Rugoff eyed the coffee, then let his gaze rake her body again. He dropped to his knees in front of her, gently spreading her legs apart. Not that it took much effort. At the first application of pressure, she spread for him, hooking one leg over arm of the chair and giving him a perfect view of her beautiful core.
He traced her slit, pushing his finger inside to feel her soft, wet folds. Then he leaned over and placed his tongue directly on her nub, pushing it into her supple flesh. Her body jerked in reaction and he pushed harder, the little nubbin throbbing under his tongue.
He slid his tongue over her slowly, enjoying the silky feel of her as her hips moved ever so slightly as if the feel of him entranced her.
Then he sat back and winked at her. “I am unable to buy you a drink, since I have no coin. Perhaps this will suffice for your prize.”
Rugoff took a healthy swig of the coffee into his mouth. He swirled the hot liquid around as it warmed his cheeks, his teeth and his tongue before he let it slide down his throat. Then he leaned back in and claimed her tasty treat.
Her sharp gasp let him know the feel of his warmed tongue provided her with a new sensation as he licked and nibbled on her enticing flesh. He relished the taste of her mixed with the sweet coffee as she rolled her hips in appreciation and cried out her delight at his attentions.
She fisted her hands in his hair, tugging gently. The feeling shot straight to his cock and he fought the need to possess her, to rise and bend her over the table, pounding himself into her as if he could reach the center part of her body with his hardness.
Her pleasure first, he said to himself as he took another drink, warmed his mouth one more time, then returned to his feast.
“Rugoff, I, oh…” Her cries of desire spurred him on, and he sucked and licked harder, flicking his tongue over her tip, delighting in the way her whimpers increased. He repeated the action with the coffee one more time before he shifted slightly, sliding a finger into her warm opening.
She lifted her hips and mumbled, “More, please, I’m begging you.” The soft words were like music to his ears and he added a second finger, his tongue never leaving her nub. He licked in gentle rhythm with his thrusting. When her sighs increased, he tried to match her, and when the hold on his hair tightened, he nibbled on her hard little bundle, his rod almost bursting when she cried out her release.
She thrust her hips at him so rapidly that he was afraid his teeth would bring her more pain than pleasure. But when she held his head down as she stiffened, he knew that hadn’t happened.
“Oh my stars,” she said when she finally relaxed into the chair. “I’ll never say jinx again without wanting that sort of prize for winning.”
Rugoff stood, then grasped her and turned her none too gently, bending her over and taking her in one hard stroke.
“Fuck yes,” she cried out, thrusting back at him. He took the invitation and grasped her hips tightly, pounding himself into her, in a hard, demanding rhythm that he could tell she loved as much as he did.
He grabbed her hair much as she’d done to him, tugging lightly as he pounded her. Her soft whimpers of delight increased his passion and he thrust harder. “Touch yourself, now.”
Her quick move to obey made him shudder. Her cries rose to a fever pitch as he thrust inside and he imagined the pleasure she felt as she stroked herself while he claimed her. When her walls clamped down hard around his cock, he knew she’d climaxed again.
The feeling was too much and he gave one final thrust, offering her everything that had built inside him as he’d pleasured her. He rested one hand on the table to keep himself from tumbling down on top of her, then he leaned over and kissed her shoulder. Her body trembled under him and he stroked her side, thinking his banishment was worth the cost if his reward was the beautiful woman under him right now.
Chapter Ten
Venise stretched, then looked around the room. The warmth from the fire had lulled her to sleep in the chair. Of course, it couldn’t have anything to do with the fact they’d fucked like bunnies for the past weeks.
Every morning they’d woken and searched for answers from the witch, or from Rugoff’s mother. But nothing had appeared. She knew that meant she needed to take matters into her own hands. They’d gone over reasons for her arrival, and possible scenarios for her helping him out of his predicament, but it had all been to no avail.
When they weren’t talking about the curse and all it entailed, they were having sex. Lots of it. Her body had never been so deliciously sore in all her life. At one point, he’d teased her that maybe his mother was waiting until she was pregnant, or as he said, with child, to bring them back to the real world.
The discussion had left her with conflicting emotions. She’s always wanted to have a child, but not here, in some realm where they’d been banished by a witch. When she had a child, she wanted a hospital with every modern convenience, including drugs. Lots of drugs.
Before the actual birthing process, though, was the conception. She and Rugoff had used absolutely no protection since she’d arrived. They’d been so caught up in each other that she hadn’t thought about it until he’d brought it up.
What would happen if she had a child while they were still here? Rugoff would have to deliver their baby. Did he know how to do that?
She mentally kicked herself for even allowing that thought to enter her mind. It wasn’t until just recently that people went to hospitals to have babies. Even her grandmother had been born at home. That fact might be true, but deaths from childbirth had been higher in the past, too.
Even beyond that was the bond that came to a couple when they had a child together. She and Rugoff definitely had a connection, one that she might even possibly describe as love if things kept going the way they were. Right now, she wondered what would happen if she were yanked out of this hellhole and he wasn’t.
