Enslaved (25 page)

Drawers rattled. Shuffling echoed. When footsteps sounded close, he opened his eyes to a watery image of Maelea holding what looked like a handful of first-aid supplies.

She set the flashlight on the small sink ledge so light shone straight up, rippled off the ceiling, and illuminated the small space. Then she flipped on the water and ran a hand towel under the flow. “You’re not going to get sick, are you?”

Sick? No way. Seeing her kneeling in front of him like that, looking up with those wide eyes and that made-for-sin mouth, blood flowed straight into his cock, making him hard as hell all over again.

She squeezed water from the towel, turned toward him, and leaned close. “This might be cold. I’m not trying to hurt you.”

Her stomach brushed his erection as she splayed the cool rag across his abdomen. But it did nothing to cool him down. He closed his eyes, groaned at the wicked sensations running through his body. Fuck, if she touched his dick the way she was touching his chest, he’d let her do whatever she wanted. He wouldn’t stop her, wouldn’t even try.

“Sorry,” she said in a pained voice. “I just need to get the blood off to see how it’s… Oh.”

His eyes fluttered open. She was staring at his stomach. And oh, hell, her breasts hovered right over his cock, close enough to touch. As she wiped his skin, each brush of her fingers sent shards of desire swelling in his groin.

“This is nearly healed,” she said in surprise.

Like he cared about the wounds right now. Like he cared about anything but her skin on his, her mouth, her tongue…any part of her body she wanted to rub against his. He shifted his legs wider to make more room for her. Wished like hell she’d stop talking and fucking
touch
him again. “Heal fast.”

The words came out slurred, but when she lifted her gaze to his, she either didn’t notice or didn’t care. “I see that. I’m glad. I was afraid…” Emotion passed over her face, but he couldn’t tell what she was thinking. Couldn’t make much sense of anything but his own burning need. Then she shook her head, looked back down at his stomach, and resumed wiping away the blood. “How do you feel?”

“Hot.” He eyed her breasts. Noticed for the first time that her T-shirt was covered in dried blood and that streaks of something green marred the skin of her hands. “And dirty.”

So dirty. Oh, man. Suddenly all he could think about was getting nasty dirty with her, right here on the bathroom floor.

“I brought extra clothes.” She left the washrag on his stomach, pushed to her feet, and was gone before he could stop her. Disappointment flowed, but she returned seconds later. And as she stood in the dim light of the doorway, he realized she was holding a backpack. The backpack he’d picked up at that army surplus store.

She opened the flap, pulled out new clothes for both of them, set them on the counter. Then she knelt in front of him all over again and reached for the button of his pants. “Here, let me help you get these off.”

Holy…
hell
. She wanted to take off his pants. Something way in the back of his mind warned he should stop her, but he was too far gone to care. All he could think about was her touch. About how it would feel. About where it would lead.

Please
let
it
lead
somewhere.

His dick throbbed in anticipation. She freed the button. He lifted his hips as she tugged to pull off the stained cotton. Didn’t even try to stop his boxers from sliding right down with the pants. When she realized she’d stripped him completely naked, her eyes grew wide and a small gasp escaped her lips.

Her hands froze. But he was suddenly wide awake, even with a spinning head. He toed off his boots, pushed his pants the rest of the way down his legs, and kicked them off. And when she only continued to stare, his erection swelled, growing harder and hotter under her watchful eyes.

He sat up. His cock bobbed against his belly as he reached for her shirt and tugged it up and over her head. She didn’t stop him, seemed to be in shock, and he was glad, because he wasn’t sure he could call things quits right now, even if she wanted him to.

He groaned when her naked breasts came into view. No bra. Nothing but heavenly, perfect skin. Her nipples hardened as he took her in. Her stomach tightened in the dim light. He flipped on the water in the sink at his side, ran the washcloth under the stream, then brought it dripping back to her chest.

She drew in another gasp as he ran it all over her breasts, down her belly, then back up again, washing away every last bit of that battle. He cupped her left breast with his free hand, ran his wet thumb over her nipple, pinched it gently, and watched it harden into a tight little nub.

“Gryphon,” she whispered.

In his foggy head he couldn’t tell if the word was a warning or a plea. But he felt the shiver that ran down her spine. And the way it pushed her a fraction of an inch closer.

He took that as his cue. Dropped the washrag on the floor. Slid his wet hand around the nape of her neck and pulled her tight to him as he closed his mouth over hers.

She opened without hesitation, pressed her hands against his bare chest, moaned as his tongue slid into her mouth and he tasted her all over again. Heat and life pulsed through his veins as his erection pressed against her bare belly. As her arms slid around his neck and her breasts brushed his chest. As she tangled her tongue with his and kissed him back with all the urgency and hunger he was showering on her.

Ah, gods. This was what he wanted. More of her heat. More of her skin. More of this feeling in the center of his chest, telling him he was alive. But she wasn’t close enough. He needed to get inside her. Needed to feel
her
. It was all he could think about. All he could focus on. He tried to drag her up onto his lap, but her knee knocked into the counter and she pulled back from his mouth, cringing at the pain.

He surged to his feet, lifted her around the waist before she could find her footing. The room spun but he ignored it. Couldn’t see anything but her. “Wrap your legs around me.”

She gasped as his hands slid down to cup her ass. He closed his mouth over hers again, stumbled through the door. She kissed him back. Harder. With more insistence. Her tongue slid along his, and the silky, sultry feel of her mouth made his balls tighten to near painful levels.

He pressed against her mound, only to groan when another shudder rushed through her body. But it wasn’t enough. He wanted more. Wanted all of her. He made it as far as the table before he lost his footing.

