by April Zyon
“Is that why I already feel so much for you in such a short amount of time? Is that why I’m drawn to you in a massive way? Because I am.”
“Extremely,” he said, nodding. “Every touch, every kiss, every moment spent together helps to strengthen the bond until it will hurt if the bond isn’t completed. I’ve heard rumors that a bond not properly formed can be broken if the VV decides to leave. There will always be a yearning for what never was, but it can never be recaptured. I don’t know if that is truth or a creative fiction designed to make us appreciate the precious gifts the VV’s are when they come into our lives.”
“So, I’m a precious gift to you?” she asked with a smile. “I think that you’re pretty awesome, too.” She looked to the couple getting their food now. “At least you smile. Maybe not as much as I do, but you do and that makes me all kinds of excited. You have a fabulous smile.”
He frowned at her, shaking his head slowly. “I do not smile,” he corrected. “As to your question—yes, you are. I’ve been alive for a long time, but I have never felt even a small portion of what I already feel for you for any other.” Lifting his hand, he brushed his fingers gently across her face. “You are beyond precious to me, little warrior. You are irreplaceable and perfect.”
She leaned in and placed a kiss to his cheek. Against his ear she whispered, “You’ve smiled for me. Once. Give it time, though, and you will smile some more, I promise.” She hoped she would get a great deal more of them from this man. “Now, do we need to scooch over a bit so your friends can sit with us?”
Chapter Four
Shifting, Demaratus lifted Holly into his lap. After passing her the bottle of water, he leaned back, keeping an arm around her waist, keeping her close. Alexander sat down at the far end and Phoenix next to him. “Holly Smith, this is Phoenix Waverly. Phoenix, this is Holly.”
“Hello,” Holly greeted the woman and wasn’t surprised when the large man hauled her into his lap as well. She leaned back against Demaratus and petted his chest. It was comforting and relaxing to be held in his arms.
“Nice to meet you, Holly,” Phoenix said, her lips twitching in a grin. “This is Alexander. I’m not sure if he introduced himself or not. I love the guy like crazy, but he’s one of those quiet-and-deadly people.”
“Nice to meet you. Again, thanks for not shooting me.”
He shrugged. “I wasn’t the one holding the gun to your head, so it wasn’t my call to make. I was there as backup only.” Leaning forward slightly, he handed a small plate to Phoenix and gave her a look. “Eat.”
“True.” Holly looked up at Demaratus. “Thanks for not shooting me.”
“Wait, what?” Phoenix looked to Holly, then Demaratus. “You had a gun to your VV’s head? What the fa-hell, man?”
“I think he was about to put it to one of the Marine’s heads because I said he was hot.”
“Oh, was it the blond one?” Phoenix asked with a snicker. “Not as hot as Alexander, but he’s a pretty man.”
“Yes, the blond. He’s a pretty man, but I have a feeling he’s very high maintenance, too. Me, I prefer men like Demaratus. He’s sexy as all get-out, and he doesn’t talk all the time. I have a feeling the Marine would talk, a lot.” Holly rolled her eyes. “I’m the one who talks a lot.” She hugged Demaratus closer and added, “Besides, who would want a Marine when you have a Corinthian as your one and only?” Yeah, they’d just met, but seriously, he was perfect for her.
“You should have shot the Marine,” Alexander said.
“The option is not yet off the table,” Demaratus told him. “I believe he has the soon-to-be displeasure of undergoing training with us very soon. Tomorrow, actually, now that I think on it.”
“Shame he won’t be nearly so pretty when he leaves.” Alexander looked to Phoenix with a deadpan expression.
“It really is.” Demaratus gave Holly a nearly identical look.
“Don’t hurt the poor man because we think he’s pretty.” Holly stroked her fingers over Demaratus’s chest. “You’re the one who’s holding me, not him. Never him. Just you.” She tried to soothe him. She’d never thought he’d be upset about her thinking one of the men was attractive.
