“That’s so sweet,” she breathes when I pull away from her mouth, lavishing kisses down her jaw as I cradle the back of her precious head in one palm.
“If you allow me, I’ll paint you in nectar and lick off every drop, my queen.”
I pull back to look at her. Her lips are parted, her face dark with a flush. She nods, and I ponder for a moment, then decide to give in to my urge.
I grip both sides of her neckline and pull, splitting her dress in half. She gasps, the breathy sound mixing with violent tearing. She wears underwear, and I rip it off, my muscles tight with the control it requires.
Just enough strength to do violence to her clothes, nothing else.
“You’re impatient today,” Caliane says, stuttering over rapid, excited breaths. “What happened?”
I give her a soft, tender kiss. “Nothing. Only that I wish to ravage you, my queen. Some days more than others. Don’t worry, though. I will control myself.”
I undo the buttons of my vest as Caliane steps closer, toeing off her shoes. She cradles my cheek in her palm, and I release an unsteady breath, my cock twitching hungrily. I never cease tolove this—how small she is next to me, how nothing about us fits, and yet it does where it counts the most.
“Don’t.” Her eyes glitter as she looks into mine, dark and inviting. “Don’t control yourself today.”
I stare without comprehension until shivers race down my spine, my balls tightening with wild need. I shake my head, not trusting myself to speak. She can’t let me do this—I would hurt her. I am not a king like Magnar, brought up with manners and a sensitivity for nuance, or like Khay, a courtier’s son. Not even like Arvi, who wields knives with unnatural precision.
A farmer—that’s who I am. A man who can plow hard earth from dawn till dusk, heave sacks of grain, and compete with oxen. My fingers are made for gripping and forcing, not for delicate work.
That’s my nature, and I always control it rigidly to be worthy of serving my queen.
“Your Grace,” I say to remind both her and myself of our stations. “It is not wise to—"
“Shh.” She presses her lips to mine, her tongue darting in for a fast, naughty lick. “I command you as your queen. Take me how you want, without restraint. I trust you, Raduna. Please, do with me as you please. I won’t break, I promise.”
I search her face, my heart pounding with sick, roiling excitement. She watches me with dark, bold eyes, and I realize my queen knows me as well as I know her.
The moment stretches. Caliane’s commanding gaze doesn’t waver. I clench my hands into fists, battling with myself, but it’s a losing fight.
My queen commands me.
I explode up and pick her up, fast and eager. She barely has time to lose a scream when I topple her onto the blankets, my mouth on her breast. I could fit all of it into my mouth if I wanted, though I’d probably scratch her skin with my teeth.Caliane squirms with a breathy moan, and I give in. I open my mouth as wide as I can and close my lips around her breast, biting down gently. She screams in shock, and above us, thunder rolls. First heavy raindrops pelt the roof, and I release her wet breast, marked pink where her blood mixes with my saliva.
“You can still take back your command, my queen.”
I watch her with a challenge. To be honest, she made me angry. Does she know how much I’ll suffer if I hurt her by mistake? Commanding me to toe that line is incredibly cruel.
And very generous.
“Fuck me like you want, Raduna. Donothold back. It’s what your queen requires.”
I shake my head, squeezing my eyes shut. My desire has swollen to a painful degree, and I palm my cock, deciding not to let it out of the confines of my clothes just yet. The pain will keep me present when I delve into the forbidden realm of taking my queen like—like a rude, wanton wench on a pile of straw.
“What if I want to bite you all over, leaving marks that will scar?” I ask, the image of her flesh bearing my mark stirring my blood into a rush. “I want to. Tell me to stop.”
She bites her lip, apprehension flashing through her eyes as she glues them to my mouth. I bare my teeth at her, vicious and uncontrolled, and she shivers with a single sob, quickly stifled.
“If that’s what you wish.”
I pause, incredulity reining my passion in. “Have you just allowed me to bite you? With my teeth? Caliane, what’s wrong? Has something happened?”
She groans, staring belligerently up at the ceiling, which blurs with rain. A lightning razes through the sky, painting her face ghostly white, and she flinches.
“You hate the storm,” I remember, my head hanging heavy. “Forgive me, I thought that wouldn’t matter if I was with you, but clearly—"
“Raduna, stop,” she hisses, the fury in her voice startling enough to silence me. Her eyes are hard as she sits up, clenching her fists until they blanch. “Stop treating me like a porcelain doll that will shatter if you squeeze it too hard. It’s tiring. You’re a man, and I’m a woman. Treat me like one.”
