Chapter 24
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
MERI
C ormal thrusts his phone into Theron’s hand, then proceeds to explain everything from his sister’s initial kidnapping to this Fae’s search for her background. “Tell me you know him.”
Theron’s gaze slips to the phone and back to Cormal. “It’s Oryn, my brother. How did you know to come to me?” He passes the photo to Fallon, who’s standing beside him.
“In Aerie Wells, the rider used a wintery wind to open the doors of the stables,” I recount with a shrug. “Dark Fae territory. It was bound to either be Autumn or Winter.”
“I’m surprised he even used a disguise,” Theron notes with a shake of his head. “Oryn’s never faced hardship in his life. And to go out of his way for someone else isn’t like him. I’ll order him to Winter Court, where we can meet with him in private.” With his phone in hand, he walks away.
Minutes later, he returns. “He was waiting for my call. Told me he would meet me in Winter in an hour, then hung up. Fallon, will you go? I might need a voice of reason if it’s bad.”
Fallon brushes his long hair back from his face and tucks it behind his ear. “Of course. Don’t want you to kill your favorite brother.”
Cormal eyes Madoc, Rivan, and me. “I’ll fill you in when I return.”
“Take Madoc,” I urge him. “Oryn lives at court with Denir. He might know something that could help us.”
Cormal swoops down and gives me a deep kiss. “Good call. I’ll see you later.” He throws his elbow into Madoc’s ribs when he passes him.
Madoc’s grey eyes are full of laughter, although his surly countenance never changes. “Someone is jealous.” He bends down and whispers into my ear. “Think about me when I’m gone.”
An image of me sitting in his lap naked, me naked and laughing as he feeds me, him chasing a naked me through a forest, flickers through my mind.
My face flames, but I don’t tell him to stop. Nope. I wink and send him an image of his head between my thighs, worshipping my body.
He groans, and his goodbye kiss is a little deeper and rougher than usual. “Remember, keep your shield up.”
I flip him off as he leaves.
Rivan slides up beside me. “Up for a surprise?” His voice is deeper and huskier than it usually is, and I look up to see the desire in his eyes.
“Does it turn you on to see them kiss me?” I ask him, running my hands down his torso. “What kind of surprise?”
“Yes,” he admits gruffly. “It wouldn’t be a surprise if I told you.” He pulls out a blindfold from his back pocket. “Close your eyes.”
Intrigued, I let my eyes drift close. A second later, the cloth slips over them, snuffing out the light.
Taking my hand, he leads me down the hall to the elevator. When we get off, the air is different. Damp and heavy. His hands grasp my shoulders as he walks me where he wants me and stops.
Whipping off the blindfold, I see the hot springs he took me to when I was queen. “We didn’t leave The Abbey, did we?”
He chuckles. “No, I like my head attached, thank you very much.” He stretches out his arm. “The Abbey creates what you need. I wanted to take us back to the moment when I first started falling for you.”
I take a deep breath and turn to face him. So many moments full of longing between us, but we never crossed the line when I was queen. The kiss I gave him when we pulled him off that mountain was our first kiss, but it was to bring him back to me.
Raising my chin, I slide my hands up his defined chest to his shoulders, then clasp them behind his neck. “All those times you stopped. Show me what was in your heart.”
Bending his head, his lips draw closer and closer until they finally meet mine in a kiss so beautiful it was worth the long wait. Emotion pours from him to me. Like our friendship, it starts off slow and sweet, then gradually moves into something deeper and more intense. His lips break away, hovering closely next to mine, but never touching, reflective of the break between us. They suddenly capture mine, and there is joy and desire and love all wrapped into one. It’s the story of us in a kiss.
A tear rolls down my cheek, and he breaks away to capture it with his lips.
“Don’t cry,” he murmurs. “We know each other in ways nobody else ever will. The part of us that is strong enough to survive the terrors in the night and still see the light in ourselves the next day.”
“I didn’t think we would ever get to this point,” I admit to him with a tremulous smile. “Not just because of the crown on my head but because the wounds of the past were incredibly deep and prevented me from asking you to stay with me in the Light Fae Kingdom.”
