The Keeping of Lena Ch. 01

For a moment, Lena felt almost as if she were choking on his cruel words, and she had to clench her fists to keep from crying. But then she looked up at him with tentative eyes, and she detected that same disconnect from earlier that morning. There was something else going on in his mind, something she was certain was unrelated to the events of that afternoon. She didn't know on what, exactly, but she knew that mentally, Renz wasn't entirely in the room with them.

And she was determined to find out what he was keeping from her.

Lena opened her mouth to speak, but she was immediately cut off by Ava's angry shouts at Renz.

"Perhaps you should care for her then! You're the one who banished us for the day—"

"This is how you repay my hospitality, Ava? The first moment I require an afternoon to myself and—"

"No one asked to be in the same room with you all day! I certainly couldn't bear it, you insufferable, oafish, asinine..."

Lena put her hands over her head once the last remaining semblances of Ava's elite decorum faded, replaced by profane, fluid swearing that would make even the most vulgar of pirates blush with embarrassment. If Lena had been feeling more secure with Renz, she probably would have found Ava's uncharacteristic outburst humorous.

Ava and Renz continued to argue back and forth, bickering in a tone that reminded Lena of true siblings. She didn't know how long they were arguing, but the more Lena listened, the more she realized nothing was getting resolved. They were merely going in circles, and she had a feeling that Renz was the one who was keeping resolution at bay.

This had gone on long enough. She was going to find out what Renz was hiding, once and for all.

"Stop!" Lena shrieked.

Renz and Ava were immediately silenced, and she could feel their gazes on her. She chose to address Ava first.

"Ava...may I have a few minutes alone with him, please?" she asked quietly.

Ava appeared unsure at first, but then she nodded.

"I'll come running if you need me. Don't hesitate to ask," she said.

Once they were alone, Lena brought her gaze to Renz.

"What do you need to say?" Lena asked simply. Renz appeared incredulous, and he continued fuming for several moments.

But finally, he stood squarely in front of her and took several deep breaths before speaking.

"Perhaps I should apologize to Ava," Renz muttered. Lena nodded.

"You should. She saved me today," Lena replied.

A guilty look briefly darkened his face, and Lena almost felt as if Renz were reaching out to her. But before they made contact, he averted his eyes, and he was once more lost to her.

"Are you hurt, Lena?" he asked quietly. Lena shook her head as she watched Renz begin to slowly pace around the lounge.

"I'm really not. They were just thieves...very greedy thieves," Lena replied.

Renz continued pacing, and Lena felt her anxiety increase with every prolonged second of silence. He seemed even more distant than he'd been that morning. He didn't acknowledge what she'd said, and he didn't look at her.

He just continued pacing.

"Please say something," Lena said eventually. She was instantly filled with shame in reaction to the automatic flicker of hope that filled her heart once Renz glanced in her direction.

"I need you to promise me you'll never venture off alone like that again. Especially not with a Gypsy. Those vermin cannot be trusted," Renz said eventually. Lena frowned, and she felt her own anger begin to ignite again at his harsh words. But she knew if she released it, it would cause yet another fight.

But a part of her almost wished for a fight with Renz.

"Why are the Romany vermin, Renz? Simply because they look different and many are poor?" Lena asked. Renz sighed.

"It's because they attacked you. Stripped you. Stole from you. It's in their culture to be vile, Lena," Renz replied tensely.

Lena inhaled slowly, and when she spoke again, her voice sounded small even to her own ears.

"Your brother and his men did far worse to me, and they were German just as you are," Lena replied quietly.

Lena slightly flinched when Renz sharply inhaled, and she wondered if she'd managed to ignite his fury again. He glowered at her silently for several moments before he finally exhaled and lowered his head.

She eyed him carefully as he slowly approached her, and knelt down on the floor in front of her. Her body reacted to his proximity with magnetic pulses, growing stronger the closer his skin came in contact with hers. She hoped, desperately, that Renz was returning to her.

She gulped as he placed his large hands on her knees, wordlessly gathering the material of her gown. His eyes were dark and focused, far more possessive than sexual.

"And...I forced you beneath me upon my first glance at you in that frilly little maid uniform...we German men are an even more vile lot, aren't we," Renz said.

