“Ahhh,” she panted, weak.
He pulled her tight against his kneeling frame, so she could feel the heavy length of him in full detail. His soapy fingers pinched her nipples into hard buds, massaging the weight in firm strokes. She arched back into him, running her hands behind her head to touch his silken hair. Her fingers tangled in the locks, pulling him closer.
The warm probing lick of his tongue found her ear. It swirled around the outside rim, making her shiver with anticipation. After showing the lobe the same thorough attention, his kisses moved to her neck. He lightly nipped at her flesh until it stung pleasurably.
Quinn’s hand slid down her stomach, moving to settle between her thighs. His finger parted the lips of her body, gliding forward to stroke her tender flesh. She shivered, crying out in ecstasy. She’d missed him so much. It was hard to explain, but she had. He’d been the best lover she’d ever been with, making her orgasm so many times she’d nearly lost consciousness. The idea that he would do so again caused her to turn around in his arms.
Tori paused, looking deeply into his blue eyes. It felt as if no time had passed since they last touched. She leaned forward, kissing him, rolling her tongue between his lips to massage the velvet heat of his mouth.
Her hands explored his body, gliding over his arms and chest, playing along his nipples, curving down to stroke his hard stomach and sides. She pulled her mouth from his to explore the taste of his neck, his shoulders. She couldn’t feel enough of him as she rediscovered his body’s secrets. When her hand moved between them to take his length into her palm, he let loose a loud moan into the suite. The warm water of the bath made her fingers glide with ease.
Tori stroked him, moving to cup the soft globes underneath as she ran her fingers up and down over his shaft beneath the surface. If not for the water, she’d have taken him in her mouth. She remembered well how much he liked it when she did that, how much she liked doing it for him.
“Ah, Tori,” he groaned softly, thrusting his hips up. “Sacred Cats, woman! You drive me mad.”
Pleasure rolled through her as she continued to kiss him. His hands were on her back, her breasts, searching down to explore between her moist thighs. Lightly, he circled a finger over the sensitive nub he found buried in her wet, hot depths. The warm water only made his exploration all the more gratifying.
Eagerly, his hands found her hips and he lifted her body astride his. Without pause, he pulled her onto him, impaling his shaft deep within her as he pried into her ready body. Water splashed around her waist, rocking in waves between them. She watched his eyes shift to green ecstasy. The threat of his shifted form thrilled her, made her heart leap inside the walls of her chest.
“Ah, you feel so damn good,” he groaned, throwing his head back to rest along the tub’s rim. His hands stayed on her hips, as he lifted and pulled her in very shallow, very gentle strokes. “So tight. So ... hot. Damn, woman, every time I see you I nearly explode with need.”
Tori shivered. She braced her hands on his shoulders and pulled up. His hands on her hips followed her as she moved. When he was almost out of her, he pulled her down hard. They both groaned. This time, Quinn pushed her up fast and pulled her down again, repeating the hard motion.
Their primitive instincts took over and she began to ride him. Her breasts bobbed before him and he eagerly thrust his face between her large breasts, smothering a moan of enjoyment in the valley of them as they worked up and down over his cheeks. His hands grabbed the heavy globes, rolling the nipples, drawing them over so they’d pass by his tongue as she moved. She loved his fascination with her breasts.
Tori screamed in approval. Her body moved faster, the movements becoming shallow strokes. The tension built between them, driving them harder as they neared release. He felt so good, so big and strong. Quinn’s mouth latched onto her breast and he sucked a hard nipple deep into his mouth. His thumb moved over her stomach to find the sensitive nub, rubbing it in small hard circles, as she thrust herself harder and faster.
“Oh my, Quinn!” she screamed. Quinn bit down on the sensitive nipple between his teeth and answered with a throaty groan. “Quinn, oh, yes, there, baby, oh... oh ... don’t stop! Don’t stop! Oh, baby, please don’t stop! You feel good, oh you feel good. Right there, baby, right there. That’s it. I’m coming. I’m com ... ah!”
