by Ivy Clyde
His expression turned grim as he met my gaze. “I want to get close to you, Moira.” Getting to his feet, he walked over to me. His hand came to rest on my shoulder as he leaned down and captured my lips in a kiss.
The touch of his lips on mine sent a pleasurable shiver through my body.
Leon moved his lips against mine in a gentle but coaxing way. I opened up to him, eager for a feel of his warm, velvety tongue. Leon moved in, tasting me thoroughly, his fingers digging into the thick strands of my hair as he reached for the back of my neck. Holding me in position, he deepened the kiss.
Tiny currents seemed to ripple across my skin as I lost myself in the kiss. Every angry thought I’d nursed against him melted away at that moment. To kiss him deeper, I got to my feet.
His arm circled my waist as he pulled me against him. Suddenly, he pulled away.
“What’s wrong?” I asked him.
There was a grim look in his eyes. “Moira…I want to be with you. No one knows how things will end up eventually but I don’t want to waste time and watch you get further away from me.”
“I want to be with you too,” I confessed. “You’re so much more than a spoiled prince. There is a lot about me you don’t know either. How about we dated? Or like you guys probably say here, courted? Can’t we just get to know each other?”
“You want to get intimate without any promises?”
“Yeah.” I wrapped my hands around his neck and rose on my toes to press my lips to his. “I don’t want any promises for the future from you.”
“No conditions for staying with me?” he whispered, staring at me like he couldn’t bring himself to believe me.
“Yes. You know why? Because I’m not going to let anyone decide the future for me.” Feeling bolder than before, I peppered his cheeks with kisses. Leon didn’t seem to mind at all, letting me do what I wanted. Suddenly, I had the urge to do more. My fingers played with the gold buttons of his tunic, opening them one by one until the planes of his hard, muscular chest was revealed to me. I kissed the naked skin there, drawing out soft groans from him.
With a sudden move, Leon grabbed a handful of my hair and pulled me away. The move didn’t hurt but my lips morphed into a frown.
“Will you be able to forgive me even if I can’t save you? Even if I have to give you up to Rowan someday?”
Surprise flitted through me. Leon was still worried about disappointing me even when I said I didn’t need him to promise me anything. He was giving me every opportunity to break things between us even though he wanted to be with me.
“I don’t need anyone to save me,” I said, meeting his grim gaze. “Also, being with Rowan wouldn’t be such a horrible thing.” A chuckle escaped me while he frowned. Rising up on my toes, I captured his lips before he could say something stupid and spoil the moment.
Through the haze of lust, I was distinctly aware of where things were leading to. My heart pounded with both fear and anticipation as Leon’s hands roamed all over my body. In the past, I’d hated such touches. They’d been forced on me by a teacher or a man my mom and I trusted.
But this is different, I decided. I want Leon to touch me everywhere.
Leon growled against my lips as he suddenly scooped me up in his arms. I gasped into his mouth but he didn’t stop kissing me. Lips still fused together, he carried me to the bed and gently laid me on it while falling on top of me. I laughed as he raised himself to look down at me.
“Last chance, Moira,” he said in a thick voice.
Putting my arms around his neck, I pulled him down for a kiss. This was something I was choosing for myself. It didn’t matter what the future held for us. No queen or king would get to decide things for me. I was going to get stronger, strong enough to stand up for myself and the two men I was falling for.
Our hands roamed over each other’s bodies. I kept tugging at the half-opened front of Leon’s tunic, so he took it off him completely, giving me a full view of his deliciously gorgeous body that was made to be licked. My thoughts surprised me. I’d never been this crazy about sex…
Leon made quick work of unbuttoning my shirt, moving it away so he could reveal my full bra-clad breasts. “They’re really real,” he whispered, drinking in the sight of my heaving boobs.
“What do you mean?” I asked. “Do fae women stuff their bras too?”
He chuckled and leaned down to kiss me.
Leon cupped a breast in his hand. “They are so beautiful,” he murmured. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve fantasized about them while wondering if they were real.”
