Loving Lucius (Werescape) (19 page)

Swinging door! When would Violet return? What about Marcus? Trouble. I always seemed to cause more trouble. Maybe Lucius staying wasn't such a good idea.

He closed the door and shot me a curious glance. "What do you think of Augustus's outpost?"

"It's a nice place with friendly people." I could say that since Lucius and I had overcome our problems.

He filled one cup with brown liquid. "Sugar?"

Well, he'd found the sugar. Since he'd seen me add it to my coffee at dinner that first night we arrived, he didn't need to ask. But he did. Thoughtfully. "Please."

"I like you better like this." He focused on the jingling spoon he used to stir the coffee.

Was I that horrible before? "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be a problem."

"No." He shot me a smile where he stood, his body turned sideways. "I meant that you had me very worried earlier. You were so upset."

True. That's better than being a perpetual thorn in his side since he found me.

He turned to me with both drinks and handed over a steaming cup. "Careful."

So close again. Lucius being close only made me want to rise and wrap my arms around his broad chest. I took the hot metal, careful to avoid touching the fingertips of his spread fingers.

"Coffee isn't something we have regular around here." He eased down upon the bed a few inches away and crossed one leg over the other's knee. "So," he took a sip from his cup and swallowed, "can I toss that shirt over there," he casually pointed at my jacket, "in the fire?" He flashed me a dazzling grin.

It's not like clothing was cheap or easy to come by. But out here, the risk of not having warm clothes on cold days increased with every piece of lost clothing. "I don't have any other warm clothing."

He sipped down more coffee and smacked his tanned lips.

Those lips that felt so incredible.

"I'll find you something," he smiled. "Even have you something made. Two of the other Shifters have mates who sew clothing that looks like things made before AEI. And I have furs. Lots of furs. You'll be the warmest woman around." He pressed the rim of his cup to his lips.

Those blue eyes never looked away.

What thoughts plagued him? About me? How his future changed beyond the obvious? Probably. I guess we're too close now not to speak these things. "What are you going to do about me because of the marking?"

He lowered his arm to his lap and propped his cup upon his booted ankle. "Whatever you want. It's your call." He stared at me.

Waiting. Something in his gaze told me he wanted me to answer. Sex or no sex? What a strange moment. Here I sat with a glorious man. One who attached himself to me irreversibly. And I'm supposed to announce whether or not I should have sex with him? "I feel awkward."

"We can discuss it later. After you drink your coffee, we'll go see Augustus. I want him to see us together. To see you aren't uncomfortable like you were before."

"Alright." But Marcus seemed to be everywhere. "What about Marcus? He's bound to be looking for me. He just doesn't understand the meaning of no or my disinterest."

"Disinterest?" He grinned devilishly as if he was happy to hear me speak of his brother with the term. "Don't worry. The marking will keep him away. He'll smell my Wolf, even upwind. He'll know to leave you alone."

Then it's truly a done. I am mated.

"Why are you staring at my boot?" he asked.

I shrugged. "It feels odd." Almost bizarre.

"Look at me."

I slid my gaze over mounds of his bulging muscle, over his stern jaw line, to his brilliant thoughtful blue eyes.

"Our relationship only goes as far as you want, Elise. If you want me to walk out that door," he pointed one thick finger at the slab of wood using the hand holding the cup, "I'll go to my lodge and wait until you need something. All you need do is send for me. I'll come."

No. He'd gone out of his way to hand his life over to me. I couldn't shut him out of my cabin. At least right now. Having him around gave me a new sense of safety. Oh how those muscles do. As well as the way he sat at ease but still hulked like he could kill anyone in a heartbeat. Not me though. Not with that grin and twinkling eyes. "It's alright. I'd rather you stay."

"Then drink your coffee. We'll go see Augustus when you finish."

He studied me as I sipped the sweet dark brew.

Like he enjoyed looking at me.

"You're quiet," he stated softly.

"Well, you're staring at me."

A small smile budded on his lips. "Do you think I'd mate a woman who wasn't beautiful enough to stare at?"

What is he trying to suggest? "Don't tease me, Lucius." I flicked my gaze to the fireplace across the room.

He moved, rocking the bed, stretching out on his sexy side with his upper body's strength propped up beside my hip.

Forcing me to look into his eyes. What now? I could just reach out and run a palm across the undulating muscle knotted around his shoulder.

He reached with his other hand to brush a knuckle against my cheek. "Wolf and I think you are the most beautiful thing we've ever seen, Elise."

Oh to have him whisper my name over and over. Everything about his mask was soft and convincing. And his touch so enticing. He'd even lowered himself to look up at me. Sneaky man. Like I wouldn't notice. He tried to make things easy for me. How could there be anything wrong with sliding down and snuggling up against him. Into the promise of power and adoration of him?

His hand fell slowly, drifting down to drape mine.

So much warm skin against mine, its heat blossoming into a tingle.

I shivered.