Losing him would be painful, very painful, something that might actually take her heart and tear it shreds. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that living without him would be pure torture. She supposed what she thought might develop into love was already there. The question was did he feel the same way, or was he just happy to have company after hundreds of years with nobody to talk to except the walls and the trees outside the cave.
If that’s the way it was, she just wanted to crawl under a rock and die.
“Stop it,” she whispered to herself. “You’re imagining the worst when you need to think positively.”
She glanced at the table. It was full of food, including cheesecake, something that had thrilled her when she’d seen it. What it hadn’t contained was new batteries for her computer or phone. Both of them had died not long after she’d shown Rugoff the photo of Mrs. Westergard, who’d turned out to be his mother. And she hadn’t seen fit to replace them, despite the number of times Venise had asked.
Of course, she hadn’t seen fit to provide her with any clothing, either. Venise still wore tunics from Rugoff’s stash of clothing. She could have worn the clothes she’d come in, but the tunics were more comfortable. And they were easier to get in and out of, which brought her back to the idea they’d been fucking like rabbits.
Which made her wonder where Rugoff was. They hadn’t been out of the cave since she’d arrived. When she’d asked about going outside, he reminded her of the snow and extreme cold that had greeted her. It didn’t stay snowy all the time, Rugoff had said, but when it was, it was an extremely dangerous time to venture out.
Still, she wanted a chance to go and examine the area where she’d landed. Perhaps the two of them were meant to go there together and that would transport out of this place.
“A magical hotspot.”
“Magic?” Rugoff’s hands were on her shoulders, massaging away her cares.
“I’m thinking about the tree where you found me.” She stood and turned to him. “We need to go there, see if there’s vibes there that might send us back to the real world.”
She saw his
disbelief immediately, even though he tried to mask it. “You don’t think it will work?”
“Venise, I’ve been in that area over and over, and I’ve never felt anything that might hold magic.”
“Really?” She batted her eyelashes at him. “Even when you saw me?”
“The only magical time of my life.” His deep voice made her body shiver with pleasure. “But it wasn’t the area that was enchanted. It was you.”
Warmth spread through her, but that always happened when he was around. This time, though, there wasn’t a sexual feeling about it. There was a deep down, sense of belonging that she’d never felt with anyone in her life.
“That’s a very sweet thing to say, but there has to be something about that spot, some reason why I landed there. Is it where you face your annual task?”
“I have faced the demon there before, yes, but it’s not always in the same place. The area varies each time it arrives.”
She ran her hands down his arms, then linked her fingers to his. “We need to go there, just the same, to see if we can get a clue as to what is happening before the demon comes.”
“Why?” The sadness on his face made her heart feel as if it might break. “Are you so ready to leave me?”
“No. I’m not talking about just me, I’m talking about both of us.” She squeezed his hands. “Don’t you want to leave this place? Maybe if we’re together, we can touch the tree where I came in and it will zap us to 2010.”
“Or it will take you from me.” His voice wavered, and for a moment, she thought he might cry. She put herself into his place. How would it feel to finally have a companion after spending several hundred years alone? His fear was normal, she thought, but they had to at least give it a try. If it sent her back, she would just hunt down Mrs. Westergard and demand that she either bring Rugoff back or send her back to him.
That idea shocked her. Would she condemn herself to a life here, away from the world of computers and phones? The answer was simple. To be with Rugoff, yes, she would.
“I don’t believe that for a second. I won’t let you stay here alone, I swear it.” She cupped his cheek in the palm of her hand. “I love you, and I would never do anything to leave you.”
This time the tears threatened her eyes, but she didn’t hold them back as he did. She let them flow freely, not caring if he didn’t return the sentiment or not.
“You have my heart, as well. It is why I don’t want to go there. Magic cannot be controlled, and if I lost you, I would surely die.”
The silence surrounded them and when he leaned over and placed his forehead against hers, she felt more connected to him than she ever had. His skin was warm, his touch comforting.
He squeezed her fingers and she sighed. “We have to try. Your mother sent me here to try and save you, and if all we do is sit around and screw, then we’re not honoring her wishes.”
Laughter bubbled from his mouth and savored the sound of it. “Perhaps you’re right. It will still be cold outside. We need to make sure we are dressed properly. I will gather what we need. You stay here.”
“Yes, Sir.” She saluted him, giggling at the confused look that passed over his face. He may have an English dictionary running through his mind, but he still wasn’t sure about some customs. Hopefully she’d have a lifetime to teach him everything she knew.
Chapter Eleven
For some reason it felt colder outside than it ever had before. Rugoff followed behind Venise, enjoying the delicate sway of her hips as she walked. When they got to twists or turns he would point her in the right direction, but he wanted to make sure he had her in his sights at all time.
If an animal came out of nowhere and attacked her, then he would be able to defend her. But if she vanished, there was nothing he could do. He hated the idea of going back to the “magical spot,” as she termed it. At least in the cave he felt safe. It was the place where he had lived forever. Nothing bad would happen to her in there.
