Vivian Arend
www.nobleromance.com Soul Deep ISBN 978-1-60592-040-5 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Soul Deep Copyright 2009 Vivian Arend This book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any existing means without written permission from the publisher. Contact Noble Romance Publishing, LLC at PO Box 467423 Atlanta, GA 31146. This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. The characters are products of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously. Book Blurb: Waiting for his life partner has been difficult. Convincing her that she's a part of an ancient Atlantis coupling is going to be harder. Luckily, Dylan Finbar has had plenty of time to develop the patience and the persistence to outlast her protests. Rachel Hart is as mesmerized by the young visiting history professor as the rest of the student population. Only, she's the one that makes his heart complete. Anam Seis, Soul Mates. Can she accept that the attraction between them has been centuries in the making and her potential lover wants not only her body but her soul? Prologue He watched. The water shifted gently above where Dylan lay hidden in the shallows, the surface of the ocean calm tonight, revealing Rachel’s face clearly. Her smooth skin glowed in the moon’s reflected light, her russet hair turned darker and richer under the
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Soul Deep pale glow. The sadness in her eyes tugged at his heart, just as her beauty tugged at his body. His groin ached. Her scent dissipated between air and water but everything else about her beckoned him. A pulsing need rocked through him that thickened his cock, readied his body to take her. She belonged with him and he would not be denied for much longer. The time for waiting drew to an end; the time for action approached and he reveled in the thought. His heart pounded. For so long, ‘patience’ had been his watchword, and he’d satisfied himself with hidden glances and distant surveillance. But now situations changed and aligned in his favor. The seasons. The waters. Rachel shifted on the park bench and his gaze traced her long limbs, the short skirt pulled askew as she relaxed and stared over the water. Over his domain. His smile widened. Dylan blew a final kiss in her direction before turning and swimming away, his thoughts full with the next steps in preparing her for her rightful place. By his side. ***** Rachel gazed at the water, mesmerized by the moon’s dancing reflection as it rose above the harbor. Its light shone brighter than the lights of the city skyline across the bay. Through the whole heart-wrenching sickness and loss of her brother the only constant she had experienced was the peace that surrounded her when she spent time near the ocean. Robert was gone, had left this world today, and yet she lived. He no longer suffered; instead, she suffered for him. She stood and threw the last of the small stones she’d gathered during her walk to her favorite bench. She started this ritual as a coping strategy several weeks ago. One night, before she’d kissed her brother farewell, he’d whispered his plan to her. He
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Vivian Arend wanted her to concentrate on the good times, the experiences they’d shared that would remain in her heart and mind long after he’d gone. Gather eight skipping stones every day, he’d told her, and think of one good memory for every jump each stone makes across the water. Walking to the bench to unwind that night, she discovered a pile of perfectly oval stones lying along the path. Intrigued, she’d paused, and when she counted them her breathe caught in her throat. There were exactly eight stones. The coincidence had shocked her. Thrilled her. Confused her already overtaxed heart and mind but she’d accepted it as a gift, or a sign. From whom and for what reason she didn’t know but the stones became a part of the journey through Robert’s illness and now . . . . Now, a part of her journey alone, beyond his death. She watched and counted carefully as the final stone skipped lazily, striking the water’s surface five times before dropping beneath the waves. “For the time you sang with your ear buds in and didn’t realize how rotten you sounded.” Rachel whispered. “For the time you thought you’d remembered everything you needed and still came back inside the house to fetch the sunglasses that were on your head. For the time you gave me a ride home when you wanted to stay and party.” Good memories from her twenty-six years with him. Memories that made her smile. She took a deep breath. Two more things, the skipping stone called for two more shared memories before she left. She finished the ritual, each word easing a little of the pain, releasing a tiny bit of the cold that had sunk deep into her soul as she fought to stay strong for him. Brushing the dirt off her fingers, she stepped toward the water and dipped a hand in. Ripples spread from the shore and Rachel smiled. It still hurt but she would move on. School, friends. So much to experience that he never would and she had promised to live life to its fullest. Take the opportunities presented to her, no matter how challenging or unpredictable. Casting one final glance at the gently waving water, and the city lights’ sparkling in reflection, Rachel gathered her things and walked away. 4
Soul Deep
