Slave To Passion (Firebrand Series)

  “Kavin… You make me so hot.”

  She loved his admission but sensed a hesitation in him. The same hesitation that had been there from the start. One that kept him from sliding off his pants and giving her what they both so obviously wanted.

  He didn’t want to hurt her. The realization hit her as he nipped at her bottom lip, as he pressed—gently—against her naked sex. Even now, when he was so hard he had to physically be in pain from the ache, he was holding back.

  Tenderness squeezed her heart. Brought tears to her eyes all over again. This sahad—this djinni—who was supposed to be a monster, was the sweetest, sexiest, most amazing creature she’d ever met.

  She hooked her leg over his hip and easily rolled him to his back. Straddling his hips, she eased back and looked down at his face.

  Passion flushed his cheeks crimson as he brushed her hair back from her face. His lips were swollen and wet from her mouth. And there was so much need swirling in his eyes, she knew she’d remember it forever. Also knew that, no matter what, coming here, being sent to him—as horrific as it had been at first—was the best thing that had ever happened to her.

  She pushed up so she was sitting on the rigid bulge of his arousal and tugged her dress up over her head, then tossed it on the floor.

  His hands landed on her bare thighs, but his gaze stayed locked on her body. And as his eyes darkened, power pulsed in her veins. A power she’d never felt before. A power she possessed because of him.

  “Rouhi—”

  His hand cupped her breast, sent tingling sensations all through her torso. But she ignored it, instead focused on his waistband and the pants that were preventing her from reaching her destination.

  Flipping the button, she scooted back, then pushed her hands inside the waistband and dragged the garment down his body.

  He drew in a breath as she dropped the pants on the floor, then climbed back over him. Her gaze locked on his erection. Heavy. Hard. Pulsing. So very ready for her.

  She wrapped her hand his shaft, reveled at the way he trembled, at the thickness in her palm, at the bead of fluid on the dark, purple tip. Lowering her head, she drew her tongue across his erection, tasting him, loving the way he groaned and flexed his hips, seeking out her mouth.

  She took him deep, remembering how it had felt when he’d thrust into her mouth, how he’d tasted when he’d come. Her own desire amped as his eyes closed in a pleasure that darkened his features.

  “Kavin…”

  He was lost. She knew it wouldn’t take much to push him over the edge. But this time, she wanted to go over with him. Releasing him, she climbed up his body until her hands were braced on each side of his head and she was straddling his hips, his cock sliding through her wetness, making her shiver with the promise of impending pleasure.

  He looked up with those fathomless eyes as he rested his hands on her hips. She pressed forward, just a touch, until the tip of his cock was braced at her opening. Braced to take her.

  “Kavin…”

  She lowered and took his mouth, just as her body took him in. She felt his hands at her waist, pressing against her in an attempt to hold her back, but she didn’t want that. She wanted to feel all of him. Hard. Hot. Deep. She wanted to know what it felt like to finally be his.

  She pushed her hips down hard. Then gasped at the burn and tight fit she felt everywhere.

  Holy shit… She pulled her mouth from his and dropped her forehead against his shoulder.

  His arms closed around her; his breath feathered her temple. “Breathe, rouhi.”

  She was trying to, but Allah, it hurt. More than she’d expected.

  He kissed her temple, her cheek. His hands cupped her face as he pulled her mouth back to his. And then his leg was hooking over her hip, and he was rolling her to her back once more. A tear slipped from her eye, trailed down her temple. He kissed it away, moved back to her mouth, and kissed her again and again, until the burn turned into a dull ache, one that wasn’t so bad.

  “So beautiful,” he whispered as his hand cupped her breast. “So incredibly sexy.”

  She lost herself in his kisses, forgot about the ache, and knew only his mouth, his tongue, his body pressed into hers. That and the delicious heat, suddenly reigniting as his hands and mouth moved over her again and again.

  “You feel so good around me,” he whispered, kissing the corner of her mouth, her jaw, her earlobe until she shivered. “So tight. So perfect.”

