Given all that, could he be blamed for the fact that, once in the room, he'd dawdled? He had to set out his lady's toiletries, arranging them in accordance with her needs over the next several days. Freshen her clothes with the ridiculously mundane items of steamer and iron, sprinkling the lavender she liked into the fabric. Set out her makeup and brushes where he'd have them readily to hand. He'd removed his clothes, but done a quick run through the shower, touched up his shave and beard and brushed his hair. Even though he'd rather smear himself with pig manure to keep all those strange hands as far from him as possible, he knew he had to be pre- sentable to honor his Mistress. Now he stood at the door, his hand on the latch, and he wasn't sure if he could do it. Jacob, you have not obeyed my will. Her voice was a soft breath in his mind, the barest of whispers. I'm just fortifying my courage, my lady. I find it a little more diffi- cult to do this when you're absent. Humiliating to admit, but there it was. Too many vampires appreciative of a tight ass around here. He sensed her smile, but an intensity of purpose, too. I've never known your courage to falter. You shall conduct yourself well. How- ever, I'm referring to what we discussed in the car. What I commanded you to do when you got to my room. Jacob withdrew his hand from the door. "Now, my lady?" I am sitting in one of the most boring and self-pretentious gather- ings you can imagine. Carnal, for all he is a monster, is at least in- teresting. It appears it will go on for at least another two hours. What do you think? Her voice turned to a purr and he suddenly, vividly, imagined her hands on his cock, her moist lips opening to take him in. Stroke yourself for me, Jacob. Go back into the shower and turn on the water. I want to see it run over your muscles as they tense, as your very tight ass clenches and you pump yourself with your hand. I want to see the images in your mind, your fantasizing about me . . . A pause. And I would suggest, at least for this, you do indeed fantasize about me. He grinned despite himself at her dry tone, and some of the ten- sion lessened. "I would not dream of doing otherwise, my lady. "
I like it when you speak aloud like that. You come through even more strongly. I can feel your voice vibrating through my body. Go to the shower, Jacob. I need to feel your desire. He complied, moving through the large suite of rooms, past the canopy bed draped with velvet. With his cock already hardening, it was easy to imagine lying upon the mattress with her, rolling her under him, spreading her white legs, sinking into her as he wrapped his hands in her miles of hair. Yes . . . When the shuddering sigh ran through her mind, it rip- pled across his skin. I'd like that. The bathroom also had its share of sensual offerings. A large Ja- cuzzi tub big enough for three or four people, a double-headed shower and jets that came out of the walls. He adjusted the tempera- ture and stepped in. Get your hair wet. In a chamber nearly a quarter mile away on the extensive palace's grounds, Lyssa sat at a twenty-foot-long ornately carved table that had once graced the hall of a Celtic king. The full Council and two other high-ranking guests, including her, listened as Belizar ran down the agenda of business that would be covered in more detail over the three-day Gathering. Since she was already well aware of most of the items, listening with only partial attention was not detri- mental. However, as Jacob filled the screen of her mind, she hoped Belizar wouldn't stop to ask her any questions. As the water poured over Jacob's skull, his hands rose, the auto- matic gesture to slick his hair back. She could see him in full, deli- cious detail, blocking out everything else. The long muscular body, the running water sculpting each muscle of his curved biceps and chest. The sectioned stomach muscles, the flex of his buttocks as he shifted. His cock was erect now from her soft persuasion and the vi- sion of what she wanted him to do. She lingered over every detail of his body, down to the arches of his feet. The toes she'd curled her own around to warm her feet when she let him stay with her at night. Too few times. For the past hundred years, perhaps two hundred, she'd never let her mind be distracted from a meeting such as this. There'd been too much at stake.
Too many vampires testing the oligarchy of the Coun- cil. Too many battles, both political and physical, for her and Rex to fight. When those were past, there had been Rex himself to fight. She'd heard the songs about living in the moment, living as if there were only one day to live. A lovely sentiment, but if everyone acted as if they were dying, chaos would result. Life was meant to be lived in all its frenetic activity. But somehow a gift was given to the subconscious of someone whose days were truly numbered. For the first time in centuries, she had the overwhelming sense of having a free pass to slow down as the world kept speeding up around her. To open the senses, the mind and soul to all the things she hadn't had time to enjoy as fully as she wished. She hadn't indulged such thinking since the days when she was young and believed she would live forever. Jacob, I want you to sleep with me. From here forward, whenever possible, when you complete your duties, you will come lie with me in the day and sleep. His hands stilled, his head bowed, cocked slightly as if listening to her with his ears. "Whatever you wish, my lady. It would be my honor. You're all right?" Yes. Warmth gripped her at his automatic reaction. To protect. To care. Put your hand on yourself. Bring yourself to climax for me. But do it the way you would if you were alone,doing it without my command. Bracing a hand on the opposite wall of the shower caused the muscles along his back to ripple delightfully, drawing her gaze to the slope of his hip and the straight line of thigh. The ends of his hair were wet silk along the line of his shoulders. It had gotten a little longer this past month and often he'd kept it tied back, too busy to get it trimmed. She could have done it for him, she realized. Would have if she hadn't liked the look of it, blowing around his face when he worked the grounds, or when she threaded her hands through it as dawn approached, a way to soothe herself to sleep. How easy it had been to get used to him in her life. To want him present in every moment. When she'd sent him away on the two-day trip to verify the condition of several safe houses, she'd wandered the grounds with Bran like a ghost, restless spirits needing his grounding presence.
She could admit it, as long as she was only admitting it to her- self. He took hold of himself, curling his hand around the thick length, and began to stroke. He'd put soap in his palm to give it lubrica- tion, and also to goad the vision which filled her mind now. Driving into her slick heat, her pussy taking him deep and snug, a hot, wet fist, her hands reaching for his ass to pull him closer, her nails dig- ging in. She loved the way men thought about sex, rough and unromantic in their minds. Something so vulgar when shouted from a construc- tion site could be so sexy when it was a husky, guttural demand heard in the female mind. Another example of the dichotomous nature of women. Thomas taught you that word. She hid a smile. Not just the word, my lady. The whole sentence. It came up often during my training. I can't imagine why. But the uninterrupted flow of his imaginings distracted her from his teasing. In his vision, her nails dug in hard enough to draw blood. He liked that, liked to feel her savagery. He had no fear of her strength. He trusted her. Now he'd turned her, was holding her on her side and making rhythmic movements of his hips against her buttocks as he held her in the curve of his body. His palm lay flat on her abdomen, the tips of his fingers grazing her clit, making her strain for him even as he rocked her back into him so he would feel the give of her soft but- tocks against his thighs as he thrust in and out of her cunt. His other hand gripped her breast, squeezed, felt the texture of her nipple stab into his palm as he pressed his mouth to the side of her throat, tast- ing her. Vaguely she noted Belizar had moved down two agenda items. She had no idea what had been discussed. She hoped she was correct about her familiarity with them. Her thighs were quivering under the table, her panties soaked. While those in the room could detect arousal, there was so much of it running rampant throughout the castle they simply would think someone had indulged with their servant before coming to the meeting.