Shit. Was being tied up supposed to turn him on? It was. Yami's chest heaved as he felt Charlotte's vines— considerately stripped of their thorns— bind and restrict his wrists. "Is this necessary?"

"I—" She stammered, wavering from her sudden initiative. "I need you to promise me. You will let me protect you... even..." Again she stopped, eyes darting away from his for a second before returning. He swallowed.

Stepping closer, her vines tightened as she clenched her fists. "Even if that puts others, including me, in danger."

He met her gaze, unable to stop the buzz coursing through his veins. His prickly queen had proved herself over and over. She was fierce, more than capable of winning a battle and stealing his heart. She was overwhelming and utterly intoxicating, and right now he wanted nothing more than to claim her in every sense of the word. The steady thud of his heartbeat echoed in his ears.

"Kiss me." His voice was gruff and raw, akin to every emotion she made him feel

"Promise," she muttered. "I don't need distractions or reassurance or reasons— just a promise."

Could he really say he'd be willing to have Charlotte put herself in danger for him? Looking at her, he knew he had to. In the end she was right; it was unfair to hold her at a double standard. The thought of losing her was too painful to bear... and yet, bound and unable to run away from the truth, he had to give in. "I promise."

She leaned in, her breath a warm tingle of anticipation fanning his lips, before she lit up his soul. Her mouth covered his in inexplicable emotion. He moved to hold her, but was stopped by vines. He groaned into the kiss. "Char—"

"Shhh," she whispered between hungry kisses. "Tonight, I need control."

Well then. He was in no position to argue.

"Then, have your way with me." Through dark hooded eyes he peered at her, and saw how deep her concern for him ran. She needed this, needed to know she could bring him to his knees just as much as she could bring down any enemy.

Lips latched to his, her hands ran along his shoulders and pushed off the robe. Warmth emanated from her body, becoming so much more enticing at his nakedness. His arousal stretched painfully firm against his stomach, yearning for her attention. But she was just out of reach.

Her mouth left his lips, a trail of steamy breath traveling over his check to his ear. He cursed, helplessly caught in the web of her beauty and desire. She nipped at his earlobe and ran her tongue along his pulse as her hands slid down his sides. A new kind of lust had taken over Charlotte and he had the feeling not even with all his mana, could he stop it.

The thing was, he wouldn't stop her for all the world.

"I need you," he groaned.

She chuckled, soft like a wind chime. "Patience."

Delicate fingers danced across his thighs as she kneeled and showered kisses over his chest. Circling his nipples, she licked up his freshly-showered skin. Her eyelashes tickled the wisps of hair over his heart, which skipped a beat as she spread his legs and settled between them, continuing to tease him.

"Fuck, I can't do this. I need to feel you." He pulled at his restraints with a good amount of force, but they only tightened. He let out another guttural groan of anguish and want.

She stopped and stared up at him with eyes of the purest blue. "Am I really making it that hard for you?"

"Yes," he hissed through clenched teeth. He was too aroused to think of anything except being inside her, and that was the very thing she wouldn't let him do.

She inched her face towards his erection, a smile growing on her lips. "Really really hard?"

His dick jumped to her in response.

"Hm, should I do something about that?" she purred.

What an infuriating question.

"I will find a way to break these vines if you don't sit on this cock," he warned.

She gasped at his language. Underneath her act she was still his innocent Charlotte, but he was too tightly wound up to care about being delicate. Using the only weapon he had at his disposal, his words, he bent over and whispered in her ear. "The longer you make me wait, the harder I fuck you later."

Never had her face been so red— like her ass will be, if nothing changes.

She sprung up to her feet and pierced him with a cool blue gaze. "I can take you."

All the air vanished from his lungs. Just. Vanished.

Biting her lip so that it became as pink as her flushed cheeks, she slid off her robe in a sexy pose. Her hands ran over her breasts, around her hips and she turned, bending so he had a view of everything she wouldn't let him touch. Vines circled his ankles as if she anticipated him making another attempt at escape. They pulled apart his legs, snaking up his calves and winding around his thighs. She had him all wound up— literally.

With one step, her body met his and she sat slowly, delicately— like the lady she was— only taking in his tip. Again his arms strained to hold her, to his hips trust upwards as much as he could manage.

"Char," he pleaded, not only his voice, but his will broke in pieces under her influence.

"Yami," she moaned, drawing out his name as her warm, wet entrance swallowed him at last.

"Char, my Cha—" She raised up and came down on him again, turning his words into a grunt. "If you let me protect you," he rasped, "then I promise, I will let you protect me."

Moaning in response, he felt the tale-tell sign of her thorns poking his skin. The sting of her lust sweetened the pleasure he felt and intensified the image of her perfect body sliding up and down on his lap. He wasn't the only one losing control anymore. Her legs began to shake, her breaths heavier and more sporadic.

Gathering his strength, he clenched one fist and in a sharp tug, broke one of her vines. She gasped and fell backwards. He hissed as he felt her clench around him. Speckles of blood colored his forearm, but he didn't mind. Using the momentum and her shock, he grabbed her hip and swung her face-down into the bed, snapping the vines around one of his ankles as well.

Now, she was at his mercy. And as promised, he didn't go easy on her. He snapped the last of her vines and plunged into her, one hand on her back. Her loud moan was only partially muffled by the mattress. He lifted one of her legs and thrust again, over and over, until her whole body was a quivering mess.

"We take care of each other," he grunted, speeding up until he, too, couldn't take anymore. He cursed as he slammed into her hard and spiraled into an exhausted bliss.

One thing had been made abundantly clear to him today— he would be in far more danger without her, than with her.