CourtesanTales Masterfile Read online

  Marilyn Lee Unleashed Presents

  Marilyn Lee

  © 2011 Marilyn Lee

  All Rights reserved

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. All service marks, registered trademarks, and registered service marks are the property of their respective owners and are used herein for identification purposes only.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews. Copyright laws prohibit trading, selling, and or giving away ebooks.

  Chapter One

  As soon as he saw her, Delsin knew why he’d made his last job his first on this God-forsaken world he’d left so eagerly years earlier. In this wild corner of the Blue Desert where his lawless brethren ran rampant, fierce winds took one’s breath away one moment. Then seconds later, scorching heat threatened to deflate and then sear one’s lungs together, making breathing almost unbearable. Whatever ancient fool had said there was no place like home, had clearly never tried monogamy in the fuck-until-you-drop Blue Desert. Home? This world had never felt like anything but Hell for him because here he’d always been considered unnatural.

  Yet, he couldn’t deny a strange yearning from the moment his cruiser had touched down here. Returning so close to a full moon had probably not been the wisest decision he’d ever made. He’d need to remain vigilant and to keep a tight rein on his feelings. No easy task while on a hunt. To make matters worse, the irritability Renas had been exhibiting for nearly a week, had increased two-fold since their arrival on the world they’d once both called home. Nevertheless, he’d handle this job with the swift, brutal efficiency that had earned him a reputation of a hunter who always got his quarry. Always. This time would be no different.

  Then he saw her seated at a private booth at the back of the crowded shifter’s den. The sight of her made nonsense of all the rigors of the trip and of any possible complications hunting on his home planet for the first time might present.

  He slammed the door against the biting winds and leaned against it, feeling almost winded. Despite myriads of naked, fucking couples surrounding them, looking anywhere but at her was out of the question. She wasn’t particularly pretty. Yet she managed to command his immediate attention. He’d long since come to appreciate that beauty only went so far in a woman. In fact, in this harsh, unforgiving environment pretty quickly faded. Character, sensual allure, and feminine self-assurance were far more enduring and exciting than a mere pretty face. And damn if her piecing dark gaze and those full pouty lips didn’t raise his blood pressure and harden his cock.

  With his nostrils filled with the scent of sex, he dismissed the other inhabitants of the den as not worth his time or attention. With their gazes locked, he and his unexpectedly delectable quarry were the only two people present.

  Small wonder this magnificent woman chose to call herself a courtesan rather than a sexual or sensual empath. Many of the latter two classes slept with anyone with enough credits to pay their outrageous fees. This magnificent woman surely was more selective when deciding with whom to share her alluring charms.

  Inhaling slowly, Delsin allowed his gaze to slide down from her face to her neck. He could hear her heart beating. The longer he stared, the harder her heart raced. Shifting his gaze again, he watched her chest rise and fall with her breathing. Tilting his head, he envisioned slowly peeling off her clothes. Her large breasts would provide the perfect cushion for his face as he drove his cock deep inside her body.

  Her eyes narrowed and her full, sensual lips tightened. Then she smiled and he felt as if she’d reached out, wrapped her hands around his heart, and snatched it out of his chest.

  She had beautiful white teeth. They looked strong and straight. They would feel good nibbling at his ear, his lips, his nipples, and finally his balls before closing around his aching cock.

  He understood why the client, plagued with tiny, pale women with no ass or breasts worth mentioning had been so willing to pay a premium to possess this totally voluptuous, sensuous woman with mounds of warm, dusty skin. He’d always found a woman who didn’t depend on fleeting, outward beauty to captivate a man irresistible. This woman’s beautiful, lush skin would command her man’s attention until the day he or she died.

  Her smile conveyed one thought: hot, endless sex. And then even more sex. Oh, hell yeah. The thin veneer of civility he’d spent years cultivating since he fled Denhari vanished, exposing all the rampant hungers inherent in those born with his bloodline. Moving away from the door, he stalked across the crowded room, pushing people out of his way. A number of the shifters growled, but none attacked. He suspected they either knew of his clan ties or might recognize him. Some were vaguely familiar but none was from his clan.

  If his luck held, he’d take care of business and leave the Blue Desert before his clan mates knew he’d been on-world. Of course, that assumed any of them would care, which was doubtful. He’d been gone too long and had committed the unforgivable sin of questioning the way of life into which he’d been born. At this point, he doubted if even Daylon or Daria would care. Both had been his closest cub mates and been ardent in their defense of his right to be different. Daylon and Daria had pooled the credits they’d saved for years to help him buy the cruiser on which he and Renas lived.

  He tore his thoughts away from his clan problems and the two shifters for whose companionship he still longed for after so many years. Instead, he refocused his attention on his bounty. With just four feet separating them, she shifted along her seat and deliberately unbuttoned the long duster she wore.

  His cock stirred.

  She’d exposed mounds of smooth dark, delicious skin and a shaved pussy with soft pink lips that would grip him tight and make him pour a torrent of seed inside her. With his cock roaring to attention, he was hard pressed not to leap the rest of the way to her booth and ravish her repeatedly as only one of his kind could.

