Unexpected Prize

by Stone, Layla

  Cara had made some poor choices before, but seducing a warrior like Jarr-o was probably the dumbest thing she had ever done. The second he closed the gap between them, she knew he was not playing. He was serious, and he had a possessive touch. She wouldn’t be able to back away from him now—not that she wanted to. But all the anxiety she felt when he was silent melted away at his enthusiastic kiss.

  A small sigh left her mouth. His taste was tantalizing and earthy. She scratched his shoulders, wishing she could feel his skin instead of the thick shirt. His hands roamed all over her body—up her thighs, to her ass, rubbing her breast. The friction from his touch made her hot and wet, and she needed to push this to the next level. Cara wanted to feel his rough, thick skin against hers. To feel his warmth, to see if he was as well endowed as she hoped he was.

  The way he possessed her mouth, she knew he would be superior to any lover she’d ever had.

  She pulled away and licked the other tusk. A deep growl emanated from his chest. Oh, she liked that. Biting her lip, she asked, “Okay?”

  One slow nod. “Again.”

  Cara slowly leaned up and licked him again. She felt him shudder. She’d done that to him, and the realization that she could control this giant of a male flung her into a new level of hunger. She dropped one of her hands from his neck to the center of his pants, feeling his long, hard sex.

  His eyes closed, and he inhaled as she squeezed him through his pants, her thumb paying attention to the tip. In a barely audible voice, he said, “I… Ah, again.”

  Cara heated up even further, seeing what she did to him—this hardened and sacred warrior was weakening right in front of her.

  “Take off your shirt and open your pants, Jarr-o, let me feel you,” Cara said in a husky voice.

  His eyes opened, but he didn't say anything. He didn't take off his shirt either, but he did unbuckle his pants, giving her enough to put her hand in, but he was in no way unclothed. He guided her hand to his manhood. The skin of his sex was less coarse than what she felt around his neck. She was used to the silkiness of humans. It was different, but not off-putting.

  Watching him for a reaction, she rubbed her thumb over the slit on the top of his cock. She felt a small bit of wetness and swiped it as she brought it to her mouth to suck her finger clean. She’d expected something bitter or salty, but his taste was bland and smooth. Something she wouldn’t mind swallowing down.

  Jarr-o’s eyes widened for a second. He rested his forehead against hers and moved her thigh out wider. She felt him thumb her sex. Like she had, he brought his thumb to his mouth and sucked in her taste.

  “Again,” he whispered as a small plea.

  Cara smiled, enjoying seeing his brown eyes darken with desire. She tried to push his shirt up, wanting to help him take it off, to feel his skin. She craved it. Abruptly, he covered her hand with his and pushed her hand away from his stomach.

  "What's wrong?"

  He didn’t answer at first. His soft lips and rough skin tingled as he moved his mouth down the side of her neck. "I have a lot of battle scars. You do not want to see them."

  "You plan to keep all your clothes on?" she whispered back, not liking this option at all. She knew he had scars. It was impossible to miss the long slice down his cheek. Or the other ones on the side of his face, and his hands. When she first saw him, she’d seen them all. Had he forgotten that she’d gotten an eyeful?

  "My room is dark, we can go there."

  Cara would not be the person she was if she let him hide. She decided then that she would change his mind.

  She gently pushed him back so she could slide off the counter and onto her knees, adeptly pulling his pants down so his dark grey shaft popped out. Just as impressive as she knew it would be. She wanted to give this to him. Make him watch her take him in the light. Jarr-o needed to understand. “Don’t you know anything about humans?” she said, peering up at him with a wicked grin. “We find scars sexy as hell.” In the next moment, she covered the sensitive tip of his cock with her mouth and sucked hard. The gladiator stilled…and then violently shuddered.

  Cara moved her mouth farther down his thick member, using her tongue to wet the way down. She tried not to smile when she heard him gasp in an uneven breath. Then she sucked him over and over again until she was sure he was about to burst. Grabbing the base of his cock, she pushed her thumb over the base of the vein to stop the flow of his seed. He jerked once, then, “Cara…?”

