by C. J. Pinard
Mariselle stood up and wiped her lips. “That wasn’t at all what I expected it to taste like.”
Smiling, he squeezed some leftover seed out of the head of his cock. “And what did you expect?”
She grinned. “Bad. But, it wasn’t at all.”
Alexander didn’t know quite what to say to her. He felt guilty and angry, mostly because he still wanted to rip her gown off and pleasure her the same way. He wanted to hear her panting and moaning as he licked her from head to toe, but she was Griffin’s and he needed to remember that.
“We should go inside,” he said, adjusting his clothes.
“You’re angry with me, aren’t you?”
He stared at her in surprise. “No. I’m not angry with you at all, Mariselle. I’m angry with myself. This shouldn’t have happened.”
“You didn’t seem to hate it,” she replied quietly, looking down. “Did I do it right?”
“Are you kidding? That was much more than just ‘right’,” he said, grabbing her by the shoulders. He kissed her again, unable to help himself. The woman was addicting and already, he felt his dick coming back to life. Tearing himself from her lips, he held out his arm. “Let’s get you inside.”
“Okay.”
Alexander walked Mariselle to her bedchamber, neither of them saying much. Truthfully, he didn’t really know what to say and it was a little awkward.
If only he wasn’t so stone-cold sober.
“Well, thank you for… everything,” he said, when they arrived at her door.
She smiled up at him. “You’re welcome. Are you sure you want to end the night?”
As far as he was concerned, his night was just beginning. There would be more wine to drink and he needed to preoccupy his time with other women so he could forget about her.
“As much as I’d like to take you up on the offer, we both know it’s not in the best interests of my brother.”
She gave him a strange look. “Is he even aware that he’ll be the one siring my child?”
Alexander smiled. “It’s come up in conversation. That’s all I can say.”
Mariselle sighed.
He took her hand and kissed it. “Sleep well, Milady.”
“You too, Your Majesty.”
“When it’s just us, call me Alexander.”
She smiled. “Okay.”
Alexander let go of her hand and she disappeared into her chamber. Turning around, he headed away, cursing Angelique for what she’d done to their family and country. If she wasn’t already dead, he’d put a rope around her neck himself. For the first time ever, he was turning away a woman, and this particular one made him question the hedonistic sex life he’d been loving so much. She also made him question the loyalty he had between himself and Griffin.
36
HECATE FOLLOWED THE couple from the courtyard, unseen by both. It had been awhile since she’d checked in on the Rothhavens, and of course, Mariselle, who’d grown into a beautiful young woman. Hecate also knew of Angelique’s spell and what it would take to break it. As amused as she’d been about it originally—not of her apprentice’s death, but the curse itself—she knew it had to come to an end. Her followers had prayed day-and-night for children of their own, which she even couldn’t give them with the damnable hex. All she could do was help pave the way for Mariselle and the four kings. Their unity would be far from easy, but it had to be done, which was why she’d placed her own little spell on the young mAlexander, making her less uninhibited to the matters of sex. Apparently, it was working like a charm. Now all Hecate had to do was figure out a way to make sure she seduced each of the four brothers. She realized she might actually need to use a strong aphrodisiac to complete such a task, which would be frowned upon by the other gods. Using such persuasion on four kings could get her in a whirlwind of trouble. It would have to be a last resort option.
Hecate watched as Alexander dropped Mariselle off at her chamber and left, which disappointed her. She was aware of his large sexual appetite, and thought for sure they’d continue their shenanigans inside, but, he surprisingly turned Mariselle down.
Like a ghost, Hecate moved through the door and watched as Mariselle began to undress. From the expression on her face, she could tell the young woman was sexually frustrated, and knew it was partly her fault. Although the young mAlexander was passionate about everything in life, including her dealings with the opposite sex, she’d placed an uninhibited spell on her the day before. Of course, coupling with one or two of the kings wasn’t impossible, but to have sex with all four would take nothing short of a miracle. Hecate knew if it was going to happen, which it had to, she’d need all the help she could get. Thus, the spell.
Making a decision, Hecate slipped through the wall to Griffin’s chamber, and saw that he was already tucked in bed, snoring softly.
Plan B.
Satisfied, she headed back to Mariselle’s room and waited until she also was in bed and almost asleep. When her breathing started to become steady, Hecate leaned over and blew in the young woman’s face.
Mariselle opened her eyes and stared around in confusion. After a few seconds, she relaxed and lay back down.
Enjoying herself, Hecate sat down on the bed next to her and it creaked.
Gasping, Mariselle sat upright in bed and looked around, frightened. Looking a little nervous, she eventually got back under the covers and tried once again to sleep.
Hecate continued to play games with her until Mariselle couldn’t take it anymore. She jumped out of bed, raced out of her chamber, and pounded on Griffin’s door. After a few seconds, he opened it and stared at her in confusion.
37
“I THINK MY chamber is haunted,” she said in a shaky voice.
Surprised to see her standing there wearing nothing more than a chemise, he blinked. “Haunted?”
