by Unknown
Pursing her lips, she fought back a cry as he spread her labia and searched for her clit. With maddening circles, he engulfed her in fiery need, the slow slide and well-timed flicks coaxing moisture to dampen the cotton. When he pulled her underwear down her hips to circle her thighs, she closed her eyes, unable to watch as he bared her to his gaze.
His finger slid inside her, the tight fit prompting her to rise to her knees. He forced her back, bracketed one arm in front of her, and manacled her against his chest. He pumped in and out, slow and steady at first, until his knuckles slipped through with relative ease.
His thumb thrummed her clit, each stroke launching flashes of white over the crimson curtain obscuring her vision. As if of its own volition, her hips shifted to meet his thrusts. Even though she couldn’t see, she could imagine his gaze tracking her every move.
“God, you’re tight.” His teeth scraped the sensitive spot behind her ear. Adding a finger, he stretched her until she whimpered and thrashed her head against his chest.
He pushed deeper, forcing her to accept his impalement. “Can you take more?”
Biting her lip, she turned her face to the side. “I don’t know. I….”
“You’ll have to when I fuck you tonight.” He pulled out and surged into her again. “I’ll pull your thighs wide, force you to take me hard and fast.” Quickening his strokes, he dropped soothing kisses over her neck. “I won’t stop. I won’t slow down” His knuckles abraded her with each penetration, sending sparks to feed the growing flame at the apex of her legs.
“And after I’m done.” He twisted his hand to invade her even farther. “I’ll flip you to your hands and knees.” Another digit joined the ones inside her. Tears stung her eyes as he drove her higher, his assault hurtling her into an abyss of pain and pleasure.
“Damien….” A warm streak rolled down her cheeks as she tried to shimmy her hips to meet his hand. His grip limited her movement. She was so close. She needed him to take her over the edge.
“Beg me.” His rhythm escalated to match the beat of her heart.
“Please…. Please, I need….” The unrelenting stimulation between her thighs sent spirals of fire through her core. Words escaped her as her ears roared, her spine snapping back as she hovered on the cusp of release. “Please… let me come.”
He stopped with an abruptness that sent her into a tailspin. Then he thrust so deep her entire body spasmed, her inner muscles clamping around his fingers as an orgasm broke over her in a crushing wave of ecstasy.
About the Author
Globetrotter, lover of languages, and romance author, Tara Quan has an addiction for crafting tales with a pinch of spice and a smidgen of kink. Inspired by her travels, she enjoys tossing her kick-ass heroines into exotic contemporary locales, supernatural worlds, and post-apocalyptic futures. Her characters, armed with magical powers or conventional weapons, are guaranteed a suspenseful and sensual ride, as well as their own happily ever after.
To learn more about Tara’s books and social media haunts, visit her website: www.taraquan.com
In Deep
Allie Ritch
Elandra felt a wave of heat crest over her body as she locked gazes with a pair of sexy green eyes across the crowd. Gifted with magic that let them breathe underwater, her people spent their whole lives next to or beneath the sea, and most had blue eyes like she did or shades of aquamarine. But not this man. His irises were the deep green of the grass beds.
Dorian. She would have recognized him anywhere, though she hadn’t seen him in many years. He lived to the north in the Tiered City. Their people inhabited the caves of seaside cliffs, having expanded the natural formations to form vast networks within the stone. Here those caves could be reached by walking up the sandy beach and ascending a carved stairway set within the first cavern. The Tiered City, on the other hand, could only be entered through an underwater passage or through a sinkhole hidden far inland.
Elandra could still remember every detail of the city and the narrow beach that stretched beside its pale orange cliffs. Dorian had been running in the sand the last time she’d seen him. He had been younger then, though he was a few years older than she was, and he’d been training to become a guard. She had been walking on the beach when he and several young men had raced past her. He had looked so focused and serious, but he’d broken his concentration long enough to glance her way and offer her a smile. She remembered the way his grin had put a dimple in his cheek and made his eyes even brighter. Then he’d disappeared around a rocky outcropping with the others, and she’d lost sight of him.
Had Jamar noticed their exchange? That was a question Elandra had asked many times, though only in her own mind. Jamar had been her friend nearly since birth and they had only become lovers a few months before that fateful walk on the beach. They had been little more than children then, their love new and untested. She only knew that he’d grabbed her hand right after Dorian passed and had tugged her toward the water.
The ocean had been calm and cool that day, and they’d waded in up to their shoulders. Jamar had said something to tease her, and she’d splashed water in his face. Not far away, she’d seen a group of young children playing a similar game in the shallows, their shouts and laughter carrying on the wind.
Sometimes life, like the currents, could be unpredictable. If she hadn’t glanced their way, if the swell of a wave had blocked her view, she might not have noticed the lone boy swimming for deeper water. There was always one in every group—the daring child who liked to push the limits. He had nearly reached the breakers over the reef when she’d seen him.
“He’s going to be in big trouble when he’s caught,” she’d told Jamar.
She had laughed, but then she’d looked back at the beach. The two adults who were supposed to be watching the children had been deep in conversation and hadn’t noticed the boy.
