Voluptuous Vindication (16 page)

Julie stared at him, her eyes narrowing. “You expect me to believe that you'd want that bloated piece of flesh when you could have me?”

Ian grabbed her arm, hauling her to the doorway. “Out, and don't ever think about returning to this room. One more word out of you, and I'll have Dan throw you out of this camp.” His voice was icy as he stood in the doorway, blocking her view of Sara.

Julie laughed. “You can't do that. Dan isn't going to ask me to leave over the two-bit slut in your bed.”

Ian leaned down, his voice chilling. “You wanna bet? I own this camp. Pack your gear. I expect you off this property come morning.”

The smirk on her face slid off as she stared at him, aghast. “I don't have anywhere else to go.”

Ian crossed my arms. “Not my problem, you hateful witch. Next time you should think before you march in someone's room and insult the woman you find in their bed. There's nothing about you that makes you better than Sara, and certainly not your body. Your attitude, and the woman you profess to be, is sorely lacking. I certainly don't see anything I'd want standing here.”

Pulling the curtain closed, he walked back to Sara. Leaping into the center of the bed, he turned on his side and faced her. “Now, where were we?”

Sara shook her head, turning her back to him. “I can't keep this up, Ian.”

“You can't keep what up?” He asked, rolling her back to him. His eyes searched out hers, his expression concerned as he looked down at her. “Julie was my past, she meant nothing to me. It was a one-time deal, years ago. It wasn't worth it, that's for damn sure.”

Sara closed her eyes, inhaling deeply as she struggled for control. “What she said, the things she said about me. They're true. It's not you, Ian. It's me. For the time I'm here, I'll always look like this, while you'll always look like you do.”

“What do I look like?” Ian asked kindly.

“A sex God,” Sara shot back, pulling her chin away.

Ian grinned, his teeth bright in the moonlight. He looked extremely pleased as he said, “I like the sound of that, but I find you sexy as hell. Somewhere down the line, someone's seriously screwed with her head, making her believe that she's somehow better than other women that might be larger. Julie just got a rude wake up call. A man would have to be crazy to prefer tofu when he could have the steak.”

He pressed against her back, pulling her closer to him. With a sigh, Sara relented. In his arms, the troubles of the world seemed to fade away. She inhaled deeply, loving the scent that was strictly Ian. “It's not just her, though. It's the view of the world. In this last assignment, I've heard some pretty horrible things from the mortals.”

“You've been treated unwell?” Ian asked grimly. “Answer me on this, Sara. I want to know.”

“Yes,” she replied, her voice barely more than a whisper. She didn't know why telling Ian these things seemed almost impossible, but it was. Maybe it was because of his own physical perfections. How could someone so utterly gorgeous understand how someone who wasn't felt?

The answer came to her. Nobody wanted to point out their imperfections, especially ones as large as hers. She believed by doing so it would just drive him further away. As unlikely as it seemed, deep inside she hoped there was someway, somehow, she could still have him. Just once in her life, she wanted to have something for herself, although she knew she couldn't take him with her.

“How?” It wasn't a question as much as it was a demand. Ian was determined to get this from her. He was unrelenting, and what Ian wanted, he got. He'd made that clear.

“It hasn't just been with this assignment,” she finally replied. “It's been with every one of them, at least over the last hundred years. If they don't get their way, the first thing they attack is my size. Just like in the homeless shelter I worked at. If we were full and had to turn someone away, not many nights passed without me being called fat bitch or fat ass. What does that have to do with the homeless shelter being full?”

“Bastards,” Ian growled out, his body tight with anger. “I wish I would have been there. I can't understand how you got assignments like that. You're too sweet and delicate to work in a rough place like that, Angel.”

“Me, delicate?” Sara shook her head. “I'm nowhere near that.”

“Bullshit,” Ian retorted. “Everything about you is delicate, from your kind heart, to your personality, and yes, even your body. Just because you're plump doesn't mean you're any less feminine, or that you're somehow less of a woman. I don't give a damn what the weak mortals say. Most of us Endurers are from a time when the women were plump and bountiful, and that's what we like. We want a woman that won't break, one that can handle us as we are.”

He grew quiet for a moment, his eyes narrowing. “Which is why I'm damn sure going to keep you away from all of them.”

Sara couldn't help it. She smiled in amusement, feeling better. “So all the Endurers are like you, huh?” She asked, teasing him. Deep in her heart, she knew there could never be another man like Ian. Never.

“Well, maybe not exactly like me,” he said thoughtfully, nuzzling her neck. “I don't know any of them good-looking enough to be called a sex god.”

Ian raised up and pulled off the sheet, staring down at her naked body. “And I'm quickly realizing that even sex gods have to pay homage.”

Chapter 12

“Time to wake up, angel,” Ian said cheerfully. “I've brought you breakfast.”

Sara groaned, but she opened her eyes. It was dark outside the window, a dim lamp turned on in the room. “How long have I been asleep.”

Ian set the plate and glass he was carrying on the bedside table before sliding in next to her. He was still naked, although he had shaved recently. His spicy aftershave washed over her as he replied, “All day long.”

