Unbound Read online

  “It’s just like the one in my vision,” Annabelle murmured. She linked her arms around Zach’s waist and rested her head on his chest, pulling him close. “This place is, quite literally, a hidden paradise.” She lifted her head and looked back to where they had come from. “The path looks like it’s disappeared. It’s as though we’re totally tucked away from the rest of the world where no one can find us.”

  “The path is gone?” Zach’s brow furrowed. He glanced behind them, and sure enough, the foliage had settled back into place, completely hiding the path. His hands settled on Annabelle’s waist, and he felt her soft body drift closer to his. Pressing his fingers into the curve of her hips, Zach turned his face to hers and murmured, “Looks like we’re all alone. What shall I do with you now that I have you all to myself?”

  “I suppose you’ll just have to use your imagination.” Annabelle sucked in a shuddering breath and the movement pressed her breasts further against him. “I’m sure that conjuring up clothing is only the tip of the iceberg with you Amoveo.”

  “There’s still so much to show you.” Zachary tightened his grip on her. Annabelle’s green eyes looked impossibly bright in the golden sunshine as they skittered over his face; the look of lust and need was unmistakable. She inched closer, pressing her hips against his cock, which was heavy with his desire for her. Zach groaned and palmed her ass, holding her tighter against him and wishing he was already inside, sheathed by the heat of her body. “You feel so fucking good, Annabelle.”

  “Zachary?” Annabelle popped up on her toes and flicked her tongue over his lower lip. The erotic sensation sent a shock straight to his dick and his eyes shifted swiftly to those of his clan. A sexy smile played at Annabelle’s lips, and she tore her hands from his before linking her thumbs in the waistband of his board shorts. Her fingernails scraped lightly over his flesh and the contact only urged him on. “I’m sure you can think of better things to do with your mouth than talk.”

  A growl rumbled in his chest just as his mouth crashed onto hers, his tongue immediately seeking entrance. In a clash of lips, teeth, and tongues, he drank from her greedily as they helped each other remove what little clothing they were wearing. Somewhere in the background he heard fabric tearing, which only heightened the frenzy and drove him harder.

  Standing naked in his arms, Annabelle’s breasts crushed deliciously against his chest as they kissed. She linked her arms around his neck as his thigh slipped between her legs. Zach almost came apart when the slick heat of her pussy slid over him, and she rode his thigh, clinging to him as though she’d never get enough. His cock was pressed between their bodies and cradled against the soft flesh of her belly, making every movement tease him closer to the edge.

  “You’re fucking killing me,” Zachary said between kisses down her throat. He swept her up into his arms and kissed her while he waded into the crystal-clear water of the lagoon. Wading in up to his waist, he relished the feel of her body cradled against his and was certain he’d never felt anything better than her. “I want this to last more than five minutes, but if you keep rubbing that hot little body against me like that, I won’t last five seconds.”

  “There goes that mouth of yours again.” Annabelle slipped out of his embrace, swimming backward away from him. The white globes of her breasts, with their pink nipples in sharp points, broke the surface and tempted him closer. “But you’re going to have to catch me first.”

  Annabelle giggled and dove under the water. His cock twitched while he watched her bare bottom pop up just before she slid under the glassy surface. He was mesmerized for a moment, watching her gorgeous nude body swim through the clear blue water like some kind of water fairy or mermaid, willing him to follow, and he was only too happy to oblige. She came up for air by the base of the waterfall and laughed as she wiped the water from her eyes.

  “I’ll make you pay for that,” he shouted.

  “Promises, promises.”

  Annabelle swam to the edge and sat on a partially submerged rock, with the water up to her waist, her naked torso bared for him to see. He stayed along the edge of the lagoon and strode toward her, feeling much like a lion stalking its prey. A growl rumbled in his throat while he watched her pull her long wet hair over one shoulder and wring out the extra moisture.

  “Push and pull,” Zachary murmured. “That’s my girl.”

