Dark Passions

By EM Wardlaw

4 tales of passion, dark magic and lore. Nearly 950 pages of supernaturals, warlocks and magic brought to you in an affordable box set by EM Wardlaw.

In DARKLING, discover the power the stars really hold in this universe. Witches and warlocks battle for good in THE TEMPEST. A unique race of supernaturals prove that love perseveres in ZERO TO LUST. And MOON CHILD is an epic tale of family and loves lost and gained while the moon holds a power all its own.

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Isla Innocent
• Release date: Aug 25, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393624745

Book preview

Niles Walker, a social worker in the ’hood, stumbles across what appears to be a gorgeous homeless woman heaped in rags in the middle of a heat wave. Drawn to her beauty, he struggles to keep from peeling the layers off and taking  the tantalizing curves beneath. Finally he gives in to his urges and offers his apartment as refuge, though it puts his job on the line. And too late, he realizes he can’t keep her from his bed.

Vega is a fallen star looking for the magical object used to light newborn stars. She can’t believe the human who gives her shelter can also inspire such need in her strange new human form. She’s so hungry for his kisses and the fire he kindles inside her, she nearly forgets her purpose for coming to Earth—retrieving the starscale, or risking her future and those of her fellow celestial beings.

DARKLING

EM Wardlaw

Chapter One

The midday sun baked the back of Niles’ neck as he meandered through the city park. A bead of perspiration trickled into his collar and the hair on his temples was growing damp but he reveled in the solitude of his lunch break. After the morning he’d had at work, he needed it.

Six new cases had flooded his desk in only four hours. Two kids who had been reported abandoned were picked up on the West Side, a man who’d lost his home to the bank needed shelter, and one of his troubled teens had tried to off herself that morning.

He scrubbed a hand through his thick hair with a sigh. He couldn’t even focus enough to recall the other cases. As of now they were faceless documents stuffed into a manila file. Not that he wasn’t caring—far from it. But being a social worker in the ’hood wasn’t easy.

Drawing a deep breath, he allowed the scents of growing things to fill him with calm. He knew by four o’clock his tranquility would have fled. That’s when he’d go to the gym, tape up his hands and slip on his boxing gloves. Going rounds with his sparring partner, feeling muscle and jaw give beneath each blow, would quell his agitation.

At least until the next day.

The pavement stretched beneath his feet, winding around a copse of trees where one of his favorite benches sat overlooking a small koi pond. He glanced at his watch. In twenty minutes, he was due back at his desk and with any luck Mischa, the teen who had overdosed two weeks ago on Xanax and a host of narcotics, would be seated across from him. His heart ached at the thought of one of his clients succumbing to that. If she’d only come to him...

The bench came into view. He drew up at the sight of a pile of black rags half lying under the bench. What the—?

He flipped his horn-rimmed glasses up and skimmed the perspiration off  the bridge of his nose. Pigeons scattered as he strode toward the bench.

A crack in the pavement ran right up to a bare foot. Approaching more cautiously, he studied the shape. Judging by the slender bones of the foot, it was definitely a woman. The lines of her shapely ankle disappeared into a heap of thick black layers. Knit, cotton, wool. She was absolutely buried.

And probably suffering from heat exhaustion.

He inched toward her. His instinctive sense of empathy drove him to help, though he had to err on the side of caution. Three months ago a man had been shot by a homeless person he thought he was helping.

The breeze quickened and the woman’s rags fluttered. She stirred and part of the hood shielding her face fell away to reveal a smooth bronzed cheek the color of a perfect brown egg. The point of her chin was delicate. Images of sinking his teeth into it danced through his head.

She twisted face up and his breath caught. Shock rippled through him. Not only was she young but she was stunning. Drop-to-his-knees gorgeous.

One fringed eyelid lifted and she pierced him in her dark gaze.

For a moment, his lungs wouldn’t work. Her full pout sent him reeling. The exotic tilt of her eyes gave him palpitations.

In a flurry, he reached down into the bundle of rags, located her narrow shoulders and hauled her into a sitting position. Her body was scorching, putting off such high temperatures she surely had to be on the verge of heat stroke.

Are you okay?

She blinked at him and it struck him that she didn’t speak English. He  tried Spanish. When she continued to stare blankly at him, he searched his mind for hints of the other languages he knew—Chinese and Arabic.

With a lurch, she gathered her feet beneath her and attempted to stand. She tilted precariously and he caught her, grappling in her clothing for her elbow.

And came up with her breast.

The full mound filled his palm. Pangs of need roiled through his body and he quickly staunched them. The last thing this woman wanted was to look down and see the bulge of an erection in the front of his khakis. She needed water. Air-conditioning. Less clothing.

That thought spiraled out of control. Lurid visions flitted through his mind. Visions of peeling away each layer to find the tiny gift within, as if he were unwrapping a package.

Damn, the heat has fried my brains.

He sucked in a breath and rather than catching the stale, moldering scent he associated with many of the homeless people he worked with, he got a whiff of spicy jasmine. He rocked back on his heels. Where was she from? Why was she lying under the park bench? To find that heavenly smell associated with this woman was mind- numbing.

She twisted away from his touch, leaving him with a throbbing sense of loss and a raging hard-on.

You need to get out of those clothes. It’s ninety-six degrees today. You’ll have a heat stroke.

This time she responded to his words. One small hand emerged from the depths of her layers and waved. I need the coverings.

Her accent was strangely lilting and indiscernible. It dawned on him that she was perhaps of Middle Eastern descent and her dress was traditional.

You need to find someplace cool. Can I help you home?

Those wide eyes blinked at him once more, as if she didn’t register what he was saying. Maybe the heat had already addled her senses. He reached for her again.

Let me take you someplace cool and buy you a drink. You need to lower your temperature.

