In the Palace of Lazar (Harem Book 1)

by Alta Hensley

  She had been on her best behavior until Elbi came up with an idea after the sun had set. She, and a few other women, had decided to sneak out to the nearby hot springs and wanted Briar to come. She hadn't seen the hot springs since she had arrived, and the idea tempted her. She knew it was forbidden without permission, but the lure overtook any reason.

  "What if we get caught?" she asked in a whisper. Many of the other women were already asleep for the night.

  "Then we get caught. It won't be the last spanking you'll get while living here." Elbi giggled. "Who knows? Maybe you'll like it."

  "I seriously doubt I would like to be spanked. The idea terrifies me."

  Elbi shrugged. "It's not so bad." She reached for Briar's hand. "Come on, we won't get caught if we're quiet. The other girls are waiting."

  Briar almost said no. The words were right at the tip of her tongue. Her mind screamed for her to remain in the main room, but her heart really wanted to see the hot springs. What was the worst thing that could happen? The springs were still within the palace walls, so she'd still be safe. She had to just ignore the order from Donte that she wasn't allowed outside without an escort. Elbi would be her escort, she tried to reason.

  Briar nodded and stood with Elbi's hand entwined with hers. "Let's go." The two women joined the others and they snuck their way outside.

  Hours were spent swimming and laughing. The sulphuric water, the warm air, and the starry sky made the risk worth whatever punishment lay in store. If they got caught.

  Elbi swam up and playfully splashed Briar. "Aren't you glad you came?" she asked.

  Briar smiled and nodded. "Yes, I'm glad you invited me." As she watched the naked beauty float in the water before her, Briar decided to ask a question that had been on her mind for awhile. "Elbi, have you ever met one of the brothers?"

  Elbi smiled, and her eyes twinkled in the moonlight. "Yes, one of them."

  "What's he like? What did you do with him?"

  "We aren't supposed to discuss our time with the brothers. It's secret." Elbi glanced around and leaned in to whisper, "But I can tell you that I can't wait to see him again."

  "Have you only met one?" A tinge of jealousy hit Briar. She wondered why she hadn't met one yet.

  "Just one. I've seen him a lot more lately." Elbi must have seen the envy on Briar's face. "I'd been here a year before I was beckoned. I thought it would never happen." She playfully splashed Briar. "Don't worry. They seem to know when you're ready."

  Briar watched Elbi drift off, taking in her perky breasts as they bobbed above the surface of the water. She tried to allow Elbi's reassuring words put her mind at ease, but she couldn't help but wonder why it took so long for a brother to call.

  Floating on her back, with her eyes closed, Briar heard the boots breaking against the twigs as someone approached. The sound of more boots followed.

  The shadowed figures on the bank signaled one thing—they had been caught.

  Donte's dark gaze darted to Briar's and she took a step back at the intensity on his face. It quickly softened as he scanned her nude body somewhat concealed by the water of the pool

  "Everyone out of the water." He pointed at the ground in front of him and the guards. "I want complete silence." He scanned the worried faces of each woman scurrying out of the water, as he waited with his arms across his chest. "I see you all have decided to break the rules tonight."

  Briar exited the pool as quickly as everyone else and stood before him. Her eyes cast down to the puddle of water caused by her dripping body. As afraid as she was, she couldn't help but feel excitement in the fact she got to see Donte again. It embarrassed her to admit how much she missed him in such a short time.

  When everyone stood before him, he paced back and forth. His expression did not change. "There are rules for safety. There are rules for submission. There are rules for order. These rules are to be obeyed."

  Briar swallowed against the dryness in her throat, confused by her growing desire. His voice, his dominance, his stare. She stood before Donte completely nude and at his mercy. The need for his discipline overwhelmed her. Briar looked up from the ground and made eye contact with him. His eyes darkened before he averted them from hers. He remained still for a moment, silent, as he scanned the beautiful bodies before him.

  "You will all be punished for your disobedience." Briar looked down at the ground again. "Follow the guards to the main room. They will deliver your punishment."

