King of Spades (14 page)

But now that she had declared her love, would she wear his signs of ownership—at least when they were alone?

Darronn held out his palm and a black leather collar appeared upon it with gold spades. “My collar, firecat. Will you wear it?”

Alexi’s eyes widened, and for once she looked uncertain, but for only a moment. “Yes, Master.”

The pleasure at her acceptance was so intense that Darronn’s already raging cock thrust out toward her like a mast on a sailing ship. A hint of a smile curved the corner of Alexi’s mouth, telling him that she had noticed.

Taking care to barely brush his body against hers, to tease her passions even more, he slowly moved behind her. “Raise your hair, firecat.”

She did as he bade, her form trembling with excitement and the smell of her desire nearly sending Darronn over the edge. He eased the collar around her neck and fastened it. When he finished, he leaned just close enough that his cock touched the small of her back, and he brushed his lips across her nape and kissed the soft skin above her collar.

“You are the fire in my veins,” he murmured. “The flames in my soul.”

Alexi shivered and let her hair fall as Darronn stepped away. The collar felt comfortable around her neck, and somehow made her hornier yet. Although a part of her couldn’t believe she had just allowed him to put his collar on her. What if it was permanent, and never came off? Strangely enough, the idea didn’t upset her. At this moment she wanted to be his in every way.

Yet he had never told her how he felt about her, other than stating that she was his destined mate. Would he return her love? And if he did, what next?

She let the thoughts slide away as her man moved around to face her again. Every slight touch of his hands and fingers set her senses on fire. Good lord he was a handsome man, so powerful and virile…and he was all hers.

Darronn held out his hand again, and this time a pair of golden spades appeared on his palm, each spade on the end of a small loop. Earrings?

“Your nipples are not yet pierced,” Darronn said and Alexi flinched at the thought of anyone sticking a needle through
that
part of her body. And what did he mean,
yet
? “For now will you wear these nipple rings ?” he asked.

Well, if this was just play, it did turn her on just thinking about it. When she’d seen the servants in the château wearing them, it had always made her wet. “Yes, Master,” she whispered, and wondered if she’d lost her mind.

But at the extreme satisfaction in Darronn’s gaze, Alexi’s pussy grew even wetter and it was all she could do not to squeeze her thighs together. When he lowered his head and laved one nipple, she thought she was going to come unglued. A moan escaped her when Darronn forced the snug ring over her nipple. The slight pressure was delicious, as was the cool gold spade dangling against her breast. Everything about what he was doing felt so good she was certain she was going to come.

By the time he had fastened both nipple rings on her, Alexi was so hot for him she wasn’t sure she could take much more.

“Come, firecat.” He took her hand and led her to one of the sparkling amethyst and black walls. The collar felt snug and exciting around her neck, and the spades swinging against her breasts made her want to scream with the need for release. “Lean forward and brace your hands against the wall,” he ordered, “and widen your thighs.”

Alexi obeyed, planting her feet wide apart and leaning over to place her palms flat against the faceted wall, the spades dangling from her nipples. She loved how it felt, bent over and exposed to Darronn like she was. It amazed her how completely she trusted him…like no man ever before.

She gasped as he slid the familiar black spade vibrator into her pussy and he murmured, “Remember, firecat, you may not reach climax without permission.”

The anticipation of wondering what he was going to do to her this time was driving her wild, but she managed to reply, “Yes, Master.”

Alexi moaned as the spade began pulsing in her core in a manner that was different than any way she’d experienced it before. It felt so fabulous she had no idea how she was going to keep from coming before he said she could. Darronn must have used magic to keep it in her because he was now massaging and caressing her butt cheeks with his hands as the vibrator continued to throb in her pussy.

“Such a fine, ass.” He moved his hips next to hers and she fought to keep from thrusting back against him, knowing that he would deny her if she did. She had to let him control her. “Would you like me to take you?” he asked, the rough timber of his voice sending more thrills through her.

