Chapter 2
CHAPTER 2
A fter our exchange with Ileana, I managed to force down the meal prepared for me, because I needed to eat despite my anxiety making food the last thing on my mind. Dominic picked at the food in front of him, cementing my hypothesis that they didn’t need to eat but chose to.
Once we—rather, I—had eaten, we retreated to the bedroom where we showered and lay naked side by side, peering up at the ceiling.
“I need this to end. It’s a bother,” he said, exasperated, his forearm draped over his forehead. His comment was expressed with the glibness of someone receiving a burger with mustard when he requested it without—a nuisance but not a life-threatening situation.
“It’s more than a bother . It’s a dreadful situation. One that a lot of people, humans and supes, aren’t likely to survive.” Turning onto my side, I inhaled the hint of eucalyptus from the soap that lingered on his skin and wafted in the air. Small droplets of water glistened in the grooves of his abs and chest. His towel-dried hair was in disarray. The enormous bed looked diminutive with Dominic’s massive muscular frame in the middle of it. He and his body were a sinful distraction I didn’t need. He removed his arm from his forehead and turned to face me, his eyes intense.
“You survived.” His voice was more teasing than I’d expected. A small smile curled at his lips.
“That’s not surprising to you?”
He shook his head. “You’ve proven to be more resilient than you look.” I frowned at his compli-sult. I see what you did, prince.
His rumble of laughter drew my eyes to where they always seemed to drift when he was naked: to the intricate patterns of ink that covered his body. Smiling at the effort it took for me not to trace them with my finger, he pulled me closer. His hardness pressed into me. His voice low and inviting as he growled my name. Entranced by his dark and unyielding amber eyes, I stayed locked with them.
We hadn’t had alone time together since entering his mother’s realm. I felt the absence of him. I shoved down the unease it raised.
“I’m glad you did,” he said. “I must keep it that way.”
“You have a plan to do that?” I had no doubts that he did. He’d said it with the same assurance Ileana had regarding Helena’s loyalty. I had confidence in his plan, and none in Ileana’s because hers hinged on a mercurial Helena.
“I have many, but one involves shared mutual destruction.”
“As in a nuclear option? Never a good idea. How is that any different than any of Ileana’s strategies?”
Shuddering with pleasure at his fingers roving over my body, leaving a trail of warmth with every touch, I was still determined not to let him distract me.
His lips pressed against mine. Soft, a gentle comforting touch that quickly became ravenous and hungry as his tongue explored mine. Seeking more, he pressed harder into me. I pulled away, panting, insistent in my goal to find out the specifics.
He smirked at my not so-hidden withering willpower. Why is he so sexy and distracting?
“My mother won’t be as brazen in her destruction as you’ve been led to believe. And it’s because she likes you and holds value in what is important to you.” Once again, this family was using words wrong. Dictionaries for everyone for Christmas.
“ Likes —or tolerates me enough not to kill me? Or does she love you enough not to be wholly destructive because of your feelings for me?” I asked.
“I’m very aware of my family’s shortcomings. My affections for you would not have much bearing on how she’d deal with you or value your beliefs if she didn’t like you. Her fondness just looks different than what you’re used to. Your kind tends to display emotions in a strange manner.”
I’m the strange one here.
Getting a pass on being murdered by Ileana was like a gentle hug and kiss from her. Our conversation was a reminder of how vastly different my life had looked a month ago. I missed that life of blissful ignorance and relative safety.
“If it’s shared mutual destruction, how is that any different than your mother’s suggestions?” I probed, my concentration dissolving in a quicksand of lust as his thumb stroked over my nipple. Focus. Heat coursed through me, making me wet between my legs. His hand languidly traveled in that direction before I took hold of the distracting appendage, ignoring the desire to give in and feel his fingers caress and stroke me there.
Stay on topic. Focus .
“Answer my question,” I insisted, my voice a low rasp as I pushed logic to win out over a primal need that wanted to be satisfied. That needed to be satisfied.
“Because it’s my last resort, not my first.”
“What is your first resort?”
“Tomorrow. Let’s discuss it tomorrow because nothing can be done about it now.” He kissed me in a way that managed to be both aggressive and soft. It seemed as if we had the same desire to extinguish the remnants of the tumultuous day. Sinking my fingers into his hair, I pulled him closer. Rolling me to my back, he pulled away, his gaze devouring every inch of me.
My nipples responded to his salacious attention. Hunger in his eyes, he cupped my breasts, his tongue teasing my hardened peaks. Intoxicating heat slid over them. They throbbed with pleasure. I quivered at the gentle nips and the cloak of magic that accompanied his touch. His hands moved lower, dragging a low moan out of me. Dominic’s fingers were liquid warmth as he stroked me, a smile curling his lips as I gasped, grinding into his erotic touch, seeking more pleasure. Needing his skilled fingers to bring me satisfaction. He brought me to the edge before sliding down my body, planting wet kisses on me before spreading me open and nestling his face between my legs. Dominic’s sensual flicks of his tongue over my engorged nub pushed me closer to the precipice of pleasure. Tantalizing kisses and fervent licks of his tongue coursed blissful heat through me until I succumbed to a climax.
He rose to his knees, positioning his hips between my legs. A satisfied groan escaped as I quickly accommodated his long length and thickness before we found a perfect synchronized rhythm, his fingers digging into my skin. Fire of desire danced in his amber eyes, his thrusts becoming more frenetic as he pushed deeper, seeking more pleasure.
Shivers of ecstasy ran along my spine. I panted and let out a surprised noise when he covered my body, rolling onto his back and taking me with him. Positioned into a straddle, I felt the full length of his hard cock. Dominic’s hands palmed my breasts, stroking and teasing before gliding slowly down my body and settling on my hips as we hit an erotic rhythm of my movements. Each stroke more intense and pleasing.
“Fuck,” he growled, his smoldering gaze searing into me. My senses were heightened, each movement, touch, stroke, and curl of his fingers into my skin igniting my need. Seeking a climax, our movement became unbridled heat and frenzy.
My body shuddered with the first pulse of my climax which lingered into a loop of pleasure that Dominic felt as I contracted on him. The final orgasm rocked me, and I found a peculiar exhilaration watching the Prince of the Underworld quake with intensity.
His satisfied body was languid and relaxed, a contrast to his heavy breathing. I slumped on the sheets, exhausted in my orgasmic haze. He nibbled at my shoulder and caressed me. Tender hands snaked over my body. Dominic’s look was hungry, promising more encounters to come. Along with my intense pleasure was the heightened awareness that there was no denying or walking away from, because I had fallen completely for him.