Chapter Eight #3
Leo couldn’t help her, but maybe talking about her problems would present a solution.
She started at the beginning. “Corrin, my husband, must’ve suspected something was wrong.
He told me to gather our belongings and he’d join us later.
He never came. I arrived on Dalcon and wasn’t sure what to do.
I decided to stay in a hotel and wait for Corrin.
When he didn’t arrive, I knew he’d died.
I started to hear rumors about the downfall of our people and knew I had to find a job because my resources were low.
There aren’t many positions available for a woman with a child.
I needed to find a place for us to live, and the job with Iseult for an assistant seemed perfect. ”
“But it wasn’t.”
“At the start, I took care of administration tasks, the ordering of food supplies and making sure the mansion was clean and tidy. Then, once I’d settled in, Iseult called me to her web and gave me instructions to procure a man for her.”
“Why didn’t you leave at that point?”
“I refused and said I would leave. Iseult said if I tried to leave, she would order my son killed.”
“You believed her.”
“Oh yes. Iseult never offers empty threats. If she says she will do something, she always follows through. Yes, she meant to kill Ricci.”
“So why are you here at the resort?”
“Iseult enjoyed you so much, she decided I should travel to your home planet and find a relative for her. She intends to pay well, but it’s a death sentence.”
“I didn’t die,” Leo said.
“I know, and I don’t understand why you survived. Iseult has changed since she…ah…”
“Since she abused me,” Leo said.
Betrys winced at his bluntness. “Yes. She can’t hold her humanoid form. Her face remains the same, but she can’t control her shape. Her legs and torso remain in spider form most of the time.”
“So if you turn up on Dalcon without a man for Iseult, she will kill Ricci?”
“Yes, she has promised this.”
“We’ll come up with a plan to save Ricci, but first I want you to contact Iseult and tell her you’re having difficulty in getting a man to agree to your proposition.”
“But she won’t settle for that. She expects a successful outcome to my journey.”
Leo fell silent, and Betrys thought he realized the futility of going against Iseult. Somehow, she had to talk a man into signing Iseult’s contract.
It was the only way.
“Tell her that the men here are very well paid, and you think you might be able to get one to sign the contract if you have permission to increase your remuneration offer. Ask her for another solar week in which to negotiate with the local men.”
“That might work, but what is the point of prolonging things? The end result will be the same. Iseult still has Ricci, and while she has my son, I’m powerless to disobey her orders.”
“The delay will give us a chance to formulate a plan. We’ll tell my brothers, and together we’ll work out a strategy to retrieve Ricci from Spiderus Mansion. Once we have your son safe, Iseult will lose her hold over you. She can’t force you to follow her orders.”
“She can still kill me.”
Leo leaned over and smiled at her. “She won’t kill you. She has to get by me first.”
“I don’t understand. Why would you help me?
Protect me?” The events of her past returned in a surge of horror, vibrant in their intensity.
Self-loathing hit her over the head, and her brain scrambled to make sense of Leo’s behavior.
Why? Why would he treat her as a friend when she’d exploited him for her own ends?
“You made sure I got home to my family. You’re doing your best to keep your son safe. And I’ve come to like you a little bit.”
“Oh.”
Leo flashed a grin, so bright it caused her to blink. “Is that all you can say? You usually have a lot more to say for yourself. I remember meeting in the market, and how persuasive you were, how fast you talked to convince me to sign Iseult’s contract.”
“That was fear. A person can do a lot of things they wouldn’t otherwise do if they’re driven by fear.”
“We can’t do anything else tonight,” Leo said. “But tomorrow, we’ll contact Saber and get him to collect us.”
“You think we can get Ricci?”
“I know it,” Leo said, and he dropped a kiss on her lips. “But since we’re stuck here with nothing much to do, I have a suggestion of a way to occupy ourselves and thank our hosts for bringing Ricci to visit.”
“You do?”
“You have a good kid there, Betrys. A son to be proud of.”
Pride filled her for a fleeting second before she recalled her situation, their situation. “You’re in just as much danger as Ricci. If Iseult discovers you’re still alive and I let you leave Spiderus Mansion, she won’t rest until she has you again.”
“Iseult is not going to touch me again,” Leo said, kissing her to halt their conversation. He took the kiss deeper and feasted on her mouth until a rough growl vibrated in his chest.
Betrys resisted at first but was no match for Leo’s determined seduction. He wedged her thighs apart while he skated his thumb along the outer curve of one breast. Hot pleasure spilled into her with each of his erotic touches, and soon she floated in blissful comfort.
“Leo,” she whispered.
“Tell me what you want.”
“I want you inside me. Please, Leo.”
“The perfect answer.” He moved farther down her body, his fingers branding every inch of her flesh with his touch. The muscles of her stomach flexed under his explorations, and the second he grazed the sensitive nub hidden in her folds, she let out a moan.
“Leo, please take me now.”
He grinned. “Nothing I’d enjoy more.”
In seconds, he rose over her, positioned his cock and slid deep. He filled her with his male strength and his hard length. When he started moving, it was magical, the bliss more than the previous occasion. It was as if her confession had lightened her spirit and given her permission to relax.
She sought his mouth and kissed him, putting everything she felt into her caress. The passion. The pleasure. The enjoyment of losing herself in a man.
Higher and higher, he drove her, and with a snap of tension, she fell into ecstasy, the pulses shooting through her body sheer indulgence.
Leo must have felt her climax because he stroked into her with three hard thrusts then stilled, his breath coming in harsh gasps. After long moments, he separated their bodies and drew her against his chest.
“That is a much better way to use our time,” he purred in her ear.
“Yes,” she whispered in agreement, but a worrying thought settled in her mind. Why would Leo want to involve himself in her problems? By the Goddess, she needed to read her cards to find her way.