Chapter 10 #2
He set me down carefully like I might break under his hands. My fingers lingered along his arm as I slid from his hold. He turned, clearly intending to wish me goodnight and put distance between us.
Before he could step away, I caught his hand.
“Stay.”
The word escaped before I could reconsider it.
He stilled. My grip, my gaze, the quiet plea in my voice held him in place.
“You need rest,” he said softly.
“I need…” I faltered, nearly choosing the safer answer. Instead, I swallowed and let the truth rise. “Right now… I need you.”
He turned fully toward me. “Seris, you’re drunk.”
“I don’t care.”
Before he could argue, I rose onto my toes and kissed him.
My hands slid over his shoulders, holding him to me. He froze for half a breath, restraint flickering behind his eyes. Then, he gave in.
The kiss deepened instantly. What began as desperation turned deliberate, as if he were trying to learn me and lose himself at the same time.
My head tipped back until his hands found my waist and lifted me effortlessly.
My legs wrapped around him without thought, and I surrendered to the pull between us.
One arm supported me while the other moved slowly over my back, firm and deliberate.
His mouth trailed from mine to my jaw, then to my throat.
His fingers curved at the nape of my neck, steadying me as his lips pressed heat along my skin.
When his hand closed over my breast, his thumb dragging slowly over the tight peak beneath my dress, a soft sound escaped me against his mouth.
He carried me to the bed and sat, settling me over him. I straddled him fully now, feeling the unmistakable tension between us through the fabric. His hands gripped my hips, guiding me into a slow rhythm that stole the air from my lungs. Every shift pressed us closer.
My body betrayed me long before I could think. Tightening. Wanting. Reaching for more than I was ready to name.
The thought of him inside me consumed everything else.
My back arched until it could no longer hold, and I fell forward, burying my face in his neck. I breathed him in.
When my balance wavered and my vision blurred, he eased me gently onto the mattress. He lay beside me, one leg threaded between mine. His fingers combed through my hair as his mouth returned to my throat, slower now. Intent.
His hand drifted downward, deliberate and unhurried, grazing everywhere except where I needed him most. My breathing turned uneven as he continued his slow torment.
“Daemon,”
I didn’t finish the thought. He answered anyway. His fingers pressed deeper, finally, deliberately, and the breath left my lungs in a sharp, broken gasp.
My body arched without permission, every nerve lighting at once. My jaw slackened, my head falling back against the pillows.
He didn’t rush. He learned. Adjusted. Watched.
He found the exact rhythm that made my body tighten around him, every movement drawing me closer to unraveling. All the while, I could feel the heat and tension of him pressed against my thigh, straining for release of his own.
He grew rougher as my control slipped away.
“Don’t close your eyes.”
His voice sharpened my focus. I forced my eyes open and met his. The darkness in them was intense, unwavering. I nodded.
He didn’t look away as he moved, and when the pleasure crested, it consumed me entirely.
It radiated outward from the center of me to my fingertips, my toes, and my spine.
I arched helplessly beneath him, caught in the relentless rhythm of his hand and mouth.
The world narrowed to sensation and the steady burn of his gaze.
When the tremors finally eased, I found myself still staring into his eyes.
It only made the wanting worse.
I reached for him, sliding my hand over the hardness beneath his clothes. His breath hitched as I stroked him through the fabric. He shifted, spreading my legs again, fitting himself between them. The solid press of him against my still-sensitive skin made me ache anew.
My hand slipped beneath his waistband, fingers wrapping around him fully. He was hot and heavy in my grasp, the proof of his desire undeniable. I moved slowly at first, then with more confidence. His breath grew ragged above me.
For a moment, something unrestrained broke through his control and it was enough to make my breath catch.
Then it was gone.
He pulled back abruptly, breaking the contact between us. He knelt at the edge of the bed, chest rising and falling as he forced distance between us.
I pushed myself upright, but the alcohol dragged at my limbs, leaving me slumped against the headboard.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, a flicker of fear tightening my chest.
“Nothing.” He ran a hand through his hair, avoiding my eyes. “It’s just… we’re both drunk.”
When he finally looked at me again, his voice softened.
“I want us clear when we cross that line. The bond of our magic already clouds things. If we add this…” He gestured vaguely between us. “I don’t want to question whether it’s real.”
The mention of the bond cut through the haze of desire. I had forgotten everything except how badly I wanted him. Doubt flickered, brief but present.
He began to apologize. “I’m sorry, Seris.”
I shook my head, reaching for his hand instead.
“No. You’re right. I feel it too.” Relief passed over his features.
“Good night,” he said quietly.
Then he left.
The rejection should have shattered me, but it didn’t. I could still feel his desire, mirrored and unmistakable. This wasn’t rejection. It was restraint.
When the door clicked shut, I sank back into the sheets. My thoughts threatened to spiral, but the weight of alcohol dulled them, pulling me under. The haze returned, and darkness followed soon after.