She wrapped her fingers around the smooth, hot stick of male flesh and squeezed gently.

He tore his mouth away suddenly, gazing down at her with eyes filled with raw need. In the next instant he lifted her into his arms and strode toward the canvas draped throne. He placed her on the canvas and began disrobing-tearing at his clothes with such haste that he tugged his shirt over his head without unb.u.t.toning it.

A surge of satisfaction wafted through Gina as she watched the artist shed his clothes. When she saw his erection void of clothing, she sucked in a quick breath. It was long and thick- every girl's dream. She parted her legs and held up her arms, 246 eXtasy's Collective Mind welcoming him atop her body as he kicked off his shoes and stepped out of the jeans gathered around his ankles.

He took command of the act, holding her securely around the waist while he thrust between her legs. All pretence of foreplay disappeared as he took what he needed from her, jabbing inside her hot body with raw need. She grasped his b.u.t.tocks and arched her back, opening herself up for his lunging thrusts. He speared her insides, driving home so hard that she wanted to cry out with sheer pain, but then the first incredible tingle of o.r.g.a.s.m began in her belly. She tightened her grip on his b.u.t.tocks and tried to keep pace with his forceful thrusts.

It came full bloom for her-spilling along her limbs in mind-jarring blasts. She closed her eyes and savored the ramming thrusts as she careened over the edge and beyond. The o.r.g.a.s.m filled her body with electrical pulses, zinging along her nerve endings and knotting her muscles.

He bellowed his release, pinning her body beneath his with such urgency that she thought surely she would suffocate before he reached his full o.r.g.a.s.m. He thrust and thrust, savoring the full intensity of the climax, then slowed his pace and milked his c.o.c.k, levering his chest off her body so he could look down into her face as the final tingles of ecstasy streamed through his body.

Gina opened her eyes and gazed up at him.

Now he's under my spell.

She hid a smile as he collapsed atop her, breathing hotly into her left ear.

"All right. You win."

She jerked her head round, pushing at his shoulders with one hand.

"Say it again." She giggled uncontrollably.

He raised his head and looked down at her, a slight smile on his handsome face. His breathing was erratic. His body bathed in 247 Violet Visions sweat. He lowered his head and kissed her lips, pushing his tongue inside to taste her sweetness.

"I was warned about you. You're a vixen." He traced one fingertip along her jaw, rising to her lips-he slid his finger along her bottom lip, before lowering his head and kissing her again. "For years I managed to resist you-resist your unorthodox way of doing things-you're quite the enigma, you know?"

A blond brow arched. "Are you saying you'll sign my portrait?"

He smiled down at her.

"Let's make a deal, Derrick. I'll give you a display room to yourself. You can bring your paintings and display them-"

"Will you promise never to shave your head again?"

"Women don't need hair."

He sighed and shook his head. "Shave your p.u.s.s.y-not your head, Gina."

She giggled. "Do we have a deal?" She pulled his head down for another kiss, feeling him becoming aroused again.

He moaned deep in his throat as she poked her tongue into his mouth.

"Mmmm. We have a deal-if s.e.x is included."

"I told you-I'm the queen of s.e.x."

248.

eXtasy's Collective Mind Chaos D.J. Manly e had overslept. It had been too d.a.m.n warm in the cab, and H it had taken him a hel of a long time to fall asleep. And once he did, he slept like the dead. He had been on the road over twelve hours, stopping only once to take a pee break and get some coffee. He was d.a.m.n sick of those chocolate cookies he had bought two days ago in some Midwestern grocery store. He felt like throwing the d.a.m.n things out the window, but it would be just his luck that some Smokey would come riding around the corner at the same time and fine his a.s.s.

Gareth hauled out his map. Someone was doing "breaker, breaker," on his radio, but he was sandbagging, keeping his ears alert for any news of upcoming Smokies in the bush, since he'd been putting the hammer down for the last two hours. He kept the eighteen wheeler steady as he spread the map out on the seat beside him. He knew he was near his destination, a mid sized town somewhere in Wisconsin called Braggstown, but he had the feeling he had taken a wrong turn back there somewhere. If that was the case, he had gone about fifty miles too far. f.u.c.k! It wasn't like him to screw up like this.

