by JoAnna Grace
“Christophe, Princess. I really should go.”
“No.” More power hit him. “You should stay, Christophe.”
“It is inappropriate for me to remain here with you only clad in a towel, Princess. It disrespects you and puts me in a compromising position. I am a married man.”
Ooh! Even better! This couldn’t get any easier. “Christophe, do you know that when a member of the royal family demands you to sit, to refuse is a personal insult? You don’t want to offend a Princess, do you?”
Christophe swallowed hard. She had him. “No. I do not.”
“Then sit,” Salina demanded. By now she was streaming things into his mind. It was only a matter of keeping him slightly distracted by conversation so that he wouldn’t notice. “Tell me about your wife? Do you have children?”
As Christophe spoke of his wife and three children, Salina began to mentally seduce him. Images of her naked body flashed into his brain. The man deserved some credit, he was quickly making the images disappear, feeling complete guilt that he even allowed himself to think that way. It would make her victory even sweeter.
“And why is such an attractive man like you at the Palace at this hour, not home with your wife?”
“I was working. Decided to take a break.”
“What are you working on?” She picked up her long mane, pulled it off her shoulders and sent him an image of kissing her neck.
“It’s confidential,” he spit out. “I should get back to work. Good night.” He rose again and Salina panicked. She couldn’t lose him. Pushing a level of telepathy and mind control at him that had put many men at her feet, she controlled his strings like a master puppeteer.
She stood in front of him, smiling. Using her powers to make others bend to her will was a sort of seduction for her. But when it came down to it, once she blocked Christophe’s inhibitions and conscience, he was a man. There wasn’t a man on earth who could resist a naked goddess in front of them. Dropping the robe, she soaked in how he looked at her body. Salina was every man’s dream and she knew it. Her bountiful chest alone could drive a man insane. And she used it unashamedly.
Remove your towel, she commanded him mentally. Christophe removed his towel, revealing a hearty erection. Grab me. Bring me to your waist. Take control.
Obeying her commands, he pulled her onto his lap with his strength. This was definitely a perk of the job and now she owned his soul. Not caring about the wife or the kids who would cry about him being unfaithful, Salina took him. The moment he released his seed into her, she dropped all the magic, letting the reality of what had happened hit the mild mannered scientist like a ton of bricks. He panted, groaning as he held the woman in his arms close.
“Theresa,” he said his wife’s name with ecstasy.
“Not even close,” she sneered.
Yanking her back by her hair, Christophe looked up at her with confused, fear-filled eyes. “What in the name of the gods happened?” He surveyed his surroundings like he had awoken from a nightmare. Salina straddled him, his body still connected with hers in the most intimate of ways. “What have you done?” He pushed her off him onto the floor.
“What have I done? What have you done?” Salina put on her bathrobe and sneered at him. “I wonder what Theresa would think if she knew that you defiled a Princess?”
“You can’t do this!” he said, standing and covering himself. The shame and terror of his expression was fuel to her sadistic fire.
“Now, Christophe, if I begin to cry and scream that you overpowered me, would they believe you? Especially seeing as how your seed is now inside of me? That’s rather incriminating evidence, don’t you think?”
“What do you want?” he asked. “You must have a motive for your actions.”
“I want information. Unless you want to face rape charges from a Princess, you will give it to me.” Knowing she had her prey backed into the corner, she went in for the kill. “Tell me about Avery’s tests.”
SOMEWHERE BETWEEN DON Lockwood singing in the rain and Kathy Selden doing voiceovers for Lina Lamont, Avery was feeling mighty fine. She lay in front of Ryse, spooned with him curled close behind her. One naked shoulder shuddered under his lips, his hand rubbing up and down her arm. If he had kissed her once, he had kissed her a thousand times up and down the length of her shoulder and neck.
“You’re not even watching the movie,” she whispered as she angled her neck for better access. Feeling his smile made her skin tingle.
