Page 52

Cadence

Ryker had left me alone for the rest of the day, only returning late in the afternoon to inform me that the King had requested our attendance at dinner.

As he led me into the dining hall, the grandeur of the space was impossible to ignore.

The high vaulted ceilings drew my gaze upward, and I studied the intricate patterns carved into the beams overhead. I couldn’t make out the finer details of the design from where I stood, and yet, it captivated me, reeling me in and making it difficult to look away.

In the center of the hall, a grand table stretched the length of the room, set with glittering crystal goblets and the finest porcelain I had ever seen. An array of mouthwatering dishes lined the tabletop, and I had to wonder if we were expecting company, given the amount of food that had been prepared.

The entire dining hall was designed with comfort in mind, and yet, no room had ever felt more oppressive.

Tension rippled beneath Ryker’s composed exterior as he pulled my chair out for me. All the while, his father, the King of the Unseelie, glared at him from his seat at the table.

“Your Majesty,” I said as I bowed my head in acknowledgment of his station.

He grunted in answer, but his eyes never strayed from his son.

As we sat in awkward silence, the only saving grace I could find was that Riordan had also been summoned to join us. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, and the King’s piercing gaze turned to me. He had stormy grey eyes, the same shade as Ryker’s, and they seemed to bore into me as if he were searching for all my secrets.

“Cadence,” Ryker rumbled next to me, but I studiously ignored him, instead focusing my attention on his brother.

“I didn’t see you today, Riordan. What mischief did you get up to in my absence?”

Ryker’s expression was unreadable as he piled my plate with every sort of vegetable and meat imaginable, but the faint tick of his jaw betrayed his displeasure. I speared a baked potato and popped it into my mouth as I waited for him to answer. Riordan chuckled and shook his head, but he was enjoying himself more than he’d admit.

“I missed you too, sweetheart,” he winked. “Alas, your tiresome husband had me tending to some matters on his behalf.”

He tipped his goblet in Ryker’s direction before taking a sip.

“You know how wonderful his people skills are.”

“What business?” the King called, reclaiming our attention.

“It’s a personal matter,” Ryker snapped.

The King raised an eyebrow, but he didn’t challenge his eldest son. The air between them was charged, crackling like a storm on the brink of unleashing.

“So,” the King began as he heaped food onto his plate. “This is the woman you have chosen for your wife, Ryker.”

It wasn’t a question but a statement, and it was dripping with disapproval.

“Careful, Father,” Ryker warned, but the man appeared unfazed.

“Tell me, Cadence, what qualifies you to be the future Queen of the Unseelie?”

“The fact that she is my wife,” Ryker barked before I could answer.

For a moment, his shadows broke through his hold, curling around the base of his chair before he forced them to retreat.

Riordan gave me a conspiratorial grin as he said, “Aren’t you glad that you accepted Father’s invitation to dinner?”

As much as I tried, I couldn’t help the small smile that pulled up my lips.

“Riordan,” his father snarled, but whatever he was about to say was interrupted when the heavy doors at the far end of the hall creaked open.

Everyone turned to see the newcomer, and dread filled the pit of my stomach when Celeste strolled into the room.

“My apologies, My King,” she said demurely. “I was delayed as the healers stopped by my chambers to discuss funeral arrangements.”

Her gaze flicked to Ryker, but she didn’t look upon him with the hatred I had expected.

That, she saved for me.

Her upper lip curled in disdain as she approached the table, her narrowed eyes never leaving mine.

Gods, you would think that I was the one who had murdered her father in cold blood.

“No apology necessary, Celeste,” the King said. “Come. Join us.”

Celeste’s white gown trailed behind her, and her alabaster skin glowed beneath the light as she took her seat.

It wasn’t lost on me that she looked like a bride joining her wedding feast.

Ryker’s expression darkened, and his fingers twitched as he reached for his goblet.

“How are you finding my seat, Cadence?” Celeste asked with feigned innocence.

“It’s rather fitting. Thank you for asking.”

Across from me, Riordan spluttered into his goblet, and I could feel the heat of Ryker’s gaze on the side of my face.

