StoneHardPassion (8 page)

With a touch of her tongue she lured his deeper into her
mouth and he groaned, his cock pulsing, sending a spear of pleasure into her
belly. Their tongues tangled, and all she could concentrate on was this first
incredible kiss. Everything else became secondary to the slick heat and sinuous
motions of his tongue, chasing and caressing hers. When his retreated, hers
followed and he sucked gently, coaxing her to explore his mouth in turn.
Eagerly she complied, learning the shape of his lips through heated touches,
nipping at him, releasing little gasps of joy each time she exhaled.

She was so intent on the sublime sensations flowing from the
kiss it took a moment to realize his hips were moving and his cock sliding,
slow and relentless, in and out of her pussy. Instinctively she lifted her legs
higher, bringing her thighs up against his ribs, changing the angle of
penetration. The next thrust made her whimper, and he broke the kiss.

“Did I hurt you?”

He tried to pull away, but she locked her legs around his
waist and held him as close as she could. “No, oh no. Vidar, don’t stop.”

But his expression, part concern, part stubbornness, let her
know he wasn’t convinced. “I felt it. I felt—”

He shook his head, searching for the words, and she cupped
his face, lifted to press her lips to his in a brief, comforting kiss.

“Yeah, you bottomed out.” She couldn’t help a little huff of
laughter as his eyebrows rose at the less-than-elegant saying. “But don’t stop.
I couldn’t bear it if you stopped now.”

“Jasmina.”

It was a pained growl, and she knew she had him, despite
whatever reservations he still had. Nothing wrong with sealing the deal with a
little dirty talk.

Still holding his gaze, she lifted her hips as best she
could and rocked against him. “I love how it feels to have you inside me. I can
feel every inch of you, and every move you make just makes me hotter, wetter,
takes me closer to coming.” She licked her lips, saw his eyes flicker down to
watch the motion. “Would you leave me hanging, knowing just a little more is
all I need?”

Vidar growled, already moving, muscles flexing as he withdrew
and then thrust into her again. One hand slicked down to cup her ass, while the
other remained entwined in her hair. Enveloped by him, held captive by his
strength and focused attention, Jasmina surrendered to the moment—to him. Each
plunge and retreat of his cock, every groan and growl Vidar made, took her
closer to the edge. Digging her nails into his back, she held on, helpless
against the heat in his eyes, the sweet ache of orgasm building deep in her
belly.

A roll of his hips made her arch, her head going back as her
body strained toward release. It was almost too good, the pleasure flaring
hotter and hotter as his thrusts grew shorter, deeper, more intense. She was
panting, unable to stop the high, pleading whimpers breaking from her lips.
Vidar pressed his mouth to her throat, teeth raking across the sensitive
tendons, and his hand tightened on her ass, lifting, changing their positions
just slightly.

It was enough—too much.

She shattered, body convulsing as he kept moving and wave
after wave of the orgasm battered through her system, drowning her. Hardly able
to breathe, all she could do was ride them, crying out his name, digging her
fingers into his flesh, trying to stay anchored and not disintegrate under the
ecstatic pressure.

Vidar was trembling, the muscles beneath her fingers
tightening and shivering. He murmured against her neck, words in a language she
couldn’t understand but that caused her heart to leap and her body to spasm
again.

He reared above her, silent, his head thrown back, teeth bared,
eyes closed. The pulses of his orgasm firing through her blood, filling her
with visceral, primitive satisfaction almost as strong as the release she’d
just experienced.

Mine.
The word jumped into her mind as he rolled to
one side, carrying her with him. He buried his face in her hair, his ragged
breathing stirring the strands and giving her goose bumps.
Mine.

And she was too satiated and sleepy to even be frightened by
the thought.

Chapter Eight

Vidar came awake suddenly. Disoriented, he stared up at the
ceiling, wondering why he was lying on the floor, feeling as though he’d spent
the day rolling a rock up a hill. Parts of his body he’d never paid much
attention to before, like his knees and backside, ached and he wasn’t even
moving. Something warm and fragrant curled against his side and a slight weight
rested across his groin. Memory crashed through him and his heart leapt.

Jasmina.

