She started out with small circles around her clit, then thrust one finger into her core. Against her will, she found herself back in the fantasy of the three men. This time one of the men licked her clit while another one kissed her, and the third sucked her nipples.
The thought of three gorgeous men focused on her pleasure, and in turn her pleasuring them, sent Awai into orbit. Her orgasm came hard and fast, and caused her to moan as ripple after ripple of her climax continued to flow through her until she came a second time.
After she slipped her hand from her panties and arranged her clothing a bit, Awai relaxed against the wall and closed her eyes. She brought her fingers to her nose and scented herself, wondering what it would be like to smell the come of three men all at once.
What's the matter with me? Why am I fantasizing about dominant men? I should be thinking of the men I dominate.
But the faces of the three Doms continued to haunt her. Awai sighed and sank further into her thoughts until she slipped into a deep but unsettling sleep.
A blond god of a man tied Awai’s wrists together with a glittering golden rope. It was snug, yet the rope didn’t hurt or cut into her flesh. In a sensuous caress, he slid his hands down her thighs and calves. He bound her ankles together with another piece of golden rope. When he finished, he lowered his head to the juncture of her thighs and inhaled deeply, his long blond hair caressing her skin. He gave a satisfied purr, like a tiger, and she felt tingles race through her body as she grew wet.
Awai jerked awake and found herself still positioned with her back to the wall of her condo. She blinked, feeling oddly disoriented and almost as if she’d been drugged.
Golden light shone across the living room carpet, yet through the windows in front of her she could still see San Francisco’s sparkling nighttime view. Slowly she turned her head and saw that the front door was open—
Sunlight spilled into her home. Not a hall light or a streetlight. It was pure butter-yellow sunshine, like it shone on a cool spring morning in places where there wasn’t any fog to dim it.
Her heart pounded like mad. She tried to get to her feet, only to slide down the wall and fall onto her side, her cheek resting on the leather handle of her whip.
Her hands and ankles were bound, just like in her dream.
Awai breathed hard and fast as she glanced at the golden rope around her wrists and then looked to her ankles.
A shadow fell across the carpet.
Awai’s gaze shot to the doorway and she saw the golden god from her dreams. The man’s white-blond hair tumbled over his shoulders, and a single gold earring in the shape of a club glittered in one ear.
His muscled chest was bare, and the tattoo of a club was on his magnificent six-pack abs. Good lord, but those leather pants cradled impressive family jewels, and despite the fact that she was tied up and at his mercy, Awai tingled between her thighs.
Instead of the diatribe she had planned when “they” finally showed up to kidnap her, Awai found herself absolutely speechless. She’d never expected anything or anyone like this.
The golden god flexed his muscles as he moved closer, and then knelt before her on one knee. His intense blue eyes focused on her and he smelled of sun-warmed flesh and mountain air. Gently he brushed the back of his hand over her cheek, and in a voice that sent shivers down her spine, the god said, “I have come for you.”
CHAPTER THREE
TY SKIMMED HIS KNUCKLES OVER THE WOMAN’S CHEEK, as she lay on her side, bound with his golden ropes. How beautiful the woman was, more beautiful than her picture on the card he had taken from the a’bin. Even more beautiful than the image he held in his mind as he’d brought himself to climax.
Awai, he reminded himself. This beauty’s name was Awai.
Strands of her dark hair framed her face while the rest of her tresses were piled on her head in a style he found sexy and alluring. Her eyes were indeed blue, bluer than his. And her body—perfection with pert breasts showing through her blouse, and prominent nipples made to suck. He continued to stroke her cheek as his gaze traveled lower and he smiled. The woman had lovely thighs to slide between.
Awai’s eyes narrowed and glittered with sudden fire.
In a movement that was fast and unexpected, she jerked her mouth toward his hand and buried her teeth in his index finger. Sharp pain shot through his hand as her teeth sank through his flesh and drew blood.
