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CHAPTER SIX

TALIA

T he gold in Kaz’s eyes darkened as his thumb made another pass over my lower lip. For a heartbeat, he hesitated, the honorable mercenary warring with the male who’d claimed me as his mate.

Then he was on me.

His mouth crashed against mine, hot and demanding. I gasped, opening for him as his tongue swept inside, tasting of whiskey and smoke and him . My fingers tangled in his short hair, pulling him closer as I arched up from the bed.

Kaz growled, the sound vibrating through my chest. His hands slid down my sides, gripping my ass and lifting me further onto the mattress. My back hit the sheets as he followed, his powerful body covering mine, pinning me beneath him. This was possession. This was claiming.

This was real .

And exactly I wanted, I realized with startling clarity. Not just the physical pleasure, but his grasping hands and panted breaths, the feeling of being wanted so desperately that honor and restraint crumbled to ash.

His lips broke from mine to trail fire down, down, down to the sensitive spot where my pulse hammered against my skin. His tongue traced patterns there, teeth grazing just enough to make me writhe. I moaned, tilting my head to give him better access.

“You drive me fucking crazy,” he murmured against my throat. His hands slid under my blouse, calloused palms rough against my stomach. “Do you know that?”

I smiled, arching as his fingers found the underside of my breast. “I’m beginning to suspect.”

It wasn’t just the bond driving us together. It was the understanding that had grown of shared scars and stubborn goals. The realization that perhaps we weren’t so mismatched after all.

He kissed me again, slow and deep, stealing what little remained of my thoughts. There was only him and his wicked, wonderful mouth, the heat of his body pinning mine against the mattress.

I melted into it, giving myself permission to enjoy this moment outside of courtly politics and royal games. Outside of past wounds and future burdens. Just me and my mate, losing ourselves in each other.

His hands slid down my sides, finding the bottom button of my blouse and quickly working his way up as I worked my way down.

I arched into his touch, helping him strip the garment away.

The cool air against my heated skin made me shiver, but Kaz’s hands were fire, trailing heat wherever they touched.

He sat back on his heels, eyes darkening as he took in the sight of me in my lacy black bra. The hunger in his gaze made me feel powerful in a way no crown ever could.

“I’ve thought about this every night since I left,” he growled against my lips.

“Show me,” I challenged, my fingers finding the buttons of his shirt.

He caught my wrists, pinning them gently above my head with one hand. The other tipped my chin up, forcing me to meet his molten gold eyes.

“Not like last time,” he murmured, trailing a finger along the edge of the lace of my bra. “This time, I plan to take my time. I’m going to savor you, Talia. Every. Inch.”

He punctuated each word with a kiss to my lips, then my jaw, then the hollow of my throat. Another between my breasts, his tongue tracing the edge of my bra. With one hand still holding my wrists, he used the other to unclasp the front hook, exposing me to his hungry gaze.

I shivered, caught between the desire to assert control and the pleasure of surrendering to his touch.

Control can wait, I decided as his mouth closed over my nipple, sending a jolt of pleasure straight to my core. For now.

Kaz released my wrists to cup both breasts, thumbs circling the hardened peaks as his tongue laved and teeth gently scraped. I threaded my fingers through his hair, holding him to me as my back arched off the bed.

“Beautiful,” he murmured against my skin, moving to lavish attention on my other breast. “So fucking beautiful, my queen.”

“Kaz,” I gasped, my tail wrapping around his thigh. “Please.”

He released my wrists, trailing kisses down my stomach as he moved lower.

His eyes never left mine as he hooked his fingers into the waistband of my slacks and dragged them down my legs.

He followed the fabric with his mouth, pressing kisses to my thighs, my knees, my calves.

Each touch was like a brand, marking me as his.

My breath caught as he leaned forward to nip the sensitive skin just above the fabric. His thumbs rubbed circles along the insides of my thighs, stroking closer to the ache building between my legs with each pass.

I whimpered as his tongue dipped down to trace the edge of my panties. Even through the thin fabric, his warm breath against my core sent heat spiraling through me. Then, slowly, torturously, he peeled the lace away, revealing me to his greedy gaze.

“Gods,” he purred, sliding down farther until he lay between my spread legs, his face inches from my pussy. “You’re going to taste so fucking sweet, aren’t you, Talia?”

