Page 6 of Traveling with Gentlemen (Tempting Monsters #1.1)

DOMESTIC DAYS

I listened to the swish swish of my loose silk pants as I kicked my legs, sitting on the high counter of the surprisingly modern kitchen.

The room was huge and airy, usually full of Amon's friendly staff, but they always gave the room to Auguste alone when he wanted to cook.

I wasn't sure if they were afraid of my vampire, or especially respectful of his cooking.

It was evening and Auguste had woken from our nap together, determined to try a new recipe for our dinner.

Amon had left for the day to go and speak with other monsters regarding Birsha, and he'd taken Ezra and Booker with him.

They would return soon, but the thought of wandering Amon's palace alone in the meantime overwhelmed me.

We'd been settling in for a little over two weeks, but I still found myselfgetting lost in the vast rooms and seemingly endless halls.

The kitchen was on the ground floor, opening out to a walled-in courtyard that was lush with a farmer's garden full of vegetables and grains and spices. Auguste's experiments blended beautifully with the breeze of earth and growth slipping in softly through the high open windows.

"Have you seen Jonathon?" I asked Auguste, as he approached me with a steaming spoon.

I opened my mouth obediently and hummed as spices flashed on my tongue.

He took his own taste, a delicate dab with his tongue since I was the only thing he preferred to dine on, and his eyes wandered the room as he thought.

"Needs acidity," he murmured before answering my question, "No, not since he wandered off to his lab. That was before you ate lunch, wasn't it? He'll have forgotten."

"He's been working too much since we arrived," I said, frowning.

Auguste smiled at me before returning to the bubbling pots on the stove.

"He loves his work. Not as much as he loves you or I, mon coeur, but it's hard to pull him away.

" Auguste stirred, and I gazed at his back, muscles shifting under the soft white cotton.

"You're right, though. We should make sure to drag him to dinner. "

I perked up at the suggestion. "I'll go hunt him down."

Auguste's lips curved and I wondered if he'd meant to send me on this route.

I hopped down from the counter, running to Auguste's side to kiss his cheek, before hurrying to leave the kitchen.

Jonathon's labs were underground, near the bathing pool Amon had promised me.

The pool was a brighter and more lavish version than Rooksgrave's grotto, with gold and blue tiles glittering through the bright water, but I still made my gentlemen join me, a little shy of deep water after my run-in with the wraith.

The halls of the palace were broad and bright, reminding me of Amon's Star Manor, echoing the soft slaps of my footsteps on the tile.

As I neared Jonathon's lab, his own busy work filtered out to my ears, glass chinking and water bubbling, the scratch of a pen on paper.

I paused in the doorway, taking in the scene.

In the little time since our arrival, Jonathon had transformed the room into a space as mysterious to me as Magadalena's office, although the nature of his trinkets and tools was decidedly more modern.

The room was brightly lit by bulbs and oil lamps alike, and while crowded, it was clearly organized and tidy. Jonathon sat hunched in front of me, resting on a stool, peering down into one of his devices. His shirtsleeves were rolled up and there was a row of empty cups of tea off to the left.

"You won't distract me if you come closer," Jonathon said without looking up.

It was an invitation and a challenge. I accepted both, crossing the close space and pressing myself to Jonathon's back.

He chuckled and I rose up to my toes, glancing at his notebook only long enough to know I had no chance of deciphering the scribbles.

My arms wrapped around his middle, my hands finding a convenient resting place in his lap.

"What are you up to, Ms. Reed?" he asked, voice lowered slightly, his elegant hands fiddling with dials.

"Attempting to lure you back upstairs for dinner," I answered, cupping his crotch through his trousers.

Jonathon snorted softly, but he was too focused to respond properly.

I contented myself with a slow exploration through the thin fabric, my own scientific study of the little ways he tensed and twitched as I groped him.

As he sat up, I assumed I'd won the battle easily, but he only twisted to his right to make more notes.

"What are you working on?" I asked, now with a good grip of his length in one hand, the other holding and massaging his balls.