She landed on her ass on the hard surface with a grunt. Her arms came around his shoulders to keep him from falling on top of her. “Gryphon. Are you okay?”

Okay?
Okay?
The room spun again. But the throbbing ache between his legs was all he could think about. The ache only she had the power to ease.

He leaned down, brushed his mouth over hers. Couldn’t wait any longer. He needed her. More than he’d ever needed anyone before.

He reached for her hand and brought it to his cock. Then shuddered as her fingers brushed his shaft. “Not okay. Not even close. Just touch me, dammit. Touch me like I’ve been wanting you to for months.”

***

Maelea’s heart raced beneath her breast. She knew she shouldn’t. She knew this wasn’t the time or place, that they were trespassing on a private dock, on someone’s boat, in the middle of the night, and could be caught at any moment. She also knew that Gryphon likely wasn’t even aware of what he was doing, thanks to that concoction her mother had given her. Not to mention there could be daemons out there searching for their trail. But…

She didn’t want to stop. The ache between her legs was too strong. The pull toward him too great. And the fact that he’d said he’d been dreaming about her for months and wishing for her touch was the tipping point that sent her right over the edge.

She brushed her fingers over his cock again, reveled in the way he groaned. He was hard and hot, smooth skin over a rock-solid center, and bigger than she expected. Oh, she wasn’t a virgin, not by a long shot, but it had been quite a while for her. She’d pretty much given up on sex when she’d given up on the notion of falling in love. What was the point, after all? But right now, she didn’t care about a future or about what would happen next. All she cared about was touching him. About the fact none of the human men she’d been with over the years came close to having the power and strength pulsing in the palm of her hand right this very second.

Her thighs ached. She tightened her muscles to ease the throb. It didn’t work. If anything, it made her need greater. Wrapping her hand around his length, she slowly slid her fingers up to the tip, squeezed the head, used her thumb to brush a bead of fluid over his tip. He moaned, pressed into her hand. She answered by sliding her fingers down, stroking him from tip to base.

“
Sotiria
. Gods, that feels so good.” His hand slid into her hair, his fingers playing with her long locks as he eased even closer, drawing her toward him.

She knew what he wanted. The same thing she suddenly wanted. She moved her hand up his length again, licked her lips, leaned close. And as she lifted her gaze to his, she flicked her tongue over the tip and watched in awe as his eyes rolled back in his head.

“Ah, gods.” He threaded his other hand in her hair, massaged the back of her scalp as she drew him into her mouth. He didn’t pull her forward or force her to take more. Just stood there while she ran her tongue against the underside of his cock, while she closed her mouth around his shaft, while she tasted him deeper.

He was salty and sweet. So hard and hot against her tongue. As she sucked, she wrapped her hands around his thighs, partly to draw him closer, partly to hold him up. He responded by pressing into her mouth, groaning long and low. At any minute she expected his legs to give out, but she didn’t stop. Because he tasted too good. He felt too incredible. And because for once she didn’t want to think. Didn’t want to worry. She just wanted to
feel
.

“
Sotiria
,” he groaned again.

My
salvation.

Did he even know what he was saying? Her chest warmed, and the space around her heart filled. He’d called her that in the car. She wasn’t anyone’s salvation, since she couldn’t even save herself—but she loved the word. Loved the way it sounded on his lips. Loved that he thought of her like that, even if it was only part of some drug-induced dream.

She stroked her tongue around the flared head of his cock, then drew him all the way back in her throat. He groaned, gripped the back of her head, then released her and pulled away.

She looked up in surprise. His eyes were as blue as she’d ever seen them when he leaned over her, forcing her back on the table.

He gripped her pants at the waistband and yanked them all the way off. “Have to see if you’re wet. Need to know…”

Cool air rushed over her bare skin. She tried to sit up. Tried to tell him she wasn’t done tasting him. But he dropped to his knees between her legs, pressed her thighs open before she could stop him. Then his fingers slid along her sex, and a groan tore from her throat at the first touch.

Her head fell back against the table. She lifted her hips as his finger brushed her folds, then slid lower, inside. She moaned, nearly came out of her skin when he stroked her, when he slid out and back in again, this time with two fingers. And when his thumb circled her clit, electricity raced down her spine.

“Gryphon—”

“Gods,
sotiria
, you’re so wet. So swollen. You want to come, don’t you?”

Yes
. Yes
. Just that.

He kissed her lower belly, her belly button, trailed his mouth higher and closed it over her breast. Sparks shot from her nipples to her sex, amped her need even more. She groaned as he continued to drive her mad with his fingers, with his mouth, as she ran her hands through his short hair and pressed into his wicked touch.

“Oh, Gryphon. Yes, there. Right there.”

Electricity gathered in her pelvis, a firestorm of sensations about to explode. But just before the orgasm reached her, he pulled free, let go with his mouth.

She cried out in frustration, but he leaned over her again before she could ask why he’d stopped, captured the sound with his mouth. Then his tongue was stroking hers, his chest brushing her nipples, the tip of his cock sliding along her sex. So hot. So hard. So very close to where she needed him.

“I want to feel you come around me,” he said against her lips.

“Yes.”
Yes.

She tasted desire and hunger, so much hunger it stole her breath. Wanted only to go on kissing him forever. But he pulled back from her mouth before she was anywhere near satisfied. He braced one hand on the table next to her. Used the other to grip his cock and slide it along her wetness.

A moan slipped from her lips as she looked up into lust-filled eyes fixated on only her, as she rocked against his touch. Water lapped against the hull, and in the silence between them, staring at each other as if they were the only two people in the world, that space around her heart filled even more.