Prince of Spies (14 page)

Silently, Nico tucked her into the big bed, care in his every move. He moved away then, to secure his belongings and turn down the lamp for the night, leaving the room bathed in a soft golden glow. He returned to the bedside, catching her eye before stripping out of his clothes right in front of her. It was as if he wanted her to see each and every inch of his glorious body as it was revealed.

He was lean and hard muscled, bulging where it counted most. His arms were thick and strong, as were the muscles of his thighs and calves. His belly was ridged with muscle like a washboard and his chest was a thing of beauty. Nico held her gaze, daring her to look at that part of him that most wanted to claim her, and slowly, she dropped her gaze.

He was rampant, hard and wanting, his cock long and thick. Riki wondered how in the world such a glorious thing could fit inside her untried body, and she found herself wanting to find out.

But that would never do. She had to resist such thoughts, even with male perfection standing right in front of her. Her chastity was the only thing protecting her. Give that up and she gave up her life as well.

Still, Riki found herself growing warm, her blood firing and swirling in her veins. Had the mere sight of a naked man ever caused this kind of reaction in her before? She knew it had not. She’d seen Lucan and his lovers of both sexes. The men were fit and trim with good bodies—Lucan demanded only the best—but none had evoked this heated response. No other man had ever affected her like Nico and she knew in her heart, no other man ever would.

“You’re so beautiful, my Riki.” Nico whispered as he knelt on the side of the bed.

He had it all wrong, she thought. Nico was the beautiful one.

Apprehension filled her as he levered himself down on the bed and folded the covers back, exposing her bare body to his hungry gaze.

“I want you so badly. I’m a desperate man, sweetheart.” Nico chuckled at himself. “But I already care far too much to rush you.” He smoothed one large hand down from her neck, over the rise of her breasts, pausing to tease one hard nipple and then lower, tracing the curve of her waist. “I need you like I need my next breath. Give me this,” he whispered, his lips against her mouth, “just this, so I can go on living.”

Nico kissed her then, his tongue probing gently at her lips, parting them and sweeping inside. Riki shivered, the feel of his tongue, the warm cinnamon taste of him firing her senses as his hard body covered hers, his arms imprisoning her in welcome warmth and spiraling tendrils of desire. His tongue played with hers, daring her to follow where he would lead.

There was a playfulness to Nico’s lovemaking. A fresh sense of wonder filled her. This man made her feel cherished. It was a secure feeling, one that begged her to give everything she had in return.

But she couldn’t. Her very life was at stake. She’d be a fool to trade her life for a moment’s pleasure. Even with Nico.

He moved then, pulling back to look down into her eyes as his hands moved on her body. One hand cupped her breast, massaging gently as her desire peaked. His other roving hand found her core. Nico held her gaze as he slid a finger inside her channel, teasing, testing, tantalizing her almost beyond reason. His thumb played over her clit, making her squirm as passion threatened to overwhelm her.

Then he lowered his head. Nico’s warm breath feathered over her nipple a moment before his mouth closed over the taut peak. A moan bubbled up from her throat as pleasure radiated from her nipple to her womb. At the same time, his fingers were sending shockwaves of sensation from her clit and that dastardly finger started pulsing in and out of her tight channel.

Riki couldn’t take much more.

“Come for me, sweetheart.” Nico’s whispered words encouraged her as she came with a little cry, captured by his lips against hers.

The pleasure peaked higher than before, lasting long, long moments as he continued to pet her damp body. She was wrung out utterly when at last the sensations died down. Nico kissed her long and with a tenderness that brought tears to her eyes.

“Sleep now, sweet Riki. We have a long day ahead of us.”

“But what about you?”

He kissed her forehead as he moved back. “This was for you, sweetheart. To show you how much I care. To prove you could trust me.”

“But I do trust you.” She protested lightly when he spooned her from behind, his hard cock settling into the crack of her ass as if it belonged there. “I don’t want you to suffer for my pleasure.”

Nico chuckled, low and sexy in her ear. “Does it feel like I’m suffering?”

