Match Found, page 10
part #1 of Mudden Men Series
“Don’t worry,” she said. “I wasn’t offended.”
Griff frowned. “I don’t want there to be secrets between us.”
“I’m going to be leaving soon,” Kay reminded him. “I don’t mind if you want to keep your secrets.”
Griff remained quiet for the rest of dinner, which suited Kay just fine.
“I don’t think it would be a good idea for us to lie to each other,” he continued when they’d cleared the table. “How could you trust me to keep up my end of our deal if you thought I was a liar.”
He came to stand in front of her.
“I agree we shouldn’t lie,” Kay said, “but that doesn’t mean we have to go out of our way to tell each other everything.”
Griff frowned, still not happy with her response.
“But I do want to know everything.” He stepped closer, bringing his body within centimeters of hers, making her stomach flip with excitement.
“Well…tough bananas,” she said, laughing.
Griff smiled. “It’s alright. I have time. You’ll tell me eventually!”
Griff leaned in. Kay automatically closed her eyes and lifted her lips toward his, her body tingling with anticipation. But he brought his lips to her ear instead.
“Everything.” His hot breath on her neck sent shivers down her back.
Sliding his hand to the back of her head, he kissed the sensitive spot underneath her ear, and a moan escaped her lips. As he kissed his way down her neck, Kay drew her head back against his hand to give him better access. He slowly retraced his steps with his mouth and tongue. Griff did everything slowly and thoroughly, and it was driving her crazy. She wanted his hands on her, caressing and rubbing, but they remained still on her head. All she had to do was ask. But she couldn’t. No. She couldn’t give in. She didn’t want to admit defeat. She didn’t want to prove them right; not the algorithm, not Sandrine, and certainly not Dr. Wells.
Griff stopped kissing her and whispered in her ear, “Teach me more.” The sexy baritone of his voice sent a lightning bolt of desire coursing through her body, causing every nerve ending to come alive, ending with a hot intensity pooling between her legs.
Oh shit!
She had to do something. Grabbing his hands, she led him to the bed and instructed him to sit with his back against the headboard. She climbed on top of him, straddling him, her knees on each side of his hips. Her nightgown rode up her legs exposing her thighs, but she was past caring.
Griff looked back at her with intense desire.
“Touch me,” she said, watching the joy and hunger in his eyes when he heard her words.
She grabbed his hands and put them over her breasts. Griff smiled.
“Massage me,” she said. And he did, somewhat uncertainly. She leaned in and kissed him, sliding her tongue against his. She moaned as his thumbs found her swollen nipples through the fabric of her gown, circling them with interest.
Her hips moved of their own accord, moving up his legs, searching for something hard to rub against. There. She pressed his arousal against the dip between her legs and continued to explore his mouth as she moved against him slowly. He growled and his hands left her breasts to grab her moving hips. She stopped kissing and looked Griff in the eyes. He was staring at her with so much desire it almost looked painful. Not breaking eye contact she continued grinding him, rubbing the length of him in just the right spot, his hands on her hips helping her move forward and back.
“Kay.” The intensity in his voice urged her on.
She wanted more. She wanted release. She pressed herself as hard as she could against him, the wet fabric of her underwear causing little friction. She wished she could feel the softness of his skin instead of the barrier of cotton. She wished he were inside her, filling the growing void. But that would require stopping long enough to get their clothes off. She thrashed against him, his fingers digging painfully into her hips. There was no pretense of control from either of them, as they violently stroked against each other, the bed creaking under them.
Griff roared, his body jerking as his eyes clouded over.
No! Not yet!
Kay angled her hips so his still hard tip hit in just the right spot and continued grinding him, searching for her own release. He looked back at her with interest.
“More,” she whimpered.
Closing her eyes to focus, she continued to roughly rub against him.
There.
“Griff!” Pleasure exploded inside her as her body clenched than released. Feeling like she’d run a marathon, she dropped her forehead on his, trying to catch her breath.
