The Toll (74 page)

Carrying it back to him, I unfurled
the long animal pelt at our feet, flattening it out on the
ground.

Starting to lose some of my courage as
he took in the empty cavern, cocking his head curiously as he
stared down at me, I dropped to my knees and immediately got to
work, tugging at the straps of the poor excuse of a scrap of
material covering his manhood.

“
Nugget, what are ye
doin’?”

“
Trying... ugh... to get
you... argh. Naked.” Tugging the little strips that were much
sturdier than I’d accounted for, I pressed a hand to his thigh for
leverage, curling my fingers around the stubborn strip with the
fist still gripping his tamptet, scowling up at the offense bit of
material blocking my way.
It wasn’t this
hard to divest him of it last time, was it?

His cock, already half erect, rose to
attention, jerking when I gave up on stripping him of his little
loin cloth, lifting the flap and tucking it off to the side,
exposing his engorged flesh.

“
Beautiful,” I muttered,
taking him in hand to caress him from root to tip.

Thick and long, straining out towards
me, the head flushing a deep purple, a small drop leaked from the
tip.

Fingers trailing down farther, I
caressed the two large, hairless sacs dangling below, testing the
weight of them in my hand as it elicited a soft groan from my
bonded, before returning my focus to his shaft.

Leaning forward, my tongue peeked out
to have a taste, lapping up the small bead before it had a chance
to fall, stroking along the seam of his slit.

“
Ah, shi-
Nugget.”
Troll’s hands
shot out as he let out a long, pained groan, thick hands gripping
my shoulders as I slowly parted my lips, enveloping his length
slowly as it slipped inside the wet, hot cavern of my mouth. “Fuck.
Me.”

I intended to, but first. Pulling
back, I shot up and started tugging at the top of my blouse,
yanking it from my skirt hastily, though I tried not to rip it,
kicking out of the soft leather boots Quaz had helped me fabricate
using the chimera pelt I’d seemingly mistaken for some kind of
dragon.

Wrestling out of my top, Troll’s hands
stilled me. Still half on and half off, I couldn’t see his face
with the voluminous cream material slapping me in the
head.

“
Wait.”

“
What?” Incredulity,
whether muffled by the material or not, was plain enough to hear as
I squawked in distress. Shoving his hands off, I gripped the hem
and threw it over my head, tossing it somewhere off to the side.
“Wait? We can’t wait! We don’t have much time.”

Scowling
hard
—not that he doesn’t
normally—
another pang of worry hit me.
What if I was wrong and he doesn’t wish to continue? He hasn’t
tried at all, and the initiation attempts on my part these past few
times has all been rather one-sided. It took everything in me not
to cover myself, my swollen breasts, recently fed from, prominently
out on display, only my thin shift barring them from the room’s
cooler air and his glowing orange gaze.

Hands faltering at the waist of my
skirt, nipples peeking from beneath my chemise, hard, beaded little
points arching towards him, I eyed myself uncertainly. No, I didn’t
look the same as I had before Calder, child bearing does that to
you, but... “D-d-o-o you not... want me?”

“
Dinna say that,” he
rumbled out after a moment’s hesitation.

Glancing down at the firm erection he
was sporting, bobbing thickly as it jutted up and out into the
crisp, cavern air, just this side of chilly, I’d say a certain part
of him certainly wasn’t averse to the idea.

Slowly lifting my gaze to
meet his, his expression unreadable, apprehension set in.
Had I really read him so wrong?

We just stood there for what felt like
an eternity, his large orange eyes glowering down at me
unblinkingly, boring into mine while I waited for him to say
anything that might salvage my fragile dignity, searching for
something in my pale blues gaze so hard I felt like he was trying
to see clean through me.

“
You didn’t say you did,
either.”

As his lips parted, he had a few
starts and stops, for once at a loss for words. “I dinna... Ye
know... When ye was...”

Maybe, if the topic wasn’t about us
hopping back into a particular saddle, I would have found his
fumbling adorable. Right now, right this moment, I just wanted to
kick him.

