Page 53 of Crimson Shadows
The expectation grows, thick and irresistible. I can almost taste it, and it tastes like power, like secrets shared in the dead of night. It’s intoxicating.
Zaiah appears with those trouble-promising eyes. “Knew it was you,” I mutter, but before I can say more, his presence surrounds me, drawing me in like a magnet.
His voice is a caress that sets my nerves on edge. “Good things come to those who wait, Adelaide.”
“Screw waiting.”
He grins, sharp and quick. “As you wish.”
“Not a wish,” I murmur as he steps closer, close enough that I feel his heat. It’s unnatural, this pull between us, but it’s real as the ground beneath me. His fingers trail up my arm, light but searing.
“Fuck,” I breathe, my skin coming alive under his touch.
“Is that an invitation?” Zaiah teases, but his eyes hold a hunger that tells me he’s serious.
“Maybe,” I shoot back, trying to keep my voice steady. I can feel the Vesper inside me responding to his djinn magick, rising to the surface. It’s there, I know it.
His hand hovers near my cheek, and my body reacts, arching towards him. My breath hitches, a moan escaping me. “Let me touch you, Adelaide. I can make you feel things you have never experienced before.”
“Please,” I pant, wondering in the back of my mind why I’m allowing this. “Zaiah—” I don’t finish because his touch wipes every thought from my mind as he cups my cheek, and I gasp.
“Shh,” he says, close now. “Just feel, Adelaide. No more words.”
The room shifts, turning into a lush garden under a moonlit sky. It’s like some dark Eden, filled with the scent of jasmine that wraps around us, thick and intoxicating.
“Where are we?” I whisper, turning in a circle to gaze at the wonder around me.
“Somewhere perfect,” Zaiah murmurs.
The sight takes my breath away. He is like some naked dark god, with powerful lines and stunning beauty. My fingers itch to touch him, to confirm he’s real.
I reach out, trailing my hands over his chest. His warmth sears me. I can feel his heartbeat, the ripple of muscle. I look down as the breeze caresses my sensitive skin, and I notice I’m naked, too.
How did that happen?
“Keep touching me, Adelaide. It feels so good.”
Every touch sends shockwaves of desire through me that have been unknown to me before now. I’ve had sex. Twice. Kissed a few guys here and there. Being touch aversive makes it hard to want to be with someone in this way, but Zaiah is smashing those walls down without even really doing anything except standing there, naked, hot, with a cock the size of… I gulp. I can’t even compare it to anything.
His arms go around me, pulling me flush against him. The contact is electric as my breasts squash up against his chest.
“Zaiah,” I murmur, but it sounds more like a plea than anything else. “What are you doing to me?”
“Only what you want,” he whispers in my ear. “Only what you’ve always wanted.”
“Zaiah,” I breathe out, my voice trembling. He grins, that wicked curve of his lips promising trouble.
“My Adelaide,” he murmurs, and then his mouth is on mine. The kiss isn’t just a meeting of lips; it’s a clash of who we are—Vesper and djinn, bound by night whispers and unspokensecrets. His lips are crushing mine, drawing out a response from me that’s both primal and new.
I don’t know how to navigate this, to let go without losing myself. But as our mouths move in sync, I realise I don’t need to know. It’s about trusting him, about drowning in the moment.
His fingers trail fire down my spine, each touch a spark. The garden fades, the jasmine scent just an echo behind the storm he’s stirring within me.
“Fuck,” I gasp against his mouth, and he chuckles, the sound vibrating through me. His hands roam possessively, fanning the flames higher.
“Let it burn, Addy,” Zaiah breathes, his voice laced with sin. “Let it consume you.”
When he guides us to down, I’m back on my bed, the cool sheets welcome against the heat of Zaiah’s skin as he presses down on me. His hips grind against mine, drawing out ragged moans from deep in my soul.
