by I. T. Lucas
Dear merciful Fates. That had sounded more like a proclamation of love than if she’d spoken the words themselves. And not only love, but also commitment.
Mey could very well be his truelove mate.
Provided that she was a Dormant.
But to prove it, he would have to break his vow sooner rather than later.
It was one hell of a dilemma. Lokan had thought that giving up the island’s location was a difficult decision, but that had been easy compared to what Yamanu was facing.
He leaned in and kissed her gently. “You are a remarkable woman, my lady Mey.” He smiled. “But after all that ego boosting you’ve given me, I feel that I have to prove myself.”
He kissed down her neck, but the T-shirt was in the way.
“This has to go.”
As he gripped the hem, Mey lifted her arms so he could slide it off them easily. The bra was gone a moment later, and then he was staring at Mey’s perfectly shaped breasts.
As her dark nipples stiffened in front of his eyes, he smacked his lips. “I think those twin berries are sending me subliminal messages.” He pinched both lightly and then took one into his mouth.
Confident in the background music masking the sounds she was making, Mey let out a throaty moan.
“Yes,” he murmured around the nipple he was suckling. “I want to hear the sounds of your pleasure. All of them.”
Her hands went to his head, holding him to her breast. “They are yours.”
Alternating between the two, he licked, nipped, thumbed, and pinched, getting her to make many more of the sounds he craved.
Yamanu could listen to Mey’s moans all day long and not tire of it. It was a much better music than the jazz playing in the background.
“Thank you,” he said as he kissed down her ribcage.
Mey giggled as he swirled his tongue around her bellybutton. “I’m ticklish there.”
He did it again just to hear the sound of her laughter, then kept going and pushed her stretchy pants down her hips to expose her feminine treasures.
She kicked them off the rest of the way. Her panties remained stuck on her hips, and he helped her get rid of those with one strong yank.
Sitting on his haunches, he stared at the beauty sprawled on the bed before him, offering herself to him like a feast on a platter.
Kneeling between her parted legs, he murmured, “Just look at you. Gorgeous.”
She smiled coyly. “I’m glad that you approve.”
“Oh, I more than approve. I worship.” He dipped his head and nuzzled her puffy folds. “I can’t get enough of your scent.” He licked the length of her slit. “Or your taste.”
Mey’s hips surged up, and he was rewarded with a soft moan.
He delved deeper, spearing his tongue into her opening and then licking upward to pay homage to her throbbing clitoris.
That elicited a different kind of moan, more high-pitched.
Was it too much stimulation for her?
Pulling his tongue back, he pressed a soft kiss to the engorged nub and slipped a finger inside her. As her undulating hips and deep throaty moan signaled that he was doing it right, he wedged in a second finger, pumping both in and out of her while alternating between licking around her clit and pressing soft kisses to it.
As tender muscles tightened around his penetrating fingers, he knew that she was getting close. Evidently, the centuries of abstinence hadn’t made him forget how to properly pleasure a woman.
He’d been quite the Don Juan in his previous life—the one he’d forced out of his mind until Mey had entered the picture and turned everything upside down.
Ladies had sought him out, and he’d been happy to oblige, naively believing that he was spreading the joy and teaching women how wonderful sex could be with the right partner.
He’d been so cocky, so overconfident, not realizing that the sex hadn’t been as inconsequential for them as it was for him.
But this was not the time to dwell on past sins.
Flattening his tongue over that most erogenous spot on Mey’s body, he curved his fingers and rubbed the tips over that other highly responsive spot inside her sheath.
When she cried out and the delicate muscles inside her fluttered against his fingers, Yamanu felt a corresponding tightening in his balls.
After four doses of potion, that should not have happened. He had a feeling that soon the concoction was not going to be enough, and that he would be forced much sooner than he’d hoped to choose between keeping Mey and keeping his vow.
47
Mey
As Mey drifted down from dreamland, Yamanu’s absence in bed was the first thing she became aware of. To make sure, she reached with her hand, but instead of his muscular chest, she found only pillows.
That was disappointing.
Since the breakup with Oliver, she’d gotten used to waking up alone, but that didn’t mean that she liked it. It was much nicer to wake up nestled against Yamanu’s chest.
Where was he?
Last night he’d pleasured her into several wonderful climaxes, proving that the night before hadn’t been a fluke or that she’d orgasmed so hard because she hadn’t had sex in a long time.
It was all Yamanu.
He was such a selfless man, and it was such a rarity in today’s world, and especially her generation of me, me and more me.
Yawning, she stretched her arms over her head and glanced at the window. By the position of the sun, it was late morning, and she wondered whether Arielle had gone shopping without her.
The truth was that Mey would have gladly skipped that in favor of spending the day with Yamanu, but she couldn’t say no to Ari. After all, she was sleeping in the hotel suite Ari was paying for and taking up her bodyguard’s time.
The door opened and Yamanu walked in, looking showered and dressed. She must have slept like the dead not to feel him get out of bed or hear the water running in the bathroom.
