Looking around despite not being able to see a foot in front of him, he searched for Ulixes’s familiar form. He should be here by now. He had arrived much earlier to assure he had the proper Earth attire and secured a transport for their travel to a place called “Austin.” Just as a trickle of sweat slid down the side of his face, a light wind brushed across his skin. The pleasant feeling quickly diminished when he felt unseen objects skitter about his legs. He heard the rustling of the dried vegetation and his muscles froze, expecting at any minute to see glowing eyes staring back. Feeling his body begin to tremble, he inwardly cursed his mother for placing this unfounded fear within his chest. The unforgiving bitch had delighted in tormenting him with the darkness. He could almost hear her scathing words as she took the only candle from his room and locked him within. “You are a worthless son, Basilius, so like your cowardly father. I curse the day I bore you.” She was not so superior when he had slit her throat on his eighteenth year.
“Sire, I am here.”
Trying to keep from showing how startled he was at the sound of Ulixes’s voice, Basilius snapped at him instead. “It is about time, you fool. I should not have had to wait so long for you to arrive.
“I am sorry for my tardiness,” Ulixes said, despite having been standing at the site when Basilius arrived. “Here sire, you must change into these clothes for our journey down. We must make haste before our transport is discovered.” Handing a cloth bag to Basilius, he turned his back to allow privacy. “Our contact did as instructed, my liege. Clothing and native currency were found in the transport. The jewels I brought on my last visit proved to be quite lucrative.”
Quickly changing into the jeans, black T-shirt, and Timberland hiking boots, Basilius stuffed his regal attire into the garment bag and donned a jacket similar in style to the one Ulixes wore. “I am ready.”
Turning around as clouds moved away from the moon, Ulixes smiled into the less darkened night at the sight of Basilius. He appeared ruggedly handsome in his Earth attire. The jeans and shirt molded to his muscular body, the black leather jacket causing him to appear mysterious and sensual. Fortunately, the clouds deigned to cover the moon, draping them once again in inky blackness before Basilius could see his assessing eyes. “It is dark, my lord, and the ground is unleveled. Grab the back of my jacket and I will lead you from this place. I have the transport ready at the end of the trail.”
Immensely relieved to have something to steady him, he grasped the leather outerwear and hoped Ulixes did not notice the trembling of his hand.
After what seemed like hours of twists and turns, Basilius was relieved to see a vehicle at the bottom of the unforgiving rocky trail. He was sweaty and his feet were hurting in the new trail boots Ulixes had provided. His temper equaled his misery. “Gods damn it! I do not look forward to the return trip, Ulixes! It will be even more miserable when we drag along an unwilling female!”
Opening the back passenger door of a black Jeep, Ulixes retrieved a water bottle from a cooler and handed it to Basilius. “Do not worry yourself, sire, the returning vortex is but a short distance from here. We have only two high trails to navigate but they are relatively smooth. Get inside, my lord, and rest yourself. We have a long drive ahead. The local indigenous say it is seven Earth-hours from here, which is equivalent to five horaria of our world. I have procured a flying vehicle for our return here so you do not have to endure this antiquated travel longer than necessary. Had we more time, I would have had one waiting for you upon arrival.”
“Very good, Ulixes, you have done well with the limited time I demanded of you.”
Shortly into the drive, Ulixes pulled a phone from his jacket and contacted their informant. “We have arrived. Now tell us where we may locate the prince’s mate. No, I will tell you nothing more until you reveal what we need to know. Very good…Avelina. Repeat that…Roth. You have an image? Very good, send it in that manner. No location? And why do you not have it? Yes, this will be sufficient if it will lead us to her. Very good, send the information as well. Yes, she is well and being cared for. Calm yourself, man! She will come to no harm if you continue to assist. No, we will not release her at this time. We still have need of you. Not until we have returned safely. Yes, we will keep our word, this I promise you.” Flipping the phone closed, Ulixes reopened it when a pleasant tone chimed. Handing the phone to Basilius, he focused on the road again. “This is an image of the prince’s mate my lord. Her name is Avelina. He does not know where she resides but he did retrieve the number of a female who should know her whereabouts.”
