by Anna Argent
She didn’t want that. She wanted the man she’d glimpsed in that cold barn, loving her by firelight. She wanted his passion, his heat. Only that was enough to take her mind off the scary things that lurked on the other side of that window.
Isa forced herself up and out of the hot water. Her arms and legs were still a bit shaky and weak, but the look Warrian gave her was enough to make her forget all about weakness and fear. When he looked at her like that—so hot and hungry—the rest of the world simply went away, forgotten and unimportant.
She needed that. More than she wanted to admit.
She took the towel he handed her and wrapped it around her shivering body. “Will you come get under the blankets with me and help me warm up?”
He nodded slowly. “I will warm you.”
The way he said it left no question that he intended to do nothing more.
Isa had other plans. She could either spend the next couple of hours sick with worry, or let Warrian send the time speeding by in a haze of hot pleasure.
She padded to the bed and let the damp towel fall to the floor. Warrian saw her naked body and shut the door fast, as if fearing someone else might see too.
She crawled beneath the cool covers, leaving plenty of room for him to join her.
“You should dress first,” he said.
“Why? You’ve already had me naked against you before.”
“Of that I am acutely aware.”
He was. The proof of his awareness of her tented the front of his sweat pants, thick and obvious.
“So what’s the problem?”
“My desire for you. That is the problem.”
“I don’t see it as a problem, but the solution. The window doesn’t open for hours. I don’t want to spend that time afraid. I’d rather spend it with you, feeling good.”
His erection jerked, and a pained look tightened his features. “I don’t know how to resist you.”
“Then don’t. Give me what I want, Warrian. What I need.”
He stood there, his body so tense she could see the fine vibration running through his thick muscles. Indecision hovered around him, holding him in place.
Isa waited, simply watching him. She’d pushed as hard as she was going to. What he did now was his decision.
A shiver coursed through her. She pulled the blankets tighter around her body.
Something in Warrian’s expression changed. The tension leaked away, and all that was left was determination and acceptance. “You’ve exerted yourself enough for one night. You will lie still and let me warm you.”
“Or what?” she asked, teasing. “Will you make me?”
His dark blue eyes sparkled with bright pinpoints, obvious in the dimness of the room. “Yes.”
A little thrill raced through her at the challenge. His tone was rough, but his hands were gentle as they smoothed her hair away from her face. The damp ends were chilly against her skin, drawing another shiver from her.
“Get in bed, Warrian. I’m stronger than you think.”
“I will do what I must to see to your safety. Whether or not you approve.”
“Are you saying that because of your duty? Or in spite of it?”
His mouth tightened as he pressed her back into the mattress. His heavy body hovered over her, teasing her with the memory of the last time she’d had him on top of her. “You are the empress. Your safety is vital.”
“But I’m also a woman who gets to decide for herself what’s good for her. Or have you forgotten that part?”
“Forgotten that you are a woman?” he asked, staring at her mouth. “Never. I will always remember how you feel under my hands, how you sound when I stroke you, how you taste when pleasure bursts within your body.”
Isa’s mouth went dry as desire swelled in her belly, filling some of the gaping void that healing Talan had left behind.
It was magical the way Warrian could do that—the way he could replenish whatever had been taken from her, leaving behind a languid kind of heat.
It struck her in that moment, as Warrian stared down at her, that he was afraid. She’d nearly died, and that had scared the hell out of him. Until this moment, she hadn’t realized just how much her near miss had affected him.
The need to reassure him rose, swift and powerful. Words were not going to be enough. She’d already told him she was okay, and yet that haunting fear still lingered at the corners of his eyes. Her fierce warrior protector needed proof she was safe.
Isa needed proof she wasn’t weak.
She grabbed his braid and held on tight while she pressed a kiss against his closed lips. His powerful body shuddered so hard it shook the mattress. His low, needy groan vibrated the air in her lungs, making her nipples tighten and reach toward him.
He didn’t relax against her and give in the way she wanted.
“Why won’t you kiss me back?” she asked.
“You must rest. You don’t understand the demands that will face you as soon as we pass through the window.”
“I’ll rest after you kiss me.”
“You will rest now.”
She smiled at his imperious tone. “You can’t just order me to sleep. That’s not the way it works. I’ll sleep better after you’ve made me come.”
Lust darkened his eyes. His hair fell over his shoulders as he leaned down closer to her face. “You push too far, Isa.”
She slid her hands under his shirt, caressing the taut skin of his abdomen. The heat of his body soaked into her, and the hard ridges she found made her blood warm with the need for more skin-on-skin contact. A low, insistent fluttering swept through her core. “Take off your shirt.”
He pushed up to his feet, staring down at her with a hard, warning look in his eyes. She knew she was flirting with danger, but with every throb of lust that spilled into her, she felt a little stronger—a little more like herself.
Her weakness appalled and disgusted her, but with Warrian looking at her like that—so hungry and predatory—she felt nothing but the thrill of wicked, feminine power.
She was going to have him. She was going to celebrate being alive and spend her last few hours on Earth enjoying herself. With him.
