Fate's Wish Read online

  Contents

  ~ Look for these titles from Milly Taiden ~

  Copyright Warning

  ~ Dedication ~

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Epilogue

  ~ About the Author ~

  ~ Coming Soon ~

  ~ Also by Milly Taiden ~

  ~ More Erotic Romance from Etopia Press ~

  ~ Look for these titles from Milly Taiden ~

  Now Available

  Sharp Change

  “Mate Event” Halloween Heat III

  Coming Soon:

  Caged Heat

  Fate’s Wish

  Milly Taiden

  Copyright Warning

  EBooks are not transferable. They cannot be sold, shared, or given away. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is a crime punishable by law. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded to or downloaded from file sharing sites, or distributed in any other way via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the publisher’s permission. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000 (http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/).

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are fictitious or have been used fictitiously, and are not to be construed as real in any way. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales, or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  Published By

  Etopia Press

  1643 Warwick Ave., #124

  Warwick, RI 02889

  http://www.etopia-press.net

  Fate’s Wish

  Copyright © 2012 by Milly Taiden

  ISBN: 978-1-939194-20-6

  Edited by Melinda Fulton

  Cover by Mina Carter

  All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  First Etopia Press electronic publication: November 2012

  ~ Dedication ~

  To my awesome girls: Amalfis, Leda, Sharon and Glyn. You gals are great! And to Jewel, Yoli, and Heidi H. As always, thank you.

  Melinda…you rock!

  Chapter One

  “Look at me, Shar.” He gripped her face with his large hands, tilting it back.

  She lifted her lids to bring his black eyes into focus. Their eyes met, held; heat flooded her system.

  “Zahir—” Her voice came out a breathy moan. The full impact of his body touching her sent her arousal into overdrive.

  “You’re mine. You’ll always be mine.”

  He crushed her lips with his. She urged him on with moans and whimpers. With her legs curled around his waist, she rubbed her clit on his steely cock. Another moan worked through her. Her nails dug into his muscled shoulders, and she tried to pull him closer to her.

  “Fuck me, Zahir.” Her urgent plea filled the quiet of the bedroom.

  Focused solely on her, it was as if his eyes gazed deep into her soul. He pulled his hips back and the head of his cock stretched her pussy entrance. His dick stroked every nerve ending in her body while he slowly drove into her.

  His thick shaft stretched her sleek walls until she was panting in half pain, half pleasure. His eyes never wavered from hers until he was finally seated deep inside her. Every time they made love, it was like that. Her body needed to relearn to adjust to his size all over again.

  “Relax, sweetheart.”

  She wiggled her hips and moaned at the amazing feel of him inside her.

  “Oh, goddess. For sanity’s sake, fuck me already.” Ecstasy gripped her body in its clutches while she tried to breathe. “Zahir, move!”

  He powered in and out of her body in rapid, harsh thrusts. Energy swirled around them. Lights of gold and white stars burst when he lost more of his control. She moaned at the heat spreading through her.

  Her moans and pants increased. He groaned and thrust wildly into her body. All she knew was him. She gazed into the full black of his eyes. White energy merged with his golden dark power, surrounding them and blending both into one.

  Her climax hit her in a rush. Pleasure rolled through her in waves, and she was left breathless. His body tensed and released into her in heated jerks.

  “I love you.”

  Only silence greeted her words.

  Sharmila jerked awake bathed in sweat. Her nipples and pussy throbbed, aching for release. She breathed deeply. The dream had been more of a memory really, one she’d love to forget but that her body wouldn’t let her. Each time one thing came through crystal clear: he’d never told her he loved her.

  * * *

  “When was the last time you had sex, darling?”

  “Mom! That is so not the question I want to hear from your lips.” Sharmila groaned. She grabbed a pillow and threw it over her flaming face. That was not what she had planned to discuss on her weekly call with her mother. Although she had no problems talking adult stuff with her mom, her lack of sex was not what she wanted to talk about.

  “Sweetheart, let’s face facts here. You need to cleanse your system.” Anahid sounded like a gynecologist, not her mother. “So, when was the last time you had sex?”

  “Mommm.”

  “Answer the question.” Her stern voice urged.

  “Fine, you want to know? Five years ago.”

  Anything would’ve been more welcome instead of the shocked silence she got. “Oh, my poor baby. That’s just awful. You mean you haven’t— Since—?” Her voice sounded surprised.

  “No, I haven’t.” Shar was mortified to admit to her mother she hadn’t had sex in five years. She, of all people, knew how meaningful that was.

  “Well, why the hell not? You’re a beautiful young woman. You’re not even thirty years old, and you’re not having sex. No wonder you can’t function.”

  “We’re not discussing me not functioning. We’re discussing my not being able to practice magic. You should just admit it, I suck.” She sighed and rubbed a hand on her forehead.

