Neptune's Lair (sensual paranormal romance) (The Protectors) (6 page)

“Anger and loneliness,” she added. “I know this darkness. Like an old friend, it has always been with me.”

* * * * *

“Damn. That’s not what I wanted to hear.” Brendan had hoped her infection with
the darkness
had been a new condition, one he could easily extinguish. There was no known history of a child—a being of light and air—who’d been taken by
the darkness
. Could her tender years truly have been that terrible?

It staggered him to try and imagine a situation bad enough to attract
the darkness
to an innocent. Nothing could have been worse than what he’d survived. His rocky childhood had made him believe hell was a place the unlucky ones like him went for vacation, and yet
the darkness
hadn’t come for
him
.

He reached out and stroked her warm, silky-soft cheek.

“It doesn’t have to be that way,” he whispered. “You’re strong. You can defeat this. I will help you.”

She gave him a brave smile, but he recognized the doubt lingering on her lips. He’d once held onto doubt like a babe with a security blanket, believing that he’d experience less pain in keeping the status quo than in taking a risk on the unknown.

He supposed fate had thrown him together with Dallas because she needed him to show her that life didn’t have to be wrapped around anger and loneliness.

He moved closer to her and put his arm around her shoulder. “Let me in, tender one. Let me help you.”

Even with her shivering like a frightened, soggy wren, he felt a kick of desire for her. It took nearly all his self-control not to pull her into his arms and kiss her until the shadows of doubt darkening her grassy-green eyes disappeared.

He’d tasted her power last night. In the light of day, it called to him like an addictive drug. He craved her complete and total surrender. In return he would give her the world.

She craved him, too. When he’d mentioned that they needed to get started with business, her thoughts had gone straight to sex. God, that’d been nearly more temptation than he could handle.

But no, he had made himself suffer even though he could smell the scent of her desire clinging to her clothes like a musky perfume. He’d suffered because it had been his duty to explain to her what she was and what it meant.

Her calm acceptance only proved how detached she’d let herself become from her longings and passions. But he knew firsthand her passions hadn’t gone away. On some level, she must still feel every pinprick of fear and uncertainty…that, along with the ugliness
the darkness
brought with it.

If left unchecked, she would eventually explode into a jumble of destructive emotions. In order to help her, he needed to bond with her. He needed to win her trust.

“How are you feeling? Has the tea helped chase away the pain and the cold?” His voice nearly cracked under the strain of anticipation. He wanted her under him. Now.

What better way to strengthen a bond than sex?

She blinked up at him. Mischief danced in her bright gaze.

“I…don’t…know,” she said, slowly. Teasingly. “I’m still cold. If you’re willing…” She batted her lovely dark eyelashes. “…I wouldn’t mind if you could help warm me up.”

“Tender, I’m willing to do more than just get you warm. I’m ready to make you hot enough to steam up the bedroom windows.”

As he pulled her onto his lap, his cock hardened from the feel of her snuggling closer. Her bottom wiggled and pressed against the length of him.

What he was about to do needed to be for her…not himself. But, Heaven help him, he was going to enjoy exploring every beautiful inch of her.

The blankets had to go. And then his coat. They ended up falling to the carpeted floor. His fevered gaze raked over her. She still wore far too many clothes.

He growled his frustrations before lifting her into his arms and carrying her into the bedroom. The bedroom door swung closed behind him and the lock turned as if they had minds of their own.

She wasn’t going to play her white-rabbit game with him this evening. He dropped her onto his bed. She bounced on the down-stuffed mattress. A surge of power filled him. She was in his bed and would stay there until he was done with her.

Thankfully, it didn’t look as if she planned on giving him any arguments. While he stripped off his shirt, she removed her heavy purple sweater and the black turtleneck she wore underneath.

She moved like a lazy cat as she stretched out on his bed. Her jeans hugged her hips like a second skin and her black lace bra, which covered very little, teased him. She wiggled her shoulders.

“I think I’ll leave the rest on,” she taunted, her honey-smooth voice deepening several degrees.

“You think so, do you?”

He jumped onto the bed and unhooked the front snap of her bra. With a tug on the straps, the black lace slipped easily away. Holding his breath, he reached out and cupped her tight breasts in the palms of his hands.

“Hmmm…I need a plan of action. Of course your jeans, though doing a lovely job of shaping your ass, will have to go.” He couldn’t decide what part of her he liked best. Usually, with a woman, he’d find a favorite part—like her breasts or her legs. He ran a finger down her well-defined abs, enjoying the warm glow that followed in his wake.

