An Uncommon Whore

by Belinda McBride

  “Do you know that I manipulated that situation? Back at the T57, I saw you across the room and knew… I knew I had to connect with you. I knew you were the one person on that planet who could get me out of there. I’d have done whatever it took to get you to see me, Griffin. If it hadn’t been the wine, I’d have figured something out. And those hours on the floor between your feet? I slept, Griffin. I was safe with you. That was probably the first real peace and comfort I’d had since… since I surrendered my freedom. Those hours were magical.”

  Something played over his face—belief or hope—it was something good. Something that made him take a deep breath and pull me close. His cock wasn’t hard anymore, but I decided to leave well enough alone. For perhaps the very first time since I saw him on Warlan, he was relaxing, letting down his guard. He was accepting that I was safe, home, and incredibly, that I wouldn’t abandon him as my memories returned. He sighed, his body going loose.

  “That… scene my wife walked in on…. What happened?”

  His eye dropped closed and he grinned, his head resting back against the mirror. “I’d just reported for duty. Your uncle assigned me to guard you. And you….” He lifted his head and looked at me. “You felt that it wasn’t necessary, in spite of intelligence that reported otherwise.”

  “But that wasn’t it, was it?”

  He shook his head. “No. You recognized the danger you were in. You didn’t want me to be your guard. We fought, and you finally broke. You told me… you told me that it was too difficult to be near me and not be with me. You told me that you still loved me.”

  His face had gone still, and I couldn’t help smiling. But there were tears in my eyes as I smiled up at him. “And she heard.”

  “And she saw us embrace. We broke apart, and I left. She was in the hall as I stepped out of the door.”

  I groaned in embarrassment. Nothing like having to experience a humiliating moment twice. “Is that why she spied?”

  “No, we already knew she was passing information. You did your best with her, Helios. You really did.”

  “Except I molested my bodyguard.” I leaned back a bit and ran my hands down his hard chest. “Which is sounding like a mistake worth repeating.” I jerked his shirt away, grinning as the fastenings tore from the fabric. I licked at the exposed skin, following the path of a long, white scar.

  “How’d you get this?”

  He hissed in arousal as I nipped along the mark. “Sword practice. It was shallow.” He chuckled; the sound echoed in his deep chest. “You gave me that mark!”

  I looked up in surprise. I found another and tasted it, savoring the salt and musk of his skin. Another small line led to his shoulder, and from there, I traveled to his neck, smiling in approval as he arched, giving me access to his bare throat.

  “How did you get that scar on your belly, Lio?”

  “The last battle, when I surrendered….”

  I gasped as the memory washed over me. I’d handed my shield and sword to the enemy. That had been the ultimate humiliation among my people. I should have died fighting.

  As quickly as it came, the memory fled, and I was once again running my lips across Griffin’s throat, down to his jaw. I whispered a kiss across his mouth.

  “Floor, Griffin.” I wasn’t going to dominate the man, but I wanted to drive this time. He settled to the floor and lay back. Quickly I got rid of the rest of his clothing, pleased that he allowed me that task.

  I covered his body with my kisses, touching and tasting, then rolled him facedown so I could explore every muscled inch of him. I kneaded his tight buttocks, finally giving in to the urge to nip and bite, watching him twist under that torment. I spread his legs and gently stroked his sac, then trailed my fingers up the crack of his ass. He went tense but quickly relaxed.

  When I rolled him to his back, he looked surprised.

  “When you’re ready for me to take you, you’ll let me know.”

  He’d better; I was hard in my pants, and I was dying to take his ass again. But for now, I’d do anything to make him happy. Anything.

  I bent for a kiss, a slow, sultry embrace this time. Our tongues wrestled softly, and I savored his taste. When we broke apart, I rolled to my side, presenting my back. He reached around my body, his big hand settling on my cock.

  “You’re sure, Lio?”