  Shar had lost the drive to find the fulfillment sex used to bring before she’d met Zahir. She no longer looked for quick bouts of sex to relieve her stress.

  “You most certainly do not! You just need to have sex.”

  Oh, heaven help her. “Mom! Please, I will do whatever you want, but can we not talk about my sex life?”

  “Well, why not, sweetie? I mean, it sounds like you need all the help you can get. Either the man has to be pushed out of your system or you have to go for someone new, but you need to get some action soon.”

  Shar went back to the original topic. “I’ve done everything you’ve suggested. I’m not sure what else to do short of stripping on a mountain to chant to the nature goddess. It’s too damn cold for that shit. My magic is gone. It’s been waning, and now I can’t even get the most basic spells to work. I can’t even get a chair to lift.”

  “Don’t you see? You need to clear your mind for the magic to flow. Sweetie, you really do need to get some sweaty horizontal action. You never had this problem when you were with him. Your magic was at its peak back then. We need to fix this. Now.” Her mother’s firm tone worried her.

  “Short of a miracle, I’m not sure how that’s going to happen. I’ve not been interested in anyone else since. He left me for no good reason and took my sex drive with him. What was I supposed to do? Go after him? Beg? I don’t think so.” Remembering hurt.
In denial, she had blocked that time of her life. “Mom, I have to go. Just face it. I have. I’ve lost the touch.”

  “This is unacceptable. There is no way in hell I will just face it. Sharmila Alene, you were born under the blessings of nature, given the gift of magic like your mother, and are protected under the stars. You are blessed, like all the women in our family. You do not just give up.”

  “OK, I’ll try the mountain thing next. Just give me until it’s a little warmer. I don’t want to freeze my ass off.” A painful throb hammered the back of her skull. In a moment, she was going to have to shut off the lights and meditate to rid herself of the pain.

  The silence from her mother’s side unnerved her. The magic that flowed through her veins should’ve grown by now, not diminished. She was losing an integral part of herself and didn’t know why. None of the things she’d tried had worked. It was almost as though her magic was slowly leaking away—as if it were depleting.

  “We’ll fix this, Shar. Don’t worry. I’ll talk to you later, darling.”

  Shar hung up the phone. What the heck was her mother planning to do? She would never let the problem go until Shar’s magic was fully restored. Too exhausted to think about it, she shut her eyes to relieve the pain in her head.

  Chapter Two

  Anahid opened her front door using the power of her mind. She smiled when she saw the man at her doorway.

  “Luthian. Come in, please.”

  The broad-shouldered warlock entered and lifted her hand to his lips. A shiver of awareness ran up her spine at the slight touch. Whenever Luthian came around her, she turned into a blushing teenager. It disgusted her to no end. At forty-five years old, she didn’t want or need that kind of reaction to the younger man.

  A glint entered his eyes when he smiled. “You called on me.”

  Of all the people she could’ve asked for help, she chose him. “I need information on someone. A demon.” Her long white dress wrapped around her legs with every step. She walked back to her table and to her large looking glass. She said a few words, and the image of Zahir filled her glass. “What can you tell me about him?”

  Luthian took a step closer. She lifted a brow at his movement, knowing he saw clearly from where he had been standing.

  “Zahir Darkrath. Very powerful. Above all others we’ve come to know, he’s extremely dangerous. How do you know him?”

  She stepped away and headed toward a sofa. “He’s my son-in-law.”

  “What?”

  She smiled at his surprise. Not many knew she had a daughter, much less one old enough to be married. When she and Sharmila went out, many thought they were sisters. It always made her laugh when she told others her age. They refused to believe her.

  “Yes, my daughter married him in one of those spur-of-the-moment things. Within a few days, he left her without a reason. Ever since then, she’s had difficulty with her magic.”

  Luthian sat on the sofa across from her. He stared at her for a few long seconds, and she had to picture all kinds of disgusting things to bring her libido under control. Goddess, what the hell was wrong with her? He was not young enough to be her son, thank goddess, but he was at least eight years under her. Luthian was also the most powerful warlock she knew, a descendant of Merlin. She was his junior even with the magic that flowed through her veins.

  “He’s very strong. I’ll have to look into this to know what is causing her magic’s decline. In the meantime, I suggest bringing them back together. It’s a temporary solution, but it will probably help. His power will enhance hers.”

  “There is some kind of dark power trying to get at Shar. It’s been conjuring evil, and if it weren’t for all the protection spells I have placed over her combined with my constant pushing away of evil powers, it would have caught up with her already. I could easily take care of it—”

  “Don’t. Give Darkrath a call. Let him handle it.” He stood to go.

