
A Warrior's Woman
Missy Lyons
Warning
This e-book contains sexually explicit scenes and adult language. This material is meant for mature audiences!
A Warrior's Woman
A Whispers Publishing Publication
February 2008
Copyright ©2008 Missy Lyons
Cover illustration copyright © 2008 Rene Walden
ISBN Not Assigned
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by an information storage and retrieval system-except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review to be printed in a magazine, newspaper, or on the Web-without permission in writing from the publisher.
All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.
Published by: Whispers Publishing, P.O. Box 1165, Ladson, SC 29456-1165.
Other Titles by Missy Lyons
39 And Holding Him
Blood Ties
Bound By Desire
Boyfriend for Hire
Closing the Deal
Dragon Heat
Gold Fever
Naughty or Nice
Dedication
I would like to thank the people who were able to help me make this book possible. My editors were especially helpful pointing out things I didn't realize this time around and giving me opportunities to expand the story. Big thanks to Rhonda and Lili.
I also need to thank my family who has given me loving support as I began this writing career and sacrificed time with me, but especially want to say thank you to all my readers who support me and give me encouragement to continue writing.
Chapter One
"I tire of being the second son to the king." Certainly his birthright would not require that he work! But he wanted something to be able to call his own---something to give to his children and his wife. Kona looked out across his veranda to view the stony landscape. The sandstone outcroppings, weathered by the wind and the desert sun, gave the only shade for miles.
His father had insisted that he maintain some connection to his people, and gave him a small spot on the court to oversee the accounting and tax collection for the realm. A job he would much rather forget for now. In fact, it was why he needed a respite. Kona and his entourage had been on a hunting trip to take his mind off of political matters, but his thoughts strayed back to his uncertain future.
He had no lands, no money, and no promises from his father. One day he hoped to have a wife. But how could he even think of a wife when he didn't have anything to share with her? What kind of future would he be able to provide for her as a mere second son?
Dustin slapped Kona on the back, sensing his cousin's foul mood "Tired of living in your brother's shadow, aye?"
"Aye," Kona muttered half-heartedly. Dustin was always intuitive.
Kona was always given the best of everything. He had the best education money could buy, and was sent off world for his education, but he wanted more than to live a life of luxury. He wanted to make a name for himself and he wanted to live on this world.
He saw much in the galaxy, yet he always missed his homeland and would prefer his native land Kapomo to that of the off-worlders, despite their luxuries and the ease of their modern technology.
"You could always do as I did, and just take what you want. Katrina has worked out nicely as my woman." Dustin smirked, remembering the fight his kidnapped bride put up at first. It hadn't been long before her cries of protest turned to cries of pleasure.
"I don't want a woman, Cousin. I want to serve in my rightful place, as a ruler. All my life I have spent in training, just in case something happens to my brother. Nothing will happen to him. He already has a son with his wife. No---if I want land, I will have to make my own way in this world." Kona ran a hand through his hair in frustration. His brother had everything promised to him, but he knew he was born to lead. The soldiers respected him as much as they did his father, instinctively responding to his every command.
"What you need is a woman to settle you down."
"Aye, but having the right woman in yer bed makes all the difference." Dustin grinned up at him suggestively.
Kona shook his head in frustration. "I haven't found the woman who would keep my interest over a fortnight.""Then perhaps you have not been looking in the right places. You should conquer your woman as I did. Katrina put up a good fight before she finally submitted, and it was worth the fight, Cousin."
"Bah!" Kona waved the suggestion away, turning his back on his cousin. He watched a group of merchants traveling across the dunes, their bantas loaded up with merchandise, and their saddlebags full of trading supplies. The bantas kept their heads low to the ground, their reptilian bodies moving slowly across the hot sand. With scaled skin that glistened in varying shades of green, they made their trek slowly across the smooth sand. Their bodies were well suited to the desert lands. The bantas were the perfect beast of burden for desert excursions.
Dustin rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "You know, Cousin, I have heard rumors from Katrina's homeland that her father has died, leaving her sister as the reigning Shirkan of Kanaha."
"A woman as reigning Shirkan? How is that possible?" Typically the leadership of Shirkan was passed from father to son, but it could also be taken by someone who issued a challenge. A Shirkan was always the most powerful warrior of the tribe, which is why it was so laughable that a woman inherited the throne.
Maybe there was no other heir, and no other choice...Kona rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"I heard her father passed several months ago, but there is no man that would dare to challenge her, out of honor for her father. Her people are loyal to her even though she is a woman, and she has yet to choose a mate." Dustin ended suggestively, knowing it would be an opportunity his cousin couldn't refuse.
"Well I have no such honor." Kona turned to face his cousin. A plan was beginning to form, a plan to take his rightful place as leader, for a country that needed a leader.
"I have also heard she is something of a swordsman."
A woman who was taught how fight with a sword? The thought was preposterous. Kona would never allow it in his country, but he had heard rumors of how indulgent the old Shirkan had been when Katrina had come to live with them. "Well, she will have to be more than something to best me in a sword fight."
"I wonder why her father did not choose a mate for her before he died." Dustin arched one eyebrow in question, wondering if her personality was flawed. Perhaps she was shrewish or ugly. "It would have kept the title in the family for sure, and there would be no question who the Shirkan was."
"Why question my good fortune? If she is beautiful then she will have me as a mate and if she is not, at least she will have a Shirkan for her people." Kona was already planning a new life for himself.
"Does that mean we are not going hunting this week?" Dustin did not really regret the weeks they would have spent travelling in tents.
"Aye---we go hunting, but it will be a different prey. If you would be my second man in my challenge, I would be honored, Cousin." Kona dropped his arm over his cousin's shoulders, hugging his friend close to him.
"All I can say is that you better win your challenge, Cousin, because I don't want to fight a woman."
"Do you have any doubts of me winning?" Kona gave him a boyish grin.
"Depends on how true the rumors are. I hear she can fight as well as any man, Cousin." Dustin sounded honestly concerned, which did nothing to wound Kona's pride.
Kona's voice was still filled with an unnatural arrogance. "Good. It has been a long time since I have had a real challenge in a match. Perhaps she will be as much of a challenge in bed." Kona chuckled. "I enjoy my wenches lusty and busty."
"Mistress, there is a group of warriors here to see you." The house servant kneeled to address Kivra.
Kivra looked up from the pile of papers at her desk, her curiosity immediately stoked. Warriors? Not merchants, not peasants, but warriors were here to see her? "Did they mention a name? Who is it?"
"Kona of Kapomo, My Lady." The servant rose from his low bow, looking at her face while awaiting her reaction.
A chill kissed her spine, giving her an odd feeling of foreboding. Kivra's sister was kidnapped by a man from Kapomo. A visit from one of them could not be good. Especially not so soon after her father's death. "Tell them to go away and they are not welcome here."
"It's too late my lady. They insist on seeing you." His voice was tinged with concern. "They will not leave without seeing you."
A group of men barged their way into the small room, headed by one of the largest men she had ever seen. Clearly their leader, the warrior was more muscle than brain, most likely. His legs were as thick as her midsection, and he was all muscle. His arms were as round as her legs. This was a powerful warrior standing before her.
Kivra's chest puffed out indignantly as she stood up from her chair. "And to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"
The largest man stepped forward to speak. "It has been too long, Cousin. I only wished to see how my cousin fares and to wish you well."
