Hard as Rock

by Stephanie West

  Well, this is a start. She gaped at the study.

  Hundreds of leather-bound volumes filled the ceiling-high shelves. She ran her fingers over their spines as she passed from one shelf to the next. Frustratingly they were no help. Half the books had no titles, the others were in various foreign languages. Meline circled the room then dropped into the desk chair with a defeated sigh.

  “Did you seriously expect to find something titled ‘First-Aid for Khargals’?” she huffed, exasperated with herself. “Like Roc’s going to keep a journal about his kind, knowing how risky it is.”

  After staring blindly for a minute, Meline pulled herself together and trudged out of the study. At least her little tour had been a diversion. She debated finding a shower and something to wear, but wasn’t in the mood to fool with it. As she wandered back through the family room, a notepad sitting by the sofa captured her attention. She moved the pencil and took a better look at the doodle. Her mouth dropped open in recognition as the image on the paper merged with the mirage her oxygen-deprived mind conjured while trapped in the burning crypt. The sketch of the oblong medallion lacked color, but she knew the setting engraved with unusual script was shiny like gold. Roc had faithfully drawn the large jewel in the center. Meline closed her eyes, recalling the way the red stone shimmered. She had seen this before and now she remembered where.

  Once when she was young, her father had taken her to a very special museum exhibit. She recalled fondly as he got down on one knee and pointed to a beautiful stained-glass butterfly.

  “Your great-grandpapa Lauber was an artist. He worked for a man named Tiffany who made most of this pretty glass. Papa Lauber made this butterfly as a gift for your nana using a brooch that had been passed down in our family,” her father explained.

  “Why didn’t we keep it?” She gaped at the piece lit up so it cast a rainbow of colors on the walls and floor. Its wings were a dozen jewel tones, its body the most amazing ruby—the medallion.

  “Our family loaned it to the museum so other people can enjoy it, and so a rambunctious little girl didn’t break it playing ponies in the house.” He ruffled her hair and she giggled.

  That was the only time she’d seen it, since the museum rarely brought it out of the vault.

  Excitedly, Meline dropped the drawing and was about to run out to the garage to tell Roc, then remembered he was frozen in stone. Her shoulders dropped. She might have learned where the sigil was but that didn’t help Roc.

  Maybe he’s just hibernating like his dad. But she didn’t honestly think his dad was hibernating, no loving parent would abandon their child like that, and she didn’t believe Roc was hibernating either, he was too injured.

  Meline walked through the kitchen. Her stomach rumbled seeing the bowl of fruit on the island. She was surprised to see how fresh it was.

  No doubt he pays someone to keep things stocked for whenever he pops in. Maybe I’ll think better on a full stomach.

  She pulled a banana off the bunch, then cracked open the fridge. As she expected, it was full. Meline grabbed a block of cheese along with some sliced turkey, then went in search of a plate and knife. One of the drawers she opened held a bottle opener. Her gaze drifted to the wine cellar.

  “I think I’ve earned it.” She grabbed the first bottle she came to and opened it. As she reached for a glass, she paused. “Fuck it.” Meline flipped the cabinet closed as she took a swig straight from the bottle.

  After collecting her snack, she headed back to the garage and joined Roc in the SUV. Not surprising, he was unchanged.

  “You hungry?” she asked, knowing full well he wasn’t going to respond.

  Meline popped a slice of cheese into her mouth then washed it down with a giant gulp of wine as she attempted not to dwell on the painful questions needling her mind. Questions like; how long did she wait before making the hard decision to leave? How did she find someone to help her deactivate the dangerous relic, now that she knew where it was?

  “Are you going to make me drink alone? That’s not very nice of you, Roc.”

  She talked out loud because the silence was unbearable.

  “What?” She held her hand to her ear, pretending he’d answered. “Oh, you do want some. Good. I was feeling like a drunk, drinking before noon.” She tipped the bottle up to Roc’s mouth, wetting his lips just a little.

