Page 54 of The Shattered Kingdom
“My father’s proposal?” Jackie repeats.
I clear my throat. “My mother died two days ago, and Mason’s yet to settle into his position. We’re not ready to decide.”
Jackie nods. She doesn’t look pleased, but she doesn’t seem angry.
“I haven’t heard anything about an attack against Abby,” she says. “The faeries who planned this are tight-lipped, which means we can eliminate about half of the people in that room. Do you have a list of attendees?”
“Yes.” I sift through the paperwork on my desk. I was given a list last night, and I frown as I slide it toward Jackie.
She grabs a pen off my desk and immediately begins crossing off names. She’s quick, and I chew at my bottom lip as she jumps into action. Her help is going to come with a steep price. She’s going to demand something once this is over. It may not be a marriage, but it won’t be innocuous. It’ll be something I can’t provide. I’ll need Mason’s permission, and knowing him, he won’t be eager to give it.
Chapter Twenty
ABBY
MASON’S TAKING ADVANTAGE of my kindness.
He lies below me, his arms sprawled to the sides as he discusses his extensive family history. I’m still straddling him, but only because he claims he’ll lose control if I get up. I stopped believing him a long time ago, around the same time his erection began pressing between my thighs.
His pants and my underwear are the only things separating us, and it’s all I can think about.
Mason shifts, and I curl my fingers into my thighs. It feels good, but Mason doesn’t seem to notice as he continues discussing what he remembers of his childhood home.
“I used to love swimming in the Traul River,” he says. “The swimming hole I preferred isn’t too far from where we stopped for water.” It’s also where he and Kie forcibly bathed me, but he avoids mentioning that. “I was the best swimmer.”
Mason thinks he’s the best at everything he does. Humility isn’t a concept he’s familiar with.
I shift my weight from side to side, subtly seeking friction between my thighs. The slight movements aren’t nearly as satisfying as I’d like, but they’re better than nothing. The bond hasme so needy, I could probably cum from this alone, which is sad.
“I loved fighting, too,” Mason continues.
I hum, staring at his chest. He’s muscular, and I so badly want to touch him. My fingers twitch with the urge, the digits threatening to betray me and slide up his torso. He’d let me, and he’s probably hoping I’ll do precisely that, if not more. He wouldn’t be so hard if he weren’t.
Mason clears his throat and moves again, fully rolling his hips. It provides me with proper friction, and my eyelids flutter shut as a bolt of pleasure shoots up my spine. I might actually cum from this.
“Mason,” I say in warning.
He smiles as his hands curl around my waist, holding me in place. I peer down at him, my stomach in knots. His pupils are blown out, and he licks his lips before pointedly rocking his hips again. It’s a confident action, one he’s doing because I haven’t been as subtle as I’d hoped.
Fuck. “How long have you known?”
Mason snorts. “How long have I known my mate is using my cock to masturbate? I’m clocked into your every movement, Abby, even the ones you think are too small to notice.”
So, he’s known the entire time.Wonderful.
He taps my hip, silently encouraging me to lift. I’m not sure I want to, mainly because Mason can’t be trusted. Still, because I love to do things I know I’ll later regret, I rise.
“Shifters aren’t allowed to train until they’re ten, not in any serious manner,” Mason says, resuming his earlier conversation. “I was nine when I was given to the faeries.”
It takes me several seconds to remember what he was talking about. It’s hard to think when he’s fiddling between my thighs. I expect him to touch me, but he pulls down his zipper instead.
Does he think we’re going to have sex? Not a chance.
“I dreamed of the day I’d be old enough to fight,” Mason continues. “I thought myself a little killer, and I even attacked Kie the first time I met him.” My underwear is pulled to the side, and something warm smacks against my sex. “I was obviously unsuccessful in my attempt to kill him.”
I don’t know how he can carry on a conversation at a time like this. One movement, and he’d be inside me. It’s all I can think about.
Mason lays his cock flat against his stomach, then pulls me on top. I sit, letting the length of him press between my slit. “This is more comfortable for us both,” he says. “You may continue rocking. I’ll pretend not to notice. I know you like that.”
