Page 11 of Chaos Carnival

“Watch it, bud. You need me every night. Or I might just let you turn into an icicle,” I said, trying and failing to keep the amusement out of my voice. The warmth between us made any threat of freezing seem ridiculous.

“Ouch.” Maverick clutched his chest in mock pain. “You wound me. I’m hardly recovered from death's door, and you're already threatening to abandon me?” His bottom lip quivered in an exaggerated pout that made me want to either kiss him or smother him with a pillow.

“Death's door is probably less annoying than you right now.” I flexed my fingers, which had gone numb from maintaining contact with his skin.

“Please, Death and I are old friends. They'd just roll their eyes and kick me back out.” His hand caught mine as I tried to pull away. “Hey, where are you going? We've still got another hour.”

“My arm fell asleep. It's tingling, like a thousand tiny needles dancing up and down my skin.”

“Can't have that.” He shifted, pulling me closer until my head rested on his chest, his movements fluid and deliberate. The chill of his skin seeped through my clothes, making me shiver despite myself. “Better?”

“You're still cold. Like cuddling with a watermelon, except definitely more talkative.”

“The poison's not helping.” His breath stirred my hair. “But you're warm enough for both of us.”

I snorted, unable to help myself. “Is that your way of saying I'm hot?”

“That was terrible. Like genuinely, impressively awful.” His laugh rumbled through his chest, the vibrations tickling my ear. “I'm clearly a bad influence on you.”

“Add it to the list.” I tried to ignore how natural it felt, curled against him like this. How his touch had gone from uncomfortably cold to refreshingly cool. “Right after 'getting me involved with supernatural crime.'” Guilt gnawed at me—here I was, almost comfortable, while Addie was trapped with Ivan, enduring God knows what. The thought of her suffering while I let myself be distracted made my stomach turn. But I needed Maverick alive and healthy if we were going to save her. I couldn’t do it without him.

“Don't forget 'expanding your vocabulary with creative swearing.'” His fingers traced lazy circles on my back. “I'm very proud of that one.”

His lips brushed my neck, and my breath caught in my chest. I knew I should pull away, but I couldn't deny the heat curling low in my belly. Every rational thought fled as his hand trailed down my arm, sending tingles rushing to my fingertips.

His fingers skimmed my hip, and I pressed my lips together to hold in a moan. This was a terrible idea. I knew that. But every nerve ending sang with the need to feel more.

His fingers dipped lower, and I held my breath, afraid that any movement would break the spell he wove with his touch.

“You're breathtaking, Tess.” His voice was a low murmur, sending a thrill straight to my core.

I wanted to tell him to stop, that this was a mistake—we had to focus on Addie—but the words stuck in my throat. And we couldn’t do anything about Addie at the moment. I turned my head to meet his lips, kissing him with a fervor that surprised us. Every inch of my body was electric, alive, and the cold of his skin only made the fire burning inside me hotter.

His hand stilled at my navel, and he hesitated. “Tess—”

I silenced him with another kiss, my fingers threading through his hair as I pulled him closer. I didn’t know what had come over me. This was a mistake, but I'd deal with it later. For now, all I wanted was to feel him.

His lips responded eagerly, and his hand curved around my hip, pulling me tighter. The heat between us built, the ritual's magic mingling with our own as we clung to each other, seeking solace in the warmth of our touch.

I threaded my fingers through his hair, holding him close as our lips moved in perfect sync. His skin was no longer cold against mine. Instead, heat radiated from us, chasing away the chill that had settled in my bones.

Maverick's hands traced a path from my neck to my collarbone, his touch sending sparks dancing across my skin. My breath hitched as his fingers brushed the curve of my breast, my body arching instinctively into his touch. I pulled my legs around his hips as his erection dug into me.

The kiss deepened, and his tongue teased mine, sending a jolt of desire straight to my core. The heat built, a coil of tension that pulled tighter with each sweep of his lips, each brush of his fingers. His touch was electric, lighting me up from within.

His hand curved around my breast, his thumb brushing over the peak. My back lifted off the mattress, my body responding to his touch. I wanted more. I needed more.

He traced kisses down my neck, his breath hot on my skin, sending shivers dancing across my shoulders. My fingers curled into his hair, holding him close as his lips continued their torment, whispering feather-light kisses down my collarbone.

A ragged groan tore from my throat as his thumb brushed over my nipple, sending a jolt straight to my center. My hips bucked involuntarily, seeking friction as the coil of need tightened further. His mouth curved into a smile, and he repeated the motion, teasing me with gentle strokes.

My legs tightened around him, urging him closer, wanting to feel all of him. His erection pressed into me harder, a tantalizing promise of what was to come. I rocked my hips, seeking relief from the ache that throbbed through me, but the barrier of our underwear only teased and tormented.

“Maverick,” I breathed, my lips seeking his as the need grew. My hands tugged at his waistband, desperate for him. “Now.”

His response was a low, throaty chuckle that vibrated through me. “Impatient, love?” His hand slid to my waist, fingers teasing the waistband of my panties.

Before I could respond, his lips crushed mine in a searing kiss that stole the breath from my lungs. My back bowed off the mattress, bodies moving together as the kiss deepened. Our tongues danced, a sensual echo of our bodies.

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