Forsaken Talisman Read online

  She smacked her lips as she trailed the last finger from her mouth. “You know, I’m still not done bathing you…” She lowered to her knees in front of him, her gaze pausing on his cock. He grit his teeth as her hands reached for the waistband of his jeans and the tips of her fingers brushed against him.

  “Lift up just a bit,” she said as she struggled to remove the soaking wet denim. She looked up at him with a sly grin. “Remind me next time to strip you naked first so I can have my way with you quicker.”

  Between the two of them they were able to get the clinging fabric off. Starting at his feet, Skylar lathered the bar of soap over his flesh. Her hands slipped easily across his soap-slickened skin, gliding over various old scars and recently healed scratches with gentle ease. She lightly traced the small scar on his calf, before moving to his knees then up to his thighs. Never once did she cringe at any of the damage his body had sustained. In fact, she touched him so tenderly, he wasn’t even sure she noticed his imperfections.

  He couldn’t get enough of the way she moved, how she was such a mixture of strong and delicate. The whole idea that this woman was truly his, that she wanted him, needed him, desired him, that by her choice she knelt before him, cleansing his body…it completely astounded him.

  Searching fingers traced over the whorls of hair on his upper thighs. Dusty held his breath as she studied the part of him that throbbed in want of her. Leaning closer, her warm breath washed over his shaft just moments before she took his cock’s thick head into her mouth.

  Sweet, heavenly bliss, even better than he’d imagined. Nothing could compare to her wet heat, the tender suckling of her eager mouth. She took her time, learning him with both mouth and fingers.

  He repositioned himself on the shelf, spreading his legs a bit wider as one of her slender hands reached down to cup his sac. “Incredible…Skylar.” He moaned deeply. “You’re…” Words were lost in wondrous sexual oblivion.

  She chuckled around his shaft and he nearly came undone. Her tongue exploring every inch, she worked his balls in her hand. Her whole virgin thing had to be a front. There was no way she was inexperienced. Or maybe her expertise was simply based on the fact that they were meant to be together. She instinctually knew exactly what to do to drive him to the edge of sensual madness.

  He looked down at her as she stroked him with her tongue and lips. What an amazing sight. He wanted to tell her just how wonderfully she was working him. How hot she made him. How close he was to coming. But words just were not in his vocabulary. All he knew how to do was reach out and caress her as she worked, his breath ragged and fierce, his hips lightly rocking along with her ministrations.

  But he felt he should at least warn her. “Skylar, I’m gonna—”

  She purred as she pulled his length completely inside, nearly swallowing him. He lost it. He’d meant to give her the option to withdraw, but darn it all to hell, she was too good at pleasuring him. Thick spurts of come blasted into her mouth, as she continued to work him, drawing out his orgasm until he thought there could be nothing left inside him.

  Nothing but love for her.

  Chapter Eleven

  Mariah approached the house she used to share with Twyla. It was dark, no lights flickering from deep within. It almost appeared void of life. Of memories. But that was probably just her conscience talking.

  Unless Twyla was sleeping—highly unlikely since it was still early and she rarely went to sleep before midnight—then she was out somewhere, with someone, doing something. Mariah sighed. She used to know these things. She used to know everything that was going on in Twyla’s life, and vice-versa. But now…

  Mariah looked at the keys in her hand. She could go inside to wait. When she had moved into the compound with Stephan, Twyla had made it clear that Mariah was welcome back at anytime. But this place, this house that had been her home for five years, didn’t feel like home anymore. She felt like she would be violating Twyla’s privacy if she barged in now without an invitation.

  Instead, she pocketed the keys, sat down on the front porch swing and began a gentle back and forth rocking. It was almost relaxing. Almost, if she wasn’t so concerned about Twyla and the state of their friendship. Mariah missed her best friend, the sassy, freaky, weird, amazing woman who had always stood by her side no matter what. It was time to get their friendship back on track, and Mariah wasn’t going anywhere until she made things right.

