Текст книги "Bonds of Fire"

Автор книги: T. A. Grey

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Текущая страница: 12 (всего у книги 20 страниц)

Chapter 22

Draven climbed out of the shower and pulled on his clothes. It had only been a few days since he’d had sex with Lucinda, but it felt like months. What was worse he didn’t know if it was because he missed being with her so much or because he was afraid of what would happen next.

He tried telling himself that it wasn’t uncommon for frimars to sleep with their host. What they did wasn’t unusual, but for him it was. She wasn’t just anyone to him. She wasn’t some woman he could use and set away until he was ready again. Was he happy about that? Not in the least. But he wasn’t going to lie to himself. He wanted her still. If anything, being with her made her consume his thoughts more.

He wanted to take her in every position possible, taste her between her legs until she screamed his name, and feel her wet mouth sink down his cock. God he was a mess.

He wiped away the fog on the mirror to see his blurry reflection. Half-demon, his mind whispered. But she didn’t care about that. She didn’t care about where he came from. She said she wasn’t like Charlotte, maybe she wasn’t. What if she wasn’t?

Draven looked away from his shadowed reflection and scrubbed a hand down his face. He’d known Lucinda since she was taken in as Tyrian’s frimar hundreds of years ago. For the longest time, as in four hundred years, she never said much to him. Or anyone else for that matter. She mostly kept to her room, but every now and then she’d come out and wander the hallways. He’d be lying if he said he didn’t watch her sometimes. It was the way she moved. She seemed to float gracefully wherever she went. It had to be those damn gowns she wore, no one could move like that.

Draven tied his wet hair back from his face. Closing his eyes, he took a moment to prepare himself. She was waiting out there for him and he still didn’t know what to say or what to do.

He took her twice that night, right there against that door he had to leave through every day. If that wasn’t a hell of a reminder then he didn’t know what was.

He opened the door and went into the bedroom. The sight of her took his breath away. She sat in an ugly plaid chair in the corner of the room. A single lamp lit the room in a soft, hazy glow. Her feet were pulled up under her nightgown which covered her from head to foot. The gown was a white flimsy thing with wide straps over her shoulders. He knew if she stood the gown would cover her feet and was probably too wide for her; it’d billow around her and yet he’d never seen anything sexier. There must surely be something wrong with him, because the sight of her in that gown had his cock swelling.

She looked up at him with a smile on her face. “I hope you had a nice shower.” He nodded once then went to sit at a chair by the fireplace, anything so he wouldn’t have to look at her. No sooner than he sat did he hear soft footsteps trailing after him.

He stiffened as she took a seat at his feet. She entranced him; did she know that? The fire glowed around her, showing the bare skin under that gown. She wore nothing underneath. The outline of her breasts, her nipples, the smooth glide of her hip to thigh were as clear as if she was naked before him. Draven took a deep breath and made his eyes meet hers.

Shit, that wasn’t any better. Her eyes were excited, lips pulled into a sweet smile. Even her hair looked nice. It rested in an intricate braid over one shoulder, nearly falling to her curvy waist. He had yet to touch that thick hair, to feel it in his hands, or feel it draped over his thighs. Draven’s balls pulled tight and he wished she’d look away so he could adjust himself.

“What?” he said gruffly. Her smile changed into one that said she knew what he was thinking. He scowled down at her. If that little wench knew what he was thinking then she shouldn’t have worn that damn gown that he could shred with his pinky.

“Tell me about your past, before the rift closed.”

Draven’s heart skipped a panicked beat. He kept himself perfectly still so she wouldn’t know how shocked he was.

“I’d rather not,” he finally said. She lost her smile but hope was still in her eyes.

“Oh, please. I only know so much. I would offer to share mine as well but it’s more boring than watching a snail walk.”

Draven laughed, the action surprising him just as much as it did for Lucinda judging from her expression.

“I’m sure there isn’t anything interesting to tell.” Pain, humiliation, a world filled with so much prejudice and discrimination that he’d chosen to forego his family for a life in the Atal Warriors, fighting against those just like him, and others much worse.

“Well you’re only half-vampire. You can start with that.” The refusal was already on his tongue, but then he looked into her soft, beseeching eyes and was helpless.

