by I. T. Lucas
Her answer seemed to satisfy him, and his frown turned into a smile.
“I’ll make you a deal.”
She shook her head. “You and your deals. But okay, let’s hear it.”
“I’ll buy Perfect Match’s shares from the clan, and any further investment will come from our private funds. Not the clan’s.”
To her great embarrassment, Syssi hadn’t been paying attention to their finances. “Do we have any left? I know you were funneling your own money into the clan.”
“First of all, it’s our money, not mine. Secondly, it was a loan, and the clan owes us the funds. I can sell one of the clan’s holdings and pay us back.”
She lifted her hand. “Deal accepted.”
With a broad grin, he shook it. “Well, now that this is settled, let’s move to the next item on our agenda.”
34
Kian
“I hope it’s not more spanking.”
Given Syssi’s breathy voice, Kian wasn’t sure that she’d meant it, but even if she hadn’t, he had something else in mind. Now that she’d confessed her desire and agreed to the deal he’d proposed, she deserved a reward.
Lifting her off his lap, he set her on the couch and then kneeled in front of her. “Spread those lovely thighs, sweet girl, and show me what you’ve got for me.”
Blushing crimson, Syssi inched her legs apart.
“I’ll need a little more.” He put his hands on her knees and spread them wider, until she was completely exposed to his hungry gaze. “That’s better.”
As he inhaled her aroma, filling his lungs with it, the effect was euphoric. He was like a drug addict who needed his daily dose to keep going, but he had no wish to ever get over his addiction.
Reaching his hands under Syssi’s bottom, he pulled her closer to the edge of the couch, his nose almost touching her moist petals.
At first, Kian just blew a soft breath, cooling her a bit before extending his tongue and licking gently at her opening. Syssi moaned, involuntarily jerking in his hold. Clamping his hands on her thighs, he held her right where he wanted her and licked upward towards the top of her slit.
For a long moment, he just applied pressure, flattening his tongue over that most sensitive part of her and letting her get used to the sensation.
Syssi panted in anticipation, looking down at him with hooded eyes, then groaning when he flicked her clit with the tip, once, twice, thrice.
“Kian.” She threaded her fingers through his hair. “More, please.”
He nuzzled her opening, then murmured against it, “How can I not oblige you when you ask so nicely?”
Spearing his tongue inside her, he groaned in pleasure as her nectar leaked into his mouth.
“Oh, God.” Her hips lifted off the couch.
For several moments, he pumped his tongue in and out of her while his hands kneaded her ass cheeks.
She was ready for more, though, and so was he.
Pulling his hand from under her, he withdrew his tongue and replaced it with a finger. As he screwed it inside her, he parted her petals with two others and flicked her swollen clit with the tip of his tongue.
Syssi’s hips bucked up as he added a second finger, and as he curled them inside her, finding that sweet spot that drove her up the wall, she uttered that keening moan that was a prelude to her orgasm.
If they weren’t in a time crunch, he would’ve slowed down and prolonged her buildup, but slow was reserved for the nights. Mornings were for quickies.
Closing his lips around her nub, he curled his fingers inside her and rubbed that inner patch of nerves that was sure to push her over the edge.
As her sheath convulsed, squeezing his fingers, Syssi threw her head back and called out his name. He kept pumping, prolonging her orgasm until her shudders subsided.
His sweet girl.
There was nothing Kian loved more than bringing her orgasmic pleasure and then watching her blissed-out expression. Knowing that he had put it there was more satisfying than closing the best business deal, and even more than his own climax.
After pressing a soft kiss to her lower lips, he lifted up and kissed her mouth.
She was still panting, her eyes glazed over, her eyelids heavy.
“Turn this way, baby.” He motioned to the couch’s arm.
There was a reason they’d ordered this particular model. It had tall, curving armrests, perfect for draping his lovely Syssi over one or the other, usually with her well-spanked bottom up in the air.
Unable to help himself, he slapped it lightly, first one cheek, then the other, and then pushed inside her, feeding his shaft into her wet heaven an inch at a time until he was seated all the way in.
They both groaned as the joining was complete. More than sex, it was a coming together, and despite the countless times they’d connected this way, that first moment always felt magical.
As Syssi arched up, offering him the perfect angle to capture her breasts, he pinched her nipples, adding to the volley of sensations assailing her.
His wife loved her pleasure spiced up with a bit of pain.
The harder he pinched, the higher she climbed, but even though they were pressed for time, he was not ready to let her orgasm yet. Releasing her stiff nubs, he cupped her breasts, keeping his touch gentle as he rammed into her from behind. Going faster and harder, the couch groaning and screeching in protest at his relentless pounding, Kian felt his own climax bearing down on him.
Once again, he closed his fingers around Syssi’s nipples, twisting and tugging. Her tortured moans made holding off his bite nearly impossible, but he didn’t have to wait long.
As another orgasm exploded out of his mate, he released her breasts, clamped one arm around her torso, and grabbed a fistful of her hair. Tilting her head to the side, he forced himself to slow down and lick the spot before sinking his fangs deep inside her soft flesh.
