LostwithLeo

by Shelley Munro

  Betrys sighed and climbed to her feet. Leo rose too and ambled after her. If a week was all he had, he needed to act fast. He’d follow her to her bungalow, then go see Saber. They could have everything set up for tomorrow night.

  Hopefully he wouldn’t have performance problems—he never did in his dreams—but even if he did, it wouldn’t matter. He could still fuck her with dildos, make her desperate, give her a taste of vulnerability and a sense of the hopelessness he’d felt.

  Saber would ask questions. He’d try to dodge the answers, but if he couldn’t, he’d ad lib.

  * * * * *

  “You want to what?” Saber asked, his cool green gaze assessing and prodding.

  “I intend to capture Betrys Torin in bungalow seven,” Leo said.

  “Why?”

  “Because she interests me.”

  Saber leaned back in his chair, frowned. “You’ve been vocal in your dislike of our capture scheme. What’s changed?”

  “She attracted my attention. I don’t know why, but I intend to explore the possibilities, and I want privacy in which to do that.”

  “The capture camp is full for the next few days.”

  “Fuck.” Leo’s mind worked with computer precision, groping for alternatives. He had to do something now because a week wasn’t long, and two solar days had already passed.

  “I might have an alternative,” Saber said after a short silence. “But first you need to tell me why this one. She’s not beautiful, more dignified. I noticed her because of her robe,” Saber added. “She sticks out like a weed in a flower garden. And she doesn’t socialize or take part in any of the resort activities. Her behavior is odd.” Saber maintained an even stare—waiting for his response—and Leo found himself wanting to squirm, to rush in to fill the empty pause. He controlled the impulse with difficulty.

  “I met her on Dalcon,” Leo said. “In the city.”

  “How?”

  “I can’t say.”

  Saber scowled. “Can’t or won’t?”

  “Won’t.”

  Saber scrutinized him then leaned forward to pick up his genic mini-tab. He tapped on several keys. “We don’t have any detailed information about her on file. Just the basic stuff. None of the other men have expressed an interest in her because she is so odd.”

  Which worked to his advantage.

  “Does she have something to do with your injuries?”

  Careful, Leo warned himself. His brother was no dummy. “She hired the droid to pilot me back to Tiraq and got me to the spaceport.”

  “I see. So I’m mistaken about the whiff of lies in the air?” Saber’s gaze seemed to drill into him, but this was too important to muck up. Leo remained still and met Saber’s gaze with unconcern.

  After a long pause, Saber filled the silence. “You want to keep this woman as your mate?”

  “I don’t know yet.” Leo surreptitiously rubbed his scar. For the last couple of days it had felt tight and tender to the touch. Only shifting and lounging around in feline form alleviated the ache. “I feel a stirring of interest. That’s all. If I find we don’t suit I’ll release her to return to her life on Dalcon.”

  Saber snorted, the abrupt sound tinged with humor. “A frisson of interest is where it started with me. With Felix too.”

  Leo kept his face impassive. He wouldn’t be keeping Betrys Torin. On that count he was firm, but he would give her a taste of the same vulnerability and fear he’d suffered. He wouldn’t hurt her, but she’d come to understand how it felt to be trapped and used. Spanking her in his dreams was one thing. Not much pleasure there, but in real life…

  Yes. He’d tie her up and fuck her. He might spank her. While he’d return her hale and hearty, he could make her feel a little of what he felt at Iseult’s hands.

  “All right,” Saber agreed. “The deserted village I told you about. You can go there. It’s habitable.” He hesitated, traces of a smile lurking in his features. “There’s more to the story than Eva and I told you. It’s nothing bad. More startling.”

  “The disappearing shuttle?” Leo asked. Felix, Eva and Saber had told them about the shuttle they’d flown and how once they’d disembarked the vehicle had faded in front of them.

  “That and more,” Saber said. “You’ll see. I’ll help you capture Betrys and drop you off at the village. I’ll give you three nights to decide if she’s the one you want before I return for you both. How does that sound?”

  Leo found himself smiling, a foreign sensation during the last few months. “That sounds perfect. Thanks, Saber.”

