Beyond the Shadows (13 page)

The cool moon rose steadily, bathing her in white light. Mist floated like white ghosts, keeping her company in her misery as she huddled on the ground, shivering. Exhausted and sad, she wanted to move but couldn’t raise the spirit to do so. Once again, she’d lost Constantine, and most likely, Kai. No matter what she told Con, she wasn’t nearly as sure of Kai as she pretended.

So here she lay, letting the uncaring ground hold her in the same spot from which she’d very likely seen the last of her brother.

She couldn’t imagine how Kai was going to react. Sometimes she just got tired of worrying about it. For a moment there, she’d had something close to peace.

All she needed, right now, was—

“Come here, baby.”

And she was being gently tugged, turned over, and lifted into the arms of her beloved. Too drained to speak, she lay limply against his chest, snuggled into his warmth.

Afraid it might not really be him, she kept her eyes closed. But his scent wrapped around her senses, his huge body fitting against hers like it’d always been meant to be there.

Kai.

“Are you okay?” His voice was a rumbling murmur in the ear she had pressed to his chest.

“No.”

“Oh, honey. Don’t cry.” He carefully placed her in the front seat of his truck, proving just how out of it she’d been. She’d never heard the vehicle arrive.

“He’s gone, Kai.”

“I know, Sarah. Hush now. Let’s get you home.”

For a second, he peered at her bruised face. His mouth tightened and the little lines at the corners of his eyes deepened, but he said nothing, merely buckled her in and left her, lonely without his warmth, to climb into the driver’s side.

The drive passed in a blur. She curled up as much as she could with the belt restraining her and watched him all the way home. He didn’t glance at her once. His face was hard in the dim light the stingy moon shared, but his hand wandered over to curl upon her knee.

And when the truck ran out of its rationed supply of fuel, he got out without a word and carried her the rest of the way home.

He carried her in through the front entrance, and she hid her face from the people who stopped their work to stare.

“Hot food, Teddy. And a pot of coffee.”

“Right away, Kai. Is she—”

“Bring the food, Teddy.”

He walked to his rooms and sat on his bed with her cradled in his arms. Muffled sounds and thumps from a busy household reached her ears, but still, she was isolated, alone with him.

The rest of the world didn’t exist. Not really.

His arms were tight, so tight, strong enough to hold her forever. Muscles bunched as he shifted, bringing up a hand to caress her face.

“Does it hurt a lot?”

And finally, she opened her eyes to look at him. “Yes. I just got him back, only to lose him again. It hurts a lot.”

He met her eyes. “I won’t chase him, Sarah. I’ll let him go.”

“You will? Kai, you will?”

“For you, I would do much.”

“But…why?”

“Surely you know.”

“I would like to hear the words.”

He swallowed, his eyes darkening. “Sarah, I love you. And when you were missing, I realized just how much.” He shook his head, eyes full of something she could not see. “The whole thing with Constantine just wasn’t important anymore. He’s been punished for what he did. I’ll let it go. I want to concentrate on you and only you.”

She was overflowing. No one could hold this much delight and contain it. She laughed and cried and rained kisses upon his face. “It is all I want. Oh, Kai! I do so love you!”

He laughed, and for the first time since she’d known him, she heard the sound of joy in his voice.

“Thank you, Kai.”

“You’re welcome.”

“I’ll spend the rest of my life showing my gratitude.” She smiled and bit his chin, gently.

“Yes? You might like to start right now.”

“You, sir, are insatiable.”

“You complain?”

“Never.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and put her mouth to his, relief and lust and love warring inside her.

He stood, placed her carefully on the bed, and stared down at her. “Do you feel well enough to…” His voice trailed off. He straightened, looking slightly ashamed. “No, of course you don’t. Rest, Sarah. I’ll have Teddy bring—”

“Kai!” She climbed to her knees and grabbed his face. “Oh no you don’t! You will not decide you love me and start treating me like a delicate flower because of your tender feelings.”

“Now, Sarah—”

“No.” Grimly intense, she put a finger against his lips. “Not a word.”

He raised his eyebrows, smiling against her finger. “Really.”

“Really. As a matter of fact”—she climbed off the bed and started for the door—“take your clothes off and get in bed, Kai.”

