by Tawny Taylor
“Because love makes people weak. It makes them do things they wouldn’t otherwise. Things they shouldn’t.” She set the pillow aside, crossed her legs and wrapped her arms around her shins. “You’ve seen a lot in your lifetime. How many kings have fallen because of love? Warriors slain? Men, women, children destroyed?” When he didn’t respond, she continued, “See? Even you can’t deny it. Love is dangerous. It’s lethal. Toxic.”
“No, I don’t agree. Love is beautiful. Healing. Redeeming.”
Another chuckle bubbled up her throat. “It seems we have a difference of opinion.”
“It seems.”
“You won’t change my mind. I’ve felt this way for a long time. Years.”
“I won’t try, then.”
“Good.” Once again, silence settled over them. Keri glanced at the window. There hadn’t been a crack of thunder in a while. The whine of the wind had stopped too. She was feeling more like herself, and not just because the storm had died down. “Hey, I’m not letting you off the hook. I answered your question. Now it’s your turn.”
“Oh, damn.” His exaggerated sigh was accompanied by a bit of rumbly laughter that had her feeling a little giddy. “You’re such a pain in the ass. Has anyone told you that?”
“Lots of people. And I happen to think you’re a pain in the butt too. Anyone tell you that?”
“Only one that I recall. But I didn’t hold it against her since it was true.”
She gave him a playful tap on what she figured had to be a shoulder. “What are you talking about? It still is.” Strangely, she was feeling like she was in high school again, talking to the baseball player she’d had a crush on since the first day of her freshman year. Yet, she couldn’t stop. The lights being out helped. Because she knew the killer wasn’t close by right now, and the storm was over, she was grateful for the darkness. She could hide from that penetrating gaze of his. At times, he made her feel defenseless, like he could see all her secrets.
He nudged her back. “A fact for which I am mighty grateful.”
“Grateful?”
“Sure. My nonexistent ‘gods’ have allowed me the chance to spend enough time with you to become a pain in the ass.”
Again, she found herself laughing. “Could anyone be more of an optimist than you? Is the glass ever half-empty?”
Silence.
He cleared his throat. “Yes. When I’m walking down the street, passing couples holding hands, juggling squirming toddlers at the zoo, looking into each other’s eyes in the park. When I pass a mother hugging a child in the grocery store. Or an elderly man sitting on his front porch, smoking a cigar with his best friend.”
Such loneliness. She could hear it in his voice. Could practically feel it. A tight sensation squeezed her chest. “No family. No friends…I can’t imagine how sad you must be sometimes.”
Gently, he placed a hand against her face, cupping her cheek. “But that just makes this time that much sweeter. Now, with you, the world is wondrous,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. “Colors are incredibly vivid. Scents glorious. Sounds a sweet symphony.”
The lights blinked on, filling the room with muted light and making her feel exposed and vulnerable for a split second. A man’s voice cut into the silence, and Keri jerked reflexively. Her heart slammed against her breastbone. Then her gaze snapped to the source of the sound, the television.
“When you don’t measure your mortality in hours, Keri, it’s so easy to take things for granted. Not me. I know exactly how precious a hug from a friend or a touch from a lover is.”
She met his gaze, finding genuine joy and wonder in his eyes. She was the source of those feelings? Unbelievable. “I never thought about it.” She rested her hand on his and glanced around the room, the deep red curtains, the pattern in the coverlet, the hue of the walls.
“It’s true. Every second I spend with you is a gift.”
She hesitated, even now, after such a sweet moment of vulnerability, waging a war as she looked upon Talen. He was like no man she’d ever met. And she was absolutely certain she would never know a man like Talen again. It was sad that nobody else would either, that he’d never get the chance to love like he wished, to make some woman ridiculously happy, like she knew he could. He was attentive, eager to please and full of life. So grateful for everything. How could he not?
“I don’t know what to say, Talen. We’ve spent mere hours together and yet…” She was not going to say that word. Not. “You’re a very special guy, and if I had any pull with your gods, I’d ask them to release you from the curse so you could get that chance.”
