Stud, p.24
Stud, page 24
“Maybe Bratol was right. Maybe vrelnots aren’t such insurmountable obstacles after all.”
“Maybe not. Let’s hope so, anyway.” He took a deep breath. “I think I can walk now.” He cocked his head and gave her a sly smile. “Want to see one up close?”
“A vrelnot? Sure. After you’ve had something to eat, we’ll go back down and take a look.”
“Nah, let’s go now. There’s something I’d like to check out, now that I’ve had time to think about it.”
“You’re sure you can walk okay?”
“Yeah. That slimy stuff actually makes you feel pretty good after a while.” He got to his feet and held out his hand.
“You must be feeling better,” she commented as he helped her to stand.
“Good as new,” he insisted.
He set off down the mountain, never releasing her hand. Obviously not requiring any support himself, Lucy was about to mention that he didn’t need to pretend to be her mate while they were alone, but the feel of his hand was so comforting, she opted not to mention it.
Lucy had seen a few pictures of vrelnots—and was mentally kicking herself for not mentioning the wings to Tarq—but seeing the real thing up close was even more terrifying than she’d anticipated. It was lying on its belly, its dull brown wings stretched out on either side. Based on the size of the trophy at the café she would never have guessed it would have such a wide wingspan, but it had to have measured at least five meters across, and its talons were as long as her forearm and hand combined. She didn’t have to ask Tarq how he’d been injured, either; the barbs on the wingtips and whiplike tail told the tale.
Tarq pulled out his knife and stabbed the hide. There was some resistance, but he was able to cut through it. “Huh. Wonder where Traldeck got his information. Granted, this thing has been dead a little while, but still… Well, I’m sure I can defend against them with a bow. Just have to make more arrows. Sharper, heavier points would probably help too.” He wiped the blade on the vrelnot’s skin and slipped it back into the sheath on his belt.
Lucy frowned. “But if they only come out at night, will you be able to see them?”
Tarq chuckled and gestured toward his eyes. “If I can find you in a dark cave in the middle of the night…”
“Point made. But you have to sleep sometime.”
Tarq shrugged. “We’ll post a guard in shifts. Trust me, those things make enough noise that we would hear them coming.” He glanced up at the sky. “The moon is waxing again too. I won’t be the only one able to see in the dark.”
Lucy wasn’t completely convinced, but his confidence was contagious, especially when he pulled the arrow out of the vrelnot’s eye socket. “It went in that far? How close were you?”
Tarq laughed. “About this close. It wasn’t in that deep to begin with. I fired from a few meters away and then rammed the arrow on through with a rock.”
Lucy felt the blood drain out of her face. “You mean you were standing right there while that thing was still alive?”
He walked away with a wink and a nod, nocking an arrow as he went. When he had gone about twenty paces, he turned and loosed the arrow, which sank into the vrelnot’s side with a good solid thunk. “Hmm. Obviously no one has ever tried shooting them with arrows before.”
Lucy still hadn’t quite recovered from the shock of Tarq being so close to that lethal beak and was surprised at how normal her voice sounded. “Or they shot at them from too far away. Once word got around that pulse weapons were useless and that they could only be killed with a laser, everyone else must’ve simply taken it on faith. I know I wouldn’t want to go up against one with nothing but a bow and arrow—though I’m a little surprised that some macho guy hasn’t seen it as a challenge and come up here to kill one with his bare hands or something equally ridiculous. There are always a few in every crowd.”
Tarq grinned. “Hey, at least I did it with an arrow and a rock.”
“If you had come out here to fight it with your bare hands, I’d—” Lucy caught herself before finishing that sentence, deciding that threatening to smack his butt might not be the best thing to say in this instance—made her sound too much like a wife.
He yanked the arrow from the vrelnot’s hide and then stood smirking at her with his head cocked to one side. “You’d… what?”
“Um, nothing,” Lucy replied. She glanced around nervously. “Didn’t you want to skin this thing or something?”
