Captive's Kiss Read online

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  APTIVE’S KISS

  SHARON KAY

  This is a work of fiction. Any actual places are used in a fictional context. Other names of places and people are the product of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual places or people is purely coincidental.

  CAPTIVE’S KISS

  Edited by Janet Michelson

  Cover art by Kim Killion at The Killion Group, Inc.

  Interior design by Ink Slinger Editorial Services

  CAPTIVE’S KISS © 2015 Sharon Kay

  ISBN-13:978-1533411488

  ISBN-10:1533411484

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  OOKS BY SHARON KAY

  The Solsti Prophecy series

  WICKED WIND

  WICKED WAVES

  WICKED FLAMES

  ON WICKED GROUND

  Companion to the Solsti Prophecy series

  KISSED BY A DEMON SPY: A NOVELLA

  The Watcher’s Kiss series

  TAINTED KISS

  ASSASSIN’S KISS

  A

  CKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  First, a huge, sincere THANK YOU to my readers! Without you, these stories would remain untold. Your support, comments, and messages motivate me and mean more to me than I can possibly express.

  Thank you to my amazing husband, for your patience and support of my writing. You are wonderful to brainstorm with about plots and powers. I love you!

  Thank you to my son. I love everything we do together. I love your bright and curious mind, and your endless questions (and thank you to Google for helping me answer them)!

  Thank you to my parents and siblings, my in-laws, and my extended family for your love and encouragement of my creativity.

  Thank you to my beta readers: Cristin and Jamie, and proofreader Toshia. Your opinions, advice, and nit-pickiness are invaluable, often hilarious, and always spot-on!

  Thank you to the group of authors who helped put together the Gathering Darkness boxed set, in which Captive’s Kiss was originally published. You were fun, professional, and a joy to work with!

  Thank you to the trio of women who make my plain Word document into a professional-looking book: Kim Killion, my amazing cover designer; Janet Michelson, my eagle-eyed editor; and Cheryl Murphy at Ink Slinger Editorial Services, my formatter and savior from the scary world of ebook html-coding.

  And a big hug and kiss to the many bloggers I have had the joy to work with. The support you give to indie authors is amazing. Many of you have jobs and families and still make time to read and review dozens (if not hundreds) of books each year, providing exposure for us through insightful and witty reviews, blog tours, cover reveals, and contests. THANK YOU!

  CONTENTS

  BOOKS BY SHARON KAY

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  CHAPTER 7

  CHAPTER 8

  CHAPTER 9

  CHAPTER 10

  PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW

  COMING SOON

  GLOSSARY

  ABOUT SHARON KAY

  C

  HAPTER 1

  TANNER ROLLED HIS SHOULDERS AS he and his team headed into the vibrant energy of downtown Halice. Festive colored lights hung in the trees and along rooftops. From one block to the next, different music blared from windows. Laughter and cat calls carried on the warm night air.

  All centered around sex. The very oxygen in the city pulsed with it.

  Half of Torth’s creatures were fertile at the solstices, half at the equinoxes. Now, as the longest day of the year reached its end, the summer solstice tilted the masses to a fever pitch.

  His team, the males Tanner fought with every day, lethal in battle and interrogation, had only one thing on their minds tonight. Need rode them hard, and the scent of sex that curled through the air only intensified it.

  Aleksai, the team leader and a lieutenant, led the way down a packed street. Tanner and Ian walked side by side behind him, with Gabriel and Raul in front. Nymphs cooed and flirted as the five Watchers strode by. One actually took off her top right there in the street and latched onto Raul’s arm.

  “Hey sexy,” she purred, craning her head to look up at him. She was all of five feet tall, and Raul, like most Watchers, was well over six feet.

  But no one cared about things like height differences tonight. With a grunt, he picked her up and stalked toward an alley. She crawled higher up his chest, kissing his neck.

  Ian shrugged and smirked. “One Watcher down.”

  Gabriel turned and angled his head at the crowds of females. “Take your pick. Or wait for the club. We’ll be there in five. You know the drill.”

  The drill. Fuck who they want and make their way back home when they wanted. They just had to show up for the noon briefing, when Aleksai would inform them of their next assignment.

  Tanner met the eyes of a curvy red headed witch, but shook his head. Witches were entirely too perceptive about the emotions of others. A dark elf got into her personal space, obviously thinking she was anxious for male company of any variety. The witch scowled and her lips moved quickly. Suddenly the elf was knocked to his knees, cursing, and he scuttled away.

  They rounded a corner and the huge, obnoxious façade of Club Hades came into view. Jagged red letters formed the name, twined with giant fake snakes. The letter “A” had horns. It was ridiculous, but it filled a gap in entertainment venues after Hell’s Gate had been destroyed in a dark elf fight last winter.

  Aleksai approached the bouncer, skipping the long line, and subtly handed the male some gold. The club was nearly packed to capacity, and the owners knew they had a needy clientele. Letting in a handful of Lash demons would only help them if things happened to get out of hand.

  The seasonal lust was intense. Need for sex, need to procreate, need to be more territorial and assert dominance-all of it was magnified for a period of two to three weeks that ended shortly after the solstice. No one was above it or could resist it, unless they chose to be drugged by a witch or healer to avoid the whole thing.

