35

The house at Bel Rosso felt empty now that all the children and grandchildren had returned to their lives. Kate missed all the noise and clamor of the family being home. She and Shannon had spent a few hours going over their businesses, all of which remained highly profitable for the coven. The house was feeling increasingly warm when Gi interrupted them to say the air conditioning wasn’t performing properly, and he’d summoned for repair. Kate laughed. “Good, for a minute, I thought it was just me. Let’s call it a night, Shannon. We covered a lot of ground already."

Shannon relaxed back in her chair, lifting her long hair off her neck. "Fine with me. Luca was painting. Maybe I can talk him into taking us out on the bike. That would cool me down."

Kate was shutting off the computer and stuffing documents back in the drawers. "Yes, go! There's nothing else going on here."

Shannon stretched as she stood and prepared to leave the room. "You want to come with us?"

Kate smiled. "Uh, no. Now, get out of here."

Shannon laughed as she made her way back to her suite. As she entered the room that comprised his art studio off of their living room, Luca was standing with his back to her, shirtless, and wearing his trademark white drawstring pants that hung low on his hips, as he painted. His golden skin had a soft glisten from the sweat. She approached him from behind, sliding her arms around his waist and laying her chin on his shoulder, admiring the picture that was emerging from the canvas.

"Mia belleza."

She kissed his neck and tasted the salt on his skin. "Wanna be bad?"

He chuckled softly. "What did you have in mind?"

"Gi said the air conditioning was out."

He nodded his head. "I noticed."

"I was thinking maybe you could take us for a ride on the Harley."

He laid down the pallet and wiped his hands on a rag before turning to place his arms around her. "I'm on duty right now, you know that."

Shannon made a pout which only made him smile. "But maybe, since it’s quiet, you could ask Shade if you could go? Kate said for us to just go. He can send someone else from camp here for the night."

He looked back into her face, a mixture of innocence and mischievousness. He’d never tired of looking at her. "You win, mia belleza." He sent a message to Shade telepathically, letting him know all was quiet, and could he take the night off with Shannon.

***

Shade was roaming around the campgrounds, sizing up the progress of this season’s recruits. They were several months into their training now and had already made a few cuts. He wandered through the groups, keeping his eyes open for anyone who needed instruction or correction. He took a stand beside Aislynn as she barked out orders to the group of females who were trying to refine their shuriken skills. He heard Luca in his head asking if he could take the night off and would it be possible to send another warrior in for protection. Shade chuckled, he knew Luca and Shannon deserved some time together. He scanned the camp and saw everything was running well and decided he really didn’t need to be here tonight. Christoph, as usual, had everything under control. He let Christoph know he was leaving and sent Luca the message to get the hell out for the night. Besides, the humidity was unbearable, and he’d like nothing better than a cool air-conditioned night in bed with bel.

Kate made her way upstairs, passing Theresa in the hallway, fanning herself. "It is hotter up here, my lady. You may want to stay downstairs. I was just coming down myself."

Kate nodded. "I'll change into something cooler."

She entered their bedroom and stripped out of her clothing, standing nude in the closet exploring her options for something cooler to wear. "Fuck it," she muttered under her breath. She pulled on a light silk robe and stepped into a pair of slippers and made her way back downstairs and out the back of the house to the pool. The pool lights were on, as well as the landscape lighting in the gardens surrounding the pool. She let the silk robe slide from her shoulders in a puddle at her feet, as she stepped out of the slippers. She walked to the pool, entering by the stairs at the shallow end. The water felt cold as it hit her skin, and she walked deeper into the pool until she was shoulder deep in the water. She could hear the roar of the motorcycle as Luca left the garage and knew that Luca and Shannon were heading out for a night drive.

Kate moved near the side of the pool, and dunked down, submerging her head, and re-emerging, running her hands over her face, and pushing her hair straight back. She allowed her body to float face up in the water and rested her neck against the edge of the pool. She could hear the soft panting from Aegis and knew the wolf was close by. Closing her eyes, she let the water support her as she moved with the gentle waves of the water.