Ty held his ground and didn’t flinch. “Not a kitten, but a tigress.” He sighed, and then gave a quick grin despite the ache in his hand. “After meeting and suffering the temper of Alexi, I should have been better prepared.”
Confusion, then anger crossed Awai’s features and she released her hold on his finger.
Ty brushed the blood on his hand onto his breeches as Awai glared at him. “If you’ve hurt Alexi or any of my nieces,” she said with more than vengeance in her voice, “I’ll kill you.”
Chuckling at the memory of that first encounter with Alexi, Ty shook his head. At least he could laugh about it now. “You should have no fear for your kin, tigress. Alexi is well able to care for herself. The day I met her—well, let us just say I could not walk straight for several days.”
“Good.” Awai was tempted to laugh, but she maintained her angry expression. Here she was, lying on her side, tied up, and yet despite herself she was completely intrigued by this blond god. Power rolled off him in waves, from his muscular body to his very presence. With his blond hair and cocky expression, he reminded her of a rogue or even a rake from a historical romance novel.
Except he had her trussed up like a sacrificial calf at a pagan altar.
“Untie me,” she demanded with all the fury she could muster as she struggled to pull apart the bonds at her wrists. “Let me go, damn it.”
Still on one knee, the man grabbed Awai by the shoulders and raised her so she was sitting up, her bound wrists in her lap. Heat from his palms burned through her thin blouse and her breath caught in her chest.
“I am Ty, ruler of the Kingdom of Clubs,” he said in a solemn voice. “I have come to take you to my world.”
His world. She’d expected someone, or several someones, to come for her. Yet now that this man was here, she found all of this overwhelming and surreal.
Despite her curiosity and her natural inclination toward disbelief, Awai growled at him, “I don’t care if you’re the King of Crap. Let me go and take me to my nieces.”
The man who called himself Ty chuckled at her words. “To show you my goodwill, I shall remove your bonds. All I expect is that you trust me—and avoid crippling me in the same manner your niece selected.”
Awai’s body trembled with anger while Ty waved his hand and the golden ropes at her ankles and wrists simply disappeared. With slow, firm strokes, he massaged her ankles. For a moment Awai allowed herself to feel amazement at his little feat of illusion.
But when Ty started to reach for her now unbound wrists, Awai laced her fingers together and swung her hands up, straight toward his face.
In a lightning fast movement, he caught her wrists in one of his large hands, just short of his jaw.
Ty grinned as he released his hold on her. “My little tigress.”
I’ll show him a tigress.
Awai let loose with all of her frustration and anger at her nieces’ disappearances. She fought against his hold with everything she had. As she lashed out at him, she bit her tongue. Her mouth filled with the metallic taste of blood, which only made her angrier.
Ty couldn’t believe his stupidity at releasing Awai. He should have simply flung her over his shoulder and brought her through the path and into his world. He had thought perhaps by showing her that he meant no harm, she might find it within her to trust him, if only a little.
“Damnation, woman!” He managed to grab both of Awai’s wrists and pin them to the carpet above her head. She continued to struggle, but he straddled her thighs and put just enough weight on her legs to keep her from moving.
<
br /> Awai’s face was red, her eyes feral like the tigress she was. He kept her wrists pinned with one hand and the urge to kiss her came over him, to brush his lips over her forehead, to breathe in her musky perfume. He wanted to relieve her fears, to soothe her fury.
Ty’s face was close to Awai’s and her eyes suddenly blurred. Images flooded her mind of being trapped by her ex-husband, his breath hot and smelling of alcohol. Of being helpless beneath him.
“No!” Awai let loose with a scream and fought even harder to free herself, but she was held entirely immobile. Fear replaced the anger, and tears fogged her vision as she struggled. She wouldn’t let him hurt her again. Never again.
From a distance she heard a male voice speaking to her with a gentleness she’d never heard from a man before. “I am sorry it must be this way, but we have little time before the portal closes.” His tone was sincere and somehow calmed her, as if he’d used magic to relax her.
