on Caius’ hands, half expecting her arms to fall off. They’d been in the gym for hours, and while she liked Caius’ commanding attitude in the sack, she hated it everywhere else, especially in training.
“Good girl,” he crooned, taunting her.
She purposefully swung above the pads to knock the smile right off his face, but he blocked it with a laugh. Dropping her gloves, she bent over and put her hands on her knees. Out of shape was an understatement.
“You’re not out of shape,” Caius said, grabbing them bottles of water.
“Is mind reading a Royal ability?“ she asked. It would explain how he always knew she was lying.
“I wish,” he replied. “Your thoughts are written all over your face.”
They both hit the gym showers, and when Rory emerged, Caius’ hair dripped down his face.
Her legs ached as she sat down and grabbed a bottle of water. “It sure feels like I’m out of shape.”
“You’re not used to being weak,” he replied, sitting beside her with his feet planted in front of him and his elbows draped loosely around his knees.
As much as his teasing irritated her, he was right. “Where is Sam?” He wouldn’t be such an ass during training. She hoped.
“Erdikoa.”
She perked up. “Did he check on my mother?” It was foolish to think his trips to Erdikoa were about her, but he checked on Lenora the last time he’d gone.
“We’ll find out when he gets back,” Caius replied and pulled his shirt over his head.
Still wet from his shower, he was the sexiest man she’d ever seen, and her mouth salivated at the sight. He used his shirt to dry his hair, and she wondered why he didn’t just use a towel.
“You can touch me, Miss Raven,” he teased in a sensual tone that made her core heat. “I’d prefer if you did.” She licked her suddenly dry lips.
His athletic shorts hid nothing as his erection grew, and her fingers ached to run the length of it. She didn’t think, just acted, leaning forward, and when he moved his arms, she crawled between his legs.
“How do you want me to touch you?” she purred. “Use your words.”
He bit his lip, and his strong jawline begged to be licked, and that was precisely what she did. He groaned, and his dick poked her stomach through his shorts.
When she was at his neck she whispered, “Tell me, Caius. What do you want?”
He grabbed her wet hair and tilted her head back. “I want these,” he said, running his tongue along her lips. “Wrapped around my cock. I want my head to hit your throat so hard you gag, and when you think you can’t take me any deeper, you will. I want to watch your throat bob as you swallow every drop of cum I give you.” He kissed her, tightening his hold on her hair. “That’s what I want.”
She didn’t like giving head, but his words made her wet. He was going to get the best blow job of his life, and then he was going to fuck her as a reward.
She crawled backward and sat back on her heels to pull his shorts down, freeing his impressive length. Once they were tossed aside, she fisted his shaft as his eyes watched her like a hawk.
“Lick it, Miss Raven,” he drawled. “Show me what that sharp tongue can do.”
She ran her tongue over the tip with her eyes glued to his as he sucked in a sharp breath. With a smile and her ass in the air, she sucked the tip like a lollipop. He made sounds that shot through her and urged her on.
She sat back on her heels again, and Caius’ lust filled gaze followed the movement. She pulled open the waistband of her shorts, swiped her hand through her arousal, and returned to his cock, wrapping her wet hand around his girth.
“For fuck’s sake,” Caius moaned as she dragged her hand up and down with a twisting motion while sucking his head. “Do you have any idea how sexy that is?”
She picked up the pace, and before long, his hand grabbed her hair. “Swallow me,” he instructed, and she did.
Moving her hand to his balls, she relaxed her throat and took him all. There was no way she could keep from gagging, and her eyes watered, but still she moved him in and out of her mouth.
“Fuck, Rory,” he growled as his head fell back. He pushed her head down and fucked her mouth. Abruptly, he pulled her off him. “Take off your shorts.”
She scrambled to stand, shimmied her shorts to the ground, and stood in front of him. He lay back on the ground and beckoned her closer. “You will finish your job, while seated here,” he said, motioning to his face before grabbing her thighs to pull her down.
She faced his cock and seated herself on his warm mouth, both of her legs braced on either side of his head.
“Ride me, Miss Raven.”
Taking him as far into her mouth as she could, she worked him, but when Caius tugged her down to feast, she cried out, feeling a sense of déjà vu.
Her hips moved, and she had to focus on pleasuring him, too. He moaned against her pussy and lifted his hips as she picked up speed, and the faster she went, the harder he ate. Teeth scraped against her clit as his nose swiped across her sensitive skin.
She was practically screaming around his cock, and when her muscles clenched, she moved faster. “Caius,” she panted. “Oh, fuck.”
She came hard, and as she rode out her climax, she neglected him, but he didn’t seem to mind, because he flipped her over and had her pinned to the ground in seconds.
“Lift your leg.” He grabbed her left knee and draped it over his shoulder while simultaneously wrapping her right leg around his waist seconds before slamming into her.
They both moaned, and he rammed harder than she’d ever experienced. She swore he hit her cervix as he pounded. Her clit was swollen and sensitive from her first orgasm, and she could feel another building.
“You’re stunning,” he rasped through labored breaths.
