by Milly Taiden
The giant disappeared into the building that housed the guard quarters and training rooms. Only the preferred lived outside of the building.
Angry at Davi for putting her in this position, she grumbled her way into the building. Everyone appeared to have deserted the place.
Heading down one stone hallway, she stopped at the sound of voices. Great. There had to be someone there that could help her find the man she was supposed matchmake with one of Davi’s staff. Poor idiots.
She lifted a hand to knock when the wooden door was suddenly yanked away and a wide muscular chest replaced it. She gulped. Having lived her last life in a time where women didn’t really see much nakedness, she was caught off guard by the large amount of naked flesh. Muscular naked flesh. Really, really close. Her gaze trailed up slowly, to visually lick the droplets of water running down his torso, clinging to the man’s beaded nipples.
It took some doing to get her tongue to detach from the roof of her mouth, but when she did, she swallowed at the dryness in her throat. Continuing her journey up, she watched the man’s pecs flex. Sweat gathered in her palms. She really needed to get out more often if this— this barbarian made her feel so hot. She reached his face and nearly drooled. Holy mother of all vibrators.
“Like what you see?”
Hell yes! “I… er… What?”
He grinned. And she knew then that Davi would have no problem finding this guy a woman. Hell, she was tempted to put herself up in the running for him.
“I’m here to talk to Damien Wrath about Hellmatch.com.”
The smile dropped so fast she almost thought she’d imagined it. “Oh?”
“I’m Laura, Davi’s assistant.”
He raised a brow and gave her a slow once-over. Instinctively, she brought a hand up to her throat to ensure her blouse was still buttoned all the way up. Then, much to her consternation, he turned his back on her, leaving her standing there. Like a damn idiot. Talk about turn of events. After a moment of stupefied shock, she entered the room. She rushed after him, hating the slap of steam on her face when she passed the threshold. It was a frickin’ steam room. What kind of torture was that? He had to be a sadist. As if being in hell wasn’t hot enough, the stupid man was steaming. Her blouse became plastered to her skin and rubbed uncomfortably on her arms.
She hurried down the hall where she’d seen the warrior turn a corner. Breaths froze in her chest when she saw him tear off the towel around his waist, showing a perfect muscled ass. Well, damn it all to hell she could not unsee that no matter how much she tried. Not that her brain would let her. That visual went straight into the gonna-dream-with-later file.
“Are you Damien Wrath?”
“Maybe.”
“Yes, or no?”
He glanced over his shoulder at her, smiling while glancing down her body. “Why? You gonna be my next piece of ass?”
His brash language made her gasp and take a quick step back. What else did she expect from a barbarian, manners? Great. Fucking great. “No, I’m not. I’m here to ask you some questions so I can run the program to match you with someone.”
He chose that moment to turn around and show off his body to her as if it weren’t a big deal. Holy shit! Like she saw naked men all the damn time. Which she did not, she’d assure anyone who dared ask. If she had, she wouldn’t be standing there ogling the barbarian like she’d never seen a penis. Her thoughts trailed off a cliff and dived into the ocean of hormones she’d forgotten existed inside her body.
“Put some clothes on, you pervert!”
He smiled. Her heart flip-flopped in her chest. Great time to notice his nice smile and perfect teeth.
“Come on, you know you wanna watch.”
Yes, she did, but he didn’t need to know that. “I think you’re confused. I’m here to ask questions not inspect your…” She gulped. “Merchandise.”
She really hoped he didn’t notice that her nipples had beaded into tiny points under her silk top. It’d just make her that much more embarrassed to stand there gaping at his massive hard-on. How in the world could he walk around with that thing?
“Want to test it firsthand?” He took a step closer. His cock bobbed and her eyes grew wider.
“No…” She realized she’d trailed off and snapped her gaze up to his face. The bastard stood there smirking at her amazement. “I said I’m not interested in your... uh... thing there.”
He gripped his shaft in his hand, jerking up and down his hard length. “Then I guess you’re going to watch the show, huh?”
