Dark Queen’s Quest

by I. T. Lucas

  She could be the seductress, though. That was feminine.

  The nightgown Arielle had given her was beautiful, all satin and lace in soft creamy colors, and she was naked under it because she’d given the butler her undergarments to launder.

  As if guessing her intentions and trying to stave them off, Yamanu lifted a hand and rubbed it over his jaw, which she noticed he’d shaved before going to bed.

  “Your friend, the one who checked about Jin for you, how good is he at what he does?”

  “He and the people he works with are the best. Why?”

  “I know some people too. I can ask them to give it a try. Maybe they’ll be able to find something that your friend missed.”

  “That would be awesome. I doubt that they will find something that he didn’t, but I wouldn’t say no to another go at it. Right now, I have basically nothing to work with.”

  “I’ll make some phone calls tomorrow.”

  “Thanks.”

  It was hopeless. If she didn’t do something, they would keep the polite conversation going until Yamanu excused himself and went to bed.

  To sleep.

  Being alone with him in the middle of the night, with a bed just a few feet away, was an opportunity that would not present itself again.

  What was the worst that could happen?

  Yamanu saying no?

  The rejection would hurt, but then guys faced that all the time and still kept pursuing women. Those who gave up were doomed to spending their lives alone, holed up in their rooms, playing video games and masturbating. She didn’t want to become the female equivalent of that.

  Winners took action and didn’t back down from challenges.

  Here goes nothing.

  Mey put on a seductive smile, rose up as sexually as she could, and lowered herself onto Yamanu’s thighs.

  “I don’t want to talk anymore.” She wrapped her arms around his thick neck and looked into his pale blue eyes.

  They were glowing, but that must be a trick of the light.

  She touched a finger to his lips. “I’ve been staring at those lips of yours for hours now, and all I could think about was kissing them.”

  He was so tall that even though she was sitting on his lap their faces were at the same level. Leaning, she started closing the distance between their lips, very slowly, giving Yamanu every opportunity to back away.

  Consent was important, and she wasn’t going to force him into doing anything that he didn’t want to do. She was only providing encouragement.

  With a pained groan, he lifted his huge hand and closed it around the back of her neck, practically encircling it, and then he smashed his lips over hers.

  Talk about taking the initiative.

  She was at his mercy. If he decided to close those powerful fingers, he could crush her windpipe, but Mey felt no fear.

  Even though he was kissing her like a man who’d gone without for decades, his hold on her was gentle, and as his tongue swiped inside her mouth, it was only after she’d parted her lips for him.

  He wasn’t taking anything she wasn’t offering.

  Perfection.

  That’s what Yamanu was.

  With his other hand on her back, he pulled her closer to him and kept kissing her like a man possessed, swallowing her moans, nipping at her lips, rubbing his thumbs over the wildly racing pulse at the base of her neck.

  It was raw hunger.

  Except, his thin pajama pants couldn’t hide the fact that he was only semi-erect under her.

  It dawned on her then that he might have a medical problem. The thought that this gorgeous hunk of a man couldn’t have an erection brought tears to her eyes. Not because she was disappointed, but because she hurt for him.

  What had she done?

  Poor guy. Now he would have to explain himself, and that would be devastating for someone as proud as Yamanu.

  How was she going to fix it so he would have an honorable way out of the situation?

  God, what a mess.

  32

  Yamanu

  If not for the potion Yamanu had drunk before going to sleep, he would have been inside Mey by now.

  She was his kryptonite, his Achilles heel, his doom.

  It had been nearly impossible not to act on the attraction when she’d been keeping her distance, but when she’d gotten tired of waiting for him to act and had made her move, he was a goner.

  He could kiss her, though.

  As long as he didn’t get a release, there was no harm in it. Except for the torture of not taking it any further than that.

  Mey was slim, but what little curves she had molded into his body as if she was made for him. And her lips, oh Fates, those lips. Was there anything sweeter than that in the universe?

  He kept kissing her, dreading the moment the kiss would be over and she would expect him to do more. What was he going to tell her?

  Mey pulled away first and touched a trembling finger to her lips. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know what came over me. I guess it was all the stress of the past couple of weeks. Can you forgive me?”

  He hadn’t expected that.

  An apology?

  She tried to push away from him, but he held on to her. “Don’t go. I want you here.”

  “No, you don’t. You were only humoring me, and that was very sweet of you, but I shouldn’t have attacked you like that.”

  Yamanu could smell real guilt coming off her, but he couldn’t understand why. Was she embarrassed about taking the lead?

  “It’s okay, Mey. I enjoyed the attack. I find assertive ladies super sexy.”

  “But I’m not. I mean, I am, but not in this. It’s not feminine.”

  “Says who?”

  She waved a hand in a circle. “Everyone. Please let me get up, so I can go to the living room and pull the blanket over my head in shame.”

  Now, that wasn’t true. He could smell guilt, but not shame. She was putting on an act.

  “Why are you doing this?”

  “I told you. I don’t know what came over me. I’m usually not like that.”

