Taming an Angel

by Kathleen Lash

  “I don’t like the games men play.”

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  When he glanced up, she studied his expression. Long, pitch-black eyelashes surrounded his light gray eyes. They were striking, especially with the artificial look of compassion on his face. The expression couldn’t be real because it simply didn’t go with the rest of him. Big, arrogant warriors didn’t understand kindness. They lived lives of indifference, especially concerning women.

  “I see now, Jess. I didn’t before. I’d only seen your fire, not the pain to go with it.

  Forgive me.”

  Her appetite dwindled.

  He reached out to touch her but stilled in midair. He slowly placed his hand on the table instead. “Do you know what Bragg wants with me and me men?”

  He switched subjects so fast it took her a moment to answer. “No.”

  “It’s fine that you don’t want to say anything. He’ll tell me in the morn.”

  How the hell did he know she’d withheld information? She shouldn’t feel guilty over a one-word fib. She didn’t owe him answers. Still, Tiernan gave protection to her crew and went nose-to-nose with Bragg about her placement. Mulling it over a second time didn’t help or make the half truth any more palatable.

  “Damn it,” she said, slamming the fork down. She’d heard the men speaking in medical. “Rumor has it some slimwit General got himself captured by Theazians.”

  “Now that’s a nasty lot of heathens. Worse than Doxyn by far.”

  “The Governance received intel he’s still alive and they want him back.”

  “Where’s he held, this slimwit General?”

  “Theazian home planet.”

  Tiernan smiled and whistled. “No wonder Gov laid out such a fine meal and handed you over without much fuss. That’s a tall order to take a man from their home base.”

  “It’s rumor.”

  “Likely truth, I’d say. They think we Braughmen aren’t too shiny.”

  Speaking of not being too smart brought something to mind. “How were you captured by Doxyn?” She really wanted to know and the question tumbled out before she could place much thought into it.

  He’d every right to be angry with her audacity. But instead of displaying annoyance, he slouched in the chair, placed his elbow on the table and crossed his ankles. “They captured a Braugh transport and took our gals and cheld. We traded men to get them back.”

  “I don’t understand. Cheld? What did you trade?”

  “Cheld—more than one child. You know—babes, wee ones?”

  She nodded, finally understanding. “Children.”

  “They took gals and children. Doxyn traded for full-out Braughmen.”

  “Why would you turn yourselves over?”

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  He stared while sipping wine. “Those they captured are the life of Braugh, our past, present and future.”

  Confounded a man would do such a thing when women and children could easily be replaced, she asked, “Why did they want you?”

  “To make into slaves. They reckoned when we learned the way of it, they’d sell us off. They knew Braughmen have a strong back. What they didn’t know was that we don’t obey worth a shat.” He smiled before correcting himself. “We don’t listen to those not deserving our regard. They soon figured it out and decided we weren’t worth feeding. Twice we left their hold and twice they drove us back. They thought to show the fams of Braughmen what they’d do to us so the men they take in future times wouldn’t fight so hard.”

  “They wanted to kill you and show your people so they could gain compliance from your world?”

  “Aye. See, I speak just fine. You get me. Good thing we didn’t waste too much time learning Gov language.”

  “Oppression. Domination.” Jessica shuddered. Too much of that barbaric behavior saturated the worlds. In many respects the Governance’s intolerance of such actions were commendable. Some of its other beliefs…

  “You know the words and they mean something to you.”

  They did. Personally. Funny, she hadn’t thought of her situation in that manner before.

  He continued sipping wine while gazing at her. “And you know how to break free?”

  She shook her head. Obeying seemed to suit her most of the time, although she had an uncanny knack for angering Bragg even when she did comply.

  He said, “You look around, see what others have and you take as much for yourself.”

  “Easily said.”

  “Not hard to do.”

  “For a man.”

  “For a gal if she knows how to do it.”

  “And how would that be, Tiernan?”

  “For you, all you need to do is make the request.” He leaned forward and stroked his fingertips gently over her eyebrow, nose and then mouth.

