“Why are you sorry?”
“Because . . . well, it’s rude,” Celine says.
“I should be the judge of that, shouldn’t I?”
“What?”
Ciprian chokes, his laughter garbled by cock, and pulls back. “There’s no need to interrogate him, Celine.”
“I’m not, it’s just—” Celine sputters. “I mean, I didn’t realize.”
“That Malach was awake, watching me put on a masterclass in dick sucking while Luca played with your pussy?”
“Yes,” Celine snaps. “Thank you for the recap.”
“You’re welcome.”
Luca uses his grip on Ciprian’s hair to nudge his head down, cutting off whatever quip he might have come up with next.
I prop up on my elbow to glance at Malach, unconvinced, like Celine, that he’s okay with this. The furthest from the fire, he’s barely more than a hulking shadow.
His green eyes are locked on Ciprian’s bobbing head, but that changes when Celine moans again. She grabs Luca’s forearm, and Malach grumbles low in his throat, “Do you stop him for my sake or yours, my truth?”
Celine’s eyelashes flutter against her pale skin. “Does it matter?” she asks.
“Yes,” Malach says emphatically. “I never want to be the reason you sacrifice. Not happiness or pleasure. The day you give up something on my behalf is the day I’ve failed you.”
My eyebrows shoot up, and Ciprian groans. Malach certainly has a way with words. I’m no expert on the subject, but I think that’s one of the most romantic things I’ve ever heard.
“But—”
“Gods above, Celine,” I interrupt her. “Malach’s a grown angel. He’ll tell you if it’s not what he wants.”
The silence that follows is absolute, and it doesn’t take me long to kick myself for opening my big mouth. Celine can make her own decisions. She doesn’t need my?—
“Okay,” she whispers. “Touch me.”
All my blood heads south.
TWENTY
Monster Realm Survival Tip #41:
Never waste time.
CELINE
I feel like I’m floating on my back in a lazy river.
Gentle waves lap against my skin as the sun caresses my face. I glide along—not a care in the world—my ears dipping beneath the surface as I leave reality behind.
With Luca’s hand between my thighs and Malach’s heat at my back, I want to drown in the fantasy.It’s only a lazy river. And I’m only a girl.
But I can’t lie to myself.
I’m only a girl until someone demands I become something else. And this river is only lazy until the dam breaks and the floodwater rushes in.
There are rocks all around, rapids ahead, and a million different dangers. If I open my eyes, I’ll see them all in crisp, deadly detail.
