Victoria's Challenge

  Working his way down to her taunt belly, Lucas' hands slowly slide the last piece of lace down her long legs. His mouth follows to taste and sample. He takes his time, savoring every response, each new discovery, the mole on her right hip, a ticklish spot on the back of her knee. When he presses his lips to the arch of her foot, her eyes darken, letting him know she wants more.

  “Like that?” he asks lightly raking his teeth over the sensitive skin of her arch.

  “Yes,” She gasps.

  “Good.” Kissing the inside of her ankle, he slowly works his way up toned calves, giving them the attention they deserve and the soft skin of her inner knees, before sliding them over his shoulders, so he’s a breath away from the place he's been dreaming of.

  “Lucas?”

  The unease in his life mate’s voice is the only thing that could have pulled Lucas’ gaze from the feast before him, and what he sees in her eyes nearly undoes him. There’s want, need, desire, love and fear.

  “Shhh, it’s okay.” He gently kisses her mound. “It’s fine. It doesn’t have to go any further Victoria, not until you’re ready,” he reassures huskily.

  “It’s not that. I want to,” she quickly tells him. “It’s just...”

  “What Victoria, you can tell me anything.” His eyes search hers.

  “I don’t know what to do,” she whispers. “I mean I know...”

  “This isn’t a test, baby.” Lucas knows his life mate she hates not knowing. "There’s no grade, no right or wrong, it’s just us.”

  “I know that,” she says a little testily.

  “Then know that the only thing you have to do is feel, feel and enjoy.” With that Lucas tastes his life mate for the first time.

  Victoria can’t believe what Lucas is doing to her. Yes she’s read about it, overheard the stories other interns told of the passionate sex they’d have, whenever, where ever they could but this wasn’t that. This was Lucas licking her as if she were the rarest of all treats, something so delicious it has to be savored. Her fingers desperately clench the sheets when he moves ever so slightly, giving her clit the same intense attention.

  Lucas can't believe how responsive she is, how good she tastes, so sweet and spicy and his. The sacrifices of the last nine cycles fade to nothingness, they were necessary to get them here. Now the universe was theirs.

  "God Lucas...that feels so good," she groans, her hips instinctively lifting, offering him more.

  He takes it, sliding a hand under to keep her where he wants. Coatings his fingers with her juices, he carefully enters the place no man has ever been.

  "Lucas!” She gasps, arching even further as her body responds to his invasion, her heels pressing into his back. "More Lucas..." she begs her body, tightening around him.

  Lucas responds by twisting his fingers as he works his way further into her hot depths, finding the spot he knows will drive her wild and exploits it.

  "Lucas!” Bucking wildly against his mouth, Victoria's body catches fire, she can't breathe, doesn’t want to, all she wants is Lucas to never stop, never stop touching that spot, never stop loving her.

  When a third finger joins the other two, stretching, twisting, teasing, she starts to tremble, something’s building inside of her, something she can’t control. When Lucas softly bites her clit while rubbing deep inside, she screams as her world explodes.

  Running a trembling hand down her back, Lucas holds her close as she continues to shake. Does she have any idea what it does to a man to have a woman respond like that? A trusting, honest, open, response. He has given her great pleasure. Her first, but he’ll make sure it’s not her last. When she lifts her head from his chest, he sees pleasure and just a touch of embarrassment.

  “What?” he asks caresses her cheek.

  “I screamed.”

  “I know, thank you.”

  “What?” Confusion enters her eyes.

  “You trusted me, when you were most vulnerable. You gave yourself to me.”

  “I’ll always trust you, I love you.” The simple statement moves him like no other. Pulling her close, he reaches over to dim the lights. “Lucas?”

  “Sleep Victoria.”

  “But you…”

  “I’m fine. I want to hold you while you sleep.” With his arms around her, Victoria’s right where she’s always wanted to be, with a sigh, she lets his heartbeat lull her to sleep.

  All she hears is her heartbeat. All she sees is devastation, devastation under a sickly yellow-green sky, as far as the eye can see. Removing her helmet, she takes a breath of foul air. Coughing, she covers her mouth and hears nothing, the silence is deafening, no birds, no insects, nothing.

