Page 108 of Faeling
“Until then I…what, sit on your lap?”
Her laugh fell away when she realized that yes, that had been his plan. The idea of presiding over his court, his beautiful mate spread over his lap, the folds of her gown spilling across their legs onto the dais, was one he immediately wanted a reality.
Running her hands up and down the material of his tunic, sheasked, “Do you intend to merely make declarations, or will you really take me as your wife?”
He sensed her playfulness, suspected she flirted, but this was too important an answer to be flippant. “I will take you in all ways, sprite. Today was nothing to the wedding we’ll have. The whole kingdom will come to pay homage to you.”
“That’s then,” she said, sultry eyes snaring his attention as she closed the last distance between them. Her lithe body pressed to his, she pouted, “What about tonight? Will you finally make me your mate?”
A violent purr rattled his chest, and his hands moved from delicately tracing her shoulder blades to grabbing her waist.
“You know I won’t deny you, sprite. Wehavebeen practicing.”
Her violet eyes, dark and sparkling like amethysts, pulled him down to her. Their lips met in a sensual slide, a soft kiss that teased and tested.
“I suppose we can wait a little longer,” said the minx, “if you aren’t ready.”
Vallek nearly choked. “Were I any readier, I might perish.”
Her brows lifted in two twin arcs. “What a good king you’ve been, sacrificing for everyone else.”
A grin spread past his tusks, and with a little flex of his arms, he lifted her onto the low table still set in the hallway. Moving her by the hips, he turned her to begin the grueling process of loosening the crisscrossing laces that scored the back of the gown. As intricate as a sailor’s knot and as supportive as scaffolding, he wasn’t surprised when they mounted a worthy defense against his trembling fingers.
Working to keep his purr from growing into a growl, Valleksaid, “Iwillhave you bare. But we keep the jewelry.”
“Just so long as I get to undress you next. And you keep the torque.”
He winked at her in the mirror. “You won’t find me without it again, love. Your claim stays there.” Finally, the keystone knot gave way, allowing Vallek to slide his greedy hands inside the fabric. “Although, I wouldn’t be opposed to more claims.”
Surprise colored her ethereal face in the lantern light as the gown went slack. “You’ll…let me bite you?”
“I will insist.”
The weight of the gown made pulling it from her body simple, and Vallek caught the exquisite garment, careful to lay it across a chair after Ravenna gracefully stepped out of the pool of fabric. He knew better than to incite Hilde’s wrath.
Clad in only a thin linen shift, the dark silhouette of her body hid just beneath the nearly transparent fabric. Her arms came to lay on his shoulders when he returned to her, but she didn’t give him the kiss he sought.
“Now you.”
Impatient, Vallek toed off his boots as Ravenna tackled the row of gold buttons at his front. When the sides of the tunic parted, he shrugged it off with his robes, and his undershirt and trou quickly followed.
Some of the play left her face when he took hold of the hem of her shift. She watched him carefully, almost…cautiously. He’d seen her naked many times by now, had had his fingers and tongue deep inside her, but tonight…tonight, none of that mattered. They stood together at the beginning, and that deserved gentle reverence.
Slowly, Vallek pulled the shift up over her head. Gods, itnearly pained him how beautiful she was.
Her hair fell around her shoulders, mantling her in soft darkness. High points on her body still glimmered with whatever Hilde had applied, the jewels and gold she wore sparkled almost as brightly as she, and best of all, her pert little nipples, dusky lilac and berry-sweet, awaited him eagerly.
Finally, he took his mate in his arms, skin to skin. Her softness burned him, the silky suppleness of her body molding perfectly to his harder bulk. Gods, morning had been too long ago.
Vallek dipped his head, claiming one pouting nipple. He rolled it with his tongue along a tusk, delighting in how she gasped and squirmed in his arms.
“Vallek…” she murmured, nails digging into his scalp.
There was nothing in this world better than his mate clawing at him while he pleased her. Nothing.
But if there was, he intended to find out tonight.
Sucking gently, it took only slight pressure from his palm at her lower back for her to throw her legs around his waist. He carried her like that to their bed, placing her on the cool sheets with all the veneration of a supplicant come to worship at the altar.