Her dark, naturally red lips twitched at the corner and he went absolutely still, eager to hear her voice again, wondering if she’d smile for him.

What are you doing, Niles? Get her into a restaurant, set her up with a lemonade, then get your ass to the office.

Her mouth worked as if trying to form words, giving him the impression that English was not her native language.

I don’t have a...what did you call it? Home.

Her admission unlocked that small place in his heart. Emotion rushed in and he knew beyond a doubt that she was his next project. It seemed as if every year he found one person who needed help more than others, a person who touched him deeply enough to devote his time to. Hell, if he had to give up his evenings boxing to make room for her in his schedule, he would.

He racked his brain, trying to think of which shelters had extra beds. This morning when he’d placed Rodney—after the man had lost his house and spent four days on the street without food or shelter—he’d fought for the last bed on this side of town. To get her into another shelter he didn’t work with regularly would mean some groveling was in his future. Sometimes the social workers in the city would get together and do a sort of pool of accounts, trading for people who could better help them. He hated to lose any of his clients—he loved them all. But if it meant getting this woman into the safety of a shelter, he’d do it.

She wouldn’t last one night on the street. She’d be raped, beaten, murdered. A shiver ran down his spine.

Come with me, please. I can help you.

Her long, black brows knitted in the center and creases outlined her beautiful mouth.

I swear I’m here to help you. He dug into his back pocket and pulled out his ID. See that? I’m Niles Walker. I work with people who need help. I can help you.

Her mouth softened but the divot between her brows remained. Will you at least tell me your name?

Again her mouth worked, her full lower lip jutting out in an irresistible pout, then stretching tight as she formed the word. Vega.

For no good reason, the notes of her name sent a spike of need straight to his  groin.

The little door of his heart creaked open wider.

He found himself smiling. "Vega. All right, Vega, please let me get you a drink.

Come this way. My office is around the corner."

She drew up to her full height and the rags she wore seemed to undulate around her form. He hoped she’d at least take down her hood once they reached the privacy of his office. He knew little about ethnic customs and made a mental note to do some research tonight before he went to bed. In the meantime she needed to find some cool.

He located her arm beneath her layers. Heat scalded him and he almost jerked away. Damn, she had to be ready to collapse. Bending at the knees to peer into her eyes, he studied her. Her gaze was direct and bright, not glassy or dull. How was she putting off temperatures like that without passing out?

Come on. Giving a little tug, he tried to lead her to the path. Five minutes ago, he’d been peacefully strolling that trail but now he felt shaken. Off balance.

Heat prickled his side where she walked. Her steps were light and tripping like a dancer’s. Where in the hell had she come from? Perhaps she was an illegal alien and found herself in this country without means. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d run across such a case in his thirteen years as a social worker.

The film of sweat on his face made his glasses slide down his nose and he nudged them up with a forefinger. If he was drenched in his white cotton dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up, she must be about to expire in her black layers. Yet she didn’t seem to be feeling the heat like him. Her skin was clear and dry.

As she walked, her hood slipped, giving him a tantalizing glimpse of a dark wave on her forehead. Quickly she righted the cloth. It swallowed her face and shaded her eyes.

Where are you from? Can you tell me? Shaking her head, she set her lips in a line.

Aha. An illegal then. But he didn’t care. She was a human and deserving of help— help he knew how to administer.

First a drink. Not far around the bend usually a hot dog vendor was set up. He’d have bottled water.

As the thick shrubbery gave way to an open grassy yard, he spotted the vendor’s signature red baseball cap. He called out in his usual loud Brooklyn accent at their approach.

Niles, my man. What gives today? No hot dogs for lunch?

Not today. But I’ll take two bottles of water, please. Even if she was hungry, it was best to see how she kept down fluid first. She could be very ill, despite her appearance.

He fished a couple bills from his front pocket and handed them over in exchange for the water. He placed the cool bottle in her hands.

She stared at it blankly, rotating it to see the label. Her fingers left marks on the condensation. Again, explicit images ripped through his mind, of drawing one dainty fingertip to his lips and lapping off the moisture there.

He shuddered.

Taking the bottle from her, he twisted off the cap. Drink. You need it.

It was a wonder she was on her feet, let alone functioning so well. Though she did seem a little spaced-out.

When she tipped the bottle to her mouth, he grew fixated on the way her lips clamped around the plastic. Her throat moved with her swallows. She drained the bottle in a few seconds and reached for the other one.

He gave a short laugh. Not so fast. Too much water can make you sick. Just process that first.

Taking her arm, he set off toward his office. Emerging from the tranquility of the park was always a shocker. The city street bustled with foot traffic and the noxious fumes of buses filled his nostrils. He longed to lean in and draw a lungful of Vega’s jasmine perfume instead.

Vega.

An unusual name, but so fitting for her. Exotic and yet musical. The  way she walked could have been a dance, her steps light and silent. Damn, he’d like to get a glimpse of her hips.

Man, I’ve been deprived for too long.

His last relationship ended nine months ago. While he could find plenty of women interested in dating for fun or one-night stands, he was old enough he didn’t want that. He was ready to find that perfect woman and the comfortable apartment, the two kids and the dog.

He flicked his hair off his forehead. In heat like this, he wondered why he didn’t take his mother’s advice and cut his hair short. She liked to see his ears—said he had good ears. He argued that he wore it long since the third grade when Marjorie Clee said his ears looked weird.

Are you feeling okay? Not faint or anything?

She shook her head and a dark curl tumbled down to caress her jaw.

Burning need washed through him and he twitched his hands into fists to keep from brushing away that glossy lock. This time she didn’t bother to conceal it in her hood, but stared at him steadily.

I’m okay. She pronounced the word exactly as he did, with the same enunciation on the kay, making him believe she was copying his language.

Vega, I’m going to help you. Whatever you need—food, a cool place to lay your head at night, clothes—I’ll get for you. And I’m here to listen to you too.