  His husky words, his heated breath, and the way he seemed to know just where to touch her all coalesced until need overruled discomfort. Until desire replaced hesitation. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and groaned as he pinched her nipple, sending electric sensations straight to her sex. Easing her knees up, she lifted her hips, wanting…more. But he drew away. And the friction of his cock sliding out of her body caused a shiver to rush through her all over again. One followed by a gasp because it felt so good she didn’t want him to leave her…ever.

  She gripped his shoulders, tried to pull him back. Couldn’t talk because his tongue was still deep in her mouth. And then he was there, pushing deep once more, making her groan at the erotic sensation, slowly increasing his thrusts until she was meeting every one and moaning when he hit that perfect spot.

  Oh… This was what she’d wanted. This hard, full ache that made her entire body tingle. He pulled back, pressed in deeper. Bracing his hands on the mattress, he lifted his upper body from hers, keeping them joined only at the hips.

  “Look, rouhi,” he said in a thick voice. “Look at me taking you. You’re mine. Just mine.”

  Kavin gripped his forearms, glanced down her body to where they were joined, and watched as his cock disappeared inside her sex, then pulled out again, shiny from her arousal, only to disappear once more.

  The visual was so erotic. Seeing what he was doing to her while feeling it at the same time... Her vision blurred. And his one word…mine…locked inside her mind.

  Her skin grew hot. Tingles rushed through her whole body. She dropped her head back and groaned.

  “Yes, Kavin. Yes…come with me.”

  Her orgasm plowed into her. Swept her under. Consumed her from the inside out.

  She felt him shudder. Heard him call her name. But it was distant. Muffled. All she could focus on were the rolling vibrations devouring her. Everywhere.

  Slowly, sound returned. Her chest rose and fell with her uneven breaths. She heard Nasir’s heavy breathing. Registered his weight pressing her into the mattress and the slick skin of his arms against her hands.

  Wow. That had been…better than she’d ever expected. Hotter, more intense, a thousand times more exciting than she’d imagined it could be. And when she thought of the way he’d called her his…

  A smile curled her lips. She wrapped her arms around his back, kissed his temple. Kissed it again and shivered when she realized he was still inside her.

  “I’m hurting you,” he mumbled against her shoulder.

  She locked her leg around his hip before he could pull away. “I like you right where you are.”

  He chuckled, then turned his head to press a gentle kiss against her throat. “Forceful all of a sudden. What have I done to you?”

  “Not nearly enough.” She smiled as he lifted his upper body from hers so he could see her eyes. Trailed her hands up his strong chest to cup his face, then lifted so her mouth was next to his again. “I told you I wanted to try everything.”

  His eyes darkened as she kissed him. But he didn’t kiss her back. “Kavin—”

  “Don’t think, Nasir.” She licked the corner of his mouth. “We don’t have time for thinking.”

  “There are things we need to discuss.”

  “Later.” She hooked her leg over his and rolled him to his back once more. When she was on top, she braced her hands on his chest and grinned down at him. “Right now, I want you to make love to my breasts like you talked about earlier. And then I want you to make me come all over again.
Any way you want.”

  “Any way?”

  Her smile widened as she watched whatever worry had stopped him before dissipate. She lowered her lips to his. “Every way, sahad. Tonight I’m yours.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Nasir lay on his side, his head perched on his hand as he stared down at Kavin, lying on her back on the narrow mattress, her face tipped his way, her eyelids closed in sleep.

  Her chest rose and fell with her deep breaths, and the sheet lay low across her naked hips. Arousal stirred in his veins as his gaze swept the length of her body, but he fought it back, instead brushed a lock of curly hair from her cheek, marveled at the softness of her skin.