  She glanced out into the yard and almost jumped when she saw Michael standing there, watching her.

  Of course. He was her Watcher now. Michael was going to be around her all the time. It was just going to take some getting used to.

  As he started to step away, Mariah called out to him, “C’mon. You might as well sit up here with me. I might be waiting awhile.”

  He nodded and climbed the few steps to the porch, but rather than sitting next to her, he leaned against the house and crossed his arms over his chest, his face lost in shadow.

  Other than the steady creaking of the swing and the distant sound of the ocean’s roar, the night was quiet. It would have been peaceful, but the past day’s events were too heavy on her heart.

  “So, how do you like Talisman Bay?” Mariah blurted out, immediately realizing just how ridiculous she sounded. “Ugh…sorry about that. It was…it was just too quiet and I wanted to break the silence and that was possibly the stupidest thing I could have said.”

  “The streets are clean and the air smells fresh,” he replied, and although he sounded completely serious, she had a feeling…

  “Was that a joke? You’re teasing me aren’t you?”

  His teeth flashed white in the darkness, the first smile she’d seen from him in over five years. “Well, the streets are clean…or what I’ve seen of them from following you here. And yes, I’m teasing you. Is that not allowed?”

  Although his tone was light, humorous, the question seemed to have a deeper meaning behind it. He wasn’t just asking about teasing. They both had to figure out their boundaries, how they were going to make their new relationship work.

  “Yes it’s allowed.” She smiled. “It just wasn’t expected. As for Talisman Bay, it’s nice. Something about it grows on you. Even now, after learning about all the creepy crawlies that lurk around here, I still love it. There’s just no place else that compares.”

  He didn’t reply and the night grew quiet again. Determined to not sit in silence all night, she said, “Okay, next topic. Should we talk about the weather now? Isn’t that how most awkward conversations get started?”

  “You want to have a conversation?”

  “It’s better than sitting here in insipid silence, staring at each other uncomfortably while waiting for Twyla to get home.”

  He shifted against the wall, crossing one leg over the other. “Is this where you used to live? Before Stephan?”

  “Yeah. Twyla and I moved here after…after I almost died. It was a fresh start for both of us.” She paused, wondering if she should talk to him about Stephan. Michael had to know that Stephan was her life now, that nothing would change her feelings for him, but how could she say that to Michael without rubbing salt into his wounds? Was there ever a right time to talk to an ex-boyfriend who still loved you and was now metaphysically attached to you but could never have you? Mariah blew out a frustrated breath. Dammit! Why couldn’t there be a life rulebook for this type of situation?

  Before she could say anything difficult and potentially painful, his deep voice broke the silence. “Hey, Mariah? Why did you think I was behind the attempt on your life? I’ve gone over that day so many times in my head, and I just can’t figure that out. Nothing’s making sense.”

  Mariah stopped rocking in the swing. “You want to sit down? This could take awhile.”

  He shook his head. “I’m fine here. I need to watch the bigger picture. The porch leaves too much unseen.”

  “Suit yourself.” She shrugged her shoulders. It would probably be easier to tell him what she rememb
ered from that day if she wasn’t looking him in the eyes. “You know, I hate thinking about that day, and kinda forced myself not to think about it much in the last few years.”

  “You’re not the only one, Angel.”

  “Angel…wow, I haven’t been called that…” since the last time we were together.

  “Well, that’s what you were to me.” His voice held a glimmer of the tender sweetness they’d once shared. “The only angel in my crazy world of devils.”

  “Michael…” She squeezed her hands into fists, wishing this could be easier. “You need to know that I love Stephan. There’s no chance of you and I getting back to—”

  “I know that, Mariah. It obviously wasn’t meant to be anyway. That was made painfully clear, don’t you think?” His whole body remained tense, but somehow his words came casually, like he wasn’t trying to hurt her, but wanted to end discussion of their past love for each other.

