Page 112 of A Pact of Blood

I hear his swallow. “After Pavel died and we couldn’t see any way to topple the empire ourselves, it seemed like an impossible dream. I thought the best I could hope for was to get the rest of us through our fostering in one piece. But now, with you—you’ve brought the dream back to life. It’s far off, but I canhopeagain, like I haven’t in so long. Except that if it happens, I want you by my side. My signal star.”

A lump of emotion fills my throat. I pull Bastien back into a tighter embrace, a prickle of tears forming behind my closed eyelids.

I can’t quite smooth the roughness from my lowered voice. “When I found out I was coming to Dariu, I assumed the bestIcould hope for out of my life was the satisfaction of knowing I’d served my people as well as I could. And maybe for my marriage to have a few pleasant moments along with everything I had to tolerate.”

Bastien’s arms tense around me. “Not much chance of that with Marclinus.”

“No. But even though the actual marriage has been so much worse than I expected… I’m still happier than I ever dared to imagine. Because I have you. My heart is yours.”

Bastien inhales shakily, and then he’s kissing me like the world depends on the melding of his lips. As I kiss him back, heat kindles between my legs with the now-familiar ache of need. The potion is still doing its work, lesser dose or no.

As much as I want to revel in this moment, we shouldn’t dally longer than we need to. I’d like all of us to come out of our time under imperial rule alive.

I kiss Bastien again, unable to stop my hips from rocking against his before forcing myself to pull back. “Should we go to your room?”

His smile glints in the darkness. “You looked as if youliked the idea of staying here in the gardens before. My wild empress out in the wild? Between illusions and shadows, Lorenzo and Raul can make sure no one sees or hears us even if someone ventures out.”

A thrill crackles through my veins at the thought of being taken by this man out here in the open. I don’t answer other than to yank his mouth back to mine.

Through our deepening kisses, Bastien walks me backward and nudges me up against the cool stone of the wall. When I press against him again, he catches my leg and hefts me upward so his groin is flush against my sex.

At the feel of his taut erection through our clothes, I can’t hold back a whimper. Bastien drinks it down, swaying against me with measured strokes that stoke the flames of my desire higher that much faster.

My breath fragments between our kisses. As I clutch at his hair, Bastien groans.

He nips the crook of my jaw and yanks at the lacing on my dress to loosen the bodice. “I don’t know how long I can wait before I’m inside you.”

A giggle tumbles over my lips. “Why wait? Ineedyou.”

With a choked sound, Bastien lowers my feet back to the ground. His commanding tone comes out, dark and firm. “Turn around and lean over. Brace your hands on the wall.”

I follow his instructions, a heady shiver coursing under my skin. The hard stone rasps against my palms.

Bastien tugs my skirt up to my waist in a heap of silky fabric. As one hand trails along my side, the other teases over the hem of my drawers just below my ass.

“Someday I’ll take you here too.” He dips his hand lower to graze his fingertips over the already damp fabric between my thighs. “But tonight, this is all mine. Isn’t that right, Aurelia?”

He increases the pressure to set off a shock of pleasure. Igasp. There’s something so thrilling about giving myself over to his domineering side, letting him call the shots instead of having to stay in control.

I lean back toward him. “I’m all yours. Take me however you like.”

Bastien works his fingers over my clit and the opening beneath, stoking the flames of need even higher. Before long, my drawers are absolutely drenched.

When he retracts his hand, letting the waves of bliss subside, I moan in protest.

“I’m not leaving you wanting for long.” He yanks my drawers down to my ankles so I can step out of them. “Spread your legs wider for me, Star.”

With a tremor of anticipation, I oblige. The cool night air washes over my heated sex in shocking contrast.

There’s a rustle as Bastien frees himself from his trousers. The head of his cock rubs against my folds.

I bite my lip against another moan. “Please.”

Bastien’s voice has gone ragged. “I’m going to give you everything you need.”

He plunges into me in one swift stroke that leaves us both groaning. I push higher on the balls of my feet, offering the best angle I can.

Bastien bows over me, one hand grasping my hip, the other sliding over my ribs beneath my loosened dress. He steadies me as he plows into my sex again and again, each thrust of his cock filling me deeper.

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