Prince of Spies Read online

  Testing her, Nico spread her pussy wide, examining it fully before bending to place a few little biting kisses on her clit. Riki fairly jumped off the bed as her pussy flooded with a fresh wave of telling cream.

  “Will you look at that?” Drake drawled, clearly at ease with the situation. “I think she likes you.”

  “No doubt about it,” Nico agreed, sitting back a little and letting Drake look his fill. Nico watched Riki’s eyes and the reactions of her body as Drake moved closer. Damn, if his little woman wasn’t excited by the other man’s eyes on her naked pussy. He thought to push her one step further. “Hold her hands while I lick her clean. I think she needs to come once more for me before I’ll be satisfied.”

  Drake approached quietly, sitting at the side of the bed and taking Riki’s fragile wrists into one of his big hands. He held them loosely but firmly, up above her head.

  “Is this all right?” Drake asked. Nico was proud of her when she nodded. Her cheeks were flushed, probably with a mix of both embarrassment and excitement if he were any judge, but she was definitely responding to Nico’s desires, pushing the limits of her comfort zone.

  “She has pretty tits.” Nico pushed a bit further, step by step.

  “Really?” Drake asked dryly, obviously waiting to see where this would all lead.

  “Can we show Drake your tits, baby? Will you let him play with your nipples while I stick my tongue up your pussy?”

  Riki gasped, but nodded shyly, her luminous green eyes going wide as Nico lifted her dress and shift up and over her shoulders, baring her completely. The fabric tangled around her wrists, effectively binding her hands, which was all to the good when Drake reached down with both hands to fondle her breasts.

  Nico took her shiver as a sign she was nearing another peak. He wanted his tongue inside her this time when she flew. It was the closest he could come at this point to possessing her completely, and it would have to do for now. Dropping down, Nico held her gaze while he zeroed in on her clit with his tongue and gentle nips of his teeth.

  “You’re right, Nick, your girl has very pretty nipples. Do you think she’d let me kiss them?”

  “Pushing it, don’t you think, Drake?” Nico asked as he rose up just a little from his assault on her clit. But then Nico felt the jump in her pulse and the excitement in her eyes and he relented. He would give Riki anything she desired. Anything. “Go ahead, Drake. Taste her nipples. They’re the finest in the land.”

  “No doubt.” Drake smiled as he leaned down, blocking Nico’s view of Riki’s eyes, but it was all right. He felt her in his heart, in his soul. He knew she was enjoying this journey of discovery as much as he was. He resumed licking her pussy, laving up every drop of her cream and fucking in and out of her with his tongue while his slick fingers dropped down even lower to tease the forbidden hole at the back of her body.

  Riki jumped when he inserted his finger just a short distance into her ass but didn’t demure. No, his girl was with him every step of the way.

  Chapter Eight

  Riki couldn’t believe what was happening. Nico was thrusting his tongue in and out, driving her wild, while his devilish friend nibbled on her nipples. She’d never felt so wanton—or so excited—in her entire life. Admittedly, her experience was nil, but she’d seen all manner of things in Lucan’s rooms. This, by far, was the most exciting.

  Drake stared deep into her eyes as he lifted up just slightly, tugging at one nipple with the barest graze of his teeth. His blue eyes flashed so brightly, they reminded her of the precious blue gems in some of Lucan’s crown jewels. Sapphires, she thought they were called. Drake’s sapphire eyes were filled with devilish amusement, daring her to join in the fun.

  But her senses were completely overwhelmed by Nico’s skillful tongue working its magic below. With a whimpering cry, she came hard against his tongue, flying higher than she had before, soaring above the earth as she experienced the greatest pleasure she’d felt yet under Nico’s skillful direction. He licked her and sucked lightly throughout, holding her at the pinnacle for a timeless moment, stretching the pleasure out.

  When she finally settled back to earth, Drake was watching her, his handsome face mere inches from her own, his smile wide and genuine.

  “I thank you, milady.”

  “Um.” She spoke softly, embarrassment flooding her cheeks with heat. “I think that should be the other way around.”

