Chapter 9 #2
“I’m…glad.” Ember caught her bottom lip with her teeth to keep her smile from widening as her gaze flicked between his eyes. But as she took in his masked face, she couldn’t stop a small laugh from escaping.
His eyebrows fell, scrunching the upper portion of the mask. “Are you laughing at my expense?”
“No, no. Of course not,” she hurried to say as she braced a hand on the cushion and reached past him to retrieve the remote control from the end table. “Why would I laugh at you when I look just as ridiculous?”
Nyte snickered. “I suppose these are as far from flattering as one can get. And yet…”
She felt those otherworldly eyes on her again, blazing a path across the exposed skin of her upper chest and neck, right before she felt something else.
One of his claws hooked the uppermost ribbon of her top and tugged on it gently.
Ember’s breath caught as she slowly sat back on her heels, her wide eyes meeting his.
The corner of his mouth was ever so slightly raised. “Is everything all right?”
Desire flooded Ember. Not even the mask could cool the warmth radiating from her. The way he was looking at her, the way his claw teased at the ribbon on her top, threatening to cut it away…
Her heart quickened, and her pussy clenched. Ember’s gaze dropped to Nyte’s sensual mouth. He could rip that tie apart, could tear every scrap of clothing from her body, could do any depraved thing he wanted, if only he’d kiss her.
Nyte released the ribbon, moving his finger up to curl beneath her chin. The gentlest pressure notched her chin up, forcing her gaze to again meet his. “I asked you a question, witch.”
Ember blinked.
A question? What quest—
It was only then that she realized how close she was to him. That her body had gravitated toward him, leaning in as though to do exactly what she longed to—kiss him.
Her eyes flared, and she jerked back. “Um… I, uh…” She pointed the remote at the television, switching it to a streaming service before quickly rising to her feet. “I’ll be right back.”
And with that, she made her escape to the kitchen.
It didn’t help that she felt his eyes on her as she departed.
Ember moved her hands toward her flaming cheeks, meaning to cool them, but she caught herself before they could touch the mask. She settled on fanning her face instead.
“Get a hold of yourself, Ember,” she whispered.
He was teasing her on purpose. Playing with her when he had no intention of following through with the wicked promise burning in his eyes.
What if Ember turned his game around on him? What if she teased him in return, made him desire her? Would he give in? Would he cast aside his notion of her being a lesser creature, of her being a silly, fragile mortal, and fuck her like she craved?
She drummed her fingers on the counter in thought before her gaze dropped to her chest. He’d been staring as she’d reached over him. She knew it.
Ember smirked. It would be a start.
Taking out a box of popcorn from the cupboard, she popped one of the bags into the microwave.
As it cooked, she grabbed her phone from the charger and placed an order for pizza delivery.
Once the popcorn was done and had been poured into a large bowl, Ember took out a bottle of white wine from the fridge, along with two bottles of water.
She grabbed a pair of wine glasses from the cabinet, tucked the bottles in her arm, and snatched up the bowl, carrying it all to the living room.
Nyte’s gaze immediately fixed on her.
“What kind of movie do you want to watch?” Ember asked as she lowered herself onto the blanket beside him, setting the bowl of popcorn between them and handing him a bottle of water.
He accepted the bottle, placing it down next to himself. “I cannot pretend to know enough about movies to answer that.”
Ember opened the wine and poured a glass. “We’ve watched a comedy and an action movie. I think you’re ready for horror.” She offered him the drink. “It’s wine. Would you like to try it?”
As Nyte took the glass from Ember, his fingers brushed hers. That light touch left tingling warmth in its wake.
He raised the glass to his mouth, holding her gaze as his lips parted and he sipped the wine.
Ember watched as his expression shifted.
Curiosity became tentative appreciation, which faded swiftly, his features gradually tightening until the cords of his neck stood out.
The expression was all the more comical due to the facial mask.
Ember chuckled.
Shuddering, he passed the glass back to her. “Do humans actually enjoy that, or do you take perverse pleasure in making yourselves suffer?”
With a grin, Ember swirled the golden liquid, making the light dance upon it. “It’s an acquired taste, and I actually really love it. It’s perfect for unwinding after a long week.”