  Meline screamed when Roc’s hand shot out, grabbing the bottle. She barely got her fingers free as he gripped it in his stony hands. His mouth snapped open and he poured the wine down his throat without pausing for breath. He still stared straight ahead, his eyes blind as he ravenously drank. If anything, what little he did move added to the craggy fissures in his stony skin. Roc swiftly finished off the wine. Her eyes widened in horror when he opened his mouth and bit down on the bottle.

  “Roc, no! I have food,” she entreated as he chewed the glass, his throat bobbing as he swallowed the shards.

  He ignored her, so she tried to take the broken bottle, but a warning growl had her swiftly pulling her hand back. She gripped her knees and stayed still, so he didn’t feel threatened. He reminded her of a wounded animal, unpredictable and potentially dangerous. Roc took bite after bite, chewing and swallowing. Miraculously it didn’t seem to cut his lips and she saw no blood each time he opened his mouth.

  “I hope you know what you’re doing.”

  Roc took the last bite of the bottle and swallowed it down then licked his fingers. Just as she worried he might try eating his own hand, his nostrils flared as he pulled in a deep breath. His head eerily swung toward her with a terrible cracking sound.

  “Oh fuck.” She frowned, seeing new fissures in his neck spider down his shoulder then seal again.

  She froze as he pulled in another chuffing breath, his mouth open, exposing his long canines, like he was trying to taste the air. His eyes were a murky gray instead of the sandy color they had been, but she still wasn’t certain he could see since he didn’t focus on her. Yet she was hopeful. It seemed eating was helping. If she only knew, she would’ve tried this earlier.

  “Here.” Meline was about to offer him the plate in her lap when Roc abruptly lunged toward her.

  Her back slammed into the car door as she reared back. This was an improvement from the way he’d been, but Roc wasn’t himself. He was injured, hungry, and moving on instinct alone. That was a dangerous combination. She stayed deathly still as his nose burrowed in her hair, sniffing wildly. Meline started to tremble when he reached her neck and she felt his sharp canines graze her. His tongue made a long swipe over her hammering pulse, tasting her.

  “Roc.” Her voice quaked as he lingered.

  He grunted and continued sniffing his way down her chest till he found the plate in her lap. A relieved sigh burst out when he started shoveling the meat and cheese into his mouth, then ate the banana, peel and all. It was supremely foolish, but she snatched the plate away before he started in on that, too. Quickly, she grabbed the door handle and tumbled out of the SUV, eliciting a frustrated growl from her statuesque lover. Roc glared as she scrambled to her feet.

  “Come on, there’s more food in the kitchen,” she coaxed, waving the plate at him like a red flag.

  She didn’t wait for him to make it out of the car, she took off for the kitchen like the hounds of hell were nipping at her heels. The sound of the garage door crashing into the wall when he threw it open spurred her on. Meline skidded as she rounded the corner, barely making it into the kitchen.

  Roc was on her in an instant, his massive body pinning her against the island. Swiftly she grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl and offered it to him over her shoulder. She jumped when he took a bite of it right from her hand. His lips grazed her as he ate, and she was grateful to discover they were again fleshy. The moment he finished the apple, Meline was ready with another banana, but Roc was again rooting around in her hair. Her eyes widened when he ground his hips against her behind and she felt his hard cock.

  “Mmm,” Roc grunted hun
grily against her neck, making her shiver.

  This was not a good idea, not with the state he was in. Roc needed to eat and finish recovering. And yet as he rocked his pelvis, she couldn’t help the flood of moisture that soaked her panties. Her singed jeans were a poor barrier as his turgid cock sawed back and forth between her thighs. She squirmed as much from the mounting pleasure as from the desire to get away. He growled in displeasure and nipped her neck.

  “Roc,” she yelped.

  Roc’s hot breath ghosted over the sensitive flesh below her ear, his tongue teasing and tasting the place he bit, as his hands kneaded her hips while dry humping her against the counter. He was hungry, just not for food.

  roc

  He was dizzy and ravenous, but deliriously happy at the same time. The scent of his female surrounded him. Touching her soothed and inflamed him all in the same breath. The sweet flavor of her skin burst on his tongue. Her body called to something deep inside, a hunger only she could satisfy.