Chapter One “Dreamy doesn’t even begin to define him.” One girl sighed in admiration, staring openly. “Aren’t Associate Professors all old and brittle?” another asked. “I might have to change my major if he’s going to stick around for any length of time.” Rachel ducked her chin to hide her smile as she slipped through the ogling crowd of females waiting at the door of the lecture theater. The prof was pretty damn hot but that didn’t mean she would act like a prepubescent child with a Teen Beat magazine crush. Nope, instead she admired him from a nice safe distance, center seat, center row. Far enough back that the “Indiana Jones eyelash batting girls” sat in front of her and far enough forward the usual group of “Daddy’s paying for this and I don’t want to be here” students sat behind. Perfect distance to hear clearly, see clearly and drool to her heart’s content with no one the wiser. No one to know her panties grew soaking wet by the end of every damn class. Legends and Myths. A simple extra credit course that snuck onto her class schedule when three other classes she’d asked for all mysteriously got canceled or moved to impossible time slots. Fascinating material “Mr. Dreamy” managed to make even more intriguing by his presentation style. Rachel rearranged her laptop and bags as she waited for class to begin. Mr. Dylan Finbar, PhD and guest lecturer for part of the semester turned a lackluster quarter into something to anticipate. Almost six months had passed since Robert died and she was . . . living. Occasionally survivor’s guilt blasted her but mostly she trembled on the verge of some momentous discovery that would revolutionize the world. Either that or she would finally finish this damn degree and get on with her life. The bell rang and Mr. Finbar—the young, handsome and exciting Mr. Finbar— strode to the podium and began his lecture. Rachel’s heart started its slow simmering
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Vivian Arend rise to the usual triple-its-normal-resting-pace it retained during his lectures. She was amazed he didn’t hear it from where he stood. If she got excited during the lecture today Dylan swore he would storm the steps, whip her out of her seat and take her in front of the entire class. He’d known he would have to move cautiously while in the human world. He owned a home on the Isle of Skye and another on a small island in the Mediterranean. He had spent centuries living as an everyday mortal. Still, the six months it took to arrange for him to teach this class had brought him to a breaking point and his nerves were on edge. Rachel haunted his dreams. Left him hot and aching. He’d taken matters into his own hands but selfpleasure brought no real satisfaction. He wanted her body, but more than that, he wanted her. She was the one he longed for and the need to wipe the final darkness from her eyes could no longer be repressed. Today. He’d begin his seduction in earnest today. “I’d like you to head to section twelve. We’re going to start our discussions on the sea and its legends. If you’ve seen Pirates of the Caribbean you’ve been exposed to a few of the more familiar stories and a couple of the lesser-known legends, but as always there are layers the movie makers chose to gloss over. Here’s a short intro before we get started.” Dylan cued the DVD and scenes of Atlantis, mermaids, maps with “Here Be Monsters” appeared on the scene. As the trailer played he stepped toward the darkened edge of the platform and turned to admire Rachel. She wore her hair back in a loose braid, wisps struggling to free themselves as the long tresses refused to remain tamed. Her eyes sparkled as she watched the presentation and he sucked in air to keep his body from reacting to her presence. He knew the class gossiped about him and could only imagine what they would make of him returning to the lecture podium with his dick engorged and straining to break free from his trousers. Her perfume and natural scent drifted on the air and tickled his nose. The light 6
Soul Deep feminine fragrance called to him and he fought down his lust. Damn it, she was wet. He glanced at the young men seated on either side of her but neither paid her any attention. Someone else had triggered her arousal and he flicked his gaze back to see her eyes dart away from him, returning to the presentation on the screen. Hope rose in his heart as Rachel stared forward intently. Even now he sensed more blood rushing through her body, preparing her, flushing the delicate skin on her neck. She wasn’t unaware of him. Perhaps this wouldn’t be as difficult as he imagined. ***** Rachel paused to grab an assignment CD from the side table before leaving the theater and found herself face-to-face with the professor. He smiled directly at her. Her cheeks flushed hot as she realized he’d caught her gawking earlier like one of the fawning groupies. “Wait, Ms. Hart,” he said as she reached for a disc. “In light of the last assignment you completed I thought you might be more interested in this.” Dylan reached into his jacket and handed her a blue plastic case. She flipped it over and spotted a small slip of paper tucked inside, along with the CD. She lifted her eyes to meet his gaze. Dear Lord, the man was a walking fantasy. Speak coherently, Rachel. “Thank you, Professor Finbar.” Her tongue seemed glued to the roof of her mouth in spite of the excess fluid flooding her body. “Dylan,” he insisted as he stared back intently. His eyes seemed big enough to swim in. Rachel took an involuntary step toward him, wanting to feel his body heat, wanting to let the scent of his cologne and skin envelop her. To taste his . . . . She jerked to a stop and darted an embarrassed glance around the room. All the other students had filed out. She and Professor Finbar—Dylan, she reminded herself— were alone. Wonderfully, fearfully, amazingly alone. “There’s no one here, Rachel. Don’t worry, I’ve been very careful.”
