Torn Between Two Worlds (Guardians Series Book 1)

by Lexi Ostrow

  With a grunt he pulled her body tighter against his. His erection hot and hard between them. Leaning up she kissed the top of his ear before tugging on it slightly with her teeth and running her tongue down his neck. he growled his appreciation and she ground her body into his and her own moan filled the room. Moving his body up hers he let his erection brush her core, already wet and ready for him. He captured her lips in a hungry kiss before pulling away. "I need to taste you."

  He tugged her upright and leaned her against the wall, sitting, legs spread wide so he could see her fully before he tasted her. He didn't tease her, just dipped his head between her legs and licked a stroke across her clit. Her body arched and her hands ran through his hair. She cried out as his tongue entered her and his thumb stroked her. In and out his tongue worked her core. He groaned against her, the taste pure sugar to him as he sucked and licked at her. Her hips rocked against his mouth and he grabbed her hips, locking her into place as he devoured her. He grinned into her pussy as her release rocked through her. His tongue continued to lap across her folds until her convulsing stopped.

  "Stryder." Breathless was never sexier on anyone. She leaned off the wall and pushed on his chest, forcing him to lay back.

  He growled slightly as she took control, but played along, wanting to know what she was going to do. Without another word she straddled his body and took his hard hot shaft in her hands and pushed down without hesitation. His groan was full of pleasure. He reached up and gripped her hips, pulling her down to him and setting their pace. Running her hands over her breasts she pumped up and down on his shaft. Moans and whimpers were intermixed with the sound of their bodies slapping together. Her body still pulsed from her release as she took him deep inside with every thrust. Pulling herself completely off of him she ran her hand down his shaft, pumping him that way as his hand found her core and two fingers pushed their way inside of her. Little vixen wanted to play with him, he would play with her.

  "I had thought to punish you for leaving me for so long. For making me doubt everything." She swatted his hand away and grinned at him. Her hair fanned out over his stomach as she licked across the head of his tip, his hips bucking off the bed.

  "Sweetheart."He ground his teeth together as she wrapped her lips around his dick's head and rolled her tongue around just the head. His body jerked and he growled, wanting her to take him all the way in and pay attention to his full length. She stopped assaulting him with her wicked tongue just before she swallowed the head of his dick and let her mouth slide down him, taking him all in. He could feel her making shallow swallowing motions and he fisted the sheets. Her mouth continued on him for a little longer before he stopped her. "Enough." His voice was gravelly not with his demon, but with lust.

  She had the nerve to grin down at him as she straddled her body over his again and sank down on him. She moved slowly up and down his erection causing his teeth to grind. He wanted to flip her over and fuck her till she screamed and bite her shoulder for good measure. But she was right, he'd left her for too long and he would let her control them for now. His own body thrust upwards to meet hers, a predatory gleam in his eyes. Her hands trailed up the side of her body as she rode him. Her fingers encircled her already pebbled nipples and pinched them both, moaning in pleasure at the sensation. He cursed and forced her hands off her breasts, playing with them himself before wrapping his tongue around one nipple and massaging the other with his hand. She was wanton and he loved it. Her eyelids fluttered closed and he smirked knowing she was enjoying this.

  He pulled his mouth off her nipple and went back to massaging them both as he looked up at her. She ran her hands up to her hair and sighed his name as she began to roll her hips as she thrust down on him. Pulling her hips up enough each time so his thick cock dragged across her clit - out and then back in. The shudders from the pleasure causing her pussy to clench around his length and he knew her orgasm was building just as quickly as his own from her torture.

  She rolled her hips once, twice and moaned. He slammed harder up into her, drawing out her pleasure. He sat up and his lips found her shoulder, the place where it met her neck and he bit. Not hard enough to draw blood, but enough to mark her. The buck of her hips had him do it again to the other side, relishing in continuing to please her. She leaned forward and he was sliding into her at a different angle. Her legs wrapped harder around him and he grabbed her ass, digging his fingers in and guiding her thrusts. Carefully he rolled her underneath him. His eyes locked with hers and the look they shared was mirrored lust.

