Dark Prince (23 page)

"Fine," she stated aloud with a stare that mildly hardened her face for a moment. Then, sighing, she went to the closet. "Which tunic do you want?"

"The council tunic is black with a silver dragon embroidered within a shield." Yusef stretched his arms slowly to unclamp the muscles in his lower back.

Olena flipped through his clothes. Something flashed before her eyes. It was a gold encrusted bracelet, fitted with rubies and emeralds. It was big enough to fit Yusef’s bicep. She licked her lips. Now that was a prize worth stealing.

"Did you find it?"

Olena shook to her senses, and lied, "I’m just looking for boots … ah, got them."

She came out carrying his war tunic and shoes. Olena helped him don the tunic. It fit snug over his chest. If he even dared to look at her with his bedroom eyes she would have pushed him over and climbed on top of him. She turned quickly to retrieve his pants.

Yusef couldn’t help the manly satisfaction at her interest in his body. He’d felt her fingers quiver. What had ever happened to his bold wench? Who was this fluttering, blushing maid now set before him?

Olena knelt before him, looking up as he made a sound. It was a mistake. His eyes had lowered as his member had risen. Her breath caught, as he said, "I don’t have to leave right away."

Olena swallowed, reading his intent well. Would this man never get enough? He was insatiable. As her body stirred to desire, pooling her midsection with hot wetness, she wanted to groan. Would she ever be sated?

"Come," he said. "Climb on my lap."

Olena hesitated. She had worked one foot into his pant leg.

"I promise you won’t regret it."

Olena’s gaze again went to his arousal, engorged to the point that she saw the distinct trailing of veins.

Yusef reached a hand to her, lifting her up. Her will was weak and she let him guide her. When she was standing, he latched his fingers into her waistband and jerked her pants off. Olena kicked the material from her feet.

Then, turning her so her lush backside was before his face, he growled. Olena shivered, wondering what he was up to.

Yusef leaned forward and nipped a cheek. Olena jerked. He wanted to lean her over to taste her wet center, but knew his body wasn’t recovered enough for such stunts. So, instead, he pulled her firmly onto his lap. His legs nudged hers apart as she sat facing away from him.

"Lean forward," he commanded with a growl forming in the base of his throat. "That’s right, just like that."

Yusef’s hand explored her back, feverishly igniting her skin as it memorized every curve. When he felt her body tighten with desire, he backed up so that his calves were pressed firmly to the bed’s side.

"Bring your knees to the bed," Yusef told her, relishing the view he was going to be privy to with her kneeling over him. Olena obeyed, using his knees for support as she leaned forward over the bed. The unsecured position made her heart race, knowing she could plunge helplessly to the floor if he released his hold on her hips.

Olena looked up, noticing how the mirror reflected her sordid reflection back to her. She watched her body squirm. Yusef’s hand curved around her shoulder to pull her back onto his awaiting arousal.

"Oh, you look so good like this." His eyes lit with fire as he watched their bodies join. "You’re so wild. I want to tame you."

Olena loved it when he talked dirty to her. It thrilled her, made her feel naughty. And there was nothing more pleasurable to a pirate than the feeling that you were getting away with something. At his urging, she lifted in repeated thrusts against him, driving him deep inside her body.

"Yes," she howled as he moved her with his controlling hand. A passionate rhythm was struck up between them. "Talk to me, Yusef, let me hear your words."

Yusef nearly lost himself at the request. Her hips beat fast, as he said, "You’re so hot, wrapping tightly around my shaft."

Olena instantly trembled before he could get another sinful phrase out--though he had plenty more he could say to her. She worked her body faster until she was too overcome with pleasure to move. She yelled violently until his body jerked in instantaneous response.

Weakly she climbed off him, keeping her eyes down as she pulled on her pants. She hid her face from him behind her hair. When she finished, she helped him to dress. Then, running her hands over her face to secretly wipe the tears that fell, she swiped the moisture across her face and buried it into her hair as she pulled the heavy locks back.

"Olena," Yusef began part in demand, part in question.

"You’re going to be late." She affected a bright smile. "Go see to your justice."

Yusef nodded, knowing she was right. "I need my crown."

