by ERIN BEDFORD
Not looking back on my still shouting mother, I took a step over one of the guards and toward the doors. I watched the nobles around me, waiting to see if they would be the next to attack. It was when I got to the door that I realized none of them would. While I might be a human, and a reluctant princess, in their eyes, I was now their queen.
Now if only I could earn it.
Chapter 21
CHESHIRE S. CAT
THE GUARDS IN the Between let me back out without hesitation, but with a hint of fear in their eyes. Word traveled fast in the Underground. Not that I was complaining.
Within moments, I was back in my kitchen.
“What happened?” Alice turned from the sink.
“It went as I expected.” As I filled her in on the events that had occurred, and the realization that my mother had masterminded the whole situation for the specific reason of sacrificing my child, her own grandchild, to defeat the Shadows, a sense of weariness spread through me.
It had been a long night. Hell, a long century. And all I wanted was to take a long hot shower and go to sleep in my warm bed. The bed that currently housed an injured feline.
“How is Chess doing?” I tilted my head toward the empty plate in her hand.
Alice pressed her lips together; displeasure and frustration clear on her face.
“I tried to be a kind hostess in your stead by bringing him something to eat, but what do I get for my troubles? Yelled at!” She placed the dish in the sink with more force than I would have liked. I only had so many dishes left after my own fit of destruction.
“Where is he now?” I sighed, running my hand through my hair.
“Still in bed. Says he was going to wait right there for you to return and wouldn’t move an inch any sooner.” She crossed her arms over her chest, looking the epitome of the snotty little girl she used to be.
“I better go check on him.” I pointed my thumb toward the bedroom, backing out to end the conversation.
Down the hall, I opened the door to my bedroom and walked in, coming face-to-face with a much healed, and very nude Chess, standing in front of the bed.
I promptly flipped around.
“What are you doing up?” My voice squeaked as I stared hard at the bedroom door.
“Trying to salvage what little there is left of my pants.” His voice was nonchalant, as if he wasn’t standing there completely nude. “If you were so impatient to get me undressed you could have woken me, at least to save the pants.”
My eyes fell on the pile of laundry I had yet to do sitting by the door. I grabbed the set of clothes I had intended to wear the previous night.
Without turning around, I called over my shoulder, “I’m going to shower.”
I darted out the door and closed it on his answer, my mind already set on showering, and not on the image of his naked body burned into my retinas.
With the hot water pouring down me, I leaned my forehead against the wall. So much had happened over the last few weeks, it was hard to keep up. I’d moved back home, gotten a job I didn’t really want, and then got sucked into another world, only to be spit back out as their princess.
Now, not only did my kingdom want me back, but also they wanted me to defeat an evil force that I already had a sort of kind of deal with. Not to forget that defeating the Shadows could very well kill me. Even with all of my memories as the Fae Princess, it was still hard to believe it was all real.
I turned around and came face to face with a smirking Chess. Jumping in place with a squeal, my feet gave out from under me. I grabbed my grandmother’s support bar on the wall and half caught myself from smashing face first into Chess’ rather impressive parts.
Clutching the bar like a lifeline, I tried to angle my body away so I wasn’t showing off all my goods to his searching eyes. “What the fuck do you think you are doing?”
Chuckling at my disgraceful scrambling on the shower floor, Chess reached up and turned the shower spray on him. “Like I tried to tell you before you ran away, while you did an excellent job patching me up, I still feel quite dirty.”
“You could have waited until I was finished!” I climbed to my feet, keeping my back to his wet luscious body.
“In my fragile state? What if I had needed your help? I could have fallen and died in the shower. You wouldn’t want that to happen, would you?” I could just hear the smiling in his voice. He was enjoying this far too much.
He reached around me to grab the loofa off the rack in front of me, and I gripped my arms over my chest, yipping like a little dog.
“Stay on your side!” I said, and then added, “And close your eyes.”
“Very well.” He sighed his reluctant agreement, but his tail whipped out and stroked along my inner thigh.
“And keep your tail to yourself!” I clamped my legs closed, pushing his appendage away.
“Will you clean my back?” He held the loofa out in front of my face.
“Do it yourself,” I said between clenched teeth.
“But I can’t reach it on my own, even with a tail.” I could just imagine the pout on his face.
Giving in, I jerked the loofa from his grasp. “Fine, turn around, though, and no hanky-panky.”
“Of course.”
I peeked over my shoulder to be sure that he had indeed twisted around before lowering my arms from my chest and turning to him. With his eyes not on me, I could now look my share. I placed the loofa on his lean and muscular back, sliding it up and down to spread the soap along his skin. The water dripped down his back, displaying every ripple and curvature. My eyes followed the suds down the line of his spine to where his delicious butt stood high and taut where his tail hung toward the ground.
Though he was nude before me, my eyes were drawn to where the tail protruded out of his body. It wasn’t like it was just attached like a piece of a costume, but like it was an extension of his spine. His tail always seemed to have a mind of its own, not always portraying the mood on his face. I must have been staring too long, because his voice startled me.
“You can touch it, if you want.” His words were thick and deep as if my hand on his back had been enough to bring up his desire.
