Lovers' Tussle Read online

  He laid her down and kissed her softly. He expertly soothed her ravaged senses after the storm Roth had ruthlessly tossed her into. Aiden was calm and patient, a welcome comfort after the violent vortex. As he continued to suckle a path down her throat to her impatient, throbbing breasts, she fumbled with the buttons of his shirt. His lips closed over one erect nipple, and she arched, discarding her chore as turbulent heat coursed through her body. His tongue swirled and flicked. The scrape of his teeth made her tremble helplessly. With the suave tenderness she had come to accept of Aiden, he moved from one breast to the other, giving each his equal, undivided, and divinely masterful attention.

  Tienna lost all sense of time as she floated on the sensual tide he provided. His touch was like soft whispers, feather soft and tender even on her sensitive pussy. It was an entirely different kind of wave he was producing, compared to Roth’s crashing one. It was a steady crescendo, a calmer sea, but engulfing nonetheless. Her pleasure was being stolen from her in achingly slow degrees. The thrusting of his first two and then three fingers in her pussy smoothed and massaged away the aching, stretched feeling Roth had left behind.

  Suddenly the bed dipped, and Roth sat beside her head. He was gloriously naked, clothed in his own browned skin over delicious, rippling muscles. As he accompanied her, Aiden began to hastily undress. Her eyes shot to Roth’s cock without shame as it stabbed out before her. Each time she had dreamed of these men, her eyes had been sealed. Now she fully intended keeping her eyes wide open, observing every last detail. In her nightly visions her hands had been tied, the feel of their flesh denied to her. Now she could touch and caress to her heart’s desire. It was an opportunity she had waited too long for. It was not one she planned on missing a single moment of.

  Unschooled, her fingers curled around Roth’s thick cock. He was so hard, and yet the skin encasing him was soft, smooth velvet. He was a majestic Alpha wolf and just as powerful as a man. She touched the angry-looking, swollen head tentatively. He hissed. Tienna’s gaze flew to his face. The aggressive clench on his jaw, exhibited by a deep tic in the corded tendons, was like witnessing a visible leash on his control. Tienna wondered why he had not sunk his cock into her welcoming warmth before. “Why?”

  Roth smiled. Tienna supposed it was meant to be reassuring, but it looked more like a grimace of either pain or threat. She was not sure. Without answering her verbally, his hand clamped over hers. The loose hold she’d held his penis within became tighter and, even as her bones began to ache, became tighter still. It was nothing less than a death grip. Not giving an inch, he began to stroke. Tienna’s eyes widened as a pearly droplet formed on the reddened tip like a teardrop. He gasped out. “That’s why.”

  She understood. He believed he would be too brutal. By the hold on his cock, she knew he would be. His sacrifice could not have been easy. He was a dominant man by nature. He lived to rule and ruled by conquering. That he had denied himself this ultimate glory of her initiation touched her deeply. She swallowed thickly at the lump that lodged in her throat. This was a gift she would always treasure.

  Aiden came back and settled himself within the cradle she had provided, the one Roth had selflessly sacrificed. Her attention snapped to him as she felt an intrusion at the entrance of her pussy. This was no tongue and definitely not fingers. Aiden leaned over her, bracing his weight on his hands and kissed her breasts once again. Roth allowed her hand to remain curled around his cock as he dipped his head to sample her mouth. Tienna was once again set adrift on a sweeping current. Aiden’s voice rumbled around her aching nipple. “I will be gentle, Tienna.”

  The fragile tissue around her pussy entrance stretched as he pushed into her slowly. Tienna gasped in agony. She had not seen his penis size. Perhaps that was a mercy. He stopped and remained motionless above her. Tienna opened her eyes as her muscles began to relax, accepting. Roth eyed her with concern. Aiden’s face was etched in harsh lines of torment. She reached up and tried to sooth his tension. He moved again, and her touch became a death grip on his hair.

  But yet again her body became pliant. Tienna lost count of how many times he had paused, but finally she felt his cock press against the delicate tissue guarding her virginity. She looked up at Aiden uncertainly.

  “Forgive me.” He pushed into her.

