by A. K. Koonce
The strain he puts on the thin material of his boxers has me rising up a little as his thumbs hook into the elastic band around the veering lines of his hips.
“No.” The traitorous word blurts from my mouth.
“No?” he repeats slowly, still gripping the top of his boxers.
“Those stay on. You’re helping me, remember?”
A humming groan rumbles through his chest as he breathes out a smile.
“Right.” He nods his head as he begins to stalk toward me. “I’m here to help you.” His words are spoken pointedly. He lowers himself into the tub, his arms caging me in as he holds himself above me, gripping the sides of the bath. My legs fall open with a rush as he lowers himself between my thighs. “I’ll help you forget how angry you are.”
The corded muscles of his arms are cut with lines as he holds his weight above me. He’s all around me but barely touching me.
“I doubt that,” I say with a smile.
His lips brush over my damp hair as his hips finally settle against mine. The hardness tucked away within his drenched boxers drags against my sensitive folds. “I’ll help you so good, you’ll forgive me,” he whispers.
Another gentle rock of his hard dick against my clit has my eyes fluttering closed, my heartbeat pounding loudly.
The warmth of our bodies fades away as he pulls back from me. With hazy eyes, I stare up at him as he kneels between my legs. He licks his lips slowly and his gaze trails down my bare skin. Every inch of me is exposed like an offering to him. A teasing skim of his index finger against my inner thigh has me shaking beneath his minimal touch.
The soap pulls from my palm as he glides it down my body. He takes his time, letting his fingers explore the soft skin of my inner thigh and down the long length of my leg. My heart pounds at the feel of his skimming touch. I smile as he lathers up my feet before cupping water to rain down on my skin, washing away the glistening bubbles.
The water’s barely warm now. My hair hangs in pale, cold strands against my shoulders.
The heated look in his eyes meets mine as he lifts my left leg and places it against his shoulder. My slick skin meets his and my lips part with an unsteady breath. A gentle kiss feathers across my calf as his strong hands hold my thigh. Hot breath fans across my skin as the soap sinks to the bottom of the tub, forgotten.
Ever so slowly, his palm lightly trails up the length of my leg; over my knee, along my inner thigh and he circles the soft skin there before he finally brushes over my most sensitive spot.
His attention sinks into me, soaking up every one of my emotions.
I physically feel his gaze heating my face as he watches me with flaring attention. My eyes fall closed as his fingers push up and then down, tightening that feeling deep inside me. A shaking gasp leaves my lips as he sinks two fingers into me. His thumb rubs over my clit with every leisurely stroke of his fingers.
Everything in my life slips away as he makes me forget with the steady pace of his demanding hand.
He was right; I do forget how angry I was.
My legs shake as he begins to pound harder into me. The waters of the bath begin to lap against my chest with the rhythm of his movements.
“Come for me, Kara,” he demands, stroking me faster, rubbing perfect pressure against my clit. Roughly, his other hand grips my hip, holding me in place for him.
A moan pulls from me at the tone of his voice, the sound of it drifts through the room. The hard edge of the tub meets the back of my head as my spine bows against the waters. A shaking cry is all I have when he arches his fingers and my sex clenches tightly, my legs shaking in the cold water.
Waves of pleasure course through me, and I soak up the feeling while Daxdyn watches every second of it.
The feel of his fingers slipping from me is grounding. My eyes flutter open just as he leans forward and presses a kiss to my inner thigh. His hot tongue skims across his lips, flicking against my skin. Another incoherent sound slips from my mouth. A look of fire burns in his hooded eyes as he places another hot, teasing kiss to the soft skin of my inner thigh.
I feel weak. Weak and powerful all at once.
“Daxdyn.” His eyes flare at the sound of his rasping name on my lips.
His hand drifts through the soapy water and rests low on my hip, his body angling closer to mine; poised for whatever it is I might say next.
The rise and fall of his chest is his only reply as he waits eagerly for me to finish my sentence. I’m spread out before him, my calf still resting against his shoulder.
“Tell me why you brought me here.”
Slowly his eyes close as a smile spreads over his features.
“You are persistent, do you know that?”
Daxdyn makes it hard not to like him, not to trust him entirely. But I try anyway. I untangle my body from his and step from the tub, water trails across the hardwood floors as I let the cool air dry my skin. The feel of his gaze on my body makes my hips sway a bit more than usual as I walk to the wardrobe.
The doors open without a sound. About a dozen dresses hang neatly within.
No jeans.
I enjoy a pretty dress as much as the next thief, but they aren’t very tactical.
A short black dress with silky material greets my fingertips, and I rip it from the hanger without further thought.
Daxdyn settles in against the back of the tub, occupying my previous spot. Water glistens against the crevices of his chest. A boyish, but cocksure smile fills his face.
Gods above, he’s too sexy for his own good.
An hour ago, I wanted to murder him. One soapy orgasm later and he made good on his promise; I do forgive him.
For the moment.
The dress slips over my head, hiding my body from his hungry gaze.
I adjust my hair, raking my fingers through the damp locks.
He eyes my long legs as I take a seat on the end of the bed, crossing one ankle over the other. I am the epitome of a classy lady.
