by Ivy Barrett
Ceddrik pinged Kellan’s mental shield, asking permission to enter. What’s taking so long? I thought you were going to take a bath?
We were. I mean we are… eventually. She’s about to pull off my boots.
Pushing deeper into his mind, Ceddrik accessed his optic nerve. Oh, I see. You want to get her good and dirty before you fuck her in the shower. Amusement rippled across their psychic link, lightening Kellan’s mood, distracting him.
Out! I’m working here. She’s never going to believe I’m a ruthless tyrant if you make me laugh.
Make her lick your boots before she pulls them off. That will convince her you’re a bastard.
There were a lot of things Kellan wanted her to lick. His boots just weren’t one of them.
He sat on the edge of the bed and braced his hands to either side of his hips. Without uttering another word, he raised his foot and waited.
She crossed her arms over her breasts, mutiny gleaming in her eyes. “I don’t want to offend you with my stench.”
“Disobedience offends me even more. Besides, I’m not sure it was you I smelled. I think it might have been my tunic. Come closer, so I can decide.”
With a feisty little sound, part growl and part mutter, she closed the distance between them. “I’m glad I can amuse you. At least someone can enjoy themselves.” She grasped the heel of his boot with one hand and the arch with the other and tugged for all she was worth.
He watched the sway of her breasts and the determination in her lovely features while his toes dug in, ensuring his boot remained in place. “It works better the other way around,” he told her after he’d fully indulged the front view.
“I am not going to bend over and stick my ass in your face.” She tossed her head, sending her hair cascading over her shoulders and down her back. “Take the boots off yourself or bathe with them on. I don’t care which. I am finished amusing you!”
Finally. Never breaking eye contact with his rebellious prisoner, Kellan pulled off his boots and tossed them aside. Then he stood and peeled down his pants, groaning as his cock sprang free of the painful confines. She watched every move he made, her features carefully devoid of all expression.
“Pleasure or pain?” he asked when he was naked.
“W-what?” She blinked, her gaze stubbornly remaining on his face.
“Those who refuse my dictates must be punished. I warned you of this. You can’t claim ignorance. I’m feeling particularly generous, however, so I offered you a choice. Pleasure or pain. Your punishment will utilize one or the other. Which do you prefer?”
Chapter Three
Pleasure or pain. The phrase echoed through Brianna’s mind, heightening her uncertainties and teasing her imagination. Would he spank her again, make her ass cheeks burn with his strong hands while her pussy ached for the fullness of his cock? Or did he mean something more serious, more damaging?
Fear, cold and oppressive shouldered aside her pleasant fantasies. She didn’t know this man, had no reason to trust him. How could she possibly choose pain? Pleasure could be wielded just as ruthlessly, but pain was too dangerous until trust had been fully established.
He stood before her like a barbarian king… like? There was no like about it. He was undeniably barbaric and the ultimate authority in the United Territories. She couldn’t let herself forget who and what he was. He’d been almost playful before. Why hadn’t she just turned around and pulled off his stupid boots?
Because he’d been toying with her, amusing himself at her expense.
“Unable to decide?” he persisted.
“Unwilling to choose.” She made her voice stiff and mechanical even though awareness hummed through her senses. “Do what you want with me. I can’t stop you. But I won’t add to your enjoyment.”
“Oh, yes you will.” He grasped her hand and led her across the room. She followed without resistance. He’d promised he wouldn’t fuck her until Ceddrik confirmed her claims. This was all intimidation.
The bathroom was even more elaborate than the bedroom, the opulence seeming all the more out of place. Gold-veined black marble in varying shapes and sizes had been combined to tile the floor and walls. The wide vanity, with double basins, was molded from a single sheet of the fabulous stone, and contrasting shades had been used to tile the massive tub and shower enclosure. Though dented and somewhat tarnished, the fixtures appeared to be operational.
