Here She Rules: The Chronicles of Erla: Book 1 (25 page)

Crystals glowed in the indirect light coming through the water. In the next moment, the water surged and a strong arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her back against a hard chest. At first, she stiffened in the arms which held her in place. As hot lips found the curve of her neck, however, she relaxed into the embrace. Then, she felt his arousal as his pelvis rubbed against her buttocks.
 

She turned her head, expecting to see Darien, but white hair flowed wetly across her shoulder and she gasped. Turning to face Nall, he pulled her close, their bodies sliding together intimately.
 

His eyes were nearly black with desire as he lowered his head to kiss her. Just before his lips touched hers, he was yanked under the water and pulled her with him. When they surfaced, Cassie was sputtering and laughing, meeting the eyes of Kara and Darien.

“Gotcha!” Kara squealed in a very un-Kara-like way. Cassie laughed and splashed her.
 

As they tried to dunk one another, Kara was pushed into Darien’s arms, and as her behind came into contact with his arousal, her eyes widened and she turned to look into his face. Darien thought to make Cassie jealous and pulled Kara to him, settling his mouth on hers for a deep kiss.
 

Cassie knew what he was doing, and it didn’t make her jealous; it only served to make her angry that he would debase her friend in this manner. When Nall came up behind her once more, she could feel his breath on her ear, and it sent tremors through her belly.
 
Cassie turned towards him, putting her hands behind her on the rock shelf to hoist herself up to sit on the rock.
 

Darien continued his assault on Kara, who looked at Cassie for permission, and Cassie gave her the thumbs up sign. Kara, having a voracious appetite for male flesh and receiving Cassie’s blessing, responded wholeheartedly to Darien’s skillful caresses. Darien, in his anger and disappointment, had no idea he was completely ruining any possibility of having Cassie in his bed
ever
again.
 

Nall moved up to Cassie, perilously close to her womanhood with his head between her legs and he grinned at her as he ran his tongue along her thigh. She shivered and laughed using her foot to push him under the water. A groan drew her attention to where Darien had Kara up against the wall in the water, and by their movements, she knew they were engaged in sex.
 

Darien’s eyes burned into Cassie’s as he took Kara, and Cassie shook her head while getting to her feet. The man was driving her further and further away from him with his reckless actions. Cassie truly did not mind that Kara was enjoying him. The fact that he was only having sex with Kara to hurt Cassie angered her. What angered her even more, however, was that he was using her friend in this way.
 

Nall emerged from the water and followed her to the back of the cave.
 

“What is it, Cassandra?” he asked gently, seeing her anger. Nall completely misread her reactions and assumed she was angry at his bold caress. He had enjoyed their play and had no intention of pressuring her into intimacy unless she also desired it.
 

Cassie looked up and smiled slightly, “I just thought they might want some privacy.” She nodded towards the entwined couple across the way.

“Lady Cassandra, I don’t think King Darien would care if a hundred watched; it would only stroke his ego.” He laughed, and a reluctant smile lit Cassie’s face. Nall was perfectly correct.

She relaxed, realizing that Kara was unlikely to be hurt by such an encounter. She was using Darien as much as he was using her after all. Kara was very straightforward when it came to sex; if she wanted it, she had it. No regrets.
 

Cassie really liked Nall, and when she suddenly found herself in his arms, she hugged him tightly. Nall pulled back slightly to look at her, and she smiled into his face, squeezing him a little more tightly before releasing him and walking out of the cave and into the sunlight.
 

She had always loved being in the sun, so she sat on a large rock on the beach and let the sun dry and warm her skin. Nall lowered his large frame down onto the rock beside her, smiling up into the bright sunshine. The sounds of the lovers reaching their peak echoed off of the cave walls, and several moments later, they swam out under the falls and joined Cassie and Nall on the beach. Kara looked at Cassie questioningly, and Cassie shook her head and smiled, indicating to her friend that all was well.
 

