Dark Harvest

by Anitra Lynn McLeod

  Kasmiri still wanted Chur, but now she also wanted to keep Sterlave. Since she was the future empress, she felt she had every right to be greedy. Who would dare to advise her otherwise? Tales of her great grandmother indicated she had a collection of consorts and often sampled them three at a time. Clathia denied the stories, but Kasmiri didn’t believe her; too many others had recalled them in exact detail. Her mother held firmly to the idea of one man, one woman as the only natural relationship.

  Ambo gave a closing speech about how they were now eternally bonded and even death could not separate them. He spoke in the ancient tongue and she realized Sterlave did not understand any of it. For a moment, she despaired that he would not be her intellectual equal but consoled herself with the thought that one didn’t have to converse much in bed. She had no doubts he could satisfy her there, and she would find other ways to occupy her mind.

  When Ambo waddled off clutching his oversized hat, two servants approached and helped her and Sterlave slip on their robes. Constructed of the finest astle, the robe still felt harsh against her sensitized skin. Even the air itself seemed too heavy and thick to breathe. She longed for her rooms. Without a window to the outside world, she still knew the twin suns, Tandalsul, had set behind the Onic Mountains. This day had gone on almost endlessly, and all she longed for was the comfort of her bed.

  Her agreement, that he would share her bed, drifted back, but she thought they were both too tired to make an issue of it tonight.

  Sterlave wrapped the robe around his enormous frame. Both his eyebrows lifted in question when he glanced at her.

  In that moment, she could be cruel. She could leave him standing there without any idea of what to do. However, she didn’t want to. Unwittingly, he destroyed her dream, but she still wanted him to follow her to her private rooms. Shocking, hot possession during the ceremony was part of it, but she had witnessed how the blue-eyed Rown aroused him. Kasmiri wanted to explore her own desires and his, no matter what they may be. He now belonged to her. As her consort, she could do as she pleased with him. A thrill charged her body for she realized she could do absolutely anything with Sterlave. Deadly and dangerous, he was now her consort, and he could not deny her needs. A thousand erotic scenarios flashed through her mind. Perhaps he could be a tool, a way for her to learn all the techniques of the lusty arts. By the time she did have Chur in her bed, she would be able to satisfy him beyond his wildest dreams.

  “Follow me.” She turned sharply on her heel and exited the room via a door hidden behind the drapes.

  Sterlave followed, his bare footsteps now as quiet as hers. She noticed he stepped lightly, using the front pad of his feet, not like most men with the heel. Such gave him a soundless stride. She thought he must be a hunter, for while stalking prey one must be quiet. The Harvester boots must have been designed to create a booming noise.

  “You again rush impatient, my mate. Do you long for privacy as do I?”

  His voice molded around her, causing her nipples to thrust and her sex to wet. She blamed the jaras gel but flashed him a smile over her shoulder despite the fact he had not addressed her in the way she demanded.

  “I never rush, Sterlave.” A quiver ran through her at using his given name for the first time. “I move swiftly, for I have never been one to linger over things that concern me not.”

  Her comment chaffed his pride, for the ceremony meant everything to him. He felt truly and irrevocably bonded to her. To discover that, to her, the bonding was just another ritual broke something inside. Not his heart, for he was not in love with her, but a piece of hope shattered. Would they actually make their relationship work, or was this just the beginning of Kasmiri’s cruel indifference?

  Never one to shy away from a challenge, Sterlave redoubled his determination to prove to her that they belonged together. He knew from the moment he saw her. He just had to find a way to show her the same attraction was there within her. Today was a good start. There was no way she had faked her arousal during the bonding, and that would be his way into her heart.

  Sterlave was familiar with the layout of the palace since he had often filled in as a palace guard, but he wasn’t sure exactly where Kasmiri’s rooms were. They walked for a long time. The deeper they went into the palace, the more elaborate the decorations became. He knew they had arrived because simply everything glittered in a garish display of wealth. All of it clashed with his humble cell in the training rooms.

