Gods, she was killing him with her teasing!
Shad wished he could convey to Harper how close to the edge he was—how little it would take to push him over at this point. Her soft, small hand on his aching shaft had made him burn to take her—every instinct he had was demanding that he push her to the ground and have her right here and now. But he knew he couldn’t.
Have to resist these impulses—these urges, he told himself sternly. But it was an easier order to give than to follow, especially when he remembered her wet tongue tracing his nipples and the feeling of her stroking his cock…
How was he going to control himself in the pleasure room when he felt ready to burst with unfulfilled desire?
Shad had no idea but he resolved grimly to try.
* * * * *
“Now, the pleasure room is set up with all kinds of toys as you can see,” Lady Marlbussen remarked as they walked into another large room—this one padded on the walls and floors with some kind of shiny deep blue material which glowed in the dim golden light.
Harper’s eyes went wide as she looked around. Toys there were indeed—toys aplenty. Some of them were obvious—dildos of all shapes and sizes as well as long feather wands, a few whips and paddles, and some other things she didn’t even know the name of.
However, the room didn’t give the impression of a BDSM sex dungeon so much as an elaborate pleasure area with accoutrements to accommodate even the most exotic tastes. It seemed to be more about sensuality than domination.
“I love the selection of personal pleasure devices here,” Lady Marlbussen remarked, going to stand by a wall of implements which might have been vibrators. “I picked most of them out myself when we were stocking this place. But I find that the best toys of all are the males you chose as your attendants.”
She walked to a high bench covered in plush blue velvet and perched herself on it like a queen. Then she let down the top of her fish-scale gown, baring two large breasts tipped with grayish-pink nipples.
“Come here, boys,” she purred to the two males who had followed her. “Suck my nipples.”
At once the two attendants moved to do her bidding, standing on either side of her and leaning down to take her nipples in their mouths eagerly.
Lady Marlbussen moaned appreciatively and stroked their broad backs, running her fingers through their hair. She looked over their heads at Harper challengingly.
“Well? What are you waiting for, Empress? You asked me to show you how it’s done—just follow my lead and you’ll be fine.”
“Oh, I…” Harper took a deep breath and lifted her chin. “All right,” she said feeling a flutter of butterflies in her stomach. Turning to Shad she spoke imperiously, using her best Empress voice. “Shadow, suck my nipples.”
The look he gave her was pure, dangerous lust—his pale eyes blazing, his hands fisted at his sides. It made her breath catch in her throat and she almost took back the order. But she reminded herself she was playing a part here—they both were. She had to remain the strong and demanding Empress to be believable. Besides, she liked being in charge and she wanted Shad to know it.
“Well?” she demanded, when he just stood there.
“I will be pleased to do my lady’s bidding,” he said, his voice low and grating. “If she will be pleased to first remove the cloak of thorns. I don’t believe it will allow intimacies.”
“Oh, uh…” Harper cleared her throat. “No, I guess you’re right. It probably won’t.”
She took off the rainbow cloak, which whimpered a little in protest, and hung it on a peg which also held some kind of leather studded paddle. Then, feeling more exposed than ever in her long, green fringe gown, she turned back to Shad.
“Do it now,” she commanded.
With a low growl, he was on her. His big hands slipped between the fringes of the gown and caressed her body with hard, sure strokes not just exploring her but marking her—owning her.
Harper made a little noise of surprise as his long fingers slid up to squeeze her breasts and then down to grip her ass. He pulled her to him and she gasped and took a stumbling step toward him, her breasts thrusting fully out from between the silky fringes.
Her jutting nipples felt tender and hot as he sucked one hungrily into his mouth and drew on it hard. Then he pulled back and nipped her sharply, just as she had done to him. Before she could do more than give a little cry, he was sucking again, more tenderly this time—rolling his tongue around her throbbing tip as though to ease the ache he’d created.
“Shad!” she moaned and threaded her fingers through his thick, black hair. Pressing her chest up and out, she offered him more—wanting to give him easier access to her body.
“Well, well,” Lady Marlbussen remarked as Shad turned his attention to her other nipple and began sucking hard. “I can see that your attendant is certainly determined to do his job correctly.”
