by Lexie Davis
A few moments later, Aleo came around the corner, stopping at her cage. “I trust your accommodations meet your high standards.”
Piper arched an eyebrow at him. “The king does know where he puts the lowly humans. Shocker.”
“Your father’s been released.” He cleared his throat. “It was a misunderstanding, and it’s been taken care of. You, however, have some serious offenses. Threatening the king. Attacking the king.”
“They were nothing you didn’t deserve.”
He smiled. “I’m going to let you make it up to me.”
“Really?” She glanced around. “I’d rather stay in the dungeon.”
He motioned for the guard to unlock the door. Piper felt an immediate change in power when he stepped inside the small cell with her. If he wanted, he could hurt her really bad. Nobody would protect her. Nobody would save her. He was a fucking lion shifter, for crying out loud. Nobody went against the king. Some rumors floated around the town about his temper. The beast inside him was far from tame, and she was fairly sure she didn’t want to see it in full effect.
“It’s not an option.” He stared at her. His dark hair was spiked from his fingers. She had noticed he ran his fingers through his short hair when he was frustrated or annoyed. He wore a white button-down shirt with black pants that highlighted his thick muscles and powerful body. He did have a great body.
“What exactly do you want me to do?”
“You’re going to be my personal servant. You will attend to all my private matters such as bathing and my nighttime routine. You will also make sure my bed is to my specifications.”
Piper snorted. “And if I don’t?”
“You will.” He said it with an air of authority she didn’t question. “Starting now. It’s been a long day. We have the matching ceremony tomorrow. I need a bath and a good night’s sleep.”
He stepped to the side and motioned for her to leave the cage. Being the king’s servant couldn’t be that bad. She’d rather spend her time in the dungeon, but as long as her father was out of that dreaded place, then she really didn’t care. She’d be Aleo’s servant until he found his mate, and then she could go home like the normal human that she was.
Chapter Three
Aleo smiled while Piper poured the warm water into the bathtub. She hated her new task, and he fucking loved it. He intended to have her hands on him as much as he could without actually fucking her. Now that he’d met all the potential mates, he had to behave himself on a personal level. It looked bad to his future bride if he was screwing around with another woman the night before the shaman selected her. He didn’t think Piper would go for it anyway. She was still pissed. A night he relived over and over in his mind all the time.
“You’ve got your water. There’s the soap. I’m going to the laundry to get some clean sheets.” She met his eyes with a boldness he rarely ever saw in a female. “Is there anything else you want?”
“Undress me.”
She blinked a few times. “What?”
He held out his arms. The look on her face told him to go to hell. Instead of saying anything, she moved forward and started to undo his shirt.
“I’m not scared of you,” she commented. “You may be a shifter and the king, but that means nothing to me.”
“Really?” He watched as she opened his shirt and pushed it off his shoulders. Her hands lingered along his chest, her gaze taking in the view before she finally looked up at him. She wasn’t completely immune to him. The interest was there, and it hurt to think about it.
“Really.” She brushed the backs of her knuckles along his stomach before gripping the fly of his pants. He held his breath while she undid his pants. “I may have fallen victim to your scam two years ago, but I’m wiser now.”
She shoved his pants down, freeing his cock from the confinements. Aleo watched as she bent slightly, her mouth inches from his dick as she tugged the fabric down his muscular thighs. It damn near killed him to entertain the idea of bending her over the bed and fucking her senseless. If she kept licking her damn lips when she stared at his cock, he probably would.
Meeting his eyes, she said, “Completely unaffected.”
He stepped out of his pants and walked toward the bathtub. “Good. Then you have no problem getting the soap and bathing me.”
He didn’t bother looking at her as he stepped into the bathtub. He sank back in the hot water and closed his eyes. He listened while she rummaged around. Then the slap of the wet washcloth came against his chest. Meeting her gaze, he stared into her eyes.
She’d push every button he had if he let her. He gripped her wrist and held her to him. “The nicer you are, the nicer I’ll be. Remember that when you have one of your fits.”
“What else can you really do to me?” she stared into his eyes, almost as a challenge. “I’m already your slave.”
He brushed her nipple with the knuckle of his finger. It beaded with his faint touch. “I have a creative imagination. Don’t test me unless you’re really prepared.”
She smeared the soap along his chest. His fingers left the fabric of her dress wet, making her dusty rose nipple visible. She wasn’t completely unaffected. If he wanted, he could have pulled her in the bathtub with him and kissed her senseless.
“You smell good,” he commented. “Sweet.”
She dipped her hands beneath the water to wrap the cloth around his cock. He moaned softly as he laid his head back against the bathtub. Two strokes of the washcloth had him hard. Her lips were inches from his eyes as she bent over the bathtub, her breasts rubbing along his arm.
It would be so easy to give in and take her. He thought about what it would feel like to bury himself inside her, fucking her like he wanted. Nothing sounded better in that moment.
“I guess you want me to wash your ass, too?” she said.
He blinked his eyes open. “What?”
“I can’t wash your ass if you’re sitting on it.”
