A Sinless Betrayal - Cherie Benjamin (paper ebook reader .TXT) 📗

sip of my wine. "You tell me," I retort. "I don't entice myself."

He smirks, winking at me. "You're all fire. Fire and fire usually don't balance each other out, but in this case, I think we'll manage. Our fire will spread."

I blush, my cheeks burning bright. I lift the goblet to my lips against and gulp down the rest. I hurriedly pour myself some more.

"Come sit," Abigor tells me, gesturing his lap. "Warm me with that fire o' yours."

I bring over my goblet. I'm hesitant to sit on his lap. "I'm fine, really—"

"Sit, or I'm making you sit."

I sit on the edge of his knee tentatively. Almost instantly, his bulky arms wrap around my torso and he tugs me roughly back against him. I almost choke on my drink, my arms and legs flailing. I'm lucky I didn't spill my wine.

I can feel his lips against my ear. He seductively nips my lobe. I'm uncomfortable, despite his warm skin and soothing pine scent. "You're wicked," he murmurs in my ear, his deep bass vibrating through my canals. "Take a little an' you turn away. You drivin' me insane."

He kisses my neck and I hiss, jerking forward, rubbing the tender spot. "I hurt you?" he questions. I point to the hand-shaped bruises on my neck.

"No, your brother. He choked me hard, remember?"

He grimaces and leans forward, pushing away my hair to examine the bruises. "They are healing. But not completely gone, yet." He kisses my neck, his lips much softer this time. He decides it's not enough for him. He roughly turns my face towards his and crashes my lips down onto his.

I gasp, my eyes widening. It wasn't something that I was expecting to happen. When I pull away, his eyes are heavy-lidded and his lips are swollen. He towers over me, his chin barely skimming the top of my forehead.

I splay my palm against his chest, shifting in his lap. "A heart for a heart," I whisper to him, blinking in the soft orange firelight. "Is that the game of a king?"

He shrugs his shoulders. "Perhaps we should get some sleep now." He grabs the wine goblet out of my hand and sets it down on the table. Then he picks me up off of his lap and settles me into bed, laying his heavy body close next to mine.

I splay myself out on the pillow, my hair in my eyes. The fire still burns. He slips off his breechcloth and climbs into the bed, naked. He keeps to his side of the bed with the only thing touching me being his gentle but rough, callused fingers stroking my cheek.

I turn my head slightly to look at him. "Goodnight," I whisper. He nods and rolls over onto his side.

My eyes are drifting shut when I hear him speak again. "A zuciya ga zuciya," he whispers in his deep, husky voice. My eyes peel slowly back open and a slow, honey-sweet smile paints over my face slower than molasses.

And I don't even need to ask him to know what that means.
Claim

He still sleeps when I awaken. I lean over him slightly, watching him as he sleeps soundly; the gentle rise and fall of his chest, his soft and laboured breathing.

Suddenly, his hand flies up from beneath the covers and grabs me by the neck. I choke, my eyes widening. He doesn't fully see my face since it's still dark in the early morning. His eyes blaze in the darkness, but as soon as I reach my hand out and touch his hot cheek, his realizes whom he's choking.

Abigor drops his hands, a look of sheer disgust on his face when he sees what he's done. I collapse to the bed coughing and grabbing at my neck. "Fuck," he curses. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

I look up at him through the curtain of hair hiding my face, my brows crunched together. When I see the worried look on his face, I soften. "No, it was my fault. I startled you when you were sleeping."

He sits up and reaches for me. I unconsciously flinch when he touches me, pouring salt onto his wounds even further. He pulls away, his black hair framing his face. "I got to always be alert. I don' know if it's someone tryna kill me or not."

I nod my head, trying to get oxygen down my dented air canal. "That's fine, it's okay. I just…I don't know."

He frowns, rubbing his forehead with his sweaty palm. I have already dressed in emerald green silks today. These silks bare my back and drape loosely over my chest and legs. It's beautiful. I'm adorned with an emerald necklace as well.

Abigor takes one look at me and scratches the back of his head. "I haven't seen 'dat one in years," he murmurs. I'm puzzled, and he can see it on my face. "That was Gentle Raven's favourite one to wear."

I gasp and clutch at the silks. "Oh, I had no idea! I'll take it off straightaway—"

He holds up his hand. "Leave it on," he tells me. Then he smiles slowly. "I like it better on you, anyway."

0o0o0o0o

I step into the dining hall. I shoot Abigor a sideways glance and he nods at me in an assuring way. He wears a brown breechcloth woven with green lines. He strides into the hall and the whole table rises, cheering for their king. He grins widely, lifting his hands and allowing the praise to be heard.

