Sovereign (24 page)

I clutched the blanket as he licked and sucked, his tongue darting inside me and then swirling around my clit. He groaned into me as I spread my legs wider, my body opening for him. He wrapped his lips around my tight nub and sucked.

I raised up on my elbows and met his eyes as he shook his head back and forth, his lips rubbing against me and his scruff prickling my most sensitive skin.

“Sin.” I gasped and let my head fall back as he attacked my clit with his tongue again.

When he sank a finger inside me, I dropped back down on the bed. When he added another, I worked them like they were his cock. My hips moved to his rhythm, a slave to his fingers, his wicked mouth. I tensed as he gave me no quarter, every move designed to send me rushing over the edge and into the deep abyss of pleasure below.

My hips jerked, and I came, the release exploding through me as I rubbed myself against his mouth. His name rolled through me on a moan as my pussy convulsed again and again, the orgasm thumping through me as he continued fucking me with his fingers.

When I relaxed back onto the bed, he crawled on top of me and ran his fingers around my lips. I sucked them, licking myself off him before he kissed me and shared the taste. He rested his weight on his elbows, careful not to crush me. I didn’t want careful or tentative. I wanted Sin.

“Fuck me.” I yanked on his hair for good measure as he kissed to my neck.

“Stella, I’m warning you.”

I pulled harder until he met my eyes. “Don’t warn me. Fuck me.”

He tangled a hand in my hair and pulled until I had to arch my back. “Is this what you want?”

“Yes.”

He ran his lips down my throat and bit. “This?”

“Yes.”

He thrust his hips against me. “This?”

“Yes, please.”

He stood and removed his belt, tossing it on the bed next to me. Then he freed his cock and crawled back on top of me. When his tip hit my clit, I moaned and tried to kiss him. He pulled away and grabbed his belt.

“Hands together, over your head.”

I arched an eyebrow. “No.”

“Stella.” His voice was gravel as he rested his weight on me and wrenched my hands above my head. He looped the belt around my wrist and pulled tight, then kept the slack in his hand. He kissed me hard, the way I remembered—the way I wanted.

I spread my legs as wide as possible, and he slid his tip down to my entrance.

He blinked and hesitated. “Am I hurting you?”

“Not enough,” I breathed.

“Fuck, you were made for me.” He thrust inside me halfway, pulled out, and then slid all the way in as I moaned.

He reached under me and lifted, moving me to one of the bed posters, his cock still inside me. He wrapped the free end of the belt around the wood and tied it in a loose knot. Then he yanked my hips down, the knot tightening and holding me in place as his cock surged even deeper inside me.

“I didn’t want to hurt you.” He settled on top of me and pumped slow and deep.

“I trust you.”

He kissed me, just a taste. “I never want to lose that trust.”

“You won’t.”

“I don’t want you to go to the coronation. If I lost you, I don’t know what I’d do.”

“You aren’t going to lose me.” I captured his lips, kissing away his fear as he thrusted harder.

His tongue warred with mine, and he picked up his pace, making my pussy grow tighter with each impact. I raised my hips so every surge of friction caught my clit. He slid an arm under me and wrapped his fingers around my shoulder, taking complete control as he fucked me hard, finally taking what was his.

I moaned as he kissed to my neck and palmed my breast. He squeezed and then pinched my nipple as I pulled at my restraints. It was useless. I wanted to be caught.

“You’re everything to me.” He buried his face in my neck and nipped at my earlobe. “I can’t be without you ever again. Promise me.”

My heart—the one that had been betrayed, broken, and abused—suddenly beat with renewed purpose. I lived for him, for a life together outside the world of the Acquisition.

“I promise.”

“Thank you.” He dropped kisses along my jaw. His eyes glittered in the dim light as he took my mouth and ran his hand to where we were joined.