Basilius stared at the small image on the device. “She is a beautiful female, Ulixes. I can see why the prince would be drawn to her.” When the device chimed again, Basilius returned it to Ulixes.
Glancing down, Ulixes nodded and placed the device back into his jacket. “He has sent the number as well as the location of her abode. We will contact this female named Cassie when we arrive. We will have to be careful on how we approach her. She is a close ally of the mate. She will not willingly give her location unless we devise a plausible ruse.”
Staring out at the dark, desolate landscape, Basilius nodded his understanding. “Yes, a plausible ruse…and failing that, we can always encourage her participation in a variety of other manners.”
Chapter 7
Slowly opening her eyes, Lina tried to make sense of where she was. This bed was entirely too comfortable to be her ratty little queen-size that sported a backbreaking dip in the middle. The first blush of dawn stole through the large windows and bathed the bed in purple hues, casting shadows off the masculine furnishings around the room. She smiled when she looked up to see the big body lying next to her, a large hand planted on her thigh. What a perfect sight.
He lay on his back, bare chest moving in a soft rhythm of deep sleep. He didn’t snore, now that was refreshing! He faced away from her, long black hair tousled on his pillow. The bed sheet lay tangled just below his navel. It did nothing to hide the outline of his thick cock against his thigh. Even in repose, he was massive and long. How in the hell had she gotten that beautiful monster inside of her? Amazing how pliable the human body was! Oh yes, she had taken every bit of him. It had been one of the most thrilling sexual encounters of her adult life. He was right, the memories of him blackened out every man before him. Yep, those three can’t hold a candle to you, my beautiful warrior, and I fear no man ever will.
Images of their night together flooded her brain, bringing warranted heat to her cheeks. After pulling out of her, he had gone into the bathroom and she had felt the beginnings of a familiar withdrawal crawling over her body. There was nothing worse than the numbness of being utterly alone, the warmth and closeness of a joined body now absent. Should she grab up her clothes and haul ass, be in the process of dressing to let him know she got the hint, or just lay there and take her cues from him? God, she hated those draining seconds of indecision.
However, he had quickly returned with a warm cloth and bathed the sticky sweat from her body, tenderly washing between her thighs to remove the glaring trail of where he had been. Tossing the cloth aside, he had kissed her with such passion that she had almost passed out before he easily picked her up, tossed the covers back and planted her in the middle of the bed. Crawling in beside her, he had turned her to the side and pressed his big, warm body along the length of hers, and thrown a massive arm over her waist, effectively trapping her. His other arm flopped over their heads and he began to stroke her hair. He had said the strangest thing in a voice lowered in obvious fatigue. “Sleep, beautiful, we have much to talk about tomorrow. I must sleep now. Must rid myself of this excess…too much energy…cannot remain awake.”
Pulling herself out of the erotic memory trail, she shivered as reality forced its way back into her brain. What in the hell had she been thinking to let him take her without a condom! All he had to do was stroke her clit and she had completely forgotten her objections. At least she was on the pill so a pregnancy scare was out of
the picture. He had to be telling her the truth about being clean. Well, that was what he meant, wasn’t it? He said he couldn’t give her a disease. Wait, he specifically said he couldn’t give her a human disease and he couldn’t get one from her. Even stranger, he had said he couldn’t give her a child right now. What does that mean? Maybe the translation was screwy since he spoke a foreign language. Whatever, it happened, and beating herself up over it would accomplish nothing. She highly doubted this obvious billionaire was running around with a deadly disease. Ok, go ahead and keep convincing yourself of that, Lina. Ignorance is truly bliss.