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Vivian Arend One more step and she invaded his personal space, the deep gold of his eyes reeling her in. She dropped her gaze to his lips and pondered if they would be as firm as they looked. What they would taste like. A puff of warm air over her cheek warned her sheer seconds before his arms wrapped around her, pulled her against him and their mouths touched. Fire. Heat. Unending need. His fingers pressed on her back to align their bodies closer. He traced his tongue over the seam of her lips and she opened to an explosion of sensation. Dylan controlled her, consumed her, his mouth the center of her existence. He nudged a knee between her thighs, separating her legs to nestle intimately against her pulsing core and her body responded, wildfire sweeping over her. Blood rushed to swell the lips of her pussy, moisture painting her passage. Rachel raised her hands to glide her fingers through his hair, returning his kiss eagerly. Mouth tender now, his tongue slid against hers before he drew back to drop kisses along the column of her throat, stopping to suckle softly for a moment at the juncture where her heartbeat pulsed its rapid rhythm. As he caressed her, keeping their hips intimately close, Rachel slowly came back to herself. Slowly became aware she and her professor were making out in a lecture hall like a pair of randy teenagers. He cupped her breast, fingers squeezing her tender nipple. This couldn’t be right; she was sure of it. No matter how wonderful it felt. No matter how good his skin tasted under her tongue as she nibbled her way along his strong jaw, how right it felt to slide her fingers over his shoulders, the taut muscles rippling as he continued to lave her skin, suckling and kissing and caressing. “Dylan, my God, what are we doing?” Her voice floated somewhere high above them, not a part of the sensory overload that continued as they drew closer yet, nestled tighter together. His rigid cock rubbed her hip and she let out a moan, fighting the desire to open his shirt and lick his skin. Resisting the urge to dip her hand into his 8
Soul Deep trousers and stroke his hard cock. Rachel gasped as Dylan fastened his mouth over her breast and nipped the erect peak through the shirt fabric. A flash of desire shot through her and released another flood of moisture from her already soaking core. “Damn it, Rachel, you make me lose all control,” he muttered against her lips, kissing her tenderly one last time before taking a slight step backward. She rocked on her feet and would have fallen if he hadn’t steadied her with a strong hand. Rachel attempted to slow her breathing, control her racing heart. All the while his eyes held hers, a smile halfway between tender and torment hovering on his mouth. He reached and touched a finger to her kiss-swollen lips. “You are amazing.” The urge to strip off her clothing and rut on the floor of the room eased and her cheeks flushed hot as her foggy mind cleared. “My god, what just happened? I don’t understand.” She was attracted to him, yes. But to lose all inhibitions and melt in a stranger’s arms was not her style. And in spite of all her daydreams and fantasies about the man, he remained a stranger. She stepped back a pace. He watched her intently and her heart beat even faster. “I’m sorry, but I shouldn’t have . . . I didn’t mean to . . . .” “Hush, it’s okay.” He reassured her as he softly stroked her arm. “It’s my fault for not keeping a better guard on my emotions, but in my defense I’ve been a long, long time watching you, Leannán, and I couldn’t bear to wait another minute.” Leannán. The word echoed in her head. Familiar, haunting. “I’m sorry.” Rachel stepped back another pace, searching for her dropped bags on the floor at their feet. She gathered them quickly, filling her arms as a deterrent from flinging herself at him as the magnetic attraction between them flared again. “I need to go. I need—” The door opened behind them and the noise of another group of students carried in on the air. “If you check your assignment disk I think you’ll find all the information you need to understand, Ms. Hart. Thank you for your time.” Dylan winked at her before 9
Vivian Arend taking her by the elbow and escorting her politely from the room. Once in the hall he squeezed her arm gently. “Let me know your answer, Anam Seis. I’ll be waiting.” With a final nod Dylan turned his back and walked away.
