“I feel you, Rhycious. We’re tossed up. Life 101 is hangin’ for a comeback attack.” She spun back around. “Don’t let me keep you from it.”
Intent to split the scene, she didn’t care if her taproot tree grew to the east or west of where she headed.
A rush of movement, and Rhy’s arms came around and hugged her from behind. Breath left her body in a rush. She thrashed in his hold, kicking her heels to connect with his shins. He held tight.
Hurt met anger and together they coalesced into attitude.
“Let go of me.” Patience would have elbowed him in the ribs if he hadn’t trapped her arms. Had he not lifted her off the ground, she could have resisted better. As it was, Rhy wrapped her up in his arms and carried her back to the log, sitting her down in his lap.
She hated being a pissed-off angrietta, it always made her nose stuff up. Hot tears pooled and eventually overflowed. Rhy’s rock solid arms held her immobile and she couldn’t wipe her nose. One look and he’ll wish I’d cut and run. She turned her face away from him.
“Patience, you misunderstood me. I want you with me.”
She sniffed loudly. Yeah, well you haven’t seen my face yet. “I’m listening.”
“Your tree will energize and heal you. That’s why I thought you’d want to go home.” She noted he said want, not should. His arm unwrapped from her waist, and tender fingers tucked her hair behind an ear. “I don’t know enough about you as a Nymph to offer treatment.”
The tail of her shirt came in handy to wipe her face before she lifted her eyes to his. Shoulders slumped, she leaned into his chest and rested her head in the crook of his neck. “I’m sorry. The adrenaline is taking a hike out of me.”
“You’re still tired. Let’s rest here until sunset.” He glanced at his watch. “Another fifteen minutes, and if you feel up to it, come home with me.”
“You sure?” One side of her mouth turned up. “An uninvited guest with issues, what every healer must want in their home.” Her huffed laugh came out on a sigh. They’d come full circle.
“Polytima, I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t want you there. And I . . . . ” He cleared his throat, hugged her tighter. “I want you with me.”
Gods, he felt good. Warm and safe. The man smelled like clovers.
“Thanks. I didn’t want to have a conversate-a-bate with my lonesome.”
Encompassed by his arms, his chin resting on top of her head, he rocked her slowly. Together, they watched the sun drift lower through the trees until only a small portion blazed above the mountains.
Rhy kissed her forehead, cheek, and lips before setting her from him. He moved to sit apart a few feet and shed his boots and pants, folding them away in his backpack.
Patience held her breath as his transformation began. Spellbound, she watched his back lengthen and grow the additional hind legs. When his black tail sprouted, he twirled it like a spiral ribbon and winked at her.
“What does it feel like?” Unable to pull her gaze away, she stared, transfixed.
“Like a pressure, I guess. Then my lower body gets heavy. But mainly—” He scratched his sides where the hide flashed a gold buckskin. “The whole thing just itches.”
“I’ve never seen anything as magnifiscrumptious as you tweaking into your true self.”
“You look at something much better every day, agape mou. If you’d see yourself, the way I see you.”
His front legs braced hard on the ground, and he pushed with his hind end to stand. Swiping his pack from the ground, she zipped it closed and handed it to him. The sexy gleam in his eyes, the one that made the girls perk up and take notice, followed his every movement.
Rhycious hefted the bag over a shoulder and wrapped his other arm around her, pulling her close. “Let’s go home, babe.”
Either his or hers, she didn’t care. She was so tired, her legs nearly buckled beneath her. It didn’t help that his deep, scratchy voice made her mouth water, more than the thought of food ever would.
“Maybe I’ll even give you a lift.” He chuckled and gave a smile that made her pulse race.
Patience drew his lips down to hers and kissed him, desire in every stroke of her tongue. “I promise I won’t kick you with my heels this time.”
And by the way . . . I love you.
Twenty-Three
Pennelope’s full gauze skirt snagged the thorn of a low-lying berry bush. Her viciously spouted curse contradicted the pains taken in preparing her appearance for the meeting. The elegant upsweep she’d worked so meticulously on accentuated the graceful lines of her three-hundred year old neck. And I don’t look a troll day over seventy-five.