Jonathon leaned back against me, my nose tucked into the nape of his neck.

"I'm studying blood samples from a collection of monsters. I have over twenty samples, but I seem to be discovering a pattern of four."

"Four what?" He was growing thicker in my hands, leaning back into my chest to offer me more ease.

"I'm not sure yet. Four reactions. As if…" Jonathon let out a heavy sigh and his hips bucked up into my touch. "Do you know…I think I might need—"

I helped myself to the fasten of his trousers and Jonathon grunted, ink-stained hands helping pull the fabric out of the way. His flesh was warm and soft in my grip, a little bead of arousal ready at his tip. I worked him slowly, hiding my grin against his shoulders as he sagged into my arms.

"Thank you, darling," he breathed out in a ragged whisper.

"Tell me about your reactions."

"My—? I-uhn—" His hips bucked again as I stroked him. "I feel quite hot and jumpy."

I giggled. My mission was accomplished. "I meant your scientific reactions, actually."

"Oh. Ohhh, Esther, I—" Jonathon cleared his throat, sliding his hips forward for my ease.

"It's a series of tests. It seems there are biological similarities…

" He trailed off as I circled my fingers and twisted around the head of his cock.

When I stroked down to the root of him he sucked in a sudden breath.

"Similarities between certain types of monsters.

I expected to find them in various fae species, but I found them in unlikely places as well, such as demons and o-ohh-orcs," he managed, now fucking himself in my tight grip.

"That is interesting, then?"

"It would be if—fuck, fuck, I'm close and I'd rather not—"

I loosened my grip, moved back to playing with his balls and stroking his base.

Jonathon sighed. "It's interesting if it means there are deeper biological roots between some monsters. If succubi and vampires and lamia might have common genes."

I thought of how Auguste had described the pride and hierarchy amongst monsters. "What will they think of this?"

Jonathon huffed out a laugh, reaching down and clasping my hand in his, speeding up my stroking.

"That I'm not sure of. Some will likely take issue, and I don't yet know what it might lead to.

But monsters are twice as superstitious and gullible to myth as humans.

I prefer science because it is honest. Most of the time. "

I kissed his throat and he sighed, patting the back of my hand.

"He's impatient for you. I'll have proper time with you tonight, but would you mind now—"

I set to my work, Jonathon's breath hitching as my practiced hands squeezed and stroked, twisted and pulled.

He groaned sweetly for me, tipping his head to the side to offer his throat for more kisses.

All my gentlemen were generous with their praise, even when it was simply their ragged breaths racing toward release, and there was something wonderfully fragile about Jonathon's voice during pleasure.

His cock twitched and jumped in my grip, release fast approaching, and I squirmed two fingers down from his sac to stuff them between his tightly clenched cheeks, pressing to his hole.

Jonathon bellowed and arched in my arms. I nipped at his throat, holding him in place as if I were Auguste helping myself to a bite of him.

He shuddered and bucked in my embrace, sticky heat spilling over my hands, splashing up and onto the counter.

"Damn! The samples," Jonathon gasped out, but he didn't stop working himself in my grip and the words fell into a long satisfied note.

"Sorry," I said, trying to fight a laugh.

"It's fine," he grunted, his voice going thick. "Done with them, mostly."

The words were shortening, growing rough, and Jonathon's body was flexing in my arms.

"How long has it been since you let him out?" I asked, unwrapping myself from his back.

"Too long," Mr. Tanner bit out through Jonathon's lips.

I grinned and backed up to make room for my monster.

Jonathon and Mr. Tanner didn't usually like for me to watch their transformation, but they were too impatient now.

It was an ugly business, and the sounds they made were equal parts relief and discomfort.

I stared as long as I could at the twisting of muscles and the popping of bones, until I found myself wincing in sympathy and glancing down to the floor.

"Hike your skirts, girlie," Mr. Tanner grunted.

I did as I was told, smiling as I heard the ragged sigh.

