Chapter 25 #2
“Horizontal cuts. Like this.” My voice is far too breathy as my body goes on autopilot. I can dice an onion in my dreams, but apparently when a big, sexy fae is pressed up against me, I start to have problems remembering what an onion even is.
“Is that all?” His lips brush against my throat.
I haven’t kissed him since our ceremony.
My body is dying to be touched and tasted by him.
Something happened to me that night. Or maybe it started before.
But the pull I feel toward him—and if I’m being honest, Zephyr too—is strong.
It’s a sensation I’m not familiar with, and it’s consuming me from the inside.
“Then you cut.” I don’t want to cut this stupid onion. I want to drop everything, clear the counters, and have my husband ravish me until my body begs for him to stop. I’m wound tight, needing relief that only he can provide. It’s both terrifying and exhilarating.
“You’re good at that.” This time, his mouth presses against my neck, and a strangled cry leaves my lips. “So very good.”
“You’re distracting me, Niko.” I don’t want him to stop, though. And he knows it, considering how hard his cock is.
“You’re a talented chef, Evangeline. I think you can handle a few distractions.” He kisses my neck again, this time his teeth grazing the spots he kissed. “Think of this as a thank you for all you have done for my people so far.”
“You don’t need to thank me.” Why are these stupid words coming out of my mouth? If he wants to thank me, then I’m damn well not going to stop him.
“But I think I do,” he protests. “Keep cooking, Evangeline.” His command is soft, but there’s a warning behind it. Like I won’t like what happens if I stop, which only makes me curious.
So, despite the tempting way he’s kissing my neck and moving my hips back against him, I don’t stop.
I cut the vegetables as his hands wander my body, exploring every inch.
It’s so damn distracting, and no one should wield a knife of this caliber when being groped and kissed by their husband—mate—whatever he is.
But I’m a damn professional. I can do this. At least until his hand roams under my shirt, sliding up my belly. “You’re beautiful.” His words are breathy, almost a moan. Then my resolve cracks, and the knife slips from my hand, landing with a clank on the wooden cutting tray.
“What’s the next step?” His hand roams higher, stopping just beneath my chest. A little higher, and he would—
“Evangeline?” he calls again. Maybe not the first time he’s attempted to get my attention.
“Hmm?”
“The next step, sweetheart.”
I melt. Niko isn’t real. Except he is, and I need his hands on my body. Now.
Right after I finish this damn meal. I’ve given up all pretenses of trying to teach him how to cook.
That can wait for another time when my body isn’t desperately screaming for him to take me.
I have to move out of his embrace to grab my pot, which puts distance between us.
Enough to calm my body, even slightly, and for my brain not to feel like I’m walking through sludge.
That’s not to say Niko isn’t still distracting. I feel his eyes on me as I add the vegetables, broth, and a few of the spices I brought with me to the pot, bringing it to a boil. The smell of garlic and herbs permeates the air, making my stomach growl.
Like Niko and Zephyr, I’m rationing my food, but I haven’t told them. How is it fair if I’m well fed and the kingdom isn’t? I may have only been queen for a short time, but even I know that’s not a good look.
“There,” I put the lid on the pot, “now it needs to cook for about half an hour to an hour, and it will be ready to serve to the fae back in the infirmary.”
“So you’re done?” Niko’s voice is closer than I last remember him being. I turn to see he’s behind me again, a hungry look in his eyes. A hunger that can’t be satisfied by food.
“I’m done.” In more ways than one.
“Good. Because I’m going to kiss you, sweetheart, so if that’s not what you want, tell me now.” He moves in closer, and my back hits a stone wall, trapping me between it and Niko.
“I want that.” The words leave my lips before I can stop them. But that’s the thing. I don’t want to stop. I want Niko to kiss me, to mold his body against mine until we are one panting mess. And I think he wants that too. His stiffening cock certainly wants me.
“Good.”
The word barely leaves his mouth before he’s on me.
His lips crash into mine with a hunger that steals the breath from my lungs.
There’s nothing tentative about the way he kisses me; it’s all possession and urgency, like he’s been holding back for far too long and can’t anymore.
I feel his hunger and need because it matches my own.
I meet his intensity and passion, a soft moan leaving my lips.
His hands slide up to cup my face, rough and tender all at once, before he presses me harder against the wall. He pins me in place like he’s afraid I’ll vanish if he lets go. The cool surface at my back contrasts with the heat between us, and I gasp against his mouth.
I cling to him, hands feeling up his bare chest, desperate to match the fire he’s igniting in me.
Every stroke of his tongue, every graze of his teeth sends sparks shooting down my spine, pulling moan after moan from my lips.
All the tension he built while brushing against me in the kitchen—the teasing glances, the barely-there touches—now explodes in this kiss.
It’s messy, consuming, and, frankly, a little reckless with the dangers happening outside our walls.
And yet I never want it to stop.
“Fuck, Evangeline. You’ve been on my mind ever since our ceremony.
That kiss—fuck, that kiss—is the only thing I have thought about over the last two days.
You take up all my thoughts, sweetheart.
” Niko drops a hand from my cheek, moving it down to my thigh and hiking it around his hips.
He presses the hard outline of his dick against my aching core.
I part my lips to reply but don’t get the chance. He kisses me again, swallowing my unspoken words. His tongue brushes mine, claiming my mouth. I’m a wanton woman, grinding against his thigh. The movement makes Niko moan, and it’s a fucking amazing sound I could get addicted to.
“Take your pleasure, Evangeline. Take what you need.”
His voice is rough, ragged with want, each word a dare and a promise wrapped up in one.
He’s panting, his breath hot against my cheek before he starts to trail kisses along my jaw, then lower, his lips brushing the curve of my neck.