Tori cried out, throwing her head back, as she thrust her body hard onto his. Tremors racked her, shaking her to the core. Quinn groaned as she took her pleasure, her convulsing body spurring him to do the same. His seed spurted inside her and, for a long moment, they were completely connected.
Tori dropped weakly along his body and a purring noise sounded in the back of her throat. Her eyes closed and she rested against him, so relaxed she almost fell asleep in his arms. “Mm, Quinn.”
Quinn leaned over to look at her beautiful features. Dark circles purpled beneath her eyes, giving way to the fact that she’d been working hard and nonstop. He’d sent guards out to check on the scientists, unable to force himself to go back. Even now, after weeks had passed, jealousy reared its ugly head inside him.
When the guards reported her return to the palace, he’d sworn to himself that he wasn’t going to see her. Or, if he did, he was going to act nonchalant. He stood around the corner, listening to the report she gave Kirill. Just the sound of her low, professional voice had stirred his blood and in that moment he knew he could no longer stay away from her than he could live without air in his lungs. He just had to see her.
The palace had become a dismal place without her in it. How it happened in such a short time, he’d never know. He missed her, fantasized about her--and not just about sex, though he did have those thoughts aplenty. He fantasized about her soft laugh, about the light noise she made when she was nervous, or the strange tunes he’d heard her hum when she was preoccupied. He was sure she didn’t even know she did it.
Or like how in bed she liked it when he stroked to the left just a little harder than the right. How sensitive her breasts were and how she enjoyed it when he bit at them. How she was the most vocal woman he’d ever brought to climax--which did great things for any man’s ego. Not once did she get all shy about it, worrying about who might have heard her. All that he’d learned in just a few short days of knowing her. All that was permanently committed to his memory.
As her chest rose and fell in even breaths, he smiled. She was asleep, her arms draped over his neck. Carefully, he stood. Tori mumbled in light protest as he lifted her from the tub. Then, pulling a towel from nearby he tried to dry them both off. Her eyes opened lazily and she grinned at him, a catlike smile that drove him to distraction.
“Why don’t you carry me to the bed?” she murmured, content to lean against him. “I don’t think I can walk.”
Quinn chuckled and easily lifted her into his arms. Laying her on the bed, he drew the covers over them and pulled her into the cradle of his body.
“You’re not going to take off again, are you?” he asked, almost hesitant. Her eyes were closed and she couldn’t see the vulnerable look that crossed his features.
Lazily, she opened one eye to look him over. “Are you just going to lay there cowboy, or are you going to saddle up?”
Quinn frowned, confused. “Cowboy?”
“Mm, never mind, I’ll have to explain the concept later.” Tori lifted her arms around his neck and a soft chuckle escaped her. “It could be fun.”
“Then you must definitely explain it to me,” Quinn murmured.
Tori was still sleepy, but her body had warmed to the idea of making love to him again--this time slower. Her fingers roamed aimlessly along the deep contours of his chest. “Why don’t you be on top this time?”
Quinn didn’t have to be asked twice. He maneuvered his hips between hers, rotating to lie on top of her. He made love to her slowly, savoring her body with his mouth and hands. His lips latched onto her heated center, bringing her to climax with his exploring tongue and lips. And, as the shivers
of it still racked her, he lifted himself and entered her in slow, deep strokes, keeping the sensation alive.
Tori loved the look of him above her, of his graceful, streamlined body. She liked how his muscles moved and bent beneath his flesh as he thrust his hard length inside her. Her arms moved lazily, nearly too exhausted to lift up to him. But it felt too good. She never wanted him to stop.
Quinn brought her again to climax. It was a gentle washing of tremors compared to the hard force they experienced in the bath. He drew out the bittersweet moment so the pleasure lasted a long time. Finally, he let go, releasing his seed into her, letting his body lay his claim on her, marking her as his. She was already marked by him, though she didn’t know it. This time, he’d make damned sure she couldn’t take another man to her bed--not Vitto, not Grant, not anyone.
“Tori,” he whispered down to her drowsy face. Her eyes fluttered open, and she made soft sounds of contentment.
