The shadows paused. Despite her sharply held control, a gasp of surprise slipped past her lips.
“What are you?—”
“Shh, baby,” Andrian soothed, whispering against her temple. “I know you’re being perfect. Just as I knew you would be. But I’m not ready to move on quite yet.”
What?
A third coil of shadow met the back of her thighs, sliding over her backside, and she fell utterly still.
“I have more planned for you after this,” Andrian continued. “After my shadows have had their fill. I won’t do this to you tonight, because my magic has had enough fun, and I’m growing jealous.”
That third tendril of shadow eased between the flesh of her ass. Her eyes flew wide.
“But one day, when you’re ready, when you’veearnedit, your pretty pussy is going to take my cock while I fill this tight ass with my shadows.” Andrian’s deep growl thundered through her. “Is that something you’d like, princess?”
Mariah had forgotten how to breathe. Forgotten how to speak. Could barely move. She only nodded, the smallest movement, but enough for him to understand.
He was right; not tonight. But, fucking gods, was that something she wanted.
Andrian sighed heavily. “You couldn’t be more perfect for me even if the gods themselves had crafted you from my dreams.”
His shadows moved again, and there was no more teasing. No more waiting. With an expert finesse, his magic dragged her right back to that edge and shoved her off it.
Light and magic crackled around her. Energy thrummed through her veins, stars dancing in the field of her vision, the heavens dropping down from the sky to dance upon the earth.
When the crest of her release finally faded, when the sensations had swallowed her and set her gently back upon the ground, she found she no longer faced the roaring bonfire. Her face was buried in Andrian’s chest, arm still slung over his shoulder, fingers tightly gripping his hair.
Mariah lifted her chin and found his gaze, the blue filled with so much love and obsession and desperation and all the things they’d been navigating these past few weeks.
She pulled him down to her with a weak sob, their kiss a tangle of teeth and tongue and murmured words of heavy adoration.
After a time—either a few seconds or a few hours—they broke apart, breathing heavily, moonlight catching the sheen coating their skin.
Mariah swallowed, her mind still swimming, her thoughts slowly returning to her. “You said you had more planned?”
Andrian’s face broke into a full, beautiful smile. The kind he hardly ever shared, the kind that always felt like a gift when he did.
“That’s right, princess. The night is still young, and we’re just getting started.”
Chapter 57
Andrian grabbed Mariah’s hand, his mind a fractured mess. He pulled her into the trees, leading her away from the bonfire and revelry.
He was so grateful he’d had the foresight to arrange all this earlier that day while Mariah was getting ready, because after what had just happened…
Truthfully, he was surprised he was still standing. But,fuck, was he ready to show her exactly what she meant to him. To show her how thankful he was that she had never shied away from walking through the darkness with him, even when she struggled to find her own light.
“Where are we going?” Mariah’s green eyes glowed in the moonlight, even under the shade of the trees. Interest sparked in their depths.
“Do you want me to tell you, or do you want to be surprised?”
“You’re right. I want to be surprised.”
“I’m hardly ever wrong.”
Mariah snorted. “Gods, you’re such an asshole.” She tugged his hand, pulling him to a stop. She leaned close, eucalyptus and jasmine swimming around him. “Never change,” she murmured against his lips.
Andrian groaned. If she kept this up, he’d end up abandoning all his carefully laid plans. And he really, really didn’t want to do that.
