Remy (2 page)

“If you’re worried about earning my respect, Harlow, you’ve already got it.”  He stood.  “You were pulled from your home, the only life you’ve ever known, and thrust into this world that makes no sense at all.  You found out you’re related to a beast, and because of that relationship you’ve been forced to upend your whole life.  All this, and you haven’t complained once.  You haven’t hated me for it.  It’s really quite remarkable.”

Harlow snorted a laugh.  “You’re not a beast, Mason.  None of you are.  Beasts are parents who ditch a child on a fire station’s door step to avoid their responsibility.  None of you are that.”

Mason’s brow furrowed.  “Do…do you remember anything of our parents?”

Harlow’s gaze flicked to his then down to her hands as she rubbed them together.  “Not a thing.  I was just a baby.” She shrugged as if it didn’t matter even though her chest ached every time she thought of what her parents had done.  She couldn’t imagine ever abandoning a child, and the older she grew the more difficult it was to find forgiveness in herself for what her parents had done.  She looked at Mason.  “Do you remember them?”

He sighed.  “No.”  His eyes narrowed. “But if I’d have known sooner that you were out in the world, I’d have come for you.  You wouldn’t have had to grow up as you did.”

She smiled sadly. “It’s not your fault Mason.  Besides, you’re only ten years older than me.  It’s not like you could’ve raised me, you were a child yourself.”

His eyes turned hard.  “I would have.  I would have found you, and I’d have done what needed to be done to ensure you were safe and taken care of.”

“Stop.”  She hated that he was still beating himself up over something that wasn’t either of their fault.  “There’s nothing you could have done.”  She watched as he looked away, and she knew what was eating him.  He’d told her of how he’d grown up in England.  He’d been adopted as a child and only ever knew his adoptive parents.  They’d raised him well and loved him fiercely, and she knew it gutted him to have been cared for while she’d been so carelessly discarded and forced to grow up alone.  Once he’d gotten her on the Estate, he’d been reluctant to show her
all
of him.  He’d been worried that it’d be too much, that it wasn’t fair to force something so unbelievable onto someone who’d already endured so much.  She was glad he’d had faith that she could handle it.  She needed him to have that faith in her again.  “This is all new for me, and it’s taking some getting used to, but I don’t regret it.  I don’t regret meeting you, and I’d never regret that you’re my brother.  We’re all we have.”  She lifted both shoulders.  “Well, us and Amanda, right?”

He grinned.  “Yes.  Us and Amanda.”

Clapping her hands together, Harlow backed up a step.  “Okay, so how does this work?  Do I just report for duty?  Do you have to get approval?  What?”

Mason once more circled his desk, reclaiming his seat.  “I’ll contact Monroe and get your assignment approved.  I’ll need to speak with Commander…”  His voice trailed off as Mason’s head slowly lifted, shock, and what looked very much like horror, etched in the lines of his face. 

“Mase, you alright?  What?  What is it?”

A low rumbling growl filled the room as Mason dropped his head, taking a long, deep breath before clearing his throat, like it was hard to get the rumble out of it.  “I’ll have to contact your Commander. 
Remy
McCabe.  He and I aren’t friends, I’ll warn you now. It might be difficult.  Give me a few days Harlow, and I’ll be in touch.  In the meantime, go see Jenny in the infirmary.  Placement with the Sentries requires a physical.”

She felt like there was something he wasn’t saying, but honestly? She always felt like there was something he wasn’t saying.  “Ok.  I’ll go see Jenny.”  She opened the door, then stalled halfway out.  “Thanks for this, Mason.  I won’t let you down.”

“Harlow!”

She stared into his now cold, glittering eyes.  “Steer clear of Commander McCabe. He’s no good.” 

She waited for him to elaborate, but when he didn’t, she nodded and started to turn away once more when he stopped her once more, his voice softer. 

“And, Harlow?  You couldn’t let me down if you tried.”

She smiled and tossed him a wave, ignoring the warmth that flooded her veins at his words.