Slowly her vision cleared and instead of the disgusting beast who had brutalized her, she saw the golden god. He still held her wrists above her head with one hand and with his other he carefully brushed tears from her eyes. She was breathing hard, and her muscles ached as if she’d raced a marathon. Gradually her body relaxed.
Damn, she hadn’t cried for years—not since she’d escaped John Steele and made a new life for herself. Her breath continued to come in harsh gulps and her heart pounded in her throat. Perspiration coated her body. How could she have lost her sanity so completely in that one moment?
“The path will soon close.” Ty trailed his thumb across her lips and gave her a soft smile. “If we do not leave now we will be trapped in this world and it will be another year of your time before you see your loved ones, or I see my people.”
Awai cleared her throat. “Oh.”
“Your kin await in Tarok.” Ty’s gaze held hers. “Will you come with me if I release you?”
This was what she had prepared for all year long, and she was fighting it like a crazy woman. She wanted to see her nieces so badly she would do anything it took to get to them.
She bit the inside of her lip, then nodded. “I’ll go with you as long as you promise that I’ll see my family.”
He released his hold on her and scooped up her leather whip as he stood. “You have my word.” He held out his free hand. “Come. The path is closing.”
Awai still shook as she took his hand. The sunshine that had spilled through her doorway before was now murky, as if shrouded by thunderclouds. Ty pulled her toward the dull light at a jog, and she had no choice but to follow him. She had to find her nieces. Her heart pounded with both fear and hope.
They dove into the gloom and Awai felt like she was tumbling through thick paste. Sticky and gooey, like the fat pots of glue she’d used in kindergarten all those years ago. The sensation clung to her face and hands, her bare belly and legs.
And then they were free of the goo—falling into bright sunshine and a brilliant green world. Ty caught her to him as he landed with a whump. He rolled onto his back in a bed of soft grass, Awai cradled close to his chest, on top of him. She found herself face-to-face, chest-to-chest…erection to belly.
Heat flushed her as she stared down at her would-be kidnapper. The gooey feeling from the path, or whatever it was, had vanished and she now felt only light wind caressing her cheeks and Ty between her legs. His leather pants felt as soft as butter against the insides of her thighs, and her panties pulled against her clit in a manner that made her crazy with need.
I am losing it.
She shook her head, trying to get the thoughts out of her mind. Maybe it was the strange trip she’d just taken, or there was something about this world that had instantly mellowed her. Whatever had happened, something had softened inside her. She felt strangely relaxed and even odder, she felt playful. It all confused her so much that she couldn’t think straight.
In a quick movement, he turned so that Awai was on her side in the grass, her leg hooked over his thigh. They were still face-to-face. Her eyes were wide, but this time he didn’t see anger or fear in their blue depths, he saw confusion.
“For now, let us start on equal footing.” He smiled at the surprise in her expression. “Know that I am your ruler, and soon you will desire to submit to me in every way.”
“Ruler?” The confusion inside her doubled. A hundred thoughts and questions bubbled up inside her, but she couldn’t get them out.
He laughed again and ran a finger down her nose. “You will see.”
Awai pushed herself up on one elbow so she looked down at Ty. He was gorgeous and purely male. She didn’t even know him and she wanted him like no man she’d ever met before. A man who could fulfill secret fantasies that she’d never shared with anyone.
No.
Never.
Wherever she was, it was muddling her thoughts and her reactions. How could she be so calm and everything seem casual and almost normal?
Normal? Nothing about this was normal.
She spotted her whip lying on the grass beside Ty. She grabbed it by the handle, and scrambled to her feet. Her thoughts were still muddled. But with the whip she knew she could protect herself.
In a slow demonstration of masculine ease, the golden god got to his feet. Lord, but his muscles rippled and flexed with power. Awai’s nipples tightened and the tingle between her thighs doubled. He was bigger, buffer, and probably the most well hung man she’d ever had the pleasure of meeting, if the size of the package behind his leather pants was any indication. Every sensible thought since meeting Ty had vanished and all she knew was she wanted him.