Brianna had seen vids of these sorts of accommodations. They were enjoyed by celebrities and heads of state. Had Kellan lived here when the rest of the house matched the splendor of this bathroom, or had his band of mercenaries confiscated it from some deposed ruler?
“How long… What was this place before… What happened to the rest of the house?”
His hand fisted in her hair and he slowly pulled her head back. “If you pester me with questions, I will choose your punishment.”
Heat pooled between her thighs as she pictured him urging her lower, guiding her to her knees and bringing her face toward his bobbing erection. She’d done her best to ignore the column of flesh jutting from the apex of his thighs.
Like a beacon, it drew her now. His fingers loosened, allowing her head to move. She glanced down and froze. Long and thick, heavily veined, unapologetically savage, his cock was an extension of the man himself. Perfectly proportioned—for someone more giant than man! She quickly looked away and hid her nervous laugh by forcing a cough.
With a gentle tug on her hair, he drew her gaze back to his face. “Are the men on your world pale and puny? Why are you so captivated by my body?”
“My world is filled with technologies that make life easy and convenient. Most people try to stay active, but few are exposed to the sort of hardship that shaped you.”
One of his dark brows slashed upward at her words. “How would you know what forces shaped me?”
Emboldened by his stillness and the inescapable urge to touch him, she reached out her hand and splayed her fingers against the distinct curve of his chest. Her thumb skimmed over a thin scar that ended precariously close to his heart. He had countless scars. The worst appeared to be a burn on his hip and upper thigh. None of them distracted from the brutal symmetry of his corded muscles.
They hung suspended in anticipation. This was more than just a bath and she knew it. If he had no interest in her sexually, he wouldn’t be guarding her himself.
She longed to rub against him and wrap herself around him, but she only stared. “You’ve obviously lived an active and eventful life,” she whispered, not daring to move her hand, just savoring the steady thud of his heart beneath her palm.
“My scars aren’t distasteful to you?” His gaze bore into hers, his tone harsh all of the sudden. “Most medical facilities on Protaria are able to regenerate tissue. The elite strive for physical perfection.”
What an odd tangent. She forced her wandering mind back on the issue at hand. His amazing body. No, trying not to anger him too badly until Ceddrik could confirm that she was not some sort of spy!
“Such technology is available on Earth as well.” Why were they standing naked in a rundown mansion talking about his scars? This was certainly a unique come-on. But she was literally at Kellan’s mercy until Ceddrik turned her from prisoner into guest. If she could believe one thing this big brute promised her. “Why were your wounds not properly treated?”
He started to say something then shook his head. “Now is not the time for history lessons. I’m supposed to be punishing you.” He swatted her lightly on the ass. She gasped, her bottom still sore from her spanking. He nodded toward the bathtub. “The shower hasn’t worked in years, but there’s plenty of room in the tub.”
Her older brother had sometimes complained that bathing was punishment, but she’d always been rather fond of water. Thoughts of her brother led to thoughts of Lorelle, and she refused to think about Lorelle right now. She could not show weakness to a mercenary, not if she wanted to survive.
Dragging her feet every step of the way, she moved across the bathroom and sat on the edge of the tub, swinging both legs over together. The tub was oval and deep, with a ledge across the back in case a person didn’t want to be completely submerged in the water.
“Do the jets still work?”
“Yes, but lights dim all over the compound whenever they cycle on, so I don’t indulge very often.”
Her father was a retired general and her sister was career military. Brianna knew what it took to set up a self-contained compound. And it didn’t take a genius to figure out this place was totally ‘off the grid.’ Rain-filled tanks on the roof would supply water, if there wasn’t a river nearby, but electricity required a higher level of sophistication.
“How is all this powered?” She motioned toward the lights over the vanity and the jets they had yet to activate.
“Generators. Primarily solar, but I’m a fan of redundancy.”
Taking a seat on the ledge, she watched as he climbed in after her, muscles rippling beneath his skin with each movement. She pressed her hand over her pounding heart and took a deep breath. Please let him order me to scrub his back. On second thought, she wanted to scrub his entire body!