Talen let his hand fall from her face, catching her fingers in his. They landed on the couch, next to Keri’s bottom. “You hesitated. What were you going to say, Keri?”
She couldn’t feel what she was thinking. It was impossible. No. It was pity. Yeah. Well, maybe. She shook her head, her thoughts whipping around in her head like a flurry of leaves caught in a whirlwind. “I don’t know.” She gave him a tense smile, weaving her fingers between his. She stared down for a few seconds, crazy words popping into her head. “Um, I want to be loved too,” she admitted, the confession shocking her.
She swore before today she hadn’t wanted anything to do with love. Heck, she’d sworn less than a half-hour ago that she wanted nothing to do with love. She’d felt that way for years. How could she have changed her mind so suddenly?
She lifted her gaze, not sure what to expect to see.
Talen looked like he’d just taken a barefoot stroll over a pile of red-hot coals. His cheeks were flushed, his lips curled into a smile that was tense but still glorious. In his eyes, she saw something far different from pain glittering in the shadows, and that something sparked a plethora of conflicting emotions within her. Oddly, she didn’t feel the one she’d expected—regret.
Wow, that was something.
She felt her face warming, and she had to do something to break the tension that seemed to be zapping between them. She scrubbed her face with her hands, eyes closed.
Darkness. Safety.
“Keri, it’s okay,” Talen said.
“I don’t know what’s happening here,” she mumbled, still hiding behind her cupped hands. “You’re changing everything, and I don’t get that.”
“I know I should apologize, but I can’t get myself to do it.” Gently, he pulled her fingertips away from her face, holding them like they were fragile.
Keri allowed herself to look at him, finally, and she was rewarded with a smile. It wasn’t a beaming one, but it was genuine.
“I think the storm’s over.” He leaned closer, closer still, and she knew he was going to kiss her, and she was glad. Talking was difficult. Scary. But not kissing.
She closed her eyes, and waited. Finally, his mouth met hers. Softly, a fleeting, sweet brush across her lips. A tingle buzzed through her body, and her breath caught in her throat.
His hold on her hands firmed as his mouth brushed over hers a second, third time, fourth, fifth. His fingers curled around her wrists like steel bands.
She liked that sensation. It was a naughty thrill. Dark. Weirdly erotic. “Talen,” she whispered against his mouth, her lips barely touching against his, their breath mingling, the air in the room charged with invisible electricity.
Her heart jumped in her chest when he jerked her hands behind her back, pinning them back with one hand and capturing her face with the other. The kiss turned hard and possessive, just like his touch. His tongue pushed against the seam of her lips, slipping inside when she parted them. It caressed, explored, subdued, filled her mouth with his sweet flavor and her blood with simmering warmth.
Suddenly, she knew what she needed from Talen.
This was her chance, the one and only opportunity she might get in her life. She didn’t want to let it pass, couldn’t let it.
If she only had the courage to say the words…
Chapter Twelve
Talen ignored the slight tingling at h
is nape, instead focusing on the glorious sight before him. Once again, he marveled at how kind the gods had been. Generous, but also cruel. To bring such a lovely human being into his life, one who not only wanted what he might offer if he were free, but who needed it. Desperately. He could see now, in her eyes, the depth of her loneliness, her need.
We don’t have much more time.
The thought of backing off had been banished the moment she’d said those wonderful words. It wouldn’t do any good withdrawing. Not now. No. They had begun this journey together. They had both made the decision to follow this road. They would see it through.
For the first time in many, many years, he would not die with nobody but a stranger to grieve. Keri would witness his sacrifice. She would suffer with him.
He pulled her to him, encasing her small body in his arms. He pressed a palm to the side of her head and kissed her hair, inhaling deeply. She smelled wonderful, of woman and home and flowers. Life. Happiness. Sunny summer days. Those were the images that unique blend of scents inspired.
She slipped her arms around his waist and clung to him, her embrace not quite as tight as his but close. They remained that way for who knew how long. Silent. Their bodies pressed tightly together so that each subtle movement, every breath was felt by the other.
