Free Darkness on Fire by Alexis Morgan Page B

you ready for this?”
    Jora’s answering smile was everything he’d wished for. “I think I’ve been ready for this moment my whole life.”
    He swallowed hard, not knowing what to say to that. He settled for showing her how special this was for him by making it as perfect for her as he could. He started by kissing her long and slow and deep, showing her with light touches and soft squeezes how much her body pleased him.
    Finally, when both of them were breathing hard and frantic with need, he settled between her legs and positioned himself.
    As petite as Jora was, it was going to be a tight fit. He raised up over her, bracing himself on his elbows. “I’ll try to go slow. If it’s too much, let me know.”
    She bit her lower lip as he pressed forward, stopping a few times to let her body adjust. His hold on his sanity was pretty damn fragile by the time he was fully seated inside her warm welcome. The connection between them was amazing, as if the world had shifted on its axis and was finally right.
    Cupping his face in her hands, Jora slowly rocked her hips, meeting his thrusts with hers. Oh, yeah, this was good. He gradually picked up speed, still keeping a close rein on the power behind his movements.
    Soon Jora was arching her back, her hands digging into his shoulders. “Don’t hold back, Penn! Please!”
    Her heartfelt plea shattered his control, and his hips moved like a pile driver running at top speed. The slap of his flesh against hers, the sexy catch in her throat as he took her, the pressure building in his brain and in his balls. . . . There was nothing left of the universe beyond this bed as they strained for completion. When that pure joy finally washed over them both, he had no idea where he left off and Jora started. He only knew that this was the best, most perfect moment he’d ever had.
    And that scared him more than facing a dozen crazed Others with swords in their hands and death in their eyes.

Chapter 8
    T arl kicked a rock and sent it flying across the cavern to bounce off the barrier. He stared at the bright colors swirling through the field of energy and cursed long and loud. The damn thing was healthy again; all of his hard work was undone. Now he had to start over from scratch and hope his people on the other side were preparing to do the same.
    That stupid interfering bitch must have been here again. It was the only possible explanation. While his men had been out chasing their tails looking for her, she’d been back here wrecking his best work. Did she have any idea how hard it was to balance the damage he did to the barrier so that it was poised to fail with only the lightest of touches, but would remain intact until that moment arrived?
    Every time he attempted that maneuver, the entire area became more and more unstable. All he wanted to do was create a permanent vent between this world and his to siphon off some of Earth’s plentiful energy into his light-starved world. He had no desire to set off the caldera underlying Yellowstone; that would kill off most of this world in a matter of days. And no one got rich when everyone dies.
    He and his friends weren’t crazy, just greedy. So until they found Jora b’Larth, he’d have to post guards. The cost wasn’t coming out of his share though. After all, he was the one taking all the risks. There were only three Kalith on this side of the barrier—himself and his two associates. The rest of them huddled in the darkness on the other side, scuttling across to wield their equipment whenever he managed to bring the barrier down.
    Drawing a deep breath, he positioned himself directly in front of the barrier with his palms out. His magic worked better with his eyes shut, leaving him more vulnerable to attack, so he listened to the silence first, weighing it against previous visits. He was definitely alone—at least on this side of the barrier.
    Time to get started. Chanting under his breath, he concentrated on peeling back the bright