Page 47 of What Lies Within Blood & Heirs

Garrik kissed her as if he’d been starved for eternity. Every bit as consuming as every moment he’d kissed her before. Cursing against her lips at the contact, that voice ripped another tear in her resolve.

His kiss was addicting. Like no other drug in Elysian could ever have her floating to the stars quite like this. Every time hekissed her was like lightning in her veins and fire on her skin. And she wanted that tongue to ruthlessly—hungrily—tame that fire.

Yielding to him, Alora’s lips parted when his tongue traced them.

Garrik plunged into her, claiming every inch in unrushed sweeps and caressing waves. That intoxicating movement of his tongue—there was no mistake with his perfection and sheer skill—how incredible it would feel over every inch of her skin.

Teasing. Licking.Feasting.

She gasped against his mouth at the thought of it between her legs.

Garrik released a growl. The sound reverberated from his chest to her lips. Then, his hands climbed up her sides, gripping the straps at her shoulders while his kisses deepened, desperate and powerful.

Alora lifted herself to him, guiding her arms over her head. An unspoken surrender.

Garrik tore from her lips long enough to slip his hands under the fabric, cupping her breasts before he peeled the lace off completely and tossed them away.

Aided by moonlight, Alora’s body waited on display as Garrik’s chest heaved. He surveyed every inch of pebbled porcelain skin, raking from where he straddled her, gliding from the apex of her thighs, across her underthings, her navel, aching breasts …looking at her as if he’d found Elysian’s most precious jewel, with no intention of letting go.

Awestruck—utterly awestruck—he rasped, “You are starsdamned perfection, Alora.” A hand cupped her cheek as fire threatened to explode in her eyes. “A queen amongst us rabble. And I intend to serve Her Majesty tonight.”

A whimper was her only reply.

Garrik lowered and swirled his tongue on her aching breast, her nipple. Flicking it while warm breath sparked electricity down her spine.

Alora threw her head back, arching into him, unable to stifle the undone moan that had her hands clawing and curling into the blanket.

She was going to explode. Burn the barn down. Going to?—

“Don’t stop,” she mewled at those fingers stroking along the edge of her waistband. That hooked through the fabric at the juncture of her thigh and began tugging them down, down, down?—

“With pleasure, Your Majesty,”Garrik erupted with a dark snarl. The lace mercilessly shredded from her body.

Kisses flooded down her neck. His thumb teased her nipple. as?—

Alora gasped.

His hand drifted between her legs and parted her.

She gasped at that too-perfect stroke that emptied her mind entirely until it was only his fingers, his lips, and that next incredible stroke.

Garrik’s voice roughened, wickedly humming at the wetness he had found waiting for him. “Are you always this drenched when you think of me, darling?”

She didn’t have time to answer—not like she could have—because Garrik’s darkened eyes pierced hers as he eased his fingers out.

He brought those cruel fingers to his lips and sucked them inside, licking them clean one by one, sucking on the taste of her. And he emptied any words that came close to stumbling from her tongue.

Alora scraped her nails against the wooden floor, clawing to grab hold of anything to keep her from plummeting over the edge as he gripped her hip. Pinning her to the floor before hisfingers stroked up her center and found her swollen bundle of nerves.

She threw her head back.

Strangled moans turned rapturous as her eyes rolled, meeting his strokes with a roll of her hips.

Don’t stop, don’t stop, don’t stop.

“That’s my clever girl,” he praised in a voice so unlike him. So unlike who he was supposed to be. Whotheywere supposed to be—but it didn’t matter. Not in that barn. Not when his thumb swirled, slow enough to draw out the pleasure. Not when a finger slipped inside her.

Garrik groaned the same time she cried out.

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