Awareness of someone beside him woke Brendan from his slumber. The silk sheets caressed his bare skin as he stirred, and he savoured the comfort of his soft bed. I could get used to such luxuries. He opened his eyes, hoping for the brother, but the sister greeted him.
‘So? How’d last night go?’ Bridey asked in a shrill voice he might have expected from a cheerleader but not from his criminal mistress.
He groaned. ‘What time is it?’
‘Nine.’
‘Christ! I haven’t even had six hours of sleep yet and you’re already hounding me about work?’
Her hand slid down his bare torso. ‘Would you rather play first?’
‘As a general rule, I always prefer playtime.’
With a delighted laugh, Bridey pulled back the covers and grabbed his morning wood. ‘Give me the cliff notes and I’ll make it worth your while.’
With a sigh, Brendan cast his mind back to his training session with Melanie and Damien. ‘Not much to report. It was mostly an initiation ceremony where I got to meet a few other cultists. They were all pleasantly surprised to see me there.’
‘Initiation? Already?’
‘Of course. They needed to open me up to the Stygian element before I could start my practical training.’
‘I figured they’d start with theory.’
He shook his head. ‘They use a congruent approach.’
‘Curious.’ Bridey lurched forward and sat astride him. ‘That’s enough business for now, don’t you think?’
It often amazed Brendan how a woman he detested could bring him such incredible pleasure. I must be even better at compartmentalising my emotions these days, and there’s no denying her beauty. Especially not as she rocked back and forth in a slow, gentle rhythm, her chest bouncing. Or with the look of pure joy painted on her face as she took him deep inside, surrounding him with her soft, silky warmth.
As their mutual desire mounted, the most erotic moaning noises escaped her throat. ‘Enchant me, handsome. I want to feel your magic.’
Brendan froze. He did not use his magic on Bridey because he did not want her to channel him at the same time. The last time he did so with a woman had ended in disaster.
‘Relax, sweetheart. I promise I won’t go linking our souls. I want to know what it feels like to be on the receiving end for a change.’
‘Okay, fine.’ Flipping Bridey onto her back, he took charge. He needed full sensory awareness, which he could only achieve when he was in control. Brendan commenced with touch, tuning into the feel of her soft skin beneath his fingertips. As he tapped into the power, he amplified the sensation.
‘Oh my.’ Her breathing became heavier, her moans raspier.
‘I’ve only just started, Madame.’ Sound and sight came next. He focussed on the orgasmic grunts and whimpers escaping her throat and the way her gorgeous body jolted as he thrust his fingers inside her, letting the magic flow through him and into her.
Welcoming her natural, floral aroma in his nostrils, he dove between her legs and tasted her tangy juices. Gods! I could get addicted to this flavour. Brendan feasted on her, bringing forth countless waves of her ecstasy and lapping them up like a thirsty dog.
Finally, he channelled her emotions: lust and… Oh shit! No way! Surely she’s projecting what she feels for Thornsy. Pushing the bombshell aside, he concentrated on her carnal hunger, letting it fuel his own arousal as he drove himself into her.
A bright flash behind his eyes blinded him as they exploded together, then darkness took him into a semi-conscious state of euphoria.
Bridey wrapped herself around Brendan when he stirred. ‘You were spectacular, handsome.’ She looked down into his eyes with a peculiar expression.
‘What? Why are you looking at me like that?’
She bit her lip and smiled. ‘You came back.’
Confused, he looked at her blankly.
‘You left the confines of my house without supervision, and you came back to me. You didn’t even try to escape.’
Fuck! It did not even occur to Brendan she was not keeping tabs on him when he was out.
‘I’ve become extremely fond of you, Brendan, and I suspect I’m growing on you too.’
No! Please, Gods, no! When Caleb spoke of genuine feelings, Brendan did not think he had meant serious sentiments. He shrugged. ‘Perhaps. The sex is out of this world.’
‘Mm. You’re not wrong.’ She claimed his lips in a passionate kiss. ‘If you keep up this good behaviour, I might end your contract of servitude early.’
Hope surged through him. ‘Really?’ She nodded. But then suspicion took root. ‘Why?’
‘Because I think you and I would be great together… as equal partners.’
Brendan’s heart sank. She was not talking about true freedom. Not from her.
‘I’d even go so far as to put money on the fact that by the time I remove this,’ Bridey carefully touched the spikes of his collar, ‘you will choose to stay with me.’
Oh hell! You may as well add delusional to her list of crazy, right alongside psychopathic. ‘You seem sure of yourself, Madame.’
‘You doubt my ability to show true affection, don’t you?’
‘Not as much as my own heart’s ability to feel much of anything anymore.’ The truth of his own words slapped him hard across the face.