Draven’s mind struggled to think where to start. How it all began, how to describe what she wanted in a way that wouldn’t send her running out of the room, or worse, crying. But then she scooted across the floor until she was in front of him. He tensed, unsure where this was going. Her look was sly, and so Goddamn sexy his cock throbbed as she put a hand on each of his knees and pushed them open.

He could have fought it easily; she was no match for his strength. But he was a glutton for punishment and let her spread his thighs wide open. Images that would make her blush rushed through his mind. If only she knew what she did to him, what she’d always done to him, since the first moment she entered Tyrian’s castle. That’s why he’d always kept away, she belonged to someone else. Now she was all his. Then why couldn’t he jump at her like he wanted? Why was he being such a damned coward?

His chest tightened as if a heavy weight sat upon it. His mind flashed with options. Would she peel down the shoulders of that dress and bare her full breasts to him? Or maybe she’d reach and pull out his cock. She kissed so innocently, though her skill had grown quickly the other night. He knew her mouth was untrained too. God, how painful that would be. She’d torture his cock with little soft kisses and licks, never swallowing him whole like he wanted. It would still be good, hell, maybe even better, but it’d kill him nonetheless.

She had his knees open, her hands gently pressing against his knees. “Well are you going to tell me?”

He cocked a brow at her as he looked from her hands to her face. Just what was she up to?

“I was born before the rift was ever closed. When those like me crossed into this realm freely.” She nodded, her head cocked to the side as she listened. The muscles in his thighs bunched hard as her thumbs started to slowly rub back and forth. It took some concentration but he slowly relaxed his muscles. She wasn’t doing anything.

“The idummi and jaheera demons like the one after Chloe and Willow were a different thing entirely. There are layers in the rift that can only be passed in specific ways. We never crossed into theirs and for the most part they never bothered us.”

“What do you mean for the most part?” Draven closed his eyes; his head felt heavy like it wanted to fall back and simply enjoy her soft touch.

“Sometimes the idummi would come through our layer, kill people, stuff like that. Sometimes it would cause wars, other times we’d bury the dead and deal with it.”

“And what sort of demon are you?”

Draven shook his head to clear it. It had to be his imagination that made her sound husky when she asked that.

“We call ourselves shahoulin. It means justice bringers. It couldn’t be more of a lie.” He hadn’t meant to say that, but her eyes widened in question.

“Oh?” Her thumbs continued their soft, lazy torture on his legs. She had no idea how much of a tease it was.

“The shahoulin are mostly bigots. Divided into two castes, the royalty and the non-royalty.” He stopped himself from saying more, unsure how much to tell her.

“Which are you?” Her hands moved up his legs, barely a few inches but he tensed anyways.

“Non.” He couldn’t hide the bitterness in his voice.

“Oh?” she said sweetly. “So how did you turn out half-vampire in a world of shahoulin demons?” Her thumbs started moving again, this time dipping deeper between his inner thighs.

“Before the rift,” he stopped and cleared the hoarseness from his voice, “my mother was living on the earthen-realm in Italy. She was in love with a human male. I think she might have married him even, I don’t remember. Her family scorned her for it. Marrying a human to them was worse than if she’d chosen a disgusting idummi.

“She was attacked by a vampire. Supposedly it was over a bad business deal between her human lover and the vampire. The vampire was old and liked to deal with matters in the old way.”

Lucinda stilled her hands. “He raped her?”

A nod. “Or so the story goes. My mother never would speak of it to me. To this day, I’m still not sure. Maybe he was actually just another lover and she played up the other story for fun. Mother always did have a rebellious streak in her. She loved defying her parents and the community. It wouldn’t surprise me if she was fucking every man she came into contact with.”

She started rubbing his thighs again, this time with her whole hand. Instead of making him tense this time, her touch soothed him. He relaxed in his chair, his legs falling open even more.

She didn’t have to ask because he found the words coming to him. “When the war began, everyone was shocked. They wanted to seal us under the rift, never allow us above. It was unheard of. No one knew what to do, but they knew they’d fight to keep that right. They lost.”

“You fought with the Atal Warriors?” she inquired softly.

He nodded slowly. “Yeah, I did. If I had a choice between living down there as a half-breed and living up here working for the group who closed us off. Well, you’ve seen my decision.”

