Forbidden Craving(71)

-the arch of her foot, gliding his tongue slowly. His mouth moved up her calf, swirling little hearts over her skin before-

"I'll bite your inner thigh. You'll pant and writhe, like you're doing now, and you'll grow even wetter for me. So wet. You'll bring your own hand between your legs so I can watch you touch yourself. You-"

-circle her finger over her feminine heart, watching him all the while. In her mind, his eyes lowered to half-mast and his hand curled around the base of his length, moving up and down. He told her how much he wanted her mouth to replace his hand, how much he wanted his mouth to replace hers. Then he kissed her...deep, so deep...but it-

"-isn't enough. I crave another taste of you, Moon. A more intimate taste, and talking about it will never be enough. I'll lower my head between your legs. Your hands will grasp my hair, pulling roughly because you're so far gone with need you aren't able to control your reactions."




 

 

She couldn't control her reactions now.

Shaye writhed, insatiable. She still wore her pants, but the material actually made her feel as if phantom hands were at work between her legs. As if a phantom tongue licked and lapped at her. She groaned, her breath burning her throat.

"Valerian, Valerian," she chanted. "Valerian, please."

"Please what?" His voice was rough, so rough. Husky, so husky.

"Please finish me."

"But I'm still savoring you."

"Savor later. Show me the most erotic place on my body, right this second. I'm considering killing you!"

"I'm going to die of pleasure anyway." His voice broke with arousal. He pinched her neediness again, and she nearly jumped off the bed. The decadent sensations were acute, almost painful. "I'm going to taste you here before I love you," he said. "And when I love you, you're going to know the most pleasure-receptive place on my body."

"Your penis?" she gasped out. She was almost beyond speech. It was too much. He was too much. His words, his actions. His very essence.

"No, my-"

"My king," a voice said urgently.

Valerian stilled. He growled low in his throat, and it was an animal sound. A killing sound.

A moment passed before Shaye realized what was going on. There was a warrior standing at the edge of the bed, his eyes on Valerian, his expression concerned.

Losing her passion haze, she screamed and scrambled for the bedcovers. Mortification bombarded her as she covered her bare breasts. Yet still she ached for Valerian.

"Turn around, Broderick," he growled. His teeth bared in a fierce, lethal scowl. "Or lose your eyes."

Broderick instantly turned. "My apologies, my lord, but-"

"Leave us, or lose your head."

"Decapitate me if you must, but not until after you've heard my news. The dragons," Broderick said. He didn't leave as he'd been commanded. "They're back. They're back with larger forces, Darius, their king, at the helm. They're headed for the palace, clearly intent on war."





  CHAPTER TWENTY

VALERIAN COULDN'T BELIEVE someone had entered his private chamber without his knowledge. Even the times he'd gotten caught up in the most animalistic of his desires, his warrior instincts had remained sharp and ready. 

Not so with Shaye. He'd been swept up, the rest of the world ceasing to exist.

Such a thing had never before happened to him.

At the moment he battled a fierce torrent of rage and desire. He had Shaye where he'd wanted and needed her for so long, and Broderick expected him to leave her?

But leave her he would.

Her safety would always come before her seduction.

Her safety would always come before his pleasure.

"Gather the others," he told Broderick, the words ripped from him. "Within the next five minutes, everyone will be in full armor and waiting in the arena. I'll be there shortly."

"Consider it done, my king." His second in command rushed off.

Valerian had known this day would come. The dragons wanted a reckoning.

Why could it not have come tomorrow morning?

"Broderick," he called, and the warrior quickly backtracked. "The other females."

"They are being hidden even now."

"Excellent. Go, then. You have your orders."

Broderick stalked from the room a second time, his hurried footsteps echoing off the walls.

"I'm sorry, Moon." Valerian gazed down at the exquisite Shaye. Color flushed her cheeks; pale hair splayed over the bed like ribbons of white silk. Her breasts, covered by the pretty pink sheet, were outlined, her nipples little beads. "I must go."

"You're going to war?" Her voice gave no indication of her emotions.

Only two things she could be feeling: happiness that her trials with him might finally come to an end, or worry. "If war is what's required to keep this palace, then yes, I will go to war."