by Lily Thomas
Before she could respond, he swung her into Mathar's waiting arms.
Jasmine watched as he dismounted, unsaddled the horse he’d been riding, and switched the saddle over to his black stallion. Before tightening the cinch around the black stallion's middle, Dryden glanced over at her, his eyes as hard and dark as onyx.
She folded her arms in front of her. “You didn’t leave me much choice. You could have simply returned me to my people.”
“We will discuss this soon enough,” he promised.
With one final tug to the saddle’s cinch, he mounted up, trotted over to where Jasmine sat on Mathar's horse and swung her back onto the front of his horse. Her breath blew out in a rush as he swung her onto his saddle and her back met his armored chest.
Without checking to see if she was fine, he spurred his horse into a breakneck gallop, leaving his men to follow closely behind.
Jasmine wasn't sure what she’d expected if he did catch up to her, but she hoped he would eventually forgive her.
“This is not over, Jasmine,” he whispered in her ear threateningly over the howl of the wind whipping past.
A shiver passed through her as she thought about what he might do.
She felt him lean over her shoulder, and he whispered into her ear again. “We will have a long talk about your behavior, Jasmine. You and I will go over how I feel about you running off… and we will discuss it in private… in my tent.” His hand roamed over her stomach to her side to pull her close to his chest.
Was she smiling?
Jasmine knew what he meant. She easily imagined all the ways they would discuss what she’d done. Or was her imagination running off with her? She couldn't wait for him to threaten her with pleasure.
Perhaps all he would want to do was talk with her in his tent, but she really wanted to imagine his lips moving over her skin, his hands running through her hair, and his strong arms laying her down on his fur covers.
As they rode away, the high of what might come later faded. She was now going in the wrong direction to get back to her sister. Again, distance was being put between them.
Was she always going to feel so divided by the two people whom she loved? As crazy as it seemed, she had to admit to herself that she had fallen for this strong and confident warrior. She never thought any man, much less a giant would win her heart, but here she was.
There was the option to tell Dryden about her sister, and explain to him what had happened in the manor stable, but why would Dryden want to help her? It was in no way his problem, so would he choose to make it his responsibility if she told him?
In some ways, she didn't want to tell him for fear he wouldn’t care. It brought up a hard point she’d been trying not to think about, the fact he might not care about her. She might indeed just be a fling for him. He’d probably never had a female human before, and she was only a passing novelty.
She felt like there was a connection between them, but was she seeing something that wasn’t there?
Jasmine nibbled her lip red as she watched the ground being eaten up by the black stallion's large hooves. Without any stops or hitting any tree branches, they soon charged into camp.
Her heart rate spiked as she thought of the moment they would talk together. Now she was faced with a man who, if she was completely honest, she had no idea how he might react. Jasmine was still uncertain what she would say and how she would say it to him.
The decision was a hard one to make. If he knew her drive, he might keep a better eye on her. Jasmine was unsure, but she would have to decide at some point.
Dryden seemed like an honorable man, but he just wasn't her honorable man. Nor was she sure he would ever become her man.
His hands wrapped around her tiny waist, and he dropped her to the ground, making sure she landed on her feet in the ankle-deep snow. At least, he still showed some concern for her well-being.
Then before she could say anything, he rode off, leaving her to stare after him.
Confusion rolled through her as she watched his armored back disappear into the snow-blanketed forest.
He’d just left her… actually left her. Alone… with an army of ice giants.
Jasmine found herself unable to keep her mouth closed, as she stared at the empty space before her. Looking around Jasmine saw all the ice giants wandering around doing whatever they needed to be doing in the camp.
Mathar sat watching her from his own horse.
“Dryden's tent is over there,” Mathar said pointing to one of the tents out of the many that had been set up.
As she opened her mouth to ask where Dryden had gone, Mathar flicked his reins and left her standing there to just watch him ride away, as Dryden had done to her.
“Is this my treatment for escaping? Is everyone just going to walk away and ignore me?” Jasmine grumbled to herself, causing a few glances to be cast her way. She glared at the ice giants who glanced over at her, but none of them seemed to be bothered by it.
Feeling too tired from her adventure, she made her way to Dryden's tent. She felt both emotionally and physically drained. Her head still had a small lump from hitting it against the tree branch, but at least there was no more pain, and the cut on her head had stopped bleeding quite a while ago.
Stepping into the fur tent, Jasmine exhaled a heavy breath as she went to sit on the bed of furs. There she sat thinking and twiddling her thumbs. There was nothing else for her to do, but wait for Dryden to come back. Assuming he would come back at all this night.
Perhaps he’d changed his mind about talking with her, or perhaps he needed some time to calm down. It would make sense to her if he needed some time to organize his thoughts before he talked to her.
Jasmine rose and walked around in the small fur tent, it wasn't too big, but she was able to walk from one side to the other side. Pacing helped clear and settle her racing mind.
Eventually, she plopped down on the furs again. She would go to sleep, and if Dryden didn't come back, she wouldn't worry about it until the morning.
