Along her arm, Ludan’s gifts flowed in a powerful torrent. She wound the image along the stream and pushed.
A wide flame blasted in front of them.
Brenna flinched, nearly catching Ludan in the chin with the back of her head. She tried to wrench her hand from his, but he tightened his grip and pressed their joined hands across her stomach.
“Easy.” He kissed her temple, giving her time to catch her breath. “You did just fine. You just need to give it form.”
“But it was huge. And hot.” The only time she’d seen anything like it was a flamethrower at the circus.
“Because you’re using my gifts. Males carry stronger defensive gifts. Warriors even more so. If you’re using mine, you’ll wield what I wield.” He lifted their hands again and aimed like before. “This time give it form. Make it reach the same way you moved the rock.”
She sucked in a slow breath and tried to ignore her battering heart. Repeating the process she’d used before, she narrowed her gaze on the lake and thrust her energy forward.
A beautiful flaming arch reached from her palm to the lake, surpassing the center and nearly reaching the lake’s farthest edge.
Ludan released her hand and cupped her shoulders. “Perfect. Now try it again.”
And so it went. Fire. Add distance. Fire again.
Air came next. Then electricity. With each experiment, he started close, then gradually built distance.
A thin sheen of sweat coated the back of her neck, and her muscles ached. For the last thirty minutes, her stomach had rumbled as if she hadn’t eaten in days. She lifted her hair off her nape and turned her back into the brisk, cooling wind. “Okay, I give up. I need food before I can do any more. And maybe a nap.”
Ludan stayed silent. Odd considering how quick he’d been to banter back with her all morning, particularly when the words can’t or won’t slipped past her lips.
She released her hair and faced him.
He stared at the lake, hands resting on his hips and a distant, pensive expression etched on his face.
“Ludan?”
His gaze slid to hers. “I think we need to work on something else.”
Her muscles squeaked in protest, and her stomach let out a mini-roar. “What else is there? I mean, I guess we could try water, but I have a feeling your dad likes the lake where it is.”
His lips quirked as though he wanted to laugh but couldn’t quite muster the oomph over all the worry scampering around in his head.
“Oh, for Pete’s sake.” She stomped toward him and halted just an arm’s reach away. “It can’t be that bad.”
“I want to teach you how to break out of a hold.”
“A what?”
“If someone grabs you, I want you to be able to fight back.”
She blinked. Then did it again. No matter what she tried, she couldn’t connect whatever dots were putting him off balance. “And?”
“That means fighting.”
She lifted her eyebrows, hoping it might move him along a little farther.
“Fighting like you would have with Maxis.”
Her head snapped back as surely as if she’d been slapped. “Oh.” Now that he’d put words around his concern, it made sense. Still, none of the panic she normally registered around other men bubbled up. “I’m not afraid. Not with you.”
“You’re sure?”
Tired, yes. Hungry as a teenage male, and looking forward to a long, hot bath, absolutely. But not afraid. “I’m sure.” She sidled closer and cupped the side of his face. His beard tickled her palm, and his warm breath wafted across her face. “Though my body may demand payback by the time we’re through. I already feel like I’ve done three days’ labor.”
His hands at her hips tightened in response, and his gaze dropped to her lips. “Whatever you want. However you want me.”
A shudder trickled down her spine, and her sore muscles perked with interest. For that kind of promise, she could go at least another day. “Then come at me, bad man. I’m ready.”
This time he gave in to his grin, the lopsided angle adding a vulnerability that made her lightheaded. He turned her around and wrapped her in a bear hug. “Remember, a Myren’s powers are still available in a fight. You can use them to leverage yourself, or them, away the same as you did the rock.”
“I hadn’t thought of that.”
“Neither will they. Especially with a human who shouldn’t have powers. Use the advantage.” Giving her a gentle squeeze, he widened his stance. “How would you get out?”
She wiggled within his hold, but he gave zero ground. With her arms pinned to her sides, she couldn’t use any attacks. “You’re too strong. I can’t move.”
