time.”
“That is a risk I must take.” Nobility of purpose and arrogance shone from his eyes. I wanted to smack him.
I sighed. “Look, Balam, I’m not in favor of living in a world of endless night, okay? But there has to be another way to stop her without you rushing back to stick your head in a noose. Isn’t there any other way to rescue the other shamans?”
He shook his head. “If there were at least one other shaman and we had access to the Temple of Jaguars... but Anani has taken that for her own as well.” Off my look he continued, “It is a special temple made up of five ancient statues depicting different stages of shamans transforming into jaguars. The statues surround her Cauldron, guarding it from those who steal her power. The place is sacred to Evaki, a vortex of psychic energy.” He shook his head again. “There is no other way. I will have to go back to Belize and take my chances. And you will be safe after I leave.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but a jaw-cracking yawn caught me by surprise. The adrenaline of the nightmare was gone, leaving profound exhaustion in its wake.
Balam smiled, his expression softening. “Sleep now, Maya. Your body and mind are still recovering from the shift.”
I clutched the quilt to my chest, unwilling to lie back down and possibly face the creature from my nightmare again.
“What ... what if she comes back?”
Balam cupped my face with one hand, fingers gently caressing my hair. He stared into my eyes, their expression melting my fears and warming other parts of me.
“I will watch over your dreams,” he promised. “She will not be able to reach you again tonight.”
The certainty in his voice soothed me and I lay back down.
“You’ll stay with me?” Yes, I sounded like a five-year-old.
In answer he stretched out beside me, nudging me so I turned over to lie on one side. He curved his body against mine, spooning me, one strong arm draped around my waist. Fingers caressed my scalp, soothing me. I felt protected, cherished in a way I hadn’t felt in years.
“Sleep, my brave one...sleep.” He murmured something in a language I didn’t understand, melodious and fluid, the words flowing from his lips like a mountain stream. I fell asleep basking in the combined warmth of my goose down quilt and Balam’s muscular body wrapped around mine.
Chapter Ten
Waking up is normally something that comes hard for me. I’m not a morning person and since Luna died, I didn’t even have the comfort of a warm, purring kitty curled up next to me.
This morning, however, I woke up in a cocoon of total well being. Warmth spread through my body, emanating from the body wrapped around mine like a contoured blanket.
Balam’s chest molded against my back, his legs pressed against mine with no space between. One of his arms circled my waist, the other rested against the top of my head. I felt his breath warm against my hair, slow and steady in slumber. Half asleep myself, I smiled in contentment and wriggled back against him—and felt something hard move against my butt.
I froze as I realized what was waking up behind me, but it was too late. Balam murmured something against my ear and pulled me closer, letting me feel just how aroused he was, even only half awake. The hand at my waist moved lower, fingers tracing a path under my T-shirt from my hip down my flank, then making their way around to my inner thigh, tantalizingly close to the V between my legs. I held my breath and tried not to move. Maybe if I didn’t move he’d think I was asleep and stop—stop—
Oh.
His fingers stroked me through the cotton of my g-string, heat emanating from his skin as if each finger had a glowing ember tip.
I wouldn’t move. If I didn’t move, he’d—
I gasped and arched involuntarily up against him, as Balam insinuated his hand under the g-string, pressing his palm against my sex. Soft laughter tickled my ear, sending yet another jolt of heat through my groin.
“I
“That is a risk I must take.” Nobility of purpose and arrogance shone from his eyes. I wanted to smack him.
I sighed. “Look, Balam, I’m not in favor of living in a world of endless night, okay? But there has to be another way to stop her without you rushing back to stick your head in a noose. Isn’t there any other way to rescue the other shamans?”
He shook his head. “If there were at least one other shaman and we had access to the Temple of Jaguars... but Anani has taken that for her own as well.” Off my look he continued, “It is a special temple made up of five ancient statues depicting different stages of shamans transforming into jaguars. The statues surround her Cauldron, guarding it from those who steal her power. The place is sacred to Evaki, a vortex of psychic energy.” He shook his head again. “There is no other way. I will have to go back to Belize and take my chances. And you will be safe after I leave.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but a jaw-cracking yawn caught me by surprise. The adrenaline of the nightmare was gone, leaving profound exhaustion in its wake.
Balam smiled, his expression softening. “Sleep now, Maya. Your body and mind are still recovering from the shift.”
I clutched the quilt to my chest, unwilling to lie back down and possibly face the creature from my nightmare again.
“What ... what if she comes back?”
Balam cupped my face with one hand, fingers gently caressing my hair. He stared into my eyes, their expression melting my fears and warming other parts of me.
“I will watch over your dreams,” he promised. “She will not be able to reach you again tonight.”
The certainty in his voice soothed me and I lay back down.
“You’ll stay with me?” Yes, I sounded like a five-year-old.
In answer he stretched out beside me, nudging me so I turned over to lie on one side. He curved his body against mine, spooning me, one strong arm draped around my waist. Fingers caressed my scalp, soothing me. I felt protected, cherished in a way I hadn’t felt in years.
“Sleep, my brave one...sleep.” He murmured something in a language I didn’t understand, melodious and fluid, the words flowing from his lips like a mountain stream. I fell asleep basking in the combined warmth of my goose down quilt and Balam’s muscular body wrapped around mine.
Chapter Ten
Waking up is normally something that comes hard for me. I’m not a morning person and since Luna died, I didn’t even have the comfort of a warm, purring kitty curled up next to me.
This morning, however, I woke up in a cocoon of total well being. Warmth spread through my body, emanating from the body wrapped around mine like a contoured blanket.
Balam’s chest molded against my back, his legs pressed against mine with no space between. One of his arms circled my waist, the other rested against the top of my head. I felt his breath warm against my hair, slow and steady in slumber. Half asleep myself, I smiled in contentment and wriggled back against him—and felt something hard move against my butt.
I froze as I realized what was waking up behind me, but it was too late. Balam murmured something against my ear and pulled me closer, letting me feel just how aroused he was, even only half awake. The hand at my waist moved lower, fingers tracing a path under my T-shirt from my hip down my flank, then making their way around to my inner thigh, tantalizingly close to the V between my legs. I held my breath and tried not to move. Maybe if I didn’t move he’d think I was asleep and stop—stop—
Oh.
His fingers stroked me through the cotton of my g-string, heat emanating from his skin as if each finger had a glowing ember tip.
I wouldn’t move. If I didn’t move, he’d—
I gasped and arched involuntarily up against him, as Balam insinuated his hand under the g-string, pressing his palm against my sex. Soft laughter tickled my ear, sending yet another jolt of heat through my groin.
“I
Similar Books
