He wasn’t in any of them.
Sighing, I turned around and headed toward the spa-like area, but had to again pass by the Kings at the massive opening to the main pool. Keeping my head down, I wove through the white plastic chairs and took the left entrance, the middle one leading only to the brat section. In this segment were a variety of small areas with spelled hot tubs including a few alcoves that housed many tubs, while others for privacy had only one, and sauna rooms, those areas having doors with tiny windows.
I checked those first and saw numerous Mysticals using the rooms to do — ahem — a selection of different activities, but I still didn’t see Ezra. Moving from opening to opening, I began checking the hot tubs, again seeing a variety of happenings occurring. At the last room, beginning to lose hope in finding him, I stepped into the entrance, squinting through the steam.
Stopped dead.
The room was tiny. It held just one hot tub. It had merely one gold spark of light, allowing for intimacy or relaxation. It also had only one occupant.
Ezra.
He wasn’t in the tub.
Nor did he have on a stitch of clothing.
I had never seen him naked before. Vampires were private. Even more so than me.
My heart rate instantly doubled as my eyes scanned everywhere they could at once, my gaze definitely not one of a best friend. His back was turned to me, so I couldn’t see his face, but I knew it was him. He must have just exited the tub because water glistened all over his body. His black and red hair was wet, not spiked as usual and appearing darker in the dim lighting. His shoulder and back muscles worked under his gleaming mocha skin as he dried his left arm with his towel. His muscles were defined, running down either side of his spine, his waist tapering in with not an ounce of fat to be seen.
And then there was his ass.
I know my jaw slacked as I stared at what had to be the most perfect backside.
My goodness, God has truly blessed this Vampire.
All I wanted to do was take each of those mocha globes — with plenty of muscle definition, but not flat like some men’s — and squeeze hard before sinking my teeth into each one. Then repeat. A couple of times. His legs were built well, too, long with toned muscles, but…yeah, my eyes weren’t moving from his ass. Time kind of lost meaning for a while until Ezra began drying his stomach.
Not even glancing back, he muttered, “If you’re done staring, I would appreciate it if you would get the fuck out.”
My whole body jolted and my hammering heart actually stuttered, then thumped back into the wild gallop. The lust that had consumed me was still very much alive within my scattered wits, but there was also plenty of room for panic. Breath hitching, my muddled thoughts screaming run, I lurched out of the entrance before he could see me, quickly putting my feet into motion. Away from temptation, away from him knowing that I wanted him so badly that it had caused me to act out against him to hide my true feelings.
My eyes instantly glowed, providing better illumination to get the hell out of there as fast as I could. Speeding past rooms with steam billowing out into the hallway, swirls of vapor my dust, I flew into the main pool area. My gaze darting for the fastest possible exit, I heard Antonio’s voice to my left. “Lily, come here for a moment.”
No time for that. Run!
I put my feet in motion again, haphazardly moving through the crowd, which seemed to have only grown. Peering in Antonio’s direction, I saw him physically jerk. “Maybe later, Antonio.” He was sitting with the Kings and Cahal, along with an air Elemental and Shifter, both of whom I didn’t recognize. Blinking, I realized my eyes were still glowing, but I couldn’t seem to stop them, so I only shook my head. “I’ve got a thing I have to do.” Like, fucking run!
Something hard smacked into my legs. Grunting at the pain, I jerked my attention around even as I started falling. I felt warmth under me, which was the Elemental sitting on the chair I had jogged straight into, my body toppling straight over him and flying side-over-side before my face, and front, had smacked against the cold, hard floor.
Everyone around me blinked. Stared. Unnatural silence surrounded me.
I didn’t care, my gaze flying to the hallway I had exited, making sure Ezra hadn’t come out yet. He hadn’t. Quickly, I started to lift myself from the unforgiving ground.
Antonio asked into the quiet, “Lil, what are you doing?”
As I stalled in a push-up position, my glowing gaze found his intent golden one. “What you taught me to do.” I shoved myself up and, not giving a shit, started racing through the Mysticals, who were beginning to resume their conversations. My mind screamed at me to run faster, but I couldn’t. I wouldn’t risk someone seeing I was too fast for a Shifter.
