
Torment? Dread churned in her stomach. What did this new
development mean? “Will you meet me there in five minutes?” she
whispered. “I’m going to give Jorlan a task. I don’t what him to know about
the new statue until I’ve seen it.”
Expression tinged with sadness, as if she understood Katie’s reference,
Heather nodded and skipped from the room.
No way Heather knew anything about Jorlan’s life as a slab of stone.
“Hey, uh, I’m heading to the bathroom,” Katie told Jorlan, who still
stood before the bay window, watching her.
“Very well. Then we will finish our talk, aye?” Just then, he looked like
he’d gained a thousand pounds of emotional baggage. “I am running out of
time.”
“Yes, of course.” But inside she shouted, No! No, you aren’t. You aren’t
returning to stone, and that’s that. She stood in place, her heart galloping.
He was a good man, and he deserved better than a woman who’d been
hiding from her fears rather than fighting them. He deserved…love. And
that was what she would be giving him from now on.
I love him. I do. I love him with my whole heart.
The truth shone within her, a bright light that chased away shadows of
fear. From now on, I will give him better. So, she would do it. She would
tell him the truth, damn the consequences—and there was no way she’d put
a quarter in a jar this time; she’d meant that curse!
“Katie,” he prompted.
“Jorlan, I do, okay? I love you.” There. She’d said it, officially breaking
the curse. And now she might pass out.
“I…you…I feel no different,” he said with a frown.
No “I love you, too”? My fears were accurate? Floundering now, Katie
raced to the bathroom; his gaze bored into her back.
She locked the door and sneaked out the window.
Outside, rain pelted her. Thunder boomed. She got soaked as she raced
to the center of the garden. Heather was there already, waiting quietly and
just as soaked.
“This is it,” the redhead said.
 Katie drew in a sharp breath. Dark clouds hovered over the rounded
curves of a beautiful stone woman who wore an opulent robe. A large,
circular locket hung at her neck. One of her arms was extended, as if to
ward off the approach of a predator.
Katie’s heart raced faster as she wiped the rain from her eyes and
studied the statue more closely. Heather had said the statue brought
“torment” to mind, and Katie agreed. Fear, agony and anguish pulsed from
the stone.
Was this another victim of Percen? Should Katie kiss this one?
Heather gasped, drawing Katie’s attention.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, only then spotting the man she’d never
met. He stood a few feet away, and wore an old-fashioned, buttonless white
shirt and fawn-colored pants that fit him like a second skin. Brown leather
boots adorned his feet.
He had dark hair, cold blue eyes and a myriad of scars.
“Percen,” Heather said, conveying all sorts of emotion with that one
name. The headliners were dread, happiness and fear.
Wait. This was Percen, Jorlan’s brother? The one who’d cursed Jorlan to
an eternity of misery?
Percen ignored Heather; as the storm intensified around him, and his
pale, unsmiling gaze swept over Katie.
Should she run screaming for Jorlan’s help, or stay and take Percen
down?
Stay. Definitely. She would protect Jorlan, whatever the costs.
“Come to me,” Percen said, waving her over. “You want to come to
me.”
“Whatever you’re planning…don’t.” Heather barked the order with a
fierce determination she’d never before displayed. “You promised not to
harm Katie.”
“Nay. Wrong. I vowed I would not kill her. I said nothing of hurting her.
And after I make this concession for you, what do you do to me?” he
ground out. “You come here to aid my enemies. Therefore, you will sway
me no longer.” Once again, he beckoned Katie over. “Come.”
A strange fog rolled through her mind. Yes, yes. She would go to him.
She must go to him.
Yasss. Must. Go. To. Him.
 Heedless of anything else, she closed the distance. Heather pulled on
her arm, trying to stop her, but failed.
“Katie, listen to me,” Heather said now. “He plans to use you to destroy
Jorlan. You must fight Percen’s magical influence.”
Magical influence. Yeah, that tracked. Only one problem: Katie couldn’t
seem to make herself care.
“If you do this, you will lose me,” Heather cried to Percen. “You will
lose me forever.”
For a heartbeat…heartbeat…heartbeat of time, he wavered, his mouth
opening and closing. Then his features hardened with resolve. “As I never
really had you, I accept your terms. Go get my brother,” he said, his voice
cruel. “Katie and I have work to do.”

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

A SCREAM ECHOED off the house’s walls.

Jorlan reacted immediately, reaching for a weapon and racing from the
bedchamber, where he’d awaited Katie’s emergence from the bathroom.
Katie, the woman who loved him. He grinned, only to lose his good
humor a second later. Had she gotten hurt again?
He knocked on the wooden entrance, shouting, “Katie.”
No response.
“Speak,” he commanded, “or I will destroy the door.”
Nothing.
Very well. He kicked the wood. Nothing kept him from his woman! Just
like that, timber shards went flying. “Katie—” He stopped abruptly. The
small room was empty, the window open. Rain misted the air.
A terrifying thought slammed into his mind. Someone had abducted
Katie, and that was why she’d screamed.
“Jorlan?” Heather whizzed past the door, only to backtrack. Panting
raggedly, she halted in the doorway. Water dripped from her clothing, and
panic painted each of her features. “You have to help Katie. Come quick.
Please! Percen has her, and he’s going to hurt her if we don’t do
something.”
Jorlan’s panic graduated into fury. “Where is she?” Nothing else
mattered. Other questions would have to wait, such as how Heather had
known about Percen.
Tears streamed down her face as she lead the way. “I should have told
you about Percen’s arrival sooner, but I was afraid you’d scare him away.
Now I want him to go. He doesn’t deserve me. He doesn’t,” she rambled.
They exited into the backyard and flew into the garden, the rain
drenching Jorlan in seconds. The icy cold infiltrated his bones, keeping him
alert and ready for anything.
When they reached his spot in the garden, he froze midstride. His
mother stood upon his pedestal. Lightning flashed, highlighting her shock
and horror. The same emotions Jorlan currently entertained.
He dropped his weapon and sank to his knees. Centuries had passed
since he’d last seen his mother. He’d missed her terribly, had yearned for a
reunion but not like this. Never like this.
“What are you doing?” Heather tugged at his arm, frantic. “We have to
hurry.”
How could his brother curse their mother to this life that was no life at
all? Jorlan had to save her before he returned to this life that was no life at
all.
“I know you are aware,” he told her. “You might be trapped in the stone,
but you can still use your magic. Which you did, helping me save Katie.”
“Hurry, Jorlan.” Heather tugged with more force. “We have to find
them, before it’s too late.”
He pushed to a stand. “I’m sorry, Mother. I must aid my life mate,
Katie. You will love her. I will come back for you, and find a way to free
you.”
“There is no need.” A smug, smiling Percen materialized a few feet
away, an immobile and silent Katie just in front of him, a sleeping Francis
splayed on the ground.
“Momma,” Heather gasped, rushing over.
Only two weeks ago, Jorlan would have given anything for a chance to
confront his brother. Here, now, he cared only about Katie.
Her clothes were plastered to her body. The sorcerer had his hands on
her shoulders, stroking her like a kitten. Her amber eyes were glazed and
detached.
The bastard had entranced her with a spell. If Jorlan attempted to snatch
her from his brother’s grasp, she would fight him, no doubt about it. Still,
relief poured over him in great waves. She was alive. As long as she stayed
that way, he could handle whatever Percen threw at him.
“Too shocked to comment?” Percen taunted.
“Release her from your snare.” He longed to rush his brother, to cut the
bastard down, but he feared harming his life mate in the process. “Must you
hide behind a woman?”
 “Nay.” Percen pursed his lips. “I need not hide behind anyone. I thought
I would enjoy watching you watch me as I destroy your only chance of
obtaining freedom.”
“Your hatred for me is so great, you will slay an innocent just to punish
me?”
“I would slay an entire world of innocents just to punish you.”
“You…you monster.” Tears streamed down Heather’s cheeks as she
patted her mother’s cheek. “How could you do this?”
For a moment, only a moment, Percen’s anger gave way to devastation
and hurt. But he rallied fast, grating, “I am what my brother has made me.”
“Soon, I will make you dead.” Truth. All the hatred he felt for his
brother surfaced. “If you are brave enough, let us fight to the death and
leave the others out of our war.”
His brother hesitated for a long while, probably weighing his options.
Finally, he shoved Katie aside. “Aye, ’tis time we at last ended this, and
what better way than death.”
Jorlan didn’t give him time to defend or plan. With an unholy roar, he
sprang into action, leaping across the distance, drawing back his elbow and
planting a fist into his brother’s jaw.
Percen’s head snapped back, blood trickling from a split in his bottom
lip.
Excellent. Jorlan struck him again.
This time, Percen was prepared. He ducked, then flew at Jorlan. They
grappled to the muddy ground, fists and legs flying.
Heather’s scream pierced the air.
“I cursed Mon Graig,” Percen taunted, half in laughter, half in rage.
“Even if your woman falls in love with you before the deadline, you cannot
go home.”
“You are wrong. So wrong. I can take myself.” Jorlan smacked his fist
into his brother’s nose. Cartilage snapped. “And my woman has already
fallen in love with me. Your spell is broken, brother. I will never return to
stone.”
Percen evinced nothing but satisfaction. “Adorable. You believed me
when I said you could break the spell with a woman’s love.”

