Storm Chaser (Storms of Blackwood Book 3)

by Elle Middaugh

  "What do you want, Jewels?"

  I want you to fucking touch me already!

  I didn't say that, though. I just pushed my breasts into his awaiting palm and moaned like a whore when his thumb and forefinger clamped around my nipple.

  "It's affecting me too," he groaned. "I want to fuck you so bad right now."

  I clenched my fists tight, extinguishing my flames, and pushed him backward onto the bed. I slowly pulled my dress up my body, releasing my lust-heavy breasts before throwing the soft material on his bedroom floor.

  His breath hitched, and his erection bulged even further.

  Then I turned around, dipping my thumbs into each side of my panties, and slowly dragged the lacy material down my legs, giving him a full view of my ass and pussy as I did so.

  "Fucking Hades," he growled, tearing his pants off from where he lay. "Come here."

  He didn't have to tell me twice.

  I snaked up his freezing cold body, making sure to brush every heated inch of my skin across his. If he was that cold already, I had no idea how much longer he'd be able to hold his magic.

  He flipped me over and raked his fingers up my legs until he clenched my hips tightly. "I'm going to fuck you so hard it hurts, so I want you to be ready."

  Pushing my knees apart, he bent down and kissed my inner thighs. As his lips slowly teased closer to my clit, two of his fingers slid past my slit and curled inside. He stroked me rhythmically, making my entire body buzz with anticipation and need. When his tongue finally snaked out and devoured me, the sensations were intense. He stroked me from the inside, licked me from the outside, and continued the pattern over and over at just the right tempo.

  I swear the guys must've been taking notes and sharing insider tips on how to get me off the fastest. It seemed like each new orgasm was just a little faster than the last, more tailored to my liking, more powerful.

  Before I could even shout out a curse word or two, I was coming apart in his hands—and his mouth. My body bucked and spasmed as the pleasure drew out for what seemed like an eternity. When I finally came down from my euphoric high, my mind and body were blissfully numb, and I had a love-drunk smile plastered onto my face.

  Rob eventually withdrew his fingers and tongue and chuckled darkly. "Now you're ready."

  He thrust into me with no further warning, spearing me to the core. I gritted my teeth and hissed against the pain as a subsequent wave of pleasure rolled in after. He pulled out most of the way, then railed me again. This time I couldn't hold back my cry as the ache slowly bled into desire.

  "That's right, baby," he growled in praise. "Show me how much it hurts."

  He rammed into me again and again, punishing and pleasuring my body all at the same time. It was almost too much to handle. I reached out and clawed at his chest, digging my nails in deep so that he could have a taste of his own medicine, but I knew he fucking loved it.

  He gritted his teeth and shouted as the underworld snapped from his grasp, and we were once more thrust into the real world.

  Sunlight assaulted my eyes, but the sweet crash of the surf caressed my ears. I glanced left and saw my dress crumpled in the sand. Then I turned right, surprised to find the graveyard back in sight.

  "Don't stop, Jewels," Rob begged from up above me, digging his fingers into my hips, and I realized he hadn't yet come. The shout from a moment ago must've been due to him losing his hold on his magic, not his orgasm.

  I pushed him over, and we barrel-rolled across the sandy grass until I was the one on top.

  I raked my nails up his chest until my hands were wrapped firmly around his throat. From the way he started panting and moaning, I knew he'd be coming soon. Adding a bit more pressure, I leaned into him and rocked my hips. Less than a minute later, he was losing his mind.

  "Oh my fuck," he groaned as his orgasm hit and squeezed my hips even tighter.

  The sight of him losing control underneath me, the sound of his shouts as they ripped through the air, the feel of his cock as he exploded inside... it was enough to send me spiraling into another pulsing orgasm.

  I let go of his neck as his thumb found my clit, and I rode his body until we were both finally sated.

  When it was finished, he pulled me down on top of his chest. "That was incredible. You are incredible."

  I kissed him gently on the lips, pleased to feel the burn of my magic had subsided, as had the chill of his. We complimented each other so perfectly.

  "You're the incredible one. I can't believe I got to have sex in the underworld. How badass is that?"

