Slade

by Simpson, Serena

  “I think yonder pool is ready.” She gave a light laugh and checked the temperature. With a few swift movements, she took off her yoga pants and underwear. She watched as Slade turned the water off. Then he got in. He was perfect with all the scars that marred the surface of his body; he did it for her.

  The scars were a testament to battles fought and won. They reminded her that he was a vicious opponent that didn’t let something like a scar send him running in the opposite direction. Slade would have her back. It also made her wet. Good thing the water would hide that. He sat with his back to the tub. His legs were spread, and his delicious erection was standing up proud.

  She hated having to turn away from looking at him to get in. His arm snaked around her when she was in. He pulled her back so that part of his erection nestled in the crack of her ass while the rest teased her spine.

  “I like this.” The hot water wrapped around her while a different heat from Slade sank deep into her bones.

  “Do you like the bathroom?”

  “It’s beautiful.”

  “You can change or add anything that makes you happy.”

  She nodded, already the idea of making this place theirs appealed. “I have money. It’s the one thing I have. If you’re going to help me kill the big bad, I should get to paid for the remodel.”

  “I don’t need it.” His fingers played with her shoulders distracting her.

  “Too bad, if you want me to live here, then you're going to have to get used to me spending my own money when I feel like it.”

  “Is this women’s rights?”

  “What did you say?”

  “When do you want to start spending?”

  “That’s what I thought you said. You are such a spoiled male. I’m going to have to teach you that I can do anything.”

  “I’m pretty sure I know that.”

  “Nope, you still think there is some sort of power separation. What Mila wants; Mila gets.” She reached over and picked up the liquid soap. One sniffed confirmed there was little to no smell. Slade smelled like pumpkin pie all on his own. Which meant it was his fault that he was making her hungry.

  She turned around going to her knees, so that she was kneeling between his legs. Her tongue darted out moistening her lips as she watched the water move against his waist.

  “If I devour you whole remember it’s your fault.” She poured a bit of his soap on a sponge and began by lathering up his neck. “You were all hot and sweaty fighting Me’akal. I kept thinking your Joggers might fall down they were barely clinging to your hips. Then I prayed Me’akal’s would stay up, I mean eww. That’s your fault too. I was never obsessed with a male’s pants before.”

  She brought the sponge down over his shoulders. Her tongue peeked between her teeth; she caught Slade staring at it.

  “Arms extended.” She washed first one, then the other making sure she cleaned every finger before trying to see if he was ticklish under his arms. Not one laugh and she tried hard. “Not ticklish,” she pouted.

  “I don’t think the created are ticklish. Of course, I have never tried to tickle them.”

  “Now I am getting visions of the six of you in a sexy pillow fight rolling over each other trying to get the other to laugh.”

  “Please for the love of your God, don’t tell my brothers that. They’ll break out the weapons.”

  “Overkill much?”

  “We’re reformed mercenaries. What do you want us to do?”

  “Reformed, huh?” She sat on his legs and started washing the part of his chest that was above water.

  “Reformed.” He dipped his head and kissed her.

  “No distracting me, I missed a spot.” She dropped the sponge pouring soap on her hands before using them to smooth over his clean torso. “So much better this way. I don’t want to miss anything.”

  She rinsed them off and then her hands slipped under the water accidentally rubbing against his erection.

  “Sorry didn’t mean to do that.”

  “Right, you’re much too innocent to rub my erection as a distraction.”

  “You do know me. Stand and turn around.” She backed away so he could follow her orders.

  She stood before picking up her sponge. She began to stroke his back under the pretense of cleaning him. “I can’t let you go to dinner dirty. After all, your brother is coming.”

  “Uh huh, my brother.” His voice was thick as she placed kisses on his back followed by stinging bites.

  “War sucks,” he murmured. “I’ve been thrown so many times from bombs exploding around me. I’ve been hit by shrapnel; I've been captured a few times by species who love their knives and claws. My body feels numb most days.”

  She moved closer so she could bite a little harder at the base of his spine. Her moon shaped nails dug into his ass while he groaned. Then she smoothed it all with kisses and gentle touches.

  “When you do that—bite then sooth me with kisses—you make my skin so sensitive. For a time, I forget the war and the horror I have seen. I forget that I’m not like my created brothers. When I’m with you, I’m simply Slade, not whatever the war tried to turn me into.”

  “That’s all I’ll ever want, you.” Then she bit him on the ass because there was no way she could resist it. She picked up the sponge and finished washing him and then rinsing him.

  “Turn around Slade.” All sorts of cute little nicknames went through her mind, but she rejected them. Her male needed to know she saw him and not some cute version of him. He needed to know that she was willing to take him and his scars, both mental and physical.

  “Do you know what I thought when I first saw you?”

  “What?”

  “I saw an oak tree, tall and strong. Someone who would bend with the weight of the world, sway, but never break. I wanted to climb you until I was stuck on one of your branches.” She started to clean his front. “I wanted to taste your sap.”

  “You say the sweetest things.” His voice came out in a rasp like he wasn’t getting enough air.

  She worked her way down taking time to appreciate his body and kiss his scars. The rigid skin of a few of them made her linger as she caressed them.

