by Eve Redmayne
His next words cut short as he crumpled to the floor, unconscious. The heavy brazier hovered above him, now stained with blood from his young, blond head.
Willow raced into view, short sword in hand. Mouth agape, she stared at the floating stove. “Goddess be, what’d I tell you?” she scolded and knelt next to the young man. “Out cold.” She made quick work of tying his hands and feet together.
The brazier floated back to its spot as Jessica moved her finger in a come-hither motion.
“Come.” Willow jerked her head. “Let’s meet with Orrin and Braum and go over the plan.”
“Hey,” Jessica pulled short, “how’d you find us so quick?”
“Dumb-arsed prince didn’t even hide where he brought you. Orrin and I just snuck in, using a little magic to open the door.” Willow grinned and grabbed Jessica’s hand.
The two women hurried around the corner and stopped before Braum’s cell. Orrin had his back turned as Braum knelt before the guard, checking the restraints about his wrists.
“I told you they’re sound,” Orrin said, voice a low growl.
“And I told you I don’t trust you,” Braum sneered. “I’ve never known a witch who could tie a knot worth a damn.”
“Right, because you’ve known so many knot-tying witches, haven’t you?”
Before Braum could respond, Willow broke in. “Give it a rest, you two.”
“He started it,” Orrin grumbled.
Willow rolled her eyes.
“Are you alright?” Jessica asked, brushing into the cell, eying Braum. “Your leg doesn’t look that steady.” To be fair, all of him looked pretty rough.
“I’m fine,” he answered gruffly, clearly not wanting to display any sign of weakness with Orrin present. “And you?” His golden eyes narrowed with concern as he looked for any sign of damage. “Wycliffe was with you far too long.”
“He didn’t do anything,” she reassured and beckoned him to sit next to her on the crude pallet. Obviously, he needed to rest and a bit of encouragement to do so.
The moment he sat, he pulled her close, arm draped around her back. His face pressed into her neck, the damp tips of his freshly washed hair cold against her warmth. He inhaled and said beside her ear, “You smell like roses and the wind.”
She sighed at his nearness. It’d been so long since they’d been physically close. While she’d been by his side in shade form and aware of his presence, it had been in a spiritual sense. Now, she was aware of his body as a flesh and blood woman. Her senses stirred, and gooseflesh pebbled her arms. She tugged the cloak close, thinking she might be cold. But it wasn’t that. His touch roused her. Her breathing grew fast as she caught his scent—forest, blood, and male.
Willow and Orrin began to detail their escape plan. They’d put quite a lot of thought into it, but Jessica only heard half of what they said. There were so many things she could be doing to Braum’s body and he to hers right now. Her pulse bounced in her throat as she felt his eyes on her.
When she looked up, his eyes glowed with hunger. He reached up to brush her fluttering neck. She jumped when he leaned close and whispered, “I want to suck right here.” Her pulse leapt, and he grinned, sensing her desire.
She leaned closer, pressing her body against his. Now that they were together, all she could think about was making fierce love to this man who made her crazy with need. He’d always done that to her, damn him. As he toyed with her pulse point, her core clenched at each stroke. She’d never known her neck to be so sensitive, but it had been so long—
“I’m sorry,” Willow broke in, hands on her hips, halting Braum’s ministrations, “am I interrupting your love play with details of your escape?” Her hair bristled in agitation.
“You’re right.” Braum scooched aside. “Begin again. I’ll listen and not fondle my wife.”
Willow shook her head. “You’re a fool.”
Braum nodded, pointedly not looking at Jessica. “I don’t disagree, I’m a fool for my wife. Now, how do we get out of here?”
“Didn’t you hear a word she fucking said?” Orrin spat through clenched teeth the vein in his forehead throbbing. “Only you are escaping you goddamned shit!” His turquoise eyes devoured Jessica before he turned to Braum, looking like he wanted to strangle something. He grabbed the side table and strangled a leg “We’re leaving her here and letting you go! She has to stay to keep your feckless arse safe.” The rickety table splintered as it hit the stone wall.
