rest of her felt just as wobbly and unfamiliar, as if her brain had been transplanted into someone else’s body. It wasn’t the Haze. She knew it would surprise the hell out of Stryker, but she’d had Haze before. She’d felt a little dizzy and loose-jointed from the smoke earlier, but her current condition was entirely due to him and his kiss.
Sweet Goddess.
Her mouth still tingled. She could still taste him on her tongue, a flavor like dark chocolate, like wild, hot nights and freedom. She was still trying to remember how to breathe. Walking was a damned miracle. Paying attention to her surroundings was just flat impossible. She went where Stryker led and let her muzzy mind circle around one very important question—why? Why would he kiss her? Was it the Haze? One of its effects was euphoria, like a mild aphrodisiac, but some people had a stronger reaction than others.
She mused on this for a while before she realized that she was no longer moving. She was standing in what looked like a sitting room, lots of low, sumptuous couches and cushions everywhere. Lots of low lighting and dark, silky colors and dreamy, suggestive music. And she and Stryker were alone.
Her mouth went dry and her heart began to sprint, but before she could follow that thought to its tempting conclusion, a door slid open and a woman stepped into the room. Behind her, before the door slid closed again, Sukeza saw something that made her blink and wonder if she was imagining things. Then she caught sight of the woman’s outfit and forgot about the man—or men?—who dangled in awkward contortions over a large bed.
The woman wore leather straps. And not properly concealing ones, either. Sukeza couldn’t seem to pull her gaze away from the dark red nipples with their fine, dangling chains, knowing her chin was resting on the floor but unable to do anything about it.
“Darling,” the woman said, her voice low, throaty, and infinitely seductive. She strode toward Stryker, her body moving with cat-like grace, all muscled power and sleek control.
“Hey, Bella. Sorry to interrupt.”
The casual tone pulled Sukeza’s attention away from the woman’s exposed body parts and she looked at Stryker with a mix of alarm and fatalistic despair.
This
was the kind of woman he was usually with? This lush goddess with the tawny skin, killer body, mane of wild honey hair, and zero modesty? Oh yeah, his kiss had definitely been just the Haze.
“Sweetie, you know I don’t mind,” she purred, planting a kiss on his mouth then glancing down his body. “Especially when you look so happy to see me,” she added in a feminine growl.
One corner of his mouth curled in an expression that was almost a smile. Sukeza had never seen him smile. Her stomach curdled with hopeless jealousy and she wondered how the hell she was going to get out of this room before they started going at each other.
Then Stryker turned his head and looked at her. As always, the force of him stunned her immobile, his steady, dark gaze pinning her like a bug, rooting her in place. “Bella, this is Sukeza bet Marish. Keza, this is Belladonna Lace.”
The goddess turned her head as well and Sukeza felt her stomach flip under that proprietary gaze.
Oh damn,
another predator.
“Mmm, what
did
you bring me?” the woman purred, gliding toward Sukeza, her light brown eyes taking in every detail. “Such a demure package, and she
trembles
so. But she’s matrilineal, Kaskan, unless I miss my guess. Always a challenge. Scrumptious.” The creature actually licked her lips.
Sukeza saw her life flash before her eyes.
Stryker made a rude noise in the back of his throat. “When’s the last time I brought you a play toy, Bella?” he asked in a dry tone.
Sukeza took a deep, relieved breath when the woman’s sharp gaze turned away, a light frown forming between her tawny eyes. “Good point. You never bring me play toys. Why don’t you bring me play toys?”
“You find
Sweet Goddess.
Her mouth still tingled. She could still taste him on her tongue, a flavor like dark chocolate, like wild, hot nights and freedom. She was still trying to remember how to breathe. Walking was a damned miracle. Paying attention to her surroundings was just flat impossible. She went where Stryker led and let her muzzy mind circle around one very important question—why? Why would he kiss her? Was it the Haze? One of its effects was euphoria, like a mild aphrodisiac, but some people had a stronger reaction than others.
She mused on this for a while before she realized that she was no longer moving. She was standing in what looked like a sitting room, lots of low, sumptuous couches and cushions everywhere. Lots of low lighting and dark, silky colors and dreamy, suggestive music. And she and Stryker were alone.
Her mouth went dry and her heart began to sprint, but before she could follow that thought to its tempting conclusion, a door slid open and a woman stepped into the room. Behind her, before the door slid closed again, Sukeza saw something that made her blink and wonder if she was imagining things. Then she caught sight of the woman’s outfit and forgot about the man—or men?—who dangled in awkward contortions over a large bed.
The woman wore leather straps. And not properly concealing ones, either. Sukeza couldn’t seem to pull her gaze away from the dark red nipples with their fine, dangling chains, knowing her chin was resting on the floor but unable to do anything about it.
“Darling,” the woman said, her voice low, throaty, and infinitely seductive. She strode toward Stryker, her body moving with cat-like grace, all muscled power and sleek control.
“Hey, Bella. Sorry to interrupt.”
The casual tone pulled Sukeza’s attention away from the woman’s exposed body parts and she looked at Stryker with a mix of alarm and fatalistic despair.
This
was the kind of woman he was usually with? This lush goddess with the tawny skin, killer body, mane of wild honey hair, and zero modesty? Oh yeah, his kiss had definitely been just the Haze.
“Sweetie, you know I don’t mind,” she purred, planting a kiss on his mouth then glancing down his body. “Especially when you look so happy to see me,” she added in a feminine growl.
One corner of his mouth curled in an expression that was almost a smile. Sukeza had never seen him smile. Her stomach curdled with hopeless jealousy and she wondered how the hell she was going to get out of this room before they started going at each other.
Then Stryker turned his head and looked at her. As always, the force of him stunned her immobile, his steady, dark gaze pinning her like a bug, rooting her in place. “Bella, this is Sukeza bet Marish. Keza, this is Belladonna Lace.”
The goddess turned her head as well and Sukeza felt her stomach flip under that proprietary gaze.
Oh damn,
another predator.
“Mmm, what
did
you bring me?” the woman purred, gliding toward Sukeza, her light brown eyes taking in every detail. “Such a demure package, and she
trembles
so. But she’s matrilineal, Kaskan, unless I miss my guess. Always a challenge. Scrumptious.” The creature actually licked her lips.
Sukeza saw her life flash before her eyes.
Stryker made a rude noise in the back of his throat. “When’s the last time I brought you a play toy, Bella?” he asked in a dry tone.
Sukeza took a deep, relieved breath when the woman’s sharp gaze turned away, a light frown forming between her tawny eyes. “Good point. You never bring me play toys. Why don’t you bring me play toys?”
“You find
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