Chapter 14 #2
Crying out, I arched off the bed, my entire body quivering beneath his tongue. He licked me again, his guttural groan rumbling against me. “So sweet. You’re dripping for me, Princess. Tell me, does this make you feel better? Does it feel like I’m doing my job as your Imperial Warrior?”
“Yes, but I need more.”
His magic surged, and he licked again. “Like this? Is this what you need, Princess?”
My legs quivered around him. “Yes, Kole. Yes.”
He unleashed himself on me, licking, sucking, and swirling his tongue in a way that I’d never experienced before.
He finally released his grip on my wrists and curled one arm around my waist. He tilted my hips to give him the perfect angle to devour me.
My fingers threaded through his hair, tugging and pulling at him as I became unhinged in my need. My want. For this. For him. For the release I knew was coming that would completely ruin me.
I moaned again, panting so badly I could barely get my words out. “You’re going to make me come, Kole.”
He increased his speed, eating my flesh like it was the most delicious fruit he’d ever feasted upon, all while whispering filthy words about needing to please me, protect me, and how it was his sacred duty to do whatever his princess demanded.
I was too mindless to do anything other than wrap my legs around his head and take each demanding swirl of his tongue. And when he thrust two fingers inside me, my orgasm exploded.
Waves crashed over me, lifting me to the stars, burning me through the galaxy.
It went on and on and on, and all the while, Kole let me ride his hand while he continued to murmur filthy things against my flesh.
“That’s it, Princess.” He continued licking me softly, kissing my flesh tenderly as I quivered and shuddered. “You can come all over me anytime you need your warrior to make you feel safe.”
When the high of my orgasm finally began to die down, I lay dazed. Spent. Completely wrecked.
A part of me couldn’t believe what had just happened. Kole in bed was so different than Kole the warrior. One was talkative and domineering, the other was stoic and serious.
But I loved both equally, and I had the most ridiculous urge to giggle.
I slapped a hand to my mouth to avoid doing so, but I couldn’t stop my smile. I opened my eyes, half expecting to see Kole pulling back, but instead, he was grinning like a male who’d just been given the biggest prize or told that he’d won his most coveted treasure.
“Is something funny, Princess?” His hair was mussed, tousled every which way from my fingers gripping and tugging at the dark strands, and I couldn’t stop it.
A delighted giggle spilled from my lips because he was now teasing me.
But he didn’t seem to mind. A fierce light shone in his eyes, and he crawled up my belly, settling himself between my thighs until his hard length, still sheathed within his breeches, met my tender flesh.
My breath caught, and I somehow managed to say, “Nothing’s funny. I’m just happy. Blissfully so.” I giggled again, and he cocked an eyebrow. “Well, okay, I suppose it’s a little funny that you got so talkative. I think that’s the most I’ve ever heard you say.”
A lazy smile lifted his lips, and I was overjoyed to see that his mask had entirely dropped.
Growling, he kissed my neck, my jaw, my mouth.
“What can I say? I’ve been dreaming of doing that since I met you, Princess.
I just never thought I’d be able to, but once I realized you’d found a way to trick the Council’s magic .
. .” He shrugged. “Something came over me.”
I pressed my lips together, trying to contain my joy, then curled my arms around his shoulders. “I’m glad. I adored that. Absolutely adored that.”
“You did?” he asked huskily. “Did I do my job well?”
My toes curled, and a part of me still couldn’t believe we’d fooled the Council. “You did your job very well.” I ran a finger across the stubble on his jaw. “You’ve made me feel so much safer and more protected. I feel so safe that I’m positively giddy.”
His throat bobbed. “I can’t even tell you how thankful I am for that, Princess. After I took the Stone from you . . .” He stopped, and his jaw worked. “I didn’t know if you’d ever speak to me again following that. I feared you hated me.”
Tenderly, I smiled at him, then ran my finger down his throat. “I know you didn’t want to do that. I know you only did it because you had to.”
A rush of relief flowed over his expression, and he nipped at my finger. “You’re a very forgiving fairy, Your Highness. It’s one thing I lov—” His throat bobbed in another swallow. “It’s one thing I greatly admire about you.”
My heart hammered over what he’d just stopped himself from saying, and I shrugged nonchalantly. “Am I right to think that? That you didn’t want to take the Stone from me?”
His nostrils flared, and he nodded. “You’re very right. It nearly killed me to do that to you.”
I grinned anew. “Then it’s exactly as I thought. You genuinely care about me, and you’ve been wildly attracted to me from the beginning, but you couldn’t act on it.”
“Wildly attracted, eh?” He chuckled.
I batted my eyelashes playfully. “Am I wrong?”
“No.” His gaze darkened, and he pushed a kiss to the top of my breast. “You’re the most beautiful, alluring creature I’ve ever met. I’ve been dreaming of fucking you from the first day I met you.”
My toes curled anew, and I reached for him, wanting to give him the same mind-shattering release that he’d given to me, but when my hands wandered south of his waistband, he grabbed my wrists.
“Let’s not test it, Princess. We got away with this much, but the last thing I want is to be whisked back to headquarters only for them to assign a new warrior to your care.”
My smile dimmed. “But what about your needs?”
He kissed my neck. “We can try it later.”
“Later, as in this afternoon?” I teased.
He grinned, and I didn’t think I’d ever seen anything more arresting. “Probably not this afternoon. I’m still shocked that your demands tricked the Council’s magic at all, and I don’t want to press our luck.”
“Then tomorrow?”
His eyes smoldered. “Well, if you keep looking at me like that, Princess, I’m going to have a hard time saying no.”
Surrendering to the inevitable, I got up and redressed, Kole doing the same. And we weren’t a moment too soon, because a second later, Betsee was knocking on the door.