Her brain cells died a slow and quiet death while she stared at his hand in fascination. Her panties dampened to near soaked. Lord, she’d never seen anything like it. Her discomfort was overridden by the visual torture of the warrior caressing himself with slow strokes. Did he say show?
Excitement thickened her blood to the consistency of molasses. Up he went, tugging at his shaft and then roughly sliding his hand down again. This was new. This was different. This was awesome. She’d lived in an era where women didn’t show this much skin much less see a naked man prancing around. Heck, she’d married an old man to keep her family title only to have him die after their first time having sex.
Not that it had been an enjoyable experience she’d thought to repeat at first, but when she joined the ranks of the damned, she went a little bit ‘hell girls gone wild’ her first few days there with the drinking and the flirting. Even with all that, she hadn’t had enough sex or found it so enjoyable that she’d want to try it often. It took a serious talk from Riyanna to bring her back to reality. After that, she’d steered clear of men and sex. Though there were clubs for the damned to visit, she hadn’t ever bothered to step in one. Heck, her best friend Diana loved going to Hell’s Heat, the local male strip joint, but she’d stayed away.
Now here was this big bulgy man with a huge cock and the face of a fallen angel stroking himself and staring at her like it was something they did all the time.
“You have beautiful lips,” he said, squeezing himself and jerking. Her gaze shot up to clash with his. “Pink and plump. Perfect to wrap around my cock.”
Damien didn’t know what was wrong with him. He could tell the woman, Laura, was shocked beyond belief at his actions. Yet he couldn’t seem to stop from stroking himself for her. Not normally this turned on by someone so covered up, he didn’t understand his reaction to the first woman he’d seen wearing that many clothes in hell.
Her eyes widened and her pink tongue slid over her full bottom lip in a soft sweep. Lord. Now all he could think of was her lips sucking him off. Her curvy body writhing under him while he pounded every single inch of his cock into her slick heat. He knew she wanted him. Could smell her desire. A shifter didn’t miss a thing. History books didn’t tell that not all gladiators had been humans.
For the first time in centuries, his mind wasn’t wrapped in the image of his wife, Kele. All he visualized was Laura. Fucking her. Licking her pussy. Watching her come. And though Kele had not been his mate, she’d loved him beyond belief, so he’d been loyal to her. But the sleeping wolf took a single whiff of Laura’s scent and woke from centuries of rest. His mate was there. And he wanted to claim her.
Her golden brown skin flushed. “I…” Her voice was breathless and so seductive he felt beads of his own desire gather at the tip of his cock. “I… really… think you should cover up.”
Electric shocks of pure lust shot down his back. She might not want to want him, but her eyes were eating up the vision of him touching himself. And the thought turned him on even more.
Arousal pushed him forward a step. She rushed back so fast she slipped. He moved swiftly and grabbed her before she hit the wet floor. As he helped her back to her feet, he became increasingly aware of his body plastered on hers. Soft curves shifted under his palms. Sexy curves. She had a body made for sin. Bountiful breasts pressed tight to his chest. Wide hips wiggled, yanking a groan from him. Her movements added to his aroused state. His cock stood so ha
rd he could hammer nails with it. Her gaze locked with his. Even her ass was perfectly plump.
Taste her. Take her. Fuck her.
What the hell was wrong with him? His wolf had never pushed this hard. He’d never been the kind to let his dick lead the way. But for the first time of his life in hell, he wouldn’t mind spending the rest of his eternity in the Seventh fucking her senseless.
“You smell good.” The words left his mouth before he had a chance to stop them. She did smell good. Like fresh flowers and sex.
Laura squirmed in his hold until he let go of her.
“Look.” She took a breath and ran a visibly shaky hand over her bun. “I’m not here to get familiar with you or your privates.”
He grinned. Her use of the word privates sounded like something bad. It was no use telling her she would be his in time. He’d play her game and see about getting to know her.
