Absolution (Delroi Prophecy Book 4) Read online

  “I don’t want to rush, sweetheart,” he whispered in her mind. “I want to take my time. I want to be intoxicated with pleasure when I take you. I want you to feel how important you are to me. How good we are going to be together.”

  His words should have been a splash of cold water. Instead they settled in her heart, warmed her from the inside out. He couldn’t lie to her with his mind stroking against hers. Still, he hadn’t seen the worst parts of her. The secrets in her past even she didn’t want to face.

  “Show me,” he demanded. “Show me what is so terrible I’d reject this.”

  She didn’t want to. She owed him that much, before he got any more involved, but she couldn’t do it.

  “It’s not that easy. Can’t we just enjoy this moment?”

  This incredible moment. He deepened the kiss, his mouth firm against hers, his tongue stroking over hers. He slid one hand up to rest on her shoulder, thumb brushing over her pulse. It fluttered in response to his possessive hold. He pressed her against the wall and leaned into her. He was big, hard, intimidating. And so damned hot. She took lovers when she felt the urge but it had been so long since anyone made her feel this mad rush of desire. He broke away with no warning, one hand gentle on her collarbone while the other gripped her hip.

  “No more lovers, Anna Leigh. Only me,” he insisted.

  Well, shit. Her thoughts should not be slipping through her shields without her knowledge. When she checked she didn’t find any breaks or gaps, however, and he couldn’t have entered her mind without her feeling it, could he?

  “How are you reading my thoughts without me feeling your presence?”

  He shook his head. “You’re letting some thoughts slip out.”

  Was she? She hadn’t been that careless since her youth. It was him, she decided. Something about Xan made her guard slip. She’d have to be more diligent.

  “Come on. I need to see if we’re ready to leave and if not what the delay is. You can see the ship and we’ll get dinner on the way back.”

  If it would get her out of this room, and the haze of desire that hadn’t lifted even with the conversational shift, she was game for just about anything.

  “Sure. That would be good.”

  He’d removed his weapon’s belt when he entered but he put it back on now. His gaze swept down her body as he did so. There was nothing sexual in his regard but she had to fight the urge to press her thighs tight anyway.

  “Are you always armed?”

  “Yes. In my business, it would be foolish to be caught without a weapon.”

  “It is unusual for Delroi women to carry a weapon,” he said leading the way into the corridor. “Most warriors would forbid it.”

  She tensed, expecting him to try. She had no intention of following such a stupid order, whether it was a cultural thing or not. He surprised her, however.

  “Under the circumstances, your enemies and the strife in my clan, I would prefer you continue to do so, though I don’t imagine you’ll have cause to use them.”

  She relaxed as they turned a corner and came to a stop. Xan put his hand on the access plate and they stepped into what appeared to be the command center. The room was large and shaped like a blunt nosed triangle. A wide screen opposite their position showed the earth and computer stations lined the other walls. There were other stations in the center of the room many showing holographic images of what she guessed were star maps. Kaal approached and stopped in front of them. If he questioned her right to be there she saw no sign of it on his face, but she sensed disapproval under the surface. Or maybe she imagined it since Xan didn’t seem to notice anything wrong.

  “My lord. Lady Bana,” he said, meeting her gaze just a moment before turning back to Xan.

  She was so stunned by the title and attached last name she had no idea how to respond so she simply nodded. It seemed to suffice.

  “We’ll be ready to depart in half an hour,” he told them.

  “Good. Any problems?”

  “No, everything is going smoothly.”

  “We’re going to dinner. You can reach me on my comm if anything comes up.”

  “Yes, my lord.” He slapped his closed fist to his chest, the Delroi warrior salute, and returned to his duties.

  She followed Xan into the corridor. After a couple minutes they entered a much wider hallway and began to encounter many other people. They greeted Xan as they passed. Some stared at her a moment before walking by. Finally they entered what she guessed was a bar or lounge. There were several warriors at the tables and a handful of couples at others. Most were eating and drinking. Some looked like they were working. He led her to a table in front of the long window, yet again overlooking Earth.

