Page 12 of Traveling with Gentlemen (Tempting Monsters #1.1)

I grinned and slid my arms free of the brief sleeves of my gown, turning on the platform and stretching out on my belly.

I rested my chin on my folded arms and found my lovers gathered together in front of me.

Ezra flickered into view and I winked at the group of them before sparing a glance at the countess.

She was smiling, although there was a glare in her gaze.

Jealousy. But she was there, meters away, and she'd gained the company of the young man she'd fed on and her twin door guards, all petting her and watching us.

Amon shifted above me, wings rustling, tail swatting back and forth over my ankles.

"Ass up."

I released a soft laugh and shifted, drawing my knees under me and lifting my hips.

Amon purred and then his front paws framed my shoulders. "Guide me in."

I sighed at the order, pushing up on one hand and searching eagerly for him. He and I both moaned as I found the hot, sticky, stiff length of him.

"Is it different?" I whispered, studying him briefly with my fingers. There was something more vulnerable about his cock, I thought, more direct. And of course, notably larger, although I wasn't sure how he'd feel if I said so.

"A bit," Amon hissed through clenched teeth. "But it’s always good when it is your hand."

I turned my head and kissed his skin, still closer to human there at his shoulder than the shaggy texture at his paw.

Then I stroked him, once, twice, thrice, and pulled him to my greedy core.

The kiss of him against my opening was shockingly hot, the both of us damp, and we groaned together.

I leaned into his leg, breathing heavily, and then scooted back, just enough to stuff the head of him into me.

"Yes, my star," Amon breathed.

His hips flexed forward, and the motion was new and foreign, his body creating a deeper arch, stroking in farther. I let out a soft shout as he rocked.

"Yes, join me. Fuck yourself onto me, darling girl," Amon rasped, and I was already doing so, rocking back, knees scuffing and dragging the skirt of the dress with me, offering faint padding.

Amon surged forward and filled me in one thrust. My hands flew up, grasping onto his legs, and his warm belly pressed to my back.

"Oh god," I breathed, surrounded, framed by his body.

His growl rocked down from his chest and into mine and for a moment we were still.

He was thick and hot inside of me, much deeper, and I was dizzy with the stretch.

His tail swatted forward onto my lap, a friendly and gentle touch to contrast the pounding pressure of his cock inside of me.

"Incredible," Amon whispered above me.

The reverence was what I needed. I smiled and shifted slowly forward, and Amon let out a groan of objection, following me with an urgent snap of his hips.

We bellowed together, and then there was no stillness, no patience, nothing but eager and mutual motion.

I thrust back and Amon plunged forward. I held onto him, my shoulders braced against his front legs, tucked beneath him, fingers clasped tight, and I panted and stammered my praise as he pistoned his cock inside of me.

His body flexed against mine, pushing down on my back as he strained in an arch, and a rush of air flowed down from the beat of his wings.

I forced my eyes open, greedy for the faces that surrounded us, a wide smile refusing to leave my lips. Our audience was rapt. Hands were seeking flesh, bodies twining together, but no one was looking anywhere but us.

"I love you," I gasped, as Amon buried himself in my core. "I love you," I cried a little louder, a plea for his return as he pulled out.

"Mine," Amon growled, and then his front legs transformed slightly, still strong and furred, still finished with massive paws, but with the muscular flex of a man's arms. He scooped me closer, off my own hands, and one clawed and strangely arranged hand grasped my breast.

I howled at his grip, its perfect pressure matching the pound in my cunt, and his claws bit carefully at my flesh.

Amon's breath was ragged, his groans loud and thrown to the open sky, paying our dues to the bargain we'd made with the countess.

She knew what he sounded like now, and she knew I was the reason for those shouts and barks of pleasure.

"More, my love," I gasped, and Amon threw us forward, his arms clasping around me, his fucking rough and unsteady with his own rampant thrill.

"My star, my love," he snarled. "My queen ."

His tail slid around my leg, and then struck at my core, perfectly aimed at my clit. I let out a brief scream and then the tufted and surprisingly dextrous tip was burrowing at the spot, teasing and tormenting me.

Amon did roar, and it shook the stars above us, shook the storm of ecstasy loose from my bones as I joined his cry with my own.