  Unwilling to wait any longer, Zachary swam over to Annabelle with long sure strokes and emerged in front of her. He said nothing but held her stare with his glowing gaze as his hands curled around the crooks of her knees. He ran his thumbs over the tops of her thighs before tugging them open and standing between her legs. The rock she sat on was slippery beneath the water, and her bottom scooted right to the edge. Zachary’s cock rested along the outside of her sex and he inched closer, teasing her with the heat of his shaft. Annabelle gasped and her nostrils flared as the unmistakable look of desire stamped her face. Her hands grasped the ledge of the rock and she leaned back, looking him in the eye as he pulled her knees up and rocked himself against her.

  He leaned close and whispered into her ear, “Do you want me, Annabelle?” Her head dropped back and her breath came in short, thready gasps. “It’s been push and pull with you from the first minute I found you in the dream realm, but I have to know if this is what you really want. No more games. No more bullshit.” Zachary tilted his hips so that the full length of his erection slid between her folds and put pressure on her clit, making her whimper with pleasure. With his fingers clamped securely around her knees and holding her open, he rocked in slow, seductive strokes while looking her dead in the eye. “Is this what you really want? Tell me, Annabelle.”

  “Yes.” She nodded and hooked her ankles behind his back, holding him against her heat. One hand reached back and clutched the rock while she rubbed her heat against him. “Please, Zachary. I’ve never wanted anything or anyone the way I want you. I have to have you inside me.”

  “That’s where I’ve wanted to be since I first laid eyes on you.” His hands slid along her thighs before running over her hips and curling around her waist. Zachary trailed kisses along her jaw and ran his hands over her breasts. Annabelle moaned with pleasure when he captured one nipple in his mouth and then the other. He grazed the sensitive buds with his teeth before laving them with his tongue and suckling gently. She tangled her hands in his hair and held him there as he continued to rock against her clit with the unrelenting pressure of his shaft. Zachary raised his head and met her gaze once again. “But you have to put me there, baby. There can’t be any confusion. No more push and pull. I want you to reach down and put my cock inside you. Let me in, Annabelle. Give yourself to me…and no one else.”

  “There’s no one but you,” she murmured. Annabelle’s fingers tightened in his hair and she tugged his head up, dragging his mouth to hers.

  Carnal need fired through him and he rocked his hips faster along her sex, the coil of an orgasm tightening in his gut. The heat of her skin mixed with the cool water heightened every sensation, and he didn’t know how much longer he could hold back.

  “How could there ever be anyone but you?”

  Then, knowing what they both needed, Annabelle pressed one hand on his shoulder while the other reached between their primed, shaking bodies. Looking into her eyes, Zachary let out a groan when her long fingers wrapped around the base of his dick. She ran her hand up and down the length of him from root to tip, which elicited another groan of pleasure from Zachary.

  “I’m gonna come all over your belly if you keep that up,” he ground out.

  Zachary’s body hummed with restraint, and he braced both hands on the rocks behind Annabelle’s head, effectively caging her in. She ran her thumb over the swollen head and smiled when his cock jumped in her hand. Then she lifted her legs higher, over his hips, and guided him inside her, inch by wicked inch.

  “Not yet,” she purred. Annabelle’s ha
nd cupped the back of his neck and she pulled his face to hers. “I want you to fuck me, Zachary. You promised you would make me scream, and there’s nobody here but us.” She nipped his lower lip and her nipples scraped along his chest in wicked little strokes. “I can scream your name and no one will hear me. Give me that. Just this once.”

  Zachary sank into her in one slow, seductive stroke until he was buried to the hilt. He put one hand behind her head on the rocks and the other grabbed her hip, anchoring her to him as he started to pump. Her body accommodated his and wrapped around him like a glove. She was made for him. That was all he could think as he buried himself in her again and again. This one woman was his, and he was hers. He would lose his Amoveo powers and live out his life as a human, and he didn’t give a shit as long as he was with her. Nothing mattered except being with Annabelle. Human? Amoveo? All that mattered was her.

