Page 80 of Essence of the Throne

I may be smiling, but I am rather nervous. I've never used my mouth on a man before—what if I'm horrible at it? Thatdoesmake me laugh. As if I'm horrible at anything.

Pulling him free, I run my thumb over his tip, fascinated that this thing somehow fits inside me. How much will I be able to take before I choke? I'm eager to find out. Bending down, I run my tongue from his base up until it swirls over the salty tip. I'm halted as Caspian tugs my hair up until my eyes meet his. His forehead creases and he studies me for a moment before speaking.

"Have you done this before?" Was it that fucking obvious? His lip quirks as a knowing look falls over his face. "I cannot imagine you freely sucking on another man's dick. I'm not sure I should allow your mouth near mine, honestly—what are the chances you'll bite it off?" He raises himself on an elbow, not releasing my hair, his eyes narrowing. "Answer me. Has another man's cock been in this mouth before?"

I should lie. Not give him this power over me.

No…he can take everything he wants from me. "No," I whisper, the word but a breath. His head drops back as he curses before looking to me once more.

"Words fail to express how fucking pleased I am that my cock will be the only one to ever slip past these perfect lips. And don't be nervous, angel…I'll talk you through it."

"Your confidence is truly unmatched."

He grins before nodding his chin toward me. "Open." I do. I allow him to push my head down, not once breaking our stare. That is until he presses against the back of my throat and I almost gag. He doesn't allow me to move, though. "You're okay—breathe through your nose and swallow." He sounds like a damn king right now, and I feel arousal dripping down me once again. But I do as he says, my eyes widening when the movements open me further; something Caspian notices as he shoves me down even more. I'm quite certain that his next obstacle will be physically impossible to pass, but I force myself to hold still, digging my fingers into his hip as a distraction.

"You are remarkable," he mutters as I get dizzier by the second from the inability to breathe. Finally, he releases me and I pull back a little, sucking in a lungful of sweet air. I melt internally as he pushes hair from my face with a gentleness that doesn't match his next words. "Now show me what you've learned." And fuck do I want to do just that.

With renewed desperation building inside me, I mimic the movement he'd experience while fucking me, bobbing my head up and down as I swirl my tongue over his velvety length. Oneof my hands shifts to the base of his cock, covering the part I cannot fit in my mouth. I revel under every moan and flex of his abdomen, not in the least bit worried about my reputation.

Me? Bending over to pleasure the Prince of Eldoria? I would have laughed at such a thought just months ago, knowing I'd never subject myself to be below anyone. Physically or metaphorically.

But now? I realize something—the same thing Caspian was wise enough to know the moment we met: we are equals.

Everything in my head screams that such a thing couldn't be true, but those are merely conditioned thoughts. Because the truth is me and the prince are one and the same, and I will happily lower myself at his feet if that's what he wishes. And not out of some perceived obligation. No, Iwantto. I want to be for him what he is for me and more.

So I hollow my cheeks and suck the very essence from his body. One of his hands finds my hair again as I move, and begins muttering out praise each time I do something he enjoys. Which apparently is everything.

"Fuck, Ari, just like that," Caspian groans, his cock twitching along my tongue. The rate of his breathing tells me he's close, so I pull in a deep breath before swallowing around his length, pleased when he curses as his cum fills my mouth. I drink in every bit of the warm liquid, questioning whether I enjoy the thickness of it, but continue to swallow it, anyway.

Once he goes lax under me, I pull him from my mouth and sit up. It's painful as I attempt to close my mouth and rub myjaw to aid the movement. Not a heartbeat later does my prince's hands grab my arms and tug so that my body lies flat over his. His presence is so comforting, I instantly sink into him, resting my ear over his heart. It pounds just as hard as mine.

"If I find out you lied to me about doing that before, there will be consequences." I burst out laughing, my head shaking with the bouncing of his chest as he joins me. "I'm being serious. That was too good to be your first time. I mean, I know you're basically an expert at everything, but I'm still not convinced."

"Basically? What am I not perfect at?" I lift my head to rest it against my hands and look into his luminescent eyes.

His lips purse for a brief second. "You want the truth?" I nod. What does he think he could say that I wouldn't want to hear? "You're shit at acknowledging your feelings. Not just for me, but everything." I look away, doing exactly what he just accused me of.

The thing is, I know I do not process my emotions well. But who would I be if I did? I'd be a mess. It shouldn't be possible for one person to feel so many things, and I'm certain that I'd kill myself if I allowed more than one emotion in at a time. Maybe it's possible, though. It was only a short time ago that I refused to concede to any thoughts that weren't of the king's head on a stake—and that's changed because of the man beneath me.

He's affected me far more than I thought. And perhaps that's not such a bad thing.

Later, I carefully extract myself from his sleeping form, cursing my weakness. I shouldn’t have given in to him sleeping next to me. As I dress in the quiet dark, movement catches my eye. I spin, squealing when Caspian is leaning against the wall, arms crossed.

“Going somewhere?” His voice is deceptively casual while my heart has lost all function.

I didn’t hear him move. He’s learning too well, having come a long way since the day I caught him in the training room—perhaps I should cease helping him with that if this is how he’s going to utilize his new skills.

I sigh, continuing to dress. There’s no point in hiding what he already knows. “Wherever I please. Go back to sleep.”

“Alone? I think the fuck not.”

“I’ve been in the tunnels before, and I know the layout.” Barely. “I pulled the blueprints out weeks ago,” I mutter, though it’s a complete lie. My hands adjust the blades along my person as I refuse to look at him. “I have several areas marked that could—”

“No.”

I whirl on him, a blade appearing at the base of his throat. “This isn’t up for debate.”

He doesn’t even flinch—cocky bastard. Why do I continue to threaten him with it… “Go ahead. We go in the tunnels together.” He leans forward, forcing my weapon to nick his skin. “Thatisn’t up for debate.”

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