Chapter Two Impossible. Rachel flipped back a few pages in the document to reread the words, sure there was a mistake. Since skipping the rest of her afternoon classes, fleeing the university and retreating to her apartment, she had accomplished nothing except to read through the numerous files on Dylan Finbar’s disk. He certainly had done his homework. The collection of information on Atlantis fascinated her until she noticed the frequent appearance of certain themes. The siren’s sexual signals affected both males and females and brought the hearers into instant and complete infatuation with the caller. Destined mates affected each other with the same kind of call. Royal family lines listed in the traditional stories of Atlantis all shared the same last name. Finbar. Rachel snorted. The man either thought he was a descendant from Atlantis or everything in the document was an attempt to pull some humongous prank that seemed far too lowly a thrill for a PhD. She pushed away from the computer to pace her apartment. What caused her reaction today? She understood the sexual lure. He was eye candy, sweeter than any she’d seen before, but to actually have kissed him? Rachel bit her lip. Heck, kissed him? She had crawled all over him and almost begged for a fuck. It would be convenient to have the excuse of a siren call to explain her actions but she’d never bought into the ‘victim’ mentality. There must be another reason. The slip of paper in the CD case caught her eye and she reached for it slowly, almost afraid whatever it contained would be enough to break her tentative hold on reality.
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Soul Deep Farthest bench at Harbor Park overlooking the water. Ten-thirty p.m. Rachel closed her eyes as a shot of pain raced through her. The bench. Her retreat from the world during the dark days of her brother’s illness and death. A personal place she still returned to once a month. How did Dylan know about the bench? Her confusion shifted and something deep inside broke apart. How dare he do this to her? She was so close to completing this stage of her life and moving on and this joker thought it was funny to play games with her? Anger worked, she decided as she threw the case across the room. He wanted to meet her, did he? Thought he was some kind of merman or sea-god? Rachel pulled a thick sweater over her head and thrust her feet into her shoes. Mr. Dylan Finbar might look like a god, but she was ready to do a little god–slaying tonight. Damned if he would get away with taking advantage of her and excuse it on mystical destinies. A good old case of lust, that’s all that happened in the lecture room. Crap. She needed to keep her fantasizing to truly available men. Not professors who claimed to be thousands of years old. Bastard. She stormed out of her apartment intent on telling him what she thought of his sense of humor. He’d better have a damn good explanation for himself or he’d find himself lacking the equipment to get involved in any more post-lecture seductions. ***** He watched. Rachel arrived a little late, pounding along the path ready to duel with whoever waited for her. She plopped down, her gaze darting back and forth on the path as if she expected him to pop out and surprise her. Surprise her he would. Dylan swam forward quickly, blanketing the area with the siren’s call. This time
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Vivian Arend he deliberately sent it out in reverse. Instead of attracting visitors, no one would take this section of path, no one would disturb them as they talked. It wouldn’t affect Rachel. Their proximity to each other only heightened their natural urges. The siren’s message was to warn others off so no one would interrupt them if he happened to get distracted for a few minutes by his need to taste her again. This afternoon had not been enough, merely stoking his fire with desire for his partner. His Anam Seis, soul mate. As his shoulders broke the surface of the water Rachel stilled, her body tightening and pressing back into the hardwood bench. Her seductive scent drew him forward, the emotions surrounding her pitching into him hard and fast like one hundred and twenty proof liquor. Her anger, her fear. Her lust. She wanted to strangle him but she also wanted him. Her body sang to him and drove his passion higher. It was a very good thing no others remained on the path because he was definitely touching her again. Now. He paced up the beach to stand dripping wet before her as she rose to her feet. Her gaze seemed centered on his groin. As he approached, his arousal grew with every step until she jerked her eyes away, blushing furiously. He grinned. She made his body ache and the proof was there, unmistakable. “Stop. Are you insane?” she hissed. Her head whipped from side to side as she yanked off her sweater and thrust it at him, keeping her eyes averted from his body. “Here, cover up. Where are your clothes? You’re going to get arrested for indecent exposure.” “Good evening to you too, Rachel.” He chuckled. “I take it your afternoon went well and you enjoyed your reading assignment?” The flash of indignation in her eyes made him smile. A feisty one, his mate. He could hardly wait to take her home, where they could truly enjoy each others company. He thanked the gods for their wisdom because he would never have enjoyed a simpering weak woman as a life mate. This one would keep him hopping. Rachel slapped him on the arm to get his attention. “Just how far are you willing 12
