He chuckled and kissed her again, landing gracefully on the balcony that wasn’t on any other guest room.
“Was this a special request?” She slapped the railing with her bare foot.
“Yes. Teebie was very accommodating.”
He opened the door with a touch and carried her inside, his wings disappearing as he walked.
“That is a neat trick.”
He smiled. “I look forward to seeing your own adaptation of it after the balance ceremony.”
It was definitely a thought, but he settled her on the bed, knelt at her side and did that thing with her hair again. Her neck arched, her body offered itself to him and she wondered that no one taught boys this trick in high school.
He dragged his lips from hers and worked his way down her neck, nipping at the arch before moving down to her collarbone. His hair trailed over her skin as a secondary caress. The cool silk wrapped around her breasts, and she shivered. Apparently, the older the elf, the more magical all of his bits were. She shivered again with anticipation.
He worked his way down her body until he was between her thighs. He had to let go of her hair on the way, but she didn’t mind. By this point, she was lost to her own blissful haze.
Sex when she wasn’t in heat was a revelation. It could just be her partner, but this was a set of sensations that she hadn’t catalogued in her experiences.
She was still wet when he parted her folds, and his fingers slid in easily. It was a snug fit for two of his digits, but as he shifted his hand in a steady pulse and lowered his tongue to her clit, she found herself wanting more.
She begged, she sighed, she pulled at his hair, but he kept his steady flicking and sucking of her clit while his fingers mimicked what she wanted.
Nika moaned as jerking flutters ran through her body. It seemed to be what Markkios was waiting for as he moved along her, rubbing his skin against her.
She shuddered when he paused to suckle hard at each of her nipples and moaned when he kissed her again and the head of his cock speared her. He rocked his hips against her, moving into her entrance and out with a teasing beat.
Nika clenched her hands in his hair and bit at his lip, asking for more. His shallow dips became deeper until she figured out why he went slowly.
She had run into a few big cocks in her time, and while it wasn’t comfortable to start with, it eased into a pleasurable experience with a bit of practice. She was willing to start practicing now.
She focused on relaxing, and he eased into her with minute increments.
When he finally was fully sheathed, he was trembling and a low groan emerged from his throat. He rose up on his arms with his head thrown back, and he started to thrust into her with a slow undulation of his hips.
They were both coated in sweat as he rocked and she lifted into their joining. She slid her hands down the groove in his back, traced the scars and dug her nails into his buttocks.
He pumped, she screamed and her world exploded around her in a flare of heat and power.
His release ripped through him a moment later, as her power wrapped around him and pulled at him as her muscles milked his cock.
He shouted; Nika felt the burn of his own energy on her skin for the first time. The power was banked, but it was there, the glow of coals waiting for fuel.
He lowered himself on her, rubbing his head along hers, and she let her beast out for the nipping of the neck and stroking of the head.
He rolled to his back, coming free of her, and he pulled her against him as their bodies dried.
“Do you think that Teebie will let us remain here another night?” Nika whispered it against his chest.
“I think so. She made our picnic and then sent me out to the shifter’s field for a run. She seems to be very good at setting the would-be lovers into the right place at the right time.” He sighed and stroked the curve of her hip.
“She does at that. Are we still going on a picnic?” she looked at him hopefully.
“Of course. Mind you, you will have to find something else to wear. I think your clothing is still in the woods.”
She sighed. “Right. Well, I guess I have to do the sprint of shame to my room.”
Mark patted her butt. “Not necessarily. The door on the far wall wasn’t there before. I believe it might open to your charm.”
She thought for a minute he meant her personality, but then, she looked at her wrist and blushed. “Right.”
She tried to get up, but he held her fast.
“We are not in a hurry. Are we?”
She snuggled down and worked at relaxing. “I am not used to lying around after sex. Either I or my companion have to get out.”
He chuckled. “I am of the fey high court, and I do nothing quickly.”
She sighed. “Promises, promises.”
Chapter Six
The sundress and sandals made for a very girly kind of afternoon. She had skipped her underwear just in case.
After a polite request, Teebie had retrieved her clothing from the meadow, and it was cleaned and in her room.
Walking with Mark was fun. He carried the basket, and they walked through the path to a hill that overlooked the new creations forming at the Crossroads that Teebie had suggested.
The flat protrusion on the downward side of the hill gave them protection from wind and prying eyes. In the distance, they could see lakes and rivers as well as a beach of some kind. A rainbow haze separated the area from that open to the current guests.
The picnic was an amazing selection of finger foods and a lovely red wine.
“Is the alcohol ban off?” He paused before he put the corkscrew into the cork.
“Of course. I just wanted to make sure that whatever happened to me had worn off.” She watched him opening the bottle with more than a wine lover’s interest. In light of the morning’s activities, the sight of the corkscrew going in deeper by tiny increments was enough to distract the hell out of her.
