Page 92 of Lady of Ashes

“Sorin,” she whispered. “Please.”

His eyes snapped back open at the word. “I ?nd it interesting that your manners only appear when they suit your needs, Princess.”

She opened her mouth to snap a reply, but then his fingers brushed against her thighs, and she sucked in a breath. It was a whisper of a touch. Fingertips barely connecting with skin, and it wasn’t enough. Not nearly enough as they slowly went higher and higher, his body coming over her as he went. They skated over her hips, up her sides, under her breasts. She arched into them, seeking out any other contact he would give her.

Then it was just a single ?nger sliding down her torso, over her navel, to her center, his eyes tracking the movement. Her hands were ?sting in the bedding at her sides, knowing if she reached for him again, he would continue toying with her, teasing her, making her wait. He met her gaze, a slight cruel tilt of his lips telling her he knew exactly what she was feeling and thinking, before he plunged that ?nger into her.

She moaned at ?nally feeling him inside her again, even if it was just a ?nger. He pulled it back, adding a second one before diving back in, curling them against her inner walls as his thumb came down on that perfect spot between her thighs, making her writhe against his hand. He moved onto the bed beside her, continuing to thrust his ?ngers, his thumb making slow, tight circles against her.

“You left me,” he growled again into her ear, his other hand slipping into hair and pulling, more strands coming out of her plait.

“I know,” she panted, her back arching at the pull of her hair. “I’m sorry, Sorin. I’m sorry.”

“Still not good enough,” he snarled, his lips coming down onto hers as if he couldn’t hold himself back any more, even if he wanted to.

“I love you,” she breathed into his mouth. “I love you, and I choose you. Always you.”

He pulled back, his hand stilling, ?ngers still inside her, and she whimpered at the loss of movement.

“You did not choose me when you left me,” he said, his tone bordering on vicious.

“I did, Sorin,” she insisted. “I chose your life over mine. I chose—”

He pulled his ?ngers from her, sliding on top of her, straddling her hips as his hands slammed into the bed beside her head, caging her in. His dark hair fell forward across his brow, his golden eyes glowing like hot coals. “How do you still not understand this, Scarlett?”

She froze at the violence and rage glimmering in his eyes. She was a mess of need and want. He’d brought her to the edge of pleasure, and she tried to push that down as she stared into the face of raw fury.

“I do not want a life without you in it. If the choice is a life without you or death at your side, I choose death, Scarlett. I choose wherever you are. If that means we are ashes in the voids between stars, then that is what I choose because I amwith you. I am giving you my life. Let me give that to you,” he begged. “Choose that. Choose doing thistogether. That is what I want you to choose.”

“Okay,” she breathed, reaching up to run her ?ngers down the side of his face, along his jaw, feeling a couple days’ worth of stubble under her ?ngertips. Her thumb brushed along his lower lip, feeling his harsh breaths as he exhaled. Her hand slipped around to the nape of his neck, and she pulled herself up, her lips meeting his. She kissed each corner of his mouth, and a soft groan fell from his lips as she began sliding her mouth down his throat, his breathing ragged. Her hands slid to his shoulders, and she pushed, nudging him onto his back and pressing him down onto the bed.

Her mouth went lower, her tongue tracing ridges of hard muscles, as her hands found buttons on his pants and pulled him free. Her eyes on his, she lowered her mouth, swirling her tongue around his tip. He jerked against her, a curse falling from his lips, as his ?ngers found their way into her hair yet again. One of her hands wrapped around his base as she drew him back farther into her mouth and down her throat, and he groaned again, his ?ngers ?sting tight around her strands as he began guiding her movements. The saltiness of him mixed with the honey and cloves of his kisses.

It wasn’t long before he was pulling her off of him, though, ?ipping her back underneath him. He shoved his pants off the rest of the way and settled between her thighs. “That,” he whispered into her ear, his breath hot against her skin and making her hair ?utter, “is a much better use for your tongue.”

Before she could reply, he thrust into her in one hard stroke, and she cried out at the feel of him ?lling her. Tears stung at theback of her eyes, and his face softened as he brushed his thumb along her cheek. He pulled almost all the way out, pushing back in slower.

“I’m sorry, Sorin,” she whispered, her throat thick as she held back her tears.

“I know, Love,” he replied, pushing hair out of her eyes and smoothing it back.

“I love you, and I hear you,” she breathed while he continued to move inside of her, slowly picking up his pace, the arm he’d worked under her shoulders holding her tightly to him.

“I love you, Scarlett. I am yours. Always.”

He pressed his lips to her forehead, and his movements became harder, faster, making her moan into his neck, her nails digging into his back. Within moments, she was tumbling over the edge of pleasure, gasping his name, and he was right behind her, with a few ?nal thrusts before he was groaning her name, raining kisses along the top of her head.

They clung to each other, breathing ragged as they came down from their highs together, before he gently pulled out of her and rolled to his back. She went with him, resting her head on his chest, his arm curled around her waist and locking her to his side. He inhaled deeply, his other hand making long strokes up and down her arm.

She could feel some of his emotions down the bond, but it was still muted. There was a sort of contentment, but there was still a simmering anger underneath it. She released some of her shadows, letting them brush along his face, and she felt his ?ames rush up to meet them.

“Sorin?” she asked with uncertainty.

“Yeah, Love?” he hummed, and she glanced up to ?nd his eyes closed, but his features taut with tension.

“Can you … I mean, our bond …”

His eyes opened as she stumbled over her words, and he waited patiently for her to ?nish her thoughts, his hand coming up behind his head.

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