But out here? He grasped the hilt of his sword just a little tighter. There was no telling what could happen out here. He didn’t want to deny her the right to travel outside the cave, but right now, he hated the idea she was in danger. If anything happened to her, he wasn’t sure he could survive, even though he was sure his physical body would not die.
They came to a break in the trees and he hurried up to her. “This way.” He pointed to the right and they went through an arch into the clearing where he’d first seen her, laying in the snow, her unique bags scattered around her.
He remembered finding her in the clearing, then chasing her through the woods before coming back with the fur only to have her fall from the tree she’d climbed up in an effort to escape him. He thought about carrying her back and striping off her cold and wet clothing, and about how frigid her body had felt as he’d cleaned her wound and bound it, about how it had healed almost by itself within a few days.
Memories of her smashing her fist into his face made him smile. The smile widened when he thought of the first time he’d slid his manhood into her welcoming warmth.
“Venise.” He put his hand on her shoulder. “Please, let us go back.”
Rugoff hated the plaintive tone of his voice, but the feel of this place had changed. Always before, especially when the snow was gone and the weather grew warmer, he’d enjoyed the clearing, even if he were by himself.
Right now, though, he felt as if the world would come crashing down if they took another step toward where she’d landed.
“Rugoff.” She gave him a bright smile. “Don’t be a pessimist. I swear to you, I won’t leave.”
Her words were wonderful to hear, but he knew that she might not be able to keep them, especially if the witch decided she’d been there long enough. She took a step toward the center, and then another, and another.
Rugoff stiffened, drawing his sword from his belt to make sure it was at the ready, just in case. But nothing happened.
He glanced at Venise, who wore a fur he’d fashioned for her that covered her from head to toe. He’d also put a pair of his foot coverings on her, stuffing them with material to make sure her feet stayed warm.
From the look on her face, she wasn’t happy. He wondered if she really believed that, like the romance novels she’d talked about, they’d step into the clearing and things would change for them immediately.
“Damn it.” He recognized her words for what they represented: frustration. She walked to the tree and put her hand against it, and he hurried after her, fear slicing through him that she would disappear before he reached her.
But she didn’t. The air didn’t change, no animals or magical beings appeared, and Venise stood in the same spot, running her hands over the bark as if she suspected a different spot would produce a different result.
“Venise.” She didn’t answer him or even acknowledge that he’d spoken to her. He took her hand and she turned to him, her face brightening.
“That’s it. We need to touch. Since we’re both going back now, that will bring about the power. I fell before, but this time it will suck us back up.”
She wrapped her arms around him, holding him close, kissing him deeply. Then she clasped his hand and placed it on the tree, putting hers over it.
Nothing happened and he could feel the disappointment flood her. She went limp in his arms and he held her close, hoping his touch would remind her that she wasn’t in this alone, that they were together and things would be fine.
“Venise.” He whispered her name in her ear, but she didn’t respond. “Listen to me, tomorrow I’ll ask the witch for some answers.”
“And she won’t give them. This is where your mother dumped me, not the witch. I had hoped that she would want to give us some answers, but I guess I was wrong.”
They couldn’t stay out here forever, and right now, she seemed rooted to the spot. He needed to capture her attention, much the same way the men in the novels she spoke about captured their women. He had to let her know her life had c
hanged.
No one was here when he first landed in this world. He’d spent months trying to figure a way out, trying to find a route that would provide him escape. And he couldn’t let her do that.
What he needed to do was help her learn there was no way out of this land. But they could face it together.
“Tell me, Venise, in your romance novels, do the Viking heroes take their heroines with care, or do they dominate them and let them know they are their captives?”
Confusion spread over her gaze and she turned from him as if she wouldn’t respond.
“Answer me, right now.”
“They’ve changed,” she said, her voice heavy with the disappointment he knew she felt from not being able to find her magical spot. “In the early days of romance novels, the heroes would take what they wanted.”
“As a good Viking would.” He took a step back and watched as her eyes widened. Then he leaned over and grasped her behind the thighs. He threw her over his shoulder and turned back toward the cave, intent on reminding her they were in this together, and that she was a captive here, the same way he was.
Her body bounced on his shoulder and she imagined this was the route they’d taken when he’d first brought her here, only that time she’d been unconscious. In the weeks that had passed, she’d thought long and hard about a way out, but it seemed she hadn’t thought hard enough.
She’d been so sure that touching the tree would send them back, or at least summon the witch, or Rugoff’s mother, who would listen to what they had to say.
How could she have been so wrong? She’d gone over folk and fairy tales in her mind repeatedly and there always seemed to be a way out, or a lesson to be learned. What was the lesson here? And what was the way out?
They were at the door to the cave now. Rugoff didn’t put her down as he undid the latch and slid the portal to the side. Once on the other side, she tried to slide off his shoulder, but he firmly smacked her bottom.
Through the padding, the swat didn’t hurt, but she knew it had happened and shock raced through her. He’d never done anything like that before.
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