Punished, Tana Stone [top reads .txt] 📗

“What are you talking about? The whole reason we’re meeting in secret is so I can be ready to fight by your side when the time comes.”

I bit back a groan as heat prickled my skin. She was so fiery and so stubborn. A Vandar female had nothing on Sienna. “It’s too dangerous. The Zagrath will not hesitate to kill a female who is fighting with me.”

She lifted her chin. “I’m not afraid of the Zagrath.”

“You should be.” I tangled a hand in her hair and jerked her to me, tipping her head back. “You should be more frightened of a lot of things, including me.”

Her breath was shallow, and her lips parted as she held my gaze, her eyes half-lidded with desire. “I’ve never been afraid of you. I know your bark is worse than your bite, Vandar.”

My resolve crumbled, blood pounding in my ears as my tail quivered in anticipation. “That is where you are wrong, Sienna. I don’t want to hurt you.”

“You know I don’t mind pain, Corvak.” She let a breathy moan escape her lips. “I promise I can take what you give me.”

I released a final desperate snarl before crushing my mouth to hers.

Chapter Nineteen

Ch 19

Sienna

The impact of his kiss provoked an involuntary gasp as his lips claimed mine. I scraped my fingers up his scruff then buried my hands in his hair, partly to hold him to me and partly to keep myself from falling. There was nothing tentative about the way Corvak kissed me, his mouth dominant as it took possession of mine, but his lips were surprisingly soft. He parted my lips with a dominant swipe of his tongue, and I opened eagerly to him, moaning as his tongue stroked mine.

The hand that had braced my hip now circled to the small of my back and then moved to my ass as he ground himself into me. I lifted my knee and hooked it around his thigh, wanting to feel more of his rigid length. The tail that had been swishing behind him now caressed the inside of my leg, moving higher as I responded to his attentions.

Moving both hands to my ass, he hoisted me up without breaking the kiss and wrapped my legs around his waist. Before I knew what was happening, Corvak had pivoted and pressed me up against the wall. My legs were still wrapped around him, but he threaded his fingers with mine and pinned them over my head as he rocked his hips forward.

Even through my pants, his hard cock rubbed between my legs and sent sensations of pleasure and need arrowing through me. I pushed against his hands while squeezing my feet into his ass, leveraging the pressure to move myself up and down slightly. His deep rumble of a growl told me my movements were having the desired effect.

After a few moments, he tore his lips from mine. His dark eyes flashed dangerously as he panted. “Sienna, we can’t.”

I caught my own breath as my heart thundered in my chest then nipped at his bottom lip. “Oh, I’m pretty sure we can.”

He rested his forehead on mine. “I can’t do this to you. This is wrong.”

The haze of euphoria began to clear as he released my hands and lowered my feet to the floor. I touched a finger to my swollen lips, already cooling from the absence of his warmth. “I don’t get it. One second you’re dry humping me against the wall, and the next you’re done?”

He visibly flinched at my words, stepping back and scoring a hand through his hair. His tail no longer snapped back and forth, and his gaze wouldn’t meet mine.

“This is my mistake. Not yours. I was weak. I never should have allowed myself…I never should have agreed to teach you in the first place. That was my mistake.”

I shook my head, hoping to dislodge his words from my ears. “What are you talking about? You regret teaching me to fight just because we kissed? That’s crazy. Who cares if we kissed? It doesn’t have anything to do with you teaching me.”

His eyes locked on mine. “It has everything to do with it. I knew better than to get involved with you. Even though you’re a human female, and I usually despise human females, I knew it was a risk because you were different.” He hesitated, his gaze softening. “You are different.” Then he closed his eyes and fisted his hands. “But it doesn’t matter. None of that matters.” He opened his eyes, and they were cold and hard. “This cannot happen.”

A chill passed through me. “Wait. What are you saying?”

He backed away from me, crossing his arms over his chest. “I am sorry, Sienna. You should go.”

A sob welled up in my throat, but I forced it down. “And our fighting sessions?”

He gave a brusque shake of his head. “I can no longer teach you. I need to focus on preparing your planet to defend itself against the enemy.” He held up a hand when I opened my mouth to argue. “And that is something of which you cannot be a part. You know your planet will not allow it.”

“But it’s a stupid rule,” I said, hearing the quaver in my voice. “Especially since I’m the best fighter you have.”

His jaw was tight as he looked at me, a flicker of regret crossing his face. “This was always a dream that could never be. You fighting. Us…” His words trailed off then he drew in a breath. “We both knew that. I never intended to stay, and you cannot leave.”

The truth of his words was like ice water, dousing any fire that was left inside me. The smallest part of me had hoped that after our late-night combat sessions and talks that maybe he’d warmed to the idea of staying, but it was clear his intentions hadn’t changed. And my wretched