Page 258 of Born of Blood and Ash

He stretched a little, his head now level with my chest. “Iwas wrong earlier.”

“About—?” I swallowed, and my entire body bowed as his mouthclosed over my breast. The combination of the silk and his cool mouth wasdownright sinful. “About what?”

His head lifted, and he pressed a kiss to the swell of fleshabove the lace. “About your senses developing faster than I expected.”

It took a moment for the meaning of what he said to piercethe fog of desire. “What?”

“There is no way you sensed anger from me.”

Before I could respond, his mouth moved to my right breast.He sucked deeply as his thumb and forefinger closed around the still-tinglingnipple, drawing a sharp burst of dual pleasure from me. My hips twitched whenhe did something rather wicked with his fingers.

The shadows beneath his flesh thickened and spread. “Angerwas the very last thing I was feeling.”

Gripping the table, my chin fell forward as I struggled tofocus on what we were talking about. “I never said I sensed anger from you.”

He chuckled, nipping at my skin through the silk. “Yes, youdid.”

“I misspoke, then.” I was breathing fast as Ash rose withfluid grace, his stare fixing on mine. The heat in his eyes scorched my skin.“You looked angry.”

Tsking under his breath, he shook his head and stepped intome. His chest brushed my already sensitized breasts. “That is not how Iappeared when I looked at you.”

I had to crane my neck back to hold his stare. He toweredover me. Anyone else crowding my space like this would’ve drawn out my temper,but he caused an entirely different reaction. My body throbbed with arousal asmy gaze soaked in the brutal lines of his features. It was almost the sameexpression I’d seen in the courtyard. “You sure about that? You look the samenow.”

“I was angry when I saw what had happened to our people. Youare correct in that sense, but that’s not what I felt when I looked at you.Nor is it what I feel when I look at you now.” His fingers curled under thethin straps of my nightgown. His head dipped as he tugged the lacy straps down,baring my breasts to the featherlight touch of his chest. When he spoke, hislips brushed mine. “Want to wager a guess at what I’m feeling?”

I didn’t even attempt to do so as his fingers left thestraps at my wrists and grazed the sides of my breasts. Nor did I try to put astop to what he was doing. There were important things to be discussed: the sekya. Kolis. Those wounded and lost. But it wasalmost as if his touch, the sound of his voice, and his words had woven asensual spell.

“When I saw you, I wasn’t thinking about you being out inthe courtyard, fighting alongside our people,” he said against my mouth. “Iasked you not to come to the Abyss, and while I would have preferred that youstayed out of trouble—”

I opened my mouth.

Ash took that exact moment to kiss me, silencing my protestsregarding staying out of trouble. “I do not expect you to stand by anddo nothing while those you care about are under attack.” His lips brushed mine.“The moment I learned that the sekya hadattacked the palace, I knew my Queen would be out there, holding her own. Thatis what I expect from you.”

Good gods. That was possibly the hottest thing anyone hadever said to me.

“Always,” he added, dragging strands of my hairover my breasts. “What I didn’t expect was what I would see when I sawyou.”

The way he said that caught my scattered attention.“What…what do you mean?”

“You were shining. Gold. Silver. You were ethereal.” Hispalms coasted across my waist. “It was as if the moon and the sun had finallycome together. I saw you, only you, and you were the most beautiful being I’dever seen.”

My eyes drifted shut. I leaned into the table as he urgedthe nightgown farther down.

“And all I could think about was how badly I wanted to beinside you,” he said, and I felt his lips curve upward at the breathy soundthat left me. “How I needed to be inside you.”

I shuddered as desire twisted sharply deep inside my core.

His hands settled on my hips. “That was what I was thinkingabout in the courtyard. And as fucked up as this is, it was also what I wasthinking about when I found you with the injured. You were luminous then, too.It’s also what I’m thinking about now.”

Without warning, he spun me around and slid one hand to mystomach. My eyes flew open as he pressed his hips against my rear. I could feelhim, thick and hard. The sudden change of position had a startling effect,stirring that hidden part of me that loved it when Ash took control. It broughtforth a rush of wet heat and a little seed of trepidation. The unwanted anxietywas like a noxious weed, threatening to take root, but the feel of him—ofAsh and no one else—against my back kept me grounded. His hold on me was firmyet comforting as his thumb moved over my skin, just below my navel. The caresswas soothing, and after a few moments, the fires that burned with a dark,welcoming heat beat back the apprehension.

When Ash dominated, I didn’t know why it aroused me to afever pitch. Or maybe I did know why I liked it like this and wasn’t yetwilling to face it. But I knew why I allowed him to take my hands and placethem on the table. I knew why I didn’t put up a fight when he bent me forward,forcing me onto the tips of my toes. I understood how I didn’t panic when hislarge hand smoothed down the center of my back, pushing me onto the cool,glossy surface of the table.

I could give up control and let go.

Ash could take me.

And I could allow it.

---