[The Onic Empire 03] - Sinful Harvest (21 page)

Kerrick remained silent.

Without looking at him, she grabbed the nightshift her servant had left at the foot of her bed. Keeping her back to Ker-rick, she undressed, slipped the simple
astle
dress over her head, and then crawled between the sheets. She should have washed her teeth and her face first, but she didn’t think one night would cause any damage.

Kerrick hadn’t made a sound.

Finally, she braved a look at him. He stood very still near the foot of her bed, his attention on the floor. His shoulders slumped and his hair hung over his eyes, obscuring his gaze. To her shock, his cock was still hard, pressing against the front of his plain brown trousers. How, after everything that had happened, could he still be aroused? The tears she thought suppressed returned when she realized the truth. “If you want to go to her now—”

“I don’t want Bithia.” He cut her off but kept his voice very low, controlled, but clearly full of fury. “I want you.”

A shiver of fear ran down her spine. She couldn’t see his eyes, so she didn’t know if Tavarus had come. Her gaze darted to the door of the basin; he might not be able to bash his way in there. Slowly, Ariss slid across the slippery fabric of her bed, making her way toward the promise of safety. On the edge, ready to fling the covers back and run, Kerrick lifted his head, his green-eyed gaze pinning her.

He took a step toward her and winced when she flinched
back. “That’s how it will always be.” Flicking his hair out of his face, he said, “You’re always going to think it’s him. You say that you want me, but you’re terrified of him. And I have no control over when he’s in me.”

Ariss swallowed hard, not sure how to react. He wasn’t yelling or screaming, just standing and vibrating a terrifying fury. Worse, he was right. As soon as she had bound him, she relaxed, because she thought that if Tavarus came, he would not be able to harm her.

Even now, as he stood there, hurt by her fear, she was too afraid to go to him, because at any moment, the god could possess him, turning him into a lustful monster. She thought she trusted him, and she did trust Kerrick implicitly. What she couldn’t trust was when the god would fill him with his greedy desire. Tavarus had destroyed something precious and rare. She hated him all the more.

Uncomfortable with the discovery, Ariss whispered, “What are we to do?” Without even thinking, she glanced down at his crotch. She couldn’t believe he was still aroused.

Kerrick caught the direction of her gaze, looked down, then back at her. “For the love of—it’s not me, it’s that damn drink Bithia gave me.” Defensively, he adjusted his penis. “I stopped being aroused a long time ago.”

Taken aback by the realization, Ariss asked, “Bithia gave you an aphrodisiac?”

He nodded miserably.

Jealousy surged. Bithia might be the empress, but she was going to have to learn to keep her gluttonous fingers off Ker-rick. Still, Ariss could understand why any woman would want him. Kerrick was magnificent. Golden hair, his compelling eyes, and the fact that he was practically a wall of muscle, combined with his humor and a sharp intellect made him a most intriguing man. Not to mention his other more prominent assets. Ariss did her best not to laugh, but she couldn’t help herself.

Kerrick’s head swiveled toward her, shock lifting his brows almost to his hairline. “You think that’s funny?”

“I’ve been thinking she excited you, that all the things she was talking about aroused you, and that … well …” Unable to continue, she trailed off, shaking her head.

Chuckling softly, Kerrick sat down on the edge of her bed. “It seems we have been at cross-purposes most of this evening.”

They sat in companionable silence for a long time. Kerrick reached his hand toward her. Tentatively, Ariss reached her hand out to him. They met in the middle, clasping each other’s hand gently.

“I’m sorry,” Ariss whispered.

“Me too,” Kerrick said, turning her hand over and rubbing his fingers between hers.

“What are we going to do?” She’d already asked, but she asked again, knowing there really wasn’t an answer. Not a simple answer, anyway.

“I don’t know.” Kerrick flopped back on the bed, his golden hair falling back from his face, exposing the intensity of his green eyes. Even in the low light, they glowed. “All I know is we can’t continue like this.” Turning his head to fasten his gaze on her, he added, “I don’t want you to be afraid of me.”

“I’m not afraid of you, but of him.”

“I know. That’s what I mean. That fear in your eyes causes my stomach to clench in revulsion.” He shivered. “I’ve never had a woman fear me. It’s not at all arousing.” Lowering his brows ominously, he lifted his head to glare down at his erection. “My current state notwithstanding.”

“My father says fear is the only way to make people do as you wish.” She had no idea why she chose to share that information with Kerrick. Her father was long gone from her life now. She doubted he would ever wish to see her again. “He used intimidation on his workers, his family, everyone.”