  He changed his strokes then, from shallow and fast to slow and long. He tipped her head down between their bodies. The sight of his cock sliding in and out of her body caused her to arch against him. Her nails scoured down his back as he continued to thrust in and out of her body, her eyes never leaving his cock as it came and went in-between her folds. The sight drove him mad with need. When his thrusts sped up, he went deep and his balls slapped between their bodies. He titled her chin up and nodded at her, he felt her body let go. Her release struck her as she cried out his name and her body milked his shaft, pushing him over the edge with her and his fingers bit into her ass, marking her as his there as well.

  Collapsing as little of his weight onto her as he could, he claimed her mouth again. When he pulled back both of them were breathing hard. Pulling from her body he rolled off of her and laid next to her, sprawled out, his body fucking humming from their sex.

  It was now or never. He'd had all the confirmation he needed. He sat up and took her hand in his and suddenly he felt like he had swallowed rocks. He'd felt a lot of things in his life, but never nervous until today. That alone spurred him forward, he was not going to be some pansy ass male. "Ciara?"

  She opened her eyes and smiled at him, the sight making him smile in return. She sat up and faced him as he touched her chin.

  "I know I've ruined your life. I stole your best friend, I made you question your feelings on everything and I think I've pissed you off so many times I'm surprised you haven't gone on a killing spree." She chuckled and opened her mouth to say something. "Not yet, in just one second."

  He climbed over her in the bed and grabbed the box out of his pants on the floor. Handing it to her went to one knee on her ugly carpet. "Marry me. Just say yes and we can figure out the how when you're twenty-seven."

  She stared at him, her mouth was set in a firm line and she looked like she was having an internal battle with herself over something. She hadn't even opened the box. She was gripping it, her knuckles white. Her voice shaky and her eyes laced with concern. "Stryder I-"

  He erupted. His hand punched into her wall causing a damn decent sized hole. His voice raised and sounded ragged in his anger. "I knew it. I fucking knew it. It's right back to where we were prior. I can't help where I was, sweetheart. I can't say I didn't like it because War was in charge and he fucking loved it. But I didn't choose to be there!"

  She flinched and he leaned closer to her on the bed, snatching the ring box from her and throwing it across the room. He smelled another male on her for the first time and he growled low and dangerously, “WHO THE FUCK HAVE YOU BEEN WITH?"

  "Stryder listen to me." Her voice was calm and she rose like she was going to go pick the box up, but he stopped her.

  "I've already fucking listened. I listened while you played back and forth and cursed at me. I'm done listening, sweetheart. Answer me. Now." He knew the black had taken over his eyes because he could see the claws extending from his fingers and felt the scrape of a fang over his bottom lip. Too fucking bad.

  She rose off the bed and went to pick up the box. Her actions deliberate and slow, causing his blood to boil.

  "NOW!"

  "You know, one shouldn't bark at someone when he's asking her to marry him, you big dumb jerk!" She was screaming now too.

  Good, let him have hurt her, her betrayal hurt him.

  "You vanished for almost three months! Do you know what that's like? You threw a hissy fit
because I locked you out for like two days, this was three fucking months." Her hands opened the box and she gasped at the ring, whether good or bad he didn't know. "I found someone else like me. He helped protect me, Stryder. Helped me learn and he and his Guardian were there every time I cried that you weren't!” The ferocity in her voice unnerved him and fueled his own anger. “Stryder, I don't want this when I'm twenty-seven. This isn't just slip the ring on and be done and wait till the stars and planets all align. This is harder than that." Her voice had softened.

  Too bad his hadn't. "Sounds like you need some time.”

  She opened her mouth to cut him off, but he was past the point of hearing.

