Hidden Talent: StarLords, Book 1 Read online

  Darak began to move slowly in her ass, knowing he was in charge of this small bit of their shared pleasure. He, Micah and Agnor had shared many women over the years and it suddenly struck him that this would be the last time. It was a sad occasion, but also a good one, for it meant that at least one of them had found the love of his lifetime. It had been a long time coming.

  Personally, Darak didn’t think he’d ever find a woman he wanted on a permanent basis. He was resigned to the bachelor life, but that was okay with him. Micah was the one who’d gotten depressed and so solitary over his loveless existence. It was only fitting that Micah find a woman who could be truly his for the rest of their lives. Equals in passion, pleasure and power, they would become a force to be reckoned with as they grew accustomed to their new level of power.

  Such thoughts were put on hold as he seated himself fully in her tight, tight ass. He groaned out his pleasure at the luscious feeling of her tight hole around him, and her little whimpers turned him on.

  Smiling, he swatted her rump, nearly coming from the feeling of her muscles clenching around him. He knew she liked a little roughness in her love play from the last time he’d been honored to join with them, and he vowed to make this final time together one they would each remember for the rest of their lives.

  With a little nod from Micah, he swatted her again and all three men enjoyed her little squeak and the responsiveness of her various parts. Agnor seemed content to let Darak’s thrusts move them along and Micah gave him the go-ahead with another short nod. He was more than happy to begin the slow digs that would rock them to pleasure.

  Reaching around her, he tugged lightly on the chain that connected her nipples, tugging as he increased his pace. He could feel Agnor’s excitement through the thin wall that separated their two cocks and he could see Micah’s approval as his muscles tightened. Micah had his hands fisted in her hair as she moved back and forth on his cock, and the sight only inspired Darak to move more aggressively.

  He was pounding into her ass, and she seemed to love every moment of it. Micah was close, as was Agnor, but it was Jeri that came first in their minds and hearts. Six male hands caressed her, teasing, tickling, and tugging on her various parts until she shivered and clenched around them in a quaking orgasm that lasted for minutes on end.

  While Jeri shivered in one, long, continuous climax, she carried her men with her, one by one. First Agnor, then Micah and last of all, Darak, they paid homage to her with their bodies.

  Now that they’d jumped in power, there was little recovery time needed before the four of them were at it again. Jeri briefly noticed that the other two couples had taken the big couches in the room, watching the foursome in the middle and finding their own paths to pleasure.

  Jeri realized she didn’t mind them watching. They were her family from the Circe, and she’d watched them many times while aboard. It was only fitting that she take her turn as the center of attention, even if only for this one last time.

  Agnor took her in the ass this time as Darak cleaned himself up, then found his way into her pussy. Micah sat back to watch and after Agnor came with a shout, he took the other man’s place in her ass. They loved like this, separately and together, long into the night, and when morning came there was no doubt left in anyone’s mind that they would remain friends forever, even with the new rankings of power that separated them.

  Before everyone left the sumptuous suite, Micah made sure to impress upon them that they were to contact him at any time if they wanted his help or just to hang out. He still considered them his closest friends and family and wanted to be sure that becoming a Sha wouldn’t interfere with the relationships he considered the most important.

  Darak was the last one to go, and perhaps the easiest to convince, since he wasn’t much for ceremony or position anyway. Jeri was glad to see that these two men, these best friends, would remain so. True, many things had changed and they were being swept along with the changes occurring around them, but this one friendship would never change. She left them to their goodbyes, knowing that Micah wanted a moment alone with his cousin.

  “How does it feel to be a Master Mage, Dar?” Micah poured out two measures of Aurellian brandy and gave one to his cousin.

  “Weird as hell, I have to admit.” He downed a bit of the brandy and sat on the sofa across from his cousin.

  “Yeah, I know how you feel.”

  “I bet you do.” Darak chuckled.

  “So isn’t it about time we made you a StarLord as well?” Micah asked the newly minted Master Mage, shooting him a mischievous look.

  “You think they’re fool enough to make me a Lord?”

  Micah just nodded. “Yes, I think I am fool enough to do it.”

  “You?”

  “Who do you think makes these sorts of recommendations? I’m a Sha now, cuz. Some folks actually listen when I speak.” Micah chuckled at Darak’s surprise.

  “You wouldn’t.”

  Micah only smiled and nodded. “Already did.”

  “Holy shit.”

  “Hang on, Lord Darak, you’re the new captain of the Circe as well.”

  “No way.”

  “What did you expect? I couldn’t turn her over to just anyone. I trust only you, Dar, to take care of her and her crew.”

  Darak looked stunned as he sat for a moment, taking it in. “I can hardly believe it, Micah. But I swear to you that I’ll make sure you never regret your trust in me.” His gaze rose to his cousins and for the first time Micah saw the real feelings Darak kept so well hidden. He loved the Circe and her crew, as much if not more than Micah did himself. He could see it in Darak’s eyes and it gave him comfort. Giving the ship to Darak had been the right decision.

  “Take care of her, and her crew, Dar. That’s all I ask.”

