“What’s this?” she asked when he set the plate down in front of her. Not that she cared what it was, it looked and smelled delicious.
“Crepes,” he said. He plunked two tiny pitchers down beside the plate. “Your choice of syrup—raspberry or maple. I have other flavors, too. I hope you like it.”
Melody looked up at him, amused by the look of expectation he was giving her.
“I might if I had a fork …”
“Right!” Garen spun around and yanked open a drawer, pulling out cutlery, which he ceremoniously placed on either side of her plate. He darted around the bar and laid a linen napkin across her lap.
“I’d be happy to feed you, too …”
Melody giggled. “Geeze, no. I think that would be a little bit overkill, considering.”
“Right, sorry, this is the first time I’ve had to do this kind of thing. I have no idea how to behave in between my primary tasks.”
“You mean in between working me up until I’m begging for sex?”
Garen had just sat down beside her with his own plate and had a bite of food halfway to his mouth. He paused and set his fork down. “I’ve been trying to avoid thinking about it in any but the most professional, clinical way, but yeah. In between that.”
“You’ve never lived with a girl before, have you?”
“Never really lived with anyone since I came of age and left my parents’ house,” he said around a mouthful of food.
“I thought you lived here with Skye,” she said, glancing at him.
Garen shook his head. “I have my own place nearby. This is just where I work now.”
“You spent the night here last night, though, didn’t you?”
“I’m to stay with you at all times unless Skye is here. I’m in the guest room next to yours.” He pointed his fork just above them to where the guest rooms were. Skye’s room was at the West end of the landing, but Melody hadn’t seen inside.
“So … what do we do? Just hang out until it’s time for you to take care of your primary task?” She nudged him with her elbow and was gratified at the slight flush that crept into his smooth cheeks.
“Trust me, we have plenty to do. My secondary task is to keep you busy and stimulated in other ways.”
“So, I’m like a pet. Couldn’t you guys have just gotten a cat?”
Garen chuckled. “I suppose that’s not a bad analogy, but lesser animals fear us so much it’s impossible to get close enough to even keep them as pets. Besides, it’s against our laws to couple with any creature that isn’t entirely willing, not to mention completely pointless.”
“Rape is pretty pointless,” she said, studying him with deeper interest. “So was the contract enough to secure my consent? What if I’m just not in the mood? It didn’t say anything about that.”
“No, but it did say you must willingly make yourself available and that you would never be compelled. Now eat up because your workout begins in half an hour.”
Melody stopped chewing and swallowed. “Hey, wait a sec. I didn’t see anything in the contract about having to work out. And you just said I couldn’t be compelled, so screw that. I kind of hoped I’d get to lounge around, watch soap operas and have you feed me chocolates all day long until the real fun began.”
Garen stood and collected their empty plates. “As delighted as I would be to cater to your every whim, I still have a job to do, too. Exercise is a vital component of your well-being. No negotiating.”
“What, do you have a manual somewhere titled ‘The Care and Feeding of Your Human Sex Slave’? I’d love to read the chapter where it says sweating my ass off is crucial to my happiness.” For the first time she noted he was dressed in snug, light gray track pants and a tight, matching t-shirt with an athletic logo on it. She’d been so intent on avoiding ogling the outlines of his thick chest and tight ass that she hadn’t registered his attire. He even wore a brand-new pair of cross trainers.
“Whether you sweat or not depends on how hard you intend to work at it,” he said. “But I will warn you, Skye is an energetic lover and at times his needs may require more stamina than you’re capable of at the moment. Don’t expect to just lie on your back while he services you with his tongue. You should go change.”
Melody gave him a sulky pout. “Fine,” she said, hopping off her stool and heading back toward the stairs. Over her shoulder she called back to him. “But you can’t compel me to go on a diet!”
“I wouldn’t dream of it!” he called back. “Your ass is perfect just the way it is.”
“So’s yours,” she said under her breath and was shocked to hear him chuckle. “Don’t tell me you heard that.”
“I do have excellent hearing, Melody. Remember, it’s my job.”
“Right, your job to be my keeper. Makes me feel like some exotic animal in a rich guy’s private zoo.”
“I’m also your trainer for the next two hours, so get a move on.”
Melody stomped back to her closet and found a pair of shorts and a sports bra, neither of which left anything to the imagination where her curves were concerned. She’d been blessed with the kind of figure many women envied, but she’d always been self-conscious about the size of her plump breasts and ass, in spite of the sharp contrast of her narrow waist. “Childbearing hips” her mother had called them, as though that should be her sole purpose in life. Not if she could help it—at least not until she met a guy she could imagine sharing her life with, much less her genes.
Garen would make beautiful babies, what with his stature and that face so gorgeous he’d be the envy of women as much as they’d be likely to fall in love with him. Skye, too, she supposed, but she had trouble remembering precisely what he looked like. All she remembered was how amazing he’d made her feel. She’d had little time to truly study his features and too much had happened in the short time since. Tonight she’d get to have a good, long look at him, though.
