His blue eyes burned into hers. ‘If you give yourself to me, I will not let you go. Once you make this choice, we will be bound together by the gods.’
Her emotions softened when she realised what he was offering. This was not a man who was forcing her to bargain her virtue for Feann’s life. It was much more than that. ‘You want me to stay with you.’
‘Of your own free will,’ he said.
Her heart quaked at the thought, for she was afraid to ask for how long. He might intend for her to be his concubine...or perhaps his wife. She had never expected this, and it unsettled her. What was his purpose? Why would he ask her to stay?
It went against everything she had believed about him—that he would take what he wanted and then leave. Instead, he was reaching out to her, wanting her to remain with him. Never had she imagined this, and her defences came crashing down.
Of all the people in her life, Alarr was the only man she had come to depend on. He had never forsaken her, and that meant something. He was a man who had endured as much loss as she had. And perhaps they could fill the emptiness in one another.
‘If I agree,’ she said quietly, ‘will you let him live?’
His expression never faltered, and he gave a single nod. Breanne studied him, trying to discern if he was telling her the truth.
In answer, she leaned in to kiss him again. Alarr claimed her mouth relentlessly, letting her know without a doubt how much he wanted her.
With shaking fingers, Breanne lowered her bodice, never taking her eyes from his. Then she took his palm and laid it upon her bare breast.
The scalding heat of his palm aroused her, and Alarr stroked her breast, lightly grazing the hardened nub. A bolt of heat made her moan, and he deepened the pleasure when he lowered his mouth to her nipple. Gently, he suckled the tip, his tongue driving her wild. She arched, unable to stop the surge of pleasure that filled her.
Against her skin, he murmured. ‘You belong to me now, Breanne.’
She gripped his hair, his touch arousing her deeply. Then she added, ‘And you belong to me.’ To emphasise her words, she reached out to unfasten his tunic.
He helped her, stripping it away before he drew his lips back to hers. Against her mouth, he said, ‘From now on, you will spend every night in my bed.’
With his hands, he drew back the edges of her gown, exposing her naked body. She felt the heat of the fire against her skin and the fur beneath her body. Alarr removed the rest of his clothing and then pressed her back. ‘I hated watching you leave with those men,’ he said, trapping her wrists upon the furs. ‘I didn’t trust them to guard you.’
He lowered his mouth to her other breast, giving it the same attention as the first. She shuddered against him, threading her fingers through his hair. His touch was possessive, and it evoked a fiery pleasure she had never imagined. It was as if the years of loneliness had gathered up within him, and he needed her to fill the void inside.
Breanne framed his face with her hands. His blue eyes stared into hers, and she kissed him again. ‘You always kept me safe.’ She drew her hands down his muscled torso, feeling the rock-hard muscles beneath her palms. There was no trace of fat upon him, and his abdomen had several ridges. When her fingertips brushed against his ribs, he jolted with a slight laugh.
‘You’re ticklish,’ she accused, and he did not deny it. Instead, he drew her hand lower, until her palm brushed against his large arousal. For a moment, her apprehension returned, and she closed her eyes. Alarr guided her to his manhood, and demanded, ‘Touch me, Breanne.’
She curled her fingers around his shaft, understanding that he meant to empower her. Tentatively, she stroked him, and he hissed.
‘Did I hurt you?’
‘No.’ He showed her how to touch him, and she felt his erection grow harder against her palm as she stroked. She marvelled at the sense of power that rose up and the heady pleasure of caressing him.
Alarr drew his hand between her thighs, and she grew embarrassed by her wetness. He seemed pleased, however. ‘Do not be shy, Breanne. Your body knows what it wants. And I intend to learn what you need.’
He began rubbing gentle circles against her intimate opening. A shock of sensation flooded through her, and she gasped when he slipped a finger inside. In answer, she stroked his length, finding what made him groan with arousal. ‘Don’t stop what you are doing, søtnos.’ He drew her hand higher, and she felt the answering bead of moisture at his tip.
Slowly, he began to penetrate her with his finger in slow strokes while his thumb moved in light circles. The motion wound her up tightly, and she found herself squeezing him, evoking a stronger sensation. He added another finger, stretching her and making her crave more. As the feelings rose up within, gathering into a fist of desire, he lowered his mouth to her stomach. He kissed her skin, parting her thighs and raising her knees. She did not know what he was planning to do, until she felt his warm breath against her intimate opening.
‘Alarr?’ she questioned, gripping the furs. Her skin was unbearably sensitive, and when he replaced his fingers with his mouth, she could not stop the cry mingled with a gasp. He was tormenting her, forcing her higher until she was sobbing. Over and over, he stroked her with his tongue, until she felt herself slipping over the edge. A shimmering eruption of release flooded through her, and she trembled hard as the pleasure claimed her.
Only then