  "Totally badass," he agreed with an eye roll. "And not at all creepy."

  "It's not!" I protested. "It was nothing short of beautiful and not eerie in the slightest. Those assholes who called you a freak and made fun of you when you were younger have no idea what they're missing. I'm kind of glad they did too; now I can selfishly hoard you all for myself."

  He chuckled and kissed me once more. "Hoard away, babe. I'm all yours."

  Gods, I fucking loved him.

  One date with him—one date with any of them—was never going to be enough.

  Chapter 16

  The next day came in the blink of an eye.

  It was early morning, and while Dan went to assess how his kingdom had fared in his absence, the rest of us were enjoying the beach. I'd tried to tag along with him, to see him in his element, but the others insisted it would be a "date" and therefore it was a no-go.

  Ben and Criss were constructing a giant-ass sand castle that looked better than Blackwood Palace, while Cal, Rob, and I relaxed in the sunshine. I had on the same tiny white dress Rob had purchased for me the day before; the guys were relaxing in lightweight beach shorts.

  Well, not all the guys were "relaxing." Cal's feet were wiggling, and his fingers were jittering. I could tell he had something on his mind. I propped myself on an elbow and faced him.

  "What's up, Cal?" I asked, shading my eyes from the sun.

  He immediately sat up. "You know how I said we'd do nothing until the return letters came in?"

  I sighed but smiled. "Yes."

  "Well, I think we should at least plan what our responses will be no matter what their reply is."

  Rob sat up on my left and glared at his brother. "You mean to tell me, you want us to guess what they're going to say and then plan a hundred different responses just in case one of them is correct?"

  Cal nodded eagerly.

  "You're fucked in the head, bro," Rob muttered before lying back down in the sand.

  I lifted my hair, allowing the ocean breeze to cool the dampness at the nape of my neck. "You know who might be interested in doing that? Ben and Criss. They're both intellectually oriented. I'm sure they could help you come up with a thousand potential responses, not just a hundred."

  "Intellectual?" Cal asked. "I thought Chrissen was more leadership oriented, like me."

  "He's that too," I assured him. Then I stood and dusted the sand off my legs and ass. "You know what? Maybe we'll just let Criss tackle that question on his own? He's more than capable, and besides, you, me, and Ben have a date we need to get to."

  "Yes, get him the fuck out of here," Rob grumbled, which earned him a spray of sand from Cal's foot.

  As he spit and sputtered, Cal yelled at the castle-builders. "Ben! Criss! Come here for a minute!"

  Ben put the finishing touches on a rampart before following Criss over to us. "What's up?"

  "Cal's being a fuckhead again!" Rob shouted with a mischievous smirk.

  "Robert, I swear to the gods," Cal started, but Ben put his arm out and halted him.

  "Seriously," Ben said, trying again. "What's up?"

  "You and I have a date with Alexis," Cal told his brother. Then he turned to Criss. "And while we're gone, I was wondering if you wouldn't mind helping me with something?"

  "Sure," Criss said, tucking his hands into his navy-and-white-striped shorts’ pockets. "What do you need?"

  "I need you to help
me do some thinking. We sent out three letters with the intention of either stopping the war or getting aid for it. When the return letters filter in, I want to be ready. I want to plan our course of action in advance, that way we're able to act quickly as soon as we know what their responses are."

  Criss nodded thoughtfully. "You want me to brainstorm possible outcomes and plot potential courses of action."

  "Exactly," Cal said with a relieved smile. "As many as you can think of."

  "All right. I'll do that while I finish building the sandcastle. I'm better when I'm working with my hands."

  At that, he glanced over at me and his cheeks flushed slightly. Was he ashamed of his humble upbringing as a smith? Or was he embarrassed about imagining using those hands on me? I had a feeling it was the latter, so I pulled my lips in and carefully stared down at the sand. I didn't want anyone getting the wrong impression—whatever that might've been.

  "Great," Cal replied. "I'll catch back up with you after this date, and we can figure some shit out."

  Criss grinned and nodded, retreating back toward the sandcastles. "Enjoy yourselves."

