Page 86 of Echoes of the Raven
Abruptly, he pulls on the binding and rips it apart. My breasts fall free, and he growls deep in his throat, hooded eyes roving over my naked torso. Hungrily, he lowers his mouth again and begins to suck, whirling his tongue at the same time. The sharp points of his teeth scrape my skin, and my core thrums, hot and wet.
I suck in a breath as his tongue whirls and flicks. Greedily, my hands travel down his muscular abdomen. He thrusts his hardness into me as I pull on his waistband, fully distracting me from my goal.
“This is my moment,” he rasps, then pulls down my leggings along with my undergarment before I have time to realize what he’s doing.
He leans back and kneels for a better look. I feel both shy and exuberant under his dark gaze.
Tugging on my legs, he places me exactly where he wants me. I gasp as his right hand travels down the inside of my leg. He stops just short of his target and begins to trace the outer lips with his forefinger. He stops again, this time right in the very center. Holding my gaze, he slides in, making me moan.
His finger curls as he dips it in and out. I’m lost in ecstasy and miss the exact moment he lies next to me, but now he’s there, kissing my breast, sucking on my nipple, all along reaching deep inside of me. I buck my hips, desperate for all he has to give.
As I tremble, he slides another finger inside me, then moves to kneel between my legs again. Slowly, he lowers his mouth to my apex and laps once. My eyes fly wide open in surprise.
He smiles in satisfaction.
I stare at him intently, asking for more. He obliges, lowering his head and circling my most sensitive spot with the tip of his tongue. His hand thrusts harder, and I accept the offering by lifting my hips.
My body tenses with ecstasy as he simultaneously sucks and flicks his tongue against my tender nub.
Undone, I moan in rapture, my body assaulted by tremors as release washes over me, leaving me feeling boneless and in awe of all the amazing sensations he can easily coax from my body.
Gods!Why does he have such power over me?
34
VALERIA
“Rífíor of the Veilfallen asked for it. The pay is too good to turn down. I’m going after him.”
Galen Síocháin - Fae Sorcerer - 21 AV
Ispend the next week hating myself and regretting my actions.I hate himis a mantra that repeats itself over and over.
I hate myself and this irresistible attraction I feel for Rífíor. It’s an infection, an incurable one at that. Every time the memory assaults me, shame burns in my cheeks.
Today, as I sit alone inside the wagon, it’s no different. We’re heading steadily west on our journey to the veil. I’m grateful to be alone while Gaspar sits with the driver, and my cousin and Rífíor walk outside.
Jago asked me to come out and get some fresh air, but if he keeps seeing my distracted expression, he will interrogate me until he figures out the reason. Instead, I made excuses and stayed here, hiding like a coward, the way I’ve been doing all week.
As much as I try to condemn my weakness, however, I can’t help but relive the exhilaration of that night every day without fail. The way Rífíor knew exactly where and how to touch me, the way his supple mouth dispensed kisses along my jaw, tantalizingly close to my lips, whilehis daring fingers reduced me to nothing but a bundle of sensations that promised to light up my world, then promptlyandthoroughly delivered on that promise.
The only redeeming aspect is that I didn’t allow his mouth to touch mine. At least that’s what I keep telling myself since I did allow him to reach more private places. Except it does mean something, doesn’t it? Because his dark eyes glinted at the request. He wanted sex as much as I did, but not more. So my request was evidently welcome.
You’re a fool, Valeria.
A fool in need of a jolt to the head that will make me stop hoping he’ll come to me again as I’ve been expecting every night since then, just to feel great relief when he stays away.
At the brink of pulling on my hair and screaming, I opt to exit the wagon and join Jago. Remaining inside, allowing my thoughts to fester, feels even more unbearable than enduring Jago’s abnormally astute questions.
Throwing the door open, I set La Matadora behind my back. I’m poised to step onto the ground when my ears start ringing and my heart hammers like a giant fist, erasing all the nonsense from my mind. What’s happening? This is the third time I’ve felt this way since we left Castellina. The first time was when I woke up as guards approached the wagon, and the second time was right before Calierin and Kadewyn ambushed us. It seems like every time there’s danger I—
Rífíor suddenly emerges from the side, brandishing his sword. Assuming a menacing stance, he positions himself in the middle of the road with his back to me. The muscles of his wide back ripple as he twirls the sword.
“What is it?” I jump off the wagon, my razor-sharp survival instinct kicking into action.
He answers, without glancing back. “Hooves. Many and fast. Twenty horses or more.”
Oh, shit!
