by Lisa Andel
"The last time you went out, you died.” Rafe pulled me to a halt.
"So?” I tried to tug my arm from his grasp.
"And someone set fire to your house tonight."
I leaned on one hip, and glared at the man. “I told you, Rafe, I'm not letting the dragons run my life. They can kill me all they like, it won't do them any good."
Rafe's expression turned thunderous, his dark eyes glinting.
"What if I mind them trying to kill you on my watch?"
"You're a panther. I thought you guys didn't give a shit about stuff like that."
He dropped his eyes to the floor, and shuffled his feet before he answered me.
"I ... kind of like you. It bothered me when you were dead."
"Believe me, you'll get used to it."
His gaze swung back to my face. “I don't think so."
"Maybe if you killed me a few times?"
His eyes widened, and he swallowed, hard. “No fucking way."
"So, we going out?"
He stared at me for several moments. “Yeah, O.K."
I grabbed his face and gave him a kiss. He started kissing me back and we ended up on the bed. An hour later we grabbed a quick shower, and I finally made it to my closet. I decided on jeans and a sweater. I didn't need to draw any more men to me right now, not that I wouldn't draw them anyway. Even I have to admit that I'm built. I could be taller, but even at five feet four inches and a hundred and six pounds, my legs look long and shapely. I've got a nicely rounded ass, a flat stomach, a narrow waist, and big boobs.
Rafe and I decided to walk over to the Pub.
We'd just made it into the courtyard when I felt a solid impact against my chest. It bowled me over, and I ended up on my back on the ground.
"Well, shit.” I was dead again.
I woke up in my bed, naked. Rafe's face appeared in my line of vision immediately; the look of relief I saw there almost got me laughing.
"How long this time?"
"Only about four hours."
"I remember we were walking to the Pub, and we'd just entered the courtyard."
"You took a fireball to the chest. As soon as I got the fire out I brought you up here."
"Does Ash know?” What was I saying? Of course Ashur knew. He always knew.
"I haven't seen him yet. Should I call him?"
"No, I suspect he already knows. He'll show up sooner or later. Was it the damn dragons?"
"It didn't smell like dragons."
"Now who's after me? And why?"
"I couldn't tell you, but if I scent them again, I'll know."
I grinned at him. “Come here.” When he moved closer, I grabbed his arm and pulled him into the bed with me.
I actually managed to pin him down, before he reacted.
My reflexes were no match against his, and he turned the tables on me in the blink of an eye.
His hard body was pressed the full length of mine, his hips nestled between my legs. He held my wrists trapped on either side of my head. He even had my neck locked in the grip of his teeth.
I felt a flood of moisture wash out of my vagina. He growled, a low, deep sound that vibrated through my body, and he pressed his erection against my mound. But he didn't release his hold on me in any way.
I slid my feet up the outsides of his thighs, rotating my hips so that I could bring my vulva into contact with his cock. Then I wrapped my legs around his waist, and pulled myself against him, grinding my hips as I did so.
His fangs pierced my skin, as he sucked on my neck. He licked the spot, and I felt his breath on my ear.
"You're playing with fire,” he rumbled.
He nipped his way along my jaw, to my mouth, inhaling my scent as he went. His eyes had changed; they were now slanted ovals, with huge pupils rimmed in gold. He plundered my mouth, his tongue invading, demanding.
He let go of my hands, but kept me pinned to the bed with his upper body, his mouth locked to mine, while he freed his cock.
Then he was thrusting into me with long, savage thrusts that sent me into my first orgasm within strokes.
He increased the speed of his thrusts, growling in approval as I came over his cock and balls. He drove me higher, harder, hissing at me to come for him again, and again.
I came. My body bucked against his as my vagina clenched and released around his shaft. With glowing eyes, he drove into me harder yet, wringing another orgasm from me that had me sobbing with its intensity. Then he grabbed my shoulder between his teeth, biting hard enough to pierce the skin. His body tensed, then hot jets of cum shot into my depths. He continued to drive his cock into me, taking me over the edge with him, with each successive blast, until his balls ran dry.
