That finally won her a smile. “I can be a bit more creative in that department.”

  “Oh, good. Can we do it now?”

  He laughed. “It takes a man a little time to recover. Besides, we haven’t had breakfast yet. And you’ve given me an appetite.”

  “Then I can stay?”

  “I’m not going to toss you into the sea or take you to another island in my Zodiac and dump you there.” Finally, finally, he wrapped his arms around her and held her close. “That would be rude, and frankly, pretty stupid.”

  “And we will have sex again,” she said.

  “I’d be even more stupid if I said no.”

  “I’ll make you happy, Mark Stephenson,” she said. “You won’t be sorry.”

  “I wish I felt as certain of that.”

  Chapter Two

  Maybe the whole thing was a dream, after all. After all, nothing seemed real on this God-forsaken island. The water and the beach were great, and so was the climate. But the animals were weird, mostly just lizards and birds that were totally unafraid of humans. The fact made Galapagos a paradise for naturalists and people willing to pay huge sums of money for the privilege of climbing over lava rocks and snapping pictures of blue-footed boobies. Personally, Mark preferred a place where you could hail a cab and get take-out any hour of the day or night.

  He wouldn’t be here at all if Nate hadn’t gone missing. He’d be back in Manhattan doing Broadway and then a nightclub with a friend-with-benefits on his arm. Good food, good booze, good fun. He hadn’t even “roughed it” as a kid.

  Still, his most talented nature videographer had come here and then disappeared. Nate had been working on something that might have been made a blockbuster documentary. The same sort of people who paid lots of money to tour here ate up anything involving Galapagos. A brand-new species that had also inspired myths about mermaids and sirens -- sex and science. A winning combination.

  The woman… Uma… appeared to belong here. Otherwise, she had to have come to this island without any means of transportation. Mark hadn’t searched every inch of this place, but he’d found no boat of any kind on the beach or anywhere near it. She hadn’t brought anything with her, not even a pair of shorts or top. She still wore his shirt, although it came down to her knees, making it more like a dress.

  If she had planned to seduce a man today, why would she choose him? If she hadn’t chosen him deliberately, why had she come to this particular island? Could the same thing have happened to Nate? Could Nate’s own siren have suddenly appeared here and taken him away somewhere?

  At first, Mark hadn’t considered Nate’s silence odd. Nate often got too involved in his work to keep in touch. But it had gone on too long, and sure enough, when Mark arrived, he’d found plenty of Nate’s equipment, but not the man himself.

  If this crazy theory about Nate being abducted by a woman was true, Uma held the only clues to what had happened, even if she denied any knowledge of him. The two women could be working together. First get Nate, maybe to lure Mark here. Nate had made good money over the years, and Mark had plenty of his own. Maybe it was a plot to rip them off. Maybe for ransom. Weirder things had happened in South American countries.

  If another woman had spirited Nate away, Uma might lead Mark to him or at least give him clues where to search. United, the two of them might be able to escape. If Nate had fallen under some spell, Mark could figure out a way to break it and get them both back to reality. It was probably wishful thinking that Mark could pull something like that off, but the fact remained. So far, Uma was the only clue he had as to what might have happened here.

  Not knowing who or what she really was, he needed to keep his wits about him dealing with her. That wouldn’t be exactly easy given his intense physical response to her. But he could remain alert and question her every move. Even during sex so good it could prove a narcotic.

  So, he sat on a beach chair with Nate’s journal open on his lap and watched her. She seemed completely at home here. Cross-legged, she sat among the marine iguanas warming themselves in the sun the way a normal person would surround herself with puppies. Tourists were instructed to stay twelve feet away from the animals here, but she clearly wasn’t any tourist.

  She wasn’t normal in the way one usually understood people. She had no last name, no location where she usually lived. She only existed in this moment in this place. Apparently concerned with nothing but having sex with him.

  And that was about the sexiest thing he’d ever experienced. His body was totally with the program. Already, his imagination occupied his mind with positions he could try with her. Various ways to make her clit happy. And images of how her sex would feel around his when she climaxed. Of course, his cock responded, thickening in his shorts. He wasn’t fully erect… yet… but that would follow.

  Clearly, she was going to initiate more sex with him, and even more clearly, he was going to indulge her. Maybe he could seduce information out of her rather than fall prey to whatever plan she had for him.

  She looked over her shoulder at him. “Do you like iguanas?”

  “They’re ugly.” Not even a mother could think the creatures pretty. Besides their craggy faces, they had a tendency to snort salt water from their noses. Mark couldn’t believe it until he’d seen it himself.

  “I think they’re beautiful.” She sat and let one of the lizards crawl into her lap. The crazy animals on these islands had existed for generation after generation with no predators. They clearly didn’t find her a threat. “Everything here is beautiful.”

  Not as beautiful as you. There went his imagination again. He needed to get information, not worship her. “You seem completely at home. Do you live on one of these islands?”

  “The islands are the origin,” she said. “So is the sea.”

  She appeared to say crap like that all the time. A cross between mysticism, ancient wisdom, and modern woo-woo. She was clearly not your ordinary woman. “And what does that mean?”

  “We all come from the sea.”

