Lucius (Luna Lodge #3) (5 page)

She stood and stared at the door for a moment. Bravery wasn’t one of her strongest points. Steeling her nerves, she took in a deep breath and reached for the handle.

The door swung open with ease into the empty banquet hall.

“Hello?” she called. Her voice shook slightly.

Nothing.

Peering into the shadowed room, she found it just the same as it had been every other night. She slowly closed the door and stepped back.

Relief didn’t come. If anything she felt less at ease than she did before. A thump sounded nearby. She jumped, her heart racing. She readied herself and pulled the scissors back. She figured her best shot would be to throw them with the hope they hit, and she could escape.

The door opened, and she tossed them as hard as she could and dashed forward.

“What the—”

Lucius dodged down and to the side, narrowly avoiding the dangerous projectile. Avoiding the screaming Hannah was more of a challenge. In her attempt to run away, she tripped on her high heels, launching her right at Lucius.

Hannah fell head first into Lucius. The loud crunch that followed made her stomach turn as well as the throbbing of her forehead.

“Fuck!” Lucius yelled.

Despite the intense pain he seemed to be in, she was surprised to find he was still very gentle when setting her back upright.

She stared at him. Her knees started to tremble at all the blood. He held his hand to his nose to stop it from gushing blood all over the place. There was no way she hadn’t broken it.

“I am so sorry,” she said and grabbed a sweater lying next her. Trying not to look at all the blood, Hannah handed him the sweater.

Lucius took it and held it to his now swelling nose.

“What the fuck was that about?” He glowered at her.

Her face flamed with shame. “I heard a noise, and there was nothing there. Then you came, and I didn’t know it was you.” She moved forward. “I’m so sorry.”

He pulled the sweater slightly from his face and looked at her.

“What do you mean, you heard a noise?” He stared hard at her.

She pointed to the hall. “It sounded like the outside door, but when I checked, no one was there.”

“You checked?” he nearly shouted.

She nodded and shrank back.

Lucius groaned and placed the sweater back over his nose.

“Just stay here while I take a look,” he said.

“Um,” she said. He paused at the door, his back to her. “Do you think you ought to do that with a broken nose?”

He whirled around to look at her. His eyes were fully glowing, the effect taking her breath away.

“My ability to protect you just got hindered,” he said. “So I’m going to have to do it another way. Now just wait for me.”

Hannah nodded and moved back to her stool. He was back within just a few minutes, still holding the sweater to his nose.

“I don’t see any signs, but there wouldn’t be any forced entry if they are professionals. I’ve got some men coming over, so just leave your key in the door, and they will check things out,” he said and groaned. “I need you to do me a favor.”

She stood and moved to him.

“My nose hasn’t stopped bleeding. I need to stop and see the doc. No big deal, but I need to have it packed. Can you drive me?”

“Of course.” She nodded. She wasn’t going to mention it, but she was pretty sure he needed more than to have it packed. She didn’t know what they did for a broken nose, but given the crunching sound from earlier, there was no way she hadn’t broken it.

Hannah grabbed her keys off the table and followed him through the door. When she had locked the door, he slipped the keys to his car into her hand. She knew this had to be hard. She had never seen Lucius give up control like this.

“Let’s get you over to Rachel,” she said to him.

* * *

Lucius fumed. He hated sitting in hospital rooms. He had sat in more than enough of these sorts of rooms over the years.

Hannah stood quietly beside him, occasionally reaching out to touch his arm in comfort. He wasn’t likely to admit it out loud, but it did help calm him. It wasn’t even the broken nose that had set him on edge. Something had clicked when she broke his nose. For a brief second, he could have sworn he smelled something, and whatever it was, it made everything in him light up. He worried that maybe she’d given him an aneurysm, but he wasn’t going to mention it while Hannah was in the room. She already felt bad enough as it was.

The door clicked open, and Rachel walked in.

“Sorry,” she said. “I was finishing up something.”

Anger coursed through him. “Really? Something was more pressing than my broken nose?”

Rachel stared at him levelly. She never showed any fear when talking to any of them.

