Shield of Fire (A Bringer and the Bane Novel) (22 page)

He captured her mouth, plunging his tongue inside. She stiffened against his hold, but he didn’t relax his attack. Was this the price for letting her keep the clothes? Her body betrayed her and molded against him. Bless the Sainted Ones, but she could feel every inch of him. Her heart raced and her body ignited with what even the purest virgin would recognize—desire.

She pushed against him, not wanting her first time to be like this, with Rhys angry. She broke their kiss and panted, trying to gain control of her faculties. “Can I keep the clothes?”

Rhys growled.

“Please?”

He stared and her, his jaw clenching and unclenching. He exhaled heavily and dropped his forehead to her shoulder. “You may keep the clothes.”

Chapter Seventeen

Ravyn punched her pillow for the fifth time and flopped back down. She stared at the ceiling. Rhys had treated her with respectful deference all through dinner. Respect—the very word galled her. How dare he respect her after the way he had touched her?

She kicked at the covers, searching for relief from her agitation. Silk skimmed along her limbs and teased her sensitive skin. Sleep had finally claimed her after tossing and turning for an hour, but she awoke a short time later, wide-eyed, restless, and thinking about Rhys.

She swung her legs over the side of the massive bed and stared into the darkness. The man was truly frustrating. How could he appear so indifferent after what they’d shared? Maybe she was too naïve to understand the way men thought.

She padded across the room and hauled back the silk drapes. Night greeted her. Sunrise was still hours away. Her chemise felt too confining. She grabbed at its neck, quickly pumping the material in and out, trying to cool her body. Nothing seemed to help.

A small decorative pillow perched on the window seat. She picked it up and waved the cushion in front of her face, but the breeze did little to temper the flush of her skin. With a frustrated huff, she threw the pillow across the room and paced.

Had she imagined Rhys’s interest? Her steps slowed as she neared her bedroom door. Tonight, she’d prayed Rhys would come to her, but he hadn’t. Maybe she’d misread the situation. To her disappointment, all he’d given her was a chaste kiss goodnight at her door before retiring to his room, leaving her confused and more than a little frustrated.

She leaned an ear against the wood. Silence. Butterflies tumbled in her stomach as she gripped the knob. Her hand wouldn’t move. Maybe she should go back to bed. Maybe she should leave her relationship with Rhys where it was, Bringers fighting for the same cause. What if she destroyed all they’d achieved by going through with her plan? I don’t run from fights.

With a quick yank, she pulled the door open. No noise echoed up the staircase.
Everyone is probably asleep by now
. Ravyn pressed her eye to the crack, but saw nothing. Blue moonlight shimmered through the arched windows and illuminated the landing at the top of the stairs. She inched the door open and slipped out of her room.

The wide hall across from the alcove stretched empty and dark. Ravyn tiptoed along the wall to Rhys’s door and pressed her ear against the wood. Was he awake? Silence greeted her. She stepped back and fanned herself with her hand. What was she doing? Her heart thudded against her chest.

She stared at the door. The barrier might as well have been a fortress wall for all the courage it would take her to breach it. Ravyn’s cowardice prevailed, and she slumped toward her room.
Be a good little girl and leave him alone.

She stopped.

“But I’m not a good little girl,” she muttered. “As a matter-of-fact, I’m quite the opposite.” She made her decision and turned back to Rhys’s door. Squaring her shoulders, she twisted the knob.

…

Rhys’s head lay cradled in the crook of his elbow, staring out at the night sky. He’d been awake for hours, unable to find sleep as images of Ravyn darted through his mind. It had been two weeks since they’d arrived from the inn. Two weeks that he’d gone to bed alone. He missed being close to her. Even though she slumbered in the next room, he couldn’t touch her skin, couldn’t hear her soft breathing, couldn’t smell the lavender in her hair. He shifted and adjusted his erection. Sainted Ones, how he wanted to touch her. The memory of her body pressed against him made him ache.

