Page 178 of Hidden Kingdoms

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CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE

ELODIE

Exhausting myself by expelling my magik had diminished the blaze of anger that had fuelled it. When I had nothing left to give and it was a struggle to even keep standing, Marcellus had guided me back to my room, the barriers to the wing letting him through with no resistance.

A lingering tension crackled between us as we walked through the halls in a silence that only amplified the way my body reacted to his closeness. The lingering touch of magik and his proximity made me want nothing more than to pull him into my room and feel those hard planes of muscle against me.

Let him put those large hands to use.

Instead, as we made it to my newest room, Marcellus leaned down, reaching past me to grip the onyx handle. He was so close, the ridges of the door dug into my back, and Marcellus’ lips brushed against my cheek, a wave of all consuming need radiating from the contact. He flicked out a drift of air that urged me over the threshold and out from under his presence as the door shut between us.

“I don’t know what spell you’ve cast on him, but he’s not normally that nice,” came a voice from behind me, and I spun on the spot as my heart leapt in shock, magik clumsy in my fingers,to find Kaius sprawled on the long grey sofa at the opposite end of the room.

“Spell?” I repeated stupidly, panting through over the mini heart attack he had just caused.

“Mm, probably the same one you’ve cast on me,” he mused, as the low light from the fire flickered across him.

“What are you talking about?” I asked in utter confusion as he absently tapped his fingers over his heart. “And what are you doing here?”

“I just couldn’t stay away,” he said, pushing from where he was sitting and stalking towards me, muscles rippling under the fabric of the dark top he wore.

I could feel the pull of him before he was even halfway towards me, my body responding as it remembered how good it felt to be the focus of his attention. I wanted that now, to feel the way I had with him in the cave, and from the hungry glint in his eyes, I knew he wanted the same.

I didn’t move from my spot in front of the door as he came to a stop in front of me, the rapid pitter of my heart matching the tempo of my blood as it sung through my veins. Tilting my head back to meet his silver eyes, my fingers itched to push back the strands of hair that had escaped the tie that held them.

“I heard you had a busy day,” Kaius said, as he paused in front of me, eyes dropping to my hand. He reached out and brought it between us, the slice there no bigger than a centimetre. Slowly, so fucking slowly I thought I would combust, he kissed the pad of my thumb. A small rush of magik sealed the damage from Arden’s blade, and a dark desire stole my breath. Letting go of my hand reaching for the zip on my jacket and slowly pulling it down. It’s rasp the only sound to reach my ears above the gentle crackle of the fire. As the two sides broke apart, he pushed it from my shoulders, letting it pool on the floor behind me.

“So, you decided to break in?” My voice wasn’t as steady as I would have liked, my eyes flicking down in time to catch him lick his bottom lip as his finger traced the skin along my collar bone, sending shivers to cascade down my body.

“I wouldn’t exactly call it breaking in,” he murmured, the heat from his body radiating into mine as his hand brushed over my neck and slipped into my hair.

“What would you call it then?” He was closer now, warm breath fanning over my face, and I swallowed hard, my hands reaching to brush over his hips. Liquid heat pooled between my legs as his body tightened under my touch.

Using the hand tangled in my hair, Kaius tilted my head back. Torturously slowly, he leaned down, pressing a searing kiss against the sensitive skin of my neck.

“Being...” He moved higher, and another kiss followed.

“Where...” Another kiss.

“I’m...” He peppered them along my jaw, each one igniting sparks of need between my thighs. My chest heaved with needy breaths and my hands fisted in the fabric hiding his body from me.

“Meant...” Another.

“To…” Kiss.

“Be.”

The last one was placed at the corner of my mouth, and I had no control over my actions as I turned into his lips, eagerly claiming them with my own. Kaius was ready for me, matching each pass, every stroke of my tongue. His fist tightened in my hair, the other sliding over my hip, fingers digging into my flesh with a possessive grip that was bound to leave a mark.

I hoped it would leave a mark.

A moan escaped me as the taste of him danced on my tongue, and he deepened the kiss, the rough scratch of his beard against my skin putting my senses into overdrive.

Kaius’ fingers tightened, forcing us backwards until my back hit the door hard, and I gasped into his mouth as his hips ground against me, the hardness of his dick digging into my stomach as I was caged by the strength of his body.

“Fuck. Sorry, Goldie,” he breathed against my lips, and I knew he was trying to reign himself back, but I didn’t want that. I wanted everything he could give.

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