Paradox I

by Rosemary Laurey

  Talented hands massaged her calves, working their way up to her aching thighs. She groaned as her silent jaJin worked the knots from her limbs until her legs were splayed open, limp. Cloth-covered fingers stroked the inside of her thighs before they moved upward, parting her flesh to be cleansed.

  She whimpered as the nubby cloth was drawn over her ultra-sensitive skin and a trill of feeling danced over her skin. Entranced but untutored, Dani shifted her hips to follow the sensation. The movement was repeated again, then again. Each gentle pass drawing a sigh from her as feelings intensified. Her nipples beaded and her hands curled over the edge of the tub as the hand stroked her needy flesh.

  Dimly, she was aware that she shouldn’t be allowing such shocking liberties with her body. But she was so relaxed and it felt so good that she couldn’t form a coherent protest. Nor did she want to. A soapy hand stroked her erect nipples, first one then the other as the first hand continued its sensual assault. Tension spiraled higher and her gut clenched as wave after wave of sensation washed over her skin. Her body arched and she cried out as movement quickened and then, with one final stroke, she was…free.

  Dani sagged against the tub, her breathing ragged. She sighed as the hands left her. If this was what happened every time the women of Wryven bathed, no wonder the baths were so large. She was surprised the women ever left.

  The image of Haaken’s face rose in her mind’s eye. Big, strong, his bronzed skin dampened from the bath as he—

  Wait, what was she doing? She frowned. Now why would he come to mind now? Haaken was handsome, yes, but he was also overbearing—

  Sexy…

  Autocratic—

  Has a smile that would make a woman’s knees go weak…

  A slow tingle ignited between her thighs and she blinked open her eyes. A slim blond man stood by the tub arranging fresh towels. He wore something that resembled a white loincloth and it was wet.

  Soaking wet.

  Her gaze danced away and she gulped. jaJin was a man and he’d been in the tub with her! Heat seared her cheeks. She’d allowed a man, a complete stranger, to touch her as no man ever had before. Oh Ola, what have I done?

  His gaze met hers and, in his soft golden brown eyes, there was no leer. No lust, just understanding. He waited as Dani crouched in the bottom of the tub. After what she’d allowed him to do, could she exit the tub in front of this man?

  He didn’t say anything, but he seemed to understand her quandary. He picked up a large towel and held it out, averting his eyes as if to say it was okay for her to come out now.

  Mustering her courage, Dani rose on rubbery legs and snatched the towel from him, then wrapped it around herself. As she stepped from the tub, he made no move to touch her. With a gesture of his hand, he indicated that she was to sit on a small bench next to the tub. After she was seated, she noticed something else about jaJin.

  He was erect.

  Very erect.

  She averted her eyes from his loincloth to his graceful hands as he picked up a small bottle and a cloth. Dribbling the liquid from the bottle onto the cloth, he attended to her injuries, wiping the cool liquid over each mark left by her rough handlers the day before.

  When he’d attended to all of the areas that weren’t covered by her towel, he handed her the bottle and then turned away, allowing Dani to tend to those wounds herself.

  After she was done, he retrieved her robe, turning away once again to allow her privacy as she dressed. As she fumbled with the garment, she heard a loud gasp from behind her. Dani hastily wrapped the robe shut and turned to see Ren entering, a look of shock on her face.

  “Dani—”

  jaJin stepped around her and shook his head at Ren, silencing her.

  “What’s wrong?” Dani shook her head. She was feeling muzzy-headed again.

  “Nothing, we’ll talk in the morning.” Ren gave her a wide smile as she approached, sliding her arm through Dani’s. “Come, I’ll take you to your room.”

  “My stuff—”

  “jaJin will have it sent up with one of the guards. Don’t worry.” Ren gave her a friendly squeeze. “All will be just excellent now.”

  Dani allowed the other woman to lead her from the baths. The path they took was long and winding and she felt sure she’d never find her way back. Ren led her up a towering set of steps, the soft carpet cushioning her dragging feet.

