In the corner, a pianist strums her fingers against the keys as a trooper slides into her from behind. On their left, a woman sits on all fours, moaning as she takes one soldier’s cock in her mouth and another between her legs.
There’s an undulating pleasure here, an unashamedness that’s turning me on, and I can’t look away. I envision myself and Gabriel taking one of the couples’ places, kissing his mouth with my red-stained lips, straining to hear his commands as he grips my hips.
Right ahead of me, the oldest soldier—Tobias, grips a redheaded woman’s hips and pulls her onto his cock. She buries her head in his neck as he controls her every move.
I watch her body contort in absolute pleasure, and his dark eyes meet mine.
Smiling at me, he rubs a hand against the woman’s back. Then he extends it toward me.
“Want to join me?” he mouths. “I’ll be gentle…”
I shake my head and let the drapes fall into place.
Rushing away, I head down the hall and swipe two cakes from the kitchen before running up the staircase. Before I can make a left to return to my room, Gabriel steps in front of me.
“The best route out of the castle is behind you.” He smirks. “You’re going the wrong way.”
I nod, too breathless for a retort.
“See, Boss?” The guard from earlier moves between us, taking one of the cakes from my hands. “It’s just as I said. She came back.”
“I can see that, Anthony.” Gabriel rolls his eyes. “Spare us a few moments alone, please.”
“Yes sir.” He walks away, stuffing the cake into his mouth, and Gabriel presses his hand against my forehead.
“Something wrong?”
“I stumbled someplace I wasn’t to be,” I say. “I don’t think I was supposed to see those things.”
“Excuse me?” His lips turn up into a small smile. “What things?”
“The ones going on in your ballroom right now.” I pause. “For the record, as um, intriguing as it looks, I’ll never let your men do those to me.”
He glances down the steps, and the sounds climax again.
“I can assure you that I’ll never allow them to do any of those ‘things’ with you,” he says, smiling. “But if you ever wanted them from me, I’d never want to share you afterward.”
“Is that supposed to excite me?”
“You tell me…” He steps forward, running his fingers through my hair, setting all my nerves on edge with ease. “Does it?”
I don’t answer that. “Find what you were looking for while you were gone?”
“Not exactly,” he says. “Have you missed me?”
“No.”
“You’re not a very good liar, Belle.” He doesn’t push the issue. “Did anyone give you a tour of the entire place?”
“They showed me mostly everything, except the study.”
“What about the library?”
“What?” I suck in a breath, stunned. “You have a library? Where?”
“I’ll show you.” He slides a hand around my waist, pressing his palm against the small of my back as we walk down a long, winding hall. “This used to be my favorite room when I lived here.”
I look up at him, confused. “When was that?”
“A very long time ago.”
“Were you a servant boy to the owner, then? What all do you know about the eighth and ninth kingdoms?”
His eyes meet mine, but his lips never part to answer my questions. Instead, he points out the paintings that line the walls and tells me his favorites.
When we reach the end of the hall, he makes a left and stops in front of two huge grey doors.
My heart races in anticipation, my fingers itch to touch spines, and I’m dying to know how his room compares to the bookstore in the village.
“I’m not sure I should show you this room,” he says.
“Then don’t, I’ll show myself.” I grab the door handle, but he laughs and grips my hand.
“I need to slip inside and turn on the lights first.” He smiles. “Alone. Then I have to make sure a few things are in order before I let you inside.”
“Gabriel…” I narrow my eyes at him. “If this was all some type of twisted ruse, and there’s nothing in this room, I swear—”
He presses his fingers against my lips mid-sentence. “I’m not lying to you. Give me a minute.”
“Okay.” I step back, and he slips inside the room.
Light seeps under the door seconds later, and several loud thumps follow.
Before I can call out and ask if he’s okay, he returns with a velvet blindfold.
I cross my arms, ready to refuse it, but he moves behind me and gently ties it around my head anyway.
“Is all this really necessary?”
“Yes…Take five steps forward,” he whispers into my ear, and I quickly oblige.
“Three more,” he commands.
I risk a fourth, but my foot hits the air and I lose my balance.
“I said three for a reason.” He laughs, grabbing my waist from behind. “You’re at the top of a staircase.”