Page 42 of Beneath the Cursed Veil

I arched an eyebrow she couldn’t see. “There’s no need to be nervous, Meera. I’ve seen you drool all over my pillow when you passed out from burnout.”

“That’s not what this is about,” she squeaked, her voice going all high and breathy with panic.

“Uh huh,” I hummed. “I’m not going to instigate anything. Now get in the damn bed and go to sleep.”

“Fine.” She acquiesced, gingerly lifting the covers before she curled up under them—keeping as much space between us as possible. I grinned, biting back a laugh as she rolled over to give me her back.

At first her breathing was heavy and labored, but as the minutes ticked by it slowed. For all the fanfare, she fell asleep well before I did. Meera wasn’t the only one feeling some sort of apprehension about this set up.

For years, I’d dreamed of her.

Now we were sleeping in the same bed.

Would I dream of her still?

The thought didn’t bring me the same comfort it usually did, but with the scent of blood oranges in the air, sleep claimed me soon enough.

Soft hands smoothed up the planes of my chest. My eyes snapped open. Darkness still blanketed the room, but there was no missing the feminine form pressed against me as I lay on my side.

I froze, my body forgetting how to respond as she trailed one hand up my neck to thread through my hair. Her fingers curled in a tight, too familiar grip.

She pulled me closer while arching her back, her lips parted.

“Meera,” I breathed, mouth dry.

She groaned at the sound of her name, her chestbrushing against me. The feel of her crop top against my skin was both a blessing and a disappointment.

She was sleeping.

Of course she was sleeping. Meera would never do this while awake. She’d made that perfectly clear.

I cursed under my breath as I tried to pull away. She wasn’t having any of it.

“Vareck,” she said softly, tugging on my hair again. When I didn’t move, she shuffled upwards. Her lips met mine, hungry as they ever were.

I grabbed her waist, trying to push her back. Meera moaned, tossing her leg over my hip. Her sharp teeth bit down on my bottom lip, hard enough to make everything hazy. When her tongue tangled with mine, I forgot what I was supposed to be doing.

Fuck, she felt good.

Her body was soft and warm and everything I’d ever wanted in a woman. Like every curve was made just for me. It was harder than it should have been to stop this. I trailed my hand down her leg and wrapped my fingers around the back of her knee, gently removing it from my body.

Meera growled, turning my blood to fire.

Fuck me.

“You need to wake up,” I said, trying to extricate myself from her kiss.

“I am,” she groaned. Meera opened her eyes, revealing dilated pupils blown with lust. She released my hair, placing an open palm against my shoulder and pushing. I fell back against the bed, unable to think past the woman who tossed her leg back over me. She moved her hands to my chest, sitting up to straddle me.

All complaints died in my throat.

My muscles refused to work when she grasped thebottom of her shirt and pulled it over her head. A lacy bra cupped her full breasts, her hard nipples visible through the sheer fabric.

Meera grabbed one of my hands and moved it to her chest. I palmed her, feeling the heaviness while my thumb brushed over her peaked nipple.

Her hips jerked, pressing into my already hard cock.

“Fuck, I need you to touch me,” she whined.

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