by Lynn Carmer
His low chuckle tickled her stomach. “Just like that? Gods, I am on fire, but… I don’t like to play alone. So, no.”
Her eyes narrowed, the only hint of her irritation. “You would deny me?”
“When you look at me like that, never. Gods, yes. Say it.” He demanded with a groan.
It was a sound she felt to her toes. “What?”
“Say you want to see me come.” His eyes never left hers, and his stare made her flush. Shocked, she touched her cheeks in wonder.
Would it change your mind if I did?
Something had changed. Gone was the teasing Giant, and in his place an aching tyrant. His skin seemed to ignite, a slow pulse coating him, raising his deep, rich hair, making it rise and fall as if a silent current ignited him from within.
“What’s happening to you?” Fascinated by his body, she stepped forward, watching the flexing muscles, trying to memorize the hills and valleys of bronze skin, so different from her own. “Is it the same as the feeling racing through my body?
He speared her with a look. The energy of it seared her. “What do you feel? Tell me.”
She shivered. “I feel a fullness in my chest.” Touching herself, she gasped as she brushed against the glass embedded in her skin. “It’s so strange… and it’s spreading. Going lower.” Trailing her hand further down, she noticed his reaction, his eyes locked on her traveling palm. “What is it? What’s happening?”
He took his time in answering, never taking his eyes from the fingers that sat low on her stomach. How she itched to go further, to cup her throbbing sex. Never had she felt such need.
“It’s…” he forcibly swallowed, finally raising his eyes to her. He seemed to hesitate, even with his neck cording in pain. “It’s a fervor— a need. It happens to my people at a certain time in their lives. We need touch, release, ah gods…”
Her stomach dropped at his words, “Release?”
His eyes found her, bored into her, demanding she maintain his focus. “It makes me need you, want you, have to be inside of you. And now you feel it, too.”
She’d never heard of such a thing. Her people would never acknowledge anything to do with need. They were ruled by ice, frozen to the demands of their bodies. At least that’s what she’d assumed; no one had ever spoken to her about sex or bonding. If only she’d had a mother to teach her these things. Shaking her head, she whispered, “It can’t be. Our people have no such thing.”
“Princess, the electricity is scorching me.”
His hair moved and flowed and a strange current seemed to skim above his skin. Sparks lit the air above his chest, and still she couldn’t turn away. Hesitant, she reached out, her hand floating inches from his stomach and she saw a silvery light jump from his skin to hers. The tips of her fingers tingled then sizzled. Warmth, a sensation she’d dreamed of.
I want more.
Would it burn her? It didn’t seem to matter; she was helpless to stop. She lowered her hand and they both groaned as their skin fused. Warmth, heat, power soaked into her skin and she couldn’t control her shudder. His hips lifted, and he groaned again. Glancing up, she gasped. His eyes were lost to white.
“Your eyes!”
“I’m—It’s the fervor. Don’t know why. This has never happened before. No, don’t stop. Keep touching. Need more… Your hands… magic. Your cool touch makes it better.”
Delirious, wanting, needing… All from her touch. The knowledge thrilled and terrified her. It was only a matter of time before the guards returned, and he would be defenseless. But oh, the small sense of power, that she could have such an effect on this powerful man. His admission helped with her decision.
Her hand skimmed lower, resting above the waistband of his pants, making her thighs spasm in anticipation. A flood of warmth pooled between her legs. Her eyes returned to his massive cock, and she knew what he wanted her to do. She wanted it, too.
His eyes were closed, and for a split second he looked vulnerable. “Touch me! Now.”
So much for vulnerability.
“I want to. I don’t—What do I do?”
“Open my pants.”
Oh gods, can I do this? Grasping the top of his pants, she tugged, careful when his full cock caught on the edge of his pants. With a quick pull, his penis jumped forward and slapped against his stomach, almost touching his bellybutton. Never in her life had she seen anything the size of him. Her mouth watered at the idea of running her tongue against his mushroom head, but knew she could never be so bold. All of her information about sex had come from Addy, but she’d never described a man this size.
