Chapter Three

Cam delayed as long as she could. She used the toilet room, which turned out to have not only a toilet but a bidet and another sink. The controls were different but familiar enough for her to figure them out—and such a relief after the humiliating pot on board the alien ship that she almost cried. She dipped her fingers longingly into the warm water swirling in the enormous tub and briefly considered a bath. Somehow, she didn’t think Kievan’s patience would extend to that extent.

In one of the counter drawers, she found a comb, along with something that resembled a toothbrush, although toothpaste was nowhere to be found. Shrugging, she tried it and was delighted to find that a herbal tasting foam formed as she brushed.

Another drawer had something that looked and felt like lotion so she smoothed it into her skin, avoiding the worst of the remaining bruises. Finally, she made a face at herself in the mirror, fastened a dry towel around her body, and left the bathroom.

At the door of the bedroom, she paused uncertainly. For the first time she took in the vast room. On closer look, there were actually two rooms but they were only separated by a wide opening. Everything was white, beautiful, obviously expensive—and completely impersonal. As in the bathroom, the walls were made of gleaming stone but here the floor was covered with deep-pile white carpet.

The inner room was obviously the bedroom. The enormous bed was headed by an intricate gold headboard and cornered by tall gold posts. She noticed that it had already been made and the silk covers restored to pristine order. Most of the wall next to the bed was covered by an intricate sculpture composed of gold panels and chains that stretched from floor to ceiling.

Across from the bed a curtained window-wall curved outward in a long, gentle arc and continued into the next room. In the outer room, two curved couches—upholstered in white—framed a sunken seating area in front of the window. A massive marble desk backed by sleek cabinetry dominated the rest of the room.

Returning her attention to the bedroom, she saw another large white lounge chair, this one surrounded by silk floor pillows and angled across the far end of the window. At the closest end, Kievan sat at a marble table, relaxed and watching her with his typical faintly amused look. He was wearing bronze leather pants but the massive golden expanse of his bare chest gleamed against the surrounding white.

Gritting her teeth, she walked toward him, stopping as she realized that he was sitting in the only chair. With a casual gesture he pointed to his feet and the white silk pillow next to them.

Surely he didn’t expect her to sit at his feet? “You have got to be kidding me.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Kneel, my pet, and I will feed you.”

“I don’t think so.”

“Then you will go hungry.” His voice turned hard and the amusement left his face. Scowling, she started to turn away but as she moved, the scent of the food reached her. Her stomach growled and she remembered just how long it had been since she had eaten. Her kidnappers had barely fed her and what they had fed her was so unpalatable that she could only manage a few bites. She stared at the tray of colorful, beautifully arranged food in front of him and then at his face. His expression was calm but completely ruthless. She had no doubt that he would carry through his threat.

With a disgruntled sigh, she dropped to the cushion. Bending down, he rearranged her body until she was posed to his satisfaction—knees slightly parted, hands palm up on her thighs, back straight. Now that she had been reminded of food, hunger pangs tore at her stomach, so she reluctantly accommodated his manipulations although she glared at him the entire time. His hand hesitated at the top of her towel and she had a sudden fear that he was going to remove it. Instead he traced a gentle finger along the edge, just skimming the upper swell of her breasts and leaving a flare of warmth in his path. Her breath caught at the sensuous touch but she ignored it and increased the intensity of her glare. His fingers moved up to her face and he grasped her chin, raising her head so that she was looking directly into his eyes.

“I can see that we are going to have to talk about punishment in the very near future.” His fingers tightened on her chin and his voice went cold. She opened her mouth to respond but he kept talking. “Remove that expression from your face, let me feed you, and then we will talk.”

With a concentrated effort, she managed to force a more neutral expression on to her face. From the quick quirk of his lip, he was aware of the effort it took but he merely released her chin as soon as she complied. Selecting a berry-like object from one of the plates in front of him, he brought it to her mouth. She tried to raise her hand to take it from him but he shook his head. Face flaming, she opened her mouth and let him place it on her tongue, resisting the urge to bite his fingers.

The fruit exploded in her mouth in a burst of flavor and it was all she could do to keep from moaning with pleasure. Impatient for more, she opened her mouth like a baby bird but he shook his head. “I set the pace. You haven’t eaten for some time. We will take this slowly.”

She barely kept the glare back.

