His tongue forged a wet path up her breast, across her chest and to the hollow of her throat. Atar paused to flick his tongue against the sensitive spot, causing her to bite down on the gag to keep from crying out. His mouth moved higher and his tongue traced the outside of her ear, pausing to suck the non-pierced lobe into his mouth. She whimpered at the sensations overtaking her. It seemed important to escape what he was doing-and what she wanted him to do. She couldn't let him do this, could she?

She wanted him to care about her if he made love to her. She couldn't let him take her if he didn't like or trust her. And he didn't. There was no way he could after their first meeting and all that he must have heard about her. He refused to believe Illiana had possessed her, so that left him with the belief she had voluntarily committed all the evil acts of which she stood accused. How could he even want her, thinking she was like that?

The answer was obvious. He didn't really want her. He only wanted revenge for the way she had left him in Constanta. She might not be able to stop him but she refused to enjoy it.

The gentle touch of his mouth against hers undid all her good intentions. Nikia's lips softened against his and she hardly noticed the thin strip of cotton filling her mouth as he licked her upper lip. His gaze locked with hers and her eyes widened at the vulnerability she saw there.

Atar brought a hand up to caress her cheek. He lifted his mouth from hers but his breath still whispered across her cheek. "You are a puzzle, Nikia. You have an air of innocence about you that enchants me but it makes no sense. I know what you've done. You should repulse me, and you do on many levels, but you also fascinate me." He stood up, sighing. "I don't like this attraction I feel for you. I don't trust it either."

She struggled to speak, emitting several m.u.f.fled sounds through the gag.

He hesitated and then his hand moved from her cheek to the gag. "I probably shouldn't remove this. I still don't know how you got into my mind. If it was some power using your voice, I'm a fool to remove this precaution." With a shake of his head, he pulled the gag from her mouth and left it around her neck.

The unrehea.r.s.ed words spilled from her in a rush. "Please help me. I can't control her any longer. I need your help."

He lifted a brow. "What do you want from me?"

She hesitated, torn between voicing what her body urged and what common sense insisted on. She licked her dry lips. "Please take me..." She trailed off, noting the way his eyes widened at her husky invitation. She wanted to let the words hang there, to see if he would act on them in a state of desire, rather than revenge but her mouth opened once more. "To Belarus. I need to go to a village near Minsk."

The heat that had flared in his eyes dimmed and Atar eyed her dispa.s.sionately. "What's in Minsk?"

She felt a stir of hope. Maybe he was ready to listen, to help her. "My grandmother's people. Surely, they'll know how to help me rid myself of Illiana."

He snorted. "Are you sticking with that ridiculous tale? Don't you think it would be better to own up to what you've done?"

She glared at him. "I haven't done anything."

He sighed. "There is that part of your nature that vexes me. I would have an easier time dealing with my attraction to you if you weren't a manipulative liar."

"Oh, it's okay if I'm a murderer but I can't be a liar?" She rolled her eyes. "You're no help. Can we just return to Corsova and end this farce?"

He nodded. "We have tickets on a flight leaving in three hours." His expression changed to one of pa.s.sion. "That gives us plenty of time for me to discover if you've bewitched me into wanting you."

Her mouth dropped open. "If I've what? Why would I do such a thing?"

He sat on the bed beside her, resting his palm on her stomach. "I have a feeling you will do anything if there's an advantage for you." His hand moved upward, to settle under her breast, flicking his thumb across her nipple. "Only this time, there's no gain for you. I'm going to discover if this attraction between us is honest and I think you'll know the answer too, before we leave this hotel room."

Nikia whimpered when Atar brought his other hand to her thigh, sliding it upward in a motion mimickingthe path of his hand settling on her breast. As his right hand flirted with the curls shielding her p.u.s.s.y, his left grasped her breast and squeezed. He took the nipple between his fingers and pulled almost gently but with enough force to border on pain.

She tried once more to reason with him. "You don't have to do this. I'm sorry I invaded your mind but I didn't make you do anything you weren't willing to do. You found me attractive before I entered your psyche."

His hands paused and he looked thoughtful. "That's true but my knowledge of what kind of person you were helped me control any impulses I felt. It was only after you violated me that I found myself thinking of you constantly, hungering for you." He dipped his head lower, brushing his lips against hers before adding, "I ache for you, Nikia."

"I didn't do anything." But hadn't she? She had forced him to think he needed to f.u.c.k her to be satisfied.

Had she caused his need for her to increase? Was this her fault?

