Wish For Me (The Djinn Order #1) (16 page)

Irving grunted and then pushed inside me. I came in, like, three minutes and he wasn’t too far behind. Morning quickies were my favorite. The fact that Irving pounced on me the second my eyes opened made me think he loved sex first thing in the morning too.

Irving was about as eager to get out of bed as I was, which was not at all. So we just laid there and cuddled, which was strange for me since I wasn’t really the cuddling type. But I liked it. With Irving, I liked it.

“While we were doing it, you said I honored you with my tattoo,” I said. We were lying face-to-face and my head rested on his arm while the other cradled my waist.

“While we were
doing it
?” Irving grinned at me.

I blushed because I knew I sounded silly. Irving made me shy about sex and I didn’t know why. “Okay, when we were having sex then.”

“Yes,” he said. “You took one of my most prized possessions and memorialized her on your beautiful body. You not only honored me, you made my lust for you that much more potent.”

I smiled. “No shit.”

Irving grunted, and then to show me what he meant, his hand slid down to squeeze my ass. His lips started trailing kisses down my neck and I knew he was trying to get something started again. But I had barely recovered from the last time, and besides, I had a question to ask and was tired of saving it for later.

I forced my hands between us and pushed, putting some distance between his body and mine. “Ada told me that Djinn and humans are allowed to get married. So like, do any half-Djinn exist?”

“You mean—” He pulled me into him, bringing us back together. “—is it possible for a Djinn and a human to reproduce?”

I stared at his lips so I could hear
and
see his answer. “Yeah.”

Those lips curved up at the corners. “They exist, Glory. However, half-Djinn are powerless. Most don’t even know they are half-Djinn. You must have two Djinn parents to inherit the wish trait.”

“The wish trait? Oh, like the power to grant wishes, right?”

“Correct. Without this trait, you are just a human.”

I snorted. “There you go hating on humans again.”

“Forgive me, Glory. I did not mean that in the way it sounded.”

“Sure, you didn’t,” I laughed, tickling one of his ribs.

He jerked. “Don’t do that.”

My eyes widened. “Hot damn. Are you ticklish, Irving Amir?”

“No.” His lips quivered at trying to curb his smile and I knew he was lying.

I attacked and got in a few good tickles that made Irving roar with laughter. Then he was fighting back and before I knew it, I was conquered.

He pinned my arms to the bed. “It is time to get up.”

I groaned. “Do we have to? Can’t we just stay in bed all day again?” It was true. We’d stayed naked and locked away in Irving’s chamber the entire previous day, only halting our sex marathon to dine on the random delicacies Irving’s servants left at the door on gold platters. I should have been exhausted and sore, but all I felt was rejuvenated. I wanted more of Irving. Though more could never be enough.

He smiled as he rolled off of me. “Nothing would please me more, beautiful. But we must meet my cousins for breakfast and then I have a surprise for you.”

I sat up. “A surprise?”

Irving chuckled. “I knew that would spark your interest.” He rose and walked ass naked over to the grand double doors of his chamber. Bending down, he picked up a folded letter that someone had slid under the doors at some point. He walked back to stand over by his huge keyhole window so the sunlight could illuminate the piece of paper.

“It’s a missive from the Sultan,” he said. He fell silent as his eyes drifted over the missive. A frown formed a moment later and I dreaded the words it had delivered.

There was a knock at the doors and they pushed open before Irving even gave his permission. He didn’t seem to care so much and his eyes remained glued to the missive in his hands. He didn’t even make a single move to cover himself when a barefoot young Djinn woman wearing a simple corset and harem pants entered his chamber with several pieces of clothing laid out across her arms. She bowed before speaking.

“Where would you like these, Your Highness?” the Djinn said, her violet eyes directed toward the floor.

“Anywhere is fine, Aashirya,” Irving replied, finally looking up. He waited until she laid the clothes out across his lounge, then said, “Return in exactly one hour to help Glory dress.”

“Yes, Your Highness.” Aashirya bowed then left as quickly as she came.

I stared after her and waited until the doors closed before I spoke. “Do you usually prance around naked in front of your female servants?”

