Heart of an Assassin [Daughters of Lyra Series] Read online

  She hadn't realised that it could do such a thing. No wonder it was expensive. Whatever it was made from, it wasn't a cheap stone that could be found anywhere. She had thought that it was just purple glass.

  "Why do you have this?” Her voice shook almost as much as her hands. The pendant jiggled, the heart swinging in a small circle.

  "I...” He lowered his head. The long finger-length black strands of his hair fell forwards to hide his face. She wished he would look up at her again so she could read the reason in his eyes because she was beginning to fear that he was going to leave her with no explanation. “Forgive me."

  She frowned. Forgive him? His tone had held such a solemn note, one that spoke to her heart and told her to do as he had asked, even though she didn't know why he wanted to be forgiven.

  "I should not have bought it,” he said to his knees. “But the Perseian took a little money and handed it to me. She spoke to me in my own language and made me foolishly believe in something which is impossible ... I never intended to give it to you. Doing so would break—"

  "I forgive you.” Natalia didn't want him to continue. If he was going to mention his duty and his position then she had to stop him.

  She knew that he had been watching her the whole time since she had left the palace but hadn't realised how closely. He must have seen her at the stall and seen the disappointment she had felt on realising that she couldn't afford the pendant. Taking a look at the scant silver Lynans in his jacket pocket, she realised that he probably hadn't been able to afford it either. Had the woman given it to him for only a few of his Lynans because he was Perseian or because she had realised why he had wanted it?

  The woman had made him believe something that was impossible. What was that something? Did it have anything to do with her?

  Natalia looked at the pendant. It was beautiful, but what made her smile was the fact that Ixion had bought it for her because he had seen her disappointment.

  "Thank you,” she said and he looked up at her, his clear purple eyes as bright as the stone that she held. “No one other than my family has bought me a present before."

  He frowned. “No one has bought you this. Only your family are worthy of buying you gifts."

  Natalia's shoulders slumped. She hated the way he talked about himself as though he didn't exist. He had done so the night he had come to take her home from the club and he was doing it again now. She wanted to tell him that she thought he was someone of consequence and that he wasn't a nobody. He existed to her, in her heart.

  "Can I keep it anyway?” She closed her fingers around the heart and held it to her chest. “Can I say that it means a lot to me and order you to believe it?"

  An order was probably her only way of making him believe it.

  She swallowed her nerves and stepped closer to him, so they were toe to toe. She looked down into his eyes and then leaned over, swept his black hair from his forehead, cupped his cheek and kissed him.

  It was barely a meeting of lips but her stomach flipped and her heart raced. She brushed her mouth over his and was surprised when he responded with force. His hand caught her wrist, bringing her closer and holding her there. His lips grazed hers and then he slanted his head and his tongue stroked the seam of her mouth.

  Natalia felt giddy when she parted her lips, allowing his tongue into her mouth, and clumsily tackled it with her own. It was thrilling to kiss him like this, to have such deep intimacy between them. His tongue slid sensually against hers, stroking it and her teeth. Her breathing turned rough and her blood heated. The kiss became choppy, a clashing of lips and bursts of tongues. Her nipples tightened against her dress and fire pooled at the apex of her thighs. Iskara. She wanted him.

  Suddenly, the kiss was over and he had drawn back into the chair. His eyes were dark as he stared at her, full of passion and something else.

  Anger?

  Natalia struggled to level her breathing, absorbing the calamity of sensations and feelings inside her. Renie had told her that males could make the female body do funny things but she had never imagined that it would feel like this, that she would feel as though her body was taking control and leading her actions.

  "Why did you stop?” she breathed, still trying to get hold of herself.

  His black eyebrows knitted into a heavy frown and he stood, pacing a short distance away from her.

  "I am an assassin ... under your father's command no less—"

  "Stop!” She didn't want to hear it, didn't want him to find a reason not to kiss her when she knew that he wanted it as much as she did. He looked over his shoulder at her with hurt in his purple eyes. She had never wanted him to look at her like that. It hurt her heart. It made her realise what he had wanted to say. “Don't mention my father ... or the palace ... or that I am a princess ... because I wish that I wasn't and I have done from the moment I met you."

  He turned now, a stunned look replacing the pain in his eyes.

  Natalia turned away, unable to see him when she said this because she feared it wouldn't make a difference. She was frightened that she would lose her nerve. Ixion was the only male that she had ever wanted. She couldn't bear it if he rejected her because of her title.

  "I wish I wasn't a princess,” she whispered and lowered her head. She uncurled her fingers and looked at the purple heart resting in her hands. Ixion's heart. She wanted to take hold of it and not let it go, wanted to make him see that it didn't matter what titles they bore, because she loved him and she knew that he had feelings for her. “I just want to be Natalia ... I want to be free to sing wherever I want to and do whatever I want."

  "What is it that you want so badly that you cannot have or do now?” he said close to her ear and she closed her eyes, relishing the way it felt to have him near. It was comforting and warmed her heart. He made her feel safe. He made her happy. “To sing?"

  She shook her head, turned to face him, and looked deep into his eyes. “You."

