*** *** ***
Justin thrust again, liking how her eyes half-closed whenever he slid all the way inside her. And she made such delicious little noises.
“I love fucking you,” Justin said. “Just fucking, no games.”
“Yes . . .”
Justin held on to his bed frame and thrust again, she face-up under him, the sweat between their bare bodies slick and hot. She smelled good, womanly musk and salt.
“You’re tight,” he whispered. “You’re making me come again. Damn it, I’m not ready.”
Deanna gave him a languid smile and squeezed. The little sweetheart had learned her lessons well.
“Deanna,” he said as his mind blanked to everything but her. “Deanna. Gods.”
Her own cry joined his as Deanna peaked, her body moving in rhythm under his. “Justin,” she groaned. “Justin, I love you.”
*** *** ***
The room went silent as they wound down. Deanna’s face was relaxed in passion, but her eyes held trepidation, almost fear.
Justin kissed her, the warm, slow kisses of afterglow. “Shh.”
“Justin . . .”
“No,” he whispered. “Don’t take it back. Don’t, sweetheart.”
Deanna bit her lip, and Justin pulled her close. He felt the shudder of her breath, her fears, everything that was between them.
They lay together for a long time, he still inside her. He knew he’d missed his window of opportunity to get himself to the Vistara and see Sybellie, but he’d forgo that for one day.
Right now, he needed to be with Deanna. Even though he knew rough times would come, especially in light of Rees wanting to get them off planet, he hadn’t liked Deanna’s declaration that they couldn’t have anything beyond this. He wanted this, and so much more.
For now, he could hold her, drink in the scent of her, and let himself bask in just being with her.
And play with her. After a time, when he knew she’d rested enough, he murmured, “You made me come too soon, little darling.”
“I did? How?”
“By being your sweet self. And squeezing like I taught you.”
“Like this?” She gave a little squeeze, and Justin went rock hard again.
“Damn you, woman. Just for that . . .”
He pulled out, much as he hated to, and had her on her stomach before she could fight him. His velvet-lined cuffs were ready, and he locked them around her outstretched wrists. She wriggled and cried out in protest.
“There,” he said. “How do you like being on the receiving end?”
“Justin.”
Justin locked the handcuffs together around the headboard with a slim chain. “Hmm, this looks familiar. Except it was me with my ass in the air.”
“You let me go right now,” Deanna said, but not very convincingly. “I’m a patroller.”
“That’s true. A patroller who’s been very, very bad. Sleeping with Shareem, playing with toys.”
As he spoke, Justin reached for the oil that he’d had Aiden mix for him, the one that smelled of jasmine. He opened the bottle, the heady aroma filling the air, and dribbled oil onto her back.
She jumped. “What are you doing? Oh, that smells good.”
And because Aiden, the best level one ever, had mixed it, the oil had soothing pheromones in it as well. A concoction to make a woman relaxed, happy, and needy.
Justin smoothed the oil down her back and over her buttocks. Deanna stretched and purred.
“This is the nice part,” Justin said. “Level twos get to be a little bit level one.” He lifted his hand away. “And a little bit level three.”
He let his hand come down—smack—on her ass.
Deanna jumped and yelped. Justin spanked her a few more times, then rested his tingling hand on her warmed buttocks. “That’s for tying me down. Which I liked, so I’m being nice to you. Don’t even think about what I’ll do to you for arresting me.”
“It was my job.”
“This is mine, sweetie. This is what being with a Shareem is. He finds out all your desires and makes you live them.”
“You can’t know what I want,” Deanna said.
“Bet me. I know you like this.” Justin raised his hand and slapped it down on her backside again. “You like me spanking you.”
“No.”
“Then why are you letting me do it?”
“Because you’ve handcuffed me!”
“Deanna, love, those cuffs aren’t that strong. I’m not level three. You’re not struggling to get away. That tells me you like it.”
Deanna did like it. She’d never admit it out loud, but the heat on her buttocks, his hand resting there, excited her amazingly. Even more when he lifted his hand away, and she clenched her body in anticipation.
