Page 140 of Kingdoms of Night

Would it be just this one night? She pulled away, gulping in great cool breaths of air, but it didn’t matter. Her breath came faster, needier, and she couldn’t fight the warm throb spreading from her core. She didn’t want to fight it. “What do you want me to do?”

She’d sworn she’d never ask another man that question. Would never bare herself or expose herself in any way.

Yet here it was, pouring out. Whatever he wanted, he could have.

He cupped her face between his hands.“Non, ma belle. Allonge-toi. Je veux te brouter le gazon.”

She frowned. She should have understood him, but all of that didn’t make sense.No, my beautiful one. Lie down. I want to…Something that didn’t make sense? Grazing? Some kind of farm term?

But she knew well enough what it meant, to lie down for a man.

He leaned closer, nudging her with his nose and lingering against her cheek.

She tried to look up at him. Yet already the longing had intensified near to insanity. She needed him, and she was melting here. It took all her strength not to collapse into his arms. And if they were going to make love, she had to be stronger than she was now. Capable of showing him her worthiness. To make him feel pleasure and bliss.

Her hand moved to his belt. “What do you want me to do for you, Feron? I’ll do anything you want. Whatever you want.”

He pushed her hand away from his belt and pulled her tight against him. “I don’t want you to do anything except enjoy this. And if you want something or want me to stop something, you tell me. This is about you. Yes?”

She nodded, savoring the warmth of his body, keenly aware of his hardness against her. His words contributed to the pleasant haze in her mind. How was this even possible? Did it matter? Whatever happened, it would be good.

“Do whatever you want with me,” she said, pressing her cheek against his chest. “Whatever you want. I don’t care.”

“I want you to care. I want you to relax.” He leaned in and drew her earlobe into his mouth. The heat and softness of his lips startled a moan from her.

“Let me make this about you,” he said, his voice thick with desire.

Was he serious? The way he’d kissed her, the way he held her now, though—a man didn’t do that without loving the woman, did he? But what did he have in mind? The questions struggled up in her mind, but the haze had so fully encompassed her that she could only pant.

He took her face in both his hands and kissed her lips, then her chin, then down her neck toward her collarbone. Nuzzling her, he whispered, “Lie down for me, Ida”

Yes. Lie down. She’d lie down.

She almost dropped, but his arm steadied her and he guided her down to the lush grass. As he knelt over her, silhouetted by the sunset, her heart raced and her breath came in short, shallow rising and falling of her chest. His touch stroked up her arms, leaving her sensitive skin pebbled in its wake, and floodplains, she was ready for whatever he wanted.

He kissed her neck again, a bloom of heat, and stroked her hair back. He caressed her bare leg, his callused fingertips light and gentle. He kissed his way from her knee, halfway up her thigh, then moved his hands to the next and pressed her black skirt up a little higher. Each small kiss made her ache and long for more. Each brush of his hand made her twitch. She bit back the moans as best she could, but they eked out nonetheless.

There were questions to ask. Things to clarify. Oh! Did it matter?

A strained “yes” escaped her lips, and her head fell back to the soft ground. He could do whatever he wanted if he kept making her feel like this. The world above already spun slowly, and her pulse thundered as if it had become a beast all its own. Stars appeared slowly as indigo velvet filled the sky.

She hovered on the edge of torturer, though the pleasure built with each movement. She was transfixed, panting already, her fingers clutching at the cool grass.

Then he placed his warm hand on her inner thigh, making her breath quiver, and pressed her open. He kissed her again, cradling her cheek, then his mouth trailed lower. And lower.

She gasped. “What are you doing?”

“You don’t know?” He tilted his head, an impish smile spreading over his face. “I thought you were experienced.”

“I am.” She propped herself up on her elbows. “But I thought—”

His smile broadened as he rubbed his palm up the inside of her thigh. Her pulse thundered faster. “What did you think I meant when I said I wanted to make this about you?”

“That you were going to kiss me and maybe—” She curled forward, gasping as his large hand stroked higher along the inside of her thigh.

“I do like kissing you,” he said, his voice dropping an octave lower. “But I think you’ll like this more. A lot more.” His voice softened. “Now. Will you let me pleasure you?”

She nodded tightly, her body already throbbing with anticipation. The sheer anticipation nearly had her to the brink.

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