He squeezes me tightly. “I know. If our roles were reversed, I wouldn’t want you to return to a place of torment, either.” His hands smooth down my shoulders to the buttons on my shirt. He slips one through the hole, then another. “I’ve dreamed of this moment so many times.”
It takes him several minutes to get my clothes off. By the time he finishes, I’m already wet with need. Impatient, I wave a hand and make his disappear instantly.
He throws his head back and laughs, and the sound echoes throughout the chamber. His hand grabs mine and I lift it to the light to see the hard callouses on his palm. “From the sword.” The pride in his voice is all I needed to hear, and I link our pinkies together.
He helps me into the warm pool, and I groan as the heated water eases my tight muscles. “Lean your head back and I’ll wash your hair.”
Remembering how good his fingers felt, I tip my head back, but this time, I don’t hide myself from him. “Like this?”
“Perfect,” he replies huskily.
I hear his hands rubbing briskly together. Then he gathers up my hair and begins to coat each strand with the shampoo, until every single one is well lathered. Strong fingers slide behind my neck and up the back of my head, massaging every single inch along the way. I moan at the amazing feeling.
Minutes later, he tips my head back farther and carefully rinses away the suds.
Unable to resist, I wrap my arm around his neck and pull his lips down to mine for a sweet thank you. At least it starts out that way, but the longer I kiss him, the more my body aches for his.
As if to answer my silent plea, his hand skims the top of the water to my breasts. “I wanted to touch you so badly that day. Cup your breasts in both hands and play with the teasing peaks.”
He pulls me backward until my shoulders are resting against his chest. “Better.” Cupping my breasts fully, he plays with them while his mouth finds my neck. “I love the sexy slope where your neck joins your shoulder.” His tongue laves the area, then slides up to kiss my ear.
His hands glide down my body, mapping the dips and mounds, until it reaches the heart of me. Fingers part my folds and slide up and down as if his goal is to know my body using only touch. He dips a finger inside, then circles it around the nub at the top. Over and over, until the slickness covers me.
A muscular arm wraps around my middle, and he holds me closer. Two fingers dip inside while his thumb presses firmly on the most sensitive part, swirling around and around. I arch into his hands, then retreat.
He stops, and I gasp. Flipping my body around to face him, he pushes against my shoulder. “Lie back. I’ve got you. That’s it.”
When I’m floating on my back, he places my legs over his shoulders and pulls me closer, his hands under me for support.
He bends his head and makes love to me with his mouth. Incredibly intense, I’m truly lost at sea, awash in sensations, with only him to anchor me. The water laps over my breasts, reinforcing the feeling, and when my release hits, it’s continuous, rolling over me in short bursts like the waves breaking on the shore.
He eases my legs off his shoulders and guides my body down to his. “Still with me?” His chuckle is low and sensuous, but I hear the underlying need in his voice.
I rise and wrap my arms around him while I let gravity pull me down until his body is at my entrance. “All the way. I’m yours.” I sink onto him slowly, watching his face the entire time.
Little flames appear in his amber eyes, and I move up and down until he’s fully inside me. His fingers grip my hips, and he lays his forehead against mine. “It’s better than I dreamed.” Biceps bulge as he pulls me down and thrusts up at the same time.
Steam rises around us, but the heat building between us is like an inferno. It rages and flares, making our cheeks red and our breaths short. Pleasure tightens my body, but I don’t want to let go yet.
His mouth firms, and I feel him swell inside me. He reaches down and swirls his thumb against me, bringing me with him as he falls. Strong arms wrap around my body, and he hugs me tightly.
“I don’t want to ever let you go.”
“You don’t have to,” I reassure him, content to stay in his arms. “Although Cormal and Madoc may come to find us if we don’t surface.”
He draws back and mockingly frowns. “I guess I have to share you with them, don’t I?” His eyes twinkle with mischief, and it makes me happy to see him so lighthearted.
I lick my lips. “How do you feel about foursomes?”
He hardens inside me.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” I groan.
With a wave of my hand, a bar of soap appears. “It’s my turn to wash you.”