Chapter 7 A Mutual Agreement
A Mutual Agreement
There was only one thing that brought me absolute solace when the darkness looming in my mind threatened to devour me whole: the fresh spill of blood.
Although my bath helped ease my nerves a bit, there was still a perpetual chill gnawing at my bones.
So, since I had no executions lined up for at least another twenty-four hours, I oiled my favorite dagger instead.
After dragging an oil-soaked cloth along the blade, I wiped it clean, gripping the handle as I twisted and examined it.
The golden hilt gleamed from the flames flickering beside me, making me admire the twin serpents intertwining up it.
Their mouths were stretched open around the base of the blade, and I resheathed the weapon, satisfied with my work.
This dagger would come in handy with my impending visit to the Serpent King.
My jaw ticked as I drifted toward the bar cart beside the roaring hearth. I desperately needed liquor to course down my throat and burn away these horrid nerves.
After so many years, the thought of seeing the menace who owned my soul made me want to rage. Quite frankly, I’d rather stick a dagger through my own chest than ever see that wretched man again.
I shook the image of piercing emerald eyes from my head, reaching for the black crystal decanter and not even bothering with a glass. The bottle was cool in my hands, providing a stark contrast to the liquid fire blazing down my throat as I shot back the amber liquor.
Gentle hissing pulled my attention toward the two velvet black chairs beside the fire, where Ember and Dante laid curled up together on one chair.
A ghost of a smile tugged on my lips at the sight of my two vicious snakes practically purring in their sleep next to the cozy fire.
They loved being anywhere warm, and I was convinced this was exactly how they looked when they disappeared from my side.
Two content, hissing babies.
However, my smile quickly dissolved when I realized I took them to the one place notorious for never seeing sunshine; instead, my lands were drenched in an eternal cloud of rainy nightmares.
A clicking sound made me glancing over my shoulder, my gaze roaming over Landon as he leaned against the door. His stare was a mixture of confusion and concentration, almost like I was a riddle he couldn’t solve.
“Stop gawking at your queen and instead come have a drink with her.” I gestured to the vacant chair next to me. “Sit.”
Landon strode toward the chair, settling into the plush fabric as I poured him a glass of whiskey. I loved how he listened to my commands, how he always obeyed his queen.
He was such a good boy, and my excitement to play with him tonight reignited within me like the blazing flames warming my cheeks.
My bodyguard stretched out, crossing his ankles and making his black knee-high boots gleam against the firelight. Our eyes locked as I handed him the glass of amber liquor. Silence stretched between us, prompting me to arch a brow in a silent command to speak.
With a shake of his head, he finally replied. “Apologies, my Queen. Are you—” His lips pinched together, shaking his head as he took a sharp sip of his drink and tried again. “Are you okay?”
There was a note of hesitation laced in his question, and he bowed his head as if I was a lioness readying to snap his head between her jaws for asking such a thing.
“I’m fine.” The lie easily slipped from my lips, one I’d told for decades.
Sometimes, lying was a necessity to make it through such a horrid existence.
I needed to lie to myself in hopes that I, too, would believe my false statements one day, because the numbness where my soul used to be grew achingly stronger with each passing day.
And if I was being honest for once in my life, I wasn’t sure how much more of this miserable life I could take.
While I shot back another gulp of liquor, I silently cursed myself for not making the Serpent King take away my self-awareness during our bargain. I may not feel most emotions nor have a soul, but the consciousness of my actions would be my downfall.
Landon hummed thoughtfully, as if he could see behind the shield I raised high enough to keep everyone at an arm’s length. My bodyguard always searched for the good in people, and I had a sneaking suspicion that was exactly what his icy blue eyes were doing in this moment as I glared down at him.
He knocked back the last of his drink, setting the glass onto the black crystal bar cart. As always, his attention drew back to his queen, and I met the intensity raging within his stare.
Slowly, I sauntered toward him, and his eyes darkened as they dipped to my hips. His breath hitched as I lifted one leg, then the other, and settled onto his lap. Since I was only wearing a silk robe after my bath, I felt every glorious inch of him harden beneath me.
His eyes dropped to where my robe fell open, exposing an ample amount of cleavage for his eyes to devour.