We lay panting in each other's arms, our bodies coated with sweat, when Ash showed up.
In one fluid movement, Rafe turned around and crouched, ready to attack. One look at Ash's face, however, and he relented. He rose slowly to his feet, found his pants, and pulled them on.
Once I caught sight of Ash, I threw myself at him. I dangled, with my arms wrapped around his neck.
"Ash! What's wrong, are you O.K?"
If my back hadn't been towards Rafe, I would have seen the look he sent me. As it was, I barely noticed he'd dressed and was moving towards the door.
Ash peeled me off, and set me gently on the floor. Then he turned to Rafe.
"Just a minute, Rafe."
I noticed then that I was still naked, and scrambled for my robe.
Even though I hurried, I still missed what Ash and Rafe said to each other. By the time I got over to the two men, they'd come to some kind of agreement.
"Ash and I are going to take turns watching over you for the next few days.” Rafe's eyes were shuttered, his expression hard. “I'll see you later.” Then he turned and palmed open the door.
I blinked after him, then turned to Ash and blinked at him.
"What's this all about?"
Ash had moved over to my fireplace, and started a fire. He kept his back to me, his shoulders hunched.
"Get cleaned up, then we'll talk."
I made quick work of a shower, and threw on the first clean clothes I came across.
Ash was sitting on the couch, a bottle of beer in his hand, a glass of wine on the coffee table for me.
I sat next to him, and ignored the wine.
"Start talking."
Ash leaned over me, his eyes burning with an emotion I couldn't identify, and wasn't sure I wanted to.
"I find myself getting—unreasonably upset—every time you're with a man.” He gritted the words out between clenched teeth. “I've come close, more than once now, to frying Rafe."
Ash closed his eyes and swallowed. “I want to possess you.” He opened his eyes and looked at me, his expression tortured. “Is that fucked up or what?"
I shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. “You know, I think that might be natural. I've heard that fathers and brothers have similar feelings."
Ash looked at me like I was maybe mental.
"Do they also want to fuck you?"
I blinked at him. Then blinked some more.
"I thought you weren't going to fuck me."
Heat was flaring in various parts of my body. My nipples hardened painfully, and a flood of liquid washed through my vagina.
Ash's eyes flared, his pupils dilating. He forced me to my back, and crushed my mouth with his. He slid his tongue across the seam of my lips and I opened for him. He drove his tongue into my mouth, then his lips softened, his tongue stroking seductively against mine. His arms came around me, and pulled me tight.
He slanted his lips, and deepened the kiss. Then he moved a hand to the hem of my sweatshirt and slid it under the fabric. His hand was hot against my skin as he glided it over my ribcage to my breast. He groaned as he palmed the entire globe, my nipple beading against his hand.
I was growing light-headed from his kiss, while his fingers worked their magic over my breast. Then he was kissing my jaw
, then my neck. His hands were impatient on my clothes, tugging my shirt over my head. He sighed as he took my nipple into his mouth. My back arched, begging for him to suck. He did, his teeth lightly scraping the sensitive bud.
His hands worked lower, opening the front of my jeans, pushing them down my legs. He shifted his weight, and shoved my pants onto the floor.
Then he lifted himself off of me, and I groaned at the loss of his heat. I reached for him, paused, and watched as he removed his clothes. He was a big man, even huge. He stood over six and a half feet tall. There wasn't an ounce of fat on his body. My eyes drank in his heavily muscled chest, his well-defined abs, and the monster of a cock that jutted from the thatch of dark hair at his groin. I was given no more time to look. He fell upon me, and kneed my legs apart. I wrapped them eagerly around his waist.
He reached between us, and trailed a finger between my labia. I was drenched. He growled as he came into contact with my juices. He inserted two fingers into my vagina, and stroked them with a twisting motion.
