It makes me want to devour him.
Between us, magick springs to life. Warm and buzzing and alive, it crests, pulls taut, demands to be seen.
His beard scratches against me, and the tips of his claws prick me through my clothes, but his mouth is soft and warm, and the contrast of it makes me groan into the kiss. I press myself into him, step closer, legs parting around one of his thick thighs, covered in more of that leather plating.
Against the fitted trousers I’m wearing, the feeling is incredible. He plunges his tongue into my mouth, presses his thigh between mine. His hands cup my ass and encourage me, pulling me more firmly against him. I’m so damn wound up, so damp and hot and aching, that it would only take a little more friction to—
Fuck.
I pull back, panting.
Fuck.
What the hell?
What the actual hell am I doing?
Face flaming, I drop my head against the broad plane of his chest and try to catch my breath.
“Seren,” Callum gasps. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—”
“No.” My voice is hoarse, breathless, unrecognizable. “Don’t apologize. I was just getting a little ahead of… I didn’t mean to…”
Fuck.
One kiss from this demon and I’m done for. Completely out of my mind. Ready to drag him down onto the forest floor and have my way with him.
All thismatestuff is pretty freaking potent.
But…
As I finally make myself meet his burning, adorably concerned crimson gaze, I can’t believe that’s all it was.
And even if I don’t knowwhatit was, I’m not ready to chalk it all up to the Goddess’ meddling.
“We were just going a little fast,” I say, then reconsider. “Iwas going a little fast. I didn’t think it would be… I never expected…”
Callum cups my chin and runs his thumb over my bottom lip. “What didn’t you expect?”
“I didn’t know it would be that good. And I want to do it again.”
“My star,” he murmurs, big hands threading into my hair, tilting my head back. “Always a surprise, aren’t you?”
Before I can answer—not that I even know how Iwouldanswer that—he lowers his lips back to mine.
This kiss is different.
Slower. More deliberate. Less fevered frenzy and more careful claiming.
Callum takes his time exploring me.
With thorough, languid strokes of his tongue into my mouth. With drags of his fangs against my lips. With hands that move from my hair to my neck, squeezing lightly in a hold so gently possessive it threatens to ignite that heat in my core again.
My hands stroke up his sides over his armor, seeking, exploring, reaching around to his back, learning every hard plane of his body and—
Callum sucks in a sharp breath. I freeze.
Shit.
