by Cassi Carver
“Well, to be honest, you seemed pretty…clothed. Not quite what I was hoping for.”
Gavin leaned into her. “You mean you wanted this,” he said, rubbing against her slowly, erotically. It was the middle of the day, and he pressed her up against her door where anyone could see.
Kara’s mouth went dry. Yeah, she wanted it. “Are you offering? ’Cause my answer is yes.”
Gavin turned his head away with a frustrated growl, leaving Kara feeling like she wanted to scream. “I want to. I just can’t. But I do enjoy you. I want to show you how much pleasure I can give you tonight with my mouth, my hands, my body.” To emphasize his point, he wedged his leg between hers, drew her onto his thigh and rocked into her.
Kara’s skirt hiked as he rubbed against her mound, and her breath hitched in her throat. She groaned, then quickly glanced down the hall, making sure no neighbors were in view. She’d never wanted a man as much as she wanted Gavin Cross. She pulled his head down to her mouth and put her lips to his ear. “It’s not enough. I need you all of you, Gavin.”
Gavin was breathing harder, still rocking against Kara like he didn’t give a shit who saw. “I can’t. Please don’t ask me, Kara. Let me show you another way.”
Kara took his rejection like a slap across the cheek. She reached behind her and twisted the handle, almost falling backward into the room from the weight of the two of them pressing against the door. Gavin stumbled slightly but caught himself as Kara backed through the door and shut it in his face.
When the deadbolt clicked into place, it sounded like Gavin dropped his forehead against the door. “Give it a chance, Kara. Give me a chance.”
That was two chances too many as far as Kara was concerned. No man deserved a third opportunity to humiliate her. “Watch the hot water heater now that there’re two of you. We have it set on low. Cold showers are a real bitch.”
She should know. She was going to need one.
Gavin stared at her door a moment longer then stormed back to his apartment, carefully turning the handle when what he really wanted to do was rip the door from its hinges.
“Julian!” he growled, once the door was locked behind him. It would have felt better to shout at the top of his lungs, but he figured that might scare his new neighbors. “Show your face, you son of a human whore.”
Julian stepped out of the bathroom with a sardonic smile and bowed. “You rang, milord?”
The air rushed in and out of Gavin’s nostrils as he counted to ten—he’d heard it worked for humans, and he thought he might as well give it a try—before he grabbed Julian by the throat and put his head through the wall. “What in the name of Og are you doing with Kara Reed? What game is this?”
Julian shrugged and leaned back against the wall, projecting the easy charm of a carefree man, but Gavin had known him too long to be fooled. If it came to blows, his friend would be ready, even eager.
Julian brushed some imaginary lint from his shoulder. “We’re here to keep an eye on her. I thought it would be easier if she and I were in the same room.”
Gavin let out another breath, attempting to calm himself as his hands trembled. “Please, Julian. It was hard enough for me. You won’t be able to resist being in the same room with one of our females for that long.”
Julian smiled, leaning his head back against the wall as if he were daydreaming. “And what a female she is. Did you see those lush hips and sturdy thighs when she bent over? I think she could take all of me and still beg for more.”
Gavin arched his brows. “You know she hasn’t reached maturity yet. Her body hasn’t gone through the transition necessary to accommodate these damn—” he motioned to his groin, “—appendages. You have no experience with young Demiáre females.”
“And you do?”
“I know it would be like taking a human woman, and I don’t want to chance hurting her.”
Julian grinned. “Oh, please. You’ve had more human women than I can count. I’ll wrap a fist around the base of my cock and she’ll be fine.”
Gavin’s shaft twitched. He’d been thinking the same thing himself. But Kara was a woman he wanted to hold on to with both hands as he pounded his seed into her womb. “No. We can’t risk you becoming attached to her, and we can’t risk bringing her closer to maturity. You have a responsibility to your clan. And for future reference, you sack of downy fluff, hurting a woman is the quickest way to get thrown out of her bed. Keep your cock to yourself.”
