Author: Kimberley Jackson

Title: In Another Dream 2: Diamond Lake of Stars

Rating: R

Pairing: Kate/Gibbs of course! ;)

Disclaimer: Character names are not mine, yadda yadda... Just the setting and interpretation of characters is my idea.

Category: AU, Romance, Kink

Warning: BDSM-related setting! Also soft bondage!

Summary: Sequel of my story "Silver Moon" also part of the "In Another Dream" series. This story takes place outside the NCIS universe and puts the characters into a different setting altogether: a society in which women are slaves. In this setting, Kate is a rebel, a warrior woman, who has been hiding in the woods for years. But one day she gets captured by a disturbingly handsome lord...

A/N: This story is part of my "Another Dream" series, which consists of all BDSM related draft-like stories. Probably slightly different in style then what you are used to from me. It's at times a bit darker, but I tried to keep it romantic. In this series you may find violence or violent scenarios though... So if you are more into the usual stuff, or a hardcore feminist, or just opposed to porn-like writings in general, please stop reading at this point!

This small piece was kind of inspired by some real-life experiences I made recently.

He hadn't expected to find her that quickly. As a matter of fact, he had thought that it would take days. Ingeniously, she had erased all of her traces in the woods. It had taken him hours to find a clue to where she might be, and even that had been vague. In the end, he guessed, the Gods had been friendly with him and Fortuna had had her say with this.

Carefully he approached the bushes that framed the small clearance in the woods. There she was, her pretty face darkened with coal, her slender body covered with an old blanket, and her feet! He growled slightly to himself. That sneaky little creature had dared to steal one of his favorite pairs of boots. She had guts, that he had to admit. In fact, she had more than that. She was what she had told him – a warrior. Add to that a skilled one. Of course she was like an unpolished diamond. Her skills were uncoordinated, her reactions intuitive. But with the right training and supervision, she could be an asset in a few moons.

The way she had sneaked out of his fortress was brilliant. Not even one of the guards had suspected anything. It had taken hours until somebody had realized that she had ran away – the reason for which he was still curious to hear.

He had thought that they had come to some kind of agreement four days ago, after she had tried to attack him. He had not allowed her to leave his room once since then, but always kept her close to him in his bed. And she had responded to him so naturally, had returned his caresses and whispered tender words into his ears.

Either she had turned into a mistress in deceiving him – or she was deceiving herself.

He observed her, as she started a small fire with a piece of wood and a stone, and then quickly collected a few dry leaves to keep it burning. Shivering, she sat down in front of it and held her hands over the warming flames.

His eyes widened when her blanket slipped from her shoulders and he saw that she was only wearing her thin silks underneath. Why the hell had she stolen his boots and not taken some of his clothes as well? Well, at least something that she obviously hadn't thought about. He shook his head softly. She could catch a deadly cold out here. Where had she spent the previous night anyway? Did she sleep out in the open with that little to cover herself?

In his disbelief he had ceased to watch his steps, and a small branch cracked under his boots. Immediately, he ducked his head, as hers flew up and she looked around with the agility and alertness of a deer. Damned, he thought. He hadn't wanted her to become aware of his presence before he was ready. Endless moments passed without him moving even the smallest muscle in his body.

When he eventually lifted his head again, he realized with almost dumb disbelief that she was gone. Only the fire was still crackling.

He lifted himself to his full height and looked around. Again she had surprised him. He had not heard one sound, no crackling of branches or leaves. She truly was a warrior of the woods. He chuckled. But so was he. And a rushed escape left traces, so now it ought to be much easier to trace her.

It didn't take him long to find the spot where she had disappeared in the woods. A few broken branches on a bush gave her away. He followed her trace slowly and patiently, knowing that she would slow down at one point.

The sun passed on over his head, and he knew that in a few hours it would be dark again, but that didn't rush him. Slowly he moved forward, completely aware of his surroundings and the sounds of the forest around him. Somewhere left to him in the distance was a fox sniffing around in the leaves, and above his head flew an owl with a muffled 'woo-woo' sound.

And eventually he saw the figure of a woman in the distance in front of him. She was picking some raspberries from a bush. Although she seemed completely oblivious to anything else but the delicious fruit, he was certain that she was just as aware of her surroundings as he was. He continued his approach slowly and carefully, until all that separated him from her back was a bush. He grinned to himself, and moved around the bush almost nonchalantly.

"Leave some for me, will you?" he said in a tone that sounded more like an order than a request, and she spun around, her eyes wide in shock.

"Y-you... but why-how..." she dropped her berries, and drew the knife which she was carrying around her upper thigh. "I'm not going back with you!" she announced in a strong voice.

He chuckled and went up to her, picking some berries and putting them into his mouth. Then he turned, savoring the sweet taste while observing her. "You're not going to kill anyone like that," he eventually stated, which immediately caused her expression to darken.

"Try me!"

He sighed, and then, with a movement so quick that she could do nothing but stare, he had taken the knife out of her hand, grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his body, her own knifed pressed against her throat. She gasped in terror.

"See, that's what I meant," he explained lowly. "If I was your enemy, you would be dead now!" And with these words he let go of her. "Look," he then said and placed the knife in his hand. "This is how you hold it. With your thumb here. The way you are holding it, this side is your weak side and a skilled warrior will immediately notice your weakness and disarm you. If you want to prevent that, you need to have a strong hold of your weapon. Come here."

She stared at him in complete disbelief, too confused not to follow his order. He positioned himself behind her and placed the knife in her hand, his head right next to hers, as he was looking over her shoulder. "Cover this side with your thumb. You need to have a strong hold, and you will see that you don't need to apply that much force anymore. The weapon lies securely in your hand... That's it... move your index finger a little more." He repositioned her fingers with his hand, and then nodded. "It hurts at first," he commented, "but soon your muscles will adapt to the position of your fingers. Hold your knife this way, and no opponent will be able to take your weapon from you!"

She turned her head slowly, and her long, chestnut colored locks tickled the skin at his collarbone. "What are you doing?" she asked softly, and his reply was almost cold.

"Training you, obviously."

His hand, which had been lying on hers moved up now and grabbed her wrist almost harshly. "Now, care to explain what you are doing here?"

