by I. T. Lucas
“We maintain a small police force, the Guardians, all of whom you've already met. Arrests are made and the perpetrators are brought before a judge or a panel of judges: depending on the severity of their crime. For the most severe cases, the whole clan has to vote. Sentencing varies from monetary fines to house arrests, to incarceration here in the underground, etc.”
Syssi was impressed. “Wow! You guys are like a country within a country. With your own laws, police force, judges, jails… So, do you get a lot of unlawful behavior?”
“Not a lot, but enough, mostly minor infractions. If you're really interested, I can arrange for you to meet Edna. She is our legal expert, attorney, judge… Everything you want to know regarding clan law, she'll be more than happy to tell you all about it in excruciating detail. She loves the law, and she loves talking about it even more. But what I want you to do now is come with me to the kitchen and eat something. You look pale.”
“I'm a little hungry… come to think of it, I didn't have lunch yet.” Syssi followed Kian to the kitchen and took a seat at the counter, not sure if she should offer to make something or let him play host.
“Let's see…” Kian poked his head into the refrigerator. “No worries, Okidu left us lunch.” He pulled out a container of pasta and a large bowl of salad. After warming the pasta in the microwave for a few minutes, he brought both over to the counter.
“By the way, where is Okidu? I'm surprised he is not here to fuss around us like we’re a couple of helpless children who need to be fed.”
“Probably went grocery shopping.” Kian stuffed a large swirl of pasta into his mouth.
“You're so lucky to have him. He is an outstanding cook, everything he makes is delicious.” Syssi ate slowly, taking small bites to savor the taste.
“Yeah, he is great… Though speaking of delicious food… I was wondering if you'd like to go out with me to a restaurant tomorrow night. If you think Okidu's is good, the food there will blow your tastebuds. I thought dinner and some dancing would be nice. What do you say?”
“That sounds wonderful.” He is actually taking me out on a date! A spark of hope shimmered in her heart. “I’d love to go out with you.” A romantic outing… “But just to a restaurant, not to a club. I don't like the scene. Last night, I was very uncomfortable. I'm not in the mood to repeat that experience anytime soon.”
“No, not a club, I don't like them either.” Kian twisted toward her and swiveled her stool, bracketing her knees between his thighs so they were facing each other. “The restaurant I'm talking about has live music and dancing. It's not loud, and the clientele is very exclusive. Just to get in you need to be a member, or be invited by one. It's a bit snobby, but the upside of that is an atmosphere that is posh and romantic, not vulgar like the club's. I guarantee you're going to love it.”
“What is it called?”
“By Invitation Only.”
“Seriously? That's the name? It's like naming your dog, Dog.” She snorted. It wasn't really that funny, but she was giddy. I'm such a fool, it's only a date. “I've never heard of it.”
“Of course not. Those who are willing spend that kind of money on a membership do so as much for the privacy as for the exclusivity. It would defy the whole purpose of the place if the paparazzi got a whiff of it and descended on it like a pack of hounds, hunting for the celebrities.”
“You've got a point… So, should I assume you're a member? Or did you pull some strings to get us invited?”
“I'm part owner of the place. After graduating from the culinary institute, a nephew of mine came asking if I would be willing to loan him the money he needed to open his own place. I liked the concept, not to mention the taste of what he had prepared for me to try. So, I made it an investment instead of a loan. He runs it, and I collect a share of the profits. Win-win for both of us.”
“Is everyone in your family a member?”
“Definitely not, just the ones we invite and who are willing to pay for membership…”
“What about those you don't invite? They must feel left out.”
“What they don't know won't hurt them. Anyway, the place was not intended to be a family hangout. The concept was to provide a top notch place for the rich and famous—the movers and shakers of society—to mingle and have fun away from the public eye.”
“And you want to take plain me to hang out with this kind of people? I’ll stick out like a sore thumb. What will I wear? I don't know how to dress for a place like this.” She cringed, some of her initial excitement ebbing. “Can't we go somewhere less intimidating?” As much as she was intrigued, she couldn't help thinking of how awkward she'd feel amongst such a crowd.
“Nonsense, Amanda will take you shopping and get you everything you need. You know it's her favorite pastime… Well, maybe second favorite… Anyway, just leave it to her and you'll be fine; she is a pro when it comes to fashion. And besides, you need to get out of here and get some fresh air, even if it's the somewhat polluted type that hangs over Rodeo Drive. I'm certain you'll have fun on an outing with her.”
Syssi was sure she would, but the idea of spending a small fortune just so she could fit in with the patrons of a snooty place for one night, didn't sit well with her pragmatic nature. And shopping at a place like Rodeo Drive? Not going to happen.
Maybe I could borrow something from Amanda—that makes much more sense.
“Okay, I'll go… Just for once, I'm curious to see how the elite parties. But I'm not sure about buying new expensive stuff that I'll probably never wear again.”
“Don't worry about the money—it's my treat.”
“I have the money. I just hate spending it frivolously.”
“Please, do it for me. I feel so bad for turning your life upside down. Getting you something you would never buy for yourself will bring me much pleasure. Be a good girl and say yes.”
