Men of Anderas II: Dak the Protector (26 page)

The color deepened on her face and Dak knew
damn good and well it wasn’t from the fire. Every small change in
her body language called to him but he had to regain her trust
first. He felt like a pubescent boy at his first dance but she was
as nervous as he was so he took another step closer. When she
tensed, a blinding pain stabbed through his heart, stealing his
breath.

“Are you afraid of me, Kierin?” He whispered
when he could finally draw air into his lungs. If she answered
yes
he’d have to leave and never come near her again. Seeing
that fear in her eyes every day would destroy him.

“No!” She declared strongly. “I’ve never
been afraid when you’re here.” She busied herself with the pot of
stew so he couldn’t see her face. “I’m just a little nervous.” She
whispered softly. “Please, sit down and eat. I used the last of
your dried meat from when … before you … it would ….”

“It smells wonderful.” He tried to ease her
discomfort. By the Ancients he hated seeing her so unsure of
herself in her own home.
He
did this to her. Cursing himself
for a fool--
again
--Dak pulled a chair out for her and waited
until she settled before moving around the table to his. His hands
itched to stroke the soft cloud of hair she wore pinned at the top
of her head. A few stray wisps feathered against her neck, calling
to him. She wasn’t ready for that but he silently prayed she would
welcome his touch soon.

“Is this clover tea?” He asked more to break
the uneasy silence than any real interest in the liquid while he
filled his bowl with the thick stew of meat and vegetables. He
really was hungry.

“Yes.” She didn’t look up from her meal.

I knew this wasn’t going to be easy, baby,
but please give me something--anything--that I can cling to while
we work through this.

Her head jerked up, her eyes flashing with
anger. He wanted to shout
YES!
But wisely kept his face
clear and open.

“Why, Dak?” She demanded, tossing her spoon
into her nearly full bowl. “
You
left.
You
refused to
talk to me. Did it ever occur to you that
I
might have had
questions, too? That
I
was as confused as you were? Do you
want me to say that all of this,” she waved her arm around the room
before placing it against her abdomen, “is my fault? Fine. Yes.
It’s all my fault but you know what? I don’t give a damn how you
feel about it. It wasn’t a
great
plan but it was the only
one I could come up with at the time and I do not regret one minute
of it.”

He waited while she visibly calmed her
ragged breathing. She was magnificent. He would happily spend the
rest of his life making her feel like a princess. An emotion that
he’d never felt before hit him like a body blow to his chest.

“I love you, Little Witch.”

The only sound in the room was the
occasional pop and snap of the fire as the logs settled. Dak didn’t
know whether he wanted to throw up or slink from the room. Had his
actions killed any chance for them? Why didn’t she say
something
?

When the first tear slid down her cheek, he
couldn’t sit still. In the handful of seconds it took him to circle
the small table and scoop her into his arms and onto his lap, the
tears flowed steadily but she still hadn’t said a work.

“Don’t cry, Kierin. Please, baby, you’re
killing me. I can wait for you to love me again--forever, if I have
to--just give me a chance. Let me stay and take care of you and our
daughter. I’ll never give you reason to doubt me again. Please,
don’t send me away, baby.” Dak stroked her back and arms, any place
he could reach trying to comfort her. When she struggled against
his embrace, his heart shattered. How in the world would he survive
without her in his world?

“Say it again.” She whispered, swiping at
the flood of salty tears. “Please, oh please, say it again.”

Dak took her face between his hands,
stroking his thumbs along her soft skin, and looked deep into her
aqua eyes. “I. Love. You.”

Her smile could light the universe and it
was all for him. His heart no longer threatened to stop beating. It
swelled with love for this tiny woman until he feared it would
explode.

Her hands slid around his neck and into his
hair. Dak placed a soft, gentle kiss against her mouth but she
wasn’t interested in
gentle
. Sliding her tongue into his
open mouth, she took control of the kiss. Deep. Demanding. He was
lost in his need for her.

Some small, rational cell in his brain
screamed at him to slow down and he finally listened. Breaking the
kiss, he pulled Kierin’s head to his shoulder and held her
close.

“We have to talk, baby.” His
other
brain jerked in protest.

