Black Legacy: Black Opals, Book 1 Read online

  She’ll make sure he survives the night…even if it costs her heart.

  Black Opals, Book 1

  Frankie Black is a woman in need of a mission. For a Black Opal—a warrior woman who shifts backward or forward through time in order to, well, save the world—the last six months of downtime have left her bored. Restless. And with a feeling that something is about to hit the fan.

  Finally, an assignment: save the life of Dekkar James, an infamous rock god living three hundred years in the past. Tattooed, ruggedly handsome and perfectly imperfect, one look at him and it’s as if her sleeping body springs to life.

  One minute Dekkar is having the most mind-blowing sex of his life. The next, goons are breaking down his door, and he’s on the run with a woman who turns from lover to warrior in the blink of an eye.

  Dealing with the New Order, operatives who manipulate time without regard for the consequences, is nothing new for Frankie. But this time their tactics have a more personal edge—they’ve found a way to seek out the Opals’ predestined mates.

  Unless she can save Dekkar’s life, her future will be the first casualty in a battle for the fate of humankind.

  Warning: Contains one hot dude with tattoos, a woman who won’t take no for an answer, steamy sex, an ancient Harley and a little bit of time travel.

  eBooks are not transferable.

  They cannot be sold, shared or given away as it is an infringement on the copyright of this work.

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  Samhain Publishing, Ltd.

  577 Mulberry Street, Suite 1520

  Macon GA 31201

  Black Legacy

  Copyright © 2010 by Juliana Stone

  ISBN: 978-1-60504-888-8

  Edited by Lindsey Faber

  Cover by Natalie Winters

  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 Samhain Publishing, Ltd. electronic publication: February 2010

  www.samhainpublishing.com

  Black Legacy

  Juliana Stone

  Dedication

  To my family and friends, whose belief in me is everything.

  Chapter One

  Frankie Black was pissed off.

  She tried to control the latent aggression that nipped at her insides, but it was hard because truthfully she was a lot more then pissed off. She was tired, hungry and frustrated beyond reason. Her mind had been circling fast for days, knowing that something was coming.

  In her line of business, that wasn’t always a good thing.

  Frankie knew that it was time to move on.

  And she would. Tomorrow.

  Right now she was a little busy taking care of the whole starving thing. And not for food. Nope. Her body was craving pleasures of the flesh, and she thought that at least had been covered when she’d picked up the young blond god who lay between her legs.

  His long muscular limbs were draped over her lower body, his hips gyrating slowly against her knees. His mouth was otherwise engaged, his tongue feverishly working her over as he sought to please her.

  She sighed softly. It just wasn’t enough. She could have been staring out the window counting stars for all his tongue was accomplishing.

  And that’s where the frustration came in. He was one hot piece of ass, no doubt about it. Then again, every single person she’d ever met on the planet Babylon was. Less than perfect didn’t cut it here. They were all blond gods and goddesses. It was a place where a girl like Frankie, with her jet black hair, pale skin and even paler eyes, stood out—she was the rarity.

  Yes indeed, Babylon had been amazing for her libido because every single perfect individual lived for one thing and one thing only.

  Sex.

  Which for her was a bonus, because Frankie was a girl with a healthy appetite. She loved her food, she liked to play hard, and nothing pleased her more than a great session between the sheets. For someone like her, Babylon was the perfect vacation spot. After completing her last mission, sticking around had pretty much been a no brainer. She truly thought she’d died and gone to heaven.

  Literally.

  There had been a never ending supply of beautiful, pleasing men, and she’d had her share of amazing sex. But lately it just wasn’t cutting it. She was sick and tired of perfection. Of the unwavering need to please that everyone on this bloody planet had. She needed some friction—things were way too smooth, too vanilla. She needed someone with an edge; someone dark, strong and imperfect.

  Who the hell was she kidding? A fucking orgasm is what she needed.

  Frankie hissed a sigh of impatience and wrapped her hands tightly around the blond’s head.

  “God damn it!” She groaned as she pressed his face into her, opening her legs as wide as they could go.

  Her fingers dug deeply into his scalp, and she pushed him hard into the hot, heated core between her legs, whispering hoarsely. “There…oh my gods, right there.”

  She felt her pussy begin to cream, finally, and in an attempt to quicken things along her fingers left his head and she reached down, inserting two long digits deep inside her own wetness.

  She knew the right angles and pressure points to push, and exhaled softly as the familiar pressure began to build. Her hand pumped harder and faster, as her hips began to rock and gyrate. Crisp shards of pleasure began to radiate out from deep inside her body, until they crested into sharp slivers of delight.

  The male’s large hands gripped her ass and the sound of sucking, licking and groaning reverberated through her hotel room.

  Frankie began to pant as her body started to quiver in excitement. She glanced into the mirror beside the divan where they lay in a tangled mess, biting her lips as her fingers worked frantically. She was almost there and her body arched in anticipation. Christ, she’d never had to work so hard for an orgasm before.

