Page 99 of Crowned By the Fae King

His ears lifted. The silver chains swung, catching the sunlight. "Truly?"

I reached out with one foot and nudged him on the ribs with my toes. The warmth of his regard rivaled the heat of the springs, radiating through me like I'd downed a mug of hot coffee. "Truly," I said, smiling at him. "There's no reason to spend all our time working. We both want to land in an affectionate balance, so let's see if we like the romance. Isn't that the whole point of dating?"

"Are you alright with going slowly?" he asked. "Physically, I mean?" His hand wrapped around my foot, holding my sole against his ribs.

Fuck, that felt nice. I loved how much bigger than me he was. How strong he was, and the way that strength was never, ever turned against me.

"Cassie," I crooned, to feel the little shiver of pleasure he always made when I used diminutive names for him. "I was pushy about platonic touch because I can feel how desperate you are for it, and it was making me crazy. And I'll admit, I can be pretty demanding between the sheets," I added, giving him a reckless smile. "But that's only once the rules of engagement have been agreed upon, so to speak. If you want to go slow, we'll go slow."

One corner of his mouth kicked up. His thumb started rubbing slow circles on the arch of my foot. "I like demanding. And pushy."

With a low hum of pleasure, I relaxed into his touch, letting his pleasure and the warmth of the hot springs ease away every scrap of tension. "Then you won't be distressed to learn you just signed yourself up for giving me a foot massage, hm?" I gave him another nudge with my toes.

Cass took a sip of his champagne and set it to the side before moving to lounge on his side, not letting go of my foot. "Why would that distress me, my Queen?" he asked in a low purr. "Especially when it means I get to feel your pleasure like it's mine?" He took my foot in both hands and started spreading my arch with his thumbs, using the perfect amount of force.

I let out a low moan of enjoyment, tipping my head back. "Fuck, Cass," I said, my voice throaty. The answering pleasure of his enjoyment coiled through me, hot and needy, amping up my own tactile enjoyment. "You've been holding out on me."

"I have," he said in an agreeable tone. "On a number of levels, actually. But you were quite insistent that I learn how to do friendly platonic touch without leaning into my power to control my reactions to it, and perhaps I ought to try to do the same with romantic touch." His hand wrapped around my foot, warm and sure, and squeezed.

"Foot massages don't have to be romantic," I said, panting from the positive feedback loop of pleasure between us. "People pay good money for this."

He dragged his eyes up along my lean leg to the apex of my thighs, gaze lingering on my dark triangle of hair, then up my midline to my breasts. Cass lowered his lashes and licked his lips.

I felt that as if he'd put his tongue on my mouth.

"You're naked, lioness," he purred. His eyes flicked up to mine. "And I'm wearing nothing but jewelry."

"Nothing but earrings, even." I tried to breathe normally, as if my entire focus wasn't on the big hands engulfing my foot or the desire of my soulmate taking residence in my core.

He only smirked, with the pleasure of a cat who'd gotten into the songbird's cage.

Oh, my god. He was fucking naked. If he was wearing more than earrings as decoration, there was only one other place it could be.

Did… oh my fucking god, did Cass have a fucking dick piercing?

"We've cuddled," I pointed out, somewhat desperately. "Isn't that at least a little romantic?"

He slid his thumbs down along my arch, eliciting a whine I couldn't catch in time. "Cuddling would be romantic paired with those lovely dark nipples under my fingers. Perhaps as I kiss your neck and tell you how wonderful you are."

"Cass," I whined in protest. "You said slow."

"It's only words, dove," he said, with that same purring satisfaction. "Are words having too much of a…" His eyes dragged down my bare leg again. "…physical effect?"

I gave him a stern frown and shoved him in the chest with my foot. "You know exactly what you're doing to me, ông già," I said, lifting my chin to look down my nose at him, though the corners of my mouth twitched with good humor at the wickedness shining in his eyes. "Don't play stupid."

Come Together

"'Old man'?" he said, baring his teeth in a grin.

"Ancient, even," I said. I waved my hand like a debutante dismissing some admirer. "Practically wizened."

Cass only laughed and switched feet. "Cruel woman," he said, expression warm. "You're lucky I like it when you're mean."

"Yeah?" I said, with a laugh of my own. "You're just going to sit there and take it?"

"Body and breath, Quyen," he said with a bright smile. "You could take anything you wanted from me, and I don't think I would ever tell you no."

"You'd better," I said, giving him a mock-frown.

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