Irresistible (Delroi Prophecy) (8 page)

“For what purpose? Why wasn’t he caught?”

“From what I was able to pick up, he was
here to watch Janice.” She shrugged or tried to, but he didn’t give her any
room. “How he did it? I have no idea. I didn’t even know his name until we
escaped. He's known as the Shadow. He's a very powerful telepath.”

He was quiet a long time and the change
of subject was abrupt. “The view is better from my balcony.”

She looked out and was forced to agree.
She'd seen sailboats on the other side of the Keep, other balconies with
colorful drapes flying in the wind. “I suppose it is.”

“You agree. Good. How long will it take
you to pack?”

“Whoa, hold up. Moving a little fast
don’t you think?”

“If there is even a remote chance these
people can get on Delroi without our knowing about it, I want you someplace I
can protect you.”

She snorted. “I can protect myself.”

“They caught you before,” he reminded
her.

She gave him a grim smile. “Believe me,
I learned my lesson. I hesitated a split second. It won't happen again.”

“Because you'll be protected,” he said, his
voice harsh, possessive, and cold.

“Kaje, you can't protect me from them.
Not unless you have some serious telepathic skill you haven’t shared with me?”

“You’re my
der'lan
. I
will
keep you
safe.”

She snarled. His stubborn refusal to see
reason was infuriating. This time she used a telepathic jolt of power to free
herself. Just a tiny spark against his mind, not enough to hurt, but it sure as
hell got his attention. He was on his feet in seconds, but she stood her ground
as he stalked closer.

“That wasn’t fair, love,” he drawled.

He actually sounded happy. What the
fuck? Then she noticed the hard gleam in his eyes and realized she'd awakened a
beast she might not be able to tame. And it was sure as hell not fear that
froze her in place.

“You will not use your power against me
again,” he ordered.

There was no way she'd promise that. It
was her best defense since he could easily overcome her physically. She shook
her head.

“Then don’t treat me like I'm weak. I
won’t let you take over my life.”

Especially since she still wasn’t
convinced he wasn't just amusing himself with her until someone new came along.
He moved close enough to reach her, but didn’t do so. Instead, he tilted his
head to one side and studied her. She resisted the urge to squirm under the
scrutiny. He wasn’t a telepath, but she got the impression he was trying to
read her mind.

“We need to work on your trust issues,
baby.”

“That goes both ways,” she said, hating
the sudden huskiness in her voice. He was close enough to touch, to kiss, and
she knew they weren’t ever going to agree. So she closed the distance between
them and set her palms on his chest. His lips curled into the slightest smile. Damn,
she’d missed him. His touch. His cock.

“You won't distract me, Parker.”

“Hmm,” she murmured. “What a shame.”

But when she started to lower her hands,
he caught her wrists and held them to him.

“I didn’t say you shouldn’t try.”

His voice was light, teasing. Oozing
charm. Part of her knew he was going to seduce her and she should resist. He
knew it too. Before she could convince herself however, he swung her up into
his arms, carried her into her bedroom, and stripped her. Now, she thought, was
the time she should slow things down.

She knew when this affair ended, she'd
go back to her mostly staid, rigidly controlled existence. But the passion he
infused her with, the fire he lit, was an experience she wanted. Later, she
might regret it. Or she might not. But for once, she was just going to live in
the moment. Then he kissed her and did she want him to stop? Hell no.

Chapter Nine

Kaje pulled back long enough to rip his
shirt off and drop his weapons belt. When he reached for the snap on his pants
she shoved him away. Her small delicate hands went to work on the button, then
the zipper. She freed his cock with a soft sound that was almost a whimper and
glanced up at him with a shy though sultry, sinful smile.

“It’s my turn,” she said and slowly
dropped to her knees.

He froze. It was the only way to stop
the growl welling in his chest or the demand she suck him deep. Lust whipped
through him, setting a fire of arousal he’d never experienced before, never
imagined was possible. Then she licked the head of his cock, took it into her
mouth and he knew he’d wouldn’t survive the pleasure.

“Gods, baby, you have to stop. I’ll
never last.”

She moaned, wrapped one hand around his
shaft and cupped his balls with the other. She stroked, sucked, massaged. It
was mind blowing. This was his
mate
.
Giving to him, seducing him with that wicked little tongue. He wanted to give
her a turn, but not like this, not first. Before he could stop her though, his
hands twisted in her hair, urging her to take him deeper, faster, and she gave
him exactly what he wanted. Ecstasy like he’d never felt. Belonging he’d only
dreamed of.

When his orgasm rushed through him, she
didn’t pull back. She swallowed every drop of cum while staring up at him with
hungry eyes. He couldn’t stand waiting anymore. He was still hard, desperate for
the clasp of her hot, sweet pussy. He pulled her up and was amazed he made it
to the bed before thrusting into her. She cried out at the invasion, wrapped
her legs around his waist and dug her heels into the small of his back.

“Oh, god, don’t stop,” she all but
panted.

