Blood Binding, page 6
He grinned. “Not on the first date.”
She snorted.
Cassian hugged her with one arm. “That was quick.”
“Spending too much time freaking out is why prey rarely gets away from the dragon. I recover fast and make a plan.”
“How is that going for you?”
Atty grinned. “Oh, no. Telling the dragon the plan is how more prey gets pounced on.”
“Darn. You figured that out right away.”
“Oh, I am quick when presented with enough facts.”
He laughed and kept her close as they drove through the city.
The building across from the office building with the café was where Rekkin came to a halt.
“You live across from your office?”
He chuckled. “What is even worse is that I can jump from one building to the next. I don’t even need to walk across the street.”
She sighed, and they got out of the car.
When he had the shopping bag, they walked toward the door, and the doorman nodded and said, “Lord Cassian,” as they walked in.
She waved. “Hello, Andreas.”
He smiled and nodded. “Miss.”
She caught on that he didn’t recognize her and chuckled as they headed inside.
“Wow. You have been practicing a lot.”
He blinked. “You can tell?”
“Oh, yeah. The doorman didn’t bat an eye, and I have seen him in the café about seventy times. He looked right through me just now.”
“He is a master of discretion.” He chuckled and steered her toward the marble-plated elevator doors.
They got in, and he used a key in the elevator before pressing the upper floor. Up they went.
She swayed at the altitude that she could feel on the thirtieth floor. He twisted the key, and the doors opened directly into his hallway.
Cassian walked ahead of her and said, “Ilthar, can you run this stuff through the washer for me?”
A man with glowing pearl skin and rich green hair stepped out. He wore a white cotton shirt with turned-up sleeves and snug jeans. “Yes, my lord.”
“I would like to introduce you to Lady Athena Will.” He paused for effect. “My mate.”
Ilthar’s eyes went huge. “Lady? Mate?”
Cassian laughed and handed him the shopping bag. “Her landlord rubbed himself off on these items. I have faith that you can get them clean without destroying them.”
Ilthar took the bag and lifted a set of panties on one finger. He gave them an analytical gaze. “Yeah, I can get them clean.”
“Good. She needs something to wear tomorrow morning.”
Ilthar smiled. “Should I get a sacrifice gown ready?”
Atty spoke up. “Absolutely not. Thank you for the offer. I am not going to recycle playtime outfits. If he can’t get it up without a sacrifice gown, he is in for a long and sad existence.”
The elf grinned. “Oh, I like her.”
“As do I. We are going to watch a movie as she needs to get ready for bed for an early start tomorrow.”
Ilthar smirked. “How early?”
She smiled sweetly. “Five. I own the café across the street. Those croissants don’t make themselves.”
Ilthar blinked. “You are kidding.”
“Nope. They really don’t make themselves.”
“No, I mean, you own the café?”
“Well, I own the business; Cassian owns the building.”
“Where do you get your coffee? That stuff is heaven.”
“We have a custom roaster out of town. They make it to order.”
Ilthar moved closer. “Is there any way you would be willing to part with some of it? Lord Cassian is a fan and is always in a better mood after he has had your coffee.”
She looked at the dragon and then back to the elf. “Let’s see how things go.”
His mouth dropped open, and he laughed as he headed into the home, presumably to the laundry.
Cassian smiled. “Now, let’s get you ready for bed so you can just stay up with me until you fall asleep.”
“You are content just to have me nearby?”
“Absolutely. You have no idea how delighted I am just to have you here. I will find you something to sleep in.”
She grinned. “I am going to need a shower first.”
“That’s fine with me. Your underthings won’t be ready until morning though.”
She didn’t speak for a moment as they passed through a huge living area and then down a hall and into the slightly less spacious bedroom that had the large man in the suit next to her nearly dancing with glee. She looked at him. “Which side of the bed do you prefer?”
He paused. “I sleep in the middle.”
“So, I can take either side?”
“There is an outlet on the left side for you to plug in your phone.”
“Thank you.” She went and plugged her phone in and got her razor, deodorant, and toothbrush. “I am going to go and not smell like coffee for a few hours. I am off to defile your towels.”
He smiled. “Wait a moment.”
He went to a dresser and opened a drawer. He pulled out a dark purple square of fabric and walked past her and into the bathroom. He turned on the lights, and she followed him. She watched as he put a clean set of enormous towels on what looked like a heated rack.
The shampoo, conditioner, and body wash were added to the interior of the shower area.
He patted her on the head as he left, and she stared at him as he closed the door.
She walked into the large space that many winged species had, and when she turned on the shower, she yelped in shock as the first blast carried nothing but cold water. It warmed quickly, but she heard, “You okay?”
Atty gasped, “I should have started the warm water first.” She turned around, and Cassian was staring at her with a concerned expression. “Shoo!”
He laughed as he left her, and she quickly went through a fast shower.
After drying off with the huge towel, she slipped on the t-shirt and then cursed as she had to go looking for a brush. She muttered as she combed out her hair and winced at the snarls and knots that fought her.