“It was that bad for you?”

“Being raised as a half-breed? I was more than filth. I was as bad as the idummi. Mother used to parade me around as if she was proud of the monster she’d made; I knew she was just doing it to get a rise out of people.”

“I’m sure she loved you.”

He laughed, the sound bitter and angry. “Yeah, don’t think so. The only time she showed any sign that she cared for me was when she was trying to show me off. She bragged about the human and vampire lovers she’d taken as if it were some great feat. My people loathed the thought of breeding with outsiders. What she did was unforgiveable in their eyes.”

Draven could still picture his mother. It didn’t take much thought. Negative memories were always the easiest to remember. She had light blond hair, which he’d taken after and dark blue eyes framed by black lashes. The men couldn’t stay away from her. It didn’t help that she encouraged the attention. She always wore gold, always. Dresses that left nothing to the imagination. Cynically Draven realized that if not for her blatant flaunting she might have had them kicked out of the rift before the war. Even the royal council members were enthralled with her. Her promiscuity probably saved them.

“Whatever happened to her?”

Now this was something he didn’t like to think about. Draven looked down at the witch kneeling between his thighs. Her question was innocent, like everything was about her. She had no idea that he hadn’t spoken about his mother since the day he came into Tyrian en Kulev’s guard for the Atal Warriors.

Finally he just shook his head. A gentle smile curled her lips and she scooted forward. Draven’s reaction was as natural as breathing; he pushed himself as deep into the chair as possible. Her hands scoured up this thigh then stopped in the middle. She rubbed him in deep, massaging touches that had his cock stiffly swelling.

“What are you doing?”

She only smiled at his angry tone and leaned down to press a kiss to his thigh.

“I think we need to stop.”

Her eyebrows flew up as if surprised, then she chuckled softly, the sound husky. That was another thing he’d never seen her do. Now he’d seen her angry and seductive. There was more to her than he’d ever thought before. It made sense, she was a person after all, but it still surprised him. This beautiful seductress between his legs was so at odds with quiet, formal Lucinda he’d known. Or thought he knew.

“I’m sorry about your past. It’s never easy living through hard times, but I am sure your past has only led you to being the great warrior you are now.”

“I betrayed my people!”

She jerked back as if struck.

“But you are the man you are today because of that decision. I am proud of you that you left that place. You were not respected and that much you greatly deserve, Draven.”

Draven had had enough of her saccharine words. He shoved the chair back and walked away from her. Anger was good. Anger he could deal with. Not soft touches and sweet conversations.

“Oh please, Lucinda. You can sugar coat the words and twist them around until they’re nice and pretty but it doesn’t change what actually happened. What I actually did. You want to know about my mother?” He whirled on her, his anger seething around his hard words.

“I have no idea what happened to her. She might have died in the war. She might have been executed by my own people for some heinous act she was caught in. Maybe even for my betrayal. Or she might have been killed by an idummi attack. I don’t know.”

Draven glared at her with every ounce of bitterness inside him. Yet she didn’t look away, she didn’t cry. She did something that completely baffled him and stunned him so badly that he was speechless.

Lucinda stood slowly and stepped up to him. She placed her hand over his heart and said, “I am sorry, Draven. If I could change the past for you, I would. But I wouldn’t want that.”

Draven struggled to pull his gaze away from hers but she had a spell wrapped around him. He was frozen in place, unable to move unless she ordered him to.

“I wouldn’t want that because then I might never have met you.” Finally she did look away, she looked down at her feet and wrapped her arms around her stomach. “I’m not supposed to say such selfish things, but I know I can with you. I shouldn’t press you for anything and yet I keep doing it no matter how much I tell myself not to.”

Finally she looked back up at him, and Draven felt like he was punched in the gut with that look. “What I did the other night was wrong on so many levels. I yelled at you. I talked back to my host in the most despicable of ways and yet you didn’t get angry with me. You didn’t punish me as others would have.”

Draven stood there stunned. Who would punish her for such a thing? His hand curled into a fist, the other reached for the invisible dagger at his belt.

He’d make a list and kill them twice.

“Who?” he said coldly. She looked at him, startled.

“Who what?”

“Who hurt you?”

