He stopped spanking her. She couldn’t move. Gasping for breath, she realized she’d never been so turned on in her life. And as she came to her senses, she realized that the elf was breathing hard too, and there was a definite wet spot on his trousers. She could feel it on her bare stomach.
She wanted to speak, to say something, but he got up, dumping her on the floor, and stalked out of the room. He slammed the door and she heard it lock. On her hands and knees, she made her way to the door and pounded on it. “Let me out!” she cried.
He must have been just on the other side. She heard him draw a shaking breath then say, “No. You’re not getting out. You’re a menace. A spoiled, irresponsible brat. You won’t ruin our mission, do you hear me?” He punched the door, making her draw back in alarm.
Worried now, she went and lay down on the narrow bed. He thought she was a spoiled brat? How could he think such a thing? Stupid, stuffy…sexy elf. She fell asleep with tears dried on her cheeks and a smile on her lips.
* * * * *
Merlin had to hang on to the walls to stay upright as he headed to the washroom. He changed his clothes and washed up, dipping the washcloth in chilled water and scrubbing as hard as he could, as if to erase the feel of Kyla from his skin.
How could he want her so badly? Just the thought of her made him hard again. By Mistral! He ground his teeth together in frustration. He wanted to pound his fist through the wall and he wanted to trace the contours of her body with his fingertips.
He slammed the washcloth to the ground and headed above deck, his thoughts whirling. What about Sebring? How was he going to tell him about their stowaway? He hesitated, one foot on the ladder. Did he even want to tell his brother? Jealousy gnawed at his belly and he stepped back, shaking his head to clear it.
Jealousy? How could he be jealous of his brother? He had never felt the slightest jealousy toward his brother. Not when he’d met Holly, and certainly not when they’d married. He’d never felt the slightest bit of envy. So what was this? It was totally unreasonable. He was going to march right up to the deck and tell Sebring about Kyla.
He set his foot on the ladder and climbed, forcing himself up to the deck. Once there he strode over to Sebring, who was holding their course and checking the compass against an island far to their left.
“That’s the first of the Southern Isles,” said Sebring, satisfaction in his voice. “We’ll be at the main island in under a week, thank Mistral. We might save Hivernia after all.” His voice wavered as he spoke though, his tone belying his confident words. Then he peered closer at Merlin. “What is it? You look like you’ve seen—”
“A ghost?” Merlin gave a hollow laugh. “No. Actually, I found the rat that was eating our food.”
“Good. Did you kill it?”
Merlin managed a shrug, then took a deep breath and said, “It wasn’t a rat. There’s a stowaway.”
“A spy?” Sebring got to his feet, his expression thunderstruck.
“No, a…spoiled brat. Some fairy princess with nothing to do who sees our mission as a lark and has decided to come along.”
Sebring just gaped, so Merlin explained further. “She’s Dame Flandres’ niece. I met her at the castle and for some reason she took it in her head to run away and hide on our boat. Oh, stop looking at me like that! I don’t know what came over her either. We can’t very well throw her overboard. We’re stuck with the wench now.”
“What did you do with her?” Sebring finally found his voice.
“Locked her in my room. Hopefully she won’t get into any mischief.” Merlin ran his hand across his face, rubbing his chin.
There was a silence, then Sebring sighed and said, “Well, you did mention bringing along willing maidens, and Mistral knows fairies are willing enough. I’m sure she’ll charm the pants off the Southern Isle diplomats, and who knows, maybe even save the day by getting pregnant by one of the princes.”
Merlin felt sick at the thought. Kyla? Asked to have sex and bear a child in order to… Hold on. She wasn’t being asked to do anything, and she certainly seemed willing to have sex with just about anyone. After all, he had hardly spoken to her and she’d thrown herself upon him wantonly. He cleared his throat. If he were honest, he’d admit he wanted her just as badly.
No! He did not want her. He pounded the mast, cursed, and then saw his twin staring at him with wide eyes. “What?” he asked crossly.
“Nothing.” Sebring suddenly looked very busy getting the compass stowed away and making sure the rudder was secure. “Nothing at all.” He looked like he was trying not to grin.
