He’s giving me control.
No man had ever allowed that. Not that my experience was vast, but Necros had trained me to expect dominance in the bedroom. He always chose what we did, how we did it, with no care as to what I desired. And the last week—or however long it’d been—hadn’t been much different.
I honestly couldn’t remember most of it, having found a place to hide inside my mind while Necros defiled me in unspeakable ways.
The last thing I remembered was him telling me the cruelty his men had planned for Zaya, how it would be a dream compared to what he intended to do to me. Despair had driven me to the edge of my thoughts, where I buried myself in agony and retreated from the world. Then I’d awoken in Adrik’s arms feeling oddly safe, and incredibly numb. It had taken me far too long to understand what had happened. To recall Zaya.
But Adrik had already saved her. For me.
I knew he wanted to use me, had heard it in his mind while lounging in the bath. He’d left himself wide open in his efforts to connect with me, and I’d swum through his thoughts with abandon.
He’d never lied to me.
He wanted to kill Necros, to punish him for what he’d done to the Shadow Kingdom, and he needed my power to do it. The Queen of Noxia told him that, but he’d been questioning whether or not she was right before. Wondering if he could take Necros down now, to stop him from harming me for another second.
No one had considered me in such a way, desiring to protect me. I wasn’t sure how to interpret that.
And now, with Zaya… I swallowed. My mind was a mess, my body still bruised, while my heart beat wildly
against my ribs. Emotions were a fickle notion. They drove others to do absurd things, and right now, mine desired for me to kiss Adrik again.
So I did.
This time with my palm wrapped securely around the back of his neck. I used my other hand for balance as I remained on my toes, my breasts pressed into those still-folded arms.
My tongue parted his lips. Exploring. Tasting. And he responded in kind, his touch soft and hesitant against my own as I indulged in my first proper embrace.
His arms eventually fell, his hands loose at his sides as if debating whether or not to touch me. I took the option away by pressing my chest to his, wrapping my arms around his neck, and driving our kiss to the next level.
He groaned, his arousal hot and heavy against my flat belly, as he finally pressed a palm to my lower back. Necros would be harsh, ripping at the shirt covering my torso. But Adrik wasn’t. He merely held me close while I devoured his mouth.
I learned how to nip, lick, and kiss, using his tongue and lips as my guide. Each stroke set my blood on fire, until I felt I might burst. So hot. So intense. So right.
“More,” I whispered, my voice unrecognizable to my own ears.
“Take whatever you need,” he breathed, his fingers flexing against my spine.
My thighs clenched at the permission in those words and the very real yearning underlining his tone.
This was wrong.
I shouldn’t want any of this.
But I’d also never been given such an opportunity.
And I wanted to feel. To be in charge. To make decisions for myself. To experience pleasure on my own terms. To make a man bow to me for once.
I started backward toward the bed, my hands on his biceps, tugging him with me.
“Lie down,” I said, my tone a husky feminine sound that somehow intensified the moment even more.
Adrik slid onto the comforter, his strong body taking up a good portion of the mattress as he relaxed onto his back with his hands tucked behind his head.
Another concession.
He wouldn’t touch me unless I asked. Wouldn’t kiss me unless I kissed him. Wouldn’t push me to do anything I didn’t want while allowing me to do whatever I desired to him in return.
A heady sensation settled over me, intoxicating in its lust.