***
KATIE CAME TO her senses slowly. As soon as reality settled in, she froze,
shocked. Jorlan and Percen fought with the savagery of two wild beasts.
Pain-filled moans assaulted her ears. While Percen lacked Jorlan’s
strength, he more than made up for it with his magic, teleporting away from
blows, sometimes appearing behind Jorlan to deliver a punch or kick.
If she lived to be two hundred years old, she would never forget the
terror and desolation of this moment.
Though she hated to leave her man even for a second, she raced inside
the house. Trembling, she grabbed the phone. It took her three times to dial,
but she managed to call Gray’s cell phone.
The moment he answered, she rushed out, “I’m at the Victorian. They’re
killing each other. Hurry! And bring lots of firepower.” She didn’t give him
time to respond, just threw down the phone and rushed back outside.
The fight had worsened, both men slashed and bloody.
Jorlan landed a blow to Percen’s mouth. Blood and teeth flew from the
man’s parted, swollen lips. He stumbled into the new statue, leaving a
smear of crimson behind.
A second later, the stone disappeared. A beautiful, dark-haired woman
took its place. She noticed the dueling brothers and shook with horror.
Katie paid her no heed. Jorlan was in danger. She had to help him, had
to make the battle stop. She glanced around for some type of weapon.
Found nothing.
“You cursed me,” Jorlan growled. “Then you cursed our mother and
tried to kill the woman I love.”
“You cursed me the day you were born, for that is the day Mother
ceased loving me. She preferred you. Always you.” Percen spit the words.
In the distance, Katie thought she detected the blare of police sirens.
Yes! Red-and-blue lights flashed in the horizon. Oh, thank goodness!
The fight continued, even as the police cruiser parked and Gray and
Steve rushed over.
“Katie!” Gray shouted.
“Hurry! We’re in the garden.”
He and Steve Harris entered her line of sight. As soon as they spotted
Jorlan and Percen, they knelt and drew their guns.
“Get on the ground and put your hands up,” Gray ordered. “Now!”
“We’ve already called for backup,” Steve told the combatants. “Unless
you want twenty other guns pointed at your heads, do as you were told. On
the ground, hands up.”
Jorlan and Percen ignored them, circling each other.
Percen unsheathed a long, lethal-looking dagger.
“Put the weapon down,” Gray shouted now. “I mean it. Put the weapon
down now.”
Again, Jorlan and Percen ignored him, lunging for each other.
“They don’t understand what your guns can do,” Katie hurried to
explain. “Don’t shoot. Please don’t shoot! Jorlan, my brother’s weapon can
kill you in less than a second. Please, listen to him.”
“Less than a second?” The woman who had changed from stone to flesh
spoke up for the first time, shouting, “Harm not my child.” She sprang
toward Percen.
With a scream, Heather rushed in front of Percen, as well. Katie leaped
in front of Jorlan.
Four shots rang out, the woman and Heather both collapsing at Percen’s
feet.
Katie remained standing and unharmed.
Percen gazed down at the two bodies now motionless. His eyes
widened, and he dropped his blade. “Nay. Nay, nay, nay!”
“I—I’m fine.” Heather sat up gingerly and wiped tears and rain from
her eyes. “Ex-except for my shoulder,” she said, her teeth chattering.
The other woman remained immobile, blood seeping from her chest in
three separate spots.
“I love you, Katie James.”
Jorlan’s voice reached her hears. Katie whipped around—and gasped.
He stood frozen, his beautiful skin now silver stone. “Jorlan! No, no, no. I
told you I love you,” she yelled over a clap of thunder. “I do. I love you so
much.”
Nothing happened.
But, she knew she loved him. For real. “I told you in time, and I meant
it. I wasn’t sure if I’d know if I meant it or not, but I did. I do. I love you. I
told you in time,” she repeated, desperate. “You have to come back to me.
Please!”
Again, nothing happened.
His stone eyes seemed to gaze down at her, his lips curled in a smile.
She thought she heard his voice in her head. You have made me the happiest
of men, katya. Never doubt that.
 What had she done?
Katie’s knees buckled. On the ground, she sobbed into her hands. My
fault. All my fault. She must have waited too long.
She laughed, bitter. She’d refused to trust him, or herself, and she’d lost
him. She’d also wanted proof of his love. Well, here it was. His only
thought as his future had slipped away? Me.
“I think I’ve loved you since the beginning,” she whispered, her tone
ragged, broken. “I was just afraid to admit it, even to myself. I don’t think I
ever really doubted your feelings for me.” The truth seemed so clear now. “I
just couldn’t allow myself to believe. If I had, I would have had to go to
Imperia with you or let you go without me. I didn’t want to let you go.”
Behind her, Steve rushed at Percen. With a wave of his hand, Percen
created some type of invisible shield around himself that no one could
penetrate.
The sorcerer sank to his knees. “You saved me,” he said to the
unconscious Heather. “You saved me.”
Sirens echoed in the background. The Dallas PD backup.
At the moment, Katie didn’t care about anyone but her husband. She
stood on her tiptoes and placed a soft kiss upon his lips. “Please, Jorlan,
come back to me. I love you. I swear I do. I’ll live with you anywhere. I’ll
give up anything. Just come back.”
He remained as he was.
“Damn you!” She beat at his chest. “Why won’t you come back to me?
I owe you a quarter now. Come back and collect.”
Her brother moved to her side, attempting to pull her away from the
statue.
“No! I’m staying here, where I belong.” She clung to Jorlan with all her
might. “I need you, Jorlan. I need you so much. I’m your little witch, and
you’re my big bastard, and I command you to open your eyes.” Another
round of thunder boomed overhead.
Maybe Percen could help? “Percen?”
His attention remained on the fallen woman.
“Percen,” Katie bellowed. “You get over here and you cast a spell! Do
something to save him, or I will end you myself.”
“Mother,” he whispered, gathering the woman into his arms. A tear
streamed down his cheek. “You are the one with healing magic, not me.
Why did you do that? You could have saved Jorlan, even me, but not
yourself. Why?” he asked again. He gave a violent shake of his head and
raised his fists to the heavens, cursing. But then, suddenly, his shoulders
slumped. He hung his head and sobbed. “I have done this to you. Me, and
me alone.”
He looked up, but only to gaze beseechingly at Heather. “Help me. I—
I’m so sorry for the things I’ve done to you. You were right. This isn’t
better. This is so much worse. Please, Heather. Give me a chance, and I will
make everything up to you, I swear it. Just…do not leave me. I need you
too desperately.”
Wincing in pain, Heather lumbered to her knees. “I warned you what
would happen.”
He closed his eyes for the briefest moment, fresh tears falling. “Let me
take you to our healers. You and your mother. Please. Then I will return
you, if that is your wish. I just, I need to do something for you.”
She gave a single, clipped nod.
Relief poured from him as he waved a hand through the air. He, Heather
and their mothers disappeared.
All the while, images flashed through Katie’s mind. Images of billowing
white grass, crystal castles and high-flying dragons. Imperia. The home
Jorlan would never reach.
Because of me.
She folded into herself and sobbed.

