Page 145 of Split or Swallow

She could not defy him. She didn’t even want to.

Tem had no idea if Caspen could see her. But she pretended he could, undressing slowly, the way she did the first night they met. She undid the buttons of her nightdress one by one, pulling it from her shoulders and letting it drop to the floor. She slipped out of her underclothing, letting that fall too. When she was fully naked, she waited for another command, knowing it was only a matter of time before it came. Finally, it did:

Draw a bath.

She crossed to the bathtub, turning on the water and adding scented oils. She’d never been partial to baths. But this was one she knew she would enjoy.

Tem sat in the tub as it filled, watching as the bubbles rose up her legs. The pulse began again, coaxing her back into its familiar warmth. She leaned against the white porcelain, arching her neck. Goosebumps dotted her skin, and her nipples became so hard that they hurt. She placed her palms over them tentatively, cupping her breasts in her hands.

Squeeze.

She did it, and it was heaven.

Again.

This time she moaned, the sound disappearing beneath the tumble of the running water. Her whole body felt as if it were made of glass, as if she might shatter at the slightest provocation.

Do you like doing that for me?

Yes.

What else would you do for me, Tem? Show me.

Tem dipped her hands into the bath, wetting them with oil and water. Then she touched her breasts again, rubbing them gently, picturing Caspen in front of her, imagining he was watching her every move. The oil was slick, and smelled of roses. She softened her nipples, then hardened them again, feeling Caspen’s desire grow to match her own.

She wished he would come to her—she wished he was here to see her like this, to place his hands over hers and squeeze as hard as he liked.

Take it out.

She hesitated.

Do it, Tem. Right now.

Tem didn’t want to remove the claw; she liked the way it filled her. But she didn’t want to disobey him either, so she hooked her finger along its curve and pulled it from between her legs. Even taking it out felt good, and she sighed at the emptiness.

Lick it.

Tem didn’t hesitate. She touched the claw to her lips, starting from the thinner end and running her tongue slowly along its curve. As she did it, she tasted herself, and somehow, she also tasted Caspen. It was only once she reached the end of the claw that she realized it had grown in her hand. Where before it could have fit in one palm, now she needed both hands to hold it. She stared, enraptured, as it changed shape into something she recognized: something long and hard and formidable. It was the most important part of Caspen—the part he trusted her to hold—and Tem was honored to hold it.

She took the end in her mouth, swirling her tongue around its wide tip, doing what she knew he liked. Then she took it all the way down her throat, slipping it in and out in a steady rhythm.

Faster.

Tem obeyed, propping her elbows on the side of the bathtub so she could take him as deep as possible. She did this until she sensed, rather than heard, when Caspen was close to finishing. A raw ache ran through her, and she recognized it as the twin to hers. Tem knew she had mere seconds before he came, so without hesitation, she pulled his length out of her mouth and slid it once more between her legs. She winced as she did so; the smooth stone was unforgiving—so much harder than his actual cock.

As soon as it was inside her, pleasure exploded in her mind. The swell was so undeniably strong that Tem cried out, throwing her head back in utter surrender, allowing his surge of gratification to obliterate every thought in her brain besides the one in his:

Mine.

Tem was still riding out her orgasm when their connection closed.

She lay back in the bathtub, panting, her body flushed with pleasure. She remained there until the bath water was cold, sitting in silence as the claw returned to its normal shape, pressing insistently against her clitoris. Tem rinsed herself before dressing and rejoining her mother in the kitchen.

The rest of the day passed in a slog of menial farm chores.

After the lightness of her orgasm, Tem found she was dreading the festival with every fiber of her being. She couldn’t decide which was worse: getting eliminated from the competition and having to tell her mother she’d failed, or staying in the competition and kissing Leo in front of the entire village. There were no good options here. It seemed like there never were.

By the time they were traipsing toward the village, Tem was sick with anticipation.