He activated the primary faucet at one end of the tub and the secondary faucet opened automatically. She reached for the drain stop with her foot, but he lightly grasped her ankle, halting the move.
“Let’s get clean before we soak,” he suggested. “I’d rather not stew in my own sweat.”
“Good plan.”
He quickly soaked his hair with a hand sprayer then handed it to her while he reached for the shampoo. She tried to focus on her task, to ignore the lather rolling along his ribs and pooling in his navel. Closing her eyes only allowed her imagination to run riot. It was way too easy to imagine her hands sliding all over his body, gliding through the lather, following every pronounced rise and—His hand covered hers and she gasped, starting so badly he caught her upper arm, keeping her from losing her balance.
“I just need the sprayer.” A knowing gleam flashed in his gaze as she passed it to him.
“Sorry.” She turned her back, hoping he’d missed her hardened nipples and… Water saturated her hair and cascaded over her face, causing her to sputter.
“Relax.” His free hand smoothed her hair back from her face as he rinsed the lather. He pressed against her, his body warm and solid against her back. “Are you a virgin?”
She shook her head, soothed by the water, yet undeniably aware of him.
“Then why do you jump each time I touch you?”
She didn’t answer, wasn’t sure he’d wanted her to. How could she explain the conflict raging within her? She wanted him, needed the security he could provide, but she had no idea if she could trust him.
He must have set the sprayer in some sort of holder. She didn’t bother to look. The water flowed steadily over both their bodies while his hands explored her naked curves. Was this her punishment? Somehow she didn’t think he’d let her off so easily. She pressed back into him, her hands grasping his hips. He moved her hair aside and licked and nibbled at the nape of her neck. Tingles zinged down her spine, awakening her nipples before lodging in her clit.
With a helpless moan, she wiggled her bottom against him, not caring that she was wanton. If this was inevitable, she would rather encourage him toward pleasure than endure the brutality of which he was obviously capable. Her ‘warning’ spanking had left her butt tender and hot. How much worse would it be with a belt or flogger?
He cupped her breasts, squeezing firmly before focusing on the sensitive tips. His fingers plucked, pinching and rolling the tender buds until they were tightly beaded.
Turning her suddenly, he pulled her up along his chest as his mouth fastened onto her nipple. His arms banded her, anchoring her, one at the small of her back, the other beneath the curve of her bottom. Her arms were trapped against her sides as his mouth moved from one breast to the other and back, suckling endlessly.
She arched into his mouth, letting her head drop back on her shoulders. Trapped, immobilized, restrained.
He knew! Somehow he knew how she craved these pleasures, how she felt safest within the confines of—
He nipped her breast, commanding her attention. “You crave pain, but you’re afraid to ask me for it. Am I right?”
She said nothing. He was right and they both knew it, but she gained nothing by confirming his conclusion. He already knew she desired him. She wasn’t willing to concede any more. Not yet, perhaps not ever.
“Any assurance I could offer would be mere words. You don’t know me. I’ve yet to earn your trust.” He drew deeply on each of her nipples then allowed her body to slide down along his. “So we’ll dream of pain while we explore pleasure. Kneel.”
Steadying herself on the edge of the tub, she knelt on the bottom, facing him. He took a step back and filled his palm with something from a dispenser on the ledge of the tub. Was this her punishment? To watch him jack off?
We’ll dream of pain while we explore pleasure. She’d watch him pleasure himself when what she really wanted was to touch him, to put him in her mouth and suck him dry! Denial. He was displaying his body, showing her what she was not allowed to enjoy.
His hand slid up and down, smearing the creamy substance with the steady motion. Heavy-lidded and smoldering, his gaze bore into hers. “Come here.”
She crawled closer then sat back on her heels, keeping herself just out of reach. His hand pumped faster, his features tense and determined. Throaty sounds echoed his strokes, making the act more carnal, more overtly sexual.