“And as soon as he wasn’t looking …”

“They all turned on him.” Ariss darted her gaze to the closet, even though she’d ordered the silver dress returned to Ambo. “My father worked out a deal with Ambo to make me the Harvester. I was supposed to select Ambo as my bond-mate.”

Kerrick grimaced, but he exhibited no surprise. At her look of confusion, he confided, “Chur told me when I was in the
gannett.
He offered me a choice: I could leave and suffer no repercussions, or I could stay and protect you from Ambo.”

“And you chose to stay?” It seemed she was forever on the verge of tears lately, but no matter what she did, she couldn’t stop them now. He’d had a chance to leave, to go back to the wild, exciting life he’d left behind, and he’d chosen to stay. To be with her. Touched so deeply by his selfless act, Ariss moved across the bed, lowered her lips to his, and kissed him.

With her hand still entwined in his, he lifted his free hand to her head, teasing his fingers through her hair, holding her head softly as he kissed her back.

Long, deep, from sweet to passionate, they stayed on her bed kissing until her tears abated. In those moments, she had no fear that Tavarus would come. She was utterly alone, and completely safe, with Kerrick.

Letting go her hand, Kerrick rolled her over so they lay side by side. Cupping her chin, he kissed her again, and again, parting her lips with the press of his tongue while he wiped her tears away with his fingertips. He kissed her in every way a man could kiss a woman. Accepting, penetrating, giving and taking in such a way she knew they’d reached a new and remarkable moment in their relationship. He wasn’t trying to command her. She wasn’t trying to command him. They simply shared with each other. Each strove more for the pleasure of the other rather than their own. For the first time, she felt they were a team seeking mutual bliss.

“Tell me these are tears of joy.” His eyes penetrated into hers with gentle ease.

Unable to speak, she nodded, then whispered, “I can’t believe you stayed for me.”

“Oh, Ariss,” he rubbed his nose against hers. “How could I leave?”

Something in her broke free, spilling more tears that he wiped away.

“I was so angry at you.” He spoke softly without vehemence.

Her eyes went wide.

“When I had to kneel as your slave and give you tribute in the temple.” He shook his head. “In that moment, I hated you. I couldn’t believe I didn’t run as far and as fast as I could when I had the chance.” He sighed. “Before you I always ran. Whenever anything became too difficult, I left. But I realized I couldn’t leave you. Not just because of Ambo, but because”—he dropped his gaze momentarily, then lifted his eyes to hers—“because I wanted you.”

Ariss thought there was more to his reason, but she didn’t ask. Kerrick stood on the verge of revealing his heart. Pushing him would only make him withdraw.

“I wanted you, too.” Her voice broke. “I still do.”

A smile lifted up the edges of his mouth, infusing a beautiful light to his face. Never had he looked so handsome to her. “No more games.”

She shook her head. “No more playing.”

He shook his head. “Just you and I.”

Each moving forward, they met in the middle, pressing lips to lips, hand to hand, heart to heart. When his erection pressed into her belly, she felt only pleasure.

Kerrick teased his hand along her back, pulling her tightly against him, carefully easing the straps of her shift away from her shoulders. Once bared, he lowered his head, kissing from the edge of her shoulder to the sensitive spot on her neck.

Ariss purred back with a sigh, loving how he knew just where to touch and how to arouse her the most.

Nuzzling the area right below her ear, he trailed his fingers up, drawing the fabric of her dress up. Cool air caressed her thighs; then his hand dipped back to tease along her back, causing small bumps to wash along her flesh. Delicately, he teased his fingers along the split of her bottom, exerting just enough pressure to make her shiver in response.

Even though the fabrics they wore were not that heavy, Ariss felt they were entirely overdressed. As she tugged at the drawstring of his simple trousers, she realized he’d knotted the string. Her pulling only tightened the knot. Without a word, he lowered his hand to help her unfasten them, but he, too, met with resistance. After fumbling with them for several moments, she couldn’t take any more. Growling, she sat up, rolled him to his back, and then used her teeth to separate the knot.

Realizing suddenly that she knelt over him, gnawing her way into his pants, she glanced up. Kerrick watched with one brow drawn up in mild amusement. Together, they laughed. She continued to wrestle with the knot. Once she released the damn thing, she tossed back her hair triumphantly.

“In the future, I’ll refrain from knotting the string.”

“Yes.” Ariss gazed down at the two flaps. All she had to do was push them aside and he’d be bare to her. “Or we could find trousers without such a troublesome fastener.”

“I don’t know,” Kerrick said, stroking her hair. “I kinda like the way you bit your way into my pants.” Leaning up, he kissed her shoulder and whispered, “All greedy and frantic and desperate-like.”