Mariselle nodded and then told him about the noises. “Something was on the bed, too,” she added. “I felt the entire thing move and it certainly wasn’t me. Plus, I smelled flowers. Lilacs or jasmine or something. It was very strong.”
“Let’s go back and check it out,” he said. “I don’t know why you’d smell flowers, but you could possibly have a rat in your chamber, I suppose.”
She shuddered. “Good God, I hope not.”
To him, a rat sounded a lot less sinister than any ghost.
He shut the door behind him and they headed back to her chamber. Not seeing anything unusual, Griffin asked what she wanted to do.
“I don’t know. I’m not sleeping here, though,” she said stubbornly.
He scratched the fresh stubble growing along his jawline. “I suppose you can sleep in my chamber, if you wish.”
Mariselle smiled in relief. “Thank you.”
Griffin walked her back to his room. “Would you like me to get you anything before I leave?”
Her eyes widened in surprise. “Where are you going?”
“I’ll sleep in your chamber until the morning and then we’ll have you moved into a new one.”
She touched his arm. “I’m scared. I really do think it was a ghost and… what if it followed me here?”
He frowned.
“Stay with me? Please?” she pleaded.
Seeing the panic in her eyes, Griffin relented.
Mariselle walked over to the bed and slid under the covers. She looked over at Griffin and smiled. “Well?”
“I’ll sleep on the floor.”
“Nonsense,” she said, patting the bed. “Sleep here. I won’t bite. I promise.”
Almost hoping that she would, he took a step toward her and hesitated. “Fine, but… this must be our secret.”
“Are you really that fearful of the queen?” she asked, smiling in amusement.
Griffin grunted. “She doesn’t frighten me. I just don’t want to deal with any more animosity from her. Georgina is unpleasant enough as it is.”
“Poor Griffin,” she said with a gleam in her eyes. “Living with such a beastly woman. Why d
o you put up with her?”
“I have no choice,” he said, sitting down on the bed. He removed his boots. “Believe me, if I could send her away, I would.”
“You dislike her that much?” she asked as he removed his white linen shirt.
He nodded. “She makes it rather easy, though.”
MARISELLE STARED IN approval at Griffin’s broad shoulders and muscular chest. He wasn’t quite as tall as Alexander, but had an impressive and powerful frame. Wide awake now, and knowing she was going to be sharing a bed with the man she’d been fantasizing about for ages, caused a stirring down below. She waited until he was under the covers and then scooted up close to him.
“Hold me?” she whispered, noticing him stiffen up. “I’m still frightened.”
He put his arm around her shoulders and was silent for a moment. “So, how was your walk in the courtyard?”
“Fine. Why, were you worried about me?” she asked coyly.
“No. I was just curious.”
She closed her eyes. He sounded jealous, which was silly considering it had been his idea for Alexander to take her there in the first place.
“Did he try anything?” he asked, an edge to his voice.
She smiled to herself.
Yes, he was definitely jealous…
“We kissed.”
It took him awhile to answer. “And how did that go?”
“Do you really want to know?”
He let out an irritated breath. “No. I guess I don’t.”
Mariselle put her hand on his bare chest, enjoying the feel of warm skin and hard muscles under her fingertips. She could actually feel his heartbeat pick up as she dragged her fingers back and forth.
Suddenly, Griffin grabbed her wrist. “Enough.”
She looked up into his eyes and smiled innocently. “What? I’m just touching you.”
“If you knew what it was doing to me, you’d stop.”
“Maybe I wouldn’t.”
He frowned.
“You can touch me if you want,” she whispered, aching for him to do something. Anything. She was so excited, she could feel the wet heat between her legs.
Griffin swore under his breath. “Stop, Mariselle. You’re to lay with Alexander.”
“That’s not what he said.”
He raised his head and looked down at her. “What are you talking about?”
“He told me he wants you to sire my child.”
“That’s not what we agreed upon,” he said firmly.
“Really? Because he was pretty adamant that it would be you,” she said. “Besides, I agree with him. It should be your child who is the next monarch.”
“As much as I’d like it to be so, it can’t.”
“Yes. I heard it all before. Because of the queen,” she said, getting irritated. “Obviously, we know who the true ruler of your castle is, Your Majesty. Maybe the two of you should switch thrones?”
Griffin’s eyes turned to ice. “Shut up, Mariselle.”
His anger turned her on even more, and she met his stare with a defiant one of her own. “Make me.”
His mouth came crashing down on hers in a hard kiss filled with pent-up lust. Her toes curled as his tongue thrust into her mouth, punishing her with a mixture of anger and desire.
GRIFFIN WAS OUT of control and knew he should stop, but his cock was throbbing and she was practically begging for him to take her. Plus, Mariselle had really pissed him off. He wanted her to know that he didn’t cower to anyone, least of all that cow he’d been forced to marry. He pulled her wrists above her head and slid his hand over her soft breasts, pinching her nipples through the chemise and making her gasp.
Pulling away from her mouth, he stared down at her, both of them panting. “Is this what you want, Mariselle?”
Her lips glistened from the moisture of their kiss. “Yes.”
