With that sobering thought weighing me down, I wandered onto the very private deck, no other buildings for as far as I could see from our position on the edge of a large hill, just forest, and plains, and beautiful rock formations.

At least there was noise out here, the sigh of the breeze, the scurrying of animals, and I marginally relaxed enough to do some deep breathing, the kind I used during yoga. I tried to center myself in the moment and stop worrying.

Didn't work.

As beautiful as the view was with the late afternoon sun still bright in the blue sky, my gaze began to scan for animal runs and natural hiding places in the splendor of the Colorado Rockies.

When I was finally satisfied with knowing at least six ways to flee the cabin, I turned my attention back to the house and found Smoke, clad in a pair of very worn jeans, watching me with his arms folded across his bare chest, his blue and green dragon tattoo drawing my gaze to his pierced nipple. Water still dripped from the ends of his curly hair, and I had a hard time reading his expression at first. I thought he looked worried, then angry, but he didn't hold an emotion long enough for me to identify it.

A hollow feeling ached in my chest, and before I could stop myself I whispered, "I need a hug."

It was easy for me to recognize the profound relief lightening his gaze to brown velvet and I met him halfway across the deck, eagerly burrowing into his chest. When he enveloped me in his chiseled arms and cushioned me to his warm chest, I let out a watery sigh as my morbid thoughts of death and avoiding it grew fainter with every beat of Smoke's strong heart. God, he was so...alive. And warm. And he smelled good, so damn good.

Awareness of my body began to return, drawing me out of the mental loop of worry I'd been stuck in. Sometimes I hated my brain, hated that it made me weak, that it didn't work like other people's did, that it made me weird. I know that I'm a unique and beautiful snowflake-la, la, la-but I worried sometimes that it made me hard to like.

In Smoke's embrace, I knew that he loved me, and that he cherished, worshiped, and all those other inadequate words used to describe this feeling, this moment of bliss that reverberated through me on a soul-deep level.

"You okay?" he whispered against the top of my head.

The scent of his soap was strong on his skin, and I rubbed my face against his damp chest, the soft mat of hair a delicious tactile sensation against my cheek. "Yeah. It's just...a lot to deal with."

He stiffened against me, then let out a long sigh. "You're overwhelmed, right?"

The thought of lying and saying I was fine flitted through my mind, but there really wasn't a point in fibbing to Smoke, not when he held me this close and could read my body better than I could. "Yeah."

"Mmm-hmm," he nuzzled his lips against the crook in my neck before placing a series of feather-light kisses over my skin. "What you need right now is some tender care, baby girl."

I frowned, unsure if he was teasing or being serious. My attempt to push away from him was met with resistance as he pinned me against his chest. He looked down at me, his eyes dark. As playful and indulgent as Smoke was with me most of the time, there were occasions where I'd push him too far and a different side of him would come out. Still kind, still protective of me and loving, but darker. This was a man used to getting his way, and he radiated a silent command that sank into my bones, warming me, and making me pliant against him.

Shit, if he could make me melt with just a look, I was well and truly fucked in every sense of the word.

He stroked my hair back from my face with a gentle touch, his rough fingertips dragging lightly over my sensitive skin. "We're gonna take things slow-"

I smacked my hand over his mouth and shook my head. "No. No, we are not taking things slow. You are going to fuck me until the world disappears and it's only us. I want you in me, now."

His teeth sank into my palm hard enough to sting and I yelped, jerking my hand away. With a soft growl, he fisted his hand in my hair and tilted my head back, the tingle of pain from my scalp turning into hot desire. Oh my, the look on Smoke's face was positively feral. Hopefully, I'd pushed him enough that he would make rough love to me, but not far enough to really make him angry.

"We're thinkin' different thoughts, sweetheart. By slow, I mean I'm gonna build you up to your orgasm, take you to the top again and again, until you're beggin' me to fuck you hard and make you all relaxed and whimpering on my cock."

My nipples tightened to painful tips, and I ran my fingers through his hair, the sun warm on my skin, and a bit of the fear surrounding my heart faded. I was alive, and my odds of staying that way were much, much better. For the first time since I sat on the other side of the table from men intent on selling me into a fate worse than death, I allowed myself to take a deep breath. I wasn't sleepy, but I was mentally exhausted. The day that Smoke had in mind for me sounded perfect, and I surrendered myself to him, cuddling up to him and rubbing my cheek against his chest.