“Uh. All done.” I gave a nervous chuckle and dropped the loofa before bolting from the shower.
I grabbed the thick robe on the back of the bathroom door and yanked open the door, not bothering to put it on before leaving.
With the robe firmly wrapped around me, I opened the bedroom door to find a wet and tempting Chess waiting for me.
“How do you keep doing that?” I turned my back on him, not ready to face the nude Fae full on.
“Half-breed, remember? The rules don’t apply to us.” His voice was filled with humor at my discomfort.
“But I can’t go through walls.” I attempted to keep the topic off of the elephant in the room. The very wet, very masculine, and yummy elephant that I wanted to climb onto and ride.
“You could if you wanted to.” His voice was by my ear, and when his hands touched my shoulders, I couldn’t help but tense up.
His hands dropped to his side.
“I don’t understand you,” he muttered, more to himself, as he moved a few feet away from me. “You said you wanted me, and even that you cared for me, but whenever I try to touch you, you shy away,” he paused, “Am I that repugnant?”
“Of course not!” I spun around, disregarding the fact that he was nude, and grabbed his hand. Bringing my hand up to his face, I cupped his cheek in my palm. “You are the most beautiful being I have ever seen, human or Fae.”
Daring to close the distance between us further, I let my eyes fill with everything he made me feel, the desire, the laughter, even the emotions that I had not dared to name even to myself.
“I think about you all the time. When you aren’t here, I wonder what you are doing, and when you are, my eyes can’t stop themselves from searching you out. I could never ever find you anyt
hing but spectacular.”
Raw emotions filled his face, and before I could decipher what they were, his lips sought mine out. Our mouths clashed together, and I let him draw my tongue into his mouth, the distinct taste of him filling my senses. I couldn’t think of any better pastime than to be right here, kissing him. When his hands found their way to the tie of my robe, I arched into him.
With my permission given, the robe was pulled open, and he hunted out the skin beneath. The moment his fingers touched my hips, I was on fire. His claws slid along my skin, stroking in time with our mouths, and just when I felt like I couldn’t get enough of him, he pushed my robe from my shoulders and brought our bodies flush together.
I pulled back from the kiss to glance up at him. His eyes were full of heat and desire. I wrapped my arms around his neck and offered my mouth to him again. This time, when he kissed me, his tail decided to join in. It wrapped itself around my waist, rubbing along the edges of my hipbones, causing a delightful tingle to spread.
Along with the stimulation of his tail, he was pressed long and hard against my stomach. I wriggled in place. A low growl rumbled from his throat, and his hands left my sides to lift me up into his arms. I wrapped my legs around him and whimpered when my center brushed against the ridges of his stomach.
Shots of pleasure ripped through me as he lowered me onto the bed, making sure to rub every inch of him against my heat. Sliding one thigh to the side, he pulled away from our kiss so he could take me in. With his eyes on my skin, I could feel my face fill with heat, and I turned away from the intensity of his gaze.
“Don’t look away, love.” His voice was rough and sent shivers down my spine, but I glanced back to him beneath lowered lashes, not wanting to see his reaction to my body.
He leaned down to stroke his nose along the curve of my breast before taking my nipple in his mouth and giving it a nip. I cried out and turned my eyes to him with a glare.
“Katherine, you are the loveliest creature I have ever known.”
My eyes softened at his words.
“I’ve wanted you since the moment I set eyes on you.” His voice lowered, as did his hand. He stroked down my side, teasing my breast, before cupping me between my legs. “The smell of you has been driving me up the wall. I want to roll around in it.” His finger stroked my bud, making me gasp and groan. “Taste it.” His mouth licked at my skin. “Until all I know is you.”
I whimpered and moaned, a combination from his words and the hand that set a torturous pace. My hips lifted off the bed as I fought to get more friction. I almost cried out in frustration when he eased me back every time I tried to force his hand.
“More,” I croaked out, almost to the point of begging.
Watching my face, he replaced his finger with his thumb while he sought out my heat. Being mindful of his claws, he slid one finger into me. My insides clenched deliciously around the intrusion.
“Oh, pet,” he purred in my ear, increasing the speed of his fingers. “You’re on fire. I can’t wait to be inside of you, but first I need you to come for me, love.”
As if on his command, my body seized up, and my hands clutched the sheet beneath me. Before I could catch my breath, Chess moved over me, and with one fell swoop, slid into me. It hadn’t been a long time for me, but long enough that his girth gave me an exquisite feeling of fullness.
We both moaned as we got used to the feeling. My hands found their way to his biceps, and I tilted my hips up to encourage him to move. With a dark chuckle, he shifted and pulled back until he was almost all the way out, before sliding back in with a deep groan. He found a steady pace that was just this side of not fast enough, keeping me right on the edge.
With a growl of frustration, I wrapped my legs around his waist and used my arms to help push myself against him as I tried to take control of our movements. When he caught on to what I was doing, he stopped completely, and my growl turned into a roar. He trapped my hands with his and pressed them above my head.
