Mutual Desire

by Donna Grant

  She wished she could explain what the feelings inside her were regarding him. He had been gone but a few hours and already she missed him—his warmth, his smile, his strength. He was a man unlike any she’d ever met. And ever would meet.

  Deep in her heart, she knew had they met under different circumstances there could have been a future for them. But now, now she wasn’t so sure. She had come to Kellian as a spy, to seduce him and earn his trust. The fact that he knew it only made things more difficult.

  Falcor wanted her trust, but she didn’t know who to trust. She wanted to believe him, but after what Usotae had done to her, it was hard for her to confide in anyone.

  Would he be able to see past that to the woman she truly was? And if he could, what would he do when he learned that she had killed a man? Would he kill her as Usotae expected him to?

  She didn’t think Falcor would, but he might throw her out of the castle, letting the jungle kill her instead.

  A shiver raced down her spine. She pulled on another gown that had been laid out for her. The gown was a beautiful shade of pale gold. A gown fit for a queen, she mused.

  Linarra smoothed her hands down the front of the dress before reaching for a comb. She walked to one of the chaise longues near the window and looked out over the jungle that fascinated Falcor so.

  She was so engrossed in combing out her tangles that she never heard the door open. There was only the stir of the air and the smell of sandalwood that told her Falcor had returned. She lifted her gaze to find him leaning against the door watching her, his arms crossed over his chest.

  Her lips lifted in a welcoming smile, but the little jump her heart gave at the sight of him gave her pause. “You left early,” she said as she finished and set aside the comb.

  “I did.” He pushed off the doorway to walk toward her. “You were sleeping, and I didn’t wish to wake you.”

  There was almost a desperate look in his gaze that told her he searched for something. But what, she didn’t know. “Is something wrong?”

  “I discovered some news recently.”

  She waited for him to continue. When he didn’t, she raised her brows in question. “And?”

  “Despite the wonderful lovemaking last eve, you haven’t given me a reason to trust you.”

  “Trust me?” she repeated. “I…I told you the truth.”

  “Nay. You told me part of the truth. I’m offering you my aid, Linarra, not something I do lightly. You have nothing to lose by trusting me.”

  “I can lose my sister,” she cried and rose from the chair. “That is something.”

  He nodded slowly. “My offer was to get your sister out of Aldvale. Alive.”

  Fear and anger throbbed in her heart. She had come to trust Falcor, a trust she had given him by the way he had touched her body, but it was a trust she had given too early. She should never have let down her guard.

  “Nay.”

  He was at her side in a moment. “You don’t have much of a choice.”

  “I have more than you realize.”

  She tried to move past him, but his hands were quick. He pushed her against the wall, his body molding to her as his lips descended on hers.

  Linarra told herself to push him away, begged her body not to respond, but she could no more have ignored Falcor than she could have stopped breathing. She moaned as her arms snaked around his neck, accepting his kiss and the power his touch had over her body.

  His hands were everywhere, touching her, teasing her…tempting her with a passion that he alone had awoken, a passion that she wanted only with him.

  She let out a small cry as he lifted her in his arms and moved toward the stairs, taking them two at a time. Excitement filled her as she realized he wanted her again, wanted her as she wanted him.

  Just looking at him, remembering how his body stroked hers, filled her with hunger. He lowered her legs and held her until her feet touched the floor. Then, his hands moved to her gown, slowly drawing the fabric up until it bunched in his hands at her waist. With one tug, he pulled the gown over her head.

  Linarra tried to reach for his tunic, but he quickly grabbed her hands. “Not yet,” he whispered and nibbled behind her ear, sending delicious chills over her skin.

  She wondered what new pleasures he would give her as he placed her on the bed. His hand moved to her shoulder and gently caressed her arm as he moved to her wrist. It wasn’t until he pulled out some rope that she stiffened.

  He raised a blond brow. “You’ll enjoy this.”

  Linarra hesitated but relaxed and let him tie first one wrist then the other to the columns on either side of the bed. A fission of alarm filled her stomach when he began to tie her ankles to the columns at the foot of the bed.

  “Falcor?”

  He glanced at her over his shoulder as he stood and moved to the table and chairs near the bed. He sank into one of the chairs and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees as his head dropped forward.

  Linarra pulled at her bonds. The knots were tight, not giving an inch as she tugged. Falcor hadn’t moved, and she wished she had her gown on at least. She felt exposed, stripped…frightened.

  “I didn’t want to do this,” Falcor finally spoke. His voice was low, softly spoken.

  “Untie me.”

  He shook his head and raised it to look at her. “You gave me no choice.”

  “Untie me,” she yelled and pulled harder on the bonds.

  “Stop. You’ll only harm yourself.”

  A sob stuck in her throat at the tenderness in his voice. Here was the king she had feared, the man who held her life in his hands.

  “I’m going to ask you one more time to tell me why Usotae sent you here,” he said.

  Linarra briefly closed her eyes. She would rather die at Falcor’s hands than let her sister die for her crimes, or worse, allow Usotae to kill her.

  She took a deep breath. “I’ve already told you.”

