Hard Candy

Excerpt:
HERO SANDWICH
What was that?

Meg braked into a hover, attention caught by a human shape standing on a rooftop, silhouetted against the lights. The guy was so broad-shouldered, he just had to be superpowered. Meg shot down for an invisible fly-by.

He stood with one leg bent, bracing a boot against the low rooftop wall. Soft brown leather armor emphasized his narrow waist and the contrasting width of powerful shoulders. A leather helmet in the shape of a cat's head covered his face. The cat's roaring jaws framed his lower face and the grim line of his mouth. She'd always found that mouth perversely sexy.

Cougar.

Meg's heart began to pound as her instinct to run like hell battled her need for a closer look. New York's premier hero had fascinated her since she was a scared fifteen-year-old watching him battle her father. Every time Gerald had reeled under one of those powerful punches, guilt, terror, and hope had warred in her soul. Secretly, she'd dreamed Cougar would rescue her.

And in the end, he'd done just that.

Meg was twenty-three now, and Cougar still starred in her fantasies, though her dreams had taken a distinctly adult turn these days. He was just so...male, so dominant, so hard-edged and grimly handsome. You just knew he'd be the type to go for handcuffs and kinky sex.

She'd even told Richard about those fantasies one night after three glasses of really good champagne. Richard being Richard, he'd offered to rent a costume, but she hadn't been quite that drunk.

Now there he stood in the flesh. Cougar. All by himself. Not fighting anybody. She could actually get close and just look at him, instead of snapping a shot and fleeing for her life.

Meg drifted down to hover ten feet away. Taking her time, she floated closer, slowly enough to avoid creating a rush of air that would betray her to Cougar's hyperhuman senses. He didn't seem aware of her presence. He just stared down at the street below as though watching something, still as a hunting cat.

Damn, he was big. Had to be six-four at least. Meg was willing to bet his armor wasn't padded, either. It exposed his arms from shoulders down to the beginning of his clawed gauntlets, and those biceps were mouth-watering. Eyeing the elegant curve of hard, tanned skin, Meg imagined what he'd look like naked, all that glorious brawn on display. His body must be as delicious as Richard's.

Except Cougar was a good guy. She wasn't so sure about Richard.
* * * * *
She was right in front of him. He could smell her. The hint of jasmine in her floral shampoo blended with the rich, complex scent of woman.

Aroused woman.

But good as his feline senses were, Cougar couldn't see her. She was completely invisible.

Wait for it, he told himself. Let her get closer. He had only one shot at this. If he blew it, she'd make damn sure he never got close again. And he wanted to get very, very close. It was a good thing he wore armor over his groin, or she'd have seen his hungry erection.

Cougar spared a thought for Lynx, ready to pounce from the shadows. They hadn't dreamed she'd be brazen enough to approach him head-on. He doubted his brother was even aware she was here. The serum they'd taken as teenagers had given Lynx speed and agility instead of acute senses and superstrength.

Cougar breathed in slowly. The light breeze brought more of that wonderful female scent, as though she was coming closer, flying right up to the edge of the roof he stood on.

Wait for it.
* * * * *
Meg wondered what color his eyes were behind his mask's opaque eye slits. The only thing she could really see of him was the lower half of his face.

She'd always thought Cougar had a grim, hard mouth, but now she realized his upper lip had a deliciously sensual curve, while the lower pouted ever so slightly. God, she wanted to kiss him.

Why not?

Why not just zip in, steal a kiss, and zoom off before he could grab her? He'd never know who it was. Hell, he might not even be sure what happened.

Her heart thudded an eager adrenalin beat. It was so risky. If he got those big hands on her ...

She'd love it.

No, Meg, you would not, she told herself sternly. You'd go to jail.

Well, probably not. It wasn't against the law to steal a kiss, and he didn't know she'd been Sneak Thief. Where was the harm? Besides, Cougar might be big and strong, but speed was Lynx's talent. She was pretty sure she could fly off before he could catch her.

Meg floated closer. One inch. Two. Sloooowly. Holding her breath. She could smell him now, leather and man. His armor was exquisitely made in contrasting shades of warm brown, trimmed in metallic gold. It looked faintly Roman and extremely butch, unlike the spandex many heroes wore. She'd seen it stop bullets, so it had to be made of something more than just leather.

Her gaze focused on his seductive mouth. She licked her lips. Her heartbeat thundered. She was close enough now to reach out and kiss him. Tensing, ready to fly, Meg leaned forward the few inches she'd need to make contact with those velvet lips...


CANDY FOR HER SOUL
Take two tulip bulbs. With a new pin, scratch the name of one suitor on each bulb. Remembering which bulb represents which lover, plant the bulbs beside each other in a pot. Whichever one blooms first will be the one most deserving of you.

