CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Astrid
Rita hugs me tightly when we walk into her inn, then grabs her son next, kissing Sinda’s cheeks repeatedly. “My handsome boy! I didn’t know you were coming in tonight.”
The inn is packed with a band playing, and people are already on the dance floor.
“The princess wanted to,” he says, smiling over at me.
Rita beams, then lets go of him to hug Rave, Soren, Cove, Elios, and Nico before finding us a table. I feel eyes on us as we sit on the wooden chairs and order some drinks and food, and I’m thinking it’s not every day they see all of their princes out together, along with two warrior fae and a princess.
“We’re causing quite the spectacle,” I announce, arching my brow when a group of fae women look over and check out all the men around me. One of them fans her face when her lingering gaze goes to the Shadow Prince, who is sitting next to me, one arm casually balancing on his knee.
“No wonder you all have such big egos,” I mutter, and Soren smirks, flexing his arms as he clasps his fingers behind his neck, which is clearly all for show. He’s changed into a white sleeveless tunic that shows off his chest and muscles. He must be wanting to get some action tonight.
“Can you blame them?” he replies, following my line of sight and sending a flirty wink in their direction.
I roll my eyes. “Looking for a new pet?”
Rita brings me a bottle of wine and some beer for the gentlemen. “The food is on its way.”
“Thanks, Mom,” Sinda says, and she touches his cheek warmly. The rest of us chime in with our thanks.
“You’re welcome. Enjoy the night. But please, don’t start any fights,” she murmurs, her eyes going straight to Rave. “Especially you.”
“Me?” Rave asks, pointing to his chest. He has the nerve to sound shocked.
Nico chuckles, his eyes darting to me. “Don’t sound so surprised. Anyone looks at her, and that’s the end of it.”
Rave pours me a glass and slides it over. “They can look all they want.” He turns to me, his eyes dancing playfully. “She’s a beautiful woman. I can’t blame them. It’s touching her that’s going to get them killed.”
“And that’s why Rita only pointed at you,” Cove remarks, shaking his head.
“I’d like to see how you all act when you find your mate,” Rave replies, and the men all go quiet, Soren wincing at the thought.
“Enough about balls and chains,” he says, doing a sexy little dance, rolling his body to the music. “I’m going to go and work my magic on one of those pretty fae over there.” He pins me with a steel look. “And you, don’t you even try and cockblock me.”
He dances away, shaking his ass a little, making me laugh out loud. When I turn to Rave, I find his eyes already on me, lighting up at the sight of me happy.
The cool wine disappears quickly after that, and while Cove heads to the dance floor, Nico and Sinda disappear to the bar together. Rave grips the back of my knees and slides me across so I’m closer to him, not wanting any space between us. He brings his lips to my ear just as a woman clears her throat.
“Prince Rave,” she purrs, eyes only for him. “Didn’t think I’d be seeing you here tonight.”
Our heads turn to see who it is, and I frown when Halia, the Mermaid Princess, and Rave’s ex, stands there, her pink lips pouted as she bats her eyelashes. Her bright red hair is tied up in a high ponytail, showing off her shimmery skin and sharp cheekbones.
“Neither did I,” he replies, his hand resting possessively on my thigh, palm splayed wide across it. “You remember my mate, Princess Astrid.”
Her blue eyes land on me for a second before going back to him. “Of course, lovely to see you again, Princess.”
“What brings you to our kingdom?” I ask, my skin tingling as Rave’s hand tightens in approval. Yeah, I bet he liked hearing that, especially after having to share me with the Incubus Kingdom.
“It’s my birthday,” she replies, gesturing to her friends on the dance floor. “We always venture out and dance the night away to celebrate. You remember, don’t you, Rave?”
My eyes narrow as Rave clears his throat. “Well, happy birthday. I hope you enjoy your night.”
I say nothing.
I hope she returns to whatever swamp she climbed out of.
Dismissed, her lips purse in displeasure before she returns to her group of friends while Rave turns back to me. “I feel your jealousy, and it’s making me hard. You sure you don’t want to get out of here now? I want to show you just how much all of this belongs to you.”
Glancing down at his trousers, I see he is indeed hard as a fucking rock, his massive cock pointed proudly and creating a tent anyone who looks our way will be able to see.
“You’re mine now,” I reply, licking my suddenly dry lips. “But it sounds like before that cock of yours was communal.”
Why am I jealous? The thought of another woman being with Rave has always made my blood boil and my stomach twist at the same time, and that hasn’t changed.
Shadows slither out from his palms and create a wall, blocking anyone from seeing us. With a quick, smooth move, he lifts me on the table, sliding my dress up so my legs rest on either side of his thighs. My nipples pebble, and his eyes drop to them, not missing a beat.
“I can’t even remember who I’ve fucked before you, Astrid. I can’t remember what they looked or tasted like. They all blur into one, and I couldn’t give a fuck about any of them,” he rasps as he slides his fingers slowly up my calf. “But you…” He wets his full bottom lip. “I remember your sweet taste like it’s a part of me. I replay those sounds you make when you come in my head when you’re not around, flashes of your naked body constantly torturing me.”
Heat pools in my core. “Well, Prince… since you’ve been with so many other women, why don’t you remind me what you’ve learned over the years?” I spread my thighs slowly, not letting my eyes leave his, leaning backward with my palms on the cold wood. “Be a good mate and make me come right here.”
Shadows swirl against the icy blue of his irises. “You think it’s some kind of punishment to eat that perfect pussy right here?” He leans forward, lifting my dress so it sits around my hips, then slides my panties down around my ankles. Gripping my hips, he tilts me back and lowers his face to my sex. “Because doing this is all I’ve been thinking about all fucking night.”
And then his lips are on me, licking and sucking. My head falls back. The fact that anyone can hear or one of the men could try to come and sit back down at any moment only makes it all that much hotter. His ex is only a few feet from us, probably watching and wondering what we’re doing behind the darkness.
Wishing it was her.
But it never will be.
My fingers thread through his dark, thick hair, pushing and pulling until I’m all but riding his face. He mutters a curse against my flesh and then circles his tongue around my clit until I’m crying out in pleasure, the sound washed out by the music around us.
When he pulls back, his lips still wet and a smug expression on his beautiful face, I slide off the table and straddle him, reaching for his trousers. “My turn.”
He reveals that impressive length, and I slide down it, hot and hard, and lift my hips up and down, so desperate for him, like I didn’t just come all over his tongue. I taste myself as he kisses me, fingers squeezing my ass as I fuck him until I come again.
Only then does he let himself go.
He zips me into our bed, still inside of me, and continues to stroke inside me like we’d never left our room. His finger trails down my cheek before he kisses me gently.
Lovingly.
This man might have lied to me, but I can’t deny knowing that he loves me.
I feel it pouring from him.
But if my guard lowers again, and I forgive him and let him in.
I hope I don’t regret it.