Page 64 of The Rat King
“I will tell you,” I said, and she perked up, “but I want something in return.”
Her shoulders slumped. “What?”
“Let me kiss you,” I said.
“No,” she said, not skipping a beat.
“Well, if you’re not planning to act like my wife, I don’t really see any reason to treat you like an equal partner. I’m a greedy man, Avery. I want it all. A queen, a partner, a lover. Everything I’ve earned.”
My voice had taken on an aggressive glint, and her eyes widened. I continued, “If you want to be included in my world, then I need you to include me in yours. I slipped off the bench, getting to my knees before her. Under her cloak she wore one of the loose shift dresses she favored, claiming they were comfortable for lounging, and this was probably the only time I ever felt grateful for the things.
It was time to move things forward. I ran my hands up her calves, hooking them under her knees, separated them, and yanked her forward so her body was close to mine. She released a small gasp. My hand slid its way up her thigh and my other fished out from under her dress to curl around the base of her neck.
“Kiss me,” I demanded, gravelly need apparent in my voice.
Her eyes flashed from mine to my lips and a pained expression crossed her face like it hurt her that she wanted me. And she did want me. I could feel it as her legs trembled on either side of my hips. I leaned forward. She didn’t move as my lips brushed hers for the first time since our wedding night. She sat frozen. I broke the kiss, pressing my forehead to hers as I stared into her amber flecked eyes.
“Enough, wife,” I growled, and her lips parted. The second she leaned forward, I was on her, crushing my mouth to hers, barely letting her come up for air. With a hand still up her dress, I moved it to her ass and pulled her against my growing need. She moaned into my mouth, then her hands threaded through my hair, traced across my shoulders, down my chest and across the muscles on my sides. Needy fingers made quick work of the buttons of my shirt and then her hands were on my scar covered skin.
I unclasped the cloak from around her neck as I rocked into her. It slid off her shoulders, and I snaked my arm around her waist, lifting her so I could tug the dress from underneath her and up her torso. She lifted her hands as I pulled it off and threw it to the side. “Goddess, Avery. Do you ever wear a bra?”
I consumed her neck and collarbone in a trail down to her peaked nipple. Taking it into my mouth. I sucked and nipped and her grip on my hair tightened. As I moved to the other one, my free hand went to undo my pants. In a second, I had them down my hips and my erection free and ready for her. I had to be inside her.
Pulling away, I took myself and my hand and looked down at her. Her warm skin was a blotchy pink in places from my onslaught and her chest rose and fell in quick breaths. She leaned back slightly, propping herself on her hands, and I pulled her, so her ass was on the edge of the seat. Sliding my finger inside the band of her panties, I moved them aside so I could see her glistening cunt.
Running my finger through it, I said, “Still so fucking wet for me, sweetheart.” Avery moaned as I brushed against her swollen clit. “You like that. You want more?”
“Yes,” she said, and I knew a part of her hated saying the words. Hated giving in to what was between us, but I didn’t care. I was going to take anything she gave me, because she was mine and she needed to know it in the deepest part of her.
With her panties pulled to the side, I lined myself up and then cupped her head, angling it so she could watch me as I penetrated her. “This,” I said, smacking her aching center with the tip of my dick, “is mine.Youare mine, Avery.”
“Please,” she said, whimpering with need, and I gave her what she wanted, sliding inside until our bodies were flush. But this time I didn’t give her time to adjust to the size of me. Pulling back until I was almost fully out, I slammed back in. Again and again as we watched. With every thrust, her breasts bounced, and I couldn’t get enough of the sight. I couldn’t get enough of how she jolted, making little pleasured sounds every time I fucked into her.
Right when I thought I was going to die from the sensation of it all, she spread her legs wider for me and wrapped them around me, trying to pull me closer with her heels, like she couldn’t get me deep enough. I was already fucking her like I wanted to crawl inside her.
Reaching my hand between us, I found her clit and circled, increasing the intensity with every pass until her sharp cry split the cool morning air. That was all it took, and I was spilling myself inside her as violent pleasure shocked its way through me.
When it subsided, I didn’t move. I wanted to stay inside her forever with her limbs wrapped around me and my face pressed into the crook of her neck.
“I love you,” I said, and placed gentle kisses on that smooth skin then kissed up her jaw and placed a soft kiss on her lips, but froze when they didn’t kiss back.
I sat back, concerned that maybe I had hurt her. I brushed a sweaty strand away from her face, scanning it. An icy current surged through my veins as I took her in. “You didn’t tell me to stop. You said ye—”
“That’s not it,” she said, and a flood of relief hit me. “Get off. We shouldn’t have done that. It doesn’t change anything.”
The pain of her rejection lanced away any elation or afterglow I might have felt. As we put ourselves back together, I couldn’t help but feel a little piece of my heart harden over.
“Then why did you let me?” I asked. My voice was a weak, wounded thing. Brittle.
“Because I’m a glutton for punishment, obviously. And that was more than a kiss, so you owe me answers.” She was angry. At herself or me, I wasn’t sure, but it was more than before. I shouldn’t have done that. I should have waited. I could practically see the wall going back up, shutting me out.
I slumped back on the bench, resigned to give her what she’d bargained for. “Xavier was only king for a short time, but during that time he and his advisers did some things which aren’t important, but they created some dissent. There are a few pockets here and there where lords were showing through their actions that they may not consider themselves under the crown’s jurisdiction any longer. Not as bad as Musson, but a few are nearly, so I’m dealing with them.”
Avery wrinkled her nose, but I continued. “The curse brought with it a certain heightening of our animal nature. My people evolved. Became more territorial, aggressive, part beast. I may have failed seventeen times, but when I ruled, it was with strength. I did what it took to protect them from each other and themselves.”
“Then why did you let Xavier take the eighteenth and final chance?”
I shook my head. “That much failure can shake any man’s confidence. I thought maybe the people were right, wanting my brother to have a chance. Maybe we should have done things differently. But that doesn’t change the fact that we are here now, the curse is broken, and I am king. I will not tolerate any question of loyalty with my subjects. So, I’ve been visiting a few of these lords and affirming their loyalty or bringing them to heel.”