Delicate silk ripped when she wrenched the material off the barb to continue down the path, her bracelets jangling in time to her steps. Rotted leaves and animal piss squished and oozed between her toes, and she pulled her bare foot quickly back. This isn’t starting well.
She collected her lightweight skirt and held the sheer folds close. The night, reminiscent of a similar evening a century earlier, spun her thoughts to Aleksander.
Pennelope had eventually gotten over yearning for his energetic romps. A good thing since the warrior had changed from the inexperienced lad she had once known.
Gone from Aleksander’s dark chocolate eyes was the youthful innocence and naivety that turned her on. War-hardened cynicism and life-smarts molded the new man.
Life truly marches on.
Pennelope swung her arms faster and picked up the pace, bracelets clinking manically together. She and Aleksander had buried their past over a stew dinner last night, and it made her realize their time together was truly over.
Where another chapter of her life closed, another one opened. “Hell, I have an appointment to keep.”
Night creatures moved with unseen swiftness. Wings swooshed as owls sped through the silhouetted trees, light footsteps carried nocturnal mammals away in fright. And Pennelope’s travels brought her closer to the male.
In the dark shadows of an overhang, he leaned against the rocks. Climbing vines snaked around the opening, reaching with ivy tentacles. If it weren’t for the sweet scent of the burner he smoked, Pennelope would have thought she’d beaten him there.
Obscured moonbeams concealed his eyes, but she imagined how they roamed her body. Her light colored clothing captured what faint light reflected off shiny leaves from the essence of a waxing crescent moon. She anticipated his gaze pausing at the cleavage of her carefully chosen, low-cut blouse.
I hope he’s as attracted to me as I’ll be to him. Using him for her gain would make the pleasure more gratifying.
Step One: Convince the male to partner up.
“Good evening.” She purposely kept her voice low, seductive. “How’s your latest acquisition performing?”
“Better than expected.” He took a drag off his smoke, flaring the tip to glow. She saw his full lips, but the rest of him remained hidden in shadow. “I don’t like to buy without viewing the merchandise first. You were lucky, Pennelope.”
She moved closer, remaining in the safety of the light, hoping she’d draw him out of the darkness. “No luck involved, I have a good eye. Would you like to purchase more of the same quality? Or perhaps . . . something else?”
His feet shifted and scraped against the dirt, but the movement didn’t bring him any closer to her.
“We’ll talk later about purchasing females. For now, I might need something that you could provide.” The glowing embers created tracer patterns in the inky blackness as he gestured with his hand. “There’s a large shipment of rare smokable psilocybin coming in. How much can you move?”
“I can move all you have, and more. My clients have asked about ‘shrooms for years, they’d be happy to get some.”
“Good. That’s what I like to hear.”
He took another drag. A short, straight nose came into view. So far, so good.
Smoke curled out with his exhale. “I bet you hear things too.”
“I pay attention to wh
at’s around me.” She smoothed her hands over her hips to draw his attention to her body.
“What have you heard that would be of value to me?”
“What are you willing to pay?”
His right hand gleamed with the next draw on the low burner. Flaring embers illuminated more of his features and in the brief flash, his hard eyes locked on her. Slowly, he lowered the smoke.
Zero gambled, zero gained.
Pennelope trusted her gut, and her instincts said, “Take the chance.”
Stepping from the security of the trickling moonlight, she strolled toward her ticket to a better life.
Heat radiated when she lifted her hand and touched his chest, instantly warming her cool fingers. The soft leather of his jacket filled her other hand as she curled her fingers into the supple grain. His shirt buttons amused her, so she slipped a few through their holes.
“Don’t play with me, Troll. If I like your intel, I’ll pay for it.”
Zero gambled . . . .
She bit her bottom lip, hesitating. His energy path zinged sharp bites through her palm.
Loyalty. Distrust. Contradiction, but not with her and this meeting—something else.
