Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 89572 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 448(@200wpm)___ 358(@250wpm)___ 299(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89572 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 448(@200wpm)___ 358(@250wpm)___ 299(@300wpm)
He rains kisses along my throat, slow enough to make me squirm, his mouth reverent in a way that trips my pulse. I arch my back, needy and desperate for more. He dips his head lower, sucking one of my nipples into his mouth, and I tighten my fingers in his hair, wanting to keep him right where he is for as long as I can. He lets out a groan of approval, then kisses my other breast.
“I could spend all night right here.” He teases the tip of his tongue over the tight peak of my nipple.
“That…works…for me,” I say between desperate, panting breaths.
His half-undone jeans rub rough against my thighs, and I work to free my hands and push them down.
He smiles against my breast. “You want those off?”
“Yes, please. Hurry.”
Instead of urgency, he responds with a teasing, glacial pace. “These?” He lifts himself off me and pushes the jeans down a few tantalizing inches. “You want these off?”
Who knew this usually serious man could be so playful?
I reach up and trace his bottom lip with my finger. “Smiling looks good on you.”
“I only seem to do it around you.” He shoves his jeans off the rest of the way.
When he finally settles his big body between my thighs, I wrap my legs around him, drawing him closer.
He drops his forehead to mine as if he’s checking in. I lift my hips in answer.
With an achingly slow slide, he thrusts into me, the stretch and fullness stealing my breath. His piercings grazing every single secret pleasure zone. He buries his face against my neck and traces his tongue over the sensitive skin, adding to the sensations overwhelming me. His movements are slow at first, building in intensity.
I lift my hips, meeting him, chasing more and more friction. Heat spirals through me, fast and electrifying. The bed creaks beneath us but doesn’t slow Declan down one beat. Our slick skin on skin, my breathy whimpers, and his low groans fill the room.
Tension coils tight in my core.
His thrusts deepen, measured and relentless, driving me closer to the edge. My body tips past restraint, past thought.
The room blurs.
For a split second, it isn’t his ceiling above me. It’s ironwork.
Black gates slick with rain.
Rust biting into lace gloves.
A woman’s mouth opens in a scream that never makes a sound.
Blood-soaked sheets.
Ink bleeding across skin.
Names etched in stone.
A door slamming shut.
An iron key dropping into dark water.
My body shudders hard, the image snapping away as pleasure crests, white and blinding. I cry out, hips jerking as release explodes through me, every nerve lighting at once.
Declan groans against my neck, thrusting once more before going still, his breath ragged, his weight solid and comforting as the last wisps of the strange visions scatter like smoke.
The room comes back in pieces—the bed, the walls, the heat of his skin.
His arms lock around me, holding me through endless aftershocks, almost as if he senses how close I came to slipping somewhere else entirely.
“Emery,” he breathes against my neck. He drags his lips over my cheek to my forehead. “Are you okay?”
“I saw stars.” And lots of other things. “Don’t worry. I’m not going anywhere.” I reach up and rub the little wrinkle on his forehead. “I’m up for anything your brilliant mind comes up with.”
“Anything, huh?” He drops a kiss on my forehead and rolls sideways.
“Within reason.”
He laughs softly and pulls me to his side. Dragging a pillow closer, he encourages me to cuddle against him. Using the pillow as a barrier between his inked skin and my cheek, I settle in and throw my leg over his.
“That’s it.” He shifts his arm underneath me and rests his hand on my hip.
The echoes of what I saw slowly recede, like a tide pulling back from shore. Iron. Ink. Tears. Blood.
I play with the pendant Declan gave me, twisting it between my fingers. It hasn’t done that weird tugging thing around Declan since my arm was marked. Should I tell him about the visions? Or will it just worry him more? Does he know that’s part of the curse? Does it happen to him too?
“You’re awfully quiet,” he says.
“Are you expecting a performance evaluation?” I tease. “A-plus. Gold medal. Two thumbs up. Five stars. And I don’t hand those out to just anyone.”
Wait. That sounded weird.
I frown, trying to think of something to say to fix it.
But Declan rumbles with laughter. “Five stars yourself, little crow.”
“I’m just catching my breath.” I tickle my fingers against his abs, then lower. “Those, um, piercings are, um, oxygen-stealing.”
I swear his cheeks flush. “Glad to hear it.”
Dampness trails down my thigh and I wriggle against him. “Although, I’m going to run over to the bathroom and clean up.”
His eyes widen. “Fuck, I’m sorry. I—”
“It’s fine. I told you.” I cough and sit up, staring at the open door into the dark hallway. “I can’t get pregnant.”