Rookery Cove: Pixie’s Prisoner

by Lacey Savage

  But it was the knowledge that he’d turned her into his idea of a fantasy woman instead of realizing who she was that got to him. He’d been so desperate to claim the woman whose image had seen him through so many painful nights that he hadn’t looked beneath the surface.

  Once again, he’d made a grave mistake. And once again, he’d end up paying for it.

  Somehow, he managed to keep his breathing even. His lips felt dry, but he fought the impulse to moisten them. She had to think he was still asleep. When he confronted her, it would be on his terms.

  “This is unacceptable. Philip Quinn is expecting my report by the end of the day. I’ll be surprised if he doesn’t ask for your immediate resignation upon receiving it.”

  A frenzied fluttering of wings sent a soft breeze to cool Nathan’s overheated face. She was close. He could smell her honeyed scent. The blend of lust and anger created a powerful concoction, one that made his cock harden beneath the thin pink sheet he’d been draped with.

  Unfortunately, that was one reaction he couldn’t hide from Laela.

  He felt the air scattering around his arm as she flew toward his groin. “Éliane, look! He’s awake. I told you he was all right. He’s —”

  His hand shot up as far as the restraints would allow. It was far enough. His palm closed around Laela as his eyes snapped open. He squeezed, trapping her inside his fist.

  Her shocked cry filled the room. Her eyes rounded as she fought to turn her head and get a better look at him, but he’d captured her as she faced in the opposite direction.

  “Let go of her this instant!”

  Nathan’s head snapped to the side. Close to the door, a thin blonde woman wearing a business suit and gold-rimmed glasses reached for a syringe. There was no doubt in Nathan’s mind about what she intended to do with it. He’d been sedated enough times to know when it was coming.

  “NO!”

  Laela’s shout made the woman pause. A thin stream of liquid jetted out of the tip of the needle. “Laela, he’s dangerous! He’s hurting you.”

  Despite the fact that he was clearly doing just that, Laela took a deep breath, fidgeting in his grasp. “I deserve it. I brought him here against his will. And then I tied him to the bed.”

  “You said he was enraged, hurting himself.”

  “He was.”

  Fuck. He hated being talked about like he wasn’t in the room. Still, his grasp loosened just enough to allow Laela to suck in a deep breath. “I was doing what?”

  Laela’s shoulders shot up in a shrug. He could feel her heartbeat hammering hard against her ribcage. Every thrum of her pulse vibrated through his palm. God, she felt so small. So vulnerable.

  And he was so angry. At her, at himself. Hell, he didn’t know. He just knew he didn’t trust himself to hold her life in the palm of his hand. And at the same time, he knew the only thing he wanted to do was protect her from the world — and that included him.

  “The effects of the formula I doused you with were… unpredictable. You lost consciousness and collapsed into nightmares, I think. You were raging out of control, slamming against the cabin walls, shouting about surgical instruments and men in white coats. It took three of the ship’s crew to restrain you.”

  That explained the pain on the right side of his body. But had it really been self-inflicted?

  “Leave us,” Laela whispered. “Please. Nathan and I need to talk.”

  Éliane placed the syringe on the table, but was clearly uncomfortable with the idea of leaving Laela here alone with him. For that matter, so was Nathan.

  “I’m calling security,” Éliane said. “Okibi will deal with this.”

  She marched out of the room but didn’t shut the door behind her. What little Nathan could see of the hallway looked clean and bright, with full-length windows that lacked metal grates, unlike any of the corridors in Zone 99’s compound.

  “I’m sorry.”

  The woman drove him mad. Threatened his equilibrium.

  Nathan’s fingers tingled with the urge to squeeze her, shake her, rip those tiny little doll’s clothes off her body. He didn’t know what he wanted to do to her, and that scared him the most.

  He opened his fist.

  Not expecting to be released so abruptly, Laela fell onto the bed sheet with an oomph. She rose to stand on his knee. “No, I deserved that. You want to punish me. Do it.” She’d made an obvious effort to keep her voice from shaking. To make matters worse, she puffed out her chest, looking so brave it damned near broke his heart.

