Tres: Ancient Warriors. Modern Women. Waking Desires.

by Jules River

  Cenric had been doing his best to ignore her since she opened the door to the bathroom, wrapping him in her intoxicating perfume. He almost came off the bed when she dropped her robe, and strutted naked before him. He found himself sitting on the edge of the bed when she bent over and gave him the most erotic view. He knew she was torturing him on purpose, but he was helpless not to keep up the pretense of ignoring her.

  Then she turned around, strolled out of the closet right past him to the other side of the bed. She draped herself on the bed with her knee bent and swayed to the music, singing along just under her breath, lids half-closed. Cenric followed her with his eyes the entire time, roaming her body freely. Before he knew it, he had slid up against her near-naked body, leaving kisses on the path up from her belly button.

  Faye gasped at his first touch, then moaned, “You’re not ignoring me now.” She ran her fingers into his hair and grabbed on.

  He left wet, open-mouthed kisses on her neck, “No, I’m not ignoring you now.” He reached her lips, and plundered their sweetness. She was restless beneath him, coaxing him closer to her needy body.

  Cenric wanted to feel her naked breasts; he unclasped her bra to let her plump breasts spring free. He was unable to keep from taking first one pert nipple, then the other, into his hot mouth, driving her crazy. She was too impatient to deal with the buttons on his shirt, so she ripped it open, and slid it down his bulging arms. She needed to feel all of him. She wanted his body uncovered to touch as she pleased. Her hands were all over him, as were his on her.

  There was no stopping them. They had wanted each other for too long. Faye inhaled his masculine scent, a light musky citrus and him. Her heart was beating faster, her lips were swollen. Cenric’s eyes were dilated when he pulled back, looked down at her as he took the rest of his clothes off. His breath came faster, and he throbbed with every pulse of his beating heart.

  He caught Faye’s eye, which drew her hand to him, causing him to gasp. He closed his eyes tightly while he fought to retain his control. His length throbbing in her hand, she asked, “Are you still angry with me?” Then she smoothed her hand down his length. “No. Say yes, Faye.” He smoothed his hand between her legs, cupped her, but did not give her all she wanted. She pushed up toward his hand, and searched for more contact. Frustrated beyond reason, she assented to his desire. “Yes,” she breathed out softly.

  He immediately pulled away from her, and reached into the nightstand for a condom. When he started to put it on, she stopped him, “Let me.” She took the condom from him, teased him, and slowly put it on him.

  Cenric leaned over her and kissed her thoroughly, stroking her to readiness for him. Faye was on the brink of climax, and as soon as she toppled over, he entered her fully. He felt her barrier, but Faye hardly noticed as she was deep in the throes of the most incredible orgasm. As he heard her varied range of sexy moans, and felt her squeezing all around him, it did not take him long before he followed her with his own life-altering climax. If he thought before that she was his women, he knew now without any doubt that she better belong to him, because he sure as hell belonged to her.

  Chapter 22

  The next morning at breakfast the couples ate in awkward silence. Mira was still skeptical after Warin’s about-face the night before. Faye felt awkward after seducing Cenric as well as slightly embarrassed for being so wanton with him throughout the night, and again before breakfast. Dunstin had started withholding Lyra’s gratification in the bedroom after what he overheard, so she was displeased, and frustrated with how the previous night had turned out.

  Everyone also started to feel the pressure of time running out. Missed deadlines were always costly no matter the situation, and this situation could be deadly. Not knowing what would happen after the three-month deadline was tedious as hell.

  Todd was a no-show for breakfast again; he was most likely already in the office working. Mira had set up a full-time nurse to care for Steven, and had told him to take off as long as he needed to recover; they did not need that distraction on top of everything else.

  Over breakfast Lyra broke the silence, “We should all be ready to leave by 7:30 for the museum fundraiser tonight.” The brothers inwardly groaned.

  “Oh, I forgot about that. This will be more fun than the last time we were at the museum. Fundraisers are always entertaining,” Faye imparted cheerfully.

