Princess of Lust (For the Love of Evil)

by Mayburn, Ann

  The lines around his mouth deepened. “Who told you about the attacks? You have enough to worry about without that shit added to it.”

  “You are mine, Gregor, mine to protect and love. I cannot do that if I don’t know you’re being threatened.”

  He ignored her and stared at the bookcase behind her head. “It was Kirin, wasn’t it? That man is worse than a damn—”

  “It wasn’t Kirin. It was Galina.” She drummed her fingernails on the arms of the chair. “Kirin has saved your life, hasn’t he? That’s why you didn’t kill Raum yesterday.”

  He flinched and looked out the window. “Yes.”

  “Do you spend a lot of time with Kirin?”

  He shrugged, the motion doing wonderful things to the muscles of his shoulders. “We pass the time together. He had an interesting life before he became that ass—General Raum’s concubine.” His jaw tightened and the heavy strength of his thighs flexed. “May I kneel before you?” She’d scarcely nodded before he pressed his body between her legs, his hands still behind his back but the delicious warmth of his midsection tight against her core. “My father had wizards, so I know a bit about what’s involved. How did you get the high prince to agree to this? With as little as he trusts me, I’m surprised he would do anything to make me more of a threat.”

  She gave into her desires and stroked her hands over his body, relaxing as his pleasure at her caress reflected in their bond. “Galina asked him.”

  “Really?” He tensed as her fingertips slowly twisted his nipple into a hard nub. “I didn’t think she paid much attention to me.”

  Unable to help herself, she leaned forward and sucked on the now-hard tip, biting gently at it until he groaned deep in his throat. Rubbing her face against the soft hair on his chest she said, “There isn’t a woman alive who wouldn’t pay attention to you, but she notices more than you think. Far more than I’ve been aware of, and I’m sorry for that. I’m your mistress. I’m supposed to protect you and make you happy, and I’ve not done a good job of it.”

  His arms wrapped around her, holding her close as his heartbeat sounded against her ear. “Well, I’ve been a pretty shitty concubine, so I think we’re even. I’m trying to see Raum as something other than a threat to my relationship with you but I just can’t. I was raised to destroy anything that comes between me and what I want. It’s all know.” He nuzzled his face against her hair. “When I hear stories about him from Kirin I almost like Raum, but then I see him with you, see how you react to his touch and I lose my mind. I know you can’t understand that, being half demon and all—”

  “Oh, I understand it better than you think.” She leaned back in his arms and laced her hands behind his neck. “Did I mention Galina is going to teach you sex magic? That it requires you to build energy through sexual contact with a member of her coven?” He wisely kept his mouth shut but his eyes lit with interest. She fisted her hands in his hair and pulled hard. “The thought of seeing you with another woman, of her touching you and bringing you pleasure, makes me insane with jealousy.”

  In a soft soothing voice he said, “I can tell. Your irises have gone black as night with streaks of red and orange rushing through them like flames.”

  “Oh!” Embarrassed, she looked away from him and loosened her hold on his head.

  He tilted her chin so she gazed into his eyes again. “I enjoy that you’re jealous. It makes me know you do value me. Sick and twisted, I know, but I assure you the way your female mind works makes as little sense to me as my male mind does to you.”

  “So where does that leave us? You need the powers Galina is offering to teach you, and I need to not kill every member of her coven for so much as glancing at you.”

  His muscles grew rock hard beneath her hands as he tensed. She watched his face carefully but now he was the one to look away, his mouth opening and closing several times, and he blushed. “I know one person both of us would let touch me.”

  She tried to keep the jealousy out of her voice as the sunset painted the world outside in waves of gold and burning pink, bathing his skin in a warm light. “Who would that be?”

  He cleared his throat and mumbled out something.

  “Gregor, I can’t hear you.”

  He looked at her, his eyes flashing both defiance as embarrassment stained his cheeks red. “Kirin.”

  She would have fallen down if she hadn’t already been sitting. “Raum’s concubine? But he’s a man.”

