Royally Screwed

by L. J. Vickery

  Dani thought that sounded almost…hopeful.

  “Then when I kissed you in Northampton.” He growled. “We’d just spent the entire night together, and I woke up to the smell of you all over my body and your softness tucked up against me.” He cleared his throat. “If we hadn’t been interrupted, I would have broken all my rules.” Dani briefly wondered what rules, but, she sniffed, maybe this time she’d find out.

  “The third time I kissed you…”

  Dani paused. It might be a good thing he had been keeping count.

  “We were in the woods up in Maine, and you considered defying me and following me into a potentially dangerous situation.”

  Now wasn’t the time to tell him that she actually had.

  “I needed to shock some sense into you, so that you would listen.”

  Dani remained silent. He’d mentioned a lot of their kisses. He’d have to come to the point soon.

  “What I’m trying to tell you is that, as long as I could make excuses to kiss you, it was okay. But then we had that session in the gym.”

  Oh yeah, remembered Dani.

  “As soon as it became clear that while we might have sex, I couldn’t bring myself to kiss you. The same thing happened later, when we met in my room and then in your apartment. You remember we did everything but kiss?”

  Huxley turned his head, contemplating her hand where it rested on his shoulder. “What I’m trying to say is that in the past, whenever I’ve participated in sex, the one part of me I always refused to give to any of those women was my mouth.”

  Dani understood, but Huxley kept talking, looking anxious to explain.

  “It felt like as long as I could keep the closeness…the intimacy of something like a kiss from happening, it was just sex…and I could pretty much handle that.” Hux turned to stare directly at Dani. “I’m scared as shit if I try to combine the two…with you…that I might, uh, let us both down.”

  Dani eased back from Huxley just long enough to remove her doctor’s coat, her crisp cotton shirt, and the sedate knee-length skirt she’d donned shortly after getting home.

  Huxley eyes widened at her impromptu striptease.

  She threw back the covers and slid into the small bed beside him.

  “Bloody shoulder or not,” she ran a finger down his bare chest. “I think it’s about time we found out.” She went right for his lips.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  His amulet lit up and began to pulse. “Damn,” Dani exclaimed. “I guess we have to do something about that after all.” She popped up out of bed and headed across the room, oblivious to her nakedness in her preoccupation to take care of his medical needs.

  Huxley groaned as her naked body swayed. Her copper tresses cascaded down her back to end just above her smooth, pale, heart-shaped ass. The sight made him suck in a breath. He’d seen her naked before, and she was lovely to behold. The doc’s long, trim legs displayed toned muscles from hours standing in surgery, and her shoulders jutted broadly out from her body, giving her a look of lean athleticism. He wanted to stroke the whole package from top to bottom. Her skin looked so soft.

  Dani turned around and gave him a full frontal view. She fiddled with a package of gauze bandages and didn’t even know the appealing glimpse she gave Huxley. His eyes swept from her endless legs and up to an emerging pale strawberry-blonde patch at her apex. He already appreciated that, beyond the small barrier of red curls, she was shaved and smooth. It made his fingers twitch to touch her bare pussy lips.

  His eyes traveled upward, amazed that her trim hips and waist could possibly give way to the lushness of such full breasts. The width of her shoulders allowed her to carry their delightful heft well, and he’d already licked those cherry peaks, knowing how quickly they responded to his touch. Fuck. He grew tired of watching her.

  “I don’t care about my shoulder,” he groused. “Come back to bed.” His cock throbbed hard. And Huxley needed to bury himself in her warmth.

  “There. I’ve got it.” She finally peeled the plastic from around the box and pulled out a fresh roll of gauze. “We’ll keep you safe while we, umm…” It was as if Dani finally remembered what they were about to do, and that she stood nude in front of Huxley. “Oh,” she exclaimed, and hurried back to his side, cheeks flaming.

  She swung the curtain of her hair across her face and chest as she sat down on the bed and wrapped him up tight. “That should do.”

  Huxley couldn’t wait any longer. He eased her down until her body was inches from his. “Wasn’t there something you wanted to show me?” He kissed her nose and watched her shiver.