“
Right.” Feeling rather
rejected, my throat worked as I burned with humiliation.

“
That’s no’ what I mean,”
he growled low, frustration lacing his voice.

Is this him turning me down
gently?

“
Forget I even asked.”
Incapable of even looking at him anymore, my eyes dropped to my
feet, right along with my stomach. I wanted to throw something at
him or run from the room, scream at him, knock some sense into his
thick skull—he’d wanted me at one point
,
I’d been so sure of it.
What had happened? What’s changed? Why don’t you
want me?!

“
Quit yer growlin’, woman,
an’ give me a minute. Need ta think it out before I be speakin’.”
Jaw flexing, his eyes shifted, inky tendrils enveloping those
vibrantly bright irises.

“
Might want to put your
front flap down then while you do that.” Waving a hand, I gestured
to his throbbing manhood, an angry purple flush along his cockhead.
“Might take a while.” Childish, maybe, but I wanted to prick at him
as he had me. My pride could only handle so much, and it had
reached its tipping point.

“
Mouthy wench,” he snarled
low, still rooted in place, hands clenching and unclenching at his
sides as he scowled at me.

Mumbling under my breath what I
thought of that, I pivoted on my heel and scrambled to my shirt,
fumbling on my knees as I tried to snatch it up and yank it over my
head, ready to flee the room.

It wasn’t to be, and I almost went top
over bottom as I slipped and flopped forward. Fisting the shirt in
my clenched hands as I grunted, knuckles white, I forced back the
moisture rimming my eyes.

I hated feeling like this, shame
washing over me for nit picking at him, and about such a thing. It
was mean and uncalled for. He can’t help it if that’s how he feels,
and I should respect that.

“
I’m sorry,” I muttered,
shoulders slumping, “I just missed you and wanted to feel close
with you. I feel like...” One lone tear fell, but no more.
Snuffling quietly, I mumbled, “I don’t feel whole.” Swiping the
measly tear away with a quick swipe, I peeked over my shoulder at
the spot where he stood. “Forgive me?” My words fell flat as I
stared, bleary eyed, at the empty space, and my chest cracked a
little. He was gone.

The wedge I felt like I’d just shoved
between us split me wide open. A harsh gasp, bordering on a sob,
filled the room as my chest felt as if it had just been stomped and
smashed, then ripped in two. Grimacing as the mental anguish and
the physical collided, clutching at my hand over my heart, I
stumbled to my feet, slightly dizzy.

I’d barely stood up when he was
suddenly there, furnace like body heat rolling off of him in waves.
Thick arms wrapping around me tight, he shoved me roughly to his
chest, piercing black scowl firmly in place, looming right over me
as his teeth clacked noisily.

Letting out a shrieked ‘eep’ of
surprise, I jumped as he growled low.

“
Dinna want ta scare ye.
Was goin’ ta try an’ be a bloody gentlemen, a regular panty-waisted
human fer ye, fuck ye when I showed ye me surprise, nice an’ slow.
Too late now, though. Ye’ve gone an’ done it, ye did. Canna stand
the sight of yer blubberin’, woman. Does somethin’ to
me.”

I’d stiffened at first, expecting the
worst, yelping when he dropped to his knees and plopped me
unceremoniously on my large rump on the ground. Gripping my hips in
his wide, oversized hand, he rolled me onto my stomach, pinning me
in place as he fisted my chemise.

“
Daft female. Ye drive me
mad.” Hunching his large frame over mine, his knees wedged between
my thighs, spreading them wide.

Chest thumping wildly, I could feel my
heartbeat in my throat, my sex, pounding at my temples, everywhere.
I felt alive.

“
Only because you drove me
there first.” Breath hitching, I shuddered, tingling as his fingers
ran up my spine. I wanted this
—him—
just like this.
This
is
my
Troll. I wanted no
other.

“
Cheeky wench,” he
muttered, a deep chuckle vibrating up my back. Pausing for just a
moment, he blurted, “Ye dinna drink anythin’ ye dinna make yerself,
aye? Eat a plant or sip from a well, eh?”