A week later

DUSK SETTLED OVER the horizon, casting a gold and violet glow. Wind
swirled around the two figures atop the cliff, lifting their robes in a
primitive dance. The air was laced with silvery droplets of moisture that
swept over the white sands of the Druinn territory, creating a cool, damp
haven.
Despair ruled Percen. Nay, not just despair. Shame, too. And guilt. So
much guilt. He’d caused so much pain. And for what? To assuage his pride?
His mother was dead, and she wasn’t coming back. Magic could do
many things, but it couldn’t raise the dead.
Had it not been for Heather, who’d decided to give him another chance,
as hoped, he would have willingly joined his mother. Heather had given
him a reason to go on.
 She reached out to take his hand, offering strength and encouragement
without words. The little beauty had taken to his world well, blossoming
more each day.
In his free hand, he held his mother’s amulet. He stood on a cliff above
Artillian Mer, the largest body of water on Imperia, to pay his mother
proper homage and give a piece of her back to the world she had loved.
Trembling, he raised the amulet to his lips and kissed the center.
He drew in a deep breath and thought he detected her sweet scent. Tears
began to slide down his cheeks; he’d cried more the past week than the rest
of his life combined.
“I love you,” he croaked. He removed the left stone, the smallest of the
three, then tossed the necklace into the churning amber liquid.
“Thank you for coming with me.”
“For you—anything.”
Something he still did not understand. “How could you forgive me for
my actions? You warned me, yet I ridiculed you and hurt…everyone.”
Heather tightened her grip on him. “You learned from your mistakes. A
rare and wonderful quality. Plus, I love you. That kind of means I’m
predisposed to forgive and help you.”
He kissed her knuckles. “If you wish, I can take you back to your
world.” His stomach churned with sickness. Please, don’t ask me to take
you back. “I know you miss your mother.” Francis returned hours after
waking; she’d wanted no part of another world.
“I do. I really do. But I’d prefer to stay with you.”
“I prefer you stay with me, as well. I just meant I could take us both to
your world.”
“Oh.” Her eyes widened. “You would give all this up for me?”
“Aye.” He would give up anything. Everything.
She beamed a smile at him. “I love it here. Just as I love you. I’d still
prefer to stay. If that’s okay?”
The churning ceased. He peered at her, brimming with wonder, awe and
happiness. “Better than okay. I love you and want you happy, always.”
“Just as I want you happy”
He took her face in his hands, loving the feel of her silken skin, closed
his eyes and pressed his forehead against hers. “I have to return to your land
for a bit. I could not save my mother, but I can do something for her. I can
right the wrong I caused Katie and Jorlan.”
 Heather beamed another smile, this one brighter, wider, and tender. “I’ll
be here, awaiting your return.”
“Thank you, Heather. For everything.”
She kissed the corner of his mouth. “I do have a favor to ask. I need to
let Momma know I’m good. Will you deliver a letter to her?”
“Of course.” He turned back to the ocean and tugged her in front of
him, wrapping his arms around her waist.
Together, they watched as the three Imperian suns descended, and the
two moons rise.

