Page 49 of Dreams of Ash and Smoke

“It’s a birthmark. Been there since I was a kid although my mom hadn’t seen it until I was six. It just appeared one day.” He says, his voice still low as he looks at me with confusion. “What’s wrong?” He asks. My heart flutters at the fact that he is more concerned about me than he is turned on.

I rub my hip subconsciously, surprised he hasn’t seen it yet. But his eyes follow my hand and they widen. “Is that-”

“The same one.”

“But that means…” He trails off, as if not believing it. Or it’s because if he says it out loud, it becomes true. He did agree with me to stop whatever this is. Our focus supposed to be on the business side of our arrangement.

Of course. What am I doing?! He doesn’t want to be mates with me. Fate or not.

Chapter 24: Let Go

Verena

Imove my arms to cover myself but he’s there in front of me, holding my arms at the wrists. “Don’t. Do not go wherever in your pretty mind you just went. Verena.” He says when I refuse to meet his gaze. “Verena.” He tries again and this time I do. As if I can no longer stand to not be looking at him. “We are fated mates. Can’t you see? It all makes sense now. The prophecy. The reason our paths continue to cross. You aremine. And I am yours. And if I am honest with myself, I have always known it. From the moment I saw you— in the dress that killed me— at Dryston’s coronation ball. There was something between us. I wanted to take you in the middle of the dance floor in front of everyone.” I let out a small choked laugh at the preposterous notion but let myself be pulled into him with no fight. “If you want this… I want this.” Even now he gives me the choice. If we continue with our wishes tonight, we’ll accept the bond. If we stop before we go all the way, we can continue living in delusion that we aren’t meant for each other by the Gods themselves.

I grab his head, forcing our lips to move in tandem once again. A growl slips from his lips.

Mate bonding with the Dark King was definitely not something I expected. But it’s as if everything clicks into place now. My dreams. With his tattooed hand grasping my shoulder to spin around as I watch the colorful lights. Iwonder if he dreams of me too.

With a forceful push, he backs me against the desk once more and I barely manage to stop myself from colliding into the mirror behind me. His hands grip my waist tightly as he kneels down, his lips trailing kisses along my thigh with a feather-light touch. I struggle to maintain my balance, my arms shaking as I watch him move closer to the growing heat between my legs.

Keeping intense eye contact with me, he runs his tongue along my inner thigh before proceeding to lick my center. A shuddering breath escapes my lips as I feel his magical tongue expertly playing with my sensitive bud, like a skilled musician. The sensations of lust, hormones, and something unfamiliar intertwine between us, creating an electric tension that crackles in the air.

“I want to hear you,” he whispers, pressing his lips to my inner thigh once again.

Suppressing a moan in defiance, I bite down on my lip as he drags his hand up my leg, his fingers meeting the warmth of my desire. The pleasure from his touch is enough to make me weak at the knees. He runs gentle circles around my clit with his mouth while slipping his long fingers inside me. My voice betrays me, unable to contain the overwhelming pleasure coursing through my body.

Every breathy curse that escapes my lips only seems to fuel his desire, his body looming over mine as he pumps his finger in and out of me. Each time he hits all the right spots, I can’t help but let out a string of expletives. His fingers stretch me in ways I never thought possible, the foreign pleasure igniting every nerve ending in my body. My head falls back, unable to support itself as my neck muscles give out in surrender.

“Eryx, please-” I start to beg, ready for him to give me more.

I grip his messy hair with my fingers, pulling his head up to meet my gaze before I press my lips to his again. Running his tongue along my bottom lip, he slips it into my mouth, both of us fighting for dominance. In this moment, all I can think about is how much I want him to have me, to touch me until I only know his name. He groans into the kiss, our marks burning with pleasure as the invisible string connecting us grows stronger.

“Tell me what you want, Verena.” He whispers between kisses, his lips brushing against mine as he guides the tip of him over my warmth, teasing and tempting me beyond belief.

“You. I want all of you,” I say without thinking, his eyes wide.

With a soft whisper, “I’ll be gentle,” his lips graze against mine, sending sparks of desire through my body. As he slowly enters me, I feel the stretch and the mingling of pleasure and pain. A loud moan escapes my lips and I call out his name, feeling our bodies entwine in a symphony of sensations. My hands glide down his back, feeling the muscles tense and relax with each thrust. Our mating bond snaps into place, filling us with a rush of euphoria that we both share. Our eyes meet, full of passion and determination. We have made our choice and there is no going back now, even if it means risking everything for this union.

As Eryx pauses to let me adjust, his hand gently trails up my side while the other holds my leg up to deepen our connection. But I don’t want him to be gentle. “Don’t,” I whisper, locking gazes with him. Confusion flashes across his face before understanding sets in. “Don’t be gentle,” I clarify, wanting to feel every raw and primal part of this moment together.

He smirks at me, pulling almost all the way out and thrusting back in, I moan into his mouth, feeling nothing but pleasure as he moves again. Starting a slow rhythm, he moves in and out of me, the force growing with each thrust.

Our kisses become hungrier.

Hitting the spot in my lower stomach, I feel the heat rise once more. He bites back his groans and I use my heel to pull him against me harder, urging him on.

I begin trying to rock my hips in gentle motions against his, feeling him grip my sides, guiding the action. With each move, the warmth only grows within my stomach, his length throbbing, his hands gripping tighter.

“You are so breathtaking.” He breathes out. His strong arms grasp me, both our bodies sweating now. The power running through us is no longer individual at this moment. He presses his lips to the spot under my ear and I groan, digging my nails into his back.

The pleasure rises in my stomach, my body anticipating its release.

“Let go,” He groans out, keeping his hold as he thrusts in and out, his own body tightening in pleasure.

As one of his hands meet my clit, my release coats him as a silent scream escapes me and my grip on him grows tighter as I ride out my release. I feel his own orgasm roll through him as he comes, rolling his hips as we ride out our pleasure.

Our heavy breathes mingle as we take in the scent of each other mixing with the scent of our arousal. My thoughts are jumbled and I have difficulty forming a sentence. But he pulls out of me and I almost whimper at the loss of him before he lifts me up and brings me to the bathroom. He turns on the faucet in the tub, filling it up and depositing me inside it. I realize I am still dirty from my fight in the woods and my nose scrunches up.

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