Ria's Visions (Hearts of ICARUS Book 6)

by Laura Jo Phillips

  “Medium brown?” she asked uncertainly.

  “The color of milk chocolate,” he clarified. “Maybe a shade darker.”

  “Thanks,” she said, then turned to Tee.

  “My eyes are the same color in this form as Talon’s and Thorn’s, and my hair and tail lock are a lighter, golden brown.”

  “Wait,” Ria said, surprised. “Did you say in this form? Meaning your eyes change color in your alter-forms?”

  “Yes, that’s right,” Tee said.

  “I’ve never heard of that.”

  “It happens, but not often.”

  “So, what are your katrenca’s colors?”

  “We all have dark gold fur in our alter forms,” Talon said. “My eyes are black, though, as is my tail.”

  “Let me guess,” she said, turning to Thorn. “Your eyes and tail are medium brown.” Thorn nodded, and she looked to Tee. “And yours are light brown.” He nodded, too.

  “Thanks,” she said happily. “I can’t wait to see you in color but even if I never do, I can imagine it.”

  “Tell us something you’d like to see,” Thorn said. “Something we can show you.”

  “Aside from you three, Star, and the cubs, I think the one thing I’d like to see most is your alter-forms.”

  Talon felt a little flip of excitement that he was careful to hide. The last thing they wanted to do was pressure her. But he had to ask. “Were you waiting for a special time to see that, too?” He asked gently. “Is that why you didn't want to come with Star last night?”

  “Yes,” she said softly. “Silly, I know.”

  “No, not to us.”

  “Then you don’t mind?”

  “Not a bit,” Thorn said.

  “We usually like to let our dinner settle a bit before we run,” Tee said. “How about we take you to the observation deck when we’re finished eating. Then you can see the stars. After that, we’ll go to the Roar Room.”

  “I’d like that,” she agreed.

  They talked about other things while they ate their dinner. Ria finished the small glass of wine which made her head buzz just a little. Then they went to the observation deck and Ria laughed when she could look out and see the stars beyond the viewport.

  “It’s strange to look out there and not recognize anything,” Talon said from behind her. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and breathed in the scent of her hair.

  “What’s that?” Ria asked, pointing.

  “What?” Thorn asked, not seeing anything unusual.

  “That red thing. I saw one this morning, too, when I was here with Star. Don’t you guys see it? It’s bright red, kind of glowing.”

  “No, Ria, we don’t see anything.”

  “How big is it?” Tee asked. Ria described what she saw.

  “I don’t like it,” she said after it faded into the distance.

  “Why not?” Thorn asked.

  “I don’t know. There’s just something about it that gives me a creepy feeling.”

  “The next time you see one, let us know,” Talon said. “We’ll stop and try to figure out what it is.”

  “All right,” she agreed. “Can we go to the Roar Room now?”

  “Yes, we can,” Talon agreed, smiling down at her.

  “Ria, I’ve been wanting to ask you something for the longest time,” Tee said as they walked toward the elevators. “What’s that scent you wear? We know pears are part of it, but we can never agree what the other part is.”

  “I don’t wear scent,” she replied. “No, wait, I sort of do. I use honey scented bath products. Bubble bath, shampoo, and soap.”

  “That’s it,” Thorn said. “Honey. I wonder why we didn’t think of that?”

  “I don’t know,” Talon said. “Now that I know it’s honey, I can’t imagine why we ever thought it could be anything else.”

  “I don’t know where you get the scent of pears from, though,” Ria said. “I don’t have anything that smells like pears.”

  “It’s your natural scent,” Tee said, his voice deepening to a rumbling purr that sent a hot shiver down Ria’s spine.

  She had a sudden, almost irresistible urge to turn around and press herself against Tee’s body just so she could feel the vibration as well as hear it. Luckily, they reached the Roar Room before she gave into the impulse.

  “We won’t be long,” Talon said, kissing her lightly. She got the same kiss from Tee and Thorn, then they entered the Roar Room while she stood at the viewing window in the ante room.