His thumb found my clit, and I lit up, every cell in my body focused on his movements. He swallowed my moan and stroked me insistently, demanding I come with each swipe of this thumb. My body tensed, the wave cresting. He must have felt it—he sped faster, his cock filling me again and again until my body gave in, my legs shaking and my hips locking as I came.

He groaned into my mouth and pressed deep inside, his cock kicking as I milked him, my orgasm rolling like waves crashing on the shore.

“Sin.” I panted. My thoughts flew away, and he was the only one left.

He thrust once more and rested his head on the bed next to mine.

“I love you.” His words were barely a whisper, but they spoke to me in a way nothing else ever could.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

S
TELLA

F
ARNS SHUFFLED INTO THE
breakfast room, his pace growing slower each day. Even as his age turned to infirmity, he refused to retire and simply live at the house. Though I wasn’t sure if the earth might spin off its axis if Farns wasn’t up at daybreak, dressed in crisp attire, and setting the house to rights from front to back.

“A messenger brought this.” He handed a piece of parchment to Sin. The oak seal was unmistakable. Cal.

He broke the wax and unfolded the missive, his brows drawing down with each line he read.

“What?” Lucius glanced to the hall. “Say it before Teddy gets in here.”

“All the last-borns have to attend the coronation. Even Teddy.” Sin tossed the paper down on the table and leaned back in his chair, the heels of his palms against his eyes.

“Oh, god, we can’t keep it from him.” My appetite vanished, and I flinched when I heard Teddy’s steps on the stairs.

“No, we can’t. And I thought Cal would let him stay away. Fuck. We’ll have to make adjustments.”

Lucius pushed his chair back and rose. “I’ll get in touch with Quinlan, let him know we’ll have one more on the list.”

“Do it.” Sin nodded and gripped the arms of his chair.

Lucius disappeared toward the study as Teddy walked in. He wore a Led Zeppelin t-shirt and jeans riddled with holes. He yawned and stretched his arms over his head as he approached.

He was the heart of the family, a pure soul. Would the knowledge of the trials hurt him? I knew it would. I only hoped it wouldn’t destroy him.

Sin grimaced, dread shrouding his features.

“Sin.” I took his hand. “Let me. Go with Lucius and get the plan straightened out. I’ll do this part.”

“What part? What plan?” Teddy sat beside me.

Sin squeezed my fingers. “Are you sure?”

“Yes. I think it’ll be better. Go on.”

He rose and kissed me on the forehead before walking out, his steps stiff, worry sitting heavy on his shoulders.

“What is it now? Something bad?” The sleepiness had fled from Teddy’s eyes, and only fearfulness remained.

How could I explain? I had to keep him grounded, give him just enough knowledge to know the score, but not too many details.

I began where it all started, where it would make the most sense. “There are seven rules to the Acquisition.”

He paled. “It must be really bad if you’re going to tell me.”

“I have to.” I took his hand and pressed it between my palms. “I don’t want to, but Cal has demanded your presence at the coronation. So you’re going to find out some things. I’d rather tell you now. Just the two of us. And I-I’m afraid. So I’ll need you to help me. I don’t want it to change you or hurt you.”

“Tell me. I can take it.” He scooted his chair back and pulled mine around so we faced each other. “No matter what, I’ll deal.”

“The first rule, and the only one you truly need to know.” I cleared my throat and gripped his hand tight. “Is that if an Acquirer loses, he has to kill the last-born of his line.”

Teddy knit his brows together for a split-second before his eyes widened and his jaw went slack. “Me?”

I nodded. “If Sin were to lose, he would have to sacrifice you as punishment.” The words were so harsh, so steeped in evil, but they had to be said.

He shook his head, disbelief and shock in the slow back and forth movement. “Oh, god. No wonder. No fucking wonder. And all this time, I’ve been blaming him.”

“And you?” His eyes watered. “How long have you known? What did they do to you? What have you gone through for me?”

I leaned forward and pulled him to me, wrapping him in a hug as the pain washed over him like a pelting spring rain. “I would do it again if it meant keeping you safe.”