  She couldn’t help but feel a twinge of remorse for the difference in their destinies and how Themonius had viciously exposed their relationship as merely a stolen season. The feelings they’d once shared had been real, no matter what fate had decreed. “Everything The Order did to you, to all of us, really sucks. If you ever want to go, you can. I won’t hold you here. You don’t deserve to have your life tied to mine. Not like this.”

  “Mariah, there’s a lot that neither of us deserved. But I don’t run away from things when they get crazy, I run straight into the middle and try to fix things or at least make them into something I can manage. This…what we have now, your new life and mine. I can work with this.” His voice sounded sure, but Mariah knew it wasn’t as simple as he made it out to be. Although what he said was true, the words still pained him. “What we have right now is not my ideal. It’s my reality and rather than fight it, I’m handling it and it’s not bad. Both of us got to keep our lives. But you still haven’t answered my question. Why did you think I wanted you dead? What the hell happened, Mariah?”

  “You already know I went to the doctor that day.” He nodded. “Well, when I found out I was pregnant, I decided to make a trip to your office, see if we could go to lunch so I could break the news to you. It’s funny, I remember now that I never really knew what you did, other than you worked in personal security. It seems rather apropos now.” She gave him a half-smile, but he didn’t say anything. “Anyway, when I got there, I was getting ready to knock on that ratty door—that whole building was in disrepair, remember?—and it opened a crack, enough for me to realize that you had company. So I started to back away, to come back later, when I overheard the three of you planning a murder. I was shocked, and thinking I must have heard wrong, I eavesdropped. The last thing I heard you say was ‘I want her dead, today, the sooner the better. Get this bitch off my case.’”

  Mariah stopped in her story telling and looked up toward Michael. Because his face was shadowed, she couldn’t see his expression, but his entire body was taut, angry. She continued. “So I’d just found out I was pregnant and discovered the man I loved was a killer. It was a bit overwhelming. I wanted to get away for a while, to think things through so I could figure out what I was going to say to you, what I was going to do about us. But when the same two guys you’d been talking with found me an hour later and tried to kill me, I assumed I was the bitch you’d been talking about.” The bitter memories brought a foul taste to her mouth and she crossed her arms over her stomach protectively. “I hated you for a long time,” she whispered.

  “I’m sorry you hated me and that the secrets I kept put you in such grave danger, but you weren’t the female I sent them after. Far from it, actually. I sent them after a Losfun demon who wanted me to work with her…well, it. They’re androgynous, but outwardly they look female…well, like an ugly female but they have large breasts.”

  “I’m familiar with Losfuns.” She shuddered, remembering just how unfortunately close she’d come to being a victim. “That’s how I met Stephan. He saved me from being impregnated by one of them.”

  “Then you know that Losfuns are rather tenacious when they see something they want. And this one—its name was Guibar—for some reason decided I would be an appropriate addition to its gang. Yeah, like I would stoop so low. I considered it my job to fight that kind of scum, not work for it. My security company was almost like the Shadow Organization except that we were regular humans…without added or amplified attributes like The Order installed in me and the rest of their charges.” Resentment laced his words.

  “I always knew you were in danger at work. I just had no idea how much.”

  “Me neither. See, I thought my team was just that. Mine. But they were double agents, had been even through all the years they’d worked for me. Those assholes were just waiting for the perfect moment.” He sighed. “Guibar wouldn’t get off my case and decided the time had come. She figured that if you were dead, I’d have nothing left to live for and I’d give in and join her. Well, she was right on one count…without you, I had nothing left to live for. But I’d be damned before I’d ever consider going to her.”

  A car came to a slow stop in front of the house and Michael stopped talking, moving toward the edge of the porch, his attention focused on the vehicle. Giggling teenage girls tumbled out of the car, laughing and waving at the driver as the car took off. The girls crossed the street and entered a house.

  Michael lifted his face, gazing at the night sky. He looked so incredibly alone and without thinking twice about it she stood up and joined him there at the railing.

  With a ragged voice, he continued. “That night, they came to me. Those same guys. Bragging about how they killed you. Hell-bent on killing me, too, when I refused to join Guibar. They almost had me, but The Order stepped in, taking me while I was unconscious. I didn’t have a choice.”

