As he spoke, he slid her silky dress up her thighs, his palm caressing the toned muscles of her legs. He imagined her walking through the Great Hall, all eyes attentive to her movements. Jealousy wasn’t an emotion he was accustomed to. His hand rose higher.
“Mmm,” she purred. She leaned back, shoving a pile of scrolls off her desk. “Perhaps if you're very good, I can spare a few minutes.”
He bent over her, his eyes tracking her tempting lips. “Only a few minutes? If you're going to insult me like that, perhaps I should leave. Nothing but your full attention will suffice.”
Her delectable lips parted. He didn't give her the chance to speak. Her soft and inviting mouth said everything he needed to know, her eager tongue conveying desire with every swirl and stroke.
But his Queen liked to play games. She pressed a hand to his chest and tipped her head back. “My prince can't compete with some tedious paperwork?”
Her tone was chiding, but her words were breathless. A smile touched his lips as his thumb rubbed her inner thigh. “You're welcome to get to work whenever you like, my Queen. Just don't blame me if you get nothing done.”
His hand slipped another inch higher as he spoke, closer to the warmth radiating from the apex of her legs. Her thighs spread wider. Her claws scratched his chest.
“That sounds like a challenge. What do I win if I… ohh…” Her voice trailed off.
That might have had something to do with his fingers stealing beneath her underclothes and rubbed her mound of flesh right above her clit.
“If you… what, love?” he prompted as he slowly ran his finger through the soft curls of hair between her legs.
Her eyes fluttered. She tossed a guilty glance at the skewed scrolls. “Mmm… I have so many letters to write, Castien…”
Without looking away, he found a quill and lifted it to her lips. “Then write them. I’m not stopping you.”
The quill tapped her lips. His finger stroked down through her curls, and he inhaled sharply. She was wet. Oh, she was drenched, her center slick with the fluid coating his finger. He stroked her a bit harder, breathing her in. There it was. The subtle scent of her was intoxicating.
A hissed breath escaped her gritted teeth. Snarling softly, she seized the quill and tossed it to the floor. Her lips clashed onto his, and her hips bucked against his hand.
He smiled.
He had a Queen at his mercy.
More importantly, he had Anais.
Indulging her demanding kiss, he stroked with both tongue and finger, thumb circling her clit, mouth widening as he licked her tongue, giving as much as she wanted, stirring and stoking the fire that was building between them. Her sharp claws bit through his shirt, and he didn’t care if she shredded the thing, if she dug her claws in and pierced his skin. He was hers. Hers to do with what she wished. To ruin. To save.
In this moment, to savor.
He drew out the kiss and slowly pulled away. Removed his finger. Stepped back.
She leaned toward him, her dazed, half-lidded eyes enticing him to fall right back into the fiery kiss. Holding his ground, he brought his glistening finger to his lips, licking the taste of her, sucking slowly as she watched.
She stared with an intensity that was all heat. Not a hint of cold remained in the forest-dark depths of her eyes. No distance. And her tension had nothing to do with the court.
Dropping his hand, he made a little bow. “Well, I should leave you to it, my Queen.”
One heartbeat. Two.
Like a feral beast, she pounced.
The slit in her dress prevented the glorious fabric from tearing as she launched herself off her desk and threw her arms around his neck, bound her legs behind his waist, and sealed her lips to his. He chuckled into her growling mouth and held her up by her ass. Stepping forward, he leaned until the flat of her back hit the desk.
It was with a reluctant whine that she let their mouths part. He smirked. “I thought you had so much work to do.”
“No more teasing,” she bit out. Her pelvis bucked as she ground herself against him. Tantalizing heat seeped through his pants.
He rolled his hips. “What’s the fun in that?”
Groaning in frustration, she reached for his pants. Her claws pulled at the hem.
