Personal Gain

An Ellora’s Cave Romantica Publication

www.ellorascave.com

Personal Gain ISBN 9781419916021 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Personal Gain Copyright © 2008 Sapphire Blue Edited by Briana St. James. Cover art by Syneca. Electronic book Publication May 2008 With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.® 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502. Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. (http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/) This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the authors’ imagination and used fictitiously.

PERSONAL GAIN

Sapphire Blue

Trademarks Acknowledgement The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction: Macy’s: Macy’s Department Stores, Inc. Corporation Mercedes Benz: Daimler-Benz Aktiengesellschaft Corporation Popsicle: Unilever Supply Chain, Inc. Corporation

Personal Gain

Chapter One “To hell with personal gain,” Zina murmured, then tossed in the last of the ingredients for her spell. She dismissed the voice of her conscience reminding her that casting a spell for personal gain could end with dire consequences. She smiled to herself as she looked down at Zeus—named for her family’s fascination with Greek mythology—her eight-inch-long, brown dildo with balls and vac-u-loc attachment lying solemnly in the cauldron. She’d never used the attachment, since her time with Zeus was a solitary experience, but she loved him just the same and knew without a doubt that to achieve the best results she needed Zeus there. Never had a real, living, breathing man brought her the satisfaction that her loyal Zeus did. And so he was perfect for the spell. It was the first Friday after the new moon, just like the SpellBinder dictated. The fact that she was actually rewriting the “Find True Love” spell didn’t matter. Zina did not desire true love. She desired a hot, hard fuck, nothing more and definitely nothing less. It had been twelve long months since she’d had sex, twenty-four if she were counting good sex. Being the CEO of a major communications firm was a demanding position, to say the least. She barely had enough time to eat and exercise, let alone find the perfect sex partner. Perfect meaning that he had to be packing a huge cock and actually know how to use it. He also needed to know all her pleasure spots without her having to provide him with a manual. And he had to be there when she wanted him, whenever she wanted him. It was a tall order, she knew, and that’s why she’d resorted to the SpellBinder.

5

Sapphire Blue

Zina’s Wiccan powers came from her maternal great-grandmother, Valaria Hemingway, and had been passed lovingly from one generation to the next, the craft growing stronger with each new witch. For the first sixteen years of her life, Zina had despised the power. It was when she was able to cast Lila Lincoln into a blabbering idiot the morning after she’d won the election for class president that Zina had gained a new respect for the craft. Lila had been gloating all around the school, even though everybody knew she’d only won because her father had sponsored that huge pool party at their mansion the weekend before. Zina had felt some form of punishment was due and the craft had come in handy. Now, twenty-three years later, she was at the top of her game in the communications field and one of the strongest Hemingway witches to ever grace the Earth. She’d arrived home from work an hour ago, after working a twelve-hour shift. The salad she’d forgotten about at lunchtime had quickly become her dinner. And just an hour ago she’d just finished with a long, luxurious bath. She’d written the spell a week ago and had to pencil in the date and time that she would actually use it so she wouldn’t forget. While in the bath, she’d meditated, rereading the spell over and over in her mind for clarity. Now she stood in her living room with all the lights turned out. After lighting the rose incense, she lit the first of her candles. The “Find True Love” spell called for pink candles, for love, affection and romance. Zina used red instead, for energy, strength and sexual potency. The next step was to visualize her need. And oh boy, did she need. Her pussy already pulsed in anticipation, her nipples hardening against the cool air. It was December in New York and she was walking through her condo naked. But with each thought, she grew hotter, needier.

6

Personal Gain

As her fingers stroked the candle, her need blossomed, filling her mind and every recess of her body with one insatiable thought. She wanted to be fucked, hard, fast, now. Her mind continued with that thought until the first candle had burned down completely. This brought on the next phase of the spell, the part where she thought of the physical characteristics of her mate. Zina prided herself on being a decisive woman, a liberated and sexually uninhibited woman. So her desire was specific—tall, more than six feet, since she was five-feet eight-inches without heels. Built, she loved to feel hard muscles on a man, the strength he exuded could always make her cream. His arms especially needed to be well toned, bulging with the power to hold her in the air as he fucked her brains out. His face, well, she was a fan of chiseled features and preferred a lighter brown complexion, something similar to her own dark brown skin. Smoldering eyes were another thing that made her wet. Her body shivered now just thinking about it. And finally, she thought as she remembered putting Zeus in the cauldron, eight or more inches of long, thick, glorious cock. Her mouth watered and she quickly licked her lips. With her visualization clear, Zina placed a rose quartz between two red candles at opposite ends of the altar. Then she encircled the candleholders with nine rosebuds before dropping the remaining buds into the cauldron with Zeus. She lit the two red candles on the altar and lifted one of the rosebuds into her hand, thinking of the glorious sex and ultimate orgasm she would soon receive. The candles burned and Zina continued to visualize her eventual pleasure. Her knees began to wobble as her essence dripped down her thighs. Her nipples were so hard they hurt, her body so taut with need she felt like a statue. She’d lost track of time with the images in her head so intense, so stimulating. So when a cold gust of wind whipped through the room, she was caught off guard and knocked to the floor. Looking around first to make sure she hadn’t overturned her altar

7

Sapphire Blue

and thus started a fire, she was calmed when she realized the candles had already burned out. She was attempting to get up, her legs spread wide, her arms bracing her on the carpeted floor when she heard the deep voice. “Sexy e bello.” Zina looked across the room, noticing his ankles first. Dark, hairy ankles led upward to strong legs and muscled thighs. His abs were picture-perfect, an eight-pack to be exact. Tantalizing pectoral muscles with a sprinkling of dark hair down the center of his chest made Zina’s mouth water. His shoulders were broad, leading to arms—no, cannons were a better description. Bulging biceps held her gaze, traveling down to large hands and wait…freeze frame and rewind…after his muscled thighs came his groin, shadowed by thick, dark curls and the most delectable engorged cock she’d ever seen. Clearly he’d surpassed eight inches many times over and its thickness had her inner walls trembling. She swallowed, then got to her feet, finally glimpsing his face. Stop, replay. Zina took in his features as she remembered what her preferences were. She’d asked for a chiseled face, she’d received a cleft chin and a masculine jaw. She’d asked for smoldering eyes, she’d gotten those in spades. Her final request had been a lighter brown complexion. Could an olive tint be construed as lighter brown? His hair was inky black, falling in short waves at the top and tapered on the sides. Her gaze roamed his face over and over again, familiarizing herself with every detail. His eyes seemed to be brown, deep brown, like dark chocolate. His lips weren’t thick, but full, succulent. “Voglio fare l’amore voi,” he said, taking a step toward her. “What?” she stammered, then licked her lips again and cleared her throat. “Should I have specified an English-speaking sex partner?” “I can speak English.”

8

Personal Gain

He was closer now, the all male, all sexy scent of musk seeping past her nostrils. “Good. What’s your name?” “Paolo.” She nodded just as he reached up and cupped her face with one of those large hands. “Paolo? That’s Italian, isn’t it?” “Sì.” “I didn’t ask for an Italian lover,” Zina said, her voice changing to a sultry whisper. His simple touch caused her to tremble. “Yet I am here to please you.” The front of his body touched hers and Zina swore she heard the electricity crackle between them. His long cock grazed her stomach as she tilted her head to look up to him. That’s when it dawned on her. Not only was he Italian and not the complexion she requested, he didn’t even look like he was old enough to be considered legal! “Wait a minute. How old are you, Paolo?” she asked, holding her breath in preparation for the answer she knew was forthcoming. She was guessing eighteen or nineteen, no more than twenty-one for sure. Paolo tilted his head to stare at her with confusion. “I am twenty-five years old. Why?” Zina made a move that had her gasping with a sense of loss. She stepped away from Paolo and lifted her hands to cover her nakedness. “Because I am thirty-nine and clearly too old for you,” she said in horror.

