Moving quickly, Layla dressed in a blush-gold beaded silk gown with a sweetheart bodice and a flowing skirt, then added Mimi’s diamond and pink topaz jewelry. Dusk had chosen a deep navy suit that matched his coloring perfectly, plus a navy silk tie and white silk pocket square, impeccably Dusk. Adrian was elegantly classic in a slim grey three-piece suit so light it was almost white, with a white silk pocket square and no tie. Layla smiled as they both entered her room, Adrian fixing opal and silver cufflinks to his French cuffs while Dusk combed his fingers through his incredible hair with a flash of light. Neither man had a watch on, having given away their adornment earlier, but it only heightened Layla’s joy, feeling the blessing of the incredible day they’d had at the bazaar.
Putting a finishing spritz on her sable curls, twisted up into a loosely romantic side-chignon, Layla was ready. As Adrian nodded to the door, all three of them proceeded forward at once. It created an awkward moment as they met before the doors, everyone lurching to a halt rather than be the first to pass through.
But it was Adrian who gave a sudden laugh, gesturing Dusk on ahead of him. “Man of the hour.”
“Thank you.” Dusk gave a wide grin, showing his very white teeth as a flash of light refracted through his hair, his blue eyes sparkling. He didn’t gainsay Adrian, only took Layla’s hand and wrapped it around his arm, proceeding out the doors with Adrian following.
Dinner was not very many steps from their rooms, just down from the second-floor balconies to the inner courtyard of the guesthouse. At ornate wrought-iron tables scattered through the greenery around the fountain, dinner was already being started as other guests arrived, everyone dressed to the nines like Layla and her men. As they arrived, a young Djinn waiter seated them at a table between the sprawling fountain and an open fire-pit that smoldered with coals. At the fire-pit, a whole barrage of skewered meats was being tended by a Djinn chef, the meats smelling of incredible spices.
As Layla and her men sat, a five-piece ensemble with traditional Egyptian instruments began playing near an ornate teakwood screen nestled in the jasmine vines. Dressed in dark three-piece suits with red sashes across their chests, the musicians were all Djinn, and Layla’s attention was drawn by how their instruments faded in and out like their bodies as they played. Watching the chef tend his meats, Layla realized everything a Djinn touched would fade and brighten with their magics, though once they ceased touching the object, it brightened fully back into the world. It was an arresting effect as the courtyard darkened with the first shadows of sunset. And even as chandeliers were lit high above, along with countless glass votives around the sumptuous gardens, the haunting effect persisted.
Coffee was served, spiced with something heady and sweetened with honey, which both mellowed and heightened Layla. As the musicians moved from a light rhythm to something deliciously darker, dinner was brought out by a veritable horde of Djinn waiters in crisp black suit and tie with immaculate white aprons. No less than ten dishes were placed upon each table, the chef at the pits bringing around spiced skewers of meat. As white and red wine was poured, and an assortment of flaky pastry desserts with rose syrup were placed at each table also, Layla was overwhelmed by the scents of spice and meat, chutneys, and honey.
But even as she wondered why their entire dinner plus dessert had been brought out all at once, the night suddenly deepened, the true dusk of the desert settling fast over the land. As that powerful hush claimed the courtyard, making the fire pit with its glowing red coals seem suddenly brighter, the votives and chandeliers more colorful, the musicians dropped into a low, hushed song. Deep and moving, smooth and graceful, that song pulled at Layla’s heart with every stroke of the violin, every subtle pop of the Egyptian tabla, and every florid strum of the oud as the stars seemed to brighten far above the courtyard.
As a hush settled over those enjoying their sumptuous dinner, a scintillating, slow wind stirred the garden, different from the dancing winds that still played above the fountain. As that curl of deeply erotic power swept into the courtyard, Layla was suddenly on high alert, her wine paused halfway to her mouth, her heart pounding hard as her Dragon roared with heat in her veins. A hot scent of oranges and bourbon exploded from her skin as she smelled Dusk’s river-water clarity and Adrian’s spiced cinnamon-jasmine scents do the same.
