3013_ALLEGIANCE

by Laurie Roma

  “I require a name, mate.”

  It took a moment to remember what she was asking about. He looked down at the spot where Kahla had hit him the day before. The bruise was no longer there. Amari leaned back on the bed again, lifting a leg to push at the spot with her foot.

  He took hold of her ankle, holding her leg in place. His hand slid up her leg, over her calf to the softer flesh of her inner thigh. Using his knuckles, he traced a pattern on her skin before he lowered his hand again. It was a dare. A deliberate temptation, and they both knew it. Like a switch that had been flipped, both of their breathing increased, but neither of them wanted to give into their test of wills.

  “I like Kahla Adaro,” she said conversationally, moving her knee side to side to give him teasing glances of her wet core. “If she touches you again, I will have to hurt her.”

  “I need you now,” he growled, pulling her toward the edge of the bed as he rose up to his knees.

  Wrapping the silky strands of her hair around one fist, he used the other hand to capture her waist, dragging her against him. Her arms wound around his neck, and his mouth coaxed hers open again. Tongues tangled, taking, tasting, the need intensifying with each passing heartbeat.

  Amari held him close, legs wrapping around his waist to pull him closer or make sure he didn’t move away. Mouth opened against his, she traced his lower lip with the tip of her tongue, then whispered, “You need, I provide.”

  “You come to me for what you need,” he demanded. “Only me.”

  “Only you,” she vowed.

  Pulling her head back, he savaged her neck with his mouth, pressing wet kisses along the curve of her jaw. He scraped his teeth against the gentle skin where her pulse beat rapidly, and she couldn’t stop her hips from bucking against him.

  Twisting away, she launched herself to the center of the bed. As soon as her body hit the mattress, he was on her, his hard body covering hers. Laughing, she pushed strands of her hair away and look up at his beautiful face. He was breathing hard, his pale-green eyes gleaming with fun, but there was confusion in his gaze as well.

  Lifting his left hand, she turned her face into it, pressing a kiss against the center of his palm. She held his hand there against her cheek as she turned her head to look up at him again. Twin green flames of desire burned down at her. He let go of her cheek, bracing his hand against the bed. Holding most of his weight off of her, he used his other hand to trail a path of heat down her side to her thigh.

  Pulling her knee up, he spread her legs open enough to settle his hips between them. The hard, hot length of his cock rested on her mound, the head leaking those tiny drops of pearly liquid onto her skin. Giving in to her curiosity, she reached down, collecting a few drops onto her index finger. Raising it to her mouth, she licked it, tasting his essence, then hummed in appreciation of the sweet and salty flavor.

  He let out a deep, guttural growl, then moved his own hand between her thighs. Without warning, one long, thick digit slid inside of her, pushing past her body’s natural resistance. Her slick, tender folds welcomed his finger, parting for his invasion. He slid it in and out, then eased another finger inside her tight, hot hole, moving harder, faster, increasing the pressure.

  Her body clenched down hard when he curled his fingers inside of her, and he used his thumb to rub her clit hard, giving her no choice but to cry out in pleasure. The frantic beating of her heart escalated even further as her body shook, back arching away from the mattress.

  Roman pulled his fingers out of her pussy before she came down from the release, lowering his body just enough to lodge the head of his cock at her entrance. Her body fought the penetration this time, her inner muscles fluttering around his crown as if trying to keep him out.

  “You’re so tight. Let me in, sweetheart. Just relax for me.”

  “Do not tease me, mate. Come to me.”

  Her nails dug into his back, and the sharp bite of pain pushed him over the edge. Gripping the back of her neck, he raised Amari’s head to capture her lips, then surged forward with the snap of his hips. He drank down her gasp, his tongue soothing hers as he rocked his hips, pushing his cock deeper. When he was seated to the hilt, he stopped, giving her time to adjust, but her pussy had already conformed around his length as if she had been made for him.

  And she had been. It was magic.

  Every touch, every kiss. The feel of her squeezing him. It was pure fucking magic.