“I'll think about it. First, I'm going to see if I can borrow something from Amanda.” It was hard to say no to him, but she didn't want to accept presents from Kian just so he could ease his conscience. This had been exactly what her parents had done every time they had neglected her or her siblings. They had bought expensive presents; after a long absence, or for not showing up for teacher conferences, or school plays, or sports games, or graduations… It had been nothing but a bribe.
“There is nothing to think about. If I'm dragging you to this expensive place, I think I should be the one to provide you with whatever you need to feel comfortable going there. Case closed.” Kian really wasn't used to anyone saying no to him, and with the way his brows were tightening, Syssi realized he was getting impatient with her.
“My big bad wolf… You can huff, and you can puff, but this little piggy will not bow down.” She leaned to nip at his nose again.
“Will see about that…” On a surge, he gripped her at the waist and pulled her up, then tossed her over his shoulder. With his arm locked over her thighs, he strode down the hallway toward his bedroom, playfully smacking her upturned behind.
“Put me down, you brute!” Laughing, Syssi pounded her fists on his back.
“Oh, I will… as soon as we reach the bed. Then I'll put you down… over my knee to finish what I've started.” He delivered a stronger smack that actually managed to sting a little.
“Oh, no you will not. Put me down this instant!” Giggling hysterically and fighting to catch her breath, she was barely able to get the words out. But secretly, she was incredibly turned on and wondered how far Kian would take this game… Or more to the point… how far she wanted him to take it…
CHAPTER 4: KIAN
Kian smiled smugly as he inhaled the intoxicating aroma of Syssi's arousal. The minx was turned on by the little scene he was enacting, and he wondered how far she would like to be pushed.
The truth was, that even though his predatory nature attracted those with spicier tastes, he had never had the urge to test his partners' limits before, and during the short interludes he was accustomed to, mos
tly followed their cues.
Except, that was with women he hadn't been emotionally invested in and hadn't really cared how they had felt about him. It was different with Syssi. With her, he had an overbearing craving to push the envelope and see how far she was willing to go.
On some level it disturbed him; he wished he didn't have these kind of urges. But given the predatory nature of his people, there wasn't much he could do about it. Fuck knew, most of the males of his kind were beasts, and even the females were rapacious. Only those further away from the source seemed to get their genetically preprogrammed impulses somewhat diluted.
In his case, however, he was as close to the source as it got.
Being dominant and aggressive had been an advantage in the era he had been born into; as a natural leader and fighter he had what it took to safeguard his family. But as times had changed, and what had been required of him had shifted toward the diplomatic and managerial, he had learned to keep these impulses on a tight leash.
It was a constant struggle.
Growing up without a father, or any other male of his kind to look up to and emulate, he had chosen as his role-models the few mortal men that over the years had gained his respect. And the type of man he admired and believed he ought to be, wasn't the fierce warrior or the ruthless commander.
It was the cultured gentleman: polite, lenient and accommodating.
Civilized.
Except, with Syssi it seemed his civilized facade was cracking—the fissures getting wider—and last night, in that damned elevator, the false veneer had shattered completely.
That being said, he was all too aware that Syssi liked this side of him—at least to some degree. But the thing that gave him pause, the reason he strained to rein-in the beast was that he might cross the line and scare her off.
He wanted to bring her nothing but pleasure; to be the one and only to fulfill all of her wildest desires. And by doing so, some of his own.
Sitting down on the bed, he lowered her down over his knees, just as he had promised. And as he caressed her denim-clad bottom, his other palm resting between her shoulder blades and holding her down gently, he waited to see if she'd try to get free.
She didn't. Turning her head sideways, Syssi laid her cheek on the comforter, holding her breath in strained anticipation.
“You know it's only a game? That I would never hurt you?” he asked quietly, his voice raspy with his arousal.
“Yes,” she answered, her throaty whisper betraying how much she wanted this.
CHAPTER 5: SYSSI
Why? Syssi had no clue. She had never done anything like that before. Hell, she had never even thought about it. Up until she had met Kian, she had been convinced she was purely vanilla: and a very boring flavor of vanilla at that. What could be so damn arousing about a spanking?
Something must've been really wrong with her to be so turned on by the prospect of what she should find at least degrading, if not scary and completely wrong.
On some level, she hoped she would hate it—that it would hurt and prove to be a big turnoff—because that would make her normal.
Not kinky and weird.
As Kian yanked down her jeans with her panties coming along for the ride, she bit down on her lower lip, and feeling the cool air on her exposed bottom, fought the urge to giggle and make him stop. But she forced herself to stay put. Resolved to find out once and for all what it was like. To have the experience so she could put that demon to rest—one way or another.
With his hand lightly caressing her bottom, Kian inhaled sharply through his clenched teeth, making the kind of hissing sound that she came to expect before his bite. Syssi tensed, bracing for his fangs. Instead, she felt his soft lips, kissing each cheek before he went back to caressing them.
