Total pages in book: 218
Estimated words: 205594 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1028(@200wpm)___ 822(@250wpm)___ 685(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 205594 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1028(@200wpm)___ 822(@250wpm)___ 685(@300wpm)
I watch as he tosses aside the wrap he wears over his loins and steps forward toward me, his movements deliberate and with a hint of menace to them.
With a squeak, I turn and race up the stairs.
Forty steps always seems like a long time, but today it feels like forever as I fling myself up them as quickly as possible. By the time I get to the top of the landing, I’m gasping, unable to draw a deep breath in my tight corset. I stare down the narrow, winding flight of stairs, and then I hear footsteps.
He’s following me up, and he’s not far.
With another whimper born of both excitement and dread, I turn and continue racing away. Across the narrow, half-circle hall of the first floor, and past Nemeth’s room that we share. Past the garderobe and the storage, and on to the second floor. I can hear Nemeth’s footsteps behind me, the heavy Fellian trod of his strange feet on the stones. I imagine I hear the swish of his wings as he closes in on me, and it makes me race faster, my heart hammering in my chest.
As I reach the bottom of the second flight of stairs, something tugs at the skirts of my dress. I scream and pull free, racing away once more.
I make it halfway up the stairs before I feel the tug on my skirt again. I shriek, tottering on the step, in danger of losing my balance.
Suddenly Nemeth is there, large arms wrapped around me and shielding me against his chest. “Are you all right? Candra?”
I sag against him for a moment, breathless. I manage a nod. “Almost fell.”
“Be careful, milettahn,” he murmurs, nuzzling the side of my neck before releasing me and placing me on my feet again. “If you are too scared to continue—”
“I’m not,” I tell him, straightening my shoulders. Part of me wants him to catch me and nuzzle me again, but a greater part of me wants him to keep chasing. “If I get scared, I’ll say the word ‘ribbon’ and you’ll know it’s too much.”
“Ribbon,” he agrees, and his green eyes glow with lust. He reaches a clawed hand for my skirts.
I swipe them out of his grip once more, then turn and race up the rest of the way, heart pounding as I hear him pacing after me. This might be one of the strangest sex games I’ve ever played…but also one of the most exciting.
This time, he snags me around my waist before I get up the stairs to the third flight, and I realize he’s been toying with me this whole time. He could have caught me at any point and let me run, like a cat playing with a mouse.
Squealing, I’m hauled backward, and a big arm traps my waist. A large body hunches over my squirming one, and I feel Nemeth’s breath hot in my ear. “I have you now, my mate.”
A hot shudder of arousal rips through me as he growls, rubbing his face against my neck. I bite my lip, holding back a moan as one hand slides under my skirts, pushing them up and revealing my legs.
Nemeth’s breath hisses as he glides his fingers up my thigh. “No bloomers?”
I shake my head.
“Naughty princess,” he murmurs, and then his hand pushes between my thighs, cupping my cunt.
I whimper, collapsing against him, my cheek pressing to the first cool step of the stairs as he holds me against him.
“Knees up,” he reminds me as I sag.
I do as he commands, settling my weight on my knees even as I keep my face low to the ground. Cool air brushes over my backside as my skirts climb their way up my back, and Nemeth’s hand presses against my pussy. His first two fingers glide through my folds, and I cry out, wet and slick and wildly excited for more.
“My naughty, naughty Candra,” Nemeth rasps, finding my clit and rolling it against his fingertips. “You are so very aroused by our chase, aren’t you? As aroused as I am.”
And he presses his length against my thigh, letting me feel just how hard and aching he is.
I make a choked sound, spreading my thighs wider so he can have full access to my body. I love this. I love how fierce he is in this moment. He’s not my shy scholar right now—he’s a primal being about to claim his mate.
And by all the gods, does his mate want to be claimed.
He rubs a teasing finger against my clit again. “Should I make you come on my fingers before I give you my knot?”
“Yes, please,” I whine, bucking my hips against his touch. “I want that. I want you, Nemeth.”
A hard finger dips lower, grazes the entrance to my body. I rock with his touch, trying to get him to go deeper, to pierce me with one of those big digits. I’m greedy and I want everything.