“Sorry, you are very distracting.” Nudging her ear with his nose, he moved even closer. The ring on her left hand shined brightly as he raised it into the moonlight. “I think I like my ring on you.”
“So possessive,” she giggled.
“Very. I’d like to see other markers of mine on you.”
She rolled back so she could look up at him. “You mean your brand?”
“I know that some women don’t care for tattoos. Where I want to put it, it’s not exactly a place where you could hide it from yourself. You would have to look at it every day.”
With a smirk on her face, she put her right arm behind her head. “It will look like yours, right?” He nodded once. “Above my heart?” Another nod. “And I can wear clothes like this to show it off?” A grin and a nod. “I don’t see the negative side of this unless it’s gonna be excruciatingly painful.”
He wiped a strand of wild hair from her cheek. “It’s going to hurt, love. Unlike a human tattoo, this one will only sting for a moment then the pain is gone.”
“Needles?”
“No needles. All it takes is this.” He held up his hand. She looked at him incredulously. “Are you ready for that?”
It was a question that she had already answered, but there was this ping of uncertainty that came out of nowhere. How could she fear this? Ryse had promised her forever for heaven’s sake. “I wear your ring, might as well.” She had a thought. “Can I wear your brand if I am not blood bound to you?”
“Well, the ring is more to please the human side of you, my love. Taking my mark begins the process. It’s usually the first step. Making love to you completes it.”
…Making love to you…
Those words, those sweet words. Amazing how shadowed fear of the past is scattered in the light of his promises and commitment. “Do it.”
Ryse placed his hand, palm down, above the curve of her left breast. Avery couldn’t help but wonder if Nikki had picked this dress because of its lack of material right in this location.
“Though I give you this mark, and you give me your loyalty, it is the gods that you are truly bound to. You are promising to uphold their will by joining in a lifelong union with me as my wife. In return, I also vow the same loyalty and commitment to you. Do you swear?”
She looked up into his eyes and knew with every fiber of her being this was the right thing to do. “I swear.”
“So shall it be.” Under his hand, her skin tingled. The tingle soon turned into a burning sensation. As hard as she tried not to think of the cattle they used to brand back in Texas, there were such similarities she couldn’t help but wonder if this was how it felt. Ryse’s eyes glowed with the light she had seen emanate from him that morning in the arena. It was the power of the gods using him as a vessel for their works. His hand glowed with the same light and the burning became nearly unbearable. She turned her head and bit down into her fist to keep from crying out. Every Thracian who served Ryse directly had to be marked like this, she knew. Avery wasn’t the first, nor was she the last person to have to deal with this kind of pain. But dang, it hurt! And it didn’t damage her pride not one bit to admit it.
It only took a minute for the brand to be tattooed in her. It was the longest minute of her life as the fire snaked around her skin to create the design. Only when she felt Ryse’s hand begin to cool did she dare look at him. The holy glow of his eyes faded leaving him blinking and finally the sweet chocolate she loved so much was staring at her.
“Are you okay,
baby?” he asked, wiping the tears she hadn’t even realized had come.
Nodding her head in an outright lie, she allowed Ryse to pull her into a sitting position. For a second, she saw stars and thought she might be sick. The haze quickly cleared and she shook it off. Ryse offered her another glass of wine. “Does it still burn?” he asked, touching the skin around the brand.
“Only a little.” The look in his eyes made her come to a halt. “What is it?”
He was studying the tattoo that seemed to still be forming on her breast. When she looked down, she could see what confused him. The tattoo was much like Ryse’s. An ornate sword decorated with swirls and curves that was both elegant and mighty.
That’s where the similarities ended. Growing out of the sword was some sort of new design. “What is it?” she asked.
“I’m not certain yet. Often it takes up to an hour for the forms to solidify.” He looked up at her and drew breath. “We shall wait and see, my love.”