Julian pushed away from the wall and paced the room. “She’s practically in heat, brother. Her powers may not be coming in, but by the look of her, she’s ripe in every other way. You said our old Aniliáre friend has been visiting her?”
“Visiting her, yes, but he hasn’t had her that I can tell.”
“How can you be sure?”
“A dark essence pervades her room, but when I…” Gavin’s voice trailed away and the tips of his ears heated.
Julian stopped pacing and his brows shot up. “What?”
Gavin cleared his throat. He wasn’t sure if he was choked by anger or embarrassment. “There is no flaming way I’m going to describe to you what it tasted like between Kara Reed’s legs.”
Julian sucked in a breath, looking for a moment as if he were having a seizure, until finally, the air rushed from his lungs in loud fits of laughter. “Oh, no. No, no, no…” he hooted, grabbing his stomach. “You were checking for him by taste! You are a dedicated bastard!”
Gavin considered quelling Julian’s hysterical laughter with a fist to his mouth. A warrior in a lady’s harem might be used to tasting another man’s fluid between his lady’s legs, but not the Lords of the Mercury clan—him, Julian and Aiden. To protect the clan, it was forbidden for the Mercury Lords to share a woman or bond to one. They couldn’t risk giving a female that much control over them.
A low growl sounded in Gavin’s chest. He had to admit he’d been more than a little relieved that the only thing he’d found at Kara’s core was her own exquisite flavor. “It isn’t funny, Julian. We can stop him for now, maybe slow him for a time, but if we allow them to have sex—or heaven forbid—bond…” He didn’t have to finish the thought. If they allowed the dark angel to possess Kara Reed and bring her to maturity, she’d be his to take to the Shadowland.
Julian sobered. “If he takes her to his kingdom, we won’t be able to get her back. Most of our men don’t have pure enough blood to even travel to the Shadowland, much less stage a battle there. It would be the Great War all over again, but this time we wouldn’t be fighting with Teras by our side.”
Gavin glared at his friend. “Then you understand how important it is to keep your hands off her. If Ailexon has her in his sights, I don’t want to take the chance, however slim, that our seed could push her toward the transition. Let’s not make this any easier for him.”
Julian’s jaw tightened. “We need more scouts posted, now. I want to be the first to know if Ailexon so much as scratches his ass outside the Shadowland again.”
“It’s already done.”
“Good. And just so you know, brother—” Julian put his hands palms-out, “—my plan is simply to help slake her urges, so she’ll be less susceptible to the Aniliáre bastard if he comes for her again.”
Gavin had never heard such a load of wing dust in all his long life. It was so ridiculous, he wasn’t even sure if Julian was kidding.
He spoke slowly, as if to a child, “But if you mount her, her desire for our species will only increase. How will this help? Not to mention you’ll be in danger of bonding to her and breaking the law.” Gavin paused to allow this to sink in. “Julian Mercés, Lord of the Mercury Clan, becoming nothing but a slave in a lady’s harem.”
Finally, Julian’s façade broke and his eyes glinted with fury. “Never. I’ve resisted this long and I will not belong to one woman. How could you doubt me?”
Gavin laughed. “Because I’ve been with her. This is nothing like fulfilling your duty with a lady of the clan, on
e of the women whose vanity and callousness surround her as closely as her armed lovers. Kara Reed is irresistible.”
Gavin’s voice dropped lower as he looked into Julian’s eyes. “She’s proud, strong and kind…but all alone in this world of humans with no male of her species to protect her.” Julian blinked and swallowed. “She needs you, needs your seed to help transform her into who she is destined to be. Imagine…a queen’s daughter all to yourself. No harem to interfere as you have her again and again, so deep, like only she can take you. She needs you, Julian.”
Julian nodded, his eyes half-lidded. “She needs me.”
Gavin reached for a glass on the counter behind him and launched it at Julian’s head.
Julian dodged to the left as it hit the wall and shattered into a hundred pieces. “What was that for?” he cried, grabbing his crotch to adjust his hard shaft.
