He reached down and took a swipe at her now beyond-sensitive nipples. Mewing sounds escaped her lips. She could feel him smiling against her breasts. Her pulse picked up speed as his warm breaths feathered down past her navel. He stopped right above where she ached most. She squirmed closer to his sexy mouth but he pulled away, and his broad hands were holding her hips firmly. She couldn’t think straight. She needed more. “Don’t stop!”
“No, love. I won’t. And I will never leave you again.” And with a growl, he speared his tongue all the way inside of her aching, velvety channel. The sensation was so new, so strong, so devastating. She wasn’t prepared for it. Nothing could have prepared her for it. She tried to hold on, wanting to savor the indescribable sensation, but it was impossible.
“Rei, I can’t. Please…” She begged him, but she didn’t know what she was begging for. Her body was twisting under his iron grip. “Please…” She let out a deep groan. She was almost at the precipice again. Her fingers dug into the soft sheet underneath her, trying to hold on to anything she could find while Rei’s mouth and tongue continued assaulting her weeping channel ruthlessly. As she was reaching the peak again, his tongue pulled out. She was about to protest but immediately felt his hands on her ass. His strong fingers gently pulled her butt cheeks apart. Before she could make sense of it, slick fingers were rubbing her back entrance.
She gasped. She knew what he was doing. “Rei…” Uncertainty sounded in her already hoarse voice.
Instead of answering her, soothing her, he continued his single-minded ministering of her core with his mouth while eagerly pressing his calloused thumb into her anus. “Too much…” She wiggled her bottom, but he didn’t leave her much room to move nor did he answer her plea. The slight movements from her wiggling actually pushed her pussy and her ass against Rei’s mouth and thumb more. Then shortly after, she stepped off the cliff. Her body arched up, and the fireworks came again, this time more brilliantly than the last.
Skyla couldn’t tell how much time had passed. Whoa. She literally had a blackout from the orgasm. When her senses finally came back, Rei was leaning on his forearm again, raining soft kisses on her face while his hands continued the same single-minded ministration all over her sensitive skin. “Hmm…” She opened her eyes and kissed him shyly. “That was quite something.”
Rei chuckled a little, and his lips and hands were progressively getting more heated. Before long, both of them were panting from need again.
“Rei, please…” Her lower back arched up to him, seeking more from him. When the thick crown of his cock breached her opening, she tensed. And Rei felt it. He kissed her more seductively. His fingers feathered over her swollen breasts. “I’m here. I’ll make it good for you. Trust me.” Before he finished the sentence, his hips plunged into her, tearing through her maidenhead.
It was a pinch, lasting no more than a few seconds, but Skyla let out a painful gasp, even though this was exactly what she had wanted. She had asked for it, begged for it.
“I’m sorry, love.” Rei held still. The only thing her sore channel felt were the pulsations from his hard-as-steel cock. Sweat was beading all over his forehead. His lips were pressed in a formidable line, looking as if letting out even a breath would break his control.
Skyla didn’t know what came over her. The pinch from the tear of her maidenhead was still throbbing, but her body had a mind of its own and pushed up, making Rei go deeper to the hilt.
This time it was Rei who moaned through gritted teeth. “Stay still…my control is paper thin, and you are not ready for more, love.” He snaked his arm around her waist and flushed her body against his.
“Try me.” She didn’t mean to say it like a dare. Instantly, a pair of very male, very predatory eyes gleamed at her. If she had any good sense, she would be afraid of the vulnerable position she was in, trapped underneath his deliciously taut, solid body and afraid of how easily he could arouse all these unfamiliar yet exciting sensations. But she was not afraid at all. She needed more, and his damned control was in the way. Wickedly, she clamped down her mouth on his neck, nipping at his pulse, and all hell broke loose.