***

As Shade got closer to the house, the lightweight tee shirt clung to his chest and back with sweat; still, he’d take the heat over the cold any day. The tight leathers were stuck to him as if they were his own skin. He stopped on the path and pulled the tee over his head, hoping for a cool breeze, but the air was still. As he got closer to the house, his eye caught a passing shadow in the pool lights. He smiled wickedly as her rose scent reached him. He quietly made his way to the pool and stood in the lush landscaping, out of her view, watching as she dropped her robe, and stepped into the pool. She was still the most beautiful female he’d ever laid eyes on, and she was all his. His breath caught in his throat as her robe glided to the ground, the light reflecting off the water bounced off her lily-white skin. His heart pounded as he watched her from behind as she seductively disappeared under the water, and emerged as a beautiful mermaid with crimson hair, her face up to the moon. She still had the power to drop him to his knees. She glided effortlessly to the side of the pool, and resting her head and neck on the lip, allowing the water to cradle her body as she floated on her back, her nipples turning hard from the cool water. He ached for her, and wanted everything about her, still.

He walked slowly to the edge of the pool, standing over her. He knew she was aware of his presence now, but her eyes remained closed.

"I see the water nymphs are out this night. I do beg your pardon, my queen, but I was summoned to your side as protector for the remainder of the evening. I do hope you will not mind the changeup."

Without opening her eyes, a smile crept across her face. "Aw, and I was so hoping for Skelk!"

She opened her eyes to see him standing over her, his shirt already gone, and the leathers glued to his skin, looking ten feet tall from her vantage point floating on her back. She heard the low chuckle rumble up from his chest as he bent to unlace his boots.

He pulled off his boots and began to strip the leathers from his skin, not an easy task now that his cock was raging, and his blood ran hot. "Skelk, is it? Didn’t know he was your type, but I’ll do my best not to disappoint.” Tossing the leathers unceremoniously, he stood naked over her, his powerful legs straddling her head as she lounged on the lip of the pool, and his cock standing at attention. Diving into the pool, the cool water hit his skin and invigorated him. He swam underwater and spied her legs outstretched before her. Reaching up, he spread them easily and emerged between them, shaking his curls, as the water splattered them both. He heard her giggle and grinned back at her.

"It has been a long time since we played in the moonlight, mi amore."

She lowered her feet to the bottom of the pool and wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders. "Too long. Are you getting too old for me?" She bit at his chin, feeling the rough stubble against her tongue.

"Did you just call me old, woman? Because if you did, I think maybe I need to prove to you that age has nothing to do with how efficiently I can make wild passionate love to you."

She nipped at his skin, arousing him even further. “I wasn’t looking for efficiency, old man.”

He grabbed her ass under the water and lifted her to his waist. He felt her legs straddle him, as she wrapped them around his hips. He dipped down in the pool until the water was up to her chin, and her hair floated out behind her in waves of red, lit from beneath by the pool lighting. His moan was louder as she nipped at his neck, her tongue like fire against his throat. She kissed his neck and shoulders, slowly and methodically, leaving no inch of him unexplored. They were practiced lovers and knew every curve and crevice between them. He didn’t need to direct her to what he liked. She knew exactly what that was. How she nipped at his ear, and ran her tongue around its shell, the spot on his neck that always sent shivers down his spine, the way she gripped his hair or kissed his jaw. The way she pulled his bottom lip into her mouth and sometimes nipped it to taste his blood. He was happy to let her play and loved when she led.

His cock grew more rigid with her teasing, and he could feel the heat of her sex even in the cool water. He wanted nothing more than to be inside her. "I love every inch of you."

She clung to him as he held onto her in the water, her lips close to his ear, she nibbled at his earlobe, and whispered, "And I love you." Kate relished this alone time with him. There was nothing routine about their life, and especially not their sex life, but it had been a while since they’d played outdoors. When the children were young and living at home, sex in the pool wasn’t an option. She heard his words of love and felt the goosebumps rise on her skin. She’d always loved him to the core of her being and still marveled that, with all this time, she only loved him more.

He kissed her then, passionately and with abandon. Long, slow kisses, playful kisses, open mouth kisses where their tongues danced and darted around the other. As he broke the kiss, he nipped at her lip and let his tongue slide over her chin to her neck where he snuggled and growled. Her vein pulsed against his tongue, and called out to him, igniting his primal need for her. He didn’t want to move too fast. It was rare to have the whole night with her. He moved in the water, swirling them around together, as if in a dance. "You feel so fragile in my hands, but you are still the only one who can make me toe the line."

He dipped beneath the surface of the water, letting it cool their heads before re-emerging. "Do you ever wonder what your life would be like if we had never met?"

