Bakra Bride (5 page)

Her eyes popped open again. “What man?”

He gently stroked a purple violet over her cheek. That must have been what had awakened her earlier. She was enthralled by the dainty flower being held so carefully in his massive hand. In fact, she was so enthralled, she almost missed his next words. “Surely a treasure like yourself is not alone?”

Nerves struck her suddenly. What the heck was she doing? She was lying here next to a complete stranger. And where the heck was she? She started to scoot away but found herself flat on her back with him leaning over her.

Bracing his arms on either side of her head, he threw one muscled thigh over her legs, caging her easily. The only thing to do was brazen it out. “Listen mister. I don’t know who you are or what’s going on, but you’d better get off me.” She was pleased that she sounded so tough and decisive. That was more like her.

Except he didn’t look impressed at all. Instead, he looked quite amused. He wasn’t smiling, but there was a distinct twinkle in his blue eyes. “I am Zaren of the House of Bakra and you are on my land.”

“Well, you’ll have to excuse me. I have no idea exactly where I am or how I got here or where exactly here is.” She knew she was starting to babble, so she took a deep breath. Calm. It was important to remain calm. Although that seemed an impossible task with a gorgeous giant looming over her. The heat coming off his large body was amazing and she had to fight her inclination to just lean into it and absorb it. The man was a living, breathing female fantasy.

Fantasy.

“Of course, this is only a dream,” she muttered. It was too bad he wasn’t real. But on the other hand, she didn’t need to be afraid of a dream. “It’s another dream. Just like last night. You’re one of the warriors.” She didn’t know why it had taken her this long to figure it out. Probably because it had been so dark in the other dream.

He stilled when she said the word dream. She could feel the sudden tension in him. “Dream?”

Reaching out, she patted his chest. Really, she couldn’t resist a quick touch. Who knew when the dream might come to an end? “I fell asleep with the tapestry again.”

He struck with the swiftness of a predator bringing down prey. Her hands were captured in one of his and extended over her head. He lowered his body over her as his head moved closed to hers. She was trapped, unable to budge an inch. The indulgent male was gone, replaced by the implacable warrior.

Swallowing hard, she stared up into his hard face. He frightened her as much as he had last night. There was a barely leashed power about him that was scary. The ease with which he’d overpowered her made her tremble. Stiffening her spine, she gritted her teeth as she pushed against him. “Get off me, you big oaf.”

He appeared to be carved out of stone. There was no give at all in his hard body or his severe features. “Tell me about the tapestry.”

Being held down like this, she was beginning to feel claustrophobic. Jane could feel the sweat beading on her forehead as it got harder for her to breathe. Her eyes widened as she gasped for air. She began to struggle against his grasp.

Rolling off her, he pulled her up and into his lap, cradling her against his massive chest. “Just breathe,” his low voice crooned in her ear. “You are safe.”

Jane wasn’t so sure about that, but she just didn’t have the breath to contradict him. Concentrating on getting air into her lungs, she sucked in a mouthful of air. “I’m okay,” she told him as she gripped his forearm for support.

Ever so slowly, she eased out of his lap, surprised when he let her go. He didn’t take his eyes off her, but she relaxed slightly when he made no move towards her. “Okay,” she began. “A tapestry about so big.” She motioned with her hands to outline a two feet by three feet rectangle. “With a castle and three warriors on it. Or maybe it was four. It changed sometimes. I bought it at a thrift store.”

“This cannot be.”

“Well, I’m telling you, Zaren. It was Zaren, right?” Not giving him time to confirm it, she hurried on. “I did buy it. And I had a dream last night about it, so this is just another dream. But this one is even stranger than last night. I think I’ll wake up now.”

Closing her eyes, she wrapped her arms around her waist. “Wake up. Wake up.” She was afraid to open her eyes. She could still feel the warm grass under her bottom and feel the slight breeze on her skin. She definitely wasn’t home in her bed. Grabbing the skin of her arm with her fingers, she pinched it tight. “Wake up!” she yelled.

Strong arms enveloped her and startled her eyes open. “This is not a dream. You are a miracle! The prophecy is being fulfilled again in this lifetime.”

