Bonded (7 page)

The clerk gave him a condescending look. “It
is
the Festival of Fertility, sir. The busiest tourist season for the whole system. But if you think you could find something elsewhere…”

“Fine. We’ll take it.” Jaren transferred the funds to reserve the room and accepted the electronic key. He turned to Taimi. “Come on.”

The room was relatively small but had an attached bathing room. A nice luxury. Lorus resorts usually offered only public bathing. “It’s getting late. You take the bed tonight, Taimi.”

“Where will you sleep?”

“The floor works for me.” He’d pay for it in the morning, but if he lay next to her in bed, the small bit of control he’d managed to find so far would disintegrate.

“You don’t need to do that.”

“It’s for the best.”

She looked at him but said nothing. Instead, she turned to explore the room, still walking a bit awkwardly.

That, if nothing else, was good reason to keep his hands off her. Only an insensitive brute would take her again so soon, giving her more pain than pleasure.

She wandered into the bathing room and gasped.

He hurried to join her. “Is everything all right?”

“I’ve not seen anything like this outside of…” She hesitated, biting her lip. “It’s not what I expected.”

So she didn’t want to talk about her past or anything remotely connected to his ex-wife. Fine with him. He preferred to avoid it too. Better to focus on more immediate things, like their surroundings. He let out a low whistle. “Impressive.”

The bathing room was nearly as large as the bedroom, dominated by a tub carved from a single piece of stone. Not elaborately decorated, but finely worked in a high-quality material native to Lorus. Several uncarved blocks of this stone crowded the hold of his ship, for no other system produced anything quite like it. Super smooth and sleek, and not as hard on the body as marble, it would be comfortable to lie on for hours.

Taimi ran her fingers along the rim of the tub. “I wish…”

“You might want to use it while you can. We don’t have anything like this on the ship.”

“A hot soak sounds decadent.” A faint blush tinged her golden tanned cheeks. “
If
the hot water is working.”

The heat might help her lingering pains as well. The vision of Taimi naked in the tub made him instantly hard. Jaren cleared his suddenly dry throat. “Try it.”

She gave him another quick, assessing look from under her long black lashes. Gave the pipe controls a quick twist. Steam clouds rose as water began pouring into the tub. “Guess it works.”

“I’ll leave you alone.” He turned away awkwardly, the constriction of his trousers over his swollen cock making it difficult to walk.

“You’re not going to bathe?”

“I…” He imagined climbing into the hot water with her, the feel of her slick limbs wound tight around his body as he plunged into her soft, silky pussy. “I’ll wait till you’re done.”

Taimi sighed. The color in her face intensified. Her expression changed. Heat turned her already dark brown eyes to nearly black, and her full lips parted slightly. She breathed just a little faster. “Stay. Please.”

An answering heat rushed into his face, and his cock surged more painfully hard than before. He’d never known a woman who looked at him quite the way she did. Other women had desired him, but no one had made him feel like this: as if he was the only man in the universe she would ever want. “Don’t look at me like that.”

A faint smile curved the corners of her mouth, and mischief sparkled beside the desire. “You said that before, Captain.” She fluttered her fingers over the fastenings of her blouse, loosening them. The fabric parted slowly, revealing her exquisite golden skin. “But I can’t help how I look at you.”

He should walk away.

He couldn’t move.

Couldn’t stop staring. His breath came harder and faster, his heart pounding so hard he felt it in his throat. An answering pulse throbbed through his cock. Swelling it thicker. Harder.

He couldn’t look away.

The last fastening. She pushed the fabric from her shoulders. Kept her dark, beautiful eyes locked on him as she reached behind her back to loosen the waistband of her skirt, the motions thrusting her small but perfectly round breasts forward. Her dusky pink nipples were drawn into taut points, and she was breathing as quickly as he.

Her skirt collapsed to pool at her feet, and she stepped free of the fabric. Toward him.

He wasn’t strong enough to resist this temptation. No man could be.

Taimi closed the last few inches between them. She worked her small fingers along the buttons of his shirt, pushing them through their holes. “I want to see you.”

“You did.”