The smirk became even more pronounced. “Maybe.” He thrust the arrow through the loop that hung from his belt. “Or maybe I just wanted to bring you here to show you what a tough macho man I can be.”
“Why would you want to do that?” Her voice was much higher pitched than normal, something Tarq was bound to notice. Clearing her throat, she took it down a notch. “Anyway, I’ve never been impressed by that sort of thing.”
“So you think I’m trying to impress you?”
Feeling more flustered by the second, she brushed a stray wisp of hair away from her eyes. “Isn’t that what you just said?”
He shook his head, smiling at her in the strangest way. “I never said I wanted you to be impressed.”
“Well, what you did is impressive,” she said firmly. “Very impressive.” Nodding toward the cave, she added, “None of those other guys could’ve done it.”
Tarq shouldered his bow. “Why, thank you, Lucy. That means a lot to me.”
He took her hand and together they headed back to the cave with Rufus trotting along ahead of them. Tarq didn’t tease her anymore, and though Lucy was grateful for the respite, she had a sneaking suspicion that the game wasn’t over—not by a long shot. He’d simply let her off the hook. For now.
Chapter 22
Granted, it was only a sham, but Lucy made a damn good wife. Upon their return to the cave, she made sure Tarq got something to eat and then led him to a little niche at the rear of the cavern where water trickled down from above like a miniature waterfall. The water’s incessant dripping had carved a pool in the rocky floor over time which measured roughly a meter and a half from rim to rim, the overflow disappearing through another crack in the mountain’s heart. Shielded from the rest of the cave by a large stone slab that evidently had fallen from the ceiling, it was relatively private.
The water was icy cold, but when Lucy helped Tarq strip off his clothes in order to rinse the blood from them, he was surprised there wasn’t steam rising off him. Just her nearness made his temperature rise, not to mention what it did to his cock.
Bratol had told him to leave the healing fluid on his wounded leg until the sticky residue dried and flaked off. Tarq was doing his best to keep it dry and still get the blood off his leg, but it was difficult.
“Here, I’ll do that,” Lucy said. Leaving his clothes to soak in the pool at the foot of the waterfall, she handed him a wad of crushed leaves. “I’d never heard of it myself, but Crilla calls this stuff soapweed. It grows wild here in the mountains and sort of lathers up when you get it wet and mush it up with your hands.”
Without the benefit of soap or scrail cloths, Tarq had been a little concerned that Lucy might not be able to stand the stench of him before long and was pleased to find that the soapweed actually worked. It even had a fresh herbal scent.
Kneeling down in front of him, Lucy began soaping up his leg with the leaves, seeming not to notice his massive erection. “Believe it or not, I brought a needle and thread with me in case I had to repair the duffel bag, so I can probably sew up that split in your jeans—if the needle hasn’t gotten lost. It might’ve poked through the bag somewhere along the way.”
Her tone was merely conversational, but Tarq sucked in a breath when she slid her hand up his leg—more due to how close she came to his groin than her proximity to the wound. “What would you use in place of the needle?”
“I thought maybe I could use a thorn. There are some bushes just down the hill that have really sharp ones.”
“Good idea. And if that doesn’t work, I’m sure we can figure out another way.” He gasped again as her knuckles grazed his balls.
“Kinda touchy there, aren’t you?”
Since his cock was as hard as the rock he was standing on, Tarq would’ve thought the reason for his reaction was perfectly obvious. Then again, whenever he was near her, he was almost always hard. She might have been getting used to it, but he certainly wasn’t. “The water is making your hands cold.”
She nodded complacently. “Traldeck can heat up the water as it comes through the crack in the rocks up above just by staring at it, but he has to be standing here while someone else takes their shower. He said he didn’t mind—I washed my hair this morning while he did it; couldn’t stand that cold water on my head—but if you want any privacy at all… well, you’ll just have to tolerate the cold.”
Tarq made a mental note to make sure Lucy was well out of range of his nose anytime Traldeck was acting as water heater for him. Otherwise things could get a little embarrassing.
