Reluctant King (Reluctant Royals Book 1)

by Montana Ash

  “I do. But I’m not interested in the reputation of Sabre, the notorious assassin. I’m interested in the Sabre who is going to be sharing my bed.” And my life, he tacked on silently. It must have been the right thing to say because she answered him;

  “I’m one-hundred and eighteen. I’ve been doing this job for one hundred and ten years, three months, and six days,” came Sabre’s very exact response.

  That made her twelve years older than him. Who knew older women could be so sexy? “Not that you’re counting or anything,” he offered in response to her specific reply.

  “Right. Not that I’m counting. You know, all this talk of my fucked-up childhood and my dwindling ovarian reserve is really getting me in the mood,” Sabre informed him, beginning to prowl around the room again.

  “Really?” Brax asked, surprised.

  “No. Not really, you moron!” Sabre rolled her eyes dramatically and she started stripping off her clothing in economical movements. “Those are perhaps the worst topics you could choose to talk about if you’re looking to get laid.”

  He watched as Sabre did a kind of shimmy thing to get out of her tight leather pants, gratified to see silk between her legs once again. “Ah, but I’m not just looking to get laid, am I?” He said, moving closer slowly, “I’m looking to get to know you.”

  Sabre reached out, grabbed a fistful of his t-shirt and hauled him in close, “Brax, we talk every day. You send me dick-pics. I know it’s only been a couple of weeks, but trust me, you know me better than almost anyone else in the whole world,” she murmured into his throat.

  Pulling back so he could see her face, he asked, “Is that true?”

  Sabre met his eyes, the reddish-mauve irises alive with warmth, “Yes. It’s true.”

  The simple confirmation nearly felled him to his knees and he grabbed onto her slender hips for dear life as he ravaged the perfection of her mouth, mapping her body with his hands. Before he knew it, they were both standing naked in the middle of the room and Sabre had dropped to her knees in front of him. His eyes widened and he felt his claws extend out past his fingernails when Sabre gripped the base of his cock and licked it around the tip.

  “Tell me if I do something you don’t like,” Sabre murmured, looking like pure fucking sin.

  “Baby, you’re about to put my dick in your mouth. There isn’t anything you could do that I won’t like,” he promised her, forcing his hips to remain still when all he really wanted to do was paint her pretty lips with his pre-cum.

  “Yeah, well, I’ve never done this before, so you might change your tune.”

  It took a few seconds for Sabre’s words to penetrate his brain because she had started to blow warm air against his balls. “Wait, wait, wait. You’ve never given a blowjob before?”

  Sabre pulled back and sat on her feet, cocking an eyebrow at him, “Angel, remember?”

  “You told me you weren’t a virgin!” Brax’s voice was laced with accusation.

  “And I’m not. I’ve had sex. I just haven’t done much of anything else,” Sabre shrugged like it was no big deal.

  “Just how much sex have you had?” Why Brax felt the need to ask, he had no idea. Because he really didn’t want to know. Once was more than enough as far as he was concerned.

  Sabre sighed, as if bored with the conversation, “Not much … like an hour’s worth maybe.”

  “An hour?!”

  Sabre nodded like it was no big deal, “I gave it whirl once but it didn’t really live up to expectations, so I just didn’t bother with it again.”

  Brax tapped his long nails against his thighs, “Well, now I feel a little whore-ish,” he finally said out loud.

  “Whore-ish?” Sabre laughed.

  “Yeah. I mean in comparison, I –” Sabre gave his dick a tight squeeze, cutting off his words.

  “Do you really want to be telling me about your past lovers when I’m kneeling naked in front of your erection?” she asked, sweetly.

  He cleared his throat, “Ah, yeah, no. Sorry.”

  Sabre smirked, “I didn’t think so. Now, as I was saying. I haven’t done this before. But I’ve seen it a lot and I’ve done some research. I’m supposed to use my teeth … right?”

  Brax moved backward so fast he almost tripped over his own feet. “What? No! No teeth, no teeth!” he screamed, cupping his goods with his hands.

