“May I go to bed now?” Arleigh asked.
He cupped her chin and forced her head up. He smiled, but her glance darted away from him.
“I hoped you’d come to my bed tonight.”
Her jaw clenched, and her entire body froze. When her eyes snapped to his, he saw he had made a serious mistake. A tremulous sigh shuddered through her. For a split second, her eyes filled with such panic he would have given anything to take back his words. He drew in a breath to apologize, and her eyes flickered with something he couldn’t fathom. She yanked herself from his arms and took a step backward.
Her fingers tugged at the laces of her corset, wrenching with such force one snapped in her hand.
Ryder stared in confusion. “What are you doing?”
She raised her face. “Do you mean to have me, Master Kendall?”
“Well, yeah, it’s on my mind, but I can help you with that. I planned more than a quickie. Hell, Arleigh, I’m not much for romance, but I know how to take my time.”
She tossed her hair over her shoulder. “I would as soon get it done. I assume you want to see all of me to make sure I’m worth keeping.”
“Honey, I already know you’re worth keeping.”
She tossed the corset to the floor and pulled her shirt over her head in one violent snap. One of the straps of her chemise slipped off her shoulder. His glance swept over her, lingering on the swell of her breast, the glimpse of a taut pink nipple above the edge of the lace. The sight of her nearly naked breast made him hard. She snatched off her apron and began to yank at her skirt.
He took a step toward her, his finger skimming the swell of her breast. Her skirt dropped to the floor. She stood in a puddle of yellow fabric. His hand cupped around her breast and the soft weight of it made his body tighten. The hard press of her nipple skimmed against his palm, and when he touched it with the tip of his finger, she gasped.
“Don’t,” she whispered.
He ignored her. He had about figured out that what came out of Arleigh Donovan’s mouth had no bearing on what she might actually want. He took her nipple between his fingers and rubbed gently, watching her face. Her jaw clenched and she squeezed her eyes closed, but her lip caught between her teeth.
“Do you like it?”
She shook her head violently.
“I think you’re a liar, Arleigh. Relax, honey. You’re allowed to enjoy this. No one’s going to know but you and me.”
“No, no, I can’t.” Her eyes fluttered open.
“Yes, you can.”
He bent his head to kiss her, but she twisted her face away.
“Do you want me here or in the bedroom?” she asked.
“You get straight to it, don’t you? You don’t want a little foreplay?”
Her hard, angry gaze focused beyond him. Her voice dripped with contempt.
“You mean to have what belongs to you. I’d prefer you just take me.”
The tone of her voice stopped him cold and poured through him like ice water, dousing the fire she had stirred in him, but he had no plans to stop. Ryder nudged closer, and she visibly cringed. He tucked his hands around her shoulders, and her body trembled.
“Did I miss something here?” Ryder asked.
“I know what you want.”
“Honey, you’ve misunderstood. I offered an invitation, not an order. I thought you—”
She tossed her hair again, practically spitting at him.
“You thought what? I’d fuck you willingly? I’m not a whore, Master Kendall. If you’re claiming your rights to me, do it. Don’t try to make it pleasurable.”
“It should be pleasurable. I think you’d loosen up a little if you let me touch you first. I know the first time between lovers is sometimes awkward.”
“What makes you think we’ll be lovers, Master Kendall?”
Ryder smiled. “I don’t think I’ve come all this way to watch you from afar, Arleigh, and I want more than a fast fuck on the table. We’re going to be lovers, and the sooner the better. If you’re nervous, tell me what you like.”
“I won’t like anything you do.”
“Oh, I think you’re wrong about that. Do you like when I kiss you?”
“I don’t want you to kiss me at all.”
“I didn’t ask if you wanted it. I asked if you liked it.”
She tried her huffy little noise on him, but when he shook his head and told her to answer the damn question, she grudgingly forced an aye from between her lips.
