Page 86 of The Storm of the Empire

“Do we wait?” I asked Jaxus after he showed us into Kiera’s tiny office.

“No, go to bed. I’ll stay with him tonight. No one’s slept, and we shouldn’t all be sleep deprived.” Jaxus exhaled sharply. “I’ll send for you if he has any more questions.”

We said our goodnights and separated to our quarters, and I found myself alone with Hazel for the first time since she leapt from the dock into the night.

We walked the corridors, towards her quarters without discussion. I would see her to her door. “Are you holding up okay?” I asked tentatively.

She dipped her head, not wanting to meet my eye. “It’s a lot to take in,” she said shakily.

I allowed myself to slip a fraction closer to her side as we walked, my fingers brushing hers lightly. “I know. But I’m here if you need to talk.”

She groaned. “All we’ve done is talk, and it hasn’t gotten us anywhere.”

“I meant about Kol or however you’re feeling,” I urged, not wanting to go our separate ways.

“I don’t even know what to say about that. Other than thank you for finding him and getting him out.” She blinked back tears. “You’ve done more for Nyx than you can ever imagine. For all of us.”

“Any one of us would have done the same thing.” I brushed it off, just glad she wasn’t furious with me like she had been when she left Damona Island.

She shook her head as she stopped in front of her door. “No, I left not even knowing he was there. You found him because you chose to stay and look for more leads.”

“Maybe the Goddess willed it. Maybe I was meant to be there doing her work after all.” I winked.

“The priests involved in whatever this is are not doing the Goddess’ work. This is the work of Uriel.”

“We saw what we saw, right?” I kept needing the reassurance.

“I’m sure of it,” she whispered. “They covered their tracks—that’s all.”

I stepped forward, not knowing if she wanted my touch but longing to give it. I just didn’t know where we stood. I opened my arms in offering, and much to my relief, she slipped into my embrace. “We will figure it out. Nyx will stop them.”

“I’m done thinking about it for tonight,” she said into my chest. “Do you want to come in?” She lifted her face to look into my eyes, and all I saw there was desire.

“I thought you’d never ask.”

She unlocked her door, and we stumbled through, our lips coming together before we even crossed the threshold. I wanted to slam her into a wall and bury myself in her delicious heat, but there was time tonight. No need for urgency, no one around to hide from or lie to. Nothing to rush off for after the fact. It was just us in a safe space with the whole night before us. I wanted to take my time and wake up with her in my arms tomorrow and then do it all again.

I just hoped as I looked in her eyes, she would want that too. This thing between us was always in the moment. I didn’t know how she would feel about me wanting to stick around once it was done.

“What is it?” she asked, noticing me deep in thought.

“Nothing,” I smiled. “I just want to take my time with you.”

A smile spread across her beautiful face. “Take all the time you want.”

My heart kicked up its rhythm, and I was sure she could sense those changes, but I couldn’t stop it. The idea of having all the time I wanted was new to me, and I wasn’t quite ready to admit that maybe I wanted all the time she had to give me.

I stripped her slowly, giving her the time to do the same to me, until we both stood naked in the moonlight filtering in through her curtains. I kissed her deeply then, lifting her into my arms and wrapping her legs around my waist. I took her to her bed and laid her out for me to behold. Her perfect skin was dark against the contrast of her sheets, and I wanted to fall to my knees and kiss every inch.

I knelt on the bed, lifting her foot and placing a kiss on her delicate toes, followed by her ankle, her calf, and her inner thigh. As I kissed my way up, I crawled between her spread thighs and hovered hungrily over her core, her scent making my mouth water. I couldn’t ignore the need to taste her any more than I could ignore the need to breathe. I loved how she tasted and how she worked herself over my tongue.

I breathed over her clit and watched her stomach quiver in anticipation before laving my tongue through her folds. She cried out, and I groaned, lapping up her arousal and losing myself to the heady taste. She clawed her hands through my hair, using my tongue for her pleasure like I knew she would, and I could have lost control right there.

I had to stop her before she peaked and pulled me over the edge with her, my cock never even having come into play. That would not do at all. I retreated from her grasp, breathing hard, and she moaned at the absence. I chuckled at the pout in her tone before placing a kiss to her hip and climbing on up her stomach towards her perfect breasts.

She sucked in a breath when I cupped her and brushed my thumb across her furled nipple. Then she moaned when I pinched the puckered flesh while I kissed a path up her throat to her mouth. Hovering over her lips, I held her gaze and watched while I notched the painfully swollen head of my dick against the heat of her pussy.

We both made sounds of pure need at the contact, and I held there, fighting the need to drive in and find my end before I had the chance to savor the beginning. Hazel’s hips tilted, trying to draw me in, and I relented, sinking forward an inch or two.

---