by Honor James
“Well, while we are out we will get everything that’s needed and I will make you some of my homemade bread.” At his look she grinned. “I have learned to do a great deal of things on my own. Bread making relaxes me, helps me to also keep track of what I’m putting in my body.”
“I’m all for homemade bread but you do realize you don’t have to, right?” he said, watching her. “You are a guest here and don’t need to do anything like that. I won’t argue if you want to. I’m enough of a male to think often with my stomach.”
“Trust me, I know that. As I said it helps to relax me and right now I think that I really need some relaxing. I would like to do something for you. You have opened your home to me, are keeping me safe, so it’s just a little something that I truly do want to do, if you don’t mind, that is?”
“My kitchen is your kitchen,” he assured her, taking another bite and chewing. “Ditto with the rest of the house. You’re here for a time. Feel free to do whatever you want around the place. I will warn you that I have a housekeeper who comes in every week when I’m in town. She comes on Friday mornings and is here with four others for about three hours. I usually try not to be here so I don’t have to listen to her clucking about a bachelor living so long alone.” Z shook his head. “So if you’re up for it we’ll head out Friday morning for about five hours and she can do her thing with her people and when we get back, see what interesting notes she’s left me full of ‘motherly’ advice.”
Bethany couldn’t help but grin at that. “Oh I’m sure that they leave you all kinds of things. Women, especially of the older ilk, tend to mother us even when we don’t ask for it. I think that it’s a weird quirk of the female gene, and yes I know that I am female, and who knows, I might do that one day.” She doubted it, but whatever. She would never be anyone’s mother. She was just far too fucked up for that.
“They may look older but I’ve got them all by a couple of centuries easy,” he said, shaking his head. He was interested in the new notes. “The ladies will figure out I have a guest, a female guest no less, and that would lead to lots and lots of advice. Oh well, I’m never here when they are so it all works out well. At least I don’t have to have to get the advice face to face.”
“True. That would likely be hard to swallow.” Bethany focused on her food, no longer hungry but just trying to work on eating so that he wouldn’t worry. “So what do you normally do when they are here cleaning?”
“Usually I’m working so I’m not in town anyway, but if I am I go to town and catch a movie or do some shopping. Anything that kills those four hours while they are in my space.” Something he didn’t like on the best of days, others in his space. “Why aren’t you eating?” Z demanded quietly, seeing the way she’d slowed suddenly and appeared to be just shoving things around the plate.
“I ate a little. Just not that hungry.” Which was the absolute truth. She simply wasn’t focusing on the whys of her not being hungry. “Movies are always nice.” She took another bite. “Perhaps we can catch the new Bond movie?” She loved Bond, any of the Bond movies actually.
“You keep poking and prodding at it. You are pushing it around.” Zaidu thought a moment and then clued in. “It’s because I made the comment about my age.” Or rather how much older he was than his cleaning ladies. “What about that upset you?” he asked.
“Oh heavens no, that didn’t upset me,” she assured him. “Really it didn’t. Well other than knowing that you are, good lord, how old are you?” She didn’t even know. No, that wasn’t what had upset Bethany. It had been the mention of him getting advice because of a woman in his midst. “It’s nothing you did, Zaidu, I promise. It’s all me.”
“Uh-huh,” he said softly as he watched her. “I am…” Zaidu had to think a moment about it. “I’m, give or take a year, five hundred and twelve years old. I’d actually have to dig out the calendar and do the math to figure it out exactly.”
“Good gravy.” She hadn’t expected that one. “Lordy, you look good for being half a millennium old.” Bethany sighed and shook her head. “Heaven’s sakes, that’s seriously old.” She hoped she didn’t offend, but hell that was old.
“Not really, there are those amongst the Dragons that are centuries older than I am. Talon for one is somewhere up and around the two thousand mark or just under,” he said. “Some of the other Changers get picked off, but Dragons are a lot harder to kill unless you get them in their human forms.”
