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  “That was delicious. You’ve become quite a cook.” Haldor set his plate aside and patted his knee. “Come here.”

  When she hesitated, he gave her that sexy smile she couldn’t resist.

  “I only want you to sit on my lap. I promise there’ll be no spanking involved—unless you beg me to do it.”

  “Beg you to spank me? That’s never going to happen!”

  His eyes narrowed. “Is that a challenge?”

  “Not a challenge. Simply a fact.”

  “You think you’ve experienced all the kinds of spankings I can deliver? There’s none that you’d beg for?”

  She began ticking them off on her fingers. “Well, let’s see. You’ve spanked me with my clothes on, with my clothes off, over a wooden chair, over your knee, over the side of the bed. Oops, I ran out of fingers.” She raised her other hand. “With your open palm, with that dreaded hairbrush—and once, with a wooden spoon, the first time I refused to cook venison. I know some men spank with a leather belt, but so far you’ve never done that.”

  He grinned. “You’ve never been that naughty—yet. So you’re convinced you know every kind of spanking there is?”

  She shrugged. “If there’s another, I’d rather not know about it.”

  “Then you won’t.” He paused and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. “Unless you beg me. So come here.”

  She went over and snuggled into his lap. He wrapped his arms around her, drawing her close. Though average in height for an Earth woman, six foot one, being in Haldor’s arms made her feel like a little girl. He towered over her and his body was all muscle, from the broad shoulders and powerful chest to thighs as big around and hard as the tree trunks he’d been chopping.

  She smiled up at him. Smoothing back his shoulder-length dark hair, she planted a kiss on his forehead. “Haldor. I asked Astrid about it. She said your name means ‘rock of Thor.’ That’s what you remind me of. A huge boulder. Strong enough to withstand the storms life brings without crumbling. But stubborn and hard-headed, too. Unyielding.”

  His smile dimmed. “Is that what you think? That I have no soft side?”

  “Well, if you ever did have, you rolled over on it and crushed it, rock of Thor.”

  She regretted the words as soon as she saw the flash of pain in his eyes. This man hid his feelings so deeply, she sometimes forgot he had any. She gave a little laugh. “It was only a joke, my love.”

  He stared into the fire for a long time without speaking.

  “You may be right,” he sighed. “All my life I’ve put on a brave face for the world. Ever since I was a lad, when the Tabun invaded Gadolinium and slaughtered my parents. King Sigrun and Queen Astra took me in. Sigrun was my hero. He tracked the Tabun down, drove them from Gadolinium with such fury they stayed away for over thirty years. I vowed to make him proud. To be just like him. He never showed fear, never the slightest weakness. Even when he was about to die at Balam’s hand.”

  He shook his head. “There is a man. You know what Sigrun said, when he thought it was the end? ‘Better to die with honor than to live with shame.’”

  She drew back and gave him a searching look. “And that’s why you threw yourself in front of the spear meant for him.”

  Chapter Two

  He nodded. “I had to do it. To show him he’d raised a man with drengr, a true Viking warrior. To make him proud of me.”

  “I know he’s proud of you. I’ve seen it in his eyes, when you walk into a room or speak out at the council. You mean as much to him as Kylar. He loves you like a son.” She kissed him. “And I love you too.”

  He returned the kiss. Soft. Gentle. His lips barely touching hers. She took his hand and guided it to her breast. Wanting to drive away the sadness in his eyes. Wanting to bring him a few moments of sheer bliss.

  His kiss deepened. His hand cupped the weight of her breast, thumb rubbing the nipple through the heavy fabric of her dress. She felt it harden and pucker under his touch and shifted slightly to stroke the bulge between his legs.

  It grew under her hand, straining against the thick cloth of his trousers. She slid to her knees again, as she had that morning. This time willingly. Eagerly. Untying the fastenings, she freed his cock. It sprang up, already hot and hard. She bent to flick her tongue over the head. With a low growl, he stood up and yanked his shirt off. He tossed it across the room, then shoved down his trousers and stepped out of them.

  She stayed where she was, all the while looking up at him. Using one hand to fondle his balls while her tongue explored the length of his shaft.

  His body still took her breath away. He was built like one of the gods of Valhalla she’d seen in the murals on the palace walls. Shadows played over his square jaw, over the planes of his face. His body gleamed in the firelight, raw power sheathed by smooth skin that still held a hint of bronzing from the summer. Broad shoulders narrowing to slim hips. She ran her other hand along the double row of sculpted muscle from his stomach to his abdomen. Past the ragged line of the scar that he hadn’t let her remove. Trailing its way down to circle his thick cock standing out, stiff and proud.

  He stood unmoving, allowing her to arouse him this once. She felt a heady stab of purely feminine power when his muscles tightened, quivering with the effort it took to stay still as his cock grew even harder in her palm.

  When she opened her mouth to take him in, he stopped her. Taking her by the hand, he raised her to her feet. “I’m a fair man. You said it this morning. Now it’s my turn.”

  He reached behind her neck and unfastened the laces holding her dress together. Slowly. Then he swept her hair aside and bent his head to plant kisses on that spot just below her earlobe.