How in the world they’d managed to gather such a complete collection of clothing for her in only a day astounded her. The lower half of one wall of the closet was covered in racks of shoes, all of which seemed to be exactly her size. As she sat down on the center bench and tied on a pair of comfortable sneakers, she imagined an army of quaint little elves sneaking in and measuring her while she slept, and magically altering all the garments so they fit.
The itchy tag in the back of her sports bra told her otherwise, particularly when she ripped it out and looked at it. “Made in China,” it said. Not quite so magical.
Garen gave her a quick once-over when she joined him again and she was briefly entertained by his pointed effort to avert his eyes from her figure. He led her to an elevator that adjoined a small hallway leading from a door in the back of the large pantry. The doors opened up a moment later onto a huge room that must have covered the entire floor below the apartment.
“Why does one man need an entire gymnasium to work out in?” she asked, gazing around in wonder. Every type of workout station imaginable were visible scattered about the room. The only thing missing was a swimming pool.
“We like using our bodies for more than sex,” Garen said. “There’s a pool on the ground floor, which we’ll use another day.” He motioned her toward a foam mat in the center of the room. “Lie down on your back,” he said.
She crossed her arms. “What kind of ‘training’ is this supposed to be, really?”
“I believe you might call it ‘Yoga’,” he replied in a snarky tone. “But I’m really just going to take you through some stretches to gauge how limber you are and what we need to work on the most.”
Melody lowered herself to the mat. Garen followed, sinking to his knees at her side. He seemed to hesitate slightly, one hand hovering over her leg for a second before he cupped his hand beneath her knee and lifted her leg. She tried to remain relaxed and let him move her body, but the gentle warmth of his to
uch had sent her heart racing and a pleasant tightness grew between her thighs when he pushed her knee up to her chest.
“Let me know if I push too hard or if anything hurts,” he said as he straightened out her leg and moved around to face her, letting her ankle rest on his shoulder.
She nodded, afraid her voice would betray too much of her arousal if she spoke. He held her ankle in one large hand and pushed against her leg, causing her hamstring to burn slightly as it tightened when he met her limit. She winced.
“Right there, huh?” he asked and she responded with another nod.
Garen let out a long breath and for some reason as he did, she felt her thigh muscles gradually relax and allow him to stretch her leg even more. She jerked slightly when he gripped her thigh with his free hand and began to dig his thumb into the back of it in a slow, circular massaging motion. His hand worked its way down the back of her thigh, inch by inch. Each incremental movement lower caused her pulse to race faster and her skin to heat. He finally stopped just shy of the edge of her shorts, which only barely covered her ass as it was.
When he released her, he lowered her foot to the floor and moved to lift the other leg, repeating the process. As he worked, Melody tried to distract herself from his touch by thinking about what she’d spend her accumulated savings on once her contract was up, beyond the trip she had planned with her mother. The agreement had come with a substantial bump in salary, but that had been the last thing on her mind at the time. Now her mind only managed to come up with the most absurd ideas, and she wound up simply wondering if she’d be able to keep the lingerie in her closet upstairs. She hated shopping and who would want to wear it after her anyway?
But if this whole arrangement was intended as a trial run before she married the guy, that changed everything. What if he ended up hating her once he got to know her? What if she hated him? Would she still have to go through with the contract if she learned there was no way it would work after day one? And if he released her from it because they couldn’t stand each other, would Garen hate her for not trying harder?
“Am I hurting you?” Garen asked, stopping his massaging abruptly and giving her a concerned look.
“What? Oh, no. I’m fine.” Her voice shook when she spoke, betraying her emotions.
“Melody, if you object to any of this—I mean if you genuinely feel uncomfortable—you have to let me know. It’s important that you’re invested in every moment you’re here. That you’re doing this because you care about the outcome.” His eyes flickered with inner light, reminding her that he could actually see her mood swings. How damn inconvenient.
“I’m just anxious, I guess,” she said. “You touching me like that doesn’t help.”
His lips quirked up on one side, the cute twist giving her the strongest urge to sit up and kiss him. “My intention wasn’t to arouse you, but it’s good that it turns you on. I’m going to be doing a lot more touching before tonight.”
“How can you stand it? Last night you were all over me. I’m glad you’re restraining yourself now, but I don’t know if I’m as strong as you are.”
“It’ll get easier,” he said. “And I’m full today, so it’s easier to be around you without craving a taste of your energy.”
She blinked at him, a sharp pang of alarm shooting through her. “How … ? I mean …”
“While you slept, I went out. I had to make sure the little bit of your essence I tasted was flushed out of me.”
Melody rolled over and stood, facing away from him. Her eyes stung and she rubbed at them in frustration. She took a deep breath, trying to loosen the tight knot in her chest. Christ, why was she reacting so strongly? He’d told her he would need to do exactly that.
Get it together, Melonhead, she told herself. She took a deep breath and nodded, then turned resolutely to face him.
“Okay, what next?” she asked in as chipper a tone as she could manage.
“A little endurance training,” he said, but she was sure she saw a flash of uncertainty cast a shadow across his features when he looked at her.
