Born of Legend (24 page)

Ushara hesitated in the aisle. “Suggestions, then? I don't usually drink it.”

“I don't need it, if you don't want it.”

She grinned up at him. “I normally eat with a certain young one who isn't old enough to imbibe. Since we're adults, I would
really
like some. My husband was a male of simple tastes who didn't care for it, but I have a feeling you are one who knows a really good vintage from a total waste of credits.”

“Ah … that I do. However, do you want a robust bargain or something decadently obscene that will leave your panties on the floor, your head in the clouds, and your bank account screaming in agony?”

She laughed at his description. “Is there a happy compromise between those two options?”

Screwing his face up, he perused the shelves for a few minutes before he finally reached for a bottle. “This should meet your needs quite nicely with the flavors you've chosen for dinner.” He added it to the basket. “Is there anything else you require?”

She bit her lip as she glanced about and tried not to be completely mortified. “Um … there is one thing. Wait right here.” She tried to be subtle and fast.

Unfortunately and to her utter humiliation, Jullien followed after her. Damn it!

She really, really hated the amused cock of his brow as she placed the small box into the basket underneath the food.

When she started out of the aisle, toward the register, he didn't move. Rather he cleared his throat to get her attention.

“Those won't fit, you know.”

“Excuse me?”

“They're sized for human males. They'll be too small and will probably break.”

Heat erupted over her face. “Are you serious?”

He nodded. “I would tell you to look on the box. But given the degree of redness on your face already, I'm rather sure you'd die on the spot of embarrassment.”

Grinding her teeth, she groaned under her breath. “I think you're too late. I already have.”

He grinned at her. Then, in the most debonnaire manner befitting a prince, he kissed her hand. “Go back to your place and I'll finish this and meet you there.”

“I have to pay for it.”

“I'm not a whore, Ushara. I can buy your dinner for you.”

“I wasn't implying that you were.”

“Then go and I'll meet you there. Unless you really want to shop for condoms with me.”

She let out an adorable squeak. “Fine, I'm out! I'll see you in a few minutes.”

Jullien laughed at her hasty retreat. He found it precious and refreshing that a female so worldly and jaded could be embarrassed by something so ridiculously innocuous. It also told him a lot about her that she knew so very little about what she was buying, and how to pick them out.

Though why she'd waste time with him defied his imagination and humbled him.

In all his life, no matter how many times he'd tried, he'd never been able to convince a female to go with him on a date, of
any
kind. Not even a paid companion. They would accompany him to prearranged functions he'd contracted for, and he could visit the condos he provided for them for specified visitations hours or they would come to his palace rooms, but that was it.

Human women had always been terrified of his Andarion size, and fangs. So much so, that they'd cross the street at his approach or run from the room, even vacate an elevator. It'd given him a complex in his younger years.

Andarion females were far more cruel and unforgiving. His human eyes had caused them to view him as a deformed freak. That had been bad enough. Once he'd started gaining weight …

His Andarion social life had come to a screeching halt.

No female had ever looked at him the way Ushara did. They had never made him feel the things he felt whenever she met his gaze.

Like he was desirable.

He couldn't fathom it. Why would a female so beautiful and kind waste her time on him? It made no sense. But one thing was sure. Unlike other males, he wouldn't squander this chance. He knew how rare and precious these moments were.

How fleeting.

They might only have tonight. And all he had left to give her was his heart and respect.

His life.

But they were hers if she'd take them. And if she ultimately refused him and threw him aside like everyone else had, then he hoped she had the decency to kill him.

*   *   *

Ushara had just begun to worry that Jullien had lost his way to her condo when she heard the light knock on her door. She opened it to find him there with a huge bouquet of red and gold flowers in his arms.

And coiled in the center of them was a pair of thick purple socks. The exceptionally soft kind that she adored.

“What did you do?”

