Chapter 14 Cinder #2
“Tourists.” Shade rose and headed for the sofa, kicking off his boots before sprawling across it. “I could use a nap.”
“We all could.” Ember stood. “Miles, keep an eye on Patrice. One of you take the love seat; the other can have the recliner. We’ll reconvene in one hour.” She took Mayhem’s hand and led him down the hall.
I wasn’t the slightest bit tired, and the temptation to head to the clearing to try and heal the veil myself had Old Cinder chomping at the bit. But New Cinder knew better. We needed everyone present and rested to mend it. There was no other way.
“Come on,” I said to Discord. “Let’s give everyone some peace.”
We padded down the hall, and I paused outside my bedroom.
Had it really been two months since I’d set foot inside?
It felt like only yesterday that I’d written the letter to Ash and set off on my journey to Hell.
Then again, after everything I’d been through…
after everything she had been through…it also felt like years.
“Shall we loiter in the hall for an hour, or would you rather go inside?” Discord asked, his voice teasing.
I chuckled and crossed the threshold. He followed and closed the door.
Most everything looked the same as I’d left it, neat and orderly, but a thin layer of dust coated my dresser, solidifying the fact I’d been missing for two months.
Silver moonlight—the color moonlight should be—filtered through the sheer curtains, illuminating the room with a soft glow, and the faint scents of sage and rosemary—of home—floated in the air.
Discord rested his hands on my shoulders and pressed a kiss to the top of my head. “What terror must we endure for twenty-four hours?”
I laughed and turned toward him. “It’s when the mass of tourists descends upon us.”
“Tourists?” He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.
“Everybody wants to come to Salem for All Hallows’ Eve. The problem is…well, there are two problems: ours and the city’s. Salem is a small town. We don’t have room for the number of people who come here, so it gets congested and a little crazy.”
“That sounds like the city’s problem. What is yours?” He stroked the backs of his fingers down my cheek, and goosebumps rose on my arms.
“Noon is when the thinning really gets going. It reaches its peak at midnight and then slowly starts returning to normal, so we’re on high alert, making sure none of the little beasties from your realm sneak into ours.”
“And your ritual fire will strengthen the veil enough for us to stay here and delay?” He trailed his fingertips down my neck and across my shoulders. “It seemed impending when we were in Hell.”
“Apparently, time moves differently here.” I laughed dryly and ran my hands up his stomach, resting them against his chest. “It doesn’t feel nearly as volatile, does it?”
“It does not.” A slow smile tugged one corner of his mouth, and his gaze grew heavy with desire. He searched my eyes, but if he was waiting for me to tell him no, he’d be sorely disappointed.
My throat thickened as I clasped my hands behind his neck, and I swallowed the lump inside it. “This is our last hour alone. Once we head to the clearing, we’ll…” My breath hitched. “And then you’ll…”
“I suggest we make the most of it, then.” He held my face and crushed his mouth to mine, kissing me desperately.
I clung to him, tears welling in my eyes as I memorized the feel of his body pressed against mine, of his arms wrapped around me, protective and strong. His lips were soft and full, his movements purposeful, and as he slipped his tongue into my mouth, my knees nearly buckled.
He pulled back, sliding his fingers into my hair and looking at me, not like a predator ready to devour his prey, but like a prince about to worship his goddess.
“I love you, Cinder, with every fiber of my being. For my entire existence, I have felt like a piece of me was missing, and now I know why. I’ve waited millennia to find you, and I will never let you go.”
The conviction in his voice made me believe him, if only for a moment. He and his brothers had to return to Hell if we were going to mend the veil. We had been tasked with saving the realms, and our soulmates would be ripped from our arms in order for us to succeed.
Collateral damage, I suppose.
But I had him here…now…and he was right. We should make the most of our time together.
“I love you too,” I said. “Now and forever.”
“Forever.” He scooped me into his arms and laid me on the bed, covering my body with his.
He kissed me again, softer this time, as if he were cherishing me, and my chest ached at his tenderness. With his weight on one arm, he worked my shirt over my head, and I unclasped my bra.
Rising to his knees, he tossed my clothing aside and took off his shirt. Then he removed the rest of our clothes, leaving them in a pile on the floor. His pupils dilated as his gaze wandered over my body, and moisture beaded on the tip of his dick.
I swiped it with my fingers, and he sucked in a sharp breath, watching me as I brought it to my lips and flicked out my tongue to taste it. He rewarded me with a primal moan, and he stroked himself three times before lying on top of me again.
“You’re so beautiful.” His husky voice tickled my ear, hardening my nipples. His skin was soft, his body firm, and he smelled like campfire and musk. “I need you, Cinder.”
I spread my legs, reaching between us to guide his dick to my folds. He slid in slowly, fully, a pleasant ache spreading through my pelvis as he filled me, and I wrapped my arms around him, holding him as if he’d disappear if I let go.
We lay still for a moment, me clutching his shoulders, him nuzzling into my neck, both of us breathing deeply and basking in the sensation of becoming one. This man…this demon…was my soulmate. I was created for him to hold, to love, and the weight of that knowledge both enraptured and terrified me.
How would I live without him?
He moved, hooking his arms beneath my shoulders and sliding out and in slowly, smoothly, rhythmically. A wonderful tingling sensation spread through my abdomen and down my legs, and I wrapped them around his hips, taking him in deeper.
He groaned, thrusting harder, and I gasped, the tingling turning to electricity and rocketing through my entire body. I moaned, and he rose onto his hands.
“You make the most beautiful sounds when I pleasure you,” he said, his voice thick with need. “I love it.” He thrust hard, again, and again, watching me with a passion-drunk smile on his lips.
His movements, his scent, the expression of adoration in his eyes… I couldn’t hold on any longer. The orgasm ripped through me, flooding my system with ecstasy, and I cried out his name.
“Cinder,” he growled in the most possessive way imaginable, heightening my climax, setting every nerve in my body ablaze.
His pace quickened, and his breathing grew shallow, but he held my gaze, watching me ride the wave as he found his release. We moaned in unison, and he collapsed on top of me, holding me as if he were making good on his promise to never let me go.