Page 34 of To No End

His carefully worded response had me on edge. Was I being toyed with, or was this just the same smooth talk he used on every female he took to bed?

“That doesn’t count as a question, by the way,” I said casually, when what I really wanted to say was,Well I don’t have time for you to figure it out anyway.

“Of course.” He nodded, taking another sip of his drink. “That brings me to my fifth and final question. I suppose I better make it a good one, right?”

I didn’t know how much time had passed, but I could have sat there for hours going back and forth with this game of questions.

“I suppose you should.”

He paused briefly, waiting for me to acknowledge his gaze. “Cress, share the night with me?”

Was he really asking me a simple yes or no question? Something that I thought was obvious. Did it even need to be asked? Was he asking at all? The sound of it came out more like a command than a request. I channeled every ounce of desire and audacity I possessed to answer his question with one of my own.

“That depends on you telling me how you’re going to make sure there’s no chance of me forgetting a single minute of tonight. How will you make me beg?”

I matched his gaze with even more intensity, and it felt like I had struck the match to light a flame that could not be tamed.

Trace held out his hand to ask for mine. “I’d rather show you.”

And with that, I took his hand and let him lead me back to our room.

CHAPTER

10

The door closed behind us, the air thick with lust. I was grateful for the ruckus coming from the bar downstairs, because there was nothing but charged silence between us as Trace bent down to light a fire. I stood there in the dark, recalling how we had performed these same motions the night before. But this time was different. This time there wasn’t an ounce of liquid courage to carry me forward, and I was certain something was going to happen.

My mouth was dry, but elsewhere I was slick with eager anticipation. Despite the excitement, I was still so unsure of myself, unable to bring myself to make the first move. This was very different from my time with Gris. He and I were friends, we knew each other well, and there was an air of lightness between us that made things easy.

With Trace, things were not going to be as easy. Who would speak first, who would yield? We knew each other a little better, but there hadn’t been years of trust built up like I had with Gris.

I was starting to wonder if I was going to be able to follow through. It wasn’t because I didn’t want to—Ireallywanted to. I watched as Trace began the familiar routine of removing his cloak and daggers, placing them one by one on the small writing desk. The dim, flickering light created a display of shadows all along the walls of the tiny room. Trace towered over every piece of furniture around us. He finally turned to me, single silver blade in hand, and began stalking over slowly.

I gulped, looking up at him and licking my lips in preparation to take that beautiful mouth of his. I stood there frozen, unable to move my feet. Internally, I was itching to touch him, but I couldn’t bring myself to lift a finger.

Trace moved the blade to hover just between my aching breasts where the laces started on my vest corseted in front. The tip of his blade pulled the strings taut, and I couldn’t refrain from gasping when each one gave way to the sharp edge in one swift motion downward to the top of my belly.

The blade did not scare me. I was confident that he knew exactly what he was doing—and I was equally sure that I was coming as undone as this corset. He had barely laid a hand on me, and yet I was transfixed with the way he worked slowly and meticulously to drag out the act of removing it.

When he was done, he took his hand and gently slid the vest from my shoulders until it fell to the floor behind me. From the corner of my eye, I could see the tattoo on his hand, distracting me. I wanted to see it all. He then lifted the blade to my braided hair and did the same to the tie, unleashing long waves down my back.

“Much better,” was all he said.

He circled me like a predator stalking prey, and I could feel his muscular chest now pressing against my back as he stopped behind me. I leaned into it, wanting to feel his warmth, but all Icould focus on was how aroused I’d become; my nipples poking against the thin white blouse, betraying me.

Trace ran his rough fingertips along the side of my neck, pushing my long hair to the side as I tilted my head, baring myself to him, willing him onward. That’s when I felt the warmth of his mouth nestled between my shoulder and the curve of my neck.

The first time those magnificent lips graced my skin, they melted into me. He began to slowly place soft kisses all along my neck. His breath was a low hum at my earlobes, the tickling sensation nearly unbearable. I felt his lips run up along the tip of my pointed ear, followed by his face pressing into the back of my hair. He was breathing me in, the scent of me. I just stood there letting him explore me at a painstakingly slow pace.

When he returned to face me, it was like a different person. The once slow, patient, calm Trace was gone as he grabbed both sides of my face in his hands and crushed his lips to mine, sweeping his tongue into my mouth with the desperation of someone who has longed for this. I, too, had longed for this very encounter.

I stumbled backward slightly, but he stepped forward, keeping himself close and pinning me against the door as he continued to ravage my mouth. I worked to keep pace as our tongues clashed. I returned his frantic passion and bit gently on his lower lip; he groaned in response. I angled my body into him, willing him to continue.

With one arm bracing himself against the doorframe, he used the other to run his hand up my side and under my blouse where he cupped my breast, rubbing his thumb in a circle across my nipple. Between our kisses, I gasped in pleasure with each tender squeeze he made.

Everything was moving at such a fast pace; I wasn’t having any time to overthink. I was not remotely in control of thesituation, and for some reason, I liked it. I couldn’t anticipate my next move or his; I was entirely lost in the moment.

Gathering my hair with one hand, he pulled it tightly, forcing my head back to give him better access to my throat. He continued with endless kissing and the occasional graze of his teeth, until his lips returned to mine and I felt him run his hands between my legs and squeeze.

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