“Agreed, we have to lull her into a false sense of security and then sneak in under her defenses.”
“She needs to face her fears.”
“That may be more difficult than you can imagine. Her fears run deep and are well deserved.”
“You could use me as an example?”
Julien let go of Miguel’s hair but pressed a quick kiss against his lips so he would know he wasn’t being rejected. “I’m afraid that’s what drove her away in the first place.”
He stayed on his knees in front of Julien and began that maddening stroking with his thumbs. Julien’s cock stood up hard and solid under his kilt. It had been a long time since he’d come close to playing dominance games, and Julien had missed it. “She saw you whipping someone?” Miguel’s thumb stroked up Julien’s leg and brushed his sack. A teasing stroke, testing the waters to see if he would be accepted.
Julien’s cock twitched beneath his plaid, and his balls pulled up tight to his body. One soft brush and he was about to explode.
“Tell me what happened.”
“My friend Darien fell in love with a submissive named Shelby. But not being naturally aggressive, Darien asked me to give him lessons. Shelby loves being whipped, but he’s an extreme case.”
“He needs blood released?”
Julien nodded. “Yes. Darien didn’t want to do anything to hurt Shelby, so he came to me and asked me to teach him how to do it correctly.”
“At what point did Kassandra walk in?”
“She didn’t.” Julien had replayed that night in his mind over and over again. “Shelby had gone so long without this type of stimulation, my arm felt like rubber before he finally peaked. I remember a shadow out of the corner of my eye as the man screamed out his release. If that was her…”
Miguel understood what Julien was saying. “She never would’ve understood what was happening.”
“Darien was standing behind me in a shadow. There’s a good possibility she never saw him.” Julien had been so proud of Shelby for withstanding the intricate teaching process and lasting as long as he had. Julien couldn’t imagine there would be anything more damaging than the look that would’ve been on his face when she looked in the room.
She’d been sound asleep in their room when he’d come to bed. He remembered pulling her into his arms and falling into an exhausted sleep. By the time he woke late the next morning, she was gone.
Miguel wrapped his fingers around his cock and gave him a good stroke. “Remember the sound a flogger makes when it hits damp skin?” Miguel asked the question as he stroked the length of his cock again. Julien let his head drop against the back of the chair. Miguel scooted closer between his legs and flipped his kilt open. “Think of the crack a whip makes when it fully extends. It hits skin and then wraps around like a lover’s caress.”
Julien shuddered as he felt his kilt fall away, baring him to Miguel’s gaze. “I love that sound. I’ve never found someone who can play my body the way you have. I need to feel your touch on my skin. I crave it like I crave the air around us.” Miguel leaned forward and ran his tongue up Julien’s cock from base to tip.
Pleasure roared over Julien, and he gripped Miguel’s hair again and pulled him back. “I need you to help me convince her.”
Miguel slowly ran his tongue along his lower lip. “We’ll convince her. Even if it’s only ever a light touch, she’ll crave it like I crave you.”
Julien loosened his grip on Miguel’s hair, and the man immediately went for his cock again. He wrapped his lips around the crown and sucked him deep into his throat. Julien felt his eyes roll upward. The pleasure was so unbelievable.
Miguel shuttled Julien’s cock between his lips, taking time to suck hard on the crown and then trace a vein lightly with his tongue.
“You crave me because I’m the only man who ever topped you properly.”
With a mouth full of cock Miguel couldn’t do much other than moan deep in his throat. The vibration rippled up his length and vibrated in his balls. His hand tightened on the fistful of hair as a white-hot tingle danced along his spine. His hips jerked once, twice, driving his cock deep into the mouth surrounding him. Miguel manipulated his balls, rolling them around in his fingers, and Julien knew he was done for. He let loose and spurted into Miguel’s hot mouth. Miguel continued to suck every last drop out of him, swallowing it all.
“You taste like ambrosia.” His lips tickled the muscles of Julien’s stomach. “I’ve missed you for so long.”