  Two guards snapped to attention when they saw Kasmiri. Without a word, they pulled open two massive Onic wood doors. Sterlave didn’t recognize either man and thought they might be members of her private guard. Once he and Kasmiri passed through, they closed the doors behind them with a soundless whoosh of air.

  Luxurious furs covered the floor, silky fabrics hung in decorative hanks along the walls, and the ceiling…there was no ceiling. The towering walls opened right into the night sky. Stars sparkled in darkness, reminding him of the gems glittering in Kasmiri’s hair. Yet still, the room was bright. That’s when he noticed the walls glowed with embedded lighting crystals.

  Kasmiri passed her hand over a spot on the wall and the lights dimmed.

  Everything from the tile to the furniture was of various shades of crimson with smaller touches of white and black. It was beautiful, but a cold kind of beauty, especially with the open ceiling.

  “A glass dome covers during harsh weather,” she said, following his gaze. Dismissively, she turned away.

  Clearly all these riches bored her. Why wouldn’t they? She had lived her entire life surrounded by decadence. He drew his gaze off the open ceiling and tried not to appear slack-jawed over everything.

  “This room is all for you?” He almost kicked himself. “I mean, this room suits you.”

  Kasmiri glanced around, frowned. “It’s not as nice as my mother’s suite.”

  He found her attitude unbelievably ungrateful. “It’s a far cry from the cell I’ve been living in for the last three seasons.” Of course, his cell was a step up from where he slept back in his village.

  She bristled at his harsh tone. “You could always return there if you wish.”

  Three long-legged strides brought him near. “I’m sleeping here.” He towered over her, getting so close she had to lean back to maintain eye contact.

  Surprise parted her lips. When he looked down, her nipples tented the silken fabric of the robe. A musky scent, part her, part him, stiffened his cock, causing it to slip between the folds of the robe.

  He placed her hand on his shaft, and asked, “Do you want me to leave?”

  Short, sharp puffs of her breath warmed the fabric against his chest. “I want you to stay.” Glittering satisfaction filled her gaze when he pulsed beneath her caress. “You are going to help me learn all about pleasuring a man.”

  His heart leaped, but then he realized she had no interest in satisfying him. “So you can use your skills to seduce Chur?”

  She shrugged while lifting her sleek brows. “What does it matter to you? When I am empress, you will be but one of my many consorts.”

  There was no point in arguing with her. Besides, if she thought their encounters were only about him instructing her, she would be far more pliable and indulge his darkest desires. For if Kasmiri thought he had no firsthand knowledge about the lusty arts, she was in for a big surprise.

  “The first thing you must learn is to touch more firmly.” He wrapped his hand around hers, tightening her grip. “Don’t tickle when you wish to arouse a man.”

  Once he showed her how much pressure to apply, he removed his hand so he could slip off his robe.

  Kasmiri kept her grip tight, then moved her hand in a similar way to the blue-eyed servant.

  When he startled and caught her gaze, she flashed him a wicked smile. “I saw how he affected you.”

  “Any skilled hand on my cock would arouse me. Male or female.” He tried not to sound defensive but did anyway.

  “I think you enjoyed it more than
you are willing to admit.” One speculative eyebrow rose up as she tilted her head.

  “Second lesson: don’t speak of others when with a man. It’s not as arousing as you think.”

  “No?” She grasped him with both hands, tightening her grip on the down stroke. “Close your eyes and picture him doing this to you.”

  “Why would I do that when I can actually watch you?” Her hands were dark against his flesh, arousing him both visually and physically. However, for a brief moment, he did picture the servant stroking him and then falling to his knees to take his thick cock between trembling lips. Rather than analyze his strange attraction, Sterlave grasped Kasmiri’s hands to stop her.

  “Do you wish for me to send for him?” she asked, her breathy voice inviting and mocking all at once.

  Arousal glittered in her eyes. Did she too notice the servant’s resemblance to Chur? Did she wish to witness such an encounter as a way to bring Chur down in her estimation? Since she could do nothing directly against him, this would give her a viable substitute. In all honesty, he had to admit there was a bit of that in his own attraction. Picturing the servant as Chur was profoundly erotic. To have Kasmiri witness such an incident only increased his lust.

  “Not on this our first night.”

