Desire and Duty (The Consort's Chronicles Book 1)

by Jarvis, E. C.

  “I want to see you,” she whispered into his ear, running her tongue across his earlobe, eliciting a moan from him.

  “Your guard may become suspicious if you don’t turn out the light. He’ll think you’re asleep if it’s dark.”

  She kissed her way clumsily down the side of his neck, rocking her pelvis slightly until she found the familiar bulge between his legs. She rocked again, rubbing her clitoris over that lump, and he sucked in a breath. The bed creaked beneath them and they both froze in place. She’d not noticed it before, as the noise of the creaking had always been overpowered by Averys’ loud sex noises.

  “To the floor,” she whispered to him. In a heartbeat, he scooped her up, carried her as though she were as light as a feather, and sunk down to the large floor space at the foot of the bed.

  They kissed and touched and rubbed against one another, nothing more than breathy moans by way of sound. She ran her nails lightly down the back of his neck, and he followed her lead, doing the same for her and dragging his nails all the way over her shoulder, down the front of her dress, catching the hard nipple underneath. Then he switched, pressing his palm softly down her belly, pausing for a moment with his hand in place. She couldn’t see in the dark, but she was sure there was a soft smile on his face.

  He reached down and caught her dress, pulling it off in one go, then lay her back gently onto the cold tile floor. The coolness against her hot flesh made her shudder.

  Nathanial disappeared between her legs, and she felt his hot tongue on her scorching clit. Despite the dark, he found it without any help, like a magnet to iron. She reached out, trying to find something to grip onto, something to dig her nails into instead of screaming out in pleasure. The smooth tile floor wasn’t offering anything by way of a grip, so she was left to claw uselessly at the floor while he brought her to the brink of orgasm with nothing more than a few gentle kisses.

  Lenora felt her back arch, heels digging in, and she grabbed at both her own nipples, pinching them hard at the pinnacle, heightening the sensation rolling over her body. In an instant, he was at her breast, as though he’d seen her in the dark and knew what she wanted. He nudged her hand away and clamped his lips around her nipple, sucking hard, squeezing the pleasure to a fine point and extending the orgasmic ecstasy.

  She muffled the scream that wanted to escape with a hand over her own mouth. Again he moved, as though he saw and knew, and kissed her deeply, muffling her screams with his lips. As the peak of her wave subsided, she felt the wetness between her legs. She wanted him to fuck her hard, but for once, she wanted first to try returning the same measure of pleasure he’d so expertly given her.

  “Your turn,” she whispered.

  He made a noise as if to protest, but she silenced him with another kiss, holding the sides of his face to stop him from pulling away. She reached down and gripped his shirt, dragging it up and over his head. A moment later, his trousers were gone. She had intended to treat him to her newly developed skill of cock-sucking a man to climax, but as the light from the corridor seeped under the door and highlighted the mirror opposite, the vision stopped her dead in her tracks. His entire back was covered in angry-looking, red marks, some of them bloody and scabbed.

  She gasped, sitting up and pulling him close. “What did they do to you?”

  “It’s nothing.”

  “How can you say it’s nothing? You’ve been bleeding. This is awful.”

  “Did you think my captures would treat me to hot meals and a massage?”

  “No, but I didn’t…oh, Nathanial.” She held him tight, wrapping her hands around his head and neck, taking care not to touch his back.

  “I will leave if my injuries distress you.”

  “No, don’t you dare leave me,” she mumbled into the crook of his neck. “Does it hurt as bad as it looks?”

  “I’ll be fine in a few days. My injuries are the reason I was not ordered to go with the others to eliminate the threat.”

  She squeezed her eyes shut, refusing to be grateful for that fact. She’d rather him uninjured and well, even if it meant he was away. He inhaled against her neck, his long fingers stroking down the sides of her ribs. He was still hard; his cock pushed against her stomach where she’d pressed herself as close to him as she could.

  Did he truly want to make love when his body was in such a state? She didn’t want to imagine the pain he must be in, but if he suffered at all, he hid it well.

