Prince of Shadows (20 page)

She sucked on his chin. “Do you?”

“Oh, hell no. I can’t wait to prove how amazingly resilient I can be. But not just yet.”

Kendra felt ready. She felt on fire as she pleaded, “Are you sure?”

He was arching up, tunneling against her. “Oh, Katy,” he rasped into her ear. “You feel so good, but I’m pretty damned sure we should wait.”

She turned her head to catch his lower lip between her teeth, worrying it roughly before whispering against his mouth, “Could you check to make sure?”

Cale’s eyes fired hot and silvery at her request. She could feel his breath fast and harsh upon the back of her neck as she rested her cheek on his tense shoulder and waited, trembling at the light stroke of his hand over the parted lips of her sex, at the slow press of his fingers inside her. Priming, gently thrusting until he felt her wince and heard her involuntary inhalation, so sharp and quick that he immediately withdrew.

“No,” she moaned in objection. “Cale, please. Don’t stop.”

He expelled a shaky breath and shook his head. “It’s all right, princess. It can wait. We’ve got all the time in the world for anything and everything we want to do to each other.”

Did they? Kendra could feel those years, days, hours, minutes with him racing by faster than either of them could know. She’d lost him once and refused to let him go again.

“There are other things we can do while we wait.” She let that dangle invitingly until he responded with a smile.

“What things?”

“I may not have your experience, but I know what you like.”

He eased back against the slope of the tub, taking her emotions on a slow, delicious roll. When he was relaxed, eyes teasing, defenses down, his long-suppressed humor and sense of enjoyment surfacing, she couldn’t resist him.

“Yeah? What do I like? Besides just looking at you?”

“You like touching me. Like this.” She brought one of his hands up to fit beneath her breast, directing his thumb to one tightly puckered nipple. She slid his other hand between her parted legs to where her swollen clitoris begged the consideration he was more than willing to provide. Kendra sighed and arched her back, murmuring, “You like knowing that you please me. Just like that.” A voluptuous shiver ran through her, but before he could continue, she caught both hands and placed them at her waist, letting him shift her body over his pulsing erection in a slow, taunting rhythm.

Kendra rubbed her cheek against his, kissing, licking his skin before purring, “You like to hear me praise you, to tell you how strong you are, how hot, how sexy, how brave, how safe I feel with you. That no one else makes me feel the way you do.”

Her palms cupped his face, her words blowing warm against his parted lips.

“You like the taste of me, here,” her tongue slipped in to touch his lightly, then pulled away, “and here.” Her hips circled and pushed her wet heat against him. Her soft cry was answered by his deeper groan. Then she slid back, leaving them both frustrated and panting.

“You like knowing that I want you.” She leaned in again, brushing her lower lip over his but lifting away before he could kiss her; instead, whispering into his ear, “I want you, Cale. I can’t wait to have you inside me again.”

“Oh, baby, I want to be there,” he grated, his breathing deepening into rough gusts.

“And you like knowing you’re the only one who ever has been, ever will be. Just you. I’m just for you.”

“My mate. My queen.”

They were nose to nose, his gaze delving into hers with a searching intensity.

“And you know what else? Knowing how much I like the taste of you. Here.” She interrupted his sudden reach for her lips by inserting her forefinger between them to teasingly trace his mouth. “And other places that I’d show you if I could hold my breath that long.”

“It would be a damned shame to have you drown,” he agreed, opening the drain.

Laughing, Kendra rocked back on her heels and nimbly climbed out of the tub. He scrambled after her, scooping his arm around her waist to pull her tightly to him. His cock wedged between them, hot, engorged, impatient. When he swooped down, she evaded his kiss, once, twice, and would have again if he hadn’t anchored her chin in the V of his hand.

“Kiss me like you want me,” he said breathlessly.

“I’ve always wanted you,” she sighed, letting her eyes glide shut at the first touch of his lips. Losing herself to that long, thorough communion. His kisses . . . nothing compared to them.

“Oh, Katy, I need you.”

Kendra chose to hear a request for sex but knew deep down in her soul that what he was asking for was so much more. She answered, “I know what you need. Something that will suit both our purposes.” She sank down to her knees.

She’d seduced him and now was going to make a meal of him.

