Page 77 of Crown of Briars
All too suddenly, the shadows vanished, leaving the wetness between my legs painfully unsatisfied. Panting, my eyes opened, and I found myself stretched out on Varius’s lap, legs wide open and back arched against him like some feral creature.
I swallowed hard, righting myself as I turned to look at him. He offered an infuriating smirk that made my blood boil.
“If I made you come right away, where would be the fun in that?” he taunted.
I gritted my teeth, trying to ignore the restless heat stirring within me, begging to be satiated. “That was cruel.”
“That was a mere demonstration. Your pitiful human lovers might bring you a moment of release, but I can make it last for hours,dannahla. Just say the words.” His dark eyes glittered with a challenge.
I met his stare and lifted my chin. I refused to admit just how much his shadows had affected me. And I wouldneverreveal how much I yearned for that release. It would mean that he’d won. “No.”
He grinned, showing his fangs. A hungry look sparkled in his eyes. This was a game to him. A dance. He had made the first move.
Now, it was my turn.
“Dance with me,” I said.
Varius’s eyes narrowed with suspicion. “Why?”
I smiled, feigning innocence. “Because you are my husband and I want to dance.”
“You were dancing perfectly well without my help earlier.”
My eyebrows lifted. “So, you do notwantto dance with me?”
“I—you—” A growling sound resonated in his throat.
My smile widened. He couldn’t say no; that would be a lie.
I slid off his lap, my movements slow and deliberate as I made sure to drag myself directly over his hardened length. Stones, it was much larger than I expected. And the cloth was so thin that I did indeed feel the raised bumps he’d been referring to.
His eyes shuttered, and he groaned. I yearned to rip off that measly piece of cloth to inspect him myself. And the bolder side of me was itching to know how it would feel to have something like that inside me.
No.I shut out the thought as soon as it appeared.Don’t let him win, Sybelle.
No good would come from that line of thinking.
When I stood on the floor, I laced my fingers through his and tugged on his arm. “Come and dance with me,” I said again.
I waited for him to refuse, or to jerk on my arm and drag me back onto his lap. I wouldn’t have minded, really.
But then he would have to addresswhyhe refused to dance.
He looked at me with a conflicted expression. A muscle worked in his jaw, and his nostrils flared.
“If you don’t want to, all you have to do is say so.” I stared expectantly at him, but his huff of exasperation told me he saw right through my facade.
“One dance,” he said, and I grinned at him again.
He let me steer him toward the crowd of dancers. A few couples were grinding against one another, faces full of rapture. Some fae formed large circles as they danced together with drinks in their hands. I noticed Enzira with a group of her friends, laughing and cheering. It brought a smile to my face to see her enjoying herself.
I twisted to face Varius, then draped my arms over him. He was so much taller than me that my hands could barely reach the back of his neck. I twined my fingers in his dark curls again, delighting in how soft and lush they felt.
My hips swayed as I inched closer to him until our bodies were flush against each other. He stared down at me, lips parted and eyes full of unexpected warmth. But he stood ramrod still, unmoving.
“Are you going to make me do all the work myself?” I teased, placing my hands on his hips and urging him to sway along with me.
He chuckled but obliged, his large body crowding mine. His chest was so warm as it pressed into me, and I let my palms rest against him, tracing small circles just above his nipples.
