Tarot Card Anthology: Synchronicity Volume 3 Read online

  "Yes,” he hissed in pleasure as he slid one hand up and cupped the back of her neck. He kissed her hungrily, and she met his kiss and matched it as her desire flared. His other hand cupped her breast and massaged it as she arched into his touch.

  Before she realized his intent, he undid the top of her bikini and cupped a breast in each hand. She moaned into his mouth, and slid her hands down to his erection as it strained against his swimsuit. Her hand slipped easily inside and stroked his hard length as he broke their kiss and sucked her nipple into his mouth.

  Attie whimpered at the pleasure that raced through her. She'd never had a man suck on her nipples, and she'd never been with a man who'd wanted her as much as Mike appeared to. When he nipped at her with his teeth, then sucked hard, she gasped and arched her back, encouraging him to keep going.

  "Oh Christ, Mike. I'm so sorry."

  Athena's eyes flew open and she looked toward the direction of the voice. A nightmare from her past stood on the deck with her bikini top in one hand, and a beer in the other. Even though years had passed, his looks had not. Steven Stamos, her worst mistake, stood there staring at her.

  Mike looked up and must have seen the horror in her eyes because he turned around and sighed. “Dammit, Steven. Couldn't you have just snuck back out as quietly as you snuck in? Did you have to interrupt?"

  Athena covered herself as best as she could while she reached on the side for her towel, her gaze remaining on Steven.

  "Don't go, Attie. Steven was just leaving, weren't you?"

  "Attie? Athena? There can't be that many of you? Is that you, Athena Marley?"

  Athena finally looked away and grabbed her towel. She wrapped it around herself as she climbed out of the hot tub. She ignored both men as they called her name. All the comebacks she'd wished she'd said to Steven, and now had the chance to, remained unsaid as her mind raced in circles, her only coherent thought to run before he hurt her more. Somehow she remembered to grab her purse as she ran through Mike's house and out his front door.

  * * * *

  "Dammit,” Mike cursed as he grabbed Attie's bathing suit from Steven. “Seriously, man. I've been trying to seduce her for months and you ruined it all. How the hell do you know her, anyway?"

  "I went to college with her,” Steven said, the expression on his face one Mike'd never seen before.

  As a cop, Mike had learned to read facial and body expressions better than most, but for once his friend was unreadable. “Then why did she run out of here like her house was on fire?"

  "Um. I have no idea.” Steven quickly spun around and headed for the back door.

  Mike growled. He reached the door the same time Steven did, and Mike pinned the other man there, crowding him with his dripping wet body. “Try again."

  Steven looked up into his face and had the nerve to bat his eyelashes and grin. “Gee, Mike. If I'd known this was what it would take to get you to think of me this way, I'd have done it a lot sooner."

  Mike growled and wrapped his hand around Steven's throat. “Start talking before I do something I might regret."

  "Okay, okay.” Steven lifted his hands in surrender.

  "You knew Attie in college, but what happened there to make her run out of here like that?"

  "Are you sure it isn't just because I interrupted you two? You've never brought any of your other women home, why her?"

  "I'm the one questioning you.” Mike growled and went to wrap his hands around Steven's throat again when Steven swallowed and lifted his hands in surrender again.

  "Okay, okay. I might have dated her a little."

  "Dated? You dated her? But you're gay!"

  "Um, yeah, but back then I hadn't realized or accepted it."

  "Did you sleep with her?” Even as he asked the question, his insides twisted and his hands fisted. The thought of Steven or anyone else having Attie made his stomach revolt.

  "A few times,” Steven admitted as he looked away.

  "A few times!” Mike released Steven and walked away before he really did something he'd regret. Steven might be one of his closest friends, but he was gay, and not a threat to his relationship with Attie. Then why did he have the feeling Steven had just wedged himself between him and Attie, and he'd lost her before he'd really had her?

  "Look, it was over long ago. In fact, she didn't enjoy it as much as I didn't. That was why we ended it."