Julien pulled at Miguel’s shoulders, and the man rose up to meet his lips. Julien could taste the salty essence of himself on Miguel’s tongue. His cock twitched again, and Julien knew that this was the only man who held any sort of power over him. “Will you stay?”
“I did not have a plan to leave once I got here.” Miguel smiled up at him and they exchanged another passionate kiss.
“You can stay in the room next to mine for the time being.”
“Kassandra is in your room?” he asked. “Good. She’ll need to be close and get used to your presence. I’ll work on seducing her when you’re not looking.”
Julien laughed. “Why can’t I watch?”
“I’m not that creative of a man. I may need to use the same line to get you both into bed.” Miguel stroked his fingers through Julien’s long hair and then fisted it at the back of his head. Suddenly Julien found himself under Miguel’s glare. “Julien, you, my friend, need to be topped, badly, and I’m the man to do it. Then, we will both top the lovely Kassandra.”
Miguel attacked his mouth, a brutal kiss filled with all the passion they had denied themselves. Julien clung to Miguel’s arms like they were the only stable anchor in a wild ocean storm. He reached for Miguel’s belt and pulled the clasp apart, but Miguel’s hands came down over his. “Not yet. I want to savor the anticipation.”
Julien fought the urge to do it anyway, and Miguel gave him a smile. “You’re still very much in control of yourself, Julien. I want you wild and uncontrolled. I want you tied down so I can bite your skin in places that will have you screaming my name and begging me for my cock.”
Julien had never bottomed to any man until he met Miguel. He’d never trusted anyone enough to give them that kind of power over him. He’d hid part of himself from Kassandra and learned too late what a mistake he’d made. Now, he had both her and Miguel in his life and he was inexperienced at handling the rush of emotions they created in him.
Miguel pressed a gentle kiss to the tear that managed to escape Julien’s notice until now. “We don’t have to hide our needs from each other. When I let you take me, it’ll be because I know you can’t last a minute longer without it. But, I want Kass watching when you do.”
* * * *
Kass looked through the trunks left for her. Sure enough every obvious weapon had been stripped from them. She didn’t care for someone going through her things, but given the circumstances, she could understand why they had. Thankfully though it wasn’t Julien who went through them. He never would’ve missed the obvious fact that one trunk was shallower than the others.
She quickly emptied it and lifted the base up. Inside lay the maps and gadgets that Gil and Dev had asked her to retrieve for them. They’d known they would be watched from the moment they escaped the slave dens. Kass tried to reassure them that no one knew where they were, but they insisted on maintaining a high level of secrecy. They couldn’t risk going after the information they needed, but Kass could. Now she had to figure out how to get it to them. She quickly packed all the information into a waterproof bag. Then she took the small packet and placed it in the back of a drawer in Julien’s writing desk. She knew he wouldn’t find it there, as he did the vast majority of his work in his office. This had been her desk to write letters when she’d been his wife. She opened another drawer and found sheets of writing paper and her favorite pen.
She found it rather touching that he’d kept these here. She never thought he’d be sentimental about anything. But t
hen he’d surprised her quite a bit at the end, and she had to ask herself if she really knew him at all. The man she thought she’d married turned out to be a complete falsehood. She had no idea who the real Julien was and frankly was terrified to find out. The man she married was courteous and kind. He never raised his voice or lost his temper. He treated her like a porcelain doll…and she hated it. At the time she thought that was what she wanted, but as the months went on, life became boring. She would forever be thankful to Julien for saving her life and caring for her until she felt strong enough to take care of herself. But, the stronger she got the more she noticed the chasm growing between them. He had secrets. She knew that, but never did it occur to her that he had the ability to be so brutal.
She remembered that night with such clarity. She’d been unable to sleep and aching for Julien’s hands on her body. In a rare act of boldness she’d decided to take matters in her own hands and seduce him wherever she found him. The sounds of a man moaning were what had caught her attention, and the crack of a whip had her running down the hall. She’d planned to tell Julien about this and watch her husband take the man apart for his horrendous behavior.
