Seducing the Stone

Noble Romance Publishing, LLC Seducing the Stone ISBN 978-1-60592-525-7 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Copyright 2012 Naomi Bellina Cover Art by Fiona Jayde Edited by Augusta Li This book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any existing means without written permission from the publisher. Contact Noble Romance Publishing, LLC at PO Box 467423, Atlanta, GA 31146. This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. The characters are products of the author's imagination and used fictitiously. Dedication This story is dedicated to everyone who knows fairies are real. Blurb A charming fairy and a diligent security professional both claim rights to a precious sapphire, the Starry Night. Raya needs the stone to save a valuable lake, and Max needs to make sure the gem stays in its proper place for a private showing at the museum. Chasing Raya and the stone, Max travels between Earth and Raya’s planet, and while Max starts out with only one goal in mind, to return the stone to its home, he ends up on a lively adventure, interacting with several races of exotic beings who once resided on Earth. Though captivated by the lovely Raya, Max has sworn to stay away from women after having been deceived by a beautiful but unscrupulous girlfriend in his past. The more time he spends with the enchanting fairy, however, the more he wants her. Raya is different from anyone he has ever met and even a man with iron willpower will have a difficult time resisting a determined fairy with her own secret agenda!

Chapter One Raya took a deep breath, inhaling the fragrant incense drifting through the temple of Atia. The spicy scent always evoked pleasant memories of days gone by and brought her peace. Today, the temple overflowed with flowers, plants, and herbs, offerings from Atia’s loyal followers. The gifts were more numerous than usual, as the people of Adonea sought to revive their precious Lake Cerulean, and made very generous offerings to their deities. Raya approached the front of the temple, and standing at the ornately decorated altar, she first bowed, then, shoving another arrangement off to the side, she placed her bouquet of brightly colored sunflowers in a prominent spot. She raised her arms to the sky and began to chant the familiar litany. "Goddess Atia, protect me and keep me from harm. Guide me on my journey, and show me the true path. Keep me safe and guard me from evil." On and on she went, chanting the words she had recited for decades, when suddenly she stopped, looked around to make sure she was alone, lowered her arms, leaned in close to the altar, and spoke in a quiet voice. "Okay, Atia, I’m going to need a little extra help on this one. I know I haven’t been your most devout follower over the years, but I’ve tried very hard lately to pay you proper tribute. I’ve given up one of my favorite pleasures and taken a vow of celibacy as an offering to you. That’s been very difficult for me, you know." And it had been. Fairies were sensual creatures, and Raya was especially fond of sex. She considered it a basic necessity of life, like food or water, so, as an offering to Atia, she had abstained from all sexual activity for two months, which had not been easy. Today, she decided, she had a right to ask for special assistance from the goddess of protection. For just a moment, Raya’s thoughts drifted as she fondly recalled her last coupling with Harlow. The memory made Raya smile. Harlow was an enthusiastic lover, and the two had spent a long, enjoyable evening together, made particularly pleasurable by knowing the encounter would be her last for a while. Though many of Raya’s friends were disdainful about her dalliances with the dwarves, Raya enjoyed

their company in bed and found their earthy and sometimes-coarse behavior appealing, in a down-to-earth way. They were vigorous, robust lovers, and most of them had hard, thick cocks, good for at least two rounds of energetic lovemaking. Raya’s hand wandered between her legs now, thinking of this, but as she realized what she was doing, she quickly snatched it away. The goddess Atia demanded self-discipline in her subjects; when one made a vow, one was expected to keep it. "As you know, I’m off on a dangerous mission. I’m traveling far away to bring back a precious gem to save our beautiful lake, so please keep an especially watchful eye on me. I know you have great power, you love our planet, and you’ll protect me and bring me home safe. " With a final bow, Raya left the temple and headed back to her home to prepare for her upcoming journey. ***** "Get your ass off the couch, and come have a beer with us," Claude urged Max. "You haven’t been out in ages. A new club just opened downtown, and I hear they have all kinds of drink specials for the ladies and a DJ who keeps the tunes going all night. You know what that means. Cold beer for us, cheap booze for the gals, and plenty of sweet, young things shakin’ it on the dance floor. It’s a winning combination!" Max dropped his keys on the kitchen counter and shifted the phone to his other ear. "You know, fun as that sounds, Claude, I think I’d rather just stay home tonight and shove flaming toothpicks under my fingernails. Didn’t I tell you I’m not the least bit interested in women right now? I just got rid of the Spawn of Satan, and I have no desire to get involved in another relationship for a long time." "Who said anything about a relationship? I’m talking about hot, juicy sex, that’s all, something to take your mind off your troubles. Come on, Sarah is done and gone. The best way to forget about all that business with her is to keep busy, and what better

way to stay busy than chasing a little tail? Whadda ya say? An hour or two, check out the place, take off if you don’t like the scene." "Gonna pass tonight, buddy. Anyway, I’ve got to head over to the Fenmore Museum to take a final look around," Max said. "You’ve checked the place over a dozen times. Nothing’s going to happen tomorrow. Mr. Hotshot’s going to walk in, eyeball the rock, and leave. Piece of cake." Though certain everything at the museum was safe and secure, and the event would more than likely transpire without a hitch, Max wanted to make sure this job went well. After the last fiasco, he couldn’t afford any mishaps. Ambrose Security had been generous giving him a second chance, and he wasn’t about to blow it. Everything had to be perfect, and if it meant making twenty trips to the museum, that’s what he’d do. Mr. Yamamoto and his entourage were visiting their city just to view Starry Night, the sapphire on display at the Fenmore Museum. While the museum had their own security team, they’d decided to take extra precautions and let Ambrose assign a man to make sure all went well during the upcoming event. Mr. Yamamoto’s visit was highly publicized, and the museum didn’t want anything to go wrong. Max had spent hours studying the floor plans and the electronic security system, and he felt confident he'd be ready for anything at the slightest sign of trouble. So maybe this late-night trip to the museum was unnecessary, but it sure beat going to a raucous club that was little more than a meat market. A roll in the hay might be fun for the night, but not worth the trouble the next day, or the next day, or the next, when the woman started to call and wanted to know when they could see each other again. After Sarah departed his life, Max swore a vow of celibacy for—for as long as he could hold out. So far, he’d been just fine cranking his own shaft. No involvements, no complications, no problems. He concentrated on work and school right now, letting Claude and his friends play with the club bimbos. *****

Starry Night was truly beautiful, and Max enjoyed the opportunity to view it privately whenever he had the chance, so he didn't really mind this trip. When he arrived at the museum, everything was quiet. He swiped his pass card to get in the front door, disengaged the alarm system, and strolled through the front lobby. No problems there. He headed to the back gallery to give the precious gem one last check. As he approached, Max heard an odd sound coming from the room. He picked up his pace, reached the entrance, and came to an abrupt halt. Hovering above the display case and holding Starry Night in her hand was a woman. With wings. Max stared, not believing what he saw. He almost rushed in and grabbed the intruder, but as he took a step toward her, he stopped himself just in time, backed up, and quickly punched the alarm code into the keypad, never taking his eyes off the astonishing apparition in front of him. The woman held the sapphire in one hand, and with the other gently lowered the domed, glass lid of the display case onto its base. She seemed so intent on her task, she didn’t notice Max until he was almost upon her. Uttering a brief cry as he grabbed her ankle, she jerked away. Max hung on tight and attempted to drag her down, but instead, he found himself airborne, grasping her ankle with both hands. They hovered in the air for a brief moment, then, with a mighty whoosh, the museum vanished. Max saw an expanse of gray as he felt himself pulled away. Chapter Two Coming back to Adonea with a man hanging onto her leg may not have been the best idea, Raya reflected as she struggled to roll out from beneath the large body pinning her to the ground. What in Hades had just happened? She’d had the sapphire in her hand, ready to return home, when a man had appeared out of nowhere and grabbed her leg. Startled, she’d tried to shake him off by rising quickly, then, in a panic,

