by Dyan Chick
The splendid sitting room was vacant and now that I was standing in it, I realized I hadn't stopped to think about what I was going to do when I saw him. Slowly, I walked toward the closed door of Tristan's bedchamber and lifted my hand to knock. Hesitating, I wondered if I should turn around and walk away.
The door swung open, making the decision for me. Tristan stood at the doorway, completely naked. Head to toe, nothing covered, naked.
"What are you doing?" My voice came out shrill and squeaky.
He smiled. "I'm in my bedroom, preparing for bed. The question is, why are you outside of my bedroom at this hour?"
"At this hour?" I asked. "It's barely past dinner, it's a perfectly respectable hour." My eyes drifted downward, exploring Tristan's chest, defined abs, and surprisingly large manhood. My cheeks heated.
Forcing my eyes to return to his face, I tried to remember why I was here. "You are awful. Why would you taunt Cormac about his sister on her birthday?"
"I didn't taunt him," he said. "You were there. He attacked me."
I blew out a breath of frustration. "You're a child."
"As you can clearly see," he gestured to his now slightly erect member, "I am not a child."
"Can't you put on some clothes?" I asked.
"I thought you were here to live out that vision you had. Or is it not time for that yet?"
My jaw dropped open. "That is not going to happen."
Turning on my heels, I spun away from Tristan and walked toward the door.
"Any time you're ready, Cassia," he called after me.
Shaking from embarrassment and anger, I walked back down the steps and back to the sitting room where I found Dane waiting for me. "Where's Ethan?"
"He went to see to the horses since Cormac is disposed."
"Good," I said. I walked over to Dane and tugged on his tunic, forcing him to lower his face. Then, I pressed my lips against his.
Dane wrapped his arms around me sliding them down my hips and under my butt until he picked me up and pulled me closer against his chest.
I wrapped my legs around his waist and pressed my lips harder into his. He walked forward, carrying me while he matched my kiss with hungry pressure. I nipped playfully by his lower lip and he growled, then pinned me against the wall.
He broke the kiss and stared at me. His breaths coming out shallow. "You sure you want to do this? Because this time, I'm not going to be able to stop. I've wanted you since we first met."
My breath came out quick and shallow and I stared hungrily into his hooded eyes. I could tell the same desire that had turned my blood boiling was rising in him. "I don't want you to stop. I want everything."
Dane pressed his mouth against mine again, finding a rhythm with my lips. As he adjusted his grip on me, he pressed me closer as he pushed me harder against the wall. I could feel the bulge in his trousers pressed against my rear and it sent a thrill through me.
I was hungry, starved for physical attention, and tonight it seemed only Dane could satisfy me. I ran my fingers through his hair and he caught my wrist, pinning it against the wall. He pulled back leaving my lips wanting, while his intense icy blue gaze bore into my very soul. I whimpered, wanting nothing more than to feel the heat of his mouth on mine again.
One corner of his mouth turned up in a smirk and a second later he had me in his arms again, carrying me like a bride toward one of the closed doors in the hallway beyond. He hesitated a second at the door shifting my weight so he could reach the handle.
As soon as we crossed into the room he threw me onto the bed. The room was dark, curtains drawn and no lamps lit. The only light was from the crack underneath the now closed door. I heard the rustle of fabric and I knew Dane was stripping his clothes. I reached for the ties on my tunic and wondered if I should take my clothes off to be ready for him; but before I could make my decision Dane was on top of me.
In the darkness I could only make out shadows of the hard lines of his face and the ripples of his muscled form. I lifted my fingers and touched his temple, then slowly dragged them across his cheek and down to his firm jaw. My fingers trailed down his neck, over his sculpted shoulders and down the corded muscles of his arms before lingering on his hands.
