You can always ask her to stop if you like.
Suffice to say, I’m not about to do that. Somehow, Xander’s mother is everything I expected and nothing I could have ever anticipated, all zipped up into a skin-tight black velvet dress and wafted down the stairs all at once.
“You’ve missed dinner,” she says regretfully, touching Xander’s cheek with her fingertips. “But so has your father. Come along then—we’ll have digestifs in the sitting room and you both can tell me all about what I’m sure must be the very good reason for your arrival.”
If you think she’s bad, Xander says inside my head as we follow his mother’s swaying hips into the sitting room, just wait until you meet Him.
In the sitting room, Cora pours us tiny, delicate glasses full of a strange olive-green liquid and delivers them on a tray with a trembling hand. Xander and his mother are both playing things cool—ice cold, in fact—and I’m just hoping for the best, but Cora seems to be a good thermometer for the true state of the atmosphere: danger, danger, all around.
Xander and I take the love seat, sitting next to each other on cushions of red velvet, while his mother reclines in a high-backed leather armchair. She sips the green liqueur daintily, while Xander downs his like a shot. I taste it for myself and blanch as a dozen different medicinal flavors, all of them disgustingly sweet, flood my mouth.
Chartreuse, Xander tells me, fighting back a wry smile. It’s an acquired taste.
It tastes like I just got punched in the mouth by the entire vegetable section of the food pyramid. I sit the glass gently aside, otherwise untouched. Then they teamed up with the bit at the top that has all the sugar in it to kick my stomach in.
“We’ve missed you so much, Alexander. I hope you realize that.” Xander’s mother is, of course, totally unaware of the side conversation we’re having in our heads. “When we found out about your betrayal of the Regime…well, to be honest, we did think perhaps you had gone back to your old ways. But now I see that’s far from the case.”
Xander looks up suddenly, an eyebrow raised. “You…do?”
“Well, of course, my love.” Xander’s mother reaches across to me, placing a cold hand on my bony knee. “We’ve heard what the Warden attempted to do to your witch—nasty business, wasn’t that? I’ve been telling your father for years that the Warden of Aisling has only his own interests at heart—honestly, I can’t imagine why ever the Chancellor still keeps him around.”
“I suppose for the same reason he keeps Father around, Mother,” Xander says dryly. “Why put down a loyal hound while he still has some bite in him?”
Xander’s mother and I both give Xander a look. I almost blush when I realize that it’s the exact same look—
For fuck’s sake, Xander! We’re on a diplomacy mission—this is no time for cheap digs at Daddy, is it?
Xander doesn’t answer me. In fact, he doesn’t act like he just heard me at all.
“Why don’t you tell me why you’re here, Son.” Xander’s mother doesn’t say it like a question.
Xander doesn’t miss a beat. “The sapphires, Mother. With the way you keep your ear to the ground, I assumed you would have heard as much by now.”
Xander’s mother nods, licking the Chartreuse from her lips then waving Cora over for another glass.
“Rose Arendale did send word that you would be coming, yes,” Xander’s mother admits. “And we do have what you seek, my love. In fact—”
Xander’s mother pauses as the door in the hall opens and slammed shut. A tall, dark man in a black overcoat storms in, dipping his head to take his hat off so I can’t see his face.
“Tess—we’ve got to do something about that damnable Cora, I tell you. I’ve warned her, if she’s not at the door to take my things when I get home—”
Senator Alexander North IV looks up, now hatless, and suddenly realizes that he and Xander’s mother—Tess—aren’t alone in the room.
“Husband,” Tess greets him. “We have company. Your son…and his witch.”
Xander’s father gives him a long, hard look—and me an even longer one.
“Yes,” he says finally, nodding. His voice is just as dry and dark as Xander’s—it’s almost like one of them is copying the other. “Well. Did you tell them about the stones, then?”
Tess pats my knee reassuringly. “We’ve already sent for them, my loves. They’re in a very safe vault—somewhere that power-grubbing empaths cannot locate and pilfer them, I assure you.”
