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  “With what we’ve agreed to do for our kingdom Ashbel, we don’t have time to think about rules and how we’ll behave towards each other,” Kapono stated. He lifted her chin, forcing her to look into his raging violet eyes.

  “We are promising the kingdom a marriage, and an heir. What that means to me is that I will do what a husband should do for his wife. I will do what a father should do for his child. The only thing I expect from you Ashbel is the same thing. Treat me with respect as your husband, and the father of your child. How you think is best to do that, is your own business. Whether you’re submissive, or not. I just require respect, dedication, and strength, for those are the things I will give to you. If this is not something you can handle, the door is just over there. You can leave.” Ashbel wanted to leave. She wanted to push him away and storm out of the study, vowing never to agree to another arranged marriage, despite the threats to their kingdom. But blazes, she loved her clan and she loved her kingdom. Her role as a princess came down to this and that was just it.

  “Fine. But I will not be falling in love with you. I will stick to that,” she stated.

  “Who said anything about love? Far as I’m concerned this is all about politics and sex,” Kapono grunted. Ashbel blew steam out of her nose, fire already heating her throat.

  “You are feisty,” he chuckled. Ashbel opened her mouth into the shape of a small ‘O’, prepared to blow fire directly into his face. Kapono however, instead of choosing to defend himself, he bowed his head down and kissed her deeply, sucking the fire straight out of her lungs. His smoldering kiss overwhelmed her with its intensity. Their heat clashed in the sweetest of ways, engulfing both of them with raging passion.

  “Still want to leave?” Kapono whispered against her lips. He peppered kisses of warmth down her neck and Ashbel easily let her head rolled back, giving him complete access.

  “This is your last chance to walk away Ashbel,” his voice low and strained. Ashbel slowly lifted her head and looked at him. The orange ring around her irises flared to life. Kapono felt as if someone had stolen the fire in his lungs away.

  “I’m not going anywhere.” Their eyes locked as a sneaky grin crawled over Kapono’s lips. His teeth had slowly lowered into fangs, reminiscent of the dragon blood within him. Ashbel didn’t feel threatened by the show of his sharp teeth. The only thing she felt was a thump in her lower belly, as the dragon blood inside her began to pang and roar to life, ready to continue clashing with the force of Kapono’s fire.

  Their clans would be protected. The threat of war wouldn’t frighten the ailing king anymore because of the ally he’d just created. An ally solidified by the vows his son had pledged to the princess of an equal strength clan. Together, Ashbel and Kapono were to be the future of Emberdom. The process was dizzying, enveloping them both in a whirlwind of events and tasks.

  In front of what looked to be the entirety of Fireland occupants, Kapono and Ashbel were married. They shared smiles, kisses, drinks, and laughs with any and every one in and out of the castle that day. Even with a smile on her face, Ashbel was most likely the least happy in the room. Married. To a male she didn’t know. Yet still, it was a male where the very sight of him seemed to make her knees weak. He was handsome in all the ways usual men weren’t. Those violet eyes were seductive when he looked at women, yet fiery with courage when he dealt with men. Ashbel felt as if she was betraying her own morals by even having an ounce of attraction for the man, but she would not deny what was there.

  “Finally. Peace and quiet.” Ashbel drew in a deep breath, knocking herself out of her own thoughts. Kapono closed the bedroom door behind them and immediately shrugged off his cape. They were both still wearing their wedding attire. Her in a long flowing sheer white dress and him wearing perfectly tailored white pants. He was shirtless as it was customary and they were both weighed down by gold jewelry to show off their wealth. Weddings were like that sometimes. All about the money and the popularity of the marriage. Not necessarily about the love. The both of them were completely drained from all the activities they’d done for the day. Ashbel knew that by the end of the night, she would not be retreating back into her own home with her parents. Her new life started on this day, sharing the castle with her husband.