What she felt next was not his hand, but his tongue, seaming between her buttocks and touching her opening. She jumped.
“You like that too,” Justin said in his dark voice. “My naughty patroller.” He lifted his beautiful tongue away, and slap, slap, his hand came down again.
Deanna pulled at her bonds, but he was right, she didn’t try very hard. “Let me go.”
“I don’t think so. Now, what else did you do to me? Oh, yeah.”
Justin reached to his box next to the bed and took out a plug that looked much like the one she’d used on him. Deanna caught the whiff of sanitizer when he removed it from its case then the sweet smell of lube.
“Wait,” she said. “I don’t think I’m ready for that.”
Justin leaned down until his face was close to hers. She liked him so close, his sandpaper whiskers beckoning her touch. “You are ready, Deanna. You really are.”
He held the plug where she could see it, while his big fingers deftly coated it with lube. He touched the plug to her lips. “Kiss it for luck.”
She should arrest him. Deanna should rip open her bonds, jump from this bed, and arrest him for making her so excited.
Gingerly, she kissed the tip of the plug.
“Nice.”
Justin slid his hand between her buttocks and gently rubbed her. He kept on rubbing, touching his fingertip to her opening, which Deanna felt widening and relaxing whether she told it to or not.
“There you go, sweetheart,” Justin said in a low voice. “The plug is smaller than my finger. It won’t hurt.”
Deanna had no idea whether to believe him. The warmth of his fingertip went away to be replaced by the much cooler and stiffer tip of the plug.
She tightened, but Justin shushed her, heating her skin with his breath. When he touched with the tip again, Deanna unclenched her hands, forcing herself to relax.
“That’s it.” Justin pushed the plug a little bit inside her. “Now, we’ll see. You’ll either love it, or you won’t.”
The small thing felt strange inside her, where she’d never thought to put anything before. Justin didn’t thrust it in or wriggle it but held it and let her get used to it.
Deanna closed her eyes, opened her body, and suddenly, the small plug went all the way inside. “Oh.” She gasped. “Now I understand why you like this.”
“You see? I didn’t even push it in. You did that yourself.” He leaned down to her. “Now, do you love it? Or hate it?”
“I love it.” The babbled words came out of her mouth before she could stop them. “Justin, I love it.”
“Good. We’ll do more then, when you’re ready. I’ll teach you to take bigger ones, and then me.”
“Yes. Yes.”
Justin had once told her that the plug would make her feel full and needy. And it did. It fulfilled her and at the same time made her want more.
Justin lay down next to her and slid his arm underneath her. “Come on over on top of me. I’ll make you feel doubly good.”
Before she could ask how, Justin pulled her thigh over him and positioned her against his already hard-again cock. He eased her all the way upright, the plug never moving, until he fit smoothly against her very wet pussy.
>
And then he was inside. Long and hard, pressing high into her as she straddled him, while the little plug filled her from behind.
The orgasm topped everything she’d had with him until now. Deanna came apart, twisting on him, every coherent thought gone, except her need to pull him deeper.
Justin, I love you!
She’d cried out the words before, now she whispered them in her mind. To herself, to keep them a part of her.
Darkness rippled through her, her only point of consciousness Justin and his hardness inside her, and the brilliant blue of his eyes. She let herself drown.
*** *** ***
Justin came out of a pit of sleep to find his com beeping next to his head. Deanna was next to him, her head on his pillow, one leg over his.
Justin didn’t want to answer the com, but it kept beeping. If he didn’t shut it off, it would wake her.
He reached over and tapped its button. “What?”
“Is something wrong with your console?” came the voice of Elisa n’Arell. “I can’t see you. There’s only audio.”
“You ask that, in a Shareem house? What is it? Did you find something?”
“Of course I did. Talan and me and Brianne.” He heard the smile fill Elisa’s voice. “We found her, Justin.”
Chapter Sixteen
Of course, it couldn’t be that simple.