“What else do you like?” He wanted to lift her shift and get right to it, but he thought she might have a meltdown, so he used the fabric as a buffer. He reached between her legs. She wanted to stop him. He could see it on her face, but she didn’t. The thin fabric offered no deterrent, and his finger slid over her clit, circling slowly. When her knees buckled, he smiled. “Do you like that?”
Her shuddering gasp was enough of an answer, but she managed to choke out some words. “Oh, Holy Mother of God.” They were making progress.
“I already know you like this.” He reached out and captured one of her nipples between his fingers. When he squeezed gently, she pulled in a quick breath. “Would you like to feel my mouth on you?”
She shook her head furiously, but he ignored her. He tucked his arm around her, drawing her to the tips of her toes, and dipped his head toward her. When his mouth locked on her breast, a tiny cry escaped her, and her hands rose, twisting in his hair. He sucked on her, drawing her flesh into his mouth, teasing the nipple with his tongue. His teeth nipped at her skin and she moaned. He licked the entire breast, dropped a kiss on her nipple, then moved to the other and repeated the process. By the time he dropped another kiss, she quivered in his arms and strained upwards, trying desperately to keep his mouth on her.
He gently lowered her back to the floor and moved his hand between her thighs. Her moisture had leaked through the fabric and soaked her shift. For all her protests, the little beauty was hot for him.
“You’re wet,” he said.
“’Tis not something I can control,” she whispered.
“You’re not supposed to be able to control it, honey. When your body reacts like that it means you want something.” He paused and waited for her eyes to come to back to him. When they did, they were filled with defiance.
“I want nothing.”
“Then how do you explain this?”
He grabbed her and devoured her mouth with his. His tongue pushed between her lips, and she sucked it into her mouth with a greed that surprised him. Her body smashed against his, and her arms wrapped so tightly around his neck her body lifted from the floor. The intense heat that blanketed her flesh made Ryder sweat, and the groan that ground through her spread an ache through his chest. When her teeth bit into his lips and he jerked in her arms, she loosened her grip and dropped to the floor, nearly stumbling. He touched his mouth, and a spot of blood flecked his skin. He licked his lips, and a coppery taste filled his mouth. But a little blood wasn’t going to deter him. He wanted to get her to the bedroom.
“Christ, you’re a little hellcat.” He crooked his finger at her. “Come here. Can you deliver on all this fire? You’re quite the temptress.”
She backed away, agitated and frightened again. “No, no. I’m not a temptress. I’m the Leanan sidhe. I can’t help it. I didn’t mean…I’m sorry. I couldn’t stop.”
“I don’t want you to stop. I want you to take it all the way. Believe me, honey, you can’t surprise me. I’ve seen it all. Do you like it a little rough? You didn’t seem the type for that, but I’m more than willing to do it any way you like. Do you want me to pretend to force you, Arleigh? Make a little game out of it? Is that what this is all about?”
She sputtered, trying to find some kind of answer now that he had guessed her little secret. She was a woman with no choices in her life and yet somehow had learned to compensate for that. She obviously chose to use her subjugation to her advantage and turned it into a sex game. He gave her credit f
or her ingenuity. He intended to use it to his advantage.
“Come here, wench. I’m tired of talk.”
She backed away, and he grabbed her, pinning her arms behind her. When he bent his head to kiss her, she squirmed.
“I like to kiss,” Ryder said. “You’re going to have to get used to it.”
“I don’t want you to kiss me. I just want you to take me.”
“We’ll play your game another time. I’d like our first time to be more memorable. I’m planning on having a future with you. We’ve lots of time for sex games.”
“There is no future with me,” she whispered.
“Oh, believe me, honey, there’s a future. For all your protests, you want me pretty bad. I’ve never seen a woman get so hot so fast.”
“It doesn’t matter what I want,” Arleigh murmured. His lips tried to find hers again, but she twisted in his arms. “Don’t make it harder for me. I’ve no way to stop you and no way to change things. If you want me, take me. Don’t make me want you. Don’t make me miss you.”