“Tomorrow.” She mumbled, placing small
kisses against his chest.

“No, now.”
What the fuck are you doing?
She’s crawling all over you and you want to
talk? “I need to
explain about the woman ….”

“Absolutely not! I
will not
listen to
you discuss bedding another woman!”

Dak struggled to keep her in his lap.
“Kierin, stop. I never slept with her. I didn’t even know she was
there until I woke up with her on my chest.”

She stopped struggling and looked at him. He
took that as a positive sign. “My boss, Jamison, thought I needed
to get … umm … he paid her to sneak into my room and seduce me. She
made my skin crawl so I threw her out, bare-assed naked.”

Kierin didn’t speak, just stared into his
eyes. Dak swore she was seeing into his soul. He prayed there was
enough left of the man he was raised to be still there for her to
find. She finally leaned against his chest and sighed.

“Good.”

Good? What the fuck?
Was he the
luckiest son-of-a-bitch in the universe, or what?

“Just like that?” He mumbled against her
hair. “No argument? No demands? Just
good
?”

“Oh, I’ve got a few demands and I’m positive
we
will
have more arguments; but, yes, just
good
.”

Pulling the pins from her hair, Dak spread
the soft strands across her shoulders. “What do you say we get
comfortable and discuss those
demands
you mentioned?”

“I’d rather get naked and discuss our
mutual
demands
.
”

Dak didn’t need a second invitation. He
gathered her small body close to his chest and carried her to
bed.

Chapter Twenty-Three

After sitting Kierin on the edge of the bed,
Dak quickly placed scented candles on every flat surface. The
golden glow brightened the chamber and filled it with a faint
floral bouquet.

“We don’t need all the candles, do we?” She
asked, blushing to the roots of her hair.

Dak dropped to his knees at her feet and
took her hands in his much larger ones. “The last time we were in
this bed it was dark and obsessive and over way too soon.” He
stroked her wrists with his thumbs, smiling when her pulse jumped
in response. “I want to see you--watch you come apart in my arms.
When you look up at me you’ll know there’s no one in my mind or
heart except you.”

Releasing her hands, he smoothed her hair
behind her ears before sliding his fingers into the silky strands
and pulling her lips to his. When her lips parted on a sigh, Dak
used his tongue to tease hers into joining their dance. When he
pulled back, she followed.

“You’re driving me insane. Make love to me,
Dak. Now.” Kierin pulled his hand from her head and placed it on
her aching breast.

With a groan, he pulled away. “Not this
time, baby. I’m going to love you all night long. I’ve dreamed of
your soft skin sliding against mine; your legs wrapped around my
waist--or my head.” Dak grinned at her shocked expression. The
blush was back and brighter that before. “Little Witch, between my
dick, my hands and my mouth, you’ll wake up tomorrow knowing you
have been well and truly loved.”

He stood and pulled her to her feet. When
she gathered her hair and started twisting it up, stopped her.
“Leave it down.”

“I can’t do that,” she grinned, “or it will
be tied in so many knots in the morning you’ll have to shave my
head.”

“I’ll comb your hair for you. I want it
spread across the bed. I want to create a tent around me when you
ride me.”

“I hope you enjoy tonight because I can just
about guarantee you won’t repeat this after you see the results in
the morning.” She released her hold and her hair flowed around her
slender body.

“Thank you, Kierin.” He whispered. “It will
be worth every knot and tangle.” After another bone-melting kiss,
Dak slipped buttons from their loops across one shoulder and eased
the material over her head before dropping it at their feet. When
he reached for the skirt, he had to ask. “Is there anything in any
of these pockets that will break?”

Kierin giggled, remembering their trip
together. “I only use the pockets when I travel.”

“Good. I wouldn’t want to shatter a bottle
of something that would turn me into a toad or make my manhood drop
off.”

Laughter filled the room and wrapped around
Dak’s soul. “I don’t even know what a toad is and if something
should happen to other parts,” she stroked him through his pants,
“you did mention hands and mouth, didn’t you?”

“Woman! Don’t even joke about a man’s dick!”
Dak grabbed her to his chest and spun her around and around before
they collapsed on the bed laughing. When their humor calmed he
traced her lips with his fingertip.