Elandra had sighed and started to paddle toward the reef. “We’d better go get him.”
Jamar had been only a few strokes behind her. She hadn’t hurried—not until she’d spotted the dorsal fin of an enormous saber shark breaking the surface. Armed with long serrated teeth, skin like hardened sand, and pearly eyes, saber sharks were deadly predators. The big ones usually stayed in deeper water, but this one had clearly decided to prowl the reef.
She recalled shouting a warning and having the breeze carry her voice in the wrong direction. Swimming as fast as she could, she had reached the child, but then everything became jumbled. She knew there had been screams, followed by crushing pressure and the sight of red water swirling around her. After that, she had no memory of anything until she’d woken up at home.
As she returned to the present, Elandra touched the jagged scar on the side of her face. She was aware of Dorian still staring at her and ducked her head so that her wavy blonde hair would conceal her features. He probably didn’t even remember her. Her scars aside, she was older now, and she could see he had matured too. His shoulders were much broader than she remembered, and his muscles had filled out. The bands of shells wrapped around his upper arms looked like they would snap if he flexed his biceps. Though he was dry and had a crimson sarong around his hips, his skin glistened as if he’d just stepped from the surf, and his brown hair looked shiny and soft.
“Hurry up,” Shasa said, breaking into her thoughts. Her sister gave her a nudge and indicated the plate in her hands. “Set that on the table before the fish gets cold.”
Elandra tried to disguise her limp as she followed her sister to the banquet table. She didn’t look at Dorian again.
“I don’t know why I have to keep attending these dinners,” she complained.
Twice a year, their community hosted a feast for the unattached adults. Those from the nearest cities were encouraged to attend, in the hopes of forming new marriage alliances. She had lost count of how many times she had sat through an uncomfortable meal surrounded by flirting men and women. It was a waste of time for her. The saber shark’s attack had le
ft her unsuitable for marriage. Not only was she physically scarred, but mentally, as well.
Who among their people would accept a wife who was afraid of the ocean? They fed themselves and made their living by harvesting the bounty the sea offered them, yet she was terrified to wade into water higher than her knees. She was always scanning the waves, looking for a dorsal fin. The same people who had lauded her as a hero after she’d saved that boy now pitied her. She couldn’t dive for pearls or lobsters or help bring in clams and oysters. All she could do was prepare the food others brought back and trade those treasures with the land-dwelling villagers along the coast. The magic that would have let her swim for hours beneath the surface was wasted on her.
“Stop slouching,” Shasa whispered to her. “You look fine.”
Elandra gave her sister a smile that was equal parts affection and exasperation. “You do realize I’m the older sister. I should be the one giving you advice.”
“You give me advice all the time,” Shasa retorted. “Tonight you should take mine. I saw the way that dark-haired guard was looking at you. It wasn’t your scar he was staring at.”
She was surprised by how badly she wanted to believe that. She straightened her shoulders and noticed her sister did the same, though she knew Shasa was just trying to thrust out her chest. Following her sibling’s gaze, she saw Aquarius heading their way. The fair-haired male was smitten with Shasa, and it was clear her sister felt the same way about him.
“Something tells me you’ll be married by this time next year,” Elandra told her, and she was happy for the pair.
Perhaps she was jealous too, but she would never let anyone see that.
She was so busy watching her sibling and Aquarius come together that she didn’t notice the male who had walked up behind her until he spoke.
“Hello, Elandra.” Dorian didn’t say her name the way everyone else did. Coming from his mouth, it sounded like a caress.
She drew on her courage and turned to face him. Up close, he was even more handsome. His eyes weren’t uniform green, but had flecks of yellow and blue in them.
“Hello, Dorian,” she said quietly. “I wasn’t sure you’d remember me.”
“You’re impossible to forget.”
She wasn’t sure how to take that, especially when he studied her with the same focus he’d shown when he’d been in training. He made her feel like the center of the world.
“Did you make that?” His gaze shifted to the plate she’d set on the table.
“Yes. I caught the fish this morning, and I prepared the filets with herbs and breadcrumbs I bartered from the coastal villagers.” Her voice held a note of pride. She may have been damaged, but she wasn’t useless.
Every sense she had was hyperaware of him, especially when he stepped closer and nearly brushed her with his arm as he reached for the plate. He broke off a piece of fish and brought it to his mouth. Captivated, she watched his lips as he chewed, and then her gaze dipped to the strong column of his throat when he swallowed. Did he like it? The quick upturn of his lips assured her he did, though he didn’t quite give her a full smile.
“You’re an excellent cook,” he told her.
Pleasure rippled through her, and she fought not to blush like a young girl. “Thank you.”
“Would you sit next to me? We can share a meal, and it will give us a chance to catch up.”
Elandra was sure she had to be dreaming. Of all the times she’d thought of Dorian over the years—and, yes, even fantasized about him—she had never really imagined she’d get to spend time with him like this. He might only have wanted to reconnect with her as an old friend, but she foolishly hoped for more.