  She barely had time to notice the sumptuous appointments before Ren helped her from the robe and she was ushered into the bed. Silk bed coverings slithered against and soothed her skin and she yawned so hard she felt like her face would split. The scent of carnelian flowers scented the air as Dani closed her eyes and fell asleep.

  Haaken stared at the sleeping woman. It couldn’t be. It was impossible. This woman was a traveler slave, not even born high enough to be considered a common-born woman by anyone in the realm. His sister had to be mistaken, that was the only answer.

  She lay on her side on the peach-colored silk sheets. Ren had shorn her hair to a uniform, if very short, length. Her features were delicate, almost fey in repose. She had a small, upturned nose, pale brows and lashes and a mouth so rosy it reminded him of fresh Sladerian berries still warm from the fields. He wondered what she would taste like.

  But, a traveler?

  Pushing the thought away, he pulled down the sheet that covered her. As each inch was revealed, the tender curve of her back, the slight indentation of her spine and finally, the gentle curve of her buttocks, the heat in his groin built to a near painful level. His heart stopped. There, on base of her spine just above her soft curves, was what he sought. His hand shook as he saw the small birthmark resembling a raven’s claw.

  She was The One.

  Chapter Five

  The sound of falling water was lulling her to sleep. Dani stretched, enjoying the novelty of thick grass still warm from the setting sun. Here in the south, the seasons had just turned and the time of planting was upon them. In the north, where her family remained, it would still be cold for many weeks yet.

  She frowned at the disturbing thought of her family. She’d been living in Wryven for almost a week now. One whole week of fresh plentiful food and a pile of new clothing. Not a single garment had been worn before, not even once. Then there were the reading and writing lessons, which she was enjoying immensely. The best part was no one ordered her around or tried to grab her inappropriately.

  Unless she wanted to be grabbed, of course.

  Her cheeks heated at the thought of jaJin and her first hours in the castle. She wasn’t sure what disturbed her more—allowing jaJin scandalous access to her body or the heated dreams of Haaken that had occurred every night since her arrival. She shivered.

  As Ren insisted, Dani allowed jaJin to assist her while bathing, but she never again allowed him the liberties as she had that first evening. According to her new friend, a sexually fulfilled woman was a happy and contented one. All of the high-born Wryven women had access to the jaJin, or the Pleasure Bearers as they were known, and, from what Dani could tell, they made good use of them.

  Three other women resided in the castle besides the servants and Ren. From what she’d gathered, they were concubines to the Overseer though she’d never seen Haaken with any of them. Ty was another story. He seemed to spend quite a bit of time with the ladies, laughing and flirting outrageously.

  When not attending to Ty, the ladies spent most of their time lazing around the baths and indulging themselves with the jaJin. KayLe, the older dark-haired one, had taken an immediate dislike to Dani though she wasn’t sure why as she’d barely spoken with her.

  She opened her eyes and glanced to her left. Along the tree line, she spied the familiar hunk of her shadow, Mik. From the moment she woke to the moment she entered her bedchamber, she was under constant surveillance by the Wryven warrior. Dani wasn’t sure why she had a guard; the other women didn’t have one. Was it because Haaken feared she’d flee and he’d lose his investment? Judging from the obvious
wealth of the castle, the amount he’d paid for her had been a mere pittance of his worth.

  She rolled onto her belly, her chin coming to rest on her wrist. Whatever the reason for Mik’s presence, she was growing weary of the constant surveillance and her lack of duties. How did Wryven women stand the boredom? She needed something to do besides her lessons, deciding what to wear and eating all day. She grinned. Of course, eating all day did have its benefits as she’d gained a few pounds.

  She yawned. Maybe she’d venture to the kitchens and see if the cook had made more lemon tarts. Then again, Ren had told her not to eat too much as there was a special banquet tonight, late tonight—

  A soft trill of laughter brought her head up in time to see Ren run across the cropped grass with a bundle in her arms. She tossed back her mane of dark hair and laughed. Close on her heels was a large man dressed in full Wryven uniform. He towered over his slight prey, but Ren didn’t seem worried.