“Yes,” she said flatly. “Now lie down and be a good patient.”

He grumbled as he lay back on the table. The only positive thing about this situation was that he got to watch Hannah standing beside him. She worried her bottom lip between her teeth, and it stirred something in him. Focusing on her mouth, he ignored the doctor as she poked around. After she touched one particular spot, he nearly jerked off the table on reflex, and Hannah moved closer to soothe him. A strong mixture of smells flooded his nose before being tainted by the metallic scent of blood.

“Did that hurt?” Rachel asked.

He glared at her. “No.”

She sighed and moved away. “Well, it’s not too bad.” She went to the cabinet and pulled out some materials. “Nothing that won’t heal on its own.”

Rachel moved to stand next to him and placed packing material and gauze on the table. “I’m going to pack your nose to stop the bleeding and keep the passages open. Take them out in twenty-four hours.”

He winced a few times as she started to shove the material up his nose.

“It will come out in one long piece, and go gently. We want the clots to stay. Also, no blowing your nose for some time.” She looked him in the eye for this. “But I’m just going to say, I doubt you’ll feel much like it.”

He watched as she looked up to Hannah.

“He needs to ice it for twenty-four to forty-eight hours,” she said.

He grunted in annoyance. “I’m right here.”

Rachel stopped her task to look at him. “I realize that, but I’m delegating a task to the person that I think will most likely see it happen.”

Lucius raised his eyebrows in surprise. It wasn’t often that someone discounted him.

Rachel finished her task and went back to scribble some things on a paper.

“Oh, Lucius,” Hannah said and placed a hand on his chest. “I’m so sorry.”

Annoyed he couldn’t use his nose, Lucius took in a deep breath. The taste of her was in the air. He frowned.

“Did you drug me?”

The room stilled.

Chapter Five

“Did I what?” Hannah asked.

Rachel turned around to stare at Lucius. “It’s a mild sedative. Just enough to take the edge off,” she said. “It’s standard.”

Hannah gasped. First the shot and now this. She was really starting to question her friend’s methods. Lucius tried to steady himself and sit up.

“This is bullshit,” he said and shook his head as if he was trying to make sense of things. “Don’t think Titus won’t hear about this.”

“Oh, I’m sure he will, but none of you men listen to me, and I can’t have you continuing to risk your health,” she said. “Now let me look at your eyes.”

Hannah held her breath. He glared at her bright light, but let the doctor take a look.

“Good,” she said and shut off the light. “Now let Hannah take you home and get some sleep.” Rachel looked up to Hannah. “I’ll give the main line a call and have them send someone over to see you home and let them know what’s going on.”

He stood and swayed slightly. Hannah rushed in front of him to prop him up with her shoulder.

“I got you,” she said quietly.

He sighed and settled into her arms. For a moment, she was certain she felt something rumble in his chest like a growl but shook it off. It had been a long evening. She was surprised when he let her guide him out of the room, his large body resting heavily against her own.

They moved slowly down the hall and into the parking lot. She opened the door and helped him slip inside the car, heaving a big sigh when he fit without any issues. Although she knew how big he was, it was totally another thing to have that weight resting on top of her. She blushed when other thoughts of how she’d like him to lie on top of her came to mind.

Hannah took a few deep breaths and walked around to the other side. By the time she had climbed in, Lucius was leaning heavily over into her seat. She slid into the car and squished in next to him.

“You smell good,” Lucius mumbled next to her ear as she started the car.

Hannah laughed.

“Your nose is all packed. You can’t smell anything,” she said and glanced at him. His head rested comfortably against her shoulder, mouth and eyes slightly open. “Besides, you said I didn’t have a smell.”

She watched a confused look flash across his drugged face and returned her eyes to the darkened road.

Lucius shifted next to her. She nearly jumped when she felt his hot breath against her skin.

“It’s weird,” he said next to her neck. She felt him inhale deeply. “I can taste you in my mouth.”

Hannah shivered. Despite her best intentions, she was absolutely getting turned on by a very drugged Lucius. He leaned in further, and her nipples tightened under her thin blouse. She jumped when his lips brushed against her neck.

