by Jaymin Eve
“You’re perfect,” he said under his breath. And then he added, so low I almost didn’t hear him, “Of course you are.”
I wasn’t sure what he meant by that, but I did like that he was as attracted to me as I was to him. When he reached out and linked his fingers through mine on my scarred hand, I started to think I was in way over my head. There was no way to remain impartial to someone like Xander.
In desperate need, I leaned forward. Xander rose up to meet me in a searing kiss. I opened my mouth, allowing his tongue to sweep against mine, and we moved frantically together, underwear the only thing keeping our bodies from joining.
When Xander pulled away from me, my breathing was heavy. “Please tell me you have condoms,” I huffed, as I pulled my hand from his so I could thread my fingers through his hair.
He groaned as I pulled his head closer to mine. “Xander?” I asked, more demand in my tone. “Protection … do you have some?”
He shook his head. “Fuck. No, I don’t. We don’t require the same sort of birth control that humans use.”
I stilled against him, my body aching. The last thing either of us needed was a child to deal with. That would really hurt the “friends with benefits” arrangement. We stared at each other for an extended moment, unsure what to do next, then his expression brightened. “Wait, Lexen might. I’ll check his room. Don’t go anywhere.”
In a flash, he lifted me up and then he was gone. With a groan, I rolled facedown, closed my eyes, and screamed into the bed, the sound almost completely muffled. I was so damn turned on right then I couldn’t think straight.
Strong arms lifting and turning me had my eyes flying open again. Xander wore a satisfied look on his face as he settled me back onto his lap. “We good?” I asked him.
His smiled broadened. “We’re good for five rounds. Do you think that’ll be enough?”
I laughed, wondering where this bold, sexy side of me had come from. I’d never been this way in the past, but something about Xander….
“For now,” I replied.
His eyes went dark and hooded. He dropped the foil packets on the bed, reached out, and cupped my face. My lips parted and all breath rushed out of me as he leaned forward and kissed me again. This time it was controlled, slow. I could feel the softness of his full lips and taste the slight saltiness.
“I’m predicting that sex with you might just kill me,” he said, when he pulled away.
I lifted an eyebrow. “Only one way to find out.”
In a flash he flipped me over, dropping me back on the bed so he could crawl over the top of me. His lips pressed into my stomach, and my muscles there tensed as I started to move on the bed. I couldn’t seem to stay still. I needed … everything.
“God,” I gasped, fisting the bedsheets as he moved lower.
Using his teeth, he slowly pulled my underwear down, his hands under my butt to lift me higher. My head was spinning. I wondered if you could actually die from pleasure overload. Every part of my skin was on fire, sensitive to the point where the bed felt like it was sparking energy across my body.
When my underwear was gone, Xander returned to exploring my body, taking his time as he touched me, moving his tongue over me. “I need…,” I begged.
“You need…,” he repeated, lifting his head up.
“More,” I gasped out. “I need more. Now.”
He tilted his head to the side and his beautiful eyes shone. “All you had to do was ask, Avalon.”
He reached for the protection, and somehow got naked and put the condom on in the same single movement. For someone who didn’t normally need to use protection, he was skilled at getting it on. He moved over the top of me again, and I reached out to wrap my arms around him. As he lowered down toward me, my legs wrapped around him too.
“I’m really liking the 'benefits' part of this arrangement,” I murmured as he slowly entered me. So slowly that it was almost like torture. The sort of torture I would sign myself up for anyday.
“I got you, Avalon,” he murmured, his lips already moving across my throat as his body moved inside of mine. “You will never leave my bed unsatisfied.”
As another gasp left me, I knew that every word he spoke was the truth. As long as I could continue to protect my heart, I was in safe hands with Xander.
12
It turned out that five was the exact right number of condoms needed to satisfy Xander. And … if I was being truly honest, me as well. By the end I was exhausted and fulfilled in a way I’d never been before. Daelighters had a lot more stamina than human males, that I could attest to. I’d only been with a few guys before Xander, of course. The ocean was a much bigger priority to me than sex, but the difference was very clear.
“Come on,” Xander said, after we’d finished session five—both of us crashed out on the bed, covered in sweat, breathing heavy. “I think it’s time for us to clean up.”
I groaned, trying to lift my hand up to cover my eyes, but not having the strength to move it. “Too tired,” I mumbled at him. “Dead.”
He laughed, this low intoxicating rumble, and my insides tightened. Holy shit. It was like my body had been trained. In half a damn day. Trained to respond to his husky voice.
Before I could hurt myself with all that thinking, I was lifted up and thrown over his shoulder. Gently. But my breath still whooshed out because I wasn’t ready for it.
Xander slapped a hand on my ass, holding me in place as he walked toward the bathroom. “You need water,” he said, moving with graceful strides.
From my current position, I was staring at his perfect ass. Firm, with the long lines of his thighs flashing beneath as he walked. Jesus. Maybe I’d just stay here for a few hours.
His hand on my butt started to move slowly up and down. I groaned. “No more. We don’t have any more condoms. So … control yourself.”
