Page 25

TRISTAN

I can’t tear my gaze from Amelia’s spread center. Her mound is swollen and slick, and her clit is poking out from between her folds as though it’s begging to be sucked. I growl as I imagine taking that engorged nubbin into my mouth.

She sucks in a shaky breath and reaches for her pussy once again.

“That’s it, sweet human. Resume pleasuring yourself.”

This time, she aims for her clit. She presses down on the button and a groan catches in her throat. She thrashes a bit in my arms, and I tighten my hold on her, reaching down to place a hand on each of her thighs, keeping her spread wide as she circles her clit.

Gods, is this really happening?

Truth be told, I didn’t anticipate the events that would be set into motion just by my request to hold Amelia. I’d expected to snuggle her for a few minutes before retiring to the floor for my slumber. But I never expected how excited she would become as I embraced her and caressed her hair.

She whimpers as her hips shoot upward, and when she comes down, her lower back impacts on my agonizingly hard cock.

My growls join her whimpers and moans, and the friction of her body constantly rubbing against my rigid length makes me ravenous to claim her.

Ravenous to bend her over the bed and plunge deep in her chasm, ravenous to take her from behind and pound her hard.

“That’s it, sweet human. You’re doing such a good job of rubbing your clit. Just as I knew you would.” I infuse my voice with praise.

She cries out and strokes herself faster, and her movements become frantic and shaky. The aroma of her slickness fills my nostrils. Fuck, yes. She’s climaxing. She’s experiencing her first release as I hold her close and offer guidance.

I continue whispering words of praise and encouragement in her ear as she rides the waves of the orgasm. Her face twists with pleasure, her cheeks are flushed, and her hair is in complete disarray. Gods, she’s so beautiful. And she’s mine. All mine.

My war prize, and possibly, my fated mate.

I push aside the guilt that follows for not having told her of my suspicions yet. Later. Soon.

But we’ll be arriving in Sorsston tomorrow, and I’ll be busy sorting out the mess at the castle for a while. I resolve that as soon as I figure out how the warden and over twenty fae soldiers were killed, I will take the time to explain everything to Amelia.

I don’t want to tell her tonight, and likely shock her with the revelation, only to not be able to spend much time with her in the coming days.

Once I tell her, it’s my hope that she’ll agree to let me claim her.

It’s my hope that she’ll be just as curious as I am regarding our potential bond, and she’ll want to see if a true mating bond forms between us after we join our bodies as one.

I remove my hands from her thighs and lean deeper into the pillows. She ceases moving, and her hand falls away from her center. She remains in my arms, panting breathlessly, and I’m stunned when I receive a wave of her emotions.

She’s satisfied beyond measure, as well as surprised by how pleasurable the experience was. She’s also grateful to me for teaching her how to properly touch herself.

My cock surges when I sense her next thought.

She’s curious about my state of excitement. She enjoys the feel of my hardness against her lower back, and she wonders if I might seek my pleasure next. She wonders if perhaps she can watch me stroke myself to a release.

Gods. My blood becomes so heated that I instantly break into a sweat, and I push away the summer warmth and invite a cool spring breeze, a feat of which most Summer Court fae aren’t capable.

“Mm. That feels nice.” Amelia sighs and starts to close her eyes, but a second later, she jolts and scrambles to push her nightdress down, covering her nudity.

I sense her conflicting emotions, but I take heart in the knowledge that she’s not only attracted to me, but she feels safe with me. She only wishes I wasn’t keeping her as a war prize. She wishes we’d met under different circumstances.

I caress her arm and place another kiss on her cheek. I would love to press my lips to hers and kiss her soundly, but I’m still of a mind to earn her trust. I worry if we move too fast, that might never happen.

“Are you all right, Amelia?” I ask softly.

By now, her breathing has calmed, and she remains languid in my arms. I can easily sense her fatigue, and I will happily hold her like this all night if she wants.

“Yes, Tristan,” she eventually says. “I’m all right. A bit shocked, I suppose, and maybe a little embarrassed. I can’t believe we…we…” Her voice trails off, but I know what she meant to say.

“You can’t believe we just did this?”

“Yes. I hope you don’t think I’m a lustful, unchaste woman. I try to be a decent person and appease the gods, but with you, it would seem I couldn’t control my urges.”

“The gods don’t expect you to be chaste, sweet human.

Anyone who told you that just wanted to keep you innocent for their own purposes.

Among the fae, it’s rare for both parties to be inexperienced when they enter a mating union.

Until we meet our fated mates, we fornicate to our hearts’ content, and the gods don’t punish us for it. ”

“Fornicate to our hearts’ content.” She chuckles. “You have a way with words, Tristan.” She grows quiet, though I sense her continued thoughts regarding my own state of arousal. My cock remains hard as ever.

Gods, am I a dolt for wanting to take things slow? I have a feeling that if I pushed, just a little, I could have her on her knees in seconds sucking my cock. While the idea of her lips around my length is a pleasing one, I don’t want her to regret anything in the morning.

Which is why I must force myself from this bed and sleep on the godsdamn rug-covered floor of the tent.

“Perhaps you should go wash up a little before you sleep, sweet human.” I gesture to the bathing area, which contains a spelled, self-cleaning tub filled with steaming water, as well as several self-cleaning basins for quick washing.

The area also holds a toilet, and the floor-length curtain can be pulled across for privacy’s sake.

She scoots forward on the bed, out from between my legs, and turns to look at me. Her face holds a deep blush. “Yes, that’s a good idea. I’ll go do that and then?—”

“And then we will go to bed,” I say, cutting her off before she can suggest more carnal activities. Like seeing to my pleasure.

Her face starts to fall, but she’s quick to recover with a forced smile. I know it’s forced because, fucking gods, I’m getting better at sensing her emotions and thoughts with every passing minute.

“Yes, then we will go to bed.” She covers a sudden yawn that’s not false in the slightest, and hurries to the bathing area. She pulls the curtain.

I gather a blanket and a pillow from a chest, then arrange yet another makeshift bed on the floor of my own tent.

But Amelia is worth it. If taking things slow so I might better earn her trust will endear me to her more, then that’s what I’ll do.

I’ll sleep on the floor for a fucking year if I must, though I sincerely hope we start sharing a bed long before that much time passes.

I hear splashing water, and after a short while, she emerges from behind the curtain, looking refreshed and more confident than she had moments ago when she’d been on the verge of shyly suggesting I take a turn pleasuring myself.

Perhaps while she was in the bathing area, she gathered her thoughts and saw the wisdom of waiting.

She casts a mournful glance at my makeshift bed. I’ve already gotten part way under the covers, and my head rests on the pillow. I offer her what I pray is a reassuring smile.

“Goodnight, Amelia.”

She hops on the bed and gives me an affectionate look. A grin tugs at her lips, the hint of a sweet smile. “Goodnight, Tristan.”

I wave a hand and the faelights dim.