Chapter 70
Husband
Leo left before Evelyn had finished packing, claiming he was needed on the ship early.
Evelyn and Damien walked out of the castle together. The High Councilors were waiting on the front steps to officially send them off.
Moeller inclined his head. “What a shame you have to leave so soon.”
“Try not to cry as our ship departs,” Evelyn deadpanned.
Heinrich snickered, while Haydn was studying her every movement.
“Let’s go, Damien,” she murmured, descending the steps.
“Give Tasia a kiss goodbye for me!” Damien shouted, earning a glare from Heinrich.
Damien picked an empty carriage for them. Evelyn gazed out the window almost regretfully as they rode through the city again. There were so many places she wanted to explore.
Did all of these people know my mother? Did she shop at that bookstore? Did she order tea in that café? Did she and my father ever get drunk in that tavern?
Will any place feel like home to me? There’s my mother’s isle, my father’s kingdom, and my husband’s palace. Are any of them mine?
Everyone on board the ship was surprisingly quiet. Rory and Simon whispered to each other, not bothering with magical entertainment this time.
Are Leo and I making them all uncomfortable? What does a Royal Guard do when their king and queen fight?
Evelyn found Leo in a small office below deck. Two oil lamps lit up the room. Various maps lined the walls.
“Can we talk?” she asked.
Leo used lesser magic to lock the door behind her, then leaned against the wooden desk. “About what?”
We should talk about Haydn or Damien. We should talk about what to do when we get home. We should talk about how we keep fighting and nothing feels right anymore.
Leo’s mismatched blue eyes studied her.
Does he have just as many things he doesn’t want to say?
“I miss you.”
Leo released a breath and wrapped her up in his arms. “I miss you, too.”
The wall between them crumbled. Evelyn leaned against Leo’s chest and breathed in his familiar scent. Her arms twined around his waist, not wanting to let go. Leo ran his hands up and down her back.
This is my husband. This is what I want.
Then something sparked between them, like a match lighting in the darkness.
Evelyn became acutely aware of how close their bodies were and how rarely that happened anymore.
Her breath quickened and she could feel Leo’s rapid heartbeat.
He smoothed her hair before bringing his lips to the side of her neck.
“Leo,” Evelyn whispered. She let her head fall back as he trailed kisses from her jaw to her collarbone. “I want you!”
Leo kissed her urgently. “I need you.”
He lifted her onto the edge of the desk, then pushed her knees apart to stand between them. She could feel how hard he was already, which only fueled her own arousal.
“Please,” Evelyn begged. “I want you inside me.”
It’s been days since our wedding night. Maybe the fact that we haven’t been intimate since then is why everything has been so stressful between us.
She gasped when Leo pushed her down on the desk, his eyes hungry as he loomed over her.
“I need to see you this time,” he said. “No more hiding in the dark. I want to see your face when you lose control. I want to watch my cum run down your legs.”
Gods, where was this version of Leo the night we got married?
Evelyn trembled as she waited for him to touch her. Leo removed his trousers, then gathered Evelyn’s skirt around her waist. She raised herself up onto her elbows, wanting to see him, but Leo shoved her shoulders down.
“Stay on your back,” he ordered.
Evelyn obeyed and spread her legs eagerly. Leo gazed at her bare flesh for several long moments, his eyes bright with desire.
“Please touch me,” she said, desperate for him to do more than look.
Leo dragged Evelyn forward and sheathed himself deep inside her. She cried out at the sudden contact. Her body barely adjusted to the fullness of him before Leo began thrusting in and out.
“You’re mine,” he grunted.
“I’m yours!” Evelyn rasped.
“You belong to me.”
“Yes!”
“No one else gets to have you. Not Ritter. Not Damien. You’re mine.”
Why is he talking about them while he’s inside me?
“Leo—”
“I see how they look at you,” he interrupted, something animalistic in his voice. “How my best friend watches you.”
Sweat formed on Leo’s brow. He gripped Evelyn’s thighs to hold her in place.
“Nothing happened with Damien!” she told him.
“He’s always flirting with you, always touching you.”
Leo released one of her legs and pressed the pad of his thumb against her clit. Evelyn nearly screamed in pleasure at the new sensation, instantly forgetting the hostility radiating off her husband.
