The Taming of Taylon (2 page)

Chapter Two

Bracken walked to his room, satisfied that the last of his people had finally chosen from the remaining females. The task gave him time to contemplate exactly how he would deal with the young one waiting for him. How did he deal with one he could not control?

When he opened the door to his chamber the rank sweat and dirt assaulted him. Scanning the room, he found the woman sitting on a bench in the corner, staring at the night’s sky through the lone window. She looked completely out of place with the opulence of the room. Silk coverings and luscious furs spanned the bed. Colorful animal skins lined the floor leading to his bed. Intricate tapestries covered the stone walls. And then there was Taylon, a dirty huddled mass sitting as far away from his bed as possible. As he stood watching her, small tendrils of her enticing scent slipped through the other odors.

“Why have you not been cleaned?” His voice echoed through the silence.

“Because I did not feel like taking a bath.”

“I do not lie with filth.”

“Neither do I,” came her quick reply.

He sucked in a breath at the insult. So, this one had claws? Well, if she thought to dissuade him by refusing to bathe, she was in for a shock. Her stunt only strengthened his determination to bring her to heel. If that meant bathing her himself, so be it. “You will follow me.” He ground out through gritted teeth.

“No, I won’t. I don’t --”

Her unfinished words turned into a grunt as he tossed her over his shoulder.

“What do you think you’re --”

He brought his hand down hard on her ass cheek, igniting a stinging sensation in his palm. “I have allowed you much. I would not tolerate such disobedience from my most trusted allies. You will obey me or you will be punished.”

Truth be told she’d done enough to earn a lifetime of punishment. So why was he so slow in doling it out?

* * *

Punished. The word zipped through Taylon’s head. From anyone else she would have laughed at the speech. But he was king here. A law unto himself. She’d just seen him almost kill another of his kind. Seen him come close to breaking the most sacred of their laws. So what would he care about killing her?

That was one of the dangers when you hopped from planet to planet. Not all planets kept their gates up. Many forgot about them altogether. That was why she always did her research. She and Kylie both knew the risk. They’d already been on this planet for six months. Six months of running and hiding, and trying their damnedest to find another gate.

When Bracken stopped, her heart paused before taking off again at breakneck speed. He grasped the back of her thighs as he lowered her to the smooth stone floor. A tingling sense of want flowed through her. Desire burst into a flame in the pit of her stomach and burned a course to her fingertips.

Get a hold of yourself
. She shook her head. He might be handsome, and he might have a body straight out of a dream, but he was a jerk.

This bath was going to happen. The realization hit about the same time as the rush of apprehension that hit her squarely in the gut. She might be a virgin, but she knew what could happen between a man and a woman. “Fine. I’ll bathe if you take off.”

A seductive smile lit his face showcasing perfect white teeth. “It’s too late for that. I mean to see the job done to my satisfaction.”

Taylon warred with herself, determined not to show the yearning racing through her. Only the tiniest of shivers made it past her defenses. Him give her a bath? His hands roving all over her body? No way. Not if she could help it.

Looking up from the floor she found herself staring at the tawny perfection of his chest. Her breath caught in her throat. She choked on a cough as she pulled in air. What was wrong with her? It wasn’t like she’d never seen a shirtless man before.

Not like this
. Gritting her teeth she tried to think of something to say. Anything to get him to stop before he removed his pants.

She opened her mouth, not sure what might come out. But her tongue lay lifeless. Hell and double hell. She watched as he undid the ties at the top of his pants exposing more flat tanned skin.

Look away. Look away
. Taylon turned her head, but not before she saw the beginnings of onyx hair. Would it be silky like the hair on his head? Or would it be --

What was she doing? Behaving like one of those simple-minded women from the gathering, that’s what. She didn’t want him. She couldn’t want him.

“Hope you enjoyed the show.”

Glancing down, she found him immersed waist high in the pool of swirling green water. The water reached his nipples. Taylon watched as they changed from flat discs to slightly protruding pebbles. She felt her own nipples harden in response.

“Now it’s your turn.”

Flames raced up her face. Damn him. Was he kidding? Surely he didn’t expect her to strip down.

“Must I leave this pool? I will undress you myself. And that is only the beginning.”

He meant it. She had no doubt about that. Taylon stared at the floor in front of her. She had two choices. Strip or run for it. Making her choice quickly, she turned her back to him and bent to remove her slippers. His audible intake of breath was her signal. She inhaled deeply and bolted for the door.

Thousands of glints of light reflected off the walls. Water rushed the edge of the pool beside her as she heard his feet hit the concrete floor. He was right behind her. But he was too late. Closing her hands around the handle, she pulled hard, opening the door just wide enough for her to slip through.

Honey amber eyes stopped her in her tracks. She’d known those eyes for over ten years. Her sister in everything but blood stared at her.

