Page 23 of The Bride Auction

We jumped apart when there’s a knock on the door. “Sir, my lady, the guests are arriving.”

Renick looked at me with hooded eyes. “I suppose we should postpone this and mingle.”

“You're probably right.”

Renick introduced me to more people than I could remember. This was my crash course in Tenap politics. I hoped I was doing him proud.

I caught his mother’s eye after mingling for a few hours. She sent me the signal we had decided upon, and I disappeared back to our wing. I opened the closet and pulled out the dress I wore the night of the auction and put it on again, this time without my mother’s help. I chose to wear it in honor of my family and because I like the way I looked in it. Unbeknownst to Renick, tonight was our bonding ceremony. His mother and I had chatted, and she decided that on a day of such sadness, joy should peek through.

I fumbled in my suitcase for a few bobby pins and put my hair in an easy French twist, securing it. I dabbed a little lip gloss on and my favorite flats brought from Earth, then walked back into the party. Imoa managed to somehow push all the guests away from a path she meticulously plotted out. She positioned herself at the opening where she gripped my hand, and we walked into the waiting crowd together.

A hush fell over the guests. Renick, with his back toward me, was talking with Arik, when Arik punched him in the shoulder. Renick turned, his jaw dropped at me walking toward him. His mother motioned for one of their holy people to come over.

They tied a black ribbon around our wrists and had us repeat the words that would bind us together forever.

Renick looked awestruck, and I couldn’t stop grinning from ear to ear.

“How did you manage to pull this off?” he asked. “I didn’t expect to bond with you today and wanted to wait until you were acclimatized to living on Tenap, until you knew what your responsibilities were as my mate,” he whispered.

“There’s no place I would rather be than here,” I said. “As for how I pulled it off…” I grinned. “I wasn’t alone. Your mother truly is a force to be reckoned with.”

I tugged Renick’s hand, leading him into the center of the patio, where I pulled him against me. A band played a gentle rhythm in the background. Though it wasn’t quite Earth music, the melody was still easily recognizable as a love song. “I never had a wedding dance,” I said to Renick. “I vowed if I ever got married again, I would dance with my husband.”

“Am I doing this right?” Renick swayed to the music, his hand warming the lower part of my back.

“Perfect.”

He lowered his head to capture my lips with his, and I lost myself in the kiss. Applause broke out from the attendees, and we broke apart.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Renick’s uncle standing next to a beaming Imoa, staring at us, a curious look on his face. I didn’t know Abrane body language well enough to decipher his expression, so I made a mental note to ask about it later.

“What do you think about going back to our room?” Renick asked.

I kissed him lightly on the lips. “Now that, my bonded mate; my husband, is a fantastic idea.”

Cheers erupted again as we stepped off the makeshift dance floor. We paused at the double doors leading into the manor, turning to wave to the guests. My gaze instinctively sought out my lovely mother-in-law. “Thank you,” I mouthed. Imoa inclined her head.

Sounds of our footsteps carried through the halls as we raced to our rooms. Renick slowed near the doorway to our rooms, and lightly pushed me against the wall.

A strong hand grabbed my wrists, pinning them against the wall over my head. The position thrust my breasts out for his inspection while the straining fabric did nothing to hide my pebbled nipples.

Renick’s lips claimed mine, tongue darting in my mouth plundering. He pressed his body against mine, pushing me against the wall while rocking his hips against mine in slow motion. Soft fabric rubbed my skin in all the right places, like a lover’s touch. His free hand stroked my breasts over the dress, flicking the taut buds with his thumb while his mouth over mine muffled my cries of pleasure from the delicious friction. Without wrenching his lips from mine, Renick hoisted me in his arms. He fumbled with the doorknob before it clicked open. We stumbled inside, and I pushed it shut with my recently freed hands.

Reverently, he placed me on the bed, hiking my dress up in the process, deftly unzipping the fabric allowing him to lift it over my head. He buried his face between my bare breasts, spreading my thighs with his body; fingers seeking out my core.

I was so wet, two of his fingers slid into me without resistance and his thumb rubbed tight circles around my clit. “That’s it. Reach your pleasure,” he murmured against my breast. His teeth scraped my nipple and I lost the tenuous control I had over my orgasm. My entire body spasmed, and I lay, unable to move while waves of pleasure coursed through my body.

Renick removed his fingers and I whimpered. “Fill me again,” I demanded. “I need more.”

He fell back on his heels, stripping his shirt while his lips and tongue ravished my core. His lips formed a small O around my clit, and he sucked, placing exquisite pressure on my overly sensitive bud, taking me to the edge of an orgasm but did not allow me to chase its bliss.

Instead, he pushed me further up on the bed, placed a pillow under my hips and notched his cock at my center. He paused half a heartbeat, searching my eyes for silent permission. At my nod, his hips thrust forward in one motion, sliding his cock into my heat.

My head thrashed back and forth at the welcome intrusion, and I chanted his name. His fingers kneaded the flesh on my hips as he pinned me down pumping into me.

“Bond me,” I cried. “Release and claim my body with your bonding scent.”

“I want,” Renick ground out, “to hold back. Make it special; memorable.”

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