BOUND

by Elisabeth Naughton

  Pleasure.

  He was enjoying this.

  “You’re killing me, baby. Touch me, dammit.”

  Her heart thundered. She leaned back so she was resting her weight on her thighs. The fabric of her jeans just barely pressed against his ribs. Starting at his shoulders, she slid both hands against his bare skin, then ran her fingers down his naked chest.“

  His body jerked like he’d been shocked. “Oh gods…”

  His eyes fell closed. Between her knees, his entire body tensed. When she would have pulled away, he hissed, “Don’t stop. Keep going.”

  Her pulse was a roar in her ears, but she kept going. And knowing what he was going through for her, her heart cracked open wide for him. If she’d loved him before, it didn’t even compare to how much she loved him now.

  Lightly, she ran her hands across his pecs, down his six-pack stomach, then up again, circling the tips of his nipples with her thumbs. He groaned, so she did it again. Tiny quakes shook his body, but he seemed to like them. Gaining confidence, she leaned forward. Her bare breasts grazed his stomach. He moaned low in his throat. She breathed hot against his chest then licked his dusky nipple.

  “Oh…fuck.”

  His whole body bucked beneath her. Startled, she drew back. His face was beet red and he was straining against the cuffs. Pleasure condensed into panic. “I’m hurting you, aren’t I? Titus?”

  “Let me go,” he rasped. “Unstrap me. Right now.”

  She scrambled off him and unlatched the leg restraints in seconds. Horrified, she rushed around the bed and reached for his right arm, freeing it. He lurched away from her, freed his other arm. He couldn’t get away from her fast enough. Tears burned her eyes. She’d known this was a bad idea. Why had she let him talk her into this? Why…?

  He whipped back to her. His arm hooked around her bare waist. Her feet left the ground. She yelped as air rushed over her spine.

  Her back hit the mattress, and he climbed over her. She gasped, and then his mouth was on hers. Hot. Hungry. Greedy. And she felt him. His bare skin pressing against hers. His hands…everywhere.

  Cloth tore. He ripped off the rest of her clothes, stripped himself of his own, never once slowing his assault on her mouth. Her hands streaked up into his hair. Fisted. She tried to pull him closer. Tried to taste him deeper. She lifted her hips. Wrapped her legs around his back. Needed him. So much…

  He thrust into her violently, and she screamed in absolute pleasure. He wasn’t gentle, and she didn’t want him to be. She wanted this. Him, wild for her. Not holding back. As frantic and desperate and crazy for her as she was for him.

  He plunged deep again and again. Ravished her mouth, her body. One hand found hers. His fingers entwined with hers. He slammed her hand against the mattress near her head. His grip tightened. She gave herself over to him, tried to hold back but couldn’t. Her climax exploded before she saw it coming, sending ripples of energy and white-hot light through each cell, warming every place inside that had gone cold these last weeks without him.

  “Tasa…” He shook hard against her. And she felt him spilling inside her. Felt his racing heart, his sweat-slicked skin sliding over hers, his tight muscles quivering with the power of his own release.

  It went on, longer than she expected. Longer than she remembered. And then he collapsed against her. No longer taut and rigid but like liquid honey against her flesh.

  She pried her hand from his, wrapped her arms around his shoulders, sifted her fingers in his hair, and kissed him temple, his forehead, anything she could reach. Happiness swept over her like a blanket, cocooning them, warming them, protecting them.

  He twitched.

  Her heart lurched into her throat.

  He did it again. And in a moment of panic, she realized…now that his sexual need had been sated, he was feeling pain once more.

  “Don’t even think about it, ligos Vesuvius.”

  “But I’m hurting you.”

  He smiled against her shoulder. “Yeah, you are.”

  She pushed against him.

  He chuckled, an immovable weight, and nipped at her throat. “You’re hurting me and, gods, I love it.”

  She stilled her fight. “That’s…twisted.”

  He pushed up on one hand so he could look down at her, but didn’t put any other space between them. “I never claimed not to be.”

  He wasn’t lying. Every time he twitched, his face would tighten in pain for just a split second but he wasn’t climbing off her. He wasn’t trying to get away from her. And inside her body, he was still hard. Like steel. “Wh-what does it feel like?”

  “Like I’m being shocked. Tiny little electrical zaps. But after…the sweetest pleasure.”

  Confusion drew her brows together. “Sounds like you’re describing an orgasm.”

  His hazel eyes filled with heat. “No, that was…skata, out of this world. I felt everything. Everything you felt. It was the most intense climax I’ve ever had.”

  She searched his features, could see from the excitement lurking there that he was telling the truth. “Why? Why can you handle touching me now, when before…”

  She looked down at the dusting of hair on his chest, hating the memory of how he’d collapsed in the mud when he’d reached for her. How just the tiniest touch from her since had caused him to jerk away.

  “Because I was prepared for it this time. And because you love me.” She lifted her gaze to his. “That makes your touch bearable above all others. No,” he smiled, correcting himself, “not just bearable. It makes it intense. Incredible. Everything I never knew I needed.”

  Hope sprang forth. Love enveloped her.

