Deep Kiss of Winter (46 page)

The feel of Breean's muscled weight pinning her into the mattress was amazing, Aleaha thought, dazed. More amazing? He still desired her. After everything he'd witnessed, after everything he'd had to do, he
still desired her
. She could feel the length of his erection, thick and hot against her thigh.

“But I'm an abomination to you,” she whispered, afraid to place her hope in this enemy who wasn't really an enemy. “Aren't you disgusted by me?”

“You make me feel many things, sweetie pie, but disgust isn't one of them.”

She felt herself melting, falling under his spell. Already he'd satisfied her in ways she'd never thought possible. But she couldn't let herself forget that AIR agents were locked in his dungeon. How selfish would she be to luxuriate in his arms while they merely endured? Well, to luxuriate
again
.

She'd been a little too selfish lately, taking Macy's identity, living a life she hadn't been meant to live. Yes, Macy had died before she'd taken over, and probably wouldn't care about the changes she'd made—or perhaps Macy was even now looking down (up?) at her and wishing her to everlasting hell—but those agents
had
become her friends.

“Breean,” she said, pushing at his chest. She could have cried at the distance she gained.

“Aleaha,” he said, not allowing the distance to last. He grabbed her wrists and pinned them over her head. A favorite position of his, obviously. Her back immediately arched, mashing her breasts into his chest. Her nipples were already hard and rubbed against him.

“This is wrong,” she breathed. “We have to stop.”

“You cannot stop a fire once it has been ignited.” He rotated his pelvis, and she hissed in a breath when his cock slid across her clit, then anchored her legs to the mattress with his own.

Her hiss blended with his. “Actually, you can. With water.”

“Then we'll stay away from the water. Now, do you want to talk or finish this?”

As she looked up at him, desire swirled in his golden eyes, almost a living entity, beckoning her to give in.
Just one time.
But one time wouldn't be enough, not for an addict like her. And, oh, was she an addict. She'd had a taste and now craved more.

“T-talk,” she forced herself to say.

“Liar. But that's all right.” His tongue swiped over his lips. Was he imagining tasting her? “I will talk with you, too.”

“From opposite sides of the room.”

He shook his head. “Just like this.”

Thank God for stubborn men. If he'd left her, she might have stabbed him. “What about the agents?”

“I won't release them,” he said darkly. “I told you. That would put my own men at risk.”

“Well, you can't keep them locked away forever.”

“I can, however, use them as bargaining tools. A life for a life.”

They must do things differently on Raka, because she doubted “bargaining” would work out for him. Not favorably, at least. “You might want to rethink that. You'll go to trade and receive a death sentence.”

“Maybe,” he said. “Maybe not. Until something can be arranged, however, I want you to know that I will not hurt them. That was never my intention.”

“
Until something can be arranged
could take forever. They should be home with their families.”

“And they will be. Soon.”

“Now.”

“First, I must ensure AIR will keep its end of the
bargain.” He didn't give her time to respond, but quickly changed the subject. “No matter what happens in this room, no matter what we say or do to each other, I want you to know that you will never have to cut yourself again. I will take care of you from now on, and I will tell no one your secrets.”

She opened her mouth to return them to the agents, but his words sank in and he won a little piece of her heart. No more hiding? No more being afraid someone would find out who and what she was? Amazing. And that this man would be the one responsible for her liberation . . . “I can't ask that of you.”

“You aren't asking. I'm simply doing.” One of his hands moved from her wrists and curled around her nape, forcing her head to lift slightly. He bowed his back, placing her gaze on his chest, just above his nipple, all the while pulling her mouth closer. “And now we have talked,” he said, voice husky, rich. “Ready for the loving to begin?”

He planned to release the agents “soon,” which meant she had two choices. She could wait until he did so to be with him. Or she could be with him now, knowing she could lose him during the exchange if AIR decided not to work with him.

