Authors: Marie Harte
Her
throaty cries mingled with his deep moans. She clenched around him and shouted
his name, squeezing him with her sex until he could no longer hold back.
“
Fuck,
I’m coming.
” In an instant he pulled out and jetted all over her belly.
Pressing down, he rubbed his cock over her slick stomach and continued to spend,
caught in a desire that seemed never-ending.
When
he opened his eyes he saw her watching him, a lazy smile on her face.
He
swore she purred. “Your seed is all over me.”
Marking
her as his own. “Hell yeah,” he croaked and rested on shaky arms. He pressed
his forehead to hers, then rolled over onto his back with a groan. “Am I dead
and in the great beyond? Can’t believe I made it to heaven.”
She
laughed, her happiness evident in the lightness of her being.
“Now
I understand why you men want to do this all the time.”
“See?
And you thought it was nonsense.” Hell, he still couldn’t catch his breath.
Her
fingers closed around his finally flagging erection. “So much seed. I think if
you had not pulled out, you might have made a baby.”
He
turned his head to look at her, wanting badly to try it all over again. But all
he said was, “You may be right. Good thing you can’t get pregnant from
swallowing.”
She
looked confused for a moment then blushed. A reluctant smile lifted her lips.
“You are crude, but funny. And very talented.”
Now
he flushed. “Ah, thanks.” He groaned and sat up. “Time to clean up again.”
Thais
gasped. “I hope Beast didn’t eat the fish. I was coming to get you for the meal
when I saw you and, well, lost my focus.”
Hinto
chuckled and let her pull him to his feet. “Lost your focus? Honey, I can’t
wait to help you lose your focus a few more times tonight. And tomorrow. And
the next day—”
She
rolled her eyes and followed him into the water.
They
bathed in silence, until the lowering temperature penetrated.
Grabbing
their clothes, they hurried as best they could back to the campsite. The fire
had nearly burned out. Beast, with a shit-eating grin, stood boldly over the
empty plate where Thais had left the fish.
She
swore, in Territory speak and her language. “I’ll find us some firewood. I
guess it’s more berries tonight.”
“And
the rest of the hardtack. I’ll get it from my saddlebag.”
They
dried off and dressed by the sputtering flames. Thais left to gather firewood,
while Hinto sought food. The sunlight left just as she returned with wood.
Feeding
the fire, Thais concentrated on her responsibility.
When
it appeared she didn’t intend to look at him again, Hinto bit down on a smile.
“Honey,
you okay? You sore?”
She
glanced up at him and blushed. Even in the firelight, he could see her
embarrassment.
“My
warrior, blushing?”
“Ass.”
“Witch.”
Her
lips curled. “Bastard.”
“Bruiser.”
She
smiled. “Faker.”
“Faker?”
“How
much did your injury really pain you if you could have sex like that?”
“Make
love,” he murmured, realizing how different being intimate with Thais was from
being with any other woman.
“What?”
He
cleared his throat, uncomfortable with his jumbled feelings.
Hell, I sound
like a dammed female. “Make love.” God.
“I can’t wait to have sex with you
again,” he growled. “A real man’s never too hurt to please his woman. A woman
like you,” he hastily amended, “who looks and acts like a siren of yore.” He
wiggled his eyebrows, pleased when she mumbled something less than
complimentary under her breath.
Thais,
at least, had no intention of becoming clingy or overly emotional after losing
her virginity. So why the hell was he making a muck of it?
Because the
thought of her loving anyone else but me is plain wrong. Of her
fucking
anyone else but me
, he corrected, then wanted to smack himself for acting
so missish.
“Are
you all right?” she asked. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
“Hurt
me?” Hinto had to laugh. He laughed so hard he cried. “Let me keep a little bit
of my dignity. Hurt
me
?” When she gave him a puzzled frown, he chuckled
hoarsely. “I’m just fine. Tired maybe, and hungry, but nothing some food won’t
cure.”
They
shared the hardtack, drank some water, and watched the fire burn. Some time
later, Hinto spread out his blanket and held out a hand to Thais. She accepted
it and joined him, using her blanket to cover them both. His arm curled over
her side and rested on her belly. She sighed and snuggled closer, smelling like
flowers.
As
sleep slowly claimed him, Hinto knew with a certainty he’d never be the same
again.
Chapter Thirteen
Thais
dreamed of a giant snake tightening its coils around her, making it hard to
breathe. It had Bartel’s face and her mother’s spear sticking out of one of its
pallid blue eyes. The end of the spear mesmerized her. Useless, broken, a last
bit of her mother that had failed against the enemy. Then a bright blue flash
caught her attention, the waters of the Goddess Cave captured in the beauty of
a man’s eyes. Hinto. He slapped his hand over the snake’s nostrils.
It
struggled to breathe, wrestled free of his hold and bit him before Thais could
reach her dagger and kill it. But Hinto didn’t fall under its poison. The snake
faded from sight, but Hinto wouldn’t go away.
“I’m
in control now,” he said with a smile that melted the ice around her heart.
She
leaned close to kiss him. His muscular arms imprisoned her as heat welded them
together. While the fire burned, desperate cries from the Amazon village echoed
around the jungle.
“Help us, Thais. We need you. We’re dying!”
But
Thais couldn’t leave. Nor did she want to. While the other snakes killed and
raped and maimed, she fell deeper under Hinto’s spell, losing herself once
again in the simple pleasure life afforded those who took the easy path…
She
wanted to frown, to call out for help, to get away, and then the nightmare
morphed into something else.