  Annabelle cried his name as he thrust into her, and she writhed, raising her hips to meet him, rubbing her clit against him with every pass. The delicious, torturous surge of Zachary’s orgasm filled him, and with one final stroke, his body shuddered as the orgasm erupted. Without even thinking about it, Zachary touched his mind to hers, whispering the words of the ancient mating rite.

  Nos es unus. Materia pro totus vicis. Ago intertwined. Forever.

  With their minds and bodies connected in every way possible, he felt Annabelle’s pleasure peak in unison with his. She screamed and arched her back while her legs tightened around him like she never wanted to let go. Zachary wrapped his arms around her and held her closer, reveling in the sensation of her pussy tightening around him in wicked little aftershocks.

  Gasping as though they’d just run a race, and with Zachary still locked inside Annabelle, he buried his face in the crook of her neck and breathed her in. She smelled clean and fresh, with a hint of coconut from the suntan lotion she’d put on earlier. He gathered her long wet hair in his hand and reveled in the silky feel of every single part of her. Her body shuddered against his and she rested her head on his shoulder, the moist heat of her breath puffing over his skin while she tried to recover from the explosive shared experience.

  Holding her tightly against him, Zachary pushed off the rocks and floated on his back toward the waterfall, with Annabelle lying on his chest. She shrieked from the unexpected movement, but the smile on her face let him know all was well. He pulled her beneath the rushing water of the falls and kissed her deeply. They stayed there for a few minutes, kissing, touching, caressing each other beneath the steady flow of water, and to Zach’s surprise, he was hard and ready all over again.

  Zachary stepped out from beneath the waterfall and found his footing, but it was too deep for Annabelle to stand in. She arched one eyebrow and laughed as she wrapped her body around his. His cock was once again pressed between them and practically begging to be back inside of her.

  “I know I’m not that experienced when it comes to sex, but—”

  “Nope.” Zachary kissed her, preventing her from saying anything about former lovers. He knew she wasn’t a virgin, but that sure as hell didn’t mean he wanted to hear about it. He suckled her bottom lip and cupped her ass, his fingers fluttering along the tender flesh. “I will live under the illusion that you’ve never been with any other men.”

  “Oh really?” She laughed. “So I should assume the same for you?”

  “Absolutely.” He grinned. “I’ve never been with a man.”

  “Ha ha.” Annabelle rolled her eyes and adjusted her position, which elicited a groan from Zach. She wiggled against his cock and kissed his jaw, her fingers tangling in his hair. “I know you’ve been with lots of women and—”

  “Not anymore.” Zach’s expression grew serious and he pulled back so she could look him in the face. “I mean it. This is it for me, Annabelle. There is no one else for me. Ever. And believe me. I never thought those words would escape my lips. Hell, I thought the idea of spending my life with one person, let alone an eternity, was ridiculous…and then I found you.”

  “Eternity?” Annabelle asked quietly.

  “Well, when two Amoveo are mated, they basically stop aging and their powers get stronger. But when an Amoveo is destined to be with a human…” Zach took a deep breath and held it for a second before finally telling her. “If an Amoveo mates with a human, then we lose our powers and age as a human would.”

  “If you stay with me, you lose your powers?” Her voice was quiet and she seemed frightened. “Then why would you even want to be with me?”

  “You’re my mate, Annabelle. I can’t explain it. Some of the other guys have referred to it as imprinting, and before I met you, I thought it was all bullshit.”

  She absorbed this for a moment, then said, “When we were making love, I thought I heard you say something.”

  “Yeah.” Zachary stilled and swore under his breath. “I’m sorry…that was the mating rite. I don’t know what happened. I can’t explain it. Hell, I didn’t even know I knew it by heart, but there it was.”

  “Mating rite?” Annabelle looked at him like he’d lost his marbles. “Okay,” she said slowly. “What does that mean exactly?”

  “By Amoveo standards, it basically means we’re married.”

  Annabelle’s mouth fell open.

