Power Game

by Christine Feehan

  He used his hand on her other breast, first cupping and kneading gently then tugging and rolling her nipple. He took his time, savoring the taste of her skin, the feel of it, so soft against the roughness of his. He experimented a little, wanting to be gentle, knowing eventually he would fail and needing to know how much she could take. He bit down a little harder and tugged rougher.

  Bellisia cried out softly, a needy moan, and then her hands moved down his chest to find his cock. The breath slammed out of his lungs. She stroked him. Rubbed the broad, sensitive head and skimmed her fingers down the shaft with the very pads of her fingers. It was the sexiest thing he'd ever felt. As if thousands of tiny little soft fingers caressed him as she stroked.

  "That feels good, Bellisia," he encouraged, wanting her to do a little exploring of her own.

  "It feels amazing. Really soft, but extremely hard at the same time. The bad news is, there is no way you're going to fit."

  So she had been looking. "I'll fit." He stroked his tongue over her breast again and then kissed her mouth when she turned her face up to his. So solemn. So certain. He was really going to be happy proving her wrong.

  Her fingers kept petting him, almost as if he was a beast she had to tame. He caught her hand and wrapped her fist around him, squeezing hard. "I like it rough, baby. You want to get me very wet and then you slide your hand like this."

  "How do I get you wet?" She looked around a little helplessly.

  He grinned at her. "Your mouth. Use your mouth."

  She smiled up at him. "Of course. I panicked for a minute. We had sex education, of course, but not the particulars of the rest of it."

  Before he could reply, she bent her head and licked up his shaft as if she were licking a candy cane. Then her mouth closed over him and he nearly came apart. The sensation was so amazing, he felt his balls growing hot and tight. The muscles in his thighs shuddered and danced with desire. She didn't have any hesitation or embarrassment. She wasn't shy about trying anything new with him. She sucked hard, and then used her tongue. A jackhammer drilled at his head. Blood thundered and roared in his ears.

  "Tell me," she ordered.

  He grinned as he held her head to him, careful not to push her head down over him and take control. He liked her bossiness. That meant she'd talk to him about what she liked and wanted. In the meantime, he'd let her explore until he couldn't take it anymore, because nothing in his life had ever felt so damned good.

  Bellisia was decisive when she wanted something and she wasn't afraid to go after it. She'd made up her mind while she waited in the house with his scent surrounding her night and day that she was going to make Ezekiel Fortunes her man. She could live in the swamp close to Nonny, Pepper and Cayenne and be happy. She didn't have a single clue what she was doing, but she was determined.

  "Do any damn thing you want, baby, just don't bite."

  Her eyebrow went up. "Um, Ezekiel? You might want to rethink that statement. It gives me a lot of room and I have a very vivid imagination. You went into combat, and I was worried every single minute you were gone." She rubbed her thumb over the soft, velvety head, smearing the fluid around, using the setae to stroke caresses over what clearly was an extraordinarily sensitive part of him. She knew he liked that because he shuddered every time she did it.

  "Just one moment, sweetheart, and you can do all the exploring you want."

  He turned and walked back to the bathroom, his body moving in the fluid, sexy way he had, all rippling muscle. She liked the way he reminded her of water when he moved. It was as if he flowed over a surface so silently he was unheard and he left no trace of himself behind. That appealed to her as everything about him did.

  She'd had plenty of time to think about him while he was gone on his mission. He could have been killed and she'd never have the chance to know--this. Being with him intimately. Most others always got the warrior, but she got the man. And she wanted him. She wasn't stupid, she knew with Whitney breathing down her neck, she was a danger to the people Ezekiel loved and she might have to leave, to lead Whitney away from them, but in the meantime, she was going to be intimate with the man she'd chosen. Whitney wasn't going to take that away from her.

  She might not have started out with confidence, but once she made up her mind that Ezekiel Fortunes was the man for her, she used her time wisely waiting for him to come back to her. She had open, frank discussions with Pepper, Cayenne and Nonny. All three women were fountains of information, but clearly a few of the details had been left out.

