King of Clubs (16 page)

In all her life, Awai had never experienced anything like this. How could such a large, powerful, and dominant man be so sweet and gentle?

He continued his trek, feathering her skin with soft caresses from the twin blooms as he headed to her waxed mound. There he feathered them across the soft skin, as if to touch every bit of it without delving into her slit. Awai bit the inside of her lower lip and she grew even wetter between her legs.

“Spread your thighs as wide as possible,” he ordered.

Awai raised her knees and opened herself to him. She hoped he would relieve some of her need for him by touching her clit, but he barely skimmed the lips of her pussy before moving along the inside of one thigh. He raised himself so that he could easily trace the blooms up her leg and lightly brushed them across the sensitive spot at the back of her knee.

Awai’s thighs trembled from her intense desire for Ty and she didn’t know how much longer she could take this sweet torture. When he teased the inside of her ankle, she moaned at the exquisite sensations. It was incredible, to be wearing only this man’s collar and nipple rings, to be covered in cherry blossoms and to be stroked from head to toe by the sweet smelling blooms.

After he reached her toes and brushed the cherry blossoms across them, he moved to her other foot and began the journey back up. He worked his way from her instep to the inside of her ankle to the backside of her knee. After stroking the sensitive skin there, he moved on up her leg to the juncture of her thighs where he stopped and looked at her.

“Do you wish me to touch you here?” he murmured as he brushed the cherry blossoms over her folds so lightly that she gripped the bedcovers tight to keep from crying out.

“You know I do.” Awai’s gaze met his. “I need you.”

Ty smiled, a completely dominant male smile that told her she belonged to him and he intended to take her, to make love to her, but in his own time. “Wait, my tigress. Soon I will thrust inside you and claim you for all eternity. I will take you beyond this realm and we shall go there together.”

He eased off the bed and she couldn’t help another whimper from escaping. He moved so that he was between her thighs, his face so close to her slit that she could feel his warm breath upon her folds.

Ty inhaled deeply of his mate’s scent. It soared through his being, causing his senses to take flight. He growled, barely able to restrain himself now that he was between her thighs.

With his jaws clenched, Ty brought the pair of blooms to her folds and brushed her clit. Awai gasped and her hips arched up off the bed before settling back onto the covers. But her thighs trembled and he knew she was on the fine edge of control, just as he was.

“Do not climax without me,” he commanded and Awai whimpered again.

Her scent and her sweet cream were an aphrodisiac to his keen weretiger senses while he studied her beautiful quim illuminated by dancing candlelight. He loved her folds, the curves and the contours. He loved the way that the lips of her slit grew swollen with need and her folds red from the rush of blood.

Ty released the blooms and slid one finger into her tight core. Awai moaned and raised her back up off the bed. “I don’t know if I can hold back,” she said as she squirmed beneath his gaze.

He lowered his head and nuzzled the lips of her quim. “You must, my love.”

Ty lapped at her then, her taste flowing over his tongue like the sweetest cherry wine. This time she cried out and he felt the beginning vibrations of her nearing the peak. Although he wished to taste more of her, he forced himself to stop, to pull away from her and to slide his finger from her core.

Awai’s body was so tense from need that when Ty finally rose up between her thighs she thought she might climax at the mere sight of her man. He braced his hands to either side of her breasts and slowly lowered himself so that his cock lay hard against her mound, the cherry blossoms crushed between them. He studied her, just holding her gaze as he kept himself still. His long blond hair fell forward, brushing her nipples, the feeling as hot as a candle’s flame.

“Make love to me, Ty.” She clenched her thighs around his hips as if she could hold this powerful man there. “Please.”

He brought one hand to his cock and positioned it at her core, never taking his gaze from hers. “Watch me, Awai,” he said as he slid partway in. “Watch me make love to you and make you mine evermore.”

“Yes.” She arched up to him, trying to take him deeper. “I belong to you.”

Ty thrust deep, burying his cock completely within her core. Awai gasped. He stretched her, filled her like no one else could. In every way, from her body to her soul to her heart.

