“I won’t.”
He marveled at the difference in sensation when it wasn’t his own hand dragging along his skin. The last time he’d been touched by a female was the night he and Junia conceived Drusus. She’d finally arrived at the palace and coaxed him into her bed. Other than those intermittent couplings, he’d had to attend himself over the centuries and had rapidly tired of the effort. The act had become hollow and routine to the point where he’d basically ignored his need for the last three years.
What he was feeling now was so excruciatingly intense he knew he wouldn’t last. When she slipped upward to the tender head, gently squeezed, and slid her thumb across the weeping tip, he bit the inside of his cheek to keep from crying out. Try as he might, he couldn’t stop the slow roll of his hips against each downward stroke.
He lifted his gaze and wanted to shout in happiness that not one head was turned their way. Everyone was deep into a blissful respite of their own making, or just enjoying the feel of water washing them clean. Makar had Baruch cornered in his stall and was taking very good care of his mate. Not even their loud groans drew attention from those around them. Even Basilius had his palm splayed on the wall and attended to business. Days of intense stress had unleashed a torrent of mindless pleasure. The air fairly crackled with the potent energy.
Lucien pushed her hand away and twisted around. Backing her up against the wall, he grabbed a handful of her exquisite ass and grunted when her warm hand wrapped around his cock again. He drank in the sight of her half-closed, sensuous eyes as she worked him like a maestro. Palming a generous, firm breast, he ran his thumb across a tight nipple. He could practically feel his back knitting together from the amount of energy pouring into his body. He moved his hand downward across her shivering belly, and slid two fingers against her clit then deep into her tight core.
There was no time for slow lovemaking or finesse. This was urgent and they needed each other. She was slick, warm, and accepting. The second her muscles fluttered around his fingers, tingles of electricity traveled up his spine and threatened to leap from his skin. His energy wanted her. It demanded to push inside and own her, and he fought to keep it in check. His cocked kicked in her hand and he clenched his teeth at the mind-numbing experience. Moving his fingers upward, he swirled against her clit and began a steady assault to her senses.
Her strokes sped up as he rubbed furiously against her tightened, extended bundle of nerves. Her head fell back against the wall and pouty lips opened on a silent cry as she moved closer to release. He leaned forward and whispered his need as he drowned in her glittering green eyes.
“Faster. Yes. That’s it. Grip me hard. Umm, that feels good. You’re so beautiful. You’re destroying me. Come for me, Tana. I want your pleasure. Demissi vasi, mea venusto. Let go, my lovely.”
Tana stiffened in anticipation of the inevitable explosion, and he quickly slid two fingers back into her fiery heat. He massaged the inner walls while his palm rubbed hard against her clit.
The first hard clamp and release of her moist flesh and her sensuous, husky cry lifted his sac high. Her teeth clamping onto his bicep had him grunting in mindless ecstasy and looking down to watch cum erupting in thick streams across her breasts and belly. The sight had him near madness. He wanted inside her. He wanted to mark her, but there was no time. He pulled his cock from her limp hand and angled it downward. He panted and grunted as he watched his cum coat her hairless pussy.
Gods! He’d never been this turned on in his entire life. Watching his release slide down the delicate pink lips and onto her thighs brought a surge of protectiveness and ownership knifing through his body. He pulled her close to his chest and moved backward into the rush of water. He wanted to stay in this moment, but knew he couldn’t. No one could see her like this. This memory was his.
Astonished at the loss he felt from watching his cum wash away from her creamy skin, he shook his head and grabbed the soap from the wall. He had to fight from lingering over every curve of succulent flesh and inwardly cursed the urgency of time.
Realizing she hadn’t said a word as he scrubbed her down, Lucien looked up and was surprised by the sweet smile she gifted him. Her eyes searched his face and her words came low and husky. His skin shivered.
“You’re so fucking sweet, Lucien.”
Surprised at the sudden wash of guilt flooding his gut, he cast his eyes down and pulled her from the spray. Grabbing a towel, he draped it over her head and scrubbed the water from her hair.