"And you are?" She crossed her arms over her chest defensively.
"Kona of Kapomo, at your service, My Highness." He gave a mocking bow, clearly not at all impressed with a woman as the reigning Shirkan.
Kivra grated her teeth as she spoke. "You dare come here after all you and your family have done? I should issue you a challenge for your arrogance. Where is my sister?"
"Safely at home with her babes. Katrina is very happy with her husband."
"Her kidnapper you mean." Kivra answered with disdain.
"Her husband. They married years ago." Kona gave his cousin Dustin a reproving look. Thank the stars she did not know who the kidnapper was, or she would be clawing his eyes out now.
"He did not deserve her." She snarled, her eyes sparkling defiantly. She was beautiful in her anger. Her breasts were heaving with her repressed rage, and her chin lifted high in self righteousness. "He was a lowlife criminal who stole her away in the night, and if my father was well enough to issue a challenge he would have fought for her honor."
"Well if you feel so badly about it, you can fight me now." Kona's arrogant smile nearly incapacitated her.
Surely he was jesting?
"Fight you? I think not. I am not giving you that kind of satisfaction." She looked over his strong male body. Too male for her, she would appreciate him from afar, but she knew better than to play with men like him---men who played with women and then tossed them aside. Kivra knew his type, the biggest warriors who were the most handsome could have any woman eating out of their hand, and they often had several women.
"Well if you won't issue the challenge then I will." He moved towards her. He stopped when he was only a breath from her. "I challenge you to a battle, Princess."
"How dare you challenge me?" Kivra curled up her lips, a nervous energy invading her body. The words still hung in the air, stinging her ears. Kivra sounded a little childish even to her own ears. The man was just goading her into making a stupid mistake, something she could not afford to do, if she were to accept such a rash offer.
She looked nervously to his waiting men. All of them warriors. All of them there to support their leader, who came here to challenge her, a woman. What kind of man would do such a thing?
Only a man with no honor.
Only a barbarian who did not care anything for treating women any different from men. She answered her own question.
In her country, women may not have the same rights as men, but they were protected. Women were known as the weaker sex, yet they were respected. Women were treated with honor and always with respect as mothers and as wives. They could never physically equal a man's physical power, and so they were never allowed any real power. Even the right to own land was not allowed to a woman.
She was still flummoxed that Kona would even consider fighting her. Even the barbarians of Kapomo had ethics, or so she had thought. This personal challenge made her question those morals. It was not like she had any males left in her family to fight for her honor or her cause.
Kapomo must be a land full of thieves and kidnappers.
"Do you accept?" He grinned down at her. They were standing on even ground, but the man towered over her by a good foot. All the warrior men of Kapomo were large men, but he seemed exceptionally large and exceptionally powerful. A muscle pulsed in his neck as he awaited her decision.
Kivra looked at him for a moment, letting her gaze trail over his well-muscled warrior body. It would be no contest. She let her fingers feel the reassurance of her sword at her hip, feeling the engraving well worn on the handle. His was a body that would soon overpower hers within minutes. But with her skill and experience, she could give him at least a little challenge. If he'd miscalculated her skills before offering the challenge, that might give her an edge against his strength. Perhaps if the fight were short, she could end it as the winner.
"Why would you challenge me?" Of course she already knew why in her heart. He wanted to usurp her power. Her father had been the Shirkan, the unquestioned leader by strength. He retired, because of age, and had not accepted a fight for years. When he died three months ago, he left her the sole survivor of the clan. No other man had dared to fight her for her leadership in her own clan. With no brothers or any other men in the family to fight for her, Kivra would have to fight for her own honor.
"Perhaps, because you have something I want..." his words may have been innocent but his eyes were insinuating something wicked. The way he let his words trail off, Kivra had guessed he had bed play on his mind, like most men. But unlike most men, he figured out she would only give herself to the strongest of the lot. She needed a man who was stronger than she; a man who had something to offer her, like himself.
"I am just trying to say that there is nothing I have to offer you." She wanted nothing more than to put an arrogant man like him in his place.
"Oh but I disagree, you have much to offer me. You will have to let me be the judge of that, Princess..." There was no doubt what he was alluding to when he stared her down with that hungry gaze. His eyes stayed far too long on her chest for her liking.
"What is your name, Warrior?" Her voice was icy with contempt, even as a heat spread into her cheeks. "I would know the man who I have to kill."
"Kona. And I have known your name for a long time, Kivra." He said it in a calm voice, but that he had paid her attention before sent a chill down her spine. How long had he known her name? How many times had they met before?
Why had she never noticed him? She frowned trying to recall his linear features. Chocolate brown eyes captured her own as she studied his face. She shook her head a moment to free herself of the spell he was weaving over her.
Fine.
She would accept his challenge and laugh when he lost.
A man like him needed to learn how to treat a woman with respect. She was the Shirkan now, the leader of her people, and even though she could pick a champion for her to fight this battle, it would be her pleasure to wipe that smirk off his face. In all truth, there was no warrior here that could best her.
Kivra led him outside the palace to the circle before accepting the sword fight. She should have been thinking of the fight, practicing in her mind how to defend and attack. Instead, all she could think of was of how sexy he looked. Her thighs were trembling with an awareness of his closeness. She felt her body become sensitive to the touch, as if her body already knew where the challenge would lead.
This was absurd! She was here to fight and she would fight him with all her heart.
Kivra cursed her body and her unwelcome attraction to him before unsheathing her sword, and raising it to welcome his thrust. All too soon, the air rang with metal clashing and swords singing. The man was absolutely beautiful in battle. His muscles flexed, and Kivra found she was tempted to lick away the tiny beads of perspiration from his frame, to taste him. What a heavenly distraction he was! But he was definitely a distraction to her cause.
She swung harder, using her frustration to feed her strength. The air rang with the sounds of metal hitting metal. He deftly parried every strike, every blow she laid on him.
Her sword arm was sore from repeatedly striking his, and her blows were shrugged off as if they were no impact whatsoever. Kivra shook her head in frustration. He wasn't even breaking a sweat. She had misjudged his rash challenge. He was calculating her moves, analyzing her fighting style and taking his time.
What irritated her most wasn't any of that. It was that he was only defending so far, allowing her to be the aggressor and to strike at him. He merely defended her thrusts and sidestepped her as if he were playing a game of cat and mouse.
As if she was a mere child.
Suddenly, his defensive strategy changed and she felt him strike back at her sword, using a force that was unnecessary. He nearly knocked the sword from her hands. Of course that was his intention. He did it again, this time striking even harder, and causing her to retreat---nearly forcing her to exit the circle, which would have served the same purpose. That would have been a loss as quickly as disarming her.
His features hardened as he closed in on her, unrelenting with his suddenly determined attack.
Kivra cautiously retreated, holding tightly to her sword as if her life depended on it. He wouldn't kill her. Of that much she was certain. She was much too valuable to kill. She had no doubt he would spare her life, but did she really want to lose her dignity?
No. Losing would mean more than losing dignity---she would lose face, and have to agree to his terms. Her people would not respect her as their leader, not that she didn't already hear the whispers behind her back. The men especially had been questioning her ability to take her father's place. If it wasn't this man challenging her, there would be others. It was best she stopped this type of behavior from the very beginning.
