Tales Of The Sazi 02 - Moon's Web (14 page)

"Speaking of being a little hard," she teased, and moved her leg to press against the front of my briefs. "What sort of new tricks have you learned?"

I chuckled with my face buried in her hair. The press of her body against me caused a rush of passion and fluttering of need to flow through me. She shivered as warm air teased her ear. "I think you're going to like this."

I moved up onto one elbow and took in the sight of her. The chestnut hair with hints of fire as the light caught it, her green eyes brimming with expectation and need, and the smooth expanse of skin with no hint of the trauma that had ravaged her chest— was it only a few weeks ago? I pulled on the power inside me, so close to the surface this near to the moon. I let it fill my arm my hand, my fingers— and then lowered the hand to touch her skin.

Her back arched immediately and her eyes went wide over a mouth that had opened to pull in a massive breath. Her hands scrambled on the bed, clutching at the spread. She couldn't speak, couldn't even think. I heard fragments of thought spinning through her head. What is… How… Oh, God! Yes, more…

After the initial shock, she managed to get in control enough to glance down at the patterns I was tracing on her skin. Her eyes blinked repeatedly as she tried to focus through the pleasure. "What is that?"

"I told you. It's magic."

"It feels like there's a thousand fingers touching me, just behind where your hand moves. It's like something slithering over my skin that's connected to my stomach."

I smiled at her again and moved up the hand to slide along her jaw and tingle her lips. "I don't think it's connected to your stomach, Sue." I knew exactly where the feelings resonated. I could feel them too. I moved my hand down— past her breasts, past her belly button, and along her hipbones to disappear between her legs. Her cries turned up the heat between my own legs. Her eyes closed, giving in to the rhythmic surges that caused wetness to fill my palm. The scent of her desire made my body tighten further and spasms racked my groin. The throbbing was insistent, needy. I fought again for control. I managed, but just barely.

My warm tongue found her throat and I bit down lightly. She groaned and grabbed my head to move it down. I obliged and licked a slow line to her breast as I moved my hand lightly over the silky cloth covering her crotch.

"God," she exclaimed. "That is amazing!"

"It gets better. Watch this." I pulled the power away from my hand and felt it crawl inside me, obeying an unspoken command. The magic resurfaced at the tip of my tongue. Each flick against her nipple caused gasps and cries. I moved in a steady line down her body, just lightly moving the magic along the hairs of her skin. Her legs spread as I lowered between them. I tried to pull down her panties as I reached the gentle mound of curly hair, but her open legs defeated me. My body was getting frustrated from being denied. I grabbed the pale blue nylon in both hands and ripped apart the narrow patch that fitted over both hips. She glanced at me in shock, but another surge of wetness told me she liked what I'd done. I pulled the cloth from her body with a light growl.

She was completely nude beneath me now, and I wanted nothing more than to be inside her, but instead I lowered my face to breathe in the deep musk between her legs. Magic swelled inside me and flowed out my pores. I distantly heard her scream in pleasure as my tongue opened her folds. The taste of her made me almost delirious with need. I found her small, erect center of pleasure, and moved it firmly and rapidly, letting my power fill her. Her back arched once more and I could smell, taste, feel as the climax ripped through her. Shooting waves of pleasure so great they were almost pain. I couldn't wait any more. I pulled off my briefs in a sudden movement and was inside her before I could even think. Her arms reached for me as her body embraced me fully. I drew back and plunged into her again, feeling her spasming passage caress and tighten along my full length. I moved with her in unrestrained abandon, giving into the need. The smells were strong enough to drown in, so I allowed myself to be enraptured. My mouth found hers and we ate at each other, our jaws working in rhythm with the movement of our hips. Her legs locked around me, pulling me in tighter, and changing the angle of my thrusts. There was no stopping now. The tension was reaching a peak. I could feel the climax gathering, hovering. I drove into her with raw force. She matched me move for move, and her nails bit into my back, ripping the skin in long lines. Every flash of pain sent searing pleasure through me. Just a moment longer. Just a mom—

Sue raised up to me with every nerve taut, her own orgasm near again. I reveled in the sheer sensual pleasure as I called out her name and we soared over the edge. My deep groan was in harmony with her breathless cry as she repeated my name over and over. Magic flowed through the room, soaring and pounding at our bodies as the climax claimed us. Once again, the whirlwind of pleasure began, spinning through Sue, into me, and back through her. I raised on my arms and gave a final scream that was filled with joy, pleasure and the weight of the moon on my back. We collapsed into an embrace, sated and happy.