“No I’m not. I took advantage of you at a vulnerable moment. I’m surprised you’re not mad at me.”
He heard a muffled snort and felt her hands latch on to his waist.
“I think you have that backward. I grabbed you first, remember? How in the hell can I be mad? You kept me blocked from prying eyes, I’m clean, and let’s not forget the killer orgasm.”
Lucien pulled the towel away and stared into her laughing eyes. She was exceptionally beautiful. He couldn’t help but smile back.
“Lift your arms, crazy woman.” She chuckled and did as he asked.
Giving one more appreciative glance down her incredible body, Lucien wrapped the towel around her and secured it in place. Smiling, she reached for the other one, handed it to him, and took her time looking him over while he dried his hair. She took the cloth from him and tucked it around his waist.
“Damn, Lucien. I thought you were beautiful before, but now…well…hell…I’m speechless. You should be against the law.”
Lucien frowned. “Is that supposed to be a compliment? I’m confused.”
Tana patted his left pec. “Oh, yes. It was definitely a compliment of the highest order.”
“Good. I thought perhaps I’d done something wrong.”
His gut clenched when her eyes saddened and she placed a palm against his face.
“No, that felt fantastic, Lucien. I almost passed out. You’re lethal. But, you know we can’t let this go any further.”
Chapter 14
The water stopped flowing and only the wild thumping of his heart broke the eerie silence. Lucien opened his mouth to respond to her outrageous statement, but the words never came. The Dar Kan had arrived.
Tana skirted around him and snatched her boots from the floor just before the cuffs reengaged. She glanced back to him and furrowed her brow. “Hurry, everyone’s lining up to go.”
Lucien promised himself that as soon as they returned to the cells, she was going to explain what she meant. Boots in hand, he followed her to the line forming in the middle of the room. Looking up, he smirked when he saw Royce taking a wide path around her as he hustled to the front. Well, at least he had one thing he could be happy about. The bastard had gotten the message. Now, if only he knew what Tana was thinking, then he could relax a little.
As they were escorted from the bathing room, Lucien frowned and thought back to their quick encounter. If she were his mate he could join her thoughts. But she wasn’t. In fact, he realized he’d completely avoided touching her neck or wrists. Hell, he’d even refrained from kissing those luscious lips. The only place his hands had been was on a breast, her ass, or between her legs.
Shit! No wonder she didn’t want anything else to do with him. He’d treated her like nothing more than a pleasure source. But she was more than that. He could feel it. She had no idea of their mating cycle. He had instinctively avoided those areas in deference to their safety. If she were his mate, he would have been brought to his knees in a matter of seconds and left them both vulnerable. It didn’t matter that he had warriors ready to kill anything that approached them. A male always avoided leaving a potential Occasio to their own devices.
Lucien immediately felt better about his actions. He’d explain these things to her and she wouldn’t be frightened of their attraction, or ashamed at what they’d shared. He wanted that intimacy, but he needed her to be safe more than anything else. This wasn’t an environment that warranted a mate pairing. He needed to protect her from that.
Confident that she’d understand, Lucien focused back on her swaying hips. Just a brief memory of how wonderful her ass had felt when he gripped it with urgency made his cock wake. He briefly closed his eyes to rein in his renewed interest. He almost sighed in relief when Eryx pounded on his skull for entrance.
You have any clue as to why they’d work us hard, beat you, and then reward us with a shower? Sort of defeats the purpose if we’re just going back out. We’ll be filthy in a matter of seconds.
Lucien snorted. Not in the slightest. These things have never made sense to me. But, I guess we’ll find out soon enough.
Shortly, they were filing into the cell corridor. Lucien’s heart began pounding hard when a Dar Kan stepped in front of Tana and motioned for her to join two females standing off to the side. She glanced back with wide eyes, and then stepped out of the line. He fought his initial instinct to howl in rage at her departure. He needed to keep his shit together. His actions would only endanger her further. At least she was with the females and they appeared harmless. He managed a smile when she glanced back once more before disappearing around a corner.