“Just like that,” Xander says. He doesn’t sound like he believes it. “You really plan on handing them over.”
“Just like that,” Tess echoes. “They’ll be here by dinner tomorrow night, in fact. Now—I’ve already sent someone to collect your little friends at the edge of the property. There’s no point in them sleeping out on the cold, hard ground when we have a perfectly serviceable guest wing.” She turns a coy, knowing smile at me and I feel my insides shiver. “We’re aware of your particular…situation, Rory, and I hope you understand—we Norths may be loyal to the Regime, but we are very liberal. I only hope that you’ll attend appropriately to our son while you’re here in our home.”
I watch my own green eyes sparkle back at me on Xander’s mother’s face and feel my stomach go sour in an instant. My situation? And what the fuck does she mean, attend to her son?
“Loyal to the Regime,” Xander says off-handedly, casting a glance at his father. “And yet, you’re handing over powerful magical artifacts to the Regime’s most wanted.”
There’s a great silence that comes after that. The irony hasn’t been lost on anyone—Xander’s parents least of all.
“Xander, I know we’ve been hard on you,” his mother coos softly. “But as loyal to the Regime as we may be…you have to know that we are loyal to family first. Always. Isn’t that right, Alex?”
Xander’s father makes some small noise of agreement, crosses his arms over his chest, and nods.
“See?” Tess brightens suddenly—and I know it’s crazy, but I swear to god…she’s wearing my smile now too. “Now—why don’t we get you two settled in? Cora, please show Xander and his witch to their room.”
Xander holds up his hand to stop Cora in her tracks. “No need. I remember where it is.”
He helps me up off the love seat and offers me his arm, so I take it. I’m honestly just surprised that this is turning out to be so cut and dry…but something tells me that just like Xander and I were conversing in our minds without Tess being able to hear, there was another conversation happening between Xander and his parents just now—the kind that’s spoken in a language of bad history and mutual dislike.
Don’t trust them, Xander warns me as he leads me out. Don’t believe them. Don’t buy into their lies.
Xander’s father’s eyes lock on mine as we leave.
I know I’m not imagining it this time—they’re the same shade of green as mine.
Rory
Xander’s bedroom is both exactly and nothing like what I expected. As he shuts the door behind us, the hinges so smooth it doesn’t make a sound, I take it all in.
Dark woods and rich greens, it looks more like a gentleman’s study than a place where one might sleep. Except, of course, for the ridiculously massive bed that dominates the room.
“What the hell is up with the freaky eye shit?” I demand, whirling on Xander.
“They’re fucking with you, sweetheart.” He locks the door then strides over to the thick-paned window and stares down into a courtyard, his arms folded across his chest, his eyes menacing.
I follow right on his heels. “Why? To gain some kind of twisted advantage over me?” I sneer. “They’re as bad as the Warden.”
Turning to me, Xander nods grimly. “You see why I didn’t want to come here.”
“You’re right. This feels too easy. Something’s off.”
Xander’s response is confirmation enough as he echoes his earlier warning. “We can’t trust them. I just wish I knew what they wer
e up to.”
I feel uneasy. I’ve been on guard since we first arrived, but the welcome we received was nothing like I expected. I’m not really sure what I expected, but I do know that a hint of danger hangs heavy all around us.
Xander turns to me, placing his hands on my arms. “We’ll find out soon enough. Morning will be here before we know it. You look tired. Why don’t you just get some sleep?”
His eyes are tinged with concern, both for what’s ahead of us and for me.
“I don’t know.” I shake my head, bouncing on my toes “I think I’m too keyed up to sleep.”
But Xander just pulls me closer. I rest my head on his chest with a sigh and wrap my arms around his body. It’s comforting, relaxing. Maybe I’m more tired than I realized. I feel his heartbeat, strong and sure against my cheek, and soon my heart is falling into rhythm with his.
“Xander,” I murmur. “Thank you. For coming here, for facing your family, for doing the exact opposite of what you want. But mostly, thank you for being honest with me.”