9

Sapphire Blue

Chapter Two “Age does not matter,” Paolo said, stepping close to her again. She was magnificent, this woman who had conjured him. For hundreds of years, he had been stuck in this body, at this age, cursed by Aphrodite for being Italian and not Greek. For being within her reach, but still forbidden. It was just as well, because Paolo did not love the beautiful, but conniving, Aphrodite. Despite her title as Goddess of Love, the woman had no idea what the word truly meant or how to obtain it for herself, let alone from someone else. So Aphrodite had cursed him to live his twenty-fifth year of life over and over again. Luckily for Paolo, Aphrodite had been so enraged that she’d never set boundaries on who the woman who finally set him free could be. Her race or nationality did not matter. And neither did her age. “It matters to me,” the beautiful brown-skinned woman proclaimed. He touched her again, her skin looked so smooth, so delectable. His hand roamed over her cheek while his eyes took in the rest of her body. High breasts with long, hard nipples. God, how he loved long nipples that rubbed over his tongue and settled between his teeth. His cock hardened to monumental proportions, something he hadn’t felt in a long time. “I am the lover that you seek,” Paolo promised her, letting his hand fall to her neck, tracing a finger along her collarbone. “Do you think that because you are older than I that I cannot fulfill your needs?” Her breath hitched as his finger moved down to circle one turgid nipple. “I think that I am going to feel like a criminal for even having thoughts of sex with you.”

10

Personal Gain

“But you are having those thoughts, are you not?” Paolo cupped her right breast, loving the feel of the weight of it in his palm. She swallowed. He watched the rhythmic movement of her long, slender neck, then bent forward and kissed it. “Of course I’m having those thoughts. That is why I cast the spell. But this is not what I asked for.” “No?” Paolo kissed down farther until his lips hovered over the nipple of her left breast. “You did not ask for a lover to make you scream with ecstasy?” “I asked…for,” she sighed as Paolo sucked hard on her breast. “I asked for a man with a huge cock to fuck me senseless.” Paolo pulled his mouth away from her breast with a loud popping sound. “Then I should get to work,” he said, then lowered to his knees, spreading her thighs apart and sinking his tongue into her wet center. She grasped his shoulders, her long nails digging into his skin. Her scent was fragrant, arousing. She was clean shaven, something Paolo had not seen in a long time. He parted her tender folds and let his tongue stroke along the dampened flesh. Finding the hood of her clit, he played there momentarily until he heard her gasping for air. His tongue moved frantically over her while his fingers slipped into her dripping center. She bucked and he pushed his fingers in farther. In no time, she was riding his hand and pumping his face.

The need inside her was so great, larger than anything she’d ever felt before. She knew she was horny—that was an understatement—but this was something totally different. Every part of her body seemed to hum with need, with a wanting that she didn’t quite understand.

11

Sapphire Blue

With each stroke of his fingers over plump folds, Zina felt a connection to this man, this Paolo that she had conjured. When his tongue licked alongside his fingers, stroking the tender flesh of her vulva, she shook all over, her hips thrusting against his motions, a natural desire. Zina moaned, her teeth clenching so tight she’d thought she’d contract lockjaw. His tongue moved in fierce strokes along her cunt, sucking and lapping at the juices elicited. He pressed his fingers deeper and she ground her hips down harder. For a twenty-five-year-old, he was damn good at fucking her with his mouth and his hands. She couldn’t believe it. Here she was, a mature, professional woman, fucking a man fourteen years her junior. There were so many social issues tied to that fact. She could be accused of taking advantage of his youth, seducing a virtual child. However, the child was bringing her pleasure she hadn’t felt in a long time. But his mouth and hands were not enough. What else could he do? she wondered. He’d need to do more than this—that was for sure. Despite his age, Zina wanted to be fucked, turned completely inside out after his assault. And she didn’t want to have to instruct him on how to do that. She’d conjured a sex partner and, dammit, she needed him to rock her world. She would accept nothing less. Bracing herself, she bent her knees slightly, moving her hands from his shoulders to his head and rotating her slick pussy over his face. It was a little like fucking Zeus, she thought, as her head tilted back, her eyes closing. Except his mouth was hot and eager, his fingers exploring so that now one grazed the tight entrance of her anus. Zina looked down at him then, his skin slick with a thin sheen of sweat as he worked between her legs. He was on his knees, they were in the middle of her living room floor, and yet it seemed as if there was nobody there in this time or place but them. His hair was glossy and she wondered how it would feel against her fingers. Probably as blissful as his tongue felt in her pussy.

12

Personal Gain

Her thighs began to shake and he pulled his luscious mouth away from her dripping cunt. “Come into my mouth, bella.” His voice was commanding, a little too much so for her taste, but Zina was helpless to stop the pleasurable ripples coursing through her. With her feet planted firmly on the ground and her hands holding his head in a death grip, she came, looking down as he drank her release with pleasure. In a quick motion, Paolo had her on her knees, her ass sticking up in the air. His big hands spread her butt cheeks wide and he licked her crease. Once. Twice. Three times before his tongue rimmed her anus.

Zina made a sound that strangely resembled a growl, her nails scraping along the marble floors. She knew women who were repulsed by anal play and yet she enjoyed it immensely. A man strong enough to take her there was probably one worth keeping. That tongue which had so masterfully sucked her pussy was now fucking her ass. Again her thighs quivered, her pussy creaming uncontrollably. “Oh God, yes,” she whispered, wanting him to press further, to stroke the sensitive inside of her rim and make her scream in ecstasy. Paolo had pressed a finger to her sphincter and was now stretching her impossibly tight back entrance. “So tight. So delectable.” Zina had no idea when the last time was that she participated in anal play, but remembered clearly that it did not have this effect. She backed up against him and sighed when his finger slipped into her. “Yes. More,” she begged. He did as she asked, pushing his finger deeper into her ass, then pulling out and sinking in again. His palm slapped against her cheeks as he pumped into her. Biting on her lower lip, Zina wanted to scream, she wanted to yell heated thank yous to the heavens for this wonderful gift.

13

Sapphire Blue

But then he pulled his hand away, dipping his head to lick her wet pussy. Her legs trembled, and for a moment, Zina thought she was going to lose control. But this was her spell. He was here to do her bidding. Zina was a staunch businesswoman, always getting what she wanted. Tonight would be no different. “Stop toying with me and fuck me, dammit!” she yelled. From behind, she heard Paolo chuckle. “As you wish, my darling.” With that said, his long, thick cock thrust into her sopping pussy. Zina did screamed this time as his girth stretched her to unbelievable proportions. Her pussy screamed with the sudden jolt of pain as he bottomed out in her. He was huge. She’d seen him, of course, and acknowledged that he’d met her size requirement, but even that had been deceiving. His cock stretched her walls until they burned with pain, a pleasurable pain that had her creaming even more. His heavy balls slapped against her folds and she shivered. Despite her alarm, Paolo wasted no time pulling out and thrusting into her again with great force—just the way Zina liked it. It should have hurt her, should have caused enough damage to send her to the hospital, but instead, each thrust from him had her heart beating faster, her pussy creaming uncontrollably. “More,” she groaned. Paolo obliged, grunting as he pounded into her with hard and fast strokes, holding her cheeks apart as his cock slammed into her cunt with vicious precision. He fucked like a man hungry for good sex or a man who appreciated a deep, wet pussy. Either or, Zina was glad she’d cast the spell. The age thing was an obstacle, but she’d deal with that once she’d gotten what she needed. When his hand snaked around and pressed blatantly against her clit, Zina knew she was done for. He thrust harder, toyed with her clit and was whispering what she knew was dirty Italian talk in her ears. God, she was in heaven. This spell was amazing! She would recite it every night if she had to as long as this cock was continuous and plentiful. 14

Personal Gain

“You are so tight around my cock. I am going to come with you this time, bella. I cannot hold it any longer.” “Yes, fuck me until I come. That’s what I want. That’s what I need,” she chanted, unable to think of anything past his thick cock thrusting in and out of her needy pussy. “Now! I want to come now!” “Yes. We will both come now!” he yelled, then thrust into her one last time, emptying his seed deep inside her. Zina was pushed forward with this last thrust, but held in place by his strong arm around her waist. She felt his hot cum spewing into her body, rippling through her like a fierce injection of ecstasy at the same time that her body spiraled into a sweet, sexual abyss.