“She’s in the Way of the Sun, the most secluded of the orders,” Elisa said. “I managed to get permission to go to the house, but only because Brianne d’Aroth still has a lot of power. I can go, and Talan, and though they said you could travel out there with us, Justin, there’s no guarantee they’ll let you set foot on the grounds or even talk to Lillian.”
Deanna was up on her elbow, wide awake. “It’s worth a try,” she whispered.
“Yeah, thanks, Elisa. I really appreciate this. Let’s see what happens.”
“Does that mean yes?”
“It means, I’ll be at Braden’s in a few, and we’ll discuss it.” Justin cleared his throat again, trying to get hold of his emotions. “It means, you’re a peach, and I owe you big time.”
“We haven’t seen her yet,” Elisa said. “This might be all for nothing.”
“You’ve still done a lot, Elisa. I’ll be there.”
Justin snapped off the com and lay down again, to find Deanna staring at him. “What?” he asked irritably.
“You should be jumping up, rushing off to see her. Happy for the chance, any chance.”
“I am happy. I was worried as hell about her. I’m glad she’s all right.”
“But . . .”
“No buts. It’s just . . .” Justin rubbed his hand over his face and found it bristly with new beard. “When all doors are closed, and suddenly they open, it’s hard to get used to.” He brushed his hand across her bare hip. The room was the perfect temperature, because the cooler had finally kicked in, but he wanted to curl up around the warmth of her. “Will you come with me?”
The words came out more wistfully than he intended them to.
“Of course,” Deanna said. “I’m a patroller. I have the authority to make them let you see her if the situation is dire enough.”
Justin looked into her eyes and found her looking back at him with openness and determination. She wanted to do this for him. For him.
For a Shareem who’d fucked up her life.
I love you, Justin.
She was tearing him apart.
*** *** ***
Deanna watched Justin all the way out to the mountains the next morning, where the meditation center for the Way of the Sun lay, and wondered what was wrong with him.
They rode in a private car on a hovertrain, courtesy of Talan d’Urvey. The car was the ultimate in luxury and privacy, with a living room, bedroom, bathroom, and small kitchen in which servants could prepare the traveler any meal she wanted.
The car was also crowded, because it was meant for one very privileged woman, not four women and their Shareem.
Elisa, Talan d’Urvey, and Brianne d’Aroth accompanied Justin, and they each were followed by a possessive and watchful Shareem—in Brianne’s case, two of them.
Deanna had met only Justin, though she’d seen—and carded—Shareem during her patrols. Braden, black-haired and easy to laughter, was with Elisa. Brianne was with Aiden, who immediately took possession of the sofa, and Ky, who kept quiet and made it clear he didn’t trust patrollers. Deanna remembered seeing Aiden and Ky in the open door of the bar the day Justin had given her the veil and taken her to his apartment.
The Shareem who unnerved her the most was Rees, a Shareem she’d never heard of, let alone seen. He was a little taller than the others and stayed near Talan, the small redhead. Though he talked readily with everyone in the car, Deanna sensed that he kept himself a little distanced from all except Talan, who was never far from the circle of his arm.
Deanna studied the women as she sat on a loveseat slap against Justin—Elisa tapping her handheld with Braden’s arm firmly across her shoulders, Talan basking in Rees’s attention, and Brianne seemingly comfortable on Ky’s lap with Aiden reaching out to lay his big hand on her thigh.
These ladies were highborn, and each had given up big houses, cushy jobs, and social standing to be with their Shareem. They were still rich, still with some power because of who their families were, but they were no longer accepted in the circles of higher society.
And looking at them, they had no regrets.
“You know,” Aiden said from the couch, where he lay supine. “One train car, five Shareem, four pretty ladies . . . anyone else thinking orgy?”
Braden chuckled. “How do you put up with him, Bree?”
“She has sex with me,” Aiden answered. “Calms me down, every time.”
“One of the ladies here is a patroller,” Ky growled.