"Oh...well, in that case I think I can endure it."

"That's gracious of you." A soft, rumbling laugh echoed against my cheek and I smiled. "Love how you feel in my arms, baby. Love everything about you and I'm so fuckin' thankful that you...if something had happened I would...fuck...so, yeah...I'm thankful."

The hitch in his voice killed me, and I fought the sting of tears. It was my turn to comfort him, and the love that we gave each other grew into something bigger, something better. I'm not sure who started touching who first, but Smoke had me naked before I was even aware of it, his deep kiss taking me over. Our tongues slid against each other, the lush softness of his lips pillowing mine as he lifted me and urged me to wrap my legs around his waist. With a low groan, I did as he asked, all too aware of the thick bulge behind his boxer briefs. His kiss was delicate, gentle, a tease that made me even greedier for him.

I let him know this by sucking, hard, on his tongue.

He stumbled as we entered the cabin, and I laughed while he swung me around to carry me in a cradle hold, his lips curving into a smile when he made his way across the room again, this time keeping his eyes on our surroundings. I tried to protest when he started to carry me up the stairs, but he paused long enough to throw me over his shoulder with my ass in the air, and spanked my pussy. I let out a sharp hiss of air, his questing fingers combining with the blood rushing to my head, which made me dizzy. Up and down his fingers slid, playing with the wetness coating my sex, driving me crazy. I wiggled against him, urging more, but he removed his hand and slapped my ass.

"Behave or I will punish you."

I was curious as to what kind of punishment it would be, but the sight of his ass flexing as he carried me up the stairs was fantastic enough to distract me.

I soon found myself being lowered into a huge bathtub full of bubbles. Smoke was being careful not to get my hair wet and draped it over the side. After he placed me in the warm water and I became engulfed by the foam, he turned the faucet off. The trill of birdsong filled the air, and I let out a relaxed sigh when I'd realized he'd opened the windows, letting fresh air into the humid room. Wiggling my legs beneath the water, I enjoyed the feel of it sliding over my skin. I smiled at Smoke, trying to put into my gaze how happy I was, how happy he made me. He grinned back, and with efficient moves, swept my hair up into a messy bun, and secured it on top of my head.

We didn't exchange any words, but then again, we didn't really need to. The time for talking was past, and right now, we were just living in the moment. It amused me how much Smoke seemed to enjoy taking care of me, and I couldn't help but giggle when he made a satisfied, humming noise deep in his throat as he began to wash me. Soon, my eyelids were at less than half-mast, my gaze unfocused and blurry while his clever fingers glided up and down my arm, stroking from the sensitive skin of my inner wrist to my shoulder. Then his touch became firmer and turned from a caress into a muscle-melting massage. He was careful to avoid any lingering bruises, but each time he discovered one he would gently lift that part of my body to the surface and kiss it with what felt like reverence.

When he reached the healing bullet wound, his hands trembled enough that the water moved in little shivering waves. A desperate look flashed through his eyes as he glanced up at me, then at my healing arm. With my free hand I lightly touched his jaw, loving how smooth it was after his shower. He didn't look up from my arm, so I leaned forward and shifted to my knees so my bubble-covered breasts were in his face instead.

The switch from pain to pleasure in his expression was so swift that they merged for a moment, making him look so beautifully tortured.

Feeling bold, I squeezed my breasts then pulled at my nipples. "Smoke, please."

"Don't move." Startled, I let my hands drop and he made a tsking noise. "I said don't move."

He grasped my hands and returned them to my breasts, coaxing me into pinching my nipples again. Once my fingers were positioned the way he liked them, he squeezed his grip over mine, making me pinch harder. A startled squeak escaped me, but he just chuckled. I was pretty sure that he was more than a little sadistic in bed at this point, a theory that was quickly proven true when he left me kneeling there in the tub, pinching my breasts so hard an ache radiated from the tip and soaked into my body.

The fading sunlight hit him as he came walking back in, and I couldn't help my dreamy sigh despite the sharp ache filling my body. "You're so hot."

