Helion (12 page)

It was late before Helion returned. Verdun had gotten the
tent set to rights and the battle remains cleaned up in quick order. He’d even arranged
Gwen and Evelyn a bath and hot food as well. That Keeper really could work
miracles but he hadn’t been able to procure her a new bed. Apparently the
Keeper who’d created the last bed, Tohran, had sustained injuries during the
fighting and wouldn’t be able to make another until he recovered. So when
Helion strolled into his tent, it was to find Gwen lying in his bed. Having
Evelyn in the bed with her prevented anything suggestive but it didn’t stop
Helion from feeling an instant primitive satisfaction.

Helion acknowledged Gwen with a nod, then turned to Verdun
for assistance in getting out of his armor before getting into the readied tub.
Gwen pretended not to watch but she was acutely aware of the clink of armor and
rustle of clothing being removed. She couldn’t help but sneak a few peeks as
well, searching for any injuries, but mostly just ogling. He was so lean, but
powerful. So much delicious toned skin and muscles were currently on display it
was hard to decide where her eyes wanted to linger.

For one thing, while his skin was very fair, there was a
glow about him, a strange luminescence as if he was lit from within. She wanted
to bite those bulging biceps and trace his raised veins everywhere they led.
His fingers were long and tapered and she knew how strong they were, how deftly
they could stroke her body. Hell, even his feet were elegant.

Gwen’s skin felt too tight as she watched him disrobe, lust
hitting so fast it was disturbing. He’d taken her just a few hours ago and her pussy
still ached even after a long hot bath. But despite that ache, Gwen felt empty.
She remembered how he felt inside her all too well and she wanted it again.
Almost dying yet again had only intensified her feelings for the Keeper. She
wanted to take advantage of what time she had to indulge herself in this
liaison.

After all, who knew how long the Keepers would remain? They’d
appeared right on the heels of the Scourge and in just a few months they’d
scattered all over the planet and taken out what had to be thousands, if not hundreds
of thousands, of Scourge. It couldn’t be much longer before they completely
eradicated them and left the planet.

So why shouldn’t she strike while the iron was hot? She
wanted him and she knew he wanted her. As Gwen watched Verdun rinse blood out
of Helion’s hair, her fingers literally itched to do that task herself. She
could stroke his hair then take that washcloth and run it over those muscles
until every inch was clean, and then venture even lower still until she reached
his cock…

“Thank you, Verdun, I can manage the rest. If you would
please take the lady Evelyn to your tent with you until she needs to feed.”

Gwen looked up, startled.

“Evelyn is sleeping here with me, Commander. There’s no need
for Verdun to take her,” she said, throwing an arm over the sleeping form of
her little girl.

“If I thought you could control your screams and pleading, I
would allow her to stay. But you very delightfully lack the ability to be
quiet. You also know Verdun is more than capable of taking care of the little
lady.”

He said these things so casually, as if Verdun wasn’t
standing between them listening to every embarrassing word.

“I won’t be screaming or pleading. Evelyn can stay,” Gwen
retorted angrily, warning Verdun with a look not to come any closer. Helion simply
looked back at her, his face impassive, his eyes chilly. How he could talk
about fucking her brains out and still look like water would freeze on his ass
was beyond her. He didn’t even seem that interested in sex. His eyes weren’t
glowing. If anything he looked bored.

“My lady, please allow me to take the little lady for a
while. I promise you she will be completely safe with me. As soon as she wakes,
I will bring her to you so she may eat.”

Verdun held his hands out, as if he too was demanding Gwen’s
compliance. But after all the chaos today, Gwen didn’t want to let her daughter
out of her sight. Yes, she lusted after Helion but she wouldn’t let that lust
interfere with her care of Evelyn. Her daughter always came first. That Verdun
would take good care of her she didn’t doubt at all. But she was getting damned
tired of the autocratic tendencies of the Keepers.

“I will make this very easy on you, Lady Gwen. Hand Verdun
the child so we can deal with our needs in private. Do it now or I will get out
of this tub and drag you into the woods and take you up against a tree. You may
choose which option suits you better.”

