Dio Pantera: Picture Perfect Inga Mahn Warning This e-book contains sexually explicit scenes and adult language. This material is meant for mature audiences!
Inga Mahn
Reviews "This tasty little treat is absolutely perfect for a quickie getaway in the middle of your day. It's short, sweet, and to the point, continuing the Dio Pantera series. Sensuous and bold, it's a wonderful trip into fantasy!" 4 stars from Lynne Lowe @ ecataromance
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Dio Pantera: Picture Perfect
Other works by Inga Mahn Back To Sadie's Criminal Desire Last Wishes In The Heat Of Battle Coming Home House Of Pleasure Dio Pantera: Picture Perfect Bought and Paid For
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Dio Pantera: Picture Perfect A Whispers Publishing Publication August 2008 Copyright ©2008 Inga Mahn Cover illustration copyright © 2008 Rene Walden of BG Designs ISBN Not Assigned All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by an information storage and retrieval system-except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review to be printed in a magazine, newspaper, or on the Webwithout permission in writing from the publisher. All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention. Published by: Whispers Publishing, P.O. Box 1165, Ladson, SC 29456-1165.
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Chapter One “I take this woman into my soul, my mind, and my heart, to care for, love, and cherish for all time,” the dashing groom standing before the altar spoke to the room, before running his tongue over the small dagger prick on his wife’s arm. “And I take this man into my soul, my mind, and my heart, to be one with me for all eternity,” the bride replied before bringing her mouth to the matching dagger prick on her husband's arm. It took all of the restraint Adrianna DeLarue could muster to not bolt from the room at that very moment. A wave of icy panic wrapped itself around her spine as she listened to the words her brother, Jarod, and his new wife, Magnolia, shared. It was common knowledge to everyone in the family that the ceremony they were witnessing was nothing more than a pointless nod to tradition, that the couple had bound their souls and minds without witness of the elders over a week before. But that did nothing to ease the angst that gnawed away at Adrianna's stomach—not fear for the couple's happiness, but panic at the reality of what the ceremonial words truly meant, and the fact that she would be expected to utter them herself in only a few months. Casting her eyes across the small but crowded 5
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candlelit chamber, she found the face that sent chills of awareness mixed with fear to the very tips of her toes: Lorenzo Meladono. Though it was technically a secret, she knew perfectly well that he was whom the family elders expected her to marry. Who, in the way of the Dio Pantera, she would be bound to, and who would share her every thought and every emotion for as long as she lived. Just as a cheer erupted from the small crowd in the room, signaling the conclusion of the ceremony, Lorenzo turned and met her gaze. The intensity projected from the deep chocolate-brown depths of his eyes seemed to reach out and grab her from across the room. Drawing a breath suddenly became almost impossible, and the need to escape the hidden ceremonial chamber in the heart of the family’s New Orleans mansion became almost overwhelming. By all rights he was a suitable match for her. He was stunningly handsome, powerful and successful, and next to Jarod and herself, he held the most pure Dio Pantera blood of any member of the family. The elders couldn't have envisioned a more perfect match. On the few occasions she spent any time around him since his recent arrival from Italy, he had exuded an aura of strength that seemed to completely fill any space he occupied. Suffocating power and a searing, purely male sensuality seemed to ooze from his every pore. Even in joining with a man like Lorenzo, nothing that made 6
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her the person she was would ever compete with the strength of his personality. “Ria, Ria!” Her brother's exuberant call of her childhood nickname from across the room served to break the connection between Lorenzo and herself. Sucking in a deep breath of air, she did her best to calm herself as her brother and his wife made their way through the crowd towards her. The last thing she wanted to do was worry her brother on his wedding day. The story of Jarod and Magnolia's unconventional joining had spread like wildfire over the last week. Not that her brother's marriage wouldn't have been fodder for the gossips anyway, but his breaking tradition and joining with his bride without the presence of the family made it all the more torrid and exciting. Next came the news that Magnolia could change, something that no other member of the Dio Pantera family was known to have done for over a hundred years. It was the news the elders had been waiting for, planning for, for as long as anyone could remember. It was the news that would again bring the Dio Pantera to the greatness they once possessed. **** “Hey, sis, you okay?” Jarod asked as he finally made his way through the group of well-wishers that had separated them. A wrinkle of concern etched his forehead. She could always count on Jarod to see through to her true feelings. He was the one member of the family who seemed to 7
