LostwithLeo

by Shelley Munro

“But—”

  “Enough,” Leo barked, and he kissed her in a possessive manner as if to make sure she didn’t speak at all.

  Betrys surrendered and held him close, kissing Leo back with the same urgency. His hands started to wander, exploring the parts of her he could reach. One breast. Her hip. He kissed her until raw need chased them both and her lips were swollen and tender. His mouth traveled across her cheek then followed her neck, taking tiny bites that made her nerve endings salute with excitement. Tendrils of desire crawled over her skin, slid through her veins to settle between her legs.

  “Leo, please. I want you inside me, filling me.”

  “You want me to fuck you?” he demanded.

  Her eyes flew open and their gazes met. No. No, that wasn’t what she wanted, and she saw he knew it too.

  “Or do you want me to make love with you?” he whispered, his breath hot against her ear. His finger circled one of her nipples, the gentle friction driving her to distraction. She shuddered at his repeat of the action and the slow slide of his tongue. “You tell me what you want.”

  “I want you. Make love to me. Please.”

  “My pleasure, sweetheart.” He parted her legs with a decisive shove of his thigh between hers. She was wet and needy, the air cool on her hot flesh.

  Somewhere overhead a bird called and the solar sun shone down. His masculine scent filled each of her breaths while frissons of excitement danced across every inch of her skin.

  When he guided his cock into her warmth, she swallowed and arched her hips to take him deeper. Her mouth was dry, her heart thudding, her quim on fire for his possession.

  “Leo, yes,” she cried.

  He forged into her flesh, stretching and filling her slick channel. “Fuck, you feel good. So perfect.” He pulled back and drove in again and they gave a unified groan.

  He feasted on her mouth then lifted his head to reposition his attentions. He scraped his teeth over the fleshy part where her shoulder and neck met and on his next hard thrust, he bit down.

  The unexpected pain brought a spike of pleasure, a surge of wetness, and a rough growl vibrated in his chest. His cock seemed to swell inside her as his tongue licked across the sensitive flesh of her upper shoulder.

  She moaned, arched upward to take his hard strokes, the sweet rub of his flesh against her clit. She soared, feeling as if she were flying out of her skin. Leo kissed the spot again and everything pulled tight inside her, detonating with a suddenness that yanked a scream from deep in her chest. It was hard to breathe, hard to contain the sensations coursing through her, hard to believe she was naked with Leo.

  His tongue worked back and forth over the spot where he’d bitten her, and that seemed to prolong the spasms of pleasure. He bit her again, the wet rasp of his tongue sliding across her flesh and chasing away the prick of pain.

  He shoved into her and she clung, letting him take what he needed. Then he lifted his head and cried out with a harsh groan of enjoyment. She caught his next moan with her mouth and held him as his orgasm thundered through him. His large form shuddered as he dragged out every last sensation then stilled.

  “Aw, sweetheart.” His mouth curved into a seductive smile, and his fingers smoothed across the spot where he’d bitten her.

  She shivered, and her quim gave a sharp pulse around his cock. “Do that again.”

  His fingers stroked back and forth, a hint of smugness sliding into his expression. “Feel good?”

  “Yes.”

  Leo pressed his forehead against hers, his lips curving upward at the corners. “I think it was fuckin’ great.” He speared his fingers into her wet tendrils of hair. “I like this loose. Why do you never wear it this way?”

  “It gets in the way…” She sighed. “No, that’s not the truth. I’ve noticed how Iseult yanks on hair, and I saw her grab one of the servants by his hair tentacles one day. She yanked two of the tentacles off and he almost died because I had difficulty halting the loss of life force.” Horror filled her at the memory of the streams of purple life force spurting between her fingers and pooling on the floor. “He ran off after that, and luckily for him, Iseult’s men didn’t find him.”

  “That’s why I shaved off my hair.”

  Betrys pulled back then reached for his hands and squeezed them in sympathy. “I’m sorry. So sorry that I dragged you into Iseult’s world.”

  “It’s in the past now. Besides, if I’d walked away from the contract offer, we wouldn’t be here now.”

  She didn’t have the same facility to forgive and found it difficult to believe Leo and his family could find the generosity to let her error of judgment go. “When do you think we’ll hear from your brothers?”