“The hell we’re leaving her!” Braum shot to his feet and grabbed Willow by the shoulders. “Are you both mad?” His gaze shifted from Willow to Orrin, then back again. “You saw what Wycliffe did to her!” He motioned Jessica’s way and continued, his voice cracking, “Stripped her before his entire goddamned kingdom and left her to freeze, and you want to leave her? With him?” His golden eyes burned. “I won’t allow it. Where I go, she goes.”
Orrin turned back to glare at Braum and snarled, “Then you’re committing her to death.”
The hurt in Orrin’s eyes was obvious. Jessica squeezed Braum’s hand before releasing him. It couldn’t be easy for Orrin to watch them paw each other or see the hunger in their eyes as the strength of their need pulsated through the cell.
With his gaze fixed on Braum, Orrin stalked forward. “If that madman finds her gone, having escaped with you, he will wage war such as we’ve not seen upon this land in forty years. He won’t let you both go. You’ve humiliated him too completely. Don’t you see?” Orrin turned to Jessica, expression pained. “I dread leaving you in Wycliffe’s clutches, but for both of you to live…” he trailed off and ran a hand over his beard before continuing, “Every option’s been discussed at length. This is the only way.”
Orrin knelt and pressed his lips to Jessica’s hands. “You mean everything to me. And though I’d love for my words to change your mind, I know they won’t. Just know, I’ve never felt this way for another and pledge my undying devotion to you.”
Her hands trembled in his, and when Jessica moved to speak, he cut her off. “You don’t have to love me in return,” he assured and stood, pressing a final, desperate kiss against her knuckles, “but I will always love and protect you. This is the only way for you to be together in peace.”
Never taking his eyes from her, he backed into the corridor and turned around as though unable to face them any longer. And Willow quickly reiterated the plan.
Jessica, again, only half-focused. Her heart was full as she considered Orrin’s love for her. If only he could find somebody of his own, someone who loved him back with the same integrity and strength.
Braum’s snort cut short her reverie.
“I repeat, I’m not leaving my wife,” he sneered.
She watched Braum eye Orrin with vitriol and rushed to defend the witches plan, her brows stitched. “I can protect myself against Wycliffe. You do remember what I did to you?” A mockery of a smile crossed her lips at the memory. “I can do a thousand times worse to Wycliffe.”
When Braum moved to question that, Willow jumped in, her words rushed. “Enough! There’s no time. She’ll be fine. We lock her back in the cell. You come with us, and the elves won’t suspect she’s party to your escape. By you leaving, they’ll assume you don’t want her any longer. After an appropriate amount of time, Orrin and I will request she be released back into the witches’ care. At that point, you two will be reunited and can come up with a suitable story.”
After a moment of tense silence, Braum’s lips lifted in a sneer. “Fine.”
Willow turned her green eyes to Jessica. “Well, Jess? We’ve been a team for this long and I’ve grown attached to you. What do you say?”
A tremulous smile crossed Jessica’s lips. “I once told you all I was looking for was a friend”— she swallowed hard and wiped a lone tear from her cheek as she rose to pull Willow into a hug— “thank you for being that friend… as well as a teacher, and now a partner in crime. I couldn’t ask for more. Take care of Braum, and Orri
n, too. I don’t like seeing him like this.”
Willow forced a weak smile. “I’ll do my best.” Leaning forward, her soft hair brushed Jessica’s cheek, and she whispered, “No magic.”
Jessica released her friend with a wink. “Got it.”
“Let’s go,” Willow said to Braum and strode from the cell. “I’m not sure how long the guards will remain unconscious. And goddess only knows what will happen if the mad prince decides to come back down for a visit.”
“I’m not leaving yet.”
CHAPTER 35
His voice rough, Jessica turned to see Braum’s attention fixed on her. She swallowed in anticipation, quaking at his bold refusal. But before she could say anything, Willow grabbed him by the arm.
“I’m sorry, what?” she said.
Braum shrugged Willow off and limped over to grasp Jessica’s hands. “I need a minute alone with my wife.” His eyes crinkled at the corners as his lips curved into a devastating smile.