Actually, as she'd warned, that seemed most likely. They could very well agree to his demands, then start firing the moment the agents were free. Honor was for those who wanted to lose their loved ones, she'd heard Mia Snow say more than once.

Should she do everything in her power to convince Breean of the truth of her claim? No, she
thought next. If she did, he might decide to keep the agents forever, and that she couldn't allow.

“Aleaha,” he said, claiming her attention. He was watching her expectantly, desire still swirling in those golden eyes. “Decide.”

He was a good man. An honorable man despite his assurances to the contrary, and his plans, if successful, would provide a happily-ever-after for everyone. Aleaha was not like Mia Snow. She respected honor.
I want to be with him now,
she thought. She would be selfish one more time. Otherwise, she might not ever know what it was like to be his woman, truly be his woman, and she
had
to know.

“I don't know.” She flicked out her tongue, meeting his skin and trailing it over his thundering heartbeat. “What if I change? You're not inside me this time.” Wait. That hadn't sounded right. “I mean, you're not—”

“I know what you meant. I won't mind if you change.”

“Even if I become a man? Or you? I know it didn't bother you in the forest, but that was only for a second and it could surprise you, feeling dangly bits, and you could toss me—”

“Aleaha.” Dark desperation rang from his tone. He rolled them over, placing her on top. “Give me a chance to prove myself before you condemn me.” He smiled slowly, sheepishly as she settled against him. “Right now, I need you. You, no matter who you are or what you look like.”

There went another little piece of her heart. His
words were a mix of soothing balm and white-hot embers of arousal. Being with him was no longer a need. It was a necessity. “I've decided,” she said.

“And?”

“And I don't know why you're still talking.” Trembling, she inched down his chest, not stopping until his navel came into view. She licked again, and his muscles clenched.

“Thank you. Yes. More.” He was babbling. She liked that.

Lower . . . lower . . . she continued to move. His cock strained high and proud, drawing her full attention.
Mine
. His golden balls were drawn up tight. She tilted her head and allowed her teeth to graze his inner thigh. The cool press of his skin was an electrifying contradiction to her hot tongue.

“Shall I kiss you here?”

“Anywhere,” he croaked.

“Free rein. I like that.” Unable to stop herself, she curled her hand around his testicles and sank her mouth on his shaft, taking him deep, all the way to the back of her throat. Her jaw stretched wide, burned.

“Yes,” Breean roared. “Yes.”

She moaned, somehow feeling as if he were sinking his fingers deep inside her. Then her eyes widened as she realized that yes, she was feeling his fingers, phantom fingers, pumping in and out of her. Closing her eyes at the bliss, she sucked him up and down, writhing her hips all the while.
Don't switch bodies, don't switch bodies.

“Don't stop.” He grabbed her and swiveled her
around, keeping her mouth on his dick while placing her moist clit right over his face. With barely a pause, he licked her, first the outer shell, then inside, probing.

“Breean!” The sensations were too much, not enough, and her physical form began to lengthen. She forced herself to still, forced her mind to blank. Breath singed her lungs. “I'm changing. I—”

“Just let yourself go, sweet. You taste so good, and I know the woman underneath. I told you. I don't care who you are or what form you have.”

As she gave him yet another piece of her heart, something broke inside her. Tension, guilt, fear. She simply allowed herself to fly, relaxing into whatever form her body happened to take. At first, she changed into one person after another, never maintaining a certain image for more than a few seconds. Through it all, Breean continued to kiss and caress her, not once pulling away in disgust.

Then, panting and sweating, she realized the changing had stopped. For several minutes, she simply lay there, Aleaha, only Aleaha. Perhaps she'd run out of identities, or perhaps Breean had left pieces of himself inside her, maintaining a grip on her image.

Breean . . . inside her . . . the first tremors of an approaching orgasm rocked her. Either way, she was truly free, her fear vanquished, leaving amazement, gratitude, and awe, each adding to her enjoyment.

“Yes, yes,” she cried.

