"Payment on the pillow? But, Sebastian, I didn't earn it." Before he could trace, she said, "By the way, you arrogant ass... "
She sauntered to his back, trailing a finger over his shoulders, which tensed from the light touch. Lowering her voice to a breathy tone, she said, "You've just sacrificed the chance to experience how an immortal female worships a male with her mouth."
Her finger skimmed to his front as she walked around to face him. She stood on her toes, and at his ear, she murmured, "I would have given you the hottest, wettest kiss you've ever received. I would have spent ages taking you with my tongue."
Sudden sweat beaded on his forehead.
"But now, I've only to thank you for saving me all those hours."
He shuddered, then strode away from her with a grated sound of frustration. "Do you think this was easy to give up when it would be from you?" He felt crazed with lust. Curiosity goaded him. He threw his hands up, pacing in long strides. "Seeing you on your knees when I've never had - "
"Had what?" When he said nothing, just stilled and ran his hand over the back of his neck, she asked softly, "You've never had that?"
Sebastian looked away sharply, unwilling to admit it to her, and unable to deny it.
He isn't denying it? Kaderin's lips parted. He's never experienced that?
The idea shocked her. Then it stirred her, making shivers dance up her spine.
I could be his first.
She could admit that her anger had come partly from thwarted desire. When the wet material of his pants had hugged his thick shaft in front of her, she'd grown weak with humiliation and heat because she'd wanted to taste him. Now that arousal roared to life once more.
To be a male's first at anything? She tilted her head at him. "Have you... imagined me doing it to you?"
He scowled as if her question was absurd.
"I see." He seemed volatile, seething inside. She felt as if she'd cornered a wounded bear and needed to move gingerly. "Why would you give away the opportunity?"
He snapped, "Because it's not over with us!"
She drew back her head. "Even after Colombia?"
He crossed to her. "Tonight, at the minefield, you were different. It's... just not over."
At his words, a well of emotion swept her up. Desire, yes, but now she could admit there was much more. Sebastian had wanted to be cruel to her - clearly had needed to be.
Yet he couldn't.
Even when he craved this pleasure so badly, he couldn't force her to do it.
Suddenly, tenderness for him threatened to overwhelm her. So much so that the thought of him yearning all these years for something he'd never experienced made her ache as well. She found it unbearable to think of him wondering what it would be like with her.
She'd desired the merciless man she'd gazed up at in the rain, but she also hungered for the man here before her now with vulnerability in his eyes. "What if I wanted to do it?" She nibbled her bottom lip. "Would you still like me to?"
She saw him go hard as steel again. "I... only... only if you wanted to."
Oh, she did. She lifted her hand to stroke his face tenderly. He closed his eyes briefly at her touch. And I'm going to make it so damn good. If he'd waited his entire life for it, she'd guarantee it would be worth the wait.
And, of course, she had to live up to her careless bragging. "Worship," Kaderin? Well, actually... She recalled a scene she'd inadvertently witnessed long ago. She'd crept into a dark warlock's harem to free a witch who'd found good favor with the Valkyrie. The Valkyrie weren't susceptible to spells, but this warlock had been powerful and Kaderin had been alone. She'd found a hiding place to stay until everyone went to sleep.
She'd ultimately waited till dawn. Because one of his concubines had pleasured him for hour after hour in a most original manner.
Kaderin had filed the idea away, thinking, One day, if I find those desires again, I'd really like to try this.
That time was now. She wanted to give Sebastian an experience to remember - for eternity. An immortal version of what he'd fantasized about. "I do want to, Bastian." Now she laced her arms around his neck. "But I have conditions."
A hint of a wounded half-grin. "You always have conditions."
"I think you can live with these."
Ten minutes later, Sebastian found himself chained to Kaderin's bed.
He should have seen that wicked glint in her eyes and traced the other way.
But she'd been giving him soft kisses with those ruby lips as she'd smoothed her palms over his chest and torso. When she'd asked him to give her five minutes to get ready, he'd obliged and left the bedroom. He'd been kicking off his boots when she'd come to take his hand, stroking it sensuously with her thumb. She'd tucked her hair behind her ear, smiling at him over her shoulder as she led him to her bed.
Did he ask what she'd done in her room? Hell, no. At that point, and after that bewitching smile, if she'd murmured, "I'm leading you into the fiery depths of hell," he'd have followed dumbly.
Then they'd lain on the bed, slowly kissing again. The way she would give soft moans into his mouth maddened him. When she lapped her tongue against his, he couldn't stop imagining how it would feel on his cock...
Then he'd suddenly found one wrist shackled to a chain she'd stretched under her bed. "What the bloody hell - ?"
"Bastian, it's a condition of this deal."
Warnings had arisen. This is not wise. They'd just been fighting. They'd resolved nothing between them. But he knew he could break free if need be. He could trace free. Why would she want this?
Then she'd smiled once more, that seductive curl of her lips, and he could no longer think of anything but sliding his shaft between them. He let her chain the other wrist.
When he was secured, she'd surveyed him with eyes gone silver and licked her lips.
And one second ago, he'd watched in astonishment as she clawed his pants off, leaving him without a thread on.
"I imagined this that first morning with you," she said, pressing her lips to his torso. Her damp hair grazed over his skin, making him shudder with pleasure. "Imagined ripping off your pants to get my mouth on your shaft."
He groaned in disbelief, wondering if he'd die of ecstasy when he felt her warm breaths going lower. If this was a dream, he'd be damned if he would wake. After nuzzling the trail of hair leading down from his navel, she glanced up. "Are you ready?"
"Christ, yes, I've been ready - "
The first touch of her hot little tongue, running across the head of his shaft, stopped his breath.