by Alice Wilde
"No," I say, feigning displeasure.
"Don't make me ask again, princess." Ero says as he lowers himself down on top of me so that the bare skin of his torso presses against mine. I'm instantly warmer, his body caressing me with delicious heat. Ero's hands close over my arms which are still folded over my chest.
"Let me see," Ero whispers against my ear, then he breathes softly against my neck as he trails the tip of his nose along it.
I loosen my hold and Ero seizes the moment to pull my arms aside, allowing him to lay his chest flat against my bare breasts.
"Isn't that better?" Ero asks, looking down at me.
"Yes."
"Then you should listen to me when I tell you to do something. Shouldn't you, princess?"
"Stop calling me that."
"Or what? Will you punish me if I don't?"
"No..."
"Then why should I stop?" Ero asks, kissing the side of my neck.
"Because...because I don't like the meaning behind the way you say it."
Ero stops kissing me and raises himself up off me and onto his elbows. "What do you mean?"
I wish he hadn't pulled away from me, the chill of the air instantly filling the space between our bodies.
"I don't want you to think of me as some sort of damsel in distress. When you call me princess, I feel like you don't think I'm capable of taking care of myself."
Ero raises an eyebrow at this, watching me carefully for a long moment.
"Is that what you think?" he finally asks. "Perhaps that is what I once thought, but I'm afraid you're very wrong about the reason I continue to call you princess now."
"Oh?"
"Yes, I call you princess for far more devilish reasons now," Ero says with a dark grin.
"Sinister reasons? What reasons?"
"I like to imagine that you are mine and I am yours… that I'm commanding a princess to obey me and that said princess, who normally bows to no man's orders, willing does so for me. I would like to believe that you are my princess. So, let me ask you...do you want to be my princess?"
I look up at him, searching his face, and then I nod slowly.
"Good," Ero says in a low voice, pressing his body against mine once again. "Now, listen to me and do exactly as I say, princess."
“But—”
“Hush,” Ero growls, and I instantly press my lips together, surprised by my own obedience. “Let me speak before I lose my nerve. I’ve wanted you for quite some time now, but I still haven’t forgiven myself for what happened between us back…back before we left Scotland.”
“That wasn’t your fault,” I murmur.
“It was. I should have known better than to open you up to any kind of danger, and I’ll never forgive myself for it. So, I need you to do something for me.”
“What is it?”
“I need you to promise me that you’ll never allow me to do anything to you that you don’t actually want. You have my permission…no…my mandate that you do whatever it takes to stop me from hurting you again.”
“Really Ero, there’s no need—”
“Promise me.”
“I…I promise.”
The corner of Ero’s mouth turns up ever so slightly at this, his sapphire eye twinkling mischievously, and I wonder what my promise has opened me up to. Ero presses his cheek against my own and then turns slightly to kiss my neck. He breathes softly into my ear and then runs his hand through my hair on the opposite side of my head. Grabbing a handful of my hair, he pulls, revealing more of my neck to him.
“You smell like the forest,” Ero murmurs, lightly running his lips along my jawline and down the side of my neck. I’m not sure if I should be offended by his remark or not, although there are certainly worst things to smell like than the forest, especially after so many days without a chance for a proper bath.
“Thank you,” I finally respond, “you smell…”
I trail off, pressing my nose against the skin of his shoulder and closing my eyes as I give myself a chance to take in and recognize his scent.
“Do I?” Ero asks self-consciously, releasing his hold on my hair. I open my eyes as he raises himself up off me and lifts his arm above his head to smell his own armpit. He wrinkles his nose. “You’re right.”
“That’s not what I meant!” I exclaim in dismay as Ero removes himself from my body entirely. Before I have time to say anything more, Ero removes the rest of his clothing and steps out into the rain. I watch him as the rain splashes against him and trickles down his broad, muscular back. It only takes a minute for him to be completely soaked. Ero shakes his head, his pale hair sending droplets of water flying off in every direction before he looks up toward the partially moonlit sky and runs a hand through his hair to push it back from his face.