No. Losing this match was not an option at all.
Kona was quick to take advantage of her weakness and hit her sword hard. The sensation that followed up her arm forced her to release the sword and it flew to the other side of the room.
He lowered his sword and he made a move to grab her. Kivra placed a foot behind his ankle and twisted his arm quickly and in an unnatural direction, willing his body to follow. Taken unawares, the giant man had flown through the air as Kivra planned. He was momentarily stunned on his back. But not helpless.
She tried to sprint to her sword but the barbarian was too quick for her. He had her even before she left the circle, his strong arms wrapped around her middle, pinning her where she stood. Hopelessly overpowered, she knew she had already lost the match. She desperately wiggled against his arms, feeling a hardness being pressed into her rear as he melted his body against hers. She licked her lips, knowing what was to come before even asking him the question.
She fought his embrace with all her strength. Wrapped in his arms as she was felt too good. His touch was electrifying. It made her feel ravenous and weak at the same time. She should not be feeling this way. She should still want to fight him. For effect she squirmed against his firm hold on her, attempting to free herself.
"Cease your fighting, Wench!"
"Why?" Kivra's voice was raspy and just a little breathless.
He smiled, much like a tiger about to feast after the hunt. "It only serves to arouse me further. You have lost the match and should accept your fate."
Kivra's nostrils flared wide as she gritted her teeth. There had never been any doubt even in her own mind that the winner would be him. Did she really mean to go through with this? Did she want to hand over the reins of leadership to a foreigner? Or worse, hand over her body for his pleasure? What was she thinking? Why didn't she think about the consequences of her acceptance more than twenty seconds before accepting his challenge?
Kivra muttered a quick curse under her breath.
"What was that, Princess?"
"Nothing---you big oaf! You can get off of me anytime now."
Kona's eyes bore into hers, and he briefly paused before answering her request. "Not until we discuss the terms of my win."
Her heartbeat was fast, endorphins flowing in her blood. She felt a shiver grace her spine, but not from the cold. She was still warm from the fight and hotter still in this man's arms.
"Shouldn't we have discussed that before we fought?"
"You never asked, so we never discussed it." He was smug.
"So what do you want from me?" Kivra swallowed her pride when she asked that question. In the country of Kanaha, women did not fight, so it was an unusual question. A loss for a man would usually mean something of a humiliating nature like physical labor such as slave laborers would do. As a woman, she could not help but wonder what the man would ask of her. She could feel his desire for her beneath his breeches. The mere thought of being his love slave made her lick her lips in anticipation.
Accepting the challenge was the easy part. It was accepting the challenge loss that would be hard. Accepting the loss of a battle required the loser to do anything the winner requested. It was a matter of honor.
Kivra worried her bottom lip, wondering just what this man planned on doing with her.
Kivra had been trained as a warrior in a time and a place where women did not fight. As his only child left, her father had indulged her childish whims and petulant demands to learn how to fight.
"Haven't you figured that out yet?" Kona's seductive voice warmed the pit of her belly, raising unwelcome sensations in her loins. He let his eyes drift over Kivra appreciatively. Her chest was still moving deliciously up and down from her heavy breathing and he still held her restrained. His thick arms held her back to his front, and her body rested against the length of his arousal.
At the end of the match, he had not wanted to let her go. The softest of leather molded to her skin, outlining every seductive curve. Her golden hair was braided to fall heavily down her back and tendrils escaped to feather her newly flushed face. Her eyes sparkled with a defiance that made him want to conquer her. "Perhaps we could both have enjoyed our joining."
Kivra felt his hands move up to boldly touch her breasts. His hands were callused from the sword fights but felt soft through her tunic. Kivra gasped as she felt him tweak a nipple, sending fire coursing through her body.
She might have been tempted to take her pleasures on such a man even if she never had a challenge loss. Kivra wasn't new to the hunger that left her wanting. She was a full-grown woman after all, but she had never been so bold as she wanted to be in his arms. She had never accepted a man before, and no men had been approved of by the Shirkan to court his only daughter. So, romances had been fleeting and meaningless. Kona was a man who would not be forgotten as easily as the boys of her youth.
His lips were hot and hungry on her neck before she could answer, leaving her gasping. His was a hunger that threatened to devour her in a way she had never experienced.
Kivra turned to face him, raising her arms to encircle his neck, moaning in ecstasy at the sensations his plundering lips were creating. Suddenly his lips were on hers, his tongue penetrating and probing, conquering her, while playfully mimicking the art of sex. Pleasure washed over her; it tingled her skin in a delicious wave of heat.
She went limp, but he was there to hold her against him. With both hands, he cupped her bottom, lifting her from her feet. She responded with a matching hunger, wrapping her legs around his thickly built frame. He held her tightly, as if he could become one with her body right there.
An ache was growing within her, a need for more. And more.
She could feel his hardness against her hip, and she wanted it between her thighs. She wanted to rub against him and ease the ache within her. She arched her body into his, showing her own hunger was as great as his.
The fight had only served to whet her appetite, where she had the pleasure of witnessing his body flexing and bulging in all the right places. Lord, the man was built like a god. While she normally would not allow herself the freedom of a single affair, it was a manner of honor in which she did so now. There was no shame that she should feel pleasure in the process.
A cheer went up from his men as they congratulated their leader and he carried her back into the palace. She blushed fiercely as she realized all they had witnessed. All they had seen. She had nearly forgotten they had witnesses to her fight. Her own men stood by the wayside, waiting for her word to intervene, but it was a matter of honor. She did not ask for help before and she would never ask for help now. Not that she wanted help to leave his arms now.
"Don't let go of me."
His mouth was hot and hungry, leaving her dizzy. She felt like he might devour her with his mouth. He nipped at her with such a frenzied desire. She felt moistness between her thighs, and an emptiness she wanted to fill with him. She needed his hard cock between her legs.
He paused inside the foyer. "Where are your chambers?"
She bit her lip before answering him. It wouldn't help things to delay this. "Upstairs. The second door on the right."
He carried her upstairs, and then kicked the door shut behind them, giving them privacy.
Then suddenly he did let go of her and she fell into the soft feather mattress. He removed his shirt and pants, in haste. The Kanaha'an manner of dress was made for easy removal. She blushed for a moment, at her nudity, turning her gaze toward the floor. The warmth of his arm encircled her waist, making her head spin. The intensity of her body's reaction to him scared her. He was behaving as if he owned her and she liked it.
"I like it when you blush, but we both know you are not a young virgin so I hope you don't begin acting like one." Kona's voice was deep with his arousal. His hand lifted her chin to meet his gaze before kissing her deeply again. He sucked on her lower lip before pulling away.
No man had ever dared speak to her so rudely. No man would ever have gotten away with it in the past, but she wasn't offended by his words. His hands were everywhere. And his hands were soon followed by his lips and teeth, sending up trails of fire to light up her skin. Pleasure washed over her in waves.
The shock of bare skin on her bare skin sent her reeling.
"You're mine to do with as I wish." The statement came with a gentle caress of his lips, before he backed up to admire her body laid before him.
It gave her time to appreciate his body as well. He was well-muscled beneath his furs. His chest was muscular, dappled with chest hair that melted into a lean stomach. Her eyes drifted lower, following the trail of soft manly fur that led to his---oh.
