Eliana (13 page)

All of which were external attributes. Kon swallowed his disappointment, wondering if there were any chance at all of Eliana seeing
him
and not just the face, which was more trouble than it was worth.

He didn’t stop her. Maybe he should have, but her gaze drifted down to land on his crotch. Against his will, his cock hardened at her attention. He closed his eyes, visualizing the dream and the way her hot, wet mouth had surrounded him, urging him toward a climax that refused to come.

He held his breath as she unbuttoned his fly and stroked his cock through the soft cotton of his briefs. He wished he’d worn something sexier to represent his daring side, but he’d opted for comfort over fashion, not expecting things to get so far.

With a push on his chest, she urged him backward until he was lying on the bed. She tugged the underwear down around his cock, which rose eagerly to meet her hand. Her light, apprehensive touch made him shiver.

He craved more. He wanted her fingers to dig in, to claim him, to ravage his body until he cried out for mercy, but her hand stilled. “What are you afraid of? Something I might do?”

For several long moments, she continued to gaze at him. “Why did that thing—that incubus—come after me?”

“They tend to prey on the lonely and vulnerable, but it could happen to anyone.”

She had no answer to that, but he felt her spike of self-loathing at her weakness. He was so very, very aware of her strength as well as her fragility. She had a definite idea of what she did and didn’t want, and he was careful not to go beyond those limits. That, in itself was a sort of torture—he
knew
what she needed, yet her restrictions kept him restrained as perfectly as Dane’s ropes.

He shouldn’t do anything more. She was too young, too unaware of what he and Dane were, yet he couldn’t resist the lure of her body. It was her assets he wanted to celebrate—her courage as well as her beauty. She had the potential to be a superb partner, but he had to find a way to help her see past what she believed were imperfections.

“If I told you to fuck me, would you?” She ran a nail lightly along the underside of his cock.

He shivered. “Yes.”

“If I told you to leave, would you?”

“Yes,” he said, though his heart sank at the thought of ending this too soon. But instead of saying either, she eased down onto her good side and pillowed her head in the crook of his shoulder, the rest of her pressed tightly against him.

“Hold me.”

Bliss. Compared to Dane, she was small and soft, filled with a vitality like his, yet shot through with a uniqueness all her own. Feminine, yes, but not lacking in dominance because of it. He longed to have them both, one on either side, but that could wait. For now…

He turned to face her and curled an arm around her so his hand rested on her damaged hip. He loosed his Sensitivity, intent on finding out what he could do to help. He went more deeply than he meant to. He
knew
her inside and out,
felt
the lines of energy within her body. There were numerous damaged, dead threads, so many twists and knots that shouldn’t be there and not just in her hip. Not all of it was her doing. Just under the surface, he could sense the damage inflicted by others. Rage sparked and died, replaced by a bitter disappointment in the fact that mankind could be so cruel.

As he had in the parking lot, he sent a thread of energy into her. Not too much, otherwise she’d notice and ask more questions than he wanted to answer; just enough to untangle some of the darkest threads and give her body a chance to heal. She let out a contented sigh and nudged closer to him. His cock pressed against her thighs.

The heat and contact set stars sparkling before Kon’s eyes. He
wanted
her, but he wouldn’t push her. Their eyes met. She knew what she was doing—evoking every sort of sweet torment she could muster and not giving him any relief.

A test
. How far would he go before he couldn’t help himself? They lay together, breathing, Kon not daring to move without her permission lest he fail and ruin everything.

She looked away first. “Leave me alone, Kon.”

He flinched. So he’d failed without having to do anything at all. Full of disappointment, he eased back from her. He tucked his aching cock inside his pants and buttoned the fly.

“Kiss me.”

Hope sparked anew. He leaned over. She opened to him, offering her mouth for him to explore. He dove inside, searching every part his tongue could reach. Another spike of desire drove through his cock.

Her fingers on his chest were his signal to stop. He did, though his blood pounded at the abrupt dismissal.

“Thank you.”

“At your service, señorita.” He backed out of the room, keeping his gaze on her as long as possible.