He laughed again. “Easier said than done when you’re naked across me like this.”
I huffed. “You threw me across you, and … just shut up.”
His entire body shook as his laughter rocked through us. I realized that up until this point I’d barely heard him even chuckle. He had been so closed off when I first saw him … so angry. I wondered if his attitude problem back then had been about me, an expression of his annoyance at being “forced” into a relationship by the fates, or if there was more going on in his life, more that weighed on his mind.
I wanted to ask him. I was a naturally curious person, but something told me that question might destroy the very fragile peace we were currently experiencing together. I was not ready to go back to Asshole Xander yet.
Xander paused, then there was a light jolt as he stepped down. I couldn’t see anything, but warm water washed over my legs. My body went even more blissed out as warmth surrounded me.
“Arghhh, sofreakinggood,” I mumbled, when he lowered us. My words cut off as our heads went under the water.
The bath had to be massive, because as he released me I could spread myself out and still not touch the sides. It was also at least six feet deep from what I could see below.
As I floated on the top, facedown, Xander’s face came into clear view underneath. He was lying back on the bottom of the bath. I let my eyes rove down the length of him, greedily drinking in every naked inch. He pursed his lips, and I knew what was coming now. The exprendo channel. The bubble crashed into my face.
“You need to stop looking at me like that,” he growled, the moment the water drained from around my face. “Otherwise, we’re going to play the pull-out game.”
I snort-laughed, because he was so damn confident. “I don’t play games when it comes to diseases and babies,” I shot back at him.
I moved closer to him and the bubble around my head popped. As I brushed against him, he reached out and pulled me down, blowing another bubble out at the same time.
“I would never put you at risk” was the first thing he said. “There are no diseases you need to worry about from me.”
He moved under me and I groaned, my legs winding around his waist. “Pregnancy … still a possibility. A very small possibility because we don’t know if we’re that compatible. In truth, Royales do not view offspring the same way as a lot of other houses, but overlord children are different. Because of the royal bloodline, they stay with their family. I would not object to having a child with you, if you’d like to share that responsibility with me.”
I froze then, trying to see his expression through the bubbles. That was the only thing I disliked about the exprendo channels—they distorted my underwater vision.
“I was created by two parents who didn’t really love me,” I said slowly. “Or each other, from what I could tell. If I ever have a child, I want it to be with someone I plan to love for the rest of my life. And considering my life now looks like it might be indefinite, that would be a rare find indeed.”
I hadn’t, until this moment, stopped to think about the real consequences of living forever. I could love a human. But even if I found someone I could trust with this secret, I’d only be able to love them for a short speck of my life before they grew old and died. I wasn’t sure my heart could handle that.
“What are you thinking?” Xander asked, sounding somber.
“I’m not a Daelighter,” I whispered, “but I’m also not human. I don’t fit in anywhere. I’ve been alone most of my life … and I can’t see how that is going to change for the rest of eternity.”
He was silent for a beat. I liked that he didn’t just rush in to offer me false platitudes. My situation was unique—well, not completely unique. All secret keepers were in the same position. It was okay for Emma, Maya, and Callie, though. They had their soulmates who would live forever as well.
But not for me.
In my panic, words tumbled out of my mouth. “I want a family. I want that sort of bond and life. In this regard, I’m much more human than Royale, because you said Royales don’t do that. I can’t be with a human because I can’t watch someone I love age and die.” One more thing occurred to me. “I suppose … I suppose I could try to find a partner in one of the other Houses.”
There was a long pause before he said, “Firstly, if you found a human that you wanted to marry, you could give them some of our food. This could extend their life many hundreds of years, if eaten regularly.”
Say what? That information should have made me feel a lot better, but it didn’t.
“And secondly, why are you stressing about this right now? You just told me you don’t want to settle down. You’re all in for this casual partnership.” Xander almost sounded like he was angry. “The physical without the emotional.”
“I am all in,” I said, trying not to get upset at his tone. I was sharing something real with him and he was acting like his old dickish self. “But I’m only eighteen. Eventually I’ll want more. I will want to have it all.”
I didn’t think he was going to answer, and I was about to push myself away from him when he spoke, resigned, “Humans aren’t your only option. Most Royales might not, in general, form long-term bonded relationships … but we are starting to change. So, never say never on that front. Or, as you said, there are the other houses. There’s usually no cross-mated relationships between the houses, but if that’s something you need to be happy, I will make sure no one questions you.”
He was the one to break away and rise to the surface, and for the life of me I couldn’t figure out why my chest hurt when he did. When I surfaced next to him, I spun so I could see his face. A neutral expression met mine.
“Sorry if I upset you,” I said slowly. “I shouldn’t have unloaded my personal stuff on you.”
He shook his head, water droplets flying off him. “It’s fine. It’s good to make sure we’re on the same page still. For now, you and I are doing this no-strings-attached thing. The only stipulation from me is that you’re not with any other Daelighters or humans while we’re together. Royales are possessive during the time we’re together.”
