"Let me look at you. Smell your delicious fragrance. Savor this moment." The Dark King looked pained as he stared down at her. The longing in his eyes seared her soul.

A dangerous feeling rose inside of Taylor, it was that same emotion she"d vowed to ignore for a while. She couldn"t go down this road again. She"d promised herself that she wouldn"t fall for another bad boy. This was just s.e.x. This had to be just s.e.x.

"I imagined what you"d look like lying amongst my furs, but my fantasies paled by comparison to the real thing," Hades said. "You are exquisite."

Taylor didn"t think her body could get any hotter, but she was wrong. Hades reached for her foot and gently kissed the bottom of her sole. A shiver tracked through her leg, settling at the juncture between her thighs. He kissed her again and ran his tongue along her arch. Taylor giggled and tried to pull away, but he wouldn"t let her.

"I need to taste you. Every inch of you." Hades nibbled on her ankle, then rained kisses upon her leg. He worked his way up one leg and down the other. He was patient, attentive, and far too thorough a lover for her piece of mind. Yet he avoided the places that needed him most.

Oh he was good, so very good.

That careful avoidance only ratcheted up her need, driving her into frenzy. When Taylor thought she couldn"t take another second, Hades flipped her onto her belly and kissed his way up the back of her legs. Her s.e.x grew moist as he neared her bottom. He had to smell her. Heck, she could smell the musk rising from her skin and she wasn"t even down there.

Hades leaned over her and inhaled. Taylor smelled so rich, ripe, and sensual. He"d never tasted skin like hers and he doubted he ever would again. The round globes of her bottom jiggled beneath him. Hades couldn"t resist taking a small bite, careful not to break the skin. She squealed as his sharp teeth latched onto her, then burst into laughter.

"Stop that." She swatted at him, but he easily avoided her half-hearted blow.

"A King doesn"t take orders," he said. "Besides, I needed to see if you tasted as good as you smelled."

She glanced over her shoulder. "And do I?"

"Better," he said, meaning it. Hades continued his journey, this time exploring her back.

The Dark King never realized how much restraint he had until this moment. All he wanted to do was bury his nose in her moist s.e.x and lap up her juices for hours. He longed to taste her release on his tongue, feel her c.l.i.t swell beneath his teeth, and plunge into her depths. But he wouldn"t. Not yet. Taylor was the type of woman meant to be savored.

He kissed her shoulder blades, then nibbled on her fragile neck, licking and sucking on the tender flesh. The tendon jumped when he touched it. Hades focused on the taut muscle, feeling it flex beneath his mouth. One bite would be all it would take. One bite would change both their destinies. He felt his incisors grow along with the urge to mark her, and quickly jerked his head away. What was he doing?

Hades stared at the small purple blemish marring the base of her pale throat and shuddered at how close he"d come to sealing their fates.

He shook his head to clear it and slowly kissed his way down Taylor"s supple spine, away from temptation. "Spread your thighs for me. Your delicious scent is driving me crazy. I want to taste you. I want to bury my face in the dew, dripping from your soft curls."

Taylor reacted in an instant. Her legs parted so wide that at first he was shocked, then Hades remembered that she was a dancer. He"d researched the meaning after she"d explained what she did. He"d seen her "dancing" in her thoughts, but for some reason he couldn"t believe it, even when faced with the facts. Hades was still angry over the idea of other men staring at her naked body. He didn"t think that would ever change, but looking at her now he realized her skills held a lot of possibilities.

Hades positioned his wide shoulders between Taylor"s trim thighs, then leaned over and inhaled. Her glorious scent washed over him, drowning him and he didn"t even try to save himself. Instead, Hades scooted forward and stuck out his tongue-his very long Atlantean tongue-and licked her from end to end.

Taylor"s sharp flavor burst inside his mouth. Hades closed his eyes and groaned. She tasted even better than he"d imagined. He swirled his tongue around her back entrance until she squirmed upon the bed and her bottom rose up to meet him. The new position brought her dripping s.e.x up to eye level.

"Don"t move!" He growled, latching onto her hips to hold her in place. Hades extended his tongue to its full seven inches and slowly entered her tight channel. Taylor"s body gripped him as he continued his journey deeper inside of her. When he was fully seated, Hades curled his tongue, undulating the thick muscle, then purred.