Layla was inundated by sexual magic, from something that had triggered all of them into sudden eros. And as a set of brocaded turquoise drapes with gold tassels were drawn open from a vaulted arch at one side of the garden, she suddenly knew why.
Their entertainment for the night had arrived.
CHAPTER 14 – DANCE
Layla was arrested as she watched something swirl out from behind those heavy brocaded curtains, curling into the guesthouse’s courtyard in a smooth wind of sex and power. Every nerve in her body was instantly alert as her eros raised to scorching, making her heart pound hard like thirty minutes of intense foreplay as her palms broke into a cold sweat. Her breath was arrested as she set her wine down, her gaze riveted upon whatever it was that came swirling out from behind the curtains in a shimmering mirage of wind, moving with over twenty colors of silk veils dancing through it. As the vision of movement and color came to a central area near the fountain, Layla saw electric-blue eyes pierce through all that incredible, scintillating motion – slicing her heart in the falling night.
Those eyes held her, devouring her world as Layla’s Dragon screamed in her veins with fire and sex, raging to take whatever it was that moved inside those shimmering veils. But even as she felt the urge to rise and claim the creature moving with such erotic fascination inside its swirling cocoon of silk, Layla felt a calm magic press her back down to her seat. Something in her mind cleared, and she realized it was Amira’s vivid blue eyes piercing through those veils. But as the Djinn-woman’s eyes left Layla’s, sweeping the courtyard from the depths of her swirling cocoon, Layla felt everyone else in the gardens surge with passion just as Layla had – an annihilating wave that careened magical scents through the night, even though everyone was compelled to keep their seats.
And so the entertainment began. As the musicians played their dark, sultry rhythm and mesmerizing melodies, Amira began to move, swirling her veils of color and light in fantastical patterns as everything faded to burnished edges in the firelight. Dancing like smoke upon the night wind, she was there and she was not, swirling, spinning, dancing as the music picked up pace, making colorful veils of silk soar high through the air in a spinning cocoon like butterflies, then making them explode like stars falling back to the earth.
Layla saw raptors diving for fish in the Nile as a powerful mesmerization took her, her heart pounding sex through her body. She saw fishing-ships flying their sails on the river, and women’s hair blowing in a hot desert wind. She felt the power of a sand-funnel as Amira spun, whipping her veils out and coalescing them into a tight, roaring tower, and then she felt that funnel break with a sudden gust as ten of Amira’s veils went flying, scattering far out into the night like broken sand.
As her body was revealed, dancing in nothing but the veils and her own sleek black hair with gold jewelry everywhere, Amira took Layla’s world by storm. Through the riveting presence of those burning blue eyes, Layla could barely sip her wine as she felt the passion of Amira’s sensual curves and strong muscles. Whirling, spinning, undulating, Amira was a madness of talent and raw power, so sexual and lithe that even Layla found herself blushing at what it made her think of.
Using her veils like partners upon the night wind, Amira danced with them in the shivering lantern-light, rutting with them as they faded in and out of existence like smoke. Sliding between her legs like ghosts, they wrapped tight around her body in their zephyrs, pleasuring her as she writhed. Nothing was hidden yet everything was, Amira’s body glittering with gold coins, dripping with gold everywhere. Pierced up her ears, into her nipples, belly, and even between her legs, the decoration accentuated her strong body like snakes, writhing over her supple, tanned skin. Fading to bright edges and flaring to fullness, her body was magic and the decorations were also – whirling like a frustrating torrent of sex and power that no man or woman could possibly catch.
Through it all, Amira’s electric eyes shone, catching Layla now and then and making her shudder with energy and heat. As if the Djinn-woman wove more magic as she moved, her power flooded the courtyard, spilling far out into the night as everyone watched with bated, needful breaths. As the last few veils were shed, leaving Amira with only one black veil to play with by the fire’s low light, and one golden one to wrap decadently about her beautiful body, Adrian’s hand slid out, gripping Layla’s thigh.
