Kiss of Moonlight (Lucani Lovers Book 1)

by Stephanie Julian

  Every thrust made it that much harder to breathe as her body tightened in expectation of more pleasure.

  Since he was going way too slowly, she started to move on her own, planting her hands on his stomach and riding him, each time the base of his cock hitting her clit at just the right angle to send her closer to her climax.

  As she set a faster pace, Kyle’s expression hardened and his breaths became pants. She heard her own tortured breathing but pushed her body onto his faster and faster.

  She wanted to come, needed to come but her orgasm flitted just beyond her reach.

  Until Kyle pressed one finger to her clit. As if he’d flicked a switch, she spasmed around him, crying out as she sank onto him one last time, feeling his cock twitch inside her, prolonging her climax.

  Leaning forward, Kyle’s hands on her shoulders guiding her, she cuddled onto his chest as his arms wrapped around her.

  Several minutes later, when she could finally breathe again, she opened her eyes and propped her head on her hand to stare up at him. He still had his eyes closed, his expression completely relaxed. Beautiful.

  I never want to leave him.

  But she couldn’t bear it if he was hurt because of her.

  His eyes shot open, as if he could hear what she was thinking. But instead of scowling at her, his lips curved in a smile that stole her breath. Then he leaned forward and kissed her, feather-light but lingering.

  Rolling her to the side, he hiked his jeans up but didn’t zip them as he stood.

  “Hang tight, babe. I’ll be right back.”

  He disappeared into the attached bathroom and reemerged with a wet towel.

  After he cleaned her up, she headed for the bathroom. She returned to find him sitting on the couch. He held out his hand and she took it, letting him pull her down onto his lap. With his arms around her and his chin on her head, she felt safe. Protected.

  “So now what?”

  She asked the question that wouldn’t stop echoing in her mind and leaned back in his arms so she could see his face.

  His expression went deadly serious. “Now we try to figure out who’s after you and stop her before she gets close.”

  “Do you have a plan?”

  “Working on it, babe. Working on it.”

  Chapter Six

  When they left the boschetta, they headed northwest into Rockland Township.

  Kyle still wasn’t sure this was the right move but he couldn’t think of anywhere safer.

  Lost in the hills northeast of the city, the lucani den had started life as an exclusive resort in the mid-1800s when Philadelphia and New York blue bloods had traveled to the wilds of Berks County to enjoy the cooler temperatures and clean water for the summer.

  Today, close to 500 acres of heavily forested hills belonged to the lucani legion.

  Kyle considered it paradise. While the main resort building operated like an apartment complex for singles or newly mated couples, families and officers lived in the cottages scattered throughout the dense forest.

  Only one road led in and out and that was carefully camouflaged, nearly invisible if you didn’t know what you were looking for. Police never patrolled the private road and the township never plowed in the winter.

  “I want you to stick close to me while we’re here,” he said as they got closer to the den. “We don’t bring in many outsiders.”

  More like none, but he wasn’t going to tell her that. Hell, Cole could sentence him to death for driving her over the boundary and he was pretty sure there’d be a welcoming committee waiting for them when they drove up.

  But he was counting on a pardon after he explained.

  “Are you going to be in trouble?” Tam asked. “Because of me?”

  Shit, what did he say to that? He didn’t want to lie but he didn’t want her to worry either. “Maybe. But after I explain the circumstances, everything will be fine.”

  She fell silent and he glanced over to see her chewing her lip. Thinking.

  Finally, she said, “So this is the lucani headquarters?”

  Kyle nodded. “It’s the army base of operations, as well as the homestead for our people. The lucani were in danger of extinction in the early 1800s so to keep from splintering into even smaller groups that wouldn’t have survived, we pulled together and structured our society on the old Roman legions. In ancient times, the lucani had made up a secret legion of the Roman army, known only to the reigning praefect. We did the dirty work, the wet work.”

  “Like special forces?”