  “One day when you’re ready you can tell me about some of your fights.”

  “I will.”

  She rinsed his chest off before sinking to her knees in the tub. Her soapy hands caressed his thighs. The long lean line of muscle called to her, whispered seductively that she needed to kiss it.

  “I can’t believe that some smart woman didn’t tie you up long before you met me.”

  “I was waiting for you tangamay.”

  “You either cursed at me or said something nice. Why doesn’t this chip translate what you’re saying?”

  “The created language is said to be a dead language. We all talk several, but our common tongue comes from the one ancestor we all share, our mother.”

  One day, she would have him give her a history lesson, but not now. She finished cleaning his legs then had him lift his feet.

  “I’m all clean,” he said after she rinsed him off.

  “No, you’re still dirty. I missed a spot.” Her hand came out to cup his balls; she gave a gentle squeeze. One look at his face told her he wasn’t getting the pleasure he should from her touch. She squeezed harder watching his jaw go slack, and his eye's slide shut. That’s the look she wanted. No longer concerned that her touch was a little heavy-handed she squeezed his dick and listened as he growled in need.

  “What are you going to do with your treat tangamay?”

  “What does it mean?”

  “My heart.”

  No force on the Earth could own her the way he did with his sincerity and gentleness. Afraid she might cry she ran her thumb over the head of his dick smoothing his pre cum around it before she took him into her mouth.

  A smothered growl came from him. She pulled him in deep and started sucking adding a bit of teeth just enough to know he felt her. She wanted him to know
she bit, but he would never have to worry about it. His taste, his scent was getting her high. Her mind seemed to be free floating as she sucked on him harder.

  Every part of her needed to know what he tasted like coming over her tongue then being swallowed down her throat. With every thrust of his hips, he went a little deeper into her. She took her hand and squeezed what she couldn’t get into her mouth. She hummed around his dick wanting him to know how good he tasted.

  Coming up for air, she took one of his balls into her mouth. “I love the circular veining you have.” It felt weird in her mouth stroking against her tongue, but she loved it.

  She took his other ball in her mouth while her hand played with the first one. Her other hand was stroking him squeezing him while he thrust into her hand. His body was stiffening even as he tried to hold back.

  “Oh no you don’t.” She took him back into her hot moist mouth. She sucked on him while he tried to lodge his dick as deep in her throat as he could. Her cheeks puffed out then pulled in applying warm suction. His hand tangled in her hair.

  Her name came out like a prayer followed by the first squirt of his cum. He tasted better than she imagined. She sucked hard wanting every bit of him in her mouth, down her throat. Slade let out a yell that warmed her down to her toes. Squirt after squirt filled her mouth until his erection began to soften.

  “That’s what I call a mid afternoon snack.” He looked down at her with such joy all she could do was lay her head against his abdomen. “I think I need a nap,” she yawned and didn’t resist when he picked her up.

  “I think it’ll be my turn to wash you later.”

  “Promises, promises.” She kissed the side of his neck as her eyes drooped shut.

  Chapter Seventeen

  “Is anyone else coming besides Aran?” Mila asked as she helped Quinn set the table. They fed the children earlier so that it would only be the adults.

  “I think his mate Rena is coming. You’ll like her. She's nice and down to Earth.”

  “Phoenix said Sergey and his mate were coming as well. Sergey is Aran’s second in command from what I understand,” Rylee told them.

  “So he’s like Phoenix?”

  “Yep!” Rylee popped her P as she went for glasses.

  No one seemed inclined to hide who they were in the house. It was easy picking up on the different roles played by the brothers and their mates. The children seemed to belong to everybody. She’d been pressed into action to carry Tee upstairs earlier when she jumped in her lap and wouldn’t get down. She knew better, but she couldn’t help but give her a kiss on her soft head. Tee gave her a lick in return.

  They were adopting her letting her know she belonged to them as much as they belonged to her. Family, the word whispered through her head. Did she deserve a family after allowing hers to believe she was dead? Would knowing she was alive have helped them? She still remembered visiting her parents grave with no one except Me’akal. She would have given anything to have her sister’s arms around her. Her sister probably felt the same.

  She didn’t deserve a family. But her heart refused to turn them loose.

  “We need to make Black Friday plans,” Quinn told them as she sank into one of the chairs.

  “Black Friday? We haven’t even made Thanksgiving plans,” Brandi said, her voice held a touch of exasperation to it. “Two weeks people, it’ll be here before you blink your eyes.”

  “I’m blinking, is it here yet?”

  “Piper Reshay Broken, you did not go there.”

  “Up oh, she broke out the middle name she knows I hate. Who is willing to protect me?” Brandi balled up a paper towel and hit her with it. Piper’s hand came up dramatically over her heart as she spun on her heel and slowly sank to the ground.

  “I swear,” Brandi said shaking her head. “If we ever go broke, I’m taking her to Hollywood.”

  “We’ll be richer than Oprah,” Serenity chimed in.

  “We’re already richer than Oprah, besides didn’t you see what Brandi’s last dress sold for. I’m glad she’s my sister, her clothes cost way too much.”

