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  Once everyone had exited the tomb, Storm would cause a rockslide to cover the entrance, sealing in his love and her journey gifts, and her rainbow for all eternity.

  As he backed away from that kiss, from the press of his mouth against her cold, still lips, he tried to gather the strength to do what he must.

  The torches were extinguished, leaving the room in darkness but for the sparkling rainbow that covered her, which would continue to cover her until the powders lost their effectiveness.

  “Good-bye,” he whispered as he backed from the room.

  As he turned to gather up his energy, there was a small cough from the altar.

  My imagination, he decided as he raised his arms high in the air.

  Then he heard the cough again.

  Swimming in the tomb he stared at her still body in confusion. Then he heard something that almost made him pass out.

  “Sand,” she gasped as her body began to tremble. “My butt! It itches!”

  Then Storm, the bane of the council and the most powerful Child of Triton ever born, passed out cold.

  Chapter Twenty-two

  It was so peaceful here!

  Storm floated on a soft bed of water, the warmth of the liquid penetrating his pores and relaxing muscles that had been tense for days.

  The morning sun shone down upon his face, not too hot or drying, but just enough to heat his body comfortably.

  Gently the waves splashed against his face…slap… A little harder than expected, but it was still nice!

  He needed this break, this time away! Slap!

  Hmm, the waves were growing rougher.

  But still, this time of peace was…

  “Wake the hell up!” a voice screamed as another stinging slap was delivered to his face. “What did you do to me?” With a jolt, Storm opened his eyes and stared in amazement at what he saw!

  There, in all of her outraged beauty, was his mate, his love, his Elanna!

  “How?” he stuttered, but was cut off as she gripped a handful of his hair and pulled his face up to meet hers. “Ouch!”

  “What… Did… You… Do?” Elanna said, spacing each word carefully as her brown eyes bored into his.

  “You were dead!” he gasped as he tried to clear his thoughts and figure out what was going on. “I was about to entomb you.”

  “You were going to bury me alive!” Elanna hissed. “You were going to leave me in that chamber covered in shells and sitting on sand! Sand itches!”

  Storm blinked as he slowly reached up to cup her beloved face. Ignoring the pain in his scalp, he stared deeply into her eyes and smiled.

  “Elanna, you came back to me,” he breathed.

  Elanna stared back, blinked twice, and then let go of her unsuccessful attempt at holding back tears.

  “I thought I would never see you again,” Elanna gasped, as her tight hold on Storm became one of tender embrace.

  Lowering her head, eyes wet and lips trembling, she placed her mouth against his and let all of the feelings in her heart flow through that perfect kiss.

  Moaning, Storm buried his hands in the hair he so adored and pulled her closer, deepening the kiss, accepting her emotions and returning them in equal measure.

  Finally breaking off the kiss, he ran his hands frantically over her body, touching her, making sure that she was real and not a mirage.

  “You are back,” he laughed. “You are here with me!”

  With a joyous shout, he pulled her onto his body, giving her the full embrace his heart demanded that he give.

  Laughing, both of them laughing, they rolled on the stone altar that held them. Turning and laughing and placing teasing kisses on each other, they rejoiced at once again being reunited. Until they fell off.

  With a splash, Storm and Elanna plunged off of their hard bed and landed on the equally hard water.

  Elanna’s laughter turned to a shout of fear and rage as she screamed, “Laura!”

  * * * * *

  “I remember!”

  “Shh,” Storm soothed as he pulled her from the water and back onto their perch. “It is a dream.”

  “No!” Elanna insisted as her hands latched around his neck and she buried her nose in his now wet hair, inhaling his scent. “It is real! I remember it, Storm! I remember it all!”

  Her body quaked as the memories began to flood through her body.

  The gun, the look on Laura’s face, the dusky circle of that terrorist’s face growing smaller as he watched her plummet to her death.

  The gut-wrenching fear as she saw her death reaching out to grasp her.