Merlin looked past his twin’s shoulder to the horizon. Was it his imagination, or did the sky look darker than usual? He glanced at the barometer, affixed to the mast. It had fallen. “Did you see this?” he asked, pointing.
“I checked it a while ago. It’s fallen sharply.” Sebring sniffed the air. “Electric storm. Quick, batten the hatches. I’ll take down the sails.”
Merlin hurried to secure the boat. While Sebring reefed the sails, he closed the portholes and went below to secure any loose objects and make sure the doors were all tightly closed. He hesitated in front of his door then opened it. Kyla rolled over onto her back, sat up and ran her hands through her waist-long hair, smoothing it. Her cheeks were pink.
“Have you come to let me out?”
“No, I’ve come to tell you that we’re headed toward a storm.”
“Oh good! I love when the waves toss the boat up and down! Don’t you?” She leapt out of the bed and started to go by him, but he grabbed her arm.
“Do you realize what I’m saying? A storm is about to hit the boat.” He gave her a shake.
“I heard you. I’ve been in many storms. They don’t frighten me. This boat is made to withstand harsh weather. What do you take me for? An idiot?”
“Yes,” he said, and then felt bad as she flinched.
“I suppose I deserved that. Let me explain. I was reared in the southern tier. There are boats in every harbor. My brothers took me sailing. I have my own boat. I’ve sailed since I could walk. I’ve sailed through lots of storms. Now let go of my arm. I’m going on deck. I can help.”
“Don’t give me orders,” said Merlin. He put steel into his voice. “Here, on this ship, you are under my orders and you do as I say. There is no arguing. There is no protesting. There is no sulking and whining,” he continued, lowering his voice to a growl. “I am in charge. You are to stay in this room until I tell you to leave. If storms don’t frighten you, fine. Tie yourself to the bed so that you’re not thrown about.”
He was going to pull back and shut the door but her hand on his arm was trembling so much he couldn’t help noticing. Her eyes were wide, her pupils nearly taking over the iris. Her lips were parted and he could practically see her heart pounding beneath her shirt.
Her shirt? It was his shirt! He took a step into the room, intending to order her to take it off.
“I love it when you talk to me like that,” she said, her voice breathless.
“Like what?”
“Giving me orders. Give me another one.”
“Take off my shirt,” he whispered.
“When?” She grinned.
“Now.”
“Make me.” Her cheeks were bright pink now.
“Fine.” He didn’t know what came over him but whatever it was, he couldn’t control it. He grabbed her roughly and tossed her on the bed. He pulled the shirt off her and then used it to tie her hands to the bedpost. There was a harness specially made for storms. He snapped it on her, noting how it compressed her breasts. “Here, let me loosen that.” He slid his hands under the buckle, feeling her nipples harden. Once he loosened the buckle he grasped her breasts and fondled them. She didn’t struggle. She arched her back and rubbed against him.
His cock was so hard he thought he’d come in his pants again. He undid his breeches and pulled it out, holding it with one hand while he rubbed and fondled Kyla with the other.
&n
bsp; Her eyes had widened at the sight of his cock and her breathing deepened. “Oh, make love to me. I want your cock inside me. Please, put it in me. Now.”
“No.” He didn’t want to make love to her. He wanted to go help his brother prepare for the storm. Already the waves were bigger, rocking the boat. What was he doing here? He should be on deck!
“Please! I’ll obey you. I won’t argue or whine. I deserve to be punished. Hit me, spank me again, I beg you.” She twisted around and got to her knees, her hands still attached to the headboard, the harness holding her to the wall. She jutted her buttocks into the air. “Spank me,” she begged. “I know you love it too.”
His hand found the belt lying on the floor and he brought it down on her pale skin with a smack. A red line appeared and Kyla moaned, “Yes! Harder, please!”
He whipped her again, until red lines crisscrossed her skin and she uttered a high shriek. “Touch me, touch my cunt,” she begged. He saw her sex was swollen, wet and shiny with her juices. He reached over and stroked it, pushing his fingers into her, feeling the frantic throbbing of her orgasm as her slick pussy grabbed hold of his fingers.
