Page 127 of In The Shadows

The splashing of water cools my fury as I watch the queen glide slowly into the water, causing the faintest of ripples. She ducks under the surface for a moment. When she emerges, she pushes the hair from her face as the light bounces off her skin, illuminating her freckles. Another set of white scars wrap around her wrist.

Who hurt her so deeply?

The queen stares at me as if she’s a water goddess beckoning me to come join her. I willingly comply. Repeating her movements, I drop my boots and clothing on the boulder and stand on the shoreline in nothing but my undergarments.

When I look back, she’s watching me with a mask of calmness, but fire burns in her eyes. Not removing my gaze from hers, I ease my way into the pool and swim out to her, treading water in the middle. The water is cool against my heated skin, and I hope it helps to quell this desire. I have to get a hold of my thoughts before I do something we will both regret.

“Isn’t it the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen?” She smiles, looking around her little piece of paradise, but I can’t take my eyes off her.

“Yes.” I’m not talking about the scenery.

Her eyes lower and when she looks back at me through her lashes, all I can see is lust burning into me. That last bit of hold I have on my desire snaps. I reach for her, wrapping a hand around her throat and pulling her toward me. The flicker of lightning skirts my skin as she grabs my wrist.

Water ripples around us as her lips part in a ragged breath. I pull her close, keeping several inches between our mouths. The queen tries to break the distance, but I hold her back. She narrows her eyes at me, then leans hard into my hand, biting her lip. I add the slightest amount of pressure, causing her eyes to roll back with a low moan. My cock immediately stiffens at her noises.

“You told me before that your husband doesn’t dictate who can be in your bed,” I say as her eyes refocus on mine. “Is that true? Because I want you. I need you, Your Highness. But I won’t act on anything if it puts you at risk. I need you to reassure me that King Asher isn’t going to come out of the shadows and taint this water red with our blood.”

“I’ve told you Asher won’t hurt you, Theo. It’s not a marriage of love. I may be bound to Asher, but our union is in title only. I’m free to do as I please,” she says, an emotion I can’t quite place flashing in her eyes.

My hand loosens on her throat, my fingertips settling on her collarbones.

“You don’t love him?” I ask, needing to be sure before I act on the desire burning its way through me.

“Can anyone really love a monster?” she asks.

That’s all I need to hear. I kiss her hard and hungrily, as if I’m starving and she’s the only one who can satisfy my need.Because she is.She kisses me back without resistance and melts into me.

My hand glides from her neck down between her breasts. I slide my hand under her breast, allowing my thumb to graze her peaked nipple. She sucks in a breath at the tease.

My hand trails down her back before I grab her ass, rocking her along my length. She gasps as I groan from the sparks flaring through my body.

My other hand wraps around her waist, keeping her close as her legs settle on my hips. The queen’s arms move from my chest to my shoulders. Her fingers tug at my hair, sending a jolt down my spine and to my hard cock.

I part my lips and swipe my tongue across her luscious mouth. She opens for me and lets out a little moan that I capture with my mouth. My hand trails up her back into her hair to give it a slight pull back, exposing her throat to me. She whimpers into the night air as her fingers dig into my scalp and shoulder.

I smile against her skin as I kiss and nip at her jawline. She shudders in my arms and my pulse skips a beat. I need more of her. I need all of her. She’s like a drug, and I just took my first hit. I can’t get enough of her, and I fear I never will.

I pull back from her neck, loosening my hand in her hair to scan our surroundings. She sighs at the sudden withdrawal. When her gaze comes down to me, her brow wrinkles with concern.

“What’s wrong?”

I halt my evaluation. My hands grip her waist, and I kiss her again. She hums at the move and grinds down on my hard cock. The thin undergarments barely create a barrier between us, and I feel her soft pussy pressing into my length.

“I need to find a spot with a little more privacy.”

She smirks before kissing my jawline and traces her way to my ears, nibbling slightly on my lobe. I groan in frustration.

“Behind the waterfall.” The queen’s words break as she kisses my neck.

I tilt my head down, causing her to stop exploring with her mouth.

“Do you know this from experience or fantasies?” I ask.

She shrugs at me. “I’m not one to kiss and tell, Captain.” Winking at me, she places her hands on my chest, pushes off, and starts swimming backward toward the shore. I let out a small chuckle before following her.

I quickly catch up, and we step out of the water together. Grabbing her hand in mine, I bring it to my lips and kiss it sweetly. She smiles at the gesture, warming my heart in ways I haven’t felt in years.

The moon hits her wet skin, and it sparkles in the light. She’s a goddess standing before me, and I want to drop to my knees to worship her. I lead us toward the cave set behind the waterfall. The stone walls of the cliffs create a walkway between the forest floor and the stone mass above.

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