Bonded (5 page)

God had come to him to offer the
chance to rid the world of the monstrosities that walked the earth, and he had
readily agreed. He had been touched by God. He had been shown the perfect
weapon and taught patience at the knee of a true master. Now it was time for
him to create his single most amazing masterpiece ever.

It was time for his family to
pay for their perfidy. It was time for his wife to pay for her cursing and for
his daughter to pay for being a little whore. He had caught her with her shirt
off in the backseat of Tommy Montgomery’s car yesterday, and he’d had enough.

It was time for them both to pay
and for him to play his ultimate role. The role of the grieving father! It was
time the world understood just how good it had to be in order to keep from
breaking
His
commandments.

Ah yes, the time for a reckoning
was coming, and he was the perfect vessel to deliver it.

Chapter Five

Sitting before the fireplace to
digest the wonderful meal he’d made her, Gaius told Emily the story of a
goddess who had come to the world in order to set right many wrongs. A woman
who had tasked Mercury to be the first of the guardians. Mercury was a man from
a land that shouldn’t exist, a king of a lost and forgotten world. Some would
call it Atlantis, but in reality, it was far older than that fabled land.

Emily just listened to him, then
swallowed a sip of the amaretto that he’d poured for her. “So, you’re telling
me that you think I’m one of these vestal virgins and these things that are
after me are after me because of what I can do?”

“Pretty much. You share a unique
gift with one of the original thirteen,” he explained softly. “What you can do
is amazing, Emily. Never allow anyone to take that from you.”

“It’s a terrible burden. A
curse.”

“It’s a way to ensure that the
monsters that walk in human skin are found and brought to justice. What you do
is something to be proud of.” Gaius frowned, reaching up and cupping her cheek.

“It’s also a curse. It’s horrid.
Living through a killer’s eyes. Feeling what they feel. Knowing just how much they
get off on killing innocents. It sticks with me for a while. There’s a
cleansing that I have to do sometimes just to be rid of the horror that I lived
through.”

“It’s only a curse if you allow
it to be one,” he told her in a firm tone. “Emily, this gift you have wasn’t
given to you as a punishment. You were given this particular skill because the
goddess knew you were more than strong enough to face the toll.”

“I hope you’re right. There are
times that I wonder just how sane I might be,” Emily admitted bluntly. “Because
it all depends on the insanity of the man or woman who is the killer.”

“The fact that you’re
questioning your own sanity, or lack thereof, means you’re perfectly sane. But
you’re also no longer alone in this. You understand that, right?” He brushed
his thumb slowly over the skin of her cheek, leaving behind sensation and heat.

“I know. I just hope you don’t
end up hating me because of the insanity that I bring along.” Closing her eyes,
she leaned into his gentle touch, a whisper of a sigh escaping her lips.
“Amazing. Utterly and truly amazing.” The effect of his proximity was, well, it
was incredible.

“What’s amazing?” he asked. His
breath fluttered softly over her face. He was still stroking her skin, but he
had moved closer. The heat of his body was pressing against her, warming her.

“The feeling of your hand
against my cheek. How hard it is, but how softly you’re touching me. All of it.
It’s all utterly and completely incredible to me. I never dreamed I would be
sitting before someone that understood me, that got me, as well as you do.”

“Of course I understand, Emily.”
She felt a brush of warmth to her skin. Not his hand, not his thumb, but his
lips. “You are everything to me. I know you don’t understand it all yet, but
you will in time.” He drew away, his hand slipping from her cheek. “For now, I
think you need some rest.”

“Rest might be nice,” she agreed
and tentatively stroked her fingers over his face. Getting to his feet, he held
out a hand. “Come, I’ll show you where you can clean up and where you’ll be
sleeping. It’s not the Ritz, but I’m sure we can manage for tonight.”

Shrugging, she followed him
through the house. “Hey, it’ll keep me alive. That’s all I need. Well, and a
bed. I really hate sleeping outside, so I’m glad that it’s a house and not a
tent or something weird like that.”

