Chapter 32
Malakai has the Nephilim come in to clean the place up.
Inakr seems utterly unimpressed when we leave him to it, even if his gaze lingers for a moment on Isabella’s corpse—or what remains of it.
He almost looks disappointed for some reason.
I catch him mumbling under his breath about needing to raise his prices, mentioning something about me being a bad influence and how I leave behind messes even bigger than Malakai’s.
I’m halfway turned around to tear him a new one, but Malakai stops me before I can.
Once we’re back at the house, I take a quick shower to scrub off the remaining gore.
When I step out, I unashamedly run a bath.
I’ve just lowered myself into the hot water, nearly moaning in delight, when Malakai enters the bathroom.
He strips off his clothes and strides toward me, but I quickly stop him.
“Oh no, you don’t,” I say, my voice stern, a scowl creasing my face.
“What?” He frowns at me.
“You’re not getting in here looking all nasty. You’ve even got bits in your hair.” I point him toward the shower. “It’s disgusting.”
He grumbles something inaudible under his breath but ultimately takes a shower first. When he joins me in the tub minutes later, he swiftly positions me between his legs, pulling me flush against him. My back presses against his chest as his strong hands knead the tension from my shoulders.
It’s perfection.
“So,” he starts after a few moments, “wings?”
I chuckle. “It was a spur-of-the-moment kind of thing. Fun, though.”
“I can imagine,” he says, then falls silent, his hands resting around my waist.
“Do you miss them?” My voice is soft, edged with hesitation.
We’ve never really talked about it—about how his brother broke his wings when he imprisoned Malakai, or how he was stuck with the remnants for years. Despite their ability to allow him to leave for short periods, it must have been hard. Now, two scars on his shoulder blades are all that remain.
“I miss what they used to be,” he says, one hand playing with my hair.
I don’t know what to say—how to respond.
“Are you worried about that for me?” Malakai suddenly asks.
“No, of course not,” I huff.
That’s not true, I realize, biting my lip. I just don’t know how to talk to him about it, scared that I might say the wrong thing or find out that he blames me for taking them away since I’m the one who cut them off—even if that was at his request.
Malakai knows I’m only half-truthful but lets it slide. He places his head on my shoulder and tenses when he finally sees it—my breath catches, and my body heats in anticipation of his reaction.
“What do we have here?” Malakai purrs, his hand creeping up my right inner thigh.
“When did you get this?” His finger traces the snake and moon tattoo, perilously close to my apex, and a single touch makes me ache for more.
He trails his digit along the contours of the black ink that forms his Mark.
The soft caress leaves goosebumps in its wake, despite the hot water.
“A few days ago. I—” I suck in a breath when his finger brushes against my slit. “I wanted to get you a birthday present.”
My admission makes Malakai growl in approval, and I feel him harden behind me.
The sensation of his arousal pressing against my ass makes my breath hitch, a small moan escaping as his finger casually touches me again.
I press back against him, eliciting a groan from deep within him.
His free hand grips my hips, fingers digging into my skin.
“Do you know what this means?” Malakai’s voice is deep and sultry, brimming with desire. His breath fans over my neck, causing me to shiver and wiggle against him.
“That I’m yours,” I gasp, my heart skipping at the admission.
“Hmm, yes,” he murmurs, brushing my hair aside for better access to my neck. “Mine. And now every inhuman will sense it.”
A jolt of his magic surges through me, through the Mark, making me yelp. My body jerks upward, and water splashes over the rim of the tub. Malakai holds me tight, his chest pressing against my back as I feel the magic settle inside the tattoo, fully activating it.
It lingers for a few heartbeats, tingling against my skin.
When his magic dissipates, I turn around in his arms to face him.
Despite the movement, his fingers never leave my skin for a moment.
The warm water swirls around us, mercifully not spilling over the rim again.
Malakai looks at me with a smug grin, his golden eyes glinting with newfound possessiveness.
My heart pounds as a hot shiver courses through me.
“Perhaps…” I roll my hips against him, and Malakai groans, baring his teeth as his fingers dig even deeper into my skin. “You should get my Mark too. So everyone knows you’re mine as well.” I lift my hand from the water, tracing my finger over his chest—over his heart.
Malakai looks at me like he’s seriously considering it.