Hands on her shoulders to hang on to that precarious balance she always seemed to steal from him, Cale closed his eyes, afraid if he watched what she was doing—and oh, how he wanted to watch—he’d spontaneously combust. At the first touch of her hand, he bucked uncontrollably, struggling to steady himself with a few deep breaths as her soft palm moved firmly up and down his shaft. A fast learner, his mate. If he lasted a minute, it would be a miracle.

His knees threatened to buckle as her dainty little tongue swirled over and around him like he was the flavor of the month. And didn’t stop that delicious torment even as she took him into her mouth. Quaking, already on the edge, he gripped the back of her head, his own falling back as he panted for relief. He could hear his heart pounding loud and hard.

“Cale!”

It wasn’t his heart. It was his front door.

Almost there. He gasped aloud.

“Cale, come on!” Rico roared from the porch. “You’ve had enough time to fuck her five times. Let’s go. I’m not paying dinner prices for this bunch.”

Cale gave up with a miserable groan. It didn’t help that Kendra was chuckling as she released him, agreeing, “Well, you did have time.” She eased that indignity by licking her way up his chest to feed hungrily off his mouth. The taste of him on her tongue . . .

“Oh, baby, I’m dying.”

She gave his lip a quick nip. “Don’t expire until we finish this. I’m not going anywhere. I wasn’t aware you
were
.”

He let his damp brow rest on her shoulder, moaning, “My brothers are taking me out to celebrate the end of my freedom.”

“Hey, bro,” Rico hollered, “let us know if you need help with anything!”

Kendra rumpled his hair and pressed a kiss to his temple. “Get dressed. I’ll stall them.”

She’d put on her robe and was heading into the other room when Cale called her name. She turned, brows raised in question as his stare scorched over her, seeing her tangled hair, puffy lips, nipples ready to poke holes through the damp silk. A possessive growl vibrated up through him. “Stall them? Looking like that?”

“No, silly. Like this.” She pulled the bodice of the robe open for a quick flash.

He choked, then grumbled, “I’d have to get out the hose.”

“To cool them off?”

“No,” he rumbled. “To wash what’s left of them off my porch.” He smiled reluctantly. “Don’t let them see you. I’m just starting to like some of them and would hate to have to rip off their arms and legs.”

Kendra was still grinning, her eyes full of mischief and appreciation as they did a slow scan of him standing there naked, not quite at half-mast yet . . .

He could still toss her up against the wall and bang her to a satisfying conclusion in about ten seconds. Maybe a lot less.

Ah, hell. He puffed out a disgusted breath. “Tell the sonsabitches I’ll be there in a minute.”

Kendra peered out to relay the message, but Rico pushed past her, stomping his feet and blowing on his hands as he entered the living room. Wes, Kip, and Turow trooped in behind him. “It’s colder than a bitch out there,” he grumbled, then grinned as Kendra stayed hidden behind the door. “You’re going to want to close that, Princess.”

Not at the risk of having Cale tearing off limbs.

Figuring out the problem, Turow shed his coat, holding it up while discreetly averting his eyes until Kendra thrust her arms through the sleeves and wrapped it around her. He looked uncomfortable with her smile of thanks.

“Nice place,” Rico pronounced, glancing around. “Almost makes me want to settle down. Almost. Cale, if you don’t hurry up, we’re gonna drag you outta here in just your socks!”

Cale strode out looking ready for a magazine shoot in a gorgeous charcoal vested suit, charcoal and gray-striped shirt, and sleek silver tie. Bram insisted that any time his sons appeared together in public, they be immaculately dressed—his Fashion Week thugs, Silas had always mocked. Cale’s attention jumped quickly to Kendra, brows lowering at the sight of her swaddled in the bulky snow-dotted outerwear. He tensed as Rico looped him into an unexpected hug. “Congratulations, brother,” Rico murmured with such heartfelt emotion that Cale was coaxed into returning the embrace. “It’s a good match.” He stepped back, grinning. “Though if it had been me in there with her, I’d have had all my business finished so my family wasn’t kept waiting out in the cold.”

Cale stared at him stonily, then drawled, “That’s because you only need two minutes and would have spent the rest of the time watching ESPN.”

“Ha!” Rico turned to Kendra. “Tell us the truth. He was in there reading the auto section to you, wasn’t he?”

Kendra loosed a slow smile. “No. He was studying the owner’s manual. In Braille.” Her fingertips drew a mesmerizing line down the coat’s lapel.

After a beat of stunned silence, Rico let out a big guffaw and snatched her up tight to place a loud, smacking kiss on her lips. “Welcome to the family, little sister.”