  The best thing to do was to let her go and end the episode there. But he just couldn’t let go. Not of her, not of this night, not of this situation.

  He couldn’t have sex with her, but he could have a connection. Hell, it was already there, and he wasn’t willing to give it up.

  Yamanu shook his head. “Who is being evasive now? Be straight with me, Mey. What’s wrong? Does my breath stink? I promise that I won’t be offended if it does.”

  Her eyes softened, and she cupped his cheek. “You are such an amazing man, Yamanu. I was the one in the wrong, and you’re giving me a way out. But no, your breath doesn't stink. In fact, everything about you is perfect, except that you don’t really want me.”

  So that was the problem.

  She didn’t feel what she’d expected to feel and thought that he wasn’t attracted to her.

  “It’s not that I don’t want you. I do with every fiber of my body and every thought in my head. But I can’t.”

  She nodded. “I get it. I totally do. Can I go now?”

  “No.”

  “Why?”

  That was a good question. He’d just told her that he couldn't have her, so why was he not letting go of her?

  Because he couldn’t do that either. And he couldn’t let her believe that it was in any way her fault.

  “I want to explain.”

  “You don’t have to.” She pushed against his chest, but he wasn’t having it.

  “Yes, I do. I took a vow of celibacy. That’s why I can’t be with you the way you want me to.”

  “I understand.” The pain in her voice cut him like a knife.

  “The vow I took prevents me from getting a release, but I can give you one if you’ll let me.”

  She shook her head. “I want you. I won’t deny it, but that would be torture for you.”

  “Not being with you is torture as well. I’d rather take what I
can than have nothing at all.”

  33

  Mey

  Was Yamanu telling her the truth?

  Not likely.

  But if he was too embarrassed to admit that he had a physical problem, the supposed vow he’d taken was a good way to explain it without losing face.

  And that was what she’d wanted, right? For him not to feel bad about his inability to achieve erection.

  Could she enjoy a one-sided experience, though?

  But if that was all Yamanu could have, then she shouldn’t deny him the little pleasure he could derive from sex.

  Not everything was about the release.

  In fact, Mey valued the intimacy and the buildup more than the act itself, and there had been plenty of times she hadn’t climaxed during sex but had still had a good time.

  She could easily picture herself in Yamanu’s situation.

  If she couldn’t achieve release, she wouldn’t abstain from sex because she still craved the intimacy. And if a partner rejected her because of her inability to climax, it would be just plain cruel and selfish of him.

  She would appreciate a man who was willing to work with her limitations.

  “Okay,” she whispered. “But only if you want to. I don’t want you to do it out of pity, or because you don’t want to hurt my feelings, or anything like that. I need to know that you derive some sort of pleasure from it, or I won’t be able to enjoy myself.”

  He looked at her with appraising eyes, the eerie reflective glow dimming a bit as he lowered his dark lashes. “Same goes for you, Mey. Are you agreeing because you feel sorry for me?”

  “Not at all. I value the intimacy more than I value orgasms. If I had to make a similar vow to yours, for whatever reason, I would choose to sacrifice my climaxes but, if possible, retain my right to intimacy. And if a man was willing to take what I could offer and be satisfied with that, I would appreciate it.”

  “For how long?”

  “What do you mean?”

  He shook his head. “Never mind. I shouldn't have asked that.”

  She understood what he’d been trying to say. Cupping his cheeks in both hands, she kissed him softly. “Forever if there was love.”

  “What if he couldn’t give you children?”

  She smiled. “Did you forget that I was adopted? There are so many children who need parents, and I feel like I owe it to the world to pay forward the kindness that was bestowed on me.”

  His palm cupped the back of her head. “You are a very special lady, one of a kind. Do you know that?”

  She shrugged. “Not at all. A lot of women would have given you the same answer. You are incredible, Yamanu, and you are so worth it.”

  He tilted his head. “How do you know that? We’ve only just met, and we barely know each other.”

  She put her hand on his chest. “There is a big heart beating under this ribcage, and I don’t mean its size. You are brave, dedicated, honorable, and an all-round mensch. The only thing that I thought was missing was you liking me back. But now that I know that you do, everything is perfect.”

  “In that case.” He rose to his feet with her in his arms. “Let me show you how incredible I really am.”

  Laughing, Mey wrapped her arms around his neck. “Give a guy a compliment and he immediately thinks that he is Casanova.”

  “Oh, but I am. Only my goal is to please just one lady, not an entire city of them.”

  “How marvelous for me.”

  As he laid her on the bed, his eyes roamed over the contours of her body. “You are so beautiful.”

  He sounded sincere, but Mey was painfully aware of her hipbones sticking out like twin upside-down boomerangs through the soft satin of her borrowed nightgown. And her small breasts didn’t begin to fill the lacy top, her erect nipples doing the heavy lifting.

  That was the price she paid for her modeling career. Until she switched professions, the gaunt look had to stay.

  But this was not the time to think about all the things she knew were less than perfect about her body.

  Yamanu’s eyes were in agreement with his words, telling her that she was beautiful, and tonight she was going to believe him.

