Vaaden Warriors 1: Rheul (4 page)

My hand caressed her hip and she pressed against me. It was encouraging, and I let my hand trail up her ribs until my hand gently cupped her breast. She gasped, but didn't pull away. My thumb stroked her nipple, making it pucker. The feel of her silken skin made me want her even more. It took everything in me not to take her right then. I caressed her, stroked her, touched her as tenderly as possible. My fingers skimmed down her side, past her hip to her thigh and back up. I caressed her jaw and cheek; I nuzzled her neck. My hand slid around her back, holding her to me. My cock ached to be inside her.

The soft mewling sounds she made nearly drove me crazy, but still I held back. My hand slipped between her legs and caressed her, delving between her curls and stroking her clit.

She was so hot and wet. I felt a shudder run through her as I circled and teased the hardened nub between her legs. Her 42

breath came out in pants, and a flush started creeping up her neck. As my thumb teased and tormented her, my fingers delved inside to stroke her. She whimpered and bucked against me, wanting more. I felt her growing hotter and wetter with each thrust. Within moments, she threw back her head and called out my name.

I grinned, immensely proud of myself. It was different pleasing Darcy than it was pleasing a harem slave, different because she was
mine
. I wanted her to know pleasure, and more importantly, I wanted to be the one giving it to her.

There was something satisfying about being the only man to give her an orgasm, to show her satisfaction unlike anything she'd experienced with a man before. Knowing that I had been the first to lie with her was both frightening and exciting, that for as long as I owned her I would remain the only man who would be with her. The loss of her virginity had been clumsy and painful for her. It was important to me that I rectify that horrible mistake. Her first time should have been pleasant. Instead of her taking care of me,
I
should have been taking care of
her
.

She lay shuddering in my arms and I kissed her, caressing her jaw with my thumb. Rolling her beneath me, I eased my cock inside her, groaning as her wet heat encased me. Her pussy still spasmed from her orgasm, and it was ecstasy. I hadn't thought it was possible to feel so much pleasure just from being inside her, but it was even better than I remembered. I used slow, easy thrusts, wanting to draw out the experience for both of us. Something told me she wouldn't be ready for me to take her twice in one night, 43

especially since she'd already said she was sore that morning, and I planned to enjoy this as much as possible.

She wrapped her legs around my waist and I slid into her deeper. Her eyes were bright and trusting as she stared up at me. I'd never seen a more beautiful sight than that of Darcy lying beneath me.

I kissed her again, my tongue delving into her mouth. She tasted so sweet that I didn't think I'd ever get enough of her.

I thrust into her harder and she gasped. At first I thought I'd hurt her, but she'd closed her eyes and bitten her lip, a look of pleasure on her exquisite face. I thrust into her hard again and she whimpered, pressing back against me.

With a grin, I realized that my little slave would probably like it hard and fast now that she was ready for me. I wrapped an arm around her waist and held her still as I thrust into her again, going even deeper. She arched against men, and I realized she wanted more. I wasn't sure which of us was enjoying this more, me or her.

Thrusting into her again, I knew I wouldn't last much longer. I sank into her again, harder, plunging into her faster with each stroke. I felt her pussy grip my cock as she climaxed. Feeling her muscles clamp down on me was enough to push me over the edge, and I came inside her, holding her close to me.

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44

Afterward, I held her in my arms, just enjoying the feel of her body next to mine. Even more amazing, she let me hold her without a fight. She was relaxed as she lay against me, her head resting in the crook of my arm.

I brushed her hair back from her face, and she looked up at me.

"That should have been your first time," I told her softly.

She blushed, but held my gaze.

"I'm sorry about earlier. I'm sorry I was so... stiff," she said. "I just... I'm not used to this, and I never know what to expect. I know that as a slave I don't have any rights; that you can take what you want from me. I guess it scares me sometimes."

"Darcy, I would never force myself on you."

She nodded, but didn't say anything. It made me wonder if she believed me. Surely I'd shown her by now that she could trust me. What did I have to do before she would know that I wouldn't force her to do something? That I wouldn't take her against her will? I'd nearly died because I didn't want to take her when she wasn't ready. Wasn't that enough?

"Darcy, did the women in the holding cell say anything else to you?" I wondered. Those damn women had to be the source of all of this. They must have spooked her. I'd done everything in my power to make sure she knew I'd take care of her.

45

She blushed even harder. "Two of them talked about what it was like while they were slaves."

"How many were returned?" I asked with a frown.

"Three. The third one was quiet. She looked terrified."

"Is it the third one that bothers you so much?"

"At first, yes. But you seemed so nice that I didn't worry after we met."

"Then what has you so worried, Darcy?"

"It isn't that I'm worried." She bit her lip and looked away.

I could tell she was lying, and it was irritating me. I knew she was troubled—I could hear it in her voice. I just wanted her to tell me what was bothering her. After what we'd just shared, why couldn't she just be honest with me?

"Never mind, Darcy. Just get some sleep."