She mouthed the word listen, then sank her square white teeth into her plush lower lip.

White heat crawled the walls of his core. God, had he ever reacted to a woman so strongly before?

She doesn’t need your kisses, Niles. Get a damn grip.

As they wended their way through the crowded city street to his office, he wondered how he was going to put aside his other clients to take care of Vega. He itched to jam his hands into his gloves and deliver the mean left hook he was known for. He had a feeling his frustrations were only beginning.

This was going to be a long day.

Chapter Two

The brilliant sun poured through the tall windows of Niles’ office. Though Vega could hardly tear her gaze from the dashing man, she tried not to gape at the mounds of paper or the tall silver cabinets behind him. Most of this world was alien to her. At least she knew what windows and an office were. While she might know the word paper, she had no clue what it might be used for.

She shrank into the recesses of her clothes, seeking to stay out of the sunlight. A fallen star had no place on Earth at any time, let alone at midday during a heat wave. But she had exactly two weeks to accomplish her mission. If she didn’t burn up first.

As a celestial being, she was accustomed to high temperatures. Of all the stars in her constellation, she was the brightest in the velvety southern sky. But the difference was just that—she hung in the night sky.

When she’d slipped through the atmosphere and collided with Earth’s crust, she was stunned by the rising sun. For her entire life, she’d faded into the distance when the first sparks of sunlight pierced her dark realm. The rays were like shards of glass in her eyes and her flesh broiled.

When she and her twin sister had come across the ancient text written by Nira, the only star ever to have fallen before, Vega had merely skimmed the information about how to survive in human form beneath the debilitating heat of the sun, more interested in the idea of how to fall in the first place.

At the time, Vega had wondered how a simple thought to rise or fall could ever do the trick, but it had.

More than anything, she longed to be back up there again, hanging amongst her people. On Earth, she was of the Darkling species, or a star that had fallen, but she wished she were in her true place. In the winter and spring, she was viewed by the peoples of the north. However, she loved summer the best, because she hung over the Southern Hemisphere and was able to hear the whisperings of the Earthlings in those exotic lands of Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil. Everything about those humans thrilled her, from their customs to their language. In fact, it was too bad this man before her didn’t speak those tongues. She knew little English.

There’s no use bemoaning your situation. You got yourself into this mess.

She blinked rapidly to dispel the tears that threatened to fall. The unfamiliar burn against her eyelids annoyed her. Stars didn’t weep.

You are part of the great constellation Gemini. You’re strong.

Her mental pep talk did nothing to stop the salty drops from falling down her cheeks.

Niles’ voice was clogged with concern. Oh Vega. He jumped off his chair and strode around his big wooden desk. He grabbed a rectangular object with a bit of white fluff sticking out of the top and waved it beneath her nose.

She stared at it through blurred vision, wondering what she was meant to do  with it. Reaching out, she accepted it. It felt different from anything she’d ever touched before. She prodded the white substance with a fingertip, fascinated by the way it fluttered.

Niles reached over and pulled a piece from the box. And very gently, he stroked her face with it. The instant he did so, she recalled seeing people do this same thing. All this time, she’d thought the white squares to be cloth.

His nearness overwhelmed her. A deep, musky scent made her head spin. And his black eyes burned into her from behind dark-rimmed glasses. Glasses she knew, but she didn’t understand the expression he wore. The glimmer of emotion seemed to scorch her with a heat all its own. This physical form she’d assumed when she entered the Earth’s atmosphere stirred to life. Warm tendrils threaded through her limbs and took up residence low in her belly.

Using his fingertip covered by the white papery stuff, he dried her tears. Each touch sent new sparks of warmth through this human form. Suddenly she wondered why she hadn’t tried to fall before. The feelings she was experiencing were altogether new. And exciting.

As she studied Niles’ face close up, she tried not to focus on his heavy black brows or the stubble on his square jaw that she longed to touch. While hanging in the night sky, she watched a lot of human lovemaking, and knew stroking a man’s face would lead to more.

Remember why you’re here, Vega.

The name jarred her. In her language, Vega meant Fallen Star. Here she was a fallen star, and so her name shifted to Vega while she remained a Darkling. If she were shining in the night sky still, she’d be Pollux, twin to Castor.

She struggled not to gasp even as her tears fell faster. Oh why had she been careless with the starscale—a dragon’s scale that had been enchanted by the Old Ones? In two weeks, the starscale would be used to bring light to newborn stars.

And she’d dropped it. To Earth.

If she didn’t find it, no more stars could be brought to light.

Each year the brightest star of a constellation was given the honor of keeping the starscale safe until the lighting. The glory of carrying the treasured object to the ceremony was almost as exciting as becoming a newborn star. In her time, the constellation Gemini hadn’t had possession of the starscale and Vega had been thrilled with the responsibility—a responsibility that she’d flubbed with her carelessness. Dropping any object through the atmosphere would result in the worst sort of punishment—let alone an item of such distinction.

––––––––

Right about now her twin sister would discover she and the starscale were missing.

She anticipated the blistering her ears would receive upon her return.

If you return. Between the sun and the look Niles is giving you, you might be turned to ash first.

A fresh sob choked her.

Niles’ brows crumpled at her distress. He set aside the rectangle with the fluff and pulled her roughly into his arms.

The initial contact stunned her. A dark heat wove through her core, shocking her with pleasure. The pressure of his hands on her spine affected her new body in ways she’d never dreamed possible, and his scent filtered into her psyche. These sensations blocked the tumult of her surroundings. The chaos of the space, dozens of objects she didn’t know the names of, trilling phones beyond the walls and horns blaring from the street below. In her soft pillow of darkness, she was isolated from such noise. She longed for her world.

I don’t even know if you can understand me, Vega. I feel so badly that you’re crying. What can I do to help if you can’t tell me?