Zero gained . . . .
She lifted her gaze and slid her hand down his chest, her metal wristbands tinkling together. “If you’re interested in matters of the Centaur palace . . . .” Her hand fell farther. “I can tell you Queen Savella will have a big surprise soon.” The top of his belt met her fingers.
The male shifted his stance, but didn’t move to stop her traveling hand. “Yeah? Go on.”
As instructed, she went on, caressing her fingers lower. “There’s a move to change the guards, so to speak.”
The tip of his semi-erect penis leaped in his pants when her fingers made contact with the head. His breath blew in a hard huff and she jumped on the submissive reaction. Pennelope smiled, smelling the faint citrus scent of his cologne. This meeting was easier than she thought; she figured he’d put up more of a fight. But she was an ancient female Troll, and the males . . . they’re all the same.
Leaning in, her breasts pressed his chest and she filled her hand with the fullness inside his trousers. Slow strokes up and down.
Her lips whispered against his ear. “We’re going to be good together, you and I. A great team.” His length grew, hardened with her words, and her excitement increased. “I can hardly wait to get started.”
Pennelope held the back of his neck and lifted on her toes to kiss him. The male turned his face away and his shadowed cheek scraped her lips. She pulled back sharply and licked her painful, whisker burned lips.
With his thumb and forefinger, he brought the herbal blunt up and drew a hit off it, then flicked the stub away. He exhaled slowly. Smoke drifted into her lungs, and her head spun from the contact high.
“Turn around.” His strong hands grasped her waist and switched their positions. She spun to face the rock he’d been leaning on. Uneven, sharp surfaces bit into her palms and she cried out.
“You want to know how much that info is worth?” He shoved his stiff cock behind her, pushing between her butt cheeks. One of his hands covered her breast and began to knead with a powerful grip. His sexual excitement increased, and she tried to ignore the flurry in her tummy and the turbulent rush of her blood.
The male brought a component of danger to the game that put a smile on her face. Excitement charged her pulse and settled low in her belly. Her aroused body wanted more.
“Yeah, I want to know what it’s worth,” she said. “And if you’re—” His other hand slid from her hip to settle between her parted legs. He dove for her clit and rubbed her through the skirt and thong panty. Her moan bounced off the rocks, the sound filled her ears. “If you’re in the market for a partner.”
Insistent, his hand moved faster, paying special attention to her most sensitive areas. Moisture coated her thong, nylon friction slid easier.
The male let out a harsh laugh. “I’ve never wanted a partner before. Why would I need you?” His erection scored the crack of her ass as he dry humped her. “And what’s in it for me?”
Pennelope pushed back to arouse the male further. She wanted to tell him she would be his, if he’d take her—here and now, that is.
He slid his thickness in her crevice a few harsh strokes, and then shoved her hips forward.
Gossamer material crept up over her fanny adorned with a teeny silk patch, drawing a line between her bottom’s rounded cheeks. Cool air caressed her legs. A shiver tickled the skin over her lower back and heightened her senses. She moved closer to him.
Her associate continued stroking her wetness with his hand, turning the internal heat up to combustion level. The damn thong lay in the path of his exploring hand, and she willed the piece of material away.
Pennelope’s desire craved direct contact, ratcheting her need tighter. She rotated her hips against his hand, grinding down to increase the pressure. Her partner-to-be growled, his fingers discovering her seeping desire. The flimsy material covering her sex pulled to the side, ripping the seam. Finally.
Pennelope couldn’t care less. She wanted him to touch her, to bring her to a heightened climax, to tumble her off a cliff of pleasure.
He plunged two fingers inside, massaged her lust, and then pulled out to spread the slippery cream on her labia.
“You’re nice and juicy for me. Want it bad, don’t you?”
“There are boundless opportunities available with my partnership offer.” Her hands gripped the dirty rocks at her face while his fingers performed the sex act below. From behind, the male’s cock slid along her slickened cleft. Every inch of her body cried out for more. Back arched, she moaned deep in her throat. He was a little coarse, a lot dominant, and kinky with an exotic power she didn’t understand. Pressure built low, hinting at what was to come.
