by Unknown
Saylym nodded, too stunned by what he’d done to her bedroom to deny him.
He pulled a dark blue silk scarf out of the air. “I’m going to blindfold you,” he said huskily. “The only senses you will have is touch, taste, smell, and hearing.”
He tied the blindfold across her eyes.
Saylym gasped when he tugged at the towel. A whisper of sound surrounded her as it settled on the floor between her feet. She felt his gaze travel leisurely over her body, pausing on her full breasts, hesitating at the tiny navel, lingering on the nest of silver-blonde curls, before making the return journey to her mouth.
“You are so beautiful,” he whispered.
Somehow, not being able to see his face, felt more intimate. At his mercy, her breath caught.
Brushing the fall of hair back from her neck, he placed his lips against her throat, against his mark of ownership. The swirling of his tongue over it left a trail of dampness. Instantly, she felt the mark pulse to life, responding, leaping beneath the faint stroking of his tongue. She cocked her head, trying to figure out the rustle of sound she heard. Ah, his clothes drifted to the floor joining the discarded towel.
Saylym shivered. Her breath took the longest time to fill her lungs. “Talon—”
“Ssh. Tonight, sweetheart, you belong to me. Trust me.” Lifting her into his arms, he stepped toward the pool and into it, allowing her body to slide slowly down his. He was fully, erect, his penis stiff and curving upward, nudging against her belly.
“Uh…I…” Saylym trembled. Her body quivered like a tightly drawn bow against his.
Talon smiled. “It pleases me that I have the power to make you tremble with need. Don’t be afraid, bride. My aim is to thoroughly pleasure you this night.”
Ravish you, his conscience whispered.
“I’m not afraid of you, My Prince.” Still, her voice shook with uncertainty.
Talon drew in a sharp breath. She’d accepted him for what he was—waken, prince, man, and soon to be lover. Her mate. He was all these things to her.
And she was so much more to him.
She was his future.
The woman he’d spend eternity with, his lover, his mate, the mother of his children. She was everything to him. And she held his life, his heart in the palms of her hands.
Talon blinked at the sting of tears, at the rush of passion he felt for this witch, at the need for her that seemed to fill his soul. He tilted her face to press a scorching kiss against her mouth.
“Talon,” she whispered. “I don’t know…I haven’t…I’ve never—”
“Ssh.” He pressed a fingertip across her lips. “I know. I know. I’ll teach you.” And because he did know, he was eager to teach her, but first…
Scooping up a handful of water, he trickled it over her breasts, hearing her gasp at the cool wetness spilling between her breasts and the exquisite feel of his warm breath where he blew gently on her nipples, drew one inside his mouth, and pulled on it deeply. His tongue wrapped around it and he drew on it, taking a strong, deep taste.
Reluctantly, Talon released the sweet berry and turned Saylym toward the waterfall. He whispered softly against her ear, words she wouldn’t understand, a soft chanting sound and immediately, the scarf drifted from her eyes and a night sky appeared over the waterfall, a dark sky filled with millions of bright, shiny stars that seemed so close she could reach out and pluck one of them.
Saylym gasped at the dazzling beauty as Talon reached up and picked one of the twinkling stars from the dark.
“Open your hands,” he said.
Saylym cupped her palms together. Talon placed the tiny, shiny image in her hands and closed her palms around it.
“Oh,” she gasped. “It feels alive. Like a butterfly’s wings beating against my hands, trying to escape.” She held her hands to her ears. “It’s buzzing, so soft I can barely hear it.”
“Magic,” Talon breathed.
Saylym opened her palms and watched as the tiny star shot away, back to its place in the sky. “It’s so beautiful.”
Suddenly all the stars started to fall like sparkling rain from the sky. Comets burst in fiery streaks, shimmering flames of brilliant energy that exploded into the water around them without a ripple. She stood there with her head resting against Talon’s chest, his arms curved around her waist, in awe at the impossibility, at the incredible magic and splendid illusion of it all.