  That’s when she revealed her true nature, closing her legs and lifting a large caliber weapon from her side.

  With his own weapon strapped to his right thigh, he came to an abrupt halt. She clearly knew of his purpose for being there. And she clearly didn’t intend to accept her fate without a fight. So be it. Her surrender, once he’d overcome her resistance, would be all the sweeter for his having to conquer her.

  Still smiling and training her weapon on his chest over his heart, she parted her legs again.

  His nostrils flared as he inhaled the wonderful scent emanating from between her long, sleek thighs. Oh, hell that was one pretty pussy. But, unlike many of his uncultured brethren, he’d struggled for years to ensure his sexual hungers didn’t enslave him. Her weapon wouldn’t deter him, nor could he allow himself the pleasure of overindulging in a good, pussy-destroying fuck.

  A fuck? The blood thundered through his cock. One fuck wouldn’t be enough. Hell, one night probably wouldn’t be sufficient to quench the rampant hunger she inspired in him. In that moment, surrounded by rapacious shifters doing what they lived to do—fuck—his own sexual needs roared to life in a way he could no longer deny.

  Despite all of his training to the contrary, he would allow himself the time to fully explore the delights of this sensual courtesan. If he claimed ship trouble and took the long route back to Telmira, he could spend the next seven days buried balls deep inside all her alluring openings.

  He had a moment when he thought what a waste it would be for this sensual woman to spend the rest of her life as a slave to some rich, decadent female who would expect to satisfy her with a dildo. Da
mn it, no. She deserved a real cock, wielded by a skillful lover, sliding inside her every day. Only a male capable of pleasing her should sample her delights. To foul her pussy with mating toys would be criminal.

  Snap out of it, Delsin. You’ve never failed to capture and deliver a bounty. You’re not going to start with her. Despite the admonition, the thought that she deserved at least one more opportunity to explore sex with a male whose bloodline made him fully qualified to please a woman with her abilities haunted him. She deserves to have a male like you mating with her at least once, Delsin.

  Like him? What the fuck! He tore his gaze away from hers and sucked in a breath, aware that she had nearly seduced him without a single word. Get a grip, hunter. It will be a calm day on this God-forsaken planet before you allow your bounty to cost you your rightful commission.

  After giving himself a moment to regain his balance, he met her gaze again. Seeing resignation in the dark depths of her lovely eyes, he knew she was aware that he’d managed to wrestle his lust under control.

  Keeping her weapon trained on his chest, she quickly glanced from side to side before looking at him again.

  From the look on her face, he suspected she realized what he already knew, that none of the den’s patrons would offer her any assistance. That was about the only saving grace of hunting in this lawless corner of the Blue Desert where any and everything went. No one interfered—no matter what happened.

  He cast a quick, warning look around the den. None of the shifters showed any interest in assisting his bounty—as expected. What was unexpected was their apparent lack of sexual interest in her. Why hadn’t he found at least two or three of them sexing her at the same time when he arrived?

  A quick frown marred his brows. Something wasn’t quite right here. He turned his attention back to the woman whose obvious delights he planned to fully explore. With his cock pulsing along one thigh, he walked up to her table and nodded to the empty seat. “Do you mind?”

  Her finger tightened on the trigger as she rose. “Yes, I do.” She spoke in a low, sultry voice that sent a jolt of desire through him.

  Her duster was still open, revealing all her charms and damn if she wasn’t the most sensual woman he’d never seen. Her large breasts stood at attention with the nipples hardened. Nestled between her warm, dark thighs, her pussy beckoned to his cock. There was a delicious contour to her belly that made him wonder how sexy it would look swelling once his seed had found its’ mark. Did courtesans possess the same ability to control when and if they conceived that sexual and some sensual empaths did?

  The thought of the contrast of his tanned skin and her luscious dark one blending together as they fucked and his seed possibly finding its mark made breathing difficult and rational thought almost impossible.

  Shake it off, Delsin. Shake it off and take care of business. She is clearly very good at her job. If you allow it, she’ll subvert your will and enslave you. You are not going to sink to the level of the out of control shifters in here and fuck her. You’ll take her to Telmira and collect the rest of your commission. Then you can find a woman and settle down far away from this God-forsaken place. Fucking her even once is out of the question.

  He dragged his gaze from her glistening pussy and compressed his lips. “Then let’s cut to the chase, shall we? You know why I’m here.”

  She glanced down at his thigh where he knew she could see the clear outline of his fully aroused cock. ”Do you want to discuss it?”

  About to reply that there was nothing to discuss, his cock pulsed, and the sexual hungers he’d spent years wrestling under control overwhelmed him. Surrendering to the pull of the fast approaching full moon and his innate needs, his thought process changed.

  Why rush to deliver her to a fate she’d probably hate while depriving himself of a pleasure he’d earned at the same time? The woman before him possessed all the qualities he’d long sought but never found in a possible mate. Growing up in a culture that celebrated and encouraged sexual polygamy, he’d always felt out of place because he envisioned a life spent with one woman capable of generating enough passion in him that he’d happily settle into a mutually exclusive and monogamous relationship with her.