  The warmth lingered before his fingers brushed under her chin. He appeared to have forgotten about the subject as his focused gray-eyed gaze studied her. “I’d kiss you if you wanted, Jess. In fact, I’d give a great deal to have you in such a way again.”

  Dinner was over and payment was at hand. She’d pay. She didn’t begrudge him his due, for he’d made them somewhat safe. Thankfully, Tiernan wasn’t repulsive.

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  Rising from the chair, she sat on his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. He needn’t place effort into kissing her. She’d take care of it. Using her tongue against his lips, she felt him open. She tasted wine and man. The ensuing dizziness didn’t disturb her. She equated it to a General lack of sleep, an abundance of excitement and worrying too much.

  Tiernan wasn’t like others who immediately started pawing and grabbing. Two large hands rested gently against her waist as long fingers spread over her ribs. She expected a tight squeeze or his fingers to dig in. When it didn’t happen, she deepened the kiss.

  Feigned passion quickened her breath and he responded. His desire was real because his cock hardened under her ass. Her palms rested against his neck as her fingers tangled in his hair. Long, dark, silken strands of thick hair anchored her. When he loosened a button on her shirt, she swallowed. She much preferred him chained down. With his powerful hands and muscled arms free to hold and squeeze, she imagined she’d be at least bruised when his desire peaked.

  How bad would it hurt to have some ribs mended in medical? She leaned back to push another button through a hole.

  He brushed her hands away. He obviously didn’t want her help. After he undid each fastening, he separated cloth and touched a bit of skin. The manner in which he’d leisurely unbuttoned the shirt forced her apprehension to grow. With all the moaning and squirming he’d done earlier, she’d hoped he’d be aggressive and quick to have intimacies done and over.

  He gazed at her breasts. The backs of his fingers smoothed over her flesh. The light touches sent small shivers over her skin. His hands settled on her shoulders and inched the shirt down her arms. He left it bunched at her hips with her wrists trapped behind her back. He covered her breasts with his hands and she waited for too tight a squeeze or pinch. It didn’t happen as he very gently kneaded, avoiding her nipples.

  “Jess.” His hands skimmed her waist, belly and then up to her breasts again as he gazed. “I’ve not touched a gal who was pierced. I don’t know how sensitive you are.”

  She pulled her hands free and the shirt fluttered to the floor.

  His breaths were deep. His steady gaze examined her breasts before eventually settling on her mouth. He asked, “Could you stand it if I tasted you?”

  Did the leader of the Braugh warriors just ask if he could touch her in a particular way? Not likely. She’d misunderstood.

  His lips hovered as warm breath washed over her. He leaned in and she tensed. His lips slowly stroked a path to her upper arm. Long fingers wrapped around her wrist and gently pulled her arm straight. He kissed his way down to the inside crease above her forearm. He hovered and nibbled.


  Why would he kiss her there? Fascinating sensations raced up and down from where his lips applied pressure. When he licked, her breasts grew heavy and her nipples ached. How strange.

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  He kissed his way up her arm, across her shoulder and up her neck before finding her mouth. The soft caress of his lips wasn’t really a kiss. It lacked passion and intent.

  She’d never been with such a strange man. Could she be doing something wrong?

  “You didn’t answer me,” he said, kissing her chin before tilting her head back so he could lightly lick her throat. “I’m a careful man, Jess. Would you let me kiss your nipples?”

  She wanted to tell him she wouldn’t like it, had never liked it, but did her duty instead and uttered what she should. “You can do whatever you want.”

  Drawn close, she held a breath as he blew on a nipple. His mouth opened and he gently touched the very tip with his tongue. She tensed, expecting pain. Her breathing eventually slowed and she began anticipating the next soft stab around the nipple and balls at either end of the thin bar. It finally came. Pressure accompanied his wet, soft tongue and it didn’t hurt in the least even with how sensitive she’d become.