“Who said I would be the one harming him?” Catching her hand with his, Demaratus stilled it against his chest. Dipping his chin, he brushed his nose to her cheek. “We would never truly harm each other in training. That doesn’t mean I won’t put the fear of God into him.”
“You’ll make sure Alexander doesn’t harm him as well?” Holly asked with a smirk. “Because, for some reason, I have an idea that he’s the one who’ll get up in the poor guy’s face.”
Demaratus shrugged. “He has a mind of his own. He can make his own choices and has made many over the years. Not all of them wise or well thought out. But this could be said of several of us. Though I only know of a couple that did such things with an entire empire.”
“Really? We are going to do this again, here?” Alexander almost growled.
“I was merely stating the facts as I see them,” Demaratus said.
“Okay, spill it, buddy.” Holly had a feeling that Demaratus was talking about Alexander. It was very odd that they were such old friends. “I would like to know more about what the actual times were like back then. Do you think you can tell me about them?”
“Dirty, unsanitary, and yes, those two are very different. Drafty homes, crude roads, thieves around every corner, and the rich got richer while the poor found a corner to curl up into and die. I did what I could for the corner of the world I inhabited, but it was never enough to help them break free. Opportunities for hard workers then were few and far between, if they were not at least of the middle class. The poor too often got stuck in a cycle that could never be broken,” Demaratus answered.
“That’s terrible. I’m so sorry. There had to be good parts of living in that time, right? What was something that you loved?” Holly kissed the side of his neck. “Has to be something, right?” She so desperately wanted to ask Alexander about Cleopatra and the Library, but she wasn’t so sure how that would go over.
“No pollution as you know it. The cities were all small, except for Rome and a few others of note. You could ride for days without seeing another living soul. Forests were large and plentiful. The wildlife had the run of the hills, and the views were beyond compare. There was nothing to break them up, like now. These days, it’s becoming harder and harder to find a spot where you can only be surrounded by nature as it was meant to be enjoyed. Some of the food wasn’t all that bad, either,” Demaratus said.
“I like my electronics, so I’m happy to live in this era. But I happen to also really love some of the old things as well. I like that you are from where you’re from, but I’m even happier that you are here in my time.” Holly hoped that made sense. She looked over at Phoenix and Alexander and giggled. The two of them were making out. Too funny.
Muttering something nasty sounding, Demaratus put a hand over her eyes. “Ignore them. They’re like two teenagers who can’t seem to control their hormones at any time. You’d think they were not getting any personal time together each and every single day.”
Holly laughed. “Oh God, you’re hilarious. Seriously. You act as if I’ve never seen people making out before. I practically live on the Internet, so I’ve seen porn, lots and lots of porn. I’ve seen people doing far more than what they are doing right now.”
Demaratus’s hand fell down to her thigh. “Why have you been watching porn?” he asked.
Holly noticed that Alexander and Phoenix were both looking at her now. Alexander had one eyebrow cocked up in a curious look, while Phoenix was grinning. “Hello, I’m a grown woman who has needs, you know. I can’t use a vibrator because they fritz out, and I don’t like strange men, so it’s been me, my hand, and porn,” Holly blurted, then felt her cheeks burn. “Crap, did I just say that out loud?”
Phoenix had her hand over her mouth as she laughed, her shoulders shaking so hard only th
e hold from Alexander around her waist kept her in his lap. The big, blond guardian actually looked amused, a faint smile curling his lips.
Demaratus groaned and stood with her firmly trapped in his arms. “If you’ll excuse us, I have a feeling the rest of this discussion needs to be held behind closed doors.” Stepping over Alexander’s legs, he moved for the door. Over his shoulder, Holly saw Phoenix give her a wave before the woman burst into laughter.
“Where are we going? Why did we just leave? I wasn’t done with my meal.” Okay, so she had finished everything except for her drink, but still.