She had no answer to that as he pumped his cock through the warm crevice of her butt cheeks. He purred in her ear, surprising her as passion stirred a bit within her.

“Go to sleep, Riki. I’ll be fine.”

“But—”

“Sleep.” He cut off her protests with a gentle squeeze of her waist, his hand moving to cup her breast and pull gently on the nipple. “That’s an order.”

She felt him settle behind her, but Riki’s restless mind kept her awake.

Nico was such a special man. She doubted any other man would have put her pleasure above his own. Nico was a prince—both literally and figuratively. She had to smile at the thought as she snuggled back against him. He was asleep,

but even in sleep, he cradled her body gently, his still semi-hard cock nestling against her.

Riki wished she dared take him fully, but she was so desperately afraid.

She wanted him, of that there was no doubt, but she feared what would happen after she gave herself to him. Would he desert her? She thought not, but she really had no way of knowing for sure. Even more importantly, would they be recaptured by Lucan? If so, her purity was the only thing saving her. Could she give up her one protection?

Riki just wasn’t sure. In fact, she wasn’t sure about anything. Her heart was in turmoil. Strange new feelings were churning within her for this special man who held her so close in the night, with little thought for his own comfort. It would be so easy to fall in love with Nico. Riki was afraid she was half in love with him already. But did he—could he—love her in return?

Nico was a prince, and no matter what he claimed about her heritage, she was just a runaway slave. From the moment she’d been stolen from her home and family, she’d been a possession, a plaything, a pawn to be traded and bartered among men more powerful than she. Riki would never go back to that, but she knew all too well, she might not have any choice in the matter. If she were captured, all her options would be gone.

It really all boiled down to this moment, and this man. Riki turned in his arms, looking her fill at his handsome face, relaxed now in sleep. He really was beautiful, both inside and out. And he was caring and selfless as well. She’d learned that firsthand.

Nico had been so kind to her, so gentle. Oh, how she wished she could make love to him fully. She knew he would be a generous, kind and caring lover. The longing for his cock welled within her, dampening her pussy and making her squirm.

She dared not take him where she wanted him most, but she’d already sampled his cum and wanted more. Looking down between their bodies, she saw he was still semi-erect. It would take little, she guessed, to bring him back to full hardness and then to the same height of pleasure he’d given her.

Gathering her courage, Riki worked her way down his body with her mouth and hands, placing little kisses here and there, licking and lapping at his hard ridges and the flat nipples, making her way to the ultimate goal.

Nico’s eyes shot open as he felt a soft tongue swirling around his nipple.

Riki.

He spied just the top of her head, working downward on his body as Riki kissed and licked him awake in the most delightful way. The little princess was an adventuress.

“I hope you know what you’re getting into.”

His voice seemed to startle her. Riki stopped, her soft hands around his cock, and looked up at him. Nico nearly groaned at the glazed passion he read in her lovely green eyes. The light was dim, but his vision was keener than most humans. Being half dragon had its advantages, after all.

“You don’t mind, do you?” Her sultry voice teased his senses.

“Mind?” His breath hitched as she moved back down, her hands tightening on his hard cock a moment before she reached down with her tongue to lick the tip. Nico stifled a groan. “I don’t mind at all.”

He reached back and grabbed on to the rails in the headboard—anything to keep from grabbing her and pinning her under his body while he took what she refused to give. He wanted to fuck her desperately, but he’d made a vow. She would come to him willingly or not at all.

Riki smiled up at him before returning her full concentration to the matter at hand. She took his cock in one dainty hand, guiding it into her hot, wet mouth, while the fingers of her other devilish little hand massaged his balls. Fire shot from his groin, pleasure filling his senses as she found the spot just behind his heavy sac that brought him even higher.

“Riki, love, you’re killing me.”

Riki took him all the way down until the tip of his cock nudged the back of her throat. Then she sucked, strong and long, and he nearly lost it. Nico tangled his hands in her hair, trying to raise her up, but she only followed his lead so far. No, this little vixen knew what she wanted and she wanted it now.

