Page 32 of Souls of Steel
“That’s nice of you to say, Your Highness, but you’re not doing any better than we are,” a second member of the Harpy Squad answered.
I glanced at Brendan and instantly regretted it upon realizing what the Harpy tamer had meant. Brendan’s voice sounded as cool and calm as always, but he had an erection, and the body didn’t lie.
In fact, all of them did, and no matter how hard—no pun intended—I tried to ignore them, drawing so much sexual attention wasn’t something I was used to.
Okay, maybe I’d miscalculated a bit. It was all right. I was here now and I couldn’t run just because I felt uncomfortable.
I straightened my back and suppressed a flinch when the motion just drew their eyes to my breasts.
Whatever. I refused to be embarrassed by my body because they liked to look at it. Like Brendan had said, we were all mature adults. I’d decided I’d get used to this and I would.
Flanked by my companions, but studiously not looking at them, I made my way to the showers. The others all followed in silence. Brendan’s words must’ve made a difference, at least a little, because they didn’t make any other unfortunate comments.
The door of the shower room slid closed and I forced myself to not think about the fact that I was naked in an enclosed space with a dozen nude, aroused men. I didn’t think I’d ever been in a more awkward situation in my life. The opinions of the Harpy tamers didn’t matter that much, but with the other members of my unit, it was different.
By necessity, they stood very close to me, and even if I was doing my best to ignore their nakedness, the heat they emanated flowed over me like a physical caress. My nipples pebbled in response and my knees started shaking. Fire pooled in my belly and I bit the inside of my cheek to suppress a moan.
This was stupid. How could I possibly find anything about this sexy, when so many strangers were staring at me like I was their own personal slut? They considered me a hole to fuck, a piece of meat and not of person.
But Brendan, Knox, August, and Pollux weren’t like that. They might still have their reservations about my place in their unit, but they were doing their best to include me anyway.
It had been easier to listen to Sphinx’s advice and keep my distance from them before they’d decided to be so helpful.
Before I could completely embarrass myself, a beep reminded me why I was here in the first place. “Water flow beginning in five seconds. Three minutes duration. Begin bathing in four, three, two, one…”
The warning of the robotic voice snapped me out of my trance. Three minutes was not a lot of time to wash my whole body. Maybe for the others, it was simpler, but I had my hair to worry about, and it tended to be stubborn when not properly cleaned.
The necessity of speed distracted me from my previous concerns. The water fell with breaks, presumably to give us time to soap up our bodies. I wasn’t prepared for it, so I had to quickly adjust to keep myself from ending my famous shower with soap in my hair.
By the time it was all over, I felt breathless and even more tired than before. “Water flow ending,” the robotic voice announced. “Drying cycle beginning in ten seconds.”
The drying cycle involved a form of steam shower. This time, there was nothing for me to do but stand there and wait. My previous problem returned with a vengeance.
Behind me, I heard someone—likely a Harpy tamer—begin to masturbate. The male grunt and the sound of slick flesh sliding against flesh were a dead giveaway. My head started to spin as conflicting emotions assaulted me.
It was strange to think that someone I didn’t know was masturbating because he found me sexually appealing. I would’ve normally been mortified, maybe even disgusted, because in every other way, they found me worthless. But somehow, because my fellow Chimera Warriors were by my side, it was different.
It made me feel powerful, like I could take what I wanted and not think about the consequences. These men had sex all the time. Why shouldn’t I fulfill my own needs?
Women were sexual creatures too, right? After I’d spent the whole morning flying a chimera, it was a little difficult for my companions to mistake me for anything except a fellow tamer. So why should I not pursue this desire I felt bubbling inside me?
There was no real reason—except for the fact that I had no idea how. Then again, I hadn’t known how to fly a chimera either, so maybe they could teach me, the same way Sphinx had guided me through our lessons.
As if they’d heard my words, Knox and Brendan reached for me. The steam was thick enough that we were barely visible, but when Brendan pulled me against his chest, I went willingly. His body felt a little cool, or at least cooler than the temperature in the bath. “You’re so beautiful,” he whispered in my ear. “I’m sorry about this. Tell us to stop.”
I should’ve complied, if only because the Harpy tamers were still there. But at one point during the past half an hour, I’d thrown reason out the window. “I don’t want you to stop,” I replied instead. “Touch me.”
If Knox felt smug that I’d just confirmed his words from the shuttle, he didn’t show it. He pressed his body against mine from behind, his erection insistently nudging me, larger than I’d realized. “How could we ignore a plea from a lady?” he asked.
His clever fingers traveled over my body, making sensation explode through my oversensitized nerve endings. When he cupped my breast and pinched my nipple, I let out a low, choked moan. Brendan crushed his mouth to mine, suppressing the sound and at the same time, taking complete possession of me, branding me with his lips, with his icy heat.
While Knox massaged my breast, Brendan reached down, zeroing in on my pussy. The moment he first made contact with my labia, a jolt of unexpected pleasure coursed through me. The simple touch of his fingertips emitted an energy that reached straight into my core. Every single fiber over my being throbbed with the need for him, with the desire to be filled.
He didn’t fulfill that wish, intent on driving me insane with frustrated lust and desire. Two of his fingers slid into my wet pussy, while his thumb rubbed my swollen clit. It should’ve felt startling or uncomfortable, but my flesh easily parted for him, welcoming his touch. At the same time, he deepened our kiss, devouring me whole, stealing the air from my lungs.
For a few seconds, I thought I was going to die like this, suffocating under the onslaught of his passion. It would’ve been strangely suitable and I wouldn’t have minded. But he wasn’t done with me yet, and he broke the kiss, giving me enough time to draw breath. I almost wished he hadn’t, because as soon as I regained the use of my vocal cords, I uttered a keening cry. “Brendan, please…”
Knox’s hold on me tightened. Brendan hissed, the sound holding a desperate desire that echoed the one inside me. “I want you. But not here. Not like this.”