“No panties?” Daxdyn pipes up from his spot in the bathtub.
Classy. Lady.
I pick carelessly at my nails.
“It appears that they think a pair of underwear might be used as a weapon. Or, the king is just a fucking pervert.”
He nods his head, his arms encompassing the edge of the tub as he leans back and gets comfortable.
“Probably both,” he tells me with a serious look.
Worn leather meets my fingertips and I tug on my boots as if I’m getting ready to leave this wicked prison at any moment.
“You helped me, now tell me.”
“Seems like a win-win for you.” Daxdyn’s confidence seems to heighten when he’s nearly naked. I thought he was arrogant before, he’s nothing but lazy assurance right now.
“I believe you’re the one who asked to help. It certainly didn’t look like you got nothing out of the deal.”
He gives another sultry smile that makes me smirk at him. Things are simple between us. He just has a personality that draws people to him.
I’m drawn to him.
Finally, he looks away, toward the open balcony door. Is Daxdyn my neighbor in the room above this one?
“A little over a year ago, Ryder met this human here in Juvar. They were screwing around a lot, but Darrio told him she’d get him in trouble. He agreed it’d be best to end things. Darrio and I went with Ryder, safety in numbers and all that,” he pauses when I give him a skeptical look. “Human women are a bit … kinder than fae women.” Another long pause as my eyes narrow on him.
It’s hard for me to imagine all three of them needing to come here. Unless …
“You all came here, risking your lives, to get laid? Are you saying human women are easy?”
Laughter rumbles through his chest as he tilts his head up toward the ivory ceiling.
“Not the word I’d use, but,” he shrugs a little. “Anyway, he was going to break up with her. The three of us met in the forest that borders our realm and this on
e, but she wasn’t there. Anna wasn’t there. Ryder’s step mother was, though. The former queen was waiting.”
His look becomes serious as he studies the dirty lines of the hardwood floors.
“Poison darts were the last thing I remember. We woke up in the tower you found us in.”
“What did she want?”
His gaze fills with sadness when he finally looks up at me. A line creases his handsome face. In the quietest of voices, he says something that makes my heart skip a beat. It fills my veins with a fear unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before.
“You.”
Chapter Four
The Traveler
Confusion and fear swirl through me like violent winds. My lips part to ask him the millions of questions circling my head just as door swings open.
Darrio stands, filling the frame entirely. The silver of his gaze drags from me, sitting leisurely on my bed to his brother who, of course, is still relaxing nearly naked in the bathtub.
The two share a strange look between themselves, a silent communication that I’m not included in.
“King Tristan wants your presence now.” Darrio’s attention falls hard on me, but there’s no judgement in his gaze. It doesn’t stop my arms from folding across my chest to keep them steady. Not a single question about the odd scene before him is asked.
He’s a man of few words and fewer cares, I suppose.
Will Darrio really just lead me to his king as if I mean nothing to him?
“Come, Kara.”
Come for me, Kara.
I push the rasping dirty echo of Daxdyn’s voice away with a shiver shaking my shoulders.
A squeaking sound accompanies my steps and I realize Daxdyn and I might have lost some water during playtime.
“I’ll see you soon, Kara,” Daxdyn says in a light tone. He makes it sound like everything will be okay. His voice almost makes me believe that.
I turn the hall with Darrio. Before we leave, he twists a golden key into the lock and locks his brother within my rooms. My brows raise but I don’t question it.
Hell, at least I’ll have someone who I almost trust waiting for me when I return.
If I return.
He leads the way in silence and when we begin a new route through the dark halls of the castle, I make sure to trail a line with my index finger down the corridor.
Three leads to my cell.
Two leads to the dining hall.
And one … one line leads to what I’m anticipating to be a very violent show.
“Stop marking your spot. I already told you, we won’t be here long,” Darrio says in a hushed voice. His steps are pure confidence; a swagger that says ‘people don’t fuck with me’.
He’s enormous and has absolutely nothing to fear.
While I’m all of five foot five with the muscle tone of a small, but very aggressive bunny.
My jaw clenches shut and, before I can think better of it, I push him. To my surprise, he stumbles under my small touch. Adrenaline rips through me and I shove him again until he’s against the wall.
A nagging voice in my mind says he lets me, but I ignore the little voice of reason.
On my tippy toes, I lean into him until I’m right in his face. The dark, trimmed strands of his beard glisten under the dim lighting and the shine of his depthless eyes holds a look of concern masked with boredom.
“Maybe we won’t be here long, but at the moment, you’re about to feed me to the wolves without any protection whatsoever.” A shaking sound fills my voice and I breathe hard to make that weakness disappear from within me.
Large hands settle on my hips, calming me with the simple connection of his body and mine. I want to hate him. I want to hate them all so badly, but that fuming anger just isn’t there when he’s looking at me like it hurts his heart to hurt me.
“I’d never let anything happen to you.” The quiet rumbling promise of his voice melts my ovaries; I swear it. I don’t know how Darrio and I got here. I can’t say when our relationship took this turn. But when he promises to protect me, I believe him. “What you said earlier about claiming you as mine.” His gaze dips to my lips and my hands settle over his broad chest. His heart pounds wildly against my fingertips. “You’re not mine, but you are my fucking human.”