“
What?” Trying to peer over
my shoulder at him as he studied my exposed sex, I watched him as
he glared down between us, eyes fixated, fingers dipping to test my
wetness.

At the first stroke he knew I was
ready, practically dripping for him as his strumming thumbs made a
wet squelching noise. Growling softly under his breath, chest
heaving, I could feel his heavy length bumping along my upper thigh
as he fought for control.

“
Troll?”

Head shooting up, eyes blazing orange
fire as they bore into mine, I smiled.

“
This is me wanting you,
because I want you, no other reason, alright?” At his short nod, I
promised, holding up a hand, “I feel like our bond is still... sort
of...”
How do I put this
delicately?

“
Broken,” he finished, as
if he felt the same exact way. Expression softening, he reached out
to touch my cheek. “Felt it meself too.” Clearing his throat
gruffly as he pulled back, he muttered, “Dinna wish ta push ye,
what with, uh, all an’, uh, all that.”

“
I do.” Settling into
position, I lowered my head to my arms, peeking at him from beneath
my folded forearms as I wiggled my behind a little. “But I feel
half empty without our bond strengthened. I want this.” Taking a
deep breath, I admitted softly, “I need you.”

“
Magic words, me love,” he
rasped, voice thickening. “Ye have me. All ‘o’ me. Love yer naggin’
arse, Nugget.”

“
I love you too, you grumpy
old troll.”

“
Now,” with a quick slap to
my ass and a barely withheld chuckle, he barked, “hold still so I
can fuck ye proper!”

Stifling a snort, my hair fell over my
shoulders, masking my expression as I muttered wryly, “Oh, my
knight in shining grey skinned armor. Be still my
heart.”

“
Ye bonded yer delectable
ass to a troll, woman.” His huge hands kneaded said rump. “What did
ye expect? Flowers an’ poems an’ shite?”

“
No, I expected this,” I
wiggled my bum against his shaft, basking in his heartfelt groan,
“but I’m beginning to wonder if you’re up to the task.”

“
Fightin words,” he hissed
out gutturally, his thick body pressing tightly along my length as
he lurched over me. “Now ye’re gonna pay.”

Biting my lip to stifle a smile, I let
out a low moan as two thick fingers slid along my seam, rasping
along my clit before they stopped at my sex. Dipping in slightly to
slide right back out, he stopped only when I lost it and slammed
back against him, trying to force those thick digits deeper, crying
out his name.

“
Be thinkin’ ye’re ready
now,” he rumbled low.

I was ready days ago. This was
agony.

A frustrated whimper left me when he
drove his fingers in suddenly, pressing deep. Crying out, my sex
started to pulse around them as he quickly slid them back
out.

“
Troll!”

“
Say it, luv, ye know ye
want ta.” Breath hot against my ear before he nipped the tip, I
heard the unmistakable sound of him sucking his fingers into his
mouth, licking off my juices.

Say it? Say
what?

“
Fuck me! I want you to
fuck me! Right now! Hard!”

“
No’ what I’d had in mind,”
he chuckled, voice husky with possession, “but I can assure ye, no
sweeter words have ever been uttered so harshly, an’ wit’ all the
love of a foul-mouthed sailor.”

“
Oh.” A small blush
pinkened my cheeks and I lost a little momentum. “What did you
mean, then?”

Yanking me tight against his groin,
his fingers danced up my neck, gripping my chin to turn me to him
for a harsh, quick kiss. “Was thinkin’ somethin’ more along the
lines ‘o’... me name,” chuckling huskily, he smiled against my
lips, “but I’m likin’ that too.” Nipping my chin while his hands
explored my body, he grunted at my half-dressed state, annoyed at
the obstacles keeping him from me. “Silly wench. Now, let’s see if
we canna even this up a bit, eh?”

Hands, rushed and trembling a little,
worked quickly to divest me of the rest of my things. When my skirt
proved too difficult, he reared up, gripping it with two hands,
splitting it right down the middle as a shiver rushed my exposed
skin.