Bound Read online

  but it had been so long since anyone had touched her. She’d been so

  lonely.

  When he was satisfied with her breasts, he moved around to her

  exposed back. He traced the length of her spine with a single finger.

  Meg shuddered with desire under his touch as his finger lightly delved

  into the valley of her cheeks.

  His mouth was bare centimeters from her ear. “You’re gorgeous,

  love. Do you have any idea how long it’s been since I saw a woman

  as fuckable as you? And, love, as to your earlier statement about

  14

  Sophie Oak

  being worried I might be hard to get away from, I promise you, you

  won’t get away from me. Not ever.”

  “Please,” Meg begged as her entire body went hot with wanting.

  She couldn’t let this man seduce her. She had a life back home. It

  wasn’t much, but it was hers. She couldn’t let herself be sold at some

  marketplace to the highest bidder. “I want to go home.”

  She struggled to get enough oxygen. She could feel the hard ridge

  of his erection gently brushing her backside. She forced down the

  impulse to beg him to use it on her. She’d never wanted a man’s touch

  so much in her life.

  Then he was gone, and Meg wanted to cry at the absence of his

  warmth. He walked back around to her front. He seemed satisfied he

  had seen what he needed. Beck’s gray eyes were kind as he looked

  down on her. His sensual lips were close, so close she could feel the

  heat coming off his body. His face was barely an inch from hers. He

  kissed her forehead gently.

  “Sorry, love. I’m your home now.” He leaned over, and his mouth

  covered hers.

  All thoughts fled. Meg could do nothing but concentrate on his

  lips and the feel of his hands. When his tongue reached out, she found

  herself softening under his dominance and letting it inside her mouth.

  His hands tightened and wound around her waist. She felt so delicate

  against him, a sensation she had never had before. With previous

  lovers, and there hadn’t been many, she had always felt ungainly and

  awkward. She never knew what to do to please them. She was far too

  shy to ask them for what she wanted. The result had been a short

  series of disappointing encounters. Her own husband had left her,

  telling her she didn’t know how to please a man.

  But she could feel Beck’s desire. He wasn’t playing a game. He

  took what he wanted, and it did something for Meg. She’d read about

  Dominance and submission and the fine art of BDSM, but putting the

  theory to the test was something different. The chains suddenly felt

  sensual rather than menacing. They held her for his pleasure.

  Bound

  15

  “You’re so beautiful.” Beck sighed in her ear when he broke the

  kiss, moving to press his lips to her neck. His hands traced a path

  from her waist to the cheeks of her ass. He pressed his body against

  her. “I have to know for sure, though. Please understand, I have to

  know…”

  His fingers found her clitoris and began rubbing sweet, firm

  circles.

  “No,” Meg panted, everything in her responding to this man. This

  was insane. She was not going to stand here and let this man take her.

  Her mind said no, but her body and soul were not in alignment with

  the thinking pattern. Her pussy was wet and pulsing for him. She

  pushed against his hand. Oh, she wanted this. Why did she have to

  want this? “Don’t stop.”

  “Oh, I won’t stop.” Beck groaned between his clenched teeth.

  “Come for me, a stoirin.”

  Meg didn’t understand what he said, but she felt the intent behind

  the endearment. She moaned and stopped fighting him. Fighting

  hadn’t gotten her a thing so far. Maybe, just maybe, she could find

  another way out, but for now, she wanted what he was offering. His

  hands felt so perfect on her body. Never before had anyone played her

  like a finely tuned instrument, but Beck was her musician.

  He gently forced two fingers high into her cunt, keeping the

  pressure on her clit with his thumb. An amazing sensation swept

  through her as he fucked her with his fingers. In and out. In and out. It

  was better than any previous cock she’d had. Something was

  happening. Some odd and yet familiar connection seemed to open

  between them, but before she could process it, her body fell over the

  precipice, and she couldn’t think any more. Meg came, sobbing

  against his shoulder. The orgasm strummed neatly through her body,

  making her languid and submissive.

  At the instant of her orgasm, she would have sworn she could feel

  herself as though she was Beck. His fingers pressed high into her heat

  as though for the slightest moment she could feel what he was feeling,

  16

  Sophie Oak

  warmth, sweet wetness, and a rigid hardness begging to be set loose.

  It had been so odd. It was almost as if, for that moment, she had been

  inside Beck. She had shared what his body experienced as he brought

  her to orgasm. She’d felt so connected to him in that moment. It was

  an intimacy like nothing she’d felt before.

  Meg floated down. She was suddenly aware that Beck had pulled

  his fingers from her pussy and wrapped both arms around her. He

  hugged her to his hard body. Meg, her entire being pleasantly

  lethargic, decided this had to be the best wet dream ever. She let her

  head rest against his shoulder. She had never in her life come so fast

  and so hard. It was just a sweet dream, and she should hold on to it.