Her eyes widened. “No, no one has. I meant that if I was in the care of others, if you hadn’t asked me to be your frimar then...then I might not be in exciting place that I am now. You have changed my life in so many ways.”

Draven threw up his hands. “I can’t do this. I can’t hear this. You’re wrong. I didn’t do anything. I didn’t even want to be your host. I never should have...” He shook his head and walked away from her to grab his black coat off the dresser. He checked to make sure all his weapons were in place, then headed for the door.

“Please, Draven wait!” Lucinda reached him at the door, her face tight with anxiety.

“I’m sorry. I said too much, too soon. That’s what I was trying to explain to you. I can be myself with you and you don’t judge me.” When he didn’t run out the door she rushed on, “I am happy with you, Draven. Something I’ve never been before. I simply existed before at that castle. Now, with you, I feel as though I’m finally living.”

Draven’s gut was going to be sore with all the shit he’d been feeling tonight. He didn’t know what to say to that; a part of him was too afraid of what he might say if he did. So he reached for the door and opened it.

Lucinda’s arm reached out and slapped against the door, keeping him from opening it. His mouth might have fallen open in shock, but the aggressive action did something else entirely to him—it dropped his fangs and made his skintight. She was fighting for him.

“What are you doing?”

Her voice quavered as she said, “You’re not leaving me this night.” Her strong, beautiful eyes wavered as she looked at him, not as if she were about to cry but as if this single action took all her strength. Draven thought she might be shaking if not for the tight rigidity in which she held herself.

 It felt as if minutes passed as they watched each other. Draven’s mind ran through the possibilities and probabilities a dozen times before he finally, slowly, shook his head and pulled open the door. Her arm fell away like the door burned to touch.

Her mouth fell open, eyes pulled in confusion and pain. Draven looked away from her knowing that his decision hurt her, even though it tore his heart inside with a sharp knife. He didn’t close the door behind him, just kept walking away from her.

He heard a soft sound and turned around in time to see the door closing.

Throat tight, he walked away with the feeling that he’d just made a mistake.

Chapter 23

“Idiot,” Jackie muttered as she planted herself against the wall and listened to the oncoming footsteps. Great he was coming straight towards her.

Panicking, Jackie looked around and saw that she only had two options. The janitor’s closet or the men’s shower room. As quietly and as fast as she could, she tiptoed to the closet and turned the knob. Shit, locked.

The footsteps grew louder and Jackie flew into the men’s room and pressed her ear to the door. Maybe he’d continue down the hall and not turn in here. The footsteps stopped for a moment and the only sound Jackie could hear was the thundering of her heart. Then they picked up again, coming straight for her.

Shoot, shoot, shoot. Jackie looked around at the unfamiliar men’s bathroom then ran deeper into it. Lockers stood against the left wall with wooden benches in front of them. Jackie hurried past them and towards the open showers. Her breath caught as she found the bathroom stalls along the right wall. Empty!

The door opened behind her and she moved quickly before he saw her. The showers were closer, but she couldn’t hide in there or bathroom. He’d notice her like a sore thumb, and she didn’t think locking the door and standing on the toilet would help much either. Jackie glanced at the showers that lined the wall in an L shape. Some had a thick brown curtain to hide behind, other were just open showers. But what if he decided to shower and use the one she was hiding behind? She’d be trapped.

Footsteps stopped at the sink and the water turned on. She heard him washing his hands and used the minute to run into the bathroom. It was only the better choice, by an inch. Deciding to test her luck, she locked the door then stood on the toilet.

Her heart racing like a bunch of galloping horses, she had to force herself to concentrate and slow her breathing so he wouldn’t hear her.

The water shut off then the steps came. Jackie balanced her feet on the toilet and her arms on the door so she could peer out from the sliver of space between the stall and the door.

Thane came into the shower room with the black duffel bag that he usually carried around when he hit the gym. He wore a black fitted tank and a pair of long silver basketball shorts that fell nearly to his knees. Jackie quivered a little inside. Please just use the bathroom and be gone. But not my bathroom!

He stopped at a bench and set down his bag with a thump. Then he proceeded to pull off his sweaty tank. Jackie’s mouth dried up. His arms and back rippled with muscles earned from years of training and fighting. His skin was dark, darker than most in the pack from his Native American ancestry. His long black hair slapped against the sweat of his back as he pulled off his shirt.