“You only left your water, and you can have more where we’re going.” He stared at her as they reached the elevators, lowering her to her feet. “We left because some things the other guardians don’t need to know about you, ever. Like your viewing pleasures and what occurs during that time.” Ushering her into the car, he hit a button, then backed her into a corner, dipping his head to brush a kiss to her temple.
She leaned up on her toes and bit her lower lip. “You asked, and I told you. Is that really such a bad thing? There’s one thing you should know about me…” She rubbed her cheek to his. “I will never lie to you, and I will always be very blunt. I promise you that.”
“I approve of the fact you will never lie to me, as I would never lie to you. I may not always be able to tell you everything in the moment, but I will never lie about it. You do need to remember, though, that not everyone needs to be aware of every thought you have. Some things should be kept between only us,” Demaratus said huskily. He turned his head enough so that she could feel his warm breath against her lips.
“I will try. I really will. I want to be able to have parts of you all to myself,” she confessed. “I really like this—you cornering me and being so close to me. I like being surrounded by you. Is that normal?”
“No idea,” he said. “But from what I’ve observed, I’m going to say that yes, it is normal. It’s another form of contact.” Demaratus shifted a little, and she felt his mouth brush the corner of hers. Right when she thought he might kiss her, the elevator gave its soft, very discreet ding to indicate they’d arrived.
“Darn, sure that you can’t close the elevator door so I can get that kiss, please?” She lifted a leg and rubbed it to his. She couldn’t help herself. She enjoyed touching him and wanted his kiss, desperately.
Shaking his head, he cupped her ass and lifted. Automatically, she wound her legs around his waist and looped her arms around his neck so she didn’t fall. Demaratus strode out of the elevator and up the hallway.
Holly leaned in and brushed her lips to the side of his neck. “I could become accustomed to you carrying me around, just so you know.” She nipped his ear lightly with her teeth.
She felt his snort against her skin. “You weigh nothing at all.”
Holly nibbled along his shoulder and nipped him again. “I love this. Love tasting your skin. Just met you, and yet I have a deep need for you. I don’t understand it, but I’m going with it because it feels right.”
“We still have things to discuss before we get to explore all those feelings. There can be no misunderstandings as we go forward,” he said quietly. Stopping, he keyed in his code, then stepped inside his suite. Easing the door shut, he leaned back against it and looked down at her. “And you were the one that suggested we talk before we did anything else, if you recall.”
“Crap, me and my big, stupid mouth.” She nodded. Taking a deep breath, she leaned back in and squeezed him. “Okay, you should let me down so that we can both have a seat, and we can see what it is that we need to talk about. I’m sure there is something I’m missing.”
“If you believe that, then we should try and discover what it is.” He let her down onto her feet. With a hand at her back, he walked with her to the large sofa and settled in next to her when she sat. “So, what is it that you believe you’re missing?”
“How do our lives tie together? You said we get bonded together so we can be with each other for the rest of forever, so what do we do next? And what is it that you wanted to tell me? What do you need to make sure that I know before we come together?”
“When we have sex the first time, the medallion will activate. You’ll feel anything from a hum to a small amount of pressure. There is warmth, of course, because the closer we are, and the more skin-to-skin contact we have, the hotter the medallion gets. It won’t burn, or hurt either of us, but I know of one of the pairings who mentioned it was a little scary, so I figure it’s a good piece of information to have. It’s at the point of climax for us both that the connection is forged. That’s all it really takes. As long as we’re both open-minded and accepting, the bond will tie us together. Over time, it will strengthen and become like a titanium rope between us. Forever unbreakable.”
“That’s not bad, though. None of it is. I actually happen to like the fact that I will finally belong.” Damn it! She hadn’t meant to admit that out loud. She sighed and explained. “I was left off at a children’s home because my parents didn’t want me. I’ve never really fit in anywhere, except on the Web. Now, you’re giving me a chance to fit into your life. Do you have any idea how much that means to me?”
