Lucius (Luna Lodge #3) (8 page)

“That’s bullshit. I’m fine,” Lucius responded.

“Maybe, but the two black eyes you’ve got say different,” Titus said and smirked. “She really clocked you good.”

Lucius glared at him.

“You know you need me on the clock right now.” He gritted his teeth. Getting into a fight with his leader wouldn’t do him any good.

“No.” Titus stood and walked to his side of the desk. “I need you at the top of your game.”

He was slightly surprised when Titus clasped him on the shoulder.

“You are out of it,” he said. “And I get it. Being consumed by the need to be near them. Having something to protect can do that to you.”

Lucius frowned.

“What the fuck are you talking about?” He shook his leader’s hand off and stepped back.

Titus looked pointedly to the door.

“She’s a good woman,” he said. “The men all love her. Many go to talk to her despite avoiding the shrink. She listens and doesn’t judge.”

Lucius glanced at the door. Part of him was glad she was there for the men, but the other part wanted to bitch about how much time she was spending alone with so many men. Not to mention he doubted she wouldn’t judge him.

“It’s not like that,” he said stiffly and looked away.

The room fell into silence, and he knew what Titus must be thinking. The other night. It was all he had been thinking about. There was no way he should have been interested in her. Pure hybrid chemistry suggested that he wouldn’t be interested in a woman that wasn’t a Vestal, and his nose told him she wasn’t one. And yet there he was. Still was, if he was being honest with himself, but it didn’t make sense. He might not be able to smell her, but his sense of taste was just fine. He could taste her in the air. It was driving him crazy.

“They are having the party,” Titus said after some time.

Lucius turned to glare at him.

“I’ll put you, Apollo and Marius with the women, as well as a few others at the doors,” he said.

“Marius?” Lucius wrinkled his nose.

“The women know him, and he’s quick,” he said. “Sol and I will take outside, so the women can have their privacy. We’ll put some other men along the perimeter.”

Lucius gritted his teeth but nodded. There was nothing more to do but go along. It was the worst kind of plan, one where anything could go wrong, but he wasn’t in charge.

“It will be fine,” Titus said to him and gave him a dismissing nod. Lucius stood, anger coursing through him as he stomped out of the office. What was the point of taking over some of Sol’s duties if no one was going to listen to him?

Lucius turned to see Hannah sitting on the couch. Her hands were resting on top of one of those skirts that he just wanted to rip off of her. Hell, he just about did the other night. The growl that followed annoyed him. He stomped over to her and enjoyed the look of surprise.

“Anything happens to those babies or Kate, you have yourself to blame,” he said and pointed to her. “This is a bad idea, and you should just be happy with what you’ve got.”

He stepped back when she stood. Her face was red and for the first time, she looked mad.

“Happy? That we get to live like prisoners? Scared on a daily basis from some unknown threat that no one wants to talk about? Oh, I’m so freaking happy!”

She stepped even closer, and he swallowed. It was a clear shot down the front of her blouse and lord help him, his eyes went right for the gold. Round and creamy, he wanted to place his face there and taste them until she moaned.

He jumped when she jabbed him in the chest.

“It doesn’t help when we have jerks acting like we’re committing crimes,” she said. “We work and live here just like the rest of you. That means our lives are on the line just like yours.”

Lucius looked into her green pools and a piece of him melted.

“We don’t think you’re criminals,” he said quietly. “Any one of us would lay our lives down to protect you.”

He could feel the emotion creeping in and tried to control himself.

She stepped back, and he missed the heat from her sweet body, nearly pressed against his own.

“Well,” she rubbed her arms and looked down, “sometimes it doesn’t feel that way. We never get any freedom, and the only person who’s even nice about the whole thing is Apollo.”

The growl came out before he could even stop it. Her head shot up in surprise as they locked eyes.

“Stay away from Apollo,” he ground out.

She turned her face up to him a little.

“Why?” she asked.

Lucius stepped forward, her heat again so close to his body. “Just stay away from him.”

His eyes darted to her lips as she licked them.

