Page 50 of To Dwell in Shadows
Sam sigh wearily. “I don’t think I could if I even wanted to right now. But yes, I promise.”
Slowly, Selene explained how she’d been spending her days and what happened with Drath in the tunnels. Recounting the story made her more emotional than she expected, especially remembering how happy she had felt seeing Cass at first. With every word, Sam grew more tense. When she finished, she watched his irises flash from black to red then again.
Quietly, he said, “I will deal with Drath. Rest assured. He will know pain and fear like he’s never experienced before. But that can come later.” He pulled her close again. “I’ve missed you. I hated being away from you so much.”
“I missed you, too.”
“I tried to come back to you early every night, but there was always an interruption. I’m sorry.” He looked around the library again. “I hate that you’ve been spending your time in a place like this.”
“Oh no, I like it. It’s so satisfying to bring order to chaos. I’ve made a lot of progress.” She gestured to two bookcases of neatly stacked books in the corner. “That section is for books on plagues, the other is for confessionals, and I’m starting one on war strategies.”
Sam nodded and Selene noticed a slight tremble in his hand as he raked it through his hair. “You seem a little off. What’s going on?”
The look he gave her was stark. Raw, unfiltered emotion. “I just faced Zaybris.”
“Youwhat?” Selene cried.
“I faced him where he’s being imprisoned and I… I gave him vengeance.”
Selene gaped at him. “And? How do you feel?”
He didn’t reply, just pulled her into another kiss—harder this time and laced with urgency. “I don’t want to talk. I just need to feel you.”
Between kisses she said, “You’re sure? It’s a lot to process.”
“I’m sure.” He covered her breast with his hand and whispered, “We should go to our rooms.”
“We could, but no one ever comes down here,” she whispered back. “We could… ”
Without a word, Sam lifted Selene against him, pulling both her legs around his hips. He set her on the nearby table, then swept away the piles of books with his arm.
The ferocity of the gesture made her giggle. “You just ruined three days of work,” she cried. Sam looked panicked, but Selene pulled open his pants and said, “Worth it.”
When she curled her fingers around his length, he hissed out a breath. He leaned further into her touch while pulling her skirts to her waist. He slid his warm palm up the delicate skin of her thigh, while his other hand thumbing her nipple through the fabric. He began feeling around for a zipper or set of buttons to undo, but the dress was corseted. Tricky to remove.
“I have to feel more of you,” he growled against her ear. “Do you want to keep this gown?”
“Yes, don’t tear it. It’s the best one… for working,” Selene panted. The feel of his fingers stroking over her panties made it difficult to form complete sentences.
He looked frustrated, but then said, “Lie back. I want to try something.”
She did as she was told, anticipation already soaking her panties. Sam loomed over her for a moment with his hands bunched in her skirts. Then he closed his eyes and went very still. Just as she was about to ask what he was doing, a dark shape darted out from acorner and slipped under her dress. She yelped in surprise as something cool and tingly swirled over the bare skin of her stomach. Sam’s look of concentration deepened until she felt the sensation glide up over her rib cage—then her breasts—dancing and skimming around the sensitive skin, twisting and pulling at her nipples until she gasped.
It was strangely wonderful, and deliciously wicked.
“Sam… what are you… how?”
“The shadows,” he said. “A Lust demon gave me the idea. Do you like it?”
“I-I… love it.”
He chuckled softly. “Lift your hips.” She complied, and in an instant, her damp underwear went fluttering to the floor.
While the shadows continue to sweetly torture her on his command, Sam dropped to his knees. Roughly, he draped one leg over his shoulder and pushed her other leg aside so she was completely open to him. Although she could tell he was coiled tight with desire, he didn’t pounce right away. The intensity of his gaze made her squirm as he stared at the most intimate part of her and murmured, “So beautiful.”
Then he set upon her wildly. Licking and sucking as though he were a starved beast. His claws extended, digging into her thighs in a way that was sure to leave marks. She moaned and pressed herself closer to his mouth.
The unhinged way he devoured her made her briefly think of how her ex-boyfriend Kevin never went down on her. He claimed it “hurt his jaw” or he “didn’t know how,” despite all the times she had tried explaining that she didn’t want a masterful technique—passion and enthusiasm went a long way.