  Mariah waited for him to resume his story, but he remained quiet. Moonlight washed over his face revealing the grief he’d tried so carefully to hide from her. She slid her hand over his, offering the only thing she could, the comfort of a human touch.

  There was surprise in his eyes when he turned to face her. Surprise and uncertainty and…

  His face went emotionless, but he didn’t pull away. She lifted his hand, turning it over so she could inspect the slash across his palm. “I’m sorry,” she whispered as she lightly traced her finger across the cut she’d given him. “For—”

  Before she could finish, he was gone, jumping over the railing, putting himself between her and approaching footsteps.

  “What the fuck?” Twyla snarled. “Mariah isn’t here, you bastard. Fuck you. Get away from my house.” Twyla looked like a captive tiger backed into a corner…her hair tousled, the spark in her eyes threatening to burn out if her last strike wasn’t strong enough.

  Michael stepped back. “Damn. Sorry. I thought you were someone else.”

  “Like what? A woman in love? Hell, then you’d just send your cronies to kick my ass instead of getting your hands dirty, huh?”

  Hoping to console Twyla, Mariah stepped off the porch. Twyla’s furious stare shot to Mariah. “What the fuck did he do to you? Why is he here? Hell, why are you here? What’s going on? Are you all right?” Her breathing was fierce, but as she looked from Mariah to Michael, then back again, her guard lowered, apparently realizing she wasn’t about to be attacked.

  “Twyla, it’s okay. I swear. I’ll explain—”

  “Where’s Stephan? Why aren’t you with him?” Twyla questioned angrily, back on the defensive.

  “Okay, I know what you’re thinking. Yes, it’s really me. No, I’m not under some magic spell. Yes, that’s really Michael, and no, he’s not going to kill you or me. A lot…a lot has happened…” Mariah paused, trying to put the events of the day into perspective. “I had another one of those life-changing days today and I really just want to eat some chocolate double chunk ice cream and girl talk with my best friend. So can you calm down enough to do that?”

  “Maybe. But he’s not coming in. I don
’t care what the fuck happened. He is not welcome in my house.” She shot him a fierce glance before rummaging through her purse for her keys and heading for the door. “Y’know, Mariah, you really shouldn’t be wandering out too far from Stephan. Strange shit’s happening again. I mean, for starters I think I might be out of chocolate double chunk ice cream.”

  Even though Twyla’s words were humorous, her voice was tight with anger. She savagely ran her free hand back and forth through her hair, further tousling the tangled strands, before exhaling roughly and throwing the door open. She didn’t look back at Mariah before disappearing inside.

  Michael walked up the steps and leaned against the house, resuming the same stance as before. Without saying a word, Mariah knew that Michael would wait for her, that no matter what happened, he’d be there. Yes, it was his job now, but it felt more like he was with her because he was her friend. She nodded at him as she stepped into the house and closed the door behind her.

  Twyla was already in the kitchen clattering about, presumably getting out the ice cream. Plastic bowls hit the floor and she let out a string of jumbled curses. Drawers opened and closed as she called out, “Come in here and get out the syrup while I scoop.”

  Mariah entered the kitchen and found a disaster area. There were no dirty dishes, but nothing was put away anywhere. There were beads, shoes, even various tools littering the countertops and Twyla was completely oblivious as she shoved a pile to the side, plunked down the ice cream and began to carve out two servings.

  “Well, phew. You had me worried for a few minutes there.”

  Twyla raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything as she continued digging into the frozen dessert.

  “I mean, we can’t girl talk without chocolate double chunk ice cream. It just wouldn’t be right.” Mariah opened the refrigerator and stared gape-eyed at the mess inside. “Ummm…Twyla? Do I wanna know why you have a bra in the refrigerator?” She pulled out the chocolate syrup and closed the door, deciding it would be life-threatening to search for the butterscotch. She didn’t want to know what else she’d find in there.