  He seemed lost, though, as if he didn’t know what to do next.

  How long had it been for him?

  Should she take off the nightgown and show him what to do?

  No, that would be a terrible mistake.

  Even if he fumbled, she was going to try to make him feel like the manliest of men.

  34

  Yamanu

  Gorgeous.

  Yamanu’s eyes travelled the length of Mey’s long body, taking in the slender ankles peeking from under the long nightgown, her elegant curves, her tightly budded dark nipples, clearly outlined by the cream-colored satin, and all the way up to her lush, parted lips that were letting out short, panting breaths.

  Fates, he wanted her. All of her, and not just what he could give her now.

  Fortunately, the potion was preventing him from doing what his willpower was too weak to resist.

  Leaning over her, he kissed those parted lips, his tongue delving in and exploring while his palms smoothed over her silky shoulders, sliding down her arms the thin straps holding the nightgown up.

  Even though he couldn’t wait to see Mey without a stitch of clothing on, Yamanu went slow, relishing the reveal and prolonging her anticipation.

  The scent of her arousal was so strong that he had no doubt Arwel and Alena could scent it all the way from their rooms, but at this point he didn’t care.

  In fact, he cared about little else than the woman sprawled out on his bed.

  Thank the merciful Fates for the potion keeping him from getting fully erect.

  When the fabric caught on her nipples, he lifted the neckline and slid it under her breasts, sucking in a breath as she moaned and arched up in invitation.

  He dove for one sweet berry, taking it between his lips and twirling his tongue around it. The groan that started deep in his throat sounded tortured and ravenous at the same time.

  How long had it been since he’d touched a female intimately?

  Centuries.

  Guilt over his sins and duty to the clan had carried him through the long years, the potion and hours of meditation helping to keep his resolve. But all of that was coming to a screeching halt as he faced a life-altering crash between his past and his present, between duty and realization.

  Hadn’t he paid for his sins already?

  Hadn’t he earned the right to be selfish?

  “Oh God, yes…” Mey murmured as he moved his mouth to the other sweet berry.

  And when he thumbed the one that he’d been sucking on before, she uttered a throaty moan that caused his semi-erect member to twitch despite the potion that was supposed to keep it flaccid.

  But there was no going back for him. Whatever happened, he was going to pleasure Mey until she climaxed like a firecracker, and if the potion failed him, so be it.

  As his tongue swirled around one nipple, his fingers pinched and tweaked the other, eliciting moans and whimpers from Mey’s lips and wild gyrating from her hips.

  Sliding the gown down her ribcage, he kissed the undersides of her small breasts, kept kissing down her concave belly, and then when he reached her hips, she lifted up for him to take the gown all the way down.

  The sight of her smooth and hairless feminine center made his mouth salivate. He’d heard that human females were lasering unwanted hair these days, but he hadn’t expected how arousing he would find it.

  As he slipped his palms under her small bottom, Mey moaned and parted her thighs for him, and the aroma of her arousal hit him so hard he got momentarily dizzy.

  “Intoxicating,” he murmured before kissing the very top of her puffy lips.

  She jerked up, her hands fisting the sheet under her as she struggled for control.

  “It’s okay, my beauty. Let go.”

  He tilted her hips further up and licked around
her opening, marveling at the satiny feel of her skin and the softness of her engorged petals.

  Fates, it had been so long.

  As Mey’s bottom twitched in his palms, he squeezed it and speared his tongue into her core, keeping her in place for his ministrations.

  “Yamanu,” she breathed. “Don’t stop.”

  He had no intention of stopping before he brought her so many orgasms that she passed out from the pleasure.

  Alternating between penetrating her and flicking his tongue over her most sensitive feminine spot, he moved one hand to cup both buttocks and freed the other one.

  He couldn’t penetrate her with his shaft, but he was blessed with a long tongue and even longer fingers. Putting two in his mouth, he slicked them before pushing them inside her.

  “Oh, oh, yes…” Mey’s sheath convulsed around his penetrating fingers, and as he took her clit between his lips, it closed around them tightly.

  As Mey’s orgasm erupted, she uttered the most unusual sound, coating his fingers with copious nectar. It was a cross between a whistle and a groan, and it was the sexiest thing he’d ever heard.

  He kept licking, not letting any of that delicious elixir go to waste.

  The satisfaction he felt was almost as good as if he had climaxed with her, but the potion worked, keeping him subdued enough to prevent his balls from pumping semen into his shaft and his glands from producing venom.

  Yamanu didn’t know whether he should feel happy or devastatingly sad about that. On the one hand, he hadn’t broken his vow, so that was good, but on the other hand, he was reminded of what he was missing.

  That feeling of power, of dominance, of conquering this amazing female and making her his, that was absent. He couldn’t help imagining what it would have felt like to sink his hard shaft into her welcoming core and his fangs into her long neck as she offered him her submission.

  35

  Mey

  Mey sighed and curled against Yamanu’s big body, her head resting on his magnificent chest and her arm draped over his tight abdomen.