Page 69 of The Little Shop of Grand Curiosities

“Like what, Little Butterfly?” he rasped, his hands roving upward. He cupped my breasts over the bodice of my dress while angling his hips in a thrust. His erection pressed further onto me, making my whole body feel heavy and almost in agony. Suddenly, he grabbed my waist and raised me atop the counter. I heaved in shock as he stepped between my knees and put his hands on my thighs, the warmth from his palms seeping through the layers of my skirts. My legs, entirely of their own volition, inched up his sides and wrapped around his waist. I nudged him forward, and his hold on me tightened in response. “You want me to be a little rough with you, Nepheli? Is that it?”

All the blood in my body rushed straight to my face, but I managed a nod. “Yes. Yes, that’s what I want.” I shuddered as I heard the words leave my mouth. I’d never wanted anything like that before. I neversoundedlike that before. So breathless and ready and certain of myself. It exhilarated me. It made me question my sanity too.

His mouth landed on mine again, and he kissed me hard and deep for a few delirious, fever-dream moments before his lips traced up the side of my neck and lingered at the tender spot just below my ear. “So dangerous, my Little Butterfly.”

“Why—” I began, but as Apollo grazed his teeth along my throat, all comprehensive thoughts escaped me momentarily. I swallowed hard. “Why do you keep calling me dangerous?”

Unexpectedly, he hesitated, breathing hard against my neck. He cupped my jaw and held me like that for a moment, looking into my eyes. Then a whisper: “It’s dangerous to be someone others are afraid to lose.”

My heart skittered inside my chest. I wanted to say something. What was it? I couldn’t remember. I could only feel his hands slipping down my parted thighs until he reached the hem of my dress. He searched for my eyes. “Is that okay?”

I nodded, biting down on my lip.

I didn’t think it was possible, but his eyes seemed to grow even darker. “I’d like to hear you say it, darling.”

“Touch me,” I breathed out. “Please.”

“Please?” he teased, a truly heartless grin on his face. “Well, as long as you’re begging…” He leaned forward and claimed my mouth again, slower this time. Lazy strokes of his tongue and indolent exchanges of breath. Then he pushed up my dress. Up my ankles, up my calves, up my knees. My skin pebbled at the sudden exposure to the air. Or perhaps his hands were to blame—his rough fingers that roamed so possessively over my fever-flushed skin.

He pulled back and examined the twin bruises on my knees. “Damn it, you did hurt your knees.”

“I fell pretty hard,” I rasped.

Apollo ran his fingers alongside them, making my skin tingle in anticipation. “An awful way to bruise such pretty knees, really.”

I raised my brows. “Is there agoodway?”

“Darling,” he laughed, looking at me as if to say,Come on, Nepheli, you know what I mean.

The realization finally dawned on me, and I scoffed in outrage. “That’s it. You’re absolutely terrible.”

His fingers slipped up, up, and—Oh. “Isn’t that why you want me, though?” he asked, teasing me with two fingers over my undergarment while pressing down his thumb on that perfect spot. “To do terrible things to you?” He squeezed me in his broad hand with enough pressure to make my eyes roll all the way inside my head, my lips parting in a desperate sigh. I almost fell back on the counter, but he brought his free hand around my waist. “I got you, darling,” he reassured, nudged my undergarment aside, and pushed a finger inside me.

I gasped at the sudden fullness, and the bastard actuallylaughedat me. “Let me ask you something, Nepheli. Every time you fight with me and call me terrible and a heartless brute, are you this wet for me? Do you secretly want me to fuck you until you can’t walk? Because I know I do.”

Oh gods.

“You’re despicable,” I moaned.

“I know,” he said soothingly. “I know, darling. That’s why you’re dripping all over my hand.”

A moment of unimaginable pleasure swept over me as he angled his finger to reach that body-shattering spot before adding a second one inside me.

“Gods,” I cried, reaching up to clutch his arms.

“You okay?” he asked, slowing his thrusts to a more merciful pace.

But I didn’t want him to be merciful. No, I didn’t want him merciful at all.

I wrinkled his shirt in my fists. “Don’t slow down.”

He buried his wicked little smirk into the curve of my neck and breathed me in. “You want to come on my fingers or on my tongue?”

My jaw fell open. “I didn’t know I had options.”

“There’s a third option too, but you’re not ready for it, darling,” Apollo said, thrusting his fingers so deep inside me that a spasm of pleasure spiraled through me. My back arched. My legs shook. I was so close to orgasm that even the slightest stroke of his tongue would send me over the edge.

“I want to feel your mouth on me,” I heaved.

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