  “Not so pretty is it, squirt.” Turning, she finds Grandpa Jacob sitting on a boulder, carving on a piece of wood.

  “Where are we, grandpa?”

  “In the meadow.”

  “The meadow? Our meadow? On Earth?”

  “Yeah.”

  “But…”

  “Cassie was right. What the bomb didn’t destroy, the moon’s debris did.”

  “Why am I here?”

  “I need you to see something.”

  “What? There’s nothing to see.”

  “You’re not looking close enough.”

  Walking over, she stirs up a fine dust that has her coughing again. Looking’s behind the boulder she finds three graves, each with a marker.

  “What?” She doesn’t want to know what she’ll find and still her feet move towards them.

  “Jacob Chamberlain.” Reading out loud, she looks at her grandfather who just shrugs.

  “You know I’ve passed. If I hadn’t, how could I be talking to you?”

  “Cassandra Chamberlain. Victoria Lynn Chamberlain.” She continues, then gives him a confused look. “But I’m not dead, neither is Aunt Cassie.”

  “Some think you are.”

  “But…”

  “Think, Victoria.” Jacob gives her a hard look.

  “How… Who…” If there are graves, that means someone is alive. Alive on Earth.

  “Yes, but not for much longer.”

  “What do you mean?” When he doesn’t answer, she walks up to him. “Grandpa…” Carefully, she takes the wood from his hands.

  “Brett…” she whispers. “My brother.” Her eyes shoot to his. “He’s alive.”

  “Yes.”

  “But how?”

  “You know. You’ve always known. You’ve just forgotten.”

  “What! What have I forgotten?” Suddenly there is sound everywhere. Something nasty is coming.

  “Put your helmet back on Tori, the storm will make you sick.” Doing what she’s told she hears his final words. “You have to hurry. If you want to save them, you have to hurry. I love you.” As the skies open, all she hears is the rain.

  Sitting straight up in bed, her eyes frantically search for Grandpa Jacob. Where did he go? Suddenly, she realizes she’s in bed, Lucas’ bed, alone. It was just a dream… a dream… wasn’t it? Where’s Lucas? The sound of running water makes her realize he’s in the shower. Looking at the clock, she sees hardly any time has passed. Why is Lucas in the shower? Rising, she goes to find out.

  Arms braced against the shower wall, Lucas tries to get himself under control. He couldn’t stay beside her, not without wanting her, wanting to wake her, have her. She’d been so open, so responsive, she screamed when her release hit her. What would she do when he was sheathed inside her?

  Fuck, he has to stop thinking about it. Thrusting his head under the water, he tries to drown his desire. It’s only twenty-four hours. After nine cycles, he can make it a little longer.

  God, look at him. He’s leaning against the far wall, water flowing over his massive shoulders, down a well-defined back, past his fine ass. Her fingers itch to touch him, to caress him the way he has her, to learn how to pleasure him. Slipping into the shower, she runs her hands over his shoulders, following the curve of his spine, spreading her fingers over his work-hardened
muscles.

  Caught up in the feel of him, she doesn’t notice his absolute stillness or growing tension. Continuing their quest, her fingers glide along his side exploring the curve of his fine butt. Slipping around to touch him, she feels him jerk away.

  “Don’t fucking touch me!” With his voice booming off the walls, Victoria’s hands freeze. She’s heard that from him before, in just that tone, in this very room. Oh God, what has she done? He’d come in here to be alone, to get away from her, why hasn’t she respected that?

  Lucas has withstood her touch for as long as he can but he knows if she touches him intimately, his control will snap. Rounding on her, he means to tell her just that, until he sees the devastated look on her face and realizes what he’s done. What he’s said.

  “Victoria…” He watches the shutter drop over her face, along with her hands. She quickly steps back, bumping into the other wall.

  “I… I’m…” Finding she can’t speak, she moves to escape.

  “NO! God no!” Grabbing her, Lucas wraps his arms around her stiff body, pulling her close. What has he done? She’d come to him, openly, honestly, desiring him, only wanting to give him pleasure and he rejected her. Kissing a damp shoulder, feeling her try to shrink away he takes a deep breath.

