Jaded (10 page)

H
e pulled his shirt over his head and Lilya’s breath caught. Like Alek, Byron was not as weak-limbed as one might presume since he was rich and, therefore, relatively idle. She would have to ask both of them about that soon. She’d always known that Byron had strength; it was apparent under his clothes. His chest and upper arms were pleasingly muscled as if he engaged in some kind of hard exercise on a regular basis.

It was rare she had such men in her bed, but she enjoyed it. It made her feel protected in a way that she supposed harkened back to the primal days of their species. Woman, wanting the protection of a man’s strong arms. Byron was the first and only man ever to make her feel that way . . . truly protected.

This was the first time in years she’d had a liaison with a man that wasn’t carefully planned out, but this was Byron. She felt free to let herself go with him. She trusted him.

Byron lowered himself onto the mattress, coming over her, his gaze completely caught with hers. “You’re going to break my heart, Lilya,” he murmured a moment before his mouth came down on hers.

She wanted to reply, to protest that eventuality, but his mouth dropped to her breast and she became suddenly incapable of speech. His hot tongue skated over her nipple, making it hard, sending shocks of pleasure through her. All the nerves burst to life and she arched her back, moaning, while he sucked it into his mouth.

Her fingers found his hair and tangled through it, mussing the thick tendrils, before she dropped her hands to his shoulders and slid them down his back. She loved the heat of his body, the smooth iron silk of his warm skin covering hard muscle. Touching his body was a sensual treat.

Her hands smoothed downward, finding the waistband of his cotton sleep pants and pushing them down. Her fingers found and wrapped around his cock, and a low groan vibrated up from his throat. He was thick and long against her palm, utterly fascinating. She stroked him and he moved against her, murmuring her name. Then he moved down her body, out of her reach.

His hands slid over her breasts and her abdomen, finding her thighs and parting them. He ran his mouth over the sensitive place where her inner thigh met her sex and brushed his lips against it, giving it a kiss. He remained that way for several long moments, making her want to squirm with anticipation. Right when the word
please
had risen in her throat, his tongue found her clit and licked. She shuddered with pleasure, her fists finding and clenching in the sheets and blankets.

Making a hungry sound in the back of his throat, he pinned her thighs to the bed and closed his mouth over her achy, swollen clit, gently sucking the aroused area between his lips. The thought of Byron’s sensual mouth on her was even more exciting than the actual act. The sight of his dark head moving between her thighs nearly undid her.

Her back arched, and her head fell back against the pillow. Body tightening, she cried out. He’d taken her to the very edge of a climax, where only teasing, delicious pleasure existed. Her mind emptied of all but his mouth on her and the ecstasy slowly building to a shattering crescendo.

He dropped his mouth down a degree and found her sex, spearing his tongue inside her and thrusting in just the way she wanted his cock. Men rarely did this to her and never with such sure hands and mouth. Instead she was usually one the taking the lead and giving all the pleasure. It made sense, she guessed, since it was her services the men had paid for. This was different, something that even in all her experience she’d never had for herself.

He licked over her as though he’d waited forever to do this, like he loved it. Lilya clung to the bedclothes and hung on, dangling deliciously on the precipice of a powerful climax. He sucked her clit into his mouth again, tonguing it, while two of his thick fingers found her entrance and pushed inside. He found a sensitive place deep within her and dragged his fingertips over it.

“Byron.” His name came out a low, pleasure-laced gasp a moment before delicious, explosive pleasure burst over her body, sweet as the ripest berry, stealing her thoughts and nearly her ability to breathe. She hung on as it washed through her body, making her tingle and moan, making her toes curl and her sex convulse around his thrusting fingers.

Then he was there, above her, his dark gaze intense. The head of his cock found the entrance of her sex and she welcomed him, tilting her hips up and guiding him inside her. He rocked in and out, easing himself deep within her inch by inch, stretching her inner muscles until he’d seated himself root-deep inside her.

