She was the blade destined to cut through his heart. It felt like she was already there, testing him, testing his ability not to break.
Especially when his fingers trailed lower, and she made a sound that went right to the throbbing core of him. There. She wanted himthere. His gaze slipped down her body, tracing it with his eyes like he wanted to do with his mouth, and he had never been more turned on in his entire life, watching her writhe against his hand, cheeks heated, her chest nearly spilling out of her dress. Her head had turned to the side, lips parted in another gasp, but, as if she could feel his study, she faced him again. Their eyes caught, like a key clicking into a lock.
“You have two hands,” she said. “Use them.”
No one had ever spoken to him like that. He was ruler of his realm, the leader of an army, but for her, he was willing to serve. He would do anything she asked.
He used the other hand to palm her chest, fingers featherlight against the delicate fabric, thumb brushing against her hardened peak, and she bucked against him, her body going taut with pleasure. He suddenly wished he had more than just two hands, so that he could touch hereverywhere, but then he remembered his shadows. He used themto sweep across her chest while he reached to grip her hip, cupping her firmly in place before he finally leaned down, whispered in her ear, “I hope you have all night, because this is just the start of what I have to offer,” and then he slipped a finger inside her.
One turned into two and she took it all, grinding against his hand, nails clawing into his wrist as she told him how to make her feel good. He followed every order, every command, hanging on her every word until her body went taught then loose around him.
That was when he lifted one of his hands to cup the back of her neck, and pulled her lips to his. Hertaste. She was a drug that would kill him before he quit.
He didn’t want to leave a single inch of skin untouched. His shadows stroked her as he swallowed her moans with his mouth, guiding her through every tremor, until she stopped moving against him. She panted against the wall, chest heaving, eyes bright. She looked at him like she needed more.Everything.
It was the hardest thing he had ever done, slowly slipping the straps of her delicate dress off her shoulders. Slowly, unbuttoning every tiny button down the back. Slowly, lifting her out of it. And as soon as the dress hit the floor, she was in his arms.
He set her on the edge of the bed, and took a step back, just to admire her like a work of art. Because her beauty deserved to be worshipped. He planned to—thoroughly.
And wholly naked...he took a moment just to breathe before he stalked toward her. His own clothes dropped away, and he didn’t miss how her tongue darted out to lick her lips. And even just the thought of that mouth on him...
“We’ve done this before?” he asked, his voice full of barely leashed desire. He had seen it in his head—but he needed to know for certain.
“On every surface you can think of.”
“Good.” She gasped as he swept her back into his arms. Fuck the bed. “We’re going to add a few more places to the list.”
ISLA
Somehow, until now, they had never done this in a tub.
They had been on the floor. Then, he had put her on the counter. Now, they were inside the porcelain bath. He draped her over the side and took her like this. She gripped the edge, knuckles white as she fought off another wave of pleasure. She didn’t want this to end.Ever.
Grim had meant it when he said they were going to put this room to the test, and they had. The bed’s sheets were ripped apart. The headboard was in splinters. There were feathers scattered all over the floor. The floor itself was pocketed with gashes from Grim’s shadows, which had clawed up the ground with his release.
He hadn’t been deterred. He had simply carried her out of the mess, pressed her against the wall, and started again.
And again.
She felt so full of him, she could barely breathe. “This is the best night,” she gasped, as he took her in long strokes, “out of all of them.”
His breath was hot against her neck, sending a chill down her spine as he said, “It’s not over yet.”
Suddenly, she was off her knees and against a wall, her sensitive chest flush against it. He was still behind her, a shadow far taller than hers. Slowly, he lifted one of her hands up high above her head, uncurled every finger with aching slowness, brushed his thumb across her palm, then pressed it against the wall, placing his own over it. He did the same with his other hand.
Then he was moving again, and she cursed against the smooth rock, because this was the best she had felt in weeks. His shadows swept down her heated skin, and she gasped as they moved with purpose, sliding everywhere Grim had already explored with his tongue.
“Do we do this often?” he asked, his voice a ragged rasp in her ear.
“All the time,” she said.
“Well, at least I did one thing right,” he said, and then he went faster. She met him stroke for stroke, back arched so he could take her deeper, and he hummed his approval against her neck. Her nerves were all so sensitive, so attended to. He didn’t leave one part of her wanting.
Grim reached down now, sensing she was close. He learned her completely from just one night, and she cried out as he found exactly what she needed. His body curled over her, skimming his teeth across her shoulder, shadows stroking her chest, then took her even harder. His long fingers flexed over hers, one hand still pinned over her head, and he held her firm against the wall as he went faster, knowing she needed this, needed her entire world to be narrowed to the feel of him. His other hand worked her center until the toes she was standing on started to curl, and she gripped the stone like it could keep her from falling over the side of this infinite bliss. She wanted to live in this moment. She wished it was endless. Her head dropped back as her lips parted, her spine a bolt of lightning, her pleasure cresting. His teeth grazed her throat. She gasped her release, pulsing around him, before he groaned, and followed her over the edge.
His body was warm and heavy as he slumped around her, spent. For now.
She was still against the wall, pulse racing, when she heard the tub being filled. She turned, but he left the room before they could get started on another round, which was likely for the best. She washed herself, relishing in the fact that he had touched every inch of her skin. She had missed this. This insatiable need.
