Exiled (3 page)

She swallowed nervously. “I—”

“Say what it is you’re thinking, Talia,” he said gently.

“It frightens me.”

He nodded. “That’s understandable. What about it frightens you? Is there a specific fear or is it that you fear having to obey me in general?”

“I don’t know what you’ll ask me to do,” she whispered. “And…I don’t like…pain. I mean and being tied up would scare me, I think.”

He gave her a confused look before understanding dawned. Then he chuckled lightly. “Come here, Talia.”

Her scrambled brain knew this was a command no matter how gently rendered it was and she hurried off the couch to where he sat diagonal to her in the overstuffed armchair.

“Sit,” he directed, pulling her down onto his lap.

As soon as she settled onto his lap, his scent surrounded her, as did his warmth. It was heady. It made her nervous and eager all at the same time.

He touched her face, exploring for a moment the curve of her cheek and then he threaded his fingers into her hair.

His touch was electrifying. Each brush, each point of contact whether purposeful or incidental sent a cascade of chill bumps scurrying across her skin. She wanted to lean into his caress like a cat seeking more attention. She wanted to be stroked and petted. If she reacted so strongly now, what would it be like when they were naked? Skin to skin. His hands on her body.

Her senses surged to life and her nostrils flared, heat pooling low in her groin. There was no doubt she was excited. That she wanted him. Even not knowing fully what would be expected of her, she eagerly awaited the unknown.

He touched her lips, tapping, almost as if he knew she was preoccupied. Only when she turned to look fully at him did he speak.

“You assume because I demand your obedience and your submissiveness that I am asking you to enter into a BDSM relationship complete with whips, chains and God knows what else is running through your head right now. Am I right?”

She bit her lip, suddenly embarrassed. But what was she supposed to have thought? Then she slowly nodded.

He frowned, his lips twisting in distaste, as if the mere thought was reprehensible to him.

“I have no desire to hurt you. Quite the opposite. I want to bring you as much pleasure as you’ll bring me. I have no intention of frightening you either. I have no need to restrain you if you’re obedient. Tying you up would represent a lack of trust on my part. If I ask you to do something, I have every confidence that you’ll do as you’re told without me having to truss you up.”

She sagged as relief lessened the tension in her shoulders. So far this wasn’t going badly at all. Hell, it sounded too good to be true.

“Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let me tell you what you can expect. I am a highly sexual person. I like sex. I like kinky sex. I have no doubt some of my proclivities will shock you. You and I will be having sex frequently in all manner of ways. If I decide I want to have you in the middle of dinner, make no mistake, I’ll bend you over the table and fuck you then and there.”

Her cheeks were going to explode. An odd tightening sensation coiled in her midsection and spread to her nipples until they were hard and pointed. She had to refrain from fidgeting restlessly on his lap as the erotic words brushed over her ears.

“I’ll have your mouth, your pussy and your ass,” he continued in a quiet, firm voice. “There is no part of your body I won’t avail myself of. You belong entirely to me. And as such, what I choose to do with your delectable body is also completely at my discretion.”

She narrowed her eyes in confusion.

He smiled lazily, his eyes glowing as he looked toward the doorway. She glanced up, mortified that three men stood there. Had they heard any part of the conversation?

“And I’ll choose to share you with them,” he said, motioning toward the doorway. “Often.”

Chapter 3

“You’re scaring her,” one of the men drawled as he ambled into the room.

There wasn’t an undertone of deference and it didn’t seem to bother Xander at all. Whoever these men were, they weren’t the typical subordinates.

Talia eyed the three men as she went still in Xander’s arms. He seemed to sense her unease because one hand tightened just above her knee while the other hand soothed up and down her arm as if to calm her nerves.

As if.

These were powerful men in their own right. Hell, maybe they were some type of royalty. Maybe the whole damn island was some posh refuge for exiled princes and the like.

Okay, she was starting to get hysterical even if she was exhibiting no outward signs. But inside her head, she was screaming 
what the hell
 and fast wondering just what she’d gotten herself into.