Her arms came around him and she buried her nose where his throat met his shoulder, inhaling the scent of him. His hand smoothed down her back, cupped her rear, and he began to move inside her, first with long, slow strokes, coming nearly completely out of her with every outward thrust and then filling her again. She could feel every inch of him deep inside her, every vein, and every ridge of his shaft. Then his rhythm grew faster and she met him stroke for stroke, their bodies fitting together perfectly. They moved like one being, sharing pleasure.

Taking her hands in his, he stretched them over her body, pinning them to the mattress as he moved deep inside her. His mouth found hers. He murmured her name against her lips in a way that made emotion burst through her chest like she’d bitten into the sweetest piece of cake.

Heaven.

Tears pricked her eyes. His lips brushed hers and then slanted over her mouth, his tongue finding hers in the deepest part of her mouth and then his physical possession of her was complete.

They came together, their limbs and mouths tangled and enmeshed. A second climax exploded through her body, making her sob. He murmured her name, gave a hoarse shout, and spent himself deep inside her.

When it was over, he clung to her like he didn’t want to let her go—or maybe that was wishful thinking on her part. Tears silently squeezed out of the corners of her eyes. She didn’t want him to leave her body and hung on to him as though drowning. She’d never known she’d been drowning until now, until this man had made love to her.

And this had been making love, even if they weren’t actually in love. There was no other term for it. This hadn’t been fucking or even merely having sex. This had been no careful act, where she’d taken the lead, coaxing some shy man to touch her. This had been powerful, explosive, an even give-and-take of pleasure.

Slowly, his cock went flaccid inside her. He rolled to the side and pulled her toward him, kissing her lips gently. “Why are you crying?” he whispered.

She wiped a stray tear away and laughed. “I don’t know. It’s stupid.” Her emotions were a painful mess inside her chest and she couldn’t seem to parse them all out. “That was beautiful.”

He kissed her again and sighed against her lips. “We fit well together, you and I. In almost every way, even in bed.”

She cupped his cheek. “I always thought we did.”

“Mind what I said. I might just keep you here in my bedroom for the next three weeks.”

She smiled and ran her fingers down his cheek. He needed to shave and his skin prickled her palm. “That won’t help Alek.”

“Fuck Alek. I want you for myself.”

The vehemence with which he said those words made heat flare inside her. She snuggled into his chest and enjoyed the feel of his bare body against hers. She hadn’t been this content in a very long time and she intended to enjoy it for as long as it lasted.

 

 

Alek entered the kitchen, found a pot, and filled it to make coffee. As soon as the heated cooking counter had been made available for sale, Byron had had one installed. It was very nice. Alek didn’t even have one in his kitchen yet.

The Tinkers’ Guild had been releasing many useful inventions since the fall of the royal family and the populace watched them all with interest. Alek already saw that the new devices were creating a rift between the haves and have-nots, however—not unlike the rule of the Edaeii family. It would be fascinating to watch how materialism widened that gap in the coming years and the effect it would have on their society.

He set the pot onto the heating implement and his shoe caught in something on the floor. He looked down to find a filmy woman’s night wrap under his boot. He knelt to pick it up, frowning as to why it would be there, when realization dawned. A whole possible nighttime scenario played itself out in his mind.

Of course. And why not?

They hadn’t come out and said it yesterday, when Lilya had been telling him her story, but her feelings had been clear enough in her voice and eyes when she looked at Byron. Alek knew Byron well enough to know that he never would have taken advantage of a woman who’d gone through something like what Lilya had endured. That meant the emotions between them had been simmering for six years. It was about time they give physical voice to them.

Just as the water was growing hot, Byron and Lilya entered the room, both laughing. They saw him and immediately sobered, but Alek caught the bright look of happiness in Byron’s eyes before his smile faded.

“Good morning.” Alek walked over and handed Lilya her robe. “I found this on the floor.”