She winced when his grip around her wrists became so hard that she was sure it would leave bruises. "I guess you wouldn't believe me if I said, I'm taking a walk."

"Cheeky there, aren't we? Well, sweetheart, you're in for a lot of trouble." His voice was low and almost kind, but there was a dangerous undertone to it, that made her tremble for a moment.

"I told you I would run away!" she justified herself, and he chuckled against her hair, his hot breath tickling her ear.

"Indeed, you did! And do you remember my answer to that threat of yours? I told you that if you tried, I would chain you up and have you flogged until you forgot your own name." With delight, he noticed her intake of breath in sheer terror. Good, at least she did respect him. "I will not flog you, as that would leave ugly scars, and I've just grown so fond of your skin, my sweet. But I might just chain you up until you beg me to release you, and swear your loyalty to me."

She was shaking slightly, and her voice didn't sound as secure as she wanted when she answered, "That would never happen."

"I wouldn't bet on that," he whispered, inhaling her scent, and then sucking her earlobe into his mouth. She started to wriggle in his grip.

"Don't do that!" she demanded, trying to turn her head away from him. "I am not your playdoll."

"That remains to be seen," he growled. "For now you are just a disloyal slave to me."

"I never was your slave!" she retorted, anger openly displayed in her voice. "You think I belong to you, but my spirit was never yours."

He chuckled amused, turned her around in his arms and pulled her face close to his. "I beg to disagree. Somewhere during those three nights in my bed, I had not only your spirit, but also your heart. I believe that I remember you begging me never to stop."

She blushed and lowered her eyes, "You are a bastard."

He smiled, lifting her chin up again and forcing her to look at him. "From today on I am going to train you to be my personal slave, as you have obviously no respect for me. Rule number one, every insult will be punished."

"Well, that doesn't sound scary, as you just said that you wouldn't flog me," she replied triumphantly, and his grip on her tightened.

"Rule number two: no trying to be clever with me. And no contradictions as we're at it. A slave's position is at her masters feet. She will only speak when spoken to, and her utmost obligation is to please."

Slowly, she realized that he was being serious and she paled a little. "I am not your slave!" she whispered, trying to wriggle her wrists out of his grasp. "You can't do that!"

"Don't try me," he said and bent down to her, "Don't think I cannot punish you. There are worse methods to punish you than flogging, believe me! I would hate to see you suffer, little Katie, but I also hate the thought of having to watch you every minute to prevent you from either running away or stabbing me in the back.."

Her resistance faded, and she simple returned his look thoughtfully for a moment. "And if I promise to do as you say and not cause any trouble?"

"Well, that would of course remain to be seen, but your life would certainly be more pleasant and..." He nipped at her chin with his lips and then moved along her cheekbone to her ear. "...satisfying."

She sighed, and turned her head slightly to him, inhaling his scent. His lips started to nibble at her earlobe, bit it softly and then moved down to the sensitive spot right under it. He was delighted to hear a soft moan from her. During the previous night, when she was gone, he had missed her. He had found no sleep in his bed. It seemed almost ridiculous that after only those five or six suns that he had known her, he already missed her presence when she wasn't around.

His hands let go of her wrists and moved down over her slender, yet round buttocks to pull her against his groin. Only a moment later he regretted this action, as she moved her hands to push him away forcefully, escaped his grasp and started in an almost weasel-like sprint into the bushes.

He tumbled backwards, taking a moment to realize what had happened, and then started to curse himself for being stupid enough to fall for this age-old trick of hers. But at least her reaction to him had been real. She couldn't fake the soft shudder, and the way her body had intuitively bend to offer him more of herself.

He started after her. He was over a head taller than her, but she was agile and had the advantage that she knew the woods.

Kate ran as fast as she had never done in her life before. She would never be able to stand going through the scenario that he had just described. It was true, she had grown fond of him – too fond in fact, which was why she had to leave and never see him again. In his household, she would never hold more than the position of a slave and would therefore be helpless if he decided to flirt with other women – even take them in his bed. She would just have to sit there on the ground, and smile through her broken heart. She would always be his, but he would never be hers alone.

She ran until her legs hurt and her lungs felt as if they wouldn't take any more oxygen in but she didn't stop. It was impossible to surrender to him. It seemed like an endless run, until she eventually reached her destination: the small lake, that the river formed when it cascaded down the rocks on the far end at the other side of the shore.

The young woman dropped the dirty old blanket into the high grass at the edge of the small river that flew away from the lake. Then she hastily slipped out of the heavy boots and dove head-over into the cold water. She was a good swimmer. When she had still lived in the woods, she had taken a swim daily, and she knew all of the lake's hideouts.

She swam underneath the surface, only dipping her head out of the water for a quick moment when she was desperately in need of oxygen. Eventually, she could feel the ground under her feet, and knew that she was approaching the cascade. Her hands felt the small white pebbles in the clear blue water, and she duck her head out to turn around. In the distance, she could see the man skim the lake for her, the blanket that she had dropped in his hand. Quickly she dove again, crossing the remaining few meters between herself and the cascading water. When she eventually reached it, she stood up and swiftly disappeared behind the thin wall of water. It was not a big waterfall, still it was enough to cover a little cave.

She had discovered this place a few moons ago, and had used it as a shelter in thunder and rainstorms. The ground in the cave was covered with fine sand, that felt almost soft to her naked feet. The walls were covered with old and rather stylized looking paintings of hunters, and made Kate feel as if she had company. She had spent hours studying the paintings and admiring them, trying to figure out who the people who left them had been. She had always felt comfortable and safe here.

Shivering from the cold, she sat down on one of the small rocks on the far wall, and rubbed her chest to warm herself up. She would build a small fire as soon as she was sure that Gibbs had left the lake. After all, the smoke would be seen, and she didn't want that to betray her whereabouts.

Her stomach growled loudly, and she realized that she hadn't eaten anything since yesterday – well, except for the few berries earlier. She would have to hunt for food soon as well.

Silently she just kept sitting on her stone, kneading the water from her long hair and rubbing her skin. All the while, her eyes were fixed on the cascading wall of water, as she was trying to hear any suspicious sound. That was somewhat futile though, as the splashing sound of the cascading water drowned all the other sounds.

