My face flamed, and Dax’s arm tightened around my waist. But he took a second and then said, “Is it that obvious?”
“Your bride doesn’t want to go straight from the back of a horse to your bed, young man. You need to feed her first.”
I could feel Dax’s arm stiffen, and we needed to blend in as much as possible, so I assumed the role of a blushing bride, which wasn’t all that difficult. I dropped my gaze. “Thank you, ma’am, but I’m tired after my journey.”
She tsked and waved her finger at me. “There won’t be takin’ no food to your rooms. You can sit your asses down at a table just like everyone else.”
Dax led me to a table along the wall away from the fireplace and situated me in the back corner, but I could see he was scanning the room, assessing the twenty-or-so patrons. He leaned into my ear. “Take off your cape but leave on your hat. I’ll tuck your braid in as much as I can.”
He seemed so on edge that my nerves got the better of me. I reached up to unfasten the hook, but my fingers shook.
Dax bent his head in front of me and offered a warm smile. “Calm your nerves . . . darling.” He smiled. “It’s best if we don’t use our names.”
I nodded. “You’re right.”
“I’m just being extra cautious. If I thought you were in danger, we wouldn’t be sitting here. I will never let anything happen to you.” He kissed me, taking his time as he grabbed my braid and tucked it into my wool cap. When he was done, he leaned back and pushed my cape over my shoulders. “I’ll undress the rest of you later.”
A shiver went through me as my imagination went wild.
His grin turned devilish. “We’ll see if we can hurry this meal along.”
I blushed at that, which made his grin even bigger.
The tavern owner’s wife brought us drinks as well as one for Tobias, who had just walked in the door. He spotted us in the corner and removed his cape as he headed in our direction.
“You failed to mention there was a crowd, brother,” Dax said as he picked up his mug.
Tobias made a face and took a sip of his drink. “It seems harmless enough. A bunch of old men and some travelers. Little threat here.” He grinned at me. “Bet you’ve never seen the inside of a tavern.”
I lifted my chin and gave him a defiant look. “Probably two more times than you think.”
That caught both their attention, and Dax’s eyes darkened. “When?”
“Obviously two of the times you gave us the slip,” Tobias said, his eyes dancing with mischief.
“It was,” I admitted. “I’d heard the tavern owner’s son was ill with the croup, and I wanted to give him a poultice.”
“Do you realize the danger you were in?” Dax demanded.
“I was perfectly fine,” I said. “No one gave me trouble.”
“That was then,” Dax said. “Before . . . this. Now you need to have one of us with you at all times. Look what happened this morning. No repeat performances.”
Tobias sobered at that.
The owner came back out a few minutes later with three plates, balancing two on her arm. “There’s only one option. Chicken and potatoes.”
“It looks delicious,” I said as she set one in front of me. And it smelled good too.
She narrowed her eyes at me while she set down the other two plates. “You cold, honey? We can move you closer to the fire.”
I realized she was looking at my hat. “No. I’m fine. Thank you.”
She put her hand on her hip and continued to eye me suspiciously. “Where are you all from?”
“New Kemper, ma’am,” Tobias said.
“The coast?” she asked in surprise. “I hear people are seeing dracnas out that way. Getting eaten by them too.”
“Rumors,” Tobias said as he picked up his fork. “You know how rumors are.”
“That I do,” she said, nodding her head with a smug look. “And there’s often a grain of truth to them somewhere. But what are you all doing out this way?”
“Taking my bride home to Haverton,” Dax said.
Her eyes narrowed. “And you met your bride in New Kemper?”
“Our mother sent us to see her cousins on the coast,” Tobias said. “And my brother met his bride.”
“We thank you for the hospitality and the meal,” Dax said. “My bride is used to the warmer coastal climate. She needed to get in from out of the cold.”