A blush burned her cheeks, but she didn’t look away. Everything he said was true. “It’s been so long since I’ve been with you. With just you.” Running her finger along the exposed flesh of his hips, she added, “And you looked so stunning tonight.”

“Stunning?” He laughed.

“Stunningly handsome,” she amended. “Your hair glowed under the crystals, and I’ve never seen your eyes so bright.” Twirling her fingertip in a swirl of curly hair, she added, “I know brown is the color of slaves, but this particular shade makes you look like a god. No wonder Bithia wanted you. And I honestly don’t think she was the only woman tonight who did.” From the corner of her eye, Ariss had seen how the elite women, and some of the men, looked at Kerrick.

“I know.” His face crinkled up. “Freeaal! That sounded arrogant! What I meant was that I noticed them noticing. And I noticed you noticing.” Toying with the edge of her shift, he tugged the silken fabric up. “If we don’t remove this quickly, I might just have to gnaw my way into it.”

Grinning, Ariss pulled the shift up and tossed it off the bed. Kerrick’s gaze roamed over her body, pleasure lighting his face. Not content to just look, his hands followed along the same path. Everywhere he touched tingled. When she reached out to clasp his neck, her hands touched smooth, hot metal and she withdrew.

“Ignore it,” Kerrick said, wriggling his way out of his pants.

It wasn’t difficult to ignore the slave collar once he had his pants off. His cock stood proudly at attention in a dusting of golden hair. Ariss caressed the heavy shaft, working her fingers across the ridge, and right to that sweet spot below the head that always made him groan. When he did, she smiled, cupping him more firmly as they settled side by side.

K
errick lifted her leg over his hip, drawing Ariss close. When his cock nestled against the downy soft of her pubic hair, he thought he would die from the pleasure of it. He could have blamed his heightened senses on the aphrodisiac that Bithia gave him to drink, but he didn’t think that had anything to do with his reaction. Finally, Ariss was in his arms again. He’d come so close to telling her the truth, but he’d felt the collar around his neck and didn’t dare.

How could he tell her that he stayed because he loved her? His anger in the temple was because at that moment, humiliated and naked, he’d still loved her. In spite of everything, he knew that he would always love her. After hundreds of women, only Ariss embraced him for who and what he really was. She wasn’t enamored of the mythical man who surfed waves of fire, or the man who slid down an entire mountain on one flimsy piece of carved wood. She knew none of that. Even if she did, he didn’t think his outrageous stunts would impress her. Ariss wanted him. She wanted the man who couldn’t handle weapons until she showed him how. She wanted the man who knew a
thousand bedroom tricks but needed none of them with her. For the first time, he was
with
her. Not playing any kind of bedroom game, but honestly with her as she was with him.

At first, the intimacy alarmed him, because he felt she could look through his eyes and see right into his soul. Then he realized she wouldn’t use the truth she found there against him. Ariss had no desire to cause him any harm or to lord herself over him. That fear, that a woman would be his master, was what had always compelled him to hold the real truth, the very core of himself, back. Revealing himself completely to another was something he swore he would never do; yet, here he was, giving himself entirely to Ariss.

What pleased him most of all was that she did the same. She held nothing back as she lay on her side, facing him, embracing him with her body and soul. One look into her eyes told him the truth; she loved him, too. He even understood why she refrained from speaking those words. Just like him, she was afraid of Tavarus.

Kerrick pushed the image of the ruthless god away. He didn’t want him defiling this perfect moment. Ariss was in his arms. Warm, wet, and willing, she was with him. He wouldn’t let anything come between them now.

Ariss still had her hand wrapped around his shaft. Slowly, she guided him between her thighs. Once she held him firmly with her legs, she let go, lifting her hand to his hip, rocking him back and forth along the slickness of her sex.

Lowering his head, he nuzzled her nose. “I can’t even tell you how good you feel.” Her skin was so much softer than he remembered, almost as smooth as
astle.

Her laugh was light. “You don’t have to tell me, I feel the same way.”

Cupping her chin, he kissed her as they rocked together, teasing their bodies to create gentle friction. After every few strokes, Ariss would angle her hips, almost drawing him within,
but then his penis would skim by. Waiting for the moment of penetration drove him wild. He knew by the way her breath grew labored that she was only making both of them crazy with longing. When he looked into her eyes, he saw smoky intensity.

“You are the most wonderful lover I have ever known.”

He could see that she was going to immediately deny his claim, but something stopped her, perhaps the honesty in his expression. Whatever it was changed her mind, and she accepted his compliment with a smile and a soft kiss.

