Oasis of Eden (8 page)

“More,” he growled.

Well if he’s gonna be like that, I’ll shower in the stuff
.
She shivered at the picture the naughty thought painted in her mind.

With shaking hands, she peeled another few pieces, but they stuck together in a thick clump. Eli, apparently, didn’t care. He bit into them, barely avoiding her fingers. Ripe, sweet-smelling juices drenched their clasped hands once again.

She fumbled for another piece and popped it into her mouth before he could get to it. “Mmmmm… ” It was an orange the size of a grapefruit
!
So sweet—not even the rind is bitter.
She grabbed another bite while she could.

“Ah. I see your game.” Digging into the other half which rested in her lap, he brought another piece to his lips. “Share with me.” He placed the wedge between his lips and offered it to her.

Jade opened her mouth, and their lips met, wrapped around the fruit. He bit down, and she squealed. The juice squirted from between them and trickled down her neck. Giggling, she reclined onto the grass. Eli followed her down and plundered her lips with his own.

Hot socks, the man can kiss
!
His perfect mouth made a mockery of every other kiss she’d experienced. He took little nibbles of her upper lip, her lower lip, the corners of her mouth—and when his tongue slid between her parted lips and swept lazily across the top of hers, she could have swooned. His tongue tasted sweet, and the velvety smooth warmth sent tingles all the way down to her kitty.

As the juice from the fruit coagulated, their skin stuck together in places. He licked at her where the juice had dribbled down her face but was unsuccessful at washing away the
glueyness.

Jade began to giggle. “That tickles, Eli.”

“Mmm, no it doesn’t,” he said and sucked on her lower lip. “I’m only kissing you.”

“Yes, but it tickles.” She tried to pull, away but his mouth came down on her throat.

“I don’t feel it,” he said as his lips made a smacking sound when he sucked at her skin.

“Aaaaah! Eli!” she protested, still laughing. “I’m a sticky mess!”

“But you taste so delicious. Come my Zsa-ninah, let me have my fun.”

She squeezed her eyes shut, threw her arms wide, and allowed him access to her juice-soaked skin. She lay there in the grass unmoving when he stopped his ministrations.

Jade peered at him with one eye. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. It’s just no fun if you don’t play with me.”

“Awww. Is the big scary fella pouting?”

Eli chuckled. “You and your strange words, Zsa-ninah.” He shook his head at her and trailed a finger down her cheek.

She smiled, trying to determine which word he thought strange.

“Come. Let me take you to a place where you can refresh yourself.”

* * * *

The atmosphere around them heated by means of the mid-morning sun, and beads of sweat formed on Jade’s skin. The air which surrounded them was extraordinarily humid, as opposed to the life-sucking dryness outside the oasis.

It wasn’t long until he led her into a copse of ancient trees and down a wooded hillside. In the center stood the most amazing waterfall she’d ever clapped eyes on. A healthy amount of water gurgled from the top of the black rock formation and cascaded down an archway to the deep-looking pool ten feet below, which over-flowed into yet another pool that bubbled like champagne. Colorful tropical flowers framed the scene, and the call of wild birds could be heard above the rushing water. Jade couldn’t wait to go exploring.

“Eli,” Jade breathed. “What a wondrous place!”

He drew her to him and put his arms around her. “I’m glad you like it. I will leave you here, but only for a few hours. I have some things which require my attention.”

Jade nodded, but still felt crest-fallen that he had to leave. “A few hours? But that’s so long.”

“Will you feel better if I tell you a secret?”

Well, no
.
She shrugged.

“Pass through the waterfall, and you will find a cave. The air is fresh and cool inside. You can rinse out your clothes and place them on a rock to dry.” He leaned down to whisper in her ear. “Then wait for me inside the cave, naked.”

She could not hold back a grin. “You do tell the cheekiest secrets, Eli.” His chuckle rumbled over her skin, and she shivered.

“Go now. No one can bother you here.”

Jade slipped from his arms and made her way to the waterfall.

The secret cave was there, just like he said, but heck if she would sit there while paradise wasted away around her! Kicking off her sandals, she waded into the pool at the bottom of the waterfall. The cool clear water lapped at her shins, beckoning her to dive in. She edged her way over to the cascading water and let it douse her hair and body, soaking her clothes. Like a massage it, worked out the kinks in her shoulders and neck. Out of sheer curiosity, she opened her mouth and took a drink.

“Not bad, but it needs bubbles and a dash or two of gin.” She giggled.

Unable to refuse the lure of the pool any longer, she stripped off her clothes, tossed the soggy lot haphazardly onto a sun-drenched rock and dove in. It refreshed her instantly, the water glided along her skin like breezy chiffon. Springing up in the middle of the pool like a water nymph, she took in a deep breath of tropical air. It wasn’t the first time she’d gone skinny-dipping, she grinned, but some slimy green fishing hole in the suburbs of Chicago couldn’t possibly compare to this.

Crossing the pond, she opened her arms and legs wide, swimming like a frog. The water rippled past her sweet spot. “Eli, you’re missing out,” she called aloud, hearing her own voice echo across the water. She slid her hands over her body and hugged herself, spinning in a circle. This had to be heaven. No wonder the oasis was guarded with such meticulousness. Any sort of man-made building would ruin the paradise’s perfection.

