Kept: An Erotic Anthology (45 page)

Still, there was no way I was stripping in front of him. I straightened my shoulders and pulled up all the courage I had. “No one is here judging my obedience. I don’t have to do what you say.”

He didn’t bat an eye at my challenge. “Think of it as practice, lass. No’ to mention, it’ll be fun.”

“Fun?” I snorted. Clearly his hobbies and mine differed greatly.

“Why no’ embrace the role fully, Maggie?” He stalked toward me, quiet but lethal. “You might find you like it.”

Now that was too close to the truth. I took a few steps back to keep a distance as he moved toward me. I steadied my knees and gave myself a pep talk.

Do not remember how his hand felt in your hair. Don’t think about his breath next to your ear, whispering gruffly.

My legs hit something behind me. I turned to look. The bed.

Garbage. Think about taking out the garbage. My grandma in her underwear.

I grimaced.

“What are you thinkin’ about?” Baen asked. I could hear the laughter in his voice though I refused to look at him.

“My grandma’s underwear.”

His booming laugh startled me and I finally gazed up at him and scowled. “It’s your fault! You…affect me.”

Laughter faded and he leaned down so his face was just next to mine. The roughness of his beard tickled my cheek – warm and scratchy. A shiver slid down my spine. I’d slept with two men in my life yet I’d never felt such intimacy.

“Glad I’m no’ the only one,” he rasped in my ear.

I shuddered. Fuck. I was going to melt into a puddle on the floor if he didn’t stop this. Clearing my throat, I stepped away. “Baen…”

“You sure you don’t want to strip for me?”

Was I? I gave my head a shake. Of course I was sure. I barely knew him. My suddenly slutty libido didn’t care much about that but I pushed that bitch away. “I’m sure.”

“Suit yerself.” He sighed then brandished a wisp of fabric from his bag. “You’ll want to put this on though. You’ll be sweating in those jeans soon.” He tossed the article at me.

I caught it then shook it out to have a look. A skirt. It matched his kilt, but much…smaller. I looked it over, scrunching my nose.

“What?” he asked. “You don’t like it?”

“It’s fine but…there’s not much of it.”

His eyes lit up and he smirked. “Aye. That’s the best part.”

I couldn’t hold back a chuckle. Men! He was right about one thing though – it was getting hot in here. Too hot for long jeans. “Turn around. I’ll try it on.”

Grumbling, he turned. “A good slave would never make this request.”

I didn’t trust him for a second so as soon as I shimmied out of my jeans, I slipped on the skirt. It fit around my waist but it was short. Very short. Like, barely covering ass cheeks and girly bits short. I doubt I could bend over without giving a show. I stared down at my naked legs. “You’re lucky you caught me just after shaving day. In the winter I most often resemble a yeti.”

He laughed. “Around here women aren’t so prim. They grow fat and fur to keep warm when we travel out of the camp. None of this starving yerself shite, like I see in the states.”

“You wanna parade me around in this?” I yanked on the hem, futilely hoping it would produce more fabric. “Then no extra donuts for me.”

“No, lass.” His eyes darkened as he stared down at me. “That skirt is for me. Outside, you put your jeans back on.”

For him? He was taking this role way too seriously. We’d have to have a talk about it later. “Whatever you say, sir,” I said with an eye roll.

“That’s a good girl.” His smirk was grating. “I’m goin’ to go find T’rell. I’ll come back for you later. Stay here, understand?”

“Yes, sir.” I gave him a sarcastic salute.

“You’re lucky you’re no’ really mine, girl.” The threat in his voice made my stomach flutter.

What would he do if I was his? I considered, briefly, challenging him to find out. My curiosity was always getting me in trouble. That I was standing here in the first place was the perfect example.

With a sigh, I let my shoulders sag. “What should I do while you’re gone?”

He looked around then pointed to the bed. “Rest. What’s mine is yours. Just don’t leave the tent.”

I nodded then watched him leave, noting how graceful his walk was for such a large man. The muscles in his back rippled under his tanned skin. He looked like a bear but moved like a jaguar. The man was a sexy contradiction.

Once he was gone, and I was left with only my thoughts, I wandered around the tent. He didn’t keep much in terms of entertainment. It was late afternoon now, not exactly bed time, but the craziness of the day was starting to catch up to me. And since there was nothing left to do, I settled onto the bed. It was too warm to need covers so I laid on top of the quilt and thought about the situation I was in.

