Krygor’s Hope: Braxians 3 Page 5

  But not my Hope.

  She was perfect, too perfect. Even the way she looked at me, with tenderness, marvel, and even lust filled the hole in my heart. How many times had I envied my son and Ravik for the way their women looked at them? How I’d hungered to have a female that would gaze upon me with the same genuinely happy and possessive smiles Mercy always cast on Ravik whenever he walked into the room she’d been in.

  But it’s not real. Hope wants something from you.

  It felt so sincere, and yet, how could it be? She didn’t know me. We’d met only a few hours ago, and it had been orchestrated by Roman. However, despite being first and foremost a broker, Roman was also my friend. He wouldn’t try to screw me over for an easy deal, even if only out of principle. His reputation for honest dealings had been the reason I’d entered into business with him in the first place, which evolved into a deep friendship over the years. But I’d been weak before to a human female who had attracted me almost as strongly as my little Vaya did, right before she played me for a fool.

  Except, she’s not human.

  In spite of her fully human appearance—although on the taller side for a seemingly human female—I only knew of one non-Braxian species capable of taking a Braxian without extensive preparation and loads of the muscle dilator and relaxant, Denax. And even then, I would have been clueless about their unusual—but oh so exquisite—ability to have sex with us if not for our Magnar Ravik marrying a Guldan.

  So, what the fuck happened to her horns?

  “You seem troubled,” Hope asked in a soft voice while running the bath sponge over my chest.

  “How sore are you?” I asked, ignoring her question.

  She chuckled. A delightful blush crept on her cheeks, and her green eyes smoldered. Those instinctive reactions, which Hope had no control over, seemed to substantiate my impression that her responses and attraction to me were genuine. But I didn’t trust myself anymore when it came to beautiful females, especially one that resembled Marla so much.

  “Never too sore for you,” she said, reaching for my cock to put it inside of her.

  I wasn’t going to fuck her again… yet. We had a few things to discuss. But not having the wondrous feel of her around me as we did so seemed like too much of a wasted opportunity. I was Braxian after all, and we lived in a constant state of arousal. Sure enough, as her warmth closed in all around me, I barely held back a moan. Her inner walls naturally contracted over me in a gentle caress that felt as if they were undulating around my shaft.

  “Do you have any idea how much you please me, Hope?” I asked, my palm holding her pressed against me and my other caressing her hair before settling on her cheek. “How much I enjoy my time with you?”

  Her beautiful face melted into a tender smile, and she leaned into my touch. That did funny things to me and made my heart ache with longing at what I feared might be unrealistic expectations. But the sight of her damn collar at the edge of my vision dampened my amorous mood. I hated this mark of another male on my female.

  “I hope at least half as much as I enjoy being with you,” she whispered, her arms tightening possessively around me.

  That, too, messed with my head—my fucked-up head.

  Tracing her features with two fingers, I moved up the bridge of her straight nose, to the gentle arc of her right eyebrow, before rubbing my fingertips in a slow circle over the area where her left horn should have protruded from her forehead. Hope slightly stiffened, her glimmer of worry flashing through her eyes as mine bore into hers.

  “What happened to them?” I asked.

  Hope hesitated and, for a moment, the expression on her face clearly broadcast she contemplated lying or at least pretending she had no idea what I was referring to. I couldn’t say if my gaze hardening or her own volition had prompted her into not doing so. It would have been a sore mistake on her part. With my trust issues with females, it would have undermined whatever future relationship she and I could have.

  Hope swallowed hard then took in a deep breath. “Luther had them removed to help me flee Guldar,” she said in a voice laced with worry. “Did Roman—”

  “No. Your body told me,” I interrupted. “Only one species has females like you,” I added, thrusting once inside her to make my meaning clear.

  I clenched my teeth at another jolt of pleasure as her walls once more contracted around me. It hadn’t been such a brilliant idea after all to try and have a serious conversation with her sex so exquisitely massaging mine. But I’d be damned if I would pull out.

  “What’s the deal between you two?” I asked, trying to keep the tension out of my voice. “Why is he trying to con—”

  A soft chiming sound resounded in the room, and the lights partially dimmed before returning to their normal setting, interrupting me. Hope’s crestfallen almost panicked expression set my nerves on edge.

  “What was that?” I asked.

  “It went so fast,” she whispered to herself, before giving me a smile with forced enthusiasm. “It’s the twenty-minute warning that our time is almost up.”

  A possessive anger and jealous rage immediately flared within me. “Meaning what? You will go downstairs to pleasure another male?” I snapped.

  Hope slightly recoiled, her lips parting in surprise at my reaction. But instead of the fear I normally would have expected, she seemed pleased by my jealous outburst.

  “Once I go back downstairs, Luther will decide what I do next,” she said in a soothing voice. “Probably dance on one of the stages or perform a massage.”

  “I don’t want another male touching you, and I sure as fuck don’t want you touching anyone but me,” I snarled, my arms further tightening around her.

  It wasn’t a fair demand considering it was her livelihood—not to mention a contractual obligation—but this wasn’t about logic or fairness. I was addicted to her, and I didn’t share. But history had also taught me not to enter into commitments while thinking with my cock.

