by MK Mancos
“I did it for you.”
Though his motives might be selfish, his heart was in the right place. Hers, however, had taken flight.
“Aramis will speak to the Council and they’ll take precautions.” She moved closer to him. “You’ve given them time.”
“I suppose there is that. But there’s always the possibility the other Titans will side with her in this.”
“You’ve been in that position before and come out on top.”
He backed her up to the house, pressing her between his hard body and heavy oak door. “Let me come in.” He nuzzled the sensitive place behind her ear. “You smell and feel so good.”
Lucilla knew inviting him in would result in only one outcome—they’d end up in bed. But she’d only agreed to a date, not to an affair.
As Jager continued to kiss a line down her throat, her resistance fled. His large hands rubbed her back, moving low enough to skim over the curve of her bottom. He pulled her closer. The ridge of his erection ground into her, right under her breast. Goddess, but he was a tall cauldron of brew. He thrust his hips slowly forward, moving between her cleavage. He moaned.
This had gone too far for a goodnight kiss.
He pulled back, breath puffing the hair around her face. “Tell me it isn’t serious between you and Blacktalon.”
“I hardly know the man. He’s friends with my Aunt Rebekah.”
He sent a long finger to trace her brow, cheeks and mouth. “You two looked pretty friendly.”
“He’s a nice man. A good man. I think I can match him with someone from my agency.”
Jager gave a throaty laugh. “So you see him as a potential client, not a lover?”
“I see everyone as a potential client. It’s one of the keys to my success.” Lucilla gazed into his eyes. His were full of smoldering desire.
How long had she waited to know the potent pull of a man’s passion?
“Let me come inside.” This time the request came out as a rough plea.
Oh, who was she kidding? She wanted nothing more than to ride him like a broomstick on a full moon.
She turned in the circle of his embrace to unlock the door. Jager’s arms came around her waist. His mouth descended on her shoulder.
Why did it take so long to unlock a door? Her fingers didn’t to want to perform the mundane task. All they wanted to do was turn and begin ripping Jager’s expensive suit from his hard Titan body.
“Having problems?”
“Yes, and you aren’t helping.”
Jager placed his hand on hers. “Allow me.”
They made it into the house, but stalled on the stairs. With arms and legs tangled, it was hard to navigate. Lucilla landed on her bottom. Jager followed her down.
“Are you all right?” It seemed a compulsory question since Jager never slowed in his removal of her clothing to pay attention to her answer.
Lucilla didn’t mind. Her hands were full of his jacket where she’d jerked it down his arms.
He moved off her only long enough to yank it off the rest of the way then gathered her close. His mouth opened on hers. His tongue invaded and retreated, moving against hers in sinuous motion.
Was it possible to have an orgasm from kissing alone? If so, she lay on the very brink. What Jager could do with his lips should have been illegal in all fifty states and most territories.
With their mouths connected, he unzipped her dress, sliding it down until her breasts were exposed to the heat of his body. The soft fabric of his shirt brushed against her distended nipples.
“Beautiful,” he murmured then took one of them into his mouth.
Desire pooled in her belly. Jager used teeth and lips to stoke her higher, until at last she trembled.
With a jerk, he was off her and standing. He picked her up as if she weighed nothing and carried her up the stairs.
“Where is your bedroom?”
“End of the hall.”
If his legs weren’t so long, he would have been in an all-out sprint getting her to the bed. Once there, he laid her down and then stepped back, as if to admire the view. A devilish smile played along the corner of his wide sensuous mouth. His gaze drank her in as if he were dying of thirst.
Self-consciously, Lucilla began to tug her dress back up to cover her exposed breasts.
Jager shook his head. “No. Don’t cover yourself.”
She twirled her hand helplessly in front of her. “Then you have to lose your shirt. I’m not lying here topless all by myself.”
“No. We wouldn’t want that.” He unbuttoned his shirt then slowly shed it.
Goddess, how she wished she’d turned on the central stereo system before coming up here. Somehow she’d gotten a vision into her head of Jager stripping for her to Santana’s “Black Magic Woman”. Not that she knew anyone who practiced the dark side of the craft. The song just stuck in her head.
Even without the music, Jager’s naked chest was an event worthy of applause. Her palms tickled in anticipation of touching that bronze expanse of muscular flesh.
He let the cotton slide off his shoulders. The man was a huge tease. And judging from the way he was working it, he was enjoying putting on the show immensely. His eyes sparkled with mischief.
Who’d have thought Jager Cronus was playful in bed? He’d always seemed so damned serious to her.
His shirt dropped to the floor with a final flourish. “Now it’s your turn. Shimmy out of that dress.”
Oh, hell, she should have known it was going to be tit for tat.
The hard part was struggling the rest of the way out of a sheath dress that fit like a second skin. Sexy was the last word that came to mind. She’d probably look like a fish trying to scale itself.
She took in a deep breath, holding in her stomach, and leaned against the ornate headboard. Tilting her pelvis up, she slipped the dress over her hips. Jager leaned over and tugged the fabric down her legs. She lay there in nothing more than a scrap of black lace and seed pearls.
“Those are some kind of panties, Lucilla.”