What was Kylie doing here? She had almost two years before she reached the age of maturity. The creatures’ side of the mountain was off limits to all except those women attending the Gathering.

“You are lucky you stopped. Had you had left this room your punishment would have been severe.” His voice shook her out of her stupor.

If he opened the door any wider he would surely see Kylie. What would he do? Did she really want to find out? Taylon stared at her sister, silently imploring her to leave this place. She felt the door slip from her grasp as Bracken shut it, cutting her off from Kylie’s worried gaze.

“You will get in the water, if I have to throw you in.”

Shaking her head, Taylon followed Bracken back to the edge of the bathing pool. He had her. She needed to keep him in this room long enough for Kylie to escape.
Please let her get away without running into any of the other males
. Taylon shuddered at the thought of what would happen if Kylie ran into one like Rriodan.

How could she stay and let him use her?

Use? Hell, his barest touch sent her blood rushing. Thoughts of him touching her in places that had only known the feel of her own hands rekindled the fire burning from betwixt her legs.

No. She would not give in to the feelings he inspired.

When he bid her to stop, she folded her arms beneath her breast. She bunched the fabric up underneath her hands, grasping it as if it were the coarse material she was used to.

Taylon stared at a crack on the floor, refusing to let him see her humiliated face. She’d never undressed for a man before. If he wanted her to remove the stupid scrap of a dress, then fine.

His hands stopped her. “You had your chance. Now I will undress you.”

Her gaze flew up to meet the storm raging in his eyes. His threat rushed to the forefront of her mind. Damn. Time to stop thinking about Kylie. Real danger was here, standing right in front of her. He waited in front of her, his hands still clasping hers. His thumbs drew lazy circles on her skin.

“I don’t need your help.” She struggled to pull her hands from beneath his warm grasp.

“Then you should have done as I told you to.”

She did not want his hands on her, drowning out all rational thought. But she refused to beg to undress herself. She had more pride than that. Instead she lifted her arms and waited.

Bracken left her in her stone stance while he examined her. Looking at the pert nose and the firm set of her mouth, he admitted she was passably pretty. Several of the women at the Gathering were more beautiful. But her lithe form made up for any perceived shortcomings.

Her shift did little to hide her assets. The white silk outlined high breasts that would more than fill his hands, and her rounded hips. Hell, if he’d spent less time concentrating on that ass he would not have almost been disgraced. Several of his enemies would view it as a weakness that a lone female could escape him. No matter, he had her now.

Bracken walked behind her, grabbed her dress from the sides and pulled it up over her head. Tossing the garment aside, he peered over her shoulder at her dark rose nipples. The urge to touch her raced through him, scorching him to his fingertips. The beast roamed just beneath the surface. She needed to be cleaned before he lost what little control he maintained.

Bracken let his hands skim the outside of her thighs and trace a path up to her waist.
Take her. Take her
. The beast cared not about her thin coating of dirt and sweat. Using the last of his control he pulled her into the circle of his arms. The satin feel of her burned like fire licking at his skin. Lifting her up, he took a few steps and dropped her into the water.

Chapter Three

Taylon broke the surface, sputtering, water bobbing at her neck. Good thing she could swim. Damned beast. How dare he drop her in the pool like a sack of trash?

Turning all the way around she searched the green reflections in the liquid surface for him. The water beat a constant pulse against the edges of the pool. He had to be beneath the surface. Staring at the dissipating ripples, her heart stilled. Had he drowned? Could a Changeling drown? Maybe he changed into a fish or some other water dwelling animal. He still had to come up for air eventually, didn’t he?

Something seized her ankle, attempting to pull her under the water. What the hell? She kicked hard, connecting with flesh. It was hard and substantial. She kicked harder until her feet slipped out from beneath her. Standing, she wiped her hair out of her face and turned to find him several feet away.

“Calm down, I just wanted to make sure you’re clean.”

His laughing voice grated on her. “I can wash myself.” She crossed her arms in front of her breasts. “Just give me the soap.”

“You are being cleansed as we speak. The water has restorative powers.”

“Well, in that case, you don’t need to supervise it, do you? You can leave.”

He stalked toward her. “I don’t think so.”

Taylon didn’t wait for him to get any closer. She dove into the water, pushing off hard. She willed herself to reach the wall before he caught her. His hands skimmed her ankles. She kicked out at him. Just a little further. The feel of his hands touching her thighs made her stomach plummet.

A small part of her wanted to just give up. Find out exactly what he wanted from her. No. She was not a quick fuck. The thought of him viewing her as such gave her the needed strength to reach the edge. Throwing her arms over the concrete she tried to pull herself out of the pool. Water sloshed against her back as he broke the surface of the water. He grabbed her legs and twisted hard. Taylon held tight, determined to get out of the pool. He twisted a second time, effectively flipping her over.

