The Saga Begins [Nuworld 1] (49 page)

His grip around her waist tightened, and she placed her hand on his and squeezed back. “When I realized how long I’d been gone, all I could think about was getting back to my children.” She turned around in Darius’ arms and looked up. “I thought about you, too. I wondered if you believed I was dead. And I wondered how you felt after I left you.”

With his hand on her back, he led her out of the nursery and back to the bedroom. “The Neurians that escorted Syra and the children back here were deeply sorry that you died in a fire, they were. They said you died a hero, that you saved one of their best scientists from burning to death.” He put his hands on her shoulders and squeezed, then squeezed her arms and finally her waist. “You are so thin.” His large hand held her face up to his. “And, my lady, you are out of shape. What did they do to you?”

Darius didn’t share his feelings with her. She would allow him this much. If he wanted to discuss the facts first, that would be fine. But she would hear his formal apology and his desire to keep her in his life, without any other women.

Tara stood in Darius’ arms and told him everything.

His arms tightened in anger as she spoke, and he pulled her very close to him when she’d finished. “I wouldn’t accept the fact that you were dead. My mama kept saying I was denying your death and that I would be happier when I accepted it.” He pulled her so close to him she could hardly breathe. “I had the strangest dreams, though. They kept repeating themselves. I was assured you were alive, and you would come home.”

Tara whispered, “Was it an old lady who could turn into a dog?”

He stood there, shocked. His whole body went numb. “How’d you know?”

“I met her. She helped me escape. She told me my work wasn’t done here. I know my muscles have atrophied, but I
will
be triumphant in the Test of Wills. Crator is behind me. I don’t understand Him yet, but he wants me here.”

“And this Crator is an old woman who can turn into a large dog?” Darius asked.

“No. The old woman isn’t Crator. I don’t know who Crator is. The old woman seems to know Him though. She has told me more than once what Crator wants me to do, or not to do. When I listened, things worked out the way they were supposed to.”

“You will ask her to take us to see Crator, I’m thinking.” Darius nodded. “Yes. That will work well. We will negotiate with him to help us further when we need it.”

Tara laughed quietly and stroked Darius’ cheek. “My Lord, I don’t think it works that way. All you have to do is believe in Him.”

“Believe in his what?” Darius frowned.

“Believe he exists,” Tara said.

“Easy enough.”

Darius picked her up and gently carried her across the room in his strong arms. He placed her softly on the bed and was on top of her instantly. “I’m afraid your work here will never be done.” He kissed her.

She returned his kiss passionately. “What were your dreams about?” she whispered, once their lips had parted.

Darius propped up onto his elbows and looked down. “Ever since you left, I’ve had this one dream that comes again and again, it does. It’s not like that usually, no. My dreams are of war, victory, making love to you.” He kissed her again.

She felt him harden. His arousal started a fire smoldering deep inside her, an ache growing painfully. More than anything at this moment, she wanted to make love to him and hear him cry out his unending devotion.

“In this dream I was a child,” he said as he kissed her on the neck. “I’m walking with a large dog—it’s protecting me. Then I’m walking with an old woman, and she’s teaching me. It’s very important that I learn everything she says, I know.” He slid down on the bed and unzipped her coat. “I’ve even written down some of the things she’s said.” His hands now worked on her black leather pants. “Remind me to show it to you some time.”

“Why can’t you show it to me now?” Tara ran her fingers through Darius’ curls and held his head as he kissed from her belly button to her hip bone. He slid open her pants and tugged.

“I have something else to show you now.” Darius’ breath tickled her when he spoke. He continued to pull her pants.

She arched her hips, making it easier to remove them. “Do you?” Tara pushed herself to her elbows, kicking her pants to the floor when Darius had them to her ankles. She grabbed his shirt when he turned to crawl toward her and pulled it. “What do you have to show me?”

Darius crawled until his face was inches from her, and on hands and knees, he covered her body with his own. “It will take a lifetime, my lady.”

Tara moved her mouth to say the word, “oh”. But nothing came out other than a mere whisper of the word. The man had rendered her speechless, and although her thoughts jumped at what could take a lifetime to be shown, she wanted…no…needed to hear it.

Darius kissed her curved lips, sucking on her lower lip, then nibbled enough that she gasped at the tingles of electricity he sent through her with the action. She straightened her arms and collapsed onto her back, then reached for his shirt with her hands and tugged it up his torso. Darius pushed himself to his knees and pulled his shirt off.

Her fingers immediately tangled through his dark golden chest hair. “Tell me Darius,” she whispered. His muscles jumped underneath her fingertips as she traced patterns down his chest to his pants. “Tell me what will take a lifetime.”

“My lady, it will take a lifetime to show you all the love I have for you.” Darius flattened the lower half of his body against hers, preventing her from sliding her fingers into his pants, and then lowered his mouth over one of her nipples.

Tara gasped. The heat from his breath through the material of her shirt, and his words, brought her to her first quick orgasm, and she felt Darius smile over her breast.

Tara grabbed her shirt and pulled it over her head, and smiled up at him when his eyes feasted on her breasts.

“Do you love me, Tara?” Darius didn’t make eye contact with his question, but instead lowered his body until he rested on his elbows and began sucking on her nipple.

“Oh.” Tara arched into Darius and held his head in place as he adored her breasts. “I… You… Don’t stop doing that.”

Darius lashed her nipple with his tongue, rolled it gently with his teeth, and then sucked the hardened nub until Tara contorted her body, heat saturating her.

“Darius,” she whispered. “Please.”

Darius moved away from her breasts. Her nipples were still damp from his attention, and Tara suddenly felt chilled and exposed.