  “Did I hurt you?” he panted, struggling to remain still.

  “Nay, I...it feels good. I feel full of you. We are one.”

  “Yes, we are.”

  He pressed light kisses against her lips waiting for her to relax again. Her arms wrapped around him, her hands gently playing over the muscle of his back. Pulling back, he waited until her gaze met his, then raised his fingers, sucking them into his mouth to taste her. He groaned as the flavor of her settled on his tongue.

  She sought his lips again, but he lowered his head, latching onto one of her nipples instead. He sucked hard, wringing a moan from her that was more like a breathless plea. Switching breasts, he licked her nipple and pulled his cock out until only half of him remained inside her. He bit down lightly, and when she cried out in pleasure, he surged forward again.

  His mouth sealed over hers again as he began to move in a hard, punishing rhythm. She clung to him, arms locked around his neck and back to hold him to her. Her legs wound around his waist so tight he had trouble easing his cock out of her enough for a full thrust. He slowed his pace, rocking leisurely inside of her, then hard and fast until he felt her tighten around him with her impending release.

  He kept switching his rhythm, teasing them both until the waves of heat began to rage out of control. Giving up, he quickened his pace, pounding into her with less finesse and more desperate need. Their gazes locked, their breath coming in synchronized pants.

  Amari tried to hold back the wave of pleasure building inside of her but couldn’t contain it any longer. Her tight bud of nerves rubbed against his pelvis with each thrust, and she tried to shift away, wanting to preserve the sensations coursing through her. That was a mistake. She moved, putting more pressure on her clit and changing the angle of his thrusts.

  There was no warning.

  One moment she was racing toward the sky with him, then she was falling, struck down as her climax hit her like a supernova. White hot heat burst from her core, melting her from the inside out, catastrophically destroying her and shaping her anew all at once. Her hips bucked, meeting his urgent thrusts, and her body clamped down, unwilling to let go of him even as he continued to stroke his cock inside her clenching flesh.

  Her scream of release echoed through the room, only drowned out by Roman’s triumphant roar of satisfaction as he exploded with her, spilling his seed deep inside of her in hot, hard bursts.

  Long moments passed, but neither of them was in any hurry to move. Amari’s arms stayed locked around his neck, holding on as if he were the only thing keeping her whole. His face was buried in the crook of her neck, the weight of his body on hers a comfort.

  “I believe that surpassed my expectations,” she wheezed, glad she didn’t need much air to survive since he was crushing her lungs.

  He chuckled, and the vibrations of it traveled through his body down to his cock that was still buried deep within her. Her body clenched around him, delighting her with another small tremor of pleasure.

  “I aim to please. Am I crushing you?” Roman didn’t wait for an answer, and began to lift off her, but she tightened her hold.

  “Nay, not yet. Stay for a little longer.”

  Shifting onto his elbow, he looked down and saw the slumberous satisfaction on her face that matched how he felt. Her lips were swollen from his kisses, and the black in those gorgeous glowing gold eyes swirled lazily, as if it too were far too sated to move any faster.

  “Did I hurt you? I went a little crazy.”

  “Mmm,” she purred. “I think I like you crazy.
”

  Twirling a strand of her hair around his finger, he used it to hold her in place as he leaned down and brushed his lips over her forehead, then the tip of her nose. Moving lower, he settled his mouth over hers again.

  She closed her eyes in pleasure when he rubbed his cheek against hers. “Next time, I would like to explore your body more. I did not get a chance before you distracted me.”

  “No, sugar. Not next time.”

  Amari opened her eyes to frown at him. “Why not? Your body belongs to me as much as mine belongs to you.” Her breath hitched as he shifted on top of her, his thick shaft sliding deeper. “Oh...”

  “Yeah,” he said with a lazy grin. “If you want to play with my cock, it’s going to have to wait, sugar. I don’t plan on leaving your body anytime soon.”

  A slow smile curved her lips. “I can live with that.”

  Hours later, Amari lay next to Roman, content to watch him sleep.