Cassian opened the door and said, “I can hear you cursing from across the room.”
He took the comb out of her hand and sectioned off her hair. He got to work on it and unravelled the mess of her hair. “You have a lot of hair, but it’s rather thin.”
She snorted. “It flies around like baby hair. It was a lot more under control when it was white.”
“White?”
“Yeah. It bleached out when my magic kicked in.” She chuckled. “It came back black when my scars came in.” She sighed. “Sorry. I forgot my stupid brush.”
“It’s fine. I just get a little nervous when I hear folks cursing in the bathroom.”
He sorted her hair out in a few minutes without pulling on her scalp then opened a cupboard and pulled out a microfiber towel.
He sponged the moisture from her hair and then fluffed it out for her. “There. Very pretty, Athena.”
She smiled. “Thank you for your assistance. I would have been working at it a lot longer.”
“No problem.” Meeting her gaze in the mirror, he leaned down and pressed a kiss to her neck. Her lids drooped at the warm contact of the light kiss and watching his intent gaze in the mirror. He wrapped her in his arms and held her close as he breathed in and exhaled slowly.
She muttered, “Why are you trying to snort me?”
He grinned. “This is the first time I smelled you. The real you. No food, no coffee.”
She chuckled. “Yeah, that scent does keep a lot of scent-sensitive males from showing up at my door.”
He walked her back to the bedroom and handed her the remote while he went to take his own shower.
Atty smiled and curled up against the headboard, turning on the television and rapidly sorting through the channels until she found a documentary on the fifth wave and the new archaeological expedition that had found evidence of half-transformed human bodies in different areas.
She was watching the excavation when the door to the bathroom opened, and Cassian emerged wearing dark grey pyjama bottoms and nothing else. “So, how did you get those marks?”
He grinned. “How did you get yours?”
“A wolf king and my own magic.”
“An ancient society and my own fire.” He pressed a button on the bedside table, and everything dimmed. “I wasn’t expecting it to track all of my forms, but I have learned to enjoy it.”
She had a few irreverent thoughts that went through her mind, including a ball bearing running through those patterns and grooves.
He smiled and beckoned to her. “Scoot closer.”
Atty crawled up to him and thudded into the curve of his arm.
He nodded at the location on the screen. “I was there for a few decades. Lovely summers, dry winters.”
“You travelled a lot?”
“Well, yes. When human settlements were rare and extranaturals were in hidden conclaves, I had a lot of me time.”
She looked up at him and burst out laughing. “Wow. You really hit the modern era hard.”
He chuckled. “I did. I sat in common spaces and let the passive thoughts wash over me. I must say, now that survival isn’t essential, ladies think about sex a lot.” He smiled. “They did before, but only when they felt they were safe and secure. Here, there are a lot less deadly predators on the way to the well.”
She chuckled. “Please, tell me you didn’t wait for women near the wells.”
“I could, but that would be a lie.” He snickered. “I was young once, for a very long time.”
She leaned against him, getting comfortable as his body started a soft humming.
She got drowsy and muttered, “What are you doing?”
“It’s soothing?”
“Yeah, but what is it?”
“From what I have learned from dragons with offspring, it is for soothing the young into sleep.” There was a grin in his voice.
She straightened. “Hey!”
He laughed, but the humming stopped. He took control of the remote and selected a subtitled drama before he loomed over her. He kissed her softly and coaxed her into responding.
Atty felt the surge of excitement through her body, but it didn’t know it wasn’t getting sex tonight. She tried to calm down, but his tongue stroked hers, and he tasted so good.
She sighed and leaned into him, sliding her hand around to the back of his neck. He wrapped his hand around her ribs and pulled her against him, rolling her to her back as he pressed his weight over her.
Atty sighed as he pressed one of his thighs between hers. When she opened her legs, he pressed against her, and she moaned into his mouth. Her clit was hard, and its pulse was fierce. She arched her hips against him and rode his thigh. The t-shirt started rising up her thigh as he pressed in, and she pressed up.
There was a problem with being a woman who liked sex with different partners. She knew what her body liked and the fastest paths to pleasure, and she got the feeling that Cassian knew those same roads. His hand behind her head kept their mouths moving together, his thigh rocking against her sex and his other hand keeping her back arched and supported.
She felt the damp enthusiasm in her sex as it readied itself for a wild ride. She didn’t want to disappoint it, so she thought that she would keep that her private information. Her body was having a very good time, and she wasn’t going to wreck it.
He moved the arm behind her and relaxed her on the bedcover. He raised his head and caressed her cheek. “You are glowing.”
She blushed. “That happens.” She paused. “Well, it happens in certain situations.”
He grinned. “With me.”
“Yeah. That.”
He smiled. “Why do you think I dimmed the lights?”
“Because you are old and have an early bedtime?”
Cassian’s eyes widened with outrage, and then his eyes got canny. “Well, as I have an advanced age, you will have to do all the work.”
“What work? I am young and shiftless, and I am off work for the day.”
He grinned. “In that case, I will give you the benefit of my experience. May I rearrange your shirt?”