Her suspicion seemed to soften. “Unfortunately, the only two rooms we had left are at the top floor in back, and they tend to run colder than down here. You’d think the heat would rise, but it don’t seem to make it to those rooms.” She winked at me. “But your new husband shouldn’t have any trouble keeping you warm.” Then she turned to Tobias. “If you need someone to warm you up, sugar, I can see that it’s arranged.”
I thought Tobias was going to choke on the piece of chicken he’d just taken a bite of. “Thank you for your hospitality, ma’am, but I plan on hitting the bed and going straight to sleep.”
“If you change your mind . . .” Then she wandered back to the kitchen.
Tobias set down his chicken leg. “I think I’ve lost my appetite.”
“She could have meant her daughter,” I teased, but the jealousy that spiked caught me off guard.
Tobias’s eyes darkened. “There is only one woman for me, Elena. From now until eternity.”
I felt terrible. “Tobias . . . I was careless with my words.”
“And Tobias is careless with his,” Dax said, glaring at his friend. “You used her name.”
And I had used his, but mine was the more recognizable one.
Tobias looked stricken. “This thing inside me . . .” he whispered, placing his clenched fist over his heart. “It makes me unlike myself.”
Dax leaned his head forward and lowered his voice. “Matthew says he’s better.” He cast me a quick glance and looked hesitant to continue.
“This concerns me as well,” I said. “I deserve to know what you know.”
Dax gave a sharp nod but still looked uncomfortable and avoided my gaze. “He says he still . . . yearns for her, but it is more manageable.”
We all stayed silent until Tobias whispered, “Elena.”
I forced myself to remain silent despite the fact that I was beyond embarrassed, even as the magic in me grew excited that he called my name.
“I know you must feel like this is out of your control,” he said softly. “But it’s not. We will never force you to do anything you don’t want to do. We respect you too much to ever hurt you in any way.”
“I know, Tobias. Thank you. I just need to take this one day at a time.” Or one night at a time.
We didn’t take long to finish our meal. Nerves had killed my appetite, but I knew I needed to eat to keep up my strength. Dax settled the bill and got the keys to both rooms. A few people watched us go upstairs, and I flushed again. Did they know what I was going upstairs to do? I looked down at the gold ring on my finger. At least they thought I was married.
When we got to the top of the stairs and walked to the end of the hall, the space illuminated by two oil lanterns hanging on the wall, Dax handed Tobias a key. “You can take the end room.”
Tobias took the key and opened the door, then tossed his bag inside and relocked the door. “I’m going to take a short walk and see if I can find where Liam and the others are. The stable boy said there were three inns in town but that most are full because of the unexpected snowfall.”
“Good idea,” Dax said. “Report back what you find.”
Tobias grimaced. “Maybe I should wait.”
Dax looked sheepish, then grabbed my hand and squeezed. “Good thinking. I’ll check on you later. Of course, let me know if you discover anything important.”
Tobias nodded, then headed down the stairs.
Dax waited until Tobias was heading down the stairs. Once we heard his footfalls on the stairs, Dax dropped my hand and unlocked the door. “Wait here.”
He
disappeared into the dark room, and within seconds, light from a candle filled the room. Dax lit two more candles, then gave me a hesitant smile.
I walked in and shut the door, trying to hide my shaking hands. The magic in me sprang to life.
“You must be tired,” Dax said. “Let’s get ready for bed, and we can just lie together, okay?”
I swallowed, my nerves getting the better of me even as the thing in my chest protested. “Is that what you want?”
“What do you want, Elena?” he asked with worry in his eyes.
I was a mess of emotions and feelings. “I don’t know,” I answered honestly. The magic in me was rising, demanding that I take from the burning ember in Dax’s chest—that I make him mine, because I realized now that’s what I was doing. Three years ago, they had taken a vow to protect me with their lives, but that vow could be dissolved. Joining my magic with theirs meant I bound them to me for eternity. There was no going back.
“To do this,” I said in a raspy voice, filled with emotion. “It means you are mine forever, Dax. No turning back. Maybe you should think this—”
He leaned down and kissed me, his hands cupping my face.
