by Dakota Trace
I can’t believe I’m doing this. That little Pati O’Connor has the mighty Jonathan de’Carthwright tied to bed and torturing his body. Thank you, Gracie.
Jonathan groaned even louder and pulled harder on his bonds when the little tease between his legs reach up and gently cupped his balls. Damn, if she doesn’t stop I’m going to come without her. A sigh of relief escaped him when she lifted her wet mouth away from his aching erection.
"Come here." He tightened his hands around the ropes holding him. “Please come up here.”
"Why?" Her attention was centered on the aching flesh between his legs which she was stroking slowly.
"You know why, you little tease."
She just smiled down at him. A groan was ripped out of his chest when she settled herself over his hips and aching cock.
"Damn, I'm already wet."
Her whispered words along with the pretty blush covering her face, made him wild to see the proof of her words.
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"Let me see." His gaze dropped to where her cinnamon curls rubbed against his abs. He didn’t care if it sounded like he was begging or not. He wanted her and now.
"Bring that beautiful pussy up here."
A low moan escaped her before she slowly crawling up his torso to hover over his upper chest.
"There, can you see it now?"
He barely heard her whisper.
"Bring it closer." His voice came out husky. He looked up at her with naked hunger in his eyes. Whimpering, she tilted her hips forward so she was almost straddling his head. "Oh bring that pussy down here," he ordered. "I wanna taste."
She did moan this time as she felt his tongue trace the outer edges of her labia.
Relaxing her thighs, she sank a little closer to his playful tongue and ardent lips.
Jonathan groaned when he buried his tongue in her moist slit. Damn, this woman -
my chosen, tastes wonderful. I can’t believe I’m in this predicament with her but I’m not going to complain. She’d better watch her ass though, because the next time I see her I intend to collect.
* * * *
Patience could feel her orgasm coming but she didn't want to climax this way. She wanted to be filled with Jonathan’s cock. With her sister's little gift of bondage she could do exactly as she pleased, and Jonathan's superior strength wouldn't be an issue.
Pulling away from his talented mouth, she gritted her teeth while she teetered on the edge of orgasm. Taking a few deep breaths, she tried to regain control of her body and of the whole situation.
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"Bring that pretty ass back up here. I wasn't finished."
Jonathan’s growl nearly sent her careening over the edge.
"No." She slipped back down his torso. “I want more, I need more."
"You little minx. Just wait ‘til I get loose."
"Why? Are you going to punish me?" Positioning her pussy over him, she waited for his answer.
"Hell, yes. I'm gonna eat your little pussy until you beg me to stop." His head snapped back when she slid down onto him nice and slow. When she was fully seated, her ass resting against his balls, a groan tore from his chest.
"Like that, do you?" Her eyes closed while he throbbed with in her.
"Hell, yes. Now move that ass." Unable to wait, he lifted his hips off the bed.
Gasping, she did as he asked and began to slowly move. When the pleasure raced through her body, she quickened the pace.
Oh God, it won’t be long. I’m going to come!
"Patience, untie me." Jonathan fought against his restraints again.
"Not yet. Later…afterwards." She quickened her movements as she crept closer to the edge of release.
"Please. I need to hold you. I want to feel you go up in flames in my arms.”
"After…you can hold me…after." Her head flew back as her climax started to break over her. Snapping forward as it consumed her, she leaned down and fastened her mouth over his. Jonathan’s growl filled her mouth while her pussy squeezed him tightly one last time. He nearly threw her off when he arched his back and thrust his hips up 127
against hers when his own release washed over him. His world went dark as Pati buried her fingers in his hair and forced his orgasm to double in strength.
"Son of a bitch!" His roar filled the room and he threw his head back against the pillows.
"That's it." Patience continued pulsing on his exploding cock, her eyes dark with her pleasure. "Fill me full."
When the last of the spasms left them, they lay tangled together. Jonathan was still restrained but basking in the glow of his powerful orgasm. Patience snuggled across his chest, trying to catch her breath.
"Sweetheart, untie me please,” his whisper barely registered. Struggling up enough to reach his bonds, she had difficulty with the unfamiliar knots until they finally loosened enough for him to free his arms.
* * * *
Jonathan awakened and rolled out of the bed. Sitting with his head cradled in his hands, he was vaguely aware of Rand’s presence in the next bed. They’d decided to rent a room at the inn near Alexander Costas’ home. “Is everything okay?” Rand’s voice was alert.
“I hope you said good-bye to your chosen.”
“Why’s that?” Rand rolled over on his side to stare at him.
“Because I’m going to kill her when we get back.”
“Excuse me? Do I have to worry about assassins already?”
Jonathan looked up at him. “She snuck into my dream with Pati and left me tied to the bed at her sister’s mercy.”
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Rand chuckled.