Despite her impatience, he fed her slowly. A selection of strange fruits was followed by small, savory bites and interspersed with a sparkling fluid like very mild champagne. As her hunger slowed, she began to give in to the sensual experience. Almost everything was delicious and the few things she didn’t like were never presented again. Sometimes he would hold the bite close enough for her to smell before tasting it, or run it slowly along her lips to tease her with the flavor. The room was quiet and she relaxed into the slow rhythm of the feeding. When he finally finished, she felt lazy and satisfied. A genuine smile curved her lips as she looked up at him.

Kievan returned her gaze for a moment, an answering half-smile curving his lips, before reaching for something else on the tray.

“A first lesson,” he said, and brought a small red globe to her lips. “Hold this on your tongue.”

Opening her mouth obediently, she sucked in the object and sighed in pleasure as an incredible sweetness filled her mouth. The globe began to dissolve and the sweetness transitioned into a fiery heat like the hottest cinnamon candy. Gasping, she opened her mouth but before she could spit it out, he grasped her chin once more.

“Hold it on your tongue.”

As he spoke, the heat faded and the delicious sweetness was back with even greater strength. The globe continued to melt in her mouth, each wave of sweetness followed by a wave of heat, each time stronger than the previous. As the heat intensified, her body flushed and a fine sweat began to cover her skin. Her mouth was incredibly, painfully hot, and her body interpreted the waves of heat suffusing her system as arousal. Her nipples tightened and swelled against the towel. By the time the final drop of sweetness melted on to her tongue, she was leaning into Kievan’s legs, flushed and trembling. She could feel the dampness between her thighs and her eyes drifted closed as she tried to bring her body back under her control.

Kievan eyed the woman quivering against him with intense satisfaction. Her reaction was as promising as he had hoped. Training her was going to be remarkably rewarding. The thought disturbed him and, once again, he reminded himself that it would be for a short while. She finally recovered enough to look up at him with wide blue eyes.

“What was that?” she whispered.

“It’s called eldflaur. Do you understand the lesson?”

Her brow furrowed and it was obvious she was still dazed as she shook her head.

“Did you find the experience pleasant or painful?” he asked.

“Both, I suppose,” she finally admitted.

“Exactly. And the combination made the experience even more intense.” He watched as she thought about it and then leaned closer. “And that’s not the only place they can be inserted.”

Her body shuddered in immediate reaction to his words and he bit back a smile as he pulled her gently to her feet. She was still a little unsteady and she clung to his arm as he moved across to the lounge chair. He enjoyed the feel of her soft body pressing against him, so instead of sending her back to her knees, he drew her down on the chaise with him. He nestled her against the back and pulled her legs between his. In this position, she was completely open to him and her eyes widened as she realized. Instantly she tried to sit up, but he pressed her back down and kept his hand firmly across her chest, just above the towel. Once again he considered removing it but, although he would enjoy the sight of her naked body, he would wait until he needed to further emphasize her vulnerability. She stilled beneath his hand and watched him with narrowed eyes.

“Now we talk.” Despite his intentions, he found himself hesitating. His free hand stroked her head soothingly and he was momentarily distracted by the soft curls clinging to his fingers. He forced his attention back to the task at hand. “What is your name, my pet?”

“Cam. Cam Williams.”

“Cam?”

“It’s short for Camellia.” At his blank look, she blushed and continued. “A camellia is a flower on Earth.”

How appropriate. Her delicate fragrance reminded him of the wildflowers that grew in the mountains outside the village of his birth. “Very well, little flower. Do you know why you’re here?”

“Because you had me kidnapped from my home so that you could make me a slave,” she said defiantly, and pushed against his hand again. He held her in place easily while he fought back an unexpected feeling of guilt.

“It was necessary,” he responded shortly.

“So, now what?” she asked. “I don’t suppose there is any cotton to pick. Do I scrub floors, wash dishes, pick up your dirty socks? What are my duties?”

He stared at her in stunned amazement and started to laugh. She scowled at him and he was too amused to correct her. Controlling his laughter, he bent down and whispered in her ear. She shivered as his breath skated across her skin.

“Your ‘duties’ do not include manual labor, my pet. In fact, you have only two duties—to obey me and to please me.”

He heard her breath catch and her voice was shaky as she responded. “Please you, how?”

“However I choose.” He kept the threat muted but still obvious enough that her eyes were wide when he lifted his head. Defiance started to creep back into them almost immediately so he decided to illustrate his point. “And now it would please me for you to remove that towel.”

“No!” She shook her head frantically and her hands clutched the edge of the towel.

“I have already seen you naked,” he pointed out.

“It’s not the same,” she said, and shook her head again. He almost smiled because she was quite correct but that was not the point. It was time for her to learn to obey his commands.

“If you do not obey me, you will be punished. Is that what you want?”

