“Aye.”
“Do you enjoy it?”
“No. Not at all. Because I can kill people doesn’t mean I enjoy doing it.”
“I see.” He took his time, slowly removing each flower and letting them drop to the floor, making sure to constantly touch the skin on the back of her neck or her shoulders. Carefully, he moved her where he wanted her, so that he could remove all the flowers from her hair. It felt so good having him care for her. Eventually, dark blue flowers covered the floor around them and her body trembled at every sweep of his hand.
Briec leaned in close, his lips brushing her ear. “Stand up, sweet Talaith. Let me help you out of this dress.”
* * *
Briec stood, gently bringing Talaith with him. He kept all his movements deliberately slow. He didn’t want to push her too quickly. He didn’t want her to run again.
When he’d spotted her at the feast, his rage took over. He’d had all his words planned. Knew all the things he’d say to her so she’d understand exactly how much she’d hurt him. But then little Iseabail told them everything. The only one not moved had been Fearghus, but that didn’t surprise any of them. Fearghus’ only concern, as always, was for his mate. His Annwyl.
Now Briec understood, because he felt the same way about Talaith. His Talaith.
“Did you miss me, Talaith?” he asked as he untied the back of her dress.
“Ha! You wish.” But he could hear the shake in her voice.
“Not even a little? Not even at night, when you slept alone?”
“Who…who said I was alone? Perhaps I’ve had a myriad of lovers since I’ve been with you.”
He had a momentary stab of jealousy and then he remembered who he was dealing with. Talaith whose favorite phrase seemed to be “Get your bloody hands off me.”
“Really?”
“Aye. Many, many lovers. Good ones, too. All human.”
“Like who?”
She tensed. “Who?”
“Aye. Give me names. Or, at the very least, rank.”
He finished unlacing her dress, but didn’t pull it off yet. Instead, he ran his fingertips lightly across the exposed flesh of her back. Her trembling grew much worse, but so did the smell of her lust.
“I’m waiting.”
“Well, there were so many. I’m not sure I remember all their names.”
“My, you’ve been busy since last we met.”
Pushing her hair to the side to kiss her neck, Briec froze at the sight of a silver chain. He hadn’t noticed it before. He walked around until he faced her. She stared up at him, her cheeks flushed; her eyes wide.
“What? Does my disloyalty shock you?”
“Your disloyalty?” Briec took gentle hold of the silver chain and lifted it, pulling the pendant from under her bodice. She grabbed for it, but his hand closed over it first. “Disloyal, and yet you still wear this.”
Tugging the death grip her fingers had on him loose, he opened his hand and stared at the dragon pendant he’d given her the last night they were together.
“I…I wear that because it looks so nice with this dress.”
“Except it was hidden under your dress. You wear it close to your heart.”
She looked away from him. “It’s a bauble. It means nothing to me.”
“That’s a lie, Talaith.” He gently grasped her chin and forced her to look him in the eye. “We both know that’s a lie. You would have never kept this, much less wear it, if it meant nothing to you.”
Her panic now vied with her lust, but Briec knew why. She didn’t want him to know how much he meant to her. She still wanted to maintain distance and, in the end, control.
“Don’t be foolish. No one’s ever given me jewelry before. I couldn’t simply toss it away, now could I?”
Briec shook his head. “Talaith, exactly how good an assassin could you be when you are such an incredibly bad liar?”
“I’m not a bad liar. I mean, I’m not lying. I mean—”
“Sssh.” He held onto the necklace and used it to pull her closer. “For the love of all that’s holy, woman,” he whispered, “stop talking.”
Staring at his mouth, “But I still have so much more to say, you selfish bastard.”
He grinned, unable to help himself. Then he kissed her, keeping it simple at first. His lips touching hers. But she moaned and went up on her toes to get closer to him. That was more than he could handle.
He released the necklace so he could dig his hands into her hair—his gentle control gone. He licked her lips and she opened her mouth to him. Now he moaned as her tongue touched his, sweeping around it, stroking against it.
Unwilling and unable to wait any longer, he slipped his fingers under the dress, pushing it off her shoulders. He pulled away, easing the dress down her body as he knelt in front of her.
“Step out of it.”
She did with no argument, and he quickly tossed the dress into the nearest chair.
As always, she had her blade tied to her upper thigh. “Still keeping this around, eh?”
“Oh.” Talaith went to grab the sheathed dagger, but Briec caught hold of her hand.
“No. Leave it.” He smiled up into her startled face. “I like it.”
Nothing made him lustier than the thought of her legs wrapped around his waist with that damn blade tied to her thigh. Besides, he trusted her.
He stood before he could toss her to the floor and f**k her within an inch of her life.
“Get on the bed, Talaith,” he ordered while he nearly ripped his own clothes off.