She’d shifted her position slightly to look further into the room and saw her husband standing there, a whip in his hand, smiling with pride. He was smiling after whipping a poor man who had obviously been so abused that his sense of pleasure was perverted.
She could admit now that she’d been horrendously jealous. Not that she wanted to be anywhere near a whip, but that he knew another man so intimately but wasn’t interested in learning anything more about her. She stole back to their rooms and feigned sleep when he crawled into bed. She remembered the feel of his callused palms on her stomach, knowing that some of those calluses would’ve been caused by his use of the whip. She’d felt physically sick. He’d fallen into a deep sleep almost immediately, and she was gone before he woke up.
As much as separating from Julien had hurt, it did a lot to help her heal. She’d learned and grown up so much in the past couple years. Using a brothel as a home base was effective because she was safe and protected there but also she learned more about Julien’s needs. The working girls were very forthcoming with answers to any questions and they were the ones who taught her how to protect herself while looking helpless. Julien might not be the same man she’d fallen in love with, but she was no longer the same woman he’d rescued either.
Kass wanted more out of life. She wanted love, passion, but deep down she needed to feel safe and protected in a man’s arms. Or two men’s arms. The Gifrador sisters had found love between two pirates each, and Kass wanted something similar. A man who would accept her for who she was and not put her on a pedestal or treat her like glass, even when she felt like that was what she was made of.
Miguel’s face invaded her thoughts, a fascinating character and obviously a past lover of Julien’s. Jealously had no business raising its head, but she still wondered when the two of them had been together. Too bad Miguel was obviously from España, and while they were accepting of some things, others they were not. She had as much chance of being between the two of them as she did of escaping this underwater fortress with her heart intact.
She’d no business sitting here daydreaming of what could’ve been or what might happen. Life had to be lived in the moment because it could change so quickly. She repacked the trunk she’d emptied and set out her clothes for dinner. Julien didn’t know her anymore, and she was going to prove to him that she was no longer the same woman. Maybe then he would let her go with her crew and she could return to saving those who didn’t have anyone looking out for them.
The ability to have a hot bath was a luxury Kass took advantage of. Atlantis was equipped with many conveniences, but this one was her favorite. A large brass claw-foot tub big enough for her to submerge herself completely and soak away her troubles even for a little while. A shelf behind the door held a stack of large, soft drying cloths.
She blew out all the lights and then opened the shades on the large window next to the tub. Atlantis had a few exterior lights and one of them was next to this port. It lit up the ocean around the window and sent a soft blue glow throughout the room. Sinking into the water, she relaxed and watched the odd school of fish pass by. A shark zigzagged its way toward the window. It must’ve thought its reflection was another shark, because it darted away. This was what she’d loved the best about living here. The majority of the humans living on land had no idea of the wonderful creatures that inhabited the ocean.
She lifted a cloth and squeezed it in her fingertips, letting the warm water run in rivulets along her arm. The soft light highlighted the movement, and she smiled, thinking it looked like magic swirling around her arm.
“Do you know of the legends of the mermaid?”
“Who’s there?” Startled, Kass splashed water over the side of the tub. Panic gripped her throat. She was virtually defenseless in here, naked. At least she hadn’t let down her hair yet. The pins that kept it off the back of her neck would be useful. She searched the shadows in the room looking for the owner of the voice.
“A shame the shadows that hide me from you also hide my view of what I’m imagining is a beautiful body.”
Despite his comment, Kass covered her breasts with her hands and followed the voice. Twisting, she looked behind her and saw a large shadow against the back wall. “What do you want?”
“I thought that was obvious.” The shadow shrugged but didn’t come closer.
She frowned and fought the urge to pull the pins out of her hair. Paranoia was a good thing sometimes and she would feel better if the small dagger she’d also concealed in her hair was in her hand. “There’s nothing obvious about this situation. You step closer and you’re a dead man.”