He gestures for me to follow him. I slowly creep behind him, keeping my head down and my shoulders slouched. Abigor shoots me a look and I instantly straighten up. He does not like it when I slouch like a scared little girl.

I square my shoulders and tip my chin upwards. The men cast their glances at me before dropping their eyes back down to their plates as they sit. I really don't feel like sitting on Iron Coyote's lap again, so I stick as close to Abigor's side as possible.

He nods towards a chair right next to him. He gives the man occupying the seat a nasty look. "Move." The man picks up his plate and dashes out of the seat like he'd just seen a ghost.

I take the seat as he passes a plate of onion fried potatoes, eggs, and grizzly looking fried sausage links to me, then a full glass of goat's milk. "That was cruel," I tell him.

Abigor gives me a look, chewing on the end of a sausage link. "You want a seat or not?" he says somewhat rudely. I close my mouth and look at the plate. The food is steaming, and I'm very hungry.

"Where are the forks?" I question him. He gestures to the plate, picking up a potato piece with his fingers and popping it into his mouth. I frown and touch the food. It's too hot and I burn the tip of my finger. I yelp and yank my finger away quickly. I find myself grumbling to nobody but myself only a moment later. "Out of all the stealing you do, you couldn't steal a single fork?"

He hears me and grunts out his laughter. His lips quirk up at the edges and he shakes his head slowly. "All fire," he murmurs. "Tsarki wuta." Then he leans over to Drinks of Waterfall, who is sitting right next to him. "Shin ba ta wani abu abu?" (Pure fire. Isn't she something else?)

Drinks of Waterfall chuckles deeply and nods his head. "Ta na kamar wuta daga farko. Michelle bã kõme ba ne irin ta. Ita shiru da kuma jin kunya, amma tana da fasaha a dakin kwana." (She was fire from the start. Michelle is nothing like her. She's quiet and shy, but she has skill in the bedroom.)

He nods his head and laughs loudly. "Haka ne, dole ne ka son mace wanda ya san yadda za su gama da ku." (Yes, you must like a woman who knows how to finish you.)

Drinks of Waterfall smirks widely and nods his head. "Ta na da hanyoyin da karuwa, amma ba zan iya ganin ta ba a matsayin karami kasancewarsa ya fi I." He picks up an egg with his fingers and swallows it whole. "Babu karuwa da mine ya taka bi da ni da yadda mutum ke girmamawa a matsayin ta ba ni. Ina sha'awan cewa ... don haka sai na bi ta da kyau a samu." (She has method and skill of a whore, but I cannot see her as a lesser being than I. No slut of mine has ever treated me with as much respect as she gives me. I admire that…so I treat her well in return.)

Abigor nods his head slowly. "Tiger kambori ne wuta, amma ta amuses da ni kwarai." He looks at me and chuckles. "Ta na da ta'aziyya zuwa da kewaye." (Tiger Claw is fire, but she amuses me greatly. She's a comfort to be around.)

I have no idea what they're saying, but I know that Drinks of Waterfall is talking about Michelle. Abigor turns back to me and looks at my full plate. I stare at him. "Eat," he tells me sternly. I look back down to my plate and pick at a potato.

A second later, I find myself choking on bits of potato as his fingertips skirt across my thigh. He gives me a certain look that tells me to be quiet and not make a sound. I'm afraid that if I don't obey he'll be pissed. But I don't want to make a scene either.

I shakily pick up my drink as Abigor moves his chair closer to mine. His hands are hot on my thighs; they feel like they've been roasting over a hotplate for hours. I choke on my goat's milk when a long finger strokes up between my folds. I make a little noise, slightly slamming my glass down on the table and clenching my thighs tightly together.

It's a reaction of mine that comes with being touched. But clenching my thighs together traps his hand there, right at my heat. His eyes widen slightly at first, but then they become heavy-lidded with lust and a slow smile spreads across his face. Drinks of Waterfall looks at him funny, then glances over towards me.

I do my best to keep a straight face. But as his finger slides upwards, I lose my cool. My face turns bright red and my head slumps down a little as I squeeze my eyes tightly shut. Abigor's completely calm and collective at the head of the table. No one even suspects anything's going on.

He's touching me with one hand under the table and eating with the other. He chats in Hausa to the other barbarians, laughing and shooting me seductive little side glances. I clench my thighs again when he tries to insert a finger inside of me.

Using his hand, he jerks his arm and roughly forces my thighs open. He jams a finger into me, hooking it perfectly and running it along my sweet spot. I cry out in pleasure rather loudly and stand up abruptly. I've frightened myself. The whole table is looking at me. Abigor's face is red—he's laughing—and he brings the finger that he'd inserted up into his mouth before sucking