Chapter Eighteen

 

As the evening ended, Gabriella had a greater respect for these warriors and their master. They lived in very difficult times. The land was harsh, and wars often killed many. The death rate was insurmountable, with diseases running rampant.

The business of taking over a kingdom was perilous at best, and yet they managed to find comfort and peace within its uncertain future. She pondered this as Damon walked her to her room, his dark frame somehow a comfort in her own uncertain future.

Damon walked sedately next to her, keeping his long strides in check to match her smaller ones. They had left the hall and the noise of its revelers, walked the stairs and reached the end of the hall, the door to her room at her back as he turned her towards him.

“Tell me, lady, do you wish now to tell me how you came to be in the field the day we found you?” Damon asked. His eyes were a cast of dark gray as he looked down at her.

I should have known a reprieve wouldn’t last with this man for long. Tenacious, I’ll give him that. But what am I supposed to say—that I don’t know. Is he likely to believe me?

She stood before him. Uncertainty filled her, as her breathing became rapid. He pulled her softly to him, slowly so not to startle her or cause any pain to her still healing wound.

Her sleek form fit like a glove against his large muscular frame, fitting his arms perfectly, her head just below his chin. With an intensity that arose from days of repressed need, he brought his lips down upon the soft fullness of hers.

She sighed into his embrace, lost the minute he pulled her against him. She had wanted him to kiss her, like this, for what seemed an eternity. She had dreamt about it in her sleep.

His tongue parted her lips and traced around its edges, sipping gently before delving deeply to taste her. Ecstasy coursed through her as he held her firmly against him, his hand tangling in her hair, his tongue dueling with hers. She was certain that at any moment she would melt in a pool at his feet.

What are you doing, Gabriella, she asked herself. This is insane…but God, he feels so good! No man had ever stirred her to this madness. No man had driven her with such need to match the loneliness that had once consumed her. That loneliness was melting from her heart as he backed her up against the door and kissed her more deeply, more passionately—if that was possible—than before.

This woman is a temptress, Damon thought. He had never in his life tasted a woman so wonderful, so pliant in his hands. She felt perfect against his body. Something in her called to the nether reaches of his soul. She tasted like heaven, smelled like the innocence of springtime. Felt like a goddess beneath the folds of satin that clung to her.

As he clung to her lips, he knew he was doomed and didn’t care about the consequences. Knew that he had to have her, possess every bit of her and claim her as his own.

He pulled her tightly against him and pressed the latch of her door, easing her into the room. She was lost in his kiss, not noticing that he backed her towards the bed. The room was in utter darkness but for the small blaze the servants had set for the night’s fire. The subtle flame danced with her desire, darkened her deep green eyes as he eased back from the kiss.

Gabriella knew that madness had overtaken her. Was overtaking them. She knew that she should stop things before they got completely out of hand. But her own needs coursed through her, spoke to her heart as they never had before.

Even though she barely knew this man, her heart told her she knew all that she needed to. Life was too uncertain, the future too full of possibilities. Just once, she wanted to know. Know what it was to be desired with such fierceness. She needed to surrender to the passion that she had witnessed so often between her parents.

“I should go,” he whispered, his voice a gentle caress to her heightened awareness. His heart thundered in his chest as need washed through him. “Tell me to go, Gabriella, and I shall,” he whispered against the nape of her neck.

Her dragon was filled with hunger; desire filled his words as they gruffly, yet softly swirled around her in the darkness of her room. She knew she should tell him to go, but somehow, she could not. “Stay,” she whispered. Her entreaty filled the entranced silence of the room and sealed their fates.

He pulled her harshly into her arms, his lips claiming hers in victory. Gently he caressed her lips with his tongue, tasting and seeking entrance. He nipped along the edges, blazed a fire across her chin, her neck, reaching the soft spot just below her ear.

His lips scaled her neck before changing direction back towards her lips. She melted into his embrace and surrendered completely. He kissed the sides of her mouth, her closed eyes, returning again to her lips, surging further inside to taste her deeply once again.

Damon scooped her up, not breaking from the kiss, and laid her gently upon the bed. Intently, he gazed into her eyes. “We will go slowly, Cherie,” he stated softly, taking in the desire and trepidation that flashed within her eyes, her innocence was wrought along her features. She was versed in the art of kissing, well versed, and he did not wish to dwell on with whom she learned or the beast that he kept shackled would not be able to withhold its fury. He was more than willing to teach her the rest, to lead her on his road of seduction.

He drew himself down to lay beside her, on his side so he could hold her face between his hands, and yet not put his weight upon her as she was still healing from her wounds. He knew he should wait, wait until there was no lingering of pain to her, but he had no logic where she was concerned. He saw, he wanted, and he would take.

Her soft complexion was more beautiful than he could ever imagine an angel having. She was a sprite, a goddess, a lovely wish he never thought to hold within his hands.

The light from the fire danced in her vibrant green eyes and gleamed across her alabaster skin. He watched her pulse thunder in her neck and brought his lips down upon it. Felt the deep inhale of her breath, the sigh that escaped her lips as he trailed kisses back to her sultry mouth.

Gabriella was going up in flames. Her stomach felt like a million butterflies rested there, then had flown free over every inch of her body, through every pore, igniting every nerve. He was so overwhelming, yet he gently held her.

