Page 88 of House of Demons and Bones

“And you should know that I’m an independent modern woman who takes no shit,” I said.

He let out a low chuckle. “Is that a line from one of your smutty romances?”

I glared at him.

“Even so, you can still depend on me,” he purred, making my blood heat.

“You think I’m the weaker one?” I narrowed my eyes. I wasn’t done challenging him in order to make him a better man.

“I’ll depend on you too,” he said.

“Co-dependence isn’t healthy,” I said.

“You think so, little scorpion?” he teased, his thumb stroking the column of my throat.

My breath caught at the intimate gesture. We were an island in a sea of thousands, cloaked by his shadow in the crowded courtyard. It felt surreal, him courting me in plain sight.

“I missed you,” he murmured. “Every second without you drives me mad. I need to know you’re safe, need to know where you are at all times.”

His worry for me only made me hotter. Lust seared through every cell in my body. Killian could smell my arousal even before our mating bond formed—now I was an open book to him. I wasn’t sure I wanted to be an open book, though. Shouldn’t we maintain certain feminine wiles and mystery to keep our men coming back for more?

Killian inhaled deeply, letting out a low growl, his eyes blazing with primal male need, so intense it made me shudder. He rocked his hips, grinding against me. I let out a whimper, wanting to thrust back and feel his hard-on, but one thing would lead to another. Then we might end up fucking here shamelessly. Between Sy and me, I was the shy and responsible one, and

with Queen Lilith twirling in the center of the courtyard, still searching for Killian, I wouldn’t risk getting caught. I couldfeel her gaze roaming in our direction, trying to pierce through Killian’s shield.

My mind drifted to how Killian had fucked me when I was in heat. And now with him pressing against me, caging me in, I fantasized about what he’d do next—his fingers would trace the line of my panties before pushing them aside to find my slick pussy, and he’d know my body burned for him, my skin buzzing with raw lust. As if he and his dragon could see the fantasy playing in my head, a low rumble vibrated from his chest.

My breath hitched. My pulse sparked. Maybe I should let him tug down my panties and just fuck me here and now. Or maybe we should get out of here and go to his place to fuck without an audience. But we couldn’t abandon the heirs to their tasks. We needed to execute the exit plan first, ensuring they could safely untangle themselves from Queen Lilith.

“You need to chill,” I said, resisting the urge to fan my burning face at the charged sexual tension between us. “No one can be safe all the time.”

“My little scorpion.” He let out a low chuckle. “Only you’d say things like that while in my arms. Most of the time, I don’t know what to do with you.”

He was talking nonsense, but only because this was his first actual relationship. None of the other heirs were good at relationships either, despite their prowess in bed. They just weren’t brought up that way. So they defaulted to alpha male shit.

In the romance department, I should take the lead. All that smutty romance reading paid off.

“Then I’ll lead and you follow,” I said.

“Lead me then, little scorpion, and I shall follow,” he purred, humoring me while pushing my gown up to my hips. It was a gift from him—he’d taken to dressing me now.

The crimson gown commanded attention, its finest silk flowing from a one-shoulder design into an elegant cape. The fabric created an ethereal effect with every step, while a daring thigh-high slit made me blush and grin at once. I’d never worn anything this beautiful or bold, but that was exactly Killian’s intention—to make a statement.

Wearing the dress he chose was probably my first step toward trusting him. I just had to have faith in his taste.

I caught his slow, appreciative once-over, his gaze smoldering. “You look irresistible, little scorpion. Now I’ll have to do something about that.”

His fingertips traced a path along my thigh and paused at the center of my core. I shuddered at the sensation before letting out a gasp as he boldly slid a hand into my panties and palmed my pussy roughly.

“Killian,” I whispered.

“Say my name like that again,” he demanded. “And add a ‘please.’”

Just as I was about to rebel, he flicked his thumb over the apex of my swollen clit.

“Please,” I breathed, and clung to him, my nails digging crescents into his shoulders.

“Please what?” The tease in his voice made my knees weak.

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