  Tienna stared up with her mouth open on a silent scream. Every muscle within her burned from the unbelievable stretching. But gradually, as he held still, the feeling of fullness was not so strange and aggressive anymore. In fact, it was rather splendid. A void in her that she was not even aware existed was suddenly filled, and she felt satisfaction steal over her, completion. She looked up and wondered why both Roth and Aiden had their eyes squeezed as though in excruciating pain. Tienna winced. Maybe her scream had not been quite as silent as she’d believed. “Is that it, then?”

  Aiden’s eyes flew open, and she was struck once again with the beauty within those shimmering depths. His lips curved into a boyish, lopsided smile. “That is just the beginning, Tienna.”

  Then he moved. Her pants quickly turned to lusty, needy screams. She did not care about whose head or eardrums she was bruising. The feeling of his cock sliding out and then slipping back into her was beyond anything she had ever experienced. It was sublime. His erection became coated with her flowing gratitude. Just as she was beginning to think it could not possibly get any better, he picked up the pace. Tienna moaned, arching her back to best receive his plundering. Their thighs slapped against each other noisily. The buildup of tension within her suddenly rose to the surface, and she shattered. Her muscles squeezed around his length as she convulsed. Aiden roared as he continued to slam into her. Tienna lifted her ass even as her legs quivered, and finally she was rewarded. His seed, hot and steamy, shot into her. Each throb of his cock sent a fresh spurt, and she climaxed again. Images exploded through her mind as all their mental, defensive walls collapsed, and he opened himself to her. She saw a noble man who was just and sensitive. She saw an honorable man whose touch was tender and patient. She took his offering deep within her, crying her delight until he finally crashed down on top of her.

  Tienna closed her eyes and surrendered to the lax nothingness that settled over her, hugging this new intimate connection she now shared with Aiden. But just as she was fully enjoying his manly weight on her, he moved. Tienna could not hold back a chuckle when she realized he had not moved but had been forcefully evicted. Roth yanked Aiden the rest of the way out of and off her. He growled fiercely. “Your part is done, brother.”

  Aiden rolled over onto the bed beside her, obviously too taxed to fight or argue. Tienna reached out and brushed the hair away from his forehead. “Thank you.” He did not open his eyes, but his lips stretched into a beatific smile. He really is a beautiful man, Tienna mused, but that was as far as her admiration got.

  A weight was once again occupying the space vacated by Aiden. Tienna blinked up as Roth fitted himself between her wantonly spread legs. He snapped at her, more beast then man, “My turn.”

  Tienna’s grin froze on her face as he plunged into her. Fully sheathed to the hilt, he stopped and grunted. “I can’t wait, Tienna.”

  Tienna did not know how long she had lain paralyzed beneath him. His cock was throbbing within her, begging her participation. Energy from some unknown reserve rushed through her, and once again she was overpowered by need. She bucked her hips against him. “Neither can I, lover.”

  Roth’s eyes flared, dangerous and violent. He grabbed her thighs and pushed them against her middle. His strokes were long and hard. Tienna was powerless against his impaling. She panted hard as he pumped into her ruthlessly. He was all beast, and she succumbed to his dominance. His scrotum slapped heavily against her ass until she was mewling and crying her surrender. The drenched linings of her pussy clenched just as he exploded in her. With each lusty jerk he fed her his juices, but he drained from her as well. His growl was raw and wild, mingling with her whimpers of acceptance. The visions that st
ormed her mind were dark and ominous. She saw him as a ruthless knave and fierce warrior. She saw him as a possessive partner and hard lover. Her breath whistled out as he fell forward. She never got a chance to feed her painfully starved lungs as she felt the sting of his teeth on her shoulder. He marked her, declaring his dominion. Slowly, lethargy and the very first peaceful sleep she had experienced in her womanly life stole over her. She smiled in acquiescence at this final claiming. This was definitely something she could get used to every night. Her carnal paramour and her sensual beau.

