by Jaye Shields
A murmur escaped her lips when Lennox parted her thighs. Her core became exposed and she knew that she’d be glistening for him. His strong hands gripped her thighs and moved up to cup the curve of her ass. Then his tongue was upon her. The hot warmth became everything she needed to survive, and she was so desperate, the gentle touch nearly sent her over the edge. Lennox lapped at her slowly, tracing his way from her clit up to the top of her lips.
Zahra groaned, pressing her face into the pillow in hopes he wouldn’t hear. But he did, she could tell by the way he nuzzled her clit, paying extra attention to her pleasure bud. Her body was too weak to quiver with need, but she knew she was nearing the edge and soon he would release her. And he did, even sooner than she imagined. Zahra wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry.
Lennox’s weight disappeared from the top of her. The sound of cloth rubbing against flesh had Zahra weakly trying to turn around. When she did, Lennox stood before her, removing his clothing, one item at a time. The first to go was his shirt. As he pulled it over his head slowly, a long, hard torso was revealed. The early dawn sunlight cast shadows on his tanned stomach and shadows traced the hard lines of his muscles. Lennox was a vision of lean strength. She’d seen him already, but not like this. Perhaps it was near-death making her delirious. Perhaps. His pants fell to the ground in a shushed heap. His manhood hardened before her eyes. Lennox didn’t attempt to hide it.
“I regret what I’ve done to you, Zahra. I would like to ease you.” His pale blue eyes twisted with a dark storm. “Will you have me?” His voice was low, barely uttered as if he deserved rejection.
Zahra was too stunned to answer. No one had ever asked her those words, and Lennox was the last man she expected to hear them from.
He turned from her and she got a delicious look at his derriere. It was round and begged to be touched, grabbed and dragged into bed. “You are not fit to travel, but I can bring someone back here. Tell me who you need.”
She surprised even herself. “I’ll have you.”
Peace came to Lennox’s handsome face, and in that moment, she realized that he was stunning. He was Adonis with the face of an angel, and he walked toward her now with tenderness in his gaze. This time there would be a happy ending.
* * * *
Lennox leaned over Zahra’s body, careful not to let his weight fall on her as he prepared to enter. He was hard as granite, aching to feel her softness surround him. Her amber eyes could have been cut from tiger stone, flecks of charcoal and gold swirled through bright orange. They lit up the dark room like two glowing lanterns. As she held his stare, he slowly began to slide between her moist lips. Her eyes glowed with contentment as he began filling her. She liked it slow, the slight curve of her lips revealed much. Lennox continued to push, searching her face for any signs of discomfort. For now, he knew she was still weak from his hours of torture, so he would go slowly. This pleasure would be for her. All for her. But if she kept that subtle smile on her lips and the fire in her eyes, he knew the thrill would be just as much for him.
Her fingers rested on his shoulders and she pulled him closer as he went deeper. She was endless, but he filled her to the hilt. The moan she whispered echoed through his mind, a dizzying love spell. Zahra’s tight core became a warm blanket enveloping his skin and, as he reached her deepest crevice, her lips parted. He resisted an intense urge to taste her lower lip, nibble on it as he glided in and out of her.
Using great care, he rocked in and out of her, each time thrusting a little bit harder. His motion caused the bed to rock against the wall. He could feel her breasts swinging with the motion, but didn’t dare take his eyes from her blissful gaze. Her eyes were closed to half-mast, but each time he filled her completely, she reopened them to view him. Even his own wife hadn’t stared at him with such lust and gratitude. Emmerie had kept her eyes closed most of the damn time. Now he knew nothing was as erotic as a woman’s eyes overtaken by a storm of pleasure.
“Kiss me.”
His earth shattered at the demand. Lennox took her lips within his own and tasted her mouth, sweet cinnamon fire for his tongue. Her tongue stroked his with a need that surprised him. The passion caused his thrusts to quicken, going deeper and harder. She gasped, but never took her lips from his mouth. Her body rose to the occasion, meeting his thrusts, bucking so each penetration hit her in all the right places.
