**A/N: The following chapter contains mature sexual content. However, this is still the EDITED version of this particluar chapter. If you would like to read Chapter 24: Winners and Losers as I originally wrote it (with more graphic language), please read The Desmond Files: Restricted Chapters book on my profile page. Thank you! =c] wendy**
Winners and Losers (**Edited Version**)
Five minutes later Lori had a hard time concentrating on her next move. It would help if she could look at the board without her eyes travelling to the very naked and very well defined chest of one Eric McKenna. She was pretty sure he kept shifting around in his chair so her eyes would have to follow the dance of muscles that rippled along his arms and shoulders. She’d already lost one of her underskirts because she’d been so busy drooling she’d gone over her time limit.
So far she’d lost only two of her underskirts and one of her stockings. When Eric had asked her to remove her hosiery, she’d lifted up her skirts and slowly revealed her modern nylon, held in place by a gold and white garter belt. No matter what she thought of Des, his taste in undergarments was without equal. She was pretty sure he knew exactly what Victoria’s Secret was all about.
When Eric had caught sight of the golden suspenders that held the lacey tops of her stockings in place she’d heard him suck in a sharp breath.
“Wait, lass,” He’d blinked his eyes slowly as he stared at her legs, “What are you wearin’?” he asked, his voice sounding a little strangled.
“Oh this?” she’d asked innocently, “It’s a garter belt. It holds up a lady’s stockings. Have you never seen one before, my lord?”
Eric had only moved his head from side to side as if momentarily struck dumb. Lori tried her best not to laugh out loud. “Would you care for a better look?” she’d asked, rising without waiting for his answer. She’d lifted her full skirts a little higher but not too high – just enough to give him a good eyeful. She’d turned around once before sitting back down. Letting her skirts drop, she reached under them and removed one hose and added it to the pile on the floor.
He’d wasted no time in taking her rook, demanding the other hose but this time asking her to leave her skirts up so he could watch her slide it down her leg. She’d only smiled as she leaned forward to do just that but then easily took his bishop at the last second, causing Eric to groan in frustration as she left her stocking right where it was.
Now it was her move again but she was seriously wondering how smart it was to request Eric’s shirt when she’d taken one of his knights a few moves back. He sat across from her in just his britches and boots, his arms crossed across his chest as he timed her. His dual arm bands tattooed on each bicep looking good enough to lick. She’d initially thought them black but now, upon further study, she realized they were actually purple; a deep purple that matched his clan colors. She followed the curving lines of the slightly tribal tattoo with her eyes, wondering if she’d ever seen anything sexier.
She was pretty sure she hadn’t.
“Time is up lass.” Eric murmured.
Lori’s eyes snapped up, expecting to see a self-satisfied grin on his face but she was mistaken. His face was as intense as she’d ever seen it. It made her stomach flip from the sheer force of it, his eyes sweeping over her entire frame missing nothing.
When he spoke again his voice was hard, the voice of a man who’d given orders his whole life, “Your bodice, lass. Take it off.”
Because she’d run out of time, Lori was unable to make a saving move. There was nothing for her to do but remove her top. This had been her idea so she wasn’t about to waffle now.
Taking a deep breath she stood before him. This dress was a little different than the others Des had created for her. The top was wound around her torso tightly then buttoned to keep the fabric in place. She would be unable to take it off by herself.
“I can’t do it by alone. You’ll need to help me,” she said softly, looking down at him.
Without breaking eye contact, Eric slowly rose from his chair, standing to his full height. Her heart beat accelerated to a thundering in her chest as he stepped close enough she felt the heat coming off his body in waves.
“Turn around, Lori,” he instructed huskily.
She did. Eric found the closures on the back of her dress easily enough. With nimble fingers he undid the small, discreet buttons and grasped the end of the fabric. “Raise your arms but doona move any further,” he whispered.
She did as requested as Eric slowly unwound the fabric, almost as if he were unwrapping a long awaited gift. He fought to keep his hands steady as he walked around Lori, removing the top of her gown. The warrior inside him threatened to take over but the man wanted to enjoy everything about the woman in front of him. When he pulled the last bit of fabric free she stood before him in a lacey bit of fabric that cupped her breasts like a lover’s hand. The fabric and style were similar to the garter belt she wore under her skirts. The very sight of it made stole his breath.
“What…” he started to say but was forced to take a shallow breath to keep from launching himself at her, “…are you wearing now?”
