Guilty as Sin (33 page)

shouldered, tall—athletic. She couldn
‟
t remember the last time she
‟
d been pinned like

this, dwarfed, helpless…

This was Dax.
Dax who would never hurt her, who loved her, godsdammit.

She stared up into green eyes gone dark with passion, felt the weight of his body,

his wings spread so wide they blocked the light. Big hands trembled as they cradled her

face, his thumbs stroking over her cheekbones.

“Sorry, sorry,” he was saying, his voice rough and shaky. Shuddering, he eased

back a trifle, groaning at the slick friction.

Lise hung on with legs and tail, gripping with all the strength she possessed. “You

pull out now,” she snarled, “and I will kill you dead, you hear me?”

Dax froze. “I can
‟
t, can
‟
t—” Gingerly, he began to thrust, hips barely flexing, but

over his shoulder she could see his tail thrashing like a wild thing.

“I won
‟
t break.” Sinking her fingers into his shoulders, she writhed, rubbing her tail

hard over the base of his, just above the muscular cheeks of his ass.

Dax howled. Rearing back, he plunged and thrust, huge, unstoppable.

154

“Yes,” she gasped, rising to meet him. “Yes!”

One stroke, two, and he was thundering into her, grunting with effort. Each time he

hilted, he struck her clit full-on. Ah gods, the climb was indescribably good, the peak

beckoned. Blood roared in her ears, her hungry sex glorying in every brutal thrust.

“
Lise
.” Dax froze above her, buried to the balls, every muscle locked.

To her horror, Lise saw the eyes roll back in his head. “No,” she rasped. “Don
‟
t you

dare!”

155

Bubba’s Bath House

Twelve Rooms. All day, all night. Every day, every night.

Best price in town! Hot water, oils, liquor, food! Massage available.

All doors have locks.

Sign outside Bubba
‟
s Bath House, Sere.

* * * * *

Darting forward, Lise sank her teeth into the muscle of Dax
‟
s shoulder.

“Fuck!” He shook his head as if emerging from deep water.

“This is not a Mating Flight.” Lise glared. “I
‟
m not ready for that. I
‟
ll never be

ready.”

“Yes.” Dax swallowed. “Sorry, have to—” Drawing back, he slid home again. “So

good.” A groan tore out of him and he shuddered, his eyes squeezed shut, cock

swelling impossibly as he climaxed deep inside her.

In the silence, all she could hear was the rasping concert of their breath.

Experimentally, she clamped down. Dax was still wedged hard and high inside her. She

could feel their blood beating together through the thin barrier of sensitive skin. A

trickle of seed slithered over her thigh. He was still conscious, so he
‟
d managed it after

all, a one-testicle orgasm, as was normal for Aetherii men, which meant…

Flushing, Dax ducked his head and shot her a charmingly rueful grin. “I didn
‟
t

know,” he said simply. “Veil-it, that
‟
s… It was—” He broke off, searching for words.

“Wonderful. Gods,
glorious
.”

When he bent to brush his lips across hers, his cock twitched delightfully, still

crammed in her sheath. Little sparks danced up Lise
‟
s spine and she couldn
‟
t help but

squirm.

“Thank you, love, so much,” he murmured. “Your turn now, I swear.”

“Good.” She wriggled meaningfully. Gods, he was sweet. Then the sense of what

he
‟
d said penetrated the fog of her arousal. No, couldn
‟
t be.

Wait a minute. “
You didn’t know?
Dax, are you telling me—?”

“I haven
‟
t done it before.”

She gaped. “You
‟
re a
virgin
?”

“Sort of.” He busied himself tracing a gentle forefinger around her nipple. Over and

around and back again. “I
‟
ve done everything else though.”

156

“Stop that.” Lise clamped her fingers over his. “I don
‟
t understand. The way you

kiss, the way you—
How?
”

“Mmm.” Dax licked carefully all around her nipple without actually touching his

tongue to the peaked flesh that ached for the strength and suck of his mouth.

“There were girls,” he said. “I got close once, but she— I— We couldn
‟
t manage to

get it in.” His breath tickled against soft breast flesh. “She cried, said it hurt, poor little

thing. And then…” He raised his head to bless her with one of his slow, serious smiles.

“Then I met you and I didn
‟
t want to after that. Well, I did, but not without you.”

“You
‟
ve been saving yourself?
For me?
” Lise
‟
s voice came out embarrassingly close

to a squeak.

“Not on purpose. It just worked out that way, but gods, it was worth it.” Dax
‟
s bass

rumble was rich with satisfaction.

“But—but you said, Michael—” She had to make a conscious effort to breathe. “No

men either?”

Dax went scarlet.

“It
‟
s all right,” she whispered. “You can tell me.” She gave a huff of wry

amusement. “It
‟
s not as though I
‟
m immune to his dubious charms.”

He lowered his head to nuzzle between her breasts so she couldn
‟
t see his face.

“Just fooling around,” he muttered, “the way boys do. Experimenting. I found I

preferred girls on the whole, but Michael—”

Warm and moist, his breath flowed over her nipple. “Go on.” Lise stroked his hair

by way of encouragement. “I
‟
m not making any claims on you. I
‟
m hardly in a position

to judge anyway.”

Dax lifted his head, gold flecks shining in the green of his eyes. “But I
want
you to

make a claim. Michael—” He bestowed a tender peck on the inner curve of her breast,

stared for a moment, then licked the spot. Lise quivered.

“He
‟
s so much better than you know, better than he thinks he is.” He gazed at her,

his soul in his eyes. “There
‟
s something about him, Lise.”