  His chair creaked as he leaned back, drawing her attention. He studied her for several long moments that seemed to stretch into eternity. His hand reached out and took a small orange jar from atop the table.

  “Long ago, my people stumbled upon a flower that, if ground and combined with certain ingredients, can make a person wild with desire. An aphrodisiac. Depending on how much, or how little, is applied, the hunger can last for hours. Even days.”

  Linarra swallowed as she looked at the small, seemingly harmless jar.

  “The cream is saved for special circumstances. It can take lovemaking to another level if used with caution, but more times than not, too much is used, sending the person into a wild ride of need where they think they are satisfied only to find the need upon them again, stronger each time.”

  He turned the jar around in his fingers, staring at it before he rose to his feet.

  “Put anywhere on the body, the cream will react almost immediately. But if I put the cream on your sex,” he said and reached down to lightly run a finger through her curls, “you’ll need instant satisfaction.”

  “And if I don’t get it?”

  “The need will grow, pushing out reason and thought. Your sole need will be to peak. You’ll do anything, say anything, for release.”

  7

  Falcor watched Linarra’s gold eyes widen and panic take hold. He had hoped—nay, prayed—that she would see him to be the fair king that he was, a man that she could trust to keep her and her sister safe.

  “You’re going to use that on me, aren’t you?”

  Though she tried to sound calm, he heard the break in her voice. Every fiber of his being wanted to throw the jar out the window, but he knew he had to do this to learn the truth so he could save her.

  “I am.”

  “Why?” Her brow furrowed and her lips pressed together.

  He let his finger trail over her thigh, the bronze skin smooth and toned. “Because it’s the only way I’ll learn the truth.”

  “Please. Don’t.”

  It pul
led at his heart to hear her beg, but he turned a deaf ear to her. “I can help you, but not if I don’t know the details, Linarra.”

  She shook her head. “Don’t do this, Falcor.”

  “Will you tell me what I need to know?”

  She closed her eyes and swallowed. “I can’t.”

  “Then you leave me no choice.”

  He moved to the foot of the bed and took the lid off the jar. His finger moved to dip into the cream, but he hesitated.

  “Linarra,” he said and waited for her gaze to meet his. “I’m not a bad man. I don’t know you, but it’s almost as if I know your soul. If this is the only way I can save you, then I’ll do it. Even if you never forgive me.”

  “You’re doing exactly what Usotae wants you to do.” She blinked, her beautiful gold eyes filling with tears.

  “He wants me to interrogate you and discover the truth?” He lowered his hand. “Why? So I’ll invade Aldvale and give him the reason he seeks to retaliate?”

  “How…Aye,” she said reluctantly. “I don’t understand how you know that.”

  “In order to rule a kingdom and keep your people safe, you have to think like your adversary and your friend. Usotae hasn’t tried to keep his ambitions quiet, so when word came that he was sending me a peace offering I was immediately skeptical.”

  “You have spies in Aldvale.” It wasn’t a question.

  “I do.”

  “If you knew he sent me, why did you allow me in Kellian?”

  He shrugged. “I was curious to see what sort of gift Usotae would bring. It also allowed me to learn more of him and how far he would go to gain Kellian.”

  “You used me just as he did.”

  “Nay.” It came out harsher than he intended, but it infuriated him for her to compare him to Usotae. “I had no idea he had sent a woman until you rolled out of that rug.”

  She turned her head away, refusing to look at him. Falcor took a deep breath and dipped his finger into the cream.

  When he’d first been crowned king, he had tried some of the cream to understand just how it felt. He had gone insane with want, his body searching for release after just spilling his seed. It had been a vicious cycle he thought would never end and an experience he hadn’t forgotten.

  “One last chance, Linarra.”

  “Nay.”

  That one word sealed her fate. He set aside the jar and moved toward her parted legs. Just before he touched her, he recalled the easy way she had gone into his arms, the eagerness of her kisses and her cries of ecstasy as he brought her to climax.

  That would be forever gone once he put the cream on her. But if he didn’t, if he didn’t learn the truth and save her sister, she’d be just as lost to him.

  The thought of never having Linarra in his bed again was like a dagu to his gut. From the first time he had seen her roll seductively out of the rug to his feet, he had known their souls were connected in a way that defied reason.

  Before he lost his nerve, he opened her woman’s lips and applied the cream to her pearl. It was only a small drop, but it would be enough to make her body scream for about an hour. Enough time for him to learn what he needed.

  Linarra closed her eyes at the contact of Falcor’s hands on her body. But she knew instantly he had applied the cream for there was a current like lightning that snaked through her and came to rest between her legs like a fire. The need was instant and intense and demanded release.

  She tried to ignore it. She focused on her breathing and not the way her nipples hardened as the breeze blew over them from the opened window. She tried to count backward instead of feel the pulsing in her sex. She clenched her hands into fists to keep her hips from moving.

  But it was all in vain, for the cream wouldn’t be ignored.

  She cried out as a wave of desire washed through her, making her buck from the bed, seeking anything to rub against her to ease the need.

  Suddenly, Falcor was beside her, touching her with his body from head to foot. She strained against her bonds wanting to caress him, needing his hands on her heated flesh.