  Chapter 6:

  Treacherous Turn

  Tienna smiled against her pillow but refused to pry open her eyes. For the first time she had not been plagued by salacious dreams of nonexistent men. Yes. The sticky moisture between her legs was the genuine deal this time. Her lovers had been flesh and bone, alive. The remaining scent of their sweat and sex still lingered on her skin. Her body ached in places she did not even know she possessed muscles. Everything was so gloriously real.

  She flopped over onto her back and turned a perplexed glance at the orange ball beyond a large terrace window that was fast speeding on its westward course. Had all that taken place last night? How long had she slept?

  Unabashed with her nakedness in the deserted room, she headed for a small, adjoining dressing chamber. Aiden’s personal belongings were neatly arranged on shelves, and she couldn’t help but caress his shaving brush across her cheeks. The smell of his soap assailed her nostrils, and the rest of her ablutions were completed with a silly schoolgirl smile on her face.

  As she stepped out of his private facilities, she mentally clothed herself in a gray housedress with fluffy, white trimmings. She grinned mischievously as she purposely left out a corset and made do with a single petticoat over naughty, black, sinfully lacy stockings. Roth certainly seemed to have an obsession with leggings, judging by his insistence in her keeping them on.

  Touching the various combs and brushes on the dresser, she tried to figure out which Aiden used. Finally, she settled on a soft-bristled one and brushed her hair until it shone. With quick, albeit clumsy, untrained motions, she roped the length before turning it into a bun at her nape. Her nipples puckered in the chilly air, hardly protected by the scandalously low-lying décolletage she’d opted for. The frigid water she had used while washing had been a welcoming coolant. She had risen fully sated, yet it had not taken long for the fierce hunger to grow once again. A soft rumble in her belly reminded that she had two hungers that craved appeasement.

  The house was large and utterly dominant in its dimensions, but she had no difficulty finding her way to the dining hall. An empty belly could suss out its nourishment even without the aid of keen predator senses. She halted in surprise as she entered the arched, open doorway. A pair of serving girls stood at the ready beside the sideboard, which boasted a freshly prepared fare beneath aromatic steam. Tienna smiled broadly. Aiden must have sensed the moment she had risen and had made provisions. This new connection of intimacy certainly had its benefits.

  A footman, neatly dressed in his blue-and-white livery with brass buttons and shoes polished to such a high sheen her reflection bounced off, rushed forward to hold out her chair. But it was not his pristine attire or crisp efficiency that caught her attention. The expression he wore or, she quickly amended, the lack thereof, certainly did. Tienna furtively tossed a glance beneath her lashes and found the same could be said of the serving girls. They also carried out their duties in bringing forward her meal with robust, direct movements. But they were careful to keep their eyes averted.

  Tienna frowned at the silver dome before her. The whiff of the delicacies housed within made her mouth water and her belly growl impatiently. Her hand wavered over the covering uncertainly. At home her servants also wisely turned a blind eye to her family’s unorthodox tastes in dining. But here, amongst strangers, she was uneasy. In fact, it was downright disconcerting.

  An amused voice drifting in from the doorway aided her hesitation. “Is the fare not to your liking?”

  Tienna smiled as Aiden strolled to the head of the table and seated himself. “I am sure it is lovely.”

  Aiden studied her for a moment and was thankfully intuitive enough to guess her discomfort. With a single clap, the hovering servants were dismissed. His smile was gentle. “I want you to be comfortable in our home.”

  The word our had a delightful ring to it. But before she could fully savor the statement or even tear into the slightly cooked, almost raw meat on her plate, another interruption arrived.

  “Ah. So like the lofty high breeds.” Roth gave her a wicked wink and sat opposite her. His voice lowered seductively. “But do you not prefer the flesh of game freshly caught, the thrill of the hunt, the exhilaration of the catch?”

  Tienna picked up her silverware, too starved beyond politeness to entertain this argument. The first taste of the red meat sent a shudder of anticipation through her. She managed to ignore both the gluttonous rebellion within her and the tension between the brothers as she ate the reddened meat as daintily as a ravenous bear cub. Well, one holding a fork and knife, at least.