Bridey smiled sympathetically. ‘If that’s the case, handsome, I’m already halfway there.’
Samantha smiled as she gazed at Tyler dozing beside her. One of his strong, masculine arms draped across her chest, almost pinning her down. In a few hours he would make his exit, usually leaving once she’d drifted off. She understood why he couldn’t spend the whole night in her bed—the risk was too high—but waking up alone still sucked.
I’ll just make the most of this moment. He was easily the best-looking man she’d ever seduced. And the sex is unreal! The last four nights had been the wildest ride of her life, which was saying something for a kinky submissive with her wealth of experience. Their chemistry was off the charts and their relationship had genuine potential, which saddened Samantha because she should not fall for this guy.
As her eyelids drooped, Samantha sighed. Staying awake to watch her lover sleep wasn’t the only reason she held the Sandman at bay for as long as possible. Her dreams had always disturbed her and ever since she started working for him, she dreaded her nightly visions.
But the riptide of fatigue pulled her under, and Samantha soon found herself washed up among some reeds on the banks of the Nile. Kek’s intimidating form appeared, greeting her with a rictus grin showing his sharpened teeth. ‘Good evening, Samantha. How are things progressing?’
‘I have the warlocks busy following your false leads.’
‘Excellent. And the doppelganger? Is he ready?’
‘I have unleashed his dark side, as requested.’
The dark elf brought his hand up to her cheek and devoured her with his hungry eyes. ‘I have felt much of what he has done to your body, and it has given me great pleasure. You’ve done exceptionally well, my dear. But do you think he is ready for the next step?’
The worst thing about dreamscape telepathy? Not being able to lie or suppress one’s thoughts from the oneiromancer. She desperately wanted to tell him ‘no,’ to buy more time. ‘Yes. They are already talking about sending someone in undercover.’
‘Good, because we have already recruited the Original. Make sure they send the doppelganger.’
‘Yes, sir.’
His arm snaked along Samantha’s waist, spinning her around and pressing his body against her back. ‘Now get on your hands and knees for me.’ He whispered the order harshly in her ear.
‘I don’t want to, sir.’
‘Oh? So, you want to play that old favourite, hmm?’
Damn it! Why did I ever tell him about those fantasies? ‘No. I’m not in the mood.’
‘Well too bad, Samantha.’ He pushed her to the ground.
Her once-clothed body was instantly naked and clambering in the mud of the riverbank.
Kek grabbed a handful of reeds and bundled them into a makeshift whip to flog her.
The blood-curdling cry spewing from her mouth only encouraged him further.
‘Sam? Please wake up!’
Samantha crashed back to reality; heart racing and sweat pouring off her as she sat up in bed.
Tyler pulled her into his arms. ‘Christ! You worried me with all the screaming and thrashing about. Are you okay, baby?’
‘Yeah. It was just a nightmare.’
‘Your subconscious sure did a number on you. Fuck! You’re still shaking.’
She was. But as he held her close and comforted her, the gravity of her situation sunk in. For the first time since childhood, Samantha cried. Big, hideous sobs broke free from her as the tears streamed down her face.
Lifting her chin, he peered deep into her eyes. ‘Hey, sweetheart, what’s wrong?’
‘I think I’m in love with you, Tyler.’
Stepping from the boat, Brendan gaped in awe of his weekend lodgings: a private island resort. White, luxury apartments lined the curved beach, with a large conference centre to the north and an entertainment complex to the south. The Syndicate spared no expense when it came to their comfort. When he glanced back at his companions, the setting sun captivated him as it painted the crystal-clear ocean with vibrant shades of red, pink, and orange.
Laughing, Bridey linked her arm with his. ‘These summits are as much an excuse to party as they are business. Naturally, we have exclusive use of the place. There won’t be any humans to worry about.’
‘What about the staff?’ asked Caleb.
‘All unseelie. The Syndicate owns the entire island.’
‘’Course they do.’
She took Caleb’s arm. ‘Don’t you mean we do? You are a part of this too now, sweetness.’
‘I know, but it hasn’t sunk in for me yet. Maybe if you gave me more responsibilities and more actual work.’
Bridey motioned for them to continue walking. ‘Well, I could use more help with this museum job. Why don’t the pair of you look over my plans and give me some advice? When we get home, that is.’
‘Yeah, fine.’ Caleb sounded unenthusiastic. So yeah, he sounded like Caleb.
The seed of a plan planted itself in Brendan’s brain. ‘What if you let us oversee the whole operation? We are captains, after all. Let us command our teams.’
Wide-eyed-panic struck Caleb’s visage. ‘What the hell, Winters?’
‘Roll with it, Thornsy.’
Bridey stopped to consider his suggestion. ‘Okay.’
Adrenaline surged through him. ‘So, you’ll let us run this job?’