  Asleep, she almost looked angelic. Which, considering she was djinn, wasn’t a great stretch. Angels and djinn were both created by Allah at the same time, before man. And since they were both supernatural beings, it made sense her beauty could best that of any angel. But where angels lacked desire and free will, djinn were creatures of choice. Sometimes that free will led them down a dark path, as it did many Shaitans and Ghuls and Infrit and…even himself. But sometimes it led to light and illumination and the sweetest feelings one could ever know.

  Emotion stirred within him. Ones he hadn’t felt in years. Ones that were stronger than what he’d known before. He’d been fighting to stay alive since being brought here because he knew doing so enraged the highborns. But now…

  He swallowed hard and trailed his finger across the corner of her mouth. Now he had something more important than revenge. More important than his own desire to live. Something deeper, he realized, than what he’d shared with Talah.

  Her lashes fluttered, almost as if she sensed him thinking about her. And as her sleepy eyes opened, a slow, easy smile spread across her luscious lips. Lips he wanted to kiss and lick and taste all over again. “You’re not sleeping.”

  “I don’t need much.”

  She skimmed her hand over his bare chest, her touch igniting a rush of tingles he felt everywhere. “What have you been doing?”

  “Watching you.”

  She rolled her eyes in such a seductive way he wanted to kiss the expression from her face. “That can’t be very exciting.”

  “You were quite entertaining.”

  “I was?”

  “You’re talkative in your sleep.”

  Her eyes widened. “I was talking? What did I say?

  He placed a hand on her hip, rolling her easily toward him. “Something about baths and water and more. I’m pretty sure you were moaning.”

  Her cheeks turned bright pink, and she dropped her head against his chest, tucking her hands up next to her face. “How embarrassing.”

  He chuckled and ran his hand up her naked spine. “You make the sexiest sounds when you’re enjoying yourself. What were you dreaming about?”

  For a heartbeat, she didn’t move. Then she eased back just enough to lift her face to his. “Um. You. And the bath we took the other night.”

  His blood heated. “You liked that, huh?”

  “I loved that,” she whispered.

  His pulse picked up when she lifted her mouth, when her lips skimmed his. And when her sexy little tongue licked across his bottom lip, the way he’d done to her earlier, he opened. His hand flexed against her hip as her tongue snaked into his mouth, as she tasted and explored, as she groaned and scooted even closer.

  He wanted nothing more than to flip her to her stomach and wedge himself so deep inside her she forgot everything but him. But they had things to discuss now that she was awake. And even though she clearly wanted him again too, he didn’t want to hurt her. She had to be sore, and though he’d been gentle before, the next time he wasn’t entirely sure he could go slow and easy. Not with the raging hunger for her still burning inside him.

  Breathless, he forced himself back. “Don’t look at me like that, rouhi.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because it makes it very hard to resist you.”

  “I don’t want you to resist me. I want you to take me again. I want you to”—she bit her lip—“fuck me.”

  He sucked in a breath at the visual her words created. “Rouhi—”

  She leaned in and kissed him again. A kiss that left him light-headed and achingly hard. Then she sighed. “If you really want me to stop teasing you, I guess I will.”

  Never stop. Ever...

  She rolled away, then scooted back until her ass was nestled against his groin and her back was plastered to his chest. “How’s this? Better?”

  His hand landed on her hip again. He looked down at her pale skin pressed up tight to his much-darker flesh. Felt the curve of her sweet ass against his throbbing erection.

  Yes. No. Allah, he couldn’t think when she was so close. “Um…”

  She giggled, tucked her hands under her head. “I like it.” On another sigh, she relaxed against him. “Why do you think your mu’allim gave us this room?”

  At the moment, Nasir didn’t care. All he could focus on was the press of her ass against his cock. The way the slightest shift of her hips made him want to groan. The smile in her voice as she teased him. Sliding his hand across her bare belly, then up to cup her breasts, he lowered and pressed a kiss to her throat. “I don’t know. But I think he likes you.”

  “He does?”

  “Uh-huh.” He nipped at her ear. “Kicked my ass when he thought I’d hurt you. That’s how I got the wound.”