  Selena shivered. He drew the dress down over her shoulders, following its path with his mouth. When he uncovered her breasts, he ran his hot tongue around and around each nipple before drawing it into his mouth to suck. She brought her hands up, sinking her fingers into his hair, but he drew back, shaking his head wordlessly. Pulling her dress down further, he trapped her arms at her sides. Then he bent his head again, licking and sucking, grazing her nipples with his teeth, then biting just hard enough to send a jolt of electricity straight to her clit.

  She thrilled at his mastery. It was still so new, so incredibly erotic. Before Haldor, she’d never been kissed or fondled. Never even been touched by a man.

  Earthers had all but done away with sex, claiming those uncontrollable animalistic urges had been the cause of disease and warfare—not to mention the exploding population that nearly destroyed the planet. For the past five hundred years, once they reached puberty, humans received regulated doses of synthetic hormones to suppress the production of natural estrogen and testosterone. Without their effects, life on Earth was calm and well-regulated.

  Procreation occurred in sterile lab conditions, where eggs and sperm were joined to produce perfect fetuses, free of any genetic defects. After being raised in federation-run nurseries for two years, where they received proper amounts of exercise and nutrition to maintain healthy growth, children were presented to their parents, already tiny functioning citizens.

  Back home, Selena had a holographic partner who came complete with a mechanical probe. She’d maintained her required schedule of gratification sessions, once every three weeks, to take care of her occasional physical needs. Until Haldor.

  He’d arrived in her clinic unconscious, drenched in blood. Sent to Earth alone through the Star Portal in a desperate attempt to save his life. She immediately put him in a state of suspended animation to assess the extent of his damages.

  She’d never had a patient with injuries as severe. Only once had she seen anything remotely like it, in a rare industrial accident. But that man had been brought to the clinic within minutes. Haldor had suffered massive blood loss over a period of hours. He had numerous stab wounds and major damage to his internal organs. His recovery had taken months: growing new organs to replace the damaged ones, procedures to erase the scars all over
his body and replace badly broken bones from old injuries with new strong ones.

  For the first few weeks, she hadn’t left the clinic. She’d slept on a bed near his, afraid he’d die in spite of all her efforts. She’d never lost a patient and she vowed he wouldn’t be the first. Not on her watch.

  She blushed at the memory of what she’d been doing the moment when he unexpectedly opened his eyes.

  His piercing blue eyes met hers now, reading her mind as he often did. “You remember it too. You were quite the brazen slut, taking advantage of a poor unconscious man,” he teased.

  “I was doing nothing of the sort,” she protested. “It was a necessary part of your treatment.”

  “Really?” His fingers tweaked her hard nipples, sending a shiver down to her belly, flooding her pussy with dampness. “I seem to recall being dragged from the depths of the underworld by a soft hand stroking my cock until it throbbed and begged for release.”

  “I… I didn’t know that would happen,” she stammered. “I’ve told you that.”

  “So you say. But I still have my doubts. I don’t recall any clinical detachment. In fact, you were breathing hard and your hands trembled. But it didn’t stop you from exploring every inch of my stiff rod—and my aching balls.”

  “You took advantage of the situation. You pretended to be asleep!” Her voice held an accusing tone.

  His eyes twinkled. “I was confused. Roused from oblivion by your seduction. Surely you can’t blame a man on his deathbed for displaying a purely physical reaction to the kind of medical attention you were providing.”

  She bent her head shyly. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done what I did.”

  “And I forgave you. Right after I spanked you.”

  She peered up at him through her lashes. “You did. I remember being shocked at how hard you smacked for a man who’d been on the brink of death only a little while before.”

  He smiled. “Your excellent… medical care restored me to health very quickly. And now I’m fully recovered. Even stronger than I was. As I’m about to demonstrate.”

  He turned his attention to her nipples again. Licking, sucking. First one, then the other, until the hard nubs grew so sensitive she wanted to scream.

  “Please. I can’t take any more.”

  He dropped to his knees, pulling the dress down to puddle at her feet. She was naked underneath.

  He looked up at her. “Good. You’ve finally done as I ordered and gotten rid of those pesky underdrawers. I like being able to do this any time I want.”

  His tongue snaked its way down her stomach to flick her clit. Selena shuddered. He grabbed the twin globes of her ass with both hands and drew her closer. His mouth roamed, kissing its way along, letting her feel his hot breath as he nuzzled his head between her legs.

  “I love the smell of your pussy juices.”

  Her face flushed as she felt a fresh gush of wetness between her thighs. He still embarrassed her with his frank words. But her body responded instantly. In fact, his primitive sexual responses added an extra rush of arousal. Building her hunger.

  He sank down onto the bed and patted his thigh again. “Come here.”

  She took two hesitant steps forward and he guided her over his lap, face down.

  “You said you wouldn’t spank me.”

  “That’s right. Not unless you beg me to do it.” His hands roamed, running over her ass, tracing the cleft between her cheeks to delve between her legs. She squirmed as one finger circled her bottom hole. He urged her legs apart and ran his hand further, dipping into her wet slit, taking the slick juices back to rub them around the tight, puckered entrance to her rear passage.