‘Yes, but I want you to give me a full run-down of your plan before you put anything into action. I need to feel confident you won’t botch things.’
Brendan smiled. ‘Of course.’
‘Now let’s go have some fun.’ Bridey urged them towards the southern end of the island. She led them through crowds of fae and dark mages who mingled in the casino, introducing them to all the important folk as they went.
‘I didn’t realise Australia had so many Syndicate leaders,’ Brendan commented as they moved across to the restaurant. He noticed the complex also housed a nightclub, movie theatre, and games arcade.
‘They aren’t only Australian, handsome. This is the entire Oceania branch of the Syndicate.’
Their evening meal dragged. Sure, the gourmet food was exquisite, but Brendan had seen kiddie pools deeper than the boot lickers and toffee-nosed arseholes hovering around Bridey. Syndicate politics put him in mind of high school cliques, and he’d never had the patience for such bullshit.
Glancing around the table, his eyes fell on Caleb, who concentrated on the plate in front of him. Caleb had barely spoken to him since their intimate encounter three days ago and Brendan suspected it was an avoidance tactic. When he probed Caleb’s mind, he found it locked up tight. Yup, definitely evading me! But why? Was it something I said? I know I rocked his world, so…. He tried to humour Caleb telepathically. ‘Thrilling dinner conversation, hey Thornsy?’
That got him a look, or more of glare. ‘I’m sure it is, if you find supply and demand curves sexy.’
Brendan laughed silently. ‘Come on, man, the only curves I found sexy in Year Twelve economics were Miss Harper’s.’
‘You’re such a pig, Winters.’ The bitter tone of Caleb’s thought fell short of the intended insult thanks to the grin tugging at his delicate lips.
‘Yeah, you remember that hottie, too.’ Ice-breaking mission success.
Moving into the cocktail lounge, Bridey encircled her two captains in her arms. ‘Why don’t you boys go have some drinks and unwind while I mingle for a bit?’ She left them both with a peck on the cheek before disappearing in the crowd.
Brendan followed Caleb, who beelined for the bar where they both ordered straight whiskey. Spotting a quiet table in the corner with a couple of free seats, he gestured for Caleb to follow. When Caleb refused to budge, Brendan grabbed his arm and dragged him across the room.
‘What the hell, man?’
Plucking the drink from Caleb’s hand, Brendan put both their glasses on the table. He pushed Caleb up against the wall, caging the man between his arms. ‘I wanna know what’s going on inside that pretty head of yours, Thornsy. Why have you been avoiding me?’
Quick, shallow breaths slipped through Caleb’s soft, kissable lips.
Brendan narrowed his eyes. ‘You know, I thought you would have snuck into my room at least once in the last few nights.’
‘I figured you were busy.’
‘Bullshit.’ He pressed his body hard up against Caleb’s and fixed his gaze on the silver-lined mouth a moment before meeting the dark-brown eyes staring coolly back at him.
‘Back off, Winters.’
‘Oh, we’re back to your antagonistic tripe, now are we? I honestly thought we’d moved past that after fucking each other stupid.’
Caleb sighed. ‘It’s not that.’
Unable to control the urge to touch, Brendan brought his fingers up to Caleb’s face, caressing the soft, glimmering skin covering his well-defined cheekbone. ‘What is it?’
His sinfully gorgeous eyes closed. ‘I can’t do this with you.’
Brendan’s messed-up heart slammed against the walls of his chest. I’ve only just discovered these feelings for Caleb and he’s already slipping through my fingers. ‘Why? Did Bridey tell you to stay away from me? Because she didn’t say anything about this,’ he waved at the small amount of air between them, ‘to me.’
‘No.’
‘Then what?’
Caleb filled his lungs with a deep breath and opened his eyes. ‘I don’t think we should be intimate again.’ A hint of salty sadness brimmed his eyes.
Brendan’s pulse was hammering by this point. ‘I hear your words, Thornsy, but they don’t make any sense. I thought you wanted me?’
‘I did.’ The past tense punched Brendan in the gut.
‘But you don’t want me anymore, huh?’ Brendan pulled away to grab his drink and knock it back in one mouthful. His attention returned to Caleb, but this time he kept his distance. ‘Nah, I get it. You were bicurious right? One day of mind-blowing sex with me was enough to satisfy your little crush. Now you can go back to your incestuous obsession with a psychotic bitch.’ He slammed his glass down hard enough for a shard of ice to leap out and plummet to its death. Storming across the room, he returned to the bar for another shot of Ireland’s best medicine.
‘Trouble in paradise?’ A rich, feminine voice startled him.
Turning around with a fresh refill in hand, Brendan beheld the most buxom blonde he had ever seen. Golden hair fell in loose curls around the plunging neckline of a light-orange cocktail dress. Looking her up and down, he tried to keep his tone polite despite the surge of desire he felt. ‘Excuse me, Madame?’