  “Wait here. I’ll place an order.”

  Then he turned and went to the bar on the far wall, typed something into a keypad she couldn’t see from this distance, and waited as the man behind it handed him two glasses. He was back with her in minutes. When he sat she blew out a relieved breath, unaware she’d even been holding it. People were watching them and pretending not to. She strengthened her shields, not wanting any stray judgements to find their way into her mind. He gave her a quizzical look.

  “There’s no danger here, love,” he murmured, leaning close, into her personal space.

  Her stomach dropped at the hunger she saw in his expression and her body responded in kind. Heat rushed through her. Hard nipples chafed against the contact of her bra and she felt the slick neediness of her pussy dampen her panties. She’d never been so tempted to throw cause to the wind and control out the window.

  “Maybe we should eat in your quarters,” she whispered.

  Otherwise she might just obey the demands of her body and rip his clothes off here in front of everyone. Without a word, he stood, took her hand, and hurried from the lounge. She lost track of corridors and turns, had no idea where they were until he opened the door to his rooms. As soon as they were inside he pushed her against the wall, his body hot and heavy and hard against hers. She grabbed at his shirt and he helped her yank it off. He dropped his belt to the floor then went to work on her blouse. The buttons proved too frustrating so he took the edge in his hands and ripped. She shrugged out of the garment while he eyed her bra with distaste. She reached behind her for the snap and let it slide down her arms. Then she dropped her weapons to the floor. When she reached out to touch him, to stroke and explore his broad muscular chest, he caught her hands and lifted them above her head. He looked down her body then back up again to meet her gaze.

  “Lower your shields, sweetheart,” he whispered to her mind. “Let me in. I can handle everything you’re afraid of.”

  She shouldn’t but she wasn’t thinking very clearly at the moment. She was hot and needy and he seemed so certain. Even so, she hid part of herself when she did as he asked. As his masculine touch swept inside her mind, he kissed her. It was different from the first one. Desperate. Greedy. Then he spoke the prayer of his people in her mind, strong and determined, and she felt their minds merging deeper and deeper. When he finished the connection was stronger than any rock or gem. Unbreakable. She jerked away from the kiss and glared at him, not sure if she wanted to put a halt to this or not. Her body hummed with lust but she was furious he’d forged the bond without her consent.

  “Why did you do that?”

  His eyes were dark and moody as he looked down at her. “You’re mine. All of you. No secrets and no holding back. You won’t be able to do that now.”

  Fear raced through her veins, but so did excitement and challenge. She wasn’t going to just blindly follow him or give into his every whim. He was in her mind, could feel her defiance, and a slow answering grin crossed his face. Before she could react to that he scooped her up and carried her to the other room to drop her on the bed. She leaned back and watched as he stripped off his boots, socks, pants and underwear. He was magnificent. Golden skin stretched over firm defined muscles. His cock jutted out temptingly, thick, long, and engor
ged.

  She rose to her knees on the edge of the bed and reached for him. Her hand formed a tight circle around his erection. He gasped when she stroked up and down. When she leaned down and swiped her tongue over the drop of pre-cum on the head, he groaned, twisting his hands in her head and tugging her away.

  “Not this time, der’lan,” he said in a gruff tone.

  She didn’t have time to protest before he stripped her out of her remaining clothes and stretched out on top of her. The full body contact made her burn. As he slid down her body and swirled his tongue over one hard nipple, the heat turned into an inferno. She moved against him, spreading her thighs so his hips settled between them, the head of his cock just nudging at her entrance. She wanted him inside her, thrusting fast and hard. He moaned against her breast but didn’t hurry, simply turned his head to lavish attention on her other breast. She considered begging, didn’t because she knew that was exactly what he demanded. He wanted her so desperate for him she begged for release.

  She wasn’t the begging type.

  Chapter Four

  Xan felt her struggle. Her resistance. She fought the bond and the desire that flared so hot between them. She didn’t trust it. Didn’t trust him. She held part of herself buried behind high walls. He had a week to break through her defenses. He needed her firmly by his side when they reached Delroi. He needed her complete support and trust. Forging the bond so soon, indulging in sex now, probably wasn’t the best way to attain his goal but he couldn’t seem to help himself. He’d underestimated his desire for her. It was so much more than lust. A craving he felt to his very marrow. This woman would be his absolutely. Now he only had to show her.

