Bronto's Revenge: 2 (Barbarian Lust) Read online

  Inhaling a sharp breath, she split his hair into two sections and draped them over his shoulders, where they tumbled to his chest. Her hands trembled as she placed her fingertips on either side of his neck. She closed her eyes. So much muscle and strength and…tension. Her eyes popped open. He was in pain. She needed to remember that.

  Warm sparks ignited in her tummy and spread throughout her body, heating her to such a degree she shoved the hides off her shoulders and let them drop to the ground.

  After dragging another mouthful of air into her lungs, she released it slowly and started a gentle massage.

  He groaned and tilted his head forward. “You’re shaking, love.”

  Like leaves in the wind. “I’m still cold,” she fibbed.

  “Then why’d you remove the furs?”

  “They’re in the way.” Adding pressure with her fingers, she rubbed little circles at the base of his neck. The tissue was bumpy from small, hard knots. One at a time she worked them loose by prodding and pressing.

  “Ivy, where did you learn how to do this?”

  “I used to rub my father’s back after a day’s hunt. That was a long time ago.” She smiled bittersweetly to herself. “Before he started hating us.” Over time she’d accepted it but saying it out loud choked her up. She inhaled deeply to ward off the burning sensation in her eyes.

  “I find it hard to believe he ever hated you.”

  “It’s true.” She worked her hands to his collarbone then his upper spine. “He blamed Boar for Lily’s death because Boar had taken her to the green lake to teach her how to spear fish.” Ivy shuddered at the memory of her father beating Boar nearly to death with his club. “If my older brother Shale hadn’t stepped in, my father would’ve killed Boar. Since that day, Father hasn’t liked us much.”

  Bronto’s shoulders stiffened. “Maybe he was just bitter.”

  “No.” She shook her head even though Bronto couldn’t see. “He would never disown us girls for simply kissing a man not of our blood. He would stone us as punishment then move on. He wanted rid of Wisteria. That’s why he ordered her whipping and wouldn’t let her come home. If he hadn’t died it was just a matter of time before he banished me as well.”

  “Was Vulcan the man who’d kissed her?”

  “Yes. It’s sad. When we ran away the other night, Momma forgave Wisty and wanted her to come home but my father chased her away.”

  “I know. Vulcan and I were watching from the forest.”

  Her hands stilled. “You were?”

  “Yes. I had to practically wrestle Vulcan to the ground to keep him from charging your father. He’d nearly frothed at the mouth when he saw him yank Wisteria’s hair and threaten her with his club.”

  “Then I guess Vulcan didn’t feel too bad when he killed my mutant father?” She stared past his shoulder to the fire. “Is he the one who actually did it?”

  “Love, we’re not going to discuss that. It had to be done. By whom doesn’t matter.” He cautiously turned his head sideways. “But standing beside your sister in her time of need says a lot.”

  She spread her hands over his upper back to the outside of his shoulders. “I would never leave her, Bronto. Ever.” She traced the tattoos with her nails then returned her fingers to his neck and slid them up and down. The tension had lessened but she continued to rub anyway. She wasn’t ready to quit touching him just yet. He was like a calming elixir capable of chasing away her monsters. When she was in his presence, nothing else mattered.

  She came up on her knees and leaned forward to where her lower tummy brushed against his back and she glided her hands down the entire length of his arms. She tried squeezing them but the muscles were rock hard and wouldn’t press in. So powerful yet they were gentle when he’d embraced her all those times. She needed them again, now, wrapped around her body.

  She snuggled her face in his neck and closed her eyes, inhaling his scent. The vein in his neck softly ticked against her upper lip. Very discreetly she gave it a tender kiss. He swallowed and groaned and his spine stiffened beneath her belly.

  Smiling to herself, she kissed it once more. “Bronto, would you mind if I spend the night with you again?”

  Another groan escaped from his throat. “Not at all, but if your sister has anything to—”

  “She won’t. I already told you that.”

  “Yes, you did.”