“It’s not funny damn it! Payback’s a bitch, Rand, and I’m going to pay her back to the durlac. ”
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Chapter Seven
Gracie shifted restlessly on her bed. After she’d left her sister with Jonathan, she tried to lay down and sleep but to no avail. I’m tired but too keyed up to sleep. Tossing the covers off her legs, she slipped out of the bed. It took only a moment before she was slipping into Rand’s room. Wandering over to the wardrobe, she opened it. Inside hung neatly, were several of his shirts. Lifting one to her nose, she inhaled but smelled nothing other than the cleaner used to launder them.
“That’s not what I’m looking for.”
“Why don’t you try the hamper in the bathroom if you’re looking for something
which smells like him.”
“Bug off, Zara. You’re just pissed that Ruzac isn’t speaking to you. Did he really sleep with King Mica when you kicked him out of your chambers?”
“Oh yes. I used to sneak in after he went to sleep. It touched my heart to see
my big, bad king sleeping next to his grandson, even if I was angry with him.”
“Are you all right, Gracie?” Mica’s voice startled her.
“King Mica!” Shutting the wardrobe door, she spun around to face him.
“I thought I heard someone rattling around in here.”
“I’m sorry. I couldn’t sleep.” Gracie flushed. “I’ll go back to my room, now…”
“Nonsense! I was up already. Since Aria didn’t make it back from Areseric last night, where she’s been consulting with Arianna, I wasn’t sleeping very well. Why don’t we both go downstairs and be miserable together? I’ll even start a fire in the library for you.”
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Gracie’s eyes brightened. “You always did know my weak spot, King Mica.” Even as a small child, she’d love to watch the King draw fire from thin air and light the grand fireplace in the library.
Following him out of the room, she knew for the moment she’d found an unlikely confidant in her future father-in-law.
* * * *
Jonathan awoke to low grunts. Opening his eyes, he saw Rand moving through the different katas they’d learned during their training with Master Iason. Although it’d been awhile since he’d seen another practice them, he himself still routinely practiced. Shoving the covers off, he joined Rand and smoothly
slid into unison next to him.
Savoring the smoothness of the movements, he offered his support to his friend. As they slid into the final kata, Jonathan gave a deep sigh of relaxation. It always felt good to stretch his body.
“Are you okay?” Jonathan offered Rand a cold bottle of water from the mini fridge.
“Yeah, as well as can be expected. I’m about ready to jump out of my skin.”
“The mezclar? ”
“Yeah, and the fact Gracie didn’t sleep last night. I almost think she’s doing it to punish me for not bringing her with us.”
“I understand your reasoning behind not bringing her, Rand. Did you try merging with her?”
"Yeah, several times. Either she’s not sleeping or I’m too far away to reach her.”
“Do we need to call this off? I can go on without you, if you need to get back to her. I can only imagine the hell you’re going through.”
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Shaking his head, Rand wiped his arm over his forehead. “Here or there it’s going to be the same. At least here I can be of some use. We’ve got to find out who’s digging into Gracie’s past and why.”
* * * *
Mica watched as Gracie slipped farther into sleep. After realizing it was Gracie, he’d gone to her and used the excuse of Aria being gone to get her to confide in him. Underhanded as it may have seemed, he now knew what was driving his son’s chosen to the point of running from him. It’d taken a few fingers of Earthen scotch to loosen her up…
Sitting in front of the fire, Gracie cradled the crystal tumbler against her stomach.
After watching the king magically light the fire, she’d been content to sit and watch the flames.
“I forget sometimes how relaxing it is to simply sit in front of the fire and do nothing.”
Gracie looked up at Mica’s words.
“It is relaxing. In a way I’ll be glad when this is over, even though I’m not looking forward to the consummation of the mezclar.”
“Why? From experience I can say it’s probably the most erotic experience you’ll ever have. The closeness and the binding of your souls along with your bodies and power is a very potent aphrodisiac, Gracie.”
Staring at her tumbler, she looked thoughtful for a moment. Then she looked up at him. “Would you be surprised if I said it scares me?”
“No. The fear of the unknown is not uncommon.”
“It’s not that, Mica. That I can handle. It’s how strong it is. I’m afraid I’ll lose myself.”
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Mica set down his tumbler.
“Why? You’ll only find true self in your chosen’s arms, Gracie.”
“Let me tell you a little story. There was this girl who’d been given a prophesy. One which claimed her destiny would be foretold on the eve of a Gathering. She’d find her chosen during the final dance but while she’d know great love, the deeper the love, the greater the danger stalking her and her chosen would be. Of course this girl believed the prophesy was pure nonsense. So when the girl’s best friend asked her to his Gathering, she figured she’d be safe. After all this was the boy she’d known all her life.
And she didn’t plan on dancing the final dance. Everything was going fine until it came time for the second to last dance. Her friend asked her to dance and, assuming it was safe, she agreed. During the dance, she noticed something stirring amongst her power.
Something unusual but she was having fun, so she ignored it. About half way through the dance, came a moment when the girl’s childhood friend was tempted to steal a kiss.
Then danger struck. Without a thought, the girl did as any trained Vindexicis warrior would do. She protected. It was at that moment, the girl despite all her disbelief, realized the prophesy had come to pass. The second to last dance became the last dance for her since her friend whisked her out of the Palace. On the way back to her home, she realized the stirring she’d felt earlier had been her sentient power awakening for the first time and calling out to her friend’s. Within the short time between heartbeats, the powers merged and bonded.” She paused taking a sip of her scotch.