The awe in his voice stilled her. “Prophecy?” Jane wasn’t sure she liked the sound of that. It sounded religious, even cult-like.

“The tapestry brought you to us. You are destined to be the bride of the House of Bakra. My brothers and I will compete for you and you will choose your husband.”

“You’ve got to be joking?” This could not be real. Things like this just didn’t happen in real life and especially not to an ordinary woman like herself.

Cupping her face in his hand, he smoothed his thumb over her cheek. “You are our destiny.”

Zaren was serious. His entire demeanor screamed it. Oh boy, was she in trouble. She needed to think. “What kind of competition?”

The corners of his mouth turned up in a sensual smile and his eyes heated. She could feel that gaze warming her entire body. This man was lethal. Leaning down, he brushed his lips lightly against hers. “We will take you separately and together so that you may choose which of us you find more sexually pleasing.”

Still reeling from his kiss, it took a moment for his words to sink it. Flinging herself from his arms, she came to her feet and backed slowly away from him. “You’ve got to be kidding.” A dream was one thing, but this was getting out of hand.

He came to his feet in a leisurely manner, totally unthreatening. He didn’t fool her for a minute. He was about as tame as a wild lion.

She had the feeling he was toying with her and she didn’t like it. Narrowing her eyes, she glared at him. “You stay right where you are.” She flung out her hands to ward him off as he sauntered closer.

“No. You are mine and I choose to claim you first.”

Zaren couldn’t take his eyes off her and he didn’t even know her name. He was still reeling at the appearance of an unclaimed woman on his land. But to find out that the tapestry had brought her astounded him. There had already been a tapestry bride in this generation. Rarely in the history of Javara had the tapestry brought a second bride.

But she was here and he would have her. He matched her step for step as she backed away from him. He didn’t want to frighten her, but he would not allow her to run from him.

Her silky black hair was swept away from her face and hung to her shoulders. She was slender, almost skinny, but her breasts were high and firm and he longed to see them, to taste them. Her face was thin, but her skin was fine and incredibly soft. When he’d brushed his thumb over her cheek, it had colored an enchanting shade of pink. Her eyes, a dark blue, got even darker as he moved toward her.

She licked her lips and glanced nervously over her shoulder as if gauging the distance to the woods. He could have told her that she’d never make it, but he let her have her way. She’d realize soon enough that there was nowhere to run.

He swallowed a groan when she nibbled on her full lower lip. She was keeping her eyes on his face, but if she looked lower there was no way she could miss the huge bulge in the front of his pants as his cock swelled. He’d never wanted a woman as much as he wanted this one.

“What is your name?” She stumbled slightly on the uneven ground but regained her footing.

“Jane Smith,” she automatically replied.

He said the name over in his mind. He liked it. “Welcome to Javara, Jane Smith.” Her name rolled easily off his tongue and he savored the sound.

“Is that where this is?” He nodded as she took another step backwards. “Never heard of it, so this must be a dream.”

Her eyes telegraphed her intentions before she ever moved, so that when she broke and ran for the woods, he was right behind her. She spared a glance over her shoulder and as she did, she lost her footing on the small slope and began to fall. Lunging forward, he caught her in his arms, twisting his body so that as they fell on the grass and dirt, his body sheltered hers.

They landed hard against the ground, but his much larger body took the brunt of it. With one arm wrapped around her waist and the other pressing her face to his chest, she was well protected. Zaren expected her to try and run again, but she didn’t move. Her very stillness frightened him. Had he failed to protect her? Was she hurt?

Rolling to the side, he carefully laid her flat on the grass and braced himself on one arm. Cupping her precious face in his hand, he brushed her pale skin with his thumb. “Are you hurt?”

She blinked up at him, looking so lost and forlorn that he felt his heart lurch. “Jane, are you hurt?”

“This is real?” She said the words slowly as if she couldn’t quite believe them.

Nodding slightly, he shifted closer to her. “Yes. The tapestry is magic, Jane.” Bending down, he kissed her forehead, her cheeks and her nose. “It has brought you to the House of Bakra and you belong with us now.”

