by I. T. Lucas
“They are both big kids and they’ll figure it out. If not today then tomorrow, or in a month, or a year from now. Putting yourself in the middle will only get you hurt.”
Syssi chuckled as Andrew’s argument evoked an image of Kian and Amanda as kids. Annani had been lucky to have them eons apart. Both were so hard-headed and stubborn that raising them together would’ve been a nightmare.
Suddenly, her vision blurred.
Oh no, here it comes.
It had been such a long time since her last premonition, but the sensation was unmistakable.
All outside stimuli receded. Vision, sound, smell, all of it was no longer there. A small swirl of intense bright color started filling the void, getting bigger and bigger until it completely filled her inner sight. Then it began to coalesce into a picture, or rather a movie—the image wasn’t static.
It was a beautiful summer day in a park. Somewhere where the green was strong and vivid, the trees and the grass and everything that grew appeared healthy, like in Hawaii. Andrew and a little girl were the only ones there. He was tossing the giggling child up, or rather just pretending to throw her because his large hands never left her tiny waist, then pretending to catch her, sneaking hugs and kisses in between the tosses.
His daughter—Syssi had no doubt that the child in her vision was Andrew’s—was a beautiful little girl. No more than two years old, she had long, thick dark hair that curled at the bottom, a rosebud of a mouth, and cheeks that were pink from exposure to the fresh air and from laughter. A perfect little girl. And Andrew looked so happy, the happiest she’d ever seen him.
The vision blurred, the child’s laughter fading into the distance, and Syssi opened her eyes with a gasp.
“Are you okay?” Andrew was holding her shoulders with a worried look on his face.
“I’m fine. In fact, I’m better than fine.” She smiled, but then her smile wilted when she reminded herself that her premonitions were mostly about impending disasters, and not about happy fathers and giggling daughters.
And yet, this time, it had been different. It had started the same as the others had, but then it’d changed. And in the aftermath, she wasn’t left with a dark cloud hanging over her head like with her other premonitions.
“What did you see?”
“You. And your little girl.”
“My what?”
“Your daughter, Andrew. You’re going to become the proud father of the most gorgeous and sweetest little girl.”
Who was the mother, though? Was it Bridget? But the child had dark hair and a darker shade of skin than Bridget’s white, translucent porcelain complexion. Maybe his daughter would take after Andrew, who was slightly darker than Syssi and had brown hair. Except, the girl’s hair looked almost black, not brown. And even if Amanda were still a possibility for Andrew, her black hair wasn’t her natural color. Amanda’s real one was dark red like her mother’s—and Bridget’s.
A mystery.
“Are you sure? What exactly have you seen?”
“You and this little girl playing in a park.”
“Maybe she was someone else’s daughter? Like maybe yours?”
Not unless she ended up with a dark-haired husband instead of Kian. And that was not going to happen.
“No, she was yours.”
“Damn…”
CHAPTER 34: KIAN
At the last moment, Kian punched the button for the gym’s level instead of the dungeon’s. Syssi was right, he should calm down if he hoped to have a civilized talk with Amanda. Not that it was likely to happen, they’d probably end up tearing at each other’s throats, but then he could at least tell Syssi that he had done his best.
The loafers weren’t suited for running, but he could release steam by lifting weights almost as well as by running on a treadmill. He was not about to go back for gym shoes.
The prospect of seeing Syssi and her disapproving expression wasn’t something he was ready to face.
Not yet.
Maybe later, when he could report to Syssi how civilized he had been with Amanda so she’d be proud of him again.
Fates help me. How am I going to achieve that?
Buckets of sweat, that’s how. Maybe if he pushed himself to a level of exhaustion that drained all of his energy, negative and positive alike, he’d be able to pull it off.
“Kian, over here,” Anandur called out.
Great, he was hoping for Yamanu as a lifting partner. Today he was in a mood that could only be satisfied on the bench, pressing some serious weight. Yamanu was perfect for that. But the guy was usually done with his routine by six in the morning, and it was almost eight now. The only two left in the gym were Anandur and Bhathian. The clown and the undertaker.
Reluctantly, Kian walked over to Anandur’s lifting station. “I need someone to spot me on the bench, you volunteer?”
Anandur cast a quizzical glance at Kian’s loafers. “Last minute change of heart?”
“You can say that. So? Are you going to assist or not?”
“You know I can’t say no to you, boss.” Anandur replaced the kettlebells he’d been training with on the rack and wiped his hands with a towel. “Lead the way.”
Kian lay on the bench, adjusting his position until his arms were at the right angle to the bar. “I’ll start with four hundred for the warmup.”
“On each side or total?”
“Total, you smart ass.”
“Yes, boss.”
Kian gripped the bar, tightening his hold to create more tension in his lower arms and chest, then tucked his elbows to his sides and un-racked the weight. He held it for a moment before bringing it down to his chest, then drove his feet downward and reversed the movement.
“So, how did your date with Syssi go?” Anandur asked.
“Great, not that it’s any of your business.”
“I was just wondering why you look so pissed.” He chuckled. “For a moment, I was harboring hope that Syssi had smartened up and broken off the engagement.”