We haven’t had time to discuss what happened back on the houseboat, but it’s as if Xander and I have turned a corner. He opened up to me about so many things. And finally, I feel as if I know the true him.
“You had to know I’d follow you, no matter what crazy path you chose.” I feel him smile against my hair.
But I didn’t. Not until he finally let go of that last bit of reticence, finally showed me the man he really is.
“Of course I’d follow you,” he whispers against my neck. “I love you.”
He says it as if it’s just that simple.
And then I know. I love him too. I don’t know when it happened or how I didn’t recognize it, but I think I’ve been in love with him for quite some time now. How else can I explain why I’ve given him chance after chance, wanting—no, needing—to trust him even when everything indicated I shouldn’t?
Because in my soul, he’s been mine since the moment we first bonded. There’s just been too much shit in the way for me to see it. But now…here alone with Xander, so far from where we first started, I see it clearly.
My heart belongs to Xander North, and it’s his for the taking.
I lift his face from my neck so that I can stare into those nearly black eyes. Eyes that can hold contempt, derision, anger or command. Right now they only hold love.
“I love you, too.” I accompany my words with a brush of my magic, reaching out to Xander with my body and soul, and I know he feels the truth in them.
Then I pull him to me, kissing him with a pent-up fervor that takes us both by surprise. I can feel his hardness against my hip almost instantly, and I react instinctively, pressing closer, rubbing myself against him shamelessly. I want him. I’ve wanted him before, but nothing like now. Right now, I want to feel him inside me, giving in to what we’re feeling, and experience our connection in every way possible.
The last of my guardians to consummate our bond, Xander has been a surprisingly patient man. So I shouldn’t be surprised when he breaks our kiss and shakes his head.
“Not like this.”
I want to scream out in frustration. Or rip my clothes off and change his mind one way or another. Instead I look at him incredulously and open my mouth to protest, but he only smirks and places a finger to my lips.
“I’ve waited for this for longer than you know, Rory Bright.” He pauses, his eyes darkening with desire. “Tonight, I take my time with you.”
A thrill races through me as Xander scoops me up off my feet, cradling me to his chest as he strides toward his massive four-poster bed. He doesn’t toss me onto the bed, ready to ravage me, dark intent in his eyes. Instead he sets me down gently on the edge of the bed and steps back to simply take me in, his gaze full of reverence. Like what’s about to happen here is something he wants to memorize, to brand into his mind forever.
“My Rory,” he breathes.
I’ve never seen this side of Xander, and I have to say, it’s something I didn’t expect. Xander is always in charge, commanding and domineering. I guess it seemed logical that he would be the same in bed. And maybe he is, maybe that’s something I’ll experience with him too, but I know that’s not the Xander I’m going to get right now.
The tender way he watches me as he steps forward and cups my cheek is enough to have me weak and wanton, unsure what’s ahead, but knowing it’s going to be incredible.
He tilts my head up, his gaze boring into mine, then leans down slowly and places a soft, lingering, luxurious kiss on my lips. When he pulls away, my lips seem to follow him, not wanting to let go. But I don’t have to worry, because the next moment he’s pulling me to my feet, cradling my face in his hands and bringing his mouth to mine again. Slow. Savoring.
I don’t know how long he kisses me like this because my head begins to spin and I fall into a realm of pure sensation. His lips, his taste, the brush of his thumbs on my cheeks, the subtle tendrils of his magic winding their way through me and drawing me deeper into him.
“That’s it, sweetheart,” Xander murmurs against my lips. “Just let go. I’ve got you.”
So I do. I let him undress me in what becomes a torturously slow temptation of what’s to come. He slides the hem of my shirt up, dropping a feather-light kiss to the swell of my breast as they’re revealed inch by inch. I lift my arms, and then my shirt is gone, tossed aside.
Xander runs his fingertips from my shoulders down to my wrists, taking each of my hands and pressing them to his mouth where my guardian marks are branded into my palms. Then he kisses each one, taking his time, keeping his eyes locked on mine the entire time. I feel my palms blaze, the heat radiating through me, connecting me to him as our magic fuses and becomes one to the point that I can’t tell where mine ends and his begins.