There were a lot of things he needed to say to her. Somehow he needed to find the perfect words, but he couldn’t. A lump the size of a small mountain had wedged in his throat. Instead, he let his body communicate what his words could not. How deeply he appreciated her confession. How much he respected her. How miserable he was, knowing all memories of her would be erased the moment he died. And how beautiful he thought she was, deserving of the one thing she seemed to be most afraid to seek—love.
His hands explored her neck, shoulders, face as he buried his nose in her fragrant hair and closed his eyes. He longed to burn the memory of every sensation into his mind, but when he died his body would surrender them. The smells. The tastes. The sights. It was a cruel truth, but it was the only reality he had known for a very long time. The moment he breathed his last breath in this life, the memories of Keri would slip from his grasp, blurring into vague, shadowed images in his mind. All but lost. Just as his memories of every other victim had. All but one, Tanith.
He felt his body heating, his self-control slipping away. His blood burned. His muscles pulled taut. A pounding need radiated out from his center, spreading up his torso and making him breathless. His touches grew firmer, possessive, and Keri responded, arching her back to press against him, mewling softly, parting her lips and letting her head fall back.
He nibbled a line down one side of her face, nipping an earlobe as he passed, following the thrumming pulse lying below the petal-soft skin of her neck, the rigid line of her collarbone.
He yanked on her clothing, desperate to feel her skin, to taste her everywhere. She surrendered with a sigh, lifting her arms to let him pull her shirt over her head. Her bra came next, and her full breasts bounced free, the succulent pink tips rigid temptation. He lifted one full globe and bent to take her nipple into his mouth.
Sweet heaven.
He suckled, licked, nipped until he had his fill and she was trembling and swaying before him. Then he gently forced her down onto her back.
Damn, what a sight.
He was torn between the need to taste the other nipple and the desire to see the rest of her unclothed. Impatience pulsed through him, like burning acid, making it impossible to think clearly.
Driven by instinct, he yanked her pants down, fingernails grazing her legs. He watched as her skin dimpled with goose bumps. He glanced at her face, witnessing an expression of pure, raw carnal need. Answering it, he ripped her panties off, grabbed her ankles and pulled them apart, forcing her to bend her legs and spread them wide for him.
The delicate folds of her pussy opened, their rippled edges glistening with her juices.
The need pounding through his body amped up to almost painful levels. He wasted no time undressing, just jammed down his pants, freeing his rigid cock, wedged his hips between her parted legs and plowed into her with one long, hard stroke. His cock was instantly encased in slick, tight heat and a guttural groan rumbled in his chest. He forced himself to stay still for a handful of heartbeats, to allow Keri to adjust to his girth, and when he felt her inner muscles relaxing, he settled into a slow pace of thrusts, one that he hoped wouldn’t drive him to the edge too quickly.
Beneath him, Keri lay on her back on the couch, eyes closed, her lips parted slightly and pulled into a pouting smile. So lovely, his Keri. His. Keri.
His fever spiked hotter still. Inside his head, two words echoed over and over, in time to his strokes. My. Keri. My. Keri. Mine. Mine. Mine!
He reached down to play with her breasts. He rolled her turgid nipples between his fingers and thumbs, dragged his fingernails down her softly rounded abdomen. Red stripes rose to the surface of her milky white skin, and her cheeks pinked as her pleasure increased.
Mmmm, she liked that slight edge of pain. As he’d suspected.
“You’ve been afraid, haven’t you?” He slowed his pace because his body was responding too quickly.
“Afraid of what? The storm?” she asked, breathlessly, stretching her arms up over her head.
“Ohhh, yes. Stay like that. Don’t move.” He skimmed both hands down the sides of her torso. Her skin was smooth as satin. Warm. Fragrant. “No, not afraid of the storm. Afraid of other things.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Eyes closed, she arched her back, pushing those lovely breasts into the air. She moaned as he shoved his cock deep inside her. “Oh, that feels so good.”
