“Are you feeling okay?” she asked. “Did me whacking you with that bamboo sword earlier scramble something in your head?”
I cleared my throat and shuffled my feet, the feeling of uncertainty washing over me. It was a feeling that was foreign to me and one I didn't care for. Not in the least.
“I'm fine,” I said. “I'm just seeing things – differently now.”
She nodded, a look of stunned disbelief on her face. I suppose in her shoes, given our brief history, I might feel the same way she did. My behavior did seem to be something of a departure from the norm. But, what could I say? My eyes had been opened a little bit. And maybe, they'd been opened because she'd humbled me in front of everybody. Ordinarily, I would be pissed. But, something in me – changed. Shifted.
“Anyway,” I said. “I just wanted to come by and tell you that. I'll see you at Heat tonight.”
I turned to leave, but Alex crossed the room and grabbed my arm. She turned me around to face her and then pulled me down into a fierce kiss.
Chapter Ten
Alexis
The last thing – literally, the very last thing – that had gone through my mind when I saw Deyro on the other side of that door was sleeping with him. In fact, I'd already vowed to myself that it was never going to happen again. He'd pissed me off like few others in my life had ever managed to do and when I left the training house earlier, I'd considered him dead to me.
But something had changed. In the couple short hours since I'd last seen him, Deyro seemed to have gone through a complete personality change. It was unbelievable really. And by that, I meant that I didn't believe a single word coming out of his mouth. Not at first.
But the more he talked, the closer I studied him, and I had to believe that he was sincere. It was like some switch in him had been flipped and he suddenly just – got it. Or at least, got it a lot better than he did before.
Seeing him stand there, explaining himself to me – I just saw a vulnerability in him I'd never seen before. He looked so awkward and uncomfortable, as if he was still trying to come to grips with this new way of thinking – and to be fair, he probably was – but it was endearing.
And it lit a fire within me – a fire I'd vowed to shut down for good.
But before I knew what I was doing, I'd grabbed him and had kissed him. I ran my hands through his hair and he pulled me close as our tongues danced together in my mouth. His hands slid down my back and across my ass. He ground himself against me and I felt his strong, thick cock pressing into my belly.
The fires deep down within me exploded and I knew I needed to have him. The voice in the back of my head spoke up, tried to dissuade me from going down this path again, but I quieted it. Ruthlessly. I wanted what I wanted and I was going to have it.
I pushed him back to the couch and planted both of my hands on his chest, giving him a shove backward. He collapsed down onto the couch and I was on him a moment later. With my legs on either side of his, I straddled his lap and kissed him again, deeply, passionately. I ground myself down on his hard cock, rubbing it against the warm, wet center of me.
He pulled back and looked up at me. “Are you sure you –”
“Shut up,” I said, my breathing heavy. “Don't ruin it.”
I pulled my shirt over my head and threw it to the side, quickly unsnapping my bra and tossing it aside as well. I grabbed him by the back of the head and pressed his face to my breasts. He responded just as I'd hoped, licking and sucking on my nipples as he squeezed my ass. I ground myself down harder on him, moaning as I felt the length of him pressing against me through my yoga pants.
He pulled me down into another kiss and I felt the fire in his body burning. He was warm to the touch and growing even warmer. I quickly stood up and pulled him to his feet.
“Get your pants off,” I said. “Now.”
As he unbuckled his belt, I wiggled out of my yoga pants and tossed them aside. When he was naked, I took a moment to soak in his body. Muscles everywhere, he was nothing but hard angles and planes. There was barely a trace of fat on him. He was a beautiful man. Insufferable at times, but beautiful all the same. And just looking at him stoked the carnal fire that burned down deep inside of me.
He grabbed me to pull me close, likely trying to position me how he wanted me. But I wasn't having it. This was my time. I slapped his hands away and pushed him back down on the couch again. He gave me a lascivious smile as I climbed back onto his lap. Grasping his cock with my hand, I gave it a hard squeeze and stroked him nice and hard, feeling him grow even firmer in my hand.