“You can, you just need to get me off center. Keep your torso upright and squat. Make it sharp so my weight’s thrown off balance.”
She tried, and sure enough, her upper body slipped a little bit within his arms.
“Good, now take a big step to the side and twist. See how I’m opened up? Your hands are free enough you can push them like you did with the rock or fire something nasty at them. I prefer the latter.” He pulled her back against him again. “Now, do it all at once.”
Dropping her weight, she crossed one foot back and to the side, spun and pushed just enough to touch his chest.
He popped both eyebrows high as if to say, “That’s all you got?”
“What, didn’t I do it right?”
“The moves, yes. The shove was more of a tap. Hit me with it. Get me away from you.”
“Are you out of your mind? I can’t do something like that to you.”
“You taken a good look at Eryx lately?”
“Yes.”
“You get an idea of how much power he packs?”
“Well, yeah.”
“I’ve taken all he can dole out and then some. I think I can handle you.”
Ugh. Men. She huffed and gave him her back, ready for him to do the bear hug thing again. “Fine. I’ll push harder. Let’s just get on with it.”
He struck, nearly knocking her forward, his grip sharper and more powerful than before. Aggravation sparked.
Drop. Cross.
Shove.
Ludan went airborne and shot back a good twenty feet, his shoulders hunched forward as though he’d been hammered by a battering ram.
“Ludan!”
Before she could chase after him, he was back in front of her, pride stamped on his face. “Just like that. Now, again.”
Over and over they drilled, each attempt faster than the last with Ludan throwing different variations. Adrenaline flooded her bloodstream, and her mind clicked sharper than ever in her life. If this was what it felt like to battle, no wonder the men got that glazed, ferocious look in their eyes. It was exhilarating. Intoxicating.
Liberating.
Escaping his latest hold, she powered a huge punch toward his stomach.
His sharp grunt billowed out in front of him as he shot backward. Unlike all the other times before, though, he kept a good distance between them. “You ready for something a little more real-life?”
“What have we been doing?”
He grinned and did a gunslinger finger wiggle. “Warming up.”
Oh boy. If she’d known that, she’d have saved a little energy for the real deal. As it was, moving for the next few days was probably out of the question. “All right, but after this I’m calling a break. You need to feed me and spoil me.”
He dipped his head, a bull ready to charge. “Sweetheart, you get through the next few minutes, I’ll make it so neither of us leaves the bed for days.”
A flutter rippled through her belly, one strong enough to override her killer ninja mindset and leave her dumbstruck.
Ludan shimmered out of view.
Uh-oh. Definitely not good. The man was dangerous enough when she saw him coming. Not knowing what direction he was coming from was lethal.
Birds chirped and the wind whistled. The sun beat down on her shoul
ders, but goose bumps lifted across her neck and arms. She spun in a slow circle, scanning the landscape for some clue as to his whereabouts. The flowers spanning the lake’s edge waved back, an innocent taunt of how real such a scenario could be.
Ludan’s weight slammed into her back, knocking her breath out with an unattractive oomph.
She staggered forward and dug in her heels, pressing backward with everything she had to get upright. All at once, something tripped—instinct or divine intervention—sending strength through her tired muscles and guiding her feet through the simple routine needed to free herself. She escaped. He attacked. She dodged. He caught. Even as her lungs burned and demanded she call a cease, something far more primitive and raw spurred her further.
Faster than her eyes could register, he streaked toward her, wrapped her up, and spun them both, their bodies levitating through the air until she found herself pinned to the ground. His hands manacled her wrists, and his legs pinned hers.
Helpless.
She froze and her heart stuttered. She couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think. Whatever it was that had led her before was swept away on the cool breeze, leaving her bare and vulnerable beneath him.
And she liked it.
“Ludan.” She wiggled her fingers, suddenly needing to touch him, to connect with his flesh and feel his pulse beneath her palm.
