Crimson Dichotomy (Dichotomy Saga) (5 page)

“Tell me everything you know about Steffen Ziegler.”

His lips parted in a rare smile. “Has he pissed you off or turned you on?”

“Father!”

He folded his hands behind his head and stretched his back before he answered. “Mr. Ziegler comes to us highly recommended by the Preternatural Sentinel Network. Their standards are far more stringent than any set by human or Dichotomy. Most races we know wouldn’t survive their basic training. I’ve never worked with them before, but other members of the council have to more than satisfactory resolutions.”

“If he didn’t have an exemplary reputation, he wouldn’t be here. Now tell me what your personal investigators found out. You wouldn’t allow anyone to stay in this house without checking them out yourself.”

“You know me too well.” He relaxed in his chair, a smile lingering at the corners of his mouth. “Our guest has one brother, also a Sentinel. Steffen isn’t, nor has he ever been, married, and the only scandal associated with him surrounds the death of his partner two years ago. What else do you want to know?”

She should wait until Steffen was comfortable enough to tell her about the scandal. With a frustrated sigh, she accepted her own impatience. “What happened to his partner?”

“He was killed in the line of duty. Steffen was exonerated of any wrongdoing, but the investigation left a bad taste in a lot of people’s mouths. He’s refused to work with a partner ever since.”

She’d suspected it was something like this. “Were people upset because the incident was investigated or by Steffen’s exoneration?”

“A bit of both, I would imagine.” His gaze bore into hers for a moment then he asked, “Has he done something specific that concerns you? Your instincts have always been reliable.”

“It’s hard to explain. I don’t mistrust him, exactly. He just unnerves me.” He unnerved her, and aroused her, and fascinated her. “What are his abilities?”

“The Sentinels refuse to list them. They ‘send the agent most qualified for each individual situation’ and that’s all they’ll say.”

“I know he can dematerialize. I’ve seen him do it.” She decided not to mention the little mind trick he’d used on her the night they met. “I guess the rest doesn’t matter. He’s respected the boundaries I outlined and I’m being—”

“What boundaries? He’s not supposed to leave your side for any reason per my orders.”

“Really?” She scooted to the edge of her chair. “Is he supposed to shower with me and sleep at the foot of my bed?”

“Basically.” He waved her toward the door with a dismissive gesture. “Your modesty is an acceptable sacrifice if he keeps you safe.”

“I’m glad
you
think so.” She started across the office unsure if she was angrier with her father or her bodyguard.

“He has Dichotomy DNA. Did he tell you that?”

His casual words brought her up short. “Should that mean something to me?” Not trusting her expression, she didn’t turn around.

“I just thought you might like to know in case it was attraction rather than annoyance that inspired these questions.”

She slowly turned to face him. “The council is determined that I ‘revitalize’ our line by mating with a pureblood. Steffen is more of a mutt than I am.”

“I’m not sure he’d welcome that characterization.” She had no idea how to interpret her father’s lopsided smile. “His DNA is on file with the council. If you’re intrigued, I’ll request a compatibility study.”

“Compatibility study,” she muttered. “Everything about it is insulting. I might not be able to transform, but there is nothing wrong with my instincts or emotions. I
will
be able to sense my mate.”

Challenge arched his brows and he folded his arms over his chest. “The council might have been willing to accept that if you hadn’t snubbed your nose at every man they’ve proposed.”

“I wasn’t attracted to any of them. Without the spark, that elemental connection, we wouldn’t have been able to form a soul bond and without a soul bond there can be no children.”

“I know how it works.” He unfolded his arms with a loud sigh. “They’re trying to help you, Mara. Trying to help us.”

Part of her wanted to tell the council to fuck themselves and disregard their guidance, but the more logical part understood what they were trying to accomplish. The Ruiz line had always been extremely powerful—until Mara’s generation. The Dichotomy community couldn’t afford for Ruiz gifts to be lost entirely.

She reined in her rebellion and admitted, “I’m intrigued. Please request the study.”

