“What are you, a Neanderthal, thinking women are only good for one thing?” Her question had bite to it. Astonishment and anger, too.
I was not used to someone talking back. If it were a subordinate, they’d be on kitchen duty for a month. With her, I was at an impasse. Technically, as a member of the queen’s guard, I had to obey her commands. But as her mate? As a male who needed to strip her naked and fill her with my aching cock, I had to tread very carefully. She was a hunter, a fighter, like me. I’d seen it in the way her body moved as she climbed the vines to this room. I’d witnessed her ferocity that very first night when she’d battled my men to protect her sisters. She was magnificent. Beautiful. And deadly. I had to proceed with caution, but she would be mine. “As princess, you may say what you wish, and I will bow to your commands. But you are my mate, and you will bend to my will.”
It sounded as if she actually growled. I could barely see her hands come up, and she pushed me, hard, in the chest. I only moved back a step, but I was stunned. I’d never been manhandled by a woman before, and it… it made me so fucking hot.
“Your will?” she hissed. “Get the hell out of my way.”
“No.” I moved in closer, so close her heaving chest brushed mine when she inhaled. And it was then I felt her need, her body so desperate for mine that even now she drained my energy, my strength, across the distance, the slightest touch shooting through me like a rocket. The sensation was heady, providing for this female. Giving her what she needed. She would take my energy and feed her Ardor with me. Only me. No one else would touch her. “You need me right now, Princess, and we both know it.”
“I don’t need you.” She shuddered and her eyes closed as I felt a surge of my strength move to pour into her.
Oh fuck. She was desperate. Dying of Aleran Ardor and she hadn’t said a thing. I’d never heard of a female being this close to death, her body this starved for bonding energy, out of pure stubborn will. But if anyone would push her body too hard, fight the Ardor no matter the cost, it was this stubborn mate of mine. But I could not allow her to do this to herself. Not when I was here to provide.
I lifted my hand slowly and touched her face. Wrapped my big hand around her small cheek, fragile neck, moaned as our connection clicked into place, the magic of the Ardor mixing her life force and mine. She held completely still, frozen in shock perhaps. Or lust. Heat poured from my hand to her, the pleasure so intense my knees nearly buckled. “You need me right now, Destiny. Let me take care of you. Let me strip you naked and fuck you raw. Let me touch you.”
“Why? Why you?” she whispered.
“Because you’re mine and I’m yours. I know you feel it, too. You’re my mate, Destiny. Mine.” The darkness closed in around us like a blanket, like we were the only two people in the universe. Like we were alone. Totally. Completely. Alone.
“Mate, my ass. I don’t even know you,” she countered, continuing to fight what her body needed, what I could give her. Always a fighter, it seemed. “You followed me like a stalker and climbed in here to attack me. I’ve asked you to leave. I ordered you to leave. You are stubborn and annoying and it’s obvious that you only see me as useful for one thing.”
“Oh, what is that, Princess?” I spoke slowly, each word whispered against the skin of her neck, my lips hovering at the edge of her perception, teasing her. Teasing both of us. I should have kept my distance. This wasn’t the best place to take her for the first time, but I couldn’t let her leave. Not like this. She was too close to the edge. Pushing herself too hard. Every instinct I had insisted I take care of her. Feed her body with mine. She needed me, and no one had ever needed me before. Not like this.
“Sex. Just sex. That’s all you want.”
That was it. Her sass, her scent, everything, pushed me over the edge. She was making me insane. Why didn’t my cock rise for a biddable, mild female? Why did it have to want her?
And it wanted her now. Right. Fucking. Now.
I reached out, gripped her about the waist and lifted her off her feet. Hands gripping her round ass, I leaned in so our foreheads touched. Our faces close. Breath mingling. I watched as her mouth opened in surprise, her lids lowered and her gaze fell to my mouth.
3
Nix
I kissed her then. As if I could stop it. There was no fucking way I couldn’t kiss her.
She tasted like sunshine and fire, so bright and hot my blood all but boiled. My cock was so big my pants were sure to rip. My balls ached, filled with cum that wanted out. That needed to be deep inside Destiny.
Her hands went to my shirt, tugged at it and pulled it from my pants, her fingers then settling on my belt.
“Yes,” she murmured against my lips. Her breathing was ragged, which completely matched mine.
Lowering her to her feet, I tugged her shirt off over her head. I pulled her black pants down and off over a pair of the smallest feet I’d ever seen, her
boots not much larger than a pair of slippers, they remained on her feet. She tugged at my belt, freeing my cock and then ignoring the rest. I’d never had another hand on my cock before. She couldn’t close her grip; I was too big. I looked down, saw how huge I was now. I’d never seen my cock like this. Full. Ripe. Engorged. Oh, I’d worked it before, tried to soothe the subtle need that had simmered for years, but it had only raged to life now, with Destiny. She had truly awakened me. It was a miracle.
She pumped me a few times, but I gripped her wrist, tugged it away. I was going to come, but I wasn’t going to do it for the first time all over her hand.
I lifted my hands to her breasts, small and firm, and I felt the hard nipples against my palms. I wanted to spend time playing, sucking, tugging, but my cock had other plans. It wanted inside her. Now.
Five minutes ago.
I lifted her up, her back to the wall. She clung to me, her legs wrapping around my thighs, her hips undulating, searching for my hard cock. She locked her mouth on mine, taking what she wanted. Goddess, she was intense. Demanding. Every touch urgent and desperate and full of need.
I couldn’t fucking get enough. She buried her hands in my hair and pulled, using the leverage to lift herself and settle her wet core over the tip of my hard length. Mouth still locked on mine. Nibbling my lips. Sucking. Biting gently, just enough to sting. Just enough to make my entire body shiver with the urge to fuck her so hard and fast she’d forget to breathe.
She was nearly naked, her bare chest touching mine. Her legs locked around me. Claiming me as her lips did, as her hands did. She said she didn’t want me, didn’t need me, but her body had other ideas.