***** This is insanity! Zina thought when she stood under the hot spray of the shower. He was almost half her age. Okay, he was also a magical being, a product of a spell she’d maneuvered. For a split second, she thought she heard her grandmother’s voice warning her yet again. Spells cast for personal gain sometimes have dire consequences. While in the grand scheme of things, having a younger lover, a boy toy, so to speak—and one that could lick her pussy until she came—wasn’t a dire consequence. It was actually more like a really great perk to a potentially awkward situation. She shouldn’t be concerned with his age, Zina thought finally. He was here because of a spell. A spell that would only last twenty-four hours anyway. So she could enjoy him for the next day. It was about sex, after all. It’s not like she was trying to fall in love. It was at that exact moment that Paolo joined her in the shower. Zina backed up to the wall in an attempt to make room for his broad form. He was simply gorgeous. The

15

Sapphire Blue

body of a Greek god and the romantic tongue of an Italian lover. She had to admit that he was a perfect package. And to top all that off, his cock was huge. She remembered its massive length being inside her as she looked down at his newly aroused state. “I want to be inside of you again, bella,” he said in that voice that made her nipples tingle. “I want you inside of me again,” she readily admitted. It was, after all, about sex. She had twenty-four hours to enjoy him. Whether he was twenty-five or fifty-eight, she planned on taking full advantage of that time with him. Paolo turned the nozzle to stop the flow of water, then opened the door of the shower and pushed her out into the cool air of the bathroom. Zina dutifully followed his lead. He led her to the sink, placing her palms on the marbled top, then let his fingers graze her spine as he bent her over. “Look into the mirror, bella. Watch me bring you pleasure,” he told her. Zina licked her lips in anticipation. She loved to watch herself come. Something about the primal expressions on her face made her climax all the more rewarding. She had a feeling that watching what Paolo planned to do to her would be a totally different experience, one she was longing for. “Farli gradicono quando tocco il vostro pussy?” Zina had no idea what he said, but it sounded scrumptious. Through the mirror, she looked at him. His dark eyes met hers as he stood behind her, spreading her legs wide and reaching an arm around her waist to cover her cleanly shaved mound. “What did you just say?” she asked breathlessly. “I asked if you liked when I touched your pussy.” She gasped as he cupped her juncture, his fingers resting heavily over her pussy lips. “Yes, I like it.”

16

Personal Gain

“E quando gioco con il vostro clit?” His fingers separated her lips, searching for and finding her puckered nub. “Yes, Paolo,” she answered, although she wasn’t sure what he’d said. He circled her clit, pulling it between his fingers, then releasing it and rubbing the bud quickly. Zina was so wet that the sound of his fingers enjoying that slickness echoed throughout the room. Her breasts hung in front of her, jiggling with Paolo’s ministrations. She loved to see them move, the wide, brown areolas glaring back at her, tight nipples staring like eyes. Fleetingly, she wondered if her thirty-nine-year-old body was pleasing to Paolo. Still, she was vain enough to wonder how he viewed her breasts that were no longer high and firm. She thought she had a great ass but nobody was going to bounce quarters off it, that was for sure. Zina tried to dismiss those thoughts. He was here to please her, not the other way around. Besides, from the glazed set of his eyes, his heavy breathing and his finger expertly moving over her clit, she figured he was pleasured enough. “Your pussy is so hot, so wet and so welcoming. Tell me, are you like this for every man?” “‘Not for a very long time,” she gasped. “What a pity.” Paolo groaned, bit her shoulder then licked the slightly bruised spot with gentleness. “I love your scent. It is why I could not stay in the living room while you showered. It calls to me and I am helpless against it.” He stopped toying with her clit, moving his fingers languidly over her wet nether lips. “It is the spell,” Zina said. “I wanted a lover to only focus on my pleasure.”

Paolo shook his head negatively. Her skin was beautiful, creamy like chocolate. Her eyes were exotic, wild and intriguing. Her body was fantastic, mature and rounded in all the right places.

17

Sapphire Blue

In his years and travels, he’d seen many women, had used them all sexually and had reached some semblance of pleasure with them. But none compared to Zina. When he’d been beckoned once again from his cell, he’d been tired and reluctant to endure yet another endless endeavor with a woman. But when he’d seen her sprawled on the floor, her pussy open for him, he’d felt a sense of complacency. As if he was finally right where he belonged. He hadn’t lied. The scent of her pussy did call to him. It was embedded in his skin now that he’d fucked her, into his mind. He’d come into the shower seeking her, needing her. Now he watched her watching him. Her ass pressed back eagerly against his groin, her pussy juicing at his touch. Her breasts were gorgeous, full and delectable. He could suck her nipples all night long and had to lick his lips as he watched them through the mirror. She was wrong, this was more than a spell. “It is perfect,” he said simply, knowing she was not ready to hear his declarations. “It will only last for twenty-four hours,” she hissed, jerking against him. Her eyes were wild, devouring him through the mirror. He pressed his cock into the crease of her ass. “Then for twenty-four hours, I plan to fuck you every which way I can.” And with that, Paolo thrust into her pussy. Zina clenched the sides of the sink, lowering her head and closing her eyes. “No!” he said adamantly. “You will watch me fuck you.” With a look of defiance that was sexy as hell, Zina lifted her head and stared at him through the mirror. Paolo watched her and himself as he pounded into her. Her cheeks smacking against him and the sight of those voluptuous breasts bouncing unbound had him harder than he’d ever before experienced.

18

Personal Gain

Her walls clenched his cock, pulling him tightly, inevitably toward the great precipice. “Fantastico. Il vostro pussy è fantastico,” he whispered. “Paolo.” She whispered his name and he felt his release building in the base of his spine. This was quicker, this rush of ecstasy. And it was intense, pulling at every fiber of his being, ready to milk him completely. “We are a perfect fit, Zina. Your pussy holds my cock like a glove. It is fantastico.” Zina’s thighs shook, her face tensing with her impending explosion. He wrapped his arms around her, his palms grabbed her breasts, squeezing until they spilled through his fingers as his cock sank deeper into her, seconds before erupting.

19

Sapphire Blue

Chapter Three “I need to get to work,” Zina said the next morning when she tried to crawl out of the bed. Paolo grabbed her by the waist, pulling her back against him. She loved the feel of his strong arms around her. It offered safety, protection, wanting. When was the last time a man had wanted her? she wondered. Really wanted her. She had no idea. Mostly because she never slowed down long enough to actually examine the situation. Besides, she didn’t really want a man. She only wanted sex. “It is a twenty-four hour spell, bella. Can you not stay away from work for that time, at least?” She stiffened. Not work all day. Zina had never tried that. Since high school, she’d been working as a waitress, a receptionist, a word processor. And once she’d completed college, she’d gone right into an internship at a lucrative company. Now, nearly twenty years later, she was running a multimillion-dollar company. No, she couldn’t afford to take a day off, she’d worked too hard to get where she was to slack off now. “That’s impossible. I have responsibilities,” she said, then tried to break free of his grasp. She should have remembered from last night how futile that action was. Paolo was way too strong for her. And after hours of having sex with him, she feared he might be just a little too virile for her as well. But the strong, independent woman in her wouldn’t dare admit that. “Essere allineare a lei,” Paolo whispered, his breath tickling her neck a second before his lips touched her there.

20

Personal Gain

For the millionth time, Zina wondered why she’d wasted so much time studying French and Spanish instead of Italian. But then who knew that one day she’d have an Italian stud in her bed. “English, please.” He chuckled, a deep, rich sound that was strange to Zina’s ears. She didn’t laugh much, didn’t really have the opportunity or inclination to do so. “Be true to yourself,” he told her. His hand splayed across her bare stomach while the other one cupped a breast. “You are too worried about work. I am here to please you and that is what I intend to do.” Zina sighed, not willing to admit how good it felt just to be held like this. “You are here to sex me like crazy. I think you did that in spades last night. Besides, this age thing is still bothering me.” “It is just a number. Did I not prove that last night?” “You proved a lot last night,” Zina said with a smile. “But in the light of day I am still fourteen years older than you. I have a job, a life and…and where do you come from? I mean, where do you go when your job is done?” “I will return to Cythera, to my captor,” he said solemnly. Zina shifted so that she was now lying on her back looking up at him. God, he was gorgeous. His eyes were still dark, seductively so. His face a masterpiece, even without the hard angles she preferred. The morning’s stubble that coated his jaw was even hotter, giving him a rugged and intriguing look that drove her mad. “You have a captor?” she asked. “And isn’t Cythera—” “Yes and yes. Cythera the island.” “But you’re not Greek,” Zina said with confusion. “I am not and, sadly, that has been my downfall.” “I don’t understand.” “You have heard of Aphrodite, sì?”

