Chapter Eight
The guards came and I was handcuffed and led away between them. The cuffs felt so silly and pointless. What threat could I possibly be to them? They were so much stronger than I was. But I did not fight in any way. I had agreed to this willingly, happily. In some way, it was what I wanted.
It felt strange to be back in my old room. I ran my hands along the thick red fibers of my coverlet. I looked at the screens, seeing the stars reflected back at me. I turned the lights all the way down and let myself breathe. There was food left out for me: bread, meats, cheeses and fruits. It was a bounty, but my stomach had shrunk and I was quickly full.
I peeled my disgusting clothes off and put them in the trash. I let hot water steam the bathroom before stepping into the spray. The water combed through my hair, dislodging all the filth and dirt and hay that had accumulated in the last few days. I turned around and opened my mouth, drinking the hot water, letting it wet my lips. Crying from relief.
I cleaned myself from head to toe. Every last bit of dirt was removed from underneath my fingers. I scrubbed myself roughly with a brush. The soap smelled like lavender, it was rich and silky, far nicer than anything I was used to.
I stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around myself. I didn’t even bother getting dressed. I dropped the wet towel at the foot of my bed and climbed between the sheets. The bed was so soft and warm. My eyes were heavy, I struggled for a moment to stay awake.
Was I worried about my deal with Strath? I felt that I should have been, but I wasn’t. I remembered our kiss from the night of the festival. His mouth on mine, the feel of his body, his strength and power had been intoxicating. I had wanted him then. Did I still want him now?
The fact that this great Lord who oversaw thousands was this interested in me seemed impossible. He was surrounded by beautiful women, at least three of them, at all times. I’m sure there were thousands of women on this ship who would have been thrilled to join him in his bed. But out of all of them, he only wanted me.
He thought I was free. He thought I was like him, answering to no master. I wasn’t though. I wasn’t like him. I had a cause I was tethered to. A cause I was not willing to give up.
I drifted off into a deep sleep. While I was sleeping, I had a dream that a man came to me. The room was only lit by the stars on the screen, I could not bear to turn them off before falling asleep. I watched his silhouette against the stars. He entered the room and removed his toga. I could see the strong muscles in his shoulders work as he walked towards me.
He sat on the edge of the bed and ran his hand along my forehead, pushing aside a strand of hair.
With a gasp, I awoke. Strath was sitting above me. He bade me to sit up and when I did, he brought a glass of water to my mouth and I drank eagerly. He put the glass down and cupped my cheek in his hand.
He leaned down and kissed me. I kissed him back, my tongue sliding over his lips and into his mouth. He gripped my hair and pulled me even closer. My hand traced a line down his strong chest.
He broke the kiss and looked down at my wrists, still red from the chains. He shook his head and kissed them both gently, carefully. The sight of this strong Lord in such a tender pose made me want him even more. I broke my hands free of his wrists and wrapped my arms around his neck pulling him in for a kiss.
His hand found my breast and he massaged it gently as we continued our embrace. I broke the kiss letting my head fall back. I wasn’t expecting his touch to be so light. He was so strong, he could crush bricks with his hands, but he was so gentle with me.
His expert fingers explored my body, sparking fire along my collarbone and in the hollow of my throat. Then his mouth replaced his hands. He licked and kissed along my neck. The softness of his lips combined with the scruff of his jaw created an engulfing sensation that made me tremble in his arms. My entire body shuddered and then I could take no more, I pulled his head up again and kissed him hard.
“Come to bed,” I whispered to him. Our foreheads were touching and he nodded and slid between the sheets next to me.
He was on his back and I trailed a line of kisses down his chest and his stomach. He was hard and I grazed him with my lips before taking the length of him in my hand. He moaned and his head fell back as I moved my hand up and down, slowly, teasing him with feather-light touches.
I could have stared at his body all night. Each muscle was well defined and I could not stop from leaning down and kissing his stomach. He grabbed me by the shoulders and pulled me to him. His lips crashed against mine. I lightened my touch on him. My fingers just barely grazing his hot skin.
He growled, took me by the shoulders and pushed me down. He knelt between me, my legs on either side of him. I felt suddenly exposed lying like this underneath him. My entire body was open to him. I tried to cover myself, but he gently grabbed my wrist and stopped me. His hands moved up and down my body, touching every inch of me. He massaged my breast and traced a circle around my nipple. He moved lower seizing my thighs in his hands. I could feel his strength as he dug into my flesh.
I was desperate for him to touch me. I didn’t care that he was a Dolcivs and I was a human. I only cared about his touch. I needed relief from the pressure he had built up. I writhed underneath him and he leaned down and took my breast in his mouth.
Arching my back, I strained for his touch. He sat back on his knees and stared down at me, drinking me in. Consuming me with his eyes. As he stared he reached down and took himself in his hand and then slowly, oh so slowly, he pushed himself into me. I gasped as my body adjusted to his size. For a moment, my entire body froze as he thrust into me. But it was only a moment, I was wet and ready for him. He began to move back and forth in a slow rhythm. My hands were on his shoulder, pulling him down to kiss me as he moved slowly in and out.
My fingers curled into fists. He kissed the curve of my neck and I took a ragged breath. I moved with him, lost in the sensations of his hands and lips and the feeling of having him inside of me. Then we were moving. He spun me over until I was on top of him, staying in me the entire time.
I sat up on top of him. He was deep inside of me. Pressing one hand onto his firm chest I began to move my hips back and forth. He grabbed my breasts, holding onto me as we moved together.
“Yes,” I moaned as he touched that part inside of me that was made of fire.
“Yes,” he groaned as I panted above him. Electricity was sparking through my veins. I sped up and a bolt of pleasure coursed through me. Passion was streaming through my veins, building up to a desperate release. I never wanted this to stop. It felt so good. I looked down and saw that he was looking at me, right into my eyes.
My lips parted and I whispered for him to keep going. I begged, the words falling from my lips, my mouth as out of control as the rest of my body. We moved together falling into a rhythm, working perfectly in sync. I had never felt anything like this before. It was overwhelming and uncontrollable and I never, ever wanted it to stop.
A blinding pleasure was pulsing through me.
“Don’t stop, Strath,” I begged. I clung to his shoulders as my entire body tensed and then relief was crashing through me. My body thrashed above him and he pulled me down to his chest as he finished with a few powerful thrusts.
Finally, it was over and I lay on top of him panting. His hands caressed my back as he was breathing heavily into my ear. We were both hot and I rolled off him and onto my back as his hand found mine.
We were both too spent to speak. I just rolled over and felt him follow me. He wrapped his arms around me and I settled back into him. He was warm and soft and within seconds I was asleep.