she’d transported back home. Not the best plan. With a mighty heave, Raya shoved the limp body off her and stood up. Raya made sure the stone was safe, then she turned her attention to the man on the ground. A quick check revealed he was breathing and seemed unharmed, and a slower, second look showed he had a nice body: tall and broad-shouldered, with a rugged face, the shadow of a beard just showing. His slightly crooked nose had been broken at least once, and though not handsome in a conventional sense, Raya found him sexy nonetheless. Nudging him sideways with her foot, she observed a firm, tight butt filling out his faded jeans, the kind of ass she loved to squeeze and dig her heels into. Pushing those thoughts out of her mind, Raya grabbed her transporter to contact one of her people to come get the stone, while she hauled this human back where he came from. Before she could talk, however, the man began to stir and suddenly sat up. "Where am I?" He looked around. “Who are you?” Raya took several steps away from the stranger and studied him closely. In addition to being attractive, he also looked as though he might have a spark of intelligence about him, so she decided to tell him the truth. "You’re on Adonea, and I’m Raya," she said. “I'm taking you back to Earth. What’s your name?" "My name is Max, and no, really, what’s going on? I saw you at the museum . . . flying? That’s about the last thing I remember." His gaze fixed on the jewel in her hands. "Hey, that doesn’t belong to you, lady. It goes back to the museum. Hand that stone over to me. Now." Raya did not like his imperious tone one bit. She clutched the stone closer to her body. "This sapphire is needed here on Adonea. Now prepare yourself; we're leaving. We’ll be going back the same way we got here, and you didn’t seem to do so well with that."

Max jumped to his feet, lunged at Raya, and was thrown immediately back to the ground. "I wouldn’t try that again. I don’t want to hurt you,” Raya said, “but we don’t have a lot of time. So let’s get moving." Max took the hand she reached out and attempted to flip her over. Once again, Raya pulled them both into the air, this time with Max gripping her hand. As she hovered a few feet above the ground, Raya frowned at Max and debated what to do next. She did not have time to deal with this nuisance. "Look, we either transport back to your home right now, or I’m going to drag you with me to The Center. I don’t have time to play with you." But a little part of her did indeed want to play with Max. Though annoyed, Raya was also slightly amused, intrigued, and aroused by this human. She had not had this much physical contact with any male since her self-imposed celibacy, and it had surely been a long time since she had touched a human. She immensely enjoyed contact sports, especially with a sexy, worthy opponent. "You can’t have the stone!" Max said. "It belongs to the museum, and if it’s not there tomorrow I am in a world of trouble." Raya sighed. "This sounds like a long story I don’t want to hear right now. Come with me." She whisked them both away. ***** "Now, you just sit there and relax. I’ll be back in a jiffy," Raya said, depositing a woozy Max onto a chair. She walked across a spacious room to an elaborate, high-tech instrument panel, placed the sapphire on a tray, pushed a few buttons, and smiled with satisfaction as it vanished. "There! It’s been delivered to the temple of Sareema, guardian of the sapphire. My mission is complete," she said.

"What have you done with Starry Night?" Max demanded, attempting to rise. He fell back into the chair, dizzy and lightheaded. Taking a moment to orient himself, he looked around and found he was in what appeared to be an ultra-modern, yet comfortably furnished, laboratory. "Don’t try to get up just yet. Transporting takes some getting used to. Here you go, have a sip of juice." Raya brought him a glass filled with liquid. "It’s safe for humans and will make you feel better. All right then, quickly, tell me what’s so important to you about the sapphire." "It’s not so important to me. Starry Night is important to the museum. A dignitary from Japan is coming to view the gem tomorrow, and when it’s not there, I’m going to lose my job, and that’s what’s important to me," Max said. "So, you just need to have something that looks like, what did you call it? Starry Night? I like the name. If you have something that resembles Starry Night in the museum, everything will be fine? You won’t lose your job?" "I suppose not, though the replacement would have to be a very good duplicate. Why do you want this stone? Where am I really, and who and what are you?" "Hold that thought for just one moment. I’m going to have Orion, our chief scientist, start making you a new Starry Night, and then we’re going to get you back where you belong." Raya stepped back over to the instrument panel, punched a few more buttons, then came back and sat down in the chair next to Max. "It will take a few minutes to create a duplicate stone, so I suppose I can tell you a little about us, and why we want this particular sapphire. First of all, you really are on Adonea, and I am what you humans would call a fairy. The short story is we lived on Earth long ago, until it became too dangerous for us. We found this planet, which closely resembles Earth, to make our new home, and we’ve been here for many years. The reason we need the particular sapphire I procured is that the energy pattern from the gem resonates with Lake Cerulean. The sapphire needs to be refreshed every few decades, and Starry Night is the best match we’ve found. The details get complicated,

and we really don’t have enough time to go into the whole, long story right now. Oh, look. Here comes your replica." Sure enough, a sapphire closely resembling Starry Night appeared on the same tray Raya had used to send the original away. Raya brought the object to Max, and he examined the blue stone closely. It certainly looked just like the original, and though it may not fool an expert, the replica would pass for the time being. Still not certain what was going on and half convinced he was dreaming, Max felt a bit better holding the sapphire in his hands. He had, in fact, never actually touched Starry Night, though he’d longed to do so. "Will that work?" Raya watched him with an expectant look. "I suppose this will do for now. But Raya, you need to return Starry Night to Earth. The sapphire belongs to us, and—" He began, but before he could continue Raya took his hands and pulled him to his feet. "Starry Night is where it belongs. Let’s get you back home. I have things to do and a celebration to attend. Hold on tight, Max. We’re taking off!" Once again, Max was tugged into the air and pulled into a gray void. ***** This time, Max didn’t lose consciousness when they arrived, and their landing was much more graceful. They ended up back in the museum, almost exactly where they’d left, standing upright and holding hands. "Here we are, safe and sound," Raya said. She gave him an impish smile and squeezed his hands. He reluctantly let hers go. Max felt a gentle current of energy running through her strong, warm hands. At the display case, Raya lifted the glass dome, and Max placed the replica stone inside. Then they both stepped back to admire the gem. Even if it wasn’t the real thing, the jewel was certainly beautiful.

"Though I’m still pretty sure this is just a dream, I’m glad the sapphire is back in its place," Max said. "Why do you humans keep these powerful stones locked away under glass?" Raya asked. "What else would we do with them?" Raya smiled. "I'll tell you one day, when we have more time." "And when will that day be? I don't believe I'll ever see you again," Max said, and giving in to an overwhelming urge, he stepped close to Raya, cupped her face in his hands, and kissed her. Raya did not respond, and Max was about to stop and apologize. But then she put her hands on his waist, pulled him even closer, and returned his kiss. Max slid his hands down her body and wrapped his arms around her. Certain she would push him away any moment and glad when she didn't, Max lost track of time. Part of his brain yelled stop, while another part begged for more, more of this sweet creature in his arms. He longed to rub her scent, sweet and spicy, all over his body. Finally, Raya pulled away with a gasp. "I'm sorry—" Max began, but she put a finger on his lips. "Don't be sorry. That was beautiful. I enjoyed kissing you. But we can't, we shouldn't—" She grabbed Max and locked her lips on his again, almost bruising his mouth with the intensity. He let his hands roam freely over her body, caressing her breasts, rubbing his thumbs against the hard nipples, and eliciting moans of pleasure from her. His cock strained against his jeans, begging for release. This time, he pulled away from her. "Can we continue this at my place? I want, I need more of you. Just a little." He begged as she shook her head. "I promise, we'll only go as far as you want. You can leave anytime." "No, I've already stayed longer than I should. I have to go now."