  “Yes, peace indeed,” she replied shortly, also taking off her cape. She reached behind her to unzip her white dress, but failed to reach the zipper. Before she could turn and ask him for help, Kapono was standing flush behind her. The heat of his body gave her goosebumps, it felt so damned good. He slowly unzipped her dress. The gown fell from her body, landing in a heap on the ground around her feet. Ashbel was void of any undergarments. Even if he was behind her, he would have still been made very aware of her nakedness. Still, instead of groping her from behind or manhandling her, Ashbel felt his heat rescind. She turned sharply to look at her husband. Reaching for the pins in her hair, she tugged them out hurriedly, wanting to free her locks from the shapely bun.

  Even if he wanted to, Kapono could not avert his eyes from the woman standing before him. Woman. His wife. She had looked elegant and royal in her wedding gown, but standing naked in front of him, with a mane of long orange hair was a different kind of rugged beauty. Her skin was tanned and slick from the heat that radiated from within her blood.

  “Well. What are you waiting for?” she asked gruffly. Kapono blinked, tearing his eyes away from the center of her honey.

  “Pardon?” he questioned.

  “It is our wedding night. I assume you’d be ravishing me, strictly on a mission to produce your heir,” she stated.

  “You are a woman, Ashbel. Not a slab of meat. Despite our arrangement I will always treat you and your body with respect. We’ve both had a long day and we’ll both live to see another day to fuck. It will be alright to rest tonight,” he answered.

  “I am fertile for the next few days, so yes. I suppose resting for tonight will cause no one harm,” she nodded. When he turned to walk away, Ashbel let out a sigh of relief. He paused immediately and turned back to look at her. She did not intend for him to hear her relief. With a deep inhale, he sniffed the air around them.

  “You are—nervous? No wait—afraid?” he questioned, smelling the emotions that escaped the pores of her skin.

  “I am not nervous. And I am not afraid,” she lied. Kapono strode towards her, those violet eyes raging with intensity, unlike the seduction that glittered in them all day. He glared down at her. Even though she was standing tall, Kapono saw the quivers in her golden eyes.

  “The first night we met, we shared an intensifying kiss. Not once in that moment were you afraid of me. Today, even as we said out vows in front of the entire Fireland, you were not nervous either. Why now? What makes you afraid of me now?” he questioned, his voice brimming with concern.

  “I am not afraid. Of you,” she said, and that was a true statement.

  “I just thought that you would, that you’d be like any prince. Stuck up, and entitled. I thought the moment we entered the bedroom you’d be ripping at my clothes and ramming yourself into me without care that my body is not prepared for you because I’m your wife now. But you haven’t. And it’s surprising.”

  “Yes, I can understand why you’d assume that.”

  “And I can see that you’re not a bad person. But I also don’t understand why you wouldn’t lay with me on our wedding night. It is customary. And if anyone were to find out that we didn’t, they’d think this thing between us was a farce, which it is, but we don’t want them to think that.” Kapono crossed his arms.

  “You’re not my first choice Ashbel. I’d probably never want to marry someone like you. You’re mouthy, and I get the feeling that you’d step on my toes or embarrass me politically if you feel strongly of a certain point where we don’t see eye to eye.” Ashbel gasped, offended by his statement. She growled at him before she snapped her fingers in his face. It produced a firecracker of fire that singed his beard. He chuckled as he patted the fire out.

&nbs
p; “See what I mean? Still, even if I could never see myself marrying you, here we are because this was our arrangement. I’ve come to realize that even if you are mouthy and you may be feisty, I am quite intrigued. You’re a challenge that I see myself wanting to conquer. And you are, a radiant, beautiful woman. It is as if the red dragon wielded its own fire and blessed your head with it. Even if the both of us saw our future as something else, this is where we are and we have to make do with it. And to me, that means that I have to accept you as my wife and respect you as such. I did not want you to think that I would ravish you, and fuck your body with my own pleasure in mind simply because this is arranged and as my wife, I own you. And pushing up on you and making you uncomfortable is a thing we punish males for who do it to unwilling women. Being my wife should not change that. I won’t hurt you Ashbel,” he vowed. Ashbel blinked at him, her mouth parted slightly. What kind of male was this? How was he so—so different? He clasped his hands behind his back.