"Hmm." A finger on his right hand dipped between her p.u.s.s.y lips, seeking out her c.l.i.t. "Perhaps not, but you will."

Out of desperation, Nikia closed her eyes and tried to enter Atar's mind again. She recoiled when she ran into a wall that blocked her from going further. She withdrew, opening her eyes when she heard his low chuckle.

"Not so successful this time, were you?" There was a thread of anger his amused tone didn't mask. "I don't know how you did it to start with but you won't again."

She didn't know either. Maybe Illiana had been the one to breach his mental barriers. Her mother had always been powerful, having augmented her natural vampiric psychic abilities with knowledge from Elsa's people. Perhaps the only way to reach Atar again was to surrender control to Illiana. She could escape...

No! She couldn't risk it. Nikia could feel her mother's strength increasing with each pa.s.sing hour. She couldn't allow Illiana even a temporary surge in power, lest she not be able to stop her from taking over completely.

She squirmed when another question occurred to her. Did she want to escape? Atar's touch was expert and she was drawn to him. Why not have s.e.x with him? Whom would it hurt?

She shied away from the notion that she would be hurting herself and him by allowing this purely physical interlude to take place. Why would s.e.x scathe either of them? She wasn't in love with him and he definitely didn't love her. In fact, he seemed to almost loathe her. When his fingers circled her slick c.l.i.t with slow circles, she resolved to stop thinking. This might be the only chance she had for s.e.x with someone she found attractive and she wasn't going to turn him away because he was irate with her. In some ways, his smoldering anger thrilled her. It was empowering to know he still found her s.e.xy and desirable, even in spite of what he believed she had done. It was a new experience for her, to personally feel s.e.xy and want her partner.

She parted her legs wider and arched against his hand, inviting him to explore deeper. Atar's finger slipped lower, tracing her slit, until it plunged into the opening of her p.u.s.s.y. She moaned at the gentle invasion and thrust her hips up again, taking him in deeper, wishing it were his c.o.c.k instead of his finger. He chuckled as his head lowered, bringing his mouth against her breast. His hand gave way to his tongue. It swirled around her nipple in teasing circles, causing spasms of pleasure to ripple through her.

She tugged at the cuffs, wanting to free her hands so she could bury them in his long hair, to see if it was as soft as it appeared. She wanted to hold his head against her breast so he couldn't stop laving the sensitive bud.

A second finger joined the first in her p.u.s.s.y and he began to pump them in concert with his tongue flicking over her nipple. "Atar." His name was a sigh on her lips. She arched her hips and his fingers went deeper inside her. At the same time, his teeth grazed her nipple, causing it to pulse. She whimpered, wordlessly asking for more.

Perhaps he interpreted her sounds of pleasure correctly, because his mouth moved lower, tracing a wet path from her breast to her navel. He paused to press a light kiss over her belly b.u.t.ton before moving lower. When his tongue connected with her pubic bone, shudders racked Nikia's body and she exhaled harshly. Antic.i.p.ation made her dizzy and her thighs clenched of their own accord.

"Nervous?" he asked against her mound, stirring her pubic hair with his breath.

"Yes." It was like being a virgin again. Others had tasted her p.u.s.s.y but none she would have chosen for herself. No man had ever ventured between her thighs. In fact, she was a virgin, technically. The physical barrier was long gone but no man's c.o.c.k had ever filled her p.u.s.s.y. Her stomach churned with excitement and a little fear when his mouth went lower.

His tongue outlined her lips without straying inside. She squirmed under the light touch and once again tested the handcuffs. They held fast but the bed slats groaned again and she thought she heard a splintering sound before Atar's tongue distracted her by dipping into her p.u.s.s.y, to probe her opening.

"Higher," she managed to say through clenched teeth. She needed his mouth on her c.l.i.t, stoking the fire building inside her. His teasing touches were driving her insane.

He lifted his head briefly. "Maybe."

She groaned with frustration. The annoyance didn't abate when his tongue returned to her p.u.s.s.y, as he once again moved his tongue in a line down one of her lips, paused to flick the tip into her opening and then worked his way back up the other lip. Her body shook with the force of her need, and anger stirred at the callous way he tormented her. "Haven't you gotten your revenge yet?"

His mouth stilled and he hesitated. Finally, Atar looked up. "No. I'm enjoying drawing this out." He cupped her p.u.s.s.y with his hand before meeting her eyes. "Your slick p.u.s.s.y tells me you're enjoying it too." His pinkie dipped inside, to brush against her c.l.i.t. "Or is your p.u.s.s.y lying?"