  “Hang on.” Zachary held up both hands. “It’s just a formality. And since you’re human, I don’t think it really matters much. I mean, I’m gonna lose my powers anyway.”

  He kissed the tip of her nose and noticed her skin was beginning to pucker. “Come on. Let’s get you back to the house. You’re turning into a prune, and that sunblock looks like it’s wearing off. Although rubbing aloe all over your naked body would be a hell of a way to spend the evening.”

  Chapter 9

  They swam to shore and Zachary made quick work of conjuring up dry clothes for both of them.

  “I have to admit, that’s a handy power to have.” Annabelle smiled as she took the shorts and tank top he gave her. “No underwear?”

  “Are you kidding?” Zachary winked. “That’s just one more piece of clothing I’ll have to take off you when we get back to the house.”

  They dressed in silence and he noticed her studying him closely.

  “This is nuts,” she said finally. Annabelle ran her hands through her long hair. “We’re not married, Zachary, and we’re not staying together.”

  “What?” The word was barely audible. Zachary stopped dead in his tracks like she’d punched him in the face. “I thought—”

  “You said it yourself.” Her eyes filled. “If you stay with me, you’ll lose your powers.”

  “I’ll lose them anyway,” he fired back. Now it was her turn to look stunned. Zachary’s mouth set in a tight line as he stalked toward her. “If an Amoveo doesn’t find their mate by the age of thirty, then we lose our abilities. So I’m fucked either way, but you know what?” He got right in her personal space and held her challenging stare with his. “I don’t give a shit if I lose my Amoveo abilities. Hell, I’m going to lose them no matter what I do. I can live out my life as a human, and the idea of it doesn’t even bother me that much. But you know what I don’t want to do?” he shouted. “What would be totally unacceptable? Living the rest of my life without you, Annabelle. It’s crazy. I know. And the look on your face only proves my point.”

  “What are you saying?” she asked quietly, hugging her arms around herself, as if bracing from a chill. “That you…love me?”

  “No. Yes…I don’t know.” Zach pressed his lips together and let out a slow breath. “I don’t know if I’m in love with you, but I sure as hell feel like I’m on my way, and I’m pretty sure you are too, so don’t bother telling me you’re not.”

  “We don’t even know each other,” she whispered.

  “I know enough.” He gathered her hands in his, and something in his chest squeezed when it was clear she was doing
her best not to look at him. “I know that I would like to spend the rest of my life finding out everything there is to know about you—everything there is to discover about each other.”

  “No, you wouldn’t, Zachary. If you really knew who I am, then you wouldn’t want anything to do with me.”

  His first inclination was to be furious with her, but when he watched her fiddle with the bracelet again and nibble her lower lip, he knew this wasn’t about him at all.

  “Annabelle,” Zachary whispered and placed a kiss at the corner of her mouth. While one hand cradled her face, the other slid beneath the hem of her shorts and he trailed his fingers along the curve of her ass. “Tell me your real name.”

  She stilled against him and her eyes widened with the cold chill of fear. Annabelle attempted to slip out of his embrace, but he held her in his arms, unwilling to let her run from him again. Her arms were pinned between their bodies and her fingers curled around his T-shirt, which made it feel like she was pushing him away and pulling him closer at the same time.

  Push and pull.

  “What are you afraid of?” He lifted his head and his eyes shifted, reflecting his frustration. “Haven’t I shown you that I would never do anything to hurt you? Why won’t you trust me and tell me the truth? I can help you, Annabelle. Whoever it is that you’re running from is no match for an Amoveo. I promise that I can keep you safe.”

  “No.” She looked at her hands and shook her head, the tears falling freely. “You can’t. And it’s not me I’m worried about…it’s you.”

  She was worried about him? Of course. How could he be so fucking stupid? These people she was running from were obviously dangerous, and he hadn’t given her any reason to think he could fight them. All he did was conjure up some clothing and dream-walk with her. Not exactly proof of being a badass. It was time for him to show Annabelle who he truly was and put her fears to rest. Maybe then, once she saw his true nature, she’d feel better about trusting him.