I suddenly remembered Kyra’s words of caution. I wasn’t on Earth anymore. I had no rights whatsoever on Dezra. Who would stop Zyn from doing whatever he wanted with me? No one.
“Jana,” Qay said. “Say the word and I’ll call Kyra and she’ll take you back to Earth.”
His words relaxed the tight knot in my stomach.
Then I made the mistake of seeking out Zyn’s gaze. The expression in his eyes spoke volumes. Ever so slightly, he shook his head, looking positively evil. He wouldn’t let me go. He had me where he had wanted me all along. On Dezra, stripped of all my authority and rights. But I believed Qay, believed him with everything I held dear. I wouldn’t give him up, I wouldn’t.
Even if I had to face Zyn.
“What happens during our second night?” I looked at Qay, steeling myself. “What role does he play?”
“He will witness our joining.”
My stomach bottomed out and I grew faint. “What else? Anything else you should tell me? Because I can’t stand any more surprises tonight.” I thought I heard Zyn chuckle but didn’t dare look at him.
Qay paced the room, looking every bit as restless as I felt inside. He settled on the edge of the bed, working his hand through his hair as if buying himself more time. “It is the best man’s right to prepare the bride for her husband.”
“Let’s get another best man then,” I said quickly, mentally crossing my fingers.
“As the king,” Qay said quietly, “he has the right to
demand
to be the best man at
any
wedding on Dezra. Not that he’s ever insisted on this right. But for
my
wedding, there’s no other option. It is trad—”
“Yes, I know,” I snapped, getting irritated. “It’s
tradition
. Will he touch me though?”
“Do you want me to?” Zyn said before Qay could answer. When I shook my head, he grinned and said, “But I’ll touch you anyway, everywhere.” There was a small thrill running through me at his words, and I stepped in front of Zyn, between his legs as he sat on the chair, trying to ignore that I had to share this space with the cat resting there. His brows lifted as if caught by surprise by my sudden bold move.
“Strip the dress off me.” I spoke it as a command, feeling that if I took control, I wouldn’t feel as helpless. “Do whatever tradition demands.” I was aware that I was fooling myself, using tradition as an excuse for giving in, but it was this or admitting that I wanted Zyn to touch me, dominate me. And I wasn’t ready to admit to that, because it would mean I’d learned nothing from the mistake in my past.
He rose, and I didn’t flinch away, not even when he stepped so close his thighs brushed against mine. I had to tip my head back to meet his gaze, to watch the expression in his eyes change from amused to cool, as if he didn’t like me taking control. Leaning forward, he rested his cheek against mine, as a lover might do to whisper sweet nothings. “I will tame you,” he said so quietly only I could hear. “I’ll have you on your knees, on a leash, just like the cat I gave you. And you cannot run from me. I’ll never let you go again.”
I jerked my head back, stared into the depths of his eyes as he closed his hands around my shoulders. He brushed the shoulder straps of my dress down my arms, and then turned me around. His breath warm against my bare neck, he found the small buttons holding my dress together. I felt him reaching out to me with his thoughts. The dress fell to my feet and a wave of warmth enveloped me, like an embrace. It was strangely pleasant.
“Open your eyes,” he said, and I did, hadn’t even noticed that I’d closed them.
He knelt in front of me and I lifted each foot when he grasped my ankles to take off the flat shoes. I crossed my arms in front of my chest because I was naked except for the flimsy excuse of fabric that was my panties. When he rose to his feet, the tip of his nose brushed over my mound, my belly, and he breathed in deeply, as if he was trying to inhale the scent of my cunt.
When he leaned forward, as if to kiss me, I turned my head.
Zyn lowered himself to his knees again, pulling my panties down at the same time.
The sight of him kneeling in front of me was odd, felt wrong, but I couldn’t say why. I almost grabbed him by the shoulders to pull him up again. My breath came in hard, fast gasps as he settled his hand around my hip. “I will touch you now.”
Before I had a chance to think about what he meant, he had cupped me in his palm.
He pressed his hand against my clit, slipped a finger inside me. He looked up, revealing sharp canines as he grinned. It made me feel like prey.
“You’re wet,” he said, moving his finger ever so slowly in and out of me. “You like what I do, don’t you?”
