“I agree. My mate doesn’t leave this ship until I know I can protect her. Trinity is everything to me. She is my life.”
“We understand. Jessica is ours just as Trinity belongs to you.” Ander’s deep rumble was not condescending or judgmental but completely honest and without a hint of embarrassment. The way Ander held her, touched her. The way she relaxed in his arms and just let herself be. Hell. I was envious.
But maybe I didn’t need to be.
Leo’s open declaration of absolute and complete devotion to me caught me off guard. The things he said to me in private I took in stride, attributing his words to passion in the heat of the moment. But calmly, coldly stating that I belonged to him, that he would die to protect me, that I was his everything? And to Prime Nial and Ander, two of the most powerful males in the galaxy?
He was everything I’d ever dreamed of in a man, and yet, what did I have to offer him? Danger at every turn? An uncertain future and years of war? An assassin hunting me and my sisters? And as much as I wanted to curl up in his lap and let everything go like Jessica had, I didn’t have that luxury.
I was a princess. And if my mother were not found, if the light of her spire went out, I would be queen. I would never truly be able to put his needs above the needs of my people. My mother had drilled into me the needs of the many outweighed the needs of the one. Justice. Law. Honor. Duty. I had a duty to my people to consider their wants and needs above my own.
Above Leo’s.
And right now, what my people needed was a plan that would help find my mother and keep me—and my sisters—from getting killed.
The discussion was heated and went on for several hours. I learned much about Leo and his skill, about his analytical and merciless mind. He listened to me without interruption. He considered my words carefully before responding. All of these males did. And Jessica? I learned she was ex-military, a journalist who’d been framed and sent to jail. Despite curling up in Ander’s lap like a kitten, she was every bit as tough as her two mates. And somehow, they made it work. The three of them.
They gave me hope that, perhaps, Leo and I could figure out a way to make this thing work between us.
Everything he did and said, every movement and tilt of his head, the way he backed down Ander and Prime Nial both when he disagreed with them? Or I did… everything made me want him more. Double damn, I was still in heat. My Ardor flaring up like a hungry beast inside me. And there was only one male I wanted touching me, heating me up, making me burn.
The discussion seemed as if it would never end, as my condition worsened
and I squirmed on the couch. But after going through the plan—start to finish—one last time, even Ander seemed content.
Ander cleared his throat. “Are you certain, Leo, that you do not wish for us to contact the IC, have them send some additional warriors from the Shadow Unit? They would make this easier for you.”
Leo shook his head. “No. Their arrival would only put Nix on alert. I would not risk additional danger to my mate. I promise, I will handle this when we return to Alera.” He turned, looked down at me, ran his thumb across my lips. “The plan is sound, but I need some more time with my mate before we go back. Her Ardor has not yet cooled.”
Heat rushed through my cheeks and I knew I was blushing, but I was mesmerized by the light touch of his thumb tracing the sensitive curves of my mouth. He was right. Even with talk of luring out an assassin, I needed him still. His energy. His cock filling me up. His body blanketing me with heat.
Him. I needed him.
“On that note—” Jessica laughed and hopped out of Nial’s lap. She was smiling as she walked out the door. Both Prillon warriors bowed to me and followed behind.
Blinking, I tried to think, to say something to clear my head. “Jessica, she’s a wild one. No wonder she has two mates.”
Leo’s smile made my heart dissolve into a puddle of melted goo in my chest. “She is nothing compared to you, mate. Nothing. And if anything goes wrong with this plan, anything at all, I will spank you until you can’t walk.”
I laughed, my pussy clenching at his words, my breath quickening along with my pulse. “Go ahead, Leo. Spank me. Make me burn. It won’t stop me. You know I love it. It makes me crazy. Makes me need you more.”
“You will be the death of me.” His voice was hoarse as he lowered his head to kiss me.
6
Trinity
“Leo,” I murmured as he pressed me up against the wall in our guest quarters and nibbled along my neck. Goose bumps rose across my skin and I was instantly eager for him. Well, not instantly. The hours of planning only made my need a slow simmer. Until now. Until his lips touched my skin.
He offered a grunt in response and continued to kiss, lick and explore the line of my neck, the top of my shoulder, even that sensitive spot behind my ear. My hands went into his hair, tangled there and held him in place.
God, he felt incredible. Every hard inch of him that pressed me into the wall, especially the thick feel of his cock against my belly.
His hands lowered to the hem of my shirt, lifted it up as he dropped to his knees and began to kiss every inch of skin he exposed.
“You’re so small. So fragile,” he breathed.
I gave a laugh, but it was quickly followed by a whimper as he nibbled along the line of my ribs. “I’m not weak.”