“Yes, Master.” Alexi moaned. “Take me now, please.”

“Ah, but you have earned many punishments.” Darronn backed away then slid a strap over her back that he had obviously retrieved with his magic.

The caress of leather against her skin made her shiver with anticipation and her heart beat faster, knowing what would come next. “I’ve been such a bad girl, Master.”

“Indeed.”

The first lash fell across her buttocks and the vibration of the spade in her pussy increased. Even the spades at her nipples and the charm at her navel swung faster and almost seemed to hum. Her skin stung then tingled and then he lashed her again, causing more flames to lick through her body. The bite of each lash quickly turned into fissions of pleasure until she felt she would literally burst into a bonfire of ecstasy.

“May I come, Master?” she whispered when she was almost too close to the edge to pull back.

“No.” His sharp command brought her back, just barely. He stopped the lashes and withdrew the spade.

For a moment he just left her there, waiting for him. Not touching her, not speaking. Then she caught the whiff of that incredible musk, that scent he’d called
tigri
pheromones.

Her entire body began to tremble with such force she knew she’d fly apart if she didn’t have him now. To hell with waiting, she was just going to turn around and then from behind her, he murmured, “Free yourself. Be wild, firecat.”

Alexi pushed away from the wall, spun around, and flung herself at Darronn. She held on with one arm around his neck while she wrapped her legs around his waist. With her free hand she grasped his cock and placed it to the entrance of her core.

Darronn stopped her, holding her by her waist and keeping her from slamming herself down on his cock. She fought him, needing him inside her more than anything in the world. His musk lightened, slightly, but enough that she stilled when she saw the way that he was looking at her.

Lust, passion, and she was certain she saw love in his green eyes, too.

His mouth came down hard on hers at the same time the
tigri
musk became stronger and he brought her down hard, thrusting his cock inside her pussy.

Alexi screamed into his mouth at the feel of him inside her. God, it seemed like she’d been waiting forever to have him, and now that he was in her, she couldn’t get enough.

They ravaged one another’s mouths as they fucked. Alexi braced her hands on his shoulders, driving herself up and down on his cock, harder and faster. The spades bounced from her nipples and even the collar added to the extreme pleasure shooting through her body.

Darronn ripped his mouth from hers and captured her gaze. “Now, firecat!”

Alexi’s climax blasted through her and she shrieked. Her cry echoed through the cavern, bouncing from crystal to crystal until the entire chamber sang. The harmony blended with the vibrancy of her orgasm and the purple and black crystals sparkled in tune with it all. Light, color and sound blended into a symphony that set her world aflame.

Chapter Ten

Strawberry tarts rained from blue-green skies and scattered across the table where Alexi sat alone in the middle of a forest. In front of her on the red tablecloth were a chipped plate and a cracked tea cup resting on half a saucer. Another place setting was arranged to her right, but no one was sitting in the straight-backed chair.

Before Alexi could reach for one of the tarts, the sorceress appeared wearing nothing but an enormous stovepipe hat with a wide brim. Even Kalina’s collar and the spades that normally dangled from her nipples were missing. In her hands was a tea pot with most of the spout broken off.

“All is not as it seems, Milady,” Kalina said as she poured tea into Alexi’s cup. Fluid spilled over the teacup’s brim, onto the half saucer, then bled into the red tablecloth.

When the sorceress vanished, Alexi reached for one of the tarts in the middle of the table, but before she could grasp the tart it rose up in the air and settled on the plate to her right, where someone was now sitting.

She raised her gaze to meet Alice’s turquoise eyes.

Alexi gasped as she stared at her sister. Alice wore an almost sheer white dress with red hearts sprinkled over it. In her white-blonde hair was the blue satin ribbon she’d been wearing the day of her disappearance.

Before she could jump up and throw herself at her twin, Alice held up her hand. In it was a black leather whip. “In Wonderland you must be careful,” Alice said.

