Chapter 24 Zara
Chapter twenty-four
Zara
“Can you shift into a human?” My fingers twist around Leer’s as we walk through the corridor to my rooms after dinner that evening.
“Shall I assume your training with Alfrie went well, then?” I shrug. He squeezes my hand and is quiet for a beat. “No. Alfrie is rare in that way. I can change into two animals, but I prefer the fox.”
“What’s the other one?”
He glances ahead of us, nodding to a guard, jovial, but his jaw tenses slightly. “An owl.”
Leer has two forms. Alfrie has—well, I’m not entirely sure how many he has.
And I have none.
I was supposed to meet Alix for more sword training that afternoon, but I skipped it.
Instead, I practiced the imagery exercise Alfrie tried to teach me for hours in my rooms. Not that I would ever admit it to Alfrie.
I just hope it helps. My father is only giving me two weeks before I have to leave for Lanray.
If I can show him that I’m capable of looking out for myself, perhaps he’ll let me stay here.
If I’m being honest with myself, there’s a small part of me that wants to prove to Alfrie I’m more than a spoiled princess.
I want to impress him. He nearly smiled at me this morning—nearly.
Suddenly I’m tormented with the urge to be the one who elicits the elusive emotion from him.
I want to make him smile and laugh. I want to witness what pure happiness looks like in those gorgeous eyes.
I chew on my thumb nail, completely oblivious to where I am or who I’m with. Something’s wrong with me. I shouldn’t be thinking about Alfrie or how I want to see his face light up with a grin. Or how I want to be the reason for said grin.
“What are you thinking about?” Leer’s smooth voice breaks into my thoughts.
My shoulders sag beneath the heavy weight of shame of thinking about another male when my attention should be here. With my betrothed. “Nothing. I was just thinking…hoping…I’ll learn to shift soon.”
He brings my hand up to his lips, brushing a gentle kiss over my knuckles. “I have no doubt you will. Perhaps I can help. The sooner you learn what you need to, the sooner we can return to Lanray. I’d like to join you two tomorrow. If that’s okay with you, of course.”
“Sure.” His presence might be a good distraction from my traitorous thoughts about my tutor. I brush my thumb over the back of his hand. “Why are you in such a hurry to return?”
“I would feel better about your safety if we were in my Court.”
I smile at him, stopping in the hallway in front of the oak door to my bedroom.
“I guess I’ll see you in the morning.” He’s facing me now, and I’m drawn into his eyes, a pulling attraction I can’t tear myself away from.
I don’t want to. All other thoughts of Alfrie, of shifting, and leaving my home…
they all just fall away. Something within me suddenly wants to know Leer on a much more intimate level.
I slide my teeth along my lower lip and gaze up at him from under my lashes, my body tensing with anticipation.
It would be completely inappropriate to invite him inside.
We aren’t officially married yet. Not that it's ever stopped me from being with whomever I want, whenever I want.
Nor would it be the first time he was in my bed chambers.
He’s watching me with a fire that is simultaneously igniting my veins.
I wonder if he thinks about that night in the woods.
I know I haven’t stopped thinking about it, even with everything that’s happened in the last couple of days.
When his eyes are locked on mine with such intriguing power, I can’t seem to control this want, no, need to have his body on mine.
Leer’s icy blue eyes soften and his gaze drops to my lips.
He leans closer, taking my chin in his thumb and forefinger, tilting my face up to his.
“Goodnight, Zara.” His voice is a whisper that crawls down along my spine and sparks a flame low inside of my abdomen.
His lips hover just above mine, holding them hostage, a relentless torture that has my mind reeling with desire and frustration.
Why won’t he kiss me? I can’t stand it. I push up on my tiptoes, and my mouth collides with his, unleashing a passion disproportionate to anything I’ve felt before while locked in a kiss with a male.
He moans, his tongue sliding past my lips and tasting every inch of my mouth.
His hands are in my hair, balling handfuls of it into his fists with a crazed fervor that has my head spinning.
He backs into the door, pushing it open with the force of our entwined bodies and pulls me over the threshold.
The door shuts behind us, and he pins me against the hard wood, his hands resting near both sides of my head.
I thrust my body until it’s flush against his, feeling the hard length of his excitement through the thin fabric of my dinner gown.
His mouth crashes into mine and feverishly trails kisses over my cheeks and chin and down along my throat, and I gasp as his tongue brushes over my collarbone. “Zara…” he breathes into the outline of my breasts covered beneath the neckline of my gown.
I take shallow, ragged breath. I need to get out of this dress.
Now. But he’s way ahead of me, taking the ribbons from my corseted back in his hands, unraveling them like a professional, until my gown falls unceremoniously to the floor.
I step out from the heap of material and unbutton his shirt as I push him toward my bed on the opposite side of the room.