  “So I’ve noticed.” He sat back on his heels, his cock still standing proud and strong between his legs despite the seriousness of their conversation. “I never thought I would ever see another man as anything other than a friend, but you’d have to be dead not to react to Kirin. He is a warrior through and through, nothing effeminate about him, but the way he looks at me sometimes, it…and the rumors about his skill between the sheets with either sex…hell, it makes me wonder what it would be like to be with him.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  He laughed and ran his hand through his hair. “I’m not even ready to admit it to myself, let alone the woman I love. Look, I know around here fucking anyone is not seen as, well a sin, but I’m human through and through. I don’t have a demonic side that helps to make this all right for me. In my world, in the world you and I used to live in, being with another man was seen as not only an abomination but a weakness. If my—” He swallowed and she pulled him into her arms as a wave of sadness echoed through their bond. “If my father knew I was with another man, he would have beaten me near to death and killed my lover.”

  Her stomach knotted at the reminder of how self-centered she’d been. “I wasn’t aware you’d even been around Kirin that much. I’m so sorry I haven’t paid as much attention to you as I should have.”

  After clearing his throat he shifted. “We’ve kind of been hiding the fact Kirin’s been here from you.”

  “What? Why?”

  “That bastard Raum.” He cleared his throat again. “I mean General Raum assigned Kirin to be my bodyguard.”

  She closed her eyes and tried to keep her growing irritation under control. “And why did no one see fit to share this with me?”

  “Because you have enough to deal with.” The vehemence in his tone made her open her eyes again and look at him. “You’ve lost your family, lost part of your humanity, and had the burden of being a leader in a time of war thrust upon you. Don’t you think I know how hard things are for you? I’m the one that holds you at night when you cry in your sleep for those you couldn’t save. I was raised to be a leader. You were raised to be a wife and mother. You’re ill prepared for your new role in this world, royal blood or not. I will not be a cause of further weakness for you.”

  She shook her head slowly back and forth. “Gregor, you will never be anything but an asset to me. I love you. With or without our bond I would still love you. Your love makes me strong. When I’m around you I feel safe, cherished, and privileged to be your mistress.”

  “It doesn’t bother you that I’m attracted to a man?”

  Some deep instinct made her stand and slowly remove her dress, letting it fall down her body after catching slightly on her hard nipples. “No, Gregor, it doesn’t bother me.” She stepped forward until her bare cleft was inches from his face. “If you look at my body, you will see the wetness the thought of you with Kirin has brought to me. How flushed and swollen my flesh is at the thought of him taking your cock.”

  He growled deep in his throat and tensed like a predator about to pounce. She ran one finger up her slit, gathering her moisture and holding it before his lips. He eagerly opened his mouth and pulled her finger inside and sucked, swirling his tongue around the tip as he licked her clean. She knelt before him and whispered against his lips. “I would love to see him sucking my juices off your cock, swallowing your cum.”

  Her body ached with need, her clit pulsing in time with the beat of her heart. The desire she felt was not only her own, but Gregor’s as well. Her rou
gh talk excited him, and when she grasped his cock in her hand, he groaned and arched into her touch. Using one hand to fondle his balls, she coated her fingers in the slick cream of her pussy and rubbed it up and down his shaft.

  “Would you fuck him for me? Would you look into my eyes while his tight ass grips you as I touch myself and watch?” He shuddered and a drop of pre-cum leaked out of the tip of his cock, mixing with her slick fluids on his shaft. “Or perhaps you want to watch him eat your seed from my pussy, to coat his face in our desire.”

  Gregor hunched forward, rocking his hips and shuttling his erection in and out of her fist. “Mistress, please.”

  She leaned closer, her lips brushing over his. “Please what, my concubine?”

  He growled the words out, a guttural command that tightened her body. “Please use my cock to give yourself pleasure.”

  She pushed him down by his shoulders so he lay on his back on the thick, burgundy carpet. The hair on his chest gleamed as he took a deep breath. She squatted over him, the moist lips of her pussy barely grazing his erection as it leaped against her. Gripping him in her fist, she pulled back his sensitive foreskin as she placed him at her entrance, torturing them both with her slowness.