I laughed even though I was blushing hard. “How many times were you disappointed before?” I asked.
“Always,” he whispered, grinning. “The fae ladies are masters in deception. Only when you touch them do you see the charm they laid on you.” He scraped the pad of his thumb across a nipple, making a moan escape me. I arched into his touch. “They are so sensitive, too.”
“Stop talk—” I began but he dipped his head down and flicked his tongue over the nipple.
I moaned out, feeling my insides clenching with need. I squirmed underneath him as his mouth swallowed the whole nipple. My hands slid into his flaming-red hair as he feasted on my breast while his hand massaged the other. Pleasure rippled through me. I held him close, wanting him to continue what he was doing.
I had no idea anyone’s touch could feel so, so good. “Leon,” I moaned out his name.
“Moira,” he crooned from between my breasts.
I grabbed the hand on my breast and guided him between my legs. My skirt was still on but I pressed my pussy against his palm anyway. “Please…touch me here too.”
Soft chuckles escaped him as he let his hand slide under my skirt and teasingly brushed over my panties. My head fell to the side of the pillow as deep moans escaped me.
“Leon…”
“Patience, my sweet Moira,” he said, his handsome face alight with a pleased grin. With torturous slowness, he pulled the skirt down my legs. Hooking his fingers into the waistband of my pitiful cotton panties, he looked into my eyes. I bit my bottom lip in anticipation. No one had ever seen me completely naked.
My heart was close to bursting out of my chest as he slowly slid the panties down my legs, exposing me to him.
“You’re beautiful, Moira,” he whispered, still looking at me. “Do you know how much you’re glowing right now?”
I was so caught up in the pleasurable pulses throbbing through my body, I hadn’t noticed the subtle way my skin was giving off a golden glow.
Leon lowered his mouth onto my breasts again but instead of lingering there, he kissed and licked a path down to my stomach. His tongue played with my belly button, making my whole body shudder with low tremors. He was being slow on purpose, heightening my anticipation until he reached the sensitive spot between my thighs.
I watched him through hooded eyes as he nibbled the skin just above my hip bones. Sitting up by my feet, he reached over and nudged my legs to open up wider. I spread my thighs to him but his next move surprised me.
Leon hooked my knees over his muscular shoulders and pulled me against him so that my pussy was in his full view. Leaning down, he dragged his hot tongue across my wet folds.
“Oh, god!” I cried out, my hips arching into his mouth.
Leon’s hands slid under my ass, his fingers digging into the soft flesh of my rounded globes as he licked and sucked at my pussy. His tongue slid over my sensitive bud, making a jolt of pleasure go through my entire body.
Loud moans escaped me as I thrashed against the bed. Leon’s strength kept my squirming body steady while he unceasingly lapped at my dripping folds.
“Leon…oh, god…please…I…” Incoherent jumbles escaped me as my body tightened and my pleasure concentrated somewhere deep within me. I didn’t want him to stop. Somehow, Leon knew that as he continued to suck and lick my pussy until I lost all control. A massive wave of pleasure crashed through me, drowning my mind in a haze that
eradicated all thought.
I moaned Leon’s name again and again, not quite knowing how to put my feelings into words…
Leon raised his head from my pussy and looked over at me. “I love the way my name sounds on your lips, beautiful,” he whispered. His face glistened with my juices. His eyes were a deep gold. I drank in the sight of his powerful arms that held me down to the bed. My gaze lowered, intending to see the rest of him but he was still in his trousers.
“I want to see the rest of you,” I said with a pout.
Leon kept his eyes on me as he removed the leather belt holding his breeches at his waist. Slowly, he stripped for me, revealing his long legs, chorded with thick muscles. However, my gaze quickly moved up to settle on his cock. His member was long and thick with a glistening head.
I sat up to take his cock in my hand. My fingers wrapped around the thick girth but couldn’t fully encircle it. Part of me worried whether I could take him inside me but the other, more desperate side of me didn’t care anymore. My insides were still pulsing with need and the sight of his cock was only making it worse.
