Chapter Fourteen

Drin was held firmly by the hand and pulled into his mother’s salon. The shop assistant saw him, and her eyes warmed. “Mr. Ekron, you are looking devastating today.”

“My mom is expecting us.”

“Us?”

Ekron pulled Drin out from behind him. “She’s a little shy.”

Drin fought him, but he pulled her around and held her in front of him. “Noa, this is Drin. Drin, this is Noa.”

Drin nodded. “Hello, Noa.”

Noa looked at her and at the man behind her, and understanding lit her expression. “Hello, Drin. Evali is in back. Go on.”

She recognized the designer’s name and tried to push back against Ekron as he headed to the back of the salon. He simply lifted her up and carried her to the back with one arm while holding the bolt of experimental fabric with the other.

A woman with the same golden hair was working on a dummy, draping and pinning, then hissing in frustration.

“Mom. Stop your fussing for a moment. I want to introduce you to someone.”

The elegant woman looked over and gave a condescending smile. “Ah, another hopeful to glue to your side. How charming. At least this one isn’t a stick.”

Drin was getting hit with the words, and they stung. “Um, ma’am, it isn’t like that.”

“Mom! You are making a bad impression. This is Drinella, and she is the hub of a partnership between Vikor and me and two others. She did not pursue me. I have made all initial contacts with her. She doesn’t care who I am.”

Drin turned to him and put her hand on his chest. “Yes, I do, but not in that way. I care that you are smart and funny and make me smile. You lighten my soul, and whether you sleep with me or not, that won’t change.”

He smiled. “I am going to have you in my bed. Probably as soon as we get away from my mother, who is rapidly losing her place on my holiday dinner list.”

“Wait. You and Vikor... does this have anything to do with the woman you wrote all those ballads about while you were in school?”

Drin whirled to stare at her, and Ekron’s arms came around her in tight bands.

“Mom, that kind of thing spooks her. It makes us seem stalkery.”

His mother paused. “You? Stalkery? Wow, I had not considered that. I thought it was just... huh. How did they find you?”

Drin blushed. “I would rather not say.”

Ekron chuckled. “She worked for the BDC. She had five patrons, and she satisfied all and slept with none. It was so strange, time with her stretched, and I was energized and creative. The songs that came out last year were all due to her.”

“You are joking, son.”

“I am not. She’s a muse. We have researchers looking for the details of other manifestations of her activation, but so far, she’s the only one that has shown up.”

Evali stared at her with purple eyes. “She’s too curvy for off-the-rack.”

Drin nodded. “Yes. I am sure that I can find somewhere else to be. Your mother can pick me apart without me being here, right?”

He tilted her chin up and kissed her. “If you go, I go.”

She pressed herself against him. “Good to know.”

Evali frowned. “I am just making observations. I am not insulting you. Do you often find clothing that fits?”

“No. I am no longer allowed to shop without supervision.”

“Where were you getting your clothing?”

She mumbled the name of a chain store. The horror on the designer’s face was visible.

“Oh, no. How could you?”

Drin shrugged. “I was on a budget. I was lucky I didn’t go to work naked.”

Her living shackle squeezed her. “I am up for that, considering new developments.”

She frowned, and then, she understood that her working from home would make that an option. “I am still going to requisition a laptop with clearances.”

“Litha did that during your faint.”

“She’s a good boss.”

“She seems like it.”

Evali snorted. “Drin, if you are going to be my son’s escort, I want to make sure you are dressed appropriately.”

Her son said, “Slightly inappropriate, please. For me.”

Drin elbowed him. “I am not a dress-up dolly.”

“Says you.”

She gasped, but he led her to a podium and set her on her feet.

Evali grinned and triggered the scanner.

“Now, one more without the dress and then one more without clothing at all.”

Drin blushed, but Ekron helped her out of the dress, and after that scan, out of the underwear. He insisted.

“I see you went to Norith’s place for the undergarments. Good choice, but he doesn’t really deal with someone with her curves. He tends to flatten things into normal scale so they can fit into standard clothing.”

He massaged her breasts after the scan. She swatted at his hands, but he kept going.