Taylor"s breath rushed out of her body as vibrations shook her from the inside out. She knew what she was feeling though her mind wrestled with the truth. No ones tongue was that long and flexible. It wasn"t possible.

His purr deepened and the vibrations increased. When Hades swirled his tongue inside of her, he stroked a bundle of nerves that she never knew existed. Taylor cried out as an unexpected o.r.g.a.s.m hit her, sending her spiraling. She tried to stay still, but she couldn"t. Her back bowed and her hips convulsed a second before her channel clamped down on him.

She dropped onto the bed. Her breath came out in loud pants, as her body continued to twitch and jerk. Hades flicked and swirled his tongue inside of her and a new wave of tremors shook her, extending her pleasure.

When the shudders finally slowed to a waning pulse, Hades withdrew his raspy tongue and lapped at her nether lips, greedily devouring the dripping juices from her release.

"You taste like nothing I"ve ever experienced. I could eat you for days and never grow tired," he murmured between licks. "My Kingdom could fall down around us and I would not notice because I"d be so drunk on your sweet nectar."

Taylor tried not to picture a lifetime of having Hades" head buried between her thighs and failed miserably. Her whole body shook with emotion. She chastised herself again for letting the Dark King get under her skin.

"There are other places I need to taste before this day is through." Hades rose onto his knees and carefully turned her over. His eyes locked onto her nipples and seemed to dilate. He slowly licked his lips. "And I know just where to start."

The second his body came down upon hers, Taylor knew she was in trouble. They were a perfect fit. There was no shuffling for position or readjusting. It was like they"d been made for each other.

Sure, she"d thought the same thing in the past, but she"d had to make her ex"s into the perfect fit. It took a lot of imagination. Not so with Hades. His ma.s.sive body seemed to slot right into hers.

He leaned over and latched onto her nipple. It felt so much like her daydream last night that she had momentary deja vu. Reality erased the hazy vision, as Hades swirled his rough tongue around her, teasing her flesh into tight kernels.

Taylor found herself growing moist once more as he sucked her deep into his mouth and bit down. There was a flash of pain, which was quickly eased by a gentle swipe of his tongue and a press of his sensual lips.

His hard shaft rested against her belly. It throbbed in time to the strong pulls of his mouth. Taylor"s skin tightened and she couldn"t seem to hold still. She writhed beneath him, her body feeling empty, wanting. Her need grew palpable. She could taste it on her tongue. But Hades wasn"t taking the hint. He continued to suck on her nipples until they ached and turned bright red, flushed with blood. He buried his face between her b.r.e.a.s.t.s and inhaled.

"You smell sweet here, too. Like one of your earth desserts," he murmured. "I was brought one years ago. I have not forgotten the sugary aroma."

"I need you." Taylor nibbled on his shoulder, before trailing her lips over his skin and nuzzling his neck.

Hades ignored her and continued to feast.

Taylor rocked her hips, trying to rub her c.l.i.t along his shaft. He was driving her crazy. She needed him inside of her. Hades shifted, preventing her from reaching his glorious c.o.c.k. She growled in frustration and bit down hard on the spot where his shoulder met his neck. Her blunt teeth sank into his skin, leaving white marks behind.

Hades released her instantly and reared back. His face was flushed and he was breathing hard. His eyes turned dark crimson, erasing all trace of the aqua blue. "Why did you do that?" A snarled demand for an answer.

"Because you weren"t paying attention," she grit out. There was only so much teasing a girl could take.

"Oh, but I was." His voice lowered to dangerous levels, but she noticed his c.o.c.k grew even harder. "Don"t ever bite me again unless you mean it."

Taylor wasn"t sure what he meant by that, but she"d agree to anything as long as he stopped messing around and gave her what she wanted.

"You want me to f.u.c.k you?" he asked, trailing a thick finger along her moist opening.

It galled her to answer, but Taylor was desperate. "Yes!" she hissed. "If it"s not too much trouble."

"No trouble at all." Hades positioned the head of his shaft at her entrance. "Human anatomy is smaller than that of the Phantoms."

She writhed. "What does that mean?"

"It means that since I"m your first, it may hurt when I take you," he said, looking far too pleased by the fact.