Kate laughed, her laughter carrying on the night air. "Besides the fact that I'd be long dead by now, I imagine I would have spent my life in a cubicle, working next to Shannon, as we shared our mutual disappointment over the men in our life."

Her laughter was a melody to his ears. "I think some mortal would have come along and stolen your heart. For me, I can’t imagine what path I would have taken. Perhaps I too would be gone by now. You have changed everything, mi amore, my family, my businesses, and my coven. I would not have changed anything in our lives together."

“Nor would I, lover.” She stared back at him. His eyes even bluer than the pool of water they stood in. She’d never tire of him, could never tire of him. His hands cradled her hips, as her legs remain wrapped around him, and they needed no words to communicate what was in their hearts. She leaned forward and kissed him again, as he responded more aggressively, his mouth covering hers. She could feel his fangs punch through, and ran her tongue over the sharp tips, hearing the moan that started deep in his chest. His hands gripped her hips more tightly as he repositioned her, easily sliding his warrior’s sword home. She momentarily broke the kiss as she gasped, closed her eyes, and dropped her head back.

He felt the heat that surrounded his shaft and heard her gasps as if taking her for the first time. He saw the look of wanton anticipation on her face, as he relished in the pleasure of claiming her. She was forever his walking sin. His fingers pressed deeper into the soft curves of her hips, as he watched her run the tip of her tongue over those full red lips. He thrust his hips forward, pushing his cock deep, nestled hard and pulsing inside her heat.

She looked at him, beads of water clinging to his long, dark lashes, and water dripping from his dark curls. They stared into each other’s eyes, no words were needed, and he felt what was in her heart, as she felt what was in his. They were bonded as one, hearts, minds, body, and soul. He moved to the side of the pool where he could press her back against the side, his cock still buried inside her. Her hands gripped handfuls of curls and tugged with an urgency.

“Impatient nymph.” Sliding his tongue along her pulsing vein, he began that timeless rhythm, rocking his hips against hers as he felt her respond. The water made a soft, lapping noise as it splashed around them, her breasts, playing peek-a-boo with him, as they bobbed up and down, first in, then out of the water. He leaned down, and she laid back against the side of the pool, as he drug his fangs over her shoulder and down her flawless skin. Gliding his fangs over her erect nipple, he drew no blood but felt a soft shiver run through her. He sucked the hardened nub of her nipple into his mouth and rolled it with his tongue as her nails clawed into his muscled back and it felt as though he’d die if he didn’t taste her. His lips returned to her neck, and she turned her head, welcoming his advance as he sank his fangs into her delicate flesh. Her blood splashed over his tongue and ignited that familiar raging fire in his body. She was his, forever his.

She continued to ride his cock, as he penetrated deeper, aching for that moment of completeness. She reveled in the sensation, when she felt the sweet sting of his fangs in her flesh, his lips sealed around the wound, as he drank from her. Her moan was soft, as she felt the transfer of energy between them, and the heat between her legs built. He broke away long enough to beg her to feed, and she leaned her head on his shoulder, biting deep into his flesh. His hand tangled around her wet crimson, guiding her mouth to the spot on his neck that drove him to insatiable ecstasy. He returned to feeding, and the bond was complete.

The power of his blood hit her like a lightning bolt and drove the fire that burned in her belly. Her hips thrust hard against him, taking all of him, as their bodies created a series of waves that splashed against the sides of the pool. She felt the orgasm hit her, as she threw her head back, his blood still on her lips, and her cry of passion echoed in the night.

He watched as the orgasm took her, his blood on her lips, a trickle escaping down her chin. The glow in her eyes and the sound of her cry of passion was for him and only him, and something he’d never had the words to describe, even after all these years. She was the only one who’d taken his blood, and he knew if he ever lost her, there wouldn’t be another. He leaned over her and licked the small trickle of his blood from her chin and swirled it in his mouth before kissing her.

Their hearts pounded in sync as their breathing returned to normal, and he cradled her in his arms, holding her close to his chest and smiling down at her. “Still think I am too old?”

“The night is still young, ask me again at sunrise.”

He laughed loudly as he held her tighter, and she wiggled free. Swimming backward away from him, she smiled back at him mischievously. As she reached the side of the pool, she turned and climbed up the ladder. He watched as her body emerged, the water cascading down her perfect form, like a statue carved from marble. Standing on the edge of the pool, she lifted her arms above her head, and pushed back her crimson locks, wringing the water from her hair. He could stare at her for all eternity, and never tire of the view. “Don’t leave me, mi amore.”