  Below the nipple he opened his mouth, swirled his tongue over the sensitive skin before his lips closed, sucking slightly as they did. The kiss felt exotic, warm and very new. He’d been so gentle that her nerves stood on end. Her nipple budded as blood pooled.

  “Does it feel good? Am I hurting you, hon?”

  “N-no. F-fine.” She couldn’t imagine the problem. It had to be his voice, all breathy and deep.

  “You taste fine on me tongue. As with you, gal, I like using me mouth. Do I do it right, Jess?”

  She couldn’t possibly answer because he’d shifted to her other breast and gave soft, maddening kisses over every inch. Featherlight caresses were placed as he mouthed, kissed and tongued.

  “Must you?” she asked, not minding the manner in which he touched her but disliking how achy it made her.

  “Aye, you taste good. I wonder though, could you take more? With your buds so firm from such a soft touch, would you like a bit of real kissing?”

  She swallowed hard and braced herself. “Real?”

  “Aye. Those placed with more passion, deeper. Or are you too sensitive?”

  Lips closed around a nipple and he kissed, not waiting for a reply. She wet her own lips and squirmed. He worked the nipple, the metal and surrounding skin with his lips and tongue. It didn’t hurt but her entire body throbbed. Lips trailed down to capture the skin below. He drew flesh into his hot, moist mouth. He tugged as he kissed. Oh God, did he kiss!

  “I didn’t mean to, hon,” he said, after pulling away to look at her breast. Fingertips traced where he’d just used his mouth, spreading the lingering moisture. “I marked you and I’d nay right to do it.”

  She couldn’t seem to catch her breath. “You what?”

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  “Marked you. You’ll bruise by morn.”

  ”Why?”

  “You moaned and I answered too rough.”

  “I don’t moan.”

  He smiled. “Not ever?”

  “No.”

  “My pardon then. Must’ve been what I wanted to hear.”

  What was wrong with him? Why would he desire such a noise to come from her?

  “Tiernan?” she asked, stroking his face.

  “Aye.”

  His eyes were most uncommon and she wondered what one facet about them held her attention. Perhaps it wasn’t merely his eyes. The dark hair scattered about his forehead, resting against his eyelashes and cheeks, made him appear quite barbaric while addressing Bragg and then, while gazing at her, most docile and harmless.

  The firm shaft under her ass hadn’t lessened. Best she moved along with her chore to have it over. “May I kiss you?”

  “Nay. You’ll let me kiss you now like we both want it.”

  Her belly quivered and she hoped the meal wasn’t bad. She wouldn’t put it past Bragg though. He’d done it before.

  “Sweet?”

  She couldn’t seem to focus on the conversation and her thighs trembled. “Yes?”

  “Your pants. Can I touch you without them while we kiss?”

  When she reached for the closure, his hands moved over hers.

  A slight smile formed on his lips. “I want to take them from you. I want the pleasure of sliding them down your legs. You’ll let me?”

  “S-sure. Whatever. F-fine.” Just get moving and get it done!

  He seemed the type of man to rush the process of obtaining his want. Why was he moving so lazily and touching her without passion? He didn’t seem cruel, not in their previous dealings. As her tension mounted, she realized she might very well have been mistaken about him. He certainly afforded a great deal of time to anticipate what would inevitably happen between them.

  His fingers sank into the waistband and rubbed against flesh as he unfastened the pants. Anxiety knotted her insides. “I thought you wanted to kiss me.”

  “I do. Lean forward so I can get at you, sweet.”

  When she did, he used the tip of his tongue to touch her lips. She tried drawing him into a kiss and he pulled back before gently nibbling her mouth. Small, maddening kisses barely touched her. In an attempt to hurry him along, she pushed her tongue inside his mouth. He stroked it lightly as if he’d all the time in the universe. She tried holding him still by placing her hands on the sides of his face. His jaw moved beneath 43

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  her fingers as he came more in contact. She’d never felt what happened to a man’s jaw while kissing. Because of his leisurely pace, for the first time in her life, she noticed a great number of things about this curious and odd man.

