purple, pearls of moisture
oozing from the slightly open slit. He dropped one hand down, rubbing along the
rippled muscles of his abdomen, and gripped it firmly in his strong fingers. He stroked
up and down once, again, his eyes boring into hers as his erection grew even stiffer.
“I’ve been waiting far too long to do this,” he said, stepping toward her.
The sight of the large, angry man moving so purposefully toward her was more
than Tessa could handle. She turned, scrambling across the bed, trying to get away. His
strong hands caught her around the waist and stopped her flight. He pulled her pants
off, fingers so rough she wondered if there would be bruises later, and she opened her
mouth to scream.
17
Joanna Wylde
Some sixth sense must have alerted him, because he thrust her down into the bed,
throwing his heavy weight atop her and knocking the breath from her lungs. One hand
came around to cover her mouth. His voice whispered in her ear, “Don’t scream. I have
men watching your campsite. You don’t want them to get the wrong idea about what’s
happening here. They might hurt you.”
Tessa nodded her head, stunned. How long had they been watching? Did they
know about her garnets too? As if she should be worrying about the gems right now—
Daaron was the greatest threat. They lay there for a moment, his enormous erection
pushing against her ass, cradled by her flesh. The head pressed against her sphincter.
She shivered, quivering beneath him. He groaned and thrust against her involuntarily,
jamming the cock head against her tightly muscled ring.
“Don’t tempt me,” he said, the words little more than a groan. “I want inside you
too badly to play any more games, Tessa. Do you get that?”
She nodded her head, understanding him all too well. He removed his hand,
pulling back from her, and she lifted her head to one side so she could breathe again.
Her head felt far too free and light, forcibly reminding her that her braids were gone.
She belonged to this man body and soul, so long as she followed the customs of the
Warrens.
And if she ignored those customs? Tessa could hardly imagine that—they defined
her, had enabled her to survive and thrive. Given her the strength to go to school and
better herself. Without them she had no idea what she’d do.
“Don’t hurt me,” she said slowly and deliberately, careful not to move or incite him.
“I will do as you ask.”
She felt some of the tension ease from his form. His hips pulled back from her butt
just a little, and he adjusted himself until his erect penis pushed down between her legs.
Her pants still held her feet together, and the feel of him trapped tight between the flesh
of her thighs was strange.
Compelling.
18
Garnets or Bust
“We’ll take our time,” he said, voice tight, triumphant. “At least for as long as I can
handle it. I don’t want to hurt you. I want it to be good for both of us.”
The anger had eased from his voice, although Tessa still didn’t trust him any more
than she could throw him.
“Tell me what you want me to do,” she whispered.
He laughed harshly and flexed his hips, rubbing his hard cock between her legs.
The thick length grazed her labia, and she froze as renewed sensation rippled through
her. A trickle of moisture welled up inside, and her nipples hardened against the bed.
He flexed once more, giving a low chuckle of satisfaction as she whimpered,
twisting her hips and trying to get…something. Tessa didn’t want to think about that. A
tightening need grew within her, the same treacherous attraction that had always made
her vulnerable to him. Only this time there were no caustic remarks and lab tables to
hide behind.
Daaron nuzzled her neck, giving her a kiss here and a little nip there, while he
worked one hand under her belly and between her legs. She lay helpless as his fingers
wound down from her navel to the hair of her mound, burrowing their way to