Today, he’d kissed Ravyn out of frustrated desire. The sight of her in those clothes, performing with such grace and skill, had been too much. Where he’d found the strength to let her walk out of his room unravished, he didn’t know. Now he racked his brain, trying to remember why. Oh, yes, out of courtesy. How gallant of him. Alone and in need, all he wanted was to spread her legs and bury himself deep inside her, kiss every inch of her body, and hear her stubborn mouth cry his name when he pleasured her. His erection thickened. It seemed his deeds were far more gallant than his imagination.

The
snick
of the door handle whispered across the room. Rhys lowered his hand to the side of his bed and felt for the knife stowed between the down ticks. The chance of an attack in his chamber was slim but not impossible. He tensed and waited. His fingers skimmed across metal and wrapped around the hilt of the dagger as the door eased open.

A slight figure slipped inside his room and closed the door with a quiet click. His grip relaxed. What was she up to? If not for her white shift, Ravyn would have blended with the shadows. He closed his eyes and watched through slitted lids, half praying she had come to ease his need and half praying she’d turn around and leave him to wallow in his moral dilemma.

She crept toward his bed, her silent steps landing on the thick rug. Rhys held back a grin. If he had been asleep, he might have never heard her enter. Stealth was a good trait to have as a Bringer. Every few feet Ravyn stopped, fanned herself, and then tiptoed a few feet closer. He steadied his breathing and remained motionless, waiting, hoping she was there for him.

Ravyn edged around the bed and stopped. Moonlight spilled through the large windows, casting a blue glow over her skin and along her black strands of hair. She looked like some mythical goddess from the sea, a siren sent to tempt and lure him.

He suppressed a groan when Ravyn stopped by his bed. The moonlight kissed her profile, outlining the curve of her breasts and their erect tips. His body tightened painfully as he devoured the sight. How long could he resist the urge to touch her?

She made no move, only stared at him. After several torturous seconds, she reached for the hem of her shift, and pulled the garment over her head in one quick motion. His eyes opened and he sat up, no longer interested in pretending.

Ravyn gasped and crushed the shift against her breasts. He pushed back the covers and stood, his naked body lit by the moon’s glow. The whites of her eyes rounded but she didn’t retreat.

He refused to accept her embarrassment—not with him—not ever. With only inches separating them, Ravyn’s desire and apprehension rippled along his skin. The beast stirred.

He’d give her one chance to leave. “You shouldn’t be here.”

She nodded. “I know.”

He took a step toward her. “I can’t give you what you seek, Ravyn. I can’t be who you need me to be.”

She stepped toward him. “I understand. Please don’t send me away. I want this.”

His honor faded with her words. He pulled the crumpled material from her hand and exposed her naked form. Heat radiated from her. He stepped closer, but she wouldn’t meet his eyes.

“Don’t hide yourself. Not from me.” He tipped her chin so she would look at him. “Do you understand?”

She nodded, but her posture remained stiff. He trailed a finger across her shoulder, down her breast, and over her nipple. The tips pebbled under his caress. Ravyn sucked in a breath and grabbed his hip for support. He loved the way she responded to him, the way her body nearly sizzled under his touch.

He palmed one full breast and rolled the extended nub between his thumb and index finger. She answered by arching into his hand. With tentative strokes, Ravyn smoothed her fingers across his torso. Her light touches delivered spikes of pleasure through his body as her nails scraped across his flat nipple. He wrapped his free arm around her back and pulled her close, needing to feel her body. His erection pressed fully against the soft skin of her stomach.

Ravyn tilted her head to look at him, her lips parting in an invitation—one he instantly accepted. Mouths met and tongues danced. This part, she’d learned well. No inhibitions muddied the execution of her kiss. She matched him stroke for stroke and moan for moan. The beast pushed against him, wanting more, needing to take control. Rhys held the urge to dominate at bay and sank into their kiss.