  "Steven, she looked at you and panicked. That woman is a tough-as-nails cop. She's as tough as any man, and more than some at the precinct. Tell me why one look at you had her reeling in fright and racing out of my door half naked. Hell, she left her fucking clothes here."

  "I might have said a few things to her when we parted ways. Maybe she wasn't happy with the way things ended?"

  "Does she know you're gay?"

  "No.” Steven edged his way to the door.

  "Talk to me, Steven. Why would Attie run away from you as if you were the devil himself?"

  "I don't know.” Steven stuttered, and Mike knew he was lying. Steven knew exactly why Attie had raced out the door. He knew and didn't want to tell.

  Mike reached out and fisted his hands in Steven's shirt. He lifted Steven up and turned, pressing him against the brick wall of the house. Eyes narrowed, and mouth curled in a snarl, he leaned in close and growled. Steven flinched and tensed.

  "Talk to me, Steven. Convince me not to smash your face in. If things had ended nicely between you two she wouldn't have run out of here like that. You're stalling and making me even angrier. I swear to God, Steven. You better start talking before I do something you won't like."

  Steven whimpered when Mike leaned in closer. “Okay, I dumped her. I told her she was frigid and cold, that she couldn't warm up even if she tried.” He swallowed.

  "What?” A snarl that would put his dog to shame came out, startling both him and Steven.

  "I told her she was undesirable and no other man would take pity on her like I had. And ... and ... and I said that..."

  "Stop stuttering and tell me what the hell else you said to her!"

  "I said she wasn't a real woman. Look, I've always regretted saying those things. But I was denying my sexual orientation. I didn't do it to hurt her. I was striking out at her because she wasn't woman enough to make me want her. I didn't realize until much later that it wasn't her, but no woman could excite me."

  Mike shook with the fury coursing through him. As the words ran out of Steven's mouth he fought the urge to sink his fist in his friend's face, but lost. His fist landed with a satisfying crunch. Without waiting to see if Steven was okay, Mike tossed him aside and ran through the house. He grabbed his keys on the way, and raced out the door and down the driveway. Wincing as he stepped on a sharp stone, he ignored the pain. He'd just have to drive without shoes, because there was no way he was letting Attie go. Not now that he finally had a taste of her. And what a taste. It was even better than at night when she visited him in dreams.

  He checked the sides of the roads for accidents as he sped to her house. Considering how upset she'd been when she'd left he wouldn't be surprised if she'd crashed her car. It was with relief that he pulled up in front of her house and saw her car in her driveway. Mike jumped out of his car and ran up to her front door. He prayed she answered fast because her next door neighbor was looking at him oddly.

  Times like this it was nice to have a spare key. He searched on his key chain until he found the key she'd given him when he dog sat for her. As he unlocked the door, he waved to the nosy neighbor, glad that someone was keeping an eye on his Attie. That made him pause. My Attie? When had he started thinking of her as his? Probably when he first laid eyes on her two years ago.

  "Attie!” he called out and headed for the stairs assuming she'd be in her bedroom.

  "Go away!” she shouted back.

  "No!” He yanked open her door and stormed inside, only to halt when he saw her curled in a ball on her bed, crying. She still wore the towel around her, but it gaped open as she loo
ked up at him and rolled to her side, facing the wall.

  With a sigh, he walked over to her bed and dropped down on it. Fluffy, Attie's Rottweiler, nudged her nose against his hand. He scratched her head, then pointed to her bed. Fluffy hung her head, but walked over and curled up in her bed. While she stared at him with sad eyes, he turned back to Attie.

  "Sweetheart.” He crawled onto the bed and pulled her into his arms even though she resisted. “What happened? What did Steven do to you to make you run away like that?"

  She sniffled and shook her head. “I was just startled. He was standing there staring at me."

  "No.” Mike cupped her chin and forced her to look up at him. “He knew your name, and once he said it, you ran out of my house without your clothes or shoes. Talk to me, babe."

  "No.” She started crying again.

  Mike groaned and held her close. Dammit, he didn't want to upset her, but he was pretty sure she didn't want him to know what Steven had done to her. The bastard was lucky he'd left him still breathing.