  Briar couldn't help but feel disappointment. She didn't want discipline by the hand of the guard. She wanted Donte.

  "Except for Briar. Since this is your first punishment, I will handle it myself," he added. Briar didn't have to look up to know he was staring at her. She could feel the heat of his gaze.

  She stood in the darkness as the women followed the guards back to the palace. She saw pity in Elbi's eyes as she mouthed the words, "I'm sorry."

  Donte placed his hand on her lower back, reminding her of when they first met, and led her to the palace as well.

  "We will go to my quarters to deal with your behavior alone."

  Shame restricted her to answer simply, "Yes, sir."

  "You have been naughty, Briar. You give me no choice but to punish you. You understand that, correct?" he asked as his eyes traveled to her exposed breasts, only inches from his body.

  "I understand." Her voice cracked as they headed up the steps to the palace.

  He led the way into his private quarters, locking the door behind them. She eyed the room, her gaze settling on Donte as he approached a fireplace. He knelt down and lit the fire—a welcomed heat to Briar's chilled skin from being wet and naked.

  "Come stand by the fire and remove the cold from your body," he ordered softly.

  She slowly walked to where he stood, offering a hooded glance and a smile.

  "Once you are warm, I want you to walk over to the corner and stand with your nose in it." He walked over to a glass decanter, filled with a brown liquid, and poured himself a drink.

  Her heart twisted in embarrassment. Briar made her way over to the corner with as much poise as she could. Her wet hair still dripped down her back, making her more aware of her nudity. She placed her nose in the corner, clenching her trembling hands in front of her stomach. She stood there and waited. The dripping water from her hair trickled over her breasts, combined with the night wind blowing through the open window, acted as soft kisses to her nipples.

  "You are lovely standing there." His deep voice surprised her. The compliment so straightforward, yet so complex. "I want to know your thoughts right now. Do not hold back."

  "I'm afraid." Her voice seemed to bounce off the wall in front of her lips.

  "Of me or the impending punishment?"

  "Both."

  In the silence of the room, she could hear him take a sip of his drink. The crackling of the fire enhanced the masculine energy behind her.

  "I want you to lower your hand and touch yourself."

  She did as he asked, parting her honeyed folds with her fingers.

  "Are you wet? Does your pussy scream to be entered?"

  Briar almost choked on a moan. "Yes. So much so."

  "Rub yourself. Collect your juices."

  She did as he commanded, trying not to moan at her own touch.

  "Why are you wet, Briar? Is it the knowledge that you will be spanked?" He paused and she could hear him take a swallow of his drink. "Is it knowing that you are naughty and will be punished accordingly?"

  She remained silent. She didn't know the answer to that.

  "Touch your clit with your fingertip and roll it gently."

  She did as he asked, grateful for his command. A soft sigh escaped her lips.

  "Who are you thinking of as you touch yourself?"

  Briar paused. Did she dare tell the truth?

  "Place your finger at the entrance to your pussy. Leave it there." He paused. "Tell me who you are thinking of right now."

  "You," she answered, barel
y above a whisper.

  "Turn around and stand in front of me."

  Heeding his words, she turned around. The heat on her face matched the heat between her legs. Standing in the corner gave her the courage to answer him honestly, but facing him now dissolved any bravery. She stood in front of him and stared at the ground.

  "Look at me," Donte commanded.

  She looked up and held his gaze as he spread her legs with a gentle push of each thigh. He cupped his palm against her pussy. "There is something about you," he whispered. "I feel your submission by just looking at you. Such control and refinement. Power and strength exude from you, yet you are so willing to hand it over. I have never seen such authority during obedience. You are a paradox, Briar."

  Silence filled the room as he studied her. His eyes searched for some sort of explanation.

  "You know I must spank you, right?"

  She nodded.

  He sat down on a high-back wooden chair and patted his thigh. No words needed to be said for her to know that he expected her to lay over his lap. She did without a moment's hesitation.

