Page 6 of Queen Takes King
Mymanor.
It was insane and awesome. Medieval towers rose above the trees and the main house had a Gothic castle feel. The pictures of the inside were just as cool. Rich, old wood paneling, hand-carved stair cases, huge stone fireplaces, and the masterbedroom…
The ceiling soared two full stories above with exposed century-old rafters. I could already picture a huge bed beneath those rafters. Maybe two big beds pushed together… And candles. Lots of candles. And maybe something ridiculous like silk sheets and satin pillows andfur.
Nah. I had Daire’s fur tostroke.
Alrik stood beside me and somehow managed to swing a leg around me, sliding in behind me so he could cradle me againsthim.
I shot a wary glance at Gina, unsure what she’d think of such intimatecontact.
“She won’t care,” he murmured against my ear. “She’s served queens before. She’s servedbreedingqueens before. She knows how hard it is for me to sense your need and not do anything aboutit.”
“I don’t need anything rightnow.”
He didn’t say anything. He didn’t have to. We both knew I was lying through my very human teeth. Need crawled through me, a clawing, desperatehunger.
Lightly, he stroked my arms, but otherwise he didn’t touch me, at least with his hands. His thighs pressed against me on either side, his dick hard against my buttocks, throbbing every once in a while to make sure I was paying attention. But he didn’t rub it onme.
His scent made my mouth water. I wanted his skin and muscle in my mouth. A good solid grip. I wanted to sit back and look down at his gorgeous body stretched out in my bed and see toothmarks all overhim.
Not rings of humanteeth.
Butpunctures.
I swallowed the drool pooling in my mouth and concentrated on the pictures. A huge formal dining room held a heavy antique table that could probably seattwenty.
Twenty Blood. All like him andDaire.
I leaned back more fully against him, and he wrapped himself around me. Literally, it felt like I was wearing him, a heavy man-sized cloak of heat and muscle that envelopedme.
Gina hung up and stepped back, a huge smile on her face. He was right—she didn’t bat an eye at him cradling me between his thighs. “Marissa’s on her way to Arkansas this very moment. The house should be officially yours by fivetonight.”
My mouth fell open. “Today?”
“Money moves mountains. The seller was eager to accept our offer and the place was already vacated. Marissa will hire a general contractor as soon as she lands and take a crew out to make sure the house is in good condition. Evidently it’s been empty for awhile, so it might need some repairs. Otherwise, you can take possession as soon as you’reready.”
I didn’t know what to say. I actually teared up a little. To have someone move those mountains for me was incredible. To have the money to do what I wanted on awhim…
“She’ll need a full staff,” Daire said. “Would the housekeeper here be willing to move with us? Because she fuckingrocks.”
“He, actually. Timothy Winston, a very British butler, who has told me countless times that he misses having people to serve, rather than just keeping the house in order. I’m sure he would love to formally take charge of your household. With a nest so large, you’ll need an appropriate staff, and Winston has the experience to manage them for you. He doesn’t have family of his own and has worked for the Isador house for the last fortyyears. ”
I frowned. “Forty years? The poor man shouldretire!”
“The people who work for Isador do so for many reasons. Most of us have a touch of Aima blood that improves our longevity and health. As my grandmother attests, some of your staff will work right up to one hundred happily. They live to serve, and of course, they’re very well compensated. More, though, most of us have a deep sense of loyalty to your family and house. Our families have worked for your family for generations. We take care of each other. We know things are… different. So thralls creeping around don’t botherus.”
As she talked, Daire came toward me. I thought he was going to sit on the couch beside us, but he dropped to the floor and wiggled around until he had his butt planted between my feet. He leaned back against my knees, worming his way deeper between my legs, which pushed me wider against Alrik. So in the end, he was between both of ourlegs.
And I was sandwiched betweenthem.
Two glorious walls of muscle andheat.
Gina’s lips quirked. “Neither do Blood hanging all over theirqueen.”
“The newest Blood is close.” Daire’s voice rumbled with the deep purr of his warcat. “Just making sure he knows hisplace.”
I closed my eyes, feeling for this new man’s location. The deep glow of his red lit the tapestry, the thunder of hooves loud, like a heartbeat. “Where’sthat?”
