19. Verena

CHAPTER 19

VERENA

W e were still dripping wet by the time we made it back to the inn.

Dacre approached the wooden desk, his hand reaching into his pocket to retrieve a few shiny coins. He slid them across the worn surface to the innkeeper, requesting food to be brought up to our room. My stomach growled with hunger, but it paled in comparison to the insatiable desire building within me for him.

I wrapped my arms around my chest, trying to ward off the cool air bleeding through my wet clothes as I anxiously waited for Dacre to open the door.

As soon as he did, we both eagerly kicked off our boots, the sound of their thuds echoing through the empty room.

Dacre strode across the room with purpose, his wet footsteps leaving a trail of water on the floor. He disappeared into the bathroom, and after a moment, emerged with one towel in hand while he pressed the other against the nape of his neck.

Water trickled down his tousled hair as I reached for the towel he offered. The fabric was soft as I pressed it against me.

"You can have the bathroom to change," he said, his eyes lingering on my mouth as he spoke.

Heat simmered under my skin, erupting until it spread through my whole body.

"Thank you," I managed to say as I nodded, but I didn't move. I just stood there staring at him the same way he was staring at me.

He took a step closer, his hand reaching out to gently sweep a stray strand of hair from my face. I shivered at the touch of his cool fingers against my burning skin.

In that moment, all the doubts and fears that had plagued my mind seemed to fade away, like a thick fog dissipating under the warm rays of the sun.

The betrayal that had been consuming me since the moment he sent me on the run now seemed to crumble into weak and insignificant fragments.

I wanted him. Gods, I needed him.

"Go, Verena." His voice was low and rough, sending shivers down my spine. He nodded toward the bathroom as he slid his hand down the side of my neck, his touch electrifying.

I nodded slowly, my eyes locked on his in a silent plea, but I still didn't move.

Dacre's fingers tangled in my wet hair, pulling me even closer to him. Our faces were inches apart, the rush of our breaths mingling in the space between us.

"Verena," he practically growled my name, his gaze moving from my lips to meet my eyes. "You need to go before I do something that you don't want me to."

A sharp inhale escaped my lips, and I could feel the rapid thumping of my pulse beneath his fingers as if it were trying to burst out of my skin. "And what if it is what I want?"

Every nerve in my body seemed to tingle with anticipation as I waited for his next move.

His hand slid around the nape of my neck, his grip firm yet gentle. The warmth of his palm seeped into my skin, sending sparks of electricity through my body. I felt a soft fire ignite within me, warming me from the inside out.

My body instinctively leaned toward him, my muscles relaxing under the soothing pressure of his touch.

"Then you need to tell me, Verena." His eyes seemed to sear into mine, and I could feel the weight of his conflicted emotions, yet his fingers never faltered in their hold on me. "I wasn't lying to you before. I won't touch you unless you want me to."

My heart pounded in my chest, a wild and unruly beast clawing at the confines of my rib cage, yearning for his touch.

"I need…I need you."

The words were like a plea. They clawed at my throat, begging to be heard.

Dacre's eyes flared and blurred the world around me as his breathing grew heavy and erratic against my skin. He leaned closer to me until his lips brushed against the shell of my ear.

His words were like a caress as they passed over my skin. "But do you want me?" he whispered, his lips moving against my skin.

I nodded, unable to form the words he needed to hear.

He pulled back slightly, his hand tightening on the back of my neck. "I need your words, Verena." His voice was filled with longing. "I need to know that this is what you want."

Without hesitation, I spoke the only truth I had. "I want you."

With those three simple words, everything changed.

Dacre's lips crashed onto mine with an urgency and desperation I had never felt before. His teeth grazed over my bottom lip, sending shivers down my spine. A low, guttural groan escaped from his throat as I eagerly parted my lips to taste more of him.

His fingers traced a path from my neck down to my hips, exploring every curve and dip of my body. With a strong yet gentle touch, he lifted me, and I instinctively wrapped my arms around his broad shoulders.

Our bodies molded together as he carried us toward the bed, never breaking our kiss.

He lowered me onto the plush bed, and I let out a small laugh as I bounced lightly on the mattress. But my laughter was cut short when I looked up at Dacre and saw the intense, almost predatory glint in his eyes.

My fingers brushed over his chest, feeling the taut muscles beneath his damp shirt. He caught my hand in his and brought it to his lips, placing a gentle kiss on my skin.

"Gods, you're beautiful." He leaned forward, lifting my damp shirt until it rested below my breasts. With a featherlight touch, he ran his nose along my stomach before pressing his lips to the sensitive skin just below my belly button.

A sharp gasp escaped my lips as his warm breath tickled my skin. A shiver of pleasure rippled through my body as his lips trailed lower and lower, creating a trail of fire in its wake.

My hands tangled in his hair as I moaned his name, my body arching toward him in need.