  “We will not attend. It’s not safe,” Warin stated with finality.

  Mira turned to him slowly, getting ready for a battle, “We will have plenty of security with us, and we are not helpless. We” -- gesturing to her sisters and herself -- “are going.” She spoke with just as much finality as he had used. Warin was about to issue another command when he thought better of it, and instead he compromised, “Fine, but you must agree to follow my orders if there is trouble.” To temper his edict, he said, “I wish to see you safe, Mira.”

  Mira stared at him for a moment, unblinking, before she grudgingly agreed, “If there is trouble.” Then she abruptly stood up and left the table, Lyra and Faye quickly followed her out of the sunny dining room.

  Mira’s heels clicked out a fast staccato on the marble floors of the hall; her anger was clear as she passed a security guard. Lyra and Faye caught up to her, and Mira swung around to whisper, “I’m still not sure this is going to work out with him. Last night he told me everything I wanted to hear. It’s as if he was only placating me, without meaning any of what he said.”

  “Why don’t you see how the rest of the day plays out? He did seem to be trying,” Lyra advised.

  “All right, but if he keeps it up, I will slip away at the museum. I won’t sleep with him again if he was only appeasing me. That only makes it hurt that much more.”

  Faye asked confused, “What do you mean, you’re out of here? What happened and where are you going?”

  Mira explained about the situation between her and Warin, and her thoughts on heading to their grandparents’ ranch in Texas. After listening intently, Faye agreed with her twin. “Lyra’s right, see how today goes. Then we will figure out something.”

  Warin scraped his hands over his face in frustration after Mira left, then stared out the windows at the manicured garden. Dunstin looked to Warin, “You’re going to have to do better than that, War, she was none too pleased with you. She seems ready to run to me.” Warin slowly nodded his agreement.

  Cenric asked Dunstin, “How goes it with Lyra? She looked none too happy with you, either.”

  Dunstin gave a devilish grin, “She was not pleased last night. She was getting too content with the situation, too comfortable. I have other plans for us. I will marry her as soon as possible.”

  Warin skeptically asked, “She agreed to this?”

  “No, but she is waiting for marriage. Lyra is mine; she just does not realize it yet.” Dunstin grinned, pleased with himself, “What about you and Faye? Do you plan on marrying her?”

  “Yes. I think she will be ready to consider marriage soon.” Cenric smiled as he remembered earlier that morning.

  ***

  Todd was in the office working when the women came in to work. The brothers showed up shortly afterward. They had not made any progress on figuring out what to do with all of the objects or who the apprentice had been. It almost seemed as if someone had manipulated them in some way.

  The rest of the day was tense. In the afternoon, as they headed upstairs to start dressing for the fundraiser, the brothers’ comments on the sophisticated and sexy dresses the sisters planned to wear nearly started a knockdown, drag-out fight. Warin was not winning any points with Mira.

  They had to take both limos due to the amount of security they had with them, leaving more guards behind at the castle to protect the artifacts they had been collecting.

  Inside the museum it was crowded, and the sisters and Todd saw many familiar faces. The most noted one was Dr. Campbell, their beloved grandfather figure. Mira, Faye, and Lyra were delighted to speak with him. Olivia Su
garson was spotted across the room where she held court, and they would be sure to make their way over to visit with her.

  Cenric talked to Faye as they danced. “I have not had an opportunity to speak with you today in private. How are you feeling after last night and this morning?”

  Faye blushed, and got a little angry because he brought up the subject of their lovemaking and embarrassed her. She said in a clipped tone, “I’m fine. I don’t want to talk about it,” and attempted to pull out of his arms to walk away.

  Cenric’s hold did not loosen, and he pulled her flush against him instead. “Why don’t you want to talk about it? It was amazing. You’re amazing. I can’t wait to have you again.” He leaned in and kissed her passionately, drawing a response from her and making her forget they were in a room full of people. The music stopped, Cenric ended the kiss, and then he led her off the dance floor back to their group.