His fingers left her wanting as he pulled out of her and clamped his wet hand on her shoulder. More of a shove than a gentle request, he turned her body around to face him. Scrapes of a zipper rasped in the dark.
“On your knees.” Rough and grating, his voice matched the downward pressure on her head.
Cruel edged pebbles dug into the skin covering her knees. His course, hairy legs tightened at the touch of her hands on the front of his thighs. His cock jutted hard, hot, and stiff. Her fingers ran along its burning length. Rewarded with his grunt of need, her confidence grew when she took him in her fist.
She’d have her position of power by the end of this meeting, and the rest of Boronda could go screw themselves.
Equal to the sting of an electric current, his internal force zapped her hand. Possession. Want. Disgust—not with her, but himself.
Pennelope ran her wet tongue over her lips in preparation. Her hand pumped his swollen shaft, his hips rocking with the motion. She licked his cock’s spongy head, indulging on a salty drop of precum. His big fists in her hair, he held her to him. Smiling to herself, she adjusted her double-fisted grip on his cock.
Opening wide, her lips slid down his hard length. A good half-fist of length left to go, he bottomed out at the back of her throat.
“That’s right. Take it all.” Held immobile by his gripping hands, he pumped a slow tempo into her mouth. Turned on by his aggression, she mewled at the erotic taste of him. Aroused by her vocal need, his thrusts grew faster. She tried not to move, tried to stay still so he wouldn’t pull her hair under his onslaught of thrusts, but it was impossible. He was losing control, and his hips pumped helplessly as her mouth tightened and withdrew, then tightened again, drawing him closer to the edge.
The force of his assault tipped her back on her heels. Off balance, she grabbed his ass to keep from toppling over. Pain sprang up where his hands seized fistfuls of her hair. Powerful muscles beneath her palms flexed in rhythmic motion.
The growl he let loose in his frenzied movement assured Pennelope that her plan was nearly complete.
Her exaltation was cut short with an abrup
t withdrawal from her drooling mouth. Startled, she wiped her lips with the back of her hand.
“Get up.” He pulled her hair tangled in his fist. Breath ragged, his gravelly voice demanded more. “Turn around.”
Completely ruined, her once carefully pinned upsweep fell about her face. Minor forfeit for premium gain. Even the sound of ripping silk didn’t reduce her elation. The man wanted her bad, his control spinning away. He shoved the skirt above her waist and ripped off her impeding thong with a vicious yank.
Pennelope braced her hands in front of her, fingernails breaking on the rocks. She held herself poised and ready for him, legs parted. He spit, located her opening with the engorged head of his penis, and drove his lubricated cock inside her to the hilt.
Fright mixed with pain, and quickly turned into raw pounding need that only bouts of hardcore sex would relieve.
The male’s fingers dug into the soft flesh on one side of her hips. He pulled back, almost completely out, and shoved in hard. The hostile action repeated itself in a succession of teeth jarring strikes to her bottom. Only more of the same would slate her mindless desire. Anxious he’d take the pleasure away, she pushed against his ramming, arching her back to take him deeper inside.
“You sure you want to work with me?” His voice weighed heavier than the darkness surrounding them, the question pushed through gritted jaw and thrusting hips. “Do you realize what you’re getting yourself into?”
“I can handle—” An iron hand gripped her neck and pushed her head down, bending her nearly in half in total submission. Unseen in the inkiness, a jutting wall rock grazed her face. Pain flared in her cheekbone. She brushed the sting away, resolved and committed to see this mating through. I rather enjoy his style of personal interview.
She braced her legs wider, bending at the knees. Parallel to the floor, her back arched to raise her hips. His muscular thighs molded to hers and he thrust at an upward angle. Slowly, his hands grew sweaty on her hips.
Due to the force of her impalement, Pennelope held her face away from the sharp rocks. Meant to scare her with his rough treatment, his inner energy tipped her off. However, everyone has a tender side—and she’d find his.
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