His to Take (7 page)

Savage need built inside her, driven higher by his hoarse cries. When she felt his hot seed spurting into her, she exploded. The orgasm poured through her whole body, shocking her to the core. He always saw that she was satisfied first before allowing himself to let go. She’d never known that feeling him come inside her could send her over the edge. Never before realized that giving herself completely to her lover would trigger her own release, leave her completely satisfied.

She collapsed onto the bed with him still lodged deep inside her. His heart thudded against her back and he rolled over onto his side, taking her with him. Holding her close even as their bodies came apart.

“You’re my woman now, in every way.” His words were barely a breath against her ear. “You belong to me—and I to you. Forever.”

Chapter Six

“When can I open my eyes?”

“Just a little longer.”

Selena shivered as she made her way hesitantly through the ankle-deep snow that had fallen during the night. Haldor had both her hands in his as he led her down the path.

“Remember—if you open your eyes before I say you can, you’ll get another spanking.” Teasing this time, his voice warm.

She responded the same way. “Oooh. What kind of spanking? Will it be another one of those that I have to
beg
you for?”

“Those are for the times when you’ve been especially good. Peeking now would be naughty.”

“I won’t peek,” she assured him. “I’ve never celebrated Valentine’s Day before. I don’t even care what the surprise is. I love it already—just because you’ve gone to all this effort to do something special.”

“You can thank Ingrid for that. She told me all about the holiday. An entire day dedicated to showing love to those who mean the most to us. She’s been nagging Kylar about it, ever since she heard about the custom from one of the first Earthers who came here through the Portal a few years ago. Wants him to adopt it as one of our traditions here on Gadolinium. He wasn’t interested before, but now that he has Talia, I think he may change his mind. Careful here.” He stopped and she heard the scrape. A door against a stone floor?

She took another step and felt the hard, smooth surface underfoot. Warmth flooded through her. The scent of wood smoke filled the air and she could hear the unmistakable crackle of fire in a hearth. They’d taken the wagon a long way into the woods before he made her close her eyes for the last part of the journey. Had he brought her to a country inn? There were no other voices. No sounds at all. She had the sense that they were completely alone.

He led her a few more steps, then stopped.

“All right. You can open your eyes now.”

She knew him so well by now that she detected a note of something different in his voice. Nervousness? Uncertainty? It was so unusual that she was almost afraid to open her eyes. Whatever he had in store was obviously very important to him. She reminded herself to act thrilled even if he’d brought her to see a new cooking pot he’d had made for her.

Slowly she opened her eyes.

A large empty room, shrouded in darkness. Obviously still under construction. Light from the fire in the massive hearth at one end of the room barely reached the farthest corners. She turned in a circle, taking it all in. Stone walls, wooden rafters overhead. Large window openings covered with rough boards. The floor beneath laid with smooth blocks of stone.

She came all the way around, face to face with Haldor.

“What do you think?”

“It’s… it’s huge.”

He beamed. “Yes. And it’s going to be even bigger. This is only the great room. We can sleep here at first, over in that corner. And there’s plenty of room for a table in the middle, big enough to share a meal with friends. In the evening, we can pull up our chairs close to the fire. I’m going to work on it while we live here. Add on over time. Bedrooms. First one for us. Then…” He stopped and this time there was no mistaking his nervousness. “There’s plenty of space to build more rooms—for little ones.”

Her heart sank. He meant for them to live here. All alone. Out in the middle of the forest, miles from town. In this big dark stone fortress.

He went to the far end of the room and threw open the shutters covering a pair of wide windows. The winter suns sat low in the sky, flooding the room with their rays.

“You can see the meadow from here. In the spring it will be filled with wildflowers.” He talked faster, wanting her to see it as he did. Wanting her to share his excitement. “The creek flows through it all year long, coming down from the mountains. There’s a doe that brings her twin fawns here to drink. Every evening at dusk. I’ve seen them through the window while I was working on the place.”