21

Sapphire Blue

She nodded, not really stunned at the legendary Goddess he’d just mentioned with a casual air. “The Goddess of love and beauty.” “She is that. And she is also vengeful and jealous.” “Typical female traits,” Zina quipped. “I had the extreme bad luck of catching Aphrodite’s eye when, on my twenty-fifth birthday, my parents sent me on a trip to Cythera. I’d always been fascinated with the Greeks and their culture, so it was an excellent opportunity for me. “I was in one of the caves, on a self-directed expedition of sorts, when I came across a beautiful stone. Of course, I picked it up, rubbing it in my hand while its brilliant hue shone brightly. And then she appeared.” “Wait,” Zina interrupted, “this sounds like a genie in a bottle story.” Paolo shrugged, drawing her attention to his delectable chest. She lifted a hand and traced his pectorals. “She appeared in the cave in all her beauty, and while I was stunned to see and realize that she was there and she was the mighty Aphrodite, I was also turned-on.” “You slept with Aphrodite?” Why was that a surprise? Zina thought, she was a witch who’d conjured a sex slave. Anything was possible. Paolo smiled. “More times than I can count.” “Wow,” she said, feeling a stab of jealousy that stung her soul. “She is beautiful in all ways sexual,” he added. “Ah, okay. Just a note, raving about another woman’s sexual prowess while in bed with me probably isn’t the smartest thing to do.” Leaning forward quickly Paolo kissed her lips. “She is nothing compared to you.” “Um, and blatant lies masked as flattery are another no-no.” “I do not lie, bella. Aphrodite, in all her legendary bounty, is not what I want or need. That is actually why I am now her captive.” He kissed her again, this time letting his tongue stroke her lips in a promise of more to come, before pulling back. 22

Personal Gain

“Aphrodite wanted to keep me, but it was impossible. I was a mortal. An Italian mortal at that.” “Don’t tell me she was prejudiced.” “I believe the gods had some unstated laws of their kind. She could not take me as a husband and to remain her lover would have to be a secret. So to accommodate her wishes, she cast me into an immortal state whereby I do not age a day past my twentyfive years. I also am not allowed off the island of Cythera or my cave.” “Then how is it that you are here?” “Your magic conjured me. I am sure Aphrodite is now losing her mind trying to find out where I have gone and why.” “I don’t understand.” “I am thinking that it has something to do with her son.” “Eros, the God of love,” Zina said absently. Why she felt a strange connection to this story she did not know. But in the time that he had been telling her this, a spark of familiarity had formed. In her mind’s eye, she could see this scene playing out. Paolo, in all his masculine beauty, making love in an island cave with the insatiable Aphrodite. And Aphrodite, being a woman used to getting what she wanted, needed him to stay with her forever, by any means necessary. It was logical, she thought. If she were the type, she’d want to keep Paolo herself. “I have met him only once,” Paolo said. “Eros fell in love with Psyche. But Aphrodite hated her for her beauty. She interfered with their relationship until Eros ended up almost losing Psyche before finally being able to marry her. Psyche was mortal, just like you.” “When I met him, he said that only true love would save me from Aphrodite’s clutches. He promised to help me find true love any way that he could.”

23

Sapphire Blue

Suddenly, Zina didn’t like the way this conversation had turned. All this talk about love was killing her sexual buzz. “Okay, well, enough of the Greek mythology lessons.” She sat up in the bed. “I really have to get to work.” “Take the day off,” he suggested. “I can’t.” “You can.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “And what will I do with an entire day to myself?” “I will entertain you.” She cast him a sultry look. “You mean you’ll fuck me every which way you can until your time here is up.” Reaching out, he touched a finger to her chin. “That, and I will show you what it means to enjoy life. You take it for granted, bella. There is so much more out there than work. I know, because I miss it myself.” “I don’t miss anything.” “Then you need me more than you realize,” he said before capturing her mouth in the sweetest, most erotic tongue kiss she’d ever experienced. It was as if the moment she’d said the words to that spell, her entire life had changed—or at least her sex life. Her skin was now acutely aware of even the most minute action from Paolo. If he looked at her breasts, her nipples hardened. When his gaze roamed to her crotch, it warmed and creamed as if on command. And now he was kissing her, his tongue scraping softly, languidly against hers, across her teeth and over her lips. Her breathing was erratic, his slow, but intense. His strong hands cupped her face with a touch so gentle she’d swear he was trying to seduce her, to shift her thoughts until she could focus on nothing—not work, not their age, nothing—but him. She was

24

Personal Gain

helpless, falling slowly, but surely, into a spell, wondering if he, too, possessed the power to wield one over her. Paolo broke the kiss suddenly and Zina stared up blankly at him. She wanted more, so she laced her fingers tightly at the nape of his neck, trying to pull his mouth down to hers again. He held back, smiled and eased out of her grasp. “Voglio guardarlo toccarmi,” he said in a voice so gruff and sexy it sent shivers down her body. He was slipping off the bed now, standing over her with his perfectly built body on display for her perusal. “I want to watch you touch yourself,” he whispered, licking his lips as his gaze continued to rake over her. Zina rolled onto her back, eager to give him whatever he asked for. She was as naked as he was and no stranger to masturbating. She planted her feet on the mattress, then slowly let her thighs fall open. Paolo moved slowly around the bed to stand at the end where he had a perfect view of her bared crotch. She cupped her breasts, twirling her turgid nipples between her thumb and forefinger. Her nipples were so hard they ached and she arched her back into the heated sparks the motion sent throughout her body. Paolo’s eyes darkened, his cock growing larger, thicker. He wasted no time grasping his arousal in his hands, stroking slowly as he continued to watch her. Empowered by the look of pure hunger in his eyes, Zina let one hand slide down her torso until she could easily cup her hairless mound. It was smooth, but hot, beneath her palm and she let out a slow moan. He pumped himself a little faster now, beads of pre-cum coating the bulbous head of his cock. Her pussy spasmed and dripped with need. She slipped a finger through

25

Sapphire Blue

her damp folds, loving the sound her arousal made throughout the room. Paolo knelt on the bed, keeping up a steady motion of his hand on his cock. Bringing her other hand down her body, Zina used both thumbs and forefingers to spread her lips apart until she was completely open for him. Paolo inhaled deeply. “Your scent is magnificent. It makes me wild,” he growled. “Wild enough to give me that cock?” He did not make another move toward her, so Zina let her thumbs hold her lips apart while delving both forefingers into her sopping cunt. “Don’t you want to get in here? Don’t you want to feel how much I want you?” “I want to watch,” Paolo said through clenched teeth. His chest lifted and fell with his breathing that was now growing faster. He wanted to watch her get herself off while he jerked off. That was a delicious thought, but Zina wanted that huge cock buried deep inside her. She’d played with herself enough over the years, now she wanted the real thing. She pumped her fingers in her pussy until she was squirming on the bed, a slow build to a fantastic climactic beginning. But her mind was fixated on coming with Paolo’s cock in her pussy, not her fingers. So she pulled one finger out of her pussy, bringing it to her lips where she licked it free of her honeyed juices. “Mmmm, I taste good, Paolo. Do you want some?” Paolo nodded, his eyes glued to her crotch while his hands worked his cock faster and faster. “You like to watch me touch myself, but you want to fuck me, I can tell,” she goaded him. “I like to fuck you too,” he murmured as she slid down lower on the bed until one of her legs wrapped itself securely around his waist. “Then do it!” she yelled. “Put that glorious cock into my pussy and fuck me!”

26

Personal Gain

The muscles in his biceps bulged, the tendons in his neck struggling to break free, he held on to his control so tightly. Zina thought she was going to lose this battle, so she came to a sitting position and quickly dipped her head, stroking her tongue over the head of his cock. Then she fell back on the pillows, licking her lips, savoring the salty, but arousing, taste of him. “You taste good too.”

