Lilith Enraptured (Divinity Warriors 1)

by Pillow Michelle M.

  “Did you care for her?”

  “I told you, we don’t give weight to such notions.” Why couldn’t she just leave the topic be? He didn’t want to talk about Bianka, or think about her, or even remember her.

  “Curse it, Sorin, you had to feel something. I can tell you cared for her by the way you react. Call it what you like, but I think you loved her.” She tried to grab at his arm. Peasants stopped what they were doing to watch the noble couple.

  Sorin came to an abrupt halt. Glancing around, he saw they were close to the main road leading up to the inner bailey. He hooked her arm with his and guided her toward the gate. When they were relatively alone, he said, “You wish to know what I felt for her? Hate. Disappointment. Disenchantment. Her own people shoved her into a fairy ring to get rid of her. When I first saw her, I felt sorry for her. She looked like she needed protection.”

  “Sorin—”

  He cut her off, continuing toward the gate. He kept his voice low so only she could hear and plastered a fake smile on his face for those who watched them. “Then her true nature was revealed. She was a selfish, cruel wench who demanded everything and gave nothing. When I left for war she tried to seduce the whole of my castle. When none would touch her, she burned down my home and ran away with every valuable she could fit onto her stolen horses. Nevertheless, she was my wife, and it was my duty to rescue her and keep her safe. I should have locked her in a tower. By the time I found her, she’d crossed over the Caniba border and propositioned one of their raiding parties. First, they took what she offered, then they took her valuables and her horses, and then they took her for food.”

  “Oh, Sorin, no.”

  He decided to take her to the brewery, knowing it would be empty and they’d have privacy. “I see the look on your face when I speak of fighting and my life, but there is a reason we are always at war. There is no peace with the Caniba. They are dishonorable, disgusting creatures. So as long as there is a Caniba and so long as there is a Staria, we will be at war. That is the role our gods have given us.”

  * * * * *

  Though still brusque in nature, Sorin at least spoke. Lilith didn’t know how to answer his tirade. When she thought his hesitance to talk about his late wife was due to emotional pain, it had been strangely imperative that she confront him. She had to make him face the truth of his loss if there was to be any hope of deepening their relationship. But this? His hard features and flat tone revealed not how much he could love, but how he could hate.

  As they’d walked the marketplace, his hair dried into soft waves. Cotton fabric molded to his strong body, stretching over his thick chest and muscular back. All day she did her best not to look at him too long. It had taken all her willpower not to touch him. But now, as he dragged her behind him, stiff and angry, a large part of her thought of running away and hiding in the surrounding town.

  The market had been a wonderful experience, aside from the constant stares from the villagers. She did her best to pretend she didn’t notice. Lilith loved studying their social interactions. It told a lot about the society to see their poor. Though, in truth, the poor didn’t appear so poor. Everyone seemed to prosper. They were well fed, gave the impression they were happy, children ran around freely and not one beggar lined the streets in need of alms.

  Sorin led her through the gate. Inside the inner bailey, soldiers practiced in the exercise field. They threw spears at distant targets, cheering good-naturedly when someone hit their aim, which apparently was often. Hurrying to catch up to Sorin as he strode toward a wide building constructed of wood, she tried to change the subject back to when he’d been talking to her without scowling. “So, none of the noblewomen take more than one husband? Is it illegal? Mind you, I don’t wish for multiples, just asking.”

  He quirked a brow and directed her to follow him inside. The strong, stifling odor of fermenting liquor instantly filled her lungs. She blinked heavily, adjusting to the dim light as she coughed.

  “Try not to breathe too deeply. They’re malting the grain.” He motioned to the side, but all she saw was a long stretch of material covered in what appeared to be dark sand over a smoker. Sorin took her hand and guided her through the first room. In the back, a narrow row of stairs led into the ground. The second room contained barrels of stored liquor, didn’t smell as strong and had a chill to it. He turned a sharp corner, pushing into a third room. Light shone from a row of holes in the ceiling. Muffled noise from the exercise field filtered in. Despite the dirt floor and a single pale cobweb in the far ceiling corner, the place was empty.