  Nonny gave her the best advice. Trust your man, Bella. If he's the right man, he'll want your pleasure and will help you get there. Talk to him. Communicate. Let him know what you like and don't like. Ask him what he likes. Sex is important. Sacred between the two of you. You want it to be the best it can be always for your partner, and trust that he wants it to be the best for you.

  So she was talking to her man. Asking for guidance, because Bellisia liked to be the best at whatever she chose to do and she was going to be awesome at pleasing her man.

  He came back into the room, a blow-dryer in hand. It was the last thing she expected and the sight of it in his hands made her laugh.

  "Who knew my badass GhostWalker used a blow-dryer?"

  He bent down to plug it in and then stood at the end of the bed, pointing to the spot in front of him. "Woman, when I'm walking around naked, you don't laugh. Not for any reason. Worshipping is acceptable; laughter, absolutely not."

  "Do your brothers know?" She couldn't help infusing the unspoken threat of blackmail.

  She made the mistake of not being out of his reach, and he caught her arm and tugged her to stand between his legs facing him.

  "Talk like that could get you in trouble." He switched on the dryer and pushed her head down so that her hair fell upside down toward the floor. At once his fingers began to move over her scalp, separating strands as he played the warm air over her hair. "You might want to use your mouth for something else so you don't get into trouble."

  She already was cupping his heavy sac, rolling his balls gently and stroking the setae on her fingertips along the velvety surfaces. "I don't know. What exactly would trouble get me? I always like to weigh every decision with facts."

  She had always teased her "sisters" and they'd reciprocated. It had been a part of her life from the time she'd grown up. Not in front of Whitney. Whitney believed if they had time for fun, that meant they had time for more training. She liked that Ezekiel teased her. She especially liked that his breath hissed out between his teeth just at the caressing motion of her fingertips. She added her tongue, tracing the velvet, absorbing the texture and feel of him as delicately as she did any new food before she ever tasted it.

  His fingers tightened in her hair, bunching the wet strands into a fist. She hesitated. "If I'm not doing something right, please tell me," she reiterated.

  His fist let go and he smoothed out her hair. "Sweetheart, anything you do is right. You don't have to do anything at all if you prefer not to. We're just exploring here. If you don't enjoy it, or find it pleasurable, we don't do it. It's that simple. In fact, Bellisia, I missed the hell out of you and thought about little else than getting home to you, so whatever time you give me will be enough for me."

  She heard both the sincerity and the edge of desperation in his voice. He was telling her he would be willing to just talk, but that wasn't enough for her. She wanted to know what true intimacy was with him. If she never had another night with him, she was going to have this one.

  The more she touched him, the harder his shaft was, the thicker and longer it grew. She knew all about sex for procreation, but she had missed out on the exploring/fun part. She wanted that. She wanted to be unafraid of anything in life, especially something that should be fun.

  "Not for me," she whispered. "I want you, Ezekiel. I made up my mind that it's you. I'm not asking forever, I know you can't give that to me, but I want this night."

  Instantly, he shut off the d
ryer and tossed it aside. Catching her face in his hands he forced her head up. "Baby. What the hell is that? You know I can't give you forever? Are you planning on seducing me and then leaving?"

  She frowned up at him. "Seducing a man is much harder than I thought it would be." She must be doing something wrong. The books made it sound simple, and talking to Cayenne and Pepper had convinced her she would have no problems.

  "Trust me, sweetheart," he said, his voice grim. "You seduced me."

  An expression she couldn't read but didn't bode well for her came over his face. He lifted her in his arms and tossed her into the middle of the bed. She landed with a squeak of shock, sprawled out on her back. Before she could move, he came down over top of her, pinning her to the mattress. He knocked the breath out of her, and he was very heavy.

  His body settled over hers, his hips pushing her thighs apart. Her heart stuttered hard in her chest. She was grateful for the change in positions, but was nervous as well. She'd been the one in control before, now, just that quickly, the tables had been turned on her. She moistened her lips and took a much-needed gulp of air.