  He gave her nipple one last lick before kissing and nibbling his way down her body. He spread her thighs wide enough to accommodate his shoulders. Looking up, he held her gaze while he slowly spread the folds concealing her pussy and clit. Her eyes were bright, shimmering with desire that went beyond simple hunger. Her need filled his mind. Amplified his own ravenous arousal. He leaned close, put his palms under her ass, and pulled her to his mouth.

  She was slick, her juices spilling from her body. He licked her, loving her moans of pleasure, before thrusting his tongue into her entrance, and found himself perilously close to spilling his seed before he even entered her. Her tight channel would fit his cock like a glove and her taste was ambrosia. Before he lost all control, he shifted his focus to her clitoris. It was hot and throbbing under the sweep of his tongue. He circled it, lapped at it, and finally followed the urging in her mind and sucked it between his teeth.

  He felt her orgasm like it was his own. She bucked against his mouth, then froze, her muscles locking up as a cry of completion left her lips. Incredible. Glorious. He wanted to hear it again and again before he found his own release. His body had other plans, however. Struggling for control, he rose over her, kissed her while his fingers brushed her pussy. He judged her ready and lining up his cockhead, eased into her. Breaking the kiss, he stared into her eyes, needing to see her acquiescence, her surrender. She lifted her hands to cup his face, a tiny smile curling her lips.

  “Not surrender,” she whispered. “That isn’t what you want, a weak and pliable woman.”

  “Not in everything else. But here I want all of you, which doesn’t make you weak, sweetheart,” he replied just as softly as he pushed inside her.

  Her eyes widened with each inch, her breath turning to pants. He eased in and out, short shallow strokes that tormented them both. Watching her, he kept his senses open, noting everything that made her sigh and groan and silently urge for more. A firmer thrust made her gasp and clench around him. He knew that’s what she wanted. He was in her mind; she couldn’t hide it. But he continued the slow torture, slowly driving himself mad, until she asked. He felt the moment her resolve broke, buried his triumph.

  “Xan. Harder, faster. Please.”

  “Anything you want, love. This time.”

  He tilted her hips higher, closer, his grip biting, and thrust hilt deep. She was wet, warm. Inviting. His mate. He caught her gasp in a kiss that was almost bruising, reminded at the last moment no matter how strong her mind was, her body was fragile compared to his. Laughter filled his mind and she kissed him back just as fiercely.

  “You won’t break me, Xan. I promise.”

  He accepted her word and took her the way his instincts demanded. Hard, fast, rough. She met him stroke for stroke. He was no longer sure whose pleasure he felt, hers or his. It didn’t matter. Knowing he wouldn’t last much longer, he worked a hand between them and rubbed his fingers over her clitoris, pinching when her sex convulsed around him. She cried out his name, her cunt squeezing him in a tight fist as she came. He followed, felt like he stepped off a precipice as the most extreme pleasure he’d ever experienced overcame him. He rolled over so he wouldn’t collapse and crush her, then pulled her into the circle of his arms.

  He should say something, but he had no idea what. He’d enjoyed many women over the course of his life. None had been important to him. Anna Leigh deserved the soft words, the tender emotions he’d never learned to express. With a delicate little snort, she tilted her head to meet his gaze.

  “You think that’s what I need? Or even want?”

  He sensed her amusement, knew she used it to distract him. She held a part of herself in reserve, but he was a Delroi warrior. He could be patient when the situation warranted. His stomach reminded him they’d missed their dinner. He stood and held a hand out to her, led her into the shower.