“It’s so hard,” I whispered, gliding my fingers up and down his length. “But the skin is so soft and silky.” Deep groans escaped Leon as his breaths came out in shallow pants. My innocent touches seemed to be heightening his pleasure.
“Don’t,” he growled, taking my hand off his cock. “I won’t last long if you keep saying those things and squeezing it like that.” When I opened my mouth to protest, he placed a finger on my lips. “I’m still not done with you.” Placing his hands on my shoulders, he laid me back on the bed.
My heart beat harder as he positioned himself over me. Nudging my thighs apart, he took his cock in his hands and rubbed the tip against my folds. “You’re so ready for me,” he murmured, looking down at the spot where his cock touched my pussy.
I moaned at the feel of the hardened head on my soft folds and closed my eyes.
“Moira…” I opened my eyes to the sudden alertness in his voice.
“I always found you to be so innocent but I must know right now…have you been with a man before?”
His question made a sliver of anxiety curl around my heart. “No,” I whispered.
He gave a nod. “Things might be uncomfortable in the beginning,” he said in a gentle tone. “Just hold on a little longer.”
I stared at him, my lips falling apart in wonder. Leon, the guy I’d assumed to be a complete asshole, was being so caring and considerate. He wanted to make sure I was going to be all right. Warmth flooded my chest as I looked into his beautiful golden eyes.
“Don’t keep me waiting anymore,” I whispered.
A smile lit up his beautiful face. “You trust me, then?”
“Yeah,” I breathed.
Covering my body with his, he placed the tip of his cock against my folds. Capturing my lips in a searing kiss, he rocked his hips forward. The head breached through my tight opening. Keeping my eyes shut tight, I tried to distract myself with the kiss but my stretching walls had me gasping.
Leon moved out of me and suddenly, he plunged in with one hard, swift stroke. I cried out from the quick flash of pain. My fingers dug into Leon’s shoulders and held onto him as he filled me to the brim, making my insides stretch to their limits to accommodate him.
Leon didn’t move for a while as he whispered sweet nothings to me, helping me adjust to the feel of him inside me.
The discomfort soon disappeared and my insides started clenching again. Leon groaned out as I moved my hips voluntarily, wanting to feel the friction of his hot, hard rod buried deep inside me.
He stayed still but reached out between us and found my hardened nub. He stroked the sensitive mound of flesh, making my mind go blank with pleasure. My hips arched into his hand as his cock slipped deeper inside me.
“You’re so tight,” he gasped against my lips. “So tight and hot. It’s amazing to be inside you.” Pulling out a little, he sank back in.
“More,” I whispered, my hands roaming down his back to reach for his muscled ass. My hips rocked back and forth, reveling in the feel of his hard and hot cock sliding in and out of me. The way it stretched and filled me up was both satisfying and maddening, each stroke bringing me close to fulfillment, and yet not nearly close enough.
“Moira.” Leon’s groan was both a mix of pain and pleasure as he could no longer control himself. He kissed me deeply but his thrusts became faster and harder.
“Leon,” I moaned out as his mouth latched onto a sensitive spot on the side of my neck. My insides were tightening in a familiar sensation but the build-up was far stronger in intensity than before.
“You’re so close, Moira. Come if you want to,” he said in a tight voice as he continued to thrust hard.
I groaned into his mouth as a tsunami of pleasure crashed through me. My insides clenched and pulsed around his throbbing length while my body shuddered underneath him.
“Yes,” howled Leon in a voice filled with pride. “You’re glowing my sweetest, sweetest Moira.”
As the haze of pleasure lifted off me for a moment, I noticed the golden glow of light around me had intensified, lighting up the space around us. Leon’s face basked in it, his skin glowing with a sheen of sweat.
Leon’s movements grew more desperate as he thrust into me harder, faster, heightening my pleasure once more. I was being sent into another climax. All I could do was hold onto him as he rode me hard. The bed shook beneath us as he pounded into me, intent on reaching his own pleasure.