“But, why?” She moved a little closer. This time their bodies touched, and he had to bite his cheek to keep from groaning.

Her breathing increased, and he knew she saw the glow in his eyes.

Jenna cleared her throat, and for the first time, he remembered just where they were. Taking a deep breath, Lucius took two steps back from Hannah. His body hummed to do more, but it was more than just a bad idea.

“I’m off rotation,” he said and looked away. “But I’ll pick you up.”

Hannah blinked a few times before nodding. He shouldn’t. He knew he shouldn’t, but the idea of Apollo near her filled him with rage.

“Okay,” she said quietly.

Lucius nodded and turned to the door. Any longer with her, and he’d do something he couldn’t take back. Again.

Hannah watched him leave, still stunned. She looked over to Jenna, who she noticed hadn’t been typing since Lucius walked into the room.

She smiled at the shy woman, who seemed to suddenly remember that she was very busy. Nothing like bothering to pretend something very strange didn’t just happen. Hannah walked over and pulled up a chair next to Jenna.

“Okay, I’m not the only one who just saw that.” Hannah leaned in toward Jenna. “Please tell me I’m not going crazy.”

Jenna stopped typing and looked over to Hanna. She worried her bottom lip and looked torn. For a moment, Hannah wondered if she was going to say anything.

“Oh my god,” Jenna leaned forward and whispered. “I thought you two were going to strip down, and do it right here.”

Hannah laughed at the color spreading across the very quiet woman.

“I’m so glad to know it’s wasn’t just me.” She laughed even harder at the shocked look the other woman shot her.

Hannah wiped a few stray tears from laughing hard and smiled at Jenna. Despite being a little on the stiff side, it really seemed like she was more inexperienced than anything.

“So, we’re dying to know, what’s your deal?” Hannah leaned back for her story.

Jenna frowned and pushed her too large glasses up her nose.

“Story?”

“Yup.” Hannah coaxed out her most open smile.

Jenna seemed to relax and shrugged.

“Don’t really have one,” she said. “I work here and help my uncle with his house.”

“Does he need it?” Hannah liked the major, but he seemed more than capable of handling things on his own.

“Mostly just things around the house,” she said. “He and my mother had shared land, so I maintain both the houses.”

“What about your mother?”

Hannah wished she hadn’t asked when the woman looked down at her hands.

"My mom passed away last year," she said quietly.

"Oh, hon." Hannah took her hand. "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have assumed."

Jenna shook her shoulder-length curly brown hair.

"You wouldn't know," she said. "She was sick for some time. I took care of her for the last few years. My uncle would stop by and check on us. Make sure we were okay. Help with money and mom’s shares of the estate."

Hannah looked at Jenna. She couldn't have been much older than twenty-two. If she had been taking care of her mother for years, then she had spent much of her younger years caring for her dying mother. It was both sweet and sad.

"I should have thought first." Hannah frowned. "Just about everyone here has something they struggle with. I don't know why I thought you'd be any different. I'm really sorry."

For the first time, Hannah saw a real smile break through.

"You know, we're going to throw a baby shower for Kate on Friday. You should come."

Jenna looked nervous for a moment, and Hannah wondered how many friends she had. That many years without much interaction would make it difficult to even try.

"It will be fun," she coaxed. "I think Kate would really like it if you came."

She waited. It was a long shot because Kate wasn't exactly the warm and fuzzy type, but Jenna obviously was and might just be enough.

"You think so?" Jenna twisted her hands in her lap.

Hannah grinned and stood. "Be in the great room at seven."

She gave a little wave and left feeling a little better about her roller-coaster day. She had gotten the party. Lucius nearly ripped her clothes off. She’d even made a new friend. On the whole, a good day. It would have been better with clothes ripping, but the night was still young.

Chapter Eight

Lucius stood in the hall, watching her bend over the pictures and magazines on the floor. It was how he had found her the other night, and he was starting to think that, despite the perfectly fine table, she liked being on the floor, which was a little funny considering the kind of clothes she tended to wear. Not that he was going to complain. He liked her clothes. They hugged her curves and showed off everything that made the men flock to her.

