Sol: Luna Lodge #1 (13 page)

When she passed his nipples, her thumb scraped over them. He grunted at her ministrations. She worked around him. As her hands came to his hips, she stopped and looked at the landscape before her.

She grinned when she noticed that he was hard and resting against her belly. It still surprised her that she had been able to fit that inside her and just the thought of doing it again made her wet with anticipation.

“Erica,” he ground out and bumped his throbbing cock into her stomach.

She took hold of him and pumped him slowly. The soap made him slip easily between her fingers. He groaned loudly and pumped his hips quickly against her.

Just as she was certain he would come, he yanked back and turned her around, the hot stream of water rolling down her back and onto her ass. She could feel the stream of water run over her ass and around her aching clit.

She gasped when he nudged her open and slid all the way in. Erica cried out from the sudden intrusion.

“Are you okay?” he asked. Concern laced his voice.

Shifting her hips a bit, she pulled forward and then sank back on him.

The both groaned at the feeling.

“Faster,” she said to him.

She rubbed her clit. She was so close to coming, but she needed him to be there with her.

He picked up the pace, pushing faster and faster into her.

She cried out his name as he slammed in a few more times and came.

They panted as the water still streamed around and enjoyed the moment of quiet.

She looked over her shoulder and grinned at him. “Want to take a real shower now?”

He chuckled and pulled out of her.

“Only if you wash me,” he said.

Chapter Fourteen

Erica sat at work and yawned. It had been another late night, just like every other night this week. Sol was working to settle all the issues that had been brought up by the recent fire. It didn’t help that they found evidence of a breach on the outer parts of the land. Nothing had been found yet, but that didn’t mean there was nothing.

Her only hope was that it was one of the protesters instead of someone from the Horatius Group. The thought on who it likely was chilled her to the bone. Mark hadn’t given any indication that he would be back, and she hoped that to be true. The idea of him skulking around in the woods creeped her out.

Despite all that, Sol came to her every night. At first she tried to give him space, but gave up after being woken up by someone carrying her to his bed two nights in a row. On the second night, he growled, “You sleep in my bed.”

Yes, it had been a demand, but one she would willingly follow.

She huffed in frustration at her computer screen. Over the past week, she’s gone over all the invoices, and nothing stood out. She could see that there were a few issues, but those seemed more like honest errors than something deceptive. In the initial report she looked over, it had all been so clear, but looking over it here, things seemed as they should be. Sure there were some things that could be improved, but that was hardly criminal. Well, not in that way at least.

Erica leaned back and swiveled around to look at Marius.

“Are you going to the dance tonight?” she asked.

It was all anyone could seem to talk about. Hannah had decided it would be best to have a dance to celebrate the reopening of the main lodge. Looking at most of the men around, it would most likely be more like her seventh-grade dances than anything: hands-on hips, seven-inch rule, swaying like robots in time with the music. She supposed they had to start somewhere though.

Most of the men were excited since the rest of the staff had been included. That meant a chance to meet women. Titus still hadn’t hired someone to help with their manners, but she heard they had all received a few pointers on how to make conversation with women. She had also heard they were under strict watch. There was to be no fighting over women. They were to let the women make the first move sexually, and if they chose a partner, the men were not to fight. Any fighting would result in being kicked out and an ass kicking by Titus. Or at least that’s what Hannah said.

She would have found it all very silly, if she hadn’t seen enough chest beating over the past week. The men here settled things like warriors, and then had no clue that women were different from men.

Marius shot her an irritated look. “I don’t have time for a dance,” he snapped at her. “Besides, I don’t know how to dance.”

“Do you want to learn?” she asked.

Marius froze. Erica smiled. She knew he was looking forward to it as much as everyone else. He had specifically saved out enough in the budget to account for the party. That was good as a Marius stamp of approval.

“Stand up,” she said, standing in front of him.

Marius looked around the room like someone was going to jump out and get him, most likely Sol.

“I don’t…” he started.