“All of you, this time.” She smiled, and for the first time, he noticed a tiny dimple in one cheek. The mischievous glow in her dark eyes intensified, and she reached for his belt buckle. She worked it open, then attacked the fly. Dragged the fabric down to form cuffs around his ankles. “There. Now you can’t run away from me.”

Jaren liked this playful side of her. He sensed there hadn’t been a whole lot of fun in her life. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt like having fun either. “So that’s why you won’t let me take off my boots?”

Her smile widened into a grin. “I think I like having an advantage over you, Captain. Even if only a temporary one.”

“An advantage, hmmm?” He snatched her about the waist, turned, and pressed her up against the closest wall. The position brought his cock between her thighs, the tip rubbing against her wet pussy.

Taimi began to pant and bucked against him, trying to draw his cock into her sweet body. He clamped his hands on her hips, holding her steady so he could continue to tease her with just the very tip of the thick head. “No fair, Captain.”

“Captain?”

“Jaren.” His name turned into a moan, the sexiest sound he’d ever heard. “It’s still not fair.”

“Oh?”

“You’re taking advantage…of being bigger than me.” She squirmed in his grasp.

She was dripping wet, slick with her need. Drowning every good intention he had. She wanted this as much as he did, but he wasn’t going to rush it. If she thought he was taking advantage, he intended to exploit it to the fullest.

He pushed into her, just the head of his cock disappearing into her pussy. He heard her sharply drawn breath, and she raked her nails into his upper arms.

Pleasure still dominated her expression, but there was pain too.

Jaren swore under his breath and quickly withdrew.

Her natural sensuality made it easy to forget her lack of experience. Her innocence. She might want this, but her body wasn’t ready yet.

He slid his hands under her bottom, lifting her higher. Turned with her in his arms and shuffled toward the tub.

The water was still running, the steam from the heat curling around them. There was a distinct scent to the water, similar to the air of Lorus during this time of year. A spicy, musky perfume.

He lowered her toward the tub. Taimi locked her legs tighter around his waist, as if unwilling to let him go. “Don’t.”

“I think you might need this,” he told her softly. “The hot water.”

The steam plastered curls of her hair against her cheeks and her forehead. Heat added a deeper rose undertone to the golden tan of her cheeks, and she flicked her tongue over her lips. “Do I have to ask you again?”

“Ask me?”

“To join me in the water.”

His cock gave another surge, throbbing against her slick entrance, and they both groaned. “Does it feel like I can refuse you?”

“No.” She unlocked her legs, and he eased her into the tub. Taimi jolted in response to the first contact with the steaming water. “That’s hotter than I expected!” She settled in with a heavy sigh. She reached up and ran one hand along his hard length, giving him that brief, cheeky grin when his cock jumped under her touch. “Just in case you were thinking of changing your mind.”

No damn way he could do that now. “Give me a moment.” Jaren leaned on the edge of the tub and worked on the laces of his boots, his fingers clumsy. He kicked them aside to land in a heap atop the rest of their clothing and gulped deep breaths of the humid, sultry air, staring at the exquisite vision before him.

Taimi reached behind her to turn off the water before it overflowed to the tile floor. She settled deeper into the basin, her head resting back against the edge. Every inch of her beautiful body was perfectly visible beneath the clear water, even to the thatch of black curly hair between her legs.

He lifted one leg to step into the tub, and she held up one hand. “Wait.”

“Changed your mind?”

“Not at all.” Her slow smile was distinctly feminine as she surveyed his body, lingering for a long moment on his pulsing, aching cock before looking back at his face. “I’m enjoying the view. I told you I wanted to see you.”

JAREN’S GORGEOUS HAZEL eyes widened, but he stayed where he was, silently complying with her wishes.

His acquiescence was arousing and surprising. She sensed he didn’t relinquish even the smallest bit of control easily. Even now, tension fairly vibrated from his powerful frame. He was trembling as he let her look her fill.

This moment was different. This time, she wasn’t playing the voyeur, the faithful servant whose only role was to fade into the background while another enjoyed his touch. His kiss. His hard body.

Here and now, he was all hers.

A muscle twitched in his tense jaw. She let her gaze wander from his handsome face to his equally wonderful body.