Max took a deep breath and let go of Raya. "This is a dream anyway. I'm going to wake up in my bed very soon." And not smelling of sweetness and spice, he thought. Raya again stepped close to Max and leaned her head toward his. A shiver went down his spine as her breath tickled his ear. He felt her tongue lick his earlobe, followed by a slight burning sensation. "This is not a dream, and now you have a fairy kiss to prove it. I'd like to stay with you, but it’s time for me to go," Raya said, and with a sad smile, she floated off the ground. Suddenly, a flash of light tore through the room. His martial arts training guiding his reaction, Max jumped in front of Raya and pushed her to the ground. He felt a burst of heat, heard Raya yell, then out went the lights again. Chapter Three Raya awoke in a strange room, tied to a chair. Her head throbbed, and she felt woozy. She remembered preparing to leave the museum then wham! A flash of light and a burst of pain. Gingerly turning her head, she checked out her surroundings. By the appearance of the room and the view out the upper-floor window, she assumed she was in a hotel suite, and a fancy one at that. Ornate furnishing and artwork decorated the room, and from what she could see of the bed, the linens looked quite luxurious. When she twisted her body to the right, she saw someone on the couch, watching the television. "Hey!" She yelled. "What’s going on? Get over here and untie me this minute!" The person on the couch stood up and headed toward her. Raya groaned. Kuron. Of all the creatures she least wanted to be in a hotel room with, Kuron the dwarf was certainly at the top of the list. She and Kuron had a history. One of the more ambitious dwarves she knew, he did not hesitate to go after what he wanted. Once he learned Raya was not averse to

dallying with his kind, he turned on the charm and pursued her. While some didn't consider them the most handsome species, Raya found the dwarves' rugged looks attractive. They were shorter than fairies and elves, but solid and muscular. Most dwarves didn't bother much with their appearances, and when Kuron spruced himself up and made an effort to attract her, he almost won her over. But not quite. The downside to his determined nature was a pushy, aggressive attitude Raya found most irritating. She rejected his advances several times, and the fact that she invited other dwarves to her bed annoyed him no end. Tied up, and at his mercy, was not a good place to be. "Hello, Raya. Glad you’re awake. I set the stun gun on low. I didn’t want to hurt you. How do you feel?" Kuron asked with a smile. "I feel like shit, you bastard! What are you doing here?" "Oh, I think you know. I’m here for the same reason you are. I want that sapphire." Kuron rubbed his hands with obvious glee. "I’m going to wait ‘til the human disappears, then I’m going to mosey back to the museum and grab it. Then, I’ll let you take a ransom note to your little fairy queen, and you can buy the rock back from me." "Well, Kuron, you’re too late. The stone is not here. It’s already back on Adonea," Raya said. "No, it’s not. I just saw it at the museum. Don’t you lie to me!" "Had you been paying attention when you arrived, you would have noticed we were replacing a sapphire, not taking one. What you saw was a very well made copy. The real one is already safely on Adonea, in its proper place in the temple of Sareema. You don’t believe me? Take a look on your satellite viewer at Lake Cerulean." Kuron walked back over to the television and hooked up a device. In a few moments, a picture of Adonea appeared on the screen, and he adjusted the controls until he had Lake Cerulean in view. Swearing, he slapped the television. Raya smiled smugly. "As you can see, our lovely lake is back to its ideal condition, thanks to a perfect, new sapphire. Now, be a reasonable little dwarf, and let me go. I want to return home and join in the celebration."

"I’m not letting you go just yet. This person you were with, I want to talk to him. He knows where to find gems, right? I need him to get me an emerald." "No, he doesn’t know where to find gems. His name is Max, and he’s just a security guard who tried to stop me from taking the sapphire." Kuron looked unconvinced. Knowing the whole story would soon be all over Adonea, Raya quickly relayed the events which led up to her being in the museum the second time. "So you see, he’s nobody, and there’s no reason for you to bother him. The sapphire is gone, and you’re out of luck. Let me go, and I’ll forget we ever had this unpleasant little encounter." "The human, Max, obviously likes you. He jumped in front of you when I fired my stun gun. I think he might talk to me if I were to convince him it would be good for your health to do so." Raya recalled Max had indeed thrown himself in front of her, to protect her. A warm glow filled her at this thought, and she lowered her face to hide a smile. It had been a long time since anyone had performed such a chivalrous action for her sake. "You say he’s going to be at this museum tomorrow? I’ll pay him a little visit then, after their event. He should be in a good mood and amenable to helping me out. I could even offer him payment for his services. Humans are so avaricious. I’m sure he’ll jump at the chance for some extra cash." "Why do you want an emerald? Talk about avaricious. What are you dwarves going to do with an emerald?" Raya stopped as it suddenly dawned on her. "You need to refresh your emerald at the temple of Espenar, don’t you?" She saw the look of annoyance on Kuron’s face and knew she was right. "I thought your groves were looking a bit shabby lately. Well, good luck finding the right emerald. We searched for a long time to locate Starry Night. If your people weren’t so contrary, you could just ask us for assistance. We would be happy to help you acquire one." "And if your people weren’t so selfish, we would ask for your help."

"We are not selfish! You’re just being greedy! You have plenty of water from the streams on your side of Adonea, and we sell you as much of the water from Lake Cerulean as you want." "Yes, and you make a tidy profit off that water. You know good and well the lake water is what keeps us young and healthy. You should share it with us free of charge." "That water is our livelihood; selling to others is how we survive. We can’t just give it away. Come on, Kuron. We’ve been over and over this for years. Our people are not going to come to an agreement, and you keeping me here sure isn’t going to solve anything. And you’re not going to find the correct emerald without doing a proper investigation. Now let me go!" Raya tugged at the ropes binding her. Kuron’s expression changed as he observed her attempts to escape. His eyes turned dark, and a slow, lustful smile spread across his face. "But you and I have a bit of unfinished business, my dear. Do you remember the last time we saw each other? Years ago, at a birthday party for some ambassador. I seem to remember you spurned my affections that night, but you told me if I ever caught you, I could have you. I do believe I caught you." To her chagrin, Raya did recall making a foolish promise to Kuron, after downing quite a few glasses of elderberry wine. What had possessed her to do such a thing? Kuron was irritating and arrogant, certainly not the qualities she preferred in her lovers. It appeared, however, she was trapped. She prided herself on keeping her promises, and Kuron seemed determined to hold her to this one. The dwarf came closer to Raya, unbuttoned her shirt, and began to fondle her breasts. After her two months of deprivation, Raya was embarrassingly horny. Her nipples immediately sprang to attention, and she moaned involuntarily. Kuron smiled. "I see you’re just as randy as ever. Excellent! Too many fairies lose their passion when they reach a certain age." Raya bit his wandering hand, and Kuron yelped as he pulled it away. "Watch the age comments. I’m still in my prime. Now untie me, get your clothes off, and let’s get to work."

Kuron loosened the knots and undressed while Raya rubbed her sore wrists. Promise or not, she would get even with Kuron for this. No one kidnapped and tied her up. Well, not without her consent, anyway. "Sit down, and I’ll show you who’s lost her passion," she said as she pulled out the chair. Kuron sat, and Raya knelt in front of him. Observing his robust erection, she felt her pussy juiced up and reflected on how unfair it was that dwarves had the hardest, thickest cocks of all the creatures on the planet. But then, that was one of the reasons she enjoyed dallying with them. Grabbing the base of his cock, she lowered her mouth down as far as she could and sucked the shaft, then pulled back up and licked the head, her toes curling in sexual excitement. Two months! How could she have gone without this for two months? Kuron apparently was not getting much action either. He moaned loudly and squirmed on the chair. Large drops of pre-cum dripped from the head of his cock. After several moments of enthusiastic cock sucking, Raya stood up and removed her clothes, then stood on the luxurious bed, her back against the wall and her legs spread wide. Knowing how much dwarves loved the taste of fairies, she was certain Kuron would have his mouth between her legs in no time, and she was correct. Kneeling in front of her, he licked and lapped her pussy hungrily. Just for fun, and to tease the horny dwarf, Raya unfolded her wings and hovered above the bed, forcing Kuron to follow her on his knees, his face turned upward, to thrust his tongue into her. Finally settling back against the wall once again, she let him grab her hips and lick to his heart’s content. Dwarves' tongues were slightly rough, and the feel of the scratchy surface on her sensitive clit soon brought Raya to a shuddering orgasm. "Someone is not getting enough at home," Kuron said, grabbing her ankles and pulling her flat on the bed. He knelt between her legs and slid his hard cock into her slippery pussy. He started with a few slow strokes, then quickly picked up the pace. Sensing the dwarf was about to come, Raya squirmed away from him. Kuron whimpered and tried to pull her back. "No, don’t come inside me. I want you to give me a pearl necklace. Slide your cock between my tits, and shoot your cum on me." Raya