This was beyond something as simple as being a mistress. Or whatever the hell word she wanted to call it. Maybe whore hadn’t 
been far off the mark though she winced at the mere whisper of the word in her mind.

She was beginning to feel like a…thing. Something purchased, bartered, borrowed. Oh God. It was a revolting thought.

“You better say something damn quick, Xander,” one of the other men said in a grim voice. “She’s looking like she wants to jump out of the window.”

“Perhaps I was a bit too blunt in the explanation of my expectations,” Xander began.

“You think?” the first man said, shaking his head.

Xander sighed and then touched Talia’s cheek so she would turn away from the men to look back at him. “Talia, these are my most trusted men. They act as my security team, but they are much more. They are friends. They are the only ones I trust implicitly. With my life and now yours.”

He gestured to the first one, the one who’d said Xander was scaring her. “This is Garon.”

Garon inclined his head in a nod even as his gaze burned steadily through her. He was…hard. He looked like a hard man. Not much give to him. Even Xander had made somewhat of an effort to make her feel at ease. Garon just kept looking at her with eyes that told her he’d have her soon enough.

“And next to him is Sebastien.”

Sebastien had collected her from the car but she remembered little of her impression of him. She’d been too nervous about arriving and seeing Xander. Now as she studied him, she realized that he wasn’t the sort of man she’d normally overlook. Tall, broad shouldered. Taller than Garon but leaner and not as stocky. Garon was…well, he resembled a boulder. Big and hard. An immovable force. Sebastien had dirty blond hair that was streaked as if he’d spent a lot of time in the sun. Garon’s hair was dark and cut short. He looked like the type who never let it grow even a centimeter longer than the predetermined length. Sebastien…he looked a little more laid-back.

“And last is Nico, who hasn’t yet decided to enter the room apparently,” Xander said dryly.

Nico…He seemed quiet. He’d yet to say a single word. Garon and Sebastien had offered their dry opinions on the matter at hand. But Nico just stood back with those dark eyes and studied her intently like he was seeing right through her soul.

His hair was longer and jet-black. Sleek and shiny, hanging to his shoulders. He wasn’t as tall as the others. He was probably just under six feet but somehow he seemed much bigger. His presence seemed to dominate the room.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Talia,” Nico said in a soft voice.

She wasn’t sure what she was supposed to do and she sure as hell wasn’t sure whether she was pleased to meet him or the others yet either, so she simply nodded and tried to hold it together until she could make better sense of it all.

“Sit, all of you,” Xander commanded. “You’re making her nervous standing over her. I want her to feel comfortable here.”

Sebastien snorted. “After what I just overheard, you’re going to have to do a hell of a lot more talking for her to feel comfortable.”

Xander shot him a dark scowl but then directed an apologetic look at Talia. “You must forgive my bluntness. I’m not one for dancing around a topic. I thought it best that you know up front precisely what your stay here entails.”

“I agree,” she said faintly. “I do want to know. No surprises. Much better that way.”

Xander touched her skin again, frowning. “You’re cold.”

Was she? She didn’t feel cold. She felt incredibly over warm. In fact, she’d love to throw open the back doors to the patio and breathe in the sea air.

She shook her head to refute his assertion, but he didn’t look convinced and in fact drew her farther into his embrace so their bodies were touching. She was flush against him. And that was 
supposed to help? Now she’d spontaneously combust and burn the whole darn villa down.

After a moment where he seemed to consider whether he should continue, he directed her gaze back to him.

“There are rules, and I hate to use such a cold, austere word. Perhaps we should again go back to expectations. You will find I like things a certain way. I have a regimen that I follow.”

Garon chuckled and said irreverently, “You’re an anal bastard, Z, just admit it.”

Xander shot him a quelling look and then turned his attention back to Talia. “You may wonder why we aren’t having this conversation in private.”

She nodded before she could stop herself. She was very much wondering why she had to suffer this embarrassment. She’d never felt so uncomfortable and vulnerable in her life.

“Because they are in large part responsible for enforcing my expectations.”

