Hers to Command (10 page)

Squinching her eyes tightly shut, refusing to look at him, she lay rigid.
After a few moments, Fleur breathed a small sigh. “I am sorry I hit you. Help me, please. I cannot finish. I…I…” She opened her eyes. “Take that amused smile off your face, you presumptuous, arrogant
ass
. I hate you.”

“Hmm. I don’t hate you, Princess
.” With a slight swirl of his hips, the head of his cock found her slick opening and pushed in. Her flesh resisted him for a brief moment. He penetrated her slowly, unwilling to hurry the delicious slide of her wet flesh against him. Her initial gasp became a choked, needy moan.

“Oh gods, Ari. So good. Please, more, please.”

She was slick, hot and
tight
. He stifled a gasp of pleasure and fought desperately to keep a straight face. It was a toss-up which was harder.

He began the chant that would complete the
Lesser Rite
. As her breathless voice joined his, he stroked slowly, timing his climax to end with the chant. Gods and goddesses, she felt good. This was so dangerous on so many levels.

The atmosphere in the room throbbed with contained power.
As he brought both of them to the brink, he commanded, “Come for me. Come for me, now, Fleur,” and lost himself in his release. With a feminine cry, Fleur followed him over.

A bright, sparkling
force dashed throughout the chamber like a berserk bumblebee. With a pop and a spitting of sparks, all the light globes in the chamber shone brilliantly. Ari watched an unusually robust ball of flame flare violently from the room's formerly stone-cold brazier.

Curious
.

Fleur
collapsed bonelessly underneath him. Propped on his elbows and forearms, he marshaled enough energy to slowly withdraw.

“Ari, stay.
” Her gentle request pulled at him.

Resisting the dangerous desire to linger and make love to her properly,
he whispered a gentle, “I don’t dare.”

Gathering his clothes and a clearly flustered Peregrine,
he left her bedroom, closing the door quietly behind him. Baring his teeth in a smile, although he wanted to rip the young man’s balls off, he handed Peregrine a robe. He pulled on his black leggings, then slipped his finely woven white shirt over his head, tucking the long tails into his pants. Sliding his feet into his soft, leather slippers, he regarded Peregrine with narrowed eyes. “I think it would be best to allow Her Royal Highness some time to regain her composure.” Ari nodded at Peregrine’s still rigidly hard arousal tenting the front of his robe. “And you might want to find a willing partner to help you with that.”

“
He will be punished if he does,” a feminine voice responded. “He is not to come except by my hand or my will. Since it was Her Royal Highness asking, I permitted him to perform the
Lesser Rite for the Renewal of Small Flame
. Since he did not complete it,” the lovely brunette simply shrugged, “he can suffer the results.”

“
Mistress Gabriella, I did not hear you enter.” Ari acknowledged the statuesque beauty.
Mistress Gabriella
. He winced inwardly. The last time he had seen her, chains had held his straining body to a bondage frame while she alternately whipped his ass and teased his cock. Years had not dimmed the memory. She had a most talented tongue.

“
Magister
DeTano.” She smiled warmly. “I was told you were summoned for the
Great Rite
. I am not amazed at the uniquely powerful result. I understand we must thank
you
for the continuing good health of our princess.”

He
shrugged dismissively. “Is our Peregrine one of your students? I seem to remember being a sixth-level before I encountered your form of discipline.”

“
Yes, well, many things changed since you walked our halls. As I remember it, when I got you, you had already been through the advanced course. Julianna de Gresse saw to that.” Gabriella mused, “You were such a beautifully perfect student, Conte DeTano. I hated to see you leave before I could find your breaking point.”

Peregrine shuddered and swore under his breath.
Ari could not stop his snort of laughter. “It seems impossible to you now, Peregrine, but speaking from personal experience, one day you will be indebted to Mistress Gabriella and the discipline she imposes.”

Surprised gratitude flickered across her face, replaced swiftly by her normal countenance of stern good humor.

“By the gods, sir, she has not allowed me release in six months,” Peregrine groaned. “Today is another excruciating tease heaped on the wretchedness of my life. Worse is what the Mistress does to me between times.”

“
I am aware of what
she
does between times, Peregrine. You will live,” Ari responded dryly.

“
Only four short months remain, providing you maintain your self-discipline,
Magister
Peregrine.” Gabriella's eyes sparked with wicked humor. “But you won’t. You will be with me much, much longer.”

She ran a long, sharp, metallic fingernail along Peregrine's erection, lightly scratching the damp circle on his robe created by the head of his cock.
He eyed her warily. “Those with
Magister
DeTano’s discipline are a rarity, thank the Goddess, else I would have no fun at all.”

A salacious smile crossed her lips.
“How long are you to be with us,
Magister
?”

“
I think that depends on our lovely Principessa, Mistress.”

“
I see. And is that sumptuous young male, Doral DeLorion, still your personal aide?”

“
Yes, though he is not with me at the moment. Why do you ask?”

“
He reminded me very much of you. Alone, either of you are enough to give a woman orgasmic daydreams for a month. The two of you
together
…” Her sigh verged on a moan. “Such a magnificent young male; I envy you,
Magister
.”

“
He does not serve me in
that
manner, Gabriella.”

Gabriella examined
Ari thoughtfully. Her teasing manner returned. “A pity. Such a waste. He is
enormously gifted.
” She laughed silently.
“Ah well, it is a treat to see you again,
Magister
. You bring back fond memories.”

