War Bride (Battle Born Book 7) (12 page)

She pressed her teeth into her lower lip, looking slightly uncomfortable. “My brother would disown me, but my sisters might forgive me once the shock has worn off. But I would never be able to return to Bilarri. You’re asking me to give up my home and most of my friends. I know you think my job is frivolous, but I enjoy it.”

“I’m offering more than just me,” he reminded, barely able to think past the rushing of blood through his ears. “Unlike the males your brother chose for you, I can give you children.”

“Battle born children,” she muttered. “Will they be ridiculed and shunned. I don’t care what people think about me, but I’m not sure I could deal with anyone being cruel to our sons.”

“Sons?” He took a step toward her, hands trembling. “We will have more than one?”

She shook her head, but was suddenly avoiding his gaze. “I’m not sure why I said that. I’ve only seen one.”

He narrowed his eyes on her lovely face, not sure he believed her. “And don’t forget that your abilities would make you invaluable here. On Bilarri magic is common; here it’s a rarity.”

With a hesitant step, she brought their bodies closer. He could reach out and touch her now, but he kept his hands at his sides. He didn’t want to rush her, wanted her to be certain of her choice.

“So answer the question,” she prompted. “Do you want this to be real?”

Hope swept away the past and left him breathless and trembling. “More than anything.”

“Then let me go.”

Her smooth features revealed nothing and his heart lodged in his throat. He couldn’t tell if this was a test or the cruelest twist anyone could ever conceive. Everything within him prayed it was a test, but there was only one way to find out. He swallowed hard, then forced the words out despite the sawdust in his mouth. “You are no longer my prisoner. I’ll take you wherever you want to go.”

She held out her hand and her eyes filled with mischief. “I want to go inside. I want you to take off your clothes and get on the bed. Each time we’ve touched you’ve controlled the situation. As penance, I want you to give that control to me.”

He tensed. Control wasn’t a preference with him, it was his basic nature. He wasn’t sure he could—if he didn’t, she’d walk away. He could see it in her eyes. She needed to regain control of her life, which meant he would have to trust her for a change.

“Anything you want is yours.” He wrapped his hand around hers, entwining their fingers. “Now and always.”

Her smile broadened and she led him back inside. Giddy pleasure filled his brain, making it hard to think. Was this really happening? Had his feisty war bride transformed into his
morautu
? They’d come this far before, reached the point of joining only to have her turn him away. Was that her game? Would she leave him naked and desperate as she walked out of his life forever? He deserved no better, yet he didn’t see cruelty in her eyes, just warmth and sweet acceptance.

She squeezed his hand. “You look terrified. I didn’t think you were capable of the emotion.”

“If this is some sort of game…” He would not beg for mercy. He was a Rodyte general! Pride reinforced his shattered composure. If this was her revenge, he’d face the challenge head-on as he had always done.

“You’re the one who likes games. I’m tired of pretending.” There was no rancor in her tone, no sarcasm that he could detect.

They stood beside the bed,
his
bed, in his ancestral home. His pulse kicked up a notch at the importance of the setting. He started to speak, to ask again if this was real, but she pressed her fingertips against his lips and silenced him.

“No more words. No promises or denials. Let’s let our bodies communicate, let our souls explore each other.”

How could he argue with that? Their mind link would allow him to feel her strongest emotions and once he claimed her there would be no more secrets between them. He framed her face with his hands and bent his head to kiss her, but again she covered his mouth with her fingertips.

“You haven’t atoned for your sins.”

His hands folded into tight fists and dread surged through his system. He was starting to understand why trust had been so hard for her. She’d told him that this wasn’t a game, had assured him that he would finally have what he desired most in the universe. So why was it still so easy to imagine her walking away?

She guided his hands back to his sides, then separated the front of his shirt with two firm tugs. He shrugged out of the garment, but didn’t try to touch her. He’d tied her up and held her down each time his passion flared. She deserved this small revenge and a whole lot more. Her small, warm hands moved over his chest and down his arms, pausing to explore each muscle and tendon. Her obvious interest thrilled him, each throaty murmur stoking his flames a little higher.

Crimson fire lit her phitons by the time she unfastened the front of his pants. She’d yet to remove his boots, but she seemed much more interested in his arousal than ridding him of his clothing. Her bold touch swept over his erection once and a shudder of need shook through him. Not wanting the potential tangle to restrict his movements later, he stepped back and quickly pulled off his boots. Then he returned to his original position and waited for her next move.

Lightly grasping his shoulders, she turned his back toward the bed then tugged his pants to his knees before pushing him down on the edge of the mattress. Being maneuvered by a female was such a novelty that he chuckled. Then she bent over and grabbed the hem of his pants, ridding him of the garment with one firm tug.

Her gaze narrowed as she looked over his naked body. Enjoying her attention, he leaned slightly back on his hands and boldly spread his thighs. The pose was blatantly sexual and undeniably male. He started to ask if she liked what she saw, but bit back the words. She’d asked him not to speak and he wanted to give her what she’d requested without hesitation or reserve. She was his
morautu
and it was his fervent wish to satisfy her every desire.

“You are a feast for the eyes,” she whispered, disregarding her own rule. “I’ve wanted to do this ever since I first dreamed about you.”

Dreams had brought them together and joining with her in a dream had made it impossible for him to let her go. “I’m yours,” he whispered. “Do whatever you like with me.”

She stepped between his legs and took his face between her hands. “I’m not sure how this will work. Our love is forbidden on either of our worlds, but I’m willing to figure it out together.”

Their love? The phrase slammed into him like a fist. Did he dare believe that she loved him?