Deyro leaned his head back onto the couch and moaned as I stroked and squeezed him hard and fast. When I had him nice and hard, I guided him to my opening and slipped the head of his cock inside of me. I gasped as I started to lower myself, letting him fill me up. I cried out when I had taken him all the way in me. He was so long and thick that there was always that moment of pain that was quickly followed by a rush of pleasure.
I locked my hands behind his neck and kissed him again as I slowly started to slide up and down on his thick shaft. He filled me up completely and it felt amazing. Digging my nails into his shoulders, I quickened my pace, pumping my hips and slamming myself up and down on him harder and faster.
He grabbed my hips and forced me to move even faster, harder. His moans and my cries blended together in a chorus of pleasure. I kissed him, putting every bit of heat into it that I could. Deyro grabbed my hair and pulled it nice and hard, forcing my head back, then kissing and biting my neck. I groaned as he slid the tip of his tongue along my collarbone as I continued to move, plunging him even deeper inside of me.
Deyro grabbed me and picked me up – and given the size differential between us, there was nothing I could do about it. He stood me on my feet and then bent me over the arm of my couch. Grabbing my hips, he thrust himself deep inside of me in one, smooth, powerful motion. I gasped and my eyes grew wide as he stretched me open, driving himself even deeper into me than before.
His hand was in my hair and he gave it a hard pull as he started to pump his hips, thrusting himself into me with a nice hard, steady rhythm. I moaned and called his name as he drove into me again and again.
“Harder, Deyro,” I gasped.
He knew what I liked and gave it to me. Putting both of his hands on my shoulders, he pulled me back to him at the same time he was driving himself forward. The result was incredible. He was sheathed so deep inside of me and he was powering into me hard and strong – just as I liked it. Our bodies met, our flesh slapped together and mixed with our grunts and groans. It was an erotic harmony I'd never grow tired of.
He kept one hand on my shoulder, pulling me back into him and grabbed my hair with the other. He pulled back hard on my hair, making me shudder with pleasure. The pressure low inside of me was building quickly, growing stronger with each hard thrust inside of me.
“Deyro, oh, God,” I moaned, my breathing heavy.
He grunted and I felt his body tighten up. He gripped my shoulder harder and gave my hair a vicious pull. I knew he was close too. Not as close as I was though, as the dam inside of me broke. My body stuttered and shivered as my orgasm tore through me. A wall of sensation cascaded down over me and I cried out, feeling like my whole body was on fire.
I was still shaking, trying to catch my breath, and overcome by the sensations he was stirring within me by continuing to pump himself into me. His breathing was growing more shallow, more ragged, and his movements were becoming more frantic and clumsy.
I looked back at him over my shoulder and licked my lips, giving him a sultry smile. He gritted his teeth and I could tell he was trying to hold back, to keep going as long as he could.
“Let go, baby,” I said, my voice husky. “Lose control. Let go.”
A moment later, he pulled his cock out of me and I felt his warm, wet seed splashing all over my back and ass. Deyro smiled and tried to catch his breath. He sat down on the couch and pulled me onto his lap. I kissed him
and then laid my head on his shoulder – which was a first. I'd never cuddled with him post-sex before. When we were done, I was usually either ushering him out the door of my place, or grabbing my clothes, dressing quickly, and scooting out the door of his place.
We weren't a couple. We were simply two people using each other, both getting something good out of the arrangement. So, why in the hell was I sitting on his lap cuddling with him now?
I had no idea, and I only confounded myself further when I stood up and took him by the hand.
“I'm going to shower,” I said. “Why don't you join me.”
He looked at me uncertainly, as if he was thinking everything that had just gone through my head. But then he gave me that roguish smile and stood up, following me to the bathroom to shower off together.
“This still doesn't mean I'm riding with you to the restaurant,” I said.
“Sure you are,” he replied.
