Throne of Secrets (Prince of Sin #2)

Twenty-Six Adriana

T HE MOMENT I stepped onto the roof, I saw him.

If I listened closely, I swore I heard a choir of angels singing on high, though that thought might strike me down since I had a most unholy plan for this evening.

After dashing over to Carlo’s to change into my Lady Frost costume, I’d stopped at the bar to acquire another winter ale, grateful for the excuse to sip it and allow myself a moment to drink my secret lover in.

A pleasant chill worked along my body as I admired my stranger. He was straight out of a fantasy, tall, dark, mysterious… And tonight, he would be mine.

No more hesitations. No more distractions.

I wanted him to stamp any unpleasant thought from my mind; I wanted him to take my mouth in a searing kiss, then turn my body inside out. I wanted to forget Axton’s earnest conversation earlier, his confusing motivations for overindulging. The fact that he’d called me lovely and seemed to hate that it was true. He was my enemy.

Perhaps not in the sword-and-dagger sense, but in the he’d villainously broken my heart and now I’d made it my life’s mission to destroy him back in the press sort of way.

My feelings for Axton this past decade had been simple—iced over, frosty—now they were beginning to thaw and I wasn’t sure what to do with that unwanted puddle of emotion.

Between the prince and my stranger, my life had spiraled into chaos. I needed to wrangle it back, focus on work, on the ice dragons, on anything but romance. At least in my personal life.

Tonight, I’d indulge my physical desire then walk away from my stranger and this club for good. Tomorrow, I would remind myself of all the ways I hated the prince, and I’d fill my days with writing my column and forgetting my stranger and that this secret romance ever existed.

“I see the crowd of admirers are back,” I said. “I’m willing to ignore them if you are.”

“I got the impression that you might enjoy an audience, Lady F.”

He slowly pivoted to face me, and I swore his breathing all but stopped as he took me in, his attention lingering on my frame for a beat too long.

He recovered swiftly, his mouth twisting up on one side. “Or is it the thrill of potentially being caught that you crave?”

Well, then. We were both clearly eager to jump straight into things.

I took my lower lip between my teeth. I’d never been with a lover in a public setting before, but the desire to do so burned through me. In my own bedchamber, when I touched myself, I’d picture being caught and the mere fantasy drove me over the edge.

“Tell me.” He was certainly intrigued. Maybe it was a fantasy we shared.

It wasn’t necessarily the idea of being watched that turned me on.

“It’s the fear of being caught,” I admitted.

He motioned for me to elaborate.

I took a sip of my spiced lager, trying to settle my nerves and consider my thoughts.

“I’m not sure what else to say. The idea of someone witnessing such a private act and being so lost to the moment I couldn’t care less if they watched is the fantasy. I like the thrill of it all, the danger.”

“You want others to feast on the show.” His voice was low and seductive. “To indulge and overindulge your desires is part of this circle.”

I’d never spoken my fantasies out loud before and I wasn’t sure if it was the comfort I felt with the stranger because he made me feel free, or if it was simply the fact that we didn’t know each other that made the confession easy.

Still, I felt entirely too vulnerable, sharing so much without learning anything in return.

I took another large sip of my drink.

“It’s just a fantasy. I’m not certain I’d ever actually do it. I think it’s the danger, the anticipation of possibly being caught, more than someone watching that’s enticing. What are your secret desires?”

“To make your fantasies come true.”

I shook my head, unable to stop the grin from spreading across my features. He was a shameless flirt. And a liar. At least that put one lingering fear to rest—there was no way he was the prince. They were incapable of lying.

“We are newly acquainted. What were your secret desires before we met?”

His attention returned to the twinkling city as he considered. I wondered if anyone had ever asked him that before, or if he simply didn’t wish to share anything personal.

Snow started falling heavily, though the flakes didn’t touch us where we stood. The roof of the Seven Sins was warded by magic that prevented the elements from disturbing its guests.

“You want brutal honesty?” he asked.

“Yes. I’d like to know what you’re interested in.”