His face was almost comically surprised. “What did you say?”

She stopped at the door and leveled him with what she hoped was a cool stare. “I said, get naked. And get in bed.”

Before he could speak, she opened the door and bellowed for Teddy. When the woman arrived, out of breath and holding a hand to her heaving chest, Sarah hesitated, hoping she hadn’t just given Teddy a heart attack.

“What is it! What’s wrong? Where’s Kai?”

“Calm down, Teddy. Kai’s fine. I’m fine. But I need you to bring me restraints from the black room. Big, strong ones.”

Teddy’s mouth fell open. “Huh?”

“You heard me, Teddy. Now do as I asked.”

“Well…” Teddy cast a glance at Kai, who still stood beside the bed, unmoving. “
Er
…all right.” And with a raised eyebrow at Sarah and perhaps just the slightest gleam of admiration in her eye, she hurried off.

Sarah hesitated, then ran after her, catching her before she was halfway down the hall. “Teddy!”

“Yes?”

Sarah grinned and grabbed the woman around her ample waist. Bending her head, she whispered in Teddy’s ear, “We’re in love.”

Teddy’s whoop could surely have been heard all the way to
Springland
. “No!”

“Yes.”

“Well, I’ll be damned…”

“You deserved to know, Teddy. Now, I’m in an awful hurry. Bring me my goodies.”

“Right away.” She planted a solid kiss on Sarah’s cheek, then continued on her way, laughing.

When Sarah returned to Kai’s room, he was lying in bed, atop the coverlet, without a stitch of clothing. “Perfection,” she told him.

“I wish to please.”

“Me. You wish to please me.”

“Who else?”

Happy that he didn’t seem to mind her dominating behavior, she trembled in anticipation. “I’m about to have a very good time.”

“Something tells me,” he said, taking his cock in his hand and squeezing it lazily, “that you aren’t the only one.”

“Here are your…things,” Teddy called, trotting toward the room.

Sarah pushed the door almost shut, thrusting her hand through the opening to grab the restraints from a red-faced Teddy. “Thanks.” Then she slammed the door shut and prepared to get to work being the boss of Kai.

Perhaps she wasn’t cut out to take control, because when Kai grinned and ran his hand with excruciating slowness up his enormous cock, then back down just as slowly, her mouth dried up, her feet refused to move, and all she could do was stare.

“Kai…”

He reached for her with his free hand. “Come sit on my dick.”

She swallowed and started toward him before she remembered that, right now, she was going to give the orders. Straightening her shoulders, she marched to the bed.

As much as she hated to halt his masturbation, she snapped a restraint around the left bedpost. “Give me your hand.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He waggled his eyebrows at her, looking so adorably sexy she was nearly undone.

She pursed her lips as she walked around the bed, restraining his wrists and ankles to the bedposts. “When I’m finished with you, you’re going to be too tired for silliness.”

“I’m ready for you, little Sarah.”

She narrowed her eyes, giving his ankle restraint an extra-sharp tug. “We’ll see about that.” She stood at the foot of the bed, drinking her fill of his bare body.

Stretched out and spread-eagled on his big bed, he was the most amazing thing she’d ever seen. Huge and muscled, his cock standing proud and ready, his smooth skin glowing, he was a feast for the eyes. His eyes were heavy-lidded, shuttered, promising her dark, delicious things she could not wait to taste.

“Do you need help,” he teased, “perhaps step-by-step instructions?” He lowered his voice, whispering, “Shall I guide you?”

She stalked to the side of the bed and trailed her fingers up his muscular thigh. “I don’t think I’ll need your help.” She leaned slightly to the side and cupped his balls. “I think I’ll have you begging for mercy before I’ve finished with you.”

His lips parted in a smile, one that was a little less sure, but so scorching hot she gasped.

“Careful there, baby,” he murmured, and she realized she was gripping his sac with a little too much force.

She squeezed harder, waiting for his smile to slip before she released him. Feeling anything but casual, and hoping he didn’t notice, she wrapped her fingers around the base of his long, thick erection.

Putting a knee on the bed, she lowered her mouth to his cock and licked around the head. So soft, so hard. Moisture beaded at the tip, and she snatched it away with a quick dart of her tongue.

