Chapter 7.3
“Tiana, those three are trouble,” Cleo finally decided, pressing her lips together and giving the younger girl a good look. “I don’t trust you with them together like this. You don’t know the mischief they caused in their youth. Come to the temple with me, it’s much safer there.”
“Hey,” Vladimir protested.
“No, she’s right.” Jaya agreed.
Alexander shifted away from Jaya, his eyes traveling even further. “I specifically remember we just followed you around,” he mumbled, adjusting his coat.
A distant look crossed Jaya’s expression as he remembered fondly back on their childhood. “Alex always did take the brunt of the blame, didn’t he?”
“You almost got him demoted a few times,” Vlad smirked. Alex seemed annoyed as he stared off away from the conversation.
Tia held back a giggle as Cleo gave an eye-roll that went so far as to roll her shoulders. “You have so much to learn about what you’re getting into, but I’m sure any offspring will be a firsthand experience.”
Tia’s face instantly turned red and Vlad shifted his gaze away, tugging at his collar. Alex came to stand by Cleo, giving her a swooping bow.
“Right you are, Milady, as always.” He turned back toward Vlad and Jaya while opening the carriage door. “Tiana, Milady, I insist you ride inside. King Vladimir as well. Jaya and I shall ride outside with the guards.”
Vlad came up to stand beside Tia, his hand resting on the small of her back as he indicated toward the open carriage. She quickly stepped away from him, her face still hot. She gave Cleo a soft smile and hopped inside the carriage. Vlad paused by his sister, pausing to mutter something close to her ear. She rolled her eyes again and shooed him away.
“Don’t disappear while we’re away,” he instructed, giving her a level look. “We have to have a proper send-off.”
“Yeah yeah, go away now.” She waved at him. He grinned and gracefully slipped into the carriage after Tiana. Alex closed the door behind him.
The room was instantly too small. Tia felt her heart beating in her ears. She gave Vlad a strained smile, and he, in turn, regarded her curiously. The carriage began to move then, and the sudden lurch jerked her much closer to him than she’d intended to be. She shifted back into her seat, flushing.
Jaya called out something obnoxious and was told off by Alex. As if in response, Vlad put his fingers together and drew a line through the air. A sense of silence filled the carriage. Tiana couldn’t even hear the sound of the wheels and hoofbeats any longer.
“Are you okay?” He asked, concerned.
“What did you just do?” She questioned.
Vlad shifted in his seat, leaning near her. “I put a silencing spell around us. They can’t hear us; we can’t hear them.”
“How would you know if we were attacked?”
“There are plenty of alarms around us. I would know. Now, are you going to answer my question?”
“I’m fine,”
He lifted an eyebrow. Casually he switched seats, wrapping an arm around her as he came to sit beside her. She froze in his grasp, the blood rushing to her face. Realization dawned upon him and his eyes began to brighten. Slowly he pulled away from her, suddenly looking uncomfortable. “We haven’t been alone like this in a very long time...”
“Yes...” She agreed. Her hands balled up in her lap. She refused to look at him. His long fingers slipped into her grasp and entwined through her own. Her heart slammed against her chest.
“Tia, you’re making this difficult. Why do you react to everything?” His voice was husky.
“I don’t!” She lied, her voice high. He grabbed her by her hips and in the next moment, she was sitting in his lap, her caramel gaze locked onto his burning rubies. Her breath caught in her throat.
“I’ll punish you every time you lie to me,” he grunted.
“I’m not lying,” she protested. Her face felt entirely flushed, the heat intense. She covered her mouth, refusing to look him in the eye. He drew her closer to him, his teeth grazing her neck.
A moan escaped her lips. She had never felt this way before. Unsure what exactly to do, she shoved off him, falling back against the other seat. He seemed to fall with her, kneeling on the ground and refusing to let his hold of her go. The carriage jolted and an ear atop his head flicked. His gaze seemed to become distracted, if only briefly, before returning to her. Her fingers curled through the fabric on his shoulders, her heated eyes holding a certain level of amusement.
“What?” He asked.
“Your ears came out of nowhere,” she commented.
Vladimir glanced up as if he could see what was on top of his head, before returning his attention to her. “You bring out my animalistic side. Perhaps being alone with you in here is dangerous.”
She nodded. “I will agree with you there; you seem to be stuck between my legs.” His gaze traveled down her body, seeing her exposed knees and thighs on either side of him. Her dress had been lifted to her waist, just barely covering herself from him. He stiffly pulled back from her, his hand clasping the latch inside the carriage door.
“I should ride out there, with them,” he mumbled, pulling the lever. The door refused to open. He tried again. Tiana sat up, smoothing out her dress.
“What’s wrong?” She asked.
“It won’t open,”
“Try the other one?”
He turned around, scooting to the door on the other side. It refused to budge as well. Irritation flashed in his eyes as they darkened a fraction. “What is going...” His voice trailed off. “Alexander.” It was no more than a growl.
“What’s wrong?”
He looked back, meeting her concerned gaze, then swallowed. It was hot inside the carriage. He could smell her on him already. Her aroma lured him back to her. “It appears we’ve been trapped in here.”
“What?”
He crawled over to her, his hands resting on the seat to either side of her. She pressed herself back against the leather, her heart racing. His head came down to her stomach and slowly, painfully slowly, he lifted his head. His nose followed her every curve as his eyes remained shut. He seemed to be taking in her scent completely. His mouth came up to her breasts, his lips resting on her exposed skin just above her cleavage.
Tia gasped and shoved at him, trying to push him off. Even with her changed strength, he barely moved an inch. “Vladimir,” she gasped softly, surprised; his hands had come in, his fingers tracing up her thighs, beneath the fabric of her gown. The tips of his fingers tugged at her underwear while his mouth moved further into her cleavage.
“Vlad!” She pulled her knees together, fighting against him. Seizing the opportunity, and before she realized what had happened, he had slipped off her underwear completely.
“Oops,” he whispered, holding them up for her to see. Her eyes widened in shock.
“Give those back!” She reached for them, only to have them yanked away and tossed behind him. He pushed her back against the seat, his forehead pressed against hers.
“I won’t do anything to you, nothing bad. I just want to make you feel good.” His hand pressed against her chest, pinning her there as he ducked out of her sight.
She felt his tongue before she could process what was happening. Pleasure, indescribable, swelled inside her as his head locked in between her thighs. His lips pressed against her as he began to suck, his tongue violating her most sensitive of spots. Pure ecstasy took over her senses as her fingers grasped at his hair. She no longer had the strength to fight him off. It was all she could do to hold on.