Lori looked at him, licking her lips in expectation, “A strapless bra,” she answered sure he’d never seen one before. “Do you like it?”
“Aye, lass. Verra much,” Eric was finding it hard to think about anything except the little bits of fabric she wore under her clothing. Did all humans were such underclothing? He would have asked had he been able to form a coherent question at this point.
Her eyes cut away to the board before coming back to him. “It’s your move, my lord.”
“I know,” he whispered. “Start your count, lass.”
She did. Lori counted aloud but Eric made no move towards the chess board. When she reached twenty, her lips curled up in a sexy smile as her eyes swept him from head to toe.
“Name what you will, my lady,” his voice was low but held so much dark promise Lori shivered in response.
She swallowed a few times before the words finally came out, “First a question…” she started, trying to speak over the pounding in her ears. She was so painfully aware of him that her body felt like a bow wound too tight.
“Aye, lass?”
“What do you have on under your pants?” she asked a little breathless.
“What every immortal warrior is blessed with, lass…nothin’ more.”
“Blessed, huh?”
“Oh aye, a blessing ‘tis,” he whispered, his eyes promising to show her exactly why.
“Says who?” she ventured.
“Says every woman who’s ever had the good fortune of being pleasured by a warrior of Wolfgard, dear lady.”
Lori didn’t doubt it. She felt a thrill shoot through her stomach and down to lower, warmer regions at his boast. There was so much raw power and sexual tension around them Lori thought she could hear it sizzle in the very air between them. It was different from what she’d felt in the dining hall earlier, this wasn’t as raw or untamed but possessing its own quiet intensity. Instead of pushing against her to bring her under, Lori felt it sweep across her entire body in a whisper of a kiss. The effect seemed to heighten her already sensitive skin, ratcheting up the sexual tension between them.
“Are you doing that?” she asked finally.
“Nay, my lady. You are,” Eric answered, his eyes never leaving hers. “Claim your piece of cloth.”
“Your pants then,” she said with a calm she did not feel. If anything Lori felt like a live wire, like she was ready to ignite at any provocation.
Eric didn’t so much as twitch a muscle as he spoke again, “I will warn you once, my lady. If I take off my pants, I canno’ promise I will be able to finish our game.”
"If you take off your pants, I’ll show you a new game we can play,” she countered.
“And which game might that be?”
“It’s called ‘Show me yours and I’ll show you mine.’”
Without further ado, Eric untied his britches and took both them and his boots off in several quick movements. He stood before her in the light of the fire in all his naked glory and this time, instead of being shell-shocked, Lori only felt a greedy need to have him rub up against her.
“You are so beautiful,” she whispered.
Eric smiled crookedly as he stepped forward, the game forgotten. “Nay, I am just a man who’s been blessed by the gods.”
“So you’ve proven,” she answered, unable to deny the truth of his words. The man was ridiculously well endowed – it would be enough to give a male of any species a high opinion of himself.
He only shook his head this time, his face still intense. “No. No games now, Lori. You are my blessin’. I knew it the moment I saw you, lass.”
Eric felt as if he were at the precipice of a grand event in his life. The power in his veins flowed free and true and he felt his warrior at the ready. There was so much he wanted to say to the woman before him but none of it would adequately describe the shift in his entire world she’d cause when she appeared at his front gate. What could he say to describe the feelings she'd awakened in him, in the knowledge that he'd been right to wait for her even as others had thought him too archaic and rigid? She was everything he'd ever hoped for, everything he knew was out there just waiting for him.
“Lori…” he breathed.
“Yes?” she whispered. Her eyes searched his and then she licked her lower lips with that delicate tongue of hers and he was lost again.
“Verra slowly, remove your skirts.”
She complied, taking her time to step out of each one until she stood before him in nothing but her delicate lingerie. She bent over and unclasped her remaining stocking and lowered it slowly. Then she removed the belt itself until she was standing only in her lacey bra and panties. The way Eric stared at her, she felt almost like a goddess standing before him.
She couldn’t ever remember undressing so slowly in front of any man before, or having a man look at her like nothing else in the world existed. It was a heady sensation to say the least.
Feeling strangely powerful, Lori slipped off her strapless bra and released her breasts. Eric was upon her the next second. He pulled her close just as she reached up and laced her fingers in his hair pulling his head down. When their lips met, Lori felt it over every inch of her fevered skin. Her mouth opened as his tongue plunged inside, taking and demanding more in equal measure. His tongue swept over hers, stroking the inside of her mouth before pulling away.
