by Lyons, Rene
Well now, if that wasn’t a promise of pleasure Lex didn’t know what was. “I don’t know what to do.”
“Relax, elf. Just let yourself feel what I’m doing to you.”
Lex did exactly that. As Constantine lowered his head to her and trailed kisses from her neck to her breasts, she squeezed her eyes closed and enjoyed the feel of his lips and tongue on her.
The flick of his tongue over her nipple had Lex sucking in a sharp breath. She grabbed fistfuls of his hair and moaned as his mouth played over breasts.
“Oh God... ”
“Not God. Say it,” he demanded roughly as he continued his assault on her breasts. “Say my name.”
She hadn’t even been aware she’d put that in Constantine’s mind until he answered her. Oh Lord, the things he was doing to her with his mouth had her letting go of his hair only to fist her hands in the sheets. She pulled on them as he laved her flesh.
“Constantine,” she whispered.
Somehow Lex managed to get Constantine’s name past her lips as his mouth left her breast and worked down her stomach. She tensed when he worked her panties off. Tensed even more when his hand moved to the junction of her thighs. Lex ground out a throaty moan and arched her back when his fingers stroked her intimately. Funny how she felt comfortable with his face being so close to part of her body she herself barely acknowledged.
Everything about being with Constantine felt right, the silence of the voices in her head was proof of that. This—what she was sharing with him—was meant to be. She realized this, even if Constantine didn’t.
When his tongue touched her, Lex couldn’t stop her squeal of shock. The play of his fingers and tongue had her panting and moaning as she writhed on bed. In answer, Constantine let out a very masculine grunt of satisfaction.
Constantine thought he was going to die all over again at the taste of her. Lex was molten honey on his tongue. After knowing nothing but blood for hundreds of years, he savored her, taking his time as he drank her in.
The higher she arched off the bed, the more he realized how close he was to spilling himself even before he slid his body into hers.
Her power thundered through him, electrifying him. Warming him. Giving Constantine’s body the remembrance of life—even if just for a short while. It made his entire being burn for her and moved him that much closer to losing control.
Tearing his mouth away from her, Constantine moved up Lex’s body. As he went, he teased her flesh with his mouth, loving the way she pressed into his touch. When he covered her, he stared down into her flushed face. Never had he seen a woman look as beautiful as Lex did just then. With her lips parted, eyes hooded and cheeks flushed, he put the sight to memory—knowing he would need it to help get him through the centuries.
When Lex took hold of him by wrapping her arms around his neck, Constantine lowered his head and kissed her for all he was worth. He needed to keep her just like this—soft and compliant—in order to make the loss of her virginity go as smoothly and as painlessly as possible.
“Are you ready, elf?” he asked when he released her mouth.
She nodded and he positioned himself against the opening of her body. Constantine grabbed her leg and lifted it to his hips, his fingers biting into her thigh as he held it right where he wanted it. The wet heat of her guided him in. Her body stretched around him as the rest of her stiffened at his assault.
Constantine hissed and dropped his forehead down on Lex’s, dragging in hard, rasping breaths purely on instinct. He closed his eyes; unable to look at the raw passion etched on Lex’s face without losing what small hold he had on his control. Instead, all he could do was grit his teeth and push gently into her, taking care to not cause her too much pain.
He ground his teeth together and forced himself not to push fully into her warmth, as his body ached to do. It took all of his restraint to keep himself from driving hard into her and taking what she willingly offered.
Her gasp as he drove into her tore through him. “Oh God, Lex, I’m so fucking sorry.”
He reached the barrier of her virginity as her pain rolled over him. He knew he had no right to be the man to take her innocence. He was sin incarnate and she was everything beautiful and pure. His past came back to him as she whimpered beneath him. He remembered, with a clarity that blinded him to all else, lying facedown on a bed making much the same sounds as his body was invaded.
He couldn’t do this to Lex. He couldn’t take her purity from her. Before he moved further into her and broke through the thin veil that marked her as untouched, Constantine began to inch out. Lex, however, had other ideas. She slapped her hands on his ass and used what strength she possessed to hold him inside of her.
“No, Constantine, please don’t stop.”
“I have to, Lex.”
She lifted her hips, forcing him in even deeper. The tip of him pushed against her virginity. She cried out at the pain her movement caused. “Make me yours.”
Feeling her urgency, Constantine pressed forward. In that moment, nothing mattered but the two of them. Not the past, or the future. All of his memories faded under the glow of her love and the offering of her body. As he strained to refrain from driving into her warmth, Constantine knew he was as close to loving anyone as he’d ever come.
Thank you for her.
How could he not thank God for the gift he was about to receive? Her innocence chased away his sins when he felt the resistance of her virginity. Gritting his teeth, he gave a hard thrust forward. Her virginity broke and he slid into her to his hilt. Her cry echoed through the chamber, flooding his mind as he fought not to feel like a fucking monster.
