Page 93 of The Dagger and the Flame
‘Help me with this top stone, Lisette.’
Sera scrunched her eyes shut, wishing she was a million miles from here. Ransom rested his chin on the crown of her head, his breath ruffling her hair.
There was more grunting and shuffling. A lot of cursing.Then the groan of stone on stone as the lid was slowly hoisted back into place. It slid home with a final thud, and the Daggers poured out of the crypt as quickly as they arrived. They paused in the passageway before heading in the other direction, deciding to inspect Hugo’s tomb while they were down here.
Sera sagged with relief. ‘That was close.’
Ransom tapped his finger against her lip. A warning.Hush.She snapped her teeth, nipping it.
He dipped his chin, his lips brushing against her ear. ‘If you want to kiss me, just say so.’
A delicious thrill rippled down her spine.Yes, her body screamed.Yes, yes, yes.She rose to her tiptoes, her nose brushing against his. ‘You’re projecting, Ransom. You know I prefer stabbing you.’
‘Maybe you’re right,’ he said, returning his finger to her lips. He pressed gently, parting them. ‘Maybe I want to know what that smart mouth tastes like.’
Her lips curved against his touch.
He pulled back, just enough that she could see his eyes. Molten, golden.
She tilted her chin up. ‘Are you afraid, Dagger?’
He flashed his teeth, that feral smile weakening her knees. ‘Did you forget that you’re the one who’s marked, spitfire?’
Her gaze returned to the scar on his lip. She was a heartbeat away from licking it when the voices returned. The Daggers were coming their way.
‘Who wants to tell Dufort when he gets back?’ said Lisette.
‘Forget Dufort,’ said Nadia, who seemed like the most sensible of the bunch. ‘I need a drink. A stiff one.’
Caruso chuckled. ‘I’ve got something stiff for—oof.’
They took off, winding up the stairs and out of earshot. Sera held her breath, expecting more people to arrive, but silence fell. Ransom broke it with a whisper. ‘Two more minutes.’
She frowned. They had the journal, and now the coast was clear. ‘Why do we need to wait—?’
‘For this,’ he said, kissing her.
Her breath caught as his lips brushed against hers. The kiss was soft and far too fleeting, the sudden absence of his touch wrenching a sigh from her.
He looked down at her, a question burning in his eyes.
She rose up, twisting her fingers in his collar. ‘Yes,’ she whispered against his lips.
He smiled, seizing another kiss. This one was all hunger, hot and rough and crushing. She threw her arms around his neck, banking herself against him as he slid his hands into her hair, holding her there as he parted her lips, deepening the kiss. She opened her mouth and his tongue brushed against hers, slow and skilful. She moaned at the dizzying rush of his desire. He devoured the sound.
The kiss grew fast and frenzied, her body erupting as his lips crashed against hers, like they could feel every second running out. She pulled back, gasping. He laid his forehead against hers, catching his breath.
‘Three minutes?’ he said, in a rasp.
‘Four?’ She leaned in, gently nipping his scar.
He shuddered against her, sliding his tongue into her mouth. Her knees trembled and she sagged against the wall.He pinned her there, claiming her lips again and drinking down her desire.
‘Five minutes,’ he said, between ragged breaths.
Sera would have given him a hundred minutes in the dark. He kissed her senseless, until she forgot where she was entirely, until there was only the heat of his tongue in her mouth and the sound of his groans in her ear. Time slipped away, and they didn’t chase it.
She surrendered to the Dagger, relieved to be outside her own head and only in her body as his lips found the sensitive spot beneath her ear and his strong hands roamed the swell of her curves. He trailed his tongue down her jaw, branding the column of her neck, then the slope of her shoulder. He kissed her languidly, dragging his teeth across her skin and wrenching a shiver from her. She raked her fingernails down his back, tugging him closer until his hardness pressed between her legs, offering the promise of more. She wanted more, she wantedallof him.
