CHAPTER 2

As sunlight flooded his vision, Aidan blinked and stared down at the woman in his arms. His heart stopped, every cell in his body arrested by the flowing golden tresses that tumbled across the sand.

"What…?" She gasped, lovely dark eyes widened in surprise as she looked around. "Where are we?"

A soft tropical breeze ruffled his hair, and reggae played in the background, but his eyes never left her face. She was confused, her short nails digging into the skin of his forearms, and he couldn't form one coherent word to

reassure her.

Lyssa Bates was stunningly beautiful, her features both patrician and sensual. Her mouth full and red, kissable. Her eyes tip-tilted seductively, revealing both intelligence and innocence. Why had she pictured herself as worn and tired-looking?

Because that's the way she felt.

"Oh my god," she breathed, her fingertips touching his face reverently. "You're gorgeous."

And then they were plunged into darkness. The music fell silent and the fragrant sea breeze disappeared, leaving only the two of them intertwined, their hearts racing next to each other.

"What happened?" she cried plaintively.

Aidan was immobilized in shock. He had desired her scent, the feel of her body, the blunt way she spoke… Regardless of her facial appearance, he'd wanted to take her beneath him and fuck her senseless. Sex as a distraction had always worked for him, and from her response to his embrace, he'd known it would work for her, too.

Then he saw her. And now he wanted something more.

"'tbu got scared," he managed hoarsely. "Lost the dream."

As he struggled with the implications, she resumed caressing his face, learning his features by touch as a sculptor would. He had no idea what she'd seen in the light. Her dream would make him into whatever she desired most. For the first time he resented that, wishing the effect he had on her was genuine and the face she admired so much was his own.

"Aidan?" Her sweet voice was low, tentative. Lonely. Just as he was.

He rolled, pulling her over him, his arms dropping to the ground. His head fell back and his eyes closed, the weight of his dilemma crushing his chest, making it hard to breathe. An eternity of seducing had given him enough insight to be certain—something fragile had taken root in the brief moment their eyes had met.

It needed to be crushed, and Lyssa forgotten.

"Yes?" His voice was gruff, and he felt the confusion it caused ripple through her. He should let her go, move her off him.

But he couldn't do it.

Then she lowered her mouth to his, her softly fragrant hair surrounding him, encasing them together, until all he was cognizant of was her and how much he wanted her. Her lips touched his, a brief kiss, a gentle pressing. He groaned in painful awareness. Emboldened, her tongue flicked out, wetting his bottom lip before she sucked on it with a rhythmic pull that made his cock swell and ache. Lyssa set her hands on either side of his head, lifting slightly to brush her breasts back and forth across his chest.

Aidan Cross, Elite Warrior and immortal seducer, was being consummately seduced for the first time in his endless memory. And Lyssa Bates was very, very good at it.

He'd wanted to distract her and get laid. Now, mating with Lyssa had

become a dangerous tangle. His brain was not analyzing step by step the best way to excite her so he could hurry up and thrust his cock into her. His brain was barely functioning at all, other than registering panic at the depth of his craving. He wanted to hold her close, take his time, arouse her to

madness with his mouth and hands before sliding into her and letting her come. Over and over again.

Not to forget himself. But to find himself. To remember what it felt like when he still had hope, to remember when he hadn't been afraid to care about someone.

Opening his mouth to speak, he was instead plundered by her kiss, her

tongue sweeping inside, stroking along his, making him shiver. She moved, her thighs straddling his hips, her cunt to his cock, her lithe body gliding sinuously along his in a full-body caress. His chest rose and fell so rapidly, he felt dizzy. Sweating, he reached to push her away, but his muscles refused to comply.

"The sand," he gasped, turning his head, which freed her mouth to nibble along his jaw.

Instantly, sand cushioned his back.

"The sun." If he forced her focus to shift, perhaps her ardor would lessen enough to allow him to resist and save himself. His burgeoning fascination with her couldn't be allowed to deepen. There was nowhere for a relationship between them to go, and even if there was, it was hopeless. He needed to dedicate every bit of energy he had to the fight. He couldn't afford to lose the concentration required to do his job properly.

The air around them lightened slowly, like a sunrise, bathing her in a golden glow that formed a halo through her hair. She was an angel to him, a woman both open and innocent, yet not as fragile as circumstances made her appear.