  “I don’t want another male touching me either,” she replied softly, her eyes flicking between mine. She licked her lips nervously, her thumb absentmindedly caressing my chest. “But… There might be a way.”

  I braced, waiting for her to ask me to buy her contract. Chances are, she owed a huge amount which would imply a very long contract. Was I ready to splurge so much on her just because she’d given me the best fuck of my life? Because she made me feel things I longed for but should probably steer clear of to protect myself? Because a part of me wanted her to be what Marla should have been but hadn’t?

  “If you are here for a few days, you could request my time be reserved exclusively for you for the duration of your stay on Lilith Hive,” she said cautiously. “With the Escort Service, the female you choose remains by your side around the clock, unless you require some time alone. You can do and go wherever you want with her, as long as she remains on the space station. So… if you were to retain me as your Escort, I would be yours and only yours for whatever duration you set to the contract.”

  My heart skipped a beat hearing those words. This would fit my purpose perfectly. With Roman’s business proposals, I would remain on Lilith Hive for an entire week; seven days during which I could assess if my apparent infatuation with the silver-haired beauty warranted buying her contract. I caressed her bottom lip with my thumb. Parting them, Hope licked the length of my thumb before sucking it into her mouth. My cock jerked in response, and she deliberately tightened her pelvic muscles to enhance the already divine feel of her around me. This time, I didn’t hold back my purr of pleasure.

  “So, you would be exclusively mine, twenty-four-seven for the next few days?” I asked, my voice barely more than a whisper as I watched her gently suck on my thumb.

  Her hesitation immediately made me tense again. After giving my thumb a gentle nip, she released it and licked her lips in a nervous gesture I was growing familiar with.

  “Well, technically, it would be more like twenty-two-seven,” she correcte
d.

  “Why only twenty-two?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at her.

  “Because we must be granted two hours a day for whatever personal matters we wish to attend,” she said. Worried by my frown, Hope quickly clarified things further. “Some of us have families. We can’t be gone for entire days without making sure they’re okay.”

  My face closed off, and it took every ounce of my willpower not to push her away from me, feeling utterly betrayed.

  “You have a family?” I asked, my voice dangerously low.

  “Just a daughter,” she said, her voice almost pleading. “I’m not mated, and I don’t have any partner. Just my baby girl. She’s eleven, and she’s my world. Everything I do is for her, to make sure she has a better life than I did, and to protect her from those who would exploit her. I never go a single day without spending some time with her. Please, Krygor. Please! Only two hours. Or at least one… one hour. I will go see her when you are having your business meetings. You won’t even notice my absence.”

  My anger immediately melted, my chest filling with a soothing warmth and an even greater attraction for the delicate female. I caressed her face, studying the perfection of her features while she stared at me expectantly, an almost desperate glimmer in her eyes.

  “Two hours it is, then,” I said in a gentle voice. “A good mother should always put her children first. I will never get in the way of you being a proper nurturer to your daughter.”

  “Really?” Hope asked in an almost choked voice, joyous tears gathering in her eyes. “You… you accept? You will take me as your Escort?”

  “Yes, my little Vaya. For the next week, you are entirely mine,” I said before starting to thrust in and out of her.

  “Krygor,” Hope whispered as if in a prayer.

  I swallowed the taste of my name on her lips while giving in to the blissful sensation of my woman’s body yielding to me. There would be time later for more questions, but for now, I wanted to hear her scream for me. And she did seconds before the ten-minute warning chime went off.

  * * *

  Luther was practically pacing in front of the elevators when the doors opened before us on the ground level.

  “You’re late,” he said to Hope with barely repressed anger. “This is why you can’t handle these kinds of services. You’re supposed to protect the client from additional fees for being late.”

  Stepping out of the elevator, my arm tightly wrapped around Hope, I marched up to the insufferable man, towering over him with my most intimidating expression.

  “Late fees are not an issue for me,” I replied in the dangerously sweet voice my enemies knew to be a sign I was this close from bashing their heads in. “We would have been on time had I listened to Hope, but I was having far too much fun enjoying her.”

  My hand caressed Hope’s bottom in a suggestive way that made no mystery of my meaning. Luther’s attempt at maintaining a cool expression failed miserably. Whatever doubt I held that he somehow considered my female his personal property died in that instance. The thought of that weasel touching her had my blood boiling with murderous rage. The sentiment had likely shown on my face as Luther took a fearful step away from me.

  “I see,” he replied with a clipped tone, dusting invisible lint from his shirt. “Glad you enjoyed her services. But as you are an esteemed customer, we will not charge you the delay,” Luther added with a syrupy tone, before turning hard eyes towards Hope. “You are needed on Stage C. You will alternate between the two side stages for the rest of the evening.”

  “I’m afraid that won’t be possible,” I said smugly just as Hope was opening her mouth to respond. “As I will remain on Lilith Hive for at least seven more days, I’ve decided to retain the Escort Services of the delectable little Hope for the duration of my stay, effective immediately.”

  Luther paled, his bewildered gaze going from Hope to me as he opened and closed his mouth, at a loss for words. “But… but… she has prior engagements!”