A small smile tugs at the corner of my lips, and it reflects in his eyes until fine lines crease the corners there with nothing but real happiness showing in his face.
I like the idea of being his fucking human. I’ve been his fucking human since we first met but now it’s a term of affection … I think.
The emotions in me grow until I have to shove them back down into the darkness of my heart.
Emotions are dangerous, and I can’t afford to feel them right now.
“If you lead me into danger,” I stroke my fingers across the swooping ink lining his collar bone as I speak in a sweet whisper, “your fucking human will kill you.” It sounds like a loving promise. In a way, it is; a loving, but sincere, promise.
A rumbling laugh shakes through his chest and his hand falls to my lower back. For only a second my hips are pushed into his, sending a twirling energy through my core.
“I’d expect nothing less.”
The warmth of his big hand sears against the small of my back as he pulls away and leads me down the quiet hall. My hip brushes his, our sides touching coyly. And ever so gently, with nimble fingers, I pull the small black knife from his belt.
It’s military standard; just like my father used to have. The royal emblem is engraved into the hilt of it, my fingers brushing against it for only a second.
One seemingly careless stumble later and I’ve hidden it away within my right boot.
I flash the man I care far too much about an embarrassed smile as he helps me to my feet.
Anger still pounds through my heart. It beats in time with the sound of our footsteps as he leads me closer and closer to what will most definitely be an entertaining dinner.
***
Dinner is … rather boring, actually. My spine stays glued to the back of my seat; tension fills my shoulders as I wait for the veil to be pulled away from this eerily mundane situation.
This room is the largest I’ve seen so far. To my left, Tristan sits at the head of the table. His food goes untouched as he stares hard at me. I feel his attention boring into the side of my face as I pretend to feign interest in my salad. The delicate green leaves haven’t touched my lips but I push them around nonetheless. It’s a shame to let possibly poisoned food go to waste, really. The wine at the corner of my plate tempts me, but I don’t take one sip. I’ll drink the dirty bath water Daxdyn’s keeping warm for me before I chance a drink of that.
An older woman with streaks of silver cast down her long ebony hair stares wide eyed at me as well. She’s the former queen. I haven’t seen her since my father died protecting me from her when my Hopeless scars first appeared. Her gaze makes me shift slightly in my seat, but still I don’t look at her.
Across from me, Ryder sits in silence, his hands clasped over his plate. Dark metal peeks out on his wrists from beneath his snug, long sleeve shirt. A spasm in his tightly held jaw tells me he’s counting down the seconds until we are dismissed.
“She’s quieter than I thought she would be,” the king muses. His comment still doesn’t pull my attention to him but I notice Darrio nodding carelessly along with Tristan’s words. “No man ever complained of a silent woman. Am I right, Darrio?” Self-assured laughter accompanies the king’s words.
Not one second passes and a chuckling sound rumbles through Darrio as he nods even more, taking a large drink of wine. “Right you are, your Highness.”
I study each individual prong of my silver fork. The shine of it catches my attention as I fist it in my palm, resisting the urge to embed the utensil deep in Darrio’s muscular thigh.
Asshole.
“I like you, Darrio. You’re not at all like your brother,” Tristan says and once more Darrio nods
in agreement. The more he speaks to Darrio, the more I want to climb my ass on top of this table and slit the king’s throat with a butter knife. “The other one, the aggressive fae with the lashing attitude, he’ll be allowed out of his rooms once he learns not to threaten my life again.”
Daxdyn threatened his life? He didn’t mention that. He could have spared a moment during—after my orgasm to note that important detail.
I arch a brow at the thought. The aggressive one. Doesn’t really seem like Daxdyn. He has it in him, but what could have set him off to make him a prisoner just like me?
To my right, Darrio shoves heaping spoonfuls of mashed potatoes into his mouth like he’s trying to close the hole in his face with impossibly large portions of food. I cock a brow at him but, apparently, my judgment doesn’t affect his dinner. Another overflowing bite is shoveled right in.
Gods above, where is he putting it?
“Do you know why you’re here, Zakara?” Tristan’s voice halts Darrio’s obnoxious eating. His spoon lowers stiffly to the edge of his plate.
Thank the fucking gods.
My gaze swings over the few people seated, and I make note that Queen Anna is not present. Then my attention falls on the man with the burning interest sparkling in his eyes.
“I just assumed it was a vacation of sorts. You have a very interesting way of making a woman feel welcomed here.” A tight smile is forced to my lips.
“You are very welcomed here. I apologize for the unfortunate first impression I made, but I had to be sure of who you were.” His attention drifts down my body, sending a crawling feeling over my skin. “I have someone I want you to meet.”
“Traveler, please join us,” the king’s mother whispers in a breathy voice. A voice filled with passion that makes her eyes flutter closed. Her thin fingers sweep across a shining pendant that’s hanging from her neck. She worries at the necklace as if she’s putting all her faith into the trinket.
