“Yes. I saw that you were alive, which was the only important thing to me.”
“You thought I was dead?”
His eyes narrowed briefly as if ashamed to admit it. “I briefly contemplated the possibility when I couldn’t find you anywhere else in the galaxy for the first several weeks of my search.”
“Anywhere else? Where…” She almost asked, but she knew where they were. Her memories were restored, but it seemed to take a small measure of time to access them individually. Another set of recollections previously hidden in the recesses of her mind skittered into the forefront. “We’re in District Six.” A statement not a question.
“Yes.”
Her gaze went to his. “How did you get here?”
He flashed a grin. “I cloaked a ship to come inside and look for you.”
She sucked in a deep sharp breath. “How long did it take once you crossed the border? How long have you been searching while cloaked?”
“Once I was on the way, to the Forbidden Zone, something fortuitous happened. I saw a battle porn video of you and William against another gladiator with a braided beard.”
“Vidarr?”
“Yes. I believe so.”
“Since those videos only come out of one place, it wasn’t a stretch to imagine where you ended up. Once we crossed into the Forbidden Zone, I narrowed down my search, when Drew noticed the video production code frequency at the front of all the DMR films. We scanned each planet in the district to find the exact planet location searching for the frequency. It was systematic. And it worked.”
“Mr. Regulation.”
“That’s right. I discovered the rest of the battle films fairly quickly. They led me directly here.”
“And you de-cloaked your ship when you saw the final beast monstrosities in the ring.” He nodded, and kept his gaze on hers.
When the beasts had been vaporized, she’d been kissing Will and telling him that she loved him. “So you also saw the two of us…” She didn’t finish her sentence.
“Kissing?” Jeremy finished her sentence for her. “Yes. It looked to me like you were surrendering to death, taking one last bit of solace. I couldn’t let that happen. I refused to allow it.”
Memories of being with Will the past few months collided with her newfound memories of more than half a year with Jeremy. She realized both men were important. She didn’t want to choose between them. How could she make things right with Jeremy? How could she ever relinquish her feelings of love for Will? How could she possibly keep them both in her life? Angelica started to take a step back.
“Don’t you dare pull away from me.”
She stopped moving. He took her in his arms again, slipping his chin on top of her head. How many times had they been in this exact embrace? Hundreds? She relaxed into the hug, remembering it was one of her favorite places to be.
“I’ve seen every film, Angelica. Both when you fought and afterward. I promise you that I was grateful to see you alive after each and every battle and the…aftermath.”
Angelica closed her eyes as she pressed her cheek to Jeremy’s chest. Aftermath being a polite term for the uninhibited sex she had shared repeatedly with Will.
“I care about him,” she admitted. She would never leave Will behind.
“As you should. One other important thing I saw on all those films was how William looked at you. He’s in love with you, Angelica. How could he not be? But make no mistake. I love you, too. I will not walk away. I will fight to keep you in my life. Whatever it takes. In whatever way I can.”
She believed him. And she believed that if Will wasn’t married, he’d fight for her, too. Because standing out in the arena with a recently remembered Jeremy at her back, and Will crumpled at her feet, Angelica knew she didn’t ever want to make a choice of one man over the other. She wouldn’t unless forced to.
Her history with Will was not lengthy, but had been filled with life and death matters faced on a daily basis. They’d gotten close. He loved her. She knew he did, and she loved him. Just as she loved Jeremy. She was in love with two men.
Lord Harcourt offering the best solution to her angst irritated her to some degree, but being with both of them was something she looked forward to.
She would not enjoy the fact that it was filmed. She would not enjoy a live audience while she made love to them, but she would adapt and overcome this challenge. That was who she was. A fighter. A survivor. A woman reunited with the man she’d tried desperately to remember during her time here. And also still attracted to the man she’d fallen in love with when her past had been taken from her.
Another group of recent memories slipped into her head. She recalled exactly how she’d gotten into the Forbidden Zone in the first place.
The vision of the ship she’d captained, the Mirage, came next. She had a powerful memory recalling where her vessel was currently located.
“Did you find the Mirage?” she asked Jeremy.
“No. Not even a wispy trace of its exhaust.”
“Too bad,” she said with a self-satisfied sigh. “I loved that ship.”
“Once we get out of this hellhole, we can go look for it together.”
“Maybe.” That would be a dangerous proposition.
“Maybe?” Jeremy’s grip tightened around her. “I’m going to need you to clarify that for me.”
Her eyes narrowed. “It’s probable the ship was sabotaged. My captain’s override didn’t have an impact on the main engines without the input of a secret battle simulation code. One that I didn’t have.
“In fact, one of my override options was a ship-wide self-destruct sequence. I didn’t know the final status before I jettisoned myself away. It’s possible the ship drifted into this prohibited district. Since I’d already pushed the crew into the escape shuttle when I ran out of time…it’s entirely possible the ship was destroyed. So perhaps, there’s nothing to look for.”
“So you aren’t balking at being together with me in the future then? Which is my true question.”
Her brows narrowed in puzzlement. “Don’t be daft.”