“Goodness gravy, seriously?” Just the thought of someone being that old was shocking to her. “Remind me not to be at one of their birthday parties,” she teased. “Do they call the fire department for those parties?”
“We don’t celebrate them,” he said. “After the first twenty years of life we don’t bother any longer. We all know we’re going to live a good long time and after a few years it becomes kind of depressing. Plus with me being a Hunter, having friends is a little pointless since I may one day be called to hunt and kill them.”
Unable to help herself she reached out and placed her hand on his forearm. “I’m sorry, Zaidu. That has to be terrible. I can’t imagine living like that.” She led a fairly solitary life, but still had a couple of friends, ones that she wouldn’t have to one day hunt or kill.
“I’m used to it,” he said, quietly noting she’d willingly touched him for the first time, not out of fear or because he was protecting her. “I’ve known what I was from my twentieth birthday, just after puberty kicked in.” Pulling his right sleeve up to show her the markings on his upper arm, he looked at her. “That appeared and everyone knew just who I was to be. Amazing how fast friends bail when they are faced with what you will one day be.”
She touched the marking on his arm and traced it with her fingertips. “If you want me, Zaidu, I will be your friend. I don’t have to worry about you hunting me one day because I’m not like the people you grew up with. I’m just human and offering you human friendship for the limited years I have left on this Earth.”
Staring at her, he watched for a long time before he nodded. “All right,” he said. Her touch was igniting little fires under his flesh and he could practically feel her light touch to his cock. She was killing him with that slow stroke.
She smiled at him. Even if it would kill her she would give him the friendship that he needed. Each time she saw him it would break her heart but she would hide it. She would keep it from him because that was just the way it would have to be. He didn’t want anything from her. He refused to accept her in his life, so she would survive it.
She was regretting the offer already. Her scent had changed in an instant from intrigue to sadness. Drawing back, he stood up and moved to the sink to set his plate into it. Turning to look at her he sighed. “Forget it,” Zaidu said quietly. “You didn’t really mean it and you’re regretting the offer, so just forget it. It’s not what either of us wants anyway, so”—he shook his head—“forget it.” Heading for the hall he paused in the door. “Ten minutes and we’re heading into town,” he told her before taking the stairs two at a time.
Bethany sighed and took her plate to the trash. Pushing the food out, she rinsed her dish and then put it into the sink. After cleaning up in the kitchen, she was standing beside the front door in nine minutes. “I did mean it,” she told him when he came down the stairs. “I would like to be your friend.” Which was the truth. She wanted to be his friend, but he kept pushing her away. “Unless it would be too hard for you?”
“It wouldn’t but you didn’t mean it,” he said, looking her in the eye. “You might have at first but then you started thinking, your own mortality pushed into the picture. It’s fine,” he told her, moving to collect his jacket and grabbing one for her to wear. “Humans always change their minds when they realize that they will die and I won’t. It’s the way of the world. We should go,” Zaidu said, grabbing his truck keys and his wallet.
Boy, what he knew about her would fit in a thimble with room left over, she thought to herself. “Whate
ver you say. You are obviously the most brilliant one here, the one who’s had oh so much experience, especially dealing with a woman who he pushed away that was supposed to be his other half.”
Shooting her a look, he growled low as he stepped in front of her. “The fact you know that means they broke all the rules. Which, when it’s a Hunter’s life, is a death sentence for the one who broke those rules. The only reason they won’t be called out for it is because it was likely Talon and his damned troupe. Hunters run by a completely different set of rules because our life expectancy is actually set at a hundred years. If we make it past that and into the next century we are like dead men walking because we have outlived any and every moment that was thrown at us and are still around and kicking to give more hell to the Rogues.”
Zaidu wanted to shake her and fucking Gaia, too. “You know who the first person an enemy of a Hunter goes after? Their mate and children. It’s why not a single Hunter has ever, in the history of our people, mated. Gaia, that fucking Goddess who is a pain in my ass, knows we don’t mate and yet she decided to ruin your life for her own amusement. And honestly, that is crueler than anything those Rogues could have ever done to you. Do I want a mate?” he stalked a little closer though he was fighting from backing her to a wall. “Hell yes, more than anything. Will I take one? No. Why? Because I refuse to be the reason an innocent is killed, again. Now, if we’ve had enough of the pity party, do you still want to go shopping or should we discuss and grind this into the earth a little more?”