His strong, calloused hands roamed over every inch of my body, eliciting shivers and gasps from me. As he made his way back up to my lips, our bodies pressed tightly together, creating a heat and electricity between us that was almost tangible.

The kiss grew in intensity with each passing second, our lips moving together as desire coursed through our veins. I pushed my hips against his, our bodies grinding together as we both yearned for more.

He leaned back, positioning himself between my parted thighs and trailing his hand down my body in a slow caress.

"I have been tortured with dreams of touching you again," he murmured, his voice low and husky with desire. "I've been tortured by the memories of the first time." As our eyes met, his intense gaze bore into me like a searing flame, the heat almost suffocating, yet I couldn't look away. "Haunted by thoughts of what I should have done, of the way I should have worshipped you."

A wildfire spread across my skin as he traced delicate patterns along my curves until he reached the top of my pants.

"I should have fallen to my knees for you as I will do now."

I could feel the intensity of his longing in the way his fingers trembled against my flesh, a fire within me that threatened to consume us both.

My breath hitched in my throat as I felt his warm fingers deftly unbuttoning my trousers, releasing a flurry of nerves that had been coiled deep inside me.

"Dacre," I whispered, my voice barely above a breath as his skilled fingers danced along my skin, sending shivers coursing through me.

"Like salt in the sea, you have become ingrained in every part of me, and I have been drowning in my regrets."

I shook my head because I didn't want his words, my chest felt as if it were caving in as he spoke them, but he wouldn't stop.

"You should send me away, Verena. Banish me from ever touching you again. I don't deserve you after everything I've done."

"Stop." My voice shook with the desperate command.

"Your entire existence has been dedicated to preparing for your place as ruler of our kingdom, yet you have never been revered. It is a privilege I am unworthy of, but I would surrender every breath to worship you if only you would grant me the honor."

His words cut through me, crashing into me in wave after wave until I felt like I couldn't breathe. I reached up and touched his face, my fingers brushing against the stubble on his jaw.

"Dacre, please."

His dark eyes flared as he gripped my hand in his and pressed his lips to my palm.

"I am devoted to you." His intense gaze locked with mine. "Please let me fall to my knees before you and prove my devotion with my tongue against your skin."

My breath caught at his words and I nodded eagerly, desperation for him pulsing through every inch of me.

"I am desperate to taste you." With one swift movement, he yanked my pants down my hips, the once tender touch now replaced with one of urgency.

He lowered his head, his teeth grazing my skin as he trailed hot kisses along the sensitive flesh of my bare thighs. My body arched, my hips instinctively bucking toward him, yearning for more.

With a quick flick of his wrist, he removed my pants completely before tossing them on the floor and leaving me bare in front of him.

The urge to hide my body was overwhelming. But Dacre had already seen the worst of my scars, and as he hooked his hands beneath both of my knees, that feeling faded. He spread my legs apart and pinned them down on either side of the mattress.

He lowered himself down, his warm breath caressing my inner thigh as his tongue traced the delicate seam between my thigh and my pussy. A surge of pleasure shot through me, causing my hips to buck off the bed and eagerly chase his mouth.

He slid both of his arms beneath my legs as he settled under my thighs, on his knees, and the heat from his hands seared into my skin as he spread me open before him.

With a slow, deliberate movement, he ran his tongue through me, making my body convulse and causing me to call out his name.

His deep growl against me only added fuel to the fire, and I couldn't help but dig my fingers into his hair as he worked me with his mouth.

"So fucking wet," he breathed, his words vibrating against me. "Is this all for me?"

"You know it is." I pressed my head back against the mattress as I tried to close my legs around him.

"Show me, Verena," he commanded, with a hint of desperation in his voice. "Fuck my mouth and show me how badly you want me to be the only one who worships at your feet."

A whimper left my lips as I did as he said. I moved my hips against his mouth, chasing the waves of pleasure that were crashing over me.

His hands found their way to my ass, lifting me and anchoring me against his mouth as he sucked my clit between his lips.

"Fuck," I moaned and pulled on his hair, trying to get him impossibly closer to me.

Dacre grasped my ass, jerking me down to the edge of the bed, still working me with his mouth.

"Dacre, I'm so close," I gasped.

He increased his pressure, his lips sucking and pulling at my sensitive flesh as he slid a finger inside me.

I felt reckless with him between my thighs, completely and utterly out of control.

"Look at me."

I could feel my orgasm approaching, and I buried my head back against the mattress.

"Now, Verena."

My eyes snapped open, and my gaze met his, unable to deny his command. "I want to taste your cum. I can't go another moment without tasting your pleasure and knowing that it belongs to no one but me."

I called out his name, my body arching off the bed as I did just as he said and came against his mouth.

Dacre held me tight, not stopping until I was spent, kissing me softly along my hip bone.

I sank down onto the soft mattress as he stood. Without hesitation, he flipped me over until my chest was firmly pressed against the smooth fabric. His strength and control evident in his every move when I felt like I had none.