***

KATIE WHIPPED HER truck into her driveway a little too swiftly for comfort.
Two weeks had passed since Jorlan’s return to stone. Two miserable,
horrible, wretched weeks she’d torch if she could. She’d been racked with
grief every day. Her grief only ever grew; it never lessened.
Every morning, Gray called her. The first week, he’d been in shock over
what he’d seen. But he and Steve had agreed not to speak of it with anyone.
Who would believe them, anyway? Now Gray and the rest of her family
simply wanted to know how she was doing.
How was she doing? In a word—horribly.
She wanted Jorlan back, alive and well. She wanted him in her arms and
in her bed. He was her husband, after all. How could she have ever been so
stupid as to believe she didn’t love him? How could she have been even
stupider, thinking he didn’t love her?
Hoping to save him, she’d invaded every library and internet resource
she knew, searching for a way to break a stone spell. She’d gone back to
Mon Graig’s shop, but the receptionist hadn’t seen him,
Tears rained down her cheeks as she rested her head against the steering
wheel. The future looked so bleak and pale without her husband. What was
she going to do?
What if she never found a way— Nope. Not going there. She would
save Jorlan. She would!
Determined, she wiped her tears away and emerged from the truck.
Fighting doubts, she marched into the house and tossed her jacket on the
floor and went into the kitchen.
 Without Jorlan at her side, everything struck her as wrong. Her soul just
wasn’t complete without him. She sniffled, dangerously close to tears again.
Pressing her lips tightly shut, she went into the living room and flipped
on the television in an effort to clear her mind. She hadn’t slept more than a
few hours, and soon felt herself drift into a fitful oblivion.
However long later, something prodded her mind, calling, Wake up.
Wake up right now!
She blinked open her eyes—and screamed. A scarred man stood next to
the couch, watching her.
Fury pounded through her, and she jolted upright. “You!” Percen. With
murder on her mind, she lunged at him.
He didn’t fight back, didn’t even try, just let her beat at him, as if he
accepted the fact that he deserved every punch, scratch and kick.
When her strength deserted her, she collapsed on the couch.
Percen remained nearby, though he watched her cautiously. “I’ve come
to aid you.”
Oh, really? “I don’t want your help! I don’t trust you,” she snapped. But
hope was a silly thing. It began to unfurl inside her.
“You shouldn’t trust me,” he replied. “But what do you have to lose?”
He wasn’t wrong. “Can you free him?”
“Nay. I cannot. I created the spell so that no one could undo it.”
Her shoulders slumped. “What good are you to me, then? Get out of my
house, Percen. I don’t want you here.”
He remained in place. “What I can do is teach you a stone spell.”
Why would she care about—Katie sat up straighter. Yes. Yes! Why
hadn’t she thought of that before? If she turned herself to stone, she could
be beside Jorlan forever. She didn’t have to think about her answer. “Yes.
Teach me the spell.”
“You are sure you wish this?”
“Yes, okay? Yes!”
“Then you will need this.” He placed a small blue stone in the center of
her palm.
Warmth tingled down her arm, power pooling in her fingertips.
“Come,” Percen said. “I would like to see him.” Together they walked
to Jorlan’s statue.
Each time she saw him, love overflowed in Katie’s heart. Her own, and
Jorlan’s. They were linked now, and she felt his deep, abiding love for her.
His happiness when she neared.
She still dreamed about his life. About the precocious little boy he’d
been, and the courageous warrior he’d grown to be.
Percen gazed up at his brother, his features contorting with grief. “Why
did I not release my anger sooner?” His deep baritone dripped with longing
and pain. “Why?”
What a pair they made. Jorlan’s brother could not let go of the past. She
couldn’t grasp on to the future. “We have our reasons for doing the things
that we do. We can only learn from them, and go on.”
“Heather says the same.” Percen sighed, the sound an echo of his inner
torment.
“Heather is well?”
“Aye. I’ve made her my life mate, much to the distress of the Druinn.
But as I am high priest, they can do nothing to usurp my authority.” His
gaze skidded away. “I—I am sorry for all the pain I caused you, Katie. So
very sorry.”
She thought about all the things she could say to this man, just to make
him suffer. I hate you. I hope you feel as much pain as I do. But she had no
desire to say those things. One look into Percen’s eyes—blue eyes so much
like Jorlan’s—and she knew he already suffered.
“You are…forgiven. I mean, I have to forgive you,” she rushed on.
“This is my fault as much as yours. Had I not been so stubborn, so selfish,
Jorlan would never have returned to stone.”
Percen exhibited astonishment. And dread. “Your confession of love
would not save him. I lied about that.”
Well.
“Am I still forgiven?” he asked.
“You are. Honestly, I think even Jorlan has forgiven you,” she added.
“I’m kind of linked to him now, and I can feel his emotions. He isn’t upset
with you. He’s glad you’re here, and that you are happy again.”
Percen curled into himself and silently sobbed. The only sound to be
heard was the chirp of birds.
After a while, he straightened and moved his gaze to the fading sunset.
“I have freed Mon Craig from his own stone casing. The spell I used on him
was temporary.”
Oh, man. “You got him, too?”
 Nod. “If you decide not to utter the spell, and wish to visit Imperia, go
to him and he will take you. That is the price I exacted for his freedom.”
Her lips trembled as she offered a nod of her own.
“Jorlan can hear us, do you know that?”
“Yes,” she whispered. “I know.”
He faced the statue. “I have a gift for you, brother. Though I know this
will not make up for what I have done. For so long, you have wondered
who murdered our father. It was…it was our mother. Do not blame her,
though,” Percen rushed to add. “The king had lived many centuries, and he
asked her to do it. He was weary of life. I did not understand until recently.”
The knowledge shocked Katie, and she knew it had shocked Jorlan, as
well. “How do you know she did it?” she asked.
“I divined the truth the same day ’twas done.” Percen canted his head to
the side. “And now, my gift to you. Are you ready to learn the spell, Katie?”
She nodded again. “Yes.”
He patted her shoulder. “If you do this, you will be trapped inside the
stone, unable to respond to the world around you. Nothing will set you free.
Not a kiss. Not a drop of blood. Not love.”
“I understand.” She lifted her fist to her heart. The one clutching the
jewel.
In that moment, she recalled the first psychic she and Jorlan had visited.
You have the power within yourself to go home.
Home.
Home was with Jorlan. No, home was Jorlan, and Katie would use
every ounce of her power to be with him, even if it meant becoming stone.
Percen held out one hand and waved the free one over it. A yellowed
tome appeared, and he passed it to her. “Hold the stone and say these
words…sister, and you shall have your heart’s desire.” With that, he
disappeared.
With the jewel and book in hand, Katie stared up at Jorlan. She detected
his upset. He did not want her to do this.
“Too bad,” she told him. “My fear, stupidity and stubbornness got you
turned back to stone. So, I deserve to be stone, too. This is happening…
soon. First, I have to tie up a few loose ends.”
Katie strode back into the house, where she made calls and doubled-
checked her will. She kept a copy on her laptop. She made a single change
—Frances got the Victorian. Then, she wrote a letter to each of her brothers,
explaining how much she loved them and how she expected them to always
follow their hearts. Last, she wrote a letter to her dad. It was the hardest one
to write, and she had to pause often to wipe away her tears. When she
finished, she signed, “Love, your sixth son.”
She left the letters on the table, knowing her brothers would come
searching for her in a day or two; she just prayed they would understand.
Finally, she memorized the spell and burned the book, so no one else could
use it.
That done, she returned to the garden and took Jorlan’s stone hand. The
other held the jewel.
Jorlan’s disapproval threatened to choke her.
Do it! She might be giving up her life, but she was gaining so much
more in return. An eternity at her husband’s side.
After taking a deep breath, she did it. She uttered the spell. But…
One minute bled into another, but nothing happened. Wait. Had the
breeze just kicked up? A handful of leaves floated to the ground.
Uncertain, she uttered the spell again. Still, nothing. She must not have
the necessary power to make it work.
The only thing that had changed? Jorlan no longer projected
disapproval. No, he radiated love and awe.
Eyes burning, she leaned against Jorlan’s arm. “I’m sorry. I wanted to
be with you, even if it had to be this way. I just…I miss you so much. I love
you, Jorlan.” As she spoke, tears fell. As her tears fell, her palm burned, the
jewel blistering her palm.
“My sweet katya,” Jorlan said, his voice rich with promise, “I will never
tire of hearing your confession.”
Wait. He’d spoken?
He’d spoken!
Katie jerked her head up and squealed with excitement. The stone was
gone. Jorlan was flesh and blood again! “How…why…I don’t understand.”
Jorlan jumped down and drew her against him. He smiled. “It feels so
good to hold you again.”
“But how?” she asked again. “How are you standing here, Jorlan?”
He chuckled. “’Twas not a stone spell you uttered, but a wishing spell.
The most powerful of all magic, able to supersede any spell, but only when
it is accompanied by a supreme act of unselfishness. When you spoke the
words, your willingness to join me gave you your fondest desire.”
 “You,” she breathed. “It gave me you.”
“It seems I owe my brother a debt of gratitude.” He caressed her
jawbone, sending tingles rushing through her entire body. “You were right,
you know. I have indeed forgiven Percen. How could I hate him when his
actions brought me to you?”
Overcome with joy, she threw her arms around his neck. “I love you so
much,” she said in between kisses. “I love you, I love you, I love you.”
With his nose in her hair, he breathed deep. “I love you, too, and I will
be with you, always. Your world is now my world.”
She frowned and pulled back. “You don’t have to stay here, Jorlan. Mon
Graig can take us to Imperia.”
“I wish to stay here, katya. Your family is my family. You home is my
home. You are my future. My everything.”
Had sweeter words ever been spoken? “Jorlan, I don’t know what to
say. Thank you isn’t good enough.”
“Hold that thought.” He massaged the back of his neck. “I didn’t just
wed you, I bonded with you. You are not going to age, but your family will.
One day, they will die.”
Tears welled in her eyes, but she nodded. “I know. I’ve always known.
No one gets out of here alive.”
Relief glittered in his eyes.
“Although,” she added. “Perhaps we could convince them to move to
Imperia and find immortal life mates of their own.”
He laughed. “I like the way your mind works. We can all move to
Imperia one day.”
Really, when you thought about it, neither she nor Jorlan had to give up
their homes to be together. They could have everything they’d ever
dreamed!
For the first time since her mother’s death, Katie felt whole, fulfilled
and utterly content. What she’d done to deserve this much happiness, she
didn’t know, but she would fight to the death to keep it.
A satisfied smile curved her lips, only to fade. “I’m so sorry about your
mother, Jorlan. So sorry.”
Sadness flickered in his irises. “She has joined my father. I must be
content with that.” He kissed her softly, and she clung to him.
By the time he pulled back, they were both panting with need.
 “I can’t believe this is happening,” she said, grinning again. “I mean,
what are the odds of you and I ever meeting? How many other galaxies and
planets could your mother have sent you to spend your days?”
“Oh, I did not come here by chance, katya. We were always meant to
find one another.”
“I love you,” she whispered.
“And I love you. I will always love you.” He kissed her brow. Her
eyelids. Her nose. The rise of her cheeks. “Will you allow me to stay with
you, to be your life mate and your partner in all things? I vow to help you
with your houses and adore you every day of our lives.”
She blinked up at him innocently. “Of course…as long as you agree to a
new rule.”
He tried for a stern expression, but only managed delighted. “And what
is that?”
“You must ravish me at least once a day.”
At that, he grinned wide. “My adjustment is simple. I will ravish you
twice a day. Now take me inside, little witch, for I feel the need to obey this
rule immediately.”