Having thoroughly freaked herself out, she drew a deep breath. It didn’t matter anyway. It was never going to happen again. This was a fluke. How in the hell did she think she could keep someone as gorgeous as Drusus, someone so far out of her league that she didn’t even live in the same zip code? Even if some miracle happened, he was just too beautiful. She would be fighting every woman within a fifty-mile radius to keep their hands off him. She wasn’t talking about his job, but in general. It wouldn’t be long before he tired of his new, fluffy toy and went on the hunt for a fresh diversion. He could just snap his fingers and they would be lining up for cattle call. Okay, granted, he had excellent bedside manners after the initial fucking, but what was she to expect when those gorgeous, emerald eyes opened and he faced the light of day? Yes, he had split her emotions wide open last night and said all the right things, but wasn’t that what he did best? Didn’t his line of work ensure he knew the words to twist women into desiring him? How long before he started bringing her workout CDs or throwing a disgusted look when she ordered cheesecake for dessert? The mystery of a first seduction during decadent night hours was long over. She would leave him with those memories, her pride intact.
Resolving herself to what she needed to do, she eased from the bed. Thankfully, he slept hard and never moved when she slid his hand from her leg. Throwing on her rumpled clothes, she looked around and found a pen and paper on his nightstand. She quickly wrote a note, folded it, and laid it on the table next to the bed. Ducking in the bathroom, she took one glance in the mirror and clamped her hand over her mouth to drown the low moan. Hair in a tangled mess, mascara smeared under her eyes, lips swollen from his kisses, and redness across her neck from his strong jaw, she had all the signs of being well and truly fucked. The lobby “walk of shame” was going to be interesting. Squashing a grin, she pulled a brush from her purse and beat her head to a pulp before throwing the wild mess into a ponytail. Rubbing the raccoon eyes away, she threw on some lip gloss and tiptoed back into the bedroom.
Losing the battle to head straight to the door, she snuck back over to his side of the bed to take one last look. He was still in the same position but now she could see his face. She wanted so badly to move an errant strand of hair away from his face. Instead, she just stared at the thick, black lashes lying against his skin, his perfectly straight nose, and full yet masculine lips. Unable to help herself, she gently moved his hair back from his face. Damn, but of course his stupid ears were beautiful too, flat against his head and the right proportion. If she ever met his parents, she was going to throw herself at their feet and profess her undying admiration for creating something this divine. Before drawing away, she noticed a marking on his neck below his right ear. Moving closer, she saw it was a small tattoo. It consisted of a horizontal black line with four small blue dots hovering above the line. I wonder what significance this has to him. Shaking her head, she resigned herself to never solving the mystery of this man. Placing a gentle kiss on his soft lips, she froze when he stirred slightly and released her held breath when he resumed his easy breathing and posture. Backing away, she pushed down the urge to make him wake and face her. Don’t be a fool, Lina, just go. You know how this will end. Darting from the room, she called for a cab, punched the elevator button, took one more sweeping look around the room, and left.
* * * *
What in the hell is that damn sound! Make it stop! Drusus slapped at the nightstand when he realized the irritating dream noise was in fact his phone. Grabbing it, he punched “Send” and growled, “What?”
“Trejani, are you done with your beauty sleep? We need to discuss what I need to handle at the sites before you turn see-through for the next three days.”
Whipping his head to the side, Drusus realized Avelina was not in the bed with him. He distinctly remembered curling around her last night and expected her to be right where he left her when he woke. “I will call you back, Severus.”
The bathroom door was open but she wasn’t inside. He checked the rest of the penthouse and it became obvious she had left. Cursing, he returned to his room and sat on the edge of the bed. He was pissed at the tight ache in his chest, the sense of emptiness without her presence in the room. Grabbing the phone, he called down to the concierge.
“Yes, did you perhaps see a young woman with dark hair, jeans, and black sweater leave early this morning? Great! Do you know what cab company was called for her? What! She did not want a cab? She left on foot? Damn it! No, no, it is not your fault. If she refused the service, that could not be helped. No, nothing else. Thank you.”
