In the Tempest
A Carnal Desires Short Story
By Crystal Jordan
Smashwords Edition
Copyright 2011 Crystal Jordan
Smashwords Edition, License Notes
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“You can't do this!”
Adriana yanked at the saltwater silk bindings that tied her, panic and desire twisting through her. She needed to escape. Oh, Goddess. The want rocking through her was more than she could bear. Wetness soaked her pussy, and Baleel had yet to touch her since he’d tied her up. The huge golden dragon had crossed the cords under the thick pile of her bedding, binding each ankle to the opposite wrist. No matter how hard she jerked with her weredragon strength, she would only spread herself further for his view.
They were both naked—he’d caught her when she’d just shifted out of her dragon form. He propped himself on his elbow next to her, his long, thick cock rubbing against her hip. A bead of moisture slid down the inside of her thigh. Every part of her body craved this man, but she could not give him what he wanted. Sex, yes. Why could that not be all he wanted of her? But, no. He wanted to mate with her. Had done everything in his power to push her into it. And she had successfully evaded him. Until now.
He chuckled. “I believe I've already done it.”
A draconic hiss erupted from her throat, and she narrowed her eyes to slits to glare at his presumption. She was heir to the most powerful matriarchy on their planet. And her position on Harena is exactly why he wanted to mate with her. She couldn’t afford to forget that, no matter what else he might say. Desire was not enough for her. She had had a convenient mating arrangement before, and it had ended in disaster before the ceremony took place. Public, humiliating disaster. Now she would settle for nothing less than love. And with the insane longing his mere presence wrenched from her, she couldn’t trust herself to tell the difference between love and lust when it came to her feelings for him.
He terrified her.
Her heart clenched. She’d spent one night with him, and it had been enough to send her running. He was dangerous. To her mind. To her heart. And he’d pursued her relentlessly ever since, going to far as to try to force her hand by negotiating an alliance with her matriarchal leaders. Yes, a very dangerous man. She snarled at him. “I could shift and get out of this.”
“You could. But you don’t want to. This excites you, wondering what I might do next. Will I be rough or gentle?” He circled the tip of his finger around her belly button, and then dragged his nails across the soft curve of her stomach. She arched hard, jerking on the bindings again. A triumphant grin pulled at his sensuous lips. “And I know you enjoy both, my lady.”
She slammed her eyes closed over the waves of longing and shame that rolled over her. Juices gathered to slicken the folds of her pussy. She didn’t want this; she craved more. “Oh, Goddess.”
“Now. Let us discuss the most pressing matter at hand.” He shifted next to her, his cock riding her thigh. The golden scales that spread over his shoulder glinted in the firelight that danced in the small pit in the middle of her silk tent. The walls snapped in the harsh desert wind. She knew the scales covered most of his back. The lightest touch to dragon scales could elicit intense sexual reactions. Their brief affair taught her exactly how he liked his stroked. He fingers itched to touch him again and for a moment she was grateful to be bound, unable to follow her desires.
She swallowed and tried to focus, but lust swamped her. “There is nothing for us to discuss. You know my position on the matter of our mating.”
“It is time to…renegotiate. You’ve held me at arm’s length for far too long, Adriana. But your leaving the capital gave me the opportunity I’ve needed. You’re mine now. All mine.” He dipped down to suck her nipple into his mouth.
Shuddering hard, she tried to fight the physical reaction to his nearness. The screaming of her nerves for his touch. Tingles flashed over her flesh, and she struggled to keep from arching in her binding toward him. He was right about leaving the capital. Her mother would be furious, and that meant Adriana would be punished in whatever manner the Matriarch Yola deemed fit. Women on their world owned the land and the children, so they were stationary. Men went out and negotiated treaties for the matriarchies, or fought battles when treaties failed.
Her cousin had come home to Harena to bond with her two mates. Then the two men had returned with Katryn to serve as ambassadors to the weretiger world of Vesperi. Before they got there, they would complete the annual trade route to each of the other planets colonized by Earth before the sun went supernova. Ancient Earthan scientists had spliced animal genes with human in order to help humans adapt to the harsh environments of the habitable planets they’d discovered. They’d created werebears, weretigers, weredragons, and merpeople. And her cousin would see them all before she settled in for the rest of her life on Vesperi. Space travel was risky at best and limited to a single trade run with the one operational ship that remained because so much technology had been lost in the centuries since the Earthan sun died. Adriana wanted to see her cousin off and meet the weretiger and merpeople ambassadors. In the isolationist capital city, she’d never have the opportunity. Offworld species were confined to the landing site. But women weren’t supposed to leave their land, their sphere of power and control.