“Go on, finish the story Gracie.”
“Afterwards, the girl thought her friend would claim her, even expected it. But to her surprise, he went off to his advanced studies without a backward glance. At first she just 133
assumed he wanted to wait for her to complete her own primary studies before claiming her. So she studied hard and managed to graduate a few months later only to find it was never his intention. She knew if she could feel the bond tugging at her, surely her friend could too. But as the months turned into years and the years turned into a decade, she decided he must’ve rejected the bond and never wanted her in the first place.”
“Until?”
“Until the day her dad came forward and told her she’d been placed on the list for suitable brides for her friend. When she’d asked to be removed from the list, her father refused. Despite all her appeals, it came to pass and she was informed she was to marry her friend. The one who’d rejected not only her but the bond between them. She’s expected to forget the hurt and bewilderment she’s felt for the past several years and embrace both him and their bond. But how can she forget and let him inside when she’s afraid he’s going to once more disregard her feelings and again do as he pleases after they’ve bonded?”
“A difficult decision for sure. But I can assure you, Rand will never willingly hurt you.
He had his reasons for waiting.”
“Perhaps he did but like it or not he can’t undo the hurt he’s already caused. I’m simply afraid, even despite his best efforts not to, he may cause even greater hurt once I’ve bonded with him...”
Finishing his drink, he reached for the communication console. Keeping his voice low he contacted his son. While he wasn’t going to go to reveal what Gracie had 134
confided in him, he was sure Gracie would sleep better if Rand visited her in her dreams. The mezclar doesn’t understand hurt feelings or anger, it simply is.
* * * *
Rand quietly entered Gracie's dreams. She was sitting on her balcony, staring at the night's final stars. "Took you a long time to fall asleep." He told her sitting down next to her on the ledge. Turning towards him, she shrugged.
"Jonathan told me he was going to kill you the next time he saw you. You know it wasn’t very nice what you did to him." Rand picked her up and carried her to the bed.
Lowering her to the mattress, he watched her crawl under the covers. Sitting down next to her and leaning over, he couldn’t resist running his hand over her breast.
"Really? I don’t suppose the game he’s been playing with my powerless sister is an ample enough reason?" Gracie drew the covers up as far as his caressing hand.
Moaning softly, she pressed her head back against the pillows.
"Game? He’s quite serious in his pursuit of her.” A chuckle escaped him when he ran his hand over her other breast.
"Oh, I see. Mr. Control Freak has a plan, does he? Did he bother to ask Pati about what she wanted, or did he do the same as you and assume he knows what’s best for her?" A low moan filled the room. Heat flooded her cheeks when she realized it came from her. Squirming under his touch, she was ready to kill him when he chuckled again.
"Mr. Control Freak? Well, I'll admit that does fit him." Lying down on his side next to her, he captured her mouth under his. When he finally released her mouth, they were both panting.
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"We can't do this – we shouldn’t do this."
"Yes, we can. I’ve been dying to see how you react to pleasure. It can’t make it any worse if I give you a taste of pleasure. Give me a small taste to live on until we wed."
"And will I be able to expect the same in return? If you get your small taste, will I get mine?" Staring directly into his eyes, she waited for his answer.
"I can't, Gracie." He flopped on his back.
"Then you can't have me. It's equal opportunity, Rand, or no
thing at all." She rolled over on her side, facing away from him. Following her, he wrapped himself around her from behind. Draping an arm over her waist, he listened to her sigh.
“This will all work out, Wildcat.”
* * * *
City of Greenwich The man walked up to the bar. After giving the bartender his order, he waited for his prey to arrive. He wasn't disappointed when the man arrived a few minutes later. As he walked up to the bar, he smiled charmingly.
"Alexander?"
"How do you know my name?" The tall and lanky man turned in surprise.
"I know many things about you, Alexander. I know you were friends with the Prince's intended and she’s the one who helped you convince your lover's parents that he was straight. I also know she helped you hide the fact you and Thomas were gay while attending the advanced studies school which frowned upon gay relationships.” The man’s face showed knowledge and determination.
"What on earth are you talking about?" Alexander was startled.
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"I need you to do me a small favor." The man took a quick drink. "Unless you want me to expose what I know to Thomas's parents, you’ll do it."
Fear raced over him and Alexander hung his head then shook it in defeat.
"What do you want me to do?" His answer was so quiet, it could barely be heard above the noise coming from the bar.
"I want you to stop the wedding of Prince Randall and his intended, Grace O'Connor."
"Why?" His confusion was evident.
"Because, Princess Deanna wants her revenge on the man who had her banned from the High Wizard’s Castle.” The man’s words sent icy chills down Alexander’s back.
"This is over a scorned woman?"
"It matters not the reason. The only things which should concern you, is whether or not your lover has a job once I inform his family about his supposed roommate. What do you think will happen when they find out?”