  She lowered her fingers to his waist. His skin was hot and inviting and she couldn’t shake the temptation to further explore. She wanted, no, she needed to touch him all over. She slid her hands under his arms toward his belly and massaged the grooves along his rib cage. He immediately cupped her wrists and raised them. Rather than lower them at her sides as she’d expected, he brought her hands to his mouth and softly kissed each finger.

  Her belly withered to mush. She grew woozy and her legs trembled. Before she actually teetered sideways she laid her cheek against his back. The heat. Oh gosh, the heat was overwhelming.

  Her lashes fluttered but she refused to open her eyes. Everything at the moment fluttered in one way or another. Especially her blood. It didn’t appear to know where to go and it tingled and prickled and rushed to her most secret places. The area between her legs grew wet, throbbed and ached in the nicest way imaginable.

  She wanted to call his name but feared it might stop the moment. If so, she might never recoup. They were skin-to-skin for the very first time. Cheek-to-back didn’t matter. What mattered was, she was closer than she’d ever been to this man. The man she craved.

  She righted her head and kissed his spine. When he stiffened and grunted she kissed it again. Beads of perspiration not present moments ago surfaced on his back. She wanted to feel their naked bodies sliding together in it.

  Without another thought she wiggled her hands free and lifted the frock over her head. In the span of a heartbeat she was completely nude. The fabric hadn’t even hit the ground before she leaned forward, pressing her bare breasts and tummy into his back between his shoulder blades.

  The heat… Wow, the heat was entrancing. Her nipples hardened despite the warmth. She slid them along his flesh as she kissed moist circles around his upper spine.

  He shuddered and sucked in a breath. “Ivy,” he said, his voice reflecting the undertone of a growl.

  “Shhh,” she whispered, snaking her hands around his neck.

  He grabbed her wrists and held them. “Ivy,” he repeated in a voice so low she wasn’t sure he’d actually spoken to her. Then in slow motion he lifted her arms above his head and spun her from his back side to his front, where she landed sideways in his lap.

  With her heartbeat racing, he released her wrists and palmed her cheeks. “Are you sure you’re ready to take things this far?”

  If she had any hidden doubts they withered away from the compassion in his eyes. She folded her lips and nodded.

  “You’re certain?”

  “Yes,” she said through a breath, laying her hands on top of his and giving them a squeeze.

  “What we accomplish,” he added, his gaze capturing her breasts, “cannot be undone.”

  “I know.”

  He inhaled sharply and refocused on her eyes. “Do you have any idea what happens?”

  “I…I… Just the little bit Wisty told me. You’ll show me…right?”

  “Yes, I’ll show you,” he replied, stroking the skin beneath her eye with his thumb—the action she loved so much. “But if you change your mind,” he continued, gazing at her as if she would break, “you need to tell me.”

  She didn’t expect to but a subtle yes slipped from her throat.

  She sucked in air as he lowered his lips to her mouth. They barely touched but were so close his trembling breath spread across her hands like a gentle breeze.

  “Kiss me, love.”

  Her belly sank. She removed her hands from his, cupped his face and ever so softly patted her lips against his.

  “Like you mean it,” he said.

  Again s
he patted his lips, allowing her mouth to linger a second longer.

  “No. Like this.” He captured her lips, forcing them apart, and slid his tongue into her mouth.

  Gosh, she hadn’t expected that. No, she hadn’t but something inside her exploded. A mixture of prickly heat and excitement branched from her tummy, spreading through her like a wildfire. Even her face felt flushed. Was this the sensation Wisty had tried to explain?

  The moment his tongue slipped alongside hers, coaxing it to react, she lost her sense of concentration and instinct took over. She wound her tongue around his and at the same time shifted in his lap to where she straddled his waist. It didn’t matter she’d exposed the center of her thighs. Nor did it matter the moisture flowing from her body absorbed into his loincloth right where his hard organ pressed against her flesh. She wanted to snuggle beneath his skin but she couldn’t seem to get close enough.