  Three nights to give Betrys Torin a taste of the mental agony he’d endured.

  Let the games begin.

  * * * * *

  Betrys lay on the sleep-bed, willed herself to relax, but kept her eyes stubbornly open. Resist. Resist. Resist.

  Though physically and mentally exhausted, she couldn’t fight her mind’s desire for sleep. The moment she toppled into slumber, the dreamscape summoned—a shiny enticement to cavort with Leo. With scarce thought, she found her body soaring along a swirly purple and blue path, a flickering jade-green light signaling her direction and final destination.

  An instant later, she stood in front of Leo, her dreamscape the same luxurious room as before, full of color.

  “Hi,” she whispered as she approached him at the window. He didn’t welcome her, yet he didn’t shy from her touch either. She wrapped her arms around his waist, pressed her face against his back and drew in his scent. Masculine. Clean with a hint of herbs and spices. Just being with him calmed her angst, made thoughts of Iseult and the horrors of her days retreat.

  During her past visits, he’d acted standoffish and fought their mental pull as much as she, but today he tugged her against his side and wrapped an arm around her naked shoulders. They stood in silence and stared out the window at the pristine white sandy beach and the rush of the jade-green waves. The sound of the water was soothing, and it sloughed away more of her anxious and fearful edges.

  Leo drew her like a magnetic force.

  Betrys didn’t know if this was usual because, despite her research, she’d discovered no one with the ability to instruct her on the intricacies of the dreamscape. She’d never entered this world before she’d met Leo and had only instincts to guide her nightly journeys.

  Without speaking, he turned her away from the stunning view and led her to the bed. Always the bed was covered with color, sometimes so intense the shades hurt her head. She’d tried to mute the vibrancy with splashes of white, but Leo always scowled at the white and overwrote her choice. She was sure this wasn’t normal and wished her grandmother was still alive to ask. The dreamscape power came from her, she always went to Leo, and as such, she should control the settings.

  With a gentle push, he guided her onto the sleep-bed and followed her down, trapping her with his muscular bulk. Helpless to resist, she wrapped her arms around him, drawing him close. Their mouths met and everything righted in her world.

  Sensations pelted her—the softness of his lips, the faintly abrasive stroke of his tongue, the rough calluses on his palms as his hands skimmed her curves. She melted—melted—under his ministrations, her quim blooming while her nipples hardened to tight points.

  She ran a hand over his skull, which was a mass of short black waves now that his hair had grown. Her fingers trailed lower to the muscles of his back and settled on his butt. Their mouths dueled, teased and clung in urgency. Her softness to his hardness. He lifted his head, and at his gentle nudge, she parted her legs.

  “I’m gonna fuck you now. Slowly. Thoroughly, until you beg.” He rose over her, his expression solemn as he guided his cock into place. With his gaze on hers, he slid home in a single stroke and she felt the rawness of his emotions. His green eyes blazed with heat, and she relished his possession with every particle of her soul.

  “Please. Please, Leo.” Oh she wanted that, him, his total focus.

  Happiness rose, swelling inside her while he th
rust and withdrew, taking his time, despite her urging him to haste. She gasped at his next harder stroke, and gasped again when he reached between them to finger her clit.

  “Please what?”

  “I need you to…to touch me.” She groaned his teasing strokes. “Yes, yes. Right there.”

  He glanced at her, and his breath caressed her face, knocked her equilibrium hard. A dream. She had to remember even though she was drowning in desire, a little confusion too because she didn’t understand the purpose of these dreams. Part of her was still resisting while the other part of her thrilled to each of Leo’s touches.

  “Don’t drift off. Stay with me.” While his voice was harsh, his hands stroked with skill, keeping her on edge.

  “I’m here.” Even if she wasn’t sure why.

  Her nub pulsed, pleasure spiking sharply. Hungry little noises escaped her throat, and her orgasm exploded through her, taking her like a meteor storm. The spasms hadn’t come close to tailing off when Leo climaxed too. For long seconds, he slumped against her, a heavy weight even in her dreams.