“So this is where you’ve been. All those days when you said you’d been hunting, yet came home with only a single hare to show for it.” She frowned. “And all those times when you said you were meeting in council all day or playing cards with your friends?”

He nodded. “It’s been hard to keep it from you. Kylar, Heinrik, all the others. They’ve been here with me, working hard. We didn’t dare tell any of the women for fear they’d let something slip to you and spoil the surprise. They probably all think their husbands have been out drinking honey mead and gambling away the hours. I promised the men we’d have everyone here for a feast as soon as we’ve moved in. Music. Dancing. And a whole pig roasting on the hearth for hours. It’s the least I can do to thank them all.”

She took another look around. Rays of sun lit up the stone pavers, revealing streaks of honey gold and peach and ivory. He’d obviously chosen them with care. The view out the windows was lovely. A pristine blanket of snow covered the meadow, magnifying the pale winter sunlight to a bright glow. Even from here, she could hear the creek bubbling over the rocks as it flowed through the open field.

Once she hung a few tapestries, the stone walls wouldn’t look so bare and harsh. She thought of Ingrid’s room, made cozy with splashes of dazzling color. Maybe she’d add some bright curtains at the windows, drawn at night to cover the wooden shutters and add a soft touch. She turned to Haldor. His eyes held such hopefulness.

She smiled. “It’s beautiful. Spacious without being cold and grand, like some of the rooms in the palace. And the floor—where did you find these stones? They’re lovely. The colors…”

He beamed. “Do you like them? I hoped you would. I chose each one. You should have heard Kylar when he helped me lay them. He complained that I sounded like Ingrid fussing over which dress Astrid should wear for a state dinner when we were young. ‘No, no, no. Not that one. Find one with more pink.’ But once he saw what I was trying to do, even he took to examining each one. Holding it in the light, flipping it over and over looking for the best side. You’d be surprised,” he went on, “how a stone can look cold and dark on one side yet have so much warmth and intensity underneath.”

“You’re right. I am surprised. But not just by the stones.” She smiled at him and took his hand in hers. “I love this place. I love you, for all the work you’ve put into it to make it special for us.”

He grinned and for a moment she caught a glimpse of the carefree boy he’d once been. “There’s one more surprise. I’ve saved the best for last.”

He led her to a door she hadn’t noticed in a corner. It led to a narrow hall with another doorway at the end.

“Go ahead,” he urged.

She made her way hesitantly down the dark passage, pushed open the heavy door and gasped.

A rainbow of dancing light poured through a narrow window covered in a stained-glass pattern of glowing crystals. More brilliant crystals studded the walls and ceiling. Emerald green, yellow, amethyst, blue as pure as a tropical sea. Throwing their light on—surely those couldn’t be flowers?

Strange exotic blooms that glowed as well, in a riot of colors, filling the room with their fragrance. She took one step forward, stretching out a hand toward the nearest delicate blossom on the wall. Velvety smooth petals in a soft shade of apricot nestled in a cup of spring green foliage.

“It’s… it’s attached! It’s growing here. Right on the wall.”

Haldor stepped in after her. “They all are.” He stretched out an arm. “Only a few right now. But you’re good with plants. You can grow more. All year round. Even in the dead of winter. I’m told some of them even have healing properties. Maybe they’ll prove useful in your work with Ingrid.”

“But where did all this come from?”

“Remember that trip I took a few weeks back, when you stayed at the palace? I went to Iridia, through the Portal. I’ve been stockpiling furs for months. Ever since I brought you here. I knew I wanted to do something special. I just didn’t know what.”

He waved a hand around the room. “I traded the furs for Iridian crystals and a handful of their special plants. The crystals give off enough heat to keep it warm in here and these plants grow only under their glow. Mind you, too much exposure to the crystals can be dangerous. That’s why I’ve put them here, at the end of a long stone passageway. You can’t stay in this room for days on end. But for a couple of hours at a time, on the dark winter days… I thought being surrounded with such beauty might make life here more bearable for you.”