“How would you punish me?” she asked, and her voice trembled.

His voice went cold. “It would not be pleasant. Do you really want me to demonstrate?”

Definite fear in her face now and a glimmering of tears in those big blue eyes. A spike of arousal shot through his body but he waited patiently while she considered her choices. Her trembling hand finally loosened on the towel. He had her trapped too tightly for her to do more than pull the top loose and part the cloth, but it was enough to reveal the plump swell of her breasts, the rosy peaks tightening beneath his gaze.

“And when you please me, you will be rewarded,” he whispered, and rolled one taut nipple between his finger and thumb, tightening his grip until her breath caught and her eyes went heavy. Her delectable scent increased with her arousal and he was tempted to take the lesson further. Unfortunately, he had work to do. The discipline that ruled his existence couldn’t be set aside even for such a delightful distraction.

He drew back and she opened her eyes and looked at him. A small pink tongue flicked out and licked her plump lower lip nervously and he succumbed to temptation. He dropped his mouth over hers, intending only a quick touch, but she responded immediately, her mouth opening beneath his. The fiery sweetness of the eldflaur only added to her unique taste. She was delicious and his kiss hardened, his tongue diving deeper into her mouth to explore every crevice. As the kiss intensified, she arched beneath him, the hard points of her breasts rubbing against his bare chest, and moaned into his mouth.

His shaft stiffened painfully against the leather of his pants. He knew she could feel it pressing against her thigh because she writhed toward him, trying to get closer. Even through the leather, the feel of her soft curves was incredibly pleasurable but he wanted—no, he needed—more. He slid his hand into the half-open towel, running his fingers down the soft skin of her side to curve around her hip and haul her closer. She gasped as he ground his aching erection into her swollen cleft, but she didn’t resist. His blood surged hot and heavy in his veins; he was consumed with the need to claim her.

Claim her? The unwelcome thought brought a measure of sanity and made him pull back. Her eyes, still heavy with passion, opened as he retreated and her mouth was red and swollen. His cock throbbed again at the sight, but this time he ignored it. Swinging her legs to the side of the lounge, he brought them both to standing, and then wrapped her towel firmly back into place.

“You may wear this for now. There are clothes waiting in your room.”

Her big blue eyes were still dazed, although he wasn’t sure if it was from the flare of passion between them or the abrupt ending. She swayed a little and his hand tightened on her arm, fighting the urge to drag her back down and finish what he had started. Her intoxicating fragrance, deepened by her arousal, and the soft skin beneath his fingers tugged at his self-control.

“My room? I thought…” She gestured a little vaguely around his bedroom. His groin tightened again as the image of her waiting in his bed for him flashed through his mind. He felt an unexpected desire to have her remain; however, it was time to establish discipline—for her and for him—and his pleasure slaves had their own apartments. They only came to him at his request. She needed to learn her place.

“I have work to do. You will be housed with the others.” He kept his voice deliberately cold.

“Others?” Her face paled and she slipped from his hand. “Is that why the other woman was here earlier? They take turns?”

He fought back another surge of guilt. “Of course. I am a demanding master and I do not burden my slaves unnecessarily.” He chose not to mention that he was also easily bored and had always preferred a variety of bed partners.

She was backing away. “Oh, hell no. It’s bad enough that you are making me into a slave. I’m not about to become part of a rotating line-up of women. If that’s what you have in mind, I would prefer to take my chances out there.”

Anger rushed through him and his voice turned deadly. “You would rather take the chance of being raped and tortured? Or sold into a brothel where you would service one man after another?”

Her chin lifted and she stared at him defiantly for a long minute. Would she really be foolish enough to try and leave? Not that he had any intention of actually letting her go, but he wanted her to realize exactly how limited her options were. He watched her face as his words finally penetrated and her gaze fell. “Fine,” she bit out. “At least that means I won’t have to see you too often.”

His vision paled to white and he snatched her against his body hard enough that she expelled a soft breath. “You will see me as often as I wish it, my pet. And since I am taking you on as a special…project, that will be frequently. Until you are trained, you will meet all of my demands.”

He curved one hand around her neck, the other around her hips, and hauled her up his body so he could take her lips in a hard, punishing kiss. Despite the anger he could still feel tightening her frame, as soon as he forced his tongue into her mouth, she softened. He plunged harder, deeper, and she opened to him, sucking his tongue further into her mouth and melting against him. By the time he lifted his head, she was trembling again.

He fought down his own reaction and kept his voice hard. “We will continue the lesson tonight.”

Pausing only to don his knives, he left the room without a backward glance.