Who was he to deny her?

Nico lay back, leaving one of his hands in her hair simply because he liked the feel of the soft strands under his fingers. Riki moved on him, increasing her tempo as she massaged his balls, positioning herself between his legs on her knees for better leverage. Then the little witch moved one of her clever hands downward, massaging his ass. Nico thought he would die when one of her wet fingers found the tight hole there and pushed within.

Riki set up a gentle, driving rhythm with her mouth on his cock, one hand squeezing his balls and one finger delving within his ass, massaging from the inside. Nico knew he was lost.

He groaned deep as he came in her mouth. Riki swallowed every drop, catching the overflow on her tongue and licking him down deep with every spasm of his pleasure-wracked body. Never had he come so hard in a woman’s mouth.

Nico knew in that moment she’d well and truly ruined him for any other woman. And he didn’t mind in the least. It was Riki or no one, from this moment forward. She was his and he was most definitely hers, in every possible way.

Nico panted, trying to catch his breath as he came down from the highest peak he’d ever reached with just oral stimulation. Riki purred contentedly at his side, stroking his body even as she snuggled into his form, tired and sated almost as if she’d needed his cum to make her complete—to allow her to relax and sleep.

The thought warmed him as he held her close.

“Thank you, my darling Riki,” he whispered, bending to kiss her sweet, puffy lips. When he pulled back, she blinked up at him, sleepy, with lazy, passion-glazed eyes.

“It was my pleasure.” Her smile told him that indeed, she had found pleasure in pleasing him and Nico counted himself among the luckiest men in the world in that moment. His mate cared for his comfort. She was choosing him, whether she realized it or not. This was one big step closer to his goal. She would be

his! Sooner rather than later, if this was any indication.

“Sleep now, sweetheart.” He turned her in his arms and she was asleep before he settled. Her trust in him was that complete.

Nico fell asleep once more—deeper this time—replete with the knowledge his mate was coming to trust him, maybe even love him as much as he already loved her.

They set out at first light in Drake’s shiny blue wagon. He had a team of gorgeous, matched white horses to pull the wagon, which was closed in on the sides and back, with a locking door at either end. Inside, Riki found a sumptuous living space with a giant, down-stuffed mattress and a multitude of soft pillows in bright hues.

Drake’s clothes took up one cupboard, while musical instruments were packed carefully all around. Food and cooking items were in another few cupboards and extra blankets and furs filled another. All in all, Drake seemed well-stocked for any contingency. This was truly a home on wheels and Riki had never seen the like.

The men rode up front on the plank seat, leaving Riki to the inside of the wagon, both to hide her as they rode out of the city, and because Jinn women were usually well-hidden in the light of day. The men dealt with the outside world while the women ruled the roost, or so the sayings went. Jinn women were usually only seen in a professional capacity, as singers, musicians, dancers, fortune tellers, and the like, and then always watched carefully by their warrior males. Jinn men were very protective of their women, which worked to their advantage in trying to get Riki out of the city without raising any suspicion.

They left the city gates behind with little fanfare. A few of the guards asked Drake when he thought he might be back, indicating they enjoyed his music and would welcome a return visit. The usual stuff, she supposed, as she listened from within the safety of the wagon, holding her breath to see if they would be stopped and searched.

But luck was with them and they left the city behind easily enough. It was almost anti-climactic after what they’d been through to get this far, but Riki thanked the fates that allowed her to get even this distance from Lucan.

Every step of the horses took her farther away from his madness and closer to freedom.

After an hour or two, Nico knocked on the little door at the front of the wagon, directly behind the plank seat. Scrambling to open it, Riki peeped out, curious about their location.

“Are you all right in there?” Nico asked quietly, his eyes searching hers.

She nodded. “It’s very comfortable.”

“You could leave this door open now, if you want some fresh air. We haven’t passed anyone on this road in a while. Chances are the traffic will be light from here on out. Not much comes down from the north this time of year.”

“Where are we going?” Riki asked, smiling as she secured the door back so it wouldn’t swing shut with the swaying movement of the wagon.