Keeper of the Flame (38 page)

“Hugh?” she asked, uncertain, when he took one of her ankles and tied it to the corresponding bedpost.

“Ssh.” He dropped a quick kiss on the arch of her foot. “Don’t worry. You’re going to love this. I promise.” He moved to tie her other ankle to the opposite post.

She tested the hold and realized he’d tied her with something soft that wouldn’t abrade her skin. He also hadn’t tied her so tightly that she’d never be able to get out. She was secure, but with some concentrated effort and a little time, she could wiggle out if she had to. That reassured her.

When he moved to her hands, she went along with his plans willingly. He looped the soft cord around one wrist, then the other, tying them to opposite bedposts until she was spread-eagled, naked, before him.

Hugh stepped back to admire his handy work and smiled. It was the smile she had come to know and love from him. It was the smile that meant she was in for a really amazing few hours of pleasure. It was the smile he reserved for her alone and it meant the world to her. This was her man. Her life. They would be together now and for all time and she knew in her heart, he would never stray. His inner dragon wouldn’t allow it. They were mated for now and for always.

She was finally free to give her heart, knowing it would never be rebuffed. Knowing he would never knowingly harm her in any way. He had her trust and her love, forevermore.

Hugh took one of the dishes of chocolate confection and sat on the bed at her side. Holding her gaze with promises in his eyes, he scooped some of the chocolate custard onto his finger and placed it on one of her nipples.

The slightly chilly sensation of the wet custard made her jump and her nipple puckered into a tight pebble. He smiled at her reaction and repeated the action, placing a small dollop of the desert on her other nipple.

She lay there, waiting for him to do more, anticipation making her insides quiver.

“Have I ever told you how much I’ve always loved the flavor of chocolate?” Hugh asked conversationally as he licked the residue off his fingers and placed the dish back on the bedside table. “There is a place in Castleton called Pritchard’s Inn on the High Road. They have the most amazing chocolate confections and sticky buns. As youngsters, my brothers and I used to go there whenever we could to buy treats from Mrs. Pritchard.”

Why was he telling her all that when she was lying there dying of anticipation?

“I thought I’d tasted every kind of chocolate dessert there was to taste. Little did I realize they would all pale in comparison to this.” He leaned over her and licked the custard off one nipple. She tensed.

“Mmm. Just as I thought. It tastes even better when licked from your skin. You were the missing ingredient,” he whispered as he kissed his way across her chest to arrive at the other nipple.

He opened his mouth over her breast, sucking her in and tonguing her with concentrated effort. Oh, yeah. He knew just what she liked and how far to push her. Lera felt close to a peak from just this contact alone. Being tied up and unable to touch him was adding an extra little jolt to the experience that she hadn’t expected.

The vulnerability. The trust. It all heightened her senses, which was something she didn’t know would happen. She’d never allowed anyone to restrain her before. And no one had ever eaten dessert off her body before either.

Hugh’s hands moved out of her sight while his mouth never left her skin. He sucked her nipples until they were sensitive to his slightest touch. He nipped the undersides of her breasts playfully, not hurting, but letting her know he was there. He swirled his tongue over her skin and then she felt the cool wetness of more custard being dropped onto her abdomen.

The difference between the heat of his mouth and the coldness of the custard made her shiver as he worked his way downward. He lapped at an increasing trail of custard all the way down her belly. One dollop at a time, he set her on fire. And she was unable to move. Unable to think beyond the pleasure that started to build inside her.

“Hugh,” she pleaded as he moved between her legs, settling there, spreading her pussy so that he could place his mouth over her clit.

Her hips lifted involuntarily, reaching for more. Hugh didn’t disappoint. His teeth nibbled gently on her most delicate and sensitive skin, holding her in place for his talented tongue. Lera almost came up off the bed as pleasure broke over her in a short, fast climax that was only the beginning. Hugh rode her through it and two more like it, all the while working his wiles on her with fingers, teeth and tongue.

After her third small peak had come and another was building within her straining body, Hugh finally moved, taking his mouth back up her body as he replaced his fingers with what she really wanted. His thick cock slid inside her and immediately went to work. He stroked deep and hard, increasing both the speed and pressure as he went until she was swept up in the passion they shared.

“Hugh, I can’t take much more,” she warned as the biggest climax yet started to peak.

“Don’t hold back, Lera. Come for me now,” he coaxed, driving harder and faster even as the words left his lips. With each pulse he treated her insides to a loving friction that rubbed her in all the right places.

She screamed his name as she came and only dimly heard his answering shout as his seed jetted into her. The feel of his come heightened her pleasure and it went on and on as she lay under him, needing him, loving him.

She must have passed out at that point because the next thing she was aware of was sitting naked in Hugh’s lap in bed as he spooned what was left of the custard into his mouth. When he realized she was awake, he fed her as well, alternating with her as they shared the single spoon.

The bed was a bit of a mess, but she could honestly say she’d never had a better dessert in her life.

Weeks later, after everything had settled down and all the traitors had been dealt with, the twins had flown back to Draconia. Prince Nico and his wife, Riki, had arrived to perform a royal state visit. Nico was the Prince of Spies and also a talented diplomat. He’d managed to charm both Lera and her courtiers, and his wife, Riki, was just as popular, though she was by nature a quieter sort of person than the larger-than-life Nico.

Hugh and Lera were settling in, each day discovering some new facet of their relationship and learning how best to divide their public duties. Hugh had taken over the training and deployment of the palace guard. He’d also found many different areas in which Helios could benefit from his warrior skill.