Slowly Ty began to move in and out of her, his balls slapping against her, his thrusts deep and purposeful. Awai held onto him, running her hands down his back to his tight ass where she stopped and held on. She loved the feel of his muscles beneath her palms, the way his body moved against her, his scent and his sweat mingling with hers.

Closer and closer she came to climax, and when she was barely holding on by a thread she clenched her fingers into his ass. “Now, Ty. I can’t hold on much longer.”

“Yes, my tigress.” He thrust harder. “Climax for me now!”

Awai’s cry echoed throughout the room. Her orgasm made her feel as though she was spinning out of control. A burst of color filled her mind, and like the aurora it faded into shimmering waves. Somehow her consciousness recognized Ty’s roar as he came. His cock pulsated in her channel, drawing out her orgasm, making it throb from her ass to her core to her belly.

Ty rolled to the side, cradling Awai close to his chest. She smelled his sweat and her own, his come and her juices. Their breathing was ragged as he tucked her head under his chin and held onto her.

“I love you, Awai,” he murmured. “You are everything to me.”

“I love you, Ty,” she said before slipping into a deep sleep.

* * * * *

Awai wandered alone through the cherry trees, blossoms floating around her in the afternoon sunshine. The blooms spiraled down toward the earth like pinwheels, and covered the ground in a soft and sweetly scented blanket beneath her bare feet. The cherry trees were in bloom throughout the spring, Ty had explained long ago. It wasn’t until summer that the trees began to bear fruit—cherries as large as plums by midsummer. His subjects used them to make the finest jams, pies, cakes, and treats in all of Tarok. People would come for miles just to purchase such delights from the Kingdom of Clubs.

The day was so beautiful and filled with such anticipation. But still that sense of dread hung onto the edge of her consciousness. She didn’t understand why she should feel a hint of darkness when she should be happy and excited.

A gust of wind caused Awai’s robes to swirl around her legs. The silky material of her robe pressed against her nipples that were always hard thanks to the charms she constantly wore. Ty’s collar felt snug around her neck and as always made her feel secure…and loved.

What would her nieces think? Did they wear collars, too?

According to Ty’s sentinels and his keen weretiger senses, her nieces and their families would arrive soon.

So many emotions and feelings nearly overwhelmed Awai. Anticipation and excitement, yet nervousness and uncertainty warred within her. How did a person greet the ones she loved but hadn’t seen for a year to three years? This was different than having a family member abroad or in the military for great lengths of time. She had truly thought her nieces had been kidnapped and in danger…or perhaps even dead. She’d cried over them, worried about them, grieved for them.

And when she found out they were alive, well, and happy, her joy had been immense. Yet there still remained that tiny bit of uncertainty—she only knew what Ty had told her. Even though she trusted him with all her heart, she had to see for herself, and had to hold each one of them in her arms.

“Tigress,” came Ty’s low rumble behind her. “It is time.”

Awai turned and gave her King a tremulous smile. “I’m scared, Ty. I’m happy, but I’m scared, too.”

He reached for her faster than she could catch her breath and brought her close to his chest. “There is nothing to fear, my sweet. Only joy will your heart know this day.”

She hugged him, letting his strength feed her, drinking in the smell of him, the feel of him in her arms. She tilted her head back and this time her smile was confident. “I love you.”

Ty hooked his finger under her chin and returned her smile. “I know.”

Awai laughed and Ty kept his arm possessively around her shoulders as they walked to the front of the palace. It was an impressive entrance that they rarely used as they tended to prefer the back entrance leading to the cherry grove.

At the front entrance, green granite steps marched down to a circular driveway that looped around a marble fountain of two enormous white and black striped tigers in battle. Flowers in every shade of the rainbow spilled down the sides of the steps and surrounded the driveway. The air smelled fresh and clean from the recent rains mixed with the intoxicating perfume of all the flowers. Birds sang and water splashed in the fountain, echoing in that moment of near silence.

Then in the distance she heard the sound of horses’ hooves—or rather
jul
, the name for the horse-like beasts the people of Tarok often used for transportation. Carriages creaked and happy voices carried on the warm spring air.

Awai clenched her hands into fists, her nails biting into her palms as she bounced up and down on the balls of her bare feet. She was so nervous and so anxious that she nearly broke into a run just to reach her nieces as quickly as possible.