  Continuing to work on his hard-as-granite sex, she took him in and out of her mouth, faster and faster. The counter above her creaked, and she heard the stone crack, a fine cloud of dust settling over her.

  With that, she felt his seed pushing eagerly against her thumb.

  She removed her thumb from the vein and sucked hard. He came like a fire hose. Above her, she heard him gasping for air as she finished taking him down. When he stopped shivering, he wrapped his hand around the back of her neck and pulled her to her feet. “This is what you want?”

  She didn’t understand. “Sex?”

  She felt his hand tighten around her neck. “Me?”

  “Yes.” It was simple, but she watched his eyes blaze with something dark. Something raw.

  Cara was over his shoulder in the next moment as he carried her out of the kitchen. She hoped the night’s foreplay had only just started.

  Jarr-o entered a darkened bedroom and placed her on a bed. In the soft light, she watched him pull off his shirt and then he turned his hands on her. In one quick tug, he removed her tunic. He was aggressive and committed, and she was in heaven.

  “Open your legs.”

  Hesitantly, she lifted herself to her elbows and then opened her thighs, but only slightly.

  He growled. She wasn’t sure if her tease was working on him or not, but it was who she was. Cara knew she was already wet from taking him the way she had. She always loved being an active participant, and sometimes, she liked to control. With Jarr-o, she seemed to enjoy the unspoken fight of who answered to whom.

  She felt Jarr-o’s coarse fingers trace her sex.

  “Wider,” he said in a choppy voice.

  She opened her left thigh a little farther, but no more.

  She was hopeful that he would be able to recover quickly because she wanted him to fill her up and take her like she’d imagined he would.

  “Open for me, or I will spread you myself,” Jarr-o threatened.

  In answer, Cara brought two fingers to her mouth, sucked them in, and then moved them down her chin, in between her breasts, and down her slightly rounded belly, pushing them through her lower lips and then inside her sheath.

  Jarr-o’s growl turned savage, and he grabbed her hand, stopping her from masturbating. “You…are…” And then he pushed his thumb into her cunt and took in the moisture, “So…” He pushed a finger inside her. "Tempting. I can't control myself with you."

  Thrusting harder, spreading her with his fingers, she bucked her hips. She desperately needed this, needed to come. She was so close.

  “Please, don't stop.” Loving the heavy feel of him over her, she was dying for him to make her climax.

  “Say that again,” he said, pushing another finger inside, stretching her.

  “Please, Jarr-o, please. Make me come.”

  He moved his mouth to the tip of her breast and pulled at the nipple. His tusks pushed down on her flesh as he sucked hard and then bit down firmly, causing her to reach the precipice...

  And then he stopped, abruptly cutting off her orgasm. He pulled his fingers from her, turning his head to the door. “Someone’s in the house. Get behind the bed and don’t come out until I come and get you.”

  And just like that, everything ended, leaving her grossly unsatisfied. She couldn’t help sneering at him in the dark as he left. Assuming it was his horrible father, she blamed him for not letting her finish properly.

  As she thought to get up and join Jarr-o with the uninvited
guest, Cara heard a deathly hiss and glass shattering.

  Chapter Ten

  Predator

  Humming with Cara’s orgasm in mind, he had to shut it down and find his focus. This was his house, and in less than one day, he’d felt its safety being violated twice.

  Unacceptable.

  Making his thoughts quiet, Jarr-o let his senses take over. He reached for his bedroom door that he had left open and grabbed the handle, exiting slowly. With a soft click, he knew the door behind him was closed—leaving Cara a slight defense.

  He heard and felt movement to his left. Whatever or whoever it was, they were in his gathering room. Moving silently down the hall and into the nook, he peeked at the entryway to the large gathering room. He saw the predator and inwardly cursed. His father was right. Someone would try to kill him off. This specific beast was only found in the underground caves. It wouldn’t have just accidentally found its way into his home.

  It had a snake-like body but legs, and Jarr-o pitched all his weight against it, hoping it would be enough to keep the scarthy barbist’s attention. Then, he broke a piece off the couch to make a makeshift wooden dagger. The beast moved out from under Jarr-o, pushing him against the wall and creating a cavity in the stone. Jarr-o turned sideways when the beast used its four-inch fangs and attacked.

