Timeless (Pandora Book 1) (16 page)

“She likes you, you know.”

Charli nodded dazedly as he slipped his hand beneath the hem of her T-shirt and stroked her stomach. “Yeah, I like her, too.”

“What about me?” he asked, his voice raspy against the curve of her neck. “Do you like me, Charlotte?”

“Yes,” she breathed, closing her eyes and arching against him in a silent plea for more.

“Good,” he purred, swiveling his hips to grind his trapped erection against her belly. “Very good. Do you want more,
prya
? Do you want me to keep touching you?”

“Yes.”

“Good,” he praised again, “because I want to taste every inch of you. Will you let me?”

Blood roared in her ears, and her heart thundered painfully against her sternum. “Yes. Please.”

Vane released her wrists, but leaned into her, keeping her anchored against the door. “You are entirely overdressed.”

He gripped the plunging neckline of her thin, beige blouse in his large hands and jerked, ripping the fabric right down the middle. Albeit barbaric and unnecessary, the untamed display of power made Charli’s core throb and her muscles quiver. With a nimbleness that belied his large size, Vane unhooked the front closure of her bra and pushed the material to the sides, exposing her aching breasts.

Stretching up on her toes, Charli wrapped her arms around Vane’s neck, pulling him into another heated kiss that made her nipples tingle and her pussy clench with desire. His strong hands slid over her hips and down her backside to cup and squeeze the rounded globes before he lifted her into his arms.

“I want you,
prya.
”

“Then have me,” she answered, locking her legs around his waist and rocking against him.

Bending his head, Vane leaned closer as though to kiss her, but when she arched toward him, he pulled away with a smirk. Over and over, he came closer, teasing her lips lightly before pulling away again. Delirious with need but completely at his mercy, Charli dropped her head back to the door and moaned.

With a tight chuckle, Vane kissed a slow, wet trail down the curve of her neck to her exposed breast and swirled his tongue around her pebbled nipple. Then he caught the nub between his teeth and tugged gently, flicking his tongue over the tip while he stroked and caressed her stomach and hips with his callused hands. When he turned his attention to her other breast, lavishing it with the same attention, Charli rocked against him and gasped.

Carefully, Vane lowered her to the floor and knelt in front of her, digging his fingers into her hips as he kissed his way down her stomach to the waistband of her slacks. Unbuttoning the hooked fastener, he tugged the material down her legs, leaving her naked to his gaze.

“Oh, fuck.” A jagged moan tore from his lips as he dropped his forehead to her thigh and rolled his head from side-to-side.

She hadn’t been thinking of sex when she’d decided to forego her underwear. She’d just been in a hurry and hadn’t been able to find a clean pair. However, if it garnered this type of response, she might make it a habit to go commando more often.

With another loud groan, Vane flicked his tongue over her crease, gliding along her bare folds but never entering. Charli gripped the tops of his shoulders, digger her nails into the flesh while she fought to remain upright.

“Vane, please,” she whimpered, unable to endure any more of his teasingly light touches.

Lifting her into his arms, Vane carried her to the sofa, dropping her to the cushions so that she bounced twice. Then he pulled her boots off, tossing them unceremoniously to the side, and stripped her pants down her legs with the same lack of care. Nudging her knees apart, he sat back on his heels and stared, his hungry graze drinking in every inch of her.

With a predatory growl, he removed his own shirt, revealing taut, bronzed skin stretched over hard muscles. Her body quaked as Vane surged up on his knees and moved to insinuate himself between her splayed thighs.

“Kiss me,” she whispered, uncaring where he chose to place that kiss. She just needed to feel his mouth on her again.

Looming over her, Vane bent to capture her mouth while his strong, capable hands mapped every contour of her body, leaving a trail of fire in their wake. His fingertips danced along the swell of her hips and skimmed up her ribcage before cupping her swollen breasts.

He circled her erect nipple with his index finger, drawing lazy circles as he plunged his tongue between her gasping lips to stroke and tease. “Touch me,” he rasped against the corner of her mouth. “Touch me,
prya
.”

