by Cathryn Fox
As though sensing this was a battle he couldn’t yet win, Kohan backed down. The look in his piercing eyes spoke volumes. Katrina knew this fight was far from over.
“Go back to the kingdom. I will deal with you when I return,” Ranek ordered.
Mumbling curses under his breath, Kohan turned his back to them and disappeared into the darkness.
After Kohan left, Ranek concentrated his attention on Katrina. For a long moment he remained silent as he gazed at her.
Underneath his glaring eyes, her legs trembled, her mouth went dry. She was both relieved and uneasy that he’d showed up when he did. Swallowing past the knot in her throat, she fought to recover her voice. “Are you going to punish me for venturing to the surface?” she whispered.
“Perhaps.”
He circled her. Standing behind her, he touched her shoulder and she trembled.
“Do you fear me?”
She could feel the tantalizing sweep of his breath on the back of her neck. It wasn’t fear that made her body quiver. “No,” she answered honestly, knowing full well that he was a fair man and her punishment would be just.
Ranek was a man as quick to reward an act of honor as he was to punish an act of disobedience.
“I see,” he replied, coming back around to face her.
One long finger reached out to stroke her cheek. His movements were sensual, arousing. Katrina knitted her fingers together and fought the pull to touch him back. Such boldness was unacceptable.
She stole a peek at the broad-shouldered, powerful sea god before her. His square jaw was firm, his eyes dark, unreadable. Dressed in armor, his large body hovered over hers. His stance was prepared, as if always ready for battle. She stared at his large hands resting at his sides and wondered how they would feel touching her skin.
He lifted one eyebrow. “Is it true?” His voice covered her like sweet honey.
“Is what true?”
“What Kohan said?” His corded muscles shifted as he took a step closer.
She bit her lip and flushed, knowing full what he was referring to. “I’m not sure I understand.”
“Would you have hesitated if it were me?” His words were bold, confident.
“Why is it you ask?” She lowered her gaze.
“Because, unlike my foolish younger brother, if I am going to touch you, I want it to be a welcomed touch.” The hypnotic tone of his voice mesmerized her.
Her heart pounded and she was certain he could see the pulse in her neck leap. Surely he wasn’t suggesting he wanted to touch her?
“Answer me, Katrina,” he demanded.
The deep timbre of his voice made her body burn with desire.
He tipped her chin up. The sweet friction of his fingers on her skin made her shudder. Their eyes met and locked, and for a brief moment Katrina became spellbound by the dark intensity of his gaze.
“So it is true. I can see it in your eyes.” He pulled her tighter and she molded against him. “Ahhh,” he whispered into her hair. “And I can feel it in your body.”
To lie to him now would be foolish. “Yes, Lord Ranek.” Her voice was a low whisper.
“So if I touch you like this—” he ran his fingers gently along her curves, skimming the outside of her swollen breasts, “—you would not protest?”
Her nipples grew tight alerting Ranek to her mounting desire. He dipped his finger inside her cleavage and stroked her flesh. His rough skin contracting her pert nipples.
She drew in a sharp breath. “No, Lord Ranek. I would not.”
“Very well then.” Using his knee he parted her legs. She felt her pussy dampen and became dizzy with desire. She worked to keep her breath regulated. “How about this?” He pushed her legs further apart. “Would this make you protest?”
She didn’t answer. She was too busy trying to control her ragged breathing and her body’s evocative response to his invasive touch.
“Katrina, I asked you a question. I expect an answer.” He spoke in a clipped tone. He placed his knee deep between her spread legs and she sagged against him. Her breasts surged forward aching to be touched by his strong, warrior hands.
When his touch didn’t come, a surge of boldness rushed through her and she straightened. “No, Lord Ranek, I would not protest. In fact, I’d welcome it.” Unflinchingly, she met his gaze.
A slight smile flirted with his lips. She suspected her boldness threw him off-kilter. The women in her kingdom were not expected to be assertive.