  Sabre began laughing hysterically and Brax realised he’d been had. And not in the way he wanted to be had. He growled as he prowled back over to the kneeling assassin, tapping her lips with his still-hard length. “Open up, my smiling assassin.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  Well, if the trembling thighs and quivering muscles were anything to go by, then Sabre figured her inaugural blowjob had been a success. She had been pleasantly surprised to learn she had enjoyed the feeling of Brax’s hard flesh against her tongue, the rounded head pressing excitingly against the back of her throat, almost cutting off her airway with every shallow thrust of his hips. She had been a little unprepared for his orgasm and things had gotten a little messy, but for some reason, Brax seemed to enjoy the sight of her with the evidence of his pleasure all over her face and breasts. Go figure, Sabre thought.

  “You really are incredible,” Brax panted, lifting Sabre to her feet.

  Sabre shook her head; the demon was delusional. Maybe it was a man thing? After they orgasmed they lost a certain amount of brain cells through their dicks and were rendered stupid for a length of time before said cells could regenerate. Still, Sabre decided to accept the compliment and not argue. After all, she was feeling pretty incredible. The only thing that could make her feel better? Her own orgasm.

  As they moved closer to the bed, Sabre halted abruptly, eyeing the vast expanse of the mattress. “This is an orgy bed,” she pointed to the massive bed in the centre of the room. “There can be no other purpose for this bed other than orgies. No wonder you feel like a whore.”

  Beside her, Brax choked and sputtered, “I’m not a whore! Whore-ish – I said whore-ish!”

  “Whatever,” Sabre crawled onto the bed, flashing her arse at the man-whore behind her. “You’re lucky I get to reap the rewards of all your skanky ways.” She yelped when a palm landed a resounding smack against her butt. Flipping over, she glared at Brax, “Do you have a death wish?”

  Brax smirked at her, his beautiful cock already making a valiant effort to rise again. “Please! Don’t pretend you didn’t like that.”

  Sabre narrowed her eyes at him. The warmth she could feel radiating from her right butt cheek was rather intriguing, but she wasn’t going to tell him that. “I tell you what; you can spank me if I can spank you.”

  Brax’s tawny eyes lit up, “Deal!” he yelled, before jumping on the bed and smothering her with his mouth and hands.

  Sabre laughed, mock fighting him off, “Of course you like the idea. You’re such a pervert! Get off me!”

  Brax rumbled, biting at her neck and shoulders, “I thought you liked me on you?”

  Running a palm over the broad width of his shoulder and down his flank, Sabre settled her hand in the crease where thigh met butt. Giving him a squeeze, she whispered in his ear; “I do like that. But I thought this time …” she gave his ear a little nip, “I would be on top.”

  Brax’s breath sawed from his chest harshly and he quickly flipped them both over so that Sabre straddled his waist. “I like how you think, woman.”

  Sabre smiled, aiming for sexy and seductive, “Then you’re going to love this.”

  Swooping down, she took his mouth in a brutal kiss that spun quickly out of control. Sinking her teeth into his bottom lip, Sabre was rewarded when his lower fangs elongated and pushed up through his lips. They were incredibly sexy and she carefully ran her tongue along the sharp points. “I want to feel these in me again when I come,” she told him.

  “Fuuuuck …” came the panting reply.

  Smiling in satisfaction, Sabre sat up straight, smoothing her hands over Bra
x’s collarbones and pecs where the demon had a light sprinkling of hair in a trail that arrowed straight to his groin. Having followed that particular treasure trail earlier, Sabre instead pulled at the nipples that were directly in front of her. Her nipples were incredibly sensitive and she wondered if the same was true for men. The harsh moan and stuttered breath assured her that, yes, Brax’s nipples were indeed an erogenous zone for him. So, Sabre spent the next five minutes going to town on the stiff peaks until Brax was thrusting helplessly beneath her and begging for mercy.

  “Your nipples are an erogenous zone,” she cackled wickedly, “Good to know.”

  “Sabre, my whole body is an erogenous zone when it comes to you,” Brax panted, muscles straining and shining with a light layer of sweat.

  “Hmm,” Sabre leant down and pecked his lips, “That’s good to know too,” she said, right before she reached back and grabbed his meaty member with her fist. Jacking his length a couple of times, Sabre marvelled at the satiny feel of Brax and decided it was time to put them both out of their misery.

