Read Online By Sun and Candlelight by Susan Sizemore - Free Book Online Page B

liked her family.
    It was her job he hated.
    Matthias Raven was a loyal citizen
of the Byzant Empire. He considered it an honor as well as his duty
to serve in the Imperial Marines. The last thing he had ever
expected, humble servant of the Crown that he was, was to meet and
bond with the heir to the throne, the Porphrygia
herself.
    Not that he'd known who she was when
they met. Not that she'd been aware that he was a vampire. They
been stuck together as prisoners in an underground POW camp and -
well, things happen in the dark.
    And consequences come along with
every happily ever after.
    She licked the skin of his throat.
"You are warm and delicious."
    And she wasn't even talking about
his blood. Damn, how he loved this woman.
    "And you smell so good,
Doc."
    She had quick hands too, and they
made fast work unfastening his uniform when they settled onto the
bed. He breathed in her fresh, warm scent. His fangs grazed the
clean skin of her shoulder.
    The prison where they met was a
humid, hot place where it was impossible not to be covered in
sweat, and bathing wasn't a daily occurrence. She liked his smell,
She'd told him so even when they were in the sweaty confines of POW
Camp Five. Zoe, princess of a star empire, was an earthy
woman.
    His mouth covered hers. They rolled
to the center of the huge bed, and they clung to each other for a
moment. Then frantic lust took over. Her court dress and expensive
jewelry, the rest of his uniform and all his medals were stripped
off and tossed aside until they were skin to skin.
    They made love frantically the first
time. They made love slowly and gently. They made love with
laughter and teasing. They made love and shared blood and hungrily
welcomed each other home after a month's absence. Because home was
where they were together, palace, prison, starship.
    They made love until dawn, then
drifted to sleep safely in each other's arms.
     
    Not that there was much time to
rest. Zoe was woken by the ping of her aural implant not long after
she went to sleep. It was a reminder of her day's schedule. She
sighed and cuddled closer to Doc, safe and warm in his muscular
embrace. She appreciated what she had, even if she couldn't stay
there very long.
    "I love you," she whispered very
softly.
    Doc pulled her even closer to him,
if such a thing was possible. "Me too," he whispered
back.
    She caressed his cheek. It was rough
with stubble. Very sexy. There was nothing about this vampire Prime
that wasn't sexy. And that deep, rumbling voice! Was there anything
more erotic than his voice? Well, there was those muscular arms,
and...
    Enough, she didn't have time for the
intimacy she craved right now. Zoe pouted for a moment then she had
to get to work.
    "I didn't mean to wake you," she
said. "There's an early meeting on my schedule."
    "'S all right." He opened his
marvelous brown eyes and looked into hers.
    Just as Zoe asked, "What about my
meeting your family?"
    His memories rushed into her
head.
     
    "Lady Amarantha, we're bonded." He
tried to keep the exasperation out of his voice, but knew he wasn't
hiding any of his emotions from the Matri, ladies and elders of the
Corvus Clan.
    He had returned to his homeworld
specifically for this meeting. It wasn't going well. Mortal
prejudice wasn't the only thing at work against his and Zoe's
happiness.
    "I will meet her," his sire and
bondmate to his mother spoke up. "You need not be involved in the
matter Matri. Or you, my dear," he added to Matthias's mother. "The
Clan need not formally acknowledge--"
    "My bondmate is heir to the whole
damned Empire!" Matthias shouted. "What is the matter with all of
you? Is it because she's mortal? I know that we don't take as many
mortal bondmates as in the past but--"
    "She is a cyborg," the Matri said.
"I do not understand how a bonding is even possible with such a -
person." She looked at Dr. Casmerek. "No offense meant."
    "Offense taken," he answered, and
went on, "Perhaps what Matthias perceives as bonding is a