He loved her. That incredible revelation seemed tragic considering the pain and anger in his words.
“I would have cared for and protected you every vecking planet rotation for the rest of our lives.”
Would have.
Those words confirmed her worst fears. Even as he swore he needed her, he’d spoken in the past tense, like they were through. Over. Done. At the same time he declared his love for her. The last pieces of her heart splintered and fell away. He may not be able to resist this last veck, but he was done with her, emotionally.
Tears dampened the mattress, but she held her sobs in, not wanting him to hear. Wanting him to finish, to take his bitter pleasure out on her in the way he’d chosen.
He reached around and cupped her mound, one finger sinking into her wetness as he continued to pump into her ass, stretching and filling her beyond what she thought was possible. “Did you think it was all a transaction, little female? You’d win everything you needed from me in exchange for offering this?”
“No!” she wailed. “It was real!”
He pounded into her harder and the intensity of the sensations made stars dance in her vision. “Don’t. Lie,” he growled behind clenched teeth and shoved in, balls deep, sending his anger, his rejection, right into her with his seed.
She wept.
~.~
Veck. Hearing Cambry cry cut his insides like he’d eaten glass. He eased out of her tight back hole and untied her wrists then used the handkerchief to clean them both.
He had to bite back the urge to apologize, to hold her and rock her until her tears dried. He’d taken it upon himself to punish her on behalf of Prince Zander or his officers. He couldn’t show weakness now.
Though he’d freed her wrists, Cambry hadn’t moved from the kneeling position he’d placed her in. Her surrender was the only thing that made this scene bearable. If she’d fought him—if he’d had to put a knee in her back to whip her into submission, he would have done it as his duty, but it would have slain him.
He plucked her from the bed and sat on the chair, holding her on his lap. He thumbed away a tear lingering on her cheek.
She hadn’t climaxed, and she didn’t deserve to, but his pride demanded he show her he still had command over her body. She may not care about him, but he sure as stars would ensure she needed him to bring her to satisfaction. He hiked one of her knees up to her shoulder, spreading her wide.
“You don’t get pleasure here today.” He slapped his fingers down over her pussy.
She shrieked, her anus and pussy contracting.
He slapped again, harder.
She squirmed in his arms, gasping. “I didn’t use you, Lundric.” Her voice had a pleading tone.
It flayed him to hear his name on her lips. He wanted to believe her but he wouldn’t be made a fool twice. He slapped again.
“I didn’t ask for your favors.” She writhed, her hips jerking, legs fighting to close.
He spanked her pussy, hard. “Lies.” She’d bargained her body for a shower, hadn’t she? He should have known then none of it was real.
“The shower, yes,” she gasped, realizing her mistake. “But not us—ooh!” Her wet pussy made the most enticing sound every time he slapped it. Her squirming had his cock hardening again. He slapped faster, recognizing the frantic note of her gasps. “Lundric. Ah-oh! Please.”
Holy Zandian Star, her approaching climax brought his need right back to the edge.
“Lundric, I swear! I’m not some sex slave who—oh Mother Earth!—offers up her body to any male in authority.” Her pants became cries. “It wasn’t a trick.” Words tumbled from her mouth. “It was you. Only you,” she babbled.
He ignored the words, listening instead to the sound of her need, brought to the brink by his hand. It was the only thing he could trust about her. This was no lie.
I’ve never—never used sex to—”
“Shut. Up.” He pitched forward and pivoted her to her back on the cot, her knee still drawn up to her chest. Following her down, he speared her with his erection.
She cried out with pleasure, her fingernails digging into his shoulders, chin lifting to the ceiling. The way her pussy clenched around his cock sent a tremor through his thighs, his balls tightening, ready to explode once more.
He vecked her hard, the position unforgiving, her sex splayed open, spread for him as he angled deep into her channel.