Fueled by Lust: Drusus (Siren Publishing Classic) Read online

  Fueled by Lust: Drusus

  Drawn to Texas by a vortex link between Insedivertus and a plethora of potential mates, Prince Drusus Tarquinius focuses on ensuring the survival of his alien race. Avelina Roth is simply out on the town trying to forget her love troubles when their accidental meeting draws them both into a dangerous liaison that brings a hated enemy back into Drusus’ life and shatters Avelina’s belief that we are alone in this universe.

  How does troubled in love Avelina Roth deal with the overwhelming Drusus Tarquinius, a force not of this Earth, when he engages her in his mating cycle the moment they meet? Will Drusus overlook the past and move forward with the final mating? Will Avelina survive to know the full depth of his love when the planetary war that pushed the aliens to seek mates knocks firmly on her door?

  Packed with plenty of romance, hot, hunky men, humor, and scorching, knee-wobbling sex, this author recommends gloves when reading.

  Genre: Contemporary, Science Fiction

  Length: 55,161 words

  FUELED BY LUST: DRUSUS

  Celeste Prater

  EROTIC ROMANCE

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  ABOUT THE E-BOOK YOU HAVE PURCHASED: Your non-refundable purchase of this e-book allows you to only ONE LEGAL copy for your own personal reading on your own personal computer or device. You do not have resell or distribution rights without the prior written permission of both the publisher and the copyright owner of this book. This book cannot be copied in any format, sold, or otherwise transferred from your computer to another through upload to a file sharing peer to peer program, for free or for a fee, or as a prize in any contest. Such action is illegal and in violation of the U.S. Copyright Law. Distribution of this e-book, in whole or in part, online, offline, in print or in any way or any other method currently known or yet to be invented, is forbidden. If you do not want this book anymore, you must delete it from your computer.

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  A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

  IMPRINT: Erotic Romance

  FUELED BY LUST: DRUSUS

  Copyright © 2013 by Celeste Prater

  E-book ISBN: 978-1-62740-701-4

  First E-book Publication: November 2013

  Cover design by Harris Channing

  All cover art and logo copyright © 2013 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  PUBLISHER

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  Letter to Readers

  Dear Readers,

  If you have purchased this copy of Fueled by Lust: Drusus by Celeste Prater from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.

  Regarding E-book Piracy

  This book is copyrighted intellectual property. No other individual or group has resale rights, auction rights, membership rights, sharing rights, or any kind of rights to sell or to give away a copy of this book.

  The author and the publisher work very hard to bring our paying readers high-quality reading entertainment.

  This is Celeste Prater’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect Ms. Prater’s right to earn a living from her work.

  Amanda Hilton, Publisher

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  www.BookStrand.com

  DEDICATION

  To my father, George, for ramming home that anything within the realm of the imagination is possible. You would have gotten a kick out of this, Daddy. I miss you every day.

  A shout out to my kids for thinking it’s cool that Mom isn’t the least bit shy. All other moms should be jealous that the world gifted me with you.

  Tremendous thanks to Siren-BookStrand for taking a chance on an unknown, first-time author. You own my heart now for allowing this story to come to life.

  And lastly, a huge galactic kiss now traveling the cosmos to land sweetly on my warrior’s lips. You encouraged me whether you realized it or not.

  Love you, sweetness.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  About the Author

  FUELED BY LUST: DRUSUS

  CELESTE PRATER

  Copyright © 2013

  Chapter 1

  Mouth posed in a little O of surprise, Lina darted questioning blue-gray eyes over to her best friend crawling out of the cab behind her.

  “I don’t know about this, Cassie. When you sent me that text yesterday morning saying you wanted to ‘hunt down some hotties and get wild,’ I thought you meant hitting Butch’s Sports Bar and some tequila shots. What the hell were you thinking?”

  Salacious grin still in place, Cassie shrugged her shoulders, chin gesturing toward the flashing blue sign in front of them.

  “Honey, they don’t come any hotter than this, and getting wild is an expected activity.”

  Heat Seekers – All Male Revue blinked steadily at Lina’s upturned face, a blinding neon beacon on the darkened street. She heard the cab pulling away and winced at her departing chance for escape. Drawing her eyes away from the mesmerizing sign, she glanced over to Cassie. With a shiny, purple, strapless dress hugging her slender frame, silver bangles adorning both wrists, and four-inch stilettos, she had all the makings of a girl hitting a hotspot full of gorgeous men. Groaning, Lina dropped her head to scan the length of her own body.

  A soft, black sweater pleasantly highlighted the curvy size Ds peeking from the neckline. Dark blue jeans encasing her plush rounded hips and thighs accentuated her surprisingly small waist and long legs on her five-foot-six-inch, size-fourteen frame. Black tennis shoes marked the end of her perusal.

