I didn’t care about my sleeves anymore. I let my other hand dip under the water to rove over Asterie’s torso. I wanted to memorize every inch of her. She was entirely exposed to me—curved waist, a tousle of dark hair between ample thighs distorted in the ripples of the water.
“You look perfect. But we can stop—tell me if you want to stop.”Please don’t tell me to stop—is what I wanted to say. But I wouldn’t press this any further if she told me to leave.
“No, don’t stop.” She shook her head with another short-breathed gasp as her fingers worked in tight circles.
“Tell me, Asterie—where else do you want me to touch you?” I watched her work herself up.
“Down there,” she whispered.
“Oh, I’d gladly let you ride my hand, my beauty,” I drawled. “But I’m going to need you to beg me first…you don’t want to have to keep doing that yourself now, do you?”
Her eyes widened, but they lit from within. It excited her.I was a fucking goner.
One of my hands began to trail down further. Asterie’s legs readily parted for me, and I didn’t complain when she reached for the tub’s edge to hold onto it this time. I trailed my hand over the dark hairs at her center and stopped—she let out a low whimper, making me smirk.
“How muchdo you want me to touch you there?”
“Badly.”
The impatience in her words only made my smirk deepen.
“Fine.Please, Fen. Please.”
At those words, I finally let my fingers part her. She sank back, eyes closed and hands gripping the tub’s sides. It gave her enough leverage to rise to meet my touch as my fingers worked against her.
“No, no, Asterie…you’re going to need to keep your eyes on me.” Her eyes popped open. “I want to watch you come undone.”
She writhed against my hand. Seeing her like this caused me to harden painfully against the seam of my breeches. To enjoy her hands on me, to taste her, to be inside this woman—it would all be a mistake, but one I’d happily die to make.
When one finger slipped inside her, I wanted to swallow the delectable moan she let out. I could burst in my breeches just from the sound alone. I slowly worked in and out, still holding one breast firmly.
She bucked against the motion with parted lips. I slipped in a second finger and curved them up toward her navel. She seemed to grow more desperate and hurried.She’s close.
She held my gaze with desperation as she gasped, “Fen, I’m going…”
She was going to alright, and it was fucking beautiful. Her expression cracked as she constricted around my fingers. She couldn’t stifle the guttural cry of pleasure. I’m sure the nearby rooms heard it, too. But, shamelessly, I wanted them to.
I let her rock against my hand until every muscle in her body relaxed. She seemed disoriented and satiated.
“I could watch your release all night.”
Those full lips were still parted and showed the slight gap in her front teeth. Yet she said nothing, which had panic rising in my chest.
“Talk to me...” I urged softly.
Abruptly, Asterie grabbed me by the front of my tunic. I caught the tub’s sides to avoid being pulled in. The front of my shirt slapped the water as she captured my lips with hers, claiming me for the second time that day. Her lips parted mine—she tasted of red wine andpower.Her kiss felt electric, like the blue flame she yielded.
She could pull me in and drown me like the Siren I’d joked she was, and I’d die happy having seen her release every ounce of tension.
“One of you will surrender to the other…”a voice that was not Asterie’s hissed into my ear, startling me stiff. Judging by the fact that Asterie’s kiss grew deeper, she hadn’t heard it.
The voice was meant for me alone.
I lifted away from her hastily, to my disappointment and her confusion. The voice had been so close, the same one I’d heard in the field, the same one I’d heard at the cabin after meeting her.
Surrender.I had already surrendered myself to an enchantress once, and it had been the wrong choice. My blood ran cold at the thought of doing it again.
“Goodnight, Asterie.” It came out with strangled finality.