OceanofPDF.com
 EPILOGUE

LIFE WAS GOOD.

Katie’s family gathered in her dad’s backyard. A celebration of Katie’s
one-year anniversary with Jorlan. Even Brian had flown in from New
Orleans for the event.
Enveloped by smoke, Gray stood over a grill, flipping hamburgers and
hotdogs. “Jorlan, you’re my brother now. Come over here and help me with
this.”
“Nay,” Jorlan called. “You are doing well on your own, and I like where
I am.”
He sat in an uncomfortable lawn chair…with Katie perched in his lap.
All of her brothers chuckled. Except Gray, of course.
Jorlan massaged the base of Katie’s neck. Relaxed and in love, she
sighed with contentment. Ah, married life was more satisfying than she’d
ever imagined possible. Her hubby took care of her in every way, making
love to her on the daily, pampering her, playing basketball with her and
even helping around the house. He truly saw to her every need, just as she
saw to his.
She might have kissed his lips and set him free, but he was the one
who’d done the saving.
He slid his hand from her neck to her belly, and she grinned. Their first
child was due in less than a month. Even her dad had softened at the
thought of welcoming his first grandchild.
“Well, I for one am tired of waiting. I’m starved and ready to eat.”
Frances winked at Katie. She stood next to Katie’s dad.
The past year, Katie and Frances had developed a very strong bond.
Most surprising of all, however, was how Frances actually liked and
accepted Jorlan for what he was, even if she didn’t understand it.
 Ryan turned his attention to Frances. “You’re tired of waiting? Then get
your little butt over there and help. It’s a woman’s job, after all.”
Frances’s eyes narrowed to slits. They’d been dancing around an
attraction to each other for months. “I’ll tell you what a woman’s job is. It’s
building her self-discipline so she doesn’t kill every man she meets.”
Ryan snorted.
Katie chuckled. Oh, great things were in store for those two; she just
knew it.
“Thank you for all you’ve given me, katya,” Jorlan whispered in her ear.
“I love you.”
“And I love you.”
Life had never been better.

*****

OceanofPDF.com
New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter returns with a brand-
new dark and sexy addition to her top-selling Lords of the Underworld
series featuring William, the story her fans have been clamoring for.

Watch for
The Darkest King
****

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER ONE

“You want a piece of me? Because your girlfriend certainly does.”

