Cassandra's Challenge (83 page)

“William….” Cassandra groans as his mouth moves
down her neck. Raising his head he looks down to see her desire,
his
wife’s
desire. It is a potent thing. Leaning down he
sweeps her up into his arms, carrying her into their bedroom.

Cassandra is trying to catch her breath. This
man, her
husband
, has done so much to make this a perfect
day, from beginning to end. A memory to hold to, that will get them
through the hard times. And she had no doubt they would have them,
that’s life. But it is what you did in between that will sustain
you.

“I love you William.” She looks into his eyes as
he lets her legs slide down his body.

“I will always love you, wife.” William seals
his vow with a kiss. “Did I tell you how beautiful you look?” His
fingers tunnel into her hair, gently removing the pins holding it
up. “When you entered the garden….Cassandra….I’ve never seen
anything so beautiful…you took my breath away. You are my heart, my
soul, all that matters in my life, you’re my wife.” The emotion in
his voice has her eyes filling.

“When I entered the garden, all I saw was you.”
Cassandra touches his cheek. “You were standing there, my light, my
love the only one I’ll ever have, you’re my husband. All I’ll ever
need is you.” Kissing him her fingers move down to work on his
jacket sliding it off his massive shoulders.

“You always look so handsome in your uniform.”
She turns to carefully place it over the back of a chair. William
leans down to kiss her bare shoulder his fingers working the
buttons on the back of her dress. Freeing her it slides down her
body as his hands slide around her to cup her breasts.

Groaning she leans back letting him support her
as her body begins to ache. “William….”

Releases one breast William’s fingers tease
their way down her side to slip under the scrap of violet eadai
covering her. Finding her hot and wet he slips a finger into
her.

“William!” Her hip move against his hand, he can
already feel her starting to tremble. As his thumb caresses her nub
the trembling increases.

“Let go Cassandra.” He whispers into her ear,
gently biting her lobe, increasing the pressure of his thumb. “Let
go for me.”

She can’t breathe, the pleasure he’s giving her
coming so fast. Reaching behind her she wraps one arm around his
neck the other gripping his thigh as her hips move against his
hand.

“William!” She gasps as her body explodes.

Holding her trembling body against his William
is kisses her shoulder. Does she know what it does to him? Her
response to his touch. That she allows herself to loses control,
with him. Bending he sweeps her into his arms carrying her to their
bed. Laying her down he sees her eyes begin to focus. Removing his
remaining uniform he joins her.

Cassandra watches him undress, her breath still
not steady. He is such a large man in every way, strong, tough,
sometimes gruff but he’d never hurt her. She’s known that since the
first day on the Raptor. He puts her needs first, her need for
understanding, her need for justice. Even when it makes things
harder on him, she’s first. He protects her, even from herself.
He’s her life mate, her love, her lover, and now her husband. As he
joins her in their bed he lets her roll him onto his back.

Lying across his chest her fingers gently caress
his lips as her eyes look into his. Slowly her lips replace her
fingers, her eyes never leaving his. The kiss she gives him is soft
full of all the love she has for him. Her tongue plays with his as
her hand moves down his chest, fluttering across his well-defined
abdomen to his thick shaft.

With her fingers dancing across him, teasing him
William feels his control slipping. Gripping her hips he lifts her
so she’s straddling him.

Breaking off the kiss she watches him as she
slowly takes him in, inch by glorious inch. He’s eyes flare as she
takes all of him, only slowly reverse the process. Sweat breaks out
on his chest, his fingers clenching as he tries to maintain
control.

“Let go William.” Cassandra’s voice is husky
with passion. “Let go for me.” She watches as his eyes darken and
turn just a little wild.

Pulling her mouth down, his hips drive home,
rolling her he crushes her into the bed, he thrusts long and deep.
Locking his hands with hers he holds them above her head bracing
himself above her as his mouth continues its assault.

Cassandra wraps her legs around him as she rips
her mouth from his desperate for air. “More…” She pants as she
starts to tighten around him. “Please William…more.”