Evali snapped. “Ekron! This is not the place to start foreplay. Help her get dressed, and then, we can discuss your needs as I am guessing that there is a reason your identification badge has two faces.”

She got into her clothing, and Ekron held her shoes hostage for a kiss.

Evali listened to the issues with her body, and she tapped a stylus against her lips and started sketching.

They were in a very comfortable office, and the sketches would be flicked up onto the screen. Drin sat and sipped a cup of juice while they discussed what they wanted her to look like for which event.

These were costumes worn for one event. If Ekron won an award, Evali would put the dress up for commercial sale.

They spent an hour and picked a design that would suit the fabric. It was the only design without lacing. It was going to fit like a second skin, but it covered most of Drin’s body. The glittery traces were going to be added by Evali, and it was going to be interesting.

When she started yawning and apologizing, Ekron stated, “Well, we had best be heading out. She’s had an exhausting few days, and I don’t intend to let her rest any time soon.”

Drin elbowed him sharply, then rubbed her elbow.

Evali looked at her. “You do know he’s a heavy hitter, right?”

“Yeah, I also know he registers the impact but not pain in that region. The most I get is a grunt and a sore elbow.”

“So, you aren’t afraid of him?”

“Um, no. I already know where I can hit him to drop him, and I don’t do that anymore.”

Evali blinked. “You dropped him?’

“He grabbed me and kissed me, and we hadn’t been introduced yet. So, I did what they told us to do in school.”

Evali blinked again. “You kicked him in the balls?”

Ekron covered his face. “Yeah, she did, and I went down like a dropped hammer. She did not pull her kick. It wasn’t play-fighting.”

“That instance, I was afraid, which made me aggressive, but once we had rules, I was fine.” She yawned again, and her stomach panged. She was getting hungry.

Ekron got a ping on his com, and he looked at her. “Are you hungry?”

She crossed her arms. “Techor’s a squealer.”

He laughed. “Sorry, Mom. Visit is over. Bad things happen when she’s hungry. That is when the first face on her tag comes out. The benefit of her energy is diminished when she’s hungry.”

His mother frowned. “I haven’t seen the benefit. Is it just for her partners?”

Drin got up and offered her hand to Evali. “Here. He’s taking me to get food, so I will be able to give you this.”

Evali frowned and put her hand in Drin’s. Drin inhaled, exhaled, and sent a pulse into Evali’s hand. “There you go. Let me know if that bears any fruit.”

Evali’s eyes went bright for a second with shattered rainbows, and then, she smiled and sat at her tablet. “I think I just got the idea for my next collection.”

Ekron got up. “And that is our cue to leave. Have fun with the inspiration, Mom. It lasts about a week.”

Drin left with him, and they entered his car. She was shaking. “Where are we going to eat?”

He sent up the privacy screen and gave his driver an order through the intercom. He pulled her onto his lap and unlaced the top of her dress.

“Where are we going?” She shivered.

“My place.”

She yelped as he slid her skirt up and moved her to straddle him. He touched her panties and slid them aside. “You are awfully slick for someone who is just sitting in the lap of an eager man.”

She snorted and pressed her forehead to his. She muttered, “You are really pushy for a guy in a car.” He had unzipped, released his cock, and pushed it into her.

Her body resisted, and then, he got her left breast out of her dress and sucked hard. Her body released a surge of slick, and he slid in. Drin gasped and clutched at him. “That was sudden.”

He held her hips and started to lift and drop her on him. She had never fucked anyone in a moving car, and she started to look forward to the hard braking. She grunted when her body tightened around him and milked him.

“Oh, you came fast, pet.”

She shuddered. “Blame it on traffic, ohh.”

Another firm stop, and she was pressed onto him, and he went deep.

She shuddered, and he shuddered. He eased her right breast out of her dress and sucked as well. She groaned and held his head to her as she continued to flutter around him.

She wove her fingers into his hair and coaxed his head away from her breasts so she could kiss him. Once she tasted him, she braced herself on the seat behind him and rolled her hips in a strong slide that caused him to shake. He moaned, and she bit his lip as she did it again. He inhaled sharply and turned to press her into the car seat as he drove deep. When he came, she arched back, and he cupped her breasts, twisting her nipples lightly.