“Mmmm, you feel so good. Just stay right there, deep inside me. It feels so good,” she murmured sleepily. “I wish I could stay awake to do it again, but I’m just so exhausted.”
“Tori, listen to me,” he insisted in a hurried whisper. Her tired eyes looked at him. “You are mine.”
“Mmmm, all right Quinn, yours,” she mumbled before falling into a deep sleep.
Chapter Six
Tori yawned and reached up to scratch her face. It was early morning, but she’d always been an early riser. Frowning, she kept scratching. Her skin felt like it was on fire. Quinn’s arm possessively draped around her waist, his hand holding one of her breasts. His fingers twitched slightly in his sleep. A light smile crossed her features as she gently pried his hand away. He mumbled in protest and she stiffened. Then, as he flipped onto his back, she was able to slide off the bed undetected.
Again frowning as her irritated skin demanded attention, she rushed to the full length mirror. Standing before it naked, she froze in horror. Her face and neck were covered in large, patchy, red bumps and they itched unbearably.
“I look deformed,” she whispered in horror. Her heart dropped from her chest. Tori was completely mortified. She glanced back to the bed where the prince slept, knowing she couldn’t let Quinn see her like this--not like this!
Tori ran to her pack and threw on a black jumpsuit and lab coat. Not bothering with her hair, she ran from the suite. Using the lab coat and hair to hide her features, she hurried past a few of the guards. She was very thankful when they let her by without comment. Reaching Vitto’s door, she pounded on it. It took awhile, but he finally answered.
“Um?” he mumbled, half asleep. Rubbing his eyes, he looked out in the hall and grimaced. “Man, Tori, come on. It’s too early to--”
Tori dropped the coat.
“Crap!” Vitto exclaimed, recoiling in shock.
“We gotta go now!” she hissed. “I’m heading back to the camp. Get everyone up and meet me there. There’s something wrong with those samples we took and I’m going to find out what.”
“But, Tori,” he began, reaching for her then reconsidering as he pulled his hand back, “your face.”
Tears welled in her eyes. Hissing between her teeth, she growled, “I know. Just meet me back at the camp, okay? I can’t be seen like this!”
Vitto nodded. Leaning out into the hall, he watched in amazement as she ran away.
* * * *
Quinn’s body shook with outrage before he even opened his eyes. He knew she was gone--sensed it before he even reached across the bed. His hand balled into a fist and he slammed it down hard on the mattress.
“Sacred Cats! She did it again,” he hissed, partly in disbelief.
Tan fur filled in his body. His eyes dilated and shifted to a pale greenish yellow. Claws stretched from his fingernails and toenails as his hands and feet became thick paws. A roar left his parted lips as they pulled wide, elongating as his body shifted into the form of a cougar.
With a leap, he tore off of the bed and it didn’t take long for him to work the doorknob with his paws. Rage blinded him to reason. Running down the hall on all fours, he passed Kirill.
The king blinked in surprised and yelled, “Quinn! What...?”
Quinn ignored him. He tore out of the front of the palace and disappeared into the gigantic forest.
* * * *
“Hold still, Tori,” Vitto growled under his breath. “I’m almost done.”
“What is it?” she asked, as he finished running the medical laser over her face.
“It appears just to be a rash of some sort. What sample were you working with?” Vitto turned to grab an electronic clipboard.
“The ones we collected from the south section a few days ago.” Tori stood and touched her face. It felt like it was back to normal.
“You’re still a little red and patchy,” Vitto admitted, “but it should go away in a few days. You’re lucky it wasn’t a lot worse. I don’t want you working with samples until your head is straight. It’s not safe.”
Before Tori could dispute him, Grant’s voice came through the tent. “Uh, guys, you should see this.”
They turned to Grant. His tanned face was pale as he solemnly motioned them to follow. Tori and Vitto shared a concerned look before moving to the tent flap.
“What’s going on?” Tori asked, as Grant grabbed up a pack and moved to the ladder leading to the caves. Seeing Simon watching them, Tori stated, “We’ll be right back, Simon.”