“There isn’t time—” Willow began, only to fall silent, as he swept Jessica into his arms and carried her out.
“This won’t take long,” he called over his shoulder.
With Jessica nestled close, he strode into her cell and kicked the door shut. “I need you,” he rasped, eyes never leaving hers.
A hot rush of desire hit her center, and she clenched her thighs, relishing the delicious tingle. Lord, she needed him, too.
As his face lowered to hers, she tugged on sun-kissed hair, urging him closer. Their lips met in a joyous mingling, hers soft and willing, his firm and insistent. She opened herself to him. His tongue brushed against her top lip before moving deeper. He sucked her bottom lip between his teeth and tugged ever so gently. She squirmed in his arms, ready to be devoured.
God, she’d missed this. Missed the strong arms of her man. The man she loved.
His biceps flexed as he lowered her onto the bed.
She reclined against the mountain of pillows and looked her fill. He’d grown so lean his muscles pressed in stark relief against tawny skin. And dusky nipples peeped at her from under the hair spread across his chest. Her gaze lowered, followed the darker trail that narrowed over his navel only to bloom as it approached the low-slung waist of his pants.
Her eyes widened as he grew to prominence under her heated scrutiny. He was ready for her, hard and long, and constrained by the leather he wore. But this couldn’t happen, he had to go, escape before Wycliffe came back. About to tell him to leave, her mouth dropped when he closed his eyes and let out a low groan.
With brusk movements, he adjusted himself until the head of his cock appeared above the top of his pants, red and beaded with moisture. He rubbed over the turgid flesh and groaned again.
As he stroked himself, Jessica bit back her response, forgetting all about Wycliffe, knowing only this moment. She knelt on the bed before him and let the cloak fall away. Her breasts quivered, the rosy tips hard and eager, begging for his touch, unable to wait any longer.
Her tongue darted out to wet her lips. His eyes darkened with hunger as her cautious hand reached out and wrapped around the head of his cock, lightly rubbing, unable to reach around his erection. He was big, really big, and her belly clenched in anticipation.
***
With no time to waste, Braum shucked off his boots. Her cheeks reddened as he pulled his pants down, and her lashes lowered as he came into view, long and reaching for the ceiling. Veins stood out along the length, and his balls hung heavy and firm. It’d been so long since he’d had any sexual relief, he might not last but a moment.
Insistent, she grabbed him again.
His throat bobbed as a moan sounded deep from within. She pulled sharply down, tip to base, and back up, and he had to restrain himself from jumping on her. This was no time for teasing; he was ready to burst from want.
The smile on her lips told him she knew exactly what he wanted and that she was more than prepared to give it. She toyed with the hair at his groin and shimmied back over his raging shaft. His hips jerked forward within her grasp.
“Too much!” he growled as he thrust into the soft flesh of her palms, really meaning, not enough! She squeezed, and he tore himself away. Now! She’d be his, now.
With a few terse motions, he tossed the destroyed gown away, leaving her nude but for a pair of red stockings, gartered at the thighs. “Gods, woman!” he breathed, eying every inch of her body, but always coming back to focus on creamy legs swathed in scarlet. The curls at the juncture of her thighs beckoned him closer. The stockings would stay.
She leaned against the pillows, a goddess ready for worship, trailing long fingers over her tiny waist, ribs, and finally her breasts. Knowing he watched, she thumbed the pink nipples.
Gods, she meant to bring him low! Well, he could postpone a bit longer, there were important matters to attend to. He knelt beside the bed, ignoring the pain in his leg, and removed her hands to replace them with his own. Her nipples, pebbled against his palm, aroused him even more, and his cock continued to expand. “Let me taste you.”
At her nod, he reached down with one hand to stroke himself, shaken, urgent. Her pulse jumped at the sight of him touching himself. He leaned forward and pulled a nipple into his mouth, tonguing, sucking, all the while plying his own flesh with a strong grip. She arched back, forcing herself closer.
