Page 5 of Traveling with Gentlemen (Tempting Monsters #1.1)

CROCODILES ON THE NILE

I leaned against the railing of the steamboat that chugged gently down the Nile, watching the spiky slivers of crocodiles floating alongside.

The high sun beat down onto the broad rimmed hat I wore, a breeze fluttering strands of my dar hair to whip over my eyes.

A soft brushing touch stroked up my spine, although there was no sign of anyone at my side.

I smiled as a bristly kiss pressed through the thin silk of my robe.

"They don't look so dangerous like this," I said, still watching the trio of crocodiles that had seemingly chosen to escort our travels this morning.

Ezra snorted and shimmered into appearance at my side, his arm wrapping around my waist and tugging me closer.

I slipped between him and the railing, his heat and breadth at my back comforting and familiar already.

I wasn't sure if Amon owned the steamboat, but we were alone on it as it traveled to his home and none of the staff so much as blinked when Amon's tail wrapped around my wrist, or Ezra vanished briefly from sight.

"They look dangerous enough to dissuade me from swimming," he said.

I grinned at that. "Did Amon tell you he has a bathing pool? I thought he meant a bathtub but he says we can swim in it." I was still uncertain what to expect from Amon's home, and he'd been taking a wicked enjoyment in remaining tight lipped about it.

"I'm still surprised he let me come along," Ezra whispered.

I twisted in his arms, marveling once more at the sight of his rugged and handsome face in front of mine. My hat shaded his face, but the sun caught on the ends of his hair, gilding the red tones in gold.

"Surprised, but grateful," Ezra amended.

I leaned in, helping myself to his lips, grinning into the kiss as he hands took fistfulls of my ass, bunching my robe in his grip and making it slip apart at the front.

"I'm not surprised," I said. "I would no more give him up for you, than I would give you up for him. I must have all of you."

Ezra leaned in, pinning me to the railing and finding a convenient space for himself between my thighs, his gaze warming as it drifted down to find me nude beneath my robe.

"Greedy puisin," he murmured, a rough edge of growing desire in his throat.

"Where are the others?" I asked, my voice breathy.

"Waking, washing, arranging breakfast," Ezra said, pushing my hair back from my neck and leaning in to press kisses there.

I sighed, and arched offering him more skin to lavish, when a rougher breeze licked along the side of the boat, catching the brim of my hat and carrying it out to the river.

I squeaked, twisting and Ezra pulled away, the pair of us watching my straw hat spin and land gently on the back of an undisturbed crocodile.

"Come, it's early still. We have time before breakfast," Ezra said, pulling me from the railing.

* * *

I sighed, running my hands through Ezra's silky hair, as his equally silky tongue traced my sex.

The air was warm and my skin was growing even hotter the longer he toyed with me.

I was stretched out in reclined chaise, my legs draped over the sides as Ezra flickered in and out of view where he knelt on the polished floor of the sun deck.

"Quit teasing," I pleaded, although in truth I like Ezra's slow and thorough kisses on my cunt, as if my body was his lover, my glossy sex returning his tender treatment.

He hummed and ignored me, nibbling on my skin, nosing at my clit. I shuddered and tucked my grin into my shoulder. My robe was spread out over the wicker beneath me, but all of me was revealed to the sky like this, no sign of the boat's staff intruding on our morning.

I groaned as a thick finger speared inside of me, pumping and drawing my hips up to chase the touch.

"My, you are ready, puisin," Ezra growled as my soaked core sucked on his touch.

"Please, Ezra," I panted, fucking myself on the single digit, knowing it wasn't nearly enough. "Make me come!"

Ezra reappeared between my quaking thighs but it wasn't me he was grinning at. "What do you think? Does she deserve to finish?" he asked.

I twisted, moaning as he pulled his touch away.

My breath hitched, eyes widening, as I found my lovers watching us from the deck above.

Auguste and Dr. Underwood leaned against the railing, wearing amused grins.

Booker stood at their side, his shirt partly unbuttoned, revealing the hard planes of his broad chest. Amon was last, eyes narrowed but lips curved.

"Turn her to face us," Amon said.

Ezra laughed, vanishing again. I squawked and grabbed the arms of the chaise and drawing my legs in as the wicker squeaked, dragged and turned to face the upper deck. The end legs thumped down to the floorboards, and then warm, calloused hands, pulled my calves back down and to the sides.

I laughed, relaxing into the seat, grinning up at my audience. On display again, for my gentlemen. It was as lovely a way to start my morning as I could wish for.

Ezra lifted my legs, settling them over his lap, tugging me down the chaise until the head of his cock kissed my opening.

"Slowly," Booker said, as I moaned at the gentle press of him.

"Yes, give us a good show, MacKenna," Auguste called, grinning at me as I giggled.

"Mmm, if you won't play with those pretty tits, I will," Ezra teased me.

I laughed, and the sound turned into a whine as he pressed in deeper. I reached back to the top of the chaise, and sighed as Ezra's beard tickled my breast before he pulled a nipple between his lips.

It was a struggle to keep my eyes open at the onslaught of more gentle pleasure, but also a joy to watch the hunger grow on the faces above me.

Amon's long tail whipped along the floor, his fingers clenching around the railing.

Auguste's eyes went black, and I decided I would offer him his very own breakfast after I had mine.

Jonathon watched me with open curiosity, staring fixedly to my cunt as Ezra spread me open and filled me.

And Booker, my beautiful stone lover, helped himself to his own relief, opening his trousers and offering me a view of his pale hand around his ample cock.

I gasped, watching them, stretching and preening and twisting for their eyes, riding Ezra's cock. He sucked on my nipple until it was swollen and almost sore, immediately trading it for the other. I cried out, the force of his lips shooting a bolt of ecstasy down to my already fluttering cunt.