“No tents. They’re a little
harder to defend.” Guiding her along, he stopped before a door. He pushed it
open and reached in, turned on the lights. “Your bed for the evening,” he said.
“Bathroom is through there, where you’ll find towels and sheets. I’m just
across the hall, so if you need anything, give a call.”

“Thank you.” She looked across,
then back to him. “And if I get cold in the middle of the night, or if I have a
bad dream?”
Okay, so I may be pushing it
right now
. “Because I have a feeling that I’ll maybe get cold.”

His lips twitched ever so
slightly. “Well,” he said in a serious tone. “There are a number of solutions
for that. The most obvious, of course, would be the extra blankets. There are several
in the closet, right over there. But if that doesn’t work…” He shrugged and
slid his hands into his front pockets. “I don’t know, I suppose we might have
to come up with something a little more old-fashioned. Any ideas?” he asked, an
eyebrow moving up in a questioning arch.

“Well, you know what they say
about body heat.” She took a deep breath and one step closer.

“They’re right about body heat,”
he said with a slow nod. He put a hand on her hip and drew her another inch
forward. “But I also don’t want you feeling pressured into anything. We’re
meant to be, but you need time, too. If you want to come in and sleep in my
bed, with me there, I’m not going to say no. But I won’t push you into anything
more.”

“And if I want more?” Emily’s
hands were now on his hips, her fingers hooked into his belt loops. “I just met
you, but I want you. I feel a connection to you that I’ve never felt before in
my life.” She wanted to know more, feel more
…
do more. “Would it be me
pushing you for more than you’re willing to give?” She wanted to know. She
needed to know.

“No,” he answered softly. “I’m
more than prepared to tear off your clothes and ravish you for hours. I should
warn you—I have very specific needs. You may not be ready to explore all of
those as thoroughly as I want.”

“How do you know what I want,
what I need?” Emily was always in control. She had to be with her ability.
Sometimes, though, she wanted to be able to let go. She wanted to be able to
give herself over to someone but had never found anyone she trusted enough for
that release.

“I don’t.” He pulled her closer
still, until she could feel every inch of his front pressed to hers. Including
the very hard and hot evidence of his need against her belly. “Which is
something else we still need to discuss. What both of us expect out of taking
this to a sexual level.”

She wet her lips. “Then, instead
of talking here in the hall, what do you say about us moving this to your
bedroom? Have the conversation there?”

He nodded and began to move
backward, hanging on to her as he went. They moved in sync to the open door
that led to his room and inside. He paused long enough to push the door shut,
then kept going through the darkened space.

She moved along, trusting him to
keep her safe. Her hands traveled over his chest, from his hips upward, until
she had them around his neck. She pulled him down to her, her lips meeting his
along the way, and kissed him as she had been waiting to do.

He kissed her right back,
turning them at some point. Then they were falling. Not far. Just onto a bed.
His weight pressed her down into the softness of the blankets and mattress, one
of his legs pushing between hers to rub at the seam of her pants and her clit.

When they parted, Emily was
panting. She licked her lips and looked up at him, heat in her gaze. “Tell me
what it is that you need. Tell me what it is that you want. I need to know why
you thought I would be afraid to be here in bed with you.”

He stared down at her. “I
dominate my sexual partners. I like to bind them so they can’t move before I
fuck them. I like to spank their sweet little asses before I take them hard and
deep up the ass. I use toys during play, but I have never—not once—hurt one of
my partners … just so you know. I don’t share, ever, and will never mess around
with another when I’m with someone.”

Lifting her hand, she put it
onto his cheek. “I’ve always had to be so in control all of my life But
…
what you just said
…
I need that. God, I want that.
I want to give in and be controlled. I trust you enough for that. And I don’t
share or stray either.”

The tension she hadn’t noticed
until then slipped away from his body, and he relaxed into her even more. “No
one touches you and lives,” he said softly before he kissed her again. This one
was different—it was dominating and all encompassing. He was fully in control
and letting her know it as he devoured her slowly.

