Chapter Twelve
Lucy:
“Tomorrow I have to go to work. Are you sure you’ll be fine staying in the house?”
We’ve been talking about anything and everything that has to do with our lives. I know Skiden isn’t used to being alone, not when your father was the clan leader and now your brother is.
“About that… you work for Bel, correct?”
“Yes.”
“Why don’t I come and help you? You can get the work done in half the time.”
I’d love to have him with me but I don’t dare. “What if someone sees you?”
He shrugs. “Isn’t it an enclosed space? We can lock the doors. If someone approaches, I can hide in another room until they leave. I have a floor-length cloak and if someone thinks my gait looks odd, they’ll excuse it as the dark playing tricks on them.”
The idea makes me pause, staring at him as the possibilities swirl in my head. “The windows are stained glass. No one can look in. I am the only one inside because it’s so late at night, I’m already used to locking the door behind me.”
“See? Perfect. We won’t arrive together but I’ll tail you in the shadows. Once you’re inside, is there a back door you can open?”
I nod my head. Oh, my God, this is doable. This might actually work.
For the first time—probably ever—I walk to work with a skip to my step. I’m not alone, Skiden is with me, walking through the trees and not the path. I hold my head high beneath my hooded cloak. As soon as I enter the church and swing the lock closed behind me, I head to the back door and throw it open. It’s just a couple minutes before Skiden slips inside, dressed in a hooded cloak that Mikhail had provided him, and I lock it behind him as he takes off the cloak.
But when I whirl around, he’s larger than life, and blocking the light. His skin seems darker than it does in the daytime sun, the flecks of purple disguised by shades of black. The yellow glow of his eyes seems dimmed too, and for the first time, it dawns on me that he’s a force to be reckoned with.
He approaches slowly, invading my space, making me back up until I’m against the wooden door. He reaches up, settling his hands on either side of my head, pressing against the door until it creaks.
And the way he looks down at me. There’s a muscle leaping in his jaw, a pulse throbbing in his throat and there’s barely a few inches between us. I could spread my palm over his hard chest, feel the ridged muscles just under his vest, could even slide my hand down through the upper layer of tentacles to where I know his nevra, the pocket shield beneath them, hides his—
“Don’t even think about it.”
My scoff is breathless. There’s something about how dangerous he can become in the blink of an eye that’s tantalizing and sexy. Giddy feelings bounce around inside me when his gaze focuses on my lips.
He lowers his head and I moan before he even touches.
And… oh, God.
His lips are warm and sensual and he kisses like he owns me. He’s hungry and harsh and all I can do is sway in his powerful arms, my hands clasped around his muscular neck, keeping his head locked to me.
I melt with the caresses of his tongue against mine.
His dark chuckle floats through my brain as he tears his mouth away. “You thought about it.”
“Can’t help it.”
“We can’t get your work done twice as fast if we spend all the time at your workplace making love, when we can just make love at home.”
I sigh, dropping my hands to his waist and giving him a gentle little push. I’m surprised to find two of his tentacles wrapped around my ankles, holding my legs spread apart. Does he know how slick I am between my legs? How achy? So needy? How badly I want to jump on him and grind my center down until his cock extrudes?
The sardonic twist of his lips says yes. It’s a universal expression of male smugness.
“Shall we start cleaning?” he asks.
“As soon as you let me walk,” I say.
“Ahh, aniasa, but I love tasting you.”
“Tasting?”
“Mmm. My feelers—the front suckers on the top layer of appendages against your skin. The taste of arousal that exudes from your skin is the sweetest treat.”
He kisses the tip of my nose.
“That’s why you touch me all the time with your tentacles.”
He grins. “That’s why, beautiful. And I kiss you all the time because I love you.”
I stare at him with the mushiest look on my face.
Then he smacks my rump. “Tell me what we’re doing.”
“We dust everything, wash the windows, sweep the floors, then damp mop. Polish.”
He starts at the top with dusting, I get the bottom. And he’s a hard worker, even though I’m experienced, he keeps up. It takes us a mere three hours before it looks as good as it does when I take eight.
“Now what?” I ask, staring bemused at the sparkling building. The stained glass gleams and is bright, even without the outside sun shining.
“We sneak out again. Go home and get to bed early. Relax until tomorrow.”
“It’s going to hurt when you go home.”
“But I’m coming back.” He winds a chunk of my hair around his finger and tugs it. “I’ll always come back to you, Lucy my love.”
And I smile and move into his arms, where we sway in place. I lay my head on his heart—maybe he has more than one because it echoes with a steady boom-boom—and use that as the music for my dance. We’re swaying together and it turns to a few steps because with all his appendages, he almost floats. It’s so graceful, so beautiful and pretty soon we’re dancing faster and when he spins me out, a giggle escapes.
He chuckles and brings me back in and I love this. I love him being here with me.
His arms are around me, his tentacles are winding around my legs and I love him so much.
“Thank you for being here with me.”