« ^ »

The round of lovemaking was followed by two more, in rapid succession. It's one of the best things about the moon magic. It makes both of us almost insatiable. We spent the next couple of hours dozing in each other's arms, awaiting the rising of the moon. I hadn't been told that I couldn't stay at home on the third night of the moon, so I fully intended to.

A knock on the door shattered that illusion, plus the cozy sleep I was luxuriating in. I hoped that if I ignored the knocking, it would stop. But no such luck. The pounding increased, so I finally dragged my tired body out of bed. Sue was still asleep and probably would be for hours. I'd pretty much worn her out. I leaned over and moved her hair aside to give her a gentle kiss on the forehead before I pulled on my jeans and walked to answer the door, closing the bedroom door behind me.

I padded barefoot through the deep shadows of the living room. The sun had sunk low in the sky. I could feel the pull of the moon. Whoever was visiting would have to leave soon.

"Yeah, yeah, just a minute, damn it." I called as I reached the vibrating door. I opened it just as Bobby had raised his fist to pound again.

"What the hell took you so long?" he snarled as he brushed past me. I shook my head in annoyance and started to shut the door when a firm hand stopped it. I turned to see Asri's raised brows and benign expression peering out of a fluffy hooded jacket. My jaw dropped open. What the hell was she doing here with Bobby? Did I get out of the frying pan just long enough to leap into the flames?

She brushed past me, as well. Her voice was a whisper that chilled my blood and stilled my breath. "Good to see you so active, Tony."

Asri untied the string at her neck with gloved hands as she entered the living room. She smelled like peppermint. She glanced around, noting every detail, while she slowly pulled the fur-edged hood off her head. Why didn't it surprise me it was wolf fur?

"Bobby, what the hell are you doing here?" I asked in a quiet voice. I didn't want to disturb Sue's sleep. I pointed at Asri with undisguised loathing. "And why did you bring that… woman with you?" She didn't even flinch at my tone. She just ignored me and continued to remove her gloves.

"It wasn't my idea. Trust me." Bobby's voice was just on the border of fury. He wouldn't even glance at her.

"Nikoli insisted. She's my guide while I'm here." His voice was sarcastic and cold. Uh huh. I knew what that meant. More like his guard while he's here. I guess I wasn't surprised. Carmine always did the same thing when a rival family would send a representative for discussions or was in town to visit. It's one of those courtesies that keep you alive.

Bobby's cologne had worn off completely. I could smell the thick jungle vines explode from his bulky down jacket as he unzipped it halfway. He smelled like peppermint, too, but then I saw the red and white swirled candy rolling around his mouth. Asri still smelled like moldy lutefisk under the mint. It was quickly becoming one of my least favorite smells. Burning coffee and jalapeños filled the air, replacing the warm musky scent of desire and sex.

"I hope we didn't interrupt anything." Asri's voice was quiet and subdued. She'd noted the scent of our passion before Bobby did. Her tone was almost… respectful.

"It's been seven weeks since I've seen my wife. We've been getting reacquainted." Not that it was any of her business. The exchange made Bobby flick out his tongue. He finally glanced at my disheveled appearance—

the bare feet and chest, tousled hair and sleepy eyes. He had the good grace to look a little embarrassed.

"Sorry. But we've got business. I hope you were done reacquainting, 'cause you need to get dressed."

"The moon's coming, Bobby. I'd planned to stay here and enjoy a few steaks and get some sleep."

"We've got to go to the airport and pick up my boss." Bobby was obviously annoyed, but I couldn't place the source. Was it that his superior was coming— maybe to get in the way or supervise him, or was it something more than that? Or less? He'd been pissy since he arrived.

"So? Go to the airport. What do you need me for?"

Asri spoke up from the couch where she'd primly seated herself. "Nikoli asked that you accompany us. Agent Mbutu and I will prevent you from changing until a more appropriate time."

"Did Nikoli give a reason!"

"He is not required to give a reason, Tony," Asri said seriously. "He is the Alpha. He asks and we obey." Great. I was afraid of that.

