Page 119 of Heir of Illusion

His eyes light up with smug satisfaction as my movements become more sporadic. Liquid heat builds in my core as I cry his name again and again. He slips two fingers inside me, pushing them in and out at a tantalizing pace.

“Please,” I beg.

His fingers curl, pressing against that sensitive spot that makes my vision go black as everything explodes.

“Thorne,” I shout, unable to stop myself as I combust in his arms.

Before I know it, he’s rising to his feet and bringing his lips to mine in a feverish kiss. His fingers still pump in and out, letting me ride out the last waves of pleasure. I moan at the sinful taste of myself on his tongue.

“Please, Ivy,” he whispers against my skin as the high finally ends. “Let me do it again.”

“Hmm?” I murmur as my hazy mind tries to follow his request.

“You said I didn’t have to stop,” he says, his tone completely serious. “Does that still apply?”

I’m about to say yes when footsteps echo from the other end of the alley. Griffen stands there, his features twisted into absolute shock as he stares at the two of us, pressed together. Heat flames my face as I remember how much of my body is currently exposed. My hands drop to my laces, my fingers shaking as I quickly tie them. Immediately, Thorne’s wings expand to shield what’s left of my dignity, blocking off my view of his friend.

“I—” the confused fae begins.

“Leave,” Thorne cuts him off, his voice low and menacing.

“How are you able?—”

“Now!”

Footsteps retreat in the opposite direction, telling me Griffen is gone, but his interruption has created room for sober thoughts to overtake my lustful haze. Nausea rises in my gut as I spot one of the bodies lying dead on the cobblestone. Oh gods. This was wrong. We shouldn’t have done this here. We shouldn’t have done this at all.

Questions swirl through my mind, one after another. What if Thorne doesn’t truly want me the way I want him? What if he was only interested in me tonight because he realized he could touch me without harm? I wouldn’t blame him for that. It’d be normal to seek that opportunity with whoever you could. But the thought makes me strangely ill.

“Stop that.” Thorne’s voice pulls me from my spiral.

Glancing up, I find him watching me with narrowed eyes. “What?”

He moves to stand directly in front of me. “Whatever you’re thinking.”

I raise my chin. “You don’t know what I’m thinking.”

“I know it’s not good.”

Despite his orders, the poisonous thoughts spread. Tonight was reckless. We’re lucky it was Griffen who interrupted us and not someone else. Anyone could have seen us out here in the open. And with news of my engagement sweeping the city… I don’t even want to imagine what Baylor would do if he found out. Della was right. I am being reckless.

If we were discovered, there would be no more chances at freedom, no more glimpses of a better life. I risked all of that for what? A few minutes of pleasure with someone who’s done nothing but lie to me.

That’s not true, an annoying voice in the back of my mind reminds me.He cares for you.

I shake my head. Whatever this was, I need to sort through my emotions away from Thorne. Because the harsh reality is that even if he does care for me, he’ll still be gone as soon as he gets what he came here for. And I’ll be left behind, trapped with Baylor for eternity. The thought leaves me cold and unsteady.

“This was a mistake,” I whisper as I move past him.

His bare hand grabs my wrist, pulling me to a stop as the feeling of his skin against mine sends another wave of shivers through me. “You don’t mean that.”

“I do,” I insist, refusing to look at him. “If word got back to Baylor?—”

He grabs my chin, forcing me to meet his gaze. “I’d protect you. You don’t need to?—”

“You can’t protect me,” I cut him off as I rip myself out of his hold. “As long as this collar sits around my neck, no one can.”

His eyes blaze with determination, but we both know I’m right.

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