His radio was buzzing at him again. "Got your ears on, good 249 Violet Visions buddy? It's Tommy Boy. You there, Gareth Conway?"

Gareth sighed. He had met Frank Thompson about two weeks ago when he was doing a short haul from New York to Montreal.

They'd had coffee, and if Thompson would have had his way, they would have had a h.e.l.l of a lot more than coffee. He was getting annoying. Hopefully, they wouldn't meet up on this trip. Now, where in the h.e.l.l was that turnoff?

The sun was going down and Logan Penn was d.a.m.n glad of it. He was baking. It seemed he'd been walking forever down this d.a.m.n road, and he had no idea where it led. Although, he did get a chance to rest with that fat guy a while back, he wished he'd given him something to eat besides pretzels. For a grotesquely overweight fellow, he sure didn't have much in his refrigerator.

Logan knew he should have never told him he was nineteen.

The guy definitely liked young boys, and when he found out that Logan wasn't sixteen, he wanted to get rid of him in a hurry. At least he didn't actually have to do anything with the guy. He was d.a.m.n ugly. However when he'd picked Logan up, he'd driven him way out here on this G.o.d forsaken road. It didn't even seem to be near a major highway. The only good thing about it was, if he didn't know where in the h.e.l.l he was at, then no one else would either.

He kept walking. All he could see were fields and a smattering of houses way off from the road. Ahead of him were the glaring brutal sun and more open road.

"You did that on purpose," Valgar's voice boomed. "You made 250 eXtasy's Collective Mind him miss his turnoff."

"Get out of my head, get out, you nasty man," she giggled girlishly. "I did not and you can't prove it."

"I could report you for this. I could get that green stone taken out of your crown."

"Ha! You just try to touch my emerald. I earned that fair and square. You're just jealous. I am within my rights here. The rules say you cannot visit chaos on the pre-destined. I have seen this coming."

"f.u.c.k the rules. It's time I enjoyed myself. I once enjoyed you, if you remember, my beauty?"

Mirha sucked in some breath. Valgar. The G.o.d of chaos. He also happened to be s.e.xy as h.e.l.l, but he was a true demon, at least he could be when he wanted to. "I'll take it before the council, Valgar," she threatened.

"They have no power over me, sweetness."

"I'll fight you on this one." Mirha tuned him out. He had beaten her before, but not this time. She wouldn't let him have these ones. Besides, she was a sucker for a good love story.

Anything Valgar could dish out, she could counteract. "Give it your best shot, baby," she muttered. "And if I win, you will pay."

Gareth pulled the rig over to the side of the road. If he wasn't reading the map wrong, he was more than seventy miles out of his way. He laid his dark head back against the seat and closed his eyes. He needed coffee. He needed some food. He had spotted a greasy spoon about twenty miles ago. Since he was going to have to double back anyway, he might as well stop there for some grub. d.a.m.n. This meant pulling an all-nighter again.

He moved forward, looking for a road where he could turn 251 Violet Visions around. The d.a.m.n road was too narrow. Finally, he found an entrance to a farmer's field, and he expertly maneuvered the truck back up onto the road and headed back in the opposite direction. He'd lost the sun now, and the sky looked like it wanted to rain, although it was trying to hold off. He put the pedal to the metal and made for the rest stop. He was rolling right along, swinging around the corner when he spotted what could only be a flash of something. Yanking the wheel over to the left so hard that he felt the rig almost tip to the side, he screeched to a halt. He was sprawled halfway across the road, his chest heaving, his heart hammering. "What in f.u.c.k...?" Was it an animal? Had he hit the d.a.m.n thing?

He opened his door, and dropped down to the pavement, checking the front tire to make sure it hadn't blown.

"What in f.u.c.k is wrong with you man?" An angry voice snarled. The words jumped out of nowhere at him. Gareth narrowed his large black eyes, settling on a young man. Before he could open his mouth, the young man in question flew up into his face and began chewing him out big time. "You could have killed me. Were you trying to f.u.c.king kill me? Don't you know how to drive that thing?"

Gareth blinked. The guy's hair was plastered against his head.

