Once we unpiled from the little Infinity, I made my way over to Basileus. Lee and Tandan headed straight to the front door.
"You're muddy," I pouted at Basileus.
Wet chunks of dirt clung to his chest and underbelly, coating his clawed hands and feet. There were even a few pine needles and leaves in his fur.
"The forest was wet," he replied indifferently.
"Lee isn't going to let you inside like that."
He snorted a sigh and stood on his four legs. "Must I remind everyone that I am King? Tandan will let me in. It is his damned house."
"Would you like to make a bet then?" I challenged him, folding my arms over my chest.
"A bet?"
"Yes," I persisted. "If they let you in, I lose and I’ll help you clean off inside. If they refuse to let you in, I win."
He grunted. "And what must I do if you win this ridiculous ultimatum?"
"You are going to clean up and then"—I leaned up to whisper in his ear—"I am going to stuff you inside me. Every inch."
Basileus froze momentarily. Then he lifted a single paw and, wrapping it around my waist, yanked me against his chest. He nuzzled his snout along my neck and brushed his damp nose against my scar. A shudder rippled through me.
"You will be fortunate to lose this bet," he snarled, the throaty sound full of sexual tension, "because that is not a prize you will enjoy."
I ran one of my hands down his front until I felt the hard rod cloaked in fur. It twitched at my touch and he groaned. Smiling, I gripped the head with my palm. Basileus Junior would undoubtedly be the biggest cock I would ever touch, but shit. He had a fucking summer sausage between his legs. The fact did not deter me in any way.
"You have no idea what I will enjoy," I rasped to his alert ears.
"Well . . . I have a slight inclination." He growled while my hand slid down his dick as far as it could reach. "Matt wasn't the only one fucking you."
"I thought that was making love?"
A low grunt burst from his throat. His body shivered around me. "You are right. What I want—what you are making me want, Flower—is to fuck."
God, I wanted that too. Badly. I'd never ached for someone, needed someone, the way I needed him. This was so damn intense.
"I guess we'll both get something out of my victory then," I whispered.
He growled again and set me on my feet. His eyes blazed with excitement and fervor, the way they only lit up when my naked body was in view. I grabbed his arm where there wasn't mud and tugged him towards the door. I knew I was going to win. My thighs were quivering just at the idea.
Knocking felt awkward but not knocking felt more awkward, so I rapped my knuckles twice on the front door and stuck my head inside. Lee and Tandan's hushed voices carried from another room.
"Can I borrow one of you for a moment?" I shouted.
Their conversation stopped before the sound of bare feet took its place. Lee padded into the foyer. Her shirt was untucked from her leggings and her hair no longer sat atop her head, tied in a knot. I gulped. Did I just interrupt an epic reconciliation?
"What's up?" she asked coolly, glancing between me and the big guy.
"Is he allowed to come into the house like this?" I pointed to his muddy talons and underbelly.
Basileus stubbornly lifted his chin. Lee appraised him and then looked at me like I was crazy.
"Of course not," she said. "He'll track that all through the house and I am not cleaning that shit up."
I turned to the brute with an arched brow. "See? I told you. Now, you know what you have to do."
"I only agreed to Tandan's order," he grumbled.
"Well, I speak on behalf of him then." Lee crossed her arms. "Because, again, I will be the one cleaning that up. Ain't happening, Kingy. I got other stuff to do."
"That sounds good enough for me." A big grin stretched across my face. Pointing out to the yard, I said, "Go clean up somewhere."
He huffed but relented. His eyes still shimmered and I was certain he only did as told because he wanted to plow me too. My seducing was working, finally.
"Don't think you're getting out of it either."
I spun around to face Lee. She gestured at my shirt. When I looked down, I saw the stripes of mud from Basileus' paws.
"Damn him," I muttered.
She chuckled. "Why don't you use the guest bathroom for a shower? I'll show you."
After she led me there and fetched me a set of her clothes, I was left to bathe. I gingerly stripped off the soiled garments and turned on the shower. There were plenty of other things I would have liked to do, but I had to admit how greasy I felt after that long flight.
The hot water pelted at my skin while I sat under the steady stream. My thoughts and senses wandered. I could hear Tandan and Lee's voices over the shower.
"So," she was saying, "you don't know where she is? You haven't heard from her?"
"No, Lee. Why should I know where Lorrie is? I haven't talked to her in months. Since I promised you I wouldn't." He sighed. "I have everything I could ever want right here. It's what I've been trying to tell you all along."
"You'll have to forgive me for having my doubts." Then she sighed. "It's nice to be back home. I mean, I know it's different than when we left, but I hate all the traveling."
"I know you do. Things have been hectic. It's going to be alright. Basileus will want to slow down now that he has Anna."
"I don't think he's capable of slowing down."
"Trust me. I was the same way until I met you. Lee . . . every day has been hard for us. Every day has been a fight. I'm ready to take it easy with you. I'm ready to stop fighting for our lives and just live for a little bit."
"Yeah, me too."
There was quiet and then my hearing had to strain to hear a gentle smooch. I cringed. If this turned into sex, I would have to stick my head in the toilet.
A feminine sigh reached my ears. "Does this mean—will you—?"
"I'm going to mark you, Lee Sanders. But not right now. I have a surprise for you . . . for tomorrow. I've been planning it for a while now."
"You have? How?"
"Even before Basileus," he said. "I wanted to do it sooner, but he entered our lives and then there was never a good opportunity. You'll see."
She groaned. "Do I have to wait until tomorrow then?"
He laughed. "Yes, you do. I can think of a few ways to pass the time, though."
The girlish chuckle and loud thunk that followed told me all I needed to know. I stuck my head in the shower stream to drown out their sounds. I smiled in spite of it. They were getting their happy ending and, hell, if I didn't feel partly to credit. Now I just needed my happy ending to get his squeaky clean ass back over here.