He kissed her like she was the most prized possession in the world. He caressed her right cheek with the large pads of his fingers, drew them down her neck, her arms and then skimmed them up the side of her waist to pause just below her breast. She shuddered in anticipation as he plundered her mouth, holding her softly in his hands.

She knew where this was leading and she didn’t care, even though she’d never been down this road before. No one, until now, had captured her awareness like this before. No one had made her feel this way and despite how crazy things seemed, she was going to take this one thing for herself. Revel in his need of her, her need for him and the consequences be damned.

His hand slid over her breast, cupped it lightly, caressing her nipple to a hard peak as it pulled things low and tight within her body. Each caress was driving her on towards madness. She took his deep, soul stirring kisses and gave him back flame for flame. Her hands reached for his hair, curling her finger within its dark, soft curls.

He moved on to her right breast, caressing and arousing its peak to equal the tight madness of the other. She arched beneath him, wanting more. Needing more. And he knew what that more was as he loosened her bodice and released her aching breasts to his dark, smoldering eyes.

Her nipples were hard and waiting for his taste, and he could do no other than lower his mouth. He took one into the heat of his mouth, dying just a little as she arched into him, a soft moan of pleasure escaping her. He caressed the other, keeping it firm and tight and waiting for him to suckle.

His hand skimmed her waist and thigh as he moved on to the other breast, nipping and swirling his tongue over its peak. His hand moved beneath her dress, pulling it up to feel the warmth of her thighs. He shifted her, moving her legs, opening her thighs just enough to give his hand access to the soft inner flesh. He moved on to her hip, spanned the flat of her stomach before moving on to the apex of her curls.

Gabriella gasped as he cupped her, his lips quickly taking hers to take in her moan of pleasure as he parted her folds and slid one finger into the warm essence of her. He continued to kiss her senseless, his finger moving to the rhythm. He slid a second finger in and she thought she had died from the sheer pleasure coursing through her.

“Cherie, so hot and wet for me,” he whispered to her lips before moving back to take her breast into the hot core of his mouth.

He quickened the pace his fingers had set, suckling her deeply into his mouth, bringing her to the edge. The edge she knew of but until now had never experienced. She was imploding from the inside out.

“Damon,” she whispered, the edge of heaven just around the bend. She arched into him, her hips meeting the rhythm his lips and fingers had set.

“Come for me, Cherie, heaven is waiting,” he said, adding his thumb to the sensitive spot above. She was new to this, Damon knew, and he wanted her to feel and enjoy the experience before claiming her as his own, branding her and sending her to the next realm of heaven.

She clutched his hair tightly, her breath coming in ragged pants. “Damon, oh God, oh God,” she chanted, her head tossing from side to side until she was exploding into a million pieces.

Damon watched the glow of her eyes when she slowly opened them. She was beauty incarnate, and before the dawn, he would claim her in every way. He laid on his side, nuzzling her neck, her scent filling his senses, making him harder than he thought a man could ever possibly be.

“I must have you Gabriella,” he whispered, his hand skimming her side beneath her dress. “But I think we will need a few less clothes,” he said, a wry smile upon his lips, burning hunger in his eyes.

He helped her up, turned her to stand before him, her breasts bared for his perusal. His dark eyes sent chills through her body. She wasn’t embarrassed as he spilled her bare breasts into hands, wasn’t embarrassed as he brought his lips to her, suckling each one in turn as he gathered the dress in his hands and tore it down the center, shedding it from her body.

Hot flaming desire sent her blood boiling. He pulled her closer, lifted one leg to the edge of the bed, opening her to him. “How your body weeps for me,” he said, parting her folds and touching his tongue to her soft core.

Gabriella thought she would truly die as he kissed her core. Her back arched as her orgasm soared. She grabbed handfuls of his hair to keep from falling into a ravine of pure bliss. Each lave brought her closer and closer until she exploded into heaven, her body soulless as it wept and she screamed out his name.

Damon turned her, leaning her back onto the bed, her body silhouetted in the fire light. Slowly he removed his tunic, each cord of muscle rippled in the light as Gabriella gazed across the expanse of his large chest. His tight, muscular belly made her fingers tingle with anticipation. He leaned over her, her heart pounding in anticipation. As his lips met hers, a loud banging began in her ears. The sound was out of sync with her racing heart.

Damon reluctantly pulled himself from Gabriella, swearing, “Sweet Jesu, if it is that damn mother hen of yours, I swear I will wring her bloody neck myself.” Rising, he flipped the fur blankets over Gabriella’s naked form and stalked towards the door, ripping it open and bellowing, “What?”

Tanak stood at the door, respectfully not looking past Damon, but direct into his eyes. “The village burns, my friend,” he said, his tone matter of fact and not taking umbrage at Damon’s aggravation. “It is spreading towards the crop line and the forest edge.”

“Damn,” Damon swore. “Gather the men, wake the villagers inside the keep, set up bucket lines and put together a search party. The bastards must still be close,” he said vehemently.

Tanak nodded and turned away.

Damon turned back to Gabriella. He picked his shirt up from the floor and pulled it over his head. “Do not leave that bed until I return for you,” he warned.

His eyes smoldered with leashed desire, and other things she could not read. It was an order, one she knew she had better follow. Gabriella sighed.

The door slammed closed.