  "Oh, we will," Ben assured him with a platonic wink. "Don't fuck up those ramparts."

  Criss chuckled. "You're the one who collapsed the last one."

  "Yeah, well, we don't need any more mishaps, now do we?" Ben retorted sarcastically.

  Criss merely rolled his hazel eyes and wandered off.

  I turned back to Cal and Ben and clapped my hands together. "So, what do you guys want to do today?"

  "Whatever you want," Ben replied smoothly in that deep bass voice.

  "There's surfing, which is challenging yet awesome," Cal began. "There are theatres with plays to see. There are hundreds of little shops to peruse and buy things. There are art classes where you drink wine while you paint."

  "Done!" I shouted, jumping up and down in the sand. "I want a new dress, so I'm not stuck wearing this white one all the time. Do you know how hard it is to keep white clean? Then I want to drink wine and paint."

  Ben chuckled. "Yeah, if we're drinking it'd probably be best to paint. I think surfing might be a bad call."

  "So would theatre," Cal added. "Wouldn't want to get thrown out."

  I rolled my eyes and raised a brow at him. "First of all, you're a prince. No one would dare throw you out. Second, you’re Calvin Storm; nothing about you is rowdy or disrespectful."

  "It was me," Rob called from where he lay in the sand. "I was the drunk asshole at the theatre. And I didn't get thrown out. I got escorted out by our friendly neighborhood Sky Prince. In my defense, the performers were terrible."

  "Stay out of this Spirit Prince," Cal chided. "This isn't your date."

  Rob just rolled over in the sand so the sun could tan his chiseled back.

  Cal took that as our sign to go. He grabbed my hand, and Ben offered me his elbow. When the three of us were linked, we were on our way to the painting shop.

  "Thicker! Longer strokes!" the art instructor called out in a dramatic and whimsical voice.

  I stared at my eggplant and giggled soundlessly as I took another sip of wine. Thicker. Longer.

  There was a basket of fruits and vegetables set up in the middle of the room and ten of us in a circle around it. We were to paint the image as we saw it. Some people were in view of an orange, while others saw grapes. Me? All I could see was an eggplant, a cucumber, and a banana. One-track mind, right here.

  I washed the purple out of my brush and patted it dry on an old stained cloth. Thank the gods the art instructor had given us all smocks to wear—I'd have hated to get my newest short-skirt dress all messy. It was a floral mixture of turquoise, chartreuse, and royal blue. Very beachy, the seamstress had assured me. I dipped my brush in green and proceeded to outline a thick, long cock—I mean, cucumber—just as she'd said. And when I was finished with that, I painted a thick, long banana.

  Cal leaned over and whispered, "Very artistic, Peach."

  Ben leaned in from my other side. "Maybe that should be our team tattoo? Suggestive fruits and vegetables."

  I giggled again and added some brown spots to the yellow peel. "And what would my fruit be?"

  Cal gestured to his work of art.

  I couldn’t help but grin. A strawberry half and a spread open peach. Because, of course. I had to admit, I could see the resemblance to labia. Then I turned to Ben's painting. Two cantaloupe halves with two blueberries in the center and half of a papaya underneath. Different fruit, same sexual image. Apparently my boys had one-track minds as well.

  "I'll consider it," I told them, sipping at my wine. After all, it was still better than tits and dicks.

  "Time's up, my little starving artists!" the instructor called. "Show me your masterpieces!"

  All ten of us swiveled our artwork around to the center of the circle. I was met with some interesting images. Some looked like paintings right out of a book. Others, like a child had finger-painted them. But only the three of us had gone the erotic route. Their wide eyes and open mouths suggested just how surprised they were to see a bit more than just an eggplant, a peach, and a cantaloupe.

  "You can either take your art with you," the instructor said, "or leave it here for me to display in tonight's art show. Have a gods blessed day!"

  "Let's leave them," I told the boys before finishing off the rest of my wine. "I have a feeling we'll win for sure."

  "Right," Ben agreed sarcastically.

  Cal chuckled. "Well, I'm not carting a strawberry-vagina around all day, so we may as well."