And so she was completely taken by surprise, when, all of a sudden, the figure of a man parted the waterfall. In complete disbelief she stared at the wet, half naked form of Gibbs. His grayish hair was all soaked through and the water pearled off his muscular arms and chest in small rills. His skin was shimmering from the wetness, and for a moment she could do nothing but admire his figure, before her mind eventually set in and she jumped up with a shriek. She followed her instinct, which told her to turn around and run. Her flight was cut short though, as she found herself stopped by the solid wall of the cave after ten meters. There was nowhere to go, she was surrounded by solid rock and the only escape was blocked by her enemy. For a moment, she felt like just starting to cry, but her pride kept her from doing so.

Therefore she inhaled deeply and then spun around, her eyes fixed on him in blind rage.

"Cozy," he commented, looking around while he was approaching her slowly. "Now, Katie, I think your shelter has turned into a trap." His eyes fell on her, and then traveled down her body. She was wearing her thin silks, which consisted of a lilac bra, a slip, a transparent skirt, and pretty armbands. But the water had soaked them all through and they clung to her body like a second skin. In addition to that, the water had made the material of her bra almost transparent.

She realized that when she noted the man's amused stare, and then looked down on herself. With a growl, she covered her breasts and glared at him. "Don't stare!"

He laughed softly, his eyes locking with hers, while he was still approaching her step by step. "As you are MY slave, I may look at you as much as I like."

"I am not..." she started to counter immediately, but stopped herself and inhaled deeply. In her position it was better to argue than to provoke a fight which she was sure to lose. "Listen, I'm sure that there are other people – women even – who will be eager to become your slaves. Why don't you just -um- let me go and I promise I will never show my face on your lands again?"

He smiled softly, "Maybe that is just what I am afraid of."

He was only a few meters away from her now, and she retreated backwards with every step he took towards her. Fear was openly displayed on her face and she shook her head softly.

"Please! Just let me go! – Please!" Her tone was pleading, and her eyes, in which tears started to form, underlined her soft beg. His expression softened.

"You have nothing to fear from me, my sweet," he assured her, and noted how she was hitting the wall behind her. She turned left and started to run, intending to go around him somehow, but he reacted quickly and effectively blocked her way. She turned to the other side and ran, realizing too late that she was maneuvering herself into a corner by her move.

Desperately she turned around and found him standing two meters away from her. There was no way to escape. She was shaking – mainly from being cold, but her hopelessness added to it.

For a long time they just eyed each other, like two lions on a hunt. Then all of a sudden Gibbs crossed the distance between them, and pushed the young woman against the wall, engulfing her in the wet warmth of his body while his mouth sought her lips hungrily. Initially she gave an outcry of protest, but soon she surrendered to him and returned the hot kiss fervently.

Her trembling hands moved up his naked chest, played through his chest hair and then came to rest on his shoulders.

Eventually he grabbed her wrists and pinned them over her head against the wall. She moaned into his mouth when the feeling of defeat turned into a need of being taken by him. God, she enjoyed his company way too much. She should have stabbed him when she had the possibility, but now she was lost.

After an endless moment, he broke the kiss and looked at her face. She held his eyes, her cheeks flushed, and her breath coming shallow and fast. "You sure picked a cozy hideout," he whispered. "Too bad I knew about this place, my rebellious slave."

She leaned her head back, still breathless. Eventually, he let go of her hands, and reached to the belt of his pants, where he had attached a strong rope. He took it and looked at her in demand. "Give me your wrists."

"No," she refused weakly, and immediately he urged her against the wall.

"I'll give you another chance, as you gave me such a hot welcome just now. Give me your hands or I will take them by force, and then it will get a lot less comfortable for you." His voice was kind and made clear that he had no intention of harming her if she did as he ordered.

So, after a few more seconds, she reached out her hands in defeat, a soft sob escaping her lips.

"Cross them," he said, and she did. She winced slightly, when he fastened the strong rope around her tender wrists and tied it in a secure knot. "Now, we have to get you warm and dried up, or you will catch a cold. You are shaking."

He pulled her almost tenderly against his warm body, and rubbed her arms. After a while, he turned around. "Come on," he said and pulled her softly towards the exit of the cave. When the cold water from above hit her, and then covered her up to her knees when they stepped out into the cold water of the lake again, she trembled. Gibbs turned his back to her and bend his knees slightly in front of her.

"Put your arms around my neck. We'll need to get to the other side but as you can't swim in your position, I'll carry you. Don't you dare think about choking me with your arms, or I will simply let you drown, understood?"

A shaky "yes" came from her, and he nodded satisfied. Then they went into the water. After a few failed attempts, they finally found a way for her to cling on to him that would still leave him with the ability to swim, and about fifteen minutes later, they had reached the other side of the lake, and were climbing out of the water onto the sandy shore.

Immediately, Gibbs lifted the young woman up in his arms and carried her to the place where he had undressed. She was surprised to find her blanket and her -no, his- boots as well. Carefully, he put her down in the warm grass.

"Undress," he then ordered, and went to unfold the old blanket. She simply stared at him in disbelief.

"What? I..."

"Move!" he ordered and looked at her relentlessly. "You have to get out of those wet clothes. We'll hang them over a branch to dry."

Very hesitantly, she slipped the soaked skirt down her thighs. It was hard to do with tied hands, but eventually she succeeded.

"When you're done, lie down on the blanket." he commanded, after he had eventually managed to find a good spot for the blanket, and opened his pants.

She observed him and hesitated, then moved to the blanket, still wearing her bra and panties.

"All of it!" he said sharply without even turning around, and she wondered silently how the heck he had known that she was not completely nude yet.

"I'm not going to lie here all naked with you!" she contradicted slightly outraged.

"Well, you will have to!" he simply stated. "If you want this underwear to remain in your possession, you better remove it by yourself. It's soaked and will get the blanket all wet!"

She sobbed with hurt pride and turned uneasily. "I can't do it with tied hands!" she then contradicted again, and Gibbs turned around, his face betraying a slight hint of annoyance while he was looking at her for a long time. Then he went to her, his pants still dripping. Without a word, he opened the knot that tied her hands together.

"There!" he said grumpily. "Undress!"

"Would you turn around?" she asked shakily, and he smirked.