His arms arched over his head as he stretched and Jackie wanted to moan at the sight of the flexing bulges of warm skin and sinew. God, what was wrong with her? She’d seen him without his shirt hundreds of times before. They’d worked out together at least a thousand times, most of it with his shirt off.

That was before he kissed you.

Jackie’s eyes closed in memory. That was also when she’d still had her mind blocked off to him. He had been in a permanent “friend zone” of sorts and with each new woman he slept with, he got further and further into it.

Then they’d kissed. Yeah, how many times had she thought about that since her stupid drunken night? One thousand and seventy-two, her brain answered. Shut up. She couldn’t even keep her own thoughts under control when he was near.

She waited for him to turn towards her hiding spot and see her, but he didn’t. He stretched out his arms some more then kicked off his shoes and socks. Jackie’s fingers curled against the bathroom door as even more dark skin was revealed. His hands hooked into the band of his shorts, holding onto them for a moment, then pushed them down.

All the air left her in a whoosh. Jackie’s body came to life so quickly, her body struggled to keep up. Her breasts grew heavy and full and her sex flooded with cream. Jackie closed her eyes and desperately wanted to squeeze her thighs together to alleviate the ache but she was too afraid the toilet seat might move, and then he’d know she was here. Worse, he’d think she was spying on him, which she really wasn’t. She’d been trying to get away from him in the first place. She hoped this wasn’t classified as spying. Besides she was trying to make sure he didn’t spot her.

He was magnificent. This was something she’d never seen from Thane. With his back to her, he gave her the perfect view of his sinewy back, muscular ass, and strong legs. Jackie had always loved a strong set of legs and butt and Thane won the trophy in that department.

His broad shoulders tapered down to a thick, muscular waist. At the bottom of his spine were two delicious pools of indented flesh. Jackie almost panted at the sight of the bumps. She wanted to trace the dimples with her tongue, kiss each of them before sinking her teeth into his rump. A round, sculpted rump that flexed as he strode towards the showers.

Jackie almost didn’t pull her gaze away in time to see the front of him. His cock was long, swaying with each long-legged step he took. Closing her eyes, Jackie balanced one-handed on the door and reached between her legs to squeeze herself. The pressure both tormented and alleviated the fiery ache inside her.

The water switched on and she opened her eyes. He faced her now as the water sluiced over his body. The fogging steam enveloped his body like a cloud. His head tipped back and his midnight hair fell from his face in wet lines; water droplets raced down his chest and legs to see which one could hit the floor first.

Jackie didn’t pay attention to any of that though; her gaze watched his face. Eyes closed, lips slack in relaxation Thane was a fine looking male. Jackie really couldn’t blame any of the free bitches who took him. A small part of her had always been jealous. Very jealous. But she’d never been able to let go and just ask him. She was sure he’d do it, that was just the way he was. But no, she couldn’t. It didn’t help that he was her partner. How could she sleep with him then go to work with him the next day? She’d decided it was impossible a long time ago.

He grabbed a bar of soap off the shower wall and began lathering it in his hands to form fluffy white suds. He soaped his chest and shoulders. Jackie watched, enthralled. Something so simple managed to turn her on better than her most naughty fantasies. Her sex pulsed as he scrubbed his arms and chest, slowly working his way to his hips.

She swallowed hard over the dry lump sitting in her throat, the sound so loud, that she froze in place as if he might hear it. But he didn’t, not over the beating roar of the shower.

He lathered his hands up again then skipped by his groin to work down one leg and foot, then the other. She was squirming to see him touch the long heavy mass hanging between his legs. She wanted to see him hold himself and touch it. He didn’t though. He turned around and began washing his back in circles and then his tight rear.

Jackie wished she had a video camera. She didn’t have the greatest memory and she wanted to engrave this scene in her mind for the rest of her life so she could replay it as much as she wanted. His movements slowed as he reached for the hard round cheeks. He cupped them first then ran his fingers along the bottom in a massaging caress. Her body was awash in a sensual haze, nipples aching to be touched, sex ready to be penetrated.

He cupped his cheeks then dug his fingers in again as if massaging a sore muscle. Jackie was fueled with thoughts that that was what she would do if he were thrusting between her legs. She would reach down to that beautifully made ass and dig in, holding him close as he worked himself in and out.

