Chapter 30
U sing his shadows, Kade closed the balcony doors behind him, not breaking eye contact with me, as his presence filled the room.
His eyes followed me, like a predator tracking his prey, exuding an anticipation I knew matched my own.
“I was hoping you would come,” I whispered.
He shook his head. “I’m not used to acting impulsively, but I had to see you. I took a chance that your nod was an invitation.”
He strode toward me, and I clenched my eyes closed momentarily before looking back at him. “You confuse me and infuriate me. Yet you’ve cared for me in a way few have. You have forced yourself into my life. You say you are here for the crown, but could you also be here for more?”
A pregnant pause filled the air as tension expanded between us.
Kade closed the distance, placing one hand above my head and brushing a strand of hair behind my ear. “I’m not just here for the crown.”
My breath quickened at the sight of storms of desire swirling in his eyes. “Kade,” I whispered.
“I’m here for the queen. I came here for you.”
He tilted my chin, staring at my lips, bringing his closer. His hot breath had me melting beneath him. “Please. Say yes.”
I paused as his lips hovered above mine, waiting in anticipation. “I want to trust you.”
One breath, then two.
“I don’t know if I’d make a worthy King, Little Rebel, but I do know you were created to rule a kingdom. Fates, you could bring an army of Fae to their knees. Your role should never be to sit idly by anyone’s side. Not even mine.”
Oh, Fates. This. This was what I hoped for.
“Yes,” I said, answering his earlier desire without any reservation.
The tension between us snapped. The unleashed aggression, and passion ignited into a flame. I wanted, no, needed it to consume me. My body finally crumbled beneath Kade’s touch, giving into what it had been craving for weeks now. A warmth flooded me, so hot, I could barely contain myself as I pressed against Kade’s muscular figure.
He grabbed my face with both hands as we furiously kissed, his body holding mine against the door. He had me pinned effortlessly as his tongue stroked mine, and with nowhere else for my hands to go, I placed them on his chest. How I longed to run my hands through his hair, if he would just move his damn body out of the way.
I could feel the length of him hardening against me as we unleashed ourselves upon each other.
Needier, my insides were molten now, while at the same time, feeling as though I would drown in the desire building and rising. I rubbed myself against him, desperate for friction, for him. I needed to move, and I needed him inside of me.
I nipped his bottom lip. He chuckled, and I finally gathered my strength and pushed him back a few steps, so I wasn't stuck against the door any longer.
One of his shadows curled against my back, stroking and pressing me toward him. I couldn’t help but laugh. “Your shadows certainly are playful tonight.”
“My shadows don’t play, they destroy.”
“I don’t know about that.” I snorted. “They make me feel safe.” The word felt too powerful to be true, but I had no other way to describe it. More than once his shadows had protected me, caressed me, like they knew me inside and out and wanted me despite all I was, and all I lacked.
“It’s like you’re purposefully trying to tear down my ego, Little Rebel,” he said. “Shadow magic is the most powerful and unique Fae magic, and it merely makes you feel safe . What am I going to do with you?”
I pushed away from him, running into my bedroom.
He caught me easily, turning my body and holding me up by my ass. My legs wrapped around his center. “The last time someone shoved me like that, they got a black eye,” Kade murmured as he trailed kisses up my neck, stopping once he reached my ear. “But for you, the punishment shall be quite different.” He backed us onto the edge of the bed before we fell upon it. My body on top of Kade’s, hands on either side of his face now, my hair falling to create a cocoon around us.
“I am willing to accept whatever punishment you deem necessary,” I proclaimed.
Kade moved my hair behind my ears. My heart beat harder and faster than it ever had before.
His throat bobbed. “How do you swear again? Tits and daggers?” He smiled. “You are stunning.”
I laughed as I walked my hands back. “Get me out of this dress, now.” I rose and turned for him to unlace the corset of my gown.
“Yes, Your Highness.” Kade’s fingers moved deftly as his lips and tongue brushed over my neck. He took a painstakingly slow time undressing me and I squirmed beneath him, pressing my legs together. “Patience,” he whispered.
He let my dress fall. I turned my head, peering over my shoulder before spinning toward him.
He growled, pulling me in close again as he kissed me once more. I could not get enough of his touch. My skin burned everywhere his hands roamed.
I shrugged out of my lace garments as he paused, leaning back on my bed to stare at me. The way he watched me, with those hungry eyes, he made me feel beautiful. Desired.
He made me feel... alive.
I bit my bottom lip, stepping between his legs and reaching my hands under his tunic. My fingers caressed his hardened muscles, and Kade tilted his head back for a moment, groaning. “If your hands feel this good on my chest while I’m still dressed, I don’t know what I’m going to do when you’re writhing beneath me.”
I shivered in anticipation, tugging off his tunic before reaching down to unbutton his trousers. His cock bulged underneath the pants, and I leaned my body forward, wanting all of it. All of him.
He lunged toward me, pulling his pants the rest of the way off before spinning us and adjusting me on the bed so I lay beneath him. His lips lingered on mine, claiming every inch of me until I writhed under his muscular form. Then, he held onto the back of my neck, trailing kisses along my jawline before working his way down.
I could feel his hardness on my legs and pressed wherever I could get into him.
“Kade, if you don't do something soon, I’m not the only one who's going to be punished.” My breathy voice made me sound less serious than I intended.
“So impatient, Little Rebel.” He licked at the side of my neck, drawing a moan from me. “The best part of pleasure is the anticipation. I’ll have you begging before I’m done with you.”
