Page 28 of Cages and Crowns
“A few years later, there was an attack on the city. A group of men who belonged to no crown. They burnt half of the town to the ground. The school was the first to be destroyed. I was safe, in the palace acting as Elaenor’s lady, but my brother was in class. Nearly all of the town’s children died that day.” He doesn’t speak, doesn’t apologize, which I am grateful for.
It is silent for the next few minutes, tears pooling in my eyes as I cut strand after strand. I bite my bottom lip, willing myself to get through this task. When the last strand is cut, and his hair is gone, I step back. His eyes track me through the mirror. He watches as I set the blade down and turn to go.
His hand snakes out and grabs my wrist, spinning me around.
“I apologize for my part in your parents’ death. I didn’t know what Tobias was going to do, but we all had our suspicions. We all could have done something.” His emerald eyes are swimming in pools of tears as he holds my gaze. I reach out, and he flinches, but I continue. My fingers brush the spattering of short hair along his jaw before my thumb brushes his bottom lip. His hand is still tightly wrapped around my wrist, holding it up in the air.
“Enzo,” I whisper. His face, it’s so sad. So broken.
“Scarlett.” He responds, his voice clipped, strained. I don’t know which one of us moves first, but his lips are on mine. They are warm, soft and full as they overtake me. As they worship mine. His tongue clashes with mine and then his arms wrap around me.
His hands are pulling at my corset strings while I pull at his tunic. My corset goes first, before he pulls his tunic over his head. His hands push the waistband of my skirt down and I step out of it while undoing his belt. Our breathing is erratic, labored as we fight to consume as much of each other as possible. He pushes me back and the backs of my knees hit the mattress. He fallswith me and refuses to let our lips part as I scoot farther back on the bed.
“Are you taking—” He mumbles against my skin. His lips break from mine before trailing down my jaw and my neck.
“Yes.” I moan, knowing that he is asking about the herb. His lips slide between my breasts, and I arch my back. He moves to the right, his tongue flicking out, teasing my nipple. I gasp as he takes it in his mouth, sucking hard. “Enzo.” I moan as his hands slide down to my legs. I try to pull his head up to mine but he pulls out of my grasp.
“Let me taste you.” He whispers against my flesh. I shudder underneath him as my fingers grip onto his shoulders. His lips move down from my breast, his tongue flicking out as he slides his mouth down my stomach. I shudder again, my legs wrapping around his shoulders. His hand slides up and up until his fingers pinch the nipple he just had in his mouth. I gasp again as I feel the pain head straight to my core, pooling in the growing heat. His fingers brush my thighs before lightly touching me through the thin underwear.
“Please.” I moan as his fingers brush me again and he teases my nipple.
“Patience.” He whispers as his teeth pull at the thin cotton waistband of my undergarments. His free hand grips the cotton and pulls, tearing it from my body.
I can feel his breath as it brushes against my clit, and my own breath catches. His lips press to my inner thigh, and I groan in frustration. He moves his head over and just when I think he’s about to touch me, finally touch me, he kisses my other thigh.
“En—” I start to snap but stop as his lips close around my clit. His teeth graze the sensitive bundle of nerves and I cry out. His tongue dips down in between my slit and then inside of me. I groan as I pull my knees up, pressing them against his head, trapping him there. My hips move of their own accord, riding his face as if I have never been fucked before.
He moans against me, as he sucks on every inch of my skin. The warmth pools in my stomach, spreading down my limbs. My legs shake and I struggle tohold them against his head. He slides his tongue up just as he shoves two fingers inside of me. I yell out, my hands fisting the sheets. He pumps inside of me as his teeth and tongue continue their assault. I can’t think. I can’t breathe, and just when I think I’m about to come, he pulls back.
I gasp and lift myself up onto my elbows just has his lips slam into mine. Sweet and salty is his tongue as it wraps around mine. I don’t have time to think before he shoves himself inside of me with a single thrust of his hips. I fall onto my back, bringing him with me as he grinds his hips against me. His lips leave mine as he presses his forehead to my shoulder. I wrap my arms around his neck, relishing in the feel of him.
“Don’t stop.” I whisper as my ankles cross behind his back, tightening the hold my thighs have around him.
“Never.” He whispers against my skin. I can feel the heat pooling and the orgasm coming to a head. I can’t hold it and I don’t want to.
“Enzo!” I scream as I come undone around him. He shudders above me before finding his own release and collapsing on top of me.
Chapter Sixteen
The Bound
Present Day
“What’s the deal with Enzo and Scar?” I ask from my place on the couch, a thin blanket thrown over me to stave off the nightly chill. Emery groans and sits up in her bed, her golden hair a mass of tangles. I smirk at the glare plastered to her face that she thinks is menacing. She is a formidable opponent in the ring and has knocked me on my ass multiple times, but she will always look like a harmless little kitten. “What?”
“We have an…arrangement.” She responds, curling a pale lock around her finger as she pouts.
“Okay, and didn’t that arrangement require her to spend nightswithyou?” She looks away from me anddrops her hand. Her eyes glass over as she stares out the open windows at the star-filled sky. “Em, talk to me.” I press, and she sighs.
“I told her I liked her, alright! I told her I cared for her, and she said she cared for us both.” Her lip quivers as she finally looks over at me.
“You wanted her to choose?” I ask, trying to understand. She nods and I offer her a sympathetic smile. “You can’t get mad at Scarlett for sticking to an agreement you both decided on.You both agreed that this would just be purely physical. In fact, all three of you agreed to that. Maybe she’s not ready to be in a relationship.” I offer. Who knows what could be going through Scarlett’s head.
“Or just not with me.” She mutters.
“You’re jealous?” She nods again. “You know she likes men and women, Em. You can’t change her.”
“I know, but I sometimes feel like she likes him better than me.” She whines and I sigh. We both know why Scar is closer to him, what holds them together, but she doesn’t want to admit it.