  He was sprawled on the bed in a deep slumber, clutching a pillow she had replaced for herself once his breathing had leveled off. Too bad he was laying on his stomach, or she would have gotten her chance to study him up close and personal for as long as she wanted. She could have turned him but didn’t want to risk disturbing his sleep.

  Besides, having him awake and aware of what she was doing would be half the fun of her exploration of his body.

  She took a simple chance anyway and ran her hand over the heavy muscles of his back.

  In general, humans were weaker and far more delicate than other beings. However, there seemed to be fortified metal beneath the smooth softness of Roman’s skin, and Amari found the contrast fascinating. It should have been impossible for a human to be capable of bringing her such pleasure, though, Roman wasn’t anything like she’d imagined.

  Hopefully, he wouldn’t be remaining a human for long, either.

  The mating pull was driving them both insane.

  She knew he felt it just as intensely as she did. Since she’d bitten him, their emotions warred with sense, and their moods shifted to extremes. They needed balance, but that wouldn’t come until they’d truly mated. It was strange, but she’d felt wild and wicked arguing with him, pushing him to let go of the control he fought so hard to hold onto.

  Perhaps it was the darkness in her, or the energy around or inside of her, that was making this so difficult. She had joked about it, but the truth was he didn’t have a normal mate because she wasn’t normal. Amari would have to tell him about her life, her abilities, but she couldn’t tell him what that meant for him once he was tied to her fully. She wasn’t even sure if it would affect his conversion. That was the main reason she hadn’t even brought up the subject of sharing any of her blood with him.

  And wouldn’t that be a fun conversation to have?

  Mentally sighing, she transported herself off the bed so she wouldn’t jostle him. She needed to think on things, and she didn’t seem to be having much luck doing anything logical around Roman. But she didn’t want to leave him.

  The choice was made for her when she heard a soft scratching sound at the closed door. Or she heard the impression of scratching Rhys sent her. He hadn’t physically touched anything.

  She transported out into the hallway, and her friend immediately wrinkled his nose at her as if to say she smelled of her mate and he didn’t like it.

  Too bad since she loved Roman’s scent.

  “What have you been up to while I have been gone?” she asked him.

  He sent back the impression of her communications systems going off several times over the past few hours. So, the flame diamond given to her by her friends on Tartarus was more about finding her than her using it to contact them. She should have realized that sooner. Her ships system was also being bombarded by messages.

  Apparently, some people thought she’d murdered the moderator for the meeting.

  She snorted in derision. Really, some people had the wildest imaginations. Rhys followed her down the hallway, and he couldn’t hold back his surprise that she was actually going to contact people back.

  “A few,” she murmured out loud. “I cannot have everyone thinking Roman is dead for the next few days until they can see for themselves. But now, I have some research to do, my friend. Tell me, what do you know about human bathrooms?”

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Roman heard the sound of his wrist unit beeping insistently and wished whoever was contacting him straight to hell for waking him up. His internal clock told him that he hadn’t been sleeping long, and he’d need a few more hours to operate at optimal levels.

  Still, a regent’s duties never ended, no matter what time it was.

  His head still buried in the pillow, he automatically reached for the wrist unit he always kept on the nightstand next to his bed. Puzzlement set in when it wasn’t there, but the beeping stopped before the fog of sleep completely cleared from his head. With the return of blissful silence, he allowed himself to drift again, hoping he could get a little more rest before the next communication came through.

  Because there always was another.

  Lucidity returned in a flash, along with the memory of the previous night, as he breathed Amari’s sweet scent into his lungs. Reaching out for her, his hand pressed down on the spot where she’d been curled up beside him. The sheet was cool to the touch, and for a moment, he thought he’d simply dreamed her.

  His eyes snapped open, all thoughts of sleep forgotten. He never considered the sight of twin purple moons reflecting off a sea of pure gold would calm him, but one glance at that strange world beyond the swaying curtains did just that. The ringed moons were at an apex in the night sky, telling him that he hadn’t been sleeping for long. The view may have been a projected image, but he trusted that the time reflected was accurate.

