Page 83 of Joined By Magic

Adante still held the device pointed at Leo. “Don’t get any ideas.” Adante’s body was tense and his face wary. All at once, Leo was someone to fear again, a wolf loose in Adante’s palace.

Leo lifted his palms. “I’m not going back on our deal. You’ve held up your end.”

Slowly, Adante aimed the device at the floor. “I’ll arrange for your people to be fed and gather them here. You need to eat and ready yourself for battle. I’ve received word our father has set out with a large squad of mage soldiers. He’s moved quicker than I thought he would. I’ll procure the weaponry. We leave in thirty minutes.”

I stiffened at the command in Adante’s tone, but Leo merely nodded. “Thirty minutes.” He took my hand, and the world went dark.

My body shook as we reappeared in our royal suite. The smell of fresh bread hit my nose, and I looked at the table to see food already laid out there. Adante was organized, I’d give him that. Leo’s magic took energy, and he’d need it all for the upcoming fight.

Leo fell on the food. I forced down a little, though my stomach twisted into knots. Every time I began to adjust to one future, the picture changed, like an image in a kaleidoscope—everything shaken up and dropped into new positions.

Twenty minutes. “I have to get out of this dress. I’m going to clean up and change.”

“Come here.” He gestured to my dress. “I’ll help.”

With a smile, I turned so he could work on the laces. He laughed. “That’ll take too long.” The dress vanished, reappearing over the back of the sofa. I yelped as the cool air hit my warm skin, then took a couple of deep, deep breaths. Sweet relief. I rubbed my hands over the red indentations the dress had left in my sides.

“That’s very distracting. I need to eat this and call the Dexian palace to warn them what’s coming.” Leo watched me with fascination. “Get ready to leave.”

The steaming water of the shower was bliss incarnate, sluicing away the sweat and grime I’d gathered from my night on the floor. The heat seeped into my bones, strengthening me. I jumped when the door opened to admit Leo, who hissed when the water hit his arm. “Shit. It’s hot enough to melt my skin off.”

I laughed, the sound loud in the echoing room. “Don’t be soft.”

He stepped into the scalding stream and turned his face up toward it, sighing. My eyes traced the firm planes of his body. I’d thought he was lost to me forever. He might still be, if today didn’t go well. All we had was this one tiny sliver of time. I had to touch him. I couldn’t resist.

His eyes met mine as I pressed into him, soft skin meeting hard muscle. He bent his lips to my ear. “We don’t have long.”

I moved my hand down between our bodies and ran it over the rising length of his cock. “We need to make this marriage official.”

My hand slid up and down, water making his skin slippery. He gasped and flicked the water off. “I think I’m supposed to carry you to bed.”

He lifted me, gripping tight to find purchase on my slick skin, and laid me down gently on the soft golden coverlet. Water dripped from his hair and caught in his eyelashes. He blinked the droplets away and stared at me, taking in every inch of my form. Heat rose inside me at his careful scrutiny.

“I thought I’d lost you. That I’d die without ever seeing you again, and that you’d be left to suffer.” A shadow passed over his expression, quickly wiped away.

“I thought so too,” I whispered, and held out my hand.

He came to me, climbing onto the bed and settling his weight on top of me. His forearms caged me, his lips close enough to kiss, but I just looked at him, committing every bit of his face to memory. The dark, deep brown of his eyes. His strong cheekbones. The slight blush of skin still warm from the shower’s heat.

His lips parted as he pressed up against my entrance. Leo held still for a moment, and I tilted my hips, rubbing against his rock-hard tip. He drew in a breath as I clutched his back and moaned as he slid inside. He filled me, right to the core, and his eyes darkened even further at my reaction.

“I love you,” he said, withdrawing before filling me again, the powerful thrust hitting the spot that made me cry out. Pleasure coiled deep inside, and I craved more. He stilled. I whimpered as he touched my face, rubbing his thumb over my lips. I clenched my muscles, tightening on the hard length of him. A low noise escaped his throat.

“I love you too.” I slid one hand up the smooth expanse of his back, tracing his spine to tangle in his damp hair. “But please fuck me now. Hard.”

His eyes widened. He brought his mouth right to my ear, his lips just touching my skin. “If you insist.”

My body ached in anticipation as he withdrew again, then slammed into me, the force of it driving a cry from my lips. I pressed up toward him, welcoming every punishing thrust. His mouth met mine as we found a familiar rhythm, our bodies in tune as if we were custom-made for each other. He kissed me savagely, stealing my breath, and when he pulled back to stare deep into my eyes, my lips felt bruised and raw.

Need spiraled through me, driving me toward the edge my body craved. I gave myself over to it, and a loud, desperate cry tore free as he released his magical control. The next powerful stroke pushed me over, a tsunami of pleasure. My eyes closed as I lost myself in the sensation.

“You are so fucking beautiful.” Leo’s voice was rough. His breath came in uneven gasps. “So fucking—” He dissolved into a groan as his body tensed, his own release shooting into me.

We lay together, bodies joined, for one more perfect moment of blissful happiness. His weight on me, the clean scent of his skin. I could have stayed there forever. But long before I was ready, Leo raised himself on his elbows and studied me, his face a picture of both love and sadness.

He kissed me gently once, then withdrew. The emptiness left an ache behind. He stood and offered his hand, pulling me up to sit. “It’s time to kill a king.”

Chapter Forty-One

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