  At her door, he lifted her hand once again to his lips. Their gazes met and held. A wicked smile lifted his sexy lips and she gulped. Luthian had more sex appeal than any man she’d ever met. Heat unfurled inside her. Great goddess, she hoped the next time she saw him her body wouldn’t embarrass her again. Any other man but him would be less torturous to want.

  After he left, she felt the air whoosh out of her lungs. She shivered, and arousal coursed through her. In agreement with Luthian, she would contact Zahir at the security agency.

  * * *

  Zahir took a deep breath and tried to keep his calm. “You want to run that by me again?” His hands clenched into fists.

  Arcanon and another of his employees shared a look. Arcanon gave the other guy a slight nod, and he left the office. Zahir frowned. Arcanon took a seat across from him.

  “Can you handle the rest of the story or not?” Arcanon leaned back in his chair and folded his arms over his big chest.

  Zahir ground his teeth together. “Tell me.”

  Arcanon sighed. “OK. Anahid Bloom called to request protection for her daughter.”

  “Sharmila.” Just saying her name made his heart squeeze in pain.

  “That’s the one. She said her daughter has some kind of freak after her and she’s not able to defend herself at this time.” Arcanon frowned. “I’m not really sure what she meant by that.”

  Zahir jerked up in his seat. “Why the hell can’t she defend herself? She’s a goddamn witch. She’s never had problems taking care of herself before.”

  Arcanon shrugged. “She didn’t say. Wait, she did mention something about magic leaking, but I was lost right after that.”

  A sledgehammer to the chest would’ve been less painful. His lungs burned, and he realized he’d stopped breathing. He’d left Shar because he thought she’d be safer without him, but now it seemed she needed him.

  Zahir’s vision turned a light shade of red. “And she specifically asked for someone who’s single?” The vein on side of his temple throbbed.

  “Oh yeah, she was adamant that her daughter needs to have sex. Lots of it. In fact, she told me I’d be good enough. Then, to make sure I was interested, a picture appeared in my hand. If she wasn’t your ex-wife I’d be all over this one. She’s fucking hot. Why the hell did you divorce her in the first place?” Arcanon slapped the photo on the desk.

  But Shar wasn’t exactly his ex-wife. They were still legally married and bonded. She’d never pursued a divorce. Knowing someone was after her made his blood boil. She was still his, even if only from a distance.

  “And she said I wasn’t to know?” Anahid had always liked him, but he understood her anger. He’d left her daughter for no apparent reason.

  “Man, Zahir. I don’t know what you did to her, but she was pissed at the mention of your name. She said it was extremely important for you not to know about her request. But I can’t keep shit from you. So, what are you going to do?”

  The darkness in his power pulled at him. He wanted to find the source of the problem and destroy it. “I’ll care of it. If anyone is going to protect her, it’s going to be me.”

  Arcanon frowned. “You sure? I’ll be more than happy to watch her.” He flushed and shifted in his seat. “Without the sex part.”

  “No. She’s mine. I’ll take care of her.”

  Sharmila stared at him from the picture on his desk. Her amber eyes were bright, and her smile burst through the photo. The wispy long blonde strands curled past her shoulders. Not a single strand appeared to be similar to the next. He’d spent hours running them through his fingers while she’d slept. From almost white to wheat to a burnished gold, the long mass gave her an angelic look.

  She’d changed so little since the first time he’d seen her. He had been walking past her store when energy pulled him inside. One look, and he’d been lost to her smile, her warmth, and her sexy body. Sizzling power rose around him. The room shook, his desk squealed, and furniture cracked. He couldn’t trust her safety to anyone else. Sharmila belonged to him.

  Chapte
r Three

  The smell of burnt cookies filled the apartment as Shar dropped another batch of rejects on her kitchen counter. She nibbled on one of the least mutant-looking ones and frowned. She’d been trying for years, but she was unable to master the art of cookie baking.

  Her mother had taught her how to soothe, heal, and charm. Cookie baking 101 hadn’t been in her repertoire. Sucking at baking cookies was worse than her sad attempts at cooking. Cookies were lifesavers, emotional healers. If only they would bake and not burn. After an exasperated sigh, she went back to her desk.

  Invoices needed to be sent out for orders received in to Fate’s Wish. The shop had so many online orders she’d need to get a part-time person to help fill them all. To her irritation, the doorbell rang twice in a row. Why did someone need to ring the bell twice in one shot? She wasn’t deaf, and her bell worked fine.

  “I’m coming.” Who was here to annoy her? She wasn’t in the mood for company.

  She pulled open the door to her neighbor. His frame filled her doorway, and he greeted her with a boyish smile.

  “Hi, Sid. What can I do for you?” The forced smile made her cheeks hurt. If he asked her out again she might just hit him before she threw him out the door. He stepped into her apartment without being invited, walked toward her sofa, and made himself at home. What the hell was wrong with this guy? He didn’t seem to understand the meaning of not interested.