The Dark-Hunters (72 page)

Of Kyrian dying.

Gasping, she let go and stepped back.

Kyrian frowned at her. “What is it?”

Amanda patted her chest as panic swirled through her. She fought her anxiety attack as hard as she could, but inside she was screaming over what she’d seen.

She couldn’t let him die. Not like that.

Forcing herself to calm down, she stared at Kyrian. “You have to let go of your past. So long as you hold on to it, Desiderius will be able to destroy you.”

He looked away. “I know.”

“What are you going to do? If you don’t stop remembering it, he’ll have you again.”

“I can handle it, Amanda.”

“Can you?” she asked, her throat tight as she saw him dying again. Oh, dear Lord, please not that. She couldn’t bear to lose him. The thought of going a single day without feeling his arms around her, hearing his voice …

His laughter.

It was unimaginable. The pain unbearable.

“I can control myself,” he insisted.

But she knew the truth. She had experienced his execution firsthand. Worse, she knew he had never dealt with it. Not really. He had only pushed it out of his mind.

All of a sudden, she had an idea how to purge it from him.

At least she hoped it would work.

“I’ll be right back.”

Kyrian watched her leave, his emotions churning. Better than anyone, he knew his weaknesses. All Desiderius had to do was spread his arms out and he was lost to panic. Lost to memories so painful that he was powerless against them.

He ran his hands over his eyes. There had to be some way to push it all out of his mind. Some way to face the Daimon with a clear head.

The minutes ticked by as he considered possible solutions.

Kyrian became aware of someone watching him.

He rolled over in the bed to see Amanda in the doorway holding a tray and dressed in a long, flowing white satin robe. A warm smile on her face, she entered the room and set the tray on the dresser.

Kyrian frowned.

She approached the bed gracefully, then bent one knee. It peeked out from the slit in the robe. Bracing her leg against the bed, she rolled him over, onto his back. Still he stared at her stockinged leg and the hint of a garter belt underneath the robe.

Her smile grew wider as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a long silk scarf.

Kyrian’s frown deepened as she wrapped it around his wrist. “What are you doing?”

“I’m going to make it better.”

“Make what better?”

“The past.”

“Amanda,” he growled as she pulled his arm toward the bedpost. As soon as he realized she intended to tie it there, he jerked away from her. “No!”

She grabbed his arm and held it between her breasts. “Yes.”

Amanda watched the panic in his eyes. “No,” he reiterated firmly.

Licking her lips, she lifted his hand to her lips. Opening her mouth, she gently suckled the pad of his forefinger. “Please, Kyrian? I promise you won’t regret it.”

Desire coiled through his stomach as he watched her. Her tongue flicked across his skin, down between his fingers. Then, she scraped the inside of his wrist and forearm with her fingernails, raising chills the length of his body.

She led his hand from her lips, to the parting of the robe, then inside to her bare breast. “Pretty please?”

His breathing ragged, he closed his hand over her. It was all he could do to remember what she was asking him.

She was asking for his complete trust. Something he hadn’t been able to give to anyone in more than two thousand years.

Terrified of what had happened to him the last time he’d made that mistake, he met her gaze and felt his will crumble. Would she one day betray him?

Dare he take the chance?

This time when she guided his arm to the post, he ground his teeth, but didn’t move as she secured it to the carved wood. Still, his heart pounded.

Amanda knew she had just won a small victory. Smiling, she tied the scarf loosely. “You can get loose at any time,” she told him. “Just say the word and I will release you, but if you do, it will stop immediately.”

“What will stop?”

“You’ll see.”

Amanda took his other arm and tied a scarf to that wrist. Kyrian watched her, his breathing sharp and unsteady. To her amazement, he said nothing as she tied him down. Sweat beaded on his forehead.

He pulled against the scarves, his muscles rippling and bunching. “I don’t like this.” He moved to free himself.

Climbing up on his body, Amanda caught his wrists in her hands and held him there. She dipped her head down and touched his lips with hers.

Kyrian tensed as he felt her tongue darting along the seam of his lips, begging for entrance. Opening his mouth, he welcomed her inside. He moaned at the way she stroked his tongue with hers, at the taste of her.