“Obviously you had to have come from somewhere. Wasn’t your father a Hunter as well?” She didn’t know how the hell it worked, but still. And then, because she was an idiot, she grabbed him and kissed him. Bethany didn’t hold anything back. She kissed him with all the pent-up emotion and need she had inside of her simmering just close to the surface.
Grabbing her up, he lifted her and put her back to the wall as he kissed her hard and fast. He wasn’t a saint. No one would ever dare accuse him of that. Stroking his hands down her side, he wrapped her legs around his waist so he could press closer to her. Thrusting his tongue into her mouth he stroked her tongue with his.
There was no time for thought, no time for anything except her. She rubbed her body against his and pulled him even closer. Growling against his lips she pulled back only slightly. “I’m not a liability, Zaidu. I’m a woman. A woman that could give you what you so desperately need. A woman that could love you. Let me in,” she begged softly before kissing him again.
Shoving his hands into her hair, he tipped her head back so he could dominate the kiss. He didn’t feel like talking or dealing with anything just then. He just wanted to drown some of his sins in the goodness that was her.
She was more than perfectly content to kiss him. Holding onto him she rubbed tighter against him and nipped his lips as she did so. Then, because all sense left her, she began to tug at his clothes, pulling off his shirt first and pushing it down his shoulders before raking her nails over his shoulders and chest in a desperate attempt to get closer to him.
Lifting his head, he caught her hands and pressed them up against the wall. Staring at her as he panted hard, trying to suck in some air, Zaidu forced his heart to stop racing. “My father wasn’t a Hunter. The gene jumps from line to line.” He breathed out, trying to get his brain to stop shorting out. “No Hunter has a mate, no Hunter has children,” he whispered, loosening his hold on her wrists. But he wanted to have those things, with her. Damn fucking Gaia to hell and back again for breaking with the unspoken tried and true tradition. Dropping his eyes to her lips, he leaned in to brush his lightly to hers. He couldn’t help himself.
“Be the first,” she whispered and kissed him back. “I want you, Zaidu. I want you in my life. I need you there.” She ran her hands over his bare chest. “Don’t let me go.” She was begging and dammit she had sworn she would never beg, but she couldn’t help herself. She needed him.
“It won’t be safe,” he said softly. “Your life will be in constant danger. We would have to move around often, especially when I’m on missions.” He had no idea who he was trying to convince, or not, about the idea. “We don’t get Guards. Hunters are literally lone beings. We hunt alone, we do it all alone, so there is no talk about coercion.”
“I will do whatever it takes. Don’t you see that I’m already alone?” she asked with a frown. “I’ve been alone for five years, since Brian killed our family, the boys I dated and all those innocent women. I don’t want to be alone again. Take a chance. I’m willing, are you?”
Ah to hell with it. “I don’t want you hurt,” he admitted quietly, brushing his lips to her cheek. “But I can’t do anything less than give you everything if you are willing,” he murmured against her ear, nipping ever so lightly.
“More than willing,” she whispered softly. “I want everything, Zaidu. I need everything.” She scraped her nails along his chest. “Don’t let me go. Make love with me.”
Shuddering, he rested his forehead to hers. He shouldn’t. It had been way too long for him. He could hurt her and Gods knew he’d really do it up super freaky and bond her to him. “Harder,” he told her on a low growl. All she was doing was petting him, he liked it rough.
She did just that, rubbing her hands over him harder, her nails biting into his skin as she did so. “I think we need our clothes off. Against the door for all I care, but I need you inside of me, Zaidu, so very much so.” She was desperate for him.
