Page 208 of Golden Queen
"Likewise," I said cheerfully, leaning to the side to attempt to say goodbye.
"What in the gods names are you doing?" Io said, glancing behind him to ensure they had gone before he stepped back from me.
"I was training," I told him, indicating the shredded dummy and waiting for him to remark on it.
He glanced at it with no recognition, and then looked back at my chest. "I mean...what are youdoing?"
"Well, I thought I was alone—but also, I have very few underclothes, you might remember."
He didn't respond, just continued to glare at me. I realized he was truly angry, not just annoyed. That immediately stoked my own ire to life. "They are only breasts," I snapped, starting to turn away.
"Only breasts?" he asked, his voice low and threatening.
I widened my eyes in mock surprise. "Yes, only breasts! And as you well know, women in Orin go bare-chested to court!"
His nostrils flared in irritation. "I don't give a fuck what the women in Orin do. I don't want my wife's tits on display to my men."
I laughed a rueful laugh. "We are not married! And I did not put them on display! I got sweaty!"
I was nearly chest to chest with him. I felt my teeth clench hard with anger and no small measure of humiliation that he was acting like a jealous dog because someone had seen the vague outline of my nipples.
"You need to take better care," he began.
"They are only breasts!"
He looked down at my chest and then back up at me. "Those are notonlybreasts!"
My face flamed with embarrassment. "Oh, so because they are large and...and..."
"Glorious?" he supplied.
"Fuck you, Io!" I shouted, pushing against him with my palms.
"It would be my pleasure, Sera," he said darkly. "But are you sure you wouldn't rather have an audience for it?"
Bastard, I thought.Cruel, heartless bastard!"Maybe Iwouldlike an audience. Maybe I would be fine walking bare-assed through the entire Reach. And if so, it would be none ofyourfucking business!"
He shook his head slowly, his lips rising to a near snarl. "Oh, it's my business, all right.You are mine."
"I belong to no one, you...massive fucking prick!" I moved to shove him again, but he caught my wrist, holding my palm against his chest.
"You belong to me, Sera. You know it. I know it. This whole gods damned world knows it. So yes, it's my business who sees your tits or any other part of you. And I'm yours, by turns, which means I certainly won't go around showing my cock to a bunch of women I don't even know."
"Maybe they would do us all a favor and cut it off!"
He laughed cruelly, sliding his hands down to my hips and pulling me roughly against him. He was already hard. "Liar. We both know that's your favorite part of me," he growled.
I tried to pull away from him, anger still coursing through me, but I was surprised to find that when I did pull back, my own hand tucked in at his waistband held me in place. I was undoing the clasps with no thought, hand aching to contact that smooth skin and rigid, unyielding steel of him.
His mouth found mine and I bit his lip, tasting blood as the buttons of his breeches gave way and my palm found the impossibly hot length of him.
I wrapped my fingers around him, unsure what to do, but wanting just to feel him. He was so thick in my hand that my fingers barely reached around him—even my relatively long fingers.
I felt him groan against my mouth as I stroked him, running my thumb over the tip.
I thought about going to my knees, tasting him, but just as I readied my muscles to obey, he growled, placing his hand over mine and stilling me.
He caught the front of my shirt, pulling it up and over my head only a heartbeat before he lowered me to the floor. He roughly yanked my pants over my hips as his mouth claimed mine again.