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understand her the most. “Yep, just fine,” she lied as she leaned forward to wrap an arm around her new sister-in-law and give her a friendly squeeze. “You look like you are more than okay, Jarod, and you look stunning, Magnolia.” An amused smirk raised the corner of her mouth, despite her less than pleasant mood. In the last week, her brother had undergone an almost unbelievable transformation. She hadn't seen him look so carefree and happy since they had been children, since well before Jarod had begun taking on his role as heir to the leadership of their people. Clearly he and Magnolia's binding had been a perfect fit. “Please call me Maggy; we're family now,” the stunning young bride sweetly said. A small knife-like pain cut into Adrianna's heart as she watched the young woman look up into Jarod's eyes and smile as they shared some secret thought between them. She simply couldn't keep lying to herself. She was engulfed by hideous green envy for the profound happiness the couple seemed to share with each other. If only she could make herself believe that she could have that too, without having to sacrifice everything she held dear. Unfortunately she was too much of a realist to believe she was destined to that privilege. “Yes, we are family, Maggy. Congratulations to the both of you, I wish you all the best. I really must go now.” Adrianna quickly turned away to hide the unexpected tears that had sprung to her 8
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eyes. Just because she was miserable didn't mean she had to spoil their special day. As quickly as she could manage in her long black gown and heels, she made her way out of the small room and through the narrow passageway that led to the library in the grand house. She needed to be alone; she needed to get far enough away from the family that she could forget about everything that threatened to take over the life she had created for herself. **** Just as she reached the small hidden door that opened to the library, a deep baritone voice behind her froze her in place. She had half expected Jarod to follow her and see what was wrong, but she hadn't expected this, not even for a second. “Adrianna, I had hoped to visit with you before you left tonight.” The richly Italian accented voice could only belong to one person. Panic stole away her voice, as she slowly turned to take in the man who filled the space behind her. “Oh, cara donna, I didn't mean to scare you.” He softly chuckled. “You look as if you've seen a ghost.” The rich, seductive timbre of his voice managed to creep its way through the protective wall of fear Adrianna had constructed around herself, further stealing away what little composure she had left. “Lorenzo. I'm sorry, I really must go.” Her voice 9
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came out as a soft mewl, betraying far more of her unease than she had intended. “I will walk you out then, cara. We will talk on the way.” The feeling of being caged like an animal sent her heart racing. Before she could even plan an escape, Lorenzo was beside her, wrapping his huge powerful arm around her waist. “Come with me, cara mia,” he said as he guided her through the door and into the library. “You behave as an orphan kitten in the street every time I see you, eyes darting about looking for a place to escape to. I am not so dangerous.” His amusement was evident in his laughter-filled voice. Adrianna knew the error of his words. He most certainly was dangerous, he was more dangerous to her than anyone else could ever be. The erotically charged tingles spreading from where his arm rested on her hips was more than proof of just how dangerous he was. The sensation seemed to melt away her very will to escape his presence, and she silently walked at his side through the family's house. “Adrianna, I wish to speak to you directly about something,” Lorenzo began as soon as they passed through the imposing front doors into the steamy summer night. “This business of marrying as strangers, well it simply won't do. We both know we shall be married, but I will not take you as my wife while a complete stranger. We will begin our acquaintance as soon as possible.” He's words came 10