I could hear his breathing, even and steady, almost in time with the beating of my heart. The bed creaked as he repositioned himself grabbing hold of me once again and rolling me on top of him. In a heartbeat, he had my tunic over my head and discarded it somewhere in the dark room. His hands were rough but comforting as they explored my naked body. They lingered on my waist before moving up to my breasts, caressing them and exploring every inch of naked flesh I had to offer. I was straddling him at his waist, but I still had a barrier of clothing between the two of us. It reminded me of our last encounter and I wondered if he was waiting for me to get one final confirmation that I was ready for him.
Reaching behind me, I felt his upper thigh and moved my fingers along until I found his erection. I took the shaft in my hand and gently wrapped my fingers around its girth. He let out a soft moan as I slowly moved my hand up and down, mimicking the movement that Ethan had made when he was inside of me. The skin was softer than I expected and as I continued to work my hand up and down, I felt the member grow even larger. Dane's breathing grew shallower and every so often he let out a satisfied moan. I smiled, feeling completely in control. There was something satisfying about being able to give him this much pleasure. After another minute, Dane sat up and in a quick motion threw me on the bed again.
"You have no idea the power you hold over me, do you?" he asked.
"I think I'm starting to understand," I said.
Dane's fingers tugged on the lacing that was holding up my trousers. He worked quickly and I raised my hips to help him as he pulled them down, undergarments and all.
It was dark, so I didn't feel as exposed by being naked laid out in front of him. But I had a feeling, I wouldn't have minded even if it were the middle of the day. I knew there was nothing wrong with what I was about to do. I had a connection with Dane, but I couldn't explain. It was different from how I felt about Ethan, yet with both males, I felt a need and a desire to be with them as intimately as possible.
Tingles of anticipation danced across my skin as Dane traced lazy circles on my stomach. He leaned down, kissing me along my waist, then my upper thighs, and finally kissing me at that most sensitive place between my thighs. I lifted my hips in response and moaned softly. His tongue flicked at the sensitive nub and tremors of ecstasy rippled through me, gaining in intensity with each passing second. I gripped the bedding, squeezing the quilt in my hands as I moaned again. My hips bucked and wave after wave of pleasure rolled through my body until they finally exploded in a crescendo of bliss. I cried out as the climax shook my core.
Dane lifted his head and I felt like I was sinking deeper into the bed as my body relaxed in utter and complete satisfaction.
"You ready for more?" Dane asked.
"There's more?"
"You're with a Summer Fae, love. That was just the warm up."
When I woke the next morning, I knew the rumors about Summer Fae and Dane's reputation were completely deserved. In fact, more of my night had been spent stifling screams of ecstasy than actually sleeping.
"Good morning, love," Dane said.
I smiled lazily back, feeling completely content and at peace with the world in this moment.
Dane dragged his fingertips across my bare arm, gently caressing me before planting a soft kiss on my forehead. "I would ask if you wanted to go again before breakfast, but I've already heard several curious steps pause in front of our door. I imagine the others are wondering why we're still in here."
"Ethan," I said, his name off of my lips before I could stop myself. Guilt flared up in the pit of my stomach. Both for being with Dane and for saying another male's name while in his arms.
"He'll have to wait for his turn another night," Dane said. "Last night was for me and you."
; "You won't make me choose between you?" I asked, still struggling to wrap my head around the nonchalant attitude that they had toward sex.
"I'll admit, sharing you might be difficult, but if that's what it takes to have nights like this, I'm willing to do it," he said.
"You're with girls all the time," I said. I leaned in and exaggeratedly batted eyelashes at him. "I'm sure you have nights like this all the time."
He growled at me playfully, then grabbed my shoulders, rolling me over. We tumbled to the ground in a tangle of sheets.
Laughing, I started to dig my way out of the bedding. Dane pounced on me, pinning me to the ground. "You're not getting away from me that easily."
"Maybe I don't want to get away from you," I said.
Dane lowered his face so his nose was practically touching mine. "You know you're not like other females. Now that I've had you, I don't know that any other will be good enough."
His words left me breathless, unable to respond. Coming from Dane, that had to be the highest compliment he could give a female. "Dane..."