Talon laughed softly when he heard Saylym’s sharp breath as the comets suddenly changed into streamers of silver glitter, then gold, shiny, radiant, and stunning. They fell from the sky, sunk into the pool of water and altered into multi-colored underwater lights.
Saylym gasped at the sight of astonishing beauty that surrounded them. It was thrilling. It was breathtaking. It was magic. It was Talon’s gift to her.
Then once again, the sound of rushing water filled the room.
“That was beautiful.” Saylym turned to face him, her eyes sparkling. “Thank you.”
Talon trailed his fingers through the water, then drew tiny circles on the slopes of her breasts, watching as the droplets slid down the flat planes of her belly and disappeared in the intriguing nest of curls.
He scooped more water into his palms and poured it over her body. His spicy scent surrounded her, coated her skin, smothering her own unique blend of scents. A slight smile shaped his lips. Regret hit him hard. She would never again carry the fragrance of wild roses or the deep, spicy aroma of opium. From this night forward and for the rest of her life, she would bear his fragrance of myrrh and cyprinum for all to know she belonged to him.
“The nagaz belongs to us. The night belongs to us,” he repeated quietly. “From now, until the day I cease to exist, I am your mannazz, your man, your mate. From now, until the day you cease to exist, you are my mannara, my woman, my mate.”
A small sound issued from her lips as he returned to her breasts and flicked his tongue lightly across one nipple then drew it deeply into his mouth. He caught her around her waist, bringing her closer to his heated body.
Saylym moaned with pleasure. His lips touched everywhere. Whisper light traces against her breasts, a flick of his tongue down the satin skin of her belly. He pressed his mouth against the hidden place between her thighs and nuzzled. She murmured something incoherent, her legs nearly buckling as his tongue probed and entered forbidden territory.
“Talon—”
“Hmmm…?”
Saylym placed her palms against his shoulders and held tightly as he stroked and nibbled, teased and tasted, until she could bear no more. With her senses inflamed, she was helpless against the onslaught as he probed deeper, licking and sucking until she squirmed against his mouth, reaching peak after peak, and still he laved the sensitive tissues, drew another climax from her.
She screamed.
She wept with pleasure, until she couldn’t take any more. Then she sobbed and pleaded for him to stop, sobbed and pleaded for him not to stop, until at last he lifted her into his arms and carried her to the bed.
Talon waved his hand and the blue cloth was back, along with two red ones. He arched a brow in silent question as if to say “Trust me?”
She nodded.
Quickly, Talon bound both her wrists to either side of the headboard of the bed then tied the soft blue cloth around her eyes. “Now,” he said softly, “just relax. Feel and savor.”
Talon reached over to the bedside table into the bowl of strawberries. As he withdrew several slivers of the red fruit, the sweet aroma saturated the air around them. Slowly, he squeezed the juice across her mouth, her breasts, down her stomach. He dribbled it over the place he’d spent so much time laving, teasing the swollen tissues, then he trickled the last drops over her thighs and her ankles.
Leaning over her, he pressed a kiss to her mouth. The slow, tantalizing stroke of his tongue touched her mouth and he licked the sweet juice from her lips. He took an infinite amount of time to remove the sticky residue from the tender underside
s of her breasts. Dipping his tongue inside her belly button, he sipped, probing every drop of the sweet liquid. Saylym moaned and fought against the silk bindings, to no avail. It was artful torture, sinfully applied, and pure pleasure.
He cupped her bottom and lifted her to meet the stabbing tip of his tongue. He licked at her entrance and Saylym could no longer remain silent. A soft scream slipped past her lips as he probed deeply with silken skill. She curled her fingers into the knots of her bindings, arched her hips, bucking and pleading as he skillfully used teeth and tongue. Then he soothed all the little stings he’d inflicted, with deep, lapping strokes of his tongue.
“Oh, my God,” she breathed.
She heard the grunt of satisfaction he gave as he tasted her. Saylym moaned. Her body suddenly clenched, then pulse after pulse of sinful pleasure skittered through her. She screamed her release, arching her hips against his mouth, begging for more, screamed his name, then sighed with the incredible bliss of it all.