  Was this the mysterious Lorn that Ren had mentioned? A top-level commander in Wryven’s security forces, Ren had high hopes that her brother would grant them permission to marry soon.

  Dani grinned and rolled to her feet. From what little Ren had told her, Lorn was a man with the stamina of a horse, the heart of a lion and the face of an angel. Burning with curiosity, she could hardly wait to see this man in the flesh.

  She darted across the grass and onto the wooded path that Ren and her companion had used. Thick overhead branches kept the trail perpetually sheltered from the sun and the air was cool and moist. She followed the narrow path to a cozy sheltered spot overlooking a steaming pool of water surrounded by glowing torches.

  Ren and the warrior stood on a large flat rock and he was disrobing, his eyes locked on the lovely women before him. Ren took his discarded garments and folded them, laying them neatly to the side. Dani’s eyes widened as she stared at the now-bare warrior. He was massive, every inch of him hard muscles and sun-browned skin. She’d never seen a naked male before. At least none completely bare and certainly none who looked like him.

  Ren tipped back her head and favored him with a wicked smile. “Shall I perform the services of a jaJin?”

  He gave a rumbling laugh. “Whatever gave you that idea?”

  The warrior looked down and Dani saw his erect staff standing proudly from a thatch of thick, dark hair. She gulped. She’d never seen a cock the size of his either. The only cock she’d ever seen had been a fellow traveler’s several years back. She’d been foraging and she’d come upon him relieving himself. His cock had been a short, stubby limp thing. Nothing at all like this majestic occurrence before her now.

  “This big man right here.” Ren reached for him, her fingers curling around the shaft of his cock.

  His head tipped back and he groaned as she stroked his flesh. Was she hurting him? Ren pushed the unresisting warrior onto a smooth rock, her fingers never releasing his hard flesh. Ren sank to her knees between his spread legs.

  Dani’s eyes grew wide as she watched her friend put her mouth to the bulbous head. Lorn shifted his hips, pressing toward her mouth. His big hand cupped her head as she moved her mouth up and down on his cock. His muscles flexed with each movement and he moaned when she cupped his testicles with her other hand.

  Dani sank into a low crouch, fascinated with what she saw. What would it be like to have a man under her power like this? Did it feel as powerful as it looked? An image of Haaken, naked and at her command, caused a shiver of awareness to race down her spine. What would it be like to take Haaken into her mouth…his big body straining beneath her as she sucked him—

  A guttural cry pulled her from her mouth-watering fantasy. Lorn had collapsed against the rock, his big body coated with sweat. Ren released his cock, then climbed up onto the rock-seat next to him. He gave her a satisfied smile as he slid an arm around her. She laid her head on his shoulder and his hand lazily stroked her back.

  Even from fifteen feet away, Dani could feel the tenderness between the two of them. After a few moments of shared silence, they spoke in low whispers as they shared numerous kisses. This was more than the raw sex she’d witnessed around the castle. Was this love? What would it feel like to be held in a man’s arms and share secrets of the heart?

  Uneasy, she backed away. Did all men behave as such with their mates? What about Haaken and his concubines? Disturbed by the thought, she moved to return the way she’d come. She needed some time and space to come to grips with what she’d witnessed. When she turned, a shadow loomed over her. Her heart stopped, a scream caught in her throat.

  A massive warrior blocked her escape. For a split second, she was a small child again being tossed into the streets by the Malian guard. A feeling of helplessness came over her and she shrank backward, no longer afraid that Ren would see her. She was more concerned with evading the warrior.

  The figure reached up and Dani flinched. He stilled, then moved slowly to remove his helm. Long, silky black hair tumbled out, followed by a strong jaw and a mouth that haunted her dreams. A strong nose and dark eyes with heavy brows followed to create a face that threatened to stop her heart.

  “Haaken.” Her voice sounded faint to her own ears.

  “Dani, are you well?”

  She nodded, relieved that it was him, yet mortified that she’d been having illicit thoughts about him only moments before.

  “What are you doing here?” he asked.

  “I was—”

  A splash sounded from the pool and it brought Haaken forward. He placed his big hands on her shoulders and leaned around her to see through the dense growth. With her nose so close to his chest, she inhaled his masculine scent of leather and warm flesh. A shiver of awareness slithered down her spine.