  Selena bit back a cry. He spread her legs further and worked one finger in. Slowly. Relentlessly. She moaned and ground herself against his naked cock, straining up beneath her. He’d teased her like this before and every time she responded like a shameless slut. Before meeting Haldor, she’d never imagined that a man would do such a wicked thing. Or that she would receive such pleasure from it. After the first time he penetrated her there with a finger, she wanted more. She thought about it constantly. But she’d been far too shy to admit it.

  He’d learned her dark secret early on. Now, when he wanted to hear her scream, he’d take her ass. Fucking her first until she was frantic with need. Plunging himself into her pussy, thrusting hard. Then he’d work one finger into her rear passage, going deeper as she ground herself against his hand.

  She knew some men used their cocks instead. His was so big, the very idea of it terrified her. He was aware of that and he’d never tried to force her. Still, she couldn’t help fantasizing about how it would feel.

  Selena moaned again, rocking her hips back and forth. He’d never started out like this before. Playing with her there. Teasing, tormenting. Setting her on fire.

  “Would you like me to go on?”

  “Y-yes, my lord.” Her voice was a ragged whisper.

  “I will…” He paused, pulling his finger out. “But I need something too.” He ran his hand over her bottom. Stroking, kneading. Letting it stray between her legs to graze the throbbing bud she’d been grinding against him. “I need to spank you. I need to feel your sweet cheeks quiver under my palm, bring out the rosy blush that makes my cock hard as an iron rod.”

  “Then do it. Do it now.”

  “I can’t.” His tone held a hint of amusement. “I promised I wouldn’t spank you—unless you begged me to.”

  She nearly snapped then, snarling at him. Frantic with need. The man was a beast. It wasn’t enough that he awakened these savage desires inside her. He wanted her complete submission, wanted her to beg for her punishment.

  All day she’d been on the edge. Desperate for release. He’d bring her to gratification. All she had to do was surrender to him. Completely.

  “Please, my lord. Will you…” She swallowed, forcing the words out. “Will you spank my bottom?”

  She tensed, waiting for that first blast of pain followed by the searing fire. Instead, she felt his hand come down, just hard enough to create a spicy warmth. He stroked between her legs and then delivered another smack. She shivered as the heat blossomed, flooding her inside.

  He built the rhythm as he’d done before, first one cheek, then the other. Not hard enough to cause pain. Only a sweet sting. And this time it was interspersed with fingers delving into her pussy, into her ass. Stoking the fire inside her, drawing hungry little moans out of her. She found herself arching her back to shove her ass higher in the air. Waiting breathlessly to feel his hard palm make contact again. Wanting more. Needing more.

  He laughed, a low, husky sound that sent shivers through her.

  “How do you like your spanking?” His fingers found that spot inside her pussy as he spoke, the one that sent uncontrollable rushes through her.

  “I… Oooh! I love it,” she squealed.

  “You’ll love this, too.”

  One finger still deep inside her ass, he shifted her body so she faced him with her legs straddling his. Then he slid the tip of his cock into her slick heat, watching her face all the while.

  She gasped and clenched around his big finger penetrating her from behind. He pumped his hips upward, sinking his cock in deeper.

  “Take me,” he commanded.

  Selena got to her knees. Lowering herself slowly onto his cock, trembling as he filled her everywhere. She could feel his body quivering with the effort it took to let her control the pace.

  She moved up and down on the shaft a little, experimentally. Her eyes opened wide in surprise when she realized that each time she lowered herself, his finger was driven deeper into her rear passage. She arched her back and started rocking back and forth on his lap, driving first his cock and then his finger in and out.

  * * *

  Haldor closed his eyes and leaned back, letting her play. He loved introducing her to new positions, new sensations. She’d started out shy, her Earthly training telling her w
hat they did was wrong. Forbidden. Then, as he had awakened her body, she’d blossomed. Letting herself go. Putting aside all the cold, unfeeling beliefs she’d been raised with and allowing herself to feed the hunger. To revel in the ecstasy.

  Every time he took her in his arms, he marveled again at how the three Nornar, those mystical witches who determined the fate of every Viking, had brought them together. His destiny had been sealed at the moment of his birth. He’d had to stare Hulda, goddess of death, in the face to become fully alive, to find the one mate chosen for him by the gods.

  She arched her back and tossed her head from side to side, moving faster, uttering little cries. Her arousal drove his, putting aside all thought. Tempting him to let his own savage needs go free. With a roar, he surged to his feet with her still impaled in both hot, tight places.

  He lowered her onto the bed. Finally free to move, he rammed his cock into her. Sweeping her along as he drove them both to the peak. Pounding hard. Her tiny whimpers became breathless cries. She wrapped her legs around him, grinding her hips up to meet his thrusts, then shoving back against his finger fucking her ass.

  He felt it, the instant she exploded. He buried himself inside her to the hilt as the breathless cries became one unending scream. Only then did he give up his iron control. When she squeezed convulsively around him, he shattered. His cock began pulsing and he let the dark intensity swallow him up, carrying them both away.

  Chapter Three