“Ahh…Elizabeth.” With a defeated growl, he let go of her and sat up in a more dominant position. He pulled out slowly, leaving only the swollen crown of his cock lodged inside her before he rammed it back inside her tight, lava-hot body. The intense sensations knocked both of their breaths out. His face was flushing with lust, mirroring the hunger she felt. And she was not frightened by it…unlike she had been by Fernando’s unwanted advances.
Rei increased his pistoning pace, yet his hands were holding her gently. His eyes were shining with love.
With each of his forward plunges, Skyla swore she could feel him right outside of her womb. Both his mouth and his cock were taking her with so much need, and such demanding force, the bed shook. It was a miracle the bedposts had not come crashing down.
He kept up the pace for a while, alternating with slower, more seductive strokes, keeping her body guessing. It was a claiming, claiming her, claiming back Elizabeth. She knew it, and surprisingly, she wanted it as much as he did.
Then came the mind-blowing moment; her pussy vibrated and convulsed around his pounding cock. Her climax took off in multiple directions. She was coming apart in his embrace, and it was the most beautiful, peaceful thing she had ever experienced. Unlike the terror she had felt the one and only time she had been physically close to another man—Knox before their graduation—this time her body and mind felt absolutely right.
Rei continued his steady motions, working her down from the earth-shattering peak. When her channel finally stopped quaking, he lifted both of her legs onto his shoulders and started pumping into her again. The speed was leisurely at first. He kissed her all over, and his hands were everywhere, touching her, arousing her. She didn’t think her body could react to anything after the multiple orgasms, yet her body shamelessly tightened up again. His onslaught and the change of tempo aroused all kinds of rioting sensations inside her. They were like invisible fingers tugging at her womb, demanding her to receive him, all of him.
Finally his thumb reached below and rubbed her clit while his cock continued plunging. She could barely get enough oxygen into her lungs from the frantic race. Her vision was getting blurry again. Just as she thought she was about to pass out from the erotic intensity, Rei howled his pleasure. His cock stiffened inside her as his pelvis ground against her tightly. A warm gush of his seed flooded her overly sensitive channel walls. It triggered another orgasm just as powerful as the ones she had before.
“Skyla.” His jaw tightened, and his eyes squeezed shut. He called out her name softly while his hips continued pushing into her languidly, as if he was trying to make sure she took every last drop of his seed.
Once the tremors finally subsided and the world stopped spinning, she opened her unfocused eyes. Rei was still on top of her, putting his weight on his forearms. He looked content and happy, just like in her memory of them together. She pulled his face down and kissed him with the love that she had never thought she would find. “Rei,” she answered him back.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Knox was bone tired. It had been a long day. He had spent most of it making sure Rei’s men had secured every inch of the townhouse and checking and rechecking all the security details with Sloan. Although Rei’s security details were damned good for the 1930s, he had insisted they improvise additional measures, not only as safeguards but also as traps. He wanted answers the next time Antonio showed up. Seeing Skyla’s limp body on the floor last night made him want to rip her cousin apart limb by limb. He knew Skyla was not his, nor was she ever meant to be. But it didn’t lessen his unrequited feelings for her. He would give up his life before letting anyone harm her again. He had loved her when they were just bright-eyed college students. He still loved her and had hoped to win her back until Rei showed up. After seeing firsthand what had happened to her and Rei in the sixteenth century, he knew i
t was the right thing to do, giving up his claim on her.
He dragged his leaden legs up the staircase into his room. He discarded his gear, his thin, thermal top, his utility belt and socks, and his cargo pants carelessly on the floor as he walked into the bathroom, his garments forming a trail behind him. The hot, pressurized water from the showerhead slowly relaxed his taut muscles, even though his mind kept going over the events since Rei had showed up at the Agency. The situation had become bigger than any of them had anticipated. There were obviously more players in the game than Rei had let on. Skyla’s cousin from her escaped past showing up in the townhouse was another sign that someone was playing with them all, even with the Agency. But who? And for what gain?