A choked sob tore from her, and she clenched her fists, her body stiff against his. He would have to pry her thighs apart with a crowbar. He would have laughed if the situation hadn’t gone from bad to worse. Tears streamed down her face, and it broke his heart.
“I’m not just taking you, Arleigh. I’m not a rapist.”
“No one will see it as rape.”
“You will. That’s not how I want to begin our life together. Nothing is going to happen between us without your consent. I want to fuck you, but it isn’t enough.”
“There will ne’er be more, Master Kendall,” Arleigh whispered. Tears pooled in her eyes and slid down her cheek. “If you want me, take me, but there’s a price to be paid.”
“I’m sure you’re worth any price,” Ryder said softly. He gathered her chemise and pulled it up over her shoulder. His hand followed the curve of her arm down to her hand, and he twined his fingers around hers. “I’m not going to lie. I want you. I’ve wanted nothing else since you materialized in the middle of my front yard.”
A small moan tore from her lips, and her body trembled under his hands.
“I want to lick every inch of your flesh and kiss that mouth of yours until you can’t breathe. I want to slide into your pussy and fuck you until neither of us can move.”
Her body swayed against his, and her voice exploded in a violent whisper. “Oh, God, don’t talk like that.”
He pressed his mouth against hers. “It’s going to be damn good between us, Arleigh, but I’m not going to take you against your will. I can wait till you’re ready. Till you want it, too.”
She stiffened, and her stare snapped with a sudden viciousness. “Can you wait ’til the end of time, Master Kendall?”
The little fairy princess had a royal bitch inside. “Oh, I can pretty much guarantee you’re going to beg for it before that,” Ryder snarled. “You don’t need to be so surly. We’re trapped in this house together, and I think we should try to get along.”
“We’ll get along fine if you leave me alone and keep your hands to yourself. Getting along does not give you a license to touch me.”
Ryder stared at her hard. The anger that roared through his body surprised him, but the words that shot from his mouth shocked him.
“I don’t believe I need a license to touch you, Arleigh. I think that pretty much comes with my ownership. You’ve conveniently pointed out no one will see it as rape.”
Arleigh’s eyes widened. Her little nasty streak suddenly took a different turn, and her fear resurfaced. Too bad. She should have kept her bitchiness to herself.
“I’ve changed my mind,” he said. “I think I will take you tonight. With or without your consent.”
“You can’t change your mind!”
“I do it all the time. As your master, I’ve decided to take advantage of the fringe benefits. Take off that rag you’re wearing.”
A horrified look sparked in her eyes. He wondered what the hell was wrong with him and how he could so blatantly frighten a young woman, but he couldn’t take his eyes off her. And he never stopped her.
Arleigh caught her lip between her teeth. Her eyes fluttered downward. The sight of her sudden surrender made his heart stutter. When she began to unlace the strings of her shift with shaking hands, he wondered how long he would let her suffer. She shouldn’t have been so bitchy. He had been going to let her off the hook, but now, well, now he was pretty much going to make her pay. He’d let her go in a little while but enjoy her discomfort while he had it. His dick rose in anticipation of the sight of her. He would pay for it later.
She shrugged the shift off her shoulder, and her gaze darted to his. “Keep going,” he said.
“You’ll die,” she whispered.
“We all die.”
“I mean tonight,” she said.
“Is that a threat, Arleigh? Planning to kill me in my sleep?”
She shook her head. “I won’t need to. You’ll just die.”
“I’ll risk it. Take it off.”
The shift slid downward and dropped to her hips. Ryder sucked in a breath. One breast, pert with her youth, tight, the rosy nipple hard and swollen, jutted toward him eagerly. The other breast was hidden by a veil of hair. He swept it over her shoulder and took a step away. She wouldn’t look at him. He reached toward her, and she flinched when he hooked his finger into the fabric at her hips. He counted to ten, prolonging her agony, watching her face twitch in anticipation then gave a little tug. The chemise fluttered to the floor. He was glad her eyes were closed. The sight of her nearly overwhelmed him. She was the most breathtaking thing he’d even seen.