“And—” He dipped his head and sucked vigorously on one breast and then the other. She arched her back and moaned as her nipples turned to hard nubs in his mouth. “—you’ll scream for me.”

She nodded eagerly. “Oh yes, I’ll scream.”

“Yesss…” she whispered as he flicked his tongue over her dark, swollen nipple. Her sable-black hair cascaded down her back.

He lifted her hips off the bed, peeled off her jeans and her silky black panties. Like a monk settling in for a long prayer, he went down on his knees between her legs and placed a gentle kiss on the soft skin of her inner thigh.

“There’s no way around it,” he said, knowing his voice and hot breath teased the dark curls guarding her pussy. Her breath grew quicker, shorter. “I’m going to have to take you with my mouth. I’ll suck on you and let my tongue do all sorts of delicious things, like swirl deep inside you.”

“Ohhh…” Her eyes rolled heavenward as she fell back on to the nest of pillows he’d made at her head.

He lifted his gaze. “I expect you’ll have at least a dozen orgasms. You will soon discover that even in the real world, I’m simply that good.”

She froze.

Instead of purring or squirming with pleasure, she’d frozen so tightly she’d stopped breathing.

Dammit. What had he said? He traced back the last couple of things to have crossed his lips. He had mentioned how he wanted to take her in his mouth. She’d practically licked her lips at that. And then—he mentally slapped himself on the forehead—he’d said how he expected her to have a dozen or more orgasms before they were done.

What a boatload of pressure to perform he’d put on her with that carelessly worded vow.

“I mean…” He paused, uncertain of the right words to say in order to paint a picture of safety and promised bliss. “I will be doing all the work. All you have to do is enjoy yourself and the feel of me inside you.”

Still, she mentally pulled herself away.

* * * * *

“I-I’ve never…” It cost her dearly to admit the truth.

He waited for her to finish. She couldn’t say
it
out loud, not and hold on to her dignity. Their gazes met. She tried to read his thoughts. Surely, she’d spotted disappointment flickering in his eyes.

Soon, he’d be handing her back her clothes and inviting her to leave. What man wanted to waste his time with a deficient lover?

He deserved a woman who could appreciate his many talents, not one who couldn’t…well…just
couldn’t
enjoy him.

While his eyes remained filled with questions, his chin had tightened with determination. “You will tonight,” he promised.

She doubted that. What they’d done in her dream world was all well and good, but that couldn’t change her from freezing up when it came to performing for a man.
Any man.
Not even her dream lover could change that. But, she wasn’t going to argue. Over the years she had become very good at faking it.

“I mean it, tender one.” His velvety, deep voice caressed that sensitive spot between her legs. “You won’t have to fake it. You will come for me.”

She swallowed deeply. Every part of her being wanted to believe him.

Don’t open yourself up to disappointment
, a slippery voice inside her head warned. The chill from that afternoon crept inside her belly and cooled her courage.

“No,” she whispered. A fat tear rolled down her cheek. “I can’t. I’m sorry…I can’t.”

“Can’t?”

She so didn’t want to do this. She mumbled an apology and, after swiping at her unruly tears, started gathering up her clothes.

He caught her hands. “I understand,” he said. “We know from last night that your mind can perform beautifully. What I’m worried about is your body.” He gave her a quick kiss. “Have you ever experienced an orgasm when you were awake and a man wasn’t around?”

Good God, did he really expect her to answer
that
? She pulled away from him and buried herself under the bed covers.

He crawled under after her and propped his chin on his folded hands. They stared at each other in the darkness. He held his silence, waiting for her.

Not willing to trust her voice to do the deed, she nodded once. Slowly. Yes, she had brought herself to orgasm.

A broad smile spread across his lips.

“I’m glad,” he said.

She wanted to feel embarrassed, but he seemed so pleased that she couldn’t help but share in his pleasure. He kissed the back of her hand and then traced the length of her finger with his tongue.

“Has a man ever forced you to have sex with him?” he whispered.

The question shocked her. She didn’t know how to answer him. It wasn’t that she enjoyed lying, but when it came to intimate encounters with men, she was careful to say whatever her partner wanted to hear. If he wanted her to play the part of a wounded dove, she would.

But what if he didn’t want a wounded lover?

He rescued her with his explanation, “What I want to do with you won’t work if anyone has ever forced himself on you.”

She shook her head. “I’ve always been in control.”

