A Reluctant Companion

by Kit Tunstall

  “It’s okay. I won’t do anything you won’t like.”

  Madison nodded, believing him. She might have ended up in this room because of circumstances beyond her control, but she really did believe Tiernan only wanted to pleasure her, not hurt her. When he moved his hands to get into a different position, she didn’t try to close her legs that time. Eyes closed, she held her breath as his mouth brushed against her stomach, his tongue circling around her belly button before moving lower.

  She cried out when Tiernan reached his destination, his tongue gently probing her. He deepened his intimate kiss, making her squirm against his face as she sought the release she sometimes found alone. Each pass of his tongue over her clitoris sent spasms throughout her body, and she arched her hips. His name was a desperate cry on her lips as an explosion shot through her, one much more intense than the solitary orgasms she attained from time to time when a long day and lack of privacy hadn’t left her too exhausted or drained to masturbate.

  His tongue slowed, but didn’t stop, and the tremors built again, until she was flying apart at the seams. Tiernan brought her to a third climax before he lifted his head, her juices shining on his face.

  Inexplicably shy, she looked away from his inquiring gaze. “I…” She cleared her throat.

  “Yes?” He seemed amused by her speechlessness.

  “I had no idea.”

  Tiernan chuckled. “I’m pleased to be the first to give you this experience.” He rolled over, pulling her closer to his side. “To tell you the truth, I’ve never had a virgin lover before, so I’m just as nervous as you.”

  “I doubt that,” she said with a touch of tartness. She shifted, feeling his erection against her thigh. Unable to meet his gaze, she slipped her hand between their bodies to seek out the hard flesh. With tentative motions, she explored the length through his underwear.

  He breathed raggedly, enduring her exploration for a moment before he rolled away to take off his last garment. Then Tiernan lay on his back beside her, his gaze challenging her to come to him.

  With trepidation, she eyed the cock standing proudly in the air. Madison gulped, eyes widening at the size. Cleo hadn’t exaggerated when she’d said the man was blessed. She found herself wishing he were a little less gifted as she moved closer, reaching out to touch the glistening head.

  His cock jumped, seeming to follow her hand as she moved it away slightly. She couldn’t help giggling.

  “You find something to mock, woman?” he growled, but with a teasing glint in his eyes.

  Madison shook her head. No, there was nothing funny about imagining taking his flesh inside her. She frowned. “I don’t think it will fit.”

  Tiernan laughed. “It will.” With that assurance, he moved quickly, lifting her into his arms and settling her on his stomach. His cock pressed against her buttocks, and she followed the instinct to rub against his belly.

  “You’re certainly wet enough,” he said in a thick voice. The cords in his neck were visible, as though it took a huge expenditure of will to hold himself in check. Knowing he was close to losing control bolstered her own sense of power, and she leaned back more, allowing his cock to slip between her thighs, the head poised to enter her.

  Her courage ended there, and she hesitated. “Will it hurt, Tiernan?”

  He bit his lip before answering. “I don’t know. I hope not, but maybe.”

  She squeezed her eyes shut, nodded, and took a fortifying breath. “Okay, I’m ready.”

  “No, not yet.” He reached between their bodies, his hand slipping between her slick folds. He played with her clit until she writhed against him, desperate for release. Then he pushed a finger inside her opening, slowly easing through the resistance he encountered. As she arched against him, he put a second finger in her. She winced at the initial burning/stretching sensation, but it faded when he circled her clitoris with his thumb.

  She bore down against him, wanting, no needing, more…something. His fingers weren’t enough. Only his cock would satisfy her, she intuited. “I’m ready,” she said through gritted teeth.

  “Almost.” He sounded equally strained, but made no move to penetrate her as his fingers continued working their magic. In what seemed like seconds, but could have been hours, another release rushed through her. As her pussy tightened with climax, he withdrew his fingers. She rode the wave of orgasm as he slid her down a bit, adjusting the position.

  She reached the pinnacle as he entered her, moving carefully to sink inside her sheath a bit at a time. It hurt. For a second, she almost screamed, but then the pain got mixed up with the pleasure from her orgasm, and she was driven to thrust against him, letting her body’s natural instincts take over.

  “Oh, god, Madison.” Tiernan held her hips in a vise-like grip as he pistoned in and out of her. He was huge inside her, filling her to the point where she didn’t think she could handle him, but she persisted. Matching his pace, the pain soon diminished, and she was lost in pleasure again. They came at the same time, and she dug her fingers into his chest to anchor herself as she cried out his name.

  He filled her with his satisfaction, but still didn’t release her as his cock began softening inside her. All Tiernan did was roll over so they were both on their sides, still fused together. He pressed a kiss to her moist forehead, put his arm around her, and was soon breathing deeply, indicating he was asleep.