  “I’m sorry. I’m an idiot.” he mummers against her shoulder, trying to kiss away the hurt.

  “No, I’m sorry. You came in here to be alone. I intruded.” Her voice is as stiff as her body, carrying no emotion. “Let me get out of here, out of your way.”

  “No! Fuck Victoria! Yell at me! Scream at me! I had no right to say that to you.”

  “You have the right to say whatever you want. Let me go Lucas.”

  “NEVER!” Twisting her around, he tips her face up to him to whisper softly. “Never Victoria. Never again. It isn’t you! It’s me! I want you so badly right now that I don’t trust my control.”

  “You wanted to be alone, I didn’t respect that. I get it. I shouldn’t have touched you. I should have realized it’s different for a man.” The total lack of emotion in her voice scares him. She only talks like this when she’s extremely hurt. Hurt by him. She is innocent and still she trusted her body to him, but when she asks the same of him, he rejects her.

  “Touch me, Victoria.” When all she does is shake her head, he lifts her fist and presses it to his chest. “I love you, Victoria Lynn. With everything I am. I love you. Touch me. Please touch me. I’ve waited cycles for you to touch me.”

  Uncurling trembling fingers, she lets them spread under his hand, feeling his rapidly beating heart. Uncertain eyes meet his.

  “Feel what you do to me.” Pulling her to him, he makes sure there can be no misunderstanding. “Only you do this to me, Victoria. It’s been that way for nine cycles.” He has to be brutally honest. “I haven’t been with anyone since I was shot down on Earth. Since the day I first saw you.”

  “Lucas…” Victoria doesn’t know what to say, what to think, she never expected this. When he said he waited, she always thought he meant for her to come of age, not that he hadn’t.

  “Do you understand now? I want you so badly, Victoria. I could take you right here, right now, against this fucking wall!” She sees the truth raging in his eyes. “But that’s not how I want your first time to be, it needs to be special.”

  “It will be. It’ll be with you.” The simple honesty in the statement has him closing his eyes. “Lucas, there are other ways.” She touches his thigh, with a tentative hand.

  “I know there are…” He sucks in a breath as she caresses his hip. “But if you touch me Victoria… I don’t know if I can control myself.”

  “So I was controlled earlier when I screamed?” Her other hand starts a slow journey down his chest.

  “That’s different and don’t give me that look. It is. I could hurt you Victoria.”

  “You never would, Lucas. Never.” The faith shining in her eyes humbles him.

  “I did, just a minute ago.”

  “You’d never physically hurt me.” She feels him stiffen as her hands brush close. “It’s up to you, Lucas.”

  “And if I lose control?” Desire blazes in his eyes.

  “I’ll thank you later.” She smiles at him with a very sexy smile.

  Swallowing hard, he nods. “Touch me, Victoria. God, please, I need your touch.”

  Kissing his chest, she slowly moves her hands between his legs, gently cupping him. A shuddering breath is his only reaction. She knows he’s fighting for control. When she caresses his shaft, he slaps a hand against the wall, bracing himself as he starts to tremble. It thrills her that she can make him tremble, that her touch threatens his control.

  “Don’t stop.” He gasps, then puts his other hand on hers, moving it up and down, squeezing and releasing, showing her how to pleasure him. When she adds her own little twist, he groans, releasing her, needing both hands to support himself. “Victoria!”

  “Trust me Lucas,” she whispers leaning forward to kiss his chest, she tightens her grip just slightly, increasing the pace. Impossibly, he gets even thicker, longer, harder as his release draws near. Victoria feels her womb spasm at the thought of him doing that inside her. Leaning back, she watches as his eyes darken, go wild, then blind and with a deep groan, he spills into her hands.

  Lucas isn’t sure if minutes or hours have passed since his release. Feeling Victoria kiss his chest, he pushes off the wall, wrapping his arms around her.

  “I love you.” The smile she gives him is the most beautiful thing he’s ever seen. “God you’re beautiful.” Lifting her, he kisses her senseless.