Moaning when he attacked her mouth again, Charli encircled his waist with her legs, dragging him closer as she stroked his silky hair and mapped the hard, flexing muscles of his back. Vane didn’t just kiss her. He possessed her, consumed her, and still, Charli needed more.

Fisting her hands in Vane’s golden hair, she jerked him into a demanding kiss, thrusting her tongue between his kiss-swollen lips to pillage the depths of his mouth. Vane growled, low and sexy, but he didn’t pull away, allowing Charli to take what she wanted—and she wanted it all.

When breathing became imperative, Vane broke away and slid down her body, grinding his trapped erection between her legs. Taking her ankles, he lifted them over his shoulders, staring into her eyes as he slowly lowered his mouth to her aching core.

Embers smoldered in her belly, burning hot and spreading throughout her body when he parted her folds with his tongue. His loud groan vibrated against her, and Charli shivered, arching up into his hot mouth. Each wet stroke of his tongue pushed her closer to the edge, and when his soft lips closed around her clit, she screamed his name as her body convulsed.

“Where are you trying to go?” he asked, his voice strained. Laying an arm over her hips, he held her to the sofa, pinning her there as he lowered over her again. “I’m not nearly finished with you.”

Over and over, he took her to the edge, backing off and slowing his relentless pace just before she could fall. She climbed higher, her next orgasm teetering just beyond her reach. Then, just when she thought she couldn’t possibly take anymore, Vane probed her with two fingers, pushing deep inside her, and Charli shattered.

Limp and exhausted, she sagged into the sofa cushions, her chest heaving and her pulse pounding. Sometime during her recovery, Vane had divested the remainder of his clothing, leaving him completely bare to her gaze. Staring up at him through heavy-lidded eyes, Charli licked her lips as renewed desire surged through her veins.

His thick length jutted proudly from its nest of closely-cropped curls, rigid with arousal and pulsing to the beat of his heart. Without a word, he knelt again, positioning himself within the cradle of her thighs, and guided the tip to her slick entrance.

Encouraging him without words, she lifted her hips and beckoned him to her. Vane hooked his arms under her knees and jerked her forward as he flexed his hips, sinking into her core with a primal growl. Her head spun and her spine bowed as he filled her, stretched her.

“Gods, you’re tight.”

Perspiration beaded across his brow and dampened his hair at the temples as he leaned forward, pressing her knees wide. His hips swung freely, and he thrust into her, driving deeper with untamed abandon. Charli’s inner walls constricted, gripping his erection so that she felt every hard ridge of him. A familiar ache started in her belly, the pressure growing, building, pushing her closer to the precipice of no return. 

Warmth enveloped her, her skin heating from his touch. A faint, red glow illuminated their small space of the room, and Charli looked down to find a single flame flickering in Vane’s upturned palm. His pace slowed, and when she looked into his eyes, she found such longing, such reverence, that it stole her breath.

Her mind screamed at her not to do it, not to break down that final wall between them, but her heart and her body wouldn’t listen. Even if she couldn’t explain it, didn’t know why, she needed Vane like she needed to breathe.

Holding his face in both hands, she pulled him closer until their mouths met and brushed a gentle kiss over his lips. “Yes,” she breathed.

With a quiet moan, Vane shuddered against her, his brow pressed to hers as he rocked into her in long, languid strokes. “I love you,
prya.
”

Then he pressed the flame to the swell of her breast, right over her heart, holding it there until it extinguished. Heat bloomed in her chest, burning her from the inside out, but the pain lasted for only a moment. As the flame settled into a comforting warmth, pleasure unlike anything she’d ever known enveloped her, wrapping her in a cocoon of bliss.

Falling back against the cushions, Charli jerked and thrashed, her body convulsing as her climax slammed into her. “Vane!”

Damp with sweat and exhausted from Vane’s attentions, she sagged into the cushions and closed her eyes. Connected like this—heart, body, and soul—with no barriers between them, she felt vulnerable, flayed and raw like an open wound.

“Thank you,” Vane whispered, kissing the place over her heart where he’d touched her with the flame. “I love you,
prya
, so much.”