I eased my arm out from under her and pushed the covers aside. She watched me warily as I gathered my clothes and went into the bathroom. I made sure the door closed behind me. I just couldn't deal with her right then.

If she didn't trust me after what we'd just shared, what was it going to take? How else could I show her that I was going to take care of her? I'd kept all of my promises to her.

Everything I'd told her I would do, I'd done. What more did she want from me?

I stepped under the warm spray of the shower, letting the water cascade over me. It didn't take long to wash, but I stayed in the bathroom longer than necessary, hoping Darcy would fall asleep. Those blue eyes never seemed to miss anything, and I wasn't sure I could handle her watching my 46

every move when I stepped out of the bathroom. I knew what I had to do. I needed to go home for the night.

I'd planned to stay with Darcy for the evening and all of tomorrow, hoping that by showing her pleasure and passion she would see how things could be between us. Instead, she still mistrusted me and ran hot and cold. I wasn't sure I'd ever understand her. I'd given her my word that she'd have a home for as long as she lived, and I would keep my promise.

But it didn't mean I had to visit her. It seemed that I'd come to care for a slave that I could never truly have. She was taking more work than I'd thought, and I was starting to think I wasn't up to the task. While I hadn't wanted a slave to begin with, I'd become accustomed to the idea. Having a woman in my bed every night had a certain appeal.

Darcy was beautiful and passionate, when she let herself relax enough to let go. I'd never thought of myself as the protector type, the kind of man who wanted to shelter a woman, but I found that I wanted to take care of her. And if she hadn't met those women in the holding cells, I think we might have had a chance, but they had jaded her way of thinking about Vaaden men and their slaves.

But regardless of whether or not Darcy was my slave, my body would just have to get used to the idea of going back to the harems. This was the last time I'd see Darcy this week.

Maybe a short break would give her time to sort through things, and it would give me time to figure out what to do.

Either way, I would keep her as I had promised. But if I couldn't use Darcy to take care of my needs, then maybe I could look at purchasing another slave.

47

Until then, there were many women in the harems. I knew there had to be at least one that resembled Darcy, at least enough that my body might be tricked. I still couldn't believe that I couldn't use Lira anymore. What was it about Darcy?

Why her? I didn't understand any of it. I knew she was beautiful, and just the thought of being with her could make me hard, but the idea of not being with anyone else was still odd to me. I should be able to use another slave if I desired to do so. So why couldn't I? She'd managed to get under my skin without any effort on her part, and I hadn't a clue how to eject her. For that matter, I didn't think I wanted to. I still had hope for her. The gods help me, for whatever reason, I still hoped there could be some sort of harmonious future with her.

Dressing quickly, I stepped out of the bathroom. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw that she was leaning up on an elbow, still awake. I walked to the bedroom doorway and paused.

"I hope you sleep well. I think it's best if I return home tonight."

Without another word, and without waiting for her response, I walked out of the apartment. I didn't look back for fear of what I might see. If I saw tears in her eyes, it would be my undoing. And if her eyes were blank of emotion, it would be even worse. The unthinkable had happened. Just as Bastian had hoped, I'd come to care for my slave. Only she didn't care about me in return.

It turned out that the harems did have a woman like Darcy, and I found her my first night. She was one of the paid slaves, but that mattered little to me. It wasn't like I couldn't 48

afford her. I even contemplated purchasing her. There were plenty of men who owned more than one slave. A few of my friends even owned three or four.

Instead of purchasing her outright, I'd bought her time for the next two weeks so that she was mine to use exclusively.

Since my night with Darcy, I'd avoided the apartment as much as possible. I even had someone else deliver her food. I wasn't sure I could see her without wanting her.

The few times I did go see her she was cool toward me. I had hoped that my absence would make her want to spend more time with me. If anything, the opposite seemed to be true. How could I have screwed up so much?

If she had only told me what those other two slave woman had said to her! Maybe that would have given me some insight. There had to be something going on with her, but I had no clue what it was. If only she'd talk to me!

I'd give her a little more time, in hopes something would change. Until then, I'd spend my time with Moira, the slave at the harem. She was a sweet thing. In some ways, she reminded me of Enid. She was quiet and unassuming, but had the smile of an angel. I wasn't sure how she'd ended up in the harem, but I wished someone would claim her. I was surprised that someone hadn't already. If things didn't work out with Darcy before my two weeks ran out, I'd purchase her.

And if things did work out with Darcy, I'd talk one of my friends into buying Moira. She didn't deserve the life of a harem slave, even if she was one of the few who had a select clientele. She deserved to belong to just one person, for 49

someone to treat her right. If I had any say in the matter, her status would change.

I walked into Moira's room and smiled at her. She was sitting at a vanity table brushing her hair. When she saw me, her eyes lit up.

"Rheul! I wasn't expecting you."

"I hope this isn't a bad time."

She stood and walked over to me, wrapping her arms around my waist. "Of course not."

"I came to ask your advice."