“I’ll be begging someone else to handle—” I yelped as he reared back onto his knees and splayed my legs open to rest on either side of his hips. His hands ran up my body at the same time his shadows unfurled, inching their way up my legs. My words were lost to the haze of sensations.
Kade traced his hands around my breasts, watching them and his shadows, as his eyes darkened. “Fucking perfect.”
He leaned forward, his lips moving torturously slow along my collarbone before lowering them and licking at my nipples, more gently than I expected. He took his time, methodically, as if he could be here forever.
“Kade,” I whimpered, my hips moving with nothing resting between them to give me friction.
His smile against my skin sent me into a frenzy. He blew his hot breath over my left nipple. “These are absolutely flawless.” He blew again, teasing, and ready to give me more. “They deserve hours of attention, and it still wouldn’t be enough time to worship them like they deserve.” He lowered his mouth and sucked, his right hand massaging my other breast. The opposing sensations sent a wave of mind-blowing desire traversing throughout my entire body.
My hands were possessed, running through his hair, wanting to touch any part of him I possibly could. His mouth alone worked me to a dangerous edge.
The heat building in my core seemed unfathomable. It felt unlike any other feeling I had ever experienced. No one had done this to me. It had never been like this. My center soaked wet with need, the anticipation of what was to come made me cry out before he even touched me where I craved him most. I felt a cool breeze around my entrance as he continued his trail of kisses down my body.
His shadows sensed my shiver and crept lower, gently stroking along my stomach, then my thighs. His lips finally moved lower, tracing the same line as his shadows.
I arched my back. “Please, Kade. Please.”
He stopped as he got to the top of my slick entrance. “I know. I know, Lana. Trust me.”
He grabbed my ass to lift me closer to his mouth. That tongue so wicked in the trials, taunting and teasing me during battles, slid firmly, but slowly along my center and up to my clit.
I snapped. “Kade,” I cried, gripping at his hair as he moaned into me.
“Fates above, you taste like sin.” His voice was husky as he continued to lick and torture me in the most excruciatingly satisfying way. “For even the poorest of men, feast like the mightiest of kings when they devour the woman before them.”
Another lick and I moaned louder. My hands firmly grasped the slight curl of his hair. More, I needed more.
He began a leisurely pace of stroking me with his tongue, taking his time to learn the dips and curves of my inner walls. Slowly, the heat built inside of me.
“Kade, oh, fates. Kade.” I writhed beneath him, enveloped in pleasure as he claimed me like I was his.
He paused and ran a finger up my entrance, soaking it in my need before pressing it inside of me. Slowly he massaged the inside of me, adding another finger, while continuing his feast.
Moving faster, he lapped up my desire. The air swirled around us, playing with me as well. His shadows swept across my upper half, teasing at my chest, and caressing my skin everywhere. I lost track of everything, as the colliding sensation coiled up inside of me and rose to the surface.
This man, this arrogant, cunning, protective man undid me.
A crescendo of desire hit its peak, as I exploded around his fingers. I screamed his name, as waves of my orgasm were unrelenting. My body lightened. It was everything and yet not enough. My skin stretched, feeling the energy everywhere, glowing. Like I had damned well been reborn.
He kissed upward, crawling over me and I felt his smile on my skin. Everywhere his lips touched heated me further. I should be sated. It should be enough for at least one moment.
“I still, I’m—” I’m what? Desperate ? Part of me wanted to be embarrassed at my utterly wanton needs, but the other part couldn’t care less.
He lifted his head, running his thumb over my lower lip. He leaned forward, flicking his tongue inside my mouth. “See how divine you taste,” he whispered against my mouth before kissing me.
I shuddered at the words only spoken to me in my fantasies. He lowered his body to mine as his hard length pressed against my stomach, making me want him even more.
I turned my head to meet his gaze, bringing my hands up on either side of his face.
There weren’t words to explain the thunder ravaging through me. As I stared straight into the storms of his soul, I knew I wasn’t alone in whatever this was between us. His grey eyes darkened.
Whatever darkness lay inside of him, I would bring the light.
This time when I kissed him, his cock sat at my entrance until I bit his bottom lip. As I did, I shifted, forcing him to take me. His moan filled the air as he thrust into me, pausing and shaking as he held back.
“I want everything,” I said.
He chuckled. “Slower, Little Rebel. I don’t want to hurt you.”
I dug my nails into his back, trying to push him all the way inside of me. “I swear, Kade, if you don’t?—”
My words were cut off as he thrust the rest of the way inside of me and groaned.
So full. Fates, I didn’t think it was possible to feel this full. He sheathed himself inside of me so perfectly I trembled around his cock and whimpered.
Our bodies moved as one as he thrust himself over and over again, relentless in his need for our joining.
“Come for me one more time, Princess,” he said. His shadows slid perfectly between us, dancing over my clit as the rhythm brought me higher.
“So good. Kade, it’s—ahh,” I cried out, falling helplessly over the edge and into oblivion.
His shadows filled the room and practically sang in delight as the waves of contractions brought Kade to his own release. “Lana,” he murmured as if he worshipped me, bringing his forehead to mine.
We lay there, forehead to forehead until our breathing slowed. He rolled off me, and I tensed, thinking he’d disappear now that he had his fill, my heart sinking.
He didn’t leave, though, instead tugging my blanket out and sliding both of us underneath, dragging my body to his.
I rested my head upon his chest, my eyes heavy from being fully satiated.
More so, my soul sang. Filled with happiness I couldn’t put into words.
I’d never been in love, even if I had begged nature for it. Although I didn’t think this could possibly be love yet, especially not knowing enough about Kade Blackthorn, it was far more than anything I had felt before.
My soul didn’t just feel happy.
It felt at home.