“Shit,” she breathed. “I lost alr—”
Kieran stilled her words with a finger. “This is not part of any Game.” He returned to her skin, teasing with lips and tongue until he felt her shiver. “I want to hear you, Seraphina. Every sound. Do not hold back. Please.” He whispered that final word, almost pleading.
She gasped and he could feel the shiver that raced through her body. He moved his hand to her bodice, drawing a finger alongthe edge. Gently, slowly, easing it lower until each perfect breast was freed. He explored with his hands, alternating palm and fingers until she was mewling softly. The sound hit him harder than her scent.
Her hands grasped for his pants, fingers fumbling and clumsy as he teased her breasts with his hands. He walked them backward, guiding her until her back straightened gently against one of the windows. Stilling her hands, he guided them up, until her fingers clawed fruitlessly at the glass above her head.
“I’m afraid there is a matter of grave concern that must be corrected before we continue.” He pulled back enough to see her beautiful face flushed with desire. Half-lidded eyes begged for the promise of his words. The erotic sight of her pressed into the windows, breasts exposed while the rest of her remained clothed, as courtiers danced unknowingly just beyond the thin glass nearly blindsided him.
He had intended to continue with his seduction, but instead dipped his head to kiss her again. Simply because he had to. Like he had to breathe or eat. He needed to drink in every part of her or he’d never survive till morning.
And without a reason to restrain herself, every delicious sound tumbled recklessly into the heated air. He once again shifted from her mouth to taste lower.
“I’m just not used… oh fuck.” Sera’s voice rasped with need.
Her head rolled to her shoulder as he worked at the taught peaks of each breast in turn until her knees buckled and he had to stop in order to keep her from falling. He caught her with his arms and body, pinning her to the window. She locked her arms around him as she got her bearings. “I’m sorry, it’s just… it’s not usually so focused on me.”
Heat simmered between them, but his body was drawn to it, rather than repelled. This wasn’t the oppressive warmth of a world that wasn’t designed to accommodate him. This was theheat of connection. Of another person sharing in pleasure for the simple reason of wanting to.
“Then I suppose I have a lot of oversight to correct."
Kieran’s words pooled between her legs. Sera was beyond comprehension, beyond passion, she was so consumed with desire that she was only distantly aware of Kieran drawing up her skirts. Had she not been hopelessly liquid, she might have tried to help him wrangle the multiple layers into submission, but instead she arched her back against the window and thrilled at every glancing brush of his hands.
The sensation of his fingers on the skin of her thigh made her curse. She let her arms drag over her body, a sensual massage over her heated, sensitive skin. She was nearly thrown off balance when he switched positions, careful to steady her legs until she regained her footing. When her mind caught up to the moment all the breath left her body.
She was facing the window. One of her hands splayed on the pane and her slick palms left marks on the otherwise unmarred crystalline surface. Her breasts were exposed to the night air, nipples grazing cool glass. Just beyond the window people danced. Talked. Shared drinks. The musicians carried on, focused on their sheet music. Kieran had moved down her body, and she fell further against the glass when he set her thigh on his shoulder, lost in the sea of her skirts.
He moved with torturous languidity, driving the wild, frenzied pulse of pleasure higher. His lips explored her thigh, drawing ever closer to where her body craved. She resisted the urge to thread her fingers through his hair and steer him where sheneeded. Not that she could have reached his head under her dress. But her moans were becoming growls.
He continued his pace, undeterred, until he reached her center, and peppered her with slow, open-mouthed kisses, drenching her until her cotton drawers molded to her skin.
The heady mix of their position, the thrill of the window, and—she may have to concedeexpert—pace stoked her ardor into a frenzied blaze so that when his tongue finally reached the bare, exposed core of her, cutting her firmly in half before fixating on the over-sensitive peak of her pleasure, she had cried out loud enough to draw gazes from inside the ballroom.
“Oh gods.” Sera fought to hold herself together. She wanted to squirm and writhe and move her hips. He started to pleasure her more thoroughly, no more teasing or slow exploration, but just the right blend of blind enthusiasm and purposeful reverence. He matched the pace of the music filtering through the window—and Sera would bet anything he played an instrument. If he played half as well as he delivered pleasure, then he was wasted as a politician. The leg she was using to balance herself began to tremble.
He steadied her with his hands, fingers digging into her for the best leverage to keep her from melting to the ground.
Her hips started to roll, seeking and meeting where she wanted to feel him and he followed her lead with rapt devotion. It had never felt like this, not on her best day had she been pleasured like her release was not only required, but would be measured and any mark below mind-blowing would not be tolerated.
She breathed nonsense words and praise and moans, murmurs of unrestricted thought while the orgasm building inside her threatened to tear her apart.
Building and then all at once, overwhelming. Sera’s entire body contracted, fissures of bliss electrifying her every nerve.Wave after wave rolling through her until she was ready to collapse. Kieran started to pull away after her body quieted, easing her leg down. Sera braced on the window, only distantly aware as he disentangled from her skirt and returned to his feet.
The past crept up on her as she absently waited for the other shoe to drop. She was so completely satisfied that her brain was just as gelatin as her body, and ingrained response started to prepare her for the worst. The lingering sensation of pleasure became dark weights of dread.
She waited. Waited for him to insist that she owed him now. Waiting for him to pull her to the ground and demand his turn. Waiting… waiting… waiting for something bad to happen. Sera shuddered, closing in on herself.
Because whenever she felt good, something bad always followed.
Kieran’s hand settled gently on her shoulder and she flinched. She jerked away from his touch, not quite blocking him from reaching her, but posing herself in a way that would incur the least amount of damage.
He didn’t attempt to touch her again, instead taking a step back. “Are you alright?” The genuine, unfiltered concern in his voice shattered the haze in her brain.
Reality rushed back. Her senses regained. She looked into Kieran’s eyes and hated the concern and guilt and fear she found. Instantly, her rioting panic subsided. She was safe. She was always safe with Kieran.
She was madly in love with him.
Sera rushed forward and threw her arms around him so hard she knocked the wind from him. She could tell because her leap was followed by a gentle ‘oof’ as her arms closed around his shoulders and she held him. Sera didn’t hug people often. Not even Gideon or Seth. And she hugged Kieran with no ulterior motive, not out of fear or trauma. There was no hidden lust inthe gesture, just something pure and real that she couldn’t quite name in the chaos of the moment.