Jesus Christ, nothing had ever felt as good as being inside of Lex. Nothing cleansed him of his past like her love. And nothing had ever brought him this close to Heaven as the look on Lex’s face.
As soon as he was deep inside of her, he stopped. Giving her body time to adjust to him was one of the hardest things he’d ever done. With her tightness squeezing him and her wet heat surrounding him, his body screamed to pump into that warmth.
“Are you okay?”
Her smile was beautiful, and hid the pain he knew she had to be in. His amazing woman was trying so hard to be brave for him. “I’m okay.”
Lex’s racing heart slammed against his chest and her breathing was coming in gasps. He sensed no fear in her as her body began to relax. Her muscles loosened and he inched out of her. She grabbed at him again and tried to hold him in.
“Don’t worry, elf. I’m not going anywhere.”
He couldn’t leave her even if he wanted to. He’d waited lifetimes to be here, in this moment, with her. Constantine just hadn’t realized that fact until now.
When he moved, Lex sucked in a sharp breath. It took all of his control not to thrust into her with the force his body craved. He had to test her body first, make sure she was ready to take him as he needed her to. Each time he slid out of her she shivered, and when he thrust forward, Lex moaned. Her energy surged into him, lighting him up from the inside out. It caused his control to snap.
As much as Constantine wanted to be gentle with Lex, he couldn’t. Unlike with other women, he had no control with Lex. And that scared him, but even so, he still couldn’t stop.
As he drove into her, Lex clung to him, her soft moans filling the room, mixing with his guttural sounds as sensations he’d never felt exploded within him.
“You still with me?”
“Uh huh.”
“Am I hurting you?”
“Not any more.”
So, Lex was right—she was tougher than he’d thought. “Good. Because I’m going to take you for one hell of a ride.”
Constantine teased her with the tip of his cock and his mouth came down on hers. In response, Lex arched and moaned, causing his control to slip a little further. The warmth of her pulled deep groans from him as he inched himself back in, prolonging the sensation as much as possible.
He’d never known sex coul
d be like this, something amazing and not just two bodies slapping together. Lex touched him, begged for more of him with every movement of her gorgeous body and every sweet moan torn from her. She made him feel like a man—one who wasn’t scarred from a past full of disgrace. He felt... blessed.
Lex didn’t merely open her body to him. Her mind was open to him as well. Constantine was getting all of her thoughts and they were driving him to madness. He knew what she was thinking and what she was feeling. A lesser man would be shocked at what she imagined him doing to her.
His woman, it seemed, had an imagination that rivaled his own.
Lex’s soft touch as she stroked his back soothed him, keeping away the worst of his memories. It pulled him further away from his past, which brought him closer to her. Pleasure built within him as the burden of past pain faded. The beauty of Lex replaced the ugliness of his living years as he stroked her body. Her breathy sighs replaced the echo of his own screams as her body throbbed around him, squeezing him as she climaxed. It heightened the power inside of her and flowed through him like a warm wave. He’d never thought to feel the like and it humbled him. Bloody hell, did it ever humble him.
He marveled at the play of pleasure on Lex’s face. Good God, she was a sight to behold in her ecstasy. With her lips parted, her body arched, and the clear blue of her eyes sparkling with unshed tears, Lex whispered to him brokenly as she soared to heights she’d never been. And not without a certain degree of male satisfaction, he had to admit he loved her reactions.
Unable to hold back any longer, Constantine spilled himself into her. His climax seemed to go on forever as her power pulsated around him, causing him to experience a whole other level of pleasure. It took nearly a thousand years and the gentle touch of one blue-eyed beauty, but he’d finally learned what ecstasy was.
Though moving off of her was the last thing Constantine wanted to do, he knew his weight had to be crushing her. He eased out of Lex, biting back a groan as he did so. He collapsed facedown next to her. She lay beside him on her back, eyes closed, breathing erratic as her energy vibrated throughout the room.
For once, Constantine didn’t hold himself back or question his reason when he rolled onto his back and stretched his arm out to Lex. Nor did he stop his smile when she sidled up next to him and rested her head on his shoulder. Constantine stared up at the ceiling, wishing he could hold on to this moment forever.
He wanted to keep Lex with him forever.
As Constantine lay with one of the purest souls God ever released into the world, he prayed for Him to keep Lex safe and to forgive him for daring to need the innocence of her to erase the stain of his past. He prayed to God to give him the ability to love her as she deserved to be loved. When he felt Lex’s hand come to rest on the scar over his heart, Constantine dared to hope God was listening.
Chapter Fifteen
Wiltshire
November 1295
Morning dawned brutally cold despite the fact that the sun shone in the clear winter sky. The day was crisp and clear, the rain having broken after the drenching of the last weeks. Yet despite the pleasant day, Constantine’s mood was dark as he rode away from Draegon Castle.