  “Ashbel. Dear.” Kapono looked at her.

  “Yes?” Ashbel asked. Even the way he said her name made her knees shake with excitement.

  “I do not get to have relations with women that often. Contrary to what the women around town think. My duties keep me busy. That plus I cannot just bring any woman into the castle to sport with and seldom do I go out of the castle to meet women.”

  “Why are you telling me this?” Ashbel questioned. Her throat was burning with unreleased fire. Why did hearing about his sex life irritate her?

  “Because I want you to understand something about me. I do not get the chance to be as much a bachelor as people perceive me to be. But when I do get the chance to have sex I make it well worth my time. When I fuck, I burn the memory into my companion’s brain as much as it’s burned into mine. I don’t hold back and I don’t play nice. I dig deep and I produce orgasms. The sound of a female moaning is enough for me to orgasm most times. It’s music to my ears. Gives me goosebumps. Feeling the pleasure of a woman as she waters my growing erection is a sensation I take pride in. Sex is worth nothing to me if I cannot pleasure a woman.” Ashbel’s throat was suddenly dry. She swallowed hard. Seeing her reaction, Kapono calmly walked to the wooden table against the bedroom wall. He poured her a cold glass of water from the glass pitcher sitting on the table. Ashbel was not too stubborn to take the drink. She was hot. The cool water trickled down her ribs and soothed her fiery throat but her body did not cool. How could she cool down when she was staring at the bronzed body of her husband? How could she suddenly want to kiss and caress the tight muscles of his stomach? She would be allowed to do that, wouldn’t she? Kapono was her husband. He was not off limits.

  “Have you finished explaining yourself?” Ashbel asked after finishing her water. Kapono winked at her.

  “Sex between us is inevitable, Ashbel. But just because our marriage is arranged, does not mean that I will lose the value I have for sex when it comes to pleasuring a woman. Each time we have sex Ashbel I’m going to make sure your insides know me well.” Kapono closed the distance between them. He slowly circled around her before stopping when he was pressed her back. He dipped his head down and inhaled her scent from her neck.

  “Where you liked to be kissed? I’ll figure it out. How you like your breasts to be squeezed and sucked? I will learn it. How you taste? I will experience it. Where your G-spot it? I will find it. And I will fuck it until you scream my name.” Ashbel nearly collapsed. She would have if he wasn’t behind her where she could lean on him. He took another deep inhale in her scent.

  “You are an inexperienced woman Ashbel.” Her eyes snapped opened. How had he figured that out?

  “What—what are you talking about?” she stammered. Kapono tapped his nose.

  “I have a keen sense of smell. Even through the scent of your heat and fire, I can smell the thin membrane protecting your womb.” Ashbel jumped away from him as if that would have extinguished the fact that he could smell her that deeply. Kapono only smiled at her.

  “I—I am—”

  “You do not need to justify yourself, Ashbel. A woman of your stature has no reason to. But because you are a pure and untouched woman is the reason why I cannot simply ravish your body. I do not want to frighten you with my touch. That will provide no joy for me, as I am hoping you understand now from my explanation in the way I like to have sex,” he said. Ashbel crossed her arms over her buoyant breasts.

  “I suppose I am imploring for us to wait because while our circumstances may be less than desirable, I still hold hope that your first time will still be pleasing and memorable for you. I know I am going to have a hell of a time making you come and come and come.” He winked at her once more. Ashbel didn’t have anything to say. There was nothing she could say. Never did she expect that kind of treatment. Especially because he knew she was a virgin. Males always sought to dominant and to claim a woman’s virtue. Kapono was proving to be different in all the ways that mattered for Ashbel. Not only that, but his description of his sex life and what he would do to her made her heart and her insides thump. Blazes. She wanted him to make her come repeatedly.

  “I will give you some space for the evening. We can talk politics about our heir in the morning,” Kapono yawned.

  Staying true to his word, Kapono left Ashbel to her own devices. Within the castle, Kapono had his own suite, consisting of a living area, his bedroom, a large bathroom and a kitchen. He had two servants who came and went in the suite, bringing them food and attending to the both of them. The bedroom was kept closed off with floor to ceiling double doors, giving them both their privacy.