"Please, don't stop," she breathed in his ear, making him shiver.

"Lyssa." His jaw tightened. "You don't understand."

She ground her hips downward onto him, his cock jerking at the feel of her heat burning through to his most sensitive skin. ""You want me," she argued stubbornly.

"Yes, but there are things you don't—" "And I want you."

Aidan growled as she shimmied again. "Oh, fuck it!" he muttered, rolling to pin her beneath him.

"My thoughts exactly," she said with laughter in her voice and eyes.

Deliberately turning off the part of his brain that was urging him to think twice, Aidan let his body take over.

This was what he knew, what he'd spent centuries doing, and he'd never wanted a woman this badly. He could face off against legions of Nightmares, yet he was afraid to fuck a woman he desired?

"Clear your mind of everything but me," he said roughly. "Give me the lead."

"You've got it."

Concentrating with more focus than he'd ever had to use before, Aidan took over the dream, altering their surroundings, creating a circular room lit by

candles and scented with exotic flowers. Spicy incense burned in various holders, releasing thin wisps of fragrant white smoke into the air.

Dominating the velvet-draped interior of the space was a massive round bed piled with a profusion of silken scarves in various colors. It was there that

he pictured them, lying amid the softness, their skin bared and pressed together. Now that he was decided, he would ensure this was a night neither of them would ever forget. Their time together was limited, and he was determined to burn out their lust before it ran out.

"Wow." Her dark eyes were wide. "How did you do that?"

"Hush." He set his fingers over her lips. "No more talking." Turning onto

his side, he caught up her hand and set her palm against his chest. "Feel the rhythm of my breathing."

"Umm… I'd rather feel you naked."

He arched a brow. "I've got the lead, remember?" Inhaling deeply, Aidan started out imitating the rapid lift and fall of her chest, then he slowed the pace. "Match me."

Lyssa followed along at Aidan's urging until they were inhaling and exhaling in unison. The concentration required to do as he asked narrowed her focus dramatically. She was inundated with sensory input—the alluring scents of the room, the feel of his hard, powerful frame, and the softness of the material they were sprawled on.

Her wandering gaze noted the profusion of hibiscus flowers adorning water- filled glass jars and the soft violet glow given off by oil-burning lanterns.

There were tapers, as well, in jeweled candleholders, and moonlight shining down from an open oculus. Altogether the effect was magical, supremely sensual, and erotically charged.

As her world shrank to encompass only this room and the man with whom she shared it, Lyssa felt her enchantment with Aidan deepen.

"Don't lose the tempo of your breathing." His voice was a low, seductive

rumble that flowed through her. Aidan held out his hand, and a small bottle of golden liquid appeared in his other palm.

"Will you teach me how to do that?" she whispered, watching as he moved gracefully to a kneeling position beside her, and poured jasmine-scented oill into his hand.

"Someday. Not tonight." His slow smile made her heart leap. "Tonight I'm going to give you what we both want."

Lyssa could hardly believe what was happening. She was about to have sex with a man she barely knew.

But this was a dream, and none of the taboos applied here. They didn't have to go through the routine dating steps of dinner and a movie, following "the rules" until they could say they knew each other well enough to "go all the way."

So stupid. She already knew everything she needed to know—he was kind and solicitous of her needs, going to great lengths to create lush

surroundings in which to take her. If this had been about nothing more than sex, he would have fucked her in the sand and been done with it.

Instead, everything about his approach to their lovemaking was geared toward her pleasure.

Keeping her breathing deep and even, Lyssa allowed her gaze to roam all over Aidan's body, admiring his golden skin burnished by the flickering candlelight. It was stretched taut over beautifully defined pectorals and washboard abs, his biceps flexing as he warmed the oill in his hands.

Then she looked lower, taking in the object of her desire. Her mouth watered and her pussy grew wet at the sight of his impressive cock and weighty balls.

"God, you're well-hung." She shivered all over, her mind filling with

images of him working her to orgasm with that mouthwatering erection.

Damn. Finally, after all these years, she had the perfect guy. It was enough to make her writhe with desire, her skin burning hot and prickled with awareness.

She licked her lips as he straddled her. His thickly veined cock curved upward to nearly touch his navel. The man was over six feet tall, with shoulders so broad she couldn't see past him, yet she didn't feel

overwhelmed by his size. She felt safe and protected, and deeply thrilled to have such a magnificent male in her bed. His torso tapered to a lean waist, trim hips, and powerful thighs.

