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When my desire gets to be too much, I push forward slightly and lick gently at her bottom lip.
She seems to awaken at that touch, relaxing at last. We kiss with open mouths now, politely exploring each other’s limits for a moment. I start to heat up, tingling from the back of my neck up over my skull.
I dip my tongue inside her mouth, thrilling at the thought that I could do this endlessly without worrying about the aphrodisiac. We can simply kiss with no commitment.
I flick my tongue over hers, and she releases a soft sigh. The sound is so lovely that I repeat the action, and her huff grows louder. We slowly escalate, our kisses transforming from innocent licks and nips at each other to suckling and dragging teeth over lips. Her breathing picks up, and every little cry drives me closer and closer to falling flat on my face from leaning forward too aggressively.
Soon my tongue is plumbing her depths. My fingers claw at the stone so that I might resist the urge to take her waist between my hands and pull her into my arms. A roughness comes out of me. It’s the desires I’ve pushed down, bubbling up to the surface. I bite too hard and kiss with too much force. I’m starting to devour her, and I wonder distantly whether I should stop all at once to save us the trouble. I think that surely, she’ll shove me off and tell me it’s too much.
But instead, she returns it, answering each hungry kiss with her own.
Her hand grabs at my chest, taking up a fistful of the fabric that covers me. I groan against her lips, needing her and begging for more. Her nails dig in, scraping my skin beneath.
I will the amma’ka away, even though it threatens to turns my blood hotter and my mind greedier.
Her other hand finds my thigh, looking for steadiness. It’s a light touch, and my body sings in response. But I suppose it was one touch too far, because the magic of the moment snaps.
She releases me and stumbles back. The night air whips around us, cooling my heated skin.
We pant at each other, neither one of us able to muster a word.
“I think that’s enough,” she manages to say.
“Of course,” I rasp, pressing my cold palm against my neck to wake me from my stupor.
We recover slowly. She walks in a quick circle while I slide off the stone wall and rub my numb ass cheeks.
“I’m sorry. I got carried away.”
“What did you expect? Isn’t getting carried away in the nature of kissing?”
“A kiss can just be a kiss,” she says. “There was a time in my life when I’d kiss any man that happened to interest me. I guess I only remember a quarter of those kisses—or the men attached to them.”
“Oh really?” I raise a brow.
“What? Are you jealous about something like that?”
“I’ve hardly lived a celibate life,” I say with a shrug. “But… yes, actually I am. Nothing wrong with a bit of healthy animosity toward any male that touched you before. It’s nothing serious. I’m sure I won’t think about it all night.”
She knows I’m teasing her, so she pulls that silly human expression where they roll their eyes up toward the sky.
With the seriousness of the moment eased away, we can both breathe.
When we make our way into the warmth of the old building, we lay side by side facing each other. It’s not unlike other nights when she’s come to my room, padding across the lobby of my quarters with her blanket around her shoulders and Nisi on her heels. It’s been a few times now, four or five, in the short time we’ve spent as mates. Those nights are precious to me, even if they’re borne of her suffering. It means that she needs me, not just my army or my influence but me.
We catch each other’s eyes for too long, and she looks away with that sheepish smile. I can read her little clues, the moments when she shows her hand. I know that I have her.
My only hope is that she’ll realize it soon.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
FRANKIE
A more romantic soul might’ve had more input about the wedding ceremony, but I let the Kar’Kali females that run the palace staff lead my way through each decision. The primary person organizing it all is Mak’s adoptive mother, Lalo. She was once his mother’s handmaiden, her best friend and confidante. I trust her to choose well. The others helping Lalo are overjoyed to bring pomp and circumstance back into their world.
Aside from the military send-off and welcome home parades that were held on The Rightful Heir, there hasn’t been much celebrating. After Mak’s parents passed away, the Kar’Kali people tightened their belts while they licked their wounds. Mak has spent the majority of his time on the throne as a very young man, and one with a practical attitude. He prefers to hold important meetings in private with no need for dinner parties or galas, and he keeps his warriors in good spirits with no-frills gatherings or outings on backwater planets that know how to entertain in simpler fashion. Bar crawls in the Kar’Kali-friendly neighborhoods of Station City’s metropolis were more common than official ceremonies.
The people have been waiting for fanfare and an excuse to let loose. I only hope that I can meet their expectations. Before my body felt like a strange secondary part of me that I don’t control, I thought it was beautiful. When I try, I can smile big and be charming. So I hope to God and the spirit that I can be a queen worth watching from a crowd of thousands.