I came quickly, and a chorus of groans sounded, drawing out new laughter from me.

"Beautiful," Jonathon growled, eyes flashing green.

"Don't stop," I murmured to Ezra, reaching one hand down to toy with my abandoned breast, squeezing it and making Auguste lick his lips and Booker grunt.

"You know me, puisin. Too selfish to stop," Ezra laughed, shifting and rising up on his knees, pulling my hips up and angling them for an even more obscene view for the others as he fucked me roughly.

"And I'm too selfish not to ask you to make me come again," I said, grinning.

Ezra huffed, hips slapping wetly into me. "Always."

"Harder," Amon growled. "I want to see that pussy nice and red."

I moaned, and Ezra obeyed.

* * *

Breakfast was delayed and blurred into lunch but my gentlemen and I were no less satisfied by the end of the meal.

I accepted a final bite of roasted and spiced potato, coyly licking my lips as Amon watched. He'd had his fill of me after the others, always determined to be last, but if I knew my sphinx, I knew he'd be just as eager to have me again now that he'd taken care of me.

And I was hardly likely to refuse.

The thought was interrupted by the appearance of a young man, a member of the staff, standing politely in the doorway. He spoke softly in Arabic, drawing Amon's attention away and my eyes widened as Amon stiffened.

"What is it?"

"We have a guest to the boat," Amon said, holding me as he rose from the table, the others quickly.

"A guest?" I echoed.

"How does a guest arrive to a boat?" Ezra asked.

"In this case, he swam," Amon said, stepping away from me and fussing with this clothing, combing back his hair.

My eyes widened and I shared a surprised glance with Auguste as we watched Amon fuss .

"If I might recommend, keep your eyes on the floorboards," Amon said, taking my hand and staring at us all. "I would explain but…we can't keep him waiting."

I gaped, glancing down at myself—I was back in my robe, but if Amon was self concious about his appearance surely I should be running to dress? But he tugged me along, out of the dining room and down the walkway at the edge of the boat, back to the deck where Ezra had fucked me.

I twisted, glancing back at the others, but found my confusion mirrored on their faces, until one by one their gazes dropped under Amon's instruction.

But I had always been too curious for my own good, and my eyes did not fall as we reached the deck and found a small party waiting for us. There were two beautiful women, bare waisted, in thin and clinging skirts, flanking a man at either side. But not a man, of course not. Not in this company.

"Sebek," Amon said, bowing low, not noticing my gaping in place.

Sebek was huge, broad, glistening and muscular, brown skin shining green, not unlike the river as it undulated with our passage.

And Sebek had the head of a crocodile, enormous and grinning with dozens of sharp teeth gleaming white.

He wore a tall golden crown, almost shaped like two horns, with a red orb at its base, and his hips were draped in elegant white linen that clung to him like the women's. Wet white linen.

A low chuckle came from that enormous, animal grin, and Amon rose, glancing at me at last and finding me staring. He paled slightly, but straightened, and his wings were out, features slightly furred, more of his sphinx form revealed than he usual chose to show.

I blinked at last and dropped my gaze.

"Amon, my friend," Sebek the crocodile man greeted. There was a crocodile man monster? This I simply hadn't imagined.

"You honor us," Amon said, releasing me to step forward. Sebek and Amon grasped one another's arms in a respectful embrace and I found my eyes rising again, unable to resist.

"I felt your arrival and found myself curious about your party," Sebek explained, a slitted eye finding me staring again. "Curiosity is my favorite indulgence."

Amon's wings ruffled but he shot a gentle smile over his shoulder at me, reassuring.

"Allow me to introduce my consort and our companions," Amon said, which was a sort of amusing and stuffy version of our family, but I smiled at him and stepped forward as he reached an arm out to me. "My star, Esther Reed."

Amon's hand tightened around mine as Sebek bowed to me. I attempted a curtsy and Sebek rose, chuckling, and revealing a hidden surprise from behind his back.

"Oh! My hat!" I said, laughing. "It wasn't you it landed on, was it?"

Which was probably the stupidest question I could've asked but Sebek only rumbled with more easy laughter.

"Not me, but one of my children," Sebek said.

"Sebek is the god of crocodiles, my star," Amon said softly, gently.

But the tender tone did nothing to stop the announcement from nearly bowling me over. Only shock prevented me from speaking a flurry of questions outloud.

Not just monsters but gods too? Gods with the bodies of the strongest men and the heads of crocodiles? Who retrieved young women's hats from the river?!

"Th-thank you," I whispered, finally forcing my eyes to Sebek's muscular, scaled throat, accepting the hand from his long clawed fingers.

Amon made the introductions to the others as I fought to regain my senses, my straw hat held limply in my hands. Sebek didn't bow to my other gentlemen but he had a warm and friendly voice that I liked, and the sound of it soothed me back to calm.

"And see, my friend," Sebek continued as I gathered myself and leaned into Amon's side, wrapping my arms around his waist and receiving a soft kiss on my forehead. "I've guided you swiftly home."

Amon huffed as Sebek stood back, and my sphinx's breath hitched at the sight ahead of us. The boat was moving smoothly on the water, but I hadn't noticed any difference in speed. We weren't due to reach Amon's home until the next morning. Still, I was certain of the view.

A brilliant golden palace waited at the horizon, to the right of the boat and still a fair distance away, but it was growing quickly. I gaped at the sight, at the size and Amon puffed with pride at my side.

"It is good to have you back, Amon," Sebek said.

I looked up at Amon's face, at the way the sun gleamed through the fur at the sides of his face, and his eyes shone like they were lit from within with fire.

"It is good to be home," Amon said. He looked to me, over his shoulder to the others, his smile growing. "It is good to return with you all. My family."