Chapter 10 Cinder
CINDER
Holy Hecate in heels. Did I just admit that out loud? To his face?
More like in his face. I don’t know what came over me, but the vulnerability he was showing, mixed with his touch her and die attitude, had me feeling a lot more than the warm fuzzies.
Neither of us moved. We didn’t speak…barely breathed…as my words sank in. Good goddess, was it true? Did I like being his soulbride? Did I enjoy being so connected, so much a part of another person, that I literally could not exist without him?
Breathing in Hell’s sulfurous air must’ve affected my brain because, yes. Yes, I did.
I inhaled a shaky breath and swallowed the thickness from my throat. “Do you think…”
“I do not wish to think.” He crushed his mouth to mine.
I’d like to say the kiss brought me clarity.
That the moment his lips touched mine, I realized how incredibly stupid it was to fall for the fallen Prince of Hell.
That I remembered I was a light witch on a mission to save my family, and that consorting with demons was not only forbidden, but it was extremely irresponsible.
Instead, I melted into his embrace, all rational thought fleeing from my mind as his touch, his warmth grounded me in the moment.
Yes, our situation was beyond dire. Yes, the moment we left the safety of this sanctuary, we’d go straight back into fight or flight mode, so…
We might as well enjoy the peace while we could, right? I’d worry about the consequences later.
As my last flying eff drifted out the window, I rose onto my knees and slid my hands over his bare chest, my fingers finally tracing the contours of his muscles like they’d itched to do when I first summoned him.
His skin was soft, the sinew beneath it firm, and the otherworldly heat radiating from his body wrapped around me like a velvet blanket. He moaned into my mouth, slipping his hands beneath my shirt, sliding them around to my back, and pulling me down on top of him.
He parted my lips with his tongue, and the taste of him turned my skin to gooseflesh. I pulled away, sitting back on my heels to take off my shirt as he moved to the middle of the mattress.
His pupils dilated, his nostrils flaring on a deep inhale as he drank me in with his gaze. “You are the most beautiful creature Hell has ever seen.”
I licked my lips, catching the bottom one between my teeth as I straddled his legs. His body was exquisite, the perfection of a sculpture accented by the warmth and emotion of a living, breathing soul.
A soul that…at least for the time being…belonged to me.
The mossy-green of his irises billowed like smoke, his demon side also approving of the view.
Lowering to my hands, I crawled higher, hovering my body over his. My hair spilled around his shoulders, framing his face in rose-colored curtains. He held his hands near my sides, still not touching, our magical energy mixing with anticipation, swirling into a tangled knot of yearning and desire.
My heart pounded against my ribs as I lowered my head and brushed my lips to his.
He groaned, wrapping his arms around me, holding me against his chest as he rolled on top of me.
His breathing grew shallow, and as he used his knees to spread my legs, his pupils constricted, his heated, primal gaze stilling me, insisting I yield to his desire.
I was all too happy to oblige.
I clutched his shoulders, and he gripped his cock, rubbing the tip against my folds. I spread my legs wider, lifting my hips and silently begging him to take me.
He arched a brow, a sly smile curving one side of his mouth. “I haven’t been with a woman in over four hundred years. I plan to savor every moment of this.”
He lowered, covering my body with his, enveloping me in warmth, making my core ache with need. His breath against my ear made me shiver in a good way, and when he nipped my lobe between his teeth, electricity rocketed through me.
Digging his fingers into my hair, he kissed me again, harder, more purposeful, as if this kiss could be our last. In our predicament, it very well could be.
“You’re beautiful.” His words vibrated across my lips before he moved, trailing kisses down my neck and circling his tongue around the dip at the base of my throat.
I wanted to reply that he wasn’t so bad himself, but as he sucked a nipple into his mouth, all I could manage was a moan.
He inhaled deeply in response, running his hand up my stomach to cup my other breast. My nipple hardened between his fingers, and he bathed it in the heat of his tongue before continuing his descent.
He kissed a trail of fire down my abdomen, stopping just above my sweet spot and gazing up at me, a wicked grin curving his lips. “I could lie here and feast on you forever.”
My stomach fluttered, and I finally found my voice. “I’ll settle for right now.”
“Mmm…” he murmured before he blew a warm breath across my center.
I gasped at the sensation, my senses heightened to the point that even the smallest breeze felt like ecstasy, and when he slipped out his tongue to taste me, fireworks exploded in my soul. My hips bucked of their own accord, and he gripped them, holding me steady as he devoured me.
His moan vibrated through me, adding to the titillation and pushing me closer and closer to the brink. I closed my eyes and gripped the sheets in my fists, willing myself to hold on a little longer.
