Carpathian 05 - Dark Challenge

humor.
    Desari glared at him, coming up on her knees, heedless of her bare skin gleaming so invitingly in the night.
    "What is so funny?" she demanded.
    He touched her face, a tender caress meant to soothe. "I would not call this night easing into anything, piccola . It was more along the lines of a wildfire consuming both of us." His smile was all male satisfaction.
    "Wipe that smirk off your face." Desari touched his perfect lips with a fingertip.
    "I deserve to wear it," he contradicted her solemnly. "You know I do." His eyes were hot and molten again, touching her so deep inside that Desari nearly forgot what had been so important just moments earlier.
    "You are deliberately distracting me," she chided, but her hand found his heavy chest muscles and lay directly over his heart. "We should settle this."
    His hand covered hers so that her palm was pressed tightly to his skin. "We have settled it. I go where you go. You go where I go. You are no longer under Darius's protection, although all male Carpathians guard our women as the treasures we know them to be. He will understand."
    "In time, Julian," she agreed a little desperately, "but not right away. I will go back and talk to him. If he agrees to our relationship, the others will have no choice but to do as he says. Give me a few risings to convince him."
    Desari was well aware of the hard edge to Julian's mouth. He was nowhere near agreeing with her.

Chapter Six
    Julian felt his breath catch in his lungs, his throat constricting to the point of closing off completely. Dara was so beautiful, on her knees, her silken hair caressing her body, pooling on the quilt around her. Her skin was flawless, her narrow rib cage and small waist emphasizing the fullness of her breasts. He loved the sound of her voice, so pure and true, like nothing he had ever heard before.
    Desari could not escape him; he felt quite complacent in that regard. Her expression, as she glared down at him, trying to be exasperated with him, could not erase the softness of her dark eyes. She didn't have a mean bone in her body.
    Julian simply reached up, caught her waist, and lifted her easily with his extraordinary strength. He shifted his body at the same time, a fluid motion that settled her directly over him. Her long hair brushed his thighs, his hips, dancing over his skin as erotically as the most skilled fingers. When he lowered her Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
    gently, his body had already surged to life, hot and hard, eager for the feel of her velvet sheath tightening around him.
    Desari gasped as he filled her, driving every thought from her mind but the need of her body to match Julian's insatiable appetite. Her eyes went wide, and Julian reached up to cup her breasts while his golden eyes held hers captive. They were sharing more than their bodies, Desari knew; she was looking into his soul, and he so clearly could see hers. He moved his hips, rocking her gently, telling her more about him than his wild, untamed possession had.
    "There is no one more beautiful than you, Desari," he whispered softly, "not in all the world."
    Her smile was slow and seductive, the smile of a woman certain of the power she wields. She traced the definition of his muscles, ran her fingers through the mat of golden hair on his chest. Time seemed to stand still as they went on a lazy, sensuous exploration together with mutual silent consent. His hands followed the satin contours of her body, lingering in every intriguing place, memorizing the feel of her.
    His hips picked up the pace a little more aggressively, and she could feel the hot, slick passion rising with every stroke. Deliberately she began to ride him, tightening her muscles so that the friction increased, so that hot velvet gripped and teased him. She loved watching his face, the way his amber eyes heated to molten gold, the way his breath became labored, the way passion emphasized his dark sensuality. His hands gripped her waist hard, his teeth clenching, a harsh cry tearing up through his body as she exploded around him, ripple after ripple, taking him with her. They soared together, climbing higher than either would have thought possible in so short a time.
    Desari lay over him, safe in the protection of his arms, content to be still, uttering no words to mar their remaining time together. She could hear the branches of the trees brushing against the side of the cabin, see the moon lighting the