It still felt a bit like a dream. Wild stuff never happened to me. Adventures were for books and movies and always out of my grasp. Yet this was shaping up to be a bigger adventure than I could’ve dreamed.

I considered my captor. Well, I supposed he wasn’t my captor anymore, since I was here willingly. I did feel a sense of responsibility for dooming the world and all that. Fixing it was the right thing to do. Shit, it was the
only
thing to do – unless I wanted to fall victim to some evil alien race. Would they turn us all into robots? If I failed… Those thoughts took a depressing turn so I shut them out and went back to thinking about Baen.

My stomach was still all fluttery from earlier. Something about his presence, his confidence, got my libido going like nothing before. I’d had no idea I was attracted to that type of man – the dominant, take-charge kind. No wonder I never got off with my past boyfriends. They were cowards, bordering on verbally abusive. Why did I pick men like my father? Was it some kind of curse on my gender?

Though my feminist pride gnawed at me when he called me “girl” and ordered me around, I had to admit, my girly bits didn’t feel the same way. And the small pain when he held my hair, the control he had over me… Fuck. Now my clit was throbbing.

A wicked idea came to mind. He’d be gone a while, surely. And it’d been a long time since I’d touched myself. Maybe that was the distraction I needed. And maybe if I got off, I’d stop lusting after the stubborn man.

Feeling naughty, I snaked my hand between my legs. The skirt reminded me of his silly rules. Rules that made me hot even as part of me protested. Right now, I let it fuel my fantasy.

I moved the skirt out of the way and placed my fingers on my mound. As I touched myself, I pictured Baen holding my hair, only this time he kissed me. Hard, passionate, like he wanted me for real, not for pretend. Like he loved me.

He moved his mouth lower, down my neck then to my collar bone. He licked and nipped and kissed. Every time he used his teeth, I jumped and gave a squeak, which he thought was hilarious. Then he kissed down to my breasts. I was suddenly naked because, well, that was how fantasies worked. His teeth scraped against my nipples and I fought to get away from the intensity, but he moved his hand from my hair to my throat and held me still. Though he feasted on my flesh, roughly, there was always love in his eyes.

Ugh! Why was my fantasy getting all sappy? How pitiful.

I slipped my fingers under my panties and parted my lower lips. My clit was burning for attention. Spreading my moisture, I swirled a finger around it then groaned. In my mind, Baen flipped the fantasy version of me over – who was miraculously much hotter – then pinned me to the mattress with a hand on my lower back. He entered me, slowly, teasing while I squirmed.

“Beg for it, lass,” he said in his Scottish brogue.

My eyes fluttered closed and I bit down on my lip to keep quiet. Pleasure rose up and I concentrated on the fantasy. Faster, my fingers moved and the sensation coiled up like a spring, ready to burst any moment. I whimpered, moving my hips now, desperate for release.

“If I’d known there’d be a show, I’d never have left.”

My concentration faltered and my orgasm slipped from my grasp. That was a weird thing for fantasy-Baen to say.

Wait a minute.

I froze.

Fuck! That was real life! I shot up from the bed, humiliated and fuming. Baen stood just inside the door, grinning from ear to ear. His kilt was as tented as the tent I’d just almost orgasmed in.

“Oh my god!” My face burned so hot it hurt.
Kill me now.
Maybe I’d faint from embarrassment, hit my head and forget the whole thing. “Don’t you knock?”

He shrugged. “It’s my tent. Why should I have to knock?”

I stood frozen beside the bed, wanting to die but still feeling horny at the same time.

“Don’t be embarrassed, lass. That was the sexiest thing I’ve seen in a long time.” He took a step toward me. “I’m sorry I interrupted.”

I wanted to wipe his fucking sexy smirk off his face with my fist.

“Go on and finish. Pay me no mind.”

I shook my head. “Fuck no.” Why was my voice so husky? I couldn’t possibly be turned on by this. My clit was still pounding – now to the rhythm of my stupid frantic heart. Betrayed by my own body.

“You sure?” He took another step forward. “You look a little…tense.”

Anger mixed with humiliation and I went off. “Cause you fucking barged in on me and now you’re making fun of me.” Tears welled up but I blinked them back.
Don’t you dare cry, Maggie.