  His hands lifted her hair off her back and gently placed the tresses over her shoulder. His fingertips caressed her spine, moving lower down until he made small circles on the cheeks of her ass—each caress languid and easy. He had a masterful touch, demanding compliance before the first sting of correction. Briar stared at the marble floor, readying herself for the punishment in store.

  She took a deep breath and closed her eyes as the first slap made contact with her bottom. A fire broke out over her flesh as his hand showered a spanking very different than the first one. This one hurt. This one hurt in the most shocking of ways. All control she thought she possessed escaped her as she begged for mercy. Her cries, mixed with spank after spank, rang off the walls. His firm, muscled thighs brushing against Briar's body gave her a sense of security through the pain as the spanking continued. His heavy breath mixed with her sobs as his hand landed over and over against the inferno of her behind.

  "Please!" she called out. "Donte, please. It hurts."

  "Yes, Briar. A punishment does."

  Spank after spank flooded upon her, each one building in intensity. The power of his hand rivaled against any wooden paddle or leather strap.

  Just as her body reached its maximum, the thunderous waves of punishment ceased. She stared at the floor, watching her own tears cascade down into a puddle.

  Donte pulled her up and wrapped his arms around her. She sat on his lap as she had done before and sobbed against the lee of his neck.

  He kissed her head and whispered, "The punishment is over."

  As the sobs subsided, her submission grew. A need to please Donte took over. She reached for his hand and placed it over her breast. "I want to satisfy you." She released a soft gasp, when he allowed her to stand up and remove his pants. She licked her lips. "I want to feel the weight of your sex against my tongue."

  Donte nodded his approval as she stood up to remove his clothing completely. She'd never unclothed a man, but the power it gave her fueled a craving she didn't know existed. The discarded material spilled effortlessly to the floor.

  She kneeled before him, parting his knees as she explored his hardened cock.

  "Have you ever seen a man before?" he asked.

  She shook her head and placed her finger gently on the tip.

  "Have you ever felt a man before?"

  She shook her head again and placed the tip of her tongue against his dick to sample.

  "Have you ever tasted a man before?"

  She shook her head, and looked into his eyes as she eased her mouth over his velvet tip, tasting the smooth skin, caressing his shaft with every pass of her hunger.

  His low moan delighted her as she raised her mouth up and down his entire shaft. The salty taste, the musky scent, caused a heat between her legs that begged for satisfaction. She sucked, she licked, she did everything she could think of to please Donte.

  As his cock pressed against the back of her throat, she looked up and made eye contact with him. His steely-blue eyes were such a contrast to his dark features. The intensity in his stare sent a shock wave of lust through her body.

  He began to thrust his hips and drove his dick deeper, demanding she open wider for him. His breathing labored, his eyes closed, and he released a deep moan as his seed shot to the back of her mouth. Briar swallowed as quickly as she could, surprised by the liquid that surged into her throat. Seeing his pleasure gave Briar a sense of power she never had before.

  His body quivered for a moment, and then he commanded, "Go lie on your back on my bed and spread your legs."

  Briar rose from her kneeling position as quickly as she could. She wiped at her mouth, ridding the small drops of come that had escaped. When she reached his bed, she took in the elegance of the fabrics and pillows. Dark hues of purple and red cascaded over a bed larger than any she'd seen before. A canopy of sheer fabric cornered the four posts made of carved wood. Decadence engulfed this bed.

  She crawled onto it and did as he asked. She spread her legs as wide as she could, allowing the air to waft across the moist skin of her bare pussy. Before she could lie there long, Donte crawled between her legs, the bed dipping beneath his weight, and placed his lips to her clit and kissed.

  He paused after the simple, but delicious touch, and whispered, "Have you ever been kissed here before?"

  Briar shook her head. Her voice had been stolen by lust.

  He kissed again, but this time followed the kiss with a lick. His tongue circled the clit over and over. The mesmerizing act captured every breath Briar released. She moaned with every flick, she gasped with every sensual kiss, and she screamed when his finger pressed past the entrance of her pussy. He licked, he kissed, he sucked, and he thrust his finger until she could feel the building heat take over.

