“Then why are you perpetrating what you consider an abomination?” he shot back, snatching her hand away from his mouth.
“Because it is your system. Why should the women be the only ones to suffer? Why shouldn’t men have to experience what life as the ruled is like here on Nexar?” Her chest heaving, Riana paused to rein in her emotions. She continued more slowly this time. “And because I wanted revenge.”
He opened his mouth to speak, but Riana rushed to continue.
“Did you really think the women accepted their way of life without ever questioning whether they deserved their lot? That thoughts of revenge never entered their minds? Women didn’t respect the men of Nexar. They feared them. Putting the women in charge, allowing them to mete out punishment in accordance with the laws that had ravaged them, gave them the opportunity to get even. More than that, it let men get a taste of what it was like being totally without power.”
He turned and wrapped one large hand around the bedpost and stared down at the sheets. “So the scene in the office was just another way of getting revenge?”
Pure frustration shot through Riana. His head was as hard as a krakel lizard’s. “No! Revenge had nothing to do with my actions this afternoon.”
He looked back over his shoulder. “Then why did you want my arousal to be public?”
“I didn’t even think about that aspect at the time,” she said with complete honesty.
But she should have. She should have remembered how repressed Darias was about sexual play. Though it hadn’t been her intention, she had left him aroused for all the keep to notice. A cool breeze blew in from the open doors leading to the garden. The sweet, spicy fragrances gave her an idea.
Riana held a hand out. “Come with me.”
“To where?”
“The garden.”
He stiffened, the hand about the bedpost tightening until his knuckles turned white. “You intend to punish me.” It was a flat statement of fact.
Riana kept her hand out. “Answer me this. When I punish you, is the pleasure from the beginning tinged with pain? Oh, not physical but mental.”
His glance questioned her meaning. “You know it is. Even though the acts themselves inflict no harm, the stimulation quickly becomes intolerable. As it is meant to.”
“Exactly. Now answer me this. This afternoon, was anything I did to you painful? At least a pain you didn’t crave?” She ignored the dark flow of blood that tinted the high cheekbones. “Did I take the suppressant before starting to caress you? Did I hold myself separate from you?”
“No.” Some of the resentment faded from his eyes as doubt seeped in to replace it.
“Have I demanded that you stand in the Great Hall displaying your arousal to the court?”
“No.” An indefinable relaxing went through the massive frame.
“Then take my hand and trust me. If only for tonight.” Her breath lodged in her throat, she waited.
He looked into her eyes then looked down at her hand. Taking one step forward, he reached out and his hand, large, hard and calloused, engulfed hers.
She released the breath she’d been holding in a tiny rush. Feeling light, almost giddy, she led him to the garden door. On way past the chair—the same one she had first spanked him over—she picked up the small black bag and then led him outside. She still felt tension in his body, but at least he was following her willingly enough. It would do for now.
Night had cloaked the garden in shadows, letting the more bashful shrubs and flowers scent the air with a delicate enchantment that went unnoticed during the day, when the magnificent trees and flowering bushes reigned supreme. Their feet made a slight crunching noise on the path leading to the Punishment Stone. The closer they drew to the stone, the more tension stiffened Darias.
“Trust me.” She sensed his conscious effort to relax. Next to the stone, she drew him to a halt. Placing the bag at the base of the carved white rock, she put the palm of her hand over his heart. It was pounding inside his chest.
“Privacy shield.” The muted crackle of the electrostatic shielding sounded like a roar of thunder in the silence.
His heart actually stopped.
“Sound shield.” Beneath her palm, his heart began thumping again. She leaned forward, putting her mouth over his nipple and sucked, drawing silk and flesh into her mouth. “You’re wearing your tunic,” she whispered, before latching on to his nipple again.
Darias knotted his hands at his sides and threw his head back. “I wasn’t until three hours ago.”
Against the soft skin of her stomach, his cock stirred.
A tiny grin lifted the corner of Riana’s mouth at his defiance. “I’ll forgive you this time.” She stepped back, anticipation of the night ahead tightening the muscles of her lower stomach.
Darias groaned. “No, not yet.”
“Don’t worry,” She leaned down and ran her hand over the stone to activate it. “I’m not going anywhere.”
The stone became luminescent.
In its gentle glow, every expression that flitted across Darias’ face was easily visible, yet they were still wrapped in the intimacy of the night, safe from prying eyes or ears.
Her hands went to his leather harness. She unbuckled it, sliding it off his shoulders until it dropped to the ground with a soft plop. Next she drew the silk tunic up, over his head. The small, masculine nipples hardened as the breeze, cool compared to the dry heat of the day, brushed over them.
“I love your body. So strong and warm. Sleeping next to you is like basking in the summer sun.” She flicked her tongue over the center of his magnificent chest.
Chills that had nothing to do with being cold chased across his skin.
She smiled against his chest. She worked her way down his chest, stopping her to taste his small, male nipples, there to drag her tongue down the ladder of his ribs until she reached his navel. Dipping her tongue inside the small indention, she mimicked the act of love.
His hands came up to fist into her hair.