She glared at him but didn't bother with a verbal answer. What could she say? It was impossible to deny the physical proof of her arousal. His touch made her burn but his slow, teasing pace was what had her protesting. Why couldn't he shed his clothes and f.u.c.k her until they were both mindless? It was clear that was what they each wanted. "Why draw this out? You know you can have me. I'm at your mercy, so take me. f.u.c.k me."

His brow furrowed. "It doesn't sit well, having you at my mercy." With a sigh, he withdrew his hand.

By the look on his face and the way he seemed to draw into himself, she could see he had finished tormenting her. Her stomach dropped, because it appeared that he was finished, in general, as he got tohis feet. "What are you doing?"

"I thought I could do this." He paced the narrow area between the two beds, running a hand through his disheveled hair. He paused to stare down at her. "I told myself you deserved whatever I did to you."

She licked her lips. "Maybe that's true."

One side of his mouth quirked. "Probably, but it doesn't matter. Call it rape or forced seduction-neither sits well with me."

She swallowed a lump in her throat, surprised by how his rejection hurt. "Don't you want me?"

He hesitated, and it seemed as though he wouldn't answer. Finally, as he resumed pacing, with his back to her, he said, "I don't know. I can't tell what I want and what you put in my head. My body's throbbing for you but my brain can't sort it all out."

She closed her eyes, giving up. What could she do in the situation? If she begged him for s.e.x, he might comply but would likely be even more mistrustful of her in the morning. Atar would probably think she had forced him to f.u.c.k her, hoping to gain his compliance.

And she needed his help. She didn't think she would be able to escape from him again and her time was running out. If she couldn't convince him to take her to her grandmother's people, either she would die in Corsova for her mother's crimes or Illiana would once again take over her body. She couldn't allow that.

Even death was a better option.

She still held a shred of hope that Atar would listen to her. It was the only hope of which she had to cling.

Chapter 5.

Two hours later, the ache in her p.u.s.s.y, from not receiving fulfillment, throbbed in concert with the migraine building in her head when Nikia accompanied Atar out of a taxi that had ferried them to Rome's Leonardo da Vinci airport. His hand fell on her upper arm and she looked up at him.

He drew her to the side of the building, out of the flow of traffic. "It would be much simpler if I can remove your handcuffs. It will be less ha.s.sle all the way around but I'm reluctant to do so." His eyes bored into hers. "I don't know if I can trust you."

She resisted the urge to beg. "I swear I won't try to escape." She had committed to returning to Corsova, if that's what it took to stop Illiana and she meant to do so. She still felt her best hope lay in Belarus but persuading Atar of that was proving impossible.

Atar's eyes a.s.sessed her for another half-minute before he reached into his pocket to remove the key.

He lifted the jacket from her arms that he had used to conceal the cuffs and unlocked them.

She flexed her wrists, enjoying the freedom. In the hotel room, he had removed them just long enough for her to shower and dress, before replacing them with her hands cuffed in front of her. She rubbed each wrist in turn while Atar slipped the cuffs into a side pocket of his carryon. When he stood up again, he put his arm through hers, drawing her close to his side. "Don't make me regret extending you a margin of trust, Nikia."

She nodded, disconcerted at the way she mentally squirmed away from disappointing him.

They proceeded through check-in with little trouble, other than a twenty-minute wait in the line. At the security station, a clerk searched and x-rayed their carryon bags. Nikia barely bit back an embarra.s.sed laugh when the young man removed the handcuffs from the side-pocket before hastily stuffing them back in. From the way his ears turned pink and the look he gave both of them, it was clear he inferred the cuffs were used in some kinky s.e.xual practice.

A blush warmed her cheeks when she realized the young man wasn't far off the mark. Both times she had worn them, she had ended up shackled to a bed. Her body reacted to the memory predictably enough. She tried to ignore the twinge shooting through her p.u.s.s.y as she followed Atar onto the plane.

Soon, they sat in the middle of the plane. The smallish seats forced a level of imposed intimacy he probably wasn't comfortable with and one she shouldn't have welcomed the way she did. Nikia shifted in the seat, bringing her knee against his. She pretended not to see the look he shot her. The view of the tarmac drew her gaze and she watched employees scurrying about in the bright afternoon sun. It seared her eyes and increased the aching in her head. With a sigh, she turned away, resting her head against the seat, with her eyes closed.