  He retracted his hands from her face and placed them on her lower back and neck. Their lips remained interlocked as he carefully flipped her backward onto the ground. She sank quickly into the furs from his weight bearing down on her body. The fibers brushed against her shoulders and spine. Her skin became so sensitive she was aware of every single strand tickling her flesh.

  She latched on to his upper arms. Thick muscle hardened beneath her palms as he propped himself above her, his elbows bearing the brunt of his weight. She’d never felt so small or in lack of control but an exciting thrill rushed through her veins. She was secure, protected and she turned her body over to him completely, trusting he’d treat her gently regardless of his size and strength.

  He broke the kiss and rested his forehead against hers. “Ivy, I’ve changed my mind,” he said, his breath shaky as it sawed in and out of his broad chest. “I have only one thing to say.”

  Oh no. He couldn’t change his mind. He couldn’t. She hadn’t led him this far to let him back down. Her heart plummeted. She laid her hands on the back of his head and stroked his hair, holding him in case she was drawn to beg. “Yes?” she reluctantly asked.

  “If you’re going to run, do it now because I won’t give you another opportunity.”

  Those words were so final and had the potential to scare her yet they enchanted her to the bone. Maybe she’d misunderstood them but she certainly hadn’t misunderstood his tone. Could she handle it if he got carried away or unexpectedly became rough?

  A smidgen of reluctance mixed with excitement wiggled along her spine. The thought alone of bringing him to this point made her tummy spin in pride and no way would she bail now. “I’m not going anywhere.”

  He rolled off her, rising to his haunches between her thighs. “That was your only chance.”

  His dark gaze displayed hunger as it caressed her body from her brows to her thighs. The same raw hunger she’d witnessed only in the cave lion’s eyes.

  “Don’t move,” he commanded as he started to rise.

  “Where are you going?”

  Rather than take a full stance he relaxed into a squat. “To get a condom.”

  “What is that?”

  His gaze strolled across her breasts to her hips then to her face. “It will prevent me from planting my seed inside your womb,” he explained as he stood.

  “Wait.” She sat up and took hold of his hand. “You don’t want a child?”

  His features softened. “I want a lot of children.”

  “Then why would you prevent it from happening? I can give you many babies.”

  He returned to a squat. “You would risk abandonment by your people to cross bloodlines with me?”

  “Yes,” she said stroking her palm lightly across his cheek. “Only with you.” She lowered her lashes and swallowed. “But if you don’t want me to birth your children I’ll understand.”

  “My God, Ivy,” he said as he began to lay her down, “before you, life and children were just a dream. You’re the woman I want. And the only woman I want to have my babies.”

  Her emotions swelled. “Then we don’t need the condom, right?”

  “Right.” He gently rested her head on the ground. “Be warned. Now you’re mine.”

  She gulped. The fire crackled but she’d barely heard it above his sharp intake of air. With a smile that encased her heart, he rose onto all fours above her body, placing his hands on either side of her shoulders. Possessively. Like the lion trapping its prey. Never had she ever felt so defenseless.

  “All of you,” he added in a possessive tone, sending shivers along her spine.

  She inhaled sharply, the wispy rush of breath reaching her ears as he lowered his face. His hair fell forward, brushing her breasts, coaxing her nipples to shrivel and harden. Rather than kiss her, he placed his lips at the base of her throat and lightly bit the skin. Her lashes fluttered closed. She moaned, latched on to his forearms and squeezed his hard flesh, relaying the effects of the thrill.

  “Bronto,” slipped from her on a sigh.

  His mouth patted a trail of kisses to her ear. “I’ve got you, love.”

  His voice. It was so…so reassuring, and, and…tender in contrast to his features. The perfect harmony for a woman making love for the first time.

  Inch by inch his mouth traveled to her lips, leaving a moist path along her neck. He nipped each lip between his teeth then outlined them with his tongue before retracing his route to the hollow of her throat.

  “You taste so good,” he said, his warm breath bathing her flesh. “Just as I’ve imagined.”

  She raised her hands and stroked his flexed upper arms. “You’ve thought of doing this to me?”

  “From the moment I laid my eyes on you.”