Compatibility study? Did that mean what it seemed to mean? Steffen’s essence followed Mara out of her father’s office, unsure if he should be flattered or insulted. It shouldn’t surprise him that Hector had checked out his past. If the situation were reversed, Steffen would have done the same. Mara’s curiosity, however, was disconcerting. Did she doubt his ability to do his job or was the source of her interest personal?

He hadn’t taken her flirtatious banter on the veranda seriously until she marched into her father’s office and demanded to know more about him. Her hips swayed as she walked, her jeans showcasing the delectable curve of her ass. There was only one reason his DNA would matter to her. Babies! His genetics were irrelevant if all she wanted to do was fuck. She was thinking beyond a casual tumble.

Damn. He’d accepted his physical desire for her. He was looking forward to exploring their attraction as soon as Taerok was apprehended. Now it was obvious she would expect a whole lot more than mutual satisfaction. Was he interested in an emotional connection? It had been a long time since he even considered that sort of involvement. Life as a Sentinel didn’t leave room for much else.

She reached her bedroom and he flowed through the door as she closed it behind her. Pausing beside the dresser, she looked around the room. Pouring energy into his shields, he meticulously blocked her subtle probing. She obviously suspected he’d disregarded her wishes, yet she didn’t speak. She opened one of the drawers and retrieved an oversized nightshirt.

He followed her as far as the bathroom then formed a metaphysical link with her consciousness. This allowed him to access her senses without completely disregarding her need for privacy. If she happened to look at herself in the mirror while she was naked, he couldn’t help it. Right?

Amusement rippled through his being. Her safety was his number-one concern, but at least he was attempting to respect her wishes.

She returned a few minutes later with her face scrubbed clean of makeup and her hair loose about her shoulders. He allowed himself one slow, assessing sweep from her head to her toes before he fixed his attention on her face.

Sitting on the side of the bed, she squeezed lotion into the palm of her hand and bent to rub the creamy substance into her legs. This was new. He watched her hands slide up and down her calves and across her knees. She had fabulous legs, long, lightly tanned, and sleekly muscled.

She nudged the hem of her nightshirt up as she massaged her thighs. Desire sizzled, urging him to materialize. Did she suspect he was watching her? Was that the reason for the change in her routine? She set the lotion aside and turned down the bed. The nightshirt rode up, offering him a teasing glimpse of her bare bottom.

Holy fuck! Had she always slept without panties? The need to manifest swirled through him, demanding and painful. He wanted to cup those softly rounded cheeks while he pushed his cock into her pussy. He could almost feel her grasping him, rippling around him as they shared their first real climax.

She turned off the lamp and slipped under the sheet. Moonlight spilled in through the window across from the bed. He tried to relax and regain control over his instincts. It was his imagination. She was going to sleep as she’d done every night since he arrived.

With casual movements, she pulled open the nightstand’s drawer and retrieved something from inside the small compartment. Her gun had been in the other nightstand. Surely, she wasn’t going to…

He couldn’t see what she had in her hand, but her position left little doubt about her intentions. She lay on her back with her knees slightly bent. Moonlight revealed her lovely face, while the details of her body were obscured by shadows and the sheet.

Her hands moved beneath the bedding. She arched and twisted, drawing his attention to her breasts. This was a show; there was no doubt about it. She was punishing him for intruding.

The sheet slipped, baring her legs as one of her hands slid between her thighs. He couldn’t actually see what she was doing, but that didn’t detract from the sensual beauty of the display. She tugged up her nightshirt, revealing her breasts and he could stand no more.

“Are you having fun?” he whispered as he materialized on the bed beside her.

She gasped, haphazardly trying to pull down the nightshirt. “You asked for it and you know it.” Her whisper was harsh and breathless.

He kicked the sheet to the floor and dragged her hands above her head. She put up enough of a struggle to appease her pride, but he could smell her arousal.

“What do we have here?” He found the vibrator on the bed near her hip and brought it up where she could see it.