  Lining herself up, Sabre braced her other hand on Brax’s chest, before feeding his dick into her core. She gritted her teeth against the feeling of being impaled, staring between them where her body seemed to swallow Brax’s cock so perfectly. And he certainly felt perfect, Sabre thought. Too perfect. She closed her eyes, hoping to beat back the emotions rushing to the surface from the feeling of being so taken and so cherished. She had never believed anything could feel so incredible as the way the two of them fit together. The pleasure coursing through her system was akin to ecstasy and she hadn’t even started moving yet. But she didn’t need to rock her hips to know that she had been correct in her assumption; she was in love with Brax and there was no safety net to catch her. Knowing this could be her one shot to make love to her demon, Sabre opened her eyes and let Brax see the truth that was in her heart. She didn’t know whether to be grateful or rage against the universe when she saw that his eyes were squeezed tightly shut, his face a mask of pleasure-pain.

  “Sabre,” he gasped, his claws digging into her hips like tiny needles. “Move. Please move, baby.”

  Reaching for his hands, Sabre dislodged the claws and linked their hands together instead. Brax’s eyes snapped open and she could see the wanton picture she made sitting atop of him reflected in the yellow depths. Lifting her hips a little, she gave an experimental rock, only to gasp and shiver as desire shot straight to her core. Still holding Brax’s hands, she used her knees to push up higher this time, until just the tip of his huge cock remained buried inside her, before dropping all of her weight back down onto him in a rush. The snarl that rumbled through Brax’s chest caused her sex to clench and her nipples to tingle. Unable to hold back any longer, Sabre got to work, repeating the same deep, fast movement over and over again until the both of them were a sweaty mess of pure sensation.

  “Gods, baby. Yes!” Brax bucked from beneath her, his hips meeting hers with a resounding slap that was strangely erotic.

  Moaning, Sabre shook the wet hair from her eyes and leaned over Brax’s chest. Hovering over his mouth, she whispered; “Bite me.”

  Growling low, Brax grasped the back of Sabre’s head and yanked her close so that her breasts were now rubbing against his chest, even as his hips continued to pump up into her. He licked her shoulder once in warning before his teeth sank into the tender flesh between her neck and shoulder. It didn’t mean anything as far as a formal mating went. Angels and demons didn’t mate like werecreatures and a bite, whether during sex or not, was not binding. But it is erotic as fuck, Sabre thought, feeling her eyes roll back in her head. The orgasm that swept through her body was swift and fierce, rising like a tsunami to flood every nerve ending with pleasure. She cried out, feeling Brax stiffen and groan beneath her, before he himself was swept away.

  Sabre lay on Brax’s chest, listening to the sounds of their hearts beating in sync and knew she was ruined. Thinking back to what Brax had said about her tattoo after the first time they had been together, Sabre realised he had been wrong. And so was Dante’s Inferno. Paradise didn’t begin in Hell, but Hell sure could be found in Paradise.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  “So … what now?” Brax finally asked.

  After knocking the world off its axis with their lovemaking, Brax had managed to half-drag, half-carry Sabre into his huge tub where he had proceeded to do the same thing all over again. Now, as the first hints of dawn were beginning to make their way into the room, he wondered what the two of them were supposed to do now.

  Sabre raised her head where it had been resting on his shoulder, “With my hunt for the killer you mean? I actually have a bit more news to share about that,” she admitted.

  That wasn’t what Brax had been talking about and he believed Sabre knew it, but he let it slide for now, continuing to pet her back as he asked, “What kind of news?”

  “Well, I had a little chat with another one of my sources,” Sabre admitted, sounding reluctant to divulge the information.

  “Another one? You sure have a lot of sources for someone who claims to have no friends. You’re worse than a gossip magazine, you know that?” Brax teased. For some reason, his teasing wasn’t met with the smile or eye roll he was hoping for. Instead, Sabre frowned. “Hey, I was just kidding,” he soothed, sitting up a little and leaning against the headboard.

  Sabre looked up at him, giving him a weak smile, “I know. It’s just … I’m not sure how to explain this one to you. You see, this guy is kind of covert. And, well, he has this thing about protecting the royal line of Cerberus. I know it doesn’t make a lot of sense and he –”

  Brax covered Sabre’s mouth with his palm to stop the babble, “Are you referring to Hound?”

