Mandrake Company- The Complete Series

by Ruby Lionsdrake

  Gregor faced Val and clasped her hands. “We were discussing preparedness. I wish for you to be as prepared as I am. Do you have a list of preferred types of preliminary sexual stimulation?”

  “A… list?”

  “Yes. If you give me a list, I can be certain to address your desires in a manner that will thoroughly prepare you for coitus.”

  Val wasn’t sure whether to laugh at the idea of handing him a list or to be touched that he wanted to make sure she had a good time too. And, hell, how many men had she slept with who had actually asked what she liked? Especially for the first time?

  “Do you want a, ah, verbal list or shall I… transfer a file to you?” She imagined him consulting his tablet in the middle and bit her lip so she wouldn’t giggle.

  “Whichever is more comfortable to you. I will remember, either way. With a file, you can include diagrams though.” Gregor dug in his pocket, produced his tablet, and raised his eyebrows.

  “Diagrams? This is starting to sound like homework.”

  “Ah, no need then. I’m well versed in female anatomy.”

  “Really? And here I thought it was only airplane and spaceship anatomy that fascinated you.” Val sat on the edge of the bed and brought up the keyboard to type in her list. Somehow saying what she liked out loud seemed too silly. Not that composing a list wasn’t silly, too, but… it would please him. And somewhere along the way, she had started wanting to do that.

  “It does, but I’ve found that when you’re an… atypical representative of the male sex, biological knowledge of the female of the species can help alleviate the discomforts caused by certain social awkwardnesses.”

  Val withheld another giggle. He was being especially wordy and, yes, socially awkward tonight. Nervous, was he? She thought about pointing out that if he kept his mouth shut and subdued that aloof, arrogant expression of his, he wouldn’t be atypical at all, at least not in a bad way. But she’d grown oddly fond of his verbosity and wouldn’t want to say anything that might make him clam up. As for the rest, he was a good kisser—after he got over the surprise that someone was kissing him—so she wouldn’t dismiss that his biological knowledge might come in handy.

  “So you’re promising me a good time tonight?” was all she said out loud.

  “I do hope so.”

  Gregor sat next to her on the bed, his thigh touching hers. His warmth contrasted with the cold of the room, and she leaned against him. She thought about tossing the tablet aside and simply kissing him. Surely, they could figure things out from there. It wasn’t as if she was shy about blurting out what she liked in the heat of the moment.

  Perhaps thinking the same thing, Gregor lifted a hand, as if he might stroke her hair, but he lowered it to his lap instead.

  “Waiting to see the list?” Val asked.

  “Yes. I did not want to presume beforehand.”

  “I do like having my hair played with. Braided… unbraided… stroked… soft little tugs on the ends. Oh, and neck and shoulder massages are delightful.” She beamed up at him.

  He leaned close, and she thought he might skip it all and kiss her—that would be fine, too, because those last two kisses had been plenty to get her riled up and prepared. If only they hadn’t kept getting interrupted. Ah, but he was peering at what she had typed rather than kissing her.

  “Hair is not on the list,” he observed. His eyes crinkled as he watched her sidelong.

  Val suspected he was teasing her. As long as his lips were that close, maybe she would tease him back.

  She lifted a hand to stroke his jaw, his skin stubbled after a long day of fighting and being imprisoned, and gave him a little kiss. She caught his bottom lip with her teeth, sucking at it playfully. His body stiffened, and the hands he had dropped into his lap twitched. He must want very much to move them. She would have laughed at this warring of his instincts with his mental need for order, but her lips were too busy for that. He kissed her back, leaning closer, his chest pressing against her shoulder, and he finally gave in, letting one of his hands slip free. It came to rest on the back of her neck, his thumb and fingers massaging her weary muscles. Ah, yes, that was on the list. He paid attention well.

  Remembering her intent to tease him, Val pulled her mouth away from his. A protesting rumble came from his throat, but she bent back over the tablet and started typing. She bit her lip again, fighting back a grin, aware of the deep rise and fall of his chest, the fact that the humor in his eyes had turned into a more intense emotion.