  “Do you still want to?” she asked.

  “Yes.”

  “We should go slowly.”

  “Yes.” He nodded, finally lowering the illusion that he was utterly invincible.

  Lenora rose up onto her knees and sunk back down again, slowly taking the full length of him inside her. They sat for a time, locked together, bound to one another, feeling the hot sensation of their joining. When they finally moved, it was gentle and calm, as two lovers discovering the romance of lovemaking rather than two horny animals rutting for pleasure.

  By the time they reached a shared release, one of many long and lingering sensations which filled her body from head to toe, tears streamed down her face. There was no denying it any longer; she was truly and utterly in love.

  XIV – A Goodbye Treat

  The morning sun streamed through the glass windows in the conservatory. Lenora decided to eat breakfast there for a change, feeling a weight had been lifted with Nathanial’s promise to deal with Lusk, even though a new worrying threat had settled on her shoulders. She hadn’t admitted her affections to him, but somehow she was sure there was no need. The unspoken line between them seemed destined to remain as such, and it would probably be for the best. What good would it do to speak of undying love in the dark throes of passion, only to return to their true calling in the light of day? She would always be Averys’ wife, duty-bound, and he would always be an assassin, a man whose only purpose was to kill when called. There was no point in thinking such issues could be overcome without great risk.

  Her guard had followed her; this man was different from any of the others, with a sullen face and a jaw covered in black stubble. He certainly looked mean enough to protect her from any threat, but she knew his real reason for following her was simply to report her movement back to Barentyn. She gave him a delicate smile, which was not returned. She started to wonder why she bothered smiling at anyone.

  The maid delivered breakfast on a silver tray—a platter of cereals, fruit, and toast—which she devoured, feeling starved for a change. She smiled to herself as she thought of her long, satisfying exercise the night before. No wonder she was so hungry.

  “None for me?” Averys startled her as he sat down in the seat beside hers. She stared at him, her mouth stuffed with toast, and he almost laughed.

  “I wasn’t expecting you to join me,” she said once she’d chewed and swallowed the overly large mouthful.

  “I thought you might like some company after a night alone.”

  Luckily she had already swallowed the food; she might have choked if he’d said that when she was eating. He looked happy, positively glowing compared to the gaunt-looking man he’d become over the last few days. She supposed they’d both spent the night enjoying amazing sex, just not with each other.

  “Did you sleep well?” he asked.

  “I did, thank you. And you?”

  “I am well-rested. You will leave later today. I have made the appropriate arrangements.”

  “Has Barentyn not eliminated the threat?” she asked, being careful to not let on how much she actually knew about it.

  “No. It may take longer to deal with than he’d first assumed. I don’t want to delay any longer.”

  “Better to get me out of the way now?”

  “What?” he bellowed.

  That had been a poor choice of words. “I mean…to be safe?”

  “Hmm.”

  They fell silent as Averys ate. The thought of leaving so soon sent Lenora’s stomach buzzing and made her regret having eaten
so much so quickly. She reminded herself silently of his quietly delivered warnings. The chilling threat to behead her if he found himself displeased echoed in the back of her psyche constantly, reminding her to tread carefully.

  Eventually, as the atmosphere between them settled somewhat and Averys finished his food, he placed his hand over hers and gave her a scrutinising look. “You are well?” he asked for a second time.

  “I am.”

  “Good. I wish to spend some time with you before you leave.”

  “Oh? You have something in mind?”

  His gaze tracked to the guard who stood nearby, doing a good job of looking like he wasn’t listening.

  “Sanders, leave us,” Averys said with the wave of a hand. The guard, Sanders, looked like he was about to argue with the order, then thought better of it and left them in peace. A moment later, the maid entered to clear away the tray of food. “Just leave it,” Averys barked at her, causing the poor woman to shake like a leaf. She gave a ridiculously low curtsey and scurried away.

  When they were finally alone together, he went to speak again, stalling on his words. Her mind raced, trying to figure out what he could want to say that needed privacy and made him look like he needed a strong drink.

