Damned and Defiant by Kathy Kulig

ill.”
    “I wasn’t ill and it wasn’t a hallucination,” she said. “Something else happened.”
    He crossed his arms and leaned against the doorframe. “You worry about things that happened months ago?”
    Anger made her bold. She stepped up to him and placed both hands on his crossed arms. As the dizzy sensation began, she instantly lowered her shroud of white light and her strength returned. “If you won’t tell me about that night. How about you tell me why you’ve never asked me out? We kissed that one time. Things got pretty hot and heavy there and then you stopped. And don’t tell me that was a hallucination. My knee is between your legs and could do some damage right now.” She smiled a little to show she was teasing. She was breathless and her heart thundered while she awaited his response.
    The side of his mouth quirked in the slightest grin. “I need you here,” his voice was raspy and rumbled through her chest. There was lust in his gaze. The fluttery feeling in her stomach traveled straight to her pussy. “It’s important to solve this problem with these horses. I don’t want to complicate your life.”
    She moved closer, her mouth an inch from his lips and whispered, “Complicate it.”
    He moved faster than she could imagine any person could. One moment she was gripping his forearms and the next he had both her wrists behind her back. Her legs were spread wide with his muscular thighs. Sucking in air, she pressed her breasts against his chest. “Pretty slick. Martial arts?”
    He didn’t answer. Instead, his mouth came down hard on hers before she finished the sentence. Haley’s body went limp as she melted into the kiss. His tongue thrust hungrily into her mouth, igniting the nerve endings from her nipples to her pussy. One kiss and already she imagined the hard, thickness of his engorged cock filling her cunt. Wrenching her arms from behind his back, she slipped them around his neck, caught up in the passion. She clearly expected him to make love to her this time.
    She rocked her body against his length, her pussy rubbing the hard ridge of his cock. Her clit swelled and throbbed. Yes. This was what she wanted, what she’d been fantasizing about for months.
    Their lips parted enough to gasp for a breath, and in that moment she cast him a quick glance. His eyes met hers. She saw lust in their brown depths, a mad craving of lust. Yes! She rejoiced on the inside.
    Without warning, Dante abruptly released her and stepped back. “I’m sorry, Haley. Bad idea.”
    “No, it’s not. I want this.” Her body was humming, aching with need, so much need she could scream.
    His jaw flexed. “Get some sleep.” He turned and walked out, closing her door behind him.

Chapter Five
     
    Dante knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep. The energy he’d drawn off Haley was surging through his body, and he was still horny. Leaning back on the couch, he closed his eyes and thought about touching her, kissing her again. Her taste was still on his lips. Fortunately, Haley was able to protect herself. Had Ambros taught her a new skill or had she acquired this ability during her ordeal on Anartia?
    Having her on the ranch was dangerous for both of them. Best he avoid her as much as possible.
    Giving up on sleep, he got up to build a fire in the fireplace. Once he got the fire roaring, he stared into the flames, trying to image a new life on Prygos, far away from the pain and failures of his Earthly life. A chance to start over, erase the past.
    Nothing would relax him, not even the mesmerizing crackle of the flames. His hand rested on an object. The other nebula stone he’d taken from the Drone Brom. These stones were a powerful connection to Anartia. If worn near a portal or vortex, the wearer could be transported to their world. With Haley staying on here he should store it away.
    Kneeling in front of the hearth, he lifted the loose brick in the floor. Months after he’d moved in, he discovered it. The house