She watched his reaction. His face was grim, his eyes told her nothing, but the smirk playing on his mouth was all the encouragement she needed. She pressed on. “If I touched you like this, would you protest?” she asked, and ran a gentle finger between his hard, muscular thighs, her hand contacting his engorged cock. She was thrilled to discover his arousal, but kept a telltale smile from her lips.
Undoubtedly, there were penalties for such aggression, but Katrina knew she had nothing to fear. She glimpsed a pleased look in his eyes. He seemed rather amused by her assertiveness.
His eyes narrowed. “You have so much to learn my sweet, undisciplined Katrina. And I, and only I, shall be the one to teach you.”
Chapter Four
The beach was noisy, rowdy, filled with playful, rambunctious children making sandcastles or splashing near the waters edge.
Katrina strolled further along the crowded seashore, hoping for a distraction—something, anything to keep her mind off the previous night’s dream. Her body still tingled with memories of Ranek’s touch.
She stared blankly at the ocean, watching a surfer ride the white-crested waves. Sailboats bobbed in the distance. Inhaling the salty sea breeze she tilted her head back and gazed at the brilliant blue skyline.
Standing there with the midmorning sun heating her skin, her body chilled as a presence passed through her. It was brief, brisk—as though it was searching for something, or someone. If she hadn’t been so aware of her surroundings and her emotions, she would surely have missed it.
Her eyes sprang open as an uneasy feeling crept over her skin. There was a hint of danger in the air. Wrapping her arms around herself, she hugged the chill from her body and looked out over the water, searching for signs of Ranek.
He’d never before come to her during the day.
A foreign scent lingered in her nostrils. Although similar to Ranek’s, deep in her gut Katrina knew it didn’t belong to him.
If it wasn’t Ranek, then who could it be?
Katrina wanted answers, and she wanted them now.
Who was Ranek? Where had he come from? And what did he want with her?
She sighed and glanced at her wristwatch, knowing her answers would have to wait. She thought briefly of James and immediately felt guilty. Her thoughts should be consumed with their wedding plans, not some mysterious sea god who invaded her dreams at night and plagued her thoughts in the day.
Katrina made her way back to her cottage, away from the bustling crowd. After gathering up her easel, paint, and brushes she positioned a chair facing the water and mentally prepared herself to begin the seascape she’d been commissioned to do.
Hours later, consumed by her work, she nearly fell from her chair as the powerful presence once again swept through her.
* * * * *
Ranek awoke with a start.
His senses on full alert, he automatically searched for the dagger he kept secured to his side. His knuckles whitened as he gripped it with angry fingers.
Kohan.
He shut his eyes, his mind searching for his brother’s presence. Was it possible? Had Katrina’s dreams of Kohan roused him from the underworld?
If the rumors about the creatures of the underworld were true—that they could transport themselves to the mortal world during daylight hours—then Katrina’s life would be in danger.
Unable to pinpoint his brother’s location, Ranek stood and prepared himself physically and mentally for his trip to the surface.
Alone in the mortal wo
rld, Katrina would be in danger if Kohan picked up on her signature. White-hot rage raced through him. He snarled and slammed his fists against the wall.
Ranek needed her here with him, in the safety of their home, a place where he could protect her. He wanted to work fast, yet he had to be careful to bring her mind around slowly.
A deep growl of frustration rumbled in his throat. His patience was growing thinner by the day.
He paced as he waited for the last fingers of light to fade from the mortal sky. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she drifted off to sleep.
With warrior strength, he shot to the surface and was pleased to find, unlike the previous night, that she welcomed his arrival. Standing alone on the sandy shore, fully clothed, she waited for him.
Lust settled deep in his groin and his body automatically hardened at the sight of her. She smiled at him and his heart filled with longing for all the years he’d gone without her.
Soon. Soon she would understand the depth of his love for her and hers for him.
