But now I was seeing him without any masks of authority or reactions to carnal thoughts. Now, he was just a sleeping man of masculine beauty drifting along in his dream world that looked like he had found peace there. It made me wonder what Lucius’ dreams were about. What did a being as powerful as Lucius find when he closed his eyes?
After I took the minutes being captivated by this side of Lucius, I started to let my eyes drift down. After all I was only human…had I used that excuse once or twice before? Well, whatever worked to keep my guilt at bay long enough to take in the sights. I almost forgot that what happened to Lucius that day at the Temple had changed him forever. Well looking at him now I was definitely reminded.
His upper body was twisted facing me with one arm bent being used as a pillow for his head, making his muscles bunch and the other was lay over his wide chest. Like this I could see that sexy curved line men got from having muscular shoulders that then formed into wide and a lengthy bicep. Whereas before, Lucius had a slimmer build of muscle to Draven’s body, now that was no longer the case, thanks to receiving the same powers from both Heaven and Hell.
But it wasn’t just his bulk up that marked these changes. It was the lighter streaks of gold in his sandy colour hair that had innocently fallen over one side of his face. It was the deeper tone to his voice, giving him a slightly deeper authoritative edge than before. Hell, it was even that his fingers looked stronger, which were currently curled in the sheets in an iron grip. I wondered why and what had changed in his dreams to give him reason to hold on?
I didn’t have to wait long for my answer as his voice interrupted my silent appraisal.
“Enjoying yourself?” I jumped at his question and seemed frozen to the spot. Not that I had ever been caught stealing before as you would actually have to steal in the first place, but if I had, then this was what I imagined getting caught would feel like. Or did stealing the heart count…? Because technically I was just returning it to its rightful owner. Ok, ok, so getting back on course, maybe by looking at someone when they slept was like stealing?
“Uh…I…I wasn’t looking.” It wasn’t my best line by a long shot and one cheeky grin told me he knew this. I watched him push all his hair back with one hand and I couldn’t help but bite my lip at the sight.
“No? So you just woke up on your side facing me and for the last ten minutes have been staring into a space I just so happen to fill?”
“Er…yeah?”
“I will take your lame ‘Yeah’ and raise you a ‘Bullshit’.”
“Alright fine, I was looking! Happy now?” I said losing my patience and he laughed at my outburst. I watched him turn onto his back and stretch out his arms behind his head.
“Well come on sugar don’t be shy, you sit right here and get a closer look.” He said patting his covered groin, making me growl at him.
“Not funny.”
“Do I look like I just want to be tickled?” He said turning back round to his original position, giving me that bad boy ‘I wanna play’ look.
“Do you want to explain to me what I am doing in your bed?” I demanded in my best pissed off voice.
“Snoring.” He replied smirking.
“What! I don’t snore!” He lent toward me and then whispered,
“Yeah honey, you do.” This was when I smacked him on the arm and quickly realised that it wasn’t very effective when all I felt was solid flesh. This just angered me more.
“I. DO. NOT!” I said leaning in myself meeting him in the middle. We were now both only inches apart and where he was grinning, I was scowling.
“Don’t worry, it will be our little secret.” He whispered and then kissed me quickly on the end of my nose.
“I think I liked you more when you were a scary, controlling, bad ass Vamp kidnapper.” I said folding my arms across my chest and only now just realising I was wearing one of his bloody shirts! I opened my arms back up and looked down under the sheets to see apart from a pair of knee high socks, it was also all I was wearing!
“You have all of five seconds to explain, Lucius or I swear to God no supernatural power on earth will stop your balls from hurting.” I threatened holding the bridge of my nose in a non-effective way of gaining patience.
“Well, seeing as we have very different ideas on what you could do to my balls, I will explain, Miss Killjoy. You fell asleep and I carried you up here, where I took off my shirt to give to Pip to dress you in. By the time I returned you were snoring your little orange socks off and I fell asleep laughing at you…happy now?” I smacked him again and said,
“I don’t snore!” He laughed again and said,
“Yes Keira…you do.” I rolled my eyes and then muttered,
“Whatever,” knowing I was not going to win this game of his.
“So why didn’t you wake me up like you said you would do?”
“Because you were exhausted and even I am not enough of a bastard to wake someone when they have endured all that you have.” At this my anger softened enough to make me say a small,
“Thanks.”
“Besides, I knew eventually the snoring would wake you.” I groaned in frustration before I started to say,
“I do not…” And then that sentence trickled off because I suddenly remembered the rumbling noise that woke me up, only as soon as I became aware of it, it had stopped.
“Oh God!” I said slapping my hands over my mouth for the second time that morning.
“Ah, there it is.” I shot him daggers and said,
“Shut up!” Only making him laugh harder, which managed to jiggle the mattress. Then Lucius did a very human thing and stretched out his arms and yawned. I was so taken back that I didn’t realise I was staring at him until he said,
“What?”
“Uh, you yawn?” Wow I really didn’t wake up as the brightest bulb this morning did I?
“And?” He replied before rolling to grab his mobile phone from the bedside table.
