The Playful Prince

by Playful Prince(lit)

  Tori didn’t say a word. She did her best to keep from being mortified. She did make lists.

  Quinn laughed. “So, what is the margin? The man must have two more positives than negatives? Do you have a list on me?”

  “No,” she stammered.

  His face fell. “So I’m not even in the running?”

  “No ... yes,” Tori frowned, wrinkling her nose at him. He was only trying to fluster her and she knew it. “You are--”

  “Great!” Quinn interrupted before she could finish her sentence. “Let me know how I come out. I might be able to help you tip the scales in my favor.”

  “That wasn’t what I was saying,” Tori put forth.

  You are incorrigible, is what she’d been thinking.

  Quinn’s smile widened, as he changed the subject--somewhat. “What is so special about these scientists you date?”

  Tori cleared her throat. The way he asked it made her think he’d been doing his research on her. How did he know she only dated scientists? The answer hit her like a freight train. It was so obvious--Grant and Vitto. Had she decided on three hour sleep shifts for the treacherous men? She was sure she’d meant two. “Well, for one thing, they recite poetry to a woman. They say nice, pretty things.”

  “Poetry?” Quinn repeated, almost in disgust. Tori nodded. The prince’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Chocolates, barrels of wine, flowers? I don’t understand this need for so much ceremony and custom. Now, the hunted offerings, this I get. You wish a man who is fierce enough to fight and kill a dreaded teddy bear. It’s very wise to make him prove his strength. You wouldn’t wish to be associated with a man who couldn’t protect you in times of conflict.”

  Tori struggled to keep a straight face. Oh, yes, the fearsome teddy bear. Watch out for the button eyes! They could choke small, unattended infants with a single pull! Tori sniffed. It was hard not to laugh outright.

  “In all seriousness,” Quinn broke into her thoughts. They came to her suite door and stopped. When she looked at him, he seemed to be in very deep contemplation over the matter. “Why would you wish for these things? Flowery words memorized from a book? All that proves is they can’t speak for themselves or are hiding something. Isn’t honesty much sweeter?”

  “It’s nice to be courted. The pleasure is derived from the effort made,” Tori said, though she could see the merit of his words. “Don’t the Var believe in paying compliment and giving gifts to women?”

  “Ah, we do, but when we compliment it’s with our own words not those of someone else. I compliment you often and will continue to do so, but it’s not with poetry for I’m not a poet. I’m an ambassador. I said I’d rather see your gown crumpled on the floor. That was a compliment for it is very true. There is more honor in speaking what is true than what is merely pleasant.”

  Tori wasn’t sure what to say to his logic. The man did make a good point and he seemed very serious. As he spoke, she was almost afraid to smile for fear he’d take offense to it.

  “As to gifts, we Var are very generous to our lovers and mates. We like to lavish gifts on them, especially when it gives them pleasure to receive them.” Quinn’s eyelids fell seductively over his heated gaze. “But, we don’t require the gift giving. If it is not freely given, then a gift isn’t a gift so much as a requirement. For what is the point if both parties are finding mutual pleasure? This is what confuses me about your earth customs. According to your old traditions, women receive these gifts but men do not. So are earth men paying for sex?”

  “Mm, well,” Tori didn’t know how to answer that. She was the last person to give dating advice to anyone. Her dates usually were makeshift picnics on assignment in the middle of field research.

  Nothing says romance like getting taken to an ice block to freeze your heinie off, she thought with a smirk.

  “Well?” he prompted, when she didn’t answer right away.

  “I can’t tell you. Most of those old traditions are no longer practiced in space, but only on earth itself.” Tori shrugged. His face fell slightly and she rushed, “But it was a wonderful gesture on your part. I think it was very sweet.”

  He nodded. A silence stretched between them as he studied her.

  “Well,” Tori began awkwardly. “Thank you for a very lovely evening.”

  “It doesn’t have to end,” Quinn insisted, as she opened the door. He watched her walk inside only to stop and turn to him. He didn’t expect her to sleep with him, but he couldn’t help offering up the suggestion. Every time he came onto her, her body would emit the most intoxicating sexual smell. What could he say? He was addicted to it.