  “Yeah, pretty much. Today, we maintain our army but the focus is on protecting the Etruscan from threats, like discovery by the eteri or capture by the Mal. Or from the Zuhno, a group of humans who’ve made it their life’s work to hunt versipelli. They’re basically the KKK but they hunt werewolves.”

  “Your life sounds dangerous.”

  It was. More than he ever wanted her to know. But lying would come back to bite him in the ass more ways than one.

  And she needed to know what she was up against if he had any hope of keeping her with him forever.

  “It can be, yes. And I… Tam, look. I have to tell you, I’m not just another soldier. I have a specialized position in the legion. One not a lot of people know about.”

  She turned, her gaze glued to him. Waiting.

  “My official rank is sicarius. That means—”

  “Assassin.”

  A chill ran through him at the hollow tone of her voice but he couldn’t stop now. He’d picked a stupid-ass time to lay this on her but now that he’d started he couldn’t stop.

  His hands tightened on the steering wheel. “Yes. I’m the king’s assassin. I do the work no one wants to know about, the jobs no one else should know about. Only Dan and Margie know what I am. I operate outside the ranks of the legion. My commanding officer doesn’t even know what I do.”

  “But…you kill people.”

  “No.” He shook his head. “The men I kill aren’t people. They’re monsters. Men who murder innocents for their own pleasure or because they want to see how many bones they can break and force the victim to heal before their magic is drained. Men who steal our children and force them to become sexual slaves to depraved psychopaths who make them change into wolves during sex. These men deserve to die for their crimes.”

  “Oh my god. That’s awful.”

  The tears in her voice tugged at his gut. “Yeah, it is. But I make sure those men can’t hurt anyone else when I’m done with them.”

  For years, his life had been about serving justice on those who preyed on innocents. It defined him. He got a sense of purpose from it.

  And now…he’d give it up for her. If she wanted him to.

  Should he just throw that out there now? At this point, would she even care?

  He glanced her way again and sucked in a deep breath at the look on her face. She didn’t look terrified of him, as he feared she might. She looked sad.

  “I understand the need for your job, Kyle. I do.”

  He heard a huge “but” coming and continued to talk to be sure she couldn’t.

  “For a while now, I’ve been considering giving it up, taking a training position. I have other people I need to think about.”

  He slid another look her way and couldn’t decide if her expression was happy, sad, worried, hopeful or terrified. Maybe a little of everything.

  Did she understand that if she decided to stay with him, he’d give it up?

  Or did she only see him now as a killer?

  Maybe she just needed time to absorb what he’d told her. Work it through.

  Blessed Goddess, guide her through her doubts and back to me.

  As he turned onto the unmarked road leading to the den, the silence lengthened and the forest began to close in around them. The sun was still high enough to be visible through the tree tops, though the thick stands of oak, pine and maple limited visibility beyond the road.

  Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her tak
e a deep breath and sit straighter in the seat. Her worry scented the air, her hand clenched around the armrest.

  He laid his hand over hers and squeezed. “You don’t have anything to be afraid of here, Tam. No one will be able to find you and no one will hurt you.”

  “I’m not afraid.” She sighed and he glanced at her long enough to see her shaking her head. “All right, maybe I’m a little worried. Are there a lot of lucani here right now?”

  Good question. “Not if we’re lucky.”

  They drove the next mile in silence as Kyle concentrated on keeping the Jeep on the pitted, unpaved road. By the time the lane leveled out, the den lodge sprawled in front of them.

  “Oh, wow, that’s beautiful.”

  Tam’s hushed voice made him smile but he understood her awe.

  “Yeah, it is.”

  The wood and stone structure of the lodge had stood for more than one hundred years and had weathered beautifully. The building’s rounded angles blended into the forest, almost like an extension of the trees.

  The lane circled in front of the building then headed back the way they’d come in. Only footpaths led to the smaller homes on the property and none of those could be seen from the small clearing in front of the lodge.

  Kyle saw no one but he knew it wouldn’t be that easy.