"Yeah, so that you can jump right back into that lake? I don't think so!" When she still didn't move, he growled lowly. "Don't make me help you!" he warned and the young woman gasped and jumped up from the blanket. Then she turned her back to him and started to remove first her bra, before she then slipped her panties down her legs.

Hastily, she resumed her place on the blanket on the ground and curled up, covering her intimate parts. Gibbs had to chuckle softly when he saw her, then he sighed and placed his large furry cape over her shivering body. Eventually he took the rope from the ground and went to his knees next to Kate's head.

"Your hands!" he demanded and she looked at him with pleading eyes.

"Please don't! What if I promised not to run away again..."

"I wouldn't believe you," he countered with a half smile and tied her hands up again.

Then he collected a few dry branches and wooden sticks, and put them up next to them on the sandy ground. He had picked a place under a large oak tree, where the grass turned into sandy ground, so that they could sleep on a soft surface.

Skillfully, he kindled the fire with a stone and a piece of wood. And when it was crackling and burning warmly, he moved behind the young woman on the blanket and slipped under the fur with her. Then he pulled her naked body against his. Immediately, she gave a sound of protest.

"Shh..." he whispered and stroked some wet strands away from the side of her neck, where he placed a soft, warm kiss. "We've spend the last three nights so closely together, so why are you fighting me all of a sudden? Let me just keep you warm. Come here." He wrapped his strong arm around her shivering body and pulled her closer until the whole of her back was resting against his warm chest and his legs were touching hers. Then he pulled the furry coat around them both and stroked her hair. "You must be exhausted. Where did you sleep last night?"

"I didn't," she whispered. "I figured I would freeze to death if I rested. I wanted to sleep during the day, but when I had just build the fire, a sound startled me and I thought it wiser to leave."

"Then sleep now," he whispered, a soft smile playing around the corner of his lips. She truly was an extraordinary woman. "Don't worry, I will be here, watching over you." He loosened the tied rope around her wrists a little, so that it wouldn't cut into her flesh and then snuggled up close to her, his face buried in her wet hair.

Slowly, very slowly, her body stopped shaking and her breathing became slower and more even. As much as she despised herself for it, she enjoyed the warmth of his body. His hand was resting against her waist, holding her close, and his thumb moved in lazy circles over her skin. Slowly, her mind was lulled into a dozy cloud of comfort. Her skin, which had been cold a moment before, became warm and soft and her body finally relaxed against his embrace. She was sound asleep.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

She couldn't exactly pinpoint what caused her to open her eyes. Maybe it was the distant howl of an owl somewhere in the darkness of the deep forest, that made her realize subconsciously, that she had been sleeping when she hadn't intended to fall asleep.

Stirring slightly, she shifted and by doing so became aware of the warm body behind her, and that her wrists were tied together. A moment later, she felt a warm kiss tenderly placed to the side of her neck.

The fire was still crackling next to them, keeping them delightfully warm. Of course the thick furry coat, that was covering their bodies, added to her comfort. The young woman fully opened her eyes and stared up into a black starry sky and an almost full moon looking down on the couple near the lake.

"Sleep well?" the man next to hear whispered with obvious amusement against her skin and she sighed softly.

"Too well. I didn't mean to fall asleep. How long have we been lying here?"

"Well," he lifted his head from her neck, pulled her closer against his body and smiled down into her face. "In another three or so hours, the sun should rise again."

"That long?" The young woman sat up, completely oblivious to her own nakedness. When she realized that she wasn't wearing any clothes, she covered her breasts with a shocked intake of breath. Of course, she finally remembered, she had taken her clothes off since they had been completely soaked through from the water. "I think, my clothes may be dry now."

"So?" Gibbs asked, having lied back, his head resting comfortably on his elbows.

"So maybe you could get them for me, and untie me so I can get dressed?" she asked and looked back at him. He smiled, and stroked the silky strands of her hair, which had curled a little from the water in the lake, back from her skin.

"I don't think so," he replied dryly.

"But I am cold! And you could at least try to act like a nice person." she commented cheekily.

He smirked, "You're cold because you're sitting up and your back is exposed. Not that I mind, but since you're the one complaining..." His hand traveled down her spine, and then pulled her down to lie next to him. "Why the rush? It's still a lot of time until we have to make our way back."

She turned her head aside, when he tried to kiss her softly, and pushed him away with her tied hands. "You should sleep! You haven't slept at all, and I can take the watch now."

This suggestion made him laugh out loud. "Not likely! Not until I'm not one hundred percent certain that you'll neither run away, nor stab me in my sleep." He popped himself up on his elbow, and smiled down on her, his other arm resting around her waist where he drew lazy circles on her skin with his fingers.

"Besides, I would rather use the time to come to an agreement with you." His fingers moved a little higher. "I missed you in my bed the other night."

"Don't even think about..." she warned, realizing that her threat was not very threatening with her hands bound. Obviously he was thinking the same, as he gave her an amused smile. So she changed her tactics. "That's low!"

"Excuse me?" he asked, a soft warning in his voice.

"Taking a woman who is tied up and helpless is really an act only a coward would commit," she replied, ignoring the tone in his voice. She was not afraid of him, and she wanted to make sure he knew.

"True," he took up her challenge. "But first of all, we both know that you're not helpless. And secondly..." He bend down to flick her neck with his tongue. "...making her enjoy it in the progress requires skill. And we also both know that you will enjoy this."

"Arrogant!" she growled, pushing against his chest weakly with her restrained hands.

He laughed and grabbed the rope that tied her hands together, then he pulled them above her head and pressed them into the blanket, leaving her exposed to him. Her breathing quickened, and she looked up into his face with a mixture of fear and excitement. "Keep your hands there," he rasped against her mouth, while his hands moved up the sides of her slender body. "Now, I still have to punish you for this little trip that you took. Not that I didn't enjoy playing hide-and-seek with you, but you have to learn how to obey me."

She scoffed, and he raised an eyebrow.

"What was that?"

Rebelliously she stared back at him, thinking it wiser to keep her mouth shut. Not that she needed to say anything, as her eyes gave away what she was thinking.

"My, my..." he sighed, "What am I going to do with you?" He lowered his head and tasted her neck with his tongue, then pressed his lips to her pulse point and started to suck and bite softly. She squealed slightly, when he bit a little harder and arched her body against his in an attempt to withdraw her neck from his assault. A smile crossed his features, and he moved his lips down over her collarbone to her full breasts.