He didn’t want to. He wanted to stay
buried in her, surrounding her for the rest of his life. But this wasn’t
enough. She wasn’t burning up with desire, not like he needed her to be. He
gently pulled her legs away and withdrew from her body.

“Kaje,” she complained, reaching for
him.

“Shh. Lie back, my
der’lan
. Let me share the pleasure you give me.”

Reluctantly she did as he asked, a tiny
smile curving her lips. “I don’t know if I’ll survive more pleasure.”

“You will,” he promised.

Though he knew she would be changed. He
was her mate. No one could love her like he could. No one else could possess
her so completely. He wondered if the stories were true about what a male could
do to his
der’lan
. Make her mad with
ecstasy. Delirious in her desire. He sure as hell intended to find out. He
straddled her body and reached for the headboard, finding the tiny pressure
points that opened the hidden compartments. Her eyes widened when he pulled out
restraints.

“Um. Kaje? That might be too much submission
for me,” she whispered.

But she’d opened that mental link
between them again, or maybe it was just growing stronger, and he knew she was
interested. Her arousal had grown not diminished when she saw the cuffs.

“No? It won’t hurt. I promise.”

She bit her bottom lip while she stared
him in the eyes. “I was locked in a cage for so long.”

“I know, baby.” He stroked the side of
her face. He wasn’t sure he could explain his need to have her completely under
his control. For her to agree with it. He needed her to accept his instinct to
take care of her in every way imaginable. But he didn’t need to.

“You really have to learn to shield,
Kaje.” She lifted her hand to stroke his face. He turned to kiss her palm and
even that small gesture seemed an erotic act.

“Let me take care of you, Parker,” he
coaxed. “Trust me.”

It seemed like forever while he held his
breath waiting for her to reach a decision. Finally she nodded and stretched
out her hands. Offered her wrists. He couldn’t have hid his elation if he tried.
She laughed, teased him.

“Y’all take this alpha male thing very
seriously.”

He grinned back as he stretched her arms
over her head and secured her. “You wouldn’t like me if you could control me.”

He had her at his mercy now.
Satisfaction rolled through him as he leaned down to lick at one hard nipple.

“That might be true,” she gasped.

“Definitely true,” he murmured before
sucking the hard tip into his mouth.

He didn’t want her able to think. He
wanted her drowning in desire. Drowning in him. When he bit, she groaned. It
was like fucking music.

“Open your mind to me, baby. I want to
feel what you do. What pleases you.”

He didn’t expect her to embrace the
mating so quickly, however, and wasn’t surprised when she didn’t comply with
his demand. He didn’t like it, but he was a patient man. He suckled at her
harder, giving her that bite of pain that drove her wild, before moving to her
other breast. He didn’t stay there long. There was so much more to touch. To
taste. He left teasing little nips down her body, not lingering until he was
between her spread thighs.

“Oh please, please, please,” Parker
muttered.

He rimmed her pussy with his finger.
Blew a breath over her. “What, baby? What do you want?”

“I want your mouth on me. I want you to
make me come.”

He fully intended to, over and over
again, but this time he was making it last. His mouth lowered to her pussy,
lapped over her unhurriedly before thrusting his tongue inside. Back and forth,
slow and easy. Until she was thrusting her pelvis against him. Begging for
more. For completion. He replaced his tongue with two fingers, twisting them to
hit that sensitive spot in front. As the first shudders of her release wracked
her body, her sweet taste consumed him and he sucked her clit into his mouth.
One orgasm wasn’t enough. It would never be enough.

*

Oh god, what was he doing to her? Parker
was begging now, pleading, and she wasn’t sure what for. She’d come so any
times but there was no relief. She knew there wouldn’t be until he fucked her.
But why? This was beyond yearning, beyond lust. It scared the hell out of her
but she couldn’t resist it. She didn’t want to think about it yet. She wanted
the euphoria, wanted release, wanted it to never end. Finally, finally, Kaje
moved up her body, kissing as he went. He stared into her eyes as he tucked the
head of his cock to her entrance and pushed in.

“Parker, baby, you feel so good,” he
growled.

It was so far beyond good the statement
was ridiculous. Best
sex ever was
more like it. And then he moved and it became something else. So much more. For
the first time since he’d started she wanted loose. She wanted to cling to him
as he fucked her. Needed the contact. Needed the anchor.

“My wrists,” she gasped. “Let me free.”

“No,” he growled, and it was definitely
a growl. His teeth scraped across her collarbone. “Not yet. Not until neither
of us can move or think.”

She almost laughed. “I can’t move now,”
she reminded him between pants. “And trust me, I’m not thinking.”

She felt amusement in his mind as he
gave her a glare that wasn’t entirely feigned. Worse, the slow gentle thrusts
stopped.

“Yet you’re arguing.”

She bit the corner of her lip, on the
verge of just begging him to fuck her hard and fast, but she had the sense it
would be a mistake to surrender to him so completely so soon. He would own her
body and soul. She’d never be free if she gave into the demand she felt from
him. Surrender. Submission. He wanted everything, but what the hell was he
giving her in return? His eyes darkened as he stared down at her. His
expression softened.