Soul Deep to go with this prank of yours? It’s not funny anymore—” He slammed his mouth on hers, effectively silencing the stream of protests. She struggled for a second before melting in his embrace, her body molding to his wet torso like it belonged there. Dylan tasted her, ate at her, sucked her tongue into his mouth and demanded her response. Her nipples hardened under her blouse, the fabric of her shirt and bra soaked with the water off his chest. He fastened his mouth on her neck and suckled, marking her skin as he stroked a hand under her shirt to thrust up her bra and let him have freer access to the swells of her breasts. His hand cupped over her, the tight nipple spearing into his palm and he rubbed in a circle, teasing the peak even tighter. Rachel rocked against him, her soft body cradling his hard cock like a sheath and he burned to bury himself in her depths for the first time. She tugged at his hair, dragging his mouth back to meet hers as the fire between them grew to an inferno. He pulled away only far enough to speak against her lips, unable to draw back, to relinquish his hold now that she was in his embrace. “It’s the truth, Rachel, everything I gave you to read is true. Just now, I wasn’t hiding in the bushes or using a snorkel. I remained under the water waiting for you to arrive. Waiting for my Anam Seis to return to me.” He spun around and sat on the bench, pulling her into his lap and slowly unbuttoning her blouse. “Oh my God,” Rachel whispered. “I’m the one going insane. I swore I wouldn’t do this again. Wouldn’t simply fall into your arms and let you seduce me.” Her head dropped to his shoulder and he cupped the back of her neck, cradling her against his body. He let the warmth of his skin caress her as he opened her blouse and unclipped the front clasp on her bra. “You’re not going insane. Dig deep, Leannán, you can sense the truth of the words. We belong together and it’s far too long we’ve been kept apart. You and I need each other in a way that drives us to do deeds we’re not comfortable with but are so right.” He brushed a kiss on her forehead, innocent and gentle. He slid his hand over her breast and she arched into him, wanton and needy, and he hummed with pleasure. 13
Vivian Arend “No one will see us, I swear,” he assured her as he pushed her blouse from her shoulders, the fabric pooling on his lap at her hips. He stared at her, skin ivory in the moonlight, the firm globes of her breasts presented to his view. His cock grew impossibly hard. Every inch of her called to him, the curse and blessing of the mate bond wrapping around them, removing their inhibitions and heightening their desires. Rachel’s fingers traced over the tattoos on his arms and torso. “I saw these in the reference material you gave me.” She brushed the symbols of his family line softly with her lips. “You either went through a lot of trouble when you forged those notes or . . . .” Dylan lifted her chin to link their gazes together. “Or it’s all true. Logic, Ceisd mo Chridhe. It doesn’t make sense and yet it makes the most sense. Rachel, you are my heart mate, my soul mate. I’ve been waiting for you for a long time and while there are many things to explain, the only thing you need to know is this: I love you. I always have and I always will.” She shivered. “How can you love me; you barely know me.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “How can I feel the way I do—so fast? I was in lust with my professor; I swear that’s all, but now . . . .” Dylan’s admiration for her increased as she squared her shoulders slightly, her body language changing subtly. She leaned closer and kissed him, her lips brushing his gently, like an ocean wave lapping at the shore. He let her control the speed, the pressure and simply enjoyed the taste of her mouth, its sweetness blooming and spreading throughout him. Rachel nipped at his lower lip and the sharp pain made his eyes pop open to see her grinning back at him. “I give up. I’ve gone insane and this is the nicest padded room I’ve ever seen in my life. Did you say no one would be walking by here anytime soon?” He nodded and her grin widened even more. “Good. Because there’s something I need to research.” She slid off his lap, pressing his knees apart to allow her room to slip between his legs. She sucked in a gasp as her gaze raked over his erection, the turgid flesh rising straight into the air. A drop of fluid clung to the swollen crest and she leaned forward 14
