Broken Dove (Fantasyland #4)(145)

I closed my eyes.

“Did you like that, honey?” I murmured.

“You’re very tight,” he replied, his fingers giving me a squeeze.

I decided to take that as a yes.

He wasn’t done.

“I want you facing a mirror, arse up, shoulders down, cl**axing for me while you watch me move in your arse,” he went on.

I swallowed an excited noise at his words.

He still wasn’t done.

“But I prefer what’s between your legs. It’s wetter, sweeter, I can look into your eyes when I’m taking it and I can take it hard. And when you cl**ax, it spasms, milking me of my seed in a way I like very much.” His arm and hand at my ass gave me a squeeze. “Very much.”

That was hot, what we just did, and I loved it.

But I had to admit, I was glad he preferred “taking” my normal girl parts mostly because he liked looking into my eyes when he was doing it.

His hold again tightened. “Now all of you knows the stroke of my cock.” His voice lowered. “This is a gift, Maddie. One I cherish. Thank you for giving it to me.”

He thought it was a gift.

Suddenly, as they had time and again since she’d said them, that detestable woman’s words slid through my head and I squeezed my closed eyes tighter.

And you? The woman who uses a dead wife’s charms to enchant her heartbroken husband so she can warm his bed in order to wear his jewels and earn her place on his arm? Is the world richer for your presence?

The answer to her question was, no. It was not.

This world or my old one, neither of them was richer for my presence. I’d done nothing kind. Nothing thoughtful. Nothing witty or smart. Nothing brave.

Nothing at all.

This is us, my dove.

Apollo had said that to me when I’d taken his c**k that same night.

He was right too.

This was us.

This was what I could give him. All I could give him.

He could give me clothes. Jewels. Beautiful houses. Fancy sleighs. Trips to balls where intrigue was happening. A home. Laughter. Safety. Kindness. Good friends.

Children.

I could give him my ass. My body. My cunt.

I could not be Ilsa. I could not do anything, have another purpose, give him more in any other way. I could not replace what he lost with her, something he’d gone out of his way to find again when he brought me to this world.

And this was good. Apollo didn’t want me to be Ilsa.

But he did want this.

And I had this to give.

So I was going to give it to him.

I was giving it to him because he wanted it. I was giving it to him because I wanted him to have everything he wanted.

And I was giving it to him because it was all I had.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Become Found

“You rang?”

Apollo turned in his chair at his desk in his office at Karsvall.

He’d been looking out the window at the woods that led to the dower house. His thoughts so engrossed with Madeleine, as well as Christophe, he not only was not seeing the woods, he had not sensed her arrival.

But there she was, the witch Valentine, wearing a green dress, sitting in a chair opposite his desk, studying him like he was mildly interesting but she had better things to do.

Instead of greeting her, he stated, “May I remind you that you’ve been paid handsomely to assist our efforts at quelling whatever evil threatens our land. Yet you’ve disappeared for weeks. Repeated messages sent from witches of this world have gone unanswered. Things have happened that have put Madeleine and my children in danger. You finally arrive and you’re flippant?” He shook his head. “I’ll warn you my patience is spent, witch, so there is none to test.”

“You must know I’ve been keeping an eye and noted you’ve had matters in hand, mon loup.” She smiled a sly smile. “Well in hand.”

He knew precisely to what she was referring. It was annoying but he couldn’t think on it or it would spur him to action. They needed to speak, not argue.

Therefore, he informed her, “You have not been called here to discuss how things progress with Maddie.”

Her smile stayed firm in place when she told him, “We don’t need to discuss how things are progressing with Madeleine.” Her smile grew slier. “You have done well in the time I’ve been away, chéri.”

He had.

Absolutely.

Perhaps too well.

Something was amiss with his Madeleine. Something troubling. Something Apollo could not put his finger on.

But not something he’d discuss with the witch.

Consequently, he moved their dialogue to what he would discuss.

“You’ve received the message from Lavinia,” he said, but it was a question.

They had arrived back at Karsvall two days earlier. Lavinia was there, as planned. And upon their arrival, Frey and Apollo had asked her to contact her fellow witch as a matter of urgency.

Since the two were friends, he deduced that Lavinia’s call was the one that was finally answered.

“I have indeed,” she confirmed. “Although I will admit that I received other missives from your witches, another matter has been taking my time.”

Apollo raised one brow. “And this other matter has priority over what’s happening in this world? And by that, witch, I’m asking if your fee was higher considering we’ve paid you extortionately for your aid, something which we are not getting much of, but we’ve paid enough we should be your priority.”