  “Later tonight. Don’t worry. Sly and Joe will come through. Saber wouldn’t have sent them if he didn’t think they could do the job. Are you hungry? I am.”

  “I can’t help but worry,” Betrys said.

  “Don’t.” Leo rubbed his finger across the spot where he’d bitten her.

  It should have hurt, considering his sharp teeth, but each time he touched her there, a spike of sexual heat landing with a sizzling pulsation in her quim. “What are you doing to me?”

  “Touching you.” Leo’s lazy satisfaction came through clearly as his gaze drifting across her face to land on the spot he stroked.

  The needy heat coalesced low, but this time her stomach rumbled, and he laughed at her heated cheeks.

  “But I’d better feed you because you’re going to need your strength.”

  A sense of breathlessness grabbed her, slapped heat to her cheeks while she stared, unable to summon words to reply.

  “That’s a promise,” he said in his husky voice, and he didn’t need to touch her to send messages of lust bolting from head to toe. His heated gaze did that on its own.

  * * * * *

  The scent puzzled Iseult for the entire day. She ate the food Betrys had ordered for her and dined heartily—better than she’d eaten for eons. Her limbs shook less and although her busy mind hadn’t let her sleep for long, she felt stronger and eager to seek out her next essence donor.

  That thought sent her mind back to her timid assistant. She hadn’t behaved as normal. She’s more…confident and assured, Iseult thought with a frown. Since their last meeting, her assistant had found a backbone.

  “Hard to imagine a man wanting to fuck her,” Iseult thought aloud. “But at a resort such as this, a man would offer himself… Or maybe she used one of the fantasy rooms and became aroused. Yes, yes. That could have happened, yet her scent is overlaid with another.”

  The scent, the memory of it continued to niggle at her.

  Iseult poked through her mind and froze when the answer came to her.

  Betrys smelled of Pretty.

  No. No, that couldn’t be right. Pretty had succumbed to her demands and died after she’d sucked him dry of essence.

  Iseult sniffed the air and caught faint tendrils of the scent. She halted to puzzle over the information while she drew the fragrance deep into her lungs.

  Betrys and Pretty?

  No, impossible.

  But Pretty did have brothers who lived here, and her assistant was having sex with one of them or coming in close contact, near enough for their body scents to mingle, when she should be working to contract their services for her. Iseult started to pace, angry strikes as her feet striking the tiles. The tap-tap-tap, tap-tap-tap of her rapid steps matched the rapid pounding of her heart.

  No. No. Betrys hadn’t received that scent from a fantasy room, nor had she received it while brushing past one of Pretty’s kin. No, this scent was deep within her, had seeped into her pores. Plain Betrys was fucking the man meant for her.

  She would stop this.

  She would put a halt to this now, and Betrys would pay for her double-crossing, her deceit. The effrontery. The audacity of the woman.

  Oh yes. Betrys Torin would rue her mistake in trying to cheat Iseult Orna.

  Chapter Thirteen<
br />
  “Iseult attack. Iseult punish now.” Iseult was halfway to the door before she realized she was in Spiderus form. No, a plan. She needed a strategy. Iseult stewed, she cursed, she scuttled around her bungalow for the rest of the day while she pondered her method of attack. Several scenarios occurred, and she rejected each before coming to a final decision.

  The perfect way to gain payback for Betrys’s betrayal.

  Iseult stomped over to her communicator. “Head guard,” she demanded. She tapped her two front feet on the tiles in an impatient rat-a-tat-tat. Rat-a-tat-tat. Rat-a-tat-tat.

  “Yes, mistress,” the man replied in a prompt and obliging manner.

  “I require your services later tonight. Please come to the resort and wait outside the fence until I call. The barrier surrounds the resort, but a Spiderus will have no trouble jumping.”

  “Yes, mistress. We come now.”

  “I will call you with details,” Iseult said and cut the call.

  Now she would practice her shifting. For her plan to work she must walk through the resort in her humanoid form. Yes, more food for strength. That would make a good start.

  * * * * *

  “How much longer?” Betrys asked.