He dipped his head down sheepishly to peer at her from behind the bouquet. “I called your herd of giggling sisters for a consultation. They said these were your favorite. The socks more than the flowers.”

Laughing, she pulled him inside to kiss his cheek. “They're correct, but right now, the male holding them outranks them all in my affections.”

“I find that hard to believe.… The socks are much cuter.”

She bit her lip as she took the flowers from him and carried them to the kitchen. He followed her with the groceries and set them on the counter for her.

As Ushara turned, she caught the hungry look in his eyes. It was absolutely searing and it riveted her to the spot. No one had ever looked at her like that. As if she was the air he needed to breathe.

And yet he stood away from her, rigid and aloof. With all the regal dignity of a prince.

“You know I give you permission to touch me, Jullien.”

Still, he made no move to do so. It was so ingrained in Ixurian Andarion culture to respect each other's personal space that they never reached out to lightly touch one another. Only the closest of family would do such.

Even then, seldom in public.

Fyrebloods were different. They'd never been like his kind. It had been one of many reasons they'd been persecuted and hated throughout the centuries on Andaria. They were far more open and free. And, with no understanding of why they were like that, the darkhearts had been suspicious of them.

Stepping closer to him, she reached up to trace the chiseled line of his smooth cheek. He looked so different without his light beard and new haircut. Refined and elegant. Perfect, and even angelic. He was absolute masculine beauty. More akin to a Fyreblood's leaner, sculpted features than the rugged ones of the Ixurians.

Her sisters had said that this was what had sent him over the edge. When he'd seen himself clean-shaven and stylishly dressed. Which made a lot of sense to her. In all the photos of him before he'd been disinherited, he'd been immaculately groomed, in the latest fashions. No hair out of place. No trace of a single stray whisker. It was as if a valet and fashion consultant had traveled with him to keep every fiber of clothing and hair in line at all times. As if it'd been beaten into him that he must never appear in public unless he was perfectly coifed, and regally composed.

Rigid and imposing. Commanding and arrogant.

There were times when he still bore traces of that. But for the most part, he'd shed his aristocratic persona for that of a wary, watchful predator. One who was ever vigilant and on guard. Even now, when they were alone.

He'd still positioned himself so that his back was to the wall and he was facing the door. No one could see him from any window. And his holster was open, with his coat pulled back to clear it so that he could draw his weapon if he had to.

Yet he was more relaxed with her and Vas than anyone else. In their presence, he would cross his arms over his chest. Even put his hands in his pockets. Around others, he kept his left hand hovered near his blaster at all times. Either on the blaster's grip, or his thumb hitched in the belt near it.

It made her feel incredibly special to know that she and Vasili, alone, held his trust.

And as she moved closer to him, his breathing turned ragged. He dipped his gaze to glance down her shirt. Still, he didn't move to touch her in anyway.

But the sudden bulge in his pants gave away the line of his thoughts. More than that, it shoved away any desire she had for dinner.

She smoothed the scarf around his neck. “How long has it been since you've slept with a female?”

“I don't remember,” he said hoarsely.

She gaped. “Seriously?”

His gaze didn't move from her breasts as he swallowed hard. “Four, six … thousand years.”

“Jullien!” She splayed her hand on his chest.

Grimacing, he pressed his thumb against his brow as he thought it over. “Mmmm … last time I was under contract. Edrinius '60 … I think.”

Aghast, she gaped at him. “That is literally five years ago.”

“Yes,” he said slowly. “
Well
aware of that fact. Hell, I probably don't even remember how to be with anyone else. For all I know, Androkyn aren't even doing it the same way anymore. They might even be using bells. Springs. I don't know. How would I know? At this point, I should cut things off and join the priesthood.”

She laughed. “You poor baby. And here I thought I had it bad.” She paused. “Wait … I do have it that bad. Ah, crap. I have it worse. Yeah, I haven't been near a male since I lost my husband.”

“Ah good, I won't feel so bad, then, when I screw it up. You won't remember, either.”