As she parted her legs his fingers tingled, anticipating a touch. He ached to lose himself in her tight, hot sheath. To find solace in her mouth, her embrace.
His heart pounded in his chest as he stared at her for an endless moment. Her eyes were dark, glossy, searching for answers. After a slow perusal of her attire, he caught her gaze and noted the boldness in her eyes.
He cocked one eyebrow. “Is this how you are supposed to greet me?” Shifting her stance, she made a sexy noise as he fingered the silky material of her blouse. Her full breasts tightened before his eyes alerting him to her desire. Saliva pooled on his tongue just thinking about sucking her tight nipples.
“I want to know what’s going on. Who are you? What do you want from me?”
In one swift movement that threw her off balance, he pushed his hands up her skirt. An amused smirk danced across his face when his fingers touched her dampness. Without hesitation he tore away the scrap of silk covering her drenched pussy.
She opened her mouth to speak but he silenced her with his fingertips.
“Your answers will come, my love. But first let me taste you. I have thought of nothing else since our last coupling.”
* * * * *
The delicate slide of his fingers over her swollen, wet clit overruled any coherent thought Katrina had. She became pliable in his capable hands. Scorched nerve endings screamed in ecstasy with each deliberate stroke.
His lips closed over hers, sending shivers of warm need throughout her body. A wave of passion left her teetering on the edge as his tongue thrust into her wanton mouth.
Although desperate for answers, Katrina quickly discovered her body was even more desperate for his touch.
He released her mouth and licked his damp fingers. “Do you know how arousing your taste is, my love?” he murmured.
Katrina whimpered and nearly dropped to her knees. “What is it you wish for me to do tonight, Ranek?” Need made her voice husky.
A low chuckle rumbled in his throat. “Since when did you ever wish to obey me?”
She smiled. “I want to please you.”
“You always please me, Katrina.” The soft timbre of his tone warmed her all over.
Lowering herself to the ground, she removed her skirt, unbuttoned her blouse and slipped out of her lace bra. Her fingers circling, she teased her pink nipples until they tightened almost painfully.
Hovering over her, Ranek tensed, chest heaving as his breathing quickened. She watched his throat work and listened to him swallow. Katrina grinned. She liked this bit of control she had over him.
Boldly, seductively, she slipped her hand between her legs and dipped her finger into her wet pussy.
He groaned and dropped to his knees. “You never did know discipline, Katrina.”
“And that displeases you?” She quirked a challenging brow.
Taking back control, he mock-glared at her. “You know better than to come to me fully dressed. This act of disobedience will not go unpunished.” He pushed her thighs as far apart as physically possible.
Gulping air, he sat back on his heels, a puzzled—if not pleased—look on his face. “Katrina…” His gaze traveled from her neatly shaved pussy to her face and back again.
His eyes caressed her with sultry heat. Under his appreciative gaze, she parted her labia. As her ripe, pink clit sprang out from under its slippery hood, his engorged cock grew another inch. “I’m not sure why or how I remembered, Ranek, but something deep in my soul told me you preferred my pussy this way.”
She felt the gentle touch of his fingers over her smooth sex. Her eyes slipped shut and she moaned with the intense pleasure. He stroked the full length of her, his fingers probing, pressing into her opening. She arched forward, offering herself up to him completely. His fingers danced around her puckered asshole, playing with the tight cleft between her cheeks.
Desperate to feel his cock inside her, she wrapped her fingers around his shaft and squeezed. “Please, Ranek. I need you inside me,” she begged, her breathing labored, shallow.
He chuckled. “Ah, then you should not have made your pussy so desirable, Katrina. You will have to wait for my cock until my mouth has had its fill of your silky sweetness.” He dragged a finger over her smooth, sensitive skin and positioned himself between her legs.
Bending forward, he stretched her wet lips open as his warm tongue licked her sex from the front to the far back. He moaned with pleasure and nuzzled his face in closer. His satiny breath fired her senses. A fine tremor burned through her as her skin tightened under his devouring mouth.
