Page 57 of Shielded Heart 1
“You don’t have to hold on to him anymore, little terran. Cast him into the void.”
“I’m trying, but—”
Arcanthus turned her face toward his again. “Let me help you, Samantha.”
“How?”
“You deserve pleasure. You deserve ecstasy.” A husky tone had entered his voice. He flicked the tip of his tail across the back of her knee. “And I would be delighted to provide it to you. Let me erase his stain from your memory.”
Heat spread across her face. “I-I don’t know if I can. I never felt…”
“You’re sitting with the finest male specimen in Arthos, little terran. You have no idea of the pleasure I can make you feel.” He tipped his head toward her, brushing his nose across her hair. His breath was warm against her ear.
He inhaled deeply.
She shivered, and her heart quickened.
“I’ll offer you a deal, Samantha. Set aside your doubt, your hesitance, this one time. Let meshowyou. Let me make youfeel. If you don’t enjoy it…I won’t push any further.”
Could she agree? Could she let go of her fear and experience what Arc was offering?
In that moment, she wanted him more thananything. He was the embodiment of temptation, the epitome of seduction, and a simple glance from him was all it took to ignite a fire in her core.
Arcanthus flicked his tongue against the sensitive spot just beneath her ear, and Samantha gasped as tingles of arousal spread through her.
“What is your answer, my flower?”
“What do you get if you win?” she whispered.
“You.”
TWELVE
Samantha pulled back and turned her head to look at Arcanthus. The desirous light in his eyes, paired with his wicked smile, promised unimaginable pleasure. Not for the first time, she couldn’t help likening his looks to a demon—a demon of lascivious delight.
I’m about to make a deal with the devil…and I’ve never wanted anything more.
She kept her eyes locked with his. “Yes.”
“Oh, my beautiful little terran,” he purred, “I will open the universe to you.”
He trailed his hand down from her face, his fingertips trekking over her cheek and jaw to the sensitive skin of her neck. It moved lower still, a feather-light touch that sent tingles across her flesh, brushing over her shoulder and arm, and finally stopped on her hip, opposite his other hand. The thin fabric of her dress was the only barrier between his palms and her skin; his heat radiated through the material, but the separation was too much.
She’d never felt so restricted byclothing.
Arcanthus lifted her off his lap and shifted beneath her, turning himself so he was leaning back against the armrest of the sofa. She was facing away from him when he lowered her onto his lap again.
“Lie back, Samantha.”
Samantha looked at him over her shoulder. “But don’t you need to…face me?”
“This is about you.” Arcanthus snaked his arm around her middle and drew her backward until she lay against his chest with her head on his shoulder. He turned his face toward her, running the tip of his nose over her ear. “Don’t focus on me. Focus on my touch, on what it makes you feel. Do not be afraid of your own body.”
How could she not focus on him? His sensual voice filled her ears, his hard body and arms had her wrapped in their warmth, and his delicious scent enveloped her.
He flattened his palms on her lower abdomen and slowly slid them up. His fingers crossed the low neckline of her dress, sweeping warm metal over her skin and making it quiver. His hands moved higher and higher until they cradled the undersides of her breasts.
An involuntary sound rose from the back of her throat, and Sam grasped her skirt in her fists. She stared down at his hands; their black metal was stark against the red fabric and her pale skin, creating a startlingly erotic contrast.