  Almost as soon as he had the thought, two men stepped onto the porch through the front door. One he’d been expecting. The other… Well, it could be worse.

  Stopping the car in front of the steps, he waited for her to turn and look at him.

  “Give me a minute, hon. Don’t leave the car.”

  Leaning over, he pressed a hard kiss on her lips. Yes, he knew the men on the porch were watching and would understand what that kiss meant. But he also wanted to make Tam think about something other than her rising anxiety.

  Just as her lips began to soften, he pulled back and got out. He headed for the porch, only stopping when he stood next to the men.

  “Duke. Nic.”

  The younger men saluted him as a higher ranking officer, right fist to left shoulder, but the second that formality had been given, Varro “Duke” Ducate’s gaze sliced back to the car.

  “Have you finally lost your mind, old man? Cole’s not gonna give a shit about seniority. He’s gonna have your ass kicked from here to Vegas. You brought a fucking eteri here. Do you have a death wish?”

  Nicodemo Rocca didn’t even bother to look at this fellow centurion. “Shut the fuck up, Duke. Don’t be an ass. Hey, Kyle.” He stuck his hand out for Kyle to shake. “I think I may have a lead for you. Why don’t you bring her in?”

  “What are you, fucking nuts?” Duke looked at Nic like he’d just pulled a gun and shot him. “You’re gonna bring an eteri in here?”

  Now or never, Kyle decided. “Yeah, I am. She’s my mate, scazzacasso, so I don’t want to hear another fucking word about it. Shut the fuck up or I’ll tear your tongue out.”

  Duke’s eyes widened as his mouth shut. He was not a stupid man though he’d never taken his education past high school. He was a dedicated soldier and the scar running across his hard features from left temple to right cheek was a testament to that dedication. His dark hair was military short, and he stood a few inches shorter than Kyle but was broader across the chest. The guy was a powerhouse in the boxing ring, where he cleaned up on the amateur tours. When he wasn’t serving as a soldier in the lucani army.

  He and Nic had just turned twenty nine and next year they’d have to choose whether they re-upped or left the army to pursue another career, either with the lucani or not.

  Kyle had never considered leaving the legion. He didn’t think Duke had either, which is why Kyle had given some thought to Duke filling his shoes as sicarius.

  Nic, on the other hand, was a brilliant soldier who couldn’t wait to leave. Auburn-haired, freckled and “way too cute” according to Cat, Nic wanted more out of life.

  But Kyle knew Nic would never leave Duke behind. They weren’t lovers. They’d both had girlfriends over the years, but their friendship came first in everything.

  Kyle should’ve known when he’d contacted Nic to look into Tam’s attempted kidnapping that he’d enlist Duke’s help.

  With a resigned sigh, he turned his attention back to Nic, who looked like he was choking back a laugh. Whether at Duke or him, Kyle couldn’t tell.

  “So maybe you want to let her out of the car and bring her inside,” Nic said. “Lodge’s empty at the moment. Everyone’s either at the training field or off site.”

  Kyle nodded, knowing they wouldn’t have much time before people started heading here for dinner.

  And then the shit would really hit the fan.

  Back at the car, he opened the door and reached in for Tam. She met him halfway, putting her hand in his and letting him help her out.

  He didn’t release her when she tried to pull away and the look she sent him made him smile. Good, he wanted her just the least bit fed up with him. If she concentrated on him, she couldn’t get too worked up about anything else.

  Including the two men, one scowling and one smiling at her.

  When they reached the top of the stairs, he said, “Duke Ducate, Nic Rocca. Tam McDonnell. Nic said he has some information.”

  His smile widening, Nic stepped in front of Duke to offer Tam his hand. “Nice to meet you, Tam. Come on inside to the office. We can talk there.”

  Waving them into the house in front of him, Nic let Kyle lead the way, silence prevailing until they were all shut into the office, Kyle and Tam in chairs in front of the desk, Nic leaning a hip against the desk and Duke by the window behind them, keeping an eye out for anyone approaching.