"Wait!" she gasped and tried to hold him back with her hands. He grabbed her arms with a growl and pushed them back over her head into the blanket.

"Katie, I mean it! Don't make me tie you to a dowel."

"You wouldn't!" she exclaimed outraged, but his eyes told her that he would. He had said he wouldn't flog her, but that didn't mean he couldn't punish her in other ways. "Gibbs, please!"

His eyes looked softly down into hers, while his hands moved in languid caresses along her arm. He was lying in between her legs, his weight supported by his elbows, so that he wouldn't crush her with his weight. "From now on you will not call me by my name, you will call me Sir. Until I tell you to do otherwise," he explained patiently to her and he could immediately see the sparks of fury in her eyes.

"I will not!"

"Well, you can of course also choose the other option – which is being tied nakedly to a tree in the courtyard of my castle for an entire afternoon every time you use the wrong address," he replied dryly and saw her eyes widen with shock.

"You... you...!" Her body was shaking, but she bit her lips to keep herself from insulting him, knowing that this would only worsen her position in this argument.

A soft smile played around the corner of his lips, when he induced a soft and playful kiss. Very gently, his tongue flicked over her lower lip. She sighed, and opened her lips slightly in response. Then, when she became aware of what he was trying, or rather succeeding at, she turned her head away.

"Don't fight me," he whispered against her ear. "Your whole body is betraying that you want this as much as I do. Don't try to pretend you didn't miss my company as much as I missed yours." He drew a line down the sensitive skin of her neck with the tip of his finger. "I can feel you shiver when I do this..." he rasped into her ear hotly. "And I can feel your breath quicken when I do this." His tongue flicked the spot right under her ear, and then his teeth scratched her earlobe tenderly. "And I know you will moan when I do this." Unexpectedly, he bit her neck, and, as predicted, she moaned – even though she tried to muffle the sound by biting her lip. "I can make you writhe with pleasure!" he continued and let his hands move down the sides of her body. His touch was light, his fingers barely touching her skin while he rediscovered every part of her willing body.

When he had reached the hollow of her knees, he bend her legs up, so that her body was intensely pressed up against his and he could feel her warm wetness against his groin. She gave another moan at this new position and turned her head towards him until her cheek was grazing his in a tender caress.

"If I do as you say now, will you let me go then?" she asked shakily, which caused him to chuckle softly.

"No," he replied frankly. "But I will think about a solution which will satisfy the both of us. That's the best I can promise."

He bent his head down to reach the point where her neck met her shoulder, while his hands ran up her arms to pin them down into the blanket. When he bit her tender skin again, she squealed slightly, trying to writhe her arms out of his grip. She knew that he was leaving marks. That was probably what he intended to do. The sharp pain immediately vanished as his bite turned into sucking and flicking of his tongue. She couldn't help sighing in upcoming arousal. Her breathing became irregular when he continued to caress her skin.

Eventually he bit the skin of her chin, much softer than before, and looked deeply into her eyes. "I want to taste you." He felt her hot breath puff against his skin while she returned his look somewhat confused as if she had no idea what he was talking about. Incredible, he thought, that no man before him had touched this woman. She was so perfect in every single way.

One of his hands moved along the sides of her breasts and then vanished in between their bodies. Her eyes widened when his hand found its destination and his thumb grazed her pleasure center, but she never ceased to look into his blue eyes.

"Oh God," was all that she could whisper, her hands clenching to fists. "Gibbs... don't!"

When he heard his name from her lips again, he growled lowly and pressed his lips on hers to taste her in a quick, but intense kiss. "Tell you what," he rasped, after he had broken the sweet exploration of her mouth. "We will keep doing this until you have learned to address me properly!"

Then he reunited their lips anew in a deep and passionate kiss. While his tongue sought every secret corner of her mouth, his hand continued its journey. He covered her folds with his hand, probing her wetness and then started to massage her clit again with a little more pressure. Her soft moans were smothered by his mouth that was still busy seeking hers in a series of passionate seductions. She could do nothing but take what he decided to do to her.

When he felt her body jerk softly against his touch, he parted from her lips and looked down into the face of the beautiful woman. She was gasping and whimpering, her body arching against his touch. The man smiled and grazed her cheek with his lips.

"Gibbs!" She closed her eyes in sheer pleasure and he was sure that she was unable to think reasonable for the moment which was why he didn't reproach her for using his given name again.

"Yes my sweetheart," he inquired playfully, bending his head to caress the other side of her neck. Without thinking, she moved her tied hands so that she could touch him.

"Don't," he immediately reminded her in a raspy, yet tender, voice, "I did not give you permission to move your arms yet, did I?"

She whimpered as he placed her hands back over her head. "I'm sorry..." she gasped and tilted her head back when he applied more pressure to her clit. "Oh!"

"You have no idea how pleasant your time as my slave could be."

He groaned softly when her hips started to thrust against him, and bit her lower lip softly. As if to underline his statement, he entered her with two of his fingers, finding her wet and ready for him. A high-pitched moan escaped her throat and her eyes fell close. As much as she had tried to deny it, but this was what she had missed when she had run away. A part of her wanted to belong to him, wanted to be taken and owned in that sweet pleasure that he was capable of bringing to her.

"Oh...oh..." she bit her lips and arched her body even more, her face flushed with heat and lust.

He smirked with a low groan, "Yeah, that's it."

His voice was tender, but with an edge to it that made it sound incredibly sexy to her ears. She turned her head and bit his earlobe softly, her hot breath caressing his skin. Tenderly, she moved along his jawline in licks and kisses, feeling his slightly stubbly chin and tasting his salty skin. Her breath became more and more irregular, puffing hotly against his cheek.

"Please... please!" she gasped and eventually let her head drop back onto the blanket. She closed her eyes when she felt that she was quickly approaching the point of no return. "Stop... please... I'm going to..." she murmured incoherently, wriggling her hands to free them. And then, with a twist of his hand, she came. A surprised outcry left her lips, when her whole body started shaking with pleasure while the waves of her orgasm hit her. The man continued to massage just the right spot inside of her, drawing out her pleasure until she was reduced to mere feeling and passion.