Sipping sugar water from a wine glass all classy-like, Sunday “Sunny”
Lane snuck through a shadowy hotel bar overcrowded with youngish and
oldish code breakers, hackers and hobbyists, her longtime friend…er,
acquaintance Sable at her side. The six-foot black beauty came from the
same realm and ancient village as Sunny. Most of the others were humans
who’d flown into New York City early that morning to network and party.
Tomorrow, everyone would attend workshops hosted by the world’s
premiere cryptanalysts.
Sunny and Sable would be setting honeytraps for any immortals who
hunted their kind.
A waiter approached with a bottle of white. “May I refill your drink,
ma’am?”
Ma’am? The worst insult known to man. “No thanks.” Asterhole. Every
creature like her was born with an innate magic that prevented them from
cursing, changing obscenities into flowers. ‘Daisy’ replaced D.A.M.N.
‘Hellebore’ replaced H.E.L.L. ‘Sage’ replaced S.H.I.T. ‘Bluebell’ replaced
B.A.S.T.A.R.D. and B.I.T.C.H. ‘Aster’ replaced A.S.S, and ‘freesia’
replaced F.U.C.K. “As a self-appointed superhero and proud vigilante, I
prefer to stay sober and scumbag-aware.”
The waiter offered her an unsure smile before rushing off.
Sable clinked her glass of sugar water against Sunny’s. “Here’s hoping
the duality serves us well tonight.”
Oh, yes. The duality. Half their nature demanded they hunt and kill
immortal and human baddies. That side of her—Horror Show Sunny—
worked as an assassin. A girl needed a purpose, right? The other half
demanded she spread love, joy and peace—Roses and Rainbows Sunny—
who worked as a decoder. The two sides were forever locked in a brutal
tug-of-war.
“I posted online to let the world know I’d be here,” Sunny said. Stage
one of their honeytrap.
As extremely rare “mythical” creatures, poachers hunted them for sport
while collectors hunted them for pleasure. The very reason Sunny never
stayed in one location more than a couple weeks. The very reason she
trusted no one, ever. Not even Sable. Not fully, anyway. The very reason
she constantly looked over her shoulder and rarely slept. If any of those
POSs did attack…
They will die screaming.
“Once we’ve exterminated the remaining poachers and collectors, we
won’t have to worry about ambush every second of every day,” Sable said,
excitement crackling in her tone. “And we can turn our sights to the
underworld royals.”
“All nine kings and every last prince of darkness.” Two princes of
darkness in particular topped her list. Lucifer the Destroyer and William the
Ever Randy. Even their names filled her with blistering rage. The terrible
things Lucifer had done to her people… things he’d done while shouting,
“For William!”
The two might be at war now, but they’d been inseparable back then.
Focus up. You’re here for a purpose, remember? Right. As she and
Sable continued meandering through the crowd, she scanned the sea of
faces. Some attendees ambled from group to group. Some remained in
place, talking, laughing and clogging the pathways. Others stayed at their
table, nursing drinks. Many were relaxed and at ease. Oh, to be uninvolved,
unconcerned and untouched by the world’s evil, as oblivious to the
surrounding danger as everyone else. Sunny couldn’t recall a time she’d
ever felt safe.
Someone dropped a cup, glass shattering, jolting her from her musings.
Both Sunny and Sable jolted. Deep breath in, out. Good, that’s good.
Able to read auras, she could distinguish immortals from humans. A
life-saving skill. Ninety-nine percent of the time, poachers and collectors
were immortal. Humans lacked the strength, stamina and skill to challenge
creatures like Sunny. But enough was enough!
Sunny was determined. No more running. Finally, blessedly, she would
live her life the way she dreamed. She’d buy a house and plant a garden.
She would adopt a dog and a cat. The oldest, crankiest, ugliest mutt and tom
at the pound. For the first time in years, she would go on a date; she just had
to find the right guy. Someone willing to put in the work to earn her trust.
One day, she would fall in love. Never again would she be forced to suffer
through Mating Season alone. A time of clawing, gnawing, and
uncontrollable sexual arousal.
“Hopefully we cross every name off our kill list in the next two weeks,
before the start of the next Mating Season.” A time when sexual desire
overtook every synapse in their brains and lust controlled their bodies. A
total body shudder rocked her on her feet. “I’m tired of chaining myself in a
locked room, so that I won’t jump unsuspecting or unwilling males,
poachers or collectors.”
When she found her dream man … Sunny smiled.
“You and me both, girl,” Sable said. “One day, I’m going to melt down
my chains and make them into a butt plug that I’ll gift to Lucifer. If he still
lives, of course.”
Sunny’s smile widened. “I like the way your mind works.”
They ventured deeper into the bar. Clashing perfumes blended with
cigarette smoke. Flicking lights illuminated a sea of unfamiliar faces.
Human. Human. Human. Human. Vampire. Witch. Human. Human.
Human. Werewolf. Though no one seemed to pay them any undue attention,
Sunny kept a wary eye on the vampire, witch and werewolf.
Across the room, booming male laughter rang out. Warm shivers raced
down her spine, and she frowned. What a strange reaction to something so
ordinary. Considering the number of voices tangled together, why note this
one? Yes, it was sexy hot, but she’d heard hotter. Surely!
Sunny scanned the bar for the laugher—there! Him. He kept his back to
her. He had thick black hair, broad shoulders, and a unique aura. One she
couldn’t read.
“Daisy,” she muttered. The woman on the man’s left side leaned closer
to whisper in his hear, and he shifted, presenting Sunny with his profile, and
she sucked in a ragged breath, recognizing him in an instant.
A woman never forgot a face like his. He looked like he’d been made
from a catalogue of parts. I’ll take that face, that hair and those eyes. Oh,
and don’t forget those muscles. Everything about him seemed tailor made
for sex. Flawless golden skin, jet-black hair, and vibrant eyes framed by the
longest, spikiest lashes of all time. His irises were a color she’d never
before beheld. Like a sapphire-diamond hybrid. Broad cheekbones tapered
to a strong jaw shadowed with dark stubble. Perfect nose, perfect lips,
perfect everything.
Hello, William the Ever Randy, brother to Lucifer. The bluebell.
“What? What’s wrong?” Sable asked, already reaching for the dagger
hidden beneath her sleeveless jacket.
Rage sparked, quickly catching fire. An inferno blazed through her
veins. “Look,” she grated, motioning to William. Had he heard about her
vendetta against his family and come to stop her? Maybe, maybe not. But
why else would he be here?
Why not sneak up on her? So many questions, so few answers.
“Speak of the devil,” Sable ground out, “and he appears.”
Sunny had done her research and knew he was an infamous mercenary
and legendary womanizer who disdained the sanctity of marriage. A few
years ago, he’d helped slay a god king. More recently, he’d gotten drunk at
a nightclub and shouted, “I consider myself a pleasuretarian. I only eat
organic pussy.”
“If rumors are true,” she said, “he sleeps with a new woman every
night, possesses a fiery temper, sometimes injures his friends for laughs,
and enjoys killing his enemies as painfully as possible.” So much to
admire…so much to disdain.
“Well. I think we should rearrange our list of hits and take out the royal
first while we’ve got the chance.”
“Agreed. One way or another, he’ll die today.”
Yes! Vengeance will be mine! “I can’t read his aura. Can you?”
“I…can’t,” Sable said, and frowned.
Daisy! The more they knew about him, the better.
Despite her research, she’d failed to learn William’s true origins or
species, so she didn’t know what strengths to guard against or what
weaknesses to exploit.
No matter. She would find out.
“He’s beautiful, though, isn’t he?” Sable asked.