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out as a statement, a statement it was clear he did not expect her to question. The sudden and direct proclamation hit Adrianna with a jarring, almost physical force. Knowing that she would be forced to marry the man and hearing the words from his own mouth were two entirely different things. It served as the shock she needed to peel her body away from his strong grasp. She sucked in several deep breaths of the sultry magnolia-scented night air before attempting a response. “We...we don't know that the elders will pair us to marry.” Her voice came out as a soft whisper; it was all she could manage as she realized that her worst fears were already coming to fruition. Being in the man's presence, even now she was losing her will. Her independence. It seemed to her to be an insurmountable challenge even to break eye contact with him. “Do not act a fool, my piccola kitten, it does not suit you. We will be married, it is our obligation to the people, you know that as well as I. I only suggest that we get to know each other first, court each other, if you will.” “And if, once we do this courting, one of us simply can't bear to marry the other, what then?” she asked. That, after all, was one of the main reasons the family elders had created such strict rules that a bride and groom not meet until the binding ceremony. Once the binding was complete, there is 11
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no means of escape, no way to abandon the obligation to continue the bloodlines, no matter how incompatible the couples' personalities might be. To the elders, nothing was more important than strengthening the Dio Pantera blood. “You are that difficult to like cara donna? I find that hard to believe. You could be tamed with nothing more than a saucer of milk.” A deep, sexy chuckle rolled from his lips, and his powerful face softened into a slow sensual smile that Adrianna was certain would go a lot further than a saucer of milk in taming her. “I meant that I might not be able to bear you, and quit referring to me as if I am a kitten before I show you my claws.” A small reluctant smile crept over her face, as his laughter served to disarm her just a little. “I will quit thinking of you as a kitten, if you will show me that you are brave enough not to scamper away from me. Spend the evening with me, let us become friends.” For several moments she hesitated. She considered the risks of agreeing to Lorenzo's wishes. But in the end she couldn't deny his logic. If they could become friends, if she could grow to trust him, then when the time came that they were joined, maybe she could have some small chance of happiness of some kind. “Okay, if you insist,” she slowly agreed. “But since I am following your wishes, you must agree to my terms as well.” She studied his face, looking for 12
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any sign of objection. She saw none, only his amazingly sexy smile. “Anything you like.” His voice was all seriousness, but a small muscle twitched at his jaw as he did his best to force back an even bigger grin. “Let's go then, before it gets too late,” she said, turning and walking as quickly as her impractical shoes would carry her towards her car. If she slowed down enough to think about what she was doing she would certainly change her mind. “Where are you taking me, cara?” “My apartment,” was all she said as she unlocked the doors to her sleek black vintage Mercedes, and got inside. **** Arousal, hot and hard, blinded Lorenzo as Adrianna climbed into her car. The little kitten had transformed herself into a tigress right before his eyes, and every last inch of his anatomy was appreciating the change. Cramming his bulky frame into the small sports car proved something of a challenge. Adrianna, on the other hand, seemed to almost become one with the supple black leather seats. Her sleek, muscular body was hardly disguised under the simple black silk gown she wore. As she sat in the seat, the slit he had barely noticed before suddenly bared a mile-long expanse of supple, deeply tanned thigh. The urge to reach across the short distance between them and run his fingers over first the expensive fabric and then the soft flesh of her 13
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thigh was almost too much. He didn't even trust himself to speak. He was fairly certain that the desire-laced growl he was suppressing would be just enough to push Adrianna back into the timid, skittish creature he had always seen her as, and that was the last thing he wanted to do. From the moment he had met her three weeks earlier, he had been shocked by the raw fear he had seen in her eyes. No woman had ever looked at him with fear in her eyes, and the fact that this woman was to become his wife made it entirely unacceptable. The traditions and rules the elders had established hadn't slowed him for a moment in vowing to himself to convince Adrianna she had nothing to fear from him. But if he planned to keep that vow, he had better work on getting his body under control. They rode in silence down the wide streets of the lush Garden District, through the trendy neighborhoods and shops of the Irish Channel, and finally into the newly renovated Warehouse district before Adrianna slowed the car to a stop and used a small remote to open the door to what appeared to be a converted shipping bay. “This is where you live?” he asked, taking in a huge, old, barely restored brick building, before she rolled the car into the parking area. It was hardly what he would have expected. Such a massive bohemian place, for such a soft and genteel woman. “Mmm. You don't like it?” she asked as she 14