  “Uh. What was that?” She looked adorably clueless.

  “Weren’t you going to show me how we can kiss and fuck at the same time?”

  He mouth formed an astonished “O,” but damned if she didn’t gamely take the challenge.

  Dani lowered her mouth to his then got up on her knees. She sent one leg over his middle to end up straddling his abdomen, while at the same time kissing him madly.

  “God, you taste so good. So woodsy. Like leather and smoke.” She moaned, lifting her lips. He pulled her down and continued the pressure, devouring her mouth.

  She thought he had kissed her before? Let her think again. Those kisses would prove nothing but teases. He wanted Dani to feel these all the way to her very core.

  Huxley took ahold of her upper thighs and dragged her lower on his body, repositioning her so his cock wedged between them. He slid her up and down, allowing the pressure of her body and her wet nether-lips to stroke them both. He encircled her with his arms and swept his fingers through that wetness from behind, adding one knuckle of penetration into her channel. His action made her arch even harder into him, and he couldn’t suppress the groan that erupted into her mouth. She felt so fucking good.

  “Dani.” He came away from her lips briefly. “Slide down onto my cock. Take my prick, all the way to my balls,” he rasped. He’d never allowed any woman to do that before. Take control. But he wanted to have Dani above him where he could watch her face as they moved.

  She lifted herself up, and he positioned his stiff rod at her swollen opening, hissing as she brought her wet pussy slowly down the length of him.

  “Am I hurting you?” she asked, aware of the sudden tension in his body. Damn. She got ready to leap off at a single word that his shoulder pained him.

  He grabbed her with rough hands and held her in place, keeping her impaled on his hard rod. “Only in the best kind of way, Dani.” He raised his hips to meet hers and seated his needy cock deeply. “This is a first for me, having someone on top.”

  She stopped moving. “And how are you doing?” she asked, breathlessly. “Is everything okay?”

  He wondered at the look of both shock and awe on her face.

  “I am, oddly enough.” His prick felt hard enough to break down walls. “But you look a little unsure.” He hoped she wasn’t getting ready to climb off.

  “I’ve never done it like this before either,” she admitted, then blushed. “Strictly missionary for my ex-husband.”

  Dani had a way of not holding words back, but as powerful as her declaration made him feel, it stunned him to hear about an ex-mate. He wondered at the sudden surge of jealousy, that someone had taken her before him and not treated her like a goddess. He growled. “We’re going to purge every inkling of your ex-husband from your pretty head.” He thrust up into her with a power that made her gasp.

  She rode him hard, throwing her head back and gripping him with her knees. Huxley fucking loved it and quickly lost his jealousy. He’d never physically and mentally connected to anyone like Dani before, and he knew, instinctively, that the same was true of her.

  She dipped down to taste his hungry mouth again, and far from being repulsed, he surged inside of her clenching channel again, working his tongue in time with his cock.

  He needed to explode right the hell now, but he held back—barely—so she could achieve completion first. Oh yeah,
he grunted, clenching his stomach muscles. He needed to make her come fast.

  Hux plunged a hand down between them and lightly squeezed her clit, while at the same time moving his mouth from hers and bringing one cherry nipple between his lips to apply a tormenting pressure.

  Ah, yes. He could sense her working toward her peak, grinding and opening herself up for even deeper penetration. Hux helped her out, pounding out a fast rhythm as she finally seized up. Dani climaxed with a loud sob, becoming still above him and gripping him over and over with her inner muscles. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the rhythmic spams, his balls drawing up tight, in reaction.

  “Hux,” she cried, as she sank back onto him, aftershocks moving through her. His name melted from her lips like honey, and he truly felt like the god he had become.

  Huxley flipped her over onto her back and kissed her solidly again. With his bad arm looped around her waist, and the other supporting his weight, he confidently took charge. He glided in and out, her interior muscles pulling and contracting around him. It didn’t take him long to feel the sizzle at the base of his spine. His balls contracted to tight fists. He plunged his tongue into her mouth and came hard, shuddering at the grip of fulfillment and satisfaction that clutched at him like never before.