Walking into the cell was difficult. After his brief moment of false freedom, the walls appeared to be closing in. He moved over to the bunk and picked up the tray of food they’d left. Plopping down to the mattress, he glanced up and immediately felt an overwhelming sense of loss. He wanted to see her pretty face smiling at him through the bars. He longed to hear her husky voice as she told him another story of her work or a tidbit of knowledge imparted by her beloved uncle. He hoped they’d bring her back soon.
* * * *
“Come on, cuz. Can you transmit the rest of the series? I’m dying here. I finished the last one two days ago and I’m getting Soprano fever.”
Cato’s deep laughter swirled around the small room. “I’ll send you the next two if you promise not to tease anyone for at least a month when you get back.” He held up the case to the popular series and dangled it in front of the monitor. “I know that Tony gets into some serious shit in this one. I can tell you all about it if you’d like.”
Kallon laughed when Maxim leaned close to the monitor and gave his best impression of a man on the edge.
“Don’t you dare! Okay, fine. Fuck! You’re evil, Cato.”
Snorting, Cato set the case aside and lifted a brow. “You don’t have any room to talk. If anyone’s evil, it’s you.”
Maxim leaned back and frowned. “What are you talking about? I haven’t done anything mean to you in weeks. Well, on purpose, anyway.”
“I wasn’t talking about me. Don’t even pretend to act innocent.”
Shrugging, Maxim crossed his beefy arms. “You’ll have to be more specific.”
Cato shook his head. “Damn, Maxim. How many victims do you have?”
“Shit, cuz. You’re giving me a complex here. Spill it, will yuh?”
“Caelius. Petrus said he stomped out of the club last night covered in some type of liquid and pissed as hell. He left this morning for parts unknown and took two other warriors with him. The only thing that Petrus could get out of him was that he was, and I quote, ‘tired of this shit.’ We’re all betting that you left some asinine prank in place and timed it to explode on him while you were gone. That wasn’t very nice.”
Kallon watched genuine concern cross Maxim’s face before he frowned and leaned forward.
“I didn’t do anything. I promise. Besides, when would I have planted it? I didn’t know I was leaving until we were at the clinic. No one knows where he went?”
Cato’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “We figured he’s making good on the threat to start doing the road shows. He packed up his clothes and took all his costumes. None of the warriors will respond to our mind calls.”
“Who went with him?”
“Chiron and Nikos.”
Maxim sat back. “Well, that makes sense. They’re very close. Shit. I’m not pranking you, cuz. I have no idea what happened. It wasn’t me.”
Kallon couldn’t hold his thoughts back any longer. “He’ll be okay. He’s a fully grown male. The Trejani doesn’t force them to stay in one place. He’s free to go wherever he wants.”
Maxim stood up and paced the room. “Yeah, but Caelius is so innocent. Chiron and Nikos are no better. They’re liable to get into trouble without a seasoned warrior with them.” He swiveled around and braced himself in front of the monitor.
“Do me a solid, will you? Can you send one of the older ones out to watch him? Ludo would be the best bet. If I’m correct, he’s probably heading to Florida. There was a group there that seemed okay with him doing a stopover.”
Cato shook his head. “I can’t send Ludo. With Chiron gone, he’ll have to run the music while Tycho does security. I’ll think of someone. Where in Florida?”
“Orlando. It’s the only male revue there and they’re extremely popular, according to Caelius, so they should be easy to find. They’re called Rock Hard Revue. Tell him to look for a guy named David Greenhouse. If he can’t find him, then look up Cisco Perez. Caelius said they seemed very friendly when he spoke to them a few weeks back.”
“Got it. I’ll let you know something as soon as I can.”
Kallon knew he needed to change the conversation or Maxim was going to pace a hole in the floor. He was extremely fond of Caelius and was probably beating himself up for all the tricks he’d played on him in the past.
“Good. This sounds like a great plan. They’ll find him in no time. Cato, I wanted to thank you for your suggestion to redirect the Prometheus. Imbrus needed a new goal. The more we drifted without any signs of the emperor’s ship, the higher his shoulders rose to his ears. He seems more relaxed now.”