He was a big boy. She grinned up at him, splaying her own legs wide in a not-so-subtle invitation.
No part of her wanted to deny him, or the pleasure his words and his touch promised her.
His body covered hers, and he was spreading her thighs wide for his entrance. She could feel the touch of the head of his shaft. She arched up to accept him, and let out a moan when he entered her.
She moved under him, testing her own endurance. He smiled down at her, stilling his movements, as she wriggled beneath him. Kivra could feel him grow harder inside of her as he watched her take her pleasure. She felt such an urgent need to have him fully inside of her, taking her. He was teasing her, barely inside, not even using the full length of himself. What kind of man would be so cruel?
He smiled down at her wickedly, seeming to enjoy her wantonness.
She gritted her teeth before begging for him to satisfy her. "Please...more!" Her voice sounded hoarse with eagerness.
That was all the encouragement he seemed to need. Suddenly he was in her fully, mercilessly pumping hard. He was brutal with his needs, but Kivra wanted it harder---she liked it rough with him.
Next time could be more sensual and slower, but right now she felt such a driving need for him. She wanted him now and he complied with her demands. His hands were everywhere and soon followed by his lips and teeth, awakening her passion as no other man could.
"Do you surrender?" His strokes were teasing, light strokes to further her appetite. One strong hand strayed between her thighs, rubbing incessantly on her clitoris. She felt a coil of pressure in her gut, so close to rapture, she let out a sigh of frustration. She was on the edge of the world.
She was so close to coming, she writhed beneath him trying to help herself finish. She opened her legs wider to accommodate him, wrapping her legs over his. She locked her ankles around him, losing her mind to that simple pleasure wrapping itself around her body.
He was slowing in his movements, antagonizing her. She felt starved and tormented at the same time. Why wouldn't he just give her what she wanted? Her voice sounded alien to her. Surely she would never have said such startlingly honest words. "I need you!"
"Do you surrender?" he asked again, stilling his movements completely.
Was the man completely crazy?
Of course she surrendered. He already had her completely helpless beneath him, ready to beg for him to finish her. Ready to beg to be his personal lalani. She never desired to be used as a sex slave before, but for this man, she would beg to be used for such pleasure.
What was wrong with her?
She was the Shirkan's daughter. She should be in control of her body not him. She may have been the challenge loser but in no way did she give up her life to this man. To be his lalani would mean a complete loss of dignity and honor. It wasn't like he meant to take her as his wife. He was keeping her as a slave, the lowest form of slave. A lalani, whose only purpose in life was to serve the sexual needs of her master.
Kivra moaned into the pillows, her breath coming hard and rough. "I surrender." She felt a desperate clawing pleasure, and the pressure was growing inside her. When he did no more than smile at her with his smug, catlike smile, she admitted her desire for him, hoping it would goad him into action. "Kona, I want you as I have never wanted anyone before."
He buried his face in her neck, taking in the lightly perfumed scent of her clean skin and the smell of her hair. The hot length of him pounded her with an unrelenting need for fulfillment as he held her to him.
She moaned as the gentle pleasure gave way to a deeper need and aching.
Suddenly in climax, she cried out, wrapping her arms even tighter around his neck. Feeling her tremble under him, he did not stop. He pumped into her, harder and faster, until finally gaining his own release. Kivra let her hands trail across his tight buttocks, enjoying the way they tightened as he released his wet seed inside of her.
"There will be no regrets Kivra."
"Regrets?" Kivra laughed, "It was actually a pleasure losing."
"Good. Then you will not mind serving me in bed every night as your challenge loss." He smiled down at her, knowing this was only the beginning.
Kivra let her fingers trail across his chest, circling a nipple, before her face erupted into a wide smile. If those were the terms of his agreement, she would serve him; but, she would not give up her rank or her title. She could live with that. It was typical that these indentures only lasted one month. One month would be over quickly. Then they could both go on with their lives. "With absolute pleasure, My Lord."
Chapter Three
The man was impossible. Warrior or not, he was not completely ignorant as to the protocol of her native country as he seemed to pretended to be. Kivra was beginning to think Kona was much smarter than he appeared. Perhaps this was all a ruse and he had planned to disrupt her life as much as possible. The challenge over the land dispute was probably a carefully crafted plot to get her in this uncomfortable and unfortunate position as his lalani.
As she attempted to handle the daily affairs of her people, settling the disputes of her countrymen, he had her positioned across his lap as one might leave a pet cat. Most of the men who were coming to see her attempted to avoid making eye contact, choosing not to protest or to challenge the new warrior who made his claim so boldly.
Kivra was beginning to understand his terms were not as simple as she'd originally thought. Why would he request the throne outright when having chosen for her to submit to him so publicly would end with him being seen as the true leader? If none of her clansmen challenged his claim, he would be the new Shirkan by default. With her at his side, every man, woman, and child would follow his every command. It was the perfect plan.
Blast that man.
Kivra scowled, trying to focus on the man in front of her. But how could she focus on petty country troubles with Kona's roving hands cupping her breasts?
May his devilish soul rot in hell...
Kivra removed his hand from her breast, dropping it in her lap, "I am sorry---you were saying?" She interrupted the boy's babbling about sheep to begin again. She could hardly concentrate on the matters at hand. She had a job to do, damn it, and she wasn't about to let some warrior interfere with her life. Or her responsibilities.
Irritated, she slapped Kona's hands away, as he began to explore her body anew.
"His sheep are tearing down my fence."
"I tore down your fence---not the sheep." The wiry boy folded his arms defiantly over his chest. He lifted his head proudly.
"Insolent whelp," the old man snapped.
"Old coot," the young boy responded.
Kivra responded with a long drawn out sigh. Neither one wanted to work with the other. Nor did they want to listen to what the other had to say, which meant this would take much longer.
"See what I have to put up with?" The white-haired man pointed to the boy in disgust. "Your Lordship, please help me. This boy is destructive and refuses to compensate me for my fence."
Kivra's frown deepened. It should be her they addressed, not Kona. Already her people were embracing their new leader.
"You should compensate me for the sheep I lost because you cut off the access to the river." The young shepherd was oblivious to his Shirkan's frustration.
"And the hay your sheep ate? Will you be paying for that?" The old man grumbled.
"Nay. Not if you won't be paying for the three sheep I lost for lack of water."
"Enough!" Kona interrupted their bickering with the firm command. "How many years have this boy's sheep been crossing your land to use the river?"
"My entire life, Your Lordship." The boy answered out of turn.
"Aye, and his father's too, I reckon," the old man grumbled.
"And you decided to suddenly put up a fence?" Kona asked in what seemed to be a reasonable voice.
"It's not like the boy couldn't take the main road to the river."
"That road is an extra five miles to get to the river. It's not right when we had access for all these years that you suddenly took it away."
"I have heard enough." Kona was firm and everyone suddenly became quiet. "That fence will come down and a gate will be put up in its place that the shepherd boy can use for his sheep."
"But how is that fair for me?" the old farmer interrupted.
"The boy will give you one bag of wool a year to use the land and for any hay the sheep eat on their travels. Is that fair?"
The boy and the old farmer looked askance at each other before replying. "Aye---it sounds fair."
Kivra was too shocked to say anything. She watched in amazement as Kona settled the dispute effortlessly. She was extremely impressed with his diplomatic skills Kona was a good man and his actions showed that he was attempting to be fair to both people. Perhaps this match had come about unconventionally, but he could be a good ruler for her kingdom if she were to keep him.
