Page 44 of Heir of the Autumn Queen

I groan, annoyed that he’s choosing right now to tease me.“Finn,” I growl his name, practically begging him to touch me.

“Loud and clear.” He lifts himself off of me and tugs my pants down slowly, one leg at a time, leaving my bottom half bare save for my thin cotton undershorts. Finn makes his way back up my body, leaving a trail of kisses up my stomach. He kisses me again on my mouth, harder than before, as his hand reaches down and feels me over my undergarments, the sensation much more intense now that my pants aren’t in the way.

I grab a fistful of his hair, silently asking him for more, and hefinallyobliges me. He slides his hand under the linen and runs a finger up my center, coating his finger with the wetness of my desire. He groans softly against my mouth and uses his knee to spread my legs wider, continuing to run his finger up and down my core. I push my hips up into his hand, giving him permission to enter. He takes my cue and slides a finger inside me, curling it up and hitting a spot I didn’t even know existed. I inhale sharply at the intense feeling, never having had anyone touch me this way.

Gods, yes.

“Is this okay?” Finn asks me, maintaining a steady rhythm with his finger while bringing his thumb up to the apex of my center and rubbing in small, delicate circles around the bundle of nerves there. I nod, unable to form words as I start to feel dizzy from the countless sensations ricocheting all over my body.“I need to hear you say it.” He moves his mouth to my neck, breathing heavily while he nips playfully at my earlobe.

“Yes,” I pant.“Now please stop talking.” My breath is coming faster now, and I try to reach down to feel him through his pants, but he pins my arm above my head with his free hand, wholly focused on me.Mypleasure; completely unworried about his own release. I’ve never had a lover, but I know enough to understand that selflessness in the bedroom is not always a given.

I feel the heat gathering deep in my womb and my legs start to shake. I cry out, my core clenching around his fingers as Finn continues the sinful combination between my legs, his own breath heavy against my neck. I ride the wave of ecstasy into oblivion, my body laden with pleasure. As I drift back towards consciousness, my vision refocuses as I stare up at the ceiling, my chest heaving as I come down from my high. Finn kisses my neck one more time before lifting himself up onto his elbows to stare down at me. He removes his hand from between my legs and brushes some stray hairs out of my face as he searches my eyes.

“You’re so beautiful,” he whispers, and in the aftermath of the intimacy, I actually feel beautiful, warm and fuzzy from the release that’s left me heavy. I smile sleepily at him but reach down once again to feel him, hard and thick inside his pants. He inhales sharply as I rub my palm along his length, seeking to give him the same pleasure he just gave me.

“You don’t have to do that,” Finn says, reflexively pressing his hips harder into my hand. His mouth is saying one thing while his body says another, a feeling I can sympathize with. I reach for the laces of his breeches, but he stops me, removing my hand from his pelvis.“Really, drangáli. I’m fine.”

“Drangáli?” I ask him, unfamiliar with the term from the ancient language of the gods. I was forced to learn a few words and phrases during my school years, but I didn’t realize anyone still spoke it.

Finn’s cheeks flush as he kisses my forehand, pulling me into his chest without translating the word for me. We shift on the bed, so we’re lying on our sides, facing each other. He’s just as beautiful as ever, but he’s got dark circles under his eyes that I hadn’t noticed until just now.

“What happened with the king and queen?” I ask, reaching out and brushing some dark waves off his forehead in an intimate, familiar gesture. I remind myself again that it should give me pause to feel this comfortable with him, but it doesn’t.

Finn shrugs.“While they didn’t approve of my ‘methods’, they actually sided with me. Apparently, Prince Xavier has a habit of assuming every female he comes into contact with is dying to sleep with him. The king told his son that it’s time he starts contributing to his kingdom other than trying to sire as many bastards as possible.”

I clap my hand over my mouth to stifle a surprised giggle.“You jest.”

He shakes his head, smiling at me fondly.“Sounded like the reprimand was a long time coming. I just happened to be the catalyst for the conversation.”

“Wow,” I say, wondering if an alliance is still a possibility, knowing that the prince isn’t necessarily a representation of how the king and queen here operate.

“So don’t worry. Things are no worse off than they already were.” He shifts onto his back next to me, putting one hand behind his head as he stares at the ceiling, a distant look on his face.

“I’m leaving tomorrow,” I blurt out, unsure how to change the subject gracefully. The time we spent together yesterday and today is already an unexpected bonus, considering the fact that I thought I’d never see him again after we parted ways when we arrived here a few days ago.

Finn turns his head to look at me, his expression unreadable.“Oh?”

“There’s no reason for me to stay,” I wince at my choice of words, hoping he doesn’t interpret that to mean that he’s not worth sticking around for. Just the idea of parting from him again makes my stomach sink.

He nods curtly, shifting on the bed so we’re no longer touching.“Where to next?”

“Further west, I suppose. But I might head south, to the Summer Kingdom for a bit,” I tell him, preparing for the follow-up question I know is coming.

“Why the Southlands?” Finn’s tone grows more distant by the second. Not hostile by any means, but I can’t help but feel like he’s suddenly emotionally unavailable.

“My father was from there,” I say, purposefully not revealing anything more. If I tell Finn that my father was the prince before he was banished, he would definitely piece together who I am, especially given his own royal standing.

“I see.” His expression grows harder. Without warning, he sits up, then stands and picks up his cloak that was discarded on the ground in our flurry of lust.

I sit up, following him off the bed.“What?”

“Nothing,” he says, running his hands through his hair with an obvious air of frustration.

“Finn, what is it?” I grab his arm as he’s heading toward the door.

“So that’s it then? You’re just leaving?” He spins around and stares down at me, the pain in his voice overshadowed by his blatant irritation.

“What do you expect me to do?” I shoot back, my own hurt making its way to the surface. It would be foolish to change my entire course of action just to be with him, no matter how badly I want to.

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