It seemed like it took forever getting to our room, but as soon as I was inside I didn’t know what to do with myself. I paced for a few minutes, running my hands through my hair. Jumped for a minute or two. Then gave up, flopping back on the bed and tossing an arm over my eyes. I had no clue what to do about Ezra, but I was grateful he hadn’t caught me.
We were best friends. We had a damn pact, exclusively for no funny business. Sex inevitably wrecked things. In the end, one person always felt like they got gypped some way or another. At least, it had always been that way for me and my sexual partners after Dominic. Someone always got hurt, the end result never pleasant even if the going was.
I didn’t want to wreck anything with Ezra. Our friendship. But my body was traitorous, my mind constantly bringing me back to his lips and his erection. And now, there was the image of his damn perfect ass to contend with. Lying on this bed wasn’t helping either, since his scent was all over it. I groaned. “Dammit.”
The door opened and closed, and I froze on the bed. “Pearl? Jack?” Please, God.
“No, it’s me,” Ezra’s deep rumble rolled through the room. “Going to the pools?”
“Huh?” I tried to think peaceful thoughts — a tree with fat leaves in the middle of summer and a cool breeze — attempting to regulate my heartbeat and libido. Keeping my arm firmly crooked over my eyes so I couldn’t see him, and remembering I was wearing my bathing suit, I mumbled, “Oh, yeah. I was thinking about it.”
Ezra hummed in his throat, and it sounded more like a growl than being thoughtful. And far too close.
I felt the bed dip. His heat, always so damn warm, instantly washed over me as he lay down beside me. Holding my breath, wishing he would just go away so I could recuperate, he shifted even closer. My entire being froze at feeling his hot lips against my ear.
He whispered, “You may need your towel.” A thump landed directly next to my hip.
Unable to move, my mind flew through my time at the pool. The breath inside my chest stalled. My heart fluttered as I realized I definitely had my towel as I had searched for him, but I couldn’t remember having it during my dash from the room. I hadn’t even realized I’d dropped it, my mind having gone straight to my lust for him at seeing his gorgeous body on display.
“So…,” Ezra whispered softly, even as I felt the tip of his finger begin to draw slow circles around my exposed belly button. “Did you like what you saw?”
Stomach jerking at the contact, I gritted my teeth, trying to push through my need to roll into him. Keeping my breathing shallow, I stayed quiet, unsure what to say that would be safe territory.
“I think you did,” Ezra murmured into the silence. “Your heart earlier was beating just as rapidly as it is now.” I tried to slow it, but it was no use, his fingertip making one last loop before twirling little by little, his touch like soft velvet, up my stomach, and eventually dragging over the tiny centerpiece of my bikini’s top. Exhaling sharply on a shaky breath, I shuddered as his hot finger glided between my breasts, brushing my cleavage. “You left the most pleasant aroma in your wake.” His voice was pure growl. “Not quite as heady as what you’re exuding now, since it was faint, vanishing as you did.” His finger disappeared when it reached my throat, but his h
and was soon gripping my wrist and pulling my arm away from my eyes.
A tiny whimper made its way past my lips. This was bad. Scenting the air had told me he was as turned on as me. I wasn’t sure I could fight this, but it was something that shouldn’t happen.
He placed my arm over my head, running his fingers down the sensitive underside even as I felt him shift, the sunlight from the ceiling once again blocked.
Inhaling heavily, I opened my eyes. His face was directly over mine. Close. Our noses were almost brushing, his green eyes hooded. “Ezra, we can’t do this.” My voice was husky, and I didn’t bother hiding it since he now knew I wanted him.
“Hmm,” he murmured, his face lowering in slow increments. “Sweetheart, I told you not to tempt me again.” His breath fanned over my lips, and I wanted to lift for the real deal instead of this ghost kiss. “You knew the consequences.”
Yes, he had made that blatantly clear, but… “Maybe it’s just us being in bed together. We’ve never done well with that.”