  Dunstin and Lyra stood with their backs toward the wall while Lyra was in conversation with a colleague. Dunstin decided to keep Lyra worked up so he slid his hand from the middle of her back to cup her tight ass; he gave her a nice squeeze and started caressing her. She stumbled slightly in her conversation, reaching behind to try and pull his hand from her bottom. He had messed with her like that since they arrived. It was driving her crazy. She was in a constant state of arousal and he had not been taking care of her like he had before.

  Friends and acquaintances approached the sisters all evening, mostly men. One man, Kyle something or another, kept Mira in conversation for longer than Warin was comfortable with. When Kyle asked Mira to dance, Warin interrupted, “Mira will only be dancing with me.” Then he pulled her close to him and led her toward the dance floor. To keep from making a scene, Mira went with him, but as soon as Warin took her in his arms, she put distance between their swaying bodies to tell him, “You were rude to Kyle Guthrey. It would not have hurt for me to have danced with him. His business is one we deal with frequently.” He pulled her tight up against his body, “He is not interested in doing business with you. I saw the way he looked at you, how he could not stop touching you. You cannot be so naïve as to not realize what he wants from you. You will stay away from him. If he touches you again, I will break his arm.”

  “I am not naïve, and I am also not going to be told what I can and cannot do. Now let go. I have to use the ladies’ room,” Mira scathingly told him as she jerked away from him as he loosened his hold. Warin did not want to let her go, but he realized he was making things worse with her. He just could not control his possessiveness with her.

  When Mira swept off the dance floor, she made eye contact with Lyra and Faye. They saw the anger on her face, and quickly excused themselves to follow her to the ladies’ room. Faye asked, “What happened?”

  Mira exploded, “Oh, apparently I am naïve, and I am not to dance with anyone or he will break their arms. He is still issuing orders to me! He was so rude to Kyle Guthrey and to me. I need a break from him, maybe a permanent one.”

  “You have always known he is possessive, they all are, that’s part of what we like about them,” Lyra said, “But if you think you really need a break from him, we’ll help you.”

  “Yes, I need some time to myself, time to think. I want to go back to the ranch in Texas for a while. I need to clear my head,” Mira decided.

  “You have to take security with you, that’s a must, Mira,” Faye declared adamantly.

  “All right, I’ll text Jake and have him meet me at the east exit. I think if I introduce Warin to Olivia Sugarson, I can slip away while she is getting to know him.” Mira sent Jake a text, the sisters hugged and said their goodbyes, then Faye and Lyra left the ladies’ room first to distract the brothers. Mira took her time before she met up with Warin again, who waited for her outside the restroom. “Mira, I know you’re angry, but try to see it from my point of view.” Warin tried to get her to talk to him. Mira said in a sickeningly sweet voice, “I’m fine, Warin, don’t you worry about anything.” Then she took him straight to dear, sweet, distracting Olivia Sugarson. Mira spoke quickly, “Mrs. Sugarson, hello. You look radiant, have you met Warin Faust, Dunstin’s older brother?”

  Olivia’s keen eyes sparkled as Mira complimented her, but she immediately forgot about Mira and gave all of her attention to Warin. Warin gave Mira a pleading look before he was completely engaged in conversation with and deflecting Olivia’s expert hands, intent on groping and touching every available inch of him.

  Mira quickly made her way to the side exit to meet Jake, her favorite security guard, for her escape to Texas. Mira and Jake had just stepped outside of the museum when Dunstin called to her. “Mira, wait.” She stopped as he walked up to her. “I need to speak to you before you leave.”

  Anxiously, Mira looked around, “All right, but hurry.” Jake took a few steps away to give them some privacy and keep watch.