“You have a gorgeous ass, Syssi, small and perfectly plump…” he said with that same snake-like hiss as his finger stroked over her drenched folds. “And you're soaking wet… my sweet girl.”
Syssi groaned. Then she almost climaxed when he brushed lightly over her sensitive, throbbing bundle of nerves.
Between her fearful anticipation and his light caresses, Syssi was so turned on she felt like crawling out of her skin. “Please…” she pleaded, not knowing what exactly she was pleading for. At this point, she would've done just about anything to get what she needed to hurtle over that strained edge.
Answering her plea, Kian's palm descended, landing with a light smack on her upturned behind. But it was not enough, she needed more. The next three landed in quick succession, but he was still being too gentle with her, and she was getting antsy. Pushing her bottom up with a little wiggle, she tried to communicate her need for him to do better without having to say a thing.
“Greedy little minx, aren't you?” He smacked her bottom harder, finally bringing on the sting she craved. After five more delicious smacks, the small ache pulsing in her behind was almost enough to send her over the precipice. She groaned again, waiting. But he stopped.
“Not yet, sweet girl, I want to be inside you when you come,” he growled. With a quick surge, he moved her over, pulling up her hips so she was propped on her knees with her cheek still pressed down to the mattress.
While caressing her warmed-up bottom with his palm, Kian struggled to pull down his pants with the other. He ended up only pushing them down past his hips, and with a grunt, thrust inside her from behind.
Syssi felt as if a tight rubber band had snapped, and as she was flung over that cliff, she flew apart. Kian kept his hold on her hips, preventing her from being shoved forward as he kept pounding into her and prolonging her climax.
As his pelvis kept slapping against her tender behind, the explosive combination of the submissive pose and his forceful thrusts had her orgasm two more times. Though coming one on the heel of the other, they felt like one long rapture crashing to shore in several powerful waves.
Drained to the point of passing out, Syssi thought she couldn't take it anymore. Except, Kian wasn't done yet. Pulling on her hair, he brought her up so she was kneeling with her back pressed against his chest. His arm holding her in an iron grip around her middle, he tilted her head and with a loud hiss sunk his fangs into her exposed neck.
Syssi found she still had some hidden reserves, climaxing again when Kian's venom and his seed flooded her body.
With a keening moan that sounded more like a weak sob escaping her dry, hoarse throat, she collapsed—utterly drained yet completely sated.
CHAPTER 6: KIAN
With Syssi still cradled in his arms, Kian plopped down on his side and smirked.
At this rate, they were going to drain each other dry until there was nothing left of them but two shriveled husks.
Oh, but what a way to go.
Feeling oddly at peace, he stroked Syssi's damp hair and wrapped himself tighter against her back, letting sleep slowly claim him…
Kian found himself in the small, one-room house he had shared with his wife all those centuries ago. He snuggled closer to the woman sleeping in his arms, dimly aware that he was dreaming and that the warm body he was spooning didn't belong to Lavena.
Rubbing his erection against her naked bottom, he buried his nose in her hair. “Hmm… You smell so good, love,” he whispered in her ear before nuzzling her neck.
She turned in his arms, lifting her sweet lips for a kiss. “Good morning, my love.”
“Morning?” The rooster crowed outside. “Good morning it is, then.” He took her mouth, his tongue parting her lips.
She pulled away. “No French kissing—Morning breath.”
“I don't care.” He pulled her back and covered her with his body, pinning her to the bed. Catching both of her wrists in one hand, he stretched her arms over her head.
Her body went soft, surrendering, and she closed her eyes. Kian took his time exploring her mouth at leisure. Syssi parted her legs, cradling him.
“I love you,” he whispered in her ear as he sunk into her wet heat.
“Don't leave me…” she whispered back, a tear sliding down her rosy cheek.
“Why would I ever leave you? I love you. You know it, right?” He looked into her sad eyes.
How could she ask him that? Why on earth would he leave her?
Everything was perfect. He was making love to his beautiful woman in the home they’d built together.
What more could a man want?
CHAPTER 7: SYSSI
With Kian's warm body enveloping her from behind, and his heavy arm draped over her middle—palm resting splayed-fingered against her belly—Syssi felt a delightful, inner quiet.
She opened her eyes. It couldn't have been long since she'd passed out because the sun, shining brightly through the glass walls of the terrace doors, was still pretty high in the sky.
They were both a mess; still dressed, their pants bunched around their ankles, and Kian's groin was sticking wetly to her behind.
Evidently, he had been too wiped out to perform his cleaning routine. Funny, how this little thing made him seem more human to her—proving that he wasn't Superman after all.
Although in her humble opinion, he came pretty damn close.
Smiling contently, she lifted his hand to her lips and kissed the inside of his palm, then rubbed it against her cheek.
I love this man. She sighed.
There was no point in denying it. She didn't want to fall in love with him, knew it was going to break her heart, but to keep pretending wasn't doing her any good either.
She'd be deceiving no one but herself.
Oh, God, she felt like crying.
But if she cried now, it would be as good as admitting that there was no hope, nothing she could do, and Syssi wasn't ready to throw in the towel yet.