He was silent for another moment as if debating his response.

“I want to strip you down, bend you backward over the railing, and eat your pussy until you come all over my face.”

I’d been in the midst of taking another sip of my winter ale and nearly choked.

He flashed a knowing look my way.

“What I desire is to have you shouting so loud that every last guest races to this roof, watching as I hook your legs over my shoulders and feast. I want them to know they’ll never make you come like I will. That your body is mine to pleasure and mine alone.”

He grinned over at me. I must have flushed from head to toe.

“I want your fingers in my hair as you ride my face, lost in ecstasy. Once you’ve begged for mercy, and once I’m certain you can’t take another moment of pleasure, I want you on your knees, choking on my cock as I ruthlessly fuck it.”

I could barely catch my breath after that striking description.

Even with a drink in hand, my mouth had gone dry.

Gods’ blood, the male had quite the sinful imagination. And wasn’t afraid to share it.

He waited for my response, head cocked to one side. From what I could make out of his expression, he was amused, thinking he’d stunned me or perhaps scared me away.

“That was…”

“Graphic? Explicit? Shocking?”

“Well thought out, actually.”

He laughed, the sound deliciously dark and tempting, just like his desires had been. “Most don’t have that reaction, Lady F.”

“You must be courted by fools,” I said, once again using his own words from our previous encounters. “Any male who takes the time to think about his fantasies in such vivid detail and expresses them with confidence is intriguing.”

“How so?”

“If you’re putting that much thought into servicing your partner, it means you’re not a selfish lover. You care about giving pleasure as much as receiving it, if not more so.”

“You could tell all that by my desire to bend you over the railing?”

“Of course. Your fantasy starts off with pleasing someone else. Only after they’ve been sated—enough times to beg for mercy—then you crave your own release.”

“And that appeals to you?”

“Your mind does, yes.”

“If you’re thinking of my mind when I’m describing my fantasy, I’m not doing a good job seducing you.”

“I disagree. Your imagination is colorful, indicating you wouldn’t be a boring lover. And your mouth is downright filthy. Which, under the right circumstances, can be extremely arousing.”

I had his entire attention. “What else intrigued you? The physical intimacy?”

“No, not just that. Adding an element of danger—like bending your lover over a railing—while you pleasure them heightens the emotions and physical experience of the act for them. It’s all incredibly well thought out.”

“I’ve put a shameful amount of thought into it for far longer than I’d ever admit.”

It sounded like an honest confession, but we hadn’t known each other for long so he must have meant his fantasy in general.

He leaned against the railing, arms crossed as he looked me over. He’d been attempting to shock me, and it seemed like I’d succeeded in doing that to him instead.

He sighed.

“We’re going to have a problem, Lady F.”

“Regarding?”

“You want a night of distraction,” he said. “And that’s perfectly acceptable.”

“Except…”

“I already know I am not going to be satisfied with one night.”

I sensed there was more he wanted to say, so I chose my own response carefully. “Tonight is the only night I have available for a while. I can’t keep coming to the club.”

“Neither can I. So you agree we have a dilemma.”

A trap was being set, but try as I might, I couldn’t quite figure out his plan.

I pressed my lips together, considering more angles.

He couldn’t possibly be suggesting what I thought.

“I suppose we only have a dilemma if you’re unhappy with our time being limited to this one night.”

“Perhaps it’s my sin to seek overindulgence, but I do take issue with limitations. You seem to have a very practical mind, Lady F. How do you suggest we solve our little problem?”

“We could simply agree it’s for the best if we parted ways now.”

Even as the words left my mouth, I hated the thought of him agreeing. Whenever someone said “it’s probably for the best” it usually meant someone was about to get hurt. When I’d gotten dressed for the Seven Sins tonight, I hadn’t planned on wearing emotional armor.

“Or,” he said slowly, “we might choose to leave the masks and secrets behind. We can make our own private arrangement away from the club.”

I swallowed hard, then glanced out at the city. The snow continued to fall, the storm almost obliterating House Gluttony from view.