Immediately, Syssi’s body convulsed with another orgasm. Only then did Kian let his own climax erupt out of him.
35
Ella
Ella woke up with a start.
Hand over her racing heart, she took several calming breaths. Her throat felt dry and itchy as if she’d been screaming for real and not just inside her head.
Maybe she had?
With the excellent soundproofing of the houses in the village, no one would have heard her, and judging by the pounding headache, she’d also been crying.
But where the hell was Julian? The one she’d been crying over so miserably in her dream?
Glancing at the nightstand, she picked up her phone to check if he’d left her a message.
There was one from ten minutes ago. Gone to the café to get us breakfast.
The question was whether Julian had sent her the text as soon as he’d left home or later when he’d arrived at the café.
In either case, he must have been with her in bed when she’d been gripped in the clutches of the nightmare because the freaking dream had lasted for hours. Which meant that she’d been screaming and crying inside her head and not out loud.
Unless only mere minutes had passed in the real world while hours passed in dreamland. She could’ve done all her yelling and sobbing after Julian had left.
“Wow, talk about messed up.” Ella shook her head as she got out of bed and headed to the bathroom. “Thank God it wasn’t real.”
As she brushed her teeth, scenes from the nightmare replayed in her head.
Logan and Julian had been fighting over her, but it hadn’t been one of the dream walker’s visits. Those felt eerily realistic. It had been an ordinary dream, with hazy details and a scenario that didn’t make sense.
Not that it felt any better. It had been more disturbing than Logan’s dream intrusions, which in comparison were much less traumatic. During those, they walked on a beautiful beach and talked.
Or kissed.
But besides feeling like she was being unfaithful to Julian, it was peaceful. There was none of the heart
-wrenching agony that she’d just experienced.
If she were a film producer, Ella would’ve named it Clash of the Titans in King Arthur’s Court.
In her dream, Logan and Julian were both Knights of the Round Table, and she was Princess Guinevere. King Arthur was Magnus, but he was her father, not her husband, and thank God for that. Otherwise, it would have been super weird.
Her heart lodged in her throat, Ella, or rather Princess Guinevere, sat in the royal booth and watched the knights fighting for her hand.
The rules of engagement were that their battle wasn’t going to end until one of them was dead.
Julian was holding his own against Logan, but Logan wasn’t fighting fair, and Julian was bleeding profusely from several deep cuts.
Fearing for her beloved’s life, she screamed every time Julian suffered another cut, and when it seemed like he was going to lose, those screams turned into sobs.
She’d cried so hard in the dream that her head was still pounding. Going on autopilot, Ella reached for the bottle of Motrin that had lately become a permanent feature on her bathroom counter.
Except, forcing herself to wake up could’ve been the culprit as well. Ella just couldn’t stay and watch Logan deliver the death blow.
What the hell was that about, though? Was her intuition telling her that Julian was in danger from Logan?
Or maybe her mind had been sorting out her confused feelings and showing her who she really loved?
Not that it had ever been a question.
It also could have been triggered by what had happened last night, but Ella doubted it. If that was the impetus for the dream, Julian would have been the victor and Logan the loser. His impressive performance had proven to her that he could be a badass when the situation called for it.
Ella rubbed a hand over her face. It was so confusing. She needed to talk to Carol.
Snatching her phone off the nightstand, she texted Julian. Are you still in the café?
There is a long line. I’ll be back as soon as I can.
Don’t. I’m coming to you. We can have breakfast over there.
And after the morning rush was over, she could have a talk with Carol.
I’ll try to get us a table.
At eleven, Tessa was picking her up, and they were going to the sanctuary together, but that was four hours away. Plenty of time to have breakfast with Julian, a talk with Carol, and go home to shower and change clothes.
Taking off Julian’s T-shirt, Ella pulled on her own and immediately followed with Carol’s pink sweater. Mornings were cold in the village, and besides, she liked it. It made her boobs look larger than they actually were, and it matched the color of her hair.
Naturally, Carol would realize right away that Ella hadn’t slept at home last night, but it didn’t matter. After all, she was supposed to be Ella’s confidant and privy to more embarrassing things than where Ella had spent the night.
Actually, sleeping over at Julian’s wasn’t embarrassing. The fact that once again they hadn’t done anything was.
Rushing out, she waved hello at Ray without giving him a chance to leer or make annoying comments.
Ella didn’t jog, but she walked fast, crossing the distance in less than ten minutes. And she didn’t get lost, which she congratulated herself on.
Small victories counted for something, right?
At the café, Julian waved her over to where he was sitting. “I didn’t pick up our order because I was afraid to lose the table.” He rose to his feet. “Guard it with your life.”
“Yes, sir.” She saluted.
It was indeed crazy, with Carol and Wonder shouting orders to each other, and customers forming two long lines at the counter. On one side were those waiting for their order to be taken, and on the other those waiting to pick them up.
The girls definitely needed help. Perhaps she could convince Carol to hire her for two or three hours to help with the morning rush? And then again with the lunch one?
At least until her charity took off and Kian nominated her as its director.