Every night they spent together and every day they worked out how their new lives together would be spent. One important facet of their life was Miss. She continued to thrive under the emissary’s watchful tutelage and Hugh and Lera’s unrestrained love.

Lera worried about the gryphons of Helios. Something had to be done to renew the bonds she’d thought they had. Something also had to be done about Miss’s insecurity. The baby often had worries about where she fit in, though she seldom discussed them unless coaxed into it.

Hugh and Lera had decided to formalize their adoption of Miss as a way to help the child with her fears and hopefully begin to repair what had been done to her. Miss’s mother was still alive, but imprisoned. There might one day be a chance for reconciliation between them, but for now the baby needed a stable family. Hugh and Lera could provide that.

And that’s why they were gathered in the throne room with all the dignitaries and courtiers present. Today Hugh and Lera would officially become Miss’s parents, and they’d name her as well. Miss didn’t know it, but Lera thought she had a solution to amend the child’s name. She would try it out today.

“I, Valeria, Doge of Helios, Keeper of the Flame, adopt you, Miss, as my daughter for all time and through all obstacles. I love you and will protect and provide for you until you are of an age to take care of yourself.” Lera couldn’t deny, there were tears in her eyes as she spoke the words in front of the assembly, the gryphon standing before her, trembling with excitement.

“And I, Hugh, Prince of Draconia and mate of Valeria, adopt you, Miss, as my daughter for and through all obstacles. I love you and will protect and provide for you until you are of an age to take care of yourself,” Hugh repeated, adding a wink for the nervous gryphon.

“Do you agree, Miss? And do you accept Hugh and Valeria as your adoptive parents from this day forward?” The emissary was officiating the ceremony and stood between the child and those who would adopt her.

“Yess!” Miss almost shouted her joy and bounced up and down on her front paws. Her little wings spread to balance her and she made a beautiful sight, all unconsciously. “Want Hoo and Lera to be mama and papa.”

“Then so it shall be,” the emissary said with finality. They could all feel the magic in the air at her pronouncement, sealing the ceremony with the blessings of the Lady. “Go to your parents, little one.” Jalinar pushed Miss with one of her wingtips, but Miss needed no goading to run up the steps of the dais on which Lera’s and Hugh’s thrones stood.

Hugh bent and caught the child in his arms, hugging her as he stood. Miss ran her little tongue over Lera’s cheek in kitty kisses as the three of them hugged each other with joy in their hearts. The court around them applauded the making of the family for some time.

When the noise settled down, Lera and Hugh sat. Miss sat between them, in a space deliberately left for her between their thrones. Hugh hadn’t been officially crowned yet, but the state wedding was in the works and it would only be a matter of time before he became her official consort. Lera saw no reason why he couldn’t sit with her on the dais now, since he was royalty already, albeit from an allied land.

One or two of her advisors had wanted to stand on formality, but Lera had dismissed their concerns. The court had gotten used to the arrangement after the first few days and had seemed to accept the new order. They would accept Miss too. She just knew it.

To that end, she had one more thing to take care of.

“Miss,” Lera began in her public voice. The courtiers listened, knowing she was addressing them as well as the baby gryphon. “We have to do something about your name. I believe I have an idea, but it is up to you to decide if you like it or not.”

Lera could see she had the child’s full attention.

“My mother had a sister named Emisselde. She was very dear to my mother and to me. I have fond memories of my Aunt Emisselde and I think she would be proud if you would bear her name. And of course, my aunt’s nickname was Missy, so we could keep calling you Miss or Missy. Or Emisselde. Whichever you prefer. But you’d have a proper name, from my family. As my adopted daughter, you deserve no less. Does that appeal to you? Would you like to be called Emisselde?”

Miss seemed to think about it for a few seconds. “Iss pretty.”

“Yes, it is,” Hugh agreed. “Do you want Emisselde to be your name from now on, sweetheart?”

The little cat head tilted in thought, then nodded once, very decisively.

“Yess. I like.”

“Good then. You are now Princess Emisselde of Helios.”

“Princesss?” Miss seemed confused by the idea.

“Of course, little one. Your parents are royalty. Now, so are you.” Jalinar winked at the child, clearly amused.

It was fitting, Lera thought. The brave little girl had gone from half-frozen street dweller to heroic fighting feline to princess. She had the heart of a lion and the wings of an angel. To Lera, there was no more beautiful soul than Miss. She was proud to call her daughter and even happier to have the lovely little girl in her life.

Lera wondered once more how she got so lucky. In the space of a few weeks she’d gone from running for her life with assassins on her trail to finding the love of her life and a beautiful child to call her own.

Life didn’t get much better than this. At least, it hadn’t until now. Who knew what Hugh had in store for her? With him around, each day was a new adventure of the most incredibly joyful kind. As she looked at her new family, Lera knew she was well and truly blessed.

About the Author

Bianca D’Arc has run a laboratory, climbed the corporate ladder in the shark-infested streets of Manhattan, studied and taught martial arts, and earned the right to put a whole bunch of letters after her name, but she’s always enjoyed writing more than any of her other pursuits. She grew up and still lives on Long Island, where she keeps busy with an extensive garden, several aquariums full of very demanding fish, and writing her favorite genres of paranormal, fantasy and sci-fi romance.

Bianca loves to hear from readers and can be reached through Facebook, her Yahoo group or through the various links on her website.

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