G.o.d knows what color it was. And he had watery blue eyes which looked rather bloodshot. He was carrying what looked like a t-shirt in his hands, and wearing an extremely short pair of nylon shorts, and running shoes. There was a foul smell emanating from him, which caused Gareth to take a step backward. "What in h.e.l.l are you doing out here walking on the road?"

"Don't people have a right to walk on the road, or do you guys own it or something?"

Gareth ignored that. "Look, are you alright?"

"Yes, no thanks to you."

252.

eXtasy's Collective Mind "Well, if you're okay," Gareth turned to go back to his rig.

"So, that's it?"

Gareth glanced at him over his shoulder. "Huh?"

"You practically kill me, then, you leave me out here to die?"

Gareth's mouth dropped as he watched the guy walk over to the pa.s.senger side of his cab.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?" he began, following him.

The guy grinned, then hauled open the door and stepped up inside. "I need a ride," he said with a shrug.

"Get out of there," Gareth told him. "I don't give rides."

The guy ran his eyes over him as he stood there in front of the open door. "That's too bad," he cooed. "You look like you could be good at giving rides."

Gareth's eyes widened. He didn't miss the s.e.xual innuendo.

"Look, I don't know what you got in mind, but I'm late. I got a deadline and..."

"I won't slow you up. Look, give me a ride to the next town, buy me some food, and I'll take off. We'll call it square okay?"

"Call it square for what?" Gareth suspected that the guy had put himself in harm's way on purpose.

"For you almost killing me."

"But you said you're alright."

"I am, but I could have been killed. Come on. You said you were late. Time's a wastin'."

Gareth narrowed his eyes. "You did that on purpose."

"You think I'm nuts? Why would I do that?" He smiled.

"Valgar tried to kill him. He's not allowed," Mirah complained in front of the council.

253.

Violet Visions "We have no jurisdiction over him. He's chaos. You know that. Besides, Mirah, you are getting carried away. It's obvious that Logan did that just to get a ride with that trucker."

Mirah stamped her foot. "I want your permission to have reign to do what ever I see fit, to make sure he..."

"Mirah," one of the sage's voices said calmly, "is this really about these two mortals?"

Mirah watched the twinkling stars, which seemed to be moving all around her. Each one of them represented one of the sages. d.a.m.n them. They knew everything. She wasn't allowed any secrets. "Of course," she said, sitting down in her seat, which was shaped like a sea sh.e.l.l. It had been a gift from Valgar, of all the most unlikely gift givers.

"Mirah, you are lying," one sage accused.

"Okay, maybe it's not totally about the mortals, but I am within my rights. I do oversee pre-destiny."

"Alright." One of the stars gleamed brightly, suddenly almost blinding her. "We have reviewed your request and find that Valgar is once again treading on your territory. You may do as you see fit. Please, no all out war like the last time?"

Mirah smiled mischievously. "I wouldn't dream of it," she said.

Logan glanced at the man who crawled in the truck beside him.

Oh baby. He was a looker. As tired and hungry as he was, he couldn't miss those gorgeous black eyes and long black hair, or the six foot muscular body that was hugged perfectly by the tight black jeans and white tank top, which showed off his broad shoulders and biceps to perfection. "You don't look like any trucker I've ever seen," he said, letting his eyes wander down to 254 eXtasy's Collective Mind the obvious bulge in those jeans. "Who do you work for, baby?"

"I'm not your baby," he replied. "And I work for myself."

"Independent, eh? I like that. What's your name?"

Gareth started the engine, doing his best to straighten out the truck. He wasn't really paying much attention to what this guy was jabbering about.

"Don't talk much. Strong, silent type, eh?" Logan laughed, hearing the truck moan and groan a bit, then, heaving a little sigh of relief as the driver started to drive forward.

Gareth let out some air. "d.a.m.n, all I need now is a f.u.c.ked up rig. Listen," he said, looking at Logan, "there is a stop about ten miles ahead. I'm leaving you there."

"No problem. So, let me ask again, what's your name?"

"Name? Ah, Gareth," he said, eyes straight ahead.

"Weird."

"What's weird?"

"My first f.u.c.k was called Gareth. He wasn't as hunky as you, but he knew how to use his c.o.c.k. Do you know how to use yours?"

"You got some mouth for a kid."

"I'm no kid."