The rest of them went quiet, no noise but the rush of the train as they rocketed across glaring desert.
When Justin and Deanna had arrived at the station, Justin had openly held her hand, daring with his gaze for the others to say anything. Elisa had welcomed Deanna without hesitation, and the other ladies had followed Elisa’s lead.
“She’s my patroller,” Justin said, putting his arm protectively around Deanna. “I’m the only one she gets to cuff. And don’t think she hasn’t.”
His bantering tone made Braden laugh and Aiden smile, but Ky didn’t soften. “Yeah, when she arrested you. Was it that exciting?”
“Actually, it was,” Justin said. He covered her hand with his free one, squeezing it a little, reassuring her. “She had me down on the ground, with her hot ankles right in front of my face, making me want to lick all the way up her legs. Good times, friends.”
“Level twos,” Braden said, shaking his head. “They think bondage is one big joke. They make crappy Doms.”
“Bet me,” Justin said. “We just know how to play. We’ll take any situation and make it better.”
“Like a patroller arresting you for minding your own business,” Ky said. He was angry, radiated it.
“She arrested me for going where I wasn’t supposed to,” Justin said. “She was doing her job.”
“And for that, you want to go down on her?”
“Sounds good to me,” Aiden said.
“Shut up, Aiden,” Ky growled.
“Deanna’s with me,” Justin said, cutting through their words. “We’re together, we’re having sex like I’ve never had before, and she looks hot in nothing but my handcuffs. And if she wants me in the cuffs once in a while, I don’t have a problem.”
Deanna’s face went hot, and Elisa sent her a sympathetic smile. “You get used to it. It’s their way of explaining to each other that they like us.”
Justin pulled Deanna close. “And our way of saying don’t touch her, or I’ll beat the crap out of you.”
Deanna noted that Justin didn’t look at Ky while he said this last—he looked at Rees, who hadn’t joined the argument at all.
&
nbsp; Rees and Justin shared a long look, and Rees gave a nod. “She’s with him,” he said.
The other Shareem went quiet a moment, then shrugged and went back to paying attention to their ladies. As though Rees’s word was final, the discussion ceased.
Deanna longed to ask why Rees’s declaration silenced them all. And who Rees was. She’d never seen him in the databases, not that she’d looked specifically, but she’d have remembered coming across a Shareem like him.
But there was no privacy here, nowhere she could whisper questions to Justin without Rees overhearing. Rees gave Justin a nod, then he gathered Talan to him and kissed her hair.
Justin had won something, but Deanna wasn’t sure what.
*** *** ***
The priestess in charge of the Way of the Sun’s meditation house was elderly but smooth-faced, and quiet, but in the way a mountain was quiet. A mountain didn’t move much or make much noise, but just try to shift it.
The priestess came through the gate in the large wall surrounding the Way’s property and talked only to Elisa, ignoring Deanna and Justin standing with her. Sister Orianna, once known as Lillian Passan, was in deepest seclusion, the priestess said, and for her to have visitors was beyond thought.
“However,” the elder said, never looking at Justin. “Sister Orianna has expressed a wish to speak briefly with this person from her past. I have granted her this wish, on condition that the male does not enter the grounds belonging to the Way. I have arranged a meeting in the retreat center in the town. You will wait for her there. If Sister Orianna changes her mind, you are to leave and not seek her again.”
Deanna wanted to argue, but Elisa crossed her hands over her chest and bowed to the priestess. “Yes, elder. I have gratitude for your kindness.”
The priestess nodded as though taking her due, then she turned around and walked back through the gate. The gate, a solid wooden door, slammed behind her, shutting them out.
“That’s it?” Deanna asked hotly. “Go back to that wide spot in the desert they call a town and wait for her to maybe come out to see Justin?”
“The Ways are famous for being antisocial,” Elisa said. “I should know. They teach unbinding the mind from emotions and living for pure intellect.” She shrugged. “It works for some. I’m sorry, Justin.”
Tales of the Shareem, Volume 2 Page 47