Propping herself up on her elbows, she felt the edge of the concrete digging into her back. The tension of holding herself up made her straining muscles shake. Stretching her arms out she relaxed and let herself float in the water. She looked down. Her breasts were totally exposed to him. They bobbed slightly as the water lapped at her nipples.

She squeezed her legs closed. Tried to lock him out. He moved forward, barely even responding to her resistance. When he passed her knees she stopped trying to shut her legs. To do so now would just pull him closer.

This could not be happening. There had to be a way out.
Think. Think
. She had to ignore the flames spreading along her skin as he brushed against her legs. The wetness between her thighs burned hotter than the water.

She had lost. Hell, it hadn’t even been a fight. Since he’d gotten her into this room he’d had the upper hand. Her body no longer obeyed her commands. Her only hope of clinging to a tiny bit of dignity would be to hold herself aloof. He might be in control of her body but her mind would remain untouched.

She refused to look at him. She would stare at the ceiling and pretend she was at home tending the animals or maybe hunting for dinner. She lolled her head back on the hard stone edge. Closing her eyes she pictured her small home. Whatever he did she would be unaffected.

Taylon fought hard not to jump as his finger skimmed across the hair covering her pussy. When his fingers moved to open the lips to expose her clit, she closed her legs, pulling him closer.

“That’s good. Wrap your legs around me.”

She’d done it without thinking. She could feel him moving in the water. Feel its cooling balm against her burning sex. He didn’t touch her anywhere else. She knew he was staring at her pussy, splayed open for his eyes.

Don’t look at him. Just stare at the ceiling
. He was waiting for her to look at him. She knew it, but could not stop from bending her head, letting her eyes feast on him. He stared at her from just above her triangle. His face hovered so close she could feel the warm air from every breath he exhaled.

“Hold onto the edge.”

She opened her mouth to ask him why when she felt the first stroke of his tongue. He lapped along one side of her pussy lips and down the other. Her breathing hitched at the new sensation. There was no way she could ignore that.

Jerking up hard, she tried to pull her body away from him. He just moved forward and pulled her closer to his mouth. His tongue roamed over the sensitive skin again and again until the only air she managed to inhale was small puffs. His tongue began a gentle motion going in an ever-tightening circle around her clit. When he actually reached it, he flicked across it several times before starting the whole spiraling torture again.

The maddening strokes of his tongue burned her skin. She wanted to touch him, close her fingers around his jutting shaft. She curled her hands into fists and dug her fingernails into the palms of her hands. Moan after moan escaped her, bouncing off the walls, creating a chorus of sounds. Taylon moved her head from side to side as the need to ride down hard on his tongue built inside her.

The gyration of her hips told Bracken she was close. A little bit more and he would be treated with the sweet taste of her release. He swirled his tongue around her opening before thrusting deep inside her nether lips.

Her body jerked upward. He held on tight and was rewarded with her juices upon his lips. The liquid flowed from her, coating his tongue and drugging his senses. He moved his tongue quickly, trying to catch every single drop. As the rush of liquid turned to a trickle, the taste of her went from bursting with energy to a dim memory of its initial potency.

Damn. In his rush to taste her he forgot to actually feed. A slow smile spread across his lips. He stood to his full height. His eyes bore into her, waiting for her to open her lids. “Do you think you can do that again?”

Taylon’s eyes flew open. Again? Was he kidding? She’d almost died the first time. “I… I don’t think so.” She cringed at the uncertainty in her voice. She should have just said no.

“I think you can.”

“No. I can’t.” Better. There was more force behind her voice. Not much more, but it was all she could muster.

“Let us see, little one.”

Taylon sucked in a breath as he ducked his head down between her legs. She closed her eyes against the coming onslaught. The first flutter of his tongue set off a burst of tiny lights behind her eyelids. Her super sensitized folds spasmed as his tongue lightly teased each piece of exposed flesh. Fire between her legs caused more juices to coat her aching pussy.

Taylon caught her breath. Her body must finally be used to his velvety rough stokes. His lips settled over her clit and he began to suckle the engorged bud. Lightning bolts of pleasure shot through her. He increased his suctioning at her every sound. Her heart hammered out of control. She couldn’t drag in enough air. Her head swam with the need for oxygen. She was going to pass out. She gave up trying to pull in enough breath to calm her thundering heartbeat, and instead concentrated on staying conscious.

All thoughts of resisting or pretending to be unaffected deserted her. She tightened her thighs around his head, pulling him in closer. She was pushing him deeper, giving him more access, making him suck harder. The sound of the water hitting the edge of the bath echoed the sound of her blood rushing through her ears. She was going to explode.

A bit more pressure and he would send her over the edge. He pushed one of his fingers inside her slick center as he sucked on her clit.

