Desire's Release (Damning Desires)

             
Rheya’s
hand skimmed down her stomach, bunching the material of her shift and tugged it to her hips. Her teeth sank into her lower lip as she remembered the way the firelight had played off his bronzed chest. Her mind’s eye greedily roved over the hard panes of his muscled body, over broad shoulders that tapered down to a narrow waist. Black hair framed his manhood, standing erect and commanding her full attention.

             
Her hand ventured further, brushing her thighs and toying with the thatch of bright red hair. Even the memory of him was enough to leave her sopping wet.

             
“Undress,” he had
said,
his husky voice a firm command.

             
She did so, hands trembling at the laces of her shirt. She’d wanted him for so long, but when the moment had come, all she could think about was her lack of experience and how much his member might hurt as it entered her.

             
He would have none of it. Ryder grabbed her shirt by the collar and pulled, ripping it in half. Her doeskin leggings met a similar fate.

             
Gods, how nervous she had been as his ice blue eyes wandered over her naked body. He had licked his lips and grinned in a way that never quite reached his eyes.

             
Rheya’s
finger dove into the nest of curls as she remembered the way he pushed her to the floor, his big body covering hers.

             
“Are you wet for me?” he had asked. She had been, though not nearly enough.

             
His large fingers pried her lower lips apart, much in the very same way hers were doing now. He touched something inside her that made her back arch as pleasure spiked through her.
Rheya
touched herself there now and moaned. Her free hand pinched her nipple, the same one he’d bitten that night.

             
Ryder flicked his finger back and forth across her nub, teeth intermittently biting her breast until she was nothing but a quivering mask of sensation beneath him. His fingers dipped lower, prodding deeper inside her.

             
“So tiny,” he murmured against her breast. “I’m going to fuck you until you can’t move. Would you like that?”

             
She opened her mouth to speak, but moaned instead.

             
Ryder bit her nipple hard enough to make her gasp. “Answer me.”

             
“Yes,” she forced out between clenched teeth. “Please, Ryder, I feel like I’m going to explode.”

             
Rheya
brushed the pad of her forefinger back and forth across her nub as she remembered the smirk he gave her.

             
Ryder reached between them and positioned the head of his member at her opening.

             
“Will it hurt?” she asked, hands settling on his shoulder.

             
“It always hurts the first time.” He pushed forward.

             
She felt the head penetrate her folds, forcing into her hole. A terrible fullness seized her and
Rheya
squirmed under him, closing her eyes.

             
“Stop moving or I’ll thrust inside you and rip you apart,” he growled down at her.

             
Rheya
stilled at once. He was trying to be gentle, but she knew gentleness wasn’t in his nature.

             
She squeezed her own breast harder, hips bucking against her hand. Ryder had pushed further inside her as she clenched her eyes shut tightly.

             
“Open you fucking eyes. I want to see them when I take you.”

             
Her eyes popped open. Sweat beaded on his forehead and she knew he was using every ounce of self-control not to thrust that monstrous thing inside her all at once.

             
“So fucking tight,” he groaned, pushing more inside. Her nails dug into his shoulder and she bit into her lower lip.

             
“Is it in yet?”
Rheya
asked when he stilled.

             
“Just giving you time to adjust,” he said, “You still have several inches to go.”

             
“I… I don’t think I can do this.”

             
“Too late to turn back now.
I’m fucking you one way or the other tonight.”

             
He reached between them, back to the nub and soon had her writing beneath him once more. He strained against her, forcing a little more inside. It hurt, but at least his fingers soothed away most of the pain.

             
“This is going to hurt,” he said right before he thrust all the way inside her.

             
Rheya
screamed as he ripped something inside her. Moisture coated her hand at the memory.

             
Ryder remained still for a long time, allowing her body to grow accustomed to his titanic girth.

             
He pulled out slowly and worked his way back in while she whimpered beneath him. In an uncharacteristic show of kindness, he brushed the hair away from her forehead.

             
“Give it time.” He shuddered as he thrust back inside her.
“You’re so fucking tight,
Rheya
.
Never been with anyone so tight before.
Feels so good.”

             
Warmth began to spread from her nether regions into her stomach. She stopped whimpering and gasped instead, feeling the first stirring of pleasure as he entered her.

             
Ryder seemed to sense this and increased his pace, grunts escaping his mouth.
Rheya
fingered herself faster, recalling the moment she’d wrapped her legs around his hips and felt him slide deeper.

             
She rose to meet his thrusts, back arching so he could feast on her breasts again. They had been bruised for weeks after that night, but she didn’t care.