He answered his own question with a lick that made me buck off the bed. His arms hooked under my thighs, drawing them over his shoulders as he buried himself between them. His tongue was merciless, circling my clit again and again as my gasps turned to moans.

“Kaz.” One hand fisted in the sheets while I gripped a horn to hold him against me. “Fuck, don’t stop.”

Kaz groaned, the vibration rippling through me as his fingers dug into my hips, locking me against him. Pleasure built, racing through me with every stroke of his clever tongue. Gods, it was too much, it wasn’t nearly never enough, I needed more.

He must have sensed it, because one finger circled my entrance before easing inside, curling upward. I couldn’t stop the sounds escaping my throat, the little whimpers and moans as he licked and sucked and pumped inside me.

“Come for me, Talia,” Kaz demanded, his voice muffled against my skin. “Let me feel you come apart.”

I was close, so close, balanced on the knife’s edge of pleasure when his lips sealed around my clit and sucked hard. I reached blindly for him, needing something to anchor me as the wave crested.

He caught my hand and laced our fingers together, his gold eyes locking with mine over the curve of my body.

His thumb stroked over my knuckles while he devoured me, a gesture so unexpectedly gentle while he did such filthy things with his mouth.

That connection, his strength anchoring me while his tongue claimed me, was what finally pushed me over.

I cried out his name, squeezing his hand tight as I came. He worked me through it, each swirl of his tongue drawing another pulse of pleasure, until I was a shaking mess on the bed.

I collapsed back, utterly boneless. Kaz pressed a lingering kiss to my inner thigh, the heat of his mouth sending one last shiver through me. He kept our fingers twined together as he moved up my body, his weight settling against me as he brought his lips to mine.

He kissed me deeply, and I moaned as I tasted whiskey and my own arousal. The combination made my head spin more than drinks alone. I nipped at his lower lip, soothing the sting with my tongue.

“Smug looks terrible on you,” I lied, my voice still breathless.

He laughed, and the sound warmed me from the inside out. “Liar.”

“Perhaps.” I wiggled, feeling his cock press hard against me even through the barrier of his jeans. “But I need to wipe that smirk off your face.”

His fingers curled in my hair, and a gentle tug tilted my head back to expose my throat. His mouth trailed along the column of my neck, setting my pulse pounding against his lips.

“Can you blame me?” he murmured against my skin. “To have my queen begging for my mouth and my fingers?”

I pressed my hips against him, rolling against the bulge straining his fly as I nipped his earlobe. “And do you want to fuck your queen?”

His chuckle was rough and ragged against my skin. “Gods, Talia. What sort of question is that?”

“Is that a yes?” I asked innocently, reaching between us to palm his cock through his jeans. “Tell me, Kaz. Do you want to bury your cock inside me?”

With a quick movement, I flipped our positions, straddling his hips as he looked up at me with surprise and hunger.

I’d had lovers before—discreet, carefully vetted males who knew to keep their mouths shut about bedding the princess.

None of them had made me feel like this.

None of them had looked at me the way Kaz did, like I was something precious and wild all at once.

I rocked against his throbbing erection, and he let out a strangled groan. My wetness coated the rough denim of his jeans, making me shudder with fresh desire.

“You’re still dressed,” I observed, running my hands down his chest. “That seems terribly inconvenient.”

“By all means,” he ground out, hands settling on my hips and thumbs tracing circles on my bare skin, “remedy the situation.”

I unbuttoned his shirt slowly, revealing inch by inch of taut red skin stretched over lean muscle. My tongue darted out, following the path of my fingers. Salt and smoke, spice and smoky lust, filled my nose and danced on my tongue as I raked my nails lightly down his sides.

He hissed at the sensation, but didn’t pull away. His skin was fire to the touch, but gods, I wanted more. Needed more.

A faint scar snaked across his side, and I traced it with my tongue. He tensed under me, and I held him down as I nibbled the edge.

“Too much?” I murmured against his skin, looking up through my eyelashes to find him watching me with undisguised desire.

“I—” His throat bobbed as he swallowed hard. “Don’t stop.”

I gave him a predatory grin and returned to my task, flicking the button of his jeans open with practiced ease. The metallic sound of his zipper filled the quiet room as I lowered it tooth by tooth.