Darien was angry with himself and with Cassie (but mostly with himself). He’d had no intention of having sex with Kara. He had started his play to make Cassie jealous, and he was angry that she was unfazed by his encounter with her friend. His body had responded naturally to having a beautiful, desirable woman touching him, but it had been Cassie he had thought of while he was with Kara. He fumed silently, feeling like the asshole she had called him. He was also angry because he didn’t like the feeling that he had erred in having sex with an available and attractive woman. He’d had every right to do so. So, why was he being nagged by a sense of guilt now?

There was no shame in enjoying a willing woman he told himself, hating the knot he felt growing inside his gut as his anger mixed with regret and disappointment and lay simmering within him.

On the ride back to the Palace, Kara rode next to Cassie, and the men followed. Arriving at the Palace, Cassie left her horse with the groom and walked swiftly towards her chambers. Nall jogged to catch up with her while Darien lagged behind, his face inscrutable.

“Lady Cassandra, would you honor me with your presence for dinner this evening?” Nall asked and Cassie hesitated. He must think he had offended her because his behavior had been so erratic this afternoon.
 

Sighing, she said, “Thank you, Lord Nall, but I would be poor company. I think I will make an early night of it. Please forgive me, and I do hope it won’t be the last time you ask,” she said, smiling with effort.

“You may count on it, and I understand completely. I wish you good rest.” Nall bowed and smiled as he left her at her door.
 

Cassie entered and went directly to her clothes chest and pulled out a black outfit and put it on. Stretching and sighing, she looked longingly at her bed and then set out to find her men. She soon found them in the exercise room, finishing their workout. They smiled at her and bowed. She asked them if they had slept well.

“Indeed, Mistress. We are quite refreshed,” Mika answered for the group. “Had you a good day, My Lady?”

“Well, I will just say that it was educational,” was her sardonic reply as they looked at her in confusion.

“My Lady, may we have your leave to clean ourselves?” he asked, and at her nod, they bowed as they quickly made their way into the bathing chamber.

On impulse, Cassie followed them and sat on a cushion watching them disrobe and bathe.
 

It was sheer heaven to just soak up the sight, and she felt her tension start to drain. She wished she were able to shake the bad feeling she had in the pit of her stomach when she thought of Darien. Her slaves’ bodies gleamed, and their muscles rolled enticingly under their flesh as they entered the water and bathed themselves sensuously for the pleasure it gave their Lady’s eye.

Her mistakes with Darien were numerous. Why couldn’t she have controlled the lust she felt? She sighed again and heard a knock at the front door. Rising, she motioned for her men to continue their bath and went to see who was calling.

She opened the door to see Kara standing on the other side and stepped back to let her in. The women moved together towards the main seating area where Kara sat rigidly and looked at Cassie with a pensive expression. Cassie frowned, knowing something was amiss.

“Kara, what is the matter?”

“I believe I owe you an apology for my behavior today,” Kara said stiffly, and Cassie’s face twisted in confusion.

“Whatever for?” Cassie asked.

“My Lady, it occurs to me that you and King Darien have had some sort of relationship upon which I may have infringed upon unintentionally. I wish for you to know I would never purposely do anything to harm or offend you. I forget sometimes that these men are so different from our own.”

“Kara, please. I am not unhappy with you in any way. It’s my fault, truly. I believe
I
have made mistakes with King Darien. I am not angry or jealous of you being with him today. He is a good lover, and I am sure you received gratification. At least, it sounded like it,” Cassie said, grinning at her, and she saw Kara finally relax.

“May I ask what happened between you?” Kara queried.

“The King and I have shared a very strong attraction ever since we met.” Kara nodded at this; everyone had seen it.

“I fought it because I know how different we are. Unfortunately, he caught me at a weak moment, and I spent the better part of an afternoon and a night in his bed. When I woke up, I left—while he was still asleep. Darien obviously assumed some attachment had been established between us, and he was angry I left without saying anything. Since then, I feel as if he has been trying to initiate something more than sex between us. I wish so much that I could take back that night as it has complicated so many things.”