  Jarr-o made his way toward the fireplace and reached into the blackened hole. Seeing a small ember, he quickly grabbed it and threw it at the barbist’s head. The thing snapped at the embers, caught them inside its mouth, and then violently shook to spit them back out.

  Jarr-o didn’t hesitate, he lunged again.

  The creature hissed as he wrapped his arms around its neck, and they both crashed through the glass window.

  In the fall, he lost his hold on its neck. The beast’s legs distracted him with a shot to the face, and its sinuous body circled him, going for the quickest kill. His arms were pinned down, and all Jarr-o could do was use his tusks to puncture the beast’s belly. He continued to do so as the barbist shrieked and hissed. Blood poured over Jarro-o’s body and mouth as he used his tusks to slice open the predator’s flesh. It seized several times before Jarr-o felt its hold on him loosen.

  He took a deep breath just as the barbist snapped out and bit into his neck. Using his strength, Jarr-o punched the beast to release its hold. The cave predator weakly shook on the ground, surrounded by a large pool of its own dark purple blood.

  Jarr-o would lose his sight any second, he needed to get to Cara. She would be able to help remove the venom.

  Jarr-o lost his vision. “Cara. Cara, come here,” he called out, but it sounded more like a raspy whisper.

  He didn’t see her, but he felt the ground vibrate, and then he smelled her. He felt himself sway as his consciousness faded. Quickly, he said, “My neck, suck out venom, then cinder oil, infirmary.”

  Scathy barbist venom would kill him if not removed within the next five minutes. He wasn’t sure if Cara had understood what he’d said, his tongue was thick, and he couldn’t move. On the cold, hard ground, his last thoughts were of his sister. Was this what it felt like to die alone?

  ***

  “Jarr-o?” Cara rushed forward, crashing to her knees next to the male who was unconscious near the broken glass wall. Her heart jumped into her throat when she saw the beast that looked like it was the unholy offspring of a snake and sizeable black widow experiment gone wrong.

  Pulling Jarr-o’s head into her lap, she frantically tried to remember…venom out, cinder oil.

  She placed two fingers on his neck, hoping to feel a pulse. Looking at his wounds, she oddly maneuvered his massive, thick neck and pressed her lips to the two-inch-wide punctures. Then she sucked. She could feel something acidic and slimy against her tongue. Then the popping started to feel like pinpricks before it began to burn. She spat out the venom until she could taste Jarr-o’s rich, copper-flavored blood.

  When she was done, she felt hopeless. Her mouth felt like she’d attempted to suck on a hot poker. Breathing with her mouth open, she pressed her fingers to his neck again. His body was limp, and she couldn’t feel a pulse. Blood was no longer leaking out of his wounds. She had one last-ditch effort to save him, running back into the infirmary, she urgently rummaged through the shelves until she found one large vial with a dark yellow oil inside. She hoped this was it. She poured some in each puncture hole and wrapped his neck with a clean, white cloth.

  Minutes passed, but it felt like days. Terrified that Jarr-o would die and leave her alone broke something inside her. He was the reason she was free. Jarr-o had warned her that others would see her and take advantage. She remembered what it was like when her parents had sold her to the mob boss. He’d used her over and over again, without any remorse for how his assignments had messed with her life. He was only happy when she was feeding him inside information. If she messed up, he would starve her, or beat her, or lock her in a room until he had another task. She didn’t want to live in fear and pain again. Jarr-o was it for her. He may have gained her from a fight, but she chose him.

  Cara kept checking his pulse as she ignored the blistering feeling inside her mouth. Pressing her fingers to his neck once more, she was sure she felt the beat of his blood flowing. Cara had to think of what to do about her mouth. She had already spit out the venom, but it must have a lingering effect. She hoped it wasn’t doing the same damage inside Jarr-o’s neck.