Eric’s lips moved down her jaw, blazing a trail down the side of her neck. His hands brushed gently down her face, moving down her shoulders and coming to rest on her breasts. He growled low in his throat as he cupped one in each hand, kneading them as she moaned against him, encouraging him, willing him to touch her harder. Her nipples were instantly tight against the feel of his sure hands. His fingers pinched and pulled her sensitive nipples as his body molded itself to hers, the feel of him making her tremble. His body was so hot; everywhere he touched it scorched her skin.
And she wanted more.
So much more.
Eric felt like he was dying. There was no other way to describe the sensation that was running through every part of his body. The feel of Lori against him, the sweet taste of her mouth, the way she moaned in response to his touch – all of it was killing him. But if he was finally to die he couldn’t think of a better way to go. Growling low in his throat again, he rubbed his body against hers, grinding his hips into the perfect vee of her center, loving the feel of her softness against him. Her body yielded against his own, an open invitation to take.
“Will you let me love you, sweet Lori?” his eyes searched hers, willing her to respond. Her eyes fluttered closed as he did that sinful move with his hips again as he kept talking, “Your body was made to warm a warrior’s soul. Let me warm myself in your fire, lass.”
Eric begged no man, but here with Lori he was practically on his knees, so great was the power she wielded over him.
“Yes,” she whispered as she leaned up to kiss his mouth once more. This time it was her turn to conquer and demand as she kissed him. Her tongue sweeping in and tasting him, driving him crazy, making his blood boil within his very skin.
Struggling with himself, Eric broke her kiss and looked down into her smoldering eyes. The warrior in his soul struggling to possess even as the man tried to give her fair warning, “Lori, I canno’ promise you this will be gentle. I have waited too long for you.” He didn’t want to hurt her, but there was no guarantee he wouldn’t – his warrior was almost fully in control now.
“I don’t want gentle,” she whispered fiercely, arching herself into him as she rubbed against his chest, urging him on. “I just want you.”
“We canno’ go back after this. Do you understand, Lori? You are mine after this night and for every night that follows.”
Lori didn’t want to think about any other nights but tonight. She was afraid if she went there she’d freeze, or worse.
“Please, Eric. I need you…now…please,” she pleaded, refusing to think past this moment.
His kiss was all consuming, his tongue pushing in and out so forcefully it robbed Lori of her very breath. It was wonderful, it was making her crazy. His hands moved down her sides, across her ribs and back up to cup each breast. He ran his thumb over her tight nipples and squeezed, before cupping and kneading them again, alternating between rough and gentle. It felt as if he were trying to control the savageness threatening to overtake him. Lori didn’t care. She only wanted him, inside her, filling her up, blasting away the emptiness that had been part of her for far too long.
Eric couldn’t get enough of the small moans of pleasure that escaped her kiss swollen lips. Bending his head down, he took one breast into his mouth and licked the tight peak as his hand continued to knead the other. Her back arched as she hissed in delight. When he was done with one nipple, he moved to the other, swirling his tongue expertly, nipping at the tender skin, sucking hard until he knew how she liked it.
Slowly, he lowered them onto the rug in front of the hearth, lying her back against the soft down without breaking contact with her luscious skin. When she was settled underneath him, he kissed his way down her stomach, taking time to dip his tongue inside her belly button and running it all the way down the sensitive skin below. Every bit of her tasted divine, better than any delicacy he’d ever consumed over his long life.
Suffering the unyielding pain in his body a little longer, Eric took his time as he made sure to taste every inch of her skin. He would take every ounce of pleasure as he learned the curves and feel of her gorgeous body against his mouth. Slowly he removed the last bit of silky fabric covering her core, before raising one slender leg and settling it over one shoulder.
“Oh, wait...” Lori began.
But Eric had waited long enough. “I will taste your sweetness, lass. I want to feel you on the back of my tongue.” His voice was rough but his fingers were tender as he opened the folds of her body and took her in his mouth.
She gasped at the feel of his tongue while Eric moaned at the sweet taste of her. Lori was exquisite – like a fine wine. He couldn’t remember any woman ever tasting so good but she was his mate…no one would ever compare. He ran his tongue over her center, savoring every bit of her, growling against her skin as his warrior urged him on.
Crying out in pleasure, she writhed at the feel of his tongue against her. She was so hot and the feel of his cool tongue sizzled along her nerves, making gasp against the sensation. He licked and stroked her expertly. He slipped one finger inside and worked her body in time to the movement of his tongue. He was even hotter than she was – it felt like she was lying under a blast furnace. His mouth and tongued worked in time with his fingers, she’d never been so fully explored, so wholly devoured. Her senses were on overload.
