Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 111898 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 559(@200wpm)___ 448(@250wpm)___ 373(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 111898 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 559(@200wpm)___ 448(@250wpm)___ 373(@300wpm)
He groaned and growled beneath her, the vibrations of sound shooting to her core. Ahhh! She slid the rest of the way down, suddenly fully seated on him, unable to catch her breath.
There. It was done and couldn’t be undone. Whatever happened from here, happened.
Worth it.
“Never leave me, oracle,” he grated.
She almost echoed him with a vow of “Never.” Somehow, she gathered the strength to smother the word with a moan. This was...she had... He rocked, and the piercings vibrated. Yes! “More.”
He rocked again, vibrating harder, and she lost her ability to think.
“More,” she repeated. Must have more. When he gave a gentler rock, she shook her head. “Harder.”
He did it even gentler.
Teasing her? “You are...in trouble,” she rasped between panting breaths.
His pupils flared. “Commit to me, carrot.”
“No.” She lifted up and slid down, taking over. “But I will give you more of me,” she purred with a teasing roll of her hips. Mmm. Even better. Now she was tormenting them both. “I adore how you look at me. You see.”
Rathbone bared his teeth, the cords at the side of his neck pulling taut, revealing the depths of his strain. “I want all of you, Neeka.”
“Yes, well, we don’t always get what we want, do we?” Up, down. Again. Again. So close, so close. Almost...
He pressed his thumb against the heart of her need. Just like that, Neeka rocketed straight into an orgasm, coming on him with a shriek.
The warrior king required no further prompting. He clasped her hips and lifted her to his tip, then slammed her down while thrusting upward. Lifted, slammed, thrust. Again and again, picking up the pace. Her climax crested into another, rolling on and on and on. Swell after swell of ecstasy, drowning her. But oh, what a way to go.
Hammering inside her, he gripped her by the nape and yanked her mouth to his. They kissed as if they couldn’t breathe without each other, the wild dance of their tongues frantic. Still her orgasm rolled on.
Rathbone arched his spine, thrusting one last time, coming with what she assumed was a wall-rattling roar. His pleasure heightened her own, and Neeka exploded to new heights, reaching for the stars.
He collapsed onto the mattress, and she sagged over him. She was panting, but so was he. He held on tight, as if he expected her to try and leave and he couldn’t bear the thought.
Leave? Impossible. Welcome to your new world.
Contentment infiltrated her cells, another round of vulnerability on its heels. For the first time in centuries, she’d given herself to a male. Risked her heart. Her future.
Perhaps the feeling went both ways?
She peeked up at him.
“No vision?” he asked, petting her hair. His sharp features were relaxed in a way she’d never seen, giving him a boyish air.
Her chest clenched. “Not yet.” What would happen if she failed to have one in time? “What if we visited the Hall of Secrets for nothing?” Her contentment dissolved. “What if Grenwich has already found the temple?”
“Guess I’ll have to relax you again,” Rathbone said with a smirk, and she barked out a laugh.
Well, it wasn’t the worst idea. “Fine, but I refuse to cuddle with you after. And I’m definitely not sharing my secrets and sleeping in your arms.” A girl needed boundaries.
He pursed his lips in a hurry. “You will cuddle with me and share your secrets, oracle, and you will sleep in my arms.”
“Ha! Try and make me. See what happens.” She was the one who did the smirking as she propped her elbows on his ribs and rested her chin in her palms. “Now, since I just won our first argument as a non-couple, we might as well change the subject. What do you wish to do about Lore?”
To her surprise, he remained relaxed, gently smoothing a lock of hair behind her ear. “Share a secret with me, and I’ll consider telling you.”
She rolled her eyes, but honestly, his insistence tickled all the right buttons. “Okay, here’s a secret from my most secure vault. Though you’ve received several clues, you’ve probably failed to guess how much I like unfried, sugarless vegetables. I also prefer granny panties to thongs and tennis shoes to heels.” Once she started, she couldn’t stop. “I hate chocolate. I talk to my reflection, and she talks back. She told me to stay away from you. And I’m not a stalker or anything, but a part of me thinks we should wear matching tracksuits. Is that weird?”
“Yes. Good thing I have a weird girl fetish.” His teasing, affectionate expression left her quivering. But it wasn’t long before he grew serious. “Your secrets did the trick. You asked about Lore. This is my answer. We’ll talk to Daisy about destroying the orb, ensuring Azar isn’t able to resurrect her.”
“Who’s Daisy? Never mind. We can’t destroy the orb, even if we find a way to destroy the orb. I’ll explain in a sec. First, I require confirmation. You’re saying you’re okay with killing Lore?” she asked, needing to be sure. “You’re sure?”