Saving Verakko: The Clecanian Series Book 3 Victoria Aveline (best book club books .TXT) 📖

She’d been falling in love with his infuriating personality and hidden gooey center since they’d first met.

“Let’s go back to the house,” she panted after breaking off the kiss.

He gifted her a glorious, fanged smile and made a deep groan of approval. Dropping her to her feet, he programmed his floating checkerboard to clean itself up and led her to the door.

She needed to figure out a good way to tell him. He’d done so many romantic things for her, and now it was her turn to do the same. She’d plan something for tomorrow. She inwardly grinned, thinking of a few things she’d like to do with him in bed, but decided that telling him she loved him and agreeing to be his mate in full required a little more romance and a little less lust.

They climbed into the lift, and she continued to brainstorm. Maybe she could build him a fire in the apartment? No, stupid. Get a private natural pool at the spa like they had in the tunnel? Maybe.

Her thoughts were interrupted when he pushed her into the wall of the lift. His mouth descended onto hers, his tongue gliding against hers in slow, languid strokes. Lily whimpered into his mouth, and her sex clenched.

Verakko ran his hands down to grip her ass and let out an approving hiss. They stayed locked together, breathing hard for long moments after the lift stopped moving.

When he finally tore away, he gazed down at her, his eyes a beautiful glowing emerald in the dim space.

“How about you take me to that bed now?”

The most gorgeous, heat-inducing, wolfish grin spread over his face. In a voice gone deep with lust, he rasped, “Yes, mivassi.”

Chapter 25

They pulled away from each other and tried their best to smooth their rumpled clothes and calm their breathing before leaving the service lift, but Verakko couldn’t force the evidence of his arousal to abate.

This night had gone better than he could’ve ever hoped. Lily had kissed him. She’d gazed at him with tenderness in her eyes instead of the cold hurt she’d been sporting for the last few days.

All they had to do now was make it a few steps to his temporary home, which he’d be selling and exchanging for whatever Lily preferred as soon as she consented to be his. Checking to see that the hallway was clear, he tugged her out and down the hall.

The faint scent of her arousal through her underwear toyed with his senses, and he had to fight the urge to simply throw her over his shoulder and leap the remaining distance to his home.

A sharp trill sounded from his pocket, tugging at his thoughts, but he ignored it. Whoever it was could call back.

Pressing his palm to the scanner on his door, he waited for it to open, then whirled Lily through the doorway. As soon as the door closed, he advanced. She smiled deviously at him and backed away. Icy veins of antivenom traveled along the roof of his mouth and filled his fangs in preparation.

The trilling continued, and Lily frowned. “Shouldn’t you get that?”

“Fuck no.” He leapt toward her, landing inches away.

She laughed and rested her fists on his chest. “They keep calling. You should at least see who it is.” She bit her lip. “Once I get you up there,” she said, nodding toward the ceiling, “you won’t be leaving for a while. Better check it now.”

Lily slid her hand down his back, making him shiver, then reached into his pocket, producing his communicator.

His eyes flashed down to the screen, meaning only to assure her it was of no importance, but then he looked again. He grunted in frustration and took the device. “It’s a formal summons from my mother. She requests I go to her right now.”

“Why?” Her expression grew worried.

He shrugged, not wanting his own sudden anxiety to affect her mood. “This is usually how she summons me. Could be anything.” He pressed a soft kiss to her upturned mouth and gathered the strength to step away. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

There was still a note of concern in her eyes, but she smiled shyly and nodded. “I’ll be waiting.”

Verakko backed away from her, releasing a miserable groan at her seductive tone. Before he decided to ignore the Queen’s request altogether, he turned and stomped out the door.

The whole ride to the palace, Verakko tried to predict what his mother might need from him. The female from hours before kept popping into his mind. Had she reported him? He shook his head at the idea. If she had any evidence against him, guards would’ve escorted him to the palace. He wouldn’t have been summoned.

It was more likely that his mother wanted a report on his progress with Lily. Perhaps to properly plan her speech. The back of his neck prickled as he realized Lily hadn’t given him a definitive answer one way or another.

He reached the palace and jogged up the steps at lightning speed, coming to a halt in the entryway. As he waited to be announced and led in, dread settled like a weight in his stomach. One of the guards shot him a sour look, and he returned it tenfold.

“Follow me.”

Verakko followed one of the armed guards through the sprawling foyer and froze.

“I said follow me,” the guard demanded from near an archway.

That was the way to the trial room.

His legs tensed to run while his mind raced to find another escape. He’d never make it anywhere if he ran. Definitely wouldn’t make it back to Lily.

He forced his feet to move, following the guard, and heaved out a deep sigh of relief when the guard continued through the large trial room and into a private office situated near the rear. The