Erica held out a hand to him. “I know. Just let me help you. It’s no big deal.”

Marius stood very slowly and approached her with caution. Without fear, she grabbed his hand and pulled him to her.

“Slow dance is simple. You put your hands here,” she said, moving his hands to his waist. “And I put mine her,” she said. “Then we just sway to the music.”

Erica hummed a tune as they began to sway. A few minutes in he smiled brightly at her, and she nearly forgot what an uptight ass he could be. His ear-length brown hair kept dipping into his eyes and gave him an almost boyish look.

She smiled back and moved closer. “If things are going well, you want to slip your hands all the way around her back, and she’ll lean in closer up top.”

When she pushed his hands further around his back, Marius froze. With stiff movement, he swayed with her.

“Nice,” she said and smiled at him.

“What the fuck!”

She turned to see a very pissed Sol standing at the door.

Erica smiled brightly at him and ignored the very chest beating-like look he was shooting to Marius, who was now clear across the room from her.

“I was just teaching Marius to dance,” she said.

“Is that what we pay you to do?” he shot back.

Erica’s smile fell from her face as she stared at him. Angry and hurt, she turned away from him. Things had been going so well that his words came like a gut punch to her.

“Erica,” he said softly.

She turned to look at him, tears pooling in her eyes.

“I think you should take a walk,” said Hannah’s sweet voice from behind Sol.

She watched as he stared helplessly around the room and turned away.

Hannah walked in the room and looked directly at Marius. “She’s taking the rest of the day off.”

Marius nodded and seemed upset that he had been the cause of their fight.

“It’s not your fault,” Erica said to him and tried to muster a smile. “But now you have to come to the dance.”

Marius laughed and nodded.

Erica smiled. Him coming was a good step.

Hannah walked over and linked arms with her. “Let’s go. You can help me.”

She smiled back to Marius before following Hannah.

* * *

“You know you’re an idiot, right?” Apollo asked as Sol beat on the punching bag.

“I don’t need you to tell me,” Sol said and hit the bag a little harder.

“No.” Apollo held the bag in place for him. “Apparently you do.”

He sighed as Sol got in a few more hard hits.

“You already have her. There’s not a chance in the world someone else is going to take her from you.” Apollo looked him in the eye as he gave the lecture.

Sol put his gloves down and sat hard on the bench.

“I know that. I really do. But seeing him with his hands on her.” The anger came back and his face contorted in rage. “It just makes me so angry.”

“You were a dick.” Apollo sat next to him.

Sol sighed. He was a dick. To see her so hurt by what he said, it cut him. He leaned forward and put his head in his hands

“What do I do?”

“On TV, they give flowers,” he said. Sol pulled his hands away to look at Apollo.

“What else?”

“They seem to like romantic gestures,” he said and shrugged.

“Like what?” Sol leaned in, eager to make Erica like him again.

“I don’t know,” Apollo said. “But TV might. Let’s go get some ideas before the dance.”

* * *

Erica smiled at her reflection in the mirror. She hadn’t planned on going to a dance at any point when she had packed. It was just luck the Hannah was her size and didn’t mind sharing her closet. The gray sparkly dress showed off the curves she liked and hid the rest. It might be a little chilly outside with the lack of sleeves and all, but at the dance it would be fine.

She giggled in the mirror. This really was like a seventh-grade dance. She wondered if the men would all be huddled to one side and the women to the other like it was back then. Erica frowned as a particular man came to mind. She sighed and tried not get upset again.

“You all right in there?” Hannah knocked on the bathroom door.

Erica opened it and did a little spin.

She laughed when Hannah clapped her hands. “Oh, I just knew this would look good on you!”

“Nice,” Rachel said from the bed. “I hope you plan on letting him grovel a little with a dress like that on the line.”

Erica laughed and plopped on the bed. “I know he was just jealous, but that doesn’t excuse him, and I just can’t stop from feeling hurt.”

She fanned her eyes to stop the tears from pouring out again.

“Ugh,” she grunted. “It’s all so stupid.”