I rotated my hips against his hand, fire coursing through my groin.
He kissed me, hard, as he replaced his fingers with the head of his cock. I tilted my hips, encouraging him to enter me.
He flexed his hips, and started driving it in, an inch or so at a time, his enormous girth slowly stretching my sheath to accommodate it. After several thrusts, I felt the crisp hairs at the base of his shaft grind against my clit. I'd never been filled like this; it was nearly overwhelming.
He rested there for a moment, then began long, slow strokes in and out of me.
"Faster, Ash. Harder.” I begged him.
He increased the pace, sweat breaking out across his brow.
"You are everything I dreamt you would be.” He wrapped his arms tighter around my shoulders, and powered his cock into me faster.
"Gods forgive me, but I want to come in you,” he whispered in my ear.
My vagina clenched at his words. “Please."
"It will kill you.” He brushed his lips along my jaw.
I rotated my hips as I thrust back at him, urging him to fuck me harder.
"Oh, hell,” he said, and dropped his head next to mine. He let himself go, his hips pounding his cock into me, ramming my womb with every stroke. My entire body pulsed with the pleasure he was giving me. I felt my pelvic muscles tightening, grasping his cock, as I exploded, screaming his name, my orgasm wrenching my body against his.
His thrusts grew wilder, more erratic. Then he froze, his arms locked around me, and he cursed. He jerked, then began driving into me as thick ropes of cum shot from his cock into my depths.
I came again, and kept on coming. My body exploded with wave after wave of nearly painful pleasure as he kept spurting into me.
He shuddered a final time, then dropped on top of me, anchoring me to the couch.
A strange darkness began to settle over me.
Chapter Four
I gasped. Then I focused on my situation. Ash had me pinned to the couch with his body, his cock still embedded in my vagina.
He levered himself up on his elbows, his eyes studying my face. “I'll be damned."
"Did I die?” I felt disoriented. I also felt invigorated, which surprised me after the orgasms he'd just wrenched from my body.
"I was cursing myself into the deepest pits of hell for killing you. I honestly didn't think you'd come back this time. You weren't even gone five minutes."
"I remember everything up to my death.” I smiled at him.
He shifted, moving to withdraw from me, but I locked my ankles behind him.
"You need to let me go,” he told me sternly.
"But you feel so good."
"So do you. But we are not doing this again."
"Hey, you thought you'd kill me permanently, and came in me anyway. I think that gives me the right to have you fuck me again."
He at least had the courtesy to look abashed.
"I couldn't help myself. I was a little crazed when I saw you and the panther had been at it again. Besides, I want you to get some time in, before I kill you again.” He grimaced. “How can I even consider fucking you when I know what will happen?"
I dropped my legs to his sides, but kept my arms around his shoulders.
"Because I was absolutely awesome? I know you were."
He withdrew, unwrapped my arms, and snagged his pants off the floor.
"You were. It was. But it took something out of me to watch you die in my arms."
I had no response to that. I dressed quietly, then picked up the glass of wine he'd poured for me. We sat in silence, watching the fire, for a couple of hours.
I was so lost in thought, I didn't notice when he went to the kitchen and cooked us a meal.
He came and got me, and led me to the table to eat.
"Are you O.K?” The worry in his voice snapped me out of my mood.
"Why did your cum kill me?"
"Haven't you ever wondered what I am?"
"Not really. You've always taken care of me; it didn't seem important."
"It's not really my cum that kills you. It's my power, it's what I am that kills you. When I release myself into you, I release my power into you. It's more than the human body can handle."
"Oh.” I pondered that for a moment. “Do I want to know what you are?"
"No."
I shrugged, and concentrated on the food he'd prepared.
"You didn't really worry when I died, did you?” I was stuck on that thought, though I didn't know why.
His jaw clenched. “Someday you might not come back."