“Touch. Now.”
Always giving orders. Why do I like it? “I wish I could take my time.” But she knew she couldn’t. She wanted a few seconds more to study the skin that coated his steely shaft. So lovely. Straight and ready for attention, just for her. A small slit lined the top. A drop of moisture gathered at the head.
“Put your hand on my cock.”
Yes, she would. Slowly, she wrapped her hand around the base of him, and they groaned simultaneously. “You’re so large.”
“Use your other hand. Now slowly. Yes, just like that. Move up and down.” He clenched his hands and ratcheted his hips forward. “Squeeze harder. Your hands, so soft. Oh gods! So good! The feel of… It’s too much.”
Her chest heaved with the effort. The current racing through him was intensifying, traveling through her palms and up her arms as she watched her blue-white fingers change to a light pink. Gasping in wonder, she relished the warmth, a warmth she’d craved without ever realizing what it could feel like.
“Gods, wait. Wait!” His voice, gruff, just above a whisper. “It’s too much. Your hands are perfection… but you have to stop.”
The ache between her legs made her weak, the moisture pooling, silky smooth. “Stop?” She was in a daze.
“This power inside me is growing. I don’t understand it. It’s… alive. I can’t control it.”
Her hands continued up and down his penis, half listening, she continued to squeeze, finding the perfect rhythm. She felt entranced and didn’t want to let go. She couldn’t stop, not after waiting so long. “All I have is tonight.”
“So good. Don’t want to… Might hurt you.” He jerked aside and her hands tightened.
The current racing across his skin increased and she gasped as an electric spark, which looked like the lightning that cut the sky during an ice storm, arched above them. But it didn’t hurt her, she absorbed the heat, reveled in it. The pink glow now inched past her elbows, and she needed more.
“You have to—I can’t! I can’t… Yes! Don’t stop, don’t!” The Giant’s hips were wrenched off the table, pistoning in her hands. His neck muscles were strained, and his shoulders bunched. “I wish I could see you.” With one last jerk, his cock jumped, and a milky-white fluid erupted from the head, coating her hands and his chest.
On and on he released, and she drank in every movement, burning it into her brain. The beauty of the act was shocking. His glorious body shook and shuddered. Continuing to stroke him, she removed one hand and touched the warm liquid, spreading it over his chest. Bringing up one finger, she placed it against her tongue and savored the tangy liquid.
Looking down, she saw that his eyes remained white, but they were locked on her. “Your taste is… divine.” Her words caused another spasm, and she felt his groan deep between her legs. The pressure between her thighs was unrelenting. She knew there was something more she’d missed, but it had all been worth it.
Her hands fell away from him and she watched as they faded from pink to light pink, to white then blue-white. The cold had returned. For a split second, helplessness filled her, the color a reminder of the responsibilities she held as Princess to the Glissante.
Time to say goodbye. She reached for him, hesitated, and allowed her arms to drop. You can do this! Determined, she tried again, lifting both hands and placing them on either side of his face. Never in her life had she ever i
nitiated contact, even with Addy. He was the only other person she’d ever laid her hands on. The scruff of his cheek tickled her palm. Every inch of him promised new tactile experiences.
Shivering slightly, she leaned forward. Her golden-white braids cascaded around them, cocooning them in, and for a few seconds she imagined they were the only two people in the world.
No time left.
“May I press my lips against yours?” It was what she coveted most, dreamed of late at night and was desperate to experience.
“Gods, yes.” He lifted his head from the slab, meeting her halfway.
Her lips pressed against his, a gentle sharing, a tender moment exchanged. It almost broke her, the soft caress of his lips. She had come to the end of this fascinating experiment, and she wanted him to understand what he had given her. Sliding her hands under his head, to support his neck, she whispered, “You’ve warmed me for the first time in my life.”
“You are everything.”