  It took Madison a bit longer to come down from the exhilaration of sexual bliss. Eventually, her heart stopped pounding, and her body stopped spasming. It was odd to have him still inside her, but not unpleasant. She was strangely reluctant to pull away from him, so she snuggled closer. After all, Cleo had advised her to spend the night with Tiernan, so there was no need to tear herself from his arms and rush out.

  As her eyes closed, she had a glimmer of understanding about what Cleo had meant when she’d said a lot of the girls chosen to be his temporary companions were disappointed with just one night. How could any other man ever measure up to Tiernan Archer? Staying with him was impossible—he wouldn’t want her anyway—but she could appreciate the girls’ reluctance for their magical night to come to an end. As sleep claimed her, she found herself dreading the arrival of morning. He would be gone, and she would go back to her regular life, making the attempt to forget this night. At least it had been special, even without the tender emotions she’d always expected to have for her lover. If she ever had the nerve to confide in her mom, she imagined Elaine would be pleased for her.

  Chapter Three

  The sun streaming through the windows woke Madison, and she blinked with confusion. It was late in the morning, much later than she ever rose, and it took a moment for the night’s events to come rushing back to her.

  Instinctively, she reached for Tiernan, but wasn’t surprised to find him gone. With a small sigh, she sat up and scooted to the edge. Her clothes were nowhere in sight. She grimaced, hoping some solicitous maid hadn’t absconded with them and left her nothing to wear but the sheet on the bed. With a sigh, she dragged it off and wrapped it around herself.

  As she entered the room where they had eaten dinner, she stumbled to a halt. Tiernan sat at the table, a stack of paperwork in front of him. She frowned, remembering Cleo’s assurance that he would be long gone. Perhaps he’d switched up his routine for this visit.

  Feeling awkward and shy, she couldn’t quite meet his eyes when he looked up at her to greet her. She returned his good morning in a halting voice, flipping her hair forward to hide her eyes.

  He pushed away from the table, revealing he wore only a robe. She froze as he walked toward her, not sure what the proper morning-after etiquette entailed.

  “Breakfast will be here in an hour, giving us plenty of time to take a bath first.”

  Eyes wide, she took the hand he held out and followed him back down the hallway to another door. He opened it to reveal a bathroom a bit larger than the one in Cleo’s room, complete with another decadent bathtub.

  She watched
with confusion as he turned on the faucets to fill the tub, wondering what he was doing. He didn’t seem to be following his usual protocol, per Cleo. Should she question him or just enjoy one more sensual experience with the commander before he sent her home?

  That was an easy answer, and she let the sheet fall to the floor when he disrobed. They stepped into the water together, and she settled down on top of him, his legs cradling her. Madison closed her eyes and enjoyed the experience as he washed her hair and bathed her, his touch becoming progressively more intimate.

  She reciprocated by turning toward him to soap him, her hands slippery on the length of his arousal. He groaned, thrusting against her hand as he leaned her back. Once she was positioned to his satisfaction, he eased inside her. She flinched at a trace of pain that was quickly forgotten, and then surrendered herself to his lovemaking.

  Breakfast was a little cold by the time they were dressed—he in a formal uniform and she in the thin slip—and sitting at the table. She accepted the bite he offered before feeding him a dollop of cream with her finger.

  He intercepted her hand, holding it in his. “Your hands are rough.”

  She tensed. “I work hard, Commander.”

  Tiernan shook his head. “It wasn’t a criticism, just an observation. You’re so delicate and feminine everywhere.” He stroked her palm with his thumb. “Except your hands. It’s an interesting juxtaposition.” Squeezing her hand, he said, “It’s nothing a few weeks of pampering won’t fix.”

  She laughed sharply. “Yeah, there’s not much time for pampering between caring for the crops and animals.”

  He leaned closer, his expression earnest. “That’s all behind you now, Madison.”

  She frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “When we get back to Seattle-Archer, you’ll be living an entirely new life.”

  Madison blinked. “Get back…what? You want me to come with you?”

  He nodded, bringing the hand he held to his mouth to kiss the fingers. “I want you as my personal companion.”

  Madison stilled, dismay surging through her. It was one thing to have middle-of-the-night fancies, but quite another to confront the reality of him wanting to add her to his personal entourage of bed jumpers. She tugged away her hand. “That’s flattering, but I can’t.”

  A fierce frown slashed across his face. “What do you mean, you can’t?”

  She lifted her hands. “My family needs me.”

  His eyes narrowed. “I need you.”

  She scoffed. “You want me, and for how long?”

  Tiernan cocked his head. “If you’re concerned about me discarding you after a short time, I don’t see that happening. If it did, you would be well provided for with a generous severance package.”

  It took everything she had not to roll her eyes. Drawing a deep breath, she softened her voice. “Really, I appreciate it. I’m honored that you want me to spend more time with you, but it’s impossible. My momma is sick, and Papa needs me to help out, just like he needs my brother Cam and my little sister Rosie.”

