32. Arrival #2
“I would have brought you more candles, but we are running low on supplies,” Tabby explained, a hint of shame in her tone.
“This is more than enough.” I squeezed her hands.
She nodded, still verging on sheepish. “I left items on the end of the bed for you. I will leave you both to rest.” She curtsied toward Cassiel who was already striding around the chamber, taking in every bit.
As soon as the door shut, I went to see what she left on the bed. A hairbrush, towel, a fresh dress, bloomers, and a chemise to sleep in. There was also folded linen and wool trousers for Cassiel.
The sound of a spout sputtering water echoed, bringing my attention to Cassiel where he stood beside a tub. A bath . . .
I reached to undo my dress. My fingers tangled. Cassiel began to undo it with half the amount of struggling I had, but with quick, harsh, unpracticed movements. Finally the dress loosened and slid lower on my arms. Cassiel pressed his lips to my bare shoulder. The gentle graze startled me.
I remained still, waiting for what he would do, chest tight.
“Beautiful.” His cold breath brushed against my shoulder, coaxing a shiver free. Cassiel grazed his lips up the column of my neck.
With his lips, he turned my thoughts into mush. Desire flared and slid through my veins. Lust was such a new thing for me. It was unbelievably addicting. All I could think of was how easily he brought me to climax.
“Is this another thing you learned from your manual?” I whispered, breaking through the heavy intensity.
The soft lighting, the gentle kisses, the caresses down my hip all served to rouse urges. I turned in his arms and placed my hands on his bare shoulders. Cassiel’s lips parted, attention on my breasts.
He scoffed, but his lack of response told me the truth. I couldn’t stifle my smile. Cassiel softened me with too much skill. “There is no need to behave so sweetly toward me.” He continued staring with mouth parted and heated eyes. “No need to confuse what this is.”
I slid my hands down to his trousers and unbuttoned them.
With a small shove, they were off, and he was kicking them away.
I caught his hand and guided him to the filling tub.
Steam rose from the surface. The steps helped me, and I sank into the water.
Cassiel climbed into the tub, and water splashed over the sides.
He rested his arms on the ledge of the tub, watching me as if he would never turn away.
“And what is that?” he murmured, eyes lowered with smoldering heat. I straddled his waist.
“This is purely physical.” He stilled, eyebrows furrowing. “Purely fucking.”
The crude word rolled off my tongue. He recoiled, staring at me with a stricken expression. I sank down on his thick length, taking him in. My channel clamped around his shaft. Humming with pleasure, I took more of him. His mouth parted.
A shiver cresting down my spine made me squeeze around him. He groaned, and his thick, dark eyelashes fluttered. Cassiel reached over to the step and took the bar of soap that had been left there. He lathered his hands and rubbed soap along my arms, running upward to the sides of my neck.
Long pale fingers swept across the swells of my breasts, and his thumbs rubbed the points.
Sensation wracked my frame, and I found myself arching into the touch.
My sex continued fluttering around his rigidity.
Cassiel cupped my ribs, and his hands spanned beneath my breasts, sweeping down with silky grazes.
I moved in uneven, needy grinds of my hips, rolling them as best I could. The swell of his knot pressed against the bud of need. Each time I moved caused tingling pleasure that numbed my mind.
“Purely fucking?” he mused.
He palmed my bottom, squeezing. In the same breath, he rose. Water sluiced down our bodies. I sank my nails into his shoulders, scoring red lines along the pale flesh. He moved so fast to the bed that it chilled my skin.
I bounced on my back. Cassiel didn’t allow me to catch my breath before he thrust in. As I arched, I cried out. He set a hard, demanding pace. Driving into me with grunts falling from his lips. I could not stop writhing under him like a woman possessed.
Now I knew what that tingling meant. How it spread across my legs and curled my toes.
I climaxed, screaming as I rode the tide of pleasure.
Cassiel did not stop taking me, thrusting into me.
Another climax chased the first away, and my mouth opened with a noiseless shout.
He allowed me no rest, lulling me into a state of bliss.
His pace stuttered as it did before he reached his own pinnacle.
I retreated my hips as he came so he did not swell inside me. He grunted, forehead falling on my chest. Hot seed spilled into me, filling me with warmth.
Unbelievably good. Those were the only words I could use to describe my encounters with him. It was a shining light on my coerced future with him. He would sate my lust well.
With a final, shallow pump, Cassiel rolled onto his back, bringing me onto his chest.
I panted, slumped over Cassiel’s torso. His cold skin soothed the heat burning through me. We lay panting, the pressure of his knot against my entrance.
“Are you expecting company?”
The abrupt question took me off guard. It took me a moment to collect myself, much less recall anything about company.
“Why?”
He shrugged. “That Oro man has not left.”
Oro? . . . Liadan!
“Why did you not tell me?” I gasped, scrambling to my feet. Cassiel wrenched me back before I reached the door.
“What?” I huffed at him.
He arched a brow, scanning my nudity. I cleared my throat and quickly dressed. Upon opening the door, I found Liadan leaning across from the threshold, arms crossed.
“Took you two long enough.” Humor reflected in his eyes, but it lasted a breath before he straightened with seriousness. “Morak agreed to let me show you the Stone.”
“Right this moment?” Liadan nodded at my gasped words. “Let me get my slippers.”
I did not wait for Liadan’s response. When I wrenched the door shut, I almost smashed into Cassiel who held my slippers hooked on two fingers.
“What did you not tell me?” I recognized my words parroted from earlier. Ah, I had yet to tell Cassiel. I met his irritation head on and took a breath, preparing to explain what role the stone played.