Mutual Desire Read online

  “You smell as exotic as you look.”

  His words sent chills down her spine. Many men had called her beautiful, but only in the reflection of Falcor’s eyes did she truly believe it. He made her feel attractive and interesting. His hunger only fueled her desire until she was drowning in it.

  Her body wasn’t her own. She no longer had control over it. As soon as she had laid eyes on the warrior king, she had known deep in her soul that he was unlike any man she had ever met. He oozed sensuality mixed with sheer power, and it caused her heart to skip a beat.

  She opened her mouth to ask him, beg him, to touch her, but her voice refused to work. He dropped her hair and ran his fingers down her cheek to her neck and then to the valley between her breasts.

  Her back arched, silently urging him to touch her breasts and give her some relief from the ravenous need coursing through her. A breath hissed through her teeth when he rubbed his palm over her nipple with the lightest of touches. Desire shot to her sex, causing it to swell and throb with need.

  When he straightened and pulled off his tunic, Linarra rose to her knees. Her breath rushed from her lungs as she looked at his broad chest that rippled with muscles and tapered to narrow hips.

  Her hands itched to touch him, to feel the valleys and hills of his muscles. But before she could, he kicked off his boots and unbuckled his sword. She noticed a large ruby in the hilt of his sword as he laid it next to the bed, but she soon forgot it as he reached for the waist of his pants. Her mouth watered as he unfastened his pants and tugged them off.

  Linarra licked her lips in eagerness. He was magnificent, like one of the ancient statues she had been made to study as a young girl. Perfectly proportioned, burning with power and leadership, Falcor was like the early kings who had once fought over the kingdoms before they had been divided.

  And for the night, he was hers.

  He bent forward and his flaxen hair fell over his shoulder as a lock dropped into his eye. Linarra reached up and swept aside the strand of hair.

  “Tell me again why no woman has claimed such a fine warrior as you?”

  He chuckled. “I’ve yet to find a woman that stirred my soul as well as my blood.”

  His words made her stomach flip. She got lost in his gaze. She almost told him why she was really in Kellian, but she didn’t want to spoil the wonder that surrounded them, not when there was a chance he wouldn’t believe her.

  “No more talking. I’ve something else in mind,” he said just before his mouth claimed hers and he laid her back.

  Linarra was more than willing to kiss him again. His kisses sent her spiraling into a place filled with pleasure and desire, a place where Usotae couldn’t harm her or threaten her.

  His hands caressed each side of her face as his kiss deepened. It scorched her with its intensity and kindled her growing desire until a bright flame of need swept over her.

  Only then did his mouth move from her lips to her neck, leaving a trail of kisses with his hot mouth. Linarra basked in the feeling of his hard body against hers, tempting her, teasing her. His rod, thick and rigid, brushed against her stomach as he continued to nibble her skin.

  When he came to her breasts, he paused for a brief moment cupping each of them in his hands and staring into her eyes before he bent and took a nipple in his mouth.

  A soft cry tore from her throat at the wonderful bliss that ran through her as his mouth and fingers teased her nipples. He suckled one nipple as he thumbed the other until she was panting, the need between her legs growing with each breath she took.

  She ground her hips against him and felt a jolt of pleasure. When she tried to repeat the movement, he stopped her with a hand on her hips.

  “Nay,” he whispered.

  Linarra pushed aside her frustration as he reached between their bodies and cupped her sex. She sighed and pushed against him.

  “Already hot and wet,” he murmured. He kissed her stomach and his tongue traced her navel, which still held the golden stone. “A woman made for pleasure.”

  She had a hard time concentrating on his words with his hand on her sex and his mouth kissing her stomach. Her fingers curled into fists as she fought to keep from begging him for more.

  But he didn’t leave her wanting. His fingers parted her curls and he pushed one inside of her. She groaned and arched her back. In and out his finger moved, slowly stroking her, awakening her.

  When he added a second finger, she felt him stretching her, moving deeper and thrusting faster. A strange sensation began to build inside of her, pushing her toward some unknown force.