  “I’ll put those things at zero-point-five,” she announced calmly. “They’re not necessarily for arousal, but I do find them delightfully relaxing.” Though she could feel his eyes upon her—he had to be thinking of grabbing that tablet and tossing it across the room—she continued typing.

  When she had drawn away, his massage of her neck had paused, but he resumed it, bringing both hands in and kneading her shoulders, as well. Ah, that was nice. His warm breaths tickled her ear as his fingers drifted up to her head, alternating between raking through her hair and massaging her scalp. Gooseflesh arose all along her spine. She hadn’t been joking about liking her hair played with, and it didn’t take long before she was struggling to concentrate on her list. Warm heat curled through her body, and her mind lingered on the kiss she had given him. She might have wanted to tease him, but his lips had enticed her in turn.

  Gregor lowered his face to the side of her head, nuzzling her hair. “Three?” he prompted, his lips brushing the top of her ear.

  Three? Three, what? Oh, the list. Yes, she had added zero-point-five then returned to the regular order, where she’d been pointing out that attention to her breasts was always welcome. Somehow she had been distracted before she finished the thought. Those ear brushes were sending delightful shivers through her, and each kneading of her scalp from his strong fingers drove a pulse of pleasure even deeper into her body. She wasn’t sure she would even need him to get to three.

  “I’m working on it,” she murmured, turning her head to gaze at his face. “Don’t stop,” she added, when his fingers stilled and his brows rose, a question in his eyes.

  Val touched her fingers to his cheekbone, ran them lightly down his face, marveling that she could be so stirred by the touch of a man she had loathed a week earlier. Maybe loathed was too strong a word, but she had certainly dreaded spending time with him. But it had all been a misunderstanding. To think that he had cared for her all along and he had wanted to help her, as well; he just hadn’t known how to tell her. If he had explained himself to her ten years ago, would she have understood him? Would she have fallen for him? He had always been handsome, and he’d apparently been defending himself from muscle-bound bullies since he was five, but somehow, she doubted she had been mature enough to understand his quirks, to find them endearing instead of irritating. But she was different now, and maybe he was more yielding than he ever could have been back then too.

  “What is it?” he asked, a note of concern in his voice, and she realized she had been staring at him, her fingers touching his face but no longer moving.

  Val kissed him to reassure him that nothing was wrong. She waggled her eyebrows. “I was wondering if you were going to give me a list.”

  “Oh. I could. But men are… ah… I require little in the way of preliminary sexual stimulation. If you look at me and smile, I’m ready. As you’ve doubtlessly noticed.” A hint of red flushed his cheeks, and he glanced—inadvertently, she was sure—at his crotch.

  She hadn’t been checking out his crotch all that much in the last week—though her own cheeks heated at the memory of walking in on him earlier that night and getting the lay of the land. All right, more than her cheeks heated. She had never been one to find a penis and balls all that attractive, but knowing he must have been thinking of her as he’d been lying there, working himself over… It excited her. And now, when she followed his glance downward, seeing that straining bulge excited her further. The thought of straddling him and rubbing it
between her legs flashed into her mind, but she wanted to do more than simply fling herself at him. He was being so considerate of her needs with his list—and his eagerness to follow a list—that she wanted to take her time, not simply look at him and smile.

  She slid her fingers past his ear, pushing them through his thick hair, taking pleasure in ruffling up his tidy locks. “I’m glad to know my smile has that kind of power, but I’d like to think you’ll enjoy things even more if I exert myself a little.” Val let the tablet droop into her lap and brought her other hand to his waist, pulling out his shirt so she could slip her fingers beneath it.

  “Exertion is good,” Gregor whispered, his belly shivering as she traced the lean flesh there.