Greaves Castle, though a handful of miles away from Draegon, seemed much further today. Truth was, after all he’d heard about Ulric Chambers, Constantine had the distinct feeling he was riding right into Hell.
Clothed in little more than rags, Constantine shivered beneath his threadbare cloak as they rode across the flat Wiltshire. He gripped the reins of the feeble brown mare, the oldest and sickliest horse in his father’s stable, with trembling hands. Constantine wondered if it was from cold or from fear. He gave it some thought, since there was nothing to do but think, and realized it was a mix of both.
Beside him was Sir Walter. The gray-haired knight had always treated Constantine as kindly as he was allowed to, living in Henry Draegon’s hall. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to help get Constantine through some of the more brutal of nights.
No relief was to be found, as Constantine had hoped leaving Draegon Castle would bring him. Instead, all he felt was a sense of impending doom as he rode closer toward the unknown awaiting him at Greaves Castle.
Ulric Chambers.
The foul man’s name echoed in Constantine’s mind as he neared Greaves Castle. He found no shame in his fear. Given the whispers he’d heard throughout his father’s garrison over the last weeks, Constantine knew he had reason to be afraid.
Most of what he’d heard, Constantine hadn’t understood. All he knew was that the man had to be most sinful since some of the soldiers went so far as to cross themselves after saying Chamber’s name. Some even spit in the dirt as if to rid themselves of the poison of his name from their tongue.
“You cold, boy?”
Brought out of his somber thoughts by Sir Walter’s question, Constantine shook his head curtly. “No, Sir.”
He knew there was no need to lie to Sir Walter. The man had already proven his kindness by secretly offering him comfort when no other dared. Still, Constantine could not bring himself to admit weakness. Some lessons he’d learned from his father he’d never forget. Never showing or admitting weakness was one such lesson.
“Here. Put it on, son.” Sir Walter removed his heavy woolen cloak and tossed it to him. “I know you’re cold.”
With hurried hands Constantine wrapped the large cloak around his shivering body, grateful for the warmth it provided. He’d not forget this unselfish gesture.
The old, grizzled knight stared at him for the longest time. Constantine grew uneasy under the intensity of his gaze. Sir Walter narrowed his gaze and shook his head. “It was foul business if you ask me.”
“What say you?”
“To sell you to that prick of man is inexcusable.”
The knight’s anger was apparent and it shocked Constantine. No one dared speak out against Henry Draegon. Ever. To do so was suicide. Obviously Sir Walter cared not, for he shook his head again and spat on the ground.
Constantine had nothing to say to that. He didn’t dare voice his agreement, nor could he defend his sire’s actions. His father had sold him to a most depraved man, and though Constantine was still unsure what awaited him at Greaves, it couldn’t be any worse than what he’d already suffered at Draegon.
“Heed me now, boy.” Constantine gave Sir Walter his full attention. “Whatever happens during your time at Greaves remember, you are never to blame yourself. You may wish to be a man full grown, but the truth of it is, you’re still but a boy. You’re not ready to take on a man yet, but the time will come when you will be strong enough to defeat even the greatest knight. I know this. I see the power in you. When that day comes, you swear it to me that you will do whatever you can to free yourself from Chambers. You get as far away from Greaves as you can and never look back.” He heaved out a great sigh, his breath making smoke as it mingled with the frigid air. “What happens at Greaves, you leave it there. Do you understand me, son? You leave that evil behind.”
Constantine swallowed past the lump of dread that formed in his throat. “I’ll leave it behind.”
“Swear it to me, boy.”
“I swear.”
Walter looked none too relieved to have his oath. “May God be with you, Constantine.”
Sir Walter spoke just as they reached the peak of the hill they were climbing. Greaves Castle came into view and Constantine’s heart sank. The sinister stone fortress rose up from a courtyard enclosed by an impregnable wall. Something warned Constantine it would keep him in as much as it would keep Chambers’ enemies out.
As they passed through the gatehouse, manned by four sentries, Sir Walter’s words echoed in his mind. They continued to haunt Constantine for the rest of his days at Greaves Castle.
Chapter Sixteen
Lex packed a suitcase with meticulous care, carefully cramming in all she would need to take with her to England. The plans had been arranged last night. Tristan and Briana Kerr had
done it all over the phone while Lex and Constantine had been—otherwise occupied.
Just before dawn, Tristan found them in Lex’s chamber and explained the details of the plan to get them both to England. From what he’d said, it was going to be a day of traveling that would begin at dawn end sometime the next morning. Most of Constantine’s journey would take place with him sealed in a sunlight-proof crate. The same one, he explained, he’d come to America in. The idea of him traveling in a coffin-like crate didn’t sit well with Lex to say the least—even if she did grasp the importance of such a thing.
Kerr was going to be sending human bodyguards to pick Lex up in the morning. From what Tristan said, they were going to be glued to her side from the moment they left the Seacrest until they reached Lowel Castle in Wiltshire.