His shirt is off in an instant, and I explore his toned chest and taut abdominal muscles with my eager hands. Gods he’s gorgeous.
He emits a low growl from his throat as he hoists me up by my thighs in a heartbeat and I wrap my legs tightly around his waist. He props my body against the wall, and I press my hips into his, not wanting to wait another moment.
I claw at his shoulder blades and whisper into his ear. “Take me to the bed.”
I plant my mouth against his as he carries me over to the comforter and lowers me down onto the soft mattress.
I spread my legs open to allow his hips to fall into me and he wastes no time sliding my silk camisole straps off my shoulders, revealing my bare breasts.
My back arches to meet his touch as he runs his fingertips down the center of my chest then over my perked nipples.
“Leer,” I moan into the darkness and have to bite my lip to keep from coming completely undone.
He hovers above me, kissing me breathless while pressing his length against my core and I grab his hips in a silent plea to come into me. To give me all of him. He pulls his mouth from mine and searches my eyes, a question.
I nod, “I want to feel you. All of you.” I whisper breathlessly and pull him to me.
He smiles. “Not yet.” His voice is gruff against my throat, and he kisses along my neck and over my nipples, causing my hips to buck against him. He chuckles slightly and lowers his lips to the heat between my legs.
I’m slick with need and cry out while his tongue flicks and licks me senseless. I grasp his thick hair and pant wildly with the pleasure threatening to end me. I need all of him. Now. “Please,” I beg, whimpering through the tightening of my core, losing all control.
Before I can fully give in to the euphoria, he pushes his length hard into me, stretching me, and sending me into the next world. Into the most beautiful state of ecstasy.
I dig my nails into his muscular shoulders, pressing deeper with each thrust of his hips into me.
His lips are on mine again, smothering my screams of pure pleasure and I groan against his mouth as I’m pushed over the edge with release.
He thrusts faster and harder, and firmly grips my thighs, emitting a moan when he reaches his own peak.
He lowers his body to mine and rolls over to lie next to me on the bed, both of us breathing heavily and lost in our individual paradises. I curl myself around him, resting my head on his shoulder, and he drapes an arm over me, caressing my back.
I prop my chin on his chest, gazing at him as he smiles down at me. His eyes are alight with a playful malice and his fingers trace circles on my arm.
An easy smile spreads over my lips. “That was. Incredible.”
He brushes his fingers through my hair as it falls all over his chest. “If this is any indication of what my future will be like as a married male, then I’m all in.”
I smack him playfully. “That’s all it takes to win you over, then? Great sex?”
“What else is there?” Leer shrugs in all seriousness then laughs. He shifts onto his side to face me and pulls me to his chest, kissing my mouth and gently nibbling my bottom lip. “I should probably get out of here before we’re caught in this extremely inappropriate situation.”
“So, what? Let them see. You’d think they’d be happy we’re accepting our marital duties for the good of our Courts.”
“Still. I don’t want your father to hate me. Yet.” He smiles wide and wicked, a dimple delightfully creasing his cheek.
“Yet? Are you expecting him to eventually loathe you?” I gently poke his dimple with my fingertip.
Something sinister flashes in his eyes and he grins like the devil he is. “You never know. He might discover I’ve tainted his only daughter out of wedlock.”
“Oh, trust me, I was tainted long ago.”
“I see.” He considers this for a moment and tugs a handful of my hair in his fist, pulling it back, angling my face up to his.
He possessively claims my mouth, his voice low and rough against my lips.
“I guess I’ll just have to fuck you so good, so dirty, that you forget you’ve been with any male other than me.
” He slips a hand between my legs, his fingers feather light as they brush along the sensitive skin of my upper thighs.
I whimper, my thighs clenching around his hand when he reaches my center. I tense and shudder against his touch, the fire he just extinguished threatening to burn me alive once more.
He covers my mouth with his again, stealing my breath, and slides two of his fingers into me. I gasp and ride along, reaching out to take hold of him. He rolls just out of my grasp and takes his magic fingers with him.
He gently kisses my quivering lips and then my forehead. “I need to assist my father with something this evening. I’ll see you tomorrow morning.” He climbs from the bed and pulls on his trousers. He glances back over his shoulder, his eyes roaming hungrily over my naked body.
I stare at him with shock and horror that he’s about to leave me in this state of fiery need. “Don’t go,” I say to him, winded.
He leans on the bed next to me and brings his lips down to mine, then slowly leaves a trail of kisses along my neck. My breathing is ragged, and I reach for him again, clutching only air between my fingers.
Leer doesn’t take his eyes off me as he paces backward to the door. “I hope you think of me tonight.” His blue eyes blacken for a millisecond, and his mouth curves up with a deliciously sinful smile. “Goodnight, Zara.” He winks at me and rushes out of my room.