His thrusts split her open, and her leg tightened around his waist, trying to pull him closer. She held herself in place on the ground the best she could as she pushed her hips to meet his.
She would never tire of the feel of him moving inside her. They were both close, and she felt his dick begin to pulse. He grunted as he came, and as he rode it out, she sparked and followed. It wasn’t as explosive as her first one, but it was enough. Her pussy milked him, and his chest heaved.
Their freshly washed bodies were covered in a new layer of sweat, and when he pulled out, he smiled. “I guess we’re both out of shape, but you did good, baby.” He leaned forward and kissed her, dissolving her into a puddle of goo.
Once they were both dressed, he picked up her gym bag and slung it over his shoulder. “Max leaves tomorrow.”
Her eyes burned. “He does.”
Caius gently touched her arm to stop her. “Are you okay?”
She averted her gaze with a slight nod. “I will be. We’re meeting him tonight for a quick goodbye. He didn’t want to make a big production out of it.”
Caius’ hand moved to the back of her neck and pulled her to him. Kissing the top of her head, he put his arm around her and led her to the door. “I have an idea.”
“Where are we going?”
“Where I go when I feel like shit,” he replied.
Intrigued, she went without argument but couldn’t help but ask, “What makes you feel like shit?”
“I miss my family, too,” he said ruefully.
Empathy flowed through her as she followed him through the gardens, past the pond, and down a hidden trail. As many times as she’d been here, she had never noticed it. They came out on the other side of the trail into a long field marked with lines and two arrowball nets on each side.
Arrowball nets sat atop large, forked poles, split down the middle, with a net between each pole vertically, and a horizontal net cresting the top. Caius jogged to a building behind the nearest net, opened the door, and emerged with three arrowballs.
The name arrowball was misleading because it wasn’t a ball at all. It was slender and shaped like the tip of an arrow, and when thrown, it eventually circled back to the thrower.
It was what made arrowball so hard. They passed it down the field by throwing it to their teammates, but if they didn’t throw it hard enough and they didn’t catch it soon enough, it circled back and not only did they lose ground, but they might also lose the ball. The key was to get it into the net, but again, if they didn’t time it right, it would circle back before hitting the net.
Rory saw an arrowball circle back out of a net after it was already in. The team didn’t get the point, and the stadium went crazy. The two vertical nets were three points each, and the net on top was worth five points. It was high up, and hard to make. They had to throw the ball from far back to angle it right.
She wasn’t much for sports but watching an arrowball game in person while drinking beer with friends was fun. “You play arrowball?” She didn’t think kings played sports.
His smile was a mile wide. “I played in grade school.”
Rory jogged across the field to where he stood. “I didn’t know Royals went to grade school.”
He dropped the balls, removed his shirt, and wiped his forehead. “How do you think we learned to read and write?”
She paused for a beat. “Tutors.”
He picked up a ball and motioned for her to go downfield. “There was a school right outside The Capital we went to under aliases. We even had a house and fake parents we pretended to live with.”
Rory’s mouth ticked up. “I bet the ladies stumbled over themselves to get to you,” she teased. “Even without being a Royal.”
He waggled his eyebrows. “You will stumble, too.”
She shook her head lightly, laughing, and he barked out directions as she moved down the field. He pulled back, twisting his upper body, and let the ball fly. When he did, he took off running toward Rory, and her pulse picked up as she tried to gauge where to run.
The ball was low, but not low enough for her to reach, and she jumped, making a grab for it, but she missed it right before it circled back. “No!” she screamed as her feet hit the ground.
Caius jumped, his vertical impressive, and his abs and obliques flexed as his arm reached above him and snatched the ball from the air. Watching him in action was like watching an artist create a masterpiece. His body was made for this.
Still, she hated losing, and when he turned to her with his winning smile, she attacked, making his smile grow. He picked her up and threw her over his shoulder as she squealed and beat playfully against his back. “You apologize right now,” he teased. A sting on her ass was accompanied by a loud slap, and she bucked.
“Did you just spank me?” she asked in disbelief.
He spanked her again. “I did. Cheaters will not be tolerated, Miss Raven.”
She wriggled in his hold, and despite herself, she giggled like a schoolgirl. “Do you promise to be good?” he asked, his deep voice rumbling against her thighs.
She bit back a smile. “Yes, Daddy.”
His body went tight, and his grip bit into her legs. “Watch what you say to me, unless you’re ready for the repercussions.”
He slid her down the front of him, every part of her touching his torso, and when her feet hit the ground, his hands cupped the side of her neck and jaw as he leaned in for a kiss.
The kiss started slowly, but soon turned desperate, and when he pulled on her bottom lip with his teeth, she moaned into his mouth. He pulled back and pressed his forehead to hers.
“Do you feel better?” he asked quietly.
She lifted on her toes to brush a light kiss against his lips. “Yes. Thank you.”
He backpedaled until he reached the arrowball, bent down to grab it, and pointed at her. “Anything for you. Don’t ever forget that. Now, go long.”
She laughed and took off running, her heart feeling lighter and happier than it had in a very long time.
