Page 114 of The Sorrow of Shadows

“Oh, you know...” he looks at me mischievously, “I swiped it off Commander Nolan like two years ago.”

“Why?” I ask.

“Why not?” He shrugs.

I shake my head in disbelief at him.

“Okay, you go through the desk drawers, and I’ll go through the records in the cabinet. He keeps very detailed notes, but I’m not sure how they’re organized. He rarely lets me see this room.” I don’t add that he does that because he doesn’t believe femaleshave a place dealing with finances, business, or any real decision making.

“You got it, doll,” he says and goes to work opening the desk drawers. I open the cabinet, trying to decide where to start. I finally pull out a stack of parchment from the top and start reading through the records. Most of this seems like correspondence with business contacts in other cities and countries, but nothing comes off as suspicious.

Nearly an hour passes in silence as we read through his records but find nothing. I sigh in frustration as I drop another letter that proves to be a dead end. Elijah sets down what he’s reading and moves behind me. My heart beats fast as he wraps a muscled arm around my waist from behind, pulling me into his chest. His cinnamon and chocolate scent wraps around me, and I relax into his hold.

“We’ll find it eventually; we just have to keep looking.” He places a kiss on my cheek, then one behind my ear and squeezes me tightly.

“I know, I’m just so frustrated, and my eyes are going cross from looking at all these letters and numbers.” I let my fingers trace a pattern over his hand as he runs the other over the curve of my hip.

“I can feel how tightly wound your muscles are, Ophelia. Do you want me to help you relax? We can take a quick break from looking.” His tone borders on seductive.

“What do you mean?” I ask softly, unsure of where this is going.

He kisses down my neck, while running his hand down my leg. The skirt of my dress begins to rise as he slowly bunches it up one side and whispers, “Let me help youreleasesome of that tension. Maybe once you’re relaxed, you’ll be able to look at this with fresh eyes.”

My cheeks flame at his meaning, and I gasp as my skirt is lifted high enough for him to slip a hand between my legs. Hisfinger traces around the spot at the apex of my thighs that makes me see stars.

“We c-can’t.” I stutter, trying to maintain my focus as he continues to tease me. “Not here. Surely my father will hear and find us.”

“Your father is passed out cold until morning, doll. He’s not going to find us. But if you’re that worried, we can be very quiet.” Elijah continues kissing my neck, peppering soft bites in between.

As I open my mouth to speak, a moan leaves my lips instead when his fingers finally press down on my clit. All ideas of denying him are gone as he begins rubbing in slow circles.

“That’s what I thought,” he chuckles, moving his finger further to my opening. “Gods, Ophelia. You’re soaked for me.”

His words have me groaning quietly as I roll my hips back into him, feeling his erection pressed against my lower back. One of his fingers enters me slowly, and I suck in a breath.

“Elijah,” I whimper, reaching a hand back to find his erection. “Are you going to make love to me right here?”

The thick digit inside me moves in and out, and a second joins it. I groan louder as his thumb circles my clit and I roll my hips again, savoring the friction between us.

“Fuck, Ophelia. You’ve got to be quiet,” he says, covering my mouth with his hand. “No, I’m not going to make love to you here. Because when I take you, you will scream and there will be nothing quick about it.”

I nearly scream out of frustration at this male. I don’t know how else to express that I’m ready and want him. Since our first last encounter, I’ve thought about it several times. More than once I had to find release with my own hands as I imagined what it would be like to be taken by him. And he was denying me—again.

“Soon, Ophelia, I promise.” He picks up his pace as his fingers slide in and out of me, working me closer to the edge ofbliss. “Tonight, you will come on my tongue, and I will savor every fucking drop of your release.”

A shutter rolls through me at his words. Keeping his fingers still inside me, he moves us to my father’s desk. After quickly shoving aside some papers, he lifts me and places me on top. His lips find mine in a fevered kiss that has me gasping for breath when he breaks it. He places a hand on my chest and pushes me back so I’m lying on the desk.

Elijah pulls my undergarments down my legs and slips them into his pocket.What does he do with them...I wonder, but the thought is quickly lost when his hot mouth finds my center. His fingers slide back inside me as he licks me from opening to clit. He was slow and tender the first time he did this, but I find none of that now as he works his fingers in and out of me, quickly building speed.

I writhe beneath him, covering my mouth with a hand to keep as quiet as possible. Elijah flicks his tongue over my clit repeatedly as his fingers continue building that sweet pressure inside of me. He sucks my clit into his mouth right as he curls his fingers and hits that perfect spot inside me. It has my back arching off the desk.

“Elijah,” I pant, completely lost to the pleasure of his touch.

He continues the motion of curling his fingers until I’m finally about to burst, then nips my clit, forcing me over the edge of bliss as wave after wave of euphoria washes over me. I’m lost in the sea of his pleasure, my breaths coming in short pants as I see literal stars dance across my vision.

“Fuck, Elijah,” I say when I can finally breathe again. Just as my heart rate comes back to normal, I feel his tongue make long, slow strokes up my thighs. He alternates sides, thoroughly licking every inch of me. “What are you doing?” I ask in confusion.

“What I told you I would do—savoring every drop of your release,” he replies with a smug look on his face. Despite whatjust happened between us, I find myself still blushing at his words.

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