The Lion's Share (The Lion Princes Book 2)

by Leslie Chase

  "Is this what you want, Sophie?" he said, looking down into her eyes.

  "Yes!" The word was a desperate gasp, and he smiled to see how much she wanted him. "Yes, you ass, you know I do."

  "Tell me," he commanded. "Tell me what it is you need, my darling."

  "I need you," she said. Her face flushed, her chest heaving, she looked and sounded sexier than he could have imagined as she pleaded with him. "I need you inside me, Matt, please!"

  Mattias didn't need any more encouragement. With a single powerful thrust he drove himself home inside her, pinning her to the ground with his weight. Sophie gasped under him, her body arching, pressing herself against him. Her hands tightened on him again, holding him, her fingernails digging into his skin. Both of their bodies shuddered together as he filled her, and he felt as though he could die happy now.

  Her body held his cock perfectly, the tightness of her pussy made for him. The shivering little breaths she gave as he paused, deep inside her, told him that she felt the same way. Her eyes shone as he looked down at her, her long hair spread on the grass like a halo. For a second they were still.

  Then he pulled back, and thrust home again. Sophie gasped and shuddered, leaning up to kiss his neck as he withdrew again. The next thrust made her cry out, her muscles tensing, nails digging into him, and then she lost control enough to bite him.

  The feel of her teeth in his flesh made him roar, the lion in his soul roused. Losing control of himself, Mattias grabbed at his mate's shoulders and pulled her to him, thrusting harder and faster. Each stroke took him deeper into Sophie, and each made her gasp into him, her body tightening around him. Her nails raked his back savagely, and he arched over her.

  A shudder ran through her, and he felt her tighten around him. The feeling was glorious, wonderful, marvelous, and he had to struggle to keep himself from exploding. But that much control he still had — this wasn't only his moment. It was hers, and her pleasure came first.

  So would she.

  Fighting to keep his breathing even, he drove her onward, over the edge into another orgasm. Her head thrown back, Sophie shouted aloud, her joy echoing off the mountainside as she came. And that glorious moment was too much for him, too. The rhythm of their motion, the tightness of her around his rod, and the sheer joy of being with her at last, all pulled away the remnants of his self-control until he couldn't fight it any longer.

  Looking into Sophie's eyes, he came and came hard, filling her. His roar of triumph shook the mountain around them and they lost themselves in the moment of pure pleasure.

  11

  When she came back to herself, Sophie found herself lying on her back in the cool night air, Mattias beside her. They were both covered in sweat, and the chill night air was starting to cool her skin, but the raw heat of their lovemaking was still enough to keep her warm.

  Feeling dazed, she sat up slowly, looking down at the magnificent man beside her. I didn't know it could be like that, she thought. Not that she'd much to compare it to, but she couldn't have imagined in her wildest dreams the heights of pleasure he'd driven her to.

  And now he looked up at her with a smile that was only a little bit smug. She couldn't begrudge him that; who wouldn't be, after what he'd done? Smiling back at him, she pushed her hair out of her face and took a deep breath.

  "That was amazing," she said. It was an understatement. Sophie didn't have words to express how good it had felt to give in to the drive she'd felt since she laid eyes on Mattias at the airport.

  The afterglow wrapped around her like a blanket, soft and warm. For the first time in days, her mind was quiet and calm. The worries she'd carried were still there, but she could leave them be for a little while and just breathe.

  Mattias raised himself up on his elbows, looking at her. It felt good to be admired by this man, this lion. His gaze made her tingle and her heart pound again.

  "It was," he said at last, agreeing with a grin. "I knew it would be good, but I couldn't have imagined it would be like that. Woman, you're a sorceress."

  Sophie laughed, blushing deeper. "I'm pretty sure you did most of the work, Matt. I certainly didn't need any supernatural powers."

  "Are you sure?" he asked, raising an eyebrow and laughing with her. "Because I had a hard time keeping up."

