Gena Showalter Bundle: The Stone Prince / The Pleasure Slave / Heart of the Dragon

“You do not have to beg,” he said. “You do not even have to ask. You only have to push me away if you wish me to stop. I will give you time to decide.”

She didn’t want time, damn it. She wanted his tongue in her mouth. Wanted his hands on her breasts. Now. But he was the ravisher, and she was the ravishee, and the fantasy wouldn’t work if she forced herself on him.

“One, two three,” he counted. “Time is up.”

His mouth smothered hers.

Relieved, excited, she leaned up for his kiss. The silky heat of his tongue danced with hers. His body pushed against hers. He smelled so hot, so masculine. So delicious.

“What do you want me to do to you?” he demanded.

“I have no control over you,” she breathed. “You’ll do whatever you want, no matter what I say.”

He jerked back, confused. “No, I—” Suddenly, comprehension dawned. He smiled wickedly. “That’s right,” he said, his tone heavy with authority. “I’ll do whatever I want to you. Your protests mean nothing.”

Hallelujah.

For what seemed hours, but could have only been minutes, he worked his hands over her body, learning her every curve, teasing her, tempting her, making her beg.

“Who is in control, katya?”

“You are,” she whispered. “Only you.”

“Do not forget.”

“Never.”

His big hands closed over her breasts. Intense pleasure rocked through her. He pinched her nipple at the exact moment he pressed his erection against her clitoris. Their clothes added to the friction, and she shot off like a Fourth of July rocket. Her moans became wild cries, a building crescendo, the force of which made her almost incoherent.

When she quieted, Jorlan held her for a long while, his shallow breaths in her ear. He pulled back, searching her face. “Katie,” he said softly, “you have already—”

“I know. I’m sorry.” How embarrassing. He was still primed and ready; she was all finished. But damn it, she hadn’t been able to stop it, hadn’t wanted to stop it. Her body had raced toward completion, heedless of anything else. “I truly am sorry. I just couldn’t help myself.”

“Do not apologize.” His tone was reverent. “Simply do it again.”

She slowly smiled. “Again? Really?”

“Most definitely. I command you.” His lips claimed hers once more.

Her arms wound around his neck, holding him captive. Her ankles locked around his waist. He reached between them, grasped the neck of her shirt, and gave a sharp tug. The cotton split down the middle. She bit her bottom lip to keep from shouting her renewed excitement.

Jorlan was just reaching for her shorts, and she was just arching her back to give him better access, when a voice said from the doorway, “Uh, am I interrupting something?”

CHAPTER NINE

“NICK!”

Cheeks flaming, stomach filling with a sickening combination of dread, embarrassment and horror, Katie attempted to jump to her feet and disengage from Jorlan at the same time. Before she succeeded, he jolted to a battle position, his feet squared apart, his fists clenched, facing her brother with an expression that clearly read, “Prepare to die.” The swift motion caused her alien’s legs to pound against her knees.

She collapsed with a shriek.

Neither man spared her a glance.

Popping up, she hurriedly tied the torn folds of her shirt together—which barely managed to cover her pink, lacy bra—then shoved her hair back from her face. Jorlan quickly thrust her behind him.

If she hadn’t known better, she would have suspected he was actually trying to protect her. From her own brother! The idea was simply too ridiculous to contemplate, and she decided he was simply being his chauvinistic self. Something along the lines of get-thee-behind-me-oh-weak-one.

Then he said, “Stay behind me, Katie. I will eliminate this threat.”

Oh, he really is protecting me, she thought, melting. She should have been angry. After all, she’d proven her ability to drop an opponent to the ground. But Lord, this made her feel dainty and cherished.

Reaching up, she moved her fingertips over Jorlan’s bare back. She loved the hardness of him, the heat. Her teeth ground together. She’d finally decided to go all the way—Wait! Not wanting to ruin the fantasy she’d created in her mind, she corrected herself: A man had finally been strong enough to ravish her, and a family member showed up to bear witness. If her heart hadn’t been racing with desire and her limbs hadn’t been trembling with mortification, she would have leapt across the room and slapped Nick upside the head with a flanged plunger.

Men!

Her brother, who seemed more amused by Jorlan’s words than concerned, gazed over the giant’s left shoulder. “Katie, Katie, Katie,” he clicked under his tongue. “I walked through the pleasure garden before coming inside the house—you’re missing a statue, by the way—and thought to give my hormones a break. But what do I find? Live porn.”

Inwardly cringing, Katie placed her hands atop Jorlan’s shoulders and peeked over him. She actually had to stand on her tiptoes! “Nick,” she said again, this time more calmly. “First of all, I sold that statue,” she lied. “And second of all, just what the hell are you doing here?”

Nick chuckled. “I’ll collect my quarter later. ‘Hell’ is still a naughty word, isn’t it?”

Jorlan’s muscles relaxed, going slack beneath her palms. “The two of you are familiar with each other,” he said.

“Yes.” Her tone managed to convey every ounce of her disgust. “The man standing just out of strangling distance is my voyeuristic brother.”

“As he is part of your family,” Jorlan announced, “I shall allow him to live.”

“Please reconsider,” Katie said sweetly.

Nick’s chuckle grew to body-shaking laughter. “No reason to be so sensitive, little lovebird. I did you both a favor. The bathroom floor is a killer on the back. Anyway—” he waved one hand through the air, his eyes going from tawny-colored amusement to dark brown steel in less than a snap “—I’d like an introduction.”

“The introduction can wait,” she grumbled. “I’m too upset with you right now. A loving brother would have left without saying a word.”

This loving brother arched a sandy brow, managing to retain his intense air, yet somehow appearing amused, as well. “And miss all the fun?”

She loved this man, but geez! Nick, just two years her senior, had always been the comic, the teaser and tormentor. Her tormentor, more specifically. As children, most people had mistaken them for twins. Not only for his constant ribbing of her, but also because they looked so similar. They were both tall, possessed the same straight, silvery-blond locks, and the same light brown eyes that tilted up at the corners. That, to Katie, was where the similarities ended.

Where she was curvy, he was all planes and angles. Where she was soft, he was hard. His expression was permanently etched with a mischievous quality usually reserved for small children and cartoon characters. She possessed more of a serious edge, all work and no play. Or so she’d been told.

“What are you doing here?” she demanded for the third time. “I gave you the grand tour last week.”

“Can’t a guy visit his one and only sister out of love?”

“No.”

“You know me too well.” Grinning, he switched his attention to Jorlan and held out a hand. “Since Katie refuses to be polite, allow me to introduce myself. I’m Nick James. Katie’s favorite brother.”

She snorted at that.