She led me over to the bed, and we sat down. She held my hand, lacing her fingers with mine. How easy it would be if she were my slave instead of Darcy. Why did that stubborn woman have to enter my life? Why couldn't she just trust me?

For that matter, why couldn't she trust herself?

"What can I do for you?" Moira asked in her soft voice.

"You know I have a slave?"

She nodded.

"I'll never force myself on a woman. I think you know that.

But Darcy, she doesn't seem to understand that. No matter how many times I've told her she has nothing to fear from me, or the times I've shown her that she can trust me, it's not enough. I don't know what to do."

"Do you know why she doesn't trust you? Is it you specifically, or just men in general?" Moira asked.

"I don't know," I said with a frown. "I think it's Vaaden men. There were some slave women in the holding cell with her. Three of them had been returned by their owners, which I didn't even know could be done. I'm not sure what they said 50

to her, but whatever it was, it seems to be putting a strain on things between us."

"Will she not tell you about it?"

"I asked, but she just clams up. She says she's not worried about anything and acts as if things are fine, but I can tell they aren't. She's hot one minute and cold the next. It's like being with two different people."

Moira frowned. "Has she been like that from the start?"

"At first, she just seemed a little nervous and maybe a tad scared. But... right after I claimed her, I became really sick.

She was a virgin and took it upon herself to heal me. Since then, she hasn't been the same. I tried to make it up to her, but that's the night things got really... odd for lack of a better word. She was warm and soft one minute, and the next it was like a switch had been flipped, and she was suddenly someone else."

Her thumb caressed my hand.

"What am I doing wrong, Moira? I bought her tunic dresses, books, games, a plant... I know I gave her pleasure that last night we were together. Where did it go wrong?"

"I don't think it's anything you did, Rheul. I think it's something with her." Moira laid her head on my shoulder.

"Would you like me to talk to her? I know it's unusual, but you could take me to her."

"You would do that?"

She smiled at me. "Of course I would. You've been so good to me. If I can do something to help you, to make you happy, you know I will."

51

I caressed her cheek and kissed her. "Thank you, Moira. I promise I'm going to get you out of here. One way or another, you won't stay in this harem."

She blushed and squeezed my hand. "That would be nice, but don't make promises you can't keep. I've been here for months now. It's my lot in life, and I know that."

I shook my head. "I always keep my promises. And I promise that I'm going to get you out of here. If I don't claim you, one of my friends will. But one way or another, you won't stay here much longer."

"Thank you. That means a lot to me. I have to admit that I never saw myself living this kind of life." She gave me a sad smile. "Did you know that I was a virgin when I came here?

Just like your Darcy, I was scared and didn't know what to expect. Except I didn't have anyone come and claim me. No one wanted me, and after a few weeks, I was sent to the harems."

My throat constricted. I couldn't imagine what she'd been through. What would have happened to Darcy if she'd been sent to the harems instead? What if Bastian hadn't purchased her for me? It would have been so easy for her to be standing in Moira's place. I didn't want that for her. "I'm so sorry, Moira."

She shook her head. "I'm fine, Rheul. They decided to set me up as one of the paid slaves from the start, and my first client was kind to me. It could have been worse."

"If you're sure you don't mind talking to her, I'll take you by there today. Maybe she'll tell you what's going on in her head since she won't talk to me."

52

Later that afternoon, Moira and I entered the slave quarters. I kept her close, not wanting any harm to befall her while she was under my care. If anything happened to her, I'd never forgive myself. I was amazed that not only had one slave gotten under my skin, but it seemed I'd come to care for two of them. If Bastian knew, he'd be laughing his head off.

When we entered the apartment, I didn't see Darcy.

"Darcy?"

She materialized in the bedroom doorway. When her eyes lit on Moira, they narrowed, and her mouth thinned.

"Is this why you haven't been here?" she asked.

"I brought Moira to talk to you," I told her.

"You've been spending time with her instead of me, haven't you?" she demanded.

I wasn't quite sure how to respond. I should take her to task for speaking to me in such a manner, but she had taken me off guard. I wasn't really sure what to say or do.

Darcy shrieked and flew at Moira.

With widened eyes, I thrust Moira behind me and caught Darcy before she could harm her. "Darcy! What's wrong with you?"

"How could you bring her here? How could you introduce me to my replacement?"

Replacement? Is that what she thought? "Darcy, you aren't being replaced," I assured her. "I simply brought Moira to talk to you."

"Are you denying you've been with her? Because I know you haven't been with me," she practically hissed.

53

I felt Moira's hands on my back, and they shook slightly. I knew I had to get her out of there and fast. But how was I going to get her past Darcy? "I've been spending time with Moira, yes."

Darcy tried to reach around me to get to Moira again, and I caught her hands in mine. I honestly had no idea what to do with her. What the hell was going on? "Darcy, what's wrong with you?" I demanded. "Leave Moira alone."

"She's jealous," Moira said in a quiet voice.

"What?" I looked at her over my shoulder. "What are you talking about?"

I felt the fight go out of Darcy, and she slumped against me.