“So impatient. So needy,” he whispered as he adjusted his stance and grabbed a hold of one of my thighs with his free hand. This time, when he pressed back into me, it was hard and punishing. I cried out with each forceful thrust.
He had me on the edge again within moments, this time, more intense than the last. And with each stroke, I felt my magic respond to the feeling as it made its way to the surface. My eyes locked with his, and I watched in awe as my skin began to glow softly. I glanced down to where our bodies touched, and his skin resonated with mine.
The magic made the pressure so much more exquisite than anything else I had ever experienced. Even more so than what I had with Dorian. When I finally shattered, my nails dug into his flesh, hard enough that there would probably be marks on his skin. He didn’t seem to mind as he groaned out his own release and then collapsed next to me on the bed.
As the sweat cooled on our skin, the blinding glow dulled. I fought to catch my breath and turned to ask him if it was always like that for him, but couldn’t find the energy. He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me to his chest, and I snuggled in tight as sleep overcame me.
Chapter 22
Guilt Will Eat You Alive
WHEN MY EYES fluttered open, I was happy to find myself still cuddled against the feline who had rocked my world the night before. My gaze searched out his face, and a small smile curled up to find his crystal orbs looking down on me. I ducked my head and blushed as his eyes roamed down my exposed body in the morning light.
Morning? I jerked out of his arms and glanced at the clock to see it was after ten. Brandi was going to be pissed. Jumping off the mattress, I searched for some clean clothes.
“What’s your hurry, love?” Chess purred from the bed, propping up on his elbows to give me a full view of his body and showing me he was more than happy with our arrangement.
“I’m late for work.” Turning my face away from the sight of him before I got distracted, I set to work on putting on my clothes.
“But I thought we could have a repeat of last night.” His voice deepened, reminding me of what had occurred. The prospect was tempting, but getting fired wasn’t worth it. Probably.
Ignoring the hungry look he was sending my way, I searched for my cell phone, which was buzzing like crazy. I flipped on the screen to see five missed calls and seventeen text messages.
“Ugh,” I groaned, rubbing my hand over my face. My happy feeling sank as I scrolled through the messages from Brandi.
Where are you?
You better not be late again.
Is it that boyfriend of yours? I told you that he was bad news and would hurt your career. This is how you repay me for taking a chance on you even though you don’t have the qualifications? Your mother would not approve.
The list went on and on, each one becoming more irate than the last. My eyebrows rose when a few of the messages were actually from Mrs. Jenkins, telling me the boss lady was about to lose her shit if I didn’t get my butt in there.
Just as I was about to close my phone, it buzzed again. It was another text from Brandi.
Don’t bother coming in. I found someone to replace you.
Was I fired? Did she just fire me over text message? I should be angry or desperate. I should have the urge to call her back right this moment and beg for my job back. But in all honesty, I wasn’t. My chest felt like a huge weight had been lifted. One less thing to worry about.
“What is it?” Chess cocked his brow.
“I think I just got fired.” I grinned and then found myself laughing.
Fired. Me! Fan-fucking-tastic. I couldn’t wait to tell my mother, I could just hear the lecture waiting for me. Maybe I could guilt trip her into paying my bills since she was the one who forced me to take that horrible job in the first place.
The thought of my human mother brought back memories of what had occurred with my Fae mother. Things were going to get more difficult, I was sure, but with no job to worry abou
t, I could focus on defeating the Shadow man and keeping the realms from going to shit.
“And that is a good thing?” Chess crawled out of the bed and sauntered toward me with a playful smirk on his face.
My eyes trailed up his body, the grin on my face spreading wider. God, he was beautiful. I licked my lips as my gaze landed on his face hovering above me.
“Not as good as something else right now.” My voice had turned husky.
He wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me toward him, his tail finding its favorite spot along the inside of my thigh. I slid my hands up his bare chest and tangled my hands in his hair. Grabbing a fist full, I pulled his head down to mine, but paused when his ears twitched.
Were they as soft as they looked? I couldn’t help but giggle again when I imagined him thumping his leg like a dog from being scratched behind his ears. Or would he purr?
“I am unclothed and in your arms, what is there to laugh about, pet?” His bemusement showed in his face and voice.
“Your ears.”
“Yes, what about them?”
Biting my lip, I reached a hand up, but paused. “Can I?”
His eyes widened a fraction, but he nodded his consent, a sort of anticipatory look filling his face. My hand inched up to his ears, and I slowly slid my fingers over them. His hands tightened on my waist, and he pulled me closer.
“Does that feel good?” I watched his face. His eyes were pinched closed, and a deep reverberation began in the center of his chest. After a moment, he opened his eyes to gaze down at me, the ferocity there created a heat that pooled in the pit of my stomach.
Instead of answering me, his tail moved up from its place and did wicked things that made me ache and moan. His claws moved into my hair, tugging me forward to claim my lips in an aggressive kiss. I continued my assault on his ears, and just as his hand inched up my shirt, a knock came to my bedroom door.
“Lady?” Alice’s bell-like voice called out.
I dropped my hands from his ears and shifted to find out what she wanted only to be tugged back by Chess. He pressed my hand to his length with a groan.
