Chapter 17 #3
“Speaking of which, we shouldn’t stay here for too long.
” She stood quickly, adjusting her dress.
A moment ago, she could have stayed out here with Argos forever.
But that was before…before he had reminded her of the baser feelings he raised in her.
“I don’t want Apollo to think anything indecent of me. ”
“Yes, of course.” He rolled his eyes, leaning against the wall and removing his spectacles to frown at them. “We wouldn’t want anyone to think we’re actually a couple who wants to spend time together.”
Theora raised her eyebrows, taking the glasses from him. “If you would let me finish? Holding hands in public is one thing, but I don’t want people to think I do illicit activities on boats.”
“Says the woman who sat on my lap without hesitation.”
For a moment, Theora fumbled for words. “That’s different. This place is open to more than just our group. Anyone could judge us.”
Argos crossed his arms while Theora aggressively wiped at the lenses to distract from the situation.
“You really need to make up your mind—are you fully committed to the act or not? I know you say you’re only friends, but you give Apollo far too much attention and power, and that’s not doing us any favors. ”
“What are you talking about?”
“You treat him as a prospective husband when you should be interacting with him no more than you do the tram driver or the person who serves you drinks.”
“He’s not the tram driver. We grew up together.”
“And?” said Argos. “That hasn’t stopped him from congregating with honeyfluffs behind your back.”
“If you’re talking about his cologne, honey-based fragrances can easily be imported.”
“He’s the only one who didn’t attend the talks, and now he smells like he recently sat next to Vespulans. ‘Grew up together’ my ass, he’s clearly not someone we should trust.”
Theora let out a disbelieving laugh. “I don’t believe this. You’re so obviously threatened.”
He scoffed. “By Rose Boy?”
“By my future husband.” Theora bit back her voice as it rose loud enough to echo. She charged up to him, shoving her finger in his chest. “He is a gentleman, and a lovely friend, and you’re clearly threatened by how close a relationship I have with him.”
“Face it, Theora,” he said. “You have fifty noblemen after you—”
“An exaggeration.”
“—and you don’t want any of them. You don’t even want Apollo. You’re just settling for the easiest choice. The one who makes you look the most dignified.”
“That’s what a political marriage is, Argos,” she said with a sigh. “There’s nothing romantic about it. I like Apollo. I trust him, and enjoy his company, which is a lot more than many queens can say about their consorts.”
“Ah yes, I’m sure your loins were stirring just speaking that stale sentence.”
Theora scrunched her nose at him. “Fuck you.”
Argos smirked. “Wish we could.”
Theora’s face bloomed so hard, she felt faint. She turned away quickly, rushing away to hold the rail, to look out at the cavern…or at anything, it seemed, but him.
It was clear he’d been teasing, and yet…why did it affect her, as if his response were genuine?
Because you’re a proper Aranean queen who doesn’t tolerate nonsense…
Her stomach tightened.
…Because you wish he would.
She could feel her husband’s eyes on her, taking her in.
“Please don’t take this as disrespect,” he said, “but…are you a virgin?”
Her heart pounded in her head, heating her entire body. “That’s none of your business,” she snapped, covering her mouth quickly when her voice echoed. “But no, I’m not, thank you very much.”
“I meant no disrespect,” he repeated. To Theora’s surprise, Argos offered their trust salute. She accepted, reluctantly. “You just always react as if intimacy is taboo.”
“Discussing intimacy is frowned upon, as you know.”
“In mixed company. But you can talk about anything with your husband.” He crossed his arms, leaning against the wall. “Well, it obviously wasn’t Apollo, since we’ve already established you’re not sexually attracted to him. So who was it?”
Theora rolled her eyes. “It…was Apollo.”
Argos gaped in amusement. “The plot thickens.”
“It was a long time ago, okay? A very long, immature time ago. And afterward, we decided we’d be better as just friends.”
“So he couldn’t make you come, huh?”
Theora suddenly felt breathless. I bet Argos knows how—
“This is ridiculous,” she snapped. “I will not discuss my private life with the hired muscle.” Theora headed toward the door, halting abruptly.
She couldn’t just storm away, not now. Not when they were literally on a love boat in Lover’s Lagoon.
She turned to glare at Argos. “He was a very attentive lover, if you must know. It just wasn’t… what I prefer.”
“Ah, I see…” Argos grinned the slightest bit. “Not nearly rough enough.”
