Page 51 of His Dark Delights
“Ren, I’m—oh!” Lilly shattered, rendered apart with a moan so vibrant and erotic it triggered my climax. Her inner wall contracted around me, sucking me deeper where I emptied inside her. That perfect, perfect cunt fluttered through the aftershocks of her orgasm as I pounded my seed deeper where it belonged.
“You did so good for me, Lilly. Always so good. So perfect.” I peppered kisses up and down the column of her throat, tasting her erratic pulse and the sugary sweet sweat on her skin. Another song started in the ballroom and a round of laughter dropped me into reality.
Lilly tensed, turning her head away. I licked my bottom lip and drifted away from her. She fidgeted with her dress, smoothing it back into place without looking at me. I cleared my throat.
Her head snapped up, and her throat bobbed.
“Lilly, I—”
Her eyes widened, cutting to something in the open sky behind me. The hairs on my nape rose, and a warning spider-walked down my spine. I whipped around, chest heaving in search of the unseen threat.
Nothing stood out, so I turned back to her. I reached for her, and she flinched before my palm contacted her shoulder. I dropped my hand, curling it into a fist at my side.
“What’s wrong?”
She shook her head, coppery pink curls dancing around her shoulders. “Nothing. I thought I saw… nothing.”
I wanted to smooth the frown from her lips, totrace them with my fingers and lift it into a smile. But her smiles weren’t for me unless I was fucking her senseless. Was that my penance for taking her from her home? Had I doomed us to a life where she wore a mask around me, and I remained reluctant to let her go?
“Go dance, Lilly,” I spoke softly, encouraging her. She peeked up at me, expression widening once again. “Have some wine. Enjoy yourself.”
“What—”
“We’re going into the city tomorrow.” I held her gaze, imparting the fathomless depths of my feelings for her. “I promised, remember?”
Her eyes lit up, and she smiled at me, for me, finally. I wanted to grab her, to hold on to her all night. Yet I still watched her walk away.
Chapter Eighteen
Lilly
Mrs. Gibbons outfitted me in a simple blue dress with a leather belt around the waist to match the walking boots she offered. I pinned the strands of hair framing my face up, leaving enough layers to cover the tips of my oddly arched ears. Though nerves squirmed in the pit of my guts, enough excitement for the outing carried me forward.
By midmorning, Ren found me in the garden, chatting with Millie-Moo as I did most days. He offered the heifer a bow and a charming smile before offering his arm. I accepted, leaning into his warmth as he guided us from the safety of the palace.
The king wore casual clothing meant to blend in with any other man in the city. Rhydan insisted on a cloak for the king to hide his face, but Soren refused.Too full of bravado and arrogance to care if anyone recognized him, much to my chagrin.
A violet and azure afternoon sky streaked with wispy clouds guided us through the palace gates into the upper city levels. Soren sauntered by my side, the back of our hands brushing every few steps. The clinking, banging, rattling, whooshing sounds of a city surging with life greeted my ears as the streets unfolded into the tapestry of a bustling world.
“Where would you like to go first, Lilly?”
“I’m not sure. Anywhere but the town square.” The thought of going near the site where his brutal sobriquet came alive repelled me.
“Hm.” Soren turned ideas over his head with a slight frown tugging at his mouth. He stroked his chin for a moment before clearing his throat. “Would you like to see where I grew up?”
“Oh, yes, please.” A spark ignited in me, perking me up. I longed to see where Ren learned and grew in his early years. To learn more about him and the man he kept buried under his hard exterior. To understand him better than before might aid in my mission.
“Follow me then.” He grabbed my hand to tug me down a side street, and my heart palpitated from the simple but thrilling contact. His palm fully engulfed mine, and I reveled in that size difference.
Soren led me away from the imposing sapphire stone spires of the castle looming like phantoms in my periphery. I wished I could have relaxed the further we went, but I noticed three disguised guards following us. They hid in the shadows of the city, keeping track of their king and lurking around corners the further we went.
He guided me through streets that all looked the same in my eyes. Along the way, he explained the historical significance of buildings or statues. He wove little bits of his personal life within the tales he shared; where he was when he decided to join the ranks of soldiers, where he was when he and Rhydan got into their first fight, and the street corner where he had his first kiss with a girl whose name he’d long forgotten.
I soaked in the views, the craftsmanship of the city, and the architecture of the oldest buildings. Most of the structures were crafted of average red brick or gray stone, but some of the more prodigious homes claiming choice locations nearest the palace were erected of marble, boasting a hint of the same precious blue stone that made up the castle.
As we ambled along, I learned more about Soren Carnifex and the man he was beneath his armor. The version of him I’d originally loved gradually emerged, smiling wider with every aspect of his life that he disclosed during our outing.
The exhilaration of running through the capital in secrecy with the king caught up to me. I laughed and grinned at his side, hungry for every minor detail he could spare. And the consolation of not feeling like an outcast in a city full of people who barely spared us a second glance thrilled me.
