Helion

by Olivia March

  “My apologies, Helion, I do know you’d never hurt a woman. If you’ll excuse me, I must see to my dead and return to camp.”

  Melithan bowed from the waist, hand over his heart, and Helion did the same. They parted ways, each considering the future and how Earth women might have a part to play in it.

  Chapter Sixteen

  It was late before Helion returned. Verdun had gotten the tent set to rights and the battle remains cleaned up in quick order. He’d even arranged Gwen and Evelyn a bath and hot food as well. That Keeper really could work miracles but he hadn’t been able to procure her a new bed. Apparently the Keeper who’d created the last bed, Tohran, had sustained injuries during the fighting and wouldn’t be able to make another until he recovered. So when Helion strolled into his tent, it was to find Gwen lying in his bed. Having Evelyn in the bed with her prevented anything suggestive but it didn’t stop Helion from feeling an instant primitive satisfaction.

  Helion acknowledged Gwen with a nod, then turned to Verdun for assistance in getting out of his armor before getting into the readied tub. Gwen pretended not to watch but she was acutely aware of the clink of armor and rustle of clothing being removed. She couldn’t help but sneak a few peeks as well, searching for any injuries, but mostly just ogling. He was so lean, but powerful. So much delicious toned skin and muscles were currently on display it was hard to decide where her eyes wanted to linger.

  For one thing, while his skin was very fair, there was a glow about him, a strange luminescence as if he was lit from within. She wanted to bite those bulging biceps and trace his raised veins everywhere they led. His fingers were long and tapered and she knew how strong they were, how deftly they could stroke her body. Hell, even his feet were elegant.

  Gwen’s skin felt too tight as she watched him disrobe, lust hitting so fast it was disturbing. He’d taken her just a few hours ago and her pussy still ached even after a long hot bath. But despite that ache, Gwen felt empty. She remembered how he felt inside her all too well and she wanted it again. Almost dying yet again had only intensified her feelings for the Keeper. She wanted to take advantage of what time she had to indulge herself in this liaison.

  After all, who knew how long the Keepers would remain? They’d appeared right on the heels of the Scourge and in just a few months they’d scattered all over the planet and taken out what had to be thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of Scourge. It couldn’t be much longer before they completely eradicated them and left the planet.

  So why shouldn’t she strike while the iron was hot? She wanted him and she knew he wanted her. As Gwen watched Verdun rinse blood out of Helion’s hair, her fingers literally itched to do that task herself. She could stroke his hair then take that washcloth and run it over those muscles until every inch was clean, and then venture even lower still until she reached his cock…

  “Thank you, Verdun, I can manage the rest. If you would please take the lady Evelyn to your tent with you until she needs to feed.”

  Gwen looked up, startled.

  “Evelyn is sleeping here with me, Commander. There’s no need for Verdun to take her,” she said, throwing an arm over the sleeping form of her little girl.

  “If I thought you could control your screams and pleading, I would allow her to stay. But you very delightfully lack the ability to be quiet. You also know Verdun is more than capable of taking care of the little lady.”

  He said these things so casually, as if Verdun wasn’t standing between them listening to every embarrassing word.

  “I won’t be screaming or pleading. Evelyn can stay,” Gwen retorted angrily, warning Verdun with a look not to come any closer. Helion simply looked back at her, his face impassive, his eyes chilly. How he could talk about fucking her brains out and still look like water would freeze on his ass was beyond her. He didn’t even seem that interested in sex. His eyes weren’t glowing. If anything he looked bored.

  “My lady, please allow me to take the little lady for a while. I promise you she will be completely safe with me. As soon as she wakes, I will bring her to you so she may eat.”

  Verdun held his hands out, as if he too was demanding Gwen’s compliance. But after all the chaos today, Gwen didn’t want to let her daughter out of her sight. Yes, she lusted after Helion but she wouldn’t let that lust interfere with her care of Evelyn. Her daughter always came first. That Verdun would take good care of her she didn’t doubt at all. But she was getting damned tired of the autocratic tendencies of the Keepers.