His palms started to sweat, and he groaned. This wasn’t good. Getting nervous was so stupid. There was no reason he needed to let her get to him like this. He knew what it was though. It was that he might have to actually talk to her and, worst of all, that she might actually listen.

She rubbed the back of her neck. Lucius stood rigid as he watched her arms reach up over her head. She groaned, and he felt his cock harden in his pants at the primal sound. He ached to breathe through his nose again. To see if he could take in the scent that seemed to fill his mouth. He took a few deep breaths and sighed. It was the strangest thing, and he really didn’t quite know what to make of it.

Lucius shook his head. The last thing he needed was to get caught gawking at her in the hall. He walked to the door and knocked on the frame. She jumped at the sound and turned around to look at him.

He was nearly swept away by the dazzling smile she gave him.

“Lucius,” she said. Her breathy voice didn’t help his already swollen cock.

“You’re supposed to work in your room with the door closed.” He frowned.

Hannah sighed and waved a hand at the lights. “I tried, but the power kept going off and on all day,” she said. “When I called the main line, they said there were issues with the grid. It was the only way I could get air and light.”

Her face was flushed and without the fan, it likely got very warm in her room. Why she didn’t just leave was beyond him.

“Let’s go,” he said more sternly than intended.

Not seeming to notice his harsh tone, Hannah turned back to her work on the floor.

“I can’t yet,” she said firmly. “I’ve got to get a few more things picked out to order in the morning, or we’ll never get them in time for the parties.”

He leaned over her shoulder to look at the catalogs and wished he hadn’t. For about the millionth time, he was looking down her shirt at her very ample breasts.

Hannah cleared her throat, and his eyes jerked to hers. Totally caught in the act. Stunned, he had no excuse. Lucius opened his mouth to speak when the lights went out.

She gasped quietly and reached out for him in the darkness. This was nothing for him. Darkness was something he was made for. His eyes adjusted quickly. Without a thought, he crouched down and took her hand, pulling her to him. Safe in his arms, he listened to the sounds around them. Nothing unusual, but he had learned that quiet didn’t indicate much of anything.

“Is everything okay?” she whispered. She shook a little as she spoke.

He looked down at her. Her scared face peered back up at him, and he felt the need to make her worry go away.

“It’s fine,” he said soothingly. “I’ve got you.”

She moved deeper into his arms and sighed. His hand ran up and down her back in slow circular motions. After a bit, she seemed to calm and relax against him. They waited in the dark and listened.

“Did the outages last this long earlier?”

Lucius leaned Hannah to the side as he fished in his pocket for his phone. He grunted when she brushed up against his semi-hard dick and froze. She felt it. There was no way she hadn’t felt it against her thigh. He certainly felt it.

She shifted, rubbing against him again. This time her thigh pressed against the length of him. Lucius ground his fingers into the floor and gritted his teeth.

“Hannah.”

“What?” she breathed.

He frowned.

“Are you flirting with me?” he asked.

Her face fell a little. “I’m sorry.” She struggled to move out of his lap.

The rational part of his mind said to let her go, but no part of his body was acting rationally at the moment.

“Just…” He moved his arms a little as she tried to maneuver around them.

Lucius let out a frustrated sigh and brought her back against him in one swift move. She settled quietly against him, and he bit back a groan at the feel of her ass snug against him.

“Just stay where you are,” he mumbled in her ear.

She shivered in his arms, and he loved that he caused that.

It was different this time. Last time he had her in his arms, everything felt so fuzzy. This time things were different. He was more in control of his actions.

Slowly, he released the bear hold he had on her and skimmed a hand up her arm. His fingers brushed the side of her breast and she gasped at the contact.

“Lucius,” she sighed.

He wavered. Half wanting to feel the weight of her breast, the other half wanting to sit on his hands.

The alarms cut through the quiet night, and they both jumped. Without thought, he jumped into standing position. His phone still in hand, he dialed the number for the main gate.