“Cassie, I think I understand, and you are right. If the Destian King is in love with you, your life is about to get very, very complicated. How do you truly feel about him, though?”

Unbeknownst to the women, Cassie’s slaves had entered the room and were listening in silence to what was being said.

“Honestly, he was amazing in bed, but I am not in love with him. I don’t want him for life. It was just desire I felt for him. I am happy with what I have. I love my slaves dearly, and I am not willing to give up any part of the life I have now.” Their hearts all skipped a beat upon hearing her open declaration of love for them.

“I don’t know what to tell you about all of it, Cassie, but you should know that I will be there for you if things get bad. That said, you should definitely tell the Queen.”

“I agree, and I will . . . once I can pull her from King Nyles’ bed!” The women giggled at this.
 

Cassie finally noticed her slaves standing across the room and motioned them over. With a word, she sent Arn to rub Kara’s shoulders and Aidan to get them something to eat. She pulled Taylyn next to her and put her feet into Kai’s hands, relaxing into his capable touch.
 

A good deal of her tension eased upon sharing her troubles with her friend, and both women felt relief at understanding each other.
 

Aidan brought a tray of food and tenderly fed Cassie while Mika fed Kara.

“I could get so lazy here. Every time I come, I am rubbed and fed so lovingly,” Kara said with a blissful smile as she nuzzled her head against Arn’s.

“Your own slaves should always treat you as well. After all, you are the Second-in-Command to the Lady Cassandra!” Cassie laughed.

“I confess to you I am very fond of my slaves; they are good boys. But you, my dear friend, own some of the most beautiful and most talented men in the Queendom!” Cassie’s slaves flushed becomingly at the Lady Kara’s praise, turning a darker red when Cassie wholeheartedly agreed with her. Between the two women, Cassie’s men were most definitely happy with what they had heard this day.
 

Cassie pulled Garen down to the couch and sat between his legs, leaning back against his chest. She pulled his strong arms around her waist and nuzzled his jaw with the side of her head. He sighed happily and hugged his Mistress, enjoying the envious stares of the other men.

The women lounged and spoke of the treaty which had been proposed for the lands of Serlenn and Destia. They were united in their relief that there would be no imminent war.
 

Several hours later, Kara rose and said she was going to go home, punching Cassie lightly when she offered to have her men carry her home. They both laughed at the thought of her needing an escort.
 

Cassie was restless, and since tomorrow was to be a day free of training, she had no need to go to bed early. So, she decided to take a moonlit walk through the gardens.
 

She didn’t take any of her slaves with her because she felt like she needed to be alone to de-stress. The night was warm with a soft wind blowing. A huge, full, yellow moon illuminated the garden path, and the sweet scent of the various blooms filled her senses.
 

The Palace slaves had long ago lit the lanterns, and they flickered, casting shadows over the flower beds. Cassie walked slowly about—inhaling the exotics scents—while the wind rippled her silky harem pants about her legs sensuously.
 

It felt so good to be outside on such a beautiful night, and she breathed in deeply, letting the tension flow from her body as she sat on the soft grass behind a row of roses. She leaned back with her palms behind her on the grass and sighed as she closed her eyes.
 

When she opened her eyes again, she saw a pair of bare male feet in front of her, and jumping up, she immediately assumed a ready stance, silently cursing herself for letting her guard down until her eyes met with King Darien’s.

“I didn’t mean to startle you. When I saw you looking so lovely in the moonlight, I couldn’t resist speaking with you.” His voice rumbled low and soothingly. He wore only a pair of leather pants, which hugged his lean hips tightly, and his hair hung loose across his shoulders.
 

The man was a walking, talking sex god.

“Good evening, Highness,” she said, her eyes never leaving his face.

“I would speak with you about what has passed between us. I do not like the friction that now exists. It is my wish to always be on good terms with you.” His voice caressed the words.

“My Lord, I am sorry for what has happened, and I, too, want us to be friends.”

“Then, that is how it will be, My Lady.” He smiled and bowed.