Page 9 of The King's Mate

Chapter Five

Aleo lay beside Piper wondering how the hell he always managed to get himself into these messes. She was a biter. His lips still ached from the effects of her teeth. He knew his lips would be bruised by morning, which wouldn’t fare well for the matching ceremony. Her body had marks from his fingers, too. It made him prideful. Possessive.

“Do I have to be nice to you now?” Piper asked, disrupting the silence in the room.

“No.” A lazy grin lingered at his lips. “But the nicer you are, the nicer I’ll be.”

She snorted. “I’m not sorry for anything I did.”

“Me either.” He pulled her to him and draped a leg over her body. She felt good against him. He buried his face in her hair and breathed her in. Cuddling with Piper was something he found himself liking. When she wasn’t busy busting his balls, she could actually be soft and sweet.

“So is my debt paid? You fucked me. Can I go home?”

He traced her lips with his finger. “No.”

He gripped her cheeks and kissed her. Everything about her made him want to claim her. Possess her like an alpha would. He was the fucking king, and she was a human. It was forbidden, but that didn’t seem to matter much now. He’d have whatever he wanted, and if that included her, so be it.

Piper pushed away from him. “I’m surprised you’re not ready to kick me out of your bed now that you’ve had your fix.”

“The only way I’d kick you out of my bed is to fuck you on the floor. Or against the wall. Or in the bathtub.” He rubbed a hand over his face. “I’m far from having my fix of you.”

She sat up and glanced around. “I’m not sure I’m up for another round.”

Aleo stroked her back with the tips of his fingers. “Tell me about yourself.”

“No.”

He chuckled. “You really like that word, don’t you?”

“No more than you do.” She stood and walked over to the bathtub. After checking the temperature of the water, she stepped inside the tub.

He watched her a moment before getting up to join her.

She pinched her nose and dipped beneath the water. “You want to give me a bath?”

He stared at her. “Not really.”

She smoothed her hair away from her face. “Then go away.”

He laughed and scooted the little stool beside the bathtub with his foot. Hell, he’d never given anyone a bath in his life. Sitting on the stool, he reached for a clean washrag and dipped it in the water. Piper watched him, giving him a puzzled look.

“You are the only person in the world that can say the king gave them a bath.” He smoothed some soap onto the rag and began washing her body.

She watched him, not quite relaxing enough to trust him. Self-consciousness filled him, making him wonder if what he was doing was right. Was there a proper way for a woman to bathe? Was it different than men?

“Why is the king giving me a bath?”

He didn’t have an answer. It felt more natural than to stay in his bed away from her. He wanted to be with her. It was an unusual reaction for him and something he’d never done before. Instead of answering her question, he draped the washcloth on the side of the tub. “After your bath, I want you on my bed with your legs spread.”

He stood, half-hard from touching her. She glanced at his cock before she finally met his eyes.

“I’m more than a hole to sink your cock into.”

He bent down, propped himself up on the edges of the bathtub while he put his face in hers. “Yes. You are. I plan to lick that juicy cunt until all that attitude disappears, too. Then I’ll make you say my name while I fuck you. You won’t forget who’s been inside you tomorrow, Piper. Memories of me will be branded inside your head, and you’ll get wet just thinking about what I’ll do to your body next.”

She fidgeted in the water, and he smiled. “Take your bath. Then get on the bed and spread your legs for me.”

He moved away from her.

---