WHAT’S DONE IN THE DARK
Tales from The Fires of Omiraa Universe
by
Erin Hill
SMASHWORDS EDITION
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PUBLISHED BY:
Erin Hill on Smashwords
What’s Done in the Dark
Tales from The Fires of Omiraa Universe
Copyright © 2011 by Erin Hill
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author's work.
Learn more about Erin Hill at http://erinhillwrites.blogspot.com/. Contact Erin at ErinHillWrites@gmail.com.
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What’s Done in the Dark is a collection of seven erotic romance vignettes of lust and love set in The Fires of Omiraa Universe. Book One of the erotic fantasy trilogy, The Crimson Wave, will be coming out in January. In the meanwhile, acquaint yourself with some of the characters and enjoy a small peak into their world.
THE FIRES OF OMIRAA
The five kingdoms of Quann are in chaos. Corruption is seeping through the land and The Aredian Order, the guardians of Quann whose magic has kept the peace for more than a hundred years, is slowly losing their grip on the lands. The new generation of Royals, young and impatient, no longer trusts The Order. But their concerns are not entirely misplaced, for many in The Order now see their gifts as a path to personal power and glory.
Convinced that it is his Divine Right to rule all five kingdoms, King Zarin Alexander of Omiraa, is waging a Unification War. But his desire to be High King is not his only obsession, for there is a woman, a servant girl Ariza, who rules his heart and sets his soul on fire. Will his love for her cure the darkness inside him? Or will his lust for power destroy everything that he holds dear and throw their entire world into chaos?
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WHAT’S DONE IN THE DARK
Tales from The Fires of Omiraa Universe
The Chained Heart
King Gabriel Alexander hated waiting. He was a man use to having every appetite satisfied on his terms, which was why his wife’s behavior was becoming tiresome. Farah had always had a defiant streak, it was one of the things that drew him to her, but he was growing tired of dealing with her constant questioning of his orders, and her outspokenness against some of his laws. She needed to learn that no one defied The King.
No one.
He had been too lenient with her during their marriage. He had allowed her to mistake his kindness for weakness, but tonight he would finally do what he longed to do from the very first moment he spotted her, wet and shaking in his arms after he rescued her from the bandits who ambushed her caravan. Tonight, he would break her.
Gabriel’s blonde brows knitted together when he heard movement in the Queen's chamber. He rose from his chair and silently crossed the room. The door knob felt cold in his hand. He turned to see Farah laughing with her handmaiden Bernadette as a male servant that he did not recognize poured steaming water in a tub. The male servant immediately bowed and exited at the sight of him. Bernadette, however, did not seem to get the hint. He gave her a brief smile.
"You may leave Bernadette. Walk safely."
He saw Bernadette squeeze Farah's hand, giving her mistress one last quick look as she shut her chamber door.
****
Farah looked at her husband as he leaned in the doorway, his handsome face sat in stone. He looked so relaxed when he was like this, his feet bare, his red tunic exposing silky hair on his chest. It was times like this when she remembered why she found him so attractive --- in the beginning. She regretted her outburst in the Council Room earlier, but Gabe’s taxation of the poor had become increasingly unfair.
Why should they be forced to pay for the wars he fought in the name of those damn warlocks?
The Aredian Order had too much influence over him. He was in danger of becoming a puppet to his magic overlords! But she knew she had embarrassed him, and for that she was sorry. She could feel his eyes on her and she could not take another minute of his disapproval. She walked to her wardrobe and removed a jar of bath salts. She poured a good measure into her steaming bath water and allowed her fingers to swoosh the mixture together. As she wiped her damp fingers on a soft cloth, she turned to see him looking at her with hooded eyes. She hoped his lust was a sign that his anger had vanished. She walked passed him and sat in front of her glass. She began to remove the ornate pins from her hair and soon felt strong hands cupping hers, moving them from her hair to her lap.
"Let me help you Farah," Gabriel whispered. "Omiraa’s Queen should have help preparing for bed."
"It's not necessary, Gabriel,” she said wearily.
"As your King and your Husband, I command you," he replied huskily.
Farah watched him in her glass as he gently removed her hairpins. Her long blonde hair spilt over her trembling shoulders. He grabbed her hairbrush and began stroking her locks with smooth rhythmic strokes. "Such beautiful hair,” he said, “the envy of all Quann.”
She laughed. "I am sure that there is a woman in the five kingdoms whose hair outshines mine.”
Gabriel twisted a golden strand around a forefinger. "Where were you just now?"
Farah swallowed. "I waited for you as you asked milord, but you never came, so I went to have dinner with my sister.” She saw his scowl in her glass. “Do not worry, my guard was with me and Justin returned me to my chamber as soon as he was told that you were heading back to yours.”
Gabriel’s fingers began caressing Farah's forehead from behind. "What did you and Madge have for dinner?"
"I had a few bites of chicken and some bread,” Farah whispered, enjoying the feel of his hands moving methodically against her skin.
He leaned in closer and whispered in her ear. "No wine?"