Dorian bolstered her hopes when he sat with her and refused to eat anything but the fish she had cooked. She told him about other recipes she had created and about her dealings with outsiders, while he shared tales about his life as a guard. He was a born leader, and she wasn’t surprised he had risen through the ranks. The Tiered City had faced conflict with a neighboring community in recent years, and a band of inlanders had even tried to sneak in to steal some of their riches.
“You have a noble job,” she said. “You keep the city and everyone in it safe.”
“I’m only a guard,” he told her. “You’re the hero. You faced a saber shark unarmed to save a child’s life—a boy who has grown up and recently started training to become a guard, I might add.”
The praise made her uncomfortable. “I’m glad he’s doing well, but what I did wasn’t really heroic. To be honest, all I was trying to do was get close enough to warn him. I never meant to swim between him and the shark or to turn the beast’s attention on me.”
“Yet the boy is alive.” He surprised her by reaching over to tuck her hair behind her ear. “And you wear a badge of courage.”
“An ugly scar,” she retorted.
He captured her hand before she could cover the side of her face with her hair again. Her heart pounded as he set her fingers against his chest, where there was a thin line of raised skin.
“Am I ugly to you?” he asked.
“Of course not.” The words spilled from her without a moment’s thought.
Then she took in what he was saying. She had been so busy drooling over his muscular chest and the definition in his arms and abs that she’d barely registered the light smattering of scars. They were only a shade lighter than his deeply tanned skin, and the worst one was about the length of her palm. No, there was nothing ugly about Dorian.
“Your scars make you look like a warrior,” she told him. “It’s different for women.”
“It shouldn’t be.”
His simple response made her eyes sting.
“Come for a walk with me,” he said.
He hadn’t let go of her hand, and he now used his grip to pull her to her feet. She knew she should probably refuse, but she wasn’t ready to let him go yet. Neither of them said a word as they slipped away from dinner, and she followed him quietly to the stairs that led to the lower cave. He kept her hand in his, and moments later her feet touched wet sand and they were walking on the open beach.
“It’s beautiful tonight,” she remarked once they were beneath the starry sky.
There was a full moon out, and it bathed everything in a milky glow. Dorian’s hand was still warm in hers, his body sturdy when she leaned into him.
“You’re limping more,” he said. “Does it hurt?”
She wished he hadn’t noticed, but the direct question kept her from feeling awkward. “Walking on sand makes it more pronounced because of the unevenness. It doesn’t hurt anymore. It only gets a little sore if I’m on my feet a lot.”
“We could go for a swim,” he suggested. “That will get your weight off it and stretch out the muscles and tendons.”
Elandra was glad he couldn’t see her blanch in this lighting. “That’s all right. I’m fine.”
He didn’t say anything for a moment as they kept walking. The waves made a soughing sound against the shoreline, and the beach was deserted for once. Everyone was at home with their families or else at the feast.
“You were badly hurt,” Dorian said after the pause. “They said the shark only took a couple of test bites, but there was blood everywhere when I saw them drag you to shore.”
“I guess it didn’t like the taste of me.” She tried to joke, but a shudder ran through her.
Dorian squeezed her hand. “I was certain you were going to die. Then you were rushed away, and it wasn’t until days later that I learned you’d survived. Those days were the hardest of my life.” He stopped and turned to face her. “I knew then how much I loved you. From the moment we met, you were the one I wanted, but you were with Jamar then.”
“Jamar broke it off with me shortly after the shark attack.” Elandra didn’t know how she got the words out when she was reeling in shock. “All the attention afterward was too much. I think he was jealous that everyone focused on me when he’d swum out to get the boy too. He
also felt guilty that he hadn’t protected me.”
“Every day, I wished I had been the one in the water with you,” Dorian said, his voice fierce. “I would have done anything to keep you safe. I’ve spent these years training to be a better protector and a better man—one who can support you. And when I heard Jamar had married…”
He didn’t finish. Elandra had heard the news that Jamar had settled down with a woman in the community south of theirs. She was glad he had found someone special. Her only sadness was over the loss of what had once been a good friendship.
“I didn’t know you had already parted ways with him,” Dorian explained. “I was ready to fight for you, and then suddenly I didn’t have to. I knew it was time. I almost lost you once, and I refuse to tempt fate again. I want to court you and get to know you all over again, and then I want to make you my wife.”
A thousand emotions crashed through her until she felt lightheaded and giddy and terrified all at once. Then he was cupping her face and pressing his lips to hers, and Elandra couldn’t hold back. She kissed him with everything she had. If she let herself, she could fall in love with this man between one heartbeat and the next. She could let that love swell with time until it covered her head and pulled her down deep. But she pulled back.
“I’m afraid.” The confession was torn from her, the need for honesty overwhelming her shame. “I’m afraid to go in the water, Dorian. I haven’t been able to swim since the day I was attacked, and—” She stopped. “Why are you smiling?”
She gaped at him as he flashed his dimple. Of all the reactions she’d expected, his relaxed grin wasn’t one of them.
He kissed her in the middle of her forehead this time. “I can fix that.”
“What do you mean you can fix that? I’m not talking about a little nervousness. I’m terrified to go in the water, afraid a shark is waiting for me beneath every wave.”