  She could feel it, just there, on the edge, torturing her in exquisite agony.

  She ripped his head away, her voice wild. “Goddamn it!”

  She pushed him back on the bed, his large dick swinging boldly in the moonlight, and she straddled him, enjoying the look of desire that raged over the perfect features.

  Frankie lowered her head and grabbed his lips with her own, aggressively pushing her tongue deep inside the hot recesses of his mouth. She felt him groan into her and her teeth scraped along his cheek as she whispered hoarsely into his ear.

  “I want every inch of you deep inside me.”

  She raised herself up, and slowly impaled herself onto his hardness, a loud groan escaping as she slid her slick cream over the shaft of his cock.

  She bent forward slightly, her breasts swinging in the air, along with a delicate gold chain. The black opal it held swayed seductively against her flesh, and the stone reflected the color of ice in its midst. Her arms splayed out on either side of her partner, and she pressed forward, enjoying the pressure against her clit as she rode his cock hard.

  Her elusive orgasm was pulsing deep inside and she increased her rhythm as the sensations intensified, liquefied. Her eyes flew open, the pale blue orbs almost black as they dilated fully with her pleasure. Her hair, long and inky black billowed around her shoulders and down to her waist; a silken cape to caress the milky white of her skin.

  She was so fucking close to the exquisite pain of org
asm she could taste it.

  So it was a big piss off of a problem when Frankie heard the slow incantation of her sisters’ summoning spell. It started softly and built into a swell of voices that slithered through her mind until it was a loud call in her ear.

  “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” She yelled as she increased the pressure, pumping her ass in the air as hard, and as fast as she could. A breeze swept through the room, bringing with it a silver gray mist that wrapped fingers seductively around the two straining bodies. It caressed the male into slumber, before enveloping Frankie entirely.

  She could feel them pulling at her, and she resisted, continuing to pump furiously. Her hands flew back to her pussy, massaging her clit as her eyes watched the blond god dissolve into mist.

  She felt his hardness slide from her body, but it was enough, and she screamed victoriously as an orgasm shook her limbs. Slowly she withdrew her fingers, running the wetness from her body over her still-sensitive breasts. Her head lolled back and she gave herself up to the vortex that violently shook the room.

  Then everything went black.

  Chapter Two

  Frankie hadn’t been home in over six months, and a smile crept over her features as she pulled her vintage Harley up to The Black Opal. She was fresh from a shower, grateful her sisters had transported her back to her dwelling and not here. The thought of her family witnessing a screaming orgasm was so not something she wanted to envision.

  She sat for a few moments, her fingers trailing over the bike’s sleek lines lovingly. In 2310 the Harley was not a common sight. In fact, she was willing to bet there wasn’t another like it on the planet. Air streamers were all the rage. They were safe, reliable.

  And so not for Frankie.

  She loved the feel of a powerful engine between her legs, just as she liked the sound, the vibration, even the smell of exhaust. Sure, the Harley’s technology was ancient. The dated energy source it used was hard to come by and cost a fortune. It pretty much violated every safety code there was on her home planet of Terre but that somehow made it all the sweeter.

  It was imperfect.

  And in a time and place where most things were nothing but perfection, to Frankie, it was irresistible. She’d always been a bit of a rebel, loved to go against the grain, and the older she got, the more she realized that perfection was overrated. Boring. She needed something more in her life. She cut the throttle and coasted around back to where she normally parked her bike.

  It was hot, muggy, and she was thirsty as all hell. But hey, at least she could strike horny from that list. Her body still tingled from her orgasm of an hour ago. The time shift had seemed to electrify it somewhat, making her exit from Babylon quite memorable.

  Her eyes winced as she tilted her head towards the sun, knowing instantly it was just after one in the afternoon. Frankie stretched lazily, closing her eyes as she smiled.

  It was good to be home. Terre was a beautiful place to grow up, lush and tropical with an abundance of forests and water that kept the planet healthy and vibrant. There were several large cities scattered throughout the planet, including the one that she called home, Dagota.

  The Black Opal however, was located out in the middle of nowhere. It was a huge fortress and housed at any given time a number of mercenaries, bounty hunters and black ops who worked for the confederation.

  But more importantly, it was owned and run by the Black matriarch.

  Which would be her mother, Rachel Black.

  Frankie was but one in a long line of women who had the ability to time shift. They had the power of the Black Opal which gave them the gift of sight and protection against evil that transcended time.

  They were kinda like the Time Police and her family had been doing a bang-up job for hundreds of years.

  It was the humans on Earth who’d screwed things up but good. As their technologies became more and more advanced, they had discovered a way to time shift on their own. Truthfully, Frankie believed it was a direct result of a New Order member playing with fire, but the end result was the same.

  For the last three hundred years there had been artificial jumpers, those who’d paid for the ability to rove about at will—jumping from planet to planet, from the past and into the future. Wreaking havoc in their wake, trying to change the path that fate had decreed.

