Page 231 of Lady of Ashes

She shrugged slightly. “I suppose we will ?nd out tomorrow. Or rather, later today.” She looked over her shoulder at him, a slight frown tugging on her lips. “Gods, it’s nearly dawn. I’m sleeping until lunch.”

He chuckled softly. “Good plan, Princess. I have one more gift to give you anyway.”

Her eyes narrowed as he spun her back in his lap to face him. Her bare chest brushed against his. His hands instantly rose to her breasts, thumbs brushing over peaked nipples.

“I need nothing else, Sorin. Only you,” she replied, her lips finding his once more. He let her take control of the kiss, her mouth moving softly against his while his hands explored flesh he knew as well as his own. But he’d never get enough of this, of her, of feeling her beneath his fingertips. Her hands slid down his chest, her fingers tracing along the ridges of his muscles until they reached his pants. She deftly undid the buttons before rising and removing her undergarments while he quickly lost his own pants.

She slowly climbed back on top of him, her hands sliding back into his hair while his slid down her ribs onto her waist. His thumbs were making idle swipes on her hips as she straddled him once more, holding herself just above him. He could feel her heat onthe head of his cock. His ?ngers ?exed into her skin as she dragged herself across him, her lips curving up in a smirk.

His head tipped back on the sofa, his eyes falling closed when she did it again. “It is amusing, you know,” he mused.

“What is?” she asked, her movements stilling.

“That you think you are in control here,” he said.

“What?”

Before she could say anything else, his hands gripped her hips tightly and yanked her down onto him. She let out a gasp that quickly became a moan. His lips began trailing down her throat, her collarbone, over that Mark he could see, down to her breasts.

“It is even more amusing that you thought you could tease me without any retaliation,” he murmured onto her ?esh, right before his mouth closed around a nipple. She sucked in a breath, arching into him, but when she tried to move against him, his ?ngers dug in even more, keeping her still.

“It’s my birthday,” she whined when he moved his mouth to her other breast.

He snorted a laugh. “First of all, that was yesterday,” he replied, one hand sliding around to grip her ass. “Second, you refused to let anyone even mention such a thing. How contriving of you to use it as an excuse now.”

“Sorin,” she pouted when she tried to move again, but he held her ?rmly, fully impaled on him.

His mouth trailed back up to her throat where his tongue had her writhing against him despite his efforts to hold her still. She pressed her forehead into his, her breaths short and sharp feathering across his lips.

“My name on your lips will forever be my weakness, Love,” he rasped, his hold loosening to let her rock her hips against him. A moan of relief left her as she did it again. The hand that had been holding her hip snaked in between them, his thumb dipping in to rub against her center.

His tongue darted out, gliding across her bottom lip. It was all she needed to bring her mouth back to his. Her hands were braced on his shoulders, her nails digging in when his hands moved back to her hips and began guiding her movements. Between her tongue in his mouth and being buried deep inside her, he let himself get lost in all she was, all they were.

When she murmured “more” onto his lips, it was all she needed to say. He stood, bringing her with him, never once breaking their kiss. He walked them over to the bed, where he gently laid her on her back. Her legs stayed wrapped around his waist where he still stood at the edge of the bed bent over her. Her arms had looped around his neck, and now she slowly unwound them, her hands sliding to his chest.

“You make my entire world a better place, Sorin,” she whispered.

“You have said you do not want a world without me in it, but I will simply not survive in a world where there is not a you and me.”

“There will never be such a thing, Scarlett,” he said, brushing kisses across her brow.

“I know,” she breathed, her back arching when he started moving inside her again, withdrawing slowly and dragging himself against her inner walls. “I just … You always ask if I am all right, but you, Sorin? As long as you are with me, I will always be all right. Your touch eases my fears, and your kisses are every star in my darkness.”

“Love,” he breathed, but her ?nger came to rest against his lips, and she shook her head slightly.

“You’ve brought me back. Every time,” she swallowed thickly, and he could see thin pools of silver glimmering in her eyes. “I need you to know that the world,myworld, is a better place since you came along.”

A soft smile lifted his lips, and he pressed them lightly to hers. Then he did as he had promised in the piano lounge.

He worshipped her.

CHAPTER 45

CALLAN

“Ireceived con?rmation this afternoon from Lord Lairwood that Veda is still out of the city,” Tava said when she swept into the conservatory that evening. Her cheeks and nose were red from the last cold snap that had spread over the city that day. They always got one last cold spell right before spring truly arrived.

Callan was instantly striding for her, taking the gloves she had pulled from her hands. She pulled her hood back as he ushered her towards the small hearth in the corner where she immediately began warming her hands.

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