Ero glances over his shoulder at me. “Care to join me?”
“In the rain?” I ask, blushing deeply and trying to avert my gaze.
“Yes, unless you know of another way to bathe in the middle of an unknown forest.”
“Isn’t it cold?”
“It won’t be if you join me.”
I hesitate for a minute, continuing to watch Ero’s form as he does his best to scrub his skin. Tearing off a strip of excess fabric from a piece of my clothing, I get up and step out into the rain. I tentatively reach out and place one of my hands against his back, and a shiver runs through Ero’s skin at my touch.
“Here, let me help,” I say, taking the strip of fabric and gently scrubbing it over his skin. Ero relaxes after a minute, his head and shoulders hanging lower as he lets me wash his back. I trace the muscles in his back, the soft glow of moonlight and glistening of the rain further emphasizing the perfection of his form. My hands slowly make their way down his back and then Ero suddenly turns toward me, his hair dripping, hanging around his face as he looks down at me. He reaches out and grabs my waist, pulling me tight against him as he leans down and kisses me passionately in the rain.
I gasp as Ero momentarily pulls away, his hands finding their way down my back, over my buttocks and to the back of my thighs where he grabs me and lifts me up off the ground. I instinctively wrap my arms around his neck and my legs around his waist to keep myself from falling, not that it’s something I really have to worry about.
“Not so tight,” Ero says with a small smile, prying my legs apart so he can reposition me against his body. He continues to look into my eyes, at least as much as the rain will allow me to keep them open, as he walks with me across the camp. Ero kisses me again as he pushes my back up against the trunk of a large tree and I’m grateful to discover the bark is smooth although more than a little slick from the downpour.
Keeping my body steady with one arm, Ero repositions our bodies once again, this time so I can feel his arousal pressing into me. His muscles tense, straining as he pulls away from my lips to look at me.
“I want you, princess,” Ero says in a low purr, his voice husky and deep. He searches my face for an answer as droplets of water catch on his eyelashes.
“Then take me.”
It’s all the encouragement he needs. Without a second’s hesitation, Ero’s jaw tightens as he presses his body roughly against my own, pinning me to the tree, and then he thrusts into me. The rain stops midair, little orbs of glinting moonlight briefly frozen in time.
I cry out in both shock and pleasure, and the world speeds back into action, drenching us in a downpour of water.
He hadn’t hurt me, my body more than ready for him, but I hadn’t expected him to be so abrupt. Ero doesn’t move, his cock buried deep inside me. He breathes heavily, his eyes closed and I can feel the violent pounding of his heart.
“Ero…is everything fine?” I ask tentatively after a moment.
“I…I,” Ero starts, opening his eyes and swallowing hard, “I just can’t believe this is actually happening.”
“It’s not like it’s our first time—”
“But it is.”
I look at him in disbelief.
“How can you say that?”
“I only meant that it’s our first time,” Ero says quickly. “I never wanted what happened between us before…I mean I did, but not like that… Not with him involved. Besides, I wasn’t actually there when all was said and done.”
“What do you mean?”
“I blacked out, and the sensation of it…of you…was lost on me…until now.”
I shiver at the nightmarish memory, suddenly feeling dirty. “Perhaps this isn’t the right time.”
Ero shakes his head in surprise, furrowing his brow.
“What? No, I didn’t mean to bring that up,” he says hastily. “Forget I said anything. I want you, I’ve wanted you for quite some time…just to myself. At least give me a chance to redeem myself for past failures.”
“Redeem yourself?” I snort. “How do you plan to—”
Ero pulls out and thrust back inside me, even more powerfully than before, my words lost as I cry out once again. He leans down to press his cheek against my own.
“Let me show you,” Ero whispers into my ear, grabbing both my wrists and pinning them against the tree above my head. “Try your best to keep your legs wrapped around me.”
