Prince of Ice, page 8
“I just wanted to surprise you,” he said, pulling off his swimsuit and positioning himself between her thighs. “I wanted you to anticipate this moment, getting wetter and more sensitive. I wanted to make this first time between us the best it could possibly be.”
“You’re impossible,” she said, though her voice was full of lust rather than irritation. “Now get inside me right now.”
“Yes, boss,” he said, grabbing the condom she’d set aside for him and tearing it open with his teeth. He’d familiarized himself with what they were after Dmitri’s unfortunate incident, though everything had worked out in the end. As he slid it over his length, he regretted that he wouldn’t be able to be skin to skin while inside her. But he supposed they would have adequate time in the future for that.
Besides, no matter what, they would be together, joined as if they were one, and that was the part that mattered to him in the end.
When the condom was on, so tight it was almost choking him, he took a deep breath and positioned himself at her entrance.
As he slowly teased her, pressing a little into her wet, soft flesh, he felt her legs wrapping around his back.
Slowly but surely, she was pulling him into her, and it was the hottest thing he had ever felt. As he felt himself sink into her softness, warmth surrounded him, hugging him tightly on all sides.
He dropped a hand on each side of her head and slowly came all the way into her, the two of them moving as if they had always been made to be this way. When they were fully joined, he let out a sigh.
“Oh God, that’s amazing.”
“Perfect fit, like I thought,” Iris said, writhing slightly against the sensation. “Though, it’s so tight I’m not sure what to do.”
“Just feel me,” Luka said. “And let me know how you’re feeling.” He slowly withdrew and came back in. Even with the condom, he could feel so much of her. He loved the view of her, too, her body splayed beneath him, her breasts bouncing slightly, her flushed face twisted with pleasure. “Iris, you’re more beautiful than I could ever deserve.”
“You’re gorgeous. Don’t be silly,” Iris said, her legs slowly pulling him in again.
He usually liked being in control, but he liked the way she was moving with him. It made him feel wanted, connected. It made everything hotter. He’d always been sort of an awkward person, and he’d doubted there was anyone who could deal with his odd ways.
But Iris not only accepted him; she embraced him without ever criticizing him or asking him to change.
He wanted to give her everything. He slowly withdrew and then stroked inside again, moving with her, feeling the rising tension.
She began to moan with each entry, biting her lip and writhing side to side, her hands clutched in the sheets as he started to move faster.
“Yes,” she said. “That’s everything. Oh God, if I knew it would feel this good, I would have asked for it sooner.”
“It’s good now,” he said. “We know each other even better. This is special, at least for me. I’m glad we waited.”
“Me, too,” she choked out, her body slowly getting tenser and tenser, echoing his. “It’s special for me, too. I couldn’t do this with just anyone.”
She looked up at him, into his eyes, as he entered her smoothly and withdrew again. Entered and withdrew. “It’s too intimate.”
“Yes,” he said, increasing the rhythm. It appeared at their new speed, she couldn’t talk anymore, and her eyes rolled back as she closed them, digging her hands into the sheets once again.
“Don’t stop. Oh God,” she said, her breasts bouncing as they kept going, faster this time. Her whole body was shaking, and he could feel his muscles trembling as well. Something amazing was building up inside him. Something incredible that made him feel like he could burst.
As they came together with one more hard thrust, she shattered, going wild with him still inside her, thrashing against the sheets. Her rhythmic clenching and screams of pleasure tipped him over, and he felt his whole body harden for a second before his world burst into white-hot sensation.
His release was so strong as he pumped into her, echoing her groans of pleasure, calling out her name. She was everything. Only she could make him feel like this. She was the only one he would love, forever.
“God, Iris, you’re perfect,” he said when the waves had finally subsided and he could relax forward into her arms.
She stroked his back, her body still trembling slightly, her breath still coming in gasps. “I’m glad, because you are, too.” She took a deep breath, but it was shaky. “I didn’t even know it could be like that. It didn’t just feel good. It was so… connected.”
“Yes,” he said, kissing her forehead, then her cheeks, then finally her lips. They stayed that way, lips together, trying to calm themselves, enjoying the warmth between them for another stolen moment.
Then Luka rolled off of her, wanting to give her relief from his weight.
She took a deep breath and looked over at him, eyes glossy, cheeks flushed, utterly sated. “Let’s do that again sometime.” She sighed. “Soon.”
He smiled as he got up to clean himself up and pull off his condom. “Fine with me.” When he was done and toweling off, he came back to stand at the side of the bed, looking down at her. “So am I on the couch or the bed tonight?”
She reached out both arms with a gesture of pure welcome. “I think you know the answer to that.”
Chapter 11
The next morning, Iris still couldn’t believe she and Luka had gone all the way. Though she was at the lab alone with him, it was almost like she could still feel his warmth after he’d held her against him all night in bed.
She could imagine now what it would be like to come home to someone, and for the first time, it was getting a bit hard to focus on work.
