Bound to His Redemption

by Lisa Kumar

  Once in the room, she gazed around. The items on her dresser were neatly grouped, mostly in groups of three, which she’d always heard was the magic number for arranging things. Elves apparently knew that, too.

  She opened drawers and checked formerly cluttered surfaces. Even her underwear, folded with military precision, fanned out in a display of elegance that would’ve done a lingerie store proud. A sense of hopelessness struck her as she stood in the middle of the floor. Though it pained her to admit it, the room did look better — a lot better. All thanks to Eamon, the creeper.

  “So do you like it?”

  Her heart jumping into her throat, she whirled around toward the door. Eamon leaned against the frame. She pointed an accusing finger. “Can you not scare me that way?”

  He raised a brow. “I didn’t think putting the room to rights was that scary of me.”

  “I was — Never mind, everything you do could be termed scary. Creepy.”

  “Everything?” He ghosted closer.

  “Everything.” She attempted to sound firm, but his increasing proximity scrambled her mind in the most disturbing way. Damn it, she needed to hold on to her anger. “Especially you sneaking up on me after you rearranged my underwear drawers, so yeah, creepy — that’s you.”

  “Even this is spine-chilling?” he asked softly, coming to stand behind her. He reached out a lone finger and glided it down the side of her neck.

  Oh, God, yes. She drew in a shuddering breath. The desire he infected her with should be downright frightening. In fact, it was, but the very thing that inspired the fear — lust — overpowered that feeling.

  “And this?” He leaned down and placed his lips along the same path his finger had taken.

  Caralyn gasped, wanting him to stop, wanting him to continue. “It’s kind of creepy.” Some sane part of her cringed. What was coming out of her mouth?

  “I think you like creepy, then.” Eamon laughed gently, nuzzling her neck.

  “May ... maybe I do.” God, she sounded brain-dead.

  A well-placed lick caused her to jump, and his mouth drifted lower. His warm mouth paid homage to the curve of her shoulder, his nose nudging aside the neckline of her bothersome shirt. He pulled her against him, his erection prodding her back. With a deep sigh, she sunk deeper into him. He felt like heaven, but he was the farthest such thing from it. Still, that latter part didn’t matter, not enough to stop her.

  His hands slid down her sides and then up to cup her breasts. He flicked his thumbs over her nipples. The tips stiffened and stood at needy attention. She dropped her head back on his chest.

  With a muttered oath, Eamon jerked her around and smashed her to him, his leg going between hers. He pushed her toward the dresser until her back hit it. The impact sent another heady swell of desire to her nether regions.

  Instead of fully trapping her body with his, he seized her mouth in a heady kiss. The heat of his lips scorched her down to her toes. Her eyes fluttered shut for a few moments. Their tongues met in a clashing dance, and her arms slipped around his neck. She wanted him so badly she could barely think.

  His hands went to the zipper of her black khakis, and she leaned back so he had better access. Before he could get the zip all the way down, he stilled and then pulled back with a groan. Desire and some kind of painful resolve battled on his face. She could only stare at him. Why had he stopped? She needed him.

  As he dropped his forehead against hers, she nearly wept from the high her body was crashing down from.

  His voice ragged, he said, “I refuse to take you with haste this time. When we next share our bodies, it’ll be in the bed where we can do it properly.”

  He cared about that? It almost seemed ... romantic. Her heart jumped at the thought even though her body protested the cessation of their activities.

  Smoothing his hands down her arms, he drew back. After staring into her eyes for untold seconds, he shook his head fiercely. “I know you’ll walk out of this room and try to change your mind. If you do, I’ll seduce you all over again. You’re mine tonight. Do you understand?”

  His intense eyes and face seared her as if he’d branded her with an invisible mark of possession. Her mouth dry and her tongue a useless lump, she nodded wordlessly. Right now, she’d agree to about anything.

  A smile lit up his usually glacial features. “Good.”