“Thank you,” he said between breaths.
She looked. There was an intensity in his eyes that held her attention.
“You’re welcome.”
She stayed there waiting for her heart rate to settle back to normal and her body to stop shaking.
“I have to change,” he said.
The front of his pants were soaked.
“Right.” She stood up from his lap.
He went into the bathroom, and Kay lay back down on the bed unable to sort her emotions. As her body cooled down, she began to shiver, and she knew one thing for sure. She wanted his warmth back.
Griff came out of the bathroom wearing only pajama pants. Her eyes trailed over the muscles of his chest. She wanted those powerful arms wrapped around her.
“Sleep next to me,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper, suddenly feeling shy.
Griff smiled and, without asking any questions, lay in the bed. Kay scooted next to him, grabbed his hand and turned on her side, wrapping his arm around her waist. She burrowed herself deep into his chest, enjoying the warmth of his body.
Chapter Ten
Kay woke up slowly, something drawing her out of sleep. Someone was rubbing her arm and kissing her neck sending shivers down her back and waking every sensitive spot on her body.
“Griff?” She asked her voice hoarse from sleep.
He stopped kissing and grabbed her close to him, pressing the length of his body against her back.
“Good morning,” he whispered in her ear.
Kay smiled. “Good morning.”
She turned to lay on her back looking up at him.
He had a very satisfied smile on his lips as he brought them down to kiss hers gently and slowly. Her brain still fuzzy from sleep, she enjoyed the feel of him, wrapping her arms around his neck and savoring the kiss. Griff’s hand traveled down her neck to settle on her breast, slowly massaging and teasing her nipple.
She moaned and lifted her leg up over his hip to get closer to him, wanting to feel him between her legs again. He broke their kiss, bringing his lips to her ear.
“We have to go.”
She ignored him and desperately rubbed against his leg. While her brain was in a fog, her body was alert and needy. She pulled on his hip some more, and he pushed himself up on his elbows and turned on top of her. She wrapped her legs around his waist, moaning when his hard length found just the right spot.
Griff grinned happily while looking down at her. He moved his hips and she bucked against him. Each stroke scratched a little of the growing itch, but also made her want more. He moved slowly, rubbing from tip to hilt.
“Yes,” Kay said, throwing her head back.
Griff laughed and stopped moving, keeping himself pressed hard against her. She looked at him questioningly, her hands automatically going down to his hips to get them moving again, but Griff had her pinned down.
“What did you say?” He asked with a wide smile.
“What?” Her head had a hard time focusing. Her hips moved uncontrollably, trying to keep the friction going.
“Did you say ‘yes’?”
Kay tried to pay attention to what he was saying.
“Does that mean you want to…” She heard the nervous tremor in his voice.
“No!” Kay said, suddenly wide awake. She knew she probably made no sense, having some fun was fine, but she couldn’t do that, she wouldn’t become a breeder for the Glaerus clan.
“Are you sure?” Griff asked as her hips continued to rub against him.
He started to move again matching her rhythm. “Do you want me Kay?”
“No,” she lied, squeezing her legs tighter around him so he wouldn’t get the idea to move away.
Griff laughed as her treacherous body grabbed on to him in every way possible. He leaned in to kiss her, and Kay knew that if he made a move to go further, she’d be bringing him inside her herself. But Griff respected her wishes, slowed down his movement and sat up.
“We have to go,” he said.
“No.” Every nerve ending in her body was alight with desire and need.
“The council meeting is this morning.”
“I know you don’t have much experience in this area, but turning someone on and then leaving them feeling frustrated is very rude.”
Griff laughed. “You’ve been doing it to me for three weeks.”
“Not on purpose,” Kay retorted.
Griff shook his head, still smiling. “I don’t know what to do, Kay. You just said you don’t want me.”
“There are other things we can do,” Kay said, feeling her cheeks flush.
Griff lay back down on his side next to her.