  “But you never tried—”

  “Out of respect, love.” Soon his facial whiskers grazed the skin between her breasts as he worked his way down her body.

  The moment he sucked a nipple into his mouth, tingles burst in her chest. She arched her neck and groaned. Within the constant suction she silently beckoned for something more. How was it possible to feel this way?

  She fisted his hair and held him steady while pressing her breast into his face. He sucked harder and harder then stretched her nipple between his teeth. Even after he switched breasts he pinched it between his fingertips. The sensation was overwhelming. Moisture constantly flowed from the center of her thighs. She placed her feet on the ground and squeezed his waist between her knees.

  As he moved lower she released his hair and fisted the hide. She knew where he headed but loathed to stop him. What appeared a forbidden act by her standards might be natural to him. She’d given him control and free rein to do as he wished, so she’d not hinder his determination by any means.

  She scrunched her eyes and held her breath when his whiskers brushed the inside of her thigh. Her legs trembled but rather than lay them flat for stability, Bronto pushed them out to the sides, spreading them farther apart. Her female area opened and warm air caressed her flesh. For the first time this evening embarrassment plagued her. A different type of heat washed through her blood. Instinctively she wanted to close her legs but it wasn’t possible with him lying between them.

  “Relax, Ivy,” he coaxed in between subtle pecks to the inside of her thigh. “I want you to feel me. If you’re tense, you won’t experience the pleasure.”

  She released the breath with a heavy swoosh but sucked in another when his fingers rested on either side of her woman’s folds and he spread them apart. She wanted to shout no! But the instant his hot tongue lapped the sensitive bud, her chest exploded in tingles and prickles and her mind screamed yes.

  The sensation was…it was…oh gosh, indescribable. Her back arched and bottom jutted forward. “Ahh,” she moaned, rolling her head from side to side.

  What she thought couldn’t get any better, did. She rocked her hips up and down, up and down, side to side, following the motion of his tongue. Internal pressure built from the base of her spine to the wee tips of her fingers.

  As it reached a point of explosion she
gyrated faster and faster, she outstretched her fingers and clawed the fur. A slow burn erupted beneath his tongue, rushing toward her belly then into her chest like the evolution of a flame. She burned. She burned so bad.

  Then it stopped.

  It hurt and she wanted to cry and scream and beg him for more but within the inhale of her next breath he crawled upward, covering her with his body. He slid his hand in the small space between them and lowered it to the sensitive area between her thighs. His fingers replaced his tongue, reviving the abandoned ache. A pulse beat around his fingertips as they prodded and circled and pinched and consumed her with pleasure.

  Suddenly the pressure burst and she shattered. Sparkly lights fluttered through her mind. Her back arched then her tummy jerked and insides constricted. Clutched in the realms of bliss and magic, Bronto devoured her mouth and lifted her legs to the outside of her waist. Somewhere in the midst of the delirious pleasure he guided his organ to her opening and worked the tip inside. She whimpered behind the kiss, the sound tainted with fear. She wanted nothing more than to feel him completely embedded in her depths yet the little portion he inserted stretched her and she wasn’t positive she could take any more.

  “It’s okay,” he soothed, his rapid breath shooting tiny puffs of air through her hair above her ear. “Don’t be afraid.”

  She nodded and that was all she could do because he stroked his fingertips through her sensitive folds and toyed with the bud again. The tingles were instant, branching to her fingers and toes. The spasms and constrictions hadn’t even completely stopped before they restarted. Her mind went blank. She felt as if she were shot into the air and bounced from cloud to cloud.

  She was floating in a flickering, colorful aura accompanied by his voice. His gruff, controlled, rugged voice.

  “Hold me, Ivy,” he commanded.

  She slid her arms around his back. At the same time he captured her mouth with his lips and slipped his tongue between her teeth, he plunged his hips forward, burying his hard shaft deep inside her.

  “Oww,” she whined, not because it hurt but because she’d expected it to, and she dug her nails into his flesh while her body continued to contract and tug at his organ.