  He was as stable as she could make him, but she felt that he might be more comfortable on his bed. Though moving him might make things worse. She left him to grab the blanket off his bed to cover him. It was cold, and she worried that he would get chilled while he was unconscious.

  Cara was drooling, her mouth was full of blisters, and she couldn’t feel anything with her tongue. Swallowing was no longer an option. The light from the house dimmed so much, she couldn’t see. Cara didn’t dare leave Jarr-o, so she lifted up the blanket and moved in beside him, feeling her body go limp, and her mind relax into a blissful sleep.

  Chapter Eleven

  The Next Morning

  Jarr-o woke, warily at first, not knowing where he was. Taking a quick inventory, he realized he was outside, and the sun had already crested the sky. Beside him was a warm little furnace. He lifted the familiar blanket from his bed and saw, in horror, Cara’s blistered mouth, and her dark blue lips. The memory of the barbist came flooding back. He threw off the blanket and rushed to the infirmary, frantically looking for the large container of cinder oil he remembered telling her to use on him.

  Jarr-o rushed to her and found her lying in a small dried pool of red and bile.

  Blood.

  Her blood. He could see the dried spots on her mouth. He pushed open her mouth, and saw large, white blisters all over. Could she breathe with those in her mouth? Were they down her throat?

  She’d saved him. He had to do the same with her. Seeing the cinder oil container, he grabbed it and lifted her up with his other hand, quickly taking her to the infirmary. Once there, he tilted back her head and kept pouring small amounts down her throat. Over and over he repeated the process, then rubbed it over the blisters on her mouth with his finger.

  Cara woke up gasping when he poured too much into her mouth, but he could not stop, he forced more oil down her throat to neutralize any leftover venom that might be in her stomach.

  He didn’t let her move, and he didn’t acknowledge her cries, telling him to stop. If she had any venom in her, it could kill her.

  Cara’s voice was scratchy, and he hushed her. “Let the cinder oil do its work. Don’t talk.”

  She let out a slow breath and closed her eyes. But her hand turned over, palm up. He grabbed her hand, and she squeezed back. His stomach tightened at seeing her like this, but she would live. She had to.

  He leaned down slightly, lifted her hand to his mouth, and nipped it. It was an Angny sentiment. To nip a lover was a sign of deep attachment. She had done it first to his lip. And th
en she had done so many other things that he hadn’t known could be done to a body.

  “I’m going to move you to my bed, and I want you to rest. I have to fix the wall. This house is not safe, and neither are you until it’s sealed up. I know you said you wanted to see the sunrise, but I will watch them with you outside, where I can keep watch. I can’t allow you to be unprotected.”

  She squeezed his hand twice. He wasn’t sure if that was a good sign or not. So he kissed her lightly again and then laid her down in his room. Seeing her there, he knew she belonged.

  ***

  The day passed quickly. Jarr-o spent the rest of the day outside, sealing up the wall, and then replacing the front door and lock. He was making his home a fortress.

  When night came, he continued on with light from a torch. Finally, he was finished and exhausted. Entering the house, he paused at the light aroma drifting his way.

  Inside the kitchen, he noticed that all the food was gone, the table and counter had been wiped down. There was a large pot on the stove, emitting the savory aroma of meat and buntin roots.

  Cara wasn’t in the kitchen, so he continued on and noticed that the gathering room had been picked up and cleaned. Backing out, he crossed the nook and checked the washroom, then his bedroom, and found her in his sister’s room, wiping down the dresser.

  “Cara,” he called.

  She turned around, smiling brightly. It was like a blinding light that filtered into his skin and wrapped around his heart. She did things to him he’d never imagined a female or anyone could do.

  “Hey, big guy, you hungry?”

  Testing his voice, he said, “Very.”

  “I tried to make stew, but I don’t know what’s what so I guessed.” She looked him over and bit her lip. “Do you want to eat now or take a shower first?”

  “Eat,” he said, knowing that he should take a shower, but his stomach won out.

  “Okay.” She dropped the cloth she was cleaning with into a bowl of brownish water and wiped her hands off on her new tunic. She hooked her arm through his and pulled him out. “If you don’t like it, it’s not my fault.”