Lily and the Lion by Honey Phillips
Chapter Eighteen
Leotra regarded the pink in Lily’s cheeks with great satisfaction—and the speculative gleam in her eyes pleased him even more.
“Mata is going out for the evening,” she told him.
“Yes, I know.”
Nargan had called to inform him, although interestingly enough, the captain had presented it as a fact rather than asking for permission. He seemed to have no hesitation in taking orders from Lily, and Leotra found that surprisingly satisfying.
“With your permission, of course, Master Leotra,” Mata said quickly, her tail twitching anxiously.
“I would never dare to contradict Mistress Lily.”
Lily snorted, and he saw Mata’s lips twitch before she ducked her head and excused herself.
“You wouldn’t dare to contradict me?” Lily asked, raising a delicate brow.
“Certainly not when it comes to Mata.”
“Hmm… what if I wanted to spend all your money?”
He didn’t even hesitate. “Go ahead. I doubt you would be able to do so, but you are welcome to try.”
Her eyes widened, but she looked more dismayed than impressed. He wasn’t surprised—he was quite sure she wasn’t with him because of his wealth. Then her small blunt teeth closed down on her plump lower lip.
“What if I want to leave you?” she said quietly.
“No!” he roared, then did his best to soften his voice when she jumped. “I can’t…” Let you go. “I mean, you would not be safe by yourself.”
She tilted her head, an unreadable look on her face. “Am I safe with you?”
“Always.” He stalked closer until their bodies were almost touching. “Let me be quite clear, love—you can spend my money, rearrange my household, and give whatever orders you desire to my staff. But I refuse to let you put yourself in danger.”
“I’m not sure we have the same definition of danger,” she said softly, then shook her head. The serious expression vanished as she smiled up at him. “Did you arrange for food? I’m hungry.”
He wanted to press her, to find out what she was hiding, but decided that he would allow her to keep her secrets. For now.
“I came to tell you that it was ready.”
He had arranged for the meal to be served on the terrace. Remembering how much she had enjoyed the night-blooming flowers on Sayari, he had also ordered candles to be scattered throughout the rooftop. Contentment filled him when she gasped in delight.
“This is so beautiful. It’s almost like we’re not in the city at all.”
“Do you dislike the city?” he asked as he led her to a lounging bench.
“Yes and no. I like the excitement and all the things to do, but somehow it makes you feel more alone when you’re surrounded by all these other people.”
An unexpected ache formed in his chest. She had described exactly the way he had begun to feel over the past few years as the unceasing round of social activities felt more and more meaningless.
“Neither of us is alone now,” he said softly as he pulled her down on the lounge with him. Before she could respond, he reached for a tray of fruit and picked up a berry. “Open.”
“You don’t need to feed me.”
He traced her lips with the berry, the deep red juice staining them. “You said you wanted me to serve you.”
“I—”
As soon as she opened her mouth, he popped the fruit inside. She hummed with pleasure.
“I like that. What is it?”
“A tamu berry. You know, I’ve almost forgotten what they taste like.”
“You should try it.”
“I intend to.”
He bent his head and kissed her. The juice flavored her mouth, but it wasn’t as enticing as her natural sweetness.
“Delicious,” he agreed when he finally forced himself to raise his head. The fragrance of her arousal mingled with the sweet scent of the berries. Her eyes were heavy-lidded with pleasure, and she licked her lips again as she looked up at him.
“Are you trying to seduce me, Master Situni?”
“Trying?” he asked in mock outrage. “You mean I’m not succeeding?”
“You may be succeeding a little too well.”
He smiled and reached for another berry.
By the time he finished feeding her, juice stained her mouth and the taut points of her nipples. Her top had long since succumbed to his claws, and he could see the traces of his juice-stained hands and mouth on her neck and the soft skin of her stomach. The sight made him want to roar with pride. His female.
She followed his gaze. “You certainly made a mess.”
“Yes,” he agreed smugly.
“I’m afraid there’s only one solution.” She slipped out of his arms before he could prevent her. “A bath.”
She shrugged out of the remains of her top and stepped out of her pants. For just a moment she paused, her body gleaming in the reflected lights of the city, lush and perfect. Then she turned and dove gracefully into the pool.
His own clothes disappeared almost as quickly—so quickly that he stumbled over the edge of the pool and entered the water with a huge splash. He surfaced, spluttering, and saw Lily’s face bright with laughter.
“I guess even you can’t be graceful all of the time.”
No one ever dared to tease him the way she did, and he loved every minute of it. But he still growled and started stalking her. She squeaked and swam away, sliding through the water with surprising ease. He didn’t catch up with her until she reached the infinity edge. She rested her arms on the ledge, looking out over the city.
“It looks beautiful from up here - as long as I don’t look down.”
“Do you have cities this size on your world?”
“There are some that might come close, but it’s not the same.”
“Do you miss it?” he asked softly.
“I think that’s another yes and no question. I miss coffee and the sound of the ocean. I thought I’d found a place where I might want to stay for a while and I miss that possibility. But there wasn’t anyone I was really close to.” She turned to face him, and he automatically put his hands on her hips to support her. The darkness turned her eyes to deep blue pools. “Not even as close as we’ve become.”
He could hear the question in her voice, but before he could respond, her seriousness vanished.
“Do you think I’m clean enough now?”
He lifted her higher so that her breasts were even with his mouth. “I’m afraid you need more attention. And I did promise to serve you.”
He closed his mouth around one tempting little peak, the lingering coolness from the water an erotic contrast to the warmth of her skin. She gasped, and her hands tangled in his mane.
“More,” she demanded as he licked and tugged, but he kept the pace slow, moving back and forth between the two buds until they were swollen and distended.
Then he carried her to the edge of the pool and laid her back on the smooth stone like an offering to the gods. He remained in the water as he spread her legs, her folds flushed pink and glistening from more than the pool water. The small pearl of flesh at the top of her slit was as red and tempting as one of the tamu berries, and he drew it deep into his mouth.
She arched her back and cried out, her voice lost in the night, and he growled approvingly.
“That’s one.”
“One?” She raised her head and looked down the length of her body at him.
He grinned, letting her see his fangs. “One climax. I intend to see how many I can serve your sweet little cunt.”
Four. By the time she shattered the fourth time, his fingers buried deep in her hot little cunt and her even hotter ass, his fangs scraping delicately across the swollen pearl of her clit, her cry was little more than a hoarse whisper and her eyes fluttered closed even as she smiled up at him.
She barely moved as he climbed out of the pool and wrapped a towel around her, and she was asleep before he reached the bedroom. His cock throbbed, even though he had come twice in the pool just from the delicious taste and feel of her climaxes, but he smiled as he placed her between the sheets. She looked so perfect in his bed—already he couldn’t imagine it without her.
As he started to join her, he noticed the light blinking on his data pad. Although he was tempted to ignore it, his responsibilities could not be abandoned forever. He took it into the other room, then scowled as he read the message.
His father demanded his presence for an event at the mansion the following night. If he knew his father, it would be another hedonistic gathering with secret deals being conducted in hidden corners. He usually avoided such parties, but perhaps it would be a good time to introduce Lily. They could make a brief appearance, just long enough to spread the news, and then he could bring her back here and have her all to himself once more.
He sent a brief acknowledgement, then returned to the bed. He scowled up at the ceiling, already dreading the following night, but then Lily rolled over and snuggled against his side and his annoyance disappeared. It would be a minor inconvenience, nothing else. The only thing that really mattered was the female in his arms.
