Tatiana, taut with desire, was unable to utter a word. She bit her lip and shook her head. Grinning, he pulled her closer, and she moved with him so that her butt was on the edge of the pool.
“Will you lie down for me?” Dominic’s voice was quiet but commanding. He ran one hand up her side and kissed her breast, flicking the sensitive nipple with his tongue. “I want to see you naked and spread wide.”
Tatiana lay back and stretched her arms behind her head, anticipating what was coming next. She shivered as his arms hooked around her thighs. Dominic leaned in and kissed the tender flesh of her inner thigh, trailing butterfly kisses and licking beads of water away. He parted her lips and blew gently on the highly sensitized flesh.
Tatiana gasped and moaned as he teased, and just when she thought she’d scream with need, Dominic took a long, loving taste of her. She arched back and cried out as he licked and suckled the little bundle of nerves furiously. Sounds of pure pleasure escaped on breathy sighs, and she grabbed his head as his talented tongue fondled her to the brink. Her hips writhed, and she bucked beneath his assault, but Dominic held her down beneath his erotic assault.
I want you to come for me, Tatiana. His mind touched hers as his tongue dove inside her. Lights exploded behind her eyes, and the world shattered as the explosive orgasm rocked her to the core. Tatiana screamed his name as a second wave of pleasure ripped through her, and her body shuddered until the sensations finally ebbed, leaving her with a weak, boneless feeling.
As the fog of bliss lifted, ragged breaths wracked her as she pushed herself onto her elbows and locked eyes with Dominic. He was floating in the water, resting his chin on her thigh as he wiped beads of moisture from her hip, all while looking rather pleased with himself.
“You think you’re quite a stud, don’t you?” she teased as she attempted to catch her breath.
“I have my moments.” Dominic pushed himself away and drifted backwards, evidence of his own unsatisfied desire glaringly obvious.
“Well, you’re not the only one,” she said playfully as she hoisted herself into the water and swam after him. “It’s my turn to make you scream, but I’m getting all shriveled from being in this water.” She flicked a glance at his erection. “Although, you clearly aren’t having that problem.”
Tatiana launched herself into his arms, ready and willing to do what she promised, but his body tensed as he looked to the sky. She looked up to see what had captured his attention and swooping overhead was an enormous eagle—Malcolm.
“Is something wrong?” Tatiana asked as her fingers trailed along the back of his neck. “Did they find something else?”
“No.” His jaw clenched, and his body tensed beneath her touch. “He’s still chasing that weird energy pattern. I should really patrol the property with them.”
“Not now. You’ve done your duty, and tonight you’re going to do it again. Right now, I simply want you all to myself.” Tatiana swam around him and climbed on his back like a monkey. She wrapped her limbs around him and nibbled his ear. “Let’s take this inside.”
“Your wish is my command.” Dominic hooked his hands beneath her thighs and started walking toward the edge of the pool with her still on his back. She wiggled enticingly, the heat of her feminine core pressing against his back.
“I’ll even agree to taking the blinky way there.”
“You’ve got a deal,” he growled.
Dominic uttered the ancient language, and in a rush of static they vanished and reappeared in Dominic’s bedroom. Her head spun, and she clung to him as she waited for the dizziness to pass. She slid from his back and let out a sound of relief as her feet hit the cool, wood floor. Before she even had time to say anything, he spun around and kissed her.
It wasn’t the ravishing, urgent kisses he usually gave her. It was slow and tender. His mouth moved over hers reverently, and his tongue explored her mouth in unhurried strokes, as if he wanted to memorize every bit of her.
Tatiana sighed and hooked her arms around his waist as he kissed, licked, and suckled her lips in the most tender, loving way. Still kissing her, he lifted her off her feet and placed her on the bed with heart-shattering tenderness. He ran his fingertips up her arms, over the curve of her shoulder blade and dragged them along the swell of her breast, while paying thorough attention to her mouth.
They spent the next hour simply touching and kissing one another. Exploring every inch of skin and swath of flesh, and it was the most erotic, intimate experience of Tatiana’s life. Through it all, Dominic said nothing. Not a word. Her gut feeling was that his emotions were too strong. Words would cheapen it, but that was just fine, she didn’t need him to say a thing. Every touch, stroke, and caress revealed more about his heart than any single word could.
For the first time, Tatiana understood why it was called making love.
As darkness fell, and the impending event of the night crept closer, the cold finger of dread tripped up her spine. She and Dominic showered and dressed quickly, but try as she might, the dark thoughts and fears drifted into her mind. Tatiana knew that even though Dominic would never admit it, he was scared. He was as scared of losing her as she was of losing him.
Tatiana’s heart sank as the reality of what was to come settled over her. She’d allowed herself to forget, for a little while, what Dominic was about to do. However, as they walked toward the house, and the other Amoveo came into sight with guns at the ready, reality came crashing back.
Dominic squeezed her hand, and even though that tiny gesture steeled her strength, she couldn’t drown out the voice of doubt. Their little afternoon together may well have been their last. If the Purists had their way, Dominic would never survive the exchange.
Chapter 13
Malcolm said he and Eric had been chasing the same phantom energy signature all day, but every time they got close, it vanished. They all met in the Council meeting hall to regroup before the exchange, but a couple of people were notably absent.
They wanted to move Courtney to New York with the others, but Steven wouldn’t hear of it. He felt her condition was too fragile, so they left Layla and William in the medical suite with them and armed to the teeth. If a Purist came anywhere near that room, they would get a face full of bullets as Steven visualized Courtney out of there, but he only agreed to do it as a last resort.
At least, that was the plan.
Dominic breathed deeply and savored the familiar scent of pine as it filled his head. They stood in the cavernous space of the Council meeting hall awaiting Richard’s arrival, but no one spoke. They were all wound too tight. Dante and Kerry were sticking close to Zachary as Dominic instructed. Kerry had tried to get a reading off both men but had been unsuccessful.
Daniella seemed more uncomfortable in the meeting hall than she did in the house. Dominic wanted to talk to her, to try one last time to bring her to her senses, but she wouldn’t look at him. He even tried to telepath, but she kept her mind closed to him.
Heavy silence blanketed the group. Dominic adjusted the ammo and knife belt he wore around his waist and checked his handgun one more time before slipping it into the holster. Tatiana’s nervous energy waves flickered in skittish ripples, and it took every ounce of self-control to keep from grabbing her and getting the hell out of there.
Tatiana kept her large, dark eyes on him and even offered a supportive smile, but there was no hiding her concern. To her credit, she remained calm and focused, but she’d said little since they left the cabin. She wasn’t angry, but she seemed distant, as though she was slipping away from him somehow. He knew it was probably her fear, concern over what might happen to him, but any barrier between them felt unacceptable.