Stealing Kathryn (28 page)

Adrian reached to brush at her hair and face with a massive palm, making her feel small and delicate. The gentler he was, the more it belied his potential for violence. She wondered then if he would one day return to his full normal self or if this transformation might stop at some point. It didn’t matter to her either way, but thinking about what he said about energy feeding their souls made her think he would return to normal eventually. He had been feeding his soul with the corrupting energy of the mirror and the dark emotions of the people within the nightmare plane, and that had corrupted him violently. Now he was no longer using the mirror and was feeding strictly from her energy—his kindra’s energy—and he was changing to reflect that.

She was happy for him. He had made huge sacrifices in the name of feeding his people. He deserved to retire peacefully. And if this village was where it must be done, she would see to it that he made the transition flawlessly.

“Come,” he said softly. “Let me show you your new home.”

Everything was woven. The floors, the roofs, the walls—all of it was woven out of this incredibly hard material that also gave off an ambient light. She imagined the entire village must glow at night. She wondered if that would make it more attractive to the okriti or if it was like building a campfire to keep wolves and wildlife away. Regardless, she felt very safe inside these woven walls with Adrian. He took her up to the next level, a process rather like when you were a kid and walked up a slide in the playground the wrong way. There were no stairs and only the weaving provided traction.

“In the unlikely event the okriti ever made it indoors, they couldn’t climb to the second story, leaving you a haven until help could come,” Adrian explained.

“Good to know,” she said with a loud swallow.

“Don’t worry,” he reassured her. “They only move this way during dawn and dusk, and even then they will be more likely to keep away. And even if they do attack, the entire village is designed to ward them off. First, there are no rails on the walkways for them to hold on to, and the okriti are not known for their excellent balance.”

“So they’ll fall.” She frowned. “So what are the nets for beneath the village? Is it like hunting?”

“The nets are meant to catch children who accidentally fall. Anything heavier than that or anything that struggles hard and it will break away, sending the contents down into the crevasse.”

“Oh my God.” She blanched. “And here I was thinking I would be saved if I fell.”

“I won’t let you fall,” he assured her, bringing her close so he could hug her tightly in reassurance.

“I’ll hold you to that,” she said vehemently.

“The roofs are all cones, the houses are all round, making a steep, slick surface the okriti can’t cling to,” he continued. “And these doors can only be opened by someone strong with the ability to use opposable thumbs. That being said, if all else fails, this village is packed full of warriors who would defend it with their lives. The okriti are easy pickings to them, I assure you.”

“And good eating,” she added in a lame attempt to act comforted by all of this. Still, it sounded as though they had planned for everything. It was well thought out, and with the exception of those frightening walkways, it seemed very safe.

“Come here,” he said, pulling her into a room.

There was no mistaking it for a bedroom. The central piece of furniture was a rope-supported bed, a very big one that stretched from wall to wall. Although, technically, because they were round, it was all the same wall. Just the same, the bed was made by a form of the same woven material as the house was, although this was flexible whereas the other was not.

“What is this stuff?” she asked, running her fingers over the bed ropes.

“Shanshi. It’s a plant that grows wild all over. It has phosphorescent properties, as you can see, and a mixture of water and salt makes it as hard as steel. The weavers in the village are always busy gathering and weaving and salting the shanshi. The village is always growing so we always have a use for it.”

“You know something, this is a really fascinating place you’ve got here.”

“Thank you,” he said, his eyes roaming slowly down the length of her body. “I think you make it fascinating.”

“Do I?”

Adrian was delighted when she suddenly turned coy, pretending she didn’t notice his regard for her. She was fishing for compliments, desiring them from him, and he desired to give them to her. He knew she had not had the opportunity for appreciation from others. Her father had never acknowledged her as anything but a workhorse, and she dismissed the things her sister said as being the bias of sisterly love.

But the fact was she was beautiful. In every way. He had always thought this room to be plain and utilitarian, but her presence there changed all of that. She was wearing another of the dresses he had gotten her, this one a basic black made of a satin that was anything but basic. The snug bodice and the straps over her arms and shoulders, coupled with the demure business-length skirt, just made him want to take it all off her. It was like a wrapped gift with bow and frills. The outside was nice and all, but it was only the inside that mattered.

Adrian took the step needed to bring him closer to her, reaching out to run his slightly curved nails over her pretty bare skin. When he ran into one of the straps, he hooked it and began to pull it down.