But she had.
And she was going be punished. Dread rolled through her, and she clenched her fingers tight. She had no idea what her mother would come up with, but it would be creative and it would be ugly. Knowing that, she didn’t regret her actions. She would take what came to her.
Baleel’s finger circled her navel in slow, sensuous strokes, dragging her back from her dark musings. Gooseflesh erupted down her arms, reminding her of her bound state, stretched beneath his hungry gaze. His tongue flicked against her nipple, and she arched toward him without thought. The ties chafed her wrist, but the slight pain only added to her cravings, made it all the better for her. She shouldn’t want this. Not from him. Not ever. But she did.
She bucked against her bindings, a sob catching in her throat. “No.”
“Oh, yes. You want me. And you’re going to have me, and only me, for the rest of your life.” His teeth grazed her other nipple before he sucked hard on the taut crest.
Her back bowed, cream flooding her pussy as much from his possessive claim as for his action. His tongue trailed between her breasts, and his breath cooled the hot moisture.
Fight, Adriana. Don’t give in.
A mistake now could cost her dearly. If she gave in to his demands for mating, he would hold her to it. No matter that she was out of her mind with lust. He was a ruthless man. It was one of the things she found irresistible about him. Her thoughts raced. If she could push him past his endurance, he might stop pressing his case and just fuck her. For now.
She wasn’t foolish enough to think he’d ever leave her be. Not unless she mated to another man. Some small part of her revolted at the thought, recoiling. She couldn’t think of that now, and she forced her mind back to the task at hand. Pushing Baleel. But that meant giving in to her own wanton needs. Her body screamed an affirmative at that, her muscles tightening in anticipation of what was to come. She arched a mocking brow. “You think you have an affect on me? Any man who touched my scales could elicit such a reaction. It is biology, not attraction.”
His dark eyes flared at the challenge. He growled low in is throat. His fingers slid against the swollen lips of her pussy. “I have yet to touch a single one of your scales. Ah. Yes. I can see how unaffected you are. My mistake.”
It was then she realized he hadn’t touched her scales—and her body still wept for him. A difficult feat considering the insides of her thighs were covered in a thin layer of blood red scales—it curled in a delicate pattern from her inner thighs to the outsides of her knees. The only other place she bore scales was a crown on her forehead.
As though reading her thoughts, he lifted his head and slid his tongue along her crown. Her pussy fisted tight in response, heat streaking through her. He kissed her scales, and she gasped. Slipping down to suck her lobe into his mouth, he releases her to growl in her ear, “Mate with me.”
“You cannot force me.” The plan was working. He was angry, challenged. And when his nail flicked hard over her clit, she forgot about plans and only knew what her instincts told her. She wanted him. This. Now.
“Force? When I am done with you, my lady, you will be begging me.” As if to prove his point, he thrust his fingers roughly inside her soaking channel. His long digits glided in and out of her again and again until she sobbed for breath. Beads of sweat gathered on her forehead, tickling over her crown before they slipped into the hair at her temple.
She twisted against her ties, trying to rub his hand against her scales. Bound, she couldn’t arch her body enough, move her legs enough to force him. She wanted his touch, needed it. No one had ever affected her as deeply as he did. He drew his hand back to circle her clit lightly. Too lightly. She choked on a sob of frustration. His dark, beautiful face spread in a mocking smile. “Ah, ah, ah, my lady. I do believe you claimed I couldn’t make you want me without touching your scales. Wasn’t that so?”
“Yes,” she gasped. Yes. Please touch her, make her come, make her scream. She wanted all of it and she didn’t care how he did it. Cream slipped from her sex, and anticipation made her whimper.
“You want me?” His lips closed hard over her nipple, biting, laving. He pressed his finger down on her clit before, flicking the swollen nub once, twice, three times.
“Yes.” She came so fast stars swam before her vision. Her pussy flexed on nothing, and it wasn’t enough. Not nearly enough. She craved his thick cock pounding within her. “More, Baleel. Please.”
“Greedy lady.” He chuckled against her breast, and the sound vibrated her tight nipple. Her sex fisted reflexively, and she gasped. “Tell me what you want, Adriana.”