  Her skin absorbed the feel of him. His texture. His muscles. Bone. The ridges and planes. There was no stopping herself from touching him. She needed to feel him. Skin to skin. She could barely breathe with wanting him. She began to caress him with her fingertips, sliding her fingers down and up the perfect slope of his back, brushing over every nerve ending with the fine setae, feeling every shuddering answer in his body.

  He propped himself up on his elbows, taking some of the weight off of her, his hands once more framing her face. "Bellisia, look at me."

  "I am looking," she defended. How could she not look at his chest? His arms? Who had muscles like that? Her hands slid from his back to his front.

  His breath hissed out and her gaze jumped to his. "I want to see your eyes while we talk, Bellisia, because we're damned well not having a one-night stand. What the hell are you thinking?"

  She leaned up to lick at his nipple and then subsided when he growled. "I was thinking I wanted you to be the man I have sex with. I'm practical, Ezekiel. I always have been. I've thought this through. If I stay here, Whitney isn't going to back off and leave me alone. He'll come after me. He's already sent two of his men. I don't want to kill them and he knows it." She was a little distracted by his mesmerizing body.

  His muscles tensed under her exploring fingers. "What the hell does that mean?" He pulled back even more, and this time, when her gaze jumped to his, she could easily see that roiling dark entity in him rising like a storm.

  She bit down on her lip to keep from swearing aloud. She'd just given away something very important, and he wouldn't like what she said no matter how she explained it.

  "Bellisia. Start. Talking."

  Now he was scaring her just a little bit, and she was very hard to scare. It wasn't that she thought he'd hurt her exactly, it was that she was certain he would hunt down Gerald and Adam immediately. Ezekiel Fortunes was a hunter and he would find his prey and kill them.

  She tried to push at his chest. When he didn't seem to notice, she used her enhanced strength, shoving again. That earned her a dark scowl.

  "What happened to seduction, babe? I thought that's what you had in mind."

  "Well you aren't exactly cooperating, are you?" she snapped. Better to have a fight and distract him than have to answer questions she didn't want to answer.

  He blinked and instantly her gaze followed the downward path of his dark lashes. He had a lot of lashes. Long and thick and probably the only feminine feature he possessed. He was rock hard. Every muscle, every distinct line and bone in his body was purely masculine. Up close she could see the laugh lines around his eyes. His jaw was definitely all man, covered in the five-o'clock shadow that seemed to be perpetually there no matter what time it was.

  Those long beautiful lashes raised and she knew she was in trouble.

  13

  Outside, the sky lit up as lightning split the night in two. Thunder crashed, a loud roar that shook the house. Rain slashed at the window, beating at it in a steady rhythm. Ezekiel's gaze drifted over Bellisia's face. She was beautiful. So delicate. Almost ethereal. Sexy as hell with that expression on her face. She thought she was going to get out of answering his questions by fighting with him. He bent his head and took possession of her mouth. She tasted like a warm summer's day. Fresh and clean and all his.

  His mood matched the wild storm that had come in fast, as the weather often did in the bayou. She made him absolutely crazy. He'd never experienced the emotions she brought out in him. She was going to lead him a terrible dance, but he didn't care. She was worth it.

  He kissed her over and over, losing himself in her, giving up a little more of his control with each kiss. He explored every inch of her mouth, teased her tongue into dueling with his, stealing her breath and giving her his. His hands moved over her body. Her skin was extraordinary, so soft he knew he could spend hours just feeling it under his fingertips.

  He cupped her breast and ran the pad of his thumb over her nipple. Her breath hissed out in a little rush. She was sensitive. That didn't surprise him with her soft skin and the way she felt every brush of his fingers. He kissed his way along her stubborn little chin and down her throat. He found her pulse point, licked it and then drew her soft skin into his mouth and suckled, wanting to leave his mark.

  There could be only a couple of reasons why his woman wouldn't be willing to kill men Whitney sent to bring her back. He didn't like either of them and he wasn't taking any chances with her. He'd claimed her. He knew she was the one. Knew it with every breath he drew.