  Drake chuckled as Nico finally rose from between her legs, peering over Drake’s shoulder as he caressed her thighs with his big hands, soothing her. She liked the way he watched over her, caring for her safety and pleasure above his own.

  Drake moved down and Nico growled. But Drake only shrugged as he placed a light kiss on Riki’s lips, a soft salutation of friendship and respect. She felt all that in his kiss, just as she felt Nico’s possessive grip on her thighs tighten until Drake moved back, rising to his feet beside the bed. He moved casually to the things he’d dropped on the table and chair by the door and Riki took a moment to catch her breath. There was still Nico to deal with and she could feel him staring at her naked form.

  She couldn’t quite meet his eyes yet and like a coward, she shut her own, hiding. It took her by surprise when she felt Nico kiss the small scar on her waist—the deepest one among many from Lucan’s skith venom torture sessions. She knew the wound was ugly and tears came to her eyes when she felt Nico kiss each and every one of her scars on his way up her body. At length, he settled over her, blanketing her with his warm length.

  “Look at me, sweetheart.”

  “I can’t.”

  “You must.” His voice cajoled, teasing her into doing his bidding. “Or we will lie like this all night and in such case, I cannot guarantee you will wake a virgin.”

  “Nico!” She gasped at his blatant teasing, knowing Drake could hear everything, and opened her eyes directly into Nico’s hazel gaze.

  He was smiling so beautifully, she felt it in her knees. He really was the most handsome man she had ever set eyes on. And the most giving.

  “Drake knows, sweetheart. He knows how you’ve been treated, and he will protect you, just as I will.”

  “I trust you, Nico.” Her words seemed to affect him greatly. His jaw clenched and something like hope burst in his gaze, only to be tamped down as he rolled slightly away.

  “Are you all right with what just happened?”

  Riki ducked her head, embarrassed to talk so openly about the scandalous things she’d just let them do to her body. But Nico tipped her chin up, forcing her gaze to meet his.

  “Don’t hide, sweetheart. I didn’t mean to rush you, but you were so sweetly responsive in my arms, I couldn’t help myself. It’s perfectly normal to enjoy what we did. I only regret if I pushed you too far. Did you enjoy it?”

  “You know I did.” The admission was forced from the depths of her embarrassment.

  Nico beamed and kissed her deeply, rubbing himself lightly against her. When he let her up for air, she was panting once more. The man was potent.

  “Good. You’ve made me very happy, Riki. Thank you.”

  She knew he was talking about her daring actions before Drake arrived and she was glad Nico didn’t go into specifics with the other man present, no matter what they had just shared. Some things were meant to be private, between herself and Nico alone.

  “You’re welcome.”

  Drake laughed from the corner of the room. “You two are more formal than my granny.”

  Nico threw a pillow at Drake, but levered himself up from the bed, tugging at his leggings as he went, covering himself. Riki felt a pang of regret when he was all tucked away. With some shock, she realized she actually wanted to see a man’s cock, wanted to lick it, wanted to own it. Not just any man’s, but Nico’s in particular.

  But there was work to be done.

  Riki watched Nico saunter over to the table, picking up the sword Drake placed before him. Expertly, he tested the balance as Riki scrambled to a sitting p
osition on the bed, tugging her clothing down over her body and pulling a blanket around her shoulders for good measure.

  She wasn’t normally comfortable showing her body because of all the scars. The minutes before had been an aberration caused by extreme pleasure. Pleasure so intense, her cheeks flooded with heat and her pussy with cream, just remembering it.

  Nico inhaled deeply and turned to wink at her. His smile was downright wicked. Riki began to wonder just how acute dragon senses were. Could he actually smell her renewed arousal? It certainly seemed as if he could.

  “This is a fine blade,” Nico nodded at Drake. “Good choice.”

  Drake nodded, passing a set of knives to Nico. “Try these. There’s a fairly good swordsmith in town, willing to work quietly and not ask any questions.”