“You want him?”

“I
‟
ll never lie to you, so yes. Chick, you have my hearts and that will never change,

but I have a feeling about him…” His smile went crooked and for a second, he looked

almost desolate.

But before she could speak, either to ask a question or offer comfort, Dax sealed his

mouth over the nipple he
‟
d been tormenting, and Lise
‟
s hips rose clear off the bed. Her

arousal roared back like a whirlwind, buffeting her with its force. Every suckle on the

nerve-rich flesh felt like a merciless tongue whipping her clit. She whimpered.

“Like this.” Grasping her ankles, Dax lifted her legs and draped them over his

shoulders. He shoved an oblong cushion under her hips.

Lise was still gathering her scattered wits when he started to thrust, a slow steady

rhythm, high enough and deep enough to drive her out of her mind long before climax.

157

She threw out her arms, gripping fistfuls of black silk. A spicy fragrance wafted out of

the bedding, a little stale, but unmistakable.
Michael
.

Her head reeled.

“How do you—?” She couldn
‟
t breathe. “How do you know how—? Ah, gods!”

She got a wicked grin, all male and very naughty. “I
‟
ve read books.” His expression

softened. “Anyway, it
‟
s all clear in your face, chick. I just have to pay attention. For

example—”

Shifting one hand, he raked his nails through the sleek feathers clothing the base of

her tail. Sparks streaked up her spine. Lise moaned, tossing her head. “See, you like

that.”

She forced her eyes open. “Next time,” she grated. “Next time, I
‟
m on top.”

Dax swiveled his hips. “Oh yeah.” He leaned forward, increasing the pressure

against her throbbing clit. “I want to do everything.” The strokes sped up, ramming

deep, shaking the bed, shaking
her
. “Going to spread you wide and lick you open, bite

your ass, bend you over and fuck you, take to the air and make you fly, higher and

higher, make you scream our names.”

Lise cried out, writhing, clawing at his shoulders. The orgasm swooped, taking her

like a storm wind, tossing her about in the open sky, nothing to hold on to, no point of

reference, no way of telling up from down.

Someone shouted in her ear, and although it was deep and rumbly, the sound

resonated with distilled joy. Oh, that was… It was…

Dax.

Slowly, she became aware of strong fingers guiding her legs down to the mattress,

of being held close to a bare sweaty chest, a kiss behind her ear. Aftershocks rang

through her pelvis like silvery bells, chiming.

“You all right, chick?”

“‟M dead. Can
‟
t move.”

A gravelly chuckle. “Well, no. I
‟
m still on top of you.” He rolled aside, but before

she could complain, he gathered her in again, drawing her head down to his shoulder.

“Better?”

“Mmm.” She yawned. “Did you—?”

“Gods, yes. All the way to the Veil and back.” A huff of amusement. “Saw enough

stars anyway.” His fingers moved in her hair. “Go to sleep, sweetheart.”

Lise frowned, a stray thought niggling at her, something she should have done,

something…sensible. “The door,” she said at last. “Should lock the door. The old

woman—”

“I bolted it the minute we stepped inside.” There was a smile in his voice. “Didn
‟
t

you notice?”

158

Godsdammit, she was losing her edge. Lise opened her mouth, but a bronze wing

rose and settled over her. Dax tucked her securely beneath the soft rustling coverlet.

“
Shh
,” he murmured.

Humming with contentment, she sighed, inhaled the mingled scents of both men

and closed her eyes.

* * * * *

The following afternoon, Michael loitered in the shade of a shop awning watching

the door of the Aetherii palazzo and calculating times in his head. If he concentrated, he

thought he could hear the bubble and fizz of the blood coursing through his veins. He

grinned to himself. The razor
‟
s edge had always been his preferred place to play.

He could walk through that imposing portal right now and tell the Aetherii that

he
‟
d found Veryl—or as near as made no difference—or he could wait until dusk and

take the scum on himself. He
‟
d win, because he always did. If he needed someone to

bash heads, the Slopes abounded in dumb muscle for hire. He drummed impatient

fingers against his thigh, conscious of Lise
‟
s featherpearl glowing over his heart like a

tiny ember. It did that whenever he thought of her and he wasn
‟
t sure he liked it.

He
‟
d win the bet, even though it seemed he was the only one who intended to

honor it. Which was truly ironic when he came to think of it. Had Dax told her? What

had she said? A shiver tightened his balls at the thought of her spread between them,

helpless with pleasure.

Godsdammit!

Cursing softly, he turned on his heel and strolled as far as the corner. What was best

for him? That was the only question he need answer. What did he
want
?

Slowing down, he propped himself against a wall. Huh. That wasn
‟
t so hard. He

wanted to beat Veryl to a pulp and he wanted Lise and Dax with him while he did it.

Twister, yes! His lips pulled back from his teeth. The slimy bastard would piss himself

at the sight of Dax in a rage, while Lise— Michael snorted. Fuck, she was a raptor. No

man could look into those cool gray eyes or watch the predatory grace of her

movements and retain the notion that females were weak.

Killing Veryl wouldn
‟
t be the same without them, bet or no bet.

His pulse thrummed.

If he walked into the Winged Envoy
‟
s palazzo, he could be touching Lise in

minutes, inhaling the spicy scent of Dax
‟
s skin, watching those incredible tails twitch.

They did it every time he was near. He
‟
d noticed it particularly. His lips curved. He had

a good idea why that might be so, but there was so much yet to discover about his

Aetherii. It would take a lifetime to understand them properly.

He cast a narrow-eyed glance at the Sun. The Shadow was still playing catch up.