  “Oh, God!” she gasped as she swallowed deeply, trying not to vomit as her emotions and memories turned and churned into one huge tangle.

  “I have you!” Storm soothed, sitting up and pulling her into his arms. “I have you, Elanna, and I am not going to let you go.”

  “They wanted to kill me,” she breathed as huge tears filled her eyes. “They wanted to see me dead, Storm! And for what? For some stupid, twisted ideal?”

  “You are not dead, Elanna,” Storm murmured as he rocked her from side to side. “You are not dead.”

  “But I should be!”

  “No! You are where you are supposed to be,” he whispered as he began to run his hands over her cool skin. “You are safe, in my arms.”

  “Safe?” she whispered, her mind still struggling with the concept that suddenly seemed foreign to her.

  “Safe,” he breathed. His hand cupped her chin, and he lifted her face as he lowered his. “Safe with me. I’ll keep you safe.”

  His lips brushed lightly over hers, careful, always careful of his sharp teeth, and nibbled at her bottom lip.

  Elanna’s startled gasp opened her mouth, allowing his tongue to plunge deeply inside, tasting her unique flavor and sending a rush of warmth through her body.

  The whimper that floated out of her throat surprised them both. But she tightened her arms around his neck, pulling him closer, welcoming his deep, penetrating kiss, longing for him to take it further.

  “Let me show you safe,” he breathed as he broke off long enough to trail light kisses along her face, making her shiver as heat cascaded down her shoulders and back.

  “Safe,” she whispered as she threw her head back, exposing her neck to his expert caresses.

  “Yes,” he moaned as the trembling in her body began to shift from fear to something else entirely.

  Dropping his hands to her hips, he shifted her until she was straddling his waist, her soft warm thighs surrounding his hips as she took enough of her weight on her legs to lift up and let her breasts hover above his face.

  Gleefully accepting her offer, Storm lifted his head and nipped and licked at her right breast, teasing the swollen flesh around her nipple, but never taking that tempting fruit into his mouth.

  “Please,” she whimpered. “Storm, show me!”

  Then his lips surrounded her nipple, his tongue laving the hardening tip.

  Her groan rose up from deep within her soul and her eyes closed as she lost herself in the sensations flowing through her body.

  Storm tightened his hands on her hips, holding her in place as her lower body began to slowly gyrate, mimicking the motions of his tongue as he carefully nipped at her flesh, then lapped the small pleasure-pain away.

  “Do you feel me?” he asked, as he pulled away from her breast long enough to take in the slack look on her face and feel the small tremors shaking her body.

  “More,” she breathed. “Please, Storm?”

  He answered by pulling one of her hands from around his neck and dragging it down the front of his body.

  Her fingers danced over the cool skin of his chest, pausing to scrape her thumbnail firmly over his nipple. She smiled a bit as he hissed at the hot shot of sensation racing through his body.

  “Yes,” he moaned. “Do that again!”

  And when she did, he lowered her body to rest on his lap as she bent to run her tongue along the small welt she
had raised.

  “Elanna,” he moaned, tangling his hands in her hair, holding her closer to the source of his pleasure even as he tossed his head back, thoroughly enjoying her ministrations.

  Her hips began to grind against his bulge, tempting his slit to part and the milky head to peek out. Feeling his slick hardness against her, not quite at her opening but near, Elanna decided to redouble her efforts.

  Forget foreplay! This was the man she wanted, he was right there, and damn if she didn’t feel safe in his arms.

  Growling, she dragged her tongue up from his chest to attack his neck, nipping and biting at the firm flesh beneath her lips.

  He tasted so good, so salty and masculine, and so much like the sea.

  “Mmm,” she purred, running her tongue up to his jaw, nipping at the shell of his ear.

  “Creator!” he breathed as Elanna writhed about in his grasp. The only thing he could do was…react.