I wasn’t sure how we’d gotten here.

We were supposed to be two strangers who gave in to our desires for one night of debauchery and fun, no strings attached, no emotions.

No potential heartbreak. Just a simple flirtation.

And yet, tonight hadn’t I wanted to unmask him before walking away for good? I’d gotten addicted to our encounters when they should have only been a small taste of fun.

After my one attempt at love, I didn’t court anyone. And not simply because I didn’t have time to. Though I supposed I’d have more time now that I lived in the castle and didn’t have to worry about working and tending to our home. At least for the next several weeks.

Which should be more than enough time to indulge in a little romance.

I didn’t outright deny his request, so he pressed on.

“In fact, if we don’t need to rely on the club or earning magic keys, we could do whatever we liked, whenever we felt the desire or need.”

I narrowed my eyes. “You haven’t had any issues with finding keys before.”

“Luck. And favors.”

I was sure there was more to it than that, but he was purposefully dodging the question. I changed tack.

“What exactly are you proposing?” I asked.

At this he finally hesitated. His fingers tapped a quick beat along the railing. “A mutually beneficial bargain. One we both honor until we’re sated.”

“The terms?”

“We court secretly unless we’d like to go public. If it ever comes to light, we agree to never reveal the truth of where or how we met, then part ways without any expectations of this lasting beyond a few weeks. We indulge in our fantasies, see each other as often or as little as we like during that time. But we agree to keep our relationship private.”

I thought about Axton entertaining his suitors for the next several weeks. It would be nice to have someone to distract me at night after I’d hunted down any clues in the castle.

If we both agreed that it was a temporary bargain, that should mitigate any unwanted feelings. Though, truth be told, we weren’t doing so well with not becoming interested in each other now. That could just be because we hadn’t had our fill of each other yet. Surely once we’d indulged as he’d said, we’d feel differently. I hadn’t met anyone I’d wish to seriously court.

This was a passing fancy, one that was intriguing because of the secrecy, the mutual attraction and mystery, the thrill of the unknown.

Right now, we were deep into the stages of pretend. We could make up stories and backstories for each other without the weight of reality ruining our fantasy.

In my mind, he was a fierce royal hunter, a ruthless fighter, an owner of an infamous nightclub, and an indulgent lover. When in truth his everyday life might be as mundane as mine.

“Let’s agree to six weeks,” I said.

No reports had been published about the length of the competition, but that should hopefully cover most of it so I wouldn’t be alone. If I only saw my stranger at night, I wouldn’t tire of him. Hopefully.

I prayed his appeal wasn’t simply because he was a tantalizing mystery to solve.

“Once our time ends, we part ways,” I added. “No renegotiating. No broken hearts.”

“Wonderful.” His smile was practically warm enough to melt the snow. “We’ll swear a blood oath to make it official. Our needs will be mutually met that way.”

I hesitated at that, looking him over carefully as I considered the suggestion.

“A blood oath is a bit much for a simple dating arrangement.”

It was a magical bond that couldn’t be broken, but it would ensure he adhered to the time limit, which suited me well enough to consider agreeing. It also meant we’d work together to achieve our mutual needs, keeping our interests aligned while the bond was in place.

“Maybe.” He sounded rather casual about the whole thing. Like he was proposing a walk in the park and not a magical tether to a complete stranger. “But it also grants a certain level of trust between the parties. With a blood oath in play, neither of us could betray the other. Do you trust me, Lady F?”

I would have liked to, but that cynical part of my brain warned me there was some hidden angle I hadn’t yet figured out. I studied him closely, but whatever telling details I might have read in his face were disguised by the glamour. No matter how hard I tried to unearth his secrets, I hit an impenetrable wall. The risk, the danger… it had me on the edge, peering over.

If I wanted to know who he really was, there was only one way to find out.

I had a growing suspicion that my first impression of him being a hawk closing in on his prey was the truth. I looked him over again, wondering if I actually wanted to play the part of the mouse, or if I should walk away before it was too late.