Soul Deep and darted her tongue to lap it up. Kitten soft and irresistibly sexy. He wanted to close his eyes to enjoy the sensations and keep his eyes open to admire every movement his lover made as she explored his body for the first time. Rachel tilted her head back and smiled seductively at him as she licked her lips and a shiver of lust tore through him. “Now, Leannán, take me into your mouth,” he demanded, linking his fingers through her russet locks and holding her close to his pulsing cock. “Hmm, in time.” She lapped at the mushroomed head like at an ice cream cone, tormenting his flesh with the promise of more. He dropped his head back and released her hair to allow her to control their lovemaking. At least for a while. She licked along the underside of his cock, the heat of her mouth burning him, the slick moisture coating him and drawing his balls tight to his body. The scent of her arousal rose around them and added to his pleasure and his torture. Rachel soaked his flesh with her mouth before adjusting her stance. She tugged at his hips and he followed her lead, letting his hips slide to the edge of the bench. Scalding heat covered him and he glanced down to see Rachel engulf his cock with her mouth, the girth of his erection stretching her lips wide as she pressed her nose closer to the tight curls at his groin. She drew back, applying wicked suction and he sang in delight. Everything about her turned him on, everything she did drove him to the breaking point and demanded he take her and make them one. Time and again she slid him to the back of her throat before retreating until he was one stroke away from coming in her mouth. He grabbed her head and held her still. She stared up at him, and the look in her big, green eyes nearly undid his good intentions to save his release. “Come, let me pleasure you, Anam Seis. I need to taste your honey and see if it’s as sweet as the nectar in the air around us warns me it will be. She released his cock with a final hard suck that shook him to the core and he resisted driving back between her soft lips and fucking her mouth to completion. 15
Vivian Arend Shaking with need, he picked her up, twisting until content with her positioning on the bench. He admired the pose he’d placed her in for a moment, sauntering in a circle to increase her anxiety, increase her desire for him. He wanted Rachel as insanely hot and needy for his touch as she’d made him. Timing was everything and, so close to being one with his heart mate, he had all the time in the world.
Chapter Three Rachel clung to the back of the bench, her knuckles turning white as Dylan took a leisurely stroll around her, his cock bobbing up and down as he paced. She swallowed hard, yearning for his touch, his taste. The evening had rapidly morphed from crazy to so far beyond, she had decided to no longer worry and simply be. Simply feel. And what she felt was desire. White hot, steamy desire that stoked her fires and sent her pussy pulsing with need. Moisture pooled, gathered and soaked her panties, the heat driving her arousal higher. “Damn, you’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.” Dylan’s voice dropped to a reverent hush and Rachel blushed hotter. He stroked her fabric-covered hip. “I like how you often wear skirts, Leannán. I love the way they flow around your body. I love the way the short skirts show off your legs and the way your ass sways from side to side as you walk.” Her body trembled and her heart skipped a beat. “You’ve watched my ass a lot?” Rachel asked as she strove to keep in control, keep her head. Not show how much his gaze alone affected her, how his touch tore away all her inhibitions. She knelt on a public park bench, butt toward the bay with her naked torso on display. Dylan popped open the button on her skirt and it slid from her body to the sound of his approval. He continued to undress her, removing her shoes, her panties. All the while his gaze caressed her skin, his fingers stroked soft and gentle over her
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Soul Deep until every inch grew sensitized and screamed for more. “You will enjoy our homes, Rachel,” he said, his voice shaking slightly. She looked into his eyes to find he was as affected by her as she was by him. As needy. As driven. “We live in both worlds, in the water and on land, because both have much to offer. You will be able to travel as I do, through the water with no need for air.” He dropped a kiss on her shoulder but continued circling her, like a shark with its prey and she thought her heart would pump out of her chest. The night air swirled warm and moist around them. Even naked, she felt hot. But when he arranged her on the bench and grasped her hips a shiver shook her from head to toe. He chuckled before his mouth touched her pussy, his tongue lapping the length of her slit. He separated her folds with his fingers, opening her to his gaze and he hummed in approval before diving in and driving her wild. If his tongue wasn’t enough his fingers knew the right spots to touch, how long to dwell in each location. He circled the hard nub of her clitoris softly at first then harder as he slipped a finger into her to pull her cream out and spread it over her nether lips. Another finger joined the first and the pressure in her passage built deliciously, his fingertips stroking a sweet