  “Ah, the best kind,” Nico agreed, testing the weight of each of the blades with a critical eye. “These are fine too. Your smith is a good one. Did you manage to get anything for Riki?”

  Drake grinned broadly and with a flourish, produced a bright red dress with yellow trim and enough frills to make Riki blink twice. It had a wide, tiered skirt, and a neckline that would scoop low over her breasts, but the sleeves would probably come all the way to the middle of her forearms, hiding the worst of her scars and providing some warmth. It was flamboyant but beautiful, and Riki could barely believe it was meant for her.

  Nico took it from Drake with gentle hands and walked over to the bed, sitting at her side. He draped the dress over her legs.

  “I want you to wear this, sweetheart. I know it’s a little showy, but we’re posing as Drake’s cousins from the Jinn. Most of the Jinn women dress in very bright colors and it will help to camouflage you.”

  It touched her that he would worry over whether she liked the dress or not, but he didn’t truly understand her apprehension. Somehow, she needed to make him understand.

  “It’s a beautiful dress, Nico,” she said softly. “Neither the color nor style bothers me. It’s just…I’ve never worn something so pretty. Or so new.”

  Nico reached out and pulled her into his arms, rocking her close to his solid chest.

  “You will have rooms of new dresses and gowns when I get you home to Draconia. I’ll see to it myself. Nothing is too good for you, Riki.” His fervently whispered words brought tears to her eyes as he rocked her ever so gently. “Put on the dress, sweetheart. Let’s begin your new life with this small step.”

  He pulled back slowly and unwrapped the blanket from her shoulders. She let him. Tugging her old dress up, he pulled it over her head, but the light in his eyes was only partly sexual. No, his heat was tempered with care, gentleness and something she couldn’t quite name, but the flavor of it humbled her. Holding her gaze, Nico dropped the new dress over her head and tugged it down over her breasts and against her small waist.

  “Stand up, sweetheart.” Gingerly, she got to her feet at the side of the bed, allowing the material to swish down around her legs. The dress fell nearly all the way to the floor, swirling around her ankles, delicate as moth’s wings. Nico moved behind her to tie the sash that would fit the dress around her waist snugly, and for the first time in her life, Riki felt feminine and pretty in the soft red dress. She spun and the voluminous, light skirt trailed a few seconds behind her movement. Experimentally, she tried moving a bit more and delighted in the swish of the silky material.

  “It’s so beautiful.”

  “You’re beautiful,” Nico breathed, watching her. Her eyes flew to his and she read hunger in his gaze—hunger and admiration that set her knees to wobbling.

  “I agree.” Drake spoke from behind her, breaking the spell. “You look like a Jinn princess. It’s a perfect disguise. All it needs is this around your beautiful hair.” Drake produced a matching red-patterned scarf with lovely long fringe all around. He moved close to place it in her hand and Riki sighed at the whisper soft material that met her touch. “Silk, from the eastern shores, for the Jinn princess, and golden bangles for your arms.” Drake produced three thin gold bracelets and held them up before her with a devilish smile.

  “They’re perfect, Drake.” Nico stepped forward to examine the jewelry, holding out his hands for more. “What else did you get?”

  Drake handed Nico a few other items, but Riki couldn’t see what they were and she was too entranced by her new dress to really care. The men were the experts at this spy game, she was just a new player who must work hard to keep up.

  Nico turned and captured her hand, surprising her for a moment. Gently, he slid the bangles onto her arms, then placed a plain gold band around her finger, holding her gaze all the while. She knew in some lands such rings were meant as mating gifts and it touched her that he would place such a mark on her finger. She noticed then, looking down to admire the ring, that he wore a matching band on his own finger.

  “We’re mated,” he said shortly. “Nick and Ari from the tribes of the Jinn, come to visit and travel with our cousin Drake.”

  “Wouldn’t it be safer just to stay hidden?”

  “It’s always better to hide in plain sight,” Nico assured her, caressing her hand before letting go. “And I far prefer being your husband.”

  “But we’re only pretending.”

  “For now.” He agreed, but his eyes held a deeper message she was almost afraid to read.