Her lips were pressed against his shoulder. When she spoke, a shiver ran through him. I understand you, Niles.

He tightened his arms around her. I’ll help you, but I need information from you. He pulled away but she followed him, loving the contact of his flesh against hers. It was the most centered she’d felt since her fall.

And he looked so much like those dashing men she watched from her perch near her sister. Dark skin and hair and flashing black eyes...

Oh sweetie, he rasped. His hands convulsed on her waist.

I can’t tell you much about why I’m here except that I do need help. I’m not from this land and I’m looking for something. She tilted her face up to his and found his lips inches away. How would it feel to touch her lips to his? While she’d watched plenty of people kissing, she’d never experienced it for herself.

His breath was coming harsh and fast now. It washed across her face and instilled a yearning in her she couldn’t explain.

All right, Vega. You’re not from this country. Do you have paperwork? Are you allowed to be here?

She shook her head. If her sister didn’t quickly find someone to hold her place in the constellation Gemini, she’d be found out and maybe banished from her world forever. When she’d made the decision to fall and go after the starscale, she hadn’t dared to let anyone know her secret.

And she had no idea what paperwork was.

He smoothed his palms up her back and held her shoulders. Now this she knew was a kissing pose. The fire in her belly blazed hotter.

––––––––

No paperwork. I knew it. He spoke under his breath but she heard him well enough. There isn’t a bed anyhow. There’s only one answer really.

She fixed her gaze on his mouth as he rambled, wondering if his lips were as hard as they looked.

Vega, I’m going to take you to my place. His voice faltered and he shot a glance at the closed door. I’m not supposed to do that, but I don’t know what else to do with you. I can’t allow you to stay in the park again. I promise not to do anything unseemly.

Confusion fogged her. She didn’t know that word. She copied him, mouthing the word unseemly.

He ran his long, strong fingers through his hair. Damn, I know you don’t understand what I’m saying.

No, she did. Well, a little bit. She shook her head and her hood fell back. Cool air trickled over her scalp. She gasped and jerked her hands to right it, but Niles caught them with a soft moan. His rough fingers gripped hers and, very slowly, he drew them down.

It’s a hot day. No matter what your customs, you must have a bit of cool. Here. He released her and snagged the drink from the corner of his desk, pressing the cool cylinder into her hands. Drink, then we’ll go. I’ll sign out early. Oh shit! He nudged his glasses up his nose and whirled toward his desk.

While she twisted off the top of the bottle the way she’d seen him do, he picked  up a telephone and punched a button.

Brady, I need you to see Mischa today. Can you do that for me? Yeah, I know it’s short notice. She’s due in, he looked at his watch, half an hour. But I really need to go home early. It’s an emergency. I’ll run home then come back halfway through the session. If you could just start for me... You know about Mischa’s attempt two weeks ago. I’ve spent a lot of time with her at the hospital and at her treatment center. It has to be today, and you’re the only other person she’s ever opened up to.

He listened for a long moment, alternately fiddling with a pen and clenching his hand into a fist. He gave his thigh a hard whack, making Vega draw up straight in her chair. She noted the brackets around his mouth and the tense set to his shoulders. Then suddenly, he eased.

Collapsing against the desk, he pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. The lines of his body entranced her. Ropes of muscle bulged beneath his white cotton shirt, and the fabric of his pants stretched tight across the big muscles of his thighs. The dark hair sprouting around his wristwatch drew her like a flame to a wick.

Glancing up, he caught her gaze. And held it.

In her realm, when two celestial beings would fuse and become one star, a shirring noise occurred like electricity humming through lines. She swore she heard that now. Yet he wasn’t celestial and she’d shifted to a human form to find the starscale.

As she recalled that her reason for being here wasn’t a six-foot-two-inch muscled male, she started to cry again. She had to locate the starscale so the magic the Old Ones had infused into the object could light the newborns. Over the millennia, that magic had diminished in the elders until their powers were a faint glimmer in comparison. That meant there was no possibility of creating a new starscale if she was unsuccessful. And no more stars would be born.

Thanks, Brady. I’ll call you tonight to see how it went with Mischa.  Niles dropped the phone to the receiver and sank to his knees before her. He captured her hand. She marveled at the way his broad fingers spread hers slightly farther than was comfortable.

Everything’s taken care of. Are you ready to come with me? He caught her gaze.

She nodded. What choice did she have? Though she came from a vast galaxy, this world seemed bigger and more frightening. There was little chance that she could find the starscale without help. And there were the added problems of contact with the sun and the fact she needed water. Lots of it. If she didn’t have it, her human form would burn up.

She chugged the rest of the cool fluid, her tears falling all the time. What a watery mess this body was, but she was stuck with it until she found that starscale.

As Niles helped her to her feet, electric tingles surged to her fingertips again. She might not like this land or her present form very well, but she did enjoy the scorching pulsations in her lower belly.

Her tears fled. She gripped his big hand and gave him what felt like a funny grimace. He paused with a hand on the door, gazing down at her with a half-smile on his face. She suddenly realized that’s what the grimace had been—her first smile.

Letting it broaden, stretching her features, she watched his grow too, spreading upward to crinkle his eyes.

Yes, he was a beautiful man, one of the most striking she’d ever seen in all her centuries hovering above the Earth.

For the time being, she was stuck here and in the company of a sexy Earthling. She could struggle with her new situation or completely give up control. Hadn’t she always wondered what it would be like to be in the arms of a lover?

Without much contemplation, she knew her decision. If she had to be trapped in the body of an Earthling, she wanted the experiences to go with it.

Chapter Three

Niles leaned against the doorframe between the living room and kitchen of his apartment and stared at the sleeping woman on his sofa. In repose, her face was more striking than ever. Who was she and where had she come from? For two full days she’d been sleeping and downing glasses of water. After so many hours of this behavior, he was starting to get alarmed and wondered if he should call medical personnel.