In this position, him on his side, her on her back with one leg over his hips, he was free to touch her everywhere, and he did. Everything from the nape of her neck to the swell of her bottom received caressing strokes. Cupping her breast, he twisted the nipple gently between forefinger and thumb, loving the way she arched her back, as if offering her breast to him. He lowered his head to taste and tease the bud with his mouth. Her sigh of contentment pleased him greatly.

Ariss splayed her fingers through his hair, holding his head, encouraging him with gentle pressure and subtle moans that drove him out of his mind. All the while, she continued to rock her hips, tracing the length of his erection with her sex. He’d never known a woman with such precise control over her hips. Ariss could finesse moments he swore were impossible. Just when he thought he couldn’t stand any more delay, she moved her hips in just such a way to bring the very tip of him to the entrance of her passage.

“Wait.” Holding her hip, he caused her to hesitate for just a moment, just until he could lift his head and look right into her eyes.

Ariss stared back at him with such longing, such beautiful yearning hunger, he thought no woman would ever be able to match her profound craving for him. His ego soared. He’d had women want him, but not like this. Not with Ariss’ ardent enthusiasm.
She didn’t care what color he wore or what hung around his neck. To Ariss, he was a man, her man, not a slave, or a plaything, or something to be bandied about in trade with the empress. He was hers and they belonged together. Carefully, keeping his gaze pinned to hers, his lips close enough to almost kiss, he penetrated.

Her mouth opened on a slight gasp, drawing air from his lungs, causing him to exhale in time, as if feeding her his breath. Slowly, inexorably, he slid deeper, feeling her passage give around the girth of his cock, feeling the way her body quivered with want and something akin to shock at his invasion. No matter how slowly he went, he had to push his way in, which he found extremely exciting. He had to conquer. Lucky was he that Ariss not only let him, but also encouraged his triumph; she wanted him inside. Lifting her leg a bit higher on his hip loosened her entrance, giving him permission to press deeper, which he did. Now she gave him breath as he gasped at the enveloping heat of her. If he didn’t distract himself, he would lose what little control he had left. Ariss didn’t help matters by whispering about how hard and thick he felt inside her, and how she wanted to feel all of him sliding into her at once.

He lifted her other leg up, angling her legs over his hip with her on her back. He pressed his hand along the top of her hip, holding her steady, making her wait for him to catch his breath.

“Kerrick.” She called his name with a breathless plea.

He answered with a roll of his hips.

“Oh, yes.” Her head went back.

Angling himself above her, he slid his arm under her neck, supporting her head, so that he could kiss her deeply. “Say my name again.”

She did, whisper-begging his name as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, holding on to him. From her lips, his name sounded musical. Softly, she continued chanting his name in time to the rolling twists of his hips. Sliding his hand down
from her face to her breast, he teased both nipples into tight peaks, then moved on to her waist, pressing hard so as not to tickle her, then down to her hip where he held her for a series of deeper plunges. Then, teasingly light and slow, he lowered his hand to the juncture of her thighs.

Ariss curved her body, as if to lift her hips to his hand, but he would not be rushed. Twirling his fingertips in her curls, he explored the triangle of hair above her sex. Tugging lightly elicited groans and growls, causing her to clench around his shaft. With his attention on his hand, he didn’t notice that Ariss had reached out until she playfully tweaked his nipple, causing him to rock forward, forcing him to plunge all the way to the base of his cock.

Ariss exhaled in a sharp burst and then repeated the motion on his other nipple, eliciting the same thrust. Most Diolan women avoided touching him there, which was a shame, as his nipples linked directly to his pelvis. Fearless in her exploration, Ariss touched him everywhere, heedless of any societal semi-taboo rules. Once she realized the link between his nipples and hips, she couldn’t get enough of twisting them.

“Is that what you want?” he asked, thrusting deeply with a quick flick of his hips.

Languorously, she nodded, then tweaked his nipples with both hands. Her wanton smile when he involuntarily thrust said it all.

Working one finger down between her thighs, he teased his digit against her straining little clit, then pumped in sharp bursts. Rocking her back and forth, he lowered his finger, pressing it alongside his penis, stretching her even further as his thumb smoothed wide, sweeping arcs along her tender clit.

Breathing raggedly, Ariss squirmed, each circle of her hips moving in a syncopated rhythm to his. When she hovered on the verge of a shattering orgasm, he changed the beat, throwing her off her tempo, bringing her higher.

Watching her face, his attention on her eyes, he marveled as her pupils dilated and her breath grew erratic. Knowing that a potent orgasm grew within her, Kerrick felt the inevitable rising up through his body. His breathing mimicked hers, each breath more labored as they moved relentlessly toward the final release. He’d been waiting two cycles for this moment and suspected she had, too. When the climax came, it would be profound. Moving within her, feeling her, taking her with him, Kerrick allowed his awareness to deepen until he felt every bit of his flesh pressed to hers.