It pushed him over the edge. He grabbed hold of his cock and came into his cupped hands, bent over, gasping. When his head cleared he tried to make sense of this incredible longing that shook him whenever he saw Kyla, but he couldn’t. His head aching in confusion, he pulled his breeches up, washed himself and untied her hands.
“Am I still your prisoner?”
He paused. “You were never my prisoner. You can come on deck if you want some fresh air. And you can keep the shirt.” Then he left the cabin and shut the door behind him.
Chapter Four
Merlin didn’t want Sebring to know what he felt about Kyla. He was confused enough about his own feelings. He didn’t love her, how could he love her? They’d barely spoken. And yet he couldn’t keep away from her. Worse, he found he loved to tie her up and punish her. He’d never thought he was the type of man to get excited by the sight of a woman bound and helpless, but it drove him over the edge of reason.
During the day they were polite but distant to each other. She was a superb sailor and seemed to feel the slightest shift in the wind and waves. She handled the boat as if she had been born sailing.
But at night, when the stars glittered in the cold sky and the icy wind whistled, they grappled together like two fighters. He tied her up, he whipped her, and he felt as if he were laying his own soul bare, that each lash cut him as hard as it cut her. And yet he wouldn’t penetrate her. His cock never touched her body, except when he used it to tease her, stroke her, press it against her breast or thigh. He came on her belly, on her breasts and once in her avid mouth as she sucked him.
She begged him to put his cock into her, she tried to trick him, sliding over when he didn’t expect it, but he refused. They didn’t speak. He gave her orders and she obeyed—feverishly, slavishly. But other than the curt “put your hands over your head” or “turn over”, there was no communication between them.
He didn’t have anything to say to her. He felt, obscurely, that she’d somehow deceived him into falling in love with her, and when he thought that he grew almost angry. “I’m not in love,” he said in fury to the churning sea. The waves just rose and fell, and he leaned against the mast and cursed the day he’d set eyes on Kyla.
He’d never lost control of his emotions before. He’d never been obsessed with a woman to the point where he couldn’t even eat or drink. His food tasted like ashes…even the sugary-sweet fairy cakes.
It was dinnertime. Tomorrow they would arrive in the main port on the capital island. As usual, they were eating in the small dining area just behind the ladder. Sebring passed a plate of fairy cakes, saying ruefully, “I’m afraid this is all that’s left.”
“If I ever see another fairy cake I’m going to vomit,” said Merlin through gritted teeth.
“They’re not that bad.” Sebring gave him a strange look. He’d been giving him a lot of strange looks lately, but Merlin ignored them.
“I’ve eaten so many I’m going to turn into one, but I’m so hungry I don’t care.” Kyla took a fairy cake and bit into it, her teeth sinking into the floury cake with relish. She wore his shirt. It was too large for her and she’d rolled the sleeves up. Her hair, the color of pale blue moonlight, was piled in a negligent chignon, tendrils escaping and framing her face. Her slanted eyes, navy blue and fringed with feathery lashes, met his mockingly.
Merlin looked away, suddenly overcome with the urge to toss her over the table and ravish her.
“Are you all right?” Sebring touched his shoulder.
“Fine,” said Merlin. He tried to think of something else besides going into his room with Kyla and ordering her to strip her clothes off. His cock stiffened and he clenched his fists beneath the table. What spell had she cast upon him? But whatever it was, it seemed to have worked upon her too, because she hardly ate a thing, her fingertips nervously tapping the table, her glances toward him getting less mocking and more desperate, as if she too could not wait another minute.
“Excuse me,” he said, pushing back from the table. He couldn’t hide his hard-on so he didn’t try. It strained against his breeches. He didn’t have to say anything to Kyla. Her gaze fell on his cock and her cheeks flamed as she stood and, without a word, fled toward his room.
“Merlin?” His brother sounded uncertain.
“Tomorrow,” said Merlin, and he wasn’t sure if he meant he’d try to explain about his obsession tomorrow, or if he was just stating the obvious—that there would be another day. He followed Kyla to his room, and the only thing he could think of was desperate release.