And that was a big if.
Chapter Four
It was not often that off-worlders were allowed on the planet. There were a few places on the planet they had been allowed to land, and Kanaha was one of them. Kivra's father had started trade agreements years ago. The aliens wanted the Chromia crystal. They were beautiful in their own right and the Kanaha'ans only used them for jewelry in the past. But the aliens taught them that they could be used as a fuel source for hyper speed travel, so the crystals were now valued highly intergalactically.
Today they were to witness the loading of a cargo ship of crystals and Kivra was there to see that the aliens were honest. Kivra watched, bored, as the aliens loaded up their cargo. The crystals had been packed in crates and were well padded. If they knocked together, they began to vibrate and gather an energy that could cause them to become damaged. The men had to be careful, or they wouldn't be nearly as valuable.
"Humans are much smaller than the men of my homeland," she mused. They looked similar in their makeup, but were often times not as muscular, nor as big. There were several men who were smaller than she was. Her soldiers stood by the sidelines holding their tazer guns in front of them as if they expected trouble. She watched the men slowly load up the crates in the cargo hold. Her father had learned not to trust the aliens and she had limited their movements in Kanaha as well.
There had been instances of dishonesty and one time a woman was kidnapped, only through quick actions was she returned to her family. Ever since, the aliens had been watched closely and allowed only minimal movement on the planet.
This particular trade was for new medical supplies and equipment. Kivra gave her approval on the inspection of the medical equipment. Galactic credits were no good here. Kapomo people did not embrace the new technology, and clung to the old ways they knew. No one wanted to change the world too much, and most of the technology was not accepted; but the improved medical technology was what Kivra wanted. Two of her men loaded the wagons behind the large brown bantas with the medical equipment.
One of her soldiers gave a wave, symbolizing the cargo was fully loaded. He shook the hands with the captain of the ship and Kivra stood to one side, watching the doors closing on the ship.
"Move out!" her captain shouted, signaling all the soldiers to take cover from the rockets. All the soldiers responded immediately, following Kivra and Kona to a safe distance away.
Kona broke the silence, after the rocket ship took off, leaving a trail of white clouds behind it. "Not many people would trust a human long enough to trade with them."
"Not every human is bad. I have to do what is best for my people. Their technology is way beyond ours, so we might as well benefit from it." Kivra began while mounting her Banta. Kona helped lift her up and then slid into the saddle behind her. Although he kept his opinion to himself, she noticed he held her a little tighter on the ride back than he had on the way out to the fields this morning.
\*
The marketplace was busy for a weekday. Merchants lined the street, their shops open, while the shopkeepers swept out the persistent desert dust that always seemed to invade their shops. People stopped at the stands to haggle over prices. Women were cloaked protectively in their flowing robes, from head to toe. The men were in lightweight clothing, but still well covered for protection from the desert sun.
A boy darted in front of Kivra and Kona's Banta, causing the beast to startle and rear up on his hind legs. Kona cursed under his breath, grabbing the reigns tightly in his hands and attempting to calm the beast and keep Kivra from falling off in front of him.
A much older man came out from the alleyway, chasing the boy and yelling after him. "Stop, thief!" Several of her men jumped to action, running after the boy and slamming him to the ground. They pulled him roughly to his feet and dusted him off, bringing him unwillingly back to face his queen. The Shirkan is law in her country, and Kivra would have the last say on this matter. This was part of her job she didn't like.
The punishment for stealing in her country was to take the hand that stole, but this was just a boy. It wouldn't be fair to deliver such a harsh punishment to a child that had barely seen twelve turns. She swallowed hard hoping she would not have to dish out such a harsh penalty.
"What happened here?" she demanded.
"My Lady," the merchant kneeled in the sand before her, recognizing her as a member of the royal class, "this boy stole mangos from my stand."
Kivra closed her eyes. He stole food? How could she hold it against the boy for stealing food when he was hungry? "Where's the proof?"
One of her soldiers searched the boy, and removed two of the exotic fruits for Kivra's approval. Kivra shook her head in disapproval. As much as she hated it, the boy would have to receive some type of punishment. "What say you in your defense, Boy?"
"It was not for me, but for my sister. I am sorry. We had no food, and I had to do something. I couldn't let her starve." Tears glistened on his cheeks, as he spoke. He knew what the punishment was as much as anyone else knew what he deserved.
"You admit it then?" Disapproval was evident in her voice.
"Mistress, I cannot lie to you. I admit I made a mistake." The child bowed his head in submission, not wanting to look at her in the eyes as she dealt her punishment.
"Give him five lashes," she said, hesitantly.
"Five lashes? That's all? But he stole from me!" The merchant was clearly outraged at the light punishment.
"But you have your fruit back. Aye? It's only five lashes the boy deserves."
Kona interrupted. "Nonsense! Give the boy fifty lashes, and he is to serve as a house servant for forty days in my house."
"How dare you override me?!" Kivra shrieked in distress.
"Quiet, Kivra." Kona admonished. "The boy needs discipline. It's obvious the boy has no father to act as a role model."
Kivra was in shock. How dare he override her? She watched as her own soldiers moved to follow her order---or was it Kona's order? They picked up the boy and stripped him, baring his back. They held him prostrate before her and Bruno brought out his whip from his saddlebag and laid the first stroke into the boy.
"ONE." Bruno counted the times he landed the black leather whip against the boy's skin.
The first strike was always the hardest. The first touch of pain, with promises yet to come. The boy yelled out with the impact.
"TWO."
The whip laid on his flesh, leaving a strip of red against the golden skin. The boy responded with a pain filled whimper.
"THREE."
Each time the whip landed on the boy's flesh, he screamed out in pain.
"FOUR."
The boy began to cry, knowing this was just the beginning of his punishment.
"FIVE." Bruno looked up to his lord and to his lady expectantly. Kivra gave him a stern look, shaking her head to not continue and Kona just nodded his head, giving his approval. The boy whimpered, not knowing if there was more torture to come.
"SIX." Bruno let the whip fall for the sixth time, and not looking up again, he continued. The boy screamed out then stuck his fist to his mouth muffling his screams of pain.
"I hate you right now, Kona," Kivra muttered under her breath.
On the sixth drop of the whip, Kivra realized her own ruling had been overridden and Kona's order accepted by her men. The merchant seemed happy with this new verdict and Kona seemed pleased with himself.
Kivra however had never been angrier. She felt her body heat rise with the rage gathering inside of her. This was just a boy, and her ruling would have given the boy a punishment Kona should have accepted her ruling and left it at that. But no. He issued a challenge and now it was being taken out on this boy, just a child.
Bruno continued to whip the child over and over until he counted to fifty lashes. Then, with great care, he helped the boy to his feet and eventually to the wagon behind the queen.
Kona won at every battle they had so far and Kivra was angered that he should win so easily. Kivra couldn't help it. In one swift move, she launched herself at him, wanting to wipe that smile off his face. She pulled back her arm to slap him as hard as she could, but she was not quick enough.
With one strong hand he caught her arm in a vise-like grip, and with the other arm he pulled her body into his. She struggled to pull away, but her fighting was in vain. He held her in his unforgiving arms. Finally, she growled out her frustration. "Just let me go, Barbarian."
