Wicked Empress: The Onic Empire, Book 4 (10 page)

Never had a man tasted so good. Viltori savored the lingering essence of Bithia but also the salty sweat of Drahka’s body. Drahka thrust forward, almost gagging him, and grabbed the back of Viltori’s head with one mighty hand. Growling, he worked his hips roughly, but Viltori was ready. He wanted him wild and untamed. Aggressively, Drahka worked his prick into Viltori’s welcoming mouth.

Bellowing out in Oughunian, “I will not lose everything for this again!” He pushed Viltori away so violently he smacked his head against the floor. Yanking the edges of his pants closed, Drahka strode from the cells. Viltori’s only redemption was that no one would have understood what Drahka cried. Not even his teacher. Viltori understood the words, but not the meaning. Drahka had once lost everything by a man sucking his cock?

Stunned, his head spinning, his cock now twice tormented and denied, Viltori drew shakily to his feet. He did not know where to go. He was no longer an acolyte so he could not return to their great sleeping room below the temple. He did not wish to go to the empress rooms and await Bithia, not when he might run into a still-fuming Drahka. Sighing, Viltori decided to go to the one place he always felt welcome.

Once in the
tishiary
, Viltori stripped off his pants and slipped into the great pool. Floating on his back, he again studied the artwork above. What had compelled him to do that to Drahka? If he had continued with their mutual stroking, they each would have reached a shattering climax. But no, he had to have more. He had to push Drahka one step too far. Clearly, the man was not ready to change his perceptions that much. Moreover, something beyond the teachings of his tribe held him back from his true desires. Drahka could not deny that, at first, he’d been consumed with the act. He’d enjoyed what he and Viltori had done. But Viltori got greedy and ruined everything. Viltori closed his eyes and floated on his back.

A playful tug on his cock alerted him that Rown had entered the pool. Opening his eyes, he looked over to find him swimming around him in circles. Black hair plastered across his forehead, Rown was speaking as he bobbed along, but with his head underwater, Viltori couldn’t hear a word he said. For a while, he enjoyed simply watching Rown’s animated face move with the flow of his words. His lips caressed his speech, reminding him of what happened this morning. Rown and his amazing cock-sucking mouth. Viltori wondered what delights he could have taught him if he’d only been able to last longer. Another sigh escaped him. Rown was just someone else he simply couldn’t have. Still, watching Rown was pleasant and he would never forget what he’d given him.

Rising to the surface, Viltori shook the water from his ears. “I did not hear you.”

Rolling his eyes, Rown said, “I am not repeating all that.”

“I’m sorry.”

“You didn’t miss much. Just me gushing about how wonderful you look when you swim, how amazing it is to me that your cock is again so hard after this morning.” Swimming near enough to whisper, Rown asked, “Did your teaching not go as planned?”

“Not at all,” Viltori confessed with a long, drawn-out sigh. “He is convinced that male-to-male touching is wrong. Always. Well, he did make a slight exception for teaching.”

Rown tilted his head, thinking deeply. After a moment he said, “Then find more creative ways to teach that involve touching.”

“So I can torment myself?”

Darting his gaze down, then up, Rown asked, “You satisfy him, but he won’t satisfy you? Sounds familiar.”

Growling, Viltori caught Rown about his waist and pulled him near, loving the way his legs entangled with his. “I’d be more than happy to satisfy you if only it didn’t violate your duty to your god.”

For a long moment, Rown hung in his embrace, but it was clear Rown held his allegiance to his god, and probably to the man he secretly loved.

Releasing him, Viltori sighed and said, “Sterlave has no idea how much you love him. How do you handle knowing that you can assuage his lust, but even if he wanted to, he cannot fulfill yours?” Viltori felt annoyed just thinking of such an unfair situation.

Shrugging, Rown put some distance between them by swimming backwards. “It is the way of my kind. Even if he wanted to, I couldn’t let him, but I don’t mind. I find my satisfaction in his.”

Viltori did not think he could ever be so altruistic.

“I’m not suggesting you do the same.” Rown shook his head, flinging water droplets off the ends of his hair. “You were not trained as I. It would be unfair for you to withhold your climax. And even I am allowed a release during
strocation.
”

Viltori laughed. “Drahka doesn’t believe in self-gratification, either.”