“Princess Primelle? Are you all right? The door’s locked!”
“Oh, sorry!” I squeaked. I flung out my telekinetic magic to unlock the bolts, and the servant bustled in, carrying fresh linens and towels.
“I won’t be but a moment,” she called cheerfully.
I opened my mouth to make an awkward reply, but Kole said, “Now, where were we?” He nodded toward the list I held in my hands, the one that I’d just picked up off the floor that had the ten Houses. “You had mentioned something about a castle and wanting to know if you remembered who owned it.”
I shook my head, realigning my thoughts to what I was supposed to be doing—memorizing the House lists—not being pleasured by my warrior.
I gave him a secretive smile, then took a deep breath and forced myself to concentrate on the matter at hand while Betsee traipsed completely oblivious around the room.
“Um, that’s right,” I replied. “I was wondering who the House leader is at that large castle north of the city, the one with the fountain and silver spires?” I settled myself onto the couch near the fireplace, trying to act completely innocent, but my heart was still pounding from what Kole and I had done.
Kole straightened his position, his sword gleaming at his back once more. He was the portrait of a dutiful warrior as he stood behind a wing-backed chair. “Lady Ginella. She’s been in charge of House Ginella for four hundred and sixty-eight summers.”
“That’s right, and her first name is Diam, and she has magic from two kingdoms, seer magic and an earth elemental.”
“Correct,” Kole confirmed, his tone subdued, but when Betsee wasn’t looking, his gaze turned smoldering, and he winked.
But just as fast, a whip of magic flared on his wrist, and his flirtatious expression wiped clean.
Shite. Concentrate, Primelle. We’re pushing things too far.
I scrunched my eyebrows together. “And Lady Ginella has two sons, named Edwin and Soren. Both still reside with her since neither are wed.” In the bathroom, Betsee activated a cleaning charm.
Scents from it trickled into the room. “I wonder if my parents would consider those two suitable,” I said offhandedly, then craned my neck to see if Betsee could see us.
When Kole didn’t reply, I glanced back at him. His stance remained relaxed, but his jaw ticked. “Of course, I’m sure they would be very suitable.” Despite his casual words, energy pounded out of him.
I once again was reminded of what he’d said to Abel and the shifters. Of what he’d just made me promise. Mine. And I had a feeling he truly meant that. Kole was possessive, extremely so, and I absolutely loved that about him.
But eventually, he would be leaving for a new job, and I would remain here in Whiteolf. And even though I didn’t want to, siltenite law demanded that I follow my parents’ wishes, which meant I’d have to marry someone suitable eventually.
My heart cracked at the reminder of my new duties, but it was best to remain realistic. Kole and I could enjoy each other for now, but who knew how long our affair would last.
Clearing my throat, I returned my attention to the House lists and ran through the rest of them, going through all ten faster than I had the previous night. All the while, Betsee continued working away.
“So to recap, the ten Houses are House Ginella, House Fillingmore, House Crumpuff, House Messepire, House Skybim, House Kimmip, House Ary, House Deerwood, House Ryderdim, and House Torleaf. And the ones run by males are Fillingmore, Crumpuff, Messepire, Ary, Deerwood, and Torleaf, and the Houses led by females are Ginella, Skybim, Kimmip, and Ryderdim. Did I get that all correct?”
“You did, Princess.” Kole was back to his usual stoic self, probably because his Council magic had just flared, but I couldn’t help but tease.
I smiled and batted my eyelashes playfully. “Thank the stars.”
Kole’s lips twitched, just slightly, but his tone was serious when he replied, “Did you want to list where each of the House castles reside?”
Scrunching my nose up, I recounted what each of the House leaders’ castles looked like, where they were in the capital, and what magic each House was known for.
When I finished, Kole nodded. “Impressive. You’re quite fast at memorizing things.”
“I had to be in my job. It came with the territory.”
“Do you mean at the Whiteolf Academic Library?”
I nodded, and a pang of nostalgia hit me as I was once again reminded of how different my life was now.
I hadn’t seen my boss, Loolee, since before I’d left to hunt for the Stone, and she’d been instrumental in my success. Without her, I never would have known to venture to the Isle of Song to find the book, Legends of Our Realm, which had provided the needed hints to find the Wishing Stone.
From the bathroom, humming sounds came from Betsee as she finished up her work.
I glanced toward the corner wardrobe in my chambers, to where I’d stowed my pack with my uncle’s seekerill and the book.
“Speaking of my former job, at some point, I’m going to have to venture to the Isle of Song to return the book I borrowed.
The gargoyle scholar who loaned it to me asked that I not keep it longer than a month, and it’s already been nearly three weeks. ”
Kole nodded. “I’ll mistphase you there whenever you’d like to return it. I do endeavor to always give you what you need.”
I eyed him playfully, and even though his expression hadn’t cracked, his eyes gleamed. “Speaking of mistphasing, I’ve been thinking about that too. I haven’t tried to do it again, but I would still like to learn.”
“We can practice anytime.”
“Really?” I replied hopefully. My belly curled at the thought of what the coming days could bring, but the second Betsee emerged from the bathing chambers, Kole’s stance turned rigid.
Her blue skin gleamed in the fairy lights. “There, all done, my lady. I’ve restocked all of your supplies and provided you with fresh towels. Can I get you anything else while I’m here?”
I smiled widely at her. “No, I’m fine. Thank you, though.”
She finally left the room, leaving me alone with the warrior once more. I tugged my lower lip into my mouth as Kole stared at the movement.
His eyes heated. “Would you like to practice mistphasing again, Your Highness? I’ll have to touch you again, to position you, to ensure you do it correctly.”
His admission caused a lick of fire to heat inside my belly, and I somehow suppressed a moan. “Yes, please.”