She finally looked up at him, her gray eyes liquid soft like smelted nickel.

“What are you doing?” she asked, her voice tremulous.

“I’m telling you how beautiful and irresistible you are,” he said deeply.

“But you didn’t say anything until just now.”

“I know. I like to play show-and-tell.” He bent his head and kissed the side of her neck, taking a moment to nip at her delicate skin with the tips of his fangs. She tasted so fine, and smelled even better. She had showered with yet another scent, this time roses and sage. He would have to see to it that all of her things were brought here for her. He wanted her to always smell this good, always be a changing surprise to him and yet the same gorgeous Kat.

“A-are we alone?” she asked him unsteadily, her hands pushing at his shoulders a little.

“Yes. No one else will come here. It’s just you and me.” He reached for another strap on the same side and tugged it down as well. “And I would really like it if I could make love with you, sweetheart.”

“Because people are hungry?” she asked.

That gave him pause and he looked up into her eyes, seeing she meant the frank question exactly as it had sounded. How could she think that thought had even entered his mind? Did she think she was always only going to be a means to an end?

“Because I am hungry, Kat,” he growled softly. “For you. I want you for you, not for any other reason. I’m crazy for the way you smell, the way you taste,” he bent and licked the soft hollow of her shoulder, “for the way you feel,” he reached up to boldly cradle her breast in his hand, “and most of all, for how damn beautiful you are.”

“I’m not beautiful,” she whispered weakly.

“Oh yes, you are.” He pulled her bodice away from her breast, exposing her nipple. He bent his head and sucked it firmly into his mouth, just as quickly releasing it with a little pop. The nipple was now stiff and flushed, her breast full in his hand. “Now look at yourself,” he said reaching his hand up to the side of her head to make sure she did so. “Tell me that isn’t beautiful.”

She didn’t have a response for that and he took it as a good sign. He swept aside the straps of her dress, baring her shoulders and drawing the bodice down completely. The whole time he didn’t take his eyes off her. He couldn’t. With her perfect skin and her fair-colored nipples, she was an amazing sight. And she was all his. He still couldn’t get over that understanding. His. His kindra. His mate. Oh, he knew he owed her a lot, owed her time to come to grips with everything, but for right now, she was letting him look his fill and touch her at will. It was more than he could have asked for. Hoped for.

That part of him that was still savage wanted her with a fierceness he could hardly control. It growled and hissed in his mind, furious with him for not seizing her and making her his right away. And oh, how he wanted to do that. Make her his. Again and again. To that end he pushed the dress down off her hips and looked his fill of her.

“Perfect,” he said as he shaped her soft, rounded hips in his hands. He knew she thought she was fat, could feel the emotional insecurity radiating off her. Did she know how easily he could hear her? Did she know how wrong he thought she was?

He knew words meant little to her, so he would show her his proof. He went down on his knees before her, his hands never once leaving her body, and leaned forward to kiss her belly just below her navel. Her hands came forward to grasp his wrists, as though she wanted to stop him from touching her. Well, she wasn’t going to get her way. It would take a damn herd of okriti attacking him to get him to stop.

He drew his fingers softly forward, from the point of her hip down to the nest of curls protecting her. He ran his claws through the tight curls, making her gasp at the sensation. It was as erotic to give the touch as it must be to receive it. He raked through again and again, until finally she released her hold on his wrists and buried her fingers in his hair instead. He could smell her. The sweet scent of an aroused woman. His woman. Then he planted both hands firmly on her hips again and jerked her forward onto his mouth.

He had meant to be gentler, but the beast in his brain had wanted her on his tongue right now. So he opened his mouth against her and delved deep for her most exotic of flavors. Her legs parted naturally, a gasp erupting from her lips. His hands curved down to grasp her thighs right beneath her buttocks, dragging her deeper onto his mouth.

Oh heavenly sweet. She was soaking wet and hot, the musky flavor of her like ambrosia on his tongue. He devoured her, wanting more and more of her, pulling her leg up over his shoulder so she was spread wide for him. A feast for his taking. Her fingers were growing frantic in his hair, clutching and reclutching it by the very roots. He waited for it, teasing his tongue lightly over her clit, giving her nothing she truly wanted. He teased and teased until she made a sound of ultimate frustration and grabbed the back of his head, pulling him forward, deepening his presence in her pussy. He would have chuckled had he the presence of mind to do so. Right then, however, he was too busy taking her up on her adamant invitation. He sucked that juicy little bud between his teeth again and again until he felt her trembling on the one leg that supported her weight.