A brow raised. “You sound envious.”

I shook my head. “I’m not. If you wanted her, she’d be lying here instead of me. I’m just trying to learn your ways.”

Irving smiled. “Nudity means nothing to us. A body is just that, a body. It is nothing more than a shell that encompasses the soul.”

“So you’re okay with other men seeing me naked?”

He shrugged. “If that is your wish, Glory.” That was
not
the answer I was looking for, but I was not at all surprised it was the answer I got.

I changed the subject. “What language do you all usually speak here? I know it’s not English but everyone keeps speaking it.”

“We speak a language so ancient, it has never been known by humankind,” he said. “But we know many human languages. We only speak English because you are here.”

“Really?”

“Yes. You share the bed of an Amir prince and the entire kingdom is aware of it. Everyone will speak your language. Besides, there are other humans here from your country, although my kind makes no such concessions for them.”

My eyes stretched wide. “How in the hell does the entire kingdom already know that we slept together?”

He shrugged. “Ada.”

“Why is the princess acting as the royal gossip and spreading our business around?”

“She is not acting,” Irving laughed. “But in all honesty, managing royal affairs is amongst Ada’s duties to the kingdom since our Sultana is in eternal rest.”

“Why is our sex life a royal affair?” I huffed. “It should be private.”

“When you bed an Amir, it is a royal and very public affair. I am afraid you will simply have to get used to that.”

Get used to it?
“So you plan on us doing this again?”

Irving grinned and finally let the missive drift to the floor. He was at the bed in three strides. “Oh, yes. Like right now.” He reached down, grabbed my ankle and jerked me to the end of the bed.

After I seriously couldn’t orgasm anymore, Irving finally carried me into his bath chamber. The square marble tub was built for a king and actually had stairs leading down into the deliciously warm water that never cooled. Four marble pillars stood at the corners of the tub, framing live plants and nude statues that were situated all around the chamber.

Irving didn’t have any servants present so he said he would be the one to help me bathe.

“I’m not a damn child,” I said, dipping my head back to wet my short locks. “I don’t need help taking a bath.”

“In Shrinelyn, royals and females of honor do not have to demean themselves with such a task. We have servants to do it for them.” He reached for one of the jeweled bottles arranged beside the tub.

“And what about you?”

Irving moved toward me. “I have always bathed alone. Edwin, on the other hand, bathes with many of his female servants.”

I grinned. “Yeah, he looks like the type.”

“And what type is that?” Irving moved behind me and began massaging whatever was in the bottle into my hair.

“You know,” I said, as my eyes fluttered closed. “The innocent, charming type. But behind closed doors, he’s a freak who likes to have orgies in his bathtub.”

Irving laughed. “A prince has needs and that is what his females are there for.”

I laughed too. “Well, if his new wife is any sort of real woman, she will put an end to all of it.”

“Only if the rumors are true. Khan females are said to be as fiery and demanding as Amir females.”

“Poor Edwin then. If she’s anything like Ada, I doubt he’ll live through the honeymoon.” We laughed.

Back in his chamber after our bath, I laid on the bed as I watched Irving dress. “Your name isn’t really Irving, is it?”

He chuckled. “Of course not.”

“What’s your real name then?”

Irving shook his head. “My true name is sacred and you can never know it.” There was nothing apologetic about his statement either. His true name was not something he wanted to share with me and I could tell he never would. Whatever was sacred about his name, the same could probably be said about Edwin and Ada. Those weren’t their real names either. I figured it had something to do with being royal, though whatever it was, it didn’t apply to the Sultan because he had willingly given me his name.

“Besides,” he said. “It would probably be much too hard for you to pronounce or even remember. Royal Djinn are given nine names at birth.”

“Nine?”

He nodded once, then turned to face me with his arms outstretched. “How do I look?”

I sighed and rolled into a sitting position. “You’re absolutely stunning, Irving. You know that.”