spot within her depths that tingled and pulsed with need. Dylan suckled lightly on her clit, delving constantly until she teetered on the edge. His teeth nipped on her swollen bud and she exploded, her orgasm sweeping her away. She opened her eyes to find he held her again, skin on skin, cradled in his arms. “You are beautiful when you climax, Ceisd mo Chridhe; I could watch you come apart again and again and it would give me great pleasure. But I will restrain myself until we have a bed to enjoy each other in.” Dylan dropped a kiss on her forehead and she gazed into storm-darkened eyes. She flushed for a second before speaking. “You didn’t come.” He shook his head and she frowned. The hard length of his cock pressed into her ass cheek as she sat in his lap. “I thought you wanted me. I know you want me.” He kissed her again. “I can wait until we are somewhere more suitable to make 17
Vivian Arend love to you for the first time.” Rachel shook her head. “But I don’t want to wait.” His eyes darkened further as she spoke, as she caressed his muscles, dragging the tips of her nails over his skin. “I want you here, now. A good memory in a place that needs good memories.” She nipped at his shoulder, laved the hurt away with her tongue. She crawled over him, straddling his strong thighs. Her breasts brushed his chest. Heat swelled around them as she lifted her mouth to his and they kissed. Dylan couldn’t keep his hands still. He kept dragging them through her unruly curls as their tongues and lips tangled. His body stood already primed and ready, but he wanted to prolong the urgency, extend the overwhelming need to consume his mate and become one with her. The agony of waiting increased his ecstasy and he loved every minute. Dylan cupped her ass in his hands and lifted her until the firm peaks of her breasts were level with his mouth. He lazily circled one aureola with his tongue before sucking the tip into his mouth hard and enjoying her small cry of delight. He treated the other breast with the same attention, back and forth until her skin flushed and the noises from her throat grew too much to handle. The heat from her pussy covered his rigid flesh as he adjusted her once more to line them up intimately. He slid her downward, not entering her body yet but dragging her along the full length of his cock. Rubbing her clit on him, driving her further toward another release. Rachel shifted slightly on the next pass and he froze, the tip of his cock slipping through her tender folds. The tightness of her passage around him drove him mad and he clenched his teeth together to stop from coming too soon like a randy teenager. Only his soul mate affected him this way. She kissed him, her tongue asking permission to enter his mouth even as she rocked her hips gently. He kissed her back, helping support her hips. Each rise and fall taking her a little lower, allowing a little more of his shaft to sink into her, stretching her, filling her. The sweet cream of her body coated him and eased his passage. So tight. 18
Soul Deep So hot. So right. He filled her and she filled him. His mind, his heart. His soul. Finally all the way in, buried in her sweet body, Dylan dropped his head to her shoulder. He held still for a moment, savoring the sensation. Suddenly he needed to move, unable to hold back any longer. He had waited for this day and moment his entire life. They moved as one, rising, falling with each other, smooth and even, then harder and faster. He needed more of her, needed to delve deeper into her soul and he thrust with his hips to drive them together. Rachel panted and moaned, the little noises filling deep spaces in his heart as she clung to his shoulders and let him take control. Pistoning into her body each time faster and more completely, Dylan felt ready to burst as she accepted everything he gave her, as she took all his need and returned it to him satisfied. Took his every passion and gave him joy. Rachel cried out and her body tightened, squeezing in waves around him as he drove into her pussy again and again until he could no longer hold off his own release. He shouted as he came, his seed bathing her pulsing core, her body milking him as they stilled, hearts pounding, bodies covered with sweat. Sated. Rachel swore her heart rate hadn’t slowed since the afternoon kiss in the theater. Even now the pulsing beat did double time as she leaned against his chest and let his arms support her. Satisfied warmth covered her like a blanket and she sighed. Dylan chuckled. “You’re like a cat purring. Does that mean I pass inspection?” Oh boy, did he ever. Rachel nodded softly as her mind raced. She sat naked in his lap in the park and had no trouble with it. They’d had sex in public, loud and very vocal sex, and she had no trouble with it at all. Moisture leaked from between them, where they connected intimately, and she wrinkled her nose. They’d had unprotected sex and that seemed okay too. She leaned back to stare into his eyes. There was so much to learn, so many 19
