I was lost in the suffocating weight of my own thoughts. Father had already left to attend to urgent estate business, and my mind was a storm of legends and sacrifices. I didn't even realize Richt was behind me until I felt the heat of his body. He wrapped his arms around me, burying his face in the curve of my neck.
"Your Highness, what is this behavior?" I asked, though my voice lacked its usual bite. "Ah... right. You are a shameless man."
His grip tightened, his fingers digging into my waist.
"Do you truly think so little of me, Lady Pati?" he whispered against my ear. The vibration of his voice sent a sharp shiver down my spine that I couldn't suppress.
"Of course. His Highness always does shameless things."
Without a word of warning, he surged forward, pushing me back onto the bed. In a heartbeat, I was pinned against the silk sheets with him hovering over me. His face was inches from mine, his eyes dark with a hunger that had nothing to do with madness and everything to do with desire.
"If you truly think I can be more shameless... then let me show you, Pati. Let me show you just how shameless I can be," he breathed against my lips.
"Y-Your Highness—"
Before I could protest, his lips crushed against mine. He kissed me with a desperate, starved intensity that made my head spin. His hands slid down to my thighs, forcing them apart so he could settle his hips firmly between mine. I tried to push against his chest, but my strength was a joke compared to his.
He broke the kiss just enough to grab my wrists, pulling my arms up and draping them around his neck.
"Push me away, Pati," he whispered, his breath hot against my mouth. "If you truly don't want this, I will stop."
Even as he said it, he claimed my lips again, as if he knew I wouldn't pull away. And to be honest... I couldn't. Not when it felt this good. I needed this. I needed to feel something that wasn't stress, something that wasn't the burden of being a Priestess. I needed to feel this.
His lips moved to my chin and then down my neck, leaving a trail of burning kisses in their wake. My pulse was drumming in my ears. As his hands began to undo the buttons of my nightgown, exposing my collarbone and the curve of my breasts, a deep, heavy ache began to pull between my legs
"Aah... Your Highness..." I breathed out, my fingers tangling in his hair.
He moved lower, his tongue dragging across my skin, making my back arch off the bed. I felt a surge of something so intense I had to forcefully pull his head up to look at him. His face was flushed, his eyes half-lidded and glazed with want.
"Your Highness... what is this feeling?" I asked, my voice trembling. It felt too good—I was terrified I would become addicted to it.
"Pati... just let me make you feel good. That's all I want."
I was too far gone to question him. His hands moved again, bunching the fabric of my nightgown up to my waist, leaving me exposed to the cool air and his burning gaze.
"Your Highness... why there?"
He lifted his head, his voice a low growl. "To make you feel good."
He gently removed the last of the silk covering my most intimate parts. My cheeks burned with a heat that had nothing to do with magic, but I couldn't find the words to stop him. He kissed his way down my stomach, his breath ghosting over my lower belly.
"Pati... trust me. It will feel good."
When his mouth finally connected with me, it was like my body had been set on fire. It was a different kind of burn than the one before—this one was electric. I couldn't stop the broken, shameful noises escaping my throat.
"Nnhg... wait. Your Highness... mmph..."
I felt something building inside me, a tension so tight it was almost painful. My back arched high as his arm wrapped around my waist to hold me steady, his other hand gripping my thigh to keep me open for him.
"Nnhg!" A loud cry slipped past my lips as I felt the warmth of his tongue inside me. My hands gripped his hair, intended to push him away, but I only ended up pulling him closer.
I was on the verge of shattering, my mind completely blank—but what happened next was something neither of us was prepared for