“You flaming idiot! You can’t even resist me telling you about a willing Demiáre female, but you think you’ll be able to resist mounting the real thing when she has her legs spread before you and her scent is driving you insane?”
Julian reached down and picked up a small fragment of the glass, then flicked it at Gavin like a throwing star before Gavin realized what he was doing. Gavin growled and plucked the shard from his chest, watching as scarlet blood blossomed across the shirt he’d just purchased the day before. “Asshole. Shopping for new human clothes is a pain in the ass.”
Julian smiled, back to his old self, the lump in his pants starting to shrink. “I’m going to pull out.”
Gavin shook his head in confusion. “What?”
“Pull out—of Kara Reed. That’s my plan. It will help her resist Ailexon’s advances because she’ll be properly sexed, but she won’t become addicted to our seed or brought to maturity any faster.” Julian’s smug smile said he thought he was so clever. “It’ll be easy.”
“From the scent of her lust, I doubt she wants to resist Ailexon’s advances. He’s probably coming to her in dreams. Your plan won’t help in the least. The only way to protect her is to tell her the truth…and risk her running. Or cast him into the Abyss.”
Julian threw his head back and laughed. “That’s the spirit!” He raised his hand in mock salute. “Let’s take out the chief of the fallen angels, the Aniliáre king who can’t be defeated. The Mercury Clan will have you to thank for starting another war we have no hope of winning.”
Gavin’s jaw clenched and his nostrils flared. “You and Aiden and I all made the same promise to protect her. Would you go back on your word now?”
Julian’s shoulders sank and he slowly shook his head. “No. But if I’m going to die—” a small smile curved his lips, “—let it be after I’ve had that woman.”
Chapter Six
After the washing machine had a new center post gasket and the molding around the lobby elevator had a fresh coat of paint, Kara sat at her kitchen table thinking of Gavin and taking her frustrations out on helpless balls of clay.
She smacked her fist into them, sank in her fingers and shaped the clay the best she could, but when she was done and sat back to regard her handiwork, she had to admit the tall, rounded shapes intended to be abstract people looked a lot like…well, penises.
Shit. She was crazy. No, it wasn’t her, it was this damned week.
Sick of denying the urge, she finally gave in to her body, locked Mr. Pibb in the bathroom and brought herself to orgasm three times with her face pressed up against the sheets where Gavin’s scent still lingered.
When she returned a little later from checking on Cat Lady and issuing the third “final” warning, Kara called Tray. They discussed what she’d witnessed at the crime scene and any details she could give to help his investigation. He was surprisingly normal when Abbey wasn’t around. A real nice guy. Too bad Abbey brought out his inner delinquent. He’d used his handcuffs on Kara’s friend more than once and the baton…well, there were rumors it had served multiple purposes—none of them involving beating off bad guys.
As six o’clock approached, Kara put the finishing touches on her makeup, then stepped back and looked at herself in the mirror. She wore a light yellow dress, more sunny-beach attire than fuck-me chic, like she’d worn last night. She would change again before she and Abbey went out, but she didn’t want to give Julian the wrong impression. She was seriously considering having Abbey call someone for her tonight, and that thought was keeping her strong as she faced an hour alone with Gavin’s smoking-hot friend.
Neighbors, bad. Strangers, good, she chanted to herself.
It was best not mix her job as building manager with any extracurricular activities involving her tenants. She wasn’t staying away from Julian because of Gavin. At least that was what she told herself. She wouldn’t feel bad for a man who’d teased her twice with what she couldn’t have. He’d had his chance.
No, she didn’t feel bad…but if it was possible to like a guy after only knowing him twenty-four hours, then she’d have to admit she sort of liked Gavin Cross, and that made his rejection hurt even more.
Kara’s head shot up when the doorbell chimed a minute later. She went to the door and peered through the peephole. Her jaw dropped when she saw what was on the other side—Julian Mercés in jeans and a white dress shirt with a huge bouquet of red roses in his hands. She pulled open the door. “Julian?”
He gave her a lopsided grin, making the dimples in his cheeks more prominent. “I’m here to pick you up for our date.”