  “Yes it does,” she answered softly. Her dark eyes modestly lowered, before traveling back up to his face.

  “Can I at least call upon the last tradition of a kiss at the end of the date?” Quinn asked. The doorframe was still between them. “That’s one I actually agree with as a good idea.”

  Slowly, Tori nodded, but didn’t move to join him in the hall. Quinn let a sexy grin curl the side of his mouth, before stepping toward her. He left the door open, not making any assumptions, as he came to stand before her.

  Quinn slowly leaned over, letting his mouth work tenderly along hers. It was hard, but he kept the kiss chaste, not wishing to torture himself any more than he already was. His hands stayed at his sides, not moving to touch her, though he longed to do just that. It would be a long night and he didn’t need the memory of her taste making it worse. Slowly, he pulled back and smiled. “Good night, Dr. Elliot.”

  “Good night, Prince Quinn,” she murmured in response. Tori’s heart thumped wildly. He smelled so good. Her blood raced with anticipation, making her limbs shake to hold him. Her body became hot, flooded with her desire for him. Every nerve she had tingled. At the brush of his lips to hers, she let loose a small feminine sigh. She felt him all the way to her toes.

  Her nipples were hard and tingling. How in the galaxy were her nipples tingling from a brief kiss? How was it her whole body felt on fire, as if she was melting? It was only a kiss. She took several deep breaths. This was insane. She shouldn’t even consider sleeping with him. She had to think logically. She had to get control. She had ... to get him out of those clothes.

  Tori moaned. She couldn’t control her arms as they shot forward. Wantonly, she thrust her stomach into his hard arousal, groaning to feel how hot and thick it was for her. Quinn blinked in surprise. Her body pressed tighter along his frame and her hands delved into his hair, tangling in the silken threads. Her nipples exploded with pleasure, sending shockwaves over her body. She pulled his mouth more fully to hers, making him stumble back with the force of her longing.

  Quinn’s shoulder hit the door and he swatted it out of the way on instinct, slamming it shut. Tori giggled against his mouth, the sound driving him mad. His fingers lifted to cup her full breasts. He’d wanted to touch them all night. He tested the weight of her in his palms, running to stroke his thumbs over the incredibly hard tips that he found buried in the soft material of her gown.

  “Argh, Sacred Cats, woman!” Quinn growled, rubbing his hard arousal against her between their clothes. “You’re too much.”

  Tori pushed him back into the door, trapping him to her body as she stroked down his chest. She clawed at his shirt, fighting with the laces to get it off his body. When she nearly howled in frustration, he pulled back.

  “Allow me.” Lifting a finger, he allowed her to watch as the tip of it shifted into a claw. Quinn reached to his side and, with a deft stroke, cut through the laces so that his shirt fell open. Then, just as quickly, he took the claw to her neckline and pulled it down, ripping the material open to free her large breasts. The material clung seductively to the sides of them, hiding her nipples from view but exposing the deep valley between. When he glanced back up, she stared at him in awe.

  “You really can shift into a cat,” she breathed. A slow, excited smile crept over her features, as she moved to reach for him. She began to pant as a new wave of
heat rolled down her body. “What else can the big kitty do?”

  Quinn let a low, predatory sound echo in the back of his throat. Tori stopped and backed away. She licked her lips, waiting in breathless anticipation for him to pounce.

  “Does the big kitty want to come out and play?” she purred naughtily. Her wide eyes drifted down to his obvious erection.

  Quinn continued to stalk her, lowering his jaw as he allowed his eyes to shift with pale green for her, letting a flash of his cat eyes bend his pupils. Instantly, he was rewarded with a hefty wafting of her feminine scent. She was more than ready for him and it drove him nearly insane to realize it. Even more arousing was the fact she accepted his Var side without fear.

  Tori’s legs hit the back of the couch before the fireplace. Spinning around, she thrust her butt into the air. It was more than Quinn could handle. He rushed to her, lifting her dress to bare her thighs. His fingers ran over her skin, warming her, caressing her, discovering her.