  She’s mine, his mind roared, his shoulder on fire, and he didn’t even blink at the realization. This smart, funny, beautiful woman, who somehow, despite all odds, wanted him…belonged to him. He wouldn’t let her go. Ever. He brought his head back and looked down into sated eyes.

  “So what do you say?” he asked gruffly. “Would you like half an amulet?”

  Her eyes sparkled up at him. “With a side of fries?” she teased.

  Huxley replayed his words in his head and groaned. “That’s not exactly how I meant it to sound.” He hoped his voice conveyed his apology, but he still couldn’t get the right words to roll off his tongue. Dammit. He slid off her, going to his back and only then realized he hadn’t used any kind of protection. Strangely enough, it didn’t faze him. But maybe he should mention it to Dani.

  “I didn’t use a condom,” he stated calmly, looking at the ceiling. “You could be pregnant.”

  “Would that be a good enough reason to want me as your Chosen?” It sounded like Dani questioned his motives, and he gave himself a mental slap.

  He knew what he felt. He knew what Dani wanted to hear. It was just damned hard to get the words out of his mouth. She rolled to snuggle warmly at his side, tracing her fingers lightly over his cheek.

  “I love you, you know,” she said quietly, giving him just what he needed. Her words primed the pump. As soon as she made her declaration, he turned to her and looked deeply into her eyes. His hands found themselves on both sides of her head, threading through her thick hair. Once the words started coming, he couldn’t and wouldn’t have stopped them for the world.

  “Dani, you are so beautiful,” he told her, causing her breath to catch. “Every day here in the compound that I haven’t touched you…it’s been murder on me.” He didn’t know how to speak hearts and roses, but Dani seemed to be eating it up. “I’m sorry I’ve been such an idiot. I just never considered that anyone like you could want someone like me.” He continued babbling. “I really want to spend the rest of my life…hell, the rest of eternity with you.” Hux kissed her quickly again, but this time Dani withdrew.

  “Huxley,” she chastised, looking at him adoringly, but holding him off. “Tell me one thing.”

  He nodded, urging her on, wondering now that he’d declared himself, what else was on her mind.

  “Do you love me?”

  Huxley looked astounded. “What? Didn’t I just say so?”

  ****

  If Dani wasn’t so embarrassed at having asked, she’d be amused. “Well, no. You actually didn’t.” She waited. His throat worked convulsively. He took a deep breath in.

  “Dani.” He looked deeply into her eyes. “I love you. I have since the moment we met. And I want you to be my Chosen.”

  Halleluiah. He’d said the words. Dani gave him a wide smile. “See? You said it, and your head didn’t explode. And of course, I’ll be your Chosen, you dope.” She squeezed his cheeks between her hands. “Now let’s get the ceremony done so we can have lots more sex.”

  Huxley laughed. “Okay, but let’s get some clothes on so I can call in the troops.”

  Ten minutes later, after making themselves decent, the room filled, and the gods argued amongst themselves.

  “I think it should be done in the ceremonial chambers.” Marduk seemed squarely of that opinion.

  “Which would be fine if the incision hadn’t already been made. But since Huxley has already been opened up, I vote we go with the infirmary.” Enlil clearly didn’t want anything to go wrong and liked the doctor environment of Dani’s office.

  “What do you two think?” Marduk turned to Hux and Dani.

  Dani-Lee had been standing by, bemused at the ruckus and the varying opinions, but unlike everyone else, she’d already worked things through.

  “Okay. Calm down everybody. Here’s the problem.” She quickly outlined what the difficulties would be. “None of you can touch Huxley’s amulet. You can’t even get near it without setting off some bizarre fireworks display, which means I’m the only one who can undo his bandages and cut the amulet in half.”

  Everyone became very still. The implications of what she said started to sink in.

  “It also means I have to hold it in my hand and place it in my own shoulder.” The reality terrified her, but she buoyed herself up by remembering it only took seconds after the implantation before the opening healed itself.