* * * *
There was something very erotic about a man’s tongue making a slow passage down a woman’s body. Saylym watched Talon dreamily as he explored her body. He’d removed the scarves minutes earlier and now she watched as he repeated all the things he’d done when she could only feel. It was erotic the way he slid his tongue to the tender undersides of her breasts and softly nibbled.
How many times had he done this now? She’d lost count a long time ago.
The man was infinitely thorough, in no hurry, taking his time in loving her. There wasn’t an inch of her skin he hadn’t tasted or nibbled on.
Her body was no longer her own. It would take tremendous effort for her to even lift her head off the pillow. She felt weak and drained. If she climaxed one more time, she’d simply melt into a puddle and stop existing. She hadn’t known a woman could feel so replete. She hadn’t known a man could administer pleasure at so leisurely a pace. Every nerve in her body tingled and felt incredibly alive.
His body trembled against her.
When would he seek his own release?
His mouth suddenly covered hers with urgent hunger. He moved against her, his thick erection rubbing against her belly. She reached down, stroked the tip of his broad penis. She touched him with her fingertip, touched, stroked and felt a drop of moisture.
His hand came down on hers, and he hissed against her mouth, “No, La-Scheme.”
Talon pressed light kisses across her brow, against her eyelashes.
“Please,” she whispered. “Stop torturing me.”
She couldn’t believe her body could still crave his touch. Yet her flesh was so sensitized to Talon’s that every touch, every stroke, even the lightest caress of his breath set her skin to tingling with need.
He caught her chin with his hand, and then moved his tongue deep inside her mouth. He didn’t hesitate, touching her with blatant demand. As his erection pushed against her belly, he kissed the palms of her hands, withdrawing the protection spell he’d placed on her days earlier.
Vaguely, as if from a distance, she grew aware of the tingling in the palms of her hands, but Talon didn’t give her time to think about it or its meaning. He set his mouth over hers, his hunger wild and intense.
He pressed his mouth against her throat and shuddered. The time had come. He’d spent a tremendous amount of time preparing her. He could wait no longer to seek his relief. His mind screamed with the painful need to join his body with hers.
“I need you,” he whispered. “Come to me, now.”
The magical words slid over and into Saylym’s mind, enthralling her. The connection with his potent body was something she suddenly, desperately, had to have. She was vaguely aware of his sitting up, of him lifting her to straddle his lap, parting her thighs wide. He gently stroked the soft folds, separating them, and then penetrated her with one long finger.
Saylym stiffened in his arms, but he already knew what was there. What he had to do to prepare her for his cock. “Ssh, easy now,” he whispered. “It’ll only take a second, baby.”
She struggled in his arms as he pushed his finger deeper, harder, and pressed against the membrane of her virginity. Talon moaned softly, ignoring the trickle of sweat sliding down his temple. Damn. It had to be done. This way would be much easier for her, less painful. He probed, pushing hard and felt the thin membrane rupture. Her sharp cry of pain mingled with his hoarse words.
Saylym heard him say something, words that made no sense.
Then he was nudging her thighs wider apart, and when the penetration came, it was swift and searing. He lifted her and brought her down, impaling her in one deep thrust of his cock.
She screamed with the pain of it. It went on and on. He stretched her, his sex thick and heavy, filling her to the point of distress. “Talon!” She cried his name as agonizing pain ripped through her. “Stop! You’re hurting me!”
“I’m in you, La-Scheme,” he whispered, resting his damp forehead against hers. “It’s done. I’m in you. You belong to me now.”
This is it, his mind screamed.
No going back. He was where he had to be, doing what must be done. The vows had been spoken and now their mating would complete another step of the ritual.
Talon shook with uncontrollable spasms. He hadn’t realized the need to say the final bonding words would rise so quickly. The moment he’d seated himself to the hilt, the urge to voice those last words slammed into his gut. Ancient words that rose swiftly to the back of his throat, and he understood, the gods forgive him, the worst was yet to happen.