He gave me that grin that was only mine, a happy and relaxed expression that I never saw on his face when he wasn't alone with me. Other women may have had his body, but I bet his eyes never glowed with deep brown fire for them the way they did for me. With every step he took closer to me, my body heated and burned, my craving for his touch making me squeeze and release my nipples with a sharp gasp.

"Naughty baby. You just can't help yourself can you? Always gotta push me to see if I'll follow through with a punishment."

The grin on his kissable lips turned downright evil, and I froze. Dominant Smoke was coming out to play, and a delicious thrill of apprehension and pleasure skittered through me. I studied his face, and when he gave me a hard look, my nipples tingled beneath my unmoving fingers. Fuck, I loved it when he took control like this.

"I'm sorry...um...Sir."

"I know you're new to this baby girl, and you'll make mistakes, but it makes me so proud of you when you do as I ask. Shows me that you trust me to give you all the pleasure you can take, to surrender yourself to me and let me show you what I can really do."

I blinked. "You've been holding back? Is that even possible?"

"Had to let you get used to me first, to show you some things and gauge your interest." He leaned forward and licked my lower lip before retreating again. "And now I know you are very, very interested."

He sank to his knees again, the edge of the bathtub hitting his lower stomach. Pure happiness tinged with raw lust flooded me, mixing with the throbbing needs of my body and somehow making it all the more intense. I had to tilt my head to meet his gaze and the pleased look in his eyes relaxed me. He was satisfied with me, and I loved making him happy and hearing the praise he gave out so easily, which meant so much to me. Getting a kind look or a compliment out of my father was next to impossible. I guess after a childhood spent trying to please a man who was even worse with emotions than I was, it had programmed me on some level to crave the praise of a strong man.

Thank goodness I'd picked someone worthy of my devotion.

With a gentle touch he eased my fingers off my swollen, bright pink nipples and let out a little groan while I whimpered and tried to absorb the pain.

Never taking his eyes from my chest he made a shushing sound. "Easy, baby girl. I'll take care of you. Hands behind your back, fingers laced."

I did as he asked, my breasts thrust out and trembling with my rapid panting. Instead of taking my nipples into his mouth and soothing the burn with his magic tongue, he flicked first the left nipple, then the right, making me yelp and glare at him. Darkness stared back at me from his gaze and my clit throbbed even as I snarled at him.

"Ohhh, look at the fire in those pretty blue eyes. Makes me hard, but your temper has no place here. This is about lovin' you." He flicked my left nipple again, harder this time. "I'm just gonna love you rough."

Despite his aggressive words and tone, he simply took a handful of water from the space near my sex, his fingertips brushing my floating pubic curls, before dripping that water over my nipples setting my entire body aflame. The tips of my breasts were so sensitive now that even the water felt like someone touching me, and I gasped. He repeated the motion again, tickling and tantalizing me with the liquid warmth before he captured my right nipple in his mouth and sucked hard while rubbing that bud against the roof of his mouth with his firm tongue.

Lighting zipped along my nerves, and I almost lost my hold on my hands behind my back. I wanted to run my fingers through Smoke's hair, but I'd been too well trained to break form that easily. I clutched my hands together, somehow trying to ground myself against his sensual assault. He was stealing my thoughts, rendering me into nothing but a hungry animal intent on mating.

I let out a little growl when he finally released my breast, then flicked it again. A shriek escaped me, and he plunged his hand beneath the water and ran one thick finger between the lips of my sex. My arousal was even slipperier than the water. My pussy clenched, hard, when he teased the entrance to my sheath. Smoke, the bastard, just chuckled.

"Such a hungry cunt, always tryin' to suck my cock, my tongue, or my fingers inside of you." To my embarrassment, those words made me clench up again as his fingertip probed my entrance, pushing in a couple inches, then slowly dragging back out. I shuddered with each penetration and keened softly when he began to suck and bite my nipple, the other one throbbing as the cool air dried the wet heat on my skin that had been left behind from his mouth. Soon he had his finger all the way in and was increasing his pace as he switched from breast to breast, continuing to give me more pain and make me burn hotter.

I almost slipped when he pushed a second finger into me, and I tried to shove myself down onto it.