  Ria watched avidly as they walked toward the center of the enormous room and shifted. The one katrenca she knew best was Riley Bearen, who’d barely reached her full adult size. As a female, it wasn’t likely she’d get much bigger than she was now, which was about six feet at the shoulder and twelve feet long.

  Her men were much bigger than that. Ten feet at the shoulder at least, and twenty feet long not counting their tails. Even though she couldn’t see colors, she could tell that their dark hair was now light colored. Their tails, horns, and eyes were dark. She couldn’t really see differences between them at this distance, but she still knew which was which. She smiled as her eyes drank them in. They were so big and powerful looking, yet graceful and sleek at the same time. When Talon leapt straight up she gasped, astonished at how high he went. When he hit the padded floors he was already running, streaking past the viewing window in a blur. Thorn and Tee leapt high in the air too, then joined Talon.

  Ria watched, afraid to blink in case she missed something. When Tee leapt onto the wall directly across from where she stood and ran up it at an angle almost to the ceiling before racing back down to the floor, she forgot how to breathe. It was as though gravity itself meant nothing to him.

  She laughed out loud, then gasped again as Thorn did the same thing Tee had done, only he ran straight along the wall for half a dozen steps before leaping away from the wall, his enormous paws barely touching the floor as he continued running. Then Talon did it, adding several running steps across the ceiling before flipping head over heels to the floor.

  They continued trying to outdo each other, and impress her, until she was panting for air herself just from watching them. She tried to catch her breath, unsure why she felt as though she were the one doing the running. Then she noticed that her heart was pounding and her hands were shaking.

  She raised her arms, but saw nothing unusual, even though she felt the strangest thing. Almost as though little electric sparks were going off all over her skin, leaving a tingling, zinging sensation in their wake. Her blood felt hot in her veins and the arousal that she’d grown accustomed to had intensified to an entirely new level.

  She looked up when she heard the door open and watched as Talon, Thorn, and Tee entered the ante room, her breath catching a little as their scent hit her. She moaned softly, though she didn’t know it. She knew only that they stopped suddenly, so she walked toward them, drawn by some invisible force she didn’t recognize or care about.

  She stopped in front of Thorn because he was the one she reached first, her breasts lightly brushing his abdomen, unintentionally teasing them both. She reached up and placed her palm against his cheek, rising up on her toes so she could press her lips against his jaw. She breathed in again, his pheromones swamping her senses. She shuddered uncontrollably, then swallowed hard, her mouth dry.

  “Ria?” he rasped, barely holding on to his control.

  “Please,” she whispered. “I…need.”

  Thorn’s eyes flew to Talon’s. Talon nodded once, short and sharp, as he and Tee moved in close behind her.

  Thorn didn’t need to be asked twice. He bent his head, one hand going behind her head to tilt it back. Pressing his lips to hers, he struggled to keep this first kiss gentle. But Ria didn’t want gentle. Ria wanted them in all of their big, powerful glory and she wanted them now.

  When Thorn’s mouth pressed against hers, she slid the tip of her tongue along the seam of his lips. He groaned as he parted them, let
ting her have what she wanted. She returned his groan with another moan of her own when the taste of him filled her senses.

  That was all he could take. His arms went around her and he pulled her close, reveling in the way her body melted against him. He thrust his tongue into her mouth, taking control of the kiss, his senses flying at the scent and taste and feel of her. When he pulled back it was only so that they could both gasp for air.

  “I love you,” Ria whispered after she caught her breath. Thorn stilled as he looked into her eyes.

  “I love you, Shiaki,” he whispered back, leaning his forehead against hers. “I love you with all that I am or ever will be.”

  “We need to go somewhere more private,” Talon said, his voice nearly as hoarse as Thorn’s. The moment he spoke Ria spun in Thorn’s arms and reached for him.

  Talon thought his heart would explode with joy as her arms went around his neck. He bent his head and kissed her deeply, his fingers slipping through the warm soft silk of her hair. He’d dreamt of this moment for so long, and was surprised to find that his imagination, rich as it was, didn’t even come close to reality. For long moments he lost himself in the heat and desire of their kiss, breaking away only when, like Thorn, he was forced to breathe.