  "Donte," she murmured. She wanted to say more but could only manage to say his name.

  "Come for me, Briar. Allow the pleasure to consume your body."

  His words were all it took to push her over the ledge. An orgasm shook her body to the point that colors blurred around her. A surge of passion took over her entire being.

  As the orgasm gradually left her body, Donte flipped her body over so she was lying on her stomach. He crawled up beside her so his nude body pressed against hers. He pressed the palm of his hand against her sensitive behind and whispered, "Everything about you surprises me again and again."

  The weight of Briar's eyelids, the comfort of the bed, the consuming orgasm, all aided in sleep taking over. As darkness washed over her, the heat of Donte's muscled body reminded her of whose bed she slept in.

  Chapter Nine

  It wasn't the sunlight peeking through the window, or the weight of Donte's arm draped over Briar that woke her from her slumber. It was the deep breathing against her ear. They had spent the night together. She rested beneath the safety and protection of Donte's embrace. Punished and pleased in the same night, and now rewarded by his morning presence.

  "Good morning, Briar." Donte spoke her name with a soft intimacy.

  "Good morning." She moved her body just enough so she could look into his eyes. His arm still shielded over her breasts. "I must have fallen asleep."

  Donte smiled. The small wrinkles in the corner of his eyes gave him a boyish appearance she hadn't witnessed until now. His dominance, now replaced with softness, his authority, now replaced with ease.

  "Tell me. What did you think of last night?" he asked, his voice husky from the night's sleep.

  His question brought back the euphoric sensations of only a few hours prior. "Well…" She paused. "I think that after last night, I would much prefer to be punished by Mistress Krin." She giggled. "You lived up to your reputation. Or at least your hand did." She rubbed her tender bottom for emphasis.

  Donte laughed, and rolled onto his back, releasing her of his embrace. "I was not aware there was a reputation."

  Briar nodded, pleased that
she was able to make him laugh so freely.

  "I do have a question though," Briar said.

  Donte stopped laughing and looked back at her. "And what is that?"

  "Is the reason you didn't take me fully last night, because my virginity is to be saved for one of the brothers?"

  A loud knock at the door had both of them jumping up in surprise. Donte swiftly pulled on his pants, leaving his dark-rippled chest bare. He smiled at Briar and directed, "Stay where you are." He walked to the door as fast as he dressed.

  He opened the door, but stood in the doorway blocking Briar's view of who stood on the other side. The loud voice from the hallway surprised her in its urgency. "We just got word from the scout. It is as we feared."

  "How many?" Donte asked. His spine stiffened against the door frame.

  "Enough. More than we could handle."

  "Start our plan in action."

  "Sir, we did not take into account the sheer numbers."

  Briar's heart skipped. She pulled the satin sheet up to shield her nudity. Something scared her about the concern in both the men's voices.

  Donte nodded. "I understand that. But for now, move forward with the plan, and we will address the rest later." He closed the door and made his way back to the bed. "I am sorry you had to hear that."

  "Is it Jaden?" Briar asked, not thinking that her question could be crossing a line.

  Donte's eyebrow rose. "I am surprised your mind went straight to Jaden."

  "Is it?"

  Donte paused, studied her for a moment, and then nodded. "Yes."

  "Are they coming to attack us?" Fear paralyzed her.

  Donte walked over and kissed her cheek. "No need to worry."

  Briar pulled away from the kiss and shook her head. "Please don't coddle me like a child. Is Jaden and its army coming here?"

  He stood as a storm washed over his eyes. "It is not your concern."

  "But I can help. I was there. I might have information that can help you prepare."

  Donte pulled on a shirt and ran his hand though his tousled hair. "It is time you return to the harem." He walked to the door and looked over his shoulder. "I have matters I need to attend to. I am sure you can manage finding your way back." The door slammed behind him as fear roiled in her stomach.