Throne of Power (Throne Duet #1) by Rina Kent

“If that’s what you need, sure.”

My lips fall open and I pause with the sleeve of my dress up my shoulder. “Stop saying things like that.”

“Like what? Like I will be there for you and our baby? Like I will read him or her a goodnight story, then come fuck you senseless in our bedroom? Those types of things?”

“Yes, those types of things. Stop lying.”

He stands in front of me, shirt tucked into his pants, and runs his fingers through his hair, forcing it to submit to his will. Then, he casually turns me around and zips up my dress before he whispers against my ear, “You stop lying to yourself.”

I push off him to leave the closet, but he tsks.

“Not so fast.”

I groan as I face him. He’s holding the toy. Of course.

“I’m putting a time limit on this.” I jut my chin.

“Time limit?”

“In two weeks, if you don’t give me the information we agreed on, you won’t be putting any toys inside me.”

“But you like the toys inside you.”

“I do not. They’re bound to make me appear weak in front of the other members of the elite group.”

“And you hate that more than anything,” he finishes, voice calm.

I clear my throat, but don’t say anything.

He raises a brow. “But you still enjoy it.”

“That’s not the point. My position in the brotherhood is.”

“What if I don’t turn on the toy during the meetings?”

“As you shouldn’t. You also need to honor the deal we agreed on.”

“I already am. Why the fuck do you think I’m kissing up to the Italians’ arses with Adrian all the time?”

The thought of him spending time in the Lucianos’ mansion with a certain Emilia in sight bothers me more than I like to admit. “Hmph.”

“What was that for?”

“Nothing.”

“I’m unable to read your mind, so if you don’t tell me what you think, I won’t be able to act accordingly.”

“Nothing means nothing.”

“If you say so.” A muscle clenches in his jaw before he masks it. “Lift the dress and keep it there.”

“I’m sore.” I try to bargain, and I mean it. I can barely walk straight with how he broke me with his merciless fucking last night and this morning.

“This will soothe you. Now, lift it.”

I do so, staring at the wall so I don’t get caught up in the sight of him putting the toy inside of me, a reminder that he’s with me at all times.

He holds me to him by the waist, and I shudder at the feel of his erection at my stomach. The man is never satiated, I swear.

He releases me but only so he can lower my panties to my knees, then pushes my legs apart and teases my folds. I hate how familiar his touch has become, how addictive and stimulating, but what I hate the most is how much I miss it when he’s gone.

He slides my wetness from my pussy to my back hole and presses his thumb against the entrance.

“W-what are you doing?”

“Testing something. Stay still.”

I don’t know what’s going on until he presses his thumb further inside. It’s a small intrusion but my bundle of nerves explodes.

“K-Kyle!” I whisper-yell, partly mortified, partly—and strangely—aroused.

“Mmm. You’re too fucking tight here, too, but don’t worry, I’ll prep you to take my dick in the arse like a good little princess.”

Before I can protest, he slides the toy into my pussy. I wince as the reminder of his dick ramming in overwhelms me. I’m hit by the memories of his ruthless thrusts and savage fucking.

I briefly close my eyes to chase away those images. When I open them again, Kyle is lifting my panties up my legs. I push away from him, finish the task myself, and go to my console.

Since we have a morning meeting with Sergei and the others, I expect Kyle to go ahead, but he sits behind his laptop while I’m doing my hair and makeup. The moment I’m done, he’s by my side.

“You don’t have to be my shadow,” I say as we leave the room. “I don’t need protection.”

He raises a brow, grinning. “But our baby does.”

“Would you stop with that?”

“With what? That our baby boy or girl is growing inside you?”

I’m about to hit him in the side when a presence catches my attention. Adrian is standing on the second floor’s small hall, wearing his usual sharp suit, and tapping his fingers against his thigh. Only family members and their guards are allowed here. The others only come up when they have permission.

Adrian isn’t the type who would do such a thing without it, and that’s how I know the reason for his presence here is concerning.

We stop in front of him, and I speak first. “What are you doing here, Adrian? Is everything all right?”

His eyes flash toward me, flickering, almost like he’s about to go into one of Damien’s manic episodes. But then, he seals his reaction in, speaking in his usual composed tone. “What happened yesterday?”

“I already briefed Sergei.”

“I want to hear it from you. Don’t leave anything out.”

It’s not a surprise since Adrian is so attuned to details and prefers to hear retellings from the source who witnessed the event. “Well, Lia and I were standing near the entrance when I saw a dot on her forehead. I pushed her down, and Kyle pushed me as the silent bullet hit the door above her head.”