I looked up into his face, taut with strain, teeth bared, his skin glistening in the glow emanating from my body. My legs wrapped around his waist, wanting to take him even deeper inside me. His strokes hardened, driving me to the edge of another orgasm. My walls clenched tightly onto his cock.
A roar escaped him as he was finally driven over the edge.
“Moira,” he roared my name as his hot seeds gushed inside me.
I watched in awe as Leon’s body glowed as bright as me. It was day time but our combined glow seemed brighter than the sun. His massive body trembled over me as he emptied himself inside me.
His taut features slowly relaxed into a blissful expression as he looked at me with a tender look.
“You’re incredible,” he whispered, pressing his lips to mine in a kiss. “So beautiful and sweet.”
I hummed, closing my eyes as he kissed all over my cheeks, lips, and eyes. My heart swelled with happiness as my body relaxed.
Leon gently pulled out of me and settled down beside me. Turning toward me, he engulfed me in a warm embrace. I rested my face against his heated chest and listened to his heartbeat, their regular rhythm lulling me into a doze.
18
Cade
A maid poured jasmine-scented tea into my gold cup while my gaze stayed glued to the doorway. Mother was supposed to be here already. The sun set two hours ago. The night lanterns were already lit in the sitting chamber but there was no sign of her. One of the servants told me about her being shut in the throne room with Lady Demitria but hours had passed since then.
“Go check one more time,” I told the maid who sat by my feet in a subservient position.
“Yes, Your Highness,” she said listlessly, going out of the room to obey my command.
I was bristling with frustration at my mother. Each time Lady Demitria came to the palace, Mother would spend hours with her. I knew she was supposed to be my aunt but it had been centuries since she and my mother had any real relationship. What passed between the two was a mystery as no one was allowed to be present during these conversations.
Picking up the cup, I drained the jasmine tea but it did little to calm my aggravation.
The shuffle of feet caught my notice and I looked up toward the doorway again. The maid I’d sent to search for news was back. Entering the room, she bowed low. “Her Majesty is resting in her chambers. She has given permission for you to seek her there.”
I scoffed and walked pa
st the woman. Knowing the way to Mother’s bedchambers, I steadily made my way there without needing any assistance.
A number of maids hung outside the door, bowing at the sight of me. Ignoring them, I pushed the door open and strode inside.
Mother was already dressed in her night robes. Her sunshine-gold hair, so similar to mine, shone under the glow of a hanging chandelier. Without the addition of her extravagant gown and ornate headdress, she looked oddly simple.
Clearing my throat, I called to her. “Mother.”
She turned her head toward me. Gesturing toward a plush chair by her chaise lounge, she said, “Come sit with me.”
Even though Mother looked the same as always, I could see the deep shadows in her lavender-hued eyes. It wasn’t hard to guess who caused it. Her relationship with Lady Demitria was always strained. On any other occasion, I would let her rest but I had to speak to her today.
“Why did you call Moira to the court today?” I asked, broaching the subject eating at me the whole day.
“I wanted to see whether the rumors were true.”
“You could have asked me,” I said. “Why bring her here and announce to everyone that she will be marrying Rowan. You know he’s already vowed not to take a mate until he was on the throne. What are you planning, Mother?”
“I want him to marry her but the throne will be yours,” she said in a determined tone.
“Shouldn’t she be marrying me, then?”
Mother glanced at me. The look in her eyes alarmed me. She wasn’t happy with my question. “You will be marrying Lord Coran’s eldest daughter, Deirdre. Leave the untamed, wildling to be your brother’s burden. She may be born with a tremendous fortune but what you need is Lord Coran’s undivided support. Marry his daughter and you will secure the throne.”
“She is a vile creature,” I said through clenched teeth.
“So what?” asked Mother. “Marry her first and then later, take concubines to satisfy yourself.”
I met my Mother’s steely gaze. “Can you imagine what my life will be reduced to if Deirdre becomes queen? She and her father will treat me worse than the dog shit on the bottom of their shoes. I might be on the throne but I will be their slave.”