Chapter 3

Under the guise of spending her last free weekend in the city tying up financial loose ends that’d been left dangling after being kidnapped and brought to StoneCrow, Harlow had actually rented herself a room at the nicest hotel in town, the site of the annual mid-October masquerade ball. She and a co-worker had bought tickets, and Harlow considered it the perfect excuse to splurge. With an almost giddy feeling she splurged on a new dress, heels, and a visit to the upscale salon in the hotel.  She knew it’d be months before she was pampered again, and before she committed herself fully to Sentry training, she wanted one last hoo-rah! It was perfect timing. New pretties, a nice room and a ‘date’ with her friend to the event of the season before settling into BDUs and bruises from training with people much larger, stronger, faster – heck, just all-around ‘more’– than her.

Standing in front of the full-length mirror in her room, she eyed her designer gown.  Flowing lavender that passed through the hand like a sigh made her feel delicate and feminine.  The dress had an empire waist and floor-grazing chiffon pleats.  Glass beads on the bodice felt regal, and her pecan-colored hair pinned up with jewel encrusted accents added to the effect.  Taking a deep breath, Harlow lifted her mask to her eyes and used the satiny purple ribbons to secure it in place.  The mask was a soft lavender with royal-purple plumes designed like an elegant butterfly, the plumes surrounding one eye and covering half her face.  Sparkling jewels glittered under the light, and with her vibrant-green eyes outlined with dark eyeliner, lids artfully painted with several shades of purple, darker on the lid then lighter going higher, she was confident that, even should she run into someone she knew, they would have a hard time recognizing her. Smiling at herself in the mirror, her eyes dipped to her lips, which had been painted dark, glistening violet.  Purple lipstick was suddenly the ‘in’ thing and it looked great on her.  Excitement stole through her as she slipped into the satin stiletto heels that perfected the dress. She looked stunning – even if she did say so herself.

Twenty minutes later found Harlow taking the elevator from her room down to the lobby.  The plan had been to wait for her friend, Chelsea, but the poor girl ended up having to work late, but promised to get there as soon as she could.

Stepping off the elevator,
a
kaleidoscope of butterflie
s
fluttered in Harlow’s belly.  Attending a party stag wasn’t something she’d have normally done, but something about being unrecognizable emboldened her.

Stepping into the hotel’s ball room, she earned several appreciative glances from elegant masked males in expensively tailored suits.  Tall ceilings held dimmed chandeliers, and tables covered in white linens and candles dotted the room.  Soft music from a small orchestra tucked into a corner soothed her nerves, and when a suited waiter stopped in front of her with a tray of sparkling champagne glasses she accepted one, grinning at the strawberries floating at the bottom of the glass before taking a sip, then another. 

Eyes scanning the room, she was debating whether to mingle or take a vacant seat at one of the tables when she was jolted from behind.

A gasp left her lips as champagne splashed onto her chest and flowed down between her breasts.

A low growl rumbled behind her a moment before she heard a muttered, “Shit!”

Turning, she stared up at the man who’d bumped against her. 

“Apologies,” he offered, eyeing her wet chest as he lifted a napkin and began to dab at the mounds of her breasts where they were pushed up by the bodice of her dress.  He was shaking his head, frowning in concentration.  “Too many damn people for one tiny place,” he grumbled, as if speaking to himself.  His eyes lifted to hers, then returned to where his hand still swiped at her breasts. With a sharp inhale, he jerked his hand back.  “Christ!  Sorry.”

He wasn’t dressed for the party.  He was wearing a black suit, but no tie and no mask.  And the guy was smoking fucking hot!  Even under his suit she could see bulging muscles, and he was tall, just like she liked a man.  So tall, in fact, she had to tilt her head far back to look up into his eyes.  Dark eyes that looked almost maroon from this close were set over a straight nose and full lips set in a grim line.  Light stubble covered his cheeks and jaw and it, along with his hazel-colored hair, really short on the sides and a little longer and messy on the top, gave him a lickable, bad-boy vibe.  His appearance shouted he wasn’t used to ritzy affairs, and his dismissive attitude confirmed it.

