As if she heard his thoughts, she panted, “Yes. More.”
He thrilled. She might hate him, but she no longer wished to kill him. If she did, she wouldn’t kiss him this way. Or sleep in his arms. With a bit of time and patience on his part, he might be able to convince her to become his new concubine.
She hooked a leg over his hips to force him closer, practically fusing their bodies. She petted his cheek. Kneaded his shoulder. His pecs. His abdomen. She stroked lower...
Every point of contact wrenched a new huff from him.Careful.Never had he barreled toward a cliff so fast, with such an uncertain outcome. Would she end this before he experienced his first climax?
He wrenched his mouth from hers to demand, “I want everything, she-beast.” Conquer a world? No problem. Destroy it? No big deal. Relinquish this prize of prizes? No. “What do you want from me?” He let his mouth hover just over hers. “Tell me, and I’ll give it to you. Whatever it is.”
“I want... I need... I crave...” The words left her between panting breaths. Specks of black dotted her irises, glittering bright and brighter, as if her phantom and harpy warred for rights to answer him.
Unable to wait a nanosecond more, he stole her next words with a kiss and rolled on top of her, pinning her with his weight. Pinning her wings, too, which wasn’t something harpies usually allowed. But she didn’t protest. Instead, she moaned and spread her legs, creating a cradle for him. Yes! Need drowned out everything else inside his head, consuming him in an instant.
Her lush breasts drew his palms like magnets. He kneaded her through her shirt, nearly losing his mind as she arched her spine, seeking greater contact. His inhalations roughened. Thoughts fragmented.More, more, more.He tracked a hand down her belly and did something essential to his sanity: he tunneled his fingers under her panties and plunged one inside her.
His eyes flared wide.She hungers for me. Greatly.He’d heard talk of such a tantalizing reaction from one’s female, but he’d never cared. Until now. He very much cared.Will experience this every day for the rest of eternity.
As he teased her, and himself, working the digit in and out, learning what she liked best, they both released a series of ragged cries.
“Lyla. My Lyla.”
“Roux,” she gasped.
They locked gazes like so many times before. This time, something was different. There was a deeper connection. An undeniable awareness—they knew exactly what they were doing, and they weren’t ready for it to end.
“Never take this from me,” he commanded.
All sultry indulgence, she slithered against him. “Does the Warden like his new toy?”
“The Wardenloveshis new toy.”
“Does he love—” She went still. Her air of sensuality evaporated. A second later, she pulled her gaze from his, razing his fantasies of the impending pleasure. Dread infiltrated his excitement. He braced for a torrent of staggering disappointment. He knew what was coming—and it wasn’t him.
“My consort loved me,” she told him softly. Flatly. “You do not.”
Anger scraped the center of his chest. “You mean yourfirstconsort, yes?”
Absolutely the wrong thing to say. Again.
“Okay, I’m done,” she snapped. “I don’t have two consorts. I can’t. And you should know I wasn’t sleeping earlier. I was resting my eyelids. There’s a difference.”
“You were sleeping, Lyla, andyouknow it,” he snapped back. Though he throbbed, his every frayed instinct insisting he continue, Roux eased his finger free of her body. There was no preventing his next action. As she watched, he licked her desire from his skin.
His eyes closed as he rolled to his back. The sweetness! His new reason for breathing.
A choking sound left her. “You cannot be this sexy. I forbid it.” With a huff, she hammered her fist into the mattress. “Also, dial down the smolder. And stop enticing me!”
“As if I can stop. Apparently, I do it simply through existing.” And what a stunning revelation. How was he supposed to function, knowing such a life-altering bit of information? “But then, I am your consort.”
“You aren’t. There’s got to be another explanation.” She pinched the bridge of her nose. “No, not another word from you. I’m not discussing this while I’m so obviously mentally compromised.”
“For the record,” he said, focusing on calming his rough breaths. Maybe she was right and there was another explanation. But maybe she was wrong.There’s a good chance I’m hers.“I prefer you when you are out of your mind with passion for me.”
To his surprise, she snorted. “I bet you do.”
Amusement from her? Now? After all she’d admitted? With a jolt, he shifted to his side, facing her fully. Sparkling eyes of baby blue greeted him. Soft lips. Oh, yes. Amusement.
Think!He must be smart about this. Must do nothing to dampen her good humor. “Shall we discuss the fact that I can still taste you? Or would you prefer to focus on my plan to go straight to the tap next time.”