Chapter Eleven
Deyro
Heat was one of the most popular restaurants in all of Los Angeles. It was where the A-list, where Hollywood royalty went to see and be seen. Agents, writers, directors, actors, athletes, singers – they all frequented Quint's restaurant.
Dimly lit and with fire features everywhere, the place was moody and atmospheric. And it was packed. In my relatively short time in LA under Warden Quint, I'd yet to be to his restaurant. But I knew that I needed to be dressed up to enter.
And so, I wore my best suit – a well tailored black, form fitting suit. But Alex stole the show. She wore a slinky red number with a plunging neckline. Her hair was up with a few loose tendrils falling down and framing her face. She was magnificent and when I'd showed up to her place to pick her up, she damn near took my breath away.
I was so used to seeing her one way – as a fighter, usually dressed down and covered in sweat, grime, and blood – that to see her dressed to the nines and looking amazingly beautiful, it was disorienting. I wasn't a man who was used to being flustered around women. I'd had my share of beautiful women pursue – and catch – me in my time. To use a human phrase, I'd been around the block a few times. And because of that, I'd never really felt shy or awkward around them.
But standing in the presence of Alex when she was looking as absolutely stunning as she was – it made me feel absolutely awkward. When I picked her up, I must have tripped over my tongue a dozen different times. I felt like a stupid, awkward kid.
And what made matters worse was that she noticed. Oh, she did her best to not draw attention to it or openly mock me. But I could see it in the way she suppressed her smile. Could see it in the flush of her cheeks and the glint in her eye. She knew I was struggling, but to her credit, she didn't call me out on it. She simply pretended that nothing was amiss and carried on.
“Quint is expecting us,” I said to the hostess.
She smiled and nodded as if she'd been expecting us. “Follow me, please.”
I let Alex walk ahead of me and we followed the young woman through the restaurant. I looked around and saw a number of faces I recognized from the movies, television, and various sports. I wasn't one who was star struck, but seeing so many famous people in one location was pretty cool.
As I looked around the restaurant, my eyes passed by Alex's ass. I admired the way her dress clung to her hips and accentuated her curves. Even though we'd been sleeping together, I realized in that moment that I'd never taken the time to really stop and admire her body. Though, that was probably because our encounters were usually so quick and frenetic – and then she was either rushing out the door or kicking me out of it, that I never had the chance, really.
But in that moment, I also realized what I'd been missing. She was a beautiful, beautiful woman. Her body was toned, athletic, and shapely.
“Stop staring at my ass.”
I looked up and Alex was looking back at me over her shoulder. I was completely busted. Although her tone sounded serious and annoyed, there was a playful smile upon her lips. I wasn't sure if she was actually upset or just teasing me. She gave me a wink, which told me that she was just playing – which eased my mind and I flashed her my best smile.
As much as I'd already learned, I still had so much yet to learn about human behavior.
“Here you go,” the hostess said.
She'd led us to a table near the back of the restaurant. It sat in front of the tall windows that made up the back wall, providing a view of the ocean. It was a crystal-clear night, so the moon reflected off of the Pacific, making the waves that crashed upon the shore seem to glow with a silvery effervescence. It was beautiful.
I pulled Alex's chair out for her – a gesture that she seemed a little taken aback by. She sat down stiffly and a little awkwardly.
“You okay?” I asked as I took the seat across the table from her.
“Yeah, I've just never had somebody pull my seat out for me,” she said.
I chuckled. “That's sad,” I said. “Being a gentleman seems to be a bit of a lost art.”
She rolled her eyes, but smiled. “You're also almost two hundred years old,” she said. “You grew up in a time when things like manners and being a gentleman still counted for something. Times change.”
“Like I said, that's sad,” I replied.
She laughed and shook her head. A moment later, a waitress came to our table with a bottle of wine. She set three glasses down and then opened it and poured a small amount into my glass. Impressed with the selection, I nodded and she poured our glasses.
