Chosen Thief (21 page)

He wouldn’t want more.

Fuck, I wouldn’t want more.

I shook my head
and turned, staring back at the door. Nope, nothing to be nervous about, not when just thinking about him already had my pulse racing and my sedate breaths coming in pants. My body was already warming at the thought of touching him and being touched in return. I cracked my neck and made my legs move farther than the small section of carpet I had been wearing thin. Before I could stop myself, I
rapped my knuckles sharply on the door…and sucked in a deep breath. And waited.

For the briefest moment, when I heard the door start to unlock, I actually thought about racing away down the hallway. But I planted my feet, thrust my chin up, and blinked when the door opened. “Shit,” I mumbled, staring wide-eyed at not the person I expected. Roselle stood in the doorway wearing a white silk robe
tied tightly at her waist, appearing elegant and alluring at the same time. My jaw flapped for a moment, and I pointed a quick finger behind me — probably at nothing, but I was flustered, so I worked with what brain function I had. “I…I think…” I nodded swiftly, silently cursing the damn staff for their incorrect gossip. “Yeah, I’m sorry to disturb you. I’ve got the wrong room…” I trailed off, eyes
going as large as saucers as a tan hand appeared on the door, opening it wider and revealing Leric standing behind her…in nothing but a pair of white satin pajama bottoms.

I gulped. Blinked. A sound that was incredibly embarrassing and not at all intelligible emitted from my throat. My startled, stunned gaze flew back to Roselle as I took in her appearance again.

Fuck, I was a damn moron. Of
course they were sleeping together. I mean, really, they made a beautiful couple. I pointed my finger over my shoulder again and managed a breathless mutter, “Yep. Definitely the wrong room.” I squeezed the stress ball in my other hand and quickly turned around. “Sorry about that.”

“Jesus,” Leric muttered behind me and slammed a large, warm palm on my shoulder before I even took a step, jerking
my wooden body back around to face them. It was saying something for the amount of shock coursing through my system that I didn’t even try to stop him from manhandling me. Unblinkingly I stared where he stood sideways in the doorway next to Roselle as he took his hand from my shoulder, rings glistening in the light as he flicked a finger between the two of them. “We are not together.”

I lifted
my hands instantly, shaking my head. “And that is none of my business.”
Not to mention, it appears to be a big fat lie.

His nostrils flared, and he actually appeared irritated. “She’s married to Reese.”

My eyebrows rose almost to my hairline, and I waved my hands. I took a step back from them, hoping Reese didn’t show up with me here. “Then…I really didn’t see a damn thing.” I waved a hand.
“Goodnight.”

“Caro, stop.” Roselle held up a hand in my direction, her shoulders beginning to tremble. “This is actually painful to watch.” She lowered her hand when I stopped backing up, and she jerked her head at Leric as she stated extremely slowly, “He and I are not together. Never have been. The love of my life is my husband, Reese. Leric and I were only discussing things in his room. Nothing
new between the One and his first in command.”

I blinked slowly. “Dressed like that?” And yeah, my disbelief was blatant.

Her white eyebrows rose. “Yes, dressed like this. When you’ve been in someone’s command as long as I’ve been to the One,” a beautiful shoulder shrugged, “well, he’s seen me at my worst and at my best. This is nothing.” She stared pointedly at me. “And what are you doing here?”

Again, I blinked real slowly as Leric straightened, gracefully moving from where he was squashed between her and the doorframe to rest his back against the outside wall. He crossed his enormous muscled arms over his bare torso and stared at me, his face carefully blank.

I pointed a finger stupidly at Leric, eyes going back to Roselle, and muttered the first thing that came to mind. “I felt a
little guilty about dinner. I came by to make sure he wasn’t too ill.”

Her eyebrows didn’t lower. “Does he appear fine to you?”

I didn’t look his way. Too much pant-worthy flesh on display. “Yes, he does.” I ran a hand through my hair, glancing over my shoulder the way I had come, then back to Roselle. “I should probably be getting back now.” She was like a damn guard dog, standing there in
his doorway, even if a gorgeous one.

“To your bedroom?” she asked, head cocking. “The one Sin and you share?”

I couldn’t help my lips curling. “You’ve done your homework in the short amount of time you’ve been here.”

A graceful shrug, her arms crossing. “I like information.”