“I thought I’d dress for the occasion.”
He started onto the bed with his knee. Lucilla raised a finger and waved it at him. “This is a no pants zone.”
“Well, in that case.”
The dropping of trou was done with less finesse than the shirt. The evidence as to why shone through the silky fabric of his boxers.
Lucilla heard herself gulp audibly.
What had she gotten herself into with this man? Sure he was a Titan, and by definition he had to be big. But saying Jager was well-endowed was like saying the Golden Gate was a footbridge or Niagara Falls had a little water problem.
“Is that fear I see in your eyes?” The concern in his voice touched her. So did the hand he ran up her leg, right to the inside of her thigh.
“Apprehension. Fear is not in my vocabulary.”
“Glad to hear it.” He stretched out beside her, his hand making lazy swirls over the front of her decorative panties.
Her breath caught as his fingers moved lower and lower toward that achy place deep inside her.
It occurred to her that she lay on the bed with her arms at her sides, letting him feel her up, when she had all that gorgeous maleness within reach that she hadn’t even begun to explore yet. By rights she should be taking advantage of the opportunity before her and drive Jager right out of his ever-loving mind. It wasn’t as if she were an untried virgin. She’d had lovers.
Well, a few. Some. Not many. All right, she didn’t have that much experience, but she had enough and she had a very fertile imagination.
She rolled onto her side, facing him. How would he react if she did the same thing to his boxers as he’d done to her panties? Probably come unglued at the seams.
Lucilla started at the top of his chest, feeling the ripple of muscles and bone across his front. He was smooth, but tough. It was an odd combination she had a hard time defining. But oh, so masculine.
He had no hair o
n his chest. She’d always loved a hairy chest, but for some reason, on Jager she didn’t miss it. He was perfection. Like a statue she’d once seen in a museum. All smooth, defined and perfect. His skin felt hot to the touch. Burning.
She ran her hand down his pecs, grazing her nails over his nipples.
He sucked in a breath, releasing it on a pleasured sound.
She flattened her hand and moved it down his stomach, heading for the gold.
Just as her hand reached its goal, she looked up into his face. His eyes were dark pools of desire. His jaw clamped tightly as if he held back strong emotion.
When she wrapped her hand around his silk-clad erection, he lost control.
Lucilla ended up underneath him, her panties hanging off the bedside lamp, his big body on and in her.
She’d been wrong to be apprehensive. It was amazing.
He touched her everywhere at once. There wasn’t a part of her sensitized flesh neglected as he thrust into her. She lifted her legs to rest high on his hips. His big hand held her in place. Their mouths collided in a kiss so deep and tender, her back arched in response.
How was she ever going to get close enough to him? If she lived inside his skin, it wouldn’t be close enough for her.
“Look at me, Lucilla,” he murmured, tearing his mouth from hers.
Her lashes fluttered open to gaze into his eyes.
“Yes, like that, my love.” He thrust deeper, harder, hitting that special place that shattered her on impact.
“Jager.” The sound of her voice surprised her. It was raw, desperate. Hot. It was a cry for mercy and a plea for more.
“I’m here. Always.” And he followed her down into the most carnal orgasm ever.
Chapter Nine
The first thing Jager noticed upon waking was that he felt like Gulliver sleeping in a Lilliputian bed. The second was the soft female body pressed close to his. Snoring.
He smiled. Lucilla would be so embarrassed if she knew she snored.
It wasn’t bad when measured on the Snore-a-Tron scale. No, on the contrary, it was kind of girly. If a snore could be considered such a thing.
All the gorgeous hair of hers had come down when they’d made love. It curled around her shoulders and down her back. Godiva hair. How in the world did she ever get all that pinned up into those tight bun things she wore? And she claimed to not have any magic.
She gave one last snort and woke. Her brows came down into a sharp “V”. “You snore.”
It was useless to hold back his incredulous laugh. “I do? That was your snorking that woke you. I was already awake.”
“If you’re awake, why isn’t the coffee made? Chop. Chop. I run a tight ship here, sailor.”
Instead of hopping to, Jager gathered her into his arms. “I’d rather have morning-after sex with the woman I love.”
Lucilla looked around. “Is she here? Tell her to go make the coffee then.”
“You’re a grump in the mornings. Cute. Deliciously disheveled. But grumpy.”
Somewhere in the depths of the big house, a phone rang.
“No,” Lucilla whined and slid under the covers, pulling them up over her head.
“Do you want me to answer that?”
“No.” She snuggled back into the curve of his groin. “Stay here.”
She didn’t need to ask him twice. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her to his chest.
“What is on the agenda today?” he whispered in her ear.
“Sleep.”
“How about I get dressed and get us some breakfast. When you’re more awake we’ll decide.”
“Coffee.” The word ended on another snore. And she was out.
So his perfect woman had two little faults. He could work with them. After she woke up and got going, she was the most charming person he’d met in a very long time. Her bedroom skills were unparallel. Another point in her favor.
Jager gathered his clothes and helped himself to her shower. All her soaps smelled of some kind of flowers. He used them anyhow, but rinsed twice. How embarrassing was it to be the former God of your own religion and go around smelling like you just stepped off an episode of Queer Eye? The only way to wear a flowered scent like a man was to have it put there by a hot woman rubbing up against you. At least that’s the way he saw it.