“Oh, thank you.” She took it and glanced at Byron, coloring a little. It was a wonder that a courtesan could color when caught having a nighttime liaison with a man. That probably meant Alek didn’t know as much about courtesans as he’d thought. Or, at least, about this one. Lilya was captivating to him, like a riddle to solve. Irresistible to the mind of a scholar.

“I made some water for coffee.” Alek motioned toward the cooking counter.

“I just came in for a piece of fruit.” Lilya walked over and took an apple from a bowl on the table. “I thought I’d go outside for a walk. It’s an unusually beautiful morning and this late in the autumn there won’t be very many more of them.”

“Do you wish a history lesson in about an hour?” Alek asked her.

She nodded. “Yes, thank you. In the library?”

Alek nodded.

“Gentlemen.” She smiled, bowed her head at little, and left the room.

Byron walked toward the steaming pot of water. “I’ll take some coffee.” Fixing his mug and one for Alek, he retreated to the table to sit down. “History lesson?”

Alek sank down across from him. “Last night she explained she’d been forced to leave school at a young age and desires that I instruct her on some of the topics I know so much about while she’s staying here. I wonder if it’s just a ploy to get closer to me, since that’s what you’re paying her for.”

Byron frowned. “She’s very intelligent and has a mind keen to learn. I wouldn’t be so quick to assume
everything
is about you, Alek.”

Alek twisted his lips a little ruefully. “Point taken.”

“Anyway, I already told you, I’m not paying her a cent to be here. She’s a guest. I tried to offer her payment, but she insisted I give the amount as a donation to Angel House instead.” His lips twisted in a smile as he took a sip of coffee. “After she doubled the price.”

“Why didn’t you ever tell me about her?”

Byron sipped his coffee and didn’t reply for a long moment. “I don’t know. I think part of me wanted her to remain mine. Telling you about her would have meant I had to share some part of her.”

“You love her.”

He gazed out the window to the kitchen gardens, overgrown with a tangle of dead weeds this late in the season. “Everyone loves her, Alek. Yes, I love her, but I know I can never have her. She’s been through too much and she’s been too damaged. You heard her say it herself; she’s not able to commit to any man. Not anymore.”

“That’s a dark thing to assume.”

“You weren’t with her those twelve months. She acts fine, looks fine, seems normal in every outward way, but she’s hurt badly inside. She sustained wounds that no poultice or medicine can ever heal.”

“Time heals. I know the truth of that. And perhaps she was never as damaged as you presume.”

“No.” He shook his head. “I will take what I can from her and love her enough to accept that I can’t wish for more.”

“Maybe, but a man would have to be blind not to see the way she looks at you.”

“She cares about me. I know that, but her feelings stop short of love.”

Alek wasn’t sure. He looked out the kitchen window to the path beyond, where movement had caught his eye. Lilya, bundled up in her heavy cloak, and munching her apple, walked the paths of the ill-kept herb garden. Byron really needed to hire help. “I think you’re wrong to think she’s incapable of love.”

Byron looked over at him and grinned. “I hope you’re right.”

“So, here’s the million-gold-coins question, my friend; why introduce her to me if you care about her so much? Why bring her here in her capacity as a courte—?”

“
Stop
. How many times do I need to repeat this? She’s not here in that capacity. I told you; she’s here visiting. But I do hope she’ll have an impact on you. Should a physical relationship develop between you, so be it. If not, that’s all right. Either way, I feel sure I’ll have what I want by the end of her stay.”

Alek shook his head. “You’re insane.”

He shrugged. “Maybe. She thinks I am.”

Alek looked out the window at Lilya. It had been a very long time since he’d been with a woman, but Lilya had a beauty and a charisma he found enchanting. Of course, Byron had known he would. Lilya stirred things inside him that had long been dormant. Byron had known that would happen too. “So, you love her, but you’ll be all right with me sleeping with her?”

“Yes.” The answer came easily and sure.

“I don’t understand you, Byron. Not even after all these years.”

“I may be a little in love with Lilya, but I know better than to think I can keep her.”