  Gritting his teeth in an aroused snarl, he gently raked his hands and nails down her back, feeling the small bumps rise again over her skin, hearing her whine and whimper as he reached the firm flesh of her ass.

  How hot human skin is, he thought as he kneaded another one of those parts that so fascinated him about his mate.

  It was chunky, firm, soft, and springy all at the same time. He could feel her muscles shift, as she pressed harder against his opening, spilling her hot juices across his emerging erection, coaxing it out of hiding without any manual help at all.

  Damn, he loved her!

  Balling his fist in that amazing whirlpool hair, he pulled her head back, exposing her neck for his play.

  “My turn,” he breathed, sinking his teeth into her skin hard enough to draw an impassioned moan, but not hard enough to break the skin.

  “Again!” Elanna demanded as he teased the surface of her skin with his teasing nips and loving licks.

  Soon, she was again rising up, offering her breasts into his care, a chore that he eagerly commenced as his fingers left the plump flesh of her ass to slide down over her thighs and tease the hair that hid her mysterious human secrets.

  The folds of flesh were slick and hot to the touch, swelling under his exploring caresses even as he marveled at how different yet the same humans and Merfolk were.

  “God, yes! Touch me!” Elanna moaned as her head dropped to rest on top of his, overcome by the twin sensations of having her nipples suckled and her clit stroked just right. Her Storm knew enough not to provide too much pressure, but just enough to raise her sexual tension up another notch.

  Her groans of approval were definitely the sweetest of siren songs to his ears.

  “I have to be in you now,” Storm finally breathed, still intrigued by this new way of making love, of her slick molten core he so remembered, of…legs!

  “Yes!” she breathed back, sliding her hands lower on his chest, letting one exploring finger slide through his protective slit and stroking his hard cock out into her palm.

  He clenched his eyes and hissed as the feel of her fingers wrapped around his hardness.

  But when she began to gently stroke him, his eyes grew wide and his teeth sank into his lower lip, tearing into the delicate flesh.

  Then she was positioning him, dragging him through the curly hair, teasing her moisture-slick folds of flesh with his extremely sensitive cock head. And then he was pressed against her molten opening, the contrast between their bodies astounding him even as they slammed his desire up another notch.

  “Elanna!” he breathed as she began to slowly lower herself onto his hardness, to feel the massive head of his erection part her body and began to seat him deep within her.

  Damn, she thought. How can something hidden in a pouch be so big?

  But she felt her body begin to stretch to accommodate his girth, felt him swell even further as he slid into her wet heat, felt a shock of extreme pleasure as his cock slid past a point deep within her inner walls.

  “Storm!” she wailed as his thickness spread her lower lips to the max, and the cool steel of his cock rubbed at her clit.

  “Again!” he hissed, lifting his hands to her waist and raising her up a few inches. “I am not all the way in!”

  “Mmm,” she moaned. “It is so deep this way, Storm, so full.”

  Her words made him shudder even as he lowered her onto his quivering cock, mentally reciting his powders in his pouch in order of potency—anything to keep the seed he felt building within the base of his cock from exploding and ending this amazing feeling!

  He had to make it last, have it longer! It was too good to let it end so quickly.

  But his options were almost snatched out of his hands as Elanna rose to her knees, discovered her leverage and began to pound down onto the delightful stiffness that was slamming into her every erogenous zone, sending her mind reeling and white-hot stars bursting behind her eyes.

  “Yes! Oh, God, more!” she groaned, picking up the pace.

  Holding onto her waist for dear life with one hand, Storm dropped the other to their stone perch and began to slam himself deeply inside her, fully penetrating with each thrust.

  “Oh, yeah!” Elanna screamed, her passion-drenched voice echoing around them, sending her desire flying out of control as they tried to find a steady rhythm of thrust and counterthrust.

  And still it was not enough!

  Suddenly out of desperation, Storm clamped his arm around her waist and slid them off of the perch, sending them splashing into the water, though his hips never lost their rhythm.