The memory of those thighs between hers made her mouth dry.

Unable to resist, Lyssa lifted her hands and wrapped them around his erection. She slid her fingers upward, judging length, and blinked in awe.

Then again, he was huge everywhere else, why not here, too?

"There is a spiritual philosophy called Tantra," he murmured, cupping her aching breasts and kneading them. "Have you heard of it?"

"Bits and pieces." Her fingertips drifted along the hard length of his cock, learning its shape and texture in minute detail. She heard a slight catch in his inhale, and then he resumed his steady breathing.

His coarse hands squeezed her swollen flesh with expertly gauged pressure. Her gaze grew heavy-lidded as her blood slowed, flowing sluggishly through her veins.

"Tantra teaches believers that the energy of the cosmos exists within our bodies, and that a true tantric sexual union merges these energies into one."

"Aidan." Lyssa whimpered as his fingertips tugged gently on her nipples. They were so hard, nearly painful from the extent of her arousal, and the oill on his hands allowed his touch to glide across her fevered skin. The combination was maddening, both soothing and inciting. "Urn… I really don't need foreplay now…"

Aidan winked, and exuded wicked, erotic, decadent sex from every pore.

"That's what I'm trying to tell you. This isn't going to be a fast fuck. In fact, it'll be a while before you'll feel my cock in you."

"You can't be serious."

Her back arched as he pinched the erect points of her breasts. "Oh yes, I can."

Narrowing her gaze, she wished she had some oill of her own. Instantly her hands felt slick, and a slow smile curved her mouth. She fisted her hands and pumped down the throbbing length of his shaft. He groaned.

"Two can play," she murmured.

"We have to take you down a notch, Hot Stuff." Aidan reached between her legs and parted her so that he could stroke across her clit. He rubbed in softly pressured circles, his other hand still tugging at her nipple. "You're too hungry for it. Too impatient."

"Oh god…" she breathed, clasping his cock convulsively as a sharp, quick orgasm took her by storm. Two of Aidan's long, callused fingers slipped

inside her, fucking her, his oiled thumb continuing the consummate manipulation of her clit. Her cunt quivered and spasmed, her body tense as a bow. Straining… reaching…

As she climaxed again, her pussy sucked ravenously at Aidan's pumping fingers.

"So damn hot," he growled, leaning over her, the tight roping of his abdominal muscles supporting the weight of his torso. He took her mouth, his lips drifting across hers, his tongue flickering across the seam in time to

the movements of his hand between her thighs. The pendant he wore around his neck swayed with his movements, brushing teasingly across her skin as an added point of sensation.

Lyssa spread her legs with unabashed eagerness, wanting him deeper than his fingers could go.

Opening her mouth, she tried to drink him in, her kiss frantic and passionate. He fit his mouth over hers and gave her what she wanted, a deep, drowning kiss. Feeling wild and out of control, she began to jack him off with both fists, squeezing the thick head of his cock on every upward pull.

"Stop," he said hoarsely, as her tight grip squeezed pre-cum out of the tip. "You're going to make me come if you keep that up."

"You said we could take it down a notch," she urged. "We can do it slow next time."

Next time. Aidan had never thought of "next time" with a woman before. There had only ever been this time. Of course, he could usually make "this time" last all night. He knew already he'd be lucky to last five minutes

inside Lyssa. Thankfully, she was primed and more than ready, her cunt so juicy hot, it was melting around his fingers. And, as she said, they could go slow in the next round.

It aroused him further, the thought of having Lyssa again and again, and his cock swelled painfully. Pulling away, Aidan ordered, "Get on your hands and knees."

Her dark eyes widened as he pulled free of her grasp. She swallowed hard. "I don't know if I can take you that way. You're big."

Aidan grabbed his dick with both hands and coated it with a mixture of her cream and the oil.

"Do it. Leave the logistics to me. You just lie there and come."

She rolled over and bared a taut, sweetly curved ass that made his balls

draw up tight. The dark gold curls between her legs were trimmed almost to the skin, revealing pale pink folds that glistened with her desire.

His eyes slid closed on a deep breath, every muscle tense with expectation and deep longing. It wasn't the erotic display that most affected him. It was her trust. His heart was racing, his breathing as erratic and uncontrolled as his mood. As if he were standing on a precipice, knowing he was going to fall, but unable to fight it.