Heat pulsed into her, and she shuddered as she caught all he had to give, and her body absorbed it.

He dropped onto her, rocking in the backseat as the driver turned and changed direction. She sighed, and he nuzzled her neck. “Well done, pet.”

She chuckled. “You did most of the work.”

He kissed her. “I wanted your first time with me to be memorable, but I couldn’t wait.”

“No one else has tried anything in a car.”

He grinned. “Good.”

She rocked her hips. “You may want to leave me at some point, or we won’t be able to exit the vehicle.”

“What if I wear you into the house?”

“I will be distracted and upset as I doubt it is the first time you will have pulled that move or this one.”

His cheeks coloured, and she laughed. “Busted.”

He leaned back and helped her right herself. When he slipped out of her, she gasped, and it took some effort to pull her thighs together. She tucked herself back into her bra and dress and struggled with the centre lacings. Ekron finished his own adjustments and then pushed her hands aside.

He had her laced up and a big bow on the front of the dress before they came to a stop.

She sighed and shook her head.

He looked at her and stroked her cheek. “What?”

She wrinkled her nose. “I know there is no reason to be jealous, but I am following in a lot of footsteps. I saw the pictures at your mom’s place on the design board.”

He frowned, and then, his brow cleared. “Did you see me with my arm around any of those women?”

“No.”

“They were using me for designer dresses, and once they had what they wanted, I was done with them.”

She blinked. “What?”

“Sex is transactional by its very nature. Give and take. I gave them the exposure and gowns they wanted; they gave me a good time. Then, it was over.”

She was wrestling with that concept. “Why did you hire an escort then?”

“Because she could give me what no one else could. A connection for hire that would resume the next time we met. It took me six dates to realize that I wasn’t getting sex, and by then, I just wanted to see you. After that, I knew I was lost, and when Vikor showed me the footage of you singing and covered your eyes, I was stunned and excited at the same time. You had moved from a fantasy into reality, and I wanted that reality.”

She blushed. “Are you done now that we... uhh?”

He looked at her in astonishment, opened the door, and carried her into his home. A startled housekeeper opened the door and greeted him. “Mr. Ekron. Good afternoon.”

“Thanks, Stella. This is Drin, and she will be here frequently.”

“Hello, Ms. Drin. Can I get you anything? Coffee, tea? Perhaps a lemonade?”

Ekron was moving through his home at a solid clip.

“Water is fine.”

“I will bring it to your room, shall I, sir?”

“In half an hour. Maybe a small snack. Are you hungry, Drin?”

She gave him an evil look. “Not right now.”

He grinned, his pretty face smug.

He mounted a set of steps to the second floor and went down the hall to an open door. She jumped as he kicked the door shut behind them.

“Aw, pet. Didn’t mean to startle you. No one here will open that door.”

She blinked. “I thought you had gotten enough in the car.”

“Oh, no, little muse. Let’s get that dress off you again and peel you out of that underwear. I want to see all of you without my mother in the room.”

She burst out laughing; it wasn’t a sentence she had ever imagined hearing from a lover. He made that purring sound again as he set her on her feet. “You didn’t make that noise in the car.”

“I didn’t think you would be so obliging.”

She snorted as he removed her dress with ease and then removed her underwear once again. She stepped out of her shoes and reached to unbutton his shirt. The purring shook her fingertips, but when she tugged his shirt loose and unbuttoned the last button, it got louder.

“I love a girl who knows how to treat a nicely made shirt.”

“I respect workmanship, and your clothing is very well made. All tailored, I guess?”

“Of course. Most actives end up outside of standard sizing. Even you.”

She looked at her breasts. “Yeah, but they aren’t nearly in Khytten’s class.”

“She is a class to herself, and Salat is lucky to have found his match.”

She blinked, and the lack of desire for Khytten’s rack was astonishing. He definitely enjoyed breasts, so for him to be dismissive of Khytten was surprising. He was stroking hers already, taking note of the texture of her skin. The vibration running through him was enticing, and she wanted to move closer.