Growling softly, he nipped at her lips lightly and lifted her away from the wall. “A bed is much better,” he said, heading for the stairs. Lifting her higher he took the stairs quickly and went straight for his bedroom.
She had been afraid to ask him for a bed, afraid that he would pull back from her, and voiced that fear. “I was worried that you would get back into your mind and decide that you didn’t want me. I’m not letting you go now though,” she whispered and leaned in, biting his shoulder as if to mark him for her own.
“Harder,” he told her, squeezing her ass as he walked. Kicking the door shut he moved right for the large bed and dropped her down on it before she could do what he said. Stepping back, he took a deep breath as he watched her.
Tugging her shirt up and over her head, she tossed it behind her and then divested herself of her bra as well. Lifting up, she grabbed at him and tugged him to her. Kissing him again she scraped her nails over his back as she pulled him closer.
Dropping his hands to her waist, Z undid her pants and, lifting her with one hand, pushed the pants and underwear over her ass. Setting her down he pushed them off as he kissed her back, leaning in to push her onto the bed.
Lifting a leg, she wrapped it around his. She was thankful that he had jerked her pants off so quickly so that he didn’t see the horrific scarring on her leg. Kissing him back she felt the long, hard, and holy-shit-thick cock that butted against her wet pussy and had her whimpering. Damn she needed him, so very much.
Sucking her tongue Zaidu stroked his hand slowly over her ribs and back up. Rubbing his thumb over the curve of her breast he lifted his head to drop a kiss to her neck. Nipping he breathed her in slowly and nibbled gently.
She shivered and tugged him closer. Leaning her head to the side, she panted. “Please.” She was begging, dammit. Lifting her other leg and wrapping it around his thick and heavy thighs she tugged him closer. “Inside of me. Now.” She growled.
Growling right back at her, he nipped her ear. “Patience,” he told her in a rough tone. Pinching her nipple, Z rolled it between his fingers as he rubbed his cock to her wet pussy. She was ready to come right then. He’d have to give her an orgasm so he could push her to a second for the bonding. He’d decided to do it and live with the consequences, which he was extremely paranoid and worried about.
“Has never been my virtue.” She growled right back at him. “So close.” Lord help her but she really was so close. He wasn’t even inside of her but already she could feel her pussy walls clenching. She co
uld feel her body rippling and whimpered. “Zaidu.” It was a growl, a groan, all rolled into one. It was a desperate plea for more.
Shifting slightly he pushed the head of his cock into her and rocked forward to tease her. Dipping his head more he caught her other nipple and suckled lightly, using his teeth very carefully on her soft flesh.
It embarrassed the hell out of her but she heard herself screaming, her nails bit into his shoulders deeply, and she came, orgasming just at his teasing, at his mouth teasing her nipple and his cock teasing her pussy. “Please,” she sobbed.
“Shh,” he whispered, lifting his head to brush kisses to her lips. ”I need you to relax, Bethany, just relax, little one.” Nibbling on her mouth, he inched into her body a little at a time.
Moving under him Bethany opened her body even more and sighed as he inched his way into her body. “So good,” she whimpered. “God, you feel so good.” She had never felt so full in all her life. She had never felt so right in all her life.
Dropping his hand to her bottom Z tipped her hips up and slid in all the way. The feeling of complete rightness and completion was terrifying. Sliding out very slowly he pushed in just as slow, letting her body adjust to his invasion.
Bethany’s legs moved just a bit higher on his hips and she pulled him closer. “So good.” She was purring now. Damn she was purring. “You aren’t going to break me. More. Harder.” She growled in demand.
“Hush,” he told her, flicking his tongue to her nipple and then tugging it with his teeth. Moving to the other breast he treated it the same as he slid his cock in and out slowly. He was going to build up her need until she was half-crazed.
Bethany’s body was being played by a maestro. He was strumming her like a finely tuned instrument and each time he pressed into her body she sighed, and each time he pulled out, she growled. Need and desperation flew through her until she began to pant and then she screamed as she went over the edge and clawed at him to try to get him to move in closer, demanding more.
