The orgasm hits me, and I yell Sin’s name as the waves of ecstasy course through me. The pleasure continues for long moments, and I don’t stop touching myself until every last aftershock has worn off.
When I’ve finally finished, I pull out my fingers, moving to wipe them clean, only to find Sin at the side of my bed.
He reaches out but pauses just before touching my hand. “Please?” he asks, and there’s an edge to his voice that borders on pain.
At my nod, he takes my hand, and I go boneless as he sucks my fingers clean, one by one.
“You’re going to be the death of me,” he growls when he finishes.
Even in the afterglow of my orgasm, there’s no mistaking his barely controlled desire. His hands twitch like he’s trying to stop himself from reaching for me again, the gray irises of his eyes almost entirely masked by his pupils.
“Let me touch you, kitten.” It’s not so much a question but a starved plea.
A new wave of heat courses through me, and I want to say yes. I want him touching me more than just about anything right now.
“No,” I whisper back. “You don’t get to tease me and leave me wanting the way you did today and not expect to be treated the same way.” My heart hammers in my chest when I set the boundary, waiting to see how he’s going to push it.
But instead, Sin stands. I watch him take a deep breath before he whispers, “You’re right.”
I tense, waiting for the other shoe to drop. Is this where he’ll get angry? Or maybe he’ll belittle me for thinking I’m deserving of equal treatment.
“Sweet dreams, kitten,” he adds, reaching for his blanket and covering me. Before I can say goodnight, he’s gone.
Chapter 28
Rule twenty-eight:Stop having sexually charged encounters with your partner.
The next day is so busy with party preparations that I don’t have any issue avoiding Sin, which is a relief since I can’t look him in the eye after what we did last night.
I’m trying to stay at least six feet away from him. I need the social distancing. Otherwise, I become flushed all over again, and I can’t quite tell if that’s from the embarrassment or the desire for him that doesn’t seem to be lessening.
I’m not too proud to admit that I’m running from my problems. But as of this moment, I don’t see a better way to deal with the growing attraction. Not when there’s a prophecy looming above my head, stating that I’m going to love a Destroyer.
Falling in love with Sin is entirely off-limits. First, because my life is complicated enough as it is. Second, because men are the root of all my problems, and I’ve sworn off them. Third, because Sin doesn’t love me, and he’s an asshole. And finally, he would break my heart.
So, no thanks.
Did I write that list in one of my notebooks this morning, color-coding the reasons by their severity?
Yes.
But only because it will help me remember them.
Morgana has handed off party planning to Rosie, and much to my surprise, the sweet, soft-spoken fairy has become an absolute terror. Seriously, I’d rather lick the underside of Dr. Parnard’s foot than disobey her right now. Morgana is away, letting all our potential allies know about the event, and she only left vague instructions to Rosie.
Namely, the party should be in the Shadow Realm but well away from the castle and any villages. You’d think that Rosie would be flexible, given the loose guidelines, but she has a vision and made it amply clear that we will make it happen. It took her all of two minutes to decide on a spot, a large clearing by a huge sparkling lake, far beyond one side of the forest of the forgotten dead. After apparating in the team to the location, Sin got to work building extra wards. At the same time, Magnus and Damien started apparating in an army of cooks, decorators, and other citizens of the Shadow Realm, all thrilled to be at Rosie’s command.
Arianna and I are paired together today, since the party is on the other side of the realm, and she canapparate us back and forth. I’m relieved to see that she’s already looking healthier, especially when she threatened to blind me when I suggested she take it easy.
Our job is to bring ‘the fancy wine,’ as Rosie explained.
She fills me in on the updated wards as she dusts off wine bottles and hands them to me, deep in the cellars. “The Realm’s wards are highly selective. Only a handful of us can apparate in without passing out, and no one not cleared under Morgana can apparate near or into her castle. Morgana is imbuing the emissaries now as she passes out invitations. Only people she imbues can apparate into the area Sin is warding. Once they’re in Sin’s wards, they can only apparate back to their own realms.”
“The whole intricate wards thing still makes no sense to me,” I answer. “Can’t the guests just leave the wards and then apparate into other areas of the Shadow Realm?”
Arianna grins, and the same mischievous look I see in Cassandra’s memories is reflected in it. “That’s why the location is tactically sound. All our potential allies know about the forest of the forgotten dead. And no sane creature would ever venture into there. Sin will pull the wards a few hundred feet into the forest. Between that and the water, no one is leaving the bubble.”
A pang of anxiety hits my gut, but I nod, accepting that the others have been playing at war for a lot longer than I have.