  Touching fingers to her mahogany, ponytailed hair, Lina tucked a long stray wisp back under the scrunchy. Yep, this will work. Comfortable, can blend into a dark corner, and easy flight on flat soles. Tilting her head toward Cassie, she gave a resigned sigh.

  “Okay, I give. How did we get here? And don’t say ‘by cab’ or I will seriously hurt you.”

  Amber eyes gleaming and triumphant smile in place, Cassie pulled a silver card the size of a large postcard from her purse, pushing it toward Lina.

  “Found this attached to my door last night when I got home from work. Girl, this could not have come at a better time and you know it. The way Travis has been dragging you around by your heartstrings, and with Marcus treating me like his servant, I figured we single girls could use some distraction. Release our inner
beasts, so to speak.”

  Lina tossed her an understanding smirk and grasped the offering. The cardstock screamed of class with its brushed thickness and engraved-style script.

  Seeking something different?

  Bored with the known?

  Are your fantasies unfulfilled?

  SEEKERS agencies are here for you!

  HEAT SEEKERS

  All male dancer revue nightclubs

  Let your inner hedonist loose.

  COMPANION SEEKERS

  Escort Service

  Need to spoil your inner goddess?

  SEEKERS

  Dating Service

  Looking for that perfect mate?

  Flipping the card, she read the email, phone, and addresses for all the locations. In bold font at the bottom, it listed the CEO and Owner as Daniel Tarquinius. Interesting name…Greek isn’t it? Frowning, she glanced back to Cassie. “Don’t you find it odd that just when you want to go out and beat your chest like a cavewoman, this thing ends up on your door?” Frown immediately replaced with smiling indulgence, she watched Cassie tugging at her dress.

  Stick-straight blonde hair swinging around her wiggling, tanned shoulders, Cassie cupped her small breasts and shoved them a little higher. Turning toward Lina, arms crossed under her newly adjusted mounds, a mock glare rode her pixie face. One slender hip cocked out, further emphasizing her long legs and four-inch silver stilettos, she let out a lady-like growl.

  “I really hate you sometimes, Lina! You got some hot-momma butt and boobs to hold your clothes in place. I got nothing but double-sided tape and a prayer. Now are you going to yammer at me all night, Avelina Roth, or are we going to ride this gift-horse coincidence for all it’s worth?”

  Simultaneously patting breasts and butt, Lina purred back, “Yep, I like my shelves, baby…like my shelves.”

  At Cassie’s snort, she resumed chewing her lower lip, sneaker tapping on the pavement while she considered the neon sign with new eyes. Attached to a large, well-made building in a relatively decent part of town, she could feel the flashing words calling out to her. Was she seeking something different? Was she in need of a little warmth from doing something new and invigorating? Could this place make her forget, just for a little while? You know what, she’s right! Travis does have a firm grip on my heartstrings, and he’s working the slow seduction dance like a maestro. Hell, I don’t even warrant phone calls, just those one-liner texts. I’m also getting tired of the not so subtle hints at losing weight. If he brings me another Pilates workout CD, I might just make him eat it. I’ll be damned if a man is going to change me! We Germans like to eat, darn it, and I’m not that damn big! I’m full figured and Germans have big bones, so there! I gotta cut the boy loose!

  Shifting her attention back to Cassie, one eyebrow cocked, she grunted in approval. “Okay, I give. You do the chest thumping and I’ll just watch.”

  * * * *

  Drusus slouched back on his favorite couch in his favorite dark corner of the club. This was the perfect angle to see both the front entrance and the dressing room door by only sliding his gaze. Waist-level railings surrounded the raised seating platform. The velvet-roped entrance provided the subtle warning of being off limits to the clientele steadily moving back and forth from the stage, bar, and ladies’ rooms. He was already getting the furtive side-glances from the newbies. He was sure many wondered why this giant of a man with long, black hair tied in the back, broad shoulders, narrow waist, and long muscular legs stretched out and crossed at the ankles was alone and fully dressed. Acknowledging the lascivious smiles with a quick head tip, he quickly shifted his eyes from their inquisitive looks. Direct eye contact was equivalent to dangling raw meat in front of a lion. Nope, he needed a bit more quiet time. If he was going to have a conversation, he wanted their focus on his eyes instead of his body. No, that didn’t appear to be their goal, and why should it be? He was just another piece of meat in a heated meat locker.

  He still found himself amazed at how many times over the years he’d had to steer away an eager woman from veering off her designated path and barging in on his roped domain, or worse, directly to the dressing room door. Chuckling, he remembered when an overly amorous bride-to-be with lightning-fast hands had cornered Caelius. She had shoved him through the door, sucked his left nipple between her teeth, and had a hand full of junk before his back had ever hit the wall. Caelius was jacked up for two days after that.