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killed the engine and removed the keys. “I like it very much, cara mia. I just didn't picture you somewhere like this.” He did like it. In fact it was just the type of place he would have chosen for himself. From what he had seen so far it had character, age, history. Nothing like the prefab, pseudo lofts that now littered the up-andcoming trendy neighborhood around them. “Come on then, come see the rest,” she said as she stepped out of the car in a single sleek and elegant movement. As he followed her the distance to the freight elevator, he couldn't help but notice the continuing change in her. If he didn't know better, he could almost believe the frightened wisp of a thing Adrianna had been on their previous meetings was nothing more than a figment of his imagination, for now all she projected was confidence and power, like a queen in her lair. “This is all yours?” he asked as the elevator opened into what appeared to be a single huge open loft style room. Despite the high ceilings and massive square footage, it still managed to feel warm. Like a home. “It is. This is it...where I work, where I live.” She gestured around to the stacks of canvases, paints, easels, tripods, cameras, and finally a beautifully decorated living area, the centerpiece of which was a massive antique iron bed. The arousal that he had just barely brought under control returned fast and furious as he took 15
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in the sight of the luxurious nest covered in decadent, deep burgundy silk pillows and bedding. He silently cursed himself. Maybe he should have thought twice about agreeing to come to her apartment. At this rate he was bound to do something to scare her to death, and ruin all of the progress she had shown so far. That doubt disappeared into a vivid red fog of pure primal lust in the next second. “Here, take off your clothes and put this on. I'll go change and be right back.” She seemed to purr to him, in his passion-deluded mind, before tossing him a white cotton bathrobe and stalking across the huge room and disappearing through a door.
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Chapter Two Adrianna's heart threatened to thud right out of her chest as she closed herself in her bathroom. This had been a mistake, a huge mistake. She had meant to bring him back to her world, where she would be in control. She always felt control with a paintbrush in her hand, or behind a camera, but as soon as she had found herself squeezed into her tiny little car with Lorenzo, a purely primitive desire for him had taken all control of her. The desire to let go of the last little vestiges of self-restraint warred with her desire to stay in control. It was battle that she lived with every day, a battle that she had never been able to share with anyone. A battle that, until recently, she didn't believe any other person alive had to fight. Five years of honing her self-control slowly won out, as she brought her breathing and heart rate under control. Even as she did, her skin still prickled and tingled in a sort of physical anticipation of when she would eventually lose the battle. She just needed to start painting, allow her mind the freedom she couldn't allow her own body, and she would be fine. Taking deep breaths as she did, Adrianna slipped out of her dress and pulled on the paintcovered, faded denim cut-off shorts and black 17
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cotton tank top she had left crumpled on the floor earlier that afternoon. They were like a second skin, a more natural skin than any of the finery the rest of her family was so accustomed to. Feeling slightly more in balance, she opened the door and stepped into her loft. In a second, what control she had regained slipped away. Lorenzo stood facing away from her, examining some unframed prints she had left lying on the table. The cotton bathrobe she had handed him, that seemed to fit every subject she had ever painted, barely extended an inch down his powerful, bare thighs. His one leg was thicker than both of hers combined, and all rock-hard muscle. She suddenly was overwhelmed by the rich musky smell that was exclusively his, and it seemed to intoxicate her as she breathed it in. Almost immediately the scent of her own arousal began to mingle with his. She could only wonder if his sense of smell was as well developed as her own. All Dio Pantera possessed stronger, more powerful senses of all kinds than humans, but the degree of prowess varied greatly from person to person. She only had to wonder for a second. “Caro Dio, are you trying to kill me, piccola kitten, is that your plan so you will be free from marrying me? I will surely die from wanting you, cara.” His voice was ragged, so very close to the edge of control, and his face showed the strain of holding back as he turned to face her. His straining cock was barely hidden by the ridiculously too18