“New in town?” she asked.

“Yeah,” he muttered, still staring at her breasts.  “You could say that.  Look,” he pointed to the hall.  “Can I help you get cleaned up?”

Looking down, Harlow felt a little disappointed that her beautiful gown had been ruined two minutes into the party.  “It’s fine,” she looked up.  “I’ll just go to the lady’s room.”  She started to step away, but was bumped again from someone else standing too close.  Annoyed, she turned to say something, but Mr. Sexy beat her to it.  Stiff-arming the other partygoer, her savior ground out, “Watch it!”  His eyes dipped to her. “Can your husband or boyfriend escort you outta here?”  He’d stepped closer, leaving her protected in the cocoon of his body as his eyes searched the crowd.

“No husband, no boyfriend.”  An idea struck.  “Can you…take me to my room?”

His eyes slammed to hers and he stared for a long moment.  She could tell he was reading her, trying to figure out just what exactly it was she was asking of him.  Finally, he gave a curt nod.

Harlow set her now-empty glass on a tray as it passed before leading him from the room. Her Knight in Black Suit remained tucked close behind her, making sure no one else jostled her.  As they made their way toward the door she saw him snag a glass of champagne.

At the elevator, she hit the up button and turned to find him eyeing her suspiciously.  “Here.” He handed the glass of champagne to her.  “I owe you that.”  He took a step back, eyeing the hall. “Are you good from here?”

Taking a small sip, Harlow shook her head as a group of men stepped from the ballroom and began making their way toward the elevator.  “Don’t wanna get crushed.” She eyed the approaching group, then her savior.

He muttered something she couldn’t pick up and, when the elevator door opened, he ushered her inside, pressing the button to close the doors before the large group of men could crowd their way in.

Tucked into a corner of the elevator, she eyed the expanse of the giant’s back.  He was huge, and radiated virility, causing her lower belly to tremble and clench.  At that moment, she decided she didn’t want him ditching her the second the doors to the elevator opened.  “Maybe you could wait outside my door until I’m cleaned up, then escort me back down?”

He didn’t look at her, but he nodded, one short, sharp jerk of his head.  “Sure.”

The elevator pinged and the doors glided opened.  Harlow inched past, making sure to press her body into his before leading him to her door.  At any other time, she would have been taken aback at her unusual behavior.  She wasn’t in the habit of picking up strange men and taking them back to her room, but something about the ball, about the mask and the fact that she’d start training in a few short days, had her throwing caution to the wind and seeking one memorable night.  Plus, something about this guy told her he wasn’t dangerous, well, not to her anyway. 

She used her keycard to open her door and slid inside, leaving the door ajar.

“I’ll wait here,” he offered.

Inside her room, Harlow didn’t turn on the lights.  Instead, she eyed her surroundings, deciding if she really was about to do this.  Her breathing was a little shaky and her body was tense, primed with possibilities.

“Sir?” she called out to him in a soft voice, before she lost her nerve.

Too late to change her mind now. There was a soft knock before the door eased opened.  “Did you call out?  Are you alright?”

Harlow was suddenly glad for the mask, because she was currently blushing to the roots of her hair.  “Yes.  I just need a little help.”

She heard the door clicked closed, then broad shoulders filled the entryway. Shadows shrouded his face, and she could just barely make out the gleam in his eyes from where he stood.  She was facing him with the lights off, only the light of the full moon through the sheer panels over the large windows illuminating the scene in a dim, silver glow. 
It’s now or never! 
The moonlight was enough to see by, almost enough to make her lose her nerve, but before she could she took a sip of the champagne then, looking directly into his eyes, she poured the rest over her collarbone, letting it wash down her chest and into the front of her dress.  “I…I seem to have made a mess.”  She peeked up from the wet swell of her breasts. “Can you help?”