“Qa-
ay
.” I heard the panic in my own voice. “Are you sure it’s tradition that he, he—” I broke off, wondering if the best man was really allowed to make the bride almost come with his touch.
“He will prepare you for me,” Qay answered, his eyes slightly hooded, his voice rough from arousal, “in every sense of the word. It is his right. And it is your right to take pleasure in it.”
Zyn moved his hand between my legs while his dark gaze rested on my face. The onslaught of sensation was so strong, the hand between my legs so skilled, I wasn’t sure how to fight the waves of arousal anymore. The emotions he stirred inside me didn’t even remotely resemble a level of arousal I considered normal. Uncontrolled, a moan escaped me. Whatever he thought he needed to prepare, I wasn’t sure what more it was. I was drenched, my juices covered his palm.
Abruptly, he pulled his hand back, leaving me to stagger after him. Zyn took my hand, walked me to Qay. “Your bride is ready.” He added words in the high language, too fast for me to understand and spoken with an unnatural rasp to his voice. Whatever he’d said, it seemed to please Qay.
Qay rose from the bed and Zyn took off Qay’s vest to bare his upper body.
I held my breath, watching how he continued to undress Qay. He did it with sure, quick movements, not the slow, caressing touch he’d used undressing me. Yet, as he untied Qay’s pants and pulled them over his hips, there was a subtle sensuality between them that drew me in.
I didn’t need the push against the small of my back Zyn gave me.
Qay’s cock stood ready and willing as he eased himself between the sheets. I wanted him, wanted nothing sophisticated but him on top of me, his cock inside me, making us one. But we weren’t one. We weren’t even two. We were three and I couldn’t get it out of my head. That Zyn pulled a chair to the bed to watch Qay and me more comfortably wasn’t helping.
I slid my knee on top of the mattress and Qay did the rest, wrapping his hands around my waist and pulling me close. His erection nudged against my hip and I twisted in his arms, glad when he moved on top of me. I closed my eyes, focusing on the feel and taste of his kiss.
This was going to be my husband, and if he was fine with another man’s presence while we had sex, so would I be. Qay kissed my neck, tiny kisses that relaxed and aroused me all at once. His mouth moved from my neck down to my breasts, and I pulled the sheets up, covering us, shielding us from view. Qay sat up between my legs, gazing down at me. “Let me look at you, my heart,” he whispered, and my throat tightened. He could look all he wanted, his heated gaze leaving little shivers of pleasure on my skin.
But when I tilted my head, I saw that he wasn’t the only one looking. My breath hitched and I crossed my arms over my breasts because my nipples rose to almost painful attention.
“Let me look at you—please,” Qay said again, and I dropped my arms to my sides because I didn’t want him to think that I felt the need to hide in front of his eyes. I focused on Qay, on the way light and shadows danced over his face as he braced himself up on his hands above me. He lowered his head to take one of my nipples into his mouth. He sucked, tenderly, and I buried my hands into his hair to tug him closer.
I heard Zyn move and opened my eyes. He stood beside the bed, his gaze resting on my face as if he tried to drink in every drop of emotion showing there. Like an exhalation, a warm breeze touched my face.
The similarity to the image in the book didn’t escape me, but I didn’t reach for him, I didn’t want him to join in. My gaze fell to the large cat pacing the room, and I wasn’t sure what was the greater danger—Zyn or this wild animal.
Qay was kissing my breasts, my stomach, working his way down between my legs.
I loved it when he licked me with his clever tongue. “So wet, my heart.” The first lick he gave my clit had me moaning out loud. His traced his tongue along my cunt lips and flicked my clit. It felt good, so good, but I was growing more and more anxious.
Then I heard a low, almost growling sound coming from Zyn.
I gathered the courage to meet his gaze square-on while Qay was between my legs, his tongue licking and his mouth sucking, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to find pleasure if I continued to be scared.
“Do you have to look at me?” I said quietly, gazing up at him. “Surely, you can witness us from farther away.”
“Why? There is nothing shameful about watching a woman enjoying the attention of a male.”
It wasn’t the answer I expected. Then again, he’d never done anything I expected, good or bad. I gazed at his sharply drawn face, his perfectly shaped lips. And for one weak moment, I imagined his mouth between my legs, his tongue, his kisses.