Very slowly, the waves ebbed away, leaving the young woman panting and gasping for air. Kate opened her clouded eyes, her mind still drugged with the ecstasy she had just felt.

"Oh... wow..." she whispered in disbelief. The man smiled, his hand running through her long hair, playing with the silky strands, while his other hand moved up her body in lazy strokes, allowing her to recover a little.

"Yeah, that's what I've been told," he teased her and breathed in her female scent. "I have a question for you!" His playful whisper was hot against her lips. "Have you ever tasted yourself?" He moved one finger that was covered in her juices along her lower lip, watching in fascination how she opened her lips and played with her tongue around the tip. Then she closed her lips around it and drew his finger into her mouth.

The man let out an aroused moan and pressed his lips to her cheek while she was licking his finger.

"God, Katie, you have no idea how much you turn me on."

When she heard this softly spoked statement, she let go of his finger and turned her head to meet his lips with hers. She swallowed his soft moan and dueled his tongue before she gave her control up to him. He devoured her mouth, tasting her essence on her lips. Soft moans of pleasure were lost in her mouth, while she returned his kiss fervently.

Then eventually he broke the kiss and trailed a wet path down her neck and over her collarbone with his tongue. Taking all the time in the world, he ran his lips along her shoulders and then further down. When he had reached her breasts, he paused to circle one of her nipples with his tongue, before he closed his lips around it and sucked it into his mouth. He was rewarded by a soft, aroused squealing sound of hers.

After he had given each of her breasts equal attention, he made his way further down her belly, until he had reached his destination and placed his lips on the little bundle of nerves between her legs.

She almost reared up the blanket when his tongue made contact with her still over-sensitive clitoris. Gibbs steadied her by holding her around the waist, keeping her in place. He knew that she was still exhausted from her previous climax, and that her body was still highly sensitive to any of his touches. He knew from experience though, that women were capable of feeling the heights of ecstasy more than once.

"Keep your hands just where they are," he ordered seductively. She didn't have a chance to answer, because before she could even grasp the meaning of his order, he repeated his lick. A soft scream escaped her lips.

The man smiled, observing her reaction and lazily stroking the skin of her hip until she had calmed down again. And then he buried his face against her sweet wetness, sucking, tasting and licking her, until he had her panting and screaming his name and begging him to stop. Relentlessly, he continued his sweet torture, parting her folds with his fingers and intensifying the contact.

Kate felt as if there wasn't even nearly enough oxygen for her. Her hips were bucking uncontrollably against his mouth and her gasps and outcries increased in volume with every moment. For a split second she wondered if anybody had ever died of too much pleasure, before all of her conscious thoughts were erased from her mind and she was reduced to a bundle of sensations and the only thing in the world that she was still aware of was that incredible man who managed to push her to heights that she had never known to exist.

Only a few moments later Kate went flying over the edge again. She bit her lower lip in desperation, sobbing in an ecstasy that was almost too much to bare, and clutched the blanket in her fingers.

Gibbs waited until she had come down again, softly moving his thumb in circles over the skin on her hipbone. Soothingly, he pressed a few light kisses against her abdomen and then onto her navel. She was still panting heavily, whispering his name over and over again in complete exhaustion. When her body eventually stopped shaking, he moved up until his face was hovering over hers and he could bend down to kiss her deeply.

"You taste so good," he informed her sexily, and she whimpered hoarsely in reply. Her skin was covered in a sheen of sweat, and she had drawn blood when she had bitten her lip. He flicked the spot with his tongue and tasted her blood, savoring the sweet metallic taste. Her following moan vibrated softly against his lips.

"Now," he then whispered, his hands pushing her legs up so that they were wrapped around his body, positioning her hips so that he could settle against them. Very slowly, he entered her with his cock, all the while keeping his eyes locked with hers. Her eyes widened slightly when she felt his large member fill her and she shifted slightly to adjust to his size. He allowed her time to get used to him and didn't move.

"What did I tell you to call me?" he demanded to know, while his hands were stroking along the delicate skin of her arms.

"Sir..." she whispered longingly, and was rewarded by a light smile of his.

"Good girl."

She opened her mouth willingly to his seeking tongue, when he reconnected her lips with his and then languidly began to deepen the kiss. Initially, she didn't even realize that he was untying her hands in the process, until she felt him massage her sore wrists lightly. But even when he let go of her arms, she didn't move them until he rasped into her ear, "You can move your hands to my shoulders. I want you to hold on to me." She did.

And then he started to move inside of her, pulling out almost completely only to fill her again with a slightly stronger thrust than before. Kate felt a new wave of pleasure and lust pulse through her body, and her hands tightened on his shoulders.

"Do you want to come again for me?" His teeth scratched the skin of her neck softly, when he uttered this promising question.

She gasped when she felt another thrust and her finger dug into his skin. It was incredible what he was able to do to her with just his voice and a few caresses.

"I am not... I can't..." she panted.

"Yes, you can," he contradicted. Another thrust, followed by a moan of his and a high-pitched sound from her. "Come for me again, Katie!" he encouraged her and buried his face in her hair, breathing in the fresh scent from the lake which was still lingering there.

The young woman slung her arms around his body, and when he thrust again, she matched it with a thrust of her own. They moaned in unison when he buried himself all the way inside her.

She moved one of her hands up over the back of his neck and then into his hair, whispering sweet nothings against his heated skin while her other hand was clutching his shoulder tightly. Unexpectedly, he repositioned her hips, lifting her legs even more so that he could hit that spot inside of her that he knew would drive her crazy. Her hips bucked against his at this change of angle, and she whimpered against his forehead in rekindled lust.

When he moved his body sensually against hers again, moving his shaft in and out of her body, she felt as if she was robbed of her breath. "Oh God!..." She panted and buried her fingers in his hair, when his next thrust was even more intensive. "You are... incredible."

At this desperately uttered compliment, he increased the speed of his thrusts and from the way her breathing hitched in her throat, he knew that it was just the right thing to do for both of them. Her fingers dug into his skin almost painfully and he lowly growled in his throat at the intoxicating mixture of pleasure and pain.

