by A. B. Keuser
She laughed in his ear, the sound light and intoxicating. “You’re insatiable.”
He turned her around holding tight to the window sill and leaning in for a kiss. She leaned back and for a moment he thought she’d just keep going until she fell right out.
Bathed in moonlight, her silver eyes glittered with a mischief he wanted to know better. “Are you going to kiss me? Or stare at me until you’re not sure I’m real?”
“I could do both,” Max said.
“We both know which one I’d prefer.”
He kissed her but pulled away before she could drag him in for something longer than he’d planned.
Shaking his head, he pulled her fully back inside. “Last night was a rush… tonight, I want to take my time.” He nudged her sideways, pressing her back against the wall that separated the open window from one of those that were closed.
“I want to taste you.” Ducking down, he licked her collarbone and followed it with a kiss.
He was going to draw this out as long as possible… if he kept her up, and moaning his name until the last of moonlight faded, it still wouldn’t be enough.
*
Silvia was in serious trouble.
Max took her hands, pulling them up, over her head, and held them there. One hand gripped her wrists while the other slid back down, his touch hard enough to keep from tickling, but nowhere close to bruising.
He kissed her slowly, with gentle nips and licks, and when his teeth dragged across her skin she wriggled against his hold.
She was not getting free.
Her heart beat faster as her brain reminded her body of the heavenly release Max had provided before. Her nipples tightened, her stomach clenched at the promise in the small kisses.
When he pulled away, finally focusing on something other than her neck, she leaned toward him, taking hold of his mouth with hers, and ignoring the tight ache in her shoulders as he kept her wrists pinned.
He broke away from her, “What do you want, sweetheart?”
“You.” The words were breathy and she barely recognized them. “In me.”
He chuckled, the sound washed over her. “We’ll get to that.”
“When?”
He smiled and pressed his hips into hers and she gasped. He was hard. Even though he’d filled her completely yesterday, she hadn’t taken the time to fully appreciate how big he was.
Maybe he was right about taking things slower this time.
He released her hands, but immediately turned her around, pinning her against the closed window. In a quick movement he had the bodice of her dress undone and around her waist.
He leaned forward and said, “Would you like it if I bent you out the window and fucked you there?”
A shiver wracked through her and it wasn’t from the cool glass on her exposed breasts. “Yes.”
He pressed a kiss into her shoulder and snaked a hand around her waist, up her stomach, and caressed one breast, then the other.
Laughing again, his breath warm against her ear, he said, “We can make that happen.”
With a single hand, he slid her dress all the way off and she stepped out of it, leaving her slippers amid the discarded fabric.
He spun her around and took a breast in one hand, sucking her nipple into his mouth. She whimpered at the sensation.
Stepping away, he looked at her. It was the gaze of a man trying to decide which of his favorite foods to eat first, which to save for later.
A chill moved through her from the open window and she realized what he’d done. Tonight, she was the one naked while he stood there fully clothed.
Just because he’d been in control at the start didn’t mean it had to stay that way. She turned away from him and for a moment her gaze lingered on the mark her breasts had made on the window. Pushing it open, another brush of a breeze set goosebumps across her flesh. She ignored them.
When she turned back, he was right in front of her. He caught her before she was able to stumble backward, and before she could take a second breath, his fingers had dipped down to circle her clit.
The sound she made was indescribable—somewhere between pleasure, surprise, and irritation.
It was her turn to move him where she wanted him. Apparently, he hadn’t heard.
Kissing her like it was the last one they’d share, he leaned into her, slipping one finger and then another into her. “I’m going to bend you over, out that window, and I’m going to fuck you until you cry my name out for anyone to hear.”
Pulling her tighter to him so that her clit ground against the heel of his palm, he stared at her, waiting for an answer.
“Please.” Was the only word she was able to manage.
He turned her and pressed her down so her hands gripped the thick sill. Moonlight shone over the forest and from here, she could see figures moving through the courtyard far below. All it would take was a curious glance upward for them to see her.
His breath feathered across her ear. “Do you still want this?”
Her breathing was already heavy and she didn’t look back at him, all she saw was stars and the forest beyond. “Yes.”
He wanted to go slow, to savor her, but something ate at the back of his mind. It brought with it a fear that every moment could be their last.
Max held her hip in one hand, her shoulder with the other, notched himself against her and slammed into her as though anything short of “everything he had” wasn’t good enough for her.
She pressed to her toes and he slid deeper with each thrust. Slipping a hand beneath her, she touched herself, spiraling even more pleasure through her.
The friction of his strokes, the fullness of every inch he slid into her and her own fingers pushed her toward the edge.
Closer and closer. Until….
“Oh Gods, Max!” Her voice was cut off a breath later as her whole body spasmed and shook.
When she caught herself again, she pulled away from him.
He made a noise of objection, but it cut off as soon as she spun around, dropped to her knees and took his still hard length into her mouth.
He cursed but slid his fingers into her hair and pumped his hips to meet every stroke of her lips, every swirl of her tongue.