  The small craft glided low, coming in for a gentle landing on the wide beach. Jeri could see an immense and breathtakingly beautiful house in the distance, but even more breathtaking were the stretches of green grass dotted here and there with horses. Beautiful horses, she could tell even from this distance as they lifted their heads in greeting. She stepped off the small shuttle on Micah’s arm, breathing in the fresh, hay-scented air. It was like coming home.

  “Your wedding present, my love.” The sweep of his arm indicated the island paradise and the herd of beautiful horses. Some were old, retiring to this warm climate to live out the rest of their lives in luxury, some were just born, frolicking in the tall grass with their mothers. It was a family place, and she looked forward to having her own family, with Micah, as tears of joy came to her eyes.

  “I love you, Micah. With all my heart.”

  “As I love you, Jeri. For now and for always.”

  About the Author

  Bianca D’Arc has run a laboratory, climbed the corporate ladder in the shark-infested streets of Manhattan, studied and taught martial arts and earned the right to put a whole bunch of letters after her name, but she’s always enjoyed writing more than any of her other pursuits. She grew up and still lives on Long Island, where she keeps busy with an extensive garden, several aquariums full of very demanding fish and writing her favorite genres of paranormal, fantasy and sci-fi romance. You can learn more about her books on her website, located at www.biancadarc.com.

  Look for these titles by Bianca D’Arc

  Now Available:

  Dragon Knights

  Maiden Flight (ebook only)

  Border Lair (ebook only)

  Ladies of the Lair (print only)

  The Ice Dragon

  Prince of Spies

  Wings of Change (ebook only)

  I Dream of Dragons Vol. 1 (print only)

  FireDrake

  Dragon Storm

  Resonance Mates

  Hara’s Legacy

  Davin’s Quest

  Jaci’s Experiment

  Grady’s Awakening

  Brotherhood of Blood

  One & Only (ebook only)

  Rare Vintage (e
book only)

  Phantom Desires (ebook only)

  Brotherhood of Blood (print only)

  Forever Valentine (ebook only)

  Caught By Cupid (print only)

  Sweeter Than Wine

  Tales of the Were

  Lords of the Were

  Inferno

  String of Fate: Cat’s Cradle

  Warrior’s Heart (ebook only)

  Coming Soon:

  Brotherhood of Blood

  Wolf Hills

  Most lovers kiss. This one pounces.

  Cat’s Cradle

  © 2010 Bianca D’Arc

  String of Fate, Book 1

  As bad days go, this one qualifies as one for the books. Elaine knew being late for her jiu jitsu class could earn her a reprimand from her sensei. But the sensei’s not there. And suddenly, neither is her car. Even walking home becomes problematic when she stumbles onto things that most definitely do go bump in the night. One of whom is too handsome for his own good—and too sexy for hers.

  An Alpha Pantera Noir—black panther shifter—Cade operates on his immense skill, superior strength, and dominant personality. There’s something about this small spitfire of a human woman that threatens to bring him to his knees. She blundered into the middle of his mission to transport his queen to safety, and now it’s his responsibility to keep Elaine safe as well. Except no matter what he does, danger finds her at every turn.

  Thrust into a world where the supernatural is commonplace, Elaine finds her considerable martial arts skill tested to the limit—and her ability to resist Cade crumbling by the second. But when nothing is as it seems, the last things she can trust are her own instincts…

  Enjoy the following excerpt for Cat’s Cradle:

  The bath felt like heaven, even more so when she discovered the switch that turned on the Jacuzzi jets. She stayed in there longer than she probably should have, but it felt glorious after the night she’d had. Without meaning to, she drifted off, fatigue claiming her.

  A soft touch on her arm roused her minutes later. She was in the big tub, her head thrown back to lean comfortably against the rim. Cade was inspecting one of her arms and the dark bruises that were beginning to form. She looked downward, glad the bubbles from the water jets obscured most of her body. Still, she was naked in the bath and Cade’s presence disturbed her on many levels.

  “There should be some liniment in the medicine cabinet.” Cade stood fluidly from his crouch and walked the short distance to the vanity area. He rummaged around in the big medicine cabinet hidden behind the mirror, pulling out a few supplies that he placed on the countertop.

  “We keep these places stocked for just this kind of situation, but I don’t think we have any kitty litter in the house for Chuck.” He turned back to her with a smile and a tall bottle in one hand, cotton balls in the other. “I gave him a box for tonight. I’ve already left a note for Bonnie and Ray to get some supplies for him when they go to the store in the morning. They’ll need to buy more groceries to feed all of us.” He glanced at Chuck, fast asleep on the towel near the radiator. “Make that five of us.” Cade had placed a box with some torn up newspaper near the toilet as a makeshift litter box, and she was touched he would go to such lengths.

  She loved his thoughtfulness about Chuck, but was increasingly aware that he was fully clothed while she was naked except for some very half-assed bubbles from the Jacuzzi jets. She shifted around in the tub, trying to hide from his probing gaze.

  “Come out of there, Ellie.” His tone was one of command that when combined with the smoldering look in his eyes made her breath catch.

  “Um…”

  “Come on, baby. You know I’ll take care of you. You have bruises all over your arms. It’s killing me to see them forming right before my eyes. Where else are you hurt? Come out of there and let me see.”