He crossed the room to the sofa and attempted to shake her awake.

She flung out an arm and twisted her head hard to the side, but didn’t open her eyes.

Vega, wake up!

Her full lips worked as if she were trying to speak.

He laid his palm on her forehead, relieved to find she wasn’t hot. At some point during the night, she’d stripped off the outer layer of clothes, leaving her in only a thin chemise. It clung damply to the outer curve of her breast and the slope of her hip.

He tore his gaze away. You’ve got to wake up and talk to me, Vega. I’m worried. Pollux from Gemini. Earth is too hot, but I’ll grow accustomed to it. More water please...

He straightened with surprise. What the—? Chafing a hand over his face, he bumped his glasses. He yanked them off and massaged his eyes. What the hell was he doing? There was something seriously wrong with her. The best thing to do was call the shelter and fight to secure a space for her. He’d been wrong to bring her here. He couldn’t start harboring the homeless in his apartment.

Sure you don’t need her to leave because you want her, Niles?

His body hummed at the sight of her curves. In fact, every long glance and touch he’d exchanged with her loomed up in his mind, as sweet and soft as a day in the country. Wiping her tears and holding her as she cried did things to his insides he hadn’t felt...well, ever.

He stared at her again without his glasses. Besides the facts that she wasn’t from this country and was searching for something, he knew little about her. When he’d gotten her into the apartment, she’d fallen instantly asleep and had awakened only to drink or to stumble to the bathroom.

Reaching down, he brushed a glossy raven lock from her velvety cheek. A lone wave pooled in the hollow of her collarbone and he longed to follow the length and learn the feel of her flesh. In fact, he fought to keep from gathering up that glossy lock and dipping his tongue into the delicious depression at the base of her throat.

Get a grip, man. Find out where she’s come from and what she needs, then turn her loose on the world.

Bold thoughts for a man who collected down-and-outs as if they were stray kittens.

He jammed his glasses back on his face and spun toward the kitchen. The tile floor cooled his bare feet but he was still hot. The inadequate air-conditioning in his apartment didn’t help his already impassioned state.

Reaching into a high cupboard, he pulled down a glass and filled it with iced tea. His apartment was his refuge from the sometimes depressing outside world, and now he’d brought one of the sad situations home with him. For two days, he’d been passing the bulk of his caseload off on Brady. Except for Mischa. In her delicate state, Niles couldn’t afford to upset the balance of their relationship. Their talks might mean the difference between life and death for this special young girl.

But he had to get to the bottom of the mystery surrounding the sleeping woman on his sofa before he broke down and touched her the way he longed to.

For the fiftieth time, his mind raced with questions. Who was she? Where had she come from? What did she need help finding, and how was he going to get any information from her? Between their obvious communication problems and her heavy sleep, he wasn’t likely to learn what she needed soon.

He braced his feet wide and sipped the cold brew, wishing she was awake so he could talk to her. The faster he figured out how to help her, the faster he’d be able to return to his life. Tiptoeing around a heart-stopping woman asleep on his sofa and keeping his racing thoughts in check was putting enormous pressure on him. In the two days she’d been there, he’d done little more than gaze at her. He’d even missed his boxing practices.

She needs help finding something. What? A person?

A sliver of dread sliced through his chest as he realized she might have followed someone to this country. Someone she may be in love with.

Not your business, guy. Focus. She didn’t shed all those tears because she’s all right. It was his job to uncover her troubles and help her solve them.

Just like he should be doing with Mischa right now.

He flipped his wrist and checked the time. She’d be arriving at the office in half an hour. A street kid with little love in her raw existence, it was no wonder she’d given in to her debilitating depression and bipolar tendencies and tried to take her life.

But it gutted him that she had. If only she’d called him.

A quiet noise in the other room yanked him from his melancholy thoughts. He set down his glass and strode to the door. Peeking into the living area, he fixed his gaze on the stunning beauty on the sofa. She was curled on one side. One slender forearm hung over the side of the sofa, her knuckles almost brushing the floor.

She drew a snorting, hitching breath and released it in a wheezing gasp.

A rumble of laughter threatened to burst out of his chest. He pressed a fist to his lips to suppress it. His goddess was snoring.

Quickly his struggle to keep from laughing gave way to a battle over his emotions. A deep need to protect her overwhelmed him. Maybe the intimacy of watching her sleep hour after hour or her guile-free gaze fed his need to shelter her.

It’s probably the tender point of her chin driving these passions in you, Niles. Get hold of yourself.

Still, he couldn’t tear his gaze away. With each snoring breath, the soft upper bow of her lip fluttered in and out. Her lashes were long and curling and lay against her smooth cheeks. He longed to stroke them with a fingertip to discover if they were as unbelievably soft as they appeared.

His cock throbbed heavily in the confines of his pants. Yeah, this idea was turning out worse than he imagined. His regular caseload was stressful, but throw in a hot illegal sprawled on his sofa for two days plus the fact that his morals didn’t allow him to hook up with just anyone, and he hadn’t had sex in close to a year, and he was ready to hit something. Literally.

In a few hours, he hoped to have made some decisions in regards to her welfare. He needed to sneak away to the gym to get a few rounds in with his opponent Darien. He was expected in the ring at seven o’clock for a big fight, but if Vega didn’t wake up, he couldn’t exactly leave her here alone. She might be frightened.

He flexed his fingers into fists and then released them. If you miss that fight, you’ll manage. You’ll do what’s best.

He went back to the kitchen and retrieved his iced tea, then returned to take up the chair across from Vega. The old cushions sank beneath his weight. As his head filled with her natural perfume, he relaxed back with a sigh.