Chills rolled through Alexi as Alice laid the whip across the table and repeated the sorceress’s warning, “All is not as it seems.”

Alexi woke with a start. She blinked, her vision coming back into focus and the memory of where she was and what had happened returned to her.

That same awful ache settled in her gut because Alice wasn’t really there with her. It had just been a freaking bizarre dream.

Yet it seemed so real. And strangely enough, it made Alexi feel as if the connection she’d had with her twin from the time they were born until Alice vanished… it was as if that connection had been reestablished.

She rarely remembered her dreams in the past, but the dream of her escape, and then this new dream of Alice were so clear and vivid in her mind.

Why?

Darronn stirred and her attention turned toward how good it felt to be in his embrace. His arm draped around her waist, her back to his chest, his firm cock against her ass, and he had one leg hooked over her hip. Even in sleep he bound her to him, and she loved how it felt. They were lying on a fabulously soft black velvet cushion-bed that he had summoned with his magic and had arranged by the small waterfall.

His wonderful male musk surrounded her, making her feel both content and edgy all at once. He was an addiction to her system—yet she knew that it wasn’t something that he’d forced on her. But he certainly could have long ago with that
tigri
pheromone. Good lord that had been an amazing experience. She couldn’t help but respect the fact that in all the time she’d been here, he’d never used it to force her to want him.

Not that he’d had to force her ever—even when he’d staked her to the ground all those weeks ago, she’d been unbelievably attracted to him. Darronn was every fantasy she’d ever had rolled into one amazingly muscled, powerful, gorgeous and well-hung package.

His breath was warm on her nape, his breathing deep and even. She brought one hand to the collar still snug around her neck and ran a fingertip over the leather strap and the gold spades decorating it. At the same time she was very aware of the gold spades at her nipples that felt just as comfortable and familiar to her now as the tiger charm did at her navel.

Was something wrong with her, that she liked the collar and how the nipple rings felt? Knowing that they were signs of
ownership
should be demeaning, shouldn’t it? That’s what she’d thought when she’d watched Kalina walking around the château, and many of the other servants and villagers who wore collars and nipple piercings. Sure, they looked sexy, but she hadn’t allowed herself to think of them beyond what convention dictated her thoughts should be.

Why does it feel so right to be wearing Darronn’s signs of ownership now? Why do I enjoy the thought of belonging to him and
only
him?

Alexi was also amazed at how wonderful it felt be able to truly count on someone to take care of her, someone who was her equal in every way. Choosing to submit to him felt delicious and special.

If only he would tell her that he loved her.

She knew how much he desired her, and she knew how much it pleased him that she had admitted her love.

But did he feel it in his heart and soul, too? He was so damn arrogant he probably expected it. But, if he didn’t love her, could she accept that?

No. Absolutely not
. The answer was as clear as the feelings in Alexi’s heart for her lover. If Darronn merely considered her a prize, or his due, she couldn’t and wouldn’t live with or accept it. She deserved to have her love returned a hundred percent, and she would settle for nothing less.

For awhile Alexi watched the cavern’s purple and black crystals glittering around her, and they reminded her a bit of the day the mirror had appeared in her bedroom. It seemed so long ago now, another lifetime. According to Kalina, the four weeks she’d spent in Tarok equated to a little over six Earth weeks…and in that short amount of time she’d lived with and had grown to love Darronn.

His words came back to her, from that first day in the meadow, “
For your own good, you must learn the desires and fears of your heart—and you must learn to trust and respect the one person with the skill and power to make you whole.”

Loving Darronn had allowed that and more. She did trust and respect him, but she would be whole only when he returned her love, and when she found Alice.

When Alexi’s thoughts turned to her sister, thoughts of the dream came back to her and that familiar ache returned deep in the pit of her stomach and in her heart. Alice deserved someone special, too—especially after the assholes who had hurt her so badly.

Damn it. What happened to Alice? Where is she now?