She swam to the opposite end, where the top of the pool slipped through the cracks of a natural dam. But her curiosity demanded more. She rose from the water and carefully made her way over the rock barrier. Bubbles fizzled and churned invitingly in the pool below. She sniffed at the faint hint of sulfur that lingered in the air, but it was overruled by a sweet floral scent she was unfamiliar with. Her sight followed her nose across the pool. A large bush reached its vines half-way around the pool—the biggest, bluest blossoms Jade had ever seen sat summoning to her like a handful of queens in a game of cards.

“Is this some kind of rare tiger lily?” She crept toward the bush and reached out to caress the silky petals. Pure luxury. Intrigued, she swirled the blue silk between her fingers, savoring the feel. She pressed her nose to the bloom and inhaled. “I had no idea tiger lilies had a scent.” She groaned. She tried to place the delicious smell, but she couldn’t. “An early spring morning in a whole garden of flowers after a rain, perhaps? No, sweeter.” She buried her nose into the flower’s center again and inhaled. Her head came up, and she stilled. The ground tilted the tiniest bit. “Oh!” She righted herself and shrugged.

Reaching out, she ran her fingers over every blossom she could touch.

Boldly, she plucked one of the lilies from the bush. A blue, nectar-like substance oozed from the bottom of the flower just like a honeysuckle blossom. That too she rubbed between her fingers, sending up a sugary-sweet scent. Boldly, she dabbed some behind each ear and then touched the blue liquid to her tongue. It tingled just a bit, but the taste was far more potent than any sweeteners she’d been familiar with.

“Forget honey and grapes, this is the ambrosia of Bacchus!”

A peculiar giddiness crept up on her, and she went about plucking several blooms from the vines, tossing them into the bubbling pool. Satisfied with the amount, she stepped into the water. The natural hot spring was much warmer than the pool above, but the heat didn’t scald her skin by any means. She settled upon a rock, which allowed her to be submerged up to her shoulders. She sucked a few more sips of nectar from the blossoms that floated by, rolling the honey around on her tongue, savoring the taste before she swallowed. The bubbles fizzled and tickled her skin, and her head lolled with relaxation.

She hadn’t soared this high since the good-bye party her friends threw her before she left for Egypt. The girls had snuck three bottles of bootleg into the dorm room that night, and later when they’d properly dipped their bills, the boys were ushered in. A trumpet player from a local hot jazz band had snuggled up to Jade for some serious petting. Gads, what he could do with that nimble tongue of his.

Jade was brought back to consciousness by Eli’s deep rich voice calling to her. Lord, what a man he was, she grinned. A fella usually needed to pet her some before she got all hot and bothered. But not Eli. All she had to do was look at him and her kitty twitched, begging for his expert attentions.

He called to her again, but instead of answering, she giggled.

He was her Adam in this garden paradise, and she longed to be his Eve. Stepping out of the pool, she weaved her way over to the tiger lily bush and plucked another blossom. Tucking it behind her ear, she did the same for the other side of her head when an idea struck her. She’d hide her sweet spot behind a blossom and bid Eli to find it.

“Jade!” he called once again from somewhere up near the waterfall.

She tucked the syrupy end of the flower between her woman’s folds and posed with a “come hither” look. Her kitty tingled, and a nagging pressure built behind her sweet spot, aroused at the mere contact of the flower’s nectar. She couldn’t wait for Eli’s touch.

“Here I am, Eli. Come find me.” Her voice called, husky with sensuality.

Eli’s beautiful form came to a stop at the top of the fall and Jade smiled up at him.

“There you are Zsa-ninah. I—” He froze, his face darkening in anger. But before Jade could even draw a breath to ask what was wrong, he leapt from the rocks and ran toward her, a string of oaths spewing from his lips.

“You should not have touched that flower, Jade!” He batted at each blossom, knocking them from her person.

“Wh-what are you—? Why?”

“They are poison!”

Chapter Seven

The insolent girl laughed at him.

“Nonsense. They are not poison. In fact, I feel quite like I’ve tipped a few beakers of ritzy hooch.”

Despite her standing there, nearly all of her delicious assets bared for his pleasure, Eli panicked. He could barley understand her slurred speech. “Look! The poison has turned your skin blue!”

Her gaze dropped to her arms, and she flipped her hands back and forth, observing the stains on her fingers. “Silly, that’s only because the flower’s nectar is blue. So what? I’ll scrub it off if that’s what—”

If the dye hadn’t set in completely, scrubbing it off might just save her. Without warning, he scooped her up and tossed her over his shoulder like a sack of fruit. He carried her up the rocks toward the waterfall.

“Hey! Let me down, Bruno! What’s your problem?”

Ignoring her, he strode to where the water poured into the main pool. He held her hands under the water and rubbed with vigor. The blue faded, but didn’t come off all the way.

“Geeze, you’re killin’ me! Ouch!” she complained, but if he could save her, he’d listen to her angry words for the rest of his life.