“Could you do it, Kass?”
“Yes.” The soft accent to her name gave away the shadow’s identity. “What are you doing in here, Miguel?”
She heard Miguel laugh quietly as he shook his head. “You’re a clever woman, Kass.”
“I have my moments. Why are you in my bath?”
“I most certainly am not in your bath, Kass. Unless you’re inviting me? I’ll beg.”
Thankful that the shadows concealed her body, she rolled over in the tub and peered over the edge at him. “I can’t see you as the type to beg for anything.”
“Only for you, Kass. I’d beg for one brief taste.”
Kass felt like the temperature in the room soared. Never had a man been so bold with her and then offered to beg. Julien demanded. He didn’t beg. She knew that Miguel was a dangerous man. That he managed to circumvent Julien’s security was proof of his talent in espionage.
“Would you tell me how you got to Julien’s office without being detected?”
“So you can escape the same way?” Miguel countered. “I could be persuaded to share that information.”
Kass rolled the idea over in her brain for a moment, planning out what could go wrong and the repercussions. If she escaped Julien a second time, she firmly believed that he would never come after her again. Ten minutes ago she was ready to run and escape. Why the sudden hesitation?
Miguel could have his own motives for getting her to leave. “Do you want Julien for yourself, Miguel?”
“I want him. I’ll never lie about that to anyone, including myself. Can you say the same thing, Kass?”
That pushed her on the defensive. “You don’t know anything about me, Miguel.”
“I know more than either of you realize. Tell me, what was in your trunk? The one with the false bottom?”
“Nothing,” Kass lied. “Did you enjoy snooping through my belongings?”
“I’d enjoy exploring your body much more.” Miguel pushed himself off the wall and stepped closer.
Kass rolled in the tub until her back pressed against the opposite edge. Her knees drawn up close to her chest, she lifted her hand to the top of her head. Her fingers rested on the hilt of the knife.
; Miguel stepped close enough that his face was partially illuminated from the light coming through the window. “You’re a beautiful woman. Would you believe that I’ve been following you for months?
“No, I wouldn’t.” Kass felt her heart pound harder. If he’d been following her for months, he might know about the information Gil and Dev wanted her to search for. What if that’s why he’s really here?
Miguel nodded. “You’re a clever woman. I admit I lost your trail a couple times, and by sheer luck I caught up with you outside of the Islands.”
That was right after she picked up the information for the guys. Kass was less likely to trust Miguel now than she would have been twenty minutes ago. “Funny, I don’t believe in luck.”
Miguel gasped dramatically and looked at her as if she was some poor unguided soul. “No? Not fate or destiny either? What a shame, because I became a firm believer in all of it today.”
“And what epiphany brought about such a change of faith, Miguel?”
“Having both you and Julien walk into that office together.” He said it with such conviction that she almost believed him. “We three were meant to be together.”
“You’re delusional.”
“We’ll see.” He gracefully bowed with a flourish. “Oh, I should tell you, I lied.”
That didn’t surprise her, but his admitting it did. “About what?”
“I could see you perfectly in the water as I stood in the shadows.” He stepped back and the shadows engulfed him. She quickly lost track of where he was in the darkness until he whispered, “You have a beautiful ass.”
Silence descended on the room and Kass sat there wondering if he still lurked in the shadows. After a few minutes she figured he’d snuck away. She was impressed at his ability to not make a sound when he moved. Most men didn’t have that talent. She stretched out but didn’t take her eyes off the shadows.
She tried to figure out what his motivation was to visit her in her bath. He could’ve gone through her belongings and she wouldn’t have known until after she left the bath. Why come in here knowing that he would see her at dinner and have to face her anger at his intrusion? Unless he figured that she would be too embarrassed to bring it up in front of anyone, especially Julien? Miguel was about to learn that she no longer suffered from that kind of embarrassment.
Davies, Corinne - Steam-Driven Seduction [Steampunked Lust 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 6