Gabriella bared her teeth in a wolfish grin.

His mouth quirked. His eyes cut away, then back to her. “Fond, no. Instructive, yes.”

Peregrine bit off a choke
, and Gabriella cast him a sharp glance. “Follow me, young
magister
. I have plans for you and we have taken enough of
Magister
DeTano’s time.”

Ari
and Gabriella exchanged respectful nods. As she strode off, Perry shot Ari a beseeching glance. Smiling slightly, he shook his head negatively in response to Peregrine’s silent plea. Ari almost took pity on the young man, but the portion of him still snarling in murderous fury at seeing Peregrine with Fleur held him back.
She is MINE.

He watched thoughtfully as
Mistress Gabriella shepherded the miserable fifth-level back to the High Enclave.
Where did that thought come from?

Hearing a small intake of breath,
Ari turned. Fleur stood quietly in the door to her chamber. A semi-transparent, rose-colored gown, held at each shoulder with a sparkle of gold, draped her delicate form. The dark tips of her breasts and vee of her mound hinted at her naked body underneath. Her pale hair flowed in wild disorder to her waist. Her lazy-lidded blue eyes beguiled with sexual satiation. His need to possess her punched him in the gut with a violence that left him disturbed.

“
By Her Light, Perry must think I am the worst kind of monster. I did not know he was not allowed to…I would never have asked Perry if I had known. Four more months? How will he endure it?” She paused thoughtfully. “You don't need to answer. I have a very good idea how he feels.”

He
looked at her sternly. “I warn you. You
must
let the
cinnagin
clear your body. I will not rescue you like this again.” A slight smile tipped the corner of his mouth. “If you ignore my warning again, you will learn all about living on the ‘edge’, sweet lady. And don’t think I wouldn’t enjoy it. Wicked of me, perhaps, but I love hearing women beg.”

She
drew herself up to every diminutive, stately inch she possessed.

She
laughed humorlessly. “Wicked? Oh yes, I have been cautioned about you from an appalling number of sources.” Exasperation colored her voice.

“
Regardless, it is in
your
best interests to keep me well satisfied.” Tipping her head upward, she threw a challenging glance his way.

He
raised his eyebrows amused at her defiance. “Oh?”

“
House Constante wishes you to honor the contract you signed fifteen years ago.” She looked down at her hands. “My father is dying.” She reacted to his expression of surprise at her quiet statement with a sad smile. “Yes, it has been one of our better kept secrets. I have administered Verdantia’s business in my father’s name for the last year. My counselors felt the LFP would not be straightforward with a young, inexperienced woman and it would hinder our military efforts. ”

“
No, they would have used you for their own purposes and the Haarb most certainly would have redoubled their attacks. You did well, Your Highness.”

“
I won’t play games, Ari. I need you. I need your experience, your strength, your wisdom. I need ‘High Lord and Supreme Joint Commander, Camliel Aristos DeTano—diplomat, tactician, revered Verdantian military hero’.” She added almost inaudibly, “I need…” She wrapped her finger in a piece of ribbon hanging from her gown. “Do you think you could…” She sighed and shook her head.

He crossed to her
, standing at arm's length to search her face. Her vulnerable, gentle appeal for his help pulled every testosterone-laden string in his body.

“
Finish your thought. Do I think I could ever what?”

She shook her head
. “It is not important.”

“
So, you propose a marriage of political expediency. What about heirs? What about those softer feelings women seem to want? What about love?” His eyes never left her face but she betrayed no emotion.

“
I should like at least two children with you. After that…” She shrugged. Pink crept up her neck to her cheeks. “And of course, a partner in the
Lesser and Great Rites
.”

She turned and walked to a table holding
a chess set and started to rearrange the pieces.

“
As for softer feelings…” She glanced at him quickly, then turned away. He heard the steady tick of the timekeeper on the far table. “I would hope you could come to like me—a little.”

The game pieces
were now in complete disarray.

“
I am not indifferent to you, Your Highness.”

Several chessmen rolled onto the floor.
Her back straightened. “So two heirs and an inexperienced partner in the
rites
don’t put you off?”

“
You are a very beautiful woman. Having sex with you is not onerous.” A wry smile crooked his mouth. “I have enough experience for ten people and I rather like children.”

“
And the other? The ‘liking’?” She stood motionless. He didn’t think she took a breath.

“
It is difficult not to like you, Fleur.”
And I have quit fighting it.

Her posture relaxed.
“So, you will consider it?”

“
Yes. I will consider it.”

She nodded silently. Ari left her standing in her antechamber, her back to the door
.

* * * * *

Mistress Gabriella stared at Patricio. “By Her light, Ruprecht. What happened to your eyebrows?”

Elder
Patricio glared at her. “I was leaning over a cold brazier. It ignited suddenly. Now, what did you find out?”

“
Patience, Ruprecht. Patience. Your spies were correct. The conte and his aide maintain a strictly platonic relationship.”

She swung her gaze up and down the corridor.
It irritated him. One would think she didn’t want to been seen with him.

She faced him
again. “He said DeLorion did not serve him in ‘
that
manner’.”

“
Nothing, absolutely nothing, is easy with that man.” The elder sighed heavily, exasperated beyond belief.