Her words finally broke his restraint and Paolo grabbed both her thighs, pulling her down farther on the bed before thrusting his aching cock into her sopping pussy. He’d wanted to watch, had intended to tease and torture her through their simultaneous, yet solo, climaxes. But it wasn’t meant to be. He could not resist this pussy. It was so pretty, so alluring, so available. He was mesmerized by her scent, her skill, her desire. She screamed with his impalement and he groaned with her. He loved the sounds she made, how active she was when they joined. He had never met a more vibrant, stimulating woman. He had to hold himself perfectly still to keep from shooting his release deep into her cunt. Her muscles clamped around him like a vise until he could barely breathe. But he did find his center. Grasping her ankles, he spread her legs into a wide V over his head and proceeded to fuck her the way he knew she liked it. With long, deep strokes, he hit her from every possible angle, then picked up the pace until her head was thrashing against the pillows, her voice rising an octave as she screamed his name. He slowed his rhythm, rocking his hips so that his cock made lazy strokes in and out of her now dripping-wet pussy. “You want more, bella?” She was out of breath and dangerously close to falling over the edge—just where he wanted her. “Tell me you want more. Tell me how to make you come.”

27

Sapphire Blue

“Harder,” she breathed, her fingers tangling in the sheets beneath her. “Harder. Faster. Give it all to me. Now!” Again, Paolo was happy to oblige. He pumped her faster. So fast that his heart beat loudly alongside the raging of his blood, the rising of his own climax. He lost himself totally in her. He could think of nothing besides the slick, hot feel of her pussy, the glorious sight of her heavy breasts jiggling and bobbing with his motions. His balls slapped against her, now wet from her juices. They tightened with pleasure, begging for release. Dropping her legs over his shoulders, Paolo leaned over her, taking her mouth in a savage kiss. “Come for me, bella. I want you to come all over my cock.” “Yes! Yes, Paolo, I’m coming,” she screamed and her legs tightened around his neck. Her pussy grasped his cock and her entire body vibrated with her explosion. Paolo was right behind her, his cock held tightly by her wet cunt, pulling every drop of cum out of him. “Ti amo,” Paolo whispered against her ear as he struggled to catch his breath. She was still beneath him, her breathing erratic, her heart racing. “Ti amo, bella.”

28

Personal Gain

Chapter Four Zina didn’t make it to work. As if that was a surprise. It was Saturday, after all. Most normal people weren’t at work. Besides, what woman would leave a man—a naked man—that looked like Paolo in their bed to go to her corner office with a spectacular view of the city? The choice was hard, but Paolo was harder. So now they were in her car, her next most prized possession after Zeus. A silver Mercedes C3800. Zina trusted nobody with her car. Yet, after a brief tutorial on the workings of her car, she was comfortably sitting in the passenger seat watching as they headed into the city. “I haven’t had to go shopping in a long time.” “Well, you’re the one who’s convinced I need to relax and do something other than work. Shopping would be my next choice.” He glanced over at her. “Are you sure?” Zina smiled, knowing exactly what she’d rather be doing than shopping. “You said we needed to get out of the house. I definitely would have loved to keep doing that as well.” He licked his lips as he turned his attention back toward traffic. Zina felt a punch of lust. Each time she looked at him, she wanted him more and more. He had a handsome face, his youth apparent in his quirky smile and the laughter she’d spied in his eyes. “It is okay. I am looking forward to one of those delicious hot dogs from a cart. It has been ages since I have tasted one.” “Really? Did you come to New York often?” “I have had occasion to be in New York.” “Were you summoned by other females from New York?”

29

Sapphire Blue

“No. When Eros thought there was a female match for me, he would take me to them. Over the many years, I have experienced different culture changes and learned many things. Times change. Yet, people, love, usually remain the same.” Zina nodded, still intrigued by his life. She wondered at the truth of his story. Was he really a prisoner to Aphrodite? Could that be possible? She almost kicked herself for even asking such a question. Of course it was possible, after all, he’d appeared naked in her living room as a result of a spell she’d cast. Yeah, Aphrodite’s wrath was definitely possible. Stealing a glance at him as he maneuvered the car through New York traffic, Zina believed that he’d been here before. She didn’t have to give him directions, he just knew where he was going. Her eyes roamed over his muscled thighs, now clad in jeans she’d ordered from Macy’s and had delivered to her apartment that morning. They fit him perfectly. The button-down dark blue shirt hugged his muscular chest as she had previously that morning. He was a sexy hunk of Italian meat and she couldn’t wait to get another taste of him. A fleeting thought passed her mind then, what did he think of her? She, like she’d told him last night, was old enough to be his mother. And while she worked out when she got the chance, ate healthy and took great care of her skin, none of that stood a chance against time. Her breasts weren’t as high and firm as they used to be and her ass had just a tad more jiggle than was probably needed. Still, her clothes fit her well and she looked like a million bucks each time she left home. Any man—any mature man—would want to sleep with her. Hell, half of the older executives in the office wanted her. But this young stud, this captive of the legendary Aphrodite, could he really want her? Without the aide of a love spell, that is. It didn’t matter, she thought when he caught her staring at him and returned her gaze with one even hungrier. His thoughts were clear, so when her hand moved across the seats to lay on his thigh, he only smiled and turned back to the road.

30

Personal Gain

Minutes later, they were pulling into a parking garage. Zina had to tell him to roll down the window and take the ticket from the automated machine. Apparently, things had become more modernized since his last visit. Once they were parked on one of the higher levels, Paolo got out, quickly skirting around the front of the vehicle to open the passenger door for her. She stepped out and for a moment, they just stood there, Paolo looking down at her, she looking up at him. Inside the garage was dim, although it was a sunny winter day. But the lighting didn’t seem to matter. He looked picture-perfect—young, virile and delectable. He took a step forward, backing her against the car. Instinctively, Zina lifted her hands, folding them behind his neck. “You are beautiful,” he said with that foreign lilt that made her pulse jump. “I’m a damn good witch to have cast such a spell,” she said, admiring her handiwork. “You are a damn good woman.” His lips covered hers with a feathery touch. Her mouth opened on command and his tongue touched hers briefly. “I could stay with you forever.” Zina heard his words, but wanted the kiss more. She grasped his head, pulling him closer, dragging her tongue persistently over his, deepening the kiss until he had no choice but to follow. He returned her kiss zealously, toying with her lips and rubbing his hands up and down her body as he did. She sighed, gulped in air as he tore his lips from hers to kiss her jawline down to her neck. His hands gripped her waist, pulling her crotch up against his thick erection. She quivered, lifting one leg to wrap around him. In the distance, a car horn, followed by the screech of tires and a string of violent cursing, broke their trance. With a nervous chuckle, Zina lowered her leg. “God, I’m a bit old for necking outside, even if it is in a parking garage.” Paolo looked at her seriously, stepping away. He continued to watch as she adjusted her clothes. “You are never too old for desire.” 31

Sapphire Blue

“You’re right,” Zina said, taking the hand he offered her and falling into step beside him. “Age has definitely not affected my sex drive. How about you? I mean, how long have you been twenty-five?” “Somewhere around six hundred years.” “Wow.” He chuckled. “Yes. That is a long time.” They took the five flights of steps that would lead them out onto the street. Zina noted that Paolo wasn’t even winded. Her heart hammered in her chest, but she wasn’t about to stop to catch her breath. No matter how much she worked out, five flights of steps weren’t a walk in the park. Stepping out onto the sidewalk, they were immediately bombarded with people. Most New Yorkers kept a hurried pace, but she and Paolo began a leisurely stroll, heading no place in particular. Walking here today, with Paolo, provided a sort of comfort. It was a strange feeling, one she wasn’t sure she wanted to explore, but knew she couldn’t ignore. “So if you are ever rescued from Aphrodite, you’ll be six-hundred-and-twenty-five years old?” That would be something. She wondered how his tight ass would look then. “When the curse is broken, I will still be in my twenty-fifth year.” “You say that as if you believe the curse will be broken.” “I do. According to Eros, I will fall in love one day and that love will break the curse.” Zina nodded, trying to focus on something other than the warmth of her hand in his. “You want to be in love?” “You do not?” he asked instead of answering her. Zina shrugged. “I’ve never really thought about it. I’ve been really focused on my career.” “You will never be truly happy just working.”