Which wasn’t good with the upcoming symposium. She needed to submit some more notes, but she also needed to track down Alek’s sample… and things were beginning to pile up.
Nonetheless, she would rise to the occasion.
She’d opened her email to send over more of her notes when she saw a new email from an address she didn’t recognize. As a chill crept up her neck, tickling her, she clicked the email open to read the words inside.
Dr. Jensen,
Stop snooping. You’re dealing with things bigger than you understand, and you’re going to get in trouble. If you know what’s good for you, stay out of the things you are digging in. This is your only warning.
Sincerely,
Concerned
Iris stared aghast at the message, wondering who would want to threaten or warn her. She wasn’t sure exactly which the email intended, but she knew it couldn’t be good.
Was it one of her colleagues that sent it? She wondered if she forwarded it to the IT department if they could get any information.
She wasn’t sure, though…
What if they shut down her lab due to threats? What if she didn’t make her deadline? What if this thing with someone stealing the sample was all just to mess with her and take her away from her work?
It was easy to talk about relaxing and think about a time when something would be more important than work, but that was easier said than done when security was right at her fingertips, just within her grasp.
Besides, the threats were probably just empty. But they did press on a part of her that was so curious about Luka’s history that it could barely hold back.
She was trying to respect his need for privacy, but it was hard when she was a scientist and had an ever-present need to have things explained or find a way to explain them.
She drummed her fingers on her desk, scanning over the email once again.
She respected Luka’s desire not to talk about his past, but she also knew that she needed more info in case she was actually getting into something over her head.
But at the same time, she didn’t want to talk about it with Luka. It would only stress him out. He might even decide she shouldn’t look for the sample, and she knew it meant a lot to him that she did.
She wasn’t even sure where things were going with him. At times, she felt so close to him, so sure of everything. She’d never believed in the idea of soulmates, but sometimes, when she was with Luka, the idea seemed not only possible, but definite. Like he was made to belong with her.
Iris bit her lip, wondering if Talia had ever shared the results of the sample with anyone. Surely no one else had known about it, considering how close Talia had wanted to keep it to her chest.
Did Talia know more about Alek and Luka than she was sharing? What about Chelle?
Now that her brain was forced to focus on something other than her symposium, Iris felt a bit out of the loop. Now that she was getting closer to Luka, she couldn’t afford to keep closing her eyes. Not if she was going to get emails stating that she was in danger.
Not that the email actually scared her. If anything, it made her more intrigued about what was going on. She wasn’t going to let anyone intimidate her. She never had in her life.
She pulled out her phone to text Talia.
Hey, you want to meet for lunch?
The response was nearly instant. Of course! It’s been so long.
It had only been weeks, in reality, but given how often they used to get together, it probably seemed like forever.
Still, now that Iris was spending all her spare time with Luka, she understood how her friend could get caught up with her man.
Not that Luka was her man… yet. Was he?
Meet at the cafeteria? Talia texted.
No, let’s meet at Giorgio’s. Better food, Iris replied.
Also quieter, more secret, and with no one there who knew them.
Sounds good to me! I haven’t been there in forever.
Iris smiled. Her friend used to be so logical, so stiff, and now was expressive and prone to exaggerate. It was like her black-and-white world was now full of color. Iris sort of understood.
See you there.
* * *
Luka stared down at the list in his hands, reading it over and over in his head. Name after name of different professors in Iris’s department mocked him, some crossed out in black pen, others highlighted with a question mark next to them.
He walked past an office with a placard reading Brian Halsey, PhD. But when he peered inside, nobody was there. He’d have to come back later and get a peek.
In the halls of the biology building, a few students milled around, headed to places unknown to Luka on campus in their quest for higher education.
All Luka wanted to do was pursue his mate. Convince her that he would be a good partner in multiple ways. Luka knew that both Alek and Dmitri had passed through their fair share of adversity to reach being mated, but it was difficult knowing that Luka had to work to earn his mate while still protecting his friends and everyone around him.
But perhaps old habits died hard.
His phone dinged, and he pulled it out of his pocket to look at it.
It was Lucien. The agreeable, pushy bastard.
Any luck? I imagine there’s no updates since I haven’t heard from you.
Luka had half a mind to block his number and forget this whole business. That or reply with something acrid. Heaven knew his annoyance was at peak levels now.
But he reconsidered, not wanting to push his luck with the other dragons in this world.
Before he could stick his phone back in his pocket, though, it dinged again. This time, a longer text from Lucien lit up his screen.
If you don’t have something soon, for the sake of everyone else that this puts in danger, I’ll have to tell someone else. This is a number for a contact that might be able to help in your search. That being said, my sources say he’s trustworthy, but he’s a bit of a wild card. So try to not share too much info about you or your friends with him. Also, don’t bring your mate around. He has a reputation.
A second buzz showed a number at the bottom, and Luka considered his options.
What kind of person would Lucien possibly be referring him to? By all accounts, they sounded fairly un-trustworthy by his estimation.
