The Silent(28)

And now… he was in her bed.

He drew in a giant breath and shifted, turning toward her and snaking an ink-covered arm over her waist. He pulled her back and spread his hand over her belly, tucking her body into his. His chest pressed to her back. Her head rested on his arm. His hips snugged against her bottom as he arched and pressed…

Good morning! It was back.

Kyra’s eyes went wide, but Leo didn’t wake up. Apparently he could sleep that way with no problems. She wondered what happened if he rolled over. It was very hard and stiff. Would it break? That seemed painful.

But the sleeping man wasn’t inclined to move. He rested with his face in her hair, breathing in and out with a happy rumble in his chest. His warm skin pressed against her back, and his hand rested on the soft skin of her belly.

It was all rather wonderful.

Kyra smiled and snuggled closer, enjoying the feel of Leo’s skin against hers. She was happy. Despite everything, she didn’t think she’d ever been happier.

He took another deep breath and cleared his throat a little.

“Good morning,” she whispered.

A quiet grunt was the only response she received. Leo wasn’t a morning person. That knowledge made her smile too. What else would she learn about him that would be only for her?

Leo lifted his arm from around her waist and put a heavy palm on her hip.

Kyra sighed and closed her eyes. His hands always felt wonderful. He rubbed her hip up and down in long strokes, following the line from her knee up her thigh, over her hip, and dipping down to her waist. His fingers teased her ribs and then started the journey down again. He did it over and over until she felt liquid in his arms.

Then he slid his hand up the inside of her leg, stopping at the juncture of her thighs.

Kyra sucked in a breath. “Wait.”

“Over your clothes.” His voice rumbled behind her. “That’s all. Just touching over your clothes.”

Oh. That sounded nice. Leo always made her feel good. She relaxed.

“Is that something you would like?” he asked.

“Yes,” Kyra whispered.

His fingers danced delicately over her inner thigh, nudging her legs wider as he explored her body like she’d explored his. His erection felt heavy at her back, but Leo didn’t move or press against her. He seemed solely focused on exploring the delicate and sensitive mound between her legs. She felt wetness pool, felt her body become heated and liquid. Leo kissed the back of her neck. Her ear. Her jaw.

“So beautiful,” he whispered.

His fingers ran over an excruciatingly sensitive point. Kyra’s breath caught, and Leo paused his movements.

“There?” he asked softly.

Kyra nodded.

Leo used his legs to spread hers, nudging her onto her back as he kissed her. His hand dipped down to that aching point, then retreated. Dipped again. Retreated.

“Leo?” Her breath was coming faster. Tension captured her spine and her breasts throbbed.

“This is right,” he whispered. “Does it feel good?”

“Yes. I don’t know. It aches.”

He bent down and closed his mouth over the peaks of her breasts, over the thin cotton nightgown she wore to sleep. It felt so good. Kyra’s hand came to the back of Leo’s head and pressed him to her breast. “Keep doing that. Leo, please.”

His hand didn’t stop stroking her as he teased her nipple. The pressure built. Her breath came faster.

“So beautiful,” he whispered again, lifting his head to catch her eyes.

She locked onto his gaze as her body started to tremble. Kyra felt utterly out of control. She held on to the edge, clutching for something familiar, something sane, some balance to grab.

Leo smiled. “Let go, Kyra.”

With a firmer touch, he pressed up and held her on the edge of a precipice… then her body broke. Kyra split open, shuddering with the most extreme pleasure she’d ever known. She cried out, and Leo captured her mouth, muffling the sounds of her climax with his kiss. He held her at the edge again, stroking her body into another jolting wave of pleasure. He covered her, his right arm lifting her as her legs drew up and her hand reached down, holding his left hand over that exquisite place. Pressing him closer, unwilling to let it end.

He eased his movements but kept his hand in place. Her skin was damp when he pressed his lips to her forehead. Her cheeks. Her lips.

“So sweet,” he whispered. “Kyra, it was beautiful.”