With every additional thrust, her cries became louder and then mixed with whines and whimpers. Holding him as close as she could, she clung to him as if she was drowning and he was the only person on earth able to keep her from doing so.

His hands buried in her hair and grabbed a handful of its silkiness, rendering her motionless for a moment – a possibility he used to nibble the side of her neck and then bite her again. She groaned in sweet agony, her body twitching against him. Softly, he soothed the spot with his tongue and then moved with his lips up, to scratch her skin with his teeth again.

She tensed slightly, and when he bit her again, she cried out, her hand on his shoulder fisting as the pain rushed through her body in waves and turned into exquisite pleasure. When he wanted to move to the other side of her neck, she sobbed softly.

"Please!"

"Please what, my sweet?" he muttered under heavy breaths, keeping up his rhythm. His skin was covered in sweat and she could see that he was trying to hold back.

"Please stop teasing," she gasped and lifted her head to coerce him by pressing a kiss to his lips. Another thrust and her following muffled cry was swallowed by his mouth. He pushed her back onto the blanket without ever breaking contact with her lips.

Trying to coerce him into increasing the speed of his thrusts, she rolled her hips against his groin and bit his earlobe sensually.

Momentarily, he lost control over himself and gave in to her, before he growled and bit her neck sharply. She squealed and her body trembled against him. His hands moved down to where there bodies where joined and he pinned her hips to the blanket, rendering her motionless and inducing a curse from her.

His soft chuckle was accompanied by another thrust and a needy moan of hers when she felt that she was still unable to move her hips.

"My beauty, you will have to get used to the fact that I am in control of games like this." Playfully he spilled kisses down her chin and her throat. Her hands flew down to his arms, trying to get him to let go of her hips. His next thrust was sensual and deep and Kate closed her fingers around his arm, gripping him tightly, while she bit her lips.

Eventually, she moved one of her hands between their bodies, touching herself. Gibbs allowed her to do so, observing her reactions in fascination while he was watching how she pushed herself higher towards another peak of pleasure.

"You're cheating," he then murmured with a grin into her ear shortly before she could reach her sweet release, and grabbed her hand, pinning it against her hip. "Incredibly sexy, but still cheating."

"And you're a bastard!" she whimpered desperately, the arousal becoming almost painful. Her breath was coming shallow, while she was looking into his eyes, her mind drugged with lust. Her free hand touched his cheek, and her thumb caressed his sweaty skin tenderly. Then she sobbed.

"Please..." Her body shook from exhaustion. "...Sir!"

The moment she spoke the address, he couldn't hold back any longer. He let go of her hips and hand and crushed her mouth with his in a deep kiss while at the same time he increased the speed of his thrusts with a moan. Her high-pitched sound was muffled by his lips and her hands flew to his shoulder.

"Oh, YES!" She rolled her hips against his with every stroke and it didn't take long until she felt the familiar tingle that told her she was quickly approaching the edge. His hands buried in her hair, he kept his pace up until he found sweet release in her body, filling her with his hot fluids. When she felt the warmth inside of her, she followed him to the heights of pleasure, breaking the kiss and panting for air. From the back of her clouded mind, she could hear loud moans and cries and realized that they were hers, before she fell into a sweet oblivion, with his body as her only steady hold.

There were stars in front of her eyes, and she felt like falling down while the entire world was spinning in front of her.

Eventually, the feeling of his hot breath, puffing against the sweaty skin of her neck brought her back. She realized that the stars in front of her eyes were real, that she was looking at the black night sky. Her hands grasped his shoulders and then her fingers moved into his hair. She tried to say something but all that left her mouth was a tiny whimper. She closed her eyes wearily, reveling in the feeling of his warmth that engulfed her. Until eventually, he shifted to lean on his elbow.

"Wow," she finally managed to whisper and he chuckled breathlessly, leaning his forehead against her cheek. His tongue darted out to lick her sweat-covered skin, and she tasted salty and wonderful.

They remained in this position for a few more moments, before Gibbs eventually slipped out of her and moved his hand through her hair. For a long time he looked down into her eyes, before her face became serious, and she tilted her head aside.

She closed her eyes for a moment when a pain so intense that it almost broke her heart took over. This man could never love her in the same way she loved him. To him all that she would always be was a possession. She on the other hand did not have the right to make a claim, so all she could do was sit by and smile once he decided that he was getting bored with her and turned to another woman. She knew, she wouldn't be able to handle that. Which was why she had to leave him now, while her emotions were still young.

"Let me go," she eventually whispered softly, but with an intensity in her voice that caught his attention. "I've been living in the woods for more than five years. You don't need me. I'm sure there are a lot of other female slaves at your court, who would be eager to warm your bed."

He looked down at her thoughtfully, noticing the weird undertone in her voice when she mentioned the other women. And suddenly it dawned on him. She wasn't hating him. It was just that she simply couldn't stand the thought of him taking other woman into his bed.

A soft smile started to form on his face. "So what if there were? Shouldn't you be relieved? Your presence would only be required once a week instead of seven times," he teased.

Angrily, she tried to punch him, but he had anticipated her move and grabbed her hands, pinning them down next to her head.

"Katie, think about it," he then said softer, and nibbled at her chin softly. "How many slaves did you meet while you were in my castle?"

That made her think, and astoundingly, she couldn't give him an answer. Come to think of it, she had not encountered one single slave. "What are you saying?" she asked weakly.

"My only slaves are the maids in the kitchen, and the personal maid of my medicine man. Of course a few of the warriors have one or two slaves. But they never shared my bed – none of them. I once owned a slave who warmed my bed regularly. She even gave birth to my child – a little girl. But we were attacked and they were both killed." The tone in his voice gave away a certain sadness while he was talking about his past, but all the while he continued his soft assault on her skin, his caresses being tamer now. "Now, how should this go on? Will you continue to run away at any given possibility? Or can we come to a peaceful agreement?"

She sighed softly, when his lips moved over a sensitive spot. "I don't understand why you can't let me go, so I can continue to live as I did?"

"Well," he smiled teasingly, "First of all, you look much prettier in silks than in self-made furs." He was referring to the moment when he had pulled her out of his trap. She had been living in the woods, and although she hadn't been dirty, she had looked rather exotic in her furry clothes. Like a cave woman.

