Blaze (41 page)

"What is rule number one," he sardonically drawled, "in this hierarchy of etiquette?"

"Take off your own gown first in case your escort didn't follow rule number two," she sweetly replied, her smile merry.

"And do you adhere to this fascinating protocol?" he silkily murmured, advancing toward her.

"Of course," Blaze demurely retorted, pulling her dress over her head and dropping it at her feet.

Hazard's dark eyes heated. Blaze stood slimly erect, her delicious breasts upthrust like offerings waiting to be touched. "Come here," he murmured.

"Unthinkable to break the rules, sir," she drolly replied with a wicked grin. "I'm going to swim." She turned and ran through the cool grass toward the pool. It pleased her to tease Hazard; he played the game of love effortlessly, sportively, like a man who enjoyed giving pleasure to women.

She was already in the water when she called out to him, "I'll race you to the other side. The winner wins…"

Hazard was swiftly untying the rawhide strings of his breechcloth when she dove under. "What does the winner win?" he shouted as she surfaced long yards away.

"You!" she shouted back, languidly treading water, reminding him of a woodland sprite surprised at her bath.

"What if / win?" he countered, kicking off his moccasins.

Her smile was obvious even from that distance. "You won't!" she cried, flipping under water with graceful precision and disappearing from sight. When she broke the surface, breathless, seconds later, she had a half-pool advantage over Hazard, who was slicing through the water behind her with the power stroke of a natural athlete. She was, Hazard saw, a first-class swimmer and, though he gained steadily on her, they were not grossly mismatched. She cut through the water like a whipcord, and it wasn't until they were nearing the opposite shore that Hazard managed to pull level with her.

"You're going to lose," he said, swinging his hair out of his face.

She didn't answer, only smiled, then dove under in a flash and forged toward shore with a dynamic kick that left a trail of frothy bubbles in her wake. He followed her with a smooth jackknife dive and, easing his own strong kick a few yards from shore, arrived gallant seconds behind and flopped beside her on the mossy shore.

"You lost," she sunnily declared between gasping breaths. Lying prone on the ground, her face turned toward his, he thought her soft cheek pressed against the emerald moss was like silk on velvet.

"You're damned good, Boston," he smilingly commended, his own respiration ragged, "for a woman." Waggish amusement slid lacily through the smiling words.

Blaze sat up abruptly, the sunlight gilding her wet body like liquid gold, her breasts trembling slightly with the sudden movement. Hazard felt his arousal begin to swell against the cool ground. "For a woman?" she repeated. "That's going to cost you, darling."

"What," he asked, rolling over, nude and splendid, his face innocently bland, "does it cost?" Tucking his hands beneath his wet head, he looked at her with a roguish smile.

"Our wager was the winner wins you. I won. Now you are mine."

"Was that ever in doubt?" he pleasantly said.

"You have to do everything I want you to do," she serenely explained.

"My pleasure, ma'am," he murmured, his gaze slowly roaming her body, his desire stiffening.

"To begin with, come here and kiss me," she ordered.

Curling upward, he leaned across on one elbow and did.

"Not bad," she thoughtfully noted a moment later, as if there were some internal guide to excellence. Her mouth broke into a small grin and she demanded, "Do it again."

His kiss was languidly thorough this time but almost chaste. He hadn't touched her with his hands.

"Will it improve with practice?" she inquired nonchalantly.

"We can only hope, ma'am," Hazard wolfishly replied. "With madame's cooperation, of course."

"Even if I don't choose to cooperate," she softly enunciated, "you must do as I say. Everything." Her teasing smile lit golden sparkles in her eyes.

"How nice," Hazard said. "I've never done this before."

"You're my chattel, Hazard."

His eyes widened appreciatively. "Do I get a turn in this charming game?" he asked.

"No, darling, only one winner allowed. Now stand up."

He stood.

"Walk over to that tree."

A moment later, leaning against the trunk, he raised inquiring eyes to hers.

"Touch yourself," she said.

"Must I?"

"You must," she emphatically asserted. "You're my chattel."

With a light shrug and a faint smile he did. His thumb and fingers closed around himself and with a light sliding motion of his slender hand, a swollen dimension was added to his arousal. Blaze watched his lovely rampant length and felt a trembling heat shiver down her spine. He stretched then, sliding his fingers through his damp black hair and flexing his back, like a pet gladiator on display or a splendid palace guard who had come to notice and found favor because of their beauty and size. "Do you like it?" he asked, gracefully dropping his hands to his sides.

"I think I'd like to touch you, now," Blaze said in a low, breathy voice. "Come here." He walked over like a great dark cougar, his lithe body fine-muscled, his erection beautiful, and offering to her. Standing near, he quietly waited, playing her game with his familiar seductive charm. But when her lips touched him and her half-open mouth closed around him, her warm tongue delicately roving, his self-control broke and he trembled slightly.

Looking up after a moment, she softly asked, "Should I kiss you again? Does my vassal like that?"

