Page 169 of The Call of Crimson
Healers had been in to see me, confirming that I am in perfect physical health, but could not determine why I was acting so irrationally.
Reluctantly, I drag myself from bed and dress. To my delight, Rowina hadn’t lied when she said the leggings were for me. Unfortunately, I have to wear them sparingly since they seem to disappear any time they are sent to be laundered.
Since it’s unlikely that I will be traveling outside of the castle today, I forgo the leggings, slipping into a warmer dress instead. It’s black, long-sleeved, and unremarkable. But it’s comfortable.
The hallway is empty, save for the usual guards posted at the far end. I slip past them on silent feet, heading toward the kitchens. I missed breakfast, but there are always leftovers.
I have just enough time before the council meeting to grab something small to hold me over until dinner.
The kitchen is quiet when I arrive. Most of the staff are elsewhere, preparing for the midday meal. On the counter sits a plate of pastries, but none of them appeals to me. I want something fresh to balance the embarrassing number of cookies I’ve consumed over the last few weeks.
In the corner, I spot the pantry where Rowina and I pulled ingredients for baking.
A Faerie light flickers to life in my palm as I step into the dark space.
The unmistakable sound of a door shutting and a lock turning sends a chill up my spine.
I’m not alone in here.
But I don’t even reach for my shadows. I don’t need to.
Because I recognize his scent immediately.
“Aurelius.” His name escapes me in a rush as my back hits the wall, and I let him pin me there.
“Yes, my little demon?”
In the flickering light, all I can see is the intense look in his eyes as he stares me down.
Hunger.
“You’re back.”
“For now.” A sober look crosses his face. “We’ve got limited time, so extinguish that light before someone finds us.”
Soft lips plant heated kisses along my neck as the light flickers out between us.
“What are you doing?” The breath hitches in my throat as rough hands reach for my skirt.
“Stealing a moment,” he whispers between kisses to my clavicle.
Heat pools in my core, body aching for his touch after weeks apart. The constant churn of my stomach settles instantly when his lips land on the spot on my throat where he had last marked me. The scar from his teeth lingers as a sensual reminder.
“Fuck,” I whimper when he nips at that same spot again.
He rolls his hips into me, the bulge of his arousal firm against my belly. “I delight in my marks on you,” he growls.
My dress is pushed above my waist, leaving me exposed to the chilled air in the pantry. Warm fingers dance over the skin of my thighs, leaving pebbled flesh in their wake.
I raise a hand to cast a silencing shield, but Aurelius’ hand wraps around my wrist.
“No silencing,” he warns. “I want to see how quiet you can be while I feast on that sweet cunt.”
“I thought I was the reckless one in this relationship,” I breathe, panic rising in my chest.
But the protest dies on my tongue when he drops to his knees. In the dark, I can barely make out his profile, but I feel his breath, hot against my center.
“I guess it’s my turn to be reckless,” he says just before burying his face against my heated core.