“I’ll start lunch,” Simon answered as he nodded. Since he was older, Tori hated to make him climb the rope ladder. Besides, he was better in the lab than in the field anyway and he seemed to enjoy cooking for the team.
“I ... you just got to see it for yourself.” Grant quickly climbed the ladder up into the cave. Leading the way through the tunnel to the main cavern, he paused. “When we were at the palace, well Linzi just finished--”
“Grant,” Tori stated, not wanting the details at the moment.
Grant cleared his throat. “Well, anyway, you know I think best after sex, ’cause my head’s the clearest. Anyway, something’s really been bugging me about this new lower subsystem I found in the east tunnel.”
Taking off his pack, Grant handed them each a mask. He moved to the east tunnel and pointed to the hole in the cave floor.
“Look at the opening. See how it looks chiseled more than formed by erosion? And, look at this. The rim’s covered with that same black moss, only it’s not dying in the air. I know that wasn’t there before when I found this entrance.” Grant pulled out gloves and handed them all round. Avoiding the moss along the edge of the opening, he hopped down into the hole. There was a sound of movement before his light shined up.
Tori and Vitto followed him into the hole. As Grant led the way, the moss became thicker and longer. Tori’s boot splashed in a shallow pool of liquid, but she ignored it and kept going. The light became dim and it was hard to see as they made their way along the rocky cave system.
“Look,” Grant whispered, pointing his light forward. “I think whatever is behind there is the source of the black moss.”
An iron door was fitted into the wall of the cave. Tori gasped in amazement to see it. “What’s a door doing down here?”
“I don’t know,” Vitto whispered. “But it looks old, just check out the hinges. They’re rusted. I don’t think anyone has been down here for a very long time.”
“Let’s open it and find out,” Grant said, his words edged with scientific excitement.
They all knew it was a little careless to proceed, but no one stopped him from reaching forward. There was always a certain amount of risk in what they did. Tori felt Vitto’s shoulder next to hers. He nodded at her before turning his attention back to the door. She adjusted the mask over her features, making sure she had a tight seal.
After a short struggle, Grant pulled the door open. Light flooded them from within. Tori blinked, letting her eyes adjust as Grant took a cautious step forward.
“Motion
light sensors,” Grant said, switching off his flashlight. “Whoever was here must have left them connected.”
“Whoever it was, they haven’t been back in awhile,” Tori added.
Black moss covered nearly everything--tables, chairs, an antiquated computer system with a keyboard and desktop monitor. Only peeks of the equipment and part of the metal floor showed through.
“It’s an old laboratory,” Tori said. “What do you think they were doing down here?”
“By the looks of it, it’s about a hundred or two hundred years old. All the computer files are probably corrupted by now.” Vitto frowned. “But, one thing’s for sure. Whatever this black moss is, it came from in here.”
“Guys, look,” Grant had wandered forward and they rushed to join him. He’d found a couple locked cages with piles of humanoid bones as if whatever was locked inside had just laid down and died. “Do you think they could have starved?”
“Possible,” Vitto answered. “This place looks abandoned, not shut down. I mean, look,” he pointed to a desk. “Personal belongings are scattered everywhere. You can see the outline of a file and papers right there.”
“Okay, here’s what we do,” Tori instructed. She looked at the desk and seeing a long oval, picked it up and swept the moss from it to study it. On a whim, she shoved it into her pocket. “Grab whatever you can that might have some information on it. The Var palace mainframe is a little outdated so this stuff might still be salvageable. I want to figure out just what in the galaxy they were doing down here. Whatever this moss is, it started here and it’s slowly poisoning this planet. The marshes are already dead. And, by the looks of the moss in the cave, it’s mutating to survive in air. It could be nothing or we could have an ecological disaster on our hands.”
* * * *
When Tori climbed down the ladder from the cave, it was to find her camp being torn apart by a group of Var soldiers. She frowned, as she saw Commander Falke order the dismantling of her tent. Her mouth opened to protest, but she was interrupted.
The Playful Prince Page 8