"You are going to learn your place one way or another, Woman."
"I know my place, Kona, and it is to protect my people from people like you," Kivra hissed.
"You will protect your people? Then who will protect you from people like me?" His words were a soft purr.
"He was just a child."
"Did you want him to lose a hand? He deserved it for what he did, but as a boy he had a lighter punishment. Now he is in your charge and you can train him into a man for the next forty days, and hire him as a paid servant after that. Hire his sister too, for all I care."
Kivra didn't want to admit he may have saved the boy a much harsher punishment. If the merchant had demanded blood, he would have had a right to it. She could only focus on Kona contradicting her ruling, and Bruno listening to his order as if he were the reigning Shirkan. Her word of honor was the only thing preventing Kona getting kicked out on his big white bum. She would finish out her term for her challenge loss and then he would be gone, she vowed to herself.
He wrapped his arm possessively around her middle for the ride back to her home. She elbowed his arm away and he just tightened his grip. She growled a warning to him and he chuckled to himself, ignoring her foul mood.
The sooner the interfering man left the better.
Chapter Five
"Don't look so pleased with yourself, Warrior. Your month is nearly up, and then this service is over."
Kona tipped her head up to his as if he was going to kiss her, but instead he brought his lips to graze her neck and she could feel his hot breath as he whispered in her ear. "Ah, but until then you are mine, which means you do as I say."
"So what does it matter if you have my body, if you don't have my heart? One month and then you go." Even if he was a good lover, she needed more. Without him in her life, she could expect everything to return to normal.
"Until then, I want you to spend every moment with me. Every minute in my presence, and any moment you are not with me, you should be waiting for me in my bed." He lit up with pleasure, witnessing her blush at his raw desire to have her in his bed. "I will be making a trip to my homeland."
Kivra furrowed her brows. "I can't go. I have responsibilities. I am Shirkan."
Kona's expression changed, showing his fierce irritation before those harsh lines of his face disappeared. "This is not up for arguing, Kivra. We go to Kapomo tomorrow."
"Will I at least see my sister while I am there?"
"If you wish."
"Good." Kivra's upper lip curled up in a half-hearted smile. Something good would come of this trip. She had to honor their agreement for one more week and then all bets were off. If she let him stay any longer, he would worm his way into her heart. The sex was good, but it wasn't worth giving up her title or her heart for. "Then I wish it."
"Whether you wished it or not, you would be going, so I am glad you decided to join me willingly Princess." His tone didn't allow for argument.
Kivra arched one eyebrow curiously. "And how might you have done that?"
"Any way I had to, Princess. I'd throw you over my shoulder if I had to and drag you home." His throaty words carried a promise she didn't want to test.
The image in her mind of being thrown over his shoulder made her shiver, partly in anticipation and partly in desire. The only reason she didn't fight him anymore on the subject was because she feared he would probably enjoy forcing her to go just a little too much.
\*
The long dusty road had not been kind. The heat was near unbearable and Kivra had to keep the scarves wrapped around her head and over her face to prevent breathing in the dust that was kicked up by the rogue wind. Even as well clothed as she was, the fabric had not prevented a sticky layer of sweat and dirt from sticking to her skin.
Curse this land and its desert heat.
How could Kona stand having been raised here? As if he sensed she was thinking of him, he pulled her closer to him, her back resting against his front side. It was comforting in a way, the gentle rocking movement of the Banta, coupled with the way he held her. As if he cared for her.
If she wasn't careful she could begin to grow fond of the man, and that would be a disaster, a mistake that would only end in her heartache. He was no better than his cousin who'd kidnapped her sister, and she would be better off remembering that he was a barbarian at heart. This was only a physical relationship they had, and that was all it would ever be.
There was no love match here.
The plains of Kapomo seemed to stretch endlessly into the distance. A few outcroppings of sandstone were the only reminder that they were still moving. She missed the lush green vegetation, the green grass, and the tall trees. Most of all she missed the sound of water. Here there was no water. No matter which direction she looked, there was only the desert sand and the sun.
She leaned back even further, letting herself rest against Kona. He shifted to support her weight. It felt good to let him hold her like that and to be held tenderly as if she was more than his lover.
As if they might even have a future together.
Her eyes closed, savoring the moment, relaxing into his frame as the soothing movement of the Banta rocked her to sleep.
Chapter Six
Kona gently shook Kivra awake. She blinked her eyes in a sleepy stupor, remembering where she was. A palatial estate was built, in the middle of the desert. Built entirely of clay bricks, it kept the air in the house more temperate. Kona helped her down off the Banta and Kivra looked up at the two-story home in appreciation. Large windows and archways were used through out the house to allow cooling breezes to flow.
"Honey! You're home!"A woman came out the front doors to greet them, immediately recognizing her son. Her sky blue dress flowed out behind her as she walked and a friendly and welcoming smile adorning her face as she welcomed Kona. She kissed him warmly on both cheeks, but she did not miss how he held onto Kivra. "And what's this? You brought a guest!"
"Mother, this is my woman, Kivra of Kanaha."
He had not introduced her as his lalani? Being called his woman did not make her feel as temporary in his life. It was not the same as being called his wife, but it still warmed her heart to be thought of as belonging to him.
His mother lit up when she heard him introduce Kivra, latching her arms around her in an immediate hug and then pulling her out of Kona's arms and into the house "Finally you bring home a girl! Oh, come inside. We have much to talk about."
"We do?" Kivra asked nervously.
"Yes. Come out the garden and we will sit and catch up. Kona, you don't mind taking care of her things do you? You can bring those up to her room and then meet us in the garden."
Kona frowned, unaccustomed to taking orders, and especially orders that might separate him from his woman. "Kivra will be staying in my room, Mother."
Kivra blushed, keeping her tongue in cheek.
"Fine." His mother waved him off and pulled Kivra into the house and out of Kona's sight. "But if you get her pregnant, you will be taking care of her child. This is no ordinary peasant, you know. Kivra is of royal blood."
"I know mother!" Kona ground out in frustration. He pushed his fingers through his long wavy brown hair. He hoped she would not be interfering the entire time. He wanted his mother to meet his mate, not come between them.
\*
Kivra sat in the lush gardens, with Kona's mother Jillian. The garden was an oasis in the desert and hidden in the center of the palace. The lush vegetation kept the air moist and livable in the small area. Several children played Hide and Go Seek in the bushes, and exotic birds jumped higher on their branches to escape the children's play area. Kivra sat next to Kona's mother on the garden bench, happy to rest a little after their tiresome journey.
"I am so happy for you two. You must tell me all about how you met. This seems so sudden. Kona never brings his women home to meet me, so I have to think he is serious about you. Have you known my son long?"
Serious? About her? That made Kivra feel a little uncomfortable. More likely he was just showing off his prize to his kinsfolk. She blushed under the older woman's scrutiny. "Not long, under a month."
"Well that is fast for a courtship, but I do hope he intends to do the honorable thing and marry you."
Thank the heavens Kivra didn't have to answer that she had no intention of marrying her son, even if the barbarian had asked her.
Just then, a tall woman with golden skin came into the open area. Her hair flowed behind her like corn silk, her golden eyes sparkling in the morning light. She had a concerned look on her face as she called for her children. "Anna, Brock! Time for lunch!"