Her mouth was as close to heaven as a soulless man was likely to ever come. Her rose scent invaded his head, making him dizzy and hot. Breathless. Time stood still as her hands stroked his chest and he felt her breasts pressing against him.

It wasn’t until he reached to hold her that he remembered she had him tied down.

Growling in frustration, he yanked at the silk.

At the sound of tearing fabric, Amanda pulled back from her scorching kiss. “Remember,” she said huskily, “if you get free, you’ll get nothing but a cold shower.”

He stopped moving instantly.

To his chagrin, Amanda pulled back from him.

She ran her hands slowly down her robe, over her breasts, until she reached the belt. Taking her time, she unknotted the belt and parted the robe to show him her bare breasts.

His body burned as she let the robe flutter to the ground at her feet.

To his delight, she wasn’t naked. She wore the dark blue garter belt he’d bought for her.

His mouth watered at the sight.

Slowly, seductively, she walked to the bed and climbed up his body again like a sensuous cat as her breasts trailed from his stomach to his chest. Kyrian hissed at the feel of her stretched out over him, of her breasts caressing him.

“How are we doing, General?”

He swallowed. “Fine.”

Smiling, she traced the line of his jaw with her lips and tongue.

“I’m better when you do that,” he whispered, his body on fire from her touch.

She pulled back with a laugh. “How about I make you blind with ecstasy, then?”

He strained against the ties. “It would appear I’m all yours, sweeting.”

How she wished that were true. Amanda left the bed and moved to the tray. As she picked up the warm honey, she remembered the boiling oil the Romans had used on Kyrian. Remembered the look on his face as they poured it over his skin, scalding him.

Her heart constricting, she moved back to where he lay at her mercy. She held the bottle over his chest and saw the shadow pass across his eyes as he too remembered.

Kyrian involuntarily cringed as the warm honey first touched his bare skin. But there was no scalding pain. No blisters forming or skin burning. It actually felt good.

Relaxing, he watched as Amanda drew small circles in the honey, smearing it around his nipples where she dragged her nails, sending chills over him, and then down to his stomach.

She set the honey aside, then slowly licked every bit of it from his skin. He writhed in blissful pleasure as she laved him. Her tongue delved into his navel, making him even harder for her.

She laughed low in her throat as she looked up at him from his lower abdomen. Then she moved up his chest with one long lick that culminated at his Adam’s apple. Hissing, he leaned his head back to give her greater access to his neck, and when she lightly bit his skin, chills shot through him.

“Amanda,” he breathed.

Smiling at him, she left the bed and grabbed a small bowl.

Amanda didn’t know where her boldness came from. Never had she behaved this way, but she wanted to save Kyrian at any cost. Besides, something strange was happening to her as she did this for him. It was as if some part of her were gaining its freedom.

Shaking the thought off, she dipped her fingers into the bowl of whipped cream, then brought them to his lips. She traced the outline of that poetic mouth with her thumb.

Kyrian licked the whipped cream from his lips as Amanda straddled his waist. Oh, the feel of her wetness on him. It drove him wild. And when she moved, grinding herself against his swollen shaft, he thought he would die from the pleasure of it.

“Let me feed you, Commander,” she whispered, then slowly she used her finger to feed him the whipped cream.

Kyrian swallowed as his emotions swirled. She was re-enacting Valerius’s cruelty. But there was no pain from her. Only an ecstasy he’d never known before.

Locking gazes with her, he offered her a tentative smile.

“Why are you doing this?” he asked.

“Because I care for you.”

“Why?”

“Because you are the most wonderful man I have ever known. Granted, you’re stubborn and infuriating, but you’re also kind, strong, and giving. And you make me feel so…”

He arched a brow.

Amanda sat back and eyed him. “Now what’s that supposed to mean?”

“What?” he asked innocently.

“That look.”

Kyrian frowned. “What look?” He tried to reach for her, then remembered his restraints. How odd that he could have forgotten them.

Amanda dipped her head down to kiss him.