  Unfortunately, this woman was a bounty. Finding her gave him hope he’d find another he could take as his bond mate. But he couldn’t lose sight of the fact that he commanded such high fees because he always delivered. Even though he found the thought distasteful, he’d deliver her to Telmira as promised—but only after he’d fucked her out of his system.

  He smiled down at her, his gaze on her exposed body. “Over a drink?”

  She nodded.

  He glanced at her side arm. “Is that invited?”

  After a brief hesitation, she placed her weapon on the bench seat beside her.

  He slipped onto the bench on the opposite side of the table, his heart racing with anticipation.

  She resumed her seat and deliberately closed the long, cream-colored duster that provided the perfect complement for her lovely skin tone. Unfortunately, she cut off his view of the loveliest rack he’d ever seen. But if things went as planned, he’d get to know them—up close and personal. “What did you want to discuss?” he asked, making no effort to look anywhere but at her cleavage.

  “I want to discuss what we can do to improve the chances of this situation not getting out of hand.”

  He decided not to point out that things had progressed too far to worry about that. The situation had careened out of his control the moment he set eyes on her. Now all he wanted was her lying naked and aroused under his equally nude body. He glanced around, noticing several males staring in their direction. All had obvious erections. None had better come anywhere near her or he’d show them why males of his clan were feared by those from lesser clans.

  “Why don’t we discuss that in the comfort of my cruiser?” he invited.

  She slowly dragged the tip of her tongue along the contour of her full lips before responding. “Isn’t the idea of comfort and a bounty cruiser mutually exclusive?”

  Her sultry voice sent waves of lust thundering through him. He smiled. Should he bother to point out that he didn’t plan to give her time to worry about anything but how many times he fucked her before they both passed out from sheer exhaustion? “I’m sure you’ll find my private quarters adequate.” Eager to totally possess her, he rose and gestured toward the door. “Join me?” And let me spend every waking moment of the next week in your arms.

  She nodded, rose, and opened her duster.

  Her side arm quickly rose from the bench and disappeared inside the duster moments before she quickly closed it.

  Delsin suppressed a surprised exclamation. Damnation. Small wonder he’d been paid such a large down payment. Her sentient side arm would make taking her next to impossible—for a hunter with less skill and experience.

  He placed a hand in the middle of her back and escorted her to the door. He should have been thinking of ways to get around her sentient side arm. Instead, holding and loving her dominated his thoughts.

  * * *

  The palm in the middle of Parmia’s back felt almost hot enough to sear her skin through her duster. She cast a quick, surprised look up at the tall male at her side. It wasn’t often that she encountered a male with almost blue-black hair and golden brown eyes deep enough for her to dive into and lose herself in. Too bad they were meeting in a shifter pleasure den. Too bad he had no idea what was in store for him. Under other circumstances…she gave herself a mental shake as he held the door open. The situation was the situation. What was the point of wasting valuable time engaging in baseless fantasies about situations that didn’t exist? The commission she earned from this last job would ensure her life as a reluctant courtesan ended with him.

  The male beside her looked as if he could take care of himself—it was in his blood. Besides, he’d manage to escape the Blue Desert once. He could do it again, if he wanted. Dismissing the last remnants of regrets she fe
lt, she stepped out into the searing heat of the pre-evening desert.

  The male with her whistled.

  A huge, magnificent black stallion with an auburn mane trotted around from the far side of the den.

  Parmia caught her breath and slowly approached with her hand extended. She glanced at the male with her. "May I?"

  After a quick glance at the stallion, he nodded.

  She slowly stroked the stallion's mane before sliding her hand along his flank. "What's his name?"

  "Renas."

  She leaned close to rub her cheek against the horse’s big, sleek body. “Renas? You’re as big and regal as a Centaurian Stallion.”

  He is Centaurian, Markes said. And I don’t think his name is Renas.

  Although surprised, she accepted the word of her sentient side arm, Markes. She had never seen one of the fabled Centaurians in person while he had served with at least one.

  The stallion turned his head and gently brushed it against her body.

  She impulsively linked her arms around his big body and kissed his mane.

  He made a soft, encouraging noise.

  She smiled and kissed his mane again before looking at the male who stood staring at them. “And you?”

  “And me what?”

  “What’s your name?” Of course, she knew his name but he didn’t know that.

  “Delsin Adarinas.”

  Delsin Adarinas; famed and feared bounty hunter to the rich and infamous. He always delivered his bounty. Yet he seemed unaware that this time the target was on his own back.

  “Aren’t you going to ask my name?”

  He shook his head. “Parmia Leeosa, courtesan to the rich and discerning.”

  She gave him a surprised look. He’d just made the profession she practiced with reluctance and shame sound honorable and exclusive. “Yes.”

  Adarinas mounted the horse and then leaned a hand down to her. “Join me?”

  He made it sound more like a request than a semi-command—as if he actually intended to give her a choice. Placing her foot over his in the stirrup, she offered him her hand. Clasping it in his, he pulled her up onto the horse in front of him. She drew up her hood and adjusted the sun shield before she settled herself against him. She liked the feel of his big, male body behind hers.