Kendra darted a nervous glance at Cale. When he simply rolled his eyes, the others were quick to offer their best wishes as well, none quite so demonstratively as Rico. Cale endured the hugs and nudges good-naturedly but watched for any straying hands when they welcomed her into their circle.

It wasn’t until Turow leaned down to touch a kiss to her brow and murmured, “You’ll be good for him. Watch his back,” that Kendra remembered one of those in this room could have made the attempt on Cale’s life.

“Let’s go,” Wesley urged. “The others went ahead to grab us a table and probably all the good-looking women.” He winked at Kendra. “Those not already preoccupied by mated bliss.”

She smiled back, wondering if he’d taken an innocent boy’s life in a cold-blooded race for the crown.

Seeing her sudden change of mood, Cale chased the others out and folded her into his arms. “They’re just teasing, Katy. I’ll behave myself. I’m not going out for fast food when I have prime rib at home.” He chuckled and kissed her temple. “Braille, huh? I always liked feeling my way along. You’ll find I’m a good student. Very thorough.” He stepped back to find that her expression hadn’t lightened. “What’s wrong, baby?”

“Be careful, Cale.” She straightened his tie, hands trembling until he cupped his over them for a firm press. “One of them is not your friend.”

“I know,” he told her quietly. “I won’t be gone long. Just a quick drink. Be back before you can miss me.”

A bang on the door. “I swear, if you’re shedding clothes in there—”

Cale ignored Rico’s threat, kissing her long and lingeringly, before he vowed, “Maybe sooner.”

twenty

So how long did lunch take?

After the dinner hour slipped by in silence and night settled as dark as her thoughts, Kendra had run out of reasons not to worry. She’d gone through every worst-case scenario, from Bram taking brutal revenge to one or all of Cale’s brothers dumping him in a ditch. None of them ended with her and Cale in a happily-ever-after.

She’d have called if he hadn’t broken her phone.

He was probably fine, partying the night away in hedonistic Terriot fashion at some seedy strip club, tucking ten-dollar bills in moist places while she paced the floor planning his funeral.

She tried to think of other things. Like what she was going to tell Silas when he arrived to liberate her.
Sorry, I changed my mind
?
A funny thing happened while I was getting naked with the man who tortured you and helped murder our families, and now we’re mated
? Never mind Silas annihilating Cale. Brigit was going to kill
her
! How was she ever going to explain such a thing when she didn’t understand it herself? Cale Terriot, the prince who would be king, who, with time running out, still hadn’t made the final claim that would keep her at his side forever.

They needed to talk. And they needed to bond. And neither of those things would happen before Silas arrived while she waited anxiously for Cale’s return. Alone.

Kendra dressed with a purpose, slipping on a long form-hugging knit top over shiny tights and black over-the-knee boots. With her man-hunting makeup on, her hair all touchable waves pinned up on one side so that gaudy Terriot diamond shone like the North Star to guide him, she was ready to bring her prince home.

Bundled up in the short fox coat Brigit had left behind, Kendra stepped outside into the brisk evening air. Snow had piled up on the grass and bushes but hadn’t stuck to the walk yet.

Tony appeared at her elbow on cue. “Drive you someplace?”

“Wherever he is.”

“They’re all down by the lake. I could go get him for you.”

They were here in the compound, and Cale hadn’t bothered to let her know? She clutched the coat tighter. “No. I feel like taking a walk.” And kicking some royal ass.

The music reached Kendra long before she could see the revelers. Loud, banging rock shook through the trees and echoed out over the water. Tony kept a tight grip on her elbow as they navigated the steep stone steps to the terrace where the funeral pyre had become a huge bonfire. Anywhere from forty to sixty of the clan crowded together around a makeshift bar, drinking, dancing with the unashamed aggression of their kind, howling at the moon with eyes aglow while AC/DC blasted down on them. Kendra saw Rosie, even Sadie, in the mash.

“No one told me,” she said aloud, hurt by the exclusion.

Tony cleared his throat awkwardly. “A couple of them came up to the house, but I told them you were resting.” He went crimson and stammered, “You know, after this morning.”

“Good grief, Tony. I lost my virginity, I didn’t have major surgery. It’s not like he was driving a front-end loader when he took it, though I’m sure after a few drinks, he made it sound that way.” For a time, it had felt that way, too. Tony looked so appalled that she laughed, squeezing his arm. “I’m fine.”

Then she saw Cale, and everything else fell away.