  As he held her close, he felt the silent sobs shaking her body and vowed to hurt Steven with more than just a punch to the face. He held her close until she finally gave in and snuggled against him, crying louder.

  With his heart breaking at the sound, he did the only thing he could do. He held her and let her cry herself to sleep. They could talk later. As he lay there with her in his arms, he adjusted his position to a more comfortable one, and tucked her head against his chest. As he nodded off to sleep, he plotted ways to punish Steven. It was a shame they couldn't throw Steven in jail, but he could give the man a beat down.

  * * * *

  Athena stretched and felt warm arms wrapped around her. She smiled as she recognized Mike's scent, and rubbed her cheek against his hard, warm chest. Damn, he was like an incubator, he was so warm. If only he burned that hot for her. Wait. He did, at least here in her dreams. But since dreams were all she could have, she would make the most of them.

  Pressing open-mouthed kisses on his chest and neck, she slid her hands down his stomach and encountered shorts. Usually he was naked in her dreams, but every once in a while a little barrier made the suspense that much better. She slipped her hands inside and wrapped them around his erection. God, he felt even better than in the hot tub. He thrust into her hand as she swiped her thumb across the tip and felt moisture.

  The way he filled her hands and the feel of him, all hot and hard made her stomach clench, and her pussy grow wet. With a growl, she grabbed his shorts and yanked them down, exposing his glorious cock. She wrapped her hands around his cock again, and drew the tip into her mouth, licking at the salty pre-cum on the tip.

  Mike's moan filled her ears and she drew him in deeper, sucking on him and working him with her hands as she tried to elicit more sounds of pleasure.

  "Attie,” he said between deep panting breaths. “I want to be inside you when I come."

  "Mmm,” she answered as she slid him out of her mouth with a pop. Eyes half-closed, she tugged off bikini bottoms that were messing with her good dream mojo, and flung them across the room as she rose over him and guided his cock to her entrance.

  Even though she was drenched in desire, as she started to sink down on him, he filled her all the way and then some. In shock, her eyes flew open and she stared down at him. “Not a dream?"

  "Not a dream,” he whispered. “God, you're so tight, Attie."

  "It's been a while."

  He didn't answer. Instead he grabbed her hips and thrust up into her so deep she felt like she'd tear in half. Then he froze and looked up at her as if waiting for something. Suddenly, as her insides clenched around him and juices rushed to her core, she realized he was waiting for her to take charge. He twitched deep inside and she arched her back. Then she leaned over him and stared into his mesmerizing eyes. Mike cupped her breasts and pinched her nipples as she began to ride him, grinding up and down, slow at first, then faster as her stomach and thighs trembled, and tingles raced through her body. Sweet heaven! She was awake and not only was she enjoying this, but judging by the rapture on his face, Mike was too.

  As he closed his eyes and tilted his head back, she couldn't help but think of how handsome he looked. When he lifted his hips and thrust into her, her orgasm rushed over her before she realized she was about to have one. When she cried out and arched her back, he pressed against her clit, and the added stimulation wrung a strangled cry from her as she clenched around him, coming again in a rush of fluids.

  "Oh yeah, babe. God, you're so good."

  She hoped he didn't want a response, because she didn't think she could formulate one. Without warning, he flipped her over while staying buried inside her. He grabbed her legs and pushed them back as he rammed inside her, deeper and harder, until he shouted her name and came, his hot cum filling her and bringing her over the edge again.

  Quivering, she slowly lowered her legs and stared at Mike as they both tried to catch their breath. He stretched out next to her and kissed her gently, then pulled her against him and rubbed her back.

  Never in her dreams had sex with him been this good. She didn't know what to think, all she could do was feel, as aftershocks raced through her body, and Mike murmured sweet nothings in her ear.

  Helpless, she lay there wondering what to say or do. She wanted to tell him to leave, but after sex so good her toes were still curled, she didn't ever want him to go.

  "We need to talk,” Mike said finally.

  "You go first,” she said as she buried her face in his neck.