A moment later, he jerked and cum hit the back of her throat. She swallowed it down, looking up to meet his eyes and continued to pull every last drop from him as his hooded eyes looked down at her like she was a miracle.
He pulled her to her feet and kissed her before picking her up and tossing her on her bed.
Three minutes and two towels later, he was wrapped around her, his nose nuzzling her ear. “This is not the way to get any work done.”
“We just have to get it out of our systems.” Silvia said it with a smile that she didn’t feel. If the last two nights were any hint she wouldn’t be tired of him any time soon.
She slipped into an exhausted, dreamless slumber.
And when she woke up… an iron frog greeted her on her pillow.
*
Silvia worked through the early afternoon, trying to solve Heinrich’s corset issue. He was right when he said it was killing him slowly, and a quarter inch every day was not going to give him long. Iron was not her forte, and she was beginning to think she’d bitten off more than she could chew.
Restless and frustrated, she descended from the tower and headed off in search of anyone to talk to—anyone but Druan Kimmler who’d tried to corner her twice more since their unfortunate introduction.
A door opened, seconds after she passed it, and an arm wrapped around her throat jerking her backward.
Mina, again.
"Gods damnit!" the hand on her throat tightened, and she heard the sharp sound of a metal blade being pulled from its sheath. Mina wouldn't play with knives.
“Frankincense,” she called out, but the arm only got tighter. Mina would never keep going if she said that.
Kicking back, she hit the hard bone of a leg and the person behind her grunted.
Definitely not Mina. Probably male. That would help her.
Twisting, she managed to free herself from his grasp, but he caught her skirt and slashed, cutting a long line in the fabric. Her dressmaker would be pissed.
Taking three quick steps back, she looked at her attacker.
He wore a jackal mask and a dark hood over his head the cloak it came from wrapped around him and for half a moment, Silvia thought he might manage kill her. That was unacceptable.
Lunging, his first attempt to get another hold on her failed. And as he passed, she kicked out, landing a hard blow to his stomach. The knife went flying.
He rolled away but sprang to his feet like nothing had happened. And this time, she had nowhere to move when he dove for her again. He caught hold of her and dropped her to the floor.
Using a move Mina hadn't taught her, she sank her nails into his neck and as he pulled away, she punched him in the throat. It wasn't nice, but then again, neither was throwing a woman to the ground.
She rolled atop her attacker and tried to pull the mask away. No luck.
Scrabbling to her feet, she only just made it upright when he grabbed hold of her again.
She kneed him in the groin. No reaction.
Maybe she’d been wrong.
She pushed them away.
They twisted toward her and she caught their wrist, shoving it backward before she kicked them square in the stomach again. They fell back, gasping.
Scrambling, trying to get to their feet, her assailant was too slow. Snatching up the blade, she lunged forward and held it to their throat. But as she reached for the mask to see who her attacker was, a noise from behind pulled her attention away.
Heinrich stared, looking from her to the dark figure she straddled.
The assailant took their chance. Throwing Silvia backward, they tried to grab the knife away and she managed to cut their shoulder before they wrenched it from her grasp. Glancing up at Heinrich behind her, they ran away, shoes marking an uneven rhythm across the tiled floor.
Heinrich reached her, puffing from exertion and pressing a hand against his waist. "Are you alright?"
No, she wasn't. Her assailant had gotten away. Shaking her head, she turned to him and forced a smile. "I'm fine. They got the drop on me, but otherwise they were easier to drop than Mina ever has been.”
Swallowing another gulping breath Heinrich nodded. "I think we need to tell her, she and Ivy are in her room. I just left them."
"Right, the nightly hunt. Did you find your missing item?"
His jaw flexed and he glanced away. "No. I'm beginning to think I never will.”
She brushed a hand over his forehead to sweep a red lock of hair into place.
He smiled, the expression pained. “Are you sure you’re alright.”
“The only casualty I’ve suffered is this dress, and that is not so great a loss.” It was older and she didn’t know why she was thinking about that when Heinrich was so close to her.
All she wanted to do was slip into the vacant room across the hall and have her way with him. But that was the adrenaline talking—at least that was what she was going to tell herself. With a quick glance in either direction, she pushed up on her toes and kissed him, their lips meet in a brutal crush as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tightly against him.
She pulled away. Now was not the time, and this was not the place.
“We will continue that, later,” she said. It was a promise—and maybe a threat.
She pushed open the door to Mina's room, poked her head in to make sure they were both clothed, and then threw it wide, letting Heinrich follow her in and to the cool air from the open window.
She let him tell his truncated version of events. Mina would be mad enough without all of the little details her story would give.
SEVEN
Mina paced back and forth in front of her fireplace and Silvia inhaled deeply, letting the incense's heady perfume relax her.
"What are we going to do about this?" She asked, turning not to her and Heinrich who sat on the fainting couch by the window, but to Ivy who had shed the outer layers of her clothing and sat in the middle of the room, legs crossed as if meditating.