  He leaned over her, a strange light entering his eyes. “You surprise me.”

  She licked her lips and fought to concentrate on his words. “What’s wrong?”

  “You are a maiden still?”

  As he asked this, he pushed his fingers deep inside of her. Linarra pressed her lips together and nodded.

  “I should get up and walk away.”

  “Nay,” she said and gripped his arms. “Please. Don’t stop this wonderful torment.”

  He swallowed, his jaw clenching. “This isn’t right. I shouldn’t be the one taking your virginity. That right belongs to your husband.”

  “That right belongs to you.” She let out a shaky breath as his finger stroked her. “I want you.”

  “I couldn’t walk away now if I tried.” He bent down and kissed her, a wild, fierce kiss that left her breathless and her mind in a whirlwind.

  Heat ignited inside of her. His kiss revealed his hunger and his need, and it awoke in her the desire to please him, to touch him as he had touched her.

  When she would have shifted, he moved her arms above her head and held her wrists in one hand. He stroked her sex and suckled her nipples until she writhed with need. Her sex clenched, eager to have his cock inside her.

  His fingers withdrew and caressed her sensitive flesh, heightening her need with his teasing touches. Then, his finger swirled over her pearl with the slightest of movements.

  A cry tore from her throat at the sheer bliss that consumed her. He added pressure as his finger moved quickly back and forth over her pearl. Linarra was panting, the desire making her body shake as she felt the need coiling within her. The pleasure was intense, exquisite.

  The sensations that had been building within her suddenly came together, and in an instant, washed over her. A scream stopped in her throat as the wonderful, powerful vibrations ripped through her, erasing everything but the man holding her.

  When the last of her tremors left, she opened her eyes to find Falcor watching her.

  “By the stars, you are beautiful.”

  She smiled and touched his face. “Nay.”

  He grinned as he moved to cover her body with his. She sighed at the feel of him against her, his cock rubbing the sensitive flesh of her sex.

  “You aren’t supposed to argue with a king,” he said just before he kissed the spot below her ear.

  “I must have forgotten that.” Her fingers ran through his thick, silken locks.

  With the slightest shift, she felt him penetrate her, stretch her…fill her. The desire which had never left her flared to life again.

  She wrapped her legs around his waist as he pushed deep inside of her. In and out he moved, each thrust sending waves of delight rolling through her.

  The deeper he went, the harder he thrust. When he came to her maidenhead, he didn’t hesitate before he pushed passed the barrier that marked her a maid. The pain was minimal as he tore through the membrane, and it quickly faded as he buried himself to the root.

  He stilled, his arms shaking as he held himself above her. Linarra couldn’t stop touching him. He was warm, hard. She loved the feel of his muscles moving beneath her hands.

  His hips shifted as he began to move within her. She was blinded by the pleasure flowing through her. Linarra gripped his arms and met each of his thrusts, their desire feeding off each other until they felt as if they were the only two people in the wo
rld. The passion was fierce, the need strong.

  When she opened her eyes to find Falcor watching her, Linarra knew she was lost. Whether it was Falcor or the exquisite pleasure he had given her, things had gotten extremely complicated.

  She gasped as she peaked again. Each time he plunged inside her, he prolonged her pleasure. As the last of her orgasm faded, he pushed deep and stiffened as his seed poured inside of her. His head tilted back, and he gave a shout as he climaxed.

  He rolled off her and tugged her against his chest. Linarra snuggled against him, content to lay quietly in his arms while their passion still filled them.

  Falcor had been nothing like what she had expected, which made it all the more difficult to deceive him. However, no matter how much she might like him, her sister’s life was more important.

  There has to be a way.

  But there wasn’t, and she knew it. Usotae didn’t threaten carelessly. He meant what he said. He would kill Narune without a second’s hesitation. It made it worse that he had taken Narune to the palace. She would be locked in a dungeon and kept as a prisoner.

  Linarra didn’t even know Kellian’s traitor or where to meet him. Usotae had just told her the spy would find her. She had no doubt that if she failed to bring information, Usotae would kill her sister. There was nothing Linarra could do to get out of her predicament. Nothing at all.