“Agreed,” Hannah popped in. “They are all so stupid.”

She smiled at the wide grin of her friend.

Hannah had picked something far more girly than hot. The light pink material floated around her as she walked and was perfect for her in just about every way. She had piled her blonde hair high on her head, little ringlets framing her face.

“I swear you look like a cherub.” Rachel grinned from the bed.

Hannah stomped her foot. “I swear, you say it one more time…”

Rachel laughed even harder at the pout Hannah was working on.

“All right,” she said and wiped her eye. “I’ll stop picking.”

“What about you?” Hannah asked, pout still firmly in place. “Is that what you’re wearing?”

Rachel looked down at her dress. It was a simple black cocktail dress. Nothing exceptional, but it worked. She made a face at Hannah.

“This is it,” she said and continued before Hannah could interject. “I’m not trying to impress a man or get my man back.” She stared pointedly at the two of them.

Erica turned to find Hannah blushing furiously.

“Whatever,” Hannah mumbled and shot Rachel a dirty look.

The chime of Erica’s phone made her heart kick up into her chest. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, Erica hoped Sol would come by at some point to apologize. She raced to the phone. Kate’s name flashed, and she felt guilty for not calling to check on her after all that had happened with Mark.

She grabbed the phone and slipped out into the hallway.

“How’s it going?” she chirped into the phone.

“Why haven’t you called me?” Kate griped into the phone. “I’ve been waiting to hear all about things, and you never even called.”

“I’m really sorry,” Erica said. “Things have been so busy here. With the reconstruction, then the protesters and now a dance. I haven’t had much time.”

“Dance?” Kate said. “It does sound busy there.”

She could hear the pain in Kate’s voice and wondered if she was worried about being left behind.

“Mostly its work, and then Sol picks me up. By the time we finish dinner, I’m ready for bed.”

“What?” Kate practically shouted into the phone. “Don’t tell me you’ve been doing the nasty this whole time, and you didn’t call to give the details.”

Erica laughed nervously. This had never been something she was good at, and Kate knew this.

“Come on, I need details. I’ve taken a sabbatical from men unless there are signs of a ring at the end of the tunnel.” Kate groaned. “You’re just going to have to let me live vicariously through you.”

She laughed for real this time and smiled. “All right but not right now. I’m getting ready to head out. Maybe I can talk to Sol about you visiting here soon.”

“Sounds good. Then I’ll have visuals for all my juicy details.”

Erica snorted. “Maybe we’ll meet at the dining hall. I have a feeling more than one man there would be willing to kick out a ring for a chance at you.”

The line was quiet for a moment. She knew Kate was using laughter before to cover her pain. “How are you?” Erica asked quietly. She debated telling Kate about Mark, but what was she going to say? That her boyfriend had actually been using her to get to Erica? It all seemed a little too hard to take.

“Fine,” Kate said equally quiet. “Lonely.”

Her heart hurt for her friend. “I’m sorry. I’ll call more and have Sol set up a day.”

“’Kay,” she said. “Have fun at your dance.”

“Thanks.” Erica hung up the phone and thought about her friend. Life without both her and Mark was hard. Neither Kate or Erica had much in the way of family. Kate’s mom was a single mom most of her life. When she remarried five years ago, she had left Kate to fend for herself. Erica wasn’t much different. Her mom had died when she was little. Car accident. Her father never really got over it. Most days he just drank himself stupid. He wasn’t a bad man, but he wasn’t what she thought of as a good father.

Erica slipped the phone back into her purse and vowed to be a better friend.

“All right,” she said as she stepped into the room. “Let’s get to this dance.”

Chapter Fifteen

The room sparkled all around them, and Erica smiled. Hannah had really done a fantastic job, and everyone seemed to be having a good time. They had come early to set out some last minute things and make sure the caterers didn’t need anything.

The three sat at a table in the back and watched as couples danced on the floor. She was surprised to see a number of the hybrids could dance pretty well and wondered if they had been practicing.