He rolled us until I was beneath him, his powerful body caging mine against the mattress. His tail wrapped possessively around my thigh, the tip teasing the sensitive skin behind my knee.
"I can help you get dressed again," his voice a low rumblethat I felt more than heard. His eyes glinted with mischief and desire. "After."
"After what?" I tried to act surprised, though the heat pooling low in my abdomen suggested I already knew the answer.
Instead of responding, he began moving down my body, his mouth leaving a trail of fire in its wake. He unbuttoned my jeans with deft fingers, tugging them down along with my underwear in one smooth motion. My protest died in my throat as he settled between my thighs, his hot breath teasing my already sensitive flesh.
The first touch of his tongue had me arching off the bed with a gasp. He chuckled, the vibration sending shockwaves through my core as he set about dismantling me with ruthless precision. His hands gripped my thighs, holding me open to his ministrations as his tongue explored, teased, and tormented.
"Aldaine," I gasped, my fingers tangling in his hair as pleasure built within me, swift and overwhelming.
He intensified his efforts with deliberate precision, his tongue creating slow, purposeful circles that had me clutching at the sheets. The contrast between the warmth of his mouth and the cool morning air heightened every sensation. My breathing fractured into desperate gasps as tension built within me like a gathering storm. When he drew me between his lips with gentle suction, applying just the perfect pressure, something inside me shattered gloriously.
"Aldaine!" I cried out, my voice unrecognizable even to my own ears. My world dissolved into pure sensation as pleasure radiated outward from my core in pulsing waves. My fingers twisted in his hair, my thighs trembling uncontrollably around his head as he expertly guided me through every crest and fall of my release. He was relentless in his devotion, refusing to relent until I collapsed back against the mattress, overwhelmedand quivering, my skin hypersensitive to even the whisper of his breath.
"Mmm. Delicious." Aldaine grinned, his fangs catching the golden morning light as he looked up at me from between my trembling thighs, eyes dancing with wicked satisfaction. "This is the perfect breakfast, but I'm still hungry."
I yelped in surprise as his tail suddenly unwound from around my thigh, the smooth appendage sliding against my oversensitive skin with deliberate slowness. My breath caught at the first vibrating touch against me, nerve endings already raw from his earlier attention. Aldaine gave me no time to recover, diving back down with renewed purpose, his skilled tongue creating patterns that made coherent thought impossible. I clutched desperately at his shoulders, my fingernails leaving crescent marks on his magenta skin as another wave of pleasure began building impossibly fast.
My world shattered around me as I came again. My heart ached as a thought flitted across my mind about how I needed him now but I shut it down as I pulled him up to kiss him roughly, the taste of myself on his lips.
"Aldaine." I pushed him on his back. "My turn."
We were late to breakfast and I didn't care at all.
Chapter Twelve
CHAPTER 12: ROSIE
Itook one last look in the mirror, smoothing down the fabric of my emerald cocktail dress. The color made my eyes pop and complemented my copper hair, which I'd styled in loose waves that cascaded down my back. My makeup was still intact from when I'd finally gotten around to applying it after Aldaine and I had spent most of the day wrapped up in each other.
My cheeks flushed at the memory. I could still feel the echo of his hands on my skin, the demanding press of his mouth against mine. Hours lost to pleasure that had left me boneless and giddy.
"Ready?" Aldaine appeared behind me in the reflection, his human form impeccably dressed in a tailored charcoal suit that accentuated his broad shoulders. The rich chestnut of his skin seemed to glow in the soft lighting of our room, and his dark eyes never left mine as he stepped closer.
"As I'll ever be," I sighed, leaning back against his solid chest. "Can't we just stay here? Order food from the kitchen?"
His large hands settled on my hips, warm and possessive through the silky fabric of my dress. "Tempting," he murmured against my ear, his breath sending a delicious shiver down my spine. "But you've got family obligations."
"Don't remind me," I groaned, tilting my head to give him better access as he pressed a kiss to my neck. "Haven't we satisfied our social quota already? Two more days of this is going to kill me."
"I won't let that happen," Aldaine promised, his lips curving into that devastating smile that made my knees weak. "After all, I have a vested interest in keeping you alive and well."
"My soul, you mean," I remarked, trying to sound casual even as my heart gave a painful twinge.
Something flickered across his face, too quickly for me to interpret, before he stepped back, offering me his arm. "Shall we?"
We made our way downstairs and out onto the sprawling grounds of the estate. The late afternoon sun cast everything in a golden haze, transforming the ordinary into something magical. Fairy lights had been strung through the trees, waiting for darkness to fall when they would illuminate the space like earthbound stars. Crystal champagne towers glittered in the fading light, servers in crisp uniforms weaving through the growing crowd with trays of hors d'oeuvres and flutes of bubbling champagne.
"This is ridiculous," I muttered to Aldaine as we walked toward where my father and Jan stood greeting guests. "Who needs this many events for an engagement? It's not like Stephany's marrying royalty, just my high school ex-boyfriend."
Aldaine's warm hand pressed reassuringly against the small of my back. "Think of it as a theatrical production," he suggested, his voice low and intimate despite the crowdaround us. "And we're giving an Oscar-worthy performance."
Before I could respond, my father spotted us and waved us over, his face lighting up with a genuine smile that warmed something inside me. At least someone was happy to see me.
"Rosie!" Dad enfolded me in a tight hug, then held me at arm's length, examining me with concerned eyes. "How are you holding up, sweetheart? After yesterday..."
I forced a smile, grateful for his concern but unwilling to make a scene. "I'm fine, Dad. Really."