Page 10 of Settle Down, Princess

“See something you like, Pearl?”

“Yes,” I said, all ability to lie stripped from me, my breathing ragged. “Gods, yes. You’re so… And I…” I drew my hands down his chest, then pulled my fingers into my palms, resting my fists on his skin. He lifted his hand and covered the one over his heart, holding it hard against him.

“And you are so very beautiful.” His voice was husky.

He lifted his other hand and tilted my chin upwards, then kissed all the breath from my lungs, only dropping his hands when the others moved forward.

They worked as quickly and as neatly as ladies’ maids, undoing the buttons of my underdress and letting the fabric fall, then removing what was left of my clothing until I stood bare before them all.

In the minds of the men at court, I was allowing myself to do something completely degrading. Standing naked before four men as they devoured me with their eyes, their fingers twitching as if they were dying to touch me but didn’t yet dare. What was never spoken of was how wonderful degradation was. I felt as if my whole body glowed as they looked at me so lustfully, and a pulse of heat rushed through me in time with my heartbeat, the sensation growing and growing the longer they stared.

“Well?” I said, tossing my hair back over my shoulders and staring right back. “You promised me pleasure.”

Roan let out a low growl, stepping forward, but Silas slapped an arm across his chest, stopping him from reaching me. I didn’t like that at all. When those keen green eyes were turned on me, Silas’ gaze felt like it was cutting me to the quick.

And that I was leaning into the blade.

“Let me check one thing first.”

“What?” Arik blinked and seemed to come back to himself. “She said she’s married.”

“Then it won’t matter if I do this.”

Silas pulled me back to him and his hands were so blessedly cool against my heat that I melted into his touch. His nose grazed my neck, sucking in my scent as I writhed, pressing into him. I twisted in his grip, turning my face up to his, seeking that cruel mouth, but his keen eyes only looked deep into mine. Then he put an arm around my waist and pressed a hand between my shoulder blades, pushing my upper body forward.

I let out a little giggle as Arik caught hold of my wrists and held my arms out in front of me.

I felt like a doll being manipulated into position. Why did that make the pulse between my legs beat furiously? Silas seemed to know exactly what to do with me. A hand clamped around the back of my neck, keeping me in position, right as a hand slid up inside of my thighs.

Oh gods…

I didn’t even know which ones I was praying to because the heat in me was flaring hotter the higher his hand got. It seemed as though I could feel every fingertip, even the whorls on the pads, as he moved them higher. Some instinct kicked in, just like it did in cows and mares, having me spread my legs wide to make his passage easier. And that appeared to be exactly the wrong, or right thing, to do. His low chuckle bit into my skin like a million tiny knife blades, making me flush with shame.

But that wasn’t the predominant feeling.

Hunger. I had a hunger for pleasure that would’ve had me driven from court, shunned by everyone I knew, and I didn’t care. It was as if something inside me had been tamped down and locked away for so long that it wasn’t until Silas pushed the key in and twisted that it could be freed. Fingers slid through something slick then parted me like a book, spreading my pages wide. I moaned as I felt his hand leave my neck and slide down my spine. Then I heard him drop to his knees behind me and both of his hands gripped my hips, holding me fast.

“Yes…”

Silas’ fingers bit deep because I was swaying like a reed, blown around by winds I didn't understand, yet helpless to do anything else.

Helpless…?

My mind grabbed at that word and held onto it, turning it over and over inside my head. My eyes fell closed because I couldn’t look at them and feel with such intensity at the same time. It was a stunning realisation to have, but I liked the sensation of Arik’s hands gripping my wrists, of Silas holding me right where I was. Of being forced to do this, all of my choices taken away. That didn’t make sense in one way because it was just like what my father and the King of Khean had promised to do, but the difference was that I made the decision to come to this room, to be with them… I moaned. Silas moved one hand to circle the aching part of me, but he didn’t actually get to the core of the matter. I didn’t know what I needed, but he seemed to. His fingers traced me, outlined me, until I felt him get closer, his breath fanning my sensitive skin.

He was staring at the most intimate part of me and that had me flushing in shame, pulling against Arik’s hold. But I didn’t really want to get away. Relief washed through me as he held me fast, forcing me to submit to Silas’ inspection.

“You poor little thing…” The gentleness in his voice surprised me. “So swollen and overheated. You must be feeling so needy.”

“Yes…!”

My voice cracked as I let the word out, a ragged plea for whatever he could give me, but I was left wanting. Silas pulled away, slapping a hand on my backside like a man might do to a cow after milking her, before he got to his feet and turned to the others.

“Just as I thought,” he told them. “This one hasn’t been touched.”

“A virgin…”

I hated the look in Arik’s eyes as I straightened up, the heat staining my cheeks coming from shame, not pleasure. I hated him for taking that away from me, reminding me of all the baggage that had been piled upon me, none of it with my consent. Like with this heat, this ache that throbbed in my body, I’d been lied to all this time, denied this pleasure. My hands slid across my bare skin, left to touch myself if no one else would, and to my surprise, the pleasure flared brighter. Not as bright as it would if he was touching me, which is why I took an involuntary step towards him. My eyes begged for something I couldn’t bring myself to articulate.

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