And she knew the words were true. She could hear it in his voice, see it in the adoration shining back at her in his eyes. As the tether than connected them strengthened, she could literally feel Vane’s love, and it filled her to the darkest depths of her soul.

Terrified that he would look into her own heart and somehow find her lacking, Charli pushed into a sitting position and turned her head away. “Vane, I…”

“It’s okay.” Holding her chin, he turned her head back to face him and smiled. “It’s okay if you can’t say it yet. I’m not going anywhere.”

“Vane, what are we doing here?”

Now that he’d bonded with her, claimed his
prya
as his own, Vane’s protective instincts had flipped into overdrive. He’d been too amped to sleep, unable to let go of his worry to find any rest. So he’d passed the hours curled around Charlotte, listening for any noise that sounded out of place. At one point, he’d left her just long enough to retrieve his daggers from his belt and place them on the bedside table for easy access.

“My mother asked to spend the day with you.”

It wasn’t technically a lie. He knew his mother would welcome the chance to spend more time with Charlotte, but he had a much different purpose for his visit. His patrol started in less than an hour, and he refused to leave Charlotte alone and unprotected while he roamed the catwalks of the compound.

“Vane, stop!” Digging her feet into the snow, she jerked to a stop and wrenched her arm out of his grasp. “You are acting like a lunatic. Just tell me what’s going on.”

Electricity crackled in the air around them, sending a shiver down Vane’s spine. “Quiet.”

His parents’ sprawling, three-story home sat on the hill at the top of the long, tree-lined driveway, illuminated in the soft, amber lights that lit the front garden. From the distance, everything appeared calm and peaceful within its walls.

Standing just inside the front gates, Vane turned in a slow circle as he surveyed the night, straining his ears for any sounds of danger. No footsteps other than his and Charlotte’s marred the snow, but he could feel eyes on his back, the weight of the stare bearing down on his shoulders.

“Go.”

Thankfully, Charlotte didn’t argue with him. Moving closer to his side, she jogged along the driveway with him, ducking her head against the icy blast of wind. As they neared the gardens, Charlotte stopped so suddenly, Vane nearly tripped over her.

“We’re almost there. Keep moving.”

“I can’t.” She looked up at him with wide, terrified eyes. “Vane, I can’t move.”

While she spoke, a single Morphling stepped out of the tree line, moving to block their path to the house.

“Let her go.” Removing both daggers from his belt, Vane gripped the leather-wrapped handles as he crouched into a fighting stance.

The demon laughed coldly, his mottled black skin standing out in sharp relief against the snow. “Ah, but she’s the one I want.”

Not willing to stand around and trade quips with the demon, Vane flicked his wrist, launching the dagger in his right hand at the Morphling. The blade caught him in the shoulder, knocking him back a step, but he didn’t go down.

With an animalistic snarl that echoed through the night, the Morph bared his pointed teeth and charged at Vane. Black, curving talons extended from the tips of his fingers, and he swung out wildly, his claws reaching toward Charlotte.

Lunging forward, Vane dove between Charlotte and the demon, hissing when the Morph’s sharp talons ripped through the flesh on his back. Leaning forward and kicking his right foot out behind him, he caught his adversary in the chest, sending him tumbling head over ass into the snow.

He didn’t stay down long, but the distraction did break his hold on Charlotte. Gasping for breath, she rounded on Vane, running her hands over his arms and down his chest.

“Are you hurt? Are you okay?”

“Run.” Vane shoved her away from the Morph, pushing her in the direction of the front gates. “Run and hide.”

“Vane?”

“I’ll find you,” he promised just as the Morph gained his feet. “Just run.”

Thick and oppressive, the sense of impending danger hung heavy in the air, its icy tendrils enveloping Vane in a suffocating grip. Inhuman cries rose up on the wind, the sound rushing toward him the way water coursed down the side of a mountain.

White-hot pain stabbed him between the shoulder blades as he circled the Morph, and blood seeped from the three gashes on his back in sticky rivers that clung to his skin.

