Page 110 of The Crown’s Temptation

It could keep her safe, he decided.

Besides, she is not coming. Why would she?

He loosened his belt. "Take your time," he said gruffly. "The rest of you, leave." The creatures scurried out. The girl dropped quietly to the ground and positioned herself between his legs, undoing his belt buckle.

He took another bite of his eggs as she began.

Her mouth was soft. He would give her that. And moist. He thought of Asharin's mouth, the way she kissed him last night, the softness of her hands as she stroked him. His release had been so intense he had not even thought to give her any pleasure, and then she had wanted to be held and he had not wanted to ruin that moment of closeness. Perhaps that was why she had not come to breakfast.

Fuck. He slammed his hand on the table as a wave of pleasure rushed through him. The girl was skilled, he could admit that.

"Good girl," he murmured, threading his hands through her hair before pushing himself further in. "Just remember, if you can breathe well then you are not doing your job," he said roughly in her ear.

She let out a small moan and he saw her reach underneath her dress, either to pleasure herself or to entice him or both, he was not quite sure.

The sight was somewhat enticing, he had to admit. But fucking this human felt like more effort than it was worth. He had fed well this morning. He felt stronger. But there was also a strange weakness underneath it he could not explain and would not examine too closely.

You have strength enough to protect her, that is what matters, he reminded himself.

The girl pulled off him briefly to catch her breath.

No. He pushed himself back in, holding himself there just long enough to hear her choking and gagging. He held back a moan. In truth her discomfort was getting him more and more aroused.

Asharin had not shown. Perhaps she regretted last night.

The door opened.

Asharin walked in.

He could barely breathe at the sight of her. Perhaps he had not seen her fully dressed in daytime attire since arriving, or perhaps it was the intimacy from the night before, but he felt himself grow harder under the table. He kept his face cold. "They made you breakfast meat," he said simply. She did not need to know how he had mulled over whether that was what she wanted. She nodded and sat down.

He could not help but stare. The leather clung to every curve of her. Since awakening from the poison her hair had somehow grown longer, fuller. Her loose golden curls now fell in thick waves to her waist. And she had a ruby pierced into the skin just below her eye.

It only added to the effect.

That dangerous mark, the golden Mark of Forizan drew his attention to her cleavage. And worse yet, it made him think of everything he had always fantasized about having with her.

Asharin had always been beautiful. Now she looked stunning. Dangerous.

She sat and cut a piece of her meat and stared at him with that knowing look she always gave, as though she could see every insecurity he was trying to hide from the world.

"You slept well," she said simply.

Yes, because of you, he wanted to say. But he would never admit such a thing. The girl made another choking sound.

Fuck. He was no longer sure this had been a good idea.

Maybe you imagined last night. You were tired and felt strange. Perhaps you were never intimate and you simply slept alone, Teorin.

"Is there a woman down there pleasuring you?" Asharin said, one eyebrow raised. She brushed her hair to the other side of her shoulder.

He saw it then. The bruise on her shoulder. He closed his eyes briefly as he remembered gripping her there as he came in her hand. Then what she had done with her hand afterward.

She licked jam off her fork right then and he wanted to flip the table, to tell her to be his. Truly his.

"This is a court of monsters, but I would prefer not to listen to you get pleasure, Teorin," she said. She licked honey off her index finger.

The jam. The honey.