Lena shrugged her shoulders and placed a soft, tentative kiss on his temple. She half expected him to turn away from her before her lips could make contact, but to her delight, he slightly oriented his body towards hers, leaning in to her touch.

"Well...Karl isn't vile at all," Lena joked nervously.

He suddenly raised his gaze, and stared at Lena almost as if he were challenging her. Lena slightly gulped at his forcefulness, but she kept her stare fixed on his.

"You are trying to torture me, aren't you?" Renz asked. She wasn't certain if he was returning her joke, for his face still appeared hardened. Lena shook her head and stared at him with as innocent of a gaze as she could manage as he suddenly stood, and began to lean over her.

"I wouldn't dream of it, sir," she replied softly.

She bit her lip in more excitement than nervousness as Renz wordlessly shifted on top of her on the chaise, separating her legs and wrapping them high around his waist. He leaned down and pressed his forehead against hers while one hand urgently, yet gently, stroked the side of her face.

His other hand was drawing lazy circles on her knee, just barely beginning to crawl up her upper thigh.

"Answer me honestly, Lena. Are you hurt?" Renz said seriously.

"I am fine, Renz, I promise you. Ava arrived before those men could cause any real damage. I owe her a great deal," she replied truthfully.

Renz pushed her silk sleeping gown over her knees, and the cool fabric rapidly slid down her heated skin, causing Lena to shiver at the fleeting, teasing sensation. He kept his touch light on her body as he shifted her fully onto her back on the lounge, lightly kissing her jaw, before his mouth began teasing the sensitive skin of her neck.

"I will apologize, and thank Ava later. But right now, I am furious with you," Renz whispered.

Lena struggled to speak as she felt his tongue lightly caressing her earlobe.

"W-why are you angry with me?" she asked breathlessly.

His tongue slowly trailed down to her neck, and he expertly unbuttoned her gown, exposing her entire upper body to the chill of the room.

"I don't blame you for what happened...but you were careless in your choices leading up to it. You're the most precious thing in the world to me. I won't survive it if something happens to you again," Renz said.

He brought his tongue to her breast, slowly circling the quivering mound of flesh. Lena felt her nipples throb in desperate need for attention from his tongue, and she tried to urge him along.

But with a firm grip from his hands, Renz immobilized her wrists.

"And do you remember how we agreed you'd be punished when you anger me? We discussed it...and explored it...just last night," Renz said.

He shifted his weight forward just as he closed his mouth on her nipple, and Lena gasped as her body moistened in greedy anticipation. She could feel his erection straining against her, hardness teasing her sensitive, naked flesh as he ground his hips.

She could feel his teeth nip at her sensitive tip, hard, and Lena cried out at the painful sensation. But as quickly as it arrived, it was replaced by a throbbing pleasure, the delicious suction sensation of Renz's lips and tongue teasing her nipple.

Yes, she could certainly remember how Renz planned on punishing her when he became angry, and Lena was only too eager to accept his punishment. She would give him anything he needed, as long as it would bring him closer to her again.

Suddenly he stood, and Lena instantly felt a cold chill form between them.

"What's wrong?" she asked, sitting up on shaky arms. His gaze was once more cast downward, and Lena suddenly began feeling very exposed in her half-open gown.

"Renz...please...what is wrong?" she asked, no longer caring about how desperate she sounded.

He seemed to mildly react to her pleas, for he finally looked her in the eye again. His stony exterior faintly cracked, and Lena was terrified by what she saw lying beneath. It looked like pure, unadulterated anguish, and almost as if his feelings were mirrored in hers, Lena immediately felt like her heart was breaking.

"Please talk to me...how can I help you? What do you need?" she asked, taking frantic strides towards him. She reached out to touch his chest, but Renz gripped her wrist...hard enough to hurt.

"Renz—"

"I need to fuck you," Renz said plainly. The fracture in the stone had apparently been covered, and Renz was once more cold and hard.

Lena nodded shakily and stood on her tiptoes, in an attempt to kiss him and initiate the act. But Renz pulled away from her, keeping his grip on her wrist.

