Page 35 of Princess of Draga

She supposed one didn’t need to be dominant to have skill as a warrior. But to lead an entire galaxy? She shuddered at the idea. Adelina could never hold so many dominant leashes. If what Nash said was true for her people as well, she wouldn’t have to. The dominants closest to her would hold the leashesforher. “Thank the goddess I never have to be queen,” she said with alaugh.

Nash only shrugged and they continued down the path and came out into the beginning of the cultivatedgardens.

She had come to a decision. “I can get you the access you need, and if I can’t as princess without endangering myself I can get it through other means,” Adelina said softly. She smiled shyly and placed her other hand over Nash’s as well, pressing into him ever so slightly. Anyone looking at them would think she whispered something sweet andflirtatious.

He looked down at her in surprise. “How would you managethat?”

“I have my ways.” Adelina needed to send a cast to Giselle. It looked like they were going out into the city that night to call in a favor. As princess she couldn’t order the access or ask for it herself without raising suspicions. As Lina the jeweler, she could accomplish a lot more. “It might not be right away, but I’ll get the information youneed.”

She looked up into his eyes. Adelina studied those confusing depths of green, red, and yellow. Nash’s eyes sparkled in the sunlight and she felt dazzled. They told her nothing. If she were making a mistake she would never know it. “Swear I am not committing treason,” she whispered, placing both hands on his biceps and leaning in slightly. The scent of cinnamon grew stronger and Adelina had to remind herself this was a game. She couldn’t ruin it by running her hands under his shirt to feel the strong muscles of hisabdomen.

Nash smiled and instantly the spark flared into a flame that settled deep in her belly. Her clit pulsed in time with her heartbeat as the feeling inside grew of its own accord. He briefly touched a curl and let his hands lightly fall on her waist. They made a pretty picture together. “I would never put you in that position. We were friends once,” he said, echoing herwords.

Slowly she let out a shuddering breath as she yanked back on her self-control. Adelina felt the familiar stirrings that told her she would quickly do something she wasn’t ready for if she didn’t back off. Nash was such a wonderful male specimen though. She wondered what he looked like under his shirt. What did that wonderfully dark tattooform?

A rough fingertip raised her chin, forcing her eyes from his chest to his face. The smile there made the pulse between her legs pound harder and she gasped. Adelina was a slave to the sensations. The dominance in his eyes was so gentle she wanted to give him everything. Her hands gripped his arms tighter as she fought off the tingling running over her skin like fire. Her nails dug into him and she couldn’t tear her gaze away fromhis.

Nash studied her with narrowed eyes. “Are you all right?” he asked. The genuine care in his voice triggered the darker side she hadn’t known she possessed untilrecently.

Did she have real feelings for this prince, or did she simply want him for his beauty? “Will you spar with me?” she asked through gritted teeth. “I could use some exercise.” Thank the three-faced goddess they did not have courtesans in the Khara galaxy so Nash would not be familiar with theirways.

The look on his face changed from one of concern to one of wary confusion. Nash looked her up and down. “I’m not sure that would be a good idea. I do not wish to hurtyou.”

Adelina hissed in a breath and clamped down on his arms with her nails, hard enough to pierce through layers of skin. “I promise you; that isn’t the reason why it would not be a good idea.” She whirled around and made her way to the palace gymnasium. At least it was cool in there. Adelina didn’t check to see if Nash followedher.

She knew he would, if only out ofcuriosity.

Adelina changed into her exercise gear in the luxurious washroom and relished the feel of her bare feet on the tile. They would spar until the raw sensations were gone and she was exhausted enough to feel confident of her control once again. Now that she knew what to keep an eye out for it was easier to brace herself andresist.

There was just something about Nash that called to the very core of her and it was more difficult to hold back than she had anticipated. Perhaps it was the way he held himself, the barely restrained violence she could feel simmering under his skin in combination with the gentleness he always showed her. Adelina wanted to unlace those leather pants and place her mouth around his cock more than she would have thought possible. She wanted to know if she could take him in her mouth or if she would have to use her hands as well. The use of her tongue would only drive him mad. It would never release him the way he needed. To be inside her was the only way to truly possess her and Adelina wantedit.

She rolled her neck and closed her eyes. These thoughts weren’thelping.

Would Nadyah be there the first time to show her how to pleasehim?

Adelina curled her fingers inward, pressing her sharp nails into her tender skin until she felt the telltale sting. The scent of blood filled the air and the pain released some of the painful tingling of pleasure and desire. She took a slow, deep breath and refocused herthoughts.

Exercise and work until she was exhausted. That, she couldmanage.

Adelina stepped into the palace gymnasium and the feel of the cushioned, springboard floor relaxed her further. She was here to spar, to learn, and to gain some insight into the lost prince. Escorting him had been her idea and she was going to make sure there was nothing about him that could threaten her family, that her choice to help him was indeed the rightone.

The second her foot entered the large sparring circle she bowed to the waiting prince and waited for him to do the same. Adelina would uphold her family’s honor and help him go back home. He was adrift and bereft of the one place he could call his among a different culture and essentialstrangers.

Feet spread into position and knees bent. Palms flat against each other as she said a silent prayer to Katsia, goddess of war and cunning. She slid through the prayer into the first position, hands slightly curled into claws facing outwards. She was small, but stronger than she appeared. Her eyes opened and met the prince’s. Here in the circle there was no submissive and no dominant. There was only the strongest, most fierce warrior. A ripple settled over her as it did every time she shed the part of her that was Princess Adelina, one layer closer to her trueself.

The small smile on Nash’s face instantly dropped. She didn’t know what change he saw in her, but suddenly his demeanor was allbusiness.

“It is tradition for the challenger to allow the challenged to attack first,” Adelina stated. Her words echoed against the empty gymnasium. The white marble columns gave an airy feel to the massive place, but she was glad no one was there to witness themspar.

Nash attacked so hard and so fast she didn’t even see him move. Adelina trusted her instincts and slid. Her extended leg remained to trip him up if he was not quick enough. Nash followed as she dipped, swayed, and danced out of his path. She did not have to be strong to wear down her opponent withexhaustion.

The prince thought he had her back up against the figurative wall of the circle and he grinned, sweat dripping from his forehead. Adelina dove through his legs, the wide stance a disadvantage when it came to speed. She somersaulted and jumped up. The air around her shifted and she dropped into a push up position. The heel of his boot brushed her hair. With a quick roll and a flip she was back on her feet, facinghim.

Nash’s smile lit up his whole face and the reason they sparred in the first place hit her like a punch to the gut. Adelina was breathless and trembling. She just barely missed his strike with an outward spin.Fourth position to eighth, she told herself. The elaborate jump was more for show, but Nash had extremely high kicks and a moving target was more difficult tohit.

A spinning jump placed her behind Nash, a move she had only mastered a few months before. With a dance move that would make her mistress weep with joy, Adelina swept her foot out in a wide half-circle, catching him at the ankles. It was precisely when he stepped to turn and the strike threw him offbalance.

Without hesitation, she struck palm up and hit precisely where his diaphragm should be. Nash coughed and stepped back in surprise. With a laugh, he grabbed her still out-stretched wrist and pulled her forward. Adelina was off balance and suddenly in his arms. He looked down at her with a grin that made her stomach flutter and she could feel the hard muscles against her soft curves. She stared at him for a nanosecond too long, enjoying the way he felt against her. Adelina blinked and knew she was introuble.

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