  She looked over her shoulder. “From Malik?”

  “That surprises you?”

  Her brow furrowed, then slowly, she laid her head back down on the pillow. “Yes, actually. I’m nothing to him. Why would he care what you do to me?”

  He pulled her tighter back against him, loving the heat of her body against his groin, even if it did ignite him to within degrees of boiling. “I heard a story right after I came here. About a great sahad who’d been champion for over a hundred years.”

  “That’s a long time.”

  “He was an animal. Decimated anything they threw at him. Other sahads would tremble simply at his name. The way the story goes, he and his lover had been captured together. He’d been sentenced to the pits, and she…well…she’d been of such blinding beauty, she’d been taken to the harem.”

  Kavin’s upper body turned back toward him. “But if she wasn’t a virgin—”

  “I don’t think it mattered,” he said softly, kissing her nose. “A slave is a slave. If they’d wanted the female, they’d have taken her.” Sickness rolled through his stomach at the thought, but he forced it aside. “The way the story goes, she couldn’t handle it. Life without him. She killed herself before he could figure out a way to free her.”

  Kavin’s eyes slid closed, and she turned back, lowering once more to the pillow. “I know this story.”

  “You do?”

  She nodded, but he couldn’t see her eyes. Couldn’t tell what she was feeling. “I heard about her in the harem. It was a warning to me, I think. But I didn’t know about the sahad. He went on to fight?”

  “They say he fought for her, even in death. That it gave him power to defy his captors.”

  Silence settled between them, then she said, “Do you believe that’s true?”

  He thought about everything that had happened between them since the moment she’d been brought to him. What he’d been before, and what he was now. And felt those emotions roll stronger through his chest. “I believe love is a powerful force. It can give you strength you didn’t know you had. Sometimes when you need it most.”

  She was silent so long he wasn’t sure if he’d said the right thing or not. Then, quietly, she said, “It was him, wasn’t it? The sahad? It was Malik.”

  He tightened his arm around her. Pressed his chin against her neck. “I think so. I don’t know for sure, but when he thought I’d hurt you…I’ve never seen him so enraged. Females in our tribe, they’re worshiped, not treated as property.”

  “Our?” She turned her head again. “Are you
saying—”

  “Malik is Marid. He showed me that day. He keeps his lineage carefully cloaked with magic, so the highborns won’t know what he is. But if he was that champion… A hundred years is a long time. Unrest in the ruling class here is high, especially with the wars the Ghuls wage. It’s entirely possible the highborns in control of Jahannam now are not the ones who were in control when he was first brought here as a slave.”

  “Why would he stay? If it’s true…if he’s risen to the rank of mu’allim and he’s harnessed his magic, he could easily escape.”

  “I don’t know.” But Nasir had an idea. He guessed Malik stayed because it was the only way he could be close to his love, even after all this time. And because training others to stay alive was one more slap in the face to the highborns who’d imprisoned him from the start and taken his heart.

  “I think this is his room,” Nasir said, tucking his chin against her again, holding on to her warmth. “I think he wanted you to have something nicer than that cell of mine for your first time. It’s not a palace, by any means, but it is a hell of a lot nicer than that cave.”

  She lowered her hand to his against her belly and squeezed. “I would make love with you in a cave. I’d make love with you anywhere.”

  Arousal stirred in his groin again at her words, and warmth encircled his heart. “You have to admit the bath, though, is a nice perk.”

  She chuckled, and the sound was so sweet it eased the tension in his chest. Eased the worry over what he had to do tomorrow.

  Silence settled back between them. Then, very softly, she said, “When I was in the harem, the others would talk about you. They say those from your tribe tend to be of even temperament. That it takes a lot to push a Marid from soldier to sahad. That most don’t survive, because killing isn’t in their blood. But Malik became one. And so did you. So I’m just wondering…who did you lose?”

  Nasir’s hand paused against the underside of her breast. “What makes you think I lost someone?”