32

Personal Gain

“I’ve never thought of anything but work. I needed to be a success and now that I am, I don’t want to lose it.” “But you are lonely when you are not at work.” “I’m content.” “You lie.” Paolo stopped walking, turning her to face him. “You should live each day as if it were your last.” She smiled. “I’ve heard that somewhere before.” Paolo laughed. “I have also. But it is true. What if you were cursed to live yesterday for the next six hundred years?” Zina thought about yesterday. Then she remembered last night. “I probably wouldn’t mind that so much.” Tracing a thumb over her cheek, Paolo looked as if he understood her meaning. “I do not mean our time together. I meant a regular day in your life. Would you want to keep reliving that day over and over again?” If she were really honest with herself, she’d admit that she was already doing that. And she didn’t like it. The problem was, trying to change what she’d worked so hard to build wouldn’t be easy. “I don’t like change.” “You are afraid.” She bristled at his words. “I am not afraid of anything.” “No?” He quirked an eyebrow. “No.” In the next moment, Paolo had her hand again and was pulling her back toward the parking garage they’d just left. This time they didn’t take the stairs. Instead he pulled her into one darkened corner of the garage, between an SUV and a sports car. He pushed her into the corner and looked down at her. 33

Sapphire Blue

His hair had been mussed by the crisp breeze, his eyes glittering with mischief. “Remember that you said you are not afraid.” “I…” she was speechless and too nervous to ask what he was about to do. Something told her she wasn’t going to like it. He grasped her by the shoulders and put her back up against the wall. With decisive movements, he pushed open her jacket and began unbuttoning her blouse, keeping his eyes glued to hers. The front opening of the garage was about sixty feet away, so the chilly breeze could still touch them. However, Zina felt nothing but waves of heat swirling through her body. When her shirt was undone, he pushed the material until it was a little off her shoulders, securely out of his way. Using both hands, he palmed her breasts and squeezed. Zina closed her eyes and reveled in the pleasure spikes from his touch. “I love to touch you.” He squeezed her breasts again, lifting them slightly. “You feel so wonderful. You are so responsive.” And he talking too damn much, Zina thought, as she sucked on her lower lip, trying to keep from screaming with need. Suddenly, his slow deliberate movements were replaced by a fevered yank of her bra. The moment her breasts were bared, Paolo’s head lowered and his mouth devoured one nipple while he pinched its twin with his other hand. Her hands went quickly to the back of his head, holding him to her chest, making sure he continued with this delicious torture. He was driving her crazy with teasing licks of his tongue and following up with deep suckling that hollowed his cheeks. Her breasts were pleasurably sore, her pussy pleasingly wet. Then there was something else, that slithery feeling that she’d been trying desperately to ignore. His touch was more than wanted, it was accepted as if it were meant to be. He was the one meant to touch her, to pleasure her. Of course he was— she’d conjured him. 34

Personal Gain

“You were made for me,” Paolo whispered just before his tongue delved into her navel. He was sinking lower until he was on his knees in front of her. Her attire was casual, a cotton jogging suit and sneakers. It was a good thing. Paolo pulled down her pants and her thong until one leg was completely free. He lifted one of her legs hooking the underside of her knee on his shoulder. Then his mouth was on her. Hot and hungry, his lips stroked her plump labia, His fingers separated her folds and he licked her center with a slow precision that had her bones melting. Her head fell back against the wall and she moaned. The sound blended in with the outside sounds of traffic and people and life going on all around them. Yet here she was, in the midst of all that, having her pussy licked with decadent efficiency. Paolo had an excellent mouth. She hadn’t wished for that, but she was damn grateful that it had come with the package. When he took her clit between his lips and gently suckled, she swore. “You have got to stop this. We can’t do this here,” she panted. Paolo continued, adding his finger to the foray by slipping it into her aching cunt. He pumped her once and the leg she was left standing on wobbled. “Good God!” He didn’t stop. He wouldn’t stop. She knew this with contented certainty. He was going to make her come. Her pleasure was his goal. He’d told her that. Without thinking, she rotated her hips, fucking his face with a slow urgency that only stoked the flames building inside her. Paolo was moaning and blowing on her pussy. Sucking and licking her senseless. She dug her nails into his shoulders to keep from screaming, but she was afraid someone might hear her, think she was in danger and come inside to help. Who was she kidding? They were in New York. However, Paolo’s motion quickened and her release came with a rush of curses and juices that left her almost depleted. Before getting to his feet, he pulled her pants up, then leaned over her to whisper, “Were you afraid we would be seen?” 35

Sapphire Blue

Her scent lingered on his lips, enticing her even more as she tried to regain at least some semblance of order. “I…we…this is a public place.” Paolo nodded as he undid the buckle on his belt. “I know it is.” She glanced down at his hands, then back up to his face. “If we’re caught, we’ll be thrown in jail.” “I’ve been imprisoned for six hundred years,” he said, then slid down his zipper. “What…are…you doing?” she croaked. He smiled slowly, removing his huge cock from his pants. “On your knees.” “Paolo. We can’t.” He rubbed a hand over her head, then applied gentle, but persistent, pressure until she was lowering herself onto her knees. With one hand he was pumping his cock, while the other was leading her mouth to its head. “I want you to suck me hard and long. And I am going to yell when you swallow my release.” Zina was frantically shaking her head. “No. Someone will hear. They will come.” “Then we all will come together.” He looked down at her with lust clouding his eyes, then tapped the head of his cock on her lower lip. “Suck me.” Both his hands gripped the sides of her face, his thumbs passing over her kissswollen lips as he guided his thick cock into her mouth. He loved watching her take him in. It was a slow process, his cock sinking between her pretty lips with slow precision. She looked up at him as he slid inside the warm cavern of her mouth. Her eyes were brown, getting darker with desire by the second. She was beautiful and he knew instinctively he’d never want any other mouth on him, any other woman beneath him. It was her, she was the one that would break this wretched curse.

36

Personal Gain

Paolo moaned as his tip hit the back of her throat. She hollowed her cheeks, increasing the suction around his turgid cock and his hands drifted back until his fingers were buried in her hair. “Sweet, bella. So sweet,” he murmured. She pulled back slowly until he was almost completely free of her warm torture, then she began to toy with him. His entire body tensed with the sensations of her tongue flitting over the head of his cock. She eagerly slurped the pre-cum oozing from him, then licking her lips so that he could see the sheen of his desire. Paolo clenched his teeth, knowing he wasn’t going to last long. Her eager little tongue slid down the length of his rod and back up again. She repeated this motion on the inside of his cock while cupping his balls roughly. Then she wrapped her fingers around the base of his cock and began pumping him enthusiastically. His hips moved in rhythm with her pumping fist. “Is this what you want?” she asked. Paolo looked down at her again. No, this wasn’t what he wanted. He wanted her like this every night when she came home from work. On her knees sucking him into a state of oblivion. He wanted her hot pussy every morning when she woke before she left for work. He wanted her ass, that tight little hole he’d played with the night before. Oh, he wanted that desperately. And as she pumped his cock, he closed his eyes, seeing his thick length dipping into her tight back entrance and staying there until he exploded. No, this quick come in a parking garage was not all he wanted at all. “No,” he finally groaned. “I want to come in your pretty little mouth, bella. Now!” He aimed, pushing his length between her lips, then began fucking her mouth earnestly. If he hadn’t already decided that she was the woman for him, the way she worked her mouth along with his thrusts would have sealed the deal. She was good. Damn good. Taking his cock with the force of a pro. He touched the back of her throat again and, instead of gagging, she moaned.

37

Sapphire Blue

The tingling began in the base of his spine and then his thigh muscles clenched. His release burned to be set free and her jaws stretched and hollowed, desperate to make that happen. The act of her sucking him off was a loud one, his moans coupled with the moist suction sound echoed throughout the chilly area and he loved it. If someone walked up to them right now, he wouldn’t care and he doubted Zina would stop. “Yes. Yes,” he chanted as she sucked him harder. Then, with one hand, she held steady to the base of his cock while with the other she tickled the spot just beneath his balls and a breath away from his anus. Paolo let out a roar—yes, a roar—that was loud enough to reverberate off the walls and probably stop anyone passing by at the moment. His cum shot, hot and strong from his cock, landed at the back of her throat. Zina tilted her head and swallowed every last drop. “You are mine, bella.” Paolo repeated that as she sucked and licked his cock until it grew limp. And when she’d fixed his clothing and stood to face him, he once again cupped her face in his hands, dropping featherlight kisses on her swollen lips. “Mine.” He kissed her again. “Mine.” He licked her lips, tasting the salty remnants of himself. “All mine.”