“I’m simply here to ask you a few questions to match you up with someone.” She met his gaze.
His hands itched with the need to touch her, to hold her. “Fine,” he grumbled. “Ask your questions.”
She cleared her throat and glanced away, searching in her bag for something. A second later, she had a pad and pen in hand. He could tell she was trying to be polite, but her curiosity kept her gaze sliding back to his body. He’d never felt so good about all the training he did with the guards. At that moment, showing off the goods in order to get Laura’s attention didn’t sound bad to him.
“What, um, what is it you want in a woman?” She lifted a hand and wiped her brow.
He grinned, moving to grab his clothes and showing her his back. He bit back a chuckle at the soft gasp he heard. “What do I want in a woman?”
He slipped on his boxer briefs and continued strutting around her, taking forever to put on his clothes. Something inside him refused to back down from acting like the beast inside him. He wanted her attention. More than that, the wolf wanted her naked and moaning under him.
“Yes. What...you want in women, er...a woman,” she said throatily. Her voice was so husky it caressed him like cool drops of water on his overheated skin.
“I want a woman with curves,” he said and turned to meet her gaze to see her reaction. She’d been staring at his ass. Her gaze quickly rushed up to meet his. “I like to have something to hold on to when I’m driving deep into her.”
Her eyes widened. It wasn’t like he could go to hell for taunting her. He was already there.
“C-curves. All right.” She made notes on a pad. He acted as if he hadn’t noticed her hand shaking while she wrote.
He shouldn’t want her, but he did. The memory of his long, lost wife flitted through his mind. He’d kept himself celibate in her memory. He’d died for Kele. Most people didn’t understand why he’d been so devoted to her, when she wasn’t his mate, but she had treated him with care. She’d shown him warmth when all he’d known had been grueling pain. And now he was ignoring all he’d known for the mating call of the woman his wolf wanted. He couldn’t find it in him to be disgusted with his basic human needs. He wanted Laura. Wanted her like he’d never wanted his wife. And that was the part that kicked him in the gut.
THREE
Laura’s blood pressure started to rise. Damien was brash and too full of himself and yet she couldn’t seem to stop her body from heating over his words. She clutched at the neckline of her blouse and swallowed hard.
He took his time sliding into a pair of jeans that fit him like a glove and made his sexy ass look even better.
“Anything else?” she asked.
“She has to like sex.”
Oh, good gracious. She was going to kill Davi. This was so not the kind of job she had in mind. This guard was way above her league. Just looking at him made her eyes tear up. He was so sexy her feminine hormones had started doing the mambo trying to get his attention.
And now he mentioned wanting a woman who liked sex. She had to stop her mind from questioning what he knew about the act that she didn’t. She’d had so little sex and none of it had been very enjoyable. What could he possibly know that would make him request a woman who liked sex? Now she wanted to know what there was to that. Dammit! Stupid muscled, sexy ass bastard. She might have killed her boss if only Davi wasn’t daughter of the queen of the underworld. Frickin’ hell.
“She should also have long, dark hair,” he said.
She gripped the pen and paper to stop herself from reaching up and touching her bun. Laura had long, dark hair. It went down her back in long curls which she didn’t like cutting because she’d been raised to keep it long. Women in her time didn’t cut their hair. They were vain and, though she tried not to hold on to any of the worldly vanities, she liked her hair long.
“Any personality traits?” She wrote his words and exhaled slowly.
They might have to wheel her out in an ambulance if he didn’t stop circling her while still shirtless. To make her torture even worse, he moved by a giant bay window facing the training fields and the light from outdoors cast a glow over his skin that made her knees wobble.
“I want someone that likes to have fun,” he said, gliding his sexy gaze down her body in one bold sweep. “I want her to be open-minded to anything and everything.” He grabbed a T-shirt and pulled it over his head, flexing his arms and abs as he did. “Especially in bed.”
Holy mother of all things naughty. This man was putting ideas in her mind she hadn’t had in all her years in the Seventh.