The orgasm built, coiling in my core and making it hard to breathe.
Just when I thought I couldn’t take any more, he dipped a finger inside me.
Then a second one. My climax rocked me to my very soul.
Every nerve, every cell, every fiber of my being sang as a flush of hormones surged through my veins.
But Discord wasn’t done with me. He held on, relentlessly pleasuring me until another orgasm crashed into me like a wave. Before it could finish, he moved with otherworldly speed, lying on top of me and slamming his cock inside me.
We cried out simultaneously, holding each other tightly as he filled me, his face nuzzled against my neck. For a moment, we didn’t move. We lay there, joined as one, completing our union with bodies and souls. Pressure built in the back of my eyes as a thousand emotions swirled in my psyche.
Never in my life had anything felt so right.
He moved his hips, sliding out and in, the delicious friction reminding my body it wasn’t done with its climax. Rising onto his hands, he gazed down at me, the possessiveness in his eyes thrilling me to my core.
I gripped his arms and wrapped my legs around him, taking him deeper with each thrust. As my climax peaked, I screamed his name, throwing my head back and riding the wave.
He slammed into me. Once. Twice. On the third time, he groaned, collapsing on top of me and sliding his arms around me, holding on as if he would never let go.
Honestly? I didn’t want him to let go. Ever.
I ran my hands over his back and pressed a kiss to the side of his head.
A contented growl rumbled in his chest. Or was it a purr?
At this point, I didn’t care. All the worlds in all the realms could fall apart around us as we lay there, locked in our intimate union, both unwilling to sever the bond just yet.
Discord moved first, lifting his head, a crooked grin playing on his lips. “That was much better than doing it on the cave floor. Good call.”
I laughed. “I’m thirty. Comfort is a must.”
He rolled off me, tugging me toward him, and I snuggled into his side, my head on his shoulder, my leg draped across his waist. My mind began to race in the stillness.
Thoughts of how crazy this was invaded my psyche, and I held him tighter, silencing them with the promise to unpack it all once I was home.
Except, going home meant I would be alone. Yes, my sisters would be there, and, if all went as planned, my parents too. But I’d have to step up and become High Priestess eventually, and I’d have to do it without Discord by my side.
“I wish we could stay here forever.” The words left my lips before they registered in my brain, but honestly…? They held a shred of truth. Maybe not forever, but how nice would it be to forget about all my worries, my responsibilities, and just enjoy life for a while?
“As do I.” He kissed the top of my head. “If only we weren’t being hunted. I am surprised no one has found us here yet.”
“There’s a cloak on the house. It looks like a dilapidated shack on the outside, and apparently, once someone crosses onto the porch, they become invisible. I’ve watched plenty of demons walk right by while I was standing in plain sight.”
He brushed a strand of hair from my forehead. “Dilapidated or not, the demons here would not leave this structure unoccupied, especially with the inside in pristine condition. Perhaps they are unable to cross Hecate’s magical threshold.”
“A ward. That makes sense.” I slid my hand up his chest to cup his cheek. “You passed out the second we reached the porch. But if the goddess herself set it up to keep demons out, how are you inside and awake now?”
“You know how.”
I propped my head on my hand. “Our bond.”
“Precisely. Had Lucifer not bound my powers, we would be unstoppable.”
“Even with them bound, they haven’t stopped us yet.” I sat up and rested a hand on his chest. “And I don’t intend to let them.”
“Neither do I.” He clasped his hands behind his head, gazing up at me from the pillow.
A strange flutter rose from my stomach to my chest, a disbelieving laugh escaping my throat as I shook my head.
Never would I ever have believed lying in bed with a demon would feel so normal.
He had talons and horns and the strength of twenty humans simmering just below the surface, but right now, in this moment, he was all man. All…mine.
“I love your smile.” He sat up and brushed the backs of his fingers over my cheek. “But your laugh sounded uncertain.”
“It’s just weird, being here with you. Three dozen demons could be waiting outside in a raging thunderstorm, ready to take off our heads, but I feel so serene.”
He nodded. “It’s peaceful, but it’s a false sense of security.”
“Which is exactly why we need to keep moving.” As much as I hated ending the moment, I slid out of bed and gathered my clothes. “We need to eat and scry and then be on our way.”
He moved to the edge of the bed, resting his feet on the floor and clutching my hips. “Surely we have fifteen minutes to spare before we return to the madness.”
Before I could utter a response, he swept me off my feet and tossed me onto the bed. Then…he showed me the most orgasmic fifteen minutes of my entire life.