  “Cancel them. As per standard rules, the current customer has precedence over any newcomer,” I said dispassionately. “And longer term contracts trump any lesser ones,” I added, more grateful than ever for having familiarized myself over the years with basic contractual standards, not to mention the years helping Anton run his earlier strip clubs on Braxia before he made it to the big time. “Send the contract to Roman, who will take care of settling the details on my behalf.”

  “Mr. Aldriss—” Luther started in an argumentative tone before I cut him off.

  “Mr. Stromland,” I said in a threatening tone. “This is the second time you are trying to cheat one of your Indentured Servants out of a lucrative contract. You are either harassing this woman or you are running a very shady business. Do you also treat your other women in such a fashion? I will make sure to have Anton investigate whether my concerns are founded.”

  Luther further paled, a glimmer of panic flashing through his blue eyes, and his oversized Adam’s apple working overtime. “There is no reason for concern, Mr. Aldriss, I assure you. I might tend to be a little too stuck on my established protocols and role assignments. It’s just that Hope’s regulars will sorely miss her. Seven days is a long time to be away from home.”

  Hope stiffened against me, the nails of her hand resting on my waist digging slightly into my flesh. The way Luther had said the last sentence reeked of a veiled threat addressed to my woman. More than ever, I realized something greater was currently at play. Whatever the source or the outcome of the little game we were now engaged in, I’d already decided that Stromland would lose, and that he would never get Hope back.

  “I’m sure you’ll find ways to console them,” I said dismissively before turning to my female. “Go change and get your things. We’re leaving.”

  “Okay,” she replied breathily, looking up at me with stars in her eyes, as if I was the greatest hero she had ever beheld.

  My protective instinct flared, further reinforcing my resolve to free her of the wretch. I didn’t consider myself a gratuitously malicious man, but I couldn’t help hoping to find dirt on this Luther that would allow me to bring down a world of pain on his scrawny ass. In his presence, every single one of my ‘bad news’ alarms were going off. Unable to resist the urge to needle him, I gently fisted Hope’s hair before giving her a deep and passionate kiss full of promise.

  I released her, pleased by her flushed cheeks and darkened eyes. I caressed her bottom lip with my thumb then gestured with my head for her to go on. She smiled, cast a furtive glance towards her boss, and then hastened away.

  Turning towards Luther, I held his gaze, mine taunting, daring him to talk back. He pinched his lips and averted his eyes. My smirk broadened as I walked away heading out of the corridor and into the main room of Bacchus. A quick glance at the booths showed Roman no longer occupied one of them, his business having no doubt already concluded. I scanned the room, hoping he was still lurking around. To my relief, I found him sitting at one of the two bars, sipping on a drink similar to the ones he had ordered for us upon our arrival but that I ended up never tasting, too eager to further make Hope’s acquaintance.

  I made a beeline for him, the barmaid’s intimidated expression alerting him to my approach. Roman looked around me, no doubt searching for Hope, before examining my features, likely to assess my mental state. I jerked my head sideways, gesturing for him to come away from the bar so that we could speak at a safe distance from prying ears. He immediately complied, and we moved far from any nearby table or patron, but still in a central enough position that I could see Hope coming back out and that she, too, could easily see me.

  “You brought me here to buy her contract,” I said without preamble in a factual tone.

  “Yes,” Roman answered in a similar tone.

  “What’s the deal between Hope and Luther?” I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.

  Roman hesitated, a speculative look in his inky eyes, the same color as mine. “Before I answer that, I do
not see her. Did she not please you?”

  I hated being answered by another question. However, I also knew Roman didn’t discuss private information about his clients unless they were relevant to the ongoing deal. If I had decided to pass on her, he wouldn’t tell me anything else without her express consent.

  “She pleased me very much. Luther will contact you about settling an Escort Service between her and me for the duration of my stay on Lilith Hive,” I said, scowling. “Now, my question.”

  The subtle tension in Roman’s shoulders bled out, and he beamed at me, smile wrinkles creasing around his black eyes.

  “I am glad to hear it. She’s a good woman in an unfortunate situation,” he said approvingly. “The chemistry between the two of you was also quite impressive.”

  “Roman,” I said in a menacing tone.

  He chuckled at my impatience before sobering. “As you’ve probably deduced yourself, Luther is a shady fuck. Normally, I would wait until the end of her Escort contract to fill you in on the details, but I believe he might be up to no good, and I don’t want you getting blindsided.”

  My frown upon hearing those words only deepened. Roman gave me a quick rundown of the desperation that had led Hope to his door. By the time he finished his tale, my fingers were twitching with the need to go snap Luther’s neck.

  “What is the amount of her contract?” I asked just as Hope walked out of the hidden corridor on the opposite side of the room from whence we had gone up to the penthouse.

  Wearing a simple short black dress and perched on impossibly high heels, Hope’s face lit up when she saw me. She walked with her sensual gait towards us.

  “Three million, including my fees,” Roman said, also looking at her approaching us.

  A pittance compared to the sixteen million Anton had paid for Grace. A tiny scratch to my current wealth, but an insane fortune for the leader of a struggling clan that I had been only a few years ago.