Holding his remaining dagger in a sweaty, white-knuckled grip, he swallowed back the pain and surged forward. The Morphling swiped at him with his claws, but Vane was ready for him this time. Ducking under the demon’s arm, he crouched low and exploded upward, cleaving his dagger through the Morph’s flesh and twisting the blade into his heart.

Dropping the unmoving demon to the frozen ground, Vane removed the dagger and swiped the blade across his thigh to remove the blood. Then he turned to find his mate, his chest constricting when a second Morph, even bigger than the first, materialized just feet from Charlotte. Long, deadly talons curved from the tips of the Morph’s fingers, and he prowled through the snow, coming closer to her with each thundering beat of Vane’s heart.

Too far away, he knew he’d never reach her in time. “Charlotte, get down!”

The moment she hit the ground, Vane flung his blood-stained dagger down the driveway, grunting when it found its mark, and the Morph crumpled to the ground. His relief lasted less than a heartbeat when a third demon stepped into the narrow strip of moonlight that filtered down through the tops of the evergreens to light the driveway.

Great galaxies, the damn things just kept coming. Like a hydra, he’d cut one down and two more appeared in its place. Panic squeezed his heart, because he knew he’d never be able to reach Charlotte, not this time. That wouldn’t stop him from trying, though.

Sprinting through the packed snow, Vane tucked his arms to his sides, yelling Charlotte’s name as his feet pounded against the driveway. His heart seized, and he almost stumbled when the Morph reached for her, swinging his claws dangerously closer to her face.

Instead of cowering in fear, however, Charlotte dodged the demon’s reaching arm and rammed her shoulder into his midsection, sending them both crashing to the ground. Then she rolled off him and hit the ground running.

Proud of his girl, but knowing she couldn’t hope to outrun the demon, Vane turned on a burst of speed, flying across the frozen ground in single-minded determination. As he’d feared, the Morph gained his feet quickly, barely sparing Vane a glance before taking off in pursuit of his quarry.

More inhuman cries rose up in the distance, echoing through the night in an eerie chorus that chilled Vane to his bones. He couldn’t worry about them, couldn’t fight something he couldn’t see. So, he turned his full attention to Charlotte and the Morph closing in on her, pushing himself harder, faster, until his muscles screamed in protest.

He wasn’t going to make it. He knew it, saw the tragedy of it unfold in his mind a split-second before it happened. Then his heart froze in his chest, and his veins ran cold as he watched the Morphling make one final leap, wrapping his arms around Charlotte and vanishing into a puff of smoke before either of them hit the ground.

* * * *

“Get your hands off me!” Charli kicked and twisted, flailing in the Morphlings arms as the demon carried her into a brightly lit bedroom and deposited her on the enormous bed. “He will come for me,” she threatened, knowing in her heart the words were true. “Vane will come, and you’re going to pay for this.”

The Morphling just huffed at her before turning to leave the room, slamming and locking the door behind him. Scared, but knowing she couldn’t afford the luxury of falling apart, Charli crawled down from the mattress and moved slowly through the room, taking in her lavish surroundings.

The four-poster bed—large enough for four grown men to fit comfortably—with the gauzy, cream-colored canopy and ivory comforter occupied the entire wall behind her. Sunlight spilled into room from the open balcony doors, warming the marbled tiles beneath her feet.

“We’re not on Nekron anymore, Toto,” she mumbled out loud.

The breeze swept into the room, carrying the faint scent of juniper and honeysuckle. Birds chirped and sang in the trees just beyond the balcony, and in the distance, she could hear the distinct roar of rushing water.

The chandelier that dangled from the ceiling in the center of the room shook, the crystal teardrops clinking together when the bedroom door opened again. Stumbling away from the approaching figure, Charli searched the space near her, looking for anything she could use as a weapon.

“Easy, child.” The stranger spoke quietly, soothingly, his yellow eyes crinkling at the corners as he offered her a kind smile. “There’s no reason to be afraid.”

“You speak English.” Probably not the most important observation she could have made, but it had been the first thing to pop into her head.

“I speak many languages, my dear.”

Good, then he’d understand when she told him to go take a long walk off a short pier. “Who are you? Where am I?”

