Page 66 of The King's Man
~ JANN ~
I’d meant to be careful with her, but thought I’d ruined it with one ill-timed question. The way she shrank from that word…conquest.Like a filly who’d been handled poorly.
My blurted confessions were a poor, scrambled attempt to reassure her and draw her near again, to make her see—she was mymate!I’d almost said it, and thank God I’d caught myself. I couldn’t put that on her. Knowing these Fetch creatures, if she believed me she’d probably think she had to submit even if she didn’t want to. And if she didn’t, she’d likely put herself at Yilan’s side and remain under Melek’s protection, turning her back on me entirely.
I didn’t want her reluctant.
I didn’t want her resistant.
I merely wanted her.
And then she said it. With tears in her eyes and a smile on her face…
Yes.
The most precious word on the planet.
A hallelujah.
Joy in a sound. No,need.
My mate said yes.
The resonant call that tore from me was a sound I’d never made before. A primal cry that declared her mine, and my soul hers. I descended on her, covering us both with my wings, sliding a hand to the back of her neck and pulling her up, against me, groaning into her mouth as we met. And to my joy, she met me with abandon—knees curling over my hips, arms sliding under mine, around my ribs, fingers digging into my back. Diadre arched, seeking me, gasping into the kiss and threatening to break the leash on which I’d kept a stranglehold becauseeverythingin me screamed to have her.
Her hips rolled and she gave little cries, rubbing herself on me in a sweet neediness that threatened to leave me unhinged.
But I couldn’t afford to lose control. She washuman.If I did this wrong, I’d cleave her in two.
I raised my head, gasping, one hand clawed into the pillow next to her, fighting for control. But my beautiful, luscious, frantic mate had thrown caution to the wind.
When I pulled out of the kiss, she threw her arms around my neck and pulled herself up, opening her mouth on my throat and sucking to mark me.
A startled roar tore from my throat and in an effort to stop myself hurting her, I grabbed for the headboard, only to put my shaking fist through it.
Diadre gasped and her head snapped back to the splintered wood, then followed the length of my arm up to my shoulder, then my face. Our eyes caught and I was captured. Chained.
Could she see the beast in me that wanted her so desperately?Neededher? Would shed its blood for her. Fight to the death. Could she see that my soul knew her name?
I clawed a hand into her hair and held her there, begging God for mercy because if she rejected me now…
“I can see why you all bring real furniture on the warpath,” she said breathlessly, then spluttered a laugh.
I groaned and took her mouth again, pinning her down to the bed, one hand over her head, the other sliding to the back of her thigh, down to her knee, then pulling it up so I could hold her to me.
When I slid against her slick heat, we both groaned. She arched as much as she could with my grip on her leg and her hand clapped to my back, so I did it again. And again, passing over her each time, my body sparking with anticipation—and my mind screaming caution.
“Careful… I have to be so careful, Diadre.”
“I trust you.”
All the arguments for why I was definitelynottrustworthy in this moment flickered through my mind, but then I slid against her again and she tilted her hips so that I nudged into her a short inch—and we both froze.
Her eyes were wide, searching mine. I stared at her, panting like a blowing horse. Had she changed her mind? Was she doubting—
All thoughts fled when Diadre’s hand drifted down my back to claw into my ass like she was grabbing a pillow.
“Don’t stop.”