  “Where are you taking me?” The words barely escaped her when he tugged her into his arms.

  “Right here.” He stepped assertively forward, forcing her against an uneven stone wall. “I’m going to take you right here. No one will think to look for us in the cellar and I know you wish not to be seen.”

  Lilith saw the intent in his impassioned expression, felt it pressing unmistakably against her stomach. A shiver erupted along her flesh. The memory of his kiss caused her lips to tingle.

  Deft fingers tugged at the scarf around her neck, parting it to expose the tops of her breasts. He squeezed her through the corset, moaning as eager hands worked a breast free from the top. Sorin pinched her nipple, following the hard caress with the softer suck of his mouth.

  Lilith let out a weak cry. He devoured her with his hands and mouth, tugging at her skirt to lift it, slipping fingers next to his tongue so both could play with her nipple. Desire wet her pussy in anticipation. She helplessly explored his neck and shoulders, unable to do much else as he pinned her to the wall.

  “I need to be inside you,” he growled in animalistic urgency. “I’ve been hard since I woke up this morn, and your kiss in the hall only made the ache worse. All day I’ve pictured throwing you over the booths, taking you in the silky ribbons, on the fur pelts, over the hard iron latches.”

  It wasn’t public and she knew no one could see them, but the sounds coming from outside, knowing so many people were close, caused her heart to quicken in what wasn’t exactly repulsion. Sorin ran his hand up her bare thigh to her sex. He thrust a finger into the moist folds of her pussy.

  “A-ah,” he breathed hotly against her chest. “Please, do not deny me, my lady. I need you. If I don’t find release soon inside your sweet body, I’ll explode. Lift your legs around my waist. Let me inside you.”

  Lilith slid a leg to settle next to his waist. Sorin grabbed the other, hoisting her easily from the floor. She held onto his shoulders, gripping his tunic. Like a spear finding its target, he moved his shaft up her thigh. The thick tip of his cock head hit against her pussy, an instant reminder of how large of a man he was. His grip tightened on her hips and his eyes bore deeply into hers, as if to silently beg permission.

  Lilith wiggled, circling her hips so she teased his arousal with the inviting wetness of her pussy. It must have been all the answer he needed, because Sorin lunged into her. Unlike the night before, he didn’t ease his way into her depths. Instead, the full length of him glided to the root, burying itself in the tight sheath of her sex.

  “Ah, I need to have you.” As he said it, he pulled back and thrust again, hard and deep. “You’re still so tight around me. I want to pound you until your pussy’s the shape of my cock. I’m going to make you come so hard you’ll never want another man between these soft thighs.”

  Lilith couldn’t find the words to respond to his possessive decree. She’d never been taken so forcefully, so desperately, as if he’d die if he couldn’t stake fast and hard claim to what he considered his. And as he jabbed wildly in and out, she couldn’t think of one good reason why he shouldn’t think that way. She was his, marked to her very core. Even if she left him, she’d never forget a single detail.

  Sorin wasn’t the only one whose desires had been building all day. Lilith met her release fast and hard, just like he promised. She tensed, panting and shaking as he thrust a few more times. Her legs went limp, the bone
s turning to tingling liquid. Sorin grunted, pressing her hard against the stone as he climaxed. He nuzzled her neck before letting her go. Her skirts fell about her unstable legs, and she stayed against the cool stones while she adjusted her bodice. Sorin pulled up his breeches, lacing them along the side of his hip.

  “The hall should be ready to dine,” he said, opening the door for her. She nodded, not meeting his gaze. He sounded so nonchalant. “It would be good for us to be there, together.”

  Lilith wound her hair back into the braids as she left the ventilated room for the stifling brewery. As she stepped past, she expected Sorin to pull her into his arms and maybe kiss her temple, some sign of affection beyond the sex. His hand brushed the small of her back, guiding her along, but that was all.

  “Have you considered the fire ceremony?” he inquired. “The weather is perfect for it, and it would be a nice gesture from the new noblewoman.”

  Lilith closed her eyes briefly. She didn’t want to talk about a fire ceremony. She wanted him to kiss her head and say he cared for her. She wanted tenderness, affection. Hell, she wanted a hint at the possibility of love.