  She thumped him on the arm playfully and giggled, hiding her face in her hands. Suddenly she felt shy, which was ridiculous under the circumstances, she knew, but she couldn't help her feelings.

  Mattias's strong arms reached around her, pulling her to him, and the contrast between the heat of his body and the cold mountain air was delicious. But nice as it was, it also made it clear how cold she was getting and she looked around for something to cover herself with. Their clothes were strewn all over the grass, and there was nothing near enough to grab.

  Shivering, she clung to Mattias. "Couldn't you have brought a blanket or something?"

  "Hey, I was just following you," he protested. "Why didn't you bring one?"

  "Because I wasn't planning on..." her voice trailed off, and she sighed. Gesturing around her, she shook her head. "I didn't expect this. You weren't meant to find me. Or even look for me."

  And with that, her fears started to leak back in. Mattias seemed to sense that, holding her close and tight, and it would have reassured her if he wasn't part of what she was afraid of. After an awkward moment he stood up, lifting her easily.

  "Sophie, I can see something's still wrong," he said. "You can tell me. Whatever it is, we can face it together. While I've got you by my side, there's nothing I can't face."

  Sophie thought about that. They were far from the castle, from the guards, and if there was ever a place where Praetor wouldn't overhear them, this was it. But could she risk it, even so? With her family's safety hanging in the balance, it was a huge risk to take.

  As she hesitated, Mattias frowned. Picking up her clothes, he wrapped her jacket around her to keep the chill off her, and then sat himself back down against a rock. His own nakedness didn't seem to bother him at all, nor did the cold. He sat there on the ground, almost glowing with his internal heat.

  Even sated as she was, Sophie felt the call of him, of his magnificent body and keenly skilled hands. It took an effort to even try and think of anything else, and she knew she had to do something about it.

  Grabbing his shirt from the ground, she threw it onto his lap. At least that did something to cover him and bought her space to think.

  I can't just let Praetor's plan work, she told herself. He's crazy, and I doubt it'll work for long, but he could do a huge amount of damage to the country. And who knows what will happen to Mattias and his brothers when the plan goes wrong?

  She shivered at the thought. The princes could take care of themselves better than most, of course, but what about Anna? She didn't have any protection from the guards if they turned on the royal family. The longer Praetor was left to his own devices, the worse things would get. I have to tell him.

  "Mattias," she said, gathering her courage as she picked up her clothes and pulled them on. This wasn't something she wanted to talk about half-naked; as hard as talking to him was while he was undressed, the way he kept looking at her was even more distracting.

  "What is it?" he asked, sitting forward and looking up at her.

  "There's something going on that I have to tell you about." Sophie closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and pulled her courage together. "You're in danger."

  Eyes shut, she couldn't see him, but she could feel his gaze on her. His focus, and his willingness to listen. Everything's going to be alright, she thought with relief.

  But before she could say anything more, a bright light played over her. After adjusting to the moonlit night, it was painful even through closed eyelids, and she threw up an arm to cover her face. She heard Mattias leap to his feet growling

  "She is right, Your Highness," Captain Praetor said jovially, though Sophie could hear an edge in his voice. "Which is exactly why you shoul
dn't be out in the mountains alone."

  Blinking her eyes open, Sophie could just focus on the men coming over the rise. There were at least three of them, each carrying a bright flashlight, and she couldn't make out much past the light. But what she could see chilled her more than the mountain air could. They were Royal Security Service men, all armed. She shivered, suddenly very glad that she'd dressed — as vulnerable as she felt now, it would have been so much worse to face them naked.

  "What's the meaning of this, Captain?" Mattias demanded. His voice was powerful, carrying the force of a prince's authority, and it gave Sophie a little comfort. He, at least, wasn't cowed by the men and their guns.

  "I'm sorry to intrude on the pair of you, sir," Praetor said, and she could hear the smirk in his voice. "We became concerned when you didn't return from your date, and Massimo's confirmed that you hadn't left with Ms. Walters."