He held the flowers out to Kara, and she laughed. It wasn’t really funny, but the joy that came from his gesture bubbled up inside her like champagne uncorked from the bottle. Gavin had called her a princess, but in this moment, Julian made her feel like one.
She smiled and took the roses from his grasp. “You didn’t need to do that. Dinner was enough. I’m easy.” And getting easier by the second.
He followed her into the kitchen when she went to grab a vase. Pibby poked his nose around the corner, giving Julian the once-over, then he joined them in the kitchen, swishing his tail and meowing his most melodious give-me-a-treat greeting. Julian scooped him up. “Beautiful cat.”
“Thanks. He sure seems to like you and Gavin.” She plucked the vase from the top of the fridge and rinsed out the thick coating of dust. The pretty container hadn’t seen flowers since Abbey had gotten her a mixed bouquet for her last birthday. Kara grinned like an idiot the whole time she was filling it and arranging the stems. Roses like these cost a fortune. “Really, you shouldn’t have gone to the trouble,” she said again.
Julian set Pibby on his feet and wrapped his large hands around her waist. “Yes, I should have. To see you smile like this, I’d do anything.” He leaned down and placed a chaste kiss on her cheek. His warm breath against her skin smelled like sweet summer nights. “Are you ready?”
Kara met his eyes and swallowed. “Ready?” Hell, yes. “Sure.”
“Then come.” Julian took her hand and led her to his apartment.
When they stepped through the door, Kara stopped, taking in the change from when she’d last seen the place only hours before. In the dining room, the table was set with a white linen tablecloth, candles, red wine and dishes of food that didn’t look anything like cheap takeout.
Julian led Kara to the table and pulled out her chair. “Sit,” he told her. He placed her napkin in her lap and pulled the silver covering off the first dish.
It took Kara a moment before she could speak. No man had ever done this for her before.
“Wow. I never knew this building had room service.” A joke was all she could manage. The filet mignon and grilled vegetables on the plate in front of her looked like they’d come from a five-star restaurant. At least she thought it was filet mignon. She couldn’t afford to eat out very often.
Julian laughed, seating himself in the chair closest to Kara. “Who knew the little hole-in-the-wall around the corner served more than deli sandwiches?” He lifted the lid on an exotic dish, some sort of purpl
e vegetable in a creamy sauce.
“Glad to hear they changed their menu. For a minute there, I thought this might be an expensive attempt to seduce me.” When Julian’s hungry eyes locked on to hers, Kara’s stomach flipped. Shut up, Kara. We don’t screw our neighbors.
She noticed a shiny pendent hanging at his throat where his dress shirt parted and decided to change the subject. “Cool leaf. Where’d you get it?” Gavin wore charms like that, too. She thought he might even have the same one.
Julian brought a hand to his throat, fingering the gold charm. “Family heirloom. Here, try this.” He dipped a spoon in the creamy mixture and brought it to Kara’s mouth.
“Mmmm…” The sound reverberated in her chest like a purr as the flavor blossomed on her tongue. She brought her hand up to Julian’s as he spooned another bite into her mouth. The feel of his skin and the sensuality of him made her ache. “I like it. You have good taste.”
“Good taste in food and great taste in women.” He gestured to her then brought his wineglass up to clink against hers. “Cheers.”
She took a sip of the expensive wine and her guilty conscience flashed to Gavin and what he’d done to her in the very next apartment. “So how did you and Gavin end up in San Diego? Where are you from?”
He laughed. “Is this you asking or the apartment manager?”
She smiled. “Does your answer change from one person to the next?”
He stared at her, his eyes slightly narrowed, his dimples on display. “Maybe.”
“Oooh. Mysterious,” she teased. “It’s me asking, then.”
“We own a small company and our biggest client recently relocated here. It made sense to move in to a place together until we figured out how long the assignment would be.”
“Gavin said something about that. A security company, right?”
“Exactly.”
“Gavin was on the waiting list for a while, though.”
Julian paused, then he said, “Corporate moves don’t happen overnight.”