  He leaned down and pasted a kiss across her lips. “Go change into whatever you had meant to. We need to partake of dinner before we can have dessert.” A fiery glint in his gaze punctuated his words and left no doubt as to what kind of “dessert” he wanted.

  Releasing her hands, he turned away and headed toward the door with a jaunty step. Once he was out of sight, she sagged against the dresser. Though her body was still in a hormonal uproar, some sense of self-preservation seeped back into her mind. What had she gotten herself into?

  Chapter 22

  Caralyn cleared the dishes off the table, anticipation and ambivalence singing in her belly. Eamon and Andrian still sat at the table, but her mind was only consumed with the black-haired elf. She chanced a glance at him. He stared right at her, the whites of his eyes showing above and below his irises. A prickling heat rushed to her face.

  Not breaking eye contact, Eamon slowly rose. He made his way around the table to stand before her and took the bowl from her. She lifted a brow.

  A sexy smile curved his lips. “Why don’t you go change into something more suitable for the evening?”

  She glanced down at her loose t-shirt and lounge pants. Yeah, not really the definition of seduction and desire. Biting her lip, she looked at the dish in his hands. “I need to clean up the kitchen.”

  “The graykindred and I will do it.”

  “I will?” Andrian snorted and threw down his napkin.

  Eamon flashed him a glare. “Yes. I know how to clean up after myself. Don’t you?”

  “I made a sandwich all by myself this afternoon and put everything away, so what do you think?”

  Eamon gave a smile that would’ve done a shark proud. “I think that you’re a miserable bastard.”

  Worry exploded in Caralyn’s head from the verbal volley going back and forth between the two elves. Though she hadn’t been sure about the wisdom of sleeping with Eamon again, she didn’t want their evening to come to a halt because he and Andrian were pummeling each other.

  She opened her mouth to say that she’d clean the kitchen with Eamon’s help, but Andrian cut off Eamon’s words. “Spare me all the smoldering looks between you and our hostess, not to mention the air polluted with your lust, and I’ll clean the damn kitchen myself. You’re turning my stomach.”

  That seemed to shock even Eamon quiet for a bit. After the astonishment faded, he chuckled. “You’ve got yourself a deal.”

  Caralyn was sure her mouth was hanging open. Andrian hated Eamon yet he was doing this good turn for them? Maybe he really did find their apparently flagrant attraction to each other disturbing enough that he wanted them out of his sight.

  Eamon turned and guided her toward the door with a hand on her waist. “I’ll remain in the living room for a few minutes before I seek you out.”

  She shook herself slightly, feeling light-headed. This really was surreal. “Okay.”

  Pulling her in for a quick yet passionate kiss, he murmured, “Don’t make me wait too long.” He drew back, and the steamy look he branded her with scorched down to the bone.

  The heat of his gaze followed her down the hall until she disappeared into her room. She paused, breathing heavily, and then spun in a circle. Anxious excitement scrambled her mind for a few seconds.

  Get a hold of yourself. If she didn’t, he’d come in and see her acting like a complete idiot. She marshaled herself and set to work. After grabbing the required items out of her closet, she hurried into the bathroom. With shaking hands, she brushed her teeth and washed her face.

  Then the moment of truth — she eyed the bra and panty set before reaching o
ut and stroking the lace fabric. Tiny embroidered snowflakes contrasted subtly against the ivory material. God, she was really doing this?

  She glanced at herself in the mirror. Her flushed face greeted her, and her dilated pupils seemed to consume most of the iris. Before she could back out, she stripped off her clothes with as much haste and determination as she could manage. Keeping her hands steady seemed impossible.

  Once naked, she picked up the bra and slipped it on. The bikini underwear followed. When she’d bought this set under duress, she’d never imagined she’d be modeling it so soon. No, make that ever.

  She could hardly believe she was doing so now. Her body was average — not heavy but not willow-thin, either. Flaunting her attributes had never been her style.

  She didn’t understand it, but somehow, Eamon made her feel sexy. More than Hayden ever had, which disturbed her more than she would have liked. What did it say about her that she was willing to be sexed up with a male who wasn’t even particularly nice most of the time?

