Page 38 of Deadmen's Queen
Suddenly, the sleek car came to a graceful halt. We were home. I swallowed hard, feeling a rush of nerves gnawing at my belly. His hand squeezed mine gently, offering comfort that was so needed.
“Ready?” He asked me, eyes searing through mine.
I nodded, and he let go of my hand, climbing out of the car and coming around to open my door. My heart raced as he led me up the marble steps towards the entrance, his hand warm and reassuring against my back. He unlocked the door and pushed it open, stepping back for me to enter. I looked up at him, and my heart thudded hard against my ribs. His smile had butterflies erupting in my stomach, and electricity running over my skin. It was then I realised the truth that settled heavy in my heart.
I had fallen for him. Hard. And not just for him, but for Nate and Tristan too. Dark princes in a twisted fairytale that had no promise of a happy ending.
“Hey, look at me.” Bast cupped my chin, tilting my face up to his. “Don’t go thinking about anything else. Tonight is about us. No one else.”
“Just us,” I whispered.
“Us,” he confirmed, his thumb tracing the line of my jaw before he leaned down and captured my lips with his own.
I knew it was temporary, a contract-bound year that would inevitably end, leaving my heart in fractured pieces. But as his kiss deepened, as I tasted the danger and desire on his tongue, I allowed myself the illusion. I would pretend it was real, that they cared for me too—that we could be something more than just a business arrangement cloaked in seduction.
And when the time came for it all to shatter, I would cling to these moments, these memories painted in passion and darkness, like the vibrant oil colours on the canvases I loved so much. But until then, I was his. They were mine. And nothing else mattered.
He took my hand, fingers lacing with mine, pausing only briefly to lock the door and set the alarms, before he led me upstairs. I stepped into his room, looking round with interest. It was similar to Nate’s; dark and masculine, just with a little more clutter and a few more softer accents like a deep pile rug in front of the fireplace. A fire had been lit, and the flames through light and shadows across the room.
A large painting hung on the wall above the bed, and I was drawn to it. It was beautiful, a stark monochrome image of a man alone at the top of a mountain. Something about the empty streets, the solitary figure, resonated deeply with me. It looked like Bast. Alone, isolated, despite the power and control he held. He caught me staring at it and a soft smile crossed his face.
He moved behind me, wrapping an arm around my waist, pulling me towards him. “Like what you see?” he whispered into my ear.
I nodded silently, feeling his chest against my back, warm through the thin fabric of my dress.
Bast turned me around to face him, our bodies inches apart.
“Are you sure about this?” he asked once more.
I nodded without hesitation. “I'm sure.”
“Tell me if you want to stop,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper as he leaned down to kiss me.
His lips were gentle against mine, coaxing rather than demanding. Soft and slow as if he had all the time in the world. My arms found their way around his neck as I melted into him. He slid his hands up my back, finding the zipper and pulling it down slowly. I felt his fingertips brush down my back and I shivered. I hadn’t worn a bra with the dress, and my underwear was still in his jacket pocket, so when he tugged the dress down my arms and let it drop to the floor, pooling around my feet, I was already naked.
Bast stepped back, his dark eyes running over my body. I blushed, but the look on his face told me that he liked what he saw. He reached out, fingers finding the clip that held my hair up off my neck, and he eased it out, stroking my curls as they fell down around my shoulders. He sucked his breath in.
“Fuck, Paige, you are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.” I opened my mouth to argue, but he stopped me with a kiss. I pushed him away.
“I want to see you,” I said.
Bast smiled. He pulled off his jacket, laying it on a chair, and I stepped forward to unbutton his shirt. I didn’t rush, loving the feeling of revealing his body a little at a time. He was toned underneath, and his skin was warm as I laid my hand over his heart. It was going slightly fast, and sped up as I leaned forward, pressing my lips against his skin.
His breath hitched, a rough gasp escaping his lips as my mouth found the throbbing pulse at the base of his neck. His hand tangled in my hair, his fingers curling into a tight fist. I could feel his heart pounding beneath my touch, matching the rhythm of my own wild heartbeat.
“Paige...” His voice was a hoarse whisper, filled with a desperation that mirrored my own. I fumbled to unbuckle his belt, my hands shaking as I unzipped his trousers and pushed them down his lean hips. He kicked them off impatiently and stood before me in just his boxers. Bast was breathtaking. Muscular and sculpted, but with the kind of raw power that made him dangerous and alluring in equal measure.
He grabbed me by the waist, pulling me flush against his hard body. Our lips met once again in an urgent kiss, raw and carnal. Bast's hands roamed over my body with an intensity that sent sparks prickling over my skin. Every touch, every caress was heady, intoxicating. His kisses trailed down my throat, nipping gently, sending a shiver down my spine.
His mouth moved lower, his tongue tracing the line of my collarbone, before dipping into the valley between my breasts. A soft moan escaped my lips, and I clung tighter to him, my hands gripping the firm muscles of his back. Bast's hands held me firmly as he kneeled, his lips leaving a trail of fire down my stomach.
“Spread your legs, my beautiful slut. I need to taste you,” he said.
I looked down at the dark, beautiful man on his knees in front of me and did as he commanded, spreading my legs wider. His hands cupped my ass, holding me steady as he planted kisses up the inside of my thigh. I shivered as he drew closer, placing my hands on his broad shoulders to keep my balance.
“Bast…” I moaned, my voice trembling with anticipation.
He looked up at me, his eyes smouldering under dark lashes.