Her eyes filled with tears. “This is incredible.”

“Just one more thing. Ingrid tells me this is the way they used to profess their love back on Earth.” Reaching into a pouch at his waist, he brought out a tiny parcel wrapped in a soft cloth. Another crystal, brilliant blue, set in a gold ring. “This one is safe to wear. All the time.”

He dropped to one knee in front of her. “Selena Reston, will you be my wife? Will you share this home, bear our children, let me love and protect and cherish you for the rest of your life?”

She looked down at him. This proud Viking warrior, kneeling at her feet. He’d given her so much already. Security. Warmth. Joy. A life filled with passion such as she’d never known. Excitement and adventure she’d only dreamed of in her sterile existence back on Earth. And now—tenderness she’d never imagined he was capable of.

“Haldor, from the first moment I met you, you’ve filled my soul with light.” She stretched her arms out. “And now you’ve filled our home with it as well. I would be honored to be your wife. And bear our children. And let you love and protect and cherish me—as I will love and cherish you, all the days of our lives.”

He stood and swept her in his arms. His kiss started out soft and gentle, but it grew. She felt his hunger building, sending that wild thrill surging through her. He captured her mouth in a fierce possession that demanded her complete surrender.

He stopped long enough to draw her down onto a strategically placed pile of furs on the floor that she hadn’t noticed when they walked into the room.

“We’ll wed on the spring solstice,” he announced in a tone that brooked no disagreement. “But I plan to start on the children right now.”

“Yes, my lord.” She lowered her eyes demurely. “May I have permission to speak first, sir?”

He fell into character, as she hoped he would. “You have my leave. Speak,” he replied, the stern note that made her pussy clench back in his voice.

She got on her knees. “I’ve been very good today; doing everything you’ve told me to do. I would ask… no, I
beg
that you begin our life together in this new home by giving me the spanking I deserve, my lord.”

Without waiting for an answer, she bent over with her head resting on the soft furs and pulled her skirt up to the waist, revealing her naked bottom.

“Since you’ve begged me, I will do my duty as head of this household.”

His hand roamed over her bare cheeks. He delivered the first spicy smack, then dipped his finger into her pussy to find her already wet. She moaned.

He smacked her again, just hard enough to send a stab of lust through her. Then he sat up and pulled her over his lap. His cock was already hard, straining against the rough fabric of his trousers.

“Oh, it’s a needy wench I have here! Prepare yourself, woman. And don’t you dare move. Or this spanking is going to last a
very
long time.”

Selena turned her head and met his eyes. Then, with a saucy grin, she wiggled provocatively on his lap.

The End

Stormy Night Publications would like to thank you for your interest in our books.

If you liked this book (or even if you didn’t), we would really appreciate you leaving a review on the site where you purchased it. Reviews provide useful feedback for us and our authors, and this feedback (both positive comments and constructive criticism) allows us to work even harder to make sure we provide the content our customers want to read.

If you would like to check out more books from Stormy Night Publications, if you want to learn more about our company, or if you would like to join our mailing list, please visit our website at:

http://www.stormynightpublications.com

Bonus: Chapter One of
His to Tame

Star Portals have existed since the beginning of time. Doorways between worlds in this galaxy—and others. On Earth, they can be found at the convergence of ley lines, those invisible electromagnetic paths crisscrossing our globe. Our ancestors discovered them thousands of years ago, using them to travel to the farthest reaches of the universe.

Flourishing ancient civilizations didn’t die out. The people of Atlantis, the Vikings, the Mayans—when tragedy struck their homelands, they simply migrated through the Portals to places where fresh water flowed, crops grew abundantly, and the climate was nearly perfect.

Human beings descended from our common ancestors are alive today on a trio of planets thousands of light years away. Islands of stability in the universe where vast quantities of natural resources and rare minerals abound.