  “I see.”

  Dani couldn’t tell if he was angry that his sister was trysting with her lover. She looked up and their gazes clashed. His eyes were fixed on her mouth. Suddenly nervous, she dampened her lips. Her heartbeat accelerated as he raised his hand and brushed his thumb along the edge of her lower lip.

  More than anything she wanted to feel his mouth against hers. To experience the slow slide of his tongue, the heat of his arms encircling her as their mouths mated. As his head dipped toward hers, a sudden spurt of nervousness had her blurting out, “She loves him.”

  “Indeed.” The spell broken, he dropped his hand. “And what do you know of love, little one?”

  She shrugged. “I admit I don’t know much of love but I know Ren is far more worldly than I, and when she says that she’s in love, I believe her.”

  “Women,” Haaken snorted. “Your logic never fails to astound me.”

  Stung, she moved around him toward the trail and the manicured gardens adjoining the castle. While she’d been spying on Ren and her lover, the sun had set and the stars were coming out.

  “Come, let us not fight.” He caught her easily and took her hand in his. His fingers were calloused and warm as they slipped around her wrist. “I’ve returned from inspecting my lands and I brought you something. I also desire a conversation with you.”

  Dani fell into step beside him, secretly enjoying the lazy way his thumb stroked the inside of her wrist. “What do you want to speak with me about?”

  “Your past and your—”

  “You’ve arrived!”

  KayLe ran toward them and Dani felt jealousy burn low in her gut. The older woman’s hair was raven black and it was arranged in an intricate series of braids and loops that resembled a crown. Her lush figure was clad in sheer purple and fuchsia silk and she reached them in a fragrant wave of carnelian flower essence and the jangle of golden bracelets. The woman flung herself at Haaken and he was forced to release Dani’s hand. Dani stepped aside to avoid being kicked.

  “I missed you, sire.”

  Haaken gave a short laugh. “So I see.”

  His hands landed on her hips and Dani turned away. It was obvious that they needed to be alone. Why had he even bothered to find her in the first place?

/>   “Hold up, Dani,” Haaken called.

  She turned as he removed KayLe’s arms from around his shoulders. Her hands looked small and slim in his as he leaned down and whispered something before releasing KayLe and walked toward Dani.

  “When will you come to me?” KayLe called.

  “Later,” he said.

  Dani scowled at Haaken’s back as she followed him into the castle. As their Overseer appeared, the servants stopped in their tracks, bowing their heads as he walked by. He appeared not to notice while Dani was fascinated. She’d never seen anything like it, this blind adoration of their master. Judging from what little she’d seen of the lands surrounding the castle, Haaken was a generous Overseer to his people.

  Her bare feet made no sound on the cool tiles as they walked toward the wing that housed the family. Ren had given her an extensive tour after Dani had expressed her fear of getting lost. She’d learned that Ty and Ren had suites on the second floor while Haaken’s were on the third. This was the one place she hadn’t ventured.

  Underfoot was deep red tile which contrasted with the white plaster walls and ceiling that soared at least fifteen feet overhead. Mahogany inlays broke the monotony of the white as this was the first place in the castle that had a complete lack of adornment. No tapestries, no paintings, no wall coverings. Just white walls and dark wood.

  Torches burned at regular intervals casting the closed doorways into shadow. The overall effect was somber, unlike the rest of the castle with its ample windows and bright sunlight. She glanced at his back. How could he stand it up here?

  At the far end of the hall was the only open door. The moment they entered the room, her gaze locked on a towering stained glass window. Her eyes widened. She’d seen stained glass before, but never up close and nothing quite like this.

  In the center panel was a massive black raven perched on a branch. Around one leg was a golden chain with the other end attached to the branch. In the left panel was a woman clad in a black cape, her fingers old and crippled and they appeared to be casting a spell on the raven in the center panel. In the right panel was a young woman, her face obscured by a white cape. Her hands were outstretched and hovering just over her palms was a heart with lines radiating outward.