“Lucius,” she groaned, trying to keep focused on the road.

For the most part Hannah knew where she was going, but she’d never actually been out to his part of the compound.

“Turn here,” he said as he absently toyed with a tendril of her hair.

Hannah turned off of the paved road onto the uneven dirt road. She followed it as he continued to nuzzle her neck.

“Turn left,” he mumbled.

Hannah peered into the darkness but saw nowhere to turn. She wondered if maybe he was so drugged at this point he didn’t know what he was talking about. She slowed the car.

“Here,” he said abruptly. His massive hand shot out and turned the car. Hannah shouted as they headed through the clearing she hadn’t noticed.

She paused in the clearing and stared at the road behind her.

“It’s an optical illusion,” she said in awe.

“Safety,” Lucius mumbled and moved closer to her.

Heart returning partially to normal, Hannah made her way along the path until a cute little cabin came into view. She smiled at his place. It wasn’t what she had expected him to have at all. It was just so warm and welcoming for someone so hard and distant.

She stopped the car and turned to look at him. His head was buried against her neck.

“Lucius,” she said gently. “We’re here.”

He shifted. Hannah jumped when she felt something warm and wet swipe across her skin.

“Did you just lick me?” she whispered.

This time there was no question as his mouth latched onto her neck and began to suck.

She moaned and shifted.

“I don’t think…” She stopped as he pulled back to look at her.

“You taste good,” Lucius growled and sat back. His eyes glowed so brightly they illuminated his face.

“Lucius,” she said, not quite knowing if it was a warning or a plea.

“No,” he growled and moved forward. His face, only inches from her own, Lucius rubbed his mouth against hers. “Mine.”

“I think the drugs might have affected you,” Hannah said and placed her hands on his chest. “Maybe you should just see how you feel about me in the morning.”

Lucius narrowed his eyes at her. She gasped when he yanked her under him in the seat.

“Mine,” he whispered close to her face.

She sighed when he closed the gap between them. When their lips finally met, she groaned. Soft and gentle, Lucius explored her mouth just like she always hoped. His fingers threaded through her hair as their kiss intensified. The soft sweet kisses grew hungrier. She couldn’t even say who had been the first to open their mouth, but they both raced to explore the other. Giving in to it all, Hannah wrapped her arms around him and ran her fingers along his scalp, edging him closer to her.

Lucius growled as he pulled his mouth away and planted open-mouthed kisses along her neck. Hannah tried to hook her leg behind his legs in order to move herself against him but found her pencil skirt getting in the way. She huffed in irritation.

He pulled back to look at her for a moment and then sat in the seat. As much as she didn’t want to be, it was hard not to be disappointed.

Her body jerked and she heard tearing. She looked down to see her poor skirt had been ripped on one side.

“My skirt,” she cried as Lucius ripped the other side.

“There,” he said and settled back on top of her, shifting himself in between her legs.

Hannah groaned at the new position.

“I liked that skirt,” she panted.

Lucius moved his hips forward and bumped against her aching clit. He pressed his hard length firmly against her. She moaned next to his ear and wrapped her legs around him.

“Fuck the skirt,” he mumbled.

Lucius growled and crashed his mouth against hers.

His hand popped a few buttons on her shirt and slipped inside. She gasped when his rough fingers grazed the soft skin of her stomach.

Hannah tried to move away, not wanting him to feel her rounded stomach. He stilled her movements until she looked at him. His eyes blazed back at her, and she vaguely wondered if it was the drugs or he was normally like that.

“I want to touch you,” he said. She quivered at his words.

Her hand came to rest over his. “I’m not…” She glanced away. “I’m not small.”

She shrank away from him and hoped he couldn’t see the parts of her that she didn’t want him to.

His hand slipped out of her shirt and a part of her was sad that he had been so easily run off. When his two massive hands grasped her waist, she gasped and looked up to him.

“I’m not small either,” he said. She groaned when he ground himself into her spread thighs. “I think we’re a good fit.”