“Lie down on your stomach and I’ll show you what it’s used for.” She glared through the darkness, but her pointy little nipples were visible even in the dimness.

“Interesting offer. I think we’ll start with something a little less exotic.”

“You agreed not to invade my privacy.”

“No. You stated your expectations. I never agreed to adhere to them.”

She stared at him for a long, silent moment, then she said, “We’ve each made our point. Now get off my bed.”

He brushed his mouth against hers, teasing her with the featherlight caress. “Is that really what you want?”

Mara stared into Steffen’s dark eyes and tried to remember all the reasons she was not going to fuck him. Her display had been meant to provoke him, to show him how unfair it was to invade her privacy.

He shifted her wrists into one hand and cupped the side of her face with the other. “I think we both know this is going to happen. The only question is when.”

“That is so arrogant!”

He laughed. “It’s not the first time I’ve led you to that conclusion. You told your masseuse I was an overbearing ass.”

Her mouth gaped then she snapped it closed. She’d had little doubt he’d witnessed the incident, but to hear him say it out loud left her oscillating between anger and lust. “Can you read my mind or do you just float around like some freakish ghost?”

“When I intentionally scan your mind, I can sense basic emotions. I don’t know if you consider that mind reading or not. You’ve reacted to thoughts I’ve sent you, but you’ve never responded telepathically. Have you chosen to ignore me or are you unable to access the link?”

“I’m only half Dichotomy,” she muttered, stung by his careless question. “There are a lot of things I can’t do.”

His expression softened, but his hold remained secure. “Why did your father want you to know I have Dichotomy DNA?” She narrowed her gaze and raised her chin. “Don’t look so indignant. Your father knew I was there. Why did he bring it up in front of me?”

“It’s complicated.” She was basically naked and firmly in his grasp. Why was he so damned interested in conversation?

“Do we need to postpone this until after the council completes the study?” He didn’t sound at all pleased by the possibility.

“My contraceptive injections are current. Even if we happen to be compatible, which is doubtful, you can’t get me pregnant.” Of course pregnancy was only one concern when strangers had sex for the first time. “I’m immune to all known STDs, so…”

“Fucking you isn’t a problem?”

“That has yet to be seen, now hasn’t it?”

“If you’re not ready to admit you want me—” his sexy smile flashed in the moonlight, “—I’m willing to convince you.”

Excitement jolted her already reeling mind. Patience was a laudable quality, but she was anxious to taste his mouth and feel his strong body pressing over and into hers. The illusion had been amazing, in a darkly erotic way. She couldn’t help wondering if reality would compare.

“You’re not giving me a choice?” she whispered, carefully concealing her dreamy smile.

His expression tensed. “I never go where I’m not wanted. Are you going to try and convince me you don’t want this?”

She wasn’t that much of a hypocrite. Her entire body thrummed with desire. “You know I want you, but won’t giving in to this distract you from your responsibilities?”

“I think it will be more of a distraction if we don’t give in to this.”

His mouth settled over hers and Mara parted her lips, greeting his tongue with a tentative stroke from hers. He tasted faintly of wine and a dark, smoky flavor she couldn’t quite define. All hard muscles and warm skin, he pressed against her side. His long fingers still clasped her wrist, making her feel unbearably eager.

The unmistakable hum of her vibrator disturbed the stillness. How the hell had he rotated the base with one hand? She tried to separate their mouths, but he followed her halfhearted evasion. Instead of touching the toy to her sex as she’d expected, he brought the tip to one of her nipples. The vibration made her gasp and shiver. Sensations spiraled through her chest and kept right on going, churning up heat and liquid expectation as they descended through her body.

He circled one nipple and then the other; all the while his tongue ravaged her mouth, stroking and exploring with bold hunger. She’d always gotten right down to business with the toy, bringing herself to a fast, shallow climax so she could fall asleep. He trailed it across her belly, sliding it slowly from hip to hip. Her muscles quivered as tension gathered, becoming more insistent.