My legs are the last thing on my mind as he pulls almost all the way out and then plunges back inside me. He rocks his hips against me, thrusting harder and faster with each movement. Even as smooth as the bark is, I can feel my back gradually growing raw, but my pleasure far exceeds my pain and I push the sensation to the back of my mind. Ero leans back, still pinning my arms to the tree but giving him a full-view of my exposed body and bouncing breasts.
His eyes rove over my body for a few seconds before he pulls out and lifts me up over his shoulder and turns to walk back toward the camp.
“Ero,” I groan in displeasure, both from being unceremoniously thrown over his shoulder and the sudden drop in my quickly blossoming ecstasy.
“Don’t worry, I’m not half-finished with you yet,” Ero growls, sending delightful rivulets of anticipation across my skin. He crouches next to our lean-to, yanking his shirt down and spreading it out on the ground before leaning forward and placing me down on top of it. Ero sits on his knees and grabs each of my legs, opening them and pulling them up around his waist so that his cock lays, still hard, against my groin and lower belly. Using one of his hands, Ero presses down on his dick so that it sits more firmly against me and begins to rock his hips back and forth, all the while watching my face.
A moan escapes my lips as his cock stimulates my clit and intense desire builds once again within me. Ero’s watchful expression suddenly changes and he gives me a sly grin, pulling back just far enough to dip the tip of himself into me, but he goes no further. Instead, he lets his cock lap at me, teasing me. The painful ache of pleasure becoming almost too much for me to bear.
“Do you want me?” Ero asks.
“Please,” I moan.
“Tell me. How much you want me?”
I give him a hard look, trying to force myself to focus. “I…I don’t want you.”
Ero’s grin fades as the words fall from my mouth. “What?”
“I don’t want you,” I say more firmly, looking up into his eyes and reaching down to wrap my hand around his shrinking cock. “I need you.”
He immediately hardens in my hand, the corner of his mouth twitching as he falls down on all fours over of me shaking his head slowly. “You shouldn’t have done that, princess.”
“Shouldn’t I?” I ask, tightening my hold on him without diverting my gaze. Ero presses his lips together, swallowing hard, as if trying to keep his composure. I reach up to touch his face, but before I do, he grabs my wrist to stop me.
“No,” Ero says in a calm, quiet voice, his mouth turning up ever so slightly, “you shouldn’t.”
The next second, he’s removed my other hand from him and flipped me onto my stomach, his legs straddling my own and forcing them together. He presses his body against me, gradually relaxing so that more and more of his weight is balanced on top of me.
“You’re crushing me,” I whimper, but not really wanting him to stop. There is something comforting about the heaviness of his body on mine, like a warm blanket or armor.
“I’m nowhere close to crushing you,” Ero snorts. “Trust me, you’d know if I was.”
I inhale sharply as Ero wedges his dick between my legs from behind, forcing himself ever so slowly into me until he can go no further. He grabs a handful of my hair, wrapping it tightly in his fist so I’m unable to move without him wanting me to. Ero lowers himself fully on top of me neither of us moving but our breathing already strained and tense.
“Is everything okay?” I ask quietly after a moment.
“Yes,” Ero replies, but his voice is husky.
“We don’t have to do this.” My words stir something in him, and Ero grits his teeth a guttural sound escaping his lips as he spurs himself to action. He was right, if I thought he was crushing me before, it was nothing in comparison to how I feel now. Ero pulls my hair forcing my head backwards, and his fingertips dig painfully into my skin as he ravages me like a starved animal.
I can barely breathe, the lack of oxygen somehow heightening my desire and I use what little air I have left to scream… It’s not a scream of pain or terror, but of complete and utter satisfaction. Ero joins my scream with a roar of his own, his body tensing violently filling me with fiery warmth before collapsing beside me in a pile.
Perhaps there are some perks to being a princess...at least when it comes to being Ero's princess.