"But," he then continued and his face became more serious, "also because you have an extraordinary spirit. I would like you to keep that. If I let you go though, you would someday walk into another trap of another lord. Maybe not tomorrow, or during the next moon, but the day would surely come. And the next master might not be as patient and kind as I am. I want to protect you! Why do you choose this bothersome life in the woods? You weren't able to sleep in a bed, you didn't have regular food, you were often cold, and always on the run. Is that really something that you miss so much?"

She sighed again, when his thumb grazed the sides of her breasts. "Surrender to me, Katie."

"But-" Her body trembled slightly. "It wouldn't be me! Slaves are not even allowed to carry weapons. A life in which my only duty was to warm your bed and to look pretty would just... I can do more than that. I need to do more..."

"I know," he nodded and smiled, his lips brushing hers tenderly, "which is why I have thought of something. You are indeed a skilled warrior. You are far from being excellent, but you are good. With the right supervision and extensive training you are sure to become an asset – and a very valuable one at that!

Times are difficult. I am a very powerful man, but power also works like a magnet to enemies. Some leaders of the tribes around us are always plotting to kill me or attack my property. My casual visits to ensure friendship and make allies are unfortunately too often superfluous. But you are a woman. You have the huge advantage that you have access to areas that I don't. You probably don't realize it yet, but you do have a lot of power in the position of a slave. Do you know how valuable your company would be on those visits?

Men like to talk to the slaves they share their beds with, so those women are often the ones who have most information about what's going on."

"No!" she interrupted him, tears standing in her eyes as she tried to push him off of her. "You want to sell me to those men on a nightly basis? Do you know what you're asking? I will not share the bed of..."

"Not what I'm saying!" he said and grabbed her wrists to keep her from hitting his chest. "Let me finish! Only very few of these women are discreet. But I cannot talk to them without raising suspicion. Another slave on the other hand would be ideal to share their gossip with. So, a spy who would just catch a little bit of information every now and then would be incredibly valuable."

While he was speaking, she had stopped trying to hit him and her hands were lying calmly on his chest now, her fingers playing through the soft curly hair that she found there.

"You would be my warrior – disguised as a slave," he clarified.

"But..." she eventually spoke, thinking that this was probably a very good offer that he was making her. "I would still be your slave?"

"Let me come to that." A tender smile played around the corner of his mouth. "Having completed your training, I would give you the status of a member of the caste of warriors."

She gasped audibly.

"It has never been done before, and would probably only be valid on my grounds," he continued, "Therefore, in order to receive that status, you would have to take a vow with me, so that your service would be mine only. In a way, that makes you my slave – just as any other warrior of mine can be considered my slave. Just as Tony – you've met him already, haven't you? He took the vow to be of my service until I release him or he dies."

She growled. "That bastard who mocked me when you captured me?"

Gibbs chuckled amused. "That's him."

"So, you would make me a warrior, I would no longer be a slave?"

"Nope," he affirmed.

"And my duty would only be to fight for you? I would not have to share your bed anymore?"

At this question, his expression changed slightly to an indefinable one. If she hadn't known better, she would have thought that there was stealing a certain coldness into his eyes.

"No, you wouldn't," he finally affirmed.

She nodded thoughtfully, then lowered her eyes to a point somewhere at his neck. "And what if I wanted to?"

"Let's wait until that day has come," he said and stroked some strands of hair out of her face.

"Now to the most important part of the deal: until you have completed your training, you will be my slave. As far as I can tell, you don't even know how to obey, my sweet beauty, and that is something that you will have to learn. For five moons, you will be required to do what I say when I say it. You will not discuss, you will not complain, you will not disrespect me, and most importantly, your supreme obligation will be to please me. The rules are easy: do well and you will have a nice soft bed to sleep in and a good meal. Disobey, and you will sleep on the floor, and eat nothing but bread and water. I will not ask impossible things from you. But I need to know that you know how to be a good slave – otherwise you will not be an excellent warrior."

She shook slightly. Five moons, that was a lot of time. On the other hand, she would be free afterwards, she would be a warrior, and she would have a home: a warm place where she could find shelter and make her own decisions. And Gibbs seemed like a fair man, who would not punish her without justification.

"If I agreed," she started slowly, "what if I made mistakes?"

He moved some strands of her long hair away from her cheek and smiled. "Don't worry, I am a patient man. I am not going to lie to you though. There will be days where you will wish you had not agreed to the deal. There will be mornings where you won't want to get up because every muscle in your body hurts. And there will be evenings where you won't make it to your bed, but just sleep on the nearest bench that you can collapse on. I set the highest standards in my training. It was hard for every warrior. I have a feeling though, that for you the more challenging task will be learning how to be a good slave," he smirked and kissed her softly.

"One more thing. Once you agree to this, there is no going back. Try to back out by running away, and you will just be my slave for the rest of your life – no way out. A warrior needs to be trusted, and somebody who tries to run away cannot be trusted. If you really feel you need to voice a complaint, you can do so, when we are in private – just the two of us. But try to run away, and I will not give you a chance like this again."

Kate looked up into the dark sky in which millions of stars were sparkling like little diamonds spilled out on a scarf of black silk.

Gibbs was offering her the possibility to gain the status of a free woman – which was very rare in the world they were living in. Of course she only had the option between the deal he was offering her, and being his slave for the rest of her life. So she would be HIS, one way or another. But then again, she couldn't keep running for the rest of her life. He was right, her life in the woods had been a fight for survival every day anew. And here he was, offering her a home, a future and a perspective. He was giving her the possibility to choose a husband in the future and to have a family, to sleep in a bed in a warm house and to make friends. Why was she even thinking about this?

"Alright," she eventually said shakily. "Please make me a warrior."

"Look at me," he whispered softly, sensing her insecurity and her fear. She did as he had asked, and for a moment lost herself in his icy blue eyes, which were framed by soft wrinkles at the side. "You have nothing to fear. You are now part of the family. I will protect you, my beautiful Katie." His hands moved along the sides of her body. "Now, let's seal the deal, shall we?" He closed her lips with his mouth in a deep, passionate kiss, demanding entrance into her mouth with his tongue and starting a hot exploration until she was left panting anew.

The sky was slowly starting to change color, announcing the coming dawn.

The End (Jan 01, 2009)