He began a trail of kisses down to her belly button. “I asked you a question, I did,” he whispered into her belly button, sending shivers throughout her body.

“You did?” Tara lifted her rear end off the bed and pushed down on Darius’ shoulders.

He chuckled as he scooted lower on the bed, then placed a hand under each of her legs, lifting and spreading them apart.

Tara kept her knees bent and reached between her legs with both hands to stroke herself while he watched. Tara spread herself open, running her fingers over her outer lips, and felt the moisture increase. She slid a finger inside herself, and then pulled it out, spreading the fresh wetness over her swollen nub, gasping as she did. She felt her muscles tighten and release, and she lifted her head to watch Darius, as his gaze fastened on the action of her fingers. She inserted a finger inside herself again, then pulled it out and extended it to his mouth.

Darius sucked her finger readily, and she smiled.

“Do you love me, Tara?” Darius asked when she pulled her finger free.

He moved her hands and held her outer lips apart with his own fingers, then gently kissed the swollen nub.

Tara felt another explosion surge through her body, gathering inside her, increasing the swollen sensation. “Oh please,” was all she managed to gasp, as Darius teased her with his tongue. She heard his question, but her need to explode fogged her senses, and answering him didn’t seem as important as having him inside her.

Darius made love to her with his tongue until she thrust her hips into his face and grabbed his hair. Rubbing against his face, her orgasm broke loose.

Darius freed himself and pulled away. Her vision blurred as she watched him strip. Finally, he stood at the end of the bed naked, his hardened erection dancing in anticipation.

She couldn’t speak. Tara simply watched as he positioned himself over her.

“I need to know Tara, please.” Darius made no attempt to touch her, but simply knelt between her spread legs.

She blinked several times and cleared her thoughts. “I never stopped loving you,” she whispered.

“My lady, I will show you that I deserve that love. If it takes a lifetime, I will show you that you never have reason to leave my side again.”

“There will be no other women.” She knew his people didn’t view his horrendous act as a crime, but she did, and he answered to her now.

“Tara, you are it for me, you are.” His expression bordered on dangerous, his expression so intent. She prayed he meant what he said, but knew only time and his continual show of loyalty would convince her.

“Then prove that to me now.” Tara reached for him, gripping his hardness in her hands, and stroked the velvety covering that moved over skin harder than stone.

Lifting her legs and spreading them at the same time, he knelt before her, pressing his hardness against her oversensitive entrance.

Tara watched those smoldering gray eyes. His expression didn’t change when he shoved his steel hardness deep inside her.

Fire ignited inside her, spreading with a fury she couldn’t control. Darius glided his massive shaft over her inner muscles, and she reached for him. “Darius. Please.” The words were hard to form. More than anything, she needed him to soothe an itch that was about to make her crazy.

He spread her legs further, her inner thigh muscles stretching while he moved slowly out. When he plunged back inside, she screamed.

“Damn woman,” Darius growled.

Tara managed to keep her eyes open so she could watch as he threw his head back and pounded into her. Tara climaxed again and again, arching her hips to allow him deeper.

When she thought he would explode, Darius stopped and pulled out. “Roll over.” His voice sounded rough.

Tara pulled her legs from around him and struggled to flip over.

Darius helped her and then gave her rear end a sharp swat.

“Ouch,” she cried, but she loved the sound of the spanking, and the brief warmth it brought to her rear end. Once she was on all fours, Tara arched her back.

Darius slid into her easily, and the new position had him pushing against a new area inside her that craved the attention. She kept her arms locked, pushing back against him. He felt so wonderful.

Hours passed as he moved her around and took her in every position they could master on the bed. She was numb and swollen when he finally allowed her to collapse into complete exhaustion. The smell of their sex and body sweat filled the air of the room. Even though it was very cold outside, neither of them felt a need to find a blanket. She fell asleep with his arms and legs wrapped around her.

“Darius?” a voice called.

Tara jumped with a start as she recognized Torgo’s voice. She sat up quickly and reached for a blanket.

“Are you awake yet?”

“I’m awake, Torgo. I’ll be down in a second.” Darius rolled over and pulled Tara down on him.

“Hurry. The candidates are starting to assemble.” Torgo’s voice cracked as he spoke.

Tara could only imagine how much he’d grown. She pulled away from Darius and rose from the bed to walk across the room to the shower.

“How do you plan to get from here to the arena?” He admired her naked body as she picked up her clothes

“What did you say?” Torgo’s voice came from the hallway.

“Go downstairs!” Darius’ voice boomed, and feet were heard scurrying down the hallway.

“I’ll make it.” She smiled and shut herself into the bathroom.

It was Syra’s voice Tara heard as she came back into the bedroom. She was on the other side of the closed door leading to the nursery.

Her heart leapt as she also heard two small babbling voices. They were content and happy. She heard an occasional squeal as one of them decided they deserved the toy the other possessed. Tara listened for a few minutes, anxious for the time when she would be sitting on the nursery floor, exploring the toys with her children.

Finally, she crept out into the hallway and back to her old bedroom. Darius was nowhere in sight, and she knew it would be just like him to leave her to her own wits in sneaking back out of the house. The house was completely silent, other than the noises from the nursery, and Tara assumed everyone had left to watch the test, leaving Syra to stay with the children.

Tara used the staircase by the kitchen and closed the back door silently behind her. She stood motionless in the yard for a moment, listening, as two guards stood on the far side of the house, laughing over something. Tara edged alongside the house in the opposite direction, and wondered if her new friend, Crator, had anything to do with her bike being parked where she had left it.

“I don’t know who you are,” Tara whispered to herself as she grabbed her handlebars and walked her bike away from the house. “But if you are taking care of me, Crator, I really appreciate it.”