‘I could not help but notice the spat you had with your lover over there.’ She gestured toward Caleb, who sat alone at the corner table, looking at his phone.
‘Oh. He’s not my lover.’ But hot damn, you could be. ‘Can I get you a drink, Lady….’
‘Amber. They call me Lady Amber.’ She reached her hand out, not to shake, but as though she expected him to kiss it.
Brendan accepted her invitation willingly, even though she gave off haughty snob vibes. If Bridey had taught him anything, it was how he did not need to like a woman to appreciate her beauty. And Amber projected beauty in spades. ‘And they call me Lord Jet.’
‘I would love a martini, thank you, Jet.’
After getting her drink, they moved to a nearby couch where Brendan sat as close to Amber as respectfully possible.
‘Tell me, Jet, are you vying for the top spot?’
He snorted. ‘Ah, no.’
‘Why not?’
‘Well, I’m pretty new to the Syndicate for one. And I’m only a Captain.’
When she smiled, her brilliant green eyes lit up the room. ‘Your current rank shouldn’t matter. Bloodline ties to the previous Boss, however, would count in your favour.’
Surprised, Brendan felt his eyes widen. ‘You know who I am?’
‘Yes, I do. I make it my job to know all the big names in the magic world, but I also have a particular interest in your clan.’
Okay, that’s a tad creepy, but I’m not gonna complain about having such a sexy stalker.
‘I think you have a valid claim.’
He shrugged. ‘Politics isn’t my thing. I detest the idea of brown-nosing and selling myself.’
‘Is it just the campaigning, or do you dislike having authority?’
Brendan scanned the room for Bridey and spotted her hanging all over some endarkened man in a flashy pinstripe suit. She remained oblivious to his conversation. When his focus returned to Amber, her ample cleavage caught his eye. Oh, the things I could do to that rack! Licking his lips, he threw his right arm across her backrest and leaned in closer. ‘Don’t get me wrong, My Lady. I love power and control as much as the next dark mage, but I’m more of a doer.’
‘Curious.’ She appeared lost in thought for a moment before turning to face him. ‘If you are not planning to make a bid for the position, would you consider voting for me?’
Hell yes! She’s gotta be a better option than Bridey. He placed his left hand on her knee and gave her his best bedroom eyes. ‘I might be persuaded.’
‘I think I am too old for you, sweetheart.’
‘What’s a few years? I’m honestly not bothered.’
‘Trust me, Jet, the age gap is much bigger than you realise.’
He studied her carefully. ‘You must be using some serious mojo to glamour yourself, because you don’t look a day over twenty-five.’
Amber laughed. ‘More than you know. Your offer is both gratifying and tempting, but I must decline your advances.’
Brendan did not bother to hide his disappointment or remove his hand from her. ‘Is there any way I can change your mind?’
‘Trust me when I say you will thank me later for resisting your charms. Besides, I think your friend is getting jealous.’
Following her line of sight, Brendan’s eyes locked with Caleb’s. While schooling his poker face, he failed to conceal the murky-green aura from Brendan’s prying gaze.
‘I tell you what. If you vote for me and I win the election, I will make it worth your while.’ She was grinning when he turned back to face her.
He could not say no to such a gorgeous smile. ‘We have a deal, My Lady.’
Amber rose to her feet. ‘I am glad we have reached an understanding. Please excuse me, My Lord, but I have some brown-nosing to do.’ With a wink, she walked into the crowd.
He sighed as she disappeared. Closing his eyes, Brendan reclined his head. Two rejections in one night? I must be losing my touch.
A shadow moved in front of him, blocking some of the light filtering through his eyelids. ‘Was she like the first woman ever you couldn’t seduce the panties off?’
Brendan growled as his eyes flicked open to glower at Caleb. ‘Either fuck me, or fuck off, Thornsy.’
‘Wow! You sure know how to flatter a guy. Don’t tell me you—’
‘Hmm,’ he cut Caleb off before the damn fairy could spew forth anymore attitude. ‘You’re still here, which means you’re either deaf or begging to be my bitch tonight. I’ll give you five seconds to start walking away.’
That shut Caleb’s trap, but he did not move.
‘Five.’
Intense dark eyes stared back at him.
‘Four.’
A wisp of hair fell across his brow as his head inclined.
‘Three.’
Caleb’s lips parted. Those damned lips.
‘Two.’
Brendan jumped to his feet, ready to take what he wanted. But Caleb remained still.
‘One.’
Seizing Caleb’s ponytail with one hand as he slid the other around his waist, Brendan pulled Caleb’s body flush against his. ‘Time’s up, Thornsy. Now you’re mine.’