Cursed Read online

“Yes. It’s…” Charlie frowned and bit the inside of her cheek. It was true that the worst of the pain was gone. But now a new sensation was growing between her legs. A new kind of heat—a sexual ache that seemed to start at the sensitive bundle of nerves at her center and throb through her entire pussy.

  “Charlotte?” Stavros was looking at her anxiously. “What is it? I don’t feel your pain anymore but you still seem to be in distress.”

  “It’s…it’s…” She rolled over on her back, taking care to keep her towel on. “Let me see that ointment again.”

  Wordlessly, he handed it to her. Charlotte took her time studying it, though the heat continued to grow between her legs.

  “Oh my God,” she muttered, staring at it in disbelief. “Come on, you’ve got to be kidding me.”

  “What is it?” Stavros took the tube from her and studied the fine print at the very bottom. Then he read it out loud. “Ointment of Sifra. Effective only if applied by the beloved’s hand. Warning: if applied any other way, burning will result. Only reapplication by the beloved will ease this symptom. In extreme cases pain impulses may not be eradicated but will instead be transmuted to sexual need. If extreme urgency occurs, manual stimulation to orgasm by the beloved will ease the need. Do not attempt self stimulation as this will only lead to increased burning and pain.”

  “Crap,” Charlie muttered, shifting on the bed. “Crap, crap, crap.”

  Stavros raised an eyebrow at her.

  “I take it you’re feeling the ‘extreme urgency’ mentioned on the back of the tube?”

  “You know I am,” she snapped. “You can feel it, can’t you?”

  “Actually, I cannot. I have felt your pleasure several times but only when we were in contact with each other in…” He cleared his throat. “In intimate situations. Last night, for instance. And the night before. But right now I am not touching you and I feel nothing—neither pain nor pleasure.”

  “Well, it’s not really a pain. More like an itch that needs to be scratched.” Horny as a buck in rutting season. What an idiot I am! She couldn’t even look at him.

  “Are you…greatly bothered? Do you want me to…” He cleared his throat. “Follow the directions on the back of the tube?”

  “No, absolutely not,” Charlie declared, although she could barely sit still. She was getting sensitive between her legs, so sensitive she could barely stand it. She crossed and uncrossed them and squeezed her thighs together. Her clit was beginning to feel swollen and hot as though the lightest little breeze would make her come. And yet, no matter how she rubbed and squeezed her thighs together, she couldn’t quite make it to the edge. Probably just as well. The damn tube says if I make myself come I’ll make things worse. As if things could even get worse.

  “Charlotte, please…” Stavros laid a hand on her arm, nearly making her jump out of her skin. “Please,” he murmured, catching her eyes with his. “Let me help you.”

  “Why would you want to?” Charlie demanded, looking away with an effort. “After the things I said last night—”

  “You were frightened,” he said softly. “And with good reason. I acted inexcusably and you cannot forgive me—I understand that. But if you could at least find it in you to trust me again, it would be my pleasure to help you.”

  “Help me?” Charlie gave a bitter laugh. “Don’t you mean ‘manually stimulate’ me?” God, she couldn’t believe this!

  “If necessary,” he murmured. “Listen, according to the instructions, one orgasm should ease your symptoms at once. And this does not have to be…intimate if you don’t want it to be.”

  “It doesn’t have to be intimate?” Charlie gave a dry, barking laugh. “How in the hell can it help but be intimate?”

  “Lay on your stomach, as you did before,” he instructed firmly. “Look away from me if you wish. Or close your eyes…imagine someone else if it helps.”

  “I…” Charlie bit her lip with indecision. Was she really going to let him do this? The throbbing in her clit and the way her pussy felt so hot and swollen she could barely lay still gave her the answer she was seeking—the only answer possible. She had no choice.

  “Charlotte?” He raised an eyebrow at her, waiting.

  “Fine.” She rolled onto her stomach and buried her face in her arms, as she had earlier. Then she spread her legs and waited.

  It seemed to take forever but finally she felt his big warm hand sliding beneath her towel once more. She muffled a groan in the bedspread as he cupped her in his palm, just holding her for a moment. Unable to help herself, she pressed her pelvis down, nestling more fully into his grasp. She could feel her pussy opening for him, her wet inner folds already wet against his hand but still he didn’t make any other move to touch her.

  “Stav…” she groaned. “Come on. If you’re going to do this just…just do it.”

  “I thought it might be easier if you did it yourself,” he murmured. “Would you feel less violated if I simply spread you open and let you rub against my fingers?”

  He suited actions to words, spreading her outer pussy lips and sliding two long fingers into her open folds to rest against her throbbing clit.

  Charlie gave a gasp as a bolt of pleasure went through her. God, that felt good! She knew it shouldn’t but damn.

  “That’s right,” she heard Stavros murmur behind her. “Take your time. Use me as you need to, falinda.”

  Though she didn’t want it to, his soft, deep voice sent a thrill of desire through her and she felt her pussy getting even wetter. God, his touch on her was so gentle yet so firm and it felt so good to have his fingers inside her, rubbing against her inner pussy.

  With a little moan, she began to work herself against him. It felt incredible—she was right on the edge…and yet somehow, she still couldn’t reach it. She needed…something else. Something to push her over. Suddenly she knew what it was.

  “Stavros,” she gasped, still rocking against his fingers. “Stav…talk to me. Say…say things.”

  He didn’t have to ask what kinds of things she needed to hear.

  “I shouldn’t have used that ointment on you in the first place,” he murmured in that deep, growling voice that seemed to make her insides melt. “I should have used my essence. Should have spread your legs and licked you everywhere that damned whip hit you.”

  “You…you should’ve?” Charlie knew damn well she shouldn’t be getting off on the image of him licking her again. On the idea that he wanted to heal her by tasting her and spreading his essence between her thighs. But damn it, she was getting closer and closer here and it was getting harder and harder to think. The world was narrowing down to her need to come and God, with this heat between her legs she really needed to—needed it worse than she ever had in her life.

  “Damn right, I should’ve,” he growled softly. “I should have kissed you better, should have licked your thighs and your sweet little cunt until every last bit of your pain was gone. I wanted to, you know…wanted it so damned badly.”

  “You…you like it?” Charlie gasped. She couldn’t help looking back at him to see the expression on his face. His eyes were half-lidded with lust and his fangs were out—long and sharp and lethal-looking.

  “You know I love it, falinda,” he growled. His fingers had begun to move a little now. It was subtle at first but then he began circling her clit, shooting electric sensations of pleasure through her entire body with just that small, subtle motion of his hand. “Love your sweet scent and the taste of your honey in my mouth…the feel of your pussy quivering against me and around me when I penetrate you with my tongue. You feel so hot and wet and tight and you taste so good. Seven Hells, your flavor alone is enough to make me rock hard.”

  “Are you…are you hard now?” Charlie moaned, barely knowing what she was saying.

  “Painfully so.” Stavros shifted on the bed, clearly trying to make some room between his thighs. “But then, you could probably guess that.”

  Charlie was right on the edge, the