“Good morning, beauty.” He sat on the bed and planted a closed-mouth kiss on her lips. “Do you want me to heat up breakfast for you?”
“Sure. How long have you been awake?”
“A couple of hours.” He ran his palm over her arm.
“You should have woken me up.”
“Nah.” He smirked. “You needed the rest. But now you need to eat. So up you get.”
“What, no breakfast in bed?” she teased.
He shook his head. “Not this time. Arielle is waiting to take you shopping.”
“Right. I kind of hoped she’d left without me. I’d rather spend the day with you.”
“You’re going to. I can’t let her go out alone with Eva and you as she’s planned. My job is to protect her.” He leaned and kissed her cheek. “And you. Eva can take care of herself.”
“Are you saying that because she isn’t your boss or your girlfriend, or because she is a kickass lady?”
He grinned. “I like hearing you say that you’re my girlfriend. And as for Eva, she’s a tough cookie. Besides, she has her husband to protect her.”
Mey yawned again. “Is Bhathian coming along with the baby?”
“I don’t know. But if you get out of bed, you can ask Eva yourself.”
Flinging the comforter away, Mey enjoyed the glow in Yamanu’s eyes as they roamed over her nude body.
“Gorgeous.” He smoothed his hand over her hip. “I could spend days just looking at you.”
“Same here.” She lifted up and kissed his cheek. “But I’d rather do it after I brush my teeth and get dressed.”
“Should I put your plate in the microwave now, or is it going to take you longer than a minute?”
“Make it two.” She swung her legs over the side of the bed.
“That’s all?”
“I showered last night, and I’m not going to put makeup on. So yeah.”
It ended up taking five minutes instead of two, but her plate was still hot to the touch.
“Scrambled eggs and hash brown
s. I must have died and gone to heaven. Do you know how long it has been since I last indulged like that?”
“Modeling is a bitch of a job.” Arielle joined them at the table. “You are as thin as a twig, and you still have to worry about your weight. It’s good that I’m not a fashion model.” She patted her nonexistent belly. “I’m only showing my face to the camera. So, are you coming shopping with Eva and me?”
“Yes.”
“Good.” Ari pushed to her feet. “I’m going to her suite to get my makeup done.” She winked. “Can’t go out without my public face on. We might encounter paparazzi.”
“Are Bhathian and Ethan coming with us?”
“I don’t think so. Motherhood is the most fulfilling thing in the world, but every mother needs a break from time to time to keep from going insane.”
“You sound like you’re talking from experience.”
“Oh, well.” Arielle waved a dismissive hand. “I should go if I want to be ready by noon. It takes her an hour to put my face on.”
When Arielle left, Mey looked at Arwel’s opened door. “Where is Arwel? Is he going to come with us as well?”
“He’s doing some shopping of his own, but he’ll be back in time to join us. The protocol is to have at least two guards with Arielle at all times.” He pointed at her plate. “After all that excitement over the eggs and potatoes, I don’t see you eating. Your food is getting cold.”
“True.” She scooped some hash browns on her fork and put it in her mouth.
Her eyes rolled back from pleasure. This was such an unhealthy and fattening breakfast, but it tasted so good.
As Yamanu’s phone pinged with a message, he pulled it out and looked at the screen. “The big boss wants to talk to me. I’m going to call him from the lounge.”
She chuckled and pointed with her fork. “Ha! You just revealed that Arielle’s super important parent is her father.”
He arched a brow. “Who said that my boss is Ari’s parent? It could be her brother, or it could be the head of the security firm I work for.”
“Damn it.” She let her shoulders slump. “I thought I had it figured out.”
He cupped her cheek and kissed the tip of her nose. “I won’t be long.”
Her heart doing flips, she nodded and watched him walk to the door. This was the opportunity she’d been waiting for. She finally had the place to herself and could do some snooping.
Waiting for the door to close behind Yamanu, Mey abandoned her breakfast and sat on the floor in the middle of the room. Assuming her meditative pose, she closed her eyes and concentrated.
Arielle wasn’t coming back anytime soon, and hopefully Yamanu’s boss was going to keep him on the phone for a while.
Worst case scenario they would catch her meditating. No one would know what she was actually doing.
48
Yamanu
Yamanu entered the executive lounge and locked the door behind him. Even though Ragnar had promised to keep it for the team’s exclusive use, and only their keys could open the door, it was better to err on the side of caution. Mey had seemed very curious about the man he’d called boss, and he wouldn’t put it past her to try and listen in on the conversation.
After all, she’d served in intelligence, and even though she claimed that her role had been insignificant, there must have been a good reason for her to get chosen for the department. An inquisitive mind was probably a prerequisite for that kind of work.
Choosing the armchair furthest from the door, he pulled out his phone and selected Kian’s contact.
His call got answered after the second ring. “Yamanu. How are things in New York?”