I nodded. “I can agree to that, as long as you also don’t stray.”
“Deal.” The heaviness of his expression lifted, and he drifted back to rest against the side of the massive bath. I followed, but instead of moving to sit right by him, like I might have when we first entered, I dropped back on the opposite side.
Xander looked amused. “They’re going to come looking for us soon,” he said. “This was a nice little interlude. I have a feeling life is going to get very hectic for the next few days.”
I nodded. “I’m thinking the same thing. I can feel this … energy almost, running along my skin. Something big is about to happen. It’s like being in the ocean just before the huge storms. I can feel the electricity in the air. I always know when the storm is coming.”
Xander nodded. “It’s one of the things I love the most about Hawaii, when the storm clouds roll across the sky. We don’t have clouds here. Our water is from beneath the land.”
“I’d miss never seeing a storm again,” I told him. “So maybe living under the water isn’t quite everything I want in life.”
Xander chuckled. “Sometimes the water isn’t greener on the other side. Earth has a lot of wonders that Daelighters dream of experiencing, but very few of us make it through the transporter. The ones that do, most of them return home.”
From what I’d seen, it seemed like there were tons of Daelighters moving between the two worlds, but in reality it was probably only a small percentage of their total numbers.
“Can anyone cross to Earth?” I asked, wondering if there were rules about it.
Xander shook his head as he leaned back further, his long arms resting across the top of the bath on either side of him. “No, you need to receive permission from your overlord. There are long wait lists, some longer than others depending if you want to go for a vacation or to live. We closely monitor all Daelighters on Earth, which is something your government insisted on. There’s also a limit to the numbers of us allowed to cross. Lots of rules and red tape involved.”
It made sense. If an alien race was trying to set up shop in my world, I’d want to know what they were up to as well. “I’m still surprised that my government is so compliant with you all crossing to Earth,” I said honestly. “The stone must be something seriously important to the human race.”
“It is,” he said. “Before the stone, you were heading for a cataclysmic event. Nature was set to wipe you out.”
Before the true horror of that could sink in, there was a loud knock on the bedroom door. Xander’s head fell back and he groaned. “For a moment there, reality was far away,” he murmured.
It didn’t sound like he was talking to me, so I didn’t reply. I stood, sending a silent goodbye to the water as it trailed down me. Xander’s head snapped forward again, his eyes locked on me. The blue darkened—a sign I already recognized.
“No time, Romeo,” I teased him, taking my time as I walked up the steps and out of the bath. I didn’t feel one ounce of unease at being naked in front of him like this, which was really unexpected. Maybe it was the simple fact that I didn’t have to try and impress him. We’d already established the rules of this relationship, and now we were just enjoying it.
As I reached for a neatly folded towel in a set of dark gray shelves near the entrance to the tiled bathroom, hands landed on my hips. I hadn’t even heard him move, but I sure as hell felt him when he spun me around, his lips capturing mine.
I forgot everything in that moment. I’d always thought it was a cliché when chicks in books and movies said that, but Xander literally had the ability to wipe everything from my mind. I became nothing more than reaction and need.
I’d had sex more times in the past few hours than I had in the past year, and yet I wanted him again. A loud noise echoed at the edge of my brain, but I managed to ignore it.
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“Xander, are you in there?”
The shout had him pulling back, and as he did I managed to regain some clarity.
He turned away slightly. “Hang on, we’ll be right out. Avalon was sleeping.”
I snorted, pressing my face into his right bicep. I hadn’t slept for a second, and now I was going to have to pretend to be well rested. I was well satisfied though, which was close enough.
“You have five minutes,” the male voice at the door said, before footsteps echoed away.
“Come on, we’d better get dressed,” Xander said, reaching for the towel and wrapping it around me. He must have used his power as well, because by the time I rubbed it across my body and hair, I was dry.
Xander’s hand landed firmly on my ass, just short of a slap. I narrowed my eyes on him playfully and he laughed. “Put some damn clothes on,” he finally muttered. “Or they will have to break the door down.”
With a shake of my head, I hurried across to the clothes Star had gathered for me. The underwear fit, which was almost unbelievable. How the hell had Star guessed my sizes? I was going to call that Daelighter magic. The rest fit as well: a simple white shirt, tan cotton shorts, and Converse in the exact right size.
“Where do all of these clothes come from?” I asked Xander when we were both dressed.
He shrugged. “Star has always dressed us. She loves it. Lexen said she makes some of the clothing herself.”
That would be a very useful skill indeed.
I started running my fingers through my long hair, silky and untangled from whatever Xander did to remove the water. That and the natural magic of my Royale hair. “Do you use toothbrushes here?” I asked.
“Yep, there’s a spare in the top drawer,” he said, pointing toward the bathroom.
I hurried, deliberately not looking at the huge, steaming bath. Water was almost as enticing as naked Xander, and I had no time for either right now.
There were a ton of spare toiletry items in that drawer, so I grabbed the few things I needed. Within two minutes I had my teeth brushed and my hair pulled back into a loose braid.
