by Marie Medina
She could hardly catch her breath as he untied her and rolled her over. He climbed onto her and looked down into her eyes. He let his fingers trace her lips, and she could smell her own arousal there.
“Taste yourself,” he whispered. “It’s like honey and jasmine.”
She licked her lips, and he slid his fingers into her mouth. The taste was strange and new, but it wasn’t bad. She sucked his fingers until he pulled them away. He stood and undid his pants.
“Come here.”
She stood on shaky legs and went to him.
“On your knees.”
She went down on her knees and faced his cock. She licked her lips again and looked up at him. “Tell me you believe me, and I will.”
He tangled his fingers in her hair. “You’re supposed to be learning to obey,” he said softly.
“Believe me,” she said even more softly.
He groaned deep in his throat. “Of course I do. I wouldn’t have pleasured you if I didn’t.”
She didn’t smile with her lips, but she knew he saw it in her eyes by the way his widened at her. She stroked him. “You wanted an excuse to do something depraved to me. Admit you were just jealous.”
“I was. He’s handsome.”
She licked her lips and then ran her tongue over the head. “You’re handsome.”
“I’m a brute.”
She sucked the head for a moment. “We seem to have discovered I don’t mind.”
His hand in her hair tightened. “You really enjoyed it?”
She let more of him slip into her mouth and slid it in and out. She pulled back. “You felt me.”
“I went mad when he kissed your hand. I would’ve hurt you if I hadn’t run away.”
She took more of his length and sucked for several moments. The sounds he made had her feeling powerful and vibrant. She leaned back and stroked him. “I’m not your first wife, Marrok. You have to remember that.”
“You’re still a beautiful woman. Beautiful women are never satisfied with only one man fawning over them.”
She squeezed him tight in her fist and felt him jerk. “You seem man enough to keep me pleased.”
“You’re driving me out of my head, Josette.”
She kissed the tip. “Promise you’ll trust me.”
“I can’t.”
She licked the slit, tasted the drop of salty liquid there. “Promise me.”
He closed his eyes. “You don’t know what it was like to be betrayed.”
“You don’t know what it’s like to not be trusted.” She licked her lips and let them hover around him, never quite touching his flesh. “I was trying to help you. You shouldn’t be so unhappy.”
He pulled her face closer. “Then make me happy.”
She relented, opening her mouth and taking him again. She experimented with her tongue, increasing the pressure when it seemed to please him. She felt him swelling even more in her mouth. He began to thrust.
“Taste me, Josette. Swallow it down when I come.”
Sucking harder, she ran her hand roughly over his thigh. He growled loudly. She felt him jerk, and hot, salty fluid flowed into her mouth. After gagging a little, she swallowed. Pulling away when he was spent, she licked her lips and rose to her feet. She was still wobbly as she stood, and he gripped her around the waist.
He lowered his head and nuzzled her cheek, letting his mouth travel down her neck. His teeth raked across her pulse, and she shivered. He breathed in her scent before pulling back. “Today, you said you were my wife.” He shook his head slowly. “I’ll never have one of those again.”
“I’m not a princess anymore. I’m just Josette. You don’t have to offer me anything.”
“Let me finish, or I may spank you again.” His lips finally twisted into a smile.
“That may not deter me.”
He tightened his grip. “But I’ve been without a mate ever since this curse began.”
“A mate? I see.”
“I’m not sure you do. Wolves mate for life. We’ve flirted and teased, but as brutish as I am I will not deflower a woman and cast her aside. Nor will I take you and let you leave me. I want you to consider every possibility. You came here to be a prisoner. That is not what you are.”
“I know.”
He put a finger to her lips. “If we make love, you will be my mate, and you will never be allowed to leave.”
“I never imagined myself leaving. I wouldn’t have come if I secretly hoped to someday escape.”
“Midnight is approaching.” His hands roamed up and down her back. “I need to get away from you. My wife did not honor the joining of two fleshes into one. I will not lie with you until you can promise me a lifetime.”
He turned and fled without another word. She opened her mouth to speak, but she knew it was useless. She sank to the floor, her heart pounding. He’d made her feel every emotion on the spectrum in the last hour. She heard the echoing tumble of the door lock, and then she heard him running on the stones of the hall floor.
In less than three days, he’d gone from telling her she’d have to light the boiler if she wanted a warm bath to telling her he wanted her to promise to stay with him forever. He’d come up to her room to beat her with his belt to convince her to obey and instead had tied her down, spanked her with his bare hand, and given her a dose of pleasure that made her long to make the promise he’d asked of her so he would finally give her what she needed more and more with each passing minute.
“Oh, you infuriating beast!”
Chapter Five
Marrok woke by the stream. He’d been wrong about her. He kept telling himself that. He felt better about his rapidly growing feelings for her even as he felt more foolish for his blunder over Philip. His cock stirred. Of all the blunders he’d ever made, none had ever taken such a sweet turn. He’d been burning with the need to punish her, yet watching her wait for the blows had changed his plans. One touch of her flesh against his had softened him—just a bit—and then he’d given in to a much more erotic urge.