Turning her head until her cheek rested against his muscled abdomen, she inhaled, bringing his scent deep into her lungs. He scent was so pleasing, so arousing—wild, clean, male. Taking one last deep breath, she sat back on her heels and unlaced his breeches and slipped her hand inside, cupping him intimately.
He pulsed and throbbed in her palm, a subtle promise of ecstasy to come.
She slid the breeches down over his muscular buttocks without resistance.
Darias stood clad only in another gold thong and sun-darkened skin. He made an abortive move toward her when she stood. His arms dropped back down to his sides, his fingers twitching. His chest expanded and contracted with each rapid, shallow breath.
With the need to strangle her or to cover himself?
A full-blown grin curved her lips. She put one finger under the waistband and tugged. “A tad upset with me, were you?”
“Yes.”
The word was stark, unadorned, wiping the smile from her face.
His eyes glittered with some undecipherable emotion.
Putting one hand behind his neck, she pulled his face down to hers. “Maybe I’ll let you convince me to forgive you for defying me,” she whispered against his mouth.
A mixture of need and desire turned his eyes to molten gold.
Fascinated, she almost forgot her plan to seduce him and was instead almost seduced. Wrenching her gaze from his, she knelt before him.
The scrap of material did nothing to hide the strength of his erection. It emphasized his maleness quite nicely. Riana shaped its length with her hands, loving the contrast between the smooth silk and the heated flesh beneath. Her breath came faster.
Each glide and pull of the silk under her touch elicited a deep, guttural groan from Darias.
She felt herself grow damp between the legs, her body tingling with desire.
His hands tightened in her hair, urging her closer yet.
In the faint light issuing from the stone, she g
lanced up the length of his body then, slowly slid the gold silk down his legs.
Fine shivers racked Darias, the muscles of his stomach taut, his eyes were closed and the tendons in his neck stood out.
She parted her lips and blew gently on the tip of his erection.
Darias tightened his thigh muscles, bracing himself before he collapsed with pleasure. A wave of heat surged up his cock, followed by gentle ripples of contractions. He swore he felt her mouth on his swollen flesh, even though she had yet to touch him there.
If this was punishment, it was like nothing he’d felt before.
Riana sat back on her heels then rose to her feet.
Intense disappointment washed over him. He opened his mouth to ask, to plead if necessary, for her not to stop, but tiny eddies of pleasure coursed over his nerve endings, making speech impossible as she took the tie from her hair and wrapped the length of silk about his cock. When she let go, the cool silk slithered to the ground, causing his cock to jerk in reaction.
A prickle of unease cut through the sexual haze when she twined her fingers with his and led him directly to the Punishment Stone. She pushed him backward until he stood between the polished stone leg supports. A low growl of protest rumbled from his chest.
“Trust me.”
Those two tiny words hovered in the air between them. He stared at her for a long minute, searching her eyes, trying to see to her soul. Was she just leading him on, adding a different cachet to the punishment?
She’d spoken of her rage as a slave, as his slave. Did she want him aroused and willing—nay, almost mindless—only to take pleasure in his defeat? Was this the ultimate punishment?
Her gaze met his unflinchingly, her brilliant green eyes warm with desire. She didn’t try to hide her feelings, hide the fact that she wanted him. The fine lawn of her blouse revealed the hardened points of her breasts.
Could he trust her? Had she told the truth about this afternoon?
Still holding her gaze, Darias settled on the Punishment Stone, putting his feet in the stirrups and his arms above his head. The stone, instead of being cool from the night, retained the heat of the day.
Krel help them both if she were lying.
Memories of his first night out here as slave flashed through his mind as he lay there, spread for her view. The utter helplessness, the rage, the bitter taste of surrender. He buried the memories with a tremendous effort of will, but he couldn’t escape the feeling of being completely exposed, both physically and mentally. That sense increased when she snapped the padded cuffs around his ankles and wrists.
Darias waited.
A blindingly brilliant smile lit her face. She leaned down and kissed his inner thigh.
“Why the cuffs?” He forced the words out of a dry throat.
“Trust me,” she whispered against his skin.
Before he could find the words to make her explain her actions, she moved to stand between his legs. She ran her hands from his ankles to just where her knuckles would brush the heavy sac and back down again. The touch was light, barely ruffling the hair on his legs.
It was driving him insane.
Just when he didn’t think he could stand it anymore, she slid her hands up until the edges of her palms were right below his nipples.
He sucked in a breath and forgot to let it out. Earlier, she’d compared his heat to that of the sun. She was wrong. Tonight it was her warmth he craved, her warmth that warded off the chill of the night and set him to burning.
Shadows cloaked her face, veiling her in mystery. He couldn’t tell what she was thinking, what she was feeling.
Or if she was even feeling anything.
Why was she just standing there?
The material of her snug breeches rasped against his thighs, making him acutely aware she was still fully dressed.
He stared at her, trying to read her expression in the dim glow provided by the stone bench, but his body blocked most of the light.
She shifted her hands suddenly to cover his nipples, not moving, she just rested her hands there.
Air rushed out of his lungs, the demand for release, building all day, shot to an almost unbearable pitch.