He’d jumped up onto the low wall that separated the terrace from a dramatic plunge to the water far below. Barefoot, with vest open and shirt untucked, he had a magnum of champagne in one hand and was twirling his expensive jacket with the other. A bevy of intoxicated clan females were clutching at his pant legs and grabbing for his belt while he wailed, “Come on, come on, love me for my money!” along with Brian Johnson and poured what was probably a very good year into their opened mouths.

“Well,” Kendra remarked as her mate bumped and ground to the envy of any Chippendale dancer, “he looks rested.”

Tony wisely had no comment. “Do you want me to go get him?”

Kendra watched Cale dance, his moves agile, sexy, filled with exuberance
.
The jacket went flying, and he started working his tie loose. Smiling, she shook her head. “Let him have fun.”

She selfishly enjoyed looking at him, not caring about the adoring Terriot groupies who were vying for a piece of him, because she’d have all of him in her bed tonight. If he didn’t kill himself first.

Cale chugged out of the bottle, then dumped the rest over himself, shaking his head to sling the pricey droplets off his hair. Kendra gasped as he took a stumbling step, rocking precariously until Wesley caught him about the knees and let him fall forward, laughing uproariously, over his shoulder. When they disappeared into the gyrating mass, she let out her breath and continued down the steps.

A funny thing happened. Something unexpected. She was quickly acknowledged and embraced by all who saw her. Greeted with warm congratulations, with
ooh
s and
ah
s about how lucky she was as her garish diamond was admired, and how she was going to have her hands full with Cale—sooner rather than later, she hoped. Two rather sheepish females returned Cale’s coat and tie, which she accepted with good humor.

Strangely, she felt surrounded by family: Cale’s rowdy brothers scooping her up to dance, the clan females giggling with her instead of about her. There was a relaxed, playful warmth missing from the usual austere Terriot gathering.

And then there was Cale.

His grin burst wide when he spotted her. He began to work his way through the throng of friends and family, incorporating swiveling dance moves into his amped-up strutting walk while singing in a surprisingly good raspy voice to the lusty “Shot of Love.” He grabbed her hand, pulling it up around his neck, drawing her between the straddle of his legs. His kiss of greeting was an enthused tangle of smile, tongue, and laughter.

“Hey, mama! Where you been? I sent Kip and your cute little roommate to find you. They wouldn’t let me go.” He winked, slyly. “Afraid I wouldn’t come back. I been missing you.”

“It looked like it.” She grinned at him as he guided her through some fairly R-rated dirty-dance moves when the song lyrics called for a humpin’ and a bumpin’.

“I’ma little drunk,” he yelled over the music.

“Really?”

“It was supposed to just be lunch, then someone called a friend, and they called another and . . . You smell good. Like something that belongs to me. Let’s dance.”

The way he rolled that out with a husky rumble and had both his hands on her spandex-clad butt lit a fire in her, making her heart lift and her eyes go soft. But he was hard to hold on to, quickly distracted away for a blistering air-guitar solo with an equally glassy-eyed Colin. She was smiling tolerantly, enjoying the show, when Wes slipped his arm about her.

“I’ve never seen him so loose. You’ve changed him.” His neutral tone gave no hint of his opinion until he added, “You’ve changed a lot of things already. After that kissy-face demonstration in front of all the clan females, they’re demanding to be romanced. Look around. It’s infectious.”

She did, and saw what he meant. The wary edge of competition among the males had dropped away as they mingled easily with the women. Their attitude toward their females betrayed a shift from indifference or aggressive sexuality to more subtle displays of affection, imitating Cale’s treatment of her. “And that’s a bad thing, for them to want to be seen as more than objects for you to fight over?”

“Yeah, it is, for us single guys looking for an excuse to fight.” But he was grinning at her when he suggested, “You should probably try to convince him to go home with you while he can still stand up. Or I can carry him up later.”

“I think I can persuade him.”

She really didn’t want to suspect Wesley of not being the friend Cale needed.

Cale turned toward her when she let her hand glide under his shirt to rub over hot bare skin. “Hey, baby,” he shouted. “Where you been?” As if she’d been missing for hours. “Climb aboard.”

He caught her about the middle and lifted her up until her legs were wrapped tight about his waist, continuing to dance while holding her close. His face burrowed into the fur coat.

“This is nice.” When she told him it was Brigit’s, he grinned up at her. “I’m gonna roll around naked and have sex with you on it just so I can see the look on her face when I tell her about it.”