  Tanner followed Aleksai under an arch of flames and into an enormous room. The walls were painted black, but the ceiling high above was bright white and bathed in light. Figures painted on it showed ancient Earth Greek gods and goddesses in various poses of sex and destruction. The same theme was echoed in flashing light patterns projected on the walls, and statues that towered on gold pedestals scattered throughout the room.

  Techno music pounded. The Watchers pushed through the crowd, heading toward the massive bar. They didn’t even make it there without losing Gabriel and Ian to grabby female hands. Aleksai and Tanner ordered shots of dragon’s blood, which the female bartender delivered with a smile but not an invitation. The bars and clubs tried to schedule their workers on opposite seasons.

  But plenty of other creatures were happy to accommodate. Didn’t matter who was being controlled by summer hormones and who wasn’t-the air was palpable with sex.

  “To the solstice,” Tanner said as he raised his glass.

  Aleksai nodded and raised his, and they downed the deep crimson liquid.

  At one side of the bar, a tall female Lash crawled up onto the wooden surface. Pinning her eyes on Aleksai, she slid along on all fours, deftly avoiding drinks, her low cut top barely containing her breasts. She stopped in front of Aleksai and leaned to whisper something in his ear.

  Tanner could have listened, his enhanced hearing would have allowed it, but he didn’t. Her intent was clear. And so was his lieutenant’s response.

  In one fluid motion, Aleksai grabbed her and lifted her over his shoulder, caveman style. Ass in the air, she wrapped her arms around
his waist from her behind-and-upside-down position as he carried her away from the bar.

  Down a dark hall they went, to rooms-more like tiny alcoves or closets-where creatures could go to take care of business. Though some didn’t make it that far, as the occasional sounds from the dance floor indicated. Whether moans or grunts, high-pitched or low, every nuance in the sex-fueled cacophony reached Tanner’s ears.

  Tanner turned toward the dancing throng. No surprise, some females were topless and some couples were locked intimately together. He’d seen this often in his three hundred years and, yeah, it was hot. It wasn’t possible to remain unaffected by it. Not at this time of year, and not with the sudden brush of soft female hands on his arms.

  A petite Trant demoness batted purple eyes at him. Her black dress was sheer, showing him every inch of her body. Her species thrived on sex and passed as beautiful humans, so many of them had moved to Earth to work their magic. No harm was done, just sex that the human would always longingly remember. Trants were notorious for tiring of partners and needing new ones to keep them entertained.

  Tanner’s eyes slid over wavy black hair that reached the tops of her full breasts. She was willing, she was sexy. He pulled her closer and she pressed into his body, rubbing herself against him. His cock had been semi hard ever since they’d arrived in Halice, and now it responded to the intimate position with an obliging female.

  He inhaled, taking in her arousal as well as the musky nutmeg Trant scent. But his budding interest in the Trant was derailed in his next breath.

  A different female fragrance filled his nose. Night-blooming jasmine. Sweet, powerful, promising...a Lash female.

  Tanner breathed again, needed more of it, like a drug. Who did it belong to and where was she? He pulled back from the little demoness, trying to pinpoint the scent. “Sorry, sweetheart.” He disengaged from the Trant. “I need to talk to someone.”

  He started a methodical walk around the sprawling bar, not sure why he cared so much about this particular scent, but operating on pure instinct. The rectangular bar sat at the side of the club, separating the main area from the sex rooms in the back. It was thirty feet long and twenty feet wide, and somewhere nearby was a female he needed to find.

  Saige smacked her lips and moved to the pulsing beat as she shouldered her way to the bar at Hades. The air dripped with lust and sex. Shrieks and moans carried clearly to her ears. Her own body throbbed for release. It had been ages, and now that her race’s fertile season was at its peak, she was about to jump out of her skin.

  She had to ease the ache. Sex was necessary at this time of year. Taking care of her needs might seem selfish tonight, but it was the only way she’d be able to focus. She had a job to do. And the only way she could get out of the mess she was in was to find males who could hold their own in a bloody fight.

  A male who could fight, and a male to sate her urges. Not necessarily the same guy. Two vastly unrelated objectives tonight, both of which she had no choice but to complete.

  Even then, she would have only bought more time. Did a way out of her private hell even exist?

  Not that she could see.

  A lump formed in her throat and she angrily pushed it down. One day at a time. A plan would come to her. It had to.

  She banged a fist on the bar, ignored by the female bartenders who scurried to bring drinks to the males. Finally a muscular male Deserati demon flashed her an apologetic smile and leaned in. “What’ll you have, gorgeous?”

  “A shot of Jack.” She returned the smile and tilted her head. Deserati demons could be formidable fighters, especially when they used their tails. She eyed his horns deliberately, one at a time, knowing he tracked her gaze. Small and poking through the hair above his ears, those horns were a highly erogenous zone.

  He filled a glass with amber liquid and slid it to her. “Anything else?”

  “When do you get off?” she asked.

  He licked his lips and his eyes slid to her leather corset. “Three.”