“You like to fuck hard, don’t you?” Repositioning himself over her, he caught her wrists in his fists, pinning them to the cushion. Not waiting for her response, he changed the rhythm of his thrusts, making them harder, faster.
As expected, she responded with a groan. Her body gripped his invading cock like a tight, slick fist. She trembled, her breathing growing heavy, quick. Cheeks pinking. “Oh, yes. Hard.”
“And you like to feel a little vulnerable, powerless.”
“Mmmm.”
“You can’t move your hands right now. You’re completely under my control. If I want to do this, I can.” He jerked his rod out of her body and she whimpered in response.
She opened her eyes. “Talen?”
“You’ve been afraid to tell your lovers, haven’t you?” Still holding her hands, he lifted his hips, levering upright onto his knees. His shaft was hard as concrete and his body was screaming for him to bury it back in that slick, warm pussy. But he didn’t. When she didn’t respond, he added, “Or were you scared to even admit it to yourself?”
“I…I don’t know.”
“You’ve denied yourself so much pleasure. So much joy. All because of fear.” He forced her over onto her stomach and leaned over her, so his stomach almost touched her back. “Let me show you. Stay here. Don’t move.”
He went in search of something to bind her hands, returning a few minutes later with several scarves to find her lying exactly where he’d left her. “Good girl. You see? This is what you need, what you crave. I wouldn’t have guessed that when I first met you.” He escorted her to the bedroom. The iron headboard was going to come in handy. “Maybe I should have, though.” He positioned her on the bed, lying on her back on the center of the mattress, arms extended toward the headboard. He tied a scarf around one wrist, not too tight but snug enough to give some resistance. He fed the free end through the headboard’s bars then pulled it down, wrapping it around her other wrist. He watched her as he worked. Her lovely face, parted lips, flushed cheeks and wide eyes told her she was aroused and nervous, both. A very pleasant combination, one that he suspected she would soon come to appreciate. “Powerful women, independent women still want to be feminine, don’t they? Maybe more than most women, this kind needs to know her man is in charge when they fuck.” His b
ody burning with a pounding, aching need to take her, he slipped his hands between her knees and pushed, forcing them wide apart. Finally, he took another scarf, a black one that was semitranslucent, and tied it over her eyes, obscuring her vision.
When he was finished, he looked down at his beautiful woman, his lover and friend, and smiled to himself. It was going to take every ounce of self-control he possessed, but he was determined. By the time he was through with her, Keri would not only know what it felt like to surrender all control to a lover, but she would accept the truth. He was going to make sure the rest of her life was not shaped by fear, but courage, strength and hope.
She was tied up and blindfolded but ohmygod it felt so good, so right. His words, uttered with a deep, rumbly bedroom voice, only made the situation that much sexier. Her arms were tied to the headboard, her legs bent at the knees, scarves looped around thighs and stretched up toward the headboard too. A dark scarf was tied over her face, obscuring her vision but not blocking it out entirely.
She had never been more vulnerable and powerless, and yet she wasn’t terrified. Nervous, yes. Giddy and aroused, most definitely. But she trusted Talen.
This man deserved everything he hoped for. If only she could have the chance to give it to him. I would love him. I could love him.
“There is a simple truth I want you to know.” His warm breath tickled the side of her neck. “When you submit, you gain power.”
That seemed like such an oxymoron. “How so?”
“Because by leaving yourself in my hands, you now charge me to focus solely on you and your pleasure. And as I dominate you, I must think first of your safety, your wellbeing and your desires only.”
That made sense, somewhat. “But I’m still unable to move, to stop you from doing something.”
“Oh no, you can stop me with one word.”
“What word?”
“Rebirth.” His hands skimmed down her body, a soft touch that made her skin tingle and pleasant chills race down her spine.
“Rebirth,” she echoed.
“If you say that word, I will stop. Immediately. So you see, you don’t need your hands. Or your eyes. Only one word.” That torturous touch moved lower, down her legs before heading north again. “Such power you possess over me.”