His gaze shot from her face to her fingers, and his eyes flashed wide. He shot upward, landing a good two feet away with hands fisted at his sides. “I’m sorry.” He hung his head and shook it. “I went too far. I didn’t…you seemed okay and I—”
“No!” In less than a blink, she stood in front of him. How she got there so fast she hadn’t a clue, and from the surprise on Ludan’s face, he didn’t have one either. She’d merely thought to intercept him and had somehow made it happen.
She licked her lips and fought to steady her breath. To calm her heart. “You misunderstood. I wasn’t afraid. I was…” What could she possibly say that made sense? That wouldn’t make her sound crazy or twisted?
The only thing that would bother me is you denying what pleases you.
His claim from their first night together moved through her with surprising strength, bolstering her courage with the same intensity she’d felt while they fought.
She swallowed and stepped in close, nearly moaning when her breasts pressed against his chest. Meeting his rapt stare, she stroked her hands across his broad shoulders, prayed she wasn’t making a wrong move, and rasped, “I liked it.”
Chapter 31
Brenna held her breath. Her heart punched an unsteady rhythm and her skin tingled as though electricity danced across the surface, but she didn’t dare move. One wrong move and Ludan would bolt.
He stared down at her, hands fisted at his sides. His deep voice rolled across her senses, broken and oh so cautious. “You don’t know what you’re asking.”
“Actually, I do.” She smoothed her fingertip across his lower lip. Even scowling down at her the way he was now, his mouth was pure decadence. Lips full and commanding. “I want you. No holding back and no worries. Just you.”
The corded muscles in his neck and shoulders strained and his face flushed. “You don’t get it.” He gripped her shoulders and squeezed, either to push her away or jerk her closer. “It’s not safe. There’s a part of me…it’s different.”
It. Not he. But then she knew that. Had sensed the untamed part of him from the first time she’d seen him. “I don’t care.”
“You should.”
“I don’t.”
“Damn it.” He yanked her flush against him, one hand palming the back of her head so she couldn’t look away. His eyes were wild, the whites around the perfect blue glowing neon. “It wants to pin you down,” he growled. “To mark you. To warn other males off.”
“Then do it.”
He stilled, his arms immovable steel coiled around her. His nostrils flared and his fingertips dug deep at her nape and back. Dangerous and unmistakably deadly.
But she was safe.
She wrapped her hands around his neck and urged him closer, her lips close enough to tempt but not enough for contact. “Let it out. I’m not afraid.”
His breath came quicker. A savage on the edge. Within his hold, his powers surged and whirled against her in an erotic tempest. Just a fraction more and they’d both have what they needed. What they craved.
Emboldened, she slipped her hands beneath his T-shirt. The corded ridges of his abdomen tightened and goose bumps rose beneath her fingertips. Strength and vulnerability all in one. For her. She’d barely pushed the shirt to his pecs before he finished the job, tossing the soft blue cotton aside and dragging her back against him.
His heat seared through her, drawing her nipples to hard points beneath her tunic and rasping them against the soft fabric. She kissed the space above his heart, lips parted enough to sample his sweat-slick skin. His earth and spice scent surrounded her, pushed away what was left of reality and dragged her deeper into the intimate moment. “Don’t coddle me.” She lifted her gaze to his. “Let go.”
“Brenna…”
Oh no. No more arguments. If she couldn’t wrangle him across his self-restraint with words, she’d use something more effective. More potent and guaranteed to smash the padlock on his control. She slid her hand down his belly, relishing the flex of his abdominals beneath her palm, then cupped his rigid cock.
A low, animalistic growl rumbled from his chest and the furrow between his brows deepened, but he didn’t stop her. Only watched her, the heat in his gaze ravenous and wild.
“You promised me.” She yanked his button fly open and his cock unfurled, thick and proud, eager for her touch. Easing to her knees, she peeled the denim away and shimmied it down his hips, baring his perfect shaft and heavy sac for her perusal.