He ran his fingers down my hair, ever so slightly brushing the back of them against the curve of my exposed breasts.
My hips involuntarily moved, my legs tightening around his powerful thighs.
The motion had Landon’s eyes dipping between my legs, where my robe had fully parted, leaving me on display for him like his own personal feast.
“Fuck, you’re beautiful.” His eyes lingered over my center. When he dragged them slowly back to mine, they were darkened with desire.
With a coy smile, I leaned closer, the motion making my nipples harden from brushing against the roughness of his coat. I glanced down at the uniform I so carefully crafted for my bodyguard, at the gorgeous blood-red coat with my royal crest—marking him mine for all to see.
Fuck, I loved a man in a uniform.
My core tightened as I whispered against his lips. “Shall we get to our meeting?”
I jolted from Landon’s feather-light touch as he dragged a finger right between my breasts, making me bite my lip to stifle the moan clawing up my throat.
He leaned closer, his lips brushing against my ear and the warmth of his breath caused a small shiver to ripple down my spine.
“Which matter of business should we attend to first, my Queen? The part where I tell you about my trip to Ashivire and all the intel I gained for you, or . . .” His fingers trailed further down my body, until they were dipping into the wetness between my thighs.
“The part where I get the honor of dropping to my knees to pleasure you until you can’t bite back your moans for another second? ”
Fuck, this might be the best decision I’ve made as queen.
From the moment I appointed Landon as my bodyguard, there had been an undeniable spark between us.
What started as lingering stares from across the courtyard turned into being pulled tightly against his chest while he had me in a chokehold during our training sessions.
The next day, we practiced escaping a regular choke, and I knew I was in trouble when he had his hands wrapped around my neck, and I enjoyed it.
I craved him doing it again later that night in my chambers.
Thus, one year ago, our mutual agreement commenced.
Considering I received intel and multiple orgasms out of our deal, I’d say it was a win-win situation.
“Hm, we could do both parts of our agreement at the same time,” I said, beginning to loosen the buttons on his shirt.
Landon’s laugh was deep and delicious, making my legs involuntarily clench together around him. He responded by grinding his hips, pulling a groan from me at how his hardness pressed against my center.
“How will I be able to give you my report if my mouth is wrapped around your clit?” he whispered into my ear.
My breath hitched as I imagined his lips sucking onto mine, right between my thighs where heat sparked to life like a wildfire. An annoyed hiss rattled through the air, signaling my snakes had taken the hint and finally left us alone to play with one another.
My bodyguard nipped at my ear, then slowly dragged his teeth down my neck, making it very clear what matter of business we were attending to first in tonight’s meeting.
I dipped my fingers between my legs, working myself as he peppered kisses along my neck and collarbone, but a low growl made me pause.
“Bad girl. That is my job, my Queen.” He swatted my hand away, but I didn’t have the chance to miss my fingers since his quickly replaced mine.
He worked my clit in circles, then dragged his fingers down my center.
I moaned as he circled his thumb around my clit, then slipped another inside me.
Simultaneously, he kneaded my breast with his other hand, leaning down to suck it into his mouth.
I cried out in pleasure when he clamped his teeth around my nipple, causing a rush of pain to course through my body.
As if he was starved, he moved onto devouring my other nipple, his tongue languidly licking, then sucking hard enough to make an agonized hiss fly from my lips.
Landon knew how much I enjoyed pain, especially inside the bedroom.
The mix of pain and pleasure brought me the closest to feeling truly alive.
I craved the pain, if only to simply feel something—anything.
I nearly climaxed as his fingers and tongue worked in perfect unison to coax my pleasure from me, but I forced myself not to.
Not yet.
I didn’t want to grant him the satisfaction of knowing he could get me off so easily, so I took a steadying breath, preparing to continue playing our little game.
“Is this the part where you fall to your knees for me?” My voice came out breathier than I’d intended, my control slipping with each caress of his tongue against my skin.
Instead of answering with words, Landon picked me up. His calloused hands dug into my ass as he spun us, lowering me onto the chair. I leaned into his lingering warmth as the most beautiful sight happened before me.