38

Personal Gain

Chapter Five They continued with their shopping plans, going in and out of the stores, with Zina buying things and acting with a carefree attitude all day. Paolo now had enough outfits to keep him clothed for the next six months, even though she knew he wouldn’t be here that long. Pushing that thought aside, Zina decided to focus on the here and now, taking advantage of all the fun she was having with this man. Remembering their actions in the garage, she blushed. She should have been afraid that they’d be caught in the garage, and truth be told, she had been. But that had only added to the thrill. While they were at lunch, women openly gaped at Paolo, but he seemed oblivious to anyone but her. She liked that. He was very attentive and dangerously sexy all at the same time. Damn, she realized with a start, she didn’t want him to leave. But how could she ask him to stay? He’s not real. Well, he is, in a sense, she thought, remembering his story of being Aphrodite’s captive. But she’d conjured him here, she hadn’t just walked up to him on the street. He was a result of a tweaked love spell and now she feared she’d actually fallen in love with the guy. Just her luck, she mused. Never one to dwell on things that could not be changed, Zina decided to make her last hours with Paolo count. If he were going to vanish out of her life sometime around midnight, she wanted to make perfectly sure she received everything she wanted from her spell. Because she was never casting another one again. Her heart couldn’t take it. Tonight would be a night of seduction. Not the hot, sweaty sex that they’d had up until this point. She wasn’t complaining about the hot, sweaty sex, but now she desperately wanted something more substantial to hold on to. She wanted to touch this 39

Sapphire Blue

man with the love she felt in her heart for him. She wanted to give him just a small piece of herself to take when he left. She turned, staring out the window as he drove. To look at him again would increase the pain and emphasize the hopelessness of the situation she’d created. There was nothing Paolo could do about their situation and she didn’t want him to see her own despair. Instead she would focus on tonight, on making it count.

Paolo drove in silence, his heart aching to have this woman accept him completely into her heart. Finding true love was the only way to break free of Aphrodite’s clutches and Paolo believed he had found his true mate. Zina was everything he’d ever wanted in a woman. While she had some issues about the age difference, Paolo was convinced that there was no problem in that department. Sure she was older, but she was all the woman he could ever want. He definitely did not compare her to his own mother, as she did when they first met. She was mature and independent and sexy and endearing. She needed him just as much as he needed her. His biggest obstacle was this woman he’d fallen in love with. Her independence and her dedication to her job was what had kept her from finding a mate all this time. Or had she been waiting for him? He preferred to think of the latter. Yet he remembered the struggle it had been to get Zina to just take a day off from work, to enjoy herself and life. How long would he need to convince her that they were perfect together, that they could live happily ever after? Longer than he had to wait. Aphrodite’s spell had to be broken tonight, before Zina’s spell ended. That meant Paolo had some work to do.

*****

40

Personal Gain

“Are you tired?” Paolo asked when they’d arrived at her apartment at ten thirty and dropped all the bags onto the middle of the living room floor. She turned to him, one elegantly arched eyebrow raised. “Why? Should I be tired of walking all day, shopping and eating, while you, in your youth, look unruffled?” Paolo felt the chilly spikes dripping from her words and tried to ignore them. “I am asking because you are used to working in your office all day, not walking dozens of city blocks. Even in my youth, my legs are a little tired since I’ve been trapped in a cave for years.” Zina sighed. “I’m sorry. I’m acting like a bitch.” Paolo went to her, rubbing her shoulders as she let her head lull back. “Do not apologize for being yourself. You should know by now that I am not easily offended. Besides, your age does not bother me. I wish it would not bother you.” “It shouldn’t,” she said and moved out of his grasp. “Not much longer anyway.” Was that despair he heard in her voice? “We have all night, bella.” She looked at him and smiled. Paolo’s entire body tingled. He loved her smile. The way her brown eyes glittered with happiness. He wanted to wake every morning looking into those eyes. “Yes. We do,” she replied. “How about we make use of that wonderful hot tub you have in the bathroom. We can work some of the kinks out of both our tired muscles.” Her smile turned seductive and the tingling in Paolo’s body changed to heated waves. “That sounds like a great idea.”

Fifteen minutes later, the tub was halfway full. Zina had switched on the jets and was just sticking her foot inside when Paolo entered the bathroom.

41

Sapphire Blue

He was naked and absolutely gorgeous. From his coal- black hair and deep brown eyes to the creamy-colored skin, ripped abs and muscled thighs, this man was the definition of the word “hunk”. He walked with confidence, a smooth swagger that said he was the best. Zina could vouch for that. He was already hard, his length alluring, causing her mouth to water with anticipation. Damn, she was going to miss him. “What are you thinking, bella?” he asked when he’d come to stand beside her, taking her hand in his. Zina hurriedly shook the inevitability of his leaving away. Live in the moment, make it count, she told herself. “Nothing. Join me,” she whispered, leading him into the tub behind her. When they were both seated and the warm bubbles were swirling around them, Paolo put his arm around her and she laid her head on his shoulder. “This is nice,” he whispered and laid his head back against the lip of the tub. “I can make it nicer,” she said, then shifted until she straddled him. His hands went immediately to her waist, his mouth to her breast. He sucked her entire nipple into his mouth, hollowing his cheeks much like the way she did when she covered his cock. He applied pressure and she gasped, his teeth raking over the sensitized peak. Reaching between them, she grasped his erection, guiding him into her waiting center. Thrusting her hips, she slid down, taking his entire width and length inside her. She moaned with the overload of sensations from her breasts to her pussy. She yelped when he lifted her quickly, turning her around so that her back faced him. Water sloshed over the lip of tub, a swishing sound adding to the steady rumbling of the bubbles. “Nice,” he said, letting his hands slip down her bare back, cupping her butt cheeks, holding her wide open as she once again impaled herself on him. “Sì, bella. Sì.”

42

Personal Gain

Zina sighed long and deep as the sound of his voice washed over her. The deep timbre, the melodic sound of a foreign language had her simmering with desire. The fact that he’d then slipped his fingers around to flick, none too gently over her clit pushed her temperature up a few notches as well. “You want me to ride you, baby?” she asked, tilting her body forward so that her butt rubbed against his tight abdomen on her down stroke. “Ooooh, sì.” He managed in a strangled voice. “Sì.” Planting her feet as firmly as possible on the slippery floor of the hot tub, Zina began a slow up-and-down stroke, feeling his cock, along with the warm water, slipping in and out of her slick walls. Paolo’s fingers dug deep into her hips as he attempted to control her motions. But this was Zina’s ride. It was her seduction. Her last minutes to enjoy this perfect specimen she’d conjured. It would be midnight soon, she knew, and he would be gone. Her thrusts sped up until her breasts wobbled and jerked with the effort. More water sloshed, but Paolo’s guttural moans drowned out the sound. She loved this freedom, this complete abandon she felt with him. His cock filled her, his moans lulling her as her release climbed. This was perfect. Her time with him had been perfect and she wished—no, she was not a wisher. She made her dreams come true and that’s why she’d cast the spell. But she’d never once believed she would want the spell to go on forever. This, she thought, slamming down onto his cock once more and feeling her thighs quiver with need, was the consequence of personal gain. Paolo lifted his hips, thrusting into her with the same fevered strokes as she pumped him. His moaning grew until he held her hips, still shooting his hot release into her waiting core. His climax pushed her over that last mile and she inched over the edge, spiraling in a funnel of sweet bliss.