She saw when he caught it—some look in her eye that betrayed what she was thinking.
His grin dropped away then, his gaze slow.
Theora suddenly felt naked beneath that gaze, her soul laid bare to him, her thoughts exposed.
Her heart pounded as he stood up, her back pressing into the wall as he closed the gap between them.
He leaned closer, pressing his forearm against the wall above her head, and even though Theora was sure this was only to keep their conversation from escaping as an echo, her breath caught in her throat in anticipation.
“Would you like me to make you come, Theora?” he growled gently.
Theora nearly swallowed her tongue, the quiet calm of his voice, his sincere question, the circumstances they found themselves in making her pelvis throb. She was trembling with anger and shame and…desire. Sovereign, her panties were already wet from it.
“H-how dare you?” she managed. She looked at his lips, fighting the irrational pull toward them. “We hardly know each other.”
“That’s not important. All that matters is that I’ve paid attention…and that I know what you want.”
Something about his tone sent a chill through her, and she had to control her voice when she asked, “What do I want?”
He didn’t speak. All he did was lean his hand against her clavicle, fingers pressing with not even a quarter of their power against the sides of her neck.
She gasped in shock and pleasure, the suppression of her arteries making her blissfully lightheaded, the pressure of his hand on the edge of what she truly wanted.
For a fragment of a moment, Theora felt her knees threaten to give out on her, but the realization of where she was standing was enough to make her attempt to shove his hand away.
“Cease,” she gasped when she couldn’t, and he immediately let go. She pinned his gaze with a glare as she fought to catch her breath—not from lack of air, but something else. “What is this, some ploy to bind me to you forever? I thought Warriors couldn’t have sex.”
“Technically, no.” He shrugged, a bit too casually for the circumstances. “But there are loopholes. As long as I don’t indulge myself in that way, it’ll be considered done in service to you.”
“You’re overestimating yourself.” She folded her arms across her chest, pressing her back into the wall to hide her nerves. To hide the fact that she wanted his hand again…“This ferry ride isn’t even enough time for foreplay.”
“You don’t need any more foreplay.” He grinned, a bit of a wicked quirk of his lips that made Theora’s body heat up in dangerous places. “I’ve been warming you up all day.”
She cleared her throat, forcing herself to not behave as flusteredly as she felt. What did he mean, “all day”? As if he had a power over her she wasn’t aware of.
Still, she couldn’t pretend she’d never thought about it, because she had. On the train…she could’ve come with little effort if he hadn’t interrupted her.
This is what you wanted, Theora. Take it.
“Fine,” she said as coldly as possible. “But no eye contact.”
He nodded. “No need.”
Theora stifled a startled cry as Argos turned her to face the wall, lifting her leg to rest on the backless bench beside them. She caught her hand on the wall, then jerked away from it in disgust.
“Be gentle, Argos,” she warned, wiping her hand on her skirt.
He leveled his cheek with hers, and she found herself biting back another yelp as his large hand wrapped around her throat, with just enough pressure to alert her of his presence…pressure that suddenly made her desperate for what he was about to do. “We both know you don’t want me to be gentle.”
She breathed a swear, her heart fluttering in anticipation. But he was already pushing the hem of her long dress farther up her leg, slow enough that she didn’t miss a moment, and sliding his hand down her panties.
Theora shifted, backing into him, but her ass pressing against things didn’t improve her already fired nerves. She grabbed his hand, her pussy throbbing from his warm fingers against its lips.
Her fingers trembled against his hand, her body begging her to let go.
“Command me to stop at any time.” At his words, his gravelly voice, she felt more wetness gather. He lifted her up by the throat and she moved with him to keep her breath…though part of her craved the full, possessive pressure of his hand.
Theora let out a breath of laughter that broke into a nervous swear, desire and stubborn will battling each other to make her voice tremble.
He was her husband, after all. Technically.
For now. There shouldn’t have been any shame in him touching her.
Besides, this wasn’t personal, solely duty.
It wasn’t like he’d ever made sexual advances on her before—he couldn’t, really, until she accepted his trophy, and that was never going to happen.
He felt nothing, just like always. He was just good at his job. And she felt nothing for him…right?
…Right, Theora?
He separated her hot lips with his fingers and she shifted, arching her back slightly to let him in. She inhaled sharply as he pressed his finger inside her, stealing her wetness, but this time she couldn’t stop him.
Sovereign…she didn’t want to stop him.