scooted down on the bed, took Kuron’s cock, and guided it between her breasts. She shoved them together, bent her head, and licked the tip of his cock, making sure to get plenty of moisture on it. Kuron panted, his eyes glazed over with lust. After only a dozen strokes, he growled low in his throat and shot his sticky seed all over Raya’s neck and chest. Smiling, she rubbed the creamy liquid into her skin. Cum was a wonderful moisturizer. Kuron collapsed on the bed and fell asleep almost immediately, snoring loudly. Another good reason to have sex with dwarves: they dozed off soon after and didn’t want to stay awake and talk. Raya yawned. A good fuck always made her drowsy, and as she drifted into sleep, she vowed to make Kuron pay for this, even if the encounter had been rather fun. ***** Max opened his eyes slowly. His head hurt, and his whole body felt sore. What the hell had just happened? The last thing he remembered was someone pointing a weapon at him, then a flash of light. With a groan, he rolled over. He was on the floor at the museum and appeared to be alone. Getting to his feet, he looked around warily. The sapphire rested safely in its case, and nothing else seemed amiss. Vague memories about what had just happened poked at his mind, but Max pushed them away. Right now he just wanted to lock up here and get home. He set the alarm on the back gallery, checked out the rest of the small museum, activated the main alarm system, and locked up. His watch showed ten minutes before midnight, and all was quiet. Max drove home and fixed himself a stiff drink. Sitting in his favorite chair, he finally relaxed and reviewed the events of the evening. Four hours had passed since he’d first set out. Had he really been taken to another planet by a fairy, come back with a fake gem, and, as near as he could figure, been zapped with a stun gun? Not possible. The stress of this assignment and too many late nights must be getting to him. He

mulled the possibility his friends were playing a joke on him, but this was far too elaborate a scheme for them to have executed. Max decided to worry about all this later and get some sleep. He had to be at his best for the gig tomorrow. He took every job he did seriously, and this was an especially important one. If all went well, he could be on his way toward getting more and better assignments with Ambrose. Paying for school and trying to keep this house he loved rapidly depleted his savings account. If things didn’t pick up shortly, he would be forced to move and possibly drop some of his classes. The sooner he finished school, the sooner he could start following his true dream. Max deliberately turned his mind away from these thoughts. Right now, he needed to think of nothing but sleep. Plans for the future could wait for another time. Once in bed however, visions of a winsome, sexy creature occupied his mind, and soon his hands wandered to his cock. As he began to slowly stroke himself, he pictured Raya’s bright, green eyes and her rosebud mouth. In his fantasy, she first leisurely kissed his lips, then traveled down his body, and began to lick and suck his cock. Max imagined Raya kneeling between his legs, then straddling and mounting him. Stroking himself quickly now, Max could almost feel her perky breasts in his hands, his thumbs caressing her hard nipples. All too soon, Max shot his load with a groan. Wiping himself, he smiled. That had been one of the most satisfying orgasms he had enjoyed for a while. Visions of Raya would give him gratification for some time to come. He soon drifted off into a peaceful slumber filled with images of flying creatures and lissome, laughing fairies. Chapter Four Rising early, Max did his morning meditation and a quick power yoga workout, then went through his usual morning ablutions. When he turned his head to shave, he noticed something on his earlobe: a faint, intricate swirl. He touched it and found the area slightly tender, as if it had been burned. The memory of a sweet, earthy scent and

gentle, warm breath on his neck came to his mind. A fairy kiss? Pushing the thought away, Max finished getting ready, then headed to the museum. The museum security team had just arrived, and together they inspected the perimeter and every nook and cranny inside and out. All looked well. When Mr. Yamamoto arrived with his entourage, they were ready. The viewing went off without a hitch. Everyone was properly impressed with Starry Night and expressed their appreciation for the private showing. Max and the rest of the museum staff breathed a sigh of relief when the group left without incident. Max volunteered to take a final run through the parking lot to make sure all was well. His thoughts on a cold beer and a ball game, he headed toward his car and almost missed seeing the oddly dressed man leaning against a tree. Startled, Max tensed up, ready for a confrontation, but relaxed slightly as the man smiled and stuck out his hand. "You must be Max," the man said. Max took the proffered hand and shook it. "I am. What can I do for you?" "My name is Kuron and I have a proposition for you. I need an emerald, and I hear you might be able to find one for me." "Well, you heard wrong. I don’t know anything about finding emeralds. The museum is closed for the day. You can come back on Monday and talk to someone on the staff, if you’d like." "No, I want to talk to you," Kuron said. "Look, I don’t know who you are, and I don’t know anything about emeralds. I don’t want to talk to you, and I’m going home now. Like I said, come back on Monday and speak with someone inside." Max turned away from the man and headed toward his car. "If you don’t want to talk about emeralds, maybe you want to talk about a cute little fairy you recently met. I’ve got her tied up in my hotel room right now, and I’m sure she’d appreciate it if you gave me the information I want." Max stopped abruptly and turned around. "What have you done with Raya?" No sooner had the words left his mouth then she appeared with a whoosh of air.

"I thought I’d find you here, Kuron. Oh, don’t look so surprised to see me. You never were any good at knot magic. Now, get out of here and leave Max alone. I told you he doesn’t know anything about emeralds." "He got you a sapphire; he can get me an emerald." "You haven’t even done your research, Kuron. You can’t use just any emerald. You must know that. You have to find one which has the correct frequency. You could cause irreparable damage to Adonea if you use the wrong one. Let’s head back and talk to Orion. He’s our top scientist in these matters. I’m sure he’ll help you find the right stone." "I’m not so sure he will. I think I’ll take my chances on Max here." Max watched in fascination as Raya began to turn red, and smoke came out of her ears. Even Kuron seemed a bit apprehensive, watching this display. "You and I need to get off Earth right now! You know we aren’t supposed to spend time on this planet. We’ve been here far too long already. We’ll find the right emerald and come back for it another day." "Listen, both of you." Max interrupted them. "You can’t just go taking precious stones from us that don’t belong to you. Now, I don’t know who you really are, or what you’re up to, but I’m alerting this museum and everyone else who deals with gemstones and telling them there are a couple of lunatic thieves in the vicinity. Everyone is going to have their guard up, and you’re not going to get shit, so both of you might as well leave right now." Raya toned down to a lighter shade of red and the steam dwindled to a few puffs. She still looked ferocious, but now she directed her angry gaze at Max. "Well, at least we actually use the gems for a good cause. We care for them like they’re meant to be treated. They were created for a purpose, you know. We don’t keep them locked up in glass cases and just stare at them like you humans do." "You tell him Raya! All right guys, fun as this has been, I’m leaving now, but I’ll be back to talk to you Max," Kuron said, pointing a crooked finger at Max. With a rush of wind, he vanished.

"Why don’t you—" Raya began, when out of nowhere, a ray of blue light appeared and wrapped around her. "Oh, shit! Help me!" She reached out toward Max. Instinctively, Max grabbed her hand and felt the by now familiar sensation of being pulled away in a gust of air. ***** Pleased to note he landed on his feet, Max decided he was finally getting the hang of this method of traveling. Surveying his surroundings, he saw Raya was also unhurt, and judging from her angry expression, colorful skin tone, and language, she had not initiated this transport and was none too pleased to be here. It appeared they were in some type of cave or underground room, with walls made of stone and a dim, orange glow coming from above. Max heard muffled sounds around them, though he saw no one else. "Are you all right?" Max asked Raya when she paused to take a breath from her tirade. "Yes, I’m okay. How about you?" "Getting better at transporting, it seems. Where are we? What happened?" "I’m guessing we’ve been snatched by a Gorgonite. They live in the hills of Adonea and usually keep to themselves. They're big, hairy creatures, not very sociable, but not really violent. They’re a little more aggressive this year because…it’s a long story I can’t get into now." Raya paced quickly as she talked, her wings fluttering behind her. "Damn, I forgot to activate my protection field. That's how he found me. I don't think he's going to hurt us. He probably just wants to mate, though why he thinks I would allow him to impregnate me, I can’t imagine." Though Max realized they were likely in a dangerous situation, he couldn’t help being fascinated with Raya, and he watched her movements with pleasure. Her