  He was clearly annoyed. “There’s nothing to discuss. You’re coming with me. We’ll be leaving later in the morning.” With an angry flourish, he shoved his chair away from the table. “I have things to see to, but Cleo will help you prepare for the journey.”

  “Tiernan, please—”

  His hazel eyes darkened. “Be ready.” Without another word, he stormed from the room, leaving a stunned Madison to sit there staring after him as her mind worked feverishly to find a way out of the predicament.

  *****

  Tiernan blinked, unable to believe Nash’s words. “She tried to escape?”

  The sergeant shifted, clearly uncomfortable. “Yes, sir. My men caught her before she even made it out of the governor’s residence.”

  “Unbelievable.” He was vibrating with anger and an emotion he tentatively identified as betrayal—not something with which he was familiar. “She tried to escape,” he said again, allowing the words to sink in.

  “Yes, sir.” Nash cleared his throat. “What do you want to do about her, sir? I understand public lashings are a common punishment in this province.”

  He literally saw red at the thought of someone marring her perfect, creamy back with whip marks. “That’s unacceptable.”

  “Yes, sir.” The sergeant seemed relieved. “Shall I escort her home?”

  That idea made him almost as angry. The harsh demands of his life entitled him to a few simple pleasures. He refused to surrender her. And why should he? There was still a lot he could teach her, and her innocence was refreshing. She was charming and beautiful. He smiled as he imagined her awed reaction to life in Seattle-Archer. It would be quite different for her. Once she settled in and realized she wasn’t returning to her old life, this childish rebelliousness would fade.

  “No,” he said decisively. “Return her to the sitting room where I’m staying. I’ll deal with her before we leave.”

  Determined to stay the course he had set, he decided to let her stew a bit. She deserved to suffer some fear about the unknown after trying to flee. It would also give him time to rein in his sense of hurt. No, not hurt. That was definitely not the right word. Anger. Just anger. He was enraged that she would dare throw his offer back in his face. Feeling that way, he couldn’t face her just yet.

  *****

  Madison sat quietly on a settee, curled into a ball. Cleo had come and gone after bringing her clothes to wear for their imminent departure. Perhaps she’d found Madison’s monosyllabic answers rude, but she couldn’t summon the energy to care right then. She was too consumed with worry and anxiety. What was Archer going to do to her? In her mind, she could hear the crack of the whip on her back and shuddered as her brain conjured phantom pain to accompany the image.

  At least if he whipped her, she would be home soon. There could be worse fates awaiting her than a lashing. As the commander of the Northwest Federation, he could order any punishment he saw fit, and someone would carry it out. No one would protest if he wanted her drawn and quartered or just “disappeared” quietly.

  She jumped when the door opened, but otherwise didn’t move as Tiernan entered the room. Anger emanated from him, and his lips were white from the way he’d clamped them together. Drawing further into herself, she waited to see what he would do.

  He stalked to her, stopping just a few inches from the settee to loom over her. “Why?”

  She didn’t have to ask for clarification. “I need to go home.”

  “No.”

  Madison shook her head. “You can’t just keep me here.”

  He arched a brow. “I can do whatever I want. You belong to me now.”

  Anger overrode fear, and she unfurled from the settee to stand up, facing him while leaving several inches between them. She shook her head emphatically. “Slavery is illegal, if you haven’t heard.”

  He leaned closer, his breath against her cheek when he spoke. “I’m the commander, in case you haven’t heard.”

  She balled her hands into fists. “That doesn’t give you the right to take what you want.”

  Tiernan snorted. “Who’s going to stop me?”

  “Ugh, you’re impossible.” She turned away from him. “I’m going home.”

  He let out a ragged sigh. “Why would you want to? Don’t you know what I’m offering you?”

  “Yeah, a chance to be one of your rotating bedmates.”

  His hand fell on her shoulder, his fingers stroking softly. “Is that what’s bothering you? If you don’t want to share, I’m sure you can find a way to keep me exclusively in your bed.”

  With a grunt, she shrugged him off. “No, that’s not what’s bothering me.” Okay, maybe a little, but she wasn’t going to admit that. “I have responsibilities at home. My family, the winery. I can’t just abandon them.”

  His voice took on a chilling note. “Those obligations can be removed.”

  Eyes wide, she spun back to face him. “Are you threate
ning my family?”

  Without denying it, he said, “Look, let’s calm down. You aren’t thinking straight. When you see what your life will be—”

  “I don’t want it, and I don’t want you.” Tears burned her eyes, and she scrubbed at them. “How could I have been so wrong about you? I thought you were tender, but you’re just a bully. A spoiled brat who takes whatever he wants at the expense of anyone in the way without concern.”