"Bullshit." Natalie cringed at her whispered outburst. She'd been going through the journal for thirty minutes and still hadn't found a spell to do what she wanted -- fast.

She wanted to know how to make both men hers before Valentine's Day. She yawned and flung the book across the cushion to land in a patch of moonlight shining through the window. It had been a long day, and she really needed to go to sleep. The pale beams called to her, and she knew what she had to do before she went to bed.

She got up to stand in front of the window. For years she'd gone to the moon whenever she needed something. In New York, her nighttime rituals were impossible to perform with limited outside spaces and privacy. But, here -- she pulled the sheers back and looked into the backyard -- she could practice her magick without interruption.

Remembering the chair, she eased through the living and dining areas into the kitchen. At the door, she rummaged through the counter drawer for the needed items, then removed her nightgown and panties. The slide of the door chain sounded louder than she remembered. After slipping it free, she waited for any reaction from Nona. When none came, she stepped through into the chilly January air.

Her nipples peaked and her pussy clenched at the cold that nipped her body. She breathed deeply of the crisp night air. She loved winter nights. With a quick dash, she ran across the frost-covered ground to hide beneath the live oak tree. Here in the shadows of the old gnarly limbs and leaves, she could perform her ritual without anyone seeing her.

A concrete bench sat beneath the tree. Sweeping leaves and twigs from the surface, she used the flat area for an altar. With gentle care, she placed the single candle and box of matches she'd retrieved from the kitchen drawer, then crossed herself.

Lifting her hands to the moonlit night, she whispered the incantation she'd designed years before. "Moonlight that shines on me, hear my wish and grant my needs."

She held her stance for a few minutes, but couldn't stop the yawn that claimed her. A faint breeze lifted the hair around her shoulders and she closed her eyes to let her meditative trance take her. In the distance, she heard the sounds of the night -- cars on the Biloxi bridge, the train crossing two streets over, dogs barking into the night air, and someone breathing.

Her eyes opened with a snap and she whirled around. A hand covered her mouth when she would have screamed. Her heart pounded against her chest and she kicked out with her bare foot.

He laughed. "Nice try, sweets." The raspy voice whispering in her ear sounded familiar. He pulled her closer and she realized he was as naked as she. "That's right, don't fight. You'll only get hurt trying to resist me."

A warm, wet tongue trailed down her cheek. When he reached her neck, his lips joined his tongue in a soft sucking motion against the vein that throbbed in fear and ... something else. While her mind screamed "run," her body screamed "give in." Desire wound its way down her neck, across her breasts, and settled in her groin. She pressed her thighs together to fight the need that swamped her senses.

He released her neck to trail back to her ear. "Hmm, you taste as good as I imagined." The arm around her waist loosened. "Sweeter than that candy I offered you when you were seventeen."

His hand wandered over her body. First he slid his fingers up to pinch her nipple between his forefinger and thumb, then he feathered down to twirl a finger around the curve of her navel. "You've grown up quite nicely. No wonder he wants you."

Natalie moaned and shifted her hips. Whether in pleasure or an attempt to break free, she didn't know. The more he touched her, the more her cunt grew wet and throbbed.

He laughed, the warmth of his breath puffing small clouds of mist into the cold air. His hand slipped further south and hesitated above her pubis.

The anticipation became a physical pain. Through the pressure of his fingers, she muttered, "Come on."

He did. Long, hot fingers combed through her pussy hair to reach their destination. When he entered her cunt, he released the hand over her mouth and she heard their moans of pleasure blend together. The familiar ache grew so acute she thought she would fall, but his arms held her tight against his body. The outline of his cock pressed into her back, and she thought of Nico.

"Don't think of him." He plunged his fingers deeper. "Not yet. Think of me and the pleasure I'm giving you."

Fantasy and reality blurred together, and Natalie couldn't be sure if she were dreaming or actually letting a complete stranger take control of her body. But ... he wasn't a stranger. She'd seen him before. The haze of desire swamped her senses.

She didn't care. Between the cold of the night and the heat of his fingers and lips, she lost all touch with reality. One minute they were standing with him behind her, his fingers deep within her body; the next moment he stood before her in the cold night air.

He reached past her head and produced a long-stemmed rose with petals so red they looked black in the moonlight.

"It's beautiful." Her voice sounded like she spoke inside a tunnel.

"Like you, my dear." He trailed the bud across her shoulders and between her breasts.

"I'm not beautiful."

"Oh, but you are." He smiled. His teeth flashed white in the pale light. "I know at least three males who think so." The bud circled her breast. "Myself, Nico, and David."

Natalie sucked her breath in at the throb between her legs. Why had he stopped what he'd been doing to her earlier? She wanted --

He continued the assault of her senses and teased her nipple to a point.

She bit her lip to keep a cry of utter need from escaping.

"Nona --"

"Can't see or hear us."

"Who are you?"