When his tongue flicks out, tasting my skin, a shiver rolls down my spine.
I can’t stop the flood of images—what else that mouth, that tongue could do to me.
The thought lights a fire low in my belly. I grind down against his thigh, desperate for relief, for friction. It’s maddening—too many layers between us, not enough of him where I need him most. Still, I move, chasing the pleasure that teases me just out of reach.
Niko growls low in his throat, and then his hand slides up under my shirt, hot and sure, fingers finding my breast. He cups me firmly, his thumb brushing over my nipple before he begins to knead, slow and deliberate, like he has all the time in the world to drive me insane.
And, god, I think he might. My nipple hardens against his touch, but he’s relentless. He rolls my nipple between his thumb and forefinger, applying just enough pressure that it straddles pleasure and pain.
I ride his knee with wild abandon. My moans mix with his in a cacophony of gratification. “Come for me, sweetheart.” It’s not a request, but a command.
Every inch of my body comes alive in that moment, and the world around me fades to nothing but us. Nothing but our bodies moving against each other, the moans and pants leaving our lips, and our need coming together.
I’ve never come from grinding against someone’s knee before—but with Niko, there’s no holding back. The pressure builds fast, sharp and undeniable, until it crests all at once.
“Niko!” His name rips from my throat, a half sob, half moan, equal parts curse and prayer as my body shatters around him. Pleasure tears through me in waves, my hips rocking instinctively, chasing every last flicker of sensation. I’m greedy, not wanting to lose a single moment of him.
He holds me through it, murmuring filthy, reverent praise against my neck, his hands gripping me like he’ll never let go.
Even after the climax passes, my breath comes in broken gasps, body trembling in the aftermath. I’ve never felt so undone, and I’m not sure I want to be put back together. My body is spent, exhaustion washing over me.
“Well, that was quite the show,” a deep, familiar voice says from behind Niko.
At first, Niko stiffens. I gasp, burying my head against his neck. I know who it is before Niko even speaks. And there’s no denying what we did. Niko’s hand is still up my shirt, and my leg is wrapped around him.
“Zephyr, I didn’t hear you come in.” Niko's voice is clear, though I can’t distinguish his tone. Is he nervous? Mad? Did we just cross a line we shouldn’t have? I mean, I’m his mate too, so we shouldn’t feel guilty, but I can’t help the dread coiling low in my belly, sobering me up quickly.
“No, I suppose you wouldn’t. You were…distracted.” Zephyr doesn’t sound upset—well, no more upset than normal. So maybe he’s not mad. “I see why Evangeline couldn’t look away when she walked in on us.”
And just like that, the tension in the room evaporates. Niko chuckles, removing his hand from my shirt, and lowers my leg from around his hips. I can’t bring myself to look at Zephyr yet, even though I feel his eyes on me. It’s like we just got caught with our hands in the cookie jar.
“We were cooking,” Niko explains. “Evangeline is making another soup to bring down to the infirmary.”
“Was this before or after she came on your knee?” Zephyr asks, deadpan.
“Oh my god,” I groan, hiding my face in his back. That’s it. I officially want the ground to open up and swallow me whole.
Instead of answering him, Niko reaches around and pulls me in front of him, wrapping his arms around me. “Did you learn any news from the forest folk?”
Zephyr sighs, and I imagine him shaking his head. “Not much. They claim the woods are quiet, but they also hadn’t sensed the Nephilim that attacked two days ago, so we have to take their words with a grain of salt. The Nephilim are becoming even stronger if they can hide their tracks.”
“I feared that would be the case,” Niko says.
“I came to find you,” Zephyr continues. “It’s late. And you hardly slept last night. I’m taking you to bed, even if I have to tie you down to it.”
“Sounds fun.” Niko chuckles, and I can’t help the groan that leaves me. Men and their one-track mind, but apparently I’m no better.
“You’ve had enough fun for one night. I’ll inform Lady Thalia the soup is ready for the sick. The healers can divide it up. You’ve done enough for one night—both of you.”
The last part is meant for me, and I manage to pull away from Niko, tilting my head back to see Zephyr looking at me. His expression is unreadable, but there’s something in his eyes that gives me pause. Lust? Need?
Maybe I’m imagining it.
“Fine. I’ll sleep, but—” He pauses, cupping my face again so I’m forced to look up at him. “I will sleep better if you move into our room. I don’t like you sleeping alone. I want you in our bed, Evangeline.”
“Our?” I squeak, knowing exactly what he means but not able to fully process that.
“Zephyr and me. We want you with us. We’ve discussed it, and we both agree it’s best if you stay with us for now.”
Even though Niko says it’s true, I can’t quite believe it. I break free of his hold and turn to see Zephyr again. “Is that true? You won’t mind me in bed with you?” The thought of sleeping with both of them sends a thrill through my body. I want it. I want it badly.
“My mate wishes to have his other mate with him. I will not deny him that pleasure,” he says simply. It’s confirmation, but I still feel disappointed. I had hoped maybe Zephyr would want that too, but of course he doesn’t. I’m just Niko’s mate. Not his, and I need to remember that.
“Very well. We can go. Evangeline, we’ll stop by your room so you can get your things. Do you need to eat before bed? I haven’t seen you eat today.” Niko would pick up on that. He’s more astute than I give him credit for.
I am hungry, but it’s not a dire need. I can wait to eat until later.
Besides, I want this entire batch of soup to go to the cursed.
“I’m fine,” I promise, quick to change the subject.
“I just need to freshen up before bed.” Considering I just came all over his leg, I want to get out of these soiled clothes.
“Let’s go then, Wife.” Niko reaches out his hand, which I take. He leads me out of the kitchen, Zephyr falling in step behind us. I can’t help but feel Zephyr’s eyes on me the entire time.