  Sabre’s eyes widened and she looked more than a little shocked, “Wait, you know who Hound is?”

  “Well, yeah. He’s one of my contacts too, albeit a newer one. But he’s given me a few leads that have panned out here and there. He’s also in direct contact with a few of my Horde – soldiers I trust implicitly – and they say he’s on the level. Actually, if it wasn’t for him, we probably wouldn’t be here,” he admitted, the thought only just crossing his mind.

  Sabre sat up now too, not bothering to cover herself with a sheet, completely unconcerned with her nudity. “What do you mean?”

  “Hound was the one who suggested I hire you,” Brax revealed.

  Sabre’s fists clenched in the pillow and she shrieked, “What?!”

  “Shit! Sabre, what’s with the banshee voice?” Brax leaned away from her.

  “Hound told you to hire me?” Sabre demanded, voice still higher than normal.

  “Well, not directly. Hugo, one of my lieutenants, told me to. But the suggestion was made to Hugo by Hound.” He cast Sabre a side-eyed look, “Apparently even hobo-secret-spy-rebels know your reputation.”

  Sabre choked, “Hobo?” she laughed, “I really want to be there when you call him that one day. I can’t believe he is the reason you hired me. That sneaky fucker!”

  “Okay, I have no idea what you’re talking about and I don’t particularly care. But if you’re worried about your association with Hound, don’t be. It doesn’t bother me.”

  Sabre gazed at him for a few seconds before smiling, “Good. I thought you were going to be mad when I told you. And I don’t want you to be mad. I’ve kind of gotten used to seeing kindness in your eyes when you look at me,” she confessed, damn near breaking his heart.

  Pushing Sabre back down onto her back, Brax peered down at the beautiful, complicated, un-broken woman in his bed, and – not for the first time – felt his heart expand as warmth and joy and hope filled it up. Reaching out, he ran a calloused finger from her forehead to the tip of her perfectly pointy chin, shaping her face with hands and eyes, unable to get enough of her. He would never be able to get enough of her, he acknowledged. And having never been a coward even one day in his life, he decided to open his mouth, “Look into my ey
es, Sabre, and tell me; is kindness the only thing you see there?”

  An adorable frown appeared on her forehead as she appeared to think, even as her eyes dutifully searched his. “Uh, I see your beast I guess too. Your eyes reflect the light like a fucking predator,” she volunteered, making him snort in amusement. She smirked at him, “Luckily, I’m not prey.”

  “Hmm, lucky,” he agreed. “But that’s not what I was talking about. I’m referring to love, my literal little assassin. There is love in my eyes when I look at you. I know it must be there because there is love in my heart every time I see you … or touch you … or think of you.”

  He watched the colour leech from her face and her eyes go wide and glassy. She even appeared to have stopped breathing. “Shit!” Brax exclaimed. “Are you having a stroke?” Sabre said nothing, simply pushed at his chest and slid from the bed. Feeling like his heart was turning to lead in his chest, he managed to croak out, “Sabre?”

  Sabre shook her head, quickly bending to retrieve her clothes and hastily pulling them on. She snatched up her weapons and was almost at the door before he managed to get his body to catch up to his brain. Brax growled as he leapt across the room, blocking the assassin’s hasty retreat. “Where do you think you’re going?”

  Sabre clenched her jaw, her gaze locked on a point just over his shoulder. “I know what I am, Abraxis. What I will always be. But that doesn’t give you the right to be so cruel.”

  Brax felt his head snap back as if Sabre had physically slapped him. “What? What the hell are you talking about being cruel? I just told you I loved you, woman! You’re the one walking away and breaking my damn heart!” Brax was yelling but he couldn’t seem to make himself stop.

  Sabre said nothing, but as he continued to study her, something about the way she held herself, as if she were made of glass and would crack at any second, caused his anger to evaporate. Searching her beloved face, it hit him that she genuinely didn’t believe him. Instead, she believed she was the butt of some cruel practical joke. As if she wasn’t fit to be loved. As if he would say the words just to watch her bleed out as he ripped them violently away from her. “Oh, Sabre …” he murmured, watching her flinch as if from a physical blow. Taking a slow, tentative step in her direction, he commanded softly, “Look at me.”