  He squelched that emotion down, too. Until he knew what was real and what was a side effect of this formula she’d doused him in, he couldn’t be certain of anything. Least of all of how he felt about her.

  “Why?” His voice grated like sandpaper against wood.

  She licked her lips. The sight of that innocently seductive gesture nearly undid him. “I’m a scientist.”

  “I see that.”

  “No.” She raked a delicate hand through her hair. “I create… products that enhance the libidos of paranormal creatures.”

  Of all the evils he’d expected her to confess to, this wasn’t one of them. “You make… sex toys?”

  “Not toys, exactly. Aphrodisiacs.”

  Nathan shook his head, thoroughly baffled. “What does that have to do with me?”

  “My new formula is specifically designed for a chameleon’s unique physiology. Although your kind is abundant, they’re incredibly hard to locate. And finding one who’d be willing to act as a test subject has proven impossible.”

  “I see.” The anger he thought he’d gotten under control reared its head again. “So everything we did on that ship… all of it was an experiment. On me.”

  “No. Well, that’s how it started, but… no.” She took her lower lip between her teeth, practically gnawing a hole through it as she struggled to continue. “I wanted you. I shouldn’t have, but I did. I’m not allowed to fraternize with the test subjects. It’s yet one more misstep in a long series of mistakes that are akin to committing career suicide. No one knows what happened in that cabin. There’s a reason for these rules. It allows us, as scientists, to remain objective.”

  He opened his mouth to say something, but she lifted her hand to silence him. “I’m not objective when it comes to you.”

  Her high, shapely breasts were hidden by the lab coat, but he could make out the puckered nipples pressing against the fabric that confirmed the truth of her words.

  Laela hung her head and pulled in a long, shaky breath. “I’m a terrible scientist,” she whispered in a voice so low he could barely make out the words.

  Warmth rushed through him like a stream, calming the rage, drowning out the doubt.

  “Release me.” He shook his arm, jiggling the restraints against the bed frame. “And change into your human shape so we can have this discussion on equal ground.”

  Chapter Five

  Even tied to the bed, Nathan looked menacing. His muscles flexed underneath the thin sheet, drawing Laela’s attention to the bulge between his legs. His erection hadn’t subsided. The pale pink sheet stood out in sharp contrast to his skin, completely at odds with the fierce masculine strength he exuded.

  Who had she been kidding? She’d never been in control. Not once since this whole thing began. He’d followed her onto the ship, but that was because she had offered him something more important than her body — a chance to leave the past that still haunted him behind, at least for a little while.

  Everything that happened since she’d found him outside Zone 99’s compound had been his doing. Even strapping him down hadn’t changed that. The man was dominant by nature. Possessive and determined. He was…

  Everything she’d envied in Okibi’s lovers. Everything she wanted to experience for herself.

  Her small hands trembled as she reached for the tiny locks set in the metal chains hooked to the wrist cuffs that bound his right arm. Slipping her pinkie finger underneath, she found the hidden, pixie-si
zed latch and pulled it open.

  She’d had the cuffs specially designed when she’d first landed the job with Rookery Cove Aphrodisiacs. They were intended as a sex toy, her gift to herself for embarking on such a wonderful career path. Sadly enough, she’d never had an opportunity to use them for their intended purpose. Despite the fact that she was surrounded by sex on the island, she hadn’t had a single erotic encounter of her own since that night outside Club Surge.

  Work had always been too important. And intimacy too dangerous. The two obviously didn’t —couldn’t — mix.

  After fluttering to Nathan’s left wrist to repeat the unlocking process, she did the same to the cuffs binding his ankles.

  When he was free, he shifted up the bed into a sitting position. “I meant it, Laela. I want you in human form.”