His face crumpled and he rushed to me, faster than I could back away. “No, lass. I’m no’ making fun.” He reached out and stroked my hair softly, sweetly. “I meant what I said. That was hot, but I’m sorry I watched without your knowledge. I just couldn’t help myself. You were so beautiful.”

Beautiful? Was he serious?

He gazed down at me, his hand resting on my shoulder now. Then he pulled me into his arms and…hugged me. How strange. Numbly, I rested my head on his chest. His skin was warm against my cheek. His heartbeat was comforting, despite my wild emotions. He gave me a squeeze and my tension melted. Exhaustion swept over me and I let myself go numb. It seemed like a better option than dying of embarrassment.

After a few moments, Baen set me away and said, “T’rell is gone to… He’s just gone. He’ll be back tomorrow. We’ll have to stay the night and wait.”

I nodded, feeling a bit suspicious. He was acting weird about this T’rell guy. Who was he?

I’d have to wait a while to find out. Baen had said the device turning off weakened the shield, not made it disappear. I just hoped aliens weren’t circling around earth now, hunting for brains to lobotomize, or whatever aliens did. I’d rather not know. My imagination was twisted enough.

What unsettled me more was staying the night in a tent with one bed. After the fantasy I’d just had…it was gonna be a long night.

“Maggie?”

“Huh?” I snapped my attention back to him.

“You hungry?”

Without my permission, my gaze slipped to his crotch.

“No’ for that, girl,” he said, chuckling.

My face heated again. My god, I must’ve looked like a slut. “I’m not…” I paused to clear my throat. Fuck me. Where was that pen thingy so I could transport myself to the edge of a cliff and jump? “I’m not usually like this.”

“Like what?”

“Like a slut. I’m not a slut.”

“I never thought that. All women have needs. I like a lusty woman.”

I shook my head. “I’m not lusty either. I don’t know what’s come over me. I just… I don’t even
like
sex most of the time.”

His brows shot up. “Don’t like sex? A beautiful thing like you? Now that’s a crime.”

“I don’t have a lot of experience.”

He groaned loudly, startling me, and rolled his head back. “You’re killin’ me, lass.”

“What?” I stepped back. “What did I do?”

With a heated gaze, he looked me over. “The things I could do to you…” he mumbled under his breath. “As if it weren’t hard enough to keep my hands off of you. And now you say you don’t have experience. You’re a
fooking
wet dream.”

I furrowed my brow in confusion. “Don’t men like girls who know what they’re doing? Like porn stars?”

He shrugged. “Some maybe. But no’ me.” One side of his mouth turned up in a crooked smile. “I’d love nothing more to corrupt your sweet innocent mind.”

I felt my eyes widen. And there went my throbbing clit again. He was just fueling my fantasies now. I told my libido to shut up. This was an alien-created, genetically-altered, mutated bear-man.
Not
boyfriend material. Not to mention, he looked like he’d tear me in two.

He chuckled. “You look worried.”

I gulped. A little. Okay, a lot. “I don’t want to… I’m not ready to…”

“I’m no’ going to force myself on you, lass. I prefer my partners willing. Even better, begging.” At my nod, he heaved a sigh then pointed to the door. “Come on. Let’s get you some food. You remember the rules?”

“Yes.”

“Yes, what?”

Oh. That again. I seriously had to get my head out of the clouds and back down to earth. Or wherever we were. “Yes, sir.”

“Good girl. Get your jeans back on.”

I did as he said, not bothering with modesty now. What was the point? He’d already seen me humping my own hand. I wasn’t hungry but getting out of the tent seemed like a good idea. What I really needed was a cold shower.

“I need to wash my hands,” I said, grimacing.

He walked to me and grabbed the hand I’d used on myself. Embarrassment renewed and I averted my gaze as he lifted my hand to his line of vision. To my surprise, he stuck the two fingers I’d used into his mouth and sucked them. I tried to pull away but he held me tight. His gaze held mine captive as his tongue moved up and down each finger.

Holy shit. I had no idea that could be so erotic. The sensation shot straight to my clit and I imagined his tongue doing that very same thing down there, swirling, lingering in just the right spot.

Get it together, Maggie!

I squeezed my eyes shut until he finished.

“There,” he said, dropping my hand. “All clean.”

What did someone say to that? I stuttered through a thank you and wiped my wet hand on my jeans. His chest rumbled in a deep chuckle then he made his way to the door. We left the tent and I walked shakily behind him, keeping my head down. All the better since I was probably blushing like crazy.