  She had hoped that after the night they had spent they could reach an amicable understanding. But the first words out of Roth’s mouth had sent her bubbling of happiness fleeing along with the urgent edge of her appetite. Did they simply plan on beginning their rivalry where they’d left off before bedding her? She gave Roth a pointed look as he continued to stare at her, obviously expecting a response to his question. She took the middle ground easily enough since it was nothing less than the truth. “I do on occasion enjoy the thrill of a hunt. It is, after all, a required and rather frequent sport held by my pack in order to keep our skills sharpened.” Just as Roth was about to bestow a smirk in his brother’s direction, she quickly included, “Just as I also appreciate the fare provided on proper glassware in a grand dining hall with civilized company.” She bit out the last words as she speared her beef and Roth with her knife and her glance, respectively.

  But Roth appeared to be in a needling mood. “But surely after a spirited night such as we have shared, the only course in eradicating or even perhaps rekindling the anticipation would be an adventurous chase through the woods.”

  Aiden bristled visibly. “Desist, man. You are in the company of a lady. Feel free, however, to remove yourself from present company in order to search out your own sustenance, according to your preference of course.”

  Roth growled. He tossed a disdainful snort Aiden’s way. “Why do you not dine here while Tienna and I hunt down fresh game? Mayhap if you prove to be a well-behaved little gentleman, we shall bring you a piece of our leftovers.”

  Apparently not easily baited, Aiden retorted easily, “The better course of action would be that the genteel folk dine at the table and the beasts retire to the outdoors like the rest of the wild animals.”

  “And if indeed you truly believe that”—Roth gestured at the laid table vaguely—“this is common practice, then why ever do you not share your menu with polite society at large?”

  “Because I am not barbaric.”

  “Because you are ashamed. You cowardly conceal a heritage that is higher ranking than mere human heritage.”

  Tienna threw her distressingly unused utensils down. The sharp clatter of sliver against glass got her the satisfactory silence she needed. “I am tired of this immature bickering. For heaven’s sake, you have compared the sizes and plying of your cocks, now please advance to the next stage and proceed with your pissing contest. I, for one, do not really care to hear about the outcome, but mayhap we could twist Her Majesty into pinning an honorary medal to the lapel of the victor.” Personally she could think of a place far better suited to such a pinning. A well-aimed, sharp prick would do both these overinflated cocks a world of good.

  Their stupefied expressions were tremendously enjoyable. These men needed to be reminded about the bond of brethren. Brothers simply did not go about as they did. And the soone
r she saw to their education, the better. But as in everything else certain things took precedence. She picked up her fork, once again fully intending to fill her belly. But this was not a night meant for her feasting. A loud scuffle echoed through the hallway, and Tienna could only gape at this new disturbance. The large intruder bellowed his greeting as he dragged who she supposed were the butler and a footman into the room after him.

  Aiden sprang up. “Let my staff go.”

  Tienna gulped down her fear as she rose more slowly. “Father.”

  A deep growl laced Christian’s words. “It is your staff who should let go.”

  Tienna would have found amusement in the situation, a tiny bald man and a slender youth trying to hold back her enormous father, but she was simply too stunned. The giant simply shook them off like flies before he latched onto her arm. Tienna winced against the pain that laced up and past her shoulder. “Father, please, you are overreacting.”

  Roth lurched up, upturning his chair in the process. A blast of dark fury lashed at her, and she knew he had detected her pain. Aiden likewise stalked his prey that now held her captive, but he came around the opposite side of the wide oak. Fools! They were all a bunch of ignorant lack wits seeking to soothe their own ruffled feathers and scatter each other’s. Did it occur to them that they possessed mouths capable of speech beyond growls? Of course not. They are men.

  The Duke of Sterling did not take threat lightly. His voice was thunderous. “You two pups had better have a whole army at your back because I shall tear you to pieces within seconds.” Tienna sensed him roll his neck and shoulders behind her in preparation for the battle ahead. “My daughter has been compromised, and I will have the man responsible.”

  “It was I,” Aiden and Roth’s deep baritones rang out in unison.

  Tienna rolled her eyes as they now redirected their aggression at each other, eyeing the opponent across the large table. “There is a more polite way to settle this.”