"Hold the edge of the tub," he rumbled without lifting his mouth from my aching tip.

With a shuddering moan, I complied and held on for dear life while he drove me higher and higher, but wouldn't let me go over.

I began to beg, the need hurting at this point, my pussy swollen and craving a rougher touch, a harder rhythm. That's what Smoke always gave me, a good hard fuck that soothed every hunger I had. Knowing he could relieve me, I whispered all the dirty things I wanted to do with him, rocking myself against him and shuddering when he began to work a third finger in. The feeling of being stuffed so full was intense, and I soon found myself leaning against him for support while he drove me crazy.

"Smoke," I whimpered when he removed his fingers from my grasping sex.

"Love you all wet like this, but I want to make you wetter. Trust me, baby girl?"

I gripped the edge of the tub hard enough to make my hands ache, which was still less painful than the throb of my overstimulated sex. "Yes, please, anything you want, just make me come."

He let out an unsteady breath that almost sounded like a soft moan. "Get out of the tub, and lay down on the bath mat."

Giving him a dubious look, I did as he asked, giggling when my unsteady legs almost collapsed as I tried to stand. There was no humor in Smoke's eyes as he lifted me out of the tub and gently laid me down on the oversized, lush blue bathmat. It was long enough that my head and torso were cushioned with my legs resting on the floor. I wiggled slightly, enjoying the tickle of the softness beneath me.

Smoke grabbed a towel and folded it before kneeling next to me. His gaze moved ever so slowly over me, lingering on my nipples then on my hip. His fingertips scraped along my skin and he said in a whisper, "Still want my dragon on you?"

I blinked at him in surprise. "Of course I do."

The edge of his mouth quirked into a half-smile and he continued to stroke my hips, running his fingers just above my pubic hair. "So soft."

Tingles raced through me at his touch and I felt sparks gather between my legs, quickly ramping my arousal back up as he traced his hands down my inner thighs, spreading me wide and murmuring to himself in Spanish.

"Gonna make you come so hard you're gonna pass out, then I'm gonna fuck ya back to life."

"Umm...yeah...awesome."

Normally, I would have been embarrassed at my babbling, but he chose that moment to hold my sex wide open with his thumbs, just staring at me with a ravenous expression. With a small grunt, he began to stroke my pussy, pulling at my clit and handling me in a much rougher manner than in the tub. I loved it, loved his commanding touch, his complete confidence in both himself and me. I groaned and clutched at the rug beneath me, winding my fingers through the long fibers while Smoke began to finger-fuck me again. He made a low, hungry noise while he did it and by the time he was back up to three fingers I couldn't control myself.

I had so much delicious tension running through me, all I could do was revel in his caress and groan out my pleasure.

He twisted his hand and began to rub his fingers along the top of my pussy from the inside, zeroing in on a magical spot that felt insanely good when he pushed on it. My eyes flashed open as he pressed, hard, inside of me and I stared up at him, mesmerized by the raw lust curling his upper lip into a silent snarl. He was totally focused on my sex, and he kept licking his lips like he couldn't wait to feast on me.

"Oh yeah, it's gonna be easy to make you squirt."

That penetrated the fog of my blissed out mind for a moment. "What?"

"Gonna make you come, hard, so hard that you're gonna soak my hand." He began to rub the magic spot and my toes curled before my thighs trembled. "When you feel like you're gonna come, I want you to push out with your pussy"

"What?"

His gaze snapped to mine and he growled, "Don't question me, just do it. I want this from you, Swan, I need you to give this to me."

I slowly nodded, but it was hard to get back in the mood as I fretted over his words. He must have sensed it because he gave my clit a sharp smack with his other hand and I hunched forward, a harder, deeper need filling me as that pain radiated out. He began to move his hand again, stretching me, making me burn, and I rocked my hips into his thrust. I didn't even need to tell him that I was getting close to coming, he could read me like a book. The delicious tension built and when he pressed his free hand down firmly on my lower belly just above my pubic bone I screamed out my pleasure. That was good, so fucking good. I wasn't even coming yet, and he had me sobbing as my overstimulated body tried to adjust to his harsh touch.

