Page 81 of What Lies Within Blood & Heirs

Alora’s head pressed into the tree, and she felt just as intoxicated, finding her hands exploring his scalp and ripping into his hair until he pulled back.

“Don’t stop,” he drunkenly groaned. Gorgeous glowing silver stared up at her and she tightened her grip on his hair with a wicked grin.

His eyes rolled back, lids quivering as if he was wholly lost in her touch before he greedily dipped back and tortured her with another lick.

Stars—did he ever know what he was doing. And she was competently destroyed in it all. Unable to stop herself fromrolling her hips against his every stroke. Urging him faster and to do?—

She cried out—That. Oh Stars. Keep doing that.Almost screaming it.

Garrik made some sort of deep moan at the sound of her—so unlike himself—as her body fucked him back.

The hand possessively gripping her thigh moved. Two fingers sunk deep inside her, stroking as he sucked and flicked his tongue. Those fingers curled, finding the spot that threatened to rearrange her entire world.

And he didn’t stop. Didn’t slow. Sliding in and out, drawing strangled whimpers and sounds she couldn’t determine were words or curses or even his name.

It didn’t matter. Nothing mattered. Nothing but Garrik.

Panting, unable to remember what realm she was in, let alone her name, darkness spotted in her vision as she clenched around him.

Then burning trails of lightning rippled up her spine, and she wasn’t certain she hadn’t burst into flames and set the entire forest to blaze. Those flames ignited, tearing through her with the intensity of an exploding star.

Garrik shot from his knees, fingers still stroking her through the release as a hand caught her from collapsing. He captured her mouth with his and claimed every moan and scream and sound he caused her to make. The world couldn’t have them. They were his to take.

His mouth swallowed her scream, taking the brunt of her shattering and weathering her through his lips, which were just as wild and vicious, as her body carried her mind away.

Back at that edge, she fell over and erupted until she met oblivion.

Everything was dark.

Was she even in Elysian? Had he actually sent her to the stars?

Blinking back to her realm, Garrik’s warm voice soothed close to her ear, “Breathe, darling. You are alright.” His gentle smile filled his voice, coaxing her back to reality as she did exactly that. “That’s my clever girl.”

When her vision narrowed and sensation returned to her body, she noticed he held her on the ground. In his arms, clothed, and seated on his lap. Garrik’s arms cradled her close. A thumb lazily circled her shoulder, and his other hand cupped her cheek.

“You are so damn perfect,” he breathed.

Her cheek pressed into the tunic over his chest, eyes fighting to remain open and living in the bliss of his perfect, unusual heartbeat. Her mind raced in the aftermath of the pleasure. Her chest heaved. Garrik had brought her release—again. Something that, before him, she’d never known.

Alora’s eyes half-lidded, capturing the glow of his. Before her mind could protest, she questioned, “How?”

He only smiled, and those silver eyes blinked with pleasure and … sadness. “I said I had never taken anyone to my bed. Not that I have not experienced and know how to pleasure you.” And Alora’s heart threatened to split, but Garrik continued to smile with such longing, such softness. “Everything… It was all worth this … looking up at you. Watching you. Tasting you again.”

An icy thumb traced her bottom lip before they parted, and then his mouth brushed hers once more. Slowly, her lips fell behind, no matter the protest of her mind to focus on him. Her mind narrowed as she felt herself drifting away.

Garrik contently sighed, stroking a hair from her face and pulling away. “You are exhausted, darling.”

After training with Jade and now … this, she couldn’t deny it.

“I must remain a little longer. But my shadows will carry you home. Rest before dinner.” Smokeshadows danced around her in his arms, and Garrik placed a tender kiss on her forehead as her eyes bobbed.

She pleaded for them to stay focused on his eyes. “Wait. Please,” she breathed, finding her hand desperately clutching his tunic.

The shadows slowed but remained swirling around them.

Worry filled her pleading eyes. “Areyouokay?” She didn’t want to leave him alone. Not after this. Not after he had used his body to bring her pleasure when he had been assaulted only two days before.

And he must have seen it in her eyes because Garrik simply smiled, pulled her tight against his chest, and promised, “In this moment, I am perfect, darling.” Placing a soft kiss on her lips. “Rest. I wish to see you later tonight.”

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