Page 16

Zynara laughed, circled her clit once, and then plunged inside her. Lottie nearly sobbed in relief.

Sharp eyes were on hers in an instant. “Hmm?”

Was that as kind as the Qasira could allow herself to be?

“More,” Lottie said, her voice ragged. “Harder. Deeper.”

“I give the orders.”

“Oh my god, Qasira, please! ”

And so she began in earnest.

She watched Lottie like she was some kind of science experiment.

She thrust inside her, her fingers curling, adjusting, hitting deep here, pressing hard there.

Her eyes bore into Lottie’s and she catalogued her every moan, every guttural gasp that fell from her lips.

She found a rhythm fast, her other arm falling to her elbow on the glass beside Lottie’s head, her own ragged breathing hot against Lottie’s neck.

Lottie felt it all—Zynara’s weight on her body, the rich silk of her suit brushing her bare nipples, the chill of the expensive watch at her wrist hitting Lottie’s inner thigh. She felt her own muscles clench, felt the drag on Zynara’s fingers. She saw the moment Zynara knew she was close.

There was a feral smile— and the Qaisra stopped.

“Ugh!” Lottie sagged against the glass, and quivered and panted. “How did I know you were going to do that?”

“You like it. I like seeing how much you can take. We’ve got all night.” The Qasira cooed it into her neck. “I’m in control, remember?”

“If by control you mean driving me completely crazy.”

The hot breath at her neck suddenly felt like a laugh, and Lottie realised she liked this woman lighthearted and carefree just as much as she liked the aloof princess.

The laugh turned into another sharp bite and Lottie’s body rippled against the glass in a full blooded spasm, her head back, breasts heaving, the thigh wrapped around Zynara’s hips pulling her in tight.

She was flying again, barely hanging on.

Her entire existence was balanced on Zynara’s desire, on the steel and the rule of her fingers.

When her vision finally cleared it was to see the Qasira watching her with her lips open in a greedy snarl and her eyes completely black.

She was still inside her, but she brought her free hand to Lottie’s breasts, cupped one and pinched her nipple.

Lottie’s hips tilted and they both breathed—urgently—in sync.

The fingers inside her curled. It seemed like the Qasira couldn’t wait either.

“Please?” Lottie murmured.

“Are you going to be good?” There was a teasing squeeze of her breast.

“Oh, I am already so fucking good—”

Fingers pulsed inside her, pressing in exactly the right place. Lottie whimpered and climbed the wall.

“Are you going to wait until you’re told?”

“Oh come on, princess! Don’t pretend you want to hold back.

” Lottie could see Zynara’s hunger too. Zynara watched her own hand on Lottie’s breast like she was drunk, her fingers full of Lottie’s flesh, palming it and pushing it high.

When her tongue crept out and licked her lips, Lottie knew neither of them had the patience for this game.

She rocked her hips, grinding down on the fingers still inside her and loved the greed and the power that flashed in the Qasira’s eyes.

“Who said I’m going to hold back?” Zynara snarled—and they were on again, Lottie hanging on for dear life, the Qasira already flying with Lottie’s body like she’d designed it. She put her whole body behind the hand she thrust inside Lottie, like she wanted to plunge into her entirely.

She was three fingers deep, her thumb on Lottie’s clit, her teeth at her neck—and Lottie felt it hit her, that unstoppable disconnection that separated her from her body and fixed her to Zynara’s lips, her fingers, her need and her desire.

She begged—because it was the perfect thing to do, because both of them wanted her to, and because the Qasira was magnificent—but she needed it to be now.

“Please? Qasira! Please? Now? Oh god Qasira, pleasesayIcancomenow— pleaseFUCK please—”

And the whisper in her ear was everything.

“Oh, you good, good girl. Now.”

Lottie’s eyes closed and she came in spasms, her nerves igniting like fireworks, something far more intense than she’d ever known blossoming white hot and fierce, and burning every atom in her body.

It was bright —brilliant behind her eyes—like the sun.

“Fuck,” whispered Zynara, her body suddenly rigid against Lottie’s. “No!”

And then they both felt the boom.

Lottie wasn’t seeing stars—it was an actual explosion. The shockwave swayed the tower.

“What—?!”

Way down the coast, a fireball was still rising into the air.

As they watched, a second pure white flash lit the night, as sudden and fleet as lightning, then gone.

A red ball of fire replaced it, simply burning itself into existence in the very air, pulsing in horrifying slow motion before the second shockwave reached them and rattled the glass.

“What—?” Lottie said again. Zynara had melted her mind.

“That was one of my hydrogen facilities,” Zynara said. “On the coast at Sahilina. That was fifteen kilometres away. He’s blown the main gas storage tanks.” There was an awful look of resignation on her face. Not even anger or surprise. “Fucking Malik.”

She still had her fingers inside Lottie.

“Don’t go!” Lottie held her in place with her leg around her waist.

They both felt Zynara’s phone buzz in her pocket.

Zynara wiped her fingers on Lottie’s thigh and answered the call. Lottie just caught the agitated Arabic coming through the speaker. Zynara barely spoke. She simply watched the horizon with that dreadful disappointment in her eyes. As the explosion faded, the colour left her cheeks.

Lottie stepped closer. Her body was still pink and flushed and warm, and she wanted to lay it against Zynara. She settled for straightening the Qasira’s lapels.

Zynara’s eyes found hers, though her pupils were still blown wide. She ended the call.

“It wasn’t an accident,” Lottie murmured.

“Of course it wasn’t. It takes quite a bit of effort to blow up a hydrogen tank in that way,” Zynara snapped. “This is a pretty fucking determined effort from my little brother to make my initiatives look stupid on the world stage, on the very eve of the summit. I have to go.”

“Clean burn, though,” Lottie pointed out. “Repairs will be fast and clean.”

Zynara gave her a long look.

Lottie realised her cover had slipped. “I mean compared to, say, an oil refinery. Just trying to see the bright side.”

The look drew on longer.

“Want me to come with you?” she offered.

“I do not.” Zynara ran her hand over her mouth and then seemed to realise it was the same hand she’d used to fuck Lottie against the window.

“You could wait here for me, all luscious and ready like that—” She looked surprised at herself and blinked the notion away.

She straightened her shoulders. “No. I’ll have Romaissa send a driver for you.

You may take your time leaving. Order a meal. Order a massage. I apologise—”

“That’s it?”

Zynara raked her gaze over Lottie’s body and looked very regretful indeed. “Thank you,” she whispered.

“I think I should be thanking you—” Lottie said weakly, but the Qasira nodded once, turned on her heel, and left.