  Fear that she was changing too fast — and was way over her head — crashed through her like a tsunami. Still, it didn’t dispel her crazy desire for the elf. Whether tonight would be the worst mistake of her life or not, she was going through with it.

  She glanced down at her body outfitted in the skimpy bra and underwear and ran a hand over her hip. If she didn’t go out there soon, Eamon would come looking for her, and she wanted to go out there on her own terms, not his. Inhaling deeply, she walked to the door and then paused. This was it. Though she hadn’t heard him enter the room, she somehow knew he was already there. Waiting for her. At that thought, heat shot to the area between her legs.

  Caralyn slowly turned the knob and pushed open the door. Her heart skidded to a stop before picking up a pounding pace. Eamon lay on her bed, clad only in a pair of green boxer shorts. One lean, muscular leg was crossed over the other, with the knee up. He looked delectable, which made her cringe slightly. When had she started to think of him and sex in food terms? Next thing she would know, she’d be saying that she could eat him right up.

  He slowly rose to a sitting position while his gaze raked over her. The burning appreciation in his eyes reached out to her across the room as if it were a palpable caress. After wetting his lips, he spoke in a breathless voice rife where lust seemed to vie with confusion. “You look simply ravishing, my dear.”

  She gave a nervous smile even as giddy pleasure brimmed. “Really?”

  His expression morphed to a teasing, guarded one. “I have no reason to lie.”

  Though she didn’t know why she believed him, she did. Come to think of it, she trusted him quite a bit despite the fact he acted like he was nothing but a villain. That was a thought for another time, though.

  She slowly entered the room. Once she was near the bed, she reached out to turn off the already dim lamp.

  He stopped her by reclining on his side and grabbed her hand. “Leave it on. I want to be able to see you easily.”

  Though she suspected his eyesight was somewhat better than hers, she complied. At least she’d be able to see him clearly. Her desire shocked her. She really wanted to make this as intimate as possible?

  Eamon gently tugged her onto the bed and rose to his knees to mirror her. He stared into her eyes, and she fell into the deep pools of his gaze, never wanting to crawl out.

  He was beautiful, handsome. And for tonight, he was hers.

  They reached for each other at the same moment. His hands framed her face before he swooped in to press his lips to hers. Her fingers skidded over his shoulders until she found a good purchase.

  His tongue swiped between her lips, and she parted them so he could slip inside. She slid her tongue around his and pressed herself against him. Soft sighs filled the air, and she lost count of who made which sound.

  Eamon ghosted his hands down to her waist. He stroked the soft skin right above the low line of her bikini. Two fingers slid underneath the waistband. The breath stilled in her throat, but he went no farther.

  He released her lips and whispered against her cheek, “I like these panties. We have nothing so erotic looking for Erian women to wear.”

  “This is a first time for me, too. I’ve never worn anything quite like this and certainly not in front of a male.”

  A satisfied smirk curved his lips as he lifted his head. “You mean you didn’t wear such a scrap of fabric for that Hayden man?”

  “No.”

  “Why not?” he asked, the pleased note in his voice clear.

  She shrugged a bit uneasily. “Our relationship never progressed to me being comfortable enough to wear something like this in front of him.”

  “He wasn’t a good lover?”

  “I’m sure he’s fine. He certainly knew how to kiss and pet.”

  “But at making love?”

  She flushed and stared at the bedspread under her. “I wouldn’t know.”

  “Caralyn?” When she didn’t lift her head, he tilted it up with a finger under her chin. “You mean you never slept with him?”

  Embarrassment burned deep. He wanted to talk about this right now? “Not technically.”

  He arched a black brow. “Not technically? What does that mean?”

  “It means he stopped before full penetration.”

  He stilled, never removing his gaze from her. “Say that again.”

  “We never had full vaginal sex. I stopped him before he could enter all the way.”

  “Why?”