  She would play the seductress and gain Falcor’s trust as she must. A fool she wasn’t, though. She had no intention of telling the Kellian traitor all of Falcor’s secrets. She would keep some to herself to ensure she was kept alive.

  Usotae would demand she tell him everything, and she would, once Narune was freed and out of Aldvale. With her sister safe, Linarra had only once choice. She would have to kill Usotae. If she didn’t, he would forever control her life through her sister, and if either of them were to be free, he had to die.

  She’d killed before, although the first time she hadn’t meant it. This time, she wanted to kill. Narune could never know, though. No one could ever know.

  “You are deep in thought,” Falcor murmured.

  Linarra shrugged and closed her eyes as his hands caressed her back. “It’s not every day that a woman makes love to a king.”

  “So that makes you special.”

  She smiled and laid her hand over his heart. “I think it does. At least for tonight.”

  “Tell me, Linarra, for a woman as beautiful and passionate as you, why hasn’t Usotae wed you for himself?”

  Slowly, she sat up. His question worried her. Falcor was an intelligent man. She had seen how quickly he had worked through things when she had rolled to his feet. How much had he guessed already? He had been reluctant to take her, and she knew he didn’t trust her, but had Usotae let him know what she really was? Was this all an elaborate scheme to kill her?

  She studied Falcor, suddenly worried. If she made the wrong decision, it could ruin everything. With nothing else to do, Linarra followed her heart. “I could tell you something that was half-truth, half-lie.”

  “You could. I would never know the difference.”

  “Maybe.” She turned until she faced him, her knees drawn to her chest. “Usotae courted me once. For many years, the kingdom thought we would wed.”

  Falcor moved his arm under his head. “Did he find someone else?”

  “Actually, it was me. I decided I couldn’t marry him.”

  “He was heir to the thrown. I’ve known women to kill to be in your position. Why would you turn it down?”

  “I wasn’t afraid of being queen, if that’s what you’re thinking. I just didn’t want to be his queen.”

  “There has to be a reason. He had to have done something. You tell me that he’s changed. That Usotae wants peace. I know the Usotae that’s been in power for the last several years. He’s harsh with his people, brutal with others.”

  “Aye. He turned from the boy I knew and thought I wanted to spend my life with, to a man I didn’t recognize. A man I wanted no part of.”

  “And now that he’s changed, as you say? Why not take him now? I’m sure he still wants you.”

  She laughed. “Would Usotae send me as your gift, to be used as your whore or your slave, if he still wanted me for his queen?”

  “Or my wife.”

  She stilled.

  “Ah, yes,” Falcor said as he sat up. “That was in Usotae’s missive. He suggests that if I find you appealing, I could wed you.”

  “What? He sent a missive?”

  Falcor nodded. “I was given it this morning not long after you and your guards asked for entrance into the jungle.”

  “He actually said you could take me as your wife?” Usotae had said nothing to her about such a statement. She had always assumed she would leave once she had the secrets Usotae needed.

  “He said nothing to you, then?”

  Linarra shifted and rose from the bed. Her legs shook and threatened to buckle beneath her, but she stood straight. “Nay. He said nothing.”

  “Interesting.”

  “Why is that?”

  “Why indeed? I saw the surprise in your eyes, but it wasn’t just surprise. There was anger there as well.”

  “You’re mistaken.”

  “So, tell me, Linarra. What secrets were you sent to pry from me?”

  She whirled to face him, her heart thumping wildly. This couldn’t be happening. “I was sent as your gift. Nothing more.” Even to her own ears her voice was shaky, unconvincing.

  “No man, king or not, sends a woman such as yourself as a gift unless he is after secrets, secrets to bring down a kingdom. As wonderful as you are to pleasure, and as beautiful as you are to look at, you won’t get any secrets from me.”

  Linarra couldn’t breathe. Her sister’s face flashed in her mind, her screams begging Linarra to help her reverberating in Linarra’s head. She had vowed to Narune to get them out of Aldvale once her mission was done.