The lamps cast enormous shadows of my magnificent beast in every direction on the walls, mingling his massive shape with bottles and books and shelves, casting him in all his horror and beauty up to the ceiling.

I looked up again and beamed at the vibrant green stare now fixed to my exposed sex.

"There's a good girl," Mr. Tanner greeted.

It took him one step where it would've taken Jonathon four, and then I was lifted off my feet, coarse hands cupped around my thighs. I squealed briefly, until my breath was knocked out of me as my back hit the wall.

"Sorry," Mr. Tanner said.

"Don't be!" I reached for his face, holding it in place by his own granting, smiling up at him. His eyes were still shy of my stare, but he ducked his head at my gentle command, bending for my kisses. "I missed you," I said softly.

He grunted, eyes slitting, and then hiked my knees up, bracing me against the wall. "This will be rough."

"I like rough," I said, petting his scruffy broad cheeks.

Fabric tore and a thick shaft of flesh slapped wetly against my pussy, the hot head of him striking my clit with a wonderful pound of pressure.

I moaned and Mr. Tanner chuckled, rocking against me for a few strokes, humming appreciatively at my eager arousal.

But he didn't play with me as he and Jonathon usually would, and the head of his cock was pressing to my opening soon.

I gasped as he pushed, my body resisting.

Willing as I was, excited too, Mr. Tanner was always an effort, and I usually took a good stretching from his fingers before his cock.

"Relax," he said, as sweetly as his rocky voice would allow.

I exhaled heavily, and he groaned as he thrust in. My body wanted to tense at the intrusion but I coaxed myself limp, and Mr. Tanner was gentle and patient in his progress.

"That's my good girl. My lovely little cunt. You fit your monster so well. Now give us a squeeze."

I giggled at the praise and Mr. Tanner's head fell back with a hearty groan as I squeezed. Oh, he was wonderful inside of me. Hot with the stretch, aching and full, but so careful and slow too.

"Nice slick hole." Mr. Tanner thrust deeper. "Perfect tight cocksleeve."

I whined at the filthy words and the quick, sharp buck of his hips. His right hand stretched and his thumb pressed to my clit, not circling, just providing a blunt pulse of pleasure that made my blood rush in my ears and my eyes roll back in my head.

He made faster work of me then, pulling me down a bit, kicking up harder, until his movements were long and steady, deeper with every second. I came without warning and he filled me up, the dull bang of him striking inside of me contrasting with the rich wave of pleasure rushing through my veins.

The wall was no longer at my back and Mr. Tanner's arms were around me.

I was his toy again, a threat and promise that always made me squirm and blush.

He tossed me up and down his length, my cunt ready for him now after my orgasm.

His grunts were rough and satisfying in my ear, his clutch of my body just tight enough to leave me breathless.

"Oh, I love you," I gasped out, my hands fisted in the torn white shirt that barely contained him.

Mr. Tanner laughed but his head bent and he kissed my hair, still using me to sheath himself, to pleasure that pulsing and iron-hard cock of his.

It was easy to be limp now, and I was noisy with sounds that were praise without language.

My monster let me sag in his hold, fit me hard against his warm hips, and his thumb on my clit made quick work of my oversensitive body.

I screamed and tightened and Mr. Tanner spilled inside of me, a thick velvety release that scorched and soothed all at once, sliding out to spill over my thighs and onto his belly.

"Good girl, my little love, my sweet cunt," Mr. Tanner gasped out, shaking and bracing me to his chest, my head tucked beneath his chin.

I was warmed head to toe with the words, dripping in our shared pleasure, and Mr. Tanner held me there as we caught our breath.

"Stay for dinner," I said, wrapping my arms up around his shoulders.

"I'll eat too much, and he'll want to have your lovely pussy for dessert tonight," Mr. Tanner said. He patted my ass with a hand big enough to cover a whole cheek and growled into my ear. "But I'll have you for breakfast tomorrow, little one."

I laughed. "Well, I suppose. As long as everyone's getting fed."