  His tongue curled slightly inside her mouth and as she closed on him, he slid away.

  The second time it happened, a sound came from her throat. “Mmm.”

  He repeatedly touched her mouth and stroked wetness over her bottom lip. The smooth underside of his tongue lent a completely different sensation than the textured top of it. She tasted where he stroked and took his moisture into her mouth. The scent and taste of wine sank into her. She opened to him again and this time he wet her upper lip. The game continued until all she focused on was when and where he’d lick next.

  A large, warm hand spread out against her spine to bring her closer. She quickly placed the subtle restraint from her mind as he lingered inside her mouth to stroke. The gentle glide of his tongue, followed by the aching retreat, felt different, much better.

  She’d never craved a kiss but wished to experience another with him. When she did, he brought her closer with pressure against her back until her breasts flattened against his chest. As she pressed tightly against him, he filled her.

  “Mmm,” slipped from her throat.

  In the next moment, he circled her with his arms but lessened his hold.

  She liked where she’d been, held securely against him while he pushed into her mouth. “Oh again.”

  “That’s it, hon. Nice and tight this time,” he whispered against her lips.

  Each time he entered, she held him more firmly as he drew her close. A rhythm formed and she quickly caught on. She was pulled against him until her breasts flattened. His tongue filled her mouth, before he’d gently ease away. Then it would happen again, the squeezing, heat, moisture and penetration before he’d release his hold.

  She couldn’t help flexing her fingers into his shoulders. She desired him near. The longer he inundated her with the confusing kisses, the more she rose to the closeness, anticipating all the sensations happening at once.

  He stood and carried her to the bed, keeping his mouth gently pressed to hers.

  Dizziness made her hold tight to his impossibly wide shoulders when he laid her down.

  Had he fumbled about or been in too big a hurry, she might’ve noticed him stripping the rest of her
clothing away. As it happened, he kept her occupied with kisses in between taking her boots and pants. Once she was naked, he kissed a trail down her breasts, belly and abdomen before his huge hands ran from her knees down the insides of her thighs. He knelt on the floor and continued rubbing, making her knees inch further and further apart.

  “Easy, Jess,” he crooned, his breath covering her upper thighs. “I won’t hurt you.

  You know that. Open your legs a bit, hon and let me kiss where we both want.”

  An uncertain sigh came from her as she separated her knees. The dance of his fingers stroking over her naked flesh caused her skin to roughen. “Tiernan!”

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  “Nay, don’t stop me, sweet.” His fingertips traced her before something incredibly soft and wet stroked over her pussy lips. “You’re so wet and smell so damn good, Jess.”

  One thousand monsters, sitting in the sky; shoot one down and a Blue baby dies. She focused on the childhood rhyme hoping to avert feeling exactly where he licked. Shoot two monsters sitting in the sky, and two babies die, with freak golden eyes.

  He slowly spread her lips apart and heated breath touched her most intimate spot.

  “Oh,” he said on a groan, “no wonder you’re so wet, you sweet, sweet gal. You’re decorated here too.”

  She hated to be touched by the piercing. Hated it!

  Large, warm palms stopped her thighs from coming together. “Don’t hide from me.

  I’ll be careful until I know how much you can take.”

  “No, Tiernan!”

  He stilled.

  She closed her eyes and the thudding in her chest grew loud in her ears. She’d been touched there before and never liked it. Also, something wasn’t right. She was swollen and hurt as if he’d already taken her and yet, he’d not even really touched her. Heat and cold washed over her skin. She couldn’t fathom the problem as her overheated body suddenly grew chilled.

  He turned her on the bed and came to lie beside her. “Hush now. Settle yourself.”

  She’d been enfolded into strong arms as he hugged and rubbed her back. She shook as strange, small sounds escaped her throat. The trembling grew as she reviewed her recent actions. She’d refused him. He didn’t like Bragg, probably wouldn’t tell him, but that left repercussions to come from Tiernan for the blatant rejection. God, she needed to make amends!