Hidden Fire by Alexis Fleming Page B

rest.
    She cleared her mind of all extraneous thoughts. The trials of the day floated away, borne on the stream of pre-slumber consciousness. Gili slid deeper into the layers of darkness inside her mind. Time enough tomorrow to deal with the effect Morgan still had on her senses.
    Watch the fire, Gili lubra.
    Gili jerked as the voice filtered through her mind.
    What the heck was going on here? Had she actually heard that? Or had she imagined it?
    She turned her head to stare at the feeble light from the carbide lantern. The flame suddenly flared up. The smell of the gas burned heavy on the still air inside the mine. Shadows flashed, thrown into relief on the sandstone surfaces.
    A darker shape emerged from the center of the fire. An apparition that swirled and twisted, taking on a definite shape, until she saw the outline of a man and woman, their features heavy with Aboriginal native heritage.
    The phantasms floated into the air, driven by the thermals created by the flame. They took on greater definition until they resolved into two lovers, naked, unadorned; delighting in their oneness.
    The man lowered his head and took the woman’s nipple into his mouth, his hand sliding down her body to cup her between the legs. The woman moaned, turning her head to face Gili.
    â€œ Your destiny, Gili lubra,” she whispered.
    Gili’s mouth dropped open. Although insubstantial, made of nothing but wispy overlays of white mist, she recognized the woman. The same woman who’d appeared in her vision at the hotel in Brisbane. The same woman who’d made brief appearances in her dreams since she was sixteen years old.
    Dreams? Maybe in the beginning, but not now. More like a vision, given she was wide awake. She reached down and pinched her thigh, wincing at the burst of pain. Yeah, no doubt about it, she was wide awake.
    Waves of heat rolled over Gili. Her skin prickled. Fire raged through her veins, igniting pinpricks of sensation that ramped up her libido again.
    More shadows formed in the circle of light around the campsite. Couples twined in sexual abandon. The musky smell of satisfaction filled the air. Bled deep into Gili’s consciousness until an inferno burst to life inside her.
    She felt as if she were burning up. Her breathing rasped. Pulse pounded. Tremors of sexual tension awakened nerve endings seared with the molten sweep of her blood. The muscles in her belly contracted as the need for release increased.
    Hands shaking, she palmed her breasts. A sob gusted from her mouth. An arrow of need shot from her chest and lodged between her thighs.
    Avoiding Morgan’s arm still resting across her stomach, she slid one hand down her body, whimpering at the sensitized brush of skin against skin. With a furtive glance at Morgan’s sleeping form, she slipped her hand between her legs and palmed her sex.
    It wasn’t enough. She needed more. Her skin felt too tight to contain the level of sexual hunger that assailed her. She clenched her hand between her thighs. A moan surfaced. She swallowed it, not wanting to wake Morgan.
    â€œYou too, huh?”
    Gili gasped and pulled her hand away from her body. Oh, God, how embarrassing . “I…ah, I—”
    â€œChrist, I feel like I’m about to explode,” Morgan interrupted. He slid closer, his hand tightening across her stomach.
    She didn’t need to ask what he was talking about. The hard ridge of a straining erection caressed her hip. He rocked against her and the breath caught in her throat. Her muscles clenched and a shivery feeling filled her.
    Overhead, the misty couples swirled in the dim lighting. The moans of surrender, swiftly followed by cries of satisfaction, echoed in Gili’s head. She looked back at Morgan as he reared up and balanced his weight on one elbow. His dark eyes glittered and a sensual smile curved his lips.
    â€œCan you see them, too?” She kept her tone to a whisper, half afraid the sound of her voice