His fingers traced a tantalizing path down my spine, sending shivers of pleasure through every nerve in my body. They then moved over my ass, gently caressing and exploring until they finally reached the warm, slick wetness between my thighs. I couldn't help but moan at his touch, my body arching toward him, somehow still desperate for more.

With a possessive growl, Dacre thrust two fingers inside me, stretching me in a way that had me panting and begging. His other hand reached around me, his thumb skillfully brushing against my sensitive clit.

"Dacre, please," I begged, writhing beneath him as he tortured me with his touch.

He paused, his fingers still embedded deep within me, and his warm breath caressed the back of my neck. "Tell me what you want."

"Fuck me," I whimpered.

"You are mine, Verena," he growled. "You belong to me." His words sent a rush of wetness between my legs, and I couldn't help but arch my back, offering myself to him completely.

"Tell me you are mine." His words were a low, pleading growl that reverberated through the air.

I could hear him behind me, the rustle of fabric as he removed his clothes.

He positioned himself between my legs, his hard length pressing against me. He ran himself back and forth through my wetness, and I jerked when he hit my clit.

"Tell me, Verena," he demanded again, his voice rough with need. His breath tickled my neck as he leaned over me, and I dug my fingers into the sheets as his heartbeat pounded against my back.

"I'm yours."

Dacre groaned, his hips thrusting forward, rubbing against me. His fingers slid from my wetness, and I felt him position the head of his cock against my entrance.

I rocked back against him. "Please, Dacre."

My body trembled as he began to slide in, filling me with every inch. I gasped, my grip tightening on the sheets, as he slowly buried himself inside me.

His hips moved in a slow rhythm, pulling back and then thrusting forward, each movement sending waves of pleasure coursing through me.

He leaned forward, his lips brushing against the back of my neck, his breath warm against my skin. "You feel so damn good."

The weight of his body left mine as he leaned back, his hand roaming over my ass before his fingers tangled with the hem of my still-damp shirt. He pushed it higher, exposing my bare skin to him, and I stilled when I felt him falter.

My scars.

I wanted to stop him, to pull my shirt back down and hide from him, but his fingers were already grazing over the jagged scars that littered my back.

"Dacre." My voice trembled, and I wanted to beg him to stop. It was too much.

"I will never let anyone hurt you again." He promised something that he would never be able to honor, but his oath burned through me as if he had branded it within my veins. "The king will never touch you again."

His lips traced over my scars with gentle precision, as if trying to erase the lingering pain that still haunted me even though they had become nothing more than marks on my skin.

"Mine," he whispered hoarsely, that one simple word a promise.

He slid one hand under my body, gently pressing against my chest before lifting me up. My back arched against his firm chest as he pulled me close. His knees settled between mine, anchoring us together, as he wrapped his arms around me and held me against him.

He felt impossibly deep inside me as his thrusts grew harder and more urgent. I let out a low moan as he possessively wrapped his hand around my neck, holding me close as his body moved against mine.

"Look at me, Verena," he whispered, and I was startled by how gentle his words were.

I turned and looked at him over my shoulder, his lips eagerly met mine. The intensity of his touch caused my body to quiver and shake as he slowly slid in and out of me.

I was utterly consumed by him, and my fingers dug into his, trying to pull him impossibly closer.

"I'm sorry, Verena." His apology was a mere murmur against my lips, barely audible over the pounding of my heart. Slowly, he pulled me away from him, his intense gaze locking with mine. In his eyes, I saw a tumultuous mix of guilt, regret, and longing. "I'm so fucking sorry."

"Please, Dacre," I begged as a wave of emotions crashed over me, threatening to pull me under. "I need you."

A deep moan escaped his lips as he thrust harder and deeper inside me. His fingers tightened around my neck, pulling me closer to him as he kissed me with an intensity that stole my breath.

His other hand moved down my body, tracing every curve and dip before he pressed his fingers against my sensitive clit. I jerked forward just as his next words crashed into me.

"I am yours, Verena," he growled against my mouth. "In this kingdom and the next, wherever the tides take you, I am yours."

I swallowed, my heart racing in my chest as I felt completely vulnerable and exposed to him.

I let him claim me, let him take whatever it was he needed from me as I did the same with him, and when I came again, it was with his name on my lips.

He picked up the pace, his thrusts becoming more desperate, more unrelenting. My cries echoed in the room as he took me, possessing me completely.

With a loud groan, Dacre surrendered to his pleasure, burying himself deep inside me one final time. I felt the warmth of his release inside me as I tried to catch my breath.

We stayed like that, my body spent while he held me up against him, and he pressed his lips against my neck and shoulder over and over as if he hadn't gotten his fill.

Slowly, he pulled out of me, and I felt a small pang of loss at the emptiness inside me.

Dacre rolled me over until I was facing him again, and he lifted my hand and pressed his lips to my fingers.