War Bride (Battle Born Book 7) (8 page)

In the stilted manner of dreams, he was suddenly on the bed in front of her. He wrapped his fingers around her upper arms and drew her to her knees. He knelt as well, so she had to tilt her head back to look into his eyes.

“Don’t fight me, please.”

His soft, nearly pleading, tone shocked her. He never allowed himself to appear vulnerable. “I must.” She sucked in a ragged breath, her heart pounding wildly. This was her opening, the only opportunity she’d get. If he kissed her, she’d be lost. “You want to steal my child from me. How can you, of all people, do that?”

He tensed, his fingers digging into her arms. “Me ‘of all people’? What do you mean by that?”

There was no turning back now. There was no way he’d tell her while awake. Would he be any more candid while dreaming? “You know the heartbreak of losing a child. How can you inflict such pain on another?”

His chest heaved and his phitons glowed. She was half afraid he’d lash out physically. He was clearly infuriated. “It is
not
the same thing.” But guilt bled through his other emotions. She didn’t need to scan him to recognize what he was feeling. “It’s because of Arton that I’m doing this.”

That was odd. She met his gaze directly, struggling to remain calm. “How does seducing me help you rescue Arton?”

“How do you know about that?” He yanked her against him, making it hard for her to see his face. “You shouldn’t know.”

“I’m a figment of your imagination. I know what you want me to know.” She whispered the explanation against his chest, her breath warming his skin.

“I can’t fight them.” His voice was harsh, almost strangled. “They see every move I make before I make it. I have no weapons to use against their powers.”

Understanding unfurled inside her. She’d been born with similar gifts. Kryton was planning to use her to take on Harbinger Guild. Uncertainty sped her pulse and respiration, drawing her attention to her naked breasts. Her nipples rubbed against his chest with each anxious breath, creating an entirely different sort of tension.

“I’m just one woman.” She eased back, breaking contact with his chest and allowing her to see his face. “I’m not sure I can help you.”

“Not while you fight me at every turn.” His hand slipped into her hair and formed a loose fist. “Agree to help me rescue my son and I’ll set you free.”

She searched his eyes, confused and angered by the offer. If her visions were correct, she would bear his child. So either the offer was false or it would take a very long time to accomplish the rescue. “Will you still release me if the attempt fails?”

His fingers slowly tightened in her hair as his expression turned savage. “Three attempts and then I’ll free you regardless of the outcome.”

“And until then?” Her heart began to pound again. “Am I still your prisoner?”

He lowered his head, lips barely touching hers. “I’m not honestly sure who has captured whom.” Then he tilted her head and sealed his mouth over hers.

She held perfectly still as his lips caressed hers. This was his dream. It wouldn’t seem odd if she surrendered. And she wanted to surrender, had wanted to join with him even before he kidnapped her. She’d suspected there was more to Kryton than his harsh exterior and now she knew why. He wasn’t trying to breed his way back to magic. He was a father desperately fighting to free his son.

They’d first met in her visions. So it felt natural to touch him, to meld with him while enveloped in the surreal haze of dreams. She parted her lips, allowing the tip of his tongue to venture deeper.

He turned and laid her back across the mattress. She parted her legs, making room for him between her thighs. His throaty groan urged her on as his kiss grew more demanding. The hand grasping her hair shifted to her shoulder, positioning his forearm beneath her neck. His other hand wandered across her breasts, staking his claim with touches every bit as bold as his dizzying kiss.

Her hands were unbound for a change and she took full advantage of the freedom, exploring his arms, shoulders and back. He was tangible and yet not quite real. She’d never touched him like this, so her mind struggled to produce the sensations. Her visions left her with a curious mixture of longing and dread. Then each confrontation fueled the smoldering fire. Now desire burned through her being, yet her emotions were still conflicted.

