Chapter Eight --
When Rhamus stopped in front of the red haired woman again, he had wanted to hurry through his inspection to dispel the illusion of attraction he felt. He purposely started slowly from her slim feet, going up those elegant legs, coming to a halt at the high, rounded breasts which thrust against the soft material of her dress. By the sacred crystal, her figure was everything he could ever have desired.
Rhamus tightened his self-control and viewed her face. His eyes were drawn first to the tendrils of hair laying against those exquisite cheeks, a curl of distaste twisted his handsome lips and helped cool his ardor.
Next, Rhamus looked into the female's eyes and it was his undoing. Pulack was wrong, they were past extraordinary. The lovely eyes staring back at him were the truest pale blue of the priceless arj'ak crystal, the most powerful and sought after Volarnian crystal.
Chapter Fifteen --
"Are you going to let me help you off with that gown, or do I have to take it off the hard way?" Rhamus' face filled her vision, his eyes flashing strangely. One minute his eyes looked cool as the ice of a glacier, the next, hot as the flames that seemed to leap from them and lick her body with their heat.
"You wouldn't dare!" Serena's mouth was set rigid with disapproval.
Not taking his eyes from hers for a second, Rhamus freed one of his hands and, placing it at her bodice, pulled in one swift tug. Before she could react, Serena felt the silky material rip at the back as buttons popped loose. Rhamus' eyes were glued to her breasts as they bounced free of their constrainment. He deliberately brought his gaze slowly up her neck, reaching her eyes. He let Serena see the heat of desire that burned within them.
Serena didn't let a flicker of emotion flare in her eyes as she abruptly brought her fist up and gave Rhamus a jab to the chin. Not as effective as she'd like, considering the short space between them. Expecting Rhamus to get angry, as she wanted, Serena was taken aback when his countenance didn't change expression one bit.
Rhamus grabbed Serena's free hand and brought it to lie flat against the wall. Pressing into her, he made her feel the pressure of being caught between the hard stone and his rock hard body. She didn't know which felt harder. "Didn't you know, my jicha, that a Little tussling before sex just gets a warrior's blood hotter?" Rhamus' deep voice washed over her, making his male roughness seem as if it were embodied in his voice as well as his body.
Chapter Sixteen --
Suddenly, her nervous feelings turned to trembly ones of longing. Serena's body flushed with sexual urgings; her breathing became faster. She stared at Xarath in alarm. He was standing stone rigid, nothing looking alive but his eyes. Her own eyes opened in dawning panic as she saw the blue light that emitted from the area surrounding his. He was using the crystal's power on her!
She tried to move her body, to struggle against the encroaching thread of throbbing sexual desire that didn't stem from within herself. It did no good; Xarath's power overtook her feeble efforts. He came closer, to within touching distance, but just stood staring at her. Serena tried to pull her gaze from his, but felt lethargic and couldn't gather the energy it would take to accomplish such a feat. The rivulets of dark power coursed through her veins, making her a creature who ached for Xarath's touch.
Chapter Twenty --
He swung the light toward where Jarvic pointed. It picked up the white outlines of what looked like a Volarnian thigh bone. A high pitched shrilling scream suddenly sprang from the darkness further down the tunnel. Rhamus' hair on the back of his neck rose up and Jarvic dropped his handkerchief. It floated gracefully down and landed on a nysk skeleton, covering it like a shroud.
Whatever screamed from the tunnel's other end apparently heard their retreat or had very acute sight because, as they slowly stepped backwards, a slithering, scratchy sound approached from the yawning pit of darkness.
The beast holed up down the black tunnel had been subsisting on the small nysks, which infested the dungeon since its keepers had left the premises. It must be ravenous. As the quamus made its appearance into the room, fouling the very air with its loathsome odor and presence, a red-hot anger overtook Rhamus.
