Page 113 of House of the Raven
The tips of my breasts are tight. Something is building inside me, and I want themorehis tongue seems to promise.
His hands move up and down my sides. I grab one of them and slowly slide it toward my chest. He seems to fight me for a split second, then his large hand cups my breast, covering it in its entirety. He squeezes, and Iarch against him. His thumb traces circles around my nipple, and when it’s as hard as it can possibly get, he flicks it, making me moan.
All the while, he’s kissing me, but he has abandoned my mouth and he’s tracing my jaw, moving upward until he nibbles on my earlobe.
I never knew one could feel so much. Star bursts are nothing compared to this. And it doesn’t stop there. He shows me more as he kisses his way down my throat, my collarbone, the edge of my gown, and the swell of my breasts.
“Bastien,” I moan his name.
He freezes, his mouth hovering over my breastbone, his breath just as out of control as mine. After several deep breaths, he slowly pushes away and slides off the bed.
I sit up with a jolt, feeling as if he has taken all the warmth with him.
“What is it?” I reach out a hand. “Please, come back.”
Turning to face the balcony, he shakes his head. “It’s not proper.”
“The hells with proper! It’s right. It feels right.”
Another shake of his head. “It’snotright.”
“Why? Because I’m a princess? Because I’m supposed to get engaged the day after tomorrow?”
“That and many other reasons.”
“None of that matters. I know you want me, and I want you. What could be more right than that?”
I push the covers away and get out of bed. My feet pad over the soft carpet.
I take his hand and stand next to him. He’s looking out the open balcony door. Dark gray clouds meander across the night sky. I interlace my fingers with Bastien’s. The strength of his hand is comforting around mine. Despite the desire burning inside me, despite how close we were, I feel the same barrier between us.
I don’t trust him, and I wonder if things would be different under other circumstances, if Father was still here, if my life hadn’t changedits course. There’s no way of knowing. There’s no way to dispel this pervasive doubt that casts a shadow over every action I take.
“Danger lurks, Val,” he says in an eerily low whisper. “I can feel it in the air.”
Cold fingers slide down my back, and I have to clench my teeth not to shiver.
He turns, and we face each other. Gently, he presses his mouth to my forehead. “Ready yourself.” Letting go of my hand, he bows, then leaves the room.
The door barely makes a sound as he eases it closed, yet a sense of finality washes over me. Unmoving, I stand in the darkness, the delicious feeling of Bastien’s presence and the weight of his body on mine fading one beat at a time, retreating until it feels completely out of reach.
34
VALERIA
“Why can’t I shift, Father? Carola and Benito can, so why can’t I?”
Fatima Plumanegra (Casa Plumanegra) - Princess of Castella - 784 DV
Jago walks next to me as Bastien lingers many paces behind. I glance over my shoulder and briefly meet his eyes.
“What’s going on with you two?” My cousin asks.
“What? Nothing.”
“I’ve never heard you deny anything faster than that. Not even the day of the stained glass window incident.” He thinks for a moment, then asks, “Did you sleep with him?”
I roll my eyes. “Of course, I didn’t sleep with him.”