Warmth
trailed down her neck and lingered at her pulse point. A strong hand moved down
her stomach to the cinch of her trousers. He opened the part and eased his hand
inside, combing through the bit of hair protecting her sex. Parting her folds,
his fingers slid through her slit, grazing the bud that gave such pleasure when
aroused.
She
shifted and moaned, much preferring this dream to the other.
Kisses
turned into hungry demands for more. Still soft, still gentle, yet he moved
with a sense of urgency as he pulled her pants down over her hips.
On
her side, she felt awkward, restless.
And
then his fingers pushed into her channel and filled the hungry void within. He
stroked, in and out, the familiar rhythm one she wanted to feel again.
They
didn’t speak with words, but with their bodies. He bit at her earlobe and
sucked the sting away. Wetness flooded her loins, earning a groan from him as
well.
He
played with her, testing and teasing. And then she felt something thick and hot
against her backside. His hot flesh pressing between her buttocks as he slid up
and down her crack.
Her
knees were pinned together by her lowered trousers. But he managed to inch
between her thighs.
The
awkwardness of it all woke her from her daze.
He
pushed inside her tight, wet sheath and swore.
“Fuck
me. You’re perfect.” His hoarse voice pleased her.
She
felt his every touch, their position one that allowed no escape from the
bruising intimacy as he took her. Hinto dominated, forcing her to feel her
pleasure as he rubbed her clit with his finger while thrusting in and out with
greater speed.
The
climax washed over her in a rush, like the welcome release of a dream.
He
groaned and pulled out of her, shoving against her buttocks with an urgency
that told her he neared his end. Grinding against her ass, he whispered her
name as he came.
Wet
stickiness covered her as they lay together, fighting for calm.
The
amazing bliss still stunned her. That Thais could feel such joy after lying
with a male… Everything she’d ever heard about the sexual act seemed a lie. Hinto
had never been cruel, nor had he hurt her. He saw to her needs before finding
his own end. She’d found no frustration, other than abstinence.
Thais
flushed. She still had a hard time believing she’d instigated all this. But
yesterday, seeing him in his naked glory, so thick and aroused by the sight of
her, she could do little else. Had he been arrogant or demanding, she might
have resisted him. But he’d looked annoyed, as if caught in this whirlwind of
desire, a victim like Thais.
The
perfection of their union had stayed with her long after they’d lain by the
fire. She’d never slept so soundly. Never wakened to such bliss, either. Worries
about the future paled next to reveling in their joining.
“Thais,”
he murmured and kissed her along her neck. He continued to hold her close, as
if she mattered to him. “Why do you always smell like flowers?”
“I
have an oil that soothes rough skin. Would you like some?”
He
chuckled and ground against her, spreading the mess he’d made. “I’d rather you
rubbed it over me a different way. Hmm, honey. This is the way I’d like to wake
every morning.”
Silence
filled the relaxed space. Beast mumbled a greeting, and Hinto took a deep
breath.
“Unfortunately,
we can’t stay here forever. Beast is giving me dirty looks. Time to find him
some meat. Hold on while I find something to clean us both.”
He
left, looking much stronger than he’d been in days. Perhaps the sex had
empowered him, she thought with amusement. He returned to her with wet hair and
used a dampened rag to clean her.
“Made
a mess, sorry.” He didn’t sound sorry. Hinto sounded like a man staking a claim.
She
intended to warn him not to become attached, but when she glanced up at him,
she saw only good humor in his face. Hinto had fucked any number of women. Why
should she consider that she had meant any more to him than they had?
The
odd surge of jealousy struck her mute. Thais didn’t need to warn Hinto not to
become involved, she needed to warn herself. One evening—and one morning—of
terrific sex and she wanted to bind Hinto to her, to do what? To follow her to
the ends of the Territories to avenge her people? To steal back the crown,
return it to the Amazon, and then what? Settle down and have babies?
She
didn’t know whether to feel horrified or excited at thoughts of growing round
with his child.
“I’d
love to know what the hell you’re thinkin’,” Hinto murmured, leaned down to
kiss her then walked to Beast.
“Ah,
just wishing we could stay here longer. But we need to move on.”
Right now.
No
more thoughts of babies.
By the Goddess, I’ve become addled by sex.
This
had to be a test. The Great Mother wanted to see if she had learned her lesson,
and apparently, Thais hadn’t. For the briefest second she’d longed to stay with
Hinto, to forget about Bartel and simply live in the moment.
The
worst kind of sin she could think of, to forego duty before pleasure. Throughout
her childhood, Thais had resisted temptations offered by others. She hadn’t
gorged on sweets or tried to engage with other tribes outside of the Amazon. She’d
followed every rule to the letter, lived and breathed to make her mother proud—what
every Amazon aspired to be, the dutiful daughter.
Until
she’d broken a rule, her mother had died, and Thais now swept enemy lands to
avenge her family. Yet she hadn’t considered sex with Hinto to be breaking a
rule so much as he was a distraction. A temptation she needed to conquer before
it conquered her.
Queen
Estefina would have told her to have no further contact with Hinto, a male
worth nothing more than the seed he could spend.
Her
mother would have demanded she fulfill her oath and see Hinto to his home,
where his family could protect him, as he’d protected her. Duty came second to
warrior’s honor, an honor Hinto clearly possessed.
Chow
Yen would have told Thais to follow her heart, that in being herself and loving
the life the Goddess had given her, she’d find no wrong in the doing.
“Thais,
I need your help.” Hinto interrupted the cacophony of her thoughts. “Beast
wants food. There’s something small about forty paces to your right, that way. A
boar or a bobcat, I’m thinking.” He pointed behind her. “I’d give you my gun
but we don’t want to make noise. There’s no hint of McKenzie’s boys around, but
it never hurts to be careful.” He handed her his knife instead.