  Any minute the alarm would go off, and she would have to face

  another day at the Software 4 U store. Being Beck’s love slave was

  much more interesting.

  Beck kissed her one last time, his mouth playing sweetly against

  hers. He seemed as satisfied as she was, though he couldn’t possibly

  be. His hands played with her breasts for a moment, and she could

  feel her own juice on her skin. He brought his right hand up to his

  mouth and sucked his fingers in, licking her cream. He finally placed

  an almost chaste kiss on the tip of her nose and stepped back.

  “Aye, love, you’ll do.” With that, he started out the door.

  Meg’s head came up, perfectly unimpressed with that bit of

  wooing. She’d been utterly overwhelmed by what they had just

  shared, and he said that to her? Damn it, even the men in her dreams

  were unromantic. That sounded like the line from Babe.

  “Seriously, that’s what I get? I’ll do? Screw you, Beck. Send in

  the next guy. We’ll see if he can do better.” Meg decided the next guy

  might be even hotter. He would be French or maybe Italian. She liked

  Beck’s Irish accent, but she’d always loved Italy.

  Beck turned around, and Meg found herself shrinking back again.

  His gray eyes were as hard as stones, and his demeanor had changed

  from lazy to menacing in a heartbeat. “What did you say, love?”

  Bound

  17

  The question was a challenge. The chill in his voice almost made

  her shiver.

  “Nothing,” Meg replied, swallowing nervously. She had a healthy

  sense of self-preservation that was kicking into full throttle now as

  Beck stalked back toward her.

  “Best you say nothing right now, love, if you can’t say something

  sweet.” Beck’s entire body was rigid, every muscle screaming his

  frustration. “I am tired. I rode all night to get here before the

  tournament. I have eaten very little, and now I’m horny as hell. I am

  not in a good mood. You should understand that one of your goals in

  life should be to keep me in a good mood. You have no idea the

  trouble you’re going to cause me.”

  Though she was so tired, Meg held her head up. The very last

  thing she needed was to be told how much trouble she was. She knew.

  She’d been told her whole life by a mother and father who hadn’t

  really wanted her and a husband who felt the same. She might be in

  chains, but she held on to her pride. “I wouldn’t want to cause you

  any trouble. Please feel free to not purchase me.”

  Beck sighed. Meg sensed the weariness in him. That connection

  she had felt during the sex seemed like it was still open. His emotions

  were almost palpable to her. His tiredness went far past the physical.

  Meg knew it invaded his soul. His shoulders slumped slightly

  forward. She had the sudden desire to wrap her arms around him, to

  lend him her strength.

  “I have waited years for this day,” he explained in an emotionless

  voice. “You cannot understand the joy I should feel at finding you. I

  do feel joy, but if there was any other choice, I would walk away from

  you. I can offer you nothing. I’m going to spend the last of my gold

  entering the tournament. I won’t even have the money to feed you. If I

  had an ounce of pride left, I would let you go, but my brother is

  dying. I can’t allow that to happen. You’re the only one who can save

  him. I swear on everything I am that I will find a way to take care of

  you.”

  18

  Sophie Oak

  He started to turn to leave. Meg felt tears welling in her eyes. She

  didn’t understand everything he said, but she knew he meant it. Even

  in chains and terrified for her life, she felt safe with this man.

  Somehow, she’d formed a strange connection with him in those

  moments his hands had been on her body. “Stop.”

  Beck turned to her, his stance wary. She knew he was waiting for

  her to yell at him again. She couldn’t blame him. She had been a little

  difficult.

  “My name is Meg,” she said softly.

  She was rewarded with a slight curling of his lips. His pitch-black

  hair was gathered in a ponytail at the nape of his neck. Meg wondered

  how it would feel flowing all around her. “I like that, Meg. I’ll call

  you my own sweet Meggie.”

  “If I help you with your brother, will you let me go home?”

  The smile died, and Meg wished she hadn’t asked the question. “I

  told you, I am your home now, me and Cian. There’s no way back,

  love. Even if there was, I wouldn’t let you take it.”

  Meg nodded. She accepted the situation for now. Things might be

  different later, when she wasn’t chained up. Hopefully, he wouldn’t

  keep her chained forever. “Are you going to buy me now?”

  The sooner he bought her, the faster they could leave this place.

  She knew from what he said previously that he didn’t live here. On

  the road, there might be more opportunities to get away.

  Beck shook his head. “It’s not like that, love. This is a tourney.

  The gnomes make more money this way. Every male who wants to

  purchase you buys into the tourney. We then fight until there’s only

  one left standing. That man will be your master.”

  “But what if you don’t win?” Meg was now horrified at the

  thought. There were other men? How bad would they be? At least

  Beck had proven he could be somewhat kind.

