Page 103 of Tower of Tempest
I laughed. “Do you want to see me naked or not?”
He choked out a breath, then rested his forehead against mine. “I just want to make sure you’re not doing this because you think you have to earn my love or give me something in return for me loving you.”
I unwrapped my legs from his waist and slid down his body, my feet landing on the floor of the carriage. I slipped past him, sitting on the plush carriage seat and patting the space next to me. Loch sat down, angling his body toward mine.
I gazed at him. “I’m sorry about what I said earlier. I’ve been in a really bad place these last few days.”
He grabbed my hand, drawing it into his lap. “Of course you have. Your mother just died. We almost all died. Your father is being a fucking idiot, and I swear I might just accidentally start a war if he doesn’t pull his head out of his ass. And soon.”
I laughed. “For someone who doesn’t like conflict, you’re very aggressive tonight.”
“I told you that I will fight for you.” He brought my hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to it. “I meant it.”
“I know that now. I just have been feeling so”—I took a deep breath—“worthless. I couldn’t save my mother from the shadows. I couldn’t save us from falling to our deaths. I can’t even convince my father that I’m his daughter.”
Loch’s hand tightened around mine. “You are not and will never be worthless. You give so much of yourself to others. Who else would spend hours listening to Driscoll’s endless gossip and just smile and laugh like it’s entertaining?”
“Well, it is kind of entertaining.” I smirked, and he narrowed his eyes.
“You are worthy of everything,” he continued. “Not because of what you can give but because of who you are.”
Tears welled in my eyes. “Stop saying all these ridiculously romantic things. I’m going to melt right into a puddle of tears.”
“What can I say?” He winked. “You bring out the romantic side of me.”
I swatted him, then stood, making sure I held his gaze as I took a deep breath and summoned my bravery. Loch had overcome his fears tonight, put himself out there. I could do the same. Besides, he had, technically, already seen me naked and very clearly approved. I still remembered the way his hard length had pressed against me in that bath. “My point with all of this,” I said as I kicked off my boots, “is that I want you, Lochlan Aster.” I undid the laces of my trousers and slowly pulled them down, revealing my pink panties.
His eyes turned black with untethered desire, gaze sweeping from my feet and trailing up my legs, slow, as if he wanted to savor every bit of this. I shrugged off my jacket, slipping it over my wings, and it fell to the floor behind me. Then I undid the front laces of my tunic and shrugged it off, leaving me in nothing but my undergarments.
He swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat. “All those nights I dreamt of you, and my mind could never have created this.”
I gave him a look as I took a step forward. “You dreamt of me in my tower, where I was definitely clothed.”
“Oh, Poppy.” His eyes glittered. “Not in my mind you weren’t.”
“And you’ve seen me naked before,” I reminded him.
“Yet you’re even more glorious this time. Even more beautiful.”
I seated myself in his lap, straddling him, wings spreading behind me. He ran a finger down the middle of my wings, and a shudder rippled through me.
“Spirits below, woman,” he rasped. “You’re going to be the undoing of me.”
I kissed the corner of his mouth, nerves fluttering in my stomach. I’d felt brave moments ago with his gaze swallowing me whole, but now I felt unsure, clumsy in my movements. I wanted to make him feel good, not because I thought he’d abandon me if I didn’t but because I loved him too.
I’d known it for so long but only now finally admitted it to myself.
Loch gripped my hips, fingers massaging my skin, his touch so intimate. “Do you know how breathtakingly beautiful you are?” His gaze dipped to my breasts, down to the curve of my waist, to my thighs pressed into his. His thumbs moved in a slow steady rhythm over the dips of my body. He leaned forward and kissed my collarbone, trailing his lips down to my breasts. Then he took a nipple into his mouth, making my body bow against his, a moan escaping me.
His tongue swirled in slow, tantalizing circles that made my thighs tremble. An aching throb grew between my legs, and on instinct, I rubbed myself against him as he continued to suck and lick. The bulge in his pants stiffened further, my center slick with heat, ready for him.
He released my nipple and took the other one in his mouth while I fumbled with the laces of his trousers. Spirits below, these things were so unnecessarily difficult. I finally untied them and yanked them down as far as I could when Loch flicked my nipple with his tongue and made me gasp, my gaze shooting to his smoldering one.
“You’re going to have to get these off now,” I said. “You’re doing things to one part of my body that are somehow affecting other parts. Parts that need you.”
“Someone is being bossy,” he teased.
I practically growled, and he laughed as I shimmied off of him and onto the cushion. He stood and pulled his tunic overhead, putting all his muscles and hard edges on display. Bloody skies. This man. He was a marvel.