She felt beautiful. She felt like she was glowing from the inside. Her livah and her manah radiated, mingling together as her heart and her mind, her soul and her body, leapt toward Leo. He held her close, warm and safe and exactly where she wanted to be.

“What was that?” she finally managed to say.

“That was an orgasm.”

“That was an orgasm?”

“Yes.” He nibbled her ear. “Did you like it?”

“When can we do it again?”

Leo laughed, and it was a very satisfied, very male, laugh. It bordered on smug. “We can do it every night if you want. And during the day when we have the time.” He leaned down and whispered, “It will be even better with your clothes off.”

Her heart went galloping. “We may have to work up to that.”



The sweet interlude in the morning carried Kyra through another day of worry and dread. Scribes from Bangkok arrived around ten in the morning, driven up to the temple by Alyah. Tension blanketed the courtyard as two scribes and two singers greeted Niran. Dara had sent her brother, Rith, to lead the group. Grigori monks ringed the courtyard, watching their leaders welcome the ones who had spent a lifetime learning how to kill them.

No one looked pleased.

Alyah stepped forward and bowed to Sura. “My friend.”

“Your people are welcome here,” Sura said. “Our sisters have requested that only the Irina singers venture into the forest near the cottages. They would prefer the scribes stay in the more public areas of the temple compound.”

Rith asked, “How are we supposed to guard them effectively if we can’t be near them?”

Leo stepped forward. “The Irina are more than capable of assisting the guards Niran has already set in place, Rith. The scribes can help covering the temple and the village. There are already numerous fail-safes built in.”

Rith grunted, but he didn’t say more.

Niran watched the Irin survey the compound. Unlike Sura, he had not greeted anyone but Alyah. He caught the singer’s eye and strode back to the dining table in the garden where they had continued to plan their trip to retrieve Prija. They were hoping to leave that night and make it to the border town directly north of Chiang Mai where Kyra could do her first reading into the dense forests and remote valleys of Myanmar.

Like the human government, passage through the remote country had been strictly limited for decades. There was little the Bangkok scribes knew about Myanmar. Most of the Grigori still called it Burma, and they knew more, but not as much as they’d like. Sura had the most knowledge regarding Arindam’s people, but even his knowledge was a decade old.

They would take a small bus the Irin had rented in Chiang Mai, which should get them north of the border with little problem. The scribes in Bangkok had also assisted with papers for both Leo and Kyra, who would be scrutinized as Westerners. They were fortunate that the professional fight scene in Myanmar was popular and more and more foreigners were going there to train. Leo would be posing as a fighter traveling with a group of Thai professionals and their promoter. Kyra’s papers labeled her as Leo’s wife, which would mean they’d be sharing hotel rooms wherever they traveled.

After that morning, Kyra found the idea extremely appealing.

She nodded politely at the Bangkok scribes before she walked to the back garden, trying not to notice their stares. Leo came next to her, draping his arm over her shoulders.

“They’re staring,” she said.

“Because you’re so beautiful.”

“Because you’re with me.”

“Because they haven’t seen kareshta before.” He kissed the top of her head. “But truly, you are stunning this morning.”

She felt heat touch her cheeks. “I think you’re biased.”

“Wholly and completely,” he said. “But I’m not wrong.”

“We’re going to be posing as husband and wife,” Kyra said.

“Is that a problem?”

“I’m hoping I can talk to Kostas and Sirius before someone tells them. Or sends them pictures.” Leo tensed, and Kyra paused, putting a hand on his chest. “I just want to tell my brothers first. Tell them we’re together so they know I’m okay. That I’m not being coerced. It’s not Sirius I’m concerned about; it’s Kostas of course.”

“Does he think so little of me?” Leo asked. “After everything we have been through?”

“I’m his sister.” She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “He has watched over me always. He would be worried no matter who I am with.”

“Me,” Leo returned the kiss. “Let him know. It will always be me.”

She smiled. “Is that so?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm.” She started walking again.

Kyra saw Alyah waving at Leo, a duffel bag in her hand. It probably contained the spare clothes he’d requested from his hotel room.