Page 86 of The Prince's Curse

That was fine. He would steal the words anyway. Resting his hands on her hips, he slowly knelt in front of her. Her breath shuddered out of her, bathing him in her scent. “And will you allow me to indulge your dream?” he asked.

“Yes,” she whispered. “I don’t know what to do, though.”

“I do,” he said, gently sliding her loose pants down over her hips. The warm smell of her arousal hit him like a cloud. It was all he could do not to take her right then. There was still a part of him that feared he was dreaming, that this would fall away like so many lovely dreams of the past.

But there was no rude awakening as he slid his fingers over her smooth skin, as he kissed one muscular thigh, up to that perfect little crease near her hip. She shivered as he pressed his lips to the soft fabric over her sex. The slight pressure against his lips told him she wanted more, silently drawing him closer. He slid her panties down, exposing the soft curls against her golden skin.

“Julian, I—” She gasped when he stroked her gently with his fingers, finding her already warm and slick with desire.

Still stroking her slowly, he lifted his head. “Scarlett, I have not made love to a woman in over a hundred years because I promised myself to you. My soul, my heart, and my body. I have hungered for you for so long,” he said, pressing gently against the tight bud of her clit. Her eyes rolled back and she drew a shuddering breath. “May I? May I give you pleasure?”

“Yes,” she blurted. “Please.”

Gripping her hips tight, he flicked his tongue across her and nearly swooned at the taste. Familiar, yet new. He knew her, but time had altered his memories, and this was like finding her all over again. He drew in her scent, then lashed at her with his tongue, parting those soft lips as he feasted upon her. As she panted, he focused on her clit, teasing it with his tongue until she let out a keening sound.

She is mine. I have her again, he thought. Perhaps if he claimed her thoroughly, if he bound them together somehow, fate would not take her again.

“Oh, God,” she blurted. “I’m— I’m almost?—”

He slid his finger into her, stroking against her walls slowly as her body clenched tight around him. As he’d often overheard Paris proclaiming to others, one of the best benefits of vampirism was not having to breathe. His body was bound in service to Scarlett Ward, to the soft flesh that seared against his lips, to the thundering pulse beneath that delicate skin. There was no need to stop until she begged him to show mercy.

Both her hands clutched at his head, holding him close as she chased her climax. The feeling of her fingers twining into his hair, with the little sting that made him feel alive, ignited that growing spark of hope. A demand was so much sweeter than an agreement.

Good girl, he thought, easing another finger into her.She gasped, and then all at once, she froze, hips pushing against his face as she let out one tiny squeaking cry. Heat surged through him, and he felt her pleasure flooding his nerves. His muscles tensed with it, with that lovely heat wave of climax so different from his own. And he realized that if Paris would be here in an hour, he had time to thoroughly present his position to Scarlett. He wanted her to understand that he was not making empty promises or idle threats when it came to taking care of her.

When she let out a rough shout that fell away into a moan, he briefly wondered if any of the others were sleeping nearby. Their barracks were sound-proofed, but Scarlett had a set of lungs to rival a banshee.

Let them hear. Let the whole damned universe and every vicious little witch know that she was his.

Several minutes later, she slumped, pushing his head away. Her legs buckled, and he caught her by the waist and laughed as she sank to the floor, legs splayed, cheeks bright red. Her eyes were glazed as she stared at him in wonder. “That felt amazing,” she breathed.

“I can tell,” he said wryly.

Her eyes widened as she looked down at him. The clean clothes she’d brought lay in a heap across the room, and there was no hiding his desire for her. Her smile faltered. “I want to make you come. But I don’t really know how.”

Her hand inched closer, and then she started to lean in as if she meant to take him into her mouth. One hand bundled her hair back, and the temptation nearly consumed him.

He caught her wrist lightly. “If I’ve been asleep for two days, I can’t let you do that. Not until I shower.”

“Oh. Then…” she murmured. He guided her hand to his cock instead. The mere brush of her palm against his shaft made him shiver, and he realized it would take nothing at all to make him fall over the edge. Instead of watching her hand wrap around him, he met her eyes, watching the way that smile returned. Then her eyes widened. “Oh…I think I feel…”

“We’re bonded,” he bit out. He knew this too, thanks to Paris overindulging in the whiskey a few weeks ago. He hadn’t meant for Julian to hear; they all kept quiet about their lovers for fear of making him sad. It was a nice gesture, though a bit of a waste when they all had such good hearing.

Whether it was instinct or memory or the magic of the soulmate bond, she followed the aching want of his body, stroking him more firmly now, leaning in to kiss him as the heat gathered with that pleasure-pain at the base of his spine. He was nearly— almost— and he cried out against her lips as he climaxed, smelling the way her desire overflowed. In a daze, he slumped against her, and they lay back on the floor in an awkward tangle, new carpet rough against his skin.

Her hair spilled over his arm as she lay back against his shoulder. She breathed hard, her pulse gradually slowing as they lay in the quiet together.

“Did we do this…” She hesitated. “Do you remember doing this with her?”

“I do,” he said. “But the past is the past. And I very much liked doing that with you.”

She glanced over and smiled at him. “My feelings for you are confusing. I don’t know what any of it means.”

He nodded. “Then let’s make it simple for now. Easy question. Do you like spending time with me?”

“Yes.”

It was an easy one, but perhaps the most important. Her quick answer made him smile. “Do you like kissing me?”

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