* * * * *
Tonight she’d tell him. Tonight she’d try to explain that she hadn’t meant it to work like this. The potion was just supposed to be for fun. It wasn’t supposed to make her feel as if every nerve in her body was set on fire when he touched her. It wasn’t supposed to drain her appetite, her energy, her will.
He’d be angry—far angrier than when he’d discovered her hiding in the boat. She wasn’t afraid of his anger. He never let it get out of control. She was afraid of his scorn. She loved him, loved him with every fiber of her body, and it was all because of that cursed potion. She had no intention of falling in love with an elf and tying herself to him permanently. They were stuffy, boring, hated parties and fine living, and preferred to stay in the forest rather than live in fun cities. How long did the effects of the potion last? She dragged air into her lungs and felt her belly clenching with need just at the thought of Merlin, her lover, the elf.
Elves were mysterious and spiritual, whereas fairies were industrious and creative. Fairies loved the glitter of society parties. If she fell in love with an elf, she’d have to give all that up! No more balls or dancing! She had to find an antidote!
And then she thought of leaving Merlin, of never seeing him again, and she wanted to curl up in a ball and weep. She couldn’t leave him. She needed him. She needed him so badly her whole body felt like a flower opening and blossoming whenever he touched her. When he whipped her, she shook with passion. When he tied her up she quivered with anticipation. Her breathing grew ragged as she thought of him. But why wouldn’t he make love to her? Why?
The words she meant to say to him died on her lips when he walked through the doorway. Her breath caught in her throat. His spiky, flame-colored hair was carelessly brushed behind his pointed ears. His green eyes were hooded, looking down at her with an unfathomable expression. But his cock told her what she needed to know. It strained against the thin cloth of his breeches, so much bigger than the cocks she’d seen before. Elves really were much bigger than fairies. Her cunt contracted and she felt a quick, hot swell of liquid. A moan escaped her lips. He hadn’t spoken, hadn’t touched her, and already she trembled on the cusp of an orgasm.
“Take off your clothes,” she said, reaching up and grabbing his belt.
He didn’t move, and so
she undid his buckle and pulled his breeches down. His cock sprang out, purple-tipped and huge with need. She didn’t hesitate. She slid her mouth over the tip, sucking greedily. She was rewarded by a salty spurt of cum.
She stroked his hard thighs, then tickled and gently caressed his tight balls. The soft skin just behind them was like silk, and he drew his breath in with a sharp hiss as she stroked her finger along the hard ridge just behind his balls that led to his anus. She wanted to touch him all over but he pushed her away. “Take off my shirt,” he said, bending over her. “Lie down.”
It was an order. She shrugged his shirt off and lay on her back, her heart pounding a hole in her chest. He knelt between her legs and parted them, then leaned down and, with his tongue and fingers, began to caress her sex. She thought she would explode. It felt as if a spring was being wound tighter and tighter in her belly as his tongue worked over her clit and his fingers delved into the sensitive flesh of her pussy. He pushed one finger then two deep within her passage, licked her clit hungrily and suddenly the spring inside her unwound. She bucked against him, grasping his shoulders and pulling him desperately to her. Perhaps surprised, perhaps prey to the same overpowering urge, this time he slid up and over her and she wrapped her legs around his hips and pulled him into her.
As his cock parted her flesh, she uttered a long, drawn-out cry. It was so big it stretched her out and filled her, but more than that, it fulfilled her. She felt every single inch of him as he slid in. He thrust hard, grunting with the effort. She felt as if he labored over her body like a farmer plowed a field. Her body welcomed the pleasure, so akin to pain, but it was a pain she needed more than the air she breathed.
Then he arched over her, shoving his cock to the hilt, and a cry sprang from his lips. It was a cry that started low, then rose like a fountain of water bursting from the ground. It wrapped around her, carried her, made her bones vibrate with the music of it. Elf song! She’d heard of it, and now it seemed to penetrate straight into her belly, setting her on fire.
Merlin's Song Page 3