His lips curved, his nose brushing mine. “It’s not the bed.”
Eyebrows puckering, I pushed further back into the pillow. “You mean you’ve wanted to have sex with me before, when we weren’t lying in bed?” My gaze darted like rapid fire, searching his gaze. I scented the air slowly, waiting for his response.
He actually chuckled. “Yes, sweetheart. Plenty of times. I’m just smart enough not to leave evidence behind.” Truth to all. His lips hovered over mine, and his gaze lifted, staring me in the eyes. “I’ve always found you attractive, even when we first met and I thought you were a Com. But you were mated, then grieving, and then we had our pact.” He cocked his head. “I think I stopped giving a damn about our pact around the time finals were over and we started training with the Kings, but you weren’t on the same page as me. You never once looked at me the way you did a week ago. Hell, you never even said you liked my body until a week ago.”
Truth. Holy shit.
“So, there you have it,” he murmured softly. “Now you know my little secret. I want to have sex with one of my best friends. A best friend who’s of a different Mys faction.” His eyes held mine and never left. “That’s why I’ve been such a prick this past week. I thought you were finally noticing me, maybe actually wanting me sexually. It frustrated me,” he paused, “alright, it pissed me off when you didn’t.”
Staring like an idiot because he was telling the truth, I started babbling, “I’ve been a bitch this whole week because I wanted to have sex with you. It came out as anger instead.”
Ezra blinked, and I could see him running this past week’s scenarios through his mind, just as I was evaluating his own prior actions. His head cocked, and his gaze ran over my face, stalling at my lips for a lengthy amount of time before peering into my eyes. “You’re scared.”
Therein lay the problem behind it all. Of course I was. But that wasn’t something I would freely admit. Pride was a mega damn hurdle most of the time. This was a perfect example of that. I kept my mouth shut.
“Ah,” he whispered, his fingers threading through my hair as he held the back of my head. Trapping me. “I understand that. I was afraid it would mess our friendship up, too.” He rested his forehead against mine, his eyes unblinking. “We’re both adults. We’ve been mated before, lost our mates, had sexual partners afterward. I think we can handle this.”
“I don’t want to screw us up,” I said softly, shaking my head inside his hold. “I love you too damn much to lose you.”
“I feel the same, sweetheart. That’s why I think we can handle it.” His nose brushed back and forth against mine, the softest touch. “We won’t let anything stand in the way of each other.”
I bit my lip, gnawing on it. “What if something changes? What if one of us wants to end it before the other does? Or gets jealous?” There were so many variables.
“We’ll deal with any problem that arises then,” he spoke smoothly, his fingers gently massaging the back of my head. “We have both been through an ample amount of sexual partners to know that something inevitably comes up, but we’ve never cared enough about those individuals to try to work through an issue.” He shrugged. “We’ll work through any issue because we do love each other.”
I felt my resolve melt away in a wild rush. No easy, subtle trickle as I heard and scented the truth in his words. Which meant I hadn’t really wanted to say no in the first place. I wanted him that damn badly. I knew this now. My greedy body had apparently known this before me, only it had taken my mind a bit longer to catch up. The last of my resistance was gone when I gained him as a sexual partner for however brief it may be. Inhaling heavily, breathing in his scent, I murmured, “Alright.”
He stilled above me, his fingers frozen through my hair. The barest whisper. “Alright?”
“Yes, Ezra.” My lips curved little by little with my ravenous gaze roaming his face, finding many locations where I wanted to place my lips. To taste him on a different level. “I want to have sex with you. Lots of it.” My grin increased as the breath rushed out of him, spilling over my cheeks. “Think you can handle that?”
Ezra’s eyes instantly flared with heat. Intense. Potent.
My breath hitched at seeing just how much he had been holding back, his gaze hot enough to make the kindling heat low in my stomach blaze. A growl erupted from deep inside his chest, his predator taking voice. I shivered at the promise there, but I hurriedly stated, “Wait. One other thing.” It was like I pressed pause, his body becoming motionless. Only his eyes scorching mine let me know I needed to hurry the hell up and say what I needed to. “No drinking during sex.”