Her scent had filled the air the moment his hand came down upon her. Perhaps they wouldn’t make it a nightly game, but after only a few blows she’d let her true fire shine through, pushing aside her fear as she lashed out at him. She’d spoken boldly, as if she didn’t care that she was completely at his mercy. Finding her sweet spot and burying his face in her trembling sex had left him with a deep hunger for more.
He stood and went to the water to rinse the night sweat from his body. That deep hunger was the reason for his ultimatum. Bantering about her curiosity upon her arrival had been one thing. He only thought of her as a desirable female before they touched. Then after? He’d felt the pull to make her his, truly his. He hadn’t had a woman since throwing Lilianna from the castle, so he’d never considered how his curse might affect his life as a man. But that one touch had transformed his desire into something different, a much more primal need. If they made love and she left him, his life would not be worth living. She had to be sure she wanted him, not just for the pleasure or to achieve the rite of passage that was losing her virginity.
He’d been telling the truth when he said he didn’t want another wife. He didn’t want vows and rings and meaningless ceremonies. He wanted a true bond. He wanted a woman who responded to him the same way he responded to her. He smiled as he emerged from the water. He wished she were there to dry him off, or better yet come into his arms. He’d prowled restlessly after their encounter, but eventually he’d been able to calm himself enough to sleep.
“I was wrong,” he said out loud. He decided those would be the first words he said to her this morning. Somewhere deep inside, behind the wolf and the brutish beast who lusted for dark pleasures, there was still a gentleman, just as he had told her. He would apologize with more seriousness and sincerity. She deserved that. Some women would hate him for what he had done. Of course, those women wouldn’t have gotten as wet as she had.
He walked back to the castle, ready t
o embrace the blessed curse he was gladly bringing upon himself.
* * * *
Josette lowered herself down the ladder, and then she shrieked when strong hands grabbed her around the waist. She found herself swept into Marrok’s arms.
“I was wrong,” he said, gazing into her eyes.
“About what?” she asked.
He set her on her feet. “The wild and unfair conclusion I jumped to.”
She smiled. “You’ve already apologized for that.”
“I wanted to say it again when I was more myself.”
She bit her lower lip. “You were not yourself last night?”
He drew her close. “I was, in a way. I take it you regret nothing?”
She shook her head. I regret sleeping alone. But she knew she could not say that. “No. I am going to give your proposal the serious thought you stressed it needed.”
“I am glad to hear that, but don’t keep me waiting too long.” He extended his arm to her.
She accepted it and let him escort her downstairs. “I won’t.” She already knew she would accept him and the life he offered, but she didn’t think he would accept her answer now because she had a condition of her own. As sincere as his apology seemed, she suspected his jealousy and temper would always be a challenge. She could not devote her life to a man who could not trust her, a man who would fly off the handle as he had. She trusted her instincts to tell her when the time was right to give her answer and explain this to him. She only hoped other parts of her wouldn’t interfere with that process.
* * * *
Marrok slowed his pace as he neared the water. He turned to watch Josette approaching him. “You do know following a wolf is a bad idea, right? I’ve known you were there the entire time.”
“I figured as much.”
He drew nearer. “I thought you were going to avoid the stream at all times?”
“I might have said that. Should I avoid it now?”
“Unless you plan on joining me.” He began to strip. “Chopping wood is sweaty, dirty work.”
“I figured as much on that count too.”
He threw his doublet and shirt to the ground. “Then you’ll join me?”
“I think I will.” She began to unlace her bodice.
He reached out and stilled her hand. “Let me.” He undid the laces slowly, letting his fingers dip between her heaving breasts often. He lowered his head to suckle as soon as she was exposed.
She sighed and held his head against her bosom.
“Is this research, my lady? Gathering information before you decide?”
“Mmmm. I must make an informed decision.”
He growled. “Teasing vixen.” He pulled her close and kissed her roughly.
She gasped for breath when they parted. “Are you going to spend all our days growling at me?”
“Will my answer affect your decision?”
She smiled as she pulled her dress down her body. “Only if your answer is ‘no’.”
Her dress hit the ground, and his cock chafed against the inside of his breeches. He freed himself and kicked the pants away, hoisting her in his arms and carrying her to the stream. He took her out until he was waist deep. He kissed her long and hard, loving the way she clung to him and shivered in his arms.
Then he dropped her.
She spluttered and splashed, but she soon found her feet. She flicked her wet hair off her face and came at him, beating his chest with her fists. But soon her hands began to caress him, her fingers running through the hair on his chest and tracing the hard lines of his muscles.
“You’ve wanted to do that for a couple of days, haven’t you?” he asked as he placed his hands over hers and pressed them harder against his flesh.
She circled a finger around one nipple. “And you call me a tease. You’ve been half dressed and constantly touching me and growling most suggestively since I arrived.”
He drew her against him and let his cock settle between her legs. “Close them.”
She did so, trapping his cock against her sweet core. He began to thrust, and his shaft rubbed her clitoris. “Just enjoy it.”