He curled his strong fingers around mine, glanced at me, and pressed the back of my palm to his velvet sucking lips.

Oh. God. To kiss that mouth. To feel my gut flop like a fish out of water again. To have my soul swoop down into my belly and drive me insane with the agony he introduced me to not very long ago.

His hand returned mine to my lap and the heat of his grasp slid away.

No. Don't let go.

He rose up on the free palm to pluck the cup from my grasp and twisted at his sinewy waist, placing my coffee out of sight on the floor.

Why?

He turned back to me, every muscle in his abdomen adjusting with his movement, so he could stare into my eyes while returning to his propped up position. "Can I kiss you?"

Yes. Oh. Please. I think I whispered yes. But it didn't matter. His mouth was there, against mine, soft and attentive. Hungry. Satisfying. Marching across my face down to my neck. Setting off an ache so deep in my belly that it had to rest under me. All I wanted to do was hold him close. Touch him. Make him feel as amazing as he made me feel. I snaked my hands around his steely neck and returned the kiss.

His chest was suddenly on top of mine.

Pinning me against the soft bedding. Kneading sucking kisses along my clavicle. Back and forth. Then he massaged the length of my throbbing neck with equal enthusiasm.

My heart raced.

I gasped for air, rubbing the curve at the base of his head.

One of those huge hands of his rubbed the bend of my hip. The other's fingers were tucked into the base of my braid. To move would have been madness. He might stop. End this assault of my senses.

His doting mouth moistened a path to my earlobe.

Tickling. I closed my eyes, reveling in the way his supple skin moved against mine, thinking of nothing but how long I could keep him here making my heart surge, and clutched at his shoulders.

"Do you like this kind of touching?" he whispered hot breath against the curve of my ear then drew back a few inches.

We stared at each other.

His blond eyebrows arched with speculation. "Well?"

"Yes."

"If I touch you like this all day and night, will you forgive me for what happened between us before, when I frightened you?"

We already discussed that. But he seemed to be playing a game where I allowed him unrestricted access to my body for this touching. And how when my body felt like it would explode after just a few minutes of his lips against my skin, I'd be foolish to say no. "Yes, Lucius."

His speculative mask graded into seriousness and he covered my mouth with his.

Need. Hot demanding need filled my reality. We were feeding off each other. Tongues dipping into each other's hot wet mouths. Hands digging and clawing for more. Just another morsel. Anything to keep our pounding hearts fueled.

I ached so badly way down deep inside with a strange wild demand that begged for him to do something. If only he'd wrap his body around mine. Fill me with something. Whatever he had to have to make my body stop begging for more.

His hot damp mouth drew back again to hover a few inches overhead.

Hovering where I could look into his glowing yellow eyes. At his Wolf.

"Tell me to stop now, Elise. Or I won't be able to."

I'd die if he didn't cure the ache he started inside me. "I need you."

He gurgled an almost inaudible growl.

My arms crawled with gooseflesh. But he didn't return to my mouth. No. His sweet lips fell on my chest. Right above the scoop neckline of my tank top.

He sucked at my skin.

Oh to have that feeling lower. At my breast. Drawing the life out of me.

His golden Shifter eyes watched me.

I needed him to move. To make me whole. Complete. Part of him.

He rose, a smidge.

Only to lock his glistening teeth on the edge of my shirt.

He tugged at the seam and snarled.

Every cell in my body quaked with anticipation.

What next?

He dropped my shirt. "Take it off."

Chapter Eight

I shoved off her sweet curves, permitting her to rise with her delectable parted lips and drugged stare. If she didn't hurry, I'd have to rip her shirt off.

She pushed up from the bedding with her palms at her side and struggled to sit.

Lost in the euphoria of mating. So, touch was her Achilles heel. I'd use it against her. Keep her in bed during the endless days of Mating Fever that lay ahead. Then, once she carried my seed, I'd touch her just to see the proof of her willingness to be my mate.

She pulled the hem of her tank top out from where the edge had tucked inside her pants, watching me.

As if she changed her mind. Would she suddenly balk at undressing? Not now. I'd die. Every millimeter of her skin smelled like mine. Tasted like mine. Would soon be completely mine the way she had clutched my shoulders to her rattling heart. As if she begged for touching. Needed touching to survive. And Wolf wouldn't allow death. Not of the mate he chose. The mate who gave herself to him. She had to give herself to me. All of herself.

She blinked and tugged the cloth over her head.

Revealing the sweetest pale pink lacy bra bulging with mine.

Play
, Wolf whined.

Oh, yes, we'll play
. Burrowed deep in the bedding. Two souls melding in the warm water of the Well of Immortality. But her legs weren't on the bed. I snatched her up, those wide silver disks of her eyes questioning me, until I spread her out on the bed.

Such beauty. The dark brown hair. Coffee colored. Only made her eyes shine as brightly as the moon. The pale pink bra merely accentuated her coloring. So beautiful. I wanted it all, between her legs, right now.