I moan as the sensations overwhelm me, and Xander smirks as he releases my hands and tangles his fingers in my hair, crushing his lips to mine in a possessive, claiming kiss.
And there’s some of that take-charge Xander I know. But only for a moment because then he’s back to removing my skirt, unzipping it and sliding it down my hips as he goes to his knees to help me step out of it. Now I’m standing in nothing but my bra and panties and the kitten heels I magicked into existence yesterday, which he makes quick work of getting me out of next.
When I’m fully naked before him, Xander stands again and takes me in. He doesn’t rush here either. And while such intense scrutiny might normally make me uncomfortable, under Xander’s gaze I feel nothing but comfortable. Like this is where I’m supposed to be.
“Beautiful.”
Then I feel Xander leading me back a step, guiding me ever so gently onto the bed until I’m lying on my back as he stands over me. He takes my legs and lifts them to his face, trailing kisses all the way from my ankle to my thigh. Then he gives me a mischievous grin and nips at the soft flesh of my inner thigh, causing me to yelp in surprise.
But it also sends a shiver through my body that makes me shake visibly.
“Oh, you liked that, did you, sweetheart?”
I have no idea what to expect next. Xander keeps shifting from quiet reverence to taunting desire. But I do what he said. I just let go, ready to experience whatever he wants to give me.
He climbs onto the bed, still fully clothed, hovering over me and bracing one hand on each side of my head. Lowering his face to mine, he kisses me again, not quite as reserved this time. I can tell his control is slipping and he wants to devour me, but the side of him that wants to take his time with me wins out.
He makes his way down my body, kissing my now flushed and burning skin with teasing brushes of his lips, taunting dips of his tongue and the scrape of his teeth as his mouth settles over my nipple.
I feel a long, deep pull in my belly, another shudder wracking my body as he continues lower. And when his mouth finally lands back on my inner thigh, that pull becomes a desperate throb, the pulses in my pussy echoing my racing heart.
“Xander, please�
��” I know I’m already begging, but I feel like I’ve wanted this for so long that my body will combust if I don’t feel his touch where I need it most right fucking now.
My hips buck toward him, and he grins, a wicked gleam in his eyes. “Oh, is this what you want, sweetheart?”
Xander’s mouth is on my pussy in the next second, his tongue lapping up my juices that are already gushing. He flicks his tongue across my swollen clit, and I nearly come undone.
My hands fly to his head, gripping his hair, and I push him tighter against me, my need nearly overpowering. Now he does devour me, his tongue running flat across my slit before plunging deep inside.
“Oh fuck,” I cry out, not caring if anyone hears me. Just wanting more of this.
Xander moans against my cunt, and the vibrations send shockwaves racking through me. My pussy clenches around his thrusting tongue, and just when I think I’m about to have the most earthshattering orgasm I’ve ever experienced, I feel his fingers gathering my slickness. I only have a second to register it before Xander slides a finger to my asshole, teasing the tight opening before slipping it inside.
“Oh fuck!” I scream again, but not because I don’t like. No, because I really fucking do.
Xander has the cheek to actually fucking wink at me. But then I have no words, just incoherent moans as he takes me over the edge, my orgasm cresting and sending me into waves of bliss.
His magic still pulls at me as I climax, winding through me as mine twines with his, our connection intensifying, the energy between us heating to a white-hot blaze.
He feels it too, because the next thing I know, gone is slow teasing Xander. He’s been replaced by commanding Xander who knows what he wants and is going to fucking take it. And I want to give him everything he wants—because I want it too. All of it. All of him.
He flips me over onto my knees in one swift move, my orgasm not even fully subsiding before I feel another building. Running his hands down my back, he reaches for my hips, then grips them tightly, his fingers digging into my skin as he pulls them back toward him. I can feel the scrape of denim against my sensitive folds, but the friction only makes me push back harder against him.
Emerald Vows: A Reverse Harem Paranormal Romance (Marked Souls Book 3) Page 9