Yeah, it sounded like a pipe dream and probably was. A girl with no education could only hope for waitressing jobs, not heading charities, even those she helped organize.
Julian came back with a tray and put it down on the table. “I got you a cappuccino, a sandwich, and a muffin. I hope that’s okay.”
“Perfect.”
“Sugar?” He offered her a packet.
“Two, please.”
He handed her his sugar packet as well. “I’ll get another one.”
“Thank you.”
Ella waited for him to return before taking a sip. “What got you out of bed so early in the morning?”
Casting a nervous glance around, Julian leaned closer. “You need to keep your voice down here.” He tapped his ear. “Immortal hearing, remember?”
She shrugged. “I don’t care if people know. I have nothing to hide.”
That brought a smile to his handsome face. “Does it mean I can start calling you my girlfriend in public?”
“Of course.” She leaned too, almost touching her nose to his. “You can start referring to me as your mate if you like. Everyone assumes it anyway.”
He didn’t deny it. “I don’t care what others assume or not. The only opinion I care about is yours.”
“I would like that too.”
Julian didn’t seem as happy as she thought he would.
Raising a brow, he asked, “What brought that about?”
She didn’t want to tell him about the dream because there was too much he could deduce from it. But that had been what had convinced her that she loved him, and that the obstacles she still had to overcome before they could have a real relationship were not insurmountable.
“It was a process. Why?”
“Does it have anything to do with what happened last night?”
She chuckled. “Maybe. You are my hero, Julian. And all girls want to marry a hero.”
He eyed her from below lowered lashes. “You’re joking, right? Because sometimes I’m not sure with you.”
Glancing around, Ella took a fortifying breath and reached for his hand. “This is not the time or place for grand declarations, and even if it were, I wouldn't make any. But it is clear to me now that you were right and that we were fated for each other. The road to a happily ever after for us is still long, but I can see the neon sign flashing in the distance.”
36
Carol
When the morning rush was over, Carol poured herself a cup of coffee and took it to where Ella was sitting alone at a table.
The girl hadn’t said anything about wanting to talk, probably because it had been so busy up until now, but it was quite obvious that she was waiting for her.
Julian had left more than half an hour ago, and the girl was still wearing the sweater that Carol had loaned her yesterday, which meant that she hadn’t spent the night at home.
No more clues were needed.
“I see that you like my sweater,” Carol said as she sat down, giving Ella an opening to talk about her nightly escapades.
Ella smirked but didn’t take the bait. “It’s cozy. Where did you get it?”
“Online. Where I get all my stuff. It’s so convenient, especially now that I’m running around like a headless chicken.” She sighed. “Life used to be so much more peaceful when I was a bimbette.”
“I never understood that expression. A chicken with no head can’t run, and the visuals it brings are just gross.” Ella shivered.
“You must have a very vivid imagination.”
“I do. I immediately translate everything into pictures.”
That was probably enough preamble before they got to the real reason that Ella had been waiting so patiently for her to come over and talk to her.
“So, what brings you here so early in the morning?”
Ella shifted in her chair and took a quick glance around. With everyone gone to work or back to their hous
es, the only ones left in the café were Wonder, who was in a cleaning frenzy behind the counter, and the two of them.
Satisfied that there were no eavesdroppers, Ella asked, “Remember our conversation from yesterday?”
“You weren’t sure whether your lack of response to Julian was caused by Mr. D compelling you not to feel attracted to anyone but him, or by your unpleasant experience and your fear of it contaminating what you have with Julian.”
“Yeah, that sums it up. But I’ve thought about one more possibility.”
“Shoot.”
Ella leaned closer and whispered, “I might be a thrill seeker. Danger excites me.”
Carol arched a brow. “And you figured that out how?”
“Last night, Julian and I went to see the hotel he is turning into a halfway house for the rescued girls. We encountered two druggies who’d broken in and were using one of the bedrooms. They threatened to do nasty things to us, and Julian snapped. I’ve never seen him like that. The guy can fight like a freaking Guardian.”
Carol had a feeling she knew where this was going. “You got excited.”
“Well, not right away. While we were dealing with the situation, I had to somehow calm an immortal male’s murderous rage, but after that, when we went home…”
Now it was getting interesting, and Carol leaned closer. “What?”
“I’m trying to articulate it, and it’s not simple. So normally, or rather normal for the new me, my emotions are subdued. I try not to feel too much because I’m afraid that if I do, I’m going to break down into a thousand pieces. So, I numb myself.”
Carol understood the need to seek emotional disassociation all too well. What surprised her, however, was that Ella was aware of doing that. The instinct to protect the fragile inner self was not readily apparent, and it took a lot of introspection to realize what was happening.
Pushing her fingers through her short hair, Ella continued, “When Julian seemed so shaken by what he had done, I felt an overwhelming need to protect him, to soothe him, and it loosened some of the emotional barriers I’ve kept up. Or at least I think that’s what happened. Anyway, I felt closer to him than I ever did before, and with that came the desire to also get physically closer. But I chickened out. All I could offer Julian was to hold him while he slept because it seemed like he didn’t want to be alone.”