Gliding over to the sitting area arranged in front of the empty fireplace, the stranger lowered himself into one of the plush, chocolate-brown armchairs and motioned for her to join him.

Not on your life, buddy.
Charli did creep closer, but she remained standing, ready to fight or bolt at the first sign of danger. “Who are you?” she repeated.

“My name is Ezra Solar, and this, Charlotte, is the House of Lumier.”

“Okay, Ezra, why am I here?”

“Because this is where you belong,” he answered simply, combing his long blue-black hair away from his face. Lifting his right foot, he rested it on his knee, casually tugging at his dark suit pants and brushing a bit of dust from his shiny loafers. “As the last remaining member of the royal family of Atrea, this is your home now.”

“Royal family?” Charli shook her head and snorted. “I grew up in New Orleans, and I own—well, I used to own a sweet shop in Jackson Square. I am far from royalty.”

“I know it’s a lot to take in, but I assure you, there’s no mistake.”

Her nervousness threatened to bubble to the surface, but Charli squashed it down and pressed her lips together tightly until the panic had passed. “What is it you want from me?”

“I want nothing from you.” He waved his long, slender fingers dismissively.

Charli didn’t believe him. “You went to a lot of trouble to get me here for wanting nothing in return.”

“Yes, well, you were not an easy woman to find, Charlotte.” He laughed quietly, revealing long, pointed teeth. “I simply desire you to take your rightful place as our princess and rule your people. Nothing more.”

Charli could barely separate her whites from her colors, and he wanted her to rule an entire planet. “I’m sure there are people much more qualified.”

“There are none,” he snapped, his pupils lengthening into thin slits as his eyelids narrowed at the corners. Just as quickly, the storm passed, and he rose from his seat with a genial smile. “Now, I’m sure you’d like to freshen up before dinner.” Extending his arm to the left, he pointed to an ornately carved door with a brass knob. “The…I believe you call it a ‘bathroom’ is just there. You’ll find suitable clothing in the closet.” He nodded. “Someone will be by to collect you in half an hour.”

“I want to see Vane,” she blurted, twisting her fingers together nervously. “I mean, we are sort of mated, and if I’m meant to stay here, I’d like to say goodbye to him. If that…if that’s okay.”

Genuine anxiety seeped into her tone, making her sound more credible. She just hoped she looked defeated enough to make the lie convincing.

“Of course,” Ezra answered easily—a little too easily. “Your beau will be waiting for you at dinner.” He bowed his head again, giving her a toothy grin, and then swept out of the room.

Charli didn’t miss the click of the lock, or the grind of metal as the mechanism slid into place. “Princess, my ass.”

Ezra’s quick acceptance of her request put Charli on edge. If Vane would be at dinner, that meant he was already in the house. He could be hurt, tied up somewhere so they could use him to manipulate her. She’d let them, too. If it meant keeping Vane safe, she’d give the Atreans anything they wanted.

Her stomach twisted into vicious knots, and her eyes stung with unshed tears. She’d been strong and held herself together while Ezra had been in the room, but now that she was alone, she had nothing to distract her from her thoughts. Vane had called her brave, but she didn’t feel very courageous right then. She didn’t know what to do or how to get them both out of this alive.

Wandering to the closet on the opposite side of the bathroom door, she removed the single ball gown from his hanger and carried it over to the bed. If they meant for her to play the dazzling princess for the evening, she should at least look the part. As long as she cooperated, they had no reason to hurt Vane. The thought of saying goodbye to him, of never seeing him, never feeling his hands brush over her bare skin as he murmured her name…

No, she couldn’t think like that.

After everything they’d been through, it couldn’t end this way, it wouldn’t. She’d given up her life on Earth to journey a thousand years into the future and across the galaxies to a foreign planet. She’d been assaulted by a Crimnian, abducted by Morphlings, and held hostage by Atreans.

She’d watched as Vane had endured the searing pain of the fire whip, all because he’d dared to fall in love with a human. If she could make it through all of that, she could make it through one dinner.

Love
.

Vane had said he loved her, and she believed him, but she’d been too much of a coward to say it back. In her defense, she’d never been in love.