His claws bit my breast and ribs, and his back legs trembled around mine as he crumpled, his fiery, sweet release flooding my fluttering core.

I was buried beneath him, his weight and warmth settling me as I shuddered through the tender aftershocks.

His face nuzzled against my ear, nipping gently, kissing every inch of me he could reach.

There was an eruption around us, laughter and applause and the sudden burst of delighted conversation, but all I heard was the rough edge of his breath in my ear, the soft and unsteady purrs of pleasure he shared with me.

"I love you," he whispered. "My star."

"I love you," I answered, petting his arms, cheerfully trampled beneath his heavy frame. "Let’s do that again very soon please."

Amon laughed, the sound rare in its ease and joy. "Just as soon as we are safe and away," he promised.

* * *

It took us a little longer than predicted to leave the party. Amon was reluctant to untangle from me, and we had found ourselves with unexpected admirers. I was in a new dress Ezra had found—possibly stolen—for me, when we finally made our way to the door.

"You're not leaving!"

Amon stiffened briefly until I leaned into his side.

We turned together, the untidy huddle of us we'd kept intact for most of the night, and found the countess hurrying toward us, beaming brightly in all her golden glory.

"You should stay!" she said, arms spread wide. "It's nearly dawn after all, Thibodeaux."

Magnanimous now to my vampire, was she? I didn't like that.

"We have somewhere to stay," I said, tangling my arm around Auguste's. She wasn't allowed to like him now . He was mine too.

And Sofia pouted at me. "But I was thinking of throwing another party tomorrow night! We've set the mood so well now."

I looked to Amon, but he was watching me, smirking slightly, waiting for me to respond.

"Tempting," I said, and realized it was partly the truth. "But we're eager to be home again."

Sofia settled, staring back at me, and this time I couldn't interpret the meaning of her smile. She stepped closer – a little too close for comfort, all things considered – and I realized she was now offering me the same perfectly crafted, sultry gaze she'd turned on Amon earlier.

"You know, I think I set the price of my information too low," she said, holding my stare. "I should've bargained for you ."

Auguste shook with barely restrained laughter, and I blinked in surprise. "Oh! Well…thank you," I said, sure I was blushing. I gaped at the countess for a moment before my head cleared. "But really, our offer would've been the same."

Amon sighed slightly.

Sofia laughed then, stepping back and waving a hand in the air, all charm and lightness again. I wondered who she was without an audience.

"Then I suppose I've had the best of both options," she said. She nodded to the guards, who'd returned to the door. "You'd better hurry, wherever you're going. And I hope you will consider returning sometime. With or without a bargain in mind."

I curtseyed as my gentlemen bowed. "Good evening, countess."

"Good evening, Esther Reed."

We seemed to hold our breath as we walked down the steps to our waiting carriage. Auguste's hand was wrapped around mine, Ezra slipping in and out of view as he jogged down to open the door for us. It was only as we were sliding inside that the exhaustion settled in with the quiet calm of success.

"We did it," Auguste gasped, falling into a seat. "We know where to find Birsha's supposed tomb. She swears there's something there."

"Esther did it," Amon murmured, still holding me close, drawing me in to kiss my forehead.

I laughed. "I'm fairly sure you were involved. Quite magnificently so."

Amon purred and the others piled in, Mr. Tanner knocking on the roof before closing on the door. We jolted forward and Mr. Tanner shuddered, collapsing back into Jonathon.

"I'm a little amazed it worked," Jonathon gasped, stretching with a groan. "Although it was quite a persuasive performance. If she hadn't already given us the information, I'm sure she would've afterwards."

"You mean after she'd fallen half in love with our girl," Ezra laughed, leaning forward to pinch my thigh, invisible in the dark.

I squeaked and jumped and Booker swatted Ezra away. He settled back, a broad, cool shoulder brushing against mine as he leaned in, lips to my ear.

"I never doubted you," he said softly.

I preened, nudging my head to his and turning for a kiss.

"He's the wisest of all of us," Amon said. "And we are all equally lucky."

"And we are all agreeing that the countess is absolutely never going to win any bargain with us now that she wants Esther," Auguste said.

There was a chorus of agreement, soft and sweet underneath my bright laughter.