  He jerked, then sank against her and sighed. “Holy gods, I felt that. Do it again.”

  She wrapped her arms around him, closed her eyes, held him close, and let love carry them both across the distance that had separated them. Fire and water. Ancient philosophers theorized that the soul was made up of equal parts fire and water. She knew now that was true. He was the missing half of a soul she hadn’t known she’d been searching thousands of years for.

  “Does this mean we’re okay?” she whispered, fighting back tears of joy. “That we can be together?”

  He pushed up on his hand. Twitched. Grinned again. “For as long as you can put up with me.”

  Relief stole through her. “Thank the gods.”

  “No, ligos Vesuvius. Thank the Fates for you. I’ve spent my life wishing I wasn’t cursed. Now I wouldn’t trade it for anything, because without it, I wouldn’t have this.” He twitched. And sighed in pleasure all over again. His eyes softened. “Without it I would never have found you.”

  “Oh, Titus…” She lifted to his kiss, returning it with everything she had. Every emotion in her heart and soul went out to him, and she felt his pleasured response against her skin, inside her body. But a thought made her pull back before she could get lost in his kiss all over again. “Wait.”

  “What?”

  She bit her lip. “No offense, but I really hate this room. I don’t mind the restraints and you tying me up now and then if you want—”

  His eyes glinted. “You don’t?”

  “No.” Her cheeks heated. “Not so long as I get to return the favor.”

  “Baby.” He glanced at the leather cuff hanging from the corner of the bed, and inside her body, his erection twitched. “As you can tell, I am totally in for that.”

  She smiled. Hesitated.

  His eyes narrowed. “Skata, you’re already doing it.”

  “Doing what?”

  “Blocking my ability to read your thoughts. Damn, but you are quick.”

  Oh…wow… “Does that bother you?”

  “No, because no matter how hard you try you won’t ever be able to block me from your emotions.” He reached for her hand and kissed her knuckles. But his lips stilled against her skin. “What else?”

  Oh, this was going to take getting used to. He’d obviously felt her nervousness. One touch and
he was always going to know when she was upset or pissed or so desperate for him she couldn’t hold still. But she loved that. Loved him.

  She drew in a breath. Let it out.

  “Tell me, Tasa.”

  “I…” She worked up the courage to look in his eyes. Knew it was useless not to. “I can’t stand to think of you here with anyone else. I know confident women aren’t supposed to be jealous but…I am. Blame the turbulent fire inside me if you want, but I don’t like even the thought of sharing space in your memories. It makes my blood…boil.”

  “No one before you was ever memorable. And I want to be the only thing that makes your blood hot.” He slid his arms around her and rolled so that she was on top. “As for this place… You’re the only one I want to remember here. After tonight, it’s history.”

  “Can I torch it?”

  He laughed, lifted his head, and kissed her. “You can do anything you damn well please, just so long as you do it with me.”

  She stretched out over him so they were touching, toes to lips. Kissed him, softly, gently, loving each and every jolt and twitch of his body against hers and the deep, pleasure-filled sighs that followed. “That’s a deal I can definitely live with for as long as you can put up with me.”

  “Ah, ligos Vesuvius. That will be for always.”

  ETERNAL GUARDIANS LEXICON

  adelfos - Brother

  agapi - Term of endearment; my love.

  ándras; pl. ándres - Male Argolean

  archdaemon - Head of the daemon order; has enhanced powers from Atalanta

  Argolea - Realm established by Zeus for the blessed heroes and their descendants

  Argonauts - Eternal guardian warriors who protect Argolea. In every generation, one from the original seven bloodlines (Heracles, Achilles, Jason, Odysseus, Perseus, Theseus, and Bellerophon) is chosen to continue the guardian tradition.

  Chosen - One Argolean, one human; two individuals who, when united, completed the Argolean Prophecy and broke Atalanta’s contract with Hades, thereby ejecting her from the Underworld and ending her immortality.

  Council of Elders - Twelve lords of Argolea who advise the king

  daemons. Beasts who were once human, recruited from the Fields of Asphodel (purgatory) by Atalanta to join her army.

  Dimiourgos - Creator

  doulas - Slave

  élencho - Mind-control technique Argonauts use on humans

  Fates - Three goddesses who control the thread of life for all mortals from birth until death

  Fields of Asphodel - Purgatory

  fotia - Term of endearment. My fire.

  gigia - Grandmother

  gynaíka; pl. gynaíkes - Female Argolean

  Horae - Three goddesses of balance controlling life and order

  Isles of the Blessed - Heaven

  ilithios - Idiot

  kardia - Term of endearment; my heart

  Kore - Another name for the goddess Persephone. “The maiden”

  ligos-Vesuvius - Term of endearment; little volcano

  matéras - Mother

  meli - Term of endearment; beloved

  Misos - Half-human/half-Argolean race that lives hidden among humans

  Olympians - Current ruling gods of the Greek pantheon, led by Zeus; meddle in human life

  oraios - Beautiful

  Orb of Krónos - Four-chambered disk that, when filled with the four classic elements—earth, wind, fire, and water—has the power to release the Titans from Tartarus

  patéras - Father

  sotiria - Term of endearment; my salvation

  Siren Order - Zeus’s elite band of personal warriors. Commanded by Athena

  skata - Swearword

  syzygos - Wife

  Tartarus. Realm of the Underworld similar to hell

  therillium - Invisibility ore, sought after by all the gods

  Titans - The ruling gods before the Olympians

  Titanomachy - The war between the Olympians and the Titans, which resulted in Krónos being cast into Tartarus and the Olympians becoming the ruling gods.

  thea - Term of endearment; goddess

  yios - Son

  Thanks for reading BOUND.