After rising from the furs, Jasmine shed her fur cloak and shivered in the cold air. With quick fingers, she stripped off her dress and shoes and then dove between the fur covers before the cold air cold freeze her.
Shivering a little, she waited for her body heat to soak into the soft furs. Her shivers slowly disappeared, as she warmed up. Jasmine snuggled deeper into the fur covers. Feeling warm and cozy, she fell into a deep sleep.
Dryden patted his stallion down, glad to have him back unharmed. He was also glad to have Jasmine back with him. He’d been angry, first that she had run away, and second because she’d stolen his black stallion.
“Glad to see you back.” Mathar came up with another ice giant warrior, Loi.
“Doesn’t appear that she’s done any harm to your horse,” Loi commented.
They all knew how much time Dryden had spent breeding and training his stallion.
“The ride really allowed me some time to clear my mind so I could think a little more clearly.”
“And?”
“I think I would’ve done the same in her shoes.”
Mathar snorted, as Loi brought out a money purse and tossed a few coins over to him.
“What was that about?” Dryden looked at the two men, knowing he might not like the answer.
“I bet him that you’d forgive her.” Mathar chuckled, as he pocketed the coins.
Dryden rolled his eyes. “If I’d been caught by humans, I would try to get back to my people. I’ve come to realize she just did what I’d do in her shoes. Can I really blame her?”
“I would,” Mathar grunted.
“He’ll never win a female over with that kind of attitude,” Loi commented on Mathar’s grumpiness.
Dryden let out a bark of laughter. “Mathar will forever be a bachelor. The only thing I’m having a hard time figuring out is why Jasmine would want to return to her people after they tried to kill her.”
“I’ve already given my opinion
on her intelligence.”
“Maybe it’s time to ask her why she’d want to return,” Loi said ignoring Mathar’s comment.
“Maybe she’s a female of wealth, and some man wanted to get rid of her so that he could help himself.” Mathar reasoned.
Dryden shook his head. That theory of Mathar’s didn’t strike true with him. “There are still pieces of the puzzle I don't have, and I hope to get them from Jasmine.”
“Good luck with that.”
Though he was still upset she had run away and hadn't told him anything, he did understand her drive. Well, he understood a little.
He could see she was being driven by something. The only problem was that he couldn’t read her mind. Those hazel depths of hers portrayed so many emotions, yet he had no idea what they were for.
With one last pat to his horse, Dryden made his way towards his tent and away from his men.
“There he goes to continue courting his human female.” Mathar teased.
Dryden ignored him. All that mattered to him was Jasmine.
As he stepped up to his fur tent, he paused at the flap, took a deep breath, and remembered he had to keep a calm and open mind.
Pushing open the fur tent's flap Dryden glanced inside and found Jasmine curled up under the covers. She was sound asleep if her breathing was any indication. Taking a quick look around he spotted her dress and shoes beside the fur coverings.
He entered the tent and stared down at her delicate form. Clearly, she hadn't been too worried about his ire. She was comfortably snuggled underneath the fur covers. A little flare sparked inside of him, having thought he would’ve found her awake and ready to talk to him.
As he stared down at her face, he felt his chest ache, near to where his heart was. Which surprised him. The nights they’d spent together had meant something to him, and he wanted them to mean something to Jasmine.
Looking down at her face, he admired her beauty and inner strength. Jasmine surprised him in many ways. Instead of breaking down on him, she’d stayed strong and even tried to get away from him.
Never would he have thought a human female would have the courage and the bravery Jasmine held within her small frame.
A growl grew in his throat, a growl of possession. This was his female. He would do anything to prove it to her. There was a connection between them she wouldn't be able to deny for very much longer if he had any say about it.
Quickly, he untied the swords strapped to his back and hips and placed them carefully on the ground of the tent. Next came his armor, which took him a few minutes to remove, and then the rest of his clothing closely followed.
Slowly, he slid his large body underneath the fur covers and turned his attention back to Jasmine.
The dream she experienced was so enjoyable, almost to the point of unbelievable. Dryden was lying beside her, his heat soaking into her cold skin, and warming the fur covers that surrounded them. Jasmine smiled to herself in her sleep.
Then his rough-skinned hands rubbed all over her body, massaging streaks of heat into her skin. She could feel her skin blush, as she realized where her dream was headed. It wasn't going to be just any normal dream.
Jasmine felt him above her, his hands rubbed down her arms, and caressed her face in lovingly soft strokes. She felt the love pouring out of his caresses.
His hands traveled their way over to her breasts. At first, he only cupped them in his rough hands, as if weighing them. Then he proceeded to pinch each nipple in between his thumb and forefinger.
Her mouth opened, as sensations flowed from her nipple and into the rest of her body. A moan escaped her, as she arched her chest upwards, wanting him to keep playing with her nipple, but he changed from pinching her nipple to pulling on the tight bud slightly. Which changed the sensations that rolled through her in hard waves.
Then he replaced his fingers with his mouth. Hot and wet, he sucked her nipples into his mouth. Another moan escaped from her, as her body writhed beneath his muscled body.
