Page 33 of The Sorrow of Shadows

That last command has her angry, her eyes glaring daggers at me. To add insult to injury, I add, “Good girl,” when she doesn’t speak any further. I catch the flare of her nostril and the sharp intake of breath.

“Someone wants both of us dead, but they’ve failed twice. I wouldn’t think much of it, except poison was used in both instances. The question is who wants us dead and why?”

“I should think the why would be obvious.” Breyla lifts an auburn brow at me. “We’re both in line for the throne, Aurelius. Whether by marriage or birth, we are both set to one day rule Rimor. So, the real question is who benefits by disrupting the line of succession?”

“I have my thoughts on that, but nothing I can prove.”

“As do I, but at least we know one thing.”

“And that would be?”

“We are certainly not the ones behind it, otherwise you would have just left me for dead last night.”

“That makes us allies, Princess. It means you have to start trusting me.” I grin at her. “It means we have to work together until we get to the bottom of this.” The thought excites me more than I want to admit.

She rolls her eyes at me. “Okay, partner. Where do we start?”

I slide my fingers into the hair at the back of her skull and tug gently until I have her full attention. “We start by laying ground rules, and rule number one is that you never roll your eyes at me. I can tolerate that mouth of yours, but the next time you roll your eyes you will discover what the end of my patience looks like.”

She gulps, but her gaze doesn’t waver. She’s not scared of me. On the contrary, she’s intrigued. It’s then that her scent hits me. She’s aroused. “Oh darling, I can smell how much that excites you.” Her eyes widen in surprise.

“You can smell that?” She looks at me confused.

“I can smell a great many things, but your arousal is by far my favorite scent.” I lean closer to her neck to prove my point and take a deep breath. The scent is intoxicating and has me instantly hard. I lift my torso so I’m leaning over her, my hand still entwined in her hair. She lets out a soft gasp as I tug harder, pulling her head back slightly to expose her neck. My mouth trails light kisses down her throat, peppering her with the occasional bite. With my free hand, I pull her against me, then hitch her left leg up over mine. Her nightgown has shifted up, exposing her ass and bare thighs. I run my hand up the back of them, squeezing and massaging as I go.

This female will be the death of me. Her curves are like something from a dream. She’s toned from years of training, but in no way does it take away from her femininity. She’s thick in all the right ways.

She’s trying to hide how much I’m affecting her, but finally relents when I bite that spot where her neck meets her shoulder as I trail my fingers down her backside to find her entrance. She lets loose a moan as I trail my fingers around her opening, finding her drenched for me already. My fingers tease her, slowly inserting one finger at an agonizing pace. By this point, I’m sucking the skin of her neck, and I know it will leave a mark. She begins rocking her hips, begging for more from me.

I release her skin from my mouth. “Use your words, little demon. Tell me what you want,” I say as I still my finger inside her.

“More.” Her voice is raspy and full of desperation.

“Ah ah ah, darling,” I tsk. “I need specifics.”

“Please...make me come.” I love hearing her so needy and desperate.

“That’s good enough for now, I suppose,” I concede. Before she can respond, I have her flat on her back with my hand at her entrance. I insert two fingers, making slow movements. My fingers curl, hitting that delicious spot deep inside her. She moans louder each time I hit it, and I know she’s close. I grind my palm into her clit as I increase the pace of my ministrations inside her. My lips are on hers, my tongue demanding entrance. She opens her mouth to let out a moan when I apply pressure to her clit, slowly rubbing in small circles.

Breyla’s hands fly up and grab onto my sides, her fingers gripping me tightly. She squeezes hard, her nails raking down my sides. The edge of pain has me moaning this time. Breaking the kiss, I lean down to her ear and demand, “Come for me, little demon.”

The command does her in, and I feel her inner walls flutter, then clench around my fingers. As she hits her climax her moans grow louder. I slowly continue my movements, drawing out her release for as long as possible. Finally, I feel her go limp, her breathing deep. I remove my fingers from her and bring them to my mouth. She tastes divine. I suck my fingers in deeper, groaning at the taste.

As she comes down from her high, I see something flip in her eyes. Her mood has shifted from lust to regret faster than I can blink. She’s no longer looking at me, so I do the only thing I can think of. I cradle her face in my hand and turn her head until her eyes are back on me. “I’m not done with you, Princess.”

Her voice is cold when she quickly replies, “Yes. You are.” It should leave no room for argument, but that’s never been my style.

“And why is that?”

“Because this,” she gestures to the both of us, “us beingtogether like this isn’t right. You’re engaged to my mother.” The end of that statement feels like a dagger being thrust in my chest.

“Princess, there’s something I’ve tried telling you before, and you need to hear it now?—”

“No, there’s nothing you can say that makes what we’re doing right,” she says, cutting me off.

“If you would just—” This time, a knock on the door interrupts me.Damn it all.

Reluctantly, I push myself off the bed and cross my room to the idiot interrupting an important discussion. I levitate the armoire away from the door and back into its rightful place on the wall. No one needs to see that Breyla is in my chambers, so I open the door just enough to see who is on the other side. My eyes glare daggers at Elijah and I spit, “What are you doing here?” It’s then that I notice his face is lacking his normal jovial disposition. He looks...sad.

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