“Jamirr,” she moaned, holding him tight.
He wanted to hear her say his name again with that breathy tone. He slid his hand between them, to circle the hidden bundle of nerves and she stared into his eyes and clenched hard around him. “Right there,” she said, “Do that again. Don’t stop.”
“Never,” he promised, resuming his thrusts. She came on his cock, every muscle in her body tensing up to capture and prolong the sensation. Gritting his teeth Jamirr managed to hang on, to delay his own much-needed climax and as she came down from the heights, he resumed his forward progress, driving toward her core.
“I can’t, not again,” she said.
“You can, I know it and so do you.” He had the strangest urge to deploy his fangs and bite her at the vulnerable spot where her slender neck met her shoulder and to lick the blood. He wanted to roll her over and take her from behind, plunging so deep she became his. He couldn’t do either thing—she hadn’t given her permission and she’d probably be horrified. Jamirr shook off the impulse and concentrated on what he was allowed to do right now and that was to bring them both to a climax more powerful than he’d ever experienced before. He was close, so close.
“There, right there, that’s the angle,” she cried, doing something with her hips and her internal muscles he couldn’t resist and he let go of his self-control. As he said her name over and over while the hot jets of his release bathed her core, Jamirr felt transported to somewhere else and all his mental dissonance about seeing the men like him dissolved in the white heat of his climax. Samyra was coming apart under him, her sounds of pleasure further soothing his soul and he let himself just be in the moment, safe and secure in her arms.
There was nowhere else he wanted to be than with Samyra and he’d do whatever it took to stay there.
They collapsed together, sweaty and sated. He cherished the feel of her in his arms, knowing all too soon she’d rise and leave him behind his locked door. “Thank you,” he said softly.
She raised her head and studied him with those gorgeous eyes, her face troubled. “I wish—I wish things could be different.”
Jamirr ran his hand over her hair and down her back, gliding over old scars from the arena. “I know,” he whispered. “As do I but we have to deal with life as it is, not as we wish it to be.”
She kissed his lips and gathered herself to rise. Reluctantly he let her go and she left the bed, gathering the torn remnants of her lingerie and tucking them into the pocket of her dress as soon as she’d shrugged it on. She slid her feet into her sandals and walked to the door, turning with her hand on the lock. “Are you all right now?”
“You gave me peace,” he said truthfully. “You made the world make sense.”
“I’m glad.” She engaged the key and opened the door, disappearing from his view. The panel closed again and he heard the click of the lock engaging and the sound went to his heart like a dagger.
Chapter Five
Several weeks later, Kyden was again in his office, doing the work he hated but his mate-wife Elara was at his side and that made the situation much more tolerable. His desk was clear, mostly because they’d had satisfying sex on it less than an hour ago and he’d swept everything to the floor before he laid Elara down. She was laughing so hard at his impatience it had taken him several ferociously devoted minutes to distract her and remind her how much she craved him.
If the cleaning staff at the House of Badari wasn’t used to the way Kyden dealt with the things in his office that frustrated him, they should all resign and he’d start over with new people. It wasn’t an issue, however, as his House Manager Arinna ran a well trained operation and she was indulgent of his every whim and quirk.
The com chimed. “Samyra the Beast Lady,” he told Elara with a raised eyebrow. “She must have read the contract you sent.”
“Oh this will be interesting,” his mate responded with a grin. “Let’s hear what she has to say.”
Kyden flicked the accept button and Samyra’s holo sprang up on the desk. “Samyra! Congratulations again on being selected as the first female gladiator in the House of Badari.”
She blinked and seemed a bit rattled by his enthusiastic greeting but after a brief hesitation, she said, “Thank you. It’s quite an honor. I’ve been going over the contract and I have a few questions and counter proposals.”
“Always happy to negotiate,” Elara said, which was true. She loved to get into the details with the other side of any deal.
“I don’t believe you’ve met my mate-wife Elara,” Kyden said with pride.
“We’re looking forward to having you here,” Elara said graciously. “Now what were your concerns with the contract?”
“You’re asking for Harton, which I understand, since you said you were also evaluating potential recruits for the House of Badari,” Samyra said, launching into her issues. “But I see you’ve also listed Jamirr and I’m sure I told you he isn’t actually a member of my gladiatorial team. He only fights when I decide to put him in.”
“But as you yourself just said, we’re keeping an eye out for new talent as part of this eight week special season,” Kyden kept his tone calm.
“I don’t think there’s any point in his coming. I have no plans to sell him.”
Forcing himself to keep his fangs retracted, Kyden drummed one talon on the desk. “The contract is for all three of you or none of you. Take it or leave it.”
Glancing at him and putting her hand over his, Elara added her input. “Surely there’s no harm in bringing the man? He can enhance his skills for whatever you plan for his future. I had my heart set on you being our first female gladiator…” She let her voice trail off and then added, “We do have a backup in mind of course, you might have heard of her—Helene of Trantomere? But you’re clearly the top choice. And exposure to our audience in the Five Systems is priceless for any gladiator. I have a whole slate of public relations events and interviews set up. We’ve got a top-drawer PR person with contacts in all the major media markets and influencers.”
Kyden admired the way she wielded the carrot and the stick.
Samyra looked as if she’d bitten into a lemon but nodded. “Of course. If you’re willing to bear the expense of his travel to the Five Systems with Harton and me then I’m agreeable. But you must be clear on the point Jamirr is not for sale.”