“It scares me to love someone as much as I
love you, Kierin. There are so many reasons why we
shouldn’t
be together and, by all the Ancients, I fought against what was
happening to me--to us. I don’t want to fight this anymore. You’re
mine
, Little Witch, and I don’t give a damn what anyone else
thinks.”

“I wanted you the minute I saw you at that
horrid slave market.” Kierin snuggled against Dak’s chest,
listening to the steady beat of his heart. “I never dreamed ….”

“It’s no dream, baby. This is as real as it
can be as long as we’re together.” His gentle kiss to seal his
pledge quickly ignited. Pushing her to her back, Dak made quick
work of her skirt. He pulled back long enough to remove his shirt
but left his pants. She was too tempting and he wanted tonight to
be unforgettable for her.

The candle glow burnished her translucent
skin. He stroked the soft skin from her throat to her small breasts
to her still-flat stomach. Leaning over, he placed a soft kiss just
below her belly button.

“Hello, baby girl,” he whispered, “I’m here
now so you and your mama can relax and just be happy. I’ll take
care of you both. I promise.”

Kierin’s gasp brought his attention back to
her face. “She heard you and she’s smiling.”

“You can talk to her?” Dak asked,
stunned.

She shook her head. “More like
feel
what’s she’s thinking.”

“Wait!” Dak rolled away from Kierin and
struggled to understand. “When I make love to you will she know
what we’re doing?” That possibility was wrong on so many
levels.

“Of course not.” She rushed to calm his
panic attack. “She has no knowledge, Dak, just emotions. Her
emotional beacons are nothing more than mirrors of mine.” Dragging
her nails through the hair on his chest, Kierin nipped his earlobe.
“If you do
everything
right, she’ll know her mother is a
very
happy woman.”

“Is that a challenge, Little Witch?” Dak
growled softly, reaching for her again.

“Only if you think you’re up for it.” She
grinned. “I wouldn’t want you to feel pressured.”

Flipping her on her back, Dak clamped her
hands in one of his and held them above her head. “You are about to
discover exactly what I’m
up
for, my lady.”

Dak stroked his lips across her mouth,
barely touching, denying them both the pressure and heat they
craved. Keeping his eyes locked with hers, he ripped the silky
panties, tossing them over his shoulder. Kierin gasped, lifting her
hips in invitation.

“Not yet, my sweet. I’ve dreamed about this
for months.” Pushing her back against the bed, he trailed his
fingers through the soft waves covering her secrets. “I’ve never
seen a woman with hair like yours.” He whispered. “Some had no hair
at all, but without fail, the others had tight, springy curls.
You’re silky and wavy.” He looked back at Kierin and grinned. “I
could play here all night.”

“If you don’t stop comparing me to other
women I may rethink that potion.”

Her threat would carry more weight if she
weren’t arching into his touch. “Point taken, Little Witch.”

His stroking fingers slid deeper into her
dampness before gently pushing her thighs apart. Drawing erotic
circles against the inside of her legs, he moved closer to her
center, never quite touching, building her need and straining his
control.

“Dak, please.” She begged, her breathing
ragged.

“What do you want for your first explosion,
Kierin? My hand,” he pushed two fingers deep into her center. She
groaned and gripped him with her inner muscles.

“My cock,” he flexed his erection against
her hip. She rocked against his hand seeking relief.

“Or my tongue.” He gave her no chance to
answer before grabbing her hips and rolling to his back pushing her
to a sitting position on his chest. With her knees spread wide
across his chest, she was right where he wanted and open for his
pleasure.

“Dak! You can’t … we can’t … how?” Kierin
struggled to move.

Dak reached around her legs, holding her in
place and open to him. “I
can
. We’ve done this before. This
is
how
.” He pulled her hips forward to meet his face,
plunging his tongue as deep as he could go. She tasted like the
finest wine with a hint of spice and as addictive as any drug. Her
hands, fisted in his hair, no longer tried to push him away. She
pulled him closer, riding his tongue. With one swipe of the tight
knot of nerves hidden in her slick folds, she shattered, screaming
his name. Taking every drop of her release, he stroked the soft
skin of her bottom and thighs until she melted into his
embrace.