  “He seemed too pushy, and it turned me off.” But there was more to it than that. Eamon could be just as pushy, and she still wanted to sleep with him.

  A considering gleam entered his eyes. “How many men have you been with sexually?”

  “None ... except what I’ve described with Hayden. And you, of course.”

  “Of course,” he echoed, the words hollow, though whether with surprise or displeasure, she didn’t know.

  “Is that a problem?” She chewed her bottom lip. Surely, he wouldn’t reject her for being inexperienced?

  “Is what a problem?”

  “Me not having been with anyone but you and Hayden?”

  He stared at her, an odd look crossing his face. “Were you a ... virgin that time in the dressing room?”

  She frowned. Didn’t he understand what she’d been saying? “Well, yeah, pretty much.”

  He nodded, his mouth settling into a thin line.

  Great, he was mad. What, didn’t men like virgins? She knew he’d enjoyed their first time, so she knew she hadn’t been a bad lay. In fact, until now, he’d apparently never considered the possibility she’d been relatively untouched.

  She drew back, setting her hands on her thighs. The loss of his body heat sent a shiver through her. “So this is it? You’re mad because you took my virginity?”

  “Yes.” Then he shook his head sharply. “Not because I took it but because I didn’t know. If I had, your first time wouldn’t have been in a dressing room inside some store.”

  Astonishment rained down. “Does it really matter?” She’d never have pegged him as the type to be so worried about where she’d lost her virginity. But then, he was the one who’d insisted on putting off what they’d started earlier so they could properly make love in a bed. Who would’ve ever guessed he was a closet romantic? “I’m sorry. I never thought it’d have bothered you this way. It didn’t even occur to me to mention it.”

  His severe expression didn’t fade, but he seemed to fold up slightly on himself. “Everyone’s first time, even a human’s, should be in a place of comfort.”

  His slight insult didn’t even faze as a realization hit. This wasn’t just about her — something in his past drove his vehemence. At some basic level, he thought he’d failed her, which was almost laughable. Here she was, a hated human, and he felt rotten he’d taken her up against a wall. Her fingers flexed involuntarily. The urge to touch him surged, but she knew he wouldn’t welcome any perceived pity.

&n
bsp; So she settled for the next best thing — offering some reassuring words. “To me, it wasn’t so much about the location but about the person I was with. I have no complaints there, trust me.” She leaned in and forced a smile to her lips in an effort to lighten the atmosphere.

  His own mouth quirked up at the corners. “Since I was that person, I won’t argue that.”

  “So everything’s okay?”

  “Right now? Yes.” He ran a finger under one of her bra straps. “You’re wearing too much. I want to see those pretty breasts of yours.”

  For a moment, she’d forgotten she’d been kneeling there in only scanty underwear. Warmth kindled low in her belly, and she reached behind to unfasten the bra. “I think I can —”

  “No, let me. I was to be the one to unwrap you like a present.”

  “There’s not much to unwrap.”

  “But it’s covering too many of your most important parts for what I have planned.”

  “And what is that?” she asked, barely believing her voice was so steady and even sultry sounding.

  He lifted his brows. “You’ll just have to wait and find out.” Then without warning, he pounced on her, bringing their bodies together. His erection poked her stomach, and she giggled. “Someone’s excited.”

  His fingers slipped up her thigh and into her panties. “So are you. I feel the proof of it.”

  As he increased pressure, her eyes rolled back in her head, and she bit her lip. “Very eager girl,” he whispered in her ear, his hot breath fanning across her sensitive skin.

  She moaned and buried her face in his shoulder. Her arms banded around his ribcage. His fingers were working their magic, and with a few more well-placed swirls of his fingertips, she was on the verge of coming. One more flick sent her over the edge.

  After she’d come down from her high and caught her breath, he pulled on the back of her bra. “How about if we remove this?”

  She nodded her answer. Using one hand, he managed to get the clasps undone after a few tries. No fumbling tonight. When she remembered how he’d caught himself in the zipper, she bit back a smile. He wasn’t always so suave.