  His eyes narrowed, the passion in them reigniting, and then she was in his arms. They were tight against her back, crushing her to his chest. His mouth descended, claiming her lips in a fiery kiss that made her heart burn. She closed her eyes, tilted her head back, and surrendered to him. His tongue plundered her mouth and she fought back, stroking it with her own. The sound of his deep moan made her shiver with delight and empowered her. She slid her hands up his chest, the pendant tangled around the fingers of her left hand, and looped her arms around his neck.

  The sound of weapons fire drifted into the distance, the hard beat of her heart drowning out all noise. Ixion's hands settled against her sides, fingers pressing in hard as though he wanted to hold her forever and never let her go. She wished that he wouldn't. She wanted to be his forever. She wanted to give him every part of her—her heart, her body and her soul.

  His lips trailed fire down her neck and she leaned back, sighing at the ceiling as his silken tongue traced sensual patterns on her flesh. He travelled lower, his hands coming up to press into her back as he placed soft kisses on the curve of her breasts. Her nipples tightened against her dress and she found the courage to unleash her first moan. It felt so good that she did it again. Ixion responded by tugging at the short bodice of her dress. Her breasts spilled out when he undid the dark blue ribbons that held it closed across them.

  She gasped when his lips latched onto her right nipple, tugging it into his mouth. Her wide eyes fell shut again when he suckled and laved the pert nub, sending warm sparks skittering across her skin. She buried her fingers into his hair, clutching him to her breast, wishing he would never stop.

  Instinct made her lift her leg and wrap it around his backside. The move put her off balance and she crashed to the floor with him on top of her.

  "Natalia?” Ixion said in an urgent tone. She opened her eyes to see an overwhelming amount of concern in his. “Are you hurt?"

  Natalia shook her head and blushed when she realised that he was on top of her, between her thighs, her leg still hooked
over his backside.

  Before she could even think of something to say, his mouth had claimed hers again, his kiss fierce and demanding. She responded as violently, desperate to taste him and feel him against her.

  His hand skimmed up her thigh, pulling the skirt of her dress with it, and then moved down again. The next time he touched her, it was with only her stockings between them. His hand was warm as it stroked her thigh, making her tremble with need. She responded by sliding her tongue along his, brushing it over his teeth and then nipping at his lower lip. He moaned again, his breath hot against her face.

  "Natalia,” he husked and a shiver danced through her.

  She liked the way he normally said her name but she loved the way he said it in the heat of the moment, breathed soft against her skin and telling her of the depth of his passion and hunger.

  Natalia raised her knee and his hand slid lower, grazing her backside. He propped himself up on his other elbow and lowered his head to her breasts again. The feel of his tongue swirling around her nipple was torture but one she willingly submitted to. She tilted her head back and arched her body into his, forcing her breast against his mouth. He wrapped his lips around the pert nub and sucked.

  A moan escaped her, loud in the empty club.

  "Natalia,” he whispered against her flesh again and she ran her fingers into his hair.

  He disappeared. She frowned and then her eyes widened when he pressed a kiss to her inner thigh.

  Iskara.

  He was going to kiss her there? Renie hadn't mentioned anything about that kind of thing.

  Natalia's breathing quickened, anticipation making her tremble, and she stared at the ceiling. Waiting. Ixion placed a trail of kisses along her thigh, marking his path to the centre of her flesh. She gasped when he pressed a kiss to the thin silk of her underwear, directly over her mound, and then groaned when he laved her clit through it.

  A wave of pin pricks chased over her skin and she couldn't stop herself from reacting, from lifting her knees and letting her legs fall open. He licked again, rougher this time, and she flung her head back.

  "Ixion,” she whispered and her fingers scrambled for purchase on the floor.

  He groaned against her, as though the sound of her uttering his name so passionately had thrilled him.

  A cold draft caressed her backside when he pulled her underwear off and her heart fluttered. He was really going to kiss her there.

  She tried to prepare herself but nothing she could have done would have made her ready for how it felt when his tongue found her slick flesh again. He ran his tongue up the length of her and swirled it around her clit, sending jolts through her and making her whole body tighten. The warm feeling inside her abdomen turned to fire and an ache filled her, a desperate need to find release.

  He licked down to her opening and then back up again. It was maddening. She clawed at the dirty floor, writhing against him, unable to stop herself from thrusting herself against his mouth as he suckled and licked her clit. The feeling within her reached bursting point.

  Ixion flicked her pert nub with his tongue.

  Stars exploded in front of her eyes.

  Her already rough breathing turned choppy.

  Her heart hammered.

  Ixion appeared above her, licking his lips. She grabbed him around the back of his neck, dragged him down to her, and kissed the breath out of him, tasting herself on his lips. He moaned into her mouth and she answered with one of her own. Her whole body felt lax but as she kissed him, his hands moved over her body—skimming her thighs one moment and caressing her breasts the next—reigniting the hunger she felt for him.

  She wanted him.

  She wanted to give all of herself to him.

  Her hands slid down his sides and settled on his backside. It was taut beneath her fingers, the muscular globes delighting her. She could easily imagine how beautiful he would be when naked, but the room was cold even with her clothes on. She definitely couldn't imagine him wanting to strip off for her.