“That’s news to me,” he whispered against my ear so that only I could hear.

Ignoring him, I kept my focus fixed on Celeste. A scowl twisted her delicate features, and she looked as though she was a moment away from jumping across the table to strangle me.

Then she turned her attention to the King, her expression softening. “You must understand my frustration, Your Majesty. My family has given so much to this court, only to be discarded with no explanation.”

Ryker’s large palm ran down my thigh before he gripped the fabric of my skirt in his fist and tugged it up my leg.

“What the hell are you doing?” I hissed as I adjusted myself to face him.

Ryker smirked back at me, one eyebrow lifted in amusement. “She speaks,” he gasped, as he raised the material higher.

“Yes, my son’s actions have been most disappointing,” the King replied as Ryker slipped his hand beneath my skirt, his fingers brushing the edge of my panties.

My throat tightened, and I reached for my goblet. The cool liquid did little to ease the heat now rushing to my face. Ryker’s fingertips dipped below my waistband, and I tried to clench my thighs together to prevent him from going any further.

“The Barringtons have been loyal subjects of the crown, and I am aghast that things between our families have ended this way,” the King continued.

Celeste nodded in agreement, and the hungry shimmer in her eyes betrayed her intentions.

Ryker’s calloused finger traced the length of my entrance, and my cheeks flamed, knowing he would find me wet and ready for him.

“You’re soaked, Temptress,” he rumbled before he pushed a finger inside me.

I gripped the edge of the table to steady myself as I inhaled a shaky breath.

“There must be something that can be done,” Celeste pleaded, and the King glanced in our direction.

I kept my eyes trained on my plate, and Ryker chuckled beside me.

“Don’t beg, Celeste. It makes you look pathetic,” he snickered as he pushed another finger inside me.

“Stop. Now.”

I hardly got the words out as I ground my teeth together. Ryker ignored me as he rubbed circles around my clit, and I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from moaning out loud.

“Cadence?” Riordan asked. “Are you all right?”

My hand shook as I gripped my goblet, and the moment the cool crystal met my lips, I drank greedily.

“Mm-hmm,” I hummed, unable to form words.

I could hear how wet I was as Ryker pumped his fingers in and out of me, and I was certain everyone else could hear it, too.

“How much do you need to come right now, Temptress?” Ryker murmured as he increased his pace.

My hand moved of its own volition as I gripped Ryker’s forearm. I didn’t know if I was trying to push him away or hold him in place. My mind needed him to stop, but my body screamed that I might die if he did.

Ryker had played me so effortlessly, winding me up until I was vibrating with the need for release. And judging by the predatory grin that spread across his face, the sick bastard knew it too.

“I can keep going all night, Temptress. If this is the only way I can get you to speak to me, then I’m happy to oblige.”

Ryker swirled the pad of his thumb around my sensitive nub, and I damn near saw stars.

“Ryker.”

I’d meant for the single word to be a warning, but I panted his name like I was begging for more.

“What do you need, Temptress? Do you even know?”

“No,” I admitted before I could stop myself.

Ryker’s grin widened in triumph as he pushed his fingers inside me with vigor. This time, I did moan, but I covered the sound with a cough. I had no idea if I was fooling anyone, but at that moment, I didn’t care. It had been almost a week since I’d let Ryker touch me, and my body was starved for him.

The sounds of murmured chatter surrounded me, but it was indistinguishable as the blood pounding in my ears drowned out everything else.

I was close.

Ryker pinched my clit, and I turned toward him, burying my face in his tunic as I came undone. His fingers continued to move inside me as waves of pleasure wracked my body. As the tremors slowly waned, my breathing evened out, and I was thrust back to reality.

Now that it was over, my cheeks burned with embarrassment, and I refused to lift my head from Ryker’s chest. Understanding my distress, Ryker lifted me into his arms and cradled me against him.

“Cadence isn’t feeling well,” he announced before pressing his mouth to my forehead.

“Do you need me to do anything?” Riordan asked, and I could feel the twitch of Ryker’s lips against my skin. “I have it in hand, Brother.”

Without another word, Ryker strode from the dining hall, taking me and my mortification with him.