“He is.” Beautiful beyond imagining. But oh, the admission grated.
Sunny did her best to ignore the flutter in her belly. “He looks like an
incubus, ready to lure unsuspecting women into his bed.” Was he an
incubus?
 Arrogance and sensuality clung to him like a second skin. On his wrists,
a pair of leather cuffs. On his fingers, multiple spiked rings. Not just rings
—weapons. But, so what? She had a weapon-ring, too: a tiny gun with
brass pinfire rounds.
He stood and switched seats with the women on his right, making him
the meat in a flesh sandwich.
Heart thudding, she dragged her gaze over his body. Mmm, mmm,
mmm. For a moment, only a moment, lust overcame rage. Had she ever
seen such a perfect example of raw, rugged sex appeal? Such a deliciously
large muscle mass? A black shirt molded to his bulging biceps. In the
center, the shirt read “Check Out The Cypher in My Pants.” He wore black
leather pants and combat boots.
When he threw back his head and laughed a second time, the rage
returned. “After the terrible things he and his brother did to innocent
people, he deserves misery.”
“Agreed.”
A trio of females sat at his table, one on one side, two on the other. All
three hung on his every word. Sunny recognized two of the women. Screen
names ‘Jaybird’ and ‘Cash.’ They were cryptanalysts, like her, and they
would be presenting a workshop tomorrow.
Jaybird continued to touch her lips to draw his gaze there. Cash leaned
forward, putting her wealth of cleavage on display.
“Duuude. They have the art of the flirt nailed, and I kind of want their
autographs,” she said. Both Horror Show Sunny and Roses and Rainbows
Sunny sucked at flirting. “I think it’s safe to say we found our first target.”
She set her glass on a nearby table and led Sable into a shadowy spot beside
a potted plant, so they could better study him.
With movements as sexy as hellebore, he lifted a glass of whiskey.
“—yeah, man,” the guy closest to her was saying to a group of his
friends. “Sage.” Pause. “Sage!” He frowned. “Why can’t I say sage?”
The humans surrounding him guffawed, as if he were teasing. One even
elbowed him in the chest.
Sunny’s magic prevented anyone from cursing in her presence, not that
the affected ones ever understood why. On the flip side, her magic stopped
people from speaking lies. Have to take the bad with the good.
“How should we play this?” Trembling, she stuffed a flower petal in her
mouth and—oh hellebore! She’d been eating leaves and petals, the potted
plant almost bare. Oops. Bad Sunny! This wasn’t snack time. She dropped
the remaining foliage and dusted the dirt from her fingers. Anyway.
“I don’t think he’ll know who we are, otherwise Hades himself would
have come. Last I heard, he hoped to recruit a creature like us to help him
win his war with Lucifer. He doesn’t want us dead. He wants to use our
magic.”
“I don’t think he’ll know what we are either. Anyone I’ve interrogated
about the royal families of the underworld, I’ve killed. That way, word
about me and my inquiries has never spread.”
“One of us should make contact,” Sable suggested.
“Definitely.” Yes, but should they wait around and hope William
approached them? What if he didn’t? Should they try to lure him over with
a come-hither smile? He might not go for it. The women with him wore
fancy dresses; as usual, Sunny and Sable wore an unadorned T-shirt and
jeans, the perfect blend-in, forgettable outfit.
Should one of them close the distance and make the first move?
Yeah. That. It guaranteed contact.
Her heart raced at the idea.
“How about we draw straws?” Sable asked. “If you get the shorter one,
you have to approach him. If I get the shorter one…you have to approach
him.”
Sunny snorted. “No need for straws. I’ll do it.” She would stroll over
there and introduce herself. His reception would provide the first shard of
truth, and her magic would prevent him from lying. She could invite him to
her hotel room for a night of debauchery…and strike. “You can wait in our
honeytrap room. Once I get him inside, we’ll interrogate and kill him.”
Anticipation fizzed in her veins.
“Perfect! You just need one little tweak.” Sable reached out to unwind
Sunny’s braid. The long waves tumbled down her back. Oh, what she
wouldn’t give for a trim. But, even if she shaved her head, the thick azure
mass would grow back in a matter of hours. “All right, you’ve got this.
You’re irresistible and all that crap.”
Another snort. “Here goes nothing.”
Sable raced off in one direction, heading for the lobby, and Sunny raised
her chin, squared her shoulders, and straightened her spine. Perspiration wet
her palms as she stepped from the shadows. Like all of her kind, she walked
silently, her footsteps inaudible.
 “—like a computer,” a guy at the table just ahead was saying. He had a
familiar voice. “I’m serious. She can break a code with only a glance. Any
code. It’s shocking to witness. She’s—dude, she’s right there!” The speaker
pointed at her and waved. “Sunny! Sunny Lane. Hi. I’m Harry. Harry
Shorts. Can I buy you a drink?”
Multiple gazes slid her way, including William’s. His gaze hit her like a
crowbar to the solar plexus. She lost her breath, her heart knocking against
her ribs. Her legs shook, and she stutter-stepped, then froze, only halfway to
his table.
Sage! Finding a target sexy was one thing. Being aroused by a target
was another thing entirely and completely unacceptable. He must exude
some kind of lust dust.
Seconds passed, but he didn’t look away, as if he were…dare she
hope…entranced? He even angled his body toward hers to better peruse her
from head to toe. Another hit to the solar plexus. This time, her blood
heated, every cell an ember.
Then, he returned his focus to his companions, dismissing Sunny.
She ran her tongue over her teeth. When her heart calmed and her blood
cooled, the synapses in her brain began firing again, and she realized
there’d been no flicker of recognition in his expression, no surprise or
satisfaction. Maybe, as she’d suspected from the start, he didn’t know who
she was or what she planned. Or maybe he was playing hard to get, just to
lure her closer.
Only one way to find out…
Determined, she glided forward once again and considered her options.
Highlight the tender, tranquil side of her nature, or the killer as bloodthirsty
as a harpy, as strong as a vampire, and as magical as a witch?
Finally, she reached her destination, and oh, wow. He wielded magic,
too. Her eyes widened. He wielded a lot of magic. Ancient, dark, and
powerful. The air around him vibrated with it, making her skin tingle.
The women ignored her, too wrapped up in William to notice or care.
William, though, was not so wrapped up in them. He stiffened ever so
slightly. She fought a smile. His awareness of her hadn’t dulled in the
slightest, he was just doing everything possible to hide it.
Too bad, so sad. Deep breath in, out. Mistake! His scent… She closed
her eyes and savored, her mouth-watering. He smelled like angel food cake
laced with crack.
 Calm. Steady. No need to act like an uncouth wolf-shifter.
“—my best thinking naked,” he was saying to Jaybird and Cash. “You?”
Let’s do this. “Hi. Hello. Hey,” Sunny said, rapping her knuckles against
the table. Ugh! Blowing this already.
Languid but self-assured, William canted his head in her direction. He
made a real event of it too, as if premiering a blockbuster movie. Why
bother going to so much trou—ohhh. That’s why. Up close and personal, his
eyes weren’t just bejeweled; they were a real showstopper, sparkling with
arousal, glinting with a sheen of icy rage, and glittering with steely
determination.
Electrical currents zapped her nerve endings. Ignore the pleasure. Forge
ahead. She pasted on her best “come hither” smile and waved.
A wave? Seriously? Get it together, Sun. Remember what he and his
family did to you and yours.
As she shifted her weight from one foot to the other, he looked her over