  I nearly laughed and looked over my shoulder at him. “I’ve told you, I won’t push you into anything. This is good for me.” I shivered a bit as he pressed his hips against my ass; his iron-hard shaft was hot as it slid up my crack. In response, I bent my upper leg, offering him access. Unexpectedly, he cursed and rose to his feet. I groaned impatiently when he vanished from the room. He’d gone to the head and rummaged around, causing a racket. He returned with a container of lube in his hand and a triumphant grin on his face. Moments later, he was back in position, prepping himself and then reaching around to slick my cock.

  He gently lubed my ass, stretching, relaxing me back there. I wondered if he’d made love to other men over the years or if he and Suzan had done this. From his gentle touch, I suspected his wife had coached him. I decided that I didn’t want to know about other lovers. I didn’t need to know.

  He cupped my balls, and they grew tight with arousal. He brought his arm back around and pumped my cock even as he began to press into my body. I gasped against the pressure and the burn, and then moaned as he carefully pulled out. With his next smooth thrust, his cockhead pushed past the tight ring of muscle, easing the way for the rest of his shaft. Griffin nuzzled my neck, his breath hot against my throat, and I turned my head, catching his lips in a deep, carnal kiss. When he pressed in again, harder this time, I caught his lip in my teeth, panting through the burn.

  “Tell me if you want me to stop.”

  I nearly laughed. If he hadn’t gripped the base of my cock, I’d have shot my load! Instead I panted a little more, swiping my tongue over his lips.

  “Please don’t stop.”

  “Fuck, Lio… fuck!”

  He pushed in, and I felt the brush of his pubic hair against my ass. With agonizing deliberation, he pulled out nearly all the way, only to return just as slowly. The pain was receding as my arousal climbed, and I pushed back to meet him. He fucked me slowly, smoothly, keeping a tight grip on my cock. He brushed up against that gland, making me grunt deeply in my throat. I was nearly sobbing with the pleasure.

  I opened my eyes and blinked against the light of the gymnasium. I could see us reflected in the mirrors, and it was beautiful. Griffin looked up, meeting my gaze, and he smiled, bending over to kiss me.

  “So beautiful, Lio. You’ve always been beautiful, but now….” He gasped, lost his tempo just a bit. “Now you don’t try to hide it.”

  He couldn’t get the traction he needed, so Griffin rolled me to my belly and lay full-length over me. I loved the weight of his body, the feel of his skin slick and sweaty on mine. I craved the sensation of holding him in my arms, but the feeling of his possession swept over me. I felt cherished. He paused, raised me to my knees, and clasped my weeping cock in his hand again.

  “You can’t come yet, Lio!”

  I groaned in frustration. We were both on our knees, and he was thrusting hard, bringing one foot up to brace on. I leaned forward and put a hand against the wall, fascinated with the display in the mirror. His face was sweaty, his chest flushed. Griffin’s body framed mine just a bit, his dark skin a contrast to my paler tones. He worked at my braid, freeing my hair to drape around my shoulders and down around our bodies.

  I felt him grow close, yet he still held me back. He buried his face in my shoulder; his bared teeth were hard and threatening. He was coming, and I watched in fascination as the cords stood out on his neck and blood engorged the veins of his arms. His face twisted into an agonized mask of joy and bliss as he threw his head back and shouted wordlessly.

  I felt the heat of his seed filling my body, and without warning, his grip on my shaft loosened, and he began to p
ump hard and fast. Still hard and erect, he dug into my ass, hitting that gland again and again. One hand worked my cock, while the other kept me pinned, my back to his chest.

  With shocking speed, my balls pulled up and shot their load, and my cum spilled over his fist, spattering onto the glass of the mirror. I shuddered and twisted as the spasms continued each time he thrust against my prostate. I was helpless in his arms, powerless against his strength.

  I didn’t care that I was helpless because it was Griffin, and I trusted him with my body, with my kingdom, and with my very soul. He drove me until I was ragged with bliss—sated, drained, and completely, utterly fucked.

  Panting and sweaty, we slumped there on the floor, looking at each other in the mirrors, and I did my very best to convey my love and my trust without saying a word. If I’d tried to speak, no sound would have come from my throat. Instead, I tried to communicate in my silence.