"Oh.” It never occurred to me that I wouldn't keep coming back. I wasn't going to let the thought take hold at this point of my life, though.
"So, did you find out what we can do about the dragons?"
"I've made it clear that you're under my protection. There may be a couple more attempts, but I expect them to take me seriously."
"Did Rafe tell you about last night?"
"I know about last night. I'm working on it."
He didn't seem inclined to continue the conversation, so I concentrated on my food.
We cleared up after dinner, together, afterward heading to my studio. Ash settled on a stool that was dwarfed beneath his huge frame. I set to work on his medallions while he watched, apparently fascinated with what I was doing.
The rest of the evening passed quickly, and before I knew it, Rafe was sitting where Ash had been.
I looked up at him, and smiled. Then the smile faded as he gave me a hard look.
"So, you finally fucked Ash."
"Did he tell you that?"
"No, I can smell him on you."
Shit. I hadn't showered yet. I put away my tools, determined to get to the shower as quickly as possible.
Rafe followed me through the sally port, and helped himself to a beer. He sat by the fire, while I headed into the bathroom.
He was leaning against the sink when I stepped out of the stall. His eyes skimmed down my body with cool consideration.
My nipples hardened, under his assessing gaze, and dampness gathered between my legs.
He raised an eyebrow at me. “Still interested in fucking a cat after you've had the love of your life?"
I glared at him. “Ash is not the love of my life!"
He curled his lip at me, clearly disbelieving my statement.
I stomped up to him, and jammed my hand against his chest.
"For your information, fucking Ash killed me. He's told me he won't do it again."
"It killed you? How?"
"He said his power is released into me, and my human body can't handle it."
"Gods.” I felt some of the tension leave him. Then he slid me a look that was almost shy.
"Look, I know you don't want a relationship, but I'm having trouble handling other men touching you."
"Oh.” I liked Rafe, and he was pretty undemanding. The sex was great, and it didn't kill me. “O.K."
"O
.K? What do you mean by that?"
"I won't fuck other men. For now, anyway."
"You're kidding."
"No. You know I'm not interested in anything permanent. You're easy to get along with, and you're the best lover I've ever had. I can handle that."
"I'll have to claim you as mine. Let the others know. I promise not to mate you, but I'll have them knowing that you're mine."
His dark eyes had taken on that golden ring as his fingers dug into the flesh of my arms.
I hesitated. I don't know why, it just seemed like such a big step.
He captured my lips with his, assaulted the depths of my mouth with his tongue until I was panting for breath.
All my nerve endings started screaming for his touch.
"Yes. You can claim me,” I breathed against his mouth.
He moved swiftly to my neck, and grasped it between his teeth. He suckled on my flesh while his fangs pierced my skin. He was marking me.
He moved to my shoulder, and repeated the process, where he'd marked me so many times already.
Then he threw me over his shoulder, and carried me to the bed.
"I'm going to fuck you every way I can. I want to fill you with my scent. I don't want you to ever be without it.” His voice rasped with his arousal.
He dumped me on the bed, practically ripped his clothes off, and pounced on me. He kissed my mouth, my cheeks, my jaw.
He trailed his kisses down my neck, then nipped lightly over to my breasts. He suckled one nipple, then the other, with equal interest.
Then he licked a path down my belly, to the center of my sex. He lifted my legs over his shoulders, spread my lips with his hands, and dove in. He licked, and sucked, and nipped the entire length of my slit, then drove his tongue into my vagina.
He swirled his tongue around my channel, until I was writhing mindlessly, begging him for release. He finally relented, and worked his way to my clit, suckling it, while gently scraping it with his teeth.
I shattered against his onslaught, mashing my pussy into his face, his arm pressing hard across my hips to pin me down. He continued to suck until my shudders subsided.
He moved swiftly up my body. His eyes glittered, the pupils nearly drowning out the gold. Then with one fluid movement, he speared his cock to the balls in my vagina.