  “I will make this very easy on you, Lady Gwen. Hand Verdun the child so we can deal with our needs in private. Do it now or I will get out of this tub and drag you into the woods and take you up against a tree. You may choose which option suits you better.”

  Helion announced this in his clipped voice, sending a shiver down Gwen’s spine. All things considered, it should be fear sending that chill but she knew it wasn’t. It was desire she felt. Something really was wrong with her, when seeing him at his iciest provoked even more heat from her. She knew he’d do exactly as he threatened too. He’d offered her choices at the gas station and had followed through on his word to the letter.

  Knowing how uncomfortable it would be to be taken out to the woods at this time of night, in this weather, Gwen knew she had to concede to him. Again. With a grimace she eased away from Evie and allowed Verdun to scoop up her soft, sleeping form. He was very gentle and Evie snuggled right up to him, which relieved Gwen’s mind a touch.

  Once Verdun exited the tent, a charged silence was left in his wake. Gwen didn’t want to look at Helion. She could feel him staring but he didn’t speak for long moments and her heart was pounding so hard she almost felt sick from anticipation. She didn’t like feeling this way. As if at any moment she’d beg him to end her torment as he’d threatened she would do.

  “Come, lady, wash my back for me,” his voice came finally, breaking the tension.

  It wasn’t what she’d expected him to say. A command for her to strip and spread herself for his pleasure seemed more in keeping with his dictatorial tendencies. Washing his back, though, was fairly innocent, for the time being, anyway. It would put her well within grabbing distance but really any distance within a couple of miles was for this Keeper. If he wanted to snatch her up, he would, between one blink of the eye and the next.

  Gwen slid off the bed slowly, keeping an eye on Helion as she walked to the tub. She’d read somewhere to keep eye contact with a predator and Helion was definitely in that category. He didn’t move out of the tub but he was very clearly stalking her. His eyes were hot now too, as if Verdun’s leaving had let loose his fire.

  When Gwen reached the tub, Helion handed her a soft cloth and the soap before leaning forward, presenting his broad, muscled back to her covetous eyes. God, his skin was so beautiful, the pearly sheen mesmerizing. Gwen gently gathered the pale bulk of his hair and laid it over his shoulder, trying not to get distracted by how silky it was and the memory of how it had felt stroking her skin.

  She settled into her task, leisurely soaping the cloth and stroking it over Helion’s skin. Thoroughness was important after all and Gwen made sure to clean every exposed inch. Sometimes her hand accidentally slipped under the surface of the water, titillated by the feel of her fingers touching places hidden by the suds. Each caress sent tingles of electricity from her fingers to all the sensitive areas of her body, especially her breasts and her pussy. Who knew the act of washing a man’s back could be so erotic?

  “I can smell your heat, my lady,” Helion purred without turning. “Take off your garment and join me. I’ll return the favor.”

  Again with the commands. Though Gwen had to admit that one was more tempting.

  “I’ve already bathed, thank you.” She clenched her thighs together, just thinking about joining him in that tub. She’d never even showered with a man, much less had sex with one in a tub. Helion was certainly expanding her experience in delightful ways.

  “It was not a request, Gw
en. Strip now or I will strip you.”

  This time he turned to stare Gwen down and at this range she could see the raging tempest in his eyes and the lush lashes that framed them. His brows had a wicked curve and his lips were so close she couldn’t help but remember the feel of them against hers. His mouth had dominated hers in the same way his cock had dominated her pussy and she’d never forget that feeling.

  But this affair needed some boundaries. She couldn’t afford to completely lose herself. Enjoy, yes, but not make herself completely vulnerable. And he certainly couldn’t expect her to bow to his every command, especially when it came to sex. Yes, in matters of safety she’d consented to defer to him, but in matters of intimacy she wanted to have a say.

  “If you want me, this time I want it to be on my terms. We did it your way last time. This time I want things to be my way.”

  Gwen stuttered through her bold demand, hardly daring to move. Helion was a hungry predator after all and both of them knew very well he could force his will any time and she’d put up nothing more than a token resistance.

  Helion stiffened and his eyes began to shoot sparks.