motions were lithe, graceful, and compact, like a panther on the prowl. He found her extremely attractive and sexy, and memories of his late-night fantasy came to mind. "I’ve got a plan," Raya said, and coming to a halt in front of Max, she started to fiddle with the device on her wrist. "I’m going to distract the Gorgonite while you transport to The Center. I’ll program my transporter with the coordinates and attach it to you. You have to sneak out of this cave though; the Gorgonite will hear you if you transport in here. They have very poor vision and rely mostly on smell, so if I put my scent on you and divert his attention well enough, you should be able to get out undetected. Hold still while I get you ready." To Max’s delight, she quickly removed her shirt and pants to reveal a slim, sexy, naked body. Her breasts were small and firm, with protruding, dark nipples, just as he had imagined in his lustful fantasy. She had a full bush which matched her shiny, brown hair. To his further delight, Raya reached between her legs and rubbed herself, then smeared her hands all over Max. "I need to get my scent on you as much as possible. Here, stroke my body with your hands then wipe them on yourself." Max complied happily. Though well aware they were both in danger and needed to concentrate on getting out of here, he could easily have spent an hour or two engaged in this activity. Raya’s skin was warm, soft, and satiny-smooth, and she smelled delicious. Max felt an erection form and tried to keep his mind on the peril they faced, but it was no use. His cock took control. "I’m glad to see you’re enjoying this," Raya said as her hand brushed against his bulging crotch. Max blushed, glad for the dim lighting. "I’m sorry. I know this isn’t the time or place, but it’s been a while and, well, you’re very desirable." "Why has it been a while?" Raya asked, now rubbing her whole body against Max. "You’re an attractive male. Why aren’t you mating with others?" "Because I’ve decided to give up on women for a while, to maintain my sanity." Max began to explain, then moaned out loud as Raya put his hand right into her pussy.

"Come on, we’ve got to get moving. The Gorgonite will be here any minute. Get my juice on your hands and spread it on yourself." Concentrate, concentrate, he told himself, sliding his finger into Raya’s slippery pussy. Damn, she was dripping wet. He explored gently with his finger and found she had all the same parts as a human woman. As much as he wanted to continue to fondle her, he reluctantly removed his hand and smeared her juices on his face, neck, and arms. They continued for another moment or two, then Raya stopped and cocked her head. "He’s coming. This will have to do. Here, wrap my clothes around you and take my transporter. When you get out of the cave, hit this button, and you’ll be on your way. You should find Orion at The Center. Tell him what’s going on, and to have the dwarves help us. We'll assist them with their emerald hunt if they agree. He’ll know what to do. Now, hide behind this boulder and watch to see where the Gorgonite comes in; that will be the way to get out. I’ll keep him occupied and facing the opposite direction." Raya headed to the middle of the room, and Max ducked behind the rock she indicated. A large creature lumbered out from a dark corner. He looked like a tall, heavyset man, but hairier than a human. He wore only a loincloth and what looked like a bandana tied around his head, and to Max's relief, he didn't appear to have a weapon. He stopped when he saw Raya. "Hello. I wondered when you were going to get here. My name’s Raya. What’s yours?" "Grote," the creature said, gazing intently at Raya. "Well, Grote, I guess you snatched me away from my important activities for a reason, and I have a pretty good idea what that reason is." Raya walked up close to Grote and knelt in front of him. She lifted the loincloth to reveal a thick cock and even more hair. She bent her head, took him in her mouth, and began to suck. Grote let out a loud, long moan. Max watched as the creature’s eyes became unfocused, and he started to pant.

"Do you like that, Grote?" Raya asked, after pausing in her activity. "Do you want more?" "More! More!" Raya rose from her knees, and leading Grote by his hard dick, she pulled him to face the side of the cave, his back to the entrance. She once again knelt and began to suck and lick his knob. The erection Max had almost gotten under control now threatened to split his pants. Staring mesmerized, Max could hardly take his eyes off the two. He shook his head to clear it and looked at the entrance. Raya had succeeded in moving the Gorgonite away, but he was still too close. He debated whether or not to attempt his escape, when Raya stopped and stood up. "Come here, big boy, I’ve got something you’re really going to like." Leading Grote even farther into the cave, she found a tall rock, climbed up on it, got down on all fours, and presented her ass. "Stick your hard rod inside me." Grote spread her cheeks, shoved his cock into the opening Raya offered, and began to pump rhythmically. Max had to bite his tongue to keep from crying out in desire. Though he longed to stay and watch, or better yet, to push the big creature out of the way and put his own hard cock inside Raya’s luscious ass, he had to get out of the cave quickly. He walked quietly and quickly toward the entrance, keeping an eye on the Gorgonite. When he was almost at the corner, the creature stopped thrusting for a moment, raised his head and grunted. Max froze. "Oh, Grote, I don’t think we’re finished yet," Raya said. With another grunt, Grote resumed his motions. Max hurried the rest of the way around the corner, down a passage, and out the entrance of the cave. Pushing the button Raya indicated, Max felt a tug and whoosh, and away he went. Chapter Five

Arriving back in the room where he and Raya had been once before, Max saw a bespectacled man who looked a lot like Raya, wings and all, standing at the console. The man whirled toward Max. "Are you Orion?" Max asked. "Raya sent me. She’s in trouble and needs help." "Oh, thank the Goddesses! We wondered what had become of her," Orion said. "Is she all right?" "She’s at the Gorgonite’s cave. The coordinates are in here." Max handed Orion the transponder. "She said to contact Kuron, to enlist the help of the dwarves, and to tell them as payment, you’ll help them find an emerald." "An emerald? Ah, so they need a new stone. I thought their groves were looking a bit drab. Of course we’ll help them. Foolish dwarves, they only had to ask." Orion immediately turned back to the console and called up Kuron. "Hello my friend. Raya has been captured by a Gorgonite. We need your help rescuing her. I understand you require a new emerald, so let’s make a deal. We’ll help you find the perfect stone, and you help us get Raya back." "Hello, Orion. It’s been a long time. You know, normally I’d tell you to take your request and shove it up your little, winged ass, but you’re right, we do need a new emerald, and I suppose it would be prudent to enlist your help to find the right one. And who do I see in the background? The human, Max?" "Hello again, Kuron," Max said. "Well, well, things just keep getting better. All right, in addition to help from the fairies, we want your assistance also. We want an emerald from Earth, and you have to promise to help us get the gem once Orion locates it. Deal?" "Deal, you devious little dwarf. Just get Raya back. Soon." "Is she in danger?" Kuron asked. "What’s happening?" "She was, ah, distracting the Gorgonite with her, ah, feminine charms, last I saw," Max said.

Kuron threw his head back and laughed. "That’s our Raya. If anyone knows how to use her feminine charms, it’s her. I’m sure she has the situation well in hand. Or in mouth, as the case may be." "She had sex with the Gorgonite? Oh dear, what type of sex?" Orion asked. "And what color was her skin when you left her?" "It was, um, the oral and back door type," Max stammered, not at all comfortable with the turn this conversation had taken. "I think her skin was yellow and orange, now that you mention it, though it was hard to tell with the lighting in the cave." "Well, that’s okay, then. Gorgonites do enjoy it back door style, and if her skin was orange, she’s not in danger. She’s enjoying the sex. She just shouldn’t have any sexual penetration that might stimulate procreation. You see, this is the time of year when our females are in season, and they’re particularly fertile right now. Fairies are highly prized by other species as breeders, and the Gorgonites have wanted to mate with us for some time to improve their bloodline, though I am a bit surprised they went as far as kidnapping. They must be getting quite desperate, and foolish to think Raya would carry their child. This is a very special year for her, because the person she mates with will be the father of an exceptional baby." Orion punched a few buttons on his console as he talked, and frowned. "Hmmm. Raya did not have her protection field activated, which is why the Gorgonite was able to take her. I wonder why she didn’t remember to activate her safeguard." "She was probably distracted after our blissful night of passion," Kuron said. "Ha! So that’s why she wouldn’t let me come in her sweet, little honeypot. I’m rather insulted she didn’t choose me to be the father of her baby, but I’ll get over it. Okay gentlemen, enough talk, time for action. I hear an emerald calling me. I’ll gather our troops, and we’ll head out immediately. You, human, send that transporter to me so I can pinpoint her exact location. Orion, we’ll notify you in five minutes of our plans. Against my better judgment, I’m going to trust you two to keep your word. Over and out."