Kyrian moaned at the feel of her lips on his, of her tongue darting in and out of his mouth, carrying with it the taste of whipped cream.

She pulled back. “Do you like that?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Then you’re going to love this.”

He watched as she scooted down his body, then took the whipped cream and made him a loincloth with it. Her fingers grazed his erection as the cool cream coated him.

Kyrian moaned at the sensation that sent heat all over his body.

Amanda nudged his legs apart and stared down at her handiwork.

She locked gazes with him, then laid her body down at his feet and took his sac gently into her mouth.

He growled at the feel of her tongue licking the tenderest part of his body. Her mouth closed around him as her tongue swirled, licking and delving as she worked her way to the other side, where she sucked him in tenderly and rolled her tongue around him.

Kyrian clenched the ties on his hands as waves of pleasure racked him. Nothing had ever felt better than her mouth on him or her tongue darting over his skin.

When she was through licking the cream from his sac, she started on his shaft. Kyrian strained against the ties as she closed her mouth around him, all the while watching him watch her.

She dropped her head down to tease the tip of his shaft with her tongue. His breath caught as she swirled her tongue around the tip, then took his entire length into her mouth. His head swam from pleasure while her hand stroked him from underneath.

He hissed and jerked at how incredibly good she felt. Instinctively, he arched his back, sending himself deeper into her mouth. She didn’t protest.

Kyrian moaned as he felt the animal in him awaken. He craved her with blind obsession. “Amanda,” he said, his voice hoarse and ragged. “I want to taste you.”

She lapped at him, then raised her head to look at him. “Taste me how?”

His breathing intensified as she scaled his body.

She straddled his waist, braced her hands on his ribs, and looked down at him. “Tell me what you want to do to me,” she said, her cheeks blushing at her words.

As he looked at her, he felt her emotions. She was scared and unsure, but wanted to help him at any cost. Touched more deeply than he should be, Kyrian licked his lips. “I want to feel your breasts,” he said raggedly.

“Like this?” she asked as she cupped them for him.

The sight of her hands on herself, clutching her breasts, made him moan. “Yes,” he gasped. “And I want to taste them.”

Smiling at him, she held her breast to his parted lips.

Kyrian strained against the ties as he took her swollen nipple into his mouth and tasted her. Her blissful murmurs of pleasure filled his ears, spurring him on.

He pulled at the ties, shredding the fabric more.

She laughed evilly. “If you free yourself, Kyrian, then I get dressed and we stop. Is that what you want?”

He shook his head and relaxed his arms.

“Then what else do you want?”

“You.” The heartfelt word poured out of his lips before he could stop it.

“Me?” she asked, her face hopeful.

Unable to lead her on when he knew there was no future for them, he added, “I want to be inside you.”

He felt her pang of disappointment and it cut him deeply. “Amanda—”

“Shh,” she said, placing her hand over his lips. “I am all yours,” she whispered as she impaled herself on his swollen shaft.

Kyrian closed his eyes at the incredible feel of her wetness sliding down the length of him.

Amanda leaned forward and captured his lips with hers as she rode him hard and slow. She nuzzled his neck with her lips and felt his moan against her tongue as she quickened her strokes.

She could feel him writhing as she rotated her hips against him.

He leaned his head back and growled like a caged beast. He braced his feet against the mattress and pressed his hips up, driving himself even deeper into her.

When Amanda came, she screamed from the force of it.

She felt Kyrian go ramrod stiff.

“Don’t move,” he hissed.

She obeyed without question as he clenched his eyes shut and ground his teeth. His body trembled beneath hers and she saw more sweat beading on his forehead.

After a minute, he let out an elongated breath. He opened his eyes and stared at her. “Now can I get free?”

She nodded as she realized he still hadn’t come. He had fought it with all his strength.

Even though she understood why, a part of her was hurt to realize he didn’t trust her enough.

Stop that!
she snapped at herself.
What kind of selfish stupidity is that? He needs his powers.

Now more than ever.

Startling her, Kyrian easily ripped the fabric of the ties and freed his hands. Immediately, he gathered her into his arms and held her close. “Thank you, sweeting,” he said, kissing her softly.