I don’t move, giving myself a moment to catch my breath before turning toward him. Ero’s lying on his back, staring up at the twigs and leaves sheltering us from the storm. For a second, I think he’s lying beneath a leak and then I realize he’s crying. I sit up, placing a hand on his arm and caressing his face with the other, my face full of concern.
“Ero, what’s wrong?”
Ero presses his lips together, his jaw hardening into a sharp line. “Nothing, I’m fine.”
“You’re crying.”
“I am not.”
“Then what’s this?” I ask, wiping a tear from his cheek and raise my eyebrow as I show him. Ero’s brow furrows and for a second, I’m sure he’s about to deny it again, but then closes his eyes and tears stream down his face. My heart stalls and leaps into my throat, my stomach twisting worriedly as I watch him weep. Unsure of what to say, I do the only thing I can and throw myself across his chest, hugging him tightly as his tears turn to body-wracking sobs.
I hold him for a long time, patiently waiting for him to calm down but inwardly I am terrified. Very rarely did I see such an ungoverned outburst of emotion for any of my men, but especially not from Ero. Had I done something, said something to hurt him? What could have possibly brought about this sudden change in demeanor?
Ero wraps his arms around me, running a thumb back and forth over my shoulder. “I’m sorry.”
“Sorry?”
“That was…unintentional.”
“What was?” I ask nervously, wondering if he regrets the tears or our moment together.
“All of it.”
I grow rigid in his embrace, my mind reeling at his confession.
“I mean…I shouldn’t have taken advantage of you.”
“You didn’t.”
“I did,” Ero insists. “As soon as Roan is out of sight, what do I do? I take his wife, purposefully.”
“Don’t get started with that again.”
“It’s just—” Ero pauses for a long moment. “It’s just that none of this feels right.”
“Oh.”
“Not because of you,” he says hastily, “because of me…and how much what we’ve just done would hurt Roan. It didn’t matter before.”
“Why not?”
“Because I didn’t understand what it felt like to love someone…or how much it can hurt.”
“Of course, love hurts,” I whisper. “No matter what or who you love, it will h
urt you at some time or another.”
“Then what’s the point?”
I turn to look up into his face. “There isn’t one… It’s just love.”
“You’re an odd one, princess.”
“Perhaps,” I say, “or perhaps it’s just easier for me when I’m not the one having to share my lover. I was never meant to fall in love, but I have…it just so happens that I’ve fallen in love three times instead of once.”
“I’m scared,” Ero murmurs.
“Of Roan?”
“No, I’m scared of losing you.”
“You’re not going to.”
“I hope you’re right,” Ero says, leaning over to kiss my forehead. “I hope you’re right…”
Three
Annalise
“Annalise, wake up.”
I sit up, clutching a bit of fabric that was laying on top of me to my chest as I look around in confusion. Ero is crouching down just outside the shelter to look in at me.
“What…what’s happening?” I ask, still half-asleep.
“They never came back.”
“Who?”
“Li and Roan.”
I’m instantly wide awake, wrapping my arms around me as I realize I’m still naked. “Do you think something happened to them?”
“I’ve dried your clothes,” Ero says, avoiding my question and placing my items on the ground next to me. “Get dressed. I’ll take care of the camp, but we should leave as soon as you’re ready.”
He stands and begins checking over the camp as I try to process what I’ve just heard.
“Oh, I’ll also need my shirt back so try not to tear it apart.”
I look down at the cloth clutched to my chest to realize it’s Ero’s shirt, and loosen my white-knuckled hold. Blushing, I check to make sure Ero’s back is to me and then begin pulling on my own clothing as quickly as possible. It doesn’t seem to matter how many times they see me naked or I them; I still feel very aware of my state of undress outside of our most passionate moments together.
“Let’s go,” I announce, stepping out of the shelter as soon as I finish dressing. Ero straightens from where he’s been putting together a few items that Li and Roan left with us.