"That's it baby, feel me. Feel my fingers shoved into your tight cunt, stroking you deep, rubbing and flexing inside of you. Come for me and I'll fuck you good. Now."

It felt as if he was tapping the magic spot inside of me and my breath froze in my lungs, my body tensing, then shattering.

"Push!"

Already caught up in the first contraction of my orgasm I did, and as he slid his fingers out I came so goddamn hard I thought I might be dying.

Something about his hand pressing down on me extended the orgasm and I felt hot, liquid warmth spilling over my bottom. I'd read enough erotica and watched enough pornos to know that I was experiencing female ejaculation, but I had no idea it would be this intense. Before I'd even coasted down he slid his fingers back inside my quivering sex and started rubbing and tapping again, making me writhe for him, his hand on my belly the only thing holding me still for him. This time, when I came, he let go of my belly and quickly rubbed my clit, making me double over as the pleasure became too intense. Another cascade of warmth, another body shattering orgasm in what had to be record time for me.

My mind drifted away at that point, and I floated in happy warmth. I was completely aware of Smoke gently rubbing me, giving me a massage that turned me into a puddle of mush. When he picked me up I just kind of flopped in his arms and he laughed while kissing the top of my head. Soon I was lowered to a soft mattress on my belly, and I sighed with happiness. Oh man, he was good. Utterly devastating. When I shifted my hips, my pussy was still sore, this time from hard use.

Smoke's warm, naked body blanketed mine and he placed his thighs on the outside of mine, pressing my legs together while he rubbed his cock against the crack of my ass.

I was so out of it that when he spread my butt cheeks wide enough that the cool air brushed over my anus I didn't even protest. Anything and everything he wanted to do with me at this point was totally okay with me. The brush of his swollen cock over my bottom was nice, but when he slid lower and the fat crest of his dick pushed into me I sank deeper into the mattress, rough and incoherent noises falling from my lips.

"Fuck, sweetheart, your pussy is so swollen, makes it incredibly good to sink my dick in you."

His position made it impossible for me to move, and I allowed myself the bliss of giving my will over to him as he fucked me. His scent enveloped me, and I rocked back into him as best as I could, absorbing every bit of pleasure he had to offer me and savored every minute of his enjoyment as well. Smoke grunted as he thrust, not holding back and giving me everything he had. I was surrounded by him, and I felt so loved. My next orgasm was just an extension of that bliss, a slow, deep release, and I cried out softly beneath him.

"So fuckin' pretty when you come," he said in a gravely voice. "So fuckin' beautiful."

I felt so amazing that I wanted to share it with him, to bring him the same level of satisfaction he had brought me. Bracing my arms a bit, I wiggled with his thrusts, grinding little circles on his pelvis with my ass and gasping at the new range of sensations. Smoke moved my hair over to the side and sank his teeth into my shoulder hard enough that I bucked up against him. That was all he needed to slip a hand beneath my belly and pet my clit.

"Oh, oh shit," I whispered and squeezed my eyes tight.

"Gonna fill you up, sweetheart," he whispered into my ear and nipped the tender lobe.

"Please, please come inside me."

Using three fingers he rubbed my clit just the way I liked, and I bit the blanket beneath me, crying out into it while his thrusts became unsteady. He buried himself inside me, his cock throbbing with his release, while he whispered about how much he loved me.

By this point, I was a panting, dehydrated mess but even in my blissed out state I made sure that he knew how special he was to me, how he made my body sing, and much I loved him.

Eventually, he rolled off of me, and I just laid there like a cat in a patch of sunlight, content to drift in my post-coital haze. Damn, my man could fuck. I had no idea how long I lounged there in dreamy bliss, but soon Smoke was back with what looked and smelled like enchiladas on a serving tray along with two beers and a side plate of brownies. My stomach roared to life, and I rolled over and held out my hands.

"Gimme."

Still naked as the day he was born and semi-hard, Smoke set the tray on the table next to the bed and slid into bed with me. Cuddled up together we quickly ate, and when we were done, I was wiped out. By this point, I was spread out over Smoke's chest while he ran his finger along my spine.

"What'cha thinkin' about, baby girl?"

"Absolutely nothing, what about you?"

He tensed slightly, then sighed. "Bunch of things, but mainly about you."