"What's wr—"

Renz cut off her speech by lunging forward and crushing his mouth against hers, hard. Lena squealed in surprise, for his kisses were forceful enough to cause her pain. He brought his hand to the back of her head and grabbed a fistful of her hair, crushing her face against his as he assaulted her mouth with his tongue.

His teeth nipped her lips and the stubble around his mouth scraped the delicate skin of her face as forceful kisses claimed her, and Lena began struggling to breathe. But before she could suffocate, Renz released her, by pulling on her hair.

He stared at her with a wildness that made her pussy clench and throb in a wanton, desperate need. In that moment, she knew he was closer to her than he'd been all day. She tried to reach out to him again, to urge him along, but Renz kept a solid grip on her wrist.

She finally understood the more primitive meaning when he'd said he wanted to...fuck her. Almost like an alpha wolf dominating its mate, she knew that Renz needed to be the aggressor. He needed to use her, physically, to reassert his power and gain security.

And she was fully willing to give him what he wanted, for Lena knew that a strong, feral part of her needed to be dominated by him, to feel safe again.

She didn't protest as Renz suddenly pushed her to her knees, keeping his firm grip on the back of her head. Lena slightly stumbled and her heart pounded in nervousness as she caught sight of his fearsome erection, which appeared almost painful in front of her.

She looked up at Renz in concern, but the stern look on his face indicated that he wasn't interested in talking any further.

Lena swallowed hard and brought her attention back to what she was about to do. She struggled to contain her trembling as she unfastened his trousers and released his cock, and she gulped fearfully as his hardness sprang free. She wrapped her fingers around the base, marveling at how he'd ever managed to fit something so thick and long inside of her.

She moistened her lips and took a deep breath, but before she could approach him, Renz suddenly lunged forward, thrusting his cock deep into her throat.

Lena tried her hardest to stifle her immediate urge to gag as the head of his cock bumped the back of her throat. She tried to focus on her breathing, but he rapidly began pumping himself in and out of her mouth without preamble. His grip in her hair was firm, pulling her forward to meet his every thrust.

She could feel herself making a mess as the evidence of her acquiescence began to dribble across her lips and down her chin. She could feel herself flushing in embarrassment, but to her minor relief, it seemed as if Renz neither noticed nor cared.

She tentatively glanced up at him, vision slightly blurred by the reactionary tears in her eyes. It was becoming harder and harder for her to breathe, and she wanted to ask him to stop. But the look on his face made her pause.

His head was thrown back, and his brow was furrowed in fierce, focused pleasure. Her body clenched in reaction to his animalistic desire and Lena redoubled her efforts with her mouth. As uncomfortable as the position was, she was fully addicted to that powerfully lustful expression on his face.

She squeezed her cheeks together and wildly moved her tongue against his shaft, and Renz released a deep, heavy groan in reaction. Lena slightly winced as he tightened his grip in her hair, rendering her incapable of moving of her own volition. He yanked her forward as he thrust in her mouth, violently filling her with his flesh. Lena could taste the salty, slightly spicy flavor that was uniquely Renz, the hint that his release was imminent.

Lena took a slow inhale and closed her eyes as she allowed her body to go completely limp, reminding herself that Renz wanted to use her. His cock swelled in her mouth once she surrendered herself to him, pushing her sore jaw far beyond the limits of comfort. He increased the speed of his pulls and thrusts, and Lena could sense the tension beginning to fill his body. She hoped he would release quickly, for she wasn't certain just how much more of the rough treatment her mouth could take.

Suddenly he yanked himself out of her mouth with enough force to cause her to lose her breath. Lena slightly tumbled on the floor, but it was only a matter of moments before Renz grabbed her by her hair again, spun her around, and shoved her against the chaise.

She tried to steady her heart rate and keep from becoming dizzy as Renz rapidly moved behind her. She gasped when she felt her gown being torn from her body, leaving her naked and shivering as she kneeled in front of the chaise.

Renz positioned himself behind her, and she was slightly disappointed to feel that he was still wearing most of his clothes. The luxurious wool of his slacks pushed her thighs apart, and the rich cotton of his shirt was pressed against her bare back.

She jumped and squirmed in pleasure when he reached forward, and began teasing her pussy with his fingers. She arched her back and offered herself to him as he slipped one finger inside of her, teasing her clit with another. She slightly rocked her hips and ground herself against his hand, and he rewarded her by increasing his pressure, causing another tingling wave of moisture to flow from her body.