He moaned as Zahra nibbled on his lip, pulling it between her teeth. She released it only to take his mouth captive by her expert tongue. The way she explored his mouth made Lennox believe that she wanted him for more than just recovery.
As he continued to thrust, rocking against her beautiful body, Lennox brought his fingers to the space between her legs. He massaged her bud, rocking into her and hovering only inches away from her face. He didn’t know which was better, kissing her lips or being privileged enough to hold her gaze.
A throaty moan nearly sent Lennox over the edge. Zahra’s core squeezed tight around his hard cock. Her wetness coated his sheath allowing him to drive harder and faster. Her breaths came quicker, and soon Zahra was panting, arching her back so that her breasts pressed against his skin. One of his hands found her hair and he clutched it in his fist as he leaned in to kiss the soft flesh of her neck. He nestled his face into her skin, getting lost in the comfort of her body and the spicy, sweet scent of her skin. He kissed the hidden cove of skin behind her ear.
As he did, he felt her coming. Her thighs squeezed closed and her core twisted around him. The erotic madness overwhelmed him and he nearly lost it. Inhaling to contain himself, he heard his breath whisper a secret he hadn’t planned on revealing.
“You’re beautiful.”
The eyes that had rolled back in ecstasy slowly opened for him once more. Her lips parted seductively, but he watched them curve up into a smile at his words. Her body shuddered beneath him and he knew her pleasure was spent. He ached with need as he slowly retreated from her body. As Lennox lifted off of her, he noticed a glimmer of surprise pass over Zahra’s expression. But then her lids shut and the sex demon drifted to sleep.
Lennox thought that climaxing inside Zahra would have been selfish after all that had happened. But his stomach twisted into knots. The look she’d offered him before she fell asleep implied disappointment. The curiosity gnawing at him caused his erection to go soft. He ran his hands through his hair, racking his brain. He’d revived Zahra, but it’d been more than that. He’d been with enough females to know when something was special. Hell, he was married. But no experience had compared to being with Zahra. And yet she’d be fleeing his bed as soon as she awoke.
Chapter 8
The long walk into town was a much needed solitude and Lennox used it to ponder the emotions flooding his mind. His heavy body and normally tense shoulders were relaxed; his step was light as he made his way through the woods. Making love to Zahra had done as much to him. Sex with Zahra had been unlike anything he’d ever experienced before. She was a sex demon, but she didn’t look at him so. As a matter of fact, most of the various women he’d bedded had worn more of a lustful expression than Zahra. She’d looked so at peace in his arms. Her golden eyes had held his gaze the entire time, like a sun rising from the darkness.
Although she’d been weak, Zahra’s arms had pulled him closer atop her so that their skin met and their faces were only inches apart. The memory made his heart clench. After all he’d done to her, Zahra made a choice to trust him. He didn’t know why, but it amazed him.
The village finally came into view. The outer stone walls of the maze of homes were topped with wood and hay-thatched roofs, architecturally untouched for eons. The cobblestone path of the main road was lined with farmers setting up shop for the local market.
Lennox spotted Edetta putting up her display. The folding table was a reminder of the modern age that still existed in such an antiquated village. “Let me help you with that.” Lennox set down his bundle of swords and began helping her unload. With Edetta’s display comple
te, Lennox began arranging his own items.
“Thank you. Our small table looks quite unique, doesn’t it? My soft baked goods and your sharp blades. Here, try some of this pumpernickel I made.”
Lennox’s stomach grumbled and he realized that he’d left Zahra sleeping, but hadn’t thought to prepare her food for when she awoke. She’d be starving.
“I’d love to buy a loaf. And have you some of that gingerbread as well?”
“Of course. But shouldn’t you be selling your blades instead of feasting on my goods?”
“Actually, I must go. I need to grab some things first.” Lennox seized the swords he’d put on display and put them back in the bundle he would strap to his back. “Good day, Edetta.” He handed over some coin and headed to a stall two tables over.