  She pretended to pout. “That’s past my bedtime.”

  “It’d be worth it to stay up late. Just one night.” He winked, promise shining in his eyes.

  A bevy of fairies giggled from the other side of the bar, practically climbing on it and nearly falling over the side in an effort to get the male’s attention. He gave Saige another smile and shrug before heading over to the group, catching one fairy just before she tumbled.

  Saige threw back the shot, savoring the burn as it flowed down her throat. If she didn’t grab him, there were dozens of others to choose from. Her captors preferred the most dangerous predatory species. They liked Deserati demons, but they also loved Lash demons, and she was certain she’d seen a group of Watchers walk in.

  She glanced around, not spotting them at the moment. Probably already in rooms with females. Dudes as big as that had ladies hanging off them like vines at this time of year. She looked to the dance floor, which was just a packed mass of bodies. It was hard to tell where one creature ended and the next one began.

  Her skin tingled, responding to the groping and kissing all around her. She needed to get relief, then she could do what she needed to.

  She set down the glass and squared her shoulders, ready to sidle into the mass…and found her way blocked by a solid wall of muscle and a scent that almost brought her to her knees.

  Smoke and a hint of dark spice clung to him. Well over six feet tall, he had short dark hair and green eyes that already gleamed with lust as he perused her from heels to hair. His eyes locked with hers, and she froze under the weight of his stare. Need, power, danger. And interest.

  “Your name?” His deep voice rumbled around her, through her. His full lower lip looked bitable and her pulse quickened. He was a Lash, her species, and he was in the same hormonal boat she was. She could tell, even though she couldn’t resist a quick peek at the bulge behind his zipper.

  “Saige.” She took in his enormous biceps and shoulders and inhaled once again. He was intoxicating, dreamy, sexy, and hot as hell.

  A group of males pushed to the bar behind her, jostling her, and the Lash’s arms went around her shoulders, tucking her close. Her breath hitched at the sensation of being pressed against that wide chest, and she took another greedy inhale. She rubbed her cheek on the soft black cotton of his T-shirt.

  “I’m Tanner,” he said, and she felt the words vibrate from his body the same way she heard them in her ears. “Let’s go somewhere quieter.”

  “Gods, yes,” she murmured, and let him lead her around the bar to the dark area of private rooms in back.

  His hand gripped her hip and he allowed zero space between them as he pushed through the crowd. His fingers felt magical, each tip a spark to her need. Gods, she was so overdue for this. She’d waited too long. She might orgasm just from him touching her over her clothes.

  Oh, who was she kidding, she didn’t care how it happened. It just needed to happen in the next minute or she’d combust.

  Tanner. She said his name in her mind, letting the syllables roll around. So sexy and strong. She felt something hard concealed at the side of his thigh. A blade. He had to be a Watcher.

  The elite warriors were the self-appointed peace enforcers of the realms. They were honorable, but could be merciless to species who took unfair advantage of less fortunate ones. They were the good guys, the white knights…but their sex drives were just as insane as everyone else’s right now. She slid a hand around his waist, dragging it slowly down his muscular ass.

  He growled and shoved open a door that had been left ajar by a fae couple who’d just left. In one fluid move, he kicked the door shut and pinned her against the wall.

  “You want this, Saige?” His hands circled her biceps and slid down to her wrists, leaving a trail of goose bumps. “You want me?”

  “Yes. Now.” She captured one of his big hands and brought it to her lips, sucking his first finger into her mouth.

  His eyes glowed bright green and he gritte
d his teeth. “Fuck, woman.” His free hand went to the center zipper of her corset-who the hell had time for hooks and laces-and pulled it down.

  The leather dropped to the floor, baring her breasts. He pulled his hand from her mouth and cupped her flesh, eyes rapt. “So beautiful,” he murmured.

  His hands were perfect. Big, warm, and strong, they covered her curves possessively. The thought ghosted through her head that she was going to smell like him, and that made her insanely delighted. Why? She’d never-

  A moan escaped as one strong hand dropped to the fly of her leather pants. Heat exploded in her belly and warmth pulsed between her thighs. Oh gods, he was so close to where she needed to be touched.

  As if he read her mind, he worked the zipper down and slid his hand inside. Her lace thong was wet, a blatant invitation, and he stroked along her hyper-sensitive skin once, twice…

  And her orgasm ripped through her, so powerful she had no time to be embarrassed that she came so quickly. Her back bowed and she clutched his shoulders as she rode out the intense waves, one leg wrapped around his hip so she was completely open to him.

  “That’s it, Saige,” he whispered, his lips brushing her ear and sending mini tremors down her shoulder. “Come apart. I’ve got you.”

  She gulped air in shuddering gasps, her heart racing at the sexy promise in his voice and the nearness of him.

  The last quiver left her body and she smiled lazily up at him. A flicker of smugness danced in his eyes before giving way to raw sexual hunger. She linked her hands behind his neck and tugged, needing his mouth.

  Not all creatures bothered with kissing during the fertile times. The seasons were a lot of plain, hard fucking, any way it could be had. The romance of kissing was often left behind, the prelude abandoned in favor of the final act.