Page 194 of Crown of Briars
He growled, his fingers splaying along my back as his hips met mine. “You wear nothing but that crown tonight and I swear to worship every inch of your body. With my tongue.”
Liquid heat pooled between my thighs. My voice was slightly strained as I said, “That does seem like a service fit for a queen.”
His sultry gaze held mine, and my heartbeat quickened. He leaned in, and I arched upward to meet him as hekissed me. His tongue collided with mine, and a moan escaped me as his fangs gently caught my lower lip. I gripped his tunic, drawing him closer as my hands roamed the hard planes of the exposed parts of his chest. Stones, I wanted him. I wantedallof him.
He broke the kiss with a gasp, then took my hand and steered me away from the square. I let out a soft yelp, glancing over my shoulder at the crowd. Eira was laughing alongside her father. She caught my eye and winked suggestively.
I couldn’t even process a response because I was hurrying to match Varius’s quick pace. He guided me toward an unfamiliar building. We stepped through the doors and made our way up a winding set of stairs that led to the roof.
“Varius, what—” I broke off with a startled cry as he scooped me into his arms, then started sprinting toward the edge of the roof. My heart jumped into my throat when he leapt over the edge. My stomach hollowed, and I crammed my eyes shut, waiting for us to plummet to the ground.
Varius’s wings snapped open, and we glided, the momentum of his jump carrying us over the square.
My eyes flew open, and I uttered a soft gasp as we floated over the myriad buildings spread below us. It wasn’t quite like flying with Azure—her massive wings could lift us as high as the clouds. Varius’s were only meant for gliding. And, thankfully, the Pern District rested on a hilltop, allowing us to fly freely toward Agnarr Castle.
I held my crown in place, afraid it would fall and be lost forever. When I looked up at Varius, I found him smirking down at me.
“That wasterrifying,” I said, slapping his chest with my free hand. “You could have warned me.”
“Ah, but where is the fun in that,dannahla?” He flashed a wicked grin at me.
We coasted in the air until the hill leveled out. Variusgracefully landed on the road that led past the Noxen Forest. To my surprise, he didn’t lower me but kept me nestled in his arms.
“I can walk just fine,” I protested.
“This is faster,” he insisted, his grin downright feral as he broke into a run.
I squealed in surprise, huddling against his chest as he sprinted down the road and toward the castle. My laughter was breathless, and he chuckled along with me, not even winded when we reached the entrance doors. A pair of guards obediently pulled them open for us, and we made our way down the hall. Varius turned the handle of the first door he could find.
The castle led us straight to our bedchamber. Even after the curse was broken, the sentient castle remained, which led us to believe the walls had always held magic; it had merely come alive with Jessinda’s spell.
It would also explain why the castle had refused to help Gerard, Jessinda’s son. The castle had been onourside. Not his.
And that was how it always would be.
Varius kicked the door shut and carried me to the bed before gently depositing me on the soft mattress. I kicked off my shoes and sat up to tug at the row of buttons holding my dress together.
With an impatient growl, Varius slid his claws through the fabric and ripped it in half.
I scoffed. “Was that really necessary?”
“The offensive fabric was impeding my devout worship of your body,” he said defensively, sliding the torn lace away from my arms and back. I slid off his tunic, which was far easier to remove, since it was already open at the chest. My impatient fingers wriggled underneath the band of his kilt before tugging it down to reveal his hard length. My throat went dry at the sight of it.
Stones, I would never tire of this. I would never tire ofhim.
I was still surrounded by piles of fabric, but Varius madequick work of discarding the pieces of my dress on the floor, then hovering over me with a hungry look in his eyes.
“You’d better keep that crown on, too,” I whispered.
His eyes darkened as they roved over me. A low rumbling sound resonated in his throat. “As you wish, my queen.”
He brought his mouth to mine, his tongue sweeping over my lips. He moved his mouth to my cheek and jawline, then my throat, sucking and nipping at my neck. I moaned, arching into him, my fingers winding through his curls. Still, his tongue moved lower, slipping between my breasts. He captured one in his mouth, his fangs brushing against my hardened nipple. Heat flooded my veins, setting my blood on fire. My hips bucked, and I bit back a cry of ecstasy.
His hands were on my thighs, spreading them wide. He groaned at the moisture there, then dipped his head between my legs. With one long stroke of his tongue, I was completely undone. I jerked wildly, my eyes closing and my head rolling back.
“So delicious,” he murmured. “I could feast on you all night,dannahla.”
“Varius, please,” I rasped, then cried out when his tongue met my core again. I writhed under him, urging him onward, and he obliged. He thrust deeper, his long tongue reaching farther than I thought possible. My head was spinning, pleasure coursing through me in violent waves. Tension mounted within me, coiling tighter and tighter until I thought I might explode.
