Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen

Loose Lips

Loren

At first, he felt Satrine moving.

And then came the pain carving into his side.

He opened his eyes and saw a dark that shared it was still the dead of night but felt Satrine fidgeting.

“Are you not comfortable, sweeting?” he murmured, his voice thick with sleep.

“Okay, honey, I get why you felt the need for barriers, but you try to sleep in a corset.”

He roused at that.

“I need this dress off,” she finished.

He had decreed they’d sleep in their clothes, an effort to fight temptation.

Therefore, he’d tugged off his boots and socks, she had slipped off her slippers.

And they were on top of the bedclothes with the duvet pulled over them that usually lay folded at the foot in case an evening was uncommonly cold.

He’d forgotten she was daily tortured with that item of apparel.

“Never understood why you women suffer that contraption,” he remarked.

“I knew I was falling in love with you.”

Startled, Loren was powerless to do anything but allow her words to flood through him, the light of them momentarily, but brilliantly, illuminating places that had long been dark.

He did this before he moved his hand to the top button at the back of her neck.

He released it from its loop, the next, and then, with practiced ease, he angled his fingers just so, in order to slide them down and release all the buttons in one go.

Nary a second after he accomplished this, she shivered against him and remarked, “Maybe we should keep our clothes on.”

He grinned into the dark then pulled them both from under the duvet and onto their feet.

He heard the silk of her dress rush to puddle on to the floor. He then used her hips to turn her and found the ends of the satin laces at her back. He tugged them and loosened them, thankfully unable to see what he was doing. It was bad enough being able to feel it.

He stepped away to allow her to pull the corset over her head, which would leave her in nothing but her shift, and he turned his attention to the buttons on his breeches.

He pulled those down so that he was only in his undershorts, then reached beyond her to tug back all the covers.

With a hand at her hip, he guided her in and followed her.

With ease, he turned her into his arms, but this was because she was already heading there.

“Much better,” she decreed.

His lips curved, he pulled her closer and tangled their legs.

Much better, yes.

And much more dangerous.

Nevertheless, his fingers found themselves wound into her soft hair.

She melted into him.

“How’s your side?” she asked quietly.

“I’ll live.”

“The goal should be not to allow them to cut you,” she teased.

“There were five of them, and only two of us. I can promise you, my lady, I did try.”

“Okay, let’s stop talking about that,” she returned.

He gave her a squeeze and reassured, “They were rough. Hooligans. No training. We were never in any real danger. I delight you still want me regardless of the flaws I know you sense in my character, so I feel relatively secure in sharing, in situations like that, Marlow and I work well together.”

“Did you two learn that when you were quashing dissidents in Lunwyn?”

Loren froze.

Entirely.

“Uh-oh,” she whispered.

“Who told you that?” he all but barked.

“Honey—”

He shifted, cupped her jaw on both sides, tipped her face to his, even if he couldn’t see her, and shared, “You are not in trouble. I’m not angry at you. But I’m angry. And I’m angry at whoever told you about that.”

She made excuses instead of answering him.

“I think he might have done it so I would know you a bit better, and maybe, um…have a care should things happen like…erm, tonight.”

Since Marlow was with him when they went to attend Tor, that only left his father, unless Middleton, Holton or Rycroft came to visit her, which, considering none of them were close, was unlikely.

Though they were possibly getting closer due to the announcement of his betrothal and the knowledge they could rightly assume they were all to attend his wedding, something not one of them would miss.

And Ansley undoubtedly did it for the reasons she stated.

But considering this knowledge threatened the realm’s security, it still was the wrong thing to do.

“This is highly confidential information, Satrine, do you understand me?”

“Yes.”

“We took pains not to leave any trace. Men died for that. What is done is done, it’s been years, but what happened was not with the knowledge of the ruler of Lunwyn. She has since passed. A good queen. Even more clever than you, which means she’s the only woman I’ve known who is such.”

“Wow, thanks,” she cut in softly.

“Darling, I’m pleased you grasped the compliment. However, I’m being deadly serious. Realms do not like other realms sending soldiers in and meddling with their citizens, ever, and perhaps especially not in secret.”

“Yes, I can see that,” she agreed.

“We share a border with Lunwyn. Good relations. Trade treaties that benefit both realms. Should trouble arise, and it always does, our militaries would fight side by side. King Viktor is young. Smart. Stable. His father is a born leader in more ways than anyone on this planet, and a very fine man. His mother is nearly a warrior herself, and almost as cunning as her mother was. But he’s still young. Youth can mean impetuousness. He’s just learning to trust us as his allies and—”

“Baby, baby, baby,” she fussed, pushing up to touch her lips to his. “I get it. Loose lips sink ships. You’re heard.”