“Please don’t stop.” His plea hovered on the air, shocking him into awareness. Uncertainty again sliced through his excitement as the ugly suspicion that Riana was toying with him, demanding his trust as some new kind of punishment crept in and refused to go away. His throat worked but no words came out.
Then she rotated her palms in slow circles. Without warning, she pinched one nipple.
Darias arched against his restraints as she tugged on the hard nub. Sweat broke out on his forehead as he felt the gentle pull all the way to his balls.
She trailed her hand down his chest then lower.
A deep groan from the center of his being caught in the back of this throat, every muscle in his body tensed in anticipation.
She tangled her fingers in the line of hair that led to his groin.
He sucked in a breath. Though he didn’t think it possible, his arousal swelled still further.
A cloud scuttled from in front of the moon, allowing him to see Riana’s face in detail. Her gaze locked on his, she lowered her head and engulfed the tip of his shaft with her mouth.
He arched upward as far as his bonds would allow.
Hot. Wet. Teasing. Her tongue swirled around the tiny slit that bisected the tip. He felt a prickling of familiarity as he surged upward, craving the feel of her warm mouth swallowing the entire length of him, while sheer frustration tore through him as he found he couldn’t move more than a tiny fraction.
Her hair, the color of flame even in moonlight, cascaded across his thighs, caressing his tense muscles with tantalizing softness.
His eyes slid closed, but that nagging sense of familiarity strengthened, became impossible to ignore.
Her soft hands cupped his balls.
His hands clenched on the hard stone. She rolled the smaller, inner spheres. Darias slammed his head back as he arched his neck. Krel, he was as hard as the smooth stone, but unlike the stone, he could pleasure her.
If she’d just let him.
Cold air hit his erection. His eyes snapped opened. He was poised painfully on the edge of fulfillment.
Clouds once again masked Riana’s expression in shadow. She stood between his legs, close enough that he could feel the heat from her body, feel the brush of her breeches over his arousal.
But she still didn’t say a word.
All at once that odd feeling he’d been having became clear.
Riana was recreating his first punishment, here, in the garden.
Harsh breathing echoed in his ears. Distantly, he realized it was his.
But this time was different. Each action eerily echoed those of punishment, but each action was also subtly different.
With each touch, with each caress, she let him know that this time she wouldn’t leave him unfulfilled. All he had to do was believe in her.
Everything else faded away until all that was left was Darias and Riana. He stared into her eyes. Could he? Did he dare believe that this time was different? Heart thundering in his chest, Darias relinquished the last essence of his control.
He relaxed and gave a small nod.
She slid one finger from the top of his buttocks, to the taut sac hanging between his legs. His breath hitched as the gentle glide of her fingers traveled back the same way. The heavy muscles of his buttocks clenched on the anal plug as she neared forbidden territory.
He wasn’t ready for this. Every fiber of his being rejected the light caress. The plug had kept him aroused and heavy. His breeches had only served to highlight the evidence of his need. Every step, every movement making him aware of the intimate invader. Tartarius, just standing still, the thing made its presence known.
She pressed her cheek against his belly. “Not tonight,” Riana whispered. She tugged on the plug.
His untried muscles fought the pressure. He arche
d against the pleasure mixed with not quite pain.
She continued to pull until it was all the way out.
He felt empty once it was gone. Lost. Which was strange since he hated the loss of control it represented.
She unbuckled the bonds restraining his legs. Then leaned up over his body and released the cuffs around his wrists. Her slight weight against him was an exercise in exquisite torture.
His hips flexed upward involuntarily.
Face-to-face, this close her fragrance filled his head. It was more than the perfume she wore, though Krel knew that was erotic enough, it was the clean, feminine smell that was Riana’s alone. To the day he died, he knew he’d be able to recognize Riana by her ultrafeminine scent.
“Haven’t we done this before?” he asked, his voice rough and raspy but filled with humor.
She grinned, a pure mischievous curve of her lips. “You finally figured it out, huh? For a Supreme Chief, you’re kinda slow on the uptake.”
“Supreme Chief no more. Now I’m a slave.” But there was no bitterness to the statement. Oh, he still hated his position, but he’d reluctantly come to the conclusion that Riana was right—he had suffered no more under her hands than she’d suffered under his.
“Ah, that explains it.” She wriggled back down his body. “Maybe I should have given a more explicit demonstration of my intentions.” Her eyes glinted.
The ridges of her teeth raked the entire length of his penis, sending cold chills chasing down his spine yet conversely flooding him with a scorching heat. His heart thundered in his chest as he fought to hold still, to enjoy the slow, erotic torment for as long as possible. Soon, though, the wet heat of her mouth and the knowing caresses of her hands became too much to endure without moving.
The urge to rock in counterpoint to the glide of her mouth, the stroke of her tongue won. Raw, unadulterated pleasure raced through his veins. “Krel, yes!” He shaped her head with his hands, holding her still as his hips rhythmically flexed. Hot release poured forth. A hard shudder racked him and he gave a gut-wrenching groan. His hands fell to his sides.
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