Page 77 of To Kill a King
She blinked, her thoughts foggy. “What?”
He blew, with the same care used to coax the small flame into fire the first night they met. The cool air brought a full-body shiver and fanned the flames in her core.
A thin layer of sweat broke out on her skin, and she groaned. He kissed lower, and lower. Until her world contracted to the brush of his lips and teeth. His fingers untied the string holding up her skirt.
“Don’t stop,” she breathed.
He peeked at her with a wicked grin. And pulled away with a tsk of his tongue. “I almost forgot…we need more oil.” Flipping her hem up, he rubbed some into her ankle, working up one leg, then the other.
Pressure built inside her. She squirmed, trying to find relief. He held her thighs down, relentless in his ministrations.
His thumbs stroked her inner thighs. She threw her head back. “El…”
He paused.
She glanced down at him.
He smiled at her, the same mischievous grin on his face. When he was certain he had her attention, he ducked his head under her skirt.
Her world exploded.
Aliya blinked, groggy. She lay on her side, head resting on Elessan’s shoulder, her right hand spread across his chest.
“Good evening.” His satisfied tone brought the memories rushing back.
Heat flooded her face. They were still half naked, and her skirt wasn’t properly arranged at all.
He shifted, his fingers on one hand running up and down her arm. “How do you feel?”
She took stock of her body. “Amazing. A little sore.” And embarrassed.
He chuckled, the sound vibrating through his torso. He raised his finger and traced her pointed ear. “You were incredible.”
She was? She thought she’d just laid there while he and that wicked oil…
He laughed at the expression on her face. “I’ve wanted to do that to you for a long time now.”
“What? Tormenting me with sex?”
He wiggled his eyebrows at her. “Was it so terrible? I recall several moans and being told not to stop.” His smile was pure male satisfaction. He ran his fingers down her jaw line, her neck, over her collarbone and drew circles on her bicep in time to his words. “Over, and over.”
The embers of the internal fire she’d thought extinguished roared back to life. She gasped. “No, you were unbelievable. I had no idea…” His fingers continued tracing tantalizing patterns on her skin.
Aliya wriggled out of her skirt and flipped up to straddle him.
He blinked and groaned at the sight of her naked.
She caught his wrists before he could reach for her and pinned them over his head. “Those devilish hands can stay up there for the time being.” When she was certain he wasn’t going to move, she flashed him her own wicked smile. “Now it’s my turn to try to make you squirm.”
The next morning, Elessan rolled over in bed and stretched, enjoying the rare freedom to be lazy. When on the road, he always arose early—and who wouldn’t, when the only option was sleeping on the hard ground?
He took a deep breath and smiled. The room still smelled like Aliya, even though she’d left for her lesson with Lady Cressida almost an hour ago. He wanted to lay here all day replaying last night.
Biting his upper lip, he sighed. He could actually stay here all day. While the moon elves tolerated his presence as a member of Aliya’s group and would do so for the length of her apprenticeship, he was far from welcome. No one would care if he wiled the day away in bed—they’d be quite happy not to interact with him at all.
He couldn’t linger in Filathas too long, anyway, without risking his mission and drawing the attention of the sun elf king. What would Aliya do when he left? He wouldn’t have her cutting her training short to follow him. He couldn’t imagine purposefully hurting her by disappearing, though. Nor would his mother stand for his actions, if she ever found out.
Knock, knock.