  Betrys savored his sweaty body against hers. Any second now, she’d experience a falling sensation and she’d wake on the floor. The fall explained her bruises, but it never enlightened her as to the lingering soreness between her legs.

  Worst of all, she had no idea what the dream meant.

  It never changed, never varied.

  She arrived in the colorful room to discover Leo waiting for her. They made love and soon after she climaxed she’d find herself back in her room.

  A burst of pain had her jerking away, and with a groan, she picked herself up off the bungalow floor. She glanced at her deck of oracle cards and sighed while she rubbed her aching hipbone.

  Reading her cards shed no light on her dreams and nothing changed. Nothing. She was still Iseult’s instrument, the one that would send Leo to his death should Iseult ever learn he was still alive.

  * * * * *

  Betrys gave up eating her dinner of figus fish, shredded greens and redmatoes. Even the signature dessert, the pavlova, tasted like dirt in her mouth, but she made a mental note to tell Ricci about the dish. He would have eaten her unfinished meal without difficulty.

  “Excuse me,” she said to the women at her table, and she headed outside for her usual walk. She stood aside for two Tigrus women dressed in their best sexy outfits.

  “Did you see the blond man, long hair, big, big…shoulders?” Her amusement came out chuff, chuff, chuff.

  “No, no, no. I too busy ogling the two duplicates. I couldn’t tell one from the other.”

  Betrys scowled down at her robe and wished it was pink rather than white so she’d blend better with the plants and trees. Her cheeks heated when she heard the Tigrus women’s chuff, chuff, chuff again, this time at her expense.

  On reaching the beach, she stooped to remove her shoes and ambled along the damp sand in bare feet. If Corrin hadn’t died during the war her life would’ve been different. And her parents and younger sister who’d all succumbed when dissidents ransacked their house for food and valuables. If she hadn’t lost them as well, she wouldn’t have stumbled into Iseult’s skillful trap.

  If only. If only.

  A lot of people had lost family during the war on Petros and many of the refugees had ended up in Dalcon city, desperate for jobs, for food and shelter. Some of them were reduced to begging in the market.

  At least she had a roof over her head and plentiful food, even if she was essentially a prisoner. Even though Iseult kept threatening to harm Ricci, the truth was she had the luxury of time. Ricci wasn’t old enough, and even Iseult never stooped to assault minors. But when Ricci came of age, things would change. Betrys knew this as well as she knew her last name. Iseult didn’t pay her enough to buy her way out, not until this latest astonishing offer.

  A cash bonus.

  Her son versus Leo or one of his siblings or friends.

  Goddess, she hated herself, yet she had to save her son, save herself. She couldn’t worry about the man.

  She sighed hard. Hindsight was such a bloody thing. Maybe she should have stuffed her pride in the depths of her robe pockets and offered her body in exchange for money to live. At least it was an honest living. In her present position, she offered her soul and in the future, her son would become part of the deal.

  A pained cry escaped. If she had her life over she’d do things differently.

  A grunt came from behind, and she whirled to see a black cat loping after her. It skidded to a halt and rubbed against her legs. The creature seemed to have taken a liking to her and followed her around all day.

  If it weren’t for Iseult, she might have tried to purchase the feline because her son would adore having a pet.

  “Where have you been, kitty-cat?”

  The creature lifted its head and stared at her with bright-green eyes. Her heart skipped a beat. Leo had green eyes of almost the exact shade.

  She put on a burst of speed as if trying to outrun her feelings. She’d dreamed of Leo yet again. A whoosh of heat bloomed in her face. Goddess. Her dreams still held the power to embarrass her and shove warmth to her cheeks.

  They taunted her since she’d never have Leo in that manner.

  Leo belonged to Iseult.

  She came to her favorite spot and settled on the grassy patch that overlooked the beach and the rush of the green waves during the solar day. While she had picked at her dinner, darkness had fallen and strategic colored lights lit her way.

  The cat sprawled beside her, seemingly content to doze while she tried to hide from her conscience.

  Leo.