Hazard's dark eyes were heavy-lidded when he looked down at her. "Like I enjoy breathing, ma'am," he murmured and, sliding his fingers through her hair, pulled her back. Before long, Blaze's own desires matched the stark evidence of Hazard's need, and she felt the heat curl, flame-hot, to the very center of her pulsing core.

Moving away, her heavy-lashed eyes came up. "I think I'd like to feel you inside me," she slowly said, her face rosy with the fire beating through her senses.

"I thought you might," Hazard softly replied, his own heart thudding in his ribs. "Would you like it standing, ma'am, or there… where you are?"

"Here," she murmured, her eyes half closed, and leaned back on her hands.

Dropping down on his knees before her, Hazard gently pushed her legs apart. "You're very kind, ma'am, to the hired help," he whispered, sliding his warm palms up her slender legs, his hands dark on her pale flesh.

"I've changed my mind," she asserted when his heated fingers touched her thighs, although her breathing had quickened. "I don't want to anymore."

"Boston princess," Hazard said very slowly, savoring the separate words, "you're going to have a slave revolt on your hands unless you reconsider."

Blaze lifted one shoulder in a small shrug. "Well, perhaps a little, then," she magnanimously agreed, as if granting a favor.

Hazard's eyes narrowed the tiniest fraction. "A little… like this, ma'am?" he gently inquired, moving up to touch the hot center of her desire.

"Ummm."

"And this?" He slid inside her a teasing inch. Her eyes closed as Hazard's hard body pressed her back onto the moss and followed her down. She could feel him begin to fill her and pleasure like opium dreams flooded her mind.

"And now, ma'am," he lazily drawled, withdrawing slightly, "that's enough."

Blaze's eyes snapped open. "No!" she protested, reaching up for him. Obligingly he sank back in, penetrating deeply, feeling her close tightly around him, hearing her smothered cry.

And then he withheld himself again. "Do you want more, ma'am?" he huskily inquired, watching her face.

"Yes…" She moved her hips to feel him so beautifully inside her. "Oh, yes!"

"Now, then, bia-cara," he whispered, touching his lips to hers, "the slave becomes the master. I don't think I want to anymore," he murmured. "Maybe later." And he moved back a fraction.

"Hazard! I'll have you shot, you impudent wretch!"

"Not right now, you won't," he softly replied, gliding back in.

"After, I will," she whispered on a caught breath.

"Then what will Your Highness do tomorrow," he teased, "when your hot little body starts tuning up… when you remember how I felt inside you… and remember what I did to you? What will you do then?"

"I'll find someone else," Blaze pettishly exhaled.

"But would he know how to touch you here?" he softly thrust upward. "And here?" He moved against the quivering heart of her need and she whimpered. "Would he know that your breasts tingle when I bite them just this hard? Not too hard…" he said a moment later, sliding his mouth over to her other taut nipple, "but just enough." And his teeth gently tightened on one pink peak.

"Please, Jon. Don't tease. I want to feel you."

"Like this?" he asked.

"Yes," she sighed.

"And this?"

"Oh, God, yes…" The world began slipping away.

"And this?" His hands slid under her lush bottom and lifted her to meet him. Ecstasy washed over her.

"In that case, Boston, you must do what you're told, or I won't give you what you want." His rich, luxurious voice curled around her.

"Hazard," she softly implored. "Do you want me to beg?"

"Lord, no," he genially retorted. "Just hold your breasts up for me to kiss. They're not close enough for me."

She didn't move.

"I think I'll go for a swim." Pulling away, he sat up.

Blaze's hands came up and pushed her round opulent breasts upward so they stood in high peaked presentation, the nipples displayed prominently.

"That's better, princess," Hazard murmured approvingly. "See, you can follow orders after all. Which one should I kiss first?"

Her eyes wouldn't meet his gaze.

"Look at me, pet. This one?" Hazard softly inquired, leaning over and touching one turgid tip with a light flick of his finger. Her breast stirred and Blaze moaned, shifting her hips to meet the spiraling urgent heat tumbling downward. "Or this one?" And Hazard's mouth closed over her other swollen nipple and gently sucked. He slid one hand between her thighs and slowly explored while with the other he excited the nipple of her other breast. Playing and probing, he caressed her until, her mouth half open, she cried a small strangled sound deep in her throat and reached up to clutch his shoulders, her nails digging into his skin. "Are you ready for me, love?" he murmured, gently easing her hands from his shoulders and placing them at her sides.

She looked up at him with smoldering eyes.

"Are you open for me? Slide your finger over your lush pink flesh and tell me."

She hesitated.

"You must, darling, or I won't know," he said in a rough-soft voice.

Closing her eyes, Blaze brushed her finger over the dewy sweetness and moaned at the shattering surge of desire it provoked.

"Once more," Hazard whispered, watching the creamy fluid drip languidly over her slender fingers. And when she did, she shuddered. "I think," he said very softly, lifting her hand and sliding her drenched finger into his mouth, "… you're ready." She tasted like wild, pungent fruit, and he could no longer wait.