Emily let it ride. She rubbed
against him and was wildly turned on when he grabbed her wrists in one strong
hand and pulled her arms up over her head. She looked up at him, passion riding
her hard. “Only you.” And oddly enough, it felt like only him. There was
something happening between them, something more than plain sex, and she knew
it just as he did.

He drew back slightly, his gaze
sliding down over her, then back up. “You have too many clothes on.” His voice
was rough with need. “You need to get naked, now.” Very slowly, he released her
hands and pushed up and off her. “Now,” he said again, in a tone that would
brook no argument.

“Naked,” she agreed, tugging at
her clothes as fast as she could. She tossed them away without a care as to
where they went. She wanted to have her body against his. When they were both
undressed, she licked her lips. “Holy Christ, you are … wow.” He was stunning.
His entire body was sculpted as if from marble.

He came back to the bed and
climbed up. Then he moved her around until she was in the center and he was
straddling her waist. “Arms over your head. I want you to hold on to the
headboard and not let go. If you do, I stop. We clear?” he asked as he drew a
finger slowly down over a breast, just avoiding her tight nipple as he went.

“Yes.” She did as she was told,
her fingers clenching the underside of the headboard, her gaze locked on him.
“Not letting go.”
Oh mercy, I needed this
.
Her back arched when he teased his hand just past her nipple again. A move
clearly designed to make her beg.

“Good.” He nodded. Pressing both
hands to the bed, he leaned in. His goal seemed to be her neck. He pressed a
kiss there before he nipped lightly. His tongue slid over the spot a moment
later and soothed away the small sting. The other side received the same
treatment. Then he began a slow—so very slow—path down to her chest and over to
a breast.

Emily’s eyes slid shut, and she
only felt. Her foot braced on the bed, and she lifted her hips to rub against
him in invitation, waiting to see what punishment he would give her for trying
to top from the bottom.

He pressed down on her thighs
and growled. “Be still,” he said, his voice rough and commanding. “Do that
again and there will be consequences.” A very clear warning, but would she
listen or would she disobey?

Her whole body convulsed at his
dominant voice. “Yes, Sir.” Just saying the words had her pussy clenching and
her nipples hardening.
God help me, I
needed this
.

“Good girl.” His tone was a
little softer, but still firm. He lowered his head once more and nuzzled at her
breast, his lips moving lightly over the flesh until he brushed her nipple.
Gently, he slid his tongue to the puckered flesh before drawing it into his
mouth and sucking hard.

Her hands tightened on the
headboard. She bit her lower lip to keep from lifting her back up from the bed
to bring her breast closer to him. Licking her lips, she watched him, her eyes
now accustomed to the semi-dark room.

He drew off her nipple with a
soft
pop
and gave her a look of approval before moving to treat her
other to the same. When he finished with that one, he took both between his
fingers and pinched them as he tugged. Plucking over and over, he lightly
slapped them to pucker the buds even tighter.

She cried out in joy. “Yes,” she
hissed. “Gaius.” She whispered his name in prayer, pleasure, all of her
emotions combined in that moment. His touch was unique and perfection. He
played her body like a well-loved instrument.

“You like that, don’t you?” he
asked. He tugged her nipples again, pinching a little harder before releasing
them. “We’ll have to get you some nipple clamps, I think. Yours are so long and
pretty. I think a clamp on each would be divine.” He gave them another slap
before he tugged and pinched harder, holding them for a long moment before
releasing.

As her nipples throbbed, an
answering beat echoed in the rest of her body. He pressed his mouth to her
belly and licked a lazy path toward her pussy. Moving back on her legs, he
finally nudged them open and adjusted her feet up onto the bed so that she was
wide open to his view as he sat and stared at her most private place.

Looking down, she watched him
watching her and smiled. “See something you like?” She was teasing now, and did
it ever feel good. “I’m yours.” She whispered those two words as if they had
always been meant for him and him alone.

“Yes, you are,” he answered.
Leaning forward, he took a deep breath and let out a low growl that sent chills
over her body. “You smell so good, sensual and so ready.” He closed the last
bit of distance and slid his tongue up her slit to flick her clit lightly. His
eyes drifted shut, and he appeared to be savoring her taste.