When he turned back around, Jackie’s arm slid from the door and she nearly fell face first into the door. Her other hand skidded down the stall door producing a high-pitched screech. She froze every muscle in her body as she peered out of the stall, but he didn’t show any indication that he heard her. Thank God the shower was on or he would have heard her.

Unable to tear her gaze away from him, she silently righted herself so both hands were braced on the stall. Her lips rounded in surprise and if she thought she was wet before, she was wrong. Now she was positively drenched.

Thane Vanner faced her with a long, hard, cock that was as beautifully made as the rest of him. With shampoo now in his hands, he washed his hair but she couldn’t tear her gaze away from his cock. He was as thick as her wrist and pointed straight up towards his hard abs. Even his sac was sexy, pulled up tight against his body; and the black hair around his groin was short and crisp against him.

Jackie realized she was panting so she forced her mouth closed and reached again between her legs. This time she squeezed herself but didn’t stop. Her body shivered hard but still she held on, at least this was more tolerable than not touching herself at all.

He rinsed his hair one last time then lathered his hand once more. Jackie quickly raised her gaze to his eyes, she told herself it was too make sure he hadn’t spotted her, but it was actually because she had to know how he looked when he was aroused. His eyes were closed, head tilted back at a slight angle, and his bottom lip which she now knew was both firm and soft to the touch, was pulled between his white teeth.

Movement caught her attention. Eyes widening, Jackie watched as his left soapy hand reached and grasped his cock. He held it at the base in a loose, sexy, grip.

One thought spiraled through her mind. He couldn’t be...

Then he dragged his hand up the thick shaft to the head and back down again in a lazy stroke.

Jackie closed her eyes for a moment as she got her body back under control. The hand between her thighs squeezed again, this time in warning. Yet her pussy taunted her, her clit begged her.

Just reach inside and touch yourself. You’ll come so quickly, no one will ever know.

The thought was so strong that she found herself dipping her fingers underneath her jeans until she felt bare skin. A flash crossed her mind of Thane’s eyes opening and catching her. Even imagining the humiliation made her cheeks burn so she yanked her hand away. It was too tempting to hold herself even if it did assuage the throbbing need so she placed her hand back on the door.

Pressing her forehead to the stall, she watched enthralled as he began stroking himself up and down. Questions floated through her mind as he slowly worked the hard shaft. Did he normally do this in the gym shower? Anyone could come in. Sure he’d hear it and have a few seconds to stop, but how could he hide the massive erection hanging between his legs? But then all questions vacated her mind.

He soaped his hand again and leaned back against the wall. Legs taut with muscles spread open making Jackie stifle a moan. At this angle, he was practically parading himself for the whole room to see. He kept his eyes closed as he began in earnest to stroke his cock.

His free hand touched his chest, then slowly trailed down his hard abs to the top of his groin before curving underneath to cup his sac. He pulled at the taut flesh, rolling and squeezing the soft flesh between his fingers before cupping the soft mass. Her panties were flooded now as if she’d had two hard orgasms.

His big hand started pumping his cock faster. The muscles in his wrist and arm flexed and tightened as his fist pumped up and down. The suds guided his way so the ride was smooth and soft. She couldn’t hear his breathing, but judging from the way his chest moved in heavy falls she knew he was breathing hard.

His hand slid up and down his thick shaft over and again. Minutes passed and Jackie watched, desperate to see the climax. What was he thinking of? Some past fling that he could relive in his mind? A small part of her wanted him to be thinking about her, about what could be, but that would be hypocritical of her she quickly nixed the thought. He announced his need for her and she was the one who turned him down. It wasn’t fair for her to want him to think about her. Yet a small part of her still hoped.

He groaned, a brief sound that was so deep and full of hunger that Jackie moaned a little. Cursing herself, she slapped a hand over her mouth. God she really couldn’t risk getting caught like this. Not only would it be the most humiliating experience of her life but he’d never let her live it down. Worse, he might notice how much this affected her.

His thighs muscles bunched hard, hips rocking in a subtle thrusting rhythm that had hers rocking in time too. The hand between his legs stilled, cupping the sac in a grip that flexed the lean muscles along his forearm and bicep.