When he first saw the woman in Rei’s room, he thought he had imagined her. Then seeing Rei recovered from the severe gunshot wound in less than a couple of hours had confirmed his suspicion before Rei had reluctantly admitted that she was a maiden serving his gods. Knox had his guess which gods the maiden served. He had considered forcing the issue on Rei, but like Rei, he too had skeletons hidden in his closet.
This unexpected discovery brought up a past he would rather not think about. Unlike his twin sister, Knox preferred keeping that door shut with a dead bolt. He finished his showering and shaving routine leisurely. Still drying his hair, he stepped out of the bathroom but halted abruptly at the vision before him.
“You.”
The maiden in Rei’s room was standing in the middle of his room. Needing to confirm his guesses, he quietly took stock of her. Her hair was long, wavy, and pale blonde. Her face was a delicate oval shape. Her silky hair tumbled down her graceful neck to her tantalizingly full, feminine hips. She was medium height but with perfect curves; though he did not expect any less from her kind. When his eyes traveled back up to her face, it was icy and almost as pale as her blonde hair. Her green eyes looked at him with glacial cool, yet they were soothing at the same time. His heartbeat was slowing to calm beats. That was a surprise, given he was facing an unknown entity, a potential threat. Then it hit him. She was not a garden-variety handmaiden. She was calming and soothing, like a siren call. Immediately, he blocked off his mind and pushed back at her subtle power, rejecting her call. The handmaiden’s eyes widened. They looked baffled at first and then alarmed. Her icy brows furrowed, as if not understanding why her power was not working on a mere mortal. That was when Knox charged at her.
Facing his aggressive advancement, the handmaiden stumbled back a few steps while holding out her left palm, as if she could stop him with a mere hand gesture. Her genuine fear stopped him mid-stride. Knox might be ruthless in his job, but he was raised to treat women with respect and care. His auto-pilot, combat-ready body shut off immediately, and he asked instead, “Who are you and what do you want?”
The deadly intent in his eyes had probably lessened because the calm, icy expression was back on the maiden’s lovely face. “Danger is fast approaching. Beware of love and betrayal.” As soon as the last word was said, she vanished into thin air.
“Shit.” Bad timing, really bad timing. Knox quickly got dressed and headed to look for Skyla. She needed to understand what they were up against without giving his own secrets away.
Chapter Twenty-Five
As Skyla dressed in front of the mirror, her face was still blushing from the passionate afternoon that she had shared with Rei. Her body and mind had finally surrendered to him, to them. With each regained memory, Elizabeth was awakening more within her. Yet her mind continued struggling with coming to terms with her past, with the wide-eyed, innocent girl whom she was no longer. It was still incredible to know, to actually feel, how completely reliant Elizabeth was on Rei and how absolute her love was for him. The Elizabeth that Rei remembered was a true innocent. She was soft and full of laughter, whereas Skyla had been hardened by the evils she had seen and fought against. She wished she could be Elizabeth again, but the price of giving up her independence would be too high. Now that she remembered why she had taken such a grave risk to escape, she could and would never leave herself vulnerable to any man again. Too bad; it would have been such a great love story, and Skyla had always been a fan of great love stories. Her impressive collection of romance novels, from epic to modern to dark and edgy, was a testimony to that.
A light rapping noise cut off her thoughts. “Skyla?” It was Knox’s voice coming through the door.
“Just a sec,” she called out and quickly pulled on her long-sleeved thermo and pulled her hair into a ponytail below her nape. The mirror showed her cheeks were still flushed, her lips were still swollen. Knox would know immediately they were from Rei’s thorough loving. For a brief second, she wanted to tell Knox to come back later. But likely that would raise his alarm as she had fainted earlier. He would definitely insist on coming in to check on her. Squaring her shoulders, she headed to the door and opened it.
“Hey, Knox. What’s up?” She smiled her best smile and ushered him in, hoping he didn’t notice anything different in her.
To her surprise, Knox looked troubled and was distracted, very unlike his usual mission-focused mindset. Shadows showed in his normally steady, sea-blue eyes. If he noticed her blushing cheeks and swollen lips, he didn’t let on. He closed the door and said quietly, “I saw the woman again.”