  “You suggested we could try…that I might be with you…” He broke off the sentence and looked away, muttering swear words under his breath.

  “As you would with a man?” she finished for him, amused by his apparent struggle with the awkwardness of the conversation.

  “Yes. Yes?”

  “Yes.” She smiled, titillated at the thought, and her insides gave a familiar clench of approval. Though she would have preferred to engage in such activities with Nathanial, she was still horny from the night before and wouldn’t mind knowing what it felt like so that, one day, she could ask Nathanial to do it. If she was going to spend a significant amount of time away from Averys, she wouldn’t want to deny either of them a parting moment. She loved Nathanial, but there was no denying that she’d grown to feel affectionate towards Averys recently, and all the better if she could leave him with fond memories.

  “Have you bathed this morning?” he asked.

  “I have.”

  “Good.” He stood up abruptly, grabbing the butter dish from the tray, then offered her his hand. She took it and let him lead her back towards the bedroom.

  The guard, Sanders, hadn’t gone too far. She spotted him standing down the corridor, watching diligently.

  “It seems we may have an audience,” she whispered up to Averys, as it became evident that Sanders was following.

  “He is doing his job. I would be angry if he did not. He will not be able to see through the door. Unless you want him to watch?”

  She gulped, casting a glance back toward Sanders. Would Averys really let just anyone watch them together? Or was this guard another of his favourites? Had the horny bastard fucked the entire male contingent of the palace staff, maybe even everyone in the barracks? She wasn’t entirely sure she wanted to know the answer to that.

  “I think I’d prefer it if we were alone.”

  “As you wish.”

  The bedroom still smelt heady when they stepped inside—the musky scent of her night spent with Nathanial. If Averys noticed the smell, he did not seem bothered by it. He focused his attention on the butter dish, which he placed on the bedside table. Then he straightened the bedsheet with meticulous precision.

  “Undress,” he commanded, as a General would order a soldier.

  She stifled a laugh and tried desperately not to draw comparison between him and Nathanial as she followed his command. There was no romance or passion with Averys. Sex seemed to be a military conquest to be approached with barking and muscle, not tenderness and lust.

  “Your lack of undergarments is disturbing,” Averys said as she stood naked at the foot of the bed. “The newspapers said my wife floats about the palace without wearing her knickers.”

  “Oh, yes. That was my fault. I may have said the wrong comment to my lady friends a few weeks ago. Sorry.” She shifted from foot to foot, feeling awkward and vulnerable admitting to such a thing whilst nude. Once again, she felt like a child being chastised by her father, not a wife by her husband. The thought of it was really quite disturbing.

  “You’ll wear underwear at all times unless I say otherwise.” He pointed at the bed, arm rigid, back straight. She wondered if he was going to command her to do push-ups.

  She clambered onto the bed on her knees and knelt where he directed, partly shivering with nervous anticipation but mostly biting on her tongue to stop the fit of giggles threatening to erupt. She stared at the mirror, catching only a glimpse of Averys beside the bed behind her as he undressed, and she had to squeeze her eyes shut. The range of heightened senses flowing through her veins made her feel wobbly.

  “Good, keep your eyes closed,” he said from somewhere behind her.

  Lenora heard the clink of the butter dish lid as he placed it on the table, then felt the shudder of the mattress as he climbed onto the bed. The room fell silent for a moment, and then she noticed him kneeling right behind her, his chest to her back. She felt her own back stiffen to a rigid point but she didn’t dare open her eyes.

  “You must relax, or this will hurt,” he whispered into her ear, his voice a deep rumble. If there was one thing Averys was definitely not good at, it was making people relax. She tried to slow her breathing, taking long and measured breaths through her nose, the attempt having no effect on her rapid heartbeat.