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small robe. “Let me paint you.” Her voice was thick, a deep sultry feline purr. Lorenzo’s brows raised, and he shot a glance back to the prints he had been examining on the table. “Like that?” he asked, his dark eyes gleaming. “Uh-huh.” Adrianna licked her lips in anticipation as he nodded, and without hesitation, he let the robe drop to the floor. At the sight of his fully bared body, her artistic mind ever so slightly overpowered her desire for him as a man. His body was amazing, perfect in every respect. It was the most stunning canvas she had ever had before her. Visions of what she wanted to create poured through her mind. A wholly different type of excitement pulsed through her veins. “Lie down, over there under the light,” she ordered as she scurried about, gathering her paints and brushes. “Put the tarp down first,” she called over her shoulder. In mere moments everything was ready. “You are a wicked woman,” Lorenzo growled as she sat before him on the floor and prepared her supplies. “Mmm, you haven't seen anything yet,” was the only warning she gave before squirting a huge dollop of deep scarlet red body paint on his chiseled stomach. His quick intake of breath, and the soft moan 19
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that followed sent quivers of delight spiraling through Adrianna's belly. “Hold still now,” she whispered as she took a brush and began spreading the paint along the contours of his stomach. Her hands flew of their own volition, spreading paints of every color in creation over every inch of his body from head to toe. Aside from the occasional erotically charged moan from either of them, her work continued in silence. By the time she was finished, her body felt like nothing more than a bundle of deliciously tingling over-sensitized nerves. Artistic satisfaction mingled with the most powerful erotic awareness Adrianna had ever felt. “All done. Want to take a peek before I take the pictures?” she asked as she stepped back to appreciate her work, and the magnificence that was simply Lorenzo. “After this much torture, cara, you better believe I want to see what you have done to me.” As soon as he looked into the full-length wall mirror, his approval was clearly painted across his face. “You are amazing, Adrianna, your talent is a gift to the world.” Lorenzo stood for several minutes taking in the amazing creation on his own body. From head to toe he had become a living, breathing mural. The scene was of a jungle, with creatures great and small taking up residence on every inch of him. The centerpiece was a panther—so powerful, so alive, it almost could be real—that spread the length of his entire left side. As he moved to see other angles, 20
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that cat seemed to flex and move on its own. As he stood before the mirror, Adrianna grabbed her camera and started flashing away shot after shot. Capturing angle after angle, pose after pose. Lorenzo was a natural model; he moved his body as if he were reading her mind. There was no need for her to instruct him as she normally did her models. In no time at all she was able to take all of the photos she needed. Once her work was complete and forever captured in her camera's memory, her mind quickly drifted back to more carnal thoughts. The desire to run her hands over Lorenzo's body for the sheer joy and pleasure of it was so powerful, so overwhelming, she couldn't deny it. Anticipation crackled through her as she reached for a washcloth and the solvent to wash away the mural she had created. **** “Let me wash you.” Adrianna's voice came out as nothing more than a whisper, but it affected Lorenzo like a powerful punch to the stomach. As if lying still for over two hours while she had smeared paint over every last inch of his body hadn't been bad enough, now she wanted to wash it all back off again. He just wasn't sure he had enough self-control left. “Cara, maybe you should let me wash myself. Haven't you tortured me enough for one night, piccola kitten?” His voice was wrapped in a warm chuckle, but the desire pulsing through his body 21