“No way,” she said, smoothing her hair back from her face. It was dry, but it felt tangled. She smiled when she thought back to the events of the previous night.
No wonder.

Ian had held to his word, not penetrating her, although she'd all but begged for it. Instead, he had satisfied her with his mouth and fingers, doing inventive things that made her want to groan all over again with pleasure.

And what he'd done to bring his own body to release? Sara blushed, remembering how he'd stroked his shaft with his face buried between her legs.
Tasting her had turned him on enough to orgasm.

Ian groaned. “You know I'm able to tell when that body of yours needs pleasuring, don't you?”

Sara smiled shyly. “Sorry,” she said, holding the sheet to her chest as she reached for the plate beside her. Changing the subject she asked, “How come I feel okay, although I drank so much? I thought mortals got hangovers.”

He watched her eat, shaking his head when she offered him half of her ham and cheese sandwich. “You probably would have, had you not hydrated yourself with so much water. It flushed out most of it, so you got lucky. Believe me, a hangover is not any fun.”

“I wondered why you had made me drink the water, but that makes sense.” Sara couldn't eat fast enough. “Sorry, but I feel famished.”

Ian winked at her, smiling as she blushed again. “I just bet you are.”

Being the center of Ian's attention filled an emptiness in her that she was just realizing she had. What was happening between them felt right. Did he feel the same? Searching for something to say, she asked, “Where is everyone? The house sounds quiet.”

Ian chuckled, laying back against the pillows as he propped his head up on his hands. His erection extended boldly from his body, his swollen crown touching his belly button. Sara dropped the remains of her sandwich on her plate, her food forgotten.

He stared at her knowingly as he replied, “They are down at the lake. Dan said something about moonlight fishing, so I don't expect them back for quite awhile.” His nose wrinkled, making his aristocratic features appear boyish. “I just hope he stays out of the water. Gangly bits and hungry fish seem like a combination that is just
wrong
.”

Sara registered his words, but she didn't respond. Ian had so many dimensions to his personality, each one alluring. One moment, he could be brooding, the next flirtatious. It certainly kept things interesting.

Picking up her sandwich, she asked, “How did you become an Endurer?”

He sighed, the sound disappointed. He looked meaningfully at his erection as if he wanted to do something else besides talking. Sara couldn't help but grin. Ian was a voracious lover, his appetite unending. It was amusing, but it was also a huge turn on. He wasn't the type of man to hide his interest, just like he wasn't above displaying his disappointment when he didn't get his way.

“It was all due to Arch,” he replied, his voice deep and serious. “Never, not in my wildest dreams, would I have imagined there was more to this world than the life I was leading. If I only knew then, what I know now, right?”

Ian sighed, his expression filling with regret. “I was a soldier living in England. One night, my father, as well as my friends and comrades, fell victim to a demon attack. Arch found me in my worst mortal moment and gave me the chance to fight the good fight, so to speak. I never regretted that decision, at least, I didn't until a few months ago.”

“What happened to make you regret it?”

Ian shook his head, his expression darkening. “It's not important. Even if it was, it's not something I talk about. Ever.”

Sara looked away. “Okay,” she replied, taking a drink of the juice he'd brought upstairs. The look on his face hadn't been pleasant. Whatever it was, it hadn't been good. She didn't want to dredge up painful memories, not after the exquisite time they'd spent together.

“What happened the night you made me leave you on the road, the night with the Guardian?”

“I fought him,” he replied, shrugging. “I would have kept fighting him, but Arch came. I have to admit, he took him down pretty fast. It's not often I see Arch fight, but when I do, he's always vicious. I'm glad he did, though. I was worried about you, and it was a risk, leaving you alone like that.”

She was silent, finishing off her food as she pondered on the time she'd spent with Ian. He growled, pulling her attention back to him. “I hate that,” he bit out, frowning.

“What?”

“I can't read your mind,” Ian replied, his eyes locked on hers. “I'm not sure why, unless it's just something to do with your angelic status. I can't read Arch's mind, either.”

“You can read minds?” Sara asked, her eyes widening. She sighed, relieved he couldn't read hers. Just thinking back on the thoughts she'd had about him was enough to make her blush.

“Generally, yes. Not like a running dialogue, though,” he added on. “It's more like getting a thought here and there. Just enough to clue you in, but not enough to give you the full story.”

“Wow, that's quite a gift.”

“Or quite a curse,” he retorted, shaking his head. “Believe me, there's a lot of thoughts I'd rather not hear. Yours isn't one of them, though.” He smiled. “I'd love to hear what goes on in that pretty blonde head of yours.”

Ian took her empty plate from her lap and set it on the table next to her. Sitting up, he pulled her to him. “See, it's not so bad having me, is it? I feed you and please you. What more could any woman ask for?”

“Nothing,” Sara replied, her words ringing with sincerity. Ian was perfect in every single way. She refused to think about the future. For once in her long life, she was living in the moment. “I couldn't ask for anything more in an Endurer.”

