Page 150 of The Soulbond and Her Beloved

She wrinkled her nose, opening her heavy-lidded eyes just enough to give him a sleepy glare. “You’re disgusting.” Her lips twitched. “But I love you anyway.”

“And I love you. Since you’re letting me off the hook...” He guided her hand back between her thighs, coaxing her to gather more of her moisture. Then he drew her fingers back to his mouth, lashes lowering as he licked her fingers thoroughly clean. “Even better.”

“But I hate your control sometimes,” she said out of the blue, eyes sliding shut again.

He allowed her hand to fall, licking his lips. “Why?”

“I wear the barest of things, say really naughty things… I show you my breasts and my butt.” She gave an exaggerated pout. “But you won’t take me. Sometimes I wish you would just… pin me down and ravage me. Throw caution to the wind.”

Daemonikai’s jaw hung open.I knew all those double entendres were no coincidence, damn it. And all that fucking ‘harmless’ teasing…?

He hadn’t known she wanted for that; he’d thought she wasn’t ready. But all this time, she’d beenbegginghim to mount her.

“And then, when you’re done… and you come inside me… it’ll drip down my legs,” she went on, dreamy again. “And I’ll have to walk around the bedchamber with your seed running down my thighs.”She sighed wistfully.

Daemonikai couldn’t believe such thoughts came from his pristine little mate. He loved that imagery. A lot.

“I feel so sleepy,” she murmured.

He watched as sleep came for her, softening her features.

He lowered his head, brushing his lips against her nose. “It doesn’t matter if our bond doesn’t return, we’ll perform thebonding ritual. I would rather have you as my bondmate, go through the rites and vows… than not have you at all.”

She was already asleep, her breathing soft and even.

It’s high time you feel me again inside you, my horny radiant star. Tonight, I will give you what your pregnant body craves so much.

I will make it happen, and this time, I will take steps to ensure we see it through to the end, even if I have to do something I’m not particularly fond of.

***

Emeriel wouldn’t go so far as to say she wasavoidingher beloved. But if one were to put it that way… well, there was little she could do to deny it.

She was beyond mortified. Embarrassed didn’t begin to cover it. Chagrined… that, and so much more. The things she had said. The things she haddonein the early morning hours.

As soon as she’d woken that afternoon, the memories had been merciless, striking her and bludgeoning her. She had wanted nothing more than for the ground to open and swallow her whole.

But, of course, the ground had done no such thing, because her luck was dreadful.

So she had done the next best thing. She had quickly freshened up and all but fled to the plantations, spending the remainder of the day there. She kept herself busy inspecting crops, checking for pests, issuing instructions to the workers. But her mind…

Her mind was on her highly unladylike behavior. On the whorish things she had said. Words that belonged in the shadowed corners of a brothel, not from a princess’s lips.

When it came time to rest, she sat beneath the shaded expanse of an old tree, one hand resting over her belly as she watched the workers in the distance.

“My princess,” one of the young girls approached, offering a respectful bow. “Will you be meeting the court scribe today?”

She was supposed to. She helped her grand king with paperwork, easing his burdens in whatever small way she could, but today… Emeriel shook her head and the girl left. Not today.

She would not be collecting parchments. Not if it risked running intohim.

“Sometimes in the dark of night when he is away, I part my thighs, and I touch myself. I pretend it’s him.”

She winced, squeezing her eyes shut.Oh, by the stars…

But in the midst of her mortification came a memory that warmed her heart despite everything. The way he held her, spoke to her, looked at her.

“It doesn’t matter if our bond doesn’t return. We will perform a bonding ritual. I would rather have you as my bondmate, go through the rites and vows, than not to have you at all.”

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