  A slow, intensely confident smile split his gorgeous face. “Don’t

  go worrying, love. I always win.”

  Bound

  19

  He walked out of the tent, letting the heavy curtain fall back into

  place. Meg was alone again. It was rapidly becoming evident that this

  wasn’t a weird dream. She had really been taken to some strange

  place. Maybe once she got outside the compound, she would be able

  to tell what country she was in. The people seemed to speak English,

  but there had been that strange lilting language as well. Gaelic, Rhys

  had said. Yes, she thought, she would be able to get away and contact

  the police.

  Her head came up as a squat woman entered the room with a

  pitcher and washcloths. Meg sighed. She was getting used to being

  bathed. The little woman would be professional and gentle. In truth,

  Meg realized she should be happy that the woman was here, humming

  as she went about her work. Beck had left her with the evidence of her

  orgasm all over her thighs and pussy. It would be rather embarrassing

  for someone else to come in and find her covered in her own juices.

  The short, blonde woman smiled up as she washed away Meg’s

  reaction to Beck. “Don’t worry, miss. His Highness will be kind to

  you.”

  “His Highness?” Meg asked, but the woman finished her work.

  With a mysterious smile, she walked out. “And what the hell did he

  mean by gnomes?”

  20

  Sophie Oak

  Chapter Two

  Beckett Finn, the former heir to the Seelie throne, sank into the

  too-small chair in the gnome’s tiny but well-appointed office.

  Everything seemed too small right now. His trousers certainly were.

  Touching Meg had him hard enough to pound nails with his cock.

  She was the one. He knew it deep in his soul. He had been able to

  feel what was happening to her at the moment of her orgasm. It had

  taken everything he had not to form the bond with her that moment,

  but now was not the time, and certainly not the place. Forming a bond

  with his soul’s mate was a sacred thing, and he wouldn’t do it here.

  He was going to have to put her through too much to force that on her

  as well.

  Rhys of the Gentle Hills walked in and placed a large platter of

  food on the desk between them. “I thought Your Highness might join

  me in the noon meal.”

  Beck’s stomach rumbled at the sight and smell of so much good

  food. Gnomes knew how to cook. He nodded, trying not to betray his

  excitement at the thought of being full for once. “I will. I thank you

  for your hospitality, Rhys, but you have to get out of the habit of

  calling me by titles that no longer have any meaning.”

  He picked up two slices of dark bread and made a huge sandwich

  of thick venison and a pleasant-smelling cheese.

  Rhys poured water into two mugs. “You’re giving up, then? You

  are content to allow your Uncle Torin to remain on the throne of your

  father? The very throne he slew your father on?”

  Bound

  21

  Just like that, the food turned to sawdust in his mouth. Beck took a

  long drink and forced himself to continue eating. He would need the

  energy for the battle to come. He needed to maintain control.

  “There is nothing of contentment in my life. There hasn’t been for

  the past thirteen years.” Beck’s mind started to go back to the terrible

  night when he lost both his parents and his sister. He had only been

  able to save his twin, Cian. He chose, as he had since that day when

  he was seventeen, to look to the future. “It is not that I don’t dream of

  taking back what rightfully belongs to me, Rhys. It is simply a matter

  of practicality. My loyalists are gone.”

  Rhys shook his bearded head vigorously. “That is untrue, Your

  Highness. There are many here, and many more on the home plane.

  Tir na nÒg is full of Fae longing for Your Highness.”

  Beck sighed because he would have to put this to the gnome in

  blunt words. It would likely ruin the man’s illusions of him, but then,

  Beck no longer had use for illusions. “Peasants, Rhys, you’re talking

  about peasants. While I am thrilled to have the love of the people,

  money is needed to wage war, and I have none. I am barely able to

  buy my way into this tourney. I have no idea how I’m going to clothe

  my mate after I’ve won her. She’ll be roaming the forests in one of

  my beat-up old shirts. If I can’t even take care of my mate, I’ve got no

  idea how I should go about fighting a war.”

  Rhys leaned forward. His small, ruddy face was fervent. “The

  loyalists heard that Cian was fading. They know that if Cian dies, you

  will be half a man. Symbiotic twins are very powerful, my liege, but

  everyone knows that if your intellectual half fades, you will not be fit

  to rule.”

  “Hence my long ride through that bloody forest to get here,” Beck

  admitted. “Cian is fading because he has no female. We are long past

  the age when a suitable bondmate would have been found and our

  triad formed. He has lost hope. He is dying. Your summons could not

  have come at a better time, old friend. We are desperate.”

  22

  Sophie Oak

  Beck polished off his second sandwich and thought about a third.

  It seemed rude to eat the majority of the meal.

  Rhys pushed the plate toward him. “Please, Your Highness. I am

  not the richest man, but allow me to aid you. Our food is plentiful. My

  -->