Avery took in the features of his face. They never failed to stun her. The feel of his skin, a bronze that glowed with healthy vitality, was smooth and silky under her fingertips.
“Have I told you how very handsome you look this evening?” One side of his lips pulled back, but he said nothing. “I didn’t think it was possible for you to look any better, and yet you surprise me all the time.”
“I could say the same.” He arched his knee on the back of the sofa, the other leg hanging down to the patio. Avery found herself positioned between his legs, and moving closer, she leaned to press her lips to his. Gripping a hand full of her hair, Ryse held her tight, consuming her mouth. He reclined back into the pillows and brought her on top of him.
If there was one thing Avery could do every minute of every day for the rest of eternity, it was kiss Ryse. The smell of him alone was beyond satisfying, and his taste was downright euphoric. She licked out her tongue along his neck and reveled in the taste of his skin. The low growl that came from his throat let her know that she had done something right. Two hands gripped her shoulders. Pulling back, she looked down into his eyes. “What’s wrong?”
“If you keep this up,” he said, his voice dropped low and raspy. “I’ll not be able to stop. You have no idea how badly I want you right now.”
Avery moved her hips, slightly rubbing against the rigid form that pressed against her stomach. “Oh, I have a pretty good idea.”
Ryse took in a hiss of breath between his teeth. “Avery,” he moaned. “You shouldn’t tease the animals.”
“Will they bite?”
In one quick motion, Ryse had her naked neck bared and his mouth to her pulse. His teeth grazed her skin and it sent a quiver of electricity straight to the flesh under her panties. He pulled her left leg up, and a warm, large hand slid under the stretchy blue fabric of her dress to grip her thigh.
No more fears. No more nightmares about being taken advantage of or hurt. Ryse would never hurt her, never push her too far, and never try to quiet her if she told him no. Even now, in this passionate momentum they had started, she could throw on the brakes and he would respect her wishes.
There was no stopping tonight. Avery wanted to feel him, all of him. She wanted to experience the warmth of his skin naked and moving against her own. Now that she could sense his aura, his desires were amplified in her mind. He wanted her desperately. The need to show her the depth of his love was an overpowering wave of seduction.
“Last chance to stop.” Hot, heavy breath against her skin.
“No stopping.” Words said in between nibbling on his ear. “I love you. I’m yours. In every way.”
He stopped to grip the sides of her face and make her look him in the eyes. “We don’t have to rush this. Are you sure?” Now his aura conveyed his own insecurities.
“Don’t you want me?” Avery asked, reading into the ripples of hesitancy.
“Gods yes!” He nearly laughed at the absurdity of the question. “But I don’t want you to look back and think you didn’t have a choice or it was too fast or—”
“Ryse,” she said, pressing one finger to his mouth. “No fears. No regrets. My decision is yes.” Taking his mouth again, she relaxed and let the sexually deprived woman inside of her take over. That woman wanted Ryse out of his shirt. Now.
NIKKI STUDIED HER hand of cards. Horrible. Knocking from under the table added to her irritation. “DANTE, IF YOU don’t quit tapping your foot on the leg of the table, I’m going to slap you.” She picking up a card and making it the one she needed with her magic.
“Sorry. I’m just on edge.” He laid down a card.
“What’s up?” Brenden tried to sneak a peek at Nikki’s cards. She thumped him on his forehead. He rubbed it and scowled at her.
“Something isn’t right.”
When Dante said those words, Brenden was on his feet in a millisecond and Nikki’s heart froze.
“Tell me,” Brenden demanded.
“I don’t know. But my premonitions are rarely wrong.”
NEVER IN ALL his years had Ryse wanted something or someone so desperately. Avery’s arousal was sweet perfume to his senses. He wanted to show her what sex could be, what lovemaking was supposed to feel like.
His strong-willed woman said that she was ready for this. The brain between his legs wanted to take that word at face value until she lay limp in his arms, ruined for any other man and begging for mercy. Thoughts of passion swam inside his mind.