  His lips drew her eye, and she found herself leaning forward, wanting another taste of that bottom one. He either read her mind or had the same thing on his, for he met her halfway, and it was her lip that found its way into his mouth. He grazed the inside with his top teeth, then sucked gently. Raw sparks of energy coursed through her body. Her earlier desire to tease faded, replaced by hot urgency and a longing to stop the play and get serious.

  She was gasping by the time they broke for air and on the verge of straddling him, taking her time be damned. “Why don’t we just figure it out as we go this time?” she asked, nuzzling his neck as she caught her breath. “I’ll work on the list later. Maybe add those diagrams that were getting you excited.” She slid both hands beneath his shirt now, letting them roam along the ridges of his abdomen, relishing the feel of his taut muscles and deciding whether she should explore farther up… or farther down. Either way, it was definitely time to start removing some clothing.

  “Oh, yes. Although…” Gregor glanced down at the tablet, forgotten in her lap. “I was getting even more excited at the idea of making my way to Number Three.” His gaze drifted the inches from the tablet to her breasts. The appreciation and almost reverence in his expression made her feel like some goddess worthy of admiration and devotion, not a freighter pilot who had never done much with her life.

  “No need to skip it then.” She paused her exploration of his body to free the buttons of her blouse. She had been thinking of removing his clothing, but she was feeling hot and restrained all of a sudden. And the way he watched her every twitch of her fingers made her even hotter. Again, reverence mingled with the eagerness on his face, as if she were peeling back a cloth to reveal bars of the purest gold. Her nipples hardened under his gaze, and she thrust herself toward him, longing for his touch. As he lifted his hand, she hurried to remove her bra, wanting nothing between her and his fingers.

  He stroked her lightly, tracing her contours and brushing his thumb across her nipples. Hot wetness stirred between her thighs. Though she longed to get back to touching him, she let her head fall back, luxuriating in his exquisite attention.

  “All these years, I dreamed of you,” Gregor whispered. “You were never so beautiful as this.”

  She thought about complimenting him back—she was certainly enjoying his body, as well—but a selfish part of her was aroused by the idea of him thinking of her and wanted to hear more about that. “Did you dream of me often?”

  He lowered his head, finding the curve of her breasts now with his tongue. “Yes,” he murmured, tracing a circle, his moist heat brushing the sensitive flesh at the base of her nipple. Moist heat of her own gathered, and she could scarcely wait to take off more of her clothing, to give him access to the rest of her. “When you were in my classes, I always struggled to make sure I looked at your eyes.” He rubbed his face between her breasts, and his hair dusted her skin, a thousand tiny pricks of pleasure. His tongue followed the curve of her flesh, and when he flicked her nipple, she almost bucked into him, the wet sensation startling her with a rush of desire. He traced the outline of her other breast with his hand, his delicate touch teasing her, making her ache for more, making her ache for him. “And since you kissed me in the freezer… I’ve barely been able to think of anything else.” This time, he caught her nipple between his teeth, nibbling and sucking.

  Val gasped, arching into him. She grabbed the back of his head with both hands, digging her fingers into his hair. He sucked and stroked with his tongue, and she leaned back onto the bed, pulling him with her, wanting to shift her legs and wrap them around him. Except she was still wearing her trousers and boots, and he was still wearing everything. She grabbed at her laces in frustration but kept the movements small, not wanting to do anything to disturb him, or stop those lips as they laved her nipples.

  Gregor chuckled, sliding her boots off easily, as he let his mouth continue to roam. She’d never gotten to Number Four on her list, but he must have known where she had been going, for when his lips left her breasts it was only to wander lower. He licked and nipped at her abdomen as he fingers slid open the fastener in her belt. She kept thinking that she should do more for him, despite his claim that he had no list of desires, but he kept distracting her. She managed to rub his scalp, hoping he enjoyed that, but mostly, she wanted to push his head lower. She lifted up eagerly when he tugged her trousers over her hips. Cool air touched her damp core, reminding her how chilly it was in the room, and she hoped he would bring the heat of his tongue down there to keep her warm. Or—she grinned like an imp as he rubbed his stubbled chin against her inner thigh—inferno hot would be good too.