  They were dangerous and the women in her family had been kicking their asses all over several galaxies for generations.

  The Black Opal had been in her family for even longer. As long as she had memories, this place had been a constant in her life. It was home.

  The fragrant flowers that bloomed along the edge of the forest tickled her nostrils and she felt joy wrap around her soul. Frankie inhaled deeply as a smile fell across her lips and she jumped the steps two at a time, until the coolness of the interior caressed her cheeks.

  It took a few minutes for her eyes to adjust to the dim light and her smile widened even more as she caught sight of the young woman rushing towards her at warp speed.

  “Frankie!” She shrieked and then yelled over her shoulder. “Mom, Frankie’s home!”

  Her youngest sister, Serena, enveloped her into a tight hug, her long thin arms grabbing Frankie’s body close.

  “I’ve missed you! You’ve been gone way too long this time.”

  She laughingly pushed her sister back, surprised to see how much the young girl had matured.

  Serena’s long, blonde hair, so unlike her own dark tresses, hung to her waist in a curtain of gold. No longer gangly and awkward, she’d blossomed into a young woman with curves in spite of her thin frame.

  “Hey, I missed you too. Where’re Mom and the rest of the girls?”

  “I’m the only one home. We did the summoning and they all had to scoot, except Mom. She’s waiting for you in her office.”

  A shadow crossed over Serena’s face and Frankie was instantly on alert. She’d learned long ago to trust her intuition and right now it was screaming in her ear. Her belly rolled over and she grimaced. Something was up.

  “Everything all right?”

  “I’m not sure.” Serena shrugged but Frankie could tell the girl was worried. “A lot of stuff has been happening here lately and none of it has been good.”

  “Like what?” Frankie asked, her voice tight.

  “I don’t know. They won’t tell me.” Her sister answered bitterly. “They all think I’m too young.”

  “Well, why the fuck wasn’t I brought back earlier?”

  Frankie was pissed. Again.

  “I didn’t raise my daughter to speak to people using those words.”

  Her mother’s voice sliced through the gloom, and Frankie glanced up towards the mezzanine that led to her office. A tall woman of regal build leaned against the railing. The hair, still as dark as her own was scraped back into a severe bun, but it did nothing to deter from the beauty that still lay there after fifty-odd years.

  Warmth washed over her at the sight of her mother and she quickly made her way up to the next level, kissing her on both cheeks in greeting.

  “I’m sorry. I just don’t like being left out in the dark.”

  Her mother’s eyes, so like her own pale blue ones, held a hint of sadness and she felt her heart constrict. “It’s good to see you, chica, it’s been too long, but we have no time to visit. Your sister’s right. There’s been a lot going on, but the more pressing issue is a time shift we need you for.”

  Frankie followed her mother, curiosity biting at her mouth, but she kept silent. She closed the door behind her and fell into the comfy chair that was kitty corner to her mother’s large oak table. Her long, leather-clad legs draped casually off the side, and she settled back, waiting expectantly.

  On the wall to her left a virtual map of the seven known galaxies twinkled with light. She could see that one planet in particular was glowing in the galaxy centered amongst the rest. Looking closely she noted it was their sister planet, Earth.

  “So where is everyb
ody?”

  “Your sisters are all out on assignment.”

  “All of them? That’s just…” She paused, confused, “we’ve never all been out before.”

  Her mother paused and rubbed her temple. Her gut clenched. Rachel Black looked tired and worried. Not a good omen.

  “Like I said, a lot has been happening. I’ll fill you in when you get back, but this target is a level one.”

  A sick feeling was slowly starting to flood her system, and her breathing slowed as she became aware of a few things.

  Normally The Black Opal was hopping with men and women, lots of them. There had only been a smattering of air streamers out in the parking lot, and now that she was taking the time to observe, there was a problem with noise; or lack thereof. If she had to guess, she’d say that the number of agents chilling or training was drastically reduced.

  Meaning they were all out in the field.

  Shit, that couldn’t be good.

  “So, guess I’m heading to Earth?”

  Her mother arched an eyebrow, her face relaxing somewhat. She glanced towards the map, nodding her head slightly.

  “Yes. You’ll be shifting back three hundred years.”

  Frankie was surprised but didn’t say shit. She’d never shifted that far into the past. Usually her older sister, Sasha, did those kinds of things. She’d been the ace in history during studies.

  “Our target is—” her mother ruffled a few papers, and for the first time Frankie noticed the tiny lines of worry that settled around her eyes, “—a man named Dekkar James. My intel is spotty, but in approximately one hour he’ll be in New York City.”

  “Why does he need me?”

  Her mother paused, the intelligent face pinched with worry. “Assassins from The New Order are being dispatched as we speak. You won’t have long, maybe a few hours before they reach him. This man must survive the night.”

  Her mother rose from behind her desk and Frankie was shocked to see the gleam of tears misting the edges.