“Then perhaps that is the problem, tender. You haven’t given yourself the freedom to simply enjoy.” He paused and she could hear her heart thudding against her chest. “Give yourself over to me. Let me be your master and I’ll give you the world.”

Though it terrified her to give herself over to a man so completely, she found herself nodding. Her body craved him and was willing to do anything…including forfeiting her control…to feel the length of him swell inside her.

“Your power is strong,” he said between feather-light kisses that both tickled and excited. “But I have more experience. You will not be disappointed.”

He pulled her out from under the covers and made her hold her hands above her head. With her help, he tied a velvet cord around her wrists. Not tight, but secure enough that no matter how much she twisted or turned she wouldn’t be able to slip free. He gave the soft rope a tug.

“I need you to come higher on the bed,” he said.

She arched her back and turned her head so she could see why. A lump formed in her throat as she watched him tie the rope to the center iron post on the headboard.

“I-I’m not…”

He pressed his lips to hers. Liquid heat swirled around them. It licked at the moist place between her legs. She liked that and instinctively spread her legs.

“You’re not
what
?” he asked.

She shivered at the thought of descending deeper and deeper into the dark world of his control. But if he could kiss her with such fierceness, certainly the pleasure he could give her would be worth the price.

He kissed her again, sending her thoughts skittering into the background. She pulled at the ropes holding her hands, wanting to touch him and feel the broad muscles tightening his chest.

“One more thing.” A black satin sash appeared like magic in his hand. Her breath caught in her throat. “Trust me,” he whispered and lowered the blindfold over her eyes. He tied it snug enough that it blocked all light. A vast sense of nothingness engulfed her world.

“Breathe,” he whispered. “I will never hurt you.”

She nodded into the nothingness. Her eyes strained in her new, bleak black world. She was desperate to see his expression and even more desperate to try and guess what he was thinking…about her. And her performance.

“You’re alone with only my voice and what you feel as your guides,” he whispered against her ear. “There are no boundaries in my bed. No right or wrong. Only pleasure.” He curled his fingers around one ankle and nudged until her legs were set wide apart.

“Your pleasure.” His hot breath stirred the soft curls between her legs. “Not so much different than the dream we shared last night?”

She found herself nodding in agreement, mostly because she feared that if she didn’t he would leave her to languish like this, unfulfilled and aching.

Until he demanded she take several deep breaths, she hadn’t realized how close she’d come to hyperventilating. While he nibbled on her lips, her ear, her neck, gentle thoughts whispered promises in her head. While her body tightened with anticipation, her mind started to relax.

In the nothingness surrounding her, she felt adrift as if floating in a tub of water. He caressed her in the same way he would a cherished lover. Feelings of affection grew hot and damp between her legs. She pulled at the ropes binding her, desperate to guide his movements, but the gentle touch of his hand stilled her struggles.

His hot kisses clung to her breasts. He slipped his middle finger into her mouth and told her to suckle him. While she was licking and nipping his wiggly finger, he twisted and pinched her nipples until they each became as hard as pebbles. The sensation only added to the zinging electricity sending ripples spreading out in the sea of warmth gathering around her.

She was his for the taking. And he took advantage of her willingness, directing her every thought and movement. Dallas mindlessly obeyed.

Her head spun in the heat, but she followed his directions carefully. Moving her tongue slowly down the length of the finger he had put in her mouth while imagining that she was taking his cock.

Slowly, he eased his finger from her lips and following her contours, trailed a path until it reached the supple spot between her legs. She breathed deeply as his hot, damp finger kneaded and stroked her soft folds.

New territory for her, she was surprised how easily her body responded to his commands. Her body tensed and tingled under his touch. He slid a finger into her. Her legs weakened. Her body involuntarily responded. His pushed a second finger in, and then a third, gently pumping. She pushed against his hand. Her breathing shortened…again she began to pant in anticipation.

The rasp of his zipper seemed to echo through the room. Her ears strained in the silence as she listened to the rustle of material as he removed his pants.

“You can stop at any time. Right now, for instance,” he said.

She swallowed the lump in her throat and shook her head. She wanted this. If he could give her even a whisper of what she had felt last night, she wanted it. This was why she’d searched the streets all day. She needed his flesh as desperately as she needed to breathe. It didn’t make any sense. He was a stranger. A handsome, skilled stranger who held her power in the palm of his magical hands. If he stopped now, she’d be crushed.

“
Please
…” She barely heard herself say over the loud whoosh of blood pushing through her veins. “
Don’t stop
.”