Chapter 6 Touch Me
SIX
TOUCH ME
Two clicks sound through the room for what must be the millionth annoying time.
I seethe in silence. I say nothing. Because I’m too busy biting through the inside of my cheek.
“Good! Complete silence. Good girl,” Avian praises with an enormous, oblivious smile.
Good. Girl.
This is my fucking life now.
His big palm pats my head affectionately, and I have to stop myself from nipping at his fingers with snapping rage.
The adorable condescending fucker.
He’s so smart. But he’s so, so damn blind to how much this training is pissing me off.
He sits on the edge of the bed with his legs spread wide as he prepares to click at me once more. If he tells me to sit one more time, I’m going to shove that clicker up his puppy ass.
I think back to the short conversation I had with Roman: Women are not an allowed commodity to the High Hell.
And yet, Avian is my mentor for the day.
His thumb lifts, and instead of waiting for the clicking instructions, I stride to him.
He can’t see me of course, but he instantly seems to notice the sound of my feet storming over the smooth hardwood floors.
And he definitely notices when I slide my legs over his, wrap my arms around his shoulders, and just completely straddle him to get his immediate attention.
“Uh—” He’s careful. His hands are lifted around me, making it a point not to touch any part of my body that’s pressed so perfectly against him.
“What are you doing, Cersia?” The groan against his words is just as calm and hushed as he always is.
But there’s a rawness to it that scratches sensually down over my skin and back.
“Touch my face,” I instruct him, and I’m very aware of how hard my lips are down turned and how deep the crease is in my brow.
There’s a slowness as he blinks and seems to consider my statement.
I’m his Prince’s. That’s the label I’ve acquired, and I know it. That’s why he’s kept a careful amount of space between us.
“That’s kind of offensive to be honest. I’m blind that doesn’t mean I see with my hands,” he finally whispers.
“You don’t even know what I look like,” I whisper right back, and that breath of a voice crawls up right from the ache in my soul.
My attention is drawn to his full lips. His hard jaw and the beautiful kindness that’s always etched across his face.
He’s beautiful.
He’s been nothing but caring to me. And for the first time in my life, it isn’t because of my looks.
He nods at that. “I know you’re the most beautiful woman in all the realms.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I do. I know the rumors of your appearance are true. I can hear it in the confidence of your voice. The warmth there is rasping and full. I also know it because of how others react to you. I know it because of how Zilo cautions you like he actually cares if you live or die. And I know because Roman can’t stand to be around you for longer than an hour as if that’s too much for his self-control to take.
They aren’t used to being attracted women let alone to the Prince’s property. ”
And there it is: I’m property.
I knew I was, but it’s still a scraping pain within my chest to hear it spoken aloud.
“Avian.” My tongue slides over my lips, and I lean in so close I can taste the apprehension against his lips. “Touch me,” I say on more of a gasp than a whisper.
Those aching words pound over and over within my head the moment I say them.
Touch me. Touch me. Touch me.
A rigid hardness is suddenly pressing against me just between my thighs.
There’s a gruffness to him as he clears his throat, but he never does avert his silver eyes from mine. Even as his heartbeat lifts to this slamming, demanding pound that matches mine beat for beat.
“Please,” I beg in that same desperate tone.
His fingers slide through my blonde locks slow and hard, gripping the roots in a painful pull.
At that, I do gasp. The simple sound of my lust seems to rock through him, and he releases me just as fast as he came.
With urgent care, he slides me off his lap and deposits me on the bed before leaping to his feet, adjusting the very thick outline beneath his pants.
Then he’s fumbling with the door, using that same hand he just owned my body with, and then with what must be a mumbled apology, he’s gone.
And I’m left breathlessly staring at that inky door once more.
Alone.
Confused.
And still completely pissed off.
It takes less than an hour for someone to come storming back to me. Where Avian offers me sweet kindness, Zilo is all growling authority that’s hard to look at head on.
“Did you fucking come on Avian?” He’s screaming at me the moment the door barely offers us the appearance of privacy.
“Come? What? No!”
“I meant come on to him. Did you come on to him!?”
Wait…
“No,” I affirm all over again.
But...did I?
“No,” I say once more. “I wanted him to understand how infuriating this training is.”
Yes. That was it. Definitely. Originally that was it…I think.
Roman stands at the door, his shoulder leaning into the frame as he crosses one leg over the other in a cockier than ever stance that demands attention.
“Next time, try using your mouth. I hear mouths usually talk more than pussy does.” His gem-like gaze is a mixture of deadened attention and… anger.
He’s angry. That aggression lingers there for several seconds before Avian sinks his fist fast and hard into Roman’s stomach. The man doubles over instantly without a single groan slipping from his lips.
“Watch your mouth, Roman,” Avian warns, and this is the second time I’ve watched him correct his friend this way.
And I’m still surprised.
They have the strangest affectionately harsh friendship and overwhelming anger I’ve ever seen.
“It doesn’t matter. Don’t let it happen again,” Zilo warns, his finger pointing at me like he’s shaming a puppy instead of a full-grown woman right now.
“Fine.” I force a smile to my lips and hold Zilo’s hard gaze.
I note the way his attention shifts over my body, my tattered shirt and tight pants. It’s a heated, lingering look that he corrects in the blink of an eye.
“She’s going to get us all killed,” Roman growls.
“No, she won’t.” Avian shakes his head adamantly, setting loose some of his shining dark locks into those silver eyes.
A silence falls over the room as the three of them seem to have a passing of words without using actual words. Two of the three still have a heavy furiousness weighting their brows.
As for me, I just wait. I stand trial before these three men who brought me here to help save their kingdom.
Now, they’re ready to throw me to the wolves already.
“Get going,” Zilo commands without so much as a second glance my way. “Dinner starts in ten minutes.”
He’s striding out the door and down the darkness of the hall before my mind even processes what that means.
They still want me.
They need me anyway.
And that’s good enough for now.