Page 36 of Tik-Tok

Tik-Tok drew her to his chest, his eyes focused on hers again. “She’s in a …mood, and there’s no talking sense into her until morning. You’ll have to come with me tomorrow so she can remove whatever fucking spell she cast on you.”

North rubbed her head, trying to see if she could somehow bring the memory forth. But she couldn’t, and Tik-Tok appeared to be telling the truth, judging by the anger rolling off of him. “I’m fine.”

“This is my fault. Come with me.” He grabbed her by the hand and tugged her in the direction of his room. It was hard for her smaller legs to keep up with his long stride, but she managed it. Opening the door, he brought her inside.

“Why are you acting like this?” North asked, setting down her axe on the floor and taking a seat on the edge of his desk. “Even if she tried to cast a spell, I don’t think it worked, because I feel fine.”

“That’s the thing with her spells. She doesn’t cast them often, but when she does, you won’t know. Celyna can take your memories and you wouldn’t miss them, or she might’ve told you to drown yourself later tonight.”

Could that have happened? And if she had, would North be able to fight the temptation to do whatever the sea witch had commanded? “Perhaps she only wanted you to think she’d done something, and she really didn’t.”

“She did. I know her.” He gritted his teeth as he paced back and forth across the floor.

She’d never seen him so discomposed. “Why would she want to cast a spell on me anyway? I haven’t even met her.”

Tik-Tok stopped and lifted his head to look at her. “Because I didn’t fuck her.”

North’s brows lifted. He hadn’t tumbled her… Why not?

“She gets her visions when she orgasms,” Tik-Tok continued. “I needed her prophecy, to know where exactly the portal would open, or, if she couldn’t tell me that, how to avoid an old enemy. For some reason, I couldn’t…” He trailed off but didn’t shy away from her wide-open stare.

“Why not?” Her tongue felt thick in her mouth as she asked the two simple words.

“I … I don’t know, North. I don’t fucking know. Ever since you…”

“Ever since I what?” she whispered.

He sank down onto the chair in front of the desk and stared up at the ceiling before looking back at her. “I’m in control, North. Me. Not you.”

“You’re not making any sense.”

“I fuck.” His hand struck his chest. “I don’t do more than that withanyone.”

North’s gaze locked onto his red irises, his powerful expression, and something softer that possibly lay beneath. An urge pulled at her, one nearly identical to what she’d felt last night. She hadn’t wanted to acknowledge it then, but now…

Sliding herself from the desk, North stepped toward him,wanting to, but it also felt as though an invisible hand nudged her forward.

Tik-Tok didn’t say a word, only parted his lips when she spread her legs on either side of his thighs—her skirt riding up above her knees—straddling him in the chair. She leaned nearer, so near. “Why is that all you do?”

His throat bobbed as he ran his metal hand over her hair, entwining his fingers with her silver waves. He drew her head closer until her mouth was dangerously close to touching his. “Because the only one to own me, isme.”

And then she closed the distance, her lips on his, kissing him. He didn’t hesitate, and their movements were almost savage. She liked it. Liked how he kissed her. North softly bit his lower lip, and she could feel him harden against her core. And she liked that too, how it made her center ache for more. She’d never had someone’s length pressed against her in this way.

In one swift movement, Tik-Tok lifted her off him, and she thought he was going to push her away. But instead, he turned her around in his lap so her back was flush with his strong chest, his sandalwood scent enveloping her.

“Tell me how you like it,” he whispered in her ear as he swept her hair away, giving him access to her neck. “Tell me what pleases you the most.”

“This,” she whispered, arching her back and rolling her hips against him.

His hands came to her thighs and opened her legs wider before trailing his fingers up to the exposed flesh of her stomach—the digits of his right hand were cool—the left, warm, both equally intoxicating. He ventured to the top button of her bodice and, with practiced movements, unbuttoned them one by one until they were all undone. Tik-Tok didn’t remove the fabric as his hands glided up her flesh, lightly over her scar, to cup her breasts. They fit perfectly in his palms, his fingers expertly pinching and rubbing at her nipples. Breaths uneven, North arched her back even more. His mouth landed on her neck, his lips kissing, his tongue flicking.

There was no suppressing her moan any longer and it escaped through her lips.

“So responsive.” Tik-Tok flicked that glorious tongue of his up her neck once more. “What else do you like, my star?”

Bold. Bolder. North interlocked her fingers through his and slid their hands together down between her breasts, to her navel, then slipped them beneath her hitched skirt and between her thighs. She wanted his touch, wanted to know what it felt like to have his warm digits inside her.

She released his hand, allowing his fingers to descend farther down on their own. And he did exactly that.

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