Olena nodded, retrieving it from the closet and setting it gingerly atop his head. She brushed his hair back from his face, lightly combing down the dark strands with her fingers.

Wearily he stood, his body sated by hers. Leaning over, he kissed her cheek. Then, grabbing his sling from the dresser, he wrapped his arm and strapped it along his neck as he walked to the front door. Turning for one last look, he eyed her thin frame in the doorway to the bedroom.

"Don’t wait up. These things can take all day," he said. "A servant will come round with food. Have him drop it off at the door. Don’t let anyone in."

Olena obediently nodded.

Yusef turned from her, the memory of her beauty burning into him. With a stiff command to the door, he strode from the house to do his duty.

Chapter Sixteen

King Attor denied all charges with a sardonic grin. He knew as long as he was under the protection of the convened council, he wouldn’t be touched. Nothing was accomplished during the seven hours of talks. But, then again, nothing had been accomplished in the centuries of fighting that had occurred between the two kingdoms. Death attempts on both sides were nothing new, though none had occurred for over a hundred years.

Zoran was in charge of military matters, representing the Draig with a Var warrior of equal ranking opposite him. Olek presided over the whole affair, doing his best as ambassador to keep the peace, though all the brothers knew he would like nothing more than to spill King Attor’s blood for his insults to the royal Draig family.

Yusef sat in silence through most of the affair, as did Ualan. They did not see the point in speaking with the Var leader when all they would receive in turn was more of his lies. They smelled his falsehoods on him as easily as they breathed in the hall’s air.

After the meeting, it took another four and a half hours to make certain Attor and his men were gone. A thorough search of the castle revealed nothing and the high alert was taken off the village so that the villagers could again leave their homes using caution.

Yusef’s back pained him, but he did not let the discomfort show. The night of passion was beginning to catch up with him and by the time he went home, he was too exhausted to see straight. Olena was asleep on the couch, her hair spilling over the side in beautiful contrast to the white. He left her there, her parted lips in his memory as he went to bed alone.

* * * *

The warriors cheered good-naturedly as the four Princesses, wearing dark breeches and tunic shirts, aimed knives at the practice post. Pia had received a gift of knives from her husband and, eager to try them out, invited the women to join her for a little sport.

Olena thought a day out of the house was the perfect remedy from the melancholy of being trapped within it for a day. Yusef was agreeable to the event and escorted her to the field to watch. Olek and Zoran were there to give their support. Prince Ualan was still abed, according to Morrigan, who merely blushed at the confession.

Olena was the first to throw. She was not a novice when it came to the blade. Although her targeting wasn’t dead center, she knew she could strike her mark enough to subdue or even kill.

She did fairly well, as each knife made it into the post, near the center. The gathered soldiers clapped and stomped. She glanced at Yusef, trying to act like she didn’t seek his approval. A white bandage slashed across his arm but he looked so much better. He smiled widely for her, dark and handsome in his approval, and nodded his head. Olena refused to blush, but she knew what that look in his eyes meant.

Nadja was hopeless, missing the target completely on all five tries. She glanced at Olek in embarrassment. The men applauded anyway. Morrigan managed to hit the post on her turn, though they weren’t centered. She curtsied as she received her cheers.

"Maybe you ladies should let a man show you how it’s done," called a voice from the crowd.

Morrigan rolled her eyes at the others, retrieving the silver blades for Pia’s turn.

"Ach," Agro cried. "You’re hardly a man, Hume!"

Pia flashed a grin at Hume, who immediately crushed his hand over his heart. Olena watched the antics with a stifled chuckle. She saw Zoran’s face cloud ever so slightly in jealousy. She was glad Pia Korbin wasn’t Doc Aleksander’s daughter. She would hate to see that possessive warrior on her trail.

Pia took up her new set of knives, weighing them carefully in her hand as she tested them. Getting to the third one, she lifted it and studied the blade. Frowning, she went to her husband and handed it to him. Zoran uncrossed his arms and took it from her hand before she grabbed a replacement blade from his waist.

At his curious glance at the replacement, she announced loudly for all the men to hear, "You need to check the balance on that one. It will pull a fraction to the right."