  Leo bit back a smartass comment. If he stood in Betrys’s shoes, he’d act crazy too. “You know the plan, sweetheart. Joe and Sly are entering the mansion after dark. You gave them the code for the gate, and they reported that there are minimal guards. They will call as soon as they’re clear.”

  “I don’t care about the currency. I can earn more,” Betrys said. “I just want my son.”

  “We’ll get Ricci. Try not to worry.”

  A tap sounded on the door and Leo went to answer, cracking it open a fraction before he opened it.

  Saber entered, carrying a tray, and Eva followed him.

  “We brought dinner.” Eva’s bright-blue eyes held curiosity as her gaze darted to Betrys. “I hope you don’t mind but we decided to eat with you. Tell us if we’re spoiling any romantic plans.” A saucy wink winged in Saber’s direction, then she ducked her head and allowed a lock of smooth blonde hair to screen her expression.

  His older brother grinned, and once the trays were on the table in the dining area, he wrapped his arm around his slim wife and dragged her against his side. “Too bad if they object. They’ve had all day with just the two of them.”

  “Betrys could do with the distraction.” Leo shot a quick look at her. “She’s worried about her son.”

  “Sly and Joe contacted me a short while ago,” Saber said. “That’s another reason we decided to invite ourselves for dinner. The remaining staff seem to be having a party in Iseult’s absence.”

  Betrys gaped at Saber. “A party? That’s not sanctioned by Iseult. She’ll be furious if she discovers this.”

  “I didn’t think so. That’s what Eva and I decided during the walk here.”

  Leo witnessed the exact moment his brother noticed the mating mark on Betrys. In the hours since he’d bitten her, the wound had closed over and, although he hadn’t examined the mark, he thought a tiny black cat tattoo was forming—just like the ones Eva and Casey bore.

  Betrys wouldn’t leave him anytime soon, not since both he and his feline had claimed her as their mate. The knowledge brought a wealth of satisfaction, and he wanted to shout the news to everyone in the resort who would listen. Maybe later. First, they needed to rid themselves of Iseult.

  Saber opened his mouth, but Leo gave a faint shake of his head.

  “What did Iseult do today?” Leo asked.

  “She stayed in her bungalow. No one has seen her, apart from room service. We sent Casey to deliver her meal instead of the new droids Scarlett has designed for the purpose,” Saber said. “Casey reported that she answered the door in humanoid form.”

  Betrys drew a sharp breath. “She must be feeling better. Until Leo— I’d never seen her in her spider form.”

  A loud squawk outside the door had them all turning in that direction.

  “Sorry.” Eva pulled a face. “That sounds like Bluebird.”

  “Let him come inside,” Leo urged. “I don’t think Betrys has met Bluebird yet.”

  Saber strode to the door and opened it to the blue bird Betrys had seen roaming around the resort.

  Bluebird strutted inside, gave one anxious honk and headed for Eva. Leo smiled, as he always did on seeing their pet. Eva and Saber’s pet was an odd-looking bird—sort of a cross between the pictures he’d seen of the extinct dodo bird and a turkey. The bird was a vivid blue with a lighter blue-colored beak and matching legs. Eva and Saber had come across the bird while exploring on the other side of Ione Island, and they’d brought the juvenile bird home with them. During the day, Bluebird wandered the resort, and he spent his evenings with Eva and Saber.

  “Meet Bluebird,” Eva said, her hand stroking the bird as he cuddled into her.

  Betrys grinned. “Ricci would adore him. He’s always wanted a pet, but of course, it wasn’t possible at the mansion.”

  “We’ll get him a pet,” Leo said. “Maybe a puppy. Jerrod’s bitch is about to have pups. He’ll want to find homes for them.”

  “What’s a puppy?” Betrys asked.

  “Bluebird! Leave that jar alone,” Eva said.

  Bluebird ignored her to stretch his neck and peck at the jar filled with the dead Spiderus. Saber plucked the bird up before placing the container on a higher shelf. He set Bluebird on the floor and the bird strutted over to the shelf, glanced up at the jar and gave a honk that sounded disappointed.

  “A puppy is another Earth creature. I’ll take you to visit Jerrod once we’re able to move about the resort without worrying about Iseult.” Leo grinned at Bluebird’s antics.

