Chapter 23
The next afternoon, Fawn stared at the pile of boxes delivered from the modiste. “This isn’t my order,” she told the delivery men as they stacked more boxes.
“They told us to bring them to the king’s rooms, Miss,” one man explained.
Dean motioned for the men to leave. “Thank you, gentlemen. That’ll be all.” They bowed quickly and left, leaving Fawn and at least twenty boxes in the middle of the bedroom. “I had the modiste add a few more dresses in the styles you chose.”
Fawn pointed at the mountain of boxes. “You clearly don’t know what ‘a few’ means. Fire your schoolteachers. They did a terrible job.” She toed one of the boxes nearest to her. “How did she make them this fast?”
Dean looked through the boxes until he found one with a blue ribbon and carried it to the bed. “She has an entire team of seamstresses.”
“Thank you,” she said, pecking him on the cheek. Having more dresses made for her was sweet, and the thoughtful gesture endeared him to her.
“A maid will be by later to put away the others, but I need you to try this on.” He lifted an elegant, blue gown from the box, and Fawn’s jaw dropped.
It was the draped style of her other dresses, but the rope attached around the bodice shined with an unfathomable amount of blue jewels. “Are those sapphires?”
She reached out to trail a finger over the beautiful detailing. A glint in the flowy fabric caught her eye and she leaned closer. “Did they thread gold into the skirt?”
Dean examined the skirt. “It appears they did. I told them to make you a ballgown fit for my bride.”
Fawn straightened. “Ballgown?” She vaguely remembered Cali mentioning a ball yesterday, but she didn’t think she’d go seeing as how it was the first she’d heard about it.
“I forgot about the ball tonight,” he admitted. “It’s to celebrate the new kings in the Mountain and Desert Kingdoms. I spoke with the modiste and had her make you a gown. I asked her to rush your order.”
Rennick and Amos, the Desert King, were born on the same day and took their thrones at the same time. “Will they be here?” It’d be nice to see Amelia again.
“No.” Dean laid the gown gently on the bed and twirled his finger for Fawn to turn around. “My mother never misses an excuse to throw a ball. She’s been planning this one for months, though she’ll hate missing it for the late Desert King’s funeral.”
Any mention of Dean’s parents set Fawn on edge. After hearing how his father treated him growing up and his mother’s compliance, meeting them was the last thing she wanted to do. “It’s beautiful. Thank you.”
“Stop thanking me.” He loosened the rope at her waist and slid the sleeves from her arms until the dress pooled at her feet. “You are my mate. I want nothing more than to take care of you.”
“How will I take care of you?” she questioned, feeling guilty. “Maybe you can get sick so I can nurse you back to health?”
His finger traced down her spine, sending bumps across her skin. “I’ll play healer and patient with you anytime you’d like.”
She shivered and stepped out of her dress, bending to collect it from the floor. Dean tapped her arms, and she raised them so he could slip the dress over her head.
The smooth fabric fell over her skin and settled perfectly around her figure.
She tightened the jewel-encrusted rope at her waist and held out her arms. “How do I look?” She twirled, feeling a light breeze on her legs.
Inspecting the skirt, she discovered slits all around, but the way the fabric lay, you couldn’t tell from looking at it.
“I don’t remember seeing dresses with these at the shop. ”
Dean stared hungrily at her body, eating up every inch of her appearance. “You’re beautiful, darling.” He reached out and moved his hand against her skirt until he found a slit and slipped his hand inside to brush her thigh. “I asked her to alter your skirts a little.”
She stopped his hand, knowing if they got started, they’d never make it to the ball. Maybe that wouldn’t be a bad thing. “Why did you have them add slits?”
He grinned wickedly and removed his hand. “Easy access.”
She gaped at him. “You’re ridiculous!”
Dean laughed, and Fawn marveled at the sight. He really was a beautiful man. “Now that I’ve had you, darling, I’ll want you every second.”
She understood the sentiment, but… “I want our relationship to be more than sex.”
He sobered quickly, reaching for her to draw her close. “It already is. If you never touch me again, I’ll fuck my hand until the day we die.”
The organ in her chest tripped and fluttered at an alarming rate. She’d heard of love at first sight; people meeting and falling in love instantly. That wasn’t what this was, but it was fast tracked.
She’d known him only a week and half. A week and a half. Yet the feeling in her chest confounded her. Surely not. Did the bond make them love one another or was she just a fool? For sanity’s sake, she’d pretend the former. In truth, it was probably the latter.