  She would have laughed, but she suspected it wasn’t a line. He really did seem worried about the extent of her injuries. That didn’t make her comfortable parading around in the nude in front of him, but a combination of factors made her want to comply with his request.

  First, she was just too damned tired to fight anymore. She knew Cade wouldn’t try to hurt her physically. No, the battle with him was completely emotional. It was a battle to protect her heart. Second, she’d been attracted to him from the moment they met. His gaze heated her blood and his kisses fired her senses. She wanted more of him—as much as he’d give her—but fear had held her back.

  Facing death last night had brought a lot of things into sharper focus. Life was short, and her life in particular had gotten increasingly dangerous since she’d stumbled on to the secret about shifters. She wanted to enjoy what she could because she didn’t know what would come tomorrow. Being with Cade was one of those forbidden things she wanted to experience now that her life had so drastically changed.

  Breathing deep for courage, she stood from the water. Cade stood there, watching her for a long moment, but he didn’t touch. Not physically, at least, but his eyes burned a path down her body that made her stomach clench. Ripples of awareness shivered over her skin everywhere he looked and when his gaze finally met hers, the current passing between them was downright combustible.

  “You’re gorgeous, Elaine. If you weren’t banged up, I’d lay you down and ride you until you couldn’t walk straight.”

  Her breath caught at the heat in his voice, the glow in his eyes. He meant every word. Of that she had no doubt. She shivered, and he visibly shook himself, withdrawing some of the heat, though his eyes continued to rake over her body.

  Cade scaled back. He tamped down the fire, put away the flames for later. She felt him retreat both physically and emotionally as he reached for one of the big bath towels he’d left on the warming rack. Shaking it out, he held it open for her to step into. The move brought her into his arms at the same time.

  He wrapped her in a fluffy terrycloth hug that warmed her to her soul. He took his time, surrounding her in his warmth before setting to the mundane task of drying her skin. But nothing was mundane or commonplace about his hands roaming over her body, covered with a thin layer of terrycloth.

  The soft, damp cloth paused over her breasts, his hands shaping the points of her nipples through the terrycloth. She stifled a moan that wanted to come out, but his wicked grin told her he knew damned well what he was doing to her. His hands roamed downward, over her hips. One hand roamed over the curves of her ass while the other delved between her legs from the front, the towel draping below one of her hips as he stood at her side.

  His head lowered, his lips nuzzling her ear as his hands met in the middle, between her legs. Only a thin layer of damp towel kept his fingers from moving where she most wanted them. The hand in front rubbed light circles over her clit while the hand that attacked from behind pushed upward, between the swollen lips of her pussy.

  A cloth-wrapped finger pushed slightly inward, into her wet core. This time, she couldn’t hold back the little moan of desire that broke from her lips. Cade’s purr at her side warmed her.

  “You like that?” His voice teased her, and she was unable to answer except with a little whimper as he rubbed her clit faster. “Oh, yeah. I can tell you like that a lot.”

  Demons in a feeding frenzy drive the world-weary Markhat to the brink…

  Hold the Dark

  © 2009 Frank Tuttle

  A Markhat Story

  Quiet, hard-working seamstresses aren’t the kind that normally go missing, even in a tough town like Rannit. Martha Hoobin’s disappearance, though, quickly draws Markhat into a deadly struggle between a halfdead blood cult and the infamous sorcerer known only as the Corpsemaster.

  A powerful magical artifact may be both his only hope of survival—and the source of his own inescapable damnation.

  Markat’s search leads him to the one thing that’s been missing in his life. But even love’s awesome power may not save him from the darkness that’s been unleashed inside his own soul.
r />   Warning: This gritty, hard-boiled fantasy detective novel contains mild romance and interludes of suggestive handholding.

  Enjoy the following excerpt for Hold the Dark:

  I picked up the candle and followed.

  The door wound down a long dark hall. Walls, floors and ceiling all bore water damage, but the warped pine wood floor had been repaired in two places. Recently, too, the nail-heads shone of new-beaten iron in the light, which meant they hadn’t had time to rust.

  The hall abruptly ended. I stepped down, nearly stumbled, onto a cobble-brick floor, and my candlelight lost sight of any ceiling, and all the walls. It did illuminate the backs of four black-clad halfdead, who stood in a small circle a dozen steps away.

  Evis and his dark glasses turned to face me.

  “They are friends. They do not see you.”

  “Wonderful.” My mouth was so dry I spoke in a ragged whisper. My new friends didn’t turn, didn’t leap, so I licked my lips and took a step toward them. “What is it we’re seeing?”

  I wasn’t seeing a thing, aside from vampires and a flickering ring of shadows and floor-bricks.

  “Blood was spilled here. Spilled in such quantity that it rushed onto the floor.” He indicated the area, which the halfdead surrounded. They pulled back a few steps, and Evis motioned me forward. I took my guttering candle and went.

  All I saw were bricks, just like all the others—black and smooth and rounded over with age and wear. Half the old buildings in Rannit were built over even older roads, just like this one. The builders merely scraped the dirt off the cobbles and called it a floor.