  “You need time? Fine take your fucking time. I'm out of here and when I come back either have made your choice or find a new fucking Guardian."

  Hands clenched, he waited for her to open the doorway. "Open it, sweetheart, before I do something to you to make you."

  Panic flashed for a split second and she ground her teeth together causing her still naked breasts to sway. Then the doorway opened and he stepped through, leaving her naked and alone and him naked and pissed off.

  Chapter 28

  He had been watching Ciara for the last few months. Stryder's absence was unfortunate. He'd been trying to contact the God that gave him his own gift for information on why he wasn't able to help. It wasn't the first time a Guardian was held hostage to his world, but it was the first time it had been for so long.

  She'd come along way with Dale. Both in her own skills and helping him realize his lack of power wasn't a bad thing. She was stronger now, able to fully control the gifts left behind from her past Guardian and the ones from Stryder. He'd spent countless hours watching as she talked to herself in the beginning of the separation.

  Every fear or concern she had he now knew. The main one being that of her and Stryder. She had no idea how to make them work. How to continue their relationship for two years without being able to actually be with him one hundred percent. Not to mention her fears about how he would feel about never being able to go home once she set him free?

  He'd felt badly for her. She'd chosen to let time be as it was and just trust her heart. Which was good because a happy heart meant for the next two years she would only grow in strength. But then Stryder was gone for a week, two weeks, three months. He had felt her trying to get both to Stryder and to him. But they weren't allowed to interfere and he wasn't his brother.

  So when Stryder popped up on his radar earlier today he'd smiled. His brother was working hard to take her down and constantly failing. With Stryder back she would be unstoppable. Seeing where they were headed he had closed her doorway off to give them privacy. All powerful, maybe. A peeper? No. Besides, seeing his Guardian's engage that way always left him hungry for his own attachment.

  Looking at the clock on the wall, he decided enough time had passed. “Let's see how the happy pair must be.” Opening her doorway he frowned. She was sitting on the floor, legs spread and her body drooped over. He could hear her tears. “Fuck.”

  Searching the room he saw her opening and closing a little black box that was on the floor between her legs. “Shit.” Women don't cry over a proposal unless something went wrong. Something shouldn't have gone wrong. Moving the doorway around so he could see her entire apartment devoid of Stryder he cursed again.

  Pacing he shoved his hands in the pocket of his coat and cursed. “How did this happen? I have no idea how to keep her on the right side now. Fuck, my brother.” He was stomping on the floor so hard he was going to wear a hole in it before he was done.

  His brother would most likely be able to claim her now. If he was watching too and saw it. If not then he would still keep trying to kill her and just maybe this time, she would let it happen.

  He let out a frustrated growl. He didn't break the rules. He never broke the rules. Well not unless hooking Word Speakers up when they needed it was against the rules. It wasn't direct interference though. “Well which would be worse? Losing her to your brother, her death or twisting things just this once?”

  Mind made up, he walked back over to doorway and stepped through. Standing a few feet behind her he cleared his throat. Ok, let’s break the rules this one time.

  * * *

  She couldn't understand why she had told him she needed time. She'd been waiting months for him to return home to her. Months to do exactly what they'd done. Her body still ached delightedly in contentment. Her mouth still slightly tingled from the fierceness of his kisses.

  But she was afraid. After so many months she had wanted him home, but with every day that had passed without him, she'd worked on steeling off her emotions toward him. It was the only way she could cope because she'd lost hope that he was coming back. It felt so much like he'd picked someone else.

  Had he just let her finish. She was going to explain to him her reservation. She'd been interested in simply waiting the time out. But after him leaving her? No, she wanted something permanent now. She'd been given the opportunity to see her life with and without him and she hadn't been ok with the without. But she'd needed to talk to him, it was a big decision.