“Shad’s very…very dedicated,” Harper explained breathlessly. “Oh!” she added. He had nipped her again and now he was looking into her eyes as he bathed her aching point with his hot tongue.
“Do you see that boys?” Lady Marlbussen exclaimed, tapping both her attendants on the head. “You’re going to have to do a damn site better if you want to keep up with the Empress and her bodyguard over there.” She pushed the two of them petulantly away and shimmied out of her dress completely. Then she lay down on the blue velvet bench. “I want you to lick me,” she told her attendants. “Give me a tongue bath.”
At once, her two attendants started licking—the smaller one beginning at her neck and making his way down while the larger attendant started at her ankles and made his way up. Lady Marlbussen hummed contentedly and stretched luxuriously, apparently enjoying the erotic attention to the hilt.
Harper stared at the sight in front of her in consternation. Why had she agreed to follow Lady Marlbussen’s lead? And what was she going to do now?
“Well, my Empress?” Shad growled hoarsely, looking up at her from his position between her breasts. “How may I pleasure you now?”
It was a dare and Harper knew it. The sardonic look on his face proved as much.
He doesn’t think I’ll do it—doesn’t think I’ll be brave enough to go further, Harper realized. She frowned. I’ll show him!
“What are you waiting for, Shadow?” she demanded, “lick me!”
“Thought you’d never ask.” There was a hunger in his opalescent eyes as he rose suddenly and scooped her into his arms.
“Shad!” she gasped in protest but he didn’t put her down.
“Can’t do this right unless I have you on your back,” he growled. Carrying her over to a black velvet-lined bench much like the one Lady Marlbussen was lying on, he laid her down carefully and raised her hands over her head.
“What…what are you doing?” Harper exclaimed. The supine position made her feel intensely vulnerable. She tried to lower her hands but Shad wouldn’t let her. He held her wrists above her head with one big hand and looked into her eyes.
“No. Open yourself to me, Harper,” he said in a low voice. “Open yourself and let me taste you.”
It was then that Harper knew he wasn’t just intending to lick all over her body the way Lady Marlbussen had ordered her own attendants to do.
Dear God, he’s going to go down on me—right here in public. Well, if not exactly in public, at least they weren’t alone. Of course, Lady M and her two attendants were enthusiastically engaged with each other at the opposite end of the room and presumably not paying attention to her and Shad. But still…
“Shad,” she tried to protest as he pulled her towards the end of the bench so that her ass was at the padded velvet end of it. “You know I don’t want…don’t like…”
“Did you know that Kindred males need to taste their females?” he interrupted as he settled on the floor in front of her with his big hands on her knees. “It’s not just a preference like it is for Earth males. It’s an actual, biological need that develops when a male gets close to a female he wants to claim.”
“But I can’t…we shouldn’t…” Harper protested feebly.
“We’ve gone past can’t and shouldn’t,” Shad growled, looking at her intensely. “You’ve pushed me to the edge, Harper. Either let me taste your pussy or I’m going to fill you with my cock.”
A shiver ran though Harper’s body at his low, intense growl.
“But…but I thought you didn’t want to do that,” she protested breathlessly.
“Oh, I fucking want to, sweetheart,” he snarled softly. “I know if I do it’ll end badly. But I want to. I have from the first moment I saw you.”
“We…we shouldn’t,” she whispered.
“No, we fucking well shouldn’t,” he agreed. “Because even if we make it to the end of the loop—even if we manage to keep you alive and get you altered so the Hive can’t use you—I’ll still lose you.”
“What? How?” Harper asked, blinking up at him uncertainly.
“Because you’ll go back to where you were on the beach and time will reset itself, flowing on a different path—the path of what might have been. You’ll forget all this…” He waved a hand to indicate all they’d been through. “You’ll forget me—I’ll just be a stranger. Then I’ll go back to my time and you’ll stay in yours. We’ll never meet again.”
“We…we won’t?” Harper didn’t know why the idea of never seeing the big Kindred again hurt her heart but it did—it throbbed painfully in her chest and for some reason she had to blink back tears that stung her eyes.
“Never,” Shad said grimly. “We’re twenty years apart—I’m less than ten cycles old during your time.”
“Which means I would be way too old for you when I finally got to your time, I guess,” Harper murmured.