“Never.” She lowered herself to the edge of the pool and sat down, her legs dangling over the side, her feet in the water. He swam slowly in her direction, the lights from the pool dancing on his face. As he reached her, he slid his hands up her thighs and nibbled at her knee. She bit her lip, and he heard the sharp intake of her breath, as the heat of his mouth made contact with her flesh, cooled by the water. He gently opened her legs, and moved between them, as she draped her knees over his shoulders, and leaned back, supporting her weight with her arms. He grabbed her hips, and scooted her to the lip of the pool, and buried his face between her legs. The moisture clung to the tight red curls and he nuzzled into her heat and heard the soft moan escape her lips. His tongue playfully explored her depths, as his lips tugged and teased. He was savoring the taste of her on his tongue and coaxing her to the next level of sexual arousal. He could hear her breathing as it became more ragged, and she crossed her ankles around his back, drawing him closer. His tongue explored every surface, teasing the hardened nub nestled in the soft folds of her sex, sending an electric shock through her system each time he flicked his tongue, as his fingers dug deeper into the smooth soft flesh of her hips, holding her firmly in place. He read her responses and pulled back every time she reached the edge. He could read her body like a book and played it like a fine instrument. His mouth and tongue expertly brought her to the brink of orgasm again and again, until she cried out, and he knew the teasing had gone on long enough. Plunging his tongue into the depths of her, tasting the honey that was his alone, he felt her body spasm as she lurched forward, her hands in his hair, gripping tightly. He sucked at her delicate petals and stroked her clit with his tongue until the last wave of her orgasm subsided, and he felt her pull away, the intensity of the sensations too much to bear.

He lifted her from the side of the pool, and lowered her back into the water, holding her close as she laid her head on his shoulder, her body still shaking in the aftermath of her orgasm. He held her quietly as her body sought to find normal again. Walking with her, she wrapped her legs around his hips, and he made his way to the shallow end of the pool and up the steps. He carried her over to the lounge chairs by the pool and set her down. He opened the storage chest that held the pool supplies, and pulled out a big beach towel, and wrapped it around her.

She watched as he moved, water dripping from his skin, completely confident in his nudity. He’d always moved with the same power and grace, whether he was clothed or unclothed, and she’d always admired that in him. She draped herself in the large beach towel, starting to dry off as he sat in the lounge chair next to her. He pushed the dark wet curls back from his face, and tilted his head back, shaking the water from his hair.

“Do you need a towel, lover?”

He gave her a crooked smile. “I’m good.”

Standing, she moved to his lounge chair, pushing him back until he was lying down, and wedged in next to him, wrapping the beach towel around the both of them. “I wouldn’t want you to get cold.”

He chuckled. “It is probably seventy degrees out here, bel. I don’t think I will get cold.”

Kissing his neck, before moving to his chest, she looked up at him from under the towel. “Better safe than sorry.”

Her kisses started in the middle of his chest and worked their way down across his steel hard abs, and she slid her body down his. She could feel the heat of his erection, as his body responded to her. She heard him whisper, “Bel,” as his hand slid into her hair, and the towel slid to the patio. She positioned herself between his legs, as he opened his thighs to accommodate her. She buried her nose into the thick patch of hair above his cock, but the chlorine from the pool had washed away much of that musky scent she loved. She encircled his cock with her hand, slowly stroking him as she flicked her tongue over the smooth head. She felt the muscles in his thighs tighten, and she slid his cock into her mouth, savoring the taste and feel of him in her mouth, letting her tongue explore the textures between the shaft and the head of his cock. His moan was guttural and emanated from deep in his chest, and she slid his cock deep into the back of her throat, feeling it pulsate and throb. She too knew the art of the tease, and how to take him to the edge, how to make him beg her for release. She slid his cock in and out of her mouth, swirling her tongue across the head, and increasing the pace until she felt both of his hands gripping her hair, holding her still while he thrust his hips forward and took control, releasing his seed as his head was thrown back in ecstasy, his cry of passion loud in the still of the night.

Sitting up, she licked her lips and smiled at him salaciously as he struggled to catch his breath. “Now we’re even.”

They heard the compressors for the cooling system kick in, as the air conditioning had been repaired. Shade raised himself to his elbows and stared back at her. Sitting up, he scooped her up in his arms and carried her back inside. “Never even, bel rosso, as you said, the night is young.”