  As the broad tip of his cock pierced her, they both groaned out, the bond between them strengthening as their bodies connected. Her thighs trembled as she lowered herself inch by delicious inch until the rough hair of his thighs pressed against her bottom and he was fully seated inside of her.

  “I love seeing you like this,” he said in an almost reverent tone. “Your body split by mine, your pretty clit swollen and pink. Let me give you pleasure, my mistress.”

  She nodded and he ran his thumb over the junction of their bodies, getting it wet with her juices before sliding it in a tight circle over her clit. All the nerves came to life under his skilled touch and she threw her head back, arching her back to meet his caress. He leaned up until he sat with her on his lap, his thumb still stroking her clit in small circles. Releasing the swollen bud, he gripped her hips and rocked her against his hard form, using his strength to move her up and down his length.

  He felt so good inside of her, and she licked at the banging pulse in his neck, tilting her hips so he stroked over that place deep inside that brought her such pleasure. Their lips met and he kissed her, softly and gently in marked contrast to the hard thrusts of his body. The scrape of his cock inside of her, the taste of him on her tongue, and the desire pouring through their bond became overwhelming. She muffled a cry against his neck and gave into her orgasm, clasping her legs around him, shuddering, as his cock pounded into her.

  With a gruff cry of his own, he reached his peak and the shadowy part of her soul drank his passion, reveling in the unbridled lust he gave her with all of his soul and heart. More intimate than the joining of their flesh, the connection between their souls had her coming again, another orgasm hard and hot right on the heels of the first.

  He rolled over onto his side, pulling her close and keeping them still joined. They exchanged a long, slow kiss that had her drifting in pleasure, only tethered to reality by his arms around here. Here, now, in this perfect moment, she could live forever surrounded by his love. Reality tried to intrude but she pushed the thoughts away, breathing deep of the scent of their lovemaking, tasting the salt on his skin as she licked and bit along his neck. Her demonic essence sang with joy at the physical reaffirmation of their bond. He was her man, her concubine, her beloved through and through. Every part of him, from the tips of his toes to the heart beating inside his chest, belonged to her and she cherished that gift more than her own life.

  Chapter Six

  The crystal wineglass shattered in Raum’s grip as his silver nails lengthened to claws and pierced the delicate surface, splashing red wine all over the ivory linen tablecloth. The servants waiting at the entrance to the dining room jumped and he snarled at them. Used to the mercurial moods of demons, they quickly left and shut the double doors behind them. Straining for control, he managed to keep his reply to Natalia’s request at barely under a roar. She wants Kirin to train Gregor in lust-filled magic?

  “Absolutely not!”

  The will-o’-the-wisps danced about the arched ceiling beneath a gold leaf-embellished fresco of the sun. Natalia’s lips tightened, and she carefully set her fork next to her plate. She looked beautiful tonight. Well, she always looked beautiful but he appreciated the extra care she’d taken with her appearance. With full bell sleeves, the almost transparent navy blue dress distinctly showed her nipples, though her mound was still covered by a golden sheen of dragon skin that revealed more than it hid.

  When she had first stepped out of her carriage, with the sunset burning ruby and orange in the sky behind her, he’d been rendered speechless by her beauty. More than that, the knowledge she’d dressed this way to please him made the dominant side of his soul growl in pleasure. Now that pleasure turned sour as he realized she hadn’t dressed up to please him, but rather to aid her in getting him to agree to her desires. No, that seductive gown was her version of armor, something she wore to do battle.

  Kirin shot him a reproving look from his side of the dinner table and turned back to Natalia with a smile. “I’d love to help Gregor in any way I can.”

  Knowing he sounded like a jealous idiot, but unable to stop himself, Raum glared at his concubine. Tonight, Kirin wore a traditional toga secured at the shoulder with a golden clasp. The pale platinum garment brought out the deep natural tan of his skin and highlighted his fighter’s body.

  The thought of Gregor touching Kirin made Raum’s blood boil.