“I want your cock inside me, Baleel. Please. Please, please, please,” she chanted mindlessly. Her head arched back on the bedding.
He rolled to mount her in one smooth movement. His cock rubbed against the sensitive tissue of her sex. “I love it when you beg me, Adriana.”
Her eyes flared wide as he chuckled and drove home within her. He groaned long and loud. An animalistic scream ripped from her throat. His cock stretched her wide, filled her to the point of pain. Goddess, it was good. So good. Then he moved, stroked her scales with his thighs between hers. She sobbed. So long she’d waited for his touch again. For this. She hadn’t even realized how deeply she craved him until the agony of it ceased. Her heart tripped at what that might mean, but his cock slammed home inside of her, and his skin stimulated her scales until she was incoherent with want.
Heat rolled through her in rising waves. She shuddered each time he withdrew to rub her scales and screamed each time he buried his cock inside her pussy. Her bound hands kept her from dancing her fingers over his golden scales, but the frustration of her desire only made her burn hotter. Her hips lifted to meet his thrusts, but she couldn’t move as much as she wanted. Open-mouthed sobs tore from her and she called his name.
“Adriana,” he whispered. His lips dipped to capture hers, and she pushed her tongue unto his mouth, moving under him with the abandon her tethered state wouldn’t allow her. They came together in a clash of teeth and lips and tongue.
Molten need flashed wild through her, undeniable, unstoppable. Contractions gathered hard in her pussy, and she quivered right on the edge of orgasm. Her eyes slammed closed and a tear leaked from the corners to streaked down her temple and into her hair. “Baleel, I—”
He pulled back to look down at her, and his irises bled black to the rim of his eyes. He hovered on the edge of change, of orgasm. The dragon untamed. The gold of his scales rippled down to cover his arms, and his fangs slid out as he threw his head back to roar. He reached between them to press down of her clitoris, his pounding thrusts moving her against his finger. It was enough, and she soared over. Her scream drowned out his harsh groan as his hips arched hard. He froze, his body drawing into a taut line as he jetted inside her.
Their panting breath was the only sound that broke the silence of the night in the saltwater silk tent. Her muscles shook with the power of her orgasm, and the sweat on their skin cooled slowly. His cock slid from her and he settled on his elbows above her.
His forehead dropped to hers, and they both moaned when the touch to her scales caused her pussy to clench tight one last time. His lips brushed over hers gently, caressing her.
Someone cleared his throat outside her tent. “My lord? We've received reports that renegades have been sighted in the area. We'll have to take an alternate route, but it shouldn't put us more than a day off schedule.”
Baleel rolled to his feet in one graceful move. He pushed the flap open to speak to the guard, but blocked the other man’s view of her with his big body. “Double the guards. Have the dune racers scout ahead in the morning. I don't want to lose even a single Gila to renegades.”
“Very good, my lord. And…my lord…” The guard hesitated.
“Yes?” Impatience radiated in the golden dragon’s tone.
The guard pitched his voice low, but Adriana’s dragon senses allowed her to hear. “It is Lord Rakin.”
The muscles in Baleel’s back rippled at the sharp breath her drew at that news. He stepped back and let the tent flap drop back into place. “Very good. Good night.”
“Yes, my lord.” The guard retreated into the night, and Baleel spun to look at her.
Adriana went rigid against her ties and turned her face away from him. Rakin. The man she was supposed to mate with. Goddess, what was she doing? Had she learned nothing?
“Untie me,” she whispered in a harsh rasp. “Please.”
He dropped down on his knees beside her and fumbled with the knots on the bindings, loosing her from her silken cage. She curled into herself. Goddess, her body still burned for him. More, deeper, harder, faster. She wanted all he could give her. Shuddering, she squeezed her thighs together tight. He was everything she didn’t want, everything she shouldn’t desire. Her body betrayed her whenever he was near. Her heart betrayed her whenever he was near.
Her mother had sworn she could have the mate of her choice after Rakin humiliated her before society and chose to mate with a low class woman over her. He had become an outlaw in society to escape her. Shame exploded in her belly. Could she never choose a man who wanted her for more than her position and her body? In the end, they would want neither.
“My lady—” Baleel’s fingers brushed her hair away from her face.
A bitter laugh erupted on a sob, ad she flinched away from him. “I am not your lady, and we both know I never will be. Please, go. You’ve taken what you wanted, and I won’t mate with you. Leave me in peace.”