“You have twenty minutes to teach me,” he said with a wide grin.
Kay smiled, grabbed his hand and placed it on her belly. Griff looked on with a raised eyebrow as Kay slowly brought his hand down her body. When she reached the lining of her underwear, she pushed them down her hips. She watched his face as he looked at her naked body with interest, reveling in his attention.
She opened her legs and guided his fingers down her curls to her entrance.
“You’re wet,” Griff said, his voice deep as if it was hard for him to speak.
“Yes.”
“Are you wet for me?” He raised his gaze up to her face.
Kay stared into his eyes.
“Yes.” she enjoyed the look that came over his eyes.
She brought his fingers slightly deeper until they rested on her clitoris.
“Here,” she gasped, moving her hips so his fingers rubbed her in just the right place.
Griff smiled at her reaction.
“Here?” He asked, taking control of his hand and rubbing her slowly and lightly where she’d taught him.
She shivered. “Griff.”
He increased the pressure, stroking her harder and with purpose.
Her muscles clenched, desperate for something to hold on to. The desire for more hit her so violently that she had to bite down on her bottom lip to prevent herself from telling him how much she wanted him inside her. Instead she grabbed his hand and forced his fingers deeper. She squeezed him, but it wasn’t enough. She grabbed his wrist and bucking her hips up, pressed him against her as hard as she could.
“Please,” she whimpered.
“Tell me what you want Kay.” Griff’s deep voice sent shivers down her body.
She reached for the waistband of his pants, her eager fingers struggling to untie the string holding them up. When she finally managed to get them loose enough, she slid her hand in, rubbing her palm against the hot length of him.
Griff let out a gasp as she squeezed.
“You’re hard,” Kay said, enjoying the look of intense pleasure on his face. “Are you hard for me, Griff?” She slowly moved her hand up and down, he was hard as a rock but covered in velvety soft skin.
“Yes,” he roared.
If they couldn’t go through with the real thing, then she would settle for pretending. His fingers working her in rhythm with her hand on his shaft. When she wanted him to go faster she pumped him harder and faster, and he increased his pace on her, the matching motion of hands and hips making it obvious what they both truly desired. As they stared into each others eyes, she knew he was imagining his cock buried inside her as much as she was. She squeezed his fingers as her hand squeezed on him.
“Kay.”
He spasmed and came in her hand. She stroked him until he was completely done, and he dropped down on his side, breathing hard from the aftermath.
“You’re not done yet,” she said, pulling on his arm to get him back up. He kneeling between her legs, supporting himself on one arm and looking down at her, then brought his hand back to her aching core. She wrapped her legs around his hips. With him on top of her like that it was even easier to imagine that they were doing more.
“Harder and faster,” she said.
Griff laughed, but did as she instructed. She’d never talked to a guy this way before. She’d never been so shameless in expressing her desires, but Griff made her feel safe, strangely, and he was eager to please her.
He increased his speed, and Kay lifted her hips up every time he slammed his fingers back into her, harder and harder, getting just a little deeper with each stroke. But it still wasn’t enough.
“More,” she begged.
Griff’s smile disappeared as he looked at her helplessly, unsure what to do. She didn’t know either. No matter how hard he moved, his fingers just weren’t enough to satisfy her, instead each stroke just made her wilder and needier, until she was sure that she’d never wanted anything in her life as much as she wanted Griff right then.
He sat back on his hunches. “You said it was here.” He put his other hand on her, his thumb finding her clit.
“Griff!”
With one hand still pounding her, he drew languid circles around her clit with his thumb.
She came with a moan of relief.
Her body sunk into the mattress and she closed her eyes.
“Thank you,” she said.
Griff kissed her belly, and she felt the rumbled of his laughter against her skin. “You’re welcome.”
