by Kim Knox
She grinned against his mouth. “Always?” The question came out as a breathless squeak as the head of his cock pushed at her and a quick ripple of her release darted up through her body. “Must be…inconvenient.”
Daned pushed into her, fast, hard…and stilled. “Now.” The word was a growl against her mouth. “You can be funny, or I can make you scream with pleasure.” Her gaze, used to the growing darkness, caught the hot need burning in his eyes. “Your decision.”
The tension in his body, the hardness of him, danced fire under her skin, and his stillness made it impossible to move, to find her own release on his firm body. His slow breathing, his complete control, only deepened the need she had to fuck him. “I want to scream.”
“Wise choice.” His free hand gripped her thigh and held her to him. He sank into her and rolled his hips. Chae couldn’t fight the escaping groan. “Nice, but not good enough.”
“Now, who’s funny—”
He’d pulled back and stroked into her, hard and deep. Sparks leaped behind her tightly shut eyelids. And then he found a rhythm, a rhythm that found her clit with every firm push into her flesh. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move, only succumb to the wildness of the fire tearing up, taking her body. Curses and pleading fell from her lips. She didn’t know what the hell she was saying. It didn’t matter. All that mattered was that Daned was inside her, fucking her, making love to her as only he would.
Tension tightened her belly, its fierce strength gripping her, promising to ride her flesh, make her body sing. And then Daned was in her thoughts, his rough need stoking hers, and with a low cry her release burst over her, taking Daned with her, merging them, spinning light and heat and joy in a wild orgasmic rush.
Daned held her, hard, his face buried in her shoulder. The horror of being the first of the Host burned from him, his guilt full and dark and gripping him as hard as he held her. He couldn’t hold it back. Chae kissed his neck, his jaw, murmuring reassurances. She wasn’t dead. Hell, she’d just proven how alive she was. She’d prove it over and over again.
She lifted his head and found his mouth in a clashing kiss, wanting him to know how much she wanted, needed and loved him. The word brought a warmth, a sweet heat that softened the wildness of their kiss, eased it into a gentle tasting, something slow and just so toe-curlingly nice.
“Nice?” Daned’s invading thought was wry. “I am not nice, Chae.”
She pulled back and licked her lips, enjoyed the taste of him there. “Yes, you are.” She let her head fall back against the high wall, and the vein of black crystal thrummed against her skull. This was her life now. One of wealth and status and, most important, Daned. She wiggled against him and his gaze narrowed on her. And it was time that she started that new life properly. She was the empress, after all. “We have a deal to keep with Odgar.”
A swift spike of jealousy, quickly suppressed, flared over Daned’s thoughts. For a brief moment, regret pushed at him and Chae shared it. They could never share that Daned was the father of her child, of her children. There could never be any doubt of the successor’s parentage, not if the Houses of Ladaia were to remain intact and not torn by infighting.
Daned’s forehead dropped to hers and the contact twisted her heart. “You’ll know and I’ll know.” He eased free of her body and fastened his trousers. “We knew the job came with conditions.”
Chae let out a slow breath. She bent and shrugged her way back into her trousers. She made a wry smile twist her mouth. “Shame all you Ladaians are insane.”
Daned gave her a flourishing—and sarcastic—bow. “We follow our empress in all things.”
Chae glared at him. “You were supposed to be immune.”
“Permanence does strange things to a man.” He took her hand and his strong fingers wrapped around hers. “Time for bed, Majesty.” He tugged her forward. “You need to rest.”
Chae let herself be pulled forward, her bare feet causing the twigs and leaf litter to crack and crinkle. “Yes, rest.” She couldn’t keep the smirk from her voice and Daned glared at her. Her smirk widened to a grin. “And lots of it.”
At least they didn’t have to hide what they were now, how permanence bound them. The sunder-seld stood witness to Odgar as the imperial choice. Not even a stubborn prince would or could question the heart of their civilization. They wouldn’t think to. That freedom was beyond even them.
Daned scooped up her boots. “Glad to see you’re following the wisdom of your imperial advisor.”
He squeezed her fingers and her heart did its usual insane little flip. It’d only been two days. At the beginning of the week, she hadn’t known he existed. That thought seemed impossible now. Daned was as much a part of her as she was of him. It had been a risk to accept his deal, to risk permanence when it could’ve brought horror. But now…she couldn’t imagine not being with him.
The light from the palace windows gilded his profile, and his beauty caught her breath, but he was more than that, more than just perfect flesh. Chae bit back a smile. Hell, when had she stopped being so shallow?
Daned slid his gaze to her, the humor and heat there making her body remember in vivid detail the pleasure he could bring. “You’re still shallow, Chae.”
Her grin broke free. “But you love me anyway?”
Daned brought her hand to his mouth. He paused, his breath brushed her skin and his thoughts opened to hers. Warmth, affection and love swept over her. “I am yours, lady. Do with me what you will.”
Damn, the man was manipulative…and addictive. But he was hers. Hell, maybe she wasn’t so unlucky, after all. Chae tilted her head. “You may come to regret that offer.”
“No.” His lips touched her knuckles and her body tightened at the brief meeting of her skin against his mouth. “No, I won’t.”
About the Author
Kim lives on an ancient boundary line once marked by a Neolithic burial tomb. The tomb’s now a standing stone circle—thank the Georgians for that one—and it stirs her mind with thoughts of history and ancient myths. She mixes the essence of the past into fantasy, along with the essential mix of magic and sex. She also writes science fiction romance, pushing out into the far future with effortlessly sexy men and the women who can’t resist them.
Kim is also with Ellora’s Cave, Samhain Publishing, Loose Id and Liquid Silver Books. You can contact her on her website or come and chat at her blog: www.darknessandromance.com.
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.kim-knox.co.uk
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ISBN: 978-1-4268-9059-8
Copyright © 2010 by Kim Knox
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