He took a step closer, bathing his face in moonlight as she watched indecision war on his craggy features.  His eyes dipped to her breasts, his lips thinning into a grim line.  His jaw ticked once, then twice, and suddenly he was on a knee in front of her.  Large hands pulling her close, and her breathing shuddered as he licked over the mounds of both breasts.  Tilting her head back, Harlow was surprised at how hard she was already breathing.  One lick and she was lost.

His hands left her waist and slid upward to grip the front of her bodice. She heard the delicate material tear as beads rained down between them, but the dress was already ruined so she didn’t care.  In fact, his aggression heightened her excitement. 

Free of their confines, her budded nipples strained for his mouth and he didn’t disappoint.  Sliding his hands beneath the material of her dress and around her back, he pulled her to him. Soft lips closed over the tip of her breast, hard tugs sending jolts of electricity shooting straight to her clit.  She needed more, wanted more.

He suckled one breast and then the other before his hands slipped down to lift the layered pleats of her skirt.  He had as much patience for her panties as he did for her bodice, and with one tug the whisper of lace was ripped free.  He used a knee to nudge her feet farther apart, then a strong finger sluiced through her wet folds.  Harlow moaned, burying her hands in his hair as he continued to wash the champagne from her breasts. 

“What’s your name?”  He begged reverently against her skin.

Looking down, Harlow waited until he looked up before shaking her head.  There would be no names, no shared secrets. Only anonymity. 

Without warning, one finger slid into her, and Harlow gasped as her knees buckled.  The movement forced his finger deeper inside her grasping channel, and when she dropped fully to straddle his lap, she began riding his finger unabashedly.  Normally, she’d have never behaved this way.  Always extremely reserved in bed, Harlow didn’t act on instincts or let desire shoot to her head, but tonight was different.  His finger inside her felt so good;
he
felt so good, and she was close, but still she needed more.

Pulling her hands from his hair, she gazed down at him as she began tearing through the buttons of his shirt.  Her hips continued to work as a second finger joined the first, and she tensed, her mouth falling open on a gasp as she stilled to keep from falling over the edge into the oblivion she knew was coming. 

He tore his shirt the rest of the way open, then used his free hand to rip open the front of his pants. 

Dropping her gaze between them, Harlow’s eyes widened, mouth rounding at the sight of his engorged cock.  Swollen and beet red, it was larger than any she’d ever taken into her, but right now, with how wet she was, she knew they could make it work.

She reached for him, but he pulled his fingers from inside her.  “Not yet, Princess.  I want to taste you.”

Before she could protest, she was swept into his arms as he carried her to the round table near the balcony.  Gently, he set her down then forced her to her back before bunching her dress up at her hips and grabbing her ankles, bending her knees wide.  If she thought she’d felt exposed before, that was nothing compared to when he stepped to the window, throwing the curtains wide to let more of the moonlight shine through.  Feeling vulnerable, she tried to close her legs, but firm hands on her thighs stopped her.

A low rattling growl rumbled from his chest, and the thought of Skin Walkers flashed through her mind.   She wondered if they made those types of animalistic sounds when they had sex.  She didn’t get to wonder long, because in the next breath, his tongue was inside her.  She’d never let a man do this to her before, she was much too shy and embarrassed to open herself up in this way, but the mask was helping her to overcome a lot.

His tongue drove into her, but when he slid out and licked up her slit, then focused on her clit, she began to thrash.  She tried to close her thighs again, but strong hands on her creamy flesh kept her spread wide.  His tongue flattened on her over and over again, and when he finally sucked her sensitive nub into his mouth and kept a rolling pressure, she exploded with a scream, her thighs shaking and her breasts shuddering with her gasps.  But her mystery man wasn’t done with her yet.  His tongue drove back into her as he seemed to savor her cream.

Harlow’s eyes were pinched shut as she treasured the aftershocks of her pleasure, but they slammed open when she felt the thick head of his cock probing her entrance. 

Looking up at him, she gasped in a deep breath.  He was exquisite in the throes of passion, all hard planes of thickly corded muscle, his jaw tense and dark, lust-filled eyes breathtaking.  His lips were set so firmly that, if she didn’t know better, she’d think he were in pain.