  Inside she found the controls and adjusted them until the water was comfortable and it slicked over her body. He stepped in with her. It was cramped with one person much less two but he was still tempted to linger, unusual for him, so he did. He reached for the soap before she could. Had her lathered and slippery, pressed against the wall in seconds. He held her wrists, tiny in his hands, above her head. He stared at her throat, the sensitive part right above her shoulder. When they arrived on Delroi, his mark would be tattooed there. It wasn’t soon enough. He bent to lick away a drop of water that teased him. Stayed to suck her flesh between his teeth. To bite. Anyone who saw her onboard would know she’d been claimed. He moved to more tempting places, kissing his way to her breasts.

  “Xan,” she rasped out when he flicked his tongue over her nipple.

  Answering the yearning he heard in her voice, he straightened and covered her mouth with his. It was a wild kiss. She met him with passion, her tongue stroking against his. Teeth nibbling if he withdrew. His cock was an aching throb he ground against her belly. This time her gasp was in his mind.

  “Again? Already?”

  He fought the urge to laugh. “You’re my der’lan. Get used to it.”

  *

  Get used to it? There was nothing normal or natural about the way she responded to his touch. She barely knew the man and yet, she craved him. A mental bond shouldn’t engineer this kind of physical reaction. She should fight it but her mind was too hazy with desire. Besides, she was stuck with him for the time being. Might as well enjoy him. He broke the kiss and bent to the curve of her throat, bit then sucked hard.

  “Focus on me, sweetheart. No point worrying about things that are out of your control.”

  He didn’t give her time to worry. Lifting her, he angled his hips and buried himself in her pussy in one long smooth stroke. She clung to his shoulders, legs wrapped tight around his waist, and stared up into his eyes. They were bright. Intense. His lips curved into a little smile, and then he moved. His withdrawal was slow, teasing. His return stroke just as unhurried. Again and again, each retreat and glide measured. It felt so good though it was a kind of torture, building her pleasure higher and higher but not offering any relief. She dug her heels into his back.

  “Xan,” she panted. “More.”

  He kissed her, thrust deep. “You can’t get much more of me.”

  She was torn between laughing and screaming. Was that a joke?

  “Harder,
then. Faster.”

  She could feel her orgasm just out of reach, but he didn’t give in to her demands until she squeezed his cock with her inner muscles. Growling, he broke the kiss, gripped her hips, and pounded into her. It was exactly what she needed. He fucked her. She dug her nails into his skin and let herself go. It was fast and rough and exquisite. She was so damned close. When he tensed, his semen jetting into her, she came in a burst of sensation that left her light headed.

  He tugged her legs loose, caught her when her feet hit the floor and she swayed. Moments later he’d soaped up a cloth and started cleaning her. Normally, she’d have slapped his hands away. His actions seemed too…controlling. The act of a man insistent on being in charge of every single thing or person in his life. The act of a dom very clearly immersed in the lifestyle, and while she played every now and then, she never gave up that much control. At the moment though, she was just too blissed out to care. And his touch, an odd mix of tender and firm, felt so damned good.

  A few minutes later she was dried and getting dressed as Xan did the same. They didn’t speak. It wasn’t the most comfortable silence, which made it all the more embarrassing when her stomach rumbled. He turned to her with a sexy half smile.

  “Come on, my der’lan. I need to feed you.”

  They returned to the lounge. It was a lot more crowded. The attendant at the bar nodded when Xan signaled him. She guessed their order had been put on hold when they’d left so abruptly. He took her hand and made his way through the crowd to a large table in the back corner looking out into space. Two warriors stood with their plates, nodded, and left.

  “I didn’t intend to steal someone’s seat. Or was that because it’s you?”

  “A warrior would never sit and make his Chief’s woman stand.”

  His response didn’t surprise her. She stood by a vacant chair and looked around the table, immediately recognizing one of the two remaining warriors, Kaal. Both were accompanied by a woman. Everyone stayed on their feet while introductions were made. The second warrior was Castor. His mate Eva was Delroi. Tall and willowy, with a sweet innocent smile, Anna Leigh was tempted to categorize her as a civilian and harmless like most of the alien women she’d met. Something in the woman’s eyes told her that would be a mistake, however. She had no doubts about the other woman, Siana, who was Kaal’s mate. Her smile was as hard as her gaze. She noticed both women had ink on their forearms. A sun and above it a crescent moon bisected with a sword.