Page 102 of Ascendant King

“It’s ironic,” Cade said, running the backs of his fingers up my chin. I felt his soft skin catch on stubble, the sensation uncomfortable as he dragged the hairs backward, even as it made my body tense, my cock harden. “Of the two of us, you are the one that lived up to your parents’ expectations. I was theone who should have—I had everything, and you were left with nothing. But somehow, still, you became the man your mother would have been proud of.”

“What makes you think that your parents wouldn’t have been proud of you?” I leaned my face into his fingers, and he moved his hand to my throat, running his fingertips gently over my Adam’s apple before wrapping them tightly around my neck. I relaxed into the grip, leaning until I felt the security of knowing he had me.

“I don’t know that Iwantto be a man my father would have been proud of.” Cade’s fingers tightened for a second before he released me, putting hands on either side of my face.

He dragged me down, crushing our lips together. His lips were warm, and we lingered on each other, nipping and kissing. The towel fell away, and then it was just us, long planes of skin, desperate hunger for each other.

We stumbled backward into the room, landing on the bed. Cade fell on his back, legs tight around my waist, rubbing his cock desperately against mine. He whined, yelping when I wrapped a hand around him.

He threw his head back, groaning. I wanted to give him everything, but then he blinked his eyes open, the blue so perfect.

“Let me,” he murmured. Wetting his lips, he pushed up onto his forearms, meeting my lips. “Lube.”

I blinked, scrambling for the bedside table and the tube of it. When I handed it to him, he slicked up his fingers, arching his back to fit two inside. He blinked his eyes closed, frowning, his face clearing after a second.

I sat back, watching him work himself open, knowing that soon my cock was going to be in there, and I would be able to feel that tightness around me. I would be able to feel him. That thought made me drop a hand to my dick, working over the skin.

I fumbled, grabbing at the lube, spreading some of the cool liquid over my palm.

Cade paused, panting, then opened his eyes, a grin splitting his face. He pressed a third finger in.

“It doesn’t even come close to feeling like you do,” he said, pressing further.

My hips jerked, and I squeezed tight. The pressure of my fist wasn’t as good as him, but it was all I had.

“Cade,” I growled.

“Miles,” he teased.

But he pulled his hand free, his fingers making a pornographic popping sound. Then he lifted his hips, tilting them back. His mouth fell open slightly, plush lips bitten and pink.

“Fuck me.” His voice was enough to drive me forward, and I positioned myself at his entrance.

I pressed myself in, panting and freezing for half a second before sliding in all the way. When I bottomed out, fully buried inside him, I almost didn’t want to move. He was tight around me, hot and perfect.

Being inside him felt like having his collar wrapped around my throat. I knew I was safe. I knew I could trust him to catch me.

Cade made the decision for me, pulling his hips back before thrusting up, and the single motion was enough to send me wild. I slid back, pressing into him again, burying myself even further.

Reaching up, Cade pressed his hand around my neck again, meeting my eyes fiercely. “Now.”

I drove myself into him, fucking him so hard that the bed slammed against the wall. I wanted to reach for his cock, work it until he came, but I couldn’t do anything other than give him exactly what he wanted.

His blue eyes were fixed on mine, his hand tight around my neck. I pressed us closer together, his hard cock trapped between us. His eyes went wide, and he came, the hot splash of come on my stomach enough to send me over the edge.

I shuddered, my whole body tense and perfect. When I collapsed down on him, he stroked fingers at my back, playing with the hair at the nape of my neck.

After a second, I eased out, collapsing next to him on the bed. He ran fingers up my arm, then pushed more insistently.

“Come on. Let’s shower again. Then we can see about round two.”

Chapter

Thirty-Four

The next morning, I looked at the fading hickeys on my neck in the mirror. Squinting, I realized some of them weren’t hickeys at all but faded tattoos, evidence from when Cade had saved my life with his magic.

I pressed a finger to one, watching it move. We would need to do something about it. If any of the other alphas saw me with magic around my throat, they would assume the worst. But right now, it only reminded me that Cade had chosen me over everything he had wanted for eleven years.