“Loose lips sink ships?” he asked, and before she could say anything, went on, “That’s most ingenious.”

“Well, stick around, buddy, I got a million of them.”

He chuckled.

She cuddled closer to him and tucked her face into his chest.

When she did, he thought, this would be their nights. After he had her, they would tangle together to sleep.

In fact, this would be their lives.

They may have a babe squirming between them if it fretted in the dark. Dogs (who would eventually learn better and remain at the foot) when they got them.

But in that moment, with Satrine in his arms, Loren vowed that whatever his future brought, it would not take him away from Satrine and their bed in the nighttime.

He’d sleep by her side every night.

Until he died.

“That’s where the dark started, isn’t it?” she asked his chest, taking him from his thoughts.

He bent his neck and pressed his face into her hair.

There, he admitted, “Yes.”

“Thank you for your service, honey.”

He again went still as her words flooded through him.

Simple.

Meaningful.

More light in the dark before it faded away.

“You’re welcome, my love.”

* * * *

She shifted against him, and this time when Loren opened his eyes, he saw the dawn stealing around the drawn curtains.

He also smelled her.

Felt her.

Was still entirely tangled in her.

And realized his folly of asking her to stay.

As if sensing him awake, Satrine shifted again, stretched, and felt his morning readiness, he knew, for she stilled.

Then (he should have known), albeit gently…

She attacked.

He was on his back, she was draped down his good side, her mouth on his, her hand on his chest, her breasts pressing in.

He pulled his mouth from hers and warned, “Darling.”

Hers was not a warning.

It was a plea.

“So you won’t hurt yourself, you’ll need to be creative. I know you’re creative, baby. Be creative.”

He framed one side of her face with his hand, being both relieved and pleased from her behavior from the first kiss they shared that there was one aspect of life and living it that her mother did not hesitate to be open about. Satrine was not at all afraid of sex. And this was not a surprise to him. She and Corliss had a very close, honest, open relationship.

However, being secluded all her life, she was still a virgin.

“Satrine—”

Her hand strayed down his stomach.

He caught her wrist and chuckled. “My dearest, you know not what you toy with.”

“I haven’t toyed with anything yet.”

He pulled her hand up his chest.

And then he got serious.

“If it is your wish, I will gladly bring you to release.”

“It is my wish, and I will gladly return the favor.”

He felt his eyes widen.

She used hers to roam his face, his neck, then she turned her attention to his chest.

“Gods, do you have any clue how beautiful you are?” she asked in an awed, breathy voice that scored from his throat straight to his cock.

All right.

Enough.

He took her to her back.

“Loren, your wound,” she snapped.

“You wish it, my love, I’ll give it to you,” he promised.

Her gaze heated.

He lost that beauty when he took her mouth.

Then he took her neck, her chest…

Pushing up her shift, he spent quite some time on her breasts.

She was writhing under him, her fingers buried in his hair, so he knew she was ready for what was next.

He ran his lips down the lovely outward swell of her belly at the same time he pulled her knickers down her legs.

She kicked them off.

He spread her thighs.

And took her sex with his mouth.

She gasped a gasp he felt in his shaft, mewed a mew he felt drive up his arse, and after he threw her legs over his shoulders, she moaned a moan that made him bead.

She rocked against him, wanton, abandoned, her taste, sounds, smell, reaction, all of it was more than he’d imagined, more than he could have hoped. And with Satrine, he knew he could hope for a great deal.

And when she climaxed against his tongue, her heels digging into his flesh, her fingers clutching his hair, he nearly came himself.

He lapped until it left her, and only then pulled himself over her, holding his weight on a forearm in the bed, giving her his warmth, and nibbling at her neck as her breath steadied.

He shifted his mouth to her ear.

“Okay?”

“You’re…that was…I can’t even…you’re, um…”

He lifted his head and grinned arrogantly at her.

“Talented?”

“I don’t know. I’ve been robbed of the ability to think. I’ve never experienced anything like that.”

He nipped her bottom lip, soothed it with his tongue, absorbed the tremor that caused, and promised, “There’s more to come, and it’s even better.”

“Oh boy.”

He nuzzled their noses, shifted to his back taking her with him and reached for the covers that had slid off them to pull over their bodies.

She was a heavy weight against him, and he lay, pleased with himself, understanding she was even still recovering.

It took some time before she asked, “Is it your turn?”

He started and tipped his chin down to look at her.

She was gazing up at him, and the heat was back in her eyes.

“You don’t have—” he began.

“You’re in a state,” she pointed out.

He did not need to look at the covers to understand the veracity of her statement, he was living it.

“My condition will fade.”

