Treasure of the Fire Kingdom (The Elemental Phases Book 4) (36 page)

Almost.

“Kingu?” 
Her voice was breathless as he sat back and surveyed his work.  Her body was
naked except for the bunched skirt and that made Hope feel even wickeder than
if she’d been completely bare.

Crimson
eyes missed nothing, studying her like she was a dessert he planned to devour. 
Like he’d never seen a naked female before and she was hypnotizing him. 
Kingu’s focus locked onto her breasts.  Hope’s teeth bit down on her lower lip
and she tried to stifle a moan.  Large hands rasped over her nipples as if
transfixed when they tightened even more.  Palms cupped them, squeezing them,
memorizing their weight.

Hope
sighed dreamily as bent down to lick the hollow between the soft globes.  Kingu
seemed happy to touch her curves and God knew she was happy to let him, but
still…  “Do you want to talk about this soul mate thing, first?  Because I
think you have some kind of –like-- pathological denial happening… Oh dear.” 
His teeth nipped and she jolted. 
Concentrate.
 
Must concentrate
. 
“Ummm, if you’re only doing this because you’re upset, there’s no need to be. 
If you’d
listen
, I keep telling you…”

“I’m
doing this because you’re
mine
, Hope.”  His fingers caught in her blonde
curls, forcing her eyes to meet his as he lowered his head.  He found her
nipple, sucking it into his mouth and fire raced through her nerve endings.  “I
will take you right in front of your soul mate if that’s what it takes to prove
it.  We’ll see how he likes it when you come against my goddamn mouth.”

“Oh,
I think he’ll
really
like that, actually.”  And it was probably really,
really dirty to love the sudden fantasy of some imaginary weakling of an
extraneous soul mate helplessly watching as her monster claimed her right in
front of him.  Kingu’s teeth nipped and Hope almost came.  “Oh, Kingu,
please.
” 
She twisted, trying to rub her body against him and alleviate the pressure.  It
didn’t work.

Kingu
had one foot on the floor, his other knee beside her on the bed.  The size of
him silhouetted above her just made her hotter, but it also meant that she
couldn’t get close enough to him.

“Wrong
answer.”  His head left her breasts and moved lower.

“Kingu.” 
It was impossible to keep her voice steady.  “Seriously, what part of ‘you’re
my soul mate’ is so hard too…?”  She screamed as his mouth found the molten
core of her.  “Oh dear, oh dear, oh
dear
.”  Hope threw her head back. 
The leather belt holding her arms pulled tight as she arched towards the hot,
wet suction of his mouth.  “Don’t stop. 
Holy friggin’ shit, don’t stop!
” 
She didn’t even hear the rest of the elaborate, Fire House curses that she
chanted, but they were crazed enough to have her booted from the swearing
contest forever.

Kingu
lifted his head to stare at her face for a beat and his mouth kicked up at one
corner.  His eyes were cloudy with need, but for some reason he found her
language amusing.  She could tell.

“How
could you think I would ever share you?”  He murmured.  He gripped her hips in
an even firmer hold and lifted her at a new, devastating angle.  He lowered his
face again and Hope lost all concept of everything beyond the sensation of his
tongue.

Something
was swelling inside her, bigger than just an orgasm.  Something trying to burn
its way free and latch onto Kingu for all she was worth.  Hope had to have more
or she was going to turn to a pile of cinders.

“Please.” 
She tried to tighten her legs and press him even closer, but he had control of
her legs.  Why had she pushed so hard for him to take over this seduction,
again?  He held her wide and continuing to do whatever he wanted with her
shaking body.  “Kingu, please.”  She was so close.  “Please, just a little
higher.”

He
wasn’t a merciful god.

Kingu
pulled back, breathing hard and looking wild.

“
Shit!
” 
Hope gave a frustrated cry and moved her empty hips trying to lure him back.

“I
can’t believe how good you taste.”  Kingu was so close to losing control.  She
could see it in the animalistic glow of his eyes and his rasping tone.  He
gazed down at her wet depths and swallowed.  “Will you still only accept your
soul mate?”