  Once the servants prepared Ashbel’s bath and then served her tea once she finished bathing, they left the suite altogether. Kapono was freshly bathed as well, sitting on the couch in the sitting area, reading a book.

  “I’m off to bed Kapono,” she told him.

  “Okay. I will join you soon little flame,” he replied.

  “A nickname. Already?”

  “It suits you,” he shrugged. Ashbel hid her smile as she retreated to the bedroom.

  His bed—their bed—was large. Ashbel used the small stairs to get on the bed because of its height. She stripped off her night gown, laying naked in the softness of the large bed. Even with the cool sheets, her body was pouring with heat as if it was awakened by nothing more than the words of Kapono Thorn. Her husband. Her arranged husband. Still. There was want. Need. Her core was not going to stop thumping until it was filled.

  Ashbel laid there with her eyes open for some time. She was unable to will herself to sleep.

  I want your first time to be pleasurable.

  She gulped as his words drifted through her mind. She had come to terms that sex was going to be inevitable, whether she was ready for it or not. But the willingness of Kapono to wait for her to be comfortable, to want her to achieve pleasure out of the moment made her long for his touch. If he wanted her to enjoy the moment, he must have known how to give pleasure. That’s why her body was heated. That’s why she was aroused and thumping for his touch.

  The bedroom door opened slightly as Kapono entered. The moonlight was their only source of light, but with heightened senses, they hardly needed anything else. Kapono eased his clothes from his body before he climbed into the four poster bed. As fire beings, nakedness was customary when sleeping. Ashbel was not uncomfortable by his nakedness. In fact, she was intrigued by the source of pleasure hanging from his hips.

  “You are not asleep,” he commented, without looking at her.

  “I cannot sleep,” she replied.

  “Why not?” There was a lump in her throat. Should she admit what she wanted? Earlier she had been nervous to have him touch her. Would he believe that now all of a sudden, she wanted him to touch her? How could she not want it? He had given her too much to want. Too much to crave.

  “I cannot sleep. Not until—you touch me,” she breathed. Kapono was still for a moment. He had heard correctly. Slowly, he turned and looked at her.
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  “Is that what you truly want?” he questioned.

  “Can’t you smell how badly I want it?” she countered. Indeed, Kapono smelled her fragrant arousal, the slickness of her skin evident in the way it glowed next to him. He rolled over until he was laying atop her body, encasing her.

  “I will be gentle with you Ashbel but your scent is driving me mad.” He drew his tongue over her neck. Ashbel shivered.

  “Even though you are untouched has a man ever tasted you?” Kapono questioned. Ashbel shook her head wildly. She’d never allowed a man to come this close to her. Ever. Unable to resist her any longer, Kapono pressed a kiss to her smoldering lips. They were plump and ripe for kissing. He kissed her feverishly, slowly moving down her body. Ashbel was whimpering lowly, her eyes closed as his hot lips trailed her body. She was caught up in the moment until her legs were pushed against her chest. She opened her eyes with a sharp gasp. Kapono was holding her legs high in the air, his head between her legs. Softly, he used the fire in his lungs to blow steam out of his pursed lips and directly against her aching lips. Ashbel’s hips jerked slightly, the added heat making her tremble. Her eyes were wide in her head as she watched his tongue loll out of his mouth.

  Kapono shivered as her taste rolled down his throat. She was fresh. Citrusy. Sweet. Blazes, she was everything he needed. Kapono usually had a sense of restraint when it came to sex but in that very moment, he could not handle himself. He began to ravish her soft moist lips as if he hadn’t eaten for days. Ashbel’s orgasmic moan was high and vibrant as her hips rose. Her body crashed back down with a quaking orgasm that shook her entire body.

  “Blazes. Oh my god,” Ashbel breathed. Kapono rose from her dripping pussy. He climbed back between her legs, his arousal thick and heavy.

  “Are you okay?” he asked her. Ashbel could barely talk.