“Yes, well. I think I have enough to start my search.” She turned around to the entrance and started to rush away. “Have a good day.”
“Wait up,” he yelled, stomping towards her. “I’ll walk you out.”
She glared at the ceiling and growled in a low voice, “Thanks, that’s very nice of you, but I don’t need an escort.”
He moved in front of her to open the door. “I have to head to the palace for my next round. It’s not a problem.”
Could her day get any worse? If you worked for Davi, you were allowed to visit bars and get drunk, otherwise, what fun was it to live in the pit? Laura took off, marching ahead of Damien and going around a corner in a rush. Maybe he’d lose her in the process. She glanced over her shoulder and didn’t see him, only to walk into a man in front of her. The drunken man grabbed her by the waist and pulled her close.
“Come over here, sweet thing. You look like you need to learn to relax,” he breathed the words on her face. His bourbon breath made her scrunch her face in distaste.
“Ugh, let go you idiot.” She pulled away, trying to disentangle herself from the inebriated man. It took some doing, but she got loose, only for him to grab her from behind.
He wrapped his arms around her chest. “No way, baby. You got an ass I want to get to know better.”
Oh, for goodness’ sake. She elbowed the drunk. He grunted, swaying away. Once she had enough space between them, she turned around to face him and saw Damien rounding the corner. A fierce scowl dipped over his brows.
She narrowed her gaze at the drunk. “Behave, or I’ll be forced to teach you how to treat women,” she said impatiently, fixing her blouse.
“What’s going on?” Damien growled.
She blinked at the way his eyes glowed. His features turned animalistic. It was then she realized what he was. A shifter. Davi wanted her to get a shifter matched? The woman was insane. Shifters had mates. How, in the name of all that was fiery red in the pit, was she going to get Damien matched with his mate?
“This lassie here is playing hard to get,” mumbled the drunk, wavering on his unsteady feet.
She glanced at Damien. “Give me a second.” Then turned to the drunk. “Listen to me. I am not playing hard to get. You have to know that women don’t like stinky drunk men groping them.”
“He groped you?” Damien roared.
“Stay right there.” She pointed at Damien. “I can handle this.”
“Wha-chu mean stinky?” The drunk hiccupped. He swung his arms
in an attempt to grab her again, but she kneed him in the crotch for his efforts. He doubled over and fell to the ground, screaming in pain.
She folded her arms over her chest and glared at the drunk. “No means no.”
“You... you’re a mean lassie,” cried the drunk. “Mean.”
She rolled her eyes and turned away, heading toward the palace. She didn’t worry about the drunk man too much. Someone would take him home eventually.
Damien rushed up by her side. She could feel his energy calling out to her. Wow. A man that dangerous and strong shouldn’t need her to find him a woman.
He didn’t say anything to her. When she glanced at him from the corner of her eye, she caught him frowning straight ahead.
They got back to the palace and she stopped by Davi’s office, leaving Damien at the entrance.
“Are you going to go talk to Davi?” she asked, clearing her throat.
He finally glanced at her. His facial lines were still tight and he pressed his lips into a thin line. “No.”
She blinked and watched him turn on his heel and walk away. What the heck was his problem? He’d gone from getting ready to offer her his body like a pagan sacrifice, which she did not mind at all, to serious and growly.
Thinking about it and trying to figure it out would only give her a headache. She twisted the knob for Davi’s office and braced herself. It was going to get crazy in there.
“How did it go?” Davi asked without giving her much time to step foot in the door.
“Well…” He’s got a big piece of equipment that should get him some female attention. “Um, he said he wants someone interested in sex. Someone who likes it.”
Davi frowned. “What does he mean someone who likes sex? Doesn’t everyone like sex?”
Flames of embarrassment scorched Laura’s cheeks. She didn’t know how to answer that. She’d never had much sex. The handful of times she’d done it the act had been painful, annoying and left her quite unsatisfied. It’s what had made it easy for her to not have sex in hundreds of years.