Warden (Elemental Paladins Book 1) (13 page)

The female was feisty, curvy, sexy, tattooed, and … kinky. She was absolutely fucking perfect!

One second they were both upright and the next thing he knew they were horizontal in the dirt. Her legs were wrapped around his hips and he had both hands filled with lush, soft flesh. He buried his face where neck met shoulder and inhaled deeply, taking in her natural coconut and cinnamon scent. He groaned in delight at the tropical smell and couldn’t stop himself from nibbling a path up the tendons to the sensitive patch of flesh behind her right ear. Max shuddered and moaned tilting her head to the side, the sensual movement a subconscious show of submission. Ryker swirled his tongue in reward, tasting the saltiness on her skin from her earlier exertions. He rocked his hips, his hardness seeking out her softness and when Max undulated under him in response he had to grit his teeth to stop himself from blowing like a teenager.

Her body moved in fluid waves, her hips swaying in direct counterpoint to his causing an erotic friction even through the layers of their clothes. Squeezing the breasts he held firmly in his palms he delighted in the whimpering noises she made in the back of her throat. Her back arched, pressing those luscious mounds more firmly into his callused hands and her dark lashes fluttered, half obscuring her glittering eyes. He had been wrong; her eyes didn’t change from dark to light. They came alive, sparkling and flashing, mimicking the fire in her body. Unable to think of anything other than assuaging the urgent need pounding through his body, his reached down to unzip his fly … only to find himself on his back blinking up at the darkening sky.

What ... the … fuck?

A low snarl alerted him to the fact that he and Max were no longer alone and he rolled quickly to avoid the heavy paladin boot trying to stomp him into the dirt. Flipping himself to his feet he used his forearm to block the spinning kick that would have likely taken his head off. Catching the offending foot, he gave a sharp twist with his hands forcing the attacker to twist his entire body or risk a dislocated ankle. The man landed in a crouch, not at all off balance or out of breath. But then, Ryker expected no less of the fire paladin, he was a fierce fighter because he hated to lose and his wrath flared just as hot as his element.

Max had obviously recovered from her own shock for she ran between them, arms outstretched. “Axel! What the hell are you doing?”

Axel never took his eyes off him, he was a true predator just like Ryker and his lips quirked despite himself. The fucker wouldn’t go down easy.

“Get inside now, Max.” Axel ordered.

“Excuse me?” Max’s tone was incredulous as her eyes darted back and forth between the two of them.

“Please.” The word was ground out between Axel’s clenched teeth.

She looked to Ryker as if seeking assistance or maybe even expecting him to oppose Axel. Instead, he purposefully avoided her gaze. He knew why Axel was delivering this arse-kicking and it was well deserved. What had he been thinking?

Max huffed in disgust, “Men!”

He felt the warm swish of air as she brushed by him and caught the lingering smell of the coconut scent she left behind. Distracted, Axel swooped in fast and low and managed to get in a cheap shot to the kidney before he was able to defend himself. Roaring, he spun and kicked his fellow knight in the solar plexus but the bastard didn’t go down. Blood boiling now with a combination of sexual angst and male ego, he went for brute strength and crash-tackled the paladin low and hard, slamming them both into the unforgiving ground. Axel was able to move as fluidly as fire in the breeze and he scissored his legs, reversing their positions with Axel now on top and a huge fist travelling directly for his head.

Instead of trying to avoid the impact, Ryker simply let himself go limp, hoping the blow and the resulting concussion would knock some sense into his messed up cerebral cortex. But the knock never arrived, Axel pulling his punch a hair breath from impact and Ryker silently applauded him for his control. He didn’t think he would have been able to stop himself had the situation been reversed. Axel pushed himself back roughly, planting his arse on the ground. Ryker didn’t bother to move and stayed on his back throwing an arm over his eyes – not that there was any way he could hide from the lecture sure to follow.

“Fuck me sideways man! I should kick your motherfucking hide across the motherfucking yard! She’s a Warden, Ryker! She may not act like one and she may not speak like one, but she is. Her ignorance doesn’t change her birthright. She’s a warden,” he repeated, “start treating her like one or I won’t hold back next time. She’s too good for the likes of you.” The last part was snarled in derision and Ryker cringed as he felt the heat of the words.