My thoughts were roughly interrupted when Zyn let out a bark of laughter. “Damn you, woman. Just ask me to. Tonight, I might just do your bidding.” Qay glanced up. “Jana, if you want him to join us, just nod and we’ll both take care of you.”
“Ask me,” Zyn said, his voice as tempting as a long drink of water after a drought.
“No.” I held my breath, wondering if they would just do it anyway. They didn’t, and deep down I wasn’t sure if I was glad or disappointed. Zyn stepped away from the bed and settled on the chair again.
A violent shiver went through my body, violent enough for Qay to notice. After one last kiss against my cunt, he again rose up above me, his cock nudging at my opening. I slung my arms around his strong body, the security he offered, and hid underneath him.
Qay kissed me deep and thoroughly, his tongue delving between my lips, caressing the inside of my mouth. I wrapped my legs around him, wishing for a moment I could mount him. But that would leave me overly exposed to Zyn.
“Make me yours tonight, please,” I whispered against Qay’s neck. I reached between our bodies, wrapped my hand around his thick cock, guiding him between my legs. I loved the feel of him, always had. The soft, velvety smoothness with a core of steel. “This night is for us, to become one.”
“Yes, my heart, this night is for us. The joining of the heart and mind.” He put his strength behind it as he lowered himself into me, his thick cock inching slowly into my cunt. I welcomed the stretch as he filled me, my heart lifting that we were finally one again. He slowly began moving, the friction making my breath catch. Qay was propped up on his hands, working his way in and out of my body in slow and deliberate movements. I loved this about him, the control, the way he made sure he didn’t push in too hard. With him, it was always slow, a careful, orchestrated climb until I reached the crest of my arousal. I watched how his cock slid into my wet core and moved my hand to my clit, rubbing myself in slow circles to increase my pleasure. I clenched around his cock, took him deeper as I wrapped my legs around his waist.
I sought Qay’s gray gaze, but he was lost in his own pleasure, his eyes closed. My head tipped back as he moved faster. The tingling in my clit increased to an aching need and my nipples stood hard and erect, begging for a touch. I closed my hand around my breast, lightly pinching my nipple.
I hesitated for only a second before I turned my head. I sought Zyn’s cool, dark-eyed gaze, held it. My breath came faster as he slowly rose from the chair. He was hard, the ridge of his cock pressed against his pants. All I had to do was hold out my hand to pull him into bed. But no one had ever scared me more than this male, so big, strong, so seemingly merciless. I would have no control in his arms.
I held his gaze and pinched my nipples. The pain shot through my body, made my cunt clench around the cock inside me. I let out a harsh moan, my climax close, but I didn’t want to give in yet.
Do it again,
something whispered in my mind. I didn’t know if the voice was really Zyn or if I just started to lose it. I arched up against Qay and pinched my nipples again. The way the pain ebbed into pleasure was heaven.
“Jana,” Qay said, and feeling strangely guilty, I gazed at him, trying to ignore Zyn.
“I love you, my heart.”
I wrapped my arms around his shoulders, nestled my face against his neck, telling him over and over again that I loved him too. I pumped my hips stronger against him, urging him on to a faster rhythm. He obliged me, his thrusts growing harder and faster.
“Yes,” I whispered, “yes, there, my love, do it harder.” My head tipped back and I looked at Zyn.
I rocked myself against Qay, taking his cock deeper into my aching cunt while I kept my gaze locked with Zyn’s. A gust of wind whipped at my face, touched my mouth like a kiss.
Ask me.
I knew that it was Zyn, that he was able to touch me with his thoughts, able to read my mind and speak to me. Again he nudged me with his mind, and I gritted my teeth.
Qay brought me effortless pleasure. In his arms, I felt loved and cherished, and when he thrust inside me, I felt at one with him. I didn’t want to feel that with Zyn, but I wanted to feel myself lose control, wanted to give up every shred of thought in favor of a dark passion I didn’t dare to seek. But all I needed to do was ask him.
I mouthed
no
at him, turned my head away.
Something hot and hard pinched my nipples with invisible fingers. I screamed out, my release crashing over me unexpectedly. I clung to Qay, riding the spasms of my orgasm, feeling his thrusts becoming deeper until he came with a hoarse shout, his cock pulsing inside me as he spilled his seed.
After I could breathe again, I dug my nails into Qay’s back, not sure what just happened. “Tell him to leave.”