He’d drawn the curtains to keep the room cool. A single piercing sliver of light escaped the thick cloth and fell across the arm of the sofa. It didn’t touch the sleeping woman, yet she seemed to glow. For long minutes he watched the odd golden lights play over her skin, thinking it one of the most beautiful tricks of the eye he’d ever experienced.

Quiet snores became lulling music and pretty soon his body tuned into it. The knot between his shoulder blades loosened and some of the constant ache behind his eyes ebbed away. He removed his glasses and rested them on his knee.

Man, you’ve got it bad.

As he watched the rise and fall of her chest beneath the thin gown she wore, he knew beyond a doubt something wasn’t right with her. After more than a decade of working with the needy, he’d developed a sixth sense. And it told him Vega harbored a deeper secret.

Determination filled him. When she awakened, he was going to ask her some very hard questions. If he was to help her, she’d need to confide in him. By nightfall, he would have those answers.

* * * * *

Vega awakened to find Niles kneeling beside her, stroking her hair. A crinkle of concern was carved between his dark brows as he studied her. She licked her lips and his gaze flashed to her mouth.

You all right, sweetheart? You were crying out in your sleep. Her throat was as dry as moon dust. She nodded.

Seeming to understand her needs, he reached for a pitcher of water and a glass on the end table. She scooted into a sitting position and propped herself on the sofa cushions. Her limbs felt heavy and hot. Stealing a glance at the window, she realized it was still day. While the curtains were drawn, beads of light speckled the hardwood floor.

Thank goodness. I must be gaining a tolerance to the sun.

The crisp sound of the liquid tipping into the glass made her mouth water. Thank you.

He watched her drink, his gaze solemn. I’m worried about you, Vega. Can I get you a doctor?

No. I’m better now, see?

He brushed his knuckles over her cheekbone and then nodded. Cool. Good. The wrinkle on his forehead disappeared, replaced by smile lines around his eyes. You snore.

Confusion danced through her mind. Snore?

Uh, yes. He did a series of grunts, snorts and wheezes that set her face aflame.

She touched the droplets of moisture on her forehead, wondering if she was able to glow in this body. It felt like it.

Sounds like a dragon, she said.

He laughed. You’re interested in dragons? Let me show you something. In one fluid motion, he gained his feet. She watched his muscles bunch and roll as he strode out of the room. A minute later, he returned carrying a wooden box.

She sat up straighter as he set it gently on the low table. What could he have?

He flicked the small brass catch and opened the hinged lid. She glimpsed a flash of gray. Her heart tripped, flipped and sped out of control.

In a flurry, she dropped to her knees before the table and peered into the box. Small discs—the same shape as starscales.

Are they dragon scales?

His smile broadened. No, they’re fossils. See this one? He placed one in her hands. Right here is an imprint an animal made thousands of years ago.

She stared at the claw marks. Tears of disappointment burned behind her eyes, and suddenly they were falling, dropping fast. Rivulets ran over the disc in  her hand, cutting tracks in the dust.

Hey, hey, hey. What is it? He gently removed the fossil from her hand and set it aside to take her into his arms.

It’s just so beautiful. It reminds me of the object I’m looking for.

She heard his throat click as he swallowed. I’ll help you find it, Vega. You only have to tell me what I’m looking for.

Turning her face into the soft cotton of his shirt, she drew a deep, gulping breath of his clean scent. An overwhelming urge to touch him scorched low in her belly. She understood little about this body, but knew that fire needed to be sated.

Before she could lose her nerve, she lifted her face, leaned in and pressed her mouth over his. A surge of passion flooded her limbs, making them heavy yet pulsing at once. She wriggled closer, needing more as his scents swirled through her brain.

A low groan sounded from his chest, igniting her further. The sweet pressure between her thighs grew. Instinctively, she angled her head to gain better access to his mouth.

And was shocked when he parted her lips with the point of his tongue. She gasped and he took full advantage, sweeping the recesses of her mouth until her mind whirled.

She looped her arms around his neck and clung to him, mimicking the flipping and stroking movements of his velvety tongue until his muscles vibrated beneath her hands. Against her belly, his cock stiffened. A spike of need captured her. She wanted to see it, touch it. From her vantage point in the night sky, male parts looked hard as stone. But Niles’ didn’t feel that way.

She ran her palm over the flat of his chest, reveling in each dip and swell of muscle. Her body responded by releasing a flood of cream between her thighs. She shifted restlessly to ease it and raised another groan from him.

He plunged his tongue into her mouth again and again, drinking from her almost forcefully. The delightful bruise of his lips set her aflame and she forgot about her need for water or the fact that the sun was trickling through the draperies. The fire inside her would soon consume her if he didn’t touch her.

She caught his hands and lifted them to her aching breasts.

He stilled his kiss, his lips motionless against hers. He opened his eyes and they stared at each other close up. A shiver ran down her spine. She’d never felt as right as she did in his arms.

The knot in her belly tightened as he lightly rubbed his palms over her sensitive nipples.

Baby, you’re so beautiful. So soft. He glided his fingertips around each pebbled nipple until she threw back her head and cried out at the exquisite torment. He plucked them until she quivered, and then slowly lowered his mouth to her arched throat.

White heat stabbed her. Her muscles were limp yet straining for his touch. Suddenly she understood the lovemaking she’d witnessed from her home in the sky— all those lovers experienced this pleasure and that’s why their faces glowed.

He kissed a rough path up her throat to the crest of her chin, which he nibbled delicately. He pinched her nipples hard and slow and she writhed against him.

Thrusting her hand between their tight bodies, she found his stiff shaft bulging against the constraints of his pants. A guttural sound left him and she opened her eyes to watch his face as she learned the shape of his body.

His cock was long and thick with a spongy tip. But she needed to feel the flesh.

Would it be hard, or soft as the rest of his skin?