Then he takes my hand in his, raises it to his face, and puts my finger in his mouth. The way he wraps his tongue around my digit makes me wish he would do that elsewhere. He gives me that wicked grin, undoubtedly picking up on the thought.
He pops my finger out of his mouth, and I can’t take it anymore.
I lurch for him, my lips crashing against his in an almost desperate kiss.
My tongue fights his for dominance as I press my body closer, the sloshing sound of water fading into the background.
Malakai groans into my mouth, and his hands grip my waist so tightly I’m sure I’ll have bruises.
I tangle one hand in his hair, pulling so he has no choice but to tilt his neck back.
Deepening the kiss, I raise my hips and use my other hand to guide him to my entrance.
His hands tighten around me, urging me on, and I drop myself onto him.
He enters me so hard and completely that a whimper escapes my lips as I stretch around his girth.
Some of my magic leaks out, creating ripples over the surface and heating the already cooling water.
Malakai moans against my lips, his hands now firmly on my ass.
I lift myself and drop down again. Again and again, I repeatedly impale myself on his cock.
His hands move back to my hips, lifting me to fuck me from underneath.
He starts to hammer into me, hitting that deepest spot inside over and over. It’s maddening, and I love it.
My chest presses against his, my hands clasped tightly around the rim of the bathtub behind him. Malakai’s frantic thrusts splash water over the sides onto the tile floor, but neither of us cares about the mess we’re making.
Every thrust inside me elicits moans from my lips.
My body feels on fire, heat radiating from within.
My magic crackles between us, responding to his own, nipping at my skin wherever it can.
I wrap one hand around his neck, the other gripping his hair.
I need to be closer—so I bury my face in his neck, letting his scent of hellfire and cinnamon consume me.
Until there’s nothing but him and the brutal way he continues to fuck me. Until my body fills with liquid pleasure, and all that remains is the heat and the feeling of him deep inside.
My orgasm catches me off guard—the first time I come without additional stimulation surprises me completely.
My eyes roll back, and my back arches away from him as sensations overwhelm my entire being, spiraling into utter bliss.
I call out his name while I come apart on his cock, clamping down on him so hard he slows momentarily.
But a moment is all it is, for the next, Malakai picks up his pace again, thrusting even harder inside me.
Malakai grunts, and the way he tenses under me tells me he’s close.
He bites my neck, grounding himself, his teeth breaking the skin.
The pain mixes with lingering pleasure, and instantly another orgasm rips through me, even more forceful than before.
My body shakes and trembles, so intense, I might pass out.
Malakai buries himself inside me with a final thrust as he comes. He stills, holding me tight. Our breathing slowly evens out, and I relax in his embrace, burying my face in his chest to inhale that scent—my favorite smell in the world: hellfire and cinnamon.
“I need something that tastes like you smell.”
“Sorry?” he replies.
I look up, blinking until I realize I’ve said that out loud, then grin.
“You’re a weird one sometimes, you know that?” he remarks with a playful grin of his own.
“I am what you made me.”
“Yeah, and clearly mistakes were made.”
Malakai stands up, even though I’m still in his lap. I yelp, wrapping my arms and legs around him to avoid falling. He supports me under my ass and steps out of the bathtub. I unwrap my legs, slightly unsteady as I land on my own feet.
Malakai chuckles, handing me a towel before reaching over to drain the water. With a single gesture, the floor no longer resembles a swimming pool—very convenient.
“You want some of that hot chocolate you like so much?” he asks, grabbing another towel. “Seeing as I don’t have anything that tastes like I smell.”
“You do, though.” I wiggle my eyebrows at him. Malakai snorts with laughter, knowing exactly what I mean. “I’ll take the hot chocolate. Close enough for now.” I laugh.
Still smiling, Malakai wraps me in his arms and buries his face in my hair again. “You’re impossible.” He places a kiss on my neck and steps away, drying off before reaching for his clothes.
“Fine, hot chocolate it is,” he says, keeping one eye on me as I get dressed.
“With cinnamon?”
“I’ll do you one better.” He smiles, and my heart skips a beat. “Whipped cream and marshmallows.”
“What are marshmallows?” Malakai looks at me as if he can’t believe I actually said that. “Don’t give me that look. I’m sure I’m older than marshmallows.”
“I’m older than a lot of things. That’s no excuse, love.”