Page 77 of Crown of Betrayal and Blood

Bile roils up in my stomach.

Sterling stares at his thumb, and I forget to breathe.

Instead, he wipes his hand on his tunic. “I need to bathe. Feel free to join me.” Without waiting for an answer, Sterling heads for the bathing chamber.

I don’t bother undressing. There’s no way I could wear this outfit again, even if the blood could be removed. So I simply trail after Sterling, still fully dressed.

With a mere thought, flames race up my back and destroy my outfit.

As my clothes burn away, heat flashes in Sterling’s gaze. “Mine too?”

Even after everyone he’s lost, he’s somehow able to function.

I pull the shirt from his chest, flames pouring from my fingers. The fabric breaks apart, shriveling into cinders that fall to the tile. He yanks his pants off and keeps stripping.

Still desperate to get clean, we head for the shower.

Sterling steps in, pulling the chain that lets the water rain down. It pours over us, warm and inviting. As the water rushes over my head, I finally stop trembling. The cascade is wide enough to easily accommodate the two of us and soak our fully extended wings.

He grabs the soap and lathers his face before gently washing mine while I release my hair from its braid.

Sliding around each other, we clean ourselves quickly. After that, our frantic movements slow.

Then, in a moment of vulnerability, Sterling kisses me. He tastes of fear, longing, and desperation.

I wrap my arms around him, pulling him close. Things escalate quickly, driven by the urgency of our situation.

“We can’t. It isn’t safe.” Sterling’s protest is a whisper against my ear, his breath warm and shaky. “I’mnot safe.”

Tears mingle with the water dripping from his ebony hair. His expressive eyes are glazed with pain and hunger as they scour my face for any hints of fright.

My fractured heart splinters again.

I squeeze my eyes shut and give myself a second to tame my rampaging emotions before reopening them.

“I’ve put you on your ass before.” Stepping forward, I slide my breasts against his chest. “And I promise to do it again if necessary.” I nibble at his bottom lip and slip my hands over his hips. “Deal?”

He shudders as I shift, my belly gliding over him where he’s pressed rigid and ready between us. “Lark, I’m serious. We don’t know for sure what turned Leesa.”

“No, though I’m pretty sure shower sex didn’t play into it.” My attempt at humor falls flat, but my hands continue to roam over his muscular back, tracing the lines of tension that map out the battles he’s fought, both physically and within the tangled web of court politics. “This will remind us we’re alive. That we still have each other.”

He’s still for a moment, that soldier’s discipline holding him taut, but then something breaks, and his restraint crumbles. He responds with renewed fervor. His lips trail fire down my neck, and every touch ignites a spark that threatens to consume us both.

My head drops back, and I nearly prove myself a liar as the water hits me in the face. I have to hold my breath so I won’t choke. Reaching up, I pull the chain to turn off the water. The heat Sterling is teasing out of me with his hands between my legs is enough to ensure we won’t get so much as a chill.

Putting my hand on his shoulder, I try to push him back, but he seems to have the same idea.

Instead of moving away, he sinks to his knees. His tongue, chilled and agile, follows his fingers, replacing them as they glide back and deeper.

“Oh, gods.” I part my shaking legs. “I’m not going to be able to stand if you keep that up.”

“Not a problem.” He groans into my sensitive flesh. “I’ll take you however I can get you. I just need to be inside you.”

Our coupling is a tempest, a clash of elements that drowns out the world. Sterling’s icy magic hovers at his fingertips and mouth. A shocking contrast to the heat that radiates from my own skin. It’s a dangerous dance we perform on the wet tiles, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

His hands roam, strong and sure, while mine grasp at him, memorizing the contours of muscle and skin and engraving this memory onto my soul. My moans echo against the tiles as he drives me wild. The sensation of his mouth on my core is glorious, and I never want it to stop.

At the same time, I want to touch him. Taste him. Feel his hard cock inside me.

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