  When his head dropped to my shoulder and he kissed my neck, I knew he understood.

  Chapter Fourteen

  “I THOUGHT I’d die when you rode out in my place. We were fighting, trying to get you and your family to safety. I’d gone down in the battle and couldn’t continue. You took my horse and rallied my men. It had been years since you’d fought as part of a unit, but you took command and led the enemy away in the most brilliant retreat I’ve ever seen.”

  Griffin grabbed me by the shoulders and shook me once, twice. “You son of a she-wolf! We were supposed to be protecting you, escorting you to safety, but you took command and led those bastards into a trap. I heard that not a single Landaun on the ground survived that day. And then you took my troops and hid away, teaching them to fight from cover, to strike and retreat. You baited the enemy, leading them away from the capital, giving us time to evacuate. When it was done, you sent the survivors onto a ship. You surrendered in exchange for their safety.”

  “Well, that was stupid.” My throat was tight. As he spoke, I winced at images of war, blood, and terror, our gliders twisted and smoking, leaving us to fight on foot or on horseback.

  I saw Griffin bleeding and broken, unable to stand on his own.

  I recalled the frightened faces of my nieces and nephews, my sister… my son. I’d grabbed him—hugged him hard and said good-bye, believing I wouldn’t survive. I’d seen the same belief in eyes that were so like my own.

  There’d been weeks and months of fighting, of hunger and hardship and unceasing travel, harrying the enemy. Vividly I remembered approaching the enemy, looking into their hard, alien faces, and extending my sword in surrender.

  “I thought you’d escaped.” I looked at Griffin. His face was pale. The memories still haunted him. “But you didn’t.” He shook his head, speechless. “They captured you. And Suzan. And your little girls.”

  My legs went weak, and Griffin caught me, then carried me to the padded floor.

  “I think my memory is coming back,” I croaked, my mouth dry with the memory of fear and dread. “I thought you were gone. I thought you were safe—” I’d thought it was over, that once I surrendered, my life would end.

  But it hadn’t.

  Submission and surrender. They’d forced me to my knees to taste the sweaty, filthy cock of their commander. I’d listened to the laughter and jeers of his soldiers. They didn’t kill me; death would have given our people a martyr. Instead they dragged me to the capital with the intention of showing my people their broken hero, but my people were already gone.

  The palace was empty, as was the temple and all the buildings in the city. The dead lay unburied and uncaring, but thousands had escaped. I’d looked at the empty city and rejoiced. We’d been unsuccessful in making alliances to help us fight, but they’d come and taken our refugees. That knowledge had given me… hope, even in the face of death. Regardless of my future, my loved ones had been given another chance. But they’d caught Griffin. And his family.

  “Helios.”

  I opened my eyes. I was cradled against a giant, hard chest.

  “Flashback,” I uttered.

  “I understand. It’s just the start.”

  “I know.” My arms came up and rested on his shoulder.

  “I’m sorry, Lio.”

  I didn’t know what he was sorry for. Perhaps for giving me unconditional love? His implicit faith in my abilities? My laugh came out as a sob. Though safe in his arms, I was overwhelmed with the memory of being thrown naked onto a slave block, stripped of my name and identity. I vividly recalled the first time a trainer took my ass, leaving me broken, bleeding, and trembling in shame and impotent fury.

  Mingling into the horror were the good moments and the bad times that came with my life. My marriage and the birth of Alexander. The joy of coming home from the temple to see a smile on the face of my baby son. The sadness when I first realized Cloris was merely a tool of her father. The lonely years that followed, highlighted by occasional encounters with Griffin and his sweet wife.

  “She knew, didn’t she? Suzan, I mean.”

  “About us? Of course she knew.”

  And I laughed; the memory was a delightful wash of color and sensation. She’d been a young soldier who’d taken two rather naive young men into her bed. It had been Suzan who’d first taken my hand and guided it to Griffin’s, forcing us to confront our love.

  “Oh shit. Suzan!” My laughter felt dangerously close to hysterics.