He lifted her into his lap and held her snugly. “You will always be a part of something here, Holly. Even if you don’t want the bond, you would have a place with the guardians. We are all different, some more so than others, but we are one huge family. Which is why what Helen did to us hit us so hard. To have someone we considered family purposefully set out to arrange for a member to be harmed is a blow none of us will ever fully recover from.”
“I can understand that. I really can. The damage that she did, I hate it.” Holly sighed. “And if I want the bond? What happens then?” She wanted it. She wanted someone who was hers, all hers, and only hers.
“Then you would be mine, in all ways.” Demaratus slid a hand up her arm until he could wrap it loosely around her throat, with his palm pressed to her pulse point. “There are a few more details we should go over.” His tone warned her that whatever he was referring to was serious.
“I’m listening,” she told him quietly. “Talk to me.” She stroked her hands over Demaratus’s chest. She wanted to know everything that he had to tell her, needed to have all of the facts, but knew that no matter what, she still would want him.
His thumb was moving up and down the column of skin. “In the bedroom, I’m a Dominant. Completely, fully, and always. While I may bend from time to time to allow my chosen partner the opportunity to play, even then I’m in full control of the situation. There are rules to such interactions, ones that both parties must agree to and abide by at all times. I happen to like my sex a little more on the kinky side, the taboo, if you will, in the eyes of this stuck-up, prissy-assed society. Are you still interested in bonding with me?”
“Yes,” she breathed, panting. “I trust you. I want to know what it would mean to be dominated by you. To know what your version of kinky is. I want to learn absolutely everything there is to learn with you. I want this. I want you.”
Slipping his hand around to the nape of her neck, he pulled her in closer to his hard body for a kiss. Not just any kiss, either. It was one that he had full control of from the moment their mouths made contact.
Holly melted into it. She let him guide her and reveled in his firm hold. She had never thought she would want to be dominated, but she found she needed it. When they parted, she licked her lips and stared at him. “More?” she whispered.
He bit her lower lip hard enough to make her flinch. The slow, hot slide of his tongue over the sting both soothed her and made her melt into him even more.
Chapter Five
“I liked that,” Holly vocalized, in case he’d missed how much she’d melted into him. “Please, more?” She licked her lips again as she watched him carefully.
Demaratus was studying her with a heated look. His gaze slid over her face slowly before coming back up to meet hers. “We still ha
ve a few things to discuss, little warrior. But for the moment, I think they can be shelved.” He pushed his fingers into her hair, tugged her head back, and kissed her a second time. If she’d thought the first had been everything she could have wanted, this one blew it well out of the water.
Holly moaned. She couldn’t help it. She moved so that she was covering his lap, her knees on each side of his thighs and chest to his chest. She kissed him back with every single fiber of her being. When they parted, she was panting. “Why do you call me ‘little warrior’?”
His lips curved up ever so slightly, but she knew it was a smile. One he was desperately trying to squash. “Are you sure you want the answer to that?” he asked, lifting a brow. “In my head, the explanation sounds cute, sweet, and all of that, but you’re in a very accessible position to make sure I never make the mistake of calling you it again.”
“Why wouldn’t I like the reasoning behind it? It makes me all kinds of weak in the knees and wet,” she admitted. “So, no matter what you tell me, I have a feeling I will like it. A lot.”
“Remember you said that,” he muttered. He fell silent long enough she wondered if he was going to tell her. “You remind me of this kitten I once had. Loving, caring, soft, and always happy to see me. But that little ball of fur had a spine of steel when it was faced with a threat. You remind me of him. You didn’t back down in your home. You took things in stride while always considering your options and looked for a means to escape. Little warrior. Soft on the outside, but never backing down.”
That had her grinning. “Don’t ever worry about telling me anything. And yes, I never back down. Well, no, I take that back. If I know there’s no way out, I know that’s when we should get out. Fast. I’ll always make sure that I have you at my back, but I’ll also watch yours.” She would protect him as best she could. “So, even if I feel I should run, I’ll totally rush you along with me.”