With a single surge of strength he hauled her off the floor and dumped her onto the bed. Once she was flat on her back he pulled her to the edge of the bed and tossed both of her legs over his shoulders. Now he was ready for her. Ready to play with her. He slid his tongue deep between her labia, rimming the entrance to her body several times before giving in to the command of her straining hips and burrowing his tongue deep into her channel. As soon as he did that, he brought a thumb up to her clit to circle it in slow, tight revolutions. He could hear her gasping for every breath, felt her legs tightening around him, those hands in his hair ready to snatch him bald.

And then she ignited. Like a firestorm, she surrounded him with the strength of her orgasm. Her clutching hands, her heels digging into his back, her come rolling sweet and hot against his tongue. It was pure bliss and he wanted to do it again. He didn’t even give her a chance to come down from her explosive peak. Instead he kept her there, pushing her for more, tonguing her until she screamed.

She tried to push him away then, and this time he listened. He listened because hearing her cries had him just about wild, tasting her just pushing him over the edge. He stood up between her legs, fumbling at the button to his jeans. They were too tight, these wretched human clothes, strangling his desire for her, keeping him away from her.

And then he felt her soft touch on his hands, pushing them out of her way. He groaned when she cupped him in her palm straight through the unforgiving denim. Then she slid the confounding button through its hole and carefully drew down the zipper.

He fell right into her hand. He had to reach out to grab her by her shoulder, needing a steady as she used that inconceivably light touch on his cock, almost as if she weren’t there at all. He couldn’t help thrusting against her palm.

“Hold me tight,” he ground out.

And like magic, she did exactly that. Almost too tight. But at that point he was hard enough to ram through steel. Her strength was nothing compared to that. He had to teach her the right way to touch him. She was so inexperienced….

Adrian gasped when out of nowhere her lips touched wet and warm to the head of his cock. The instant she kissed him he went wet at the very tip, threatening to drip on her. She saw that threat, and with only a moment of awkward hesitation, she stuck out her tongue and swiped it over his slit. He felt the act straight to his tightening balls, his vision blurring for a second as he tried to reconcile what he was seeing and what he was feeling.

“My God,” he croaked. “Take me in your mouth, sweetheart. Please…please…” He continued to beg her, soft, coaxing pleas when he felt her fear and doubt. Not fear of the act itself, but that she would somehow fuck it up and hurt him. “You won’t hurt me,” he told her. “I swear, you won’t hurt me. Just…don’t be afraid.”

“How do you do that?” she asked him. “How do you always know what I’m thinking?”

“I’ll explain later,” he growled at her.

She giggled at him. He didn’t mind because it eased her fear to laugh at him. Then she opened her lips and closed her mouth around him. It was all he could do not to react as wildly as he wanted to. But he knew he’d scare the crap out of her if he did that, so he held it all back, except for a long, low groan of pleasure.

“Perfect,” he uttered. “Just…per—”

He was a liar. Perfect came an instant later when she suddenly sucked him into her mouth. This time he couldn’t keep the rough cry from bursting out of him. To countermand the potentially startling sound, he grabbed hold of the back of her head and kept her right where she was, not letting her pull away.

“It’s good,” he rasped. “It’s so good, Kat.”

Apparently that was all she needed to hear. She repeated the act with relish, taking him as far into her mouth as she dared, which was pretty damn far, actually. He had thought himself too big for much, too overwhelming for her, but she didn’t seem to care about that.

He only let her suck him a couple more times before he stopped her. He couldn’t hold it together anymore. He couldn’t even wait to get completely undressed. He just shoved his pants down to his knees and pushed her back onto the bed. Her legs were hanging over the side and for him that was perfect. He hooked her knees into his elbows, hoisting her bottom off the bed until she was right up against him. He slid against her, wetting himself with her juices, making sure his desperation wouldn’t cause her pain. Then, with just an artful slide of his hips, he found her entrance and shoved himself in.

She was still so tight that he barely made it halfway into her. It was frustrating and exciting all at once. He liked that she was still so new, liked that she wasn’t experienced enough to know she should have relaxed instead of tensing up. It made it all so much better. And besides, it only took one more thrust to seat him fully inside her. Then he just stayed there, basking in her heat and wetness, letting her stay hugged tight around him.