  Leaving our smocks and suggestive paintings behind, we exited the shop and strolled down the street once more. I was a little tipsy from all the wine, so I kept swaying between the two of them like a happy little flower.

  "What do you want to do next?" I asked.

  "The theatre?" Ben teased.

  "No." Cal's reply was stern, making me giggle.

  Suddenly, Dan appeared up ahead, his arms almost overflowing with beautiful white flowers.

  "Aww," I cooed as my shitty grin spread wide. "Are those for me? You're so damn romantic."

  Cal glowered at him. "You're ruining our date."

  "Yeah, man," Ben agreed. "You can't outdo us when it's not even your turn."

  "Fuck you, guys," Dan huffed, turning to shove the stack of blooms into a cart that a servant was pushing behind him. "These are orkyda blossoms."

  Why did that name ring a bell?

  "They're all over Ebony City," Dan continued.

  Then it dawned on me. Orkyda blossoms were the flowers the Storm King had planted across the kingdom. The ones that were supposedly explosive when combined with alicorn dust and dragon fire.

  "I need them all removed immediately. Will you guys help me? I already have Rob and Criss scouring the clifftops." He pointed up to the second tier of the city.

  "Of course we will," I replied immediately. Cal and Ben didn't hesitate to agree either. I fucking loved that about them. Instead of getting pissy about our date being cut short, they knew Dan's need, and his citizens' need, was far greater than their own.

  Then a thought came to me. "Wouldn't it be faster and more thorough to just make an announcement and have the citizens pull out any plants they find?"

  Dan sighed. "Yes, but I was really hoping to avoid starting a mass panic. They're already on edge as it is with the war looming close."

  I nodded. He was right. No need to worry them unnecessarily.

  "Can we each have a servant and a cart?" Cal asked, jumping into leadership mode.

  "Absolutely." Dan turned to his servant and gave him a few orders. "Dump the cart in the chateau courtyard. We'll burn all the blooms tonight. Tell the other servants to do the same. And while you're up there, send a few more servants out with carts."

  "Yes, Your Highness." The man bowed before rushing away.

  When the servant was out of sight, Dan scrubbed both hands across his face. "This is a fucking nightmare."

  "It's all right
, bro," Ben assured him, placing his hand on Dan's shoulder. "We'll get it taken care of."

  "Mind if we split up?" Cal asked, and I wasn’t sure if he was talking to me or Dan. "We can cover more ground that way. As long as you think it's safe?"

  "Of course it's safe," Dan replied. "I've busted my ass this past decade to make sure Ebony City is one of the safest places to live in all of Blackwood. That's partially why I'm so pissed off about these fucking flowers."

  Cal turned to me. "Are you okay with being on your own? Or would you like one of us to go with you?"

  I put a hand on my hip, swaying a bit where I stood. "I have the power of fire at my command, Sky Prince. I'll be fine."

  He looked skeptical.

  "Besides," I continued, "Taron, Tamara, and Camilla trained me well. I know how to kick some serious ass if need be."

  "Which there won't be a need for," Dan assured us.

  Still, Cal looked torn between letting me go on my own and wanting to babysit the fuck out of me.

  I crossed my arms, concentrating very hard on not tipping over. "I can do this, Calvin. Give me some godsdamned credit."

  Finally, he sighed. "Fine."

  A few minutes later, Dan's servant returned, along with two extra helpers, all with carts in tow. One was a girl, who promptly got assigned to me. Whatever. I had no doubt she was just as strong as any boy servant I would have got. Us girls needed to stick together anyway and keep sticking it to the man.

  After that, we were off, scouring the city for any and every hint of orkyda blossom we could find. My servant—whose name was Reesa—and I took the eastern edge of the city where the sand mixed with grass and actual trees grew. We filled cart after cart, searching for blossoms long after the sun began to dip on the horizon, bathing the city in its golden shadow, long after the gold turned to dusk, and the luminescent moon rose high into the midnight sky.

  "We should get back to the chateau, Your Highness," Reesa suggested, glancing warily from the dim-lit shops on our left to the shadowed tree trunks on our right.

  I sighed. "I suppose you're right. We'll have to finish uprooting the rest of the little bastards tomorrow."