Page 109 of The King's Man
He nodded, slowly, then reached for the blade, but after a thoughtful moment, still covering me, bracing on his elbows, he lifted our bound hands and placed the blade against it—but didn’t press the fabric.
“Put your hand on it too,” he said gruffly.
I frowned, but did as he said, gripping his fist that held the knife. His hand was so much bigger, I only clasped the broadexpanse of his fingers, but I watched as it seemed like both our hands moved and the blade edge pressed through the linen.
My heart sank when the tie was cut, and I let go of his hand, reaching for the twisted lengths to untangle them, but Jann tossed the blade aside and caught my hand—and twined the fingers of our now half-bound hands with the length still wrapped around the wrists.
“What are you doing?” I whispered.
“Showing you that it isn’t a piece of linen that keeps me at your side,” he muttered, then dove for my mouth and entered me in the same moment.
I gasped and almost bit his tongue as I arched instinctively, my bodythrilledwith the sensation of him filling me.
Jann grabbed both my hands and lifted them over my head, pressing them down into the furs and bracing against them, arching his back to hover over me, his jaw slack as he drew out of me all the way, only to drive back in with a low snarl that raised goosebumps on the back of my neck.
“Diadre, look at me,” he growled.
Tearing my gaze from his beautiful chest, I locked eyes with him and something in the bondswelled.
“I’m here,” he said roughly, keeping our half-bound hands over my head, but letting go of the other to stroke my face, then down my neck, to my breast, teasing my nipple before curling himself down to suck that peak into his mouth as he rolled his hips and took me again, and again, and again.
And soon I’d stopped thinking about the binding, or what it meant.
As he danced within me and growled assurances of his presence and protection, I forgot there was any other reason that we were in this clinch.
I didn’t notice when his hand let go of mine and dragged down my arm, because he was growling his approval as I arched my back and pushed my breast higher, further into his mouth.
I wasn’t aware of being untethered when I reached for his chest and stroked with both hands, because it was a startling turn on to see my pale fingers splayed over his broad pecs—and then to lace my fingers behind his neck and pull him down into a kiss.
And by the time I was lost in the ecstasy of that final wave, and he roared his own, I’d forgotten about any binding but the cord that tied us, soul to soul. That golden thread that glowed and swelled with every kiss and stroke. And the steel core of it that, no matter how I tugged, or tore, refused to break.
‘Mine,’I breathed as Jann shuddered and collapsed over me.‘You’re truly mine.’
He grunted, his body still twitching, but moments later, he raised his head to meet my eyes, panting.
“Did you question it?” he asked hoarsely, stroking the hair back from my face with his now-free hand.
“I suppose I did,” I whispered, turning my face into his palm to kiss the callouses there.
“Well, don’t,” he growled. “I have never been more emasculated than when my body urges me to tuck my tail and run at the thought of losing you.”
I snorted, smiling into the long, soft kiss he gave me then.
And I only barely grieved it when we were finally forced to roll away from each other and get out of the furs.
40.Friendly Welcome
~ JANN ~
“Are youpale?”Diadre whispered, her teeth flashing in a smile in the dark.
I stared up at the massive walls of the defeated city above us. “I’ve never been comfortable in the presence of sorcery—and these walls are two horse-lengths thick!” I growled back.
“This isn’t sorcery,” Diadre chuckled. “But it’s good to know that’s all it takes to lowertheGreat Jannus the Halfling.Remind me to bring one of the wizards with us when we leave. He’ll keep you humble.”
“Try it,” I muttered. “I’ll stuff the witch into a hollow tree-stump. I’d like to see him conjure so much as a fucking feather with his neck snapped and eating his own genitals.”
Diadre swallowed what would have been laughter, I was pretty sure. I glared at her, then rolled my head on my neck, because Ihatedfucking sorcerers and their perversions.