  Amari would be exact and thorough with whatever she created.

  A light breeze blew across the room, making the curtains dance gently. He wasn’t chilled, though the thin, soft blanket only covered his lower half. The cool air was a soothing balm over his heated skin, and his body stirred to life, cock thickening at the mere thought of her.

  It hadn’t just been a fantasy.

  Amari was real, and she was his mate.

  He couldn’t seem to stop repeating that to assure himself it was true, and hell, he was still having a hard time believing everything that had happened. Being someone’s mate sounded so foreign even if it felt so damn right being with her. Normally, he would have fought the idea of a predetermined future, especially when it came to who he was supposed to love, but who was he to argue with fate?

  Roman’s life irrevocably changed the moment their gazes met, and there had been no turning back once the connection between them flared to life. It had only taken one touch to know they belonged together. One taste for the hunger to burn like a wildfire. One kiss to brand him soul deep. He wanted her in his arms again, and if what he was feeling was an accurate gauge, he would never get enough of her in the long years to come.

  She was like a drug to his system, and like any addict, he only wanted more.

  Exhaustion had claimed him after they’d made love for the second time. He’d been too tired to feel embarrassed about passing out, finding himself resentful of the hours away from her instead of enjoying the much-needed rest. He missed her warmth and the intimacy of her body against his as if they’d gone to bed together countless time.

  Logically, he knew they’d just met, but he already felt as if he’d known her a lifetime. That familiarity was in direct contradiction to the thrill of discovering each other. Obviously, it was different for her since she now had direct access to his brain through their blood bond, but for him, the entire situation was a paradox he didn’t yet know how to handle.

  He let out a groan as the persistent beeping of his wrist unit started again, only this time it was cut off by a loud crunching sound of twisting metal. Rising up on an elbow, Roman glanced around, searching for the source of the clamor. When he found it,
he let out another groan, this time borne out of sheer annoyance.

  “Oh, come on! Seriously? You had to eat it?” He glared at the large lion as the animal swallowed the remnants of his wrist unit. “Damn it!”

  Well, that was certainly one way to make the beeping stop.

  Rhys’ tail swished, and he seemed to smack his lips together dramatically before laying down near a fire pit built into the floor that hadn’t been there before Roman had gone to sleep. No sound came from the flames as they flashed and flickered. On a normal day, that would have seemed weird, but he didn’t question the silent fire now.

  Normal just didn’t exist any longer.

  “You know, that wasn’t a chew toy. I needed that wrist unit.”

  He got a low rumbling growl in response. Perhaps irritating the fanged beast wasn’t the best way to start the day off. Watching as his wrist unit was swallowed like a freaking metal cookie didn’t put him in the best of moods either. It would have been fitting if the damn thing just kept beeping inside Rhys’ stomach.

  That thought amused Roman enough to calm him down a bit. “I’d appreciate it if you didn’t destroy my things in the future.”

  There, that sounded reasonable.

  The lion yawned, showing off his sharp fangs, then he rested his head on his massive front paws, watching Roman with his glowing amber eyes. Was that amusement gleaming there? Oh, yeah, the furry bastard understood him perfectly. Amari’s companion knew exactly what he’d done, which would’ve made Roman’s temper spike again if he hadn’t recognized the power play for what it was.

  Sitting up, he made sure to keep the blanket over his lap. He was willing to embrace the ridiculousness of the situation, but he had his limits, such as being naked around something with fangs and claws...unless it was Amari.

  And he hadn’t even seen her in dragon form yet.

  Yeah, normal was completely thrown out of the air lock.

  “Look, I realize you don’t know me yet. I don’t know you either. That will change over time. Meanwhile, we’re going to have to come to some sort of understanding. I get that you’re looking out for Amari, but I’m her mate. You don’t trust me? Fine. She does, and I hope that you can respect that enough that I won’t have to guard my back against you taking swipes at me.” Literally and figuratively. “Can we agree on that?”