by Missy Lyons
Lily’s heart plummeted to the floor of her stomach.
It wasn’t April, so it couldn’t be an April Fool’s joke.
The ex-senator, Mitch O’Reilly, patted Girvan on the back like they were old friends, but something just felt wrong about this whole setup to Lily. She didn’t know who the hell Girvan Lee was, and she knew everyone. Her family had always been running the social circles of politicians. Her father was a congressman in D.C. She grew up knowing the political candidates as household names. She also knew anyone who was already in the race or considered as a presidential contender by the major parties.
And not once had she heard of the man Girvan Lee.
Lily also didn’t recognize his face. His skin looked like he applied a blue foundation to cover it, and he looked like a Smurf under his fuzzy beard and uncombed, redneck hair. Although he was dressed nice enough to fit in at the party, he just didn’t look the part of a presidential candidate. So how the hell did Girvan Lee just show up out of nowhere and become the next man in line to be president? Something about this sudden press conference smelled bad, and she was determined to find out where the garbage came from. Lily’s hair on the back of her neck stood straight up.
The crowd seemed disappointed, too. Verbal dissent filled the air.
A red light flashed from Girvan’s crown, blinding Lily. Then suddenly the protests turned to cheering, puzzling Lily. He didn’t even look old enough to legally run for president. His shoulder-length brown hair was bound to turn some heads from the ladies, but the men may have a hard time accepting someone who looked like he belonged more in a bikers’ club than at a country club.
The boos and hisses suddenly stopped.
Lily froze dead in her tracks and stared as her world spun to a stop.
Mitch’s gray hair sparkled in the fluorescent light of the community building, and the crowd cheered his decision to drop out. How could Mitch be so happy about this decision? Mitch had been planning to run for office for the last six years, and she had been a big part of that committee helping him to make the right choices. He had quit his job as a senator in order to have the time to run for office. She knew in her heart Mitch had a damn good chance of winning the election. He really cared about the people, and this wasn’t just about being in power. If he backed down, there had to be a good reason. Lily still felt this whole event smelled bad, but how could she really know for sure? She had never seen Girvan Lee in any of the political circles Lily hung out in and never even heard of his name, and if she didn’t know him, then Mitch probably didn’t either. So what motivated Mitch throw his support to a complete stranger? Was he being threatened or blackmailed?
These were Mitch’s most trusted friends and family members. Why would their emotions turn so quickly? It didn’t make sense. She didn’t understand, and if his sudden declaration wasn’t a hoax, she could be out of a job.
A wall of muscle-loaded men stopped her from progressing any further in the crowd, but she was only a few feet from her goal. She clutched the clipboard to her chest and tried to push her way through. Then she looked up and froze. If she wasn’t in a hurry, she may have taken more time to stare and drool. These weren’t just any men, but two of the hottest hunks she had laid eyes on.
Ever.
Hunk number one was built like a pro wrestler and his sea-green eyes sparkled like emeralds against his skin, which was the strangest shade of light blue. It had to be makeup, but it looked damn good on his skin. His dark, braided hair whipped around in a fluid motion as if it was an extension of his body. His hair was longer than hers and fell to his waist, even braided. His square jaw and chiseled features made her insides soften, but with the combined effect of his partner, she melted.
Hunk number two was just as well built, but his hazel eyes seemed friendlier and less intense, but even when his attention wasn’t on Lily, her womanly parts were going all gaga over him and his friend. His brown locks fell to his shoulders and moved in silky waves with every motion of his body. It looked soft and smooth. Her stomach quivered and tightened, and arousal pooled in her panties. Ordinarily she would take time to stare and enjoy the view. He was worth watching. He had to spend hours at the gym to keep those large muscles, and they looked like they were pretending they were just part of the group.