Suddenly she was beginning to understand why Shad had been so standoffish, why he didn’t want to risk bonding with her or making a commitment. No matter what happened—whether they failed or succeeded in their quest this time, he would still lose her and she would still forget him.
She cleared her throat. “So… if we somehow formed a bond, even though you’re pretty sure you can’t…”
“It would kill me to lose you if I was bonded to you,” he growled softly. “Which is why you need to spread your legs right now and let me in. I need to taste you Harper—I’m going Goddess-damned crazy not being able to have you.” He glared at her. “And you haven’t been making it any easier strutting around in that “dress” and stroking me with your soft little hands.”
Harper felt her cheeks get hot and her breath come short as she remembered the way she’d teased and touched him. But damn it, she had only been trying to get a little of her own back—trying to get revenge for the way he’d treated her the past week. Now she felt ashamed, knowing why he’d been acting the way he had. But she hadn’t had any idea before. How was she supposed to know?
“Shad—” she began.
“I’ll be gentle,” he murmured, holding her eyes with his own. “I swear to the Goddess, Harper—just let me in and I swear I’ll start out gentle.”
“Just ‘start out' gentle?” she asked hesitantly. “What about after that?”
He gave her a wolfish grin.
“After I kiss you and get you all warmed up I’m going to tongue-fuck your sweet pussy until you come all over my face.”
“Shad!” she exclaimed but he already had his big hands on her knees and was urging them apart.
“Let me in,” he growled insistently. “I need to taste you, Harper. “Need to taste your juices for myself.”
Harper couldn’t seem to help herself—Empress persona or no, it seemed she had lost all control of the situation. With a helpless little cry, she felt her thighs part. Then the Kindred’s broad shoulders were forcing her knees wide and her pussy was exposed, naked and open and trembling, just for him, it seemed.
Shad gave a growl of pure hunger and thrust his face between her spread legs.
Harper was certain he was going to dive right in, his promise to be gentle forgotten. Mentally she was bracing herself for the feeling of his hot tongue invading her pussy lips.
But Shad surprised her by leading with his cheek instead of his mouth.
He pressed against her, rubbing first one scratchy cheek and then the other against the tender outer folds of her pussy—bathing in her scent like a cat rolling in catnip.
Harper made a sound that was half moan, half cry and he looked up at her, his white eyes blazing.
“Gods, I’ve missed your scent, Kallana. You always smell so fucking good every time I taste you.”
Harper experienced a strange sensation—almost a deja-vu feeling, hearing him talk like this, recalling that he’d done this many times before on different time paths, even though she couldn’t remember it.
“So sweet,” he groaned again and this time he did kiss her—laying a sweet, sucking kiss on the outside of her pussy as he drew her outer lips into his mouth and then released them slowly, as though he relished every moment of it.
“Oh!” Harper breathed as he did it again and then again. He had yet to lick or taste the inside of her pussy but the feeling of his hot breath on her thighs and the sucking, teasing sensation of his wet mouth on her outer lips was driving her crazy. Her legs were over his broad shoulders now and she squeezed them together, loving the feel of his scratchy cheeks against her tender inner thighs.
Shad looked up for a moment.
“That’s right, sweetheart—enjoy yourself. Let yourself go and fly—I swear I’ll catch you.”
“Shad…” she whispered and reached down to stroke his silky-coarse hair. It felt like black feathers between her fingers and his eyes were pure mother of pearl, shifting rainbows, and need.
“So fucking gorgeous when you let me taste you,” he growled softly. “Open yourself now, Harper. Let me taste you inside.”
“I…I’ll try,” she whispered breathlessly. This wasn’t anything like the other disastrous experiences she’d had when a guy wanted to go down. There was no hesitation with Shad—no feeling that he was doing her a favor or that he didn’t really want to be here. This was a need for him—he’d told her so. A hunger only she could satisfy and the only way to satisfy it was to spread her pussy wide and let him taste her and lap away her juices.
Slowly, she parted her legs.
“Good sweetheart—just spread a little wider,” he commanded and ran his big hands down her inner thighs, urging them apart.
Biting her lip, Harper complied, opening her thighs completely. Her pussy opened too, with the movement, her inner folds glistening with moisture, her outer lips tender and engorged with desire.
