Page 67 of For Better or For Worse

Jace shakes his head. “Dinner is in five minutes.”

“That’s about an hour!”

“That’s five minutes of you being hungry.” Looking up, he raises a hand, signalling to someone. “We shall eat early today, but, my queen –” He grabs my chin, lifting my gaze. “Do youremember what I told you would happen if you let yourself go hungry?”

He leans in. My pulse hammers in the base of my throat. I half expect him to make me get on my knees right here and now.

And fuck. I half want him to.

In front of all these people.

No.

No. That would be bad.

So bad.

My lips parting, I lick my lips. His eyes latch on to my mouth before he leans in so close to my ear that our cheeks brush. “I asked you a question, my queen.”

“That you’ll fill…” I struggle to form the words. My skin hot, I flush deep. “My stomach yourself.”

“So… Which one do you want me to do first?”

Pressing my thighs together, I try not to take a step back as I recall I also have the punishment of twenty-one spankings. “For now or later?” I squeak.

“You want them now?”

Before I can answer, a loud voice announces that dinner is ready to be served.

Stumbling back, I turn towards the caller. “I think that’s for us,” I babble. “And a good little slut always listens.”

He grabs my wrist and spins me back around. “To her king. A good little slut always listensto her king.”

I gulp.

Fuck.

I am so getting fucked tonight.

Eighteen

It is illegal to commit suicide. Those who break this law will be resurrected into servitude.

People should be able to choose when they die.

- King Richard

The soup served for the first course of dinner, a carrot and squash blend, doesn’t look anywhere near as tasty as my wife. As I sit at the other end of the table to her, I watch her giggle over something said by Warress Anne Fahy – a fairy well-known for herappetite.

My eyes on them, I barely register the chef coming out with the servers. A bowl is placed in front of me. A royal tester reaches forwards with a spoon. Resisting the urge to drag Arienna’s chair over here, away from Fahy, with her flirtatious smile and soft, gentle touches, I shift in my seat.

Fabia stands somewhere behind me – the only guard on my end, something Jace protested given he knows someone in the Court is trying to kill me again. But I wasn’t about to leave my wife without adequate protection when she has to be on the other side of the fucking room.

Besides, if the Court does manage to kill me, I want Jace to be forced to protect my queen rather than save me. I need him to help her navigate Raza in my absence and to kill the Court and anyone else who tries to manipulate her.

Fuck.

This vote cannot come soon enough.