The warning made her hesitant, but she wasn"t going to change her mind. Taylor was way beyond caring about a little pain. She braced her heels on the furs and prepared for him to plunge inside of her.

Once again Hades surprised her. He entered her slowly, inch by glorious inch until she felt stuffed, packed, overflowing with his maleness. Even then, it wasn"t enough. Taylor needed more.

"Hades." A cry and a plea for mercy. She lifted her hips and a few more inches slipped inside. He was so achingly big. For a moment she worried that he wasn"t going to fit. He moved again and Taylor"s eyes rolled back in her head.

"I"m not finished yet." Hades reached between them and adjusted her body until her hips tilted even more.

Taylor felt him go even deeper.

"Almost there." Hades pulled back and thrust.

If it weren"t for her cervix stopping him, Hades would"ve hit the bottom of her heart. He was so hard, so long, and so incredibly thick that Taylor didn"t think she"d be able to move once they were done. Not that she"d want to. Not that she"d care. She"d always been a greedy lover, but prided herself on being able to give as good as she received.

Hades thrust again, rolling his hips.

Taylor bit her lip to keep from crying out in pain and ecstasy.

"Don"t hold back," he murmured. "Let me hear you."

He moved again and she mewed.

Taylor had heard of women being "whipped", but she had never understood the saying until this moment. Hades was a master at making love. It was like he"d been made for the act. Taylor could see how that would make the Dark King highly addictive. And like any addiction, exposure needed to be limited.

But how could she walk away from the best s.e.x of her life?

Easy...if s.e.x was all that was between them. Unfortunately, the chances of that being the case were now slim.

Taylor had felt the moment a tenuous connection formed. It hadn"t been there before. Of that she had no doubt. The fragile web now stretched between them and was as tangible as the hard muscles of Hades" back, flexing beneath her fingertips. The intensity of the friable bond scared her to death.

She hadn"t wanted a deeper connection with the Dark King. Definitely wasn"t looking for one. She was sure Hades wasn"t either, but it was there nonetheless. Taylor was smart enough to keep the information to herself. No need to mess up an otherwise perfect moment. She"d deal with the emotional fallout when she got back to her room.

Taylor"s tight channel had a death grip on Hades" shaft. He could barely breathe from the pleasure of it. He"d never felt anything so wonderful in his life. Thrusting inside her had been like coming home, except he"d never really had this connection to home or to anything else for that matter. Only to Taylor. The urge to share minds rode him hard.

He kept still for a few seconds as his hearts thundered inside of his chest. He used the spa.r.s.e time to fight the need to connect. It was dangerous to try to re-experience the intimacy they"d shared last night. Repeated mind melds would only make the separation harder when she left.

"Relax." The request was meant for both of them. Hades" breath brushed the hair on her forehead. Taylor"s body softened beneath him and he slowly began to move.

Each thrust felt like the first. Their bodies glided together in perfect synchronicity. Velvet heat surrounded him, cradling him, as he drove them toward completion. Taylor"s whimpers of pleasure turned to pa.s.sionate cries. The joyous sound rang in his ears, filling him with pride and satisfaction...and a longing so deep and dark that for a moment Hades was overwhelmed.

Taylor tensed beneath him and her sheath fluttered. She was close, so very close. Hades brushed her hair from her face and marveled at her beauty. Her lips were swollen from his kisses, yet remained ripe and welcoming. So much so, he couldn"t resist another taste.

He latched onto her mouth. The kiss deepened as their bodies rocked in unison. Without conscious thought, Hades" mind entered hers. The instantaneous connection knocked the air from his lungs. He could feel what Taylor felt, hear what she heard, and taste himself on her full lips. The intimacy of the merge was bliss and sheer agony in equal measures. How could he live without this? Tingles p.r.i.c.kled his spine and his sac rose. He wouldn"t last much longer.

Still Hades couldn"t let go. He drank from her, swallowing Taylor"s cries as she fell apart in his arms. With one final clasp, she pulled him under, milking his body until he was but a sh.e.l.l of his former self. Lost to the world, Hades felt contentment for the first time in his existence. It was an odd sensation, but one he could easily get used to. He gazed down at Taylor"s flushed face. She was the epitome of a well-pleasured woman. Pride surged through him. He"d been her first Phantom.