He snorted and pulled her into his arm, forced her head back to look at him. “Are you truly at peace? If I leave you alone you will simply castigate yourself for the failings of that bit of Gila droppings.”
She forced herself not to curl into his heat as she wanted. She glanced aside. “I envy Rakin in some ways.”
He jerked, and she could feel his surprise. His finger nudged her chin higher until she met his gaze once more. His dark gaze was hard and angry. “What’s this? He is a criminal.”
“Because he loved her. He was foolish, yes. But what was his other choice? To be shackled to me for the rest of his days while he loved her?” She swallowed back the tears of self-pity that threatened. It hurt, but it was true. There had been no love between them, but she had been willing to sacrifice the possibility of love for duty. He hadn’t.
Baleel growled, and the black irises of his eyes filtered out to fill his eyes from corner to corner. “He wasn’t worthy of you.”
“And you are? Why? Because unlike him you want to bed me?” Her jaw clenched. Sex did not equal love, and she wouldn’t settle for less ever again. Not after Rakin. Duty and sex were not enough to bind him to her for the rest of their lives. Only love.
He shifted her in his arms until she straddled his big body. She gasped as his hard cock pressed at the entrance of her pussy. “I do love bedding you, Adriana. And you will mate with me.”
“Why?” She swallowed and braced her hands on his shoulders to hold herself slightly away from him. Her sex had heated and dampened at just the brush of his skin against hers. “Is it the challenge? My matriarchy? Be honest, Baleel. I won’t mate for less than love. I won’t be—”
His finger lifted to her lips, stilling her words. He met her eyes, open and forthright, just as she’d demanded. “I love you, Adriana. Have loved you from the moment I touched you. How could you not realize? Do you think I’ve enjoyed your rejections? Do you think an advantageous marriage is worth that? No. But love is. You are.”
Her breath seized in her throat. “You don’t mean it.” But she knew she spoke false. She could feel his sincerity. He merely met her gaze and waited. She swallowed, tears welling in her eyes. “I—I don’t—”
“Yes, you do.” He hauled her up back against him, closing the small distance she had put between them. His hardened cock jutted against her belly. “Say you love me.”
She shook her head wildly. “I can’t think when you touch me.”
“Then we’re even. I lost my mind the moment I slid inside of you. So hot, so sweet.” His voice was a low, sexual growl. She shivered at the promise in his gaze.
“Goddess above.” Her eyes slid closed as she realized for the first time what truly held her back. It was not that she didn’t love him. Her heart had always been his, and the intensity of her feelings for him had terrified her. But even that would not have made her fight him so hard if it hadn’t been for Rakin. She had trusted Rakin to be faithful to her, loyal…even if he didn’t love her. For honor’s sake. How could she trust her judgment with Baleel when he sent her logic and senses reeling whenever he was near? But Baleel wasn’t Rakin, and her heart didn’t care what her mind thought.
He chuckled, released her, and leaned back on his hands. “Love is not something to contemplate. It is a feeling. It is…or it is not.”
Yes. The feelings could no longer be denied, so she took the greatest leap of faith in her life…and trusted her heart to Baleel. She closed her eyes for a moment. “I love you, too.”
“I had no doubts, my lady.” But relief shone in his dark gaze, and a wondrous smile spread over his handsome face.
She lifted her fingers to stroke over his jaw. “Liar.”
“Perhaps.” His smile turned into a wicked grin as he shifted to brush his cock against her weeping sex. “We will speak to your mother when we reach the capital.”
Her eyes widened, and her heart jolted in dread. “My mother. Oh, Goddess. She’ll be so angry at my disobedience, she’ll never let me—”
He chuckled. “Unless I can convince her that mating to me would be a suitable punishment for you. You will have to put up an extraordinary protest to make it convincing.”
A small, rueful smile pulled at her lips. She lifted her knees to clamp on his lean hips. “I think I can manage that.”
“I have no doubts.” His big hand closed over her breast, his thumb abrading her sensitive nipple. “Until then…”
Her breath whooshed out on a low moan as he slid deep within her pussy in one long, powerful push. She buried her fingers in his hair to pull him down for a kiss. “Until then,” she agreed.
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About the Author
Crystal Jordan began writing romance after she finished graduate school and needed something to fill the hours that used to be eaten away by homework. Currently, she serves as a librarian at a university in California, but has lived and worked all over the United States. She writes paranormal, futuristic and erotic romance. To learn more about Crystal please visit http://www.crystaljordan.com.