She tasted of wine and her new favorite fruit, figs. The light scent of lavender teased his nose. His hand journeyed down and around her body. He cupped her bottom to lift and rub the length of his shaft between her thighs. Ravyn whimpered and twined her arms around his neck when his erection grazed her womanly folds. She clung to him, grinding her softness against his shaft. Small pulses beat at the base of his cock in response to her touch.

“So hot,” he whispered into her mouth. “So sweet.”

He inched forward and backed Ravyn against a carved bedpost. Breaking their kiss, he pressed his nose against her neck. Her scent surrounded him and he drank her in. Not the wine or lavender, but the essence of her desire.

The beast within him came fully awake. The creature stretched against Rhys’s will.
Control and mate
, that’s what the animal demanded. Rhys sent a mental command to the beast, ordering the creature to cease its fight. Control slowly returned to him as the animal settled down to wait for another chance to dominate.

Rhys broke Ravyn’s hold around his neck. She opened her mouth to protest, but he cut her off. “Hold onto the post.”

“But I want to touch you.”

He smiled. “Me first.”

He crowded her body with his. The allure of Ravyn’s passion purled around him and heightened his senses. Silky black strands brushed his cheek as he buried his face in her hair and inhaled. Her head tilted to the side, giving him better access. Sweet surrender. He ran his tongue along the pulse of her neck and gently blew. A shiver ran through her body and she shuddered against him. The way she responded, her scent, and the soft curves of her body strained Rhys’s control. He nipped her neck and started his trek downward, laying a trail of kisses over her shoulders, chest, and breasts.

Her question came out in gasps as she stared down at him. “What are you doing?

“Trust me,” he breathed against her breast.

She looked at him for a moment. With a quick exhale, she leaned her head against the post again. “All right.”

Her nipples tightened with the caress of his warm breath, but he didn’t touch them. Ravyn arched her back in a silent plea for his mouth. With a long, languid stroke, he ran his tongue up her right breast and over the firm tip. She gasped and leaned into him. He loved her response. Switching sides, he tongued her left breast. The firm mound against his mouth made his nipples harden, his body responding in kind with hers. Ravyn’s nails dug into the carved wood and her head lolled to the side as she watched him. With parted lips and lids heavy with desire, she gave herself over to his exploration.

Her moans broke the silence of the room as he took her nipple tenderly between his teeth, laving the firm bud, and gently sucking. Pulses raced along his shaft when Ravyn wrapped her leg around his back and pulled him closer. Tingles of pleasure skittered along the base of his cock. He glided his hand up the inside of her thigh and stroked her slick folds. With cautious caresses, he sought entrance. Ravyn arched away from his prying fingers. He’d need to go slower. Give her time to adjust.

His tongue swirled a path under the full mound of her breast and across her ribs. Her breathing turned to moans, and those moans to gasps. Rhys’s erection tightened as he knelt and positioned his mouth close to the junction between her legs. Her sensual aroma eddied around him. He ran both hands up the back of her calves and thighs, caressing and massaging her smooth skin, encouraging her to relax.

With each touch of his lips and each stroke of his fingers, he branded Ravyn as his. The barriers around his solitary world crumbled, and though he didn’t fully embrace the possibility of Ravyn loving him, neither did he run from the chance. The beast cried for control.

Rhys’s kisses traveled lower and he settled on his knees in front of her. With a gentle nudge, he parted her thighs and tongued her hipbone.

Ravyn gasped and eased her legs open. “Rhys.”

His hand smoothed the inside of her thigh. “Let me in, sweet.”

She spread her thighs, giving him access to what he wanted. His trail of kisses traveled across her flat belly and along the edges of her black curls. His fingertips skimmed across the folds of her sex, pulling a moan from her. He liked her reaction and stroked again, this time spreading her lips with his finger.

Ravyn pushed against his hand. “Oh, Rhys. I need…you need to…” Her voice trailed off as she thrust against his hand.

“Do I need to do this?” He slid his finger into her tight sheath and slowly pumped. Ravyn exhaled with several quick pants. He drew his finger free and swirled the tip around her engorged nub.