Chapter Fourteen

The instant Kon walked into their room, Dane’s demon reacted to the lingering arousal emanating from him. Dane smothered it just in time, sickened by the mix of sex and nausea from his hangover. “Thanks for the toast.”

“What? Oh. You’re welcome. Feeling better?” Kon leaned down for a kiss.

The contact ruined his control. Dane grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him close, scenting
her
against his flesh. His demon leaped to the surface, eager to feed on the remnants of sexual energy. “Damn it, Kon. I don’t need this right now.”

“Sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”

“Not true.” Dane shoved Kon backward into the chair. It was tempting to give in to his demon and fuck Kon—hard—right there and take advantage of all that arousal. No doubt it would take care of his hangover, but he hesitated, trying to decide how best to handle this. “You
were
thinking…of
her
.”

“And you. I missed you.”

“You had fun without me.” He straddled Kon, pushing him deeper into the chair. The mix of masculine and feminine scents drove him wild. Kon—
his
Kon—had been with a woman, and it alerted every primitive protective instinct. He didn’t mind that Kon had visited Eliana, but he was annoyed he hadn’t been there.

“Not too much fun. I told her about us. About incubi. She took it reasonably well.”

“She knows what I am?” He wasn’t sure how he felt about that. If Eliana stayed with them for any extended period of time, she’d have to know, but Dane hated not being present to explain things for himself. “You told her how wonderful, sexy, and
controlled
I am, right?”

“Of course I did.”

“Good.” Dane leaned forward. His hand slipped beneath the cushion, and his fingers brushed against something crunchy and crumbly. He swore and snatched his hand back. “That’s it. I feel fine except I’m tired of this dark, dirty little room and want a nice, clean bed in an enclave that doesn’t care how much noise we make.” He got up and yanked Kon to his feet. “Get your stuff. Is Eliana ready to go?”

“Should be.”

When they had everything together and ready to take out to the car Dane stopped him. “Drop your pants. Bend over. I have a present for you.”

No doubt Kon was hoping it was one last fuck before they hit the road, but Dane had something else in mind. When Kon’s ass was properly bared and presented, Dane pulled a tube of lube and a butt plug from his bag. He coated the toy and slid it into Kon, grinning as Kon shuddered. Made of silicone, it was designed to press just behind the prostate and arouse but not provide relief. The perfect torment.

Finished, he gave Kon a little smack on his behind. “There you go. Something to think about on our drive. No monkey business with the pretty girl, all right? And I’m driving.”

Kon pulled up his pants without objection. Most likely he’d enjoy the challenge of mind over body made more difficult because he’d be trapped in a car with no outlet.

Dane put the bags in the car while Kon fetched Eliana. The five-hour drive to South Dakota was an ordeal. Eliana quizzed them both about Wardens, cambions and incubi. To Dane’s amusement, Kon wriggled in the passenger seat. Whenever a sharp turn or bump in the road jolted the car, Kon sucked in his breath. Feeling evil, Dane swerved to the right. Kon hissed. After another mile or two, Dane did it again.

Kon ground his head against the seat. A thin sheen of perspiration coated his face. The scent of it hit Dane’s nose. His demon thrashed, wanting to feed on the arousal it could sense but not taste.

Not now, he told his demon. It didn’t help. He kept stealing glances at Kon and purposely jerking the car just to see him sweat more.

From the backseat, Eliana grumbled. “If you need to pull over and have me wait outside, just do it, all right?”

“We’re fine,” Dane and Kon said together. They weren’t fine. Not exactly. But that was the point. Eliana snorted.

The Rapid City enclave was on the outskirts of town, spread out across a few acres rather than in a high-rise as it was in Denver. A paddock and barn were off to the side, and several horses twitched their tails and pawed at the ground in search of grass. The place was peaceful, and Dane looked forward to spending a few nights.

Sam, the Chief Warden, came out to greet them when they pulled up to the main entrance. His expression was sly as he eyed the three of them. “You must be starving.”

“Famished.” Kon’s expression was blank, giving no sign he’d thought the comment referred to anything but food.

“Ravenous.” Dane’s demon flailed.