A sob rocketed up from his lungs, and he clung to me. “I’m so sorry. God, Stella, I’m so sorry. I don’t even know what to…”

“No. It’s not your fault. You have to know that. You didn’t set any of this up. It isn’t your fault. I swear. I love you, and I never wanted you to know.”

He shook, sob after sob breaking him down until tears wet my cheeks, too.

“It’s okay. Shh.” I stroked his hair and whispered what few words of comfort I could.

We sat for a long time as anguish poured from him. I recognized it all, the feelings he cycled through like gears in a car—anger, sorrow, fear, rage. I knew them by heart. I held him as Sin and Lucius milled outside the doorway, their faces set in grim lines of worry.

When Teddy’s tears subsided, he let me go and cradled my face with his hands. “Thank you.” His voice shook, but his resolve was certain. “Thank you, Stella. I can never repay you. Never.”

“You already have.” I smiled and wiped his tears away. “That was the bad news. I’ve got some good news, too.”

I motioned for Sin and Lucius to come in.

“Good news?” Teddy rose and embraced Lucius and then Sin. The three of them stood together, brothers with a bond that could never break.

“Yeah, little brother. This is my favorite part.” Lucius cracked his knuckles.

“We’re going to kill them all.” Sin spoke of mass murder with a gleam in his eye that would have chilled even the stoutest heart.

All I felt was pride. “We are.”

“Good.” Teddy nodded and stood straighter, the Vinemont steel strengthening his spine just as it did for Sin and Lucius. “I want them to suffer. For Stella. What can I do?”

Sin smirked and clapped him on the back. “I knew it was in there somewhere.”

I stared up at them. I was caught in the web, surrounded by three deadly spiders, and there was nowhere else I’d rather be.

“I think that about does it.” Tony clicked the tattoo gun off and sat back. “I can easily say this is the best work I’ve ever done. Here.” He handed me a mirror.

Sun filtered through the glass panels in the spa room and lit the ink along my skin. I followed the swirls of vines curving gracefully from my collarbone, across my breast, down to my stomach, and ending with a flourish over my heart. “He’s going to love it. Just don’t tell him you saw my nipples or things might get ugly.”

“Oh, I’m well aware. I could tell that night at the party with the masks.”

I peered up at him. “You could?”

He dabbed some ointment along the fresh ink. “Are you kidding? He couldn’t take his eyes off you. I thought he might take me out just for touching you. If that wasn’t love, then…” He shrugged. “I don’t know, maybe it was some sort of unhealthy obsession?”

I smiled. “A little bit of both.”

“Sounds about right. He’s a strange guy.” He met my eyes and hastily continued, “I mean, I dig him. No offense meant.”

“None taken. He’s definitely strange.” I sat up and pulled my t-shirt back on.

He leaned back and twisted one of the piercings in his eyebrow. “You sure you’re okay? I know you said you got into a car accident, but the scars I covered—perfectly, I might add—look sort of, I don’t know, intentional?”

“Don’t worry. No one’s hurting me. I promise.” I smiled to reassure him. “It was a car accident.”

He twisted the loop a few more times before dropping his hand. “Yeah, you seem like the sort of woman who gives as good as she gets.” He packed up his tattoo gun. “Anyone else and I’d keep pressing, but I get the feeling you might put a hurting on me if I pry.”

“Your instincts are spot on.” I kissed him on the cheek. “Send Sin the bill. He’ll pay up.”

“He always does.”

“And I’m glad you’ll be far away from here when he sees our little secrets.” I’d added in a couple of piercings especially for Sin, ones that he might strangle poor Tony over.

“Me, too.” He shuddered, the tattoos along his arms dancing as he cleaned up his work space in the spa room.

I stood and stretched, ignoring the stings along my skin.

“Make sure you follow up with my aftercare instructions,” Tony said as I retreated back into the main hallway.

“I’m all over it. Don’t worry. And if I’m not, Sin will be.”