Page 42 of Given
I tipped her chin up so she was forced to look at me. I leaned in until my mouth nearly brushed hers, and her fluttery little breaths ghosted over my lips. “I’ve known Laurent since before you were born. I’ve been fucking him since you were in diapers. You don’t have to reassure me that you’re not a threat, little girl. I know you’re not.” My sentence ended in a quick intake of breath.
Because, suddenly, she was gripping my cock through my pants.
And I was as hard as the stone at her back.
I released her chin and seized the wrist she’d plunged between my legs. I gave her a warning squeeze and felt her bones grind together.
She squeezed back—and, fuck, she was stronger than she’d been when we tussled at the Rift. It surprised us both, apparently, because her sapphire eyes widened before filling with triumph. Her fangs flashed. “I know you don’t like to be touched, General, but if you put your hands on me again, I will return the favor.”
Anger bloomed hot in my chest. Laurent was the only person who could have given her that information. He’d discussed me with her, just the two of them. That was its own kind of betrayal.
But at the moment, she had my dick in a vise. I couldn’t blame my erection on a feeding this time. No, this was all her. She stared up at me with glowing eyes. Her breath caressed my lips. Cloves and forest. Something raw and untamed stirred deep in my chest. Slowly, it lifted its head.
A faint frown line appeared between Given’s eyebrows. Confusion danced in her eyes. She stared at me like she was just seeing me for the first time.
Against my will, I looked at her mouth. The wild, untamed thing inside me unfurled itself and stretched. My heart thumped so hard it threatened to knock against my leather breastplate.
“You want to fuck Given of Sithistra, and it makes you furious.”
Yes, this was fury. But not the kind that made a man want to kill. This was far more dangerous. It was a storm gathering, air pressure dipping and lightning flashing in the distance. It was the ominous sound of a shutter buffeting the side of the castle wall as the wind picked up. It was the scent of rain on the wind, the rumble of thunder right before the tempest descended.
It was because Laurent wanted her. That was all it was. She was the alabaster princess he’d ordered me to fetch from across the Rift. The poor, underfed halfling raised in neglect. Undoubtedly, the idea of playing protector to such a creature appealed to Laurent. He loved pretty, pitiful things. He’d enjoy saving her and then unraveling her. Dirtying her up. Yes, something about this female made a man want to ruin her.
In the back of my mind, another explanation for my desire clamored for my attention. I shoved it away.
Given’s grip was ruthless, but I still had a free hand at my disposal. And turnabout was fair play.
I cupped one plump breast through the velvet. I squeezed, stopping at the narrow barrier between pleasure and pain. She gasped, and I rubbed my thumb over her already-stiffening nipple. I leaned in until our lips were almost touching. Our breath mingled, and the scent of cloves filled my senses. “How does it feel?”
She whimpered. Her fingers on my dick loosened ever so slightly. Her deep blue eyes were a mix of anger and desire. “What?” she asked, her tone bewildered and a little distant.
“Having my blood inside you.”
Her mouth slackened, along with her grip.
I tilted my head. Let my lips hover just over hers. “Make no mistake, Princess, if I decide to be inside you in other ways, it will happen.”
Her eyes widened as she registered my twist on her threat.
I knocked her hand aside and stepped back. “I have knights to train.” I turned and stalked away.
“You’re the liar,” she called out, stopping me cold.
Slowly, I faced her, and I knew my expression was the one that caused seasoned knights to quake in their boots. “Say that again, Princess.”
She stayed slumped against the wall, but her eyes remained defiant. “The man in my dream wasn’t a man at all. He was an elf. He spoke with the same voice from the Rift. I heard it when I crossed, and I know you did too.”
Jordan’s face formed in my mind, his steady, slightly challenging expression as clear as a bell. “I think you know, my lord.”
Given watched me, the same challenge in her gaze. Fucking Sithistrans. Nor Doru was a much more peaceful place without them.
“You’re mistaken,” I said. “I merely stopped you from falling over the edge of the Pass.”
She shook her head. “I might believe that if it wasn’t for your reaction after my dream. There was panic in your eyes when you asked me about the voice. You heard it at the Rift, General. And something tells me that wasn’t the first time.”
For a moment, I almost indulged the urge to return to her and do…something. Kiss the self-assurance off her face. Take her vein and find out if she tasted as sweet as she smelled. Feel those firm breasts pressed against my chest. Toss up her skirts and fuck her against the wall to get her out of my system.
Instead, I pulled on my gloves and walked to the tower steps. Just before I descended, I looked back at her. “You should be careful, Princess. Nothing good happens to people who hear voices. Someone might decide you’re dangerous and lock you up.”
