Bad Apple (4 page)

Darien
slams his hands on the wall, holding himself up as he releases a stunned gasp.
“Snow,” he chokes out, yet fails to stop me.

One
of his hands drops to my head, curling his fingers into my hair as I pull him
further into my mouth. Tightening my cheeks and tongue around him, I move him
back out in a slow languishing movement as I remember Rose doing. His back
arches, and a hiss shoots over his clenched jaw.

“
Snow, if you continue I won't be able to stop.
Please, I beg of you, let me take you to my bed.” He swallows hard and grips my
head with both hands.

“
No,” I whisper and slide him back into my mouth.
Massaging my tongue over the length of him, I wrap my hand around the base of
his shaft. The balls hanging at the back intrigue me, and I cup them in my
other hand.

Grunts
echo in the hall as he struggles to control himself. “Snow, you're going to
make me cum. You need to stop.”

I
continue on my mission. His cock twitches and tenses against my tongue. So I
suck harder, tighter against him until my cheeks strain and my tongue tires. He
thrusts his hands against the wall once more, holding himself up as his hips
rock in rhythm with my mouth. Spasms rip through his cock, and a salty warm
liquid squirts across my tongue.

As
it hits the back of my throat, I force back an unexpected gag at the shock of
the experience. But I continue to lap his seed up with a hunger I've never
felt. His heavy breaths weaken his body, and once rigid legs wobble. Groans
work their way through each labored wheeze of his chest.

I
pull back and wipe a dribble at the corner of my mouth on my sleeve. He breaks
into laughter as he tucks my prize back into its garment cover, and
a sadness
fills me. Dropping to his knees, he pulls me to
his chest and slams his mouth against mine.

He
works his tongue deep in my mouth, as if he wants to taste himself on me.
Cradling my head with his hands, he holds me like a doll as he makes love to my
mouth. The fervor of his kisses will be my undoing. I cannot get enough of
them.

He
breaks the kiss that feeds me life, reassurance, and love, pressing his head to
mine. “For God's sake, Snow, what were you thinking?”

“
Did I do it wrong again?” I blink, looking up at him
through my lashes.

He
stares into my eyes. “I don't think you could ever do anything wrong. You were
magnificent.”

Rose
and Marcus appear from around the corner. “Is everything alright?” Rose asks.

Heat
floods my cheeks, and Darien shields me from their prying eyes. “She's fine.
We'll be fine. I'm going to take her to her room to rest. I think she had far
too much wine last night and is suffering the effects today.”

“
Snow, do you need me?” Rose asks. “Can I help you?”

I
shake my head and wiggle from Darien's arms. “I just need to lie down.”

Rose
smiles and offers me a hand, helping me up. Darien rises from the floor,
stroking his fingers along my back.

“
You missed a spot,”
Rose
whispers as I pass, pointing to the corner of my lip. She slaps a hand across
my ass, takes Marcus by the arm, and they head toward their own bed chamber.

My
mind swirls as I think of ways to keep Snow here in the castle with me. If she
leaves now, devastation will claim my soul. At first I thought Marcus a fool to
abdicate the throne for a woman. But I understand now the power the right woman
holds over you. But Snow, she'd make the perfect queen. She would rule this
land with kindness, generosity, and our kingdom would prosper.

Ever
since father died and mother took charge, our once fertile lands have been sold
off to neighboring kingdoms to keep mother's cellars filled with gold. Instead
of protecting our borders, she sells them to our enemies. We needed that union
with Marcus to take place with the princess of
Everwood
in order to secure our borders. And when he got cold feet and ran, mother sold
them the last bit of fertile land to avoid conflict. Some days I think she did
it on purpose.

But
because I am the youngest, I am not in line for the throne until after my
brother. Though now that he's decided not to rule, if I marry a princess I will
be king, and I can repair what mother has broken. And now I lay torn, as Snow
is not a princess. Once I am king, I will rid us of that ridiculous law. The
irony—I'd have to marry someone other than Snow in order to change it. Anger
slices through my heart at the
very
thought.

I
guide Snow back to her bed chamber, my cock already rearing to life again after
her little surprise in the hallway. She amazes me. So innocent and naive, yet
filled with a voracious hunger for the flesh. She drives me mad, and I want to
spend endless hours showing her the wonders of her body and mine. I love her
soft nature, so caring and kind. Her reputation through the kingdom is
untarnished, a true angel. Yet an awkward wit to her first caught my eye that
day in her manor.
Rye
humor lay buried under that
shield of purity, harboring a volcano of curiosity and lust. She is an enigma.

I
lean to place a kiss along her neck, but the shrill cry of my mother's voice
knifes through me, and my cock shrivels.

“
Darien, a word please,” she says from behind.