She dragged her mouth away from his and gasped in a ragged breath. “You’re driving me crazy.”

A throaty chuckle was his only reply. Her legs parted of their own volition, giving him plenty of room to navigate. Ignoring her obvious want, he drew the vibrator along the inside of one thigh and circled her kneecap.

This was retaliation, she realized. She’d teased him mercilessly and now it was her turn to squirm. He moved the toy up the inside of her other thigh, touching her everywhere but where she really needed to be touched.

His lips pressed against her temple and an illusion formed within her mind. Silken cords wrapped around her wrists, curling and twisting like mystic snakes. Once her wrists were secured, the enchanted cords fastened themselves to the headboard. He moved his hand to her shoulder and she tugged against the mental restraints, not surprised to find her physical body imprisoned by the vivid image.

With both hands free now, he tore off his shirt and tugged off his jeans, tossing the garments aside with careless abandon. Either he hadn’t been wearing underwear or they’d come off with the jeans because he was suddenly naked and savage in the moonlight. Without a word, he returned to escalating her arousal. He teased her beaded nipples, rolling and tugging until she moaned in frustration and pleasure. Her breasts felt heavy, yet all the smoldering heat congregated in her feminine core.

He finally moved between her legs and she trembled, the empty ache nearly unbearable. She canted her hips, brazenly drawing his attention to her pussy. He traced her damp crease with his fingers, then the cursed vibrator. Why in the world had she ever taken the stupid thing out of its hiding place?

“Does that feel good?” The predatory gleam in his eyes told her he knew how desperately she wanted the teasing to end.

“It will feel a lot better when you let me come.”

“I’m sure it will, but I’m not ready yet.”

“When will you be ready?” She might have started this game, but he was obviously more experienced. Her senses were attuned to his every move, obediently following his commands.

“You’ll know.”

He eased two fingers into her core and she moaned. If he’d thrust inside, it might have been enough to send her over the edge, but he’d introduced the slight penetration with cruel care. Then he drew the vibrator up one side of her sex and down the other, caressing her swollen folds while avoiding her clit.

“Grip my fingers, hellion. The tighter you squeeze, the bigger they’ll feel.” She squeezed as hard as she could, her hips arching off the bed. Her desperation made him smile. “Very good. Now do it again. And again.”

“Give me something bigger to squeeze.” She panted. “I’m tired of teasing.”

“You started the teasing.” He withdrew his fingers and paused to lick her cream off his skin. “I just decided to make it more enjoyable.”

He held her open with his fingers and excitement surged anew. Finally! He would push inside her and—he slowly inserted the vibrator and she went wild. “I meant your cock, you asshole! Stop playing with me!” Her abdomen clenched with pre-orgasmic spasms, but the peak stayed just out of reach.

He left the toy gently buzzing inside her pussy while he turned his attention back to her breasts. As if her nipples weren’t hard enough, he sucked and licked until each crest stood tightly puckered and deeply flushed.

His warm hands never stopped moving. Up and down her sides, across her hips and along her thighs, he touched, squeezed, and caressed her.

“I hate you,” she whispered. No matter how hard she squeezed or how much she wiggled, she couldn’t trigger an orgasm.

He kissed his way down to her bellybutton then looked into her eyes. “Ask me nicely.” The tip of his tongue circled her navel.

At least he hadn’t told her to beg. “Please, let me come. I’m sorry I called you an asshole.”

He parted her folds with one hand and gripped the vibrator with the other. She closed her eyes, waiting for the burst of sensation, the end to this sensual misery. He drew the toy out of her pussy and pressed his lips against her clit. Better, but trepidation held her suspended between pleasure and pain. She refused to surrender more than she’d already given.

His tongue stroked over her clit, the touch much too gentle. Sensations swelled and receded, matching his careful strokes. He rotated the tip of the vibrator inside her core, accenting her body’s demand and gathering cream.

She figured out his intention a split second before the toy pushed against her back passage. His lips closed around her clit, sucking on the sensitive nub with careful insistency. She arched against his mouth as much to avoid the probing toy as to finally find release.