But they couldn’t have stuck out more if they tried. Both of them towered above the crowd at over seven feet tall. The muscled hunks were dressed as Roman gladiators. Complete with the metal helmets and leather-strapped sandals. Yet even if they weren’t dressed in costume, they would have stuck out in any crowd. They were giants among the men here and close to seven feet tall, at least a head taller than anyone else in the room.
Lily frowned at them both.
This was no time for a publicity stunt, and the twin warriors were in her way. She had to get past them. She didn’t see the advertisement for whatever product they were selling, but they were going to learn that nobody gets in Lily Madison’s way. She pushed her arms out in front of her attempting to maneuver between them, but the solid wall of muscle was impenetrable.
“Get out of my way. I have to talk to Mitch!” Lily huffed, and stopped when neither man moved. They didn’t appear to be listening at all, but she was determined to get their attention. She fisted her hands and began to beat on the man’s chest closest to her. Damn! Nothing she did seemed to affect him. Why wouldn’t the big caveman move out of her way? “Someone has to stop this madness!”
“You are not under Girvan’s power?” The man seemed unaffected by her blows. He looked down at her with the most curious expression on his face.
“What are you talking about? That twerp had to have done something to Mitch.” She was concerned that her boss looked hypnotized. His glazed eyes were unemotional, and he may have been smiling, but his expression implied no one was home. Something was wrong, and she was determined to get to the bottom of this mystery.
“You’re in my way! I need to stop him,” she yelled.
Hunk number one, the taller of the two warriors by nearly an inch, grabbed her upper arm in a viselike grip, and she screamed. Loud as she could. Ear piercing. It was the kind of scream that would be in a horror movie right before someone got chopped up into little bitty pieces, and it had the desired effect. Muscle man let go.
However, he wasn’t the only man looking at her. Everyone in the room stopped what they were doing and stared. At. Her.
Mitch, her ex-boss stared blankly. Girvan looked concerned, and Girvan’s crown thing flashed again. She wiped her eyes and screamed one more time. He lifted his staff and pointed it at her. “Get those clowns out of here! They are disrupting everything.”
The two gladiators shielded her and abruptly closed in on her, making the wall of muscle seem even harder to evade. Lily was getting pissed. “You can’t do this. I have to stop him.”
“Look out! He’s got a weapon,” the big man on her right yelled and lifted his round shield to his shoulder protectively over her upper body.
“That’s no weapon! That’s a stick.” Lily squealed when the other big giant picked her up and threw her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. She kicked and screamed. “What do you think you are doing?”
A beam of light came out of the top of the staff and hit the shield of the other man. Sparks flew, and she watched in alarm as chaos broke out in the crowd.
“Protecting you,” hunk man huffed as he ran the other way. Her body jiggled and bounced as he ran. She beat his shoulder and back with fists that had no effect on him.
“Put me down. You big, stupid oaf. I am not going to be part of your stage show.” But no matter how much she pled with him, bargained, or insulted him, he didn’t seem to care. It wasn’t until they were out of the room that she gave up. She gave an exasperated sigh as the doors shut behind them, and he finally set her down on unsteady feet in the hallway outside the doors of the community center.
Lily pushed her thick, red locks of hair from her eyes to get a better look at h
er would-be rescuer. Although in reality she still didn’t understand what she needed rescuing from. He was dressed in classic Roman armor as a gladiator in leather and steel. He was all muscle, and if she wasn’t so pissed at him, she might have enjoyed the little caveman show he put on. He was an ass, a really cute one, but an ass all the same.
Lily wished her gushing pussy would pay attention.
She was only hot and bothered now because they were keeping her from her goal. She had to speak to Mitch and find out what the hell was going on. Now. Her body was not on fire because they were so dreadfully big or despicably male. They were dripping with testosterone and quite handsome in and out of a costume. They had similar body features, wide shoulders that were slightly slimmer at the waist, but defined muscles on their chest and arms meant they probably spent hours working out in a gym. Usually these kinds of guys were all brawn and not much brain. Not at all the kind of guy she fell for. Unfortunately her body wasn’t listening to her brain.