“Isn’t there a better way to see to that condition?”

He began to gather her to pull her face to face with him so he could have her close as he explained how her offer was most wanted, though it was unnecessary, but she fought it, watching him closely.

“You won’t deny me,” she said, wonder in her voice.

He wouldn’t. Anything she desired, if it was in his power to give, he’d never deny it.

But this…

“You mustn’t feel you need to do this, my love. I’ll be fine. I can wait.”

“I don’t want you to wait. I want something else for you. And you’re going to give it to me.”

“Satrine—”

She bent and touched her lips to his throat.

Her soft hair spread across his jaw, his chest, and he quieted.

Then she slid down and kissed his chest.

After that, mimicking the things he did to her, she explored, starting at his nipples, then down his stomach, tracing a path either side, top—and bottom—of his bandage.

And then, after she pulled away his shorts, he watched, his balls drawing up as did his knees, as she staked claim to his cock in her fist.

And with not a moment’s hesitation, she swallowed him whole.

He felt the back of her throat and her lips touch her fingers.

Extraordinary.

“Fucking hell,” he grunted.

She tipped her eyes to him, sucked, bobbed, and he was a man with experience. He was a man who knew control.

But this was his woman.

He was falling in love with her.

And it was the first time she’d sucked his cock.

So he did something he hadn’t done since he was a young buck.

He broke.

Pulling away, coming to his knees, he gently took her hair in his hand, positioned her, she moaned her pleasure as she sensed what was coming, opened her mouth over his cockhead, and he commenced fucking her face.

“Bloody fucking hell,” he groaned, watching her hungrily take him.

She grasped his thigh to hold on, sucking through his thrusts.

Loren reached out and yanked her shift up so he could see her arse sway as she absorbed the drives, feeling the rapture of her mouth and thinking about taking her cunt with that outstanding arse in his hands.

And he tried to pull out when the time was nigh.

But she took hold of his hips firmly in both hands, which made his orgasm, which was going to be huge, an orgasm that was earth-shattering.

He came and he came, and he fucking came in her mouth, thrusting through it, and she swallowed it all down greedily.

Every drop.

He wasn’t nearly recovered when he pulled out, caught her under the arms, and dragged her up, growling, “Come here.”

She had no choice.

She was there.

He fell to his back with her on him.

He felt the pain dig in at his side, the laces stitching into his flesh pulling, but he didn’t give a fuck.

She did.

“Loren! Your injury.”

“Look at me,” he commanded in a tone, even Satrine didn’t hesitate.

She gave him her eyes.

“You’re bloody perfect,” he proclaimed.

“Baby,” she breathed, her gaze softening.

“Did you like that?” he asked.

“Yes,” she answered.

“Perfect,” he decreed.

That was when her body softened on top of him, and she said, “You are too.”

He didn’t respond, just lifted a hand to her face so he could glide his thumb across the lips that spoke those words.

Spoke them and believed them.

“That was a lot, er, um…was that a lot?”

He didn’t know what she was asking, so he guessed.

“Of my seed?”

She nodded.

“It was a lot,” he confirmed. “My climax was thorough.”

“Okay, that’s good.”

“It’s very good.”

She smiled at him timidly.

Fuck, she was.

She was perfect.

And his.

All his.

His arms around her grew tighter.

“Were you all right taking that much?” he queried.

“It was hot,” she answered. “You kept coming and it made me feel….”

“Powerful?” he finished for her.

She scrunched her nose in an adorable affirmative.

“It’s been a while,” he told her.

“Right, of course. Pent up, I’m sure.”

“Indeed, of a sort, since I’ve been taking care of myself thinking of you every night and some mornings besides since the day I met you.”

Her eyes widened.

He grinned at her. “The reality is so far better, it’s rather astonishing.”

“Awesome,” she whispered.

“Obviously, it was watching me thrust into your face, alternating paying attention to your very beautiful arse.”

“Hmm…”

“That said, it was mostly that you’re flawless at sucking cock.”

Her legs started shifting.

Which meant she responded to verbal stimuli.

He already knew she did the same to physical.

Loren smoothed a hand over her arse.

She trembled.

And there it was.

“I was otherwise engaged, my darling. I didn’t get to watch,” he said quietly.

“Oh my gods,” she breathed, squirming on him even more.

The grin he gave her this time was different.

“Stay low but straddle my hips,” he ordered.

“Loren, your side.”

He shifted his hand around…and in.

Her eyes went half mast, her head tilted back, and her lips parted.

“Straddle my hips, my love, trust me, I’ll be fine.”

She straddled his hips, careful to keep her right knee from grazing his side.

Loren moved his fingers.

And this time, watched.