“I just…never heard it before.” Stupid Keira, stupid Keira!
“You have never heard me cum before either, would you like to?”
“Eww you’re a pig!” I said slapping his chest for the third time, only this time he grabbed my wrist, reminding me of being in last night’s shackles.
“Try to hit me again and I will have no other choice but to restrain you.” He promised with a dark purr to his voice that screamed pure sin. I followed his heated eyes as they moved up to focus on the swags of chains attached to the twisted metal bar above us. It ran along the top curve at the head of Lucius’ incredible black sleigh bed. My eyes widened as I remembered from last time the black leather manacles attached to the middle of those chains.
“I’ll…” I had to clear my voice before pushing the rest of that statement out,
“…be good.” Lucius let go of my wrist and said,
“Pity,” before he flipped the covers back and I watched him get out of bed, completely butt naked. My mouth dropped open like a damn goldfish at the sight of all that pale flesh that curved into too many muscles to count. His back looked strong enough to carry boulders on and his thighs big enough to run with them there. I didn’t know if I had closed my eyes by this point and the perfect backside I was still seeing had just been imprinted onto my retinas or if I just couldn’t close my eyes because of the perfection. Either one there it was, Lucius’ naked body and it was a thing of pure lustful beauty!
“You’re staring, little doll.” He said, his voice full of mischievous mirth and clearly loving catching me practically drooling at him. I snapped my eyes shut, still seeing his perfect butt and mumbled something that I hoped sounded like an apology. I turned round to face the other way and bolted upright in the bed to swing my legs on the floor.
His bed was so huge that my feet didn’t even touch the thick gothic looking rug that I was making sure I kept looking at. I followed every grey line of the giant fleur de lis that was made from a series of delicate swirls and curled branches. It was
a beautiful rug and at that moment keeping my mind from the beautiful body behind me. Only once the rug no longer held an appeal I switched to take in my knee high socks, counting the stripes of black against orange…or was it orange against black…?
“Ah!” I jumped when I felt Lucius’ hand on my shoulder and heard him chuckling softly.
“Found anything interesting down there?”
“Pip left my socks on.” I said because A: I was stupid and B: anything was better than blurting out ‘you’re a beautiful man’. I felt his head come closer until I felt his chin rest at my shoulder. He looked down at my feet and said,
“And how very adorable they do look.” This time I just blushed instead of speaking, thinking this was the wiser choice. My breath caught when I felt him move his chin back and one hand came up to my neck to brush my hair away to the other side. He held it there as it was now short enough to come back on its own and I quickly found it hard to breathe when his fingers suddenly made a fist in my hair.
“You look good in my shirt.” Lucius hummed along my neck as his free hand came up to play with the collar. Although he was only skimming his fingertips along where the two sides of his open shirt met the first fastened button, it felt like his touch continued all the way down to the junction of my legs. It was such a confusing mix of sensations. On one side I had his commanding hand gripping my hair, roughly tipping my head to the side so he could get better access and then the other was caressing me so softly it was almost like a lover whispering endearments.
“Lucius.” I released his name on a gasp as he let loose the first button so his fingertips could just reach the top of my breasts. I think I must have started panting at this point or close to it because he stilled after he heard the plea in his name, neither of us knowing if it was to stop or keep going. Later I would find myself thanking the Heavens that he saw it as a sign to stop, because feeling a man’s touch again was like soothing the wound before tearing it open again.
I had to give him credit for making light of the situation when he just kissed my neck and said,
“I think it best if you get dressed into something other than my shirt, pet…” Well I did think this was making light of it until he added,
“…before I take you whispering my name as a sign to rip it from your very biteable skin.” Then he sucked in some of that skin and held it with his teeth, only to then smile around his mouthful when I sucked in a shuddered breath. Then as quickly as it started he let me go and I felt the bed move as he got off the other side.
“Get dressed love, I have a surprise waiting for you.” He said being back to his usual playful manner.
“Uh, what time is it?” I croaked out like I was trying to form words around the squash ball I had unknowingly swallowed.
“It’s getting on for ten.” He said and I looked round to see he was adding a long sleeved t-shirt to the stonewash jeans he already had on.
“Oh, that’s not too bad then.” I said watching as he pulled each sleeve up his forearms. It was a rust coloured material that was a V neck only because it had been torn that way, along with the frayed edges around the waist and arms. It was tight around his torso, showing the lines of his pecs and only just hiding the six pack I had seen earlier…oh and of course it looked delicious on him, damn it!
“Not too bad?” He inquired.
“Yeah, means I didn’t sleep that late.” At this he laughed shaking his head to himself as though he found this to be another funny Keira moment.
“Keira, its ten at night, you slept through the day.”
“What?!” I shouted jumping from the bed to face him. It was only when he gave me that predatory gaze looking me up and down, did I pull down on his shirt, making sure it covered everything north of my knees.
“Guess I was right, you must have been tired… and now you must be hungry.” He added after my belly made itself known on an embarrassing rumble.