  Her hands were driving him crazy. His head felt like maybe someone with a jackhammer was having at him. She'd done that with her fingertips, stroking his cock, sending fire racing through his bloodstream. He was fairly certain every drop of blood in his body was centered in his groin. He needed to stay in control and it wasn't helping that her hands were back to caressing him.

  She wasn't slowing him down, matching the fire roaring in his belly. He hadn't had a woman in a long while and just that alone was going to put him off his usual control, but her hands . . . He was going to lose it if he wasn't careful.

  He caught both her wrists in one hand for his own sanity. She couldn't touch him, not yet. Not when every brush of her fingertips drove him wild. He stretched her arms over her head and pinned them there while his other hand went to her left breast. His mouth was thoroughly occupied with her right. So soft. She had a faint taste on her skin he couldn't quite identify, but it was as addicting as her kisses.

  He took his time exploring, needing her to be just as out of control as he was. The storm increased in strength, adding fuel to the fire already burning in him. She'd ignited it when she'd put her mouth on his cock, her soft, velvet tongue stroking along his shaft, her fingertips dancing along with her tongue. The combination had nearly brought him to his knees, and he would have exploded right then if she hadn't been so certain she was going to walk away after their one night together.

  He used the edge of his teeth, testing her response to rough. He liked rough. He was that kind of man and he wanted her to like it as well. He brought her in that direction slowly, keeping it gentle, but every now and then, using his teeth and fingers to see if she liked the sensation. He followed up his teeth with a soothing tongue until she moaned his name.

  "Ezekiel. I need my hands. I have to touch you."

  Her voice, that breathless little moaning pant, sent him right out of the stratosphere. He kissed his way down her rib cage to her belly button and spent some time lavishing attention on that.

  "Can't give you your hands, baby," he told her between kisses and licks over her delicious skin. "You're driving me crazy already and I have to make this good for you."

  "It's good. I'm good."

  He smiled against her flat stomach. "I plan on making it a whole hell of a lot better, sweetheart. You have to be ready for me."
>
  "I'm ready."

  She sounded so breathless, almost desperate, and he raised his head to look at her. She was so damn beautiful with her face flushed and her eyes glowing a beautiful blue. He loved the sweep of those blue-tinged lashes, thick crescents that framed her eyes.

  "You will be." He made it a decree and released her wrists, sending up a little prayer that he could hold on.

  Ezekiel hooked her knees with his arms and lifted her hips as he bent his head to kiss his way up her inner thigh. Her muscles jumped and she cried out, a little half sob, her fingers gripping his shoulders as he swiped his tongue across her entrance. That faint elusive taste was present, but even more addicting than ever. Orange? Vanilla? What did it matter? He needed more.

  He lifted his head and smiled down at her. "Like saltwater taffy, only better. Vanilla and orange, just what I like." It was no wonder she always had that scent. Something inside her produced that taste--his very own supply.

  He devoured her, forgetting to be gentle, lapping at the cream spilling from her body, using his tongue and fingers greedily. She tried hard to be silent, her body writhing in his hands, hips bucking, her fingers digging into his shoulder for an anchor. He should have been more careful, but he was lost in the taste of her. Drunk on her. Feeling decidedly primitive.

  He used one finger to stretch her. She was tight and scorching hot. His cock jerked and pulsed in anticipation. He was definitely going to have to take his time. He kissed her inner thigh again. "Take a breath for me. Relax, Bellisia. We want to do this right. I don't want you to feel pain." He used his thumb on her clit, circling gently to arouse her more.

  "It's so much. The sensations, I can't believe how that feels."

  "It gets better, I promise, but you have to let me take care of you. Relax for me," he coaxed. He wasn't certain how much longer he could hold out. Very carefully he pushed a second finger into her, listening to her breath catch. "That's it, baby, just like that." He scissored his fingers open but was met with tight resistance. She was slick though, and he felt her inner muscles grip him hard.

  He replaced his fingers with his mouth, this time deliberately driving her up as high as he dared. Her head tossed from side to side on the pillows. She buried her fists in his hair as if she might pull his head away from her. He curved his finger inside her, finding the sweet little spot that would send her over the edge. She tumbled with a shattered cry, her muscles clamping down as she flew.