She was sleeping, leg thrown over him, fingers spread above
his racing heart. Even naked as the day he was born, looking down at the top of
her head, disbelief sent little shocks through his system. This beautiful woman
had allowed him to touch her in the most intimate, lascivious ways, had kissed
and caressed him in return.

And she’d taken him into her body…

The memory of sliding into her hot, slick depths, her little
whimpers ringing in his ears, seeing her arch and writhe, stole his breath.
Vidar closed his eyes, alternate waves of hot pleasure and cold insecurity
washing through him.

Did she realize he didn’t really know what he was doing when
he made love to her that first time? Had his inexperience shown? He hoped not.
Stupid perhaps, but the thought that he may have inadvertently done something
wrong made him cringe. From his perspective it had been perfect—more than
perfect if that were possible. He couldn’t believe the intensity of the
sensations as they kissed, as her hands found places to caress he’d never have
thought could feel so good when touched. His lips tingled as he remembered the
slide of her skin under them, and his fingers itched to once more explore her
body.

They’d made love three times during the night, and still it
wasn’t enough to quench his need for her. He was sore, his knees slightly
skinned from the carpet, even his cock felt tender, but still he was
contemplating the best way to awaken her so as to do it all over again. Would
it be possible to touch her softly while she slept, stirring her desires
without actually waking her immediately? His cock throbbed, coming to full
erection at the thought of gently tonguing her breasts, easing her legs apart
so as to caress her pussy. Maybe he could actually bring her to consciousness
with his fingers inside her and his lips on her clitoris. She liked that, he
now knew. A slick of perspiration broke out on his forehead at the memory of
her screaming his name, her inner muscles contracting around his thrusting
digits, the tang of her cream filling his mouth.

Vidar rolled slowly onto his side. Supporting her head with
his free hand, he slid his arm out with slow deliberation. Jasmina murmured
slightly, but didn’t awake as he gently eased her back down. Although she
curled an arm under her head, she didn’t look very comfortable. Vidar turned to
reach for a cushion, his gaze skimming the window. He had the red silk pillow
in his hand before he realized what he’d seen outside.

The sky between the buildings across the road had lightened
to dark gray.

Daylight was coming.

A shot of adrenaline had him surging to his feet. The
cushion fell from his fingers, his only thought now of getting home before the
sun’s rays turned him to stone. With a surge of magic he put on his clothing.
If he rushed, left immediately, he could make it to a portal and home in time.

Jasmina sighed, rolling onto her back, and Vidar froze,
staring down at her, torn between screaming self-preservation and his equally
primal love for her.

Love won, despite all the problems what he was about to do
would cause.

His heart was pounding as he knelt at her side and gently
shook her shoulder.

“Jasmina, Jazz. Wake up.”

She brushed at his hand, a frown forming between her brows.
“Go ’way. Sleeping.”

Giving her another little shake, he said, “Jazz, I have to
get out of here. It’s almost sunrise.”

Her eyelids fluttered before lifting. As she met his gaze, a
smile started in her eyes and flowed across her face to tilt the corners of her
lips. Watching it made his heart race even faster, joy striking at his fear.

“Vidar.” She touched his arm, her fingers leaving a trail of
tingling warmth across his skin. “Come back to bed.”

“I can’t, sweetheart. The sun’s coming up.”

Just saying the words made a cold lump form in his stomach.
She must have seen the fear in his eyes because she jolted upright, her gaze
flying to the living room window. The sky was already light gray, with a hint
of rose showing between the buildings across the street.

“Fuck!” As she shot to her feet she asked, “Why didn’t you
wake me sooner?”

“I just got up myself.”

She looked as if she wanted to argue but thankfully didn’t.
Instead she magicked herself into some clothes, and then made a bolt for the
bedroom. He followed, stopping at the door to watch as she threw a couple more
things into her messenger bag. “Do we have time to get to the portal?”

“No.” Vidar clenched his hands into fists, forcing the next
words out. “We’ll have to translocate.”

