Page 32 of The Demon's Sinful Serenade
"And if I—" My voice caught. "If I wanted it? If I wanted you?"
"Then I would be the luckiest bastard in any realm." Zane set his mug down beside mine and came closer. So close, the heatrolling off him chased away the last of the cold clinging to my skin. "But it's up to you, kitten. It's always going to be up to you."
Potential. Not a prison sentence.
The words hung between us for a heartbeat before I closed the distance and pressed my lips to his. The kiss was gentle at first, exploratory, nothing like our desperate coming together the night before. This wasn't about forgetting or escaping. This was choosing, claiming, deciding. No hesitation, no second-guessing. Just certainty.
Zane's hands came to rest at my waist, steadying me as he deepened the kiss. A low rumble of approval vibrated through his chest as I slid my hands up to tangle in his hair. The soft strands were still damp from his shower, and he smelled like my shampoo mixed with something richer, smokier, that was all Zane.
I kept my eyes closed when we finally broke apart, both breathing hard, and simply savored the feeling. When I opened them, Zane was watching me with such naked hope in his expression that it made my chest ache.
"You sure, kitten?" he murmured against my lips, his tail stroking circles on my ankle.
I nipped his lower lip. "I nearly died tonight. I've spent the last year afraid of my own shadow. I'm done letting fear make my decisions." I slid my hands up his bare chest, feeling the steady thrum of his heartbeat beneath my palms. "I want this. I want you."
Desire sparked in his eyes, flame dancing in molten gold. Then he picked me up, hauling me against his chest as he claimed my mouth with a growl. I wrapped my legs around his waist as he carried me down the hall toward my bedroom, kissing along my jaw and down my neck. Heat flooded my core at every point of contact. My t-shirt felt rough compared to thesilky slide of his lips, the rough pads of his fingertips as he trailed them up my spine.
"Been craving you all day," he confessed as he laid me on the bed. "Watching you on stage, owning that crowd, and all I could think about was getting my hands on you again."
"Big talk for someone who's still wearing pants," I teased, propping myself up on my elbows.
Zane's answering grin was pure sin. "Always so fucking mouthy."
"You like my mouth." I sat up, forcing him back a step. I trailed my fingers along the waistband of his borrowed sweats. The fabric was well stretched over the generous bulge of his cock, and my mouth watered with anticipation. I flicked my eyes up to his and failed entirely at hiding my grin. "Don't you?"
"Love your mouth," Zane groaned.
I leaned forward, teasing his shaft through the thin fabric. He hissed through his teeth as I tugged the sweatpants down over his hips. His cock sprang free, bobbing heavily, the swollen crown flushed and glistening at the tip. Zane moaned as I stroked him once, twice, sliding my thumb over the slit and spreading slick precum down his shaft.
"Fuck, River." He tangled a hand in my hair, guiding me forward. "Let me feel that mouth."
I licked a slow stripe up the underside, tasting salt and smoke on my tongue. Zane cursed softly, his grip tightening as I wrapped my lips around the broad head. He was hot, so hot, filling my mouth to bursting as I took him deeper. His hips jerked in tiny movements, seeking more friction as I swallowed around his length.
"Mouthyandgreedy." His voice held equal parts amusement and raw desire. "Do you know how fucking sexy you look like this? Mouth full of my cock, cheeks flushed, eyes looking up at me."
He smoothed my hair back, locking his gaze onto mine, and slowly pushed farther. I moaned around him as he nudged against my throat, his eyes dark with hunger. Desperate need throbbed between my thighs, spurred on by the ragged groans that fell from Zane's lips as I sucked him deeper.
Zane cradled the back of my head as he moved faster, his thrusts shallower as he fucked my mouth in earnest. Pleasure wound tighter in my core, coiling and snapping at every harsh intake of breath, every muffled curse. My nails dug crescent moons into his ass as my knees ground together, seeking any bit of pressure to relieve the building ache.
"Touch yourself for me, kitten," he commanded. "Show me how wet you are."
I fumbled my hand down the front of my sweatpants, moaning as my fingers slid over sensitive flesh. My underwear was soaked, my clit already throbbing as I circled it with one fingertip. I teased myself while Zane watched, eyes fixed on my hand moving in slow circles beneath the fabric.
"Good girl." Zane's praise sent another flood of arousal straight to my core. "Now get those clothes off and let me see that gorgeous pussy."
I yanked off my shirt and threw it to the side, shimmying out of my pants as fast as possible without breaking eye contact. Zane watched intently as I spread my knees wide, giving him the perfect view of my fingers trailing lightly over my dripping entrance.
"This pussy?" I eased two fingers inside myself, biting my lip to stifle a groan. His pupils dilated, the black swallowing the molten gold. "You want this?"
Zane's only answer was a low growl as he dropped to his knees and hauled my ass to the edge of the bed. He grabbed my wrist, pulling my hand away and bringing my fingers to his mouth. He locked eyes with me as he sucked them clean, histongue curling around the digits with lazy indulgence. Then he lowered his head between my thighs, dragging his tongue up the seam of my pussy in a long, firm stroke.
My hips bucked toward his face involuntarily. He pinned me firmly in place, hands like iron bars over my hip bones, and returned for another leisurely taste.
"You taste so fucking good." He flicked the tip of his tongue over my clit, eliciting a needy whimper from my throat. "Been thinking about this all damn day."
I dug my hands into his hair as he buried his face deeper, licking and sucking and driving me higher with every passing second. Heat built and flowed through my veins, melting my thoughts until there was nothing but sensation. Nothing but Zane's tongue as he fucked me relentlessly. Nothing but the crackle of fire under my skin as pleasure crested higher and higher.
Then his hands were on me, and everywhere he touched burned hotter. He slipped two fingers inside me, curling them against that perfect spot while his tongue continued its relentless assault on my clit. My thighs trembled against his shoulders, every nerve sparking at the delicious friction.
