Page 85 of Echoes of the Raven
I wait for her eyes to open and her sleep-addled mind to clear and realize I am here. It requires all of my will not to take her right away without even asking. When her gaze locks with mine, I wait for her answer. I hope she will sayyes.
If she does not, I will beg if I must.
VALERIA
My eyes spring open as a low rumble, like a caress, travels over my skin. I nearly scream when a feral gaze locks with mine, but a callous finger to my lips makes me hold back.
“Shh, it’s me,” Rífíor says. “I am not here to hurt you, unless you want me to.”
“Get off me,” I manage in a trembling voice. He could be here to steal the amulet.
“Are you sure that’s what you want, Princess?”
“Of course, I’m sure.”
“The way you were looking at me earlier makes me think otherwise.”
The hunger in his eyes tells me he’s not worried about The Eldrystone right now. I press my hands to his chest, ready to push him away, but the effort is feeble, and instead, I find myself enjoying his solidity.
He chuckles, a sound as deep as the darkness in his eyes. “You want me.”
“You want me more.” I toss the words like a challenge.
“Yes, I do.” He cups my face with one hand and starts lowering his mouth to mine.
“No!”
He stops, frowning.
This time, I do push him away. Reluctantly, he sits back. I slide my legs out from under him and sit.
A combination of annoyance and disappointment shape his features. His lips part to say something, but no words come out. Shifting my legs, I kneel, which brings me closer to him. I can’t help it. My body takes the reins from my brain when Rífíor is this close. My nose is inches from his. His chest rises and falls at a faster than normal rhythm.
“Was that all it took, Veilfallen? A look from me?” I ask, chest brimming with satisfaction.
His nostrils flare. “That was more than justa look. Maybe it was an invitation.”
I lean closer still. His breath is warm. Gently, I lay a finger across his lips at the same time that I press my lips to his jaw and begin to kiss him.
He groans, and his hands wrap around my waist.
“You may kiss me, just remember one thing,” I say, pulling away but leaving my finger across his lips. “Noton the mouth.”
There’s a glint in his eyes, come and gone in a second, but I interpret it for what it is. Relief. He agrees with what I’m asking.
Sex but not intimacy.
We are adversaries, pieces sitting on opposite sides of a board with a clear dividing line across the middle. There can be no intimacy when such a chasm lies between us, when betrayal has been the fuel to this fire between us.
He nods, then lowers his mouth to my throat and begins to kiss the very spot where my pulse beats out of control.
“I shall kiss you everywhere, milady,” he says, his tongue tracing a circle under my earlobe as he easily lays me back down and settles on top of me again.
He takes his place between my legs, his hardness pressing deliciously against my middle. I groan and throw my head back as he continues to dispense kisses along my neck and collarbone.
Expertly, his hands pull my tunic over my head and discard it to the side. Just as quickly, he removes his own shirt, and then his heated skin settles over mine. We both sigh, enjoying the silky pleasure of it.
Trailing kisses lower and lower, he places his mouth on my left nipple, over the fabric of my binding. His hot breath filters through, making me quiver with need.