He released her breasts, gripped the hem of her chemise and yanked it over her head. The kiss of cool air sent ripples of pleasure over her. She copied him by removing his shirt too.

The first kiss of their bare bodies was pure bliss. Her pussy contracted hard and more wetness pooled on her inner thighs. If only he’d touch her...

A dark need rose in her. She reached into his waistband and brushed her fingers over his cock.

He bucked against her hand. She felt her lips tilt up in the strange sensation that was a smile. He mirrored her by giving her a heart-melting grin. As she fumbled with his pants, he slammed his mouth over hers again.

The tongue-dueling kiss might have lasted seconds or a century. She’d never experienced such ecstasy in her celestial form.

When she successfully manipulated the button of his pants, she gave a soft cry of triumph. Dipping her fingers inside his pants, she extracted his length. The silken steel lay warm on her palm. His balls clenched against her fingertips. She gently massaged them in time to the flip of her tongue against his.

Tearing his mouth from hers, he ducked his head and caught her nipple between his lips. He clamped down on it hard and she was surprised not to feel pain but wonderful torment. The first lap of his tongue sent pulsations of pleasure through her.

She wrapped her fingers around his shaft and pumped it lightly. His response threatened to send her over the edge. He stiffened and a small trickle of come oozed from the tip.

I have to taste you, she whispered.

Me first. He gripped her waist and tossed her back onto the area rug. Hovering over her, he spent a long minute studying her.

Please. I want this.

His dark pupils were blown wide and his eyes appeared blurred. If he felt a portion of the passion she did, he must be out of his head. She flicked the tip of his erection with one finger and more come trickled out.

Hurry.

With a growl, he flipped around and thrust his head between her thighs. Her bare pussy wept for his kiss. She knew from her past voyeuristic pleasures with Earthlings that Niles was going to taste her. But she wasn’t prepared for the absolute bliss that followed.

He plunged his tongue between her wet folds. A shock of fire burst inside her and she rocked upward against his mouth, seeking more of this intimate kiss. He bathed her outer lips, then the inner. When he reached the knot of nerves at the top, she thought she’d surely combust.

Using his tongue, he pressed back the hood covering her core and gently caressed it. Each moist swirl of his tongue sent her higher and higher.

Suddenly realizing his thick length bobbed near her face, she grasped his buttocks and yanked him in, swallowing him to the root in one smooth suck.

He moaned against her pussy. The vibrations rattled her. She sought to do the same for him and mewled around his length. His warm flesh on her tongue thrilled her.

She ran her tongue over his fleshy head and gathered the delicious juices leaking from him. The salty musk burst on her tongue and she drew on him harder, wanting him to shoot those hot ropes into her mouth so she could devour them.

He worked over her pussy, licking her clit until she shook with the need to find fulfillment. When he eased his tongue down her seam and thrust it into her moist opening, she quivered. The scorching need to reach something higher consumed her.

She gripped his shaft at the base and ran it through her fist as she hollowed her cheeks and pulled on his cock.

I’m gonna blow, he whispered against her sex. Then he enveloped her nubbin in one big bite, sending her flying over the edge of the world.

It was like falling. Mindless pleasure ripped through her. Her body clenched and released again and again just as the first spurt of his come jetted against the back of her throat. Instinctively she swallowed, riding the waves of her release and his. Her world narrowed to include only his flavor, the feel of his mouth on her and the inferno in her core.

She dug her nails into his buttocks. He thrust his hips, forcing her to take him deeper until she swallowed the last drop of his come. He continued to lap at her pussy softly, bringing her down with expert skill. When he raised his head from her, she met his gaze and the knot in her core took up residence in her heart.

Chapter Four

The raucous cries of the crowd as Niles climbed out of the boxing ring thundered in Vega’s ears. As she caught sight of his handsome face, she gasped. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth and a short gash over his dark brow.

A man grabbed his elbow before he could reach her. She strained onto tiptoe to make out what was going on above the crush of people. Niles leaned against the side of the ring while the older man swabbed the blood slicking his temple.  Vega’s heart surged into her throat when he winced.

After a minute of applying pressure to the wound with a clean towel, the man stepped back and assessed Niles.

The noise of the crowd fell all at once. Clearly, she heard him say, I’m all right, boss. I’ve gotta talk to someone.

He shoved through the people to reach her side, a grin splitting his face. She gaped at him, stunned by the lights glistening off his sweaty chest and face. As if he were a star.

Niles, you’re hurt!

I’ll be okay. Don’t worry. This is what boxing is about. I can’t believe you’ve never seen a fight.

I don’t want you to do it anymore. He’s hurting you.

Nah, I’ve got the upper hand. See? His face is way uglier than mine and I took him down cleanly. The next fight will be even quicker. I have a few pounds on him.

She peered between the ropes to see the opponent. He was sitting in  a corner, having several cuts on his face bandaged. Turning to Niles again, she captured his gaze. I don’t like it.

He caught her wrists and stared into her eyes. I’m all right. Look, I’ve gotta get back in there. Wait here, Vega. Don’t move from this spot, and if anyone asks you to go with him, refuse. Understand?

She blinked up at Niles. After days of slipping in and out of consciousness, she’d grown very used to this concerned expression. She longed for that other look—the one that had melted her toes to the floor after he’d just spent long minutes loving her with his mouth.

The scents of sweat and cigarette smoke stung her nose. A sharper scent clung to him—some kind of jelly his boss applied to his cut—but she longed for the fresh, musky scent she remembered.

Vega—

––––––––

She threw herself at him. His body was like a stone wall slicked with perspiration and a smear of blood. He said he liked this sport, that it was for fun and to relieve stress—a word she didn’t understand—but it was scaring her. A tremor had begun low in her core, similar in feeling to when she geared up to light the night sky. Like a hiss of a teapot. Celestials referred to it as star shivers.

