Page 9 of Hers to Rule

Cisco ran a hand through his hair and then left the room without looking back at her.

The rest of the morning crawled by while she did the most important task she had in front of her: trying to figure out how the network of wards worked. She knew that if she couldn’t figure it out, they were all dead, but she also knew that all of this had been created with her mother’s power and fortified later with hers. She could puzzle it out. She just needed time they probably didn’t have.

Through it all she couldn’t stop thinking about what Cisco had said, that he’d make her beg. She knew that was a foregone conclusion. She was ready to beg for him the second he’d stepped away from her.

Rio took her for a walk around the grounds in the afternoon. She made sure to smile and talk to everyone who looked her way. As exhausting as it was, she knew it was nearly as important as the magic. The girl she had been under her father’s reign had to be exterminated. Nothing of her could remain.

The new Mariana had to be carefree and confident. She had to blossom rather than wilt with her father gone. Everyone had to see how much he had stifled her, how much he had smothered her, how much better it was now that he was gone.

She let anyone who asked take pictures with her. She smiled and flirted and did all of the things expected of her. Inside, she was deeply grateful that Cisco had said that no one could touch her, because that would have been too much. Rio steadied her with a hand on her back exactly when she needed it to keep her going through it all.

When they were relaxing by the pool later, he showed her the social media posts some of the people at the compound had put up so that she could see how great she looked and read the flattering things they said about her. He sat facing her on the lounge, holding his phone for her to read whenever he found a post he wanted to show her.

She played the color matching game she liked on her phone. Her father had never allowed her social media, so she didn’t have much of a taste for it. Accounts in her name were managed by a PR firm. Eventually, she’d have to figure out if she wanted to take them back, but that was a worry for a much later date.

It had gotten pretty quiet in the compound around them over the last little while, as the people who only had business dealings with her father, and now Cisco, had come and gone. The staff left fairly early in the day, leaving only the guards at night. As the sky faded to darkness, the multi-hued lights from the Strip became apparent on the horizon.

Rio slid a hand up her leg, not stopping until it was under her skirt, his fingers just shy of the frilly panties. “Cisco wants me to bring you to him.”

The thrill that shivered up her spine made goosebumps break out everywhere. “Where?”

“The break room.” He teased at the white lace between her legs. “He says he wants you riled up first.”

Mari eased her thighs apart to give him better access, feeling her heart kick into overdrive. “How do you plan to accomplish that?”

“Well, I was thinking I’d start with getting my head under that hot little skirt and see how that works.”

She scooted her hips forward a little and leaned back, raising one arm over her head. “By all means.”

Rio moved slowly, lifting one knee up and out of the way before settling it over his shoulder as he moved into position. He laughed when he caught sight of the panties. “He’s so fucking ridiculous.”

She giggled. She couldn’t help herself. “Every single pair is like that, Rio. All of them.”

He peeked back over her skirt. “Not gonna lie, it works for you. Especially under this.”

The heat in his eyes did delicious things to her belly. She flexed the leg over his shoulder to get his attention back where it belonged. “You’re supposed to be riling.”

He shrugged. “You look riled.” Without elaborating further, he bit the inside of her thigh gently.

Her hips rose slightly, needing so much more. “You’re not wrong. I’ve been riled since I got up this morning.”

“Me too,” he murmured into her skin. “I’ve been remembering how sexy you looked last night all day.” He nuzzled higher up her thigh and then bit again with his teeth sharpened, a little harder.

She hissed when the nip spawned a sizzle of pain that went straight to her core. “Did he tell you to torture me too?”

Rio chuckled into her thigh and moved up a fraction of an inch before kissing gently. “As a matter of fact, he did.” He used his thumb to stroke her through the ridiculous panties when he bit down again. “‘Deliver her to me wet and wanting’ were his exact words.”

She lifted her hips up to meet him, but he spread his hand over her pelvis to hold her down. His lips moved up another maddening inch and grew even more gentle. He traced the seam of her sex through the panties with his thumb then pulled the lacy fabric to one side to trace the same slow line with his tongue.

She groaned and quaked under him. His touch was too light, too fleeting. She needed so much more. “Saints, Rio. I’m going to spontaneously combust.”

He laughed, the warm air of his breath hitting the most sensitive parts of her and making her shiver. He parted her with his thumb and licked her clit, moaning when he tasted her. When she heard the breathless sound, she knew he was as wrecked as she was, and that almost undid her completely. She felt his desire, warm and wanton, soak into her where he touched her.

He sucked her clit between his lips and pulled delicately. She cried out, reaching for his head and twisting her fingers in his hair, just trying to get him closer to get more pressure, more friction, more anything. He parted his lips slightly and gave her clit the filthiest kiss she’d ever been a party to, twirling his tongue around until she was sure she was inside out. It wasn’t anywhere near enough to get her off, but it was more than enough to drive her to fucking distraction. She was panting and shaking under him before too long.

She whimpered when he backed away a fraction of an inch and eased his thumb to her entry, sliding her wetness back and forth between her folds. His gentle touch made her moan.

“There we go. Exactly as requested.” He leaned in to give her clit one last fleeting kiss before he straightened her panties. He sat up and sucked his thumb clean, eyes alight with mischief.

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