Dangerous Lovers

by Becca Vincenza

  Jurek lifted her and placed her back in the bed, wrapping her in the covers.

  She tried to speak but she made no sense at all so she just let herself cry. Never in a million years did she think she would ever look like this. She always thought she’d go through life alone because of her scars. Now they were gone and she was amazed at how beautiful her skin looked. Thinking about how she had looked and what she was now made her emotions explode and that brought around another river of tears. She wanted Tommy to see her so he could stop blaming himself for that stupid accident. She wrapped her fists in the sheet and sobbed some more.

  Jurek shook his head for he was at a loss. He thought she should be happy, but here she was, bawling. He’d always had a difficult time with women, but this one was beginning to wrap herself around his heart. There was something about her that seemed to stir him. She was different than the others he had been with. She was beautiful, to be sure, but it wasn't just about that or sex. There was more to it with her, some connection that he couldn’t quite name. Yes, he’d love nothing more than to sleep with her, but he knew deep down that with her even that wouldn’t be enough. He’d best push himself away from her. They had a big job to do and there was some bad shit going down. He didn’t have time to be getting involved with Brownie here.

  “Hey, I thought you’d like this! What’s going on here?” he playfully nudged her.

  “I do like it. In fact, I love it. I guess I’m getting a bit emo on you. Sorry about that, but I keep thinking about my brother. He always blamed himself for the way I looked. If he could only see me now,” she sniffed. “Then I started thinking about all those times he had to come to my rescue, saving me from all the ridicule and hateful things the kids said to me. I would tell him it didn’t matter, when it really did. I hated it. I hated school; I hated facing them and having to deal with them every day. I tried to avoid them as best I could, but my mother would force me to do things that would put me in the middle of them. I think she enjoyed seeing my feelings get hurt all the time, like she was blaming me for taking that stupid ride and because I survived. Anyway, sorry for going on and on about this. I didn’t mean to get all sloppy on you.” She wiped her eyes for the hundredth time with the sheet, sniffing again.

  “It’s okay Liasare. I’m sorry you had to go through all of that.” His eyes softened when they looked at her and he reached out his hand and tucked her hair behind her ear. “Look, I think we’re both exhausted and need some sleep. Can I get you some water?”

  She nodded and he went and poured them a couple of glasses. She watched his muscles ripple as he moved when he handed her the glass. Then he stripped off his pants and Liasare noticed he was commando. Her mouth dropped open and her eyes almost bugged out of her head.

  Holy crap! So this is what I’ve been missing my whole life? God, what a body! Those muscles, that ass and that ... that ... oh gawd!

  She couldn’t tear her eyes away from him. On his hip was a black tattoo similar to the ones he wore on his arms. It hugged his hipbone, wrapping and twisting around it. She wanted to crawl over to him and slowly trace the markings with her fingers and tongue. Her hand automatically went to her mouth, wiping it. She could’ve sworn there was drool running down her chin.

  Bringing the glass of water to her lips, her hand trembled and she spilled some of its contents on the sheets. Jurek tossed her a glance and gave her a cocky grin, indicating he knew what kind of effect his nudity had on her. Eventually she let loose a long breath, set the glass on the nightstand and lay her head on the pillow. Her exhaustion had disappeared, leaving in its wake a deep unsatisfied ache between her legs. She wondered how his nudity could have such an effect on her. This man was an enigma to be certain, but he was also a sexual magnet for her. Sleep eluded her for a long time, and when it finally came, it was fitful and filled with unpleasant dreams.

  Chapter Nine

  Liasare was surrounded by them as they closed off her only exit. The one closest to her began to laugh, causing chills to run up and down her spine. Her heart pounded as she broke into a sweat and her eyes darted around to assess her situation, which she knew was not good. It was five against one. Fuck. She had one annihilator, one knife and two throwing stars. Before she had a chance to grab any of her weapons, the one nearest her had his arm up against her throat, cutting off her supply of air. Double fuck.

  “Not so fun now, is it? Not to worry, after you’ve had a taste of me, you’ll be begging for all of us,” the Xanthian said as he leaned in to her, with his putrid mouth dripping its toxic saliva.

  Knowing she was trapped as the beast held her in his ironclad grip, she screamed as nauseating spurts of adrenaline coursed through her veins. As she struggled to escape she heard her name in the distance. It was coming to her from somewhere unknown almost as if it were traveling through a foggy haze.

  “Liasare, wake up. You’re dreaming.”

  Her senses became aware of the intoxicating exotic scent that washed over her, instantly calming her. She clung to him as his arms gently massaged her back.

  “It’s okay. You’re safe.”

  She was trembling as she remembered the Xanthian as he came to her and the way he smelled. She tightened her hold on Jurek.

  “Sshh. It was only a bad dream. Whoever it was can’t hurt you here.”

  She clutched him and twisted her arms and legs around him like ivy, burying her face in his neck. His scent soothed her and his strength comforted her.

  “That must have been some bad dream for you to be this upset.” His arms hugged her body close to his, making her feel safe within them.

  “They chased me, had me cornered and the butt-ugly motherfucker was getting ready to kiss me. The saliva was dripping from his mouth. Ugh, they’re so repulsive.”