Breean gave one more lick and another tremor crashed through her, propelling her closer to the
edge. Just a bit more and she'd—he spun her around until they were eye to eye. He grabbed her wrists and locked them behind her back with one of his hands, the action arching her forward, reading her. But he didn't enter her.

“More,” she said, willing to beg. He'd given her so much already, but she had to have more.

“Remember how you felt in the tub, touching yourself, pumping yourself to orgasm? Do you want that again or do you want me?”

Her heart sped up, hammering at her ribs. “You.”

“Perfect answer,” he said, gently rubbing his cock against her.

Moaning, she closed her eyes again. “But I . . . we have to . . . I want to make you feel good, too.”

“You do. More than any other, you do. And do you know what will make me feel as if I've reached the gates of heaven? Caressing you. Starting with your breasts, rolling the nipples between my fingers this time, making you writhe. Then I want to dip lower, sink my fingers between your legs. I want you to feel
me.
Only me, not a spirit version of me.”

Her breathing became erratic, uneven. “Yes. I want that, too.”

“You'll be hotter and wetter than you are now. I know you will be. Just like I know you'll be tight. Tighter than a fist.”

She bit her bottom lip, drawing a single bead of blood. “I'm ready. Do it.”

But he didn't. He didn't move. “And when you've drenched my hand, when you're practically screaming
for release, I'll replace my fingers with my mouth. I'll lick, taste, and suck you again.”

“Yes. Please, yes.” She gasped in need, the sound of it like a little catch of wonder. Her hips moved toward him, seeking deeper contact, but, damn him, he twisted out of reach.

“I won't be able to help myself,” he said. “I'll bite you, as you did me in the forest. Just a little sting, though, then I'll lick it away.”

She moaned. Caught herself. Pressed her lips together. He was holding back, so she would, too. Only, her hips were moving consistently now and she wasn't able to hide the action. The scent of his arousal was so thick, it was almost a honey cloud enveloping her.

“You're all talk,” she gritted out.

“No, I'm so hard for you.” He released her hands to cup her cheeks. “I've never wanted a woman the way I want you.”

“Then take me.”
Take me in a way that they'll be no holding back for either of us.

An animalistic sound escaped him, and he tangled his hands in her hair, jerking her head toward him for a bruising kiss. His tongue thrust inside her mouth, feverish, desperate. Finally. Sweetly. He was putting his mouth where his money was. Wait. That wasn't how the expression went. Oh, who cared. Delectable!

“You make me so crazy.”

Brain fogging, she arched into him. “More,” she breathed.

•   •   •

More? “All,” Breean said, and deepened the kiss. They were both so wild, their teeth scraped together. Didn't help that her flavor was pure decadence. Not the honey he'd once been used to, but better. Sweeter. A rose blooming amid a tempest, he would have said if he were a poet. Caveman that his brain currently was, all he could think was
mine
.

He licked his way down her neck as his fingers explored her body. There was a fine, silky tuft of hair between her legs where he dabbled, tickling, exciting, before sinking his fingers into her already soaking folds.

She nearly shot off the bed. “That . . . that . . . right there. Yes!”

Her clitoris was swollen, eager. He circled it, and her hips followed the motion.
Beautiful
.

“Breean,” she groaned.

“So wet,” he praised.

“Hurt.”

He'd already vowed to take care of all her hurts. This one would be his pleasure. “I'll kiss it and make it better.” And he did. He pinned her on her back and inched down her body, licking along the way. She was delicious curves and sweet angles, and he hadn't gotten nearly enough of her. Would he ever?

He wanted her to come with his cock buried deep, but he had to have another sampling. Was already addicted to her feminine flavor. Besides, what kind of lover would he be if he couldn't make her come more than once?

She arched into him, writhing, head thrashing from side to side. Her hands found her breasts, and she squeezed. The sight was erotic, as foreign as she was. He hadn't seen her in the tub, but he'd wanted to. Oh, he'd wanted to. He liked that Aleaha was pushed so close to the edge right now that she was willing to do anything to find release.