She peeked nervously at where they’d taken seats across from and catty-corner to where Xander sat in the armchair with her draped across his body. If what he was saying was what she thought he was saying…holy hell.

“It’s really not complicated,” Xander said calmly. “You’ll take direction from me—and them as an extension of me. You’ll never have to wonder whether you’re performing to expectation because there will always be someone to guide you. You’ll be apprised of some things from the start. The important things. The rest you’ll learn as you go. I’ve already stated this isn’t some sort of BDSM arrangement where we keep you tethered and crop you every time you step out of line.”

At that, Nico frowned, his brows drawing together as if he found the very idea repugnant.

“And what are these things?” she asked, impatient to get to the point.

Xander drew in a breath. Good Lord, but he looked like he was readying himself to deliver a speech. Were there that many rules?

His hand slid up her leg, underneath her skirt and she froze as he rubbed lightly just over her hip where her panty line rested.

“Each morning you’ll be awakened by one of my men. They’ll bring what you’ll be expected to wear, if anything for that day.”

She frowned again. “What? I don’t understand.”

He didn’t look pleased by her interruption.

“Perhaps the first thing we should get out of the way is that you are to be completely obedient to me, which means that you are to listen while I give you instructions, and you aren’t to interrupt. When I am finished conveying my message, should you still not fully understand what it is I’m demanding of you, then you can ask for clarification.”

She licked her lips nervously. She was already making a mess of this. This so wasn’t something she could pull off. She may not be the type of woman who was ballsy and took her place in the world and damn anyone who tried to hold her back, but she 
was
 strong willed. She knew her own mind and she wasn’t used to having to take orders from anyone. For too long, she had been the decision maker in her life and her mother’s. It was she who told others what to do, what she wanted, how she wanted her mother cared for. And now she was expected to become a meek, biddable… mistress?

“I would love to know what you’re thinking,” Xander murmured. “Your eyes are so expressive.”

“No, you don’t,” she muttered.

His eyebrows lifted and she heard Sebastien chuckle from across the room.

“Now if you’ll allow me to get back to the things I was saying,” he said. “In answer to your unspoken question, yes, there will be days I prefer you to wear nothing at all. You have a beautiful body, Talia. One I can’t wait to avail myself of. Not only do I want to 
touch you, taste you…fuck you…I want to look at what is mine and appreciate your beauty.”

She had no idea what to say to that whatsoever. She was too bombarded by the unnerving sensation of imagining his mouth on her skin. His hands. His cock deep inside her body. Her eyes closed until they were half lidded and a light shiver rolled over her shoulders.

Xander pressed his mouth to her bare shoulder. “That’s right, Talia,” he murmured against her skin. “Everything you’re imagining and more. I promise you.”

She was mesmerized by the husky tone of his voice. She was entranced by the experience of being in this man’s arms while three men sat mere feet away, listening, participating, determining her fate.

It was surreal. A dream she was sure she would awaken from. It was such a far cry from what she’d been doing just weeks earlier before the royal summons had upended her carefully ordered life.

Fantasy? Fairy tale?

She hadn’t yet decided. On the surface it seemed every girl’s dream. Being whisked away by a handsome prince. Pampered, spoiled, catered to.

But there was so much more. It dipped into that murky gray area where she was no longer sure where she stood or if she would lose a part of herself in the process.

“I know enough about you to know you aren’t a morning person, so I won’t expect you to awaken early.”

She cocked her head, narrowing her eyes. He only laughed. “There’s much I know of you, Talia. Never doubt that.”

Okay, so maybe they’d get into that later. She didn’t want to distract him from the rules because it seemed more important she figure out her place, her role, here in this island paradise before she demanded to know just how careful an eye he’d kept on her in the last four years.

“You’ll breakfast with one of the others, unless I decide otherwise. 
I’ll join you for lunch and dinner. But you’ll never eat alone, unless you wish it and then only if I grant you permission. If I’m unable to eat with you, one of them will attend you,” he said, gesturing toward Garon, Sebastien and Nico.