He pressed his lips into mine, swallowing my words. It was as if he knew what I wanted to say even when I struggled to find the words. With Dane, words weren't how he expressed himself. His touch, his kiss, his body pressed against mine were all the confirmation I needed that he was falling just as hard for me as I was for him.
Sheets thrown to the side, Dane and I became a tangle of flesh. It was as if we had both been starved and the other was our only source of sustenance. I gasped when he entered me, arching my back as his erection hit the spot inside of me that drove me wild. He held me close, my breasts pressed into his chest. The two of us were so close, it felt like we were one body. My fingers gripped his bare back as his thrusting sent me closer to the edge. I lifted my hips and dug my fingernails into him as I moaned, reaching my climax.
With a satisfied grin, Dane slowed down, but he wasn't ready to stop. He kissed the top of my shoulder, my collarbone, and my neck, giving me a moment to breath. Then, he lifted my legs so my hips were in the air and began to thrust inside me again. I gasped, as his erection nearly sent me to climax in a single thrust. Dane pressed on, and I grabbed hold of the abandoned sheets on the floor, squeezing the fabric in my hands as pleasure crashed through me in waves. Dane quickened his pace and I felt pressure building up inside me, begging for another release. Forgetting anything but the moment, I cried out, as the waves gave way to an explosion that made my thighs clench.
Dane finished, a tremor shaking him as he gently set my thighs back on the ground. Sweat glistened on his brow as he leaned forward. He kissed me again and stared at me with those blue eyes which were single-handedly capable of taking my breath away.
"I suppose we better put some clothes on. Or I'm going to have to keep you in bed all day with me."
The idea of spending an entire day in bed with Dane was delicious and enticing all too tempting. But I knew it wasn't possible. At least not now. We had things to do, and I knew his comments about people trying to listen into our room were probably true. I felt my cheeks heat. I'd probably been loud enough in the last few minutes to alert everyone in the small palace as to what we were still doing in bed.
Dane kissed me again before rolling off of me. He crossed the room and pulled on his trousers.
I moved a little slower, not wanting to return to reality. Finally, I forced myself to stand and started to look for my clothes.
Dane and I found our way to the dining hall where the others were already seated, being served breakfast by several servants. Remembering what Tristan had said about the servants in Faerie compared to the servants in the Winter Court, I lifted my hand in greeting to the first servant we came across, and to my surprise, the female Fae, who didn't look like a Brownie, greeted me back with a smile.
Most of the other servants I'd seen had shown very little emotion. It made me even more curious to learn about the politics and requirements of the way everyone was treated in each of the courts. I wondered if it was something I could study after I had my magic under control.
There were two available seats at the intimate dining table, one in between Tristan and Ethan and one next to Cormac. For some reason, I decided to take my chances next to the Winter Prince, and my other lover rather than sit next to Cormac. Once seated, I make quick work of filling my plate.
"It seems someone worked up an appetite last night." Tristan pushed a basket of sweet rolls toward me.
I ignored his comment, but took one of the offered pastries.
"It sure made sleeping next door to them difficult," Ethan said.
My cheeks heated and I knew I'd gone a shade deeper than usual in my blush and I looked up at Dane in horror. He was grinning like an idiot.
"While I do approve of sex as a tool for relieving stress," Cormac said, "getting some rest would have also been a good idea."
"Don't listen to them, love," Dane said. "They just wish they were the ones in the room with you last night. And they both know they wouldn't be able to make you scream the way I did."
"That's enough," I said. "I don't want to talk about this anymore. What I want to know is when we'll get to the Queen's Palace."
"Two days." Tristan looked over at Cormac. "And oddly, nothing has happened to Cassia so far."
"No more fighting," I said, knowing Tristan was just throwing more fuel on the fire. He'd said he thought Cormac was testing him, and at first, I wasn't sure what that meant. Now, I knew Cormac was waiting to see if Tristan harmed me. "I need all of you to help me with this and I'm not going to take sides."