“Please.” She begged in her sleep, wanting more, but not really knowing what she wanted more of, more of him touching her nipples or more of him doing more elsewhere on her body?
He more than obliged her demand. She felt him trail a hot wet path down the crease of her breasts and over her stomach with his heated kisses.
Jasmine felt his long fingers brush against her dripping wet folds. Her breath caught in her lungs, as heat pulsed through her body. His fingers spread her folds wide with a couple of his deft fingers. Then delved into the hotness between her thighs. His fingers pumped in and out of her in a fast rhythm.
“Yes.” She whispered breathlessly, as pressure built within her.
“Yes?” He asked her. His voice sounded so real in her dream.
“I never want it to end.” Here was something she wanted in her life, to have passion in her life and a man who made her feel like no other did or could.
His finger made a quick flick over her sensitive nub, and she bucked against the sensations that shot through her entire body.
“Oh, yes!” She yelled out in her sleep.
She heard Dryden give a hearty chuckle. “Not yet, my sweet, not yet. I want to hear you beg for what you want.”
Jasmine smiled. “With the way you’re playing the game, I’ll be begging at any time now.” He made her feel like the lustiest wanton in the world, but she enjoyed it. It was a feeling of being free.
His hot mouth kissed around her breast, making his way to her nipple yet again. Only this time when he sucked her nipple into his mouth, he gave her a tiny nip with his teeth. Her hands came up to grip his arms, as she arched her back against his mouth. He drew her into his mouth fully, sucking as though he was trying to mold her breast to his mouth.
The area between her thighs became soaked with wetness, and her face and skin blushed with her arousal.
Dryden never stopped in his ministrations to her wet center, and his arms never tired from plunging his fingers into her.
Jasmine felt him smile against her breast, as he purred against her skin. “Good girl. Drip for me.”
As she gave another groan of pleasure, he stiffened and growled against her skin ferociously. “I want to see you come around my fingers. Would you enjoy that?”
Would she enjoy it? How could he ask such a question of her? “I want to come so badly.” She felt as though her whole body was about to explode from all of the pleasure building within her.
He pinched her nipple. “Do you?” He did it again, this time a little harder, and she groaned in response.
“Yes, please!”
“Please what?”
This man loved to torture her, even in her dreams! She could hear the pleasure in his voice from what he was doing.
“Please… make me come… Dryden.” Jasmine panted out between her heavy breathes.
She dearly wished this dream were real and not just in her head.
Dryden picked up the speed of his fingers and then used his thumb to apply pressure against her throbbing nub. The pressure started to build inside of her, and she moaned.
“Faster.” This was just a dream. She could say whatever she wanted to say. Now was her chance to live her fantasy.
“Want more?”
Throwing caution to the wind, she whispered, “Yes, I want everything you can give me, everything you can show me.”
He laughed, a rich, deep sound that pleased her ears. This ice giant was putting her under his enchanting spell, probably without him even realizing it.
His deft thumb ventured away from her nub. He extracted his fingers from her hot center and swirled a finger in her wetness, teasing her. It felt so good to her, and her body was on high alert.
Then he plunged three of his fingers back inside her, the heat in her body building faster than before. Her back arched, her neck falling back, and then as he increased his fingers’ pace, she felt herself growing close.
“Come for me.” He whispered near her ear, his voice gone rou
gh with his desire for her.
Jasmine couldn't think, couldn't process what he was saying to her. Her mind and body were so centered on the sensations flowing through her.
With a yell she came, her eyes popping wide.
As she came, stars shot across her vision. She looked up into Dryden's dark eyes and realized it hadn't been a dream at all. Dryden had really been doing all those things to her.
She blushed but didn't care. She came around his fingers as they continued to plunge inside of her soaked center.
With a last moan, her body sagged as she finished.
When his fingers left her, she immediately regretted their loss. She was ready for more. But before she had time to think about it, he was lying beside her, tickling his fingers over her side in a romantic caress.
Jasmine had never felt so content before. Wishing she could hang on to this moment forever, Jasmine kept her eyes firmly shut. If she opened her eyes, she was afraid the moment might end right there.
But Dryden obviously thought otherwise.
She felt him slide down her body showering kisses down her stomach until she felt him under the fur cover. Then she felt his hot breath on her trembling thigh.
Cold air flowed over her skin, as he pushed the fur cover off of them.
Too curious Jasmine opened her eyes to see Dryden between her thighs right at her feminine center. He acted like a predator would when it spotted its prey for the day, eager and hungry.
Dryden used his hands to push her thighs open some more.
Right as she was about to ask him what he was doing his head lowered closer to her center. Jasmine watched, as his face disappeared between her thighs.
Then it all became clear to her as his hot tongue shot out and licked her fully.
She went rigid, as pleasure seared through her. Then he licked her again, and she melted against him, her thighs tightening around his face as he continued to lick her.
Dryden let out several feral growls, as he licked her, then he sucked her nub into his mouth, causing her hips to buck against his face. Using his hands, he held down her hips, as the pleasure grew inside of her.