  “I guess,” he said. “If you want to go back many millions of years.”

  “You’re a cynic.”

  “I’m a realist.”

  She got to her feet, disturbing the iguana on her lap, and dusted sand off her hands. “I know the cure for that.”

  She approached him slowly, and even with the shirt, he could picture the curves beneath the fabric. He was dealing with danger here, but no way in hell would he run away from it. He could fuck her again now. She clearly wanted it. The swing of her hips and her smile spoke volumes, and she’d already put her desire for more into plain words.

  Now, his body was ready for her. If she could make the sex so good, he’d beg for it, he could do the same to her. In fact, he’d learned a lot of tricks over the years that she hadn’t. His greater experience gave him the upper hand. Or at least, it ought to.

  When she got to him, she knelt in front of his chair, placing her hands on the armrests. From there she ought to get a good look at his rapidly swelling erection pressing against the fabric of his shorts.

  “Does it get hard all the time?” she asked.

  It did with her around, but he wasn’t going to let her know she had that power over him. “Guys are like that.”

  “May I touch it?”

  “Sure.” He could let her play with his cock through the cloth for a while without losing total control. It might be fun to watch her explore him. “But only if you let me touch you, too.”

  “I’d like that.”

  She sure as hell wasn’t shy about sex, even with not much experience. She bit her lip as she reached to his crotch and stroked the fabric outlining his erection. The pressure affected him more than it should have. Earlier in the bed, he’d been horny from having done without for a while, and he’d been in the middle of an erotic dream when she showed up. He ought to have cooled down some.

  “I didn’t know it would be this big,” she said.

  “You flatter me.”

  She cocked her head. “What does that mean?”

  “Most men are vain about their size.”

  “I don’t know why they should be. It’s just a fact.” She squeezed the shaft. “It’s big.”

  “Did anyone teach you anything about sex?”

  “The older ones,” she said. “They said my mate’s cock would get hard but it would give me great pleasure.”

  “Wait a minute.” He removed her hand. “Who said anything about mating?”

  “That’s what we’re doing.”

  “Oh, no.” Could something like this have happened to Nate? Maybe it was some kind of spider/fly thing. Or worse, the way a female praying mantis eats her mate’s head as they’re copulating. “I don’t mean to sound like an asshole, but aren’t you taking things between us a bit fast?”

  She did the head-cocking thing again. Did she really not understand?

  “I’m not going to make a lifetime commitment to someone I just met. I have to get to know her first.”

  “Lifetime?” She laughed. It would be a pleasant sound if he knew what the fuck was going on here. “We’ll only be together for a few days.”

  “Now, I’m the one who doesn’t understand.”

  She put her hand on his knee. “Mark Stephenson, you and I are destined to share each other and give each other pleasure for the short time I’ll be here. I ask nothing else from you.”

  He studied her, now taking the time to try to see who she really was. She was a beautiful woman, but an innocent. Innocent, but sensual in a way women with expensive clothes, hair, and makeup could never manage. And he’d been with more of them than he had been with innocents.

  Had he ever had a woman come to him with an offer like the one Uma had just given? Even with her non-answers to his reasonable questions, she showed more honesty than most of his dates. They always wanted something from him. If not his money, then to share his status. To be seen on his arm.

  Uma only wanted some time with him and to share her body with him. The idea was a bit unsettling, but intriguing, too. If she wanted pleasure -- a really good fucking -- he could oblige.

  * * *

  Uma had definitely found herself a thoughtful mate. Instead of taking her back inside the hut to the bed, Mark brought out a blanket so they could mate outdoors with the warm breezes playing on their skin and the sounds of birds calling overhead. He also brought out some sunscreen, even though she wouldn’t need it. Her kind had lived here long enough to adapt to the equatorial sun. He hadn’t, so she could lavish the protection on his body.

  He started with her. She could tell him he needn’t bother, but the pressure of his hands on her melted tension from her muscles she hadn’t realized she was holding. All his questions. All his “realism,” as he called it. No matter, as long as he’d join their bodies together, she’d accomplished her goal. They couldn’t possibly share so much intimacy without creating a daughter for the Sisterhood.

  When he’d finished, she put her hand out for the tube of sunscreen. “My turn.”

  He shucked out of his clothes, and she rose to her knees so she could reach his shoulders and slather them with the cream. Just because she could, she pressed a kiss to his temple and then breathed into his ear. In response, he trembled and then let out a soft moan.

  “Watch it,” he said.

  “I am.” From over his shoulder, she got a good view of his cock. Long and thick, it rested against his thigh. When she reached for it, he caught her hand.

  “Not with the sunscreen,” he said. “You can play with it later.”

  “You’re no fun.”

  “Oh, I wouldn’t say that. Not at all.” He turned quickly, and in a moment, he had her on her back, staring up at him. “I’ll show you how much fun I can be.”

  The gleam in his eyes told her whatever came next would probably curl her toes. But then, he pressed his lips to hers, and the world tilted on its axis. Despite the intimacy they’d already shared, they hadn’t kissed. And now, the tenderness of the caress demanded her to respond in kind. Any desire for more urgent touches evaporated in the heat of his mouth moving over hers.