When was the last time he'd been in heat like this? When was the last time he'd wanted a particular woman this badly?

Aidan hoped like hell his emotions were simply set off-kilter by his new assignment. He hadn't had sex since he'd met Lyssa. There just wasn't time with all the work he had, and when he did find a free hour or two, he'd spent it thinking about her. Perhaps he'd shocked his system by going without.

That had to be what the problem was. He'd been fucking women for centuries. It shouldn't be any different this time.

"Hurry," she breathed.

He opened his eyes to find Lyssa looking over her shoulder at him. His throat tightened at the sight of the graceful curve of her spine and her slender waist. She was so beautiful, in a way that appealed to him keenly.

Gripping her hip with one hand, he aimed his cock at her slick opening with the other, rubbing the throbbing head across her slit.

"I-I'm nervous," Lyssa admitted, every nerve ending focused on her pussy and the cock ready to slide into it. Perspiration swept across her skin. She shivered as he began his entry, the thick head spreading her wide.

"Don't be," he rumbled. "I've got you."

Aidan entered her slowly, too slowly, working his way inside her, advancing, retreating, making her achingly aware of every inch. His

progress was agonizing, teasing, driving her mad until her arms started to shake, forcing her to sink into the scarves. The change in angle tilted her hips upward, allowing him to feed her more of that magnificent cock. She whimpered.

"That's it." His voice was rough, dark velvet. "Let me have that pussy."

"Let me have that cock," she countered, breathless, her eyes closing and her hands fisting into the fragrant silk. She was panting, her hips writhing, but he held her tightly and kept to his leisurely pace. " Ah, god… you feel

amazing."

Never in her life had Lyssa been more aroused. She was so wet, so hot. She doubted she could take a man of his size if she wasn't.

"Oh, Lyssa," he crooned, one hand stroking the length of her spine, making her arch like a cat.

"You've got the tightest, juiciest, hungriest cunt I've ever fucked."

"Aidan." She shuddered violently, his coarse words spoken in that luscious brogue making her cream. The extra lubrication allowed him to slide

deeper, making them both gasp. Regulated breaths were out of the question. They were both too far gone, their focus so completely arrested by the place where their bodies joined.

She liked dirty bedroom banter, had fantasized about it, but it took a highly confident man to be so open. Until now, she'd never found one.

Finally, Aidan sank in to the hilt, his tight, heavy balls resting against her clit. He withdrew and pumped forward, the smacking of his sac against her slick flesh forcing a deep moan from her.

Her voice came slurred with pleasure, "You're so deep."

And he was; every crevice of her pussy was stretched to hold him, sheathing him like a custom-made glove. There was no way to ignore how perfectly they fit together.

Aidan paused with one hand at her hip, the other at her shoulder. His chest rose and fell in great bellows against her back, which drew her attention to

his quivering thighs. She felt as if she were rattling apart. It appeared he felt the same.

The tantalizing smell of his skin filled the air around her, blending with the incense. Where they touched, they clung, their mingled sweat binding them closer together.

"Maybe if we come fast… ?" she suggested shakily, trying to think of a point past this moment of vulnerability.

"Yes."

Reaching beneath her, Aidan rubbed her clit in those maddening circles and began to shaft her cunt with long, measured drives. The sensation was incredible, the feeling of stretching and shrinking, of grasping and sucking, of being pumped with expert precision by a man who knew how to fuck so well, it made her mindless with lust.

Lyssa had no doubt she was in over her head. She didn't have the experience to handle a man like Aidan. It was obvious in the way he mantled her body and rode it with absolute surety that he was in his element. She, on the other hand, could only lie there and take it, her entire body so sensitized that the feel of his pendant brushing across her back made her orgasm.

"So sweet," he groaned, as she shook beneath him with a startled cry. "I'm coming…"

She felt his cock jerk inside her as he climaxed hard, flooding her with

pulses of thick, hot semen. Blood roared in her ears, dulling her hearing, but slowly she became aware of his words, softly whispered in a language she didn't comprehend. His tone was reverent, his embrace crushing.

As her knees gave out beneath her, he followed her down, shifting to lie behind her.

Still joined.

Still murmuring those beautiful, mysterious words with his lips pressed to her skin.