“Killing you, Triteia, and the Lóng. Luckily, you're rather hard to kill, sweetheart,” Verin said smugly. “A fact for which I'm dearly grateful.”
“You and I both.” I chuckled again.
Perhaps you should simply start with the information you have?Kyanite suggested in my mind.
You're right. One thing will hopefully lead us to another.
And you happen to know exactly where to find Scylla.
I do. Thanks for reminding me, Ky.
Anytime, my love.
My smile turned wicked.
Verin lifted a brow at me.
“Kyanite just suggested that we start with what we know and go from there,” I said. “And I know where to find Scylla.”
Verin grunted in agreement—a low, rumbling sound. “I know it as well. But we won't be visiting her tonight. It's late and I want the army fresh for the fight.” He set his icy stare on his advisers. “Have our soldiers prepare for a hunt. We'll leave after breakfast in the morning.”
“You should never fight on an empty stomach,” I teased.
“Battle needs fuel,” he countered.
“I suppose that sounds better.” I grinned. “Although, my mother always told me to wait twenty minutes after eating before going swimming.”
“That doesn't apply to dragons.” Verin stood and held an arm out to me. “Come, Consort, it's time for us to retire.”
“Now, thatdefinitelysounds better.”
Chapter Fifteen
Verin and I stood at the foot of his bed, facing each other. I suppose I should have been nervous. I wasn't. It felt perfectly natural to be there with him.
Verin cupped my face in his hands and kissed me slowly. When he eased away, his eyes were indigo. “I thought we were going to die.”
“I did too. And I kept thinking that I'd wasted all of those months that I could have had with you.”
“I did as well. I deeply regret not being strong enough to make you mine sooner.”
“Let's not waste any more time.”
Verin smiled softly as he lowered his lips to mine. There was so much emotion in that kiss—my head reeled from it. More tenderness than I would have expected from him a few months ago. But now, I could see his truth. I knew Verin had a treasure trove of love to give—love that he hadn't even realized he'd been hoarding. It had been there, underneath the surface, waiting all of these years for me. I could feel it rising through his skin, shivering through every touch of his lips and hands and tongue. Every gentle stroke and passionate sound. All of this powerful emotion was for me. It was humbling but also deeply gratifying. He wasmine. The man I'd been craving for months—the one I thought I'd never have—loved me. And he did it so very well.
Our clothing fell to the floor around us and as soon as I was bared to him, his hands started coasting gently over my body—tenderly teasing and softly urging. Verin continued to kiss me as his fingertips grazed my breasts, then slid down to my waist. Shivers rose in their wake and I pushed closer to him. Verin growled suddenly, lifted me in his arms, then laid me on the bed.
I eased up the mattress as he crawled over me, raining kisses on my knee, thigh, then belly. He nudged my legs apart and settled his muscular body between them. I sighed just to have him so intimately close and slid my fingers through the silky fall of his hair. Verin laid his cheek on my belly, slid his arms around my waist, and embraced me as he released a contented sigh of his own. The position arched my lower back but I didn't care. I held him as best I could and continued to stroke his hair. I could have stayed that way for hours but Verin lifted his head and grinned wickedly at me. He eased back down the bed a little, keeping his gaze locked with mine, then lowered his mouth to my sex.
With the first gentle touch of his hot, wet tongue, my legs tightened and my hands fell away. I drew one hand up my belly to massage my breast as I closed my eyes to savor the pleasure. Verin growled against my flesh, making my hand clench—fingers pinching my nipple. My breaths came in pants and my entire body shivered. I stared down my belly at him, watching him take his time licking me—long, thorough licks that ended with flicks at the top. My free hand pushed the hair away from his face as my thighs fell even wider apart. He started sucking.
Kyanite, would you mind playing “Sinners” by Lauren Aquilina for me?I asked my jewel.
As you wish, my love.
Music blossomed around us, starting with barely a murmur and increasing in volume and strength until it became a wave of sound that pulled me under. Magic sparkled to life inside me, almost as if born from the pleasure Verin gave me, and when I started to sing, it merged with our lovemaking.
Verin's eyes widened with the first notes of the song but he kept going, trusting in me. A tremulous piano joined the light melody and I began to sing our story to Verin—how miraculous it was that we'd found each other and how I didn't give a damn if no one else saw it that way. Verin groaned against me, his eyes going half-lidded as the magic seeped into him. His mouth moved even more tenderly over me, turning his movements into a kiss, and his finger slipped inside me to thrust gently.