“Nothing is happening yet. Alena starts shooting on Monday, and after that it will take time before the advertising campaign begins. It’s a long-term project. And frankly, I don’t think Kalugal will take the bait. He might miss his mother, but he isn’t looking for a replacement lookalike. Not as a mother and not as a lover.”
“I know it’s a long shot. But that’s the only thing we’ve got. Besides, Annani wants it done, and I don’t see a reason to refuse her. Not that I could even if I wanted to. Arguing with the Clan Mother is futile. Besides, the operation doesn’t cost us much, and it’s an opportunity for Alena to have a breather away from our mother, which I’m sure she needs.”
Yamanu wasn’t sure about that. Alena wasn’t the wallflower everyone thought her to be. She was just as assertive and commanding as her other siblings, and she could handle Annani just fine.
“How long do you want to keep it going?”
“Once the campaign goes live, Alena will do some press conferences, and we will post tons of social media updates for her. I think a month or two should be enough. If Kalugal doesn’t surface by then, we can claim to have done our best.”
Which meant more time with Mey. The question was whether it was bad or good.
Kian continued, “But that’s a problem because I need you back here.”
That wasn’t good. “Why?”
“Lokan got us information about the building his brother bought to house his men. We found it, and we plan on taking the Doomers out before they manage to snatch any girls. The thing is, the building is smack in the middle of Korea town, and we need you here to shroud the area during the raid.”
It was a chilling reminder of why he couldn’t break his vow.
As much as things had gotten peaceful in the last seventy years, Yamanu’s services were always needed for something.
“I can’t be in two places at the same time, and you put me in charge of Alena’s security.”
“I know, and I have a solution. We need you for three days tops and then you go back. I’m sending Kri and Michael as reinforcements. The kid has strong telepathic ability, and Kri can pretend to be another model.”
Yamanu chuckled. “Kri a model? Maybe for motorcycle gear. She’s built like a lumberjack.”
“Don't ever let her hear you say that. Kri is a badass with killer fighting instincts, but she hates it when people think of her as masculine.”
Yamanu was well aware of that, and he would have never said it in her presence, even though he thought it was silly of her, but it surprised him that Kian was aware of that as well. The guy had the emotional intelligence of a brick.
“Since when are you so attuned to people’s feelings?”
“Since I have Syssi to point things out for me. You think I would have realized that on my own?”
“Nope. That’s why I was surprised. How is your wife by the way? The pregnancy going okay?”
“Thank the merciful Fates, everything seems fine and Syssi is glowing with happiness. Merlin is flooded with requests for his potions.”
Yamanu switched the phone to his other ear. “Can I ask you a personal question?”
There was a moment of silence. “That depends on the question. Ask and I’ll decide if I want to answer.”
Fair enough.
“How did you know that Syssi was the one for you? Your truelove mate?”
Kian chuckled. “I didn’t. Not consciously, anyway. I’m a stubborn bastard, and I couldn’t accept that one look into her eyes and one touch of her hand were enough to ensnare me. But the connection was so powerful that the realization eventually penetrated my thick head. Amanda helped too.”
“How?”
“She showed me the error of my ways, basically telling me that I was full of shit, and that I was lying to myself and hurting Syssi’s feelings in the process. Sooner or later, I might have reached the same conclusion, but Amanda saved me from making an even bigger ass of myself.”
That was helpful, but only to a certain extent. Kian’s situation with Syssi had been different than Yamanu’s with Mey. Because of Syssi’s powerful precognition talent, Amanda had had good reasons to suspect that she was a Dormant.
“Why the sudden interest? Did you meet someone?”
Yamanu sighed and let his head drop against the chair’s back. “Yeah. I did. Her
name is Mey and she is a model in the same agency that signed Alena up. I feel the connection, but she doesn’t have any paranormal abilities. I know that some of the other Dormants didn’t have them either, so it is not a prerequisite, but then how would I know if she is a Dormant or not? It’s a bloody catch-22. Without paranormal abilities as an indicator, the only way to find out is to attempt her transition, but that’s a no go without her consent. But for her to agree, she needs to be told the truth about us, and that’s a no go as well. The only option is to have her locked up somewhere while trying to induce her transition, and if it doesn’t work to thrall her memories away. Except, then I’ll be forced to erase myself from her memory and never see her again. I can’t stand the thought of that.” He clutched his chest. “Every time I think about it, I feel as if a vise is squeezing my heart and it’s going to burst.”
And to complicate things even further, he had his vow to think of.
What a bloody mess.
“Don’t quote me on this, but if it’s meant to be, it’s going to somehow work itself out. The Fates will find a way, like they did with Callie and Brundar and Tessa and Jackson and all the others. Give it time.”
That was the second surprise of the day. Since when had Kian become a believer? He was a staunch skeptic.
“I guess that’s the only thing I can do.” Yamanu sighed. “When do you need me back?”
“Unless there is a change in plans, Wednesday. We are planning the raid for Thursday night.”
“Is Turner involved?”
“Not this time. The guy has volunteered enough lately. With you providing the shroud, we can handle this one ourselves.”
49
Mey