When his fingers hook into the waistband of my panties, I don’t even hesitate. I lift my hips, letting him pull them down my legs, the fabric catches briefly on my thighs before he tugs them free. The air is cool against my exposed skin, but it does nothing to temper the heat pooling between my thighs. Lucien’s focus drops to my pussy, his breath hitches, his control frays, his hands flex at his sides like he’s fighting the urge to touch.
He drops to his knees in front of me, his hands slide up my thighs, spreading me open. The sight of him there, his broadshoulders between my legs, his eyes locked on mine, is almost enough to make me come undone right then. I gasp as his breath ghosts over my skin, my fingers grip the edge of the counter so hard I’m sure I’ll leave marks. I lift my hips in offering, my body aching for his touch, for the heat of his mouth, for the promise of what’s to come.
“Lucien—”
“Shhh,” he murmurs, his voice a whisper of sin. His breath is hot against my skin, his fingers dig into the soft flesh of my thighs. “Let me show you how beautiful you are.”
Then his mouth is on me, his tongue swirls over my clit in slow, deliberate circles. The sensation is electric, a jolt of pleasure shoots straight to my core. I nearly fall off the counter, but his hands are there, gripping my hips, holding me steady as he feasts on me like I’m the last meal he’ll ever have. His tongue is relentless, his lips suck and tease. The pleasure istoo much, too intense, too overwhelming, and yet, I can’t bring myself to tell him to stop. Not when it feels like this.
His tongue dips inside me, and I moan, my head falls back, my hips roll against his mouth. The sound that escapes me is raw, unfiltered, a sound I’ve never made before. “Oh,fuck,” I gasp, my body trembles with the effort of holding back. He groans in response, the vibration sends a fresh wave of pleasure crashing over me, my thighs shake with the force of it.
I’m close. So,soclose. My body is coiled tight, my breath comes in ragged gasps, my skin slick with sweat. I want to beg him to never let up. I want to beg him tostopbecause it’s too much, too good, tooeverything. The words die in my throat, lost to the overwhelming sensation of his mouth on me, his tongue working me over like he’s determined to wring every ounce of pleasure from my body.
“Cum for me, Sweetness,” he murmurs against my skin, his voice rough, his breath hot. “Give it to me.”
When Lucien slides two fingers inside me, curling them just right, hitting that spot that makes my vision blur, I shatter. My orgasm hits me like a tidal wave, my body trembles as pleasure crashes over me in relentless waves. I cry out, my back arches off the counter, my fingers dig into the wood so hard I’m sure I’ll leave half-moon indentations behind. Lucien doesn’t stop, his mouth and fingers work in tandem to pull every last shudder from my body, to draw out the pleasure until I’m boneless, my breath comes in ragged shudders, my skin flushed and sensitive.
He stands slowly, his lips glisten with my arousal, his eyes sparkle with satisfaction. The sight of him like this, disheveled, hungry,mine, sends a fresh wave of heat through me. “You taste like sin and magic,” he murmurs, his voice rough, like he’s been the one unraveling. “And I want more.”
I should feel something. Exposed, maybe. Something. All half-dressed and laid out on this counter like Lucien’s snack. All I feel is cherished.
Lucien’s hands frame my face, his thumbs brush over my cheeks, his touch gentle despite the hunger still burning in his eyes. “Let me take you home,” he says, his voice low, intimate. The words are a promise, a vow. “Let me show you just how much you’re wanted. All night.”
I swallow, my heart still racing, my body still humming with the aftershocks of my orgasm. “What about the shops?” The words feel weak, half-hearted, like I’m grasping at straws. Like I’m trying to find a reason to say no when every fiber of my being is screamingyes.
He smirks, the expression wicked and knowing. “The shops will still be here tomorrow.” His hands slide down my body, cupping my ass and pulling me flush against him. I can feel the hard length of him against my stomach, and the knowledge that I do this to him, that Iunravelhim, sends a fresh wave of arousalthrough me. “Butyou,” His lips brush against my ear, his breath hot. “—are mine tonight.”
I should argue. I shouldthink. A good orgasm can do that to a person, apparently. My brain is mush. The way he looks at me makes it impossible to do anything but nod.
“Okay,” I breathe, the word barely more than a whisper.
His smile is slow, triumphant, like he’s won a battle he’s been fighting for years. “Good girl.”
Then he kisses me again, slow and deep, letting me taste myself on his tongue. The flavor is intoxicating, a mix of salt and sweetness, ofmeandhim, and I moan into his mouth, my hands roaming his body like I can’t get enough. Like I’ve been starving for this, forhim, for years. After everything he’s told me, I know he has.
I pull back just enough to catch my breath, a smirk playing on my lips. The words are out before I can stop them, bold and teasing. “Guess I’ll have to visit your shop more often.”
Lucien throws his head back and laughs, the sound rich and warm andreal, like I’ve just given him a gift. “Oh, Sweetness,” he murmurs, his hands squeeze my ass tighter, his fingers dig into my skin possessively. “You have no idea what you’ve just started.” His voice drops to a whisper, his lips brush against my ear. “In fact?—”
I shriek as he lifts me into his arms bridal style. He carries me toward the back of the shop, his steps sure and steady.
“Lucien, where are we going? I thought you were taking me back to the manor.” My voice is breathless, my body already anticipating what’s to come.
“I can’t wait that long,” he says, his voice rough with need. His grip on me tightens, adjusting me in his arms. “I have an apartment upstairs.”
I don’t question it, because of course he does. Of course he has a place justthere, just within reach, like he’s been planning this all along.
In that moment, he’s right. I have no idea what I’ve started, but I can’t wait to find out. The unknown stretches out before me, a path lit by the promise of his touch. I melt into his hold, my fingers clutch at his shirt, my heart pounds in my chest like it’s trying to escape.
Right now, I feel like a damn goddess. Lucien? He looks at me like I’m his.
Chapter
Fourteen
TRIALS WILL TEST YOU, APPARENTLY
The shop smells like crushed herbs, lavender oil, and the slow curl of incense burning somewhere just out of sight, threading through the air in delicate spirals that catch the afternoon light filtering through the front windows.