She was living in a world of sensual flashbacks, and the dampness between her thighs made her regret her impish urge to skip the underwear.
He held out a glass to her, and she blinked out of her memories to take it. “Thank you.”
“So, where would you like to live when we return to the human world?”
Nika paused, “I hadn’t thought about it. I suppose I would move in with you, but I don’t want to leave my mom alone.”
“I am sure we will be able to arrange something. I look forward to meeting her. Does she have your eyes?”
Nika smiled softly. “Yes, that is where I get them, and she looks more like my older sister than my mom. She said she stopped aging when she had me. It must have been the magic.”
“Does she have your dark hair?”
“No, she’s a blonde and taller than I am.”
He nodded. “Fair enough. At least I won’t confuse you two.”
She snorted. “That has not happened, yet, in my lifetime.”
They sat on the hill and nibbled at their meal, listening to the sound of the wind and feeling the grass under the blanket Teebie had provided.
Nika loved the feeling of being out with no people and no one demanding anything from her. It was soothing. She loved her mom and the horses, but there was a weight of need to being home that had been lifted at the Crossroads.
She finished the last berry and sat with her knees drawn to her chest and her skirt playing in the breeze.
She closed her eyes and reached out through her fey senses. She didn’t use them much, but they were good for telling her what was around her. The issue was that they weren’t reliable. When she grabbed for them, they slipped away.
“So, do you have a plan for what you are wearing tomorrow?” Mark broke the silence.
Nika’s eyes widened. “I hadn’t thought of that. I am sure that I can arrange something. It isn’t like I have to wear white or anything. It also isn’t like I knew I was coming here.”
&nb
sp; He laughed, “True, but it is a ritual, and we will be bound for a very long time. You might want to ask Teebie for some assistance.”
“Fine, but if I do that, you won’t see me until the event.” She sighed and looked at him sideways.
“Ouch. Fair enough. You look cold.” He reached out and pulled her across his lap.
“I look cold?”
He slid his hand up her inner thigh. “Yes, you look cold, but you feel hot.”
She shivered as he slipped a finger into her. “You would know.”
She looked up at him through her lashes, and his eyes were hot and focused again.
“How is it that you are so wet and I just touched you?”
She widened her thighs and placed a kiss on his neck. “Flattery or the truth?”
“Both.”
She nibbled. “It is all you. For some reason, my senses wake up when you are near.”
“What is the truth?” He chuckled.
“That was partially the truth. It is localised around you, but in general, shifters think about sex a lot. When you show our beast their mate, they are ready to go. My beast has accepted you as a horizontal move in the social scale, so she wants to cement the relationship.”
He tugged her head back again. “You are serious?”
“I am serious. If our beast wants a mate, we have to give in. I have been keeping her semi-satisfied for years, but she is going to be all over you every chance she gets.”
He let out a low hum against her throat. She felt a surge of moisture from between her thighs, slicking his hand.
He moved his fingers inside her and kept his attentions on her throat.
She shivered, and her breasts pushed against the cotton of her dress. Her nipples scraped the fabric from within, and soon, Mark took one into his mouth, dampening the fabric before sucking hard.
She shivered and bucked against his hand as her other breast got the same treatment. Her body throbbed, ached and twisted in his embrace.
She moaned as he took a nipple in his teeth and worried it gently. Her voice took over, and sobs of demand came from her throat.
Her searching hand found his erection beneath the denim he was wearing, and she massaged the hot bar of flesh until he grunted and she felt the damp of precum under her palm.
Mark had three fingers moving inside her, and she was moaning with every thrust.
Her blind searching yielded the snap of his jeans, and she opened it, easing the zipper down slowly until it took over and peeled downward, freeing his cock.
More than a handful was definitely present. She stroked him carefully while she got closer and closer to release.
She was relieved when he pulled his hand away and turned her to straddle him. He didn’t sink in easily, but she took him into her and gloved him tight.
His hands were shaking as he started to pull her onto him. She reached between them and stroked her clit, howling into his shoulder as she came. She bit him slightly, and he lifted her, pumping her up and down on him until the friction heated her from the inside out.
She held onto his shoulders and rode out the storm. He finally clenched his hands on her hips and butt, grunting as he held her tightly to him. He gripped her shoulder with his teeth and held her to him as his hips jerked against her and his balls emptied.
The biting near the back of the neck started another set of shivers, and her inner muscles clasped him tight in deep spasms. Her beast liked it and that was what she would have to deal with.
Nika sighed and cuddled against his chest as she came back to the world. She was still aroused, but she would deal with it. His hands stroked her back, and the cool air around them reminded her that her dress around her breasts was wet.
Markkios shifted and soon pressed a glass of wine to her lips. “With this wine, I do give you what is mine and pledge to you what will come.”
She sipped and took the cup, holding it carefully to his lips. “With this wine, I do give you what is mine and pledge to you what will come.”
He sipped, and a strange energy wrapped around them, tying them in bonds that she could feel but not see.
