by Lexi C. Foss
His lips sealed over hers, his tongue demanding. Her mouth as ravenous as his, all passion and need. He didn’t go easy this time, his body rocking into hers with a force that couldn’t be contained. She angled her hips to receive his thunderous assault, groaning with each deep thrust. Her tight sheath pulsed around him as her pleasure inched higher. Needing to hear her growl his name again, he slid a hand between them and pressed his thumb to her hot little button. One push was all it took. She exploded, his name a prayer on her full lips. Her body convulsed, milking his cock, and forcing a powerful orgasm from him. He groaned into her neck, his pleasure rolling in waves down his spine and all the way to his toes.
Fuck. This time was even better than the first. At this rate, he would never stop wanting her. He wanted more. There were thousands of things he wanted to do to her. A lifetime of sex that they would have to cram into months or maybe years if she was willing to put off fate that long. Not enough time.
Remembering her wrists, he forced himself up and removed the tie. He massaged the tender skin, laying kisses against her pulse. She purred against him, making him grin.
“Are you hungry, love?” he murmured.
“I don’t think I can move right now.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“You should.”
He kissed her swollen bottom lip before rolling off the bed to stretch. Her eyes roamed over him with admiration. It seemed he wasn’t the only one not yet satisfied.
“Sustenance first, love. I’ll go make us something.” Cherie stocked his kitchen with a few essentials, which included wine and cheese. He plucked a bottle of water from the fridge and took it into the bedroom. She thanked him, her breasts swaying as she sat up to open it. He almost forgot why he was out of bed, then remembered the wine and cheese.
He put together a tray and added some fruit before rejoining the naked blonde in his bedroom. She was sitting up against the headboard, the sheets pooled at her hips. The smile she gave him was filled with lazy contentment. A man could get used to seeing that grin every day. He took a glass of wine from the tray and handed it to her. He put his own on the nightstand and set the food between them before joining her under the sheets.
He held a strawberry to her lips and cocked an eyebrow. She opened, accepting the berry, gaze thoughtful. He wasn’t sure he liked that look.
“What are you thinking about, love?”
She took a sip of the red wine, brow furrowed. “I don’t really do labels,” she began, “but you gave one to Lizzie earlier. I assumed it was for our business arrangement, but then you brought me here and none of this has anything to do with your original plans. I’m not sure what you’re getting out of this?”
He stared at her. “I thought I made that fairly obvious.” She was obsessed with ulterior motives. “Do you require another demonstration of exactly what I’m getting out of this?” He went to remove the blanket, happy to oblige, but her hand stopped him.
“Okay, that wasn’t worded right. I get that part, but why tell Lizzie we’re in a relationship? She’ll tell Dr. Fitzgerald, which makes sense now that I know about your plans, but you brought me here to give me an out. Why?”
He regretted asking her what she was thinking about. Sex was easier. He blew out a breath and settled against the headboard. This was going to be a longer conversation than he wanted. “Because your life is in danger. The longer you stay in the city, the more likely Osiris or someone else will discover what you are, and when they do, you will die. And you won’t be reborn.”
“But my life was already in danger. I’m a fledgling in a city of Ichorians.”
“Perhaps, but knowing me escalates that danger to a whole new level.” Something last night’s Conclave more than proved. She wasn’t safe in the city.
“Like the CRF giving me the Nizari poison.”
Another good example. “Yes.”
“That could have happened with or without you, though. The only difference is I lived because of you.”
“Or your association with me is what nearly got you killed.”
“Which clearly didn’t bother you a week ago.”
“Maybe not, but it bothers me now.” That shut her up. Her gaze widened a fraction, her lips parting on unspoken words. “Is that really so hard to believe?”
“You told me only hours ago that you don’t date women, you fuck them. So yes, it is.” He was shocked to see that the bitter words were accompanied by a hint of hurt in those green eyes.
“That was a summarization of my character. The man I’ve been for centuries, the man Jonathan thinks he knows so well. It has nothing to do with what’s between us.”
“And what’s between us?”
“I thought you didn’t do labels,” he remarked, grinning inside. Her blush only amused him more. She was adorable when flustered. He leaned in to kiss her, nibbling on that delectable lower lip. He could grant her this truth even if he didn’t fully understand it himself. “I care about you, Aya. You must see that. Why else would Lucian be here?”
It killed him, knowing she would be forever out of his reach, but introducing her to Lucian was the right thing to do. She would become a Hydraian whether he willed it or not. Their futures were not intertwined. All they had was now.
“I’m not ready to be reborn or whatever.” Her gaze was on the wine glass in her hand, studying it as if it had all the answers. “I’m only twenty-four.”
“I was twenty-nine when Aidan gifted me with immortality.” At her look, he grinned. “Human aging has changed over the last several hundred years. I can pass as forty with the right haircut and facial hair.”
“Your hair still grows?”
“Of course. I just don’t age and I’m immune to mortal ailments.”
“But you require blood to live.”
“Yes.” He frowned, considering. He wasn’t hungry, but he should be. He fed very little from her last night, about a quarter of what he would normally need to sustain himself for a few weeks, yet he felt refreshed. Odd. “As you may have guessed, fire is a weakness. It incapacitates our abilities.”
