Lily and the Lion by Honey Phillips
Chapter Sixteen
Lily’s eyes opened, still heavy with pleasure, but Leotra could see the hint of uncertainty. Very well. He was a patient hunter. He could wait.
He pressed a quick kiss to her lips, then rolled to his feet, ignoring his aching cock.
“Come. It is time to be about our day.”
She looked so shocked he almost laughed. Shocked and… disappointed? Her eyes dropped to his cock, and that provocative little tongue swept across her lips.
“What about you?”
“Are you offering to relieve my suffering?” He deliberately kept his tone light, and her eyes snapped back up to his.
“Suffering?”
“Very much so.” He took his shaft in his hand and gave it a long, exaggerated stroke. “I am aching for you.”
Her eyes followed the movement and he repeated it. He would much rather have had her cunt or her mouth or her hand on him, but if all he could get was her gaze, he would take it.
“Are you offering?”
“I… No.” She didn’t sound convinced, but he didn’t press her.
“Then I will attempt to relieve myself in the shower.”
He turned away, letting his tail lash behind him as he left the room and headed for the shower. A Tajiri female would have recognized it as an invitation, but he didn’t expect Lily to respond. Which was why his eyes flew open in shock as a small, soft hand tried to close around him a few moments later.
“What are you doing?”
She gave him an innocent look totally at odds with the sensuous way she was squeezing his shaft.
“Don’t you know?”
He groaned, trying to gather the thoughts that had scattered at her touch, at the sight of her pink and naked and glowing in the stream of water. She gave him a smug look and stroked him again, twisting her hand slightly as she reached the head of his cock. Electricity streaked down his spine so quickly that he felt light-headed. He was on the verge of exploding from her touch like an untried youth.
“You… you don’t have to touch me.” But gods, please don’t stop.
“Maybe I just wanted to pay you back,” she said lightly.
He growled and clamped his hand down over hers. “You do not need to pay me. I will happily pleasure your hot little cunt whenever you ask.”
Her eyes widened and even through the fall of water he caught the scent of her arousal.
“I… I didn’t mean it like that.”
“You only ever need to touch me because you want to. Do you want to?”
“Yes.”
He tightened his hand around hers and dragged those small, soft fingers down the length of his shaft. His barbs flexed, stirring restlessly. Her other hand reached lower, cupping his testicles and squeezing gently. He growled, using his free hand to grab her ass and pull her closer.
“I’m not going to last long,” he warned her.
“Good. I like knowing I make you as crazy as you make me.” Her voice was breathless, her face determined, as she stroked harder, twisting and pulling with a firm pressure that he was helpless to resist.
His roar echoed through the room as he came in a thunderous explosion, his seed painting her stomach and breasts in jets of creamy gold. She never faltered, only easing her grip until it was a soothing caress as he sagged against the walls of the shower.
“Did I ease your suffering?” she teased, but her cheeks were flushed and her nipples rosy little peaks.
“Temporarily.”
A golden drop had pearled on her nipple and he swiped it off with his thumb as she shuddered. He lifted it to her mouth and she opened immediately.
“Mmm.”
The erotic sight sent a fresh wave of desire through his body, but he did his best to ignore it as he reluctantly washed his seed from her body. She purred under his hands almost like a Tajiri female. By the time he finished washing her, he was fully, achingly erect once more.
“I guess temporarily was right,” she murmured, licking her lips as she looked down at his cock. “Do you need more… relief?”
He groaned, but forced himself to shake his head.
“Be on your way, temptress. There are things to be done.” He turned her towards the shower door and lightly smacked her ass.
He saw the way she shivered, saw the way she hesitated, and he wanted nothing more than to pull her back against him and give her what her body so clearly wanted. But he had promised to help find her friends, and he wasn’t quite sure her mind was as willing as her body. He let her go.
Fightingthe impulse to stay with Leo, Lily reluctantly left him in the shower and went to pick out another one of his shirts to wear. Why did I join him in the first place? she wondered. Despite her teasing words, it wasn’t just because he had made her come so thoroughly.
Maybe sleeping together wasn’t a good idea. As comforting as it had been, it had left her feeling safe and protected in a way that she knew from experience was only an illusion. And yet, when she woke up this morning, she had been happy to be wrapped in his arms.
Pulling on his shirt, she wandered out to the sitting room just as Mata entered pushing a small cart heaped with food.
“Good morning, Mistress. Would you like to break your fast in here, or would you prefer to use the dining room?”
“I’m not really dressed to go wandering around the place,” she said dryly, gesturing to her makeshift outfit.