Helion announced this in his clipped voice, sending a shiver
down Gwen’s spine. All things considered, it should be fear sending that chill
but she knew it wasn’t. It was desire she felt. Something really was wrong with
her, when seeing him at his iciest provoked even more heat from her. She knew
he’d do exactly as he threatened too. He’d offered her choices at the gas
station and had followed through on his word to the letter.

Knowing how uncomfortable it would be to be taken out to the
woods at this time of night, in this weather, Gwen knew she had to concede to
him. Again. With a grimace she eased away from Evie and allowed Verdun to scoop
up her soft, sleeping form. He was very gentle and Evie snuggled right up to
him, which relieved Gwen’s mind a touch.

Once Verdun exited the tent, a charged silence was left in
his wake. Gwen didn’t want to look at Helion. She could feel him staring but he
didn’t speak for long moments and her heart was pounding so hard she almost
felt sick from anticipation. She didn’t like feeling this way. As if at any
moment she’d beg him to end her torment as he’d threatened she would do.

“Come, lady, wash my back for me,” his voice came finally,
breaking the tension.

It wasn’t what she’d expected him to say. A command for her
to strip and spread herself for his pleasure seemed more in keeping with his
dictatorial tendencies. Washing his back, though, was fairly innocent, for the
time being, anyway. It would put her well within grabbing distance but really
any distance within a couple of miles was for this Keeper. If he wanted to
snatch her up, he would, between one blink of the eye and the next.

Gwen slid off the bed slowly, keeping an eye on Helion as
she walked to the tub. She’d read somewhere to keep eye contact with a predator
and Helion was definitely in that category. He didn’t move out of the tub but
he was very clearly stalking her. His eyes were hot now too, as if Verdun’s
leaving had let loose his fire.

When Gwen reached the tub, Helion handed her a soft cloth
and the soap before leaning forward, presenting his broad, muscled back to her
covetous eyes. God, his skin was so beautiful, the pearly sheen mesmerizing.
Gwen gently gathered the pale bulk of his hair and laid it over his shoulder,
trying not to get distracted by how silky it was and the memory of how it had
felt stroking her skin.

She settled into her task, leisurely soaping the cloth and
stroking it over Helion’s skin. Thoroughness was important after all and Gwen
made sure to clean every exposed inch. Sometimes her hand accidentally slipped
under the surface of the water, titillated by the feel of her fingers touching
places hidden by the suds. Each caress sent tingles of electricity from her
fingers to all the sensitive areas of her body, especially her breasts and her pussy.
Who knew the act of washing a man’s back could be so erotic?

“I can smell your heat, my lady,” Helion purred without
turning. “Take off your garment and join me. I’ll return the favor.”

Again with the commands.
Though Gwen had to admit
that one was more tempting.

“I’ve already bathed, thank you.” She clenched her thighs
together, just thinking about joining him in that tub. She’d never even
showered with a man, much less had sex with one in a tub. Helion was certainly
expanding her experience in delightful ways.

“It was not a request, Gwen. Strip now or I will strip you.”

This time he turned to stare Gwen down and at this range she
could see the raging tempest in his eyes and the lush lashes that framed them.
His brows had a wicked curve and his lips were so close she couldn’t help but
remember the feel of them against hers. His mouth had dominated hers in the
same way his cock had dominated her pussy and she’d never forget that feeling.

But this affair needed some boundaries. She couldn’t afford
to completely lose herself. Enjoy, yes, but not make herself completely
vulnerable. And he certainly couldn’t expect her to bow to his every command,
especially when it came to sex. Yes, in matters of safety she’d consented to
defer to him, but in matters of intimacy she wanted to have a say.

“If you want me, this time I want it to be on my terms. We
did it your way last time. This time I want things to be my way.”

Gwen stuttered through her bold demand, hardly daring to
move. Helion was a hungry predator after all and both of them knew very well he
could force his will any time and she’d put up nothing more than a token
resistance.

Helion stiffened and his eyes began to shoot sparks.

“And what are these terms, my lady?” His voice was impassive
but his eyebrows winged up incredulously. He seemed quite shocked Gwen was
trying to dictate to him.