"The wine didn't settle in my stomach, milord."
"Oh."
He offered Farah a hand; timidly she slipped her fingers into Gabriel’s grip and allowed him to pull her from her vanity. Farah wanted to turn away from the anger in his blue eyes, yet, she wasn't ready for the consequence of that action. He turned her around and wordlessly began to untie her laces at her back, roughly pushing the dress from her shoulders. The yellow frock pooled at her feet. He turned her back around and gave her a smile that did not touch his eyes.
"Now remove your chemise.”
She hesitated for a moment, but there was something almost threatening in his tone, for one brief second she feared that if she did not take it off, he would rip it off. Soon she was naked before him.
“Into your bath."
She suddenly felt exposed…violated. How dare he treat her like this? She was his wife, not one of his whores. "I can bathe myself,” she said, trying to sound braver than she felt. She just wanted this horrible night to end, wanted her husband to stop looking at her with the eyes of a stranger…
"Do as I request," he said firmly.
****
Gabriel suppressed a moan at the sight of Farah's full breasts and rounder stomach. She had been a wisp of a girl when they first married and he loved her new fullness, her more womanly body. He watched Farah sink into her bath and settled himself behind her and it, reaching into the water to grab her wash cloth. As he began washing her back he noticed that she was biting her lips.
Oh, be nervous, my little one. Be very nervous. Never, will you defy me again.
He moved his hand from her back and began to ease the cloth down to her breast. He noticed that she moved a hand to stop him and he quickly pinned her arms in the water.
"Do. Not. Move," he said forcefully.
"But, Gabe…"
"And don't talk," he growled, pinching her nipple, an action that elicited a small sigh. "As your KING and HUSAND, I demand that you make no movement that I do not approve of, or utter a word until I permit it."
Farah was torn between anger at his insolence, and arousal at his commands. There was something dangerously exciting about Gabriel taking control of her like this, but still… Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt him sink his teeth into her shoulder.
"Your skin is luminous," he said, biting into her again. "Never before has a king had command over such perfect flesh."
She leaned backwards and closed her eyes as he moved his tongue towards her neck. He was marking her and a part of her wanted him to keep marking her.
"Your neck is so delicate," he whispered, moving a hand over it, so fragile, so easily broken."
She went motionless at his words, holding her breath until Gabriel replaced his large, strong hand with his lips. She began to relax again until she felt his hands moving down towards her center. She grabbed his hand. She did not want him to go there, not now when they were both so vulnerable and raw.
He grabbed her hand again and this time he pulled both of them over her head with one arm.
"I said do not move."
"Gabriel, I do not want…"
"You do not want what?"
He smiled as he began feeling his way around the folds of her womanhood.
"You do not want your King, your husband, to touch you here?" He pushed a finger inside, moving around teasingly until he found her sweet spot. "Or here?
She bit her lip and he knew that she was trying hard to stifle a growl that was building inside her. But he would not have that, no tonight. She would surrender control. Gabriel was now painfully aware of his own arousal. He felt as if his manhood was about to burst out of his trousers. It was taking every ounce of self control that he had not to undress and join his wife in her bath, to not let the joining of their flesh satiate his growing hunger, but then he would be at her mercy. Tonight was about showing her that he was her Lord in every way. She began to writhe under his touch and he slipped another finger inside her.
"Maybe, you mean here?"
He slowly began to move his fingers, finding the rhythm that he knew drove her crazy. Soon, he was thrusting his fingers inside her hard and fast, plunging in until he saw that she was at the brink. A part of him was tempted to pull out now and deny her release, but even he would never be that cruel, even in the depths of anger that he currently felt for her.
"Gabriel, please..."
He smiled. He loved it when she begged. He let her hands go and moved them over his as he finished her off, enjoying watching her grind into his fingers and move her hips to keep up. When she climaxed, she jerked in that way he found sexy and she lowered herself in the tub, exhausted. He released his member and quickly reached his pleasure. When he was done, he wiped of his hands, getting up to pull silk nightgown from her wooden dresser. He laid it on the bed and returned to Farah, opening a bath sheet for her. He wrapped it around her small body as he lifted her from the tub. Vigorously, he dried his wife's body, nibbling at her stomach, chest and thighs. She stood in the center of the room, still.
She was a quick learner.
He retrieved her gown and noticed the logs crackling in her fireplace. Her next lesson would be over there, near the fire…
"Raise your arms,” he said.
Gabriel slipped her gown over her slight body and picked her up again, carrying her to the bed.
She seemed shocked when he did not join her.
"It's been a trying day. You should sleep in your own chambers alone tonight."
****
Farah looked at her husband, grateful for the small hint of warmth that she now saw in his eyes. If he wanted an obedient wife in the bed chamber she would do her duty and give him one, but she would not turn a blind eye to what was happening in Omiraa.
"As you wish, Husband.”
He pressed a soft kiss on her cheek and moved towards the doors that lead to his chambers.
“Farah,” he said, suddenly stopping.
“Yes?" she responded with a smile.