SweetHeat by Jan Springer

wanted her and it was almost painful. Almost overwhelming in its intensity.
    Then the pain shattered into pieces of crystal, bright and beautiful lights of pleasure as the males broke. Their bodies convulsed in unison. Their groans spiraled through her senses like intimate caresses.
    She accepted them. Received them into a place deep inside her. A safe, warm place where she could nourish their seeds of love. And where she could wholly be free.
    * * * * *
    The shrill ringing of her bedside phone sliced Julie out of her sleep and back to reality. In a clumsy effort to grab the phone, she accidentally knocked the receiver off its cradle. Disappointment shot through her as her assistant’s concerned voice echoed from the receiver.
    “Hello? Ms. Sandalwood? Hello? Julie? Hello?”
    Sunshine blasted into her bedroom, heating her already fevered body and a quick glance at the bedside clock revealed she was late for work.
    Oh vampires! She’d forgotten to set her alarm!
    Moaning in frustration she tumbled from beneath the tangle of sheets and sat on the edge of the bed. Her pussy felt needy. Pleasantly sore. Her ass throbbed with a gentle, pleasurable ache.
    Cursing at being interrupted, she grabbed the phone off the floor.
    “I’m here. Just dropped the phone,” she said and quickly cleared her voice, trying to conceal the heavy, sultry sound of someone who’d just had a night of wild, intense sex. Even if it was just in her dreams.
    “I was just wondering if you’re coming in today? Your ten o’clock appointment will be here in half an hour. Should I cancel?”
    “I’ll be in. Um, just call them and let them know I’m running about half an hour late.”
    “Sure thing. See you in a bit.”
    Selena disconnected and Julie sighed.
    She couldn’t even remember whom her ten o’clock appointment was and she’d left her appointment book at work. She couldn’t go on like this. She had a company to run and these night fantasies were going to kill her.
    Anxiety mingled with the tight need gripping her. How was she going to deal with this problem of wanting those two males? What in the world had happened last night? Vaguely she recalled coming to the realization those males and her were connected. That they belonged to her.
    Possessiveness, something she’d never experienced before, raged through her in one solid wall.
    Her males .
    They belonged to her. She wanted them. Craved them. Yearned to be with them.
    Julie shook her head. It was craziness in the way she thought and felt. Wasn’t it?
    A shiver of cold zipped through her as she remembered something Mati had said that day she had vetoed the others and allowed Julie into the clique. Hadn’t Mati said she would have trouble resisting her arranged mates? That they read each other’s minds? Felt each other’s emotions? Isn’t that what Caleb and Zander had told her in last night’s dream?
    Julie shook her head in denial.
    It wasn’t possible. Caleb and Zander were far from Traditionalists. It was just lust coming out in her sleep, that’s all. It had to be.
    But what she was experiencing was far from normal. Maybe she should give Mati a call and let her know what was going on.
    The phone shattered through her thoughts again and she picked it up on the second ring. It was Selena again.
    “You better get in here fast, boss. I just received several bids from the companies who want the chocolate line, and Ms. Mallow is outbidding everyone. Her offer is substantially larger than the one she quoted you the other night.”
    Julie’s heart began a crazy fast beat. This was it. Looked as if they had a bidding war on their hands.
    “I’ll be right there.”
    Screw the shower. Screw her fantasies. She would have to deal with everything later. Leaving Selena with instructions on how to handle the bids until she got there, Julie hurried to get dressed.
    * * * * *
    The entire day was chaos. Sure enough, a bidding war raged for her planned erotic chocolate line. By the end of