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was anything but funny. “Please, Lorenzo, please let me touch you.” She seductively chewed her bottom lip as she awaited his answer. He nodded his head, giving her the permission she sought. How could he possibly turn her down? Her transformation from fearful and flighty to the powerful, seductive, confident creature that now stood before him was worth any amount of torture. Adrianna's eyes came alive with an erotic gleam as she closed the space between them. “Sit down in the chair,” she softly commanded. She was so close he could feel the heat of her body on his. Her warmth and nearness caused his attentive cock to spring to life, throbbing towards her. “Mmm, he's not dangerous is he?” she asked, casting a mischievous and lingering glance downward between them to his cock that she had painted a vivid bright green to resemble a tropical snake. “No, cara, I don't think he's half as dangerous as you are.” Lorenzo chuckled as he stepped back and took a seat in the chair as she had instructed him. In mere moments, the chuckle was replaced by a pleasure-induced growl, as Adrianna began washing the paint away from his body. She began with his feet, rubbing the solvent in languid spirals, ever so slowly removing the mural she had created. Her fingertips were as soft as the finest silk, but 22
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burned a path as hot as fire wherever they touched. It seemed an eternity, a sweet agonizing eternity, before she worked her way up his legs and thighs. Finally, with feather-light touches, she began washing the green paint from his cock. His whole body was consumed with a throbbing pleasure as he savored the feel of her fingers washing the length of his arousal. His jaw clenched with exertion as he tried with all his might to keep from falling over the erotic cliff she was pushing him towards. “I have to taste you, Lorenzo.” Adrianna spoke on a soft sensual moan. “Let me know you.” Somewhere deep in his mind he knew he should stop her. As was the way with their people, if she tasted his skin, for a brief time she would see his thoughts, feel his feelings. The almost combustible level of desire that was burning through his mind and body could so easily overwhelm her. But in that moment rational thought held no power to raw physical need. “Yes, amore mia, taste me, now,” he groaned. **** Adrianna couldn't believe her own voice had betrayed her so completely. She had never meant to speak aloud the overwhelming desire she had to run her tongue the length of Lorenzo’s pulsating cock, never meant to actually act upon it. But now, now that she had said it aloud, and he had granted her such an intimate private permission, now there was no way she could stop herself from following 23
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through with what she had wanted since the first moment she had touched his body. Slowly, as if in a dream, she allowed her tongue to pass her lips. Adrenaline surged through her body, causing her hands to quiver, her body to vibrate, in anticipation. His cock was still smeared with traces of the body paint she had used to create her mural. The sweet candy-like scent of the paint blended with Lorenzo's muskier male odor, teasing her nostrils as she lowered her face to within an inch of his hard, velvety cock. She waited for her fear to stop her. She waited for the dread of losing herself in Lorenzo to keep her from tasting him and allowing his presence to enter her mind. But the fear didn't come. In the few hours they had been together something within her had changed. Filled with that erotically charged confidence, she brought the tip of her tongue to the base of his cock and traced a path to its engorged tip. Even as she did, mind-shattering pleasure—Lorenzo's pleasure—shook her to the very core. Her mind swam with images, sensations, emotions, that were not her own, but the white-hot pleasure was all that mattered. Urged forward by the need that filled them both, she took his cock between her lips and urged his hips upward with her hands, giving him the permission to do what she could feel he wanted. What he needed. What she needed. One thrust of his powerful hips was all it took to push him over the edge, and Adrianna followed 24
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with him into what seemed an endless abyss of pleasure and release. Slowly the room began to come back into focus, as Adrianna separated herself from Lorenzo's body. But that focus only lasted for an instant as she felt her body win the battle she had been fighting all evening. “No, please no.” Her voice came out as a ragged, fear-filled moan. She stumbled backwards in a vain attempt to escape the inescapable. She could still sense Lorenzo's thoughts in her mind, she could feel his confusion. He hadn't tasted her skin, so he had no way of understanding the terror that now engulfed her. **** Lorenzo could only watch in shock as Adrianna cowered on the floor before him. Her muscles visibly stiffened, and her body quaked in what he could only assume was terror. Fear and self-loathing filled his stomach like curdled milk. What had he done, why had he not stopped her from tasting him? He had been afraid she would be overwhelmed by feeling his emotions and thoughts, but this...this reaction she was having was far worse than anything he had imagined. “Adrianna, cara mia, look at me. I am so sorry, let me help you.” The sense of powerlessness he felt was painful in its intensity. “Can you feel me, cara? Can you sense that I would not hurt you?” She didn't respond. Before he could move to go 25