Warrian didn’t move. He stood there, ignoring her demand. His chest rose and fell with deep, rapid breaths. A flush of arousal darkened his skin, and beneath his sweats, his erection strained to be released.
“Why do you do this to me?” he asked.
“Because I need you, Warrian. I need you to remind me there are still good things in life. It’s not all blood and pain and fear.”
Something in his stance shifted. A subtle change altered his expression. Gone was the man who resisted her out of some irrational duty, and in his place was the lover who made her burn with pleasure.
“If you need,” he said, as if stating one of the laws of physics, “then I shall provide.”
Victory coursed through her until her head spun. He stripped off his shirt and approached her, each movement loose and easy and filled with subdued power.
Isa shivered in primal response. Her body softened, going heavy and languid.
His mouth settled over hers with teasing lightness. His tongue flickered across her lower lip before sweeping inside to steal her breath. Her fingers speared through his long hair, but he pulled them away, gathering her wrists and pinning them at the small of her back. “You will be still and let me please you. You are too weak to exert yourself.”
“I am not weak,” she growled.
“You are. It will pass, but until it does, you will lie still. Or I will leave you to please yourself.”
She could never make herself feel as good as he made her feel. Her own touch could never give her the hot, vibrant thrill that his could. She needed him here, with her, no matter what it took her to make it happen.
“Okay,” she said. “You win. I’ll let you drive.”
A dark grin lifted one side of his mouth. She could taste his smile as he kissed her. She could feel his satisfactio
n as his tongue slid against hers.
Warrian didn’t just kiss her. He devoured her, claiming every place he touched as his own. His lips left magic trails of shimmering heat along her skin as he inched down her body. She didn’t know how he did it, but as she melted into the sensations, accepting that he would do as he pleased, the how of it hardly seemed to matter.
Within minutes, she was panting with the effort to stay still. She wanted to touch him, too, but his hold on her wrists was unyielding.
Her only choice was to lie back and revel in the sensations he pulled from her body, so that’s what she did.
As soon as he felt her give in and sink back against the pillow, he released her hands. She thought it was silent permission for her to touch, but before she could so much as reach for him, his big, hot palms covered her breasts.
Isa let out a shocked gasp and went still, letting the searing pleasure of his touch roll through her. He wasn’t moving. He just held her, covering her while his mouth moved down her abdomen. The nibbling kisses he scattered over her skin were each a little gift of pleasure. The sharp sensation of his teeth and the hot swirl of his tongue were almost more than she could stand.
Her nipples jutted against his palms, begging for a firmer touch. Her breasts ached for his mouth even as she hated the thought of having it anywhere but where it was now. Then his hands moved, grazing along her flanks.
“Take your pants off,” she told him. “I want to feel your skin against mine.”
He held her gaze as he bared his body, stripping naked. She had never before seen anything quite as beautifully powerful as he was. The lines of his body were perfect, compelling her to follow where they led. Thick, rigid muscles stood out along his limbs, making her tremble with the need to touch. As she stared, his cock jerked toward his abdomen, and a silky drop of fluid spilled from the tip.
Isa licked her lips and reached for him, but he backed away, giving her a hard stare until she drew her hand back to herself.
“It’s mean of you not to let me touch.”
“It would be meaner of me to walk away.”
No. She couldn’t let him do that. Not when she was so close to getting what she wanted. “I’ll be good.”
“Of that I have no doubt.” Completely confident in his nudity, he prowled on all fours, crawling from the foot of the bed until he was hovering over her.
The look of conquest on his face made a lazy swirl of desire unfurl in her stomach. He stared at her like she was something tasty—a treat to be savored, or a long lost favorite toy.
He kissed her, but there was more to it than the mere meeting of lips and tongue. There was more to it than even the search for enjoyment or sexual gratification. He was staking a claim, carving out a space for himself she knew no one else would ever be able to fill. It was hot and sweet, potent and demanding. It rocked her down to her core and left her gasping for air.
His fingers stroked her flank from hip to ribs, lingering in teasing strokes along the underside of her breast. She arched into him, telling him silently what she wanted, since her mouth was too busy with his. But rather than give her what she wanted, he continued to play over her skin, his light stokes never quite giving her what he needed.
Isa was tired of waiting, so she grabbed his hand and brought it to her breast, leaving no room for misinterpretation.
He pulled away, taking away all contact with her skin, staring down at her with blatant male challenge. “I said no touching. You touched.”
“So? What are you going to do about it?” She stuck her chin up, daring him, challenging him.
He was silent for so long, she wasn’t sure he’d understood her. And then when he spoke, the silky, restrained tone in his voice told her he’d understood all too well. “Roll over, Isa.”
She wanted to tell him to make her—just to see how far she could push him. The thrill of this game had gone to her head, driving away everything but Warrian and the way he made her feel. But as his eyes darkened and the pinpoints of light began to flare like fireworks, she began to reconsider the sanity of pushing this man too far.
“What are you going to do?” she asked.
“Roll over and find out.”