  Fingertips glided through her hair, unleashing her brown curls from the loose bun. Her hair tumbled down across her back and shoulders, the feel of it more pronounced than usual with her eyes closed. She felt his hand brush through it, softly and gently. More gently than she would have thought him capable, especially considering he’d barked orders at her only a minute ago. Was it the fact that her eyes were closed which bolstered his gentleness, or simply that she was letting him do whatever he wanted? As his fingers tracked down her neck and shoulders, the over-analyses of the situation drifted from her mind, and she focused on the tickling thrill running up and down her spine.

  He bent over her shoulder and ran his hands over her breasts, pausing to pull lightly at her nipples, eliciting a gasp from her lips. A self-satisfied kiss landed on her shoulder, and she felt his erection push against her backside. One hand fell away, and the other continued a trail down her stomach, pausing to hold onto her belly for a moment.

  “You’re getting bigger,” he said, his voice filled with approval and pride.

  “Am I?”

  “Mmm. Here,” he pressed on her stomach, “and here.” He cupped her breasts again, and she leant back against him, practically purring under the sensuous appraisal. She ignored the voice at the back of her head, which screamed something to her about the child in her belly being Nathanial’s, not Averys’. What did it matter? If he was happy, then so was she, technicalities be damned.

  His fingers set to travelling again, up and down her front, pausing for the occasional squeeze of her nipples, running down her ribs with the back of his nails. Small, hot kisses landed on her neck and shoulders until she slipped into a heady rhythm of bliss, virtually at orgasm from the slightest touch. Wetness escaped down her thighs, her knees parting slightly of their own volition, and her hands travelled towards the one place he hadn’t yet touched but which cried out for attention. He gripped her wrist before she could reach between her legs, then grabbed her other wrist, pulling them both behind her back and pinning them in place with one hand.

  She whimpered slightly in protest, and he chuckled under his breath in response. He reached down between her legs, trailing one finger up the inside of her thigh, stopping before he reached the top and then switched sides, all the while keeping her hands pinned in place behind her back.

  After the fifth leisurely trail of fingers on thighs, a noise emerged from her throat—a low growl of frustration. If he’d succeeded at relaxing her
before, all that effort was being undone by his drawn-out teasing. She teetered at the precipice, begging for something, anything to touch and rub and fuck her aching pussy.

  At hearing the odd noise, he gave up his pretence and shoved his hand between her legs, giving her precisely what she wanted. Her reaction was instant; the roughness of his fingers as they brushed harshly at her throbbing clit provided the perfect measure of sensation. For once, Averys’ abrasive manner was just what she needed as she rocked her hips back and forth against his fingers and let her head flop back against his shoulder. Lenora came hard and fast, her entire body acting like a tuning fork as wave after wave of pleasure trickled from head to toe.

  “Hmm,” Averys muttered as he pulled his hand away. She opened her eyes to peek; his entire hand was wet with her arousal. “We may not need the butter after all.”

  She frowned, not quite comprehending his meaning, as her thoughts were a few seconds slower than usual. Her mind had not quite caught up after the heavy orgasm. As his fingers disappeared and brushed against her backside, she remembered what he was here for, what he wanted to do, and making her come had only been a stepping stone toward his true goal.

  “Take a deep breath,” he instructed. She did so. “And breathe out…” On the breath out he pushed his finger in deep. She gasped, holding her breath in reaction. “Shh.” The kisses returned, trailing up and down her neck, to her jaw, to her earlobe. The finger remained in place, and he still held her wrists locked together behind her back. She took long, shaking breaths in and out until the feeling of him inside her turned from something alien and uncomfortable into something familiar and pleasurable. Before she knew it, she wanted more, deeper, thicker.

  “More,” she whispered as he found her lips with his. She opened her eyes to catch the twinkle in his eyes, a slight smile on his lips. He let go of her hands and pulled his finger out, only to shove two fingers straight back in again until they could go no further. She groaned in response, and his other hand reached between her legs to rub her over-sensitive clitoris again. Slowly, he moved both hands back and forth, working her over until all she could do was let out small, nonsensical words between gasps for air. It was an exquisite feeling, but it didn’t take long before her body became used to it and called out for more still.