She wasn't a submissive, was what he meant. He'd never thought she could be one, and despite the great sex they had, he didn't see her as one now. Because she'd failed him as a submissive. Despite what she'd thought they'd shared on Xarta, she'd been nothing more than a duty to him, an act to ensnare Zim and the others.
Marina sighed, not knowing what else to say to him. She'd never tell him her feelings now. He'd laugh at her. "When do you leave?"
He paused before speaking. "Tonight. We closed the portal so I'm taking a transport ship back to Xarta."
"I see. Looks like I'll be dealing with Lars and Tiny and making sure the loops are closed here on Earth."
"Back to work for both of us then," Kaden said, standing.
She rose, refusing to look him in the eye. "Yes. In fact, I might as well get started on those transfer papers. I'll see you at the dock before your departure this evening so that I can have Zim released into your custody."
"Good. Thanks."
He seemed to be stalling, as if he wanted to say something. Probably something lame like an apology for treating her like a slave while she was on Xarta. That she couldn't handle right now. As it was, she was near tears, and didn't want him to see how his dismissal affected her.
"Well, I'm off to do some of that paperwork. I'll see you later, Kaden." She hurried out the door, nearly running toward the ladies' restroom. She hid in a stall and let the tears fall, feeling stupid in so many different ways.
She loved him. That was the foremost stupid thing she had done. She had fallen in love with a man who didn't want her.
*
Kaden paced the dock of the transport area, looking for Marina. The ship would be taking off as soon as she arrived with the transfer papers for Zim, who was neatly chained for the trip, minus one arm, of course.
If Kaden had his way, he'd be minus one dick, too. But there were limits to what he could do to a prisoner. Legally, anyway.
Spending the rest of his life rotting away in a Xartanian prison would be more than enough justice for Zim. Their prisons weren't nearly as humane as those in other galaxies. Zim would be lucky to survive one year.
The exhaust from the transport blew white smoke throughout the station as it fired up its rockets, preparing for takeoff. Marina appeared through the doorway, strolling sexily along the walkway as she approached.
Even in her crisp, boring uniform, she exuded sexuality, and Kaden felt his cock hardening, remembering all the times she'd touched him, sucked him, made love with him.
She had given herself totally to him in a way that had surprised him.
But none of that mattered now. They'd had an interlude of wonderful sex and shared passions. An affair, they called it on this planet. And now it was over. She had a life she was satisfied with, which didn't include dropping to her knees and sucking his cock whenever he commanded it.
He could tell when he talked to her earlier that what they'd shared had been nothing but a mission for her. Now it was over, and she couldn't wait to get away from him.
How stupid he'd been to think that she'd adapted, accepted and wanted his way of life.
How insane it had been to let himself fall in love with her.
With every fiber of his being, he loved her. Her strength, her beauty, her willingness to please him.
But they weren't a match made to last.
He smiled as she stopped in front of him. There was a dim cast to her normally sparkling green eyes, something he'd never seen before. Perhaps she was still weak from the attack.
"You look like you need some rest," he said, clenching his fists to keep from caressing her face.
"I'll be fine. Don't worry." She handed him the documents releasing Zim to his custody. "You have a safe flight."
This was it. They wouldn't see each other again. He wished...
Oh hell. What was the point in wishing? Without saying a word, he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her toward him, crushing her mouth against his. His tongue dived in and took possession of hers, the last possession he'd take of her. In that kiss he told her exactly how he felt.
Nothing would come of it, but he had to tell her in at least this way.
Before he did something stupid like drag her onto the transport with him, he pulled away and turned on his heel, stepping into the craft. The door closed behind him and he headed to his seat, still tasting Marina on his lips.
Her taste would remain there forever.
*
The past week had been miserable. Marina thought of nothing but Kaden, remembering the feeling of being in his arms as he'd given her a last, passion-filled kiss before he left Earth. She'd stood there, stunned and unable to move, while she watched his ship take off and disappear.
Her lips still burned where he had touched them, his possession of her as strong now as it had ever been.
What had that kiss meant? She'd pondered it over and over the past week, finally coming to the conclusion that it had been nothing more than a passionate goodbye. They had shared passion. She hadn't imagined that part.
She'd just imagined the part about him wanting to keep her.
She'd never get over him, of that she was certain.
"Why don't you fly to Xarta and tell Kaden how you feel?"
Marina looked up from her desk and shook her head at Laren. "I don't think so."
"Why not?" Laren leaned her hip on the edge of the desk and crossed her arms. "You love him."
She started to object, but it was pointless to deny the obvious. "Yes, I do."
"He loves you too."
Marina arched a brow. "He told you this?"
"No."
"Ah, that's what I thought. You're grasping, Laren. He doesn't love me. If he did, he would have asked me to be with him."
"Maybe he assumed you didn't want to be. Did you give him any indication about how you were feeling?"
"No."
"Why not?"
Giving up on the report she was typing in, Marina pushed her chair back and rubbed her temples. "Why bother? He wants a submissive, Laren. A woman who will bend to his will. While I could do that sexually, I sure as hell couldn't live my life that way. And living on his planet would require it. No, he needs a woman who can give him what fulfills him. That's not me."