His muscles bunched and flexed as he changed position, better aligning their bodies. The unmistakable ridge of his erection pressed against her lower belly, the thick base rubbing her clit. He rocked his hips and she gasped, momentarily separating their lips. The increased pressure sent sensations pulsing along her inner walls, scattering her inhibitions.

After recapturing her mouth, he shifted his weight onto his knees. Was he still afraid she’d refuse him? He was clearly using kisses to silence her.

His hand eased between their bodies and a strangled sort of moan escaped with his next breath. “You’re so wet.” As if to prove his claim, he slid two of his fingers deep into her passage. Then he lifted his face just far enough so he could look into her eyes. He pulled his hand back, paused for one breathless moment, then thrust his fingers deep inside her again.

Emboldened by the knowledge that this wasn’t real, she arched her hips, taking his fingers deeper. “Yes,” she whispered. “Oh yes.” His phitons blazed as his hand shuttled back and forth. She tightened her inner muscles, caressing his fingers as they slid in and out. It felt good, and yet it was only a teasing hint of what she really wanted.

He lowered his head again, but his lips found the underside of her jaw rather than returning to her mouth. She moved restlessly beneath him, her arousal building with each thrust of his hand. She didn’t want to come like this, alone and at his command. She wanted to share this with him, wanted them both to be desperate for fulfilment.

“Please.” She closed her eyes, not wanting to see triumph in his gaze.

His lips closed around one of her nipples and drew hard enough to make her gasp. “Please what?”

She pressed her lips together, reconsidering her willingness to beg.

He slowed the rhythm of his hand, focusing her attention on the motion of his fingers. “Tell me what you want and I’ll give it to you.” He pushed deep, then paused to stroke her clit with his thumb. “I won’t let you come until I’m inside you.”

The warning sent tingles up her spine and her breath caught in her throat. Then his thumb lifted and his fingers started sliding again. His lips moved from one breast to the other, reinforcing his touch with deep suction. She arched as the sensations spiked into pain, then gasped as his lips released, leaving her nipple wet and achy.

There was no reason to endure this needfulness here. She wanted him and they both knew it. “Join with me.” Once the words were out, she opened her eyes and added, “I want you inside me.”

Ravenous desire twisted his features as he ripped open the front of his pants. But the frantic urgency eased as he positioned himself at her entrance. His lips parted as if he’d say something, but all she heard was a moan as he slowly pushed into her core.

She watched his face, transfixed by the emotions crossing his features. His phitons glowed brightly and his teeth clenched. He was barely inside her, as if he wasn’t quite sure he was ready to take her. She drew her knees up along his sides, the offer obvious. He pulled his hips back, then filled her with one hard thrust.

The sudden fullness forced a gasp past her lips then she released her breath in a soft hiss.

He paused, clearly concerned by her reaction. “Did I hurt you?”

“A little,” she admitted. “It’s been a really long time.”

He rocked back onto his knees, his cock still deep inside her. Then he slipped his hand in between their bodies and caressed her. His gentle touch accented how tightly she stretched to take him, yet eased some of the tension from her muscles. He found her clit with his fingertip and began a soft, circular motion that soon had her panting.

Rather than allowing her to retreat behind closed lids, he stared into her eyes. “Come for me.”

She raised her hands above her head and tried to relax. The gentle orbit of his finger drew her need tighter and tighter. Her inner muscles rippled around his thick shaft and he let out a ragged moan. His hand continued to tease her as he pulled back, nearly out, then drove deep again.

Eased by a fresh coat of cream, he slid more easily this time. She arched her back, offering her breasts to him as well. He bent his head and accepted the invitation, teasing one nipple and then the other.

Sensations swirled around her and dove through her, bombarding her nerves with divergent signals. His finger continued its featherlight caress, while his mouth was much more demanding. And all the while his cock slid in and out of her core.

All of a sudden, he thrust hard, burying himself to the hilt. “I said come.”

It wasn’t a reminder. It was a command. He caught her clit between his finger and thumb, carefully pulling on the sensitive nerve cluster as his lips did the same to her nipple.

