"Why would you want to lick my stomach?" I frown at him. Is this another cultural norm I don't know of?

"Not your stomach."

Oh. He wants to go down on me?

I stare at him wide eyed. It's such a daring request, but he looks at me as if we're discussing the weather.

"No, thank you," I tell him, suddenly feeling feverish.

"I understand it will be for health purposes only," he insists.

"Um... it's best if we don't. Besides, I haven't showered in two days. It would be disgusting."

He tips his head when I admit this. "Why not?"

I clamp my lips shut, but he looks at me expectantly.

"The buckets are heavy. I can't carry them because of my leg."

"Then get the men to carry them."

"And inconvenience them daily? There is no need for that. Daily baths are a comfort."

He stands up. "I will return."

"Wait—"

He returns minutes later with four buckets of warm water, two in each grip. The weight strains his veins against his arms.

"You didn't have to do this."

"You should not be afraid of asking your Clan to do little things like these," he counters as he places them down. "Clean yourself, and then I will do my part."

His part being diving between my legs and washing out my pain with pleasure.

Now alone, I look at the water warily. Would it be okay to let him tongue me? A cramp answers for me. My body wants me to use him. To make him wordlessly apologize for everything with that tongue of his.

I strip and lather my body with soap. As I clean my skin, my mind becomes filthy. I can't stop thinking about Dramon's mouth. How satisfying it would be to come on a tongue that commands and demands, to be devoured by a man who is at the top of the food chain.

I snap out of my lustful thoughts when I realize how south my hands have ventured. Bubbles surround my peaked nipples, and it's not cold in here.

"Venus," Dramon calls from outside.

"Wait!" I reply and wash the soap away. I don't have any clothes in here, so I rummage through the wooden chest beside the bedroll and pull out one of his tunics. The cloth ends well past mid-thigh, and the armholes are so wide that I'm afraid a breast will spill out.

I suddenly feel self-conscious everywhere. My legs are prickly from hair growth that's coming back, and my hands look manly from their callouses and chipped nails. Women on Xelor don't typically become warriors. Most are expected to choose less bloody professions because of The Vanishing. I wasn't one of them.

"Okay."

He ducks inside, and can't seem to look away from what I'm wearing. He looks at my chest like the rest of me doesn't exist. Not the prickly legs or the ugly hands.

"Have you considered my medicine?"

His medicine? The spit on his tongue?

I hesitate to answer, and that's probably why he stepped closer until I can't see over his wide shoulders. I'm confused when he walks around me.

"You don't have to check my knee. It is feeling better today."

It seems like he had no interest in my knee, because he grabs my hips and lifts me from behind. I become dangling fruit. My short skirt is angled, so he gets a magnificent view of my goods. My legs are dangling in the air, wide open, and my lips are shut.

He swoops his face under my skirt and latches on. He's not shy about his enthusiasm. Slurping and hmms fill the tent as I watch the semi-open entrance with nervousness.

The lingering pain in my lower belly is gone. I think it disappeared the second Dramon entered the tent and looked at me like I was the juiciest pussy on Xelor.

I'm hanging at a ninety-degree angle, help up by two greedy bands of steel. His fingers are so long that they dip into my lower abdomen, massaging me as his tongue does the same.

I close my eyes as the damned Rider King nibbles on my clit. My toes are curled, and my hands are covering his own on my hips.

I don't know how he's doing it, but his lips spread me open to give him unrestricted access to the aching bud he seems obsessed with. His tongue presses, circles, and teases until I'll dripping on his face. When I look down between my legs, I find a trail of wetness going down his neck and chest. He slurps again. It's such a filthy sound. The vibrations only abuse my clit further, and I'm no longer sure if this torture is better than the cramps.

"Hurry!" I squirm on his face.

A chuckle works up my pussy. He's laughing at me. He suckled and nibbled and licked my cold exterior, and now I'm literally melting in his hands and dripping down his chest.

"Dra—mon," I try to sound stern, but it's hard to do that when the man is nose-deep up my cunt.

He bends at the waist to lower me, and I instinctively reach out my hands to stop my head from reaching the ground. With my hands flat and my butt perked, Dramon brings a second Vanishing and sucks all he can into his mouth. I'm gone inside him. My pussy is no longer mine.

Teeth scrape my hot, aching flesh, and I whimper. With hazy eyes and a wide mouth, I look at the entrance to see if anyone is witnessing my murder.

A female stands there. Her hair free, her eyes furious.

Salina.

I explode with a cry. Right there on her ex-lover's teeth, tongue, and lips. Right in front of her.

I don't care. It feels good to flood Dramon's mouth with my orgasm as his ex watches us.

Dramon licks me clean— better than the bar of soap I used to bathe. Then he's pulling me to my feet. He glances at the entrance and sees her there. Salina.

He licks his lips, savoring me, as he stares back at her. The inappropriate gesture makes me wet all over again.

He tugs my skirt down and keeps an arm around me. My legs are shaky and I'm still not in the right mind, but I take his closeness as a good sign.

"Do you know how far I came for you?" Salina asks. "And I find you with this..."

"This conversation is not happening again," he interjects and lowers me down to the bedroll.

He steps toward Salina. "I left you in the hands of the best soul healers. I left you with enough wealth for a lifetime. You cannot keep coming back. We do not work well together, Salina."

When he stands in front of her, she tosses her arms around him. "She cannot even give you children. It has been so long and she is still empty. I can. Let's try again."

Dramon grabs her by the shoulders and pulls her back.

"He fucked me so well that's probably not the case anymore, sweetheart," I bluff. "Congrats. You're going to be an auntie."

Salina jumps around Dramon and comes for me. I smirk. I've been waiting for this catfight.

She lunges for me, but she's a dancer, not a fighter.

I swing my good leg and kick her down. I don't even have to leave my throne to have her whimpering on the ground. The pathetic, manipulative worm reaches a hand for Dramon. She lost, and now she's trying to use that to her advantage by winning Dramon's pity.

"Waters," I laugh. "You're flat on your back in pain while I'm flat on my back in pleasure."

I don't care that she needs help anymore. I've held back for so long, and she keeps dragging everyone down for her advantage. I've seen her true colors. She's a dull rainbow.

"Dramon!" she whines, not making any attempt to get up.

Dramon steps forward, and I scrutinize him again. This is it. If he chooses her, I will kick him down too.

He sweeps down between us, and his arms choose me. With me cradled against his chest, he looks down. "One of my men will escort you back to The Capital."

He carries me out.