It
was little more than a snarl and Hope’s whole body clenched at the masculine
warning in his sound.  If she kept pushing him, he was going to snap.

That
made her feel… powerful.

Like
she was
more
than just a virgin sacrifice, tied to an altar.  Like she
was capable of teaching this monster a thing or two about messing with Fire
Phase warriors.

Her
eyes went to the hard bulge at the front of his pants and then very
deliberately traveled back up to his face.  Oh yeah.  This game wasn’t done. 
She was having fun.

Kingu’s
muscles jolted.  “Don’t, Hope.”  He got out roughly.  “Just… don’t.”

Hope
scooted backwards so she could sit up on the bed, her hands still tied.  His
belt was large enough to give her plenty of slack.  She knelt on the side of
the mattress, feeling totally in charge of the game.  Kingu was so close to
breaking and she then could have everything she wanted.

He
kept pressing for her capitulation.  “Treasure, just tell me what I need to
hear.  I’ll help you finish and then I’ll just walk away.  I swear.”

That
was what she was afraid of.  Her tongue licked her lower lip, her attention
still locked on his pants.  How was she gonna get those off with her wrists
bond?

“Damn
it!  Just admit that you at least want me and we’ll end this torture!”

Hope
looked up at his stark face and gave a slow, sultry smile.  Hope had a nice
smile.  Everyone always said so.  With two matching dimples and a lot of
sparkling mischief.

“I
want my soul mate.”  She said very clearly and almost chortled with glee as his
expression went taunt.

Woo-hoo! 
Go team Fire House.

Kingu’s
pupils dilated, his eyes riveted on her feline grin.  His hands went down to
the waistband of his pants, his attention never leaving her lips.  “You have no
idea what you’ve just done.”  Kingu’s clothes were gone in less than a
heartbeat and he was stepping closer to her.  His fingers tangled in her blonde
curls, tugging her face closer to his straining erection.  “Open your mouth.”

Oh
God yes.  Hope obediently parted her lips for him and then moaned at the clean,
male taste.

“Hope! 
Oh
shit
.”  He rocked forward, nearly out of his mind with pleasure at
the first lick.  “Again.  Please. More.”

This
is what she’d wanted.  Kingu as wild as she was.  Her tongue suckled him,
learning his shape.  She clearly had a heretofore untapped skill at seduction
because, even tied-up, she’d gotten a god’s pants off just fine.

Another
point for the little Fire Phase.

“Oh,
yes.  Yes, treasure.  Just like that.”  His eyes stayed fixed on her face, his
chest heaving.  “I wanted that smile. You have no idea how much I wanted it. 
Seeing it wrapped around me is like a gods damn dream.”

The
Fire House Wednesday night dirty movie tradition was clearly not the depraved
waste of time Teja always claimed.  Kingu was loving the real world skills good
old human pornography taught its faithful viewers.

Kingu’s
eyes stayed fixed on her face as he tried to keep himself in check.  He looked
enraptured.  “Every dream I’ve ever had has been about you.  A thousand years
before you were even born, I was dreaming of you.”  Hands slid through her
hair, like he was trying to absorb the feel of it right through his skin. 
“Before I knew your name or the color your eyes.”  He gave a sound of total
blissful surrender as her teeth scrapped along his skin.  “Back when it would
have been so much easier to just give up and surrender everything I am,
dreaming about you kept me alive.  Everything I am is
you
.”

Kingu
absolutely had a soul… he’d just handed it right to her.

Hope
eased back from him, almost smiling at the agonized sound he made when she
stopped.  “I want something else, now.”  Her whole body felt hot and needy. 
“Will you give it to me?”

“Yes.” 
The word was simple and bare and absolute.

“Tell
me you love me.”

He
hesitated, glancing away.  Then, his jaw tightened and he looked back at her,
meeting her eyes squarely.  “I love you.”  He said it like he was braced for
her laughter and determined to say it anyway.  “You are my one, Hope.  My only
one.  The love I have for you is beyond all boundaries.”