Damn.
I’m no stranger to sex with someone I barely know in the lifestyle, she thought. Who knew? Maybe she would enjoy what he had to offer. On my terms.
With every muscular movement he made, she knew he could crush her if he wanted, could hurt her in so many ways. Somehow, she didn’t think he would.
When he moved toward her, she stiffened, remembering that she’d been kidnapped into this world, as no doubt Annie, Alexi, and Alice had been.
I came here willingly, to find my nieces. They might have been kidnapped, but I wasn’t.
He held out his hand. In his eyes she thought she could see that he hoped she would trust him, and not bite him again. After a moment of indecision, she took his hand, her fingers feeling small in his grasp. Tension gripped her body, making her muscles ache.
“Allow me to show you my palace and my realm.” He led her from where they’d landed in the grass. “I am proud of my land and my people. I hope you will be pleased with what you see of my kingdom.”
He said it in a way that didn’t sound like bragging. He was simply sharing the strength of his caring for what was part of his realm.
His kingdom. She couldn’t quite fathom that this man was royalty—or at least he said he was. Ty is a king.
Really?
Awai had been so intent on the man that she hadn’t even noticed her surroundings. She stared in wonder as sunlight shone down through blue-green clouds and spilled onto trees with feathery blue leaves, others with lacy green leaves, and yet more with colorful flowers. Ahead of them a waterfall of white blooms flowed down the hillside. If she wasn’t mistaken, they were cherry blossoms.
Countless unfamiliar flowers in unusual shapes dotted the grassy hillside in bursts of orange, pink, red, blue, and purple. Their sweet perfume mingled with the earthy smell of the land and the warm scent of the man beside her. Their footsteps were silent as they walked down the grassy hill.
A strange feeling of excitement and a desire to explore this world washed over her. This yo-yo of emotions was going to kill her for sure.
In the distance she could see a small village with people and industry. The sprawling palace, with walls of a green-beige color, was a distance away but closer than the village. It was as if the building was camouflaged to blend in with the surrounding trees, flowers, and the grassy hillside.
Ty squeezed her hand
, bringing her back to the present. She looked up at him and he smiled, a cute boyish smile that made her heart melt.
Damn. She was supposed to be kicking ass and taking names. Instead she was lusting over this man like a besotted schoolgirl with a crush on the captain of the football team.
She cleared her throat and brought them to a stop. She attempted to return to her “I am queen of the universe” presence that she maintained in the corporate world. “Where the hell are Annie, Alexi, and Alice?”
He looked thoughtful for a moment, as if trying to determine how much to tell her. When he spoke, it was in a clear, concise tone. “Alice is joined with my brother Jarronn and she is now the High Queen of Tarok and Queen of Hearts.” Awai’s jaw dropped, but Ty continued, “Alexi is my brother Darronn’s bride, and she is Queen of Spades.”
At this point Awai was ready to use the whip she still carried. He had to be lying. But Ty went on. “Annie has mated with my brother Karn, and she is Queen of Diamonds.” He grinned. “Although her cat, Abra, thinks she rules Diamond Hall.”
Without consciously realizing it, Awai moved closer to Ty, concern clenching her heart. “Annie’s all right, isn’t she? She was always so much gentler than Alice, and especially Alexi, and she could be hurt so easily. Please tell me she’s happy here.”
This time his look was serious as he nodded and took Awai by the shoulders. “Annie is truly a blessing to Tarok, and especially the Kingdom of Diamonds. She is dearly loved by all, as are Alexi and Alice.”
Awai wanted to cry with relief, yet how could she know if Ty was telling the truth?
It hit her then—he had introduced himself as the King of Clubs and she’d told him she didn’t care if he was the King of Crap.
Now he’d named off the other three suits. “What are you so-called kings?” She stared at him. “A deck of cards?”
His eyes glittered with amusement.
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