Cato caught on quick. “Yeah. Uh, sure. I can’t believe I didn’t think of it sooner. As soon as I pulled the old star charts in the search quadrant and spotted that lone planet at the far edge, I remembered my father telling me about Glaxon 8 when I was young. It has a sad history.”
Kallon was relieved to see Maxim had stopped pacing. His attention moved to the monitor and he finally sat down with a grunt.
“Yeah, my father spoke of it in our classes. He’d said the original inhabitant’s reliance on technology destroyed them. Our field training is based off their history. Once their technology failed, the race was too weak to survive on its own. It’s been uninhabited for over a millennium.”
Cato nodded. “Yes, and now the only saving grace is that it’s large enough to pull in a stray ship if it just happens to drift by. Let’s hope it will be strong enough to snatch the Athenian from whatever captured it.”
Maxim ran his hand through his hair and sighed. “Hell, let’s hope it even went in that direction to get snatched.”
Knowing they were about to start wallowing in what-ifs again, Kallon refused to play along. He’d sworn to himself that he’d only think positive thoughts. There could be no other outcome.
“Hey, think about it. We’ve been traveling for two days on one side of the search grid and now we’re heading to the other side. That’s the only other way they could have gone. I think we’re on the right path. Imbrus says Glaxon 8 is three days away at the rate we’re moving. We’re going to find them parked on a beach with bellies full of fish and laughing at us for taking so long to figure it out. That’s my vision, and I refuse to think of it any other way.”
Maxim chuckled. “You’re right. Screw this negative shit. Caelius is going to have an adventure that’ll mature his silly ass and the emperor will think us brilliant for finding them. Come on, Kallon. Let’s go to the flight pod and bug the hell out of Imbrus. I like how his eyes go wide whenever we visit. He knows we have the Trejani’s ear and I like making him paranoid.”
Cato’s laughter brought their attention back to the monitor.
“You just redeemed yourself, Maxim. I’m sending over three episodes. I’ll think of another marker for you to earn more of them.”
“I can live with that. Tell the fe
males we said hello.”
“Tell us yourself.”
Kallon felt his face split with a wide grin when he heard Cassie’s voice and three beautiful faces leaned into the monitor.
“Ah! What a wonderful sight. Hello, my lovely females. Are you behaving yourselves?”
The Filia’s sweet giggles filled the room and effectively killed any remaining black thoughts.
“Never. Where would the fun be in that? We just came from visiting with the senate. They were curious as to what Victoria’s Secret was. I’ve never seen so many red faces in one place in my life. They released the funds for the mall build just to get Cassie to put the garter belts back in the pink bag. Hurry up and bring Lucien back. You guys are missing out.”
Kallon wiped the tears of laughter from his eyes and nodded. “Working on it, sweetness.”
Their smiles were infectious as they waved good-bye. The monitor went dark and Kallon looked over to Maxim. He was happy to see a familiar grin on his face again.
“Damn, Kallon. I’ve got to find my female. They just make everything so much better. If she’s half as funny as those three, I’m going to be one lucky bastard.”
“I hear you, amici. Let’s go. You have an officer to work over.”
* * * *
Kallon paced the deck and his heart threatened to jump from his chest. A full day of nothing since they’d switched course, then suddenly everything had changed. This was the first sign of hope since they’d found the Athenian’s beacon. He listened intently to Imbrus’s instructions to the pilot.
“Keep six hundred meters back. We haven’t come this far just to get caught in whatever the hell has it. Are you picking up any abnormal readings?”
The pilot shook his head. “Nothing out of the ordinary. Typical fuel emission signature. But, I’m not sure why it’s registering higher than normally expected from a probe that size.”
Kallon slipped next to Imbrus and gestured at the monitor. “Why can’t we move in closer? The heat signature shows the cloud above it only extends out fifty meters on either side of the Messor probe. If it was larger, wouldn’t our sensors pick up on that?”
Fueled by Lust: Lucien (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 12
