Page 70 of The Serpent's Bride
She let it slip from her fingers. It clattered to the ground beside her.
His red eyes were almost black, the pupils were so dilated. His fangs were long, extended from hunger and lust. His chest was rising and falling in rapid, deep breaths. He took a step toward her, and she took one back into the room of glittering gold, silver, and jewels.
Another step forward from him, and she took another one back.
When he spoke, his voice was deep, almost ragged. “Take off the cap. Lower your hair.”
She did as she was told, keeping her eyes on his the whole time. Her hands trembled. There was…something in the simplicity of doing what he said. Somethingeasyabout it. She didn’t have to make excuses for her actions if he was ordering her to do it.
It wasn’t her fault then, was it?
Suddenly, his hand shot out. He snatched her by the throat, clenching her tight enough that she gasped in pain. He dragged her toward him, his other arm around behind her waist, cinching her tight to his body. She felt his desire there, his hard length pressing against her stomach, trapped in his trousers.
He kissed her, rough and hard, devouring her lips as his hand released her throat to tangle in her hair, yanking her head back harshly to angle it better for him. She gasped at the pain in her scalp, and his tongue was instantly tangling with hers, exploring her mouth. Claiming it as his.
She moaned against him. It was instinctual. She couldn’t help it. He was making it so easy just to…let it happen. Let her body answer for her—let herself simplyexistin his arms. The strength in his grasp. The certainty in it. The sheer primalneed.
Without warning, he threw her toward one of the wooden tables. Coins clattered to the ground as she staggered backward into it, rocking it into the wall with awham.She gripped the edge of it to keep from winding up on her back against the surface, though she knew that was where she would be before long.
Raziel stalked toward her, his face a mask of lust and hunger. “You will give me your honest answers.”
She nodded. She didn’t feel his hypnotism there—he was simply demanding it from her. And she found she had no will or desire to lie to him.
“Did he ask you to escape with him?”
“Yes.” She kept her eyes locked on his red ones. She could lie if she needed to—but he didn’t know that.
“You chose instead to kill him and stay. Why?”
“I want you to trust me.” That was true. “I want you to spare my life, even if your mother says no…” That wasalsotrue. But she knew she needed to give him something more. A confession. Something that he could believe enough to spare her. “And I—I want you.” Lords of the deep, that was also not a lie. “I needthis.Even…if it kills me.”
The growl that left him went straight to her core. Shuddering at the sound and what it did to her, she shut her eyes. She couldn’t help it. The room smelled coppery and metallic, like blood. Blood she had spilled.Faeblood.
The dim light of the room was blotted out as Raziel stepped into her, the smell of his cologne masking the smell of the blood. His lips were on hers again, taking away her ability to think or breathe as he roamed his hands over her body, squeezing andgroping as he quickly tore away her clothing, shredding off the dress and ripping anything that didn’t come off fast enough.
Reaching down, he picked her up by the ass and lifted her up to place her on her back on the table. She was surrounded by the trappings of wealth, coins and riches of every kind. But he didn’t seem to care at all as he yanked her forward to wrap her legs around his waist.
He leaned over her, capturing her lips again in a furious kiss, as his other hand rustled with his belt and his fly. She felt his length pressing against her. Shutting her eyes, she kissed him back, as hard as he gave to her, lacing her fingers into his silky hair—wanting to taste him. Wanting to feel him.
Wanting him to take it all away.
Wanting to make it easy.
He broke off the kiss, looking down at her, studying her for a moment, those red eyes flicking between hers.
Was he asking her forpermission?That wasn’t the Raziel she knew. And not the one she wanted in this moment. Right now, she wanted the one that would make it all simple, clear-cut, and black and white.
Now wasn’t the time for thinking.
Now was the time to have all those things taken from her. Lifting her head,shekissedhim.Pushing her tongue into his mouth, she forced the matter. She wanted him to take her. Wanted him to consume her. Wanted him to make her not have to think about what she’d just done.
She pricked her tongue on his fang. Hard enough to make sure it bled.
The noise that left him was heaven. Her moan joined his as he sucked on her tongue, trying to coax another drop of blood from her.
When it didn’t come, he pulled his head back and straightened up, standing between her legs, then let out a snarlthat was part man, part animal. “Youlittle—”He let out a shuddering breath. “Do you know how many peoplediedthis week because of you?”
That shouldn’t turn her on.