He lifted his hand, and for a moment, she thought he’d push her away. He caressed the side of her face, tremors making the touch unsteady.
Holding his stare, she leaned close and pressed a simple, lingering kiss near the base. His cock jerked in response, and a broken moan slipped past his lips.
She sucked in a sharp gasp, fascinated by his vulnerability. Willingly at her mercy and hanging on by a thread. She kissed the same spot and smiled against his velvet flesh. No more holding back. Not for either of them.
She licked a slow, deliberate path to the ridge beneath the flared head and traced it with the tip of her tongue. His deep forest scent permeated his skin, tinged with a potent musk that made her core clench. She wanted it, needed it on her own skin. A sensual brand to mark how far she’d come. How far they’d come together.
She paused, marveling at the pearly precum glistening at the tip. She’d done that. Her lips and her touch, readying him for pleasure with the same devotion he’d always shown her. Closing her mouth around his glans, she suckled deep and groaned as his bold, salty tang slid across her tongue.
Ludan hissed and rolled his hips, spearing his fingers into her hair and fisting his hand at the back of her head. Just as fast, he eased his grip and smoothed the same spot as though seeking forgiveness. His body quaked, barely restrained control on the brink of collapse.
Firmer, she fisted him at the root and took him deep, laving his length with the flat of her tongue, then hollowing her cheeks with each upward draw. Again. And again. Following the flex of his hips, her own need built, mindless to everything save her fierce warrior.
“Enough.” He tried to pry her away.
She dug her nails into his hip and sank her lips as far as they would go. No way would she sacrifice this chance to set him free. For once she had the upper hand, and the odds of being there again anytime soon were slim. She cupped his balls and rolled them in her palm, the soft, smooth skin so unlike the rest of him. His sac was drawn tight, close to release.
“Brenna.” Desperate, but angry too. His powers tingled against her skin, hot and furious. Dangerous and fearsome. A decadent pool for her starved desires. There
had to be something, some way to lure him past the breaking point. More than once he’d driven her to near madness, teasing her with fingers, lips, tongue, and teeth.
That was it. He was a fighter, not some delicate weeping willow. If she wanted him to trust her with his aggression, she’d need to show her own. Fight fire with fire.
Sliding one hand around his flank, she cupped his ass, digging her nails in deep. His hips jerked, and she fisted the base of his shaft tighter.
Perfect. Just a little more. Something more surprising. More unexpected to draw him in.
She hollowed her cheeks and suckled, grazing her teeth across the taut head.
A roar exploded through the endless valley. Formidable and utterly majestic.
The ground disappeared and the world spun.
Brenna grappled for something to steady her and latched on to Ludan’s powerful shoulders a millisecond before her back met soft Myren grass.
His mouth slanted over hers. Demanding. Punishing in his quest to draw sweet revenge. There wasn’t a place she didn’t feel him. His lips, bruising against hers. His fingers manacled around her wrists, and his powerful torso and legs pinning her to the soft ground. It was perfect. So far from the terror of her past it was as if Maxis never existed.
She writhed against him, the ache between her legs unbearable and frenzied for relief.
“Uh-uh.” Keeping her pinned, Ludan jerked his hips away. His breath came fast and furious, and his muscles bunched in an exquisite display of dominance. “You don’t think I know what you did? What tricks you played?”
He lowered his pelvis to hers and ground his raging cock square against her clit.
Her heart leapt and her wits scattered. Ludan wasn’t just Ludan anymore. He was an animal. A predator ready to sate its hunger. The whites of his eyes no longer glowed. They burned. A supernova of neon white, blue, and gold.
He sat back on his heels, releasing her wrists while his knees straddled her thighs, pinning her in place. Every inch of him, save the jeans slung low and open below his hips, was on display. His broad shoulders. His narrow waist. The V at his hips, and his thick cock straining tall in front of her. He was like a god, and his mesmerizing gaze was locked onto her like she was breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Eden's Deliverance (The Eden Series Book 4) Page 26