“Right.” I chewed absently on the side of my mouth, not really having much else to say to the attractive guard dog.
“It’s getting late, so I’ll just go.”

“Roselle, I wish to discuss an issue with Caro alone,” Leric stated evenly, and I saw from the corner of my eye that he gestured across the hallway where another door was. “Leave us, please.”

“Yes, sire.” Roselle dipped her head as she moved from his doorway, not questioning him but following his orders instantly as any high-ranking soldier should. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Roselle,” he stated as she entered what was apparently her room, softly shutting and locking the door behind her. I stared at the shut door for a few moments, a vibrating silence surrounding us, deafening in its quiet, until his deep baritone tickled my senses as he asked on a quiet purr, “Are you offering, Sprite?”

“It’s Caro, not Sprite,” I mumbled as I inhaled heavily. I jerked
my head around, walking briskly past him into his previously guarded room. “And yes, I’m offering.”

Walking to the center of his retiring room, I scanned my surroundings quickly – it appeared just like Sin’s and my bedroom, except it was done in white with accents of silver here and there. I turned gradually when I heard the door shut and lock behind me. Pushing any nerves away, I deliberately
met the silver eyes piercing me with their intensity, and I stated, “I have a few rules before we do this.”

One white eyebrow cocked on tanned skin as he started —
fuck me
— prowling toward me. His movements were graceful and fluid but still menacing, not only from his large size, but also from his confidence. He cut right into what I was about to say, growling, “Take your clothes off. I’ve wanted
to see you naked since you first interrupted our meeting earlier today.” His jaw clenched, his nostrils flared as he continued stalking me. “I lost track of how many times that cute ass of yours was up in the air.”

My nostrils flared as my breath caught; just the sound of his voice made my insides heat, let alone the view that was making me fucking dizzy with lust. His pecs and abs were flexing
as he moved, and when I found I had taken two steps back, I planted my feet. I said through gritted teeth, sounding unbelievably breathless already, “Rule one: no powers while we’re doing this.”

He shrugged a muscled shoulder as he stopped an inch in front of me, staring down at me as I stared at his chest. “Done.”

I nodded once. “Rule two: this is only sex kept private, nothing more.”

“Done,”
he rumbled.

I paused, blinking and panting at his chest. “That’s all I’ve got.”

“Works for me,” he muttered, and I watched as he instantly lifted his hands…but they stalled, almost touching the hem of my shirt. I fairly trembled where I stood, his body heat pulsing against my body, wanting his touch, but he cleared his throat before stating brusquely, “I’m won’t pretend to be a gentle lover,
because I’m not. And I’ve never been with someone as tiny as you. If it’s too much, or I hurt you, you’ll have to tell me.”

“Not exactly a shocker, Leric,” I muttered. I took the plunge, brushing his hands away to pull my shirt over my head. I wasn’t backing down from this, or him. I wanted him. No maybes, or second-guessing. I had known from the first time I saw him I wanted to be pressed against
this man. And I was going to be. I tilted my head back as I dropped my shirt on the ground, and I reached up and placed my hand gently on the side of his fiercely intimidating face. His silver eyes instantly darkened as they roamed over the tops of my breasts my black bra revealed. “I want you to fuck me, so if you could please get on with it, I would greatly appreciate it.”

His nostrils flared,
and the air rushed out of me as he dipped suddenly, grabbing the backs of my thighs, and lifted me straight off my feet, hooking my legs around his waist. Instinctively I instantly tightened my legs around him, holding on as my hands fisted his white rolls of hair — and it was just as silky soft as I had imagined it to be. Our noses touching, eyes connected, he started walking us to his bedroom,
and he snarled quietly, “My little sprite, I am going to unconditionally fuck you.” I squeaked when he abruptly and effortlessly tossed me away from him to his bed’s soft mattress, where I landed on my back with a bounce, the white comforter like feathers under me. I caught my breath, staring up at the ceiling. I felt a pull on my right boot and jerked my head up, staring at where he was unlacing
my boot as he muttered, “At least, I’ll fuck you once I get you out of these damn black clothes.” His eyes glanced up into mine before peering back down at my shoe. “They’re hideous, by the way. No spirit should dress herself as if she’s attending a funeral.”

“Watch the latches at the back of the soles,” I muttered breathlessly, ignoring his rant about my clothing choice. “If you hit them, it’ll
release silver knives from the toes.”

