Yasmine Galenorn - Night Seeker

Before I could speak, he pressed his lips to mine, and suddenly he was kissing me as an explosion of desire rushed through my body. I struggled against him, but he squeezed my waist a little harder, and then-before I could stop myself-I was kissing him back.

“What the hell are you doing?” I fought him away as soon as I realized what I was doing.

He didn’t let go of me but broke out of that delicious, decadent kiss. “Why, simply welcoming you to your new home.” His voice dripped with sarcasm. He sat down on my bed, still holding on to my waist, and he pulled me down on his lap so that his knee thrust between my legs. I wasn’t wearing underwear and the knowledge that my pussy was against the denim of his jeans both repulsed me and titillated me.

I wanted to crawl off and hide. Lannan had the perfect knack for making me feel two inches tall. “Thanks, but I need to get dressed now.”

With a laugh, he let go, but as I stood up, he grabbed my towel and it fell away. I grimaced, scrambling to try to cover my boobs, but one look at the delighted expression on his face and I stopped. I stood straight, naked, facing him. Let him look if he liked.

After a moment, I turned to my closet but instantly realized my mistake. He was at my back in a blur of motion, pressing me against the dresser, spooning me. I could feel him rigid beneath the front of his jeans, hard and demanding. He slipped his hands around to run them over my nipples.

“You like this, don’t you?” His voice was rough as he pinched my breasts, rubbing hard. “One word and I’ll fuck you. One simple ‘please’ and my cock will be up in you so fast you won’t be able to blink.”

My wolf growled, low and threatening. “Take your hands off me now before Grieve shows up here with a stake. And he will.”

“Perhaps I should have him put down. Rabid curs are dangerous.” But the next moment, Lannan let go and stepped away. He gave me a narrow look. “Oh, sweet Cicely. I hear you are going to protect me tonight against Myst and her minions.”

“I wouldn’t laugh them off so easily if I were you.” I grabbed a pair of bikinis out of my drawer and stepped into them before he could get a better look at my snatch. I fastened my bra, yanked on my jeans and zipped them up, and pulled a thick sweater over my head.

“Perhaps not, but would you have me turn tail and run from the Goddess of the Ice Sculpture?” His voice was still sarcastic, but he sobered somewhat and I could see beneath the veneer. Lannan wasn’t quite as confident as he sounded.

“Where’s Regina? Will she be there?” Maybe I could get his mind off my body by mentioning the one woman-well, vampire-he seemed to actually give a damn about. The fact that they were brother and sister squicked me out, but hey, it worked for them, and as long as I didn’t have to join their reindeer games…

He shrugged. “She is preparing. She will be there, along with a veritable army of my guards. We should be able to put down any uprising by the Indigo Court.”

“There’s also a group coming in from the Consortium and twelve of Lainule’s elite warriors. As well as the rest of us, for all the good we can do.” I brushed my hair back, sleeking it into a ponytail. I didn’t want to put on makeup, but at a look from Lannan-he pointedly nodded to my dresser, where I saw a palette of cosmetics set out-I sighed and sat down at the vanity, making quick work of painting my face.

“So, you really expect there to be trouble?” This time, his voice was sober, and I could feel his eyes on my back even though I couldn’t see him in the mirror.

I nodded slowly. “Think about it. Not only did we rescue Grieve, but I stole something away from her grasp. Something she wanted so much that I guarantee you she’s out to kill me. Furthermore, when you give the order for the town to evacuate, Myst isn’t going to like the idea of relinquishing her feedlot without a fight.”

“Yes, I know about Lainule’s heartstone. I heard the story. Wrath told me.” Lannan’s hands were on my shoulders, but this time, he didn’t seem out to grope me. He leaned down to whisper in my ear. “You are brave, Cicely, for one of the magic-born.”

“I am also my father’s daughter.” I let out a long sigh and glanced over my shoulder. “Lannan, we can’t let them win. Do you understand why I went to the Consortium?” I was hoping against hope that he wouldn’t hold it against me. “I know Crawl would probably order you to kill me or something equally as bad because of what I did…”

Lannan dropped his hands away from me and strode over to a chair where he could look me in the face. He quietly crossed his right leg over his left, folding his hands on his crotch. Nervous, I waited for a moment, but he showed no sign that he was about to jack off in front of me, so I relaxed.

“Cicely, I am not my predecessor. Yes, I am a hedonist. Yes, I would love to fuck you in every hole you have, but trust me-I do not relish altercations. Though I could probably take them on, I have no desire to fight your father and Grieve. Not at this moment. But you must understand something about me.”

He leaned forward, staring intently at me with those jet obsidian eyes. “I am not stupid. Never underestimate my intelligence. I don’t crave the same type of power Geoffrey sought. I am Regent by default. I would not keep this position if given the choice. I am far happier being free of these responsibilities, but when the Crimson Queen gives a directive, I obey to the best of my abilities.”

“Then you aren’t going to punish me for talking to Ysandra?” Surprised, but relieved, I relaxed. I’d been expecting nothing short of a beating, although knowing Lannan, it wouldn’t be a flogging but another humiliation scene.

“No. The Petros woman is nothing for me to worry about. The Consortium is as corrupt as the next institution, but if they offer help, I will accept it. Frankly, I could care less about fighting Myst. This is not my war. Geoffrey started this battle, and he wanted to soothe his bruised ego. So I welcome help. We may not need it, but I won’t turn away those who might be useful to me in the future.”

And with that, he stood and motioned to the door. As we passed through into the hallway, Lannan offered me his arm. Startled, and feeling unable to refuse-when Lannan showed a gallant side, it paid to acknowledge it-I took it and we quietly descended the staircase.

I had deliberately avoided telling Lannan about our plans to help Grieve, and I hoped no one else would spill the beans. Right now, we needed to focus our efforts on emptying the town without interference from Myst. Luck was with me when we entered the room. The others looked over at us but said nothing.

Grieve’s face was overcast with a dark shadow and I knew he’d felt Lannan’s advances toward me. As he glanced from Lannan to me, I shook my head at him, mouthing Let it be. Leave it alone …into the slipstream. Grieve snarled. Still scowling, he did nothing. But he kept his gaze glued to the vampire.

“We’d better make plans now that you’ve had a chance to sleep for a while.” Wrath spread out a blueprint on the table. “Here’s the radio station-it’s housed in the WorldCom Building, midtown. The building is used for a number of businesses, including a local credit union and a series of offices on the upper floors, which house architects, a couple of lawyers, and a decorating firm.”

We studied the plans. I flipped back to the first floor and tapped the paper. “The New Forest Radio Station looks to be recorded in a studio on the main floor. There are numerous entrances and exits, too many to assign guards to.”