Page 150 of Curse of Darkness
This time, his laughter is carefree as he steps back and opens his arms wide. “Trust me, my love. The only way I’m focusing right now is by convincing myself the threat to you is greater than my need for you.”
One glance down revels exactly what he means by that.
Fine. “Fight now. Then you owe me orgasms.”
“By the dozen. I promise once. I promise twice. I promise thrice. Ready?”
Flames spring to life in my hands, conjuring themselves into a sword of pure fire. It won’t burn me—it can’t burn me—but it’s still not as spectacular as the blade Andraste can wield.
He falls into a defensive stance, shadows blurring around his fingers as he pulls them out of the air. Only the line of tension in his jaw reveals how difficult it is to forge an obsidian blade.
Maybe we both need this.
“Let’s see what you’ve learned.” He gestures for me to attack him.
He’s so cocky. And I’m still utterly frustrated by his earlier tease. “What do I get if I kick your ass?”
Thiago actually raises a brow as if he thinks I can’t do it. “What do you want?”
“You and me. One night. My rules.”
He flashes a hot smile at me. “And what do I get if I win?”
“You and me… no rules.”
Thiago’s smile turns molten. It’s the look he often gives me when I’ve surprised him. Unguarded. Intrigued. Making plans for what he’s going to do when he wins this gamble. It’s when he’s at his most dangerous. “That’s averytempting proposition.”
“That’s because you presume you’re going to win.”
It’s not that he won’t let me be on top in bed, but it’s rare that he cedes me control. I love the way he makes love to me—as if he’d like to consume me—but sometimes, just sometimes, I’d love to tie him to the bed and torture him a little.
“Either way, win-win.”
He laughs under his breath. “Bring your best, my love.”
Five hundred years of swordplay. I can’t beat that. Finn’s been working with me on what to do against opponents who are bigger than I am, stronger, and far more powerful.
Your only chance is to be a sneaky little Grimalkin. Defend, defend, defend. Pretend to be out of your depth. And wait for an opening. You’ll only get one….
One is all I need.
I meet his offensive strike, countermanding with a little something Finn has had me working on. Thiago breaks off, looking impressed. “Nice. I see he’s working you through the Way of the River.”
“Finn had me down at the yard every day while you were gone.”
Flames versus shadows. It’s a different kind of dueling to steel. There’s no crash of metal, no physical impact jarring up your arms. His shadows absorb, and where they meet my flames, there’s a hiss and a slight resistance.
Thiago smiles at me as he ducks the sweep of my flames. “I quite enjoy my nose hairs where they are, thank you very much.”
“Then move quicker.”
His eyes widen in adid you just challenge mekind of way. And then he lunges forward, driving me back, back, back.
This.This is what we both need. It’s one thing to burn off stress and unease, quite another to actually play. I flash him a smile. I missed this.
I turn aside his shadows, fully aware that he’s holding back. It has something to do with that obsidian blade, I think, and how frightened he was when Malakhai skewered me with it. It’s also a testament to his skill; that he can press me so hard without worrying about a mishap.
My back meets the wall. Suddenly, there’s nowhere to go.