Sucking
a deep breath, I release it in a terse huff. “Snow, if you wouldn't mind, I'll
come find you later. We can finish the...discussion we started.” I cup her hand
in mine, dot it with a kiss and toss her a wink, hoping she understands my
hidden meaning.

She
nods with a twinkle in her eyes as she purses her gorgeous red lips and heads
down the hall to her chamber.

“
Yes, mother. What vexes thee now?” I
fold
my arms and lean against the wall.

She
drops her clasped hands against her stomach. Emotionless violet eyes stare at
me from under her cowl, hiding her mousy brown hair. “First thing in the
morning you will see to it Snow finds other accommodations. If you don't, I
will. The wedding feast is over. We have royal issues to tend to, and we don't
need a commoner endlessly roaming the halls. Not to mention causing”—she clears
her throat—“distractions.”

I
shake my head with a snort. “Of course you'd call her a commoner. Is she
nothing else to you? Her name is legendary throughout this kingdom.
Full of warmth and kindness.
She's done much for the
starving families in our kingdom. That's more than I can say for you. You take
away their food. She gives it back to them. Do you not see what you're doing?”
The words spew over my lips, stinging like acid. I cannot stop them. I don't
want to stop them. For the first time in my life, I have something worth
fighting for. Snow gives me the strength I need.

“
You're nothing but a boy with your head in the
clouds.” She shakes her head with pursed lips.

“
I am far from the boy you still think of me as. I'm
well fit to rule this kingdom. I'm more of a man than father was at this age
when he took the throne.”

“
I make the hard decisions no one else can. We're
still alive because of me. Our kingdom hasn't been taken over because of
me
.”
Her eyes narrow, hiding the rage that fills them. “Watch your tongue, Darien.
Son or not, I will not tolerate your insubordination.”

Disgust
toils in my gut. “Just what will you do, mother?
Hestor's
no longer alive for you to make deals with. Do you have another sorcerer to do
your bidding?”

A
laugh pops from her throat, echoing through the castle halls. “You know not of
which you speak. Keep up your accusations, and I guarantee you will not like
the results.” She turns, heading for the throne room.
“By
dawn, Darien.
Or I take matters into my own hands.”

Her
boots pound against the stone, making a triumphant exodus. Heaviness buries my
heart beneath layers of fear and regret. If I give up Snow, maybe I can save
the kingdom. If I give up the kingdom, lives will undoubtedly be lost. But I'll
have Snow.

My
hands clench, digging nails into my palms until my skin turns as white as
Snow's. Anger boils in my veins. I know what I have to do.

I
must make love to Snow. I must show her my love, and fill her with everything
in me. For it will be the last time I'll ever get to do so. Mother was right
about one thing; part of being a ruler is making the hard decisions other
people can't. I just pray Snow will not think less of me. In my heart of
hearts, the Snow I know and love would tell me to choose the people over her.

In
a fury, I rush the halls and make my way to her bed chamber. With heavy pants
of air wheezing out of my lungs, I knock on her door. It creaks open. Her
stunning brown eyes capture mine, and I instantly rethink my choice.

“
Darien, are you alright?” She pulls me inside the
room, wearing only a shift, and slams the door shut with a thud.

I
bite back the words. I'm not ready to tell her just yet. Right now, I need her.
Nothing else in the world, just her and I.
No Marcus.
No Rose. No mother. No choices.

Her
eyes train over my body, filled with concern and confusion. “What's wrong?”

“
Nothing, sweet Snow.
Nothing.”
I run a hand through her hair before resting my palm against her soft cheek. “I
hope I didn't make you wait too long.”

She
bites her bottom lip and dips her head. “I think I know of a way you can make
it up to me.”

A
chuckle pops from my throat as I shake my head. “I have a pretty good idea what
that way may be. Oh, Snow. I have so much more I want to do to you.”

She
spins from my arms and drops her chemise to her ankles. Turning her head, long
raven locks drape her bare shoulder as she glances back at me. I stare at her
naked flesh. Last night in the tunnel darkness shrouded us. Now, in the bright
morning light, I see her for the first time.

Her
gorgeous hair stops right before her rounded hips. She clings to the oak bed
post and eases herself around. The pink of her breasts stare back at me. I
swallow hard over the lump wedged at the back of my throat, blocking my words.
My gaze traverses the length of her, stopping on the beautiful patch of hair
between her legs. All the air in my lungs lunges out of me in a gasp.

“
Why are you still clothed?” She tilts her head as a
coy smile weaves over her lips.