Besides, if he'd wanted her, he'd have asked her to stay with him. He didn't. End of story.
"I know how you feel, Marina. And I'm sorry. The one man I thought would love me forever walked away from me and never looked back. I just didn't figure Kaden for the same kind of man."
"Nothing like falling in love with the wrong man, is there?" Marina said, feeling perversely comforted by having Laren to share her pain with. "I'm sorry for you, too."
Laren shrugged. "Like I said. Ancient history. I guess we both just have to move on with our lives and try to forget."
Forget. How would she ever be able to do that?
Later that night, Marina tossed and turned in her bed, her mind refusing to settle into a deep sleep. Visions of Kaden haunted her dreams. His blond hair blowing in the light breeze, the way his gaze raked over her in appreciation for a body she had long ago decided would never be appealing. Yet to him, she was beautiful. With him, she'd felt beautiful.
The piercings were still attached to her nipples and clit, yet they no longer vibrated with life, they no longer connected her to Kaden. Still, she couldn't remove them. They were all she had left of the man she loved.
I miss you, Kaden.
She finally gave up and sat, turning on the light and hoping some reading would lull her into sleep. A scream tore from her lips as a dark shape appeared on the balcony. She reached for her weapon, only to drop it onto the floor as Kaden stepped through the open doors.
Fighting for breath, she held her hand to her heart to calm the racing beat. What was he doing here? "You scared the shit out of me!"
No smile graced his full lips. "Lie down, Marina. And spread your legs."
Despite her irritation, her body responded, her nipp
les tightening. "What the hell are you doing here?"
"I said lie down on the bed, and spread your legs." He reached for his pants, flipping open the button and drawing the zipper down.
Marina's throat went dry. "Kaden, answer me."
"Have you forgotten your training so quickly? Refer to me as your sire."
"Why?" She refused to ask what her heart hoped.
"I'm here to take what's mine."
Arousal seeped from her slit to moisten her thighs. "I don't understand."
He let the pants slip to the floor, then drew his shirt off, still approaching the bed. "I'm not asking again, Marina. Do it, or I'll punish you."
Still in a state of shock, she couldn't even move. Kaden crawled onto the foot of the bed and whipped the covers to the floor, then drew her legs apart, reaching into his jacket for several strands of silken rope. He tied her wrists to the head posts, then did the same with her ankles to the foot posts. Trussed up and spread-eagled, Marina began to pant in anticipation.
This was her man. Her sire. The man she had wanted to claim her. He was here!
Kaden stood at the side of the bed and looked down on her. "I've missed you, Marina. Spread your legs wider."
Transfixed by his powerful erection, she licked her lips and inhaled a deep breath. Then she did as he commanded. "Why are you here...Sire?"
He grinned. "Normally I'd punish you for speaking without permission, but I find that this one time I cannot. I love when you say that." He sat on the edge of the bed, so close she could feel the heat emanating from his body. But she couldn't touch him.
He touched her, though. Lightly, gently, starting at her cheek and trailing a finger over her jaw and down her neck. She shivered, wanting so much more.
"I'm here because I want you to be mine, in any way that means. Here on Earth, or traveling through the galaxies, it doesn't matter." He leaned in and brushed his lips against hers. Desperate for more, she whimpered.
He ignored her plea, continuing to move his fingers over her skin. "I'm here because I don't ever again want to spend my days without you."
With a quick tug, he shredded the thin T-shirt she'd worn to sleep in. His amber eyes darkened as he spied the emeralds clinging to her nipples.
"You still wear them," he said, awe evident on his face as he drew his finger over first one tip, then the other. For the first time since he'd left, the emeralds hummed to life. He quickly tore the thin panties away and touched the vibrating stone at her clit. "Why haven't you had them removed?"
"They are a part of me now, Sire. Just as you are."
Pausing at her breasts, he circled one areola, then the other. The emeralds thrummed to life again, vibrating against the swollen peaks. He bent and licked her nipples until she cried out in ecstasy.
But she would not speak, would not beg him. She knew her place now, at least in this, and she welcomed the love and attention he gave to her.
Slipping off the bed, he reached for his coat and revealed the anal plug he had used on her in Xarta. His eyes darkened and his lips curled in a mischievous grin.
"Lift."
Raising her hips, she watched intently as he lubricated the probe and slipped it into her anus. She accepted it readily, knowing the pleasure he could give her.
Kaden moved forward, straddling her chest, his cock inches from her hungry mouth. She opened willingly, licking the engorged head, tasting his unique flavor, pulling the shaft inside inch by inch until he began to stroke it between her lips.
"Yes, I missed your sweet mouth on my cock, zejehr," he said, groaning when she swirled her tongue around the head.
He pulled his cock away and leaned over, taking her mouth in a kiss that blindsided her with its tenderness. When he broke the kiss, his gaze bore deeply into hers. "I'm here because I love you, Marina."
Her heart stopped beating. Breaking the rules yet again, she asked, "You love me, Sire?"