“Fuck.” She had moved to the trunk at the foot of her bed
and, murmuring softly, popped the lock open. Reaching in, she grabbed a
jewel-encrusted bottle and tossed it into the bag too. Getting to her feet, Jasmina
slung the strap of the bag over her head and settled it across her chest. “I
don’t know where we’re going. I can’t translocate us without having a pretty
good idea of where we want to end up.”

“I know.” He held out his hand, knowing his fingers were shaking
slightly. “I’ll do it.”

Jasmina froze, staring at him. Obviously she knew
translocation wasn’t a troll ability. “What?”

“I said I’ll translocate us to my home.” Her lips opened, as
though to question him, and he held up his hand to stop her. “I’ll explain it
to you, I promise, but can we just get out of here now?”

She gave him a long, searching look, and whatever she saw
must have convinced her. Vidar released a harsh breath, relief washing through
him as she took his hand. “Sure. Whenever you’re ready.”

It took a lot to marshal the magic, since it wasn’t
something he did, ever. The rush of it startled him and he struggled to pull it
together, focus on what he needed to do. As her bedroom blurred around him,
Jasmina clutched his fingers tighter, hopefully not out of fear.

They rematerialized at the edge of the snow-covered lower
field, and although he could see perfectly well in the dark, he used his magic
to light one of the torches set in a bracket mounted on the split-rail fence.
He loosened his grip on Jasmina’s hand, giving her the chance to let go if she
wanted to, but she didn’t. Even so, he couldn’t shake the sense of foreboding
churning in his stomach. Having someone else, even Jasmina, know about his
magical abilities made him vulnerable.

She was looking around, taking in what she could see of the
meadow ahead of them. Turning, she looked first at the path going up the hill
and then at the woods behind them, but the slew of questions he was expecting
didn’t materialize. The silence unnerved him, made him desperate to break it.

“There’s a couple hours difference between the city and
here. That’s why it’s still dark. Gives me a chance to move the stock before we
head up to the house.”

At the sound of his voice, the sheep began moving, sleepy
baas and scuffling heralding their approach to the gate. A soft
woof
hurried them along, and thankfully distracted Jasmina, who glanced that way as
the first of the flock came into view.

“Where are you taking them?” Her voice faded, and she
suddenly stepped back, pressing against his side. “And what the fuck is that?”

He knew what had startled her, and Vidar couldn’t help
chuckling as he put an arm around her shoulders, giving a reassuring squeeze.
“That’s just Ragnor. Rokk will be around somewhere too.”

“You have wolves herding your sheep? Isn’t that an
oxymoron?”

“What could be better?” Ragnor jumped over the fence, tongue
lolling out the side of his mouth, and Vidar tightened his hold as she pressed
closer. With his fangs visible and golden eyes glowing in the torchlight the
gray wolf was a somewhat fearsome sight, until you looked at his wagging tail.
“They keep all the other wolves away.”

She stood stiff and still although the wolf paid her no
attention. Instead Ragnor came over to lick his hand and rub against his leg.

“I’m not surprised. They’d keep me away.” But Jasmina
relaxed slightly even as she said it. “How did you end up with them?”

Ragnor ran back to the fence, taking up position beside the
gate. With a final squeeze, Vidar let go of Jasmina’s shoulder so as to follow.
“I found them in the forest, no sign of their mother. They were barely weaned
and I couldn’t leave them to die.”

“Trolls have a natural affinity with animals don’t they?”

She tried to sound matter-of-fact, but he could hear the
curiosity in her voice too. He took the time to open the gate and let the first
of the flock stream through before he answered.

“Most do.”

The flock was frisky, and Ragnor let out another low
woof
before taking off up the hill to rein in a couple of renegades that decided to
go off the track.

“And you can do lesser spells too, right—make fire and that
kind of stuff?”

He knew he’d have to talk to her about his unusual
abilities, but now the time had come fear made his mouth go dry.

“Yeah.”

Rokk herded the last of the flock through the gate and, as
the big white male loped onto the track, Jasmina gasped. As though the sound
caught his full attention, the wolf’s head swung toward her and he froze, tail
stiff, sticking straight out behind him.

“Vidar.” Her voice wavered and she wrapped her arms around
her waist. “Why is it looking at me like that?”