Everything about him was sculpted, reminding her of some of the ancient statues in the gallery room of her former mistress’s estate. Those stone nudes were said to portray the male ideal, but none were any match for the hard, living flesh before her.

His shoulders were as broad as she remembered, his chest deeper, more powerful. No visible signs of the poisoning remained. He had recovered all the weight the first potions stole from him. Those doses were used to set up a history of illness. Lady Ethlinda’s favorite—the venom of a creature farmed in the sea caves beneath her villa—would have been the final blow.

A light dusting of nearly black hair covered his muscular chest and arrowed down his flat, defined stomach, before widening above and around his thick, up-thrust cock. His hips were lean and his long legs corded with taut muscles.

She needed to touch him again.

Taimi reached out for him. He needed no words. No further encouragement. Sank into the water across from her and drew her into his lap, folding his long, muscular legs on either side of her body.

She tilted her face up to his. He kissed her briefly, then turned her so her back rested against his chest. His cock pulsed and throbbed against her tender folds, but he seemed to be in no hurry to take her again.

Jaren brushed her hair away from her neck. Pressed a kiss against her nape and reached for a bottle of liquid bathing soap.

Taimi closed her eyes and tilted her head to one side. He licked and kissed her throat, running his tongue up along the line of her jaw to her ear. Whispered her name. He cupped his hands around her breasts, and she let out a deep, shuddering sigh. The lather made his hands slide easily over her damp skin. “You like that,” he whispered, his deep voice taking on that special husky note.

The sound sent a fresh surge of desire racing through her body. Her muscles clenched, her pussy achingly empty without his cock. The tip of him glided against her, teasing her with the slightest feel of his hard flesh, just as he had done when he’d pinned her against the wall.

His low groan vibrated against her skin.

He slipped his hand into the heated water, and his slick fingers found her clit. He teased the sensitive nub, flicking lightly over the swollen flesh in light, circular motions. He dipped between the folds of her pussy and thrust one long finger deep inside her.

Taimi’s body clenched, and her hips bucked. “Jaren, please.”

He massaged her breast, squeezing and releasing, using his thumb to tease similar circles around her nipple. He slid a second finger into her body. It wasn’t enough.

She wriggled her hips. The thick length of him slipped and slid against her flesh, evading her attempts to capture it. She tried to reach between them, but he withdrew his fingers to catch her by the wrist. “If you touch me, this will be over in no time.”

“But—”

“You’re not ready.”

“I am!”

“You’re still tender.” He nuzzled his face into her neck, and she turned to kiss him on the mouth. They tangled tongues, the kiss turning into the ancient, erotic play that mimicked what she wished he would do to her with his cock.

Taimi drew her mouth away. “I want you inside me.”

She heard his quick, indrawn breath, and his heartbeat thundered against her back. Jaren pressed a kiss to her forehead, her cheek. “I don’t want to hurt you again.”

“You won’t.” She squirmed.

He gently pushed her forward, and she grasped the edge of the tub to support herself. He clamped his big hands on her hips. Began to enter her from behind, his motions slow and deliberate. Letting her feel every inch, every detail of his thick, hard cock.

It felt different like this. In this position, he seemed to drive in even deeper than before. He paused, buried to the hilt inside her, sliding one hand forward to find her clit.

Pleasure hit hard and fast, spiking into an overwhelming wave.

She screamed as she felt her pussy clenching at his thick, invading cock. He continued to hold still, riding out her orgasm as she shuddered and writhed helplessly in his arms. “That’s it,” he whispered and finally began to move. Punctuated his next words with deliberate thrusts. “Come for me. Just. Like. That.”

The orgasm slowly subsided, but it wasn’t enough. She wanted to give
him
pleasure too. “More. Please.”

“Easy, sweet.” He guided her erratic motions to match his slow, deliberate pace. “This isn’t a race.”

“Jaren…”

“Damn, you feel so good. So tight and wet.” He flicked the nub between her legs again, sending a shock of fresh sensation racing through her. Teased the slick flesh stretched around his thickness. “So hot. You’re close again. Aren’t you?”