If she beckoned me, I would fall at her feet like a conquered fool at the mercy of her soft skin, heated kiss and hot, wet pussy. And if she were truly a ruthless traitor not only to the Jax family but to the crown itself, I was screwed… in more ways than one.
I fucked her. Filled her. Kissed her. We moved slowly this time, the rolling motion of our bodies rocking together like the brazen embers of a freshly banked fire.
We came together, her cries driving me over. The greedy massage of her pussy around my cock pulling both seed and energy from me in a violent wave that left me collapsed on top of her. Buried deep.
Unwilling to leave her.
She owned me. I was so fucking screwed. Because the fact remained, I’d taken her body, given her my life force, soothed her Ardor, at least for the moment. And she hadn’t told me a damn thing.
Why had she been in my mother’s room? What was she doing in my family’s home? Was she a traitor to the new princess? To Queen Celene? Was she just a petty thief, looking for a bit of jewelry to sell? Or was she something much, much worse?
The most disturbing question? Did I care what the answer to that question might be?
Not only did I have to learn every inch of her body, what made her hot, made her moan… hell, made her come, I needed to get the truth from her.
She was mine, body and soul, and I would get answers. I would protect her, no matter who she was, what she’d done. But I couldn’t do that blind.
I needed answers, needed them now, while my cock was on a temporary break and my mind stood a fighting chance. It wouldn’t be long before my body, or her Ardor, took over and all I’d want—or need—was to satisfy her. Feed her Ardor. Fuck her.
I lifted my hand, stroked her dark hair back from her face. The long strands were softer than silk. A smile crept onto her face.
“More,” she purred and arched her hips up and into me. It felt good, but my mind was still in charge. At least for the moment.
I was all for pleasing my mate, but even I wasn’t quite ready. Her demand confirmed my suspicions about what I’d felt happening between us. The only way a female would be so eager was—
“You’re in Ardor,” I said. It wasn’t a question.
Her eyes opened, met mine. If I hadn’t been braced on my elbows I would have fallen forward, into those eyes. Drowned in them.
Her smile made my breath catch and my heartbeat race anew. She was beautiful.
“It works out well, since you’ve been awakened.”
Frowning, I looked at her again, confirming my earlier suspicions. She had to be mid-twenties, at least. Ardor came upon females around twenty or so. There was no way she’d had it for over five years. It was impossible. She’d have gone insane.
Then why had there been such a delay? It was different for each female, but this old?
“How long have you had it?”
She shrugged her slim shoulders, the action dragging her still taut nipples along my chest. I bit back a groan.
“Not long.”
“How long?” I tipped up her chin so she couldn’t look away. The thought of my mate in pain, that she may have suffered and I hadn’t been there to soothe her… unless, someone else had. Cassander perhaps? Or one of the other males in my parents’ palace. I saw red. If I hadn’t been buried balls deep in her body, I would have been pacing the room. Fighting the urge to rage at anyone who looked at her. “How many have there been?”
Her eyes widened at my sharp tone. “What do you mean?”
“Who else have you fucked?”
Her mouth opened but no other sound came out. Then, in an instant, I watched the heat disappear from her eyes and be replaced by anger. She pushed at my chest, but I wasn’t moving. I had her just where I wanted.
“Don’t you dare do any of that self-defense on me,” I warned. “I promise your ass will be well-spanked if you even think it.”
“First you insult me and call me a slut and then you tell me I shouldn’t be offended? Or defend myself from a bully?”
“A bully?”
“You’re keeping here me against my will.”