Instead of saying anything, he reached up and gripped her neck. Staring into her eyes, he leaned in. Her lips parted slightly from the shock, and he pressed his lips against hers. He kissed her aggressively, exploring her mouth with his tongue. She propped herself above him, half leaning into the tub and half out. His body felt on fire. Desire he’d been fighting all the fucking day for her flooded through him. She made his head spin. Made him think and do crazy things he wouldn’t normally do. She had him so completely on edge he couldn’t think of anything but what it would feel like to have her. To make her his.
When he pulled back, he let her go slowly. The defiance had left her eyes, and he almost missed it. He liked a woman that challenged him. Most of his youth had been spent seeking out women who flattered him, but he liked Piper’s indifference. He liked knowing that no matter how hard she fought it, she wanted him, too.
“Get me a towel,” he said letting her go.
Piper stood and grabbed the towel she’d brought in for him. “I’ll go get some clean sheets for the bed.”
He stood, his cock erect from the teasing. After dabbing his arms and chest, he wrapped the towel around his waist. Piper had moved to the side, watching him. The top of her dress was damp from the bath, and he could see her hard nipples and the outline of her luscious breasts.
His idea of not fucking her backfired. Every time she was around, his entire body knew about it. He wanted nothing more than to spend his last night as a single man buried inside the one woman that he could never have. She cleared her throat and walked across the room. Before she could leave, he grabbed her, pulling her back to him.
“Nobody gives a fuck about clean sheets.” He stared into her eyes. “If I told you I wanted to fuck you, what would your response be?”
Piper’s gaze darted around the room. “Your future mate wouldn’t like that.”
“No.” He shook his head. “But she’s not here, and you are.”
The slender column of her neck had faint marks from his fingers. He liked how possessiv
e it looked. “Take your dress off.”
“I don’t think…”
“I didn’t tell you to think. I told you to take your dress off. Now.”
Piper moved away from him. He watched her a moment as she walked across the room. She turned to face him. “No.”
The defiance was back. His pulse sped up. “No?”
“No.” She propped her hand on her hip.
He stalked toward her. “That sassy little mouth and that revealing dress have had me hard all day. You’ve awakened the beast in me, sweetheart. Now you’re going to learn what that really means.”
Chapter Four
Aleo pushed her against the wall, spreading her thighs with one of his knees. Piper wanted to deny that he had any effect on her, but she couldn’t. Her thighs were wet from her moisture, and he hadn’t even touched her yet. He gripped her wrists and pinned them above her head with one of his hands. She sucked in a breath of air right before he leaned in to kiss her. He swiped his tongue along her lower lip then tugged on it with his teeth. She moaned into his mouth as she closed her eyes, melting into his kiss.
Despite her reservations, he felt good against her. She kissed him as hard as he kissed her. Ever since he’d asked her to bathe him, her body had been on fire. One touch of his knuckle against her nipple and she was ready to lift her dress and sink down on his thick cock, the past be damned.
He gripped her throat and pushed her away from him. “That pretty little mouth is begging to be filled.”
Piper stared at him anxiously waiting for what he wanted to do next. He pushed her to her knees and pulled the towel off. Staring at his thick dick had her mouth watering. She wasn’t the most experienced person when it came to sex, but she wasn’t the most innocent either. He gripped the base of his cock and angled it to her mouth. With one hand on the back of her head, he pushed his cock against her lips, rubbing them lightly before sinking into her mouth. Piper closed her eyes and sucked him.
Groaning, he watched as she glanced up at him. Piper moved along his swollen shaft, taking as much of him into her mouth as she could. The tip touched the back of her throat, and Aleo’s eyes darkened. She did it again, and he growled. Piper felt a sense of power as she watched pleasure flood his face. He rarely ever let his guard down around her. She’d never truly had the upper hand. Resting her hands on his hairy thighs, she worked his thick shaft with her mouth. Then his fingers tangled in her hair as he thrust.
She closed her eyes, moaning as she sucked him faster. Her fingers clutched his ass as the tip of his cock bumped the back of her throat. She swallowed, drawing a strangled groan from deep inside his chest. She did it again before he yanked her head back and pulled his cock free from her lips.
“You like sucking my cock?” He stared down into her eyes. His free hand stroked her throat. He touched her skin, taking his time to caress her chin and then her lower lip. “You like feeling as though you have control over me?”
Piper swallowed. “I don’t?”
He shook his head slowly. “Open your mouth.”
She stared at his cock. It was covered in her saliva. He tugged on her hair, yanking her head back so that she only looked at him. When he didn’t say anything, she stroked his thigh.
“I’m not going to tell you again. Open.”
Piper’s lips parted slowly. With his free hand, he gripped his wet cock and pushed it inside her mouth. He grasped her neck and tugged on her hair, while his cock bumped the back of her throat, repeatedly. He fucked her mouth like a madman, forcing her to take all of him. Her eyes watered. She dug her nails in his thighs.
“You like my cock down your throat?”
Piper moaned. She did. She loved the way he claimed her. Possessed her. Wanted her. There were a million sluts out there willing to do the same fucking thing to him, but he wanted her. It meant something. It meant everything, because in that moment, she wanted him, too.