  Concern laced his female’s voice, making him pause. He heard what she said, yet for some reason it didn’t process. Everything was fuzzy, but it didn’t matter, she was here with him.

  There was something so compelling about the smooth flesh where Meline’s shoulder met her neck. He salivated with the desire to taste more of her and resumed exploring. His fingers flexed, squeezing her supple hips. The heat from her pussy made his cock jerk as he thrust between her thighs. He needed to sink into her silky heat more than he needed food or even air, but something was in the way—her clothes.

  Roc snarled as the annoying material abraded his shaft. He gripped her waistband and was about to tug when she squirmed.

  “No, Roc, you need to eat,” she snapped at him, and this time he understood the word ‘no’ but didn’t like it. He could scent her desire. It didn’t make sense that she resisted.

  Somehow his female escaped his grasp as he toiled over her strange reaction. This was the second time she’d run from him. Fear unlike anything he’d ever known surged inside him as she darted away. He couldn’t let her out of his sight. It was too dangerous. Something threatened her. He couldn’t remember what hunted them, but she had to remain by his side.

  Roc leapt over the island, landing in her path. His female squealed in surprise as she bumped into his chest, her eyes growing large before scowling at him. He snagged her around the waist before she could evade him again.

  “Roc, you have to eat.” She struggled in his arms.

  His stomach rumbled in response to something she said, but keeping his female safe was more important. Roc shook his head as the two needs warred inside him.

  meline

  For being injured he certainly moves fast, Meline huffed. The refrigerator was almost within reach. She thought for sure if she revealed the bounty inside, he wouldn’t be able to resist.

  Roc seemed more lucid, but he still wasn’t quite right. He was acting like he got his bell rung in a boxing match. He needed to eat more. It appeared the food was helping heal the red patches and fine cracks, so it had to be good for his mental state, too. Except he was entirely distracted by her.

  “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink,” she grumbled as he hovered over her, looking frustrated and confused by her demand.

  His fingers hooked her waistband and swiftly tugged her jeans down, panties and all. They put up little resistance having been damaged by the fire. Her eyes widened as he lifted her onto the counter and ripped her jeans in two. Meline’s heart kicked into high gear when he took one pant leg and tied her ankle to the island leg. His rough hand gripped her knee, shoved her legs wide, then bound her to the other leg. She nervously stared down at the way her legs were splayed, her bare pussy entirely vulnerable.

  “Roc!” she exclaimed and fell backwards when he pulled her hips to the edge of the counter, then planted his face in her crotch. With the way he tied her, there was no way she could close her legs.

  “No.” Meline tried to shove his face away. This wasn’t going to help him.

  Roc growled in rebuke as he glanced up at her, his silver eyes flashing. He was an imposing hulk of a man.

  “Don’t you get huffy with me.” She reached back, grabbed the banana he ignored earlier and threw it at him.

  Deftly, Roc snatched it out of the air, looked at it then glanced back down at her pussy. Her mouth dropped open in shock when he took the banana and slipped it into her vagina.

  “Oh my God, what are you doing?” She tried to bat his hands away. She’d never used food in sex. It was entirely too weird.

  Roc grabbed her hands and tugged them over her head. He snagged her shirt and pulled it over, too.

  “Hey! Wait a minute.” She struggled as he used the t-shirt to bind her wrists to the island faucet. “Shit!”

  He grunted, looking satisfied she could no longer interfere then returned to his illicit task. Roc gripped the banana sticking out of her pussy and pressed it all the way in. It couldn’t begin to compare to his cock, it wasn’t nearly as long or thick, and yet she found herself getting wetter as he stroked in and out. Maybe it was the way he intently stared at her labia as he fucked her with the phallic-shaped fruit. Or maybe it was the way he twisted it, the curve in the banana striking her in sensitive places. Just as she started trembling from the building pleasure, having forgotten how weird this was, Roc pulled it out. Her eyes widened when he licked her juices off the banana then again ate it without bothering to peel it first.

  She should’ve been happy when Roc yanked open the fridge and started grabbing things left and right, tossing carrots, frozen raspberries, and anything else that captured his attention onto the island. Instead, she was nervous.