“Ah, Gods—I’ve wanted to do this again for so long. Missed tasting you so much, baby,” Shad growled softly. He seemed to be drinking her in with his eyes. Then he spread her pussy carefully with his thumbs and ducked down again.
Harper moaned as he laid a gentle, open-mouthed kiss on her throbbing clit, then circled it with his tongue. God, his mouth was so warm, which she really liked. The few times her ex, Jareth, had tried going down on her, he had done it right after brushing his teeth after getting ready for bed. There was nothing more off-putting, at least in Harper’s opinion, than having a cold mouth on your hot inner core. When Jareth had poked her with his tongue, it was like getting an icicle shoved inside her.
It was completely different with Shad.
He didn’t perform a few tentative licks and call it quits for one thing. Her ex had always reminded Harper of a picky cat with a bowl of cream, taking a small taste here and a small taste there before deciding he didn’t actually like what was being offered.
In contrast, Shad was like a man thirsting to death who had found a source of fresh, sweet water. After teasing her clit for a moment, he spread her pussy even wider with his thumbs and then lapped upward, dragging the flat of his tongue from the well of her sex up over her slippery folds until he reached the top of her slit. Then he did it again…and again and again until Harper thought she was going to explode.
“Shad,” she gasped breathlessly, fisting her fingers in his thick hair. “Shad please…please.”
She hardly knew what she was begging for but the big Kindred seemed to know without even asking. It occurred to Harper as he lapped her open pussy that he knew her body intimately—knew how to make her come possibly better than any other man she’d ever been with. And she was getting close…so damn close if only he would…
As if in answer to her silent, half-formed wish, two long, thick fingers suddenly found the entrance to her pussy and began to circle her wet, slippery well.
“Oh!” she moaned softly. “Oh, Shad…”
He looked up for a moment, his eyes blazing.
“Are you ready to come for me, Harper? Ready to come all over my face and give me your sweet honey?”
“I…I think so,” she gasped.
“That’s good. Because I’m about to make you come hard, baby. I’m about to make you fly.”
Still holding her eyes with his, he pressed inside.
Harper arched her back as his fingers entered her—but not all the way. Instead, Shad crooked them upward making a “come on” gesture as he rubbed hard against a spot inside her that Harper had barely known existed.
She’d read plenty of articles about how to find your G-spot and how to help a lover find it but she’d never been very successful with it. The clit was her happy place and she was satisfied if a guy could just succeed in locating it and stimulating it in a halfway decent way.
But she was coming to see that Shad didn’t do anything halfway. As he rubbed hard against that spot inside her, he sucked her clit into his mouth and lashed it with his tongue, causing a wave of overwhelming sensation to wash over her, drenching her in pure, intense pleasure.
Suddenly, Harper was there—up over the edge of orgasm and flying, just as he had promised.
“Ah…Ahhhh!”
What came from her throat was more like a wail than a cry. She bucked her hips, her body fishtailing on the bench so that Shad had to curl one big arm under her arched back to keep her from falling off. He gathered her closer to himself, making sure to keep their connection, staying with her even as she moaned and her pussy gushed juices which he lapped up eagerly.
“Shad! Shad!” She cried his name like a prayer, unable to stop herself or hold back in any way. No one had ever made her come this hard—no one had ever taken her so high or pushed her so hard.
And still he wasn’t done.
Harper felt something smooth and cool against her thigh and then a buzzing sensation began. Looking down, she saw that Shad had gotten one of the vibrators from a nearby rack—a smooth, bullet shaped ivory one about as long as his hand. He was using on her outer pussy lips now but clearly he intended to do more.
“Shad,” she said breathlessly. “Shad, what…”
“Need to make you come again.” His voice was a hoarse growl. “You’re just getting started, baby. You can have multiples when I work you right.”
Harper had never had multiple orgasms in her life—that she remembered, she reminded herself. But apparently the big Kindred knew how to give them to her.
“I don’t know—” she began but then he touched the buzzing tip of the vibrating wand to her aching clit and she moaned and jumped.
“You’re going to come for me again,” Shad growled softly. “Come while I swallow your sweet juices, Kallana.”
Then he was stroking her with the buzzing toy, sliding it teasingly over her wet, throbbing clit before pushing it deep inside her to fuck her with its length.