  “I love you, Talon,” she said, her lips brushing his as she spoke the words he’d waited so long to hear.

  “I love you, Ria. So much.” The smile she gave him was so brilliant it brought tears to his eyes.

  When Ria turned toward Tee she leapt up into his arms and wrapped her legs around his waist. “I love you Tee.”

  His smile was tremulous, his voice choked when he said, “I love you, Ria. You’ve just given me the greatest gift I’ve ever received. I will hold it in my heart forever.”

  She smiled, then pressed her lips to his. He moaned deeply, then thrust his tongue into her mouth and claimed her. After watching Thorn and Talon, Tee felt almost desperate for his first taste of Ria, and once he had it, he knew he’d never get enough. He loved the way she stroked his tongue with her own, the way her fingers slid into his hair, the heat of her core against his stomach, the feel of her legs and arms wrapped around him. It took him a few moments to regain his senses afterward, to remember where they were.

  Talon smiled at him, understanding the stunned look in Tee’s eyes. He felt the same way, and so did Thorn. Talon waited until he was sure Tee had regained a little sense, then led the way out of the Roar Room and up the corridor. He’d never been more glad to have the Roar Room on the same deck as the living quarters since it meant they’d reach their destination that much sooner.

  Thorn unlocked the door to the master suite and Tee stepped through it, carrying Ria straight to the enormous bed. He sat down on the edge with her still wrapped around him, her face nuzzling his neck.

  “Ria,” Talon said, placing one hand lightly on her shoulder. Ria blinked, then lifted her head and straightened so she could look up at Talon who stood to one side, looking down at her.

  “Are you sure you’re ready for this?” he asked, the words nearly choking him. He had to be sure though. She had to be sure.

  He saw the worry enter her eyes, and spoke quickly. “We love you and want you so much Ria, that I can’t even put it into words. It’s not easy to ask if you’re sure, but you need to understand that once we take this step, there’ll be no going back. We don’t want to just have sex with you for the evening, Ria. We’ll claim you, and we’ll keep you in our bed, between us. Forever.”

  Ria smiled, her eyes filling with tears of happiness as she reached up to place her hand on his jaw. He had to lean down a little for her to reach, but that was perfectly all right with him.

  “I wouldn’t do this if I didn’t want it to be forever,” she said. “We can’t do the conversion yet, though.”

  “Why not?” Thorn asked from her other side. She turned toward him, reaching out to place one hand against his chest.

  “I don’t know why, but there is a feeling in me, a strong one, that’s telling me not to do that just yet. Soon. But not yet.” She bit her lip, then sighed. “If you wish to wait until we can link, I’ll understand.”

  “No, we don’t want to wait,” Tee said. “Not any more.”

  “I’m glad because I need you.” She shivered so hard her body jerked. “I need you so much it almost hurts.” Tee saw more tears fill her eyes and knew she meant what she was saying. Her need was so intense it really did almost hurt. He looked up at Talon with worried eyes.

  “Did you release pheromones?” Talon asked.

  Tee shook his head, but he seemed unsure. “I don’t think I did, but as much as I want and need her, I may have without knowing.”

  “Yes, me too,” Thorn said. “I don’t think I did, but it’s possible.”

  “It’s all right, Ria,” Talon said, seeing her eyes grow worried again. “There’s nothing to worry about. We’ll take care of you, I promise.”

  She nodded, then tensed when Tee shifted her off of his lap and set her on the edge of the bed. She relaxed when she saw they were undressing, thrilled that she could see them so well now. They were so powerful, every movement causing muscle to slide beneath their skin, just like in their alter forms. The urge to put her hands on them, to stroke their skin and feel those muscles bunch and slide was so strong she had to clench them tightly to keep them at her sides.

  When Thorn held one hand out toward her, it took her a moment to gather her senses enough to take it. He helped her off the bed, then the three of them made such short work of her clothing that it surprised her.

  “You are gorgeous, Shiaki,” Thorn said hoarsely. “I hardly know where to begin.”

  “I don’t either, but I’d like it very much if you did,” Ria said shakily.