“I will be with you as much as I can. Until we figure out how to be together always.”
I lift my head up and his kiss is soft and sweet.
It’s late so we’re able to leave together out the back door, all cloaked up but holding hands. We’re quiet as church mice, but there’s not a soul outside anywhere. Down the pathway we walk until we get to the end of the courtyard.
“This is where they had River chained up,” I tell him. “Where she was whipped.”
We both pause, studying the wooden block with chains attached. It’s built so a woman’s body can drape over it.
“We’ve tattooed her scarred back after her face,” Skiden says, his voice deep and rich with emotion. “She’s a true warrior.”
“I can’t imagine that’s how she and Tiran met. He had to watch her take her punishment. I heard he offered himself instead but it was refused.”
“She doesn’t really remember it. She thought she hallucinated him. But on their way back from the portal, they fell in love. It was ridiculous. Tiran was convinced River wanted Bronan—and he was sure Bronan was interested. But River had simply asked Bronan to tattoo her face with Tiran’s marks as a surprise for Tiran. He felt like an ass when he found out.”
“Oh, no. And then Bronan thought you were interested in Isabel.”
He looks thoughtful. “I think we’re all a little paranoid from our patron’s manipulations. But we’re going to get over it. I think the three of us have grown stronger as brothers.”
“I’m glad Sam found Mejak and Kalrian. I hope she’s able to make the last match and get to safety.”
“I hope we hear from Lilaina and Mikhail that she’ll be allowed to choose a family member without having proof, or reporting your whereabouts while we wait for the outcome.”
“That would be ideal. But probably not going to happen.”
“It doesn’t matter then because we’ll come up with a back-up plan.” He tilts my head up to his. “Even if it means I have to hide in your little house to protect you.”
“It can’t be forever,” I tell him. “But at least you can come back every now and then, right?”
“Yes,” he says, tilting my head up. “Until then, I have an idea how to make you a little less frightened. Did you know someone as small as you can take down someone as large as me?”
I frown. Surely, he jests? Girls who are larger usually go for security jobs. First Lady Lilaina has secret service members who are six feet tall. I envied that. My mother must have been small, just like River’s small from Isabel’s genes.
“I promise. I’ll show you some moves, yes? They’re taught to us in case we’re ever incapacitated in some way. Like if our appendages are trapped or tied and a larger predator approaches.”
I’m not too sure I’m teachable, but it does mean more time with him, so I find myself nodding.
“Come, mieka. Let’s get you home.”
“What does that mean?”
“Just a word for a sweet girl.” He leans in close. “And I know how sweet you taste.”
By the time we get home, he shows me one move. One. When I’m laid out on my back, my legs spread-eagled, his tentacles wrapped around them, he groans when he uses them to taste how turned on I am.
“Lesson tomorrow,” he says, undressing me right there on the floor. “Can’t stand when you’re so needy. I have to take care of that.”
His mouth covers my sex and relieves the problem.
The next night is a repeat of three hours of work, a walk home, and sex, but we do manage to get a self-defense lesson in beforehand. This time, I’m turned on because I accomplished it. I learned how to incapacitate a man entirely just by twisting his arm behind his back and holding his fingers a certain way that keeps the bones on the verge of breaking should he move. I hope never to be close enough to a man to need it, but I do feel a sense of power over knowing how to do it.
The third night, I’m relieved from duty. Apparently, power was cut in the commune somehow and they had to call workers in to repair the lines. It takes two days to fix and as soon as we clean up the mess from the mud dragged in with the digging, another accident happens.
Two weeks later, six black birds were somehow trapped inside, and broke the highest windows trying to get out. It was an odd accident, but it meant Skiden and I had a few more days off.
I’d probably be hurting if the Britonians weren’t leaving us boxes of food. Right now, I could use my grocery budget to cover the bills even with the lack of work.
“What’s this?” Skiden asks, thumbing through a child’s picture book.
The familiar object sends an ache through my heart.
“Isabel’s. She bought it when she was a teen, determined that one day she’d read to her baby about all the good things that happen to princesses. Because that little baby was going to be her princess. She kept the book all these years, even when she never found her.”
“I’d like to take it,” Skiden says softly and my breath catches. He’s been here two months already and we’ve accomplished so much. I knew it wouldn’t last forever but that tone in his voice? I know it’s here.
“It’s time to go?”
He nods. “We have to get our plan in action. Steve and Duke’s fundraiser is coming up. And I have to set things straight at home. But as soon as I can, I’ll be back. Maybe after they get River and Isabel back here to blow-up Steve’s meeting.”
“I’m going to miss you so much.”
“I’ll be back as soon as Mikhail thinks it’s safe. And once this election is over and Lilaina’s in charge? They’ll negotiate to put the Match Program back on. You just hold on, Lucy my love. I’ll be back before you know it.”
I smile. “I like that phrase.”
His smile is soft when he looks down at me. “Do you? I’ll always call you that, then.”