“So he thinks he can arouse you and leave you hanging forever?” Rown was genuinely appalled.

“Apparently.” Viltori didn’t have the heart to tell him the rest, that he was now considered the property of the empress, not when he worried Rown would likely tell everyone else. The point became moot when the empress herself entered the
tishiary
.

Striding up to the great pool in the tightest crimson dress Viltori had ever seen, she pointed to Rown and flicked her finger away.

In a flash, Rown bounded out of the water and disappeared.

“My lady,” Viltori began, swimming over to her, “what can I do for you?”

“You. Out. Now. Follow me.” She spoke in the crisp, clear manner that one did to a domesticated animal. When he didn’t immediately snap to do her bidding, her eyes narrowed. High red marks colored her cheeks. “I said now.”

“I heard you.” Viltori knew he was playing with fire, but he couldn’t help himself. “Tell me first of my position with you.”

Leaning near, she hissed, “It will be over my knee with a paddle if you continue to defy me in the presence of others!”

Viltori glanced casually about the
tishiary.
“We are alone, my lady. And having you spank my defiant ass doesn’t sound as unappealing as you might think.” Any contact would be welcomed at this point. “If you spank me long enough, I might just climax. Of course, you’d have to punish me for that too. Such a scenario of discipline could go on and on. Possibly for a lifetime.”

Bithia reached out as if to grab him by his hair. Without thinking it through, Viltori clasped her arm and yanked. Bithia fell headfirst into the pool, crimson dress, shoes and all. When she surfaced, sputtering, her fingers scratched in the direction of his face, but he swam backwards out of her reach.

She followed him, then her eyes went wide as she sank. When he realized she couldn’t swim, he came up from underneath her, cupping her body to his chest as he swam backwards toward the sweeping underwater steps. His hard cock pressed into her curvy bottom, and he thought for a moment about lingering her rescue, just long enough for him to find release against the pleasure of her bottom packed in the tight dress. It wouldn’t take long. Not with everything that had happened today. But he relented. Damn Drahka for putting it in his head that to do so would waste his essence!

After a moment to gather her wits, Bithia glared over at him. “Get. Out. Now.”

Viltori figured he was in for a long night of torture, and probably not the good kind. He opened his mouth to apologize, but the fire in her gaze silenced him. Head down, he exited the pool, quickly dried off, and pulled on his
mondi
trousers.

Slogging her way out of the pool, Bithia removed her shoes, dried herself as best she could, then squished her way along the polished hallways with Viltori following in her wake.

Chapter Ten

Bithia held her head high, despite her drenched state. Her plans for the evening now ruined, she marched her slave back to her suite as quickly as she could stride in the sopping dress. Rarely did she put forth effort on her appearance and the one time when she had, her new servant destroyed all her hard work. And yet, curiously, she was not angry. Oh, she would let him follow behind her and think her the most vengeful creature ever, but in truth, what he’d done had shocked her almost into a fit of giggles.

She hadn’t been on Diola for long, but she’d never met anyone like Viltori. He was not only intelligent but also thoroughly wicked. He had captured her attention like no other man, not even her chosen. Although, to be fair, her opinion of Drahka had changed considerably after one lesson with Viltori. Carefully, Viltori crafted his threats to silence her, and she’d allowed him that power, for he’d promised her a great release. She swore that if he failed, she would punish him. After what he’d accomplished, she was determined to keep him for her very own.

Spinning suddenly, she halted Viltori mid-stride and demanded, “What is the meaning of the mark upon my consort’s face?”

His brows lifted, curiosity filling his gaze. “I know not, my lady.”

“You never thought to ask?” Exasperated, she placed her hands on her hips. Her angry pose did not have the desired cowering effect, not when her nipples, which were now tight and hard from the cold, wet dress, distracted him. Much like Drahka, Viltori seemed enamored with her chest.

After a moment, he whispered back, “You never asked his name.”

She could have acted if she had not heard him, but she chose not to. “You dare to talk back to me?”

He stepped close. “I do.”

A shiver went down her spine that had nothing to do with her wet clothing. “I could have you punished.”

Viltori took another step closer. “Why not punish me yourself?”