“Your best jam, please.”
The vendor looked up at him like he was crazy. But finally, her tiny hands retrieved a small glass canister and handed it over, glaring at the bundle of swords on his back.
“Thank you.” Lennox smiled at the tiny woman and realized his grin was the first in a long while. As he made his way toward the meat seller down the road, he heard a scream coming from inside one of the closed drink houses. His heart pumped with concern and Lennox decided to investigate. Striding toward the large wooden door, he pushed it open and entered the establishment.
A young woman was being choked by a large determined hand. Her bright pink hair was splayed, hiding her face, and her chest heaved as she struggled to breathe.
“Let her go.” Lennox uttered the words as he assessed the group of men surrounding him.
They were brawny and stood with their shoulders hunched, ready to leap to action. A couple of them had visible swords, and Lennox noted bulges where guns were probably concealed.
“Mind your own business, stranger. Leave now.”
Instead, Lennox reached back and removed a sword from his pack. The long blade would have been heavy for others, but fit perfectly in his palm. He aimed the blade at the brute still clutching the throat of the young woman. She struggled in his grasp, but the grip around her throat clenched tighter in response.
“I said, release her.”
One of the men pulled out a gun. In a flash of movement, Lennox pulled out a tiny dagger and launched it at the man before the scum could aim. His victim fell to the ground with the tiny blade lodged in his throat. The fallen man’s counterparts rushed Lennox, but that meant the leader dropped the young woman to the ground. Glad to have successfully distracted the men, Lennox went to work with his sword. Shots were fired in his direction, but he swiftly turned, dancing with his blade as he avoided artillery and shoved his weapon into the gullets of his attackers. His perfect blade plunged in and out the men’s flesh like it was cutting butter.
Holding a sword crafted by his own hands, Lennox felt more than confident as he fought; he felt proud. “You gentleman should have come to see me.” Metal clashed violently and more men fell to the ground bleeding. Another shot was fired, but Lennox dropped to the ground and shoved his sword upward, finding flesh once more.
In his attempt to avoid the bullets, Lennox hadn’t seen the large one grab the young woman once more. Lennox swept his blade at the man nearest to him. His arc just missed flesh, but was close enough to send the man fleeing through the door.
“Bane will not be happy to hear of your interference.”
“Where is he? He must still be recovering from our earlier encounter.”
“You’re stupid to pick a fight with a wizard.” The brute gripped the young woman’s hair and yanked her head back.
For the first time, Lennox could see her bright eyes, glossy with fear. Her eyes were a bright caramel and made him think of Zahra’s gaze of amber fire.
The brute sneered against the young woman’s flesh, revealing crooked brown teeth. “Fancy yourself a succubus, then go find another one. This one has a debt to pay.”
“Please.” The young woman begged, her thin fingers grasping frantically at the man’s death grip. One of his hands covered her mouth and muffled her cries.
Her fear stilled the blood in Lennox’s veins. This had been the reason Zahra had been frantic about Bane. She’s mentioned a debt, but not a sister.
The man looked at Lennox. “You have a conscience, do you? Don’t worry, she’s a drugged-up succubus. She’s going to enjoy every minute of it.”
A sudden scream erupted from the brute as the young woman bit hard on the hand covering her mouth. The hold on her was released, but the slap across her face was hard enough to send her to the floor.
With the young woman out of the way, Lennox drove his sword forward. But the distraction of the bite was only momentary and his opponent reached down to pick up the sword of a fallen comrade. Just as Lennox’s blade entered the man’s gut, white hot pain seared through his shoulder. Liquid heat began escaping through the blade’s entry. But the man before him fell, blood bubbling out of his lips. Lennox knew the wound was a fatal one. The other men would survive, and Lennox knew he’d made himself a target. Looks like he’d be moving out of town sooner than he thought.
“Thank you.” A soft voice caught him by surprise and tender arms wrapped around him. He stared at the bloodied sword that had slipped out of his wound, but the soft voice came at him again. “Are you okay?”