  He didn’t speak. His hand moved to cup her breast and tweak her nipple, making her arch from the bed as her sex clenched and throbbed.

  Each breath she took made the need grow higher, and each touch of Falcor’s hand made her body yearn for more. She grew restless as his hand moved from one breast to another, teasing, stroking but never touching her sex.

  She cried out and tried to turn toward him, but her bonds held her immobile. She moved her hips into the bed, trying to find whatever relief she could, but there was none to be found. Only Falcor could ease her.

  The realization made her scream with fury.

  “Tell me.”

  Distantly she heard Falcor’s voice, and it took everything she had to listen instead of letting the desire drive her mad.

  “Why did Usotae send you?”

  She tried to answer, but the need was too great. All of a sudden, his hand was on her sex. His finger parted her curls and caressed her heated flesh. Linarra moaned and shifted her hips to feel more of him. He moved a finger over her pearl, using the barest of touches. But it was all she needed.

  The climax, when it came, poured through her like liquid fire. Her body bucked with the force of the orgasm. She let out the breath she had been holding when the climax finally faded. When she opened her eyes it was to find Falcor on his side, his elbow braced on the bed and his hand holding his head, staring at her.

  “Why, Linarra?”

  Even as he asked the question she could feel her body begin to stir again. All he had said had been the truth. She would be in this torment until she answered all his questions. She had little choice.

  “He wants Kellian. I told you that already.”

  “Why did he send you? Why did you agree?”

  Linarra gritted her teeth as her sex convulsed. Falcor’s hand was no longer on her, and she needed the contact.

  “He wanted to punish me for refusing him.”

  “Why did you agree?” Falcor was relentless.

  “He has my sister, and he threatened to kill her if I didn’t do his bidding.”

  “Why? Why didn’t you just run away?”

  She sobbed and shifted her hips on the bed. “My sister was going to be tried for murder, a murder she was innocent of. He stopped the trial, but threatened to start it up again should I fail.”

  “How were you to relay the information to Usotae?”

  “Falcor,” she whispered as the desire once more consumed her, drowning out his voice.

  Instantly, his finger was inside her, thrusting deep and quick. She sighed as the pleasure mounted. Just as before, the climax was quick, but more powerful.

  Time was lost as the world went black while her body spasmed with pleasure. She licked her lips and took a deep breath. Falcor’s hand still moved inside of her, giving her the friction she hungered for.

  “Linarra?”

  She nodded and moaned as he added a second finger to the first. “I was to meet a spy in the jungle.”

  “Usotae planned to leave you here for me to mete out justice, didn’t he?”

  “I think so,” she said weakly. Her nipples ached and she wanted to feel his lips on them again. She opened her mouth to ask him when he interrupted her.

  “Did he plan on releasing your sister then?”

  “He said he would.”

  Falcor’s voice moved closer, his mouth near her ear while he began to move his fingers faster. “And you believed him?”

  “She’s my sister, all that I have.”

  Even before the desire could build, Falcor had stroked her into a frenzy. Before the last word was out of her mouth, she peaked. Her breath came in great gasps as her chest heaved, but still Falcor was unyielding. Her climaxes were growing shorter, the need more forceful with each one.

  “He’s counting on you telling me of your sister, isn’t he?”

  She nodded and arched her back, hoping his mouth wo
uld find her nipple. “His men will guard my sister constantly until I bring him your secrets. Only then will she be released. I think he plans to kill you.”

  “Interesting,” he said just before his tongue flicked over her nipple.

  The desire fell tenfold on her. “Falcor.”

  “Is that everything?”

  “Nay. He has spoken with some Kellians who want to overthrow you. They are the ones I was supposed to contact with the information.”

  “By the stars, Linarra,” he whispered before his body covered hers.

  She didn’t know when he had removed his clothes, nor did she care. The feel of his heated skin on hers was wonderful. She longed to touch him, kiss him, hold him, but he still refused to remove her bonds.

  His lips claimed her mouth the same time his cock entered her. He plunged deep, touching her womb. His kiss was rough, demanding, and there was no doubt in her mind he was laying claim to her.

  He ended the kiss and rose over her while his thrusts quickened. Linarra’s gaze was caught by his. She looked deep into his gray eyes and for a moment thought she saw his soul just before her world was ripped apart by another climax.

  She must have fallen asleep for when she opened her eyes, her bonds had been removed and Falcor stood at the window with his back to her.

  She curled onto her side and watched the easy way his lethal body moved. He hadn’t put on his clothes, and his contemplative mood told her he was weighing what she had relayed to him.

  Her sex clenched, the aftermath of the cream still resonating in her body. Of all the tortures she could think of that he could have done to her, that had been by far the kindest, but not one she wanted to repeat anytime soon.

  “I’m so sorry, Linarra.”

  She didn’t wonder how he had known she was awake. “It is I who am sorry. I should have trusted you.”

  “But you still don’t?”

  “I’ve found that trusting someone is most difficult.”

  He turned to her. “This morning I sent a group of my men to Aldvale to free your sister.”