With hardly moving a muscle, Zoran threw the blade over her shoulder. It stuck just to the right of the target. The men laughed heartily in approval.

Olena was too busy pretending to listen as she watched Yusef from the corner of her lash veiled eyes. He was laughing light-heartedly at his brother. His look of pleasure twinged her heart. Her mouth went dry.

Not turning around, Pia said, "Told you."

Going before the target, Pia took a deep breath. She tossed the first of the blades at the post. Not waiting to see it land, she rapidly dropped to the ground to throw two more in a roll. Then, coming to kneel, she threw the last two. The fourth blade struck against Zoran’s to knock it free, before sticking in its place. On the fifth, she turned her arm and it missed the post completely. The warriors watched in stunned silence, their gazes following the path of her last throw. It was a foot before Hume, sticking hilt up and tipped towards the man.

"You missed," Hume said, to break the silence. The men went wild cheering. Pia took a graceful bow. The woman jumped in excitement, basking in Pia’s victory.

Morrigan turned to see her husband storming onto the field. The women, hearing her gasp, followed her eyes. Pia and Olena exchanged looks of amusement.

"Careful," Olena teased Morrigan, moving close to the woman. "Or else we might think you actually like the barbarian."

Morrigan blushed, turning her eyes away. Pia handed Olena the blades for her next turn.

Olena glanced at Yusef, he nodded his head. Pia, seeing the woman’s look, quietly said, "It would seem Rigan isn’t the only one enamored by her warrior husband."

"We’ve got a bet going. All I have to do is hit this post with these five blades and I win." Olena let a mischievous smile light her eyes. It had been her roguish husband’s idea. He seemed to think that since she was so confident she’d hit near her mark that she should put her blades where her mouth was, so to speak. His terms were simple. If she won, she got to request one thing from him. If he won, he got to do the same from her--no complaining.

"Come," they heard Prince Ualan say.

Pia and Olena turned around to watch Ualan leading Morrigan off to the forest. They shared a look.

"Zoran tried to lead me around like that." Pia shook her head in disapproval. "He had to carry me off kicking and screaming. I nearly got away, too. I did get a few good punches in."

Olena laughed, "I hid in the forest for a night, but broke my arm. Yusef had to come rescue me."

"We’re waiting!" came a cry from the crowd.

Pia turned to glare good-humoredly at Hume. Wryly, she called, "Don’t make me aim higher, Sir Hume."

Pia meant his chest, but the rowdy warriors were only too ready to guess something much bawdier.

Zoran gulped. Pia looked in confusion at the men’s snickering. Olena laughed, understanding the men all too well. As a slightly worried Pia went to consult her husband, Olena threw. The first four landed fairly well. But, then, in an unexplainable effort to gloat, she looked at Yusef. He winked his dark eyes at her and blew her a kiss. She faltered mid throw. The knife hit, but went too far to the side and instantly fell back out with the weight of the hilt.

Yusef grinned. Olena gulped to the sound of cheering. She forced herself to retrieve the blades for Pia.

"We need a blindfold," Zoran called. Miraculously, the call was quickly answered as one was passed over the front to Zoran. Zoran crossed over to Pia and tied it around her head. He then smacked her hard on her backside and the men laughed.

During the commotion, Olena sidled near Yusef.

"I believe I won," he gloated.

Olena blushed furiously. "I hit the mark. You said nothing about the blade sticking."

"Make your throw!" Zoran called.

Pia lifted her arm, taking aim. She threw.

Hearing the blade land on wood, Olena glanced at the post before turning back to Yusef.

"Do you try to renege?" Yusef’s brows rose in mock surprise. "Where is your honor?"

Pia threw the second and third time. Each blade landed in the post. Suddenly, a loud cheering came up over the crowd. Zoran grinned as she stiffened. He had motioned the men to make noise.

Yusef and Olena ignored it, concentrating only on each other, while pretending not to.

Yusef meant his words as a joke, but Olena took the bait. "I have never backed out of a bet! A deal’s a deal. I will honor it!"

Pia lifted another knife. The fourth hit, though it was not as deep as the others.