  She felt his chest rumble with laughter.

  “It’s not funny Jurek. Their smell makes me throw up. How can you laugh at me?”

  “I’m not laughing at you. I’m laughing at your description of the Xanthian.”

  “Ew, they’re so foul.”

  “You need to learn how to defend yourself.”

  “I know how to defend myself. I want to learn how to fight.”

  “You don’t need to know how to fight. Only to defend. And you don’t know how to do it. You only think you know. Tak will train you how to truly defend yourself. You’re about a quarter of the way there now, but you have a great deal to learn. Now go back to sleep. We have a lot to do in the days ahead.”

  “I still think I need to learn to fight. I want to learn. Knowing how to defend is only half the battle.”

  “It’s the one that will save your life. We will protect you and fight for you. You only need to defend yourself long enough for one of us to arrive. That’s all you need to learn. And if you’re excellent at defense, no offense will score against you.”

  “I still think...”

  “Hush Liasare. You said you would obey me and this is when I must insist. Now go to sleep.”

  She groaned and turned away from him in frustration.

  He pulled her against him as they both rested on their sides, her back against his front. His arms were wrapped around her as if it were the most natural thing in the world. It puzzled him greatly for he never allowed a woman to stay the entire night in his bed. They had been in bed together for over fourteen hours now and he knew he could lay here with her for hours on end. He pushed the thoughts from his mind. He knew when she woke again, she would find this situation awkward, and if he were honest with himself, so would he. Before he drifted back to sleep, he bent his head and inhaled her scent, letting it flow over him. He would miss this tomorrow night.

  ***

  Liasare stretched as she came awake. Her arms reached out and she noticed she was alone. Sitting up, she looked around the room. There were no windows in Jurek’s quarters, but the walls were decorated with sconces that had been turned on low. Tossing the covers off, Liasare slid out of bed and padded to the bathroom. She turned on t
he light and made her way to the mirror, only to stop dead in her tracks as she got her first total body view of herself. Jurek must have added an extra heaping dose of his super special mojo because her skin was extraordinary. There wasn’t so much as even the tiniest blemish on her. Before this transformation, everything about her had been misshapen from her scarring. Her breasts, while not small, had always looked malformed and her abdomen looked full. Not so anymore. She spun around to examine her backside and she had the same reaction. She looked firmer, like she was in good physical shape. With a huge smile on her face, she hopped in the shower and began to bathe. Humming to herself, she didn’t hear the door open.

  “From the sounds of things, I take it you are pleased with the results?”

  “Ahhhh!” she screamed. “You scared the hell out of me! Don’t you know how to knock?”

  “And it also appears that our old Liasare has returned,” Jurek added, chuckling.

  “Holy shit! You seriously gave me a heart attack.”

  Jurek opened the shower door and ... stood there staring, mesmerized, only Liasare was unaware of it as her eyes were closed for she was rinsing the shampoo out of her hair. The water sluiced down her body, making her skin glisten. Her back was arched and her arms were raised over her head as she ran her fingers through her hair. The white foam gently coursed down her neck and then made its way to her breasts, lingering for a moment, making Jurek envious of where it was headed next. He swallowed the lump in his throat that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, and caught himself reaching out to follow that lovely streak of white with his fingers. At the last second, he snatched his hand back, regaining his senses, just as Liasare opened her eyes.

  Those hazel orbs widened in surprise and the flecks of gold in them seemed to leap out at Jurek. She sucked in her breath as she caught the look on his face. His lips were slightly parted and he ran his tongue across the lower one, causing her to lean slightly forward. He reached out and cupped her cheek and ran his thumb along her lower lip.

  In a hoarse whisper, he told her, “I wanted you to know I left a tray of food for you by the bed. After you eat, you can begin your training with Tak.” He released her face, and was gone so quickly, she could barely discern his movements. She did, however, feel as if he took all the warmth from the room when he left.

  ***

  Liasare entered the training area, dressed in what she thought would be appropriate attire. She saw Jurek and Tak and as she approached, Tak yelled at her and told her to head to the locker room where there were some training clothes laid out for her. She diverted her course and when she got there, she almost choked when she saw what they wanted her to wear.

  You have got to be kidding me.

  She grabbed the two scraps of clothing and decided they would be more appropriate for a day at the beach than a training session in the gym. The top was a skimpy black stretchy bra that would barely cover her ample breasts, and the bottoms were boy shorts that hit her just above her pubic bone. Really, she had underwear that covered more of her than this get-up did.

  Quickly slipping the things on, she looked in the mirror and her eyes popped out of her head. No way was she walking out in this. Her boobs wouldn’t last a minute in this top before they’d bust right out of here, making an escape to who knows where. What the hell were they thinking?

  Then it hit her and she started laughing.

  Uh huh, it’ll serve both of you just right!

  Sashaying out of there with her head held high and chest thrust out, by the time she made it to where Jurek and Tak were standing, their tongues were all but hanging out of their mouths.

  “Are you ready?” her voice dripped honey as she put her hand on her hip and thrust her chest forward.