“Someone’s enjoying herself,” he murmured, lifting his hips to help me tug his pants down his powerful thighs.

“Immensely,” I confirmed, my breath catching as his cock sprang free, thick and hard against his stomach. I wrapped my fingers around him, savoring the velvet heat of him pulsing in my palm. “Though not nearly as much as I’m about to.”

His eyes darkened as I stroked him lazily. Once, twice. Thumb swiping across the drop of liquid shining on the head.

“Talia.” My name was a strangled plea on his lips. “Fuck.”

I gave him one more slow stroke before crawling up his body. I positioned myself above him, the tip of his cock brushing against my entrance. Heat pooled between my legs as his hips jerked, desperate to thrust inside.

“Every queen needs a proper throne,” I purred, lowering myself just enough for him to feel me, the tip of his cock barely entering my pussy. “And you, my king, look sturdy enough to support my reign.”

His hands gripped my hips, his fingers digging into my flesh. “Unholy hells, Talia, stop teasing.”

I leaned forward, pressing my breasts to his chest as I put my lips next to his ear. “Beg me,” I whispered, rolling my hips slightly.

He shoved upright, one arm wrapping up my back and tangling in my hair, the other bracing my hip. He thrust up, sinking just an inch into me before pulling us apart again. His cock slipped from my pussy, the cool air making me gasp.

“Take your throne, my queen,” he said, decidedly not begging. He lined himself up again, his gaze locking with mine as he eased back inside. “And ride me until you come.”

The stretch of him filling me drew a long moan from my throat. He felt impossibly good, thick and hot inside me. We stayed frozen there for a heartbeat, foreheads pressed together, sharing breath. Our eyes met, and a hint of tenderness crept in amid the desire.

It was too much.

Not enough.

Perfect.

Kaz kissed me then, a soft brush of his lips that sparked every nerve ending in my body. I shifted, pulling my hips back until he almost fell from my body. Then, I slammed back down, taking him fully.

Groans dripped from us both. His mouth trailed along my jaw, his hand tangled in my hair, holding me close. His teeth scored my neck as I rocked against him. Over and over, my movements grew harder, faster, chasing the friction and fullness of our bodies moving together.

“Gods,” Kaz breathed, his eyes fixed on where our bodies joined. “This is amazing.”

“Fucking phenomenal,” I agreed, my head dropping back on a moan.

Sweat beaded on both our skin as we chased release. The room filled with the sounds of sex: skin slapping skin, groans and gasps, whispered praise and curses. Nothing mattered except the push and pull and heat between us.

Kaz’s hands cupped my ass, kneading the muscles as I rode him harder. He surged up to kiss me, his arms wrapping around my back as he thrust up into me. The new angle had me gasping against his mouth, my nails digging into his shoulders.

“I can feel you getting close,” he murmured, one hand sliding between us to circle my clit. “Come for me again, Talia. Let me feel you come on my cock.”

Pressure built rapidly inside me. Every nerve ending sang as I clutched him tighter, fucking myself on his cock. The world shrank to his body moving beneath me, his fingers rubbing tight circles around my clit, his lips whispering filthy encouragement in my ear.

“Keep your eyes on your queen,” I commanded, my voice breaking as the tension coiled tighter. “Watch me come.”

His eyes locked with mine, his pupils blown wide as he drove up into me again and again. He never looked away as the pressure exploded, pleasure wracking my body as I cried out. Kaz fucked me through it, his fingers never faltering as he kept working my clit.

“Talia,” he groaned, his whole body tensing. “Fuck!”

Heat filled me as Kaz spilled inside me. I rocked against him, riding out the aftershocks until both of us were spent. I collapsed on top of him, burying my face in the crook of his neck as our breathing slowed.

“You know,” I said, tracing lazy patterns on his forearm, “I think I might be starting to like you, princeling.”

I felt his chuckle rumble through his chest. “High praise indeed, princess.”

We fell into a comfortable silence, the kind that felt earned rather than awkward. I closed my eyes at the press of his lips against my temple and allowed myself a small moment of peace before the next battle. Emil’s schemes, the throne, the future of our clans, all of it could wait until morning.

For tonight, I was simply Talia. And he was simply Kaz. And what lay between us was ours alone.