  She hadn’t seen him, although he had to be here somewhere. Tomorrow she’d ask at reception, spin them a story about meeting him on Dalcon. Despite her abhorrence, the truth was she had no alternatives. Time to start her gruesome task. A sour taste in her mouth had her swallowing. Once. Twice. It did nothing to relieve the bitterness or halt the uneasy heaving in her belly.

  Tomorrow she’d attempt to sign up one of the Mitchell brothers. If they refused she’d turn her attention to a male relative.

  She stood abruptly and hurried to her bungalow, desperate to jump into the sanitizer to bathe the unclean sensation from her skin.

  Then, once she was spotless, she’d take a potion so she could sleep throughout the night, undisturbed by the vivid dreams of Leo plunging into her receptive body.

  Betrys flung open her door and let the big cat inside, since the creature seemed determined to enter. She slammed the door shut and unfastened the woven cream belt that secured her robe in place. Nimble fingers pulled the clips from her hair and let it topple down her back. She stepped out of her robe and left it in a heap on the tiled floor.

  Purify. She needed to wash her skin to get rid of this itchiness. A pity she couldn’t scrub her mind too.

  “Water medium-hot.” She stood in the sanitizer for ages, hot steam and a fine spray pounding her skin. Yet no matter how high she ordered the temperature, or how long she stood there, she couldn’t seem to get clean.

  Finally, she switched the unit to dry. Naked, she wandered to her sleep-bed. The cat rested on the end and lifted its head on her entry to the bedroom. Its green gaze seemed to drill inside her—her imagination working overtime for sure, but she gave an uneasy laugh.

  “I bet you lead an uncomplicated life. Sleeping, eating and playing on the beach. I wish I were a cat like you, then I wouldn’t be stuck in this impossible situation.”

  The cat’s gaze followed her as she pulled a tonic from the storage drawer containing her few belongings.

  After shaking the bottle, she opened it and drank the contents before pulling back the covers and crawling into the sleep-bed.

  Blissful sleep, free of Leo dreams and thoughts of Iseult. Her wants were small.

  Leo watched her toss and turn and gradually succumb to the liquid she’d drunk. An uncomplicated life. Huh, she’d tossed him into a hellish existence, one full of pain and nig
htmares.

  He shifted and went to the door to retrieve the clothes and his com-circle he’d hidden before he’d gone to find her. His scar started to ache, and he massaged his stomach with his free hand.

  “I’m ready, Saber. She’s out. Drugged herself with some sort of sleeping tonic, which makes things easy for me.” Leo stalked to the bed and poked her side with his finger, grunting when she didn’t stir. “I doubt she’ll surface for hours. Meet you at the shuttle.” He disconnected the call and scooped Betrys off the bed. At the last minute, he grabbed the sheet. She wouldn’t need clothes where they were going.

  Five minutes later, he met Saber at the shuttle. He’d carried Betrys through the resort and not a single person had attempted to stop him. They thought it was a game or some sort of role-playing and smiled and wished him good luck.

  “Is she still out?” Saber asked.

  “Yeah. She hasn’t stirred.”

  “Are you sure about this?”

  “I haven’t changed my mind.”

  Saber opened the shuttle door so Leo could strap Betrys into a seat. “I asked Scarlett to do some last-minute research on her. There was no information on the computer. Nothing except her place of residence and the fact she works for a woman called Iseult Orna.”

  Leo nodded.

  “Is that it?” Saber demanded. “Doesn’t that strike you as strange? Everyone has a history of some sort. Scarlett can find anything, yet not on this woman.”

  “It doesn’t worry me.”

  “Do you know more about her?”

  “No,” Leo said.

  Saber cursed before climbing into the pilot’s seat. He waited for Leo to strap into the seat beside him. “Three nights. I’ll ping your com-circle when I’m about to land to pick you up or you can contact me earlier if you change your mind.”

  “I won’t change my mind.” Not in a million years. The woman was getting off easy, but maybe after he’d finished with her she’d think twice before snaring another man in her trap. Soon she’d know the fear, the sense of helplessness, experience a taste of the pain that came with forced sex. And he’d make sure she knew the shame of experiencing pleasure in the encounter, despite willing it otherwise.