He squeezed her again. “I’ve missed you, Angelica.” He kissed her forehead. He kissed the tip of her nose. He kissed her cheek gently. She grabbed his face and kissed his mouth like it was his last day to live.
She pushed him backward until he was pressed against the wall by the door. The familiar scent of him drove her libido into a frenzy of sudden desire. It had been so long since they’d been together. She wanted to connect and refresh her memories of making love to him.
Her hand slid down until she found what she sought. His huge cock. Will was similarly gifted. She was lucky both of her lovers were well endowed. But she’d missed Jeremy the moment she remembered the significance of his tattoo. She remembered that her very final uncomplicated thought as she took off from the Fulchrome system on the Mirage before the trouble came had been of him.
She had been eager to get back home to be with Jeremy.
Her tattooed lover. Her remembered love.
“Jesus. I’m gonna come in your hand if you squeeze me like that again.”
“You missed me?”
“Endlessly. That’s why I’m here. Couldn’t live without you.”
“Kiss me then.” He didn’t hesitate, just covered her mouth with his, devouring her as he always did.
Today she sensed the stored-up passion he’d held for her, and only her. Without asking, she knew there hadn’t been any other women. Inside her lust-fueled mind, she faltered a bit, suddenly remembering she couldn’t say the same thing.
Although, if she’d had her memories, she might never have succumbed to Will’s charms no matter how many bouquets of aphrodisiac flowers they’d put in the room. Right? Was she lying to herself? She didn’t choose to go down that slippery path just now.
Jeremy tightened his grip on her as if to squeeze the uncomfortable recollection from her mind. She turned to her other memories recently retrieved. The few non-sexual
ones she possessed.
She remembered the speedy, weightless launch of her life pod from the Mirage. And the discovery of the irrevocable damage to her small shuttle only after she was gliding at top speed toward the Forbidden Zone at an unstoppable speed. Her first and last panicked thoughts had been of Jeremy as she’d tried to think of a way out of her terrible situation, unable to come up with anything relevant.
When the slavers had captured her life pod—barely a hundred feet from where she’d crossed into the Forbidden Zone—snagging it from its endless trajectory, they’d also saved her fading life. Death by asphyxiation—as her precious life support and oxygen had already run out—was what she’d been contending with the moment she crossed the border. Her personal captain’s life pod had also been sabotaged. Suspicious fuel line leak.
As a result of her oxygen deprivation, she’d been only half conscious when she’d been captured. They’d asked for her name through the portal of her broken life pod. They asked about her ship’s identity. Where was the ship that had launched her? Who was she?
She’d reached out to signal that she needed air, but they didn’t seem to understand. Or they pretended not to. When she’d remained silent, unable to speak in those first few minutes because of a lack of air, they’d stopped asking any more questions.
Once in the hold of their ship, they’d cracked her pod open. She’d only gotten one deep lungful of fresh air before they’d promptly locked away her memories with a primitive, painful device. Her last thought had been a plea for Jeremy not to forget about her, ironically enough.
She stroked his cock again, wanting to feel the comfort of his familiarity. He groaned in her mouth, shaking each time she stroked him. It was foolish to give a free show to anyone who might be watching, but suddenly she didn’t care. She’d missed Jeremy on some primitive, subliminal level since they’d parted. He was here now and she wanted him with a desperation she couldn’t control. She would not be denied her reunion. The bouquet of flowers placed in the room today was larger than usual. That was certainly helping things along.
Angelica squeezed his rigid cock one more time before releasing him. He seemed relieved she let him go. If he’d gone without, he was likely about ready for some satisfaction. She wanted to give it to him. And she wanted to take some for herself, too, truth be told.
Two flicks of her fingers over the toggles securing his pants, and Jeremy’s thick cock was laid bare for her to stroke. He moaned into her mouth again the moment she gripped him in her fist. The short skirt she wore of course didn’t ever come with panties. It was easy to climb onto him unhindered by any underclothing, sliding the head of his cock inside her wet pussy lips with one hand as she circled her other arm around his neck.
Jeremy grabbed her hips, lifting her onto his thighs and leveraging himself so he could thrust upward, filling her completely. It was her turn to groan once he was fully seated inside. He broke the kiss, his head tilted back against the wall. He was panting hard. “You feel so fucking good, Angelica.”
“And as usual you feel massive.”
He laughed. His hands slid from her hips to her waist. He lifted his head and stared at her again. They were connected as intimately as two people could be and instead of fucking her like she knew he must be desperate for, he simply looked into her eyes, his love bared for her to see clearly. “I’ve missed you so desperately. I can’t even fully express how much.”
Angelica smiled. She also moved on him slowly. Knees bent, feet planted on the wall behind him, and fully impaled on his wide cock, she used leverage to move on him.
He grinned. “It’s been too long.”
“It has been too long. But you feel good. I mean, Jesus, did your cock grow even bigger since we’ve been apart?” she asked under her breath. “Admit it. You’ve been bathing in that male enhancement cream while I’ve been gone, haven’t you?”
The rumble of laughter filling his chest, brought a smile to her lips. “I love you so much, Angelica.” His hands moved down, squeezing her hips in his splayed fingers, kissing her upturned smile with soft, tender care. Then she took over, fearing he wouldn’t go any further if she didn’t take the reins of control and make this magic happen.