I heard movement from down the hall, and looked up to see Sue enter the room, wearing the slightly rumpled shirt and jeans she'd had on earlier. I wondered if she had put on new through her hair and freshen her lipstick. The deep wine color made her eyes almost luminescent. She smelled of trees and flowers, and me.

"Oh, I thought I heard voices. Hello, Bobby." She glanced at the visitor on the couch, and paled. She stumbled against the half wall at the edge of the living room with wide eyes. I'd forgotten that she'd been present during our discipline session. She recognized Asri and was very, very afraid. The scent of her terror made me fight down a growl.

Asri saw her reaction. Dry heat, mixed with thick dust rose in a cloud from the direction of the couch. Asri stood in a fluid movement and walked the short distance across the room to where Sue clutched the doorway. I reached out to intervene, when Bobby caught my arm and held me back.

"It's cool, man. Just listen," he whispered.

Asri stopped in front of Sue and dropped to both knees with head bowed. "Mrs. Giambrocco, I am Asri Kho. In my own language, I would tell you Maaf. It is our most sincere apology, for a great wrong." I glanced at Sue. She was startled at the sight of the fearsome dragon who had kicked the crap out of me abasing herself. Frankly, so was I. Neither of us was quite sure what to say. A flurry of mixed scents rose to fill the room.

Asri continued to speak, her eyes firmly glued on the floor near Sue's sneakers. The dusty heat still flowed in a long line up from her body, turning the air golden. "I… " Her voice cracked and she had to start over. "I was unaware when I battled your great and powerful husband that he was mated. When I learned that you were human, and were forced to suffer the pain of punishment along with him, I was saddened and shamed. I would have refused the punishment had I known."

Sue's eyes were tearing up at hearing such a heartfelt apology. It was giving me a new dimension on Asri—

not so cold-blooded, after all. While I knew the great and powerful crap was just that, it was intended as a compliment to Sue, not to me. I was fully aware that Asri wasn't crawling next to my shoes.

"I owe you a debt of honor. Our Alpha would not allow me to offer you damages, because you have no way to claim them, and the error was not mine— but his."

Really? Nikoli admitted a mistake! That seemed a little out of character. It made me wonder what Lelya said to him.

"But regardless, I feel deep regret, and ask for your forgiveness." She remained kneeling, not moving. Sue looked down at the woman at her feet, huddled miserably, her shiny black hair brushing the floor. The tears were still in Sue's eyes, sparkling and rolling down her cheeks. She looked to me for guidance, but I had none to give. I shrugged and looked at Bobby. Apparently, he hadn't known quite what Asri was going to say, just that she was going to apologize.

He reached over and put his mouth close to my ear and cupped his hand to block the sound. "If you can reach Sue, just tell her to say tidak apa-apa. It's Indonesian for 'nothing,' or 'it's okay.'" He was speaking so quietly that his words were just barely audible to me.

Did you catch that? I thought to Sue. She nodded and wiped the tears from her left eye with the back of her hand. She squatted down and touched Asri's shoulder. Wide brown eyes raised to meet Sue's.

"It's okay, Asri. Tidak apa-apa. You didn't know." Then she added something new. She wasn't too bad at psychology herself. "I know now that you are a woman of honor, as well as a proud enforcer. I will not think less of you."

Very nicely rolled around to a compliment. Attagirl.

The surprise in Asri's face at Sue's use of her native tongue turned into an expressionless mask, but she closed her eyes and dropped her head briefly before she stood in a fluid movement.

"You are gracious and kind, Mrs. Giambrocco. It is too much after my actions, but I am grateful and, please

— if I may ever serve you in a task within my power, you need only ask." Sue was spared coming up with a reply because Bobby took that moment to clap his hands together sharply, and then rub them briskly. "So, now that we're all friends again, can we please get our tails in gear and get moving?"

Asri regarded him as though he was a fly that had landed on her food. She glanced at her watch and continued to take off her jacket. "We are not due for another hour yet. We will be very conspicuous if we leave now and are forced to wait. The authorities have come to look ill upon anyone of obvious foreign birth wandering the hallways. It is a small airport."

I pursed my lips briefly. Both O'Hare and Midway are pretty large and even a trio of Asian, African and Italian wouldn't stand out. "Where exactly are we going?"

Bobby glanced at me and likewise raised his brows. "I had assumed we were going to O'Hare." He turned to Asri.