  Suddenly she was surrounded by warm, male flesh, vibrating with deep, rumbling purrs, and soft, silky hair as their tail locks caressed her bare skin. She reached up and, finally, did as she’d wanted to do for so long. She stroked and petted them, letting her fingers roam where they would along their broad chests, powerful arms, and tightly muscled abdomens.

  Talon wrapped one arm around her and pulled her tightly against his body so that the hard, hot throbbing length of him pressed into her back. He stroked her breasts, pinching and teasing her nipples until they were both hard and tight. At the same time, Tee and Thorn began to stroke her body from her stomach to her feet using their hands, their tail locks, and their tongues. By the time they sat back on their heels she was gasping with need, every inch of her skin flushed pink and warm and so sensitive that when Tee blew gently against her thigh her skin pebbled.

  Thorn stroked the silky smooth skin of her inner thigh, the rough pads of his fingers sending hot streaks of pleasure through her core. He slid his fingers higher and higher until she thought she might scream with frustrated anticipation before he finally caressed her swollen folds.

  “You’re so hot and wet for us,” he said, his voice deeper than usual as he parted her outer labia and dipped in between them. When he found her clit, hard and pulsing beneath its hood, he pinched it lightly, then squeezed and released with his rough fingertips, milking it firmly.

  Ria’s head went back against Talon’s shoulder, her hips thrust toward Thorn, silently pleading for more. Tee grasped one ankle and widened her stance, giving Thorn easier access. She looked down as she felt his fingers spread her open even wider baring everything to his hungry gaze. Then he leaned forward and licked her slowly.

  She shuddered so hard at the surprisingly intense pleasure that Talon nearly lost his hold on her. Tee’s hand joined Thorn’s and between them they held her legs and labia wide. Then they began taking turns. Tee would suck her clit hard into his mouth, causing her hips to jerk as she moaned helplessly at the sharp pleasure.

  Then Thorn would lick her with broad sweeps of his hot, rough tongue. Ria lost all sense of time as they continued to taste and tease, while Talon continued pinching and tugging on her nipples, keeping them hard and erect. />
  After a while the pleasure became too sharp. Too intense. Too…something. She felt as though she were building and building toward something but had suddenly slammed into a wall, unable to go further. Her moans turned to whimpers, her hips began pulling back, her knees attempting to close rather than widen.

  When her head began shaking back and forth, Talon realized what was happening. “It’s too much,” he said. Then he lifted her a little and pulled her back.

  Thorn growled softly and Ria instantly stiffened, her heart beating even faster but with fear rather than arousal. Realizing what he’d done almost before he’d done it, he cut the growl short and leapt to his feet.

  “Sorry, I’m sorry, please forgive me,” he whispered against her cheek.

  Ria raised one hand to his shoulder, slid it up his neck to his cheek, then nudged enough for him to pull back. Then she slid her fingers into his hair and pulled him closer for a kiss.

  Thorn groaned as she went almost boneless in his arms. When he was sure Thorn had her, Talon released her, then he and Tee went to pull the covers back on the bed.

  Thorn lifted Ria up without breaking their kiss and carried her to the bed. He lowered them both to the mattress and she spread her legs wide, hooking her knees around his hips as she arched into him.

  He lifted his head and knew from the glowing flecks of gold in her eyes that what Talon had said was true. She was too aroused, too needy. They’d pushed her to the point where pleasure is no longer pleasure. It was past time to give her what she needed.

  He reached down, guided himself into the heat of her opening, then entered her slowly and carefully, clenching his teeth so hard in his effort to hold back that he thought his teeth would crack. Ria’s blunt nails raked his back, sending chills racing along his skin and his hips jerked forward until he felt her hymen against the head of his cock. He looked into her eyes, saw the almost desperate need there, and could wait no longer. With one hard plunge he broke through the thin tissue and buried himself to the hilt in liquid fire.

  He forced himself to still, to give her time to adjust, his throat burning as he panted harshly. When her head began rolling from side to side again he understood that slow and gentle wasn’t what she wanted or needed.