  “I told Alana I’d speak with her tomorrow,” she said flatly, not ready to give in to the bitch brigade who’d treated her like dirt before Sorin’s public announcement.

  “And tomorrow, what will you tell her?”

  Lilith gave a small smile. “I’ll probably tell her that I’ll talk to her tomorrow.”

  Chapter Ten

  Lilith stared in amazement at her bed. Piles upon piles of trinkets from the market filled every corner until she realized that somehow each and every item she’d given so much as a sidelong glance at had been delivered to her room. There were bolts of fancy material, a wooden chair with a forest carved over the back, a sewing kit, woven baskets, ribbons and perfumes. A thick, silver-embossed book caught her eye and a tiny flutter went across her stomach.

  Setting the knife Sorin had given her on the vanity, she walked around the bed. Pieces of leather rested atop fluffy white pelts. A wooden box filled with white candles butted up against a tall stack of blank parchment with feathery writing utensils and pots of colorful ink. There were silver goblets and chained necklaces such as she’d seen some of the women wear around the castle but had never really looked too closely at.

  “Sorin?” she called, hearing someone move on the other side of the opened door. They’d just finished the eve meal and she’d come up before him—mainly to avoid more audience requests from the seemingly endless stream of women making their way to the head table. “I think there’s been a mistake.” She couldn’t resist touching the book. Tracing the cover’s edge, she lifted it open to peek inside. The language was nothing she could read without a translator unit and weeks of time. “I must have ordered things by accident when I was at the market. I didn’t realize if you touched it you had to buy it.”

  “Accident?” Sorin appeared at her doorway, his heated gaze glancing over her before turning to the bed. She shivered at the unmistakably aroused attention. All through the meal he’d stared at her, touching his leg to hers under the table, pretending to bump into her hand whenever she reached for her goblet. “No, no accident. It looks like everything I ordered for you. If I missed something, let me know. Though, the maids should have put it away when I had them fill the tub. I’ll send for Sera. They can work while we bathe.”

  He was out the door before she could protest his idea. Unwittingly, her gaze traveled to the bath and her skin began to tingle. His wet, gliding hands would feel pretty good against her flesh.

  It’s not like everyone doesn’t know what we’re doing, she reasoned, only to argue, but that doesn’t mean I have to flaunt it.

  When she heard the unmistakably steady beat of his footfall as he came back, she said, “You didn’t have to get me all this stuff. I don’t really need any of it. Well, I really like the paper and ink. And did you see inside this book? I think it’s handwritten. I’ve never had a book like this.” She continued leafing through the pages, desperately wanting to keep it. “Oh, and the perfume does smell really nice, but I have no idea what do to with iron hinges and raw leather.”

  “Ach, you are still clothed.” Sorin stood in the doorway, naked. Her mouth fell open in surprise, not expecting it. He must have taken his tunic and breeches off in the speed of light as he crossed his room to get to her. “I had hoped to find you already in the bath.” He strode to her, reaching to pull the scarf from her neck. “It is easily resolved. Unlace your corset. I have yet to look upon you naked and I plan to correct that without delay.”

  “The maids are coming,” she said by way of denial.

  Sorin groaned and leaned his mouth to claim hers, not caring that maids were on their way up and he was naked before the opened door to her room. He slanted his mouth to hers in a wondrously talented assault. When he pulled away, he rubbed his thumb between her eyes, smoothing out her wrinkle of concentration. “No, stop thinking about everything and just feel. No one cares what we do but us. I want to see you now. I want to feel every inch of you and give you pleasure.”

  Lilith found herself nodding, despite her logical judgment. His hands went to her bodice and pulled the stiffer material free. He pushed the corset down her hips, tugging it down to the floor. Outside the sky had darkened with late evening and firelight hit her from behind, casting her shadow across the floor. Next, he reached to pull the laces along her shoulder, unfastening the gown but not pushing it down her body. Warm hands ventured over her hair, undoing the braids so that the length fell free down her back.