She brought the glass to her mouth, making sure to place her lips in the exact same spot Nyte’s had been as she took a drink. From the corner of her eye, she saw Nyte go still, and she heard his tail thumping the floor.
Ah, the tail. Always a giveaway.
Over the last several days, she’d noticed it swishing whenever he grew excited. But its boldest, most animated reactions were when he gazed upon her, often driving him to seize hold of it in exasperation when he thought she wasn’t looking.
Ember set the wine down on the floor beside her and fanned herself with her hand. “It’s feeling a little hot in here.”
She took hold of the upper ribbon of her nightshirt and pulled until the bow came undone. It caused the already plunging neckline to display more of her cleavage, and she parted the collar wider still.
Nyte slammed his hand down atop his tail, pinning it to the floor, his eyes on her chest. “Feels…fine to me.”
Ember smiled, plucked up a couple pieces of popcorn, and leaned toward Nyte, holding them up to his mouth. She knew this position caused her top to gape, knew that so much of her breasts was on display. “Try the popcorn. You’ll like this better than the wine, I promise.”
The muscles of his jaw ticked, and the faintest shudder rippled through him as the stars upon his skin brightened. He dragged his violet-blue gaze back up to hers. “Mayhap it is warmer than I realized.”
She couldn’t stop her smile from widening a little.
Though there was a hint of skepticism on his face, he opened his mouth. Something about seeing him like this, with that mask paired with those glowing eyes, those fangs and horns, was just as humorous as it was endearing.
Ember slipped the popcorn past his lips.
Nyte caught her wrist as his mouth closed around her fingers. Her eyes flared, and her breath hitched when his tongue laved her fingers, twirling around them to lick away every trace of salt.
She couldn’t help but imagine that tongue licking another part of her, one that was currently aching with desire.
An appreciative hum rumbled from his chest as he drew back. “You were right, witch. I do like this better.”
He released his hold, grabbed a handful of popcorn from the bowl, and turned his head toward the TV. “We’re to watch a horror movie, then?”
Ember blinked at him.
What. The. Fuck?
Did he seriously turn this back around on me just like that?
With a soft huff, she leaned back against her cushion and muttered, “Cruel demon.”
Well, considering he was an immortal who’d been around for eons, did she really expect that showing some cleavage would be enough to outplay him? The facial mask certainly didn’t help.
And you thought you could seduce him while wearing it?
It was laughable.
Picking up the remote, Ember navigated to her watchlist and selected a thriller she’d wanted to watch for a while now.
They nibbled on popcorn and Ember sipped her wine as the movie played. The stakes and tension were part of what she loved about horror movies. She enjoyed the thrill of the unknown, the racing of her heart, the danger, the fear.
This movie definitely leaned into that building tension. It was psychological, the characters fueled by desperation and greed that clashed with basic human empathy. Such films always made Ember wonder how far real people would actually go if forced into similar situations.
She’d been so immersed that she hadn’t even realized she’d gone through two glasses of wine.
Nyte voiced his thoughts and questions freely as the movie went on.
With anyone else, that would’ve begun to annoy Ember.
Not with him. There were moments when he was curious or confused, moments when he was appalled, but he was engaged throughout, and she was happy to have someone watching with her.
When it came to a particularly graphic, gory scene, Ember cringed, her hands shooting up to shield her eyes, but she stopped short of doing so.
“Why do you watch such movies if you can scarce stand to look?” Nyte asked.
Ember finally tore her attention from the screen to look at him, finding him studying her with his head tipped and his brow furrowed.
“They’re horrifying yet…thrilling. It’s this strange feeling of wondering what it would feel like to be in their situation, to experience that fear, but being able to do so from a safe place.
You get to look at terror and death and walk away feeling more alive. ”
“I suppose you humans have long found entertainment in death and bloodshed.” He nodded toward the screen. “Are these mortals criminals offered up for execution, witnessed through your magic boxes rather than at town squares?”
“Are they criminals offered… Wait, you think what’s happening in the movie is real?”
“Is it not?”
Ember gaped at him in horror. “No! Nothing that’s happened in the movie is real. No one is actually hurt or dead.” She pointed at her chest. “You thought I’d enjoy watching someone getting tortured and killed?”