Her hormones applauded their display and begged for more.
“Are you all right, my lady?” His words came thickly accented, and the way he titled her was as if he was out of another time. He was sexy as hell, and the way his voice deepened in concern as he spoke made her cream in her panties. His fingers held onto her arm as if she may fall over in a faint at any time.
Did he have a clue his body had a strangely hypnotic effect on her? Damn it. Lily normally wasn’t this transparent. She had enough trouble trying to prove herself in a man’s world without gladiators trying to sweep her off her feet. She squinted up at her would-be rescuer again. He had a light-blue tint to his skin, but muscle man looked hard enough to be built out of steel and his deep-green eyes held a soft look focused in directly on her. That intense look made her feel like she might be the only woman in the room at the moment and there was something else. Dangerous to her very existence.
As if she were alone with him, he wouldn’t let a few clothes get in the way of having her.
Lily had to break the spell he put her under. “Yes, unless you count being humiliated in front of a live audience.”
The black box clipped to his belt emitted some strange and garbled sounds, and then he spoke a moment later, “What is this audience you speak of?”
“The people in there. Everyone’s staring.” She threw a thumb backward toward the door they just left through. “Are you for real? You look you just stepped out of a commercial for Caesar’s Palace.”
The box beeped, and she heard a condescending female tone over the radio, but it was most definitely in another language. She knew four languages, but this wasn’t one she recognized, so it wasn’t Latin based. Hunk-a-licious answered, “I do not know this Caesar’s Palace you speak of.”
“It’s not a thing. It’s a casino, but everyone’s heard of Caesar’s Palace. It’s right on the strip. You should know that if you were from this century. You dress and talk like you lived two thousand years ago. You don’t have to stay in character for me. I know you’re an actor or doing some stupid promo for the latest sport drink or something equally stupid.”
“An actor?” he repeated.
Lily rolled her eyes and shook her head. “This is Vegas, and not much can surprise me nowadays. I’ve seen all kinds of crazy things happen, but this takes the cake.”
She heard laughter coming from the radio thing on his belt, and then the annoying female voice came back.
Gladiator guy seemed to be using the radio to talk with or translating. His words were clipped and deeply accented. “Ah, yes. I am an actor, but I am afraid I am not as familiar with your words as I should be. I am an actor, but I came from far away.”
“Like Europe?” Her blood pressure went up a notch. Maybe staring at her beefcake was beginning to affect her brain cells more than she wanted to admit.
“Yes, Europe.” He seemed happy to agree with her suggestion and gave her another broad, white smile that melted her insides. She tried to look away, anywhere but at those pearly whites and his plump lips, or she might imagine him kissing her and nipping her with those clean, white teeth.
Damn, he was a really good actor if he could make her melt with a smile.
“What is your name?”
His bold stare stunned her enough to answer honestly. “Lily, but I should be asking you that question. Why are you even here?”
“I am known as Saber, but you must keep that to yourself. I am on a secret mission.”
Her mouth gaped. Was he for real? “Dude, I’m really not going to make a good audience volunteer. I suck at improvising and failed drama class in high school. You may want to choose someone else to play with from out there. I really have to go back and speak to Mitch.”
“How are you not affected by Girvan’s weapon when you do not wear metal on your head? Do you have armor in your head?” He knocked the top of her skull with his bare knuckles, and she jumped back. Not that she minded being touched by him. Having someone this male next to her made her soul feel exhilarated and convey brazenly suggestive, female, liberal ideas to her inner id. He looked positively edible, and it was tempting to find out exactly what he tasted like.
However, the electric shock that seemed to make a lightning bolt straight to her pussy made her dance back three steps from him. If he touched her again, she may be tempted to act on her irresistible impulses. It seemed safer for both of them if there was space between them. She didn’t want the audience to leave and find her hussy self wrapping her legs around his middle pressed up against the wall. Distance was a lot safer. Besides, she could also think more clearly when he wasn’t touching her. “What?”