  “And what are these terms, my lady?” His voice was impassive but his eyebrows winged up incredulously. He seemed quite shocked Gwen was trying to dictate to him.

  “I want you. I can’t deny that and you said you can always tell. But if you want me, I’d like to douse the lamps, keep my nightgown on and…do this in the bed.”

  With every word out of Gwen’s mouth, Helion’s eyebrows arched improbably higher and higher.

  “Why?” he asked bluntly, watching her like a hawk, his gaze tracking the red color she felt washing over her face, the testament to her embarrassment.

  Gwen remained quiet for a moment, trying to think of the least pathetic way to admit to having a self-esteem problem. She’d been chubby before having Evie and was still well-rounded even after several months of near starvation. Plus, she carried the badges of motherhood in various places on her body in the form of faint stretch marks. The idea of him seeing her like that, here in this bright tent with no shadows to hide in, was mortifying.

  “I’m… I’m just… I’m not comfortable being naked, okay?”

  It was hard to maintain eye contact, especially when Helion’s eyes narrowed and his brows came slashing down. She had to rush to explain further before he did anything drastic.

  “It’s not uncommon here, Commander. A lot of human women have body issues. And I’ve had a baby, so there’s that. And I was overweight before that even happened, so I just prefer not to. I prefer to have sex with…that is—”

  Her stumbling explanations broke off with a squeak as Helion suddenly rose from the water like a wrathful Poseidon. Gwen quickly realized she was now at eye level with an impressive erection and shot to her feet, trying to back away to a safer distance. Helion was too quick for her, though, and snatched her forward again with an iron grip on her upper arms.

  “You’re ashamed of your body,” he growled, jerking her closer still. “That’s what you’re telling me.”

  “Shame is a strong word, Commander. I’d say reserved or maybe modest,” she replied with a shrug. “It’s not a big deal. You didn’t take my all clothes off the last time.”

  “The last time I took you, Scourge were beating down the door and there was no time to extend the love play. That is not the case now. You cannot think I don’t desire you, not with my cock hard enough to bore through walls.”

  His speech was blunt and crude and drew her gaze immediately down to said cock, which was indeed impressively hard. Gwen took a moment to wonder how on earth her body had managed to accommodate that monster, but then again he hadn’t left it much choice, had he?

  “That’s very flattering, Commander, but it’s not as though I’m being punished. Not this time. I already accepted my punishment for running away. If we’re on an equal footing now in this affair, I’d like you to respect my wishes. I want to douse the lamps and leave my nightgown on.”

  After several tense moments with them staring each other down, Gwen saw Helion’s lips quirk. The quirk blossomed into a smile. Not a comforting beam, not at all. It was a wolfish grin, all teeth, and it set Gwen’s heart tripping with heat and more than a little trepidation.

  “Very well, Lady Gwen, we do it your way tonight,” he replied, releasing his hold on her arms. “Go lie in the bed and I’ll join you in a moment.”

  He turned away, leaving the tub without one shred of modesty while he dried every inch of his impressive body. Once dry, he walked around the large tent, dousing the lamps as she’d requested. Gwen’s heart still thudded painfully hard as she scrambled back into the bed and got under the covers. The urge to close her eyes was strong but she wanted to keep her gaze on him. She didn’t trust his mood…especially after seeing that smile. But he was doing as she requested, so maybe she was being paranoid.

  Once done he came to the bed, his form a vague shadow in the now-dark tent. Gwen felt the bed dip and heard the rustle of the covers as he joined her underneath them. In that moment, it seemed like the rest of the world stopped. She could feel his heat rapidly warming the space under the covers, could practically hear her heart beating through her chest. Heat leaked between her legs and her nipples budded pebble-hard under the nightgown, her entire being focused on her physical reaction to Helion just joining her in bed.

  It was absurd to feel this anxious. She’d already had all of Helion a very short time ago. But this time felt different. This time Gwen was consenting up front. She’d set the terms and was no longer trying to suppress her body’s response to Helion’s magnetic sexuality. Her body was in overdrive already and he hadn’t even touched her. She was almost to the point of begging him to mount her when he finally moved, cutting off her frantic thoughts.