  Her pout was masterful, truly a thing of beauty and well rehearsed. One touch of his fingertip to her swelling breast parted her lips, turning her pout into the pursed lips of pleasure.

  “Be honest, Kasmiri, you don’t wish to share me tonight, do you?”

  “No.” Her eyes drifted closed.

  He continued to touch her breasts, using the fabric to soften his calloused hands. Arching her back, she pushed them out, begging him to continue without a word. He lowered his mouth and took one turgid peak between his lips. Flicking his tongue, he moistened the fabric, then bit her gently. Her sharp sigh inflamed his nerves. Capturing Kasmiri may not be as difficult as he thought. By nature, she was lustful and unashamed of her desires. If he helped her obtain the peak of ecstasy time and again, such might bind her to him, for he was already bound to her.

  Deftly, he removed the tie and then slid the robe off her shoulders. Before she realized his intent, he bound her wrists together.

  “What do you think—”

  “Hush, or I’ll find something to bind your mouth. Remember, you wanted to learn how to please a man.”

  Her eyes narrowed, but she kept her mouth tightly closed.

  “You must be very careful not to struggle, Kasmiri. Doing so will tighten the restraints and possibly hurt you.”

  Curiosity replaced her fury. “What do you intend to do with me?”

  “Whatever I want.”

  Her pupils dilated and her breath caught. Just the thought of being at his mercy excited her. What a complex creature. In less than a day, he discovered she enjoyed exhibition, voyeurism, and submission. He idly wondered what he would discover tomorrow.

  “Think of it, Kasmiri.” He pressed his mouth to her ear. “I can make you come and come until your body collapses.” When he bit her earlobe, she gasped but held steady.

  Thrusting his hand between her legs, he found her wet and swollen with need. “But I won’t stop.” Her clit was tight, nestled between slick lips. When he pinched it between his fingertips, she jumped.

  “Hold still,” he admonished. He wouldn’t berate her too much as this was her first time. “I don’t want to have to cut you free. I’m assuming you don’t have a knife in your rooms.”

  “No.” She peered down at her wrists as if she just now realized how dangerous this game could be.

  “Then I would have to go and get one. That could be most embarrassing.”

  She nodded.

  Using the tie as a leash, he led her to her bed. Large and square, her bed sat upon a raised platform, several steps up from the floor. Layers of silky bedclothes covered the surface. He frowned when he realized there was nothing to tie her to. Drawing on his creativity, he found a perfect solution and a way to test her resolve.

  “Kneel.”

  “Before you?”

  His eyebrow rose automatically. “As much as I like that idea, I want you to kneel before the bed. Bend over, placing your upper body on the bed, with your hands up over your head.”

  She did as he instructed.

  “Since there is nothing to tie you to, you will act as if your hands are bound.”

  She nodded, and asked, “Men take pleasure in binding a woman?”

  He didn’t know about all men, but he certainly enjoyed taking command of her. His cock jutted out from his body as if seeking her heat. “Most men enjoy being in charge and many women enjoy the sensation of helplessness.” He stroked his finger lightly along the crevasse of her bottom. “Do you like being at my mercy?”

  “I…I don’t know yet.” She gulped. “You’re not going to hurt me, are you?”

  “Pain isn’t a part of bondage unless that’s what you want.” He really hoped she didn’t, because he’d never found that particular part stimulating.

  “I don’t find pain arousing.” The covers muffled her voice.

  “Then I promise to give you only pleasure.”

  She relaxed into the bed, which was the perfect height to display her plush bottom. Her skin glistened a lovely tawny color, contrasted by the white tie and the crimson bedcover.

  Kneeling behind her, he traced his hands along her back, her hips, and then the cup of her bottom. His hands were pale against her burnished flesh; the sight alone was tremendously exciting. He wondered how many servants had worked rare potions into her skin to create such perfection. His rough hands seemed a sacrilege against such softness. Kasmiri clearly enjoyed his ministrations for she uttered low, keening noises.

  When his hand slipped between her legs, she attempted to part them.

  “No, Kasmiri, you are not allowed to move unless I tell you to.”