The memory of the half smile tugging at his lips would have to last her a lifetime. She rested his head against the stone, reluctantly sliding her hands away, touching her lips with two fingers to seal the kiss in place.
Before she turned away for good, she lightly touched one of the metal bands circling his wrist. Concentrating, she watched as the freeze stretched from her finger, spreading against the metal. She stopped before she froze too much. He’d have a chance now.
A faint scuffling sound caught her attention; someone was opening the outer doors. She’d given him a fighting chance, now it was up to him. With one last look, she turned, knowing she had to flee before he had an inkling of her plans. She ran for the door. Never looking back, she pounded down the hallway.
She heard the bellow, a deep, booming, “NO! No, no, noooo!” echoing through the deepest part of the dungeon and straight into her heart, shattering her, but still she never slowed.
Chapter 9
‡
She will not leave me!
Tensing his muscles, he pulled at the manacles, shocked when one of his wrists flew through the air, destroying the metal with one good tug. In seconds he ripped the second from his arm. Had she frozen the metal to help him escape? But, it didn’t make sense. She didn’t make sense. The princess was long gone, and by the sound of it, the piss-ant guards were on their way.
He still couldn’t see. He was blind. Blind. And his mate had left him, abandoned him in an icy cell. The words she’d spoken, it’d melted him. Had it meant nothing to her? Obviously, not. All of her feminine instincts must have been frozen to hell by this icebox of a kingdom. A chill raced down his spine. What if it wasn’t the place, but her? Maybe the fervor had no power over her people. No drive to nurture, protect, and care for her mate.
No. She wanted him. She’d showed him. Had taken him in hand so gently, so tenderly…
Arun growled his frustration, embracing the strange sensation coursing through his body. His power had grown at her touch, and it didn’t disappear with his release. A current built in his palms, jumping back and forth between his hands. He didn’t know what it was, because he couldn’t see it, but he could feel it, and it felt damn good. He’d have time later to dissect this new ability. For now, he needed to find her.
Shredding the manacles around his ankles, he reveled in the energy flowing through him, but he couldn’t stand the loss of sight. A vulnerability in the face of so much power. Bracing for the onslaught of the guards who pounded through the dungeon, he knelt low, using all his other senses.
His abilities were instinctual. Even without his sight, he started to differentiate the sounds, the scraping of metal against scabbards and the pounding of feet. He sensed twenty guards. He could smell the pungent odor of sweat and fear.
Let them fear. They would pay, pay for trapping him in this hellhole and for scaring off his mate.
The door slammed inward and the invading army of guards descended. Shocked that he only felt the pounding of skin against skin, rather than steel, he realized they must want to keep him alive.
Mistake. Nothing will keep me from her.
When the crush of bodies slammed him against the wall, almost bringing him to his knees, he gathered the power in his body, straining with all his might to concentrate the flow of energy into his hands. The knowledge was there, but just out of his reach.
Where the hell was his princess? If they hurt her during her escape, he’d kill them. The current inside him jacked up. Raising his hands in the air, he released jagged lightning that knocked him to his knees.
The bodies were gone. There was no pressure; he was free. His eyesight flickered on, then off, then on again.
I can see.
But at what price? His strength was gone. Chest heaving, he looked down at his body and saw red. Rivers of blood coated his skin. He swiped a finger against his stomach, but bronze flesh lay underneath.
The blood was not his own.
He caught a glimpse of severed arms and legs, crimson splattered from floor to ceiling. He had decimated the guards, incinerated them by the look of it. What strange new power did he wield? The fervor had created a weapon… but he was Fiera. Born and bred for strength. For power anchored in muscle and bone. This electricity, this current running under his skin reminded him of the dry lightning that slammed his palace walls during the long summer nights. It bore no resemblance to the legacy of his people.