  “You're a dumb ass. He was proposing. He had clearly thought about how it was going to work and by pissing him off he pulled back and smelled Dale. Whatever the fuck that means.” More tears fell and slid down her cheeks to the carpet. She'd been opening and closing the ring box and had finally taken the beautiful ring out. It was so different than Derrick's had been. So big she was embarrassed to wonder where he got it the diamond was cut like a heart and rubies were set into the entire band. Red for war she supposed, or love maybe.

  She heard someone behind her and leapt up, the box was accidentally tossed out the bedroom door into the living room. “Stryder!”

  Her eyes narrowed as she turned and saw the man in the trench coat behind her. “Oh fuck no. Get out.” She raised her hand to open a doorway, why she didn't know because she knew she couldn't move him.

  “Ciara, wait. I am normally unable to interfere. I did that twice. I helped you find someone to help you with your powers and I told you a message about Stryder when I shouldn't have.”

  “Oh yes, you're so fucking benevolent. Except you were so damn vague about Stryder not being dead, all I thought about was him hating me.” Electricity crackled around her skin, it seemed that was what happened when she got angry now. Electricity.

  She felt something wash over her and the electricity sparks dancing over her stopped. “Really, Ciara, I am a thousand times more powerful than you, do not seek to threaten me. Rather stop your crying and answer a question for me.”

  “Why? When's the last time you fucking did that for me when I had one? When I needed it?” Venom rolled through her words and she wondered if she really couldn't take him down. If he was so powerful it would make her feel good to try even if he hurt her because maybe Stryder would sense it and come back.

  “Because I have a proposal for you if your answers are correct.” He smirked at her and crossed his arms over his chest. “And because I just answered the answer to your second question, you really can't win.”

  “Fucking smart ass.” She was annoyed. But he was the only person who held all the cards in her life. “Fine, I'll take your test.”

  He laughed again and she realized slowly that the sound was actually quite nice, she found herself wanting to know more about him since she didn't even know his name. “It is not a test, Ciara. Calm down. If I offered you a way to be with Stryder right here and now, consequences be damned, would you want it?”

  She hesitated again. If he was all powerful he had to know her concerns. Which means he had a way around them and all she had to do was say she didn't care what she had to do to get it. Chewing on her lower lip she thought about being potentially indebted to a person with his power. Wasn't she already though just because of her gift and his apparent control?

  But wasn't it worth it to be with Stryder? What horrible thing could he possibly ask fo
r? She'd murdered plenty now so really what could be worse. “You're not going to ask for our first born or demand I sleep with you are you?”

  His grin widened and she felt foolish. “No, nothing like that. It is not in my best interest to upset those that will fight for me when the time comes. So what is your answer.”

  No hesitation this time. “Yes. What do I need to do?”

  He nodded, clearly pleased with her response and she was annoyed at his silence after her declaration. “This has never been done before. I don't know anything, except that you'll survive in some capacity. Do you want me to continue?”

  Goosebumps broke out over her flesh. In some capacity? It didn't matter if this was her only chance, and Stryder would have her, she wanted him. Always. “Yes but maybe leave out the side effects.”

  He chuckled. “A power transfer. You will give up your life here, your powers and live in his world. You will not be able to call on anything you've learned. You will not be able to return here ever. But you will be free of your gift and with Stryder as you wish.”

  “If I'm so powerful, why would you do this? Where would the powers go?”

  “Because if you are unhappy you could switch sides. I mean no offense it just simple human behavior. Pain leads to actions inconsistent with one's personality. I would transfer them to Dale, should he be willing to receive them. You are friends and he knows how you control them. It should help him and I am convinced he is not a liability after all.”

  His words washed over her. His offer did as well. Her skin bristled as she thought. What did she have here? A job at a bookstore, a handful of friends and no family. But in his world? She'd have a big family and him. Did she really care if she wasn't a pawn in some stupid game? No, she didn't. To never feel the pain of losing another Guardian as well? Perfect. She knew Dale wouldn't turn it down. She'd seen the envy in his eyes and knew with her powers he would make something truly great for himself.