* * *
Griff grabbed her hand and pushed through the crowd entering the council building. Kay saw Sandrine, Sarah, and Jane sitting in the second row. Jane waved at her. Kay pulled on Griff’s hand to lead him toward them. He looked in the direction she pointed with her chin. He and Sandrine made eye contact and nodded slightly at each other, then Griff looked at Kay and shook his head, pulling her in a different direction to a bench near the back.
Kay had told Sarah she would sit with her at the meeting, and she had every intention of keeping her word. Griff sat down and pulled on her hand to make her sit down next to him. Kay sat but only to talk to him.
“I’m going to sit with Sarah,” she whispered in his ear taking her hand back. “I have to show her my support.”
“No. I can’t appear to take sides in this conflict.”
“So stay here then,” Kay said angrily.
Griff looked at her, and the look he gave her made her stomach sink. It was sadness and fear combined into one. Kay suddenly remembered Andras asking her to protect his friend. It’d only been one day, and she was already failing. She sat back down next to Griff, grabbed his hand and squeezed it, bringing their joined hands to rest in her lap. She never wanted to see that look on his face again.
Griff leaned into her ear. “Thank you.”
Kay squeezed his hand tighter.
The council members walked onto the stage. There were nine of them. All men and all different ages, Andras being the youngest one there. They sat down at a long table facing the crowd.
Eurion, who sat at the center of the table, went over the meeting agenda. Apparently there was a lot to go through before he would get to personal grievances, which Andras had explained was the part where Celyn would raise his complaints.
“First, I want to welcome our newest Clan members, Sarah, Jane, and Kay,” Eurion said. “Let their arrival demonstrate that there is hope of a match for each and every one of you.”
Griff squeezed her hand, and she saw him smile from the corner of her eye.
Then Eurion talked about economic affairs, going over the status of their crops and trading opportunities for the next month. Next came Mudden politics. Some rebels had been discovered in Baeddan and promptly punished and executed. He was very concerned that these incidents not tarnish the reputation of the region and that any suspicious behavior be reported immediately to the authorities. Wondering what the rebels wanted, she made a mental note to ask Griff later but soon forgot about it as it was finally time for personal grievances. Iwan and Celyn stood up from their spot in the first row.
“Councilmen,” Celyn said, loudly and articulately. “My grievance is on behalf of this young man, Iwan, who needs protection from his council and his clan.” As if Iwan was a helpless child and not a twenty-year-old man.
“One month ago, Iwan partook in the wondrous ceremony of marriage,” Celyn continued. “And yet his wife has spent only one night in his bed, taken from him by the greedy, power-hungry hands of Andras.”
Kay rolled her eyes at the blatant theatrics. It took Griff’s hand firmly pressing down on her knee to stop her from getting up and protesting.
“I ask this council that you return his beautiful bride to her rightful bed and punish those who would defile our most sacred laws. The laws that guarantee that a matching be fair and permanent and not up for grabs by the strongest wanting to take advantage of the weak.”
“Thank you, Celyn,” Eurion said, looking a little exasperated by Celyn’s exaggerations.
“Andras, would you like to rebut?”
“Yes.” Andras stood up. “Unlike what Celyn implied, the reality is that I am not keeping Sarah from Iwan. Sarah, and Sarah alone, is keeping herself from her husband. I will not let one of our newest members, the most vulnerable people in our society, sleep outside. I have merely offered her a room. She is free to leave it at any time.”
“Offering a room to a newly matched woman is equal to keeping her away from her husband,” Celyn said. “We all know that it takes time for newcomers to accept their new position in life. If every matched woman were allowed to sleep away from their husbands’ home when they first arrived, none would have the opportunity to assimilate to their new roles.”
“On the contrary,” Andras said, “it is in the nature of the matching that the man and woman who are matched are drawn to each other. Unlike Celyn, I have gone through the matching process, and although my Sandrine, like most women in her position, was angry and refused to join my bed in the beginning, she never once expressed a desire to leave my house. She knew from the very first night, from the moment our hands were joined, that she was safer with me than anywhere else.”