sloooowly, starting at the bottom and working his way up—singeing her
from the bottom up. He reached the apex of her thighs and her chest
tightened. Shivers rocked her.
No, no. I will not react. He will not affect me.
His gaze continued moving up, still singeing her…
When he reached her pasted-on smile, he projected amusement. But,
but…why?
Voice husky and low, he asked, “How may I service you, pet?”
Pet? Pet! Her hands curled into fists. “In ways you never imagined,
handsome,” she replied, careful to moderate her tone. She glanced at
Jaybird, then Cash. They had to go. Letting her savage, violent side glaze
her eyes, she snapped, “Get lost.”
“You fall off the face of the earth for years,” Jaybird groused, “then
come back meaner than ever? That’s just great!” With a huff, she stood and
flounced off. Cash and the third female followed.
Here’s hoping Willy-boy is just as easy to manipulate. “Hello.” Ugh.
Not this again. “I’m Sunday Lane. Sunny to my friends. My turn-ons
include kindness and responsibility. I look twenty-five, but I’m older.
Promise!” Nearly eight thousand years old.
A flash of intrigue, there and gone. “I’m William…King. Lovers call me
the Panty Melter. Everyone else calls me the Ever Randy. My turn-ons are
living and breathing. I’m older than twenty-five, as well.”
 Mmm. His voice had grown huskier, like audible sex. If women were
“sex kittens,” this man was a “sex panther.” Meow.
A wave of desire crashed into her sea of hatred. To combat the arousal,
she reminded herself of his crimes. Long ago, Lucifer and his horde of
demons rode into her village. They raped, pillaged, and utterly slaughtered
her people. Men, women, and children. Their screams… Sometimes, when
she closed her eyes, she still heard their screams.
Her family, brutally murdered.
Her few friends, torn to shreds.
The only home she’d ever known, razed.
In only a handful of hours, the entire scope of her life changed.
There’d been six survivors, Sunny included. No one remembered seeing
William, only Lucifer, but Willy must have been involved. He must have.
Why else would Lucifer’s war cry be, “For William?”
Perhaps the Ever Randy had done the planning. Perhaps he’d hidden
behind a mask. Either way, Sunny lost everything, even the survivors,
because they’d agreed to split up and better the odds of hiding their origins.
She and Sable were together now only because Sunny reached out to
ask for assistance.
Fingers snapped in front of her face, yanking her back to the present.
She was panting, her limbs ice cold. William watched her with a frown.
She re-pasted the smile and forged ahead. “Ever Randy, hmm? Does
anyone call you ER for short?”
“Only if they wish to die,” he replied, his tone dry. Despite the dryness,
he thrummed with tension. Did her nearness rattle him?
“So, he’s cute and ferocious. Good job, Sunny.” She patted herself on
the shoulder, playing her role. “I picked the best slab of beef in the deli.”
He arched a brow. “So, I’m a piece of meat to you?”
“Yes, pork chop. Yes.” She reached over to pat his cheek, the urge to
slap him almost impossible to ignore. Almost. “You should come with a
warning label. Or eyeball condoms.”
“Why? Do you plan to stuff your eyes inside my sockets?”
“Maybe?”
“Sorry, but I think I’ll pass.” He leaned back and crossed his arms over
his chest, his shirt pulling taut over deliciously flexed muscles. “No, you
know what? I’m feeling daring today. Let’s go for it. Gotta try everything
once, right?”
 A laugh burst from her, only to end abruptly. A prince of darkness would
not amuse her, and that was that. “Sorry not sorry I sent your companions
away. When I want something, I go for it.” Truth!
He winged up one brow. “And you decided you want me?”
His tone…she thought she detected a hint of certainty and uncertainty.
How odd. “I spent five whole minutes planning your seduction. That’s five
minutes longer than usual.” Another truth.
“Five whole minutes? That means you’re only twenty-four hours behind
me.”
A joke…or a statement of fact? Did he just admit to attending the
conference to find her?
So. I was wrong. He knew who she was, or at least suspected, and he’d
come to stop her—forever. Rage flared anew, but so did lust. The two
scorched every inch of her. Soon, the rage would be appeased…
She forced another smile. So far, William hadn’t invited her to join him
at the table, much less issued a desire to leave the bar with her. Time to take
their banter to the next level and give him an excuse to act. “If you were a
pizza topping, you’d be hamburger and jalapeno, because you’re grade A
beef and hot. I’d be ham and pineapple because I’m salty and sweet.” No.
No way I just compared us to pizza toppings like a Facebook quiz.
Okay, so, she didn’t just suck at flirting. She sucked, period. But wait!
He smiled a genuine smile, as if she’d truly amused him, and her belly
quivered. Then he jerked as if she’d punched him, the smile vanishing. He
tossed back the remains of his drink, his movements powerful, aggressive,
and seductive, making her belly quiver a thousand times harder.
As he slammed down the glass, a blank mask descended over his
features. “You may go.” He blanked his tone, too. “We’ll chat again later,
when it’s your turn.”
Her turn for what? Interrogation? Maybe he suspected every female
code breaker of being the one hunting his family. And leave him? Hardly.
Now, having breathed in his magnificent scent, experienced the of
seduction of his voice and beheld the lethal seduction in his gaze, she
wanted him dead sooner rather than later. Dangerous.
There had to be a way to move to the top of his suspect list. Oh! Oh!
She’d convince him to take a break. “Your loss, baby. I’m super horny.”
Horny to end his life! “I’m probably dying and only an orgasm will save
me. I’d planned to invite you to my room for a couple hours of thought and
reflection.” She leaned closer, as if she had a secret to impart, and
whispered, “I heard you say you do your best thinking naked.”
His pupils enlarged, spilling over all that baby blue. A sign of sexual
yearning. But he didn’t null and void his demand.
Daisy! She had one last ace to play. If he still turned her down, she’d
hide out, then follow him to his hotel room. “Fine, I’ll go. Thankfully, you
aren’t the only slice of beefcake on the menu. Enjoy the rest of your
evening, Mr. King. I know I will.” She blew him a kiss and pivoted,
revealing her best feature: a rounded aster. Argh! A rounded ass-ter. Freesia!
Stupid magic filter. She had a freaking rounded butt, okay?
He sucked in a breath. “Or stay for a few minutes,” he croaked.
Relief washed over her, cool and soothing. As hoped, her butt had
succeeded where her wit had failed.
Tremors plagued Sunny as she eased into the chair across from him. He
watched her every move while tracing a finger around the rim of his glass.
His intensity drew goose bumps to the surface of her heated skin. Ignore the
tingle of awareness. Ignore the crackle of need. Ignore the sizzle of want.
Without looking away, he raised an arm and snapped his fingers. A
waitress came running, offering him a fresh glass of whisky. One he
polished off in seconds.
She said, “What shall we—”
He slammed the glass onto the table, silencing her. Then he stood and
extended a helping hand. “I’d already selected the night’s entertainment,
and I never rearrange my plans. On the other hand, I’m a giver, incredibly
generous, and your life hangs in the balance. So, I will do this for you.” He
waved his fingers at her. “Come. Let’s go to my room.”
“My room,” she insisted, smiling again.
Silence. One beat, two. Then, he said, “Very well. Your room. I’ll ensure
you survive the night.”

*****

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Prince of Stone
First published as The Stone Prince in 2004. This edition published in 2020
with revised text.

Copyright © 2004 by Gena Showalter

Copyright © 2020 by Gena Showalter, revised text edition

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