             
Her inner muscles contracted, signaling her climax was near and
Rheya
slowed her pace so she could remember more of that night.

             
His muscled body plunged into hers hard enough to drive her across the cold stone floor. He fisted a hand in her bright red hair to keep her still.

             
“Going to fuck you so hard,” he growled as he bit her throat.
“Until you beg me to stop.
You’re mine,
Rheya
.”

             
Those words brought her to the edge faster than she would have liked.
Rheya
gasped as her muscles
spasmed
around her finger.

             
You’re mine.

             
She continued toying with
herself
until the last spasm died away.

             
Rheya
sighed as she pulled her hand away and rolled over, tugging the covers higher. The release had certainly eased her tension, but sleep still wouldn’t come.

             
It wasn’t the same without him. Circumstances had only given the two one night together before he had to leave. That was three years ago and she still craved the feel of his large hands on her body, the way he stretched her almost to the point of pain.

             
Rheya
closed her eyes, wondering if she’d ever feel so full again.

             
She sat behind the bar of the empty tavern, idly playing with strands of her red hair. If business continued like this, she’d find herself out on the street,

             
As if the gods had heard her, the door opened.
Rheya
sat up suddenly, her heart in her throat, fervently hoping it might be Ruder. He said he’d come back when he could.

             
But it wasn’t. The brown-haired man that entered was considerably smaller than her gigantic lover. He crossed the room in long strides, lips pulled into a lopsided grin.
Rheya
answered with a smile.

             
“Good evening, sir. What may I get for you?”

             
“Ale, if it please you,” he replied, sliding into a chair as the bar. “I’ve just arrived in town and travel dust has made my tongue thick.”

             
She nodded and rose from her seat, retrieving a tankard.
Rheya
filled it with ale from the cask and placed it in front of him.

             
The stranger took a healthy drink before he sat the tankard down with a satisfied sigh. “That’s the thing, right there.
Nothing like cool ale after a long journey.”

             
“Where have you come from?” she asked, returning to her seat.

             
“
Lanwyn
, from the east.
Tracking bandits that attacked a merchant caravan.”

             
“Did you catch them?”

             
“Indeed, I did.” The man took another drink. “My name is
Collum
. What may I call you?”

             
“
Rheya
.”
He seemed friendly enough and she could do with a pleasant conversation to help the time pass.

             
“
Rheya
.
A lovely name, though not nearly as lovely as the woman.” He grinned. She noticed he had bright green eyes that seemed to sparkle when he smiled. “Are you here alone,
Rheya
?”

             
“Yes. I own and operate this place myself.”

             
“A dangerous time for a woman to be alone.
Any old brigand could wander in here and have his way with you.”

             
If only,
Rheya
thought to herself. Perhaps it would help drive Ryder from her mind. “Lucky for me, you aren’t a brigand.”

             
Collum
laughed. “Why don’t you have a drink with me,
Rheya
?”

             
“Oh no,” she shook her head quickly. “I never drink while I’m working.”

             
“And I never drink alone.” His expression turned pleading. “Share a drink with me, fair lady. I don’t think your other customers will mind.”

             
Rheya
hesitated. Truth be told, she’d never been able to handle her alcohol well. But
Collum
seemed friendly and she wasn’t likely to see any more business tonight.

             
“Oh, very well.”
Rheya
rose from her chair. She’d never acclimated to the taste of ale, so instead she selected a bottle of wine and filled two glasses.

             
She filled the glasses and deposited one in front of him.
Collum
abandoned the ale for the wine.
“Strawberry.
Good choice.”

             
Rheya
took a healthy drink of her own, hoping the wine would dull her thoughts and allow her to sleep tonight.

             
Collum
kept up a steady stream of conversation, telling her about
Lanwyn
, which she’d never visited before, and regaling her with tales of chasing bandits and outlaws. He filled her glass whenever it looked slightly
low,
asking her what sort of people came into her tavern. That stream of conversation soon had both of them laughing as she told him some of the odder people she’d encountered.

             
A warm glow spread through her and
Rheya
soon realized she’d drunk too much. Her chest and face felt flushed. The wine had the intended effect of dulling her thoughts, but it almost made her hot at the apex of her thighs. Every time she shifted her legs, a thrill shot through her body. Oh, what she wouldn’t give to feel Ryder’s fingers thrumming against her nub as he forced his way inside her.
Rheya’s
eyes fluttered closed at the thought.

             
“You’ve a scratch on your clean bar,”
Collum
said, jerking her to attention.

             
“Where?”
Her eyes snapped open and leaved over the bar to look.