His lips twitched, but whatever mirth I’d evoked in him couldn’t erase the waves of bottomless sorrow, the ones he desperately wanted gone.
I pressed my lips against his. He groaned again, and what I’d meant to be a gentle—loving—kiss shifted into an inferno of hot breath and colliding lips, hands in hair and my back driving up against the wall as he pressed me into it.
I wasn’t certain how we’d moved across the room, but I didn’t care when he thrust himself against me, lining up his hardness against my aching, needy center. Darcke moved to attack my neck, sucking and biting until I cried out.
His lips trailed over my hot skin until he reached my ear.
“You better be fucking sure,” he breathed as his hands slid under my shirt, whispering over my back, and I whimpered as I leaned my forehead on his shoulder. “Because there is nothing honorable about the way I plan to fuck you. I can’t promise the doors of Hel won’t bolt shut at the sight of us.”
I bit down on his bare shoulder. “Then we’ll find another realm.”
“Fuck,” he cursed, and his lethal grin shot right through my chest.
The floor planks creaked as they shifted beneath us, and Darcke went quiet—frozen. As steps sounded behind the wall he had me against, my face flushed, but Darcke pressed a finger against my lips when I started to tell him to set me down.
“Are you done fighting?” Kilia asked. “We’re almost at Nordoen, and something’s happening. There are too many ships moving about.”
I doubted we’d ever be done fighting. When Darcke pressed a heated kiss against the corner of my mouth, one of his handssliding over my stomach to cup my breast, I showed him my teeth, although the need overtook the worry of being caught.
“Are you there?” Kilia sounded worried, and I stiffened at the same time as Darcke did.
“Yes,” Darcke said. “Unfortunately, so are you.”
I was impressed by his calm, especially when I could feel what I did to him.
“I think you should get up here.”
Darcke’s eyes lifted to the ceiling before capturing mine once more.
“We’ll be there shortly,” he barked. “Go up and get the ship ready for mooring.”
“But—”
“Go, or I’ll make her throw you off so you can swim to shore,” Darcke snarled.
Maybe I’d spoken too soon.
His head fell forward to rest against the wall, his chest still heaving as Kilia and whoever was with him walked up the stairs. I was ready for him to set me down, but his arms only tightened around me, his body pressing harder against mine.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“Deciding whether I can make you come in two minutes.”
I didn’t doubt it. The way I was feeling, he might as well just breathe on me and set me off. But Kilia had sounded truly worried.
I forced a strained laugh. “We’ll have time later.”
“Will we?” There was doubt in his tone that I pretended not to hear.
“Yes,” I said confidently.
Because I am going to help you. Even if it’s the last thing I do.
“What am I supposed to do about this?” Darcke said as he rocked his hardness against me again, watching me as my eyes snapped shut and a moan escaped my lips.
“Maybe we could swim to cool down,” I teased.
“Wateris not going to help me.” His lips lifted an inch. “Butwhen I have my magic back, I’ll show you some of the skills I’ve honed over the years.”