  “So unless you have one of those stone slab thingies with the handgrips built for two, we’re best doing this side by side on a bed.” Her words echoed around the room, and everyone looked pale.

  “You can’t get opened up without anesthesia,” Hux spoke everyone’s thoughts out loud. “You’ve seen how excruciating it can be.”

  “I have,” Dani answered, more calmly than she felt. “And you guys all do it without being put out. Are you saying that you can take it and I can’t?” She attempted to sound braver than she felt.

  Dagon spoke up, “If it’s the only way…” He let his words trail off as Holly gave him a hip check.

  “Thank you, Dagon. It is,” Dani said definitively.

  Candy had walked through the door a few minutes before and now put in her two cents worth. “I don’t know what the fuck an amulet is, but I think the doc can take it. I’ve had a bullet or two dug out of me without being doped, and I’m still living.”

  “Stay out of this, human.” Enlil started toward Candy, only to be held back by Anshar.

  “Cut the crap, Enlil,” The serpent god snarled. “She’s welcome to give an opinion like everyone else.” Enlil settled down…barely.

  “I vote we get this show moving.” Lenore was out of character, chewing her nails, but looked tired of prolonging the inevitable. “Unless Hux wants to spend the rest of forever with a hole in his shoulder, we have no choice.”

  “Exactly,” said Dani. She gestured to Enten and Glory. “Can you bring that hospital bed over and scoot it up beside the one Hux is in?” Her mate-to-be resumed his prone position before the gods returned to the room. Dani went to him now and cut off the new bandaging she’d done. “Who has the osmium blade, and who wants to do the honors of opening me up?” Dani looked around as she took off her coat and fumbled to unbutton her shirt.

  Not one of the gods made a comment as she stripped down to her bra. What would normally be an invitation for lewd comments was only a reminder of what would happen. Dani looked around the room. “Anybody?”

  Marduk sighed. “I guess it will have to be me. Sometimes it sucks being in charge. No.” He paused. “It always sucks being in charge.”

  One of the invisibles had obviously been off acquiring the knife, because it now became unacquired into Marduk’s hand. “Thanks.” The thunder g
od grunted.

  Hux lay in the left-hand bed, and Dani moved him to the other so that Marduk could stand next to her proper shoulder. Once he made the cuts, Dani would take the knife from him, lean over and divide Huxley’s amulet in two, removing half and transferring it into herself. She sank down onto the bed.

  Marduk leaned over.

  “Wait.” Dani’s mind worked furiously. “Let me peel back Huxley’s skin and muscle first. It will save time with the final transfer.”

  Marduk handed her the knife. She sat up and smiled apologetically at Huxley. “This shouldn’t be the hard part,” she said, and quickly opened the previously made incision.

  Huxley’s sharp intake of breath was the only indication that it hurt. “Not so bad,” he said between clenched teeth. “I’ve watched you guys enough to know that the most pain comes when cutting the damned amulet in two.” His face relaxed as Dani took the knife away.

  “You’re right, so don’t get too complacent,” Marduk cautioned. “This reprieve from the pain is just the calm before the storm.”

  Watching from the bottom of Huxley’s bed, Candy was clearly fascinated by what she witnessed. “So what the hell is that?” she asked Tess, who stood right next to her.

  “The gods have an amulet in their shoulder that is their life essence,” the goddess explained. “When they find their one true mate, it glows.” She looked around at those who had been mated. “Sometimes right away, and sometimes after, uh, a little more contact.”

  “Right,” Candy added. “After they fuck. Got it.”

  Tess chuckled and continued, “Once both parties are sure they’re supposed to be together, half of the amulet is taken from the male and put into his Chosen. That’s what the female is called.”

  Candy did an eye roll that Tess interpreted as meaning “sexist bullshit,” but she ignored it. “Both parties heal up, the woman becomes a goddess, and well, that’s all.”

  “Do the guys lose half of their powers with the part of the amulet that goes bye-bye?” Candy looked skeptical.

  “Nope. Both halves than regenerate another ghost half. That way, the male’s powers aren’t compromised, and the female ends up with powers of her own.”