“Has he touched you here?” Leo asked, rubbing rough circles against the bundle of nerves.
“No!” Evelyn gasped.
But her mind latched onto the idea of Damien touching her. Evelyn’s eyes fluttered closed. She pretended it was Damien pounding between her legs and stroking that most sensitive spot.
“Oh, gods.”
Damien…
She pictured his green eyes staring at her. She imagined running her fingers through his black hair. She wondered what his lips would taste like. She thought of his cock in—
“Is this what you want?”
Evelyn’s eyes snapped open at the sound of Leo’s voice. Not even two minutes had passed, and she’d truly expected to hear Damien instead.
Fuck, that fantasy got a little too real.
“Yes,” she said quickly, remembering Leo had asked her a question.
Leo’s eyes were wild. “You’re going to come for me. And you’re going to scream loud enough that this whole damn ship knows how hard I fucked you.”
Evelyn lost the ability to form words as her body edged closer to ecstasy.
“I want everyone to hear you,” Leo continued, “and know that you’re mine.”
He pressed harder on Evelyn’s clit and she shattered. As Leo commanded, a scream ripped from her lungs. She knew her throat and her core would be sore for hours. Moments later, Leo tensed with his own release.
Evelyn pictured Damien’s face as Leo spilled into her. Another wave of pleasure rippled through her at the idea. But she did not expect to hear his voice this time.
“Evelyn! Are you okay?” Damien shouted, pounding on the door and trying to turn the locked handle.
Shit. That scream wasn’t a good idea.
“I’m fine!” Evelyn yelled back.
She winced when Leo abruptly pulled out of her. He strode to the door, not bothering to put his trousers on. Evelyn barely had time to fix her skirt before Leo threw the door open.
Damien stood in the hall, flanked by Rory and Simon.
Evelyn flushed red while they took in the scene.
Even if her disheveled dress and messy hair didn’t announce what they had been doing, Leo’s wet cock certainly would.
Rory and Simon kept their faces neutral but averted their gazes.
Damien eyed Evelyn like he was checking her for injuries.
“Do you need something?” Leo asked casually.
Damien’s expression turned bitter. “Did you think guards wouldn’t come running at the sound of the queen screaming?”
Leo shrugged, and Damien looked ready to punch him. Instead, Damien spoke to Evelyn. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
She nodded and wondered if her cheeks were actually on fire.
This is mortifying. It’s bad enough that we got caught. But if Damien could read minds and knew I was thinking about him almost the entire time, I would have to fling myself into the ocean. Leo might throw me overboard if he found out.
“You can go now,” Leo said. “I’d like to get back to my wife.”
Damien’s scowl became murderous. “If you hurt Evelyn—”
“You’ll what?” Leo challenged. “I’m the king and she’s mine. All you can do is bow.”
“Leo!” Evelyn snapped. “Everything is fine, Damien. I’m sorry I scared you.”
Damien took a step closer to her. “Evelyn—”
Leo held an arm out to stop him. “She’s fine. You aren’t needed, Fontaine.”
Damien glared. “Yes, Your Majesty.”
He left, followed by Rory and Simon. Leo shut the door and locked it again.
“Did you mean for Damien to find us?” Evelyn asked. “Is that why you wanted me to scream?”
Leo put his hands on her hips. “No, of course not.”
“But—”
He led her back to the desk and coaxed her into lying down again.
“What are you doing?” she asked as he lifted her skirt.
“I told you I want to see my cum between your legs.” The primal hunger returned to Leo’s eyes. “You’re dripping.”
I told Damien earlier that I felt like Leo and I were drifting apart. But this is better. We’re doing better. Leo wants to be with me.
He spread Evelyn’s thighs and swiped a finger up her center, coating it in the wetness he’d left there. “Open your mouth.”
Evelyn’s lips parted and Leo stuck his slick finger between them, forcing her to lick it clean.
This isn’t the same Leo who held my hand on the beach and asked for permission to kiss me good night. Is this the real him, or is this jealousy?
Leo climbed on top of Evelyn and kissed her deeply. “I love you. My bride, my wife, my queen. I love you.”
His words soothed some of her anxiety. “I love you, too.”
This is my husband. This is what I want.