“No, wait!” Lucy jumped to her feet. “Hold on. Got an idea.” As she scurried off, Tarq could hear her calling out for Traldeck. Fearing the worst, Tarq retrieved his jeans and was at least holding them in front of his stiff penis when Lucy returned, waving the saucepan. Traldeck followed close behind her.
“Now, Traldeck, if you’ll just stare at that pool of water and get it really, really hot, the water coming down will cool it off some, and then I can dip it out with the pan and use it to rinse him off.”
Traldeck grinned at Tarq. “She takes good care of you, doesn’t she?”
This was so much in keeping with his own thoughts, Tarq forgot himself to the point that he started purring. Clearing his throat before making his reply, he smiled in agreement. “Yes, she does.”
“I’m just trying to get him clean without washing off that”—Lucy paused as though at a loss for what to call the nasty, sticky goo Bratol had spit on his leg—“stuff.”
“Wish you’d been around to think of this sooner,” Traldeck said. “We could’ve saved each other a great deal of embarrassment. Of course we didn’t have the pan to scoop up the water, but it would still be easier.”
Tarq nodded. “Lucy is very smart.” He almost added, “She can read and everything,” but he managed to stop himself in time. He saw no point in making it obvious that he was somewhat envious of that skill. After all, nearly everyone could read.
Traldeck fixed his gaze on the water until it began to steam. “Want me to make it boil?” he asked Lucy.
Tarq didn’t wait for Lucy’s reply. “No.”
Lucy sent Tarq a quelling glance. “Yeah. Boiling would be great. And don’t worry, Tarq; I’ll cool it down before I pour it on you.”
The water was soon boiling vigorously and Traldeck left them, a knowing smirk on his lips.
Tarq gave up trying to be subtle and began purring. Loudly.
“None of that now,” Lucy said firmly. “Traldeck’s already got enough ideas about what we’re doing over here.”
Tarq laid his jeans down on another slab of fallen rock nearby. “I’m sure it’s because he and Natasha have done the same thing.”
“Yes, but they’re married.”
“So are we—at least everyone here believes that we are.”
Lucy brushed the hair back from her face with a hand that was visibly shaking. He was making her nervous again. “True. Guess I’m not quite used to the idea yet.” Sighing, she nodded toward the steaming pool. “Better get this done before the water gets cold. We need to wash your hair, too. It’s got blood in it.”
Tarq reached out and raised her head with a finger beneath her chin. “Traldeck is right. You take very good care of me, Lucy. Whether you’re my wife or not.” Leaning down, he kissed her soft, warm lips.
The pan made a loud splash as it fell from her hand and her arms encircled his neck. Needing no further encouragement, Tarq deepened the kiss, his tongue as anxious to explore her mouth as his cock was to plunge into her body.
The corner of his mouth lifted in a smile as Lucy returned his kiss with as much enthusiasm as he could have wished. “How about we take your clothes off too?” he whispered against her parted lips. “We don’t want them to get wet, do we?” He nodded toward the slab of rock where he’d laid his pants. It was nearly flat and lay at a slight angle to the floor. “I’ll bet Traldeck and Natasha have used that same spot.”
“Probably.” The soft breathiness of her voice sent a quiver through his cock.
Grasping the hem of her shirt, Tarq pulled it off over her head before unhooking her bra to free her breasts. In the dimly lit cave, her skin seemed to glow as he bent down to suckle her nipples. He loved the way they became tight and swollen as he teased them with his tongue, alternating a gentle massage with firm thrusts of the tip. Together with her heady scent, the soft sounds she made acted like a catalyst, intensifying his need for her and multiplying his desire.
His hands slid to her waist, caressing every luscious surface they encountered. There wasn’t a single part of her he didn’t love, didn’t cherish with all his heart and soul. Pushing past the waistband, he sent her pants gliding down her legs to puddle around her feet. Lifting her into his embrace, he carried her to the slanted rock. As he lay her down upon it with her head near the apex of the gentle incline, he discovered that it was even more perfect than he’d thought: the perfect height, the perfect angle. His cock slid into her with an ease that made it clear just how much she wanted him.