Adrian’s eyes were riveted to the dance, but even as he watched, his power slipped up Layla’s ankles, teasing her. Wrapping around her thighs in thick-muscled coils, Adrian’s magic pulled Layla’s thighs firmly apart, like hands. She couldn’t resist what he was doing; she didn’t want to. Watching the dance, Adrian knew what he wanted, and it wasn’t the woman undulating on a tower of wind now. As his magic dove deep inside Layla, throwing her head back with pure pleasure, Dusk’s hand slipped to her neck – gripping her nape possessively and pouring a tirade of darkly sexual thunder through her as he growled low.
Layla cried out softly; she couldn’t help it. As Amira danced on in midair, Layla’s eyes closed, her entire body shuddering as Adrian took her deep between her legs. Dusk’s rumbles accentuated what Adrian was doing, pouring through Layla’s body like a waterfall, thrusting into her most intimate places, matching Adrian’s rhythm. Layla shuddered, undone by their power even as Dusk leaned in, setting his lips to her neck and pouring his rumbles through her by his soft, possessive kiss. Adrian’s hand clenched on her thigh like talons as he responded to what Dusk was doing, sliding up to grip Layla’s hip crease and massaging her with dark promise.
Shuddering hard, Layla turned her face towards Adrian, needing him like she needed breath itself. As Dusk kissed her neck, Layla’s eyelashes fluttered, and she felt more than saw Adrian make a quick gesture to one of the servers waiting nearby. At once, the man came, kneeling beside Adrian’s chair.
“Yes, sirrah?” he spoke low, not wanting to interrupt the show.
“Have all this taken up to Ms. Price’s room, at once.” Adrian nodded his chin at the table. “And we’ll need a pot of coffee and at least four bottles of your best wine. Immediately.”
“Of course.” With a knowing smile, the waiter flicked his fingers quickly at the table. All at once, the dishes were elevating off it, then zooming quietly up the stairs behind their table in a way that didn’t disturb the dancing or music. The table was cleared, and as Layla was helped to her feet by her men, her glance caught Amira’s electric blue eyes as she danced with only the long gold veil now, floating in the air like she was having sex with it. Layla heard the Djinn woman laugh brightly in her mind as Amira gave her a knowing wink.
Winking ran in the family, apparently.
But the show was soon left behind as Layla, Adrian, and Dusk retreated up to their rooms. Passion surged between them in scorching waves as Adrian led Layla up the grand balcony stairs, Dusk assisting with one hand possessively at her waist. As they gained the second floor, Adrian tugged Layla quickly into her rooms, Dusk slamming the doors shut behind them with a raw force so hard it shuddered the massive teak doors in their frames. Leaning into his hands against the doors as he hung his head, Dusk heaved hard breaths like a bellows, shivering all through his strong, tall body. Reaching out slowly, he locked the long iron bar behind the doors with one hand, shuddering like he might just shift apart.
“Dusk? Are you all right?” Adrian managed to speak as he turned Layla toward Dusk, both of them watching their Crystal Dragon. Layla felt a moment of panic as she watched Dusk’s powerful back heave with deep breaths in his sleek navy suit. But as a furious wash of illumination surged through his hair and down his neck, he suddenly shucked his jacket and tie, casting them to the floor. Turning, Dusk’s sapphire eyes were possessed by the light of his Dragon as he growled – shuddering a sub-basso tremor straight through the floor and hammering it hard into Layla’s body.
But not just into Layla. As she gasped from the raw force of Dusk’s blast, Layla felt Adrian stagger behind her with a grunt as Dusk’s power hit him also – and not in a bad way. As her drakaina flooded her veins, making Layla cry out with passion, she felt Adrian’s answering roar of sex and heat, flared by Dusk’s earth-shaking thunder.
As Dusk strode to them, his eyes possessed by the cruel, incredible strength of his Dragon, he seized Layla around the waist. Adrian growled deep in response, seizing her from behind also as power careened between them all. She knew it was on as Dusk pressed his lips to hers, hard. And as he pulled back with a growling snarl, his gaze furious and hot and incredible all at once, Layla knew that whatever they did tonight, there was no going back.