  I hope you enjoyed Titus & Natasa’s story!

  If you would you like to know when my next book is available, you can sign up for my new release e-mail list at http://www.elisabethnaughton.com. Follow me on twitter Twitter.com/ElisNaughton, or like my Facebook page Facebook.com/elisabeth.naughton1.

  Reviews help other readers find books. I appreciate all reviews, whether positive or negative.

  To see a list of my other books and to read an excerpt from WAIT FOR ME, the New York Times bestselling book about love, loss and the power of second chances, please turn the page.

  Titles by Elisabeth Naughton

  Firebrand Series

  (Paranormal Romance)

  POSSESSED BY DESIRE

  SLAVE TO PASSION

  BOUND TO SEDUCTION

  FIREBRAND BOXED SET

  Eternal Guardians Series

  (Paranormal romance)

  BOUND

  ENSLAVED

  ENRAPTURED

  TEMPTED

  ENTWINED

  MARKED

  Stolen Series

  (Romantic Suspense)

  STOLEN SEDUCTION

  STOLEN HEAT

  STOLEN FURY

  STOLEN SERIES BOXED SET

  Single Titles

  WAIT FOR ME

  (Romantic Suspense)

  Anthologies

  BODYGUARDS IN BED

  (with Lucy Monroe and Jamie Denton)

  Read on for a sneak peek at

  The New York Times Bestseller

  WAIT FOR ME

  A woman without a past…

  A man desperate for a reason to live…

  Two lives about to converge.

  Chapter One

  There was torture, and then there was rip-your-fingernails-out-by-the-roots-with-pliers pure agony. Right now, Kate Alexander was in the midst of the latter. Or at least it felt like she was.

  She ground her teeth and tried to think of something besides the sweat slicking her skin, the ceiling entirely too close to her face, the fact she could barely breathe in this claustrophobic box. Nothing worked. The only thought revolving in her mind was the fact if she didn’t get out of here soon, she was going to go batshit crazy on the tech behind the glass to her left.

  “A little longer, Kate.”

  Great. Fabulous. Just what she wanted to hear. She knew not to move—that would only prolong her misery—but this little test had already taken way longer than it should. What the hell was he doing in there, throwing a party?

  Patience had never been her strong suit. Her doctors had told her that lack of patience was probably the reason she hadn’t stayed dead in the first place—that she’d given up waiting for the light to get stronger and had decided just to turn around and come back because she’d grown impatient. Kate wasn’t convinced of that fact—she didn’t remember any light. She didn’t remember much of anything. But thanks to the trusty staff at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, her “death” had lasted only a mere ninety seconds. Ninety seconds that had changed her life forever.

  She had no memory of the car accident that had left her snazzy Mercedes in a lump of twisted metal. No memory of the driver of the other vehicle who’d walked away while she’d lain on a cold slab fighting for her life. No memory of her life before the accident, period. But she’d learned one very important lesson that day: some things in life were worth fighting for.

  Her mind drifted to Jake, their anniversary and the special dinner she had planned. Seven years… It didn’t feel like seven years. In many ways, it felt like she barely knew him. The past eighteen months had been a blur of tests and more tests, settling into life in Houston, reacquainting herself with her husband and their friends all over again. A side effect of the accident he’d told her, one they’d get through together.
Except…he traveled so much for work, it seemed like she was doing all that reacquainting by herself.

  She wanted to sigh but knew not to. Okay, so he was dedicated to his job. He loved his work. She had to admire his passion. So what if their marriage was far from perfect? No one had a perfect marriage. But she’d been given a second chance. She planned to make the most of it.

  She quietly rejoiced when the machine buzzed again and the table began retracting from the tunnel. Done. Finally. Twenty minutes of hell. And she hadn’t needed to flip the tech off after all. A smile curled her lips at the thought.

  The tech emerged from the screening room and unstrapped Kate’s head and shoulders from the restraints. “Not so bad. How are you feeling?”

  Kate sat up and rubbed the long scar on the side of her scalp. “Like a sardine.”

  He chuckled. “I hear that a lot. You’ll need to hang around for a bit while we review the images and make sure we got everything we need.”

  She nodded, knowing the routine. She’d been through it before, and this wouldn’t be the last.

  She dressed then headed out into the waiting area where TVs flickered with a surreal image. Several people gathered around the three screens, staring at what looked like a war scene. Flames and billowing smoke, sirens blaring, lights flashing. Prickly fingers of fear ran over Kate’s skin as she watched the horror unfold.