Like a cat licking cream, he lapped at her. She could feel her orgasm building. Blood screamed through her veins at the onslaught of pleasure. He eased two fingers inside her and nipped at her clit, sending ripples of pain and desire onward and upward through her body.
She wiggled, driving his fingers in deeper, hugging him tight inside her. He pushed another finger in. It was a deliciously snug fit. Her pussy grew slick as hot pleasure swept through her. She took deep shuddering gasps. Her feminine aroma mingled with Ranek’s scent, drawing her deeper into a haze of euphoria. She dug her fingers into his shoulders and bucked her hips. Her skin grew hot, damp. Her breathing was shallow.
She was close. So close. His thumb climbed higher to stroke her fleshy clit. He rubbed with light, slow circles. It was enough to send her sailing close to the edge. Her muscles twitched. He must have felt her response. He changed the tempo of his touch bringing her to her limit. She pinched her eyes shut as she felt herself tumble over. Her release was swift, intense. She lifted off the ground, her body jerking, trembling. Ranek continued stroking, his fingers and mouth absorbing her tremors.
Katrina relaxed back onto the ground and kneaded Ranek’s shoulders. She held him for a long moment, until her breathing regulated. Ranek stroked her damp, matted hair and looked deep into her eyes.
“I want you on your hands and knees, my love.”
Obediently, she rolled over. Bending forward, she spread her labia apart. Her juices trickled down her thighs as they dripped from her sopping pussy.
Straddling her from behind, he reached around and cupped her full, dangling breasts. Groaning in delight, he squeezed and pinched her taut nipples. His shaft pushed insistently between her legs.
He moved his hands, placing them on the small of her back, before whispering into her ear, “Lower your shoulders to the ground.” With her ass raised to him, she pressed her full breasts into the cool, scratchy sand.
He ran a finger back and forth over her dripping slit pushing his thumb high into her pussy. Her body convulsed under his touch. Then, in one swift motion, he replaced his fingers with his cock, plunging into her sweetness. She cried out sharply and bucked against him.
His thickness pushed open the walls of her vagina. She felt agonizingly full as she accommodated his massive width. His balls slapped her clit as she raised and lowered herself on his engorged cock.
He impale
d her again and again until yet another orgasm swept through her. Her muscles undulated and she sank slowly to the ground. Spreading her legs wider, she drove her hips back to meet his. When her vision went fuzzy around the edges, she struggled to blink her eyes back into focus. She clung to consciousness and concentrated on the last fragments of pleasure, moaning as it slowed. After her orgasm subsided Ranek pulled his still-erect cock out of her slick sheath. She twisted around to look at him.
“Turn over,” he demanded. His voice was rusty, intense.
He grabbed her hand and guided it to his cock. It throbbed as she stroked the smooth, velvety head, semen spilling from the slit.
His breathing was ragged. “Put it in your mouth.” His voice wavered and she sensed he was on the edge.
Obediently, she drew him to her. Her mouth was engulfed with the tangy taste of sweat, salty drips of semen, and her own feminine juices.
She took him all the way, until the tip poked the back of her throat. She rocked against him, letting him drive his shaft in and out of her wet mouth. She grabbed him with one hand, squeezing the base as she flicked the sensitive tip with her tongue.
She knew he was close. His cock thickened and throbbed as she worked her tongue around his bulbous head.
Ranek moaned and raked his fingers through her hair. “Drink my juices, Katrina. And you will find answers to your questions.”
He exploded into her mouth and Katrina lapped up every last drop of his sticky semen.
Chapter Five
It was a typical day deep inside the Bandara Kingdom…
Katrina tightened her robe around her waist, opened the door to her lair and greeted one of the council’s many servants. The elderly, silver-haired lady nodded her head and averted her violet eyes as she handed Katrina a slip of paper.
“Thank you,” Katrina said. Without speaking, the woman bowed her head and left.