But then it quickly became unbearable to stay still. He tested himself, seeing how long he could tolerate not moving. But even she worked against him, tightening her legs and pussy around him to urge him on. It was so gorgeous. So painfully wonderful. He started to thrust and thrust and thrust, each one harder and faster than the one before. He wasn’t happy until she started to pant and cry out.

“Oh God! Adrian! That feels so good!”

Her words only spurred him on to deeper penetration, making him burrow hard into her until the sound of wet, excited flesh sliding into wet, excited flesh was filling the air around them. The arousing smell of her was all around him, soaking deep into his pores, taunting him with the need to come and mix his own scent directly with hers. But not before her. Not before.

He didn’t have long to wait before she let loose with increasingly loud cries of pleasure, warning him she was building to an explosive release, much more powerful than the ones she’d had so far. His testicles were on fire, building for a hard release of their own, and suddenly…she stopped.

Tension writhing through her, the need to come keen on her, she suddenly drew back and he couldn’t stop to figure out why. He was too far gone. He roared with release and frustration, his orgasm ripping wildly out of him. His fingers were gripping hard into her thighs, unthinking of the claws at their tips. He shot inside her with deep, unending pulsations. But it infuriated him that she had not come with him. He let go of her legs and pounced on her in the bed, yanking her hard into the center of it.

“Where did you go?” he demanded roughly.

“G-go?” she asked weakly, but he could tell she knew exactly what he was talking about.

“Damn it, Kat, where did you go?”

“I just…I just couldn’t…I felt like everybody would know.”

“They’ll know anyway because of my orgasm, honey. You may as well have yours too,” he scolded her.

“I’m sorry. I’m just new at this and it’s a lot of pressure!”

He saw her eyes fill with tears and had the immediate epiphany that he was an ass. Putting more pressure on her was certainly not the way to deal with the situation. “Kat, you already had two orgasms. Why not go for the hat trick?” He said it lightly, teasing her.

“I know. I’m silly, I guess.” She sniffled and rubbed angrily at her eyes. “I wish I wasn’t. I wish I wasn’t such a coward.”

“That’s too harsh,” he said sharply. “You’ve experienced very little in your own world and then are thrust blindly into another. Frankly, I think you’re taking it all pretty damn well.”

“Do you?”

“Yes. I do. And to prove my point, I’m going to give you another chance.”

“Another chance at what?”

He grabbed hold of her hand and wrapped her fingers around his stiffening cock.

“At this.”

“Oh! Hey, wow…That’s some recovery time you got there, mister. I thought normal men couldn’t do that.”

“I’m not normal,” he reminded her.

“I’ll say!”

He shut her up with a kiss, not minding her giggles against his mouth.

Adrian was determined to help her over this, but more importantly, he wanted her again. She had been able to let go during their oral play earlier, and he was going to figure out how to get her to relax. He didn’t want to put too much pressure on her, knowing that would only make it worse, but he was willing to pull out everything in his arsenal.

He started simply, with a kiss on her mouth that was, in comparison, fairly chaste. Just the same, it made her smile. That made him realize just how important it was to him that she was happy. Seeing her smile sent such satisfied pleasure through him, it was actually overwhelming. What was most overwhelming about it, though, was that it didn’t hurt in the slightest to feel it. He realized then that it didn’t hurt when she touched him anymore, either. He had grown so used to bracing himself against the pain, so how was it that he didn’t notice when it was gone?

Adrian reached out to stroke his thumb over her cheek. That gorgeous face was so precious to him, he realized. She had gotten under his skin from the very moment he had first stumbled into her dreams. Turned out, he liked having her there.

He was just about to kiss her again when there was a resounding banging coming from the main part of the house.

“Ignore it,” she tempted him, reaching to nip playfully at the point of his chin.

“Now that’s a fine idea,” he said, kissing his temptation, “but in a dangerous world, it’s a little more than just being rude if you don’t answer the door. It could cost someone their life.”

With that he launched himself out of her arms, immediately regretting the act as he saw her lying there all bare and beautiful. Grumbling at the sound of the repeated knocking, he reached for his pants and then hurried out of the room. As he rounded the door he saw her crawling across the bed to find her clothes. That provocative position had his mind reeling, and he was determined to get rid of whoever the hell it was who had disturbed him.