The bastard, taking advantage of Kian’s compromised position. Joking aside, though, after this morning this wasn’t such a far-fetched possibility. “You’re lucky my hands are busy.”
“That’s what I was counting on. But seriously, what has gotten your panties in a wad?”
“As if you have to ask. I’m sure Amanda didn’t get into the Doomer’s cell by materializing through the door,” Kian bit out.
“Aha…”
“Did you know that she intended to move in with him?”
“No, I didn’t. Before kicking me out, she said she was going to stay overnight, which wasn’t all that surprising, but I had no idea she was planning on playing house with the dude.”
Bloody Anandur hadn’t sounded bothered at all, talking about the incident as if it was just another piece of gossip. And what had he meant by not surprising?
“What made you think she’d want to stay the night?”
“Really? You want me to spell it out for you?”
“To scratch her itch, she could’ve fucked him and left. No need to stay.”
Anandur sighed melodramatically. “You still refuse to face the facts. She is in love with the dude, it’s not only about the sex.”
“She is not in love with him. If she were, she wouldn’t have left. Fates know that I wanted to do the right thing by Syssi and let her go before she transitioned, when I didn’t believe that she would, but I couldn’t.”
“Are you done with the warmup? Or do you want to continue with the light weight?”
“No, put another two hundred on.”
“On each side or total?”
“Total, you moron.”
“Hey, no need for name calling, it was a legitimate question. After a good warmup, I press eight hundred.”
Show-off.
“Good for you.”
Anandur was silent for a moment, but Kian had no illusions about Anandur dropping the subject. The guy was a worse romantic sap than Syssi.<
br />
“I think Amanda is fighting it.”
Yeah, Anandur was probably right. But it seemed that she was either making a half-assed effort or losing the battle.
“Not hard enough.”
“It’s like you couldn’t resist Syssi. When it hits you, you’re powerless against it, even if you know that it’s not good for you or for the other person.”
Damn, why is Anandur making sense?
“Well, if she is not strong enough to resist the pull then I have to do it for her. There is no way in hell that I’ll allow Amanda to shack up with a goddamned Doomer.”
“If you want my honest opinion, I think you’re being an ass about this.”
“I don’t.”
Was he the only sane one in this place? Had they all lost their fucking minds? What were they expecting him to do? Welcome a murderer—a goddamned Doomer—into the family?
CHAPTER 35: AMANDA
Waking up next to a man in her bed felt weird, but in a good way. After more than two centuries of sleeping alone and having the bed all to herself, it was an adjustment to share the space with someone else—especially someone as big as Dalhu who was taking up most of it and hogging the blanket.
Though why he needed it was a mystery. The man was a furnace. Amanda snuggled closer to get warm.
Smooth skin over hard muscle—yum.
She ran a hand down his impressive pectoral then followed it with a kiss. Even after all their rigorous activity of last night, Dalhu’s scent was still mouth-watering like that of a rich wine—distinctively his, with a hint of the simple Irish Spring soap he’d showered with the day before.
“Good morning.” He wrapped an arm around her and started caressing her back, up and down, all the way to her butt.
“Is it? How can you tell time in here? There are no windows.”
“Inner clock… and this.” He showed her his wristwatch.
She kept caressing his chest, checking out every ridge and valley. “I must say, I’m surprised Kian didn’t show up yet. I was expecting him barreling in a long time ago, breaking down the door in the middle of the night and giving me hell.”
“Shh… let me enjoy this with you. We’ll deal with him when the time comes.”
“I don’t know about you, but I’d rather be showered and dressed when he comes. One naked showdown is enough for a lifetime.”
He chuckled. “You’re right. Although I think you were absolutely majestic. I can’t imagine any other woman, or man for that matter, who’d have the guts to confront a room full of gawking members of the opposite sex in a butt-naked, akimbo pose. You’re one of a kind.” He ducked his head and kissed her lips.
Well, hello… That feather-light touch was enough to ignite the hungry beast lurking inside her, and she grabbed his head, holding him in place for a proper kiss—one that involved tongues and teeth, and lasted until she ran out of breath.
“I thought you wanted to shower and dress…” Dalhu hissed through fangs that were growing longer in front of her eyes.
Amanda wrapped her arms around him and pulled him on top of her. “This will only take a minute. I want you inside me—right now.”
He smiled, the long, protruding fangs making him look positively evil, but his big brown eyes were soft—full of love. “Your wish is my command.” He sank into her wet heat in one smooth slide.
“Ah…” She wanted to tell him you say the nicest things, but all that came out was a groan of pleasure.
Now, this was a fabulous way to wake up in the morning and start a day—none better—even if a quickie was all they had time for.
She clawed his ass and drew him closer—the small hurt spurring him on—and she felt him twitch inside her as he bucked between her thighs,
Soon, his thrusts were becoming frantic and his chest slick with perspiration—the sparse hair on it rubbing her aching nipples. He growled against her neck, and as she felt his hot breath on her skin, she willed him to bite her.
“Do it,” she hissed.