  “But I want—”

  “Don’t make me punish you for disobeying.” The words were harsh, but his voice was not.

  “No wonder men enjoy this,” she mumbled into the bed, her voice petulant. Clearly, she did not often hear the word no.

  “I could always stop,” he threatened.

  Silence.

  “Very good.” He continued to tease his hand between her legs, but since she couldn’t part them, he could only manage the barest brush against her clit. She writhed under his delicious torture and again tried to part her legs. He realized she would never stay still, not voluntarily.

  He stood with a sharp, disappointed sigh. Glancing around the room, he didn’t find anything that would work to bind her to, not with astle ties that could tighten dangerously if she struggled. As Kasmiri wriggled her torso around the bed, a solution came to him.

  “Stand up.” When she did, he removed the tie, which had already constricted. “This isn’t going to work.” Her crestfallen look pleased him to no end. “I do have another idea.” He yanked one of the blankets off the bed, had her place her hands at her sides, and then wrapped the fabric around her upper body and part of her hips. Carefully, he placed her on her back.

  “Perfect.”

  Kasmiri tested his solution and found it very limiting. All she could do was wriggle slightly side to side. She could lift her legs but not part them. When she glanced up at him, she seemed to suddenly realize she was now completely at his mercy. Panic caused her eyes to blink rapidly.

  “Relax,” he soothed, climbing onto the bed beside her. “I can unbind you in two seconds.” The last thing he wanted was for her to be afraid.

  She swallowed hard and took a deep breath. “I have to trust you.”

  “Yes.” He traced his fingertips over her face, smoothing away the worry lines that furrowed her brow. “Bondage is all about trust. I know that trust is difficult for you, but think of it this way: Why would I have gone through all I did to have you only to hurt you?” His gentle reminder helped her to go limp.

  “Besides, if you dared to hurt me, my m
other would castrate then kill you.”

  “Sounds unpleasant.” He smiled. Even bound, Kasmiri retained her sense of entitlement. Not quite the subservient, quivering woman he strove for, but it would do for now. Her trusting him restored that broken part of his heart. Perhaps there was hope for them after all.

  Sliding down the bed, he traced his fingers along her legs. Kasmiri had a ripe figure, cushioned and curvy, but still powerful with sleek but strong muscles. A few gems sparkled in her pubic hair, encouraging him to comb his fingers through to dislodge them. Moving down her body, he kissed the dimples in her knees, then continued down to her feet.

  When he realized they were filthy, he retrieved a small towel from her bathing unit and cleaned them thoroughly. Her red nails fascinated him, for he had never seen more pampered toes. Her feet were silky soft and lighter on the bottom than the top, like the palms of her hands. When he lifted her foot and kissed the instep, she gasped.

  “Beautiful, sexy feet,” he murmured, taking her big toe into his mouth and sucking hard. Toe by toe, he worked his way across her foot, then performed the same ministrations to the other. Feet had always fascinated him, and hers were the most lovely he’d yet seen. As he kissed and suckled her toes, he massaged the instep and her ankles. Clearly, she enjoyed having her feet played with. Such a fascination probably started with her servants pampering them. His interest sprang from his childhood. In order to avoid his father’s blows, he had hidden under furniture. In that position, all he could see were feet.

  “I have never thought of my feet as…sensual,” Kasmiri said, melting under his touch. Clearly, his unique focus eased her mind that he would do something untoward against her.

  “Have I changed your thoughts?” Pointing his tongue, he stabbed it between two toes, wriggling it suggestively.

  “Most definitely.”

  After giving each toe a thorough tease, he clasped her ankles and lifted her legs, nibbling and biting his way along as he angled her legs up. He was careful not to push too far, but Kasmiri was flexible, and he could comfortably bring her legs up over her torso, thus exposing her sex to his gaze. Luscious pink against her darker skin, her dewy lips called him close without a word. A few sparkles remained from the gel they’d used during the ceremony. Engorged from arousal and pungent with musk, he lowered his mouth and breathed a moist sigh that caused her to groan. Teasing, he blew slow, hot puffs to torment her before he finally lowered his mouth to suck at her pink sex.