Total pages in book: 152
Estimated words: 145704 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 729(@200wpm)___ 583(@250wpm)___ 486(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 145704 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 729(@200wpm)___ 583(@250wpm)___ 486(@300wpm)
His blunt admission stalls my tongue. I’m a nuclear bomb, primed to wreak havoc in the wrong hands. Maybe Atticus is making the right decision for Islor. Maybe my death would solve all their problems.
And then what? Would they squash this threat of poison and go back to the way things were, enslaving the mortals and living in wealth? No, that doesn’t seem to be the solution either. I don’t know what is, but that’s a problem for another day.
“Then love me tonight and be the king you need to be tomorrow.”
He leans in to brush his tongue against the seam of my lips, drawing my deep moan. Suddenly, my towel is gone, tugged off and cast aside by his eager hands. With firm fingers gripping my hips, he steers me into the middle of the room and down to the pile of animal skins.
The flames in the hearth blaze by his silent command, warming my body as I lie on my back and watch him undress. He tosses his shirt dangerously close to a burning candle before kicking off his boots and unfastening his pants.
It feels like an eternity since I’ve been able to admire his naked form. Now I take all of him in as he drops to his knees in front of me, parting my legs to fit his muscular body between them.
“Which shoulder is sore? Is it this one?” He leans in to trace my skin with his mouth, his tongue, while his hand busies itself in one fell swoop, memorizing the shape of my breasts, smoothing over the tautness of my belly, testing my readiness at the apex of my thighs.
“Neither.” Because right now, I don’t feel anything except this overwhelming need for Zander to fill me again. On other nights, I’ve happily laid back and allowed him his exploration, but tonight, I grip the back of his golden-brown hair with my fist, dragging his face to mine so I can feel the intimacy of his lips. With my other hand, I reach down between us, wrapping my hand around his hard length, directing it.
He inhales sharply but doesn’t waste another moment, sinking into me with a single push.
Surely, my guttural cry carries through the still forest, perking ears of the owls and whichever legionaries guard against dangers. But right now, the world is only Zander and me. No one and nothing else matters as our bodies writhe and grind against each other, the impressive span of muscle across his back tensing beneath my fingertips with each thrust.
Over and over, he moves inside me, his breathing ragged as my skin grows slick, our cries unchecked in the night.
With a swift maneuver, I find myself straddling Zander, his eyes blazing as he grips my hips. I roll them, and the smile he gives me is slow and satisfied. He’s never been able to last long in this position once I begin to move, his glazed focus struggling between my swaying breasts and where we’re joined.
He seems to remember that quickly. The padded muscle across his stomach flexes as he sits up, our chests meeting in the middle. “Not yet.” His mouth lands on mine, his fingers collecting a fistful of hair as he pushes my lips wide open in a deep kiss, our bodies rocking in a sensual, well-timed dance.
I hold his gaze as my hands crawl over his shoulders, his arms, his chest, until they settle flared against his back, pulling his body flat against mine.
“You wanted to see me break,” he whispers, his breathing uneven.
“No, I wanted to see you love.” My focus shifts to where we’re joined, the feel of him filling my welcoming body … My release hits me in a sudden and unexpected rush, stealing my control. I cry out Zander’s name as my muscles spasm around him. He follows immediately after, his arms flexing around my body as he pulsates inside me.
I remain straddling his lap afterward, our chests heaving from exertion, our lips sneaking gentle kisses along jawlines and necks. The only sound to compete with us is the occasional snap of roasting wood.
I could stay like this all night.
But when Zander’s body tenses, I know this reprieve is over, and his worries have begun to consume him again.
“Those warriors out there have pledged their loyalty and their lives to me. They must have faith that I remain focused on a way out of this mess.”
“And not chasing to get under my skirts?” I mock, as Corrin loved to say.
“Abarrane will worry that I’m under your influence again.” He smooths his palm over my bare thigh. “I suppose I am. But I need her every step of the way. She cannot think my judgment is compromised.”
I know what he’s saying. “It’s fine. I won’t take it personally.” I kiss the tip of his nose. “Just don’t be a fucking asshole again.”