Harper threw back her head and cried with pleasure, her toes curling and her back arching as she felt yet another orgasm building.
He’s right, she thought dizzily. I can come again.
And then she did. And then again…and again…and again as Shad continued to tease orgasm after orgasm out of her while he lapped at her thirstily.
At last she was a panting mess.
“Shad,” she begged weakly. “Shad, please—no more. I can’t…can’t stand it again. I can’t.”
He finally looked up, his mouth and jaw wet from her juices. True to his word, he had been lapping away her honey as fast as she could make it, cleaning her pussy gently after every orgasm until he felt she was ready for another. But right now Harper felt like she would die if he tried again—she was sexually exhausted.
Shad seemed to sense it or maybe he could just tell by looking at her because he nodded at last and rose from his knees. Scooping Harper up, he sat on the bench and cradled her to his broad chest.
“Kiss me,” he said huskily, looking into her eyes.
Harper was more than happy to. Winding her arms around his muscular neck, she drew his head down to hers and kissed his mouth, now red from licking and sucking her.
Shad groaned and kissed her back passionately.
Harper moaned again as her own secret flavor exploded in her mouth. God, it tasted good when she licked it off the big Kindred’s skin!
He seemed to agree because he parted her lips and slipped his tongue inside her mouth, feeding her the taste as the two of them kissed passionately.
But after a moment, Harper became aware of something hot and hard poking her ass. Suddenly she understood what it was.
He still hasn’t come—Shad’s been giving me multiple orgasms and I haven’t done anything in return.
“Shad…” She reached down between them and began to stroke the long, hard shaft again. She wanted desperately to have it inside her—wanted to feel Shad filling her to the hilt with his thickness, spreading her open with his cock. But she knew now why it was impossible. She couldn’t risk forming a bond with him when he was going to lose her—when they were going to lose each other…
No, don’t think about that! she commanded herself. Think about giving him pleasure—the same pleasure he gave you.
Shad groaned softly as she continued to stroke him.
“Gods, sweetheart…”
“Let me suck you.” Harper was already sliding down between his legs. “Let me taste you the way you tasted me.”
“You don’t have to,” he protested. “Letting me taste your sweet pussy was enough for me, Harper.”
“No, it wasn’t or you wouldn’t still be so hard and achy.”
Slowly she caressed the long length of him. There was no way she could fit all this into her mouth. But she could at least taste him and use her hands and mouth to help him come.
Precum was already flowing freely from the broad head of his shaft and she bent her head to lap it away, watching him watch her as she did so. His opalescent eyes were half-lidded with lust and he didn’t try to protest anymore as she knelt before him, stroking his throbbing length.
“Mmm…”
To Harper’s surprise, his precum tasted different from any other guy’s she’d ever been with. She’d been expecting a salty, bitter flavor. But though there was a hint of salt in the big Kindred’s precum, there was a sweetness too. In fact, what it really tasted like was…
“Salted caramel!” She looked up at him. “You taste like salted caramel.”
“Is that good?” he asked, his voice hoarse with desire.
“It’s pretty much my favorite flavor,” Harper admitted. In fact, it had featured prominently when she’d tasted the flavor disk given to her by the bathing attendant.
She bent her head to lap up more of the delicious stuff.
“Mmmm, so good.”
Shad groaned and ran a hand gently down her back as she sucked him some more, kissing and licking along his thick shaft, loving the warm, masculine spice of his scent.
“Gods, Kallana, you’re going to make me come,” he groaned as she lapped at him.
Harper ran her tongue from the broad base of his shaft all the way up to the head and looked him in the eyes.
“That’s the idea. And I want you to come in my mouth.”
She had never made this offer before—not even to Jareth when they were engaged. But now she meant every word of it. Emotion for the big Kindred filled her heart—an emotion dangerously close to love if she let herself admit it. She wanted to give him as much pleasure as he’d given her.
And of course, it didn’t hurt that he tasted like dessert.
“Gods, sweetheart…when you talk like that…” Shad groaned. “The feel of your hot mouth and your soft little hands stroking me…it’s too fucking much.”
“I want it to be too much. Come for me,” Harper urged. Then she sucked him as deeply into her mouth as she could and stroked his long shaft with both hands, working him skillfully.