Her eyes sparked. “That reminds me. Do you have more than one ability? Like Luc?”
“No, Ichorians only have one.” He smirked. “Luc told you about his second gift?” It wasn’t something he often discussed. Omniscience being his primary gift, with the seductive prowess being secondary.
She shook her head. “He just mentioned that it’s useful in the bedroom.”
“No doubt.”
Interest lightened her gaze, but she didn’t let it overshadow the more important topic at hand. “I’m not ready, Issac. Not yet.”
“It’s your choice.” He would never decide for her.
“What are my alternatives, though? If what you say about the CRF is true, I can’t go back there.”
“You could stay here.” He suggested. “It’s a big house.”
“And become a kept woman?” She snorted. “No.”
“Do you want to come work for me? I can think of all sorts of positions for you.” Pun intended. The look she gave him said she got the pun and wasn’t impressed.
“Yeah, no.”
He tucked a strand behind her ear and trailed it down to where it met her bare breast. Her breasts were still flushed from his earlier attentions. “You don’t have to decide now,” he murmured. “You’re welcome to stay as long as you need. Lucian and the others will probably be here for the week as well. Maybe talk to them and learn more about Hydraians? I think you’ll find they’re nothing like the Conclave you witnessed.”
“I gathered that much during dinner.” She smiled. “They seem great, actually.”
“They are.” They were some of his best friends, and Lucian was like a brother to him. He let go of her hair to grab another berry for her. She needed to eat. Energy was required for what he had in mind tonight. She picked up a piece of cheese and popped it in her mouth, followed by a sip of wine.
“I care about you too,” she said qu
ietly, warming him inside. “But you still didn’t explain why you told Lizzie we’re in a relationship, boyfriend.”
He grinned. “Do you need a reason?”
“You decided before talking to her this morning that I wouldn’t be your pawn anymore. So why continue the charade?”
“Maybe it’s no longer a charade for me,” he murmured, setting the tray aside so he could pull her on his lap. Her legs parted as she straddled him, wine glass still in hand. “Maybe,” he continued, “I like the idea.”
“But you don’t date women, Issac, you fuck them.” Somehow he doubted he would ever hear the end of that.
He leaned in to bite her lower lip. “Hush, Aya.” He was done talking.
“Why do you keep calling me that?” The words were a whisper against his mouth. He would have her in this position next, then they would test the strength of his headboard.
“Because you’re my Aya.” He set her wine glass aside and tangled his fingers in her damp hair. “Now stop talking and kiss me.”
17
No Rules Allowed
Issac woke her with an orgasm. It was deliciously slow, his body wrapped around hers as he entered her from behind. His tenderness was what she needed after a night of carnal acts that left her more than a little sore. He pressed kisses down her spine, his affection apparent in each touch, as he pulled out of her, his seed warm against her thigh.
Her body was limp and replete, ready to fall asleep again, but he had other ideas. His teeth scraped her skin as he nipped her on the hip. “We need to get up.” She grumbled something incoherent so he bit her harder.
“Stop that.” It was said without fervor.
“You like it.” He did it again to make a point and her thighs clenched. There was no way she could go for another round yet, not after all the pleasure of last night. She needed at least an hour or two to recuperate. She rolled onto her stomach, leaving her back exposed. He took advantage, pressing kisses all over her bare skin and stopping at the base of her spine.
“It’s a birthmark,” she explained, catching his puzzled expression.
He examined the heart shaped scar. “I don’t think that’s a birthmark.”
“Yes it is. I’ve had it for as long as I can remember.”
He shook his head. “Birthmarks are never this perfect. This looks purposeful.”
“Purposeful?” She didn’t like the sound of that.
“Hmm, let’s shower. With your permission, I’d like to show Lucian. He knows more about runes than I do.”
“A rune?”
“Yes, a magical mark of sorts.”
“I know what a rune is,” in theory anyway, “but you think I have one on my back?”
He traced it reverently. “Yes.” His hands went to her hip to roll her onto her back before she could utter a protest. He laid a possessive kiss on her mouth and scooped her up to carry her off to the shower.
She stood beneath the hot water with him in front of her as he rubbed life back into her shoulders. His hands were magic against her sore muscles, loosening each one with his clever fingers. Tingles raced down her arms and back as he found a point of tension with his thumb. The physical strain melted from her body.
“That feels amazing, but does not make up for you not letting me touch you at all last night.” The man had a penchant for restraint. It left her aching to explore him and was hell on her shoulders.
Dark pools of blue stared down at her, amusement playing in their depths. He handed her a bar of soap before returning to his massage. “Touch away, love.”
“Really? You’re not going to tie me up with a towel?”
He bit her lower lip. “Maybe later.”
She bit him back and pressed the soap to his rippled abdomen. “No biting.” Not that she meant it. She was too consumed by the perfection beneath her hands to care. She intended to memorize every detail even if it took hours.
“Another command, Aya?” His ominous tone didn’t match the playfulness in his gaze. She suspected he wanted her to persuade him again, just so he had reason to sensually punish her later for it. Devious demon.