His eyes widened. “You’re making a mistake there.”
“Mind holds are not appealing to me in the heat of the moment.” My eyes didn’t waver from his, showing him I meant business. “I’m serious. I don’t want it.”
Ezra’s nostrils flared, and his jaw clenched, but he finally nodded. “If it’s a deal-breaker, then fine.” Deliberately moving slowly, he lowered his mouth teasingly, his lips hovering directly over mine. The warmth of his promised embrace was a sensual balm to my fevered ache. “You’ll be missing out though. As will I, since I’ve felt yours before, even if untrained.”
I didn’t know there was such a thing as ‘trained’ and ‘untrained’ where mind holds were concerned, but I didn’t honestly care. I wanted to be cognizant while in the act. Really, I could imagine it now. One minute, we’re getting started; the next minute, I wake up and it was done. Nope, not going there. Smiling gently, I murmured, “Thank you.”
He hummed, his gaze steadfast on my lips.
There was no stopping this time. Nor did I want him to stop.
Ezra lowered his head. His mouth. Onto mine.
The barest of touches, the sweetest of brushes, as he held his lips still.
My heart rate galloped into a wild frenzy, the suspense killing me. My lids lowered.
My power, his power, erupted inside the room. No slow trickling as was normal for a Mystical mating. Too long spent denying each other, we no longer hid our want. The sizzling power was a heady rush of wild animal need and seductive longing darkness, which swirled around us, tickling my hair against my cheeks.
Lush lips curved against mine in a self-assured grin, and then he was tilting his head and his mouth was a gliding heat of decadent pleasure, parting slightly and pressing against mine…as he truly kissed me.
My world caught on fire.
Breath catching, my lips molded to his wide, warm mouth, the pressure and sensation like a hot summer’s night, smoldering and perfectly moist, promising of more. Returning his kiss on a sigh, I threaded my fingers through his hair, which was still damp from the hot tub.
Ezra groaned low, his lips vibrating on mine as he continued his slow assault, tilting his head the other way and nibbling gently on my bottom lip, tugging, only to graze his warm tongue over it before molding his mouth with mine again.
A soft moan that was entirel
y feminine escaped me, and I felt him chuckle softly as he lightly ran his tongue across the seam of my lips and then tug again on my bottom lip, asking for entrance. I let him, knowing soon my wolf was going to wake, then…his tongue slid across mine, his taste new. Unique. Fucking good as hell.
My wolf growled.
It was a playful noise, but still a warning of sorts.
I felt it. My wolf’s need.
But if I was honest, it was also my need for the Vampire to prove himself.
Ezra froze over me at the sound. Smart man. It still didn’t save him from being flipped onto his back. Laying directly over him, I had a crystal clear view of his startled expression.
Shit.
Taking a deep breath, I crawled backward until I was sitting on my knees at the edge of the bed. I explained as quickly as I could. I wanted to jump him so damn bad I was trembling, but I was aware that if he didn’t know, he could get hurt, never mind about being freaked out. “I’m a Shifter. Alpha. My wolf doesn’t let a man take me unless he shows he can handle her.” There were times my wolf backed down when I pushed hard enough, so the man could win, but I had a sneaking suspicion my wolf wouldn’t be doing that for him.
“Ezra, I should have told you before, but I thought you knew about Shifters and sex.” His still-wide gaze explained he had not. “The first time with an alpha Shifter woman is always rough.” Until the wolf knew and respected him. I jerked my head at the door, breathing heavily through my mouth as I tried not to scent him. “You’d better run if you’re not into this.”
Instant. “I’ve never run away well.” He licked his lips, his eyes never once traveling to the door, even if they were still wide. “Is this like no holds bars? Or more of a petting?”
He got an instant answer, my wolf very much liking his cockiness, as my wolf’s nails instantly sliced through my fingers. Fuck…that has never happened before.
Ezra froze.
Wolf riding my voice hard, I growled, “Run, Ezra.”
King Cave Page 11