Apparently it was enough—or as Shad had said, too much. With a low groan, she felt him stiffen and incredibly, the shaft in her mouth grew even thicker for a moment. Then he pulsed and something salty and sweet and completely delicious filled her mouth.
God, his cum tastes even better than his precum! Harper thought deliriously. Eagerly, she swallowed and continued to stroke him, hoping for more.
Shad didn’t disappoint her. Spurt after spurt of warm, salted caramel flavor filled her mouth as he groaned her name and stroked her back and shoulders and hair with his big, warm hands.
“Harper! Ah, Gods, baby—your sweet little mouth feels so damn good…so hot…”
At last, though he didn’t get any softer, he stopped coming and there was no more to suck.
Harper drew back uncertainly, looking at the long, hard shaft in her hand. It was as big as ever—which was fairly massive.
Shad seemed to see her look of consternation because he stroked her cheek and asked gently, “What is it, Kallana? What’s wrong?”
“Well, it’s just…I felt you come—I tasted it,” she said. “It was freaking delicious which is crazy—I didn’t know anybody could taste that good.”
“You do.” His eyes were half-lidded again. “Your pussy is my favorite flavor in the entire universe. It’s one of the things I tasted when the bathing attendant gave me a flavor disk.”
“Really?” Harper looked at him uncertainly. “Wow, that’s…wow.” She cleared her throat. “But back to the matter at, uh, hand…” She motioned to his shaft which she still clasped loosely in her fist. “You came but you’re still hard.”
“You always ask me that.” He laughed, a warm, rumbling, happy sound which was different from his usual dark tone. Harper loved it at once and wished she could get him to laugh more often. Of course, once they were finished here, she would never hear it again. She wouldn’t even remember it enough to miss it…to miss him…
No! She pushed the depressing thought away.
“Okay, so I always ask—and what do you tell me?” she said.
“That Kindred males are capable of being multi-orgasmic, just like Earth females,” he explained. “It allows us to stay hard so we can continue to pleasure our females for as long as they need us to.”
“Mmmm…” Harper eyed him appreciatively. “So you mean I could get more of your salted caramel cum?”
His eyes were suddenly half-lidded again.
“If you want it. Do you, sweetheart?”
“You have to ask?” Harper bent her head and captured the broad head of his cock between her lips once more. Loving the sound of his groans and the feeling of him watching her go down on him, she began to work him again.
But Shad stopped her.
“Wait, sweetheart,” he said, his deep voice husky with lust. “If you’re going to taste me again, I want to taste you too.”
He scooted back and lay down on the velvet bench. Then he motioned to Harper.
“Ride my face while you suck me. That way we can give each other pleasure at the same time.”
“Oh, I don’t know…” Harper felt uncertain. “I’m afraid I’ll crush you and besides, I don’t think my pussy can take anymore, baby. You worked me pretty hard already.”
He rumbled laughter again.
“You can’t crush me with your sweet curvy body and I promise I’ll be gentle.” His eyes filled with desire. “Just let me kiss you while you suck me. Your flavor and scent make me so fucking hot—I come so hard when I’m tasting you.”
His words excited her again and Harper felt a tingle of lust deep in her belly. She’d been certain she couldn’t take any more but surely it couldn’t hurt to just let him kiss her…
She got into the position he requested, kneeling on the broad bench with her pussy right over his mouth as she took his long, thick shaft in her hand once more.
“Now come down, baby.” His breath was warm against her inner thighs. “Come down and let me taste you one more time.”
With a little moan, Harper lowered herself down to his hot, wet mouth and took the head of his cock between her lips.
“Gently this time,” she heard Shad murmur. “Gently and slowly, Kallana.”
It took a long…long time and somehow he made her come again.
* * * * *
As he did every time he tasted her, Shad felt the familiar pleasure tempered by pain. He would lose her soon, and this time the loss would be final.
Don’t think about it, he commanded himself as he lapped gently at her tender flesh, feeling her pussy quiver against his tongue. Live in the moment. Give her as much pleasure as you can and enjoy the pleasure she gives you in return.
Closing his eyes, he concentrated on losing himself in the woman he loved because he knew, without a doubt, that this was the last time he would get to love her.