Nika frowned. “Why did we just do that?”
He grinned. “If we go out this evening, I want everyone to know you are mine. This seals it.”
She sighed. “I can say no, you know. I have been doing it most of my life.”
“I know, but after more years than I am comfortable admitting to being alone, I have found someone. I want to protect her and tell the world about her.”
“You don’t have to tell the world. The only reason that this program is working at all is because the balance makes me look fey, so the humans don’t know I wasn’t always what I will become.” Nika snorted. “What if we go through all that and I still look like me?”
“Then, I will be your devoted servant and steed whenever you need me.”
“Steed?”
He chuckled against her ear. “You do a pretty good job riding me.”
She blushed. Since he was still inside her, it was a pretty easy guess what he was referring to. His erection was engaged in a resurrection.
She reached behind him, under his arms and around his shoulders in an odd pull-up. Nika started to rock against him, and he moved at her pace.
With the sun on her shoulders and the taste of wine on her lips, she leaned up and kissed him while clinging to him like a monkey.
Eventually, her arms ached, and she fell out of rhythm. Markkios gripped her hips, reclined so that he was lying down and arranged her right thigh to ride his hip as he faced her. Their slow motions took them to a gentle release as the wind curled around them, tugging at their hair and pulling at their clothing.
Nika was exhausted when they finally separated and packed up. One-night stands required far less energy.
Her legs wobbled like a newborn foal. It took her three tries to get to her feet.
Mark was looking at her smugly. “May I help?”
She made a face. “Sure. How?”
He turned his back and crouched down. “Hop on.”
“You are kidding.”
“I have to carry the basket, so my hands aren’t free. Hop on.”
She threw dignity to the wind. She didn’t have much anyway. She ran her hands up his back and slid her knees to either side of his hips. He stood up, and her grip around his neck was the centre of her universe.
He started to walk, and she giggled in his pointed ear.
“Why are you laughing?”
“I haven’t been able to do this since I was seven. I forgot how much fun it was.”
His legs ate up the distance at far greater speed than she would have been capable of. She waved at a few grinning onlookers as they walked through town but didn’t really care. This was fun.
“I had never thought of elf riding as a sport, but I could definitely get into it.” She whispered it against his neck.
“You are welcome to ride me anytime you like, in any form. You have a respect for someone else’s body that is refreshing. You haven’t asked me about what caused all my scars.”
She shrugged. “You had a life. That, and folks who work around horses collect all kinds of damage. The beasties don’t always realise that we mean well.”
“True.”
She could tell he was smug about something.
A suspicion ran through her. “Was my riding you back to the Open Heart part of your scheme to show me off?”
“Perhaps. Do you mind?”
“Nope. My dress still has two large wet patches on the front. This is the more circumspect option if you can imagine that.”
His laughter heralded their arrival back at the bed and breakfast as he handed the basket to Teebie while Nika rode him up the staircase.
The moment he turned toward the bed, she dropped backward and bounced, giggling madly. He pulled her to a sitting position and worked the skirt up to her waist before he pulled he
r upright and pulled the dress off over her head.
When she was naked, he carried her to the bathroom and flicked his hand. In the blink of an eye, the tub was filled with warm water, and he slid her into the large, round vessel.
His clothing was peeled off and placed in a pile outside the bathroom. The water level rose as he joined her, but she didn’t care. It just meant that the water covered her shoulders.
“Come over here.”
Nika floated over to him and settled against his shoulder with one of his arms around her waist. Her thighs were parted and one leg draped over his.
He nuzzled her temple. “What would you do if you were carrying in the next year?”
“I would probably gain some weight. Why?”
“You wouldn’t mind?”
She looked at him and floated away so her eyes didn’t cross. “Why would I mind? I grew up with animals all around me and a beast inside me. Mating results in little people if you are lucky. It isn’t mandatory, but it isn’t a surprise. I am going into heat regularly, so I am pretty sure that if we can reproduce, it will start sometime this year. Haven’t you had kids in your extended lifetime?”
He shook his head. “Not any that lived beyond their fiftieth year. The middle ages were not kind to children born in human settlements. I stopped having children because losing them was too painful.”
She saw the pain on his features. “Did any of their lines survive?”
“No, they died out in the seventeenth century, before the fey were out in public.”
She cruised back in and hugged him. She saw the same expression of loss on her mother’s face when she thought Nika wasn’t looking.
Losing family wasn’t easy, and when social convention caused the divide, it was harder still. Annabella had lost her family because of Frennin, but she had gained Nika. She had always said it was a favourable trade.
Nika’s heart ached when she realised that Mark had nothing to show for it. He had tried and nothing had come of it aside from memories of loss.
His hands smoothed over her back, soothing her as she comforted him. When she finally backed away, he smiled softly. “For you, it was a very long time ago.”
“And for you, that was just last week. I am sorry for your losses.”
Stripes of Fury Page 4