Her only Phantom, a darker voice whispered. Fear"s icy fingers squeezed Hades, until the only option left to him was to run.

Taylor may not know it yet, but she held the power to bring the Dark King to his knees.

Blissfully sated, Taylor had never felt this dreadful in her life. She"d made a lot of bad decisions over the years, but sleeping with the Phantom King had to be the worst. She shook her head. What was she thinking? Last night she"d been so disgusted by Hades" behavior that she"d called Linx to come and get her.

What a difference a morning made.

She couldn"t even blame her poor judgment on alcohol. This one was all on her. Hades, and his great s.e.x, had just ruined her for all mankind. She snorted. Like that was her biggest concern.

No, what truly made this lapse in judgment a monumental disaster was that Taylor had fallen for him. A King. A Phantom. A stranger, who in a few days time she"d probably never see again. She sighed and stared at the ceiling.

"I am such an idiot," she muttered, knowing she couldn"t hide in his chambers forever.

Hades had been unusually quiet when he slipped out of bed an hour ago. There"d been no bantering, not even a quick exchange of teasing smiles. The only thing he"d asked before he left the room was that she notify him prior to contacting Linx again. The request had been all business and had left her feeling cold.

Still, Taylor had readily agreed, since he"d seemed genuinely hurt that she"d gone behind his back. That hadn"t been her intention when she"d used the device, but he didn"t give her time to explain. He simply inclined his head and left. Hades hadn"t returned, since their awkward exchange. She could hear him working in the other room, which somehow made the situation worse.

Was he waiting for her to leave?

Taylor flushed with embarra.s.sment. She"d done several "walks of shame" over the years, but this one by far was shaping up to be the most humiliating. Despite all her proclamations to the contrary, she hadn"t changed a bit. Taylor was still the ditsy stripper, who fell into bed with the wrong men and gave her heart away too easily. She had let her sister, Tabby down. Worst of all, she"d let herself down.

Hades had probably realized that he"d screwed up, too. That would explain the uncomfortable silence. Or maybe he was over her now that they"d had s.e.x. The depressing thought hurt more than it should. Taylor took a deep breath. She"d delayed the inevitable for as long as she could.

She swung her long legs over the side of the bed and surveyed the room. Taylor didn"t immediately spot anything that she could wear. Her gaze landed on the closet door. No way was she going to rifle through the Dark King"s clothes. She glanced down at the mound of furs beneath her. Surely he wouldn"t miss one. It wasn"t like she planned to keep it.

Taylor hopped off the bed and grabbed the smallest fur she could find. She draped the hide around her body, then searched for something to hold it in place. A scarf of some kind had been tossed over the back of a chair. That would have to do. Taylor wrapped the scarf around her waist, then jumped up and down to make sure the whole outfit stayed in place. Confident that the fur would remain where it should, at least until she got back to her room, she marched out of the bedroom.

She didn"t look at Hades, though she sensed him seated behind the desk, watching her. Instead, she walked directly to his chamber door and opened it. He didn"t try to stop her. In fact, Hades didn"t say a word. Taylor fought back tears as she picked up her towel and stepped into the hall. She kept her head down as she pa.s.sed the guard, which was why she didn"t see Opal until she ran into her.

"Sorry." She glanced up long enough to catch Opal"s shocked expression, then rushed on. Her shame over being caught coming out of the King"s chambers was magnified by her lack of clothing. It"s hard to be dignified, when you"re dressed like an X-rated, prehistoric cartoon character.

CHAPTER SEVEN.

Opal couldn"t hide her shock at seeing Taylor slip from the King"s chambers. Her curvy body had been draped in furs that barely covered it. Frozen in place and her mouth gaping, she watched the human female rush down the hall.

It wasn"t until the King"s guard cleared his throat that Opal realized what she"d been doing. If she"d harbored any doubt of what had occurred inside of Hades" living quarters, it was quickly squashed by the guard"s taunting smile.

"Looks like you"ve been replaced," he said.

"You don"t know what you"re talking about, now move aside," she hissed. "I have a report for the King that cannot wait."

The guard didn"t budge. "I"ll check to see if the King is available."

"Did you not hear me?" she asked.