Saylym whimpered. “You have to stop. It hurts, Talon. There’s too much of you.”
Talon locked both his arms around her waist, growled a warning low in his throat. “Don’t. This will be finished. Now. Tonight.” He couldn’t let her go, couldn’t allow her to pull free of him and break the ritual. Her hands fluttered to his naked shoulders as he thrust upward, driving deep, seeking relief from the burning need that seemed to scorch through his soul. He heard her moan at the roughness of his thrust. He knew he was hurting her, but he couldn’t stop driving into her tight sheath.
She was soft velvet skin, her moist channel hot and tight. Her inner muscles squeezed around his thick shaft, locking tightly as he drove into her with fierce determination and a need as elemental as time. Her soft mewling tore at his guts. She fought at him, twisting, trying to get free of his firm grip on her waist.
“Don’t fight me so, please. Stop struggling, La-Scheme. It’ll only make things worse for you.”
She stilled, sobbing against his chest. Her tears scalded his flesh like acid rain. His throat ached. Damn it! He couldn’t bear this. He didn’t know which was worse, her fighting or her sudden acceptance of his invasion of her body. No matter, he was left feeling raw and torn asunder himself, as if he’d betrayed her trust.
Moisture stung his eyes. He’d never in his life forced a mating on a witch. And this witch was his bond mate. It made him feel sick inside to know he hurt her. He felt as if something twisted and evil dwelled in his soul, but still, he turned, rolling her beneath him and slammed into her, pushing deeper, thrusting harder, until at last, he stilled, his seed jetting inside her in a powerful stream.
Saylym moved weakly against him, not in a mating rhythm, but in an attempt to flee his possession. Talon held her tighter against him, waiting for what was to come. His breath rasped in her ears, his voice a deep-throated snarl, “Stop fighting. It must be finished this night.”
With those words, he felt the enhancing begin. He heard her whimper of discomfort as her inner muscles clamped snugly around his cock, locking him inside her, stretching to the limit to accommodate his size. A brilliant light circled around them, shot through their minds and fused them together, completing the bond, making them one. Saylym screamed. Talon gasped as her pure energy cut through his mind, hot and bright as a white light, and back to her like a comet bursting out of control.
Silent tears rolled down her pallid cheeks. Talon searched her f
ace warily. She moaned in agony as the enhancement went on, the power surging back and forth between them.
“I’m sorry.” He pressed a kiss to her wet eyelashes, sipping delicately at the tears there. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart. But an enhancement, once begun cannot be interrupted. We would both have burned up if I’d allowed you to pull free.”
Saylym shook her head, wiping at the tears. She simply couldn’t take any more. She felt as if her head was going to explode. “Stop,” she begged. “Please. I’m begging you. I can’t.”
Talon shuddered, pressing his face against her throat, his chest heaving with each ragged breath. “I know, La-Scheme. I know it, damn it! But I can’t pull out of you. It’s too late. We’re locked together in the mating ritual.” He rocked his hips, praying it would ease her discomfort. Instead, it escalated the bonding process.
Saylym flinched, her entire body bowing backward in shock and pain as she felt the heat scorching her blood, bursting through her bloodstream, ripping through her skull. A scream ripped from her throat, “Oh, God!”
Talon shuddered violently as his second climax erupted. Saylym gave a long, low mournful groan, her body quivering beneath his. This wasn’t right. This couldn’t be right. Something was wrong. He swore fiercely. It shouldn’t cause her this much distress.
The words of the ritual chant slipped past his lips and he swore harshly, driven to complete what he’d started with her, driven with a need as old as time and as elemental as the universe, words that completed the final step of binding them together for eternity, and there was nothing he could do to halt them.
“For eternal bliss and happiness
The waken promises with a kiss
To surrender his heart, surrender his fate
And dwell in the arms of his life-mate
He becomes hers; she is his
And all is sealed, with a witch’s kiss.”
Talon covered her mouth with his and breathed the words into her lungs. The whooshing of Flaymes enveloped them, nearly catching him off-guard with their sudden appearance. He threw up a wall of magic to protect them.