Pressing her palm to his naked chest, she pushed him against the nearest wall. Leaning in, lifting her face tantalizingly close to his, she breathed, “I fear you would enjoy such punishment far too much.”

Darting his gaze up and down the length of the hallway, Viltori grabbed her upper arms, reversing their positions with one great lift and swing of her body. Bithia found herself pressed against the wall, Viltori’s body pressing warmth into her, his cock hard and hot against the cool of her belly. Never had she known a man willing to risk her wrath by taking command of her, not on Beserrah and certainly not on Diola. Secretly she thrilled inside, even though she purposely made her face convey nothing but shock and fury.

Before she could falsely berate him, Viltori lowered his face, kissing her silent. He kissed her as if she were his entire world. Dropping all pretense of anger, she kissed him back with just as much heat. If she could, she would part her legs and wrap them around his waist, pulling him even closer to her. But as it was, she just wiggled helplessly as he pressed into her so tightly he took her breath away.

Lifting his mouth from hers, he grasped her hips, thrusting himself against her as he moaned into her ear all the things he would do to her. “I want to rip this dress off you until you’re standing there naked and shivering, then I’d rub my body against yours to warm you up. I’d slip my hand between your legs and finger your tight, sweet cunt until you were panting and sweating and begging for my cock. Still, I wouldn’t give it to you. You’d swivel those luscious hips of yours on my fingers, crying for more, your body writhing, your mouth seeking mine, and I would thrust my tongue into your mouth, making you think of my cock in your cunt.” He fell to kissing her again, using his tongue just as he said, making her think of his cock doing the same.

Tearing her mouth away, she struggled to remove her dress. She wanted to feel him against her, flesh to flesh, with nothing separating them. So far, she’d only felt him through fabric and she wanted to know the texture of his skin, the scent of his body, the taste of his sweat. Tugging at her dress, she uttered a growl of frustration as the wet fastener slipped from her grip. His hands were there, helping her, fighting against the sodden fabric that refused to release her. Together they struggled with her dress, kissing and snarling, breathing out all the depraved things they would do once she was free.

“Stop.” Breathless, he fell against her, his weight a comfortable protection from the cold. “I cannot do this.”

“Damn you and your silly morals!” She forced him to look at her. “You are not an acolyte anymore. There is nothing holding you back from me.”

“That never held me back.” His finger traced along her nose to the tip, then down to the very edge of her upper lip. “You are beautiful, Bithia, but more than that, you are a wild, untamable woman. You are everything I’ve ever wanted. With you, I honestly believe I could be satisfied for a lifetime.”

No man had ever spoken so plainly to her, so forthrightly about his feelings. No games, no courtly flirting, just simple honesty that left her feeling more vulnerable and afraid than she ever had because she knew in her heart he wasn’t finished. She wanted to stop him from speaking any further and ruining this moment, but she couldn’t get her hand up to his mouth in time.

“But you are my friend’s bondmate.”

Her eyes closed because that was the last thing she expected him to say. She imagined he would worry about creating an illegitimate heir, or that she would cast him aside when she no longer wanted him, but instead, his concern was for another. Not himself, which she could understand, nor even her, which would have touched her deeply. No, his concern was for another man.

“I thought Drahka was just your student.” Even as she made the accusation, she knew it wasn’t true. She’d seen the way they looked at each other, but she’d thought only simple lust glittered their eyes, not anything deeper than that.

“At first he was, but now he is my friend. And…” His voice trailed off, making Bithia aware that more brewed between the two men than she had previously thought. He couldn’t put it into words, but she was certain Viltori looked upon Drahka as more than a student, more than a friend. Dare she think he looked upon the man with something like love in his eyes?

An age-old hurt rose to the surface, decimating whatever kindness she felt. She pushed Viltori away. He would rather have Drahka than her. Always, Bithia was second best, second choice, second-class. Her parents had rejected her for her half-sister Kasmiri, and now Viltori rejected her for her bondmate. If Viltori were honestly swept away by her, he wouldn’t have let anything come between them in that moment. He would have torn off her dress and plunged himself deep into her. Repercussions might have come later, but he would have lost himself in that moment. That he didn’t said more than words ever could.