Laughing, she kissed him lightly on his lips. “Has it really been that long for you?”

He brushed his hand through her hair and lifted a lock of it so that he could twirl it between his fingers. “Trust me, you'll find out all too soon that I'm not lying. I'm sure my ineptitude will be stellar and embarrassing. I'm just putting it out here early to prepare you not to expect much. Please, try to refrain from laughing as it will devastate what tiny, little ego I possess.”

“Hmmm…” Ushara pushed herself away from him. She rooted through the bag to find the small box of condoms and wine. Passing the wine to Jullien, she put the groceries in the fridge and grabbed a light snack and glasses.

Jullien wasn't sure what was going on until she hooked her finger in his belt loop and pulled him after her. His heart began to race as she led him down the beige hallway to the most
bizarrely
feminine bedroom he'd ever seen in his life.

Yeah, this was not what he would have expected from the tough, serious-minded tadara of the Tavali Gorturnum Nation. It was so incredibly frilly and
p-i-n-k
.

And
flowery
.

Painfully so.

Not just pink.
Bright,
dark pink. Like if pink could bleed pink, it would bleed
this
particular shade of pink. He had to suppress a shudder over it. The only good thing about the room was the size of the bed. It had four posters that were carved into the shapes of white columns wrapped with winding vines of ivy and even pinker flowers. A smaller white and pink settee was placed in front of the bed with more pink planters of flowers on the floor. The room reminded him of a garden that had thrown up all over the place.

Ushara let go of him to deposit the food, glasses, and wine on the white nightstand before she headed to the corner where a collection of large, scented candles were set on the floor in front of a rustic arched mirror so that she could light them to bathe the entire area in a cheerful, warm glow.

Jullien paused in the center of the room to look up at the ornate white chandelier that had been carved into spiraling vines and glass flowers that cast more shadows on the ceiling. It gave the room a fairytale appearance and went with the pink garden motif.

“You okay?”

He scratched uncomfortably at his whiskers. “Yeah, just feeling the sudden need to do something extremely masculine.”

She laughed before she blew out the match and placed it in a tiny bucket of sand. “You sound like Vas.”

Once she had all the candles lit, she came up behind him and pulled his coat from his shoulders. She tossed it over the settee.

Jullien cupped her face in his hands as she unbuckled his holster. Her features were so delicate and fragile. And as he stared into those clear pale eyes, he lost what little was left of his battered soul to her. Slowly, he lowered his head, waiting for her to turn away and deny his kiss.

She didn't.

Instead, she sank her hand into his hair and held him close. At least until she broke from the kiss long enough to pull his shirt over his head and toss it to rest on top of his weapons. He flinched as she bared his scarred body. But she didn't seem to notice as she ran her hands over his skin and pulled him into her arms.

Even more nervous, Jullien swallowed as he gently undid her shirt, and slid his hand inside to touch her supple skin for the very first time.

Honestly, he expected her to slap him for it. But as he gently cupped her, she sucked her breath in sharply and covered his hand with hers, urging him on. He growled at the satiny feel of her flesh.

His senses reeled as every part of him burned for her, especially when he felt her undoing his pants so that she could stroke him. As soon as her fingers brushed against his cock, he almost came.

The intensity was so fierce, he had to pull away. Fast.

“Jullien?”

Unable to catch his breath, he bent over and raked his hand through his hair. Cursing, he struggled for control. “Sorry. I warned you it's been awhile. I just need a second to quit seeing stars.”

Instead of being angry, she smiled at him and then slowly stripped the rest of her clothes off before she turned on a low, soft tune and lowered the lights to a gentle glow. “It's fine, handsome. Take your time.”

That put him right back in business.

With interest.

Jullien was pretty sure his tongue was on the floor as he watched her slide sensuously over the bed. Rising up on her knees, she sat back with her thighs spread while she gently gyrated to the music and rolled her arms and shoulders in time to the beat.