Orion tuned to Max and smiled. "I’m so glad you’re assisting us. You certainly don’t have any obligation to do so, and we appreciate all you’ve done. But where are my manners? You look tired. I’m sure all this is a bit of a shock to you. Come with me; we have a quiet place where you can rest." Orion led Max to a small room with a couch and a few chairs and tables. "Why don’t you relax here? I’ll have one of our people bring you some refreshments." Max leaned back on the comfortable couch and let out a deep breath he didn't know he was holding. He was exhausted. He closed his eyes and drifted off for a few moments. "Hello. Are you Max?" Max opened his eyes to see a petite, extremely attractive, female fairy standing in front of him holding a tray. As she leaned over to place the tray on the table, Max noticed the fabric of her shirt was transparent. He averted his gaze quickly, but couldn't help catching a glimpse of her beautiful breasts. He swore to himself. He had been doing so well at avoiding women and sex. Now he was surrounded by lovely, desirable females. "I brought you some food and something to drink," she said. "You just help yourself to whatever you want. I’ll stay here and keep you company. My name is Falan." Falan sat down on the couch next to Max. "Here is one of my favorite foods, passion fruit. There are slices of luscious loaf bread, and some sensuous snow peas. You’ll love the elderberry wine. We get it fresh from the dwarves’ groves." Max realized he was famished and devoured the food while Falan watched him quietly. "Does everything taste good?" She asked after a few moments. "Delicious," Max replied. "Thank you for bringing this to me. Falan, tell me about your people and this planet. Raya only gave me a little information. When did you leave Earth? Why was it too dangerous? What happened?"

Falan settled back on the couch. "Long ago, the people of Earth used to respect and honor life forms other than just human and animal. But then, a group of people decided only their way of thinking was the right way, and everyone else should live the same way, and believe in the same thing. Wars were fought, and those who didn’t follow the doctrine of the time were persecuted. My people, all of the races here on Adonea, knew we had to leave. We put aside our differences and worked together to find a home similar to Earth. Our scientists are very advanced, as you probably noticed." Max nodded. "We sent an initial crew to Adonea to settle in, and then the rest of us followed. We’ve been here for over a thousand of your years, though we measure time in a different way than you do. Does that answer your questions?" Falan moved closer to Max. He could feel heat coming from her body. He shifted a little farther away on the couch. "Why can’t you come to Earth? Raya said you weren’t supposed to spend time on our planet." "We’ve found if we’re on Earth too long, our bodies start to age rapidly. Here on Adonea, we stay young much longer. And besides, the people of Earth don’t trust what they don’t know. They no longer believe in fairies or other creatures. If they see one of us, they either become frightened or hostile." Falan again inched closer to Max and leaned on his arm. "Max, I notice you’ve been staring at my mounds." "Well, I . . . ." Max stammered. He had indeed glanced at her breasts, but it was hard to keep his eyes off them. Her shirt left little to the imagination. "It’s okay if you do. Mine are a bit different from Raya’s. I guess you’ve seen hers. I’ve had my nipples enhanced since I’ve already given birth and fed my babies. Do you want to see them?" Before he could protest, Falan unbuttoned her blouse. She cupped one of her breasts and held it close to Max’s face.

"Aren’t these beautiful nipples? Go ahead, lick them. I’m aching to have you touch me." Max couldn’t resist. They were indeed beautiful nipples. He could feel energy and heat coming off Falan in waves, and she started to turn a beautiful shade of amber. With a moan, he licked and sucked the proffered treat. They tasted as good as they looked. Slightly salty, and a little sweet. Thoughts of Raya penetrated the fog of lust and desire swirling in Max’s head, and he pulled his mouth away from her succulent breast, but before he could move, Falan straddled him and began to slowly grind her pelvis against his crotch. He could feel her moist pussy through his pants, and he could smell her musky scent. Reaching down, she unfastened his pants and squeezed and stroked his cock, which was standing straight up by now. "Falan," Max said, grabbing her hips, attempting to stop her sensual movements. "I really don’t want to continue this." "Why? Don’t you find me attractive?" "Hell yes, I find you attractive; you’re gorgeous! It’s just that, I want to wait for Raya." "Oh, she won’t mind if we enjoy each other. I know she’ll understand." Max gently pushed Falan off his lap, stood up, and tried to fasten his zipper over his raging hard-on. Falan stood next to him and took his hand. "Feel how wet I am for you," she said, sliding his fingers between her legs. "Wouldn’t it feel nice to put your hard cock right in there?" With a show of restraint Max didn’t know he possessed, he pulled his hand away and turned to leave the room, when a commotion at the door stopped him. In walked Kuron and Raya, both of them bruised and battered. Raya came to a standstill and put her hands on her hips. Her eyes narrowed, and her skin turned green with swirls of red. "What’s going on in here?" Raya stomped over to Falan and stood inches from her face. "Get away from him, you hussy! What do you think you’re doing?"

"Oh, calm down, Raya. We’re just having a little fun," Falan said. "I’m extending my hospitality to our guest." "Well, put it back in your pants, Falan, and extend it another time. We have things to do, and I need someone to help me clean up and tend to my wounds." "I’ll help," Kuron immediately said, stepping forward. Max planted his hand on Kuron’s chest. "I’ll help you, Raya, if that’s what you want." Raya nodded. Her skin began to return to its normal color as Falan backed away from Max. "Yes, that is what I want. I want you to escort me to my humble home, and I want to clean up and get the stink of that Gorgonite off me. Then, I want an ice cold glass of elderberry wine, and I want to lie down and rest for a few hours. After that, I would sure like to join the Celebration of the Sapphire, since I did go through all the trouble of bringing the stone here. Falan, why don’t you let Kuron enjoy your hospitality? Oh, get that look off your face, and stop being such a snob. There’s no reason not to have sex with dwarves, and we should be particularly grateful to them right now. They rescued me from the Gorgonite . And besides—" Raya leaned in and whispered something to Falan, and they both giggled. Falan looked at Kuron contemplatively and sighed. "I’m so fired up right now, I could fuck a tree. All right, let’s see what you’ve got, big boy. Raya tells me I won’t be sorry." And grabbing the delighted dwarf, she led him away. Putting a possessive arm around Raya, Max led her out of the control room. Chapter Six Once they left the building, Max felt Raya relax. She breathed in deeply and lifted her face to the sun.

"I got a little claustrophobic in the cave. I don’t see how anyone can live underground. So tell me Max," she said, tilting her head and giving him an impish smile, "aside from the general mayhem, what do you think of our planet so far?" Max marveled at the architectural design of the buildings they passed. The styles were very similar to the ones on Earth, yet slightly different. The facades had more ornate and intricate work in the details, and the structures had been built with the surrounding countryside in mind; they blended naturally into the terrain. Everywhere he looked, much care had been taken with the landscaping. Fountains and sculptures were plentiful, and the shrubbery and trees were meticulously trimmed. The people they passed on the way seemed happy and looked much like his own people, if you ignored the wings and occasional different skin colors. In addition to fairies, Max saw what appeared to be elves and other races of people. "I want to show you something," Raya said. They stepped off the footpath and walked a ways, into a wooded area. On the other side of the trees, a breathtaking view of a clear blue lake nestled in a valley greeted them. "This is Lake Cerulean, the reason we need Starry Night. It’s fed by several rivers, which I’ll show you later. Aside from producing the water which helps us stay youthful and healthy, this lake is home to many wondrous animals and plants. If we had not been able to procure a suitable gemstone, it would have died and our people may have perished. Isn’t it beautiful?" Max had to agree. He had never seen water so clear and blue. A gentle wind blew, and taking a deep breath, he smelled the sweet, pure scent coming from the lake. He could also smell something strong and earthy, and realized Raya had the lingering scent of sex on her. Though a bit pungent, it stirred something primal in Max and brought to his mind the picture of Raya naked on all fours, except in this picture, he stood behind her, holding her ass, shoving his cock deep inside. Taking her arm, Max steered Raya back onto the path, before he gave in to the urge to pull her down and fuck her right there in the grass.