He slid in behind her, rubbing her shoulders before pulling her hair to the side. “And what about in a man?” He asked, lowering his lips to kiss the sensitive curve.

Sara wished she could respond with something flirtatious, but nothing came to mind. She wasn't sure she was capable of being that type of woman. Someone like Julie would have had the perfect retort, something sexy enough to keep the banter going. She wasn't Julie, though, and she never would be. Casual flirtations weren't in her vocabulary.

Ian didn't wait for her to respond. His teeth grazed her flesh, her nipples puckering underneath the sheet. Maybe being Sara wasn't such a bad thing. After all, he was in her bed, seducing her body. Why not throw caution to the wind? The damage was already done, but she wasn't finding the consequences a punishment.

God only knew what the future held, but she was certain of one thing. There would never be another Ian in her life. If she lived thousands of years, she'd never feel this way again. And if her life ended in the next few weeks? She wanted to end it like this, knowing that she'd been wanted and truly desired by another living being.

Inhaling deeply, Sara turned and rested on her knees, staring straight into the face she found so dear. Gathering her flagging courage about her like an invisible shroud, she forced herself to take a chance. Her eyes slid down to his lips, remembering the feel of them pressed against her body. “Ian, I want you to make love to me.”

He started to speak, but she rested her forefinger against his lips as she met his heated eyes. “I know it's not love,” she continued, her voice barely above a whisper. “And we both know it's not forever. But I want to experience the full passion that the mortals experience... When their lusts and their hearts are of the same mind.”

His hands slid to rest on her hips, but he remained silent as he waited for her to finish. She leaned closer, slowly moving her lips closer to his. “If there was ever a being that could do this, be it of this world or the next, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that it's you, Ian. My time here grows short, and all I ask is one thing. Give me a memory that will last an eternity.”

* * * * *

Ian stared at the ravishing woman in front of him, elated at her words. He would have taken her anyhow, but knowing she held him in such high regards was flattering... And even humbling.

His hands shook as he pulled her close, intent upon her seduction. “Angel, you didn't have to ask... But I'm glad you did. There's nothing I want more in that world than to make love to you.”

Dropping his face down to her neck, he inhaled deeply, enjoying everything about the woman in his arms. How badly he wanted her, his body craving hers with an intensity that went beyond simple lust. He wasn't strong enough to walk away from her... Nothing could tear him away, he didn't even want to.

Ian opened his mouth, nibbling at her neck, as his hands moved to her well-rounded breasts. He was determined to make this everything she wanted... And more. The thought of Sara lonely was unacceptable, but he was selfish enough to be grateful another man hadn't experienced her as she was now. Passion had brought her full beauty to the surface, a beauty that he didn't want to share.

And one thing was sure. Sara wouldn't leave his bed still wanting.

Pressing forward with his powerful body, Ian laid her back on the bed. Sara's legs were spread wide to accommodate his hips, her wet heat searing his shaft. He lifted her leg, kissing her ankle  as he worked his way up her leg.

Lifting the other leg, Ian did the same, gratified at the languid lust in the blue depths of her eyes. “Do you like this, Angel?”

“
God, yes,” she groaned out. “But I want to touch you, too.”

Hoping he'd have the control to make this last for Sara, Ian laid back, relenting to her request. Sensing her shyness, he gently encouraged her. “Whatever you want, baby. My body is an open book to you. There's nothing you could do that wouldn't please me.”

Sara slid her hands down his chest, her eyes following the motion. “Your body is so hard, Ian.”

Ending at his swollen shaft, she cupped both hands around him, his shaft in the center of her heated palms. Her blue eyes looked up at his, a question in their sparkling depths. “Whatever you want,” he reiterated hoarsely, anticipating but dreading her next move.

Sweat beaded his upper lip as Sara nodded. The events in New Orleans had nearly destroyed him, and he was allowing an act that he'd sworn to never participate in again. Only for her would he do this, only for the angel that was nothing but purity and innocence.

Unaware of his turmoil, Sara stared at his cock with interest. Slowly, her face descended. Sara didn't see the tear that slid from the corner of his eye, and for that Ian was grateful. Without knowing it, she'd discovered the one pleasure with the power to unman him, and he prayed it wouldn't happen.

Ian was known as an insatiable Endurer, a stud among the others. Through the centuries, his stamina had never failed him. The thought of not being able to satisfy a woman was unbearable, and he damned the ones that had brought him to this point. Sara had no idea what her simple desire to please was costing him. She never would, not if he had his way about it. Grimacing, he vowed to see it through.

Her tongue slid out, tentatively swiping across the sensitive underside of his cock. She'd never tasted one before, of this Ian was certain. Her eyes flared with heat, the next swipe across his crown lasting longer than the first. The third time she groaned, her mouth slipping carefully over his head as she completely engulfed him.

Ian tensed and groaned loudly, the unexpected pleasure from her plump lips surprising him. Stars exploded behind his eyelids as the blood pounded through his shaft. Second by second went by as Sara licked and tasted every inch of his shaft... While it just grew harder.