“Don’t do that, baby,” he said and she
heard the confusion, an edge of frustration in his voice. He leaned up and
released the cuffs, circled her wrists and pulled her hands to his shoulders. “Don’t
hurt. Don’t fear this.”

She hastily checked her shields. All
intact. Was her expression giving her away?

“I’m not afraid of you.” She gripped his
shoulders, tried to roll her hips to drive him deeper into her pussy. “And I’m
definitely not hurting.”

 
This time he did glare at her and his
expression changed, became hard and edgy.

“Be very careful,
der’lan
. The bond may not be complete, but it’s growing. I
feel
you, and I know when you’re lying
to me.”

Panicked. Trapped. She didn’t know what
the hell she was feeling but she sure didn’t like it. Couldn’t he just fuck
her? Why pretend it was more? Why set her up for future heartache?

“I don’t know what you want from me,
Kaje,” she whispered.

“You, baby. I want you.”

He gripped the back of her head, tilted
it a bit, and kissed her as he started to move. His mouth was firm on hers. His
tongue demanding. Claiming. His cock was hard, hot, and he drove her mad. He
gave her what she wanted, fucked her hard and fast and made all her worries
melt away. She came with a shower of exquisite sparks, the pleasure so intense
she felt splintered. He was half a second behind her.

She was half asleep, beyond sated when
his comm unit chirped. He took it and his clothes, murmured goodbye and slipped
away. But she knew he’d back, and couldn’t deny she was looking forward to it.

He returned much sooner than she
expected, though, an hour later. She was standing in front of the cooler
contemplating something to eat when he sauntered in. Like he had every right to
come and go as he please. He walked up, gripped her hips, and nuzzled her neck,
completely undoing the reprimand that hovered on her lips.

“Pack a bag, love. We’re going on a
trip.”

She turned around and leaned against the
counter, arching an eyebrow at the confident demand in his tone.

“Is that right? Where to?”

“The Green Zone.”

Okay, now she was intrigued. “Are
Kareena and Zola going?”

“Kareena isn’t. Zola is welcome if she
wants to tag along. Falkor and Janice will be there.”

Wasn’t that perfect? “I’m sure Zola
would like to come. Let me go ask her.”

Zola of course was all for an outing
that would let her talk to Janice. They were both packed and ready to go in
minutes. Vidar and a couple of other warriors met them at the shuttle. When
everyone was boarded and she was sitting next to Kaje she asked, “Why are we
taking this trip?”

“Falkor is going to make a new trade
agreement and I’m going to help negotiate.”

“And what am I doing while you work?”
she asked suspiciously. He better not expect to lock her up inside.

“It’s tourist season there. I brought
extra warriors and I’m sure Falkor will too. It’s a lovely city. Not the Keep,
but…” he said and shrugged.

She’d like to think he was learning, but
he wasn’t making any effort to shield his mind. He was thinking about how
fierce the chief in the Green Zone was, the lengths he would go to protect his
clan. Kaje thought she would be as safe there as she would be at the Keep. She
didn’t waste her breath arguing.

“Where are we staying?” she asked
instead.

“The Trace’s have a house in the city.
We’ll all stay there.”

Excellent. Hopefully, she and Zola would
get the chance to talk to Janice privately. Too bad Britt Trace wouldn’t also
be there.

“How long till we get there?”

“Not long, actually. It’s much closer
than Saber City.”

They’d left the Keep and flown north over
the ocean. He leaned over her and pointed out the window where she could see
small dots, islands in the distance.

“The Green Zone. Thirty minutes or so.
Most of the clan’s holdings are the islands. They also have a couple of small
territories on both continents.”

“Cool.” She needed to study the
typography of Delroi more. “Are there more places like the Keep?”

“There are other clans on oases but none
like the Keep,” he chided.

She laughed and patted his arm. “Of
course not, babe.”

She could have kicked herself for letting
the endearment slip because he was so damned thrilled about it. He thought she
was coming around.

“Don’t read anything into that. It
doesn’t mean anything,” she warned softly.

He laced their fingers together and
grinned. “Liar.”

She couldn’t decide if she was irritated
or bemused, and stared out the window, silent, as they drew closer to their
destination. He didn’t push her to talk. Neither said a word until they’d
landed and stepped off the shuttle. A porter gathered all their bags into a
small cart and drove off, while the rest of the party began to walk. She
couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Green Zone was the perfect description.
It wasn’t like anything she’d seen on Delroi. She felt like she was walking
through a barely claimed jungle. The buildings were like the Keep, six and
seven stories, stone and whitewashed, but that’s where the similarities ended.
She’d seen a lot of color in the Keep, carefully cultivated flowering vines and
bushes. But this city? It was an explosion of green. Towering trees, huge
flowering bushes. It was gorgeous. But maybe she’d gotten used to the Keep
because she thought maybe this city was trying too hard.