The cool air hit her clit as she felt her body explode again. The pulsing spasms of the walls of her pussy pumped pleasure throughout her blood. She felt a slight ache in her thigh.

Looking down she saw him sink his fangs deep into the muscles of her leg. Another wave of euphoria hit her. She should have been in pain, but could only feel blinding pleasure, radiating from where he latched onto her thigh. The spasms of her pussy intensified. She was drowning in pleasure. She would never be able to walk again.

He lifted her out of the pool. She opened her eyes, her sexual haze slowly lifting.

“Can you come for me one more time?” he purred into her ear.

Taylon opened her mouth, closed it and opened it again. Nothing came out. She shook her head.

“Do it again.” His words sounded less like a question and more like a warning. No way could she take more of his particular brand of torture.

Hell, she was too tired to resist. Taylon closed her eyes and waited for him to begin. The first indication that this would be different than before was his weight pressing down on her. Her eyes snapped open and she found herself staring into golden ones. Eyes so filled with desire her pussy wept for him. He’d given her pleasure twice while taking none for himself. Did that mean this time was for him?

“This will only hurt for a bit.”

“Hurt?” Taylon barely whispered the word when a searing pain gripped her. The discomfort pulled her back to reality. She was lying on the cold floor with him on top of her. Gulping several times she tamped down her scream. She’d willingly submitted herself to this abuse. Her muscles stiffened with protest at each move.

“It won’t hurt anymore,” his strained voice whispered to her.

“You’re right, because you’re going to get the hell off me.”

He sucked in an audible breath and closed his eyes.

What was he waiting on? “Did you hear me?” She hit him repeatedly. “Get the fuck off.” She bucked beneath him.

“Don’t do that.” He grunted, holding down her arms.

He pressed his body weight down on her until she couldn’t move. She clenched her inner muscles and tried to push him out.

He growled low in her ear and sank fully into her.

A low burning started from her pussy and spread up to her fingers and down to her toes. “You fed, now get off me, you damned beast.”

The lids of his eyes lowered into tiny slits. She felt his knife-like gaze slicing through her. He slowly pulled out until naught but the very tip of him remained inside. “Be careful, little girl. You have no idea what you are fucking… with,” he said before pushing deep inside her again.

His predatory grin stilled her more than anything else. Something had changed. She watched his eyes transform right in front of her. The iris shifted from one circle encasing another to elongated discs. The molten gold deepened to a burning red. Those were the eyes of the beast who had almost killed that very evening. A sliver of desire tinged with fear raced through her. She wasn’t making love to the man anymore.

He bent down and ran a rough tongue across one of her nipples before he latched onto it. Her breath caught in a rush of pleasure. He rubbed it, pushed it until it perked up into a tight bead.

“I knew all you needed was a good fucking.” He moved from one nipple to the other.

Jerk. Bastard
. Beast.

“What I need is for you to get the fuck up.” Small intakes of breath between each word betrayed her excitement. She licked her parched lips. She could feel the walls of her pussy clamp down on him with every thrust.

He let go of her nipple and reared over her. He pushed his cock in and out at a maddeningly slow pace. Feelings of pain were forgotten, replaced by a distinct sensation of being filled to brimming one second and bereft the next. The hard strokes made her crave each new pounding of his skin against hers. If only he would speed up. Taylon grasped his ass and squeezed hard. She pulled at him when he withdrew from her, but he refused to alter his pace.

“No. This beast is in control. You will beg for me. You will beg this filthy beast to fuck you.”

Never
. His words should have frightened her. They should have doused her desire. He pounded into her again, pushing her thoughts to the side. A low moan escaped her pursed lips, and he started pumping in and out faster. The suctioning sound of his sweaty body pumping, sticking, and releasing hers echoed through the room.

The tension in her legs and pussy grew stronger. Her legs quivered and she could feel the walls of her pussy pulse in tune with the uncontrolled beat of her heart. Each thrust pushed her closer. Each pull on a nipple, each swirl of his tongue on her pushed her to the brink.

He pulled out of her until she felt the tip of his dick touching her slick lips. He pushed the head back inside and stopped. “Are you ready to beg?”

Taylon clamped down hard on her tongue, determined not to give him that satisfaction.

“You will beg.” In one stroke he pushed himself so deep she felt the hairs at the base of his shaft tickle the lips of her pussy. He pulled out only to slam back inside her with the same force.

Taylon lost her hold on her tongue and bit down hard on her bottom lip, afraid she could no longer deny the urge to give him what he wanted.

He pumped her until she was sure permanent teeth marks etched the skin just below her bottom lip. He pushed inside her so far and so fast she lost track of what he wanted her to say. She just wanted him to let her end this delicious ride. She wanted to explode all over him. She deserved it. She’d earned it.