Chapter Thirteen
Once again, Kieran held his composure throughout the grueling ride back to the Winter Court.
Sera’s scent was everywhere. On his clothes and his hands.
His face. This time he maintained a semblance of distance because there was no getting her out of that dress and back into it inside the confines of his carriage.
And she would be out of that dress the moment he could assure her privacy.
When Joy—had he forgotten to dismiss her?
Again? Tomorrow. He’d do it tomorrow—stopped outside the court, Kieran hopped down and scooped Sera into his arms as she tried to step to the ground.
He knew the path better than she did, knew where to step and how to avoid ice patches.
He did not set her down when he reached his front door, merely adjusted her so he could reach the handle and once free of the bolt, he kicked it in without bothering to shut it.
“Sir—”
The look on his face stopped Meera in her tracks. She opened and closed her mouth, always rather timid even when he wasn’t bearing down on her with a glower that could freeze a glacier. He set Sera down in one fluid motion and snatched her hand to drag her to his side.
“I am not to be disturbed for the foreseeable future,” he instructed, voice dripping with ice.
Meera nodded, a wince indicating she had something to say that would counter his demand and she feared it might be important enough to say it.
Not again. He was not going to let responsibility or obligations keep him from taking Sera upstairs and—
“I thought I sensed a blizzard!”
Kieran’s face morphed to visible irritation, brow drawn and eyes narrowing with lethal focus.
Miles Harrow strolled into his foyer, wearing a jovial smile and still courted by an ambiguous shadow. Given the rage that shocked through Kieran, it would not have surprised him if Miles’s demise turned imminent.
When Miles’s gaze danced around Kieran to Sera, his demeanor shifted. “Damn, I thought you were gorgeous before.”
Sera smiled into her hand. Kieran bared teeth.
“What do you want Harrow?”
Miles’s humor did not wane in the face of Kieran’s unconcealed hostility. He gestured like the reason should be obvious. “Pick up order. For Wraith. One…” he blew out a puff of air and shook his head. “I don’t remember, some kind of necklace or something.”
“He’s here for the Charm,” Sera said, tone slow and placating.
Kieran released her hand, knuckles cracking as they curled into a fist over the frigid air that took the place of her warmth.
He strode purposefully from the room, moving faster than he ever had in his life without running to retrieve the box he’d secured in a safe.
He returned and shoved the box into Miles’s chest.
“Now, kindly get the fuck out.” He snapped his fingers and Meera squeaked, leaping to the door and holding it open.
Miles opened the box. He looked up with a raised eyebrow. "I'm no jewelry expert, but I'm pretty sure necklaces don't come in three pieces."
"I was told to retrieve it and that is the state it was found in. Cole had no way of knowing the Charm's condition."
Kieran and Miles locked eyes, Kieran daring him to call out the obvious fabrication.
But they had never agreed on the state the charm was to be returned in and they had to know that Kieran would not allow such a powerful object to fall into Wraith's hands.
Wraith no longer had to fear the Charm being used against him, so he had gotten what he wanted.
Miles opened his mouth, Kieran advanced.
“Consider your next words carefully,” Kieran warned.
Miles grinned, unabashed. “Sounds reasonable to me. And I also wanted to let Sera know, that Cole is currently on the run. Your intel proved accurate.”
“On the run?” Sera gasped, hands rising to her mouth. “Then he could be anywhere.”
“Wraith doesn’t let enemies defect into the night. Cole’s got a target on his back now. He can’t show his face anywhere in the city without risking Wraith’s attention. He’s got a pretty sizable bounty on him. It’s only a matter of time before he’s caught. I’d say a day, two at most.”
The news was more alarming than Miles suggested. Cole running scared through the city was a problem. Good thing Kieran did not intend to let Sera out of his sight any time soon.
“Astonishingly, you’ve managed to say something that was neither tactless nor infuriating,” Kieran added, using his height and body to corral Miles toward the door.
“I get the feeling you don’t want me to stay,” Miles said from the porch, just as Kieran slammed the door in his face.
Kieran turned and attempted to collect himself. “Meera, my instructions stand, no interruptions.”
She nodded quickly.
He set his hands behind his back, slowly stalking closer to Sera. “I’m hopeful you have not changed your mind, but I would understand if you need a moment.”