Isa had no choice. He had to have known that she could never refuse an offer like that. She had to appease her curiosity as well as the rougher side of the man caging her against the bed.
She squirmed beneath him, rolling over until she was face down. His weight settled over her. Hot, naked skin melded against hers, sending a shudder of pure, delicious pleasure skittering through her. The hard length of his cock nestled against her ass, reminding her of just how good he could make her feel.
She let out a soft moan, which was absorbed by the wrinkled sheets and pillows surrounding her.
“Open for me,” he whispered into her hair. “Let me inside.”
At first she wasn’t sure what he meant. Her mind was reeling, so swamped by the sheer size and heat of his body that clear thought was not an option. And then his knee nudged between her thighs, showing her what he wanted.
Isa didn’t hesitate to comply. She needed to feel him slide inside her, filling up some of the aching void lurking within. He’d driven away all the fear and worry, but her hunger still remained, ravenous and greedy.
The blunt tip of his erection nudged against her, shocking her once again with just how thick and hard he was. She knew she’d had him inside her before. She knew how well they fit. But that insistent pressure of his cock sent a riot of searing current dancing through her nerves.
Her hips arched back. Her body’s liquid response bathed the head of his cock as he worked himself inside her with urgent little thrusts.
His deep voice was gentle, but still held the ring of command. “You will accept me, Isa. Relax and accept all of me.”
There was no relaxing around him. Not when he was stretching her so slowly, making her ache for more while struggling to adjust the keen pleasure he already offered.
She squirmed beneath him, gripping the blankets in her fists to keep from reaching back. She couldn’t stand the idea of him stopping. Not now. Not yet. She hadn’t gotten nearly enough of him yet.
Warrian’s thick arm slid under her body. His work-roughened finger moved over her mound, unerringly finding the shielded little knot of nerves. She was wet. Embarrassingly so. She couldn’t hide her need for him anymore than she could hide her need for air. His finger glided over her clit effortlessly, forcing a string of endless, electric pulses dancing along her spine. Her vagina clenched, relentlessly demanding more.
Warrian gave it to her. She wasn’t sure what he was doing with his fingers, but every stroke drove her higher, stringing her tighter. His free hand cupped her breast, gently pinching and tugging at her nipple in time with his hips. Each movement became a vortex of pure sensation. She couldn’t think or speak. She couldn’t ask him to change what he was doing. All she could do was accept each knowing touch as he played her body like a master musician.
Isa’s climax tore through her, shattering all thought and care. Harsh, ragged noises filled the pillow as she struggled to survive the sheer amount of sensation he forced her to experience. It seemed endless—a pulsing string of light and heat exploding in her brain. As the waves began to ease their violent grip, she became aware of her surroundings—namely the way Warrian surrounded her so completely, surging forward, lifting her hips as he did. She felt the heady stretch of her body accepting him. He kept pushing, merging their bodies closer with each slippery, trembling wave of her orgasm, until every thick inch of him was inside her. Between his size and the throbbing pleasure he gave her, she was too full. There was no room left to breathe.
“There,” he said, sounding more than a little breathless himself. “That is better. Now relax and let me please you.”
If he pleased her any more, she wasn’t sure she’d survive, but she was more than willing to try. It wasn’t like she had a choice. She knew from experience that Warrian would take her
body places she’d never known were possible. All she had to do was give in and let him do his thing.
His hips pulled away from her, and the first clinging tug of skin on skin nearly had her coming again. He had a way of reaching places no man had ever touched before. He left her shattered and breathless, wondering where she’d end up next, but that grinding hunger she’d had since the moment she’d woken was gone now.
Warrian had filled it, giving her pleasure where there had been pain and emptiness. For that alone, she was more than willing to give her body over to his care and let him take her where he wanted.
His lips caught the shell of her ear as he began to move inside of her. She’d never known ears could be so sensitive, but the combination of the heavy power of his body and the delicate caress of his tongue sent all kinds of crazy, erotic signals firing through her limbs.
“You feel like wet fire,” he whispered. “You bathe me with your heat, and make me wish for impossible things.”
She didn’t know what impossible things he meant, but it hardly mattered. She couldn’t respond. There wasn’t enough air in the room to make her voice work. All she could do was grip the covers and hold on for dear life.
Warrian pushed to his knees, pulling her hips along with his. Her shoulders were still on the mattress. His hand splayed between her shoulder blades silently told her to stay put. As the angle of his penetration changed, a whole new batch of nerve endings were lit up by his insistent, gliding thrusts.
She felt taken. Possessed. Before, those things would have grated against her independence, but now they left her shaking with desire and on the verge of more pleasure than she’d known was possible.
Her nipples grazed the sheets, creating a flaring link of heat to her clit. Warrian sped his pace as if sensing her growing need. His fingers slid over her clit, giving her just enough pressure to keep her hovering on the edge without falling over.
He knew exactly what he was doing. He was too skilled a lover not to know that he was stretching out her anticipation, stopping just when she was sure he would send her flying.
She growled in frustration the third time he held her back.