“Christ, you’re beautiful,” he whispered.
She was a small woman, but the curves sweeping her body were sensuous, pure female, gentle swells that enhanced the fragility of her tiny body. The perfect globes of her breasts rose high and firm above a tight abdomen and the contours of her hips. Her flesh held a girlish innocence that had nothing to do with her youth. Her pale skin had a rosy tint, perfect, not a blemish, not a scar. It amazed him to find such perfection, considering the life she must have led. He silently thanked Stephen for taking such good care of her. Her hands clenched against her thighs, long, lean muscles that tensed in her fear. Between her thighs a small thatch of russet curls glistened with moisture.
He struggled to keep the awe from his voice.
“Turn around, Arleigh.”
She didn’t argue. She turned slowly, and his gaze wandered over the long strands of deep red hair, down to where the curls swept the curve of her lower back. Her ass swelled taut and firm, not overly generous, but still full and rounded. He would be able to cup it in his hands. He moved closer and placed one hand on her. Her skin was so smooth. He ran his hand over the soft swell, cupping her for a moment then he swept his finger slowly between her cheeks. She clenched her muscles against the invasion, and her breath hissed from between her teeth.
He laughed softly. “Nice butt, Arleigh, but I’m sure you’ve heard that before.”
Her fists flexed. The little wench wanted to deck him. She trembled with fear, but her feisty nature still had a little control. He was glad he hadn’t made her cower. She was a brave little thing. He circled around her body, inspecting every inch of her, watching her face and the way each muscle in her body tensed, clenched, or otherwise tried to repulse the touch of his stare.
“You’re quite the package, a nice piece of ass. Almost everything I’ve ever wanted, all wrapped into one woman.”
“Almost?” she whispered.
“I could do without the bitchiness.”
“I wouldn’t be that way if—”
“And the backtalk. You have an argument for everything. I’m beginning to think you had Stephen wrapped around your little finger. Those days are over, honey, so you better get used to it. I’m in charge now. Look at me.”
Her gaze drifted up to his.
“Do you want to do this the easy
way or the hard way?”
“What’s the difference?”
“The difference is what you get out of it,” he said. “I can take what I want, or I can take you to heaven. It’s your choice.”
“I don’t want to do it at all,” she murmured.
“Objection noted but overruled. Here or the bedroom? I’ll give you the choice.”
Arleigh’s gaze drifted around the keeping room then closed wearily. “Here is fine.”
“The wall, the table, the floor? Have any preference?”
She shook her head.
“Unlace me.”
Arleigh’s eyes shot open filled with horror. She shook her head furiously and darted away from him. He grabbed her arm and spun her around, pulling her tight against him.
“You don’t take orders very well, do you? We’ll have to do something about that.”
“Please, Master Kendall.”
He dropped his arms and took a step away. “Unlace me, Arleigh.”
“I don’t want to.” A glimmer of fire flashed in her eyes. “How far do you intend to take this charade?”
“All the way, baby. And for your information, I don’t play charades. I’m more of a Scrabble man. Better get down to business. I’m growing impatient with your dawdling.”
She tossed her hair over her shoulders. Her eyes filled with a lively spark, and a haughty superiority flashed in the green depths.
“And I’m growing impatient with your arrogance. What makes you think you can inspect me like chattel? Who do you think I am that I will allow this pitiful attempt at lovemaking? You’re a swaggering overbearing tyrant, and I want you to leave my house.”
“The hard way then,” Ryder said.
He swept her up in his arms. The feel of her bare skin in his hands was intoxicating. “I’ve changed my mind. We’re going to the bedroom. And it’s still an invitation. The way I see it, Arleigh, you want it as much as I do.” He slid his hand between her legs and ran his fingers across the soft moist folds. “Your pussy is wet. Hard to deny you want me.”
“You’re wrong!”
“I’ve been wrong from time to time, but not about this.”
Carlton, Amber - Trinity Magic (Siren Publishing Romance) Page 14