Kivra felt a pressure wrap around her chest. She would recognize her sister anywhere. "Katrina?"
The stranger looked up, curious about who called her name. Still not recognizing her sister, Katrina looked confused. Kivra stood up, welcoming her with open arms. "Its me, Kivra!"
"Kivra?" Katrina's chest rose sharply and the light in her eyes grew brighter as she recognized her sister. She ran into her sister's waiting arms, giving her a long tight hug. "Oh my God! I never thought I would see you again."
"Me either. I worried for you when I heard about your kidnapping and then the man refused to ransom you." Kivra broke into tears remembering how she could do nothing to retrieve her sister. She'd felt so helpless, and the kidnapping sent her father into a depression he never recovered from.
Katrina wiped away the tears. "It's all right. I am married now to Dustin and very happy. We have two children. Anna! Brock! Come here!"
Two small children came out of the bushes and approached the group of women. Kivra swept them up in a hug immediately, kissing them both on each cheek. "They are beautiful, Katrina. I only wish you could have had them in a marriage that was a love match."
"Oh, but it was a love match. I mean, it is a love match. That is why I never went back. Dustin offered me a choice and I wanted to stay more than I wanted to go. My place is at my husband's side. Dustin is a good father. I don't think I could have chosen better." Katrina's eyes were sincere and her words sounded heartfelt.
"But he is a Barbarian! Just like Kona." Kivra looked away from her sister with the sudden turmoil she felt. Katrina couldn't possibly be happy living here, could she?
"Kona is a good man. You would be lucky to have him as a mate."
Kivra could feel the tears begin to burn her eyes as she turned away from her sister and Kona's mother. "Well, lucky me, I don't have to worry about that. He is not my mate."
\*
Kivra was trying to get her emotions under control. She was strewn out across the impressive bed, holding the pillow to her face. The bedroom obviously belonged to a male: the décor was in rich burgundies, and the walls carried trophies from previous hunting expeditions, next to treasured weapons. Furs lined the bed, soft against her skin, but all of it reminded her of him.
The pillows carried his masculine scent.
She felt his strong, callused hand moving the silks she wore to the side, and caressing the bare skin of her back.
"Kona, leave me alone."
"I thought you would be pleased to see your sister Kivra." His voice was tender.
"I am." But Katrina wasn't supposed to be happy! She was supposed to be miserable. I wanted to rescue her, not know that I could know happiness with you. Kivra wanted to scream at him.
"Perhaps you are just tired after the long hard ride here."
"Yes, tired." She raised her head, revealing her red puffy eyes.
"You have been crying, Princess?"
"Yes, I have. And do you know why, Barbarian?"
"I am tired of living like this." She was tired of pretending. With each word, she drew herself up straighter, and her words carried more venom as her confidence grew. Her hands flew out, waving hysterically. "This is not how I was raised. I am not your sex slave. I was raised to be the queen of my people, and yet you interfere with every avenue of my life. You may as well have used your cousin's dirty tactics and kidnapped me, because it is the same type of force you try to use on me."
Kona played with a strand of her hair almost tenderly. "Katrina learned to submit over time. In time she became happy with her husband and I was hoping you would see her and know in your heart that you belong to me. You, too, can be happy."
"I will never submit to you, Kona. Do you hear me? Never!" She eyed him fiercely. But just as suddenly, she regretted her sudden outburst.
Kona's hand dropped from the tender caress. His face darkened with a thunderous rage that chilled her straight to the bone.
She didn't know what to do next. So she ran. Chapter Seven
"Don't you dare come any closer!" Kivra was backing up warily, keeping her eyes on Kona as he followed her retreat.
"You should have listened to me when you had the chance, Princess. Now I will have to give you some well deserved discipline." He used his body to block her escape.
"No! You have no right!" She shook her head vehemently. She didn't know what to expect with him, but she took notice at his determined face and his fighting stance.
"But I do. Didn't you agree to submit to me?" he asked mockingly.
"No. I never---"
"But I remember you did tell me that you surrendered---and your heart was pumping with desire and your breath came in short pants as I licked---" his voice was an octave deeper, and she knew he was remembering their first night together, because so was she.
"But I didn't mean forever," Kivra interrupted, not liking the direction he was headed with that train of thought. Memories flooded Kivra's mind as she remembered that first night. That first day she had spent in bed with him. The passionate night that followed. This last month had gone quickly, and her service as his lalani was nearly at an end.
She had thought she had served him well---despite his desire to interfere in her ruling the country, despite his domineering attitude that made her want to slap that smug smile off his face, and despite that sexy body that made her want to use him as much as he used her. But she feared if she gave her body so freely her heart would follow---and she couldn't trust him with her heart yet. "Haven't I done everything you asked of me? Haven't I pleased you as you have asked? Haven't I given my body up in service to you?"
"Aye, that you have, but when I asked if you surrendered to me that night, I meant completely Kivra. I want more than your body. Come here."
Kivra shook her head, not trusting her voice to respond.
Kona wasn't about to accept "no" for an answer. With an animal-like growl, he leapt at her, cutting off her possible escape. She squealed in outrage, squirming in his arms, but struggling was futile.
He held her tightly against his body, and the heat from his skin warmed her in the way it always did, from the inside out. But this time she felt something more than the usual carnal hunger she usually felt. This time she was a little fearful, not quite knowing what he was capable of. His words confirmed his anger with her.
"As my woman, I expect you to keep your word."
"I am not your woman, Warrior. It's not like you have taken me as your wife. You and I have agreed to terms that are temporary. I am your lalani and nothing more." She said the word "lalani" with contempt. She hated what she had become, how she had given everything to him, and for what? He still wanted more than her body. He wanted everything, and her heart she wasn't ready to give up yet.
Not too gently, he carried her to the bed and laid her across his lap.
"Wh---What are you doing?"
"Something I should have done a long time ago."
When he tossed her skirts up, revealing her plump rump, she panicked. "No!"
One hand held her back to his lap firmly and the other hand massaged her buttocks, moving to that sensitive area between her legs. "What's the matter Princess? Not prepared to pay the price for breaking your word with me?"
She felt his hand firmly cupping her sex, two fingers moving deliciously along her sensitive flesh, just inside the line of her undergarments. She tensed, waiting for the spanking he was preparing her for.
"I didn't break my word, Barbarian." She twisted to glare back up at him with daggers in her eyes. His powerful hand came down on her backside before she could finish.
Smack!
Her skin stung where his hand had hit her flesh. She let out a cry of pain, before his open hand hit her again on her bottom.
"Stop it!"
His only answer was to hit her again firmly on her rump. He held his hand on her flesh, still hot from the previous spanking. He was unrelenting. "Admit it."
"There is nothing to admit."
Another smart spanking met her words.
"Ouch." She gritted her teeth. "Fine. You are stronger than me, and you can force your will. Do you think that changes things? What do you want from me?"
This time his touch grew gentle. "I told you that already, Princess. I want everything. I want your complete surrender, and I want you to be my woman."
"I served my time as your lalani."
"I would have you as my wife, if you would stop fighting me, Princess."
That brought Kivra up with a violent start, and when she sat up on his lap he did not fight to restrain her.
"Your wife?"
"What say you? Will you be my wife?"
