He threw back his head, surging forward again and again, the wind in his face, his body buried in her hot velvet sheath, tight and fiery, dragging him closer and closer to the edge of the world. Corinne was so much a part of him, he couldn’t tell where his pleasure started and hers left off. He felt the first ripple, the contraction, the strong gripping of her muscles around him and he willingly went with her, right over the edge of the world. They were free-falling through time and space, while all around them the earth rocked and rolled and fireworks seemed to scatter across the night sky in a fiery display.
Corinne found herself back in her own body, struggling to control her wild breathing, both hands clutching the thick rope. Dayan was watching her, his heart like thunder in their ears. His black gaze was so hungry and intense, Corinne’s heart went into instant meltdown. They both smiled, the same slow grin of sated contentment. Of intimate conspiracy.
Dayan gently disentangled himself, helping her to her feet, holding her close to him. He loved holding her almost as much as he loved making wild love to her. Music was playing in his head, notes and lyrics running through his heart and soul .
Corinne.
He breathed her into his lungs, letting them both recover naturally.
“Was I yelling like a banshee? I can’t honestly remember,” Corinne asked.
“If you were, I must have been yelling right along with you,” Dayan assured her. He allowed the wind to cool the heat of their bodies before he clothed their bare skin. Tilting his head to one side, he regarded her gravely. “You are so beautiful, Corinne. When I am up on the stage performing and you are either by my side, performing right along with me, or simply sitting in the audience with all those single men staring at you, I am going to have a few bad moments.”
She laughed at him, flung her arm around his neck to kiss him soundly. “Crazy man, we just made the earth move. I know you aren’t going to pretend you’re not feeling arrogant and like the greatest lover of all time. What is all this sudden insecurity?”
His white teeth flashed, black eyes boyishly mischievous. “I knew if I planned it right, you would eventually get around to admitting it.” He caught his mane of hair in one hand and secured it at the nape of his neck with a leather tie.
Corinne’s fingertips tenderly brushed at the wayward charcoal strands falling across his forehead. “You deserve it this one time. I love you very much.”
“At last. I never thought you would come right out and tell me! I was going to pry it out of you if you waited much longer. We are no longer invisible. I think we’d better go up to the house and get inside in case Lisa comes out here and notices we did not bring a car. I saw the curtains flutter upstairs.”
Corinne turned eagerly to the house, hurrying up the porch steps to the front door. Before she could tap, the door was yanked open. “Corinne!” Lisa flung herself into Corinne’s arms so hard, she nearly knocked them both over. Dayan saved them with a steadying hand on Corinne’s back. Tears were swimming in Lisa’s blue eyes, streaming unchecked down her face. The two women clung together, laughing and crying at the same time while Dayan looked on in helpless male horror.
“I was so afraid for you,” Lisa said, clinging to her. “Let me look at you. They told me in the hospital that you were going to die. You just disappeared out of your hospital bed. Syndil told me your heart is strong and the baby is alive. Where is she?”
Corinne hugged Lisa to her as the words began to tumble out. “I didn’t die. My heart is very strong, stronger than it has ever been. Dayan’s family knows healers — incredible doctors, they saved the baby and me. Jennifer is still in an incubator, but I promise, as soon as they let me have her, I’ll bring her to you. Tell me about Cullen. How is he?”
Lisa was leading Corinne through the beautiful house, toward Cullen’s bedroom. Dayan followed, keeping his distance, allowing Lisa to have Corinne’s complete attention. “Cullen is really doing well, but he won’t stay in bed no matter what I say. Yesterday morning he wanted to get up and fix me breakfast! He’s like that — he’s always wanting to do the sweetest things. I like doing things for him, but he doesn’t want me to; he thinks he’s imposing.”
“Has he tasted your vegetarian lasagna yet? That should convince him you can be very domestic,” Corinne advised.
Lisa stopped before pushing open the door. “I want to be with him, Corinne. I mean it — I’ve never met anyone like him, anyone I could just talk to for hours. I love being with him.” She smiled. “He’s sort of been a captive audience.”
“That’s good, isn’t it?”
Lisa shrugged. “I’d give up modeling to be with him. You know how much it means to me to know I have a huge retirement fund, and plenty of money to fall back on. But I’d give it up for him, I really would.”
“But...” Corinne encouraged gently.
Lisa glanced at Dayan, who was some distance down the hall, studying a painting. She lowered her voice. “Cullen hasn’t said anything to me. I think he likes being with me, I know he’s attracted, but I don’t know how he really
feels
about me. Or how much. He’s different from other men, Corinne, he really is.”
“I’m happy for you, Lisa. I like Cullen. I think I could grow to love him, and I can’t imagine that he wouldn’t adore you as I do.” She took Lisa’s arm. “Before we go into Cullen’s room, I should tell you that Dayan and I are married.”
“What?” Lisa glared at her, clearly hurt.
“It was necessary to protect the baby. I love him, really love him, and I want you to love him as a brother. He’s been so good to me. He saved my life; he saved Jennifer’s life.” Corinne looked up at Lisa with a steady, almost mesmerizing gaze. “I intend to spend the rest of my life with him. I need you to accept him as family.”
Lisa nodded, flinging her arms around Corinne again. “I owe him everything for saving little Jennifer and you.”
“Lisa!” Cullen’s voice was still slightly hoarse but he sounded strong enough. “What are you doing out there?”
Dayan knew perfectly well that Cullen could hear every word with his enhanced hearing. Dayan walked down the hall, reached past the two women to push open the door. “Hey, lazy boy, these two cannot make up their minds whether to cry or laugh or just stand there hugging each other. I need another male around for balance.”
“We aren’t that bad,” Corinne denied, slipping her arm around Dayan’s narrow waist as Lisa rushed forward to Cullen’s side.
Cullen was sitting in a chair, a little pale, but looking stronger than Corinne had expected. There was something different about him. It took only moments, but when she glanced at Dayan he nodded imperceptibly.
Power recognizes power. He cannot do what we can do, but he walks partially in our world. He shares a mind merge with Barack.
Corinne had known about it, Dayan had discussed it with her, but it was strange to her that she could see the difference in Cullen the moment she walked into the room. She touched his hand with gentle fingers. “I’m so sorry you were injured, Cullen, and that my heart was acting up at the same time. Poor Lisa and Dayan had to take the brunt of worrying about us. How are you feeling?”
“Like I could go dancing if anybody would give me the opportunity.”
“You shouldn’t rush yourself, Cullen,” Lisa said anxiously. “What’s the big hurry?” She laced her fingers through Cullen’s with one hand while pushing at his hair with the other.
“A man can’t very well ask a woman to marry him when he’s dressed in a bathrobe and hasn’t a proper ring. It isn’t done,” Cullen said.
Lisa looked at Corinne anxiously, as if she didn’t dare understand him. “I don’t think a woman would care one way or the other,” Lisa said carefully. “Were you planning to ask someone to marry you?”