The Shadow Princess (Chronicles of the Stone Veil 6)

I’m boneless.

Satiated.

But Bastien is by no means done with me. With strong arms and determination, he has me astride him once again. A thrill races up my spine that he’s going to pass the reins to me, so to speak.

He wants me to ride him, and I waste no time taking him in hand and guiding myself onto his thick length.

“Nothing should feel this good,” he grits through his teeth as he holds me in place, his hands spanning my hips.

I struggle to rise, but he doesn’t let me. I try to rotate my hips, but I can’t break his hold.

It’s a power struggle I’ve never won, and only after I still does he release his grip to let me move. I press my palms into his chest and swing my hair so it falls over one shoulder as I lean over him. I lift my hips, feel the slide of him against my flesh, and enjoy watching true and unrelenting pleasure take hold.

Ever so slowly, I ride Bastien, and I enjoy every second he gives me, for I know it won’t last long. I know this man well, and he’ll be the one to finish it for us both.

But for right now, I have him captive. He’s focused on me and what I’m doing to his body. It’s a rare opportunity, one I can’t ignore as our eyes hold on to each other through every stroke.

“I love you,” I say, and so he knows I’m not expecting anything back from him, I bend down to kiss him so silence is mandatory.

Promise lies within the kiss as my tongue slips into his mouth and I flex my hips to take him deeper.

But that’s all I get, and whether I’ve had control too long, or he doesn’t want to confront any feelings my words might have stoked, Bastien moves me off him and turns me around on my hands and knees.

There’s no hesitation as he spreads my legs from behind and slams back into me.

“Oh gods,” I gasp from the invasion, this angle making him feel impossibly bigger but certainly deeper in penetration. “Oh… Bastien.”

He grunts in reply as he drives into me, one hand pressed down on the blanket and the other diving in between my legs to pleasure me further.

I’m not a stranger to this brand of loving from my warrior. He can be so very gentle and tender when he wants, but Bastien has always had a rougher side, and I love it about him. It’s almost brutal in the way he takes me now.

It’s a claim that might even have frustration in it, but his words fill me with so much hope.

“Missed this.”

“Nothing compares.”

“I could spend eternity inside you.”

I don’t even know if he’s aware of the torrent of words that flow from his mouth as he thrusts into me, but I know our connection is through the heart as well as the body. The minute my body starts to quake with another orgasm, Bastien drives into me once more, so forceful that we both fall to the blanket. His hips buck against me as he releases with a growl, and then with a fist in my hair, he forces my head to the side so he can lay a punishing kiss on my mouth.

When he pulls back, his body still pinning me to the ground, the hard length of him still filling me completely, his eyes burn with a million emotions.

For a moment, I dare hope that he might tell me he loves me, but instead he rolls off.

Going right to his back, he sighs heavily and rests his forearm over his eyes.

Concerned, I place my hand on his chest. “What’s wrong?”

Bastien’s arm falls away, and his head turns to meet my gaze. “Amell told me that all I had to offer you were crumbs… nothing that would ever amount to enough to make you happy.”

My eyebrows knit in confusion. “He said this to you? Why?”

“Because he wants me to leave you alone. He knows I don’t have much to give, and he knows in the end, you’ll get hurt because it won’t be what it was. So he thinks the best thing is to remove myself from your life.”

While I’ve enjoyed getting to know my father, I’m not pleased with his interference. “And what do you think?” I ask hesitantly.

“I think your father makes a point. If this is all I can ever give you… just small pieces of me… you’ll end up hating me at some point.”

“I could never hate you,” I reply, moving my hand to his cheek.

Bastien doesn’t argue. Instead, he says, “I’m thinking about leaving Vyronas after this is over.”

“What?” I exclaim, coming up to my elbow to look down at him. “No. This is your home.”

“If I stay, I won’t leave you alone. I’ll keep throwing down crumbs for you, and I’ll take what you offer me. But that’s all it will be, and as Amell said… you’ll starve taking my crumbs, ignoring others who might be better for you.”