“I can’t believe Cardan let you drag him here,” Vivienne says to me, leaning her hips on the counter as she nurses a purple colored drink.
I grimace, glancing across the room to where said King is leaned against the wall, on his forth red cup of something clearly not strong enough with the way he’s glaring at me. “I didn’t drag him here,” I mumble, picking at the frayed hem of the denim skirt I’ve donned on.
“Huh,” Vivi says, “That’s probably why I can’t believe it, then.” I roll my eyes before fixing my gaze back to Cardan. He narrows his eyes at me when he catches me watching and I flush but glare right back. I didn’t invite him but he somehow managed to convince me this is for convenience – in which he’s safer here in the mortal world with me rather than Faerie land without me. He was so adamant about being here but since we’ve arrived, his mood has been sour. I’ve kept my distance but the heat of his stare has me wary of when I’d eventually burst into flames.
It’s strange seeing him in clothing not so formal. He looks so stupid, it makes my skin heat up. I tear my gaze away to look at my sister only to find that she’s gone off and in her place is a boy. He smiles and says, “Hey, you look familiar.”
I tilt my head, confused, “Do I?” I look back at Cardan. A girl with bright red hair and a lascivious smile saddles up beside him and asks him something. He turns to look at her and with a curve of his lips, he responds with something that looks like, “I’m not.” I grimace and turn back to the boy.
He nods his head and hums in affirmation. “Totally. Maybe you don’t remember but we definitely have matching tattoos.” He grins at me and it takes me a moment until I smile back, playing along to keep my eyes from wandering back to Cardan and his new friend.
“Oh, yes, you’re right, the butterfly tattoo on our lower back.”
He nods, “And the whole, ‘I heart mom’ right above.”
When I look back, the girl has a finger dragging up and down the front of his shirt. I hum at the boy, half paying attention. “Except they spelt out ‘heart’ instead of putting an actual heart.”
I glance at him to catch his eyes widen in mock surprise, “Wait, yours was spelt out? Mine was an actual anatomical heart that’s so butchered it looks like red poop.” I laugh at him and he grins widely, “See, I knew I could get you to stop scowling so hard.”
“I was not scowling.”
He snorts, “you’re doing it right now!” I try to bring the tilt of my lips upward but find it hard to do. He chuckles, “Aw don’t hurt yourself. What’s up? This some kind of foreplay with your boyfriend?”
I blink at him, “I'm sorry, what?”
He nods in the direction of where I know Cardan is stood. “Tall, dark and brooding over there. He’s been glaring at you and you’ve been glaring at him. It looks like you want to strangle each other and I’m fairly sure it can only be in the naughtiest way possible.” I blanch at this boy in front of me, ready to tell him off, but he glances behind me with a wry sort of smile on his lips.
My skin prickles before Cardan’s hands even grasp at my arms but the moment our skin comes in contact, its fire that ignites. “I should get back to my girlfriend now,” The boys says. “Let me know when we’re getting our tattoos removed.” He chuckles and disappears in the crowd. I wait until I can’t make him out anymore before I turn to my king.
“Who the fuck was that?” I’m taken aback by his words, aggressive and something else I force myself not to place.
“I…I don’t know,” I confess, keeping my eyes leveled with his neck. His pulse jumps and I want to lick it despite myself, see if it’ll calm beneath my tongue or beat faster. My cheeks heat and Cardan’s fingers grab my chin, forcing my eyes to meet his. His scowl makes me wince. I place my hands on his chest, but I don’t push him back like I should have wanted to.
“I could throttle you about now.” His voice is low and dark.
“You could…” I say cautiously. “But, why would you want to?”
He looks confused for a moment, as if he hadn’t considered why, but it passes and his jaw sets in determination. He grabs my hand and pulls me towards a much darker corner where I assume no one is paying attention to. He backs me against the wall, a hand coming to fist my ponytail, forcing my gaze to his. His other hand grasps my hips, tightly. My heart pounds in my chest and I bet he can hear it. He slots a leg between my thighs and I gasp when our bodies touch. His voice is low when he bends to my ears, but it does not lack sincerity when he admits, “I can’t help but feel like… you’re mine.”
I shiver, my hands fisting into his shirt. “I’m not,” I whisper when his lips touch below my ears. He takes my skin into his mouth, letting it go with a wet lap of his tongue. He doesn’t leave a mark, but he does leave my knees weak.