“Oh no. I meant in Master Leotra’s personal dining room.”
“He has a personal dining room?”
Mata nodded and opened a panel concealed in the wall to reveal a room almost as large as Lily’s entire apartment. The massive wooden table was formed from a single slab of one of the giant trees and could easily have accommodated a dozen people.
“This is small?” she muttered.
The indication of his immense wealth suddenly seemed oppressive, and she walked over to the long windows, looking longingly at the jungle. There was a much smaller table on the balcony, along with some comfortable padded chairs. “Can we eat outside instead?”
Mata looked surprised, but she bobbed her head willingly and pushed the cart onto the balcony. The soft chitter of insects and the rich scents of the jungle felt familiar, and Lily found herself relaxing again. She took a deep breath, then went to help Mata set out the food despite the girl’s protests.
“Don’t be silly. I’ve been a waitress on more than one occasion.”
“Really?”
Lily laughed at Mata’s obvious shock. “Of course. I was not always as you see me now.”
Mata’s eyes flicked to her, and then she ducked her head. “Perhaps you would like me to help you dress after your meal?”
“Now why do I think that’s just a nice way of telling me that I need to wear something more respectable?”
“Oh, no, Mistress. I just wasn’t sure if you were familiar with our clothing styles.”
“You are very tactful, Mata. I suppose it would be nice to have something else to wear—I just didn’t want something left behind by one of Leo’s other females.”
Mata bit her lip. “Master Leotra has never brought another female here.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really.” Leo’s deep voice made them both jump guiltily. He was standing in the doorway behind them, clad only in a pair of long loose pants, his mane still damp from the shower, and her heart skipped a beat.
“I’m so sorry, Master Leotra,” Mata said quickly. “I didn’t mean to gossip.”
Leo waved a hand as he strolled over and put his arm around Lily. “I assigned you to Mistress Lily. You are free to answer any questions she wishes to ask you.”
“Yes, sir.”
“I did tell you that they didn’t belong to another female,” Leo said, smiling down at her. “But since it appears to bother you so much, Mata, please arrange for Shona to attend us after our meal. In an hour, perhaps?”
“Yes, sir.” Mata hovered uncertainly. “Would you like me to serve?”
“That won’t be necessary. As Mistress Lily said, she is familiar with the act of service.”
She glared up at him. “Were you eavesdropping?”
“Not intentionally, but I was using the communicator in the adjoining room to contact Captain Nargan.”
Her annoyance vanished. “Is there any news?”
“I’m afraid not.” He hesitated, then sat down and pulled her onto his lap as Mata disappeared. “But I think our search might be more successful if we were actually on Yangu. I could speak to the Mafanan ambassador personally, and I have some… connections to people who might be reluctant to talk to anyone in an official capacity.”
“Leave here?” Based on what he had told her, there wouldn’t be a jungle on Yangu—just more oppressive luxury. Her heart sank, but if he thought it was necessary to help find her friends, she wasn’t going to argue. “If you think it will help.”
“You don’t seem enthusiastic, but Yangu has much to offer - from the finest restaurants to the most exclusive shops.”
“Oh, yay,” she said unenthusiastically.
“You are a very strange female.”
She glared and tried to climb off his lap, but his arms tightened around her and he pulled her back down against him.
“It is very refreshing,” he added, nuzzling her neck.
“Why are you so fond of my neck?”
“Because I can breathe in your scent while I mark you with mine. It is where a Tajiri male always touches his mate.”
“Mate?” Something about the way he purred the word set off an alarm in her brain.
“Ah, yes, about that. I believe the most expeditious course of action would be for you to pretend to be my mate.”
“Why?”
“For three reasons. One, it will allow you to accompany me everywhere I go. Two, it removes any possibility that someone may consider you unprotected.”
“I can protect myself.”
“My love, I would like to remind you that you were unable to prevent your abduction. There are others who might attempt to follow in their footsteps.”
An icy shiver ran down her spine. The last thing she wanted was to encounter more slavers.
“Is that really likely to happen?”
“Not as long as I live. But it will be easier for me to protect you as your mate.”
“So this is just pretend?” she asked.
He hesitated for the briefest second. “It is the most appropriate choice.”
“I suppose,” she said finally.
He grinned down at her with a suspiciously triumphant look on his face.
“You said three reasons. What was the other one?”
“Why, to protect me, of course.”
His expression turned solemn, but she could see the laughter dancing in his eyes.
“Protect you from what?”
“From all the females chasing after me. You will protect me, won’t you?”
“Only if you’re good.” She let her hand brush across his cock. “Very, very good.”