“Metal in your head?” He tapped his own head to emphasize.
“Yes. How did you know?” She pulled away a step. How could he possibly know that? This was getting freakier and freakier. “Years ago I had a brain injury, and they left a metal plate where they had to remove the skull.”
He was thoughtful for a minute with his hand on his chin before he spoke. “No wonder the mind control ray didn’t work on you.”
The other gladiator was out of breath when he came to join them into the hallway.
Her gladiator spoke to him in a commanding tone, “Where is Girvan?”
“Saber, you let him get away?” the other man sounded disheartened.
So they were after this Girvan dude, too. She would be more than happy to help them find him. Maybe they would help her to figure out what in the hell just happened at this joke of a press conference. “I am sure he will show up to the fundraising dinner we had planned later this week. My boss Mitch is going to have to help him transition in as the future leader.”
“We need him for deportation,” Saber clarified with a sweep of his hand.
“Oh, so you guys are like secret agents or something?”
“You could say that in a roundabout way.” Her gladiator gave her a cocky grin that did beautiful things to her insides. She had to remember not to look at him when he smiled like that. “But you can’t tell anyone. We are not supposed to even be here. It is a crime to interfere with your people.”
“Ryder!” The other gladiator elbowed her rescuer in the ribs.
What a name! She’d like to ride him…
“Can we trust you to not tell anyone, Lily? We are bounty hunters, and Girvan is on the run from us. We have been hired to take care of him to keep the civilians safe.”
“It’s okay.” That was a shocker, and yet she was honored they respected her enough to trust her with this kind of information. If this kind of information got out, the press would be all over it. “You can trust me. I can help you get in to find Girvan at the next big event, but first you guys are going to need a new set of clothes.”
“What’s wrong with our clothes?” the newer gladiator spoke.
“I am not saying I don’t love the hardened warrior look, and you guys really pull it off, but if you want to fit in, you are going to need to tone it down a bit.” They would both look sexy as hell in a
suit and tie. They each carried a rugged beauty that would never be able to be fully toned down unless they were willing to cut their hair and shave, but they had a primitive appeal to her that she liked.
“Would you help us?”
Help you? I’d lick you, and most girls would want to marry you if you so much as talked to them. Just staring at the two beefcakes in their Spartan warrior outfits was doing strange and wonderful things to her body. Ryder was positively edible, and his friend could be dessert. Her heart was racing, and her thoughts were about three seconds away from sex.
“Of course. I am at your service.” Since she was officially out of a job, she had the time to devote to them.
“We will also need a place to stay on Earth.”
The other guy elbowed him in the ribs again, and Ryder rubbed his chest thoughtfully as if his feelings may have gotten hurt by that last blow.
Saber spoke quietly, “What he means to say is we need a place to stay close by.”
“Of course. I mean if you haven’t found a place yet, you could always stay at my house. I have a couch and a guest room. There are lots of beds and more than enough room to share.” She shouldn’t have said the word share because then her thoughts were suddenly filled with sharing both of them, in her bed. Lily slapped a hand over mouth. Just because she was thinking about getting the two sexy men in her bed the moment she saw them didn’t mean she had to voice the thought.
Just the idea of the fantasy coming true terrified her.
Lily regretted the words the moment they left her mouth. Her face grew hot, and she had to look scared because the guys just moved in on her simultaneously. Ryder picked her up in his arms and swooped her off her feet. She clung to his neck to not only hold on, but to help keep her hands off other more interesting parts of her gladiator.
“Tell me where to go, my lady.” Ryder looked deeply into her eyes, and she nearly forgot how to speak. “And we will be there posthaste.”
Something struck her as off-balance. The way he spoke was like out of Camelot or something. “It’s Lily, and you can put me down. I can walk.”