Cormac stood, and I tensed, worried that he was going to shut me out again. Fear bubbled inside me and I opened my mouth to say something to change his mind. I didn't want him to leave me.
"I'll need Cassia for a training session before we go. She can't keep crossing in the open with her magic fully exposed. We don't need another attack from the creatures in the Under before we get to the Queen."
Relief washed through me and my shoulders relaxed. I closed my mouth and stood, without looking at the others. He was right, I didn't want any other monsters after me. Our last training session hadn't gone well, but I would have to figure out how to cycle my powers eventually.
Silently, I followed Cormac out of the dining hall.
Chapter Seven
My breath came out in clouds as we walked down the cold Winter Court street. It was early morning and we seemed to be the only ones up and moving around. The sun was a sliver of light in the horizon, watery and muted. I was looking forward to our return to the Autumn Court. The Winter Court wasn't as wintery as I anticipated, but it was dreary and desolate compared to the vibrancy and life of the Autumn Court. "Be honest with me, Cormac." I tugged on the male's sleeve, halting his progress. "Why aren't we just sliding to the Queen's Palace? Why all the pageantry?"
He frowned. "We've been over this, Cassia. It's not polite."
"And we've been over this, Cormac. I don't like when you keep me in the dark." I folded my arms over my chest and planted myself in the middle of the barren road, trying to make it clear that I wasn't moving until he talked.
His dark eyes trailed down my body, noting my stiff expression. With a noise that sounded almost like a growl, he dropped his hands to his side in frustration. "I'm testing Tristan, as he suspects."
I raised an eyebrow and didn't budge from my position. I knew there was more he wasn't letting on.
Cormac pursed his lips and studied me, warm brown eyes boring into mine, as if daring me to back down. I wasn't going to. Not this time. This wasn't life or death as it had been with the Sodalis, at least, not that I knew of.
"Fine," he said. "But not here. Come on." He turned and walked away, back to the stockyard where we'd had our first failed magic training session.
Releasing my arms, I jogged to catch up to him, trying not to smile too wide at the minor victory. Getting Cormac to share something of his plan was big. I knew he didn't even keep Dane and Ethan fully
informed of everything. They just went along with him.
When we reached the back of the stock yard, Cormac slid the massive wooden door open and stepped into the open exterior. Soft dirt greeted my footsteps, a welcome change from the uneven cobblestones of the road. I shivered as Cormac shut the door. The open expanse of space might be enclosed, but it wasn't any warmer here than it had been outside. I turned to Cormac, eager to hear the information he was hiding. "So?"
He ran a hand over his dark hair, smoothing it back toward the braid he wore at the base of his neck.
For a moment, I wondered what his hair would look like free of its bindings, then I quickly shook my head to prevent any images of him from invading my mind. "What's the big secret?"
"I received a letter from an informant," he said. "Several of the high houses in the Winter Court called their soldiers in to report as soon as we arrived here. They're preparing for something."
I felt the blood draining from my face. I didn't actually expect his words to be as serious as this. Cormac came across as overprotective so often that I expected it to be something much smaller. I wasn't a prince or a warlord or anyone trained in military conquest, but I knew what it meant if the nobles were calling in their infantry. It wasn't something that was done lightly in the human realm. It always meant war. "Do you think they mean to attack Faerie?"
"I'm not sure yet," Cormac said. "But Tristan has never agreed to help us in the past and when it came to you, he didn't even put up a fight. He offered to join in our visit to the Queen even though Winter Fae haven't paid tribute to our Queen since the war."
"You think he's using me to get to the Queen?" I covered my mouth with my hand, feeling terrible for so easily inviting Tristan into our party.
"I'm not sure. But I needed more time with him before I take him into the Royal Court. He can't be trusted. I'm waiting for his true colors to show." Cormac took a step closer to me. "Can I count on you to help me with this?"