Hope
kept her expression grave even as she mentally cheered.  It wasn’t surprising
news, but it was still really,
really
wonderful to hear.  “Are you
sure?”

Now,
he looked annoyed.  “You know that I am.  I have been very clear.”

“Yes,
I
know it.”  She whispered back.  “I just wanted to be sure you know it,
too.”

“Of
course, I know it. 
You
are the one who turns everything around and
refuses to listen and dreams of another fucking man! 
I
understand
what’s happening here far better than you do, it seems.”

“Well,
then explain something to me:  No one can love without a soul, Kingu, so how is
it that you’re able to love me so much that I can feel it every time you look
at me.”

He
blinked, looking suddenly disorientated.  He didn’t have an answer for her.

Satisfied
she’d planted the seed and he’d figure out the rest of that riddle, Hope leaned
down and slid him into her eager mouth as deep as he could go.  If he wouldn’t
listen to her promises and assurances, maybe he’d listen to his own brain and
something more… primal.  The deepest parts of Kingu recognized her.  It was all
the damage his mother had done keeping him from admitting they could have
something even more.

He
loved her, but he felt no hope at all that she might love him back.

“
Treasure.
” 
It was a groan.  “Oh, Christ, you’re so pretty.”  He jerked, his grip
tightening on her hair.  “Fuck.  I can’t believe you would touch me.  I never
thought I’d ever have someone so pretty and sweet and… maddening.  How do you
do this to me?”  His whole body shook.  “Oh
fuck
, I’m going to…”  He
pulled her away and she made a disappointed mewling sound.  “We can’t do that
or it’s gonna go too far.  It’s wrong to have you…”  He gave his head a
clearing shake.  “The soul mate.”  He swallowed hard.  “Just… tell me…
something.  Anything.  Just give me
something
and we’ll end this.”

Gaia,
Kingu was the hardest man to seduce in the realm!  Even for a warrior, his
control was really impressive.  But, now that she’d gotten him this far, Hope
needed to finish it.  It was the only way he’d ever accept their connection and
they were so
close.

She
smiled smugly and didn’t say a word.

Red
eyes narrowed like death and she felt her body spasm in response.  “Wrong…
Fucking… Answer.”

Hope
nearly grinned.

Game,
set, match, Hope, of the Fire House.  And the crowd goes wild!

Kingu
shoved her back and then yanked her forward so the belt went tight, trapping
her arms above her head, again.  Hope’s legs parted before he even had a chance
to grab them, opening for him.  She wound them around his hips, moaning as he
covered her.  The heat of him pressed against her core.

Oh
yes.  Oh yes
.  Her mouth found his hungrily as she
undulated against him, trying to get him even closer.  Kingu reached down to
push her rumpled skirt up to her waist.  He wasn’t even going to take the time
to snap his fingers and remove it.  Hope
loved
that he was so far gone. 
This was
exactly
what she’d wanted and he was giving it to her.

Her
tongue touched the edge of his granite jaw.  “I want you inside me, monster.” 
Her voice was pleading.  She was going up in flames.  “Deep and solid and
stretching places that only you’ve ever touched.”

He
swore in some language she’d never heard and held backing, refusing to let her
close the final distance.  “First tell me what I fucking want to hear.”

“I
want you so much, Kingu.”  She writhe against him and gladly stopped teasing. 
“You’re the only one I’d ever be with.”

His
growl wasn’t anything an Elemental or human could’ve made.  It was exactly how
dragons must’ve sounded.  It was the most erotic thing she’s ever heard.   “Who
do you belong to, Hope?  Who are you this hot for?  Who are you are allowing to
touch you, right now?”

“
You
.” 
It came out as a sob.  “You’re
my
one, dummy!  I’ve been telling you
that again and again!  Take me right now or I will clobber you!”

“Right
answer.”  He kissed her and Hope thought she would die if she didn’t find
relief soon.  It was all too tight, too scorching.  He let out another growl
right next to her ear and she nearly broke down.  “Mine.”  The word was a
brand.  “You’re
mine
.  Say it.”