“I want you. I can’t deny that and you said you can always
tell. But if you want me, I’d like to douse the lamps, keep my nightgown on and…do
this in the bed.”

With every word out of Gwen’s mouth, Helion’s eyebrows arched
improbably higher and higher.

“Why?” he asked bluntly, watching her like a hawk, his gaze
tracking the red color she felt washing over her face, the testament to her
embarrassment.

Gwen remained quiet for a moment, trying to think of the
least pathetic way to admit to having a self-esteem problem. She’d been chubby
before having Evie and was still well-rounded even after several months of near
starvation. Plus, she carried the badges of motherhood in various places on her
body in the form of faint stretch marks. The idea of him seeing her like that,
here in this bright tent with no shadows to hide in, was mortifying.

“I’m… I’m just… I’m not comfortable being naked, okay?”

It was hard to maintain eye contact, especially when Helion’s
eyes narrowed and his brows came slashing down. She had to rush to explain
further before he did anything drastic.

“It’s not uncommon here, Commander. A lot of human women
have body issues. And I’ve had a baby, so there’s that. And I was overweight
before that even happened, so I just prefer not to. I prefer to have sex with…that
is—”

Her stumbling explanations broke off with a squeak as Helion
suddenly rose from the water like a wrathful Poseidon. Gwen quickly realized
she was now at eye level with an impressive erection and shot to her feet,
trying to back away to a safer distance. Helion was too quick for her, though,
and snatched her forward again with an iron grip on her upper arms.

“You’re ashamed of your body,” he growled, jerking her
closer still. “That’s what you’re telling me.”

“Shame is a strong word, Commander. I’d say reserved or
maybe modest,” she replied with a shrug. “It’s not a big deal. You didn’t take
my all clothes off the last time.”

“The last time I took you, Scourge were beating down the
door and there was no time to extend the love play. That is not the case now.
You cannot think I don’t desire you, not with my cock hard enough to bore
through walls.”

His speech was blunt and crude and drew her gaze immediately
down to said cock, which was indeed impressively hard. Gwen took a moment to
wonder how on earth her body had managed to accommodate that monster, but then
again he hadn’t left it much choice, had he?

“That’s very flattering, Commander, but it’s not as though I’m
being punished. Not this time. I already accepted my punishment for running
away. If we’re on an equal footing now in this affair, I’d like you to respect
my wishes. I want to douse the lamps and leave my nightgown on.”

After several tense moments with them staring each other
down, Gwen saw Helion’s lips quirk. The quirk blossomed into a smile. Not a
comforting beam, not at all. It was a wolfish grin, all teeth, and it set Gwen’s
heart tripping with heat and more than a little trepidation.

“Very well, Lady Gwen, we do it your way tonight,” he
replied, releasing his hold on her arms. “Go lie in the bed and I’ll join you
in a moment.”

He turned away, leaving the tub without one shred of modesty
while he dried every inch of his impressive body. Once dry, he walked around
the large tent, dousing the lamps as she’d requested. Gwen’s heart still
thudded painfully hard as she scrambled back into the bed and got under the
covers. The urge to close her eyes was strong but she wanted to keep her gaze
on him. She didn’t trust his mood…especially after seeing that smile. But he
was doing as she requested, so maybe she was being paranoid.

Once done he came to the bed, his form a vague shadow in the
now-dark tent. Gwen felt the bed dip and heard the rustle of the covers as he
joined her underneath them. In that moment, it seemed like the rest of the
world stopped. She could feel his heat rapidly warming the space under the
covers, could practically hear her heart beating through her chest. Heat leaked
between her legs and her nipples budded pebble-hard under the nightgown, her
entire being focused on her physical reaction to Helion just joining her in
bed.

It was absurd to feel this anxious. She’d already had all of
Helion a very short time ago. But this time felt different. This time Gwen was
consenting up front. She’d set the terms and was no longer trying to suppress
her body’s response to Helion’s magnetic sexuality. Her body was in overdrive
already and he hadn’t even touched her. She was almost to the point of begging
him to mount her when he finally moved, cutting off her frantic thoughts.