Page 15

“I love fucking your mouth,” I said.

My eyes flew open. I’d fucking fallen asleep, the water around me now tepid. And I was fucking hardagain,after dreaming about heragain.

I got out of the tub and rubbed my body down, every nerve on fucking edge.Fuck fuck FUCK. This was wicked Fae magic. I was going to fucking strangle her. I had to break this fucking spell. But right now, I had a throbbing cock that needed seeing to and my hand wasn’t going to suffice.

I pulled on my clothes and boots, then slapped my door with an open palm. “Open up!”

The guard opened the door with an exasperated sigh, pushing his ridiculous helmet back from a sweaty brow.. “Now what?”

“I’m going to the tavern.” I pushed past him, ignoring his protests and insistence he had to check with Regan first. I wasn’t in the mood to wait. I had to get this bitch out of my head, I had to erase the feeling of her mouth and her hands and her skin and -

NOT HELPING, ROOK.

I bit back a groan as I moved on, through the Palace grounds and down the narrow road that led to the village. I ignored the filthy looks as I passed, the Velesians in their finery staring me down. These were not my people. I hated them as much as they hated me. To them I was a monster, nothing but a horrific myth they warned their daughters about. I didn’t care. I wasn’t here for them.

The road narrowed further, becoming muddy and uneven underfoot. It twisted between the houses that were smaller now, shoved together in a haphazard arrangement of broken tiles and crumbling plaster. Most of Veles was refined and polished, boasting fine houses with large windows and perfectly kept green gardens.

This end of town, and the tavern I was headed to, most certainly were not.

I heard and smelled the tavern before it came into view, a cacophony of music, laughter and bare-fisted brawls. Maids with dresses so tight their breasts practically spilled out the top sat on the window sills outside, flirting outrageously with the males who were several pints of ale into the evening.

I passed them all, entering the dimly lit room, dripping candles set in the window frames and on rickety shelves, the perfect light for hiding all the dark deeds that went on within its walls.

I saw several faces I knew from the palace, eyes averted in the unspoken agreement thatNo You Did Not See Me Here Finger-fucking the Maid. Everyone was here to escape servitude for just a few hours, just like me. Except now it wasn’t just servitude to a Seraph King. Now, it was servitude to a pair of blue eyes and a rosy pair of lips and the most perfect ass I’d ever seen in my life.

“An ale, if you will,” I said to the barkeep, whose name I knew but never uttered. We rarely used names here. There was no point. Names meant nothing here. He gave me a curt nod, drawing me a pint and slamming the wooden pitcher down unceremoniously in front of me. I threw a few coins down onto the stained counter, taking my drink and heading deeper into the tavern.

There was debauchery at every turn if you cared to lift your eyes from the floor long enough to see it. I finally found a quiet corner free of bare skin and unfettered moans, and placed myself down in the shadows. I took a long sip of the bitter ale while wondering how much of it I would have to drink to fall into my bed in a drunken stupor.

“Hello Rook.” The soft voice purred beside me and there was a rustle of skirts as the owner of the voice sat down.

“Hello there,” I replied, taking in the long curly red hair and the bust that was practically bursting from the bodice of the green dress she was wearing. “You’re one of the kitchen maids, aren’t you?”

She nodded, fluttering her long eyelashes at me. “Ivy. My friend told me all about you.”

I leaned forward, resting one hand on my knee. “Oh she did, did she?”

Ivy bit her lip and nodded.

I reached out, tracing a finger down her cheek. “And what did your friend have to say?”

Ivy huffed out a little breath as my finger continued down her throat. “That she couldn’t walk for a day afterwards.”

I smiled. “Only a day? Hmmm.” My eyes dropped to her breasts, which were now heaving in her dress. “I’m sure I can do much better than that.”

Yes. I’d come here for a reason.

I grabbed Ivy by the waist and pulled her on top of me. She rucked her skirts up around her waist and my hands moved underneath, running up her thighs. I growled as my hands found her bare ass under all those layers of petticoat.

“Filthy girl,” I breathed against her ear. “Not wearing any underthings.” I gripped her hair, yanking her head back, her breathing speeding up as her eyes met mine. “Were you hoping to meet me, were you?”

She grinned, nodding. “I followed you here.”

“Filthy, filthy girl.” I groaned as she ground herself against me. “You’re not even shy about fucking me in a tavern, are you?” I tore down the bodice of her dress, exposing a pebbled brown nipple, and sucked it into my mouth.

She bucked on top of me, her fingers scrambling against my scalp as she inhaled sharply. “Ouch!” I released her, and she slapped the back of my head. “I didn’t say to stop, did I?”

Fucking females.I went back to her nipple, sucking on it as I freed my needy cock from my pants. I heard her make a sound of surprise as I pressed against her thigh, a high-pitchedOh.