Dark Fire by Christine Feehan. Dark Series – book 6

Even as she felt him swell within her, heard him fighting for breath, his heart pounding against hers, she felt her own body begin the climb toward the stars. She couldn’t concentrate on his release when she felt herself start to fragment. At once Darius took control, his hands digging into her hips, thrusting into her with sure, hard strokes, pushing her higher and higher so that he was taking her with him. They soared together, breaking free, their cries filling the cavern. Steam wrapped them together as one body, one mind, one skin.

At the end Tempest was totally exhausted. She closed her eyes and rested her head on his shoulder. “I can’t move, Darius. Don’t ask me to move ever again.”

“I will not, baby,” he murmured tenderly, lifting the wet hair from her shoulder to place a kiss on her bare skin. He carried her from the hot water to the next pool, which was several degrees cooler, its source outside the mountain rather than within. He sank into the water, taking her with him.

She felt instant relief and released her grip on Darius’s neck, lazily floating away from him. If she kept her eyes closed, she could pretend she was out in the open, with the sky above her and trees nearby. The oppressive layers of soil and rock simply disappeared from her mind. But she couldn’t keep her eyes closed forever. She tried to concentrate on how Darius made her feel, on the beauty of the cavern, on the glittering diamonds the volcano had produced over the long centuries.

“What is it?” he asked softly.

“Being in this cave is making me feel like a bat. It’s beautiful, Darius-don’t get me wrong,” she added hastily, not wanting to hurt his feelings, “but we’re so far underground, and it’s very humid.”

Darius swam to her, his body rippling with power, his long hair wet and midnight black. “You will get used to it, honey.”

She felt her heart jump. What did that mean? She didn’t want to stay underground long enough to get used to it. Biting her lip she forced her mind away from the issue and swam a few strokes, taking pleasure in simply watching Darius swim, the fluid way his body moved. She yawned, her movements slow, exhaustion settling into her body. It was impossible to have any real sense of time underground.

“You have had a difficult day,” Darius said as he surfaced quite close to her. His hands caught her waist and drew her against him. “I want you to rest while I perform the healing ritual on you.”

“What is it?” She was wary, but her fatigue was making her more compliant to his demands.

Darius studied her face, the shadows beneath her eyes. She was drooping with weariness. He didn’t ask for her consent; he merely lifted her into his arms and took her to a small alcove where the rich soil was soft and beckoning. He waved a hand so that a cotton sheet floated to cover the grounds, then laid her down with great care.

“You just made that sheet, didn’t you?” she murmured, staring up at him.

He brushed back the wet hair from her forehead. “You would be surprised at the things I can do,” he said softly.

“I don’t think I would anymore,” she countered.

“Do not distract me from my task this time, Tempest. I will free myself from this body, and my energy will go into yours. I can heal your wounds from the inside out. The healing process is much faster, and if any infection is present, I can rid your body of it. But I cannot be aware of my own body during this time. My focus must remain on what I am doing. Do you understand? I cannot reenter my body abruptly when I am really in yours. So do not distract me in any way.”

She lay very still, watching his face. He was withdrawing from her-she could see that. Withdrawing from the world they were in, he turned his entire attention inward. She wanted to touch his mind with hers.

It was becoming easier for her to do, but she didn’t want to take any chances on distracting him, the very thing he had said not to do.