  Spinning around, he slid both hands up her back, protecting her even as he pulled her closer, forcing her against the stone, giving him something solid to brace them.

  Then his hips began a gyrating, slamming rhythm that tore endless screams of ecstasy from her throat.

  “Yes! Harder! Harder!”

  And he did his best to comply, the electric feeling of imminent release spiraling up his spine and making his head swim with colors.

  “Elanna!” he growled, burying his face in her neck as his thrusts slammed deep. “Oh, Creator, Elanna!”

  “Storm!”

  And then she was coming, exploding, her muscles spasming around him as her legs clamped about his waist, holding him tight. “Storm!”

  Storm felt her muscles tighten about him, felt the liquid rush of heat that signaled her release, but he still wanted more.

  “Elanna,” he breathed, his hips quivering against her. “More! I have to have more!”

  “Take it!” she said harshly, sounding tired, passion-drenched, and determined.

  She had to bring her man to release, she thought as she clenched her walls around him and shivered at the feelings of desire still flooding her system.

  It appeared she really could offer him more, and take more for herself at the same time.

  “Take me!” she breathed, nuzzling against him until she nosed aside his wet hair and sank her teeth into his shoulder.

  “Ahhhh!”

  The wordless sound exploded from his mouth as he slid home another powerful thrust, the deep colors of the sea at sunset swirling behind his eyes.

  “Mmm,” Elanna responded, raking her hands down his back and gripping his scale-covered ass. “Again!”

  Then she was gasping as he gave in to his desires and started to fulfill both of their needs.

  There was only the ebb and flow of the water around them, the hot press of their bodies, the molten heat clasped around his swelling cock.

  He could die and never regret one moment of their possession, for as much as he was taking of her, she was taking of him.

  Faster and faster they moved, Elanna feeling the hunger inside her rising again to engulf her being, turning her into a panting, begging thing that craved only release that the man riding between her thighs could give her.

  Feeling her desires rise again, Storm tightened his grip on her shoulders and prayed that he could hold on long enough to bring her off again.

  But even as the thou
ghts crossed his mind, he felt the spasms start at his back, felt his cock swell incredibly large within her, and knew that his climax was at hand.

  “Elanna!” he roared as he felt his cock spasm, shooting life-giving seed deep into her womb, felt the climactic shudders take his whole body, felt his muscles tighten until he thought they would break, and then blessed release!

  “Ungh,” he grunted as his hips instinctively jerked against her, sending more spouts of his hot cream flowing deeply inside her.

  As for Elanna, the feel of him swelling so impossibly large hit her clit in just the right way, sending her spiraling for the second time just moments behind him.

  “Sta…Sta…Storm!” she gasped as her second orgasm tore through her body, sending her nearly flying headlong into oblivion even as her body went totally limp within his protective arms.

  “Elanna,” he moaned, feeling her spasm around his sensitive cock as he rode her climax, hoping his cock was still hard enough to prolong her release.

  With one final shudder, Elanna slumped in his arms, a weighty, sated creature, trusting him completely.

  “Elanna,” he breathed her name out as he tightened his grip on her and rolled over onto his back, leaving her legs straddling his body as he positioned her comfortably on his chest.

  They both groaned as he slipped from her warm, slick sheath, but quickly adjusted to this new position, the water cradling their exhausted bodies.

  “Now,” he breathed. “Will you tell me about it?

  * * * * *

  Storm and Elanna floated softly on the surface of the water inside Storm’s secret cavern, Elanna resting against her lover’s chest as he easily supported the both of them.

  After her loud outburst, it had taken Storm almost an hour to calm her down.

  Then they’d had to run the gauntlet of questions Sting and the others tossed at them. Storm, still shocked and amazed to see his love alive and full of vigor again, decided enough was enough.

  All questions would be pondered over and answers given when they returned.

  Sting was curious, almost to the point of being rude, but he finally quieted and left, heading for the council to question them about their long history with humans.