“Not yet,” he snarled and drove into her harder, faster, his powerful body a perfect male breeding machine at peak performance.
Magnificent.
His grip on her shoulders was bruisingly rough, as he held her in place, but so were her claws on his gluts, urging him on to go deeper, harder. It didn’t take long until she felt the start of an orgasm bearing down on her, building up momentum.
Her channel spasmed around Dalhu’s pistoning shaft, and he swelled inside her, impossibly thick as he neared his own climax.
“Now!” she screamed and he obeyed, his fangs sinking into her neck on a snarl.
She was pinned to the mattress by Dalhu’s powerful arms, immobilized by his twin incisors burning deep in her flesh, and yet she flew, soaring on the wings of incomparable pleasure to a place where nothing but euphoria existed.
Sometime later, she felt herself being picked up, gently cradled in those powerful arms that just a few moments ago held her down with such uncompromising brutality. Only partially cognizant, she realized that Dalhu had carried her into the bathroom when he took her with him into the shower. He sat on the bench while still holding her in his arms, then, somehow, managed to manipulate the faucets with one hand while holding her with the other, and began washing her with infinite care.
So, that’s how it felt to be taken care of.
Nice, real nice.
She could get used to that, like on a daily basis.
Come to think of it, from now on it would be Dalhu’s job to wash her. Her personal bathing slave.
He did a great job, soaping and washing everywhere, except her hair, which she told him not to touch. Though, next time, definitely. By the time he was done, she was back to herself, but a peaceful, satisfied feeling still lingered—a side effect of the venom she was becoming pleasantly accustomed to. If Kian were hankering for a fight, he would be deeply disappointed. She’d be the epitome of clever diplomacy while he would look like a raving lunatic.
Sweet.
“Thank you, that was lovely.” She kissed Dalhu’s cheek.
“Just lovely? I was hoping for earth-shattering, incomparable…”
“I was talking about the shower, you nitwit.” She kissed him again. “But the sex was indeed incomparable. Happy?”
“Except for being called a nitwit, yeah.”
She examined his expression, but he was still smiling. “I’ll stop if it bothers you. But I hope you know that I say it jokingly, right?” She shrugged and waved her hand. “It’s like a term of endearment for me, I mean nothing by it.”
Dalhu pulled her into his arms and kissed her forehead. “I know. And when it’s just the two of us alone, I don’t mind. But if you ever call me names in front of other people, I’ll have no choice but to give you a spanking.” He smacked her bare bottom.
“Kinky…” she purred.
He chuckled. “Do you remember the first time you accused me of being kinky?”
Amanda paused with the fresh thong she’d pulled out from her tote in hand. “No, when was that?”
“Right after I’d kidnapped you, I was afraid that you’d try to jump out of the moving vehicle, so I handcuffed you to the handle.”
Frowning, she pulled her underwear on. “I remember the handcuffs, but only in the motel, when you thought securing me to the wooden bed’s slatted headboard would keep me from getting away.”
Dalhu buttoned his jeans and opened a drawer to pull out a fresh T-shirt. “It worked, though, didn’t it?”
“Only because you drugged me.”
He threaded his fingers through his short hair. “Yeah, I forgot about that. Sorry.”
“Sorry that you forgot? Or sorry for doing it?”
“Both, I guess. Though I had no choice. I had no idea how strong you were, so I wasn’t concerned about escape, but you would have screamed bloody murder the moment I was out of there.”
“True.” She shrugged and pulled out a brush and a makeup case from her tote.
“For one night. I wasn’t planning on staying for good, that decision came later when I was talking to Steve.” She leaned closer to the mirror to apply mascara.
Dalhu followed her inside and she got a glimpse of him through the mirror, leaning against the doorjamb with his arms crossed over his chest.
The guy had amazing biceps.
Look away, Amanda, before you get your fresh thong wet.
She returned to her own reflection and applied a little lip stain, then run a quick brush through her hair.
“You should bring more of your things. Unless you want to stay naked, which is fine with me, or you can borrow my T-shirts. Anandur brought me a generous supply.”
“I’ll have my butler bring down a few items at a time. The closet in here is tiny.”
She retied the wrap dress for a snugger fit and slipped her feet into the low-heeled mules.
“By the way, what do you do for coffee? Do you have a coffee maker here?”
“No, a short, weird-looking butler brings in my meals, each with a fresh thermos of coffee, and it usually lasts me until the next one. If I get thirsty in between, there is orange juice and Perrier in the bar fridge.”
“That must be Okidu, Kian’s butler. Let’s go check if he left anything in the living room for us.” Amanda collected her beauty supplies and put them back in their case before heading out to the other room.
“Yay, we have coffee,” she enthused. “Come, sit next to me.”
Dalhu joined her on the couch and she poured them coffee from the thermos.
“How did he know to bring two cups?” Dalhu lifted the delicate porcelain cup with two thick fingers. It looked like a child’s plaything in his hand. “And these are not the type of cups he gets for me. He knew that you were here.”
“Of course.” Amanda drank gratefully, then picked up a piece of toast from the tray.