Glancing around, Azazel appreciated how the imaginary realm complemented all five of his senses. Even the brush of the balmy breeze across his skin was as gratifying as a lover’s caress. As the weight of escaping a dangerous situation faded, he let go of the hard tension at the back of his neck, feeling lighter than he’d ever imagined. Even his inner beast rumbled a light purr of contentment.
But the sense of calm wouldn’t be possible without Toni next to him. Being with her brought an added gift he never dreamed possible. Taking in a fortifying breath, Azazel savored the taste of foreign freedom.
“Come on,” Toni looped her arm through his elbow. “Let’s sit over here.” She led him to a soft blanket made of short fur that was impossibly free of sand. Plush throw pillows lay scattered across the surface, as if offering comfort. She sat cross-legged with a smile. “Sit. I promise not to bite.” She patted the place next to her.
Azazel didn’t hesitate. He lowered himself beside her, mirroring her posture.
“Tell me what happened after Baelon zapped me away in that dream,” Toni implored, placing her hand on one of his thighs. “He didn’t hurt you, did he?”
Azazel covered her hand with his, shaking his head. His long braid slipped over his shoulder, the end pooling between his thighs. “No, he only told me the reason they did that to us was to observe how ‘organics in this dimension’ reacted to several situations. Then he dismissed me into theDreamwalkyou found me in. I’m pretty sure my body is still in that crystal cage somewhere.” He pressed his lips together to keep from complaining about how terrified he’d been the longer he was contained—which, in turn, had made his inner beast fight harder to get loose. Thank the goddess Toni showed up when she did.It was true that beauty could tame the savage beast.
He grinned as the damn thing continued to coo in the background.
The thought prompted him to find out how. He tilted his head, observing her open expression. “How did you quiet that beast behind the wall?”
“Oh, him?” Toni pshawed with a wave of her elegant fingers. “That big ole softy just wanted some attention.” She wagged her admonishing finger at him. “You’ve been ignoring him for far too long. He only wants to come out and play.” She gripped her ankles with a grin. “I told him now wasn’t the time for us to meet face-to-face. But I promised him we would as soon as the time was right.”
Azazel stilled.Time was right? For what?
“And… you talked to him?” How was that possible? He’d never told her about the creature he’d dubbed his “inner beast”. Never in his wildest dreams did he consider it was something separate from himself. More like a twisted part of his inner makeup that was prone to uncontrollable violence and animalistic drives.
Toni scratched the side of her cheek. “I’m not sure. Our minds connected as easily as you and I do.” She shrugged. “His pain reached out to me, so what could I do? I had to respond.” Her head tilted, her bright-blue eyes searched his face. “Where did he come from? I didn’t get that he was part of Baelon’s group. Do you know why they kept him behind that wall?”
His mouth dried. She didn’t know the beast was a part of him. He wasn’t sure if he was relieved or hurt about that. He smoothed his expression before answering. “I’m not sure.” The lie soured his mouth. “But I think we’d better get off this ship before Baelon finds out we’ve connected like this.”
She nodded. “I agree. Listen—” She scooted closer to him. “—JR14 found me, and we’re going to come and get you so you can teleport us off this ship. Think that’s doable?”
“It’s possible.” Azazel rubbed his scratchy chin. “But it’d be easier if we somehow could avoid the Krystalii’s psychic sensors. I…” He stopped in mid-sentence when Toni held up a hand.
“What?” she said, her eyes unfocused. “Oh, that’s good. Okay.”
He waited to see if she said anything else. She must be communicating with her suit, even though it didn’t look like she was wearing it right now. The only thing she had on was a skimpy bikini that made his mouth water as he took in all the luscious, bare, golden skin.Damn, he must be losing his mind if that wasn’t the first thing he noticed. Shit, his brother Arakiba would never let him live that down.
“Oh.” Toni’s eyes focused on him. She gave him a sheepish smile. “Sensos tells me some of what Baelon showed us in the Dreamwalk was true. Like the Nexus Core, the psychic amplifier, is real. And so is the Dimensional Rift Epicenter.” She sighed. “It’d be nice if we could put a wrench in those before you teleport us out. But—” She leaned in, resting both of her palms on his mid-thighs. “—I think JR14 and I should find you and set you free first? Don’t you?”
Azazel couldn’t help but watch her lips move as she spoke. Being caught in this impossible situation didn’t matter. Answering her didn’t matter. The only thing that mattered was stealing a taste of those tempting lips before thinking about anything else. Giddy with the freedom to act as he wanted, he cupped her face with his hands, and claimed her mouth with his own.
The sight of Azazel moving closer mesmerized Toni. When he was just a hairsbreadth away, she closed her eyes, aching to feel his touch. The nearer he came, the more the sensual tension pulled low in her womb. It sharpened and turned into something exquisite—decadent, unstoppable. When his lips caressed hers, the impact eclipsed everything else. Even their previous kiss in that lastDreamwalkwas a pale echo of how this felt. Her body became languid and weak. She gripped the back of his head, holding him fast while she gave herself over to him as raw, unflinching intent took over. She gripped the back of his head, holding him fast. Raw, unflinching intent took over as she gave herself to him. Burgeoning urges for this man consumed her with each swipe of his hot, seeking tongue.
His provocative voice whispering her name in her mind barely registered. Toni was too far gone, lost in a rush of pleasure so intense she wondered if he experienced the same thing. The mere idea of him joining with her on a mental level intensified her own reaction. No longer ruled by reason, she became a living inferno of craving and hunger that devoured every shred of restraint.
Azazel’s hand covered her breast, his thumb caressing her puckered nipple through the minuscule fabric of her swimsuit. His mouth left hers and nibbled against her chin before traveling down the side of her neck. She grasped his firm shoulders in a tight grip, moaning, arching closer to him.
“Let me,” he implored in a wicked whisper against her pebbling skin.
Toni hissed, too far gone to make a coherent response. “Ah… don’t… yes…”
Her heart labored, and she couldn’t breathe. His masculine taste—she couldn’t get enough of it. More. She had to have more. Shifting her position, she thrust her knee between his firm thighs and ground herself against the hard column of his leg.
Azazel’s ravenous growl rolled from deep in this throat, a hungry, edge tone that invaded her mind. She wrapped her arms around his neck and cradled him to take over his mouth once again. When he pulled back to nibble the corner of her mouth, she moaned at the loss. Then, the center of her chin became his focus. His dangerous lips drifted over her skin, leaving a wake of fiery flames everywhere he suckled.
With deft fingers, Azazel brushed her bikini top upward and exposed the puckered skin of her nipples. He gave a sharp hitch and inhaled, taking an agonizing eternity to bend his head to claim what he’d uncovered.
Before she knew how it happened, his long hair became unbound and slid over her like a silken curtain.
With a gentle touch, he captured one of her breasts and lifted the slight weight to his mouth.
His tongue swirled over the oversensitive skin, causing excitement to rock through her. She shook, boneless. Streaks of lightning shot through her, creating a sizzling pathway that drove hard into her very core.