  “I forbid it.”

  Natalia slid her hand across the table and gently removed the shattered wineglass from his grip. “I don’t want you to hurt yourself.”

  When her big cobalt-blue eyes gazed into his, he could already feel himself wanting to give in to her request, wanting to do anything to make her happy. Tonight, she wore her long, dark hair in an elaborate series of braids secured with little diamond pins. The diamonds looked like stars scattered about her hair, and he wanted to take them out one by one and watch that silken bounty spill over his body. He loved her so much, would do anything for her, but what she asked raised every territorial, demonic instinct he had.

  “If you don’t want me to hurt, then take your request back.” Kirin made a noise of disgust but Raum held up his hand. “Silence. I want to hear Natalia tell me why I should allow a man who hates me, who wants me dead, the honor of bedding my beloved concubine.”

  Natalia flushed and pushed her plate of untouched food over to the side. He had gone to great lengths to make this evening perfect for her, wanting to erase the ugliness of the past few days and give her a chance to heal. When he’d received word her sullen, angry concubine would be staying back at the palace while she came to visit Raum’s estate he’d been overjoyed. Finally, both he and Kirin would get some alone time with the woman they both loved. Now he couldn’t help but feel betrayed, knowing the only reason she’d come alone was because she had an impossibly huge favor to ask of him.

  Long, flowering vines trailed from the crystal chandelier overhead, filling the air with their sweet perfume. His staff had outdone themselves with a meal fit for a king, and Kirin had been in a playful mood all day, eagerly anticipating her arrival. Truth be told, his own mood had been lifted by the thought of spending the evening with the woman that would someday be his blood mate.

  “I thought demons didn’t get jealous,” Natalia said and glanced at him through the fringe of her lashes.

  Dark currents of amethyst and emerald moved through her normally sapphire-blue eyes, and Raum could feel the demonic side of her nature rising. It made her more dangerous, and yet more alluring.

  Her words stung and he leaned into his high-backed chair, conscious of how closely Kirin watched them. Yes, he was jealous, but not for the reasons she thought. He was jealous Gregor had the one thing he wanted more than anything in the world, a soul b
ond with Natalia. True, their bond was the one of mistress and concubine, but the human male still had access to parts of her Raum did not. Natalia was the only woman he’d ever met who was a potential blood mate and it got harder every day not to just bond her against her father’s wishes.

  Kirin cleared his throat, bringing Raum back from his dangerous thoughts. “Normally, jealousy isn’t an issue for any demon, especially one serving the Court of Lust. Then again, normally we aren’t faced with the concubine of our beloved trying to kill us and doing everything he can to tear our relationship apart.”

  She swallowed and toyed with the silver knife, turning it end over end rather than looking at him. “This is hard for him—”

  He slammed his palms on the table, causing the wood to groan and the place settings to jump and jingle. “Do you think this is easy for me? Every minute I’m around you, I have to fight my instincts to blood-bond you, to make you mine as you are supposed to be. I love you, Natalia, with all my heart, but I love Kirin as well and I can’t share him with someone who hates me.”

  She carefully set the knife down. “I asked my father to allow me to blood-bond with you today.”

  Even though he already knew the answer had been “no,” he couldn’t help the hope that filled his heart. “What did the high prince say?”

  “He said after the ball, we will discuss a timetable.”

  “What ball?” Kirin asked from the other side of the table.

  Still keeping her gaze on Raum, she shook her head. “That doesn’t matter right now. What does matter is if you and I are to be married, I mean blood-bonded, Kirin and Gregor will be joined with us as well. I know concubines don’t normally have a say in who their master or mistress mates with, but I love Gregor and you love Kirin and neither of us wants to see them hurt.”

  Kirin stood and walked behind Raum’s chair, laying his hands on his shoulders and rubbing gently. Raum placed his hand over his concubine’s and held it. “Why Kirin? Out of all the men and women in Galina’s coven, why Kirin? Does he think he can woo my concubine away? That if he gets Kirin on his side, maybe he can finally convince you to leave me? Does he think you are that weak?”