She unbuckled his belt and glanced down, embarrassed when she saw the marks from her slick from the car. She calculated how much his trousers were worth and curled her fingers up. “Sorry.”

He paused. “What?”

“I wrecked your trousers.”

He looked down and saw what she meant. “It will come out in the wash.”

She blinked. “Are you sure?”

“I am sure. Everything that comes out of you is water-soluble.”

Drin stared up at him with her hands on his waist, softly stroking the muscle and skin. She moved her hands back to his waistband and opened the closure, sliding the fabric off his hips. She looked at the smooth stalk of his cock and stroked her hand up and down it slowly.

He gripped her wrist and pulled her hand back behind him. “I am understanding Vikor’s need for cuffs. The touch of your hands is incredible. It drives all thought out of my mind. Stay right here.”

He kicked out of his shoes and walked to a dresser, pulling out a tie.

She quivered, and he pulled her hands around and tied her up, then walked her over to the bed and settled her, easing her hands up over her head and tying the tail end of the tie to the headboard.

She squirmed and pulled at her wrists. Ekron got his shorts and socks off, then crawled into bed with her.

The feline purr was rumbling hard and fast. Ekron kissed Drin and ran his hands over her, and she moved her legs restlessly.

He chuckled and moved over her but focused on her breasts with lips, tongue, and a lot more of that purring.

She squirmed, and one hand kneaded her belly before sliding between her thighs and stroking her until the slick sounds drove her nuts.

“Drin, you are a delight.” His tongue was busy, and her body seemed to enjoy what he was doing.

Sweat had broken out on her skin, and desperate murmurs were coming from her throat. She pulled at her wrists to get him closer, but nothing she did would get her loose.

When he moved over her, she was mindless, and the slide of him inside her made her groan in relief. She locked her legs around his hips and rocked with him until he shuddered. Her body pulsed softly as it had been since he first thrust inside her.

He kissed her and licked the tears from the corners of her eyes. “How do you feel?”

“Good. Not starving like I normally am.” She also felt soft, warm, and cared for, but she wasn’t going to tell him that. Her hands were still stuck above her head. Her wrists ached, but then she had been hauling on them.

He kissed her, then released the tie from the headboard. Her bound hands dropped to her chest. She was panting and dazed.

He stroked her hair and curled her against him. He extended his arm, and then, he cuddled up to her.

His com pinged. Then it did it again. He sighed. “Hey, Vikor.”

She tensed and looked up at him. He frowned. “Vikor says I need to take the tie off.”

She held her hands out to him, and he unwrapped the silk, hissing when her wrists were uncovered. They were red and swollen. She knew that the bruises were going to show up later.

He sighed and had to show the marks to Vikor. “He is giving me hints on how to treat the swelling before colour starts. He will be over in an hour or two. He’s bringing Techor.”

She smiled. “Good.”

He picked her up and carried her to the bathroom, soaking her wrists in a sink filled with cool water.

While she soaked, he went off a checklist that Vikor had given him, and the next half hour was spent treating her wrists with light massage, oil, and a sports ointment.

“You bruise easily.”

She nodded. “It started when the hunger did. Don’t feel bad. Vikor learned by tying me up on a date, and the swelling was there when I left.”

He exhaled in relief. “So, I am not the only one who has done this.”

She started shivering. “Nope. Can I get dressed? I am feeling kind of cold.”

He frowned. “You are looking pale. When did you last eat?”

“Proper food? I had croissants for breakfast. We went to Klauz’s for breakfast, but I didn’t eat. I don’t remember if I ate anything after that.”

He grunted. “Right. Let’s get you dressed and get you an omelette.”

He opened his com. “Stella, can you heat up some of the quiche from Tuesday?”

“Certainly. How many pieces?”

“Three. A cup of coffee with three creams and three sugars as well.”

“Right. In the kitchen or the dining room?”

“Living room. We will be down in a moment.”

“It will be ready.”

He shepherded her into the bedroom, dropped one of his dress shirts around her and did up the buttons and rolled up the cuffs. He pulled on sweatpants, took her by the hand, and led her downstairs. Apparently, her body couldn’t run on them alone.