Tarq knew he wouldn’t last long. The setting, the sight of her lying there before him, her eyes already grown misty with desire, plus the exhilaration he’d felt following a successful hunt—and possibly even Bratol’s healant—all combined to sharpen not only his need but the urgency to give her joy.
He squeezed the pelvic muscle that acted as a pump for his lubricating fluid, knowing that the more his cock poured into her, the greater her pleasure and the greater the strength of her climaxes. Her own muscles rippled around his shaft, gripping it firmly as he rocked into her. Sighing deeply, he whispered, “Do you have any idea how good it feels to be inside you?”
“Mmm… I dunno… maybe about half as good as it feels to me?”
Tarq smiled. Sucking his lower lip between his teeth, he shook his head slowly. “A lot better than that.”
Raising her feet to rest on his shoulders, he arched his back, letting his cock reach into her until his balls brushed against her bottom. Then he let it dance while he watched her face, loving what he saw there even more than his own pleasure—the soft curve of her lips, her blissful smile, her heavy-lidded eyes gazing at him through a sensual haze. Each deep-throated cry of rapture sent him rocketing ever higher. There was only one sensation he was missing.
Withdrawing slowly, he knelt until her legs draped over his shoulders and her succulent entrance was right in front of his face. Swiping his tongue over her soft folds, he paused to savor a flavor more intense than the strongest aphrodisiac, a flavor that made his balls tighten, threatening release. He waited a moment before diving in again, this time driving his tongue deep into the hidden recesses of her core.
Backing off to tease her clitoris, he heard her moan, felt her legs pressing tightly against his back, and delighted in the way her tight bud throbbed as he stroked it with his tongue. She fell silent for a moment, and then Tarq was treated to his favorite sound of all: her sharp cry of ecstasy, followed by gasping moans as her body quivered in orgasm. He prolonged both her climax and his own pleasure, pressing hard against the firm nub and slowly licking upward, pausing as he reached the point, then letting it pop from beneath the tip of his tongue. Her clitoris surged against his lower lip, doubling his joy each time until her body lost the ability to respond.
As he attempted to rise to his feet, she stopped him.
“Tarq,” she said in a breathless whisper. “Turn me around. I want to do that to you.”
Though the rock she was lying on was cool and hard, wherever Tarq’s body touched hers tingled with a heat that threatened to consume her. Lucy hadn’t exaggerated when she’d suggested that her level of enjoyment was twice that of his. They might have been equal, but no way could hers be surpassed. And it was about to get even better…
Tarq did as she asked and the altered position put her at exactly the right height to view his stiff, dripping cock and meaty balls hanging just above her eyes—a sight so erotically stimulating that her core contracted once again.
His skin was slightly damp and petal soft beneath her tongue, and she pulled him down, urging him to widen his stance until his sac rested on her lips. As her body reacted with another jolt, her mouth opened wide, allowing one of his testicles to drop into her mouth. She savored the warm feel of it, realizing how much she adored this level of intimacy she had with him. She’d never even begun to experience anything like it before and couldn’t imagine sharing it with anyone but Tarq. The mere idea of being with any other man was abhorrent.
Tarq’s gasps of pleasure were like music to her ears, his flavor a delicacy on her tongue, and his body, his smile, his entire self appealed to her in a way that was somehow symbiotic. The more time she spent loving him, the stronger she became, the bolder her demonstrations of that love. If only she could say it. If only she could hear it…
His nuts were delectable, but his cock was surely the tastiest part of all. Releasing his scrotum, she pulled the scalloped head down to her lips, licking it with long, steady strokes, doing her best to continue despite the fireworks igniting within her own body.
She reached up and grasped his thick shaft, squeezing firmly as she slid her fist up and down its length. He was wondrously hard and the scalloped points tickled her tongue as she devoured him. With the addition of her other hand to massage his balls, she brought him quickly to climax. His slick snard coated her tongue, filling her mouth with creamy sweetness.