  "I told you I didn't want to be followed, Captain Praetor. If I'd wanted you to know where I was, I'd have told you."

  "Regrettably, sir, I didn't have the luxury of following your instructions," Praetor said. "There has been a threat to your life, and I had to make sure you were safe. I apologize for the intrusion, of course, but your life may be in danger."

  Mattias was about to say something else, but Praetor pressed on regardless.

  "Sophie's life is, too, if she's out here with you. When I learned that she was missing too, sir, I feared the worst. Anything could have happened to the two of you out here."

  "I can protect her," Mattias said, but Sophie heard the change in his voice. It was subtle, but Praetor had hit his mark — Mattias was more worried about her safety than his own. Part of her loved knowing that, but not when it was being used to manipulate him.

  "Of course, Your Highness," Praetor said smoothly. "But you can do it better from inside the castle. Out here it's remarkable how close someone can get to you without you noticing them."

  "I take your point," Mattias said, standing. He still didn't seem in the slightest bit bothered by his nudity as he gathered his clothes and offered Sophie his arm. "Come on, darling, and you can tell me what you're worried about inside."

  "Thank you, sir," Praetor said, his face hidden in the shadows behind his flashlight. Despite that, Sophie could feel his eyes on her as though they were boring into her soul. "I'm sure we'll all feel much better once you're inside the walls."

  Sophie didn't think that was very likely, but she also couldn't think of any way to object. Glancing between the men, she saw that she was trapped, unless she wanted to blurt out an accusation here and now, in front of Praetor and however many of guards he had lurking in the shadows. Mattias might be able to fight them if it came to it, but all Praetor had to do was send a signal to whoever he had watching her family...

  Feeling helpless, she let them lead her back towards the castle.

  Mattias stalked into the security office, trying to hold onto the positive energy of earlier. Being dragged away by security guards was not how he'd imagined his first night with his new mate ending. But her safety came first, and out on the mountainside on their own it would be hard to protect her if he was attacked.

  Sophie stood beside him, and he could feel the tension and fear in her. Her hand felt so small in his, so vulnerable, and he couldn't bear the thought of any harm coming to her. If it took some of the magic out of their first night together, he'd deal with that.

  "So, what is the threat?" he asked Captain Praetor as he took a seat. The security office was sparse, Spartan even, and for a room in the castle it was practically bare of decoration. The only painting on the wall was the inevitable portrait of his grandfather the late King. Aside from that, the walls only held maps of the castle and its surroundings.

  "Details are only just coming in, sir," Praetor said, taking his own seat. "What we know so far is that there is a threat from a group of the old families. It seems they've decided to take control of the country themselves. Unfortunately, the Alexander dynasty is weak now, since you and your brothers don't have any strong ties in Leotania."

  Mattias growled and had the petty pleasure of seeing Praetor's guards pale. It wasn't them he was angry at, of course, but the people who were attacking his family weren't there and he had to vent his rage at someone.

  Beside him, Sophie squeezed his hand and he calmed himself. Frightening her was the last thing he wanted to do. "In that case, I want to meet those fuckers. This country has been through enough, and I will not let some gang of plotters put it through more just so that they can get their asses on the damned throne."

  The guards stole glances at one another, and Captain Praetor smiled. It wasn't a terribly convincing smile, not with his cold emotionless eyes. Leaning on his desk, he sat forward and nodded.

  "I thought that you would prefer to meet your enemies head on, sir," he said. "It will have to wait until we have developed more leads to find the plotters, though. The very worst thing that we can do would be to accuse loyal members of the nobility of plotting against you."

  Mattias stifled another growl. It was only Sophie's presence that let him resist the urge to smash something. Even with her there it was a close call.

  "Tell me your source, Captain. I'll help with the investigation."

  "With all respect, Prince Mattias, the man who’s confiding in us has placed himself in some considerable danger to reach out to me. He only wants to deal with people he knows, and he doesn't know you. Let us deal with it, and we'll bring you in as soon as we can. But if you can spare Sophie to assist us, Your Highness, that would be a great help. As Chief Secretary to the King she has access to a lot of information on the other families as well, and would be a great help to the investigation."