She bent down and kissed him hard, her hands clutching his face as she told him passionately, “I love you, Cale.”

For an instant, he didn’t react. Maybe he hadn’t heard her over the music, through the glaze of alcohol. He simply pulled her in close as the tune changed to a crooning “Let’s Make It.”

Kendra placed a wet kiss on his ear and whispered, “We have things to finish, my prince.”

Immediately, he turned to announce loudly to the crowd in general, “I’m going to take my lusty mate home and bang her until neither of us can walk!”

“You won’t have far to go, Cale,” a very drunk Stephen yelled back. “She’s going to be carrying you before you get halfway up that hill!”

Cale flipped him off and grinned up at Kendra. “C’mon, Princess. We got some climbing to do.”

He refused to put her down. By the time they’d gotten out of the others’ sight, Cale was stumbling, swaying dangerously, finally toppling over onto his rump with Kendra on his lap. All of which he found terribly amusing.

“Looks like we’re gonna need to have at it right here, baby. Whaddya say? Let’s get naked.”

She caught his suddenly motivated hands before they could pull off any more clothing. “As appealing as the thought of your entire family stumbling over us is, I think I’d rather wait until we’re behind closed doors.”

He grinned at her foolishly. “How ’bout you carry me the rest of the way?”

“My prince, where’s that resilience you were bragging about? I thought you were in a hurry to bed your new mate.”

“I am.” His mood warmed as his fingertips touched her cheek and stroked over the knit hugging her breasts and the stretchy fabric clinging to her rear. “I’ll prove it as soon as I can find where I put my legs. Why aren’t I wearing shoes?”

She kissed him slowly, deeply, until he moaned impatiently and then muttered, “Damn, it’s cold. Let’s get under some covers, my queen, so I can start seeding that bumper crop of heirs.”

By the time she was fumbling for the light and locking the door behind them, Cale had beelined for the bedroom, leaving a trail of designer clothes for her to follow. Kendra found him facedown on the bed, snoring noisily. Smiling, she draped Brigit’s coat over him, then went to get ready for a night of celibate slumber.

She didn’t realize how exhausted she was until she pulled a heavy comforter over the both of them. She’d gotten no sleep the night before, and her body ached from all the unfamiliar activities of the past twenty-four hours. Ached in a good way.

She was Cale Terriot’s mate. The future queen of their clan. And she was impossibly in love with him. Facts she’d been struggling to resist just a day ago.

His face was turned toward her, features relaxed, appearing so much younger in sleep. She stroked his champagne-stiffened hair gently, refusing to think of what the next day would bring.

Cale muttered softly, stirring at her touch. His hand rose to cover hers, bringing it down so he could press a kiss to her palm, then hold it to his cheek as his eyes blinked open. He stared at her for a long unfocused moment, then told her quietly, “I’ve waited my whole life to have you here beside me. You’ve made the only dream I’ve ever had come true.”

Before she could respond, his eyes slid shut and he rolled away, dragging her arm with him, wrapping it about his neck so he could pillow his face in her open hand. Kendra fitted to the hard contours of his body, her heart so full that it took some time for her to settle into sleep. Her last thought was how good it felt not to be alone. This was how she wanted each day to end, with the two of them sharing intimate space.

Kendra wasn’t sure what woke her. Maybe the coolness of the sheets beside her. Maybe the clean scent of just-showered male. Maybe the intuitive shock that something was very wrong.

Darkness draped the room. A fine filter of moonlight sifted through the skylight to stroke the curve of Cale’s bare shoulder, along the brutal canvas of his back. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, tented hands covering his face, breathing in quick, shaky snatches. When he heard her stirring, he spoke. “Don’t do this, Katy. Don’t do this to me.”

Alarmed, she came up on her knees behind him, placing a tentative palm to that scarred back. His muscles tensed and shivered beneath her touch. “Do what, Cale?”

“It’s okay that you hate me. I get that. I deserve that. The things I’ve done, that I’ve stood by and watched happen . . . Saying I’m sorry—oh, God, I’m so sorry—isn’t ever going to be enough. I just left you there. I’m sorry. I was so scared.”

Kendra pressed her damp cheek to his shoulder as the emotions of the moment shuddered through her, but her tone was unfalteringly gentle. “Of course you were. You were eleven years old. He hurt you. He beat you and threatened you. How could you not be afraid?”