The magic in me was hungry for him. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer, my body flush with his.
He placed his hand on the small of my back and pulled me even closer as his kiss became more demanding.
My tongue met his with a boldness I didn’t usually possess, and I sank my fingers into his hair, anchoring his mouth to mine, hungry for more.
He put his hands on my arms and pulled back, his chest heaving and his gray eyes now a dark steel. “Elena, are you certain?”
I reached for the lacings of my dress, tugging them loose. He dropped his hold on my arms and pushed my hands away, taking over the task. “I told you I would undress you,” he said in a husky voice with a hint of a grin. “I am a man of my word.”
He made quick work of the strings and had them loosened enough for me to pull the sleeves down my arms, letting the dress fall to my waist.
His gaze dropped to my chest, to my breasts straining against my shift. He lifted his hands to my breasts, covering them with his palms. I moaned, then reached for his shirt, eager to touch him too.
He grabbed the bottom of his woolen shirt and lifted it over his head in one smooth motion, then dropped it to the floor.
Aching to touch him, I rested my hands on his chest, marveling that he was so solid, yet still so different than Matthew. I lifted my gaze and saw him staring down at me with awe in his eyes.
“You have no idea how long I’ve loved you, Elena.”
My mouth parted.
“That surprises you?” He smiled. “How could I not? You are as sweet and kind as you are beautiful.”
“Dax . . .”
“I never dared to tell you, let alone touch you.” He leaned forward and kissed me with more urgency this time. “This is my dreams come to life. I want you.”
“I want you too.” I reached for the waist of his pants and unfastened them before I pushed them over his hips. They fell to his feet, and he grinned.
“I’m supposed to be undressing you.” The magic in me made me shiver in anticipation. He noticed and his grin spread. Putting his hands on my waist, he spun around and sat on the edge of the bed. “Don’t move.”
I stood still watching him as he bent over and kicked off his boots. He kicked his pants off, and I stared at the bulge in his drawers.
“I want to touch you,” I said. “I never . . . saw or touched . . .”
His eyes widened in surprise. “Matthew?”
“We didn’t . . .” My face burned. “He said Liam said he thought it only had to be me, but I’m still a virgin.”
He rested his hands on my hips and pulled me closer. “And you’ll be a virgin tomorrow morning.” He resumed his work on my lacings, and seconds later, he pushed my skirt over my hips. I was still wearing my breeches under my shift. With one hand on my hip, he slowly slid his other hand down to the slit in my shift.
Heat seared my core as his hand worked on the strings of my breeches. He made quick work and let them fall to the floor at my feet, then grabbed both of my hips. He pulled me forward and guided my knees onto the bed so I straddled his legs.
I rested my hands on his chest and kissed him, reveling at the feel of his solid muscles under my fingertips. My hand slid down over the ripples on his abdomen until it reached the edge of his underwear.
He leaned back and looked into my face. “This is about you, Elena. We don’t need me to . . . be satisfied. As I suspected—and as proved by your night with Matthew—it only needs to be you.”
“What if I don’t want it to just be me? What if I want to touch you too?”
He looked stunned.
Grinning, I slid my hand under the waistband and continued until I touched the tip of something hard. His body stiffened, and I froze.
“Did I hurt you?”
He chuckled. “No. The opposite. It felt good.”
“So I can touch more of you?”
He leaned back on his hands, and I rose to my knees, tugging the fabric at his hips. He lifted his butt, allowing me to pull his underwear down to his legs. His erection sprang free, and I stared at it before I wrapped my hand around the length of him. I glanced up and felt empowered by the pleasure that washed over his face.
I began to stroke his erection up and down, and I felt it grow harder.
“Elena . . .” he said in a tight voice.
“Does this feel good?” I asked.
He leaned back on the bed and closed his eyes. “I can’t believe you’re touching me.”
I smiled as I continued to slide my hand over his manhood.