She let her head fall back and he bent to lavish attention on her breasts. She gripped his shoulders, squeezing harder each time he ground her clitoris against the base of his shaft. He moved faster, loving the feel of her hot pussy and soft thighs massaging him. If this moment were so sweet, how glorious would truly taking her be?
When she came, she wrapped her legs around him and pressed her face to his chest, grinding her hips against him. He put his hand under her lush bottom and jerked himself enough to come as well. He lowered them both into the water up to their necks and reveled in her hungry kisses. He loved the feel of her body against his in the water.
She sighed as she nuzzled against his neck, giving no indication of wanting to move. “The scales are tipping in your favor.”
“Yes, I felt them tipping only moments ago.”
She looked up into his eyes, searching them a long time.
What was she thinking as she looked at him? He’d give anything to know. “Have you gotten used to them?”
“What?”
He chucked her under the chin. “My eyes.”
She smiled. “I like them.” She caressed his brow. “Like the way I feel when they’re watching me.”
His heart clenched at her words. “How do you feel when I watch you?” he whispered.
She laughed softly, almost as if she’d suddenly become shy there in his arms. “Different.”
“Different?”
Her hands began to massage his chest again. “Pretty.”
“You’re beautiful.”
One hand slid down his stomach. “Safe and protected.”
He chuckled. “No one would dare lay a hand on you, that’s for sure.”
She looked into his eyes and put her hands around his neck. “Wanted.”
Needed, Marrok thought, the word on the tip of his tongue. A smile pulled at her lips, as if he hadn’t had to say it. He pulled her to him for another kiss. If she didn’t give her answer soon, he would go quite mad with the need to fully claim her as his own.
* * * *
Marrok watched Josette slowly washing the dishes. She had been with him two weeks now, and every day she came to him hungry for his touch.
What in blazes was taking her so long? He was sorely tempted to tie her to the bed again and force an answer from those sweet lips. He couldn’t imagine her answer being “no,” so why was she torturing him this way? He felt how much she needed him. Though she didn’t share his affliction, he knew it was affecting her. He could feel the small changes in her, in the way she reacted to him. The beast that never left him called to something deep inside her.
He stood up and began to dry the dishes and stack them. She only smiled at him in response. “You wanted to take a walk, I think?” he said.
“Did I? Oh, yes, I did. It’s lovely this evening.”
He set the next plate down harder than he’d intended to. She’d come all the way out to the stables earlier just to tell him she thought it would be nice to take a walk after dinner. She had an answer for him, but she was going to draw his torment out, wasn’t she? He held back a smile, thinking of how he would make her pay for it later.
When they were done, he stood patiently and waited for her to unpin her hair and shake it out. She folded her apron and wiped her hands a second time. Then she began brushing nonexistent crumbs from her skirt. He went to her side and extended his arm pointedly. “If you don’t hurry up it will be midnight and you’ll need a leash to take a walk with me.”
A smile tugged at her lips, and the edges quivered as though she were trying not to laugh. “Why so impatient?”
I want to make love to the woman who has captured my heart, the beautiful and enchanting creature I’m in love with. Such tender thoughts hadn’t entered his mind in a very long time. The realization jarred him. “I need some air,” he said, instead of voicing his
true need. Though he would never offer marriage, he had every intention of telling Josette how much and how truly she was loved once that love had been consummated.
She took his arm, and they went outside. She immediately took a deep breath and let it out very loudly. “Yes, I need some as well.”
“There are many things we both need.”
“Like what?”
He stopped and let her go, folding his arms as he turned to her. “Answers. Your answer. Now.”
“Are you so certain?”
He hesitated. “Should I be apprehensive for some reason?”
“No.”
“Then let’s get on with it.”
“Very well.” She held out her hand, and he took it. They walked past the stables, and she finally stopped on a small rise next to some rose bushes.
He eyed the terrain as he helped her lower herself to the ground. She surveyed the castle as he sat down. He felt the grass below them. Not a bad spot to make love for the first time, though she might prefer something soft once he began pounding into her. He smiled. If she objected, she could always ride on top.
“I want to make love with you,” she said.
“I know.” He took her hand and pressed it between his. “I can feel how much you do.”
“Then make love to me.” She ran her other hand up his chest and leaned in for a kiss.
He brought one hand up to her face. “You’ll stay with me forever?”
“I can’t promise anything.”
He stopped her lips an inch away from his. “Then you don’t have an answer for me yet?”
“That is my answer.”
He stared at her. “Were you listening to me at all the night I told you what I wanted? You can’t take what you need from me and then simply do as you like.”
“I won’t do that.”
“Then promise me that you won’t! How hard is that? Don’t simply say you won’t. I want your word on it.”
She pulled herself away from him and folded her hands in her lap. “Your first wife made vows, wedding vows. Eternal vows. They were mere words, meaning nothing. You don’t want another wife, and I do not want to be one. I’ll make no vows and no promises.” She looked into his eyes. “I’m offering myself and my love. You should trust in my love, in our love, not in any words. I don’t want a promise from you. I only want you to trust me. It’s all I need.”