“I love you too, Jeremy.” She lifted off of his cock halfway, soon impaling herself over and over again, her clit getting a buzz each time she moved, until the rapturous feeling gave way to a rousing orgasm. It didn’t take long for her either. He smelled so fucking good, especially after the battle in the ring.
She had a sudden memory of being in the virtual reality booth after a battle they’d fought together. He’d wanted her then, so she’d ripped open her flight suit, baring her breasts to his eager view, and ditching her whole suit next. Once he’d stripped too, they’d made fast, hard love on the floor where they’d just been fighting.
Afterward, Jeremy had been slightly embarrassed. He’d told her he’d never had such a blood lust before and that her unique aroma must have done something to him. His intriguing scent drawing her in was at work this time. She remembered his unique masculine smell. She understood the drive to embrace, to possess, to fuck. There had been more than one primal coupling in the virtual reality booth when they’d fought together. The most recent one—and the last time they’d been in there—popped into her head.
The moment she remembered the previous lovemaking session and its intense conclusion, Angelica launched over an extreme edge of pleasure, screaming into Jeremy’s chest. She nibbled the edge of the tattoo beneath his collarbone, promptly kissing across the letters as she had always done, while she drifted back from nirvana.
Jeremy was her love.
Her remembered love.
He felt so right.
He felt like home.
They belonged together.
One second later, Jeremy fairly roared his climax into the top of her head, gripping her hips so tight he probably left finger marks, branding her as his woman.
The familiar connection and reacquainting herself with Jeremy in this physical manner didn’t dissolve or diminish her heartfelt love for Will. If anything they were enhanced. She knew he was awake, listening to her reconnect with Jeremy. He would never be upset by her love for the man from her past.
From across the room, as if reading her mind, Will sat up, looked at them intimately connected, and said, “Are you practicing for later for the Den of Iniquity arena? Because if I was supposed to be watching, unfortunately I only heard you two going at it. I didn’t actually open my eyes to watch. You might have to do it again.”
“Fine by me.” Jeremy, his cock still buried deeply in her pussy, then asked, “How long have you been awake, old man?”
“I’m not old, and I was never unconscious.”
“I knew you were awake,” Angelica remarked. She kissed Jeremy’s luscious mouth and moved off of him. He grinned at her and fastened his pants. She smoothed her short skirt back over her legs and walked over to Will. He stood up from the bed as she approached.
Uncertain of what his mood might be, Angelica decided to be business-like. “Do I need to clean any of your wounds? The tiger got you pretty good on your side earlier.”
He shook his head. “I’ll live.”
Angelica stared at him, trying to read his mind. His expression seemed pensive.
She asked, “What are you thinking? I need to know.”
He leaned in to whisper in her ear. “That I’m immensely grateful you didn’t choose the battle arena to win our freedom. Also, I’m thankful that you have your memories back. I’m glad that the man you remembered and loved during all this time in this horrible place came to rescue you. I’m especially grateful to him for first, eliminating the mechanized beasts earlier, and second, for not killing me, given his incredible incentive to do so back when we were in the arena.”
She inhaled deeply to keep from letting any emotion seep out, as he continued out loud, “I’m honored to share you with the man you love, even if it means we’re filmed and live
in infamy. He’s perceptive, and he’s correct when he recognized that I love you. However, I won’t come between the two of you. Eventually, I’ll still have to go in search of my own memories. I have no idea what relationship, if any, awaits my return to my former world.
“I certainly won’t ask you to dismiss yours in favor of me. But don’t forget that I do love you. I always will, regardless of what I discover is my former life. And if you could be mine, I’d fight for you every day until the end of time.” His gaze settled on Jeremy for a moment. “But not against this man that you love. The man I’m fairly certain has gone to great lengths to find you again.”
Angelica pulled back and said, “We’ll help you find your family. I promise.”
“I appreciate your willingness to do that, but we’ll see what happens when the time comes.” Will smiled. He walked over and shook hands with Jeremy.
“Thank you for taking care of her in my absence, old man,” he said. “I’ll be forever in your debt.”
“Just as I’m grateful you came for her when you did. Cut it a little close in the battle arena with the blue beams though, didn’t you?”
Jeremy lifted one shoulder. “Maybe I like a little drama.” His gaze found hers, and he grinned. Angelica knew that Jeremy loathed drama. He’d probably been quietly shitting bricks as he worked setting the lasers to vaporize the beasts, all the while staying in cloak mode as long as possible to keep from being stopped or shot out of the sky.
Timing was everything. Angelica had always admired Jeremy’s incredibly perfect timing.
She remembered that the two beasts about to devour them whole had stopped moving right before they’d been obliterated by the lasers Jeremy used to save them.
Angelica wondered what Lord Harcourt had been about to do to change the course of their confinement. She suspected it involved the two of them staying longer. Probably in the Den of Iniquity. Jeremy had interrupted his previous plans, and he’d then leveraged Jeremy into this violent primitive world, as well.
Sexual Memory [Dark Colony 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 18