“Mr. Quint said that he's sorry he's running a little bit late,” the waitress said. “But he'll be here shortly. In the meantime, I'll bring some appetizers out for you.”
“Thank you,” I said as the waitress turned and scampered away.
“Mr. Quint,” Alex said. “That just sounds odd, doesn't it?”
I nodded. “It does.”
We sipped our wine and I wanted to talk to Alex, wanted to have an actual conversation with her. But as I looked at her over the rim of my glass, I realized I had no idea what to say. I wasn't really good with the small talk. If we weren't talking about a plan to kill something, talking about something we had killed, or talking about something we wanted to kill, I was fresh out of conversation pieces.
We looked at each other and laughed awkwardly, as if she were having the same thoughts and crisis of conversation that I was.
“I was just thinking to myself that I have no idea what to say,” Alex said. “We spend all of our time training or hunting that it seems that's the only thing we have going in our lives. And since we're around each other twenty-four-seven, what is there to talk about?”
I nodded and sipped my wine. “I was thinking the exact same thing,” I admitted. “I have no idea what to talk about.”
“How about favorite books? Favorite movies? Favorite piece of music,” Quint said as he took a seat at the table with us, a smile on his face. “You know, things that normal people enjoy?”
“In case you hadn't noticed,” Alex said, grinning, “we're not exactly normal people.”
“True,” Quint said as he picked up his glass of wine and took a sip. “But that doesn't mean you can't have other interests outside of the job. Things you enjoy. Things you're passionate about.”
He gestured around the restaurant as if to emphasize his point.
“Look at this,” he said. “This restaurant is a passion of mine and it's well outside of the job. It helps keep me centered. Grounded. Sane. I would really encourage you both to find something outside of the job that does that for you. If you don't, you'll burn out sooner rather than later. And nobody wants that.”
The waitress arrived with a plate loaded with some concoction made of shrimp. It smelled amazing and my stomach started growling, reminding me I hadn't eaten in a while. Although I wanted to load up my plate and dig in, I checked myself. Made myself wait.
The waitress refilled our wine glasses and smiled at Quint. He gave her a smile in return and I swear I saw cartoo
n hearts floating above her head. It was more than obvious that she was carrying a torch for her boss. But it was also obvious that Quint was head over heels for Astrid and that he would never pursue the young, attractive woman.
Quint raised his glass, so Alex and I followed suit.
“To the job,” he said. “To keeping people safe. And to two of the best I have.”
“To the job,” Alex and I both murmured as we touched glasses and took a drink of our wine.
Quint grabbed the plate of shrimp and handed it to me. “Please, eat,” he said. “My head chef has a very special menu planned out for us tonight. It's a secret though, not even I know what's coming. But he's a wizard back there, so we can trust it will blow our minds.”
We dished up some of the shrimp appetizer and he was right. It was amazing. Mind blowing. But as we ate the shrimp dish, Alex and I shared a look of concern. Quint was pulling out all the stops. It almost felt like he was buttering us up for something. Whatever King Shango had asked of him was big. Really big. And it made me a little nervous, honestly.
“So, Warden –” Alex started.
“Quint,” he said. “Around this place, just call me Quint.”
I could see that she was uncomfortable by the familiarity of using his name, rather than addressing him properly. She was a woman who followed the rules, that was for sure. But she simply nodded.
“Okay, Quint,” she said. “What is it that you brought us here for? What did King Shango want with you? With us?”
A shadow crossed his face like a cloud passing over the moon. But Quint, always in control of himself, locked it away and managed to keep his face completely neutral.
“After dinner,” he said. “Let's enjoy a fine meal and a bottle of wine or two and then we'll talk business.”
Way to kick that can down the road, boss. While the idea of a fine meal and wine was very appealing, the idea of getting to the root and purpose of this meeting was even more so. But I could tell that he was uncomfortable with what he was going to ask of us and in his mind, he was still formulating how he was going to do that. So, Alex wisely, didn't press him. Instead, we turned our attention to enjoying a fine meal.
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