Looking up, he saw a hallway. Somewhere down that path lay his princess, the key to his mystery. And seeing as how he had a kingdom to save, he didn’t have time to stick around and have a little chat with her. In an instant, he decided she would be coming home with him. And as soon as he had his fill, he’d force her to tell him why she’d run away.
Gods, I don’t even know her name.
Pushing against the wall, he staggered to his feet. Placing one foot in front of the other, he concentrated on remaining standing. He kicked an arm out of his way and heard a crunch as he stepped on a few scattered fingers. No moans or sighs, the silence held the finality of death.
Ascending the stairwell, he didn’t encounter one guard. They had sent everyone they had. He neared a large doorway. Standing in shadow, he saw the large courtyard where they had chained and put him on display like an animal up for auction. Disgusting. His people had abolished slavery centuries before. And to think he considered moving his kingdom here!
The near freezing temperature started to bite. The release of energy had super heated his skin for a short time, but now that was over. The cold crawled over his skin, flowing inside him until he was chilled to the bone. His breath came out in tufts of white as he struggled for every wheezed gasp of air.
Not just bruised, anymore. Now the ribs are definitely broken.
The rise and fall of voices floated toward him. He remained hidden in shadow. A lilting soprano rose above the din, and his heart started to pound. The princess. His body knew before his mind. A low rumble vibrated in his throat. Gods forbid someone laid a hand on her before he did.
Nearing, he saw the princess, as royal and straight-backed as he first remembered. He closed his eyes at the memory of ecstasy he’d felt at her hands. Across from her stood a man of royal carriage and dress. He wore neck to toe diamonds, and met the princess in the eye. Hovering behind the king was a dark-haired beauty with a red silk scarf wrapped around her neck. His brothers would love her.
The woman stared daggers at the princess. His interest in her focused, his brothers forgotten while he ascertained whether she was a real threat to his mate. As she shifted position, he realized a servant with chestnut hair and large eyes sat in the corner, softly weeping.
The four were alone, off to the side of the massive courtyard. The princess looked tense. No outward signs except a small tightening of her shoulders gave her away. As she spoke, she took the tiniest steps toward the crying woman on the floor as if to block her from the man’s view. Still too far away, he searched and found where he needed to be, using every ounce of energy t
o glide to the hiding spot and not draw attention.
“…will discuss this now.” The regal man stated matter-of-factly.
Arun drank in her beauty; a soft breeze carried her scent and it made his chest hum. The princess was intoxicating. The fervor began to ignite, flowing through his veins, giving him the energy he so desperately needed.
“Her position is now elevated,” the man continued. “She is to be Predominant of the Drudge. Were you made aware of this change?” The man stood stock still, not an expression flicking across his face.
“Yes.” The princess was equally stoic. He wondered at how this ice maiden had melted in his arms only a few moments before.
“Then you are aware she has authority over all servants, and she must be allowed to administer any punishment she sees fit.”
The woman sitting on the floor covered her hands with her face, her shoulders rocking with the force of her sobs, but not a sound escaped.
“I am well aware of her authority, but is she aware of mine, Highness?”
So this was His Royal Ice Highness? The very one he planned to kill for making his mate suffer.
“How so?”
“She takes liberties that far outreach her station.” The princess cut a look at the woman with the red scarf.
“Such as?” The aristocrat looked as if he could be discussing the weather, not one emotion crossing his white face.
“She came into my personal quarters unannounced.”
“That is no offense. She was sent to check on your progress”
“It was when I was preparing for The Binding. It is a sacred time.” The princess took one step closer to the servant on the floor, blocking her, never taking her eyes from the king.
The king stilled and motioned forward with the flick of his hand. The woman with the red scarf stepped up, but still wasn’t by his side.
“I was told I must have full attention placed on the preparations.”
“She said the servant stroked you. Is this true?”
“Your Highness, she misunderstood. She applied the salve necessary to ground me in the ritual. It was a vital step in the process.” She never blinked, just kept her features blank, but Arun could see her shoulders tighten further. Could she be as aware of him as he was of her?