“It is your shirt.”
He smiled. “But now that I have seen it on you, I can never wear it again.”
“That’s rough for the shirt. What if it liked you?” Atty bit her lip as he caged her in his arms and started to move down her body.
“My clothing isn’t sentient, Athena.” He brushed his lips against hers.
“Oh. Pity. I was looking forward to gossip sessions with your suit.”
He pressed a kiss to her jaw and then her neck. He sucked, and she smacked his arm.
“No hickeys!”
He chuckled. “Too late. It’s pretty.”
She fumed, and then he pushed the shirt up over her breasts. She yelped. He growled and rubbed his cheek against her left breast and then the other against her right. He licked at the scar pattern, tracing it with his tongue. He paused at one point. “This must have hurt.”
“It wasn’t pleasant, but the magic boiling in me was plenty of a distraction.”
He licked at her breast, lifting the entire mass before letting it bounce. He nuzzled at the mound before he blew a stream of air across the trail where he had licked. After that, he pressed his open mouth around her nipple and sucked hard.
Heat shot through her. She slammed her hands on his shoulders and hung on, but he moved her hands to his head, and she curled around him as he switched to the right breast while his hand came up to softly knead the left.
Her legs shifted around his, and she could feel the moisture that she was seeping. Her breasts were her Achilles’ heel. It was her body’s cheat code. She rolled her head as he sucked, and she shuddered.
He flicked his gaze to her, and she just whimpered as he took her closer and closer to the edge. His fingers pressed against her sex and parted her folds. The moisture coated his digits quickly, and he chuckled and moved between her breasts as her body twisted and arched under him.
He eased his fingers into her, and she felt a storm approaching. He thrust lightly with his fingers, and her back arched in a bow. When his thumb sought and found her clit and started to circle, his mouth, thumb, and fingers made her scream.
He continued to curl his fingers upward and pump against her G-spot as she contracted and fluttered around him.
Cassian moved his lips from her breast and pressed his forehead to her mark. “Oh, Athena, you have quite a grip.”
She tried to speak, but a sob came out first, and then she said, “So do you.”
He laughed and lifted his head, crooking his fingers. She felt a pulse and a surge of wetness around his fingers.
She arched against his hand, and he moved his fingers again. Her fingers clutched his hair, and he started to lick at the scars between her breasts.
She started to hear a voice in her head, “Pretty, pretty, pretty. My mate. My pretty. So slick, so soft, smells so good. Not letting go.”
She spoke with a throaty tone. “You had better let go because I can’t go to work with your fingers inside me.”
He slowly looked up. “You heard him?”
Atty nodded. “I know a beast when I hear one.”
His cheeks pinked a little. “He’s usually quiet. He doesn’t speak to my lovers.”
“Oh, he knows what I am.”
He grinned. “Heard that, too?”
“If you heard it, I heard it.”
He nuzzled at her mark. “All that power held back. We need to let it out.”
She swallowed. “My parents promised the power to the wolf king’s son.”
“How old were you?”
She thought back. “Eleven?”
“Then you are not bound by them. How much did the wolf king spend on your upkeep?”
“About thirty thousand per year for seven years when I went to their school. When I was at home for the first two years, I was just tutored and observed by the clan and court.”
“So, about a quarter of a million. That is an inexpensive price for educating a witch.” He slowly moved his fingers inside her again. “Do you have your own grimoire?”
She slid her fingers to his shoulders and dug in as she started to move on his fingers. She shook her head and moaned, “No. I had to leave it with them.”
“Ah. Good.”
He was easing her down the bed so that he was looming over her. The wet squelching sound between her thighs was embarrassing, but it was her own glow against his skin that was catching her attention.
The glow threw him into a demonic relief, and he was intent on watching her as he stroked, slid, and rubbed her toward another orgasm.
She moaned and arched under him. A softer release, more born of friction and residual arousal, pulsed through her.
She sighed as she relaxed. He kissed her softly and moved down her body, kissing her mark, her breasts, and her belly before he withdrew his hand.
He smoothed his shirt down over her body.
She sighed and looked over to see a wizard attacking an office building while the lady of the drama played some sort of instrument.
He curled her against him. Soft licking started in combination with that deep rumble of his. There was urgent whispering in her mind, and she smiled when it was frustration and whining in her thoughts.
Cassian was as good as his word. No sex. Cuddling and foreplay weren’t sex. Sex with him was going to be interesting and was probably going to occur in the next few days. If he didn’t start it, she would.
He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her back against him. “Mine.” There was a lot of possessive smugness in his tone. “Mine to keep.”
She chuckled and stroked his arm. “Be careful what you wish for.”
He murmured in her ear, “Be wary of who’s doing the wishing.”
She smiled and wriggled against him. “Back atcha.”
He wrapped his arms around her to keep her still while his body started humming again. She hoped that she had set her alarm.
Chapter Seven
She woke up when her phone buzzed and reached out for it. It was difficult. Two-thirds of her body was pinned under a dragon.