Her pussy tingled as he continued to face-fuck her. When he let her hair go, he reached down to squeeze her breast. Hard. Her nipples ached for attention. One little touch had her damn near ready to explode, and she wanted it.
“Stand up.” He pulled away from her. “Get that damn dress off now.”
Piper stood and pulled her dress over her head. Aleo grabbed her and shoved her up against the wall. His powerful body pinned her in place as his intense amber eyes stared into hers.
“You don’t have much defiance in your eyes right now. Are you sure you’re not scared of me?”
She sucked a breath in through her nose. “Not even a little bit.”
“Is that pussy wet for me?”
She pressed the tip of her tongue to the center of her lip. He gripped her upper arm and pressed harder against her.
“There’s that defiance.” He held his intense gaze on her lips. “It turns me on more than you can imagine.”
With one hand pinning her wrists to the wall, he used the other to lift her leg to his hip. He rubbed his cock against her clit, forcing her to suck in a breath of air. He knew what he did to her. Her body ached for his touch, and he wanted to make her admit it.
“Answer me.” He pulled his hips back slightly before pressing between her thighs again. “Is this hot pussy wet for me?”
“Yes.”
He grinned. The cocky bastard knew he had power over her. Knew that she wanted him as much as he wanted her. He had to make a point to get her to fucking admit it. He dropped her wrists and lifted her, pressing her against the wall with his body. His cock slid between her slick pussy lips without penetrating. Piper bit her lip, clutching his shoulders as he held her. It took all her strength to not rock against him.
“Needy, sweetheart?”
Piper frowned, narrowing her eyes. She raised her hand and slapped him across the cheek. His eyes flashed with fire before he jerked her away from the wall. Piper didn’t know why she wanted to test her fate. He pinned her to the bed with his hands wrapped around her wrists.
“All these offenses you keep collecting are going to force me to mate you or kill you.” She dropped her legs to each side of him, and Aleo angled his cock against her wet flesh. “And mating with a human is against the rules.”
He shoved his thick cock into her with one harsh stroke. Piper cried out, arching against his hold as she took him, every inch of her pussy squeezing around his thick shaft. He took what he wanted and gave no apologies for it. Aleo leaned forward and bit her nipple, dragging his teeth along the sensitive tip while he fucked her relentlessly. Sounds of their skin slapping against one another filled the silent room.
Yes, it was exactly what she needed. A harsh, unforgiving fucking. It was the least she deserved after he forced her to watch him from a distance. He couldn’t be with her, but that didn’t change the way she felt. The way he caused her to feel about him. Piper strained against his hold, though he only squeezed her tighter. His cock shoved deeper and deeper inside her cunt, forcing soft little sounds from the back of her throat. She closed her eyes as his balls slapped against her ass. It was so damn good.
He let her breast go and pushed up over her, meeting her gaze. “You’re mine.”
His amber eyes glowed with his declaration. She swallowed hard as he shoved inside her, forcing her to feel every inch of him.
“Mine.”
Piper didn’t have a retort. In that moment, every part of her wanted to be his. He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers in a sloppy kiss. Instead of soft and sweet, she bit him, scraping her teeth along his tongue and lips before he got the memo and bit her back.
He pinned her wrists to the bed above her head and reached between them to fondle her clit. Piper whimpered, thrashed. Her body shook as her orgasm claimed her. Aleo moaned against her mouth, eating all the harsh sounds coming from her lips while his dick pumped inside her spasming pussy.
His grunt of pleasure came next with the hot splashes of his release filling her. He pushed up from her and met her gaze.
“I don’t give a fuck w
hat happens tomorrow. You’re mine, Piper. Mine.”
Chapter Five
Aleo lay beside Piper wondering how the hell he always managed to get himself into these messes. She was a biter. His lips still ached from the effects of her teeth. He knew his lips would be bruised by morning, which wouldn’t fare well for the matching ceremony. Her body had marks from his fingers, too. It made him prideful. Possessive.
“Do I have to be nice to you now?” Piper asked, disrupting the silence in the room.
“No.” A lazy grin lingered at his lips. “But the nicer you are, the nicer I’ll be.”
She snorted. “I’m not sorry for anything I did.”
“Me either.” He pulled her to him and draped a leg over her body. She felt good against him. He buried his face in her hair and breathed her in. Cuddling with Piper was something he found himself liking. When she wasn’t busy busting his balls, she could actually be soft and sweet.
“So is my debt paid? You fucked me. Can I go home?”
He traced her lips with his finger. “No.”
He gripped her cheeks and kissed her. Everything about her made him want to claim her. Possess her like an alpha would. He was the fucking king, and she was a human. It was forbidden, but that didn’t seem to matter much now. He’d have whatever he wanted, and if that included her, so be it.
Piper pushed away from him. “I’m surprised you’re not ready to kick me out of your bed now that you’ve had your fix.”
“The only way I’d kick you out of my bed is to fuck you on the floor. Or against the wall. Or in the bathtub.” He rubbed a hand over his face. “I’m far from having my fix of you.”
She sat up and glanced around. “I’m not sure I’m up for another round.”