  She had never lied to her sister before, but now she feared the absolute worst. Now she feared she might never see her sister again.

  5

  Falcor watched Linarra carefully. He could see the terror in her eyes, the uncertainty. It was obvious Usotae had blackmailed her, but why? Could it be because Linarra had refused to be his queen? Falcor had known vengeful men before when it came to women. It could be something that simple that pushed Usotae to send Linarra.

  It was a bold move, and one that would have worked if Falcor hadn’t had his own spies. His lust for Linarra was so deep it frightened him at how easily he had given in to her.

  Linarra, however, had been a virgin. If Usotae had wanted to find the secrets he needed, he would have sent a courtesan who knew how to seduce a man. It was Linarra’s beauty and exotic nature that had pulled Falcor under her spell.

  Why then, was Usotae using Linarra as his spy? Her eyes showed everything, which meant she hadn’t spied before. Usotae knew Falcor had killed all four of his spies, and only a fool would send another so soon.

  Unless Usotae wanted her dead.

  Still, that didn’t make sense. None of it made sense. Especially why Linarra was helping Usotae. Why hadn’t she just said no? Whatever Usotae was using to blackmail Linarra was strong.

  Falcor had to discover what that was. Though he knew he would be better served by sending her back to Aldvale immediately and forgetting about her, he found that he wanted to help her. He didn’t fully understand why, nor did he dig deeper to find the answers. It was enough that he wanted her with him.

  You want her in your bed.

  Without a doubt Falcor wanted her in his bed for many days to come. Linarra responded to his touch like no other. She didn’t hold anything back, and she gave as much as she received.

  It had been a long time since he had been so sated after a bout of lovemaking. Usually, he felt as if something were missing. But not with Linarra. With her, everything seemed…right.

  “You are after my secrets, aren’t you?” he asked again.


  “I don’t know what you mean.”

  He chuckled. He had expected just such an answer. “I have not kept my people safe by being naïve, Linarra. Be honest with me. I can be merciful, but I can be vicious if I feel my people, or my kingdom, are in peril.”

  She bit her lip and glanced away as if debating her options. Finally, she took a deep breath. “Just tell me something small, something I can send Usotae. Anything so he will think I’m doing what I am supposed to.”

  “Why don’t you let me help you be free of Usotae and whatever hold he has over you?”

  Her head lowered as she closed her eyes. “You can’t.”

  Falcor rose from the bed and moved to her. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, he heard the door open below. “Supper has arrived as well as clothing for you.”

  He turned and reached for his pants. As he tugged them on, he couldn’t help but wonder what was going through Linarra’s mind. She acted desperate, and desperate people did desperate things.

  Once his pants were buckled, he took his cloak and wrapped it around her. He then led the way downstairs. His servants had everything laid out on the table by the time they arrived. On one of the longues, the servants had arranged the clothes he had requested for Linarra.

  Out of the corner of his eye he saw her walk to the gown and touch it. He turned to her. “They aren’t as fine as the silk you wore, but I hope they will suffice.”

  Her head snapped up. “The gown is perfect.”

  She didn’t hesitate as she pushed the cloak from her shoulders. It puddled at her feet in a whoosh. Falcor’s body stirred at the sight of her luscious form. Her tawny tresses hung in damp waves to her hips.

  He longed to run his fingers through their length, to feel the strands graze his thighs as she straddled him, to have her hair fall around his face like a curtain as she leaned over him and he thrust inside her.

  Kellian women rarely let their hair grow midway down their back, so Linarra’s locks were something that excited him in a way he couldn’t explain but wanted to explore.

  She pulled on the simple gown, unaware of Falcor’s turmoil. The gown was a pale red and hugged her full breasts and small waist before falling smoothly to the floor. The neck of the gown dipped just enough to hint at the swell of her delightfully sensitive breasts. She touched her shoulders where the sleeves fluttered about her arms, making her look more sensual, more exotic than ever. She faced him and raised her brows in question.