Chapter 35 Keane
THIRTY-FIVE
KEANE
The morning after the battle, I woke up in Lily’s bed and reached for her to remind myself she was still there, that we’d won, and Riala was gone. Lily had been incredible, wielding her power like she’d known no other life, no other constraints…
My thought froze as my hand touched smooth, cool sheet where I expected to find Lily still sound asleep.
My eyes flew open as alarm pulsed through me.
I shoved my blankets away and sat up, my legs already over the side of the bed as my mind raced.
Perhaps more attackers had succeeded in abducting her.
I yanked my trousers on, pulling the material roughly over each leg before racing from the room.
We hadn’t fought so hard for her to be stolen from right by my side.
There was no guard on duty outside the bedroom, which meant he was somewhere else—probably outside whichever room Lily was in, so I headed to her office, given it seemed a little early for breakfast.
I reached the door and the guard outside nodded at me. “Captain Keane.” Then he returned his gaze to the wall on the other side of the corridor, his expression blank.
I glanced at Lily’s closed office door then back to the guard. “You are dismissed. I’m available to guard the Queen now.”
I watched him until he turned and left. Then I knocked on the office door, but it was little more than a warning that I was coming in. Lily glanced up and smiled when she saw me, looking as radiant as ever with her sparkling eyes and the dark hair loose around her shoulders.
“Good morning,” she said.
I stalked toward her. “You’re in here early.”
“I just had a couple of things to catch up on. I’ve been gone so long and there’s much to do.”
“I see.” I perched on the corner of her desk and gave her a commanding look. “Well, I only have one thing to do this morning.”
She sorted a piece of paper onto another pile after glancing at it for a moment. “And what’s that?”
“You.”
Her lips parted and she exhaled a quick breath. “Is that so?”
“There were many things I planned to do to you this morning, but I woke up alone. I think you owe me for that.”
She moved to stand in front of me, her cheeks flushed with desire. “How can your Queen serve you?”
“On your knees.”
Her eyes widened, and then her gaze leveled on the bulge in my trousers. “My knees?”
“Out there, you may be the Queen.” I dropped my voice. “But in here, you kneel to me.”
Her tongue flicked over her lips as she nodded.
I’d learned that she liked it when I commanded her, when she was able to give up being the dominant one while in private.
She reached for me and unfastened my trousers, her delicate touch against my fabric-covered cock no more than a tease that made my craving for her stronger.
Without hesitation, she slowly lowered herself to her knees before me. I looked down at her wide blue eyes looking back at me, and my chest tightened with pleasure and desire.
She returned her attention to my cock and licked her lips as she eased it from the confines of the fabric. “What do I do?” Her voice was soft, curious, and seductive all at the same time, and I almost closed my eyes to savor the sound.
“Kiss me,” I whispered back.
At first, she pressed a feather-light kiss to the very tip and regarded my cock again before kissing longer the second time, and it twitched at the feel of her warm lips against it.
“Stroke it and take the head into your mouth,” I urged, although I didn’t tangle my hands into her hair or move forward like my body screamed at me to do.
My Queen was kneeling for me, and that was all that mattered.
She wrapped her fingers around the shaft and I bit back a groan as my hips moved in the smallest of thrusts. Then I watched her open her mouth, and her tongue flattened against my head as she stretched her lips wide around me, sucking me into the wet warmth.
“Oh, that’s good,” I groaned.
Each of her movements was slow, experimental, but they all set my skin on fire, fanning the desire that tightened my balls and made it harder not to push further between her lips.
Her tongue swirled over me, and I hissed my pleasure as my fingers finally found her hair, using it to anchor me in the moment.
She bobbed her head, the movement seeming almost instinctive, and my knees nearly gave way at the unexpected wash of pleasure that took me.
Then she half chuckled, sending vibrations along the length of my cock and bobbed her head again, this time drawing me deeper.
I gasped as one of her hands cupped my balls, stroking the sensitive flesh as she moved her other hand up the length of my cock. The sensations were overwhelming as she quickly fell into the rhythm of licking and sucking, and I blew out a breath.
“Stop,” I gasped out. “I need you to stop.”
She glanced up, and her mouth twisted in a small, sly smile. “Was I doing it wrong?”
“I think you know you were doing it exactly right. Too right.” I reached for her hand and helped her up, before pushing aside her paperwork and sitting her on the desk. “If you carry on getting it so right, there won’t be anything else.”
“Anything else?” She quirked one eyebrow.
Without responding, I pressed a palm to her breast and located her nipple, teasing it with my thumb until it hardened. Then I bent and flicked my tongue against the fabric of her dress, wetting it against her skin and teasing her until she gasped.
“I like anything else,” she murmured, one of her hands against the nape of my neck as her fingers toyed in my hair.
“There’s better yet.” I skimmed up her leg, starting at her ankle until I reached under her skirts, seeking the heat of her core. She was wet too, and my cock jerked at the knowledge of how much she wanted me.
She writhed against me as I slid my fingers between her folds, eliciting another soft gasp. I pressed my mouth on hers, claiming those gasps of pleasure for myself as I stroked my fingers over her, stoking her desire until her hips moved, pressing her body against my touch closer and closer.
But she was greedy and she wanted more as she opened her mouth to seek my tongue, and I gave it to her. I’d have given her anything. My tongue, my cock, my head on a platter if she’d requested it.
I tumbled her skirts out of the way and drew her to the edge of the desk as I continued to stroke my thumb across her clit. I buried my finger inside her to test her readiness, and she clutched my shoulders before pressing wet kisses to my skin.
I withdrew my finger and positioned my cock at her entrance to thrust inside her hard and fast. She didn’t even hesitate, moving against me right away, pulling me as close to her body as she could as she gasped loud breaths of both satisfaction and need.
Pride surged through me that she was helpless in my arms after all these years of loving her from afar.
She was finally mine, and I wanted to bring her only pleasure, even if I wasn’t sure how this thing between us could ever last. Eventually she would have to marry for her kingdom.
For now, we were going to enjoy our time together.
I slowed, altering my rhythm to touch all of the spots inside her that I knew would affect her the most. She groaned and brought a leg to my hip, offering more of herself to me as her breathing changed, becoming more erratic and irregular.
Then she stiffened in my arms as she pulsed and fluttered around me, sending wave after wave of tightness down my cock.
I’d meant to continue, to tease her by stroking her sensitive flesh, but I couldn’t. My balls tightened on one last thrust, and I arched my back, holding Lily against me as I gave in to my own release.
Lily pressed fresh kisses to my skin, each a mark of love rather than merely desire, and I remained standing against her, unwilling to sever our connection.
“I love you.” My voice came out gruffer than I’d intended, emotion roughening the edges. “I always will. And I’ll give my life to honoring and protecting you.”
“I love you too, Keane.” She nipped against my skin with her teeth and then said, almost casually, “In fact, I think you ought to marry me and reign alongside me as my king.”
My breath caught in my chest at the idea I might get to live out the rest of my life at Lily’s side rather than standing over her shoulder. But something like that…it was impossible. Forbidden. Simply not done. I’d never even dared hope for it.
“Is that allowed?” I didn’t know if I could bear to hear the answer.
She shrugged, but her eyes sparkled with certainty and her lips curved into a familiar smile. “I’m the Queen of Talador. I get to make the rules.”