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to her, something stopped him. The very air around them suddenly seemed to crackle with an almost electrical current. Her body suddenly seemed to fade into a fog that left him unable to focus his eyes. The urge to close his eyes was overwhelming, but he fought the need. Shock filled him as he watched the fog fully engulf Adrianna and then recede back to reveal a creature so beautiful, so powerful, so much the essence of the woman who had been there the moment before. “Caro Dio! You are so beautiful, amore mia, so very beautiful.” The huge, powerful panther that now sat before him seemed to lower its eyes in shame or embarrassment. Even in its grandeur, the creature possessed the look of fear that he had seen in Adrianna's eyes so many times. Lorenzo forced his mind to focus, to try and communicate to her that she had nothing to fear from him. He sensed his success as the sleek cat raised its eyes and again met his gaze. As quickly as it had happened just moments ago, a fog again clouded his vision, engulfing the panther completely. As it cleared, Adrianna filled the space the creature had vacated. Her eyes filled with tears as she looked at him. “Please, I beg you, Lorenzo, please don't tell anyone what you saw.” Without a word he closed the distance between them and pulled her to his bare and still paintcovered chest. 26
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“Cara, do not cry. You have nothing to fear from me, I will keep your secret.” “Now do you see why I was so scared, why I feared our joining? If anyone knew I could change, I would lose everything I care about. I would be nothing more than breeding stock for the family.” “No, amore mia, I would never let that happen. Anyone can see how special, how talented you are; you are so much more than what you just showed me.” He held her tightly as he spoke, trying to soothe away her fears and heartache. “How long have you lived in fear, cara? How long have you kept this secret?” “Five years.” She softly spoke into his chest. “I knew I had to keep the secret as long as I could, or else they would have married me off right away to start producing heirs. All the elders care about is strengthening the bloodlines, creating more like me.” He wanted to tell her it wasn't true, but he simply couldn't lie to her. He could only imagine the elders' response if it was known that another of the family's females was able to change. The only thing he could promise was his protection. His protection and his love. For it struck him in that moment that he already had begun to love this stunning, creative, complex woman he held in his arms. “Lorenzo.” She whispered his name as he felt her melt against him. He had almost forgotten that she could still feel his thoughts. “Oh, Lorenzo, can 27
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it really be true? I never believed that I was meant to have happiness in my life.” “Look at me, amore mia. I know it's sudden, but please trust me. Look into my heart and know what I feel for you, know that I will protect you and care for you for as long as I live.” He could only hope she would have enough trust in him to welcome all he was offering her. It only took an instant for her to respond. “I take you, Lorenzo, into my soul, my mind, and my heart, to be one with me for all eternity.” She looked into his eyes and spoke, before reaching for a paint knife that sat amongst her art supplies. “And I take you, Adrianna, into my soul, my mind, and my heart, to care for, love, and cherish for all time,” he responded in kind as he took the knife from her hand and gently punctured the skin of both of their wrists. In a tradition as old as the Dio Pantera people, he took her wrist to his lips and she took his to hers, joining their minds, hearts, and souls for all time.
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About The Author Inga has been an avid romance and erotica reader for longer than she cares to admit, and she has been creating her own stories for just about as long. She invites you to explore her stories, to get to know the characters who constantly keep her company, and to visit the vivid settings that her fantasies reside in. Inga currently lives in southeastern Louisiana, in the outskirts of New Orleans.
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Inga Mahn Spicy, sensual love stories which leave a reader breathless, intense plots, alpha males, strong heroines and sizzling dialogue—find it all at Whispers! www.whispershome.com
Now Available The Seven Wonders of the World Anthology which includes Deep Encounter, The Way to Olympia, Selkie Skin, and Transcended in the anthology entitled:
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