William growls at her demand, attacking her
mouth he loses the last vestiges of control, blind desire takes
over. He barely hears her cry of release as she tightens around
him. He will have more. He will take more.

“More!” He demands releasing her mouth. “Give me
more!”

Her eyes widen at his demand, she can’t…but her
body is already starting to tighten. William is giving her no
recourse as he feeds on her breasts, using his teeth to tease her
already throbbing nipples.

As the orgasm explodes through her body
Cassandra screams, capturing it with his mouth as he empties
himself into her with one last powerful thrust.

Cassandra is limp beneath him. With great effort
he lifts his head his breathing still irregular, finding her eyes
closed her lips swollen. Releasing her hands he caresses a flushed
cheek. Lifting heavy eyelids glazed eyes meet his. “Are we alive?”
She whispers. Easing to her side he leans down to gently kiss her
lips.

“I think so.” He mummers his hand wandering down
her body. Resting over their son.

“Good. That’s good.” He enjoys her barely formed
words. A testament to just how far he’d taken her, how far they’d
taken each other.

Cassandra can’t get her mind to function, it’s
shut off. How does this man, her husband, she can’t help but smile,
do that to her? Covering his hand she laces their fingers.

“Do you know what I like more than my eadai?”
She asks when she finally catches her breath.

“What?” He loves to hear her desires.

“Being your wife.” He watches her eyes sharpen,
her mind reengage. “Being Cassandra Qwes Zafar. Admiral Zafar’s
wife.” William heart tightens, hearing her say it. He’ll never get
tired of hearing it.

“My wife.” He lifts her hand to kiss the ring
he’d placed there only a short while ago.

“Tell me about the ring.” She rolls onto her
side facing him.

“It was my first House ring. Given to me by King
Kado, Jotham’s father, before I went into the Academy.”

“How old were you?”

“Thirteen.”

“And you’ve worn it ever since?”

“I couldn’t seem to part with it. So as I grew I
just switched fingers instead of getting a new one.”

“William…”

“I know it’s out of style, the giving of rings,
even when it was in style, it wasn’t an old House ring. I can get
you something more appropriate.”

“Just try and get it back.” She closes her hand
around his. “That you would give me a ring you cherish matters more
to me then some fancy thing that’s only there to show off.”

“It’s a symbol of the House of Protection
Cassandra.” He wants to make sure she understands.

“My husband is
from
the House of
Protection, it’s appropriate.” She sees the concern in his eyes.
“What am I not understanding?”

“It’s not that, people will question. Question
your commitment to the House of Knowledge if you wear a ring from
the House of Protection.”

“The ring is about my commitment to
you
.
How I express that commitment is up to
me
. It has nothing to
do with the House of Knowledge.”

“But you need to know it could be brought up
tomorrow.” She looks at him understanding what he’s telling
her.

“Thank you.” Leaning over she kisses him.

“Tell me about mine.” William looks at the thick
wide band on his finger. It’s a mellow golden color, edges
softened. A large square cut black gem fills the face, frowning as
the light hits it he realizes it violet, not black, the deepest
violet he’s ever seen. Sitting up he looks at the sides. One has a
crest, the other a single arrow. It’s a first son’s ring.

“Cassandra….where did you get this?”

“I found it in Sabah’s tomb, the last time I
left Kayseri.” William’s eyes fly to hers.

“When?”

“After Victoria.”

“And you never went back?”

“There was nothing to go back too. The tomb
collapsed….the day I left.”

“After the ring was removed...”

“Yes.” Sitting up Cassandra touches the
ring.

“You’ve had the ring ever since?”

“Yeah,” She gives him a slightly guilty look. “I
know I should have turned it over but I couldn’t part with it.
Victoria likes to call it my
lucky
ring.”

“Why?” He watches her closely.

“Because of my dad, I showed it to him. He told
me to keep it, that it was meant to be mine and would always keep
me safe. It kind of became the family talisman, if you wore it
you’d be protected.” He sees the touch of sadness in her eyes,
talking about her father.

“If it’s yours why was Victoria wearing it?” He
sees her eyes darken.