  Her trousers hit the floor, and she lay naked before him, her body wet and hot and tight and eager. He paused to gaze up at her, checking to make sure she wanted more? Oh, she did. Before she had to plead with him not to stop, his thumb eased between her lips. He made a pleased sound in his throat, as if he hadn’t been sure he would find her so wet and ready. As if she hadn’t been wanting him since their first kiss.

  She gasped when he found her clitoris, gently brushing against it. She grabbed the bedspread, her fingers curling into the fur, her body arching toward him, pushing against his hand. His gentle brushes become more of a rub, and she groaned, waves of sensation running through her body. He watched her face, his eyes full of desire and… intensity too. “Did you ever think of me?”

  With her eyes crossing, Val could barely focus on his words. It was silly, but she almost felt like this was some test, and if she gave the wrong answer, he might torture her by stopping those delicious strokes. “Not back at the academy,” she whispered, her words rushed—she wanted to get to the part he would want to hear. “I thought you were handsome, but that you thought I was worthless and… you know the rest. But since the station, I started to realize, to get you…” His thumb continued to pleasure her, and she struggled to get coherent sentences out, enough to satisfy him so he would stop teasing her and give her what she ached for. “Yeah, I’ve been wanting you. If Summers hadn’t shown up in that stupid shuttle, I would have…”

  “What?” he whispered, his voice lower. He nipped at the tender flesh of her inner thigh, and all she could manage was a groan of pleasure in response. By the time his tongue slid between her lips, she had forgotten the question. Talking was too hard. She spread farther for him, wanting, yes, that was what she wanted. The long, slow strokes of his tongue, an exploration that soon had her panting. “You wanted me?” he murmured, his lips against her lips, the reverberations of his voice making her thighs tremble. His eyes gleamed as he watched her even as his tongue continued those long sensuous strokes that had her shaking with desire, pushing toward him, panting as sweat slid down her ribcage. Every time he grazed her sex, the shuddering throb that coursed through her body brought her that much closer to the edge.

  “Yes, I wanted you,” she panted, knowing he was teasing her again. She deserved it, but she could barely stand it. “If I could have gotten you out of that suit. Hell, I was probably going to hump you, anyway.” Her words came in such a jumble that she didn’t know if he’d understand, but she wanted him to know… that she understood that he wanted to know. “You’re amazing, Gregor. Wish I’d figured it out sooner.”

  He paused for
a moment, and she lifted her head, meeting his eyes, and felt a charge of electricity between them. Then, as if she’d released him from some tether, he slid both hands under her ass, cupping her and pushing her up against him. He stroked faster with his tongue, sending her back to that spot where she was dancing on the edge. His next brush with her clitoris, he lingered, drawing her into his mouth for rhythmic sucking that soon had her crying out, begging for him not to stop. She bucked into him, clawing at the fur beneath her, and with one final pulse of his lips he sent her spiraling over that edge, the explosion rivaling that of the bombs in the hangar. She collapsed back onto the bed, her muscles spent and quivering, her body and soul floating on a sublime cloud.

  Gregor lifted his head, his breathing rapid as he gazed over her body. Val felt a twinge of regret for her selfishness. She’d done so little for him thus far.

  “Take off your clothes.” She pushed herself up, grabbing his shirt and helping him remove it, even though he was already rushing to comply. She stared into his hungry eyes. “I want you in me.” The intensity in her voice, the naked truth, surprised her. “Now,” she added, almost a growl.

  He nearly fell over in his haste to tear off his boots, and she would have laughed, but she was too busy kissing him. His mouth, his ear, his neck, those magnificent shoulders that were finally bare. She nipped at his warm skin, rubbing and raking her nails across the corded contours of his back, savoring her exploration and hoping he was enjoying it, as well. When her fingers brushed over a bruise, one of several on his back, thanks to that fall in the hangar, she lightened her touch, overcome with a sense of caring and protectiveness, wanting to make sure she didn’t cause him discomfort.