  “So lovely,” he murmured. He stepped away, openly looking at her as he backed toward the fireplace. Taking an unlit torch from a basket on the floor, he pushed it into the fire and carried the flame toward the bathroom. All the while, he kept his eyes on her. His cock towered over his hips, already fully aroused and cast into stark detail under the bright torchlight. “Soft and sweet.”

  Lilith followed him to the bathing chamber. When she cleared the wall, he pushed on it, closing them in the smaller room and giving them privacy from the maids. Sorin hooked the end of the torch into a sconce carved in the wall. He stepped into the water and sat.

  “Take off your gown. I want to see you.” His arms spread over the back of the tub, as he watched intently.

  She trembled under his full attention, but did as he commanded. Tugging at her shoulder, she let the material slip down her arms to reveal her chest and stomach. She pulled out of the sleeves and pushed the gown over her hips. Almost nervous, she stood, feet buried in her discarded gown. The chilled tower breeze hit her naked flesh and her nipples tightened in protest to the cold.

  “Turn in a circle,” Sorin ordered. “Slowly.”

  Lilith resisted the impulse to cover herself. Sorin’s lids fell heavy over his eyes as she spun in a circle. When she made a complete rotation, she found Sorin with his hand on his cock stroking gently beneath the dancing orange surface.

  “Come here,” he beckoned.

  Lilith stepped into the warm water, watching it ripple around her legs. Before she could sink into the tub, Sorin surged forward. Droplets trickled over his chest in captivating rivulets. He started at her toes, working up over her ankles, before his hands glided up the back of her legs to wet her skin. She sucked her bottom lip between her teeth, biting down.

  She panted, a ripple of need coursing over her. His hands dipped down only to glide back up with the aid of the water. When he looked at her, she fell under his powerful trance. His will overtook hers and she knew she’d do anything he asked of her.

  Sorin touched her flesh, rubbing delicately. His face was only a millimeter away from her stomach, his nose very close to nuzzling into her sex. She swayed on her feet, focused on the contact. Lilith welcomed the rush of sensations that his nearness brought. Hands moved along the intimate curve of her knee, tickling her with the lightness of their caress. Nestling his face intimately against the apex of her thighs, he inhaled, shamelessly
reveling in her scent.

  Lilith met his eyes, unable to fight the spell he wove over her. She trembled. Her pussy became very wet in a way that had nothing to do with the warm bath and everything to do with the sexy man currently worshiping her with his hands.

  The torch reflected in his gaze, giving the piercing dark depths a mythical glow. Dark waves framed his face and she reached to brush the locks from his face. He closed his eyes and leaned into her palm, stroking her with his whiskered cheek. The thick muscles of his neck and shoulders shifted erotically with each subtle movement. He caressed her hips, squeezed her ass, licked a hot trail around her navel.

  Then he did something completely shocking. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her. The action was completely out of character for the great knight. Sorin’s head pressed to her stomach and his hand splayed across her back as if he’d never let her go. Lilith trembled, about to stroke his hair when he released, continuing as if the moment never happened.

  Throaty and raw, he whispered, “I want to bathe you.”

  He pulled back and she felt a chill without his touch. Lilith dipped down into the water, letting it lap against her shoulders. Nothing in this world seemed like it could be real, and she pictured herself strapped to a scientist’s table somewhere being fed dreams while they probed her mind. The dark water reflecting torchlight, the handsome man who looked at her as if she were the most beautiful thing in all the dimensions, all of it had to be a dream.

  “I don’t want to wake up,” she whispered. He looked at her questioningly and she blushed, realizing she’d said it out loud.

  Sorin dipped his hands into a small jar left near the bath and rubbed them sensually together. Soap lathered between his palms. He stayed crouched in the water as he came for her with predatory grace. “Stand up.”

  Lilith obeyed. The long strands of her hair clung to her shoulders, glued in place as the water ran down her body. His firm lips set in concentration as he soaped her skin, gliding easily over her upper thighs, hips, ass and finally her breasts. She closed her eyes, enjoying the sensation of his touch. When she was alone with Sorin, she couldn’t think or reason. All the dimensions faded away and there was only the two of them.