  Jurek’s throat worked several times while Liasare watched his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down as he swallowed. Tak was silent for the first time since she met him, his jaw slack and his eyes bugging out.

  “Well, are you gonna stand there all day or are we gonna train? What’s the matter? Cat got your tongue, boys?” she chuckled.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” Jurek growled.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Why are you wearing that?”

  “This is what was laying out in the locker room when I went in there.”

  Jurek was on Tak before Liasare knew it and had him against the wall, his hand around his throat. Tak flashed into light, followed by Jurek and all Liasare could see were streaks of light blazing across the room. Liasare crouched down on the floor, curling up into a tight ball and covered her head for she was frightened by what was happening around her. Confusion clouded her mind; she didn’t understand any of this. She knew they could move like this but she never thought they could do it at will, for anything other than transportation. She wanted to run and hide, but she knew if any of those streaks hit her, she would surely die.

  She felt Jurek’s energy as they streaked by her, causing her body to heat up with that current of electrical charge as he zoomed across the room. Her heart thrummed in her ears as she huddled close against the floor, praying they would leave so she could run to a place where she would feel safe. She wanted to scream but she was afraid it would only draw them toward her so she stuffed her fist in her mouth instead, biting down on her knuckles.

  Unsure of how long she stayed in that position, she realized the room had become silent, emptied of the sound of their energy beams. She became aware of his presence when his exotic spiciness filled her senses. Warm arms encircled her, lifting her, as he carried her to his quarters. Kicking the door shut, he tossed her down on the bed.

  It took her a moment for her panic to subside. When it did, she leaped to her feet, demanding, “You owe me some explanations. What the hell is going on here? What are you? You expect me to tell you my life story, yet you tell me nothing. You have this miraculous ability to remove scars I’ve had for over a decade, scars that the best surgeons on Vesturon could do nothing for, and you do it with your hands! Jurek, what the hell are you? And then you and Tak flash into--well fuck, I don’t know what it was--and scare me half to death.” She was panting by the time she finished with her tirade, but she was desperate for answers.

  “It’s not necessary for you to know what we are.”

  “Well, I call bullshit on that! You don’t want to tell me. That’s the real answer. So now the question becomes ‘why?’”

  “It’s complicated.”

  “Complicated because you think I’m too stupid to follow, or complicated because you don’t want to tell me?”

  He ran his hand straight through his hair from his forehead to his neck and then started rubbing it to try to massage some of the tension out of it.

  “You know I don’t think you’re stupid and you insult me by even saying that.”

  “Well, you insult me by keeping me in the dark. You tell me you want me to trust you. How can I trust you when you don’t tell me anything?”

  “I don’t tell you for your own safety.”

  Her anger spurred her on. She shook her head saying, “That’s ridiculous and makes no sense. ‘Trust me Liasare. I can’t tell you anything in order to keep you safe.’ Do you know how crazy you sound?”

  “Yes, I do. Do me a favor and ask yourself this. Who has saved your life more than once? Now let me tell you this, I would do it again. As many times as necessary. Trust me Liasare. If I tell you anything about us, your life will be in danger.”

  “Ugh! This whole thing is driving me bat shit crazy.”

  “You have a choice you know.”

  “Oh? And what, pray tell is that?”

  “You can go back to Vesturon, where it’s safe. Then I wouldn’t have to worry about you.”

  She opened her mouth, surprised by his statement. “Worry about me? You worry about me? Why?”

  Liasare looked at him, and he quickly looked away, almost as if he were embarrassed. Jurek wasn’t the type to get embarrassed about anything, so she must have be
en imagining things.

  “Go change your clothes. That outfit was Tak’s idea of a joke, which, by the way, he has paid dearly for. He will apologize for it. There are other clothes in the locker room you can wear.”

  “Jurek, I rather enjoyed the look on his face when I showed up out there.” For once, he was speechless. “By the way, this discussion isn’t over. I’ll drop it for now, but I won’t forget it.” She laughed as she left the room. He watched her go, wondering how and when he would tell her his whole story. He was sure she would hate him when she found him out.

  Chapter Ten

  “Not again!” Liasare complained.

  “Yes, again,” Tak demanded.

  They faced each other. Jurek stood to the side, observing.

  “Now watch my eyes. They are the signals to any movement your enemies will make. You are weaker than your opponent, unless you are fighting another human female. Your goal is to stay out of their reach. Stay on the defense at all times.”

  Liasare watched Tak as he moved. Every time he did so, his eyes would flick, ever so slightly. When they did, she would react.

  “Good, you are starting to get the hang of it.”

  Every time he would attempt a strike, she would respond and move out of his way.

  “I don’t understand how this will ever end though. If I can’t fight to win, this could go on forever. I still think I need to learn to attack too.”

  “No Davidson. We’ve been through this. Get it through your thick skull. You’ll do this our way or no way,” Jurek thundered.

  “You’ve heard the saying that the best defense is a good offense, right?” Tak explained. “Eventually, your opponent will either tire or weaken, or not expect you to strike, and that’s when you’ll make your move. But, you can’t do that unless you are strong, in top physical shape and able to outlast him. Stay light on your feet Brownie, like a dancer.”