Page 20 of A Witch Out of Time
Chapter 16
Vasilisa
By the end of the next day, I couldn’t stand it any longer. Without the Facility’s threat, Tan and Asa to distract me, or the option of leaving the hut, there was no hiding from my cravings. I was acutely aware of Nox. The proximity of his body to mine, every breath he took in the small space we now shared, was conspiring to break me.
Since retreating from my bed, my Rider had done his best to avoid interacting with me, but I saw him stealing glances almost as often as I did. I was tired of this dance and although I may not have been ready to examine how I felt about him, I knew one thing for sure.
I want him between my thighs.
Vaguely recalling how enthusiastic my men had become over the “butt-lift leggings” Anthia ordered for me, I discreetly changed into them and joined Nox at the table. Propping a knee on the bench, I exaggeratedly leaned across the table as if I were highly interested in the maps he was poring over. Nox’s gaze briefly flickered over me, nostrils flaring, but he dutifully turned his attention back to the maps. Seeing he was determined to resist, I unleashed a weapon far deadlier than my claws.
I wiggled my ass.
“What thehellare you doing?” he barked, slamming a large palm down on the table with a resounding clap. This, of course, only made me think of the last time his hand produced a similar sound.
At this point, I’d realized Nox’s bark was far worse than his bite—although his bite was enjoyable too—so I decided to tease. “What is it, Nox? Do you not like my new leggings?”
“Fuck…” he muttered under his breath, backing away from the table, hands open in front of him as if to ward me off.
Emboldened by his panic, I followed him like a predator circling its prey. “Yes, Nox, that’s exactly it,” I hissed. “I want you tofuckme.”
He froze, jaw tight and eyes roaming over me, his chest heaving the closer I got, but still, he made no move to touch me.
I stared at him a moment longer before sighing heavily and lowering myself to my knees. If temporary submission was what it took for Nox to end up inside me, so be it. It was just another game we played, instead of simply acting on our impulses like normal animals.
“Get up,” he growled, and I frowned up at him in confusion. When I didn’t immediately obey, he repeated himself, fists clenched and veins bulging as he gritted out, “Get the fuck off the floor, Vasi.”
This infuriating man!
Scrambling to my feet, I prepared to verbally rip him to shreds when suddenly, Nox dropped to his knees instead.
I could only gape down at him as he rested his forehead against my ribcage. “I...I am so sorry, Vashka,” he rasped, placing his shaking hands on my hips as if to steady himself. “You’ve saved my life twice now, and I’ve never even thanked you for that.”
“Nox..?” I began, incredibly confused by what was happening.
Before I could speak, he continued, “I’ve treated you like absolute shit. So many people in your life have treated you like you werenothingwhen they should have been on their knees before you.” Finally lifting his face, he stared up at me with such earnestness, my breath caught in my throat. “You deserve to be treated like a queen.”
I started to automatically brush off his words, but then paused to truly absorb what he was saying to me. This man—this wonderfully challenging man—wanted me to understand that I mattered. That I was worth the effort. This incredibly proud man went to his knees to not only say I deserved better than what I’d experienced in the past, but thathewould do better.
This is what it means to be cared for…
“Thank you, Nox,” I murmured, loosening the tie from his hair so I could run my claws through its length. “I believe that’s the first genuine apology I’ve ever received. Although, now I’m concerned you’re going to be too gentle with me in bed, and that’s not what I was hoping for from you.”
Nox’s shoulders shook with silent laughter as he slowly rose to tower over me once again. With two fingers under my chin, he forced my gaze upwards so I could plainly see the intention on his face. “Don’t worry, witch, I plan on fucking you so hard you can’t walk. I just figured I should apologize first for being such amudak.Now, place your hands flat on the table and bend over. I want a good look at these leggings.”
Never before had I been so happy to obey. With lust roaring in my veins, I planted my palms on the worn wood, digging in my claws for purchase as I leaned forward. The effect I had over him was intoxicating, and Nox’s groan of need sent a delicious burst of satisfaction through me, making my tattoo pulse and my power hum. My Darkest Midnight might like to think he was the one in charge, but I knew the truth.
I have you wrapped around my claw.
“Fuuuuck, Vasi…” he rumbled, his large hands cupping my ass and gliding over the textured surface of the leggings as if memorizing my shape. “You are absolutely perfect.” He continued his worship a minute longer before suddenly pausing and clearing his throat. “Listen. I’m a lot...bigger than you. We need a safe word—something you wouldn’t normally say, so I know if I’m hurting you and need to stop.”
Highly doubting I would ever ask him to stop, and feeling my irritation flaring up at how long this was taking, I blurted out, “Pineapple. The safe word is pineapple.”
He snorted in amusement, back to his torturous caresses, thumbs dipping under the curve of my ass to further tease me. “Why pineapple?”
Panting with desire, I glared back at him over my shoulder. “I have never eaten pineapple, so it’s not something that would come up in conversation. Now can youpleaseget on with it before I question whether you’re actually going to deliver?”
Nox’s eyes darkened, and in an instant, he was looming over me, one hand flat on the table while the other tangled in my hair. He painfully yanked my head back, so I was staring up at him upside down. “I love that salty mouth of yours,” he growled, tightening his grip and rubbing his hard cock against my ass through our clothing. “Do you know how many times I’ve wanted to fuck you because of what came out of it?”