“Spread. Your. Legs.” He punctuated each word with his fist, his gaze focused on the juncture of her thighs. He wanted to see her pussy, to imagine he was inside her. With her hands on her knees, Brianna moved her legs apart, opening herself to his heated stare. He hissed, his hand stroking faster.
Her core clenched and heat cascaded through her body. She wanted him to lose control, to kneel between her legs and thrust his cock into her aching passage. Driven by instinct and madness, she reached between her legs and traced her slit. Her folds were hot and silky, more than ready to surround him.
“You may not come,” he snapped. “Not yet.”
She moved her hand back to her knee with a muffled cry, trying to ignore the pressure thrumming through her abdomen. She didn’t want a quick solo orgasm. She wanted to wrap her legs around his waist and climb to completion together. She wanted his weight pressing her down and his thickness to squeeze when the spasms took her.
Moisture beaded on the tip of his cock, shimmering there like a milky teardrop. Fascinated, she leaned in, meaning to capture the forbidden pearl on the tip of her tongue. Would he groan or gasp? Would he grab her face and thrust into her mouth?
“No.” He twisted, taking his cock out of reach, never breaking rhythm with his hand.
Frustrated and disappointed, Brianna sank back to her heels. He would deny her his carnal taste until he knew for certain she wasn’t a spy. Why did he hate the mutants so badly? How had he been wronged?
“Your breasts. Now, princess. I need you now.”
What started out as a command ended in an entreaty and Brianna couldn’t resist. She cupped her breasts and pushed them together, raising them toward her enigmatic—master. Her mind stumbled over the word as his warm, wet seed splashed over her body. She shivered, her nipples tingling.
Kellan wrapped his arms around her as he had before, capturing her completely as his mouth took command of hers. His lips parted, urging hers to do the same, but his tongue entered slowly. He explored and savored, outlining her teeth and caressing her lips.
She returned the kiss with equal fervor, anxious to learn his taste, his scent. Her tongue curled around his and their breaths mingled, flowing back and forth as the kiss went on and on.
“I’m ravenous, princess,” he whispered against her kiss-swollen lips. “I c
an’t fuck you, but I’m going to feel you come around my tongue.”
The graphic statement sent a shiver deep into her body. “If you insist.” She pressed her face against the bend of his neck, suddenly feeling awkward.
Why had he rejected her mouth if he intended to go down on her? She wasn’t sure why putting his tongue inside a potential spy was acceptable when putting his cock inside one wasn’t, but she wasn’t about to argue.
He lifted her in his arms and her thoughts scattered. It felt so good just to be held. She wrapped her arms around his neck and allowed herself a moment of fancy. She imagined that he was a knight from an ancient fable come to rescue a captive princess. He would slay the dragon and steal a kiss then ride away with her to his castle in the clouds. He would cherish her and protect her, honor and love her, and they would live happily ever after for all time.
Tears blurred her eyes and she buried her face in his damp hair. He might be built like a knight in shining armor, but he had the heart of a conqueror. This was no chivalrous knight rushing in to rescue her. She was about to be devoured by a barbarian king.
He placed her on his bed and followed her down, half covering her with his big body. She moved her arms above her head, needing the reminder that she was his prisoner.
“Do you want me to bind you?”
It was frightening how accurately he read her slightest indicator. She nodded, unable to speak the words out loud. Yes, restrain me. Ravish me! Take control of our pleasure and make me mindless with lust.
With obvious haste he dragged a wooden case out from under the bed. The lid opened toward her so she caught only a glimpse of its contents, but one glimpse was enough to send excitement coursing through her body. Whips, floggers, paddles, and all sorts of restraints were neatly organized inside the case. So it wasn’t just talk. The overlord was well acquainted with the pleasures found in pain.
And she’d just asked him to restrain her. As if you weren’t at his mercy before.
“Are you sure?” He hesitated beside the bed. “There’s doubt in your eyes now where there wasn’t before.”