“After the poisoning she was scared, she didn’t
want to admit it, but she was. I gave it to her to wear.”

“So she’d feel safe.”

“That and it made her feel closer to Peter. He’d
wear it when he was away.” Cassandra looks into his eyes, seeing he
understands she meant when he was on missions, dangerous
missions.

“But she gave it up.” William’s throat tightens
as he looks at the ring. “Today, both of you gave it up, to give to
me.” His eyes lock with hers.

“We don’t need the ring to protect us anymore.
We have you.” She touches his cheek letting him see the belief, the
trust they have in him.

What had he ever done to deserve this? The trust
of not only his life mate but of Victoria. They’d given him the one
thing they had left, something special to each of them.

“Cassandra….” He rests his forehead against
hers. “I don’t know what to say.”

“William I can’t prove it. But I believe I was
meant to find this ring, Kayden’s ring. Was meant to bring it back
to Carina, to you, it’s back where it belongs, on the hand of a man
from the House of Protection. I believe that’s why Sabah hid it,
instead of giving it to their son. The ring needed to be returned
to Carina, to one of Kayden’s descendants, to you.”

“I don’t descend from Kayden.”

“You descend from Walwyn, his brother. You’re
family the ring needs to be returned to the family.” She touches
his cheek.

“The way Sabah needed
you
to find it, to
return it, to have a Qwes woman return to the throne of the House
of Knowledge.” He touches her birthmark which by now was not only
blazing white but all the rays coming out of it were colored. The
five House colors.

“Maybe.”

“Cassandra…” William’s voice is aggravated.

“William,” Her eyes are serious as they look
into his. He can tell she’s thought this out. “I understand what
you’re saying, and yes I even believe it. There are too many
coincidences for it not to be. But I’m not going to let that
dictate my life, my life with you, Victoria and our son. That will
be our decision. Not the Assembly’s, not the Ancestors,
ours.
”

William listens, really listens to her, and
she’s right. He has to smile, she usually is. Pulling her across
him he gives her a long kiss.

“What is that for?” Her eyes sparkle into
his.

“For being right, you usually are,
we
will decide
our
future.”

First sun is barely rising as Cassandra feels
William sliding away from her.

“Where are you going?” Her voice heavy with
sleep.

“Shower. Sleep. There’s time.” Kissing her
softly he tucks the covers around her. Watching her eyes close he
leaves her. He hadn’t allowed her much rest, his need for her, for
his wife had surprised him. They had loved fast, hard, slow, and
soft. Even now he wants her. Turning on the shower he steps in.

Sleepy eyes watch him watch his firm bare
backside move away from her. He has marks on his back, from her
nails. They’d loved long into the night, exhausting each other, to
have only a touch, a look, rekindle the passion. Just the thought
has her body starting to tingle. Hearing the shower she smiles.

“You missed a spot.” William freezes, his head
whipping around to see the water flow over his wife as she steps
into the shower. Tipping her head back her hair streams away from
her face as sapphire eyes met his. “Let me get it for you.” Running
her hands down his magnificent flanks they turn to gently but
firmly stroke him.

“Cassandra….” What she can do to him, this small
woman, his wife. As her inventive hands continue to glide over him
he finds himself bracing his hands against the wall.

“Do you know how many fantasies I’ve had about
you and this shower?” She whispers kissing the marks on his
back.

The feel of her hands on him, her lips and
tongue on his back, water everywhere how much is a man supposed to
take! Pushing away from the wall he turns griping her face.

“Show me.” He demands, his lips capturing
hers.

She can’t believe how badly she needs this man,
will always need him. As her tongue duels with his, he backs her
into the wall, his arm sweeping under her, lifting so she can wrap
her legs around him.

At her entrance he rips his mouth from hers.
“Tell me!”

“I am yours! Only yours!” Tightening her legs
around him she pulls him in.

“Yes!” Pounding into her he pulls her closer.
This won’t take long, her hands have devastated is control. “I am
yours Cassandra! Only yours!” As he thrusts one last time she
shatters around him.