Taken (Breaking the Darkness) (22 page)

MY EYES WERE still closed gently. It felt like I was floating; my body gently swayed back and forth and I had the sensation I was rolling over pockets of air. I took full breaths of fresh oxygen into my lungs. I knew I was dreaming because my body was free from the burden of pain. It was relaxing having my eyes shut, but my dreams had been filled with such great escapes so I had to know where my mind led me on this occasion.

After enjoying the comfort of lying there pain free for a few, I was ready for my dreamy adventure. I opened my eyes and found myself in a well-dressed bed that occupied the center of a tiny room. Everything in the room was off-white except for the huge mural behind the bed. Soft blues hid behind the oversized sea stars made of shells.

I dropped my bare feet onto a plush shag carpet beside the bed. The floors beneath the rug were wood but in an off-white tone as well. The room was very tranquil. I made my way out the door and up a narrow flight of stairs. Just as I grabbed hold of the chrome railing, I started to figure out where I was. The sky above me was black dusted in millions of twinkling diamonds. I could hear the water lapping against the hull of the ship.

I came out onto a deck with a large table at the center, covered in candles with an oversized floral arrangement in the middle. The table was set for two with champagne glasses filled with the tiniest bubbles.

The ship was engulfed by the midnight sky. The velvety darkness didn’t add to the tranquility of the ship’s atmosphere for me. It actually caused an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach and I felt trapped.

“Good morning.”

I spun around to establish the location of that sexy voice.

“Or should I say good evening?”

I looked up to see Kaden smirking down at me. The way his lip and eyebrow raised together was seductive in a very devious way.

“Come on up here. I have been waiting for you.”

I made way up to the flybridge. It was stunning. All the furnishings on this ship were the same airy soft white color. The wraparound couch appeared to hover in the air, illuminated from beneath. It was covered in pillows in varying shades of aquamarine. It looked like someone poured out a little of the Caribbean Sea. He stood in front of the seating area, shirtless and in a pair of white linen pants.

My goodness, he struck me speechless. His skin looked more than sun-kissed against the white décor. The glowing light that came from beneath the couch cast the perfect glow on his face. He looked like he just fell from heaven as a gift for me to enjoy. My palms started to sweat as the butterflies danced in my stomach.

“Let me grab my shirt.”

He reached over for a tan linen button-up, then grabbed two glasses from the bar and glided over to me. We were toe-to-toe when he handed me the glass of bubbles. His chest stared me in the face, begging for my touch. Kaden pushed my hair off my face and tucked it behind my ear. He tenderly lifted my chin. His emerald eyes drank in more of me than the champagne.

“How was your rest, darling?”

“Good, I think.” The sound of my voice squeaked out. My head swirled from his intoxicating presence.

“I thought you could use a little getaway. I usually like to take her out for treasure hunts.” He bit his upper lip. “Lucky for me, the treasure is already on board.”

I looked up at him and smiled. My eyes did a little half roll to the right. He had a way of bringing the heat to my cheeks.

“You might not know it, but you are more than anything your grandmother did or did not tell you. You will see. You think I would spend all this time with just anyone?”

I didn’t know how to respond to that. How would I know with whom he would spend his time?

“Would you care for a bite to eat?” he asked.

“No, thank you. Maybe in a little bit.” I simpered.

He ran his finger over my bare shoulder and down my arm. Grabbing my hand, he led me down the stairs. Just behind the table was a semi-circle of aquamarine pillows resting on another floating couch. Kaden flipped a switch to turn off the lights that radiated from below. The only light on the deck now came from the candles and the heavens above.

We settled down onto the couch. He gently grabbed me and pulled me between his legs. I laid my head against his chest and we stared up into the sky. Other than the relaxing sounds of the ocean, the silence was surprisingly nice. Kaden intertwined his fingers with mine.

“I could just lay here like this for an eternity.”

“Yes, darling, you can. I would keep you with me always. We can share the journey together. I will share my all with you.” His voice melted me.

“I look forward to getting to know more of you. Tell me, what is it that you do with your time when you aren’t courting me?” It was time to start asking my own questions.

“Private consulting, mostly. I specialize in private security. I also find and acquire priceless treasures, shall we say.”

A chill went up my spine.

“Are you chilly? I can retrieve a blanket for you.”

“No, you’re keeping me quite warm.” I could feel his heat penetrating my back. I was also aware of his manliness bulging beneath me.

I rolled over and crossed my arms under my chest. I looked at every detail of his face. His hair was more unruly than usual. The sea air had it flying away a bit. I moved his hair back off his face as his hands stroked my back.

He took a few quick breaths accompanied by a cross between a moan and a growl. There was something familiar about the sound. He licked his full lips just before biting on his succulent lower lip.

I had something I wanted to say, but my head was clouded with lust. All I could muster were impure thoughts of what his lips would feel like. I could see the stars reflecting off the blacks of his eyes. He reached up and plunged his hands in my hair. His body pressed up against mine.

“You really are breathtaking. Having you for myself is all that fills my thoughts. Will you share yourself with me?”

Share myself? I wanted to pour myself all over him. My inner woman had been burning for his every touch since the day he passed by me at the coffee house. My heart was doing flips in my stomach and my core pulsated in anticipation of what he had to offer.

My eyes answered him with an invitation. I slid my arms out from under me and up behind his head. He took one of his hands out of my hair and lowered it down my back and picked me up just enough to flip me under him. The maneuver was effortless for him.

I welcomed his weight on top of me. He gazed down and devoured me with his eyes. I could see the hunger building. I think he was holding back from uncontrollably consuming me. His intensity made me quiver.