  Meline started to hyperventilate when he approached her with a bottle of chocolate sauce. The anticipation was unbearable as he flipped open the lid and drizzled it over her pussy. Meline gasped at how cold the chocolate was, squirming as it slid down her sensitive cleft, coating her labia. Her breath burst out when his hot tongue took a long swipe from her slit to her swollen clit. The contrast was startling. Roc made satisfied rumbling noises as he lapped at her labia, consuming every bit of chocolate mixed with desire that spilled from her pussy. The man always ate her pussy like his life depended on it, and she loved every minute of it.

  “Roc!” Her hips bucked when his tongue delved between her cheeks and circled her anus.

  Meline gripped the faucet, threatening to yank it free, and panted as he pushed the wet tip of his tongue into her clenched opening. The sensation was obscenely pleasurable. Her pussy cramped and fluttered as he explored the taboo spot. Her knees quaked and she gushed, making him growl. Again, he eagerly lapped up her offering.

  Nervous didn’t begin to describe what she felt when Roc lifted his face and grinned evilly as he grabbed a carrot and bit off the small end. She had a sudden suspicion he was feeling more like himself. He thrust the thick end into her vagina, swirled it around then pulled it free.

  “What are you doing?” she asked anxiously as he ran it over her slick, trembling labia.

  “Eating,” he rumbled then latched onto her clit.

  The wicked man pressed the carrot against her ass as he thrust two thick fingers into her pussy and mercilessly sucked her clit. His tongue swirled while he worked the carrot into her puckered rosette while stroking his fingers into her overheated body. Meline tossed her head back and forth. The pleasure overtaking her was unbelievable. Her channel spasmed as he added a third finger. Her ass quivered with each press and retreat of the makeshift sex toy. She tried to clench her thighs but couldn’t with her ankles bound.

  “Roc,” she cried as the orgasm rolled over her.

  Her back bowed off the counter as he impaled her ass and pussy faster. She screamed in ecstasy when he flicked her clit with his tongue. She came so hard her whole body shook with agonizing pleasure, and yet she wanted more.

  “I need you,” she keened.

  roc

  He couldn’t rec
all how Meline wound up tied naked to his kitchen counter like a sexy little sacrifice, but he wasn’t about to let the opportunity go to waste. Her passionate cries and the way her pink quivering slit clenched his fingers was the most beautiful sight he’d ever seen. Her tight ass stretched around the carrot gave him perverse pleasure. Her virgin rear wouldn’t take his cock, but it was clear his female enjoyed the prurient act.

  Roc pulled his fingers out and tossed the carrot aside. His cock hurt watching the desire spill from her quaking vagina.

  “Please, Roc,” she begged.

  Sweat beaded her forehead and also trickled between her breasts. He loved how the creamy mounds heaved as she panted. Her stiff nipples were as pink as ripe berries. Roc noticed the frozen raspberries on the counter and grinned.

  “You’re too hot,” he husked as he grabbed several of the sweet treats.

  “Roc,” Meline gasped when he placed the icy berries so the hollows cupped her turgid nipples, making the areolas pucker from the cold. “Oh, you’re evil,” she squirmed.

  “Yes,” he grunted and grabbed an ice cube from the tray sitting on the counter.

  “What are you doing?” Meline squealed as he trailed one frigid cube down her stomach.

  “Very hot.” He slid the ice over her mound.

  “Roc, no! Oh God!”

  She bucked when he touched the ice to the engorged clit jutting from her slick folds. Her pussy spasmed frantically, spilling more nectar that leaked down her pink cleft to her puckered rear.

  “Is this better?” He warmed her rosy little clit with his fingers, circling round and round.

  “No!” Meline wailed, her back bowing off the island. “Fuck me!” she growled.

  His cock strained and throbbed with a life of its own. Hearing his sweet angel’s cursed demand nearly had him coming. He’d have to do something about that, or he wouldn’t last a minute.

  A salacious thought entered his mind and he grabbed several more chips of ice. Meline’s eyes widened in shock and she started tugging, nearly breaking her bonds, as he neared her pussy.