“Oh my God,” she breathed, trembling from the mounting pleasure seizing hold of her entire body.
“That’s it, Lori,” he moaned against her, flicking his tongue hard against her. “Come for me, angel.” He worked his tongue faster, removing his finger to glide across her wetness before inserting two more inside and stretching her wide. He worked her with his tongue, flicking it hard, sucking it gently to raise her pleasure till he knew she was about to explode.
When she came it moved like a wave over her whole body. Eric held her tightly as she flew apart from the intensity of her orgasm, her body rising off the floor. Gripping her thighs tightly, his mouth sealed onto her very core, Eric drained every drop of liquid from her shuddering form. Her cry of pleasure was matched with his own deep throated growl of satisfaction. The need to possess her, to be inside her while she was still ready for him was like a fury inside him. He continued to lick and delve until Lori moaned again, begging him to stop.
Eric lowered her legs but only far enough to wrap them around his waist. He wanted to be gentle. He wanted this first time with Lori to be as good for her as he could make it, but there could be no further denying his own need. The hunger inside his soul was too great. He could feel it tearing through him, decimating the very last of his willpower.
Lori rolled her hips against him, “Now, Eric. I want you inside me now.”
She could feel him just at her entrance and she shivered in expectation.
"Gods, you are so beautiful,” he whispered, desperately trying to find some semblance of humanity inside himself.
“Shut up and get inside me already,” she demanded impatiently.
Eric’s eyes flashed gold as he felt the final thread of his control slip through his fingers. He thrust himself deep inside her, making them both groan from the feel of their hard union. It was at this moment Eric knew there’d never been another woman in his life that felt as perfect as Lori did at this singular point in time. Her body was perfection, as if made to fit just him. If he hadn’t been immortal, Eric was sure the feel of her would have killed him.
He was a man possessed, grinding his hips against her hard and slow. He stroked Lori from the inside, her body complying and molding itself to him even as he demanded more. The warrior wanted everything. The power that had flared inside him at her first touch snaked down his spine, making him go harder, deeper, until they were one.
When his hips were flush with hers, he savored the sounds that escaped her lips while damning himself for the brute that he was. Her breathing quickened, catching in her throat. He could feel the rush of her blood in her veins, the wild beating of her heart, her body yielding and urging him on. The woman was intoxicating.
Eric reached down and pulled Lori up until she was sitting in his lap. She kept her legs wrapped around his waist as he worked himself inside her body, thrusting in long, deep strokes as he reveled in the sounds that escaped her lips. He could feel her breath coming in sharper, her moans growing in their intensity as he loved her with every part of his body.
“You are perfection, Lori.”
“Don’t stop. Please.” Her voice was a harsh whisper as she wrapped her arms around him, holding onto his shoulders. She wanted to feel him all over and inside, until she couldn’t breathe. Lori could feel her pleasure rising again, unbelievably higher than the last time. She knew her orgasm was going to hit her hard and fast and still she wasn't ready for it.
When she came again, Eric quickened his thrusts, going so deep she screamed until he sealed her mouth with his own. He could feel her climax rising inside her, quickening his thrusts, he went as deep as her body would allow, in and out, over and over until she cried out. When she came again her pleasure sent a wave of power over him, his warrior rising to meet it in response. When he came, the force of their combined powers swept through him, making his skin crackle with the intensity of their bond.
Eric roared as the power swept him under, filling him to the brim with such force he felt like he was in the eye of a raging storm. The fire in the hearth exploded around them but his powers beat the flames back, keeping them safe as his body shuddered its release. Eric felt Lori’s body tightening against him. Only one thought rose inside his mind, filling his chest with its ferocity as her hips ground into his lap:
Mine.
She was his. Forever. It was the only thing that mattered as he filled her with his very essence. The only coherent thought he had left to hold on to.
As Eric opened his eyes, his power receding like the tide, he looked down and saw the evidence of their mating. Gone was his clan marking from his right arm, leaving his flesh unmarked and smooth once again.
He lowered his head and kissed Lori’s left arm, in exactly the spot where a golden band now appeared; a band similar to his own only slimmer with faint hints of purple interlaced among the gold.
She was now queen of Wolfgard and there her mark would remain until the day they both died.
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*Read Catch, Curse, Release **Restricted Chapters** for the complete unedited version of this chapter!