  “You should consider some things about Warin before you leave him. He was the leader of a large clan. He has been in control and command of everyone since he was a mere sixteen, when our father was killed in battle. You must realize he commanded armies for our country, he was responsible for providing for everyone in his care. Warin has always had to carry a huge burden of responsibility. Surely you cannot expect him to change who he is overnight? He cares for you deeply, but he has had to stay strong for everyone else and has never had the luxury of showing his feeling to anyone.”

  “How do you know he cares so deeply for me? As far as I can tell, I serve but one purpose for him, and it’s not flattering.” Mira all but cried as unshed tears gleamed in her eyes.

  “That is so far from the truth. He does not know how to react to the way you make him feel. He has never experienced something like this. His fear of losing you makes him default back to his commanding ways. Your leaving him would bring him to his knees. If you have any feelings for him, surely you can stay and talk to him, give him time to show you.”

  Mira took several moments to answer. “Why does this have to be so complicated?” She stood shaking her head as she contemplated what to do. “OK, I will give him another chance.” Wearily, she turned to Jake, “Change of plans.” The three walked back inside to find a visibly disturbed Warin coming their way, followed by Lyra, Cenric, Faye and the rest of their security.

  When Warin reached Mira, he immediately took her in his arms in a fierce embrace, before leaning back to take her face in his hands and give her a tender kiss. He spoke to Dunstin while he scanned her for injuries, “Thank you for going after her. We saw the man from the auction here.” His panic quickly turned to anger that she would put herself in danger by leaving him. “I had not thought you would be so foolish, Mira,” he chastised.

  Before she could answer him, something behind her caught his attention. He thrust her behind him as his brothers did the same, forming a barrier in front of the women. The guards quickly flanked the brothers and surrounded the sisters.

  The man from the auction stood in front of Warin’s group; as his security backed him, he stared at the lot of them.

  Warin demanded, “Who are you?”

  The man had an unpleasant smile that did not reach his odd, near-glowing, silver eyes. “Ah, Warin Faust, please allow me to introduce myself. I am Empedocles. Tell me, how do you like being among the flesh again?” he asked with no small amount of interest.

  Mira poked her head around Warin. “We thought you were dead!” Warin tucked her back behind him.

  Lyra lifted Dunstin’s brawny arm so she could see and asked, “Then who’s in the urn?”

  “Mira Banks, as you can see I am very much alive, and Lyra, the remains in the urn belong to General Titus Quintus Dives Demetrias. Now, you will give my former apprentice a message for me. Desist from his unholy plan, give me my belongings and I will not punish him. If you continue to assist Titus you will not remain among the living for long, warriors.” Then he turned to leave, but not before he noticed the confused looks on everyone’s faces.

&nbs
p; Faye squirmed her way partly around Cenric to yell, “Wait! If Titus is in the urn, how are we assisting him, and who was your apprentice”

  The man stopped, and turned slowly back to face them. He scanned each of them with a considering look on his face, before he focused on Faye. “Titus Octavius Dives Demetrias was my apprentice. His father was the general.” He watched the looks of confusion appear on their faces, before departing with his men surrounding him as quickly as he had appeared.

  Everyone stood staring at the empty corridor, lost in thought for several moments. The security guards gave each other “what-the-hell-was-that-about” looks while they waited for further orders. The brothers looked to Warin before he said, “Let’s get back to the castle.”

  “We need to find Todd. Has anyone seen him?” Faye asked. Everyone shook their heads no. Mira called his cell phone, and it went straight to voicemail. She turned to Jake, “Can you send some of the guys to go look for him? We don’t want him to be in danger.” He sent several other guards to find Todd as the rest of them went to the limos. After a thorough search of the museum, the guards phoned in to report they could not find him. Mira called Todd’s cell again, still unable to reach him. They left hoping that he was already safely back at the castle.

  When they returned to the castle Faye asked the housekeeper if Todd had returned, but she had not seen him. They tried to call him again, leaving more messages. Todd usually kept to himself, but it was a bit odd for him to leave without telling anyone. Lyra went upstairs to ask Steven if he had seen Todd; he had not, and she checked Todd’s room as well.