The brain sitting on his shoulders still remembered the broken woman he had bathed in the safe house. He remembered the way she stared into the air, looking at nothing. Her mind had been in such shock, so ripped apart that she hadn’t even fought him when he tended to her. Never again did he want to see her in that condition. Walking around with a raging case of sexual frustration was a small price to pay to make sure that nothing broke her again.
Instead of diving in head first, he took it slow, and let her lead. Right then, she was leading him to be shirtless. He held his breath as two luscious lips explored his bare chest. When she pushed the shirt back, he sat up and let her guide it down his arms and off. She sat back and her eyes perused over the expanse of naked flesh. The swear word that she muttered under her breath was in obvious appreciation. Even the least vain man in the world would have taken that to heart, letting it fuel his ego for all eternity. Until this tiny Texas girl came into his life, he wouldn’t have given a second thought to his own physique. But now he would do anything to keep that hunger in her eyes.
“My turn.” He slipped one finger in the curved neckline of her dress and ran his finger over her new tattoo. When Ryse put his lips on her, she thrust her hands into his hair. Avery was a delicious treat to his palate.
In his haze of sensations, he nearly missed the sound of a vehicle speeding down the road.
Nearly.
A SUV he recognized as one of his own came to a skidding halt. He and Avery were hidden in the canvas tent over the couch, but he still whispered for her to adjust her clothing.
“This better be a goddamned emergency,” she said, fixing her dress. Ryse slipped on his shirt and stood to adjust himself. Deep breaths of cool night air filled his lungs as he tried to reign in the aroused man and let the pissed Thracian take over.
“They wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t. I gave very strict orders,” he growled. If those orders were disobeyed for anything less than a catastrophic event, there would be hell to pay, and it would be paid in blood. He asked Avery to wait under the tent while he walked out to meet the unwelcome party.
Yankee rattled off apologies. “Get to it!” Ryse yelled, his mood taking a serious dive south.
“There’s a situation.”
They drove up to the Palace in record time; Ryse burst out of the car and made his way to Avery’s suite. Whatever had happened, Yankee didn’t want to talk about it in front of her. But his Princess was hot on his heels as they sprinted down the corridor.
“Move!” he yelled at the people who had ga
thered in front of the large wooden doors leading to their suite. They parted and ducked out of his path. Cutter was standing guard by the door and spoke in his native tongue so Avery wouldn’t understand.
“She shouldn’t see this.”
Ryse nodded then turned to Avery. “Stay here with Cutter until I know what has happened.”
The scene inside was pure chaos. General Falcon had a team of techs checking over every inch for evidence of the intruder. Philippe was crouched over something on the floor along with Hayden and a man in a lab coat. Across the room Hammon, Brenden and Nikki were talking. When Ryse walked in, they came to him.
“What happened?” he asked his right hand man.
“Someone has poisoned the dogs. Dante is out right now with a team rounding up everyone who has had access to them in the last forty-eight hours.”
“Dante sensed it.” Brenden took over the recollection. “We were playing cards downstairs; there was one guard in the suite with the dogs. When we arrived here, we found…”
Hammon finished for him, “Master, this poison has made the animals…odious. The Lady does not need to witness this.”
Odious? Ryse approached the two German shepherds and found out exactly what he meant. Both the animals had gaping holes in their chests where their tissue had been eaten away. Their other organs and bones were all exposed. Their life’s blood spilled onto the floor. The gruesome scene was all too familiar to Ryse. He’d seen this kind of damage before when Andreas, his first Elite, had been murdered. A cold chill went up his spine. No, Avery did not need to see this.
Philippe rose to his feet, holding a vial. He handed it to Hayden and then spoke to his Master in Italian. “We have isolated some of the poison from the blood of the canines. Christophe is going to analyze it to see where it might have come from. I concluded it was ingested in their food. Their stomach seems to be the source of the spreading.”