***** The first thing Max observed when they stepped inside Raya's house was the smell, an exotic scent he’d smelled on Raya when they first met. Something spicy, like cinamon, and sweet like vanilla, with a hint of citrus. The profusion of color caught his attention next. Everywhere he looked bright hues abounded, from the paintings on the wall to the pillows on her couch. Vibrant, rich shades decorated the entire house. Leading Max to a tidy, sunny living room, Raya pointed to a chair. "Have a seat while I take a shower. I won’t be long." "Do you need help cleaning up?" Max asked, and the thought of his hands on Raya's wet, soapy body caused his cock to harden. Raya smiled. "No, I just used that as an excuse to get you to come with me. But I will ask you to put a bit of salve on my wounds when I’m done. I’ve got some nasty scratches. There’s a bottle of elderberry wine in the icebox. Help yourself." Max poked around in the kitchen until he found glasses, then settled onto the couch. They had mighty comfortable furniture here. He browsed through Raya's magazines on the table: Fairies Martial Arts Skills and Baking for the Healthy Fairy. He knew firsthand she was up on her martial arts; he wondered if her culinary skills matched. It seemed they had a lot in common. "Could you please come here and help me with this?" Raya called from the other room. Fresh from the shower, Raya was bundled up in a thick towel. Max again caught an exotic, delicious scent. He longed to pull away the towel and lick her body like a lollipop. Controlling his desire, he took the tube she handed him and began to rub the ointment on the cuts on her back. "Grote didn’t want to let you go." "No, he didn’t. It took five dwarves to pry him off me and hold him down. I’ll say one thing for those dwarves; they are fierce warriors when they get riled up. We shouldn't have to worry about Grote and his people anymore. Orion spoke to the

Gorgonite leader, promised to assist them, and find a way to help their females become more fertile. Hopefully, we won’t have an incident like this again." "Any other spots need tended to?" "I can reach the rest myself. I’ll be dressed and out soon." When she appeared again, Max noticed dressed meant only a gauzy, translucent robe. Damn these fairies and their see-through clothing! They made it hard to remember his intent to stay away from women. Surrounded by these delightful, sensual creatures, his libido hummed in high gear. Raya took the glass of wine Max handed her, drained it in one swallow, then held it up for a refill. Max poured them both more, and when Raya had a few more sips, she leaned back in her chair and sighed deeply. "I’m sure glad this little adventure is over. I think I’ll leave the dangerous missions to the younger fairies from now on." "It’s not over just yet, Raya. It looks like we’ll be helping the dwarves find an emerald." "Oh, working with them won’t be so bad. The dwarves are actually pretty easy to get along with. Now that they’ve agreed to enlist our help, things will go much smoother. But I’m sorry you got dragged into all this, Max, and I’ve been thinking about what you said. You’re right; we shouldn’t just take the stones from Earth. It's stealing, and my people are not thieves. We’ll pay you for them." Max sat back and regarded Raya closely. After his dealings with Sarah, an honest woman was certainly a treat. As if she could read his mind, Raya said, "You look at me like you didn’t expect me to say that. Have you had a bad experience with a woman? You don’t seem to trust us much. What happened? Tell me." "The incident occurred a while ago, and it's not important," Max said. Raya, apparently revived and perky after imbibing the wine, slid off her chair and curled up next to Max on the couch. "Tell me. I insist. You’ve found out all sorts of things about me, and I don’t know anything about you."

"All right, I’ll tell you my sad story. I suppose it’s only fair, after all the entertainment you’ve provided me the past couple of days. About a year ago, I dated a woman named Sarah. I had a good job as an IT security specialist and would occasionally take on a personal security gig for our company’s clients. I’ve had special ops training in the military, so I'm qualified to offer that service. I was hired to keep an eye on the house of one of our top customers who was out of the country. Easy work. I just went around the property and through the house every night to make sure nothing was amiss. They had the place locked up tighter than Fort Knox, so nothing was going to happen there." Max took a sip of his wine and a few deep breaths. "Sarah really wanted to see the inside of the house, so I finally agreed and brought her with me one night. I knew it was a bad idea. Of course, Sarah was a bad idea from the get-go. She dazzled me with her do-me smile and her fantastic ass, but something wasn’t quite right about her. Anyway, she went crazy over all the artwork in the house, particularly some miniature knick-knacks on display in one of the rooms. When the clients came home a week later, they called my company and told them the knick-knacks were missing. Supposedly, no one had been in the house but me and a housekeeper who had been with them forever. Guess who they blamed for the disappearance?" Raya laid a hand on his arm. "Sarah, of course, claimed to know nothing about the missing art. My company fired me at the insistence of their client, and shortly after, Sarah left me. Oddly enough, she came into quite a bit of money soon thereafter and left the country. I’ll admit, I did something very unethical and hacked into her computer right before she left, and I found a series of suspicious emails. Nothing I could prove. Sarah was very smart, but I’m fairly certain she took the art items and sold them." "Didn’t you confront her?" Raya asked. Max noticed she turned a light shade of red. He smiled. She was angry on his behalf, which he found endearing.

"No, an outright accusation wouldn’t do any good. I practically got down on my knees and begged her to tell me if she knew anything at all about the theft, or at least to anonymously call the clients, or my former company. With this kind of charge against me, I would never work in the security industry again. Sarah was, apparently, only concerned with taking care of herself. I was screwed. Ambrose Security hired me on a trial basis after a good friend vouched for me. The pay is low, the hours are lousy, and they give me the worst assignments, but I’ve been busting my ass and putting in my time there while I go to school to learn a new career. I’m lucky to have a job at all. So you see," Max said, brushing away a piece of hair that fell across Raya’s face, "I really can’t afford to have anything bad happen on my jobs right now." "And what are you studying as a new career?" Raya asked, sliding in closer to Max. She traced a finger along his jaw line. "I’m, uh, studying to be a . . . ." Max paused. Raya continued to explore his face with her gentle finger and he became distracted. "What?" "A pastry chef." Raya burst out laughing. "A pastry chef? Of all the things I can picture you doing, that’s not one of them." "For your information, I’m quite good at that particular line of work. There’s a high demand for good pastry chefs, and they make decent money. I’m eventually going to open my own shop. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, and this past year has made me realize several important things. First, I’m expendable to any employer, and second, life is too short not to do what you really love. I love to bake, so why not pursue a career doing something I enjoy?" Raya smiled and cupped Max’s face in her hands. "I think that’s a wonderful aspiration. I like to bake too. Want to see what I have I have cooked up right now?" She leaned in close and kissed Max hard. Max kissed her back. Who was he kidding? If Raya was determined to seduce him, there was no way he would be able to resist her charms. And why should he? He

was far away from his home, he would probably never see Raya again, and besides, somewhere in the back of his mind, he was still quite certain he was dreaming. Just like their encounter at the museum, kissing Raya was like nothing he'd experienced before. Her lips were warm, and she tasted like elderberry wine. Her tongue leisurely explored his mouth, and her hands fumbled with the buttons on his shirt and roamed around his chest. Lusty moans came from deep in her throat, and Max had a hard time not growling out loud, he wanted her so bad. She stood and took his hand. "Come on, I have to lie down on something soft. You’ll need to be a little careful of my wounds, but I have the feeling a good fuck will take my mind off my discomfort." Max shed his clothes on the way to the bedroom, and they quickly tumbled together into the bed, which was as soft and inviting as the woman herself. Max tried to move slowly, wanting to savor the smell, taste, and feel of her, but his cock was ready to explode. "Raya, I’m not going to last long the first time, but I promise you the second time will be better, and I’d like to have a chance at a third. I don’t have any rubbers, I mean, any protection, with me, and your back must be sore from your wounds," Max said. With one deft movement, Raya flipped him onto his back and positioned herself on top of him. His cock slid right into her wet, tight pussy, and he moaned. Just like in his fantasy, Max thought briefly, and for a moment, he remembered he should not penetrate Raya from the front, he shouldn't come in her, and they weren’t using any protection. Then she began to slowly rock her pelvis, and all thoughts were gone except the intense and consuming desire he felt for the wondrous creature astride him. Placing a finger on his lips, Raya smiled. "Shh. Just relax and let me enjoy you like this. I have to be careful of my back; the scratches are tender. But you can touch me anywhere else you like." Taking both of his hands, she placed them on her breasts. Her skin was hot, velvet-soft, and turned a delightful magenta tone with shimmers of gold. Waves of her delectable scent drifted over him. Inhaling deeply was like taking a drug; he quickly became intoxicated. Pulling her toward him, he took one

