A Royal Risk

Temptation and danger lurk around every corner, and Queen Susanna finds them both in her lover's arms. Like any loyal nobleman, Sir William Chase loves his king, but his true devotion lies with his lovely queen. With only a curtain to hide them from the rest of the castle, Susanna knows the risk is great … but with her lover so keen to worship her, the rewards will be even greater.

Warning: Contains scenes of infidelity, voyeurism and anal sex. 14k+ words. Adults only!

Excerpt:

“As it so happens, I've a gift for you this night as well, highness – one that you might treasure tonight as our king … enjoys his.”

Susanna knew his game; he would never dare to give her any physical token, a necklace or brooch that might later be questioned and used against the two of them. There was only one thing such a clever and keen suitor might give to his married queen. Still, she chose to tease him, taking that time they had away from prying ears to throw his clever words back at him. “Then by all means, sir, present that kind gift to me here and now, that my lord husband might treasure it also.”

William gave a roguish chuckle – a hint of the true man at last peering out where the polite mask had slipped some. He leaned closer across the table, under the pretence of using his handkerchief to dab a stray droplet from the base of her pristine goblet. Susanna could almost feel his heat and taste his words; they stirred the stray hairs that lay upon her cheek, and whisked up something far less innocent within her. “If I were to present it here, my queen, your cries of joy as you thank me might prove too much for your guests. Regardless, I would so love for you to have it.”

He acknowledged the small, hardly audible sound of arousal she made with a low, teasing murmur of his own. His spotless handkerchief made its way back into his belt as he straightened himself with a smile. His eyes remained on hers. “I am, as always, highness, your most humble of servants. I will come to you on my knees, if you ask it; wherever you lead, I shall always, always follow.”

It was the closest he could come to propositioning her, there at the head of her husband's Great Hall. Ever the loyal servant, William would be watching her closely for the rest of the evening. The moment she chose to leave, he would come seeking her, wherever the evening might take them. Certainly, the knowledge set her heart beating faster, her breath rushing to catch up, warm and ticklish in her throat. She took a hearty gulp of the wine, propriety be damned, and licked her lips. He followed the swift path of her tongue like a man enchanted. Susanna warned herself not to encourage him here, to give either of them false hope before they had even found a place to slip away to, but the words tripped from her tongue, effortless.

“Your dedication to your king and queen's pleasure is admirable, sir.” She paused for effect, before adding in a lower voice: “I think often of how well you have served me in the past, and how much I long for you to serve me again.”

There was no mistaking the sharp look he gave her, the slightest flare of his nostrils and the twitch of pleasure at his lips; lust bloomed within his eyes like ink on water, darkening his stare. He knew the danger, the thin line they toed, and he would cross it without hesitation. He was not a foolish man, but he would risk much to give them what they both desired that night. “Then by all means, my queen … lead on.”

He bowed to her a second time, gracing her with one last trace of his mischievous smile, before he was away into the crowd, moving with a swaggering, easy confidence that made her want him all the more. He was hers to have, if only she made the next move – if she dared to lead the way.