Sera jumped, as much as the dress would allow, into his arms. He fumbled to catch her, rather ungracefully given the awkward fall of skirts.
“If you don’t take me upstairs right now,” she whispered against his neck, “I’m going to start disrobing in your foyer.”
Her words sent a thrill through him that chased away every other thought. He easily carried her up the stairs, muscle memory guiding him to his bedchamber, because Sera had claimed his face in her hands, driving him mad with her lips at the base of his ear.
Not until they were finally alone in the privacy of his rooms did he allow himself to stop. Now he simply held her, eyes eased shut as he teetered on his feet, attempting to form a thought despite the little moans punctuating each caress of her tongue. She knew what she was doing.
“I want to make one thing clear,” he managed, but he had to pause before he could continue, “you are in control of this. I will follow your direction.”
“Does that mean we can break another rule?” she purred against his skin.
He took a steadying breath. He knew exactly the rule to which she referred. “This is not part of the Game,” he shifted his neck to still her mouth, stopping the disorienting attack of her lips. He pulled away to add, “Those rules don’t apply.”
He set her down, retaining the touch of his forehead to hers even as she dropped over a foot due to her shorter stature.
He drew his fingers along her chin, then up to cup her cheek as he bent to kiss her with more purpose.
More unintended emotion. A slow, sensual endeavor while his other hand could work at the confounding laces of her garments.
Peeling, pulling, and untwining until most of the girth had been lost to the floor.
Kieran discarded his shirt, the coat and waistcoat already lost in the numerous folds of her dress, when a notable shiver raced through her body.
Pausing, he located one of the thicker blankets kept in the adjoining closet, the door hidden and flush with the wood paneling.
Sera sat on the edge of his bed, arms wrapped around herself, wearing only her thin chemise which hid nothing of the cold’s effect on her breasts.
Shaking out the blanket—a soft, wool material large enough to encase two if needed—he draped it over Sera’s shoulders.
Seizing her chance, she snatched the waistband of his pants, easily undoing the ties.
Kieran stilled; muscles taut as her hands moved much too close.
There was no hiding his arousal, no mask he could wear or indifference to project. Her effect on him was unmistakable.
Sera teased and skirted, working down his clothes with slow intention. Every touch burned. Her nails scraping his hip ignited his blood. His arms were tense at his side—posture braced as Sera started with her hands. Her smaller, gentle fingers made contact and his attempt at composure shattered.
He buckled, groaning with pent up hunger as he fought to regain his balance. He was starved of attention, of connection with another person, and being this close to her, sharing this with her, was almost too much.
His eyes weren’t merely closed, but straining to hold in the last scraps of his control before emotion and lust burst like an indecent flood. This was meant to be about Sera. Her pleasure and satisfaction. Why couldn’t he hold himself together?
“You can relax,” Sera’s voice called as if far away.
Her touch on his cock turned into grip, then a slow glide up and down.
Kieran opened his eyes, looking down at Sera’s lovely face—dark hair draped over bare shoulders as she tipped her head to pierce him with ravenous eyes, her hand pumping in and out of view. The sight hit him like a blow.
“I…” He swallowed. Thoughts scattered with each metered glide, unraveling repressed emotions when her thumb teased the sensitive skin at the tip without losing pace.
Words failed him.
“You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do this.” Sera’s sultry voice brushed over him like a caress, heightening the pleasure already spiraling from her hand.
In the chaos of her ministrations, Kieran had assumed she meant touch him. He was very wrong.
Her tongue followed her hand—the hot liquid trail caused his muscles to spasm, head rolling to his shoulder. If asked, he wouldn’t be able to name the sounds he made, something primal and desperate. His senses hovered near overloaded.
Then Sera kissed the tip of his cock before taking the length of him into her mouth.
Curses, ancient and Faery jumbled from his throat. Sera was unrelenting, merciless. Tipping the scales into too much. He had seconds to stop her before he came in her mouth—a thought not unappealing, but also not what he wanted tonight.
Kieran’s hand shot forward, stilled her just in time. He eased Sera backward until frozen air snapped at his slick skin.
He fought for words.
“Did I go too far?” Sera’s tone was concerned, but he could only answer by shaking his head and fighting for air. “Did… did I hurt you?”