Chapter 22 You're mine
~Sage~
I'd changed three times before settling on a simple sundress with a very thin fabric, no complicated clasps, just tiny straps and flowing cotton that ended mid-thigh. Underneath, black lace that made me feel brave and reckless. No panty hose, no complicated anything. Easy access, just like he'd asked.
The palace was silent as I snuck away from my room l. My bare feet made no sound on the floor and my slippers dangled from my fingers. My body had been burning all day, the memory of his hands this morning driving me to distraction during training.
Natalie had noticed, of course. "You seem flushed," she'd observed. "Are you feeling well?"
I'd blamed it on the heat, though her knowing look suggested she didn't buy it.
Now, stepping into the cool night air, I shivered from anticipation. The maze came in before me, dark hedges creating a labyrinth of shadows.
I bit my bottom lip restlessly as I entered, already catching his scent; that wide masculine scent that made my thighs clench.
He was waiting in the maze, just as promised. But this time was different. He'd spread thick blankets on the grass, scattered cushions creating a nest. Battery-powered fairy lights were woven through the hedge walls,making everywhere so beautiful. A bottle of wine sat waiting with two glasses.
But I barely noticed any of it because Keith...
He stood with his back to me, hands in his pockets, looking up at the stars. Dark jeans hung low on his hips, and his white shirt was already untucked, sleeves rolled up, unapologetically showing his sinful biceps. When he turned at my approach, his eyes were pure hunger.
"You're here," he said, voice rough like he'd been drinking.
"Did you think I wouldn't come?"
"I thought you might come to your senses." He moved toward me slowly, predatory. "And realize what a bad idea this is."
"It's a terrible idea," I agreed, backing up until I hit the hedge wall. "We should stop."
"We should." He caged me in, hands on either side of my head. "Tell me to leave, Sage."
Instead, I reached up and started unbuttoning his shirt. "I've been wet all day thinking about this morning."
He groaned, his head dropping to my shoulder. "Fuck, you can't just say things like that."
"Why not?" I finished with the buttons, pushing the shirt off his shoulders. "It's true. During Luna training, all I could think about was your hands on me. How you felt between my thighs."
"Sage—"
"I had to excuse myself twice just to splash cold water on my face." My hands explored his chest, feeling the muscles tense under my touch. "But it didn't help. Nothing helped. I've been aching all day."
His control snapped. His mouth crashed into mine, hot and demanding. This wasn't the careful exploration of this morning. This was pure need. His tongue swept into my mouth, claiming, while his hands gripped my waist hard enough to bruise.
"Do you know what you've done to me?" he growled against my lips, grinding his hips against mine so I could feel how hard he was. "I had to excuse myself from training because I couldn't stop thinking about the sounds you made. The way you begged."
"I wasn't begging," I protested weakly.
"No?" His hand slid up my thigh, under my dress, fingers ghosting over the lace. "What do you call this morning then? 'Please, Keith,'" he mimicked, his fingers applying just enough pressure to make me gasp. "'Please, I need—'"
I kissed him to shut him up, but also because I needed his mouth on mine like I needed air. He lifted me easily, my legs wrapping around his waist, and carried me to the blankets without breaking the kiss.
He laid me down carefully, then pulled back to look at me. The fairy lights caught the gold flecks in his eyes, made his skin glow.
"You're overdressed," I said, reaching for his belt.
He caught my hands. "Patience."
"I've been patient all day."
"And you'll be patient now." He pushed my hands above my head, holding them there with one hand while the other traced down my arm, along my collarbone, between my breasts. "I've been thinking about this all day. Planning exactly what I want to do to you."
"Tell me."
"I'd rather show you." He released my hands but gave me a warning look. "Keep them there."
I gripped the blanket above my head, watching as he moved down my body. He pushed my dress up slowly, revealing the black lace underneath.
"Fuck," he breathed. "You wore these for me?"
"Who else would I wear them for?"
His eyes flashed dangerously. "No one. Ever." He kissed my inner thigh, just above my knee. "Say it."
"No one else," I gasped as his mouth moved higher. "Just you."
"Good girl."
The praise made me shiver. His mouth continued its path up my thigh, kisses getting wetter, more open-mouthed. When he reached the edge of my underwear, he paused, looking up at me.
