Sarah came back to earth slowly, feeling a sense of wonder and peace that awed her. So this was what it felt like to be Brian's love. She grinned, slightly sorry for all the other women of the world who would have to settle for something less.
Brian had rolled onto his back and pulled her halfway on top of him. Her head was resting on his broad chest, and his hand was cupping her bottom. His deep, steady breathing told her that he was asleep.
She leaned her head back to look at him. Silvery moonlight gilded his features, imbuing them with a look of softness and vulnerability. A thick lock of dark hair had fallen onto his forehead, making her fingers itch to comb it back into place. Looking at him now, peaceful and relaxed beneath her, he looked like a perfect gentleman once more. It was difficult to believe he was the same man who had claimed her body so completely, so ruthlessly, so primitively just an hour before. She knew with certainty that she belonged to him. He had said he would never let her go. The certainty that he wouldn't made her smile.
Her eyes clouded when she remembered the dream she had had earlier. The dream had unlocked strong emotions of fear, panic and a desperate desire to escape from something. She analyzed the dream again, seeing the man's actions in a different light than she had before. Instead of seeming like a loving husband, she had a feeling he was preying on her, against her will. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to see his face clearly, but it was still an indistinct blur. Remembering the way he had handled her body made her shiver with revulsion. She opened her eyes with a shuddering sigh and found Brian watching her closely.
"What are you thinking about, my angel? You'd better not be having second thoughts."
Sarah shivered with pleasure from the dark, arrogant timbre of his voice. He was once again the conqueror. His tone of voice made it clear that it would do her no good to have doubts, he wouldn't allow them. She had given herself to him, he had claimed her, and the decision was irrevocable.
She rose onto her elbow, leaning down to kiss him. Her lips were soft and gentle, soothing his ruffled feathers, acknowledging his dominion, conceding to his demands. She felt him relax beneath her, no longer poised for battle, but merely enjoying the spoils of his victory. His haughtiness made her smile as she ended the kiss. She stroked the hair back from his forehead, completely content to be where she was.
"No, Brian. I'm not having second thoughts. I was remembering a dream I had last night, just before I came to you."
"Tell me about it," he said, fluffing the pillows behind him and pulling her higher on his chest so he could see her face more clearly.
Sarah recounted the dream for him, blushing as she described how she had dreamed of him making love to her. Brian grinned as he watched her, but his grin faded when she told him about the man replacing him in her vision.
"I can't be sure," Sarah murmured thoughtfully, "but I have the feeling that man was forcing me against my will. I don't think he loves me, and given the panic and fear I felt when I woke up, I don't think I love him either."
Brian reached to cup her cheek, running his thumb along her fine cheekbone. His eyes glowed with commitment as he stared into hers.
"Angel, I won't let that man ever hurt you. You're safe here with me. You know that, don't you?" When she nodded, he tucked her hair back behind her ear. "We're going to find out who you are, and as soon as we do, you are going to marry me."
"How do you know I'm not already married?" she whispered.
Brian made an impatient sound and rolled to pin her beneath him. He nudged her thighs apart and eased gently inside her, gratified to hear her soft sigh of pleasure as he carefully stroked further into her, conscious that she was likely still sore.
"You and I both know you were a virgin, Sarah." He trailed nibbling kisses along her neck, gripping her waist to hold her still for his languid thrusts. "You can't possibly be married."
Sarah was finding it hard to concentrate when he was penetrating her to a slow, steady rhythm. His lovemaking was once again gentle, reminiscent of their earlier encounters. This was nice, but she was in the mood for the fire, the fierceness, the untamed ferocity he had shown after he had taken her virginity.
"What if I'm newly married but hadn't consummated the vows yet?" she asked. "What if I really do belong to another man?"
She was purposefully inciting his possessive nature. She was eager to be vanquished. She couldn't wait to submit to him completely. Brian took the bait, growling low in his throat as he pulled her arms above her head and pinned them to the pillow.
He held both her arms easily in one hand and grasped her breast in his other, kneading the plump globe. Her nipple was swollen, still tender from his savagery. He squeezed it firmly, catching and holding her gaze.
"You're mine! Never forget that, Sarah."
He squeezed her nipple even harder, and she moaned with pleasure. The tiniest hint of a smug smile on her face made him pause. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously as he watched her writhing beneath him, pressing her breast eagerly against his palm, whimpering for more.
"You're enjoying this," he accused softly. "You like making me lose control."
Sarah bit her lip, blushing beneath his steady regard. "Yes," she whispered. "Please don't stop.
Brian released the pressure on her nipple and gently soothed it, denying her what she craved. "My mother was right," he said with a smug grin. "She told me I would find a woman like you."
Sarah blinked up at him, completely intrigued. "What do you mean, a woman like me?"
Brian's grin widened. He continued to hold her down, caressing her breast softly as he spoke.
"When I was barely fifteen, I snuck into the brothel in our hometown and lost my virginity to a lusty prostitute." He ignored her indignant gasp and continued. "I thought I had been discreet, but my mother found out, and she told my father about it. He thrashed me good and proper, tanning my backside until I could barely sit down for a week. He told me that I was too young to be carrying on with women, and he forbade me from visiting that place again until I was older."
"My mother left me alone for a few days, giving me time to lick my wounds. I was glad, because I was ashamed to face her. Finally, she found a chance to talk with me about what I had done. She said that my brothers were more like our father, responsible and steady. Then, she looked at me and gave me a secretive smile. That's when she told me about you."
"What on earth are you talking about?" Sarah said with a confused frown.
"She said that I took after her. She said I had a passionate nature, that I had always had difficulty controlling my urges. She said that eventually, when the time was right, I would find a woman who was brave enough, strong enough, not only to withstand my urges but to encourage and enjoy them. She said I needed a woman who would relish my wildness without trying to tame me, a woman who could encourage me to be a good and decent man but still allow me to satisfy my darker cravings. She said I would find a woman like you."
Sarah was panting with excitement. "It sounds as if your mother is a very wise woman," she whispered.
"She is," Brian said simply. "I was amazed at the depth of her perception. I didn't understand how my pure, proper mother could know such things about me. It was only years later that I realized that she knew because she was the same. She had found the man who could satisfy her wild urges in my father." Brian dropped his gaze to her breast as he seized her nipple once more. "She knew exactly what kind of woman I needed, and now I have found you."
He bent to suckle her breast, pulling sharply on her already smarting nipple with his teeth. He showed no mercy on the tender nubbin, torturing it as Sarah moaned from the sharp pain and exquisite pleasure. When she was nearly frantic, straining against his hold on her wrists, he released her nipple, soothing it with his tongue.