  When the gown stopped his exploration, he grimaced and took a claw to the material along her back, ripping it apart. Once he had her bare, he began kissing and stroking her from behind. Despite his urgency, he took his time as he learned the workings of her body.

  Tori didn’t move from the couch as she threw her head back in pleasure. Her fingers gripped into the soft cushion, nearly puncturing it as he touched her. A weak sound left her throat and she wiggled her hips for attention. His fingers teased, skimming everywhere but the center heat. Fire burned a hot trail over her flesh, raging through her blood until every corner of her being sizzled with longing.

  “Quinn, please,” she begged, moving to stand. He pushed her back down. His fingers finally dipped between her thighs, causing her to cry out. Stroking along her soaked opening, he teased the sensitive bud he found buried in her silken folds. Then, easing a finger inside, he tested her depths, stroking firmly in a slow rhythm as she thrust herself onto his hand. She was hot, ready, nearly screaming with the agony of need.

  Quinn moved his body behind her, letting her feel that he’d stripped off his clothes. The heavy length of his erection pressed into her tender skin as his hands wrapped around to grab her sensitive breasts in his palms. She was a passionate woman, more so than he’d ever imagined. Her responses were pure, natural, and primitive. She was confident in her body’s reaction to him and it spurred him into a mindless web of wonder.

  Edging next to her, he lightly stroked his shaft along her opening, letting her get used to the feel. To his surprise, her hips bucked back, forcing him to dip inside the rim of her body. That one feel was more than he could take. He pushed forward, burying himself to the hilt. Her muscles stretched around him, clamping down so hard he nearly lost himself.

  “Ah,” Tori cried out. Her fingers worked the couch. “Oh, Quinn, oh, yes, baby, yes.”

  Her hips moved, as she tried to get him to thrust. He instantly obeyed, drawing his hips back and forth as he moved within her. A tension built in her thighs, warming its way into her blood until she was screaming for release. At her cries, he only moved faster until he had her hips in his hands and was pounding so hard the slapping of their bodies echoed around them.

  Quinn grunted. Tori screamed. Their hips rocked faster and harder, seeking the release they both desperately needed.

  The tension built, nearly tearing Tori apart as she sought to end it. Then, suddenly, with a high-pitched yell, she began to tremble. Her body felt as if it fell off a cliff. Her limbs weakened and her muscles clamped tightly around him.

  Quinn’s soft shout of pleasure followed hers. He stiffened behind her and his body released heavily into her, milked by the clenching and unclenching of her feminine muscles. They held frozen, unable to move for a long time. Then, falling against her back, he sighed and began to caress her gently.

  Tori stood, turning to wrap her arms around his neck. A small sound of contentment hummed past her lips. Quinn swooped down, capturing her lips as he kissed her breath away. Then pulling back, he grinned wickedly.

  “What is your first name Dr. Elliot? I’ve been listening for it all night.”

  Tori laughed. A low growl sounded from him, making her knees weak and her heart palpitate. “Tori. It’s Tori.”

  “Well, Tori,” Quinn said, leaning forward to lick playfully at her mouth. He swept her up into his strong arms, tossing her into the air before catching her. She squealed in delight and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Let’s move this to the bed. I want to play.”

  Tori giggled, feeling strangely carefree in his arms. Quinn bent to kiss her as he made his way across the room with tiny steps, his pants dragging around his ankles behind them.

  Chapter Five

  The next morning, Quinn was grinning like a fool before he awoke. Tori had been a little wildcat, and he could honestly say he was drained. Never had he had a lover who could keep up with and maybe even surpass him with her need. Oh, and was she a vixen! The things she could do with her mouth he’d only dreamt about. Thinking about it, he moaned. As his shaft rose to the memory of her lips on him, he knew that he’d been wrong. He was almost drained, almost.

  She was adventurous too, allowing him to bend her however he wished without protest. They’d both been too eager to stop and play bed games, but he was sure she’d readily agree to them. With that in mind, his hand slid next to him on the silk sheets of the bed, reaching for her.

