Page 70 of Stroke of Shadows

The strange pressure broke, snapping back like an elastic band that forced her orgasm over the edge. She came with a scream, and it was only for Sythe’s kiss that stopped the sound from rattling down the hall.

“Fuck,” Sythe grunted, hips stilling as something hot pulsed inside her.

Harper’s back bowed, her whole body trembling with sensation. It had felt like a high, and then quickly followed by a crash that left only echoes of the previous effervescence.

Their breaths mingled, both panting. Harper waited for him to lift her off and leave, for the constant tension between them to shatter into a million pieces. Instead, he pressed his forehead against hers, and she met his gaze, ones that were entirely silver.

A pressure above her heart, a warmth spreading from her chest that made her body tingle. Sythe sucked in a breath, screwing his eyes shut with a quiet curse. He paused before letting out a deep exhale, and she thought it was over.

Her stomach sunk, her hands pushing against his chest as she tried to wiggle from his grip.

“Where do you think you’re going?” he rasped, his eyes caramel when he turned to her. “We’ve only just begun.”

Chapter 24

Sythe

Sythe watched Harper blush, the colour delicate against her fair skin. It moved down the slope of her neck, drawing his eyes to the top of her breasts, which she covered with a blanket. She looked down, her lips pressed into a thin line as she stared at the water surrounding him. He’d thought after so many orgasms she’d appreciate a nice hot bath, but apparently not.

“Are you getting in, or not?”

“You don’t have to do this.” Her blush deepened, and he could barely control his beast from puffing in satisfaction. “You don’t have to stay.”

Sythe stood, and this time his beast purred at how her eyes widened at the water droplets falling down his abs. She stopped before she got to his cock, which was good because he could already feel it swelling.

“You’re getting your bandages wet,” she muttered, eyes widened.

“I can replace them.” Not that he likely needed them anymore. “You should come soak.”

“Why?” She wrinkled her nose in suspicion. “I wasn’t… I wasn’t a virgin, if that’s what you’re worried about. I don’t need to be taken care of.”

He’d figured that out pretty quickly, not that it mattered. “You might not realise this, but I’m not a virgin either.”

A small smile pierced through her embarrassment, and his chest ached at the sight. It was her real smile, the one she rarely wore. Taking a step closer, she reached for the edge of the bath, her eyes meeting his for a fleeting second, before she dropped the blanket.

Sythe stilled, his eyes taking every beautiful inch of her body. Heavy breasts, a soft waist that flared out into perfect hips and thick thighs. His cock twitched, but he ignored the reaction as she settled into the tub on the other side.

With a sigh, he reached for her, gently pulling her into his arms with her back against his chest, only for them both to stiffen.

Fuck!

The glyphs surrounding her glowed a pale white, bursting from beneath the roses and thorns designed to hide them.

“What’s...” Harper lifted his arm, tracing her fingers along the lines and curves of his glyphs. They glowed at her touch, something that he’d never experienced before himself.

Double fuck.

“So you’re still pretending to be human, then?” she said, a slight humour in her tone that eased his worry.

Sythe reached with his left hand for the soft sponge, lathering it up with soap before gently brushing it across her body, taking it slow.

“Wyatt will kill you if he finds out.” Her breathing quickened, and Sythe loved her sharp intake of breath as he washed across her nipples. So he did it again.

“And what exactly are you going to do with your newfound knowledge, Miss Beauchamp?”

There was a pause, and Sythe waited for her response. He’d fucked up, revealing a part of himself that was dangerous in the situation. He expected her to run away, not continuing to lie there as he slowly washed across her skin.

“You don’t lie as well as you think you do, Mr Black,” she finally said, throwing his earlier words back at him.

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