  Sophie tensed beside him, and Mattias could feel that she wasn't happy with that idea. He looked around at her and she looked back, unsure of herself. Mattias frowned and turned back to Praetor. He didn't know why she didn't want to be involved in the investigation, but that was all he needed to know.

  "You can manage without her," he growled. "She has enough on her plate."

  Praetor's smile slipped, just for a second. There was a shadow in his eyes, some well-hidden anger that boiled hot enough to melt steel. A moment later it was gone, concealed so well that Mattias almost doubted what he'd seen. But no, it had been real.

  "Whatever you say, sir," Praetor said, his voice silky smooth, covering that rage. It was impossible to guess where that anger had been directed, and Mattias had to fight to keep from reacting to it as a threat. His muscles tensed and he felt the wooden armrest give as his right hand clenched on it. In his left, Sophie's hand trembled.

  Praetor shot a glance at Sophie and then turned back to Mattias, and the look was gone, hidden behind placid eyes. Mattias didn't like that, but before he could say anything, Sophie put her free hand on his shoulder and squeezed gently.

  "I think I should help Captain Praetor," she said. "The least I can do is see what he needs. Maybe I can do something to protect you."

  "You don't have to do anything you don't want to," Mattias said, his eyes still on Praetor. "And I can hear that you aren't happy about this. So no, you can stay out of it."

  Praetor's smile was bland, emotionless. Something was wrong with the man, and Mattias tried to think what his grandfather had said about the captain of his Royal Security Service. Unfortunately, it hadn't been much, and what he could remember was vague. It simply wasn't a topic the old King brought up often, but he had said that Praetor was a reliable man, ambitious and keen to get things done.

  Which could mean, Mattias thought, that he was angry because there was a threat that he wasn't able to face as efficiently as he liked. That was the best case interpretation, with some added friction because the man was clearly interested in Sophie — a thought which made Mattias's lion snarl inside, wanting to tear apart the man who dared look at his woman. Mattias resisted the urge but only barely, leaning forward and baring his teeth in what could charitably be called a smile. />
  "Let me be clear, Captain Praetor," he said, looking the man straight in the eyes. "Sophie is my mate. And you will not pressure her into doing anything she isn't fully comfortable with, is that clear?"

  He was impressed that the other man didn't back down immediately. Not many men could face his glare head-on, but Praetor was used to working for a lion shifter and it showed. After a moment, though, he deliberately dropped his gaze, giving in.

  "My apologies, sir. I am sure we'll be able to handle the investigation without her help."

  Mattias sat back, relaxing slightly. There was a faint tone of resentment in the other man's voice, a touch of anger, and given how well the captain hid his emotions, that probably meant that he was raging internally. That wasn't a good trait in the man who was meant to be keeping him — and everyone else in the castle — safe. Mattias wished that there was an easy way to replace the man, but once again the old fashioned feudal government of Leotania stood in the way. Like a lot of other high-level jobs, the Captain of the Royal Security Service could only be dismissed or appointed by the king. Praetor's job was entirely safe until one of the princes was crowned.

  As soon as one of us is sitting on the throne, he's got to go, Mattias promised himself. This wasn't the attitude of the loyal man that he'd expected to find in the job. A nice retirement somewhere far away, a healthy pension, and maybe some peace and quiet will calm him down. His loyalty to Grandfather earns him that much.

  But for now, they had to work together. Or at least not get in each other's way. Mattias stood and put his arm around Sophie's shoulders.

  "Thank you, Captain," he said, making sure he kept his own emotions out of his voice. "I have every faith in your ability to handle my safety, and the investigation. Now, it has gotten rather late, and it's been a long day. Time for me to retire."

  "Of course, Your Highness," Praetor said, rising from his own seat. "I will keep you updated on the investigation as it progresses. Goodnight, sir."