Page 32 of Aria's Ascension

His smile slowly disappeared. Cocking his head, he narrowed his eyes at her. Confusion gradually turned into disbelief before anger briefly flashed across his face. Lifting her higher still, until their faces were inches apart, he pinned her with his stare.

As though he found her insecurities personally offensive, a growl edged into his voice. “Youareloving. Do you think I doubt your love for me? Do you think Kix does? I assure you, we do not. I do not want or need a soft, gentle mate who will temper herself to feed my vanity. I needyou. Your fire, your passion, your endless need to fight for honor and protect those weaker than yourself. I will never tire of you, Aria. Never. And I—”

“You’re angry?” she stuttered, thrown completely off guard by his reaction.

“Of course I am angry! To doubt yourself you must also doubt me. Us,” he clipped, jerking his chin back at Kix but never taking his eyes off of her. “You let old fears cloud your mind when neither of us has given you reason to think we want you as anything other than you are. You are my heart and I will not—”

She didn’t let him finish. Twisting herself around to wrap her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist, she cut him off mid-sentence and kissed him.

Chapter 19

Aria slid her fingers into Tirox’s long, silky hair and put everything she felt into the kiss: love so intense it almost hurt, worry, relief, anger, longing, gratitude, and lust. So much lust it felt as if it had been built up over years—years of wanting him and being unable to have him.

Tirox didn’t take her kiss passively as he had the first time but returned it with matching urgency. He groaned, cupped her ass with one hand, and fisted her hair with the other.

It was harsh, hungry, and beautiful, full of teeth and clenching hands trying to pull each other closer.

Need flooded her, sending goosebumps cascading down her arms and legs, tightening her nipples, and slicking her thighs. His taste was intoxicating: strange and exotic, like spiced honey and smoke. She was instantly hooked. He felt like home, like comfort and safety.

With a sharp nip and a low, strained growl he broke away suddenly. She tried to follow his retreat and reclaim his lips, but he fisted his hand tighter in her hair and held her back.

Prying her lids open, she gasped, “What… ”

“My heart,” he rasped breathlessly. “The gods know how I want you, but I would not have our first joining be colored with anger and sadness.”

He stared down at her like he wanted nothing more than to throw her on the ground and sate both of their needs, yet he held himself still, his eyes flicking back and forth between hers, searching for a sign that she wasn’t just doing this because she needed comfort.

She was too raw and loved him too much to lie.

“I need this,” she whispered.

When his expression began to close off, she shook her head and leaned in to bite his bottom lip then sucked the sting away. His eyelids fluttered and a deep growl vibrated from his chest into hers.

Keeping her eyes on his, she whispered against his mouth, “I want you. I need this, now, but I want you always.”

Gently tugging his hand out of her hair, she guided it to her chest. His eyes widened and his breathing deepened as she settled his hand over her breast. Almost as though he couldn’t help himself, his thumb flicked over her nipple.

Her breath hitching on a moan, she pleaded, demanded, “Touch me. Fuck me. Make me scream.”

His golden eyes darkened to bronze, swirling so fast it made her dizzy to look at them. Without warning, he slammed his lips against hers and dropped to his knees.

He laid her back on the moss-covered ground and forced her lips apart with his tongue, sweeping in to taste her before he ripped his mouth away and dove at her throat. A thrill shot through her as he lightly set his sharp teeth into the tender skin of her neck, bowing her back.

He laved the spot with his tongue then trailed it over her collar bone, down to her breast. He gave each of her tight nipples a hard suck, but before she could hold him there, he kept going, licking and nipping his way down her body.

Aria was panting and her heart was pounding in her chest. Anticipation and shock shot through her as she watched his descent. She’d thought that, despite his size, Tirox would be a slow, sweet lover. She’d been wrong. He was rough, hungry, urgent. She loved it.

With a growl, he shoved her legs apart and slid his huge hands beneath her hips. He lifted her bottom half off the ground, holding her splayed open and on display like a meal he wanted to devour.

“What a pretty littlesi’ilka—‘cunt’—you have been hiding from me, my beauty,” he groaned lowly.

Settling himself between her thighs, he leisurely dragged his tongue over her, dipping it into her opening before flicking it over her clit. Aria’s sharp moan when he passed over that sensitive ball of nerves was answered by a darkly pleased chuckle.

“Ah. Is that the spot that made you clench so prettily in the forest?”

Without giving her time to answer, he bent and sealed his lips around her clit, sucking and flicking it ruthlessly.

Her worry in the mountain cave, what seemed like years ago, about having his fangs so close to her pussy was the last thing on her mind. Squeezing her eyes shut at the shock of pleasure that blazed through her, she reached for him blindly and clutched at his horns, pulling him closer. Every breath ended on a moan. Fire licked at her nerve endings. She felt an orgasm building, too swiftly to fight.

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