When he went outside, Zeus had his behind parked on the hood of Jager’s car. “That was one long-ass date, Dad.”
“You jealous?”
He raised his brows over the tops of his sunglasses. “She’s definitely hot stuff, but is it ethical to sleep with your matchmaker?”
“Is it ethical to overthrow your father and steal his heavenly throne?” Yes, the rebuttal was a bit childish and Jager, by rights, should have been over it millennia ago, but he had a hard time dealing with the betrayal by his own son.
Zeus hopped down off the car. “I told you I’m sorry. What do you want from me?”
“I should be asking you that. Why have you brought yourself all the way out here?”
“There have been some developments since last night.” Zeus walked around to the passenger side as Jager hit the remote locks. “I’ll tell you while we roll.”
“I’m going to get breakfast for Lucilla and myself and then I’m coming back here to enjoy it in her company. You may talk while I get the food, but after that you’re on your own.”
“Fair enough.”
Jager got into the car and started the engine. He turned to his son seated next to him. “This isn’t going to become a habit with you, is it?”
“What?”
“You showing up at mealtimes.”
He shrugged wide shoulders. “A guy’s gotta eat.”
They drove across town to a bakery that made the best bagels in all of Sleepy Hollow Woods. He had them made into breakfast sandwiches and bought some extra-large coffees. Two for Lucilla.
“Here, make yourself useful.” Jager handed the to-go bag and coffee holder to Zeus when they got into the car. “Did you really want to talk to me about the latest developments or were you just trying to get me to buy your morning meal?”
Zeus steadied the bag with one hand and ate with the other. “No. I have genuine news.”
“Let’s hear it then.” It was hell being held hostage for a sausage and egg bagel.
“At least one of the other paraspecies is going to side with Mom. I heard her discussing it on the phone after I left your place last night.”
The knowledge left a big hole in Jager’s gut. He doubted he’d be able to eat now. “Change in plans.” He hung a U-turn and started back to Lucilla’s place. “You’re going to sit and tell Lucilla and me everything you heard.”
Lucilla heard the front door open and voices in the entranceway. One was definitely Jager, but the other she didn’t recognize. She’d just finished her shower and dressed. Her wet hair was pulled back and piled up in a claw clip.
She shoved her feet into a pair of wedge shoes and headed down the stairs. When she moved, reminders of the night before’s bedroom gymnastics made themselves known in the form of muscle cramps. Damn, it had been way too long since she’d indulged. Much too long.
She found Jager in the kitchen, sitting at the table with a man who looked in his late-twenties to early-thirties. He had that just-off-the-beach look to him, other than the overdose of product in his hair that looked more like skateboard culture or Dragon Ball Z.
Jager stood when she entered the room. The young man let out a sigh and followed suit, acting like it was an imposition on his personal style to show good manners.
“Good morning,” Lucilla said.
“You’re much more awake than when I left.” Jager reached over and grabbed her hand, pulling her to him. He leaned over and kissed her tenderly.
“The thought of breakfast and coffee will do that to a girl.” She glanced at the bag. “What did you bring?”
“Coffee, sandwiches and Zeus.”
Lucilla gave the man a closer look. So thi
s was the man who’d dared wrestle heaven from his father and sided with his mother in the conflict? Punk.
But that still didn’t explain his presence at her kitchen table.
“He has some information about the coup.” Jager pulled out a chair for her. “You might need to sit down for this.”
“That bad, huh?”
“Well, it ain’t good.” He took a place next to her then turned to Zeus. “Tell her what you told me.”
“My mother is negotiating with another of the paraspecies to side with the Titans. I think she might be going for broke on this one.” He lifted his coffee and took a sip.
Lucilla glanced back at Jager for confirmation.
He gave a slight shrug. “We have to narrow down which group is politically motivated enough to want to see the Witches Council fall.”
Lucilla had no idea. The Council had always run the affairs of the Paras. Why did the others want to change the order of things? Not that the Witches Council had a corner on the market of government. There was enough room for all of them to have representatives.
“Do you think we should open negotiations and set up a multi-species consortium? Maybe Rhea just wants the Titan voices heard.” From what she knew of Rhea, that was as unlikely as a Para being allowed to run for president.
Zeus gave her a look as if to say “get a grip”. “My mother wants all or nothing, though I do like your idea.”
Jager turned to her. “You deal with the gamut of Parakind. Ever caught an undercurrent that would suggest one group might be inclined to go against the Council?”
“Well, if they were, they wouldn’t be likely to tell me.” She picked up one of the unopened coffees and lifted the lid. Black and hot. She needed to blond it up a bit or it would never be drinkable.
“Maybe they did and you just don’t remember. A gesture. A refusal to date someone different—”
Lucilla cut him off. “You’re the only one in the last six months who’s refused a date. Most of my clients are looking for a long-term commitment and are willing to give their dates a chance.”
A sensual gleam came into Jager’s eyes. “If you would have matched us from the beginning, I wouldn’t have refused you a thing.”