“I want you more than I should. I want to keep every bit of you for myself,” he declared.

His eyes pressed shut and his head went back. He rolled it back down in my direction. I was ready for him to finally lock his lips with mine. Instead, he buried his face in my neck, nuzzling the depression of my collarbone. I could feel the air he forcefully sucked in.

“Mmm, your sent is so unique. I could sniff you up all night.” He moaned in my ear and started to kiss my neck. The kisses were unhurried; he worked his way from just under my ear down to the top of my shoulder. After another lengthy inhalation, his tongue glided back along the same path up to my earlobe.

“Oh, ahh…” he moaned out. “You taste even better than you smell.”

My arms were wrapped around his broad chest. I squeezed into the flesh of his back. The sexual energy that flared up between us was almost torturous. My spine arched beneath him. If his lips touched me again, I might burst into a million colors. We hadn’t even kissed yet.

Kaden lifted himself over me. His gaze wasn’t the only thing that was hard.

“I should… I have to tell you… before—”

I reached up and pulled him in close to me, cutting his words short. I clutched his tied-back hair and forced my lips over his. His full lips filled my own. I found myself kissing more of his bottom lip than anything. I lightly sucked it into my mouth, encouraging him to give me more of himself.

Kaden grabbed the back of my head and took control of the kiss. His hot mouth enveloped mine. Parting my lips, his tongue swirled around in my mouth, but he had all of me spinning out of control. He slowly withdrew, lingering his lips just at the edge of my mouth.

I leaned forward to lock onto his lips again, but they weren’t there. I opened my eyes to an empty room of darkness. My heart sank at the realization that it was just a dream. My heart still raced, awaiting his next move. I wanted more of him. I craved to be back in the vast nothingness of the ocean, locked in his grasp. I wanted to be away from my prison and the life I hardly knew as my own.

WHAT WAS THE point of obsessing about a fantasy life with a man I’d never actually even met? There was no escaping my new reality. Ziona may have been right about the fact that they would always find me. Even if I did get out of there, where and how would I manage to live in a world knowing about such a subculture? I had no clue what other kinds of supernatural creatures or people were out there. How would I know what they were or if they could tell what I was?

At least that last bit of sleep I got helped my body get almost back to normal. Other than some stiffness, everything seemed to be moving with little to no pain. I was just glad I didn’t have to sit there and stare into the darkness during my time awake. My ability to project was my only saving grace.

It was tempting to try and find Kaden again. Too bad he was unaware of my existence. Even if he knew, what could he do to help me get out of here? What chance would a human stand against Ziona and her cronies? Graven couldn’t get to me since he had no clue where the compound I was being held at was located and he couldn’t sense me within the walls of my prison. Maybe he was out there waiting for me to check in with him. Graven might have been my only chance at freedom.

A nice comfortable half lotus helped me get situated for my journey. My ability to shift into the astral plane had become almost seamless. Although I did enjoy meditating, it wasn’t really convenient when I needed to get somewhere in a hurry.

I just set my mental dial to vibe on Graven. In a flash, I wisped through the mist. I loved that part. It was like flying through a cloud past Christmas lights really fast. Being so excited about my quick flight, I forgot to pull the reins back before I landed.

I found myself in the back of a restaurant. Lucky for me, nearly all the tables were void of patrons. My eyes could hardly believe the scene splayed out before me. My heart just dropped and almost fell out of my stomach.

Sitting before me was my warden, sipping on a glass of wine. She shared a meal with the man who just told me he would save me or die trying. Now he was out on what looked like a date, splitting appetizers over a white linen tablecloth with the very person holding me hostage. The betrayal had my blood boiling.

Graven knew I was there. I saw him straighten his spine and his back muscles twitched a little the second I arrived. His back was to me, but of course he didn’t turn to look my way.

The dining room was dimly lit. The tables were littered with votive candles. They were sporadically lit, causing pockets of darkness.

“Graven, let’s cut the bullshit. You know I am always up to spend time with you when it is not related to the business. It is, however, a shame that I always enjoy it more than you.” Ziona dabbed her red lips with a white cloth napkin.

“You need to tell me what is going on. What the hell happened at the club? How exactly does a twelve-hundred-year-old dragon of the Leviath family die?” Her fierce interrogation was no match for Graven.

“I’m on it, Ziona. I’m looking into it. I have topnotch security both from a technical standpoint and a supernatural one. I’ve never had something like this ever happen. Ever!” He didn’t skip a beat. “We were in my office, sipping on some whisky, chatting it up. Actually, he was telling me about his most recent visit with you just before the fire started.”

“You don’t say?”

Graven took a sip of what looked like water. He didn’t stop to acknowledge her question.

“Then, we were talking about planning an event for him at one of the clubs next month. Out of nowhere, the room caught fire. This was ironic really because fire wasn’t something that should affect either of us. I don’t think either one of us thought much of at first. When I tried to leave the room to get help, I couldn’t get the door open. That is when I knew something was awry. Someone had made it so we couldn’t get out.

“I control the locking mechanisms from inside my office. Not to mention, I certainly have enough strength to normally break that door down if I needed to, and I couldn’t. The room filled quickly with smoke and flames. It was hard to see him or anything else in the room.” Graven pressed his strong fingers against his forehead.

“All my communications and electrical equipment stopped working. I heard a commotion and banging noises from somewhere behind the clouds of smoke. At first I figured he stumbled into something, but when I called out to Anton, he didn’t respond. After I heard a few thuds hidden beneath the soot-filled air, someone broke down the door from outside just as I was about to search out Anton.