Chapter Seventeen
Even though he’d made a point to gorge himself with a young, adventurous married couple in a club the night before, Garen still couldn’t quite suppress his arousal at being close to Melody that morning. He did his best to stick to his plan for the day, but it required frequent reminders to himself that she wasn’t for him as much as his body craved another taste of her. He should never have gone as far as he had the day before. It was as though that one tiny drop of her energy had marked him and he experienced an irrational moment of panic, wondering if Skye would really be able to tell, even though he’d gone to unusual lengths to hide what he’d done.
Just today—if he could prep her for Skye without driving himself mad, tomorrow would be easier. Skye’s essence would diminish her reactions to him, and with any luck his own instinct to mate Melody would be held at bay with the presence of Skye’s more powerful essence infusing her.
But Sweet Mother, it was going to be a long day. The simple, floral aroma of her sweat made his temples pound and his dick threatened to rouse itself every time he even hazarded the slightest, most objective look at her very feminine physique.
She was in excellent shape for someone so adamant about not working out earlier. Eventually, the little bit of competition he added to their workout managed to distract the both of them until he found himself enjoying her presence as much for her cocky banter as for her physical allure. By the end of the workout he even managed a sense of pride knowing how pleased Skye was going to be with her once he got to know her better. Garen may not be able to have her for himself, but at least she would be with the only other person he cared as deeply for.
Only person, he corrected himself after his train of thought halted in alarm. He was growing to care for her, but not that deeply. Not yet. He shook his head trying to dispel the feeling of denial that lingered.
“All right, let’s have lunch and then it’s time to prep you for tonight,” he said, helping Melody unfasten her climbing harness. She’d done as well with the climbing wall as with any of the other physical tasks he’d thrown at her, managing to keep her balance with ease.
She does have a rather lovely center of gravity, which can’t hurt, he mused as he let his eyes wander over her bare midsection and her cute little divot of a navel. His mind also wandered to thoughts of shifting into his true form and having her shapely thighs gripping tight around his shoulders while he flew. Or having those thighs wrapped around his human hips while he fucked her.
Melody’s aura shimmered and her cheeks flushed even pinker than they’d been from her exertion alone. “Time for you to show your stuff, huh?” She gazed up at him with bright, eager eyes and he hoped his expression hadn’t given away any of the thoughts that had been going through his mind.
He cleared his throat, sending a silent plea to the Dragon Mother to help him endure the next few hours without going mad.
Melody devoured the substantial lunch he made for her. She glanced up once halfway through the pastrami Reuben. “What?” she asked around a mouthful of food. “Do I have sauce on my face?” She grabbed a napkin and dabbed daintily at the corners of her lips.
Garen laughed. “No. I’m just impressed by your appetite.”
She scowled at him and set down the rest of her sandwich, shoving it away with a longing look.
He shoved it back at her. “Eat. You’ll need your energy.”
“You just called me a pig.”
“No such thing. It was a compliment. You experience things with such joy and abandon. So few humans have that trait. It’s a pleasure simply to watch you. ”
She picked the sandwich up and took another slow bite. “Are you going to be there tonight … watching?”
Her hopeful tone touched him, and he sighed. “No. Not unless Skye asks me to stay, but I imagine he
’ll want you to himself entirely.”
She chewed thoughtfully and swallowed. “You said something on the plane last night,” she said, picking distractedly at her crust. “That I’d love getting fucked by Skye … as much as you do. Does that mean you two are lovers?” She stared at him, wide eyed, then blurted in a tumble of words, “I don’t care if you are, not at all, I’m just curious. In fact it’s pretty damn hot, if you ask me.”
“Not exactly,” he said slowly, trying to decide how to explain his relationship with Skye. “We’ve been very close since childhood. I’ve always been tasked with serving him in some capacity, and sometimes that means fulfilling the same needs you’ve been hired for. Which he occasionally reciprocates.”
Melody set her sandwich down again. “Wait a second, are you telling me that this …” she waved her hand between them. “This is you training your replacement?”
Garen raised his hands, cursing himself for misleading her. “Nothing like that. You are necessary. I’m just … a placeholder, I guess.” He winced inwardly at how pathetic he sounded and hated the pitying look she gave him.
“You love him, don’t you,” she said softly.
Garen sighed. Weary of dancing around the truth, he simply nodded. “My whole life he’s the only person who’s ever made me feel close to whole when we’re together. I’ve tried human lovers, but have yet to find any who satisfy me.” He avoided giving any hint about precisely how unsatisfying any other lover had been for him.
“Why do you want me in the middle of you two, then? Doesn’t he love you back?”
“How we feel isn’t really relevant. He needs you more than he needs me for reasons he’ll have to tell you himself when the time comes. Now, if you’re finished eating, we should get a move on. I don’t want to have to rush things at the last minute or we might end up making a mistake.”
“Another mistake, you mean,” she said.
He gave her a wan smile. “I don’t regret it, and you shouldn’t worry. I know exactly what I’m doing.”
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