Shadows I wanted to hide in forever, wrapped up in his arms, because this felt like coming home.
I’d known Dante was dangerous, yet nothing had prepared me for how he swept the world away.
How he made me feel like the center of a storm, like he was a star and I was the galaxy, inexorably drawn into his orbit, with no choice but to obey.
His hand traced the line of my thigh, the curve of my hip, fingers digging into my waist like he couldn’t let go, andhoney pooled between my legs. I arched against him, a helpless whimper tearing from my throat when he answered by grinding his hips down, letting me feel exactly how badly he wanted me.
“Gods,” he breathed against my neck. “You’re going to kill me, Emberline.”
“That’s still on the table,” I gasped, “so you’d better not drop your guard.”
His lips lingered over my fluttering pulse, fangs grazing skin, the points pressing softly, then harder, not quite breaking skin. Asking a question without words.
I tipped my head back, baring my throat in silent answer.
Later, I would blame my lack of sleep. The adrenaline. This consuming loneliness that was finally held at bay by a pair of wicked blue eyes and sweet promises I’d be a fool to believe.
But for now, I let myself stop thinking.
I gave in to every secret urge I’d ever entertained in the darkness.
His teeth broke skin, a sharp, sweet sting that melted into heat as he fed, careful and controlled, as if he was holding back. But his groans, those were wild…ravenous.My fingers wound into his shirt, holding him down, our hips rocking together, lost in the power of this moment.
Whatever this was—mistake, inevitability, or something else entirely—tonight belonged to us.
Or for however long we had left before everything crashed down on our heads.
When he lifted his mouth from my throat, his eyes were darker than night, his lips stained with blood. He looked wrecked. Beautiful.Mine.
I dragged him back down into another kiss, tasting myown coppery blood and fire and everything we couldn’t admit to each other.But this… this moment was utter perfection.
Today changes nothing, I promised myself again.Our marriage will never be real.
But I kissed him like it was.
44
DANTE
This was really happening.
Somehow, even though I’d fucked everything up, Ember was straddling me, her damp, hot core grinding against my aching cock, her mouth fused to mine, her blood hitting my system like the heady rush of adrenaline before a fight.
But this was better than any fight.
So much fucking better I might have died and gone to heaven.
I ground my length against her, eating up those needy little whimpers and moans, the way her hips moved with mine. But…
“I need to seal you up, here, let me…” I cupped her head, threaded my fingers through that mass of dark, silky hair as I ran my tongue gently up the side of her delicate throat, feeling the tempered strength beneath the fragility.
I wanted to put my mouth on every inch of her.
I wanted her skin, her cunt, her fingers, her mouth. I wanted to taste every inch of her, push my tongue into every hole. I wanted her in ways that weren’t normal or even sane, but I couldn’t stop myself.
And I wasn’t fucking her here, in the middle of the dirty, sweat-stained floor.
One move had us up off the floor with her in my arms, through the door, and onto the narrow steps. Halfway down, we dissolved into a tangle of mouths, tongues, and hands asI pressed her back against the wall and kissed her, hard and sloppy and deep, as if I couldn’t get enough.