  Wrapping her arms around him, she answered, seeking more and finding it. Giving more and receiving more in return. As the kiss continued, he flexed his hips, pressing his hardness against her in a silent promise. He would possess her completely, and when he’d finished, she’d want him over and over again.

  The other sisters hadn’t made up stories about mating. If anything, they hadn’t truly conveyed the power of the need to couple. But then, how could you explain such feelings? As urgent as the ocean currents, as heated as the sun at its highest point. And Uma would experience all these sensations now. They’d change her forever.

  He broke off the kiss. Too soon, and yet he could teach her so much more. He stared down at her, his skin flushed, and his eyes heated with desire. “Damn, you’re potent.”

  “It’s all you.” She touched his face. “You make magic.”

  “I’ll show you a little right now.”

  He proceeded, his kisses starting along her jaw, each one creating a pinprick of desire. He laid a trail of more down her neck as she relaxed against the blanket and closed her eyes. Each inch of skin he touched came to life, and he continued lower. Now along her collarbone and then to her breast.

  When he took one nipple into his mouth, a shock zinged through her. She’d become so sensitive there, and the heat and pressure of his caress somehow connected to the most sensitive parts of her body. Although he hadn’t touched her there yet, her clitoris began to throb, creating a pleasant ache between her thighs. He’d touched her there before, and she’d responded with a rush of desire so powerful, it had transported her to a new reality. Would he do the same soon? Would he send her back to that heaven?

  Instead of touching her where she most needed, he gave the other breast the same attention. Now, he continued licking and teasing one nipple while massaging the other one. She entered a sort of trance. Not unaware of the world around her but concentrated on him and the pressure points he’d brought to life. Her heart beat faster, and she had to work for breath. Arching her back, she begged for more, and he answered. His hands moved along her sides, massaging and owning every spot he touched.

  Then, he moved lower, leaving a trail of kisses along her torso and over her belly. The ache between her legs grew sharper. It craved… no, demanded… something she hadn’t even imagined. She did her best to keep breathing as he got closer and closer.

  Then, he touched her there, parting the lips of her sex. The contact created a current of need, and her hips jerked upward.

  “You okay with this?” he asked.

  “Yes… gods…” Please, please.

  Then, he parted her legs, settling himself between them and made a long swipe of his tongue over her sex. When he reached her clit, she left the real world and entered a universe red-hot with need. Surely, sensation so powerful couldn’t be possible. And yet, it was happening. Now and to her. And it would continue until she’d climax so forcefully, she’d feel it to the roots of her hair.

  He continued, as if he knew exactly how to play her clit for maximum response. Licking and teasing with his fingertip, creating even more need, then licking again. The pressure built and grew stronger. Just like the last time he’d touched her but more intense. In a moment, it would overtake her, and she’d have no choice but to surrender to it. Until then, she drifted in pure heaven. More pleasure than she ever would have believed possible.

  He was relentless, never stopping the stroke, stroke of his tongue. Creating magic and wreaking havoc on all her nerves. Too much. More than she could bear. And yet, exactly what she needed.

  The inevitable approached. The orgasm surged within her. She tensed, and then the storm broke. She cried out as the tremors wracked her and the spasms started. Her sex clenched in a powerful rhythm. On and on it went, and he stayed with her the entire time. When it finally ended, she collapsed against the blanket, exhausted and completely at peace.

  Mark scooted up beside her and put his arms around her. “You’re amazing.”

  She could only sigh in answer. He had to know what he’d done with her body. He’d understand she couldn’t talk right then. When she found the strength, she kissed the part of him closest to her face. His shoulder. The scent of the sunscreen seemed the most wonderful perfume in the world.

  “I told you I could be more creative,” he said.

  “Yes, you did.”

  “You seemed to enjoy it.”

  “Oh, my.” She nuzzled her nose under his chin. “How is it possible?”

  “It’s not only possible,” he said. “You can do it again.”

  The moment he said the words, the rightness of them struck her. She could climax again, maybe with him inside her. How wonderful that would feel.

  Several minutes had passed since she’d smeared the sunscreen on her hands, but she rubbed her palm against the blanket to make sure she’d removed any trace. Then, she reached between their bodies to find his cock. When she wrapped her fingers around it, he sucked in a breath.

  “Did I hurt you?” she asked.

  “No. It’s good.”

  She pumped him with her fist and squeezed the tip.

  “Shit,” he said. “Maybe too good.”

  “I want to please you.”

  “Please me too much, and this’ll end before it gets started,” he said. “I can’t come again the way you can.”

  Had any of the sisters told her that? What a shame he couldn’t have multiple climaxes. She’d make it up to him by giving him sex as often as he could manage. As much as he wanted, whenever he wanted.

  “Easy. Like this.” He put his hand over hers and guided her in a slow, gentle rhythm. She learned it, and after a few seconds, he relaxed and let her stroke him. His breathing grew shallow, puffs of air from parted lips. He must have entered the same sort of trance that had wrapped around her as he’d shown her body so much attention, both with his hands and his mouth.

  “Damn, but you make me hot,” he whispered.

  “Am I doing it right?”