The Nymph King

'So give them back to the rest of the dragons.'

'That is my plan,' he said, throwing his arms in the air. 'They will make excellent bargaining tools.'

'Good.'

'Good.' He shook his head. 'While I like that you are stepping into the role of queen, advising me and issuing orders, you are in dire need of punishment, woman.'

His words elicited an erotic response from her. That wasn't what he intended, but that was what he got. Her eyes lowered to half-mast. 'Punish me, then. Go ahead, for God's sake. You know how much I hate it.'

Instant fire consumed his anger, leaving only white-hot lust. 'You hate it? Truly?'

'More than I can ever say,' she whispered. Her stomach clenched deliciously, swirling and fluttering with need. It was as if he'd never stopped making love to her. All of her desires returned full force.

She, the woman who prided herself on remaining distant from every situation, couldn't fight Valerian's allure. She, who found comfort in a frosty, utterly cold attitude, quaked with sensation. Was desperate. Needy. Raw and exposed. There was a vulnerability inside her she hadn't known was there, one that cried out for the love and affection she'd never received. Not from anyone.

Except this man.

Slowly, never breaking eye contact, he closed the small gap between them. The closer he came, the hotter the air grew, chasing away any hint of chill. Her nipples beaded painfully, reaching for him, yearning for some type of contact.

'I won't stop this time,' he warned. 'Not for any reason.'

'Good. We agree about something else.' Touch me. She didn't care that people were just beyond the rock. She only cared about Valerian.

'Run,' he said softly.

She blinked, certain she had misheard him. 'What?' Was he turning her away?

'Run. To my room. Now.'

There was no humor in his tone, no sense that he was through with her. Instead, he projected a fierce lust that went beyond anything he'd ever shown her before. The breath in her throat snagged. She backed away from him, her heart skipping a beat. His expression was intense, savage. Utterly wild.

'Run,' he repeated. 'Now.'

Clutching the orange, she sprang forward, racing around him, careful not to touch him. Her arms pumped at her sides as she pounded up the stairs. Footsteps echoed behind her. She remembered the path to the room and whipped around corners. Warriors roamed the halls, collecting their bed partners. Some hadn't made it to a room and were having sex right there in the hall.

Panting, she barreled past them. Thankfully no one tried to stop her. Valerian's intensity was frightening. And arousing. And startling. And wonderful.

When she reached the outer bathing area, she picked up speed. What was he going to do to her when he caught her? She shot past the white curtain separating the two sections of the room, and it whooshed behind her. A split second later, it whooshed again.

Valerian. Close, so close.

She gulped, was just about to spin around and demand he explain why he'd not picked her up and carried her here, why he'd not let her wrap her legs around his waist and feel every step he took between her legs, when he slammed into her from behind. Together they soared through the air. She screamed, dropped her fruit. Just before she hit the bed, Valerian turned them, absorbing the impact with his own body.

One of his arms flipped her over and banded around her waist. The other pulled at her shirt, stripping her.

'Why... why?' she panted, unable to get any other word out.

'Couldn't wait.' Her breasts were suddenly bared. He held her above him and laved one of her nipples into his mouth. Pure heat. She sucked in a gasp of air. Somewhere along the way, he'd lost his chest armor. Her hands kneaded him, mindful of his injuries. His nipples were hard and abraded her palms erotically; his nipple ring was cool to the touch yet burned her with its masculinity.

She straddled his waist, anchoring her weight on her knees. This was exactly where she belonged, she mused. Her hair cascaded around her shoulders. Adrenaline from the chase rushed through her blood, blending with desire, making it all the more potent. All the more consuming. Her skin felt alive with pulses of electricity.

He untied the belt holding her pants in place and flung it aside, causing the pants to gape open. He paused a moment, staring at her with purpose.

'I'm going to kiss you here,' he muttered roughly. His fingertip grazed a path along the center of her panties. 'Then I'm going to pleasure your body the way I've wanted from the moment I saw you.'

'Yes.' She loved his raw language, was excited by it. 'Pleasure. Do it.'

'Nothing will stop me.'

'Nothing.' She arched her hips slightly forward, sliding over the hard length of his erection. Sensations of utter bliss tore through her, and she moaned.

'You'll love everything I do.' His hand clenched on her waist. His eyes closed, and he bit his lower lip. 'You'll beg for more.'

She slid over him again. They both groaned. 'Love it,' she promised. 'Beg.'

He rolled her over, jerking at her pants while he did so. His feet kicked the material the rest of the way down. Her panties quickly followed, yet he didn't have the patience to work them off her so he ripped the seams and discarded the tattered remains.

Completely naked, she reached between them and worked at his pants. Her motions were clipped, eager, desperate, but she made no progress. 'I can't get them off,' she growled. 'Help me get them off.'

Within seconds he had them peeled away and she was in heaven. Hmm. Skin to skin.

'Soft,' he praised. He traced a path along her collarbone, then nipped at her neck, grazing her overly sensitive flesh with his teeth.

She could feel his penis on her belly, as hot as a steel band. She arched against it, needing it inside her. 'Now,' she said.

His shaft jerked against her. His teeth bit more sharply. 'Kiss,' he said hoarsely. He licked down her body, exploring her breasts again, lingering at her stomach, flicking her belly button.

'Grip the top of the bed,' he demanded.

She'd been reaching down, intent on threading her fingers through his hair. 'But—'

'Do it. Grip the bed.'

She obeyed. The moment her fingers curled around the ivory base, his tongue glided over her clitoris. Her hips shot up, and she gasped his name.

With one of his hands, he opened her fully. With the other he glided a finger into her, probing, stretching. His tongue never stopped working her. The combination of sensations was shattering. Another coast of his tongue. A pump of his fingers. Then he sucked at her, increasing the tempo. She cried. She sobbed. Oh, the bliss. Her legs locked around him. Her hands clutched the headboard so tightly her knuckles could have snapped.

Her eyelids squeezed shut. In her mind she saw him between her legs, his tawny hair falling onto her thighs. His muscled back clenched tight as he reined in his own need.

'Valerian! I can't take any more.'

'By the end of the night, you'll have taken everything I have to give.'

'Push me... give me... let me come.'

She writhed. On the verge. So close, yet not close enough. He slid another finger into her, and it was a tight fit. Stretching her. Filling her. So. Good. Quickly his tongue flicked over her clitoris, showing no mercy. Not that she wanted any. This was everything she'd dreamed, everything she'd ever needed without knowing she did.

'I'm going to sink my cock into you, Shaye. You're going to spread your legs and welcome me, every stretching inch.'

'Yes.' Oh, God, yes. The thought of his penis inside her pushed her over the sweet edge. She spasmed around his fingers, clenching them tight. A scream, a sob. Flashing white lights blinked behind her eyes.

He suddenly loomed above her, her legs cradled in the crook of his arms, opening her fully. Exposing her completely. He was poised on the brink of penetration. 'Once I'm inside you, you will be mine. Say it.'