He pushed the top of her chemise down and lowered his mouth, licking and sucking one pink nipple and then the other, while she moaned and writhed under him. Her breasts were beautiful and heavy in his hands, just as he imagined them to be.
Mariselle ran her own hands over his back and then moved to his chest. As her fingers skimmed to his lower abdomen, Griffin felt his cock lurch.
“You’re playing with fire,” he growled.
She touched the hard outline of his throbbing cock. “I like hot things.”
Closing his eyes, he groaned and then grabbed the hem of her chemise. He pulled it above her hips and then wedged himself between her legs. “Are you a virgin?”
“Yes. I told you I was,” she replied from under her lashes. She didn’t break his stare and slipped her hand down his pants.
Feeling her fingers wrap around his throbbing cock, Griffin groaned in pleasure. He’d had his share of women, especially before marrying Georgina, and she certainly didn’t act like the kind of virgins he was used to. Admittedly, there’d only been a couple, but he’d had plenty of others who knew their way around a man’s body, and the girl lying beneath him fit better into that category.
What if she’s lying about being a virgin?
There was only one way to find out and he was damn well going to.
38
AS MARISELLE STROKED Griffin’s cock, he buried his face in her neck. Closing her eyes, she wondered what it would feel like to have him inside of her. Her juices flowed just thinking about them joining as one, although she was also a little worried about it as well. She’d used her fingers to pleasure herself and couldn’t imagine fitting something so thick inside of her.
Griffin’s hand began doing some of his own exploring. First it was at the curve of her buttocks and then he moved lower. When his fingers reached the slick junction between her legs, she cried out in pleasure.
Groaning in the back of his throat, he rubbed her clit as she gasped, squirmed, and mewled under his touch. Having someone else touch her there was like nothing she’d ever experienced and it was causing a whirlwind of different sensations for Mariselle. Tension quickly built up inside her as his fingers moved faster and became more demanding.
“That’s it,” he growled. “Come for me.”
Releasing Griffin’s cock, she fell back into the intensity of his fingers on her clit. All at once, her hips convulsed and she cried out as an orgasm exploded and rippled through her. Before she could fully process what was happening, Griffin pulled her legs around his hips and centered his cock on her opening. He rubbed it around her juices and then slowly pushed his way into her slick tightness, stretching her until she was digging her nails his back and gasping.
“You okay?” he whispered.
“I think so,” she said, feeling his cock throb inside of her. It had hurt for just a few seconds, but after the initial pinch of pain, she was relieved that it hadn’t been as painful as she’d heard from her fellow mAlexanders back home.
His silvery-blue eyes searched hers. “Do you want to stop?”
“No.” She never wanted him to stop. This was so much better than she could have ever imagined.
Looking relieved, he pulled out slightly and entered her again.
“More?” he asked.
She nodded.
Griffin leaned down and caught her nipple in his mouth. Teasing the nub, he pushed into her again and again, picking up speed. She closed her eyes and held on as his thrusts ignited something deep inside of her that grew with each movement. Soon, nothing but hot, brimming pleasure coursed between them and Mariselle was begging him to go faster and harder.
“Who am I?” he growled, holding her gaze as he gently pounded into her.
“Griffin,” she panted, staring wide-eyed up at him as a million sensations coursed through her mind and body.
“Who?!” He narrowed his eyes slightly at her.
“The king. My king.”
“That’s right. Nobody rules me. But… I rule you, don’t I?”
“Yes, sire.”
“I take what I want, whenever I want. This pussy is mine now, isn�
�t it Mariselle?”
His dirty words set her blood on fire. “Yes, yes.”
“Say it.”
“This pussy is yours…” she moaned. “My… king.”
“Are you going to come again for your king?”
“Yes,” she said breathlessly.
GRIFFIN HAD NEVER been so turned on by a woman. Seeing her under him, her perfect breasts shaking with each thrust, the twisted look of desire on her face, and the tight wetness milking his cock was nothing short of heaven. Suddenly, her walls clenched around Griffin’s shaft, squeezing him past all control. She threw her head back and screamed out a second orgasm, sending them both over the edge. He exploded, crying out as his hot seed filled her core.
39
HECATE HAD TO admit, watching the two lovers have sex had gotten her own juices flowing. Griffin was definitely a fine specimen of a mortal man, and if the other brothers were even half as virile and sexy, Mariselle was going to have her hands full.
Speaking of which...
To break the curse, she needed to get all four brothers together willing to have sex with Mariselle, and still hadn’t come up with a clever enough plan. From what she’d witnessed a few minutes before, Griffin wasn’t going to willingly share her with anyone, unless there was a compelling enough reason—which there obviously was. She just needed to find a way to get the message across without getting too involved.
She left the bedchamber and decided she should leave for West Haven soon. Still aroused from earlier, she snuck into Alexander’s bedchamber first to see what kind of hedonistic adventure he was involved in. Noticing he was alone and in deep slumber, she sat down next to him on the bed. As she watched him, an idea came to her. She placed her hand on his head and began manipulating his dreams.