"Yes. I realized that as soon as I watched you standing alone on the dock when the ship departed Earth. I knew then that as soon as I took care of things on Xarta, I'd come back for you."
"I can't be what you want, Sire," she protested, knowing she loved him, celebrating that he loved her in return. It still wasn't enough.
"Your strength is admirable. Your intelligence ability to do your job and that feisty nature of yours are only a few of the many things that make you so attractive to me. I don't know where our lives will lead us, Marina. I can't make guarantees. But in many things we are equal. I don't want a slave, I want a mate. A mate with her own brain, using it to form her own opinions. But in our sexual relationship, I will dominate you, command you, and make you do my bidding."
Exactly the way she wanted it. "Yes, Sire."
His cock was enormous, thick and pulsing with life as he knelt between her spread legs.
"Tell me, Marina," he teased, hovering just inside her pulsing slit. "Tell me that you are mine to command, mine to tease, mine to punish, mine to fuck. I want to hear it from you."
He surged forward just a bit, enough that if her legs had been unbound she could have wrapped them around his back and pulled him deep inside her.
But she had no control here. Only the power to give him exactly what he needed. It had taken her a while to understand it all, but she finally had. They both wielded the power and the control, not just Kaden. What she gave to him she gave of her own choosing, which gave her the power. He controlled her pleasure, and yet she controlled his, too.
A very heady realization.
"I am yours, Sire. You may do whatever you wish to me, and I will accept your commands." Not only because it was what Kaden wanted, but because it was what she wanted, too.
"You are a part of me. I know exactly who and what you are, Marina. You're a strong, capable warrior, an equal in all things. If I wanted a meek submissive, I'd have chosen a woman on Xarta. What I want is you." He leaned back and dipped his finger along her swollen slit.
The plug within her ass began to expand, warming, filling her anus, enhancing her pleasure.
She whimpered.
"I want the saucy, smartass siren who haunts my dreams. The one who will argue with me at times, if only to receive the delicious punishment I will exact. And always, she will be my sexual slave."
Gladly, willingly. "I love you, Kaden," she said, needing to say his name as she said the words. Perhaps he'd punish her later for not using "Sire". She hoped so.
Her heart soared with the freedom of having told him how she felt. Now, new concerns began to surface. "But how will we--"
He pressed a finger to her lips. "No more speaking. We'll figure out the logistics later. Right now I'm going to fuck you."
True to his word, he thrust inside her. She screamed at the delicious invasion of his huge cock. Her pussy tightened around him and she trembled at the heart-tearing sensation of being one with him again.
The anal plug began to match the rhythm of his driving shaft. It was as if two men fucked her, only both were this man she loved.
His lips met hers, and then no further thought was necessary. Only the simultaneous beats of their racing hearts, their combined groans and sighs as Kaden took them both to the pinnacle and over the edge.
"I want to hear you scream when you come, Marina," he said.
Her gaze met his and she welcomed the tight clenching of her vaginal muscles around his shaft. Her belly warmed, her sex flushed as her orgasm approached.
Kaden was relentless. "Not yet. Don't come."
She bit down on her lip, forcing her body to obey. She wanted, needed this orgasm so badly.
"Don't come."
Oh, God, she couldn't bear it. Kaden murmured soft endearments in his native tongue, words that made no sense to her, and yet she instinctively knew they were words of love.
Still, she held back.
"Now, Marina. Come now, and let me hear your words."
"Yes, Sire! Oh, yes! Fuck me hard, Sire, I'm coming!" She cried out as her climax tore through her
, lifting her hips to meet his plunging cock. He groaned and buried his head in her neck, shouting her name as he came hard inside her.
He continued to stroke within her long after their frenzy had subsided. Marina smiled as she felt his cock go softer for a brief moment, then begin to harden again. The anal plug grew within her, pulsing to life the same way his cock was renewing deep in her cunt.
How long he'd keep her tied up like this, she didn't know. But she imagined he had a few more "punishments" in store for her. She smiled, more than willing to give Kaden whatever he demanded.
As far as their future, Kaden was right. They'd figure it out later. Right now, she was his. She would always be his.
He had the power to give her everything she wanted.
And she controlled his heart.
She was his equal in all ways, even in love.
About the author:
Jaci Burton has been a dreamer and lover of romance her entire life. Consumed with stories of passion, love and happily ever afters, she finally pulled her fantasy characters out of her head and put them on paper. Writing allows her to showcase the rainbow of emotions that result from falling in love.
Jaci lives in Oklahoma with her husband (her fiercest writing critic and sexy inspiration), stepdaughter and three wild and crazy dogs. Her sons are grown and live on opposite coasts and don't bother her nearly as often as she'd like them to. When she isn't writing stories of passion and romance, she can usually be found at the gym, reading a great book, or working on her computer, trying to figure out how she can pull more than twenty-four hours out of a single day.
Jaci welcomes mail from readers. You can write to her c/o Ellora's Cave Publishing at P.O. Box 787, Hudson, Ohio 44236-0787.
Jaci Burton, Bound to Trust
(Series: Chains of Love # 1)
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