One eyebrow perked up on that beautiful face. “Should I get on all fours, lord? Or merely lie there? Like a forest animal awaiting slaughter.”
Laughing, his upper body now bare, Briec lifted her up by the waist. “Must you argue everything, woman?” She squealed as he tossed her back on the bed. “Can you not just lie there and take it? Like a good little lover?”
Her eyes narrowed. “Oh, that’s nice. How some female hasn’t snapped you up already—I’ll never know.”
“I think that’s because I’ve been waiting my whole life for you. And no one else would do.” It was an honest answer, and one she in no way could handle as she made a strange little “eep” sound and tried to climb off the bed.
“No, no. You’re not going anywhere.” He pushed her back, covering her body with his own. “Now kiss me, you chatty cow.”
“Go to—” He kissed her before she could finish that lovely little statement.
Pushing her legs apart with his knee, Briec settled himself comfortably in the vee of her body, allowing his hands to roam freely over her soft skin.
“Hell!” she finished when he finally pulled his mouth away from hers.
“Now is that anyway to talk to me?” He kissed her neck, his fingers circling her hard n**ples. “Especially since you so clearly adore me.”
“Is it nice in your dream world, dragon?” she gasped out, her body arching into his hands, then his mouth as he moved down. “Are there fairies and elves there to keep you company?”
“Who needs old wives’ tales about fairies, when I’ve got you—an old wife?”
He felt that punch to his shoulder long before it arrived. Still, it made him laugh more. Sitting up, he stared down at her. She tried glaring at him, but her uncontrolled panting as well as her flushed cheeks and body made it much less intimidating.
Briec grinned, grabbed both her legs, and flipped her onto her stomach.
“Oi!”
“Up on those knees, love.” He pushed her legs up, raising her lovely ass quite nicely. “I need access to this ridiculously wet p**sy of yours. Have many plans for it this evening, you know?”
She started to say something, but he didn’t hear her and she stopped talking as soon as he buried his face between her thighs. He thrust his tongue inside her, enjoying the taste of her wetness sliding down his throat.
Talaith groaned and so did Briec. Did he really think he’d ever be done with this woman? Did he really think he’d ever be able to walk away from her? Unable to wait a second longer, he nearly destroyed his chainmail leggings as he pushed them down his legs to his knees.
He leaned up, resting against her back. Getting a strong grip on her wrists, he held her in place as he drove his painfully hard c*ck inside her. She hissed, her legs spreading farther apart to allow more of him in. He obliged, shoving into her until his balls slammed against the soft cushion of her ass.
“Gods you feel good,” he gasped, her muscles tightening around his cock. “You’re strangling me.”
“I would,” she panted back. “But you have my hands pinned.”
“Callous cow.”
“Irritating bastard.”
Yes. Now this, this was home. Right where he belonged. Where he’d always belong. With this rude, sarcastic woman. And he knew she felt the same as soon as he stroked himself in and out of her sweet p**sy. Without even realizing it, she moaned his name, begging him not to stop.
“I won’t stop, little witch.” He picked up his pace, unable to keep any semblance of control while inside her. “I won’t ever stop.” Because he couldn’t. Not where she was concerned.
Using his free hand, he reached around her waist and slipped his fingers in between her thighs. He found her cl*t and stroked it, desperate to bring her to cli**x before he lost all reason. She must have been close, she panted and moaned his name into the pillow, her p**sy spasming around his cock, dragging him deeper inside her wet heat. And, with a relieved sigh, he came hard inside her.
Panting, sweating, and momentarily exhausted, the pair crashed onto the bed. Her hand grabbed his, removing it from her clit. “You’re killing me.”
“Not yet. But that could change any day.”
Laughing, she punched his thigh while he kissed her neck. He pulled out of her gently, slowly turning her so that she faced him.
He kissed her forehead. Her cheeks. Her nose.
“I missed you,” he murmured against her lips. “Don’t do that again.”
Her arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him close. “Don’t do what again?” she sighed, his lips moving to her throat. He knew she loved when he kissed her throat.
“Leave me. Don’t leave me again, Talaith.”
Her body stilled in surprise, but before she could say anything, he kissed her. Long and deep, enjoying the sweet taste that belonged only to her.
Just as he belonged only to her.
Chapter Twenty-One
Annwyl knew she was in trouble when she woke to find Fearghus standing over her, his arms crossed over that massive chest, and his jaw clenching and unclenching.
“We need to discuss your assassin situation, mate.”
Somehow she’d managed to put him off the night before. It must have been when she wrapped her mouth around his cock. But clearly that tactic wouldn’t work this morning. She guessed he’d been up for awhile…seething. Partly mad she found it so easy to distract him. Partly because it still angered him she’d kept something like this from him. Fearghus really hated that. But telling him about Talaith would have just upset him unnecessarily. Not that he’d ever understand that.