With an amusing, stiff-legged swagger, Rokk started toward
Jasmina, his tail swishing slowly from side to side. “I think he likes you.”

“I hope so.” To her credit, the jinn stood her ground
instead of translocating away. “If his intentions aren’t honorable, I could be
in trouble.”

But it was obvious Rokk meant her no harm. In fact, if it
weren’t a little ridiculous, Vidar would swear it was love at first sight for
the wolf. Coming to a standstill in front of Jasmina, the beast looked up into
her face and whined softly. After a brief hesitation, Jasmina stretched out her
hand. The wolf didn’t even bother sniffing her fingers. Instead he simply stuck
his muzzle into her palm.

“You are a gorgeous fellow, aren’t you?” Laughter colored
Jasmina’s crooned words, and Rokk’s tail wagged even harder. “I’m beginning to
realize I have a distinct partiality to blond males.”

She glanced up at Vidar through her lashes, and a shiver
trickled down his spine. The wolf responded to her voice by inching closer, his
entire back end swiveling from side to side instead of just his tail. Jasmina
laughed and leaned down to scratch behind his ears with both hands. Happy for
the reprieve from her questions, Vidar didn’t intervene, just watched as Rokk
did everything but turn himself inside out to woo and impress Jasmina. How
could he complain, anyway, when the wolf was doing exactly what he wanted to do
himself?

“You’re a huge flirt, aren’t you, Rokk?” Jasmina was
giggling, and the incandescent sound filled Vidar with joy. “Such a naughty,
beautiful boy.”

Who knew how long the love-fest would have continued if a
querulous
yip
hadn’t come from Ragnor farther up the hill, reminding
both Vidar and the wolf what they were supposed to be doing.

“That’s enough now, Rokk. Go help Ragnor with the sheep.”
The wolf gave Vidar a scathing look, but took off up the path after a final
lick of Jasmina’s wrist. With a sweep of one hand, Vidar lit other torches
lining the track and said, “We should head up too. I need to get the flock into
the day meadow before sunrise.”

“Sure.” Jasmina fell into step beside him and twined her
fingers with his. The gesture warmed him, but didn’t dispel his anxiety. He
just knew she wouldn’t be able to let the conversation about his magic go, and
it didn’t take long for her to bring it up again. They hadn’t even got to the
first bend in the path before she said, “So, I didn’t think trolls could
translocate.”

There was no way to avoid the discussion, but hopefully
she’d be satisfied with part of the story. He shrugged slightly, desperately
trying to seem unconcerned. “Some trolls have additional abilities.”

“If you can do it, why don’t you?”

Anger and fear rising in his chest colored his curt reply.
“I’m a simple man. I don’t have a problem walking to get to where I need to
go.”

The grip of her fingers got stronger, and she stopped
walking, turning to look up at him. “I don’t understand—”

“I’m just a farmer. I don’t need magic to put on my clothes or
get from one place to another. Others do without it, and so do I.”

Even he could hear the defensiveness in his words, but when
he finally forced himself to look down at her, Jasmina’s eyes were soft with
understanding. “You don’t want to be seen as strange, different.”

How easy it would be to latch on to that explanation, let
her go on thinking that was the reason, but something broke free in his heart
under her tender scrutiny. “Frightening.” The word forced its way out of his
mouth, and then he couldn’t stop. “I don’t want the others to be frightened of
me. It’s bad enough as it is.”

Jasmina grasped his other hand, her thumb moving slowly over
his skin in soothing circles. “Why would they be frightened?”

Vidar shook his head, letting himself be drawn in by the
sweet sympathy in her gaze, desperately hoping it wouldn’t disappear.
Swallowing his fear, he said, “The man who fathered me was a renegade, a
throwback to the marauding tribes of old. He could translocate and used the
ability to intimidate others.” He faltered, drew strength from the warm clasp
of her hands around his, the steadiness of her gaze. “He was an animal,
terrorizing all the beings living in his vicinity. My mother ran away when she
knew she was pregnant with me, leaving her family behind so no one would know
who my father was. I’ll never forget the look of fear on her face the first
time she realized I could translocate too. She made me promise not to let
others know I could, and once I knew why, I kept that promise.”