  Severus usually kept watch for overzealous women trying to breach the dressing room, but he was out on a last-minute escort call. He should have declined the short notice request, but Severus had looked wound up and irritated, so it was probably best to get him out of everyone’s hair for a while. Lucky bastard had probably just finished knocking back an expensive meal and was now basking in the delicious attention of his client. Full belly, discreet roving hands, and whispered erotic promises against his ear were just a few benefits Severus was going to enjoy this night.

  When his eyes landed on Ferox working the bar, Drusus felt immediate guilt for ruminating about something as trivial as a night out with a lusty female and a thick steak. Ferox moved efficiently behind the bar, casting shy smiles at the females lining up to quench their thirst or try their luck at acquiring his attention. Drusus knew those smiles were difficult to pull and maintain. He knew the deep, soul-draining sorrow Ferox carried each day. The poor male had lost both a wife and a daughter within hours of each other. He may be walking, talking, breathing, and smiling, but that big body was on autopilot, just waiting for the day it would cease and he could finally join his loved ones. If not for the support of his brethren, Drusus feared he might have taken his own life.

  Drusus felt his energy lag as his eyes continued to rove the room. He had spent the last several weeks stuck at Seekers. Ensuring fifty new arrivals completed orientation and had adequate ID and dating profiles in place had drained him. Twenty more were coming in a few weeks, and he suddenly felt very tired at the thought. He should have caught a meal before he got here, but with Severus’s quick departure he needed to get the lineup reviewed and security in place. Perhaps he should call Ludo in to watch the doors so he could head home. Even better, he should pull the first act to wake himself up first. Maxim was up in fifteen, so he had time to switch out routines. Well, if they wanted to see meat, he would give it to them as he got what he wanted. Win. Win. Yes, that’s what he would do. Get Ludo here, do a fast set, then go home and crash. Sliding his phone off the table, he punched in a quick text and headed to the locker room.

  * * * *

  Okay, we’re in the door…so far so good. Lina looked around the small entryway, eyes wide as she stared at all the posters. Man! If these guys really look like this I’m going to pass out! Greek gods, every one. Airbrushed, yep, they have to be airbrushed. No one is that beautiful. She imagined sculpting one of them. She wouldn’t be able to keep her hands off her own clay. Cool names, too…Caelius, Maxim, Petrus, Lexus, Nikos. Dark hair, naturally tanned skin, piercing eyes, long aquiline nose, and the body…where to start…ah, those long muscles curving over their hips, emphasizing their amazing abs. I love how they gradually drift down toward their groins…oh mama…they should be outlawed…locked up, and me with the only key…

  “Miss, I need your wrist.”

  “Huh?” Yanked from her reverie, Lina stared at the woman behind the chest-high desk. The woman’s blonde hair was pulled into a severe bun. Her bored, kohl-lined eyes let Lina know this wasn’t the first time tonight she had dangled something yellow from her outstretched hand. “Oh yes, sorry!” Flinging her left arm out, Lina grimaced as the yellow band encircled her wrist. Tagged and bagged popped into her brain and she giggle-snorted before she could stop herself.

  Bored blondie pointed a long, lacquered nail toward the door and gave a surprisingly warm smile. “Bar and restroom to the left. Pick your seats. Have a nice night ladies.”

  In her usual not-afraid-of-anything mode, Cassie tugged her by the wrist through
the heavy doors and elbowed her way up to the bar. “Sauza Gold, two. I’m in the mood for some lip, sip, and suck. Two Michelob Ultras while you’re at it.”

  That got a quick smile out of the dark-haired bartender, and of course, he was just as shivering gorgeous as the drool-worthy poster attractions. Luckily, they found a high-topped, small table across from the bar and up against a wall, not too far from the door but close enough to see the stage. If their view was blocked, they could always stare at the bartender.

  Lina settled into the surprisingly comfortable chair and glanced around. Women of every size, shape, ethnicity, and dress were milling around the dimly-lit, spacious club. The maroon-curtained stage was dark, but John Mayer was playing softly in the background, adding to the ambiance. Ah yes, my favorite pastime…people watching.

  Flat-ironed hair appeared to be the predominant theme. That, and low tops with high skirts. Herds of giggling, skinny, young to who-gives-a-shit grandmas comprised the seething mass of estrogen. Shirtless waiters carrying trays of Jell-O shots above their heads weaved through the crowd. These men were built above average and not as packed as the poster hunks, but eye candy nonetheless. Glancing to her right, she spotted a grouping of black, high-backed sectional couches lining the dark walls, a drape of sheer black fabric hanging from ceiling to floor obscuring the dimly lit area. Lina surmised this was the designated area for the expensive, one-on-one private dances. Granted, she had never been in one of these clubs before but she wasn’t ignorant of what they had to offer.