Stunned, she nearly said yes, but remembered what he had just put her though, the humiliating spankings she had endured. "And if I don't will you try to force me, as you have in everything else?"
"It is the way of my people to punish their wives when they disobey their husbands." His eyebrows came together disapprovingly.
"First you challenged me to a fight, Warrior, and when you don't get your way, you punish me. Well, what if I said I wanted more?"
"More? Whatever you want it will be yours, Kivra. I will get you a necklace of pearls from the Kravian Sea for a wedding present. You will have a stable full of Bantas. Exotic clothes, servants, whatever you wish. But you belong to me, whether you admit it or not. I want you to marry me. You could already be growing our son." He touched her stomach for effect.
She pushed his hand away. "Then I could raise him alone."
"A child needs his father, and you need me to help care for you."
"I don't want your gifts, Warrior." Her tone was cool and collected, but she felt anything but calm. She could buy her own jewels if she desired them. Any of her suitors would have showed up with jewels on the first day if she showed even a little promise of being interested in them.
But she didn't want to be bought.
She wanted to feel loved, and although she felt he desired her, she had not once heard him say he loved her. She felt her chest clench tightly at that thought. What if he didn't have the same feelings for her? Could he grow to love her or would they have a loveless marriage?
Same feelings? Oh no.
It was true. It was already too late. Over the course of their month together she had grown fond of her warrior, perhaps even loved him. Did she love him?
Already it was too late to think of what life would be like without him.
She had already lost her heart to him, just as she had feared. She whispered the words, almost too low to hear, but he heard them clearly. "I don't want your gifts, Warrior. I want your heart."
He cupped her chin with his hand, tipping her face up to his. "You already have it, Princess. I have loved you since the first day you stood up and faced me as brave as any warrior." With his thumb he stroked her cheek. "You will make a fine mother and a good wife. I know this because I feel it here." With those final words, he placed her hand over his heart.
She was not the kind of woman to cry easily, but hearing those heartfelt words from him made tears well up in her eyes. "I love you too, Kona." She uttered the words just before he kissed her passionately, his tongue requesting entrance at her mouth. She opened to him as he plundered her with his silky tongue. She darted her own tongue in response, attempting to capture his.
Their sweat-drenched bodies were entwined in a sea of legs and arms. Sex was so much better since they admitted their love for one another.
Kona crouched over her, preparing to enter her, when Kivra put her hands against his chest to stop him. "Ow. Not yet, Kona."
He pulled back, the question obvious on his face. He didn't want to stop, but he would if she asked him to. "Oh, Lass, what is it?"
"Nothing that won't heal, but my bottom is still a little sore. Perhaps I should be on top this time?"
Kona grinned down at her wickedly before rolling over and switching places with her. She straddled his thighs and he massaged each of her round cheeks in his hands. "Better?" He asked.
"Much." She leaned down to nibble on his chin. There wasn't a part of him she didn't like tasting. His masculine scent permeated her nostrils, and her own scent mingled with his. "Of course, I wouldn't be hurting at all if someone had been a little more diplomatic about asking me to be his woman."
"I am sorry I hurt you, Kivra. Sometimes I do things I regret." He buried his face in her chest, pulling her tightly to him. "I should not have been so hasty in my punishment for you."
"Well, if you admit it wasn't fair, then you should let me punish you in return."
He pushed her back to examine her reflection. His face went crimson as he seemed to realize that was no jest.
"Punish me? What kind of punishment are we talking here?"
Kivra smiled wide. He was considering it, although he may not consider it for long if he understood how she planned on torturing him. Then again, she never knew Kona as the type of man to turn down a challenge. She splayed her hands across the expanse of his naked chest. "The worst kind of a punishment for a warrior like you."
"Bring it on, Princess." He kicked up a wicked grin.
"We play by my rules for once, Warrior. " She waggled a finger at him. "That means we don't finish until I say so."
"I can be patient."
She arched one dubious eyebrow up at him.
"As patient as you can be, Princess. I am willing to bet your own needs will make it not last longer than my own endurance. You want me."
"Arrogant man. You need to be punished."
"Then punish me, Princess."
"Pffft." She let out the breath between her teeth. "I can last longer than you---but this isn't about me---it's more about you..." She traced his chin with her lips nibbling on the skin, drifting lower, sucking the skin in the sensitive hollow of his neck. Still it wasn't enough for her. She wanted him begging her to finish him. It was not enough to hear him gasp as she brought his nipple into her mouth.
She dropped kisses onto his chest, licking and sucking his flesh, giving careful attention to his belly button.
He pushed at her shoulders, urging her to move lower.
"We go at my pace, Warrior, not yours. Remember?" Kivra cocked her head sideways at him.
He stifled a groan as her hand wrapped itself around his cock. His breath came faster as she moved her hand slowly up and down the length of him.
"Damn that was good, Woman, but I have to wonder in what other ways do you know how to please a man?"
She smiled mischievously as she thought about other ways she could please him tonight. How this all worked so well into her plans. It only served to whet his appetite and by the end of the night, he would be begging her for satisfaction. If things worked out well, she would have her own pleasure too.
Kivra licked the tip of his cock and then withdrew when he gasped. "Is it too much for you, Warrior?"
"Nay." He said but his voice was strained with obvious pressure. "Do it again, Kivra."
She smiled before dipping down again to lavish attention on his cock. Her magic tongue caused him to harden even more than he thought possible.
"By the Gods, Kivra! That feels good." She swallowed him whole, the length of him hitting the back of her throat.
When she began moving up and down on his rock hard cock, he thought he was going to burst. He buried his hands in her silky hair, the ends of her hair spread across his belly tickling his skin.
"I won't last much longer, Kivra." He groaned out. "I need you, Woman."
"Then you won't have to last much longer, Kona. Those were the words I was waiting for." Kivra smiled wickedly as she sat up. He was too much to resist, and she wanted to feel him between her thighs. She knelt over the top of him and positioned him between her thighs, pressing the tip of him into her already slick entrance. She had been wet for him the moment he had touched her.
She slid down on him with ease, until she felt the base of him against her. Then she began to move on him in slow easy strokes, building them in intensity to finally match her needs.
He thrust up under her, matching her hungry need with his own until finally they crested over the edge. Kivra climaxed on his cock as he spent his seed in her womb. They lay there together in silence for a few minutes, her womb clenching around him, sucking every last drop from him.
"If that was punishment, Princess, I hope you punish me often." He kissed the tip of her nose.
"Of course, often as a wife should punish her husband."
Life as a warrior's woman would never be the same for her.
Missy Lyons was one of four girls born in Santa Maria, California. She grew up along the beach and back in the country, catching lizards and climbing trees. No one knew she would grow up to have such a romantic heart from the tomboy she was as a child. She is currently trying to be a city girl living with her family in Nashville Tennessee.
Missy loves to write romance almost as much as she loves to read it. Her heroines are always strong women that can stand up for them selves. She is a multi-genre author ranging from contemporary romance to fantasy. Her favorite genre to write is paranormal romances. From dragons to druids, her work is inspired by fairy tales and daydreams.
You can see more of her work at www.missylyons.com. Missy loves hearing from her fans and you can reach her by her website or by email at lyons\_missy@yahoo.com.
Spicy, sensual love stories which leave a reader breathless, intense plots, alpha males, strong heroines and sizzling dialogue---find it all at Whispers Publishing!
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