  Gwen expected him to climb on top of her and enter her as he had last time. In truth that was what she wanted—her body felt so empty and ready to be filled. But he didn’t. His hand came down on her chest instead, feeling the rapid beat of her heart before slowly tracing down to her stomach, then lower and lower still. He skipped her sex entirely to follow a steady path down her legs until he reached the hem of her nightgown. Then his hand tracked back upward, inching the gown up with it. The higher it got, the tenser Gwen became. She half expected him to ignore her wishes and tear the gown off but once it was bunched above her mound, he left it there.

  There was no time to feel relief, however. A scarce second later found Helion between her legs. Gwen braced herself, expecting the penetration now, longing for it. But once again he surprised her. Instead of him driving his hips between hers, she felt his huge hands push her thighs wide. And instead of his hips, she felt his shoulders shove themselves between her spread limbs, holding her open, vulnerable. And all of a sudden she knew what he planned and instinctively tried to close her legs.

  “Stop! Helion, stop. Please, not that. Please just…just take me, I’m ready. Don’t do that.”

  Helion paused for a moment, letting her feel his breath on her bared pussy like a whisper, like a threat, while his shoulders easily thwarted her desperate attempts to close her legs. He used his thumbs to part her folds, stroking the wetness he found all over her quivering flesh.

  “You already dictated your terms to me, little human. Lights off, gown on, in bed. You will get no more concessions from me,” Helion replied in a hard voice.

  That was the only warning he gave before his tongue boldly took the measure of her pussy in one long, fierce swipe. Helion groaned at the taste even as Gwen’s back bowed off the bed, pleasure detonating inside her body. And just like that she came, crying out in shock as just that slight touch sent her body into spasms of pleasure.

  Helion, of course, was nowhere near done with her. He took his time tasting before homing in on her sensitive nub, sucking so hard Gwen’s eyes crossed and her hands desperately fisted in his hair, desperate to pull him off. But he was relentless. He tasted every inch of her pussy,
over and over, before plunging his long tongue inside and fucking her with it while his thumb stroked her clit. Her body overloaded with pleasure, each lick and suck and plunge setting off a chain reaction of orgasms that never seemed to end.

  Gwen had no idea how long Helion lashed her. She’d long lost track of her climaxes. They weren’t distinguishable from one to the next, her body in a constant state of pure bliss for what felt like hours until finally, wrung-out, her thighs flopped loosely to each side. Gwen was too exhausted now to fight, too satiated to take more. Only now, when Gwen’s body was completely limp, did Helion finally lift his head from his feast, gently dislodging the hands Gwen had fisted in his hair as he rose over her limp body like a conqueror. He licked his lips as if relishing her taste. Gwen felt he’d have tortured her a lot longer but his own needs were pushing at his control.

  Helion quickly settled himself in the cradle of her hips, bringing their joined hands up to rest by her head. Gwen’s dazed eyes met his and held as he shifted his hips and brought the head of his cock to pressure her opening. He maintained eye contact with her as he pushed forward, forcing her to feel every inch of him pulsing through her soaked walls, forging a place deep inside her. God it felt so good and he was so big Gwen was full to bursting, but she still wanted more. More heat, more movement, more everything.

  Gwen’s deep, gasping breaths forced her nipples against his chest, the abrasion ratcheting her lust even higher. She wanted to touch him back, needed it. She couldn’t stop her hands from clenching in his, her arms lifting in weak protest against being so restricted. He wouldn’t release her, though. He made her feel his whole weight, letting her know he was in charge.

  Still looking deep into her eyes, Helion silently withdrew his cock to the tip before slowly boring back inside until he was seated to the hilt. He watched as Gwen’s gaze fractured in bliss, tinged with uncertainty. So he did it again. And again. Sometimes he rolled his hips, other plunges he pistoned in so deep he bumped into her sweet spot, drawing cries from her lips with every thrust. Before long both their bodies were slick with sweat and Gwen’s hips were lifting helplessly to meet each buffet, desperately seeking relief even though her body was exhausted and sated.