And then they rounded the corner. First a sleek white coach with a red heart symbol on its side, drawn by four
jul
that were the color of liquid silver
.
Following behind was a beautiful black coach with a gold spade on each of the doors, and the coach was drawn by four black
jul
. And lastly came a dark red coach with a gold filigree diamond symbol on its door and the
jul
that drew it were golden.

The moment the coaches came to a stop, each of the doors burst open and out tumbled a small herd of young tigers, followed by three women and three men, followed by a calico cat with a regal bearing. For what seemed like an eternity, Awai just stared at Annie, Alexi, and Alice who looked so different, yet were the women she loved more than anything. She was vaguely aware of tears streaming down her cheeks and Ty’s protective arm around her shoulders.

The next thing she knew she was swallowed up in a swirl of laughter and tears and joy unlike anything she had ever known. She cried and kissed and hugged them each so much that she was lost in the sea of emotion and couldn’t see through her blur of tears.

When they finally separated long enough for Awai to catch her breath, she wiped the tears from her eyes with the sleeve of her robes and looked helplessly at her nieces. “God, I missed you all so much. I thought I’d never see you again.”

Alice threw her arms around Awai again. “Three years, Awai. I can’t believe it’s been so very long.” She pulled away and held Awai’s hands. Alice’s turquoise eyes were wide, tears sparkling on her lashes. “I’m so happy I could just burst.”

Awai drank in the sight of Alice who was wearing a sparkling yet practically sheer robe that barely concealed her nipples and her mound. Her white-blonde hair gleamed in the sunlight and her eyes sparkled. At her throat was a wide diamond collar with hearts made of red rubies. But more than anything else, the change in Alice’s bearing was what surprised Awai the most. She had an air of happiness, of confidence in herself and those around her.

“I can hardly speak,” Awai said, trying to swallow the lump in her throat. “Do you have any idea how long three years is?”

“Makes you want to kick someone’s ass, doesn’t it?” came Alexi’s voice and Awai had to smile as she faced her take-no-prisoners niece who had been a powerful San Francisco sexual harassment lawyer. Alexi gave a teasing grin and hugged Awai. “Damn it, but I missed you.” Alexi tossed her auburn hair over her shoulder and raised one eyebrow at Ty who had stepped away from the flurry of hugging and crying women.

“Do not worry, Queen Alexi,” he said with a soft chuckle. “I fear for my manhood too much to cross you.”

Alexi’s collar of white diamonds with black diamond spades glittered as she put her hands on her leather-clad hips and gave him a mock frown. “Just see that you remain in line, Mister.”

With a laugh, Awai turned to the quietest of her nieces, Annie, who was holding her calico cat Abra. They enveloped one another in a fierce hug and Abra gave an irritated
yerowl
and slipped from between them.

Awai kept her hold on Annie and whispered, “When I came back the next day and you and Abra were gone, I couldn’t forgive myself for leaving you alone that night.”

Annie leaned back and brushed a tear from Awai’s face. “I’m sorry this has been so hard on you, more than any of us. But I can’t tell you how happy we all are, and how wonderful it is to have you here with all of us.”

Awai couldn’t help but notice how radiant Annie was and how vibrant. She, too, had a collar of diamonds, but with red rubies in the shape of diamonds around it. She wore an almost sheer crimson dress that reached mid-thigh. Her dark hair flowed around her shoulders and her gold framed glasses glinted in the sunlight.

“This world is almost too perfect,” Awai said, looking to each cousin and to the powerful men standing behind them.

“It’s far from perfect,” Annie said as she took Awai’s hands in hers. “This world has much to strive for and many dangers to overcome. But it’s the love that we feel for our mates, our children, and each other, that makes it even more special.”

At the thought of children, Awai glanced to the eleven tiger cubs pouncing on their uncles who were now sitting on the palace steps. Ty and the other Kings had joined the fray and were playing with the children who frequently shifted from tiger to child and back again. They giggled, mewled, shouted, and growled, and Awai felt that lump rise in her throat again at the incredible joy of the moment.