A few minutes later, the flight attendant went through the safety protocol. Nikia tuned it out after fastening her seatbelt. Her head pounded vigorously now and she swore she could hear her mother whispering in the back of her mind, although the words were gibberish.

She kept her eyes closed and tried to ignore the pain as the plane taxied down the runway. Her stomach jolted with nausea when the plane went airborne and she tightened her hands into fists. The migraine wasn't responding to her attempts at relaxation. Relief swept through her when an attendant stopped by their seat a few minutes later to ask if they wanted a drink. "Bottled water and Tylenol, please."

She looked at Atar when the attendant left them. "What?"

He frowned, and his expression bespoke concern. "You're pale and trembling. Are you afraid of flying?"

She shook her head, regretting the movement when pain flared at the base of her neck and traveled down her spine. "No. Migraine." It was an effort to speak and even more of an effort to accept the water and package of tablets the woman brought her.

Atar must have sensed her weakness, because he took the water and opened the cap. Nikia fumbled open the packaging to free the tablets. She popped them in her mouth and gave him a grateful look when he held the bottle for her so she could drink. He still appeared concerned but there was a hint of suspicion in his gaze. It saddened her that he couldn't get beyond his distrust of her, despite his desire for her.

She leaned back again, closing her eyes. The whisper had increased in pitch, audibly filling her mind.

He doesn't trust you because you can't be trusted.

She resisted the urge to scream her response aloud. It struck her as insane to be having the conversationin her mind but at least no one else was aware of what was happening.You're the one who can't be trusted.

The laugh she had grown to hate filled her mind.

How right you are, dear daughter but no one else believes you.

I don't care.

Aren't you tired of the struggle?

Lead weights imprisoned Nikia's eyes. She couldn't open her eyelids when she tried.Yes. She heard the weakness in her mental reply simultaneously with feeling Illiana's surge of strength.

Then surrender. Sleep, Nikia. Rest and rid yourself of this burden. When you awaken, all will be as it should.

Sleep slipped over Nikia, bringing with it a sense of freedom and weightlessness. She floated on a dark cloud of worry-free joy, letting her troubles slip away. It would be much easier to give in. She was so tired of fighting, knowing she would lose. It was time to stop resisting....

"Nikia?" Atar's hand brushed against her forehead and his voice was low, meant only for her ears. "Can you hear me? Are you asleep?"

A glimpse of light appeared in the darkness surrounding her. She no longer felt free and weightless.

Instead, the shadows seemed to be closing around her, with their weight crushing her. She couldn't draw a deep breath.

"Nikia?" The concern in his tone brought more light to the black void where she hovered. The entire world trembled when Atar shook her shoulder. Nikia reached out for his hand but seemed to be encased in mola.s.ses. She moved much too slowly to make the connection.

Give up!Illiana's shriek echoed through her mind. Gone was the seductive, soothing tone she had used to lull Nikia into this trancelike state.You can't win.

But she wasn't ready to concede defeat. The fight was futile but all she needed to do was buy time. In a flash of clarity, she knew she wouldn't meekly return to Corsova and accept punishment for her mother's crimes. She had to get to Belarus. She owed herself a chance at life. Whatever it took, she had to go there.

Nikia struggled against the essence imprisoning her, whimpering. When Illiana tried to force her way into her mind, Nikia lashed out at her. Her newfound conviction aided her in attempting to repel her mother, giving her new strength.

She cried out when Illiana tried again, shaking her body with the force of her efforts. Nikia wasn't sure what was reality and what was a trick imposed by her mother. Her body trembled under the onslaught and she reached out for Atar. Her hand closed around his, bringing a renewed sense of order. As Illiana tried once more, she repelled her with a shred of strength she summoned from a hidden reserve.

She was weak and exhausted. Tremors still coursed through her and darkness tried to enshroud her.

Cautiously, Nikia tested the blackness to see if Illiana's presence lurked inside, waiting to consume her.She found nothing but tranquility and allowed herself to surrender to unconsciousness.

Atar stared in dismay as Nikia collapsed forward in her seat. Convulsions shook her body and he reached out for her without thought. She nestled into his arms as though made to fit there but the tremors racked through her just the same. She murmured something but he couldn't make out what she said. He leaned forward, trying to make out her words and recoiled when they clarified.

"Atar," she said repeatedly, thrashing in his arms. It was almost as if she was trying to free herself from bonds he couldn't see.

He jumped with surprise when the flight attendant touched his arm. He looked up at her, knowing her frightened gaze mirrored his.

"Signor, shall I ask the pilot to return us to da Vinci?"