No, she didn’t like this sport Niles called boxing. After a couple days sequestered in the private cocoon of his apartment, she’d forgotten how sinister this world felt. Most of the time she’d been asleep, but there had been many tender waking moments like their earlier exchange about the fossils. Her pulse raced at the memory of their lovemaking.

She gripped his shoulders, afraid to let him go back to the ring.

However, the sight of his tanned muscles gleaming with moisture as he’d ducked and swerved and jabbed roused her. Her heartbeat had quickened. Strange, prickly sensations ran over her breasts and the space between her thighs grew wet and tingly. Seeing him in nothing more than a pair of loose black shorts, her body reacted.

His arms flexed around her and he dropped his lips to her ear. Vega, please. I’m sorry this is worrying you, but I’m really okay. Can you let me do this fight? I promise we’ll leave afterward. I’ll forfeit the other matches. My next opponent’s waiting for me, so I need to get in there.

She hid her face against his chest, wishing she were alone with him so she could tell him everything. Could she even find the words?

He continued to croon against her hair. Her world narrowed to a small point. Suddenly the crowd vanished and she knew only Niles—his arousing musk and the throb of his heart beneath her ear.

She lifted her face. Without his glasses, his eyes appeared more luminous, as if they reflected the night sky.

Smoothing the pad of her thumb over his cheek, she wiped away the blood. I don’t like him hurting you, she said again.

A low groan vibrated his chest, sending shooting sparks of need through her  limbs.

Need she now fully understood. She’d never experienced such roiling feelings.

He crushed her to him. Damn, I shouldn’t have you here. I’ll be finished in no time, Vega. Mischa’s supposed to come soon, but I’ll have to call and let her know I’m bugging out early. Let me tell my manager. When he drew away, she wrapped her fingers around his thick biceps and held him. The roped muscles jerked and trembled beneath her touch.

Words of her native language streamed through her consciousness, but she could not form them with these lips. Her mouth opened and closed.

His expression softened. Using his knuckles, he brushed an errant curl off her forehead. Sweetheart, what is it?

––––––––

Suddenly the words formed in her mind and she was able to speak them. I don’t want you to stop fighting. You should stay. Your friend...Mischa...she’s coming and you said you needed to talk to her.

Yes, but I have you to think about too. Are you feeling okay? Tired?

Hey, Walker, you coming back for more? Another hook and you’ll be on your ass, man! The huge man leaned over the ropes and shot him a jeering grin.

A crooked smile stretched Niles’ lips. He held up one finger and turned back to Vega.

What does that mean...you’ll be on your ass?

Nothing. Honey, this is just for fun. Darien and I are actually good friends. Shit, I didn’t realize how much you didn’t understand when I brought you here. What was I thinking? Listen, I’m going to finish this fight. By then Mischa should be here. After I talk to her, we’ll leave, I promise.

Promise. She repeated the word, fixing it securely in her growing vocabulary. Oh sweetheart. The soft words whooshed from him. His eyelids fluttered shut  as

he coiled an arm around her waist and yanked her against him again. "For days I’ve

waited for you to wake long enough to hold a conversation, and instead I’m here getting knocked around. What am I doing? I shouldn’t even be  touching  you. But damn, woman, you undo me."

Tendrils of flame whipped through her core. She pressed her nose against his big shoulder and enjoyed the salt beneath her lips. She couldn’t make sense of boxing or why the crowd would be cheering for them to hit each other, but in Niles’ hold, she felt secure. Besides, until she found the starscale, she needed him.

He ran a fingertip down her spine and then he released her. As he spun for the ropes once more, the voice of the crowd lifted. A deafening cheer went up, followed by shouts of his name. Flashing a grin, he ducked between the ropes and faced his opponent.

Vega surged forward, nudging and shoving her way through the throng of people around the ring. She was more petite than most of them, so was able to duck under arms and dodge right to the front. A thudding blow resounded in her ears, followed by the scream of the crowd. With a cry she gripped the rope just in time to see Darien’s glove glance off Niles’ shoulder.

Niles tossed his head and grinned around what he’d called a protective mouthpiece his coach had stuffed between his teeth. Instinctively, Vega thrust a hand between the ropes and tried to reach him.

That’s all you’ve got, Darien? We’ll see whose ass hits the floor. Droplets of sweat flew from his hair as he shifted from foot to foot.

Niles! Niles! The crowd’s voices pulsated around her. Someone pushed against her and her knees were brought up sharply against the wooden side that kept the fans from the fighters.

Smarting from the pain, she tried to ignore it and focus on Niles instead. Gone were all thoughts of her mission to retrieve the starscale and get back to her own world. She knew only Niles’ fierce expression as the bell sounded and his long arm snagged out and caught Darien in the jaw.

The man’s head rocked back. Before he could regain his senses, Niles delivered a blow to his ribs that doubled him over.

The crowd roared and Vega roared with them. She bounced on her toes, aware of the strange sponginess beneath her soles. When she’d assumed her new human form, she’d been barefoot. During the past two days, she hadn’t put on a pair of shoes. Before leaving, Niles had dug around in the back of his closet and emerged with a pair he called flip-flops. They were too long for her, but he’d sworn to buy her a pair of shoes in the morning. And new clothes if she wanted them.

As Darien toppled over, the crowd went wild around her. She looked up to see the starscale.

The noise vanished. Her mouth grew cracked and dry again. Small bumps broke out all over her body.

A young girl had the starscale clutched to her chest with one hand. Her other was upraised and her fist pumped the air. Her mouth stretched into an oval as she screamed Niles’ name.

Vega’s world narrowed to include only the shimmer of that disc-like gray object. In five steps, she could reach the girl, wrench it from her hands and disappear. Run into the night, shift into her celestial body and ascend into the air with the starscale held aloft.

The desiccated lump in her throat threatened to choke her.