Page 163 of Of Sins and Sacrifice

“I’m glad to hear that,” he murmurs.

The thick, dark substance coats his knuckles, giving them a menacing appearance. As I reach out to clean his hand, he suddenly grabs my wrist and throws the dirty shirt to the ground.

I raise my gaze to his, my confusion evident in my furrowed brows. But before I can ask him anything, his hand is on my face. His thumb traces my lips before sliding inside and pushing his finger past the barrier of my teeth.

I still, unsure of how to react. Part of me wants to pull away, but his intense stare keeps me rooted in place. Slowly, I allow my tongue to touch his finger, tasting the surprisingly sweet seed that he pushed into my mouth. It’s even sweeter than the glazed donuts he brings me every day.

Feeling bolder, I grasp his wrist and turn his hand so I can run my tongue over every inch of his knuckles. I feel him gulp hard as I clean the remaining seed from his skin.

But then he abruptly pulls away from me, leaving me startled and unsure if I did something wrong.

Instead of answering my unspoken question, he takes hold of my cheeks in his strong palms and leans down toward me.

“My brave, brave girl,” he whispers, his warm breath caressing my face. He presses gentle kisses first to my forehead, then my nose before hovering over my parted lips.

“One kiss. Just one kiss and I can die a happy man.”

I wet my lips, still tasting the sweetness of his seed.

“How can you be satisfied with just one kiss when I promised youallmy kisses?”

That’s all the encouragement he needs, and on my next breath, we’re breathing together.

His lips are soft yet firm as they mold perfectly to mine. At first, he lays light, almost chaste kisses on my mouth before he nibbles at my lower lip. A gasp escapes me, but he swallows it as he seeks entrance in my mouth.

His lips meet mine in a delicate, almost hesitant touch. But as I mimic his movements, he releases any restraint and pulls me closer to him, his mouth devouring mine. Our tongues dance together in a passionate yet chaotic battle for dominance.

He lunges, I counter. He withdraws, I chase after him.

It’s a never-ending cycle of give and take, push and pull. We’re both equal adversaries in this intoxicating game of desire.

Despite the forbidden nature of our encounter, I can’t find it within me to care about the potential consequences.

His touch is worth every risk.

With my fingers digging into his muscular shoulders, I stand on my tiptoes to get even closer to him. The heat between us is palpable, igniting a fire within that threatens to consume us both.

“Sweet Minnie,” he murmurs in between kisses. “You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting for you.”

He’s breathing hard.Iam breathing hard. But as I look into his eyes, I note a light sheen of unspilled tears. My lashes flutter in confusion.

But as he covers my mouth again with his own, I don’t get to dwell on his odd words and even odder expression.

I simply give myself over to the kiss.

It might be my first, but it might also be my last.

I must make the best of it.

TWENTY-TWO

Freshly bathedand dressed in clean clothes, we’re standing at the precipice of what could be the most dangerous part of our mission. I hold tightly onto the small pin, drawing just enough energy from it to lead us to the portal. With a nod to Mine, we start our journey.

I can’t help but feel a slight twinge of apprehension as we move forward. Mine must sense my unease, for he gently grabs my hand and pulls me closer to him.

“You’re awfully quiet. Do you regret what happened?” he asks softly.

I bite my lip, averting my gaze.

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