  "I know you don't want to get involved with a co-worker, but I'm not letting you go, Attie. I've loved you from the first time you put me in my place. Those blazing eyes and your sense of right and wrong, the way you always put others first, your loyalty, should I go on?"

  Athena shook her head and swallowed. What he said scared her. Didn't he realize she wasn't going to be enough to satisfy him? He'd had to take charge and finish himself.

  "Please stop,” she begged as she rolled away from him and buried her face under the pillow. It wasn't like her to run away from anything, but this was just too much to handle right now.

  "Attie?"

  She shivered when he put his hand on her shoulder. “Please, Mike. I thought I was dreaming at first. I wouldn't have—"

  "Are you accusing me of taking advantage of you?” Mike asked as he stared at her in horror.

  "I ... well ... not exactly. But I mean ... You need to leave, Mike."

  "I will not leave!” he shouted as he sat up and glared at her.

  She shivered and pulled the sheet over herself. He grabbed it and tugged it off.

  "You're going to tell me what's wrong, sweetheart. And I want to know now!"

  "Oh come on, Mike. After making love to me, you're still here? Why? Are you hoping round two will be better? Aren't you happy with humiliating me once? Are you going to try and do it again?"

  "Humiliate you? Dammit, Attie!” Mike grabbed her shoulders and yanked her close.

  She drew in a deep breath. The scents from their lovemaking filled the air, and her, with desire. But it would be a mistake. Again. She just couldn't pleasure a man. He was talented enough that he'd given her the best experience of her life. But it was embarrassing to know that it hadn't been as good for him.

  "I want to make love to you again, Attie. Not for the reason you accused me of, but because I want you. I love you and I want you to let me make love to you again."

  "That's an awful lot of love you're talking about."

  "Tell me why you ran out of my place when you saw Steven."

  "I forgot to feed my dog."

  "Attie, you didn't even get your shoes or clothes. Your dog wouldn't starve because you took five minutes to get dressed. Why are you lying to me?"

  He cupped her chin and forced her to look at him even though she tried to look anywhere but at him.

  "Attie."

  She looked down at his hand and saw dried blood. “Oh my God. What
happened?"

  "Nothing,” he said as he moved his hand under the blanket. “Tell me why you ran away."

  Arguing with him was senseless. He wasn't giving up, and she knew from experience that she could trust him to keep her secret. But she didn't want him to know. After their failed lovemaking session, though, it was too late.

  "I dated Steven in college. It wasn't a very good break-up, and I was surprised to see him at your house. I reacted badly, and I apologize. I'm a cop, for crying out loud. I should have better control then that."

  "A bad break-up doesn't explain why you ran out of there like that. It was as if you were afraid of him."

  Athena looked away and closed her eyes as she tried to battle the wayward emotions first Steven, then Mike, had unleashed in her. “It was what we were doing in the hot tub. I'd never been able to satisfy him in bed and it was a harsh reminder that I wouldn't be able to please you either. I hadn't meant to lead you on. I ... I couldn't resist you. I'm sorry, Mike. If only you'd left me alone, but you kept pushing and pushing until you broke me. Are you happy now?"

  "No, I'm not. You thought that because he didn't enjoy sex with you that I wouldn't? Have you made love with anyone other than him, and now me?"

  As she blushed, she kept her face averted and hoped he'd take pity on her and not ask any more embarrassing questions.

  "Look at me, Attie."

  It was his soft voice that did it. With a sigh, she turned to him and opened her eyes, fighting back tears. “No. And I'm really sorry I slept with you. I trust you not to tell the guys at work, though."

  "Tell the guys? Why would I tell the guys anything about you?"

  "I know you won't but another guy would."

  "At least you have some faith in me.” He snorted, and she wondered what he had to be bitter about. She was the one who was a flop in bed. Then she realized he probably wasn't satisfied.

  "It's not too late at night. You can probably find someone to ... finish what I couldn't give you."

  He sighed again, much louder this time as he put his hands on her shoulders and looked into her eyes. “I don't want to find someone else."