"Renz...please...please," she heard herself begging.

"What do you want, Lena?" Renz asked. His voice sounded low and harsh, sounding far more like a command than a question.

"Use me...now, please," she said desperately.

"I'm going to be very rough with you, Lena. Are you sure you can handle that?" he asked.

He slipped a second, and then a devastating third finger inside of her, and began stroking that one, unbearably sensitive spot inside of her. Lena bucked her hips and squirmed in manic desperation, struggling to form words of affirmation between her heady moans. She would agree to anything, as long as it meant he'd enter her.

"Yes...please—"

The breath was instantly ripped from her body with the first, hard thrust he made inside of her. He'd shoved his entire length inside of her with the one thrust, and Lena felt her pussy resisting the rough invasion. She was being stretched, uncomfortably so, and in that moment, Lena was certain she felt more pain than pleasure.

But before she could utter a single word of protest, Renz covered her mouth with one hand as he pinned her wrists behind her body with the other, almost as a leverage to pull her body against his to meet his thrusts.

She squealed into his palm as he shoved forward again, filling her to the hilt, and dangerously pressing beyond. She struggled to accommodate him, for it didn't feel like her body was adjusting to his size the way it was supposed to. It almost felt the way it had during their first few couplings...and Lena was suddenly filled with a fear she hadn't experienced with Renz for several months.

She tried to squirm away from him, but Renz only pulled her closer to his body, as if she were weightless. The tears that had collected in her eyes when she'd serviced him with her mouth suddenly spilled over, and Lena released tones of protest against his palm.

Her bottom was beginning to chafe from the metal and leather of his belt, loose around his hips, as he continued his assaulting thrusts into her body. She wiggled her arms and shook her head, but Renz only tightened his grip on her wrists.

Her fear surged, and Lena began wishing she could speak...but his hand was still covering her mouth. His athletic sounding grunts were filling the room, and Lena had a feeling he wasn't even aware of her struggling beneath him.

Lena closed her eyes and tried to relax her inner muscles, but the feeling of being immobilized felt too much like she was powerless. She could feel her body clenching and tensing, but not in a pleasurable way. It was a fully involuntary reaction, her body's attempt to close itself off from the invasion.

He suddenly pulled her backwards, pressing her back against his hard, muscled chest. She exhaled in relief when he released her wrists, certain that she could use her hands to communicate that he was being too rough with her.

But as soon as he released her, he brought his hand to her clit, and began rapidly pulsing his fingers against it with an urgent pressure.

Lena's head immediately fell back against his shoulder as her body seized the pleasure with an uncomfortable desperation. His thrusts were too hard, too fast...she needed to focus on the sensation of him rubbing her clit, anything to distract her from the pain of his entrance.

"I need you to come, Lena...I want your wetness all over me," Renz grunted harshly, tongue and teeth darting along the shell of her ear. His thrusts caused her to slightly bounced up and down on his lap as he pounded himself inside of her, and Lena felt utterly overwhelmed from the competing sensations in her body. The pain, the pleasure, it was too much for her to process.

Renz shoved forward and held himself still, and his fingers closed around her clit. There was a moment of prolonged stillness and silence, followed by a powerful rush of sensation that coursed through her entire body. Lena's heart was pounding so rapidly that she was certain she wouldn't survive this orgasm without passing out. Her vision blurred and the tears fell violently as the warmth in her body became unbearably hot, and she shuddered and seized against his firm grasp. She wasn't entirely certain if the sensations were pleasurable or painful. They were simply agonizingly overwhelming, far more intense than she could handle.

As her body squeezed around his, she could feel Renz begin to erupt inside of her. He bit down onto her shoulder and released a loud, almost pained groan that caused her to shiver in excitement and in fear.

Renz fell backwards, pulling her with him, and as soon as their bodies made contact with the floor, Lena began to shrink away from him. Her insides were in agony, and each movement felt like an unbearable exertion.

She eyed him warily as his breaths began to slow, and he turned towards her with a sated, blissful smile on his face. It was the expression that normally would have caused her insides to bubble with excitement, but now? She was almost repulsed by the sight.