Stings and Seduction Gladiators: House of Andromeda 2 Word Count: 85,985 Heat Level: SCORCHING [Erotic Historical Paranormal Romance, M/F with F/M/F, shape-shifters, sex in partially shifted form] Sappho, scorpion Gladiator, finds himself trapped. Whipped and unmanned, he is held captive by more than iron shackles. His body rages for the lithe, raving beauty, his wicked captor. The scorpion’s barb is poised and waiting. It demands its mate. How long can he deny his beast? Damned by his mistakes, his silent tongue guards his secrets fiercely. His past has great power. It will hurt Aleka. Aleka surrenders to no man. But she is bent on taming the savage beast she has captured. This proud warrior will be hers, and though she is a novice to war, she will fight for him. But even as she overcomes the turmoil of her own past, she must help him heal his. Easy. Until she unravels the identity of the woman who first captured Sappho’s heart. How can she eradicate someone she knows well, much too well, without losing a part of herself?

Story Excerpt The metal blades grated against each other, sending a shiver of apprehension down his spine. A blade through his heart would have been preferable to the agony of dread he felt twist and churn within him. There were all sorts of pains she could inflict to various parts of his body, without the deliverance of death. And she had the look of a woman who possessed great reservoirs of imagination and a body built to fulfill a man’s every decadent fantasy. He shook away that wayward thought and clamped his teeth forcefully together. His jaws clenched painfully as he watched her stride slowly, purposefully behind him and out of sight. He resisted the temptation to glance over his shoulder. That would show weakness. He could feel her presence behind him. He could smell the scent of her skin, feel the heat of her body. Suddenly the sharp point of the blades touched his bare shoulder. Sappho fisted his hands as he seethed in silent fury and disgust at his helpless situation. Pride dictated he not flinch. The blade grazed a slow path across the top of his back, from shoulder to shoulder, pulling the remains of his tunic between the securing pins. The touch was light and delicate. He held himself stiff against the pain that would surely come after such a deceptively gentle caress. She was, after all, contradiction personified. She did not rush though, much to his frustration. The point of the shears slid softly, gently down the length of his erect back. From the absence of any pain, he could only conclude that she was taking care to move around any broken skin. This did nothing to quell his apprehension. He tensed as he felt the tip slip beneath the waistband of material guarding his vulnerable nether parts. The metal, now warm from the contact with his heated skin, skimmed a leisurely path across first one rock-hard, clenched cheek of his buttocks and then the other. Once the slow, thorough exploration was complete, the steel tip slid once again to the top. Sappho clenched the cheeks of his ass firmly as he felt the searing metal slip into the crack between them. The point did not cease though. It continued to press and force its way through, forging a patient, persistent path. For reasons Sappho did not care to explore right then, he felt his erection swell. The bulge, at the front of the constricting fabric wrapped around his groin, tightened the seat of it behind. Yet the tip of the shears continued blazing a fiery trail in the tender valley unaccustomed to such a caress. Sappho squeezed his eyes shut, fighting his body’s treacherous reaction to her manipulations. The tip reached the tender opening it sought. He felt the scorching-hot metal sink in slightly and hissed. His cock jerked. Lost in these ravenous stirrings in his groin caused by this unconventional touch, the daring piercing of his anus, he did not react quickly enough to the sudden shift behind him. His hair was grabbed brutally and savagely yanked forcefully back. His startled eyes met her striking blue ones above him. Evil intent sparked in the depths, making the blue flash and dance like jeweled sapphires. Her lips lifted the corners into a vicious smile. Sappho’s erection went instantly flaccid and his scrotum curled up in dread as he realized the back of his trousers was now unoccupied. Cold metal touched the back of his neck. He bellowed a single word, “No.” The shears shut with a deadly snap.  ADULT EXCERPT In one bold, swift move, he picked her up. Aleka had barely enough time to savor the cool air on her bare thighs. Her legs looped around his waist, securing her purchase. His hands cradled her ass, kneading and squeezing the orbs as she pressed and rubbed herself against his middle. His finger teased the crack between her ass cheeks deliciously, and she squirmed for more. Aleka drew her face away. In this position, her head towered above his. She looked down into his eyes, glowing green like unholy precious stones. His lips were pressed together, but he managed to grit out, “Command what you wish of me.” Aleka inhaled sharply. She understood exactly what he was doing. He was allowing her the opportunity not only to choose, but also to dominate. After the encounter with Tavares, she had never envisioned being in such a position of power. As he waited for her command, she realized she enjoyed this new, unfamiliar sense of strength. The corner of her lips lifted slyly. His body clenched with unleashed tension as she issued the first sexual instruction in her life. “I want you naked.” Her ankles laced more tightly as he balanced her weight with one hand. With no argument, his free hand hurriedly pushed down to confining fabrics at his waist. After the task was done, he again remained motionless, awaiting her demand. Aleka pursed her lips. She was a novice, but she would learn fast. The satisfaction of having this fierce warrior do her every biding excited her immensely. “Kiss my breasts.” Once again, Sappho used his free hand to pull down to material covering her bosom. The sound of ripping textile sent a shiver of anticipation through her. The cold air kissed her first. His kiss was hot and searing. Unreserved her next instruction spilled through her panting lips. “Suck me.” Sappho’s lips closed over her erect nipple. He sucked hard as his tongue swirled around the tip. His teeth grated against the engorged tip gently, and Aleka mewled in delight. It took a moment for her spinning mind to realize they were actually moving. Their progress was slow and staggering, but they were definitely in motion. She clung to him, unwilling to break the contact with his masterful mouth, accepting whatever destination he had in mind for them. Her bare ass touched a cold, smooth surface. Aleka stared down at him in stunned silence as he knelt on the ground below her. He had placed her on the first step of the seating arena. His lips lifted into a devilish smile as he pushed her gown further up and eventually balled it at her waist. His eyes glinted mischievously as he eyed the juncture exposed to him. Ever so slowly, he lowered his head and began to kiss the tender flesh at her inner thighs. Aleka’s legs obeyed the slightest pressure his hands applied and fell open. As the path of his mouth continued the decadent path to her very core, she stilled. His breath feathered against the curls before his lips caressed patiently. Aleka jerked upright and grabbed his hair in a punishing grip. “What are you doing?” “You command that I suck you.” Aleka scowled. “My breasts. What are you doing down there?” Sappho grinned, and winced as her grip in his hair tightened. “You should have been more specific. Now let go and let me see to your pleasure.”

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