Vivian Arend unbelievable things to accept if he had told the truth. If she dug deep into her heart and mind, nothing was missing anymore. Nothing that caused her to worry over her actions of the past hour. “Your eyes are sparkling. What are you thinking about, Leannán?” Dylan asked. She smiled. “I’m thinking that was wonderful. You’re wonderful.” He shook his head. “We’re wonderful. It’s us, together, that makes this so right.” She nodded slowly. She tilted her head to kiss him before settling into his arms and closing her eyes. “I used to visit your brother in the hospice after you left for the day.” She sat in shocked silence. “I told him who I was and after he stopped laughing I explained who you were to me. Robert knew and liked me. Well, as far as I could tell he liked me.” Dylan played with a curl of her hair, twisting it around his fingers again and again. He’d needed her in his arms his whole life. He dropped a kiss on her shoulder. “He never said a word to me,” Rachel said, her voice soft and sad as it always was whenever she discussed her brother. “I asked him not to. Your plate was full supporting him and it wasn’t time for us to join. But I did ask him to help me woo you.” Rachel pressed her palms to his chest and leaned back to gaze at him, her bright eyes twinkling with her unspoken question. “I asked him to get you to relax somewhere I could admire you and send you comfort. I needed a way to have you stay there long enough so he came up with the rock skipping.” She cupped his face in her hands and stared deep into his soul. Long moments later she spoke. “You planted the rocks along the path, didn’t you? You were the reason I felt peace here, even after the roughest of days.” He nodded as the love light shining in her eyes choked off his throat. Rachel faced out over the bay for a long moment then sighed softly before 20
Soul Deep turning back. “Thank you,” she said as she kissed him tenderly. “I have loved you forever, Rachel.” He tried to let everything wrapped inside his heart come through into the words but it seemed woefully lacking. She must have heard a trace of his intent and smiled in return. “You know what? I think I believe you because I love you too.” Suddenly she laughed. “I think I’ve just dropped my extra credit course. Otherwise even a centuries-old PhDs might find it a little hard to explain why one of their students has the dire need to speak privately with the instructor after every single lecture.” Dylan grinned at her. “I’m only supposed to teach for two more classes. I think we can control ourselves in public if we’re very careful to get a large dose of each other prior to and after each class.” Rachel smiled in return, a sweetly contented expression that faded to concern. “What now?” she asked. “Where do we go from here?” He raised a brow. “We’ll cover the details later. Where to live, those kinds of things. For now I know a certain young lady who needs to get home to take care of an assignment because I’m not letting you fail this close to finishing your degree.” Rachel rolled her eyes at him. “Besides,” he added, “you need to do a little more research and I think I can make myself available to you for a while longer.” She matched his expression, trying to keep her face straight and completely serious. “Research on any topic in particular, Professor Finbar?” She squealed as he rose to his feet and paced back toward the water. “The best research is the kind you approach head-on with enthusiasm.” The water splashed as it approached his knees and she banged on his shoulders. “Dylan, my God, what are doing you?” She crawled up his body trying to stay dry. He laughed as he plunged forward and she clung to him, torsos tight together, her legs wrapped around his hips. The warmth of her pussy burned his groin and he hummed with pleasure as they rubbed together. 21
Vivian Arend The city lights danced around them, sparkling ripples spreading over the waters of the bay. “Taking you home, of course.” He joined their mouths together and kissed her with all the passion within him as their heads sank beneath the water’s surface. Soul mates, Anam Seis, joined at last. ~The End~ About the Author Vivian was playing hooky the day they taught about the importance of getting a “real” job; she was hiding out at the local library rereading everything for the fifth time. Since then she’s become a Jack-of-all-trades with a job-experience list only slightly smaller than the average phone book. She’s hiked, biked, canoed, kayaked and camped throughout Canada, Europe and the States, including Hawaii and Alaska. All these adventures have now become settings for her overactive muse to wander through. Vivian lives in Western Canada with her longtime sweetie, two wonderful kids and a dog that looks like a stuffed toy. To learn more about Ms. Arend, please visit http://vivianarend.com or you can send an email to Vivian at
[email protected]. ***** If you liked Soul Deep, you might also enjoy the following books from Noble Romance Publishing: From the Ruins by Allure Van Sanz Grounded by Rie McGaha My Soul to Keep - Calen by Rie McGaha More paranormal erotic romance books from Noble Romance Publishing.
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