Total pages in book: 295
Estimated words: 282090 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1410(@200wpm)___ 1128(@250wpm)___ 940(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 282090 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1410(@200wpm)___ 1128(@250wpm)___ 940(@300wpm)
The impact sends every sense reeling.
“Kiss me.” Just for show.
“I missed you,” he says a second before his mouth crashes into mine.
“You walked out on me,” I accuse, nipping the soft skin of his bottom lip with my teeth.
“Fight later.” His hand slides along my face, and he presses his thumb just above my chin. “Now kiss me like you mean it.”
“Since you asked so nicely.” I part my lips under his and immediately regret every second I’ve spent not kissing him lately.
I whimper at the first stroke of his tongue along mine, and his hand flexes on my waist, gripping me tighter as he sinks into the kiss. Yes. One touch, that’s all it takes, and the world around us ceases to exist. This is everything. The energy thrumming in the air around us pales in comparison to the power that floods my veins, the need that ignites within me as we both work to control the kiss.
He wins, consuming me, devouring every thought in my head besides getting closer. The bags slide from my shoulders, hitting the ground beside me with a thud, and I wind my arms around his neck, arching against him. I kiss him back like my life depends on his surrender and tilt my head for that perfect angle. He finds it without even trying, taking the kiss deeper, stealing little pieces of my soul with each swirl and slide of his tongue with an expertise I can’t fight.
I can’t remember why I ever wanted to.
Why would I deny myself the explosive pleasure of kissing Xaden? This is when we make sense. When nothing else matters but the feel of his lips, the flick of his tongue behind my teeth, the lust burning through me I know only he can fully sate. My heart gallops and my body floats as my hands slide into his soft hair.
Weightless. He makes me feel totally, completely weightless, like it’s possible to fly on nothing but waves of sensation.
Gods, I fucking want him. Just like this. Just us.
“Violet.” It’s a mental groan as his mouth thoroughly lays claim to mine. “Oh for fuck’s sake.” A familiar voice intrudes on my own little piece of heaven, and that’s when I remember.
This is supposed to be for show, and here I am, completely losing myself in him. In the middle of the courtyard. In front of gods only know who. And that weightless feeling? It’s because I’m anchored against his chest by one of his strong arms, my feet dangling off the ground.
“Good enough show for you?” I draw back slowly, dragging my teeth across his bottom lip before releasing him.
“Fuck the show.” His eyes flare with the same heat that has me ready to combust. At least I’m not the only one losing control. I know that look on his face. He’s just as turned on as I am.
He kisses me again, losing his polished finesse in favor of untamed demand, and I melt.
“Put my sister down, Riorson. You made your point.” That familiar voice— My head whips to the right, breaking the kiss. “Mira?”
She taps her fingers along her folded arms, but her stern expression—eerily close to our mother’s—doesn’t last more than a breath before her mouth curves into a smile. “Good to see you, Vi.”
“What are you doing here?” I grin as Xaden sets me down. Then I step over the discarded bag to hug my sister.
“As of yesterday, I’m stationed here.” She holds me tightly, just like she always does, then pushes me away by the shoulders to do her customary inspection for mortal wounds.
“I’m fine,” I promise her.
“Are you sure?” Her hands move to the sides of my head, and she rises up on her tiptoes to look down at me. “Because I’m thinking you must have taken a pretty serious blow to the head to be involved with this one.”
I blink. What the hell am I supposed to say to that?
“Play along, or you’ll be in her room tonight. Not mine,” Xaden tells me.
“She’s been more than adamant.”
“Right, well…” Shit, I really don’t want to lie to my sister any more than I have to.
“I’m going to take your bags to my room,” Xaden says, helping me out of the pack on my back, then picking up the two I dropped.
“Thank you,” I say mostly out of habit.
He leans in and brushes a kiss over my forehead. “I have duty today.”
“No,” I whisper, my stomach dropping in disappointment. That doesn’t exactly leave us time to talk—which is probably the point. “I guess we can’t fight if we don’t talk?”
“We’ll have time later,” he promises. “Have fun with your sister. I’ll see you tonight.” He brushes a flight-loosened strand of my hair behind my ear and grazes his knuckles gently down the side of my cheek.