“You get ready and I will see to getting you some much needed food.” He said going back to being gentle caring Lucius. He walked to the door that I knew led into the rest of his apartment but as he opened the door he stopped to look back.
“Keira girl.”
“Yeah?” I said waiting for what was coming next,
“I thought the snoring was cute.”
I heard him chucking at my embarrassed groan as he closed the door.
As soon as I knew I was alone I ran to use the bathroom I remembered from last time, only now I was in a rush I barely took in the black and red theme that continued from Lucius’ ostentatious bedroom. However, I did give the monstrous black clawed tub a wishful glance thinking how long it had been since I had last soaked my body.
Not having the time, I had to be content with having a quick wash hoping there would be chance later to give this luscious bathroom the time it truly deserved. After brushing my teeth and trying to brush through my hair at the same time, I gave up with the knotted nest and spat out the heavenly toothpaste that I would have kissed rats for only days ago.
After visiting the posh toilet, I quickly made short work of getting dressed back in the clothes I had barely worn last night and thanks to Pip I found them folded up on a lavish cherry red Chesterfield couch.
I then ran out of Lucius’ bedroom door to be hit with the heavenly sight of two things, one made my stomach growl in anticipation and the other made me scream out with pure joy…
“Percy!”
Chapter 54
Bargain With Blood, Not Your Body
“Keira!” Percy shouted back as I ran at him. We joined together and tears ran down both our cheeks as the emotions soared. I pushed back his hood and put my hands either side of his scarred face to pull him to me to kiss his forehead. He looked up at me, bit down on his own lip as it quivered right before he wrapped his arms around me.
I heard Pip’s squeals of delight in the background at seeing our reunion. I just couldn’t help the tears. I felt, in this moment, so relieved seeing him here and safe, having worried that once I left, Dimme would end up torturing him beyond anything he could come back from. The bond we had forged together during that time was one that would never leave me, no matter what.
And just to put it in perspective, anyone that ended up taking punishments after sneaking out to get me tampons and then being the poor soul who had to dispose of them is someone who not only goes beyond the duties of friendship, but is someone worth risking my life for.
“How?” I asked after we had both had our moment to calm down.
“Ith wasth all your mas…ss…masthers idea.” He said stuttering even more and I knew this was down to being emotional.
“Uh Master… you know, I think I like that.” Lucius said making a joke of what Percy said. I turned to him and found him leaning against the bar area casually, as if this was all an everyday occurrence. Pip and Adam were also there and sat watching all this play out. She gave me a little wave and then said,
“I dressed him.” I turned back to Percy who was no longer wearing a scruffy brown monk’s habit. Pip had quickly brought him to the now and with a vengeance.
“You made him a punk!?” I said stating the obvious.
“Hell yea I did, doesn’t he look cute?” She said jumping off the sofa and coming to pat him on the head. He beamed up at her with one of the biggest grins I had ever seen on him and I had to laugh as it was clear he had found his new mentor. He looked so different than the worried and downtrodden friend I had met back in that horrible place and I couldn’t stop smiling as I took in the new Percy.
In just a few days Pip had transformed him in a smaller version of Ruto! He was now wearing a pair of ripped, black skinny jeans, a faded KISS t-shirt and a thin knitted top that hung open at the sides, showing multiple belts with spikes. The only thing that remained the same was that he wore the floppy hood up, but this time not completely covering his face. He even had on a beanie hat underneath which had grey skulls along the rim as if it had been stamped.
“Ok,
someone’s gotta fill me in here.” I said looking back to Lucius. He pushed away from the bar and came to take my hand. He then led to me to one of the other couches and sat me down ready to explain.
“Your little friend over there risked the wrath of his master as he stole his money and travelled all the way here from Switzerland to come to tell me about his kidnapped friend being sold at auction.” My gaze shot to Percy and I asked in shock,
“You did that?”
“I wasth going to pay ith back.” He said looking sheepish, but I couldn’t give a flying monkey’s turd about the money as it was him I was worried about.
“Percy, why did you do that? You could have been caught or killed or that stringy piece of piss could have found out and…and…” I felt Lucius’ hand grip my thigh and I realised I was panicking.
“I…I am fffine thhhough…th’see. Bethsides I have thsomething of yourths” He said softly pulling my coin out of his pocket and handing it me.
“Keira, it will be fine, he is safe now.” Lucius told me quietly but at that precise moment Ruto walked into the apartment and announced,
“Luc, there is someone here calling himself Dimme, although dumb shit is my preferred choice.” I tensed at hearing the name and Lucius loosened his grip so that he could soothingly stroke my leg.
“Ssshh, breathe little bird.” He whispered in my ear. I flashed Percy a panicked look that matched the one I found staring back.
“Tell him to wait.” Ruto nodded respectfully at Lucius’ order and turned to leave.
“Oh and Ruto…”
“Yes, My Lord?”
“Stay at his back.” Upon hearing this, Ruto’s lips split into a murderous grin that promised the sight of blood before the night was over. Again he just nodded and then this time swiftly left the room.
The Quarter Moon (Afterlife saga) Page 62