  He laughed a delightful, wicked laugh. “She was so very kinked!” And though he laughed, a tear streaked down his face. He’d loved her so very much. He must grieve for her still. How could he not? With the laughter came the pain of knowing she was gone, and I hadn’t been able to say good-bye.

  I remembered precious nights spent in their snug little house, the children asleep in one room while the three of us made love in their bed. Sorrow twisted through me at those memories. After the death of Cloris, I’d found my solace in their arms. Suzan had been the third of our whole. If things had been different, we’d still be lovers today.

  “How did she die?” The question was painful, causing my voice to sound tight and harsh.

  Griffin didn’t answer for a very long time. I waited, knowing how hard this must be for him to confront the memory. I was willing to believe that he’d never spoken of his wife’s death to anyone before. In fact, I was certain he hadn’t.

  When he spoke, his voice was soft. I almost couldn’t hear the words. “When they realized that I wouldn’t submit to their torture, they moved on to my family.” He stopped speaking. He just breathed as though he had a great weight on his chest. He inhaled and then swallowed hard. “Suzan didn’t survive the torture. She wasn’t meant to. As I watched… as our children watched, they beat her to death. They didn’t even question her first. Then they turned to my little girls—”

  That’s when I broke. All the tears, the grief and guilt, rolled over me, and I didn’t resist. I grieved in his arms then, twisting with the pain that had been locked inside, unseen and unknown. I cried for my weak-willed wife and for my stiff-rumped uncle. I cried for the dozens of temple workers and apprentices who’d fallen in the first attack. I cried for the gaunt-faced refugees who wandered the countryside, trying to survive. For Suzan, with her sunshine hair and blue, blue eyes. For her children.

  I cried for myself.

  I cried for Griffin, who had been left behind.

  I cried as though I’d never stop.

  THE SOUND of a soft chime woke me.

  I was stretched out on the floor. The lights were dim. The warm body cradling mine moved away, leaving me cold and bereft.

  “How is he?” The woman’s voice was soft and low.

  “About how we expected it to be. Memory comes in fits and starts.” A heavy sigh. “I just wish he had better memories.”

  “But he’s resting now?”

  “Yes, until the dreams start again. How long’s it been?”

  “About seven hours, standard. You look like shit, Captain. Why don’t you take a break, grab someth
ing to eat? He’ll need food too. I’ll keep an eye on him.”

  “How much longer do we have in ID?”

  “If I bring us out in a couple hours, we’ll have about a four-day trip. That’ll give him time to recover a bit more.”

  I cracked an eye open and saw Griffin and Carlotta standing together. Both looked worried. For me? What a concept. I wanted to sit up, to tell them both to fuck off, but my body wouldn’t cooperate. All I wanted was to lie here and not think. Not feel. Before I could manage the will to speak, Griffin left the room and Carlotta came and settled on the floor next to me.

  “Hello, handsome.” She smiled slightly. I’d initially thought she was shockingly beautiful in a bizarre, flamboyant fashion, but here in the soft lights, she was… pretty. The lines of her face were softer. Maybe it was her hair; it was still pulled back but loose, with strands falling around her face.

  “Did you hear?” she asked.

  “About four days.”

  I continued to lay there on my side, looking at her. Her hair was nearly as long as mine. She wore it in a ponytail. Mine was loose and spilled all over the floor. It was going to be a bitch to comb out. Good thing Griffin liked doing it.

  “I’ve got a small group who will rendezvous with us. You’ll arrive with a royal guard.”

  “Made up of Talisians.”

  “True. Talisians who swore fealty to you over five years ago.”

  “It was on a battlefield. You were bleeding. Your left arm. Up high.”

  “And you bound my wound.”

  That left me speechless. But of course, I recovered.

  “In this light, I see what your sister would have looked like eventually.”

  She smiled softly. “Cloris was prettier than me.”

  “No. Not at all. Your strength gives you beauty. She never had that strength.”

  “No. Unfortunately Cloris was more my father’s daughter, afraid of him and yet devoted to his will. I was influenced by my mother. She was outraged by the war. If they’d survived, my mother would have taken the throne.”