“The woman Rei said was one of the handmaiden of his gods?”
He nodded. “She gave me a warning. She said danger is fast approaching and beware of love and betrayal.”
“That doesn’t sound good.” She knew she was saying it rhetorically. “A traitor among Rei’s men?”
“Likely. That’d explain the trap at the dock,” Knox agreed.
“And what does love have to do with betrayal?”
“That’s likely about you and Rei, the long lost…”
She held up her hand before he could finish his sentence. “That’s ancient history. I do not know Rei anymore, nor am I interested in knowing him again.” She was lying, of course, and as soon as those words came out from her mouth, a voice in her head went, “Liar, liar, pants on fire!” She almost groaned out loud.
Knox loomed over her. “Skyla, whatever is between you and Rei, you need to accept it and then make a choice. Until you accept what you and Rei had and probably still have, you won’t be able to make any choices.”
She knew he was right. That was the funny thing about free will. One could not truly exercise free will until one had acknowledged the truth of the situation to oneself.
“Fine.” She opened the door and gestured him through. “Let’s go talk to Rei, then.”
•●•
“How did Antonio get past our men guarding the townhouse?” Rei spoke quietly, but his tone was laced with fury. He poured the scotch into two old-fashioned doubles made from antique Venetian glass. He found the glasses in Prague just as World War I was starting. It was July 1, 1914, two days after he finished his little assignment from the gods in Sarajevo, and he was on his way to his ancestral land to get ready for the next move by the Austrian-Hungarian Empire. As soon as he saw the glass set at a flea market in Prague, he immediately recognized the craftsmanship. It was an art lost during the fourth crusade in the twelfth century. When Constantinople was sacked, many of the master glassmakers fled to Venice; hence the name Venetian glass. His mother used to collect this type of glassware when she was alive. He was only twelve when she had died in childbirth. Over the centuries, the pain from his memory of his mother, his family, had gradually dulled to an ache. He wished he could go back in time to save them, but it was forbidden, just as he was forbidden to go near Fernando. All the gods promised him was vengeance, but they had never specified when vengeance would come. Some of his men got their vengeance immediately after they traded their souls to the gods; some, like him, were still waiting for their day of retribution against their enemies. Rei was tired of waiting. His mind had already been made up. Now that Elizabeth was found, the game would end here, whether the gods wanted it or not.
He went over to the leather armchair by the fireplace where his brother was sitting and handed him one of the doubles. His brother’s posture was rigid and tense, which was very unlike his normally carefree self. Out of all his brothers, Sloan had the most easygoing personality, although he was no less deadly and ruthless than any of their father’s sons. A warning bell set off somewhere far back in his mind, but he thought no more of it. The tension was probably from the surprise of finding out Antonio also had the ability to leap through time.
“Why now? Why after almost five centuries?” Rei took a swig of the amber nectar, welcoming the fiery sensation scorching down his throat.
Sloan mirrored him and also took a healthy swig of the scotch. “Antonio must have gotten a hold of the prototype we worked on with his father and made improvements to it. After all, he’s his father’s son. He was supposed to be every bit as brilliant as his father. Remember the old man kept going on and on about his son during the months we were there?” He finished the rest of his drink in one gulp. “And he must have helped his son, even after he’d promised us that he’d not tamper with such a machine again.”
After a brief pause, Sloan lowered his voice, and his expression turned cold and fierce. “We should’ve killed Antonio when we had our chance instead of yielding to Elizabeth’s father’s plea for his worthless hide.”
Rei remembered the day Edda, the handmaiden, told them that the gods had ordered them to leave Florence immediately with the only explanation that the Medici family was too powerful through history to be harmed or manipulated; even the gods were weary of them. That had shot down his plan of disposing of Fernando to hell. So he had settled for exacting vengeance from Elizabeth’s cousin…
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