  Quinn’s fingers met with the mattress and he frowned. His head lifted, but not his body. Automatically, he knew she’d left him. Her presence wasn’t in the room and he felt cold without it. A frustrated sigh left his mouth and his head dropped on the mattress. Damned but she was a frustrating woman!

  * * * *

  Tori looked out over the shadowed marshes. The four scientists were led on foot by two Var guards. Both Var men looked shyly at her with curious expressions, but none smiled as boldly as before. It was almost as if their attraction to her was tempered and she couldn’t help but wonder if they knew about her and the prince’s night together. She wasn’t ashamed of her actions, but was concerned that it might affect the legitimacy of her presence there.

  They all carried large hiking packs on their backs, all except the older Simon who carried a small bag over his shoulder. The bulk of their supplies would be brought up later that day, just as soon as they found the perfect place to camp. They were told that it was an hour of travel over rough terrain before they’d reach the caves.

  As they’d left the palace, they passed the Var city. It was nestled in the valley below the castle. The city was a bustling maze of earthen streets and large rectangular homes, whose walls and foundation were constructed of fired bricks held together by mortar. Clay pots were set outside doorsteps, some with flowers and other native plants.

  The streets were clean and orderly. Beautiful woven rugs and blankets hung outside in the sun, drying on lines. There was less intricate tile work than inside the palace, but the city was lovely nonetheless. Many of the homes were two stories high with flat roofs and no windows. The grand design indicated that most of the Var population prospered.

  The sound of young boys playing echoed around them briefly as they passed the city, then all noise was swallowed up by the surrounding forest and marshland. Tori had caught a glimpse of the palace as they traveled. It stood tall against the blue-green sky. Square turrets reached high into the heavens, looming commandingly over the city. It was truly magnificent.

  According to their guides, they trudged through the edge of the swamplands. The trees of the forest were huge, bigger than the legendary redwoods on earth. Tori felt dwarfed by them.

  They were told to keep their feet from the murky waters, as a poisonous snake called a givre swam freely in them. Across the swamps to the north was the Draig palace. The guards tensed slightly when she asked about the Var’s longtime enemy, but finally grudgingly admitted that the Draig had acted honorably so far and there was nothing to make them suspect they’d cause the scientists trouble--esp
ecially since they were there to make sure the biological weapons were completely gone.

  A diffused light fell over the dense forest in a soft green haze that blended eerily with the patches of hot, steamy fog from the nearby marshes. From what Tori could tell, there wasn’t much difference between the swamps and the marshes, except that the marshes seemed dead of all life.

  The marshes were an awful place. Moss hung from treetops, unmoving in their windless isolation. The air was damp, stagnant, and filled with the rotting smell of molding plant life and animal carcasses. Even the insects seemed to have deserted the area.

  Stopping, Tori shared a concerned look with Vitto. Quietly, she said, “This doesn’t feel right.”

  Vitto nodded. Grant stopped near them, hearing her comment. He frowned, looking around as if for the first time that late morning. He’d been grumpy since he’d been pulled from Linzi’s bed, and they’d left him alone for the most part. Now, a professional light entered his eyes, turning him serious. He slowly nodded in agreement of Tori and Vitto.

  “Excuse me,” Grant said to the guards, stopping them in their progress. “Have the marshes always been like this?”

  “Have been since I can remember,” one answered.

  The other, who Tori sensed was the older, more hardened of the two, said, “You know, when I was a young boy we used to hunt here. There was wildlife all along the Western Ridges, but that was ages ago. Now this black moss grows on everything.”

  “Black moss?” Tori asked, looking around. She didn’t see any black moss.

  “Here,” the guard offered. He walked over to a stone and kicked it over. Sure enough there was a black fungus on the bottom of it. As they watched, it slowly withered as if affected by the sunlight. Within a few seconds, it turned a dark gray.

  “That’s going to make it harder to study,” Vitto observed.

  “Hmm, not if we figure out if it’s the air or the light that affects it,” Simon put forth from behind them.