So, his little wife liked it hard? He’d give her all she could handle. Using his teeth, he drew harder, increasing the pressure until she moaned and begged him not to stop. He laved the rosy peak, tormenting with soft nips and firm pulls until he could wait no longer.
Staggered by his yearning, he rose with a determined frown, ready to claim her. But first, he lifted her from the bed and sank against the pillows, himself.
When she quirked an eyebrow in question, he motioned to his legs. Eager? Gods, yes! But not up to the task of plowing her like he’d want. So, she’d have to take the initiative and ride him. Her eyes darkened in understanding.
“But before I take you,” he kneaded her bottom as she straddled him, “this.” On a groan, he ran his throbbing cock against her damp sex.
Sounds of pleasure ripped from his throat as he watched himself slide through her gleaming folds. After rubbing until she panted, he broke away, only to return to give a bit more. Her eyes closed as he moved the blunt pressure, eased by her slippery warmth. She was so beautiful, so sensual; he couldn’t believe she was his to take.
Hands splayed over his chest, she held herself up and bucked against him. Her breasts thrust high as she moved, following his rhythm, inching forward and back as he manipulated himself against her. God, he was going to spill before even pushing inside.
Braum’s control waned as he slipped through her lush folds. He craved her. Wanted to tease her slow. Wanted to swive her hard. He’d shove his cock between her bouncing breasts and come all over her sweet nipples. Anything to possess her.
Her little gasps grew frantic, and Jessica pressed down against his length, her hand over his, halting his motions as her orgasm crested. Her body trembled, soft, above his hard planes. He stilled to watch her experience bliss, lips parted, and eyes closed.
When her shudders subsided, Jessica grinned down and grabbed him. With lip clasped between her teeth, she guided him home. Hips tilted forward, slowly, oh so slowly, she inched down.
His length disappeared, incrementally, as she tormented him, until he couldn’t hold back, and grabbed her ass. Palms filled with handfuls of soft flesh, he plunged upward, ramming into her mercilessly while at the same time, pulling her down. Her eyes widened as he filled her completely, her body stretching to welcome his.
Oh, gods! Maddened, he thrust against her, seeking his own culmination, able to think only about coming inside of her. He drummed hard, watching his slick heat emerge, warm and shimmering, while her red-clad thighs gripped his waist.
Thrust after thrust, he clutched her hips, encouraging her to let go, knowing a second release was near. His own climax be
gan to crest, and he groaned deeply, cock pulsing. Ready, so fucking ready…
But he gritted his teeth and pulled back, wanting her to orgasm while he was deep inside, needing to feel her tighten around him. His hand shifted over her belly, his finger seeking her warmth. When her bud greeted him impatiently, he pressed. A moan escaped her parted lips, and she jerked hard against him. He increased the pressure, then, with one final thrust, they climaxed together in breathless ecstasy.
His seed burst out in hot spurts, filling his wife as her body clenched around his cock.
The world spun for a moment. She collapsed fully on top of him, chest heaving, body damp from their lovemaking. And he couldn’t help but grin.
Sated, but still needing to feel her, Braum tucked Jessica against his side. Fingers splayed, he toyed with her supple buttocks. At the same time, she ran her fingers along his chest and over the trail of hair on his abdomen, stopping at his navel.
How could he leave her?
She opened her mouth to speak, but he hushed her, knowing what she meant to say. Their time was up.
Chin resting against his shoulder, she looked up at him with those big, gray eyes as her hand continued inching downward, this time going until she grabbed his still-tingling testicles. “We’ll be together soon,” she said and leaned forward to kiss a nipple, her breasts deliberately brushing against him. When he squirmed, she grinned. Gods, he’d missed her playful looks.
Before he could respond in kind, footsteps approached. The cell door clanged open, and a deep voice cursed violently. Braum turned to see Orrin staring, dismay on his face. Orrin’s eyes roamed Jessica’s naked hips, her graceful legs swathed in red stockings, entwined with Braum’s own hairy thighs, and Braum’s hand lying possessively on her ass.
“Go away,” Braum growled, tugging at the yellow blanket trapped beneath him.