“I’ll be fine. But will you?”
She avoided the question. Instead, she wrapped an arm around him and tried to walk him toward the door.
“What is this?” Confusion coursed through him.
“I know a place where I can stitch you up.” Her eyes were full of youth, but also weary from experience.
“I don’t think you are safe in my company.”
“Don’t worry, there’s a place I haven’t been in a while. No one will look for me there.”
Curiosity piqued by the woman that was so close to Zahra, he shrugged out of her grip, but followed her out a back door of the mead house. “It’s just my shoulder. I can walk.”
“Bane will be here any minute. He probably already saw what happened.”
Lennox followed her through the cobblestone alleys until they arrived at a door. It wasn’t Zahra’s. “You don’t live with Zahra?”
“How do you know Zahra?” Her face lit with concern, and for a moment, he thought she might turn on him.
“Business associates.” Lennox lied through his teeth, deciding the young woman had been through enough trauma. “She’s at my house.”
The young woman eyed him suspiciously, but opened the door to the home. “My name is Sephina. This is my old home. Don’t mind the person inside, just keep walking, no matter what he says.”
Lennox followed her inside. As they walked through a front room, Lennox caught a glimpse of a wide barbarian using a meaty fist to cradle an over-used picture magazine. A trio of young naked women fondled themselves on the page just inches away from the man’s face. The sound of skin sliding on skin echoed in the room. Lennox’s nostrils stung with the acrid stench of body odor and he fought the urge to vomit.
“Is that you Seph? Get over here!” But the yanking continued and Sephina continued on without sparing a glance. Lennox followed her into a bedroom.
“Here, sit down. I’ll be right back.”
She left in a hurry and Lennox was left to glance around the room. It was plain, with only a cot that looked like it hadn’t been slept on in years. No photos or vases with flowers, like the ones that decorated most homes.
The young woman called Sephina arrived as quickly as she’d left. “I told you to sit.” Although she was much shorter than him, she reached up and pulled him down by his good shoulder. “I need to be able to reach your wound.” Sephina poured some alcohol on a cloth and covered his wound with it. Next, she expertly threaded a needle. “Do you need a drink first?”
“Perhaps if you speak with me, I’ll not notice the pain. Tell me, how do you know Zahra? You don’t look too much alike.”
She began stitching his
wound, and when he didn’t flinch, she spoke. “We’ve always been close, being the only sex demon families in a small town will do that to you. She’s long been without parents, and as you can see, my sole surviving parent is a piece of crap, so we leaned on each other. I did most of the leaning.” She whispered those last words with regret, self-deprecation lingering in her tone.
“Tell me about Bane.”
She narrowed her caramel gaze on the needle sewing his wound closed. “Let’s just say my father gives sex demons a bad name. There’s a reason I don’t live here anymore. But I was in so much pain when I left that I fell into a bad crowd. Zahra and her brother Reza tried to keep me away, but I let the drugs find me. They took away the pain for a while, but never long enough.”
Lennox felt her fingers begin to shake. “Are you—”
“I’m clean, or at least trying to be. My hands are a little unsteady from the withdrawal. But don’t worry. I’ve stitched myself on many occasions.”
Lennox saw darkness twist into her stare and he decided not to further question the matter. Instead, he admired the woman for fighting through the pain.
“I don’t think Zahra really knew how bad it was until she overheard Bane threatening me to come up with the large sum of money I owed him for months of drug use. I realize now that he let me use without payment just because he likes to see people hurt. He likes to feel in charge. Holding the drugs over my head, he made me a puppet.” Her words broke.
The agony in Lennox’s shoulder was nothing compared to being witness to a lone tear dripping down the young woman’s cheek.
“That’s why Zahra does what she does. No offense, I’m sure you’re a great customer, and you saved my neck, but she wants more than just sharing her services for a price. I’ve dug myself into a hole so deep, she’s taken it upon herself to make things okay for me first.”