of her beautiful nipples into his mouth, tugged lightly with his lips, then grazed it with his teeth. Raya moaned, increased the movements of her hips, placed her hands on his chest, and shifted her weight forward to slide her pussy up and down his shaft at a deeper angle. Just as he was about to push her away before he shot his load, she slowed her rhythm, leaned back and began to rub her clit. "Squeeze my nipples," she said. Max was happy to oblige. They were hard as little pebbles by now, and he could feel them tighten up even more as he rolled them between his fingers. The circles of pink around them turned a deep violet. "Oh Goddess!" Raya moaned loudly, her back arched and her head tilted back. A shudder shook her body, then she let out a deep sigh and continued to rock her hips rhythmically. Max had reached his limit. "Raya, you need to get off me. I’m going to come," he said and attempted to roll her away from him. But she didn’t budge. She merely dug her heels into his thighs and held on, grinding her pussy on his cock. Max couldn’t wait any longer. He arched his back, and with a roar of pure animal lust, exploded inside her. They both slowed their movements and rocked gently together for a moment, then Raya nimbly dismounted and laid next to Max, her head and arm resting on his chest. Once Max could think straight, he turned to Raya and gave her a long, slow kiss. "Not to ruin the moment, and don’t think I didn’t enjoy our lovemaking immensely, but didn’t I hear Orion say you were highly fertile right now and shouldn’t be having, um, vaginal sex?" "Don't worry. Everything is fine," Raya said and yawned. "I need to sleep for an hour or two, then we'll talk." In moments, her breathing turned deep and rhythmic. Though Max wanted to stay awake longer, for no other reason than to gaze at Raya, the events of the day caught up with him, and he was soon fast asleep. Chapter Seven

A few hours later, Max woke to the smell of coffee and some other mouthwatering scent. After pulling on his pants, he wandered out to the source of the aroma and found Raya in the kitchen. "You’re awake! Just in time for coffee and chocolate-cherry-caramel-raspberry muffins. I like to bake too. I can tell I’m pregnant already, because I’m starving and craving sweets. Sit down here at the table." She poured Max a cup of coffee and put a muffin on a plate, bending down to kiss his cheek as she did. Max plunked into the chair and stared at her, his mouth open. "You're what?" "I'm pregnant, well, almost," Raya said. From a cupboard, she produced a glass vial full of a bright, shimmering, swirling substance. "I will be after I drink this." She put the container down carefully on the table, sat across from Max, and took his hands in hers. "I’ve chosen you to be the father of my child." Max pulled his hands away from Raya. “Raya, we hardly know each other! How could you make an important decision like that without consulting me? I’m not ready to be a father!” Raya grabbed his hands again and squeezed gently. "Don’t worry; you won’t have any responsibilities toward the child once he or she is born, and you aren’t liable to take care of me. We don’t have the same family units as you humans do; this particular child will be raised in a very different manner than most children, and I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself." Clearly too excited to hold still, Raya stood up and rubbed Max's shoulders. "You see, I’m the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter. Long ago, the prophets foretold my first child would be the one who joins the races of human and fairy together again. It’s been far too long we’ve been apart. We have much to offer you in the area of earth magic, which is really an advanced form of your science. You have a great deal to offer us in many fields. Together, we can do so much! Max, you’ve been

chosen to contribute to this effort by impregnating me, but that’s where your responsibility ends. My people and I will take care of the child." "And tell me, why did you pick me for this honor?" Max said, relaxing again under Raya’s gentle touch. "I see what a brave, worthy spirit you have, and I know you're the one. You put yourself in danger twice to protect me, and you fearlessly safeguarded something precious which was trusted to you. These are the qualities my child should have from its human father. The prophecy said I would know when I found the one to share his seed, and I know it's you. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier, but I wasn’t sure how you would react." She picked up the vial from the table, ducked her head, and looked up at him with beseeching eyes. "But it's your decision. You can still say no. My pregnancy won't be complete until I drink this." Max studied Raya. Having this baby seemed important to her, and he was actually quite honored to be chosen as the father. But would things really be the way she said? Would he not be responsible for the child? So far, she had been honest with him; he had to believe she told the truth now. She could have just consumed the substance and not asked him, yet she gave him a choice. And during the past days' adventures, he had given some thought to his life and his future. Yes, he did want to have his own business one day, but what good was success and happiness without someone to share the joy? Someone like Raya? He raised his cup of coffee and clinked it against the vial. "Bottoms up!" Raya squealed with delight, opened the bottle, and poured the contents down her throat. For just a moment, her skin shimmered and swirled like the liquid, then turned a delicate pink. She kissed him soundly. "You make me very happy, Max. Now eat quickly. I want to join in the Celebration of the Sapphire, introduce you to my people, and share the good news. They’re all most anxious to meet you. Oh, they’ve saved the best part of the celebration for us to see, the fireworks."

Max smiled at her excitement. Here was someone who enjoyed her life and lived with passion and zest. It had been far too long since he had spent time around anyone with this much enthusiasm. Raya was vibrant, lively, and she literally glowed. Sparks floated in the air around her. "Raya," he said, digging in to the muffin, "I know you said I don’t have any responsibility toward the child or you, but I’d like to be involved in your life. I like this planet, I like the people, and I’m starting to like you very much. How will this work? I can’t leave Earth, and you obviously have to stay here." "It will work just fine. You can visit here whenever you like, and I can come to Earth, as long as I don’t stay too long on each visit. The child will grow quickly, much faster than children do on your planet. Very soon, he or she will take on an important position on Earth, and our races will begin to unite. No one here knows how or when this will take place; we just know it will. I only hope we get to experience the transformation in our lifetime. Max, there are so many wonderful events about to take place. Can’t you feel the energy?" Indeed he could. The sparks hovering around Raya now floated through the air and made their way out the open window. Max put his hand out to touch one and got a gentle shock, like touching a live current. "Won’t those wings look a bit out of place on Earth?" Raya laughed. "You see? You’re the perfect father already, worried about your child. The prophets assured us the "hybrid" will be able to hide its wings. There were fairies and humans who mated in the past, not many, but enough so we know it can be done successfully. The children were quite lovely. Ancient texts tell us they lived in both the human and fairy world, though most fairies looked down on them as inferior, which is one of the reasons more fairies don’t mate with humans. It's not considered socially acceptable to do so." Raya moved about the whole time she spoke, occasionally hovering above the floor as she did. Her wings fluttered lightly with barely concealed excitement.

"Are you finished? Oh, hurry. I can’t wait to see the fireworks!" Raya put out her hand and Max took it. Walking outside together, they made their way down a path toward the lake. Max knew he would need more time to absorb everything that had happened, but for now, a surge of joy filled his heart. Being here felt right, and being with Raya felt perfect. He always relied on his intuition to guide him, and when he didn’t, well, people like Sarah were the result. But then, he reflected, if not for her, he probably would not have been in this place. He would have kept along at his steady job, doing what was expected of him, ended up marrying a proper woman, and doing all the acceptable things men his age did. Now, he was in for the adventure of a lifetime. Arriving at the lake, they both looked up at the twinkling, clear sky, waiting for the first firework to appear. Now here, thought Max, is a starry night truly worth viewing. ~The End~ About the Author Naomi lives in beautiful sunny Florida with the love of her life and a magical black cat. She writes for various fiction and non-fiction markets, but finds she is drawn to erotic romance because her characters insist on canoodling, and sometimes even falling madly in love. So she lets them. Occasionally, however, they go to dark and strange places. She lets them do this also. Most of her stories will surprise readers with unexpected twists and turns, because isn't that what makes life exciting? Her interests include dancing, hula-hooping, drumming, and creating healthy meals. She takes the opportunity to play, have fun, and indulge in the pursuit of passion whenever possible. She hopes you enjoy her stories and would love to hear from you at naomibellina(at)live(dot)com. Her motto: Never pass up the opportunity to have an adventure! Learn more about Naomi online at http://www.naomibellina.com/