“I don’t think so.” He was pure predator right now. She could almost imagine a tail lashing behind him.
“Now,” he growled. “I will not move from this spot. But you will come to me and let me show you what pleasure can be found in a kiss.”
She shouldn’t be tempted by that offer. What did an alpha know about pleasure? Pain and fear were all any of them offered the omegas they captured.
But still... he hadn’t hurt her. And he was attractive and strong. Unwanted images danced through her mind accompanied by a surge of desire so powerful it made her dizzy. She’d actually moved a little closer to him, like she wanted to obey...
“You’ll hurt me.”
“Oh for—” He broke off and dropped his head back, swearing viciously in his own language. When he lifted his head, a muscle jumped in the corner of his jaw. “I will not hurt you,” he bit out. “And do not insult me again, or I will get annoyed.”
Setting the bottle down on the floor by the edge of the sunken tub, he reached up and laced his hands behind his head. “I will not even touch you. Satisfied?”
“I…um. Yes.” She wasn’t really aware of the words coming out of her mouth. She was too busy trying to make sense of what was happening. She’d pushed every button, defied him, argued, even thrown things, and he still hadn’t raised a hand to her. He kept giving her choices when they both knew she didn’t really have any.
She moved toward him, stopping just out of easy reach. “Was what I said really an insult?”
“Yes. No honorable male would hurt their omega. It is our duty to protect and cherish our females.”
“Huh. So, why did all the dishonorable ones get sent to Earth?”
“Mistakes were made. The L’crav are no longer in charge of this planet. I am H’thor. We have honor.”
She watched him warily, waiting for him to pounce. He simply sighed. “Would you have me bind my hands as well, little omega? What would it take for you to trust me?”
There was an edge in his voice, almost like hurt, that made her chest ache. Slowly she eased forward, first touching his thigh with her hand under the water. When that didn’t spark him into action, she slid the rest of the way, kneeling over his lap. Rather than make her straddle him, he’d moved, sliding one leg straight in the water. The quirk of his eyebrow practically screamed, “See?”
She didn’t say anything as she leaned forward. His body tensed a little as she put her hands on his shoulders to brace herself as she leaned forward.
“What do I do?” she asked, her lips a hairsbreadth from his.
“Close your eyes and follow your instincts, little one. When you’re ready, tell me I can move, and I will teach you all you need to know.” His voice was low and rumbling, but there was no threat in it, just the promise of something she didn’t understand.
She closed her eyes and closed the last small distance between them, pressing her lips to his. She could feel his heart beat beneath her hands as it raced almost as fast as hers. That surprised her. He was affected by all this, too. By her.
That awareness gave her courage and she kissed him more firmly, her lips moving over his, learning the shape of his mouth. He didn’t move, letting her kiss him and kissing her back softly. But none of it was aggressive, and he didn’t move, didn’t take over. It was... nice. Frustratingly nice. There was more. She just knew it.
Lifting her head, she glared at him. “I thought you were teaching me?”
“I promised not to move. I will not break my word, little one. If you wish to learn, you need to release me from my promise.”
“The blindfold stays on.” She had no idea why she said that. If she agreed to this, a scrap of fabric wasn’t going to protect her.
“For now.”
“Okay. Then, I release you from your promise.”
He lowered her arms slowly and she relaxed a little. Then his hands found hers and he felt his way along her arms to her shoulders, and then into her hair. With surprising gentleness, he pulled her into his embrace and kissed her with a passion and hunger that stole her breath away.
4
She was untouched.
That thought rolled through Rath’s mind as he finally got a proper taste of his omega’s lips. Sweet. Soft. Warm. His. No other male would ever know her the way he would. It was enough to make him want to throw back his head and roar.
He didn’t. Now that he finally had her in his arms, he wouldn’t risk scaring her off. If she ran now... he would chase her to the ends of the Earth, and when he caught her, he couldn’t be held responsible for his actions. She’d be pinned under him so fast, and he’d be buried balls deep, his fangs in her soft skin to mark her as his own before she could take a breath.
A shudder of need rolled through him at the very idea and his arms tightened around her. His jaw ached with the force of holding his fangs in check, every muscle in his body tight as he denied the change. He couldn’t show that side of himself, not yet.
He wanted her acceptance and submission, not her fear. He’d seen the way the L’crav clan treated their omegas. It was revolting. Dishonorable. He wouldn’t break his little omega that way.
The blindfold helped. It hid the fact his eyes would be pure black by now, a response to her delectable scent—the one that had called to him for days now. The constant torment had him hard and aching to be buried inside her, knotted and bound to this glorious female.
He rolled his hips, letting her feel the hard bar and raised ridges of his cock press against her bare flesh. She moaned and shivered, her soft fingers taking hold of his shirt and gripping it tightly.
“Yes. You see? Your body knows. You belong to me, Savannah. And I will make you feel such pleasure you’ll wonder why you ever thought you didn’t.”
He savored the little catch in her breath at his soft words and the way her scent swelled with the beginnings of arousal. She was his for the taking, almost. He could feel it.
Claiming her lips again, he built the tension between them. He was dominant one moment, but before she could tense up, he gentled his embrace, teasing her into coming to play with him. Then he denied her, his lips curling into a small smile at the small start of frustration in her delicate little frame.
“You want that. Don’t you, shar’ai?” he murmured against her lips.
“I...” Again, that soft catch of breath. He doubted she was even aware she was doing it... or that he could hear it.
“Say it,” he instructed. He wanted to hear her admit she wanted him.
“I like this.”
The little omega wasn’t done fighting him? Very well. He could be patient a little longer. “I didn’t ask you if you liked it. I can smell that much. Tell me that you want this. Want me to keep touching you.” He stroked his thumb along the slender column of her neck, feeling her pulse leap beneath his touch. “I’d like to keep touching you, little one.” He paused. “Or would you rather touch yourself?”
He waited, and there it was, the little catch again. It took a supreme effort of will not to smile. “I think you would like that. It’s safer. No? To not have me touch you?”
He ignored the howl of his alpha instincts to that one. She should want his touch, should welcome it. All omegas wanted and craved the touch of their alphas. So much so that withdrawal of touch was considered a classic way to discipline and control a wayward omega.