Before she could utter a single protest, he covered her lips with his. Ever so gently, he kissed her sweet mouth, allowing his tongue to stroke her full bottom lip. When her lips parted, he slid his tongue inside the tiniest amount before withdrawing it again. He did that over and over, content just to taste her. Mint and warm female coated his tongue as he continued to taste her mouth.

He almost smiled when her head and shoulders rose slightly off the ground to take him deeper, but she didn’t wait for him. Instead, she thrust her tongue boldly into his mouth. Pressing her body back down against the grass, he slanted his lips over hers and stroked her tongue with his.

Blood pumped through his veins as desire consumed him. His cock was rock hard and throbbing against the front laces of his pants. Angling his hips, he rubbed his arousal against her hip as he consumed her mouth. The soft sounds of desire that came from her only fueled the flames licking at his body.

Growling, he tore his lips from hers and kissed his way down her slender neck and across her fragile collarbone. The garment she wore was silky, but thin. Her breasts were soft mounds against it and her hard nipples were pushing against the fabric. He had to see them. Had to know what they looked like, felt like. He needed to know what color they were and how they tasted.

Her fingers tangled in his hair as his tongue traced one straining bud through the fragile material. Opening his mouth over it, he covered as large an area as he could and suckled her. He could hear her panting for breath and feel the rise and fall of her chest as he slipped his hand beneath the fabric and pushed it upward. He pulled his mouth away long enough so that he could push the garment over both breasts, freeing them for his inspection.

They were perfect. Two firm mounds of pale flesh, tipped with large nipples the same color as a pale pink rose. Cupping one of them in his hand, he again marveled at the softness of her skin. His thumb skimmed the tip and she cried out.

He raised his gaze to hers and thought then that he’d never seen a more beautiful sight. Jane was sprawled against the green of the grass with the scent of crushed wildflowers flowing around her. The sun shone down from the blue sky, bathing her in its golden rays. Her eyes were closed, her head was tilted back and her lips were parted as she panted for breath.

Her legs moved restlessly against his as he bent his head and traced one of her pretty pink nipples with his mouth even as he continued to pleasure the other one with his hand. She was so amazingly responsive to his every touch. He was absolutely enthralled watching her. His own desire was beating down on him, gnawing at his gut, but still he wanted her pleasure first.

Taking the tight bud into his mouth, he suckled her. He slid his hand downward, tugging at the tie of her pants. Shoving the material away, he pushed his hand down over her stomach until his fingers touched her pubic hair. Brushing his fingers over the downy covering, he sifted his fingers through the soft curls to the treasure below. Her legs parted as he stroked the swollen flesh of her sex. She was hot and wet and ready.

His cock jerked in his pants and he ground it hard against her side as he groaned. He’d come in his pants like some callow youth if he weren’t careful. Nuzzling the underside of her breast, he took a deep breath and then another. His balls were so heavy they ached. He shifted his body to try and relieve some of the pressure. It helped. But not much.

Zaren eased one of his fingers inside her. Her inner muscles pulsed around it. Using his thumb, he found the hard nub of her clitoris, massaging it gently. Jane jerked her hips. “More,” she sighed. He gave her what she wanted, pushing another finger into her tight pussy.

Licking the outline of her areola, he flicked his tongue over the hard tip before drawing it back into his mouth, suckling her. He began to move his fingers, pulling them almost all the way out before easing them inward.

Jane pushed her hips upward to meet his fingers. He rewarded her by brushing her clit with his thumb on every inward stroke. Her head thrashed from side to side and her hand gripped the back of his head, pushing him even closer to her breast. He closed his eyes and concentrated on her pleasure. His head and his cock were both pounding, but she was close. He could feel her inner muscles contracting hard around his fingers.

Her feet dug into the ground and she arched hard as a low keening sound escaped her. He could feel the gush of her climax against his fingers as her hips jerked against his hand. As the spasms subsided, his touches became lighter until he withdrew his mouth from her breast and his fingers from her body.

Lying on his side, he watched her as a soft smile formed on her lips. Reaching down, he unlaced his leather pants and pushed the material aside. His swollen cock sprang free, hard and hungry. It was his turn now.