Dax sucked in a breath, then groaned. His hand reached between my legs and slipped into my folds, and it was my turn to gasp.
“You’re so wet,” he murmured, as his fingers began to stroke, stopping at my entrance, inserting the tip of a finger an inch inside, then sliding back to my bundle of nerves.
I cried out, arching my back.
He removed his hand and I cried out in protest, but he laughed as he lifted the shift over my head and let it drop.
“Are you cold?” he asked in a rough voice.
I shook my head. The magic in me was threatening to take over to get what it wanted. I could feel Dax’s energy expanding and contracting, keeping beat with his heart. It wanted the magic inside me just as much as mine wanted his.
Dax’s hand resumed its previous task while the other found my breast and pinched my nipple.
I cried out, needing more, so much more.
Grabbing my hips, he settled me over the length of him. “I won’t enter you, Elena,” he said, his voice rough as though he fought for control. “But this will still feel good.”
“I trust you, Dax,” I whispered as I began to rub myself against him.
He moaned and I could feel the energy in him reaching out to me. The magic in me had grown and sent out tendrils through my body, desperate to connect with Dax.
He lifted his hand to my breast, pinching and kneading, and the tension in me grew tighter and tighter.
I leaned forward and placed my hand on his heart, and electricity danced along my palm. I felt his magic beneath, but they were still separated by a thin barrier.
I began to move at a frantic pace, the thing in me growing frustrated from being so close yet so far from what it wanted. Leaning back my head, I lost myself in the sensations, feeling myself climb higher and higher, close to plummeting, but Dax shifted beneath me and pushed me higher. When I felt like I was so high I could barely breathe, my palm began to feel like it was on fire.
And then I fell, wave after wave of pleasure rolling through me as my magic shot through the barrier, straight to the center of Dax’s energy, only his was greater and needier than Matthew’s. When our energies met, another wave of pleasure shot through me, and all I knew was me, Dax, and the thing we now shared.
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As the feeling subsided, I realized I was lying next to Dax and he was calling my name, sounding concerned.
My eyes fluttered open. “That was . . .” There were no words to describe what we’d just shared. “Is it like that every time?”
He hauled me to his chest. “No. Not even close. Did you pass out? After you stopped, you went completely limp and didn’t respond to me.”
“I don’t know.” I looked up into his worried face. “But this was different than with Matthew.”
“How so?”
My embarrassment was back. “That’s not how I . . . orgasmed.”
He looked shocked.
“I may be a virgin, and my knowledge of sex beyond how the animals do it is limited, but I do know about orgasms.”
He still looked shocked, then livid. “You learned this from your tutors?”
“No, the household staff. I’ve heard them talk.”
“And you orgasmed with Matthew?” Dax asked with an odd mixture of relief and embarrassment.
“Yes, but like I said, he never had me touch him.”
“I think the difference is that I orgasmed too,” he said.
It was then I felt his seed on my stomach. “Oh.” Then it hit me. “Oh.”
“You’re sure the exchange felt different this time?” he asked.
“Yes. Your energy grew and was more demanding. And then I had a second orgasm, even . . . more intense than the first,” I said, shocked I was saying these things. “Do you feel different?”
He paused. “I do. Stronger. Like there’s power burning in my chest.”
“I’m certain Matthew is earth,” I said. “Maybe you’re fire. But if your orgasm made you stronger, that means that Matthew needs to . . .” My magic leapt at the thought.
Dax gently kissed my lips. “We’ll worry about Matthew later.” Then he paused. “I think we both know what’s . . . expected . . .” He shook his head. “No, forgive me, Elena. Nothing is expected of you.”
I gave him a sad smile. “But that’s not true, is it? Maybe you and your brothers in arms have no real expectations of me, but the priestess definitely did.” I studied him. “If we know I have to orgasm with all five of you, what do we need the priestess for? To know my fate? If Leonardo finds out, he’ll have me beheaded.”
Heiress of Light: Magic Reborn (Reverse Harem) Page 15