His climax came first, a jetting tide that literally took his breath away as he plunged so deeply into her he dislodged his hand. Ariss’ eyes went wide with panic, for he’d lost the beat of his thumb across her clit.

Fumbling, he lifted her left leg up high and pressed the other low. Parting her thighs allowed him to keep his cock plunged deep while he worked his thumb across her clit in a fast, steady beat, desperate to bring her back to that moment right before orgasm.

Alarm faded as her head nodded in time, encouraging him, catching her back up to the edge. When she tumbled over, such blissful joy filled her face he almost came again. Her cunt spasmed around his cock, holding him so snuggly he could feel each distinctive texture within her luscious sex.

Waves of pleasure washed over her, spilling into him, causing him to clutch madly at her hips to hold her tight. Ariss grasped his back, pulling him onto her, snuggling her body as tight to his as she could. His lips found hers and he kissed her as if he took life from her mouth. Again and again, she clenched around him, drawing him so deeply within he felt he was a part of her. In this moment, they were no longer separate beings, but one.

Cradling her in his arms, he lifted up to see her face. Peace suffused her features. Blissful, beautiful serenity glowed from
her eyes. A delicate sheen of perspiration flushed her face, and when he breathed deeply, the fragrance of sweet
valasta
filled the air around her.

“I could lose myself in your scent.”

Dreamily, she blinked up at him. “I’m not wearing any perfume.”

“I know.” Tracing his fingertip from her ear to her neck caused her to shiver. “You always smell like
valasta
to me.” He wrapped the bedcover around them and she snuggled into his embrace.

“You always smell of the sky to me.” She smiled up at him. “I know that sounds strange, but your scent is like air, like if flying had a fragrance, you had captured it somehow.”

The notion made him echo her smile. “I always did like to fly.”

Her smile faded. “And now you’re stuck here.” Her gaze fell on the slave collar.

“Ariss, don’t.” He cupped her face, forcing her to look away from his neck. “For now, forget all of it, everything. Just be here with me.” Soon enough they would have to return to their respective roles, and all the rules and restrictions they operated under, but for now, they could lie here and pretend.

With a nod, she kissed him. “I love the way you look when you climax. Every time there is this stunned amazement, as if you thought it would never happen again.”

“Truly?” He’d never seen himself in the throes of passion. The few times he’d been with a woman and a mirror, he’d been too busy looking at her to check out himself. “Maybe the amazement is that I’m stunned to be with a beautiful woman like you.”

“Flatterer.”

“It’s not flattery if it’s true.” He meant what he said. Ariss was beautiful. All the other women he’d ever known paled in comparison.

“Wait until I grow large.” She patted her hand to her still-flat belly. A frown twisted her face. “How long can we—I mean, before it hurts the baby?” Before he could answer, she asked, “How can we even—without smashing the baby?”

He placed his hand atop hers, rubbing the back of her hand and her stomach. “We can do this for a long time.” Rolling her over so that he embraced her from behind, he curled up against her. “See? This way, there’s room for the baby.” He patted the empty bed before her belly.

“And how do you know all this?” She turned her head, looking at him over her shoulder. “Have you been with a pregnant woman?”

“Once.” He thought back to that time with Nomi.

“You have a child?” The bottom fell out of her voice as she twisted in his embrace.

“No, no,” he kissed the nape of her neck, settling her. “Another man did the deed, then left. Nomi was convinced no man would ever find her attractive again. I convinced her otherwise.”

“Will you still want me when I’m huge?”

“Absolutely.” He actually found the prospect of making love to Ariss while she was large with his child unbelievably arousing. With his mouth to her ear, he whispered, “Your breasts will be full and wonderfully sensitive.” He teased the barest brush of his fingertips over the tips, springing them to life. “Every little touch will seem amplified. And your belly”—he slid his hand down to toy with her belly button—“will be round and proud, carrying life.” He sighed. “We will have to be languid and slow, terribly tender and careful of the life within. How could I not find you attractive that way?”

She didn’t speak for a long moment and he realized she was crying softly. He didn’t worry over her rapidly changing emotions. Nomi had been awhirl of swift mental states from anger to sadness to unbearable giddiness. Kerrick wrapped Ariss
tightly in his arms, rubbing his cheek against hers, murmuring endearments.

Ariss seemed on the verge of saying something, but forcefully held herself back, and he wondered if she’d been about to confess the truth of her heart. He absolutely understood why she didn’t; he couldn’t either.