  Kyle nodded at Nic, impatient now. “So what’d you find out?”

  Nic picked up file from the desk and flipped it open.

  “The men you took care of the other night aren’t in the Mal database so I decided to ask a few people outside lucani channels. I didn’t give them Tam’s name or what had happened but I relayed enough information to get the general picture. I hit pay dirt with Antonin de Feo.”

  Kyle frowned, trying to place the name. “One of Cam de Feo’s brothers?”

  “Yeah,” Nic said. “Antonin’s mate was kidnapped by a Mal businessman named Daniel Bonnini last year. When he went to rescue her, he got a look at a list of names in Bonnini’s possession. He said he recognized a few of them as having traces of Etruscan blood, though none of them retained any kind of power. But just the fact that the guy had that list made him worry there may be another list with full-blooded Etruscans on it.

  “Bonnini was killed a few months later and the de Feos never recovered those papers but it’s possible her name was on that list. De Feo also thinks whoever kidnapped Tira a couple months ago and sent the men after Tam might have gotten their hands on that list.”

  “Tira was kidnapped?” Tam looked at Kyle, her eyes wide and worried. “She never said anything.”

  Nic’s features tightened. “Yeah, we didn’t know about it either.” His tone of voice indicated he was less than happy about that. Then he shook his head. “Anyway, de Feo doesn’t have a clue how someone else might’ve gotten the list. The de Feos have been trying to track it but haven’t had any luck so far.”

  “Did de Feo actually see Tam’s name?” Kyle asked.

  Nic shook his head. “No, but he said there were several pages and he only saw the top.”

  “How would someone be able to put together a list like that?” Duke asked, anger and shock in his voice. “That hits a little too fucking close to home.”

  Again, Nic shook his head. “No idea, unless someone got their hands on an old family genealogy but no one’s reported anything like that missing. And someone would have.”

  Kyle ran a hand though his hair, tugging at the ends until his scalp stung. “And he didn’t have any clue where that list ended up?”

  “No. The de Feos were able to search Bonnini’s home and several of his offices last y
ear, but the lists just disappeared.”

  “So what would someone want with someone like me?” Tam’s expression showed complete confusion. “I mean, I’ve never had déjà vu much less any woowoo powers. I can see why they’d want Tira but…”

  Nic shrugged, his expression apologetic. “No idea. Maybe the men sent for you didn’t know that. But it stands to reason that if someone came after you once, they’ll do it again.”

  Damn it.

  Tam wanted to throw something but there was nothing within reach that wouldn’t break and she didn’t want to destroy something that wasn’t hers.

  She definitely didn’t want to put Kyle in anyone’s crosshairs. And that’s exactly what would happen if she let him protect her.

  Then again, the man was a soldier. And probably a good one. She assumed you didn’t get to be the king’s assassin by being bad at your job.

  “Tam, hey. Are you—” Kyle broke off as she turned wide eyes at him, daring him to continue. After a breath, he said, “You drifted off for a sec. Still with us?”

  The low pitch of Kyle’s voice rubbed against her nerves, throwing off sparks that made her sigh. “Yeah, sorry. Just thinking.”

  She flashed a distracted smile at the handsome Nic and another, more tentative one over her shoulder at the silent Duke. He didn’t even notice. He was staring out the window, his hard mouth pulled into a scowl.

  That one, she had to admit, frightened her a little. While Kyle looked like a bad ass, she knew in her gut he’d never hurt her.

  She sensed Duke would take out anyone who posed a threat. And he saw her as a threat, whether to the lucani in general or to Kyle, in particular, she didn’t know. He hadn’t said one word to her and hadn’t looked at her either. But she knew he’d listened to everything Nic had said.

  “All right, guys,” Kyle said. “Thanks for the info.”

  It was a clear dismissal and both men knew it. Kyle stood and opened the door. Duke stomped out of the room without a word or a glance.