Feeling his gut clinch in fear, he exhaled a deep breath. Had she really walked home? Was she safe? Did his lovely Avelina not have enough money to pay for a cab? Why did she not wake him and ask him to drive her home? Mind reeling, he suddenly felt a different fear gripping his chest. Was she just scratching an itch as she did with that other man? Was he just another body to warm her for a bit before she went on with her life? Was she at this moment with Travis, a man that had no business touching her body? Anger replaced fear.
Perhaps it was for the best. He had attached himself to her so quickly he had not given himself time to think things out clearly. She would become a weakness for him, a distraction he could not afford. Had he not learned from the incident with Sabela? Look what had happened when he had let her become a distraction. Granted, she had forced the bond between them, but he should have seen it playing out, how manipulative she had been. He had meant nothing to that wretched creature except as a way to become empress. If he had paid attention, he would not have allowed her to catch him unprotected. When he had entered mist form for three days to break that bond, he was not present when Basilius had struck his home planet. His mother had died and he would regret this to his dying day.
Flopping back on a pillow, he closed his eyes as Avelina’s delicate scent hit his nose. Lilacs, she smelled like lilacs. His cock began to swell as the scent brought memories of him buried deep within her tight heat, inhaling lilac mixed with the musky, sweet smell of her juices he had called forth. He rubbed his fingers across the bite imprint on his shoulder, a strange sort of pride infusing his chest at bearing her mark. He felt inexplicably sad it would fade before the day ended.
No, she was not Sabela, she was sweetness and light, plush and curvy, funny and intelligent. She wanted nothing from him. He had watched her battle her internal demons and take a chance on opening herself to him. His shy, yet brave, Avelina was his mate. Deep in his heart, he knew this to be the truth. Tension left his body at the revelation. Sitting up, his foot brushed against something lying on the floor. He unfolded the paper and smiled when he began to read the delicate handwriting.
Thank you for last night, Drusus. You gave me memories that will be with me forever. You were sleeping so peacefully I didn’t want to disturb you.
Take care, Lina.
His smile faded to a tight line when he found no phone number or address. Was she telling him good-bye? Crushing the note in his hand, he immediately opened it up again and smoothed it out on his nightstand. Opening his mind, he sought out Severus. “She is gone.”
Immediately, Severus was in his mind. “Yes, Trejani, I know. I saw her leave after dawn this morning. You sound upset. I thought you wanted this?”
“I am a fool, Severus. She is my true mate. I cannot let her slip away. She must think I do not want her because she le
ft no number or address for me to contact her. I know that her name is Avelina Roth and her friend from last night is Cassie. Cassie was the one with the invitation. I saw her pull it from her bag.” He heard Severus chuckle in his mind.
“Ah, but Trejani, you forgot our most formidable weapon.”
“What are you talking about?”
“We have Cato. No one can hide from Cato. When he locates Cassie in our database, we find your Avelina.”
Relief bathed Drusus in a rush. “My brilliant friend, now I know why I keep your worthless hide around. I’ll be down in fifteen minutes.”
* * * *
Throwing her keys into the little, blue bowl on the stand just inside her apartment, Lina shut the door and leaned back against it. Looking around the tiny room with the second-hand furniture and miniscule windows, she let go a heavy sigh. “Well, I’m back. You would be so embarrassed if you saw where I was last night. I think you might have fit into his bathroom if you worked real hard at it.”
Shaking her head for talking to a lifeless room, she headed for her even tinier bedroom. She stared at her bed and thought seriously about diving in and just pulling the covers over her head, but she knew she would simply lay there and beat herself up over her night of debauchery. Stripping her clothes, she headed for the shower instead. When the room filled with steam, she crawled under the pounding spray, fighting the need to keep Drusus’s scent firmly attached to her body. Shaking those thoughts aside, she let her mind go blank. Shampoo the hair, conditioner next, squirt body wash into the bath sponge, and scrub. As warm suds slid down her body, caressing her sensitive nipples, she choked back a sob as an image of Drusus’s large hands cupping her breasts and his long fingers twisting her nipples flashed across her mind. “Stop it, Lina! This is not helping!”
Fueled by Lust: Drusus (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 7