“Bane,” she gasped.
“You like that, wife?” His harsh breaths heated her neck. “You like the way my cock stretches this tight little cunt?”
“I love it.” It was a desperate whine. “Please.”
He stopped. “More?”
Always more. Her thighs raked up and down his hips, trying ease the pressure or increase it—it didn’t matter which, as long as he was sliding back or forth inside her.
“You’re the only one I’ve given it to, wife,” he said hoarsely, his mouth making its way to hers. “There’s only ever been you.”
She cried out as his hips surged upward, giving it to her so good. Feet braced apart, he held her against him, grunting with each hard thrust, until the delirious pleasure he was stoking inside her exploded into a deluge of fire. Clinging tight, Echo sobbed his name, and she could only hold onto him as he filled her up again and again.
Her body was still quivering as he went rigid against her, within her. Murmuring her name, his breaths gusting across her wet cheeks, he kissed her gently.
“You’re crying again?”
No reason to deny it this time. “I’m just…happy,” she whispered. “Happier than I ever dreamed I might be.”
“As am I, my queen.” With gentle sips, he kissed the tears from her cheeks. “I planned to court you until I secured your affections and our marriage truly began.”
Which it had. “A successful plan.”
“But I’m changing it now. I intend to court you all through our marriage—every day for the rest of our lives.”
“There will be so much lifting,” she laughed. “Do you suppose my feet will ever touch the ground?”
“I think not.” With another kiss, Bane carried her to the table—and bent her over it, facedown.
Epilogue
One Year Later
BANE
Bane slammed into the empty throne room and bellowed, “Where is my scheming wife?”
“Here!” came the cheerful reply.
Pivoting toward the sound, he stalked into the courtyard—and abruptly stopped as she came into sight. His wife. Echo had been glorious before. But now, surrounded by the lush greenery of the enchanted garden, bathed in sunlight and her belly swollen with child, she was absolutely devastating.
Her eyes sparkled. “You were shouting for me, my king?”
Was he? “I… You are so beautiful, my queen, that I forget why I have come.”
“Might that be your reason?” With a lift of her chin, she indicated the paper wadded in his fist. A sly smile tilted her lips as she glided past him into the throne room, carrying a basket of peaches. “I see a crow brought a message to you. Was it good news?”
One might say. “Tamas is dead.”
“Oh my,” she replied mildly. “How?”
“He fell into a shit pit while drunk.” And Bane was next in line to the throne, so Gocea was his. Theirs. “How did you manage it?”
She cast him a demure glance from under her lashes. “Why do you suspect me?”
“Because, my cunning wife, his death was exactly what I’d wished for. And you sent him that case of wine as a birthday present.”
“No, dearest.” Setting the peaches on the table, she turned back toward him, rose up onto her toes and pressed a kiss to his mouth. “I sent Tamas that wine as your birthday present.”
His eyes narrowed. “So the wine was to get him drunk. How did you manage the shit pit? And make certain it all came together?”
“I cannot tell you all of my evil secrets.”
Though utterly pleased, he pretended a scowl. “And what story can we tell our child of how we gained his kingdom? That their uncle was drunk and fell into a pit?”
“We will say that we conquered the kingdom from afar. Which is no easy feat.”
“It is not,” he admitted grudgingly.
“But giving to you a birthday gift was not the only reason. I spoke to the midwife.”
Tension gripped him. His gaze raked her body. They’d planned to journey soon to Gocea to conquer it—but was there a reason she’d changed their plans to travel? “All is well?”
“She believes it is twins.”
For a full minute, he could only gape at her. “Truly?”
“Truly.” She patted his chest reassuringly, as if she’d heard his heart near bursting through his ribs. “So we need to conquer two kingdoms while I’m pregnant, and we are simply running out of time to take both Gocea and Phaira. So we had to take Gocea from afar.”
“You are the most incredible, wonderful wife,” he growled and gripped her hips. “And I’m going to fuck you so hard.”
“Please,” she breathed.
He didn’t. Not hard, at least. His heart was too full and she was soft and rounded with their children, and the moment he slid his cock between her thighs she surrounded him with all the luscious love that she’d given. So Bane could do nothing but worship her, reverently holding her close, his thrusts long and slow until she came around him, her teeth digging into his shoulder.