  “Seriously Piper, remember I know what you sold that security program for.”

  “It’s security; it's supposed to be pricey.”

  Mila’s head bounced back and forth as they bickered between each other. When the doorbell rang the play-fighting ended. The table was a masterpiece.

  “Maybe I should go check on the kids,” Mila offered.

  “Nope, you can’t get away like that. You look beautiful, and you should meet Slade’s brother since the two of you are you know… together.” Quinn whispered the last word, and Mila flushed.

  They were definitely together, but there was something about meeting his twin that made her stomach twist in a knot.

  Slade walked into the dining room with two strange men behind him. She looked them both over and then tried to see if Slade’s brother was behind him.

  “Is your brother coming?” she asked tentatively. “Did he stand you up?” Her voice was filled with outrage that he would do this.

  “Mila this is Aran, my twin.”

  “I thought you said you were identical?”

  “We are?”

  She squinted and got a little closer. “I guess if I squint, I can see some resemblance.”

  Every mouth around her dropped open before Quinn, and the rest started to laugh.

  “That’s what I said.” A voice came from behind Aran. A woman stepped out.

  Mila realized they were almost the same height and shared the same brown skin tone. The eyes were different her eyes were darker while Mila’s were lighter. That hair that hung down her shoulders looked like Mila’s hair.

  “It can’t be,” Rena shook her head like she was looking at a ghost.

  Mila tried to run from the room. Me’akal was behind her stopping her.

  “My oath,” she choked out.

  “Your oath states that you cannot look up or initiate contact with your family. It never stated that if they initiated contact with you, or you ran into them by accident that you were forbidden to talk to them.”

  Her eyes met Me’akal’s a moment of sheer hope in them.

  “He’s tricky like that. He followed the letter of the law while granting you more freedom than you thought.”

  “Rena?”

  “How? I saw you. They pulled you out. You were…” Rena choked on her words. Tears were running down her face ruining her makeup. Her teeth were red from where she was biting her lips. “You can’t be alive. I spent years crying for you, blaming myself for your death.” She screamed at Mila.

  “It was you or me.” Mila’s voice was dead like her heart. Why should Rena forgive her or even give her a chance to explain? She turned to leave the room.

  “No!’ Rena caught her wrist. “You don’t get to say something like that and then leave.”

  “I was given a choice.” Tears ran down her face unhindered. Who did she have to be strong for after her sister’s rejection? “Trogon is coming. He targeted me, but they believe he wanted you. I could go back, but if I did, you would die and there would be no bringing you back. Either I stayed dead, or you died.” She shrugged it had been an easy heartbreaking decision. If knowing this moment would happen, she would have done the same thing over again.

  “I spent years crying Mila. The counselors told me the only way to honor your life was to live mine. Every day it felt like I let you down. If I could have taken your place I would have without hesitation.”

  “I didn’t want you to take my place. I wanted you to live, be happy, mate. I wanted all the things for you; I could never have for myself.” She broke sobs coming from her as collapsed on the floor.

  Rena covered her rocking her the way she used to when they were younger.

  “I missed this. Remember how you used to sneak into my room so you could sleep with me after our parents fell asleep?”

  “I remember, you would always say no one should have to sleep alone. I slep
t alone until recently.”

  “I slept alone until Aran. I made a friend. She's more like a sister. Her name’s Dee, she kept me sane when I was sure all hope was lost.” Rena rubbed her wet eyes on Mila’s shirt.

  “You always did like to get my clothes wet. That way you could deny you were crying.”

  “I always was the smarter one.”

  “Take that back,” Mila gave her a small shove.

  “I have a friend like Dee her name is Quinn.”

  “I’ve met Quinn. I bet she makes a great sister friend.”

  “I’m sorry Rena.”

  “For what? Saving my life? For sacrificing yourself, so I had a chance to live? I won’t let you fight this battle alone.”

  “I have too. The one thing I know is if you fight you die. Me? Well, I thought I was expendable, but I don’t feel that way anymore. So, I’ll be fighting to live and after that, we have to catch up and do things together. What do you do for fun?”

  “Well, when I’m not being dragged to the mall, I work on breaking into security systems. There's a hotshot new one on the market. I’m almost in.”

  “Wait! That’s my system.” Piper cried out.

  “Oops?” Rena shrugged. She stood and helped Mila up. “I don’t know how to feel, but I know I’ve been through enough hell in my life. I won’t lose you again.” She pulled Mila into her arms and held her tight. “Mom and dad.”

  “I know; I miss them.”

  “Me too.”

  Rena pulled her over to Aran. “This is my mate Aran, twin to Sloan. I agree with you. They don’t look anything alike.”

  “Do you forgive me?” Slade asked.

  “I forgave you years into the future. Now that they are together, I understand what confused you, their scent is almost the same.”

  “They could almost be twins,” Slade frowned as he said it. No wonder the assassin was confused when they were younger. If Trogon had killed the sister he was originally going after they wouldn’t be here. The color drained out of his face.

  “He tried to rewrite history,” Aran said.

  “Who saved you Mila? Was it, Me’akal?”

  “No, it was…”