Paolo carried her limp body into the bedroom and laid her on the bed. Using a towel, he dried the drops of water from her chocolate-brown skin. Gently he rolled her 43

Sapphire Blue

onto her stomach, loving this view of her the best. Her sexy, bare back, her rounded ass and those long, luxurious legs were the biggest turn-on of all. Moving across the room to one of the bags from their earlier shopping trip, he popped the cap of lube. On his trek back to the bed, he filled his palm with the cool liquid, then tossed the bottle on the bed. She was still lying perfectly still, her breathing finally coming in even waves. He smacked her butt cheek and smiled when she yelped in response. “Hey, I’m basking in satiation. Do you mind?” “I want you writhing with need,” he said tauntingly. Again, with his clean hand, he parted her cheeks, holding them open as his mouth watered at her puckered anus. God, he loved seeing her like this. His cock twitched, aching to be inside that tight rim and Paolo glided the lubefilled palm down her crease. “Mmmm, chilly,” she winced a bit, then settled down. “Do not worry. I will make it hot.” Bending over, he separated her cheeks again, licking up and down her crease. She moaned and he mimicked the sound. This lube he had purchased had a spicy flavor that settled over his tongue with ease. He licked her as if she were a fudge Popsicle and he was an ice-cream-loving babe. “Oh my, that feels…absolutely…decadent,” she whispered. “Sì,” he concurred, filled his hand with lube and set to feasting on her ass again. When his cock felt as if it would explode, Paolo lifted her hips, reached for a pillow and settled it beneath her stomach. Now her ass was propped up and waiting for him, like a buffet feast. He grasped his thick cock, pumping it roughly a few times to ease the ache. She shifted, moving her ass in a motion he knew was meant to torture him. “Bad girls get spanked.” She chuckled. “Mmm, then I’m bad to the bone.”

44

Personal Gain

Obligingly, he smacked one cheek and then the other. Her skin colored with the heat of being touched with such force. His cock leaked with enjoyment. He smacked her ass again. “That’s right, baby. Spank me. I’ve been sooo bad.” He smacked her again, then bent forward, kissing both cheeks, then licking them until he was satisfied the sting was soothed. He parted her cheeks again, licked around her rim, then pressed his thumb against the tight sphincter. “Paolo,” she moaned. “I love to hear you say my name.” He pressed harder. “Paolo. Paolo. Paolo.” “You want me to ride you, baby?” he asked, mimicking the question she’d asked of him in the hot tub. “No.” She shook her head vehemently. “I want you to fuck me.” With that, Paolo rose above her, then coated his rigid cock with more lube. He wanted to slip into her, he wanted the smooth, tight fuck of a lifetime. He wanted to seal her to him forever, to make her want him with such ferocity that when he admitted his love for her, she would not hesitate to do the same. This would break the curse. She was open to him now, in more ways than one. He angled himself, then pressed the head of his cock to her tight entrance. Grabbing her by the hips, he pushed gently. “Just do it, Paolo! Just fuck me! Now!” Zina thrust her hips back so fast, and with the aid of the extra lube, he slipped into her, stretching her opening to accommodate his size. She groaned and he clenched his teeth. This was just perfect. This feeling of her so tight and hot, around his cock. It was like that when she smiled at him too, the sight of her happiness clenching his heart like a vise.

45

Sapphire Blue

He began pumping her then, his pelvis slapping against her ass with a loud sound that echoed in his ears. She worked her hips against his movements, moaning and screaming his name. Time was growing short. Paolo could sense it as he moved inside her. It was now or never. “Bella, you feel so good to me. We are so good together. Sì?” She was panting and he smacked her ass to get her attention. “Bella?” “Oooh, yes! Paolo, yes, we are good together.” “I need you like I have needed no one else. You were meant to be mine.” He punctuated those last words by pulling almost completely out of her, then sinking back slowly inside her warmth. “Paolo.” She was breathless and needy and right where he needed her to be. Paolo pulled out of her then, laying his hands on her ass, then bending forward to drop tender kisses on each cheek. “I am in love with you, bella. So desperately in love with you.”

Zina turned to him, pissed off that he’d dared to stop just as she was about to come again. But his words were more halting than his actions. “Paolo?” she said over her shoulder. He was on his knees, bent over her, but he lifted up completely when she said his name. Through the haze of desire, she saw he was serious. “You can’t,” she said, her chest tightening with what she knew was a breaking heart. “You are not free.” “Your magic spell broke through Aphrodite’s curse by taking me from that cave. That can only mean one thing.” “I don’t understand.”

46

Personal Gain

“I was cursed originally because I was not Greek and she could not marry me. Then as her anger grew she wished to punish me not only for my ethnic background, but for not loving her in return. Over the years, she has sent women to me, baiting me, teasing me. While Eros sent me to women in the hopes that I would one day find love. None of them have touched me the way you do. It is only you, bella.” “But my spell was only for twenty-four hours. It is about to end.” She bit her lip in an attempt not to cry. His words were eating at her, taking her to a place she never thought she’d be. “It can be broken.” “No.” She shook her head. “That is not the way of the spell.” “Aphrodite is a powerful goddess and you are a powerful witch, bella. But love is more powerful. It can be broken.” Her heart was pounding now. If his words were true, she needed to know and she needed to know now. “How?” “Tell me you love me, bella. Tell me I am the one for you.” She hesitated. He was so much younger than her. It was almost unlawful the way she was with him now. What if he strayed? What if, in years to come, he decided he wanted a younger woman, a younger body? What if… “If you love me,” he was saying, rubbing the tip of his cock against her wet ass as he did. “You must tell me. Now.” “Paolo. You don’t understand.” “I understand that I do not want this to end.” The tip slid inside her again. “Do you want it to end, bella? Do you want me to go and to never come back?” She backed up against him, loving the feel of his thick cock filling her ass. Loving the sound of his voice, the tender way he spoke to her as if he really cared, he really loved her. “Tell me what you want.”

47

Sapphire Blue

“I want you to fuck me.” “For only tonight?” he prodded, pulling his cock out of her, then sinking it slowly back in. “You want this to be over tonight?” “No!” she screamed unable to lie for fear he would pull out of her now and vanish. “Then tell me what you really want.” He pounded into her with a fierceness that spurred her climax on. He leaned forward reaching around to touch her clit. With deft motions he worked her ass and her clit until she was trembling. “Say it, bella. Say it now before it is too late!” he implored. She was right at the brink, her release rumbling through her like an angry storm. She worked her hips against him while her mind wrapped itself around all that had transpired in the last two days—all that he had said and she had said. This was not her reason for casting the spell, or was it? She wanted a man to please her, to fuck her out of her mind and he’d done just that. She hadn’t asked for a man to love, but she’d gotten it anyway. That was not a repercussion from personal gain, but more like a reward. Whatever it was, she wasn’t about to let it pass. “I love you, Paolo. I want you to stay. I want to you to stay and fuck me and love me,” she whimpered as he groaned, his release spilling into her opening. “I love you.” There had been no storm outside when they’d come in from shopping nor had one been broadcasted, but lightning crackled loudly, shaking the windows of the bedroom. Sparks of light bounced off the walls and a long, contented moan echoed throughout the room. It hadn’t been Zina, she was breathing too heavily, still shaking from the powerful release that had coursed through her. And it wasn’t Paolo because it was a feminine sound, a long-held release of pleasure.

48

Personal Gain

Zina collapsed on the bed and felt Paolo slip out of her. She didn’t have the courage to turn around, to make sure he was still with her. She just didn’t want to bear the pain of finding out she was once again in her empty bedroom, so she kept her eyes closed tightly until tears burned her lids. That’s when she felt it. His lips, softly brushing over her cheeks. “I am here, bella. It is after midnight and I am still here.” Zina could do nothing but smile. “Ti amo, Paolo.” His smile was wide as he leaned forward to kiss her lips. “Ti amo, Zina.”

49

About the Author Using creativity and sexuality as her backdrop, Sapphire Blue creates stories to entice and arouse. An event planner and romance author, Sapphire lives in Maryland with her family. Reading and writing are her passions. She was influenced by veteran romance authors at an early age and with time began to add her own level of spice to the timeless tales. Now, thoroughly convinced that a healthy sex life co-exists with a great love affair, she writes what is in her heart and what some are afraid to even imagine. Writing has always been her dream. Writing strong, witty and sexy characters a must. Sapphire is the culmination of a happily ever after romance novelist and a desire to push the envelope right into the burning flames of passion! Sapphire has been writing for fifteen years and published in romance for four years. She is determined to bring a new slice of color to the erotic romance realm.

Sapphire welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website and email address on her author bio page at www.ellorascave.com.

Tell Us What You Think We appreciate hearing reader opinions about our books. You can email us at [email protected].

Also by Sapphire Blue Devlin’s Desire

Discover for yourself why readers can’t get enough of the multiple award-winning publisher Ellora’s Cave. Whether you prefer e-books or paperbacks, be sure to visit EC on the web at www.ellorascave.com for an erotic reading experience that will leave you breathless.

www.ellorascave.com