Nico’s smile is soft, almost shy, which is out of character for him. “Yes. I suppose so. I do not want to pressure you. But nothing would make me happier than spending the rest of my life with you, as your husband.” He grins self-consciously. “So yes, I am asking. Zayd, will you marry me?”
My mind is awhirl. Shades shouldn’t fall in love. They certainly don’t get married. It’s against everything I’ve ever been taught. But maybe I don’t care. Maybe I don’t wantto be Shabah anymore. No, that’s not true. I still want that. But maybe I want a different set of rules. MaybeI’llchange the rules. That sits right in my gut.
“Love.” My heart skips a few beats as I say the word. “Everything I’ve ever been taught tells me that what I feel for you is wrong. That what we feel for each other is dangerous.” But only Nico has ever given me the safety to be myself, to be vulnerable. “Much to my own shock, I find myself deeply in love with you anyway.” He makes me want to be a better person. He expects more from me, so I expect more from myself now. I press my hand to his cheek. “I don’t regret it. And I wouldn’t change it, either. I’m yours. So, yes, I’ll marry you.”
Nico places the ruby stud in my palm, and this time I close my fist around it. Then, without overthinking it, I exchange it with one of my onyx studs that I’ve worn since my induction into the Onyx Guild. Tentatively, I hold it out to Nico. “Will you take this as a symbol of my commitment to you?”
“Yes. But we need to keep it safe until I can wear it properly.” He flicks his earlobe, grinning, and then wraps the earring in the cloth and shoves it in his pocket, kissing me softly. I sigh into it and try to move closer, wincing as my muscles protest. “Fucking hells.”
Nico immediately pulls back. “We need to be careful. You are injured.”
I catch my breath, chuckling. “Yes, but I’m okay.” Wrapping my arms around his neck, I let my weight pull us down onto the bed. “So be careful and go slowly.” I brush my lips against his. “But don’t stop.”
His fingertips brush along my side. “I can do that.” Excitement thrums through me as he kisses my palm, then the tip of my thumb, before languidly sliding it between his lips, sucking gently.
I’ve done this to others many times, but never been on the receiving end. Now I very much appreciate why it’s effective as a seduction technique. It’s so simple, yet so erotic. It’s a kind of promise of things to come, yet slightly torturous at the same time. And it’s making me very hard.
Nico gently sucks on each of my fingers, taking his time, enjoying it as much as I am. He trails his lips along the edge of my wrist, tongue darting out to taste the pulse point before gently pressing an open-mouthed kiss to the spot. I stare as he works a kind of sexual magic on me. Mesmerized by the quiet passion in his kisses, I can’t move. Not that I want to.
His parted lips travel lightly along my inner arm, coming to rest at the bend of my elbow. I quietly whimper as he gently sucks and nips at the delicate skin, flicking out his tongue to soothe the spot. “Your pulse is hammering, Bello. Do you like this?” His breath ghosts across the dampness his tongue left behind.
“Yes.” It’s barely a whisper, but it’s all I can manage. I’m floating in unfamiliar sensations, my body alight with need and passion. “I love it.” Nico continues his exploration, kissing his way to my shoulder and along my neck. I groan as he sucks gently.
“Bello, you taste good.” His lips ghost across my skin, settling at the base of my neck, teeth gently worrying thespot. I pant and lean into him. Fuck, this is impossibly perfect. And overwhelming.
I weave my fingers into his dark curls, moaning as his tongue teases behind my ear. I’m desperate to rut against him, but he has me pinned in place with nothing but his wicked mouth. “Please. I want you inside me.”
Nico whispers along my jaw. “Soon, Bello. We will get there. I promise. Be patient.” My patience is in short supply.
His fingers trace a line across my collarbone and down my torso, his lips following close behind. I want to grab him and make him go faster, but he has me dizzy and desperate for more. I strain upward, all physical discomfort lost to the pleasure as the tips of his fingers brush small circles along the hollow between my hip and cock. “Nico. Please. Touch me.”
“I love you, Zayd. I will take care of you, and I promise I will let you come—soon.” His mouth burns a hot trail of kisses along my inner thigh, moving lower at a torturously slow pace. I sob in frustration as his mouth drifts past where I desperately need it to be. I’m losing my mind.
With each featherlight kiss and gentle caress, he’s undoing me, tearing down any remaining walls. And I let him. “Love, I can’t take anymore. I need your mouth. I need your body. Please—”
Nico, the ass, chuckles softly. “Oh, my beautiful man. Fine. I will be merciful.” He crawls up my body, brushing his cock against mine, making me whimper before finally giving me some relief. When he grinds down against me,I gasp and grab his hips, thrusting up, rutting fast, and holding him tightly.
I’ve never wanted someone so much. I’ve never wanted to come so badly. “I love you.” My body coils in on itself as my muscles tense with the building pressure. My vision blurs as I grind mindlessly against Nico until the pleasure becomes too much and my orgasm slams through me.
Nico’s hips slow, coasting me through gentle aftershocks. I’m utterly boneless, more relaxed than I’ve ever been in my life. “You know, I should be angry with you, or embarrassed that you made me come in my pants like a damned kid. But I feel too good right now to ruin it with negativity.” His laughter warms my heart. I was so worried I’d never hear it again. He kisses my temple, and his hard cock presses against my thigh. I manage to wrap my legs around his waist, tilting my hips up. “I want you.”
In a matter of seconds he removes our clothes, then retrieves the oil from the bedside table. I take it from him, pour a generous amount into my palm before gripping his cock, liberally coating him with firm strokes before pushing him onto his back and straddling his hips. Without hesitation, I lower myself onto him, my body relaxed and ready after such a spectacular orgasm. I begin a slow, deliberate roll of my hips. Groaning, he grabs me, carefully avoiding my sides, and presses his fingers into the muscles of my ass. “Bello.”
“Come for me, love. I know you’re close.” I lean down to claim his lips, kissing him thoroughly, our tongues gliding together in a sensual caress. He thrusts into me, picking up speed with each snap of his hips.
“Zayd.” He tenses, his eyes closing as his body shudders and his grip tightens on my hips. His groan of pure, debauched satisfaction is music to my ears. When he finally stops shaking and his muscles relax, his arms drop to his sides. I ease myself up, letting his beautiful cock slip from my body as I collapse onto the mattress beside him. He throws an arm and a leg over me, hauling me closer. My fingers ghost across the dark hair on his arm. “I love you.”
He squeezes me, kissing my temple. “I love you too. Thank you for saying yes.”
It takes me a moment to remember what I agreed to, but then I smile and squeeze him back. “You’re welcome.”
Laughing, he pinches my arm but squeezes me tighter. A life together will be dangerous, but we already know that. We’ll have to deal with the Shabah eventually. And there’s still the matter of my revenge. Four targets left. More than I’d like, but not insurmountable. Still, more people are aware that I’m alive and back, which increases all the risks. That can’t be helped.
I close my eyes and doze in Nico’s arms while my mind considers all my options, and a short while later, I have the very beginnings of a plan. Then someone knocks on the bedroom door.
Chapter 22
A Long Overdue Chat