  “I suppose if we’re ever going to get any sleep, I should put something on.”

  “Do you think that will make any difference?” Lucas asks as he runs a knuckle along her breast.

  “It might slow you down a bit.” She grins, pinching his butt.

  “Ouch. Not happening, but you can try it.”

  Wrapped in a towel, Victoria walks out of the bathroom to her bag. Pulling on her green nightgown, she pulls off the towel. Turning, she finds Lucas leaning against the doorway watching her.

  “Oh yeah, that’ll help.” He catches the towel she throws at him.

  “Get some pants on, you idiot.” Grabbing a comb, she heads back to the bathroom, time to attack the mop.

  With his sleeping pants on, Lucas looks at the bed and frowns. He’d straightened it when he’d gotten out, not wanting her to get cold, now it was a tangled mess.

  “What happened?” he asks, taking the comb from her, working on her hair himself.

  “What?” Surprised eyes meet his in the mirror.

  “Earlier. Why did you wake up?”

  “Oh, bad dream.”

  He stops in mid-stroke. “You had a nightmare?” He demands. "Audric?” He thought those had stopped.

  “No.” She reassures him. “It was more weird than bad. I was talking to Grandpa Jacob.” He sees the sadness in her eyes. “We were on Earth. After…” She doesn’t have to finish for him to understand.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, I just wanted you, so I got up.”

  Turning her, he tips up her chin.

  “Always come to me, Victoria.” Serious violet eyes bore into hers. “No matter what’s going on, I’m here for you. You will always be first.”

  “Lucas…” Stretching up she gives him a grateful kiss. Easing her away, he turns her back around to finish her hair.

  “I should just cut it. It’s always such a mess.”

  “No!” Startled emerald eyes met horror filled ones in the mirror. “Have you ever seen an image of the Carinian Tempest Sunrise?”

  “The what?” She’s never heard of it.

  “It’s a sunrise, a very rare and beautiful sunrise. Every ten cycles the three Carinian suns rise together. It’s beautiful in and of itself but every so often, maybe once every one hundred cycles, the conditions are just right and the suns’ rays shoot out, curling around each other in a
ll the blazing colors of red.” He reverently touches her hair. “It’s like watching them play with each other. Your hair reminds me of that, something so rare and unique. Like you.”

  Victoria is speechless. She’s never heard Lucas talk like this before. Never knew he thought of her like that.

  “When did it last happen?” she whispers.

  “Right before the Retribution left for its tour. Nearly ten cycles ago. I sat on a boulder at the cabin and watched it, knowing I’d never see anything that beautiful again then I saw you.” He looks down at her, love filling his eyes. “And discovered I was wrong.” He watches a single tear run down her cheek.

  “I love you Lucas.”

  “I know. It makes me the luckiest man in the universe.” Kissing the top of her head, he hands her back the comb. “Let’s go to bed.”

  “Hmm…” Victoria rubs her hand across Lucas’ chest. Lifting her head, she sees he’s just barely awake. In his unguarded violet eyes, she sees his love and the joy of waking up with her in his arms. Stretching up, she kisses him.

  “Good morning.”

  “It is.” His voice is husky with sleep. Running a hand up the leg she’d thrown over him in sleep, he slips under her nightgown to caress a breast. “Told you it wouldn’t slow me down.”

  “Not complaining.” She arches against him. Rolling her onto her back, he covers her, his mouth quickly capturing hers, hot, demanding, and just a little wild. Gripping his back she hangs on, groaning as she feels his erection against her leg. Instinctively she opens for him.

  “Victoria…” Groaning he eases back. “We can’t. Not yet. Tonight.” The eyes that meet his almost have him changing his mind. They are full of need and desire, but he is going to protect her.

  “I love you Lucas.”

  “I know and tonight we’ll be one. When I know you’re protected, not before.”

  Sighing, Victoria caresses his cheek.

  “Aunt Cassie always said you Zafar men were stubborn when it comes to protection.”

  “She’d know.” Capturing her hand, he kisses her palm. “It won’t be that much longer.”