"Master…" she gasped against my neck, her voice losing all composure. "You have no idea how long I've waited for this moment."
My hands, which had taken lives without batting an eye, closed around her hips, my fingers sinking into the silk of her dress and the firm flesh beneath it. I pulled her toward me with such force that it drew a guttural moan from her. Elizabeth arched her back, seeking the contact of my chest against her breasts, which rose and fell with electric urgency.
I didn't waste any time. With a swift movement, the fabric of her dress yielded to my strength, exposing the pale skin of her thighs and the lace that barely concealed her femininity, already damp with anticipation.
I sat her down on the desk, sweeping aside reports on trade routes and maps of distant empires with a sweep of my hand; they fell to the floor like worthless trash.
"Always so impatient, Elizabeth," I murmured, my voice laden with a low vibration that made her tremble. "But today you're right. I don't want reports. I wanted to see you."
I positioned myself between her legs, spreading them wide as she wrapped her thighs around my waist, clinging to me with possessive force. I unzipped my pants and, without further ado, thrust myself deep inside her in one single, deep stroke.
Elizabeth let out a cry that was stifled by my mouth. Her eyes rolled back for a moment, overwhelmed by the sensation of fullness. She was tight, hot, and pulsing with a friction that made me clench my teeth. I began to move with a savage rhythm, each thrust sending a shockwave through her body that made her slam against the surface of the desk.
"Ah! Cassian… more!" she begged, her nails digging into my shoulders, marking my skin with red grooves.
I relished her surrender. I liked that this woman, who could bring entire economies to their knees with a single signature, was now reduced to a wreck of moans and spasms under my control.
My hands slid down to her buttocks, lifting her slightly so I could penetrate her even deeper, thrusting against her cervix until her spasms of pleasure began to shake her uncontrollably.
The office smelled of sex, of power, and of that strange connection that only we shared. Seeing her like that, with her hair disheveled and her face transfigured by orgasm, reminded me that, despite my transcendence, these carnal connections were the anchor that kept me alive.
Finally, with one last thrust that left her breathless, I released my seed inside her, filling her as she clung to me as if I were the only solid thing in a crumbling universe. We stayed like that for a few minutes, breathing heavily in the silence that returned to the room.
Elizabeth rested her forehead on my shoulder, still trembling.
I gently pulled away from her, straightening my clothes while she remained lying on the map of the Empire—a perfect image of decadence and victory.
"I missed you, Cassian. Whenever you leave the Academy to return to the North, you forget to come see me."
I finished adjusting my shirt cuffs, still feeling the lingering warmth of Elizabeth's touch on my skin. She was right, and I knew it perfectly well. Sometimes I became so immersed in my own inertia—in that peace I'd worked so hard to achieve—that I ended up neglecting the threads that connected me to the people who truly mattered to me.
"You're right, Elizabeth," I said, this time with honest gentleness, stepping away from that facade of indifference I used to wear at the Academy. "It's not that I don't want to see you; it's just that sometimes I enjoy my own silence too much."
I approached the desk again and, with a slow gesture, caressed her cheek, brushing aside a strand of her copper-colored hair. She closed her eyes, leaning against my hand.
I wasn't looking for a strategy or a master plan; I was simply enjoying her company, her ambition, and the way her body molded to mine.
"Since I arrived here five years ago, I've wanted only one thing: to live in peace. And part of that peace is surrounding myself with women who, like you, are worth the headache they cause," I added with a small smile. "I don't want my concern for you to overwhelm me, but I also don't want you to think I don't appreciate you."
She looked at me with her amber eyes, still clouded by pleasure, but with a spark of relief. I knew she wasn't lying; she had no need to, for she was too powerful to bother pretending.
"Then show it more often, Cassian," she replied, adjusting her dress with lazy elegance. "Because if you leave me alone too long, I'll end up buying the rest of the world just to get your attention."
I chuckled to myself as I headed for the door. As I stepped out, Adela was waiting for me with that look of hers that said it all without needing words. She knew where I'd been and what I'd done, but instead of pointing it out, she accepted it silently.
"Master, if you've finished 'catching up' on the Marquise's business…" Adela said in a slightly sarcastic tone, "we should go back."
I sighed, rubbing my temples. "Not yet, Adela. There's another reason I came here."