Best to play things safe for now, probably. Even if cleaning up this mess was getting harder by the day, he’d manage it somehow.
Luka kept wandering for a few minutes, locating offices, taking note of any abnormalities he could spot, clues that might lead him to where he needed to go and to whom he needed to talk.
It wasn’t until he walked past an unknown door and he heard muttering from behind it that he stopped in his tracks. The hairs on the back of his neck seemed to stand at attention, signaling something possibly important, and he leaned up to the door, trying his best to look as inconspicuous as possible to passing students while still giving him an ear into what was being said.
“Yes. Yes, of course.” It was a man’s voice, middle aged or possibly older. But he was talking so low, barely above a whisper, which made it difficult to place.
“I still have it.” There was a pause. “Of course it’s safe. Do you have the money?”
Unable to wait longer, Luka tested the door handle. But it was locked, a heavy deadbolt keeping him from discovering who it was inside. For a split second, he considered ripping the door off its hinges. But the presence of a small group of twenty-something students, chatting happily and taking their time as they walked toward Luka, would most certainly create a stir if he used his strength in such matter.
Already, his presence on campus with Iris raised enough questions about who he was and why he was there with her. The last thing he needed to do was get in trouble with security and have people on his tail while he was in the middle of his own investigation.
Inside, whoever was talking seemed to be moving around, and there was some further talking, but he couldn’t make out what was being said.
Luka’s mind raced with possibilities. And the group of students, clearly taking their time, took forever and a half to finally round the corner, leaving him all alone in the hallway.
Not hesitating a second longer, he pushed his way through the door, and wood and metal groaned from the effort. Even if it cost the university some money to repair the door, it seemed a small price to pay given that there was likely a thief in their midst.
When he came inside, a dank-looking room full of shelves greeted him. Rows of old equipment, tools, and aged-looking machines lined the walls and racks. Presumably, this was a storage room, perhaps for old things no longer in use by the department but that were kept in case they had some later use or were eventually disposed of.
Luka made his way through the place quickly, hopeful the source of the suspicious conversation would still be around. But the room was small, visible from end to end. It wasn’t until he spotted a metal door that his heart sank.
At full speed, he raced for it, shoving open the one-way exit. Bright, noonday light poured over him as he found himself outside at the back of the building.
He looked all around, but he saw nothing, save for a few dumpsters and what appeared to be a small loading dock devoid of activity.
“Damn,” he swore, cursing himself for not forcing his way in sooner. Whoever had been inside could literally be anywhere now. And by the sounds of it, whatever clandestine thing the man had been talking about could have very likely been what Luka was after himself.
He took a long breath, trying to calm himself. Then he pulled out his phone and sent a text to the number in Lucien’s last message.
A moment later, he got a time and place to meet that same night.
Whoever this person was that Lucien had referred him to, they couldn’t possibly be worse than the stress of not finding whoever it was at the bottom of this.
But he’d just have to find out later tonight.
Chapter 12
Giorgio’s was a quiet little Italian restaurant a few blocks from the university, and Iris felt a sense of relief the second she walked in. Her relief was only heightened by seeing Talia beaming at her next to the hostess stand.
Talia came forward to hug Iris, and the two were quickly led to a booth and handed menus.
As they waited for the waitress to bring them water, Iris tried to think of the least awkward way to get information from her friend.
She busied herself scanning the menu, genuinely excited to try some of the new food.
When they had ordered, Talia wanting the lasagna, Iris the fettuccine, the waitress collected their menus and left them alone with their water and a nearly empty restaurant.
“So how is your research going?” Iris asked Talia, hoping it didn’t sound awkward.
“It’s good,” Talia said, leaning back in the booth, a relaxed, content look on her face that Iris had to envy. “I mean, I’m still on track with my dissertation. It’ll be a long time before I’m looking at something like tenure, but I’m excited that you’re about there.” Talia shrugged. “It’s enough to be close to greatness.”
“You’ll get there,” Iris said. “How are things at home with Alek?”
“Amazing,” Talia said, leaning forward. Her long, dark curls were caught back in a ponytail, a few hanging loose around her face. Her tanned skin was glowing, and Iris didn’t know if she’d ever seen her friend in better health.
“It’s good to see you doing so well,” Iris said. Just seeing someone she loved thriving gave her a feeling of well-being, calmed her down a bit. But she hadn’t forgotten the original reason she asked Talia out to lunch.
“So how are things with you and Luka?” Talia asked playfully, leaning forward as though she were waiting for a particularly juicy response. “I’m telling you it’s hard for me not to bug you constantly about it, since you’re dating Alek’s friend.”
“It’s going well,” Iris said, playing with her straw and bending it back and forth a little. “I just wish he was more… open with me. Sometimes I feel like he’s holding a lot back.” She looked up to check Talia’s expression and saw a hint of telltale guilt. “Did Alek hold things back from you?”