“Don’t be hasty,” she teased. “I have needs too.”
“And I will fulfill every one,” he swore like an oath, conviction in every word.
Fawn went on her toes and beckoned him for a kiss. It was chaste but packed with meaning. “Does the bond make mates love each other?” Why did I ask that out loud?
The radiant smile he gave her melted away any lingering embarrassment. “No, darling, it doesn’t. Do you fancy yourself in love with me?”
Mortification almost drowned her. She’d been caught up in the moment and made an idiot of herself. “No, it’s just a question,” she sputtered and rounded the bed to put space between them. “Your ego is too big for your own good.”
Dean hummed in response and followed her to the other side of the room. She studiously ignored him in favor of studying the beautiful rope on her dress. “That’s twelve for lying to me.”
She glared at him. “Why do you keep counting?” Trying to feign nonchalance as she scooted around him, she scoffed. “I’m not lying, you pompous man.”
Dean hooked his arm around her waist and hoisted her into his arms then sat on the edge of the bed. She tried to wiggle free, but he only tsked. “Thirteen. Time to pay up, darling.” He flipped her onto her stomach and moved her skirt to expose her bottom half.
“What are you doing?” she demanded. He ripped her silk underwear from her body, and she gasped with outrage. “That was silk! Do you know how expensive that is?”
“I can afford more.” She kicked her feet and yelped when his hand came down on her bare bottom with a loud smack. “Count.”
Did he just... “Are you spanking me?”
Dean caressed the spot he’d popped. “I told you I would. Count, or we start over.”
She had two choices: fight like hell to get free or admit she was trapped and play his game. Going limp, she muttered, “One.”
“Lovely,” he praised and landed another slap.
“Two,” she gritted out, already plotting her revenge.
Another. “Three.”
Again. “Four.”
He alternated cheeks, soothing each one with a gentle touch before striking again.
Halfway through, he adjusted her slightly and licked her throbbing flesh, placing a kiss before landing another blow.
The lick did things to her she’d rather not explore, and she resolved to ignore the heat building between her thighs.
“You’re doing so well,” he murmured. Another lick. For fuck’s sake. “Almost done.”
Another few rounds of alternating swats, licks, and kisses. She squirmed in his hold for friction.
Only two left, only instead of his tongue on her ass, his finger slipped through her folds, and she moaned. “Dripping for me already.” A few more passes of his finger caressing her sensitive flesh and pressing lightly on her clit. He’d better fuck her after this, or she might just kill him.
His finger disappeared and she groaned, as did he. She twisted to glance at him to find his finger in his mouth and his eyes on her. Never breaking eye contact, he slapped her bottom again. She cried out, her flesh sore. “Twelve.”
Still watching her, his finger slipped back to her pussy and her head fell forward. Fawn bit her lip to hold in a moan, but when his thick finger slipped inside, she couldn’t help it.
She clenched around him, and pushed deeper, adding another finger on his outward stroke. “Your cunt loves to be fucked with anything, doesn’t it?”
Her walls clenched, and she rocked against his hand. The pressure disappeared, and she growled, hoping the grasp she had on his leg hurt. She glared at him, and he caressed her face with his clean hand. “You’re beautiful when you’re unsatisfied.”
The fucking nerve of this man. Before she could retort, his spanked her ass for the last time. “Thirteen,” she gritted out, anxiously waiting for him to finish what he started.
Without warning, he plunged three fingers into her cunt, stealing her breath.
He didn’t just thrust in and out, he’d pull out all the way and run his fingers across her pussy to caress her clit before pushing back inside her.
The sensation was too much but not enough.
She grabbed his leg harder and tried to chase his fingers when they retreated each time.
She whined and whimpered, desperate. “Please,” she begged.
Dean chuckled, the sound low and smooth. “This is a punishment, darling, and you’ll take what I give you.”
In and out, gliding, caressing. “I can’t take it,” she cried. “ Please .”
He moved faster and put more pressure on her clit.
Then finally, her orgasm built, so close she could taste it.
The anticipation might kill her, and with one final thrust, she exploded.
Black dotted her vision as her muscles seized.
Her cries were loud, and if she’d been in the right state of mind, she’d worry people in the hall could hear her.
Once her body slumped with satisfaction. Dean sucked his fingers clean, pulled Fawn upright, and cradled her in his lap to whisper the words that changed everything.
“I love you, Fawn. I always will.”
Her eyes met his, and she saw and felt the love shining through. It was the same feeling she’d been too afraid to name “I love you too.”