The vibrator breached her opening and the elusive climax burst. Her inner muscles rippled, pushing the pleasure higher with each rhythmic wave. His lips eased and his clever tongue prolonged the blissful ride. She shuddered and moaned, savoring each hard-won tingle.

Thrilled by her uninhibited response to his attention, Steffen lifted Mara’s feet to his shoulders and rotated her knees farther out. Her pussy was flushed and shiny. He couldn’t resist touching her creamy folds one last time before angling his cock toward her opening.

The toy was still buried in her ass, the handle peeking out between her rounded cheeks. He rubbed against her clit then slowly pushed into her passage. Snug, slick and unbelievably hot, her body closed around him. He gritted his teeth against the overwhelming pleasure, half afraid he’d come before he even started moving.

She rolled her hips and the vibrator pressed against his balls. He gasped and shivered. “God, that feels good.”

“Me or the toy?” Her dreamy smile indicated the quality of her recent orgasm.

“Both together.” Unable to resist any longer, he pulled back and thrust hard, filling her with one forceful drive.

“Careful,” she yelped. “That toy’s deep enough already.”

With measured strokes, he moved inside her. The teasing buzz against his balls combined with the firm grip of her pussy, challenging his control. Her back arched and her breasts quivered.

He rolled his shoulders, shifting her knees to the bend of his elbows as his rhythm increased. Her arms extended above her head, secured by the illusion. She hadn’t objected to the restraint, seemed to enjoy it.

His dominant nature surged, frustrated by the shallow thrusts. He pulled out and flipped her over, pulling her up to her hands and knees. With an impatient hiss, he withdrew the toy and thrust into her core.

Her inner muscles gripped him tightly as a spontaneous climax burst. She liked being handled, was aroused by his aggression. Unwilling to ignore the signs, he grasped the back of her neck and pushed her shoulders down, arranging her in a starkly submissive position. He held her in place with the weight of his body and the deep penetration of his cock.

With one hand he cupped her breast, savoring the weighty feel of her warm flesh. His other hand eased between her thighs and found her clit, rubbing the puffy nub then carefully rolling it between his fingers. She shuddered, her inner muscles contracting with aftershocks.

His balls drew up tight and his shaft pulsed with demanding need. He pulled back, nearly out of her clinging heat, then rammed his full length back inside her. Two slow rotations were all he could endure before his control snapped entirely.

He grasped her hips with both hands and fucked her fast and hard. She pushed up into each thrust. Their mutual cries blended with the rhythmic slap of flesh against flesh. He wanted it to go on forever, to build and soar until they were consumed by the flames.

His head dropped back and his fingers dug into her hips. Molten sensations burst from his balls and shot down the length of his cock. He bit back a scream as his seed jetted deep inside her. She clawed at the bedding, her orgasm gripping him in distinct spasms.

For a long moment he held his weight off her, struggling to catch his breath. He’d promised himself he wouldn’t do this, had honestly meant to wait until the danger passed before he pursued her.

“Feeling guilty already?” Her whispered question held a hint of amusement.

“I don’t regret fucking you, but as you pointed out earlier, the timing could have been better.” He wrapped his arms around her and rolled them to their sides.

With a firm yank, she broke free of his mental restraint and rubbed her wrists. “Is that ability a gift from your mother? How many species contributed to your genetic makeup?”

“If you’re not sleepy, let’s take a shower.” He gently separated their bodies and swung his legs over the side of the bed.

She followed him into the bathroom then took the lead, setting out towels and turning on the water. “Do you sleep or can you absorb energy while you’re non-corporeal?”

“Both.” He motioned to the waiting spray. “I know you don’t transform, but do you still have two personalities?”

“Non-transforming halflings are almost always blended. The two personalities become different characteristics, like in the human psyche. There have been a few who have two distinct personalities yet retain the same form. Some believe people who develop multiple personality disorders have a Dichotomy somewhere in their ancestry.”