  Gaining some courage from the eager way that he was kissing her, she brought her left hand down and around his hip. She tensed the moment her fingers found the hard evidence of his arousal and then relaxed a little when Ixion moaned. She kept her hand firm against him when he thrust, rubbing his erect length against her palm. Bigger than expected. Renie hadn't said much about that either, only that males varied. Her tutor had said even less than that. It was a miracle Natalia even knew that some species’ males had parts like this.

  Ixion moaned and shuddered against her, his lips leaving hers. His face was beautiful—his eyebrows knit into a tight frown of concentration, his eyes closed, and his lips parted as he breathed roughly. Whatever he felt when she stroked his cock, it felt good enough to make him want to just stop everything and take it all in, to relish the sensations.

  Her fingers found the clasps of his trousers and she struggled to undo them. He tensed and she thought that he would stop her, but instead he leaned to one side and helped her. She craned her neck, looking down the length of their bodies, eager to see him in all his glory and to see what she did to him. She had aroused him. She had made him want her. Now all she had to do was make him go through with it. Renie had warned her about that bit. It was going to hurt and he was going to know.

  He startled her out of her thoughts by taking hold of her hand and guiding it to him. She wrapped her fingers around the rigid shaft and watched as he moved her hand up and down its length, stroking him. It felt good. Clearly it felt good to Ixion too because he moaned with each stroke of her hand.

  Her gaze settled on his hard cock.

  She wanted that inside her now. She wanted them to be one at last.

  Bringing her hand down, she forced him to follow, and raised her knees again. Ixion's eyes shot to hers and she stared into them, wanting him to see how much she needed this and wanted him. She wouldn't regret it. Her heart was his and her body would be too.

  He lowered his hips, removed her hand from his length, and guided himself to her slick opening. She tried to relax but it all happened so fast that she didn't have a chance. Before she could even draw a deep breath, Ixion had buried his length inside her. She bit her lip to stifle her cry as pain shot through her and closed her eyes, squeezing tears from them.

  "Natalia.” He sounded more than a little shocked.

  Did he think that she had visited the pleasure planet like Renie had? Most of her family either lost their virginity there or had some lovers from the planet come to them. She hadn't wanted that. She had wanted her first time to be with someone she loved.

  "Sorry,” she said through clenched teeth.

  Ixion peppered her face with kisses, erasing her tears with his lips and thumbs, and kept still inside her.

  "You should have told me, sweet Natalia,” he whispered against her skin.

  He would have stopped her if she had. He would have started spouting stuff about her being a princess and him not being worthy. She hadn't wanted that. He was worthy. He was the only man she would ever love.

  The pain began to subside and she opened her eyes, finding herself staring into the beautiful purple depths of his.

  Lifting her hand, she stroked his cheek and then smiled. “You would have stopped."

  The look in his eyes said that she was right.

  "Don't stop ... I want you to have this ... me ... like this.” She was close to pleading him to move, to take her mind off the pain and dark thoughts that were creeping in at the corners of her mind. This wouldn't be their only time. She wouldn't marry another. She would only marry the man that she loved, if he would have her. There was no one as worthy of her love as Ixion. “Kiss me."

  He did. He dipped his head and brushed his lips over hers, his kiss sweet and slow. Her heart warmed and her body relaxed under the gentle ministrations. When Ixion withdrew and slowly eased back in, she felt no pain, only raw pleasure. She moaned her encouragement.

  His pace quickened and she deepened thei
r kiss, sliding her tongue into his mouth, her body on fire as Ixion moved against her.

  His own moans joined hers, each thrust punctuated by one. Natalia closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around him, clinging to him as he thrust into her, each one making her body tighten a little more until she was close to begging him to make her climax. She wanted to feel him climax inside her, wanted this beautiful moment to be complete.

  Ixion touched her ear and she didn't realise that he had removed her translator bud until he whispered words against her lips that she didn't understand. They were passionate sounding, hungry things that made her blood burn even though she didn't know what they were. It was a beautiful language. It made her heart sing.

  His hands caught her shoulders and he moved deeper, thrusting all the way in, taking her out of her mind. Her body tensed but release seemed so far away. She raked her nails down Ixion's arms and then threaded her fingers into his hair. She kissed him hard, her teeth knocking against his with each thrust of his body into hers. He uttered something deep and rough, and then jerked hard up inside her. His cock throbbed, his warm seed spilling into her. She tensed her body around his length and the hard pulsing of it pushed her over the edge. Her hips convulsed against his, her thighs trembling with her climax and a warm haze suffusing every molecule in her body.

  Ixion continued to kiss her, slower now and softer, spreading the warmth inside her and making her smile. She could feel his emotions in it and they soothed her heart.

  She wasn't the only one in love.

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  Chapter 7

  Ixion pulled the blanket closed over Natalia's front and tucked it around her shoulders as best he could with one hand. His other arm was under her head, his beautiful princess's pillow. She slumbered on, unaffected by his coddling, her face the picture of serenity.

  The night had fallen silent shortly after he had found some blankets and she had fallen asleep in his arms on the stage. The fighting had stopped.