When Ivy's response was a scowl, Mina let out a huff and threw her hands in the air. "And you," she pointed an accusing finger at Heinrich, "Are you sure you didn't see their face, anything identifying about them?"
"No, they wore a jackal mask and a full hood on their cloak. You're not the only one who wants to catch them."
Mina pursed her lips—today they were a delicious burgundy that made Silvia want to call for wine. Instead, she inhaled more deeply and reclined further, the movement pressed her legs against Heinrich's and he slipped a hand onto her thigh. It seemed an unconscious movement... like he'd done it a hundred times before.
Snapping her fingers in front of Silvia's face, Mina gave her a questioning glare. "Did they say anything that might help us?"
"No, that's why I thought they were you at first." She sighed and glanced from Mina to Ivy. "If it happens again, I'll try harder to get the mask off."
Ivy shook her head. "We'll find out who they are before it comes to that."
Heinrich's grip on her leg tightened momentarily. If his touch through the thick fabric of her skirt felt this good....
Mina started talking again and dragged her thoughts away. "We should start a search of the castle. Ivy, you should take the servant's quarters and the stables. The staff likes you better than they do me. They don't trust the amount of gold I wear."
Silvia sat upright. She wasn't going to sit idly by while they worked to find her attacker.
"I'll take the East wing and the ballrooms." Mina said, her mouth screwed into a frown. "If someone's in one of the guest rooms, I think I can still pretend that I got lost. I don't think anyone will expect me to have memorized the palace layout in the brief time I've been here."
"And we'll take the west." Silvia said before Mina could find someone else to do it. "I can go into any room without causing a fuss, and we both know that my mother would flip if you were to go into her chambers."
"Do you think we need to search hers?" Heinrich asked, still sitting in the rigid posture that reminded her of the iron around his waist.
"It's the one place no one would expect to find someone. Seems like a pretty reasonable place to hide if you want to avoid detection."
Mina nodded and glanced at her once more. "You're sure you don't know who it could have been?"
Shaking her head she said, “I cut them.” Motioning to the place her blade had struck. “In case that helps.”
“It might.”
Silvia stood and looked back to Heinrich. "We should start now, never know where they'll get off to if we dally much longer."
Mina nodded as she and Ivy pulled on their outer layers. Taking hold of Heinrich's hand, Silvia led him from the room and back toward the part of the palace where her room and the other royal apartments were. If Ivy or Mina noticed their casual touch, they didn't say anything before the doors closed, leaving them separated.
Heinrich was lost in thought beside her and she let him think. After all, a lot had happened since he'd stumbled into their country.
When they reached the silver plated statues of a long dead king and her mother—the only thing that marked the change of rooms—Heinrich squeezed her hand tightly and then let go, moving to the first door. The room was empty at the moment, cleaned and prepared for her sister's arrival for the party. Light streamed through the windows and Silvia went through the sitting room into the bedroom and searched the dressing room as well. Heinrich was always a step behind her.
His presence a comforting warmth at her back. Resisting the urge to take hold of his hand for a physical reminder of their connection, she returned to the main room.
She paused, glancing at the bed and remembering his lips on hers, his hand on the small of her back. The memory quickly slid to his admission that there was someo
ne else, and led her thoughts to the man upstairs. She was playing with fire, and it was only a matter of time before she'd have to accept the consequences. She turned her thoughts back to her task.
The other rooms were empty, some of them completely devoid of furniture. The one beside her mother's chamber was cleaned, furnished and ready. Silvia scowled at the space as they stepped inside.
"Whose room is this?" Heinrich asked, and she realized it did look somehow lived in.
"Mine... or it will be. This is the heir apparent's suite. I've resisted taking it even though the title already applies... but my mother won't allow me to stay in the smaller room if I'm sharing a bed with someone permanently.”
Heinrich studied the room a little more closely and she turned away, trying not to read too much into that.
Pulling open the door to the dressing room, her scowl deepened. "You have got to be kidding me."
"What is it?" Heinrich asked, moving quickly across the room.
"She is insufferable."
Silvia stepped into the room. One side held a rail completely full of dresses and if her first glance was accurate, they were just her size. The opposite side....
Heinrich touched one of the coats hanging with so many others like it and turned to her with a curious--if not laughing-- smile. "Should I be worried that this looks like it will fit me perfectly?"
"Yes. If you need me to, I can smuggle you out of the palace tonight. She might be mad at me, but she's not going to hurt me."
"I'm not going anywhere until we find the person who tried to kill you."
She shrugged, closed the door behind her and followed him through the lower floor's rooms. Then, when she was sure there was nothing dangerous downstairs—aside from her mother's intentions—she turned to the stairway that led up one side of the room. The second floor of the suite held a small library and three empty worktables. One of the many lures her mother had used to entice her out of the tower.
The only thing out of place was a book that had been left open on the furthest table. A glance told her it was love poems and she quickly stored it away.