Claimed by the Immortal

that caused her insides to clench in anticipation now, and the uneasiness seemed to have faded to the background.

He stripped her bed of everything, then spread out a brand-new white sheet, stretching it to fit the corners tightly. A new pillow popped out of another bag and was centered on the bed.

Apparently he was serious about removing detritus.

Thick white candles appeared on every flat surface in large numbers. A ring of fire around the bed, she realized.

He added an incense burner with a long stick of incense and ignited it with a pocket lighter. Within moments the room started to fill with the unmistakable scent of frankincense. Her nose twitched a little, then settled down.

He glanced at her, as if gauging her response, then brought out rolls of wide white ribbon. He held out one to her.

She took it, surprised at how soft it felt. “Satin?” she asked.

“Yes. All natural. All of this has to be natural. Even the candles are beeswax. I promise not to bind you too tightly. It won’t hurt. It’s just that I have to protect you.”

She stroked the ribbon, imagining it twined around her wrists and probably her ankles. Her stomach churned nervously, but lower down she felt that sweet ache renew. Quit fighting it, she thought. She wanted it, nervous or not. And the fabric was so soft as to feel sensual in itself.

She passed the roll back to him, watched him cut long, long lengths of it and tie it around all four of her bedposts. Apparently he meant what he said about not tying her too tightly. Looking at those lengths, she knew she would have some room to move.

Her mouth was starting to grow dry, and she didn’t think it was from a need for water. Conflicting needs buzzed in her, and whether she was longing for this or not, she couldn’t entirely get rid of her nerves.

He finished his task in the most surprising way: he sprinkled rose petals across the bed and around the room. Their fragrance was heady and joined the incense to create a perfume of unearthly beauty.

Beside the bed, he placed a few vials. Then, after surveying everything, he turned to her with a smile and held out his hand.

“Come,” he said gently.

Her hand was trembling as she took his. He drew her close and kissed her deeply, causing her to tremble in a very different way. “I know this is all new to you,” he murmured as his lips brushed teasingly against hers. “But it is beautiful beyond imagining. Try to trust me, Schatz. I’ll lead you every step of the way.”

She couldn’t find her voice but managed a nod. She wanted him more than she had ever wanted anything in her life. Facing that, how could she not face the rest?

He picked up a garment bag from where he had laid it over a chair, then carried it as they went to her small bathroom. It was designed for a couple, with two sinks, but hardly big enough to hold them both at the same time. He hung the garment bag from the hook on the back of the door.

“Adjust the water to your liking,” he said. “I have no way to tell if it’s the right temperature for you.”

Her mouth now felt like the Sahara, parched almost to cracking. Without a word, she went to turn on the faucet in the tub. With only one knob, it was easy to set because she knew exactly where she liked it. Then she turned on the shower and closed the curtain to prevent splashing.

When she turned around, Damien was pulling two long white robes from the garment bag and hanging them. “One for each of us,” he said, giving her a smile.

But only after the shower, she thought. First she had to do something she’d never done with him before: get naked. She gripped her sweater with shaking hands, prepared to strip, but he stopped her.

“Allow me,” he said. “You won’t be alone long in your nudity.”

She licked her lips, dropped her arms and waited.

“You are so beautiful,” he murmured. Leaning toward her, he kissed her again, this time deeply and passionately. Her lingering doubts fled before the thrust of his tongue and the feeling of his hands wandering over her back, breasts and belly. She sighed, the breath caught by his mouth, and felt welcome heat flood her, draining her last doubts.

Some part of her felt she had been made for this moment. It seemed so right.

He moved slowly, carrying her step by step up the mountain of passion. His every move seemed strangely languorous as if they had all the time in the world. She remembered what he had said about spending hours to make sure everything was perfect, and apparently he had meant it.

By the time he began to lift her sweater over her head, her entire body was thrumming with need. Nor did he give her a moment to feel shy. As soon as her sweater was gone, her bra vanished and his hands covered her breasts, teasing and squeezing until she threw her head back and began to melt.

“Gently, slowly,” he murmured.

“You’re not making it easy.”

A quiet laugh escaped him. “Good,” he said. “But there’s absolutely no rush. None at all. In fact, I want to avoid it.”

The butterflies had vanished, leaving nothing in their wake but longing and an impatience she tried to tamp down. Not that Damien was going to let her hurry a single moment.

His hands continued their wandering, fueling the ache deep within her, cherishing her as much as they stirred her. It was as if he were memorizing her every curve.

Then, in an instant so fast she didn’t see it happen, his shirt vanished, and their naked chests met. She had just a moment to enjoy the view of his smoothly muscled torso, then he tugged her close, pressing her breasts to him as his mouth returned to plundering hers in a deep kiss.

Oh, could he kiss!

She lifted her hands and traced the smooth contours of his back, reveling in the strength she felt there, as well as the slight coolness of his skin. He felt solid everywhere she touched him. And for now, he let her touch.

It occurred to her that he must be exercising great restraint right now, considering that he felt it necessary to bind her later to prevent her from waking his predatory nature.

Drowsy with need, she tilted her head back and looked at him from passion-weighted eyelids. “Am I making this harder for you?”

“You are making this an absolute delight.”

Then he knelt, kissing her belly, sending a powerful shudder of longing through her. Never had a touch or kiss there seemed so intimate or exciting.

She felt the snap on her jeans give way, and caught her breath in anticipation as he began to pull the denim down. Its slow scrape against her skin was as sensual as any touch he gave her. She shivered again and resisted the urge to hold his head close, trying to remember why he needed her to be still.

But remaining still was turning into a torture of its own, a very special one.

Lips followed the fabric downward, trailing along her thighs, brushing briefly but so temptingly against the thatch of hair between her legs. The lightest of touches, it ignited her needs to an even higher level. How was she going to stand this for hours? How could she not?

Already she felt as if she had been transformed into a knot of nearly mindless need.

His own clothes disappeared at last, and she managed to open her eyes to take him in. He was a perfect picture of masculinity. His staff was already rigid, assuring her she was not alone at this peak just below heaven, but when she reached out to grasp him, he stayed her hand.

“Soon, Schatz,” he murmured. “Soon.”

Then he swept her up and deposited her in the shower. An instant later he stood there with her and pulled the curtain closed.

“We can do this whichever way you prefer,” he said.

“What do you mean?” She didn’t want to make decisions anymore. Talking had become a huge effort.

“We can either wash ourselves or wash each other.”

For an instant, shyness reared its head, but then she realized just how much she wanted to run her hands