“Are you not?” he skims up my side and traces right bellow my bust with his thumb, chafing my shirt against my skin. “You are mine,” he tells me. “My subject, my darling seneschal, my sweet Jude,” he lists into my skin. “Mine, alone.” He palms up my breast, squeezing and pinching, and I moan, arching my back, grating against his thigh.
“You’re an ass,” I croak out, pressing closer to his body. He bites the swell of my breasts right through the fabric of the top. I moan and slip my hand under his shirt.
“I’m yours,” he corrects, and - oh god, oh god, oh god – his hand finds its way under my skirt, tracing the inside of my thighs. He lets go of my hair and my head falls forward against his shoulder. I watch with lidded eyes as his hand slips higher and higher until he feels how embarrassingly drenched I am from his dark words and sinuous touches.
“Cardan,” I mumble, closing my eyes, “Oh god, Cardan,” I breathe, my hands sliding up his skin, digging my nails into his flesh. He sucks in a breath and my hips buck. I bite down on my lips to keep from making noise when he slides the fabric of my panties to the side. “There’s… people around.”
“I don’t care.” His free hand is splayed against the small of my back, anchoring me rather than possessing me. “Look at me.” I shake my head, shutting my eyes tighter until I see starbursts behind my lids. “Look at me, Jude” he says again, softer. “I want to see you.” I raise my head slowly and he gently pushes me back until I’m leaned against the wall. There are flashing lights and an almost ear splitting bass but that’s all background. Cardan is all I can focus on. His lust filled eyes makes every inch of my skin go taught with want. His thumb plays and his fingers caress, but I want more, so much more.
My legs shake and when his hand between my legs press harder against me and two of his long fingers slide into me, I clench my thighs around him, pausing his movements. “Do you not want this?”
I nod frantically, my wide eyes practically begging as I glance between his dark hues, not caring about the show we’re putting on anymore. “Yes, please.”
He smiles, softly this time, brushing my hair back with his free hand. “Then spread your legs for me, Jude. Let me know it’s okay to play.”
I bite my lip and part my legs for him, another rush of heat rolling down my stomach when he continues for me.
“Who was she,” I groan, only half aware of what I’m trying to imply.
“I don’t know.” He smirks down at me, aware that I’m asking about that girl he had been talking to. “She asked if I was ready to leave. When I said I wasn’t, she asked if I wanted to do exactly this to her.” My cheeks flush with anger at the thought. “Right here,” he whispers, sliding a palm to my stomach, keeping me still against the wall, “so everyone can see,” he bends to nip at my lips, taking my parted mouth as invitation. I rock my hips against him, finding that I hope she’s watching now, watching my king fuck me with his fingers. My breathing becomes ragged and I’m alarmed at my own feelings, about how much I want this, how I crave the thrill of getting caught, the thrill of staking a claim. “Naughty girl,” he breathes, into my ear, guessing my thoughts. “You want them to see me playing with your pretty pussy like this, don’t you?”
I whimper, “yes…fuck…yes.”
“You want them to see you drop to your knees for me. You want them to know that you don’t bow for anyone but your king.” His voice is thick with desire, “You want them to know you’re the only one who gets to do that to me.” His eyes are wild with a passion he’s only giving me an inch of. “Just like I’m the only one who gets to do this to you.”
“Cardan,” I mewl, gripping at his belt loops, “You’re mine,” I finally say.
“Yours, Jude,” he groans into my neck, biting me before pulling away to watch me. “You’re so wet for me,” he says.
I nod, repeating in breaths, “So…wet…”
“Just for me,” he prompts when he knows I'm so close to the edge.
“Only you,” I profess as his pace quickens. “Cardan,” I gasp and my stomach clenches, “I – Cardan,” I whisper his name frantically, repeatedly, until I finally come down from the heat encasing me.
He lets me breathe before he kisses my temple then my cheek, pausing to hover at my lips. His quiet proclamation inflames me all over again. “I’ll slide a knife into the next person who tries to touch you like I touch you.” It’s not a question and later I’d give him shit for his words, but still panting, I find myself nodding. He better know the threat is mutual. He pulls away from me, satisfied when my lips chase after his. His lips curve in a crooked smile and brings his still wet fingers into his mouth, sucking them clean as I watch.