The old adage, the truth hurts? So very right. How could he have forgotten his place for even a second? Not only was he not permitted to dally with a warden due to his paladin status but he was also a disgraced knight in their society with no warden, no Order and a faded Heraldry on his arm. He had no right whatsoever to even think about bedding Max, let alone touch her in any way.

“Ry?”

Ryker studiously ignored Axel, naively hoping the man would just consider his job of ‘virtue defender’ upheld and be on his way. But of course he hadn’t finished paying his dues yet.

“Ry? Come on, man. Look at me.”

He sighed and removed his arm as he sat upright. He thought he had successfully composed his features to his trademark blank façade but clearly he was wrong for Axel said;

“Aww, hell man … you
like
her!”

Yeah,
so
not happening, he thought. “So do you.” He slashed a hand through the air in irritation when Axel opened his mouth in denial. “Don’t try to deny it.”

“I wasn’t going to. Yeah, I like her. We all do. But not the same way you do apparently.” Axel stood up and brushed off his pants. “I know I tease and I flirt but I don’t think of her that way. She’s too … sweet.”

Ryker glared at the man in disbelief, “Sweet? That woman’s mouth could burn the ears off a sailor!”

Axel shook his head and offered him a hand up. Ryker didn’t hesitate as he gripped the strong arm and allowed himself to be wrenched to his feet. Now that his blood had started to cool he was infinitely grateful that the younger man had intervened and stopped what would have been a monumental mistake.

“I wasn’t referring to her vocabulary, the Goddess knows that is very … colourful. I was taking about her nature. Under that tough exterior there is an innocence there, a purity. The woman practically glows with it. Don’t tell me you can’t see it.”

Oh, Ryker saw it. He also felt it, given his low grade empath abilities. It was one of the reasons he was so drawn to her. He wanted to bask in that warmth and that light, maybe selfishly hoping it would outshine the darkness in his own soul. And that was entirely unfair of him, he knew. It wasn’t her job to heal his delicate wounded psyche. She had bigger fish to fry, like ensuring the world didn’t go down the crapper.

“I mean shit, Ry. She’s a fucking warden. What were you thinking?”

Apparently, Axel repeating that Max was a warden over and over again was supposed to make it sink into his thick skull. The problem was he hadn’t been thinking, not with his upstairs brain anyway. It was a mistake he wouldn’t make again. He rubbed his hands over his face roughly then turned to Axel.

“I wasn’t thinking. Don’t worry, it won’t happen again. I give you my word.” He locked gazes and offered his right hand. Just as Ryker had accepted the arm up, Axel didn’t hesitate to grip the outstretched palm. Ryker gave a firm squeeze to seal the apology and offer thanks before adding just enough pressure to be uncomfortable. “But don’t think I’ll let you get away with another stunt like that. Kidney-whip me again and I’ll lay you up for a week.”

“Whatever you say, old man.” Axel grinned with his trademark cheek before his dimples were replaced with a serious expression. “I didn’t mean it like it sounded when I said she was too good for you. I –”

“Stop. I get it, don’t worry.” Ryker didn’t want to hear the paladin apologising for hurting his fragile feelings. He also didn’t want to see the pity in his clear blue eyes. But apparently he was determined to embarrass Ryker further for he continued on stubbornly;

“I just don’t want to see either of you get hurt or the situation to get messy. This attraction can only lead one way; down a short road straight to nowhere.” His sapphire eyes darkened and Ryker could discern a wealth of anger and pain in them. “Take it from someone who knows.”

Before he could formulate a response, Axel spun on his heel and strode resolutely away from him in the opposite direction of the house towards the beach. His broad shoulders were stiff but he walked straight and tall. Feeling sorry for his friend and disgusted with himself, Ryker knew he should really listen to the expert here. And that was, unfortunately for them both, Axel.

FIFTEEN

Max was livid … and confused … and livid. She was also horny as hell! She was finally able to maul the object of her lust like she’d been dreaming about and Axel swoops in like some, well, knight! She couldn’t believe the nerve of the man. Just who did he think he was? And to add insult to injury she didn’t even get to watch as the two warriors fought each other. Oh boy, she wished she could have seen the two males grappling with each other in all their muscled glory. But no! She had been sent to her room like some teenager with a curfew. If they thought they could order her around and deprive her of a real honest to goodness male-induced orgasm, they had another thought coming!