Her lips pressed against his before he composed himself enough to speak. She tilted her head, fitting her mouth more securely over his. Her tongue teased his lips, obviously asking for entrance. He opened for her, ready to risk his heart for the tiniest chance at true happiness.

It felt oddly invigorating to let her control the kiss. He kept his hands behind him and let her have her way. Her lips slid and her tongue wandered, encouraging him to respond. He curled his tongue around hers and followed her retreat until his tongue was in her mouth.

Dominance surged and he fisted the bedding, fighting to remain passive. She needed this, which meant he needed to give it to her, regardless of how alien it felt.

She broke away from his mouth with a little gasp, then kissed her way down his neck. Her hands paved the way for her lips. She wandered across his shoulder then onto his chest as she slipped to her knees beside the bed. Her hands settled on his hips while her mouth teased his abdomen, or actually teased his cock by lingering over his abdomen.

He’d imagined her doing this for him more times than he could count. His shaft bucked, lifting off his abdomen as if to draw her attention. Though the movement had been spontaneous, mostly, her fingers curved around his aching flesh. Her mouth, however, continued its leisurely trek across his belly.

Please.
The word echoed through his mind, though pride alone kept him from speaking.

She looked up at him and smiled, feminine power gleaming in her eyes. “Is something wrong? You sound like you’re in pain.”

He narrowed his gaze and pushed one hand into her unbound hair. “You know what happens when you challenge me.”

Her smile faltered and her hand began to stroke. “Not yet. I want to feel you lose control before you take it back.”

“Then get on with it,” he growled out the directive. “I need you too badly to wait.”

She bent her head and licked his tip, her gaze still locked with his. “Better?”

He arched his hips, pushing between her silken lips. “Now it’s better.”

Clearly understanding that her time at the helm was limited, she stopped toying with him. Instead her lips formed a firm circle and slid down his shaft until he was deeply imbedded in her mouth. He threw his head back and groaned. It felt so damn good. It was all he could do not to end it right there and then.

Her lips slid back up while her hand returned to stroke him. The two together were sheer ecstasy. Her head bobbed and her tongue swirled, building his already blazing desire. She knelt before him, selflessly pleasuring him with her mouth. He’d begun to wonder if this day would ever come, if he’d ever experience her freely offered passion.

Exhilarated by her gift, he concentrated on the steady slide of her lips and the arousing patterns her tongue created over and around his most sensitive areas. They had waited so long, and he wanted her so badly, he knew it wouldn’t last long. Still, he wanted to savor every moment, every sensation.

Suddenly warmth and affection flowed into his mind, faint at first like the echo of emotion rather than the actual feeling. He shivered. This wasn’t him. His emotions—when he allowed himself to acknowledge them—were more intense, more consuming. Already their mental link was expanding, evolving into something stronger and more interactive.

He held perfectly still and let the connection grow. Physical sensations melded with metaphysical awareness, propelling the pleasure beyond anything he’d ever experienced before. He cried out, both hands moving to her hair. He didn’t pull, didn’t close his fingers, just cradled the back of her head. She didn’t do this begrudgingly. She felt exhilarated and powerful as she drove him toward completion.

It was all too much, too stimulating, too exciting. He cried out and lunged to the back of her mouth, coming in pulsing jets. Pleasure exploded inside his mind. His? Hers? He couldn’t tell any longer, and didn’t really care as long as they were both satisfied. She continued to suck, drawing every last shudder from him before releasing him from her mouth.

He closed one hand into a careful fist and tilted her head back. “Is that adequate penance, my love?” She just grinned, so he kissed her, undeterred by his taste in her mouth. He wanted his scent all over her body and the rhythm of his energy imprinted on her soul. “I hope it was, because now it’s my turn.”

Skyla gasped then laughed as he picked her up and tossed her to the middle of the bed. She playfully kicked at him, which just made it easier for him to position himself between her legs. He knelt now, beside the bed, his chest framed by her thighs. His hands grabbed her butt and he pulled her hips to the edge of the bed, dragging another nervous laugh from her mouth. Her knees were already bent, so she placed her heels on his broad back, anxiously waiting for him to begin.

He was clearly in no hurry thanks to his recent orgasm. His taste was still strong in her mouth, a taste she’d never found appealing before. Now it seemed right, natural. Kryton was her mate. She wanted to know everything about him, every expression, every reaction, every millimeter of his amazing body.

Apparently, his thoughts ran along similar lines. Instead of going right to work between her thighs, he caressed her legs and hips, his touch sure, yet gentle. His hands ascended along her sides, one keeping pace with the other. He cupped both breasts at exactly the same time, his gaze locking with hers.

“You’re amazing,” he whispered, his voice hushed and reverent. “I’m not sure why you’re still here, but I’m thrilled that you are.”

She tried to sit up, but he shook his head and squeezed both her nipples. “I let you play. Now raise your arms overhead and accept whatever I give you.”

Excitement shivered through her body. There was no denying that his aggression aroused her. When his voice turned all stern and commanding, her body responded as never before.

He continued to tease her nipples as he lowered his head toward her sex. His tongue gently traced her slit, caressing without parting her folds. She crossed her ankles behind his neck and rotated her legs outward, giving him more room to move. He tilted his head one way and then the other, approaching her crease from different angles and creating different sensation.

She closed her eyes and concentrated on the pleasure, stubbornly tuning out the rest of the world. His tongue eased between her folds, circling the entrance to her core. Her mind instinctually opened as he reached the very center of her body. Searing passion blazed into her mind, vibrating their fragile link. She gasped, saturating the connection with energy to keep the conduit from burning out. Were all of his emotions so intense? The answer was so sad she didn’t want to think about it. He suppressed his emotions so often they exploded each time he turned them loose.