  Leo enjoyed having dinner with his brother and sister-in-law and he thought their presence tamped down some of Betrys’s concern for her son.

  “Congratulations,” Saber said in a low voice when he and Eva were leaving.

  “Thanks.” Leo glanced at Betrys and saw she was occupied with Bluebird. “I didn’t plan it. But it felt right so I went with my gut.”

  Saber’s brows drew together. “She doesn’t know.”

  “Not yet. I thought she had enough to worry about.”

  “There’s a tattoo forming. She’ll notice in the morning.”

  “I know. I’ll have to take it slow with her, but it looks as if Ma has her first grandchild,” Leo said, and the grin that spread across his lips felt normal instead of forced to hide his true emotions. “He’s a great kid, Saber. So serious with eyes that have seen too much. He needs to learn how to play.”

  “You’ll teach him to play,” Saber said. “Ma will be beside herself, trying to work out why our mates all bear the mark of the cat.”

  The laugh that burst from Leo felt good too. “Thanks for coming and bringing dinner.”

  “I’m just glad you’re doing better.” Saber drew him in for a quick man-hug.

  “Bluebird, are you coming?” Eva asked.

  Bluebird honked and remained next to Betrys. Her hand slowed in her petting, and he thumped his head against her leg.

  Eva laughed and shook her finger at her pet. “Oh you faithless creature.”

  “He can stay,” Leo said. “He’ll let us know if he wants to leave.”

  Once they were alone, Betrys turned to Leo. “I like your family. Eva told me she used to own restaurants in the city on Dalcon.”

  “Casey used to be in the military. There’s no reason why you and Ricci can’t live here. We’re expanding in new directions at every opportunity.”

  “I’d need to find a job.”

  “Talk to Saber,” Leo said, instinct telling him not to push. Instead he’d plant the seeds and play a waiting game. No, he’d make love to his mate, take her to bed and seduce her to his way of thinking. Betrys had escaped one prison with Iseult, and he didn’t want to make her feel as if he’d placed her in another cage.

  * * * * *

  Humidity
drew beads of sweat to Iseult’s forehead as she exited her climate-controlled bungalow. The solar sun had left the sky and the landscape beyond the resort lay in darkness. Perfect for her men to lie in wait until she requested their aid.

  Iseult strode along the gravel path, anger holding her form together and keeping her stomping toward her goal. Somehow, Betrys had seduced one of Pretty’s brothers when the brother should have belonged to her. A vein pulsed in sync with her furious footsteps and the crunch of the gravel beneath her Elsa designer shoes.

  Her nostrils flared as she followed Betrys’s scent. Her path took her away from the colored lights and the excited cries and screeches of the women who were attending the dress-up party in the main ballroom. Instead, she pursued her assistant’s scent trail, the seductive male aromas that crisscrossed Betrys’s direction almost intoxicating with their delicious notes.

  The bouquet intensified, almost overpowering her assistant’s. Iseult halted and breathed deep to decipher the different layers. She followed a fork to the left and lost the trail.

  “Ah,” Iseult said with triumph after backtracking. “I have you.”

  This time, she followed the trail to a building, a separate bungalow. Iseult opened the door and walked inside.

  * * * * *

  Felix trotted into the ballroom, full of women in fancy dress, and searched for his brother. He found him trying to fend off the advances of a determined alien woman. Her hair tendrils were curled around his older brother’s arms, holding him close even as Saber tried to retreat without making a scene. It would’ve been funny under other circumstances.

  “Saber,” Felix barked. “Excuse me, ma’am. We have something that needs the boss’s attention.” Felix signaled for one of their employees and he hurried over to ask the woman for a dance.

  “Thanks. I tried to tell her I was mated, but she wouldn’t listen.”

  “Iseult is on the move,” Felix said. “Our guards thought she was coming here but she’s headed toward the private quarters.”

  “Fuck. Have you alerted Leo?”

  “He’s not answering. Casey has moved into position.” A shrill buzzer started beeping on Felix’s wrist unit. “Crap. That’s the fence alarm. Wanna bet that it’s Iseult’s men come to back her up? It’s in the south sector.”