Asri didn't answer. She finished removing her coat without even glancing his way. Sue started to reach for it and then realized that she didn't know where to hang it up. The layout was still too new to her. She pulled back her hand before Asri saw and moved over to stand by me. Asri carefully folded the jacket and put it on the couch cushion and sat down next to it. Bobby shook his head in annoyance at her deliberate casual motions and took off his coat in a huff.

We stood there in a growing well of silence. Sue cleared her throat uneasily. "It's going to be night soon. You're going to need some meat if you're going to be able to go hunting for another few hours. A woman named Pamela— I guess she's the wife of one of the other pack members— brought over some homemade bread and a small smoked turkey as a welcoming gift. Would you like some sandwiches?" Asri raised her painted brows a touch. "I have never tried smoked turkey. If it is no trouble, I think it would benefit us all to eat."

Bobby threw up his hands, plopped down in the recliner and snarled sarcastically. "Sure. Why not? Let's have a four course meal while we're at it."

I bit my lip to keep from making a smart-ass remark, but Asri stared him down cooly. "I don't think we have that much time, Agent. But if you would prefer to go hungry, you are welcome to." Sue hid a smile by turning and going into the kitchen. I figured I might as well help, rather than sit and listen to the pair of them bicker.

I opened the swinging door for Sue and followed her inside. I saw the bread in a basket on the kitchen counter and pulled a bread knife from the wooden block.

Sue opened the refrigerator and pulled out a tray with neatly sliced meat covered in plastic. "I went ahead and stripped the carcass so it would be easy to serve."

"Good idea," I commented and started to cut slices from the crusty loaf. My back was to her as she pulled dressings from the refrigerator. As I carried the sliced bread past the kitchen table, a scent caught my nose.

"No mustard for me, Sue. Just mayo on turkey." I was reaching into the pantry to grab some plastic wrap to cover the rest of the bread when she replied.

"I'm not putting any on," she said. "You don't like mustard. I don't think we even own ajar." Odd. I could swear that I smell mustard. I turned around and saw that she was right. Only a jar of sandwich spread and some butter was on the counter.

"Isn't it cute the way Bobby and Asri are dancing around in there? Not like it's fooling anyone— it's pretty obvious they like each other." she asked in a small whisper with a smile. I looked at her askance, while still trying to figure out where the mustard was coming from. "Like each other?" I whispered back. "They're about ready to kill each other."

She rolled her eyes. "Bobby's just acting like a first-grader, pulling her pigtails. It's obvious that he's attracted to her. He can barely take his eyes off her."

I moved close to her and helped build sandwiches. Even the thick smoky scent of the turkey couldn't erase that damn mustard. Where was it? "Well, she doesn't seem to be amused," I commented.

"That's not quite true," she mulled. "She's being really careful not to get too close to him. Sort of like the way you were with me at first."

I chuckled. "Oh, I don't know about that. I think we got close pretty early on." She blushed lightly. "Well, yeah. But it's more like you were after. Skittish. Watch them yourself if you don't believe me."

I nodded, intending to do just that. It only took a few minutes to build some turkey and cheese sandwiches. I walked over to the table and lifted up a bowl of fruit to grab the tray underneath it. There it was again, the strong mustard smell. Something sparked my brain as I saw a small black object on the table behind the fruit bowl.

"Sue, is this your cell phone?" I asked, without touching it. It was face down. She glanced at where I pointed. "Nope. Mine's in my purse. I thought it was yours." The phone, plus the scent, added up and chilled my blood. We'd had a visitor. I picked up the phone and turned it over. A small sticky note was pasted on the front.

Call me when you're alone, Mr. G. That Chinese chick makes me nervous. 2410. How long had he been in the house? Did he just arrive and drop off the phone, or had he been here while Sue and I were sleeping, or even longer? Dammit! I was getting careless. I couldn't believe that three of us with Sazi noses didn't notice a human hiding in the kitchen. Calling him would be easy, but it was obvious that whatever he wanted, he didn't want to talk about it with Bobby and Asri here.

"Are you okay, Tony? You feel like you've seen a ghost." Sue's face was concerned and she reached out to touch my arm. If she touched me, she'd know what I'd just realized, and I didn't want to panic her. I moved away from her touch casually and tucked the cell phone in my pocket.