His words have been everything I needed to hear and then some. His touch is everything I needed to feel,and then some. But if we continue with this embrace then I know damn well I won’t stop. I’ll take every single piece of him into the night, and we won’t leave this willow until the sun comes up.
I swiftly pull on his hand between my legs again, my strength taking us both by surprise. Keane lets me pull him away this time, though not before he gives a confident chuckle at my back.
He knows.
He knows where this is going.
I quickly push off the ground with ragged breaths, attempting to tuck my shirt into my pants as my legs fight off a tremble. Keane watches me lazily and leans back against the trunk, his fingers lifting up to his mouth with a wicked grin before he tastes the arousal that was just between my thighs.
Fuck me.
I take an involuntary step backwards.
“I can catch you in a blink, Alexis.”
I nod mutely and take another step away from him, watching as Keane shakes his head in a way that tells me I truly don’t know how fast he is.
“I can catch you,” he looks up at the Willow just as the ground begins to rumble, “I can catch you and hold you here until I build another damn Shadow Oak. Then you will have nowhere to run, trouble.”
Keane’s intense gaze falls on mine in pure hunger. He’s deathly serious right now. He won’t hesitate to break the ground below us so that we can finally find eachother.
I shake my head at his threat and give him a knowing smile. The earth trembles below us as I bring my hand down between my thighs, watching as his gaze follows it closely.
“This place is not worthy of your Shadow Oak, Your Highness. There will be no replacing it.”
I slowly trail my fingers up my stomach, still watching as Keane stares back at me. I press my palm flat against my shirt and bring my hand over my breast, taunting him with a squeeze before pinching at my nipple.
Keanetsksin amusement, smirking like he’s won a game I’ve already lost.
“You denied me this morning,” I remind him with narrowed eyes, “andyou didn’t write to me. You cannot have me here, Keane. This is penance.”
“I distinctly remember giving your body exactly what it deserved this morning, Alexis,” he smirks again, bringing a knee up to his chest as he casually rests an arm over it, “and having you touch yourself in front of me is no penance on my end,trouble. I can watch you for the rest of the night…”
My hand falters on my chest.
“So please,”he continues in confidence, “pleasecontinue, Alexis. I will enjoy watching nothing more.”
I immediately drop my hand with a scowl. Keane starts laughing, watching me from his seat against the Willow as his brown eyes turn playful.
“Storm!” I yell to the tree above me.
Keane chuckles again and stands up, taking a few slow steps in my direction as the ground finally settles beneath us. I try to ignore his commanding presence heading my way and urge the Brid of Ash to flydown, hating how hard my heart beats in my chest when Keane finally stops at my side.
He reaches between my thighs and firmly grips my sex, his fingers feeling for the wetness that’s seeping through the fabric as his thumb rubs perfectly against my clit. He leans in to kiss me but instead brushes a smirk against my lips, his hand dropping almost immediately as he turns and walks away.
Damn Ancients bastard.
I greet Alanna at her door hoping to catch her before court. She’s ready and dressed when I knock, her cool grey eyes glancing over my body as she grins at my dress.
“A bit racy for your Knowledge Court, don’t you think?”
My smile is knowing and proud. I’m wearing the emerald green dress from the first night at court in Gaumond, the dress that I used to wear at Knowledge before I brought it to Gail for alterations. Itwillbe too racy for court tonight, but I can’t seem to care. I love the way it hugs my curves and reveals so much with a daring slit. I love the way I feel in it and will envision Keane’s hands pulling down the straps all night. The other women of court will blanche, but I trulydo not care.
“Will you join me for a drink?” I grin.
Alanna nods and steps into the hall, revealing her own racy and shimmering black Warrior dress. It’s not long, but it also isn’t as short as most of the dresses the women wear in her Court. It lays sharply on one of her shoulders and then cuts down to the other side of her chest, hugging her body until it flows beautifully around the middle of her legs. The full of it sparkles under the moonslight in this hall and compliments her pale blonde hair and skin, and in the moment I admire just how beautiful she is.
“What’s wrong?” she asks.
