“Four so far.” His mouth grazed my shoulder again as the hand on my ass pulled me down and against him—against his erection.
None of this was real. It was all an act. So I gave up and the twitch of my hips turned into a slow, grinding roll. I expected to feel shame and embarrassment, but I only felt desire and need and want.
My hands were moving of their own accord, exploring the dips and planes of his chest and stomach. Blood pounded through my veins as the conversation around me faded out. I was moving now, little rocks and twists, and he was pushing his fingers against me, making me wish there was nothing between his flesh and mine.
And that was insane.
I couldn’t let myself think about what I was doing—riding his hand as he talked to the fae, flushed and hot and aching. Hell, I couldn’t think even if I tried. There was a deep, sharp curl in my core, causing my breath to hitch, and it was different than what I’d felt last night. This was real, but….
It’s just an act….
And I needed Neal to leave so we wouldn’t have to keep up this act, but I didn’t want him to leave, because I was so, so close to release, and I thought… I thought I heard a knock on the door.
“I’ll let you know if I hear anything about the younglings.” Neal’s voice was fading away as I tuned back in.
“I’m counting on that.” He swirled his thumb and there was no stopping the moan that slipped up my throat or the way his hips punched up in response. “Neal?”
“Yes.”
“If I find out that you have anything to do with the missing Summer younglings or if you’ve been working with Aric, I will fucking destroy you.”
“Understood.” There was a pause and then, “Use the room however long you need it.”
The door closed, and I was holding my breath again, trembling all over. Caden’s fingers stilled against me, but he didn’t pull his hand away and I didn’t lift my head or jump off him like my legs were made of springs. We both were… waiting, and my heart was thundering, my pulse pounding.
“Do you want me to finish?” he asked, voice coarse and hushed.
Yes.
I wanted him to finish me.
But… what was I doing? Neal was gone and there was no reason for this to continue. No good excuse other than seeking a release from him—from the Prince.
No, not from the Prince. From Caden.
He folded his arm around my shoulders as he drew back. His lips moved against my cheek as my chin lowered. “You don’t have to say anything, sunshine. You understand?”
I tensed so badly I wondered how I didn’t break a bone. Trembling all over, I nodded.
Caden made this sound that should’ve been frightening, but all it did was set my blood on fire and then his finger was under the thin material, skimming through the dampness and heat. I jerked against his hand. No one—no one had touched me in so long. Years, actually, and I knew then that this was no act.
I shifted, spreading my legs and giving him more access and he took it, smoothing his fingers over me and then inside me. I cried out, letting my head fall back as I lost myself to his touch—to him. My hips began moving again, rocking against his hand. A fierce heat surfaced, overshadowing anything I had ever felt before. Building and building till I feared it would consume me.
And then he did something with his finger, hooking it and finding that spot. The tension coiled and then erupted. I came hard, hips bucking against his hand as my forehead dropped against his.
I don’t know how long it took for everything that shattered to come back together and the room to come back into focus. When it did, I could feel him hard and throbbing under me.
Maybe it was the pleasant haze of post orgasmic bliss that gave me the courage. I lifted up ever so slightly and reached for the button on his jeans.
“Hey.” His voice was soft and thick as he caught my wrist, stilling my hand. “You don’t need to do that. What I just did, I did without expecting anything in return.”
“I know.” My forehead was still resting against his. “But I want to.”
He groaned deeply. “I wouldn’t be satisfied with your hand or your mouth. I’d want to get inside you and not only is this not the place for that, I sure as hell don’t want to be inside you when you look like this. I would want it to be you.”
I sucked in air, shuddering at his words. No one wanted me for who I was but Caden.
“We need to get out of here.” He cradled the back of my neck. “Okay?”
Unsure of how to really process him pumping the brakes on this, whatever this was, I nodded. “Okay.”
He drew my head back and then I felt his lips press to my temple. He kissed me there, and I don’t know why, but that act squeezed at my chest like my heart was in a juice grinder. It was sweet and intimate and… It was everything.
Caden helped me to my feet, where I swayed a little as I made sure my wig was in place. He stood and extended his hand. I took it, threading my fingers through his. We both turned—
The door swung open without warning. Standing in the center was the damn female fae. Alyssa. And she wasn’t alone. Behind her were two Ancients, and behind them was another.
“That’s her,” she said, lip curling. “I knew I recognized her. That’s the bitch from Flux. The one who went into the room with Tobias.”
Chapter 23
“Crap,” I muttered.
“You have got to be kidding me.” Alyssa sneered as one of the Ancients shoved another dark-haired Ancient forward, into the room. “Are you working with them too, Neal?”
It was that moment when I realized that Neal was an Ancient. He didn’t look all that concerned as he faced Alyssa and the other two Ancients, but I was.
There were two bald-headed Ancients eyeing Caden and me like they wanted to rip us limb from limb, and as I eyed Neal, I really didn’t trust the Ancient, because I kept seeing the name listed as co-owner.
“I really have no idea what you’re talking about and I really don’t appreciate being shoved around.” Neal lifted a brow. “In my own bar, no less.”
Alyssa, wearing the same black sheath, crossed her slender arms. “Do I look like I care?”
“You should,” Neal replied, straightening the cuffs of his suit jacket.
The female fae smirked as her gaze flickered from Neal to Caden and then finally to me. “Do you think I didn’t know why you were asking about Aric?” she said, speaking to Caden. “You’re the Summer Prince. Wasn’t like I was going to trust you.”
“But you trust Aric?” Caden still held my hand. “You do realize he was one of my Knights before betraying me. Not exactly someone you should trust.”
“Was being the key word,” came a new voice from outside of the hall.
“Hell,” Neal muttered.
Caden let go of my hand.
The two Ancients stepped aside as they were joined by another. He came to stand behind Alyssa and….
And my heart—God, it felt like it stopped, because I recognized him. I would never forget those high, angular cheeks or close cropped light brown hair. I’d never forget that mouth and the scar that cut through the right side of his upper lip.
“It’s him,” I whispered, my stomach twisting. I couldn’t believe it. The Ancient Caden was looking for was the one who murdered my mother and nearly killed me. I could feel Caden’s gaze on me. “It’s him.”