I felt him pause for a second before he was lifting my leg, apparently staring at the back of the boot. I felt him thumb the back none to gently, his other grip tight around my ankle, and I heard the slight slide of the knife slicing out from the toe. Again, I felt him pause, then he muttered, “That, I had not noticed.”

I chuckled quietly, gaining my breath
back. “Glad I could slip something past you.” I wiggled my leg. “Do you need help getting the boot off, or what?” The man didn’t wear them often. “Do you know how to undo a laced shoe?”

He growled quietly and dropped my leg, which thumped heavily on the bed. “And that question deserves the proper response of…fuck you.” I chuckled again as I felt him deftly unlacing my boots. “I am a hundred and
thirty-one years old. I believe during that time I’ve learned how to properly tie and untie a shoe.”

I gasped in fake shock. “Shit, I didn’t realize I was going to have sex with an old, creaky man.” I paused, hearing him mutter a curse at me. “I hope you’ve taken your medication so we don’t have any surprises wilting on us.”

He snorted as he dropped one boot and one sock to the ground, moving
on to the next. “Sprite, you have no clue what you’re in for.” He stopped speaking for a few long seconds but continued unlacing my boot, so I lifted my head to stare at him. He quickly tugged off my other boot and sock, dropping them on the ground. His eyes were intense on me as he leaned over, placing his fists on either side of my hips. He finally spoke, asking seriously, “You are on the pill,
aren’t you?”

“Yes, old man, I am.” My lips tilted. “No condoms needed.”

His lips curled sensually, flashing bright white teeth and making me feel breathless again. “Good, otherwise, you and I were going to have words.” He peered down at my pants, lifting a hand as he quickly unbuttoned and unzipped them. “I fucking hate condoms.” I threw my hands above me, clutching at the other edge of the
bed when he grabbed the bottom of my pants at each ankle and gave a hard tug, pulling my pants off in less than three seconds.

He dropped the pants on the ground and stood straight. He rubbed his chin, ring sparkling in the light, as he stared at my boy-cut black lace panties that matched my demi-bra. “Black? Even black against your intimate flesh?” White eyes rose as he dropped his hand to his
side, his gaze quickly roaming over all of my naked flesh he had exposed. My toes curled into the comforter as his light silver eyes again started to darken as he muttered, “I’ll get over the black.”

Christ, I wanted him over me. “Think you can get over it fast enough to get down here with me before I fall asleep?”

His eyes narrowed as they snapped to mine. “Sleeping is not an option right now.”
Unhurriedly he bent over me, his gaze unwavering and white hair hanging either side of his tanned face. I stared in fascination as I saw the fierce predator inside him, ravenous in his brutal regard, reminding me of his tiger. Leaning over me on his bulging arms, his face hovering directly over mine, he whispered, “No, no sleeping right now, my little sprite. Right now,” he lowered until I could
feel his breath fanning my lips, warm and divine, “I’m going to take you until you scream my name…again…and again.”

Chest beginning to lift and lower quickly, my heart thumping almost painfully in anticipation, I stated hurriedly, “I want your lips on mine.”

He hummed quietly, the sound like a purr as his face dipped further. His lips just barely touched mine, tingling with their warmth as he
whispered, “A kiss? Is that what you want, my little sprite?”

My nostrils flared at the tease, very much desiring him. “Now, old man.”

I barely felt his lips curve. “I give orders, not take them, as you well know.”

Breathing hard through my nose, I demanded, “Kiss me.”

A white brow lifted, eyes cocky as he stared down at me. “Ask nicely.”

My jaw hardened as my eyes narrowed. “No.” I swiftly
rolled under him and started to crawl out from under his body. “I won’t ask nicely.”

Large, warm hands landed on my hips, gripping tightly as he roughly yanked me back under him. I was still yelping as he flipped me hard onto my back and pressed his full weight onto my small frame, crushing me into the mattress. One of his hands slid behind my nape, lifting and tilting my head back as his mouth
growled against mine, “Do it, Sprite.”

Chest heaving for air, I stared up into dark silver eyes. His mouth was pressed to mine but it wasn’t moving like I wanted, like I needed on a basic carnal level. He was setting my skin on raining fire, the heated flesh of his hard chest finally pressed against mine, and I didn’t care if I gave in. I pressed up even more firmly against him, moaning, “
Please,
Old Man.
”