Page 80 of Queen of Darkness
It didn’t take us long.
The large space was sparsely but expensively furnished. Thick carpet covered the floor while a large four-poster bed sat against the wall to the right. Directly adjacent to the door were his and hers desks, floor-length mirrors, and wardrobes. Everything was carved from rich brown wood, stained to bring out the grain to perfection.
All the finishes were done in gold. Handles, knobs, trim. All of it.
Other than those furnishings, however, the room was empty, the walls bare. I spotted a door that must have led to the bathroom, and that was it.
“He really loves to entertain, doesn’t he?” Aaron murmured humorously as the door closed behind us, courtesy of the Enkk.
“Absolutely. I can just imagine Hades at a dinner party in the Underworld right now. Can’t you?”
Aaron cackled with laughter.
I, meanwhile, sat on the edge of the bed, surprised by how comfortable it was. Aaron continued to pace back and forth in front of me slowly.
“So, how do we do this?” I asked, trying to diffuse the tension. “Is there a ritual or something?”
“No. Nothing like that. You just … let me take control, and I’ll do the rest.Ifyou’re ready for it.”
I reached out and grabbed his wrist, stopping him so that he faced me.
“I don’t think I’ll ever bereadyfor it,” I told him, standing and moving into his personal space. “But it’s what Iwant.”
“Are you sure? It will hurt.”
“No, it won’t,” I said, pressing a hand to his chest as his fangs slid out. “All I’ll feel is you.”
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Ilooked up at him, past the fangs, losing myself in his eyes. There was something different about them. Darker, more mysterious. Like shadows at the edges, swirling in circles, pulling me into their deep depths. I inhaled sharply, stunned by the intensity of the pull, the desire I felt to leap at him.
It was a mix of sexual and sensual, emotional and physical, but I held absolutely no doubts that it wasreal. Something pulled me into him, and after a brief moment of confusion, I stopped fighting it, succumbing to it. I gave myself over to him, releasing control.
Aaron took over from there. Fingers gentler than the caress of a summer's breeze pulled my hair back and to one side, exposing the pristine skin of my neck. I trembled each time his fingers grazed my flesh, my chest rising and falling as my breaths became shorter. Faster. My pulse quickened, thundering in my ear as he bent to kiss me.
The searing heat of his mouth stole the air from my lungs, the tease of his notquiteforceful touch bringing me up onto my tiptoes. I wanted more, and I went for it, leaning into him. His hand snaked around my back, gripping my hip and squeezing. Without any effort, he lifted me high into the air until I was above him, looking down.
At some point, my leg must have kicked up because, when he set me down, only one foot made contact with the floor. It didn’t matter. Aaron held me steady, our lips pressed together, opening as our tongues flirted playfully for the barest, briefest of moments.
The outside world faded to gray as we became fully wrapped up in one another. I couldn’t recall feeling this way when we had sex, but then again, he’d never quite looked at me likethisbefore. His hunger was plain to see now, but it wasn’t violent. It was seductive and promising. It called to me, and I ran to answer.
Fingers caressed my jaw, and I shivered, letting him turn my head to the side. This was it, then. This was how it would happen. I was going to behis.
And that will mean he’s mine,I thought with a wickedly sensual smile. Whether he knew it or not, I would get something out of this as well.
Him.
For all time, for all eternity. We would be bound together.
“Are you ready?” he asked, his voice fluttering as he kissed his way along my jaw and down my neck.
Licking my lips, buying myself a moment to steady my nerves, I nodded. “Yes. I am … Are you?”
A deep chuckle shook him from the belly outward. “You caught that, did you?”
“Maybe,” I said, squeezing him tight. “But it doesn’t matter, not really. You can be like that around me, you know. I like to see that side of you. The human side. Strong and powerful is good most of the time, but sometimes I like to know that you have emotions. And being the only one you share them with, well, that makes me feel even more special.”
“Youarespecial,” Aaron said, kissing my neck, his lips easily finding the vein. “Especially to me.”