“No.” She lathered his torso, then set the bar aside so she could trail her fingers over him. She started with his pecs and worked down, chewing on her lip. That smattering of hair on his lower abdomen encouraged her to work lower. “You said you need to drink blood often enough to stay alive. How often is that?”
He picked up the soap, but rather than wash her off, he used the bar to tease her nipples. Her breathing quickened at the seductive touch. This man is going to kill me. She was still quivering from this morning’s orgasm, let alone last night’s sexscapades. Her body wasn’t equipped to handle this much sensual onslaught.
“Usually once every two to three weeks.” He created a thick, soapy foam between her breasts before replacing the bar with his hands. Her body shook when he rolled her tender nipples between his forefinger and thumb. She started to lose focus, her hands drifting down his abdomen to his erection. He hissed her name when she grasped him and squeezed. Her fingers barely made it around his wide girth. No wonder she was sore.
“How do you usually feed? During sex?” She stroked him from base to head, evoking a shudder from him. Good. It was time she teased him.
“Yes.” He pushed her against the shower wall with his hands on her hips. His lips went to her neck, laying a proprietorial kiss over her pulse. “But only from willing partners, and only when I need to.”
“Is that why you didn’t bite me last night? Because you didn’t need to?” She cupped his balls with her free hand, enjoying the weight there. The low growl against her neck told her he approved.
“We never discussed your willingness.” He scraped his teeth against her throat, making her heart flutter. “You’re playing a dangerous game, love.”
“You said I could touch you.” She caressed him, up and down. Like silk over steel. She wanted to taste him.
“Hmm, I did.” He caged her in, one hand beside her head and the other next to her waist. The tip of his cock hit her belly, causing her legs to clamp together. The delicious friction it created told her she was more ready than she realized. He stilled her hand, but didn’t remove it. “I wish we had time to see where you’re going with this, but Aidan is waiting for me.”
The shower turned cold despite the arid steam swarming around them. “Aidan’s here?” More Ichorian and Hydraian bonding? Did no one else see what Osiris did to Sierra for knowing Owen? What the hell were they all thinking? She would ask for clarification when her mouth stopped bobbing like a fish.
“Yes, he has business to handle with Lucian.” He cradled her cheeks and placed a tender kiss on her lips before pulling her back under the water. Her hands fell to her sides as he started lathering shampoo into her hair. She was too tense to be of much help, the effects of his massage gone now. She didn’t want to see Aidan again. He auctioned humans for sport. Thanks, but no thanks.
“I know your first experience with Ichorians wasn’t a positive one, but Aidan is the only father I’ve ever known.” He applied conditioner before continuing. “My mother was widowed shortly after my birth, then she met Aidan. He loved her and raised me as his own, in addition to having Amelia. When he gifted me with immortality, he became my true father, or Sire. He’s not a threat to you, love.” He finished rinsing her hair and shut off the water.
She frowned. “How did he raise Amelia if it’s illegal to have her?”
“Aidan’s an ancient.” He enveloped her in a white towel before grabbing one for himself. It was warm, thanks to the rack heater. “As such, Osiris stays out of his business. He knew about Amelia and chose to look the other way. I suspect because she was never a threat to Ichorians. She was also created at the time when Lucian and Osiris were trying to negotiate a truce.”
“Trying?”
“Mmm, a story for another day, love.” He towel-dried his hair before wrapping the white fabric low around his waist. “Tristan is getting impatient.
”
“He’s here too?” The man who could control sound and referred to her as a pet? What a great reunion.
“Apparently. He notified me of his presence about ten minutes ago.”
While they were in the shower? “Notified you how?”
He tapped his head and grabbed her towel to start drying her off. She was incapable of doing it herself, too disturbed by everything he was telling her. Running away was starting to sound like a better option than facing all of his friends.
“So he can speak to you telepathically?” she guessed.
“God, no. That would be awful.” He focused on her hair, wringing the water from her thick strands. “He flashed me a vision. He does that a lot.”
Yeah, because that made sense. “I don’t understand.”
“My gift, Aya. I’m constantly tapped into everyone’s vision, within a certain mile radius of course. As my progeny and one of my closest friends, I’m very attuned to him.”
“Miles?” Seriously?
“Roughly one or two, depending.” He was patting down her breasts, not that she noticed.
“That must be overwhelming.”
“Oh, it was for the first few years, but living in London, I had no choice but to learn how to turn it off. I suppose you could liken it to having the television on in the background. Turning them all to the same channel is an easy skill; it’s making them see different things that can be more cumbersome.” His nonchalant tone made it sound like everyone could control vision. Just like riding a bike.
“And what you did to Balthazar?”
“Child’s play.” He finished drying off her legs and hung up the towel. His sapphire gaze danced over her. She wanted to reciprocate, but the mention of his Ichorian friends killed her libido. “Asking you to get dressed goes against everything I want to do to you, but Tristan is two minutes away from joining us with or without clothes. He has a thing for clocks and it’s been on a timer since he arrived.”
“Uh, right.” Clocks. Makes perfect sense. “And what does progeny mean?” It wasn’t the first time she heard the term, but it wasn’t yet explained.