  She stood on the bed by his feet, which were sticking out of the pink sheet that was obviously much too small for his impressive size. She hesitated, feeling small and vulnerable, not because her head didn’t even reach his big toe, but because of the truth of the words she’d spoken only moments earlier.

  She’d never admitted her fears to anyone. She prided herself on being strong and independent, when the truth was she was terrified. Her father had convinced her that giving up a career for a man was the gravest mistake she could make. After Aline ran off, she believed him. Besides, she didn’t need a relationship. What she needed was success in her chosen career.

  But what if she couldn’t have either? Where did that leave her?

  She could end things right here. Fly out the window, board the ship Okibi had placed at her disposal, and never look back. Then she could start over somewhere else and begin the cycle all over again.

  Or… she could change things. Begin a brand new cycle. Starting now.

  Lifting her chin a fraction of an inch, she sucked in a deep breath for courage and loosened her limbs in preparation for the shift. Her back tingled as her wings withdrew and her muscles, bones, and flesh lengthened to her five-foot-two frame.

  Anxiety kept her from ensuring her lab coat made the same transformation. It was only when Nathan’s gaze darted between her legs that she noticed her modest lab coat, which used to reach to mid-thigh, was now little more than a belly-revealing shirt.

  The rest of her was bare. Just like her soul, stripped naked and laid out before him.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered, tucking her legs beneath her. There wasn’t much room on the little bed. Her thighs brushed up against his legs, sending an electric thrill through her. “I was wrong to bring you here without letting you know what I’d planned. Forgive me.”

  “On your feet.”

  She started, her head jerking up at the sound of his impassive voice. Had he heard her? She was laying her heart out for him. Admitting her weakness. And his response was to order her around?

  On shaky legs, she did as he commanded. She didn’t know why she didn’t protest. She only knew she owed him at least this much.

  “See that table with the syringe?”

  Laela nodded mutely, not understanding where this was going. She’d already saved him from being sedated. The syringe served no purpose. It wouldn’t be used on him if she had anything to say about it. Not now, not ever.

  “Walk to it.”

  “Nathan, I —”

  “Walk. To. It.”

  She dragged in another mouthful of air, filling her lungs with it. Things were already changing. She was changing. By giving him what he wanted, she was taking control.

  It sounded silly, but somehow it made perfect sense. By giving in to him, she was taking control of her own life. Making her own decisions. She was here because she wanted to be. And she desperately wanted to know what he’d do next.

  By the time she reached the table, he still hadn’t moved. In fact, he’d only gotten more comfortable, leaning against the bed’s headboard and crossing his arms over his massive chest. The purple bruising on the right side of his body added a fierce edge to his powerful physique. She could make out the head of the eagle on his tattoo peering at her from above his muscular arms.

  “Turn around.”

  It was too late to refuse now. She stared at the hot pink wall, wishing she could still see him.

  “Grab the side edges of the table. Good. Now bend over it and part your legs.”

  A whimper escaped her throat as her thighs widened. She felt her slit splay open, her labia part for his gaze. An intoxicating rush of pure, unadulterated lust rolled through her body. She’d never felt so wanton, so exposed.

  It was as though he knew exactly what she’d been doing, yet had decided that having her bare her soul to him wasn’t enough. He wanted more. He demanded everything she had to give — her body, her secrets, her heart.

  And for the first time, she knew she could give those things. All those things.

  To him.

  He kept her there, vulnerable and aroused, for what felt to Laela like an eternity. Her arms began to ache. Her thoughts spun in myriad directions, all revolving around Nathan and what he’d do to her when he finally had enough of staring. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she also remembered Éliane’s threat to call Okibi. The phoenix never took this long to respond to an emergency call, yet the door was still wide open, and no noise came from the hallway.

  When she heard the bed squeak as Nathan rose, she nearly sobbed with gratitude. Her fingers tightened around the edge of the table, the wood biting into her palm.

  The first touch of Nathan’s hand against her thigh made her pulse leap into her throat.