From her rolling eyes, Eliana understood the double entendre perfectly well. Kon gestured at her. “Sam, this is Eliana. Eliana, this is Sam, Chief Warden of this enclave.”

“Miss Eliana.” Sam nodded. “Pleasure to have a pretty young lady like you here.”

“Thank you, Sam.” They shook hands.

Dane grabbed the bags from the trunk. Eliana picked up her duffel bag before either man could offer to carry it.

“This way,” Sam said and led them into the enclave, which was furnished like a lodge with log furniture and decorated in a mixture of Native American and western designs. “A room for the lady.” He opened one door so Eliana could peer inside. “I hope it’s to your liking, Miss Eliana.”

“It’s lovely. Thank you.” She shook his hand. “Forgive me if I’m being rude, but I don’t suppose you’ve had a chance to ask after my family, have you?”

Sam gave her a warm smile. “I know how anxious you must be. I’ve done a little asking around. I need to make another phone call or two, but I think we’ve managed to locate your aunt.”

Eliana paled and wavered on her feet. Dane wondered for a moment if he was going to have to catch her, but she quickly righted herself. “My aunt?”

“Your father’s older sister. She’s out in Evergreen on the Pine Ridge reservation. I need to verify a couple of things, but we should know for sure by tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow.” She had that dazed, deer-in-the-headlights look when she shut the door.

Neither Dane nor Sam missed Kon’s keen gaze.

Sam jabbed Dane in the ribs with his elbow. “He’s got it bad, doesn’t he?”

“Bad enough I might have to punish him for it.”

Kon shot them a dirty look. Sam laughed. “You gentlemen are here, just across the hall.”

Like the rest of the enclave, the bedroom was filled with rustic pine furniture. Dane focused immediately on the bed frame, perfect for tying a body up. Someone had conveniently placed rings into the wood, likely for just that purpose.

As soon as Sam left, Dane dove for his duffel bag and pulled out a length of nylon rope. When he turned around, Kon was already waiting, naked and on his knees.

* * * *

Eliana took a shower and afterward studied her naked body in the full-length mirror on the closet door. For years she’d downplayed her looks, purposefully dressing sloppily and taking little care with her hair and face in the hopes of keeping her stepfather away. The tactic hadn’t worked. She might have been pretty once, but since the shooting she’d avoided looking at herself, not wanting to see the thick, shiny scars crossing her hip and belly.

Her ribs and collarbone stuck out. She was too tall, too crooked, her breasts too large for her skinny frame. Doubt crept in. No man would want her now. A man as good-looking as Kon probably didn’t want to look at her naked. Not that it mattered. By tomorrow, he and Dane would be on their way home, and they’d forget about her.

Except the thought of them leaving left a queer feeling in her belly. She tried telling herself she didn’t need them. By all rights, she shouldn’t care for them at all, yet she was drawn to them as she never had been to anyone else. Sexual attraction was part of it, but they had also shown her kindness she’d seldom received.

Usually she
hated
wanting anyone like that. The thought of being dependent on someone galled her to the core. Yet for them she was willing to risk taking that chance. Kon had proved he was willing to do anything for her and was mindful of her limitations. He’d even said he’d fuck her if she asked.

Do I dare ask?
She had one night left. If she really could be aroused as Kon had said, she was running out of time to find out. She shivered with both excitement and fear at the thought of Kon naked, his cock penetrating her as it had in the dream.

And maybe Dane would join us
. Her belly clenched at the thought of the two men naked and tangled together while she…

I’ve got nothing left to lose
. Mind made up, she braided her hair and dressed in soft pants and a flannel shirt, once more amazed by how perfectly Kon had chosen clothing to suit her size and preferences. She checked the clock on the nightstand. Nearly two hours had passed since they’d arrived. She hoped it was long enough for the men to deal with the testosterone that had risen to a nearly unbearable level during the ride. Any longer, and she didn’t know if she’d have the courage to ask to join them.

Paper crackled at the door. She walked over to see that someone had left her a note:
If you need us, we’re across the hall. K & D.

Perfect timing. She grabbed her cane and then knocked at their room. Dane—unkempt but dressed in jeans and a black button-up shirt—answered. He smiled. “Hey. What’s up?”