“Sarah…”

She stood to remove her own clothing. Teasing him, she disrobed slowly, until at last her clothing lay in an untidy heap on the floor. Pushing her hair over her shoulders, she bared herself to his heated gaze.

Climbing onto the bed, she put a foot on either side of his hips, opening her legs to his view. Her body tingled from the caress of his gaze and the heat of his desire.

Skimming her fingers over her ribs, she let her hand fall to her pussy. She rubbed lightly at the lips, then slipped a finger between them to touch her clit. Liquid heat gathered at his groan, and her breathing quickened.

His gaze traveled up her body as she caressed her breast with her free hand, then was drawn back down between her legs. “Sarah. Bring that to me.”

“No.” She continued playing, rubbing her clit until she had to force herself to remain standing. She wanted to impale herself on his huge cock, but first, she would drive him to the edge.

“Do you like watching me as much as I like watching you?” she asked.

He groaned. “I want to touch you.”

Her legs buckled, and she sank between his spread thighs, his sex so temptingly close. She wrapped him in both hands and leaned in, rubbing her throbbing breasts with his erection.

Crawling up his body like a cat, she held one of her breasts and caressed his lips with a swollen, aching nipple. He opened his mouth and ran his tongue over her nipple, licking until she cried out and the heaviness between her thighs became too much to ignore.

She slid a hand down to stroke her clit as he took her nipple into his mouth and sucked so hard she gasped with the pleasure of it. “Kai!”

He let her nipple pop from his mouth. “Release me, Sarah.”

With all the strength she had, she refused. Sliding back down his body, she straddled his cock and, grasping it, rubbed the tip over her pussy. “Torture, sweet torture.”

He pulled against his bonds, an experimental tug and then a harder yank. “Sarah, get the fucking restraints off.”

“Not yet.” She turned her back to him and, with her pussy in his face, took his erection in her mouth. She loved the feeling of control, loved him squirming beneath her, loved the fact that she could do anything she wanted to him. Anything.

And most of all, she loved the taste of him. Wrapping her hands around the base of his cock, she took him as far as she could, then farther, sucking him until he yelled behind her. The headboard creaked ominously beneath the violence of his pulls.

Unwilling to make him lose control just yet, she slid him from her mouth and, backing up, pushed her pussy against his lips. “Make me come, Kai.”

He ate her almost angrily, his tongue licking at her in hard, wide strokes, his lips pulling her clit into his moist mouth, his teeth nipping delicate, aroused flesh.

Her climax exploded, and she bucked against his mouth, digging her fingernails into his thighs. “Kai! Fuck!”

She jerked away from him when he didn’t stop eating her overly sensitive flesh, turning toward him and planting her hands on his chest. She had to see his face, had to look into his eyes. She shuddered as her pussy vibrated from the aftershocks of the orgasm he’d given her.

“Baby, let me fuck you.”

She sucked in a deep breath. “My pussy still throbs from your mouth. Do it again.”

“I can please you more if I’m not tied up.”

“Oh, you’re pleasing me just fine.” She positioned herself so his face was between her open thighs. Grabbing the headboard, she lowered herself to his mouth. “Again,” she demanded.

“Damn you, Sarah.”

But he didn’t resist the fruit she offered him. He thrust his tongue inside her, roughly sucking at her clit until she clutched the headboard, screaming his name, and let the orgasm crash over her like a tidal wave of ecstasy.

Only Kai had ever made her feel this free. And he was hers. This sexy, strong warrior, the man who had turned her world upside down, was hers.

Trembling, her legs weak, she forced herself away from the bliss of his mouth and lay stretched out atop his body, her lips against his throat. His cock twitched beneath her, reminding her of his needs.

When she raised her head and looked at him, he winked at her, though his smile looked a little strained. “Good?”

She laughed breathlessly and scooted up to kiss him. “There are better words for what just happened than good.”

He grunted and gave a giant tug on his bonds.

She raised an eyebrow. “Not yet. I want to play with your body.”

“I don’t think so.”

“You can’t get loose.” She smiled and rubbed her cheek on his. Her clit throbbed with her heartbeat, and she wanted him, wanted him more than she’d ever wanted anything. “So what are you going to do about it? Hmm? What are you going to do?”