  Without saying a word, Nathan caressed the responsive hollow where her thigh and crotch joined. Moisture pooled in her pussy. She squirmed, and he placed a hand on her hip, steadying her.

  His silence unnerved her. She wished he’d say something. Yell at her, maybe. She certainly deserved it. His quiet demeanor was driving her mad.

  You love it. Admit it.

  She swallowed hard, knowing that annoying little voice was right yet again. Being entirely at Nathan’s mercy made her quiver and tremble with need, but not with fear. Even when he’d gripped her in his fist she hadn’t been afraid he’d hurt her.

  She’d been more afraid she’d hurt him so far beyond repair that she’d lost even the smallest chance she’d had to make this work between them.

  His fingers moved up higher, finally skimming her folds. Wetness smeared his hand before he’d even delved inside her slit. He had to know how aroused she was, how much she wanted him to bury his fingers, his tongue, his cock inside her cunt.

  He pressed up behind her, his cock prodding her buttocks as she bent over the table. Goosebumps broke out on her skin. She fought to swallow the needy sob that rose in her throat.

  “I meant it, you know.” Nathan spoke softly in her ear, his breath caressing her skin. “When I said I’d have stayed behind for you the night we met. Something about you made me question everything I thought I wanted. Even leaving the next morning.”

  She couldn’t keep from arching into him, prolonging the contact he’d created. His cock slipped into the crease of her ass, drawing a gasp from her throat.

  She trembled, rocking back against him. Finding her voice was one of the most difficult things she’d ever done, but somehow she managed to put a coherent thought together. “I should have recognized you for what you were. I was blinded by my own fears. If I’d known you were a chameleon, I’d have asked you to come with me. Rookery Cove would have welcomed you.”

  Nathan dragged a hand through her slit. The abruptness of the motion startled her, causing her to clench her fingers even tighter around the edges of the table.

  He pulled back just enough so that she no longer felt him pressing up against her, and the loss of his body heat knocked the air from her lungs. She sucked in another deep breath, desperately scrambling to figure out what she’d said that had made him back away.

  Before she could make sense of his sudden disappearance, he returned. Placing both hands o
n her ass cheeks, he parted them, baring her puckered entrance to his gaze.

  “I’m here now.” At the word “here,” he slipped his index finger inside her anus. It slid in past the knuckle, well lubricated with her own juices.

  She squirmed as he thrust inside her, stretching her back entrance, preparing her.

  Oh, God. He was preparing her! For his cock.

  The realization drained the last of her resistance. He was going to fuck her ass, and there wasn’t a damn thing she could do about it.

  No, that wasn’t true. There were a million things she could do about it. She simply didn’t want to do any of them.

  She could feel even the slightest movement of his finger inside her. It felt wonderful — different than the finger he slipped inside her pussy, but good in a primal, forbidden way.

  The rhythmic motions of his fingers inside her body played off each other, making her tremble. “You’re punishing me.”

  The last thing she’d expected was his hoarse chuckle. “You think?”

  “Yes.” She was sure of it.

  “Well, then.” Nathan withdrew his finger from her ass, but added a second to her pussy. Her inner walls stretched to accommodate him. “Have you learned your lesson?”

  Laela shook her head in mute denial. “I’m not sure. I may need more.”

  He rewarded her with another laugh. The sound of it warmed her heart. At some point during the past few minutes, things had changed between them. Just as he’d promised, they were on equal ground now.

  She wanted this, and she told him so with her body. Her ass pressed up against his well-slicked cock. At the feel of the moisture smearing inside the crease of her ass, she realized where he’d gone when he’d stepped away. He’d obviously found the tube of lubricant she kept on a nearby shelf and used some of the lotion to grease his cock.

  Anticipation zinged a hot path through her veins, need and desire growing exponentially with each smooth thrust. Her pussy quivered, desperate for release.

  “Hurry up and fuck me. We may not have much time.” The needy edge in her voice shocked her. She wanted him to take her, to fuck her, to punish her until they were both damn well satisfied.