Her orgasm burst with concussive force, arching her body nearly off the bed. She cried out as her core contracted in deep, rhythmic spasms and reality was obliterated by the pleasure pulsing through her body.

When reality finally returned, he was thrusting hard and fast between her thighs. His hands grasped her hips and his upper body no longer arched over hers. She concentrated on the inescapable fullness of their joined bodies, but now he felt so far away.

She raised her hands and caught his upper arms, pulling him downward. He shifted without halting the rapid shuttle of his hips. She curved her fingers around his neck and brought his mouth to hers. His lips parted, but he waited for her to kiss him. She didn’t hesitate. Her tongue slipped past his lips and explored the warm interior of his mouth while his cock filled her over and over.

Her kiss took on the demanding rhythm of his hips. He moved over her and into her, and suddenly his emotions trickled into her mind. She wasn’t scanning him. This shouldn’t be happening. And yet the meld was undeniable. She felt his consuming desire for her body, but that was where the emotions began. Loneliness and pain drove the physical hunger. He wanted so much more from her than sexual release, so much more than he’d ever admit.

Distracted and unnerved by the depths of his feelings, she drew back from his mind, lessening the intensity of the dream-meld. His fingers entwined with hers and he pinned her hands to the bed as his hips took on an even wilder rhythm. She was trapped beneath him, filled by him, and still she wasn’t afraid. This wasn’t real. It was a blissful fantasy, a much needed break from the conflict raging between them.

Freed by the reminder, her pleasure crested again. Sensations burst inside her, momentarily stealing her breath. She crossed her ankles at the small of his back as her core rippled around his cock. He gasped, then groaned as violent shudders tore through his body. Echoes of his pleasure reached her mind, prolonging her release.

“How are you doing this?”

His sharp tone jerked her back to the present and she released her hold on the dream.

Reality snapped back into focus and she found herself sprawled across the bed in her new cabin. The sheet was tangled around her hips and her nipples were tight and tingly. Quickly rolling to her side, she drew the sheet up around her shoulders, hiding the proof of her arousal. She was still breathing hard and a strange ache pulsed between her thighs. Shared dreams often resulted in physical manifestations, so she wasn’t alarmed by the feeling. Still, it emphasized what they’d just shared, how amazing it had felt to have Kryton deep inside her.

The cabin’s main door slid open and she held perfectly still. Had he come to confront her with his suspicion that she was controlling his dream? He walked to the bedroom, his stride purposeful yet quiet.

“Skyla?”

His voice held a note of alarm, so she sat up on the bed, sheet carefully tucked beneath her arms. Rubbing her eyes, she manufacturing a yawn. “What time is it?”

He narrowed his gaze, his lips pressing into a grim line. The diminished light hid the details of his expression, but there was no missing the frustration in his eyes. “It’s late. Why aren’t you asleep?”

“I was asleep until you called my name.” She finger-combed her hair back from her face then looked at him more closely. “Am I in trouble again? You look angry.”

He stared at her for a long time, then shook his head. “I just wanted to check on you before I turned in for the night.”

He wore his uniform pants, but she’d never seen the shirt before. He’d likely grabbed some random garment as he rushed out the door. “I’m fine. You may go.”

His eyes narrowed again as he heard her rude dismissal. “I’ve decided to spend the night.”

Every time she challenged him he became more aggressive. So why did she keep doing it?

He walked around to the side of the bed and slowly opened the front of his shirt.

“I’m not having sex with you.” At least not while they were awake.

“Who said anything about sex?” Despite the inference, his voice turned smoky and his smile promised carnality.

He shrugged out of the shirt, revealing his muscular chest and rippling abs. Her eyes widened and she clutched the sheet to her naked breasts. His body was every bit as impressive as it had been in his dream. If anything his dream image had been less toned than his true self. “Then why are you undressing?”