"Do you want me to stop?"
"No," I whispered. "Never."
He groaned, pressing his forehead to my thigh. "You're going to kill me." Then his mouth was on me through the lace, and I nearly came off the blanket.
"Keith!"
"Shh." He held my hips down as he continued his torture through my clothes. "We have to be quiet. Guards patrol the grounds."
"Then stop – oh god – stop doing that."
"This?" He sucked lightly, and I had to bite my hand to keep from screaming. "You don't like it?"
"You know I do."
"I do know." He hooked his fingers in the lace, slowly pulling it down my legs. "I can smell how much you like it. I can taste it."
The first touch of his tongue against bare skin made me see stars. My hands flew to his hair, gripping hard.
"What did I say about your hands?" he asked, pulling back.
"Keith, please—"
"Hands above your head, or I stop."
I whimpered but obeyed, gripping the blanket again.
"Good girl," he praised again, and then his mouth was back on me, and coherent thought became impossible.
He explored me like he was memorizing every reaction, finding spots that made me gasp, others that made me moan. When he slid one finger inside me, slowly, carefully, I nearly came undone.
"So tight," he murmured against me. "And so wet for me."
"Keith, I'm going to—"
"Not yet." He pulled back, and I actually whined. "I want to see you."
He moved back up my body, kissing me deeply. I could taste myself on his tongue, which should have been embarrassing but was incredibly hot instead.
"Take off your dress," he commanded.
I sat up, pulling it over my head in one motion, leaving me in just my bra. His eyes devoured me, hands following the path of his gaze.
"You're perfect," he said roughly. "Every inch of you."
I reached for his belt again, and this time he let me. My hands shook as I undid it, then his jeans. He was straining against his boxers, a wet spot already forming.
"Can I?" I asked, suddenly shy.
"Whatever you want, baby."
I pushed his jeans down, then hesitantly palmed him through his boxers. He hissed, hips bucking into my hand.
"Fuck, Sage."
Emboldened, I slipped my hand inside, wrapping around him properly. He was hot and hard and bigger than I expected.
"I don't... I've never..."
"Just do what feels right," he said, voice strained. "Trust me, anything you do is going to feel amazing."
I stroked him experimentally, watching his face. His jaw clenched, eyes closing as I found a rhythm.
"That's it," he encouraged. "Just like that."
His hand joined mine, showing me how to twist at the top, where to apply pressure. The sounds he made, groans and gasps and my name like a prayer, made me feel powerful.
"Stop," he said suddenly, catching my wrist. "I'm too close and I'm not done with you yet."
He pushed me back down, settling between my thighs. Not entering, just pressing against me, the friction delicious and frustrating.
"I want you," I admitted, wrapping my legs around him.
"I know, baby. But not tonight." He kissed me softly. "When I take you for the first time, it won't be on the ground. You deserve better than that."
"I don't care about that."
"I do." He rolled his hips, and we both gasped. "But there are other things we can do."
He reached between us, fingers finding that spot that made me see stars. Combined with the pressure of him grinding against me, it was almost too much.
"That's it," he encouraged as I started to shake. "Let go for me, Sage."
"Keith, I—"
"I've got you." He kissed my neck, sucking hard enough to leave a mark I'd have to hide tomorrow. "Come for me."
His words pushed me over the edge. I came with his name on my lips, muffled against his shoulder as my body shattered. He worked me through it, whispering praise and promises.
When I could think again, I realized he was still hard against me, still grinding slowly.
"Your turn," I said, reaching between us.
It didn't take long. A few strokes and he was coming, my name a growl in his throat as he spilled over my hand and stomach.
We lay there catching our breath, tangled together under the stars. He used his shirt to clean us up, then pulled me against his chest.
"We're playing with fire," he said quietly.
"I know."
"My father comes back tomorrow."
The reminder was like cold water. "I know that too."
His arms tightened around me. "I won't let him mark you."
"Keith—"
"I mean it. I'll figure something out. I'll challenge him if I have to."
"That's treason."
"Then it's treason." He kissed my forehead. "You're mine, Sage. My father might have claimed you first, but you're mine."