Max stirred the pot of chilli furiously, taking out her frustrations on the minced meat. When she had entered the house the other four paladins had been in the kitchen figuring out the evening meal. They had been bickering like children and ordinarily Max would have found the novelty amusing and sweet, but not today. She had declared it was her night to cook and for everyone to get the hell out of her kitchen. She didn’t often have a kitchen she could putter in but when she was able to she actually loved to cook. It was something people with a home always took for granted. Darius had been predictably horrified:
‘wardens do not wait on paladins’
. But Max was in a mood and not to be trifled with:
‘you say I’m some kind of a boss or leader with high status? Then do what I fucking say and vacate this area until I give you leave to return!’
She had snarled. Beyden – sweet, sweet, Beyden had then made the mistake of asking:
‘Why are you mad? Did you get your period?’
The silent venomous look she threw his way had him scrambling out of the room, deserting his fellow soldiers on the battlefield. Darius’s eyes had been wide in horror and Lark had held up his hands in surrender, neither coming to the defence of their comrade. They had then likewise scampered out of the room like the male rodents they were. Cali had offered the helpful advice that the saucepans were under the sink before also leaving.

She was now in multitasking heaven with a pot of churning chilli, bubbling beans and boiling rice on the stove top. She had flat bread rising in the oven and was mashing up avocado, squeezing lemons and crushing garlic for an amazing guacamole. The cheese had been grated, the chives added to the sour cream and the salsa was in the refrigerator next to the fabulous salad. She had even taken the liberty of opening a couple of bottles of wine to let them breathe. She knew Beyden was the wine connoisseur and figured they were likely his from his coveted collection but she also figured that he owed her for the period comment so hadn’t batted an eyelash when she opened the expensive bottles. They were going to take away her man-toy, were they? Well, they would learn. Oh, they would
all
learn …

The back door slammed and Axel walked in. His face was flushed from the wind and his hair was mussed but other than that he didn’t look like he had just gone a round with a legendary knight. He did look a little sheepish but he also looked resolute and not in the least apologetic. The man clearly thought he had every right to interfere and he had acted in her best interests. Underneath her sexual torment was a tiny spark of warmth that came from the feeling of someone caring enough about her to stand up for her – misguided though it may be. He was just trying to help, Max knew they all were. Even Ryker. She was at that point where she now believed everything they said and trusted that they knew what they were talking about in regards to paladins and wardens and domains. She wondered when they were going to do her the same courtesy of believing her when she said she knew herself and her thoughts and her feelings. It only seemed fair that they extend the same trust to her.

Before Axel could speak, she pointed her spoon at him. “Not a word. Go and wash up and tell the others that dinner will be ready in ten minutes.”

“But –”

“What did I just say?” She snarled. Axel intelligently shut his trap and fled.

Not two minutes later, Ryker marched in. Max took one look at his pretty face and knew that Mr Hyde had returned. She had no doubt the original Ryker she had met two weeks ago who snarled at her, grunted at her, and insulted her with every other breath had made a comeback. Whatever Axel had said or done outside had caused the charming, articulate man to retreat and leave behind the only man in history to suffer from PMS. Max had been shocked to her core when Ryker had complimented her fighting skills and she had been pleasantly surprised when he had started to talk about the female paladins. She honestly didn’t know he had it in him. She had him pegged for a chauvinistic, sexist, patriarch and would never have believed he was so liberal.

“Let me guess; what happened outside was a big mistake and won’t happen again.” She prompted drolly before he could open his yap and dig a deeper hole for himself.

“Yeah. That’s pretty much the footnotes.”

Max eyed him, “Why not?”

“Because I said so.”

Max could only blink. “Are you taking the piss right now? ‘
Because I said so’?
” She continued quickly, “You know what? Suit yourself. It’s not like I’m hard up for orgasms or anything. My fingers work just fine, I assure you.” Ryker’s scar flexed as his jaw clenched tight. He wasn’t as unaffected as he wanted her to believe so she decided to tease the tiger, “Are you absolutely sure? Once we relieve all this sexual tension between us, our working relationship would probably improve.”