FORTUNE'S STAR
Amun reached out to take both of Luxi's hands and gently tugged her closer. "There is a quality about you that is not found in many people. Some would find it irresistible."

Irresistible ... All rational thought was suddenly consumed by a violent rush of erotic heat. Her pulse suddenly throbbed in her throat and her nipples tightened to burning points. The firestorm of searing physical need stole her breath.

"Luxi ..." Amun lowered his head.

Luxi lifted her mouth toward his, consumed by the absolute hunger to taste him. Softness brushed against her lips, then pressure. She opened to his mouth, and her eyes closed. The moist touch of his tongue brushed hers, and took possession. He tasted of expensive kaffa and rich cream with a hint of spice. His hands were so warm.

"Yes," he whispered against her mouth. "Oh, yes ..." He freed one of her hands and slid his arm around her waist, pulling her up against him. He angled his head and his tongue swept hers boldly, urgently, encouraging her to taste him more fully.

She moaned softly and answered his unspoken command with strong parries of her tongue against his. Her free arm went around his hips. His coat was soft under her fingers. His body was warm, lean, and hard against hers. His scent was clean and richly flavored with masculine arousal. And unbearably exciting.

He curled her captured hand between them at her heart, then lifted his hand from her waist. The clip in her hair was tugged free and her mane tumbled to her waist in a riot of unbound curls. His finger slid under the heavy mass and he groaned. He grasped a handful at the base of her neck.

An illicit bolt of brutal excitement stabbed straight down and moisture dampened her panties. Luxi gasped. Her fingers clenched in his coat and she pressed eagerly against the firm ridge of his erection that rubbed enticingly against her hip.

His fingers tightened in her hair, holding her still as he lifted his lips from hers. He smiled. "You like this," he whispered. "You like, being captured, being ... taken."

She trembled in his firm hold. She couldn't think past the fire that throbbed in her core, not even to agree. She shifted and the erection under his loose trousers nudged between her thighs. Want and need raked though her. She could not stop herself from rubbing against him.

Amun smiled and brushed his lips lightly, teasingly against hers. "Oh, you are going to be so much fun."

"Amun, what are you doing out of your suite? It's not safe."

Amun abruptly pushed away from Luxi.

Luxi gasped as her mind suddenly returned to her in a tangle of heat and confusion. What had just happened?

Amun blushed and frowned past her shoulder in annoyance. "Your timing is utterly inconvenient."

"So I see." A tall man in a dark suit strode past Luxi, toward Amun. A long tail of distinctive silver hair fell to the center of his back. He came to a sudden stop and turned around. His silver eyes widened, then narrowed. His face was cast in deep shadows under the lamplights, but there was no mistaking who he was. "Well, hello Luxi. Cheating on me already?"

Leto? Luxi winced and turned away in painful embarrassment. Fate and glory, it figured ... The only two men she'd kissed in several cycles would know each other.

Amun frowned at Leto. "You know Luxi?"

"Quite well, actually." Leto's smile was thin and sharp. "We shared a tramway car."

Oh, you bastard ... Her cheeks heated with a sudden rush of hot memory.

Amun peered at Luxi and his brows rose. "I ... see."

Luxi scowled at the deck. There was simply no way to explain her actions. Fine, then, she wouldn't bother. She lifted her chin and held out her hand to Amun. "My hair clip, please?"

"Of course." Amun reached into his pocket and placed the clip in her palm. His fingers brushed hers and heat shimmered from his touch.

Luxi shivered just slightly and pulled her hand away. She took a wary step back from both men and began the task of coiling her hair back up.

"So, Amun, were we having fun?" Leto's voice dripped with sarcasm.

Amun lifted his chin and folded his arms across his chest. "You realize that you are embarrassing Luxi?"

"I'm trying to embarrass you!" Leto took a step closer to Amun and his mouth thinned to a hard line. "You think I don't know what you were doing?"

Amun looked away.

Leto's hands tightened to fists. "That better be guilt I'm seeing."

Luxi frowned. What was going on? From the way Leto was glaring and the way Amun refused to look at him, you would think they were lovers. "So, just how well do you two know each other?"

"Not nearly well enough." Amun shot a narrow glare at Leto.

"Amun, if you want me to play villain, you know better than most that I am very qualified for the part." Leto lowered his brows and folded his arms. "Are you ready to go back?"

Amun stared fixedly at Luxi. "I will do so when I have what I seek."

Leto's mouth curled in a tight smile. "Did you try asking?"

"This? From you?" Amun raised a sarcastic brow at Leto. "Did you ask?"

Leto scowled then sighed. "You have a point." His hands dropped to perch on his hips and he nodded at Luxi. "Amun is my employer."

Luxi choked. "He's your employer?"

Amun snorted. "However, there seems to be some doubt as to who is actually in charge."