  “What do you know of the Jinn?” Nico tried to coach Riki—or Ari, as he should call her while they wore these roles—about the part she’d be playing. He’d be with her every step of the way, of course, but Nico believed in preparation for all contingencies.

  “I know very little, I’m ashamed to admit. I think many of them make their living telling stories and playing music. Lucan had some of them entertain him every now and again until his…change became too great. I liked their songs.”

  “We are nomadic,” Drake continued taking items from his satchel and placing them on the table as he spoke. “We go where life leads us and prefer to remain a mystery for the most part, which will serve your purpose well.”

  “We?” she asked, uncertainty on her face.

  “I was adopted by one of the Jinn clans after performing a…service for the head family.”

  Nico was still amazed by some of the things Drake had gotten involved in during his time abroad. Few men could claim adoption by the secretive Jinn. Though Drake had never divulged the details of what he’d done to earn the rare honor, Nico had spent not a little time trying to puzzle it out. But this was one secret even the Spymaster of Draconia hadn’t learned. Still, he knew Drake’s contacts among the Jinn could be vital in their escape from this Mother-forsaken land.

  Nico took the colorful silk scarf from Riki’s hands and showed her the way Jinn women traditionally folded their headscarves. Luckily, he’d undressed his share of fiery Jinn wenches in his time and knew well how they assembled their clothing. This he taught to Riki, pleased when she proved to be a quick study.

  He tied the scarf at a jaunty angle. The tendrils of fringe framed Riki’s beautiful features, hiding her lustrous hair. Her luminous eyes looked even bigger, if such a thing were possible, and Nico wanted nothing more than to take her back to bed and claim her fully as his own.

  But he couldn’t. Not yet. Not ’til she came to him freely. Nico was a patient man, but the dragon in him seethed, wanting its mate.

  “We’ll enter the tavern with Drake. He’ll handle the performing.”

  “Won’t the people expect all of us to perform?”

  “Not me. I’ll be wearing the marks of a warrior.” Nico liked that she was asking questions. Overall, she seemed to be calmly absorbing everything they threw at her.

  “The Jinn learn how to defend themselves and their women from a young age,” Drake added. “No one will be surprised if Nick doesn’t sing or dance. Not with his war face scaring everyone away from you, Ari.”

  The newly shortened version of her name made her start a bit, but not as much as it could have, Nico was pleased to see. �
��As for you, Ari…” Nico emphasized the new nickname to get her more used to it, “…we’ll claim you’re too tired from the trip. Perhaps we can say you’re pregnant. It would give us an excuse to retire early and explain your pale skin.”

  The more he thought about it, the more Nico liked the idea. Not just for their disguise, but for real. He’d love nothing more than to plant his child in Riki’s womb, see her swell with it and watch it being born. He’d never before wanted to be a father, but suddenly, it was one of the most important goals in his life. Soon, he promised himself, soon Riki would come to him and he would take her and they’d make babies together. Soon. The dragon side of his nature could hardly wait.

  But for now, Riki was blushing furiously at the idea of being pregnant, charming him but worrying him at the same time. If she couldn’t handle the role, people would become suspicious.

  “We don’t have to say that if it embarrasses you, sweetheart,” he gave her the option.

  “No. It’s all right. If it’ll help, I say let’s do it. It sounds reasonable. It just took me by surprise.”

  “Right then, Ari, my love.” He clasped her hands in his. “You’re only just realizing you’re pregnant. Just a few weeks into it, so you’re still thin, but feeling the effects of morning sickness at all times of the day. If things get too rough for you in the common room, pretend to feel ill and I’ll take you out, but it’s important we make a short appearance at least, so no one will be surprised when we leave in Drake’s wagon tomorrow morning.”

  “I won’t let you down, Nico. I promise.”

  The common room of the tavern was raucous when they entered. Drake was greeted with a cheer and he held up his instrument of choice—a large, metal-stringed lute—with a smile of triumph. Curious glances were sent their way as they entered behind the blond man, but Riki held her head high and smiled at the people who cheered for Drake.