“
Because I cannot take my eyes off of you.
Words fail me. They would do no
good anyway. There are none to describe you, Snow.
Gorgeous.
Stunning.
Beautiful.
They
pale in comparison to how my eyes see you. How my heart feels for you. But
perhaps with actions, I can show you.” I rush her and sweep her into my arms,
squashing her breasts against me.

Crushing
my lips over hers, I sweep her mouth, telling her things with my tongue that I
cannot say. Soft moans fill our kiss, and my feisty Snow works hard to get me
out of my clothes. Hating to unlock our lips, I step back to undo the last of
my trousers.

“
I finally get to see all of you, too.” She stalks
around me like a tiger eyeing its prey. “I like this part best.” She drags a
finger the length of my cock, which stands at attention waiting to pleasure
her. “But, I also like this part.” Her hands palm the width of my torso. I
fight back a smile itching to curl over my lips at her little game. “I really
like these.” Gripping my hands, she pulls my fingertips to her lips and kisses
each one. “They do so many good things to me.” She makes one final walk around
me. “But I like this part most of all.” Pressing her lips to my chest, she
kisses my heart. It fills with sadness and love at the same time.

The
lump returns to my throat as I fight back choking emotions attacking my head and
heart.

“
What about my lips?” I ask, forcing a smile over the
ache in my heart.

“
They are not part of you. They are part of me. They
breathe life into me. They feed me words that can never be spoken.” She runs
her hand up my chest before cupping my cheek. “They unlock true love's kiss.”

I
ease her backward onto the bed and hover over her body. Leaning forward, I
brush my mouth against hers. Hard nipples graze my chest, sending a lightning
bolt of arousal to my cock resting against her hips.

“
These lips can do so much more.” I look deep into
her eyes that swallow me whole.

“
How so?” she whispers.

“
Like this,” I say, before kissing my way down her
body. Spreading her stunning thighs apart, I ease my face between them.

“
Darien?” she cries out. “What are you doing?”

“
Speaking to you in another language.”
I pry open her lower lips with
my fingers and swipe the length of her pussy with my tongue.

Hips
bucking and belly convulsing, she gasps. “Darien!”

A
smile blazes across my face as I dive back in and take another lengthy stride
over her. Arousal pools in her opening. The sight of it spikes adrenaline
through me. Dipping the tip of my tongue in it, I spread her juices, drowning
in the sweet taste of her. I focus on her clit, sweeping circles around it to tease
her.

Sucking
on her sweet sensitive spot, I slide a finger into her channel swimming in
fresh arousal. Snow's body convulses under my touch, and she fills the room
with whimpers and moans. She cries out my name on the wings of a breathy moan,
fumbling her fingers through my hair.

Her
hips rock, mimicking the rhythm of my tongue.
I plunge another finger inside
her, launching her nearly off the bed as she arches in pleasure. She is ready,
hanging on the edge of her climax. With a flick of my tongue, I sweep her over
it as the waves of her orgasm hit. Her moans
notch up an
octave as the ripples of ecstasy shudder
through her.

I
make my way up her body, decorating her skin with licks and kisses. Heaving
myself at a breast, I
suck
in a pebbled nipple. Snow
writhes beneath me as my hands roam her soft skin.

“
Darien,” she whispers. “I need you inside me.
Please,” she begs.

Easing
her onto a pillow, I brush a stray lock of dark curls from her face. “I'm so in
love with you, Snow,” I say, before sweeping her mouth into a deep kiss and
thrusting myself inside her. I don't give her a chance to respond, for I fear
what she'll say. My heart longs to hear the words from her lips in return, yet
if she says them I won't be able to go through with my decision. But she needs
to hear them from me, and I pray she believes them.
Because
they are filled with truth.

Rocking
my thighs, I penetrate her, pumping in and out as slow as I can stand it. My
cock throbs inside her tight walls, and with one thrust I nearly come. I pull
back from the kiss and gaze down into her bewildered eyes with a smile. Her
lips pucker open and a gasp leaves them. I stare at them as they twitch with
each of my thrusts. She is lost in a world of pleasure, and she looks like an
angel. I capture that moment, that stunning image of her face at peace, in
ecstasy, in love. I wish I could look at it forever.

She
chokes out my name, and I stop her before she says anything else, reclaiming
her lips with my own. I punish her tongue for attempting to speak, making love
to it as I do her pussy. Lifting her thigh, I slide in deeper and accelerate my
thrusts. I can no longer hold back and must release.

We
are one.

Her
hips buck up against me and I down into hers. Our lips break as a growl works
its way out of my throat. She replies with a moaning scream and digs her nails
into the flesh of my shoulders. A shiver claims my body, and I collapse against
her. Warm arms surround me as she pulls me to her breasts. I bury my face in
her flesh, drinking in her scent mixed with our sex. I know in that moment, I
cannot be with anyone but Snow.