Stunning hardly described the Djinn in front of me. Irving had ditched his usual leather ensemble for more princely attire. Instead of a duster, he had on a black and red dominion vest and black leather pants with red stitching. Two brass sabers hung from a belt around his waist. His boots were unusual as they appeared to be made out of some kind of dyed animal hide and had brass plating running up the back of each one. Around each of his delectable biceps was a brass band etched with what I assumed were characters from the Djinn language. His black hair hung loose and free, his eyes twinkled violet and magical, and just…
damn this Djinn!
His sexiness just had no limits!

Aashirya returned to help me dress, and I had to admit I was pretty excited about it. I’d already picked through the garments and drooled over every piece. Djinn fashion was the
best
. When Aashirya was done with me, I wore a beaded corset under a fitted leather jacket with a high collar and tuxedo tails. My black leggings were super tight with lace adorning the sides from hip to ankle putting a flash of skin on display. Short black boots with stiletto heels covered my feet and I could have squealed with how freaking cute they were.

I smelled divine from all the oils Irving had used on me during our bath, and whatever he had washed my hair with caused it to curl up into a crazy cute style as it dried. On top of my curls sat a tiny top hat with a short black veil that I could maneuver into any style I wanted. I adored my new look, the hat most of all, and made certain Irving knew that the only way they were getting any of the clothes back was if they were taking them off my mutilated corpse. He just laughed and said the clothes were mine to keep forever.

Edwin and Ada were already seated when we arrived at the dining chamber. The second we entered, Nagi flew over to greet us. She landed on Irving’s arm, chirped her greeting, then flitted over to my shoulder. She chirped at me and I smiled.

“Morning, Nagi. What’s for breakfast?”

“Everything your heart could possibly desire, Glory,” Edwin responded with a sweep of his arm over the array of dishes on the round table in front of him. Edwin and Ada were perched on giant multi-colored baroque pillows since the table sat so low to the ground. Six barefoot servants in very plain clothing stood against the golden walls of the glittering chamber, so close it was like they were trying to walk through them. Their eyes stared at the ground, or the ceiling with its wall-to-wall diamond chandelier, but never straight ahead. I knew it was because they didn’t want to accidentally look at any of the royals in the room. It made me wonder if there was a punishment associated with such an innocent offense and my skin crawled to think of what it could be.

“You aren’t kidding, Edwin,” I said as I pulled my eyes away from the servants and ran them over the buffet in front of me. There were meats, fruits and vegetables, several different types of bread, hard-boiled eggs, and three kinds of soup. Not to mention there was enough juice and wine to fill Irving’s tub and then some. I eagerly accepted the baroque pillow next to Edwin and contemplated what I wanted to chow down on first as I settled Irving’s Chronolier in my lap. Irving took the pillow between Ada and I.

Edwin was as handsome as the day before, but Ada was extra gorgeous that morning. Her billowy black hair flowed freely around her shoulders and down her back. She wasn’t dressed up like me, but wore beautiful robes of red and gold damask with the matching slippers. I was a whole other level of jealous. I never could have pulled off that look without being mistaken for a damn elf.

“Hard boiled egg, Glory?” Edwin offered.

I smiled. “Yes, please.”

With a flick of his finger, an egg lifted from the platter and begin to bob up and down in the air toward my direction. Once it made it to me, it spun in the air, dipped, and landed on the platter in front of me. I burst into giggles and allowed Edwin to select the rest of my meal, all of which he made dance onto my plate.

“Did you manage to think up any ideas of how to stop Edwin’s unification?” Irving questioned his cousins as he reached for a pitcher of cranberry juice. A male servant stepped forward to intercept the action, but Irving simply looked at the man and he fell back against the wall, his eyes lifting to stare at the ceiling again. Irving proceeded to pour a jeweled goblet of juice for me, then one for himself.

“Oh, I had many ideas,” Ada said as she popped a cherry into her mouth. “But they all resulted in Maya Khan’s death.”

Irving smiled. “You cannot blame the girl for what her ancestor did before she was even born.”

“Yes, I can. And I do. If we are condemned by the Halo of Elders for the actions of Parish Amir, then the traitorous exploits of Munir Khan can also be laid at Maya’s feet.”

Irving simply shrugged off the statement and I could tell that ruffled Ada’s feathers a bit. I wondered what the Halo of Elders was, though I didn’t ask.